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NEW DAY SUNDAY

Five People Stabbed At Hanukkah Celebration; Netanyahu Vows To Help Authorities Deal With Anti-Semitic Incidents; Five Dead In Small Plane Crash Near Louisiana Airport; Officials Identify Some Victims In Hawaii Tour Helicopter Crash; Trump Showing Frustration With Impeachment Process; Biden Clarifies Comment On Impeachment Trial Subpoena; California's Cannabis Industry, It's Complicated; LSU Tigers Triumph In The Face Of Personal Tragedy. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired December 29, 2019 - 06:00   ET

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


[06:00:00]

PAUL: Police say they do have a suspect in custody.

BLACKWELL: Roughly 100 people were gathered to mark the seventh night of Hanukkah. One of those witnesses says the rabbi had just lit a candle when the attacker stormed inside the house.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARON KOHN, WITNESS: I saw him walking in by the door. I asked, who is coming in, in the middle of the night with an umbrella. While I was saying that, he pulled it out from the thing and he start to run into the big room, which was on the left side. And I had thrown tables and chairs, that he should get out of here. And he injured a guy, was a (INAUDIBLE) guy. He was bleeding here, bleeding in his hand, all over.

I ran into the other room because I tried to save my life. I saw him running down this way. So I ran out and two ladies came along with me. They're still hysterical.

What time? I don't know the time now. And they are still hysterical right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: CNN's Polo Sandoval is live for us this morning in Monsey, New York. Polo, you're near the home where this attack happened. What is the reaction? Catch us up.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of questions being asked right now by residents here, Victor. The house actually behind me is where that -- this Hanukkah celebration turned to horror for the people who were inside celebrating when the suspect essentially walked in with this knife and began to harm the people inside. We are told at least five people were injured. At least one of them still in critical condition so we are working to get the latest on that.

As for the suspect, our understanding, according to information from investigators, is that he is in custody right now. Authorities are speaking to him, trying to really establish a motive because we should be clear that at this point they have not officially declared this as a hate crime. However, when you really stop and look at all of the different pieces here, it certainly would suggest that investigators will be strongly considering that, especially when you take into account the events of what has hand place in the last week or so.

Over eight anti-Semitic incidents reported in New York City. We are actually just a short drive from there. In fact, many of the people who live in these communities either are before the Brooklyn area or know people from there. So they have already been affected by anti- Semitism. So the main question here exactly what led to this.

We have already seen reaction from officials all across the board including from Governor Andrew Cuomo who has already committed to anti hate crime task force to investigating this, releasing a statement overnight saying, "Let me be clear: anti-Semitism and bigotry of any kind are repugnant to our values of inclusion and diversity and we have absolutely zero tolerance for such acts of hate." Of course, the governor goes on here.

I think what we're seeing right now on the ground is, obviously, a sense of relief that nobody was killed. However, people are still closely monitoring the conditions of those individuals who were hurt and at the same time they are also calling on action, on changes. Because there's two key questions here. Of course, the why and the what.

What will happen next to try to keep something like this from happening again, especially if this investigation ultimately concludes? This is the latest hate crime perpetrated against members of the Jewish community in the New York -- guys.

PAUL: Yes. The latest, the eighth as you mentioned. And when you boil it down, it is the seventh straight day in a row that there has been an attack on this community in some way, shape or form in that area -- in the New York area.

I wanted to ask you what we know about the suspect. Police are saying there is a suspect in custody. Do we know anything beyond that, Polo?

SANDOVAL: Not much. But I can tell you a little bit about what took place here during the actual incident itself. According to several witnesses, this individual who made his way into that home and then began to hurt these folks inside and then, according to several witnesses, some of the people who were inside, essentially used whatever they could, including tables and chairs to try to defend themselves and eventually chased him away.

He then jumped into a vehicle according to what we're hearing from witnesses and then he made his way back to New York City where according to authorities and multiple versions of what we're hearing on the ground that's where he was detained. But we don't know much more than that. But the big question, of course, what we will certainly be digging for is a possible motive would have compelled this individual to make his way to this location. PAUL: All right. Polo Sandoval, appreciate the update, certainly. Thank you.

Now last hour, we spoke with Cedric Alexander, former president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, and he says, everyone in the community really needs to be vigilant and alert because there is no pattern to these recent attacks we have seen over last seven days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEXANDER (on the phone): That is certainly a pattern that we are seeing here is that there is no pattern. So, as a result of that, what you're going to see law enforcement do and what you're seeing they already activated there in New York state is that even the local authorities there have heightened their patrols in certain communities, in and around synagogues.

[06:05:10]

And it becomes important for all of us, regardless of where we live, to be able to support police, support those communities by being vigilant, by being alert. If we hear anything that doesn't sound right, if we overhear anything, if we see anything, it becomes important that we report that to the authorities so they can try to get ahead of it as quickly as they can. Because what you have here, Victor, is no apparent pattern whatsoever. But we do see a targeting of a certain population of Americans in this country and that belong to a religious group and we have to make sure that all of us are alert, are attentive and work in collaboration there with our local authorities in that state, in that community, and across this country because these events may continue to occur.

We don't know. But what we do know is as Christi just pointed out, we have seen at least one event every day --

BLACKWELL: Yes.

ALEXANDER: -- over the last number of weeks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: We are joined now by Yossi Gestetner. He is the cofounder of The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council.

Yossi, thank you for being with us. I know it has been a long night but first let's start with your reaction to this attack that happened overnight and then tell us how life has been for the last week or so in the New York area orthodox Jewish community.

YOSSI GESTETNER, CO-FOUNDER, THE ORTHODOX JEWISH PUBLIC AFFAIRS COUNCIL: Good morning. Thanks for having me on your program. First, I got word of this attack moments after it happened at about 10:00 and, right away, as is always the case with a developing situation, rumors start flying. So I live seven-minute drive from this location, so I decided to come down here and try to ascertain facts and to get it out there. I think the response from people within the community varies. I mean, some people are certainly concerned about the frequency of those attacks and the severity of those attacks, but I've also seen a strong sense of the determination.

For example, right after the attack and it is seen on video where one of the people who was in the room chased the perpetrator to his vehicle and got a good read on the tags, gave it to law enforcement and this, obviously, helped to make sure that the person was arrested within hours.

The other sense of strength was the rabbi going over to his synagogue, which is right next door, and continued with the celebrations, which I think shows a determination that here in the United States, people do have the freedom and liberty to exercise a religious life and no attack and no event will deter them from continuing this lifestyle.

PAUL: Yossi, we know that this is not the first attack in Monsey. Just last month, an Orthodox Jewish man was stabbed and beaten we know near a local synagogue.

Are there different steps people are taking there in the Jewish community now just in the last couple of weeks based on what has been happening?

GESTETNER: No. I think -- it's important for your viewers to understand that this is a strongly interconnected community. Throughout Monsey, which is a hamlet in town of Ramapo which is in Rockland County. There are approximately 65,000 Orthodox Jewish people so a lot of people know a lot of people here. And then, of course, people have family and relatives in Brooklyn.

In fact, Sunday night to Monday night, I was in Brooklyn with my family to visit other family members for the holiday season. So I don't think one story feels different than another story because, sadly, and too often, people know the victims, they know friends of the victim. For example, in this specific case, one person is severely attacked and I know him and I know his family members. We were neighbors 20 years ago.

So these things always hit closer to home. It isn't just a random story that you open at and start reading about it. People feel it closer to home every time these things happen.

BLACKWELL: We have discussed this morning about this constant trend of violence and attacks this week. But this has been a trend that has been growing over a period of time. We have heard the strong condemnation, the allocation of law enforcement resources, both from the governor and from Mayor de Blasio.

[06:10:06]

Are you satisfied with the state and local response to this anti- Semitism? GESTETNER: I think a fair answer would be yes and no. The yes part is that right after every incident, you see law enforcement of all levels coming in in force and trying to secure the scene and they try to do what they need to do. Whether it's in Jersey City or in Brooklyn, and Manhattan, or here in Rockland County. So that is the yes part.

The other part which is partially yes is when we keep on hearing that there will be a stepped-up patrols, many times, these things last for about 18 hours or in the case in the Brooklyn, 66 precinct -- again, I'm not trying to malign the precinct overall, but they placed a long bus in front of a synagogue last week with no law enforcement officials in it. So short of taking up some parking space, I don't think it does anything and this is where the concern starts moving in that sometimes the stepped-up security is not something that lasts.

Now I understand it is difficult for law enforcement to have a police officer at every congregation, at every yeshiva. I understand that but the stepped-up securities need to continue beyond sundown the next day.

And finally the most important is something that I mentioned a couple of hours ago here on CNN I think it is high time for authorities especially in Brooklyn to release a list of incidents and the consequences. We keep on hearing of attacks. We keep on hearing someone was or wasn't arrested. No one has any idea what happened next or what is happening next.

Are people sitting in jail? Are they getting sentenced to six months prison, community work? People don't know what the consequences are. And it's important, I think, because if people are out there with ill will and they are aware that committing any act of violence, especially one which is driven by bigotry and hatred, if people will be aware that there are serious consequences, I think it may start to roll back the problem that we have been seeing in recent months.

BLACKWELL: All right. Yossi Gestetner, our thoughts are with you there, with the community there in Monsey, New York. Thank you for spending a little time with us this morning.

GESTETNER: Of course. Thank you very much for having me.

PAUL: Thank you.

Still ahead, we have more on this breaking news coverage. The mass stabbing, of course, in the home of a rabbi there in New York. We're going to go live to Jerusalem because they are paying attention, they are reacting there. Stay close.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:15:00]

BLACKWELL: More now on the breaking news. A stabbing at a rabbi's home in Monsey, New York town. This is north of New York City.

A witness says about 100 people were there to celebrate the seventh night of Hanukkah when a man with a large knife stormed inside.

PAUL: Police say they do have a suspect in custody and New York's governor has activated the state's hate crime task force in response to all of this.

BLACKWELL: Now he stabbing is the latest in a string of anti-Semitic attacks most of them happening in New York. CNN's Oren Liebermann joins us now from Jerusalem. And we know that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has weighed in on this. What does he say?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He spoke just a short time ago at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting and he didn't just address the attack in Monsey, New York. He addressed the wider phenomenon of anti-Semitic attacks across New York and in other places. He said, Israel condemns in every sense the latest anti-Semitic incidents and the brutal attack in the middle of Hanukkah at the rabbi's house in Monsey, New York. We send wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured. We will work together in every way with the local authorities in order to help eliminate this phenomenon. We offer our help to all countries.

And that last point is a big one. Next month the world marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp in Nazi occupied Poland. There Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum will host a conference on anti-Semitism to try to figure out how to stem this problem, how to deal with this including world leaders here and other heads of state to try to address the growing phenomenon that we are seeing of anti-Semitism not only in the U.S. but elsewhere. And we'll certainly see what comes out of there. Yad Vashem's message after this attack was simple and clear. It was anti-Semitism cannot be tolerated anywhere in the world.

Meanwhile, Israel's president Reuven Rivlin also put out a statement. He said, "Shocked and outraged by the terrible attack in New York. We are praying for the rapid recovery of those injured. The rise of anti-Semitism is not just a Jewish problem, and certainly not just the State of Israel's problem. We must work together to confront this evil, which is raising its head again and is a genuine threat around the world."

Now the chairman of the Jewish agency pointed out that this is an attack on a Jewish holiday, of course, the seventh night of Hanukkah, but it's on these Jewish holidays that Jews are being targeted. It was in Pittsburgh, it was in San Diego that the attacks came on the Sabbath. This, of course, coming right after the Sabbath but also on the holiday of Hanukkah. And he pointed out that at a time and at a holiday when Jews should feel the safest whether it's in their home, in their congregation, or in their synagogue that's where they're being targeted. And this attack has turned the festival of lights, Hanukkah, into the festival of darkness.

He urges the world to come together and different organizations to come together to combat anti-Semitism. His message it begins with the Jews but it never ends with just the Jews.

PAUL: All right. Oren Liebermann, thank you so much. Grateful of your report there.

We're going to continue to follow this breaking news throughout the morning. Of course, you can get the latest information on our Web site as well, CNN.com.

BLACKWELL: Still ahead, five people are dead after a plane crashed in Louisiana. We will tell you how this is connected to a college football playoff game.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:20:41]

PAUL: Well, five people were killed after a small plane crash in Lafayette, Louisiana, yesterday. And the victims ranged in age from 15 to 59. The only survivor from the crash hospitalized in critical condition this morning.

BLACKWELL: Officials say the plane was headed to Atlanta and several of the passengers were going to the college football playoff between LSU and Oklahoma. One of those passengers was Carley Ann McCord. She was a sports reporter in New Orleans and the daughter-in-law of LSU coach Steve Ensminger.

CNN's Natasha Chen has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Saturday morning just before 9:30 local time in Lafayette, Louisiana, people saw a plane fall out of the sky.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the first time my heart just like wanted to stop and give up and take their place and I just feel like -- it's pain and pain for the family and all that.

CHEN: This witness described the plane tilted, hitting a post and a couple of vehicles. What is left is a burned out car flipped upside down and pieces of the plane scattered in a field across the parking lot of this post office.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's one of those things like you never could picture in your mind. It was terrifying. And I was outside. I could feel the heat from the flames and I could smell the fuel.

CHEN: There were six people on the plane and only one of them survived.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got closer and they pulled a guy out of the burning flames and brought him out.

CHEN: The lone survivor 37-year-old Wade Berzas, vice president of sales at Global Data Systems, an I.T. company. Among the five who died, Carley McCord, a 30-year-old sports reporter who worked at WDSU in New Orleans.

CARLEY MCCORD, WDSU SPORTS REPORTER: Everyone loves a good family football story.

CHEN: Her football family includes her father-in-law Steve Ensminger, offensive coordinator for Louisiana State University. McCord was on her way to see LSU play against Oklahoma University in Atlanta at the Peach Bowl.

MATT MOSCONA, ESPN RADIO: I've been numb all day. It has been hard to do the show, quite honestly. I don't have much to say.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

MOSCONA: Other than there is a lot of people that are going to be hurting today.

CHEN: Those hurting include families of the injured. Besides Berzas who survived from the plane one more person on the ground was severely burned and is being treated in a hospital. Two more people inside the post office were treated for smoke inhalation and are expected to be OK.

Natasha Chen, CNN, Lafayette, Louisiana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Natasha, thank you so much.

We are also getting some new details about that helicopter crash in Hawaii this week. Police have identified some of the victims who died when that chopper went down near the city of Hanapepe Thursday.

BLACKWELL: Officials believe all seven passengers were killed including a pilot, a 13-year-old and her mother from Wisconsin were among them. Now the other victims are believed to be members of a family from Switzerland. CNN Josh Campbell has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Local fire department officials tell us there were likely no survivors in the crash of a tourism helicopter here in Hawaii with seven people on board. Officials announcing they have located the scene of the wreckage. The crash site in a remote area inside a state park behind us here in the northwest section of the island Kauai.

Now as far as those on board officials tell us that in addition to the pilot there were four adults and two children. Search teams have located the remains of six individuals. The search for the seventh continues at this hour.

Now, this all began on Thursday afternoon after this tourism helicopter failed to report back to base at its scheduled time. Officials sending out an alert to the U.S. coast guard. That launching a massive investigation involving the coast guard, the Navy, rescue fire and rescue crews as well. That lasting throughout the night for some 16 hours. Again, officials eventually locating the wreckage behind us inside a state park here in the northern section of Kauai.

Finally, regarding the cause of this incident that remains under investigation. We are told that a team from the NTSB and FAA has been sent to this location to start that investigation. Officials tell us that at this hour it appears as though inclement weather may have been the likely cause.

Josh Campbell, CNN, Kauai.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: President Trump goes into his second week of vacation, showing an apparent frustration with the impeachment process.

[06:25:00]

PAUL: Between rounds of golf and meeting with aides, the president continued his tirades on Twitter sharing pro-Trump and anti-Democrat messages.

Sarah Westwood with us now from West Palm Beach. So, what are you hearing from the president this morning?

SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, good morning, Christi and Victor.

And, yes, President Trump is growing increasingly agitated about the uncertainty surrounding his Senate trial as he heads into the second week that he is spending down here in Mar-a-Lago. He has settled into something of a daily routine firing these missives of -- most of his aimed at Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Twitter in between golfing and mingling with family and friend here at Mar-a-Lago.

The president really wants to get on to that Senate trial. He wants his symbolic day in court. He was -- not just to be acquitted by the Senate but to be vindicated by a process that he hopes will be fair. He has told reporters this past week that he is still open to doing whatever Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to do in terms of the structural of the trial. McConnell has said he prefers no witnesses, no more document collection, simply to hear from the House.

Now President Trump has also been soliciting advice from allies and aides here at Mar-a-Lago about what the White House's strategy should be for handling impeachment. There are a lot of unanswered questions about how the White House will approach this. The president has been asking for example about whether he should bring on some of his fiercest defenders from House conservative members like Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows to perhaps present part of his case.

The only thing that seems certain at this point is that White House counsel Pat Cipollone is likely to present the bulk of the president's defense before the Senate. His deputies are expected to assist him as well. But until the parameters of that Senate trial are set, it's difficult for the White House to make those decisions and heading into the second week, Victor and Christi, when the president is expected to be surrounded by some of his top aides, those questions may be discussed here at Mar-a-:Lago.

BLACKWELL: Sarah Westwood for us there in West Palm Beach. Thank you.

PAUL: So we have a shifted answer from former Vice President Joe Biden this morning about whether he would testify at President Trump's impeachment trial. What the presidential candidate is now saying about facing a possible subpoena.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:30:00]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN NEW DAY: Former Vice President Joe Biden is now trying to clear up whether or not he will be a subpoena to testify on President Trump's Senate impeachment trial.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN NEW DAY: Yes. His campaign is setting its sights on Iowa with the critical Iowa caucuses, of course, looming right around the corner. CNN's Maeve Reston has more.

MAEVE RESTON, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Many of the Democratic presidential candidates here in Iowa this weekend trying to get their message out to voters with just five weeks before the Iowa caucuses. Joe Biden going all across the state but still getting caught up in these questions about Ukraine and the impeachment trial coming up in the Senate.

During a meeting with a Des Moines Register Editorial Board on Friday, he was asked whether he would comply with a subpoena to talk about his own dealings with Ukraine as well as those of his son, Hunter Biden, who served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.

And during that meeting, Biden suggested that he would not comply, but then spent a lot of time on Saturday trying to clarify that point on Twitter, saying that he believes there is no legal basis for a subpoena, and also that he has no more knowledge of the president dealings of Ukraine than any other random person on the street who has been watching this unfold on television.

He was pressed on this point about the subpoena during a gaggle with reporters on Saturday and here is what he had to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think that's going to happen. Again, let's cross that bridge when it comes. I would, in fact, abide by whatever was legally required of me and always have.

This is a trial that relates to Donald Trump's behavior. Did he violate the Constitution, pure and simple. And I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that stays the focus, not anything else.

RESTON: So Joe Biden there saying the focus should not be on impeachment but should be on his campaign and the issues that he has been trying to talk to voters about here, whether it's climate change or healthcare or the economy.

Many voters here in Iowa are still undecided with that very close race among the four candidates at the top. But some of the voters that we have talked to at Joe Biden's events say they are about 90 percent of the way there. Coming to their final decisions, really, deciding that they are going to go with what they view as the safe comfortable choice, someone who is familiar and has been through the paces of the White House.

Maeve Reston, CNN, Washington, Iowa.

PAUL: Maeve, thank you.

So what is outside your window this morning? It could be rain, wind, snow, ice, because there is a messy mix of weather for millions of you across the U.S. this weekend. In Minnesota, it wouldn't surprising to have snow and freezing rain there but it is making it downright treacherous for drivers.

BLACKWELL: It's so cold.

PAUL: How cold is it?

BLACKWELL: Thank you, Christi.

PAUL: I'm leaving you hanging there. Again, I'm sorry.

BLACKWELL: It's so cold that even a school bus pulling a trailer couldn't keep from sliding on an icy road.

PAUL: Oh, my goodness.

BLACKWELL: For more on this weather storm, let's check in with CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar. Allison would have gone to ask how cold is it.

PAUL: How cold is, Allison?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's cold enough to go curling in your backyard. Actually, literally, I saw videos of people doing that in Minnesota yesterday. But that really could just be any average Saturday in December in Minneapolis. But, yes, we are talking about potential travel issues with some of these cities here.

Let's start in Minnesota, because you have some very heavy snow in the northern portion of the state, Minneapolis, right now, getting rain. But that is expected to change as we go throughout the day, eventually, the freezing rain, and eventually, the snow. Because of that, that is going to be one of the big bad travel spot for today.

Same thing for Chicago, Cincinnati, D.C., New York, Boston all likely to have some travel problems today, even on the south end, Atlanta and Memphis looking at very heavy rainfall, that could cause some travel problems. [06:35:04]

And out west, take a look, San Francisco and Sacramento bracing for the next system sliding in. That, again, could also cause some travel problems there, not only in the air but also on the roads as well.

Here is a look at the live radar. Again, we mentioned Minneapolis right now getting rain. That is expected to change as we go late into the afternoon and into the evening hours.

Chicago, Cincinnati, Indianapolis right now, all looking at rain showers. Good news for St. Louis. You're finally starting to see at least an end to the rain for now. But, again, this very heavy rain is expected to push from the Midwest into portions of the northeast as we go through the day. So even though places like New York and Boston aren't dealing with right now, they are expected to as we go later into the day.

Winter weather advisories, winter storm warnings in effect for portions of the Midwest. This is where we expect some of the heaviest snow, also expecting snow and even ice across portions of the northeast.

For the Midwest, most areas likely picking up widespread, up to about four inches. But there will be some spots the closer you get to the Canadian border. It could pick up an additional six to eight inches.

Into the northeast, your heaviest snow spots are likely going to be in the higher elevations for Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. But the biggest concern in the northeast is ice. We are talking a potential large icing event. Look at this. some of these totals could reach up to a quarter or three-quarters of an inch of ice, potentially even as much as one inch of ice.

Keep in mind, folks, this not only causes problems on the roadways, this will bring trees down, this brings power lines down. So you will have some pretty big issues with that, and also into the southeast looking at the potential for some strong thunderstorms as well. Victor and Christi?

PAUL: All right. Allison, thank you so much for the heads-up.

BLACKWELL: All right. We're closing in on 2020 and it's time to talk about resolutions and turning them into reality, eliminating debt and setting obtainable goals, smart advice on how to improve your finances in the New Year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Well, the CDC says, listen, the number of people who are getting sick and dying from e-cigarettes is starting to slow down.

[06:40:04]

But with more than 50 people who have already died, 2,500 others that are sick, the agency is working to pinpoint the exact cause of the vaping-related illnesses there.

BLACKWELL: And as our Dr. Sanjay Gupta found out most signs point to the black market.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: So this is Chronic Pain Relief Center. That's cute.

MARK HOASHI, FOUNDER, DOJA: Right.

This is a legal and licensed dispensary in California. This is one of the nicer ones. It's important to keep in mind there are some illicit shops that looks just like this.

GUPTA: It can be really hard to tell. So we sent an undercover camera to see for ourselves. According to the California Bureau of Cannabis Control, this is an illegal vaping store. The thing is it looks just like a legal one. Within minutes, we were able to purchase these illicit THC cartridges for $30 to $55 a piece. We paid cash and there was no sales tax. And this store is also in California where THC is legal.

It feels like we are at, you know, the Wild West in terms of actually figuring this out.

HOASHI: It is the Wild West. I think there needs to be more enforcement of the illicit shops and easier way for consumers to identify which shops are operating legally.

GUPTA: That's exactly why Mark Hoashi created Doja. Think of as the Yelp for cannabis.

HOASHI: On the Doja app, I do see people getting headaches and nausea.

GUPTA: When you've heard people were having symptoms and subsequently tested, what have you found?

HOASHI: I found cartridges that tested positive over 15 different pesticides and even heavy metals, including lead and mercury.

GUPTA: Hoashi says a lot of consumers have no idea the products they are buying are fake.

HOASHI: The fake brands are easily identifiable because there is no testing, there is no government warning and they have no child- resistant mechanism.

GUPTA: Those are big red flags.

HOASHI: Now, this one is interesting because this is a really well done counterfeit. It has this information on the testing data here. It does have the government and it does have a manufacturing date and a batch number. This would be really confusing to the end user.

GUPTA: But that's what's happening. When people say, black market, they think they are buying a legitimate product.

And that has started to affect the legal companies which abide by the regulations, like Pure Vape.

ART KUSHKYAN, CEO AND FOUNDER, PURE: We found that it is possible to purchase our cartridges and our packaging from a number of internet websites.

GUPTA: Take a look. These are the authentic Pure Vape products that Art Kushkyan sells. And now, look what Art says is counterfeit packaging being sold online. They look exactly the same. The problem is anyone can buy these and fill them with whatever they want.

KUSHKYAN: Personally, I mean, it makes me feel very, very angry, but, most importantly, it creates a possible danger to public of consuming products that are untested.

MRYON RONAY, CEO, BELCOSTA LABS: When you concentrate a THC, you concentrate everything along with it. So every pesticide that could have been in that plant material, if it went from, let's just say 20 percent THC, now, you've concentrated to 80 percent THC, you've also concentrated the pesticides at the same amount.

GUPTA: Myron Ronay runs BelCosta Labs, one of California's state- certified labs that approves products for consumer use. This year alone, Ronay says, they have tested more than 10,000 different products.

Vaping has been around this country for some time, more than a decade. What we are seeing is relatively new. When you add that into the equation on top of all the testing you've done here, does it start to lead you to some sort of conclusion?

RONAY: Yes. I think it leads us to really that there is something going on either in the illicit market that's is causing this. You also have a challenge of average consumer not wanting to pay more, so they look at, well, I could buy this for $40 or I go to a legal store and buy it for $60.

GUPTA: One way the illicit market keeps the price down, by cutting the product. Let me show you what that means. A typical legal THC cartridge would have 70 percent to 90 percent pure THC distillate, the rest, terpenes, aromatic oils which give it a flavor.

In illegally cut cartridges, you might have only 40 to 50 percent THC distillate, the rest, terpenes and a cutting agent, like vitamin E acetate, which is a near perfect cutting agent because it looks very much like the actual product, the same color and the same thickness.

It would also pass something known on the street as the bubble test. Basically, if the bubble moves slowly, that should mean that it's viscous enough to be mostly pure THC oil.

When you look at any of these things, propylene (ph), glycol, vitamin E acetate, you super heat it and you breathe it into the lungs, do we know what those molecules then do to the body? RONAY: So vitamin E acetate can convert into acetic acid, which is essentially vinegar. And when it heats up, you're then inhaling an acid.

GUPTA: It's why the CDC has identified vitamin E acetate as a chemical of concern. But here is the challenge. The illicit market is a moving target. And if it's not vitamin E acetate as a cutting agent today, before long, it will be something new.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Long Beach, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Every year, millions of people resolve to make better financial decisions in the New Year. And every year, they don't. They just don't.

PAUL: In other words, he is saying, you don't do what you say you're going to do. But, listen, if you really want to improve your financial fitness, it is a priority for 2020, we have some help for you.

Michelle Singletary, a Syndicated Personal Finance Columnist for The Washington Post, has some ideas. She's also the author of the 21 Day Financial Fast.

Michelle, good morning to you.

MICHELLE SINGLETARY, SYNDICATED PERESONAL FINANCE COLUMNIST, THE WASHINGTON POST: Hello. Good morning. Happy New Year.

PAUL: Happy New Year to you.

All right, talk to us about credit card debt. How do we get that down?

SINGLETARY: Bankrate.com did a study to show who had credit card debt and I was quite surprised at the results. Because you would think it was lower income folks, people making maybe $30,000 or $40,000, it turns out people making $80,000 or more are more likely to have credit card debt and they're using it for everyday expenses, like groceries, utilities, child care.

And so going into 2020, many of those people need to just take a look what they have and then try to come up with a plan to reduce that debt so they are not carrying this very expensive debt, which, on average, is about 17 percent.

BLACKWELL: So, Michelle, I know people, no names being used, who play --

PAUL: I'm sure they are grateful for that.

BLACKWELL: They play the balance transfer game to try to pay off cards. You move it here, move it there but then you pay the 3 or 4 percent to move the money. How do you determine what the best strategy is to get rid of this credit card debt?

SINGLETARY: Well, actually, take a step back, because I'm not a big supporter of that. If you have not changed your habits that got you into credit card debt in the first place because you'll you're doing is shifting the debt, like you said. And so I think what people need to do is if you are still shopping, if you're still coming up short every month and you're using your credit card debt balance transfer, really, isn't going to solve the underlying problem.

And I would just suggest that you try to find a non-profit consumer credit counseling agency if this on non-profit. Not those companies that charge you thousands of dollars to get rid of your debt. Somebody is going to sit down with you and go over your budget with you. If you had some sort of like a car broke down but normally you're good with your money, you just had a very expensive repair and you can qualify for a 0 percent and no fee for that balance transfer, then I'm okay with you doing that. But I really need you to examine whether or not you are habitually in credit card debt because that's just a band-aid transferring balances from one card to the other.

PAUL: Is there a single mistake that is the most detrimental to our financial life that we make, on a regular basis even?

SINGLETARY: Really, I know it sounds so simple but just living above your means. And I think that when I look at how people are handling their money, and I see lots of individuals and couples and what I'm finding is people who are making good money, just overspending, they have a bigger house than they should, they have a better car than they should. Listen, it's okay. You are not what you drive. And you should not care what anybody thinks about the kind of car you have.

Listen, I have a car that is so old, if somebody hits my car, I don't know if they should dent or (INAUDIBLE). And what does that say? Because my money is being put towards things that sort of increase my net worth or help my family or my kids. My husband, I sent all three of our kids to school debt-free by living below our means.

And so when we make these New Year's resolutions, we look at do I have credit card debt? I want to save more. But I need you had to look at the underlying cause of why you are where you are. Are you living above your means? Listen, you could be doing well and helping out a bunch will people that shouldn't be helped out, like we have a lot of parents and grandparents that are abling their adult children to live above their means.

And that's why people go into 2020 so stressed about their money.

PAUL: Because if you got to get real introspective with yourself to do that and could be a hard place to be.

[06:50:02]

BLACKWELL: And I would suggest, of course, read Michelle's column because she writes about something called, Using Credit Cards for Lifestyle Creep. So read that. Michelle Singletary, always good to have you, thank you so much. SINGLETARY: I love being here.

BLACKWELL: Happy New Year.

PAUL: Happy New Year.

SINGLETARY: Happy New Year to you too and get rid of that debt and save more.

BLACKWELL: All right.

PAUL: Thank you.

Listen, there was unbridled joy on one hand but there is also some unimaginable grief, two emotions together for the LSU Tigers and one of their coaches. Vince Cellini?

VINCE CELLINI, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Right, Christi. Devastating news on the biggest day of their season, the story of heartbreak and triumph for LSU's offensive coordinator.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: In a face of immense personal tragedy with the loss of an assistant coach's daughter-in-law, the LSU Tigers found a way to win.

PAUL: Vince Cellini is here. I was watching this yesterday. At one point you thought, gosh, is he even going to be able to coach?

CELLINI: How can you focus under such circumstances, and he did, and he did well. But as it is, it was interesting, the team relatively insulated from the day's events. Many of the LSU players said after the game said they had no idea about what had occurred.

But think about it, to be in the national semifinal and then have tragedy touch a key member of the coaching staff, this could have been overwhelming.

This was LSU Offensive Coordinator Steve Ensminger on the field before the Peach Bowl, almost in tears. You can only imagine what's going through his mind at this point. Learning just hours before kickoff, his daughter-in-law, Carley McCord, one of five people killed when their private plane crashed.

He stayed on to coach in the game. He coached brilliantly. His team might not have been aware but they played inspired football against Oklahoma. The game, over in a blink of an eye, thanks to this man, Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow, otherworldly, eight total touchdowns, seven touchdown passes, another he ran in most by any player in a game ever in a bowl game ever. Tigers win 23-68.

But the head coach, Ed Orgeron, who called his assistant, Ensminger, the MVP of the day.

[06:55:01]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED ORGERON, LSU HEAD COACH: It was a tragedy that happened to Coach Ensminger;s family today. I was the one who had to tell coach and here is what I told him. I told him what happened. Here is what he said. Coach, we are going to get through this. And, obviously, he was distraught but he called a great game today. So it just goes to show you the integrity and the grit and character of the men on our football team.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CELLINI: You talk about teams and schools as a family. There it is right there.

The night cap, Clemson, Ohio State had it all and controversy. In the third, Clemson is up when Trevor Lawrence hits Justin Ross with a pass, fumble, scoop and score, Ohio State, or so we think. Hang on. The play goes to review. It is going to be overturned. And they say it's an incompletion. The Buckeye lead gone like it never happened. And that was a pivotal moment.

Final moments of the fourth quarter and Clemson is down, they turn to their star quarterback and he was incredible, winning Clemson the entire length of the field 94 yards, hitting Running Back Travis Etienne for the game winning touchdown. Clemson wins 29-23, keeping their chance of back-to-back titles. Alive. And so it is Clemson and LSU Monday, January 13th from the superdome in New Orleans with the national championship in a battle of tigers.

PAUL: All right. Thank you so much.

BLACKWELL: Thank you, Vince.

CELLINI: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: CNN Films, Linda Ronstadt, the Sound of my Voice, premieres New Year's Day. Here is a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you will lead (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay. And the winner is Linda Ronstadt.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Linda was the queen. She was like what Beyonce is now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was the first female rock and roll star.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was the only female artist to have five platinum albums in a row, and most of them multiplatinum.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Favorite female in rock and pop. Favorite country single Blue Bayou by Linda Ronstadt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the winner is (INAUDIBLE) Linda Ronstadt. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the winner is Linda Ronstadt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Linda Ronstadt, the Sound of my Voice, premiers New Year's Day at 9:00 P.M. Eastern.

PAUL: Back in a moment.

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