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First Move with Julia Chatterley

Police Releasing Images of Person of Interest; Search Continues For New York Gunman; Syrian Rebels Takes Control of Hama; President Yoon Faces Impeachment; White House Discussing Potential Preemptive Pardons; Macron Slamming the Opposition; Bitcoin Reaching $100,000 Milestone; Exotic Animals from Moscow Zoo sent to North Korea; U.S. Largest Pet Adoption Event Underway. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired December 05, 2024 - 18:00   ET

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


[18:00:00]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: -- region deals with the impacts of a brutal winter storm, delivering intense bursts of snow and wind that could bring

dangerous travel conditions and power outages.

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@TheLeadCNN.

If you ever miss an episode of The Lead, you can listen to the show whence you get your podcasts. The news continues on CNN with Wolf Blitzer in The

Situation Room. See you tomorrow.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: -- is your "First Move." A warm welcome to "First Move." Here's today's need to know. Person of interest. Police

releasing images of a person wanted for questioning about the murder of a CEO on the streets of Manhattan. Investigations and impeachment

proceedings. South Korea's President Yoon facing the consequences for this week's martial law debacle. Bitcoin bonanza. For the first time, the

cryptocurrency trades above $100,000. And homes for hounds. The campaign hoping to give a Christmas gift to homeless pets across America. We're

going to speak to the CEO of the BISSELL Pet Foundation. That conversation and plenty more coming up.

But first, the manhunt continues for the killer of the UnitedHealthcare CEO. Police releasing new images of a man they're calling a, quote, "person

of interest," wanted for questioning. CNN has geolocated those images to a hostel on Manhattan's Upper West Side. We learned a short time ago the

suspected gunman used a fake I.D. to check into that hostel over the weekend.

And this video shows what law enforcement tells CNN is likely the gunman fleeing on a bicycle after that shooting. The search now reaching the end

of its second day as authorities try to track the shooter's movements in a city of 8 million people. Brynn Gingras reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New chilling images of a person who may be the focus of a massive manhunt, a person of interest to

police seen here smiling. These pictures put out by the NYPD and sources say they come from an upper Manhattan hostel where it's believed the

shooter may have stayed a couple of days before the Wednesday morning murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

You can see this person has no mask on. It's a clear image of his face and police hoping this along with a collection of photos released will help

name him. New York City Mayor Eric Adams commenting on the case.

ERIC ADAMS, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: Pieces to the puzzle, they are still coming together. We feel that we're moving at a steady pace and we're going

to have someone apprehend him.

GINGRAS (voice-over): Sources say they believe this person tried to hide his identity by wearing a mask for most of his visit, even while rooming

with two strangers. But for this one moment at least, at the hostel's front desk, police were able to obtain this image.

The new development comes as investigators continue tracing the known movements of the gunman before and after the murder. Authorities say they

have video of the suspected gunman on New York City's Upper West Side early Wednesday morning, then later exiting the 57th Street subway around 6:15.

He enters a nearby Starbucks roughly two minutes later, where sources tell CNN he bought a water and two power bars. And at 6:30, this surveillance

video from a nearby garage shows a suspected shooter on the phone walking down the street toward the Midtown Hotel, where minutes later he carries

out the brazen attack.

ADAMS: In all of my years of law enforcement, I have never seen a silencer before. And so, that was really something that was shocking to us all. And

so, we're on the right path and we believe we're going to apprehend this person.

GINGRAS (voice-over): The gunman makes a quick getaway, but not without leaving behind some crucial evidence. Investigators found a burner phone

and that water bottle bought from Starbucks. Sources say a fingerprint was lifted from the items, but hasn't yet pointed to a name. Police are also

searching for a motive. Sources say at the crime scene they found a shell casing and live round etched with the words delay and depose. They're

asking was this retaliation over a health care issue as a popular health care industry phrase is delay, deny, and defend.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: And that was Brynn Gingras. Steve Moore is our law enforcement contributor. He's also a former supervisory agent in the FBI. Steve, thanks

so much for being here with us. I just want to start first where Brynn left off there, which was the inscription on these bullets about delay and

depose. That seems pretty significant and pretty unique to this case. You don't often see that.

STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR AND FORMER SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT, FBI: No, you don't. And when you do see that, what it tells you is

something of a big value to profilers because you're going to get an idea of where this person's mind is. Somebody who takes the extra step to

actually etch bullet casings is making a political statement just in the shooting. It is a very significant clue.

[18:05:00]

It also kind of pushes back against the earlier belief, including mine, that it could have been a professional hit because, you know, the

professional is not going to do something foolish like that. And as we went forward, you see more and more just amateur mistakes he made.

So, I think NYPD is doing a great job of hooking this guy up. But I think, you know, it would be helpful to find out who he was calling right before

the attack and whether we're dealing with one person or a group.

DEAN: And take us inside -- as a former law enforcement official yourself, take us inside what that search probably looks like right now. What are

they trying to -- or how do they push this forward? What are they trying to do next?

MOORE: Well, they said that they got a water bottle here and I was always wondering whatever he put his mouth on that he got at Starbucks is going to

have not only fingerprints, but it's going to have his DNA. And so, I think he's -- they're going to get some good information off this that they

probably haven't even talked about.

You're going to want to go to -- there are a number of websites out there for people who are militantly angry at the healthcare system, usually

because they've lost a relative, lost a loved one, and they are -- they chat, they talk, they post. And in my opinion, based on this, I think that

this person either had somebody very close to him that was denied care or he himself was denied care.

I worked one case where the person who was going to do the violence was ironically denied psychiatric care. So, I think we've got a lot of clues as

to the mind of this person. And now, we need to get to finding. At the same time, we're looking at the clues from the crime scene. We need to have

people starting to wade into these websites and see if they can find somebody with his psychological characteristics.

DEAN: And it is interesting, just as you mentioned, we're getting more and more details. In addition to all of that, we heard Mayor Adams there

talking about the silencer that was on that gun. What does that say to you and what do you think about that detail?

MOORE: I never saw a silencer except on our weapons when I was in the FBI. So, I think what this person did is he planned an attack that involved a

silencer. I think he may have read it somewhere. This was too well planned for somebody who made this kind of mistakes. But the silencer also

indicates maybe he wasn't familiar with what he was doing. Because a silencer can -- it's a long story, but it can create back pressure in a

pistol and cause it to misfeed.

And so, each time this guy fired, he had a misfeed. And so, that was three times, three rounds that went out, three rounds that were ejected by his

clearing maneuver. And so, he may not have even practiced with that beforehand.

DEAN: It is all so fascinating, again, as we get so many more details about all of this and of course, you know, his family and friends are

mourning his death, the victim in this case.

MOORE: Yes.

DEAN: Thank you so much. CNN Law Enforcement Contributor Steve Moore, we really appreciate it.

MOORE: Thank you.

DEAN: We are also following the situation in Syria. Rebel forces advancing into the City of Hama. Another blow to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Hama is the second major city the rebels have captured in their stunning week-long offensive. They're now setting their sights on Homs, which is the

next city on the main route to the capital of Damascus. Ben Wedeman has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The rebels have seized control of the central Syrian city of Hama, the country's fourth

largest and one of huge symbolic significance. Yet, the latest stinging defeat for President Bashar al-Assad increasingly beleaguered regime.

After several days of clashes around the city, the rebels led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham entered Hama Thursday and the regime forces pulled out.

According to a statement from the Syrian army, the pullout was intended civilian casualties. The rebels took control of an air base complete with

multiple warplanes and freed inmates in Hama's notorious prison.

Hama has long been a hotbed of opposition to the Assad dynasty. It was in Hama in 1982 that Bashar al-Assad's father, then-President Hafez al-Assad,

crushed an uprising, killing anywhere between 10,000 and 25,000 people, according to Amnesty International.

[18:10:00]

Last Friday, the armed opposition quickly seized control of most of Aleppo, Syria's second largest city. Now, the next city on the highway south, Homs,

is just 40 kilometers or 25 miles away, a critical crossroad linking the capital Damascus with the Mediterranean Coast, home to the Alawite

minority, which is the main bedrock of support for the Assad regime.

And if that regime was looking for help from its old ally, Russia, well, it may be not immediately forthcoming. Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry

Peskov said Moscow is monitoring the situation and will decide on military aid depending on how the situation evolves. Hardly a full-throated

declaration of support for a friend in need.

I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: Ben, thank you. It is about 8:00 a.m. in South Korea. Opposition parties now planning to vote on an impeachment motion against President

Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday. They need the support of at least eight members from the president's party to meet the two-thirds majority, but the leaders

of his conservative party are vowing to block it.

Police have launched an investigation into the president, his interior minister, as well as the defense minister who resigned Thursday, and is

reported as having advised President Yoon to declare martial law earlier this week. Ivan Watson is in Seoul with more on this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An unarmed politician blocks a soldier from entering the National Assembly in

South Korea.

Aren't you ashamed, she yells. Less than 48 hours later, An Gwi-ryeong shows me the scene.

WATSON: This is where the soldiers were, and the police?

WATSON (voice-over): An says she was defending democracy.

AN GWI-RYEONG, POLITICIAN (through translator): If the troops had entered and disrupted the vote of the National Assembly, we wouldn't have been able

to lift martial law, and we wouldn't be here today.

WATSON (voice-over): Late Tuesday night, President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency military rule over Korea. A move that shocked the country.

LEE JAE-MYUNG, LEADER, DEMOCRATIC PARTY (through translator): My wife suddenly showed me a YouTube video and said the president is declaring

martial law. I replied, that's a deepfake. It has to be a deepfake. There's no way that's real.

WATSON (voice-over): Lee Jae-myung says he feared he would be arrested because he is the leader of the country's main opposition party.

So, that night, he instructed his fellow lawmakers to rush to the National Assembly to stop what he says was an attempted coup.

LEE (through translator): When I tried to enter, I saw that the police had blocked the entrance.

WATSON (voice-over): Lee then lived streamed on YouTube how he jumped a wall to get in.

LEE (through translator): I pushed the mute button by mistake and didn't realize.

WATSON (voice-over): By 1:00 a.m., 190 lawmakers made it past a gauntlet of soldiers and police into this chamber.

WATSON: In the pre-dawn hours here on Wednesday, lawmakers voted to overrule a decree imposing martial law on Korea. And ever since then,

groups of legislators have been taking turns sleeping in this National Assembly Hall.

WATSON (voice-over): Among them, opposition lawmaker Kang Sun-woo.

WATSON: Are you protecting the National Assembly by staying here?

KANG SUN-WOO, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MEMBER, DEMOCRATIC PARTY: We are afraid that if President Yoon makes another sudden declaration of martial law, so

each group is taking turn and watching the main room. So, if that happens again, we should lift it immediately. So --

WATSON: Another vote?

KANG: Yes.

WATSON (voice-over): Among the obstacles to another possible power grab, the president's own political party, whose members joined the vote to

overturn military rule.

HAN DONG-HOON, LEADER, PEOPLE POWER PARTY (through translator): Martial law in South Korea is an extremely special and exceptional authority

granted to the president in situations like in wartime or national emergencies. The current situation is not that.

WATSON (voice-over): In this exclusive interview, Han Dong-hoon says he delivered a tough message to the president in a face-to-face meeting on

Wednesday.

HAN (through translator): I told them what happened last night that left a big scar on Korea and our party.

WATSON (voice-over): In a pre-dawn moment of crisis, some rival politicians united to stop the president's threat to democracy. And now,

just days later, the National Assembly is once again divided over whether or not to impeach the president.

Ivan Watson, CNN, in the National Assembly in Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[18:15:00]

DEAN: Let's go now to Washington, where the Biden administration is said to be looking at preemptive pardons for Donald Trump's perceived enemies.

Sources telling CNN the talks involve senior White House aides, administration officials, and private defense lawyers.

The move would cover people who have not been formally accused of a crime and it would be a bold step showing how seriously the White House takes the

president-elect's public statements. Katelyn Polantz is joining us now from Washington, D.C. Katelyn, walk us through who this might cover and why they

feel like they need to do this?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jessica, the word that we're getting from sources around the White House is

just that these are senior aides having deliberations. Is this something that they should be doing? There is target lists, there are clear enemies,

perceived political enemies of Donald Trump out there who are already concerned about investigations that they may be placed under.

The pardons -- the idea of a preemptive pardon, though, that would be a whole new world of the usage of this type of presidential power if there

were preemptive pardons for perceived political opponents, perhaps people from the Justice Department, perhaps people on Capitol Hill. And so, it's

not at the place yet that it's happening, it's a discussion being had in the White House.

But separately, because of this amount of concern, there are lawyers and a lot of phone calls happening right now that sources have been telling me

about where Justice Department officials, people leaving the federal government, they are bracing to be put under investigation of some sort,

whether that's a criminal investigation or ones that wouldn't be covered by, say, a pardon, things like a congressional investigation, other types

of probes that the Trump world could strike up once he comes into power as president.

And so, there are lawyers that are talking about forming a consortium of helping people from the Biden years in government. And there's also a

progressive group out there who's trying to do something a little bit more formal, bringing together lawyers, security people, communications

professionals who may be able to help people who need it in a way that wouldn't bankrupt them in the case that there would be investigations for

perceived political enemies.

But this isn't something that we're there yet because we have to see exactly what happens in the coming weeks. That preemptive pardon

possibility is something that would be really extreme for any White House.

DEAN: Right, and you have to think that it could also potentially have the impact of at the end of his term, now President-Elect Donald Trump might do

the same thing. If there are crimes -- in this case, no one committed a crime, this would be preemptive as you noted, but what if -- you know, what

might that look like in four years if that precedent is set?

POLANTZ: Yes, there really is an Overton window to be moved here if Joe Biden decided to do that. A lot of people are criticizing him for the

pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, and including in it a 10-year span of protection from federal criminal charges that anything he would have done

between the 2014 and 2020 would be protected.

But this is something entirely different. It's different than the pardon that was given preemptively to Richard Nixon. Those people, Hunter Biden,

Richard Nixon, others, those people were facing some sort of tangible criminal investigation. What is being talked about now is just the threat.

So, it's different. But also, if it is members of Congress that Donald Trump dislikes and wants to investigate criminally, they have a very large

amount of immunity protection around them already. So, it's very unlikely they would want something or even need something like this.

Same thing with prosecutors, the Justice Department tends to stand behind its career officials. And then on top of that, many prosecutors wouldn't

want to accept some sort of pardon because, you know, it might imply that they would have wrongdoing and they would not be the type of people that

would be likely to want to say that.

DEAN: Yes, certainly understandable. All right. Katelyn Polantz, thanks so much for your reporting. We appreciate it.

French President Emmanuel Macron saying in a televised address a few hours ago that he'll appoint a new prime minister in the coming days after the

opposition toppled the French government Wednesday. President Macron blaming the far-right and the hard-left for the political turmoil and says

a new political era is the way forward. Jim Bittermann has the latest now from Paris.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In a brief speech to the nation, less than 10 minutes, Emmanuel Macron explained to people

exactly what happened and came as close as I think we're ever going to hear a mea culpa from him for having dissolved the parliament in the first

place, which was what started this at the beginning of the summer.

Nonetheless, he's struck out in a very sharply critical tone against his opponents on both the extreme right and extreme left. He said, I'll never

accept responsibility or the irresponsibility of others, especially the members of parliament who consciously chose to bring down France's budget

and government just a few days before Christmas. It is the opposite of their program. They have chosen disorder.

[18:20:00]

And to those critics on both sides of the aisle who have been calling for Macron to step down, he explained that it is not going to happen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): The mandate you have democratically entrusted to me is a five-year term, and I will

exercise it to the full. My responsibility is to ensure the continuity of the state, the smooth running of our institutions, the independence of our

country, and the protection of all of you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BITTERMANN: The tone of speech was some people will think as patronizing, but in fact, he was just trying to explain his position and his feelings

about what's transpired here. And while we didn't get the name of a new prime minister, he promised that there would be a name forthcoming in the

next few days.

Jim Bittermann, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: Straight ahead, Bitcoin boom. The king of crypto rallies to a major milestone Thursday thanks to the ongoing Trump bump.

Plus presents, parties, and pooches. Why pet adoptions have become a perfect part of the holiday season.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: Welcome back. A Thursday pullback on Wall Street topping today's Money Move. U.S. stocks falling from record highs. The Dow Jones

Industrials leading the declines. All this as traders await the release of an all-important U.S. jobs report Friday. Boeing shares ending lower. A

federal judge rejected, for now, a highly contentious plea deal between the aerospace giant and the U.S. government. The deal would have allowed Boeing

to plead guilty to deceiving officials about the 737 MAX before two of them crashed.

A mixed Thursday in Asia. The Shanghai Composite and the Nikkei in the green, but the losses for the Hang Seng. South Korean stocks falling for a

second session amid the ongoing political turmoil there.

One of the top market stories Thursday belong though to Bitcoin, the world's most valuable cryptocurrency rallied above the $100,000 mark for

the first time. It is trading below that milestone right now, though, about -- down about 2 percent. Bitcoin has been on a tear ever since the re-

election of U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump on hopes that his administration will take a hands-off approach to any crypto regulation.

Trump posting on his social media site, Truth Social, quote, "Congratulations, Bitcoiners, $100,000, you're welcome."

Paul La Monica joining us now. He is a senior market analysis writer for Barron's. Paul, thanks so much for being here with us.

[18:25:00]

PAUL R. LA MONICA, SENIOR MARKETS ANALYSIS WRITER, BARRON'S: Yes, thank you.

DEAN: Walk us through what's happening with Bitcoin right now.

LA MONICA: Yes, what's happening is Trump obviously taking some credit for the crypto move and it's not entirely all due to him, but there is clearly

enthusiasm in the digital currency space because we know that Trump is more of a fan and that the SEC is going to have someone in the future,

potentially, that will be a lot friendlier to crypto as well.

We already know that Gary Gensler, who many crypto Bitcoin investors do not like, and that's putting it mildly, is going to be stepping down in

January. And Trump announced yesterday that he's going to be, you know, picking Paul Atkins as the next SEC chair. And he is someone who has been

on the SEC before and is very crypto friendly. So, that is definitely something that is positive.

But what's interesting also, Jessica, is that Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, he even made comments yesterday at a DealBook New York Times

conference that were somewhat, you know, viewed as being positive towards Bitcoin, and it wasn't a full-blown endorsement but he compared it to gold,

as digital gold, which is an argument that a lot of Bitcoin fans do make.

DEAN: Yes. And so, if you're watching this, what do you expect to happen next? Will they -- will this rise continue, you think?

LA MONICA: It's tough. I mean, as you alluded to, we got over a hundred thousand today hitting almost $104,000 at the peak levels, and it is now

back in retrench to around $97,000. Bitcoin, the hallmark of it is its volatility. It goes up and down very dramatically. That's why a lot of

stalwarts don't really view it as a true currency or store of value because it's not something that you can really make transactions with, with any

faith that it's going to be worth around the same amount the way that you can say with the dollar, euro, yen, and other actual fiat government-backed

currencies.

So, you know, I think that it's going to remain volatile. It probably will head higher over the long-term, but investors buying it now expecting that

it's going to go up to $110,000 in the next few weeks, they might be waiting a while. But then again, you never know. I mean, it could be in a

few weeks that we're talking about $125,000. It's just so volatile.

DEAN: Yes. And what's interesting too, is obviously cryptocurrency is not highly regulated. And of course, it seems to be quite happy that, you know,

Trump courted a lot of cryptocurrency supporters during his campaign, you mentioned kind of deregulating or not -- just not regulating.

When I covered Capitol Hill, the senators didn't quite seem to -- only a handful of them really had their arms around even how cryptocurrency works.

If you're looking into your crystal ball, what do you see this administration in the next four years? What do you see coming from the

government on this?

LA MONICA: I think it's going to be more of a hands-off approach, but not necessarily maybe the wild, wild west. I don't think that the SEC is going

to approve every single thing that is crypto related. I think Paul Atkins has made the reasonable argument that the Gary Gensler-led SEC may have

cracked down too much on Bitcoin and crypto and that the new SEC needs to take a more reasonable approach at regulating this industry.

And a lot of people I talk to in the industry, they're OK with having regulation because it does legitimize the business and the industry.

DEAN: Sure. Sure. That makes sense. All right. Paul La Monica, thanks so much for walking us through it. We appreciate it.

LA MONICA: Thank you.

DEAN: The head of one of Russia's biggest banks is the U.S. is putting the dollar at risk by wielding it as a weapon. Russia was blocked from using

the dollar for international transactions as a result of the war in Ukraine, and it has since turned toward other currencies, like China's yen.

Andrey Kostin is the CEO of Russia's state controlled VTB Bank, and he spoke to Fred Pleitgen about the dollar's unique role in trade. We should

note that Mr. Kostin has been sanctioned by the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREY KOSTIN, CEO, VTB BANK: Look, there is a war lasted for nearly three years now, and there is a 6,000, 7,000 different kind of sanctions against

Russia. So, you can hardly expect that everything is just as normal.

By taking into the account, I think the results or the performance of the Russian economy is much, much better than everybody expected. The last

sanctions and the actually election off Mr. Trump which strength and dollar by the way, right, let association that the dollar -- ruble is weaker, but

today, it's already -- it's so much lower than it was yesterday or the day before.

[18:30:00]

So, I think it's more or less stabilizing.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What do you make of his threats against BRICS countries, that if they try to replace

the dollar as the leading currency in the world?

KOSTIN: We all enjoyed using dollar, but Americans decide to put sanctions on Russia and other countries not to allow us to trade with dollars. So, it

not depends on us very much. You know, we can use dollar, but we have no chance now to do it. So, I think the American administration to think more

about this because it really creates, I think, a big threat to dollar itself because, you know, if you don't feel safe with using dollar, you

will find other ways how to make your investment, how to make your payments.

So, I think it should be -- if it's international currency, it should be reliable. It should be nonpolitical. It should not be used for punishment

of any country or whatever American administration thinks about it. Otherwise, people will run away from dollar and they'll find a way.

What we're doing now, we're trading in rubles, in yuan, in digital currency, whatever.

PLEITGEN: Your economy is also driven by defense spending. I think about a third of the new budget is -- will be spent on defense and military. How

concerning is that for a lender? Because that also drives up prices, drives up inflation. And right now, controlling inflation while trying to keep

that economic growth going has got to be a difficult thing.

KOSTIN: Yes, we believe that we're forced to make such a big spending on the defense because this was not the basic idea, but we have no choice at

the moment. And that also contributed to inflation. It's also contributed to the lack of workforce, which we experienced. You know, we have a very

low unemployment, about 2.3 percent at the moment. And actually, mainly because of the very big increase in in the production of military products.

So, yes. I mean, the answer is yes, but I'm afraid we'll have to leave a situation for some time, even when the war ends, you know, there will be

more spending on restructuring military production. So, basically that's what we have, you know, nothing to add.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: In today's Weather Move. After shocks rumble across California after an earthquake strikes off the West Coast, while the East Coast is seeing

freezing temperatures. Chad Myers is in the Weather Center. Chad, what are you tracking?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Jessica, this was a big earthquake. This was a 7.0 less than 50 miles off the California Coast, and you would

expect that there could have been a tsunami and there were tsunami warnings because with you moving the ground at 7.0 magnitude, you really could do a

lot of damage up and down.

Now, the fault moved back and forth. So, we didn't get that thrust or the upward vertical motion from the fault itself. And so, therefore, we did not

get the tsunami, even though there was a tsunami warning all the way from Oregon, all the way down to San Francisco. It was quickly canceled.

But this is Chico, a couple hundred miles from where the Earth shook with the epicenter. And look what happened to this pool. These secondary waves

really moved on shore here and into Chico and of course even closer into Ferndale. Although, so far, no significant damage, a couple 10, people were

without power. I'm sure that we'll work on that overnight.

Now, back toward the East Coast where it's cold again and the snow is coming down again along the lakes. The same story we had last week, where

the lakes are still unfrozen, the cold air comes across, picks up the moisture, even though it's little, there's still enough to give that little

bit of steam to the clouds, and then all of a sudden, you have lake-effect snow warnings, blizzard warnings, and the like, and yes, it is cold again.

This is the coldest air again behind it. The second cold front itself, but it feels colder even than that because of the wind. The winds have been

blowing at about 60 miles per hour, almost 100 KPH across the lakes and then onto the shore. And that creates this wind chill factor that has

really calmed and cooled things down.

Louisville, Kentucky, 25 degrees colder right now than you were this time yesterday. And that cold air is all the way to Toronto. Toronto, that's 12

degrees Fahrenheit. So, that's 11 below Celsius for you. And yes, that is what the wind chill feels like right now. And this isn't even the coldest

part of the night. And eventually, this frigid air does move away. The East Coast warms back up. And by the weekend, we may be actually back in shorts

and flip flops again in some places around Washington, D.C. at almost 60 degrees, back in that up and down for you, Jessica.

DEAN: Yes, it is certainly cold here right now, though. You're right about that. Chad Myers. Thanks so much. Appreciate it. And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:35:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Five, four, three, two, one. Merry Christmas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: That was the scene just moments ago in front of the White House. President Joe Biden participating in his last national Christmas tree

lighting before he leaves office next month. The tree you see there, a 30- foot red spruce. The president says the tree represents the spirit of the year's White House holiday theme, the season of peace and light. You see

how windy it is there, too. Goodness.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sending a veritable Noah's Ark of exotic animals to North Korea. It is all part of a deepening diplomatic and

military partnership between those two nations. Will Ripley reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the belly of a hulking Russian cargo plane, crate after crate of exotic animals

from the Moscow Zoo. A gift from Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arriving in his capital Pyongyang. The flight

from Moscow, nearly nine hours. Russian state media says the animals include an African lion, two brown bears, two domestic yaks, five white

cockatoos, 25 assorted pheasants and 40 mandarin ducks.

Their new home, Pyongyang's Central Zoo.

RIPLEY: Do you think he wants to be petted?

RIPLEY (voice-over): I took this video at the zoo in 2016, when Putin gave Kim a pair of Siberian tigers. They've been exchanging a lot of animals

lately, symbols of their alliance against the U.S.-led world order. In June, Kim sent Putin a pair of North Korean hunting dogs. In August, Putin

reciprocated with nearly 450 goats and 24 Orlov Trotters, Kim's favorite horse breed. Both strongmen famously use horses in state propaganda,

projecting alpha male energy in turbulent times.

[18:40:00]

In the years since Kim took his armored train to Russia, he's gotten plenty of other gifts from Putin, from a set of drones and a bulletproof vest to

this Russian-made armored limousine. The two leaders drove it around town during Putin's rare visit to Pyongyang. And then, there's Russian oil,

believed to be more than a million barrels since March. In exchange, North Korea is reportedly expanding its weapons production for Russia's war in

Ukraine. Around 10,000 North Korean troops are in Russia's Kursk region, and this may be just the beginning. Says Anton Sokolin with NK News.

ANTON SOKOLIN, DATA CORRESPONDENT, NK NEWS: North Korea hasn't participated in any wars for many decades now. It's a valuable opportunity.

RIPLEY: Could North Korean troops be replacing or bolstering the Wagner Group?

SOKOLIN: It is highly possible.

RIPLEY (voice-over): The Wagner Group is Russia's private military force, crucial in Ukraine and other global conflicts. Now, North Korean weapons,

and troops are in the mix. Experts suggest Pyongyang may seek even more significant exchanges like advanced nuclear technology as part of Kim and

Putin's deepening military partnership.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: Coming up after our break, giving cats and dogs a new lease on life. America's largest funded pet adoption event is now underway. We're going to

speak to the founder of the organization that subsidizes adoption fees and helps families bring home a four-legged friend for the holidays. That's

next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: Welcome back to "First Move." Did you know there are 65 million dog owning households in the United States? That's according to estimates. That

would equate to 27 dogs per 100 people. And as we approach Christmas rescue shelters are hoping that number is going to grow. The BISSELL Pet

Foundation's annual adoption event for dogs and cats now underway through December 17th. And this is a campaign providing a lifeline to homeless pets

in over 400 shelters across 45 states. With adoption fees reduced to $50 or less, last year's drive saw nearly 96,000 pets get a new home for

Christmas. With the reminder, of course, that a dog or cat is for life. Of course, not just for the holiday season.

Cathy Bissell joining me now. She started this foundation. She's part of the Bissell family that owns the company selling floor care products. She's

accompanied here with Lily. Cathy and Lily, it's so good to see both of you. Thanks for being here. Cathy, tell us a little bit about what you're

trying to achieve this December.

[18:45:00]

CATHY BISSELL, FOUNDER, BISSELL PET FOUNDATION: Well, thank you so much for having us on your show. We're really excited to be here and to promote

adoption and to get people into shelters to see the wonderful pets available all across the country.

There are so many deserving pets and shelters and they need that second chance. They're wonderful house pets. They've come from homes and, you

know, you can go to a shelter and find the exact type of dog you want or cat.

DEAN: There's so many out there, and I was reading up on this, and you started this with you adopting a dog you had named Bear. Tell us a little

bit about how this came to be.

BISSELL: Well, I had never been to a shelter. I was 49 years old. I went to my first shelter after Katrina hit and saw all these incredible dogs and

I was in shock. So, I mean, I thought pound dogs were pound dogs. I wouldn't find like the perfect black lab. And this was the most regal,

beautiful black lab. And I was so upset. I wanted to show the world that, you know, there are great dogs looking for a second chance in shelters, and

everybody should just take time and familiarize themselves with the shelters nearby and choose adoption and save a life. That dog changed that

dog changed the world for a lot of other pets across the country.

DEAN: Absolutely. What a legacy. And I know you have Lily there with you. What's Lily's story?

BISSELL: So, Lily was hit by a car and left on the side of the road. She has a broken limb and she's with me just healing. I have six other dogs in

my home. They're all dogs that have needed extra special care. Lily will go into adoption soon and she's been just a great dog. She's super sweet. And

you know, she's rambunctious because she wants to play. But her leg is broken. So, we're like trying to keep her calm. But she's a cutie.

DEAN: Yes. Lily, you're just going to have to sit it out for a little longer until that leg heals. Cathy, what would your advice be to families

out there who are thinking about adopting a dog or a cat this holiday season? What should they keep in mind?

BISSELL: Well, they should actually look up the type of dog there, -- you know, what they do as a family. Are they out exercising? Are they home? Do

they want a couch potato? Do they want a dog that runs? You know, keeping a dog healthy and active is what keeps the dog good. So, I always say, like,

you know, you can't do anything better than exercising your dogs. So, you have to be ready and, you know, prepare yourself for the life of a dog or

cat. Cats are a little bit more stoic and easier, but you don't know what you're looking for.

And then, don't expect, when you go to the shelter, to look for the dog that you think you want because the dog or cat will select you. And that's

just the way it works. You're looking for something but, you know, in turn you turn around the corner and there's something else right there and go

with it because that's when it's right.

DEAN: I will say I've had one dog as an adult and she was a rescue as well, a mutt, and she was just the absolute best and really was so special

and you just never know what you're going to find when you go looking for that special dog or cat.

BISSELL: Yes. You never know. And honestly, there are so many purebreds that are in the shelter as well. So, people who want purebreds, don't go to

your pet stores in your areas. You know, right now there are a lot of highly adoptable pets looking for homes. And you can just look at one or

two shelters in your neighborhood, and I'm sure you'll find the pet of your dreams.

DEAN: I know.

BISSELL: When I go to shelters It's crazy because I want to take so many of the pets home. And I just don't understand when people say I couldn't

find a pet at the shelter. Keep looking and check the next day. Every day pets come in.

DEAN: Absolutely. And you're right, you can really find all kinds there. Thank you so much. Cathy Bissell and Lily, we really appreciate it.

BISSELL: Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.

DEAN: Yes. Coming up on "First Move," there have been many sports movies over the years, but have you ever wondered why the best of them tend to be

about boxing? We'll find out after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:50:00]

DEAN: Welcome back to "First Move." Of all the sports movies, boxing films often deliver the biggest punches. Well, there's a new fight film out in

theaters this week and we spoke with some of the cast and crew to find out why this particular sport frequently delivers cinematic knockouts. Don

Riddell reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No matter what I do, I'll always be who I was, not who I am.

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORTS (voice-over): "Day of the Fight" depicts a boxer in the hours leading up to his date with destiny at Madison Square

Garden. It's a haunting portrayal of a man whose fight goes way beyond his 12 rounds in the ring.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's this I hear you fighting tonight? In the garden, that's big.

RIDDELL (voice-over): Director Jack Huston says it's not a boxing movie, but rather a movie about a boxer.

JACK HUSTON, WRITER AND DIRECTOR, "DAY OF THE FIGHT": I wanted to make a film that could exist with or without the fight. "Day of the Fight" became

the metaphor. It's not that it's the day of the fight in the ring, it's that he's fighting for everything on this day. Every single thing in his

life, everybody in his life, it's all led to this day.

RIDDELL (voice-over): Michael C. Pitt plays the protagonist Irish Mike Flannigan, a former world champion attempting a difficult comeback. Away

from the cameras, the actor is a fan of the noble art, and to prepare for the role, he went toe to toe with some of the best in the business.

MICHAEL C. PITT, ACTOR, "MIKE FLANNIGAN": I spent some time with Manny Pacquiao at Freddie Roach's gym. He was maybe one of the most inspiring

people I've been around. But all fighters have these great stories, and it doesn't matter where they're from, or what they look like, they all just

have these amazing stories where they've had to crawl out of nowhere.

RIDDELL (voice-over): "Day of the Fight" follows in the footsteps of some classic sports movies, of which boxing consistently seems to deliver the

biggest punches. "Rocky" and "Million Dollar Baby" received the Best Picture award at the Oscars, while "Raging Bull" and "The Fighter" won

Oscars for cast and crew.

RIDDELL: What is it about boxers or this sport that provides such rich material for storytelling?

HUSTON: When you've come down to the most basic form, which is to win or lose by your own two hands. I mean, me and Michael talk about this the

whole time. So, you walk into a boxing gym and there's, you know, 50 stories, just like Irish Mike. A fight, you can lose 11 rounds and win the

12th and that's still overcome.

So, we talk about hope. You talk about perseverance. You talk about that sort of like second chances. I think we're all the underdog in life, we're

all fighting for something.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you scared of?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything. It's like everything I've ever done in my life. Good, bad, everything.

RIDDELL: Nicolette, there's a scene in the film where your character has to watch the fight and it's somebody that your character has a deep

connection with, can you imagine doing that in real life?

NICOLETTE ROBINSON, ACTOR, "JESSICA": Oh, God, no. For somebody who's putting literally their whole body in there, you know, it affects their

health as well. It's not just the stakes are so high, I mean it's yes, incredibly stressful and I can't imagine.

PITT: I have a friend who's an MMA champion. I went to his fight. And I realized when I watched the fight that I didn't like seeing someone hit my

friend.

ROBINSON: Yes, right.

PITT: It was -- and what was really funny is that he put me next to his girlfriend and I think it was to, you know, console her. And I was -- she

was consoling me.

[18:55:00]

RIDDELL (voice-over): "Day of the Fight" is a movie that examines the fight of life through the life of a fighter. And whether the punches are

physical or emotional, it is easy to root for the underdog.

Don Riddell, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: And finally, on "First Move," a German artist finding an unusual way to paint his portraits. Werner Haertl from Bavaria works with cow dung,

which he gets for free from a farmer next door to his studio. He says prospective buyers don't need to worry about the smell. Apparently, don't

worry, it goes away when the painting is dry. Cows are a recurring subject in Haertl's work. His larger masterpieces sell for up to several thousand

euros. I don't know. I don't know about that. The artistry is beautiful. I don't know about the medium.

That just about wraps up the show. I'm Jessica Dean. Thanks so much for joining us. I'll see you tomorrow.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:00:00]

END