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Pope Has Busy Agenda in U.S.; Donald Trump Questioned Obama's Birth Place; Ben Carson Wavers on Faith of Presidents; Asian Markets Show Heavy Loses as Chinese President in U.S.; Xi Jinping Ready to Cooperate with U.S. on Cyber Security; E.U. Leaders Proposed Quota System to Tackle Migrant Crisis; North Korea's New Satellite Control Center; Pharmaceutical Company Rescinds Price Hike on AIDS Drug; One of Europe's Biggest Mosques Opens in Russia. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired September 23, 2015 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[02:00:49] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: For the first time ever, Pope Francis is in the United States. We will have a look at what's in store for this historic visit.
Plus, Chinese President Xi Jinping defends the response to a volatile stock market.
And later, the cost of one prescription drug skyrocketed from $13 to $750. Pressure is forcing the price back down.
Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all-around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Thanks for joining us. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
Our top story, Pope Francis, the leader of one billion Catholics, is in the United States for a visit. He is in Washington right now where he will meet with President Obama in a few hours at the White House. The pope's visit comes after his trip to Cuba, and the island nation is expected to be among the topics discussed.
CNN's Jim Acosta has more on the pope's busy agenda.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(CHEERING)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was one of the biggest moments of the Obama presidency, with the president and first family and the nation's first Catholic vice president and Dr. Jill Biden all together greeting Pope Francis. It made for an unprecedented welcome to the U.S.
VALERIE JARRETT, WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISOR: It is a big deal because, since it is his first time in the United States, what better way than to greet him as soon as he touches the ground here in the United States. ACOSTA: Day two will be a sight to behold. For starters, 15,000 are
expected to cram onto the South Lawn to witness the pope's official arrival. After the president greets the pope, the two will speak to the world and hold a one-on-one meeting with only translators in the room, all before Pope Francis addresses Congress with Biden in attendance.
(CHEERING)
ACOSTA: Even though the president and the pope are allies on issues ranging from climate change to income equality to Cuba, even the Iran nuclear deal, the White House refuses to reveal what they will discuss.
JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president will not arrive at the meeting with a political agenda.
ACOSTA: Perhaps that's because this pope can be full of surprises. After the last meeting, we asked the president if there were any hot button social issues.
(on camera): Did he register any objections with you about the contraception mandate in the Affordable Care Act or your efforts to advance the rights of gays and lesbians in the United States that worried so many Catholics?
(voice-over): Mr. Obama responded the pope unexpectedly brought up immigration reform.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think he was very mindful of the plight of so many immigrants, who are wonderful people working hard and making contributions, and many of their children are U.S. citizens, yet they live in the shadows.
ACOSTA: White House senior advisor, Valarie Jarrett, told CNN these two leaders may have more business to tackle in the final months in office.
JARRETT: The work is never done, but with two men of this caliber who share ideals and who share values about human decency and respect for human differences, it's going to be a really, really positive visit.
ACOSTA (on camera): Besides the thorny issues from abortion to the Syrian migrant crisis in Europe, there will be plenty of ceremony. As is customary, the president will present the pope with a gift but, again, no word from the White House on what that might be.
Jim Acosta, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: U.S. Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, appeared on "The Late Show" to touch on a few hot topics. Stephen Colbert questioned Trump about immigration and the nuclear deal and Barack Obama's U.S. citizenship. Trump repeatedly challenged Mr. Obama to release his birth certificate when Obama ran for president in 2008.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, THE LATE SHOW: I'm going to throw you a big fat meatball for you to hit out of the park.
DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: OK. Good.
COLBERT: This is the last time you ever have to address this question if you hit the ball.
TRUMP: Go ahead.
COLBERT: There is sauce all over my hand.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: I want to hear this.
[02:05:10] COLBERT: Barack Obama, born in the United States.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
COLBERT: Was he? It's a meatball. It's hanging out there! Right there. Come on!
(APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: I don't talk about it anymore. I talk about jobs. I talk about our veterans being horribly treated. I don't discuss it.
COLBERT: The meatball is being dragged down the steps of the subway by a rat.
TRUMP: I know. I know.
(LAUGHTER)
COLBERT: You missed the meatball.
(CROSSTALK)
COLBERT: You missed the meatball.
TRUMP: I talk about jobs and I talk about the vets treated like third-class citizens. Treated worse than the illegals. The vets of this country are so mistreated, terribly. I'm talking about the military building. These are the things I'm talking about. I'm not talking about that.
COLBERT: Let's talk about immigration for a second. OK? I know you believe illegal immigrants should all be deported, true?
TRUMP: That's true. COLBERT: That's true? OK.
TRUMP: We have to bring people -- we have a country and borders and we have no borders right now. Number one, we will build a wall. Number two --
(APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: Oh, listen to this. Even with your crowd, I hear --
(CROSSTALK)
COLBERT: They love the wall. People love the wall.
TRUMP: We have to have a wall. We have to have a border and in that wall we will have a beautiful, big, fat door where people can come into the country --
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
COLBERT: A door?
TRUMP: A beautiful door where people can come into the country, but they have to come in legally.
COLBERT: OK, I understand that.
(CROSSTALK)
COLBERT: You said Mexico will pay for this.
TRUMP: That's right.
COLBERT: I know "Art of the Deal" and all that. How do you get the Mexicans to do it? Let's do a little role playing. You are you and I'm the president of Mexico. You call me up. OK.
(CROSSTALK)
COLBERT: You ready? Donald, hello --
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Are you ready? We are going to build a wall. You are going to pay for the wall. We have been abused for a long time at the border.
(CROSSTALK)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Quite the exchange there.
Earlier, my colleague, Errol Barnett, spoke with Republican consultant, Bruce Haynes. Haynes said he thinks Trump would be better off just answering the question about where the president was born.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRUCE HAYNES, REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT: It's damaging when you are trying to run a campaign and trying to talk about the things you really want to talk about, the message that you want to deliver to the American people. You saw in that exchange on the Colbert program, Trump bridging, pivoting, as you said, to wanting to talk about jobs and veterans, but the problem with not answering the question and saying I don't want to talk about it, you are condemning yourself to talk about it forevermore. Because the question is going to begin to occur over and over again. A one-word answer, Errol, would solve that problem for him. Yes, the president is an American. And he could move on to talk about jobs or the veterans or the things he wants to be speaking to the American people about. It's an unforced error in politics that kind of comes from not being a veteran campaigner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Another candidate surging in the poll is wavering on whether a U.S. president's faith should matter. Ben Carson publicly changed his tone in just a matter of days.
Our Joe Johns explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN CARSON, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't care what a person's religious beliefs are or what their religious heritage is.
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, Ben Carson shifting his position on whether a Muslim should serve as president.
CARSON: If they embrace American values and they place our Constitution at the top level above their religious beliefs, I have no problem with them.
JOHNS (on camera): So it's a nationalist position?
CARSON: I said that. That's on the record on NBC. That's exactly what I said. That's what I meant.
JOHNS: But that is not exactly what Carson told NBC on Sunday when asked if a president's faith should matter.
CARSON: If it fits within the realm of America and consistent with the Constitution, I have no problem.
CHUCK TODD, MODERATOR, MEET THE PRESS: Do you believe that Islam is consistent with the constitution?
CARSON: No, I don't. I do not. I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that.
JOHNS: Carson telling CNN he has been consistent from the start.
(on camera): Did you change your position on a Muslim in the White House?
CARSON: No, not at all.
JOHNS: You are being consistent?
CARSON: Absolutely.
JOHNS (voice-over): Now many Republican presidential contenders are weighing in, saying religion should not exclude anyone from serving as president.
JEB BUSH, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think that religion should be a criteria for being president.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I do not believe that your religious denomination should disqualify you from serving in office.
JOHNS: Donald Trump said many people agree with Carson on this issue, but he would ultimately accept anyone who gets through the rigorous election process.
[02:10:02] TRUMP (voice-over): The proper people properly vetting going through an election, I think that anybody able to win an election will be fine.
JOHNS: Carly Fiorina offering her view on "The Tonight Show."
CARLY FIORINA, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I actually believe that people of faith make better leaders. I think faith gives us humility and empathy and optimism. And I think those are important things.
JOHNS (on camera): Ben Carson addressed a crowd of about 4,000 people here in Ohio talking to people who turned out to see him in the Buckeye State. Many supporters say the controversy has not registered on the radar.
Joe Johns, CNN, Cedarville, Ohio.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: China's president will have a round-table discussion with the CEOs of some of America's largest companies and trade is expected to come up. Xi Jinping launched his week-long visit with a speech to about 650 business leaders in Seattle on Tuesday. He talked about a number of issues, including cyber crime and human rights. Mr. Xi defended his government's response to Beijing stock market crash. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
XI JINPING, PRESIDENT OF CHINA (through translation): Stock prices fluctuate in accordance with the laws and it is the beauty of the government to reassure an open, fair, and just market order and prevent massive panic from happening. This time, the Chinese government took steps to stabilize the market and contain panic in the stock market and, thus, avoided a systematic risk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Shortly after Mr. Xi's speech, China's factory sector delivered an unwelcome surprise. The purchasing manager's index, or PMI, measures manufacturing activity and it fell to a six-year low in September, raising fears of a sharper slow down.
You have been looking at the numbers and see Australia's markets have just closed, just over 2 percent loss there. Hong Kong was getting close to the 3 percent loss, 2. 81 at this point. And China's Shanghai Composite down nearly 1.7 percent there. Tokyo's Nikkei was closed for a national holiday.
And for more on President Xi's visit, we have CNN's "Newstream" anchor, Kristi Lu Stout in Hong Kong. We will get to Kristi in a moment.
But let's get with our Asia-Pacific editor, Andrew Stevens.
Andrew, Asian markets showing pretty heavy losses today, and this after we heard the Chinese president defending his government's handling of the stock market crash. We mentioned the fall and the timing couldn't be worse for him. What's the likely impact of all of this?
ANDREW STEVENS, CNN ASIA-PACIFIC EDITOR: A little unfortunate. I don't think there is going to be an immediate impact from policy makers to the manufacturing number. It is clear that China's economy is slowing down. This was no doubt a disappointing number. It was worse than expected. In the Chinese manufacturing sector, you have to put that against the fact that China is transiting to a nonmanufacturing-led economy and it was always going to be seen as a slowing part of the economy. Having said that, it will spook markets around the world. What they were trying to do was to inject confidence with Beijing knows what they are doing. The quote we heard him talk about saying that they had to take the measures to produce mass panic. It was to end a systemic confidence. He was sure of his ground and certainly selling the message that the economic reform measures are seen as so important globally for China's economy. They will continue despite this rockiness in the economy. The devaluation of the currency was one of those reforms and the fact that he now thinks it is sort of a round fairly valued. They are not interested in a race to make it cheaper. It will help the economy. He was saying all the right things. It's about confidence for him and expressing it more broadly. It's more in dates than in words. Does it take any other actions on the stock markets? Staying he thought the stock market was in recovery mode. A lot of questions. His message was to say stay calm and we are in control. The markets are focusing on a short-term issue in a moment.
CHURCH: We will keep a close eye on the markets. They do speak volumes. Andrew Stevens reporting from Hong Kong. Many thanks to you.
The White House says cyber security will be a key part of discussions between President Obama and President Xi. Mr. Xi says he is ready to cooperate with the U.S. in battling cyber crimes. I want you to listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JINPING (through translation): China is a staunch defender of the cyber security. It is also a victim of a hacking. The Chinese government will not in whatever form engage in commercial thefts or encourage or support such attempts by anyone. Both commercial cyber attacks and a hacking against the government networks are crimes that must be punished in accordance with the law or relevant to national treaties.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Let's bring in CNN anchor, Kristi Lu Stout, live in Hong Kong.
Kristi, not only is China's president ready to work in the U.S. on cyber security, but also insisting that China is a victim of hacking as well. How is that likely to play out in the United States? And what does it all mean for U.S./China cyber security going forward.
KRISTI LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR, "NEWS STREAM": In that clip Xi Jinping gave in Seattle, that was a defining moment. We heard the Chinese president pledged that he will take firm action against commercial cyber theft. He called for the establishment, or that China was willing to join in high-level discussions with the United States on the issue of cyber security.
Now in the background to all of this, there have been reports that U.S. and China had been engaged in secret negotiations to reach a cyber accord to protect each other's critical infrastructure. That wouldn't be falling victim to any cyber warfare.
That being said, the White House is taking a much more firmer line on the issue of cyber security. We heard in an on-the-record discussion that took place before Xi Jinping gave that speech saying that sanctions against Chinese cyber thieves are still on the table. And the White House downplayed any sort of breakthrough or any sort of deal that would be reached later this week as a result of the visit to the United States. Despite the encouraging words from the Chinese president, we did that earlier push back from the White House, don't expect a breakthrough on cyber this week while Jinping is in the U.S.
CHURCH: Yeah, very interesting.
You will be watching a very closely twist and turn of the very significant visit for the Chinese people and, of course, for the United States.
Kristi Lu Stout joining us live from Hong Kong. Many thanks to you. E.U. leaders are set to finalize a plan that would resettle hundreds
of thousands of people flooding their borders. That story just ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM. Don't go anywhere.
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[02:20:19] PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: The autumn equinox is upon us. Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri. It's that day of the world where most of the world, the daylight and the nighttime about the same, 12 hours across the board.
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CHURCH: You are back with us now as we take a closer look at the humanitarian crisis in Europe. E.U. leaders approved a plan to resettle more than 100,000 asylum seekers. But the decision left ministers divided. Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic voted against it.
CNN's Nic Robertson has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The European ministers when they arrived here were already under a lot of pressure to get an agreement. There were differences over whether or not countries would accept having a quota system, accept having refugees imposed upon them. When it came down to the wire and the vote, they still didn't have that agreement. This was a majority vote and not a unanimous vote.
The president of the European Union Council said essentially that for Europe's credibility, they had to take this vote. This is how he put it.
JEAN ASSELBORN, LUXEMBOURG MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (through translation): We are in an emergency situation. You are all aware of that. The E.U. is accused of not moving quickly enough. We had to adopt this legal decision today in the relocation of the 120,000 people as the Luxembourg presidency had always planned. If we had not done this, Europe would have been even more divided and its credibility even more undermined.
ROBERTSON: What we did from those European ministers was essentially them patting themselves on the back that they have been able to make the decision about the 120,000 refugees within the space of three weeks. Of course, it took four months to make a decision of about 40,000 refugees. The importance there to take the decision. Is this going to be enforceable? We were told no one, after the vote
was taken, said they wouldn't go along with it. The impression taken, according to these ministers, is that everyone goes along with this vote. But deep scars potentially formed here because the decision is essentially taken over the heads of Slovakia, of the Czech Republican, of Romania and of Hungary that voted no. And while this has been rushed through, there may be some collateral damage, if you will, further down the line.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Brussels, Belgium.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: As we follow this story, let's bring you live pictures at the Croatian/Serbian border. You see refugees and migrants gathering there. The hope that they can move on. Their end game is to get them through to Austria and ultimately for many of them, they want to be in Germany. There many obstacles in the paths at this stage. We are telling you about the E.U. leaders approving a plan to resettle more than 100,000 asylum seekers. We talked to you about those there. Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, the Czech Republic, not happy. They have voted against this plan. We will, of course, continue to bring you this story. But watching there the live pictures from the Croatian/Serbian border, showing you these people that were eager and desperate. They want to start their lives. They are in transition. Many of them have left war-torn lives behind them.
North Korea is giving CNN an exclusive look outside its new satellite control center. That's where the North's scientists say they are working tirelessly to fulfill leader Kim Jong-Un's plan to make the country a space super power.
Will Ripley reports from Pyongyang.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[02:25:51] WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are at North Korea's satellite control center. This is a facility the government tells us no foreign media has ever been allowed to visit before.
(voice-over): Sitting in a residential neighborhood, there is little visible security for a facility said to be at the heart of North Korea's ballistic missile program.
The satellite control center's director said his team is working nonstop to meet an ambitious goal set by Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un, who visited the facility in May, to make North Korea a space super power.
A team of mostly young researchers hand picked from top universities.
(on camera): How much pressure are you under to succeed here?
(voice-over): "We scientists are working full steam," he said. "Day and night with no rest these days." North Korea claims to be on the verge of what they call a national
triumph, launching rockets and multiple satellites into space, the first since this launch in 2012. They say the launch and satellite technology is here all the time, but insist the purpose is peaceful.
"The launch is no threat to the U.S.," said this 21-year-old researcher.
A claim disputed by some international observers who say a rocket large enough to carry a satellite can carry a nuclear warhead.
(on camera): What can you say to the world to prove this is not a ballistic program in disguise?
(voice-over): "Why on earth would we have intention of trying to drop nuclear bombs on the people of the world, including the United States," said the director of scientific research and development.
But just this month, North Korea's own state media said it is fully ready to use nuclear weapons at any time, triggering a harsh warning from Washington.
North Korea is under severe sanctions for its nuclear program, but the cash-strapped country continues investing in its space agency even as the nation faces food and electricity shortages.
(on camera): Could you take us inside?
(voice-over): "While no question is off limits, the control center is."
"I'd love to take you inside," the director says, but if that happens and we hear the same old stereotypes and foolish Western media propaganda, our young scientists will be angry. Our peaceful launch was not a threat yesterday," he says. "It's not a threat today and it won't be a threat tomorrow."
(on camera): Behind these closed doors, they work at a fevered pitch and they love to take the world inside, but only when the world stops considering them a threat.
Will Ripley, CNN, Pyongyang, North Korea.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: A pharmaceutical executive is defending himself against public backlash after he drastically raised the price of a drug for AIDS and cancer patients. A look at both sides of the story when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:32:18] CHURCH: A warm welcome back to our viewers in the United States and all-around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. We do want to update you on the main stories we have been following this hour. Pope Francis is in the United States for an historic six-day visit and
he arrived outside Washington Tuesday where he was greeted by U.S. President Barack Obama and his family. The two leaders will meet at the White House on Wednesday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed a broad range of issues in a speech to U.S. business leaders. He said China's stock market has recovered after severe volatility. And he said he is ready to cooperate with the U.S. embattling cyber crimes.
Donald Trump won't say whether he believes U.S. President Barack Obama is an American citizen. The Republican front-runner sidestepped the question when he appeared on "The Late Show" with Stephen Colbert.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, THE LATE SHOW: I'm going to throw you a big fat meatball for you to hit out of the park.
DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: OK. Good.
COLBERT: This is the last time you ever have to address this question if you hit the ball.
TRUMP: Go ahead.
COLBERT: There is sauce all over my hand.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: I want to hear this.
COLBERT: Barack Obama, born in the United States.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
COLBERT: Was he? It's a meatball. It's hanging out there! Right there. Come on!
(APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: I don't talk about it anymore.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: I talk about jobs. I talk about our veterans being horribly treated. I don't discuss it.
COLBERT: The meatball is being dragged down the steps of the subway by a rat.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: You might recall Trump repeatedly challenged Mr. Obama to release his birth certificate when Obama ran for president back in 2008.
The drug company that drastically hiked the price of a treatment for AIDS and cancer patients is now switching gears. Turing had raised the price from $13.50 to $750 a pill, causing a lot of outrage. Now the CEO said the drug has been lowered to a more affordable price.
CNN's Jason Carroll has more on the CEO behind all the changes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He is brash, a multimillionaire, and taking a lot of heat for that decision to raise the price of a drug to treat cancer and AIDS patients more than 5,000 percent. Now Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO founder, Martin Shkreli, is backing down.
MARTIN SHKRELI, CEO & FOUNDER, TURING PHARMACEUTICALS: We agreed to lower the price of Daraprim to a point that is more affordable and is able to allow the company to make a profit, but a very small profit, and we think these changes will be welcome.
CARROLL: The drug in question is called Daraprim. It is used to treat a potentially deadly parasitic infection which can affect people with a compromised immune system. It used to cost $13.50 per pill. Turing changed the cost to a whopping $750 per pill.
Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, blasted the rate hike this afternoon.
[02:35:16]HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: That's price gauging, pure and simple.
CARROLL: The Infectious Diseases Society of American and the HIV Medicine Association sent a joint letter to Shkreli calling the increase "unjustifiable for the medically vulnerable patient population."
In a previous interview with CBS News, Shkreli called the increase an altruistic move that helped fund research.
SHKRELI: With these new profits, we can spend all of that upside on these patients who sorely need a new drug like Daraprim.
CARROLL: The 32-year-old, not new to controversy. In 2013, while serving as CEO of the biopharmaceutical company, Retrophin, he allegedly harassed an employee, writing in a letter, shown in this court document, "I hope to see you and your four children homeless and will do whatever I can to assure this." Last month, Retrophin sued him for $65 million saying Shkreli used his control over Retrophin to enrich himself. Shkreli called the allegations baseless, then went to Twitter quoting a hip-hop group, posting, "I am not the one to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) with."
NOAH BOOKBINDER, SPOKESMAN, CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBILITY AND ETHICS: It's hard to believe that someone could be so driven by greed.
CARROLL: The spokesman for an organization called the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has been critical of Shkreli for years.
BOOKBINDER: I'm not surprised by it. He is somebody who seems to be willing to play fast and loose with the rules, take advantage of the system, and is really driven by his own profit over everything else.
CARROLL: Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: There are a reported 1.5 million Muslims living in Moscow, but there are not enough places for them to worship. That will change with the Moscow Grand Mosque, one of the biggest in Europe. Russia's President Vladimir Putin invited several foreign dignitaries to attend the opening that takes place one day before the celebrations.
CNN senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance, is live in Moscow.
Matthew, how is the opening of one of Europe's biggest mosques being received by people across Russia and what does this mean for the image of President Vladimir Putin?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good question. It has been a difficult process getting into the site this morning. We are still not very near it. We are in this pressed facility that has been set up to house the journalists because Putin will be here in the presence of Turkey. He will be here as well. He is the Palestinian leader who will be attending this opening. It's an important event because it shows that they are there and supportive of the Muslim community in Russia. Something like 20 million Muslims across Russia. It's controversial as well. People who live in Moscow are opposed to the idea of more mosques being open. They said 51 percent of people living in Moscow were opposed to the building of more mosques. Only 4 percent were opposed. That's an insight into the level of support publicly. In terms of how far it will go to address the problems of room for Muslims to pray, it's still uncertain because there four mosques which is incredible. And even the main Muslim representative group said that 200,000 Muslims are practicing. There is nowhere enough room for them to pray. This mosque is big, it's six stories. It will house 10,000 people on big prayer days. But that's really just a drop in the ocean when it comes to how many people need facilities like this across Moscow.
CHURCH: What's interesting here, when you talk about the lack of support from Russians for the opening of the mosque of this size, it begs the question, what is the benefit for President Putin? What is the reason why he is going down this path?
[02:49:51] CHANCE: Islam has been one of the big faiths in Russia. Always been the second-biggest after Christian Orthodoxy, of course. Putin is the president of the country and needs to be seen to be supportive of the official religious groups. Also Russia has a problem Muslim extremism, Islamism, in its southern flank, but elsewhere in the country as well. The government and the Kremlin have to show it's wiling to accommodate the needs of modern Muslims. This is the situation you see across modern European countries. You need to bring in the modern elements of society and encourage them to ostracize the more radical elements. And that's the process that we're seeing trying to be done in Russia to a certain extent. Whether it's an up rising, which is a crackdown on hard-line and moderate Muslims there, and that's bred a certain amount of resentment. From the Kremlin's point of view, this is an attempt to re-address that balance to some extent, and say, yes, we've cracked down, we've been tough on certain elements of your community. But we are providing this stunning mosque in the center of Moscow, which will house more than 10,000 worshippers.
CHURCH: Those numbers are incredible.
Matthew Chance, reporting there live from the opening or close to the opening of that mosque, one of the biggest in Europe.
Hope is coming for people affected by a deadly wildfire. The declaration the U.S. president has made for victims as flames rip through hundreds of acres.
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. President Barack Obama declared a major disaster in the state of California. Mr. Obama ordered federal aid for individuals and business owners affected by the Valley Fire in Lake County. This means funding for temporary housing and home repairs and loans and more. Residents and business owners can start applying for help later today.
We want to turn to the weather. In Europe, it is snow and lots of it. That's in the higher elevations.
(CROSSTALK)
CHURCH: It seems very early in the game.
[02:45:18] JAVAHERI: It is early. In a few hours, the official beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere. Last winter, we were talking about the lack of snow and ski resorts by the dozens were shutting down because nothing was coming down. It's important to know the ski industry in Europe is far more popular than soccer or football. We are talking about a big deal for a lot of people. We will show you this with the ground kind of peaking through. So many ski resorts and they have to be below 4 Celsius. It wasn't going on as far as the temperatures even in higher elevations. Here comes the front and another back behind it. The cool air in place. You take a look at snow showers beginning to pop up across portions of the Alps getting in on decent snowfall so far this morning. And the accumulations are 90 to over 120 centimeters. We are talking about 39 to 45 inches in a few spots. Fresh snow coming down. Fantastic news for a multi-billion industry. On the opposite end, we have severe drought in place and sharing with
a fascinating imagery. This is taken for about a couple of inches beneath the surface. Two centimeters or .8 inches beneath the surface and the lack of moisture. We had dozens of fires in that region. And work your way towards the central portion of California. The ground level moisture and water storage nonexistent as well. The moisture in the way of rainfall has been there for the monsoon monsoons, but they will take time to replenish. The Valley Fire across northern California, we know about 80 percent contained. That's the big number. Nearly 2,000 structures have been damaged by this particular fire. That is the top three in the state of California for the most destructive fires with regard to structural damage. That's the story out of California.
The other story globally is that autumn begins today. The southern hemisphere spring arrives as well. The images of the autumn colors across Wales. A gorgeous shot in the past 24 hours. An image I took myself on Saturday. You can see across the higher elevations of North Carolina. You get up about 5,000 feet and the colors are starting to peek through. Pretty nice.
CHURCH: While you were talking, friends were sending me messages saying, can you organize rain in California?
(LAUGHTER)
JAVAHERI: That has been the most popular question so far this year. We are hoping for an impressive El Nino season for a lot of rainfall that would kick in January through April. So hope for that.
CHURCH: Absolutely.
Many thanks, Pedram. I didn't get a chance to introduce you.
Pedram Javaheri --
(CROSSTALK)
CHURCH: -- always good to talk with you.
Well, Volkswagen admits it purposely dodged environmental regulations for its clean diesel vehicles. The German automaker announces as many as 11 million vehicles worldwide they have secret software installed designed to fool emissions tests. The stunning acknowledgement prompting the CEO to issue a formal apology.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN WINTERKORN, CEO, VOLKSWAGEN (through translation): Manipulation at V.W. must never happen again. Ladies and gentlemen, many millions of people across the world trust our brands, our clients and our technologies. I am endlessly sorry that we betrayed the trust. I apologize profusely to our clients, to the authorities, and the entire public for the wrong-doing.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: The company is already setting aside billions of dollars to cover the potential penalties.
A huge disruption during a parliamentary meeting in Kosovo after the prime minister is egged by lawmakers. That's after the break. Stay with us.
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[02:50:48] KATE RILEY, CNN WORLD SPORTS ANCHOR: I'm Kate Riley, with your CNN "World Sport" headlines.
Robert Lavandoski has made history by scoring five goals in nine minutes after coming on as a substitute in the 5-1 league victory. Trailing 1-0 when the Polish International came on at the start of the second half. Lavandoski became the only sub to score five goals in a match in the league's history. And it's also the quickest five goals in league history.
Speaking of strikers, it has been a less memorable day for Diego Costa, who will miss Chelsea's next three games after an F.A. charge of violent conduct was upheld. The charge, which Costa denied, was in relation to an incident last Saturday. The incident was not seen by match officials, but it was caught on video and proved it had to happen after an independent commission hearing.
In further Chelsea news, the Blues have reportedly parted company with their team doctor. The club has refused to comment on what it deemed an internal staffing matter. The team doctor infuriated Marino when she rushed on to the field to treat someone in a key point to the game against Swansea. It is believed that she will now be taking legal advice.
And that's a look at all your sports headlines. I'm Kate Riley.
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CHURCH: This just in to CNN. Professional baseball legend Yogi Berra has died. The Yogi Berra Museum confirmed the news moments ago. Berra was 90 years old and had been in failing health for some time. Berra was a catcher and helped lead them to ten consecutive world championships. He was known for his wit and wisdom, and coined the famous term, "It's never over until it's over."
Many people describe the hustle and bustle of New York City as a rat race, but one rodent is clearly winning or at least winning over the Internet.
Jeannie Moos has the story of the pizza rat and its cult following.
(END VIDEOTAPE) JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New Yorkers love pizza and they hate rats. So imagine combining the two. A video showing a rat struggling to drag an entire slice of pizza down subway stairs.
(on camera): Faster than you can say pizza rat, the 14-second video went viral.
(voice-over): A slice of New York life using #pizzarat tributes.
(on camera): Pizza rat. Pizza rat.
(voice-over): One fan in a rat suit danced holding a slice of pizza.
(MUSIC)
MOOS: Another asks does pizza rat deliver?
MATT LITTLE, COMEDIAN: Amazing and ridiculous.
MOOS: That's how the guy who shot the video describes it. Comedian Matt Little was heading home from work in the middle of the night when he and his friend stumbled on the scene.
LITTLE: A lot of people are saying that they see themselves in pizza rat. My friends were saying "je suis pizza rat."
MOOS: "The New Yorker" wrote a piece from the rat's point of view: "I did what any self-respecting person would do. I grabbed that pizza like I paid for it and I kept walking."
Pizza rat became a metaphor for what it takes to survive in New York City, shouldering burdens twice your size.
[02:55:14] LITTLE: You do your best with what you are given and --
MOOS (on camera): Even crappy pizza.
LITTLE: Even crappy pizza.
MOOS (voice-over): In this city, how you handle your pizza matters.
(SHOUTING)
MOOS: It also matters how you handle your fear of rats. Wake up, buddy.
(SHOUTING)
MOOS: There have been videos before of rats carrying pizza slices --
(SHOUTING)
MOOS: -- but none have struck a nerve.
(on camera): By the end of this month, we could all be wearing pizza rat.
(voice-over): New York's hottest Halloween costume has arrived.
(on camera): Now if your subway train doesn't arrive --
(SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is no service.
MOOS: If this is not service, I don't know what is.
Jeannie Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: How about that.
And thanks for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church.
My friend and colleague, Errol Barnett, will be joining me for the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM. Do stick around for that.
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