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Outrage Grows After Heavily Redacted Partial Epstein File Release; Thousands Gather To Remember Victims Of Bondi Beach; J.D. Vance Addresses Turning Point USA's Youth Conference; Many Survivors Of Eaton Fire Still Facing Major Challenges; Top Catholic In Holy Land Urges Palestinians To Rebuild; U.S. Envoys Hold Talks Over Next Phase Of Gaza Ceasefire. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired December 21, 2025 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:00]

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: three for Miami. Ole Miss playing for the first time since Lane Kiffins' departure against the Minnows of Tulane. Not much of a contest here, really. Ole Miss winning by 41 points to 10. They will play UGA next in the Sugar Bowl. And a lot of points scored in this one. Oregon smashing James Madison by 51 points to 34. This score and the one with Tulane perhaps enhancing the argument that maybe these group of five teams shouldn't be in the playoffs. But James Madison, fair play to them, they scored 34 points yesterday.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: I know. Surprised to see their name in there. OK.

RIDDELL: Yes. Anyway, this is the quarterfinal bracket. New Year's Eve. It's Miami-Ohio State. And then three games on New Year's Day, we've got Oregon-Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl. Alabama against the number one seed Indiana in the Rose Bowl. And Ole Miss against UGA in the Sugar Bowl.

WHITFIELD: So fun.

RIDDELL: And remember, Georgia have already played Ole Miss this season and beat them. So let's see if Ole Miss can do --

WHITFIELD: A lot of excitement. You know, lots of surprises. It's been a lot of fun. Thank you so much and happy holidays.

RIDDELL: All right. Good to see you. Same to you, yes.

WHITFIELD: I think this is the last time I see you until 2026.

RIDDELL: I guess it will be, but thanks for having me on your show this year.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Well, thank you for being here all the time and, you know, reliably bringing us all the best in sports highlights and then sometimes some philosophical stories.

RIDDELL: Something a little bit different. Yes. Keep that going next year.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Thank you. All right, Don Riddell, good to see you. Thank you so much.

All right. Top of the hour now. Hello again. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We're following new developments in the outrage and criticism over the limited release and heavily redacted files related to the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. CNN has confirmed that more than a dozen files that were released Friday as part of the Department of Justice's Epstein Library now appear to have been removed from the Web site as of this morning. That includes at least one photo in an open desk drawer of now President Donald Trump, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing or charged with any crimes in connection with Epstein.

Well, today, the DOJ said it will continue to review and redact materials from the trove of already released Epstein files to, quote, "protect victims." And today, two of the lawmakers who pushed for the release of the files say they are now considering holding U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt of Congress over the extensive redactions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): I'll tell you why. I've talked to the survivors. Why this is such a slap in the face. One of the survivors said they released her name accidentally, but they still have not released the FBI file about the people who abused her at her request. And the problem here is that there are rich and powerful people. We all know this. There are 1200 victims. There are rich and powerful people who either engaged in this abuse, covered it up, or were on this island.

And what the American people want to know is who are these people? And instead of holding them accountable, Pam Bondi is breaking the law. And this is the corrupt system, the Epstein class the people are sick of.

REP. THOMAS MASSIE (R-KY): The quickest way, and I think the most expeditious way to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi. And that doesn't require going through the courts and give her -- and basically Ro Khanna and I are talking about and drafting that right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Kevin Liptak is joining us now from near President Trump's Florida home, where he's spending the holidays.

Kevin, bring us the latest on what the White House and DOJ are saying.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And certainly there has been this swell of criticism, bipartisan criticism about how the administration has handled the release of these files, including the apparent removal of some of those documents yesterday. Now, on that front, we did just hear within the last few minutes from the Justice Department that that image, which contained a photograph of President Trump, has been restored to the Web site.

And what the Justice Department said in a statement is that the Southern District of New York had flagged an image of President Trump for further potential action to protect some of the victims. And they say that out of an abundance of caution, the Department of Justice temporarily removed the image for further review, but that after the review, it was determined that there was no evidence that any Epstein victims are depicted in the photograph, and that it has been reposted without any alteration or redaction. So at least on that front, they are saying that they put that image back online after what had been an enormous swell of criticism.

And, you know, we did hear earlier today from Todd Blanche, who's the number two at the Justice Department, who tried to rebut some of the criticism that the Justice Department wasn't following the letter of the law by releasing all of these documents by that 30-day deadline, which hit on Friday. He said that this is an enormous undertaking for the Justice Department, that there's almost a million papers and documents that they have to go through, that there's hundreds of lawyers who are working on this and that they need to make sure that no victims information is released.

[16:05:04]

And he really did push back pretty harshly against this idea that they're selectively choosing what to release based on political motive. Listen to more of how he explained what's going on here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD BLANCHE, U.S. DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: There were a number of photographs that were pulled down after being released on Friday. That's because a judge in New York has ordered us to listen to any victim or victim rights group, if they have any concerns about the material that we're putting up. And so when we hear concerns, whether it's photographs of women that we do not believe are victims or we didn't have information to show that they were victims, but we learned that there are concerns, of course, we're taking that photograph down and we're going to address it, if we need to redact faces or other information, we will, and then we'll put it back up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: So really, you hear him there trying to tamp down on the criticism, which of course has not just started now. It dates back, you know, months and months, much of it coming from President Trump's own supporters, who are very much animated by this issue. But I think what is clear is that this drip, drip, drip of releasing these documents isn't going to tamp down on the overall furor that seems likely to plague President Trump for the foreseeable future, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kevin Liptak, thank you so much. All right. Meantime, the Trump administration continues to turn up the

pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. A U.S. official tells CNN the administration is working to intercept another vessel near Venezuela today after President Trump ordered a U.S. oil blockade for ships coming and going from that country. It's the second ship the U.S. has targeted in the region this week and the third ship this month.

On Saturday, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted the Centuries tanker in international waters off the coast of Venezuela. The White House says the tanker was carrying sanctioned Venezuelan oil, though the ship itself did not appear on a list of sanctioned vessels.

And new today, U.S. and Russian negotiators are meeting in Miami for a second straight day to discuss how to end the war in Ukraine. Russia's lead negotiator said the talks are moving along in a constructive manner after meeting with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner on Saturday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not in attendance for the discussions, but senior Ukrainian advisers met with the U.S. delegation.

Zelenskyy hosted Portugal's prime minister yesterday about support for Kyiv once Russia's war on Ukraine is over. Zelenskyy said the Trump administration is proposing a new format for talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. He says those negotiations would, quote, "probably include European representatives as well."

All right. Turning now to Australia, where the government said it will review law enforcement and intelligence agencies following last week's mass killing. Authorities say the alleged attackers, a father and son, were inspired by the ISIS terror group.

As CNN's Angus Watson reports, this remains a country in mourning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANGUS WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One week after the worst terror attack in Australian history, Bondi's Jewish community led the nation in a moment of silence at a mass memorial at Bondi Beach. Here, two gunmen opened fire on a celebration for the first night of Hanukkah, killing 15 and wounding over 40, including 14-year-old Chaya Dadon.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you all so much for coming.

CHAYA DADON, 14-YEAR-OLD INJURED IN BONDI BEACH SHOOTING: Well, obviously mourning, but we're getting stronger as a nation and we're, like, we're growing and like, sometimes growing hurts, but we're growing and life is going to move on. And why not make the best of it?

WATSON: The eighth night of Hanukkah should also have been a celebration. Instead, it concluded a week of heartbreak and mourning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're among the very first on scene.

WATSON (voice-over): Rabbi Mendy Litzman, a first responder to the attack, was on stage to light the first candle of the Hanukkah menorah.

RABBI MENDY LITZMAN, FIRST RESPONDER: When I arrived, there's just bodies everywhere, people bleeding, people shouting, Mendy, Mendy, save me, save me. And who do you go to first?

WATSON: The festival celebrates light over darkness. One week ago, two gunmen stood on this bridge. Tonight, a Hanukkah menorah.

(Voice-over): On Sunday, the eighth candle lit by the father of the youngest victim, 10-year-old Matilda. Hanukkah's message of light over darkness, giving Australia the chance to heal.

Angus Watson, CNN, at Sydney's Bondi Beach.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Still to come, Christmas celebrations held in Gaza this weekend. We'll look at the fragile ceasefire there as Palestinians continue to struggle to survive. And up next, we take an early peek ahead to 2028.

[16:10:00]

Who is rising to the top of the voters' next presidential wish list? We'll share the names to note in a brand new CNN poll.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Quite the range calls for unity. There's the MAGA infighting. And then a special guest star. All center stage for the final day of Turning Point USA's annual conference known as AmericaFest. Young conservatives heard from speakers like Donald Trump, Jr. and Erica Kirk, who now leads the nonprofit organization. She was joined on stage with a surprise appearance by rapper Nicki Minaj.

[16:15:13]

CNN's senior reporter Steve Contorno was there for all of it.

Steve, what were the highlights? Even J.D. Vance was there.

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Vice President J.D. Vance took the stage here in Arizona to close out a Turning Point conference that has exposed some deep divisions within the GOP. And we have seen these simmering tensions play out all weekend over issues such as Israel and whether to a platform conspiracy theorist.

Now, Vance said that instead of discouraging this kind of debate, he encouraged Turning Point's attendees to address it head on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know that some of you are impatient at the pace of progress, and my response to that is good. Be impatient. Use that desire for justice for your country as fuel to get involved in this movement in a bigger and better and more powerful way. I know some of you are discouraged by the infighting over any number of issues. Don't be discouraged. Wouldn't you rather lead a movement of free thinkers who sometimes disagree than a bunch of drones who take their orders from George Soros?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONTORNO: Earlier in this conference, Erica Kirk, the widow of the founder of this event, Charlie Kirk, announced that she was going to support J.D. Vance for president in 2028. Now, while he did not directly address that new support, he did take some shots at some of the potential 2028 Democratic contenders that he may one day face. Just showing that we are already starting to see some of the jockeying taking place on both the left and the right.

Take a look at this CNN poll of Republican and Republican leaning voters. They show -- it shows that J.D. Vance is in a good position to potentially lead this party. 22 percent say that they would like to see him run. The next closest Republican figure doesn't even eclipse 5 percent -- Fredricka.

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

All right. That new CNN poll also finds that half of Americans say they have already given the 2028 election some thought, even though it's about three years away. Among Democratic contenders, the top three names that have emerged are California Governor Gavin Newsom, former vice president Kamala Harris and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. And Americans in both parties say they are most interested in a president who exhibits honesty.

All right. Still to come, we take you into the heart of the California community ravaged by wildfires earlier this year. A look at how families and businesses are working to raise their neighborhoods back from the ashes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:22:20]

WHITFIELD: It's been nearly a year since the Eaton Fire tore through the Southern California community of Altadena, killing 19 people. More than 40 percent of the homes there were destroyed or severely damaged. That's about 6,000 in total. But for nearly all the impacted families, the struggles to rebuild continue.

CNN's Julia Vargas Jones spoke to some of the survivors and bring us their stories.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A house frozen in time.

ANDREW WESSELS, EATON FIRE SURVIVOR: The first thing I see every time I have to walk into this house is this Christmas tree. All the ornaments that my kids selected on here, and then the toys that they had just opened up. Definitely like a time capsule. Nothing basically has been touched.

JONES (voice-over): Andrew Wessels and his family fled the Eaton Fire nearly a year ago. Their home looks eerily normal. But he says it's poisoned.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone tested and found 25 percent ash and soot behind that wall. And so everything in here, this whole room, is going to be gutted because there's so much ash.

JONES (voice-over): Among those toxins, he says, are lead at up to 20 times EPA limits in some areas, as well as arsenic, nickel and other heavy metals. Contamination, Wessels says, makes the house unsafe for his two young children.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When an asbestos are not visible and they're odorless, and so if I let my baby play on this, they have lead poisoning.

JONES (voice-over): Wessels says he has moved his family through 12 different homes this year, all while fighting his insurance company to pay for testing, specialized cleanup and ripping out contaminated material. It's the kind of damage you can't always see, and that's what makes it so hard to prove.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If everything had burned down ash, there'd be no argument.

JONES (voice-over): The cause of the Eaton Fire still under investigation, but video from that night shows sparks near Southern California Edison Tower. After initially denying involvement, Edison now is saying its equipment may have been responsible for the ignition, but the company continues to deny any negligence.

In October, the utility company rolled out a voluntary compensation program offering a $10,000 flat fee for smoke, ash, infiltration or soot damage. And for families like the Wessels, $10,000 per adult and $5,000 per child for things like emotional distress. But to receive payment, survivors must sign a full release, waiving all past and future claims against Edison related to the Eaton Fire.

JOY CHEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EATON FIRE SURVIVORS NETWORK: We are hearing from families jumping at that Edison offer. They're saying, well, I need money, and this is something that I can use to pay my rent for the next two or three months.

JONES (voice-over): Chen represents more than 10,000 fire survivors, many faced with an impossible choice. Take the money and waive the rights or shoulder massive out-of-pocket costs alone.

[16:25:05]

CHEN: 80 percent of us are still displaced, and most of us are running out of housing funds. Families without stable housing cannot make free or informed legal decisions. JONES (voice-over): That is why survivors are now pressing Edison for

more generous payments, which the state would reimburse out of a disaster fund.

CHEN: Edison should front up to $200,000 per displaced household in urgent housing relief, based on verified costs. We're not asking Edison to pay for our housing. California created the Wildfire Fund to protect utilities from the fires they caused. There are $19 billion in that fund today.

JONES (voice-over): Edison can only access that money if California Wildfire Fund administrators find them to have acted prudently in relation to the fire.

From Rossana Valverde's front yard, you can see where the fire began.

ROSSANA VALVERDE, EATON FIRE SURVIVOR: It started right up there. Under those towers.

JONES: Right. That second tower over there.

VALVERDE: Yes.

JONES (voice-over): When her house was spared, she counted her blessings.

VALVERDE: We thought at first we were so incredibly lucky that our house is saved. And then we found out. Yes, it's saved, but it's a huge task to get all of these heavy metals out of the house.

JONES (voice-over): She says nearly everything inside has to go, including floors that will be ripped out, walls sealed, and an HVAC system that may need to be replaced.

VALVERDE: It would have been easier if it burned down. And we had a lot of people that we know who their houses did burn down, and they said, yes, it's easier. And what they're going through is not easy. But they said there isn't as much of a fight because it's gone completely. Whereas this they, for a long, long time, did not want to recognize smoke damage.

JONES: But there's another battle, which is the battle with Southern California Edison. Now they're offering a settlement basically. You've decided to not take that.

VALVERDE: That is correct.

JONES: Why is that?

VALVERDE: The offer is $10,000 for the remediation of the house. This is close to $350,000 for all of this. So $10,000 is not going to do anything.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JONES (on-camera): And Fred, a spokesperson for Edison has told us that they continue to encourage those survivors to submit claims via their program and that so far, they've received 1500 claims. And the first settlement has already been paid out. And as for Andrew, he's as of now meeting with contractors, and he is hopeful that he'll be able to move back into his home by the spring -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Wow, what an incredible journey that so many are still on and it is hard. All right, Julia Vargas Jones, thank you so much.

Still to come, a widespread power outage turned some Waymos into no goes. The details straight ahead. And tune in tonight for a look back at the life and legacy of Rob Reiner at 8:00 p.m. on "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER: THE LATEST ON ROB REINER." Then at 9:00 from the CNN archives, an encore presentation of "LARRY KING LIVE," featuring a wide ranging conversation with Reiner. And that's straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:33:01]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. In Gaza today, the Catholic Church's most senior cleric in the Holy Land urged Palestinians to rebuild their lives after the devastating war there. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem delivered his message during an early Christmas Mass in Gaza City.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARDINAL PIERBATTISTA PIZZABALLA, LATIN PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM: I remember that during the war especially the beginning, there were plans to transform here, you know, Gaza, into a resort. But we are here. We will not be resorts. We will build our life as we want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: There is international concern. The second phase of the Gaza ceasefire could collapse along with the rebuilding phase. Almost 71,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began October 7th, 2023. In recent days, U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have been involved in talks over phase 2 of the ceasefire in Gaza. A key part of that is removing Hamas' rule from the enclave and installing a technocratic government that would jumpstart rebuilding.

With us now is Aaron David Miller, he is a former U.S. State Department Middle East negotiator and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Thank you so much, as always, for joining us.

AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER STATE DEPT. MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR: Thank you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: So it's a big leap from, you know, completing phase 1 to the beginning of phase 2. Where do things stand in your view?

MILLER: You know, there were two ceasefires, Fred. One in November of 2023, which saw a release of a limited number of hostages. Another in January, which saw more return of Palestinian prisoners. The problem with both of those phases, and the problem with this one as well, those agreements, is that they never got beyond phase 1.

They never got beyond phase 1 because there's a fundamental disconnect and divide between the way the current Israeli government, or I would argue probably any Israeli government, sees Gaza's future and the way Hamas sees it.

[16:35:05]

And until you find a way to answer the two unanswerable questions, who or what is going to govern Gaza and who or what is going to provide security in all of its complicated manifestations, seems to me the status quo right now, with Hamas controlling 47 percent, roughly almost 2 million Palestinians, with the Israelis control, the remaining 53 percent, maybe with anywhere from 150,000 to 200,000 Palestinians in areas that they control.

Until you find a way to answer those two questions of governance and security, it's going to be a real tough lift. And the longer it goes on, these divisions, Gaul (ph) may have been divided into three parts. Gaza's clearly now divided into two.

WHITFIELD: So about that, you know, starting phase 2 then, disarming Hamas, I mean, that is among the goals. Is this realistic?

MILLER: Right now, it's really hard to see how you get from where we are now. Hamas is what, 20,000 fighters, access to probably thousands of personal weapons, some heavy weaponry, a tunnel infrastructure, Fred, that's probably no longer half as long as the New York subway system, but maybe 40 percent in terms of length and complexity.

And the Israelis still living under the shadow of October 7 are going to want to preempt and prevent 300 plus Palestinians. Many civilians have been killed as a consequence of this unresolved problem. So the mediators, Qataris, the Turks, the Americans, the Egyptians, are still wrestling with the problem of how to demilitarize or decommission.

And right now, it seems to me, unless the Israelis were willing to make a major commitment to withdraw, and which they're not, from the areas that they control, the 50 percent, it's going to be very difficult to convince this organization, which is Hamas, which has survived the last two years, basically give up its guns.

WHITFIELD: And then there's the notion of putting together a government in Gaza. Who's playing a role in that? How is that going to --

MILLER: Yes.

WHITFIELD: -- come to be?

MILLER: I mean, the 20-point plan, right, it's got the Board of Peace, which the President's going to chair. Below that, an executive committee in which people like Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, they'll be on it. And then you have a committee of technocrats. The number is 15 Palestinians not related or under the control of either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, with the nominal responsibility for administering this divided Gaza.

The rule of thumb here, though, I think is clear, Fred. If governance is going to succeed, Palestinians are going to have to govern Gaza. How they're going to be chosen, how effective they're going to be --

WHITFIELD: Yes.

MILLER: -- very difficult to see right now, since Hamas controls the police and most of the administration in Gaza right now.

WHITFIELD: And then the West Bank continues to be a source of tension. Just this weekend, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian teen. And the Israeli government also recently approved 19 new settler outposts. So is there a concern here that the West Bank could unravel? You know, any kind of gains made will just be undermined.

MILLER: I mean, I think that's the sort of missing ingredient in the way the Trump administration is approaching this. They haven't said very little to restrain or constrain Israeli settlement activity. And let's be clear, as long as the current Israeli government exists in its current form, the policies on the West Bank are going to be annexationist in everything but name only.

And at some point, violence there is going to increase. And if the President had any hope to somehow create a pathway from Gaza to Israeli-Saudi normalization and regional peace, it's going to have to run through the West Bank. And right now, it's going to run into a series of headaches and obstacles that are going to block any future progress.

So, again, the war as we've known it in Gaza, the threat is over. For the 20 living Israeli hostages and for the families of those, now only one Israeli remains deceased that Hamas is yet to return for thousands of Palestinian prisoners that have been returned. And the situation for Gazans is better.

But still, it seems to be miserable. For all of that reason, I think 2026 could offer a way to build on that. But it's going to require the one thing, Fred, we just don't have.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

MILLER: And that is leadership, real leadership.

WHITFIELD: Yes, very difficult situation.

All right, Aaron David Miller, thank you so much. And happy holidays to you.

MILLER: And, Fred, same to you. And a happy new year.

[16:40:03]

WHITFIELD: Still to come, the holidays can be a difficult and even dangerous time for people with substance use disorders. We'll discuss the struggle to stay sober and what can be done to show support at your family gatherings.

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[16:45:00]

WHITFIELD: All right, the lights are back on for most of San Francisco after a massive power outage caused major citywide disruptions on Saturday. Emergency officials say some blackouts were caused by a fire in a PG&E substation. Residents were urged to avoid non-essential travel as traffic lights and even Waymo services went dark.

This is one of the several videos shared online appearing to show the driverless vehicle stopped in the middle of a dark intersection.

All right, we're four days away now from Christmas, and many of us are feeling the pressure, from hunting for the perfect gift to traveling over the river and through the woods on crowded planes or packed roadways. The holiday season often brings a lot of stress.

Doctor of Internal Medicine Lipi Roy is joining me right now. Dr. Roy, great to see you and happy holidays.

LIPI ROY, INTERNAL MEDICINE PHYSICIAN: Happy holidays, Fredricka. But, unfortunately, as you know, the holidays are not a happy time for many.

WHITFIELD: That's right. And so help people, you know, try to navigate maybe in advance of some of that anxiety that they could be feeling. I mean, what is your best advice or, you know, what do people need to be looking out for to help people might -- who might feel a lot of anxiety?

ROY: Yes. Studies show that substance use related issues like addiction relapse or return to use or overdose all increase during the holidays. So why does substance use and addiction increase? Well, it's actually a unique mixture of social, psychological and environmental stressors that intensify during the holiday season.

And we know that stress, we in the addiction field, certainly know that stress is a risk factor for substance use and addiction. And some of the stressors, like you already mentioned, financial pressures from gift giving, end of year bills, pressure from travel, like flight delays, traffic. Family dynamics can be really complicated and stressful and loneliness, sadness and grief when people miss those who are gone.

Just as an FYI, this March 16th will be the three-year anniversary of my own father's passing. And Christmas time was such a joyful time for my dad, for all of us together. So it was stressful. I miss my dad, but I'm not alone, Fredricka. So many people are in the same boat, missing others that are gone right now.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and I'm sorry about that. But then, you know, I wondered, then what's your best advice on how people can manage those stressors? Because the things you just laid out really are inevitable, right? You know, missing a loved one -- ROY: Yes.

WHITFIELD: -- or feeling the financial pressure that comes with the holidays. So what -- is this an issue of what we as individuals need to tell ourselves to help cope, or is it really leaning on, you know, our closest friends and family members to help us get through? I mean, how do we do this?

ROY: Yes. Yes. It's really a combination of all of the above. But one is to really look out for what those signs are of struggle, of say, problematic drinking or substance use. When people are -- if you notice people are drinking more or using more or longer than they expected, or if they're using or drinking to cope or to self-medicate their pain, anxiety or loneliness, when you see these signs, just remind people that help is available. You are not alone. Please ask for help.

And the things that -- simple things that people can do to plan ahead. So if you are, say, hosting a party, offering alcohol free beverages, as well as healthy food and snacks, because food and snacks help increase absorption of alcohol.

And then -- and if you know you're going to a party where they're going to be serving alcohol, maybe ask if they could offer non- alcoholic beverages or be aware of those situations. And also, it's important to seek professional help. Talk to a doctor or a therapist.

Telehealth is also helpful during the travel heavy holiday season. Medications, counseling are available and can really make a difference. It's also important to remember, remind your viewers that 988 is the suicide and crisis lifeline. And last but most certainly not least, what you already hinted at, Fredricka, social support is so key.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

ROY: Talk to people you trust. Ask for help around the house, groceries, running errands, gift buying. Lean on others. Remember, there is no shame in asking for help, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Oh, that is great advice and really important for people to think about, you know, those who can support them. But then there are a lot of people who feel like they don't have that kind of social support. They feel isolated. What's your recommendation?

ROY: Yes. Hey, I know this for a fact. I take care of patients in an opioid treatment program and people are struggling. But even for those folks, I'm -- I try to be that cheerleader, that glorified coach and I say help is available. Do things -- even if you're in your moments of despair, loneliness, try to do things that you enjoy, that bring you joy, whether it be reading, watching TV, movies or connecting with one person.

[16:50:02]

You don't have to be a social butterfly that socializes with 10 other people. Just find one person that you can connect to. And again, as I said, lean on and utilize the services that are available. Confidential phone lines. You don't have to give your name, but just reach out, get help and find things that bring you joy.

Even small things can bring people joy, reduce that stress and reduce that need to seek out, say, substances or other behaviors that can self-medicate your pain and suffering at that moment. There's other help that's available, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All super and really invaluable advice and tips.

Thank you so much, Dr. Lipi Roy. Appreciate it. Happy holidays to you.

ROY: Happy holidays.

WHITFIELD: All right, coming up next, we'll also look at how the holidays can be a time of stress for getting together with our loved ones that we don't always see eye to eye with. We'll get some words of advice from the man known as the Bishop of the Internet.

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[16:55:38]

WHITFIELD: All right, I don't have to tell you this, but America is a nation that has grown increasingly politically divided. But during the holiday season is the message of Christmas enough to help deliver a sense of togetherness to people here in the U.S. and across the world. Let's hope so.

We're joined now by Robert Barron, Bishop of the Diocese of Winona- Rochester in Minnesota. He's known as the country's first podcasting priest. He's also founder of the Word on Fire programs.

Great to see you, Bishop. And happy holidays.

ROBERT BARRON, BISHOP, DIOCESE OF WINONA-ROCHESTER: Thank you. Good to see you. Yes, Merry Christmas to you. Thanks.

WHITFIELD: Thank you. Is Christmas the perfect reason, you know, to kind of throw those political divisions out the window, bring people together? I mean, how might this Christmas message help?

BARRON: Well, it should be, of course. And, you know, one thing I would say very practically to families, don't talk about politics at all in Christmas dinner.

WHITFIELD: Right.

BARRON: About a year ago, so right after the -- Trump was reelected, I had Thanksgiving at my house and, you know, like every family, there are political tensions and someone brought up Trump --

WHITFIELD: Oh no.

BARRON: -- in a disparaging way. And I just said, OK, that's it. No, no, no talk about politics.

WHITFIELD: Right.

BARRON: And that was the end of it. You know, so just politics has never united us. Name one moment in American history --

WHITFIELD: So set some boundaries? Yes.

BARRON: Pardon me?

WHITFIELD: We're setting boundaries.

BARRON: Well, it never united us. I would drop politics from the conversation completely. And what I would say is this. Go back to the great message of the Christmas angel. I don't mean this sentimentally. The song of the angels is glory to God in the highest and on Earth, peace to people of goodwill. That's a kind of formula.

It means, we will find peace among ourselves. Not through politics, not through economics, not through our own machinations. We will find it only when together we give glory to God in the highest.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

BARRON: So it's not pleasure, not money, not power, not politics, not country, not even family, all good things. But don't glorify those. When you do that, division follows. But when together we give glory to God in the highest, then peace will break out among us. That's the the wager of Christmas.

So the other thing I would say, and I'll say to my fellow Catholics, but to non-Catholics too, go to church on Christmas. I think one problem we have is we treat Christmas as a, you know, midwinter festival or something. And then --

WHITFIELD: Because people get all caught up. Yes, they get caught up in the whole commercialization of it, you know.

BARRON: Right.

WHITFIELD: And they kind of forget --

BARRON: Right.

WHITFIELD: -- its true meaning.

BARRON: Go to church, because what Christmas celebrates is the word became flesh, that God became one of us. Emmanuel, God with us, the child of Bethlehem. You know, I think of this too, Fredricka, that there's something about a baby. A baby draws everybody together, right?

Let's say there's a big gathering and everyone's kind of bickering and fighting and then someone comes in with a baby. Well, suddenly everyone wants to see the baby. Everyone gathers around. Well, that's the Christmas message that God became a baby so that we could all, you know, from the shepherds and the kings and everybody in between could come together around that child.

Glory to God in the highest. And the glory of God is found in this Bethlehem child. So go to church. Don't talk about politics at the table.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

BARRON: Go to church and find that spiritual sense of Christmas. I think that will bring us together.

WHITFIELD: Oh, that's so nice. All right, so bring us hope on how, you know, of course we want to restore hope and maintain, you know, hope and peace right there at home but then globally. I mean, there's so much conflict everywhere. What do you -- how do you encourage people? What are the pacifying thoughts that, you know, people can embrace to have hope for a global peace?

BARRON: You want peace in the world, find peace in your heart. Find peace with your family. Do the simplest things that make you peaceful. And the way that happens is, when I give glory to God in the highest, then all the elements that make me up, think of my mind, my will, my passions, my private life, my public life, all of it tends to come together peacefully around that center. So find peace in yourself. And then if you're a parent, you're a sibling, try to build that same peace in your family.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

BARRON: One thing we do is we leap over the things we can control more easily and we preoccupy ourselves with things we can't control. So, you know, Ukraine and Russia --

WHITFIELD: That's true.

BARRON: -- or the Middle East --

WHITFIELD: Yes.

BARRON: -- start with your own heart and you give glory to God in the highest and then you'll become ordered and peaceful --

WHITFIELD: Thank you.

BARRON: -- and build that peace in your own family.

WHITFIELD: Wonderful. We will start. It all starts right here.

All right, Bishop Robert Barron --

BARRON: Yes.

WHITFIELD: -- appreciate you. Happy holidays. Merry Christmas.

BARRON: God bless you.

WHITFIELD: And thank you everyone for joining me today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

"The Lead Weekend" starts right now.