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Connect the World
New Details in Deadly Plane Crash; Russia Ramps Up Production of Iranian-Designed Drones; South Korea`s Acting President Impeached Less Than Two Weeks In; Trump Wants to Control Panama Canal and Buy Greenland; Biden on Vacation as He Prepares to Leave White House; Top 10 Business Stories of 2024; Top 10 Viral Moments in 2024. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired December 27, 2024 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:17]
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN London, this is CONNECT THE WORLD.
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, welcome to our second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I`m Max Foster in London.
New details emerging after the deadly Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash that left 38 people dead. And a new CNN investigation shows how Russia keeps a
constant supply of deadly drones. Plus, South Korea has impeached its acting president less than two weeks into his job.
Following new details then into the investigation of a deadly Christmas Day plane crash in Kazakhstan, a U.S. official tells CNN that early indications
suggest a Russian anti-aircraft system may have downed the Azerbaijani passenger jet, killing at least 38 people. The source says it may have been
a case of mistaken identity in which poorly trained Russian units fired negligently against what they thought were Ukrainian drones.
The airline carrier isn`t being as direct in its assessment. It says preliminary investigations have found the disaster occurred, quote, "as a
result of physical and technical external interference." That`s according to Azerbaijan state media.
CNN`s Brianna Golodryga has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN SENIOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST (voice-over): As investigators race to determine the cause of the deadly Azerbaijan Airlines
plane crash, early indications suggest that a Russian anti-aircraft system may be responsible, a U.S. official told CNN.
The aircraft was traveling from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to the Russian Republic of Chechnya when it attempted an emergency landing in
Kazakhstan. The crash occurred shortly after Ukraine fired drones nearby at southern Russia, possibly leading Russia`s defense systems to inadvertently
strike the aircraft, the official said.
Video from on board the flight shows panicked passengers praying and holes visible in the body of the aircraft. The source of the apparent damage has
not been confirmed.
The airline and Russia`s Federal Air Transport Agency initially told local media the aircraft crashed after it collided with a flock of birds, an
account disputed by Ukrainian counter-disinformation official Andriy Kovalenko. Russian state media also reported that the plane had been
rerouted due to heavy fog around Chechnya`s capital.
Several investigations have been opened, including one by a joint commission involving representatives from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and
Russia.
ILHAM ALIYEV, AZERBAIJAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The commission`s task is to fully investigate the matter, the causes and all the details of
the accident and to inform both me and the people of Azerbaijan.
GOLODRYGA: The Kremlin expressed condolences for those impacted by the crash and urged against speculation into the cause until the investigations
have concluded.
Of the 67 people on board, 29 survived, including two children, authorities said. In Azerbaijan, a day of mourning was declared for the dead. Some
relatives of the survivors remain on edge, waiting for news on loved ones` recovery.
FIZULI JALILOV, FATHER OF SURVIVOR NIZAMI JALILOV (through translator): I don`t know what to say, honestly. I spoke with my son today. Thank God his
condition is good. If everything goes well today and tomorrow, he will come to Baku. Let`s see what happens next.
GOLODRYGA: For many families of the at least 38 people killed in the crash, answers can`t come soon enough.
Bianna Golodryga, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Russia seems to have an endless supply of drones these days, thanks to technology acquired from Iran. The factory east of Moscow is cranking
out the Russian version of Iran`s Shahed drones, which Tehran has been supplying to Moscow, but as Clare Sebastian now reports, Russian engineers
are taking the Iranian know-how to a new and deadlier level.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The caption "My mom`s reaction when she found out I earned more than her," cat videos TikTok
memes all part of a recruitment effort funneling workers into Russia`s ever expanding drone program.
The videos are made by Alabuga Polytechnic, a technical college based in at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in southern Russia, the same site
identified by the White House last year as Russia`s domestic Shahed factory producing Iranian-designed drones. In February, the U.S. slapped sanctions
on Alabuga, noting it, quote, "exploited underage students" from an affiliated polytechnic university as laborers to assemble these attack
UAVs.
[10:05:04]
David Albright, a former nuclear weapons inspector, has been tracking Alabuga since 2022.
DAVID ALBRIGHT, INSTITUTE FOR SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY: The only benefit is the high salary but the males get exemption from military
service, and so that`s a drawing card.
SEBASTIAN: A Ukrainian intelligence officer only authorized to speak to CNN anonymously told us those perks come at a cost.
"OREST", UKRAINIAN DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE OFFICE (through translator): All students involved in the production of these UAVs live at a separate
limited access compound. Once employed, they sign NDAs. Their contracts say they produce motorboats.
SEBASTIAN: And yet, as recruitment efforts step up, this video from July allowed the facade to slip. Thinking of starting 10th grade, says the
voiceover, join the super elite program, air navigation and drone programming at Alabuga Polytechnic, and help the Stalin`s Falcons. That`s a
new drone unit in the Russian military. Pause here and you see the distinctive serial number of the Russian produced Shahed and the unit
emblem.
In July, Russia fired 422 Shahed or similar drones at Ukraine. By November, it was almost six times that, analysis of Air Force reports and official
data show. To meet that demand, Shahed production at Alabuga has more than doubled this year, says CNN sources in Ukraine`s Defense Intelligence. And
there`s a new product.
This is the Gerbera, a much cheaper copy of the Shahed pictured in a video posted in July by the Stalin`s Falcons, that same drone unit.
For this volunteer air defense unit in Kyiv, it`s clear the cheaper copies are fueling bigger attacks.
YURLY CHUMAK, UKRAINIAN AIR DEFENSE VOLUNTEER: Now they send -- Russia sends every day a lot of drones. More of them are not even with the
explosive things. Just very cheap and very simple drones.
SEBASTIAN: For Yuri Chumak, a serving Supreme Court judge by day, there`s no denying the decoys are working.
CHUMAK: We cannot detect what it is. You just see that it`s drones so you shall use missile or you shall use machine gun to shut down it.
SEBASTIAN: CNN sources in Ukrainian defense intelligence believe Alabuga will produce up to 10,000 Gerberas this year alone. Analysis of downed
drones shows Russia has also adapted the original Shahed, making it tougher, more weatherproof, and in some cases deadlier. In late October,
experts in Kyiv found traces of thermobaric munitions on downed Shaheds.
OLEKSIY STEPANIUK, KYIV SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF FORENSIC EXPERTISE (through translator): There were several of them. Their effect is that
they`re used as incendiary munitions. In a certain radius, they disable all equipment and people.
SEBASTIAN: Ukraine has tried hitting back. This April strike, using a modified small aircraft, blew a hole in the roof of a worker dormitory at
Alabuga.
But neither that strike nor international sanctions could stop the breakneck pace of expansion here. Between March and September this year,
two entirely new buildings appeared next to the original ones.
(Voice-over): And this image from late November seems to confirm they`re connected. New covered walkways link old and new buildings. Another looks
set to join the factory to the worker dormitories now fully repaired.
ALBRIGHT: They started to create, we thought, drone cages over the buildings. And then as they build other buildings, it looks like they`re
expanding the security perimeter.
SEBASTIAN: NATO told CNN it is, quote, "well aware" of Alabuga and expects it to ramp up production even further.
This military patriotic team building event for Alabuga students, a glimpse into the high-octane world behind that security fence.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: So the suggestion there is we`re going to see more of this in the upcoming year.
SEBASTIAN: Yes, I think, Max, this is clearly a glimpse into Russia`s war strategy here. Ultimately, obviously, they want to take territory. But what
we see with these ramped up drone attacks is clearly attrition. This is a numbers game, right? The thing we have to point out is these weapons,
they`re not foolproof. Ukraine is able to shoot down almost all of them. I think the numbers that we got from the Ukrainian military were that only 5
percent or 6 percent of these drones actually hit their targets between I think it was August and October.
So it`s small numbers, but on Russia`s side it`s a numbers game, right? The more that they can fire, the more will hit their targets. And it`s also
about exhausting Ukrainian air defenses, which we can see from talking to those volunteers in the piece that it`s happening. And it`s not just about
Soviet era machine guns like the ones they were using. We also heard from Ukrainian defense sources that, you know, on occasions when the attacks
were really large in recent weeks and months, they said it was necessary to shoot down drones with advanced anti-aircraft missile systems.
So I think that really is something that Ukraine`s allies should take note of if potentially Western supplied missiles are being used to shoot down
possibly even decoy drones made of plywood and foam.
[10:10:07]
This is the sort of attritional war that Russia is waging. And we think looking at those satellite images that Alabuga, this factory in
southeastern Russia, is continuing even more, that this expansion is continuing. We can see signs of construction carrying on, and I think the
second point that we need to make is that in the sort of microcosm of this war, a war which is now involving North Korean soldiers on the front lines
in Kursk, which is involving possibly, you know, ballistic missiles also being sent from Iran, this factory itself is a multinational effort.
It started, of course, as a partnership with Iran to produce the Shaheds. Now we see, according to Ukrainian defense intelligence sources telling us
that Chinese involvement is growing. They believe that that new decoy drone, the Gerbera, is actually based on a Chinese prototype and that a
Chinese company is supplying those kits. Now obviously we`ve asked China about this. They say that they are neutral in this war still, and they
strictly control any exports of dual use or civilian technology that could be used for this.
But that`s what Ukraine believes, and Russia is also building a new logistics hub just a few kilometers from this factory called the Deng
Xiaoping Logistics Center, which contains a direct rail link to China. And that should be up and running next year. So all of that speaks to what we
see in this war overall that Russia is not able to do this alone.
FOSTER: No. And these Western sanctions, which were meant to prevent China, well, Russia rather, getting this technology and they`re developing it in
another way clearly.
SEBASTIAN: Yes. This is why I think -- and they`re pretty open about the fact that they`re using these Chinese parts that they`re able to get in
order to be able to continue with this expansion regardless of Western sanctions.
Now, obviously, we do have sanctions in place on this factory, the E.U., the U.S. and the U.K. have all sanctioned Alabuga. Ukraine, we spoke to
their sanctions commissioner for the story, he is calling for them to go further than that, to sanction what he calls an ecosystem of companies
around this facility that are doing everything from design to marketing. So that is what Ukraine wants to see because obviously any sanctions that
we`ve seen so far have not been able to stop it expanding and fueling this ramped up drone offensive.
FOSTER: OK, Claire, thank you so much for bringing us that.
Two presidents in less than two weeks, the nation`s parliament, South Korea`s parliament, has voted to impeach the acting president Han Duck-soo,
after he refused to appoint new justices to the constitutional court. That means South Korea is looking at its third president this month, with the
finance minister now in charge.
CNN`s Hanako Montgomery has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I mean, we`re talking about two impeachment votes in the span of less than two weeks. I mean, this is
unprecedented not only for South Korea, but also, frankly, much of the democratic world.
Now, there are a number of reasons why the acting president Han Duck-soo was voted to be impeached today. But what really stood out is actually what
the main opposition party leader said during today`s vote. Give this a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEE JAE-MYUNG, SOUTH KOREA`S DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADER: We will remove Yoon Suk Yeol from office, uproot his loyalist forces and fully suppress the
insurrection. Until that moment, we will pull all our resources and fulfill our historic responsibility.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MONTGOMERY: Now some background on the events leading up to today`s vote. As you described, South Korea was plunged into a political crisis earlier
this month when the president, Yoon Suk Yeol, declared a very short lived martial law. Then shortly two weeks after that, the country`s parliament
voted to impeach the president and he was stripped of his duties. But in order for the formal impeachment process to actually end, a constitutional
court ruling upholding this decision is required.
But critically, and this is the problem facing South Korea right now, they don`t have enough judges within the constitutional court to issue such a
ruling. And actually it`s the job of the acting president Han to fill those vacant spots. But he`s refused to do so, which has led to this political
deadlock we`re currently seeing in the country.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Hanako Montgomery reporting there.
Now, a security crackdown is underway in western Syria after an ambush that left at least 14 law enforcement officers dead. State media reported the
new government launched the operation to flush out troops still loyal to the ousted president Bashar al-Assad. The attack happened in a coastal
region that`s home to Syria`s Alawite minority. Its members held many key military and political positions during Assad`s brutal rule. The new
administration has been encouraging former Assad forces to return their weapons.
Still to come, Donald Trump says he wants to reclaim the Panama Canal and acquire Greenland for the U.S. Is there a strategy behind these eyebrow-
raising comments? We`ll take a look. Plus, Joe Biden enjoying some R and R at the end of a turbulent year. But there`s still work to be done as he
winds down his presidency. That`s just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:17:09]
FOSTER: U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has named Kevin Marino Cabrera as his pick for U.S. ambassador to Panama. If approved, the Miami-Dade County
commissioner would have his hands full, that`s for sure, amid Trump`s repeated statements that he wants to reclaim the Panama Canal for the
United States. That`s just one of the many Trump comments raising eyebrows worldwide right now.
Alayna Treene reports on why they may all be part of a much larger strategy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Donald Trump`s fixation this week over wanting to take control over the Panama Canal as well as the revival
of his desire to purchase Greenland, a Danish territory, is really part of a larger negotiating tactic, I`m told. One Trump adviser told me his
interpretation of what Donald Trump has been saying this week is really that he wants to force foreign leaders to the negotiating table to bolster
United States trade, but also to try and curb both Russia and China`s larger influence over the global region.
Now, as it relates to Panama specifically, Donald Trump believes that Panama and as it relates to the Panama Canal specifically, is taking
advantage of the United States and its companies. He really is pushing for a new agreement that would lower the price that different American vessels
pay for passage throughout the Panama Canal. He also believes that many Chinese companies are controlling the ports around the Panama Canal,
essentially giving them more control over which ships can pass through and again, what the prices are for other countries.
Now, as it relates to Greenland, I`m told that Donald Trump`s kind of fixation on that has been about trying to curb Russia`s influence in the
Arctic region, and that`s part of why he`s continued to say that he wants to buy Greenland, even though we know that its prime minister who controls
the Danish territory has said that Greenland is not for sale, just like it wasn`t for sale back in 2019 when he first floated this idea of trying to
purchase the country.
Now all to say, this is what one of the Trump advisers told me. They said, quote, "Everything has to be looked at in terms of curbing Russia and China
influence, while also protecting the economy."
Now, to be clear as well, to go back to the Panama Canal here and what Donald Trump has been saying, Donald Trump has actually been fixated on
this for several months now, I`m told. And I would actually point to an August interview he did with Tucker Carlson on X, where he brought this up.
He said that he believed that the former president, Jimmy Carter, who negotiated this treaty to give Panama control over the canal despite it
being U.S. made, was a stupid idea.
He believes that Panama is taking advantage of the United States, and that he would potentially want to negotiate some sort of different deal with
Panama if he were to be elected president.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Donald Trump will be inaugurated for his second term as president in 24 days. Corporations clamoring to be part of the celebration and
putting up big money for the privilege. A handful of Fortune 500 companies, cryptocurrency firms and individual billionaires are promising massive
donations, some as high as seven figures.
[10:20:07]
Major donors will have the chance to dine by candlelight with the president and first lady at a post inaugural starlight ball. They`ll also get private
face time with the incoming cabinet and other exclusive benefits.
President Biden is spending the final days of a tumultuous year vacationing in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He and First Lady Jill Biden arrived in Saint
Croix on Thursday as the commander-in-chief prepares to leave office.
CNN`s Julia Benbrook is traveling with the president and has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is no doubt a bittersweet time for President Joe Biden as he says goodbye not only to this role as president
but to a decades-long career in politics.
The president and the first lady arrived in St. Croix the day after Christmas. This has become a holiday tradition for them over the years and
I can see why. You`ve got beautiful beaches behind me. The temperatures have been between the 70s and 80s since our team arrived.
Now this time last year his trip was quite different. He was preparing for the election and seeking another four years in the White House. Obviously a
lot has happened since then. There were questions about his ability to serve another term. He stepped out of the race, endorsed his vice president
Kamala Harris who then lost the election to now president-elect Donald Trump.
Trump is now the one preparing to serve another four years in office while Biden is focusing on preserving his legacy.
Over the next few weeks we do expect Biden to give several speeches about causes and specific policies that he considers some of his best
accomplishments. Talking about issues like climate, the economy, and foreign policy.
After he leaves St. Croix he will spend New Year`s Eve in Delaware and then in early January, in the early part of the new year, he will have a foreign
trip to Rome and the Vatican where he`ll speak with Pope Francis about global peace efforts.
And we don`t expect a lot of policy advancement in these next few weeks. White House officials believe that most of what they would get done in this
final sprint toward January 20th could be overturned by the incoming administration. So again the focus on protecting his key accomplishments
and preserving his legacy over these next 27 days.
Traveling with the president in St. Croix, Julia Benbrook, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: An update now on the legal troubles facing hip hop mogul Jay-Z. A judge has tossed out Jay-Z`s attempt to dismiss a lawsuit accusing him of
raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000. The judge`s decision contains scathing language, criticizing Jay-Z`s lawyer tactics. The judge also said the Jane
Doe accuser could continue to proceed anonymously in the case.
Now ahead on the show, from Costco cracking down on membership sharing to the world`s richest man becoming a U.S. government employee. We`ll count
down the top 10 business stories of 2024.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:25:29]
FOSTER: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD. I`m Max Foster.
A U.S. official tells CNN that early indications suggest a Russian anti- aircraft system may have downed the passenger jet that crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day, killing at least 38 people. The source says it
may have been a case of mistaken identity in which poorly trained Russian units fired negligently against what they thought were Ukrainian drones.
At the same time Finnish authorities say they`ve seized a tanker carrying Russian oil. Reuters reports the ship is suspected of causing underwater
internet and power cable outages. NATO says it will boost its presence in the Baltic Sea in the wake of that incident.
Georgetown University adjunct professor Jill Dougherty joins us now from Tbilisi, Georgia. Jill once served as CNN`s Moscow bureau chief and has
extensive experience of reporting from Russia certainly here on CNN.
Thank you so much for joining us, Jill. This concept of mistaken identity of an aircraft, I mean, it`s a frightening situation, isn`t it? But I don`t
think anyone is suggesting that Russia would have shot this plane down on purpose.
JILL DOUGHERTY, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: No, and it would not appear that it would be in anybody`s interest to shoot it down. So, I
guess, you know, we have to wait. The black boxes have been found and so that will take a while to go through. But, you know, the indications and
what CNN is hearing is that in this region that it was flying to, Grozny in the Chechen Republic, that`s in the south.
And I`m sure a lot of the viewers know that Chechnya in the past, a place where there was a lot of terrorism. Right now, it is an area that has been
under attack by the Ukrainians with drones. And so it`s entirely possible that knowing that and knowing the air defenses that the Russians have for
Grozny and the region that they might have, you know, thought that this was incoming Ukrainian and they decided to shoot it down.
It`s unclear at this point, but I think significant, Max, is the lack of comment by Russia at this point. You know, they have essentially said we
just have to wait until we have more facts. But there are some compelling evidence that`s coming out, depending on how you interpret it, showing that
it could be, as CNN has reported, some, you know, shrapnel, what looks like shrapnel in the back of the plane. So we`ll have to -- in the front of the
plane, I should say. So we have to see what comes up from that.
FOSTER: If the evidence becomes overwhelming, how do you expect Russia to respond to that?
DOUGHERTY: Based on what they`ve done previously, they will not be willing to admit that something like this happened. Now, that might, you know,
might be an exception. They might if the evidence were overwhelming. But I can tell you that back in 2014 when Russia shot down or I should say forces
controlled by Russia that were in Ukraine -- it was a complex situation -- fired a Buk missile and shot down MH-17, a Malaysian Airline killing, I
think it was 298 people, almost 300 people.
So that -- at that point they refused to acknowledge and to this day refused to acknowledge that they did that. So, you know, the prospects are
not great, but we`ll have to see how this develops.
FOSTER: Meanwhile, we`ve got this situation, haven`t we, with the Finnish authorities seizing a tanker carrying Russian oil. Lots of talk about a
shadow Russian fleet. What do people mean when they talk about that?
DOUGHERTY: Well, you know, Russia obviously exports enormous amounts of oil and gas and other energy sources. And after sanctions were introduced,
after Russia invaded -- launched a major invasion of Ukraine, there were sanctions that made it very difficult for Russia to legitimately export a
lot of its oil. So what they turned to is what`s called the shadow fleet. And these are sometimes ships that are not in very good repair. But -- and
they fly, they sail under the radar, so to speak.
[10:30:02]
They`re registered in various countries, so they can`t be traced very easily. And they are transporting Russian oil. So that`s what we mean by
that shadow fleet. And the second part of it, of course, is the severing of the communications cables between, well, it`s happened actually twice, but
up in the Baltic and close to this one was between Finland and Estonia, and if you talk to them, they would say that this appears to be deliberate by
Russia to, you know, cause mischief and sabotage in that part of the world.
FOSTER: But are they suggesting that the commercial shadow fleet is also carrying out military operations or?
DOUGHERTY: There, in this case, it`s not clear. And this case is similar to a previous case where there was a Chinese vessel that pulled its anchor
along the bottom -- I think it was in the Baltic Sea, and it severed some cables. It`s very hard to say, was this on purpose? Was it simply a
mistake? Here, again, we`re going to have an investigation. But I think in this, this is a different type of situation. It could be deliberate.
In the situation of the airplane, in the crashing in Kazakhstan, that at this point seems to be probably a terrible mistake. But, again, these
things have to be investigated. And as time goes on, you know, attention wanes. So is there a lot of questions here, Max, that have to be answered.
FOSTER: As ever with so many of these stories. And thank you so much for giving us your guidance on it.
DOUGHERTY: Sure.
FOSTER: Professor Jill Dougherty, really appreciate it.
Now, one of the largest retailers in the U.S. went dark. A port strike threatened a global trade system, and the richest man in the world went
full MAGA.
CNN`s Vanessa Yurkovich counts down the top business stories of 2024.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Number 10, it`s the end of free loading. Costco cracks down on membership
moochers.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Costco is adding a brand-new layer of checks to make sure that you are using your own membership.
YURKEVICH: Costco cardholders now have to scan membership cards at the door and may be asked to show proof of photo I.D. Membership fees are the bulk
of Costco`s profits bringing in $4.6 billion in 2023.
And Disney cracked down on password sharing.
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Disney CEO Bob Iger is pivoting from a bruising proxy fight to a new challenge. The password sharing
blight. Iger saying Thursday that the Disney Plus streaming service will begin cracking down on pilfered passwords.
YURKEVICH: Disney started limiting how often customers can share their login information outside their households for their streaming services.
The move came after rival Netflix did its own crackdown and saw 100,000 new daily signups for the two days following the announcement.
Number nine, for the first time in nearly 50 years, dock workers on the East and Gulf Coast ports went on strike.
HAROLD DAGGETT, HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL LONGSHOREMEN`S ASSOCIATION: Now you start to realize who the Longshoremen are, right? People never gave an
(EXPLETIVE DELETED) about us until now.
YURKEVICH: The International Longshoremen`s Association was on strike for three days before it reached a deal on wages with the United States
Maritime Alliance, with a new strike deadline set for January 15th. The union and the alliance agreed to 62 percent in wage increases over six
years. And at Boeing --
(Voice-over): Workers were on strike for seven weeks, the first time in 16 years, before they reached a deal. The company lost billions of dollars and
will lay off 17,000 employees. Members of the International Association of Machinists voted down two contracts before they accepted a deal, which
includes more than 43 percent in pay increases for workers over four years.
Number eight, the blue light special now just a dim glow of nostalgia as the last full-sized brick-and-mortar Kmart closed its doors this year in
Bridgehampton, New York.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: This marks the end of an era for Kmart full-sized stores.
YURKEVICH: Kmart had a disastrous merger with Sears, where very little was invested in the brand, while at the same time being beat out by more
successful, bigger box retailers like Walmart and Target. The brand was founded in 1962 and once had more than 2300 stores. Kmart still has its
online store.
(Voice-over): Number seven, President-elect Donald Trump took Truth Social public in March. The stock initially surged 56 percent at the open but has
had a bumpy ride.
[10:35:03]
The stock was halted twice on election day as it soared by 17 percent and then tanked.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT: Hello, everybody.
YURKEVICH: Trump also launched a crypto business, World Liberty Financial, with his family. Trump made the rounds courting crypto voters.
TRUMP: The United States will be the crypto capital of the planet.
YURKEVICH: And he`s surrounded himself with crypto- friendly advisers like Elon Musk and his SEC chair pick, Paul Atkins.
Number six.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, no trouble. Just sandwiches and Campbell`s chicken noodle soup.
YURKEVICH: An iconic favorite losing its soup? No, not quite, but after 155 years, Campbell`s Soup Company is dropping soup from their name to reflect
the brand`s full portfolio. The Campbell`s company also owns snack brands like Goldfish, Cape Cod and Pepperidge Farms. While the soup will always be
iconic, its sales grew by 3 percent last year versus snacks, which grew by 13 percent.
Number five.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: TikTok dealt another loss today in its attempt to keep the app alive in the United States.
YURKEVICH: A U.S. appeals court denied TikTok`s argument that a U.S. ban was unconstitutional. Instead, it upheld a law that says TikTok cannot
operate in the U.S. unless it`s sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, by January 19th, 2025. TikTok has since filed an injunction to
block it.
TikTok has more than 170 million American users, many who have built entire businesses on the platform.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Add at least two of these to your cart.
YURKEVICH: Elected officials are calling for the ban over the belief the Chinese government can use TikTok to spy on Americans and collect user
data.
SHOU ZI CHEW, CEO, TIKTOK: Rest assured we aren`t going anywhere. We are confident, and we will keep fighting for your rights in the courts. The
facts and the Constitution are on our side, and we expect to prevail again.
YURKEVICH: Number four.
CHATTERLEY: The first rate cut in four years. The most talked about cut, I think, ever.
YURKEVICH: The Federal Reserve made its first rate cut in September by a surprising half a point, the first since before the pandemic. The cut
signaled a sense of urgency to provide Americans with relief from elevated borrowing costs.
JEROME POWELL, CHAIR, THE FEDERAL RESERVE: The U.S. economy is in good shape. It`s growing at a solid pace. Inflation is coming down. The labor
market is in a strong pace. We want to keep it there. That`s what we`re doing.
YURKEVICH: Inflation cooled to 2.4 percent that same month after 11 rate hikes in 2022 and 2023. And the Fed is closer to the ever-elusive soft
landing and circling its 2 percent target.
(Voice-over): Number three.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Red Lobster`s endless shrimp is kind of a big deal.
YURKEVICH: A big deal that got a little too big. Too much shrimp is not always a good thing. Red Lobster`s annual $20 endless shrimp was successful
for 20 years until they made it an everyday thing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They shouldn`t have done the all-you-can-eat shrimp. You don`t know how many people are pigs, and they`ll just keep eating.
YURKEVICH: The company accounted for a 20 percent increase in customer traffic, but it ended up being 40 percent. It cost the company $11 million,
and they filed for bankruptcy.
Number two.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the real estate world will never be the same after today`s seismic court settlement.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: That 6 percent commission real estate agents get for buying or selling a home is now no more.
YURKEVICH: In a landmark case, the National Association of Realtors eliminated the rules on commissions and paid $418 million to plaintiffs who
argued the fees inflated prices of homes.
KEILAR: And analysts expect it to benefit home buyers.
YURKEVICH: Sellers were saddled with hefty fees and often baked them into the sales price of homes. The historic change could make home prices more
affordable. The average home price is $407,200, near record highs.
Number one, the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, will soon be a government employee. The X, Tesla and SpaceX owner went full MAGA.
ELON MUSK, TESLA CEO: We had one president who couldn`t climb a flight of stairs and another who was fist pumping after getting shot.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): The multi-billionaire lost a few billion on X, which lost an estimated 80 percent of value since Musk bought it two years
ago. But he gained a few billion on Tesla, which has soared since Trump`s reelection.
MUSK: We want to have a fun, exciting future.
YURKEVICH: Trump appointed Musk the co-head of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
TRUMP: We have a new star. A star is born, Elon.
YURKEVICH: And he`s been advising the president-elect on key cabinet hires. Musk is now more than $100 billion richer than the second richest person in
the world, Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:42:10]
FOSTER: When you think of Hong Kong, towering buildings and bustling streets may come to mind but its surrounding seas are teeming with life.
Today, on "Call to Earth," we dive into the South China Sea with a group of students who are collaborating with a local organization to bolster its
efforts to protect our oceans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID O`DWYER, CHAIRMAN, LIVING SEAS HONGKONG: This is a particular dive site that we think is fantastic from the biodiversity perspective, but it
is currently outside the radar of other groups in terms of identifying sites that need to be protected.
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It`s Saturday in the water surrounding Hong Kong`s Basalt Island, where a group of students from
the Li Po Chun United World College are being prepped for a full day of underwater research.
SEBASTIAN PILACUAN, STUDENT, LI PO CHUN UNITED WORLD COLLEGE: Today, we`re doing some citizen science, so we`re collecting biodiversity data of marine
ecosystems.
O`DWYER: As you`re diving along with your buddy teams, you`re going to be making a note of what you see as best as you can.
JONES: Local nonprofit Living Seas Hong Kong set up the excursion for the school`s coral monitoring group, a decades` old program that teacher Craig
Hamilton says has evolved in recent years.
CRAIG HAMILTON, TEACHER, LI PO CHUN UNITED WORLD COLLEGE: It`s developed a lot further into more coastal sustainability practices, such as oyster
restoration and mangrove restoration, as well.
JONES: Today, the focus is on marine life identification in support of a Living Seas Hong Kong project that aims to create more marine protected
areas.
O`DWYER: We started the Living Seas marine life surveys during COVID 2021. We thought that there wasn`t enough data coming out highlighting the marine
biodiversity hotspots in Hong Kong waters.
JONES: Only around 5 percent of Hong Kong`s seas are currently designated as marine protected areas, a number David O`Dwyer would like to see
increased rapidly.
O`DWYER: Hong Kong is a signatory on the convention on biodiversity, which has set a target of 30 percent of seas by 2030. So there actually still
needs to be more. And marine protected areas are important because the seas here are a fantastic resource, but it`s under threat and it`s been under a
lot of stress for many years. Too much fishing has been going on, too much damaging things happening in the environment.
JONES: With the support of Living Seas personnel, once underwater the students do the best they can to identify various marine life.
CICI CHEUNG, STUDENT, LI PO CHUN UNITED WORLD COLLEGE: I think data collection is definitely a vigorous source, and for us, if we want to like
increase protection, we need to show proof that it is necessary here.
JONES: When they return from a dive, each team discusses what they saw, reviews any notes made on their underwater slates, and record it all on
identification sheets.
O`DWYER: So we`ll see if you recognize it. If you don`t, we can have a look at the photos.
[10:45:00]
JONES: A recent typhoon has made today`s survey particularly challenging compared to the last time they were here.
SOFIA MORA, STUDENT, LI PO CHUN UNITED WORLD COLLEGE: Today the visibility wasn`t that great, so we couldn`t like catch everything. This time we
didn`t find as much, but we found really cool things.
JONES: The second dive site near Sharp Island offered slightly clearer waters, but for Living Seas, any and all data collected is critical
regardless of the circumstances.
O`DWYER: It is important to do surveys at different times of year under different conditions. You`ve got to choose different seasons. You don`t
necessarily, you know, just choose the good times.
JONES: When the students return to the classroom, they`ll begin the process of cross-referencing their findings.
O`DWYER: I`m sure we will see some additional species when we look at the photos.
JONES: A thorough review of the pictures they`ve captured helps confirm the identities of the various marine life.
NATHAN CHEUNG, STUDENT, LI PO CHUN UNITED WORLD COLLEGE: So right now we have spotted that this is indeed a large hermit crab. And we just renamed
this picture so it`s easier for us to identify in the future.
JONES: Once validated, the information they`ve gathered will be added to the Living Seas database, which will ultimately be used in future efforts
to establish new marine protected areas.
O`DWYER: Our goal is that we are creating the leaders of the future, and we want them to have a passion for protecting the environment as well.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Now for more on that and other stories, you can go to CNN.com/CalltoEarth. We`ll be right back with some more news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: The Bey-hive showed up in big numbers for their queen`s NFL half time show on Netflix. The streaming network reported its biggest ratings
ever for an NFL stream during Wednesday`s Baltimore Ravens` Houston, Texas, game. Netflix says the numbers peaked with Beyonce`s halftime performance.
More than 27 million viewers tuned in to see what fans dubbed the "Beyonce Bowl."
And whilst the ratings were strong for Netflix`s Christmas Day debut for the NFL, viewership was down actually from last year when the games were
broadcast on cable television.
Now 2024 was full of viral moments. We followed from our phones, from the failed assassination attempt against Donald Trump to the devastating
Baltimore Bridge collapse.
CNN`s Boris Sanchez takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Buster. Come here. Come here. Come here, you little (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Coming in at number 10 on the list of the viral videos on CNN that everyone was talking about in
2024. A lovable but very disobedient dog.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you ready to come in?
SANCHEZ: Over and over again his owner tries to get him to leave the pool.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Be a good boy for once in your life.
SANCHEZ: But this Florida dog just won`t listen. It`s only when dad uses his "I mean business" voice that Buster does listen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let`s go. Come on. No, sir. Buster, get over here now.
SANCHEZ: Number nine.
CATHERINE MIDDLETON, PRINCESS OF WALES: It has been an incredibly tough couple of months.
SANCHEZ: A stunning announcement from Catherine, the Princess of Wales.
MIDDLETON: In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present.
[10:50:05]
SANCHEZ: In September, Kate released a video saying she had completed her chemotherapy treatment. Her startling cancer diagnosis announcement came
weeks after we learned King Charles was also battling an unspecified cancer, following a procedure for an enlarged prostate in January.
At number eight, dramatic footage of a passenger plane in Brazil falling from the sky in August. The shocking video showing the twin engine
turboprop plane spiraling out of the sky into the city of Veneto before hitting the ground, killing all 62 people on board. No one on the ground
was hurt.
Number seven.
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: It has really picked up.
SANCHEZ: Hurricane Milton making landfall on Florida`s West Coast.
WEIR: Look at that huge tree limb just blowing through the intersection.
SANCHEZ: It was a dangerous category three storm.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This fence came down earlier right here behind me here. And now it seems to be breaking apart.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The wind and the storm surge associated with this hurricane that is right now pushing its way inland.
SANCHEZ: Milton dropped about 18 inches of rain on Saint Petersburg, representing a more than 1 in 1,000-year rainfall for that area.
Number six. In September, explosive attacks in Lebanon targeting pagers used by Hezbollah members. The blasts killed 12 and injured more than 2300.
CNN learned Israel was behind the attack, which was a joint operation between Israel`s intelligence service the Mossad and the Israeli military.
The Lebanese government condemned the attack as criminal Israeli aggression.
Number five, police in Illinois releasing body camera footage of the deadly police shooting of Sonya Massey in July. The 36-year-old black woman had
called 911 for help to report a possible prowler at her home in Springfield.
SONYA MASSEY, POLICE SHOOTING VICTIM: I heard somebody outside.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We didn`t see nobody so --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Nobody`s out here.
SANCHEZ: The body camera footage shows the deputy continuing to interact with Massey, but things take a turn when she goes back to check on a pot on
the stove.
SONYA MASSEY, HOMEOWNER: Where you going?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Away from your hot steaming water.
MASSEY: Away from my hot steaming water?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MASSEY: I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ll shoot --
MASSEY: I rebuke you in the name of --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You better (EXPLETIVE DELETED) not. I`ll (EXPLETIVE DELETED) shoot you at your (EXPLETIVE DELETED) face.
MASSEY: OK. I`m sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Drop the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) pot. Drop the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) pot.
SANCHEZ: Three shots were fired killing Massey. No intruder was found. The deputy was fired from his job and charged with first-degree murder. He`s
pleaded not guilty.
At number four on the list, the presidential historian who`s correctly predicted nine of the last 10 presidential races makes his pick for the
2024 winner, Vice President Kamala Harris.
LAURA COATES, CNN HOST: Have you ever changed your prediction?
ALLAN LICHTMAN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: I have never changed my prediction once I`ve made a final call.
SANCHEZ: Unfortunately for Allan Lichtman, this year`s pick did not pan out for him.
Number three on the list. Baltimore`s Key Bridge collapse. Video shows the moment a cargo ship crashed into the bridge in March. Six members of a road
crew who were working on the bridge at the time were killed. A preliminary report by the NTSB found the ship had a pair of catastrophic electrical
failures minutes before the crash and experienced two blackouts a day before. The preliminary report does not conclude a probable cause.
TRUMP: If you want to really see something that said, take a look at what happened.
SANCHEZ: At number two, the failed assassination attempt of Donald Trump. In July, Trump was speaking at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when
shots rang out. Trump grabbed his ear, dropped to the ground and was quickly surrounded by Secret Service agents.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got you, sir.
TRUMP: Let me get my shoes on.
SANCHEZ: Trump was seen with blood on his ear and cheek as he was rushed off the stage. The shooting left one person dead and two others critically
injured. Another video from that day shows the moment people attending the rally spotted the shooter on top of a nearby building.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, someone`s on top of the roof. Look, there he is right there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right there. You see him? He`s laying down. You see him?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, he`s laying down.
SANCHEZ: Moments after the 20-year-old gunman opened fire, he was killed by a Secret Service sniper.
And the number one viral video of 2024, disturbing hotel surveillance video of Sean "Diddy" Combs. In May, CNN published exclusively obtained video
from 2016. In it, you see the hip-hop mogul physically assaulting his then- girlfriend Cassie Ventura in the hallway of a hotel. Combs previously denied Ventura`s allegations of assault, which were the basis of a now
settled federal lawsuit filed by Ventura in 2023.
[10:55:00]
Soon after the video was published, Combs apologized for his behavior in a video statement posted to Instagram. Now in federal custody, Combs was
arrested in September after a sprawling federal investigation. He`s awaiting trial on numerous charges including sex trafficking and
racketeering conspiracy. He`s pleaded not guilty. Combs is also facing dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of a range of sexual misconduct and
other illegal activity. Attorneys for Combs deny the claims.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Well, that is it for CONNECT THE WORLD. I`m Max Foster in London. Do stay with CNN. NEWSROOM is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
