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Trump Targets U.S. Allies In Christmas Day Post; At Least 4 Killed, 16 Injured In Israeli Airstrike In Yemen; Officials: Israeli Airstrike Kills 5 Local Journalists In Gaza; Top-10 Sports Moments Of 2024; Tornado Watch Issued For Parts Of Texas, Louisiana as Severe Storms Move Across The South. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired December 26, 2024 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

KATIE FROST, FORMER AIDE, TED CRUZ PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: -- passed onto the consumer. When your ships are having to pay anywhere from $150,000 to $1 million to pass through the Panama Canal, that impacts the consumer directly.

So President Trump can renegotiate with Panama and look at lowering those fees. That would be a tremendous impact to the American consumer.

As far as Greenland, Canada, you know, these are all discussions. Some of it's just joking. Don't forget, not only is he the master of the deal, he's also a master troll. So that is why Governor (sic) Trudeau is currently in his sights.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: Well, we should note that the president's not talking about renegotiating fees with the Panama Canal. He's talking about taking it back. At least those are his public comments. Well see where he tries to take that.

Katie Frost, Meghan Hays --

FROST: See where you end up.

SCIUTTO: Sorry? Sorry?

FROST: You start there and you see where you end up. You know? That's how these negotiations usually go.

SCIUTTO: We will see.

Thanks so much to both of you. Happy holidays to you.

Coming up next, Israel has launched attacks on Yemen, including on its main airport, where U.N. staff were visiting at the time. We have a live report from the Middle East right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:35:10]

SCIUTTO: At least four people are reported dead, several others injured after Israeli airstrikes struck the capital of Yemen.

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: With these runs, state television reporting that those strikes hit an international airport as well as the powerhouse and power plants in the western city of Hodeidah.

Elliott Gotkine is in Jerusalem following these developments for us.

So what more do we know about these strikes and the aftermath, quickly?

SCOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Yes. Look, this strike from Israel on the main airport in the capital, Sanaa, and also on two power plants.

This comes after four out of the last seven nights saw people in Israel, across Israel, millions of them, including myself and my 11- year-old daughter on Saturday night scurrying for bomb shelters as ballistic missiles we're lobbed towards Israel from Yemen.

Now, Israel says that it was attacking infrastructure that it says was being used by the Houthis to smuggle in Iranian weapons, which it was then using against Israel.

And Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, earlier this evening here in Israel, saying that these attacks on the Houthis would continue until essentially the job is done.

And that job that Netanyahu is talking about is really dealing with what Israel perceives to be the last man standing almost among the -- what it calls the Axes of Evil of Iran's proxies.

In the sense that Israel has managed to batter Hezbollah in Lebanon pretty much into submission and to that cease fire in the north that has decimated Hamas, and which doesn't seem to pose an existential threat to Israel anymore.

And the only ones that really seem to be able to threaten Israel. Of course, on top of Iran are the Houthis themselves.

Now, others in Israel have suggested that rather than going after the Houthis, they should be going after the head of the snake, namely Iran. That's certainly what Yair Lapid, the leader of the opposition, has been suggesting.

But certainly, for now, it seems there will be no letup on Israeli strikes on the Houthis in Yemen.

And the Houthis themselves saying that if Israel thinks that it's attacks on Yemen are going to stop them from, in their words, "showing their solidarity and support for the Palestinians," then Israel, in the words of one of their official accounts on X, "is delusional."

SCIUTTO: Israel, of course, it strikes inside Gaza have not let up either. And the Israeli military, the IDF, is now being condemned for a strike that killed five journalists working for a Gaza-based television channel. When strikes like this have happened before, journalists or aid

workers, Israel will either sometimes claim that one or more of them had ties to Hamas or will promise an investigation. And we often won't see a satisfying answer at the end of that investigation.

How is the IDF responding to criticism of this strike?

GOTKINE: Jim, I know you've just been speaking to me, but I have to say that I can't actually make out what you're saying because of a technical fault.

So I'm afraid I'm going to hand it back to you for the moment, and hopefully we'll be able to pick this up later on all right.

HILL: All right, the technical difficulties that do come with this.

Elliott Gotkine, we appreciate it. Thank you.

Stay with us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:42:23]

SCIUTTO: 2024 has been just a wild year in the world of sports, from history making college athletes to redemption and, of course, controversy at the Paris Olympics.

Andy Scholes breaks down the top-10 sports stories of the year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, 2024 was a year where the superstars certainly shined bright. Lebron, Simone, Mahomes, Sheffler, Ohtani and Clark all dominating their sports. But there were some controversies along the way.

Here are the top moments in sports from this year.

(voice-over): We start our countdown with the Boston Celtics returning to the top of the NBA, winning their record 18th title. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and company beating the Mavericks in five games.

JAYSON TATUM, BASKETBALL PLAYER, BOSTON CELTICS: Just at the top of the mountain but we did it. We won a championship.

SCHOLES: And we almost saw history in the NHL the Florida Panthers were up 3-0 in the Stanley Cup final before the Edmonton Oilers stormed back to force a game seven. But the Panthers would hold on to win their first-ever championship.

At number nine, in college basketball, Dawn Staley's South Carolina Gamecocks gained the 10th Women's Division One team in history to go undefeated. They were a perfect 38-0 and then capped it off by winning the third title in school history.

DAWN STALEY, SOUTH CAROLINA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH: So excited to share this moment with our team.

(CHEERING)

SCHOLES: UConn Huskies, meanwhile, becoming the first men's team since Florida in 2007 to win back-to-back titles.

DAN HURLEY, UCONN MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH: Unbelievable. Feels like last year.

(LAUGHTER)

SCHOLES: At number eight, we had history in the NBA. Lebron James and his son, Bronny, taking the floor together, making it the first time ever a father and son played together in the league.

LEBRON JAMES, BASKETBALL PLAYER, LOS ANGELES LAKERS: No matter how old I get, no matter how my memory may fade as I get older, whatever, I will never forget that moment.

BRONNY JAMES, BASKETBALL PLAYER, LOS ANGELES LAKERS: I appreciate the Laker Nation for, you know, showing the support for me and my dad.

SCHOLES: And at number seven, Lebron with quite the 2024. He, alongside Steph Curry, led Team USA to an Olympic gold medal in Paris, beating France in the championship game. It was their 5th straight gold.

The women, meanwhile, winning their 8th straight gold medal behind a dominant performance from A'ja Wilson.

And on the pitch, under new head coach, Emma Hayes, the U.S. Women's Soccer Team getting back to their winning ways, beating Brazil one-nil to capture the gold medal for the first time since 2012.

At number six, we also saw amazing solo performance at the Paris Games.

KASIE HUNT, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: The American Noah Lyles stakes his claim as the fastest man in the world, with a thrilling photo finish in the 100-meter dash.

[14:45:02]

SCHOLES: Lyles became the first American in 20 years to grab the title of the fastest man on the planet.

(CHEERING)

(APPLAUSE)

SCHOLES: Swimming sensation, Katie Ledecky, becoming the most decorated U.S. female Olympian of all time, with 14 medals.

STEPHEN NEDOROSKIK, GYMNAST: U.S. MEN'S GYMNASTIC TEAM: I kind of just wanted to be that guy who might be a little nerdy but also really good at sports. That's kind of all I wanted to be. SCHOLES: Stephen Nedoroskik, known as Clark Kent, was a true hero, dominating the pommel horse to get the U.S. men's gymnastics team their first medal since 2008. Nedoroskik leaving the games with two bronze medals.

And many world records were set, but none more impressive than Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone who crushed the field in the 400-meter hurdles.

SYDNEY MCLAUGHLIN-LEVRONE, AMERICAN HURDLER & SPRINTER: Unreal, honestly. A full-circle moment. First, I feel like full Olympic moment with friends and family there.

SCHOLES: At number five, Simone Biles triumphantly returning to the Olympics, proving once again she is the GOAT The 27-year-old winning three gold medals and a silver. And in the process, became the most decorated U.S. gymnast of all time.

SIMONE BILES, GYMNAST, U.S. WOMEN'S GYMNAST TEAM: I solely did it for myself and I'm in a really good spot mentally and physically. So doing this for just me, it meant the world.

SCHOLES: Biles and the women's team reclaiming the gold. But the Paris Games did end in controversy a member of the team.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Surprising turn of events in Paris. American gymnast, Jordan Chiles, has been stripped of her bronze medal.

The situation is getting more complicated by the day. USA Gymnastics says its appeal for Olympic gymnast, Jordan Chiles, to keep her bronze medal was denied.

JORDAN CHILES, GYMNAST, U.S. WOMEN'S GYMNAST TEAM: It's, definitely, been a really hard year.

SCHOLES: At number four, Shohei Ohtani had a season in baseball that will never be duplicated again, both on and off the field.

BLACKWELL: Just one week before opening day, a stunning scandal has erupted in Major League Baseball.

The interpreter for L.A. Dodger's player, Shohei Ohtani, fired amid allegations that he stole millions of dollars from the Japanese superstar to cover a gambling debt.

SCHOLES: The whole controversy though did not affect Ohtani one bit on the field. He went on to have the first-ever 50/50 season in baseball history. He ended up with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases.

The Japanese star then went on to win his first World Series as the Dodgers beat the Yankees in five games.

(CHEERING)

SCHOLES: At number three, the PGA Championship getting off to a rocky start. WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We're following major drama at the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, where topped-ranked golfer, Scotty Scheffler, was arrested and detained just outside the course where he would tee off only a few hours later.

SCOTTY SCHEFFLER, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: Feel like my head's still spinning. I can't really explain what happened this morning. I did spend some time stretching in a jail cell. That was a first for me.

SCHOLES: Despite being arrested before round two, Scheffler still finished tied for 8th at the PGA championship. And he went on to have one of the best years in golf history. Scheffler won nine times, including his second Masters in three years and gold at the Paris games.

SCHEFFLER: I'm just a kid from Texas who loves playing golf. And I'm just trying to get the most out of myself and, you know, this year's been really fun.

SCHOLES: At number two on our countdown is Caitlin Clark mania taking over the country.

LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: History truly in the making, and so far out by the way, Iowa Hawkeyes superstar, Caitlin Clark, breaking the NCAA women's basketball all-time scoring record.

CAITLIN CLARK, WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER, IOWA HAWKEYES: I don't if you can really script it any better.

SCHOLES: And Clark wasn't just setting scoring record. Attendance in viewership were at all-time highs whenever Clark stepped on the floor.

Her rematch against Angel Reese at LSU was watched by 12.3 million people, making it the most-watched women's college basketball game ever.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: Caitlin Clark is headed to the WNBA, as the number-one overall draft pick.

CLARK: Just getting to enjoy it and soak it in I think is the biggest thing, because like this once-in-a-lifetime.

SCHOLES: Clark's remarkable year ended with her winning the WNBA Rookie of the Year and leading the Fever to the playoffs.

And 2024 was certainly an extraordinary year for the WNBA. The league, records for attendance and viewership. And in the end, it was the Liberty winning their first-ever title, beating the Lynx.

And finally, our number-one sports moment of the year belonged to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

(APPLAUSE)

SCHOLES: With Taylor Swift in attendance to cheer on boyfriend, Travis Kelsey, the Chiefs beating the 49ers in an overtime thriller in the first-ever Las Vegas Super Bowl.

Mahomes, Kelsey and company winning back-to-back titles in their third in five years.

PATRICK MAHOMES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS QUARTERBACK: I'm so proud of the team, so proud of the guys and to battle to the very end. I mean, that was a microcosm of our season. It really is special just to be able to say we're back-to-back champs.

SCHOLES: And as we head into 2025, the chiefs are looking to become the first team ever to win three straight Super Bowls.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Quite a year on the field.

[14:49:57]

Still ahead, severe storms rolling into the southern U.S. This, as holiday travelers head into what is expected to be yet one more of the busiest travel periods of the year. We're going to have a live update on the forecast coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: Not the kind of news you want around the holidays, but severe weather sweeping across the south, including a tornado watch for parts of Texas and Louisiana with millions more under alerts throughout the weekend.

HILL: CNN's Chad Myers is in the Weather Center tracking all of it for us.

So, Chad, where is your focus? Seems like there's a lot going on, on that map behind you.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Right now, the focus is Houston. You're under a tornado watch and there are storms to your west moving your way. Nothing that has rotation yet, but the potential is there.

[14:55:01]

Also, attention to the west, where a lot of snow is coming down in the pass, is going to be very difficult to get through the I-80 and all the way up toward the 90. And you're seeing some airport delays for Seattle, for Portland and for Dallas.

Dallas, your storms are gone, but the damage is already done. The planes are already kind of backed up for you.

But let's zoom in here for Houston proper. You see the red area behind me, all those counties filled in? That's the tornado watch until later tonight. And there you see the storms all the way almost to Sugarland at this point in time.

So, yes, weather on the way here. Make sure you're weather aware know where you are. If you're visiting, make sure you know what county you're in, or at least your phone alerts are on.

There's the flooding into Dallas that happened a couple of hours ago. But there's the bulls eye for where the severe weather is most likely today.

It moves to the east tomorrow, and then farther east, and then really will start to hamper travel on Sunday, even into the northeast. So a lot of moving parts here.

And then I take you back out toward the west, and it's really going to be moving parts. But a lot of rain, I mean two to three inches in places that have been just completely filled with drought.

So take the rain when we can get it. Just try to get it. In between the severe weather.

There's the storm moving on shore right now. But more weather is moving to the east, through the Siskiyous, through the Bitterroots. There's an off -- there's more storms behind this one.

So, yes, we're going to have wind. We're going to have snow and more snow on the way. If you're traveling in the west, especially driving through the passes, make sure you know what the traffic looks like ahead of you -- guys?

HILL: All right Chad, appreciate it. Thank you.

Still to come here, clues at the crash site. Pictures of that downed jet in Kazakhstan could help unravel the mystery behind the deadly disaster. What we're now learning, next.

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