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Road For Recovery Begins For Devastated Coastal Towns; At Least 74 Killed In Johannesburg Building Fire, Dozens Injured; Near-Record Holiday Gas Prices. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired August 31, 2023 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:30:00]

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RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN BUSINESS ANCHOR: Welcome back. In the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia, there are homes this morning in Florida where it simply looks like a bomb went off. I mean, across the southeast, we watched scenes of utter devastation that proved once again the sheer power these storms pack for hundreds of miles. Before and after satellite images show why there are now entire communities along Florida's Big Bend Region that will never be the same. Idalia now a tropical storm is almost nearly completely offshore but not before dumping massive amounts of rain in the Carolinas.

And caught on camera near Charleston. A terrifying moment as a strong gust of wind sent this car flying. Now, one town hit incredibly hard was Horseshoe Beach, Florida. And Vic Micolucci from our affiliate WJXT is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VIC MICOLUCCI, WJXT REPORTER: I want to show you this area right behind us because there used to be a home here. Actually, a beautiful home built in 1955. It is just gone.

Where is it? You may ask. It is over here. A couple dozen yards away.

We went inside this home yesterday evening and want to give you some looks. We do have permission to be here. A great guy named Lynn, this is his family home.

He has retired here. He's a fishing guide in this town. He's a retired Army veteran, disabled and he says this has been in the family.

This means a lot to him. He just repaired it after past storms. Now, he can't live in it.

He's right now trying to negotiate with the insurance adjuster, he's trying to get some help right now throughout this terrible situation. And this is just one of hundreds of stories that we can tell you about here in Horseshoe Beach.

I want to show you this home. This is our friend Miss Hope over here. We met her yesterday. I think she's the unofficial mayor of the town here. We love you. We love you.

MISS HOPE, RESIDENT, HORSESHOE BEACH, FLORIDA: We love you.

MICOLUCCI: And we're glad that you're doing well.

MISS HOPE: Yes.

MICOLUCCI: She's holding a lot of people here together. And if you don't mind, we're going to show everyone what it's like inside here. So, she is also a fishing captain here and she runs part of short-term rental in this house. So, she lost her income from that, she lost her income from fishing, and she doesn't know if she's going to be able to get insurance because of the storm surge.

I want to show you what used to be her home right here. This was the game room. She challenged us to a game of pool. I don't think that's going to be the best scenario right now. But certainly just an ugly situation.

She slept here last night. Obviously, doesn't have electricity. Cell phone service is really spotty here. And there's just not a lot of resources.

People in Horseshoe Beach say we're looking for help or asking for help. Anybody that can come and pitch in, it'll be greatly appreciated.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: Just looking at that pool table completely flattened. Our thanks to Vic Micolucci from our affiliate WJXT. Vic, thank you. Boris?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Still to come this morning. An inferno ripping through a building in Johannesburg killing dozens of people. Why the city's former mayor says this was bound to happen? We'll explain when we come back.

And a scare in the sky. Nearly a dozen people hurt after turbulence shook a Delta flight. We'll break down exactly what happened.

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[11:37:54]

SOLOMON: Welcome back. At least 74 people are dead. That's after a fire tore through a building in Johannesburg overnight. Hundreds of people were believed to be inside.

Now, the building itself housed informal settlements The fire broke out in the dead of the night when many people inside were asleep. And we've also just learned that 12 children were among the dead. Survivors are now we're counting the moments that they woke up to screams and heavy smoke. Some say that the fire escape was closed off, trapping them inside.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENNY BUPE, SURVIVED JOHANNESBURG FIRE: People are suffocated. A lot of people died because of the smoke. Because there was a lot of pressure at the gate. Some of the gates are closed.

WISEMAN MPEPA, SURVIVED JOHANNESBURG FIRE: So I come back in the gates. The fire is full. After that, I don't have any plans. I just sit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: CNN's David McKenzie is on the scene in Johannesburg. David, just really awful details coming out of this. I mean, what more can you tell us about that building and how recovery efforts are going?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rahel, their recovery efforts are ongoing. That building for now is too dangerous to go inside, say authorities. And the latest news is at least 74 people as you say were killed in that awful inferno. Terribly, 12 of those are children.

There are many bodies that are burnt beyond recognition. We just left that scene. We're now here at the Bureau. And I can tell you that this city -- this country is in shock. The president is expected to be at the scene shortly to give his condolences. Many are asking questions how this indeed could happen.

We spoke to multiple witnesses and survivors who said in the early hours of this morning, it -- the fire spread through that building very rapidly. People desperately trying to get out. Some of them tying their blankets to the windows and crawling out and then somehow rappelling down to the bottom.

This was a building that was hijacked by gangsters. It's something that happens in Johannesburg, not infrequently. And the latest revelation, it was owned by the city of Johannesburg. Despite that, it was really a situation that they couldn't control.

[11:40:01]

The former mayor of Johannesburg spoke to me. He, in the-- a few years ago, tried to get this under control. He said that this was something that no one should be surprised at.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERMAN MASHABA, FORMER JOHANNESBURG MAYOR: This is not an accident. This for me, it's made on culpable homicide because it was bound to happen. We are -- actually what you say in this building, I can tell you and I can take you to buildings that are worse of land. That's where people live worse than pigs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKENZIE: And that is the situation people are living in. I've seen it myself. The survivors have been taken to at least three hospitals, and the investigation continues. Rahel. Boris.

SOLOMON: And, David, just put a fine point on, and forgive me if you've mentioned this, but what has been said about a cause?

MCKENZIE: Right now, they are not sure of what the cause was. There are indications at least some of the exits as you say were blocked off or locked. That is something they'll be looking at carefully. But I think being to these areas of these buildings before, many people have illegal electricity connections or living tightly packed so it's a recipe for disaster, Rahel.

SOLOMON: David McKenzie, live for us in Johannesburg. David, thank you. Boris?

SANCHEZ: Now, to some terrifying moments in the sky for passengers aboard a Delta flight. Delta Flight 175 was traveling from Milan to Atlanta on Tuesday when the plane was rattled by turbulence just before landing. In fact, the turbulence was so severe that 11 people needed to be treated at the hospital.

CNN Aviation Correspondent Pete Muntean has been following this story for us. So, Pete, what is Delta Airlines saying about this?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Delta is trying to help out these passengers who were taken to the hospital. Some passengers described being lifted out of their seats during this turbulence incident. Most of the flight, they say, was OK.

About 10 hours long from Milan to Atlanta. They're up at 40,000 feet. But the FAA says this incident really took place as this flight was descending into Atlanta, about 40 miles outside of Hartsfield Jackson International Airport. And the flight was down there at 12,000 feet when it encountered what's called severe turbulence.

This is the video from onboard shot by a passenger. You can see some of the passengers being taken out by a stretcher. One of the passengers describes a passenger hitting an overhead bin hard enough to crack the overhead bin.

This is the breakdown from the FAA. One member of the cabin crew received serious injuries. One member -- or three members of the cabin crew, minor injuries. Eight members of the passenger corps, minor injuries. So, a bit of a discrepancy there between the 11 taken to the hospital and the 12 reported injured by the FAA.

The causes of turbulence are interesting here. Sometimes it can be things that pilots can see. Thunderstorms, frontal passages.

Sometimes it comes with no clear weather feature. It can occur in clear air because of wind shear, that sort of moving layers of air, where the wind speed changes suddenly. It can also come off of a wave of a mountain.

So, sometimes pilots can't even see this really, and it's the top cause of injuries on board commercial airliners. About a third of all incidents on commercial airliners involve a turbulence-related incident, Boris, and it's really a big serious issue for them. They've done a big report on this just a couple of years ago, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Yes, frightening moments in the air. We hope those folks are OK. Pete Muntean, thank you so much.

MUNTEAN: Yes.

SANCHEZ: Rahel?

SOLOMON: All right, coming up for us. Filling up at the pump is going to cost you more this Labor Day weekend. We'll tell you the reason for the holiday spike. Ahead. But first, here's this week's "CHASING LIFE."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta, host of CNN's "CHASING LIFE" podcast.

More people than ever are reporting feeling chronically stressed. If it's just short-term stress, which we all have, then your cortisol levels will go back down. But with chronic stress, your levels stay elevated. It's kind of like leaving your foot on the accelerator of your car.

The advice is straightforward, but you really need to think about this. Get enough sleep. Why? Well, that can be a powerful buffer against stress simply because it allows your body to relax for hours on end.

Obviously, watch your diet. Comfort foods can be comforting, but also stress-inducing in the long run. Limit your time on social media and yes, maybe even limit your news consumption if it's stressing you out.

Also helpful. Stay connected with family and friends. Social interaction, that can be a real key for all of us. And you could also find relief with deep breathing exercises, meditation, and one of the most helpful tools probably exercise. Exercise releases these feel- good endorphins. And you can even tailor the exercise to your specific mood.

And you can hear more about how to optimize your health and chase life wherever you get your podcasts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[11:45:00]

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[11:50:09]

SOLOMON: Welcome back. If you are hitting the road this holiday weekend, expect to pay a bit more at the pump. Gas prices are hovering around historic highs for this time of the year at $3.83 a gallon. That's according to Triple A's latest figures. And a CNN review of federal data shows that for the week leading up to Labor Day, the record high was set in 2012 at $3.84 a gallon.

Let's bring in CNN Business and Economy Reporter Matt Egan. Matt, always good to see you. So, what's behind the spike in prices?

MATT EGAN, CNN BUSINESS & ECONOMY REPORTER: Well, Rahel, what's weird here is that normally when the summer winds down, gas prices really cool off. That is not happening this summer.

Look at this. $3.83 a gallon today. That is well above Memorial Day weekend when summer unofficially started, and 30 cents above Fourth of July week. So, why is this happening?

One reason is because this is actually what Saudi Arabia and Russia want. They're cutting supply of oil. That is driving up prices.

Another factor, and this is a surprise, is actually extreme weather, right? These triple-digit temperatures have messed with refineries limiting their ability to produce gasoline when it's needed the most. The good news is that gas prices are below the record highs of last year, above five.

But look at this. The bad news is that this is historically high for this time of year. You can see the last 11 years, we're right up there against the record highs.

SOLOMON: Yes, you make the great point that usually this time of year, it would actually be moving in the opposite direction. OK. So, break it down a little bit more granular. I mean, what states are seeing the highest prices?

EGAN: Right, Rahel. Because it doesn't matter, you know, you -- very much it matters on where you're buying gas. If you look at the map, you can see that we now have 14 states averaging $3.90 and above. Some of this is the obvious expensive states like California and Hawaii.

SOLOMON: Right.

EGAN: But also, we're seeing this in New York and Colorado and Illinois as well. I do think it's worth noting that if you adjust for inflation, gas prices were actually higher in 2014, 2013, and 2012. But obviously, that's not how we think about things when we buy gas. We're not adjusting for inflation.

SOLOMON: Yes.

EGAN: No. Gas prices just play such an important role psychologically. So hopefully, Rahel, this is near the peak for the year, and gas prices start to really go down.

SOLOMON: Hopefully, too. It's a great point just in terms of how it impacts consumers. But also in terms of inflation data, you see higher gas prices trickle into sort of the higher prices that could -- that businesses have to pay. And that sort of has an inflationary impact as well.

EGAN: Absolutely. This is not what the Federal Reserve wants to say. SOLOMON: Not at all. Matt Egan, thank you.

EGAN: Thanks, Rahel.

SOLOMON: Boris?

SANCHEZ: So, for decades, straight white performers like Elvis and the Beatles have been held up as the kings of rock and roll. But now, a new CNN film is putting a spotlight on the black queer origins of the genre and the man who brought it all to life. "Little Richard." Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA FRANCE, CNN SENIOR ENTERTAINMENT WRITER (voiceover): Before the Beatles or Elvis or the Rolling Stones, there was the original king of rock and roll, Little Richard.

JASON KING, SCHOLAR (voiceover): His DNA, it is everywhere. It's like how do you refer to the air? How do you refer to the sky?

FRANCE (voiceover): Born in Macon, Georgia, Richard Penniman began singing in his father's church choir. But the wider world beckoned and soon Little Richard was performing on a touring circuit around the South.

FREDARA HADLEY, ETHNOMUSICOLOGIST (voiceover): We call it very often the Chitlin' Circuit, where you have various queer, black women traveling with gold-plated teeth, singing dirty blues.

FRANCE (voiceover): Richard thrived in the nonconformist environment and developed a gender-fluid state persona with quaffed hair, heavy makeup, and eye catching costumes in dancing.

RICHARD PENNIMAN, AMERICAN SINGER: I wanted to sound different meaning to the young kids. We were tired of all the slow music.

FRANCE (voiceover): Richard's song soon hit the radio and he became a nationwide sensation. A major accomplishment for black gay performers in the conservative Jim Crow 1950s. Little Richard's songs and style became so popular, other artists from Pat Boone to Elvis started imitating him.

They covered his songs and tried to duplicate his sexual stage presence. Richard also mentored a number of early rock and rollers including James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones.

PAUL MCCARTNEY, MUSICIAN: Hamburg. That was a real-time we got to know Little Richard. You know we just sit there for hours like kind of disciples in the dressing room. Though my screaming numbers were to do with him.

MICK JAGGER, MUSICIAN: Everyone was beholding to him, you know for -- you know influence and to start playing rock and roll.

FRANCE (voiceover): Richard felt like he never got proper credit or compensation for his groundbreaking contributions to rock and roll.

[11:55:05]

PENNIMAN: And the best new artist is me. I have never received nothing. You, all, you never gave me no Grammy.

KING: It's endearing. It's funny. But as a black man watching that, I heard and seething anger that underwrites what he's saying.

FRANCE (voiceover): But his legacy unquestionably lives on today in so many performers who embrace flamboyance, bend gender norms, and express every aspect of themselves. Lisa France, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: So important to recognize the originators. Be sure to tune into an all-new CNN film "Little Richard: I am everything." It premieres Monday, Labor Day at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, right here on CNN.

SOLOMON: The originators and the cultural icon. Boris, good to be with you again. And thank you --

SANCHEZ: Thanks, Rahel.

SOLOMON: Thank you for being with us. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL. "INSIDE POLITICS" is coming up next.

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