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Trump Rally his Base; Trump Works on Draft on China Trade; Data Recorder Found; Turkish Investigators' Theory of Acid Used on Khashoggi; Pakistan Expecting Large Scale Protest; Google Employee's Global Protest on Sexual Harassment; President Trump Riles Up Rally By Targeting Migrants; Turkish Investigators Pursue Theory Jamal Khashoggi's Body Was Dissolved In Acid; Ocean's Absorbing 60 Percent More Heat Than We Thought; Countdown To Midterms; A Halloween As A Queen. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired November 02, 2018 - 03:00   ET

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


[03:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN HOST: U.S. President Trump focuses on immigration with racially charged incendiary rhetoric just days ahead of the midterm elections.

Pakistan braces for more and now possibly larger protests after a Christian woman was acquitted of blasphemy charges. We will have a live report about that.

And a new study suggests the world's oceans are absorbing more heat than previously thought. The co-author of the study joins me to explain what that means for our climate.

Welcome to our viewers joining us from all over the world. I am Natalie Allen. We're live from Atlanta, Georgia and this is "CNN News Room".

Thanks again for joining us. Our top story, President Donald Trump says his administration is finalizing a plan to change the U.S. asylum system as he focuses on immigration ahead of the key midterm elections. At a campaign rally in the state of Missouri, Thursday, he also told supporters that a caravan of migrants from are "tough people and not little angels and that they will not be allowed into the U.S."

Our Jeff Zeleny has more on the president's attempt to rile up his base ahead the midterm elections.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump rallying supporters here on Thursday night in Columbia, Missouri. One of his many campaign rallies before the midterm elections. You can see here we're in an airport hangar.

He flies Air Force One in, strolls off that to a waiting crowd. It's all part of the President's show in the final days of the midterm election campaign. I hear we're doing some nine more rallies. The president making immigration once again the centerpiece of his message, zeroing in on birthright citizenship. Of course, that's enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. He didn't mention that. He described it like this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This crazy lunatic policy that we can end -- that we can end. It is called, you know, birth tourism, where pregnant mothers from all over the world travel to America to make their children instant lifelong citizens with guaranteed everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: All that is part of the president's effort to make immigration the centerpiece of his closing message. Of course he did not mention again that it's part of 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Republicans and Democrat alike and most all legal scholars say the president simply can't do that.

And it's not a policy. It is part of the Constitution. But it is part of the president's midterm election campaign to awaken Trump voters. That is what the president's plan is in these final days before the Tuesday elections next week, trying to awaken all Trump voters who supported him in 2016.

And he believes immigration will help them do that. Now, the president believes they're in good shape in the Senate, perhaps even expanding the senate by a couple Republican seats, a far different case in the House.

The White House and indeed the president believes that they are losing ground and Democrats are more likely to win control of the House. But the president making clear that the midterm elections are something of a mystery even to him. He said this about the midterm election campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You know, you hear midterms, it's like let's go to sleep, right. This year we're breaking every single record in attendance for the midterms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So certainly, he's telling the people do not go to sleep, but this is the coin of his travels and he's trying to get his Trump supporters who backed him, in some cases in 2016 who hadn't voted before to come out and support some of these Republican candidates.

So the president is going on to campaign in West Virginia and Indiana, out in Montana, in Florida again and then back here in Missouri on Monday. It's all about trying to keep the Senate in Republican hands and trying to mend his losses in the House. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Columbia, Missouri.

ALLEN: Let's talk more about this with Bryan Karem. He is the executive editor of "The Sentinel" newspapers. Bryan, thanks so much for joining us. BRYAN KAREM, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Thanks for having me Natalie.

Good to talk to you.

ALLEN: Good to have you with us. Well, listen here, just a few days until the midterm elections. How would you describe the president's approach to getting the vote to go his way for the midterm elections?

KAREM: Burn the barn down and hope everybody comes to him. He's been inflaming his base with a lot of rhetoric. His speech in the White House spoke specifically to the immigration crisis that he has created and he's called it an invasion and he's talking about building what in essence, is a concentration camps, and telling -- giving the OK for soldiers if someone throws a rock at them to shoot them.

So, it is unlike anything I've ever heard in 35 years covering politics in this town. It has gone way over the top and his hope is to inflame his base. Get them riled up and get them to vote.

[03:05:01] And of course it's causing problems for either members of the GOP who don't really believe that their president has a firm grasp on reality. So, it's a tough situation for him to be in, but he's taking, you know, taking no prisoners attitude. He's going to burn it down and see what happens.

ALLEN: And so, in doing that, how will that play to say people who are not of the Trump persuasion, who are independents or Democrat or liberal leaning or conservatives who aren't in the Trump camp. Will this resonate positively or negatively beyond his base do you think?

KAREM: I think it is going to resonate poorly everywhere except the rabid base. The situation is there are members of the GOP that I've spoken with who says, look why doesn't he stick -- immigration is a core issue for the GOP, but why doesn't he stick to success like the economy. That is a unifying thing. That's a lift everybody's both type of issue that people can get behind.

It's a very divisive issue, immigration, and yet he goes to it time and again. And why, because his people who know him best say he does what he wants to do. And this is what he likes to do. And he also knows that if he goes out and speaks about the economy, he's not going to get the press that he's going to get if he goes out and says shoot the refugees. I mean, that type of thing gives him headlines. He craves the attention. He loves the attention.

ALLEN: He craves the fear? Doesn't he crave the fear?

KAREM: Yes, you're absolutely right. He preys on it, fear and loathing. And he wants you afraid and scared and going to him because you're afraid and scared. There's a small portion of the populace that goes with that, but most of the people, independents, I think GOP women -- I've seen polling results that say GOP women don't go for this.

Of course, the Democrats don't, and the swing voters on Democrat and Republican side don't exact exactly go for it but the rabid base, that small 30 percent of whatever does. So, he's going to go after that. ALLEN: So he continues to put blame for anything that happens in this

country that is seen as negative toward the Democrats and the media. We just had had a CNN report when a reporter asked him when he was a candidate, why do you still paint me as the enemy. Why are we the enemy? And the president's response was -- he said this to an Axios reporter recently. "It's my only form of fighting back. I did this before I won."

So he said it, you know, when he was a candidate. Why are you doing this tome? Why are you being so mean? And he's saying this now to a reporter. And he continues to say it despite that that is dangerous talk coming from this president just a few days after what happened in Pittsburgh.

KAREM: What happened in Pittsburgh, what happened in Louisville? The bombs that were threatened to people. How about what happened to Khashoggi over seas. Yes, all of it is frightening, but it is a big dog whistle that he uses. I'm not taking the bait on it anymore. He can call me whatever he wants. I don't care. My job is to hold his feet to the fire, ask him questions about issues and seek answers.

And he hasn't answered the questions that we've asked. He avoids the issues as he blows his dog whistle. He can call me, I don't care what he calls me. Bottomline is he's got to have his feet held to the fire. That's what we're here to do. And when we hold him accountable, that's when we prove our worth to the American public.

It is not going to be fighting back against him and go, look I'm not the enemy of the people. It is going be by reporting on what he does, that we show our worth. And that's that one thing he fears the most, is being held accountable for what he does.

ALLEN: Do you think this president truly understands that the loose media is supposed to be watchdog of the government, not a lap dog of the government. Does he understand that and just not want to give it --

KAREM: He don't care.

ALLEN: He doesn't care.

KAREM: He doesn't care. Donald Trump is about Donald Trump. Whatever gets him the biggest headlines, the biggest splash, that's what he goes for. And if calling us the enemy of the people and fake news does it, he'll do it. And every time we react to him, he eats it up. He does it again.

I've covered him for -- since he's been in office. He's never backed away from it. I've tried challenging him on it in the White House briefing room and his surrogates. I've challenged him on the south lawn about it. I've challenged him in press conferences about it and he is not backing away from it.

Now, we have one choice -- two choices I guess. We can either sit there and listen to that and react to it or just do our job. Now, we got to do our job because the bottomline is, he's not doing his. And if we don't hold him accountable, then who will? And of course he knows what he's doing. He loves what he's doing. He thinks it works. And he's right. That's his one way -- he's got to have an enemy. He's picked us. It's very easy to pick us as enemy because we're there every day holding him accountable, and he does not like that.

ALLEN: Bryan Karem, executive editor of "Sentinel" newspaper. We appreciate your input. Thank you.

KAREM: Thank you, Natalie. Good to see you

[03:10:02] ALLEN: Well then President Trump travels to Argentina for the G-20 summit at the end of this month. He maybe carrying a trade proposal with China. Bloomberg reports the president has asked key officials to draft the terms. The U.S. and Chinese president spoke by phone on Thursday. Mr. Trump tweeting that trade talks were moving along nicely. CNN's Steven Jiang joins us from Beijing because news of this possible deal is affecting Asia markets in green. Hi there Steven.

STEVN JIANG, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Hi Natalie. That's right. Markets are reacting very positively to the latest news. And as you can see, markets here I mainland China as well as Hong Kong and Japan are all up and in some cases, even rising more than 3 percent. So I think they are going to end the week on a very positive note.

Now, this latest Bloomberg report you just referred to of course, came on the heels of this long and very good conversation that Mr. Trump's words that he had with Chinese President Xi Jinping on ThursdayMostly focused on trade. Here's what Mr. Trump told his supporters at a campaign rally shortly afterwards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Today I spoke to the President Xi. Great guy, great man from China. He's the boss. He is the head of China. We spoke and I said, look we have to make a fair trade. He wants to do it. They all want to do it. We're going to make lot's of great things that are going to happen over the next short period of time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIANG: Well, you may notice Mr. Trump used the word great at least three times in just that short sound bite to describe President Xi. That certainly was indication of their personal relationship has bounced back from just lows just a few weeks ago when Mr. Trump was publicly doubting the existence of their friendship.

So, I think after months of a stalemate on this trade issue when also rising tensions in general between the two countries, the two leaders are now finally finding common ground or political will to at least sit down again and to keep talking.

I think both leaders are facing a lot of pressure at home. Mr. Trump as you were just saying is of course surrounded by policy controversies with the fast approaching midterm election. Mr. Xi is also facing a market list slowing economy here. The leadership here just a few days ago for the first time publicly

acknowledging that the economy is facing a lot of challenges amid this ongoing trade war. So I think this is why they're now ready to talk again. But still the two sides are very far apart, Natalie, because Mr. Trump no only tries to close the trade gap.

He also tries to force the Chinese to change its economy structurally by stop (inaudible) industries or companies and also trying stop forcing American companies to transfer technologies. So, a lot of things still need to be worked out before the two leaders sit down, but at least the news that they're talking has really been received very positively by the markets here, Natalie.

ALLEN: All right, Steven Jiang following it for us and we'll see what the markets do in London and the United States when they open as well. Thanks Steven.

We want to turn now to the Lion Air plane crash investigation and the search. Divers in Indonesia have now found the landing gear and a large section of the fuselage of Lion Air flight 610 in the Java Sea. But most important, they have also found the flight data recorder. That's it there.

Officials hope it will tell them why this plane crashed just minutes after takeoff from Jakarta on Monday killing 189 people aboard. Will Ripley is following the developments for us from Hong Kong and Will, certainly significant finds in the search.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In a relatively short period of time, Natalie, just a matter of days from underwater search of a downed airliner, that is impressive that they now have the flight data recorder in hand. It's still going to take two to three weeks to extract the information and another two to three months investigators say to analyze it.

But it should tell them everything from the altitude, to the speed, to the direction, to whether there were any instruments that went down, even if there was a fire onboard, which so far the debris doesn't seem to indicate in the evidence of that. That will all be in the flight data recorder.

Now, they're going to also be looking for cockpit voice recorder, the other so-called black box that has yet to be found. It is somewhere on the bottom of the Java Sea, perhaps buried under the mud just like the data recorder was.

That will record the vital conversations of the two valiant men in the cockpit, the captain and co pilot, who investigators say likely struggled to try to save this aircraft from whatever was happening. So that is significant in itself on the investigation side of things.

The fact that they've also located a large part of the fuselage, it is significant for the investigation as well that we're able to determine a lot by looking at the condition of the plane. It will tell them about the crash, what happened, how it impacted the water, the surface of the ocean and whatnot. It was obviously a violent impact even from just 5,200 feet given the fact that there was so much debris floating about, but also for the families of the 189 people.

This gives them hope that they could eventually have closure in terms of having the remains of their loved ones return. People have been having to give DNA samples. There was one story of a husband who had to bring his wife's toothbrush to get a DNA sample because as of now, they've just been essentially pulling it.

And it's really tough to even say these words, but body parts from the ocean, that's how violent the impact was. So, there is hope for the families and certainly hope for answers as well as to how this crash could have happened. How a brand new 737 MAX-8, one of the most cutting edge planes in the world could have just suddenly fallen from the sky early Monday morning.

Hard to believe it is now Friday, Natalie. This has been such a whirlwind week and certainly for the families. Something they never could have hoped or expected to happen.

ALLEN: Right. Just horrendous. Thank you so much. Will Ripley, for us with the latest.

Well, it has been one month since Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, you know that name by now certainly, disappeared inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. He was killed almost immediately but there is no clue what happened to his body.

The "Washington Post" now reports Turkish investigators are pursuing a gruesome new theory. For more about that, we're joined by CNN's Jomana Karadsheh. She's live for us there. Jomana, this story it gets more gruesome with every detail, but the important thing is we find out exactly what happened and who was behind it.

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And that is what Turkish officials are saying, Natalie, that, you know, it has been a month since Jamal Khashoggi entered this building behind me. And it seems on the surface this has been a slow moving investigation. There still a month later a lot of speculation, a lot of theories. What we know so far is the statement officially on the record for the first time.

We heard that on Wednesday from the chief prosecutor here in Istanbul who was heading the criminal investigation into the killing of Khashoggi, what they say they know for a fact according that their investigation is that this was a premeditated act, that Jamal Khashoggi was killed almost immediately after entering the building.

It was death by strangulation. That his body after that was dismembered and destroyed. Now, it wasn't clear what they meant by destroy. We've been trying to get clarification. The "Washington Post" quoting a senior Turkish official, says one theory they're pursuing is that acid may have been used to dissolve his body, either here at the consulate or nearby at the consul general's residence.

They say that they found biological evidence in the consulate garden that supports the theory. We've been talking to a number of Turkish officials who say it is one of several theories they are looking at. And you know we are talking about a month later and they're still theories.

And Turkish officials are telling us that is why they want answers from the Saudis. They are saying we submitted a number of questions, key questions that are pretty straightforward, they say and they haven't gotten answers. Where are the remains of Jamal Khashoggi? Who ordered that hit squad to come here to Istanbul and carry out the killing?

And they were hoping to get those answers actually from the prosecutor of Saudi Arabia when he was here this week for three days. They did not. Instead they got an invitation to come to Saudi Arabia, bring that Turkey has and have a joint investigation there.

And we heard from the justice minister here yesterday saying it is up to the chief prosecutor here in Istanbul to decide if he's going to take them up on the offer, but saying it is unlikely, saying the crime scene is here, the investigation has to take place here in turkey and saying that they will get to the bottom of this and they won't allow a cover-up.

ALLEN: I certainly hope not, because, you know what, with every little detail that we're getting, the things we're hearing, it sounds like something from a horror film, if only this were fiction. But it certainly is not. And all the while, His Family has no answers, his fiancee who waited for him to come out and he never did is writing yet another Op-Ed about his death and justice. What is she saying Jomana?

KARADSHEH: well, this is the third opinion piece we've seen from Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of Jamal Khashoggi. She has done a number of interviews in recent days. I mean, as you can imagine, Natalie, this is such a difficult time for her, for his loved ones. And she talks about that. And I have to say, you know, on October 3rd, a day after Jamal Khashoggi disappeared, I was here outside the consulate and I met Hatice, and she was so emotional, Natalie.

[03:20:02] She was sitting here still thinking that Jamal was alive. Still thinking that he was inside that building, that he was going to emerge at any point. At one point, she looked at me and she broke down into tears, blaming herself saying she felt guilty, that the only reason he went into that building is to obtain a piece of paper that would allow them to get married.

And now, in this opinion piece she says what is important is accountability, that those not only who carried out the killing, those who order it must be held accountable. And she wants the international community to do that. And she says the United States has the responsibility here.

She says, "of all nations, the United States should be leading the way. The country was founded on the ideals of liberty and justice for all. The first amendment enshrining the ideals personified by Jamal but the administration has taken a position that is devoid of moral foundation.

Some has approached this through the cynical prism of self-interest, statement framed by fear and cowardice, by the fear of upsetting deals or it cannot make ties and economic ties. And she says that what we're seeing right now is the stalling tactics by members of the Trump administration.

And this has been the feeling, Natalie, by many here that we're seeing stalling tactics by Saudi Arabia, stalling tactics by the United States hoping that this is just going to go away and those who really were behind the killing it are not held accountable for that. And that Hatice, in that op-ed, says that they will not give up.

They will continue to call for accountability saying today is also a tragic coincidence that this is the United Nations' International Day for ending impunity for crimes against journalist. And I have to say speaking to activist, speaking to dissidents in this region, they say that unless there's real accountability here, there will a thousand other Jamals, Natalie.

ALLEN: I cannot imagine and yes, you're right, justice must be served, and we thank you. For your reporting, Jomana Karadsheh for us, thanks.

The acquittal of a Christian woman has sparked days of protests across Pakistan and Islamist hardliners are vowing not to let up anytime soon. What was her charge, we tell you about it coming up.

Plus anger over the way Google handles allegations of sexual assault, employees stage a worldwide walkout demanding change. That story as well. Ahead here on "CNN Newsroom."

[03:25:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: Pakistan is bracing for a third day of protests after a Christian woman was acquitted of blasphemy charges by the country's top court. The leader of Pakistan's Islamist movement is now calling for a nationwide strike.

Asia Bibi had been be on death row for nearly eight years after she was accused of defiling the name of the prophet Muhammad. CNN producer Sophia Saifi, joins me now from Islamabad. This has been an extremely polarizing case in Pakistan that has provoked much fury. Tell us more about it, Sophia.

SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN PRODUCER: Well, Natalie, the reason why this is so controversial is that it has to do with the prophet Muhammad and any criticism of the prophet Muhammad amounts to blasphemy. Now, what has happened here in Pakistan that it's got some very stringent blasphemy laws which are now enshrined in the legal framework of this country.

So while you have a lot of liberal activists and human rights activist who have been working and campaigning for many years to kind of work around these laws, you do have situations where these blasphemy laws are abused and people are just accused of this and then even criticizing those laws or criticizing those people who are, you know, fighting for it.

It then makes them targets for people who are against the blasphemy law being changed. This is what happened in Asia Bibi's case. You've got a very right wing Islamist party like the (inaudible) Pakistan who for weeks before we got that (inaudible) earlier this week, had been saying that, you know, they said we want her to be hung.

They will not rest until she is hung. And we were expecting these protests in a way. I mean, they had been ongoing for the past three days now. The entire country is in lockdown. It's not as bad as similar blasphemy protests that we saw in the country last October.

But it is still, you know, amounting to the fact that major interchanges between major cities are shut down. There's a stand still across the country. Hospitals are on high alert. Schools have been shut down and there's a sense of fear and panic. I mean, over her in Islamabad we've got mobile networks that have been shut since earlier, like since 7:00 this morning. They expect to be shut until sundown. People have no way to communicate and there is a sense of unease and panic across the country at the moment, Natalie.

ALLEN: We know that the government of Pakistan is appealing for calm. Amnesty International among the human rights groups applauding this outcome and asking for tolerance. Sophia Saifi for us there in Pakistan, thank you.

From Tokyo and Singapore to London and New York, Google employees walked off the job Thursday in protest. This was the scene that unfolded at Google offices around the world. Employees headed for the door. The staged walkout, a clear message to protest what they say is a workplace culture that turned a blind eye to sexual misconduct and discrimination. This follows a damning "New York Time" investigation and employees are demanding sweeping changes.

The multi-millionaire who doled out millions of dollars for Brexit may have violated Britain's electoral law. Businessman Aaron Banks, provided $12 millions to the Brexit campaign. In July, CNN reported that support was being investigated and so was his contact with Russian officials. Banks denies any wrong doing.

A new study has found the world's oceans are soaking up a lot more heat than previously thought. What does it mean? We'll speak with one of the scientists behind the study coming up here.

[03:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN NEWSROOM SHOW HOST: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Natalie Allen. Let us update you on our top stories this hour. President Trump is stepping up his attacks against undocumented migrants at a campaign rally in the U.S. state of Missouri. He reminded supporters he wants to sign an executive order that would remove the right to citizenship for children of noncitizens born in the U.S. His remarks part of his overall strategy to riles up his base before next week's midterm elections.

Bloomberg reports President Trump has asked U.S. officials to draft terms of the trade deal with China. The president says he spoke with the Chinese president by phone and that they're scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the G 20 summit at the end of this month. News of a possible trade deal is having a positive impact on the Asian market. Divers in Indonesia have found the landing gear wheels and a large

portion of the fuselage from Lion Air flight 610, they also have the flight data recorder, but it would take weeks to analyze that data so they are scouring the (inaudible) for the cockpit voice recorder. 189 people died in the plane crash soon after take-off, Monday.

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered one month ago inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, but there is still no sign of his body. The Washington Post reports investigators suspect that his body may have been dissolved in acid. His fiancee has called for Europe and the U.S. to see that those responsible be prosecuted.

A new studies suggest the earth is more sensitive to fossil fuel emissions than previously thought, researchers have found the world oceans are soaking up much more heat than we understood before. The oceans taken 90 percent of the excess heat trapped in the earth's atmosphere. The levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air increase as the oceans warm and release gases. By measuring those levels. The researchers could infer the oceans temperature. The study estimate oceans have absorbed 60 percent more heat than previously thought. All of this can result in faster rising sea levels, more powerful storms and more melting of sea ice.

I want to talk more about it with Ralph Keeling, he is the co-author of this new study and he is geophysicist with the Scripts Institution of Oceanography. He joins me now on the phone from Oxford, England. Mr. Keeling, thank you so much for talking with us. Tell us more about what this study means, as far as the amount of heat the world is apparently producing?

RALPH KEELING, GEOPHYSICIST, SCRIPTS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY: Thank you for including me here. Yes, the new study implies that the amount of warming in store for the greenhouse gases in the middle already is higher than we thought previously.

ALLEN: And did it surprise you?

KEELING: Well, the study is incremental. It's incremental in the sense that it builds on previous work that qualified the oceans role and it wasn't the first to say that there is probably a need for an upward revision of the sort. So it was more confirming than revolutionary in the trend of our understanding.

ALLEN: And can you explain how warm warmer oceans will effect lives on earth and in the oceans. What could be the impact be?

KEELING: Well, the impact of this study comes about in the sort of way, we are now at 410 part per million CO2 in the atmosphere, up from about 280 back in 1800.

[03:35:00] The climate today is not yet adjusted to the 410 part per million and the main reason have been adjusted is because the ocean is sitting there. It takes a long time to heat up the ocean and were getting tired of an air-conditioning effect from the ocean and the strength of that is measured by how much heat is going into the ocean. So we can quantify that the benefit were getting now by measuring the heat up and you can also estimate of what would happen if you took away that benefit, eventually the ocean will stop taking up heat (inaudible) equilibrium. So we are getting a temporary benefit and as a result of the warming we have now will continue into the future as the ocean slowly comes up to equilibrium. That is why there is an overshoot. And that is why there is more in store.

ALLEN: As you are speaking were looking at beautiful pictures of the oceans coral reefs underneath, people enjoy water sports in the oceans, but the bottom line, ocean acidification can have a major impact on life on earth. What are your biggest concerns here?

KEELING: Well, the oceans certainly one of her concerns that you know most of the people live on land and what is happening on land is in a way, almost a bigger concern, but they are all wrapped up in the same issue. That we are heading off in a new direction with the climate were changing the chemistry of the air in the ocean and the people in all living things are going to have to adapt to it and you for coral reefs in particularly or in a very precarious situation. A perfect combination of the oceans getting warmer and the carbon changing certification the ocean in a way that unfavorable to them.

ALLEN: The suggestions made in support are to keep global warming and check it has human made greenhouse gas emissions should be cut by 25 percent more than previously estimated, is that a possibility, is there a will collectively in the world to make that happen?

KEELING: Well, I'm not in a position to speculate on mostly a political question. On my understanding is that it is feasible within scope of technology now and in development to move in that direction, but that -- it is not going to be easy and adapting to the climate change is also not going to be easy. So we have a -- two different extreme proud. We could walk and right now are pretty much going on the path of just letting it happen which is pretty scary.

ALLEN: Certainly is yet another study that shows very much negative impacts from our emissions. We appreciate you joining us, Ralph Keeling. He is a co-author of the study. Thank you.

And of course as we see the changes in climate and the warming of the oceans. We are also seeing more extreme weather case in point that perhaps what is happening in Italy and Europe. Our meteorologist, Derek Van Dam, is following that for us. Derek, hello.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Natalie. We are starting to draw conclusions behind a warming planet and linking that's to an extreme weather events like, what's happening across the Mediterranean, Italy in the south of France, I will show you that in just a moment, but going back to that discussion you had with Dr. Keeling a moment ago. It is interesting to note that the oceans are absorbing more heat and it doesn't help that nine of the 10 hottest years globally -- again, across the entire world have happened since the year 2000.

So again we are linking now extreme weather events with this warming planet that we call home, including heavy rain events, including stronger hurricanes and including the increased frequency of the strong storms that pummel places across coastal areas of the world. Just take for instance, I am not saying that what happened in Italy this week is directly related to climate change, but it does have its fingerprints written all over it, right.

This is some of the damage of the strong wind and thunderstorms that came through. This is just in the northwestern sections of Italy. Where some of the stronger storms made landfall. There were waterspouts, there were tornadoes and unfortunately damage and unfortunately fatalities as well. So you can also see that this was impact in the south of France, some of the aerial footage showing the flooding. This is just east of the Marseille region.

What is causing all this wild weather across Europe, were it all has to do with the extreme dip in the jet stream and remember that is the upper level winds in the atmosphere that guide our storm systems across the planet. We get a couple of local wind effects that help aid in the increase in our moisture, that is why we see these impressive rainfall totals across Italy from 120 millimeters to over 50 millimeters in the past two days for Rome on top of what they've already seen in the month of October.

[03:40:02] So, (Inaudible), (Inaudible). If you are located in Italy. You'll know those names, they all talk about the direction of the wind. The bottom line is that increase in the moisture across the Mediterranean, allowing for more availability of moisture in the atmosphere, producing more rain and increase chances of heavy rainfall events like this. Do you mind, October, November, that is the wettest time of the year for Rome, but unfortunately there's more precipitation in the forecast for this area from Naples all the way to Florence and Nice, Rome. You got a wet seven-day forecast for the best today, Sunday, Monday and into Wednesday, right fingerprints of climate change, right there, Natalie.

ALLEN: Yes. We will have to hang on. Thank you, Derek. I appreciate it.

As mentioned, in case you didn't now, U.S. midterm elections, just four days away and in the state of Tennessee and a Senate race thought to be an easy victory has turned into a tight competition. We will tell you, who is ahead to the polls.

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ALLEN: It happens Tuesday the crucial midterm elections for congressional and state spots. One of the most hotly contested races this year in Georgia. The race for governor is drawing some high powers supporters among them, Oprah Winfrey campaigning for Democratic candidates Stacey Abrams and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, stumping for Republican Brian Kemp. Their visits, come ahead of appearances by former U.S. President Obama and President Trump. Listen now to Oprah's message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OPRAH WINFREY, OPRAH SHOW HOST: Vote your values. Vote your conscience. All these noise all the noise you just can't get away from it. You turn on the TV on -- it is so much noise and crazy talk all the vitriol in the ads, you know what they are designed to confuse and confound you with fear. That is what they have done. They are designed to confound you with fear. They are not designed for people with discernment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: And now here's the U.S. Vice President stomping for the Republican candidate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENTIAL-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: I recognize -- the next five days, it is going to be critical. Because you know the truth is, this first midterms elections for the party that is in the White House are challenging as for the conventional (inaudible).

[03:45:03] It is actually been through, for the Republican Party, for every election for the last hundred years except for truth. Conventional wisdom says it is going to be tough to re-elect our majority in Washington D.C. and re-elect Republican governors in State Houses across the country. That is the conventional wisdom, but I think we all know what President Donald Trump thinks of conventional wisdom.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Republican candidate Brian Kemp is Georgia's Secretary of State, if elected, Democrats Stacey Abrams would be the first black American woman governor in U.S. history.

Another closely watched race is for U.S. Senate seat just north of Georgia and Tennessee. Democrats help to flip it in their candidate's independent streak is making the battle competitive. Our CNN's Martin Savidge reports, this race is a tacit ideology and party labels.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Even as the new CNN poll shows a slight Republican lead with less than a week to go, Tennessee Senate race is still remarkably close.

PHIL BREDESEN, (D), FORMER GOVERNOR, TENNESSEE: Hi, Phil Bredesen, how are you?

SAVIDGE: How is a Democrat managed to be so competitive in such a conservative state where President Trump won 60 percent of the vote. Phil Bredesen got your typical Democrat, widely known and popular as mayor of Nashville, he is credited with bringing professional sports teams to town. As the two term governor, he sent National Guard troops to the border with Mexico.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody's to tell me how to vote. SAVIDGE: He's rejected National Democratic leadership, says he agrees

with President Trump on some things and pledges to do what's best for Tennessee not the Democratic Party.

BREDESEN: I think if you ask people for characteristics about me, they will say moderate, but they will also say these things done and that's what's really letting me be competitive in a state like this.

SAVIDGE: He's centrist message, he's term which should have been an easy victory for Republican Marsha Blackburn into a struggle. Blackburn if fierily Conservative who is serving Congress since 2003. She's not as popular as Bredesen, but knows someone who is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love the president in Tennessee.

SAVIDGE: Blackburn is a staunch Trump supporter. The president twice come to Tennessee to campaign on her behalf and he'll be back this weekend. Blackburn's campaign is largely adopted the Trump playbook. Just this weekend, the president railed against the caravan of Central American migrants headed for the U.S. Blackburn put the issue front and center in her own campaign.

We reach out multiple times to the Blackburn campaign for an interview but never got a response. Some political watchers suggest Blackburn is relying too heavily on Trump voters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump is still very popular in this state. But I am not sure that it's good assumption that every Trump voter is a very conservative or even Republican voter.

SAVIDGE: being true Trump could turn out independence and moderate Republican, voters Blackburn still needs. We found several Republicans who say they voted for Bredesen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He follows the issues that I am interested in. And much more align than (inaudible). And I don't see that from the other candidates.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is an unabashed moderate. Centrist right down the middle. He better does. We need more of that.

SAVIDGE: David Blue is a pharmacist, as well as a Republican.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was an extremely difficult decision for me to make.

SAVIDGE: He is a fan Trump's economy and worries about losing control of the Senate. He just couldn't vote Democrat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is an extremely close race. I believe in the end Blackburn will take this race that's my gut feel on anyway.

SAVIDGE: Ultimately for Tennessee voters in today's polarized political climate. How they vote may hinge on what matters more, a chance for moderation or party loyalty. Martin Savidge, CNN, Knoxville, Tennessee. (END VIDEO)

ALLEN: How will that vote turn out in Tennessee and of course the one here in Georgia? You can join CNN for an extensive coverage of the U.S. midterm elections as Americans go to the polls, that is next Tuesday, or Wednesday, depending on where you are. Our special coverage begins just before the polls close and goes into all the results.

President Trump former chief strategist Steve Bannon has been interviewed at least three times by special counsel Robert Mueller's team. Most recently last week. Investigators are interested in Bannon's communication with Republican operative Roger Stone during the 2016 campaign, at the time Stone was promoting himself as a go- between with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. For more about this story, here is CNN's Sara Murray in Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

[03:50:08] SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: New emails revealed. Roger Stone was in touch with a senior Trump campaign official, Steve Bannon about WikiLeaks during the 2016 presidential race. Special counsel Robert Mueller's team has copies of the emails, a source tell CNN, part of its investigation into whether Stone actually had an inside track with WikiLeaks and whether he shared any of that information with members of the Trump campaign.

In an email on October 4, 2016, Bannon and then the Trump campaign CEO wrote it down. What was that, this morning? Stone publish the emails in a calm Thursday for the right-wing Daily Caller. Bannon email came shortly after WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange delivered a speech billed as an October surprise.

But Assange didn't unveil any new information, angering some of Trump supporters who were hoping for a bombshell on Hillary Clinton. In her apply to Bannon, Stone explain the delay, fear, serious security concern, and however allude every week going forward. Stone says his email was based on public information. During his media event, Assange promise more WikiLeaks material was coming. Stone's move to publish the emails preempted in New York Times story Thursday about Stone's efforts to pitch himself to Trump campaign official as a WikiLeaks insider.

At least one campaign official told investigators Stone told campaign officials he had ties to Assange according to a person familiar with the investigation. While Stone made a show publicly and privately of bragging about his ties to Assange during the 2016 campaign. He has since revised his story. Stone says he actually relied on publicly available information, tips from journalist and a back channel source.

Progressive New York activist, Randy Credico. Credico has denied he acted as the back channel.

ROGER STONE, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S LONG-TIME ASSOCIATE: And course there is the Mueller investigation poking into every aspect of my private, personal, business, social, family and political life. MURRAY: Stone hasn't been contacted by Mueller's team, but nearly a

dozen of his associate have. Still it is unclear what charges if any Stone could ultimately face. The New York Times, also published emails showing Stone asking Bannon to help him get funding from GOP donor Rebecca Mercer, to spread a story based on no evidence that Bill Clinton has a love child. I have raised 150 K for the targeted black digital campaign through a C$, Stone wrote. Tell Rebecca to send us some money.

The request could run afoul of federal election law. Stone's says he never received any money from the Mercer and he maintain he is innocent.

STONE: I have no crime in connection with the 2016 election or anything else.

MURRAY: Now even Roger Stone has insisted he has done nothing wrong, he is still said he wouldn't be surprised if Mueller brings charges against him. Stone says the charges would just be Trumped up and designed to get him to flip on President Trump. Sara Murray, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO)

ALLEN: Well, how about a chip feature on Halloween this year. One little girl costume, perfectly captured her hero's heart. We will have her story next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:55:00] ALLEN: Pictures of a three-year-old girl have gone viral twice all because of her love for a former first lady. Here is Jeanne Moos with that story.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Meet mini Michelle Obama. Actually we met he already back in March. Parker Curries photo went viral, she was staring off struck at Michelle Obama's recently unveiled portrait at the national portrait Gallery. The former first lady was so smitten by the photo that she invited Parker to her Washington office.

What Parker, couldn't shake off was a certain feeling.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you really think Michelle Obama is a Queen?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is.

MOOS: And you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am the Queen.

MOOS: Even as a guest on Ellen. Mrs. Obama's image on a set blew Parker away.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There you are.

MOOS: So for Halloween, she ended up being Michelle Obama.

A company called Magnolia like children's clothing donated the Michelle custom gown which sells for 188 bucks.

Off they went trick-or-treating, just outside Washington D.C. When you to people's houses. No wonder the three-year-old first lady needed a police escort, her little sister.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Once people see the dress it was Michelle Obama or she told them. Hey, I'm Michelle Obama.

MOOS: (Inaudible) Parker lots of candy, but the sweetest reward, a tweet from Michelle Obama. You nailed the look Parker. I love it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As you see a magazine with Michelle Obama, she just starts screaming and yelling. Michelle. Here is my Michelle.

MOOS: If this keeps up, her police escort may have to use those handcuffs to contain her sisters, Michelle mania.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO)

ALLEN: She is so darn cute, it hurts. Thanks for joining us, I'm Natalie Allen. The news continues next with Hannah Vaughan Jones in London. Thanks for watching.

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