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European Countries Tighten Restrictions amid Second Wave; Joe Biden Appeals to Senior Voters; Judge Barrett Leaves Questions on Lawmakers' Minds; Chinese City Tests More than 7.5 Million People; Economy Faces Long, Slow, Highly Uncertain Ascent; Global COVID-19 Cases Top 38 Million; Israel Attempts to Clean Rivers during Lockdown; Long Waits for Early Voting in Some States. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired October 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 all of you joining us from all around the world I'm Rosemary. Church.

As coronavirus cases surge globally, cities across Europe are preparing for new lockdowns and restrictions.

With less than 3 weeks until the U.S. presidential election, who is really ahead in the polls?

What we can glean from the numbers.

And later, trying to make a difference during lockdown by diving for rubbish.

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CHURCH: Good to have you with. Us we're more than 7 months into this pandemic and the total number of cases worldwide tops 38 million. That is according to Johns Hopkins University, which says the death toll is approaching 1.1 million. The United States still has the most COVID-19 infections and deaths anywhere in the world.

Now the nation's leading infectious disease expert warns of growing signs a resurgence of cases could already be here.

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DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We're seeing an uptick in what's called test positivity, which is often and, in fact, invariably highly predictive of resurgence of cases which historically we know leads to an increase in hospitalizations and then, ultimately, an increase in deaths.

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CHURCH: In Europe, infections in the Netherlands have risen 60 percent compared to last. Week all bars and restaurants there must close by 10 pm on Wednesday.

Britain's opposition leader is calling for England to undergo a circuit breaker lockdown to curb the nation's rising infection rate. This as the government is imposing its tightest restrictions in Liverpool. For that, Salma Abdelaziz reports.

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SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER: Last call in Liverpool. Pubs must shut their doors for at least a month.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why isn't London shut down?

ABDELAZIZ: Tougher restrictions were ordered after a surge in COVID- 19 cases. But there is no socially distant farewell here. The proud port city, birthplace of The Beatles, home to a championship football team is the first to be classified as very high risk under England's new three-tier COVID alert system.

The government says the decision was driven by the data. The city has the highest number of coronavirus patients in the entire country. Local city councilman, Paul Brant, agrees the rapid rise in infections is a problem, but his consensus with London ends there.

PAUL BRANT, PUBLIC HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE, LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL: A rather toxic mix of arrogance and ignorance at the central government level has led us to the sorry state that we are in now. I think the evidence is clear now, that a short, sharp intervention, three, four weeks ago would have avoided the mess that we are in now.

ABDELAZIZ: The country's top scientists agree. Three weeks ago a government advisory body suggested a circuit breaker, a short but complete lockdown to reduce case numbers. Their advice went unheeded by Downing Street.

After months of controversy, over the government's handling of coronavirus, many people here say they are running out of patience and they are running low on trust.

There have always been tensions between the north of the country and the central government in London. But under the pandemic, the mistrust is growing.

For now, the city's iconic Beatles tours are still running, but tour guide, Jay Johnson says the country's ruling elite is failing its working class.

JAY JOHNSON, TOUR GUIDE, BEATLES MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR: Because I have no faith in them at all. They keep changing their minds, constant U- turn, one after another. I personally feel that the government isn't doing anything for us, the prime minister is not doing anything for us. The prime minister has never done enough for us.

ABDELAZIZ: And while public confidence dwindles by the day, the government is calling for immediate compliance to avoid a second wave of the pandemic that may be even deadlier than the first -- Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, Liverpool.

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CHURCH: Other European countries are also looking to strict new measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus, as cases on the continent continue to soar. On Tuesday, Italy recorded its highest daily increases of new cases and is reporting its highest number of ICU patients since late March.

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CHURCH: Germany's largest cities have all become virus hotspots over the past few days. And the country is now reporting its highest cumulative infection numbers in 7 days since April. German chancellor Angela Merkel is set to discuss new restrictions. Today

In France hospitals continue to fill up at an alarming rate. Intensive care units in the Paris are now more than 40 percent full. That's up from last week. Nearly 13,000 new COVID cases were reported across France Tuesday.

And now Melissa Bell is in Bordeaux, she joins us now.

So Melissa, it is an alarming trend, isn't it. And it comes as the Northern Hemisphere heads into the flu season.

So what new restrictions, are various European nations considering now?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we've seen essentially over the course of the last few days, several countries announced these record rises, since they haven't seen since spring, some for whom the first wave hadn't been that bad and the first records set since the start of the pandemic.

And with that, a number of countries now taking restrictions. For instance, in Holland, you have bars and restaurants now being made to close at 10 pm. And in the Czech Republic, the schools are being made to closed. Different countries bringing things in.

One problem we've had here in the European Union, is that this border free space that was particularly opened up in the summer until extra measures were brought in with individual countries, adding quarantine lists in an ad hoc way, was people essentially able to travel freely across the European continents, catching coronavirus, bringing it home, bringing it back to the big cities.

I think that's one of the important trends we have in Europe here now. So many of our big European cities are now hotspots. There is this issue of how countries deal with getting across European countries.

Finally it took until yesterday for the E.U. to come up with a system coordinated across the European system where they can talk about the different risks, different colored risks, different tiered system, to try to form some sort of coordination between the European countries about how restrict (INAUDIBLE) level between them. CHURCH: And Melissa, France's president Emmanuel Macron and Germany's

Angela Merkel will speak later today.

What are they expected to say?

BELL: That's right. Angela Merkel will have met with all of the premiers of Germany's federal states and all of the cities, the major cities in Germany now have been declared hotspots. Numbers there been rising very quickly.

Remember this is one of those countries that dealt with the first wave remarkably well. They are going to be looking at what further restrictions might be needed. We'll be hearing about that later on.

As for France, all European countries are determined to avoid a second general lockdown if they can. We expect the French president to announce some restrictions, further restrictions, we know a special emergency team was held yesterday.

One of the things being talked about in the French press is a possibility of a curfew. Anything that would allow France to avoid a second general lockdown, I think that's what we'll hear from the French president tonight.

CHURCH: OK, thanks, I appreciate it.

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CHURCH: Less than 3 weeks to go before the U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump is down in the polls. And despite all his bravado, playing defense. He took his campaign blitz to Pennsylvania on Tuesday, with trips to Iowa and North Carolina later this week, all states he won back in 2016.

His rally featured few masks and no physical distancing, which is alarming in a state where new COVID cases are up 63 percent in the past month.

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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I'll tell you what, we have the vaccines are coming soon, the therapeutics and, frankly, the cure. All I know is I took something, whatever the hell it was, I felt good very quickly.

I don't know what it was, antibodies, antibodies. I don't know. I took it. I said I felt like superman. You know, I said, let me at them. No, and I could have been here four or five days ago. It's great. We had great doctors. I want to thank the doctors at Walter Reed and Johns Hopkins.

One great thing about being president, if you're not feeling 100 percent, you have more doctors than you thought existed in the world. I was surrounded with, like, 14 of them.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Well, Democratic nominee Joe Biden spent Tuesday in Florida, telling voters if, he wins, that swing state, it's all over for Donald Trump. Former president Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail on Biden's behalf starting next week. Biden made an emotional appeal to senior voters.

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JOE BIDEN (D-DE), FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: How many people have trouble going to sleep at night because they can't just reach over and touch, they can't hear their son or daughter's voice on the phone?

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BIDEN: While he throws superspreader parties at the White House and Republicans hug each other without concern of the consequences.

How many of you have been unable to hug your grandkids in the last seven months?

I have six of them. It's become painfully clear, as his careless, arrogant, reckless COVID responses caused one of the worst tragedies in American history, the only senior that Donald Trump cares about, the only senior, is the senior Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Both candidates are blanketing the battleground states this week. Donald Trump has events scheduled in Florida, Pennsylvania again, Iowa, North Carolina and Georgia. Joe Biden will be campaigning in Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania.

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CHURCH: Joining us now is CNN senior writer and political analyst, Harry Enten.

Great to see you, Harry.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL WRITER AND ANALYST: My pleasure to be with you.

CHURCH: So, early voting shows people wake waiting up to eight hours to cast their ballot, certainly in Georgia, some Democrats still nervous though about a repeat of 2016 despite Donald Trump trailing his rival Joe Biden. What are the polls telling you?

ENTEN: Yes. I mean, look. I hear this 2016 comparison an awful lot and you know, Hillary Clinton was in the lead at this particular point in the 2016 campaign, but her lead looks nothing like what Joe Biden looks like right now. Joe Biden is ahead by 11 points. Hillary Clinton was ahead was just by 6.

But more than, Joe Biden has been consistently above 50 percent, while Hillary Clinton never reach that 50 percent threshold at this point in the campaign. So even if Donald Trump wins all the undecided voters Joe Biden would still be ahead. That's very different than it was four years ago where Trump won a lot of those late deciding voters and they were the ones who helped put him over the top.

CHURCH: Right. So national polls of course are one thing. It's the Electoral College that decides this. What do polls in battleground states indicate in terms of shifts in voting groups?

ENTEN: Yes. You know, I took a look at the six closest states that

Donald Trump won four years ago. And take a look at these states now and what you see is you see Joe Biden is ahead not in one of them, not in two, but in all six of those states he is ahead.

And in states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, he holds significant 8, 9-point leads. And the fact of the matter is Joe Biden wins that the states Hillary Clinton won four years ago plus Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, that gets him over 270 electoral votes.

CHURCH: Do you think that will calm some of the Democrats' nerves? So, when you look at all these polls, it appears that Biden is doing very well. But Trump insists he has a path to victory. Do you see it?

ENTEN: I mean, look, we still have three weeks to go so we'll have to wait and see. But you know, another way of sort of getting at this is sort of the states that around the periphery, right? That the candidates might carry if they blow someone out.

And if you look at these states, the states that last time around Hillary Clinton won say, by three points or less, those are the states that Trump wants to reach and win. And you look at the Biden reaches the states that Trump won by 5 to 10 points in 2016, what do you see?

And the states that are essentially the Trump reaches, Biden is well ahead on all of them by 7 to 15 points. While in the Biden reaches, Biden actually has nominal edges in three of those four states.

So, at this particular point, look, we're still three weeks to go, you know, I'll say that over and over again. Right now, Trump, if the election were held today, he might have a path but it would be a very, very narrow path.

CHURCH: Harry Enten, always a pleasure to chat with you. Many thanks.

ENTEN: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Well Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee tried to convince Senate Democrats she's no right-wing puppet with no conservative agenda.

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CHURCH: But Amy Coney Barrett refused to say how she would rule on hot button issues, like abortion, health care and gay rights. CNN's Phil Mattingly has more.

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PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN U.S. CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, first day of questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee, probably defined more by what she did not answer than what she did. Although to some degree it's expected.

Usually Supreme Court nominees don't weigh in on cases day might have to eventually write a decision on, when they do join the court, should they be confirmed. That didn't stop Senate Democrats on the committee, from pressing her repeatedly on a series of issues, issues that they say the stakes could not be higher on, with the court potentially moving even further to the conservative side than it's been maybe in 70, 80 years.

That includes the Affordable Care Act, which the Supreme Court will take up just a few days after the election, also potential election law cases, that could come from a contested election. The nominee responded to the questions.

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AMY CONEY BARRETT, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE CANDIDATE: I have the integrity to act consistently with my oath and apply the law, as the law, to approach the ACA and every other statute without bias. And I have not made any commitments or deals or anything like that. I am not here on a mission to destroy the Affordable Care Act.

I am just here to apply the law and adhere to the rule of law. No matter what anyone else may think or expect, I have not committed to anyone or so much as signaled, I've never even written -- I've been in a couple of opinions in the 7th Circuit that have been around the edges of election law.

But I haven't even written anything that I would think anybody could reasonably say, oh, this is how she might resolve an election dispute.

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MATTINGLY: Obviously, not a lot of detail there. Not a lot of detail on many of the questions Democrats asked. But expect them to continue to press. Obviously, a marathon session on Tuesday, another one to follow on Wednesday.

And the Democrats aren't just trying sink the nomination. They understand, just like Republicans do, the nomination remains on track for confirmation. But they want more than anything else, to raise public awareness, particularly, three weeks before a hotly contested election on issues they believe are politically advantageous to them.

They believe fire up their base and their members. Expect that to continue, also, expect members to try to keep digging, see if they can get some more information out of the nominee, before she continues her path to confirmation over the course of the next following weeks -- Phil Mattingly, CNN, Capitol Hill. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Millions are tested for COVID-19 in just 2 days. Ahead, what the results are showing in Qingdao, China.

And uncertainty is the theme from the International Monetary Fund's predictions for economic recovery. That in just a moment.

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CHURCH: Authorities say more than 7 and a half million people have been tested for COVID-19 in Qingdao, China. The mass testing program began Monday after 12 new cases were reported over the weekend.

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CHURCH: The city has received more than 4 million test results. And so far there are no new positive cases. The port city has a population of 9 million. Kristie Lu Stout is in Hong Kong and joins us now live with the latest.

Good to see you, Kristie.

So how is China able to carry out such extensive testing?

And how reliable are these results?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: Reliability is the key question here. Especially when we're talking about COVID-19 testing at such a breathtaking scale. As you reported, Rosemary, the city of Qingdao in the northeastern port city of China, a city of 9 million people, has tested 7 and a half million people in a matter of days. About 4 million results have already been returned and according to local officials, there have been no additional positive cases of COVID-19 there in the port city.

This follows events over the weekend, when only 12 new cases were detected. That's what sparked this mass testing blitz. We've seen this happen before in China during the coronavirus pandemic, small clusters detected in Beijing or Dalian or in Wuhan and then a mass rapid testing operation is underway.

So how do they do it?

It involves these pop-up testing centers, hundreds of testing centers and thousands of staff. They carry out something called pool testing. Pool testing involves this, basically a pool of around 3 to 10 samples is collected. It's then tested together; if it's negative for COVID- 19, the team then moves on to the next batch.

If it's tested positive, they dig in and test out the individual samples one by one to find out which one is positive for COVID-19. I talked to a number of experts this morning, they say this method of mass testing using pool testing is precise. It's fast. But it may not give a complete picture. Listen to this from a top virologist at Hong Kong University.

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JIN DONG-YAN, VIROLOGY PROFESSOR, HONG KONG UNIVERSITY: I think that mass testing at these scales is actually a waste of resources and it may not be helpful in many different contexts. Because positive patients actually being picked up over a range of time is not -- just a snapshot. So, this is just a snapshot. So, it definitely -- it will mean a lot of positive individuals.

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STOUT: Dr. Jin Dong-yan of Hong Kong University saying the kind of mass testing that we're seeing right now may not be enough. He cites that in the event of a super spreading event, researchers and disease experts need at minimum 7 days or a week to be able to detect any additional positive cases -- Rosemary.

CHURCH: Incredible. Kristie Lu Stout, many thanks.

Well the International Monetary Fund predicts a long, slow economic recovery ahead. The IMF forecast a less severe contraction for 2020 than first predicted in June. There were stronger than expected recoveries in the U.S. and Europe when lockdowns were lifted. And China's economy is expected to expand this year by 1.9 percent.

But the IMF emphasized its projections are uncertain because of a lack of clarity on the pandemic and the economic response to it. So let's bring in Eleni Giokos from Johannesburg.

It's good to see you. So a long, slow economic recovery but things could have been worse, right?

What needs to happen going forward to improve the outlook?

ELENI GIOKOS, CNNMONEY CORRESPONDENT: You're so spot on. We constantly are getting these reality checks about where the global economy is headed. They're really important because it gives us some kind of outlook as to how deep the calamity, the economic calamity has been because of COVID-19.

It's looking slightly better for 2020. But as you say, it's because China is doing really well. It's the only country in the world that's actually going back to pre-COVID-19 levels.

And we're looking at levels that are stronger than 2019. 2021, of course, looking again slightly worse; that's because of the uncertainty. What needs to happen here is a vaccine, a vaccine that not only has really strong efficacy but also distributed effectively on a global scale.

And then the continuation of stimulus in the market to ensure that we work through the process in a sustainable way. Take a listen to what the IMF chief economist said yesterday.

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GITA GOPINATH, CHIEF ECONOMIST, IMF: The countries are not coming back up even by 2025 to their pre-pandemic projected path. The world economy is going to be 4 percent smaller than what we had projected pre-pandemic even in 2025.

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GOPINATH: So this is a long, slow ascent. And it still remains highly uncertain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: That 4 percent lower on output on a global scale equates to around $28 trillion. This is an enormous figure. Remember even if we begin to see GDP levels rising, if we start to see a positive number going forward, we're still seeing a much slower global growth number than what we saw pre-COVID-19.

It's deep and it's dark and it's going to leave scars, they say. It's going to remain in place for many years to come. The world is getting poorer. The poor are getting poorer, global inequalities have been accelerated, have been highlighted, more so now than ever before.

And the richer economies that had the resources to stimulate their way out of this crisis are going to fare much better. But the U.S., as an example, has been holding back on a stimulus program, that really worked in its favor in the first quarter of this year.

Now the question is, are we going to see a double dip scenario as a second wave of COVID-19 cases start to emerge?

You're also starting to see localized cases of the likes of lockdowns emerging in Europe and other global economies as well. So the pain is still very much in place. And as the IMF says, this is so much more to work through.

CHURCH: All right, Eleni Giokos, many thanks.

Apple is moving to join the 5G era. The company unveiled 4 new iPhone models on Tuesday. All equipped with 5G. It's the next generation of wireless network technology. It's still being rolled out in the U.S., and the fastest speeds are limited.

The new iPhone started at $699 and can go as high as $1,400 depending on the model. Apple typically unveils its new iPhones in September. But the pandemic disrupted the supply chains.

The world is watching as Nigeria attempts police reform. Days ago, a police unit, accused of brutality, kidnapping and killings, was disbanded. The move came after nationwide protests and calls by global celebrities.

Now a rebanded -- rebranded police unit called Special Weapons and Tactics or SWAT has been organized. It includes members of that disbanded group. Nigeria's police inspector general says they are committed to reform. He's calling for calm while the group undergoes training.

Next hour CNN's Stephanie Busari joins us live from Lagos to share some of the protest victims' stories and shocking images of their experiences.

Coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM --

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FAUCI: As the weather gets cooler and as they do many more things indoors, we're seeing an uptick in what's called test positivity.

CHURCH (voice-over): Temperatures going down, coronavirus cases going up. And that could mean a devastating second wave for the United States. Back with that in just a moment.

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CHURCH: The number of coronavirus cases is once again climbing at alarming rates worldwide; 38 million people have now been infected since this pandemic began. That's according to Johns Hopkins University. And it could get much worse for the U.S., with experts warning the dreaded second wave may already be here. CNN's Erica Hill reports.

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ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR AND U.S. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than seven months into this pandemic, the U.S. is sliding backwards.

DR. PETER HOTEZ, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: This is going to be a very tough winter. We may see a rise in new cases that exceeds what we saw back in March and April.

HILL: Thirty-three states now seeing new cases rise over the past week, nearly half of those also posting their highest seven-day averages for new cases since the pandemic began.

DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Now is the time to act. Now is the time to do something about it.

HILL: COVID-related hospitalizations at record highs in five states. Positivity rates, which ideally should be at 3 percent or less, are climbing. FAUCI: We're starting to see a number of states well above that, which is often and, in fact, invariably highly predictive of a resurgence of cases.

HILL: In New York, hefty fines and tickets, as the city tries to contain clusters by enforcing masks, limiting gatherings and closing nonessential businesses.

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D-NY), NEW YORK CITY: We're now in day four of the pause in those areas. And we are seeing some results.

HILL: It's not just New York clamping down. Across much of Europe, restrictions are returning, as new cases and anxiety grow.

DR. TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: Each of the last four days has been the highest number of cases reported so far.

HILL: Eli Lilly pausing its trial of an antibody treatment today, one touted by the president, telling CNN safety is of the utmost importance, though without offering specifics.

Johnson & Johnson just paused phase three of its vaccine trial because of an unexpected illness in one of the volunteers.

DR. ASHISH JHA, HARVARD GLOBAL HEALTH INSTITUTE: To me, it's reassuring that companies are acting responsibly and pausing when they need to.

HILL: AstraZeneca's U.S. trials remain on hold, pending an FDA investigation.

Meantime, in Dallas, a big moment for Major League Baseball.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is amazing.

HILL: Spectators, more than 11,000, allowed in for game one of the NLCS.

FREDDIE FREEMAN, ATLANTA BRAVES: It's just great to have baseball fans in the stands again.

HILL: The Philadelphia Eagles will welcome a limited number of fans to the stadium this Sunday.

While there are some bright spots when it comes to major league sports in New York City, the New York Philharmonic is canceling its entire season for the first time in its 178 year history; the president and CEO calling the decision, "dreadful" -- In New York, I'm Erica Hill, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: As Erica mentioned, 2 clinical trials for coronavirus treatments were put on hold this week. Johnson & Johnson paused its human trials of a vaccine after someone became ill. The company says it's not unusual in a trial of this size.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH WOLK, JOHNSON & JOHNSON: We don't know even at this point whether that individual is in the placebo arm or the vaccinated arm. And we just have to do a little bit more diligence through the independent external panel before we can make any conclusive decisions going forward.

But again,, speaking with our scientific team, especially for a study that's this large, 60,000 patients, to have an adverse event or two unexpectedly is not uncommon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: That vaccine trial is among dozens currently taking place around the world. China, the U.S., Germany and the U.K. are leading the way as of now.

Israel's second coronavirus lockdown is well underway. While tighter restrictions have changed lives, they are also an opportunity to improve the environment. CNN's Oren Liebermann explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On days when the Hasbani River slows to a trickle, it's the other stream that doesn't stop, the one Ofer Sivan is trying to hold back.

OFER SIVAN, UPPER GALILEE REGIONAL COUNCIL: (through translator): There is a quiet day with little going on and the current flow is very slow. It's possible to gather a lot of junk.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Junk, trash, garbage, call it whatever you want, it's all here, piling up just under the surface, the refuse from picnics held on the river banks and then thrown into the river.

SIVAN (through translator): We call them people on the banks, because they come here, they like to drink alcohol.

[02:35:00]

SIVAN (through translator): And when they finish drinking, they throw the bottle in the water. They throw away cans, they sit in the water on their tables with the food, everything you can imagine. At some stage they get up, wipe the stuff off in the stream and leave.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): In the midst of Israel's second general lockdown, the parks around the river are closed to tourists. During this rare period of quiet, Sivan and a small group who have special permission to work in the river are trying to make a difference on this important tributary of the Jordan River.

Piece by piece, they bring up trash for months and years ago.

REA SOFER, GOSHRIM KAYAKS (through translator): The level of trash is constant, more or less. Every year people come to the banks to sleep, cook out, throw their trash into the water. It's the same amount every year.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): In 30 minutes of cleaning they filled two boats with trash and are close to filling a third.

LIEBERMANN: There's so much trash in this river that you only have to go under for a few seconds -- and come up with it.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Coronavirus has also contributed to the trash. Discarded masks collect on the riverside, adding to the mess.

SOFER (through translator): This is our home. I would not throw trash into your backyard. And for me, this is my backyard. It's not nice.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): This is a struggle they say they cannot win. It's not just a cleanup that's needed; it's a complete change in the public's attitude. But they insist they owe it to each other and to the river to make sure it's the Hasbani that keeps flowing and not the trash -- Oren Liebermann, CNN, Northern Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Some U.S. voters are trying to get a head start on the election but in some places they need a lot of patience. We will check on the early voting process when we come back.

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CHURCH: Early voting in the U.S. election kicked off with a marching band in Houston, Texas. Other places didn't have quite as much fanfare. But record crowds are turning out in some key states.

But the process isn't always going smoothly. There are reports of mechanical problems, long lines and long waits of up to 8 hours. Can you imagine? CNN's Pamela Brown is covering the story.

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PAMELA BROWN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another state, another day of hours in long lines and some mishaps as voters go to the polls. This time, Texas.

Everybody's come out to vote here. Lines around the corner.

BROWN (voice-over): Across the Lone Star State, Houston, Fort Hood, South Austin all with long lines as voters take advantage of the start of early voting.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just came out, so I would say about two and a half hours.

BROWN (voice-over): In Harris County, early voters hoping to use drive-through voting are facing similar delays.

[02:40:00]

BROWN (voice-over): In Travis County where a whopping 97 percent of the county's 850,000 eligible voters are registered to vote, some voting machines were not working, after waking up to news of a late night ruling upholding Republican Governor Greg Abbott's directive for one ballot drop box per county in the state, a major issue for densely populated counties where voters could spend more than an hour driving just to cast their vote.

CHRIS HOLLINS, HARRIS COUNTY CLERK: More than 50 miles in some cases to drop off their mail ballot. It's unfair, it's prejudicial and it's dangerous.

BROWN (voice-over): It comes a day after a similar start in Georgia, where voters waited for hours to vote. In Gwinnett County, some voters waited in line for up to eight hours.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to be out here to be able to share my voice.

BROWN (voice-over): Georgia setting an early voting record with nearly 127,000 ballots cast, some of the more than 10 and a half million casts nationwide. Today, no difference, more voters, more long lines.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Many people have sacrificed before us. So it is almost (INAUDIBLE) if we don't take the time to show our kids that they have this right and is best use as early as possible.

BROWN (voice-over): But voting rights advocates say it is not OK to make people wait like this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): There have been problems with poll pads, with ballot access cards, with obviously social distancing and just taking a lot longer to process through lines.

BROWN (voice-over): In Virginia, the last day of voter registration, saw the state's online registration system was down for several hours due to an IT cable that was accidentally severed, prompting calls from some state leaders to extend the registration deadline.

Meanwhile, in California, unofficial ballot drop boxes, potentially illegal in the state, as the state's Democratic secretary of state and the Department of Justice are sending a cease and desist order to the California Republican Party to remove them in at least three counties.

ALEX PADILLA, CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE: This is wrong no matter who is doing it. It's not just the security of the ballot that's in question here. It is the transparency, voter confidence.

BROWN (voice-over): The state Republican Party spokesman telling CNN he believes the boxes are similar to giving the ballot to a family member to drop off, which is legal in California. While in New York, the city's police commissioner informed all uniformed service members to be prepared for deployment starting October 25th, citing the possibility of protests before and after the 2020 presidential election, according to an internal memo obtained by CNN -- Pamela Brown, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Interesting times in the USA.

Thanks for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church. Be sure to connect with me on Twitter @RosemaryCNN. I'll be back at the top of the hour with more CNN NEWSROOM.

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