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Zelenskyy Says U.S. Abrams Tanks Have Arrived In Ukraine; Ukraine: Russian Black Sea Commander Killed In Attack; Biden Applauds Labor Agreement That Would End Writers Strike; Saltwater Creeps Into Mississippi River Amid Drought; Scientists Edge Closer To Finding Biomarker For Long COVID. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired September 25, 2023 - 14:30   ET

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

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[14:30:39]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: The Pentagon has confirmed that the first batch of these 31 U.S.-made Abrams tanks have arrived in the Ukraine. President Zelenskyy said earlier today the tanks are preparing to reinforce Ukrainian brigades in action.

Also today, Ukraine says the commander of Russia's Black Sea fleet was killed in Friday's attack on Sevastopol in Crimes. Special Operations sources say Viktor Sokolov died and more than 100 Russian troops were wounded when the fleet's headquarters was hit in the explosion there.

And in a case of possible retaliation, a Russian drone and missile attack on the port city of Odessa has left at least two people dead. You can see an abandoned hotel, which was hit in that strike, wow, and destroyed.

With me now retired Army Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt.

First to this arrival of U.S. Abrams tanks, Ukraine in the midst of a major counteroffensive in the east. A relatively small number of Abrams. Consequential addition to Ukrainian forces in your view?

BRIG GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY, RETIRED: It's important. This is about the size, about a half of a battalion that we have in the U.S. Army. It's not a large force. It is the best tank in the world.

But I think we need to be modest in our expectations that these are not wonder weapons and it could very well be that they do not get on the battlefield before the winter sets in.

SCIUTTO: We saw that with the German tanks. They have been important, but no one ingredient changes the entire mix.

I want to talk about the strike on the Black Sea fleet commander. Because this is not the first time Ukrainians have shown their ability to strike not just commanders.

But more crucially, of course, they sunk the Moskva, the flag ship of the Black Sea fleet in early stages of the war. They've struck other ships and other port facilities there.

I was told a number of months ago that, in effect, the Black Sea fleet is frozen because of these attacks, really can't operate so much there. Is that true and is it becoming more true with these attacks?

KIMMITT: I think it is. I think even more important than that, Jim, is we keep focusing on the counteroffensive up north. There's a lot of action going on down in Crimea.

It could be that the Ukrainians are having better affect against the Russians in Crimea than up north. We have to keep watching this because I don't think this is the last attack the Ukrainians will do down there.

SCIUTTO: Bigger picture for a moment, because I understand you just returned from Turkey, a crucial vote upcoming on Sweden's admittance into the alliance. Is it going to happen? It seemed like Erdogan, at the summit, had rescinded his opposition. Where does that stand?

KIMMITT: Well, I think that he, as the president, maybe leaning towards concession.

But I think it's important to remember, in 2032, it was not the president of Turkey, but it was the grand assembly that prevented the Americans from using Turkey to get into Iraq.

The real sticking point will be in their parliament, their grand assembly, in terms of what they'll ask for and what they expect from Sweden before they sign off on this.

SCIUTTO: I was in Turkey when the parliament said no to allowing U.S. forces to go through Turkey into Iraq during the invasion.

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SCIUTTO: Before we go, you mentioned how Ukrainians are having success in the Black Sea might be telling. What's your position right now on the status of the counteroffensive as a whole?

KIMMITT: I think that we will probably go into the winter this year the way we did this year, very, very fearful that the Russians will use the wintertime to fix those and bolster those defenses, that long line of defenses they've got along border between the Ukrainian forces and the Russian forces.

I think it's going to be a tough winter. I don't think we'll see any decisive battles until next spring.

SCIUTTO: General Mark Kimmitt, thank you so much as always.

KIMMITT: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Hollywood writers are preparing to put down their protest signs after a tentative deal was reached with the studios. Are the actors next? We'll have a live report from Los Angeles just ahead.

[14:34:53]

Plus, the Army Corps of Engineers is scrambling to protect New Orleans' drinking water. We'll explain why next.

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KEILAR: President Biden is applauding the tentative deal between Hollywood writers and the major studios that was reached yesterday. It's expected to end the second-longest strike in the history of the Writers' Guild of America.

WGA leaders call the deal exceptional with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership. The guild has directed writers to stop picketing and join the actors who are still striking.

The combined work stoppage has cost the industry more than $5 billion economists estimate at this point.

We have CNN's Camila Bernal with the latest on this.

Camilla, it's possible the writers could get the green light to return to work tomorrow. How likely is that?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's uncertain at this point, but it's likely they'll get the green light this week at some point very soon, according to the statement from the WGA.

[14:39:59]

And look, every single writer that I talked to told me we want to go back to work. One I talked to after this announcement told me, "I want to go back to making magic and to telling stories."

But the union says you have to wait until we give you the green light because we're still on strike.

They're saying they're working on the fine print, that legal contract. They're saying, they're dotting every "I." That's taking a little bit longer.

After they do that, we'll likely see a vote by some of the leadership. That's expected tomorrow.

After that vote happens, the contract will be made public for us and all of the writers. They'll be able to ask questions and see whether they like this deal or not.

A lot of the writers I talked to told me we trust the WGA negotiators and they believe they got them what they need in terms of their wages, their payments, residuals from streaming and also artificial intelligence.

Sources close to CNN tell us that, yes, artificial intelligence was the last sticking point. So it hasn't been easy for the writers.

But we're getting to the end of the process, so there's so much hope, Brianna, in the horizon for a lot of the writers and really everyone in the industry.

KEILAR: What about the SAG-AFTRA strike? What's next there?

BERNAL: That's the problem. Even if the writers go back to work, we need the actors as well.

A lot of people in the industry believe, yes, this will likely speed up the process or motivate them to get back to the table. But they have their own demands. So it's also going to be difficult.

I want to read part of the statement that SAG-AFTRA released after this tentative deal was made.

They said, "Since the day the WGA strike begun, SAG-AFTRA members have stood alongside the writers on the picket line who remain on strike and with TV and theatrical contracts.

And continue to urge the studios and the streamer CEO and AMTPT to return to the table and make the fair deal that our members deserve and demand."

So, yes, they're asking to go back to the table, which is good news. That's what people here want to hear.

The question is how long will it take? Already time is running out for the rest of the year in terms of TV shows and movies next summer. There's still a lot of waiting around to see production go back to normal.

But again, everybody is just wanting to go back to work -- Brianna?

KEILAR: They certainly are.

Camilla, thank you for the report.

Jim?

SCIUTTO: Now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour.

Cuba said its embassy in Washington was attacked over the weekend in an incident the administer for foreign affairs calls a, quote, terrorist attack."

According to embassy officials, as many as two Molotov cocktails were thrown at the embassy. There were no significant damage. No one was injured. The State Department's Diplomatic Security Service is working with Washington, D.C. Police in response to that attack.

Also, Oscar-winning actress, Sophia Loren, underwent surgery after falling in her home in Geneva. Loren's agent says the 89-yeawr-old Italian actress suffered several fractures to her hip and thigh bone. Her agent said the surgery went, quote, "very well." And finally, the U.S. women's national soccer team sent out retiring

superstar Megan Rapinoe with a win in her final match. The team defeated South Africa, 2-0, in a friendly at Soldiers Field in Chicago on Sunday.

The 38-year-old won two World Cup titles and one gold Olympic medal during an illustrious career.

She'll be missed, Brianna.

KEILAR: What a ride.

So widespread drought has made water levels along the Mississippi River so low that saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico is creeping upstream and that is putting New Orleans on the brink of a drinking water disaster.

The mayor actually says the situation is critical at this point.

We have CNN chief climate correspondent, Bill Weir, tracking the story.

Bill, how did things get this bad? And what is New Orleans doing to fix it?

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, you have to start in the '80s when Congress told the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge deeper channels so they could bring bigger ships into this part of the country there.

As a result, saltwater intrusion got worse. The Corps of Engineers said they have to build like an underwater speed bump on a stand to try to stop that denser saltwater from coming upstream when the Mississippi gets low.

They thought they might have had to do it every five to seven years. They've had to do it two years in a row because the Mississippi is so weak right now and it's creeping up. You can actually watch it and they can time it based on the flow levels.

Right now, it's affecting a couple thousand people in Plaquemine Parish in the south there. But this doesn't just affect drinking water for the folks down south. It affects barge traffic again.

Remember last summer, the price of shipping a bushel of soybeans went up 300 percent because things were so tight. The Army Corps trying to dredge for ships.

Now they're going to have to move millions of gallons via barge of fresh water downstream to keep diluting the saline there as well.

They have maybe bottled water ready. A lot of people taking that step. Rushing to the shelves, emptying stores of bottled water.

[14:45:04]

And New Orleans officials saying, please, don't do that yet. You don't need to do that. It's safe to drink here.

But the folks down south, in Plaquemine Parish, they need that bottled water. So a lot to think about for the next month.

KEILAR: Yes. People always prepare once they worry something may be headed their way, even if they don't need to.

Bill Weir, thank you so much. It's very alarming and we'll keep an eye on it.

Jim?

SCIUTTO: Years after the start of the pandemic, some people are still struggling with Long Covid. Scientists could be closer to figuring out exactly why. That's next.

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[13:50:03]

KEILAR: A tragic milestone in the number of first responders who have died with 9/11-related illnesses with two more FDNY members dying this month.

The head of the union that represents New York's firefighters marked this passing in a news conference a short time ago.

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ANDREW ANSBRO, PRESIDENT, UNIFORMED FIREFIGHTERS' ASSOCIATION OF GREATER NEW YORK: In the coming days, we'll bury the 343rd member of the FDNY that passed after September 11, 2001, but sadly, he will not be the last.

There are thousands of New York City firefighters and other people related to the cleanup that have been diagnosed with cancer. And the number will continue to climb for us without an end in sight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: FDNY officials are seeking more funding.

According to those officials, thousands of firefighters, as you heard there, still struggling with cancer and other illnesses related to 9/11. The department, they say, averages three to four deaths each and every month.

Jim?

SCIUTTO: That number is just startling all these years after 9/11.

Well, was there a glimmer of hope for people suffering from Long Covid. The often-debilitating symptoms that linger long after the virus has passed.

And that hope comes in two small, but detailed studies that are edging closer to identifying a potential biomarker for that chronic condition.

The biomarker could lead to better tests and therefore treatments for people who are often treated as medical mysteries.

CNN medical correspondent, Meg Tirrell, joins us now.

This has been one of the medical mysteries, right, because people have it and it's real and they're feeling it. The numbers support that. The question is what to do about it.

So I wonder what we've learned here and what kind of hope it offers.

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim. Even years into this pandemic, this is still the very early days of the science of understanding Long Covid.

And it affects just a huge number of people. It's a small percentage of the adult population, about 6 percent, according to CDC estimates from June of 2023 ,and that's actually going down over the years, which is good.

But that's 15 million American adults who were estimated to have symptoms of Long Covid right now.

And the symptoms can be really varied and they include things like fatigue and brain fog, memory issues or confusion, shortness of breath, really the sort of umbrella of different symptoms that affect all different parts of the body.

That scientists are trying to better understand so we can develop better tests or tests at all and better treatments for Long Covid.

So these two new studies are really lending to our better understanding here.

SCIUTTO: So take us some more into the data here as to what it's telling folks. We just learned from an announcement from the Biden administration related to this that it's going to have more free tests for the public?

Could this -- could this have a benefit here?

TIRRELL: Well, certainly, knowing if you have Covid has a definite benefit and that's what those free tests aim to do. And people can start ordering those today.

In terms of these two studies on Long Covid, one of them found that people who have symptoms of Long Covid have elevated -- or actually the opposite, have lower levels of the hormone cortisol in their blood.

And that could be one potential thing if they understand it further to helping you develop tests for Long Covid. And they found evidence of immune dysregulation.

In another study, they found people hospitalized for Covid several months later, on MRI, had evidence of organ damage.

And so we're starting to understand what differentiates people with this horrible long-term condition from other folks. And that could really help the science in terms of tests and treatments.

SCIUTTO: No question. We'll look forward to hearing some of those answers.

Meg Tirrell, thanks so much.

Brianna?

KEILAR: Kevin McCarthy caught between a rock and some hardliners. When we come back, the speaker's delicate dance to avoid a shutdown and fend off threats to his leadership.

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[14:58:23]

KEILAR: Two very different candidates, two very similar campaign stops. President Biden and former President Trump both heading to Michigan and ground zero for the high-stakes auto workers union fight.

SCIUTTO: Plus, with a possible government shutdown just days away, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is facing a defining moment. Does he risk a shutdown to keep his job or does he cross Republican hardliners by working with Democrats?

KEILAR: And embattled Senator Bob Menendez rejecting calls to resign in his first public statement since being indicted on bribery charges.

We are following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

These are live pictures that we are watching here out of Summerville, South Carolina, where former President Donald Trump is delivering remarks at a campaign event.

He will not be at the second Republican debate on Wednesday. But this week, it's still gearing up to be his busiest 2024 campaign stretch yet. He's in Michigan on Wednesday to talk to union workers and California on Friday and Iowa on Sunday.

SCIUTTO: Trump's visit to Michigan will come one day after President Biden will be there. The president plans to walk the picket line alongside UAW workers.

Joining us now, CNN national correspondent, Kristen Holmes, in South Carolina, senior White House correspondent, Kayla Tausche, and CNN chief national affairs correspondent, Jeff Zeleny.

Kristen, first to you.

So we know Trump's is skipping a Republican debate, spending his time instead in four important primary states. It does not appear he thinks to have much competition for the GOP nomination.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, part of what we're seeing this week is early voting, the next couple of weeks