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Indonesia Continues to Mourn After Twin Disasters; Trump Won NAFTA Upgrade Amid Distractions; Cristiano Ronaldo Denies Raping a Woman Back in 2009; Democrats are Dubious About the FBI Investigations; British Prime Minister Theresa May To Give Major Speech Wednesday; Indonesia Struggles To Get Aid To Disaster Zone; Vegas Street Goes Dark To Honor Shooting Victims. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired October 02, 2018 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN HOST: The grim search and rescue effort continues in Sulawesi days after twin disasters claimed hundreds of lives. The latest from Indonesia just ahead.
Plus, Donald Trump is standing behind his Supreme Court but he says he won't limit the FBI's investigation. We'll tell you who they're talking to.
And one of football's biggest stars is being accused of rape and he calls the accusation fake news. We'll have a live report.
Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Kristie Lu Stout. And this is CNN Newsroom.
The head of the Red Cross describes the situation on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi as nightmares following Friday's 7.5 magnitude earthquake and massive tsunami.
New drone footage reveals the sheer extent of the devastation in the city of Palu. More than 840 people died. That number is expected to rise. Thousands of homes are in ruins and rescuers are combing to piles of debris.
It is fear that dozens of people are still trapped underneath what is left of this eight-story hotel, where scarce fuel is available at all people they have been awaiting in long lines in the sweltering heat. Food and other supplies also running very low.
More now from CNN's Matt Rivers in Palu.
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rescuers think there's a body in here and believed it should be found. They don't mind crashing through the ruble to search because the house was already gone.
Around the corner another search a tarp they laid in case they find someone, they don't. But these guys did to add to a climbing death toll after a massive earthquake followed by tsunami flatten this part of Sulawesi. If you lived here you'd be lucky if you weren't hurt even if you lost
everything you own. That's what happened to many of these people. Airport refugees awaiting a government evacuation, most tried to leave because they've got nothing left. Even some with homes in fact get out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People are trying to get stuff from my house so I need to get the kids out of here.
RIVERS: People are looting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People are still in thing, they are trying to rob us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERS: For those that remain behind, the conditions are horrific. We visited a hospital that set up an outdoor ward because post quake patients were scared to go back inside. The injured still bed soaked in sweat covered in flies is where we meet Putari Putiwi (Ph).
She were riding a motorbike with her cousin, her best friend when the tsunami hit. She lived. Her cousin didn't. "At first I shouted, she says, Eta, Eta, where are you, she didn't respond. In the beginning I thought she would survive but then my family found out she was dead."
The stories of trauma are as common as they are awful. We meet this bandage, seven-year-old a few minutes later he was with his mom and little brother when the wave hit, they were swept away and having been seen since.
He says he sees a black shadow, that's what he said, I think it's him remembering his mother and brother. Officially, they're missing in all likelihood, they're gone. So what does a poor town do when the bodies keep piling up and there's nowhere to put them.
This town is so inundated with death that the morgue is completely overwhelmed. The only space left for many of the bodies is here in the parking lot outside the emergency room. Some of these have been outside exposed for three days now, 130 remain.
The only solution to prevent the spread of disease is to strip the dignity of a proper goodbye. Mass burial started Monday, a thankless task performed by a military already spread too thin. They'll continue Tuesday and maybe after that as long as people keep searching and finding but nobody wants to find.
Matt Rivers, CNN, Palu, Indonesia.
STOUT: Matt Rivers described the scene inundated with that. And we've just received word that the death toll from the earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia has risen dramatically from 844 to 1,234.
Our meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us now from the weather center with more on the situation in Indonesia.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Kristie. You know, what we're watching what's happening here as far as the weather is concerned. Of course, storms have been popping into single afternoon. And you expect into a tropical region.
And in fact, we are actually climatologically in the wettest portion the tail end or the wettest portion of the year here. And you notice big time heat still over the next several days, generally in to lower and middle 30s here, 40 to 50 percent chance of thunderstorms at least the next couple of days.
We see a drop in a thunderstorm potential there come Thursday afternoon, but certainly not a forecast you want to see going into this region.
[03:04:57] And once again, going to this latter portion of the year is typically see the wettest time of the year. So the timing certainly it could be better when it comes to recovery efforts in having weather be incliment at the same time.
But aftershocks have been abundant. Needless to say, some 250 aftershocks soon to quake on Friday there. You know, 25 that have actually exceeded 4.5 or greater. And a 5.5 coming in of five particular quakes of that magnitude and one aftershocks in the last 12 or so hours coming in a 6.0 magnitude as well.
So, when you look at this and break down the numbers we do know that magnitudes will decrease over time as of course going from 7.5. But notice the number of aftershocks still remains very high moving forward, and this will remain to be the case, at least for the next say, a couple of weeks here where we had large number of aftershocks.
Generally they will be under five. The vast majority will be under three magnitudes. We'll watch that here over the next couple of days and couple of weeks.
Quickly, though, Kristie, we are working away to the north here because there is a significant typhoon yet again across the Western Pacific super typhoon Kong-rey. It says there were 260 kilometer per hour winds equivalent to a healthy category five system.
And the system itself will begin to push off to the north and west, very similar to what we saw with Trami over the past week or so, where will touch skirt the Ryukyu island, potentially make a turn once again towards the Korean peninsula where southern Japan as early as this Saturday into the Sundays.
So we'll follow the story as well as the week progresses, Kristie.
STOUT: Absolutely more challenging conditions there in Japan and the aftershocks as you reported just then in the quake zone, you know, just providing additional challenge for the aid workers on the ground there, as the report that the death toll has risen significantly to 1,234.
Pedram, thank you for your reporting.
Now Donald Trump is once again blaming the Democrats for trying to destroy his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. He made the comments at a campaign rally in Tennessee, but his remarks about Kavanaugh earlier at the White House leaves some scratching their heads.
Jim Acosta has more.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: With the fate of Judge Brett Kavanaugh hanging in the balance, President Trump is ordering the FBI to conduct a thorough background check of his embattled Supreme Court nominee. But the president adds, 'just make it snappy.'
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want them to do that. I wanted to be comprehensive. I actually think it's a good thing for Judge Kavanaugh. I think it's actually a good thing. Not a bad thing. I think it's a good thing.
Now with that being said, I'd like you to go quickly. The one I want to speed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Unlike another investigation like the Russia probe that the president could do without.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We don't want to go on a witch hunt.
BRETT KAVANAUGH, SUPREME COURT NOMINEE: I do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Mr. Trump appeared to concede Kavanaugh has not always been judicious in his consumption of alcohol.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAVANAUGH: I drink beer with my friends, almost everyone did. Sometimes I have too many beers. Sometimes others did. I liked beer. I still like beer. But I do not drink beer to the point of blacking out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Taking note of the judge's comments of his beer drinking habits that even former classmates and says weren't exactly truthful.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think that bars him from being your Supreme Court nominee? TRUMP: Well, I've watch -- I watch him. I was surprised at how vocal he was about the fact that he liked beer and he's had a little bit of difficulty. Well, I've never had alcohol. You know, for whatever reason. Can you imagine if I had? What a mess I'd be, well, I'd be the world's worst.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Then out of nowhere the president went on to make an unsubstantiated claim that he knows of a Democratic lawmaker who drinks too much.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I'll tell you what, I happen to know some United States senators, one who is on the other side who was pretty aggressive. I've seen that person in very bad situations. OK? I've seen that person in very, very bad situations, somewhat compromising.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: The White House is pushing back on accusations that aides to the president have tried to limit the FBI's probe of Kavanaugh's background, an investigation Mr. Trump could have authorized at least a week ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH HUCKABEE-SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The White House is not micromanaging this process. This is the Senate is dictating the terms.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Democrats point to constraints on last week's hearing where the Senate judiciary committee listen to the testimony of Kavanaugh's accuser, Christine Blasey Ford but didn't hear from Mark Judge. That's the man who Ford claims was in the room when she was assaulted by Kavanaugh.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KERRY, FORMER UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: You know, if that person disappear to the beach where their clothes stuck in the car and hide from the process. You have to talk to everybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: The battle over Kavanaugh's overshadowing the president's attempts to focus on his agenda like today's news conference that was supposed to be about a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada. Mr. Trump seem to delight and taking on his GOP critics who have blasted his policy of imposing tariffs on U.S. allies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: Just for those babies out there they keep talking about tariffs, that includes Congress, please don't charge tariffs. Without tariffs you wouldn't be -- we wouldn't be standing here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[03:09:59] ACOSTA: And the president has continued to defend his Supreme Court nominee, telling this rally in Tennessee that Democrats ha ve been out to destroy Brett Kavanaugh, quote, he says, "the very first second he was announced."
Jim Acosta, CNN, Johnson City, Tennessee.
STOUT: Republican Senator Jeff Flake trigger the FBI probe into Kavanaugh last Friday, he says he wants to make sure that the bureau is doing a real investigation and not one that just gives more cover to Kavanaugh supporters.
He also spoke out about the tribal nature of politics in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JEFF FLAKE (R), ARIZONA: The left was enraged because I failed to behave exactly as they wanted me to behave. They wanted me to prejudice the testimony against Brett Kavanaugh.
The right was enraged because I had similarly failed to prejudice the testimony against Christine Ford. I have failed my tribe, I've been failing my tribe for some time now. Well, by the ways that we measure political success in the sorted era and by the conventions of how party loyalists are supposed to behave. I hope to continue to fail my tribe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: A lot to dig into here. Scott Lucas is a professor of international politics at University of Birmingham in England. He joins us now via Skype. Sir, thank you for joining us.
We know that GOP senators, including Jeff Flake they made it clear that what they want is a real investigation here on Kavanaugh. But the timeframe remains the same. You know, it's--
(CROSSTALK)
SCOTT LUCAS, POLITICS PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM: No, I got you but I don't have anchor. I don't have the studio.
STOUT: Unfortunately, I don't think we have a connection with our guest right now. Can you hear me? This is Kristie in Hong Kong. I don't think this is working out. You know what, we'll get back into re-establish a connection there and we'll talk more on Kavanaugh a little but in the program.
But meanwhile, let's talk about what else is happening in the United States. Police in Las Vegas, Nevada they had reopened the investigation into woman's claim that she was raped back in 2000 by a superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
In a lawsuit, the woman alleges that Ronaldo forced himself on her in a hotel room in Las Vegas nine years ago and then paid her off to keep quiet. Now on an Instagram post what you see here Ronaldo denied the allegations.
Now I want to bring in CNN's Phil Black. He is covering the story for us. He joins us now live. And Phil, walk us through the accusation, the lawsuit, and how Cristiano Ronaldo and his legal team are responding.
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kristie. So as we touch on that, this focus is on that night back in June 2009 when Kathryn Mayorga says she met Cristiano Ronaldo in a night club in Las Vegas. She was with a friend. He was with some people. They ended up going back to his penthouse suites. There was a hot tub.
Ronaldo apparently offered this woman come clothes to change into to go into the hot tub. She moved into another room to change. She says that he followed her in, made a move, he was rebuffed and it was at that point that he rape her, while she was saying no and stop repeatedly.
Now in the aftermath of all of this, Kathryn Mayorga says that she was upset, traumatized, confused. She did report a sexual assault to police the same day, she did not say who was allegedly involved or where it took place but she did undergo a medical examination and evidence was obtained that time of, she says, the injuries that she received as a result of that assault.
In the days that followed she was confused, upset, and traumatized. She says did not want to go public, feared humiliation, feared being described as someone who is trying to extort a famous person after having sex consensually.
And so after consulting a lawyer they went through a mediation process and a private settlement was secured, $375,000 essentially in return for never speaking of this again.
But now there is this new case which says that that private settlement was essentially worthless because Kathryn Mayorga was so traumatized, so upset so deeply confused that she says she was simply in no fit state to negotiate, or agree to that sort of settlements and so therefore it is worthless.
Now when this was all first reported by the German publication to Spiegel, Cristiano Ronaldo's lawyer used very strong language denying all of this, insisting that it's a fabrication.
Ronaldo himself has responded on Instagram describing all of this as fake news and seeming to say that this is an example of someone seeking fame through association with him and his name, Kristie.
STOUT: All right. Phil Black reporting for us live in London. Phil, thank you. Now I want to go back to talk about American political news about the fallout Kavanaugh investigation with Scott Lucas. He is a professor of international politics at University of Birmingham in England. I believe we have reestablish contact here. Scott, can you hear me?
SCOTT LUCAS, POLITICS PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM: Good morning to you.
[03:14:55] STOUT: I see the nods. Thank you so much. OK. Now we heard earlier from Jeff Flake, we know that him and other key Republican senators they say that they want a real investigation on Kavanaugh, but we know that this investigation is going to take place in what, less than a week. You know, the White House calling the shots here. Can this be a legitimate investigation?
LUCAS: I mean, no. This will not be a full investigation whether or not you want to call it legitimate. Despite Donald Trump's claim he wants a full background check, multiple sources have said, both from inside the White House and elsewhere that the White House is limiting the witnesses to whom the FBI could speak.
Initially, it was only witnesses. After a lot of criticism in the last 48 hours they have slightly expanded that. But Democrat Chris Coons who was one of the key judiciary committee members along with Jeff Flake to get this investigation said yesterday that he felt in fact that the White House would not authorize the FBI to chase up leads that they find.
In other words, they want to keep this strictly contained. And of course, the key political staff is that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said yesterday he wants the first (Inaudible) on Kavanaugh on Friday. He would like confirmation over the weekend.
The fact to the matter is, and I just want to be very clear with the viewers here that this is primarily for appearances by the White House because of Jeff Flake's reversal last week in the committee and so that brings down to where the rubber hits the road.
There are three Republican senators, Jeff Flake, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, they talk to both Murkowski and Collins last week as he was deciding what to do.
So those three accept the limited FBI investigation even if they have questions about Kavanaugh, or do they continue to hold up that very slim Republican majority.
I don't think we'll know that until a few hours before McConnell tries to settle the vote on Friday.
STOUT: Yes. Mitch McConnell says he wants the vote this week. But really, it's wait and see on that. This is a limited FBI investigation, a background investigation not a criminal investigation but we have seen this very interesting shift in focus. The shift to Kavanaugh's drinking habits and whether he lied last week. You know, what do you make of that shift, and is that shift a strategic shift in part of the Democrats? LUCAS: It's not the Democrats. What we've got is that we've got two parallel traps, and that is that the White House and McConnell want this to be a very narrowly defined FBI inquiry around the sexual allegations did. Only the sexual allegations to Christine Ford, and maybe Deborah Ramirez.
Remember, the third accuser Julie Swetnick is not being questioned by the FBI, whereas the second track is that you're getting through the media multiple people who were coming forward in the last 49 to 72 hours that say, yes, Brett Kavanaugh drank heavily. Brett Kavanaugh was aggressive when he drank.
What is even allege -- even alleged that Kavanaugh this summer worked with and called up his classmates to try to limit or contain the testimony of Deborah Ramirez, when though Kavanaugh said last week he didn't know about the Ramirez testimony until it came out several days ago.
So that competition between what the White House and the GOP leadership want to be the narrative and the narrative that we're getting through the media, not the fake news but responsible media, that's going to be the tug of war we're going to see for the next few days.
STOUT: Got you. A tug of war. And also as you put this two track investigation that is unfolding right now. Professor Scott Lucas joining us on the line. Thank you so much, sir. Take care.
LUCAS: Thank you.
STOUT: Now Britain's Boris Johnson he is set to throw bouquets at Philip Tories later at their big gathering in Birmingham. Some say that he is trying to woo his way into the top job at 10 Downing Street. We'll have a live report, coming up.
Plus, a trade win for President Trump. What is in the new deal for Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.
[03:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
STOUT: All right. Now Boris Johnson is looking for supports on day three of U.K.'s conservative party conference. The brexiters plans to take a stage and Johnson will give a speech on the fringe of the event to try to convince fellow Tories to back his ideas on Brexit, tax cuts, and law and order.
Now the former British foreign secretary has also been trying to destabilize Theresa May's Brexit plan. The prime minister gives the gathering's major speech on Wednesday.
Now CNN's Bianca Nobilo joins me live from Birmingham. Bianca, good to see you again.
Boris Johnson will soon attempt to steal the spotlight at a splinter (Ph) event there in Birmingham. What is he expected to say? BIANCA NOBILO, CNN PRODUCER: He's expected to give quite a comprehensive speech with policy ranging from celebrating capitalism to tax cuts, and of course Brexit and celebrating what the future of Britain could be.
This come after last week he released a very lengthy op-ed about his own alternative vision for Brexit in direct contrast to the Chequers proposal that the government and Theresa May is advocating.
So he'll be likely to celebrate that against there and the potential that would result from going along with a more comprehensive free- trade deal as oppose to staying more closely aligned to the European Union.
And I think what is remarkable about this is we're now 27 months on in the referendum. There's only six months to go until Brexit and we still don't know precisely what Brexit will look like for the U.K.
And the fact that even though the government is standing firm and committed to Theresa May's Chequers proposal for now at least there are many fringe events going on here in the conference, why people are advocating that she chop Chequers to get rid of her plan and go for something along the lines what Boris Johnson is suggesting.
And yes, he is a very polarizing figure. But there are a lot of people here who are on the edge of their seat that are excited to hear what he's got to say.
STOUT: Yes, the clock is ticking. There is so much uncertainty, the pressure is building. What impact will Boris Johnson's platform and his mere presence have on Theresa May in her efforts to present a united front over Brexit.
NOBILO: It's likely to have a severe impact on her popularity I think because if we look at the last few days, when Boris wasn't even here, his attacks on the prime minister's Chequers proposal he is weighing into the debate about the future of the party dominated all of the headlines from days one and two of conference.
So he arrived here today and he's likely to bring that vision that optimism that many people within the party here feel has been lacking. So even though in the country at large the prime minister is still polling above Boris Johnson to leave the country through Brexit.
Among the membership there is a sense of need for a more positive vision and outlook as the country enters into this very unpredictable phase of Brexit. So I think it's likely to make things harder for her.
Of course many people are perceiving this as a way of him launching a leadership bid. But that being said, for well over a year now. In fact this time last year when I was at a party conference when Theresa May had a disastrous conference speech and there was a lot of excitement and (Inaudible) around Boris Johnson as a figure. People were saying it then.
So whether or not he actually will follow through on it this time remains to be seen.
STOUT: That's Bianca Nobilo reporting live for us in Birmingham. We'll talk again soon. Thank you.
Now U.S. President Donald Trump he has been claiming victory on a new trade deal with Canada and Mexico. Negotiators reach agreement in final hours before that Sunday night deadline Mr. Trump had long complained about the North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA.
[03:25:05] He says this new deal will be a boom to the U.S. economy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Once approved by Congress, this new deal will be the most modern, up-to-date and balanced trade agreements in the history of our country. With the most advanced protections for workers ever developed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: That the agreement gives the U.S. greater access to Canada's dairy market. It preserves NAFTA's way of selling disputes. It calls for higher wages and labor standards for auto workers and it removes the threat of U.S. tariffs on Canadian automobile imports.
The new pact is called the United States, Mexico, Canada Agreement or USMCA.
Cristina Alesci explains what's in it.
CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the names certainly change but most analysts are calling this an upgrade to NAFTA because it does cover digital trade so that is definitely an improvement and it does offer some protection for U.S. intellectual property rights.
But the president was out there today touting this as a benefit to the average American, and saying that all of these changes will eventually trickle down and benefit the average American and two specific members of his base, farmers and autoworkers.
Now on the former front, as you mentioned, Canada is giving U.S. farmers greater access to its dairy market, specifically and on auto workers more of the part -- more of the car part has to come from North America, which would theoretically unless and or be subject to tariffs, which would theoretically increase domestic production.
Now both of those things hypothetically should help autoworkers and farmers, but economists are divided on this. There's a lot of speculation that, for example, these actions will not increase domestic production and domestic manufacturing.
But one thing is clear. The president won today from a political standpoint, he went out there saying I delivered on a campaign promise. I told America that I would get rid of NAFTA and I've gotten rid of NAFTA. So from that standpoint he has won. Also his bluster and the way that he's gone about this trade negotiation has drawn a lot of skepticism and criticism from both in Congress and on Wall Street, and yet, the Canadians came to the table at the last minute and sign this deal.
Again, more evidence that perhaps he can point to that his tactics, his hard line tactics do work. Furthermore, he said tariffs work. And this is something that even his Republican lawmakers would disagree with, some of them do not like to hear and see the president using tariffs as a way to get people to the negotiating table, way to get countries to negotiating table on trade.
So from a political standpoint Trump seems to be the biggest winner today.
STOUT: And our thanks to Cristina Alesci for that report. You are watching Newsroom. And up next, amid the devastation in Indonesia, some incredible rescues are taking place. This man was pulled to safety days four after the earthquake and tsunami hit Sulawesi Island. The latest on the situation, next.
And much of the Las Vegas strip, those dark overnight. It is to honor the victims of the shooting massacre that happened exactly one year ago, the deadliest in modern American history.
[03:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
STOUT: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom, I'm Kristie Lu Stout. Here is an update on out top news this hour. British Prime Minister Theresa May is gearing up to give her big speech to the conservative party faithful this week. Now she is already made it very clear she is sticking with their much criticized checkers plan for exiting the E.U. Ms. May is at a dead lost with the E.U. over exactly how her country will leave the block. On Tuesday, the French secretary says that Britain won't be push around.
An American woman is accusing football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo of rape. In a lawsuit it alleges Ronaldo forced himself on her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009. Police say they reopen to criminal investigation that began nine years ago.
The death toll in Indonesia from Friday's catastrophic earthquake and tsunami is now risen to 1,234 of rescuers have been finding more victims as it comes to debris on the island of Sulawesi. Thousands of buildings have been destroyed, food and other supplies are running low. Margie Serigar, (ph) is the emergency response director for world vision. She joins us now from Jakarta, Indonesia, and Margie, thank you for joining us. I understand that world vision has teams on the ground in (inaudible). What are they doing? How are they helping survivors there?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today, (inaudible) distributing to 192 families in villages. One of the most affected area distributing (inaudible) mats and blankets. I guess it is very difficult for them right now, because although we are responding they are also trying to get find some of their relatives and also (inaudible) that are still missing in the area and also, right now.
LU STOUT: Yes, the aid workers for world vision, you describe this teams they are survivors themselves, they come from Palu. They were there to help. As soon as earthquake struck and tsunami roared ashore, but there's also the issue of aid. You know people are waiting for food, medicine, water. This is a remote part of Indonesia, aid, if it is even there is running out. The roads are blocked, how much aid is trickling in?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right now, it is very difficult, because the road is not secured. People are very despair along the route from (inaudible) to Palu. There are a lot of incident happen that both side to get the aid from the truck so that the aid cannot come to the targeted area. And we All right still waiting for the government, also to endorse security in the area we are trying to calibrate the system. And also the Palu airport is now is starting to open for the commercial, but it is very limited, so we can spot deploying people directly to Palu. Hopefully stocking today or tomorrow and also we also started to deploy some of the aides from other area also which is nearby Palu. To get the hundreds of our charter to the area and then the machinery and all are the telecommunication people, the telecommunication ministry already and company already started to establish a communication run so we can contact our staff in here for now. And also we can contact all the affected people and, in which you are already classified the Red Cross and right now there is a coordination in the city by center, the Asian association that going for the emergency response.
[03:35:20] LU STOUT: Margie, this hour we learn that the death toll has spikes, as result of the earthquake and tsunami. It is now standing at 1,234 people confirmed dead. We know that many, many others remain missing. What is your understanding of the search and rescue operation? The search for the missing and the fear that the death toll could even rise even more.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, the search and rescue team is really trying very hard to do the extreme right now, because it was already like almost a week after the tsunami and the earthquake. And yes, I understand that there are that there are up -- people or places that we cannot reach, because of the damage and the missionary is trying to get the road open. Yes, but the area is quite long enough if you see the island, it is a long route of affected area and, some of this area even the land is very limited. We hope for the best that people can getting to the affected area, the road can be access and it is what we pray for the community that is affected and some people are still in the area with a little difficult also to reach, because they are still afraid of the next or other tsunami that might happen.
LU STOUT: That is right, you know, we had been seeing pictures of people sleeping out overnight in the outdoors, because they are afraid of additional aftershocks and you know, Margie, I understand that your teams that are there on the ground, helping to look for survivors and just and to assist them and not only responding to this disaster. They are also survivors themselves they witnessed it. What did they go through? What do they share with you? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, so for instance like our camp we are still
having our small camp in (inaudible) in our own office and also some of the families are there. And staff who are expected is actually trying to help them also with the public, with the children feeding and also -- you know what is interesting is actually there is a stories from Lombok, the one that previously hit by a big earthquake several times that they also try to raise some fund by selling their vegetable to help the people in Palu. And this is very touching for me. Yes, everybody here try to get their goal. Try to help but also the other way around, some people in Palu is very afraid to stay in Palu. They are still waiting to get out from the city.
LU STOUT: yes, your teams in Palu, they have lost so much and yet they are working so hard to help others, Margie (inaudible), thank you so much for joining us as we wish you and your team's the very best of luck as you assist the survivors of this twin disaster. Take care.
Our U.S. President Donald Trump. He insists that he wants a thorough but swift investigation of his Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. Some Democrats say that the White House Republicans are trying to limit the probe and effort to clear Kavanaugh of sexual assault allegations. Drew Griffin has more.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tonight sources say Republican senators are not limiting FBI agents in their investigation of the FBI is concentrating on four key witnesses singled out by Republican senators. P.J. Smith, Leyland Keyser and Mark Judge, who according to Christine Blasey Ford were all at the party were she said she was attacked, they are also investigating a second accuser, Deborah Ramirez, who came forward with a separate allegation from couch.
The most important of those is Judge Brett Kavanaugh's high school friend to put his own hard partying exploits in a book called Wasted and later post this video tour of Georgetown prep high school.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me tell you something interesting, Dean Students Office, I spent a lot of time in there.
GRIFFIN: While Judges previously admitted to having drinking in high school. He said he never saw Kavanaugh act in the manner Dr. Ford describes, no other witnesses have corroborated Ford's story.
The FBI is already interviewed Debbie Ramirez who claims Kavanaugh in a drunken stupor flashed her a college party, no other witnesses recall that event either. At the center of all allegations of excessive high school and college drinking, under oath Judge Brett Kavanaugh disputed saying it was never out of control.
[03:40:02] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you ever pass out from drinking?
BRETT KAVANAUGH, NOMINATED AS UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT: Pass out would be, no, but I have gone to sleep but I never blacked out as far as the allegation and that is wrong. GRIFFIN: In addition to those who say Kavanaugh drank too much, are a
half dozen college and high school classmates who told CNN they never saw Brett Kavanaugh drinking to the point of blacking out never aggressive. That too was contradicted this weekend by former Yale classmate Chad Ludington, who released a statement saying in part Brett was a frequent drinker and a heavy drinker. I know because, especially in our first two years of college. I often drank with him. He goes on to write when Brett got drunk, he was often belligerent and aggressive. The jail roommates of Debbie Ramirez say they also saw Brett Kavanaugh drank heavily in college.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was a sloppy drunk, he was more interested in impressing the boys than he was impressing girls. I never saw him being sexually aggressive that he definitely was sloppy drunk.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would witness to the night he got tap in to that fraternity and he was stumbling drunk in a ridiculous costume saying really dumb things and I can almost guarantee that there is no way that he remembered that night.
GRIFFIN: No one CNN has contacted claims to be a witness to aggressive sexual behavior or even unwanted sexual advances. The issue for some is his drinking, whether Kavanaugh told the truth, to Congress or try to disguise a history of getting drunk on CBS's 60 Minutes Sunday night. Arizona Republican Senator, Jeff Flake, who asked for the new FBI probe on Friday made it clear where his critical vote stands.
SEN JEFF FLAKE, (R) ARIZONA: If Judge Kavanaugh is shown to avoid the committee, nomination is over.
GRIFFIN: Based on the short list of witnesses. The FBI is interviewing, it does not appear Kavanaugh's drinking habits or if he told the truth about them is even being looked at. Drew Griffin CNN.
(END VIDEO)
LU STOUT: Imagine a child being awakened in the middle of the night, put on a bus and halt to a tent city in a barren desert. Their times reports that is what happened and that is what the Trump administration is doing the hundreds of migrant children currently in U.S. custody. Tal Kopan has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
TAL KOPAN, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: This facility in Texas is expanding in fact, more than tripling in size and remember it was originally created in June during the height of the family separations crisis in the justification at that point was to accommodate the extra pressure on the system because of those separations, but even as those separated children are being reunited and release from government custody. This facility is only expanding and that is because the number of children in government custody. These immigrant children is skyrocketing and that changed isn't because of an influx at the border. Those numbers are relatively study, instead what is happening is that the Trump administration is keeping these children in detention longer as a result of some of the policies they implemented including greater scrutiny of the (inaudible) who come forward to take care of these children, many of whom are undocumented themselves and if CNN has reported can be arrested.
Now under the trump administration if they come forward to take care of these children, so what we are seeing is now hundreds of children from all over the country and the more permanent shelters that are run by the government being transferred to this tent facility in Texas. A tent facility the originally was design to house only a few hundred of children and now it is being expanded up to 3800 and that is to accommodate more than 13,000 immigrant children who were remain in government custody across the country.
Now there doesn't seem to be any end in sight to this. The government says that these conditions are up to standard that places the responsibility on Congress to change the laws if they don't like what they're seeing from the Trump administration.
(END VIDEO)
LU STOUT: And that was Tal Kopan reporting. Now the city of Las Vegas is pausing to remember the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. Much of the Vegas trip went dark on Monday night to honor the 58 people who were gunned down at the country music concert. Exactly one year ago CNN's Erica Hill reports on the long road back for survivors of that tragic night.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On October 1st, 2017 Rosemary was soaking up the music and the moment at the root 91 harvest Festival with her daughters in an instant, everything changed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At first I thought it was firecrackers and then I saw bullets and I realized oh my God those are not fireworks those are bullets and immediately I was shocked.
[03:45:03] HILL: A year and 12 surgery later. She's still recovering.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can still see the joy in her face, the happiness in her face of wanting to come home. She is tired, she is tired of being in the hospital, and she live in the hospital for over a year. I've been in hospital almost a year with her every day.
HILL: Since the shooting, Rosemary has spent just five weeks at home.
It's an emotional roller coaster for all of you. Are there ever moments when you're angry?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is not angry but it's more disappointment. The second roller coaster that doesn't have any brakes and comes back to the landing. It just keeps going up and down and up and down.
HILL: Across the city resilience is on display. And over the weekend moments of reflection for the 58 lives cut short, the final investigation report issued in August did not determine a motive with the sheriff calling the shooter and unremarkable man with mental health issues.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just see this sadly, this repetitive sickness that is out there.
HILL: Early bipartisan calls for stricter regulations, including a federal ban on bump stocks have quieted, despite bills in the House and Senate and promises from President Trump in the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida four months later.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We can do that with an executive order, I am going to write the bump stock essentially out.
HILL: 10 states had passed the bump stocks ban and in some cases, additional measures aimed at preventing future tragedies. A public comment period to reclassify bump stocks as machine guns but in more than 180,000 responses. The DOJ hasn't yet issued a decision.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is a very difficult time. I've never seen a more divisive political structure in my life and all these years and so it really starts with each one of us and what can we do.
HILL: In Las Vegas it is a focus on community and on moving forward. At the Clark County museum, a new exhibit how we mourned opened on Friday, a collection of the items left behind at memorials and vigils around the city.
Was it hard for any of your staff to work on this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it is hard for everyone. It is a very heavy exhibits. This is something were dealing with daily. You know, everybody has to walk away from it at a times.
HILL: 18,000 items are preserved, each one a powerful reminder.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is going to be important for us to look back and say how did we deal with this?
HILL: Learning from the past, focusing on the future.
What do you hope the story next year at this time?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope that it is a celebration of life, every year. It happens to us before.
HILL: Vegas strong, and growing stronger.
(END VIDEO)
[03:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: A referendum on changing Macedonia's name has failed nearly three decades of dispute with Greece but the issue is about more than just which country claims the name Macedonia, Nina Dos Santos reports, Macedonia's hopes of joining the European Union and NATO are now in limbo.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One question to settler 27 year dispute, a vote to change Macedonia's name and bring the full use of state closes to NATO, the E.U. and to end a bitter dispute with its neighbor Greece. But after failing to secure the required 50 percent turnouts, the scope government is in crisis and the country divided.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (TRANSLATOR): Generally speaking, people are in favor of the European Union and NATO, but not on any cost. The campaign that was promoting the yes vote, put an emphasis on European values on the European way of life.
The referendum has failed. So Macedonia remains Macedonia, Macedonians, remain Macedonians not northern Macedonians.
DOS SANTOS: Macedonians 2 million people were ask about changing the country's name to North Macedonia to predate Greece but also claims the name for one of its provinces where Alexander the great was born. After years of dead look, the two nations finally settled in a new name in summer. Bringing Macedonia into Europe's orbit is important for Brussels and make concerns of growing Russian influence in the Balkans following an attempted coup in nearby Montenegro, ahead its alliance with NATO last year.
Despite was saving the backing of U.S. secretary of defense, James Mattis and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Macedonian nationalist orchestrated a boycott and it made its impact. Turn out reaching just 36 percent quiet low to 50 percent needed.
It was within that 36 percent the overwhelming majority of Macedonians cast their ballots in favor of the change. The Prime Minister has vowed to press the head even if it means calling a new election.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (TRANSLATOR): This is the moment when lawmakers, their decisions have the obligation to improve Macedonia, a beautiful place to live for all citizens.
Otherwise the only remaining Democratic instrument is soon hold early parliamentary elections.
DOS SANTOS: Well, the new election may not close the matter. Constitutional change requires a two thirds of majority in finding AT&T's in favor may not be a given. Nina Dos Santos, CNN, London.
LU STOUT: Working newsroom and up next he is literally the poster boy of his country. Some Russians think is President Vladimir Putin strike the post.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: The Eiffel tower of bangs and lights just one of the tributes being paid around the world to legendary French singer, Charles Aznavour. [03:55:02] The 94-year-old sometimes describes as Francis Frank
Sinatra died at his home. And throughout his life Aznavour remain close to his Armenian groups, fans in the Armenian capital turn up with candles and flowers to mourn his passing and to celebrate his life. As it has always been this was haunting love songs selling more than 100 million records in a career that span eight decades.
It's Vladimir Putin and every month of the year seen CNN's Fred Pleitgen shows us the new calendar that's hitting the stands in Russia.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: the Kremlin cover man is back, brand-new 2019 Vladimir Putin calendars fresh on the stands in Russia and many Russians proud of the president's posture.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that many countries have a president as strong as ours and I think many people like to have such president in their countries.
It is always good to see in here form our president, his statements and appearances are always so well done.
PLEITGEN: There's Putin with a pop, Putin was a cob, Putin on a horse in winter, and even colder, Putin taking the epiphany dipped in ice water.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Before they buys his calendar. They will definitely have a good impression of her president and you'll see that he can do it all. She loves animals. He can shoot he looks good in love, sport, --
PLEITGEN: -- and nearly omnipotent president. That is how Putin is portrayed whether it is that international summits like earlier this year with President Donald Trump or taking his top officials for tour of the hills and rivers in the Siberian outback. Putin is the one running the show, leading the pack.
The calendars are designed to show Russians that they have a strong leader who's in control, but also that Putin is a compassionate man, a man of the people, they are usually very well selling item. Shopping kiosk owners, we spoke to say they think this batch will sell out fairly quickly as well, but there's always a strong supply of Putin calendars for those who missed out now.
Once again getting Russians and many tourists a glossy reminder of the brains, LeBron, the Bravado and the force for President Vladimir Putin. Fred Pleitgen CNN Moscow.
(END VIDEO)
LU STOUT: And thank you for joining us, I'm Kristie Lu Stout. The news continues with Max Foster, London, you are watching CNN.
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