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CNN NEWSROOM

Trump Meets with The New York Times; Japan and South Korea Sign Intelligence-Sharing Deal; French Farmer To Stand Trial For Helping Migrants; 100,000 Passengers Impacted By Lufthansa Strike; Kanye West Undergoing Treatment For Exhaustion; Celebrities Awarded Presidential Medal Of Freedom; Brad Pitt Cleared In Child Abuse Investigation. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired November 23, 2016 - 01:00   ET

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


[01:00:00] ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. Ahead this hour, it was campaign promise that really got supporters fired up. But now Donald Trump is backing away from his pledge to lock up Hillary Clinton.

Also ahead, protests after Japan and South Korea strike a deal of their militaries, the first such agreement since World War II. And later, case closed. The FBI makes its decision in a child abuse case against Brad Pitt. Hello and thank you for joining us. I'm Isha Sesay. This is NEWSROOM L.A.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump hasn't held a news conference since his victory. He is talking to The New York Times. And CNN's Jim Acosta reports he is moderating some of his more controversial campaign positions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Today, Donald Trump met face-to-face with one of his favorite targets, The New York Times. And the newspaper's reporters were live tweeting the highlights. To all of his supporters calling for Hillary Clinton to be jailed over her e-mails in the Clinton Foundation, Trump hinted he is leaning against pushing for any sort of prosecution, saying it would be very, very divisive for the country. It's a reversal for Trump who shattered presidential campaign norms by threatening to imprison his opponent repeatedly.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation. Because there has never been so many lies, so much deception.

ACOSTA: On his Chief Strategist, Steve Bannon, who has been accused of showcasing racist views on his Breitbart News site. Trump said, "It's very hard on Bannon. I think he's having a hard time with it because it's not him." And Trump even moderated his stance on global warming, which he once called a hoax, telling The Times, "I think there is some connectivity between humans and climate change." With his inauguration getting closer, the president-elect has no shortage of flames to put out. From a new revelation in The Washington Post that the Trump Foundation admitted to the IRS, it was engaged in self- dealing and illegally misusing charitable donations to the mounting conflicts posed by his business affairs overseas. Trump told the Times, "In theory, I could run my business perfectly, and then run the country perfectly. There has never been a case like this."

MICHAEL FLYNN, RETIRED U.S. ARMY LIEUTENANT GENERAL: We are facing another ism, just like we faced Nazism.

ACOSTA: And there are new questions about Michael Flynn who is tapped to be Trump's national security adviser, after the retired general's comments on Islamism last August.

FLYNN: This is Islamism. And it is a -- it is a vicious cancer inside the body of 1.7 billion people on this planet. And it has to be excised.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dr. Carson, Dr. Carson --

ACOSTA: Trump also met with rival turned supporter Ben Carson and tweeted, he is seriously considering the doctor to run housing and urban development, even though a Carson adviser just last week said, "Dr. Carson doesn't think he's qualified to run a federal agency." Trump has mostly tried to bypass the media since his election, revealing his upcoming agenda in this transition produced video.

TRUMP: My agenda will be based on a simple core principle, putting America first.

ACOSTA: A top supporter's message to the press, "Get used to it."

LAURA INGRAHAM, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: But now Donald Trump is going to, you know, make his own way with the press. And he is probably going to do a lot of those videos, I would imagine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sure.

INGRAHAM: Words straight to the American people. Go around the press.

ACOSTA: CNN has learned Mitt Romney is seriously considering the possibility of joining Donald Trump's administration as Secretary of State. A source familiar with transition discussion says, it's likely the 2012 republican nominee will be consulting with his family over the weekend. That source tells CNN a decision is not expected until next week. Jim Acosta, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Well, joining me now here in L.A. are Matthew Littman, a democratic strategist and a former senior adviser to Barack Obama in his campaign, and CNN political commentator, Lanhee Chen, former public policy director for Mitt Romney. Good to have you both with me again for round two. And Lanhee, as that report from Jim Acosta ended on the note of your old boss, Mitt Romney, let me pick up there and ask if you were a betting man, would you say he'd take the position?

LANHEE CHEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATO: I -- you know, I think it's tough to say, honestly, there are a lot of different factors--

SESAY: Oh, don't hedge your bet.

CHEN: Look, you know, I think -- I think -- look, there are -- there are a lot of different factors involved here. And obviously, Governor Romney cares deeply about the country. He always has cared deeply about the country. When Donald Trump asked for his advice and council after being elected president-elect, he provided that to him. So we'll have to see what happens. I've said this a lot. I mean, I really think that Romney would be terrific in any number of positions, senior positions in the U.S. government. I voted for Governor Romney again this year. In fact, that's how qualified I think he is. So, I'd be delighted if he were in any senior role.

[01:05:10] MATTHEW LITTMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I think Mitt Romney would also be good in a lot of positions in government, regardless of whether democrat was -- our president was a republican or a democrat.

SESAY: (INAUDIBLE)

LITTMAN: I just -- I just --

(CROSSTALK)

SESAY: It didn't happen.

LITTMAN: But I just have a hard time believing that Romney could take this job and have to deal with Trump sending out these tweets, and then Romney having to apologize to people around the world. I just think that Romney should think better of it and should not be Secretary of State. If I were Romney, I wouldn't do the job.

SESAY: Speaking of the issue of consistency, which is really what you're getting at there, you know, as you were saying, Matt, you know, you just don't necessarily know which Donald Trump you may get. Let's talk about his walking back on this whole campaign promise of prosecuting Hillary Clinton. Let's put up the tweet. Because it came from The New York Times, from the meeting he had with them on Tuesday. And this is what one of their journalists put out. Trump is pressed if he has definitively ruled out prosecuting Hillary Clinton. He said, "This is just not something that I feel very strongly about." Matt, are you surprised?

LITTMAN: I'm not surprised because nothing about Donald Trump at this point is surprising. The fact that he changes his positions, I don't think he knows what his positions are from one day to the next. Anyway, but what he did was, he riled up his supporters. He riled up these people who would yell "Lock her up." all the time, got them to vote for him and is walking it back immediately.

Couple of things; one, Trump doesn't decide who gets prosecuted. Number two, the FBI said that Hillary didn't do anything that they can prosecute her for, so they're not going to. So, there's nothing here anyway. So, what Trump was telling his people during the campaign about "lock her up" was never going to happen. This is basically an admission of (INAUDIBLE)

SESAY: All right. Listen to -- Lanhee, listen to what Kellyanne Conway, Trump's campaign manager had to say as she spoke to one of the morning shows on Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLYANN CONWAY, SENIOR TRUMP ADVISER: I think when the president- elect, who is also the head of your party now, Joe, tells you before he is even inaugurated, he doesn't wish to pursue these charges, it sends a very strong message, tone and content to the members. Look, I think he is thinking of many different things as he prepares to become the President of the United States. And things that sound like the campaign aren't among them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: All right. So, Lanhee, Kellyanne Conway saying that, he is sending a message to the GOP congress, drop it. It's over. I'm good with it. Will they?

CHEN: Well, first of all, I think that's the right message to be sending. So, I'm glad that he sent that message. I'm glad that Kellyanne sent that -- sent that message. I do think republicans in congress want to focus instead on this first 100-day agenda. I mean, it is a very ambitious agenda. They're talking about doing a lot of things, some of it through executive action. But most of it is going to require congress to act, you know, if they're going to do anything about the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, they're going to need congress to act. If they want to do anything at all with tax policy, tax reform, it's going have to go through the congress.

So, my guess is, that republicans in congress, and they're going to take their lead from Paul Ryan. And I can tell you that Paul Ryan would much rather be focusing on the substance than on a potential investigation into Hillary Clinton.

LITTMAN: Yeah. No, I agree with that. Donald Trump has a very difficult agenda to get through quickly, including building that wall, right, on the Mexican-American border? That's going to be very tough to do.

SESAY: Was not mentioned in that transition video.

LITTMAN: He's also got -- he said he is going to defeat ISIS very quickly. That's going to be very tough to do, within the first 100 days or the first six months. You know, when Barack Obama came in, he fulfilled, actually, a lot of the promises that he made. The one thing that didn't work out was, he said he was the candidate of hope and change. And within a very few months after he got into office, people started to say, "Where is that hope and change he promised?" Donald Trump has to be careful of the same thing because he promised that things are going to happen very fast. And if those jobs don't start -- manufacturing jobs don't start coming back, those coal jobs don't start coming back very quickly within those first few months, people are going to start to wonder. SESAY: But is that why he's loaded his 100 days with tasks that require executive action so he can get a couple of easy wins?

LITTMAN: He can get those easy wins, that's true, but those aren't what he promised people, and people know that what he promised -- and I think people are going to look within those first few months -- within the first six months and they're going to start to say, "Where are those jobs. you promised us those jobs. You promised that you would defeat ISIS." He said he would do it fast. And that's what they're going to be looking for.

CHEN: You know, it is traditionally the case in the U.S. presidency, when the new president takes office, that first 100 days is so critical because they do get a little bit of a pass from congress. They do get a little bit of honeymoon period. And that's really when things have to get gone. Things become exponentially more difficult after that period is over. So, for Donald Trump, I do think it is going to be crucial for him to get things done. I do think also, though, Donald Trump is a master brander.

LITTMAN: Right.

CHEN: Regardless of what happens, he is going to be able to say, even if the Affordable Care Act is not fully repealed, he'll say, "We repealed it. We did a great job." Now, we're going to have "Trumpcare" and it's going to be fantastic.

LITTMAN: I actually agree, right.

CHEN: And he's very skilful with that.

[01:09:50] SESAY: Well, as he heads to the Oval Office, you know, there are clouds over it, as we're all aware. Amongst them the things that played out in Washington, D.C. on Saturday involving the Alt- Right Movement. Ugly scenes from this group, effectively, a group of racists and bigots. Let's remind our viewers of some of what we saw on Saturday that has many people questioning Donald Trump and how he's using his voice at a time like this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD SPENCER, ALT-RIGHT MOVEMENT LEADER: Hail Trump! Hail our people. Hail victory!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Nazi salutes, horrific language being used at that gathering. Matt Littman, why didn't President-elect Trump come out and immediately condemn this?

LITTMAN: Is it hail, H-E-I-L or H-A-I-L?

SESAY: I don't think you're focusing on the right thing.

LITTMAN: No, I do wonder because you're talking about people who often are in support of the Nazis, some of these people. And in the case of Trump, you've got a lot of people. I'm not saying all of his support, you know, is from racists. But there is definitely a segment of the Trump support that this white national movement. And Trump has really not forcefully disavowed this movement. He just says things like, "I disavow, or I don't want them to support me." But he has used their support to get to where he is now, when he is not forcefully disavowed these people.

SESAY: Lanhee, the president-elect told The New York Times that the Alt-Right is not a group I want to energize. And if they're energized, I want to look into it and find out why. And that's according to a tweet that was put out by The New York Times' Maggie Haberman.

Now, the southern poverty -- the Southern Law Poverty Center kind of just saying that is disingenuous, the whole thing of I don't know why they're energized. Let's put up the statement that they actually put out after Donald Trump's comments at the New York Times. Is that, "The reason he's energized the "alt-right" is simple: He's been playing its tune from the day he announced his campaign and called Mexican immigrants rapist. His proposal to ban Muslim immigration, his talk of mass deportations, his attacks on political correctness, it's all been music to the ears of a movement that envisions a white America. And that's exactly the America that the "alt-right" wants to see."

So here is my question to you. He comes out, he says, "This is not a group I want to recognize. I condemn everything that they stand for." But he continues his language of talking of Muslims in ways that is troubling to people, at least through the campaign. He continues to say, you know -- he continues to support the attacks on political correctness. It's kind of conflicting messages, is it not?

CHEN: I think that you can never be forceful enough in denouncing the kind of hatred that was expressed in that meeting. And I think that as president-elect now, it is his responsibility to rise above whatever campaign rhetoric, some of it clearly problematic. Some of it clearly, maybe even more than problematic, you know, the statements about the judge, the Mexican-American judge, for example, were very troubling to me personally. I think that you can never denounce those folks enough. I think he needs to continue doing that.

But I think if you look at what they're starting to do now and talking about what a President Trump would actually do, he has begun to come off of some of these more extreme positions from the campaign trail. And I actually think that's probably a good thing, in terms of bringing the country together. So I would hope that as they pursue policy, they do pursue a more reasonable pathway, while at the same time denouncing this sort of stuff, like we saw over the weekend.

LITTMAN: Could I ask? What are those positions where he has become more reasonable?

CHEN: Well, I think, for example, on immigration, they've talked about enforcing existing laws a lot more. They've talked about executive actions that would -- (CROSSTALK)

SESAY: But it was (INAUDIBLE) to Kris Kobach, the secretary of state from Kansas, who --

CHEN: Yeah, I mean, I think we have to be careful to distinguish the language that the president-elect himself is using from those that he may be considering for post. He can't control everything Kris Kobach says.

LITTMAN: Banning Muslims and banning people from countries that have terrorism, basically support terrorism, those are still on his agenda. So, I don't think he has moderated that very much.

CHEN: Well, now -- well, to be fair, I think that some -- again, some who he's considering have continued to support a Muslim ban. He has talked about needing to look at immigration from countries that are known harbors -- known safe harbors for terrorists. I think that's a little different.

LITTMAN: Let me -- OK. Well -- but on his website, that Muslim ban still exists.

CHEN: Well, I -- you know, I think that's one of those things that they have to --

(CROSSTALK)

LITTMAN: So he hasn't moderated it? So when we're saying he has moderated his views, what views has he moderated?

CHEN: Well, again, I think he is certainly on issues like Obamacare, for example, he has basically said, look, I think there are elements upon it that we should -- we should keep.

LITTMAN: This goes to your point about messaging.

CHEN: With respect to -- but with respect to the issue at hand, which is the racial tension that clearly exists in many quarters in the United States. Again, I think he does need to be forceful. He does need to continue to do those things. But at least, early on, the signs I do think, are promising with respect to issue likes immigration.

SESAY: Final words to you, Matt

LITTMAN: You're saying two different things, though. You're saying that he needs to continue to do these things and be forceful. The things he's -- if he continues to do them, he is not being forceful. He needs to be forceful.

CHEN: No, no. I mean, he needs -- he needs to continue to moderate some of this stuff and also be forceful in denouncing this kind of speech.

SESAY: Boy, though we must leave it, Matt Littman. We should leave you to dream of a democratic presidency. Lanhee Chen, thank you so much.

[01:15:00] CHEN: Thank you.

LITTMAN: Thank you.

SESAY: Thanks to both of you. All right. Next on NEWSROOM L.A., new deal between South Korea and Japan is sparking protests. Why the two countries have agreed to something they haven't tried since World War II. Plus, ahead of the holiday season, the U.S. warns Americans about the threat of terrorism both at home and in Europe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: ISIS has one message for its followers in the west, and one message only. Kill as many people as you can. It sees truck attacks as was carried out in Nice as a very practical way of doing this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WORLD SPORT)

SESAY: Officials are making another attempt at ending the long- running conflict between the Colombian government and Marxist rebel group FARC. Both sides will sign a new peace accord in the capital on Thursday. President Juan Manuel Santos made the announcement in a televised address. The agreement will then go to congress for approval. Voters rejected the last peace deal in a referendum in October.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUAN MANUEL SANTOS, PRESIDENT OF COLOMBIA (through translator): After hearing all the proposals and alternatives and in common agreement with the FARC, it is clear that the best and most legitimate way to endorse this new agreement is through congress where all the political visions and options are represented from the extreme left to the extreme right. That is the direction I will continue down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[01:20:09] SESAY: Well, if it's approved, the agreement would end a half century of war in Colombia.

Now, Japan and South Korea have signed a deal to share military intelligence. It's the first military-related agreement between the two countries since World War II. CNN's Paula Hancocks joins me now from Seoul with the details. And Paula, is this deal essentially a way to deal with the threat posed by North Korea?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isha, that's certainly why this was first talked about. The fact that Japan and South Korea wanted to share information and the intelligence they had for North Korea, its nuclear and missile capabilities. Just a couple of years ago, they did strike a deal with the U.S. as

well. So they have to -- the U.S. was really acting as the go-between for all three of them to share this information. So, what has happened today is that Japan and South Korea have signed a deal saying that they can deal with each other directly. So, any information they have on the nuclear capability or that the submarine capability, for example, they can now share with each other in a -- in a secretive fashion, not passing it on to any third parties.

Now, this has been welcomed by the governments themselves. We've heard from the (INAUDIBLE) and Defense Ministry saying that Japan spends far more on defense so they have better information, and it will be very useful for South Korea to be able to share that information. But we've seen some criticisms from both opposition leaders and also people on the street. We've seen protests outside the Defense Ministry this Wednesday, where this was signed by some people. Of course, Japan did colonize South Korea in the early part of the 20th century, and there are some anti-Japanese sentiments that still linger here. Isha?

SESAY: And Paula, do we know why the deal is to last just one year at this stage, at least?

HANCOCKS: Well, that can be renewed. This is obviously the preliminary agreement that they've signed and certainly they can agree to extend that. You would imagine that they would extend that, that may just be a technicality. But of course, one thing that the opposition leaders here in South Korea in particular are concerned about, is that this is a deal that's being pushed through by President Park Geun-Hye. They are criticizing this deal saying, Park Geun-Hye does not have the authority at this point to be able to push through this kind of deal. They say that obviously she's embroiled in a corruption scandal which is gripping the nation at this point.

She has an approval rating of about 5 percent. Hundreds of thousands of protesters have taken to the street calling for her resignation, and that is what opposition leaders are pinpointing at this point. From an impartial expert's point of view, though, those I've spoken to say, it simply makes sense for two countries, who have the same opinion of North Korea, the same concerns when it comes to that nuclear and missile capability, to be able to share information directly. Isha?

SESAY: Paula Hancocks joining us there from Seoul, South Korea. I appreciate it. Thank you.

Intense attacks on rebel-controlled neighborhoods have killed 15 people in Northern Syria. Activists say regime airstrikes and barrel bomb attacks targeted Eastern Aleppo. They also say the bombs contain chlorine gas. Russia claims the rebels are using chemical weapons. CNN cannot independently verify these claims. More than 300 people have died in Aleppo since the government resumed heavy bombing last Tuesday.

Iraq and coalition forces are battling ISIS village by village as they move closer to retaking Mosul from the militants. On Tuesday, Iraqi airstrikes killed at least 10 ISIS fighters in the town of Tal Afar. Meantime, more civilians are fleeing the eastern outskirts of Mosul as clashes intensify there. This video captured people leaving what -- leaving the area with what personal items they could carry.

Well, heading into the holiday season, the U.S. is warning its citizens about terror threats at home and abroad. CNN's Brian Todd reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: New York Police and counter terror officials, taking extra security measures along the route of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Thousands of officers will be on the streets, snipers on rooftops. Dozens of large trucks filled with sand will be along the route. Officials say they have this attack on their minds. The horrific truck attack in Nice, France last summer during a Bastille Day celebration which killed more than 80 people.

BILL DE BLASIO, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: The Nice attack was an indicator of something we had to make adjustments because of and changes, that's why the sand trucks are there, and you will not see vehicles crossing the route of the parade.

TODD: Law enforcement officials say there's no specific credible threat to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but recent warnings and arrests are chilling. U.S. officials say 37-year-old Mohamed Naji arrested early Monday in Brooklyn, had ideas for a spectacular attack on Times Square.

[01:25:01] Naji is accused by prosecutors of providing material supports to ISIS. His attorney denies the allegation. Naji's desire to attack officials say, fueled by Nice. According to a criminal complaint, Naji told a confidential informant, quote, "If there is a truck, I mean a garbage truck and one drives it to Times Square and crushes them, Times Square day."

CRUICKSHANK: ISIS has one message for its followers in the west, and one message only. Kill as many people as you can. It sees truck attacks as was carried out in Nice as a very practical way of doing this.

TODD: An ISIS magazine has laid out a "How-to" for conducting a truck attack like the one in Nice. Under a picture of the Macy's Parade, a caption, "An excellent target." Law enforcement official tells CNN, they don't believe Mohamed Naji had any specific plot in the works, but experts warn about an ever present lone wolf threat.

PHILIP MUDD, FORMER CIA AND FBI OFFICIAL: You're hoping that when they radicalize 100 people, a thousand people, 5,000, who've never even have to travel to Syria. If you miss five of those guys, you got a problem. So it's not the one off. It's whether you miss any of them over the course of years.

TODD: Americans also being warned about terrorism abroad during the holidays. The State Department warning Americans to be careful at holiday festivals in Europe. Recent arrests in France, according to French media, thwarted a potential attack at a Christmas market in the City of Strasbourg.

DAVID INSERRA, THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION: People are going through -- going through areas which we can't fully secure. We can't make sure that every single, you know, bus station, every single train station is fully secured.

TODD: Terrorism experts say what makes thanksgiving and the other holidays more enticing as targets for ISIS this year, is the fact that the terror group is losing ground on the battlefield. And that makes its leaders more apt to tell potential recruits, don't come here where we're losing, stay home and attack. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Next on NEWSROOM L.A., a modern day underground railroad in France. Why one man has helped hundreds of migrants enter the country illegally.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (Through translator): If you look at the Second World War, we have a history of helping people, of welcoming them. We have a rebellious spirit. If we have to work outside the law to defend the values that represent us, the French people, then we'll do it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:31:15] SESAY: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay. The headlines this hour. The Colombian government will sign a new peace deal on Thursday with a Marxist rebel group FARC. President Juan Manuel Santos made the announcement in a televised address. The agreement will be sent to congress for approval. If it's approved, the deal would end 50 years of conflict.

Japan and South Korea signed their first direct military-related agreement since South Korea's liberation from Japanese occupation in 1945. The deal allows for sharing confidential or secret military intelligence, but it excludes top secret information.

SESAY: U.S. President-elect Trump is pulling back from campaign promises to prosecute Hillary Clinton. "The New York Times" interview, Trump said he doesn't want to hurt the Clintons, despite campaign chants of "lock her up". Trump said doing so would be very divisive for the country.

Well, a farmer faces charges of helping migrants illegally cross into France. His trial is set to begin in a few hours. Visited his farm to find out why he is taking such a risk to help others.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): On the French side of La Jolla Valley (ph), poultry and olives earn (inaudible) a living by day. By night, he breaks the law by helping migrants to cross the border.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via translator): La Jolla (ph) Valley, it's a tradition. If you look at the Second World War, we have a history of helping people, of welcoming them. We have a rebellious spirit. If we have to work outside the law to defend the values that represent us, the French people, then we'll do it.

BELL: Today, 35 migrants will share (inaudible) tiny farmhouse and his clothes. He says he is just picking up the pieces of a broken system.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Sometimes at 2:00 a.m. or 3:00 a.m., we go and pick up the minors (ph) in Italy, minors (ph) who have called me, who are in (inaudible) sleeping rough. I help the minors (ph) who don't have papers across the border. It's not my job to ask people for their papers.

BELL: As more Eritrean boys arrived Cedric's (ph), we tried to talk to local police, but our calls (ph) were not returned. After the longest of treks, the boys rest here for the first time in months and share stories. Stories of a journey that has taken them from Sub- Saharan Africa through the desert, across the sea and on to northern Italy.

BELL (on camera): Ventimiglia (ph) is only 20 miles away from Cedric's (ph). Here, hundreds of migrants wait in the shadows for their chance to get across the border, relying while they wait on the kindness of strangers.

It's nearly midnight in Ventimiglia (ph) and this group of 15 and 16- year-old Eritrean boys is waiting to make another attempt to get across the French border. When midnight comes, they'll make their way down this railway track for the three hour to four-hour walk that will take them to France.

BELL (voiceover): Through the Jolla (ph) valley, the most fortunate ones will arrive at Cedric's (ph) farm, like this Eritrean girl and her niece, who have been on the road for six months.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's like our father, our mother. I don't know. In all my life I have not met anyone like Cedric (ph).

BELL: Soon, these two children will set off in the hope of finding another kind soul on their uncertain journey northwards. Melissa Bell, CNN, Brace (ph) La Jolla (ph).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Well, there is no relief in sight of passengers grounded by canceled Lufthansa flights. The airline pilots are on strike and they will not go back to work until at least Friday. The pilots say they haven't gotten pay raises in five years despite record profits and big salary bumps for executives. Lufthansa canceled 900 flights Wednesday stranding tens of thousands of travelers.

[01:35:03] On Wednesday, Britain is unveiling its first economic plan since it voted to quit the European Union. And Reuters Report says a raise is in the work for its citizens. The treasury wants to hike the minimum wage by four percent, the equivalent of $8.90 per hour to $9.30. The new rate would start in April. About 360,000 workers in the U.K. earn less than minimum wage.

Next on NEWSROOM L.A., an outpouring of concern for Kanye West after the rapper is hospitalized. More on his recent bizarre behavior, after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SESAY: Kanye West is undergoing treatment for exhaustion at an L.A. hospital. The rapper was admitted Monday after suddenly cancelling the rest of his concert tour. West made headlines for his bizarre behavior recently, including a rant about racism and Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KANEY WEST, MUSICIAN: I said something that was kind of politically correct. I told you I didn't vote, right? But I didn't tell you. I guess I told you, but if I were to have voted, I would have voted on Trump.

[01:39:51] To black people, stop focusing on racism. This world is racist, OK? Let's stop being distracted to focus on that as much. It's just a (bleep) fact. We are in a racist country, period.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Well, joining me now is Dr. Reef Karim, founder of the Control Center of Beverly Hills and director of the Fame Addiction Program. Dr. Karim, thank you so much for joining us.

DOCTOR REEF KARIM, FOUNDER, CONTROL CENTER OF BEVERLY HILLS: Thanks very having me.

SESAY: When we hear, as we often do, that celebrities have been hospitalized for exhaustion, what exactly are we talking about here? What is this condition, exhaustion?

KARIM: All right, so we got to play emotional detective right now.

SESAY: OK.

KARIM: So as a doctor, I'm always looking at the human behavior side of things. And in this case, there was a 5150 involved.

SESAY: OK. Explain what that is.

KARIM: That means that somebody is put on a 72-hour hold for either danger to self, danger to others, or because they're gravely disabled. Gravely disabled means you can't care for yourself regarding food, clothing, and shelter. It could mean you're psychotic, could mean you're so depressed you're suicidal. It could mean all sorts of things. But it means that, whoa, we don't know what is going on here. Something is up. And somebody medical and psychiatric needs to evaluate this person to see what is going on. So this wasn't just dehydration, you're feeling bad, you need to call an ambulance, you need to go. This is somebody that was put on a hold against their will to be evaluated. SESAY: OK. So the events that led up to this, the scenes we saw on

some of what we just played of Kanye in concert there, how does that fit in with what may good going on here? Again, I know we're speaking broadly, you know, what do you see?

KARIM: Yes, I want to put it out there that I don't know Kanye, I don't treat him, so this is supposition. This is us trying to figure it out. We're looking at a couple on the differential. When somebody acts like that, like what we just saw, you think, all right, this person has these loose associations or this stream of consciousness where they're mixing words. They don't know really what's happening right now. You think some kind of mood disturbance like a bipolar disorder or you think some kind of psychotic disorder that is usually drug-induced, or is coming from a medical problem or a psychiatric problem. Now, they've mentioned sleep deprivation. When you're really sleep deprived, you can become psychotic.

SESAY: You can?

KARIM: You can. If you stop sleeping for the next three or four days, I guarantee you you're going to either have hallucinations or you're going to have delusions or you're going to get paranoia or something is going to go on. So it is possible this could be really hardcore acute sleep deprivation. But I just don't see, with the amount that he works and the consistency of the tour and everything else, I would be shocked if that was the case.

SESAY: OK. So whatever this is, and it's serious, OK. At least the 5150 indicates that it's something substantial, substantive. Why it is that we see creative people succumb to this, I guess spectrum of, I don't know, conditions, disorders, or however you might describe it in a medical term. What is it about the business the business that seems to lend itself to this kind of situation?

KARIM: So I think we need to look at celebrities versus creative people. Because I think there's two different things going on. In regards to celebrities, I view celebrities as having a certain type of stress. Celebrity stress that the average person does not have. That celebrity stress means a celebrity nowadays, we need access to them 24/7 because of social media and because of the way PR works now.

It used to be the celebrity could be the -- they could be aloof and they could hide away and they're mysterious. Oh, I wonder what they're doing. Now we want to know exactly what is going on. Did they tweet in the last hour? Did they tweet? Did they do this? Did they put something on Facebook? Do we see images? What's going on with them right now? 24/7 all access, no ability for that celebrity to hide, to have a moment, to deal with emotional stuff going on in their life. So a lot of celebrities, they don't have really strong emotional balance in their life because they're constantly on. The on button is constantly on in their life.

SESAY: So what will be happening right now? He's hospitalized. Give us some insight into -- in terms of treatment, in terms of diagnosis. What is the process now from here? KARIM: So when somebody comes in with a 5150, they go into the

hospital. They're evaluated. They have a comprehensive psychiatric examination. You're going to get a medical workup. Because you want the see if somebody has hyponutremia, low sodium, that can cause somebody to act psychotic. There's all sorts of other things in a metabolic way that can cause you to act that way. They want to rule out all sorts of things. And then eventually, they look at his psychiatric diagnosis and they try to see, OK, is there something medical going on, or is this psychiatric? And if it is, what is that diagnosis and how do we treat it?

And some of those diagnoses are treated with medications. And then it's, are you willing to be on medications or not? And some people do and some people don't. But an important point here is the fame piece.

SESAY: Yes.

[01:45:04] KARIM: Because a lot of celebrities and non-celebrities -- because think about where we are in the world right now. Fame, the need for external validation from other people. How many likes do we have on Facebook. What is going on in regards to our ability to be seen and not be invisible in the world. That is changing our brains. We're becoming more impulsive, more anxious, more bored. A lot of people are more lonely and more tired because they're constantly on all the time. We actually treat something at my center called fame addiction, which we're seeing more and more people succumbing to.

SESAY: Wow. Please come back and talk to us about that another time because that in itself is fascinating that you had to create I guess a special place for these growing conditions being brought about by the environment we're living in. So Dr. Karim, we've got the leave it there this time. But please come back.

KARIM: I will

SESAY: Thank you.

SESAY: All right. Well, some of the biggest names in sport, entertainment, and business gathered at the White House on Tuesday to receive America's highest civilian honor -- the Presidential Medal of Freedom. They included basketball icons Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan, rocker Bruce Springsteen, actors Tom Hanks and Robert De Niro, and philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These are folks who have helped make me who I am and think about my presidency. And what also makes it special is, this is America. And it's useful when you think about this incredible collection of people to realize that this is what makes us the greatest nation on earth. Not because of what we --

(APPLAUSE)

-- not because -- not because of our differences, but because in our difference we find something common to share. And what a glorious thing that is. What a great gift that is to America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Very special honor.

Well, next on NEWSROOM L.A., good news for Brad Pitt. The FBI dropped the child abuse investigation against the Hollywood superstar.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:51:21] SESAY: Welcome back, everyone. No charges against actor Brad Pitt. The FBI announced Tuesday it has closed its investigation into child abuse allegations. The accusations stems from an incident on a private plane involving one of his six kids with Angelina Jolie. Jolie filed for divorce a day later. The news comes as Pitt's new film "Allied" hits theaters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Said you were beautiful, you're good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Being good at this kind of work is not very beautiful.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're watching us. Now kiss me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: I'm joined now by Managing Editor of "Entity" (ph) magazine, Sandro Monetti. So Sandro, obviously some good news for Brad Pitt on the personal front. But will there be joy at the box office?

SANDRO MONETTI, MANAGING EDITOR, ENTITY MAGAZINE: Well, I think that smile will probably be wiped off Brad's face when he sees the box office numbers for "Allied".

SESAY: Don't you like it?

MONETTI: Well, let's talk about the business challenge, first of all. It's coming out at a family holiday time, Thanksgiving, against Disney movie "Moana" and "Fantastic Beasts", the Harry Potter --

SESAY: I want to see both of those.

MONETTI: So, both very good. And as for the movie itself, well, let's say a challenge in the chemistry between Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard, I think there was more warmth between Mike Pence and the cast of "Hamilton".

(LAUGHTER)

SESAY: Seriously, you are -- not everyone agrees with you. Some of the reviews say that it's hot and steamy and it's Mr. and Mrs. Smith with Nazis.

MONETTI: Yes. I mean, the story line is two assassins falling in love while trying to kill the Nazis. You know, typical story line like that I suppose. And it was so disappointing to me that I didn't enjoy it, because I love everybody involved in the project. Director Robert Zemeckis and the two stars as well. But together, they just don't work. You can have the perfect script, you can have the perfect story, but if there is no chemistry there in a love story, it's not there. I mean there were wild rumors about relationship between Marion Cotillard and Brad Pitt off camera. And if those are true, they did a very good job of hiding it on camera, I tell you that.

SESAY: It has to be said, though, when the rumors emerged of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie shacking up during the making of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", the film I just referenced, the film did gangbusters at the box office.

MONETTI: It really did. So we'll see if that happens. But in that film, I thought the chemistry was off the charts. But let the viewers be the judge. We'll see.

SESAY: We shall see. How much does he need a hit at the box office, Brad Pitt?

MONETTI: Yes, he's been most successful recently as a producer rather than an actor. Coming up with "12 Years a Slave" and "The Big Short" and he's involved in "Moonlight" as well this awards season. But he's going to have a big hit, I think, with his "World War Z" zombie sequel, which is due out in a year's time. But this one might face a box office challenge.

SESAY: Well I think I might show him some love. I may support him, go and watch it.

MONETTI: Good for you. Stay loyal. They give refunds if you leave after half an hour.

(LAUGHTER)

SESAY: Oh my God, Monetti. Thank you.

All right, move on. Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres had the perfect solution for keeping the post election peace during the holidays and it features a very familiar face.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The 2016 presidential race was one of the most divisive in history. And there is one more big political clash still to come. Your holiday dinner. Instead of coming together, your family gathering is sure to explode into a bitter shouting match that ruins the season for everyone. Luckily, mobile moderator is here to help. Using your phone, you can order a professional moderator to manage your meal. Choose from seasoned pros like Anderson Cooper, Megyn Kelly, and Wolf Blitzer.

[01:55:08] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course he should build the wall. They're coming across by the millions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's nowhere near a million.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hillary should be in prison.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She won the popular vote.

(CROSSTALK)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Mrs. Douglass, Uncle Lou, if we could just please get back to the original question. Could someone please pass the salt?

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Something tells me Wolf could be in high demand this Thanksgiving.

MONETTI: Sounds like one of my typical family gatherings, actually, yes. Maybe I could bring in Wolf.

SESAY: And what were you saying, Brad and Angelina spending Thanksgiving together?

MONETTI: So it seems. I don't know if he is going to end up with the Turkey on his head or whether it's going to be harmonious, but yes, it's a nice happy Thanksgiving story that at the urging of one of the kids, they're going to put their differences beside them and at least for Thanksgiving get around the same dinner table.

SESAY: They need Wolf. They need Wolf.

MONETTI: They need Wolf.

SESAY: We should send him as a gift. Sandro Monetti, thank you. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay. I'll be back with another hour of news right after this.

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