Return to Transcripts main page

Connect the World

House Investigators Releasing Transcripts of testimony; Trump Still Competitive in Battleground States; CNN Team Embedded with Turkish Forces in Syrian Border Town; German City Declares "Nazi Emergency"; U.S. Begins Formal Withdrawal from Paris Climate Accord; Nine Mormon Family Members Killed in Mexico. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired November 05, 2019 - 10:00   ET

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


[10:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And you haven't heard about the whistleblower after that, have you? Because the whistleblower said

lots of things that weren't so good, folks, you're going to find out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: Mr. Trump says, stay tuned as the Democrats prepare to release more testimony from key witnesses in their impeachment

inquiry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're in the town of Tal Abyad and we're told by Turkish officials they are finding explosives on a daily

basis and defusing them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: CNN is embedded with Turkish forces as they continue military operations in northern Syria.

A horrific attack in Mexico kills nine members of a Mormon family.

And the U.S. begins its formal withdrawal from the Paris Climate Change Agreement. We take a look at what that means with one of the people who

put the deal together.

Well it's 7 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi. It's 10 the morning in D.C. I'm Becky Anderson with your newly expanded two-hour edition of CONNECT THE WORLD.

And we begin for you in Washington.

At any moment we could get our hands on the closed-door testimony from two key witnesses in this impeachment inquiry, now a former special envoy for

Ukraine and the current U.S. ambassador to the EU. What do we care? Well their text messages have dragged them into the impeachment saga. Detailing

how a shadow foreign policy was being run by Mr. Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.

On Monday a slew of details emerged on the testimony transcripts of the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and a former high-level aide to Secretary

of State Mike Pompeo. Both transcript paint a picture of an administration that broadly interprets the use of executive power. And had no

reservations about using that power to advance the President's political agenda.

President Trump, meanwhile, continues to go after the whistleblower. His campaign rally in Kentucky showed off new t-shirts saying "read the

transcript" -- referring to the memo of Mr. Trump's call with the Ukrainian President. But for those who have read the transcript, many say it does

the President more harm than good.

Our Capitol Hill reporter Suzanne Malveaux has picked apart those early pages for you. Here is her report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the first transcripts from the impeachment inquiry going public President Trump's

intensifying his attacks against the whistleblower who started it all.

TRUMP: The whistleblower says lots of things that weren't so good, folks.

MALVEAUX: House investigators releasing hundreds of pages of testimony from the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch. The career

diplomat saying behind closed doors, she was warned to watch my back because of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his associates. According to the

rough transcript of the July 25 phone call, President Trump told Ukraine's new president that Yovanovitch was bad news and warned she's going to go

through some things.

Yovanovitch telling lawmakers, I didn't know what it meant. I was very concerned. I still am. When asked, did you feel threatened? Her answer

simply, yes.

REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD): Obviously she was the object of a tremendous smear campaign. We want to know how deep that went.

MALVEAUX: Under pressure from the President's allies, Yovanovitch says she sought advice from U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland.

His suggestion, go big or go home. You need to, you know, tweet out there that you support the President. Yovanovitch also at the center of Michael

McKinley's testimony. The former top aide to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, explaining why he abruptly resigned just days before his

deposition. He says the State Department did not support career civil servants caught up in the inquiry. And he was troubled by, quote, what

appears to be the utilization of our ambassadors overseas to advance domestic political objectives.

McKinley says he repeatedly raised concerns according to the transcript of his testimony and asked Pompeo to publicly state is support for

Yovanovitch. That directly contradicts Pompeo's account in an interview last month.

MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I never heard him say a single thing about his concerns with respect to the decision that was made.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS: So you were never asked --

POMPEO: Not once.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well Suzanne Malveaux reporting there. Joe Johns standing by live at the White House.

[10:05:00]

Suzanne though is live for us on Capitol Hill. You report a fascinating insight into how the Trump administration runs its foreign policy given the

release of this testimony. But his supporters insist that there is no evidence of wrongdoing by the President. What's your take?

MALVEAUX: This is their various attacks that they are taking. One of them Congressman Jim Jordan, very much a Trump supporter and defender in

Congress and in this whole process. He was asked about the fact that Yovanovitch felt threatened by the President in his words, and he said that

the President has every right. He can speak to any foreign leader and use the language as he wishes. And so, he really kind of dismissed that out of

the hand.

We have seen White House advisor, Kellyanne Conway, say while she doesn't know if there was any delay in the aid going to Ukraine. She almost kind

of said, well what does it matter? Ukraine has the aid.

And then finally you have this other tact which really seems to be a distraction from Senator Rand Paul and others who are echoing the

President's call to unmask the whistleblower. I mean, this has led to an extraordinary split, if you will, among some Republicans who look at that

as outrageous. The former Republican House Intel chair, Mike Rogers, just within the last hour, saying that he believes that this town has lost its

mind because of those kinds of calls.

And so, you can see where this is going. It's kind of all over the place at this point, but we will see as this unfolds in public, how this shifts.

How this changes as we get more and more information -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Joe, this is as it's known the off-year voting day in the United States. Some states electing any governors. The governor in Kentucky has

said a vote for him is a vote to punish the Democrats in Washington currently going after the President. How do you see this playing out?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well the short version is Matt Biven has an uphill climb down in Kentucky. The President went there

just last night. And if you look at the video -- as you mentioned at the top of that appearance where the president was there speaking -- you see

people standing behind the President wearing t-shirts that say, "read the transcript." The President apparently referring to the July 25th call with

the Ukrainian President, of which the rough transcript was released.

The President asserts again and again that that was an appropriate call. However, there's more than one transcript that is now being read in

Washington D.C., including the transcript of the conversation between Ambassador Yovanovitch, and the impeachment investigators, and she paints a

very different picture. A picture of a President of the United States and his lieutenants essentially undermining a member of the U.S. foreign

service over in Ukraine for personal gain. So that tells you a lot about where we are on this off-year election day in Washington, D.C. -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Joe Johns is at the White House and Suzanne is at Capitol Hill where the impeachment inquiry looms large over the 2020 election campaign.

But is it? Is it having an impact on voters? Who will of course go to the polls a year from today, November 2020.

According to a New York Times/Siena College poll, in the battleground state of Wisconsin Democrat Joe Biden is at 47 percent ahead of President Trump

at 43. Senator Bernie Sanders, two points up against Trump, 47 to 45. Senator Elizabeth Warren polling at 46. We should note these are all

within the poll margin of error. CNN's Kyung Lah spoke with voters in Wisconsin about the 2020 race for the White House. This is her report.

BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's do this Wisconsin. Let's turn this around and we've got a year from now to do that.

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The 2020 battle for Wisconsin starts now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, good morning. We will get you clipboard and some lift.

LAH: Democratic foot soldiers fanning out across the badger state.

(on camera): Are people talking about impeachment here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not what you are hearing at the coffee shop. It's not what I'm hearing when I'm at the hardware store.

LAH (voice-over): A year from Election Day, this is a door-to-door mission to find out what matters most to voters here.

TREVOR JUNG, WISCONSIN DEMOCRAT: My name is Trevor. So, what's important to you in the selection?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jobs and environment especially.

LAH (on camera): Do you feel that it is a house to house battle?

JUNG: It is, completely. You know, here you have a community that is in a county that voted for President Obama and also Donald Trump.

[10:10:00]

LAH (voice-over): Racine, a swing county in a critical swing state. President Trump won Wisconsin by fewer than 23,000 votes. We need Democrat

Bruce Dunn.

(on camera): How long have you work for Chrysler?

BRUCE DUNN, WISCONSIN DEMOCRAT: 36 years and two weeks. It's not too many jobs like that now.

LAH (voice-over): He's live Racine's ups and downs during Trump's term, he seen some jobs come back, Dunn cares most about the economy and health

care.

(on camera): What about impeachment? You didn't mention impeachment.

DUNN: Well, I kind of don't like the impeachment. You know the people that's on his side I don't think they're going to jump ship because of it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely ridiculous.

LAH (voice-over): Unlike the Democrats, Wisconsin Republicans are talking about impeachment. This Racine Packers and politics party is one of the

150 GOP events in Wisconsin just this week.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These Republican people are very enthused.

LAH (on camera): Is impeachment then helping you or helping you or helping the Democrats?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's definitely helping the Republican Party right now. I say go for it, go bring it on.

SALLY FRANCIS, WISCONSIN REPUBLICAN: We're just digging in our heels deeper, to fight what they're going to do and we will do it by voting.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, my name is Elisha, I'm with the Waukesha Democratic Party.

LAH (voice-over): But driving Democrats, the bitter sting of 2016 and the determination to not have it happen again.

ALICIA HALVENSLEBEN WISCONSIN DEMOCRAT: If I can convince at least one maybe two. Every time I talk and I take a packet out, that's going to sway

on election.

LAH (on camera): Were talking and it's snowing.

HALVENSLEBEN: I'm going to keep doing it through the snow. I've done it through worst. We're a swing state. We've been a swing state, but we can

swing back.

LAH: Democrats say they knocked on more than 50,000 doors just this weekend. Now that is doubled the number of votes that President Trump won

the state of Wisconsin by in 2016. Democrats say that margin is so slim it basically breaks down to less than two votes per ward. They feel they can

flip the state, but it's not by talking about impeachment. Kyung Lah, CNN Racine, Wisconsin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Within the next hour we're going to the swing state of Michigan where voters there sound off on President Trump's performance and indeed on

the impeachment inquiry. We are a year out, folks, from that 2020 election.

Jury selection in the criminal trial of long time Trump advisor Roger Stone begins today. Stone arrived at court just a short time ago. He has pled

not guilty to charges of obstruction of justice, witness tampers and lying to Congress. His indictment emerged from Robert Mueller's Russia

investigation. Which alleges that Stone lied to the House Intelligence Committee about the WikiLeaks release of stolen Democratic Party e-mails

during the 2016 campaign.

Well a raid in northern Syria may provide some clues as to what kind of threat ISIS still poses after the death of the terror group's founder. A

senior Turkish official tells CNN that the sister of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been captured in northern Syria. She was detained, along with her

husband and daughter-in-law. All three are now being questioned by Turkish authorities. And what that country says could be an intelligence goldmine.

Well, meantime a car bomb in Zaher Jaber in Syria killed 19 people over the weekend. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh is embedded with Turkish forces as they

work to clear explosives in so-called safe zones where Syrian/Kurdish militia has been pushed out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're in the town of Tal Abyad. As you recall, this was one of the locations that saw some seriously intense

fighting when that Turkish offensive began on October 9. And it's been about three weeks since major combat operation came to an end here, but

still we're seeing Turkish forces who are embedded with today carrying out clearance operations. They're sweeping areas and sweeping them multiple

times checking for explosives, for devices that have been left.

And we're told by Turkish officials that they are finding explosives on a daily basis and diffusing them. Anywhere between 10 to 100 devices on a

daily basis, according to a senior Turkish official. And just a solar time ago, a car bomb we're told exploded in the center of the town of Tal Abyad.

This just coming a few days after that devastating car bomb attack that you mention took place at a marketplace. A civilian area where at least 19

people were killed in that attack on Saturday. Now no one claimed that attack, but Turkey blames Kurdish fighters for that attack, the Syrian

Democratic Forces -- that mainly Syrian/Kurdish fighting force -- have denied any responsibility for that attack. But these kinds of missions

right now are critical.

[10:15:00]

Especially as they're seeing civilians starting to return to their homes. According to the United Nations, more than 20,000 people have returned to

the town of Tal Abyad in the past few days.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: That is Jomana Karadsheh reporting. And a programming note, tomorrow I will interview Turkey's defense minister at this time on this

show to get the latest on their operations in northern Syria.

And more on the allegations of abuse by Turkish backed forces. We'll also discuss their strategy against ISIS.

Well still to come -- officials investigating an attack that left women and children dead near the U.S./Mexican border. Those details are up next.

Plus -- after years of far-right extremism, an east German city declares a, quote, Nazi emergency. More on that, after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. And I want to get you to Germany now, where the city of Dresden is divided after local politicians

declared a, quote, Nazi emergency. The far-right is on the rise there, but as CNN's Scott McLean now reports, some people believe this move goes too

far.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The city of Dresden Germany is declaring a "Nazi Emergency", approving a controversial declaration.

But the unorthodox symbolic resolution has a question mark in the title, and the party behind it is actually a satirical one. It began as a parity

on a well-known TV show. But is now a real-life player in German politics. They have seats in the European Parliament and the Dresden City Council

too. Richard Kaniewski is not a comedian. He's a mainstream member of the social Democratic Party and voted for the Nazi declaration.

RICHARD KANIEWSKI, GERMAN SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY: It's not a joke, it's a very, very important issue and also a satiric party can bring very, very

important issues on the table. And this party did it and I'm proud that I had the chance to vote for this resolution.

MCLEAN: Kaniewski says the city has been home to right-wing extremists' activity for decades and lately it's growing. The far-right party

Alternative for Germany earned 27 percent of the vote in the state election. The anti-Islam Pegida movement got its start in Dresden six

years ago bringing regular mass protests over refugee resettlement to the city center. We got a frosty reception at the latest rally. This man told

us there is no "Nazi Emergency."

(on camera): What's the emergency?

(voice-over): Islam is the real emergency, he says.

[10:20:00]

The rise of the far right is not just a problem for Dresden. Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed to fight right-wing extremism after politicians with

the range of views received death threats. At least one of which reportedly ended with the phrase, heil Hitler. Just last month a heavily

armed man launched an unsuccessful attack on a synagogue in Hala on Yom Kippur before killing two people nearby.

In total 39 of 68 city counselors voted for declaration. At least one member of the center-right Christian Democratic Union allied with Angela

Merkel, called it an intended provocation and voted against it. So did Dresden's mayor, Dirk Hilbert. The mayor says the growing intolerance in

right-wing extremism is a big problem in Dresden, so calling it a "Nazi Emergency" is a bridge too far.

(on camera): Is there a "Nazi Emergency" in Dresden?

(voice-over): No, he says, we just recently had a proposal in the city council that had the title "Nazi Emergency", it shows a completely wrong

picture of Dresden. Kaniewski disagrees.

KANIEWSKI: Maybe it's a dramatic term, maybe it's a dramatic title, but sometimes you have to be very hard in your communication so that people

discuss the first time about this topic.

MCLEAN: Scott McLean, CNN, Dresden, Germany.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well the United States is officially removing itself from the international charge to solve the global crisis. The Trump administration

began the formal process of withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord on Monday by submitted formal notification to the United Nations. Now this is

the first step in a year-long process to leave the landmark agreement to reduce gas emissions. The pullout takes effect just after the 2020

Presidential election.

Elan Strait worked on the Paris Climate Agreement as a climate negotiator in the Obama administration, now works for the World Wildlife Fund. And he

joins us now from Washington. Elan, no one should be surprised by this if U.N. rules had allowed for it the Trump administration would have likely

started withdrawal process earlier. And their argument -- or certainly one of their arguments is the following. The Paris agreement punishes the

U.S., at the world's lead in environmental protection, while imposing no meaningful obligations on the world's leading polluters. And their

supporters will say, they have a point. Do they?

ELAN STRAIT, DIRECTOR FOR CLIMATE AND CLEAN ENERGY FOR OBAMA ADMINISTRATION: Well I think it's important that we understand exactly how

the Paris Agreement works. Which is that all countries are held to the same standard of the Paris Agreement. Which is that you get to determine

your own target under Paris, and then you are held accountable by the rest of the world in achieving that target.

So the target itself is voluntary. What's not voluntary is that you -- there are the accountability mechanisms under the agreement. And so, if a

country was worried about whether other countries were going to live up to their promise or do more under Paris, the thing you'd what to do is double

down on the agreement. Really emphasize those accountability measures, not withdraw and see that other countries are held to a lesser standard.

ANDERSON: OK, I think it's important for you to explain to us -- because you are better served than anybody, given that you spend so much of your

time at negotiating this deal -- to explain to us the real risk to Paris, at Paris and indeed to the climate of the withdrawal of the world

superpower.

STRAIT: Yes, that's exactly the right question. Which is, if you have the United States withdraw from the agreement, what is the impact on the actual

climate? And the answer is that one more major economy stepping back in the agreement is a big deal. It now creating a leadership vacuum in the

global climate regime that is not currently being filled by any other country.

What we're seeing though that is exciting is that cities and states and businesses and people's local communities are actually stepping up. People

are having an increased ownership over this issue with the U.S. withdrawal. Which is an exciting move for the United States and something we want to

see more of. And so, if you're concerned that what's going to happen now with this leadership vacuum, you don't necessarily need to look to a China

or and India to step into this leadership vacuum. You can think for yourself. What can I do to help solve the climate crisis in my own

community.

ANDERSON: Yes, and you bring up China, which is important. And let's just remind ourselves as "The New York Times" pointed out today, now the largest

submitter of planet warming pollutants, it has made significant promises but Beijing's ability to deliver is still in question.

[10:25:00]

Before we talk about what cities and states might do next, both in the U.S. and indeed around the world. Here is that President Trump said back in

2017 -- it is time to put Youngstown, Ohio, Detroit, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, along with many, many other locations within our great

country, before Paris, France.

It's like I said, it wasn't like we hadn't been warned. Mike Pompeo today justifying the discussion saying the U.S. approach incorporates the reality

of the global energy mix and uses all energy sources and technologies cleanly and efficiently, including fossil fuels, nuclear energy and

renewable energy.

You talk about the opportunity that the -- this withdrawal has sort of to a certain extent flushed out for states and cities, but without that sort of

federal wrapper, how much more difficult with this sort of economic cost/benefit analysis be for people wanting to support reduced emissions?

STRAIT: Yes, so what I want to be clear about is that ironically the President's argument and Secretary Pompeo's argument are entirely

consistent with staying in the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement allows leaders to put their communities first in their mind and think about what's

best for their country. That's why the contributions under the agreement are nationally determined. And with secretary Pompeo's remarks, it allows

for countries to set their own energy mix as long as they are doing things in a cleaner and more efficient way and getting towards zero emissions over

the long-term.

And when it comes to what cities and states can do without the federal government, I think the truth is there's a lot to do in near term. There's

a lot they can do to expand clean energy usage, to increase public transportation for their residents, and really to drive down emission in

the short term.

I think the issue is when think about the long term, how do you get to a country that has a transformed energy economy -- you can't do that without

the national government. What I think is the hope here is that states are often considered sort of the laboratories of democracy in the United

States, and so this is an opportunity for states to be experimental and for cities to be experimental, and try new policies, try new programs. And so

hopefully, over time as the national government steps into more of a leadership role on climate, they have the examples of hundreds of cities

and dozens of states across this country that have tried different climate policies to see what's really going to work for the American people.

ANDERSON: A disappointing day I'm sure for you, but some very positive sort of points that you make. Elan Strait who worked on the Paris Climate

Agreement as a climate negotiator in the Obama administration. It's not over until it's over, of course, a year from now Donald Trump may not be

elected as the U.S. President going forward, and then all bets may be off, but for the time being a risky situation. Elan, thank you.

STRAIT: Thank you very much.

ANDERSON: A quick break. Back after this.

[10:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. It is 7:30 here in the UAE. This is coming to you from our

Middle East broadcasting hub here in Abu Dhabi.

We're getting new details about the investigation of a deadly massacre of a Mormon family in Mexico. It happened in the mountains near the U.S./Mexico

border. Authorities say at least nine people were killed. The victims were women and children. One survivor filmed this video at the scene.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is for the record. Nita and four of my grandchildren are burnt and shot up. Right on the road.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: A family member tells the CNN the group was bringing a relative from Arizona to Mexico for a wedding. CNN's Matt Rivers is in Mexico City.

And I know that officials have been talking about what they believed happen. What are they telling us?

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They're telling us that a lot of their information, Becky, is coming firsthand from the family members that have

survived. Not only the five children who managed to survive this attack and were transported to the United States for medical treatment, but also

other people, like the man who took that video of the burned-out car.

Just to backtrack a little bit, the people who are involved here are members of what they would call a fundamentalist Mormon community that has

existed for decade here in Mexico. There are hundreds if not thousands of people that live in this community. And the three cars that were involved

in this attack left that community yesterday afternoon -- Monday afternoon here in Mexico. They were traveling ultimately to separate places, but

they began their trip together for safety in numbers.

It was around 3:00 p.m. -- we were told by Mexican authorities -- that the attack began. Gunmen started firing at all three cars ultimately lighting

at least one of them on fire, and a family member tells us that at least some of the people of nine who were killed, were actually burnt alive.

Now in terms of the motive behind all of this, we still don't know. However, the speculation by the government and also by the family is that

look where this took place. It took place in one of the states in Mexico that's been plagued by drug cartel violence for decades now, one of the

worst states in all of Mexico. And they believe this was a case of mistaken identity. That the cartel -- if this was a cartel attack -- that

it was attackers that mistook this caravan filled with women and children for a caravan of rival cartel groups.

But no matter, the pain -- no matter the cause, the pain to this family is still very real. I want to read you a quote from one relative who spoke to

CNN. He told us, women and children -- between 14-year-old and 10 months - - were massacred, burnt alive. Mothers were screaming for the fire to stop. We are a very tight-knit community, we share everything that's been

happening. We've been dealing with this tragedy since early yesterday. And we share all information within our family groups.

So, Becky, this is just a brutal time for these people. And now the questions begin about how this could have happened. Could the government

have stopped it, and where we go from here.

ANDERSON: Yes, I mean, it is nauseating just to listen to it. So, so sad. Just before I leave you, I want a sense for our viewers' sake, exactly

where this happened -- and we've got a map. And just explain what is going on in that area with regards to security and gangs and cartels.

RIVERS: Sure, so this is an estate called Sonora. It's in the northwestern part of the country. Where this attack happened, roughly

about a three-hour drive due south from the U.S./Mexico border in Arizona. And this has been one of the ground zero for drugs violence, drug smuggling

in Mexico for decades now. They call them plazas, the routes that drug smugglers take to get drugs into the United States. And those are highly

lucrative areas and drug cartels are fighting over them constantly. And that's what's happening not only in Sonora but across the country. Sonora

is just an incredibly violent part.

[10:36:00]

But I should say real quick, Becky, so far this year in Mexico nearly 100 people per day have been murdered. And so, while this massacre stands out

and deservedly is getting the attention that it is, unfortunately this kind of violence is the everyday reality that we see here in Mexico.

ANDERSON: Yes, Matt Rivers is on the story for us. And just a tweet from the U.S. President, a wonderful family and friends from Utah got caught

between two vicious drug cartels who were shooting at each other, with the result being many great American people killed including young children and

some missing. If Mexico needs or requests help in cleaning out these monsters, the United States stands ready, willing and able to get involved

and do the job quickly and effectively. The great new President of Mexico has made this a big issue, but the cartels have become so large and

powerful, that you sometimes you need an army to defeat an army.

That the tweets of the U.S. President clearly alluding to some facts there that haven't been stood up as of yet. But be that as it may.

You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD, a very quick break. First, though, the latest in or global energy challenge series.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN BUSINESS EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR (voice-over): Germany has long been one of Europe's biggest producers of coal and nuclear energy.

But since Chancellor Angela Merkel's 2011 moratorium on nuclear plants, renewable energy has been on the rise. This year for the first time,

renewable production is anticipated to be higher than both coal and nuclear combined.

CHRISTIAN RYNNING-TONNESEN, PRESIDENT, STATKRAFT: We are in the midst of a huge transition. It is like going from typewriters to computers. It's

going from dominantly fossil fuel to dominantly renewable.

DEFTERIOS: But this kind of radical growth poses a question. How can so many different sources of energy be both flexible and efficient? As the

largest producer of renewables in Europe, Norwegian company Statkraft think they have an answer.

RYNNING-TONNESEN: The key of it all is to integrate all this intermittent capacity of wind and solar into the system that we call virtual power

plant.

DEFTERIOS: At their hub in Dusseldorf, Statkraft's virtual power plant works almost like a trading floor, connecting more than 1,500 renewable

plants and powering around 5 million households.

ANDREAS BADER, VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES & NEW PRODUCTS, STATKRAFT: It works like a human brain. So, like the neurons connected in your brain, we

connect thousands of renewable assets, and today and in the future where the energy world is more and more renewable, the whole energy sector is

depending on the weather.

So, you need to be in the market 24/7 to understand and forecast every change of the renewable production. If there's too much energy for

example, produced by neighbor plant, you can store it into batteries or the other way around. We can connect batteries from Spain with wind farms in

Germany. And that makes it scalable.

DEFTERIOS: For small-scale producers of renewables like BMR Energy, the service Statkraft provides is essential as they attempt to reduce the

reliance on government subsidies and create a profitable operation.

GUIDO RULANDS, MANAGING DIRECTOR, BMR ENERGY (through translator): The trend will continue that more and more assets will need to be commercially

viable and carry their own costs. So, we're producing the power and Statkraft is selling it to maximize our revenue.

RYNNING-TONNESEN: We think it is fully possible that renewable electricity will supply 80 percent of total electricity supply by 2050.

DEFTERIOS: The transition may have been prompted by Chancellor Merkel's U- turn on nuclear, but with the help of virtual power plants, the renewable producers are indeed catching up. John Defterios, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[10:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: While for some of us are vehicles or simply a way to get to and from our homes, breakthroughs in

automotive technology mean that a car can actually power your house.

Japanese car manufacturer, Nissan, has designed one of the its electric vehicles, the Leaf, to provide emergency battery power to shelters and

homes in case of a natural disaster. Japan is subject to some of the worst extreme weather and seismic activity in the world, and access to power

supplies is essential in minimizing damage from telecommunications to infrastructure.

KIHO OHGA, GENERAL MANAGER, NISSAN: It's really important I think that we make sure that everybody can have access to electricity.

LU STOUT: This year Nissan deployed several of its Leaf cars to aid the Showa-Mora Home for Elderly in Chiba Prefecture. The rural area is located

just outside of greater Tokyo and has experienced several incidents of extreme weather resulting in power outages.

OHGA: There is definitely the need for the vulnerable community, particularly elderly, disabled, children. And so, it's very important that

the electricity can come to them rather than they go to where the electricity is supplied.

LU STOUT: Here's how it works. The car is fitted with a device the size of a large suitcase, which connects the car battery to a home. Once

plugged in Nissan says it can supply average Japanese home with power for up to four days.

HIROTO TAKAHASHI, FACILITY MANAGER, SHOWA-MORA (through translator): Everyone experiences a tough time during a natural disaster. But for our

elderly patients, they get scared in the dark. And we weren't able to provide them with cool air. It was hard. As soon as the Leaf arrived, we

used it and it was able to provide stable power.

LU STOUT: Some patients in this home depend on medical devices which can only function properly when powered with a reliable steady flow of energy.

They say the Nissan Leaf was the ideal device for the job.

TAKAHASHI (through translator): We have three residents who rely on an oxygen machine. We used power from the Leaf to supply these medical

instruments, and also air mats, fans, and appliances like the microwave in our kitchen. We could spend our nights without any problems.

LU STOUT: The company says it is essential to rethink everyday items to help get ahead of the next big catastrophic event.

OHGA: I think the key point here is that can you not predict when a disaster occurs. So it's how do you use it as a day-to-day means, but then

also being able to quickly change to serve as a backup electricity.

LU STOUT: Innovation through everyday items helping Japan best prepare for the future. Kristie Lu Stout, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: You are watching convex CONNECT THE WORLD. It is not something you would expect to see on a sports field. A black cat making an

appearance during an NFL game between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys Monday night. A dose of bad luck for the Giants who were up 9-3

when the cat came on the field? Well, the Cowboys eventually winning that game. Alex Thomas from WORLD SPORT joining me now. It was all going so

well for the Giants, Alex, and then that cat.

ALEX THOMAS, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes, a bit late for Halloween, wasn't it, Becky A spooky omen for the Giants, who were leading as you say, went on to

lose, only scoring nine points after the cat's appearance. Nine lives, nine points? Scary. I've got more action from the game coming up in

"WORLD SPORT." And the triumphant return to South Africa for rugby's new world champions -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Terrific. That's "WORLD SPORT." We are taking a short break.

[10:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WORLD SPORT)

THOMAS: Now, as we were telling you a little bit earlier, there was something spooky about Monday night football in the NFL, one small black

furry spectator, looked as if they were a bit late for hollowing and the timing ended up as a bad omen for the New York Giants against the Dallas

Cowboys. We showed you the black cat that came onto the field earlier, that appearance stop the game for a short time. The Cowboys then

outscoring the Giants 34-9, Dak Prescott throwing three touchdowns. The cowboys improve to 5-3 on the season. Dallas really owning the Giants of

late, winning six straight games against them.

I think it was a pro sports team, Becky, you're not doing enough to impress when you get overshadowed by a cat. Back to you.

ANDERSON: Very good point. Thank you, Alex. Coming up in just a few minutes on CONNECT THE WORLD, some hope for Yemen's war, an accord signed

in Riyadh in the past hour or so, but will it bring peace? We dig in.

Plus -- my exclusive interview with the former United Nations envoy to Syria. That all coming up after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:00]

END