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Raging Fires Turned South California into an Inferno; House Democrats to formalize their Impeachment Inquiry; Pentagon Released Declassified Video of U.S. Raid; Iran Blames U.S. and the West for the Unrest in Lebanon and Iraq; Unrest in Hong Kong Hurts Its Economy. Aired 3-3:30a ET
Aired October 31, 2019 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta with you next 30 minutes of CNN Newsroom.
Let's get started. Historic fires are ripping through California with hurricane-force winds, a major concern. We will have an update on the dangerous conditions.
Plus, the impeachment inquiry is getting closer and closer to the U.S. president, as both current and former officials from Donald Trump's administration are being summoned for testimony.
And new video is released of the Baghdadi raid. See the moment when U.S. Special Forces stormed the ISIS leader's compound.
In California a mix of hurricane-force wind gusts and bone-dry conditions is threatening to make an already dangerous wildfire situation much worse.
Right now, both ends of the state are at immediate risk, forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes.
CNN's Stephanie Elam is northwest of Los Angeles where the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was threatened by flames at one point. The library host prices historical artifacts but was spared from the fire as Stephanie reports.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's terrifying up close. the flames are --
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STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Firefighters are battling raging wildfires burning across the state.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at the wind these two homes right here are really a threatened at the moment.
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ELAM: Near hurricane-force winds and dry conditions are sparking new outbreaks and adding fuel to existing fires, forcing residents to make emergency evacuations and threatening the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can see the library is still sitting there, albeit the vegetation around it has all burned away.
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ELAM: The former president and his wife Nancy are buried here of the many prices exhibits in the library, a retired Air Force One jet, all at risk from flames driven by gusts of up to 60 miles an hour.
Local residents are struggling with the new normal.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's horrible. It's horrible. And you know, I've lived here all my life and we've always had the winds but never these fires.
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ELAM: The first thing you notice when you get out of here are the winds which are blowing these blazers. Right here these fires race through here and firefighters are still keeping an eye on it and the reason why most importantly, homes right across the street.
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GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): Forty-eight hours or so ago we've declared a statewide emergency, 43 counties with red flag warnings and severe wind conditions that led to that statewide declaration.
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ELAM: Twenty-seven million people impacted. In Northern California's wine country, the fires can be seen from space. NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan posted these photos of north of the Bay Area on Twitter.
On the ground near Sacramento, desperate drivers on the i-5 veering into the grass to escape. The largest of the fires the Kincade fire has been raging in Sonoma County for a week, torching 76,000 acres and 86 homes.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the first time I've been a shelter in my life. I have my own home in Hillsborough. I've been there for 37 years and it was a little scary at first.
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ELAM: As the dangerous and unpredictable wildfires continue to burn an ominous warning from the Los Angeles fire chief.
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RALPH TERRAZAS, CHIEF, LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT: It only takes one ember so blow downwind to start another fire.
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CHURCH: And thanks to Stephanie Elam for that report. So, let's turn now to our meteorologist Pedram Javaheri with more on these wildfires. And of course, one of the big problems is it hasn't rain for 100 days in that region, has it?
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. Now I was just looking into it, I think it was about May 16 or so you have to go back many months to see any significant rainfall, and of course, just a couple of months for anything to fall off out of the skies and that's part of the concern here.
Fuel is abundant. The wind is still howling across this region. And of course, you take a look at the images of the firefighters across this region are doing the aerial attack on the flames they're putting the retardant down.
A lot of this in fact ensures charring of the wood on the ground there so it inhibits additional fires on the ground once they kind of release these in specific spots.
But if you take a look, wind still pushing over 60 kilometers per hour in some areas will exceed 100 kilometers per hours. We think the winds will finally die down Thursday afternoon into Thursday night. But notice, portions of Ventura all the way down toward San Diego counties they're underneath the high risk for an extreme fire weather behavior.
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And when you calculate the area of coverage, the amount of land that's impacted it is roughly the size of the cities of Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, and Shanghai combined. So, you take the urban areas of these particular cities, put them together, the land area of what's happening in Southern California is actually a little bit larger than that of those four cities.
And then you take a look at the forecast, the winds still 20-plus kilometers per hour, but you'll notice as we push in through the day on Thursday and eventually into Thursday overnight conditions will begin to improve. And in fact, here's the fire weather risk. It drops from extreme. You're out of the critical zone to just elevated come Friday, winds die down.
So, this is going to be final beep at the better end of everything here, Rosemary. You take a look the rainfall forecast over the next couple of weeks stays well below average, so that is the concern across portions of California with little rainfall and still another 24 hours of windy conditions.
CHURCH: Yes. Just simply relentless, aren't these fires?
JAVAHERI: Yes.
CHURCH: So much -- thank you -- thank you so much information there, Pedram. We appreciate it.
JAVAHERI: Thank you. Yes.
CHURCH: Well the impeachment inquiry is intensifying as the U.S. House moves towards making the process public.
In a letter to lawmakers, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said a formal authorization of the process was not necessary but she wanted to eliminate any doubt over whether the White House was withholding documents or preventing testimony.
The State Department has agreed to produce some Ukraine related documents by November 22nd. And as Sunlen Serfaty reports investigators want to hear from more high-level Trump administration officials.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We may have the meeting.
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SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: House investigators have extended an invitation to former national security adviser John Bolton to testify next week according to a source familiar with the matter. Bolton would be the most senior official to testify in the impeachment inquiry though it's not clear if Bolton will agree to appear without a subpoena.
Sources also tell CNN Bill Taylor, the president's top diplomat in Ukraine is willing to return to Capitol Hill to testify in public, a potentially monumental moment in the House Democrats intensifying impeachment inquiry.
Taylor's testimony last week behind closed doors sent shockwaves through the Capitol where he completely undercut the administration's defense that there was no quid pro quo with Ukraine.
Meantime, two new witnesses testifying on Capitol Hill today. Christopher Anderson, aide to former special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker speaking to lawmakers behind closed doors about the concerns voiced by Bolton over Rudy Giuliani's shadow Ukraine operations.
Anderson, according to his opening statement obtained by CNN saying Bolton cautioned Mr. Giuliani was a key voice with the president on Ukraine which could be an obstacle to increase the White House engagement.
Catherine Croft, a State Department special adviser for Ukraine, also appearing today. Corroborating the testimony, the committees have heard from other witnesses about the push to oust the former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch.
And testifying today she was informed that acting White House Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney put an informal hold on security assistance to Ukraine, the only reason given was that the order came at the direction of the president, Croft said today.
All this as a fallout continues from the explosive testimony on Capitol Hill Tuesday of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, the National Security Council's top Ukraine expert.
Vindman who was on that now famous July 25th phone call between President Trump and the Ukrainian president directly contradicting Trump's public description of the transcript released by the White House.
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TRUMP: I had a transcript done by very, very talented people, word of word, comma for comma, done by people that do it for a living. We had an exact transcript.
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SERFATY: President Trump touting over and over again that it was an exact transcript of a phone call. The White House in September saying ellipsis that showed up did not represent missing words or phrases, but not so says Vindman who told lawmakers what the White House released was not exact, and had at least two parts omitted, a reference to a Joe Biden tape and a specific mention of Burisma, the company where Biden's son Hunter was on the board.
Burisma according to Vindman, appearing in the transcript as just the company. Sources tell CNN Vindman testified that he tried to make changes to the rough transcript but his efforts were blocked.
And back on Bill Taylor and the potential for his public testimony. Sources tell CNN that an official request have not been made by the House committees but many Democrats certainly very eager and believe that he is an ideal first witness as they enter into the new phase of their impeachment probe.
Sunlen Serfaty, CNN on Capitol Hill.
CHURCH: Joining me now to talk more about this is Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Always hood to have you with us.
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LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Thank you, Rosemary. CHURCH: So former national security adviser John Bolton has been invited to testify next week in the impeachment inquiry. How likely is it do you think that he will appear and how potentially explosive might his testimony be given what we already know including how he feels about Rudy Giuliani's role in the Ukraine scandal.
SABATO: Right now, at least most people won't be surprised if he appears without a subpoena. But you never know. After all he departed the White House not on the best terms with President Trump. It was one of those goodbye tweets that the president is known for.
So, this certainly could be an opportunity to even the score if he tells what he knows, and by all accounts he called the fact that Rudy Giuliani was a big part of this kind of a drug deal. That's an extraordinary thing for a national security adviser to say.
So, everyone is going to be interested in his testimony if it comes to that and most people hope it does.
CHURCH: Right. And then of course top Ukraine diplomat Bill Taylor says he is willing to return to Capitol Hill to testify in public after his closed-door testimony last week. How significant might that be do you think?
SABATO: The private sounding were, that Taylor was very credible behind the scenes. It wasn't in public but the committee members were impressed with him, the Democrats obviously were very impressed and delighted with what he presented.
The Republicans didn't agree with what he was saying but they also were somewhat fearful that he will be just as impressive in public.
CHURCH: And then White House Ukraine expert Alexander Vindman testified Tuesday, the first White House official to do so and of course the first to have listened in on that July phone call between President Trump and Ukraine's president. And he confirms previous testimony of the existence of an allege quid pro quo.
On Wednesday, we also learned Vindman tried to add missed words to that partial transcript of the phone call but the White House is saying that's false. What do you make of all of that?
SABATO: Well once again, it's a test of credibility. And you are going to believe who you're going to believe based on your party identification. But I think fair-minded observers were inclined and are inclined to believe that that testimony was very precise and accurate.
It really reminds me of what I saw back in the early 1970s when President Nixon released the White House transcript. He didn't release the tapes. He released the transcripts and they were heavily edited and as it turned out they were edited by Richard Nixon himself.
And you know what, Rosemary? He cut out parts that were incriminating for him. So it would be -- there were precedent for the fact that what's missing from what we've seen so far in the transcript would not be helpful to President Trump.
CHURCH: Right. And of course, Vindman trying to fill in those gaps. So, we'll see if we learn more on that. And just finally, in a few hours from now, we are expecting a vote on the House floor on a resolution for the Democrats impeachment inquiry into President Trump. How do you expect that to go?
SABATO: Almost certainly that resolution will be approved. The Democrats have made some concessions to the Republicans on the rules of this inquiry and the Republicans were demanding such a vote. Now they're moving away and saying it's inadequate.
But it's going to pass. The Democrats have a maximum of 235 votes. There are a couple of vacancies. They only need 218. At the current time at most, maybe five Democrats will vote against the resolution and there may be one or two Republicans who vote in favor of it. At least those who are retiring and are no longer under political pressure.
CHURCH: We'll see what happens. Larry Sabato, always great to get your political analysis and perspective on all of these methods. I appreciate it.
SABATO: Thank you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: And we have new details on the U.S. raid which killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The Pentagon has declassified video of the operation from this past weekend.
In the late-night raid, U.S. commandoes swooped in on the ISIS leader's compound in northwest Syria, coming under fire from the ground. And you can see Special Ops Forces running into the compound where they fired on five ISIS members, four women and a man who refused to surrender. Eleven children were rescued.
The Pentagon says commandoes discovered Baghdadi had crawled into a hole with two small children, not three as was earlier reported. Baghdadi blew himself up but the U.S. general who made the announcement could not confirm if he was whimpering and crying as President Trump had claimed.
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An air strike later reduced the compound to rubble so it would not be a shrine for Baghdadi's followers, But the Pentagon warns ISIS will likely try to strike back.
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FRANK MCKENZIE, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: We suspect they will try some form of retribution attack and we'll -- and we are postured and prepared to -- and we are postured and prepared for that.
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CHURCH: The general says the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria did nothing to limit the raid or alter its timing.
Let's take a short break here. Still to come, Iran is accusing the U.S. of fueling unrest in Lebanon and Iraq. More on what the ayatollah is saying when we come back.
Plus, Hong Kong's economy is unraveling after five months of volatile street protests. Business is so bad; some retailers fear they may have to close their doors for good. Back in a moment.
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CHURCH: A fire has gutted Okinawa's renowned Shuri Castle. It reportedly started near the main hall of the UNESCO World Heritage site. Forcing authorities to evacuate the area. Ryukyu kings ruled from the castle for more than 400 years but it was destroyed in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. It wasn't completely rebuilt until the 1990s.
Lebanon's president says the country will have a clean government after Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced he is stepping down. He resigned amid widespread anti-government protests but he's been asked to stay on until a new government is formed.
Meanwhile, Iran's supreme leader is blaming the U.S. for the unrest in both Lebanon and Iraq.
CNN's Ben Wedeman has more on that.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the United States and western intelligence services of stirring up disorder in Lebanon and Iraq.
Iran is deeply involved in both countries both of which have been rocked by mass protests calling for a fundamental change in government and an end to official corruption.
Demonstrators in Lebanon succeeded in bringing down the government of Saad Hariri. Protests here initially spread to traditional Hezbollah strongholds, where for the first time, voices were raised against the group for defending his status quo.
While in Iraq the government remains in place and has used extreme force to try to suppress the protesters. Nearly 200 people protesters and some security personnel have been killed in the last month alone.
Iran is aligned with a variety of Iraq militias, political parties and leaders and it's a major trade partner.
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The protesters in Iraq have attacked the offices of party supported by Iran, many of those parties and their leaders seen as an integral part of a system mired in corruption.
In his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei acknowledge the protesters have righteous demands, in his words, but insisted they should pursue those demands through a legal framework. A position similar to that taken by Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah.
Iran and its allies in the region have been squeezed by U.S. sanctions. They're suffering from among other things a lack of funds, their networks of social support are being curtailed or cut back, which has led to growing dissatisfaction among their followers.
The unrest in Iraq and Lebanon it appears is making Iranian leaders nervous.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Beirut.
CHURCH: Hong Kong's economy is now officially in recession. Months of pro-democracy demonstrations often with street violence have put a damper on many of the city's restaurants, hotels, and shops. And the tourism has declined more than a third.
We get more now from CNN's Kristie Lu Stout.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Another week, another weekend of chaos. And scenes that have become all too familiar. Hard-line protesters vandalized shops and throw petrol bombs at police.
Police respond with tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannon. Five months of ongoing protest have taken a toll on the city, hurting small businesses and costing people their jobs.
Jenny Chow is a shop owner in the flash point district of Tsuen Wan. This is where a teenage protester was shot in the chest by police using a live round. She sells pillows and bags made out of leftover fabrics. Since the protest her sales have plummeted. She's making the tough decision to shut down.
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JENNY CHOW, SHOP OWNER: We don't have business so no people are going out and no tourists because of the blocked airports so not so many tourists right now. So, for me, like dropping 90 percent. From most of our friends they're dropping at least 50 percent. They all have to like quit the tenancy and stop the business.
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STOUT: Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan says the impact of the protests on the economy is comprehensive as the city faces two consecutive quarters of contraction. That's a technical the definition of a recession.
Now Hong Kong had already been hard hit by the U.S.-China trade war as well as China's lowest economy but the ongoing and relentless protests have had a devastating punch.
Violent clashes have forced stores and restaurants to close repeatedly and have turned visitors off from the city. Tourist numbers have plunged 37 percent year on year for the third quarter.
The Hong Kong government is pumping $255 million to support small businesses and a $2.4 billion stimulus package to help safeguard jobs and provide relief, but that offers little relief to struggling business owners.
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CHOW: The government fund is difficult for us to apply and even though we apply it, there may be part of them are grants, part of them are loans. We don't know whether we can sustain to return to the loan to pay back the loan.
So, in concrete terms, what additional political tools, what additional emergency measures do you plan to deploy to have order to be restored in Hong Kong?
CARRIE LAM, HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE: Kristie, the situation we are now facing is anti-government violence. So, the most effective solution is to tackle the violence head on. For the government who resort to measures that will appease the violent rioters, I don't think that as a solution.
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STOUT: In Tsuen Wan, Jenny Chow is bracing for another weekend of chaos. Dragging the economy and her dreams down with it.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
CHURCH: Prepared to be inspired. CNN is honoring 10 everyday people doing extraordinary things to make the world a better place. Meat the CNN heroes of 2019. That's next.
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CHURCH: Well, they maybe your next-door neighbor's or at work a world away. They are real life champion saving lives and inspiring others.
CNN is proud to announce the top 10 CNN heroes of 2019. Each honoree will receive a cash prize and a shot at the top honor CNN hero of the year. And you get to help decide who that person will be.
He is Anderson Cooper to show you how.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Now that we've announced the top 10 CNN heroes of 2019, it's time to show you how you can help decide who should be CNN hero of the year to receive $100 to continue their work.
Just go to CNNheroes.com where you can learn more about each hero and you're ready just click on vote. You get 10 votes every day to help support your heroes. That means you can cast your vote for one hero or divide them among your favorites. To confirm your votes, just log in using either your e-mail address or
Facebook account. This year you can even double your votes by rallying your friends on social media.
Then on Sunday, December 8, join me and my friend and co-host Kelly Ripa as we reveal the 2019 CNN hero of the year live during the 13th annual CNN heroes an all-star tribute.
CHURCH: And finally, this hour, imagine a confession that begins - forgive me father for having great moves.
How about that. This newly ordained priest is dancing his way to viral video fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. That senior theology teacher Ricardo Rivera joining cheerleaders and the dance team at a recent high school pep rally. This man of the cloth not letting what looks like a heavy robe hold him back in any way.
Fantastic moves there.
And thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. The Next Frontier from the Moon to Mars is up next. But first, I'll be back with the check of the headlines. You're watching CNN. Do stick around.
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