a powerful 7.5 magnitude quake hits japan sending people running to higher ground . new reports of damage, the search for survivors and the

tsunami warning in effect, and we have all of the breaking developments coming in. it is officially 2024, which means it is officially an election year, and we are in the final sprint before the votes will be cast and a shake-up that could come to iowa. >> donald trump's legal team preparing pitch to get him back on the ballot in two states. when those appeals could happen. happy new year, kate and sara are elsewhere. >> i'm alongside rahel solomon, i'm john berman, and this is cnn "news central." we want to begin with the images out of japan showing the powerful 7.5 earthquake triggering a tsunami and many

people say it struck just as they were enjoying new year holiday. what you are looking at here is the scene inside of a department store, and people were standing in shock and fright and then rushing to each other to make sure they were okay. this was the scene inside of a home where people understandably seemed panicked. the earthquake and the aftershocks have caused fires, and tough for first responders are numerous power outages, and

safety personnel are standing by. hanako montgomery is standing by, what can you tell us about the panic, and the fear and how people are reacting right now? >> yeah, rahel, a lot of the videos that you were showing, showed the striking visuals of people taking cover and trying to evacuate as the powerful quake shook ishikawa prefecture, and western japan. we know that hundreds of military personnel have been dispatched to the area in ishikawa prefecture to help people leave their home. with rehearing from the nhk public broadcaster that at least two people are experiencing cardiac arrest. two people are stuck underneath their homes, and a tourist and snowboarder johnny woo told us

what he felt on the scene there. >> suddenly, it get very strong earthquake. you can see the snow from the electric wire fell down, and then the car is shaking. so, everybody was panicked at that time. >> reporter: yeah, so johnny is echoing what a lot of people in japan are feeling, and of course, this is coming in the middle of new year's day celebration, a time when many people are at home celebrating with their loved ones and families, and this is of course reminding people of the 2011 tohoku tsunami and earthquake when more than 25,000 people lost their lives.

rahel. >> thank you, hanako montgomery. and we will check back with you in a little bit. >> and now, let's go to derek van dam with more video that the moment crashed right and we will play this video again, and that is going to show you how high the wave was, and protected by the harbor wall. my and alysis is that it could have been a lot worse. and this magnitude here is just off of the ishikawa shoreline and to zoom in, you can see suzu

city, where the video was from, was opposite urmgt and of this wave and matched up the observed wave heights here in many occasions, but the effects are not completed yet. think of it as a bathtub that you had dropped a rock, they would go from the center going out, and then back in. but for the neighboring countryings, rush is a and the

japan meteorological agency threat is not yet but to be in a threat. so as it is building to the coastline, they are not just one set of waves, but it is a series of waves and a lot of energy, too, john. >> it bears watching hours after the earthquake event itself, and eric van dam, thank you. we will continue the conversation with susan huff who is a expert with the seismology institute. you said three things matter for seismic activity -- location, location rowication. and so the 2011 that is because

the sea floor was diving to see underneath the islands. and this one shows the fault line where people were living, and that can concentrate short where the energy was living and it is not a lot of time to spread out and travel and get to where people were living. >> how big of a risk it is, it is not on the same risk of the 2011 tsunami, but it is a big risk because any time you have a earthquake and feel it on the land, you have to get up and get away if you can.

that is a swarmmy node of peninsula, and the people have felt the earthquake earth and a earthquake this big is going to have aftershocks. and it could easily have earth shoks bigger than magnitude 6.0, and that is a hazard in its own right. >> and because you say that the people in that area have not had experience with earthquakes at all, and for those who are watching, and power outage is a concern at this point, but what amount of time should they remain out of the homes and seek higher ground. >> the afternoon are going to continue for months is the

expectation. it is hard to say and as long as aftershocks common ln, grnlg sgrapg and what is the most dangerous, aftershocks to come, or what are you focusing on going forward? >> well, the local authorities, and japan has a remarkable group of emergency managers and i am sure they are on the case and the scientists, but for the people in the area, i would be concerned about the aftershocks in particular, because a magnitude aftershot would be and

so it would be in the expectation for that to happen. >> susan huff, we appreciate the expertise, thank you. we will have much more out of the breaking news in japan, and plus, officials are looking to gain some creative in i.d.e.a. just military s sats -- -- to gain some creative ininsights andnd just atattacke militaryry ship. we will hahave more onon that.

all right. back to the breaking news this morning. japan is bracing for the aftershocks and tsunami warning in place after a 7.5 quake.

the quake struck on the japan western coast, but people in tokyo some 85 miles away felt it. >> it is not a very populated area, but it is mostly elderly people, which is a worry, and we found out that one of the evacuation centers is a nursing home. so covering more evacuation events, that is one of the troubles is evacuating some people who might have troubles with mobility or dementia, and might not be responding to commands to evacuate. >> right now, a tsunami warning is in place in japan, and some officials are warning that the waves could reach as high as 10 feet. some aftershocks have been recorded and could continue for ten days and as the guest told us in the last block perhaps for a few months. and there were multiple fires

reported such as the one on the screen right now. at least 33,000 homes without power and more than a dozen flights canceled due to cracks on the runways and other issues. >> right. it is 2024 now, and now all of the sudden, the 2024 presidential race is now all getting real for the republican candidates. the iowa caucuses are under way, and nikki haley supporters are pushing for chris christie to get out. >> he knows the voters who want trump defeated are coming over the nikki haley, and the only person who wants chris christie to stay in the race is donald trump. >> that is new hampshire governor chris sununu who has endorsed nikki haley, and now, joining us is eva mckend. we are two weeks away from iowa. >> yes, and there is an ad from

chris sununu telling chris christie telling him the same to get out. and he is the most vocal anti-trump candidate in the granite state. and last night there was a gathering, and he has traveled to all of the states, 99 county, but governor desantis, and the rest of the field trail far behind frontrunner former president donald trump. take a listen to desantis' closest message to iowans. >> i am not somebody who is confused about how constitutional republic works. as a governor, as a president, i'm not a ruler of the people, but i am a servant of the people. i come from the people. my job is to serve you. >> reporter: so here is how the week is shaping up. nikki haley is going to hold events in new hampshire tuesday and wednesday. chris christie also returns to granite state this week, and

governor desantis, and asa hutchinson is going to be iowa as well as vivek ramaswamy. john? >> every single day matters now, and don't watch what they say, but where they go, because that is going to tell a story. eva mckend, thank you for coming on, and happy new year. ands you say, john, the race is getting real now. >> you said what i wanted to say. it is just getting real. >> yes, fill in the blank. and now, discussing this with cnn former commentator jamal simmons, and you would say that the race is getting real. and turning to biden having a conversation with abc news. i want to play a clip of what he said and then we can talk about it. >> i hope they understand that we are in a better position than any country in the world the lead the country. we are coming back, and it is about time. >> dr. biden, your hopes for

america? >> it is what i would tell my students, be optimistic, be kind to one another. >> and so now, president biden saying that america is back, and is this the year it starts to resonate with the voters, because it did not according to the polling last year. recession was the base case, and the fears seem to have disappeared mostly, and does that message start to resonate this year? >> thank you, rahel, for having me. for the recession, what everyday people were encountering is inflation. so inflation was high, and the prices were going up, and gas price were going up, and wages were going up, but not as fast as the prices. so the way that everyday people experienced the economy, the economy was not working out so great. this what is happening with 12 months. inflation is going down. gas prices are going down.

and the way people experiences the economy, it is better. so that takes time to get through the psyche. they are turning the corner, and let people know that you get it that they had a tough time, and things are going to get on the right track, and they should expect that more. >> what about the fissures and the divisions of the republican party, and much of an obstacle for the president in the next year? >> itstacle that is a big one, but it is not going to be one to surmount, because donald trump is not doing much better than 2020, and the thing is that president biden's numbers have fallen significantly among core constituencies, black african-american voters, and latinos and younger voters, and

so it is easier to get a lapsed catholic to come back to church than to get someone to convert. so it is easier for those who have voted for joe biden or those who are inclined to vote for joe biden to get them to think of that voice for joe biden, and one way is when the specter of donald trump is looming over the country. you would be surprised that many people who do not believe that donald trump is going to be the nominee. but the odds are that he is going to be the nominee, and if that occurs ark loft people will sober up, and return to the president's fold. >> and what about the hispanic voters and the black voters and the young voters, and looking at the blocs, and in the polls, there is a lack of enthusiasm frankly about both of the candidates, but talk about biden right now. >> yes, there is one bloc of voter that i am concerned about which is the folks under 22 or

21 years old, and if you are 18 or 19 voters, you have never voted or and one way is to getting them to see how the economy is going to help them. and another issue is even though the student loan forgiveness blanket program did not work out, but there are some targeted ones that did work out, and a friend of mine found out that he got tens of thousands of his student loans erased because of joe biden, and he loves it. so they have to continue to tell the real story people who have

had their student loan debt wiped out even though the supreme court struck it out. happy new year to you. >> happy new year to you. and now, in maine and colorado, they have held to kick donald trump off of their ballots. what will happen in the courts.

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welcome back. donald trump is starting off the new year with two legal battles two days before the iowa caucuses. the legal team is expected to appeal colorado and maine's decisions to remove him from the ballot. the secretary of state and the supreme court of colorado have decided to remove him from the ballot. they say his actions on january 6th violated the insurrection clause of the 14th amendment. now, what happens from here? >> well, rahel, we are seeing

the mounting pressure of the u.s. supreme court the weigh in after the maine secretary of state joined colorado supreme court saying that he should put that decision on hold until it works through the court, and that should give them a chance to weigh in, and the deadline for that is jan wafr and they have been asked to weigh in on this topic. the colorado supreme court was appealed by the gop party, and so they are deciding whether to take up that case, and insert themselves into what is a growing constitutional question. more states are trying to decide if they want to remove trump from the ballot, and oregon is expected to make the decision in a short time, and multiple states, they say, no, they will

not. so this conflicting view is putting tremendous pressure to see how time is nof the essence here. >> and jamie raskins said that supreme court clarence thomas should excuse himself from a qualifying person to take up the issue. tell us about that? >> yes, jamie raskins, is saying that a clarence thomas who is married to jenny thomas, and is an active participant to try to urn over 22, and pushing the big

lie, they should force themselves on this issue. this is how raskin explained it. >> i think that anybody said that your wife was involved in the big lie and then he should -- >> he should recuse himself? >> yes, and the question is what we should do if he does not recuse himself. >> so we have to see if the supreme court takes up the issue, and then see if the democrats like raskin continues to push for justice thomas to recuse himself. and if not, what happens. >> and one, if they pick it up, and two, if he doesn't, what then. zachary cohen, good to see you, and happy new year. >> looking at both of the

questions is very interesting, and staying with it is our cnn analyst jennifer rogers, and do we believe it is a if, if the supreme court is going to take up the issue, and don't they have to? >> i think so. it is a federal constitutional question, and the supreme court is a federal arbiter of what the constitution means, and they are not going to let the secretary of state in maine or the supreme court in colorado define it, and so i believe they will take it up. >> and so in what way will they take it up, and will justice thomas recuse himself, and however, the chief justice of the united states roberts, you would think that he wants a consensus and not to be a 5-4 issue here, and that might mean

that he wants a technical way out of this, and what might that be? >> aagree with you, john, they will, and they want it to be if not unanimous that they can mustard. i may go with the reason that the lower court in colorado, the officer component is not meant here, and the office of the presidency is not covered by amendment 14 section 3, and that is the technical reason. it is probably not as persuasive as the other argument that it is included to me legally, but it is certainly coverable, and reasonable, and i believe they will look for something like that, so they don't have to delve into tougher questions of whether trump is actually an insurrectionist, and that he falls under the provision for that reason. >> you have so many so-called

texturalists, and you will look and it does not expligs it isly say that the president of the united states could not engage in insurrection, but it does say that anyone who has engaged in insurrection cannot hold public office, so there is a lot of room for interpretation, jennifer. >> yes, that is why the supreme court should decide it, and instances before looking at the decisions in bruin the gun case and dobbs the abortion case, to see a legal case where the supreme court citing cases that are not particularly relevant. but i believe they are be writing a lot of words and citation, and whether or not it

is compelling, i don't know, but they will get to the result that trump is going to remain in the ballot. >> you said that it may be rule and so i spoke to the secretary of the state of california and she said absolutely donald trump committed insurrection, and the same as the secretary of maine who did kick him off of the ballot, but in tend, the supreme court may not hinge on that issue. >> that is right. i don't think they want to get there, and the facts of the matter are decided below, and the courts above will take the factual findings, but the fact is that this is a mixed fact of law. there are facts that they will assume what happened on that day and the days leading up to it, but if you are looking at the facts and decide, do those facts make him an insurrectionist, and

if there is a technicality that is not so fraught with technical issues. >> thank you, jennifer rogers. so great to have you on. >> thank you, john. and now, just days away, what will the report from the fed tell us about the state of the economy? we'll discuss.

>> so, this morning the white house says it is not seeking a wider conflict in the middle east. this is after the u.s. military sunk several houthi military boths off of the coast of yemen. they say that the naval helicopters were responding to a distress call, and then the u.s. sank three of the boats. the u.s. military says killing everyone on board. so, this is the first direct

encounter of the u.s. military and the militants. >> and certainly the first time they have killed houthi militant, and so which way is this going? we have been keeping a close eye on the tensions there in the red sea and the houthis as they been firing on the commercial fishing vessels there in the red sea, and this is a map of the red sea and the map where the specific area that we are looking are at here, the bob f. mondale strait where the ship issued a distress call, and it was hit by unidentified object, perhaps a drone, and then according to the central command, four houthi attack boats tried to come within 60 feet of the boat. it is then when the u.s.

military launched helicopters and they came under attack, and they fired missiles to sink three of them and killing crews of the boats. that is why it is so critical to watch which way this goes. who are the houthis? well, they are an iranian-backed rebel group who controls much of the country, and crucially, the bottom part there, and they have launched at least 100 attacks in red sea in december 2023 against dozens of vessels and that is why dozens of shipping companies have decided to abandon that area, but maersk has said they will go back to the red sea, and now once again, they are putting a pause on this. and there is an operation prosperity safeguardian to safeguard the commercial shipping in the red sea, and when maersk said it will go back

through the red sea, but it is going to be interesting to see if they will feel it is safe again to go back through there with this latest attack. >> thank you, oren liebermann, for your explanation. and now, we will get the december jobs report coming out friday. the last jobs report in november showed solid job growth with 199,000 jobs added, and the unemployment rate dropping to 2.4%. and other positive signs is americans are seeing interest rates drop and we will discuss this with our cnn political commentator and washington post political columnist. so, catherine, i don't have to

tell you what a difference a year makes. heading into 2024, let's start with the jobs report friday. what are you are watching for? >> well, it is looking like if you are looking at the forecasts from the wall street economists, we are looking for a forecast but no means a collapse. we are looking at 230,000 jobs on average over the prior year, and a slowdown but solid growth. one thing that i am paying special attention to is what happens to the women force participation. early in 2023, we saw the share of so-called prime working age women who are working at an all-time high. despite the fears of a she-session having a scarring session on the women in the workforce, they were doing better than ever, but i feel that some of the gains may be

erode eroded in the year ahead. >> so if you want to switch jobs if i wanted to, and what is to take away, if the unemployment is low, and hiring is starting to cool, what is that practically for the folks at home? >> i think that there are a lot of job opportunities out there thankfully, and we have not seen the economy collapse of course, and as you pointed out, the outlook for the economy is much more auspicious than a year ago, and if people have a job opportunity out there, and particularly the ones that offer higher wages, then i don't see why they should be trading up. and some of the opportunities may be declining which is good news for producers and consumers. >> how do you explain the unemployment rate at 3.7% which is practically where it was when the fed started raising rates in

march of 2022, and no one saw that coming, and how do you explain the reconcile, and did they get it right? >> it is a somewhat puzzle, and happy puzzle, but it is a puzzle why the economy is as resilient in these once in a generation record-fast rate hikes. it has something to do with the fact that there is a lot of pent-up demand from the pandemic, and people had a lot of savings, and that kept on fueling spending and job growth. and there was a lot of backlog work authorizations that were yet to be processed, and a lot of that normalized, and so a number of factors that went into the economy resilience, and the fed's theory could and by reducing the number of job

vacancies out of work, because there were a lot of job vacancies relativetive to job worker, and so, yes, we have been lucky to the >> catherine, if there is one thing that you are watching that could undo the luck, a wild card if you will, heading into 2024, what is it? >> well, there is always the risk of some unforeseen shock. something like an oil shock that sends the u.s. economy or the global economy off kilter. that is a risk. but what we don't know is the medium term effects of the rate hikes that we have seen to date. maybe they have not fully when the fed is raising interest rates, they are trying to tighten financial conditions,

and as the saying goes, long and variable lags from the time they put the rate hikes in practice and when they are felt throughout the economy, and so maybe some lingering consequences coming for the real estate market for example, and in some ways, the financial real estate, but that is what they may need this time. >> and a blunt tool may not be feeling so blunt yet. thank you, catherine. >> great discussion there. and counting down from the rose bowl to the sugar bowl, and the college football playoffs and what a day ahead. plus, the nfl playoff picture which is frankly, it is a mess. stay with us. to duckduckgo on all your devie

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youngestst really popopped the quesestion. it is still one week left in the nfl season. the only thing that is clear is the playoff picture is messy. so many of the teams we thought were so good are playing so badly. if i'm not going to talk about the eagles, but you are right. a lot of the teams that we thought were going to win the

super bowl are sputtering and a very critical time. the playoffs picture still coming into focus. what we know for sure the path to las vegas is going to go to baltimore. the ravens routing the dolphins 56-19 yesterday. that game went about as well as a possibly could have for lamar jackson who is really looking like an mvp. he tied his career- high with five touchdown passes and finishing with a perfect passer rating. phenomenal job by him. the 49ers will have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. most importantly there biweek in the first round. brock purdy leading the way with a pair of touchdowns in the 27-11 win. a lot of people know his story. also breaking the single-season passing record, if you can believe that. entering the day you think about steve young and jeff garcia. he set the new mark on a five

yard completion to george kittle. meantime, the college football playoffs kick off this afternoon. a spot in the national championship on the line. michigan basin alabama at the rose bowl. everybody looking forward to that. and then at 8:45 number two washington against texas in the sugar bowl and the winner is wearing off for the title next monday in houston. the boys of summer giving way to the men of winter. seattle ringing in the new year with the nhl winter classic. nearly 48,000 fans are expected to brave the elements to watch the crack and skate with the reigning champions, vegas golden knights. the game will be played at t- mobile park, and it is safe to say the crack in a really excited about hosting this event. >> it is extremely exciting to get a winter classic so early on in the franchise career. i think it is great for the city, the organization, the people of seattle. we are very excited to be in

the game. it's a great way to show off the great people of seattle and how great of a franchise we have here. >> coverage begins this afternoon at 2:00 eastern. you can watch all of the action on our sister channel and you can also stream it on max. we are looking forward to that. >> the west coast offense is named after the 49ers and what they did with joe montana and terry rice. to have brock purdy lake -- break that, it's incredible. >> i miss this. i've got to come back. >> you are generous to call it witty. happy new year. we are of course following breaking news out of japan for a 7.5 magnitude earthquake shook the country on new year's day triggering tsunami warninings. we a are live inin tokyoyo. we will be r right back.k.

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a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake in japan has led

ex