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Pope Kicks Off Yearlong Jubilee; American Airlines Resumes Flights After Tech Issue Grounds Planes; Police Unable To Identify Subway Arson Victim. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired December 24, 2024 - 14:00   ET

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

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[14:00:58]

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Holiday travel gets off to a bumpy start today after a technical issue temporarily grounds all American Airlines flights. We have the latest on the mishap.

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Plus, we're learning more about the undocumented immigrant who is now accused of setting a woman on fire inside a New York subway car moments after his arraignment today. Those details ahead.

And with the opening of a sacred portal, the pope kicks off a yearlong jubilee that will bring an estimated 30 million pilgrims to the Vatican. We're following these major developing stories and many more also coming in right here to CNN News Central.

It is the top of the hour here, America Hill, along with my colleague Danny Freeman in New York. Nice to have you with us on this Christmas Eve. And we begin this hour with what could have been Christmas Eve chaos at airports across the country. American Airlines says it was a technical issue which forced it to briefly ground all of its flights this morning on, of course, one of the busiest travel days of the year.

FREEMAN: Now, the temporary shutdown sparking major concerns and delays for passengers desperately hoping to reach their destinations in time. CNN Aviation Correspondent Pete Muntean joins us now with more. Pete, what can you tell us about what caused this grounding and really how it impacted travel this morning?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: We have new information on that. And American Airlines says it's all hands on deck right now to get things back to normal. We now know that this was caused by an outage of a computer system that is key to getting flights on their way and push back from the gate.

American has about 3,900 Tuesday flights scheduled. The good news for the half million people traveling on the airline, no major cascading cancellations, making the real story here the delays. Airline analytics from Syria just gave this to us. It says American airline hubs like Charlotte and Miami have been hit hard. Add bad weather into the mix at DFW, America's largest hub. It all means about 37% of American flights have left on time today.

Not a great score, but the silver lining here is that 93% of all flights operated by American are departing within about two hours of when they were scheduled. American spokesperson Sarah Jantz tells me that the delays are really to be expected. But she insists that American does have the staff to get things back in place and back on track quickly.

This all really started about 7 a.m. on the East Coast. All American flights held on the ground flight about an hour. American now says this was an issue with an IT vendor that network feeds into American's critical flight operations system and without that, flights could not be dispatched.

Here is the statement now from American Airlines. They say, quote, "A vendor technology issue briefly affected flights this morning. That issue has been resolved and flights have resumed. We sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience this morning.

Now, history has shown airline technology issues can have really have an outsized impact. In July, the crowd strike outage caused Delta Airlines to meltdown. It canceled about 5,000 flights in total. The Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown was happening right now two years ago. Seems like not all that long ago, but two years ago now. Southwest canceled about 15,000 flights over about a week's time.

The Department of Transportation has really turned up the heat on keeping airlines accountable. And outgoing secretary Pete Buttigieg says the Delta investigation is still ongoing, though airlines are pretty hopeful that a new Trump administration may be more sympathetic to them when it comes to issues like this latest snag. Danny. Erica.

HILL: We will see. Pete, appreciate the update. Thank you.

Well, if you are hitting the road for the holidays, there's some good news there. Gas prices are at their lowest level in years. Of course, you're going to have a lot of company out there on the roads. Triple A estimates about 107 million Americans are set to travel by car in the coming days. That's up a bit from last year.

Here to discuss Linnea Geiss, who's the Chief Operating Officer for PDI Technologies, which owns and operates GasBuddy, it's good to have you with us. And you are joining us at a perfect time to talk gas prices because they're actually at the lowest level that we've seen in years, especially at Christmas time.

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This is great news. A little -- little holiday gift for everybody. And you say they could keep going down.

LINNEA GEISS, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, GASBUDDY: That's right. That's what we hope. I think we've all been nice this year because gas prices are at their lowest since Christmas 2020. A 100,000 states across the country are seeing gas prices under $3. The national average, though, is right around $3.01. So we're really crossing our fingers and hoping that we see it break that $3 barrier nationwide.

HILL: I think we probably all know those people who -- it's like a sport for them, finding the best deal on gas or they're constantly checking their apps, whether it's GasBuddy or Waze or something else, comparing prices at neighboring stations. You have a few tips on multiple ways that we can save when it comes to buying gas. Walk us through some of those. Whether it's loyalty programs or some of these apps.

GEISS: Absolutely. You're hitting on a few of them. The first one is always check the app before you go because gas prices change throughout the day, so make sure that you're getting the most current information.

Secondly, make sure that you're enrolling in loyalty points. The oil brands, the fuel brands, and the retailers themselves often have programs that will give you not only discounts on gas, but also discounts on snacks inside the store. So make sure you're shopping both inside and outside for the best deals.

And finally, if you're traveling across state lines, gas prices can sometimes be cheaper on the other side of the border. So make sure you're checking prices along your destination as well.

HILL: Oh, always good to check. I know sometimes it's less expensive. We see those cash and credit prices at the pump. But you could also, I mean, you can double dip on some of these loyalty programs, right? You could double dip with the gas station or the convenience store and get some miles on your credit card.

GEISS: That's absolutely right. Credit card companies are out there with discounts as well. And you can often get the loyalty price and then pay with one of your gas -- your gas credit cards, your GasBuddy card, or any of your other airline -- or other cards that offer discounts and stack those rewards.

HILL: We had a couple of burning questions on the show team here, so I'm hoping you can clear this up for us. Is there traditionally a rule about where it is the best deal, where you find the best deal for gas? And so I'm talking about a metropolitan area versus the suburbs versus rural. Does one always win out?

GEISS: There's no real rule of thumb. It varies from location to location. I think there are certain brands that have a strategy of being a low priced leader. And so when you find those brands, you want to stay loyal to them and then certainly just keep checking your apps for the latest discounts.

HILL: And then, you know, we were just talking about flights and sort of that the debacle, which is not happening at the gas station, which is good for you. Talking about what happened this morning at airports traditionally, we're told book your flight on a Tuesday, you're going to get the best deal. Is there a best time or a best day when it comes to filling up your tank?

GEISS: Well, the -- the stations are least busy on a Sunday generally. And so that's a good time to get out there and not be part of the crowds, if you're -- if you're looking to make sure that there's no lines and usually get yourself off with a full tank before the week starts.

HILL: I love it. You have answered so many of our questions today. Trust me, we are grateful for it. Linnea Geiss, thank you. Happy holidays.

GEISS: Thanks for having us. Take care.

HILL: Danny.

FREEMAN: New today, we've learned the suspect accused in the brutal burning death of a woman on a New York City subway was just arraigned. The 33-year-old undocumented immigrant from Guatemala has been charged with first and second degree murder as well as arson.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino joins us now from New York. Gloria, it wasn't clear if this arraignment was initially going to happen, I understand, after the suspect was hospitalized, what were you learning?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, Danny. And you know, given that we are -- it's Christmas Eve and it's the holiday, we were thinking that this might be delayed, but it was actually because of this hospitalization that the suspect had to go through that there was such a delay. We do not know the reason why he was hospitalized just yet, but we do know now that in the last hour -- or he did appear in front of a judge to be arraigned on these charges.

As you said, he is facing murder in the first and second degree and arson. All of this in relation to this incident that happened early on Sunday morning. Police say that he walked over to a woman who was sleeping inside of a subway car and lit her on fire. She burned alive and he sat outside of the platform watching as it all happened.

Now, we're getting some additional detail from this arraignment. Firstly, some of the details that the police officers who responded to the scene reported, including the fact that the suspect who's been identified as Sebastian Zapeta Khalil (ph) at one point appeared to be fanning the flames that were burning this victim. That's according to a testimony from them on the scene.

We also have learned that the city's medical examiner has determined the cause of death. This victim died as a result of thermal injuries and smoke inhalation. We have not learned yet exactly who the victim was, but law enforcement officials believe that she, too, was homeless.

Now, the suspect, Zapeta Khalil (ph), has been in the United States since first entering in 2018. He was deported at one point.

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Then he made entry illegally again. And in the last few months here in New York City, he has been in and out of homeless shelters. The last place that he reported to be staying at is a shelter for men with substance abuse issues.

We do expect Khalil (ph) to appear in court again next Friday, but we are getting just really more disturbing details of how all of this unfolded. He did not enter a plea yet. It's possible that that happens at the next court appearance. But that is the latest that we have on this story. Danny.

FREEMAN: Yeah, so many details about this, as you said, very disturbing. Gloria, just before you go, are we learning anything about the victim at this point yet?

PAZMINO: So from the investigation and law enforcement sources I've been speaking to on this, they believe that the woman was on the train essentially taking shelter from the cold that morning and that evening. They believe that she is homeless. I understand that the city's medical examiner has been trying to identify her.

That's been difficult because of the condition that she was found in, the burns. She is believed to be homeless and she was seen by police officers earlier that day sleeping inside the subway car. But unfortunately, we have not been able to confirm exactly what her identity is just yet.

FREEMAN: So, so sad. Thank you, Gloria, for your reporting. Appreciate it.

All right ahead this hour on CNN News Central, President Elect Trump tears into President Biden for removing nearly every federal inmate from death row. We'll hear what Trump now vows to do as soon as he takes office next month.

Plus, we have an update on former President Bill Clinton after he was admitted to the hospital.

And NASA attempts to touch the sun. We'll tell you everything we know about today's record-breaking mission. These important stories and much, much more all coming up this hour on CNN News Central.

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HILL: New today, President Elect Donald Trump tearing into President Biden's decision to commute the sentences of nearly all federal death row inmates commuting those sentences to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Trump saying the move, quote, "makes no sense".

CNN Julia Benbrook is live at the White House. So this move from President Biden, a preemptive one, is -- is much of what we're hearing, Julia.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, during the 2024 campaign, Trump indicated that he would restart federal executions and try to expand the pool of crimes eligible for capital punishment under federal law. As you mentioned, he said that he believes Biden's decision, quote, "makes no sense". And just a few hours ago in a social media post, he actually expanded on that, giving a preview of how he will see this issue going forward in his next term, saying, quote, "As soon as I am inaugurated, I will direct the Justice Department to vigorously pursue the death penalty to protect American families and children from violent rapists, murderers and monsters. We will be a nation of law and order again".

This statement, of course, follows Biden's latest end of term action, and that was taking 37 federal prisoners off of death row. When he announced that he would be doing that, that those people would be instead serving out life sentences in prison, here was part of his announcement explaining that thought process.

He said, "Make no mistake, I condemn these murders, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all of the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss. But guided by my conscience and my experience as a public defender, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, vice president and now president, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level. In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions I had halted".

Now, Biden's decision leaves only three federal prisoners awaiting execution when Trump takes office. And notably, Biden did not commute the sentences of those three people whose crimes included mass shootings and, or, excuse me, or acts of terror.

HILL: As we look at all this too -- in the last few weeks of this administration, Julia, I know a number of Democrats are asking the White House to also do a little bit more to secure Biden's legacy, especially when it comes to student loan forgiveness. Where does that stand?

BENBROOK: Well, ever since Biden decided that he would not continue to seek reelection, there's been a lot of talk about his legacy, what he'll be known for in his decades long career here in politics. And student loan forgiveness has been a centerpiece of this administration. Despite a major blow by the Supreme Court decision to strike down his key proposal last year, Biden has approved the discharge of more student debt than any other president.

And while Trump has not made specific promises when it comes to student loan forgiveness, we know that it's not the same type of policy priority that it has been for the Biden administration. So there are a lot of Democratic lawmakers really pushing Biden to take more action in these final weeks.

And here's some of the specifics that they are asking for. To officially deliver student loan forgiveness promise to defrauded borrowers, to provide more forgiveness through borrower defense and to provide options for borrowers stuck in legal limbo. There's a plan called SAVE that the Biden administration launched last year that has continued to be challenged in the court.

So still a lot of questions for people out there with student loans. A lot of questions they want answers to. And these Democratic lawmakers are hoping that they can do that in these last few weeks before there's a change in administration. Erica.

HILL: We will see if they can get those answers. Julia, appreciate it. Thank you. Danny.

FREEMAN: We have some positive signs for a former President today. A spokesperson says Bill Clinton has now been discharged from the hospital.

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He was admitted on Monday after experiencing a fever. His office says he was being treated there for the flu. CNN's Edward-Isaac Dovere is monitoring these developments. Isaac, tell us, is Clinton's office giving any more details or insight about the seriousness of this hospital stay?

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: No, they've left it to the statements, Danny, but he was admitted to the hospital yesterday. He was discharged from the hospital today. That means that there was enough of a reason to bring him in. He had a fever. They were making sure that it was nothing else than that is what I've been told. And he is home in time for Christmas Eve and Christmas with his family.

So it doesn't seem to be a serious thing. On the other hand, he's 78 years old. He's had some health problems in the past, some scares. And so this was mostly about caution. And he was not even there a full 24 hours.

FREEMAN: Well, Isaac Dovere, thank you for keeping us posted on that. Appreciate it. And again, good news that he's okay and at least home for the holiday. Appreciate you.

FREEMAN: All right. Coming up next, the Pope has just opened the doors of the five holy -- excuse me, the first of five holy doors at St. Peter's it's a tradition more than 500 years in the making, what that means for the faithful.

Plus, Buckingham palace announces King Charles will sharply break from tradition in his annual Christmas message. We'll tell you what he's doing and why it's ruffling some feathers. That and much more coming up ahead.

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FREEMAN: We're learning new details about Paul Whelan's detention in Russia. Whelan spent more than five years in captivity, and during that time, he personally reached out by phone and with letters to journalists in the United States, including CNN's Jennifer Hansler.

Now, Whelan says he wanted to make sure his story was not forgotten. And in a new interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, Whelan shares how he got through those years and the treatment he received.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) PAUL WHELAN, AMERICAN FREED AFTER BEING WRONFULLY DETAINED IN RUSSIA: Being back, it's surreal. I'm in a world that used to be familiar and it isn't. I'm getting used to just simple things.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: You were held in a prison in Moscow initially, which is a notorious -- it's a high, like, maximum security prison. I think it's a very notorious prison.

WHELAN: Yeah. Lefortovo, it's called the Shooting Gallery because that's where the Russians used to and probably still do shoot their own people. It's a horrendously old rundown facility. And, you know, you're in a small cell by yourself basically 23 hours a day.

COOPER: How long were you in that facility?

WHELAN: For a year-and-a half.

COOPER: I cannot imagine -- suddenly, from being in your hotel room visiting your friend for a wedding to being in this notorious prison. How do you mentally not just panic and freak out?

WHELAN: I probably did panic and freaked out. Very quickly I realized that what was happening was real. You know, there was some solace in the fact that I knew my ambassadors would be coming to find out what was happening. I wasn't sure how long it would take to resolve. I knew I hadn't done anything. I hadn't violated the Espionage law. I'm not a spy. I never have been. They'd either made a mistake or they were making it up.

COOPER: After the trial, you were sentenced like 16 years, I think?

WHELAN: Right. Yeah.

COOPER: You were sent to a labor camp in Mordovia, and you're still -- for the next three, four years, you are woken up every two hours at night.

WHELAN: Yeah, I was an escape risk, apparently. Mordovia, there's nothing -- there's nothing out there, it's woods, it's forests --

COOPER: And so what, they would come in, wake you up and what?

WHELAN: They'd try to lighten my eyes and then take a picture with a camera to prove that they had -- they had checked me.

COOPER: Every night. Every two hours --

WHELAN: Every two hours.

COOPER: -- for years.

WHELAN: For four years.

COOPER: Can you sleep normally now?

WHELAN: Now? I'm getting back to a normal sleep pattern. It's difficult.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Let's get you a quick look at some of the international stories we're following. A Moscow court sentencing a U.S. citizen to 15 years in prison for espionage. Gene Spector was born in Russia but later moved to the U.S. and is one of several U.S. citizens to be tried (ph) in Russia this year.

In October, 72-year-old Stephen Hubbard was sentenced to almost seven years for allegedly fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine. And in July, Robert Woodland was sentenced to more than 12 years for drug related charges.

FREEMAN: Meanwhile, in Turkey, local authorities have ruled out sabotage after a deadly blast at an explosives and ammunition factory in the northwestern part of the country. At least 11 people were killed and seven others injured, but that number could go up. Officials saying they're still trying to work out how many people were inside of the factory at the time of the accident.

Also in a break from tradition, Buckingham palace says King Charles will not record his annual Christmas message from the royal residents. Instead, the king will deliver tomorrow's message from a church with links to the medical community. The change comes as the 76-year-old monarch continues to battle cancer. Last week a palace source told CNN the king's treatment has, quote, "been moving in a positive direction and will continue in the New Year".

And just moments ago, we actually saw the kickoff of a religious event that has spanned more than 500 years, the Jubilee, or Holy Year. It takes place every 25 years in the Catholic Church. In 2025's Jubilee was just launched by the tradition of opening the sacred doors at St. Peter's Basilica. You see it right there. The door is normally cemented shut.

HILL: Now that it is open, some 35 million people are expected to visit Rome and Vatican City as pilgrims celebrate the Holy Year, focusing on forgiveness and reconciliation. CNN Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb joining us now with the latest. So give us a sense too what people were experiencing as this begins, as those doors are opened.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, it's a very powerful and symbolic moment we saw in St. Peter's Basilica with the opening of the holy door as the pope open --