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Officials: 38 Dead, 29 Survived Kazakhstan Plane Crash; Bald Eagle Becoming Official U.S. Bird; Storms Slam The West; East Coast Clears After Snow Dusting; Trump Announces Pick For Ambassador To Panama; Israel And Hamas Blame Each Other For New Ceasefire Delay; Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Erupts In Dramatic Display. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired December 25, 2024 - 15:00   ET

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

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DANNY FREEMAN, CNN HOST: What caused a deadly plane crash in Central Asia? Investigators are scouring the wreckage for clues, and we have new details on the crash and the 29 people who survived.

Plus, a series of storms is creating some messy travel conditions for people out west, while on the East Coast, New Yorkers saw their first white Christmas Eve, at least in more than a decade. We have your holiday forecast.

And tourists in Hawaii are flocking to see an amazing lava spectacle. But it has scientists warning about the emerging threat from so-called supervolcanoes.

We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

Hello and welcome to all our viewers on this Christmas Day. I'm Danny Freeman here in New York. We begin this hour with that breaking news of a deadly plane crash in Kazakhstan. Authorities say at least 38 people are dead after an Azerbaijanian airlines plane crashed and burst into flames earlier today. Stunningly, nearly half of those people on board, 29 people, survived, including two children. Eleven are currently in critical condition.

And we have to warn you, this next video showing dazed survivors pulled from the wreckage may be disturbing for some to watch.

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(END VIDEO CLIP) FREEMAN: Just terrifying. And in this video, right here, posted to social media, you can see the plane descending to the ground in what appears to be the moment of impact. CNN Aviation Analyst and former NTSB managing director Peter Goelz joins me now.

First, Merry Christmas. Thank you for coming on this holiday to discuss this really scary event. Russia's aviation watchdog said that the preliminary information suggested the pilot had decided to make an emergency landing after a bird strike. You've seen the video now. What's your assessment?

PETER GOELZ, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Well, these planes, the Embraer, you know, is an excellent aircraft with a strong safety record. And Azerbaijan airways has a good safety record. If it was a simple bird strike, losing one engine, that's really not a threatening situation. It's a challenging one. But these planes are designed to fly in one engine. Pilots train one engine flight all the time.

Something else happened and caused this, you know, terrible fatalities and this terrible accident.

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If it was an uncontained engine failure caused by a bird being ingested, you would see parts of the engine coming apart, perhaps impacting the aircraft, impacting the flight control systems. And that would be a very difficult situation.

And I saw some indications of an uncontrolled - an uncontained failure in the tail's - videotape of the tail. There was some impact marks like shrapnel in the tail of the plane, which might have indicated that.

FREEMAN: You know, Peter, one of the things that stood out to me was remarkably, at least 29 people actually survived this crash. What does that tell you about what happened here?

GOELZ: Well, first of all, it tells you two things. One is that aviation safety has come a long way. And one of the strongest steps towards surviving these kinds of accidents is the requirement that seats be able to withstand impact of 16 Gs. That means that you're in your seat, you have a terrible wreck like this, you're not being thrown out, and you have the chance to walk away. That's just extraordinary. And I think that's the real message from this kind of accident.

FREEMAN: Yes, I mean, truly remarkable. And I learned that over the course of speaking with you and other experts, how much progress there has been on aviation safety. I'm curious on your thought on this, though, Peter. Would the U.S. have any role in this crash investigation by any chance? Would it just depend on the nationalities of the victims here?

GOELZ: No, it goes beyond that and it's a great question to ask. This kind of investigation is guided by the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO. And there's a treaty of which Azerbaijan is a signator and so is the United States. This aircraft had GE engines on it. The investigator in charge from Azerbaijan could ask for U.S. involvement, and the U.S. could request involvement because of that fact.

And the - there's a cooperative approach to these investigations. The NTSB has a specific designated person who handles international, you know, accidents. And I think the U.S. will be participating.

FREEMAN: Peter, one more thing that I wanted to pick your brain on, just because we got some new video that I believe we're about to roll. CNN has learned that oxygen masks were actually released before the crash. Knowing that, does that tell you anything more about what might have happened here?

GOELZ: Well, it may indicate, as I said, you know, I'm kind of leaning with just preliminary information towards some sort of uncontained failure in the outboard engine, in which, you know, the engines are designed with titanium cowling to try and hold in if a rotor ruptures. You know, these internal fan blades are going at 18,000 revolutions per minute. And if they rupture, these can enter the fuselage and cause a depressurization, which could cause the mask to drop.

FREEMAN: Peter Goelz, thank you so much for breaking that all down. And, again, just stunning video we continue to get in of this really horrific crash. But, again, miraculously, many survivors from this crash. Peter, thank you, and have a good rest of your holiday.

GOELZ: Thank you.

FREEMAN: Joe Biden will now go down in U.S. history for, among other things, the President who officially designated the bald eagle as America's national bird, a long overdue honor, if you ask me.

Now, the regal raptor has appealed on the great seal of the United States since 1782. The new law was one of 15 that President Biden approved on Christmas Eve. There are now just 26 days left in the Biden presidency. So, for more on this and what happens in this final less than a month is senior reporter Isaac Dovere.

Isaac, thank you for joining us. Always great to see you.

Can you explain what some of these other laws the President just signed might do?

ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, the eagle bill, probably not the most significant of what has been signed into law here.

FREEMAN: Yes.

DOVERE: There is a measure to crack down on hazing on college campuses, a measure that - a law that had been promoted by Paris Hilton to look at how teens are faring in - when they're in various institutions and provide money for studies on their mental and physical well-being. There's also some of the standard congressional stuff, like naming a library after late Dianne - Sen. Dianne Feinstein. [15:10:01]

And then some things like cutting of pensions for members of Congress who have been convicted of certain crimes.

So, it's all a panoply of things, a lot that got thrown in, in addition to that spending fight by the lame duck Congress in the last couple of weeks. And it does seem like likely those are the last bunch of laws that Joe Biden will sign as president. But there are still a couple weeks left.

FREEMAN: Well, to that point about a couple weeks left, Isaac, do you foresee President Biden taking any last-minute executive authority type actions? Do you know if the administration is thinking or looking at anything in particular?

DOVERE: Well, they're looking at a number of things. Obviously, there were - a couple of days ago - those commutations of people who were facing the federal death penalty that Joe Biden did. There are likely more commutations and pardons that will be considered in these last couple of weeks. There are also some things related to student debt that the President has been pretty focused on over the course of his term that he might still do.

And then you think about things on the international front. The biggest thing that Joe Biden would like to accomplish before he leaves internationally is to try to figure out some kind of ceasefire hostage deal in the Israel-Gaza situation.

But it's three weeks. It's the end of a presidency. Usually not a lot happens. But at this point, with the way the world is and the way the country is, a lot can happen. And we know that the President is saying at least and his staff is saying that they intend to try to make the most of the last couple of weeks that they're in office.

FREEMAN: Yes, and certainly some sort of resolution in the Middle East, I would imagine one of the biggest goals or priorities in these final weeks.

DOVERE: That's correct.

FREEMAN: Isaac Dovere, thank you so much. Have a great holiday.

DOVERE: Thank you.

FREEMAN: Appreciate it.

DOVERE: Thank you.

FREEMAN: A series of storms creating some messy travel conditions for people out west. You can see right there with winter weather bringing snow and slick conditions to the roads in Northern California. Meanwhile, on the East Coast, millions in New York City saw their first white Christmas Eve in more than a decade. Meteorologist Chad Myers has your Christmas forecast. CHAD MYERS, CNN WEATHER CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Danny, still some snow on the ground, although the sun is out now in many places, melting that snow, causing spray up in your face. If you're traveling today, make sure your washer fluid is full. And then tonight that will refreeze as temperatures go back down below 32. Snow all the way back out to Minnesota, but no additional snow.

This is a rain event for the Mississippi Valley, and they will take the rain. They are in the middle of a horrible drought across the lower Mississippi Valley.

Let me take you ahead to really the next biggest travel day. That will be Sunday. This is the area of cloud cover that will invade Atlanta, D.C., New York just in time for air travel on Sunday. There will be a lot of snow in the west still, and Seattle is going to be slow the entire week.

But here's the problem, here's Sunday morning with the cloud cover, low clouds and rain all the way from Atlanta all the way up to the East Coast. That is going to slow things down. Now, the snow could slow you down if you're driving across these mountain passes, but it won't slow you down across parts of the Sierra that have picked up feet and feet of snow with one storm after the other.

The skiers out here in Tahoe all the way down to Mammoth just really enjoying this added snow, natural snow, because it's a whole lot better than skiing in that snow cone. Danny?

FREEMAN: It is indeed. Man, got to get back out to Tahoe. It's been too long. Chad Myers thank you very much.

All right, now to some of the other headlines we're watching for you this hour. The FDA has issued an urgent salmonella warning for eggs sold at Costco. The agency says there's a, quote, "reasonable possibility" eating them could result in serious health issues or death. The affected product is the Handsome Brook Farms brand of signature organic pasture raised 24-count eggs. They have a use-by date of January 5th. They were sold in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and North and South Carolina.

Also, the CDC says whooping cough cases are at their highest level in a decade. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, starts with symptoms similar to the common cold, but a painful full-body cough can develop after a week or two. The cough can be so severe it causes patients to vomit and even break ribs. The CDC recommends everyone get vaccinated.

And one lucky person could get a belated billion-dollar Christmas gift - wouldn't that be nice? The Mega Millions jackpot has soared to an estimated $1.15 billion, the highest price ever offered in December. Now, the next drawing, mark your calendars, is this Friday. And if the winner chooses the cash option, that's still more than a half a million dollars.

All right. Still ahead, it's rare for Christmas and the start of Hanukkah to fall on the same day, but it's happening today, tonight. That means for the first time in nearly 20 years, Christians in Gaza and Jews in Israel are celebrating at the same time. This comes as we learn ceasefire talks have stalled. We'll have an update from the Middle East coming up next.

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FREEMAN: This just in to CNN, President-elect Donald Trump has announced his new pick for ambassador to Panama. He revealed his choice on Truth Social with a dig against the country. Writing, quote, "I'm pleased to announce that Kevin Marino Cabrera will serve as the United States ambassador to the Republic of Panama, a country that is ripping us off on the Panama Canal, far beyond their wildest dreams."

Of course, this is more interesting than your typical pick for ambassador after Trump suggested that the U.S. should take back control of the Panama Canal. We'll have much more on this story later in the hour.

Today is the first day of Hanukkah, as well as Christmas Day. It's rare for them to coincide. But for many in Israel, it's a grim day, with the war hanging over families separated from loved ones held hostage. While in Gaza, the sheer destruction and soaring death toll speak to the horrors of this war on the Palestinian people. So, can the two sides reach an elusive deal now or even in the new year?

Joining me to discuss is CNN Global Affairs Analyst Kimberly Dozier.

Merry Christmas to you, Kim. And thank you for joining us on this holiday, especially to talk about a difficult subject.

Listen, Israeli negotiators returned yesterday from Qatar after what Netanyahu's office called a significant week of ceasefire and hostage release talks.

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And now Israel and Hamas are accusing each other of reneging on and adding new terms into those talks. So, I just wanted to get your take on these recent developments.

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yes, covering peace talks over the years, this is the kind of battle rhythm you sometimes see. When the negotiators were leaving Qatar, they were saying positive things. You know, we need to go back to head office, essentially, to brief them on some of the asks and some of the back and forth.

Once those negotiating teams reached the various sides, then Hamas, Israel, the Netanyahu government both have started responding with these angry retorts, accusing the other side of trying to move the goalposts. Now, in any negotiation like this, every time you think you've got one part sorted out, then sometimes another part opens up. In this case, some of the dismay has been over the hostages. The Israelis want all the injured hostages, including the young men who have been injured. The Hamas fighters consider the young men Israeli soldiers. Even if they're injured, they want to keep them until the last moment.

Also, there is a question over, does Netanyahu want to keep open the option of returning to fighting after this exchange, this initial exchange. Whereas, Hamas is still holding on to a stop in Israeli military operations. If not, you know, if they've given up on ending the war, that phrase, but they're still trying to push for as much of a stop of Israeli military operations on the ground as they can get. So, it doesn't look like we're going to get a resolution, at least this week.

FREEMAN: Well, one of the things that certainly caught people's attention was Netanyahu Israeli lawmakers on Monday, quote, "together with our American friends, I plan to expand the Abraham Accords and thus change even more dramatically the face of the Middle East." What kind of change based on that do you think the prime minister is talking about?

DOZIER: Well, Netanyahu thinks that with some of the Trump team back in office that helped broker the Abraham Accords before, which essentially spelled normalization with a number of gulf countries, and Morocco, and a stepping up of business, allowing Israeli planes to land in these gulf countries where they never had before. They want to keep building on that. They were about to sign some sort of deal under the Biden administration with Saudi Arabia when the attacks of October 7th happened.

So basically, what Netanyahu is hoping is that once the Trump administration is back in power, they will be more understanding of Netanyahu's complaints about the need for security. They will allow continued military operation in places like Gaza, parts of southern Syria, and that they will also reach out to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries and get some of these negotiations back on track.

My doubt about that is the Arab and Muslim public is very angry over what they've been watching on TV coming out of Gaza, coming out of southern Lebanon and Syria, destruction wrought by Israeli forces. And I think that public opinion is going to make expansion of the Abraham Accords a little bit more difficult.

FREEMAN: And again, it just - it calls into question if we're going to see a deal prior to the end of President Biden's term in office. Kim Dozier, thank you so much, as always, for your time. Really do appreciate it, and have a very merry rest of your Christmas.

DOZIER: Happy holidays to all.

FREEMAN: Still ahead, Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupts, shooting jets of lava into the sky, but some scientists worry about far more dangerous explosions from so-called supervolcanoes in the future. We'll talk to an expert about it all, coming up next.

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FREEMAN: Hawaii's Big Island is being treated to a rare sight. Kilauea erupted dramatically on Monday after one of the world's most active volcanoes had lain quiet for about three months. You're actually looking at live footage right there. We've been seeing fountains of lava spurted 300 feet high as amateur volcanologists watched from a safe distance. But some scientists worry another explosion, one that might not be so safe, could happen in the future.

For more on this, we have Jess Phoenix, a volcanologist, who wrote "Ms. Adventure: My Wild Explorations in Science, Lava, and Life."

Jess, Merry Christmas. Thank you so much for being with us today to talk about the coolest story of the day.

I - you've piqued my interest. How big is this risk from supervolcanoes?

JESS PHOENIX, VOLCANOLOGIST: Well, supervolcanoes are fortunately something that we don't see that scale of eruption happen very often. To give you a sense of scale, Kilauea's summit caldera, where we're seeing those great images, is a couple kilometers across. Not quite. I mean, it's pretty small. It's less than a mile.

These supervolcano eruptions are basically 240 cubic miles of material has to be erupted to reach the level of a supervolcano. So, if you think about how far 240 miles is, that is a massive amount of material. We see these big eruptions periodically throughout the history of planet Earth. Some we have great evidence of, like previous Yellowstone eruptions. Others have been lost to time itself.

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