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Backlash Escalates Over Epstein Files; Australia Pushes for Stricter Gun Laws; U.S. Holds Separate Talks With Russian & Ukrainian Delegations; Finnish Reindeer Under Threat From Russian Wolves; Broadway Shows Face Rising Costs And Falling Profits. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired December 22, 2025 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead on "CNN Newsroom," growing outrage over the heavily redacted release of the Epstein files as lawmakers now consider holding the U.S. attorney general in contempt of Congress. One week on, lawmakers in Australia's state of New South Wales debate new laws to tighten gun control and ban hate speech as we learn more about how the deadly attack unfolded on Bondi Beach. And later, a visit to Santa's official address in Norway where there's no shortage of cheer.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom with Rosemary Church."

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Several lawmakers are accusing President Trump's Justice Department of flouting the law by releasing only some of the Epstein files. Since Friday, the agency has released thousands more documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the U.S. Justice Department says a photo that includes images of President Trump has been restored to the Epstein files online database. It was one of more than a dozen photos that disappeared from the website on Saturday.

Now, there's a bipartisan charge on Capitol Hill demanding the DOJ release all the files in their entirety or else, it will hold the U.S. attorney general in contempt of Congress. One lawmaker says the administration's actions are an insult to Epstein survivors and to Americans demanding answers.

(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 1,200 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 that people are sick of.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: The Trump administration is on the defensive over bipartisan criticism of its release of Jeffrey Epstein documents on Friday, criticism coming both from Republicans and Democrats who say that the Justice Department didn't follow the letter of the law by releasing all of those documents within that 30-day deadline, questions about why so much information was redacted, and questions from advocates and victims who wonder why so many of the documents that may have contained some of the revelations that they have been looking for were not included in this latest batch.

Now, when it comes to this question of whether the Justice Department removed documents that it had previously released, we are getting more information about why they did that. For example, there was an image that included a photograph of President Trump that appeared on the Justice Department's website on Friday. On Saturday, had disappeared.

But the Justice Department said Sunday that the Southern District of New York flagged an image of President Trump for potential further action to protect victims. They say out of an abundance of caution, the Justice Department temporarily removed the image for further review and then -- quote -- "After the review, it was determined there is no evidence that any Epstein victims are depicted in the photograph and it has been reposted without any alteration or redaction."

And that does echo what we heard from the number two at the Justice Department, the deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, who is out speaking on Sunday, really trying to rebut some of this criticism, saying that the Justice Department has hundreds of lawyers pouring through more than a million documents, trying to ensure that victims' identities aren't exposed. And he sheds some more light about why some of these images appeared on the website and then seemed to disappear. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD BLANCHE, UNITED STATES DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: There were a number of photographs that were pulled down after being released on Friday.

[02:04:58]

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 on faces or other information, we will, and then we'll put it back up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: Now, Blanche was also clear that removing that image of President Trump had nothing to do with the president himself. He said -- quote -- "We are not redacting information around President Trump."

So very much trying to tamp down on some of the criticism here. Of course, criticism of how the Trump administration has handled all of this did not begin on Friday. It has been brewing for months and months, originating in a large part by Trump's own supporters who are animated by this issue of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

You have heard the administration admit that some of this has gone south. You heard the chief of staff, Susie Wiles, say in an interview released last week that the attorney general, Pam Bondi, had whiffed the initial release of these Epstein documents.

I think this release and the criticism around it only serves to underscore that President Trump will continue to be dogged by this matter. It doesn't seem to be dying down in the foreseeable future.

Kevin Liptak, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The next U.S. presidential election is still about three years away. It will be the first time in 12 years without a sitting president seeking his party's nomination. And many voters are already thinking about who they want to see run. New CNN polling finds 33% of Americans surveyed say they have a possible candidate in mind.

Among Democrats or left-leaning independents surveyed who could offer up a name, California Governor Gavin Newsom on the top spot, followed by former vice president and presidential candidate, Kamala Harris. On the Republican side, Vice President J.D. Vance is the early leader right now, followed at a distant second by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, although most of those surveyed have no specific candidate in mind.

Well, less than a year into Donald Trump's second term, cracks are growing in the MAGA coalition. A gathering of conservative influencers and young Republicans at the Turning Point USA conference this weekend offered a look at some of the challenges J.D. Vance could face if he runs for president. Speakers badmouth one another from the stage and argued over who belongs in the party and in the United States. Vance did not just address the friction in the party, he encouraged people to embrace it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: 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?

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Music star Nicki Minaj made a surprise appearance on stage with Erika Kirk, the widow of Turning Point founder, Charlie Kirk. The rapper who spoke out against Trump's immigration programs during his first term in office called the president and vice president role models for young men.

Ron Brownstein is a CNN senior political analyst. He joins us now. Thanks for being with us.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Thanks for having me, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, Ron, outrage is growing over the partial and heavily redacted release of the Epstein files. The Justice Department now saying it has restored a photo of Donald Trump after it was taken down Saturday. And now, two lawmakers are threatening to hold Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt of Congress due to excessive redactions and not following the law by releasing all the Epstein files. So, how bad could this get for the Trump administration, do you think?

BROWNSTEIN: I mean, it's just astonishing. Each time they take an action, however often here they were forced into it, designed to extinguish this story. Instead, they give it new oxygen and new fervor.

You know, every step along the way, they have behaved as if there is, you know, material there they don't want to be public, you know, whether there is or not. And, you know, look, it's hard to prove a negative for people who are inclined to think that the administration is covering up for a lot of powerful people, potentially including the president.

[02:09:59]

You know, it's not clear what you could ever put out that would convince them otherwise. But certainly, the actions of this administration are going in the opposite direction. And I am just struck that each time they have an opportunity to kind of turn a corner on this, instead, they seem to open a whole new series of questions.

CHURCH: And also, Ron, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance addressed Turning Point USA's youth conference Sunday after deep divisions within the GOP, within MAGA, at least. He is encouraging free thinkers even if they disagree on some issues.

And Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika, says she's endorsing Vance for president in 2028. But despite that endorsement, a new CNN poll shows only 22 percent of Republicans support Vance running in 2028 while two-thirds support no one in particular. What do those numbers tell you?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, that was a -- that was a question asking people in an open-ended way who they would support. And you tend to get very low numbers for any individual candidate there. And you saw on the Democratic side in that poll, the numbers were even lower.

I suspect that if Trump remains popular within the Republican Party over this entire term and, you know, even though his approval has eroded some, he's still much, you know, overwhelmingly popular within the Republican coalition.

It's going to be very hard to beat Vance. It's hard to beat the vice president of an incumbent president who is still popular with the base. The speech was really revealing, though. I think it gave us a very good sense of where Vance envisions taking the MAGA movement if and when Trump steps aside in 2028.

And, you know, the biggest applause line of the night in his speech was when he said that the one anchor -- anchor was his word -- that has always served the U.S. best is the understanding that it always has been and always will be a Christian nation. Extraordinary assertion that polling shows most Americans do not accept but which has substantial agreement within the Republican coalition. And I think that was an indication that post-Trump, Vance envisions turning this movement in a more Christian nationalist direction were explicitly Christian nationalist direction.

CHURCH: Yes. And meantime, Ron, some Republicans are frustrated and worried by their own party not acting to lower health care costs as subsidies expire at the end of this month. How damaging is this issue for the GOP and how much more damaging could it prove to be in the new year?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, it's the Democrats' best issue. You know, as you and I have talked about, overall, the Democratic Party image is probably at its lowest ebb since the late 80s and early 90s before Bill Clinton. But even at their lowest points, polls consistently show that they have a bigger lead over Republicans on health care than on any other issue.

And, you know, I think we are heading for a reprise of the argument that Bill Clinton, to use his name again, made with a lot of success against the Newt Gingrich Congress in '95 and '96, which is that the argument that they are cutting health care, federal health care benefits that benefit average families to fund a tax cut for the rich. And that was a very powerful argument for Clinton. It allowed him to turn around as president. And it's one that Republicans, I think, have a great deal of vulnerability to, as you see from those moderate members who are trying to get an extension of the ACA subsidies.

That's not going to happen when you add it to what was done to Medicaid in the one big, beautiful bill last summer. Something like 15, 16 million people -- an incredible number -- are going to lose their health care coverage and about another 20 million are going to see higher premiums, and that is a lot to carry in your rucksack into the midterms.

CHURCH: Ron Brownstein, always great to get your political analysis. Happy holidays to you.

BROWNSTEIN: Happy holidays. Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: Donald Trump has appointed Louisiana's Republican governor as the new special envoy to Greenland. In a social media post, Mr. Trump said Governor Jeff Landry -- quote -- "understands how essential Greenland is to our national security" -- end quote. It's not clear if Landry will step down from his position as governor to fill that appointment.

During his first term, President Trump expressed interest in buying Greenland from Denmark. This year, he has talked about annexing the island. Mr. Trump says Greenland is strategically important for the United States.

Well, the U.S. is pursuing another oil tanker in international waters that it tried to intercept off the coast of Venezuela. Officials say the U.S. Coast Guard tried to board the ship as it moved toward Venezuela to pick up oil, but the tanker refused to stop. The ship is on a list of vessels sanctioned for ties to Iran.

[02:14:58]

President Trump's crackdown on Venezuela's oil industry includes a blockade on all sanctioned tankers. On December 10th, the U.S. seized one tanker linked to Venezuelan oil and another this past Saturday. Mr. Trump's escalation with Venezuela has sparked criticism even from lawmakers in his own party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): I consider it a provocation and a prelude to war, and I hope we don't go to war with Venezuela. Look, at any point in time, there are 20, 30 governments around the world that we don't like that are either socialist or communist or have human rights violations. We could really literally go through a couple dozen. But it isn't the job of the American soldier to be the policeman of the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says the U.S. is waging a campaign of -- quote -- "psychological terrorism" against his country. Still to come, new details about the deadly Bondi Beach mass shooting and how investigators believe the attack was planned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. The day after a memorial for the 15 victims of the Bondi Beach massacre, Australian officials are looking at how to prevent a tragedy like it from happening again.

[02:20:03]

Lawmakers in the state of New South Wales are attending an emergency session of Parliament. They're debating new laws to tighten gun control in the state, to limit protests, and to ban the display of terror symbols and hate speech.

Thousands of mourners gathered under tight police security at Bondi Beach on Sunday evening to mark a week since two gunmen targeted a Jewish festival.

New South Wales premier says new laws are necessary to prevent such incidents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS MINNS, PREMIER, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA: Today, we're introducing new laws, tough new laws to protect the community, to crack down on hate and strengthen public safety. The legislation bans the public displays of terror symbols, outlaws, violence, incitement to violence in New South Wales, and gives police stronger powers during public assemblies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: We're also learning more about how last week's attack was planned and carried out as the sole surviving gunman made a court appearance via video link. CNN's Mike Valerio joins us now live from Beijing. So, Mike, what is the latest on the investigation and, of course, the case against the surviving suspect?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's the new, I would say, stunning development, Rosemary, that there is an entire layer of this attack that did not work, that did not happen. We were looking at court documents that were released only a couple hours ago here in the early afternoon in this side of the world. And police are alleging, and we're going to show the photos that relay all of this information, that the attackers had bombs that they were going to throw into the crowd and none of those bombs exploded.

So, let's go to our first grouping of photos. You're going to see two pipe bombs on the screen. So, this is a new statement of facts that came out from police, it's about 30 pages long, just relaying the new details of what they've been able to uncover so far.

And the most striking element is this, that before the father and son began shooting at people, police said that they had three pipe bombs, one tennis ball bomb, and then a larger IED in the trunk of their car. They threw out those four first bombs, the smaller ones into the crowd. They didn't go off. Police said they all were viable and as well was the larger IED in the trunk of their car. None of them went off, and that's when they carried out the shooting part of the attack.

We also, if we rewind a little bit more, which is going into the preparation of this attack, according to investigators and police, you see still images that are in the countryside of New South Wales with the father and son holding shotguns, practicing firing, practicing moving tactically in the countryside.

Fast forwarding more to December the 12th, two days on that Friday before the attack, it's the 9 p.m. hour in Sydney, you see a car, which investigators say was driven by the father and son, pulling up to the footbridge. Investigators are saying this is both of them sussing out, scoping out where they were going to fire from and sort of a dry run of the attack.

And then the final photo grouping. This is not at a normal hour. This is 2 a.m. Both of the father and son coming out of the Airbnb room they rented, which police described as a staging post, moving large items wrapped in blankets, which are suspected to be not only the long gun weapons but the explosives brought to the attack, moved during the 2 a.m. hour as everybody else in that neighborhood was asleep, moving it from their rented room to their car.

So, the level of detail and, you know, God forbid that other element of the attack did not happen in what was already -- what is already the worst terror attack in Australia's history.

CHURCH: Yes. Those are chilling details indeed. And, of course, Mike, what more are you learning about efforts in the state of New South Wales to crack down on hate speech and gun controls to prevent this from happening again?

VALERIO: It's pretty interesting. So, I think the premier of New South Wales in the soundbite at beginning of our segment set it up pretty nicely. So, limiting the number of guns to four firearms per person whose license is in the new piece of legislation. That would be a maximum of 10 firearms for farmers in New South Wales.

The farmers are not happy about this at all. They're using their interest groups in the Parliament of New South Wales to say they're not happy about this. They don't want this at all. This isn't factoring in what they need in their daily life in terms of the number of guns that they're able to use.

And then the speech that's limited in events of protest after a terror attack happens. The premier was speaking specifically about that in the soundbite. It would limit what kind of political speech protest could happen after a terror attack is declared, which is extremely rare.

[02:25:04]

We heard a guest in Polo Sandoval's last hour saying that this legislation is supposed to be narrowly tailored. But there are still advocates of freedom of speech who are scratching their heads about this, to put it lightly, saying that there would be phrases banned in moments like that, like globalized the intifada, which Palestinian groups are saying, you know, is rallying to their cause of stopping the war in Gaza and the occupation of the West Bank.

So, certainly, a lot going on in the Parliament of New South Wales action to in Canberra, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Thanks to Mike Valerio for bringing us that live report. Appreciate it.

VALERIO: No problem.

CHURCH: And still to come, amid the destruction of war, the resilience of Ukrainian students and the effort to help them not just survive but thrive. We'll explain on the other side of the break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: The U.S. held separate talks with Ukrainian and Russian negotiators in Miami, Florida over the weekend. Ukrainian officials called their talks productive and constructive, where negotiators concentrated on developing the 20-point peace plan by President Donald Trump.

[02:30:07]

The U.S. and Ukrainian delegations also met with Europe's national security advisers. A senior Russian negotiator said their talks with the U.S. were proceeding constructively, though a Kremlin aide called Ukraine and Europe's changes to the U.S. proposal unconstructive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YURI USHAKOV, KREMLIN AIDE (through translator): I think that the majority of offers will not work for us, because we will stick to the plan that we have decided on in Anchorage and at the other meetings with the American representatives. Yes, what was offered, in my opinion, is quite unconstructive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: War has taken a toll on so many in Ukraine, but they are continuing to show resilience and resolve despite frequent sirens, air raids and power cuts. And with universities and dorms coming under attack, many students are refusing to let conflict stop them from getting an education. To help, Kyiv School of Economics is raising $4 million to fund 800 full scholarships for students hit by Russia's war. That breaks down to $5,000 for each student, plus free accommodation.

And for more on this effort, I'm joined by Tymofiy Mylovanov, president of Kyiv School of Economics and former Ukrainian minister of economic development and trade. Appreciate you being with us

TYMOFIY MYLOVANOV, PRESIDENT, KYIV SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: Thank you.

CHURCH: So what more can you tell us about your efforts to raise money to fund 800 scholarships for students impacted by Russia's war? And what are some of the stories you want to share with us about these students?

MYLOVANOV: So, for example, there is a student called Victoria. She was actually moved to Russia with her parents when she was five. But when the full scale invasion happened, she rebelled against her family and against the advice of her family, she moved to Europe, away from Russia, because she felt she was Ukrainian. Her identity was Ukrainian, and now she came back to Ukraine to study at the School of Economics. Just one example.

Another example, and we have hundreds of them is a student who moved from Crimea to Ukraine, and her father is a defender of Mariupol, and he is still POW and she studies and her motivation is to make him feel proud. And she is hoping to hear from him one day.

CHURCH: So how critical are these scholarships and how can the world help your efforts to fund these students if they're watching?

MYLOVANOV: Yeah. So, you know, we just want to get these kids through the war and give them a chance, give them tools, give them confidence and environment to be competitive, to thrive to grow, and to become leaders of Ukraine in the world. And, you know, okay, I have a link on my Twitter @mylovanov. And any donation counts.

But these are really the best students. They are not only, you know, leaders, and they have deep trauma, which they are overcoming. And so, some truly, truly deep human the best of humanity, kind of, features in themselves. But they are also very talented because we have the top one, top two, standardized scores in the country. So, these are the future leaders of Ukraine who will who will get, you know, will have to rebuild Ukraine.

CHURCH: And of course, in the meantime, the U.S. held separate talks with Ukrainian and also Russian negotiators in Miami over the weekend. What progress do you think was made and how likely is it that those discussions will lead to a peace deal, given Vladimir Putin has made it very clear he wants as much Ukrainian land as he can get?

MYLOVANOV: Well, absolutely. I think the Russian side makes it extremely clear that it's take it or leave it offer. And they want the territory that they have not been able to take for actually more than, you know, soon, 10 years, more than 10 years, actually, of invasion since 2014. Now they want to get it in the process of peace negotiations. But I think that's the reality. Unfortunately, peace means that Russia is offering this ultimatum.

Now, what I think the Americans and Ukrainians are working on are to ensure that there are sufficient economic support for Ukraine economy to be rebuilt and for the security guarantees that you know, any future invasion is infeasible -- is impossible. So, if that happens, I think there is a chance of compromise. But I also hope that Russia will be able to soften their demands. So, because compromise requires moving on both sides.

CHURCH: So what needs to be included in this new 20-point peace plan to ensure that all parties agree to the terms, including Russia, of course?

MYLOVANOV: Well, I think there are actually three tracks. The 20- point peace plan is one track which is publicly discussed. There are two tracks which are maybe a little bit less known. One is security guarantees between the allies and the United States and Ukraine. So, Russia is not involved in that. And in fact, no one wants Russia to be involved in that.

And the other one is, funding or financing Ukraine postwar for economic recovery and social support. But in the 20-peace plans, I think the sticking point right now is really the fate of the territory in Donbas, which you know, with the most intense fighting is over. And I believe there are ways to package it, to demilitarize the zone to find a way to ensure that people there can live and can recover.

But you know I think if Russia really wants to stick to this point, to make it in your face that they are going to get it and Ukraine is going to withdraw, I think it's going to be very, very difficult to sell it to Ukrainian people.

CHURCH: Timofiy Mylovanov, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

Well, reindeer are dying in Finland and many people there are blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin.

CNN's Isobel Yeung reports on an unexpected consequence of war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISOBEL YEUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine is having far reaching and surprising impacts. Even hundreds of miles away here in Finland, every year, hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world flock here to the arctic circle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have a feeling that you came to see Santa.

YEUNG (voice-over): Finnish legend has it that this is the home --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Santa.

SANTA CLAUS: Good morning.

YEUNG (voice-over): --of Santa Claus.

The iconic reindeer are at the heart of Finland's culture and economy. But Finland's reindeer are in trouble. Thousands are showing up dead. And you might be surprised to know who people here blame. Russian president Vladimir Putin. Russia's border with Finland stretches over 800 miles, the longest of

any NATO country.

Juha Kujala lives just a few miles away. His family have been wrangling reindeer for over 400 years. He now sells reindeer -- everything from reindeer yoga, reindeer to sleigh rides.

YEUNG: Oh, poor reindeer. What is it that's killing the reindeer?

JUHA KUJALA, REINDEER HERDER: Wolf is the worst. And they just kill, kill, kill, kill. It's awful. This area, wolves, most of them come from the east. The Russian side.

YEUNG: How do you know that?

KUJALA: You see the tracks? They come from the Russian side.

YEUNG: Why do you think there are more Russian wolves?

KUJALA: That's the Putin who changed the world.

YEUNG: Putin?

KUJALA: Yeah. The soldiers and the young hunters, they hunt the wolves, but now they're hunting people in Ukraine. There's nobody anymore there left who's hunting wolves.

YEUNG: So do you blame Vladimir Putin for these reindeer?

KUJALA: Who could I blame? I could blame the whole world. Why this happen? It's getting worse after the Ukraine war.

YEUNG (voice-over): In an effort to control the thriving wolf population, Russian men have long been paid bounties by the state for every wolf they hunt. But experts who track the Russian military tell us that recruitment drives into the war in Ukraine have been intense, leaving fewer people to hunt the wolves. Now, reports in Russian media say wolves are increasingly entering villages and towns, and it seems they're crossing the border.

Extensive wolf DNA testing supports that theory. In Finland, there's been a dramatic rise in wolves, which are killing reindeer in record numbers. Sightings like these are increasingly common all along eastern Finland. That's something that will be difficult to stop as tensions along this over 800 mile border are at their highest point in decades.

YEUNG: So right now we are with some Finnish conscripts in the northernmost part of the European Union.

YEUNG (voice-over): Finland has increased defense spending and is carrying out large scale military training.

YEUNG: Finland seems like a very optimistic but also very prepared country.

SOLDIER: It's smart to prepare.

YEUNG (voice-over): As Finland preps for the worst, Kujala is hoping for the best.

KUJALA: Hopefully, Mr. Trump, if you hear me, do everything to try to stop this war.

If we cannot fix this wolf situation quickly, some part of the area going to be without reindeers.

YEUNG: And what would that mean to you?

KUJALA: Like somebody -- somebody took my life away.

[02:40:00]

YEUNG (voice-over): Isobel Yeung, CNN, in northern Finland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: An iconic part of New York City is facing an uncertain future.

Still to come, we explore how the affordability crisis is having an impact on Broadway musicals.

Back with that and more in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Power has been restored to most of San Francisco after a massive outage hit the city on Saturday. A fire at a power substation was blamed for some of the blackouts, according to Pacific Gas and Electric.

At its peak, the outage affected a third of the company's customers in San Francisco, streets were gridlocked as traffic lights lost power. That blackout also affected self-driving cars. Waymo suspended its services during the outage. At least one video posted to social media appeared to show a Waymo vehicle stopped in the middle of an intersection.

Well, this holiday season, beloved classics like the Nutcracker are drawing crowds to theaters, but Broadway musicals an iconic part of New York City culture, are struggling to turn a profit.

CNN's Leigh Waldman reports, despite star power like George Clooney and Denzel Zashington, Broadway shows are still facing major economic challenges.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON LAKS, PRESIDENT, THE BROADWAY LEAGUE: There's something really special about seeing live theater that is different than everything else. LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For over a century,

Broadway has been at the heart of New York City culture, glittering marquees welcoming audiences to step inside, defy gravity and give him the old razzle dazzle.

LAKS: As New York city goes, so goes Broadway in many respects, and vice versa.

WALDMAN (voice-over): However, the rising cost of musical production is leaving the Great White Way in the red. According to "The New York Times", of the 18 musicals that opened last season, none made a profit as of late September.

Jason Laks, president of the Broadway League, says he expects only one in 10 shows will make their money back.

[02:45:04]

LAKS: It's only gotten harder since the pandemic. We are not, you know, immune from the same cost pressures that affect lots of industries.

WALDMAN (voice-over): He credits much of that to skyrocketing production costs. While ticket prices have only risen slightly over the past 10 years, league data shows Broadway as a whole had its highest grossing season in a decade. James L. Walker Jr. says he invested $50,000 in the recent revival of "Cabaret", which closed early at what producers are calling a total loss.

JAMES L. WALKER JR., BROADWAY INVESTOR: When you look at a play that's grossing an upwards of nearly $100 million, it's hard to explain how we didn't make our money back.

WALDMAN (voice-over): In August, Walker filed a lawsuit against the show's producers with the New York state Supreme Court, alleging breach of contract and what the suit calls a deliberate scheme to strip him and other investors of their money.

WALKER: Obviously, we want our money back, but yes, a major consideration is how do we change the overall infrastructure?

WALDMAN (voice-over): ATG Entertainment, the defendant in the lawsuit, would not comment on active litigation, but has previously denied any wrongdoing and filed a motion to dismiss the suit.

WALDMAN: While traditional Broadway musicals are struggling to find a solution to their money problems, off Broadway, fan favorites like phantom of the opera are being reimagined, drawing in crowds for an interactive experience.

RANDY WEINER, PRODUCER, MASQUERADE: This is a part of the show that's not in the Broadway performance of it.

WALDMAN (voice-over): Broadway legend Andrew Lloyd Webber helped produce this $25 million experience, which takes place in an old six story art shop where the audience donned masks for six nearly simultaneous nightly shows, thrusting them into the phantoms world.

WEINER: We are doing everything Broadway does, except we're even doing it more.

WALDMAN (voice-over): Producer Randy Weiner doesn't plan to bring his show to Broadway, and he's not sure if this concept is the solution to Broadway's financial woes. But as a lifelong New Yorker, he is sure of one thing.

WEINER: I am not worried that Broadway won't figure out its model, because it's an incredible New York experience. That's something that's not going anywhere.

WALDMAN (voice-over): Leigh Waldman, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: After the break, CNN's Richard quest takes us to Santa's village in Norway, where thousands of letters to Santa arrive each year from all around the world. And Christmas is taken very seriously. We'll explain.

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[02:51:28]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

Well, in Norway, Santa Claus has an official address, and every year, thousands of letters arrive for him from around the world. And locals that live and work there take their jobs as Santa's helpers very seriously.

CNN's Richard Quest has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR AT LARGE (voice-over): In Norway, this is the official address of Santa. Located in the charming little town of Drobak, it is a Christmas themed shop and post office which receives thousands of letters each year from around the world.

EVAN JOHANSEN, CO-FOUNDER, TREGAARDENS CHRISTMAS HOUSE: From Taiwan.

QUEST (voice-over): And all of them are addressed to Santa.

JOHANSEN: Ten to 15,000 letters.

QUEST: Ten to 15,000 letters?

JOHANSEN: Yes.

QUEST: Right now, here we go.

JOHANSEN: Yes.

QUEST: We've got -- all right.

JOHANSEN: Oh.

QUEST: So these -- oh, good Lord, they've come from everywhere.

JOHANSEN: Oh, he's from Taiwan.

QUEST: Taiwan? Yes.

QUEST (voice-over): The shop is run by Eva Johansen, who is part postmistress and part elf. I guess not. The Santa in this part of Norway is a little bit different to the one with which we're all familiar.

QUEST: Santa Claus is a big, fat, jolly man or woman these days. Yours is small, short, and with a weird face.

JOHANSEN: He's different from all you see. She knitted sweaters, knickers, boots and looks different.

QUEST: Why?

JOHANSEN: Because this belongs to our culture, our history from all time.

QUEST: Boy, this is --

QUEST (voice-over): Eva the elf agreed to let me open and read a few of the letters that had been sent to Santa.

QUEST: Wants an MP3 player.

QUEST (voice-over): And some of the content is a little surprising, but more of that in a moment.

In Norway, they take Christmas very seriously. After all, so many Christmas trees are grown here, and in December, everywhere is filled with twinkly lights, trees and markets. This is one of the biggest, and its run by one of the country's most successful business leaders.

CARL OTTO LEVENSKIOLD, OWNER, BAERUMS VERK: We like the summers with the long, light and bright days, but then we had the pressure, also enjoying the four seasons strong season, a wonderful fall. The winter is now coming where we can go skiing and live a completely different lifestyle before summer comes again. We adjust to the -- to the seasons and enjoy them.

QUEST: Enjoy them.

LEVENSKIOLD: That is very important, right?

QUEST: Let's go and have a look.

QUEST (voice-over): Browsing for this.

QUEST: Look at that. QUEST (voice-over): Looking for that. Enjoying the other. I could

have spent many hours here filling stockings, but back in Drobak, there were still letters to Santa.

QUEST: Oh, look at this.

QUEST (voice-over): It had to be opened and read. Heartwarming messages. The lot.

QUEST: Dear Santa Claus, my favorite holiday, Christmas, is coming soon. Oh, look at that nice little hat.

Oh, Uzbekistan.

Dear Santa Claus. Merry Christmas. Can I have a froggy toy from Kong Hong? My daughter will turn five in December. She's kind to friends. She loves practicing K-pop dancing.

QUEST (voice-over): Before I left, there was one last letter thrust in front of me, and I was in for a shock.

[02:55:07]

QUEST: This year, our brother has been a very good boy. Much like you. He's been traveling the world. It's highly likely he'll be working on December. Is there any chance you could give him a small present in advance? Anything chocolate related would, in our experience, work well. Thank you very much, Beverly, Lorie, and Caroline. My three sisters.

JOHANSEN: What?

QUEST: Yes. What a coincidence. Well done. Thank you. I'll take that. Sorry. I'm taking this one with me.

QUEST (voice-over): Now, I just have to wait and see whether Santa thinks I deserve that gold chocolate bar.

Richard Quest, CNN at Santa's Village in Norway.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: All right, back to back. Wet weather systems are lining up on the United States west coast this week. They're expected to bring heavy rain. Heightened risk of flooding and possible travel delays.

California is the main concern, with some areas picking up several inches of rain on already saturated ground. At least one death due to flooding has already been reported.

Meanwhile, much of the rest of the country is heading for an unusually warm Christmas. If you were hoping for a white Christmas, well, you're probably out of luck. More than 100 record highs are possible nationwide in the days ahead. Temperatures are expected to be 10 to 30 degrees above average.

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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