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The Global Brief with Bianca Nobilo

Congress Control In Limbo; Kherson Advance; Climate Envoy On CNN. Aired 5-5:30p ET

Aired November 10, 2022 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:21]

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN HOST: Hello and a warm welcome. I'm Rahel Solomon in New York, and this is THE GLOBAL BRIEF.

Votes are being counted to determine who has control of the House and Senate in America.

Ukrainian forces are making progress near Kherson, but Russian forces remain present and dangerous.

And John Kerry tells CNN that we need a lot of things we don't have, like money and cooperation, to win the fight against climate change.

But we begin tonight with the U.S. midterms. A shift in the balance of power in Washington is underway right now. But we still don't know where it

will settle. Two days after the midterm election, control of Congress is still too close to call.

Republicans have a razor thin edge in the Senate, 49 seats to 48 seats with Democrats, with races in three states, still in limbo. Not one of those

states, Georgia, they will hold a runoff election next month, which means that we may not learn who will control the Senate until December.

Republicans do, however, appear on the verge of retaking the House from Democrats by a smaller margin than anticipated after a promise red wave did

not happen.

So, let's get some perspective now on these results from our very own Stephen Collinson.

Stephen, I enjoyed your piece today on CNN.com. What stood out to you most from these results as we just said, the Republicans did get that red wave

that many expected they would, why not, what happened?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: I think what stood out most is we're still waiting for the House of Representatives to be

officially declared that the Republicans will win. We had expect this to take place possibly on Tuesday evening, but as you said, that red wave did

not materialize and counting is still going on in key seats out in California, for example.

We still believe that the Republicans will get to the 218 seats they need. They are about nine short by now. But this reflects how disappointing this

was for the Republicans. I think this election, as we think back on it, now clearly, it's a case of while voters are not happy with President Biden,

with the state of the economy, with high inflation, they were not ready to hand power to a Republican Party full of extreme candidates created in the

image of former president, Donald Trump.

SOLOMON: So, Stephen, what happens now? It seems all but certain were in for a divided government. As you say in your piece, that essentially means

two years of dysfunction, bitterness, fiscal cliffs, and that showdowns. Is that what we have to look forward to?

STEPHENSON: I think so. Typically when you have a House that is controlled by one party and a White House that's controlled by the other, and you

basically don't get any legislation passed and you have a lot of confrontations. I think we will see one potentially over the debt ceiling,

raising the debt ceiling next year that could really affect the global economy.

This time around, there isn't -- that Republican majority, if it indeed materializes, will be very influenced by former President Trump at a time

when we expect him to be running for president. He's already hinted that he will make that announcement next week.

So, Trump will try to use that majority to do as much damage to President Joe Biden as he can, in terms of investigations on everything from

Afghanistan, to his son Hunter's business dealings, ahead of a possible clash with Biden in the 2024 presidential election. So, things are always

pretty nasty and a divided government. I think this time is every chance that it will be a lot more volatile and, you know, it's going to be worth

watching.

SOLOMON: Absolutely. Stephen Collinson, thank you.

And one statewide election that could have implications for the next race for the White House, remember this name, Ron DeSantis. His supporters are

already urging him to run for the Republican presidential nomination. He crushed his Democratic opponent to win reelection, as Florida's governor.

CNN's Isa Soares explains how his landslide could spell trouble for Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In his reelection speech Tuesday night, Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, declared victory against the

woke.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R), FLORIDA: We fight the woke in the legislature. We fight the work in the schools. We fight the woke in the corporations. We

will never, ever surrender to the woke mob. Florida is where woke goes to die.

SOARES: The governor has embraced his anti-woke brand, using woke as a pejorative term for progressive policies. A term synonymous with political

correctness, provoking fights over how schools teach issues of gender, sexual orientation, and race

And staging a stunt to send asylum seekers to northern cities.

[17:05:01]

DESANTIS: We are not a sanctuary state and it's better to be able to go to a sanctuary jurisdiction and, yes, we will help facilitate that transport

for you to be able to go to greener pastures.

SOARES: DeSantis also made a name for himself throughout the COVID pandemic, by bucking calls for lockdowns and mask mandates. Most recently,

in March, he opposed COVID vaccines for children.

DESANTIS: You have this lack of trust in the medical establishment and in the CDC, and the politicization of those institutions. And that is not

going to bode well for us as a society going forward.

SOARES: The DeSantis victory on Tuesday has now propelled him to the top of the list of potential Republican candidates for president in 2024.

According to his supporters --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's clear that Governor Ron DeSantis, is no leader of the GOP.

SOARES: And to some Republican commentators --

DAVID URBAN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Ron DeSantis crushes it in the state of Florida, builds an incredible coalition that can be, you know,

replicated nationwide. It would be very formidable.

GEOFF DUNCAN, GEORGIA LT. GOVERNOR: Donald Trump got fired Tuesday night and the search committee has brought a few names of the top of the list and

run DeSantis is one of them.

SOARES: But Trump himself does not believe he's been fired and is planning to make a big announcement next week in Mar-a-Lago. Trump and DeSantis were

once allies and Trump endorsed DeSantis in 2018 to help him become governor.

DESANTIS: With me as governor, we will not raise taxes and we will never have an income tax.

SOARES: But lately, Mr. Trump has started taking some shots at the governor, for example, by coining a new nickname.

TRUMP: We are winning big, big, big in the Republican Party for the nomination like nobody's ever seen before. Let's see, there it is, Trump at

71, run the sanctimonious at 10 percent.

SOARES: No one has yet thrown their hat into the ring for 2024. But that is not stopping reporters from asking the questions.

REPORTER: You saw governor, Ron DeSantis, with a resounding victory in Florida last night. Who do you think would be the tougher competitor, Ron

DeSantis or former president Trump? And how is that factoring into your decision?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It would be fun watching them take on each other.

SOARES: Isa Soares, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: And even some media outlets traditionally friendly to Trump seemed to be turning. Look at the cover of "The New York Post". Trump

dumpty, depicted him as a nursery rhyme character who had a great fall, while it portrayed DeSantis as the future.

Two CNN political contributors weighed in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: For the first time, Republicans are actually seeing the next lily pad on which top. And they've never been

able to see that before. Time will tell and we will see if DeSantis gets in and makes a go of it. But his instincts are really good and he may be the

next evolution of what Republicans are looking for, which is someone to fight you get with Trump, but also none of the baggage and the drama.

DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: The worry I have is I don't see the choreography that ends up with Donald Trump not being the

Republican nominee, as it has to go through an entire primary process. I mean, this man has called into question the entire general election. What's

going to keep him from calling into question the outcomes of a primary that's in a party that's in his thrall?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Now to Ukraine, Ukrainian officials say Russian forces are still in Kherson, making life tense and difficult for citizens. Russia says, it

began withdrawing its troops in parts of the region. The U.S. says, it's seen signs of a Russian retreat. Ukraine, however, is skeptical of Moscow's

intentions. It says that Russian troops may be turning Kherson into a, quote, city of death. Ukrainian forces are making swift progress in the

region. That is ahead of the expected battle for -- city.

President Zelenskyy promising there are big plans in the works.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): These planned military actions, they are discussed in a small circle. But then

there executed in silence. And I really want to have an unpleasant surprise for the enemy and not something they are prepared for.

So, I would like to apologize. But at any rate, our people and our public need to know that we are working on some very serious steps with a positive

outcome for the citizens of Ukraine. And all those communities that support peace in Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Nic Robertson brings us the latest now at the front lines.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: A trap is what Ukrainian officials say they are concerned about, as they advance towards

Kherson. They say that they are going to complete this operation with military secrecy, to protect their forces. But even so, through Thursday,

they were making games on the ground.

(voice-over): Today, the village of speaks Snihurivka was liberated, a soldier announces. His handful of troops claiming a small victory on the

road to Kherson, well-received by an apparently appreciative crowd.

[17:10:09]

Elsewhere on Ukraine's cautious advance to liberate the port city, another tiny band of soldiers celebrates an objective secured.

Since Russia's announced retreat, villages are being taken quickly. Kalynivka, Russians flood so fast, they left their flag rapidly removed by

the Ukrainians. Meanwhile, Russian troops retreating under orders east across the strategic Dnipro River characterize their ignominious exit as

smart, noting the damage to the bridge that supplied them.

Russia's defense chiefs are also spinning the withdrawal as a smart move to save soldiers lives. But it's in stark contrast to their callous and

calamitous loss of soldiers in the war so far.

What was once the jewel in Putin's conquests this year and illegally declared part of Russia less than six weeks ago is becoming the most

embarrassing setback for Putin so far. Failure to spin retreat as smart strategy will undermine his leadership.

Ukrainian officials continue to be skeptical of Putin's motives, question whether retreat is also a trap.

NATALIA GUMENIUK, UKRAINIAN SOUTHERN ARMY COMMAND SPOKESPERSON (through translator): They are simply searching for a way out of a difficult

situation. The fact that they saw deliberately announce that they were moving to the left bank did not surprise anyone. But we understand that we

will still have to fight.

ROBERTSON: On the battlefield, Ukrainian soldiers appeared to be gaining momentum. Nevertheless, officials warn it could be days, even longer,

before Kherson is safely under their control again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (on camera): How safe it will actually be is unclear. Russian commanders say, they are pulling their troops back to form defensive

positions on the other side of the Dnipro River on the east bank. Both Ukrainians and Russians, however, after these battles are fought for

Kherson will be able to redeploy first forces for other parts of the country, and that's a significant gain for both forces.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine.

SOLOMON: And at the COP27 climate summit, U.S. climate envoy, John Kerry, think that he has an answer to help developing countries pay for ending

fossil fuel use. Kerry's plan would encourage poorer countries to pursue renewable energy by getting carbon credits so they can then sell to others.

It's controversial and some say it could also encourage brainwashing.

But in an exclusive interview with CNN's David McKenzie, Kerry said it will work if done right.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KERRY, U.S. CLIMATE ENVOY: When you don't have sufficient rules or guardrails, and you don't have environmental integrity, that could have --

I met with the secretary general yesterday and he was very clear. He does not object to all of this. He objects to the ones that are ripping things

off.

But if you -- we talked about the tightest possible accountability and I am absolutely convinced that it is one of the few ways that we have to be able

to produce the amount of capital we need to accelerate this transition. We will be able to reduce emissions more in the methodology that's been put

forward in this proposal, where you might actually be phasing out coal and assisting in avoiding -- coal and deploying renewables directly.

That would reduce emissions and I think you are going to see once the rules get fully worked out and everybody's, you know, in their comfort place,

hopefully this will be implemented because we desperately need the money. There is not enough money in any country in the world to actually solve

this problem. It takes trillions and no government that I know of his ready to put trillions into this on an annual basis.

That is what the scientists and the U.N. finance report say we must do, two and a half to four a half trillion every here for the next 30 years.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The private sector is clearly important, but government negotiations are also critical. The

U.S. and China is in a freeze. Is this damaging, the possibility of reaching climate targets?

KERRY: Well, my counterpart from China and I have, in the last days, had informal conversations.

[17:15:02]

We're not formally negotiating at this point. But our hope is that in a short span of time, it will become possible for us to really get together

again in full measure and do the things we need to be doing as the two leading emitters in the world and as the two largest economies in the

world. China and the United States really need to cooperate on this and without China, even if the U.S. is, as we, are moving towards 1.5 degree

program, which we are, if we don't have China, nobody else can meet that goal and we both grew 1.5, and it will cost citizens around the world

trillions of more dollars.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: We have just learned that China's president will meet with the U.S. president on Monday. It's the first such meeting since Biden took

office. U.S. officials say they hope he can build a foundation which and strengthened of the ship with the world's largest economies.

And better relations can't come soon enough, as Chinese Leader Xi Jinping has consolidated his military to quote the -- to fight wars. It's the

latest in Beijing's ramped up rhetoric. Some pointed at reuniting Taiwan with mainland China.

And coming up, has inflation finally peak. American certainly hope so. We'll take a look at the news numbers in the U.S.

And the leading Iranian actress voices support for anti-government protests.

Stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOLOMON: A leading Iranian actress has thrown her support behind anti- government protests.

Taraneh Alidoosti posted this picture of herself to Instagram. Notice anything there? She's not wearing the mandatory hijab, and her sign says:

women, life, freedom.

It comes as it's one of the biggest shows of dissent following the death of Mahsa Amini in September.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One prominent Iranian activist outside Iran described this bold move by actress Taraneh Alidoosti as a

cultural earthquake.

[17:20:08]

The actress with a following a nearly 8 million people on Instagram, very popular, very famous in Iran for the role she played in the Oscar-winning

film, the Iranian film, "The Salesman", shocked so many around the world by posting a photo of herself while still inside Iran with a -- without her

mandatory head scarf, the hijab, and holding up a sign with the Kurdish words, which translates into, women, life, freedom, what has become the

slogan of the protests, the women's movement and this national uprising in Iran.

Alidoosti has also been known for speaking out, criticizing the regime. She is a human rights and women's rights defender. In recent days, she also

posted on social media saying that she is not going to leave her homeland, that she is going to stay in Iran, that she is going to defend those behind

bars and the families of those who have been killed. She said she is ready to pay a price for that.

We don't know if there has been any consequences after she posted this photo, but she is the latest in a series of high-profile figures in the

country who have been speaking out, showing their support, showing solidarity with the protesters, something that is probably embarrassing for

the Iranian regime that for nearly two months now, has been pushing this narrative that the protests in this country are a foreign conspiracy, a

foreign plot that is aimed at destabilizing the country, that this is not a people's movement.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: In the meantime, the International Atomic Energy Agency says it's concerned about developments in Iran's nuclear program. This as Iran says

it has built a hypersonic ballistic missile, according to a semi-official news agency.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAFAEL GROSSI, IAEA DIRECTOR GENERAL: We see that all these announcements increased the attention, increased the concerns, increased the public

attention to the Iranian nuclear program.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Let's take a look at some of the other key stories from around the world.

We begin in the Philippines where an Australian man already facing life in prison has been given an extra 129 year sentence. Peter Gerard Scully was

accused of human trafficking, sexual abuse and rape. Prosecutors said his sentence was extended for abusing children as young as 18 months.

China is reporting its highest amount of COVID cases in over six months. Major cities are battling a rebound in affections and millions of residents

are again being told to stay home.

The Belgian federal prosecutor's office tells CNN that the stabbing in Brussels is expected to be terror-related. At least one police officer is

dead after the Thursday night attack. Police tell CNN that the suspected attacker was shot. That person's condition is not yet clear.

Back in the U.S., a tropical storm battering Florida is now weakening as it passes over the state. Strong winds and waves continue along much of the

coast. That is after Nicole made landfall as a category one hurricane.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We thought some people two doors this side of the tornado -- with heavy machinery and everything down there trying to save

their house. I just don't think they were going to be successful. I haven't seen that one yet, but we're just checking on our neighbors and, you know,

a friend of my daughter's lives in this house. She saw a chair floating a few minutes ago that she was sitting on three days ago. It's just, you

know, it almost doesn't seem real to see all of this. Even though you know it's a possibility living here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: And in the northeast part of the state, winds of more than 80 kilometers per hour were reported and in the coming hours, tropical storm

Nicole is expected to weaken into a depression over Georgia.

Now to some more encouraging news in the U.S. The worst inflation in 40 decades -- four decades, rather, 40 years, might be starting to cool. The

Labor Department has released its inflation report for the month of October and it shows that consumer prices, one of the biggest concerns for

Americans and voters who voted in the midterms, rose by 7.7 percent, compared to a year earlier. And that is less than expected, meaning that

the battle against inflation may finally be working.

Well, that sent the Dow surging by about 1,200 points.

CNN's Matt Egan explains why it's all about timing here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: You know, it's funny because that any other point other than this year, if you had a 7.7 percent increase in consumer prices

year over year.

[17:25:02]

I think it would have 1,000-point move for the Dow going the other way.

But everything is relative, right? So this is an improvement, it is much cooler than that 9 percent inflation reading in June.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: And we are in the middle of what some would call a confusing economy. High and so far stubborn inflation, coupled with a very strong

jobs market. CNN business editor at large, Richard Quest, tries to explain these latest numbers to help with the chief U.S. economist at Citi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE: First of all, accommodation. Accommodation has gone up more than expected. It's very high, it's a major

component. It's offset by auto prices coming down.

Now, factor that in and tell me, do we have supply side inflation or demand lead inflation?

ANDREW HOLLENHORST, CHIEF U.S. ECONOMIST, CITI: So, I think are kind of looking at both the demand and the supply side, when you mentioned those

two items. Used cars -- we saw demand come back very rapidly for cars in the beginning stages of the pandemic and the immediate reopening period,

and they're just were not enough semiconductors in the world to satisfy that demand. The semiconductors going into cars, so we have a lot of used

car placed inflation. That's coming off now.

What we're seeing in red, so what we're seeing in shelters, that will be sticker and what I'm really concerned about is the services other than

shelter. Things like restaurants, accommodation, that's where we could really see a lot of inflation, for sure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Okay, so let's put this new inflation data to the U.S. into context. The Bank of England puts current inflation in the U.K. out about

10 percent. Across the E.U., that number is expected to be even higher, 10.7. Central banks across here falling in federal reserve's footsteps,

also raising interest rates.

And thanks for watching. That was THE GLOBAL BRIEF. I'm Rahel Solomon.

"WORLD SPORT" is up next.

END