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Donald Trump Brags About Turning The U.S. Economy Around; Australian Prime Minister Announces Crackdown On Anti-Semitism; E.U. Leaders Gathering For Summit On Frozen Russian Assets; Palestinian Officials Say Storms And Floods Kill At Least 17; Storms Create Havoc in Gaza for Those Displaced by War; Police Begin Reopening Site of Hanukkah Massacre; Search for Person of Interest Enters Sixth Day in Brown University Shooting, School Security Under Scrutiny Following Mass Shooting; Minneapolis Police Chief Slams ICE Tactics; Affordable Care Act Subsidies Set to Expire December 31; U.S. Government Admits Failures by Army, Air Traffic Controller in the Mid-air Collision Above Potomac River in January; Nice Reiner Makes First Court Appearance in Los Angeles, Faces Murder Charges After Death of His Parents, Rob & Michele; Ghislaine Maxwell Launches New Bid to Overturn Conviction; Status of Liberty Replica Collapses in Brazilian City; Museum Preserves Soviet-era Tape Recorders and Bootlegs. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired December 18, 2025 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:37]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good evening, America. 11 months ago, I inherited a mess, and I'm fixing it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The U.S. president declares a triumphant first year, but is it really? We will break down Trump's speech and latest polling.

Plus, Australia adds new hate crime laws after the Bondi Beach shooting, we will go live to Sydney.

And devastating flooding and freezing temperatures add to the misery in Gaza. A look at what life is like despite a cease fire in place.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Appreciate you joining us, and we begin this hour with U.S. President Donald Trump's primetime address to the nation. It started with an airing of grievances against the Democrats and his predecessor, Joe Biden, blaming them for inflation and rising health care costs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: 11 months ago, I inherited a mess, and I'm fixing it. When I took office, inflation was the worst in 48 years, and some would say in the history of our country, which caused prices to be higher than ever before, making life unaffordable for millions and millions of Americans.

This happened during a Democrat administration, and it's when we first began hearing the word affordability. This is what the Biden administration allowed to happen to our country, and it can never be allowed to happen again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The president spent a lot of his time talking about what he considers his economic successes, tariffs, jobs and lower prices for prescription drugs, and he bragged about other accomplishments, including the end of the war in Gaza and border security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Starting on day one, I took immediate action to stop the invasion of our southern border. For the past seven months, zero illegal aliens have been allowed into our country, a feat which everyone said was absolutely impossible.

Do you remember when Joe Biden said that he needed Congress to pass legislation to help close the border? He was always blaming Congress and everyone else. As it turned out, we didn't need legislation. We just needed a new president.

We inherited the worst border anywhere in the world, and we quickly turned it into the strongest border in the history of our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: But it remains to be seen whether his message will land with voters increasingly disappointed with his performance on the economy. CNN's Kristen Holmes reports from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump sought to take control of the narrative around the economy while delivering his national address on Wednesday night, he touted economic achievements and said that he had turned the economy around, placing a large amount of blame on his predecessor, President Joe Biden, saying that he inherited a mess of an economy, and trying to showcase what the president has done to try and turn that around.

TRUMP: In a few short months, we went from worst to best. I am bringing those high prices down and bringing them down very fast.

HOLMES: President Trump's message on the economy coming at a time where more and more Americans are feeling insecure about their finances. A recent Fox News poll out the same night of that address showed that registered voters, 44 percent of them, when asked about their personal finances, said that they felt that they were falling behind. That's up from 36 percent just in June.

It's also coming at a time where we're seeing more and more Americans blaming President Trump for the economy, saying that the administration is focused on the wrong things. This was a clear attempt of President Trump's to try and urge Americans to stick with him, to show policies that he says he believes are working, despite the fact that we have heard from a number of experts, they are not particularly when it comes to tariffs, for example.

So, this was the first time we have seen President Trump really stick to that message of affordability, showcasing just how important this is as Republicans head into midterms, but not just that, also important for President Trump's legacy as they move forward throughout his tenure.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[02:05:06]

CHURCH: And as Kristen mentioned, the president's speech comes as his approval numbers reach new lows. A just released CNN poll of polls puts President Trump's overall job approval at 39 percent with 58 percent disapproving.

Some of the latest polls included in that average show rising prices are causing real hits to his popularity.

Joining me now is CNN Political and National Security Analyst David Sanger, good to have you with us.

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Great to be back with you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, President Trump started his primetime address blaming his predecessor, Joe Biden, for his economic woes, saying he inherited a mess, and now he's fixing it. What was your overall assessment of the president's address Wednesday night?

SANGER: Well, first, his style was interesting, Rosemary. He stayed on topic. He stayed with his script, which he doesn't often do, you may remember that when he was supposed to give an affordability speech in Pennsylvania last week, he wandered way off of what was on his teleprompter.

Here, he did not. He only had 15 or 16 minutes to be on national television, but he was delivering the speech so rapidly and nearly shouting at some moments that he seemed almost angry that he needed to explain these concepts to the American people.

CHURCH: And overall, the topics that he covered, what did you think?

SANGER: Well, he made selective use of statistics, and in some cases, some quite misleading statistics. He tried to argue that he had brought inflation down. It's actually as of the last numbers we saw, we'll see some new numbers tomorrow, exactly where it was on inauguration day when Joe Biden left. He argued that unemployment is headed in the right direction. In fact, it was four percent when he came in, it's 4.6 percent now.

He argued that prices had actually declined, seeming to confuse slowing inflation with actual deflation, and he made some claims that about gas prices that weren't supported by statistics issued by his own energy department.

So, you know, there were some exaggerations there as well, but he was just almost trying to convince Americans that they should feel good, even if they don't, which is, of course, exactly what Biden did at the end of his presidency.

CHURCH: Yes, good point. And just ahead of his address, touting successes and signaling what's to come, a new poll came out Wednesday showing Trump's approval rating on the economy at just 36 percent but he declares his economy a triumph, calling it the greatest economy ever. How bad could the issue of affordability in the economy prove to be for Trump do you think going forward and certainly heading to the midterms?

SANGER: Look, the reason he got elected was that Americans trusted him more because of his business background in managing the economy than they trusted the Democrats.

And what you see from polling numbers like that and others we've seen in recent weeks strongly suggest that Americans have lost that fundamental trust in him, and that could come back.

But the fact of the matter is, the United States has been in a great expansion over the past couple of years, and it's not really a surprise that both the markets are jittery and you could see a slowdown. And we are, in fact, seeing some indications of that. It's one of the reasons that the Fed has now cut interest rates several times.

CHURCH: And David, on top of this, four House Republicans sided with Democrats Wednesday to try to force a vote to extend expiring health care subsidies. And this while Marjorie Taylor Greene warns that the dam is breaking when it comes to support for the president within his own party, is she right? Is the dam breaking?

SANGER: I don't know that it's broken, but it's certainly leaking and particularly around the edges. Those four Republicans, I think, all come from fairly moderate states. I think they're worried that when these subsidies expire, people's premiums are going to soar, and the only solution that the president offered this evening was that he would basically write checks of about $2,000 a person with some kind of income limit to try to alleviate health care costs.

[02:10:08]

The problem is that some people are going to see premium increases of $1,000 or $1,500 a month. That $2,000 doesn't really go very far.

CHURCH: David Sanger, thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

SANGER: Thank you, Rosemary. Great to be with you.

CHURCH: Wonderful.

At least four people are dead after the latest U.S. strike on an alleged drug boat. The U.S. Southern Command released this video saying the vessel was operated by a designated terrorist group and that it was hit on Wednesday in international waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

The statement says four male narco terrorists were killed and no U.S. troops were harmed. At least 99 people have been killed since the U.S. launched Operation southern spear. Democratic lawmakers say at least one of the strikes may have violated international law, potentially amounting to a war crime.

Well, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is blasting claims from President Trump, who says the country has stolen U.S. oil, land and other assets. Mr. Trump appears to be referring to Venezuela bringing its oil sector under state control, reducing the large U.S. presence in the country. President Trump posted on Truth Social that the U.S. military buildup around Venezuela would continue until it returned the assets. Here's Maduro's response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It is simply a war mongering and colonialist pretense, and we have said so many times, and now everyone sees the truth. The truth has been revealed to aim in Venezuela is a regime change to impose a puppet government that wouldn't last 47 hours, a government that would hand over the constitution, sovereignty and all the wealth, turning Venezuela into a colony, it will simply never happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Australia is stepping up the fight against anti-Semitism in the wake of the Bondi Beach massacre, the prime minister says new laws will crack down on people who spread hate, division and radicalization, and that includes preachers who promote violence. Hate speech will also become an aggravating factor in sentencing.

Meanwhile, the youngest victim has been laid to rest. 10-year-old Matilda had been enjoying Hanukkah festivities with her family when the gunman opened fire on Sunday. And another victim recently woke up from a coma. The father of Leibel Lazaroff says his son suffered several abdominal and leg injuries after risking his life to help a critically injured police officer, adding that he still has a multitude of shrapnel in his body.

We do want to bring in CNN's Angus Watson, live from Sydney. So, Angus, what more can you tell us about Australia's new hate speech laws and, of course, other efforts to stamp out surging anti-Semitism in the country?

ANGUS WATSON, CNN PRODUCER: Well, Rosemary, as we know, anti-Semitism in Australia has been on the rise since Hamas attacked Israel on the seventh of October 2023. Jewish groups here have logged thousands of instances of anti-Semitism, which range from verbal attacks to the burning of synagogues and now this horrific massacre.

The government appointed its own envoy, Special Envoy to counter anti- Semitism, Jillian Segal, and she delivered a report in July. The government, until now, has not fully accepted all her points. Anthony Albanese did so today, and those include things like encouraging universities to crack down on anti-Semitic behavior on their campus.

So, the government and Jillian Segal, the anti-Semitism envoy, believe that some of these points will take a little bit of time to bring to pass, but the government right now will work on strengthening these hate speech laws, which include, as you mentioned, cracking down on so called hate preachers. It also willing -- it also will review visas and make stopping hate crimes an option for canceling visas for non- Australians that are already here, and also stopping visas being issued to people who may come to Australia and spread hate and division, according to the government, take a listen to what some of Anthony Albanese had to say today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: There is no place in Australia for anti-Semitism. It is an evil that tears at the fabric of our country. It puts the peaceful, free and equal society that we cherish at risk.

Sadly, since the terrible events of October 2023, we have witnessed an increase in anti-Semitism, which is, of course, an ancient hatred. We have seen a series of appalling attacks targeting Australia's Jewish community. That culminated on Sunday in one of the worst acts of mass murder that this country has ever seen.

[02:15:18]

And that act of mass murder happened right here, Rosemary, standing in this park was the Hanukkah Festival, the first night of Hanukkah celebrated here on Sunday night in Bondi Beach, the two suspects stood on that bridge behind me and opened fire down into the crowd, killing 15 people.

Now, this is no longer a crime scene. The public is now allowed to come here, and they have people coming here just for a moment to reflect and try to make sense of what's happened here, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, it is hard to make sense of it. Just chilling seeing you there, Angus. Angus Watson joining us live with that report from Sydney, from Bondi Beach. Appreciate it.

Well, European leaders are gathering to make a big decision involving more than $200 billion in Russian financial assets, that story just ahead.

Plus, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza gets even worse as torrential rain and flooding wipes out buildings and tents.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:20:46]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. European leaders are gathering in Brussels to make what some officials call an unprecedented decision to potentially use more than $200 billion in Russian assets frozen in Europe to support Ukraine for the next two years.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will join the meeting. Two options are currently on the table, either using those Russian assets or borrow the money. Critics say the option one is potentially legally questionable and risks retaliation by Moscow.

And as Fred Pleitgen reports, Russia's president railed against European leaders ahead of the meeting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Russian leader Vladimir Putin ripping into the U.S.'s European allies, calling them little piglets and accusing European leaders of brainwashing their own populations to continue a conflict with Russia.

Now all this came in a wide ranging speech in front of some of the top military brass here in Russia, where Vladimir Putin accused Europe of undermining the diplomatic process to try and end the war in Ukraine.

At the same time, Putin said that the Russians are still very much committed to that process, but he also says it must address what he calls the root causes of the conflict, or else Russia will continue.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We would prefer to do this and eliminate the root causes of the conflict through diplomacy. If the opposing country and its foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive discussions, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands through military means.

PLEITGEN: Now, when the Russians speak of the root causes of the conflict in Ukraine, there's usually two things that stand out. One of them is the possible NATO membership of Ukraine, which the Russians say is a red line. And we know, of course, in negotiations that happened between the U.S., the Ukrainians and Europeans.

But the U.S. says it's now offering strong security guarantees for the Ukrainians so that they don't try to ascend into NATO. At the same time, the big question of territories in Ukraine certainly is crystallizing as one of the most difficult ones when trying to end the conflict in Ukraine. The Russians, of course, are demanding that the Ukrainians hand over territories, even some that Russia doesn't at this point control.

The Ukrainians are saying that they simply can't do that and that it would also be illegal under the Ukrainian constitution.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Officials in Gaza say torrential rain and floods have killed at least 17 people and left thousands of others without shelter. More people have died in building collapses. At least one body was recovered from this collapsed building in a refugee camp in Gaza City. It was previously damaged during the war and may not have been able to withstand the weight of the heavy rain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We were sitting up there, and the house suddenly collapsed over us. I escaped it and pulled my son out from under the roof, from under the rubble. I pulled him out and hugged him and went down with him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Officials warn more war damaged buildings could collapse. They say the storms have flooded about 90 percent of shelters for people displaced from the war, destroying clothing, blankets and food, and leaving them without a safe place to stay.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): All night long, the children and I were on our feet. All night long, on our feet. If I the adult can't handle it, how about the little children? These children? How can the children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, joining me now from Gaza City is Salma Altaweel, the Gaza Support Manager for the Norwegian Refugee Council. Thank you so much for talking with us.

Thank you so much for having me.

CHURCH: Now, we certainly saw -- we got an idea of what people are having to deal with, but I wanted to discuss directly with you what impact this flooding is having, and of course, the extreme weather on the lives of people in Gaza, particularly those living in tents or war damaged homes.

[02:25:04]

I think -- I think we've lost our guest. We will attempt to reconnect with Salma Altaweel in just a moment. But let's -- have we have we got her back? OK, all right, we will -- we will attempt to do that. Let's move on for now.

And Israel has green lit a new natural gas deal with Egypt, but reportedly only after pressure from the U.S. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the $35 billion deal on Wednesday to supply the fuel to Egypt. According to an Israeli source, the Netanyahu government has been slow walking the approval for months now, but it caved in after pressure from the White House.

Another source says the announcement was part of the groundwork for a potential meeting between the Israeli and Egyptian leaders. They haven't met in almost a decade, but U.S. President Donald Trump wants them to do that as he pursues regional peace deals.

All right, I understand we have our guests back now. Salma Altaweel is with us. Salma, if we can just pick up where we left off there. I was asking you about the impact this extreme weather the flooding is having on the lives of people in Gaza there.

SALMA ALTAWEEL, GAZA SUPPORT MANAGER, NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL: Thank you. I'm sorry for the interruption. Today or now currently in Gaza, the winter is not a cold season, it's really a life threatened now for all Gazans, because 1.3 million of Gazans are living in tents and makeshift houses, most of them are already damaged, but they have no choice to have a safer place to live in. So, they are suffering from the flooding. Whenever there is a heavy rain or storm, the water floods, the tents and the families do not sleep all the whole night. They are trying to move out the water from the tents or to drying their mattresses, their blankets. It's very tough for the elderly people and children, because they do not sleep.

They are suffering from the cold, and each time there is a heavy rain, the families have to start to build up their tents and their shelter shelters from the zero.

And they lost the minimum items that they are having. They lost all of them, and they have to bring new items to start up from the zero.

CHURCH: And of course, as you've been speaking with us, we have been looking at these, these images, and it looks miserable. People are essentially living in the water, aren't they.

So, what help have you and your organization been able to provide at this time to try to alleviate some of the challenges created by this extreme weather, and what is the greatest need right now?

ALTAWEEL: NRC and all the organizations in Gaza trying their best to mitigate the risk of flooding and winter, we are distributing tarps and drops for the people to seal of their tents. We are also providing tools that they can clean up the area around them so they do not suffer from the waste and other factors. And it's not only the items or the winter the issue that we are suffering from that the whole waste and sewage networks are destroyed in Gaza. This doubles this issue and this crisis. All of this should be solved before the winter come.

But unfortunately, it wasn't allowed to enter heavy machines or items to prepare the city or Gaza for this winter.

CHURCH: And what impact are the flood waters having on the remaining infrastructure, including roads across Gaza and what more needs to be done to improve the lives of those just trying to survive in the Enclave?

ALTAWEEL: Yes, the impact is extremely dangerous for me. Personally, two days ago, I woke up on the voice of a building beside me collapsing. It was really scary time for me and for my children and for the people in the whole area and so many people were killed from the collapsed buildings.

[02:30:00]

So, the urgent need now is entering heavy machines to remove all the rubble and trying to (inaudible) networks, the (inaudible) networks. This will improve the situation a little bit. And until we start with the reconstruction, the complete reconstruction of Gaza, we have to advocate for entering mobile housing units because those tents are not designed for such conditions, like the winter -- heavy winter, heavy raining, and storms. So, they are only a piece of fabric and plastic. It doesn't protect the people at all.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": Salma Altaweel in Gaza City, thank you so much for talking with us. We appreciate it.

ALTAWEEL: Thank you. Thank you for having me. Thank you.

CHURCH: Well, police are releasing more details about the deadly mass shooting at Brown University, and they're asking the public for help as they search for a person of interest. We will have the latest on the case and a report from Providence, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:36:20]

CHURCH: Australia's prime minister is vowing tougher action on anti- semitism, hate speech and gun control following the Bondi Beach massacre. Four days after the tragedy, police have begun reopening the site of the shooting. CNN's Will Ripley was there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Just moments ago, police reopened the bridge that was sort of the epicenter of the Bondi Beach massacre because that's where the two gunmen, the father and son, were standing as they were firing rounds at the Hanukkah Festival, killing 15 people. The oldest victim, an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor; the youngest, a 10-year-old girl named Matilda who leaves behind heartbroken parents and a younger sister named Summer. They may have chosen this spot because they actually have a lot of cover from the trees here. So, it was really difficult for the police to fire back and they had these huge rifles that they kept reloading as they gunned down innocent people, simply for being Jewish. It's really haunting to be standing here, frankly, because this is the bridge that we have -- we've seen from almost every angle. Everybody had their phones out on the day of the massacre, filming, and this is what the gunman would've been seeing as they carried out their brutal act. And then one of them, the father died here. The son was shot. He was hospitalized, in a coma for several days. He's now been awake. He's been charged. And this iconic Australian beach may never feel the same, certainly, for the people whose lives were changed forever on that awful day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The manhunt for the person of interest in the Brown University shooting is now entering its sixth day. Police say the description of the gunman provided by witnesses matches the description of the person authorities are looking for. They also want to talk with another person who may have crossed paths with this person of interest and may be able to provide some relevant information.

Meanwhile, the school's security measures are under growing scrutiny. One student described the harrowing moments when he and his fellow classmates hid from the shooter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARJUN PURI, BROWN UNIVERSITY STUDENT: I think that my friends and I were all like pretty scared at the beginning just because, at that point, it's out of your hands. It's just a question of what's going to happen, is the person going to come up the stairs, or are the police going to find you first? And then after a while, eventually, we heard some footsteps outside and we saw through one of the cracks in this curtain that there were police officers outside. And I think after that we all like felt a little bit more calm, just because we knew that the situation was getting a little bit more under control, like they had at least our area of the building secured by then.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Brian Todd has the latest on the manhunt from Providence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHIEF OSCAR L. PEREZ JR., PROVIDENCE POLICE DEPARTMENT: We still don't know where the person is or who he is.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Still no break in the manhunt for the gunman behind the deadly Brown University shooting. Five days after the shooting, Police asking for the public's help, finding a person who may have crossed paths with the person they're looking for, saying they don't believe the second person is necessarily involved in any type of criminal contact.

PEREZ JR.: We have video footage of the determinants (ph) to us and the detectives that can tell that this person was in the vicinity where the subject of interest was that we want to -- that we actually have an interest on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How close?

PEREZ JR.: Close, close enough that we feel that we need to speak with them.

TODD (voice-over): Police also releasing this map on Wednesday, showing the person of interest's movements before and after the shooting, and the area police are focused on searching.

[02:40:00]

Officials have been pressed as to why Brown University didn't have surveillance video of the building where the shooting took place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a multi-million dollar school and did not have a bunch of cameras in the hallway?

TODD (voice-over): Providence Mayor, Brett Smiley telling CNN --

MAYOR BRETT SMILEY, PROVIDENCE: This building is on the literal edge of the campus and the person of interest walked out the door that as soon as he stepped onto the sidewalk, was no longer on campus.

TODD (voice-over): We spoke to some students about how they felt about the lack of cameras. Joseph McGonagle Jr. is a friend of the deceased student, Muhammad Aziz Umurzakov. He says Muhammad Aziz sent him these two photos from the same room where the shooting occurred less than an hour before the shooting. The caption reads "Got dragged to an Econ review." He wasn't even supposed to be there. McGonagle says, this is the only building without a security guard beyond the lobbies.

JOSEPH MCGONAGLE JR., BROWN UNIVERSITY STUDENT: Barus & Holly was one of the only buildings that didn't have something like that, where they didn't have like a security guard waiting there out, like checking you in at the lobby.

TODD (voice-over): He thinks there should be cameras.

MCGONAGLE: If I'm being honest, this is probably the worst building for this to happen in, specifically because of these sorts of failures.

TODD (voice-over): Graduate student, Ref Bari was just eight feet from the door where the gunman came in.

REF BARI, BROWN UNIVERSITY GRADUATE STUDENT: I mean, no question. Of course, there should be cameras in the physics side of the building. That's without a doubt, right? And cameras, security, locked doors, all of this is like on people's minds right now.

TODD: The Chief of the Brown University Police, Rodney Chatman did confirm the account from student Joseph McGonagle Jr. that there was no security guard inside this building at the time the shooting occurred. We reached out to school officials to respond to McGonagle's assertion that the lack of a security guard and the lack of surveillance cameras in the old part of the building where the shooting occurred constituted security failures. They haven't gotten back to us.

Brian Todd, CNN, Providence, Rhode Island.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The Minneapolis police chief is slamming federal immigration agents after a tense clash with protesters was caught on video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let her go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let her go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let her go. Let her go. Let her go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Video shows an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent dragging a woman on the ground after kneeling on her back as she lay in the snow. And you can hear people yelling that the woman is pregnant and couldn't breathe. The Department of Homeland Security says she rushed an ICE vehicle and tried to vandalize it. The federal agency also claims that protesters were throwing rocks and chunks of ice and used pepper spray on the officers.

Well, tens of millions of Americans are about to see their health insurance premiums skyrocket with Obamacare subsidies expiring at years' end. But President Trump doesn't want the government giving money to insurers under Obamacare. He says he'd rather it go directly to Americans. Meanwhile, a possible House vote on extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies is on hold for the holidays. Earlier, several swing district Republicans, frustrated by the inaction, went for the nuclear option. They joined Democrats to try to push through a healthcare fix, but their efforts fell short.

The U.S. government has made an unexpected admission in the deadly mid-air collision in Washington. D.C. that happened almost a year ago. A court filing by the Department of Justice admits the pilots flying an Army Blackhawk helicopter failed to maintain proper and safe visual separation from an American Eagle jet. The government also admits that a controller in the Reagan National Airport Tower did not comply with an air traffic control procedure. The admission is in response to a civil lawsuit brought by the family of a passenger killed on the commuter flight. 67 people were killed in the collision over the Potomac River last January.

Well, the Los Angeles County medical examiner confirms how Rob and Michele Reiner died as their son, Nick, makes his first court appearance. That story and more, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [02:48:52]

CHURCH: Nick Reiner made his first court appearance Wednesday, where his arraignment was set for January 7th. He is accused of fatally stabbing his parents,. Rob and Michele Reiner. The Los Angeles County medical examiner confirmed the famed director and his wife died Sunday from multiple sharp force injuries. CNN's Nick Watt has the latest on the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Around 8:20 p.m. Sunday, that's Nick Reiner wandering into and out of a gas station. This footage was just obtained by CNN. Moments after he leaves surveillance cameras in the parking lot, pickup police activity, and right there is where Reiner was arrested as we see in these LAPD photographs, arrested on suspicion of murdering his parents. They were last seen together Saturday night at Conan O'Brien's holiday party where Rob and Nick Reiner reportedly argued.

CASEY JORDAN, CRIMINOLOGIST & BEHAVIORAL ANALYST: By all accounts, Rob and Michele asked Conan if they could bring their son, Nick, to this party. He was not originally on the invitation list, which shows that they were trying to work with him. They were being inclusive.

[02:50:00]

WATT (voice-over): Homicide detectives would like to speak to party goers, according to a source.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your Honor, if we could, I would like to ask for a continuance.

WATT (voice-over): This morning, Nick Reiner, now charged with two counts of first-degree murder, made his first appearance in court. CNN's Stephanie Elam was in the room.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nick Reiner appeared very calm in the court. He was seated behind glass, and he appeared to be wearing a long blue vest and his hands were shackled. The only thing that we heard Nick Reiner say was, "Yes, Your Honor."

WATT (voice-over): When asked by the judge if he was OK with his arraignment being pushed to January 7th? Here's his lawyer.

ALAN JOHNSON, NICK REINER'S ATTORNEY: This is a devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner family. We all recognize that. Our hearts go out to the entire Reiner family. There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case. They just need to be thoroughly, but very carefully, dealt with.

WATT (voice-over): Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day, reads a statement today from Romy Reiner who found her parents Sunday afternoon and Jake, the eldest of the three siblings. We now ask for respect and privacy for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity.

WATT: Now, according to the LAPD, the Reiners were found in the master bedroom area of the house. That is right behind me. Detectives, officers looked for anybody else in the house -- victims, suspects, they did not find anybody else. And we've also heard from the medical examiner's office, according to the records, both the Reiners died from "multiple sharp force injuries," stabbed to death.

Nick Watt, CNN, Brentwood, California.

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CHURCH: The former girlfriend and accomplice of the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, is launching a new bid to overturn her conviction. Ghislaine Maxwell is claiming in court documents that new evidence has come out and that she did not receive a fair trial. She says that lawyers for Epstein's victims "conspired and colluded with government investigators" while also alleging that some jurors were biased. Her latest efforts face extremely long odds. Several courts, including the Supreme Court, rejected her previous appeals.

Well, before the internet and the age of streaming, reel-to-reel tape decks were a lifeline for Western music fans living behind the Iron Curtain. We will show you how one man's collection is preserving this Soviet-era music history. That's next.

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CHURCH: You are looking at footage from Brazil where a replica of the Statue of Liberty collapsed this week. The mayor of Guaiba says wind gusts of 80 kilometers or around 50 miles per hour tore through the city and knocked over the statue. But luckily, no one was injured. It belongs to a department store chain known for having these replicas. The one in the video is just under 80-feet tall. That's about 24 meters.

Well, Soviet-era reel-to-reel tape decks and recorders are finding a new life at a small museum in Kazakhstan, which has been preserving and collecting the machines and tapes for over two decades. The owner says the bootleg tapes were the only way to access Western music in a time when it was prohibited behind the Iron Curtain. CNN's Polo Sandoval has our report.

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Before the Soviet-era collapsed in the early '90s, most western music was banned. Some people still found a way to listen to popular artists like Bob Marley or the Beatles on bootleg reel-to-reel tapes.

ANDREI KLIMENKO, COLLECTOR AND FOUNDER OF MUSEUM (through translator): We listened to what was prohibited to listen to, foreign, European, American, English, altogether western music. SANDOVAL (voice-over): Andrei Klimenko has been collecting these Soviet-era tape recorders for two decades. And (inaudible) were in the small museum in Almaty, Kazakhstan is playing more than 200 of them. He says, even though he can now legally listen to any music he likes, he still collects bootlegs.

KLIMENKO (through translator): I wanted to hear the sound I used to listen to when I was young.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): During Soviet times, black market sellers in the USSR offered western music. People would buy a record, then use a reel-to-reel to make a copy to share among their friends.

KLIMENKO (through translator): So, we used to chip in on a record, copy it somewhere, and shared this copy between ourselves. This is how we used to listen to music.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): The museum owner says, people of all ages enjoy visiting and hearing the tapes, even if they were born in post- Soviet times. But those who were there for the Iron Curtain of music, especially appreciate it.

EVGENY, MUSEUM VISITOR (through translator): This equipment has been close to my heart since I was a child. This museum even displays my first reel-to-reel tape recorder.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): Polo Sandoval, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: I want to thank you so much for joining us this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. I will be back with more "CNN Newsroom" in just a moment. Do stay with us.

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