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What We Know with Max Foster

Sources: Watchdog Finds Hegseth's Signal Use Put Troops At Risk; Admiral To Brief Lawmakers On Boat Strikes; Homeland Security Launches New Orleans Immigration Operation; Maxwell Plans To Ask Judge For Release From Prison; NATO Chief: Only Trump Able To Break Peace Talks Deadlock; CNN Investigation Points To Israeli Military Bulldozing Dead Bodies; U.S. Puts A Hold On Immigration Applications From 19 Countries. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired December 03, 2025 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:28]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: The U.S. defense secretary faces increasing scrutiny on multiple fronts now.

This is WHAT WE KNOW.

Sources tell CNN that a classified report has found U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth endangered U.S. troops by sharing sensitive war plans via the

messaging app Signal. Hegseth's use of the app during operations against the Houthis in Yemen first surfaced in March. These developments come at a

bad time for Hegseth, as lawmakers are demanding answers over the double strike of a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean.

First is Zachary Cohen, who has the latest exclusive reporting about Pete Hegseth's use of signal.

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yeah, Max, a really stunning conclusion that were learning about here from the inspector

general of the Pentagon. This report is still classified, but sources telling me and our colleague Jake Tapper that the inspector general did

determine that Pete Hegseth risked compromising sensitive military information that would have potentially endangered U.S. service members and

potentially jeopardize the mission objectives during these ongoing military operations targeting the Houthis in Yemen.

Now, this incident dates back to March, and when these messages first were revealed by "Atlantic" reporter Jeffrey Goldberg, who was accidentally

added to the messaging app, group chat on Signal, that Hegseth and other Trump officials were using to communicate about this operation. These were

really specific messages, so much so that one read from Hegseth, read, this is when the first bomb, this is definitely when the first bombs will drop.

And it included a time stamp on it.

So clearly, the inspector general viewing that and other details in these messages as very sensitive and ones that could have, if fallen into the

wrong hands, could have endangered the American troops who were carrying out those airstrikes. And so this is not happening in a vacuum either.

Hegseth really grappling with sort of dueling controversies as he's facing immense amount of pressure and questions over the military strikes in the

Caribbean and specifically that double strike that we've been talking about for the last few days, where it appears the military did intentionally

target survivors of one of those operations.

So, this is something that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, both these controversy are something that lawmakers are frustrated with, and they want

answers from Hegseth. Now, the inspector general also conducting its month- long investigation, also pushed Hegseth for answers. We're told that Hegseth refused to sit down in person for an interview as part of that

probe, and would only submit his answers in writing just sort of paints an adversarial kind of response that that had to that investigation, and one

that he has sort of demonstrated similar tendencies to, when asked for information by the -- by Capitol Hill, lawmakers have been frustrated for

months about his unwillingness to share really anything with them, despite numerous requests from to do so.

So again, pressure mounting on Hegseth here. It remains to be seen what the repercussions of this I.G. report, as well as the ongoing questions about

the Caribbean strikes, will be. But we do know that some within the Trump administration have been increasingly pushing for Hegseth to be removed and

replaced with someone else.

FOSTER: Okay. Zach, thank you so much.

And as Zach mentioned Hegseth is also facing that mounting pressure from Congress on those boat strikes in the Caribbean. Lawmakers from both

parties will meet on Thursday with U.S. Navy Admiral Mitch Bradley. The Trump administration says Bradley gave the order for a follow up strike on

a suspected drug boat last September, with the defense secretary claiming he didn't learn about it until later. That's led to more questions from

some on Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): Even in war, you don't blow up somebody who has been incapacitated. People floundering around in the water, clinging to

wreckage have been incapacitated. And under no theory of war are they an opportunity to be killed.

So, I think it was wrong on all fronts. But I don't like the secretary of defense blaming on a military commander. These commands came from him, and

I think the buck stops with him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: CNN's Arlette Saenz joins us from Washington.

What do we know about the admiral? Because it's going to be fascinating to see if there's anything in his story that clashes with that story

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Max, senators have said that they want to get direct answers from Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley, the man who

the White House has said ordered that second strike on an alleged drug vessel that had potential survivors on it. Tomorrow, at some point in the

morning, we anticipate that he will be meeting with members of both the Senate Armed Services and the House Armed Services Committee.

[15:05:03]

He is also set to meet with the chair and ranking and vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee tomorrow.

And these lawmakers have said that they want to hear directly from him. Many have described him as a man of strong character, and they have faith

in his record. And so, they believe that Admiral Bradley will tell them the truth. It comes, as we have heard, both the White House and Defense

Secretary Pete Hegseth really shift the blame to Admiral Bradley, saying that he was the one who directly ordered the strike.

Yesterday, in a cabinet meeting, Hegseth said that he had watched the first strike on those alleged drug vessels back on September 2nd and that he did

not see himself any survivors clinging to that boat. But then he left, according to the defense secretary, before any further strikes happened.

So, lawmakers are going to want to get some more answers about how exactly this all played out. We have also heard from senators who believe that they

want to see the videos and audios of these incidents, so they can see the proof for themselves of how this strike was carried out, how it was ordered

and how it played out, and whether there were survivors clinging to that ship.

Now, there are some senators who have expressed concerns about whether there will be a full investigation into this. I spoke with Senator Richard

Blumenthal earlier today, and he had said that he wants to subpoena all this information relating to these strikes because he's concerned that

these documents and records may not be preserved. He said that this is essential to any investigation that plays out up here on Capitol Hill.

We've also heard from some Republicans who like Senator Rand Paul, who have expressed concerns about the actions that they have seen. Rand Paul has

perhaps been the most vocal Republican. But then you also have Senator Roger Wicker, who chairs the senate armed services committee, who has said

he wants to have this oversight and investigation and have more input.

Now, there are other Republicans who have said that the Trump administration is well within their legal authority to conduct these

strikes. But what lawmakers are really hoping to do in the next 24 hours is hear from Admiral Bradley themselves, hear from the man who is said to have

ordered this second double tap strike to try to see how exactly this all played out and whether there are any discrepancies in his story with what

Secretary Hegseth in the White House has been saying in recent days.

FOSTER: Arlette Saenz, it's going to be fascinating. Thank you.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has begun a major immigration crackdown in New Orleans. Officials tell CNN they are hoping to make 5,000

arrests. Homeland Security claims to be targeting criminals from other countries, but similar operations in other cities have rounded up many

migrants who don't have any history of violent crime. Some New Orleans retailers have posted signs warning federal agents not to come into their

stores in search of undocumented migrants.

CNN correspondent Ryan Young joins us now live from New Orleans.

We've seen this story before, haven't we, Ryan? So how are they preparing?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We have, Max. You know, one of the things that stands out to me in your intro, let's just get

this out of the way to start this, 5,000 arrests. That's a big number. I mean, we don't see that across three or four different states. Even when

they do large arrest sweeps.

So, the idea that they'd be able to get 5,000 people just from the New Orleans area, that's an astonishing number. And the impact here has been

quite chilling. In fact, a large portion of the immigrant community has just disappeared from New Orleans. Everyone's sort of hiding right now.

In fact, one immigration lawyer has said, let's treat this like COVID 19. And everyone sort of shelter in place for the next few days. This business

behind me has been closed since Monday. This is day number three.

And we'll just walk you close to the door here. Max, I just want to show you this as it plays out. You can see this sign here that says everyone is

welcome here except ICE. You understand the strong emotions in this community.

You have this here. ICE, CBP agents do not have consent to enter this business. So they've shut down their doors. Look, we've talked to people

across this community who are not only scared, they are terrified.

One man was running in the park today. He saw some of the agents. He became nervous. He's a legal citizen, but he said he didn't have his paperwork, so

he wasn't willing to not call his wife and drive home slowly to see if he could get away from those agents. He did make it, and we were able to talk

to him earlier.

But listen to the mayor elect of the city, the first elected mayor who's Hispanic, talk about what's going on right now and the fear around

everything that's going and coming soon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HELENA MORENO, MAYOR-ELECT OF NEW ORLEANS: What they're seeing on TV and reports that they're seeing is not that Border Patrol is going after the

most violent criminals. You know, it's not -- that's not what they're seeing. What they're seeing is what appears to be racial profiling of brown

people.

[15:10:01]

And then going after these individuals and treating them like they are these violent offenders

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: And, Max, you and I have covered a lot of stories together, and we obviously understand there's some folks who are going to tweet and be sort

of bigger than life. And that's what some folks in this community are concerned about, that they'll just be folks who will just be captured in

this, who have nothing to do with criminal activity.

And so, there are even school children who are missing school over the next few days because obviously, they're scared what's going to happen with

their parents as well. Crime, by the way, is going down in New Orleans, homicides down, violent crime is down. People think those stats should

matter as well.

But over the next few days, this will be interesting to see how it plays out, because this is the first state where Republican governor is in charge

and all of law enforcement is helping these agents as they move through the city. We know about 20 miles away from here. They've already made a few

arrests. So, keep following this as it moves on -- Max.

FOSTER: Yeah. Thank you so much for that, Ryan. Interesting to see how that's happening on the streets.

Ghislaine Maxwell planning to ask a judge to release her from prison, according to a new court filing. The former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein

is serving a 20-year sentence for recruiting young girls into sex trafficking. The Supreme Court recently rejected her appeal of her

conviction.

Kara Scannell is in New York.

You wonder what this is possibly based on, Kara.

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And we still wonder because this notification that was made in a court filing today from her attorney

doesn't provide any details or the grounds by which she would argue that she should be released from prison. Her lawyer just says that she plans to

file what's known as a habeas petition for some kind of unlawful detainment. The lawyer also noted that this is very interesting, that in

this new effort, Maxwell is going to be representing herself, so she will not have this lawyer or any lawyer working with her in trying to get a

judge to release her from prison.

She is serving this 20-year sentence for a conviction on sex trafficking of minors, and she's being held at a minimum security prison in in Bryan,

Texas. And that was an improvement because she was held in a low security prison in Tallahassee, Florida. But her transfer happened after she met

with the deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, this summer.

That stirred up a lot of controversy about whether she was getting the special treatment for working with the Trump administration, and there have

been questions swirling about whether she would get a possible pardon from Trump. Her lawyers have say she hasn't asked for one. Trump has been asked

about this several times. He says he would look at it if it came before him.

But certainly, this is just another new front in this case, where Maxwell is indicating that she is going to plan to seek to be released from prison,

arguing to a judge that some part of her detainment has been unlawful. And as you said, the Supreme Court rejected her appeal. So, they were not going

to hear those arguments.

So, this is kind of the last-ditch effort. And this filing, this development came in a filing about this bigger question of whether court

records would be unsealed in her criminal case. The Justice Department under pressure now because the law that passed saying they have to release

materials, went to the judge in the Epstein and the Maxwell case asking to unseal grand jury records and also lifting a protective order which said

that certain records, such as travel records, search warrants, interviews with victims all be made public, and the Justice Department saying they

wanted a decision soon because of this deadline.

Maxwell's lawyer interestingly says in this that she does not take a position on that, but she does write that if this these documents are

released, it could prejudice her against having a new trial in the future. So certainly, she seems to be hoping that her effort to get a judge to

release her would be the end of the story here, but definitely more to come on this, Max, as we wait to see what the judge does here.

FOSTER: Yeah, I mean, a big question. Kara, thank you.

Meanwhile, it's been the subject of endless controversy and speculation. Now we can show you what Jeffrey Epsteins private island actually looked

like. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have released photos. And this video from the island in the Caribbean, once owned by the late sex

offender, including this one showing one of the suites Epstein's home. They have the bathroom and what they've got lined up on the shelve there.

Several other photos have been released. The Democrats call them, quote, a disturbing look into the world of Jeffrey Epstein and his island. One of

the more unusual images is what appears to be a dentist chair and mask hanging on the ceiling. You just saw that.

This all comes two weeks after President Trump signed a bill ordering the Justice Department to release files relating to Epstein within 30 days.

President Trump has pardoned a controversial congressman, but not one from his own party. Henry Cuellar is a Democrat from Texas. Along with his wife,

he was charged with accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities. The couple deny any wrongdoing. Cuellar had been critical of

former President Joe Bidens border policies and is up for reelection next year. Mr. Trump claims he was set up by the Biden administration and has

issued what he calls a full and unconditional pardon.

[15:15:06]

Still to come, what's next for Ukraine after Russia-U.S. talks failed to yield a breakthrough? We'll have a live report from Nick Paton Walsh, who's

live for us in Kyiv.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: To the war in Ukraine then, and the head of NATO says President Trump is the one person in the whole world who could break the deadlock in

peace negotiations with Russia. And it's up to the U.S. to make sure others follow.

Secretary General Mark Rutte made the comment following a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, where Kyiv's top envoy briefed European

leaders and the group discussed security guarantees. But the path to peace seems to be slowing. The meeting, coming a day after lengthy talks between

Russia and the U.S., failed to yield a breakthrough on a possible peace deal.

Many in Ukraine had been hoping for a different outcome from those talks. After more than three brutal years of conflict and months of negotiations,

some in Ukraine shared their frustrations with what's become an increasingly protracted peace process.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just a real pity about the lives that have been lost. My personal hope was that Trump and America would help us, but

they're defending the position that's desirable for them, for trade and money, and were left on our own. And thank God they got protect our

defenders.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a Constitution and we have territory. My parents are still in the occupied territory, so how can we say we're giving

up on you? That's impossible.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Honestly, I think that we have already lost the territories we have lost. To prevent further losses of other territories,

we need to settle for what we have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:20:00]

FOSTER: CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is live for us in Kyiv.

I mean, you can understand their views there after so many years of war and, you know, a lack of hope really, about these talks.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. I mean, we're in a curious point where the Russians have made clear their

lack of seeing a compromise on the table here or formulations to moving forwards, describing the talks as positive, but no urgent need for a Putin-

Trump meeting, talking about a 28-point plan, 27 points potentially. It is not the 20 points that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talked about

and a flurry of activity from European national security advisers and Ukraine's top negotiator in Brussels meeting. Clearly, I think trying to

assess what exactly has emerged from that Kremlin meeting.

We know really very little about exactly what was proposed, what was rejected by Putin and indeed, what Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy to the

conflict and his son in law Jared Kushner have taken back with them to present to President Trump.

Trump has been remarkably prolific on social media, in the media generally over the past few days, but has not said a word about this process since

the Kremlin meeting ended. Neither have any of his key officials. That is in itself somewhat remarkable. And so, there are kind of two takes

potentially on this one, that we are now in a deadlock where Trump has essentially rejected whatever concessions Ukraine was willing to allow

Witkoff to present on their behalf, and has asked for more.

And perhaps we're now seeing the Europeans and Ukrainians frantically trying to respond to that idea to keep a peace process alive and try and

stave off the White House from potentially putting pressure on Ukraine yet again to make more concessions, or secondly, more optimistically, that

there might be some kind of process alive here, genuinely, where there's something more to hash out and try and progress on.

My personal hunch is on the former that Putin is seeing himself win militarily on the front line, seeing Zelensky under significant domestic

political pressure, military pressure, and indeed with a real issue about European funding next year, the Europeans came forward today with a

mechanism to use frozen Russian assets to potentially as leverage for a loan for money that might see Ukraine through next year. But they

desperately need the Americans. Frankly, military support and financial mechanisms somehow to keep themselves afloat.

So, it's a stark moment. And I think the hopes that possibly whatever Witkoff had dreamed up in Florida with the Ukrainians might be enough to

interest Putin in some kind of peace file. Sorry, ceasefire or cessation of hostilities have proven short lived, and we do now appear to be with a

flurry of activity, with Zelenskyy saying he is willing for phone calls, in-person meetings with American officials whenever to keep this process

alive. But silence from the Americans about what they learned, what they think is coming next.

And that in itself, after ten months of rhetoric you know, Ukrainians living here frankly at the mercy of truth, social at times, that in itself

is remarkable and perhaps suggests a new phase here, Max.

FOSTER: Okay, Nick Paton Walsh, thank you.

Coming up, a CNN investigation into the fate of some missing Palestinians near an aid station in Gaza and the horrific allegations about what may

have happened to them. That CNN investigation is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:26:39]

FOSTER: A CNN investigation based on video satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts points to the Israeli military bulldozing bodies of

some Palestinians killed near an aid crossing in northern Gaza. IDF whistleblowers who spoke to CNN also point to a broader pattern of Israeli

military mishandling bodies in ways that could amount to war crimes.

The result? Families in Gaza left searching for answers about loved ones who went missing while seeking aid.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond reports from Jerusalem, and we warn you that you may find some of the video in this report disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My brother is missing. Anyone who saw or glimpsed him - -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My cousin went missing yesterday in Zikim --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ehab Adel Mansour, 16 years old, went missing in the Zikim area.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My son went missing while going to the aid area in Zikim on Sunday.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Messages from desperate families all searching for loved ones who went out to seek aid

and never came back.

Twenty-three-year-old Ammar Wadi was one of them, last seen in June going to the Zikim crossing in Northern Gaza, where United Nations food trucks

entered. His mother is still desperate for answers.

NAWAL MUSLEH, AMMAR WADI'S MOTHER: I just want peace of mind, to know what his fate is. Even if he is a martyr, praise be to God. I just want to know

what happened to him.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Wadi's fate is still unknown but a CNN investigation based on video, satellite imagery and eye witness accounts points to the

Israeli military bulldozing the bodies of some of those killed near the Zikim crossing.

IDF whistle blowers who spoke to CNN also point to a broader pattern of the Israeli military mishandling bodies in ways that could amount to war

crimes.

Collecting humanitarian aid became a deadly reality in Gaza over the summer before the ceasefire took effect.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They killed him on the spot.

DIAMOND (voice-over): More than 2000 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire while trying to get aid, according to the World Health Organization.

The Israeli military has acknowledged firing toward these crowds but said it does not intentionally fire at civilians.

Hundreds, some dead, others still clinging on to life, were hauled away amid the mayhem, including here near the Zikim crossing but amid the

clattering of gun fire, others were left behind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gunfire, death, killing, martyrs -- so many martyrs.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Six aid truck drivers told CNN they saw dozens of bodies near the Zikim crossing. One shared these photos showing partially

buried remains surrounded by aid boxes. Some said they witnessed Israeli military bulldozers burying bodies. They've asked us to conceal their

identities, fearing retribution from Israeli authorities.

There are bodies everywhere. Decomposed, skeletal remains. One truck driver told CNN. Some are covered with dirt because the army cannot tolerate the

smell of decomposing bodies, said another. I watched Israeli bulldozers bury the dead, said, a third.

This video appears to show the aftermath of Israel's bulldozing alongside a crushed, overturned truck, partially covered bodies of several Palestinians

jut out from the earth.

A paramedic at the scene said rescue workers managed to haul away 15 dead Palestinians. With the ambulance full, some bodies had to be left behind.

CNN geo located the video to this location near the Zikim crossing. You can see the overturn truck here alongside bulldoze roads and track marks left

by heavy machinery or armored vehicles.

These are the roads where crowds of starving Palestinians swarmed aid trucks on a near daily basis, where they were fired upon and at times

killed by Israeli gun fire. We geo located multiple videos of people being shot and killed to these bulldozed areas. The same areas where Palestinians

said some bodies were left behind in the chaos.

On August 9, 31 hours after crowds are seen here, evidence of fresh bulldozing appears in the exact same location. This video shows just how

close Israeli forces, including this D9 bulldozer, were to those crowds.

"The soldiers came in front of us, eyes to eyes and the quad copter was 10 meters away from us. They were shot in front of us and there is a martyr

that stayed over there and no one could get close to him. We begged the soldiers to carry him back but they didn't allow us."

We provided the Israeli military with GPS coordinates for the locations where bodies were likely bulldozed and a detailed list of questions.

The military said bulldozers positioned in the Zikim area are, quote, used for operational purposes to deal with IED threats and for routine

engineering needs. It denied they were used to remove bodies but did not address questions about burying them.

The military also declined to describe its protocol for dealing with bodies in Gaza.

The Israeli military's apparent improper disposal of bodies of Palestinians stretched far beyond Zikim.

We spoke with two Israeli soldiers on condition of anonymity due to fears of retribution, both described bodies of Palestinians being buried in

shallow, unmarked graves in different parts of Gaza.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Essentially, the idea was to shove the body with a bunch of dirt clearing the road and push it to the sides.

DIAMOND: And that was it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was it. Yes.

DIAMOND: The grave was not marked.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

DIAMOND: There was no identification process or notification process to any international or Palestinian organization.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not that I was aware of, not in my unit. So essentially, we were never given any protocol or any order of how to handle

any bodies. There was never once that anyone told us, if you have a body, this is what should be done.

DIAMOND (voice-over): By allowing the dead to become the missing, international law experts say bulldozing bodies into unmarked graves can

violate international law. And if those bodies are mutilated or desecrated, the practice can rise to the level of outrages upon personal dignity, a war

crime under the Geneva Conventions.

As for Ammar Wadi, about a month after he went missing in late June, his phone was returned to his family. A message had been left on the home

screen, forgive me, mom, if anything happens to me, whoever finds my phone, please tell my family that I love them so much.

A message that reads like a young man's final words -- words that are impossible for a mother to accept without a body to bury.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: The U.S. has abruptly halted all immigration applications from 19 countries, and Homeland Security says it wants to add about a dozen more

countries to that list. The move brings a stop to refugee applications from many countries in Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. The homeland

security secretary says the U.S. is targeting countries that have been flooding our nation with killers, leeches and entitlement junkies.

This follows last week's shooting in Washington, D.C., that killed one National Guard member and critically wounded another. The shooting suspect

is an Afghan national who was granted asylum.

Our Priscilla Alvarez is tracking this story for us.

So, we're talking about a long list of countries now, no matter what's happening within them.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORESPONDENT: That's right, Max. In fact, this is a complete halt on immigration applications for nationals from those 19

countries of concern, as they're called by the administration. In other words, those that are on the so-called travel ban list.

Now, this spans the gamut when it comes to applications. This can include, for example, people who are applying or going through the process of green

cards, obtaining green cards, or even naturalization.

So, this has been massively disruptive for the people who are part of this list of countries.

[15:35:07]

But it also builds upon what we have been seeing over the course of the year, which is that the administration is pulling on these various levers

to make incremental policy changes for the people who are going through the U.S. immigration system legally. We often talk about the crackdowns that

are publicly seen to arrest undocumented immigrants. But what is also happening behind the scenes and today really crystallizes this, is that

people who are trying to navigate the U.S. immigration system to be in the U.S. legally, or to continue the process of obtaining or adjusting status,

have also been facing multiple hurdles, including there you see the for those nationals of those 19 countries and following that shooting and also

a reexamination of green card holders.

Now, I've spoken to immigration attorneys who say it is nearly impossible now for them to even advise clients because there have been so many changes

that have occurred. Some of those changes get caught up in litigation. Other routine check-ins that one would have to do as they go through the

process of also become places where people have been arrested.

So, this has become extremely difficult, and it speaks to the broad scope and the remarkable scope of the Trump administration's immigration

crackdown, but publicly, where people can see the arrests that are happening. Currently, two aggressive operations happening in Minneapolis

for targeting undocumented Somali immigrants, and in New Orleans, where there similarly an operation underway there that's being led by the top

Border Patrol official, Gregory Bovino.

But simultaneously, again, you have this situation playing out behind the scenes where people who are trying to obtain those legal requirements or

who already have them and are trying to adjust their status. It's also nearly impossible for them to do so. So, this is ultimately a U.S.

immigration system that, wall hasn't collapsed, according to experts, officials and attorneys, has been grinding to a halt and has really been

turned on its head, making it difficult for anyone who is here legally in the United States and also illegally.

FOSTER: Okay, Priscilla, appreciate it. Thank you.

It's the final moments of trade on Wall Street. Stocks are higher. The Dow has been up for almost the entire session. In fact. This is our business

breakout. The European Union says it will phase out imports of Russian natural gas by the end of 2027. The E.U. is trying to stop its reliance on

Russian energy in light of the war in Ukraine. It's also preparing a plan to phase out Russian oil imports, which will be released next year. Some of

the world's biggest food makers are being sued by the city of San Francisco over claims that ultra processed foods are causing a public health crisis.

The lawsuit targets companies including Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Nestle and Kraft Heinz.

The city's attorney argues that companies should, quote, take responsibility for the harm they've caused. A worrying sign for the U.S.

economy. A new report from the payrolls firm ADP estimates that 32,000 private sector jobs were lost in November. Small businesses are, in the

words of the report, starting to crack as the economy gets weaker. Four of the last six months have now shown job losses.

The numbers were much worse than economists had been expecting. CNN's Matt Egan has more now from New York.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yeah, Max, this was another brutal report on America's job market, revealing significant weakness in November,

especially among smaller businesses. So, ADP says that private payrolls fell by 32,000 jobs in November. Now, not only is that much worse than the

expected gain of 40,000 jobs, this is the worst month since March of 2023.

Now, we never want to make too much about any one month. But when you look at the trend, it doesn't look encouraging either. ADP says that private

payrolls fell in June, August, September and November, so that means businesses shed jobs in four out of the last six months. And the closely

watched three-month average turned negative for the first time since the summer of 2020. Of course, that was during COVID.

Now, small businesses are clearly facing the most pressure right now. ADP says that employers with fewer than 50 employees, they cut 120,000 jobs in

November. Medium and large companies, they continue to hire. And I have to say, this echoes what I've heard from small business owners who say that

they're hurting right now from tariffs, from high costs, and from expensive financing.

Now, the good news is that health care and leisure and hospitality, they continue to add workers. But that's kind of it. Elsewhere we saw

significant job loss in information finance, construction, manufacturing continues to lose jobs, which is the exact opposite of what the White House

is trying to make happen with those historically high tariffs.

[15:40:06]

Now, normally, investors, economists, Fed officials, they put less weight on this ADP report because it has kind of a mixed track record at

predicting the more important official labor market numbers. But because of the government shutdown, those official numbers, they've been delayed and

they've been messed with. So, this is really all we have at the moment. In fact, this is the last significant labor market indicator that Fed

officials will have before they meet in Washington next week to decide on whether or not to continue cutting interest rates.

And we know Fed officials have been divided about what to do next. But I got to believe that this report was weak enough that its going to persuade

fed officials who are on the fence to back another interest rate cut, because right now, this is a job market that looks like it could use the

help.

Back to you, Max.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Meanwhile, a big year for musician Bad Bunny. Still to come, we'll tell you about the new streaming record that he's managed to achieve on

Spotify. Pretty incredible.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: The results are in and Spotify releases its 2025 wrap. There's no doubt that one artist clearly rose above all with his tribute to salsa

music and his signature Latin style. Reggaeton star Bad Bunny taking the world by storm not just across Latin America but globally, crowned as this

year's most streamed artist with 19.8 billion streams. His latest album was also the most streamed album featuring the first ever salsa song to top a

billboard chart, coming in second was queen of pop, Taylor Swift, and then there was the Weekend in third.

Our entertainment reporter Lisa Respers France has more on Bad Bunny's big year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA RESPERS FRANCE, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: It's been an incredible year for Bad Bunny, and this is not the first time that he's actually

topped the global artist chart for Spotify.

[15:45:03]

He did it in 2020, he did it in 2021 and also in 2022. He also has the top streamed album globally. So, you know, he is rolling right into his Super

Bowl halftime performance as the headliner. He's rolling right into that with just a wealth of goodwill from fans.

He is a global superstar. I know there are plenty of Swifties who are disappointed today. She's a massive star too, of course, but there's just

been so much love and outpouring.

And believe it or not, some people believe it's a little bit because of the controversy over his selection. It's actually brought him a broader fan

base. People are super duper interested in his music, and people are grooving to it, even if they do not speak Spanish.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: From Bad Bunny to King Charles, live pictures from Windsor Castle for you, where the British royal family is hosting the German president for

a state visit. There's Charles giving his speech, likely to reference Ukraine and the long relationship with Germany. We have a quick listen.

KING CHARLES III, GREAT BRITAIN: It might only be six horsepower, but sometimes a simpler vehicle is all one needs football, of course, is

another shared endeavor, and I'm delighted to see so many of the footballing fraternity around the table with us here this evening. And of

course, I use the word shared in the broadest meaning of the word.

There was one -- there was one has to admit some element of truth in the famous description of football as a game where 11 people play 11 people,

and then in the end, the Germans win. And --and with our German friends, as with all of the closest relationships, we celebrate not only our shared

characteristics, but also our differences. It can escape no one's attention that Germans are considered by many in my country to have a somewhat

different sense of humor. But let me assure you, this president, british humor is no laughing matter.

Like our languages, English and German, which share such deep, common roots. But now do sound a little different. It is undoubtedly true that

your language contains a very large number of very long words. As someone who has spent some time trying to learn a little Welsh, I have some

sympathy for the proposition that needless gaps between words are a dreadfully inefficient use of paper.

(KING CHARLES SPEAKING GERMAN)

FOSTER: The king there showing off his use of the German language because this is a celebration of Anglo-German relations. The first state visit

they've had for something like 27 years. We were expecting him to speak a bit of German, because that always goes down with visitors, of course, to

speak in their local language.

But there he is, and talking about the, you know, the football rivalry between England and Germany in particular. And referencing Prince Albert,

who was Queen Victoria's husband and was, of course, German, and the huge Christmas tree you can see there. And at the end is something that the U.K.

tributes to Albert, because he popularized the idea, brought it over from Germany and it's become a British tradition.

So, trying to celebrate all of the common links between the two countries at that state banquet at Windsor Castle.

Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:52:17]

FOSTER: Immigration operations targeting alleged undocumented Somalis in the U.S. state of Minnesota are underway. A source confirmed the crackdown

is happening in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The so-called twin cities. The action takes place after years of attacks by President Trump involving the

Somali population there. Here's what he said on Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't want them in our country. Their country is no good for a reason. Their country stinks. We

could go one way or the other and we're going to go the wrong way. If we keep taking in garbage into our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: What we want to know is how is Minnesota's Somali community responding to Trump's rhetoric?

Joining me now is Salah Mohamed. He's the senior project coordinator for the Somali American Social Services Association. He joins me now from

Rochester, Minnesota.

Thank you for joining us.

I think it's worth noting that a large part of the Somali community, as were talking about here, or Trump was referencing, are, you know, they're

American citizens, aren't they?

SALAH MOHAMED, SENIOR PROJECT COORDINATOR, SOMALI AMERICAN SOCIAL SERVICES ASSOCIATION: Yes, they are. Majority of them. They're American residents

as well as legal residents

FOSTER: So in terms of not wanting them here, how has that gone down in the community?

MOHAMED: First of all, we have to understand where Trump is coming from. This is dehumanization. When you call people a garbage. We have seen this

rhetoric in history throughout history, how the Nazis started under Hitler.

Basically, when you start name-calling a whole community, that means you're opening the door for attacks, you're opening the door for discrimination

and racism. And we have seen that repeatedly. Trump one or Trump two right now is the same. And when you're failing as a government, you tend to

scapegoat people and start putting people in, dividing people, communities against one another, basically. And we are seeing that trend right now.

FOSTER: Are you seeing other communities target you now? Just explain what communities and what you're seeing.

MOHAMED: We're seeing bigots. We're seeing people being attacked on social media by maggots, basically, and bigots and racist basically. So, continue

to spread his words. Leave our country. We've seen being and said it loudly in public places, spaces we don't want you in our country.

So, we are seeing this rhetoric actually continues to increase. Basically, we have -- we haven't seen exact attacks on myself right now, but and so

the fear is that people are really paying attention and very attentive, that so many are scared what could happen, what this could bring as a

backlash to our community.

So, this is not something to be really to be excused. This is not something to look at, but to fight back and say, no, we are greater than fear and

we're not expect this from our presidency.

[15:55:08]

And in the Oval Office, somebody who's supposed to be leading by example, not by dehumanizing people.

FOSTER: Yeah. Just briefly, if you could, in terms of undocumented Somalis in Minnesota, how many people do you think they'll find?

MOHAMED: This tactics that has been thrown around right now is, say, 700 to 800, significantly, in Minnesota, there's more than 100,000. So that's

an insignificant number to really focus attention on. Somalis, basically. And so, and that's unfair, bias basically.

And we -- and it's not only us but the Latinos and other communities have been continuously attacked before us on immigration purposes. So, this is

not new right now, but we are saying no, not to Somalis as well as to anybody else, basically, so dehumanizing.

FOSTER: Okay, Salah Mohamed, we really appreciate your time tonight. Thank you for joining us.

I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW.

Stay with CNN.

END

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