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Melbourne Shrouded in Smoke; Philippines Government Urges Total Evacuation Near Manila; Trump Officials Struggle to Explain Soleimani Intel; Anti-Government Protests In Iran; Royal Separation Drama. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired January 14, 2020 - 02:00 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 (voice-over): Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church and this is CNN NEWSROOM.
Just ahead, hazardous air in one of Australia's biggest cities. Officials say people in Melbourne were breathing the worst air in the world overnight.
Bracing for the worst of the Philippines: an active volcano is spewing ash and scientists warn an explosive eruption could be next.
And in the U.K., the queen says the royal family is in a period of transition, as they work out how to handle Harry and Meghan's decision to take a step back.
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CHURCH: And we begin in Australia where a thick haze is enveloping Melbourne as smoke from the bush fires shred the city. Officials say it is making people cough and wheeze and causing nose, eye and throat irritation. Here is how Victoria's chief health officer describes it.
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BRETT SUTTON, VICTORIA'S CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER: I think overnight, from Melbourne, it did reach the worst in the world. Those conditions overnight obviously when there are cooler temperatures and the particulate matter can settle very low to the, ground. It will improve through the course of today, I am, told by the chief environmental scientists, so with warmer temperatures, that particulate matter will lift. But yes, it has been very, very poor in Melbourne overnight.
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CHURCH: Well, there is some good, news the country is expected to get some much needed rain this week. Officials are hoping that this coupled with the drop in temperatures will help dampen the fires. CNN's Will Ripley joins me now from Wingello, New South Wales.
Will, it is good to hear that rain and lower temperatures are on the way but those bush fires have certainly tested Australians.
How are the many survivors coping as they assess the damage, the loss and, of course, the cost to rebuild?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, there are a lot of different things that Australia is dealing with right now. You talked about the thick smoke in Melbourne. These fires have been burning for months now.
In fact, there's a plume of smoke that has been traveling around the world it could reach Australia again in the coming days, making the conditions difficult even if fires are not burning in a particular area.
But in the state of New South Wales, we know that more than 100 fires are burning as we speak and some of the fires are, out which means that the recovery process is slowly starting to begin for people who have lost everything.
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RIPLEY (voice-over): In Wingello, Australia, no one imagined the fire could move so quickly, the front line was miles away from David Burgerman's (ph) home and store last week.
DAVID BURGERMAN (PH), STORE OWNER: Then we saw the sky go red and we go, that's not normal and we heard the sound of the fire like a furnace, like a freight train right next to you.
RIPLEY (voice-over): That familiar sound, followed by a terrifying, almost apocalyptic scene, the Morton fire, so intense it created its own weather, raining down fiery embers on this village of about 500.
BURGERMAN (PH): And there's houses exploding, fire everywhere. (INAUDIBLE) gone for sure.
RIPLEY: That picture you took you thought would be the last you would ever see of this place.
BURGERMAN (PH): For sure, I thought that's it, gone.
RIPLEY (voice-over): A feeling shared by Wingello fire captain Mark Wilson.
MARK WILSON, WINGELLO FIRE CAPTAIN: It is different when it's your hometown. Like I've been everywhere else, helped out everywhere else but the emotions and everything kick in going, this is my house, my friends, my loved ones.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Wilson's team of volunteer firefighters battled throughout the night.
WILSON: It is a feeling like you are losing. You don't realize how much you have saved until the next day. We saved well over 80 houses that night.
RIPLEY: Even the most season firefighters say it does not make sense how a house like this can be standing and the bushes are green. And yet just a few steps away, everything next door, gone.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The fire danger is far from over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got a fire over at Peter and Simona's.
RIPLEY (voice-over): As temperatures heat up, small fires reignite.
RIPLEY: How quickly can a hot spot turn into danger situation?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very easily. We still have a lot of unburned trees on this property, very quick, especially with little breeze that picks up.
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RIPLEY (voice-over): Here in New South Wales, Australia's hardest hit state, the fire season is only halfway through.
BURGERMAN (PH): We are the shop, there's no other shop here and we are at the center of where everything is.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Burgerman (ph) says he's doing everything he can to help neighbors who have lost everything.
BURGERMAN (PH): (INAUDIBLE) lost about 50 houses and people dead, no one died, no one injured and we lost a dozen houses but all (INAUDIBLE) take care of now. It's a miracle. I call this the miracle of Wingello.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Nobody knows how long that miracle will last.
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RIPLEY: Insurance claims here in Australia are already exceeding $1 billion U.S., Rosemary, and economists say undoubtedly that number will climb far higher.
CHURCH: Yes, absolutely. Will Ripley reporting there from Widdicombe after bringing us that story from Wingello, many thanks.
The Philippines is bracing for a potentially massive eruption from one of its most active volcanoes. This time-lapse video shows the Taal volcano, which has been spewing steam and ash since Sunday. Officials have recorded more than 200 earthquakes in the area and say more activity is expected.
The volcano's thick, dark ash has rained down on nearby towns, turning everything gray, streams of lava were seen gushing out on Monday and experts fear that too could spill into neighborhoods.
A state of emergency has been declared in one province and everyone living within a 17 kilometer radius of the volcano has been told to evacuate. Now CNN has learned the president is soon expected to visit the area.
Francis Tolentino is a senator from the Philippines and joins us now. He is also the former mayor of one of the cities impacted by the volcano.
Thank, you Senator, for talking with us at this time. Of course, as residents wait in fear of the second eruption, how difficult is it being to evacuate people from their homes and where are they going to seek shelter until things calm down?
FRANCIS TOLENTINO, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: Good afternoon Rosemary and viewers as well. It was hard for us, the government and the private sector, to prepare for the evacuation because we just have a little time to prepare for the first eruption on Sunday, until it was declared, the alert level, we barely had time.
But we now have more than 118 evacuation centers covering several municipalities in two provinces affected by the Taal volcano. (INAUDIBLE).
CHURCH: Senator, I'm not sure if we have lost you but I will continue on, many of the evacuees, you mentioned it, there they have fled their towns with just the clothes on their backs, because this happened so quickly.
What helps are they getting from authorities in terms of clean water, food, clothes and shelter?
TOLENTINO: Yes, our department of social welfare and development have really been on top of the situation, providing food packs and non food items like blankets and sleeping masks, Rosemary.
But it is the cooperation of various sectors and right now we have almost 20,000 evacuees. In my city, we just felt an earthquake two minutes ago, in my city, we have about 5,000 evacuees coming from another province and we still have to really assess the impact as the economy is concerned, Rosemary, especially, this area is a tourism driven area.
CHURCH: Right, so you are saying a total of 20,000 evacuees.
That includes the 5,000 where you are?
TOLENTINO: That includes, Rosemary and I've just spoken to the police director of the nearby province and they are securing (INAUDIBLE) vacated as well as the business establishments, especially the banks, for proper security measures -- Rosemary.
CHURCH: And the problem of, course is it is very difficult to determine when this might happen.
It is just not predictable, is it?
This could go on for days, maybe weeks.
What are authorities saying to people who may just have to hunker down and wait this out?
TOLENTINO: The problem with what is going on right now is that there is no scientific data that would show that this would end within a few days or a few weeks but the Philippine Volcanology Institute has said that this could last for months.
So we are now on alert level 4. We fear, I hope it will not happen, that it would be raised to alert level 5, that would really stress down the economy and the populace of the two provinces affected.
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TOLENTINO: And Rosemary, no power, no water right now, as we speak, in the areas affected.
CHURCH: So how will people cope if this does go on for that length of time, possibly weeks or months?
TOLENTINO: I think, Rosemary, we will be asking the help of the other adjoining local government units, the private sector, they had been doing their share, the national government are on top of the situation, so it is really a test of resilience insofar as the people living in these areas are concerned.
CHURCH: Right and so, is some effort -- you talked about these food packs, so all those 20,000 people are getting food packs three times.
TOLENTINO: Yes plus some of the unaccounted for evacuees have gone to their relatives, someone went to metro Manila, some went to the nearby provinces. So we don't have an exact data of the number of those personalities.
But I just hope this will not last long. There were 75.45 billion pesos damaged of agriculture and livestock, not to mention the impact on the tourism industry, which is the backbone of my city in Tagaytay.
CHURCH: Yes and there will be a huge cleanup because if the second explosive eruption occurs, presumably that situation will not improve. Senator Francis Tolentino, thank you so much for joining us. We do appreciate it.
TOLENTINO: Thank you very much.
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CHURCH: Well, the White House is struggling to provide a clear and consistent rationale for why the U.S. killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. President Trump has said Iran was plotting attacks on four embassies but now some in his administration suggest that that Soleimani strike was about deterrence, not stopping a specific, imminent attack.
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MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: President Trump and those of us in his national security team are reestablishing deterrence, real deterrence against the Islamic Republic.
WILLIAM BARR, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: It reestablished deterrence.
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BARR: It responded to attacks that had been already committed.
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CHURCH: CNN's Kaitlan Collins has more now on the shifting rationale from Washington.
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STEPHANIE GRISHAM, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think that, honestly, we're arguing semantics here.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the 11 days since the U.S. launched a drone strike killing a top Iranian commander, President Trump and his national security aides have struggled to explain, why now?
GRISHAM: Secretary Pompeo, Secretary Esper, Ambassador O'Brien and the president have all said there was an imminent threat.
COLLINS: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo first claimed General Soleimani's attack was imminent, though he later raised eyebrows by admitting he didn't know when or where.
Today, the president insisted it was imminent, but argued it really doesn't matter because of Soleimani's horrible past. Despite being a move that brought two nations to the brink of war, explanations about the intelligent have shifted repeatedly.
ESPER: What the president said was he believed it probably could have been. He didn't cite intelligence.
COLLINS: After Trump asserted, without evidence, that four U.S. embassies were in Soleimani's sights, his defense secretary wouldn't back up his claim about specific threats with intelligence.
ESPER: I didn't see one with regard to four embassies.
COLLINS: Trump's national security team has argued forcefully a major attack was coming, but they said they're unable to share the intelligence, as lawmakers have complained even their classified briefings offered little detail.
ROBERT O'BRIEN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: I'm not going to get into the details of those and give our playbook out to the other side. But we were very concerned about embassies throughout the region.
COLLINS: CNN has learned State Department officials involved in U.S. Embassy security were not aware of an imminent threat to four diplomatic posts and didn't issue warnings about the alleged risk before the Soleimani strike. Amid the ever-evolving explanations, Trump is warning Iran not to kill protesters facing off with riot police after the government admitted it shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane, killing 176 people on board.
Now before that strike on Soleimani, the State Department did issue a warning to all U.S. embassies, but it wasn't specific and it didn't warn of any kind of an imminent threat, despite the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, repeating again today that, yes, he believed it was imminent -- Kaitlan Collins, CNN, the White House.
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CHURCH: Leaders in Tehran may have ignored the U.S. president warning about not firing on protesters.
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CHURCH (voice-over): Unrest spread over the weekend after the government admitted it mistakenly shot down that passenger jet. Now there are reports security forces are shooting at their own people again. Iran denies that but for days it also denied downing an airliner. CNN's Nic Robertson has more on what looks to be another bloody crackdown.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: You can see people who appear to be shot, who have what appear to be live bullet round holes bleeding on the streets.
Some of the protests, you can hear the gunshots being fired, you can hear what sound like tear gas canisters and you hear what sound like live rounds being fired.
And then you hear the crowd saying, "They are shooting, They are shooting, get down."
And there is a lady that says, "I've been shot in the foot, shot in the foot," and a man standing near her shouts, "Oh, my gosh, she has been hit."
Somebody else shouts, "Get bandages, get bandages."
So the evidence on the street speaks against this. You had, in the past 24 hours, senior Iranian commanders going on TV, saying they are sorry about the downing of the aircraft. They feel that this is terrible.
In fact, one commander said he wished it was him that had been on the aircraft. The reality is, this contrition that the political military leaders are portraying is not the reality on the streets.
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CHURCH: That was CNN's Nic Robertson reporting from Abu Dhabi.
Witnesses across Iran tell CNN the mood is currently tense but calm.
Well, after the shock announcement comes a royal family summit. Ahead, Queen Elizabeth expresses support for Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan's, decision to step back.
Plus, days after Iran admitted it mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian airliner, the victims' families are still demanding answers and justice for their loved ones.
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CHURCH: Welcome, back everyone.
Britain's royal family is now in a period of transition after Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan's, announcement they would be stepping back from their royal duties. Queen Elizabeth convened a crisis summit Monday.
In a statement after the meeting the queen said, quote, "My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan's desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred for them to remain full-time working members of the royal family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family."
Anna Stewart joins us now from London with details on this.
Anna, Elizabeth going to great pains there to show her support for Harry and Meghan after much surprise initially. What stands out in her statement, though, is that she does not use their titles.
What might that signal?
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She does not use their titles, Rosemary; she uses their first names. She also says the future of my grandson and my family I think he's really emphasizing here that Prince Harry is first and foremost, her grandson, not just an employee in the so-called "firm" and, like all good grandmothers, she feels really protective in what is a deeply personal statement, I think.
Part of the story has been certainly whipped up by the tabloids that they pitted the Sussexes against the queen and the royal family.
We knew the queen was disappointed, we knew there was some level of shock when that statement came out and there has been a concern here about the backlash that has been against Prince Harry and his wife. So I think this addresses that. Also, as you, said she says she should have preferred them to remain
full-time working members of the royal family and that can kills any suggestions that the couple were being frozen out.
So there's a lot actually in that statement but at the ultimate message I get, it is deeply personal and she is really trying to tell the public how she feels about her grandson and how he's being treated, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Yes, very carefully selected words there for sure. And BuzzFeed went to great lengths to show 20 headlines comparing Meghan Markle to Kate Middleton, saying, "This may explain why she and Prince Harry are cutting royal reporters," and of, course it is very distinct in the way they've been treated.
But Kate was treated very badly at the beginning as well.
Is this part of that tradition with the tabloids in Britain?
STEWART: Unfortunately, it is part of tradition, you're, right. Kate was not treated well at the beginning of the relationship. It is easy to forget that. There were lots of headlines of how Kate at boarding school had posters of Prince William on her wall, suggestions she had been trying to bag a prince all of her, life.
Many class comparisons, lots of chat about her mother once being an air hostess, suggesting she was not a good fit for the royal family.
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STEWART: And then there was that dreadful nickname in the tabloids, "Weighty Katie" and then the smears of the paparazzi, showing every night she went with her sister, so she did have to face many negative headlines. She never rose to it and never tried to control the narrative.
There is a difference there with Meghan. Meghan has been treated very badly, I think, by some of the tabloid press. There have been plenty of suggestions that there is racism involved as well as the fact is an "other" in terms of being an American, a divorcee, a self made millionaire, an activist, a celebrity. So there is plenty at play here.
Add to this the story the fact that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have decided not to just never complain, never explain, which is always being the royal family mantra, they are taking and attacking these headlines straight on, explosive statements.
They have given interviews to TV outlets talking about it and they are suing several publications, so I think she's having more negative headlines, Meghan, through the marriage than Kate Middleton had but also their responses being very different as well. Rosemary?
CHURCH: Yes, she is refusing to take it lying down, well, Anna Stewart, thank you so much for taking us through that because it is a very unfortunate initiation that the tabloids do put many people through and we have seen it. We saw it with Princess Diana. We saw it with Fergie. We saw it for all of the female royals, who have been subjected to it for sure. Many thanks to you. Appreciate it.
China's currency has hit its level in more than five months, thanks to a move from the Trump administration. The yuan is up to about 6.90, versus the U.S. dollar, that is the strongest showing since last August.
The U.S. Treasury Department removed China from its list of currency manipulators on Monday, just days before Washington and Beijing are set to sign phase one of a new trade deal.
The U.S. says China has made commitments to stop devaluing the yuan while promoting transparency and accountability.
Ukrainians demand justice for victims of last week's downed airline and why some say Iran has not done enough to make amends.
And the U.S. attorney general reveals why last month's deadly shooting at a naval airbase is being considered an act of terrorism. Back with that just a moment.
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CHURCH: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church with a check of the headlines for you this hour.
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Iran is denying its forces shot at protesters furious over the military's downing of a Ukrainian passenger jet. But gunshots can be heard on video from the protests and some people appear to have bullet wounds. The anti-government protests spread over the weekend. Witnesses said a short time ago the mood across the country was tense but calm.
Well, Iran says the airliner was shot down accidentally. But that's little comfort to the families of the 176 people on board. Most of the victims were from Iran and Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Iran must take full responsibility. But he told the global news he's spoken with President Trump about the need to deescalate tensions with Tehran, saying and I'm quoting here, "I think if there were no tensions, I think if there was no escalation recently in the region, those Canadians will be right now home with their families. This is something that happens when you have conflict and war. Innocence bears the brunt of it."
Well, Iranian media report the remains of 61 passengers who have been identified and are ready to be returned to their families. It also reports damages from the crash could amount to $150 million, and that Iran is currently working with Ukraine on compensation settlements. But as CNN's Scott McLean reports, Kiev is still demanding more answers from Tehran.
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SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This was the moment that Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 went down just minutes after takeoff. Setting off a diplomatic standoff in a region that was already a powder keg. A head of Ukraine's national security and defense counsel, told CNN that when Ukrainian investigators arrived on the crash scene, the Iranian had acted quickly so everything was hidden. A lot of debris had been cleared away.
OLEKSIY DANILOV, SECRETARY, UKRAINE NATIONAL SECURITY AND DEFENSE COUNCIL (through translator): We understood that it was a rocket three hours after our specialists began working at the site of a tragedy. They were involved in the investigation of the Boeing disaster brought down by the Russian Federation in the (INAUDIBLE) region.
MCLEAN: It may have taken just three hours to discover that a missile brought down this plane, but six days later, the questions of repatriation and compensation are still far from settled. Ukraine will immediately pay $8,000 to the families of its 11 victims, but insists it's Iran that needs to pay, though it's not clear when how much, or how Iran can truly make amends.
DANILOV (through translator): Justice in this situation is rather complicated. 11 Ukrainian citizens who died in Tehran, they have parents, children, relatives and friends. This is a very painful story. Psychologically, it is a very heavy burden.
MCLEAN: Pilot Volodymyr Gaponenko's widow Katerina is carrying that burden.
KATERINA GAPONENKO, WIFE OF PILOT OF PS752 (through translator): It is a matter of my husband's honor and my mission now. With his enormous experience and top qualifications, my husband deserves only the highest praise.
MCLEAN: Iran has admitted unintentionally shooting down the Ukrainian plane and has apologized but many wonder why the flight was allowed to take off in the first place. Just hours earlier Iran launch missiles at us targets in Iraq, even Iran's aerospace commander had asked authorities to keep civil flights grounded until tensions pulled off.
The Iranian strikes were widely reported by the media. But the airline CEO insists it didn't know of any potential danger because Iranian authorities hadn't warned them.
YEVGENY DYKHNE, PRESIDENT UKRAINE INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES: The safety of the airspace is determined by the country that regulates the airspace. And if somebody could have known something from the media that something was happening in that area, we definitely did not know about it.
MCLEAN: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says the remains of the victims could return to Ukraine this week. Small consolation to families still waiting at the airport where their loved ones to arrive. Scott McLean, CNN Kiev.
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CHURCH: The U.S. Attorney General says last month shooting at a Naval Air Base in Florida was motivated by jihadist ideology. 21-year-old Muhammad Alshamrani was killed by law enforcement after he gunned down three us sailors. He was a member of the Royal Saudi Air Force who was training at the base.
Attorney General William Barr says the shooter had a history of posting threatening messages on social media.
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WILLIAM BARR, ATTORNEY GENERAL, UNITED STATES: During the course of the investigation, we learned that the shooter posted a message on September 11th of this year stating the countdown has begun. During the Thanksgiving weekend, he then visited the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. He also posted other anti-American, anti-Israeli and jihadi messages on social media, including two hours before his attack.
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CHURCH: The shooting also drew attention to other foreign troops training on U.S. bases. 21 Saudi trainees were expelled from the U.S. on Monday after investigators linked them to jihadist or anti-American materials, even child pornography. Barr says the Saudi government has been cooperating in the investigations.
We'll take a short break here. Still to come, a new wrinkle in the race for the White House. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren go at it over whether a woman could win the White House. But is their stance actually any difference? It depends on who you ask. And later, Joker leads the pack for the Academy Award nominations. But some say this year's Oscars are no laughing matter for women and people of color.
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CHURCH: The race for the White House has one less competitor as Democratic Senator Cory Booker is ending his campaign. An aide tells CNN Booker made the decision over the weekend. He e-mailed supporters on Monday citing a lack of funding and his failure to qualify for the next debate.
Booker also says President Trump's impeachment trial will keep him in Washington and off the campaign trail. Well, the two most progressive Democrats in the race, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders taking aim at one another. It all goes back to a 2018 meeting when Warren says she thought a woman could win in 2020, but says Sanders disagreed. CNN's MJ Lee has our report.
[02:40:14] MJ LEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In December 2018, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren were getting ready to launch their presidential campaigns. The two friends knew they could soon be competing for the Democratic nomination in 2020 when they met privately at Warren's Washington D.C. apartment.
The pair believe tearing each other down could hurt the progressive movement and agree to avoid attacking one another. Warren telling Sanders she would be a strong candidate to beat President Trump by making a case about the economy and earning broad support among women.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that there are certain number of people who would like to see a woman elected and I understand that.
LEE: Still, Sanders told Warren he did not believe a woman could win according to four sources, two people Warren spoke with directly and two others familiar with the meeting. Sanders himself forcefully denying the characterization as ludicrous saying in a statement to CNN, "It's sad that three weeks before the Iowa caucus and a year after that private conversation, staff who weren't in the room are lying about what happened. Do I believe a woman can win in 2020? Of course. After all, Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump by 3 million votes in 2016."
FAIZ SHAKIR, CAMPAIGN MANAGER, BERNIE SANDERS CAMPAIGN: I don't believe Elizabeth Warren has commented on it or said it directly. It is because it is a lie. Bernie Sanders has always fought and stood for women.
LEE: The details of this conversation surfacing amid revelations first reported by Politico that volunteers for the Sanders campaign were given scripted talking points criticizing Warren and suggesting her supporters are elitist.
SANDERS: I've never said a negative word about Elizabeth Warren who is a friend of mine. We have differences on issues. That's what campaign is about. But no one is going to be attacking Elizabeth.
LEE: Warren responding over the weekend that she was disappointed that Sanders sent out volunteers to quote trash her and her campaign is now fundraising off of the report.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We need someone who will excite every part of the Democratic Party, someone that every Democrat can believe in. I hope Bernie reconsiders and turns his campaign in a different direction.
LEE: With only three weeks until the Iowa caucuses, the Sanders campaign is going on offense lobbying attacks against Joe Biden. Sanders' senior campaign advisor Jeff Weaver releasing a statement targeting Biden's record on the Iraq War writing, "It is appalling that after 18 years, Joe Biden still refuses to admit he was dead wrong on the Iraq war."
And Sanders national co-chair Nina Turner penning a South Carolina op- ed bashing Biden's record with African Americans, claiming Biden has repeatedly betrayed black voters to side with Republican lawmakers and undermine our progress.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: CNN's MJ Lee Reporting there. And you can see Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and the four other leading Democratic presidential candidates in a final debate before the Iowa caucuses Tuesday night at 9:00 in New York Wednesday morning at 10:00 in Hong Kong, only here on CNN.
Well, the nominations are out for this year's Academy Awards.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One small thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you bring me out, can you introduce me as Joker?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Joker leads the pack with 11 nominations, including Best Director and Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix. It's also one of the nine movies out for best picture. Others include Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, the World War One drama 1917, and the surprise hit from South Korea, Parasite. But critics are again pointing to a lack of diversity among the nominees. Women were shut out from the Best Director category and only one actor of color was nominated.
Well, after family summit and early agreement is reached, coming up, a welcome from Canada for Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, but important questions remain. And this bachelor is heading to the stars to find love. More on his interstellar search when we return.
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CHURCH: Well, scientists say the world's oceans are now warming as if five Hiroshima atomic bombs were dropped into the water every second. A new study shows 2019 continues to trend a record-setting ocean temperatures, hitting the highest numbers ever recorded.
One expert says in the past 25 years, the amount of heat put into the world's oceans equals about 3.6 billion atomic bombs. As the water gets hotter, there's less oxygen and it's more acidic, affecting the birth and survival rates of marine wildlife. And no surprise the study finds the leading cause of this is manmade carbon emissions. There's a wakeup call everyone.
Well, after a royal crisis summit, Queen Elizabeth is supporting a more independent roles for Prince Harry and his wife Meghan. The couple's announcement last week that they were stepping back from royal duties took Buckingham Palace by surprise cries.
On Monday, the Queen issued a statement saying the family is in a transition period while details of the couple's future are resolved in the coming days. James McCourt is a Royal expert and joins me now from Los Angeles. Great to have you with us.
JAMES MCCOURT, ROYAL EXPERT: Thank you. Thanks for having me.
CHURCH: So, of course, this is new territory for the Royals trying to figure out how two senior members of the family step back from Royal duties. How well do you think the Queen has handled this issue so far and what are some of the complex matters that she said need to be resolved?
MCCOURT: Yes. I actually think she's handled it extremely well. I think it must be very, very tough for somebody that's rooted in tradition, and at the same time know she's got to move with the times. And also doesn't want to make any of the same mistakes that were perhaps made when Diana joined the Royal Family.
So she wants to support ultimately her grandson, but at the same time, you know, she is very sad that they're not going to be senior Royals anymore. I think she's handled it with as much sort of respect as she -- as she can. You know, she certainly called them in as quickly as she could to discuss this today. And she's trying to find a way forward for them, you know.
I mean, this is unprecedented so it's a learning curve for her. It's a learning curve for everybody watching. What I don't really understand is why it was done in this way in the sense that apparently the palace only got about 20 minutes' notice before the announcement went live on Instagram, even though I think there had been discussions before about this with the Queen and Prince Charles.
I think the thought was, well, yes, you can -- you can potentially do this, but let's get some plans in place first, and that's not what happened. You know, the statement was released. And I think that's what -- that's what was particularly tricky for the Queen because she would have preferred to come out with an official statement I think from the palace with, you know, how are you going to be funded, who's going to pay for the security, what will happen to your patronage is and everything like that. And, of course, it all just sort of fell into some kind of confusion and nobody really know what was happening for a few hours.
CHURCH: Yes. I think it was -- it was certainly that surprise element for the Queen that made this all more difficult, didn't it?
MCCOURT: Yes.
CHURCH: So how will Prince Harry and Meghan likely balance out royal duties versus private ventures as already been making her signed with Disney, hasn't she?
MCCOURT: Apparently so.
CHUCH: And of course, they have to divide time between the U.K. and Canada. What would you expect the outcome of all this to be?
MCCOURT: Well, you know, I think it's tough because they are obviously extremely well known all around the world, probably some of the most famous people on the planet because of being Royal. But now they're saying well, we don't want all the trappings of being Royal now. We just want all the -- all the nice things, which I get. Of course, we would all like that. I don't know how that is going to work, to be honest, having a kind of a foot in two different worlds.
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I guess the ideal scenario would be that they can retain their patronages, come and do certain Royal events, join the Royal family when it's a wedding or a Christening, that type of thing, maybe at Christmas. But then ultimately raise Archie and you know, any other royal babies that come over in Canada or North America wherever they decide to settle.
I don't know how easy that is going to be, honestly. It's never been done before. And I think there will be a slight sort of sense of resentment from some Brits that you know, kind of feel that well, we've given them the sovereign grant for so many years. We've helped renovate their house with public money. And now they're signing a book deal to make their own money or, you know, Meghan is now voicing a film for Disney or whatever it is, public appearances and that sort of thing.
I don't know whether that's going to sit very well which is a real shame because I think the Brits had really very high hopes for Meghan and Harry. And Harry is very Beloved definitely by the public over there. So --
CHURCH: And as you say, I mean wanting the best of both worlds. So how can Prince Harry and Meghan claim to be working towards financial independence when they will still receive most of their funds from Prince Charles?
MCCOURT: Right. Yes, from his Dutchy estate, of course. And, yes, last year, round about 2 million pounds or you know, $2.5 million around that were given -- was given to Harry and Meghan. And, you know, it's whether that continues now.
I don't think Prince Charles, I would imagine, is overly thrilled about the way all of this was done. But at the same time, Harry is his son and, you know, Meghan is his daughter in law, and Archie's his grandson. So he may want to make sure they're financially secure, but at the same time, again, he's got to -- it's a balancing act for him.
He's got to know that like the public opinion matters as well. He is going to be king. So how much money does he give to the couple when they're supposed to be financially independent? And how quick will this be? You know, it's definitely going to be a transition period.
And at this point, as of today, after the summit, we still don't really know any details. So, you know, we're all a little bit in the dark. It's going to take some time to adjust for everybody, including I'm sure, the Royal Family as well.
CHURCH: Yes. The Queen would agree with you. So what impact will this ultimately have on the Queen? Of course, those Royals who follow in her footsteps, Charles and ultimately, William?
MCCOURT: Well, you know, I think Charles always had an idea that he wanted to slim down the Royal Family somewhat. But I think he would have kept Harry and Meghan very much a closed pod and a senior Royals, if he could have done that.
It's going to be different. It's going to be sort of another one of those periods where everybody's trying to get used to something new. And I think that happened, you know, when Diana and Charles were divorced, and then Diana obviously was becoming more a humanitarian, leaving her sort of royal role behind someone and you know, that was a huge learning curve for everybody. I think it's going to be the same again.
How much particularly the British public will understand and support this, I don't know at this stage. I think there is -- people are a little bit uncomfortable I think with how it was done. And the Queen, you know, people love the Queen.
I think you know, around the time of Diana's passing and how that was handled, maybe there were -- people weren't so keen on the Queen at that point. I think now people just think of her as an incredible woman that's been on the throne for all of this time. You know, she's a grandmother, she's at grand old age as well.
And we want to make sure that you know, people are nice to the Queen and we're not unconvinced maybe at this point that it was done in the right way. But time will tell. I don't know. You know, fingers crossed. It all works out, but there's a lot of work still to do I think.
CHURCH: Times, they are changing.
MCCOURT: They are.
CHURCH: James McCourt, thank you so very much. I appreciate it.
MCCOURT: Thank you. OK, bye.
CHURCH: Well, among the many details to be worked out is what part of the cost of any will be shared by Canada when the couple lives there. Paula Newton has more on the unanswered financial questions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A carefree skate in the middle of the afternoon. It's apparently this snapshot of a low key life in Canada that Harry and Meghan so want to make their own.
Why do you think they picked Canada?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because we're awesome. NEWTON: All modesty aside, a good reason for them to live here is
because they're wanted here.
You would welcome them then.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As I would welcome anybody I would hope.
NEWTON: It may not be a red carpet, but --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People love the royal family and they'll just bring some good prestige to the country. So yes, I'm all for it.
NEWTON: In a tweet, Canada's iconic coffee chain even thought it was a safe bet to offer them free coffee for life. "No pressure Meghan and Harry. Think about it." This is could still get complicated though, especially Canadian taxpayers are on the line for security.
[02:55:09]
And if Canadian taxpayers at the foot part of the bill?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That might be a little different story.
NEWTON: When asked, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was cautious.
JUSTIN TRUDEAU, PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA: We're not entirely sure what the final decisions will be, where the dispositions are, and those are -- those are decisions for them. I think most Canadians are very supportive of having the Royals be here. But how that looks and what kind of costs is involved, there's still lots of discussions there.
NEWTON: This after his warm holiday message to the couple, "You're among friends and always welcome here." And in Canada, the Duchess already knows what she's getting into. She's made a life here before. After living in this house here in Toronto, the Duchess of Sussex pretty much knows what life in Canada will be like. She can walk Archie on a stroller in neighborhoods like this, and it may give the couple the kind of private life they're really craving.
They had a reminder of that on their Christmas vacation in British Columbia. Harry and Meghan were on a hike and stopped to help this couple take a picture. No royal fanfare, no autographs, just regular folks sharing a moment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He wished us a happy New Year. We said Happy New Year. Thank you so much. And they were off.
NEWTON: This historian says the way this was announced so publicly is unprecedented. But the Royals taking refuge in Canada is not.
Do you think the Queen is pleased that at least they chose Canada?
CAROLYN HARRIS, ROYAL HISTORIAN: I think the Queen is likely pleased they've remained in the Commonwealth as she is Queen of Canada. And Meghan is described herself as an honorary Canadian that she enjoyed living here during her time filming Suits. And the couple have a lot of happy memories of time they spent together in Toronto during the lead up to their engagement.
NEWTON: The Duke and Duchess may have sent their centuries-old monarchy into a tailspin but Canadians are already taking the move in stride. Paula Newton, CNN, Toronto.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Well, if you have been looking for a love that's out of this world, look no further. Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa is looking for someone to spend the rest of his life with. And that special someone has to be willing to head into space with him on board the first Space X flight around the moon in 2023.
The recently single fashion tycoon has taken to the internet in search of a cosmic companion. In a video posted on his Web site, Maezawa noted he's looking for a single woman over 20 with a bright personality. She must always be positive, wish for world peace, and of course, have an interest in going to space. That will help.
The entire process will be filmed for a documentary called Full Moon Lovers. The deadline for entries to be his lunar lover is this Friday with a final selection to be made in March. There's an opportunity for you can consider that. I'm Rosemary Church. Remember to connect with me anytime on Twitter and I'll be back with more news in just a moment. You're watching CNN. Do stick around.
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