"Affluenza" Teen and Mom Fight Extradition to U.S.; New Year's Holiday Threats Prompt More Security
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: -- jail time that Ethan Couch faces here is minimal. Prosecutors here in Texas say they want to move it into the adult system in case he violates his probation again, he could face much stiffer punishment. The prosecutors and the law enforcement here in Texas say -- still voicing their displeasure with the sentence that Ethan Couch received back in 2013 for the drunk driving deaths of four people back in 2013 and obviously the case and the defense of affluenza and his attorneys arguing that Ethan Couch had lived a life of wealth and privilege and, because of that, didn't know the consequences and right and wrong and clouded judgment, all of that defense kind of boiling into this situation that has made this such a controversial and hot-button story as the investigators here continue to track and awaiting the arrival of Ethan Couch and his mother back here in Texas -- Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.</s>BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: All right. Thank you, Ed, for that report. As we reported earlier in the show, CNN has learned that federal and local security officials are tightening security in high-profile locations tied to New Year's celebrations. One threat specifically mentions three cities: Los Angeles; Washington, D.C., and New York. And with me now to talk about this is Congressman Gregory Meeks of New York's 5th District. He is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Thank you so much, Congressman, for being with us to talk about this very important topic, as everybody is getting ready to revel. They don't want to worry about their safety but obviously it's on their minds after the kind of year that we have had. Do you know anything more than what we just heard about tightened security in New York and in these other cities?</s>REP. GREGORY MEEKS (D), N.Y.: Well, I will tell you that New York is prepared. In fact, on my trek to the studio right now in New York, if you go up and down 5th Avenue, you will see large units of the New York City Police Department and diverting traffic and preparation for New Year's Eve is taking place now. And it is not only what you see it's what you don't see that is also taking place. So, I think that, you know, any threat, whether it is a threat that has been deemed real or not is taken seriously and, clearly, I believe that people will be safer in New York City, because all kinds of preparations are taking place, as should be.</s>KEILAR: So you are confident that as people are heading to Times Square, all they need to worry about is ushering in the New Year. Is there anything that you want to say to them as we have heard they are going through double magnetometers to get in this year, certainly something that should make them feel safer but is there something that you would like to say to them as they consider going out on New Year's Eve?</s>MEEKS: First, I want to say that welcome to New York City. And New York City knows how to bring in a New Year. Go out and enjoy and have a good time, that you're in good hands with the New York City Police Department and all of those that have been trained there. Secondly, though, you know, you see something, you say something. You know, don't presume anything that is innocent. You know, if you think something looks suspicious, make sure that you say something to someone, because you are part of this law enforcement team; working collectively together, we can try to make sure that we're all safe. But I can tell you that the New York City Police Department along with the Homeland Security has been working and sharing information and doing things of the nature to make sure that we are all safe. As I said, if you walk around the streets of New York City today, you will see a number of police officers but it is not only what you see, it's what you don't see that is also taking place to make sure that everybody will be safe bringing in 2016.</s>KEILAR: I know that the threat assessment is going beyond the U.S. at this point and I want to ask you about something that you may have been briefed about as a House member. In Belgium, there were two people arrested yesterday on suspicion of being involved in a plot to attack various sites in the capital there during New Year's celebrations. Do you know anything more about a possible ISIS connection here?</s>MEEKS: Well, I think that it's still being investigated and there's still information that's being shared now. I think they're coming out of what took place in Paris, in Europe, the information sharing between different countries, because, as you know, the borders are porous and people go back and forth and between the French government and the Belgians and others and the United States, the information sharing and working collectively together is even stronger than it was before. And so these kinds of plots that were uncovered will continue to be uncovered. And the kind of investigations that are taking place afterwards to see what are the direct links or indirect links to ISIS or daish or whatever you want to call them, what they are because,, of course, the concern right now is individuals who are radicalized without having to travel to Syria or any places where you have the direct contact with daish. So there is thorough investigation that is taking place now, thorough communication and working collectively together between countries and law enforcement agencies and they will get to the bottom of whether or not the individual that was arrested in Belgium were part of an --</s>MEEKS: -- ISIS plot or not.</s>KEILAR: OK. So basically Belgian authorities at this point are still trying to determine the link to ISIS?</s>MEEKS: They are. There are still investigations going on to try to find just -- you know, you got to go through all of the computers, you've got to make sure who is linked where and how they were radicalized, because there is various ways that you can be radicalized and I think that that kind of investigation is continuing. And we will know something shortly.</s>KEILAR: All right. Congressman Meeks, thank you so much and Happy New Year to you, as we look towards 2016, just two days away.</s>MEEKS: Happy New Year to you and come on to New York, it's a great place to bring in the New Year.</s>KEILAR: It sure. It sure is. All right, thanks, Congressman. And up next, we're going to have more from Missouri. I'll be speaking live to a mayor from one of the devastated cities to see how he's handling this emergency, how his community is handling it. Plus we'll get the forecast to see who else is in flooding danger. Stay with us.