Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
U.S. Considers More Aistrikes, Possible Ground Forces in Syria, Iraq; 16-Year-Old Girl Forcefully Ripped From Her Chair, Handcuffed, Removed From Class. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired October 28, 2015 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:01] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ERROL BARNETT, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEWSROOM HOST: Talk of ground troops in the place for Iran as Washington reconsiders its strategy and the fight against ISIS.
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEWSROOM HOST: New details in federal investigations after a high school student's violent arrest in South Carolina.
BARNETT: And how will he respond? All eyes on Donald Trump amid a surprising slide in the polls and another debate on tap.
A big welcome to viewers here in the states and those of you watching from all around the globe. I'm Errol Barnett.
CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church. Thanks for joining us. This is CNN Newsroom.
BARNETT: Our top story this hour. The U.S. is considering upping its campaign against ISIS in Syria and Iraq with more air strikes and possible U.S. forces on the ground.
CHURCH: Several republican senators are blasting the proposed strategy. Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: ISIS fighting for control of Syrian army check points near Aleppo just one moment on the complex battlefield of Syria and Iraq that Defense Secretary Ash Carter says he now has a plan to change.
ASH CARTER, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We won't hold back from supporting capable partners in opportunistic attacks against ISIL or conducting such missions directly. Whether by strikes from the air or direct action on the ground.
STARR: Direct action means U.S. special operations forces conducting high risk, ground raids like the one inside Syria against Abu Sayyaf, a Senior ISIS leader. And again, last week's daring hostage rescue mission in northern Iraq where Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler was killed in action. The Pentagon also focusing directly on the self- declared capital of ISIS Raqqa in Syria as well as Ramadi in Iraq. Another key ISIS stronghold. The top U.S. General laying out his own call for U.S. boots on the ground.
JOSEPH DUNFORD, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF CHAIRMAN: If it had operational or strategic impact and we could reinforce success. That would be the basic framework within which I would make a recommendation for additional forces to be co-located with Iraqi units.
STARR: President Obama has to approve any new plans. But, the Pentagon still resistant to establishing a no fly zone to protect civilians and rebels on the ground. An idea backed by key republicans and Hillary Clinton.
JOHN MCCAIN: Anyone we send in and train, we are going to protect from Russian air attacks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have an obligation to do that.
(CROSSTALK)
MCCAIN: We haven't done (inaudible).
LINDSEY GRAHAM, 2016 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE-REPUBLICAN: He's killed 250,000 of them.
STARR: One republican senator and presidential candidate pressing for direct U.S. action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
GRAHAM: When Russia is going to fight for him. Iran is going to fight for him. Hezbollah is fighting for him. And we are not going to do a damn thing to help people take him down. Do you see any credible military threat to take him down, General Dunford?
DUNFORD: I think the balance of forces right now are on Assad's advantage.
GRAHAM: Not to his advantage. He is secure as the day is long.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: But, the question, of course, is when does all of this turn into U.S. forces on the ground in combat. Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
CHURCH: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will hold another round of talks in Vienna this week.
(BROADCAST TESTING)
BARNETT: Senior International Correspondent, Clarissa Ward spent several days in the region and found landscape scarred by battle and haunted by fear. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[03:04:55] CLARISSA WARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Weeks ago, these dusty plains were held by ISIS. This is what's left of its presence now. The charred remains of a training camp hidden in a pine forest. It's where ISIS trained an elite unit of suicide bombers that attacked Kurdish positions with devastating effect. Kurdish fighters, known as the YPG, took this entire area from ISIS in August. But, holding it along a front line more than 400 miles long is a huge challenge.
In the shadow of the Mount Abdulaziz, Commander Zinar told us that he lost 30 of his fighters in a recent battle when ISIS came down from the mountain.
CHIEF ZINAR, YPG COMMANDER: The enemy attacked us with fighters using heavy weapons. They took control of three villages. And after that, the clashes lasted for hours and until we were in control again.
WARD: Zinar is a battalion commander. But, this is the size of his battalion. A handful of poorly equipped men. The nearest friendly forces are miles away. The cost of pushing ISIS out has been enormous. Streets here are draped with the flags of fighters killed in battle. Along desolate roads and through abandoned villages, we saw scene upon scene of devastation. The wreckage of months of fierce fighting and relentless coalition air strikes.
Dozens of villages like this one, are liberated from ISIS months ago are completely deserted. Partly because the ISIS militants, before they were treated, planted landmines and boobie traps all across this area. But, it's also because many people here aren't convinced that ISIS won't be coming back. In the tiny village of (inaudible), we met this woman who lived here all her life.
She told us she was too afraid to leave home when ISIS was in control. That they beat and killed people and brought misery upon the community.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There were no air strikes before they arrived. And then the strikes started. There was one next to me. We were scared of everything. Not just ISIS.
WARD: Are you still afraid, I ask. She says not, but glances warily at the Kurdish YPG fighters with us. The Kurds question the loyalty of many of these villages, claiming they harbor ISIS sympathizers. The killing may have stopped, but there is no peace here. Clarissa Ward, CNN, Mount Abdulaziz, Syria.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And all this week, our Senior International Correspondent, Clarissa Ward brings a series of reports from the front lines here of northern Syria. You wouldn't want to miss it. Only here on CNN.
BARNETT: Now to another big story. We're following a school district in South Carolina. Really it's been thrust into the public eye after a video showing the school resource officer violently arresting a female student went viral on social media.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Both the FBI and U.S. Justice Department are now investigating the incident. And a new video giving a closer look at the force used by that officer has only added to the outrage. CNN's Miguel Marquez has more.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The video disturbing. A 16-year- old female high school student being forcefully ripped from her chair, handcuffed and removed from class. The school resource officer, Ben Fields. A deputy with the sheriff's department since 2004 has, for now, been removed from his duties at Spring Valley High School.
LEON LOTT, SHERIFF, RICHLAND COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA. I want to throw up. Literally. It just makes you sick to your stomach when you see that initial video.
MARQUEZ: More of the disturbing encounter can be heard on a second video clip. A video shows the young woman striking the officer as he begins to remove her from the room.
BEN FIELDS, DEPUTY OFFICER: You don't know me? Are you going to come with me or am I going to make you? Come on. I'm going to get you up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm hurt.
FIELDS: Give me your hands.
MARQUEZ: A video shows the young woman striking the officer as he begins to remove her from the room.
LOTT: It just shows that as when the officer puts his hand on her initially, she reaches up and pops the officer with her fist. But again, does that justify the means? Does that justify what we did? And that's what I have to look at.
MARQUEZ: But, what happened before the video started recording? Why would a deputy who received the district's highest honor last year use force? One student in the room writes on social media the officer in this is a cool dude. He is not racist. Girl was asked to put her phone away, but told teacher no. Administrator was called and asked her to come to his office. She told him no. He then called the resource officer. When he got there, he asked her nicely to get up over and over. He did nothing wrong.
The incident has caused anger and revived long held concerns about the treatment of young African-Americans in the school districts.
[03:10:03] NELSON RIVERS, NATIONAL ACTION NETWORKS: What about school resource officers? We have to take a look at this because they're arresting more people in school than they are in the streets. That cannot be.
MARQUEZ: The local ACLU chapter notes school discipline. Everything from arrest to expulsions and suspensions is disproportionate. With 61% percent of African-Americans receiving discipline compared to 29 percent of white students. Miguel Marquez, CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BARNETT: Now, a short time ago I spoke with Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott. I asked him if the new videos or emerging details about Deputy Fields have changed his outlook.
LOTT: It disturbed me greatly. What we are looking at is the action of my deputies. Did he follow proper procedure or use any unnecessary force? And based on that we'll make our decision. To be continued to be employed here or not.
BARNETT: Let's talk about that a bit more. Deputy Ben Fields in his incident report says that he used what is called a muscling technique. Because the student wasn't complying with his command to leave the room. Is this the standard or are there other methods to de-escalate the situation that your deputies are trained to use?
LOTT: Well, there are other methods the deputies are trained to use. That's what we are going to look at. Did he use those methods? Did the muscling techniques he used? Is that something that we trained them to do? Did he follow proper procedures? If he didn't, then he violated our policies.
BARNETT: Talk to me more about your policy. What procedure would permit a muscling technique?
LOTT: Well, again depends on the escalation of the situation. How much resistance the subjects given and we'll look at that. We will see if he used too much of a muscling technique or if he used a technique we don't approve of or train.
BARNETT: And we should know what the next step is in the coming hours. Sheriff Lott tells me to expect to reach a decision on Field's employment later on Wednesday.
CHURCH: Alright. Let's turn to a different story. A rough start to baseball's World Series. And not just for the losing team. The broadcast of Fox Sports experienced a power outage at one point Tuesday night. Viewers across the country saw a message about technical difficulties.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: Yes. People were freaking out online. That blackout briefly interrupted the game. In the end, Kansas City Royals pulled out a 5 to 4 win over the New York Mets with an exciting finish in the 14th inning.
CHURCH: Well, for months, Donald Trump dominated the U.S. republican presidential race. But, now he is number two. We look at slumping numbers just ahead.
BARNETT: And the Palestinian anger grows in the west bank. The latest in the crashes with Israeli troops.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:15:25] DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Don Riddell with your CNN World Sport headlines. The league cup in England has thrown up disastrous results involving the London sides. Jose Mourinho's miserable season has taken another turn for the worse as league cup holders Chelsea were knocked out by Stoke City. The Blues were behind Walter's rasping finish.
Loic Remy drilled in an injury team equalizer taking it to extra time. It went to penalties, ultimately. Stoke scored all of their spot kicks. Missing the final penalty to send Stoke through and Mourinho quite possibly closer to the exit door. Arsenal got dumped out of the competition 3 to 0 to the championship side Wednesday. Despite making nine changes from last weekend, the gunner put out a side containing host of star names, but it didn't matter. Even worse news though was when they lost Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott to injury.
U.S. striker, Amy Wambach, who is the women football's all-time leading goal scorer has announced her retirement. The 35-year-old has scored 184 goals in 252 matches in an international career spanning 15 years. Wambach was in the 2015 world cup winning sport. She won two Olympic gold. Her last game will be against China in New Orleans this December as the final leg of the U.S. team's world cup victory tour. That's a quick look at your sports headlines. I'm Don Riddell.
CHURCH: The U.S. republican presidential candidates will face off in their third presidential debate Wednesday. But this time, there is a new front-runner.
BARNETT: Take a look at this new poll from CBS News and The New York Times. It shows that's Donald Trump isn't it? I'll tell you what the poll shows. Ben Carson leads with 26 percent and Donald Trump has 22 percent. The campaign stop in Iowa, Trump told the crowd how he feels about being number two.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, 2016 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE-REPUBLICAN: Do you think these guys, I'm not going to say Carson. I'm not going to say Rubio who really is way down. I mean, I am second. It's not like terrible. But, I don't like being second. Second is terrible to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Yeah. Donald Trump finding himself in unchartered territory at number two and says he doesn't understand his drop in the polls.
(BROADCAST TESTING)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN CARSON, 2016 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE-REPUBLICAN: Up and down the next year. No one should be terribly alarmed and no one should be terribly excited.
SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A cornerstone of Carson's appeal like Trump. He, too, is a Washington outsider at a time of growing frustration with the political clash. It's an image he embraces in his latest campaign ad. CARSON: I'm Ben Carson. I'm running for president. And I'm very
much outside the box.
MURRAY: Meantime, as Trump loses the lead he is lashing out, claiming Carson wants to do away with Medicare.
TRUMP: He wants to abolish Medicare. And I think abolishing Medicare. I don't think you will get away with that one. And it's actually a program that's worked.
MURRAY: A claim Carson denies.
CARSON: I would never get rid of the programs.
MURRAY: As recently as Sunday, Trump said he was open to Medicare alternatives.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, GOOD MORNING AMERICA HOST: Do you also agree with Ben Carson when he says Medicare probably won't be necessary?
TRUMP: Well, it's possible. You're going to have to look at that.
MURRAY: Now here in Sioux, Iowa, Donald Trump could not hide his frustration with being behind in the latest polls. He says it's terrible to come in second. But, he also said he is not giving up in Iowa, promising to spend money and continue campaigning here and pressing his supporters to work harder on his behalf. Sara Murray, CNN, Sioux City, Iowa.
[03:20:07] BARNETT: Stephen Collinson is going to help us understand what is happening on the republican side of the race. He's a senior reporter for CNN politics and joins us now from D.C.
So, Donald Trump is on the back foot for the first time in some three months. He just doesn't understand. Let's help him out. Why do you think Ben Carson surged as of late?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: People are beginning to look at candidates a little more closely. We have the gone through the summer which is a circus-like period in U.S. elections. People are beginning to look at Donald Trump. I had several republican officials tell me that in New Hampshire. Beginning to look at him and decide is this guy our potential president.
There is some evidence that college educated republicans are starting to believe that perhaps he would be a liability as president and possibly couldn't win a general election against someone like Hillary Clinton. That might be one reason his numbers are coming down.
Now, we've got Ben Carson, who's a pediatric neurosurgeon. Like Donald Trump, he's an outsider candidate and not a professional politician. And it might be his turn, time to have time in the spotlight. He is going to come under a lot more scrutiny. And we're going to be able to see how he handles it.
BARNETT: But, Donald Trump has something. An enthusiasm gap. Half Trump's supporters say that their minds are made up. While only 20 percent of Carson's supporters do. So, it seems as if like the onus is on Dr. Carson at the next G.O.P. debate to somehow, some way fire up his base, right?
COLLINSON: Right. And that's true. I think, to some extent, they're the same base. Both outsider candidates who are anti-establishment, raging away at Washington. And the politicians who they say are responsible for the status quo in Washington. Given the fact that they're drawing from the same sort of anti-establishment sentiment in the republican party, it's going to be very interesting to which of them can consolidate that wing of the party and take the battle to establishment candidates when their support coalesces closer to the primaries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: What about establishment, Rubio, Bush, Fiorina? They're polling in the single digits in the newest CBS and The New York Times poll. How do they make themselves seem like outsiders to have a shot. How can Jeb Bush for example possibly do that?
COLLINSON: Fascinating if you think about it. These professional politicians that know what they're doing and supposedly know how to win elections. They're all in single figures. And I think that's one of the keys I think to support of people like Donald Trump and Ben Carson.
No single establishment candidate that has been able to dominate that lane of the party and take them on. We'll see the start of it. Jeb Bush has promised to be more aggressive. A much more energetic candidate. He really needs to light a fire under his campaign. Remember this guy? $100 million in the first half of this year. Went into the election, establishment favorite. Front runner. Single digits in the polls. He's really struggled to connect. If he doesn't start to make a move, somewhere like New Hampshire, second voting contest in the nominating race then I think he will be in real trouble. A lot of pressure tomorrow night.
BARNETT: Alright. We'll see what happens. Our Senior Reporter with CNN politics. Thanks for your time. Joining us from D.C.
COLLINSON: Thanks.
CHURCH: The democratic field of presidential candidates has a two- person race in a key state.
BARNETT: That's after a new poll found Hillary Clinton leading among likely Iowa caucus voters. That's not so much of a surprise. But, look at the size of her lead. A poll shows 65 percent back Clinton and 24 percent support her closest rival, Bernie Sanders. The poll is first one taken of Iowa democrats since Vice President Joe Biden announced he would not run for president.
CHURCH: And Hillary Clinton gave a direct answer about what she would do as president if the biggest U.S. banks got into trouble. During an appearance on CBS' The Late Show Tuesday night, Clinton said she would let the banks fail.
BARNETT: Earlier this month, Clinton rolled out her Wall Street plan, saying she wants to crack down on abuse and tax high frequency trading.
CHURCH: The fires raging across Indonesia are an environmental crisis. They're also making people sick.
BARNETT: Indonesian authorities say more than half a million people are now suffering from respiratory infections. The fires have been burning for more than two months creating a thick layer of haze in the air. Disaster management teams are setting up shelters equipped with oxygen tubes for those having trouble breathing.
[03:25:10] CHURCH: A report published in Nature Climate Change says global warming could make it impossible for humans to live in parts of the Middle East by the end of the century.
BARNETT: It is just incredible. A companion study claims temperatures there could reach up to 60 degrees Celsius. Joining us is Pedram Javaheri from the International Weather Center with details with what type of conditions will do to the human body.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Fascinating study, guys, too. We have seen studies in the past. Come to climate change. Sea level rise. Glacial melt. Severe weather patterns. This one looked at what is one of the hottest places. The Arabian Peninsula. Took into account the green house gas emissions. Took the models through 2100 with the consistent warming trend that's happening across the planet. In particular for the region.
And what they did is analyze the temperature which takes the air temperature and humidity. The number you want to stay away from is 35 Celsius and 95 Fahrenheit. Now, the reason I say that is that if the temperature reaches the number, your body then loses its ability to efficiently cool itself off.
We know with any living creatures doing a fantastic job. Your survivability depends on how any creature interacts in its environment. Our body can do a fantastic job when it comes to low humidity. In hot temperatures, your body's sweat allows it to evaporate quite rapidly. Bring your core temperature down to a safe level.
You bring in extreme heat and extreme humidity together, now you literally feel encapsulated in the humidity because the moisture content is so high. Moisture sits on your skin and does not evaporate. It does not allow your body to efficiently cool off. Your nervous system can fail. Certainly, your organs can fail. And once you reach the temperature of 35 Celsius or 95 Fahrenheit, now you're talking about temperatures not allowing your body to cool off. And it could become fatal within six hours.
Massive high pressure that is certainly predominant in this region. Temperatures typically 40 degrees to 50 degrees Celsius, and 110 to 120 Fahrenheit. With climate change, the study suggests, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, impacted by the Persian Gulf. The moisture content the increasing air temperatures. We saw set numbers this past summer in the city in Iran. Air temperature of 46 Celsius, 115 Fahrenheit. And 35 Celsius and 74 Celcius. These numbers we don't talk about every single day. The concern is over the next 85 years. We would be talking about these on a daily basis. And it could impact the people that live in that part of the world. Guys.
BARNETT: Frightening stuff.
CHURCH: It is. Many thanks.
BARNETT: Pedram Javaheri.
Thousands of refugees are making their way toward Europe. But, some are choosing bicycles over boats on their journeys. We'll hear from some who made it all the way to Norway.
CHURCH: Plus, China's economy is slowing and this industry has been hard hit. But, a multibillion dollar casino just opened up there. We'll show you why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:31:45] CHURCH: A warm welcome back to viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.
BARNETT: And I'm Errol Barnett. The last half-hour of the day with us. Update you on stories. Support for U.S. presidential candidate Ben Carson is surging. Carson leading Donald Trump with support from 26 percent of likely voters while Trump sits at 22 percent.
CHURCH: The Taliban encouraging aid groups to help the victims of the earthquake which hit Afghanistan and Pakistan this week. Even telling their fighters to help victims and indicating they will not stand in the way of aid efforts. At least 364 people were killed and more than 1800 injured in Monday's quake.
BARNETT: The U.S. considering upping its campaign against ISIS, Defense Secretary Ash Carter testified Tuesday, proposing more air strikes for direct action on the ground. The White House has yet to make a decision on those options.
CHURCH: Joining me to talk more about this is CNN military analyst Rick Francona. Thank you so much sir, for talking with us. Now, we know of course, the Defense Secretary Ash Carter testified Tuesday and is proposing air strikes and direct action on the ground. He is not saying boots on the ground. So, what does he mean exactly? How significant is this sudden talk of escalating the war against ISIS?
RICK FRANCONA, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Direct action has a specific meaning in the U.S. military. Those are U.S. operations and U.S. troops. And no matter how he parses it, these are boots on the ground. These troops will be in harm's way in combat. All the words they don't want to use.
BARNETT: Secretary Carter talked of having U.S. forces adopting the three R policies. Raqqa, Ramadi, and Raids in the fight against ISIS. Now, if that happens, what could this mean in terms of casualties? What does he mean by the three Rs there?
FRANCONA: I think he really hit on something here. Those are the areas we have to go after first. Raqqa for sure. That is the self- proclaimed capital of ISIS. It's in Syria. We haven't really done much to it yet. We need to step up our attacks there. Ramadi is the capital of Anbar province. We've got to take Anbar first then move towards Mosul. I heard him say for the eventual attack on Mosul. But I think that is far off.
The Iraqi forces are nowhere near that. And raids. This is where we look at mission creep. We will see more raids like the one we saw the other day in which we lost an American Special Forces soldier. If we have direct action, we could see more U.S. casualties. That will cause a problem for the administration.
BARNETT: Yeah. No doubt at all. Our own Clarissa Ward is in Syria on the front line right now. And from what she has been able to ascertain, the U.S. effort is in need of escalation and achieving little as it stand right now. What's your reaction to that?
FRANCONA: I think that is a fair assessment. I think what we are seeing is realization, at the Pentagon, at least at the secretary level, that things are not working as they need to be. He is now making recommendations to the president that we have to change what we are doing. Even if that means violating some of these pre steps we did not want to go. Boots on the ground. Combat missions for U.S. troops. Direction action raid. If we don't do that we are wasting our time.
[03:35:24] CHURCH: And the White House has not made a decision on the options yet. How is it likely to respond do you think given the defense secretary has put this question of direct action out there?
FRANCONA: Mr. Carter has been in government a long time. He knows the rules. There's no way he would have made a decision recommendation to the senate committee had they not been vetted for the White House.
CHURCH: And I do want to ask you this before you go. Has this escalation or proposal for escalation got anything to do with the Russian military action in Syria right now?
FRANCONA: I think the Russians were a catalyst for some looking at what we are doing. I don't think the presence of Russian forces, Russians at the air base are changing our dynamic on what we have to do. Certainly, factors into the realization that what we are doing is not working. And what the Russians are doing seems to be working for them.
CHURCH: Rick Francona. A pleasure to talk with you. Thank you for your perspective. We appreciate it.
FRANCONA: Good to be with you, Rosemary. A town in Norway known as an ideal place to watch the northern lights,
has become a haven for refugees. Kirkenes is north of the Arctic circle and shares a border with Russia.
BARNETT: Growing number of asylum seekers have chosen it as their entry point to Europe. Arwa Damon tells us about their journey.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Struggling to pedal on the fresh first snow, the first asylum seekers to arrive on this day. Brave the bitter cold. Cycling the last few hundred meters. Though some don't even bother to try. Russia only allows vehicles which include bicycles to cross at this border into Norway. We can easily see the Russian border crossing from here. But, we have been asked not to film it because of sensitivities on the Russian side. The group of asylum seekers we just saw crossing are being processed. But, Norwegian authorities do not allow the media to interview them at this stage in the procedures. The first to attempt this Arctic route. Syrians back in February. Then, only a handful at a time.
STEIN HANSSEN, POLICE SUPERINTENDENT: The number has increased a lot since August this year. We went from 420 in August to now we are 500 a week in October.
DAMON: The bicycles covered in plastic will be recycled and sold to asylum seekers at $200. They are of such poor quality, they don't live up to Norway safety standard. Most of those coming through here are Syrians and Afghans. They come to Russia on a Visa or have residency. Eventually, make their way to this remote crossing and into northern Norway. Temporarily housed in a recreation center, dug into the side of a mountain. The sky is darkened by mid-afternoon. Just one of the many novelties.
This woman's husband is already in Germany. He risked the sea journey from Turkey to Greece. But, that was not an option for their children. With the three-year Visa to Russia when word spread about this route, she knew it was their best, most importantly, safest option. The image of the boy who washed up on the Turkish shore over the summer is etched into every parent's mind. It gave Ahmed nightmares. His son is roughly the same age. But, he a civil engineer, was lucky enough to have the arctic option.
AHMED, SYRIAN ASYLUM SEEKER: Not available to all people. That makes you feel bad. I have a kid.
DAMON: It is a deeply emotional time for the majority of those here. Many don't want to talk about the past and don't want to be defined in that way. Choosing instead to hope for a better future. Arwa Damon, CNN, Norway.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[03:39:45] BARNETT: Among the many thousands of refugees, one woman's story stands out. The Croatian Red Cross have been caring for a 105- year-old refugee. The group says she's traveling with 15 members of her family from Afghanistan. They hope to make it as far as Sweden.
CHURCH: At last check, she was on a train heading for the Slovenian border. Police say the woman refused to be taken there by ambulance because she did not want to be separated from her family.
BARNETT: Now, to our other big story we're following. Hundreds of Palestinian protesters, crammed the streets in the west bank.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
See there, Israeli police firing tear gas, stun grenade and rubber- coated steel bullets to break up the crowd. They want Israel to release body of 11 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces. They were accused of launching deadly attacks on soldiers and civilians.
BARNETT: Elsewhere, surveillance video of Israeli soldiers beating a Palestinian store employee has prompted an investigation.
CHURCH: Oren Liebermann spoke with the employee and the human rights group looking for answers from the Israeli defense forces.
OREN LIEBERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He is cautious loading boxes in a storeroom in Ramallah. There are clashes down the road between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian protesters. He raises his hand as a soldier approaches. He shows me where he was standing when the soldier rushed him. The soldier began beating and kicking him. He tried to speak Hebrew. But, he says they didn't care. There were four soldiers inside and two outside. They kicked him repeatedly on the ground near the bottom of the picture. Then, they jabbed him with the barrel of their weapons.
He shows me the marks he still bears from the beating. Two weeks later, here you can see the mark. This video during weeks of violence between Palestinians and Israelis with tensions high across Jerusalem and west bank. Each accuses the other of incitement. This video from October 6, was recently released by an Israeli human rights organization.
IYAD HADDAD: When the military showed the video on YouTube, they told us they are already opening an investigation in the case. They want information on the victim.
LIEBERMAN: The owner moved the camera above me to get a view of what is happening inside the storeroom. After seeing the video, the incident is under investigation. They say that it appears soldiers in the video acted inappropriately. But says, arrested at the scene faces no charges. After we spoke, they met the same afternoon with investigators. Videos have played a large part in incitement and reinforcing the narrative of each side. This is about a video holding soldiers responsible. Oren Liebermann, CNN, Ramallah.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Just ahead here on CNN Newsroom. China's gambling resorts are feeling the economic slowdown. One city there is betting on a new multibillion dollar casino to turn fortunes around. We'll be back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:46:26] BARNETT: Apple defied Wall Street expectation with an impressive quarterly earnings report. Their profits surged 31 percent behind strong iPhone and Mac sales.
CHURCH: But, their biggest jump was in China. Their second largest market after North America where they almost doubled sales. Apple has said it believes China will become its largest market someday. And their recent success there bodes well for their prediction.
BARNETT: And even though China's gambling hub has seen 16 months of declining revenue, a brand new, $3.2 billion casino just opened up for business.
CHURCH: Matt Rivers has more on Macau's Hollywood-fame studio city.
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The rattle of the roulette wheel not as loud as it once was here in Asia's very own sin city. High rollers who once spent big on the big tables aren't filling the seats the way they used to. Gaming revenues think money from slot machines are down 36 percent in 2015. In a place like Macau, as go the casinos, so goes local economy. It shrank more than 26 percent in the last quarter alone. That's good enough to make it the worst performing economy in the world.
A big reason for that. The on-going anti-corruption campaign on mainland China. The president made a big push to curb lavish spending. Money that helped make gaming revenues in Macau five times larger than Las Vegas. But, the government wants the resorts to offer more.
LAWRENCE HO, STUDIO CITY CHIEF EXECUTIVE: We've invested $3.2 billion in the U.S. and 95 percent of the space is more gaming.
RIVERS: Lawrence Ho is the man behind the newest kid on the block Studio City Macau. It offers rides, shows, even a Ferris wheel. Ho says that's the way to tap into a growing Chinese middle-class. But, admits there is no long term future in Macau without gambling.
HO: The truth is, gaming is the financial engine. Without the component, we wouldn't build fantastic properties.
RIVERS: But, backing its pledge to diversify, the government put strict limits on the number of tables each new casino can have. Casino magnate Steve Wynn slammed the policy on an earnings call earlier this month. Preposterous he fumed. In my 45 years of experience, I have never seen anything like this. His anger came as Wynn's Macau division reported revenue decline of nearly 40 percent. Even as the economy here struggles mightily alongside the industry it relies on, the average worker hasn't really felt the crunch. Jobless rate below 2 percent. Mass layoffs at casinos just haven't happened. That means that at least for now, casino owners are betting big on the future. Matt Rivers, CNN, Macau.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: We'll take a break right here. But, next on CNN, a story you have to see to believe.
BARNETT: It's all about shaking cat and it may leave you shaking your head. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:51:01] JAVAHERI: Pedram Javaheri with you. Starting you off around the Americas. Wet weather, really east of the Mississippi River the pretty expansive region here of wet weather. Some snow showers, cold enough across Wisconsin. Parts of Minnesota get in on snow showers there. Back to the western U.S. also getting wet weather. Higher elevation snow coming down across Sierras. Potent front over the region. The pattern we hope to see more of from November into December.
We all know El Nino begins to ramp up. We could see 100 millimeters of flooding concerns over populated areas. Maybe in your metropolitan cities like Philadelphia, New York. Concrete jungle. Can't take the moisture the storm system has and could cause flooding to take place with moisture in store. Windy conditions, New York City, 18 degrees. San Francisco, into the teens. Mexico City a few thunderstorms and 21 degrees and 10 for Kingston, Jamaica. Thunderstorm possibility across Kingston into the afternoon hours. And mostly sunny skies, temperatures in the 30s. Thunderstorms in La Paz with 12 degrees.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Tuesday was a big night for professional basketball as the NBA kicked off its season. Opening night was definitely special for the Golden State Warriors. That's because the 2015 NBA champions received their rings and revealed their new championship banner to their fans.
BARNETT: And the night's other big match up. Derek Rose and the Chicago Bulls pulling off victory against Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Bulls and Cavs had a special guest in the bidding there. See it now. U.S. President Barack Obama. Hate to lose in front of the president. The president on a two-day trip to his hometown.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Having a fabulous time there with the fans. Even if you are not a cat lover you might find yourself laughing at the next story.
BARNETT: Oh yeah. A photographer. A bunch of cats. What happens when the felines shack it of? Our Jeanne Moos explains.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE WOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: First, there was a shake. Glorious photos of dogs shaking. Then came the sequel, shake puppies. Now, the sequel to the sequel. Shake cats. From fur ball to hairless, 61 shaking cats, most from shelters, shot buy a photographer who let animals get under her skin.
CARLY DAVIDSON, PHOTOGRAPHER: Saber-tooth tiger. Three-headed dog here.
MOOS: Carly Davidson was inspired by her beloved slobbering Mastiff, Norbert, since departed.
DAVIDSON: I'd be on a little stepladder cleaning his drool off the walls.
MOOS: She took Norbert's photo shaking.
[03:55:02] DAVIDSON: Face everywhere. There was some tongue over here. There was some drool over there.
MOOS: When humans drooled over her photos, she found her niche. So, how do you get cats to shake? Well, they did not.
DAVIDSON: We captured the shake when we would clean their ears.
MOOS: Adding a drop or two of special ear cleaner.
DAVIDSON: Or just itch their ears. Rub your cat's ears and maybe a little thing.
MOOS: For mammals, shaking is a drying mechanism. Rats shake 18 times a second versus four times a second for dogs.
DAVIDSON: My camera shoots ten frames per second. I am just laying down on the shudder the second I see the cat start to think about shaking.
MOOS: Carly couldn't resist showing off her own pet.
DAVIDSON: Look under the covers. My cat, Yushi. Look at that.
MOOS: This is one tale we couldn't end without tongues. The only celebrity cat in the book, Lil' Bub, famous for a tongue that perpetually sticks out due to a genetic defect.
Did you see the one cat kind of lick his eye? DAVIDSON: Yes. How crazy was that?
MOOS: The owner had predicted it.
DAVIDSON: We're all like what?
WOOS: This is a book that will have eyes rolling and tongues wagging. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: And with that, we say good bye everyone. Thank you for joining us. I'm Errol Barnett.
CHURCH: I'm Rosemary Church. Early Start for those in the United States.
BARNETT: For viewers elsewhere, stay tuned for CNN Newsroom. I'll see you in a couple weeks.
CHURCH: Have a great day.
