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What We Know with Max Foster
White House: Admiral Ordered Double-Tap Strike On Caribbean Boat; Trump To Hold Oval Office Meeting On Venezuela; U.S. Hosts High-Level Ukrainian Delegation In Florida; Netanyahu Requests Pardon In Ongoing Corruption Trial; Heavy Rain Kills 1,000+ Across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand; Hong Kong High Rise Death Toll Rises To 151, 30 Still Missing; Pope Leo XIV Urges Youth In Lebanon To Work For Peace. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired December 01, 2025 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:41]
MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Who was behind the double tap strike in the Caribbean?
This is WHAT WE KNOW.
The White House has confirmed reports that it hit an alleged drug boat with a controversial second strike and is pinning the decision on a U.S.
admiral.
CNN and others reported on Friday the U.S. forces hit a boat with a follow up strike on September the 2nd after a first attack didn't kill everyone on
board. U.S. lawmakers have expressed concern that targeting stricken survivors at sea could be a war crime. The White House said the decision
came from Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley, but he had permission to do so.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have made it clear that presidentially designated narco
terrorist groups are subject to lethal targeting in accordance with the laws of war with respect to the strikes in question. On September 2nd,
Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes. Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority, and the law,
directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.
REPORTER: To clarify, Admiral Bradley was the one who gave that order for a second strike.
LEAVITT: And he was well within his authority to do so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: One U.S. lawmaker says ordering a second strike to kill survivors on an alleged drug boat drug -- drug boat would be, quote, "a stone cold
war crime". The revelations have attracted bipartisan criticism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ANGUS KING (I-ME): The law is clear. If the facts are, as has been alleged, that there was a second strike specifically to kill the survivors
in the war in the water, that's a stone-cold war crime.
REP. DON BACON (R-NE): When people want to surrender, you don't kill them and they have to pose an imminent threat. It's hard to believe that two
people on a on a raft trying to survive would pose an imminent threat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Stephen Collinson joins us now from Washington. I mean, it was an was an interesting briefing, wasn't it, because it's such a controversial
topic, but they appear to be pushing the responsibility here to the military itself, rather than coming from the White House.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Certainly, there's been a clear effort by the White House to absolve Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
of any blame here following these reports last week. What it seems that Karoline Leavitt was arguing there is that, well, the president and the
defense secretary said this was lawful. So therefore, it's lawful. And he could go ahead with this second strike.
But that's not exactly what the law says. And, you know, that's not the international law of war. So, I think that's the reason why there is a lot
of concern about this, not just about the conduct of U.S. operations, but their legality in themselves. The administration insists that these attacks
on drug boats are attacks on essentially terrorists.
Narco traffickers have never been designated that way before by the U.S. government in this region. And that is a massive leap. And that is what the
U.S. claims that it's acting legally depend on. So it's very, very foggy here.
One of the top Democratic senators, Tim Kaine, was on the Sunday shows, and he argued that the justifications that have been provided to congress in
secret are very sloppy. But he can't talk about them because they're classified. So, I think this whole issue of these boat strikes is blowing
up politically at the same time as it appears that the president is getting closer to action against Venezuela, which itself seems would seem to be
based if it happens on quite thin legal ground.
FOSTER: Yeah. Stephen, thank you.
Meanwhile, in just a couple of hours from now, a pivotal Oval Office meeting to decide the next U.S. move on Venezuela. It comes as the United
States ramps up pressure on Nicolas Maduro's government, sparking fears that the two countries are moving closer to war. The Venezuelan leader
appeared publicly Sunday for the first time in days, putting an end to intense speculation that he may have fled the country.
President Trump says he's spoken recently with Mr. Maduro, but hasn't offered any details of that call.
Stefano Pozzebon is in Caracas.
[15:05:02]
So what's the latest thinking from there, Stefano?
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, what the latest we can bring you, Max, is that today, this Monday, actually, several maduro supporters came
out in numbers. Frankly, numbers higher than I was expecting and definitely higher than any other day we've been here in Venezuela since mid-October,
and this is by far the largest march I've seen of government supporters. It seems to me that the government has oiled the machine of supporters, of
rallying up the base of its traditional power bases. I'm talking about, for example, workers unions, public workers, employees that depend on the state
support to go on through their day.
And that's why we're coming -- we're coming to you, by the way, Max, a bit far away from the march, because there is a lot of sound further down the
road with a lot of hi-fi speakers blasting government propaganda, nonstop. And also, just the sheer number of people were trying to be here where it's
safer for us to bring up the signal with good enough, with good enough bandwidth for our CNN audience.
However, yes, it's a day where a lot of these people are saying and when they're speaking to us, that all of these pressure campaign from the White
House, house, all of these pressure campaigns coming down from Washington, is not really breaking through. This is a movement that has been in power
here in Venezuela for more than 26 years. They have --
FOSTER: Well, despite his best efforts, there is a connection link there, but it's on the ground. Well try and get back to Stefano, a later on.
There he is, in fact. Stefano, take it away again. We lost you for a moment.
POZZEBON: Yeah. oh, sorry. No, no. Yeah, I've seen that as I was saying. Well, there is a lot of people here on the -- on the ground and, you know,
Venezuela is also a country that is dealing with an economic crisis for the last 10 years, which means that phone signal here is not exactly what you
would expect elsewhere around the globe. But I was saying this is a movement that has been here before. This is a movement that has that has
responded successfully to similar challenges.
In 2019, for example, the opposition had built a credible case to the presidency to take on power, and then Maduro simply crushed that movement
in repression. And so, this is their supporters saying that they don't think that any -- any threat coming down from Washington could actually
bend their leaders. And just by looking at the numbers of people that are around me, some of them, by the way, wearing, wear, wearing Santa Claus
hats, because it's also almost Christmas time here in Venezuela.
Well, you can see that this is a very well-oiled machine, that these are people who are used to coming out to join in this sort of political rallies
and to sending the clear message to Washington that they're not going at any, any time soon -- Max.
FOSTER: Stefano, appreciate it. Thanks for joining us.
Now, elsewhere, the effort to find a peace between Russia and Ukraine is shifting back to Moscow. Donald Trump's top envoy, Steve Witkoff, is
heading to Russia right now for a meeting on Tuesday with Vladimir Putin. Witkoff will no doubt discuss with Mr. Putin the results of a weekend
meeting in Florida, where U.S. officials discussed Donald Trump's peace plan with top Ukrainian negotiators.
We're joined now by CNN's Matthew Chance in Moscow. He has some exclusive reporting now about that Florida meeting and where the sticking points
might be in the peace talks -- Matt.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's right, Max. I mean, look, these were described by the source with direct
knowledge of those negotiations in Florida as very tough but also very constructive discussions between the U.S. and Ukrainian delegates in south
Florida in that private resort where the talks were held.
And the source told me that, you know, some of the most difficult problems in the obstacles of preventing an end to the war in Ukraine, were on the
table and they were discussed, they were looking for various solutions, things like, you know, what to do about Ukraine's desire to join the NATO
military alliance in the future. There have been calls for it to renounce that claim to join NATO in the future. That's something the Ukrainians said
they won't do.
But they've discussed solutions that involve something like basically putting the decision about whether Ukraine joins NATO into the hands of
others, possibly a bilateral deal between the United States and Russia, which would effectively block Ukraine from doing that, or perhaps with
other NATO member states as well. But basically, taking that decision out of sort of Ukraine's remit. So that's one sort of way of sort of working
around that Ukrainian red line.
Another big issue that was discussed in detail, were told, is the issue of the call on Ukraine to surrender territory that's been annexed by Ukraine
but not yet conquered by Russia.
[15:10:00]
That's been a sort of key red line for Ukraine. And it's something they're still not prepared to budge on, sort of formally. But there are discussions
underway to try and find a workaround on that as well, although my source wouldn't tell me exactly what detail -- what the details of that were
saying, it was just too sensitive and he didn't want to derail it.
But the point is that, you know, the positions are not absolutely set. There are at least efforts underway to see what can be done to tiptoe
around the various demands and red lines of both sides. And it's with that knowledge that Steve Witkoff, along with Jared Kushner, the President
Trump's son in law along with his special envoy, will be coming to Moscow over the course of next few hours.
They've got a meeting scheduled that the Kremlin in the second half of tomorrow, where they're -- where they will essentially be presenting, those
potential workarounds to the Kremlin to see whether there's any appetite inside that government building, inside the Russian center of power to sort
of pull back from their hard line positions and to, you know, kind of, you know, move forward a little bit and to and to see if they're prepared to
compromise as well.
I have to say that up until now, President Putin has been absolutely refusing to change any of his maximalist demands, basically calling for a
reduction in the Ukrainian military, making sure that Ukraine doesn't join NATO. Regime change in Ukraine to basically subjugate the country and have
a big say over its future.
Let's see what comes out of the talks in the next 24 hours or so to see if there's any movement on that. And whether this peace process, which is
fully backed by President Trump, we're told, can make any progress.
FOSTER: It's interesting that Kushner has been brought in, isn't it, in a similar way that he was on the Middle East talks where this is someone who
really very often speaks for the president. So, adding backing to the conversation that Witkoff has obviously been having in great detail for
some time with Putin's team.
CHANCE: Yeah, I mean, Jared Kushner has been brought in to the talks over the past couple of weeks. He was in Geneva, he was in Florida, and now he's
coming to Moscow as well. So, in that sense, it's not a surprise.
But yeah, you're right that, you know, bringing Jared Kushner into this whole conversation is a sign, perhaps that President Trump wants sort of
extra pair of hands and extra brain, somebody he trusts to work alongside Steve Witkoff, who we also trust, apparently, to sort of get this deal
across the line.
I mean, it worked in Gaza from Trump's point of view. I think the thinking probably is, is that, you know, let's use the same team to get it across
the line and to make it work in Russia and the Ukraine war as well. But again, let's see if they can deliver on President Trump's desire to quickly
bring this conflict to an end.
FOSTER: Yeah. Okay. Matthew in Moscow, thank you.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog says he's considering Benjamin Netanyahu's request for a pardon with great care and responsibility. Prime Minister
Netanyahu is on trial for alleged corruption and has always insisted he'd be found innocent in court. But he now says it's in the public interest for
the trial to end. Mr. Netanyahu didn't admit guilt, which is traditionally required to receive a pardon in Israel.
U.S. President Donald Trump paved the way for this unprecedented request, repeatedly calling for Mr. Netanyahu to be pardoned. The leader spoke by
phone earlier today.
CNN's Oren Liebermann is in Jerusalem.
And you know, Trump does loom large, doesn't he, around this consideration?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Yeah, Max, the timing here simply cannot be overlooked. This is just over two weeks after President
Donald Trump himself wrote a letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog asking him to fully pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the
corruption charges and the trial that he -- that he faces right now. And that was at least the third time he's weighed in.
He has talked about it on social media, using language very similar to his own legal troubles. He even mentioned it in his speech when he was here
during the ceasefire and when the hostages came out, he turned to President Herzog and basically asked, will you give him a pardon?
So that campaign continues, and it certainly seems like Netanyahu is trying to build on what he sees as that momentum to ask for the pardon now, after
insisting for years that he will see this through in the trial through to the end, he wrote a one page letter which was submitted over the weekend to
Herzog, in which he makes absolutely no mention of an admission of guilt. He doesn't express any remorse, and he doesn't say any way in which this
whole process and him being charged will affect his future behavior.
And it's because of that that opposition leaders and protesters that we've seen say that the pardon request itself should be rejected because he's not
acknowledging guilt here, which, as you point out, is traditionally required. It's also incredibly unusual to be pardoned before you've been
convicted.
Netanyahu has been charged with bribery, fraud, breach of trust in three separate cases.
[15:15:02]
He has maintained his innocence. But this is the first time we've seen what he said he wouldn't do, which was request this pardon. In terms of how this
plays out, there is no deadline for Herzog to make his decision. He is the sole authority who can grant a pardon. He has said he will act with the
interest of the state in mind here.
The process that he goes through is expected to take, Max, some several weeks before he makes his decision known on this.
FOSTER: Okay, Oren. Appreciate it. Thank you.
Coming up, deadly flooding across parts of Asia. More than a thousand people have been killed after two cyclones hit multiple countries. We'll
speak to one person affected, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Heavy rain has unleashed widespread flooding and landslides across Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka, killing more than 1,000 people.
In Indonesia, Cyclone Senyar causing catastrophic damage to the island of Sumatra. Towns have been covered in mud as rescue teams struggle to reach
the hardest hit areas.
In Thailand, authorities are flying in critical supplies to submerge communities. Almost 3 million people have been affected there.
A separate weather system has devastated Sri Lanka, where more than 25,000 homes have been destroyed. Sri Lanka's president says the country is facing
an unprecedented emergency.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANURA KUMARA DISSANAYAKE, SRI LANKAN PRESIDENT (through translator): As a country, we are facing the largest and most challenging natural disaster in
our history. We also recognize that what we are undertaking is the most difficult rescue operation in our nation's history. This is the first time
the entire country has been struck by such a disaster.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: More now from CNNs ben hunt.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN HUNTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A military helicopter carrying supplies flies high above a flood-stricken area in Indonesia, reaching some
remote provinces by land isn't possible right now, after floods and landslides blocked roads and washed away some communities on the Island of
Sumatra.
[15:20:07]
But the aid is desperately needed in Indonesia alone, authorities say hundreds of people have been killed and hundreds more are still missing.
And survivors in the hardest hit areas say they've lost everything. Like this woman, her house swept away in the floods, except for one wall that's
still standing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): This was my home. I have nine of my family members here. We have nothing left. Everything was gone. We only
had the clothes on our bags. We couldn't bring anything else.
When it happened, the water just rose up into the house, and we were afraid, so we fled. Then we came back on Friday, and the house was gone,
destroyed.
HUNTE (voice-over): Last week's torrential rains also battered nearby Thailand. In the city of Hat Yai in the south, a bridge is filled with
stranded vehicles, and much of the surroundings are submerged after the city experience the most rainfall recorded in some 300 years.
Clean up is underway, and the water has receded in some areas, but power hasn't fully been restored. At least one shopkeeper in flooded out market
says she's selling her muddy goods at a fraction of the cost of flood victims who have little left and they're looking for anything salvageable.
PATCHAREE NADEERUK NA PHUKET, SHOP OWNER (through translator): I need to clear the stock the condition they're in after being flooded, shoes soaked
and ruined like this. People don't have clothes, right? So, I'm helping by selling everything cheaply so they can have something to wear.
HUNTE (voice-over): Meanwhile, Sri Lanka in South Asia is grappling with flooding caused by a cyclone that blew through the island nation just days
ago. Officials say hundreds of people have been killed. Parts of the capital, Colombo, and the neighboring district are still flooded.
Authorities say more than a million people have been affected nationwide, and many homes have been destroyed.
MALIKA KUMARI, FLOOD VICTIM: It rain nonstop for three days. We heard about the warnings of flooding, but we didn't expect water levels would get
this high.
HUNTE (voice-over): Volunteer groups are setting up makeshift kitchens to provide food, but with some places still flooded and without power, clean
up and assessing the damage is still a long way off.
Ben Hunte, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: In Hong Kong, the death toll has risen to 151 after a massive fire tore through a high rise residential complex last week. It's the city's
deadliest blaze in decades, and officials say at least 30 people are still missing. A search is continue.
Police say they made 14 arrests. Most of those in custody are consultants, contractors and subcontractors connected to the construction of the high
rise.
Our Kristie Lu Stout has the very latest on the aftermath of this horrible blaze.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a community united in grief. Hong Kong is in mourning after the horrific high-rise fire at a residential
complex here in Tai Po. And behind me, you see a community that's been gathering to remember the dead, leaving notes of condolence, folding and
leaving white paper cranes, as well as flowers. Many residents here have been openly praying and weeping for all that's been lost.
And we do have a grim update in the death toll. Among the dead, Hong Kong residents, including the elderly, a Hong Kong firefighter, as well as
caregivers, migrant workers from Indonesia and the Philippines.
Police investigation is underway. An investigation that is due to take about three to four weeks. Earlier, police released photographs of the
charred interiors inside that complex as the police undertake that delicate operation of recovery. They sweep floor by floor.
Officials say that the fire began at a lower floor before spreading throughout the complex, and that the building was under renovation at the
time. Surrounded by this green protective mesh that authorities now say was not up to safety standards, as well as those polystyrene foam boards that
are highly flammable.
Residents here are grieving. They are upset. They're also demanding accountability. Arrests have been made. In fact, we've learned that 14
arrests have been made in connection with the fire. And according to a press conference earlier today, authorities say that they are not ruling
out more arrests.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Still to come, the White House says the defense secretary didn't order a so-called double tap strike that killed survivors aboard an alleged
drug boat in the Caribbean last week. The former -- with the former NATO supreme allied commander just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:28:09]
FOSTER: Well, the Trump administration says it was not Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who ordered a second U.S. strike on an alleged drug vessel
that killed the survivors of the initial attack on September the 2nd. But he did authorize it. The so-called double tap strike is considered illegal
under international law.
The White House says it was Admiral Frank Bradley who issued the order for that follow-up strike.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEAVITT: With respect to the strikes in question on September 2nd, Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic
strikes. Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority, and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to
the United States of America was eliminated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: The U.S. defense secretary gave an unusual response to the growing firestorm amongst members of both parties over the strikes. Pete Hegseth
posted this meme of a popular children's book character firing missiles at boats, which said "Franklin targets narco terrorists". He captioned the
post "For your Christmas wish list".
So, what we want to know is who bears responsibility for the double tap strike?
Joining me now is General Wesley Clark. He's the former NATO supreme allied commander.
Thank you so much for joining us, General.
I mean, they're pointing towards the admiral here. Obviously, they're giving their backing, but they're saying it was his decision. I mean, what
do you make of that?
GEN. WESLEY CLARK (RET.), FORMER NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER: You know, I think it's going to have to wait. The congressional investigation to get
all the facts out. If he did actually give the order and maybe he did, question is, what guidance had he received from above? And then what was
the authority for that guidance?
The whole operation has been questionable. People have said, A, that it's not really war. So, it's not within the lands of -- within the bounds of
the laws of warfare.
[15:30:01]
But some people say it is a war. Some people say these people are not terrorists. They're not trying to harm the United States through action.
They're trying to sell things.
And maybe it wasn't going to the United States. This is a thousand miles from U.S. shores. And that's not the kind of boat that could take it to the
United States.
So, there are many peripheral issues in this, but I think it's going to take some high-level testimony to get to the bottom of it. The fact is, we
don't want the United States and the military in the United States doesn't want to be doing things that are illegal and against international law. So,
on behalf of the military, I hope we'll get to the bottom of this.
FOSTER: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, as you say, a lot of people are questioning the initial strike, but double -- double taps are, you know,
there are big decision, aren't they? Just take us through the process. The military goes through before they even consider one.
CLARK: Well, I don't know that there is a military process for what you're describing.
You know, if you're going in against a terrorist organization and you're man to man and the guy is, Osama bin Laden was he's a caught up against the
wall. He's got an AK-47. Maybe you shoot twice, you don't shoot just to warn or to maim him. You shoot to kill him because he is a direct threat.
These boats weren't a direct threat to anybody.
FOSTER: Well, that's the point, isn't it?
CLARK: And shot -- that's the opening shot answer to it.
FOSTER: Yeah, because they were, you know, they were -- they were knocked out of action. They were, you know, bobbing around in the water
effectively. So, therefore, they weren't a threat, which is what a lot of the lawyers are telling us today.
CLARK: Yeah. I mean, I don't see how you can define it any other way. But again, the way it works in the United States military is you normally have
legal advice before you do anything.
As a NATO commander, and before that, I was a SouthCom commander. We always had a lawyer right at our hands before any order was given to use force or
to send troops in or anywhere, you have to strictly comply with the law. And if there's a question about it, it goes up the legal chain, all the way
up to the -- to the Pentagon and then into the White House somewhere.
So, in this case, going to have to look at the legal chain and what admiral was told was legal and what wasn't legal
FOSTER: Well, Pete Hegseth seems in full support of it. If we bring up that cartoon again. Pretty extraordinary to see what many people are saying
a glorification of the attack last week.
I mean, what did you make of that cartoon that read "Franklin targets narco terrorists"?
CLARK: You know, I've just seen this cartoon today. I didn't see it last week. I know this is the spirit of the White House to fight back against
any criticism and to make fun of it and so forth. And maybe this is a way of doing that. But the truth is, we're in a very serious position here with
respect to Venezuela. I think a lot of people are hanging on what the president's decision might be coming out of the meeting that's apparently
going to happen this afternoon. A couple of hours in the White House and, and on that decision, there will probably be many, many lives at risk.
So, it's not something, in my view, that should -- it's cartoonish. It's got to be dealt with -- with the most sincerity and the most seriousness.
FOSTER: What do you read into that meeting? Very senior people there. Decision makers there. Clearly with the background of Venezuela and the
idea that airspace might be closed and possible land invasion, is it possible to announce an operation like that so quickly? A lot of
speculation around what might come out of today's meeting.
CLARK: Yeah. You know, it's hard to say. Probably there will be three courses of action presented to the president.
One course of action would be keep the pressure on, make another call to Maduro, tell them things are going to get bad.
Another course of action might be you're going to talk to Mrs. Machado, who would have been elected president had there been a free election. Ask her
opinion, ask her if she wants to start demonstrations to force Maduro out. Tell her you're back her up and support her.
And a third option might be you've identified 15 or 20 warehouses. You've identified boats associated with those warehouses. You've watched this over
the last a month, two months, very intensively. You could launch a limited strike and take out those warehouses.
Now, when that's done, you're going to face criticism on every one of these courses of action. Criticism on the first.
[15:35:01]
You've tied up a lot of the U.S. military resources there for two months. What's been accomplished? Not much. And why are you trying to get rid of
Maduro that badly?
Of course, of action number two, you're going to encourage civil unrest in, in Venezuela. And then how are you going to stop this? How many thousand
marines are going to be required to go after it?
Course of action. Number three, you're going after warehouses. What's in the warehouses? What's the collateral damage? How many civilians got killed
in that? How many fishermen's livelihoods which was destroyed by taking out those boats?
So, these are the kinds of discussions that probably will be underway in the White House.
FOSTER: General Wesley Clark, thank you very much. We'll be watching the meeting very closely. Thanks for joining us today.
It's the final moments of trade on Wall Street. Stocks are down after five straight sessions of gains. In fact, stocks slipping today ahead of key
U.S. economic data due later this week.
This is our business breakout.
Bitcoin prices continue to fall with the cryptocurrency now worth less than $86,000. The price had been almost $125,000 as recently as October. The
holding company, called Strategy which owns billions of dollars of bitcoin, has cut its own forecasts for bitcoin prices.
Sunday was the busiest day in history for the TSA. The Transportation Security Administration says it screened more than 3.1 million passengers
as people wrapped up the Thanksgiving weekend. In fact, most of the busiest days in TSA history have come either this year or last year.
Airbus has found a new issue affecting some of its planes. Just days after requiring a software fix for thousands of its A320 series jets. The company
says a, quote, limited number of metal panels in its A320 planes have an issue which will need inspection. Airbus shares fell more than 5 percent.
Anna's here because it's very bad news for any brand of plane, isn't it? When you've got two problems in a week?
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS & ECONOMICS REPORTER: Yeah, you've got these two issues, technical issues in the space of a few days, you've got that
quality issue today that was raised around these metal panels. And then you had the issue that was really closely tied to passenger safety that was
highlighted on Friday.
Now, this came after a report or investigation that Airbus did into a particular flight that flew in October between Cancun in Mexico and New
Jersey. The plane suffered a severe sharp drop in altitude, and they judged that that was to do with like a bad sort of interaction between the
software and solar radiation. So, what Airbus basically said on Friday was nobody fly these particular models, which included the A320, which is the
bestselling aircraft model in the world.
And that obviously had an impact with Airbus shares. Investors don't like anything to do with planes and safety, but we did see those shares recover
slightly before the end of the day.
FOSTER: So, in terms of the second incident, we know that some metal work effectively is a bit defective. But it's not all of the planes. It's not as
big as the Friday incident.
COOBAN: No, it's a very limited number of planes. And actually this whole incident, these two combined is, you know, you can argue quite minimal
compared to what we would have expected.
It was Thanksgiving weekend over the weekend, very busy travel season in the U.S. I'm frankly surprised we haven't seen more delays and
cancellations.
FOSTER: Yeah. Okay. Thank you so much, Anna.
Still to come, another blow to the Trump administration's Justice Department. Why a federal judge disqualified another one of the president's
handpicked U.S. attorneys, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:41:36]
FOSTER: Let's return to the deadly flooding in Asia, then heavy, heavy rain has unleashed a widespread flooding and landslides, killing more than
1,000 people in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka. In Indonesia. Cyclone Senyar caused catastrophic damage to the island of Sumatra. Towns have been
covered in mud as rescue teams struggle to reach the hardest hit areas.
A separate weather system has devastated Sri Lanka, where more than 25,000 homes have been destroyed. Sri Lanka's president says the country is facing
an unprecedented emergency.
Now, Luigi Mangione was in a courtroom, a New York courtroom on Monday, nearly a year after he was accused of gunning down a healthcare CEO on a
Manhattan sidewalk. Attorneys for the 27-year-old are trying to get key evidence, like his diary entries tossed from his state murder case.
Mangione's team argues they were illegally obtained from his backpack without a warrant during his arrest. The hearing over the disputed evidence
is expected to last several days.
The Trump administration was dealt another setback on Monday. A federal appeals court found Alina Habba, president of Trump's former personal --
Trump's former personal attorney is not qualified to serve as U.S. attorney for New Jersey. The latest legal blow to the White House could have far
reaching consequences on other appointments across the country.
Let's go straight to Katelyn Polantz in Washington.
Katelyn, just explain what disqualified her then.
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, what's disqualifying her is a challenge where criminal defendants says say she
shouldn't be in charge of our cases because she's been in this position too long. There's not Senate confirmation, meaning congressional blessing for
Alina Habba to be the U.S. attorney overseeing criminal cases in New Jersey. And the Trump administration has tried to make an end run around
needing that congressional approval or going through other processes like getting district court judges to bless who the U.S. attorney is.
So, this is a complicated issue about how appointments work, but it boils down to this decision on Monday from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals
saying that Alina Habba is not the valid U.S. attorney in the district of New Jersey. So that's all federal courts in New Jersey overseeing all the
criminal cases there.
The Third Circuit that would apply to only a couple states, that is Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and then the U.S. Virgin Islands. But
this is an important ruling because the judges looked at how the attorney general, how the Trump administration was trying to get that power to Alina
Habba to make her U.S. attorney. And they said, you just can't do it that way, that -- there has to be some sort of other process, including having
the U.S. Senate confirm appointees in this manner.
We also have a statement from some of these criminal defendants who had a lawyer, prominent lawyer Abbe Lowell argue, saying that he's going to
continue challenging president Trump's unlawful appointments of purported U.S. attorneys wherever appropriate. But this is the type of case where the
Justice Department has lost. It is a blow to them today, but it is very likely that they will want to appeal, potentially even next to the U.S.
Supreme Court -- Max.
FOSTER: Yeah. So, would you see this as them taking shortcuts, which maybe they can fix and bring her back or fix this overall problem?
[15:45:00]
Or is this a fundamental issue with the candidates that are coming through?
POLANTZ: Well, this is really one of those issues where we're seeing the separation of powers and the tensions there at play, Max. What happened
with Alina Habba was she was in a very specific situation. Theres other people out there that are serving as U.S. attorneys that defendants are
challenging, saying they don't have the right, that there hasn't been Senate confirmation.
But in her situation, she was nominated. And then after 120 days went by, which was the length of how long she would have to be confirmed by the
Senate, she didn't get that confirmation by Congress. That blessing from congress or from the district judges. And so, the Trump administration then
took her in a back door and put her in a career position to then elevate her into the position and have the powers of a U.S. attorney.
The attorney general said she wanted to bless her with those powers to calling her a special attorney for the Justice Department. But the court
said all of that, it just is not okay. They said that the way that they did it, especially with the attorney general giving her a special attorney
designation, was plainly prohibited by the law, and that what they are doing with the attorney general trying to give her the full panoply of
powers of a U.S. attorney, that that just is not what she is able to do at this time.
So, Alina Habba back on ice, but maybe still showing up to work, maybe appeals here. And then, Max, we also are watching to see if this affects
other situations with U.S. attorneys that haven't gotten confirmation from the U.S. Senate. Will there be other criminal defendants that bring cases
like this? And what will other courts say as those challenges arise?
FOSTER: It's really interesting. Katelyn, thank you.
A child's birthday party ended with gunshots in California on Saturday, leaving four people dead, three of them children. It happened in Stockton,
California, at a banquet hall where the party was being held on Sunday. A vigil was held in Stockton to honor the victims.
The city's vice mayor urged the shooter to surrender.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON LEE, VICE MAYOR OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA: I hope that the people out there in our community make the right choice and contact law enforcement.
Call me. Call the mayor.
Call whoever you know. Call the pastors. Call your friend. Turn yourself in. Because at some point, the redemption for what you did is going to
happen when you see the person that created you. But you can start that process by turning yourself in and doing the right thing today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Well, CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has more now as the hunt for the suspect continues.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are learning more about those victims. Of the four people killed, two of them were young children, just
eight and nine years old. Along with the teenager, 14-year-old in a 21- year-old. Eleven others were wounded, according to a spokesperson for the San Joaquin sheriff's office, who spoke on Sunday to media. We don't yet
know the conditions or any other details about those who were taken to area hospitals.
Investigators were told that this was a family gathering of 100 to 150 people celebrating a birthday for a young child. The shooting took place
just before 6:00 p.m. in a banquet hall in the northern part of the city. The suspected shooter fled and remains at large.
Here's some more details of that investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEATHER BRENT, SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SPOKESPERSON: We still believe with preliminary investigation, that this incident was a targeted
incident and that there is no, no, no possible harm to the to the community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: Officials are urging the public to help with information as detectives work to piece together a possible motive here. Investigators say
that they are exploring all possibilities at this point. California Governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the shooting, according to his
office. And Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi said in a statement that the governor has, quote, offered the full support of the state of California to
assist her community.
The shooting is, of course, part of a troubling trend nationwide. There have been at least 380 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year. That's
defined as when at least four people were shot, not including the shooter, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Stockton area faith leaders and
community members now holding a vigil to honor the lives lost, pray for the injured and stand with their community.
Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Still to come, Pope Leo is in the middle of an official visit to Lebanon. I will have his message for young people and analysis of his trip
from our Vatican correspondent.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:52:15]
FOSTER: Some pictures for you from Venezuela's capital. President Nicolas Maduro, speaking to supporters there who gathered in their thousands. Look
at that. The whole street is full there.
It comes as his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, is due to meet in the Oval Office in around an hour from now, we think, to discuss Venezuela's
strategy.
Now, Pope Leo XIV has been meeting with religious leaders and young people during his trip to Lebanon. The pope is in the middle of a three-day visit
to the country. He spoke about the importance of peace in the region and fighting for the country's future.
Here's Christopher Lamb with the very latest on the pope's trip
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A warm welcome on the streets of Beirut for Pope Leo in Lebanon during his first overseas
trip. The first American pope in the heart of the Middle East with a message of peace.
POPE LEO XIV, CATHOLIC CHURCH: In an age when coexistence can seem like a distant dream, the people of Lebanon, while embracing different religions,
stand as a powerful reminder that fear, distrust and prejudice do not have the final word and that unity, reconciliation and peace are possible.
LAMB (voice-over): For a country which has been through so much, Leo's visit lifting their spirits. But people here want more than nice words.
MARC BEYROUTHY, PROFESSOR: We need the -- if you want practical things that the pope will ask, maybe to the church or to the maybe international
community. We know the pope that he's not a political figure and he doesn't have arms, but he has -- you know, he's the pope. People would listen to
him.
LAMB (voice-over): The pope, in a country with a sizable Christian community, one as old as Christianity itself, excited to meet Leo, as were
young people.
But like thousands of Lebanese Christians, many have been leaving, Leo urging them to stay. The pope's visit to Lebanon won't be able to resolve
the country's problems, but it is offering a glimmer of hope.
Christopher Lamb, CNN, Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Finally, tonight, Walt Disney has struck gold at the zoo.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
FOSTER: "Zootopia 2" proved it is a huge winner at the box office. It set a record for the biggest opening ever for an animated film, with more than
half a billion dollars in ticket sales worldwide. It was a sorely needed win for Disney, which has struggled this year with several high-profile
disappointments.
If books are more your thing, the Oxford Dictionary's word of the year for 2025 is out, so try not to get angry when I tell you that it is, in fact,
two words -- rage bait.
[15:55:08]
According to the dictionary, rage bait is online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative or
offensive. I think we've all come across plenty of that. And as they say, use of the phrase has tripled in the past year, reflecting a shift in how
digital platforms are reshaping our behavior and our responses. Not a bad follow up to last year's word of the year, which was brain rot.
I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW.
Stay with CNN. More after the break.
END
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