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Maduro Defiant amid Escalating Showdown with U.S.; Trump Hints at Possible Ground Action in Venezuela; Witkoff Expected to Meet with Zelenskyy and European Leaders; Arctic Air Moving into U.S. Midwest This Weekend; King Charles III Gives Rare Update on Cancer Journey; Federal Judge Blocks Kilmar Abrego Garcia's Detention; Deliberations in Brian Walshe Murder Trial to Resume Monday; UNESCO Status Could Help Protect Italian Cuisine from Imitators. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired December 13, 2025 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR AND NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hey, everybody. It's wonderful to be with you on Polo Sandoval, live in New York, in for Kim. This is CNN NEWSROOM. And here's what's coming your way.
Defying Venezuelans respond to threats from the U.S. Why president Trump is doubling down on his military plans despite the opposition.
And new images showing more public figures alongside Jeffrey Epstein. How the White House is responding to the latest release from Congress.
And the devastating floods in the U.S. state of Washington, prompting rescues and tens of thousands of evacuations. I'll speak live with a meteorologist on what could be the next threat for the region
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from New York, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Polo Sandoval.
SANDOVAL: The Venezuelan government shows no signs of standing down amid a standoff with the United States. A defiant president Nicolas Maduro spoke on Friday. He said, in a nutshell, you don't know who you're dealing with. That message to the U.S.
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NICOLAS MADURO, PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA (through translator): Our historic rebelliousness, the deep fusion of that rebelliousness, that some in the world still do not understand because we are who we are and because their formula of lies, pressure, blackmail and threats does not work with us. It does not work and it never will.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: U.S. President Donald Trump also spoke on Friday and did not rule out seizing more Venezuelan oil assets. He also hinted again at possible military action on land, suggesting that the U.S. could go after drug traffickers there.
And Mr. Trump spoke after the U.S. seized this oil tanker near Venezuela. The ship was reportedly carrying almost 2 million barrels of oil bound for Cuba, which says that the seizure will worsen their energy crisis there.
And that seizure, it is part of the U.S. pressure campaign against Venezuela that has been going on for months now. But as Kevin Liptak reports, president Trump is still struggling to come up with a clear justification for it.
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KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump's pressure campaign on the Venezuelan dictator, Nicolas Maduro, opened a new front this week with the seizure of that oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.
The president, looking to target Caracas' number one foreign export as he increases the pressure on that country. And it is now on top of that massive military buildup in the region, 15,000 American troops now poised in the Caribbean Sea as the president determines a path forward.
Now this week, the president added an additional rationale for the pressure, saying that the seizure of that tanker was also due in part to a flow of undocumented migrants from Venezuela to the United States, saying that Venezuela had allowed millions of people to come into our country.
And so you have multiple pieces of rationale here that the president has cited, whether it's the flow of drugs, as the president targets those alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea, or sanctions enforcement when it comes to that oil tanker.
Now the president, citing migration, it all leads to a somewhat muddled picture of what the president's goals here are in Venezuela. Now late this week, the administration also announced new sanctions, including on three nephews of the wife of Maduro, as well as six energy companies associated with Venezuelan oil exports.
But the president hasn't so far ordered up those strikes on land in Venezuela that he says will be happening soon. And I do think that that speaks to some of the reservations that the president has here.
You know, he has stopped short of ordering up a ground invasion. He's stopped short of ordering actions to actively try and oust Maduro.
And what we've heard from officials is that the president has voiced reservations about miring the United States in a prolonged conflict, about what would happen if some of these efforts backfired. And certainly he is also of the era who will remember failed U.S. interventions in Latin America, whether it's in Nicaragua or Cuba or Panama. [04:05:02]
So the president remained -- remains somewhat unsure about which path to take forward. I think his best case scenario would be that Maduro leaves voluntarily and that the U.S. finds him somewhere to live, essentially in exile.
But so far, it does not appear as if that is something that Maduro is considering. And it all leaves the president to ratchet up the pressure and ratchet up the threats without any clear picture of where this all might be headed -- Kevin Liptak, CNN, the White House.
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SANDOVAL: Let's now go live to London, where it's just past 9 am. That's where we find our next expert here out of London, Celia Szusterman. She's a Latin American associate at Earendel Associates.
Welcome back to the program. It's good to see you.
CELIA SZUSTERMAN, LATIN AMERICAN ASSOCIATE, EARENDEL ASSOCIATES: Good to see you, too. Thank you for the invitation.
Of course. I'm sure you just heard my colleague right now, Kevin Liptak, reporting from the White House as he outlined what could be a possible best-case scenario.
From your expert perspective. Celia, what could be a worst-case scenario, especially for the Venezuelan leader?
SZUSTERMAN: Well, the worst-case scenario would not be for the Venezuelan leader but for Mr. Trump, because, as your correspondent said, it's not very clear what his objectives are.
Is this a new form of the way -- of the war on drugs or is it about regime change?
If it's a new form of the war on drugs, it's really, really being ineffective. And also the problem is that most drugs that enter the United States do so via the southern border from Mexico.
And the crisis, the war, the latest drug crisis in the U.S. is produced by fentanyl, which is produced in Mexico using precursors coming from China. So Venezuela doesn't come into the picture at all.
And the -- he may be trying to cover the illegality, which he won't be able to do, of the attacks on the small boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific because, if he can stop an -- a huge oil tanker, he certainly must -- should have been able to stop small boats.
And regime change has, as your correspondent also said, never worked. According to the national security strategy, Trump is -- or is going to focus on the Western Hemisphere. But the focus on the Western Hemisphere is not very clear what sort of areas he's going to focus.
And to think that Corina -- Maria Corina Machado could very easily become the president, or Mundo Gonzalez, who won the latest -- the last elections, could become president of Venezuela just like that and take over the government is a simplistic analysis, to say the least.
Because the whole of the Venezuelan state apparatus is controlled by the Chavistas and the degree of -- it's more than corruption. It really is an organized criminal organization in Venezuela.
And there's no way that the whole, for example, security apparatus is in the hands of the Cubans. And the -- Russia and China will probably not run to defend Maduro. But on the other hand, the oil sanctions they're running is going to be in jeopardy.
SANDOVAL: And on that last point, I'm wondering if you could just remind our viewers around the world, just historically, what countries have provided support to Venezuela, be it economical or economic or perhaps military?
And where are those allies right now as these tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela continue to worsen?
SZUSTERMAN: Well, the regional allies that Venezuela has are Nicaragua and Cuba. Nicaragua, of course, is in a mess itself. So it's not very much you can offer, other than solidarity.
And then the main players are Russia, China and Iran. And they've been running the sanctions-busting racket for Maduro. And -- but it's very unlikely that we're going to see Russia and China, certainly not Iran, coming to the rescue of Maduro.
SANDOVAL: Yes. These are all countries that have concerns of their own to address. Celia Szusterman, thank you so much, as always, for that live analysis from London. Great having you on.
SZUSTERMAN: Thank you.
SANDOVAL: Well, the White House says that its special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will be meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders in Berlin this weekend.
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And this gathering will be coming as president Donald Trump seeks to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine before the end of the year. The leaders of France, the U.K., Germany, all of them expected to be in Berlin as well.
The German chancellor says that the same leaders told president Trump earlier this week that only the Ukrainians can decide whether to concede territory as part of a peace deal with Russia.
Live now to London and CNN's Anna Cooban, with more following this meeting that's scheduled.
What will you be watching for and what's expected out of this meeting, Anna? ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, there is this diplomatic flurry that we've seen in recent weeks to try to end this nearly four-year war now. We saw last month that 28-point peace plan put forward from the U.S. to Ukraine that was really roundly rejected by Ukraine.
Because, you know, one major part of that issue, Ukraine's issue, was that it was essentially asking Ukraine to give up more territory than Russia had won in fighting. It was interpreted by Ukraine as essentially a reward for Russia's aggression.
And as you mentioned, Zelenskyy has always maintained that any concession of territory must be put to the Ukrainian people in an election or a referendum. But we have seen this ramping up of diplomacy.
Ukraine has put forward a counter proposal, again, reinforcing the need for security guarantees, legally binding security guarantees. But this is all taking place within the context of a very impatient, frustrated White House.
We've seen Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary this week, state that Trump is really sick of meetings for meetings' sake and just wants to get this done.
Zelenskyy said that Trump wants to get this done or have clarity around this by Christmas. So all eyes are on kickoff this weekend and what can be struck with European leaders.
SANDOVAL: CNN's Anna Cooban, with that latest report out of London, appreciate your reporting.
President Donald Trump, he is currently downplaying new photos from Jeffrey Epstein's estate.
The images released by Democratic lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee, they show many powerful men in the late sex trafficker's orbit. And that includes not only president, the former president Bill Clinton here but also president Trump, who says that the photos, as he put it, are "no big deal."
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, we may have seen there; billionaire businessmen Bill Gates and Richard Branson also appear in some photos. And all of this comes as the Justice Department was ordered to release its own Epstein case files by next Friday.
CNN's Kristen Holmes has the reaction from the White House, as well as important context about this photo release.
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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There is very little that the White House or president Trump wants to talk about less than Jeffrey Epstein. The president has made that clear.
Now we're hearing the White House accusing House Oversight Democrats of cherry-picking the photos that they chose to release. They did release roughly 90 photos out of 95,000. We are told that they are still going through those photos and to expect more being released. Now as for president Trump, he said he hadn't seen them.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Well, I haven't seen it, but I mean, everybody knew this man. He was all over Palm Beach. He has photos with everybody. I mean, almost there are hundreds and hundreds of people that have photos with him, so that's no big deal. I know nothing about it.
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HOLMES: And while the White House might want this story to go away, it doesn't seem it's going to anytime soon, particularly with this drip, drip of information. First we saw the emails, then the photos. We are expecting more.
All of this information coming from the Epstein estate to the committee, the committee going through it and then releasing it. But one thing to keep in mind here, that is not all we are expecting.
Next Friday, December 19th, is the deadline for the Department of Justice to release all of the files on Epstein. White House officials had told me early on that they were going to comply. The DOJ would comply with this order and release all those documents.
But no word recently on whether or not they are going to, nothing from the Department of Justice and if they're going to meet that deadline or even have anything earlier. Of course, we are monitoring and waiting for those to be released -- Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: Much more to come here on CNN NEWSROOM, including a look at the catastrophic flooding currently happening in Washington state after days of heavy rain.
Is there any relief in sight?
Plus, it's going to be an extremely cold and snowy weekend for many Americans. We'll get a live report from the National Weather Service.
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SANDOVAL: All right. Welcome back. Let's get you caught up on some winter storms that are currently bringing some heavy rains and flooding to large parts of Gaza. And that includes many of the tent cities that are sheltering families that are displaced by the war.
U.N. agencies say that nearly 800,000 people there are at heightened risk of exposure and this as concerns grow over the potential spread of disease amid worsening living conditions at those camps, draining infrastructure in Gaza. It barely exists after years of war.
And aid groups are warning that shortages of fuel, equipment and shelter are hampering their emergency response.
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SAED NABHAN, PALESTINIAN (through translator): The war that has been ongoing for two years, people have no shelter, except for this house, which was already burnt, weakened and previously shelled.
People had shelter, but to stay in this house, which collapsed down on them due to the destruction it had suffered before, and also because of the rain. The rain brought down this house on the people living in it.
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SANDOVAL: We also want to show you some dramatic new video out of Washington state. You see a man, stranded in the floodwaters, stuck on top of a vehicle. Authorities used a drone to send him a life jacket, which is something that local authorities say they've never had to do before.
The man was eventually rescued by the helicopter crew. And the historic flooding in Washington, it has triggered tens of thousands of evacuations and dozens of water rescues as well.
New atmospheric rivers, they are expected to bring even more heavy rain to that state in the coming days.
And meanwhile, parts of the United States, they are bracing for a blast of arctic air this weekend, including so many people here in New York City where I am.
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The Upper Midwest could also see some dangerously cold temperatures, with wind chills -25 F. to -40 F.
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SANDOVAL: I want to move on now to football superstar Lionel Messi's tour in India, which actually got off to a chaotic start on Saturday, with fans in Kolkata ripping up seats and then throwing them onto the pitch.
They complained that the World Cup winner made only a very brief appearance at the stadium, packed with fans waiting to see him as he landed in India earlier for his highly anticipated GOAT tour of the country. Over three days, he will be appearing in multiple cities, where fans
are hoping for a rare, close-up look of the global icon. And to kick off the tour, the football star virtually unveiled this massive 70- foot statue of himself.
He also be meeting with India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, over the weekend. This will be his first return to the country in about 14 years after his previous visit for a friendly match in Kolkata.
Well, King Charles is sharing a positive update on his own health battle with the public. As well as giving encouraging words for cancer patients, the British monarch spoke about his cancer journey in a video message on Friday night. And he revealed plans for the new year, his treatment plans. Here's CNN's Max Foster, reporting from London.
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MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: King Charles breaking his silence on his cancer treatment and it's relatively good news.
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CHARLES III, KING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: Indeed, today I am able to share with you the good news that thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to doctors' orders.
My own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year. This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years. Testimony that I hope may give encouragement to the 50 percent of us who will be diagnosed with the illness at some point in our lives.
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FOSTER: The King also talking about the blessing of early diagnosis. He has medical treatment that isn't afforded to most people, which enabled him to get that early diagnosis. And he's using his experience to encourage others to try to do the same to go out and get screenings.
The palace, a spokesperson there telling CNN, his majesty has responded exceptionally well to treatment and his doctors advise that ongoing measures will now move into a precautionary phase.
This position will be continuously monitored and reviewed to protect and prioritize his continued recovery.
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So the treatment does continue. We're not being told exactly what treatment that is or indeed what type of cancer he has.
But the king has also explained why he's protecting that part of his privacy as well, because, according to the palace and his spokesperson, they've been speaking to medical experts and this is what they say.
The advice from cancer experts is that, in his determination to support the whole cancer community, it's preferable that His Majesty does not address his own specific condition but rather speaks to those affected by all forms of the disease.
So if he spoke about one particular type of cancer, one part of the community, then he wouldn't be speaking as widely to everyone that suffered from cancer but also their family members and friends, which is a large part of the population.
I think the king has really felt overwhelming support for the fact that he's spoken about his medical condition when, in the past, kings would never share any of that private medical detail because they feel they have a right to privacy, too.
But it's positive news. He is on the road to recovery, at least, even if the treatment does continue for now -- Max Foster, CNN London.
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SANDOVAL: U.S. President Donald Trump honored the Miracle on Ice U.S. Olympic team at the White House on Friday. The team earned that name in 1980 by beating the Soviet Union, the world's hockey superpower at the time. Mr. Trump signed a bill, awarding congressional medals in the team's honor.
You see them all sporting cowboy hats, just like they did back in the '80s.
He also said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a similar situation to the famous U.S. sporting victory.
We're going to take a quick break. For our viewers in North America, I will have more news in just a moment. For our international viewers, we leave you with "CNN CREATORS."
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SANDOVAL: And we're back to all of our viewers watching in the United States, Canada and all around the world. I'm Polo Sandoval, live in New York.
The Food and Drug Administration intends to put their most serious warnings on COVID-19 vaccines. That's according to sources.
These warnings are designed to warn people of side effects or risks that could lead to life-threatening complications. Here's CNN's Meg Tirrell with more.
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MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've learned that the FDA is finalizing plans to put its most serious warning on COVID-19 vaccines.
It's called a black box warning and it shows up really at the top of prescribing information, outlined in a black box, so that prescribers and patients are aware of really serious risks that can be associated with products.
Typically, this is reserved for situations where a medical product might be associated with the risk of death or life threatening or disabling reactions and really its there. So that prescribers and patients can weigh those potential risks against the benefits of any intervention that they are considering.
Now we've learned that this is in the process. It's not finalized and could still change but it comes after a memo was issued in late November by the FDA vaccines chief, Dr. Vinay Prasad, which claimed that the COVID-19 vaccine has been linked to the deaths of at least 10 children.
Now this is a claim that outside experts say they haven't seen data to support and question if that is part of the impetus for adding this label to the vaccines, whether that is an appropriate course of action.
Typically, also the procedure for something like this involves a really public process. The FDA, typically, experts tell us, would let the public know that it's weighing this safety risk, sometimes call an outside panel of advisors to meet to discuss the safety data and whether to add this to the labels of a medical product.
And so far, of course, we haven't seen any of that take place.
Now we have reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services, which tells us in a statement, "Unless the FDA announces it, any claim about what it will do is pure speculation. The FDA takes very seriously any death that is attributed to a regulated medical product."
We should also point out, this is just the latest in a series of efforts under the Trump administration's health officials during this administration to weaken confidence in COVID-19 vaccines.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been a longtime critic of the COVID vaccine's safety and efficacy.
But we should also note that these vaccines were developed, tested and green-lit under the first Trump administration, really in a scientific feat that was so monumental that many Republicans now are calling for the president to win the Nobel Peace Prize for it.
COVID-19 vaccines are still recommended, especially for more vulnerable groups, including the elderly, people with weakened immune systems and also for children and babies under the age of 2, all who are at a potentially higher risk of being hospitalized for COVID-19.
So there is a lot of concern that a warning like this placed on these vaccines could weaken confidence in them when vaccination rates are already low, potentially making those trends even worse.
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SANDOVAL: Our thanks to Meg Tirrell for that report.
A man fighting to stay in the U.S. after being wrongfully deported has won a court battle against the Department of Justice. On Friday, a judge temporarily blocked the DOJ from detaining Kilmar Abrego Garcia. And this after the judge ordered his release from an immigration detention facility.
While Abrego Garcia has received a temporary reprieve, his lawyer says that the legal fight for him that it is far from over. Here's CNN's Priscilla Alvarez with the update.
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PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the El Salvadoran man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador earlier this year, despite a prior court order, appeared in Baltimore on Friday for a checkin with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Now all of this follows his return to the United States earlier this year and then, more recently, his detention at an ICE facility in Pennsylvania.
But on Thursday, a federal judge ruled that he be immediately released from that facility, finding that the government was unlawfully detaining him, in part because there were no plans for his imminent removal. Now at the checkin, his attorney spoke and this is what he had to say.
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SIMON SANDOVAL-MOSHENBERG, KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA'S ATTORNEY: I wish I could say that this is the end of the story but I think we've all been here long enough to know that, unfortunately, the government is not going to leave well enough alone. They're going to keep going and we're going to keep going. We're going to keep fighting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALVAREZ: Now there are conditions to Abrego Garcia's release that include, for example, he not leave the state of Maryland and that he only leave the home in limited circumstances.
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The Trump administration, for its part, maintains that they are going to fight this tooth and nail in court and that they, again, are seeking to deport him to Liberia. All of that, however, has been at the center of this fraught legal battle -- Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: The coalition of-Democratic run states is suing president Trump's administration over its new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas. These visas allow qualified foreign professionals to work in the United States within specialized fields, like health care, tech or education.
The lawsuit is led by California's attorney general and it argues that the administration does not have the authority to impose such a surcharge on these visas. And it claims that the exorbitant fee would block employers from filling critical jobs and would effectively dismantle the H-1B program altogether.
And the Trump administration's construction of a new ballroom, where the East Wing of the White House once stood, may be put on hold. And this is because of a new lawsuit from the top historic preservation group in the United States. CNN's Brian Todd reports on how they're hoping to protect one of the world's most iconic buildings.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a project that's been controversial from the start. And now president Trump and his administration are being sued over the demolition of the East Wing of the White House for the construction of a new ballroom there.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit group chartered by Congress to preserve historic buildings, filed the lawsuit on Friday, seeking to stop construction on the project until certain review boards weigh in on it and until there's a public comment on it.
In the lawsuit, the National Trust calls the East Wing demolition, quote, "unlawful" and says, quote, "No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever, not president Trump, not President Biden and not anyone else.
"And no president is legally allowed to construct a ballroom on public property without giving the public the opportunity to weigh in," end quote.
A White House spokesman, in response to the lawsuit, issued a statement to CNN saying, quote, "President Trump has full legal authority to modernize, renovate and beautify the White House, just like all of his predecessors did."
President Trump envisions a 90,000-square-foot ballroom where the East Wing used to be, a ballroom that would have similar features to his ballroom at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump has said the project, costing about $300 million, will be financed by him and by private donors. The president has already renovated the White House Rose Garden, paving it over with stone, and has plans to build a massive arch on the Virginia side of the river to commemorate the nation's 250th birthday. Those are among other projects he's undertaken. A hearing over the
National Trust's request for an emergency order halting work on the ballroom will be held next Tuesday at the federal courthouse in Washington -- Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: So the way the trial of a Massachusetts man who admitted to dismembering his own wife reaches a critical moment, with the fate of the case now in the jury's hands. The latest from the courtroom when we come back.
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SANDOVAL: Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi has reportedly been arrested by Iranian authorities. Her foundation citing her brother, saying that Mohammadi was violently detained by security and police forces. And this arrest came during a memorial ceremony for a lawyer recently found dead in his office.
Mohammadi won the Peace Prize in 2023 for her work as a human rights activist and she has spent most of the last two decades in prison due to her criticism of the government of Iran.
No verdict yet in the trial of a Massachusetts man that's accused of killing his wife. Jury deliberations started on Friday and will be resuming on Monday. Brian Walshe is charged with first degree murder and faces life in prison if convicted. He's already pled guilty to misleading police and mishandling remains.
Here's CNN's Jean Casarez with the report from court.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There was no verdict by late Friday afternoon, so the jury went home. They will return on Monday for deliberations. The closing arguments by the defense focused in on that there is no evidence at all that the defendant was planning a violent act against his wife.
There were thousands of pages of digital entries by Brian Walshe but nothing about planning, executing or how to commit a murder. They also said there is no motive in this case because Brian Walshe, according to the evidence, had no idea his wife was having an affair.
There was no evidence that he wanted the life insurance policies because the couple was talking about more investment opportunities, which would give money to the marriage to the couple. They did talk about something else, though, because, when you don't have motive, you don't have murder. But you might have this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY TIPTON, BRIAN WALSHE'S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Sudden and unexpected death may occur because someone is ill. All we know is that it happens.
And the fact that someone doesn't believe it could happen doesn't mean that it doesn't. Importantly, though, think about the shock of it happening. Think about the effect it would have on anyone, a lay person, that has no idea could happen.
ANNE YAS, PROSECUTOR: Ana Walshe's dying a sudden death from natural causes defies common sense. She was in great shape. The defendant told police that Ana was a sturdy Serbian woman. Listen carefully to his recorded interviews, because those are his words after her death.
CASAREZ: The prosecution in their closing arguments, focused that you do have premeditated murder, because what you see is all these text messages that graduate into covering up a murder.
You also have Brian Walshe in the hours and days after, they say, the murder, going to Home Depot, going to Lowes, going to drugstores to cover up what he had just done. And that showed his consciousness of guilt.
They focused in on a rug in the home that showed Ana on the rug at one point but that rug was found in a trash bag in portions. And according to the evidence, it showed a blood clot that was on it and it showed a broken piece of a necklace that said Gucci on it.
The prosecution is saying we may not have the murder weapon but this possibly is where a murder, a violent murder, took place in the home -- Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.
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SANDOVAL: Fired University of Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore facing multiple charges related to his arrest on Wednesday. This just hours after he was dismissed from the storied football program.
Moore is charged with felony home invasion, along with misdemeanor counts of stalking and breaking and entering.
The incident came after the university says that Moore was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member and fired him. At Moore's first court appearance on Friday, the magistrate entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. The prosecutor shared details of the moments leading up to his arrest
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATI REZMIERSKI, PROSECUTOR: He then, at some point, soon thereafter, came to her apartment in the address that is alleged in the complaint. Barked his way into that apartment immediately, then proceeded to a kitchen drawer, grabbed several butter knives and a pair of kitchen scissors and began to threaten his own life.
I'm going to kill myself. I'm going to make you watch. My blood is on your hands. You ruined my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: Moore was released on bond and given several conditions, including not contacting the woman involved in the case, the victim. He heads back to court on January 22nd.
Now with the FIFA men's World Cup getting closer by the day, fans, you think they would be excited but some are outraged and that's because they feel that they've been priced out of attending the games.
Ticket prices for next year's tournament are at an all-time high. For the group stages, a ticket will likely cost a couple hundred dollars. But for a seat to the final, fans could be looking to pay a few thousand dollars. And to some, that's just not worth the price.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they're pretty insane honestly. I've been a long time soccer fan. Been watching since I was a kid. I remember watching the World Cup back in 2010, 2014 and I was pretty excited to watch this year and go to some of these games.
But even though I have adult money, I can't really afford some of these tickets, which is just insane for the everyday fans.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These ticket prices I just play so ridiculous. It's just it's too hard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's disappointing, especially for fans who might be really interested in the game itself but maybe not in the financial position to swing that kind of price.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Couple $100 maybe, couple $1,000, absolutely not.
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SANDOVAL: The representative body of fans in England describing the cost as a slap in the face to the loyal supporters of the game. And it's joining other football groups in urging FIFA to reconsider their pricing strategy.
And after this next story, you're going to want to run out for a midnight snack, perhaps, especially if you're a foodie. You're going to want to stick around as UNESCO honors Italian cuisine. CNN's Isa Soares will be heading to the kitchen to find the secrets of the trade
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SANDOVAL: Well, it seems that Italians have another reason to celebrate this week after their country's cuisine became the first- ever gastronomic style to be recognized by UNESCO. To mark the occasion, CNN's Isa Soares went in search of a touch of Italy in London, visiting some of the city's most acclaimed pizzerias.
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ANDREA ASCIUTI, CHEF AND OWNER, 081 PIZZERIA: Prego.
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Grazie.
As an Italian, what does this recognition mean?
ASCIUTI: This recognition means a lot. We -- in Italy, our country is -- 90 percent it's about food, so to be recognized worldwide about the passion and the love and the effort that we put --
SOARES: Yes.
ASCIUTI: -- in the kitchen, it means a lot.
SOARES: So that -- what's that-
ASCIUTI: That's parmesan.
SOARES: Parmesan, Parmigiano -- ooh.
ASCIUTI: A lot of basil.
SOARES: Um. Oh, it smells so good. So good. I love basil. You can never have too much cheese. That's just my opinion, right?
What do you think?
ASCIUTI: I think, again, balance is important because you want to -- you don't want to overpower --
SOARES: Yes.
ASCIUTI: -- one ingredient to the other. So there is a limit on -
SOARES: OK. Well, what about, you know, a bit of cheddar. You're looking at me, like, go away and you see his eyes. Your eyes actually rolled. No cheddar. None of that.
ASCIUTI: (INAUDIBLE). I'm a purist.
SOARES: Oh -- well, goodness. You're very protective.
ASCIUTI: No pineapple, no chicken, no barbecue.
SOARES: But not on this one or any pizza?
No pineapple?
ASCIUTI: Not on the Neapolitan.
SOARES: But all the others you're OK with?
ASCIUTI: Oh, yes. It's OK to experience.
SOARES: OK, all right.
Oh, this looks good. This is really good.
How do you think Andrea, this recognition will be received at home in Italy?
How do you think people will take that?
ASCIUTI: I think most of the Italians will be -- will be proud. Food, as I said, is 90 percent of our day.
SOARES: Essential -- like, your life, right?
ASCIUTI: I remember my mom asking me every day what do you want to have for lunch?
SOARES: Yes.
ASCIUTI: What do you want to have for dinner, constantly. Sometimes, even obsession.
SOARES: Yes. I feel that that's why I ask my kids every day.
ASCIUTI: Yes.
SOARES; I'm running out of ideas.
Was there a food when you were growing up -- Italian food that you felt this is Italian?
This speaks to me in terms of identity -- and you can't say pizza.
ASCIUTI: Pasta.
SOARES: What kind of pasta?
ASCIUTI: Um, say pasta patate is a must in Napoli. It is one of our most traditional dishes. And yes, chef is --
SOARES: It is good. And I'm guessing not from a jar.
ASCIUTI: Not from a jar.
SOARES: Well, I'll let you do that.
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How long does that normally take? ASCIUTI: Uh, 90 seconds to two minutes. That's the way we like it.
SOARES: Let's do this.
The question then I'm sure people will want to know is why do you think Andrea, that Italy deserves it?
Why not Spain?
Why not even my home country of Portugal?
We've got good food, too.
ASCIUTI: I --
SOARES: Why, respectfully?
ASCIUTI: I didn't say that. We --
SOARES: No.
ASCIUTI: I'm very respectful of other kitchens. I'm just saying that Italy really deserves it --
SOARES: Yes.
ASCIUTI: -- because of the intensity --
SOARES: Yes.
ASCIUTI: -- and the effort that across the old country --
SOARES: Yes.
ASCIUTI: -- we put into food.
SOARES: Look at that. Mozzarella has made it.
ASCIUTI: Mama mia, no?
SOARES: Very good.
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SANDOVAL: So the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it's already packed full of legends, filmmakers, actors, our favorite characters from the big screen and the small ones. But it's now also home to some real-life heroes.
The L.A. Fire Department is being honored with an award of excellence almost one year from their battle with the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires. And it's all thanks to one 14-year old from the other side of the country, standing at the front, right there you see her. And it was her handwritten letter that started this all.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ENIOLA TALWO, LAFD SUPPORTER: I didn't think anyone would pay attention to something written by a middle schooler all the way across the country, in Connecticut. I'm a big movie watcher. I love TV and I guess when I thought, California, I thought actors and the Walk of Fame.
So that's what immediately motivated me. And I put two and two together and I was like, why not represent the real heroes on the Walk of Fame?
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SANDOVAL: Good for Eniola.
I want to thank you so much for watching the last hour of news. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. I'll join you right back here in just a moment, where the news continues, here on CNN NEWSROOM.
