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Trump and Some Close Allies Attending Today's Army-Navy Game; Lawmakers Demand Answers, Action on Unexplained Drones In New Jersey; Judge Orders Trump To Sit For Deposition; Celebrity Real Estate Agents Charged With Sex Crimes; Outrage Growing Against U.S. Healthcare System; American Couple Killed By Gunmen While Visiting Mexico; The Fight Against Measles Vaccine Skepticism; Salvation Army Steps Up To Fight Growing Food Insecurity; First Lady Jill Biden Marks Last Holiday In The White House With HGTV Appearance. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired December 14, 2024 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:00]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So it's 31 degrees right now in Davenport, 31 also in Dubuque. And again that's where you have those icy conditions. It's 45 with rain in St. Louis.

We could continue to have some additional icing in that part of the area though the next couple of hours, but then it really shifts to the east as we go into tomorrow because this storm will continue to progress eastward. So by tonight, things are ending in Iowa, and you can see you start finding some of those icier conditions headed into places like Detroit, rain from Indianapolis down to Louisville and Nashville.

Then we start to get some of that colder air in parts of Pennsylvania with some of the snow and the ice. And that's where you've got some problems along the Appalachian Mountains tomorrow.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, that looks like brutal winter weather. All right, Elisa, thank you so much.

All right. Hello, again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

All right. We begin this hour with America's game about to kick off. Just moments ago, President-elect Donald Trump there arriving at the stadium in Landover, Maryland, for the 125th Army-Navy football game, which is set to get underway at any moment now. This is the fifth time Trump has attended the clash between the nation's service academies. It's also the first time in over a decade this high-profile rivalry game is being played right there in the shadow of our nation's capital.

CNN's Steve Contorno joining us now from West Palm Beach, near Trump's Florida home.

Steve. Trump also has several friends joining him there in the booth.

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And the footage that we have seen so far from that booth, Senator John Thune, the incoming majority leader, is there. Speaker Mike Johnson also expected to be in attendance. His vice president-elect, J.D. Vance, there as well. We also are expecting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, an interesting person to join Donald Trump because there's been a lot of intrigue as to whether DeSantis could potentially be a replacement as Defense secretary if Trump's nominee Pete Hegseth ultimately falters.

That was some of the chatter last week. It's died down a little bit since Hegseth has had some more positive meetings on the hill, but DeSantis being there with him at this game is certainly noteworthy. Also because the two have just such an interesting past given how Donald Trump and him competed for the Republican primary last fall and through the winter. So interesting to see him there as well.

And we also are expecting Daniel Penny to be there as a guest of J.D. Vance. He is the ex-Marine who was acquitted this week on charges related to choking and fatally choking a homeless person on a Manhattan subway. And he is someone who has become sort of a figure that is being championed by conservatives. And his appearance here today is certainly an extension of that -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And then, Steve, Trump has made a few announcements about some of his choices for his administration, and he did so on Truth Social. What more can you tell us?

CONTORNO: Yes, in the air and on the way to Maryland, we saw a couple of key roles being filled in the Trump administration. For example, Troy Edgar, an IBM executive, will be named the deputy secretary of Homeland Security. He is someone who previously served in the Trump administration in that department. So he has experience there. He's also someone who contributed to Project 2025, the playbook for a Trump second term that he attempted to distance himself from throughout the presidential race, but continues to pull names from to build out his cabinet and his administration.

Tom Homan, another individual who contributed to that as well, will be Donald Trump's border czar. And then Devin Nunes, he will be serving on the Intelligence Advisory Board. He obviously has some relevant experience as the former chair of the House Intelligence Committee. However, just another individual with some conflicts of interest getting a position in Donald Trump's circle within the White House because he is also the CEO of Truth Social, that is Trump's social media site that he launched after leaving the White House.

So very interesting to see him now get a job potentially helping Donald Trump shape policy going forward -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Steve Contorno, thanks so much.

All right. We're also following this breaking news. New York Governor Kathy Hochul issuing a new alert today after an airport shut down temporarily because of a drone sighting. Sightings have been increasing for weeks across the northeastern U.S., prompting many lawmakers to demand answers from the White House. Witnesses claim they have seen drones as large as the size of cars hovering around residential neighborhoods, restricted sites and critical infrastructure. But the Biden administration did comment, saying the drones don't appear to pose any national threats.

[15:05:10]

CNN's Gloria Pazmino is following the latest developments from New York.

Gloria, what more are you learning?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, those comments from federal officials are doing very little so far to sort of calm down the concerns of some people here in the northeast, in New York, in New Jersey, in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, just some of the places where these sightings have been reported, including, as you mentioned, in a local airfield here in New York and Orange County.

Stewart Field, that is a small airport that is also right next to an air base for the Air National Guard. So that was causing some concern last night. It led to the shutdown of the airspace over the airport, and it has the governor of New York today reacting to that, saying that it has all gone too far. She is calling on the federal government to step in. And she's also specifically asking for the passage of the counter-UAS authority, security, safety and reauthorization act. And that is a piece of legislation that would, in part, enable local governments to have a little more power and do more about these sightings.

That's where a lot of the frustration is concentrated right now from local officials who say that the federal government is not doing enough to respond, but also to inform the public about what exactly is going on here. New Jersey is another area where many of these reported sightings have taken place, and we heard from a local state assemblyman just describing some of the movements that he himself witnessed in the last few days. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIK PETERSON, NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLYMAN, DISTRICT 23: We don't have street lights. We don't have anything. It gets dark at night. You can see very clearly were not in any flight path for any airlines or other craft. And you can look up in the sky and see these drones and the way that they're moving, they move forward, they stop, they hover, they move sideways, they stop, they hover, they move backwards.

So they're just lying to us that there aren't -- we're not seeing what we're seeing. And more importantly, they're lying to us that it's not a safety threat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: So a pretty serious accusation from the assemblyman there accusing the federal government of lying to the public about what's really going on here. I should say we have heard from the Department of Homeland Security, as well as the FBI. They have told us that they have looked into many of these reports and part of what they said specifically about the sightings in New Jersey is that upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft operating lawfully, and that there are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted airspace.

But still, a lot of local residents and communities reporting these sightings. The spread of it on social media is also creating some of -- a lot of these concerns and questions. So the federal government likely will have to perhaps say more over the next coming days as pressure from local officials continues to build -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much.

All right. And this just in, a judge is ordering President-elect Donald Trump to sit for a deposition next week in his defamation case against ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos.

CNN's Katelyn Polantz is now joining us on the phone.

Katelyn, what can you tell us?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (via phone): This is a pretty fast-moving lawsuit, and it is notable now that Donald Trump is going to have to sit for a deposition for it. It's a case he brought. What happened was that after the lawsuit went to a jury and there was a verdict between him and E. Jean Carroll, the columnist, she had sued him, the jury had found him not liable for raping her under the technical legal definition in New York of rape. But the jury had found him liable for sexually abusing her.

And so then, fast forward a couple of months, that's when anchor George Stephanopoulos at ABC News was referring to this jury verdict related to E. Jean Carroll and Donald Trump. Stephanopoulos was interviewing Representative Nancy Mace and said 10 times in that interview on ABC News that the jury found Trump liable for rape, which was not the case, and so that created this defamation case that Donald Trump brought against ABC and Stephanopoulos about eight days later.

And in court now, a judge is saying if this lawsuit still exists, if it's moving forward, it's time for everybody to get under oath and share what they know with the other sides attorneys. That's how lawsuits progress as you go through evidence collection. So that's what's happening now. There are several lawsuits out there currently where Donald Trump is either suing people, media companies, a book publisher, or being sued himself that could result in depositions.

[15:10:10]

So this is one to keep an eye on just because he's the president elect and this deposition is supposed to happen in person next week in the Southern District of Florida, where he is, and he very will likely be taped as well, videotaped, when this happens.

WHITFIELD: Yes, but given, Kately, he's the one who brought it, he could suddenly find that this is not convenient for him and he could be the one to drop it, right?

POLANTZ: Absolutely, Fred. And there is always the possibility that there could be a settlement or some sort of mediation to avoid that sort of thing, but keep an eye on lawsuits like this, because Trump is so litigious, even if he brings it, he may want to go through the deposition phase. But when you talk to lawyers, when you sit down and are under oath, it opens you up to legal risk.

You can't lie in a deposition. And if you're on videotape, that's the sort of thing that could be released later in court. So it always is a risk for someone to do this. And also another reminder that the world doesn't stop even with lawsuits for the presidency. He's the president elect but this is going forward, this federal judge is saying.

WHITFIELD: OK. Katelyn Polantz, thank you so much for that update.

All right. Still ahead this hour, new details about a sex trafficking ring allegedly run by three brothers who are also prominent real estate agents. Prosecutors say they lured and sexually assaulted dozens of women for more than a decade. Plus, a Sacramento couple has been killed while visiting family in Mexico. What we're learning about who might be responsible.

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[15:16:30]

WHITFIELD: Three brothers belonging to a high-profile celebrity real estate family are in jail right now facing a long list of sex crime charges. The Alexander brothers, Tal and twins Oren and Alon, are accused of drugging, assaulting and raping dozens of women over more than a decade. They face charges in New York and Miami. The attorney for Oren Alexander denied any wrongdoing in a statement, saying, Oren Alexander is innocent. The evidence will show that neither he nor his brothers ever committed a crime.

I'm joined now by victims' rights attorney Gloria Allred.

Gloria, always a pleasure to talk to you. This is a fascinating, complicated and confusing situation here. It is alleged to be a very elaborate scheme using dating apps, luring ladies they found attractive with travel plans to New York and luxury properties. I mean, this speaks to a kind of entrapment and trafficking. But is the evidence there to support that?

GLORIA ALLRED, VICTIMS' RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Well, that's what we'll have to find out, Fredricka. And you're right, this is about luring women, enticing women, using their position, their status, very, very wealthy men, and recruiting them to travel with them or to them, and often sometimes, it is alleged in this superseding indictment, that they also used party planners and the lure of certain benefits if they came to their parties and to their events.

There it is also alleged that they were drugged, the women, and then raped sometimes by one of the brothers, sometimes by both of the brothers, sometimes with a third person assaulting the women after they were under the influence. That it is also alleged that they provided cocaine to the women, or mushrooms or GHB, which we all know is a date rape drug, which is often placed in the drink of a woman surreptitiously without their knowledge. And so therefore, if a woman is under the influence of a drug or

alcohol or both, they are unable to consent to sex with the person who is assaulting them. In other words, they're unconscious. They can't say -- if they say yes, it doesn't count. And most of them, I'm sure, tried to say no, but under the influence of some of the drugs, Fredricka, they can't move. They can't move parts of their body. They can't say anything.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. So how do we believe this case, you know, came about? Is it the alleged victims filed complaints? Are there others who allegedly worked with them in this scheme and, you know, blew the whistle, so to speak? How do we know how this really came together?

ALLRED: Well, it may be all the above that you just wisely mentioned, Fredricka. We know that there was a formal lawsuit that was filed many, many years ago. And of course, that lawsuit would be public knowledge. But in addition, some of the alleged victims may have contacted the FBI and may have contacted the United States attorney or state attorneys, for example, in Florida, or law enforcement there because some of them are also charged with state charges in Florida, also, federal charges in the Southern District of New York.

[15:20:09]

But we don't know. We do know that investigation was done, and that is great. They're facing very serious charges of sex trafficking by conspiracy and sex trafficking by force or fraud or coercion. And there may be many more alleged victims than are indicated in the superseding indictment. So therefore, the FBI is asking people to contact them. There are some alleged victims also contacting me, and I'm sure other attorneys as well. And so this is a very big case, a serious case.

WHITFIELD: I mean, it sounds really big and serious. And so there are also allegations that there may have been out-of-country trips, according to WhatsApp chat, "Lions in Tulum," might there -- then if that's the case, might there also be some out-of-country related charges that these men could face?

ALLRED: Well, we'll have to wait and see what the prosecutors believe that they can prove beyond a reasonable doubt. And that, of course, is the highest burden of proof in the law. That is what exists for any criminal case. And that is their burden to prove. And so, you know, but this is really serious because it could carry a life sentence in prison, depending on the conviction, and mandatory, another possibility is mandatory but after 15 years, possibly able to get probation.

But all I can say is this is unusual case because it involves two twin brothers and a third who is not a twin. It involves very wealthy people. So there's a message out there. The message is accountability for people who are alleged to be sexual predators. That's what this is all about.

WHITFIELD: Extraordinary. All right, Gloria Allred, glad you could be with us. Thank you so much. ALLRED: Thank you, Fredricka. Bye-bye.

WHITFIELD: All right. Coming up, suspected CEO killer Luigi Mangione is taking new steps to fight the second-degree murder charges against him. New details on the high-profile attorney that he has hired for his defense.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has retained a high powered attorney. Luigi Mangione, who is now facing a second-degree murder charge, will be represented by Karen Friedman Agnifilo. She is a former prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and also served as a CNN legal analyst, but has declined to comment on taking this case.

Mangione remains in custody in Pennsylvania on gun related charges as he fights extradition to New York. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said there are indications Mangione may waive his extradition next week.

This case has sparked a national conversation about the U.S. healthcare system, with a growing number of people defending Mangione and the alleged killing of CEO Brian Thompson.

Here now is CNN's Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Along a Seattle area highway, a digital sign says one less CEO, then many more to go. In New York City, posters were put up praising the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, with a red X across his picture. Other posters singled out another executive. In Florida, police say a woman who was on the phone talking with Blue Cross Blue Shield about recently denied medical claims, said to the representative, quote, "Delay, deny, depose. You people are next."

Those words were written on the shell casings found at the scene of Brian Thompson's murder. The woman has been charged with threats to conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism.

TAMI LUHBY, CNN SENIOR WRITER, HEALTH POLICY: What we're seeing has been unleashed on social media and elsewhere is just all of this pent- up anger and frustration. I mean, we're talking about people's health. This is a life and death situation.

TODD: The head of the healthcare conglomerate Brian Thompson worked for, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty, tried to address some of the growing frustration with an essay in "The New York Times." He praised Thompson as a brilliant, kind man who was working to make healthcare better for everyone, and wrote, "We know the health system does not work as well as it should, and we understand people's frustrations with it. Our mission is to help make it work better."

Witty said his company is willing to partner with anyone to deliver better care at lower costs, but acknowledged, quote, "clearly we are not there yet." Witty did little to appease thousands of people who replied to his op-ed with comments. One person writing, to think that the healthcare providers do not also seek to maximize their profits is simply naive." Another saying, "I don't know how he sleeps at night on his bed of blood and suffering."

KEVIN O'LEARY, SHARK TANK INVESTOR: At this point, social media is now the jury. And it doesn't like what it sees. So, if you're an executive, you know, in interim management, UnitedHealth Corp, or any other health company, you got to read the room.

TODD: UnitedHealth Group is a for-profit company that reported over $100 billion in revenue in the third quarter of this year, and is the largest provider of health insurance in the United States. It has been facing a class action lawsuit since before the Thompson shooting, accusing one of its subsidiaries of using algorithms to deny care to seniors. United says that assertion is false. But the horror stories seemingly never end.

Arete Tsoukalas tells CNN she needed a specific drug to treat the leukemia she was diagnosed with. She said her insurer, one of the nation's largest, refused to pay for the drug entirely at first, then said it would pay part of it, but she'd have to pay a $13,000 a month co-pay.

[15:30:01]

Tsoukalas says she went without the drug for three months, then got it with financial help from the drug manufacturer.

ARETE TSOUKALAS, LEUKEMIA PATIENT: No one should have to fight cancer and insurance at the same time. Some aspects of the cancer treatment felt a lot easier to deal with than insurance.

TODD (on-camera): CNN's Tami Luhby says she spoke to several health policy experts who told her the most effective way to bring about real change in the industry is if the current consumer outrage is sustained. She says they told her if that dies down, the insurers will have less incentive to make changes.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Still ahead, the U.S. says it's in direct contact with the rebel group that has taken over much of Syria. The new warning from the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken as the U.S. pushes to stabilize Syria's future.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:35:27]

WHITFIELD: New today, the U.S. has been in direct contact with the lead rebel group now in control of Syria. That's according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who just wrapped up a whirlwind trip to the region. The group known as HTS is designated a terror group by the U.S., but there is no legal barrier to direct contact with them. Blinken also warned today that stockpiles of chemical weapons in Syria need to be secured and destroyed.

Thousands of people poured into the country's streets on the first day of Friday prayer since the Assad regime was deposed a week ago.

Also new today, an American couple shot and killed while traveling in Mexico. The California couple was visiting family in the area when gunmen opened fire on their car. Their three children were not with them at the time in the car.

CNN's Camila Bernal is following developments.

Camila, what more do we know?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred. So this is a California couple that had gone to Michoacan to the area of Angamacutiro on November 30th, and they were going there to visit family. Unfortunately, on Wednesday they were gunned down. Their names are Rafael and Gloria Cardona. Officials there saying that Gloria Cardona died at the scene while Rafael Cardona was taken to the hospital and shortly died there.

And officials saying, like you mentioned, that their children were not with them. They have two minor children. They are now with extended family. And according to a U.S. official, the State Department is in touch with their eldest adult daughter. And so they're trying to piece together what exactly happened here. But his brother spoke to authorities detailing this.

The fact that their brother-in-law is actually a government official in that area and that the couple they were actually driving his van and unfortunately that government official, the brother-in-law, was actually taking a spot that was left by his predecessor because he was kidnaped and killed in this area. So local authorities not confirming the motive. But of course, we know a dangerous situation and a dangerous area for this couple -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Oh, and yes, tell us more about why this region is so dangerous, this particular area.

BERNAL: Yes. So this particular area in Michoacan we know has a number of gangs and cartels. Cartels got to that area in the '80s. And this is actually an area also known for farming and farming avocados. And according to a report from "Inside Crime," we know that a lot of drug traffickers actually force the local farmers to grow marijuana and other drugs. So, again, this is an area with a lot of violence and drug violence in particular.

Michoacan actually has about double the homicide rate of Mexico. And Mexico is already one of the highest in terms of that homicide rate globally. So, again, just staggering numbers when you look at homicide rates there and the number of people missing in Mexico, actually more than 100,000 people are missing. Nobody knows whatever happened to them or where they are. In this case, of course, we know who it was and what happened. The question here is why? And the family asking that of authorities as they hold a mass in their honor today in Mexico -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Terribly sad. All right. Camila Bernal, thank you so much.

BERNAL: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Still ahead, U.S. Senate minority leader and polio survivor Mitch McConnell putting RFK Jr. on notice. His stern warning to anyone even appearing to undermine confidence in polio vaccines.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:43:47]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. U.S. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell appears to be weighing in on the debate about President-elect Trump's pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services. McConnell, without mentioning any names, said he was against any association with efforts to rescind approval of the polio vaccine. McConnell is a polio survivor, and all of this comes as "The New York Times" reports that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. petitioned the FDA to rescind approval for the vaccine.

In a statement, McConnell said, "Anyone seeking the Senate's consent to serve in the incoming administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts, end quote."

It's that vaccine skepticism that has many doctors on the frontlines worried. Minneapolis is now dealing with its worst measles outbreak in years. A disease that had mostly been eliminated for decades in the U.S.

CNN's Whitney Wild talked to parents and doctors about what's happening.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. STACENE MAROUSHEK, HENNEPIN HEALTHCARE PEDIATRIC CLINIC: Hi, I'm Stacy.

WHITNEY WILD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nice to meet you. I'm Whitney.

MAROUSHEK: Hi.

WILD: Thank you so much. So tell us what's going on today.

MAROUSHEK: So this is not one of my patients. It's one of my colleague's patients. But they just refused their measles vaccine.

[15:45:04]

WILD (voice-over): Encouraging parents to stay up to date on vaccinations for their kids is routine for Dr. Stacene Maroushek at the Hennepin County Healthcare's pediatric clinic in Minneapolis.

MAROUSHEK: We'll see you back in a year. All right. Take care, you guys.

People forget how diseases used to kill kids. We essentially had white measles out in the United States. But then because of the vaccine rates plummeting over the last several years, now once those people come back into a community that has a low vaccine rate, it just goes like crazy and poof, there's your outbreak.

WILD: Minnesota is now over its worst outbreak in seven years, health officials say, which infected 70 and sent many to the hospital.

Do you know immediately that's the measles?

JENN DRYER, EMERGENCY ROOM NURSE, HENNEPIN COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER: There's a pretty significant rash that partners with it. So it'll be fever, rash, runny nose, kind of red eyes. Typically, children are more at risk. It's that significant respiratory infection.

WILD: Have you seen pretty severe cases?

DRYER: Yes.

WILD (voice-over): With the bulk of Minnesota's infections in Hennepin County, emergency room nurses and doctors find themselves on the outbreak frontline again.

What does it feel like when you're like, oh, my god, these numbers are ticking up, this could be really bad? What does it feel like for you?

DRYER: You certainly get very anxious. You worry about the supplies that you have on hand. You worry about the staff. Will you have the resources? Is this the outbreak that's going to break you?

WILD (voice-over): Nationally, the CDC says there have been 16 outbreaks in 2024. There were just four in 2023 and more than half of the children under 5 who got sick had to be hospitalized. And the numbers for kindergartners starting school fully vaccinated are dropping nationwide.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One more. Last one. Last one. Last one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She got five shots, including the polio, including the flu, including the pox.

WILD: Her father skipped the MMR vaccine not because of her pain, but because of his fear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've heard a lot of news going around that if someone takes the MMR, get autistic.

WILD: Where did you hear that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I watched it from the YouTube.

WILD: From YouTube?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Also I heard from the parents who have already have autistic child.

WILD: Is this something you're seeing every day?

MAROUSHEK: Every day, multiple times a day. All perceived fear of autism. Some people, you can talk them into a vaccine. Some people, they're just like, no.

WILD (voice-over): There is no link between autism and the MMR vaccine or any other vaccine. And yet families believe the possibility exists and take the risk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My first son, he suffered from measles.

WILD: Oh, you had a son with the measles?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. He was in the hospital, in intensive unit.

WILD (voice-over): The skepticism could further be fueled by incoming President Trump's choice to name a known anti-vaxx crusader to the head of the nation's sprawling Department of Health and Human Services.

What is the biggest risk of vaccine disinformation? I mean, are you worried more people are going to die?

DRYER: Absolutely.

WILD (voice-over): Whitney Wild, CNN, Minneapolis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. And 'tis the season of giving, and it's already in full swing. Coming up, the Salvation Army's major goal for giving this holiday season as they ring the bells for their National Red Kettle Campaign.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:52:53]

WHITFIELD: It just doesn't feel like Christmas without the Salvation Army's iconic red kettles and bell ringers.

And for the fifth year, the Salvation Army's national commander, Commissioner Kenneth Hodder, is issuing a challenge to fellow bell ringers across the country to raise more money than him during his bell ringing shift today. And Commissioner Hodder is with me right now, taking a break from your shift.

So far how's it going on your bell ringing efforts?

COMMISSIONER KENNETH HODDER, NATIONAL COMMANDER, THE SALVATION ARMY: It's going very well. It's going very well, Fredricka. People are being very generous and very kind. WHITFIELD: Oh, that's so good to hear because, you know, for a moment,

you know, people were kind of refraining from their donations in a big way. Are you seeing a resurgence?

HODDER: We are indeed. The Christmas kettle is a place of enormous joy. People know that they're giving for their neighbors. They know that they're giving to an organization that they can trust. So as a result, there are lots of smiles. There's lots of singing, even occasionally some dancing. So it's a lot of fun. And we're seeing a great response.

WHITFIELD: Oh, that's fun. So, you know, there are a lot of Americans who are facing, you know, food insecurity. You know, as we head into the holidays, how many people are you hoping are going to benefit from this season's bell ringing efforts and collections?

HODDER: We anticipate that in the coming year, the Salvation Army will continue to serve approximately 27 million Americans. And that means food, shelter, drug and alcohol treatment, senior programs, youth programs, the full range of human need. The Salvation Army serves in every zip code, and without the Christmas kettle, we would be unable to serve the needs of a lot of people. So we're hopeful that people will respond.

WHITFIELD: And so are you finding that, you know, your bell ringers are finding or are discovering that people are particularly charitable this year? Or is it that a lot of bell ringers are getting especially creative about how to encourage people to, you know, drop some money in the kettle?

[15:55:03]

HODDER: Well, we're always looking for increased creativity. In fact, the volunteers that we have are amongst our most creative bell ringers. They will bring their family pet and put a bow on the dog, or bring their children to sing songs, and it really creates a wonderfully joyful and festive atmosphere. So that really is what makes the difference.

WHITFIELD: Oh, that's very fun and very encouraging. At the same time, are you finding that, you know, a lot of folks are collectively, you know, feeling like, you know, times are tough and it's hard to make some of these big decisions. And maybe it's kind of hard to be charitable, even though they really want to be?

HODDER: Without a doubt we are seeing an increase in need. We have always said that the COVID pandemic has a long economic tail. Many people who suffered during COVID will continue to suffer for years following. We have 1 in 3 adults saying that they are finding it difficult to make ends meet. We've had a double-digit percentage increase in the number of homeless in our country.

We've had more natural disasters this past year that exceeded $1 billion each in damage than we have before. So as a result, there is an increased need. And on top of that, we have a shorter holiday season. There are five fewer shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so as a result, we're hopeful that people will be extra generous, find a kettle and help us meet the needs of their neighbors.

WHITFIELD: All right. Always important to seek out those kettles. So you've set a national goal, right, to raise some $2 million. You think you're going to be able to make that goal or maybe even exceed it?

HODDER: Our goal this year is $2 million in four hours. We hope over the course of the season, as a whole, to raise about $104 million. And as of the time that I left the kettle a few minutes ago, I thought we were doing rather well. Indeed, one anonymous gentleman in one location around the country came up and presented the Salvation Army anonymously with a substantial gold nugget. He said that the second greatest moment of his life was finding it in Australia, and that the greatest moment of his life was giving it to the Salvation Army. So that was very encouraging.

WHITFIELD: That was very encouraging. That's lovely. I love to hear these beautiful stories of how charitable people are this year and every year.

Commissioner Kenneth Hodder, we don't want to hold you because you've got a lot more money to help raise for the Salvation Army on your bell ringing shift. Thank you so much for taking a couple of minutes with us.

HODDER: Thank you, Fredricka. And merry Christmas to you.

WHITFIELD: Merry Christmas to you as well. Thank you.

All right. Speaking of Christmas and the holiday season and all the good cheer, this will be the Biden's last Christmas in the White House. And First Lady Jill Biden will give a tour of the holiday displays to HGTV, which is owned by CNN's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery. The special White House Christmas 2024 will air tomorrow.

CNN's Julia Benbrook is back with us.

You got a sneak peek at all the beautiful decorations inside the White House. You profiled the decorations when they were unveiled. So tell us more.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a really fun assignment here at the White House. It's a busy time during the holiday season. The president and the first lady are hosting regular parties, and then people are coming in to tour the holiday decorations. In fact, the White House predicts they'll have about 100,000 visitors this holiday season. But for those who are not able to come and see it in person, here's a look at some of the highlights.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK (voice-over): It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the White House. First Lady Jill Biden unveiling this year's holiday theme, a season of peace and light.

JILL BIDEN, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED NATIONS: We are guided by the values that we hold sacred -- faith, family and service to our country. Kindness toward all of our neighbors, and the power of community.

BENBROOK: The decor includes 83 Christmas trees, more than 28,000 ornaments, and over 165,000 lights. More than 300 volunteers helped create the winter wonderland.

BIDEN: It's been incredible to watch all of you transform this space year after year.

BENBROOK: The first Christmas tree display on the tour is dedicated to Gold Star families, with the stacked stars representing all six branches of the military. As guests continue down the East Colonnade, they're surrounded by bells symbolizing the sounds of the holiday season. And in the blue room, the official White House Christmas tree, an 18 and a half foot Fraser fir presented by Cartner's Christmas tree farm in North Carolina.