Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

World Headlines; President Trump to Attend Meeting of Global Elite; Hawaii Shooting; Contentious Gun Rights Rally; Disaster Aid Controversy; Puerto Rico Earthquakes; Australia Bushfires; 2020 SAG Awards; Impeachment Trial Kicks Off; Coronavirus a New Threat in Asia; Prince Harry with a Heartfelt Message. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired January 20, 2020 - 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)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome back to our viewers here in the United States, and of course all around the world. You are watching CNN Newsroom. And I'm Rosemary Church.

Let's get started.

Well, it's all coming down to the final hours. Will there or won't there be witnesses. The historic impeachment trial of Donald Trump is just a day away.

Authorities are scrambling to contain the virus that's beginning to spread outside of China. Up to the minute details live from Beijing.

Prince Harry says he is sad but there are, there was no other option but to step back. Hear the emotional message that the duke of Sussex has for the world.

We are getting a sense of U.S. President Donald Trump's defense strategy as his legal team prepares for his defense, the White House will file its legal brief by noon Monday on the charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Now we already know the president's team will argue that he shouldn't be impeached because his conduct with Ukraine was not a criminal offense, that's what they're saying. Meantime, the Democratic leader in the Senate said he will push for more evidence to be admitted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), SENATE MINORITY LEADER: The president is afraid of the truth. Most Americans my guess is even Republicans know what the truth, and know he is hiding. We Democrats seem aim to get the truth. And make no mistake about we will force votes on witnesses and documents.

And it will be up to four or Republicans to side with the Constitution, to side with our democracy, to side with rule of law and not side in blind obeisance to President Trump and his desire to suppress the truth because in my judgment he probably thinks he is guilty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Sarah Westwood has more now on what's ahead.

SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN REPORTER: With the trial of President Trump's set to begin on Tuesday, both the White House and House Democrats fired opening shots this weekend in the first round of filings ahead of the trial. On Saturday evening House Democrats filed their trial brief. And that's essentially the paper version of the case that we will hear House Democrats lay out against Trump on the floor of the Senate when the trial gets underway.

Now interestingly, House Democrats mentioned they may want to draw from new evidence. Those are documents provided by Lev Parnas, an associate of the president's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani. Republicans have sought to limit the evidence House Democrats can cite at the trial to just what was relied upon for voting on the articles of impeachment in the House weeks ago.

Also, on Saturday evening we saw the White House makes its first filings in the -- ahead of the Senate trial, and that was a response to the Senate's summons of President Trump. It was a six-page document from the president's legal team that offered a taste of the aggressive tone that Trump's lawyers are likely to strike in the trial.

It laid out extensive arguments against both articles of impeachment, both abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Now of course, there are still a bitter divide in the Senate between Republicans and Democrats over whether lawmakers will hear from witnesses in the course of the Senate trial.

Democrats on Sunday expressed concerns about whether witnesses will be called in other aspects of the case. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): If the Senate decides, if Senator McConnell prevails and there are no witnesses it will be the first impeachment trial in history that goes to conclusion without witnesses.

REP. JERROLD NADLER (D-NY): There is no question that working with a foreign -- working with a foreign power, trying to extort a foreign power to interfere in our election is about as bad as you can imagine.

The main fear the framers of the Constitution had, why they put the impeachment clause in the Constitution because they were afraid of foreign interference in our domestic affairs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WESTWOOD: Now Monday is set to be a busy day in the trial of President Trump, the White House is legal brief is due by noon. And an hour earlier at 11 a.m. House managers, the seven Democrats presenting the case against Trump are expected to do a walk-through of the Senate floor in preparation for the trial to start in earnest on Tuesday.

Democrats are still expressing complaints about the fact that they have not seen the Senate resolution outlining the resolution of the trial.

[03:05:03]

But some tenet Republicans have pushed for an aggressive schedule that would see longer but fewer days for presenting. That question of witnesses also left open ended heading into the week of the trial.

Sarah Westwood, CNN, Capitol Hill.

CHURCH: At a farm bureau conference President trump boasted about recent trade agreements but he got a standing a standing ovation when he attacked the impeachment process.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We're achieving what no administration has ever achieved before. And what do I get out of it? Tell me. I get impeached. That's what I get out of it. By the radical left lunatics I get impeached. But that's OK. The farmers are sticking with Trump.

(APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: They're sticking with Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: All right. For more on all of this, Jacob Parakilas joins us now from Lagos in Nigeria. He is an associate at LSE Ideas. That is a foreign policy think tank at the London School of Economics. Good to see you.

JACOB PARAKILAS, ASSOCIATE, LSE IDEAS: Good morning.

CHURCH: So, we got a sense of how the White House plans to respond to the charges against President Trump over the weekend with the newest member of President Trump's legal team, Alan Dershowitz, insisting that no crime was committed and therefore there should be no impeachment. But he said the opposite back in 1998. Let's just listen in and compare his comments. Let's bring that up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALAN DERSHOWITZ, PROFESSOR, HARVARD LAW SCHOOL: Without a crime there can be no impeachment.

It certainly doesn't have to be a crime. If you have somebody who completely corrupts the office of president and who abuses trust and who poses great danger to our liberty, you don't need a technical crime.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: OK. So polar opposite positions there. Which is it and what does this do to Dershowitz's credibility when you see this?

PARAKILAS: Well, I think a lot of people -- Dershowitz is just one of a number of people including Republican senators who were in the Senate in 1998, 1999 taking opposite positions. I think that just speaks to the extent to which rather than being a nonpartisan process, rather than being an attempt to look at the law and determine whether high crimes and misdemeanors are determined.

It's not really defined in the Constitution, have been committed. Impeachment is a political process. But that's not a new thing. Impeachment was a political process in 1999.

I think if you were going through the same process, if President Trump had done these things in 2001 and the composition of the Senate were roughly what it was in 1999, I don't think that the partisanship would be all that much different.

So, the real question here is, which side can make the political case? I think that the president's legal strategy depends very much on maintaining the unified bloc of Republican support around the idea that this is a fundamentally legitimate process.

The Democrats, rather than trying -- because I think they understand that they are unlikely to scrape off the necessary 20 Republican votes to convict the president, is to force Republican senators, particularly those facing reelection in November, into votes that will be impossible for them to defend to their constituents and to make a public case which Democratic nominee can benefit from going into the election. So, I think --

(CROSSTALK)

CHURCH: All right, all right. So, what we know the House managers need four Republicans to vote with them to allow new witnesses and new evidence to be included in the Senate trial. And the Republicans don't want to see that happen. So how likely is it that they -- the Democrats will get those four votes?

PARAKILAS: I think it's not out of the realm of possibility, but I'll be a little bit surprise if it happens. I think one thing we've seen over the last three years is the degree to which Trump has maintained an incredibly strong hold over the Republican party, the degree to which anyone who has dissented from Trump has been forced out of the party, force into retirement. And I think there -- there is still time if Republicans take inconvenient vote against him. There is still time for that --

(CROSSTALK)

CHURCH: So, it gets back to politics again. I mean, the Republicans are scared about how the retribution from Trump. They are also worried about election, aren't they? So, it's politics again.

PARAKILAS: But this is the difficult thing for them, is that impeachment is broadly slightly more than half popular. The general view of the American people -- I mean, it's a heavy polarized electorate. The general view of the public is that this is a legitimate process.

So, they are going to be going to the general election with a general public which believes, again, not by an overwhelming margin but by a robust margin that this is a legitimate process. And voting against having witnesses in a trial I think will be seen as a right against that. So, it does put them in an incredibly difficult position politically.

CHURCH: It does, because you have to ask the question can there be a credible trial without witnesses? What trial is there that doesn't have witnesses?

[03:10:03]

I think we've lost our guest there. Jacob Parakilas joining us there via Skype. We're having a robust conversation there. Many thanks.

Well, a mysterious virus is spreading across Asia. We will tell you where it's reached and how many people are now affected.

Plus, a heartfelt message from Prince Harry on the way he and his wife Meghan are splitting ties with the royal family. We're back with that in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Hundreds of people were injured this weekend as Lebanon saw a violent wave of protests. For months, demonstrators have expressed their frustration over the country's crumbling economy and the country's inability to choose new leaders.

Earlier this week, protest turned violent sparking what's being called the week of rage. Police responded with tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets. The military has been deployed in an effort to restore calm.

[03:14:58]

In Iraq, demonstrators are back out on the streets of the capital Baghdad. They are demanding political reform and a new prime minister. Several activists tell CNN that today is the deadline for Baghdad to choose a new caretaker prime minister.

Adil Abdul-Mahdi resigned last year during anti-government protest over struggling economy. Controversial Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is asking for respect for protesters' wishes.

A pneumonia outbreak cause by a new strain of coronavirus is spreading across Asia and affecting more people. South Korea has confirmed its first case of the virus weeks after it was first identified in Wuhan, China.

Meanwhile, Chinese officials have confirmed 139 new cases of pneumonia linked to the virus and say a third person has died from it. Well now there is concern the virus could spread this week as millions prepare to travel for the lunar New Year.

And CNN's David Culver joins us now live from Beijing with more on this. And, David, of course, it is a big concern. What all are you learning about these new cases of pneumonia linked to the virus and how is the Chinese government responding to this outbreak and efforts to contain it?

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I can tell you on that latter question there, Rosemary, just in the past hour we heard from the foreign ministry here in China, and they say that they are in close contact with South Korea, Japan, as well as Thailand and health officials there in trying to learn as much about the spread of this coronavirus as possible.

They also say that they are adamant, that they will try to protect the region's hygienic security, as they put, they consider this to be an epidemic and one that they are working hard to control.

Now the reality is that there is a lack of information, if you will. There is a lot of uncertainty. People, quite frankly, simply do not know what guidelines, if any, they should take with them as they are preparing to go forward with the holiday travel.

As you mentioned, millions, hundreds of millions of people use this stretch of time, these 40 days that will go from January 10th into February to go visit loved ones and they're taking railway as one of the options. Four hundred-forty million trips expected by train this year alone.

So, with that much close contact, there is concern that if this virus is one that can spread human to human, then this would be the prime place that it could happen. Places like airports, places like railways.

So that is what they're trying to at least now start with screening of the airports and railways for folks who are going into Wuhan which is where this is centered and folks obviously going to other countries now from China, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes. I mean, this is the concern because South Korea has now confirmed one case there, and we mentioned the lunar celebrations and the travel that is required there. So how do you stop that?

CULVER: Right. And the reality is this is not just a Chinese-specific travel holiday. This is a regional holiday. So, you're going to have folks from other countries, neighboring countries, in fact, who are also going to be traveling. And that's the biggest question, is can they really stop this spread.

They are certainly putting measures in place as of now. They have put these airport screening devices, not only here in China and going into Wuhan, but in places like JFK in the states, LAX, San Francisco, and of course in Japan, South Korea and Thailand now. So, they're trying to take these precautions as best as possible. CHURCH: David Culver in Beijing, many thanks to you for bringing us

that live report.

Dr. Anthony Fauci is the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He joins me now from Washington via Skype. Thank you, doctor, for talking with us.

ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Good to be with you.

CHURCH: So, China is reporting a jump in the number of cases for this new strain of coronavirus linked to the central city of Wuhan. How bad could this get? Do you think and how concerned should everyone be about it?

FAUCI: Well, it really is an evolving situation, and we have to be prepared for the worst. I mean, I don't think there is cause for panic on anyone's part but we certainly need to be following it and watching this very carefully.

As you know, just a couple of days ago it was report that had there were 41, then 45 cases. Now we're up to 198. So, this is a situation where, although it does not look like there is very efficient human to human sustained transmissibility, there likely could be some degree of human to human that started off as a situation that seemed to have arose out of a seafood market in Wuhan. We're really not quite sure at this point what the point source of the infection is.

[03:19:57]

But right now, we're following it very carefully, and there does seem to be the possibility of some limited human to human transmission, which is obviously of some concern.

CHURCH: Right. And that's why we are learning that China is screening people at train stations and airports. We know that various U.S. and international airports are doing the same.

So, what are the symptoms that they would be looking for at this point and what symptoms should anyone who has traveled to Wuhan be looking for?

FAUCI: Well, it's a combination of fever and respiratory symptoms. Cough, difficulty breathing. It appears to be attacking the pulmonary function. So, the people who are getting ill are getting pneumonia- type symptoms.

So, when you screen someone like here in the United States, we've started screening at three major airports. JFK in New York City. LAX in Los Angeles and San Francisco International Airport.

And when you screen someone, you find out, do they have fever? Do they have respiratory symptoms? And is there any contact in the sense of coming from the area, in this case Wuhan where there is obviously cases that have now been evolving. CHURCH: What happens in the situation where they haven't necessarily

-- their bodies haven't established those sorts of symptoms by the time they reach the airport? Not until later do they start seeing those symptoms.

FAUCI: Well, that's an important point. And that's the reason why although airport screening is helpful, it isn't perfect. And there certainly are situations historically with similar things such as with SARS that we saw in 2002 and MERS which we saw in 2012.

That although it's prudent to do airport screening it isn't perfect and people could get through airport screening who don't have any symptoms or don't have any fever. And then by the time they arrive in their destination, the symptoms evolve.

CHURCH: Right. And that's the big concern, then, because that's presumably when there is the possibility or increased possibility, at least, of human to human contagion. So, what more does need to be done to contain this new strain of coronavirus?

FAUCI: Well, obviously the simple types of things that you avoid, the kinds of contacts that could spread respiratory infection. For example, there are situations where you wash your hands, stay away from crowded places where people are coughing and sneezing and having respiratory symptoms.

But the important part is to try and find out what the source of this is and to get a better feel for where it's evolving because we're still very much in the early stages of this. This is really first reported in the end of December, December 31st. And only in the past couple of days have we seen the evolution of a few, and now a lot more cases.

So, it really is a moving target. And we just need to do prudent public health measures such as what you've mentioned, like screening at airports.

CHURCH: Right. And clearly there is no vaccination that would deal with this particular strain at this point in time, but scientists no doubt will be working on that. How long does it take to come up with a vaccination specifically for this particular strain?

FAUCI: Well, I mean, one can get -- first of all, we at the National Institutes of Health here in Washington are already getting the sequence from the Chinese of the virus and are starting to be able to put it into the kind of form where you can start developing a vaccine.

But in any situation, if you're talking about a vaccine that's practically able to be usable, you're talking really about a considerable period of time measured in several months to years. So, there is not going to be a vaccine for this thing readily available. We're going to have to rely on classic good public health measures.

CHURCH: We will keep a very close eye on all of this, of course. Dr. Anthony Fauci, thank you so much for being with us. We appreciate it.

FAUCI: Pleasure to be with you.

CHURCH: All right. We want to turn to London now where Prince Harry says he and his wife Meghan had no other option than to step back from the royal family. And this comes after Buckingham Palace made the stunning announcement on Saturday that the couple would no longer represent the queen.

With great sadness, the duke of Sussex spoke at a charity event on Sunday about what led to this decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: It brings me great sadness that it has come to this, the decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back is not one I made lightly. It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges.

And I know I haven't always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option.

[03:24:58]

What I want to make clear is we're not walking away, and we certainly aren't walking away from you. Our hope was to continue serving the queen, the commonwealth and my military associations, but without public funding.

Unfortunately, that wasn't possible. It has been our privilege to serve you and we will continue to lead a life of service. So, in that respect, nothing changes.

It has also been a privilege to meet so many of you and to feel your excitement for our son Archie who saw snow for the first time the other day and thought it was bloody brilliant.

I will always have the utmost respect for my grandmother, my commander in chief, and I'm incredibly grateful to her and the rest of my family for the support they have shown Meghan and I over the last few months. I will continue to be the same man who holds his country dear and dedicates his life to supporting the causes, charities, and military community that are so important to me.

Together you have given me an education about living, and this role has taught me more about what is right and just than I could ever have imagined. We are taking a leap of faith, so thank you for giving me the courage to take this next step.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Prince Harry is speaking very openly there.

And if you are watching internationally, thank you so much for being with us. The Global Energy Challenge is next. If you're joining us from here in the United States, do stay with us. We'll have more news for you after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:30:00]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States. You're watching "CNN Newsroom." I'm Rosemary Church. Let's check the headlines for you.

World leaders are calling for sanctions on anyone who violates any ceasefire in war-torn Libya. They just wrapped up a Libya peace summit in Berlin where they also pledged to respect an arms embargo and promised not to interfere in the country's ongoing civil war.

The New York Times editorial board has endorsed not one, but two candidates who it says should be the U.S. Democratic presidential nominee. It has chosen senators Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar. The paper made the announcement in a televised special, shedding light on the process that had been kept private for 160 years.

U.S. President Donald trump has until noon to file a trial brief with the Senate. In a pre-trial filing, his defense team argued he cannot be impeached because his actions in Ukraine were not criminal offenses. The reply from the House is due 24 hours later. The impeachment trial begins Tuesday.

Well, right now, the global elite gathering in a Swiss resort to discuss the very sources that are going to shape our lives in the months ahead, and I'm talking, of course, about the World Economic Forum, the annual summit that brings together political, business and finance leaders from all around the world. But this year, unlike last year, one among them is likely to steal more than his fair share of the limelight. Nina dos Santos explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. presidents are rare sightings in Davos even among the elite crowd the event draws. But when Donald Trump turns up as he did two years ago, he's impossible to miss.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have a tremendous crowd and a crowd like they've never had before.

DOS SANTOS (voice-over): The World Economic Forum with its globalist agenda is thousands of miles away from the president's populist base.

TRUMP: We are going to drain the swamp.

DOS SANTOS (voice-over): Both geographically and politically. But Davos is first and foremost a business gathering and Donald Trump is key to attract outside investment.

TRUMP: I'm going to be going to Davos. I'll be meeting the biggest business leaders in the world, getting them to come here.

DOS SANTOS (voice-over): With the ink now dry on the trade truce with China, a victory lap is also the alpine air.

GREG SWENSON, SPOKESPERSON, REPUBLICANS OVERSEAS: What better place to talk about global trade and global economics than Davos?

DOS SANTOS (voice-over): This year's summit focuses on how to create a sustainable and cohesive world. Among the attendees, Greta Thunberg, who has clashed with President Trump on climate change, and Angela Merkel, berated by him for spending too little on defense and too much on Russian gas. After the U.S. killed Tehran's top general, Iran's delegation has decided to pull out.

SWENSON: If everybody else wants to talk about climate change or Iran, that's where he can get into some spats. I think we have to anticipate there could be some cringe worthy moments. But we hope that the president gets all of his tweets done before the doors of Air Force One open on the tarmac.

DOS SANTOS (voice-over): The trip will be the president's first foreign event in what is set to be a politically-charged year on the home front. It coincides with his impeachment trial in the Senate and it comes two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, kicking off the primary season to determine his likely Democratic opponent.

As such, it is little wonder that a survey commissioned to head (ph) Davos rated U.S. politics as one of the global business community's biggest concerns. Trump first tracks the Davos in 2018, only the second sitting president to attend after Bill Clinton.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you very much.

DOS SANTOS (voice-over): He may not yet have scored a standing ovation, but this president's actions continue to keep Davos's decision makers on the edge of their seats.

Nina dos Santos, CNN, Davos.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And we are joined now by John Defterios live from Davos in Switzerland. It is good to see you again, John. So, how is President Trump likely to be received when he takes to the world stage and what all is expected to be achieved at this year's World Economic Forum?

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Well, it's part of the rub here against Donald Trump, Rosemary, that it's his agenda that dominates the global narrative at least at the start of WEF 2020. You can see his game plan taking shape here.

He'll drive home his point that he got the first stage of the U.S./China trade dispute put to bed here. It doesn't seem to be very robust but he will push it anyway, the restructuring of the NAFTA agreement, the U.S. job creation, global growth better because the U.S. remains growing here.

[03:35:03] DEFTERIOS: And the bold move for his entry into Iran and the killing of the Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, it was bold, it was audacious. But there is going to be a lot of Middle East players here asking, is the region safer as a result? I would imagine the Gulf allies of the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, for example, Kuwait, wouldn't agree so -- U.S. troops in Iraq, we'll hear from the Iraqi president later in the week here at Davos.

And also, this is a critical window for Europe, if you will, because of the issue of climate change and the environment. Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, stand up against Donald Trump. Last time, they basically let him have the center stage and then he controlled the overall debate going forward. Nobody challenged him on climate change.

Will they have a stronger backbone at WEF 2020? This is something we need to see because of the global outcry against the warming of the climate and perhaps they're well behind the curve to do anything about it.

CHURCH: It will be interesting to see how world leaders respond to President Trump this year, of course. And the other concern, he has been denying the existence of climate change for some time. This is despite the scientific evidence that's out there for all to see. How is he likely to deal with -- a lot of criticism is coming from that. Of course, Greta Thunberg will be there likely on the stage with him. Are they likely to somehow cross paths, do you think?

DEFTERIOS: I think they'll cross paths but it's not by accident at the World Economic Forum on its 50th anniversary decided to have this juxtaposition. Donald Trump at local time 11:30 a.m. tomorrow morning will take the stage.

Two hours later, Greta will do the same. She's going to talk about trying to avoid an environmental apocalypse. She hasn't been shy, whether it's within United Nations or other venues around the world, nor has the president in attacking her.

So this will actually move forward the environmental debate. And coming into this meeting, we've seen the European Union announced a $1 trillion fund to move to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. You would think that the president would kind of wake up to the call here and do something about it. Germany is facing away from coal.

But I think the broader context -- this is the 50th anniversary of the World Economic Forum, the 30th, and I remember my first one was right after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The World Economic Forum had this role of keeping Europe together in terms of the debate, keeping humpty dumpty together, embracing globalization.

They'll opening up China and trying to foster the debate of the environment. Professor Schwab of the World Economic Forum took some criticism because he didn't challenge Donald Trump last year, just called him a strong leader. Will that change this year? I would think so, Rosemary.

CHURCH: We'll be watching very closely, as well you. John Defterios is joining us from Davos. Many thanks.

We will take a short break here. Still to come, Puerto Rico launches an investigation demanding to know why a warehouse full of emergency food and water never made it to the victims of Hurricane Maria. We'll take a closer look. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: The governor of Hawaii says the entire state is in mourning after two police officers were killed in a shooting. Authorities say a suspect opened fire on them Sunday as they responded to a residence. At some point, the house caught fire and flames engulfed other homes around it, destroying seven of them. Three people, including the suspect, are unaccounted for. At a news conference, Honolulu's police chief offered condolences to the victims' loved ones.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUSAN BALLARD, CHIEF, HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT: On behalf of the men and women of the Honolulu Police Department, our deepest condolences go out to the families of Officer Tiffany Enriquez and Kaulike Kalama. The HPD grieves along with you and shares your loss.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: You are looking at pictures of the two slain officers. The police chief went on to say she knew them personally. She said they were like her own children.

Well, the FBI is working with local law enforcement in Virginia as the state braces for a contentious gun rights rally. Authorities are working on public safety after threats of violence from hate groups. CNN's Nick Valencia has more now about the controversial gathering.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Today is the day, and it goes without saying that there is big concern here that this could turn into a similar situation that we saw in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. The governor, of course, worries that this could be a magnet for extremist groups and that similar situation could happen.

Of course, police officers are worried as well. In fact, I was talking to some earlier patrolling the area who said it seems as though that there were individuals in the area that were doing counter surveillance on them. That's their characterization, not ours.

But I did speak to a source in the Virginia State Police Department who tells me that over the course of the weekend, there was an increase in threats on law enforcement specifically on the social media pages of the Richmond Police Department as well as Virginia State Police Department. There are some individuals, pro-gun rights individuals who are expected to attend that are no longer because they fear something bad could happen. Tim Anderson is one of them.

TIM ANDERSON, ATTORNEY: What worries me most about tomorrow is there is going to be a bad actor, right? Not a Virginia gun owner, not somebody who is lawfully owning and possessing a firearm. There's going to be a bad actor and there is going to be something that happens in here.

I just hope the people just truly understand that Virginia gun owners are peaceful people. We peacefully demonstrate. This didn't start today. This started back in November. We peacefully demonstrated throughout the commonwealth. If anything bad comes out of tomorrow, I hope that the world understands that it's not Virginia gun owners that are causing this. It is the same kind of terrorist organizations that have caused unrest in other places.

VALENCIA: We want to be clear, what's happening today happens every year. It's an event hosted by the Virginia Citizens Defense League, officially known as Lobby Day. But it seems as though it is going to be less of a Lobby Day and more of a protest.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Nick Valencia with that report. Well, three government officials in Puerto Rico are now out of a job, accused of mishandling the distribution of disaster supplies meant for victims of Hurricane Maria more than two years ago.

The weekend firings came shortly after hundreds of boxes of food and water were found sitting in a warehouse. That aid was not only needed after Maria. It is needed now.

[03:44:57]

CHURCH: Over the past few weeks, earthquakes and aftershocks have destroyed hundreds of homes and structures in southern Puerto Rico. Rafael Romo is there now and sent us this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The warehouse has been shut down for last several hours. But earlier, we saw members of Puerto Rico's National Guard and the state police who were guarding the site because they were trying to prevent any more people from coming in. We also noticed many restrictions for the general public to circulate in this area near the Port of Ponce.

What happened was that a rumor spread like wildfire on social media on Saturday that there was emergency aid here at this warehouse that was meant for victims of Hurricane Maria two years ago and that was never distributed. And so about 200 people all of a sudden came to this location, opened the metal gate and entered the warehouse where they found multiple pallets of water and basic necessities like food, baby formula, diapers and other items. Now, the man who up until Saturday had been in charge of Puerto Rico's emergency management office, Carlos Acevedo, said that there was no mishandling, that this was an active warehouse, that in fact they had been helping people during some other disasters that had happened here, hurricanes Karen and Dorian, and that they had distributed as many as 600 pallets of water. There were 80 more pallets remaining here.

But it was all too late because Governor Wanda Vazquez decided to fire him the very same afternoon. The governor said there are thousands of people who made sacrifices to bring aid to the south and it's unforgivable, she says, that resources have been kept in a warehouse. She also ordered an investigation to be completed in 48 hours by the secretary of state.

Meanwhile, there are as many as 7,100 people in shelters on the southern coast of Puerto Rico that have been telling us that they are not receiving all the basic necessities that they need after a series of earthquakes on the southern cost of Puerto Rico that have rattled this region for more than three weeks. Now back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Thanks so much for that report. Still to come, in the shadow of an inferno, the world's top tennis players are holding court at the first grand slam event of the decade. We will take you live to Melbourne, where the air quality is a big concern at the Australian Open. Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: We want to go to Australia now where the first grand slam tennis event of the decade is underway. Some players at the Australian Open have been voicing concern about the level of air pollution as the country battles its bushfire crisis, not to mention extreme weather.

Melbourne was hit by hailstorms just a short time ago and recent torrential rains actually have brought some relief from the fires but it's a poignant picture, of course, watching a surviving koala here in New South Wales trying to drink water from the road. It has been the images of the koalas more than anything in actual fact that really pulled at people's heartstrings.

We want to get more on this. Our Will Ripley is standing by live in Melbourne. It's just been difficult. I know it's been difficult for you covering this story, seeing all the things that you have already seen. Now, you're in Melbourne where there has been hailstorm. So, talk to us about this extreme weather, how it has impacted Melbourne and, of course, the rest of fire-ravaged Australia.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, I want to talk about that koala photo for a moment because, you know, koalas, they don't drink water. They get their moisture from eucalyptus trees which have been decimated by drought and by fire.

So the fact that young koala was so desperate to try to lap up moisture in the streets, it actually stopped traffic, it just -- it speaks to how unnatural this situation is, how unprecedented, how wrong this is for Australia, millions of animals that have died, seeing their habitat destroyed, 40,000 of people who have been left homeless and for the more than two dozens of people who have been killed.

But what we are experiencing now is the kind of extreme weather that Australians are used to this time of year. We are in the middle of summer here. Australians are used to hail. We've seen golf ball-sized hail that has hit the parliament building in Canberra, knocking birds out of the sky, ripping the leaves off of trees, denting car hoods and smashing car windows.

This kind of damage, of course, is unwelcome. But what is welcome is the rain and the cooler temperatures that comes with it. And so while you're seeing things like flash flooding, especially in some of these fire-stricken areas that already have the ground pretty much stripped and that can be very dangerous, you're also seeing now temperatures cut in half here in Melbourne from what they were last week.

The air has been washed away from much of the smoke that was creating hazardous air quality when we arrived in the city late last week that was cancelling flights. We saw a fire burning that actually created its own weather system at one point and all that smoke was blowing into the city.

I remember the tennis player who collapsed. There was the British player who tweeted that, you know, he was asked to play outside in his qualifying match in conditions that were deemed unsafe even for animals here.

Those smoky skies are now almost feeling like a distant memory and they've been replaced by the heavy rain, the hail. And the tennis center behind me, they have the roof closed, the tennis actually is continuing inside even though outdoor play has been suspended indefinitely because obviously players can't play in conditions like this.

But most Australians will take this over what we have been seeing in this country for months, which is an unprecedented bushfire crisis, fires raging out of control, Rosemary. I guess the uncertainty now is how long can this last and what does happen when the rain inevitably stops and temperatures rise back up again and winds inevitably shift.

[03:55:00]

CHURCH: Yes.

RIPLEY: Because remember, there's two weeks of tennis play here and the smoke could blow right back in just as quickly as it blew out. You know how the weather changes here so quickly.

CHURCH: Yeah, you're absolutely right. We talked about this. Melbourne is known for having all four seasons in one day. Always carry an umbrella. It is as if Australia is just reeling from one challenge to the next. And it is, as an Australian living in the United States looking on, it just breaks my heart to say what the country is going through. Will Ripley, bringing us that live update, that live report from Melbourne, Australia. Many thanks.

Well, history was made at the 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards as Hollywood honored the best achievements in television and film. On Sunday, the South Korean film "Parasite" became the first foreign- language movie to win the coveted best ensemble prize. Joaquin Phoenix took home best actor for his role as the super villain in the film "Joker." And "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" Brad Pitt won the award for best actor in a supporting role. It was his first SAG award win.

Speaking of Brad Pitt, what really has social media buzzing is his reunion with his ex-wife Jennifer Aniston. The pair celebrated each other's wins with a cozy embrace back stage after she won best female actor in a drama series. But, no, there are no reports the couple is back together. I know that's what you want to see. Earlier this month, Pitt said the two were just good friends.

And thanks so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. "Early Start" is coming up next. Have a great day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END