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Afghan Women Fighting for Their Rights; Afghan Teacher Brings Her Students to Italy; Migrants Flooded Del Rio, Texas; Gabby Petito's Body Now Been Found; Booster to be Given to 65 and Older Population; President Biden Speaks at UNGA; All Eyes and Ears on Presidents Biden and Macron's Talk; Canada's Federal Election Underway; Wildfires Threaten Northern California; Actors and Actresses Got Their Emmy's. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired September 20, 2021 - 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 (on camera): Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. You are watching CNN Newsroom. And I'm rosemary church.

Just ahead, Afghan women raise their voices on the streets of Kabul while the Taliban methodically attempt to silence them at schools and in the workplace.

The FBI says it believes the remains of Gabby Petito have been found. Now, the search for her fiance is taking on new urgency.

And four major crises loom over President Biden as he prepares to speak at the U.N., and say to the world we're all in this mess together.

Good to have you with us.

Al though the Taliban are showing increasing signs of repressive governing, some women are not backing down.

A group of activists protested outside what used to be the women's ministry on Sunday. The Taliban closed it and replaced it with their ministry for promotion of virtue and prevention of vice. The protests come after concerns were raised about girls being allowed to attend secondary school.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TARANUM SAYEEDI, WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVIST (through translator): You cannot suppress the voice of Afghan women by keeping girls at home and restricting them as well as by not allowing them to go to school. You cannot suppress the voice of Afghanistan's women.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH (on camera): A private preschool opened Sunday in Kabul with

both boys and girls attending. The Taliban insists public-secondary school for girls will be allowed, but they say they have to set up safe transportation first.

CNN's Anna Coren has reported from inside Afghanistan. For the latest, she is tracking developments for us from Hong Kong and joins us live. Always good to see you, Anna.

So, despite being shut out of their jobs, some Afghan women remain bravely defiant here. And some boys are refusing to return to school unless their sisters can return with them. What is the latest on all of this? And where is it going do you think?

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it is amazing what we are seeing playing out, Rosemary. You showed that protest yesterday on the streets of Kabul. It wasn't a big protest. It was only about a dozen women. But some of the signs they were holding up and what they were saying. Saying that a society in which women are not active is a dead society.

I mean, it's just extraordinary. And you have the Taliban watching on this protest lasted maybe 10, 15 minutes. But the fact that they are doing this, you know, defying the Taliban, defying, you know, the edicts that they are putting out, which is that, you know, girls cannot go to secondary school at the moment because of transportation issues.

Women can't return to the workforce, certainly not the government workers because these are jobs that men can do. Only the jobs that men can't do, such as cleaning the women's toilets, can women do. And the reason they say this is because they want Afghanistan to return to a state of normal before women return to the workforce. Let's have a listen to what the mayor -- the acting mayor of Kabul had to say yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAMDULLAH NOMANI, ACTING MAYOR, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (through translator): Initially, we allowed all of them to be present at their duties on time. But then, the Islamic emirate decided it was necessary that for some time their work must stop. Then we only allowed those females whom we needed. I mean for jobs which males couldn't do or which is not a man's job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Rosemary, we are talking about a generation of women who have been educated. You know, for the last 20 years. Their daughters have been educated. They want this to continue. You can't just suddenly put these people in their homes and keep them in their homes.

I have been speaking to activists. You know, in Kabul who say that the Taliban, they don't want to see us. They do not want to hear us. There is this intense hatred towards women. And this is not the Taliban that came into power just over a month ago, promising, you know, inclusion, promising that women will be an integral part of society will be allowed to work, will be allowed to study. Girls will be allowed to go to school.

This is a Taliban, Rosemary, that is trying to send women back to the dark ages.

CHURCH: So, what is the future of those women, particularly who are educated, had jobs, had careers, and now they can't see a future for themselves?

[03:05:01]

COREN: Well, Rosemary, from what they tell me, they have no future in Afghanistan which is why so many of them are still trying to get out of the country. The problem for so many of them is they don't have a passport. They might have a national I.C. card but they don't have a passport. They don't have visas to any other countries.

So, they are -- they are trapped. One human rights activist who I was talking to who does have a U.S. passport, who's lived in America for decades but who chose to stay in Afghanistan and look after the women and girls who are in her care, says Afghanistan has now become an open-air prison for women. That is what she said, women and girls.

CHURCH: Just horrifying. Anna Coren joining us there from Hong Kong. Many thanks.

Well, the fall of Afghanistan has left many Afghans seeking refuge in other countries. For many, it's a matter of life and death.

Ben Wedeman has the story of one educator working tirelessly to bring former students safely to Italy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Teacher and student meet again.

UNKNOWN: How are you? Welcome to Italy. Welcome to Italy.

WEDEMAN: Selene Biffi founded and ran a school in Kabul where Soheila Dorosi graduated five years ago. Last month, as the Taliban took over Kabul, Selene she received a desperate message from a former student, don't abandon me.

SELENE BIFFI, SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR: The Qessa Academy is a unique space that helps.

WEDEMAN: Selene founded The Qessa Academy in 2013 with funds she won from the Rolex Awards for Enterprise. The academy used Afghanistan's age-old oral traditions as a means of education.

BIFFI: And she told me she was very happy.

WEDEMAN: Selene more than 5,000 kilometers from Kabul pulled every string she could to wrangle places for her former students and their families on Italian military flights out of the Afghan capital. Soheila and her family made it through the pandemonium and onto a plane. They are now in a small town in southern Italy.

Another former student, Sayed Wakil Hussaini and his family were able to get on a flight out, barely. "She, Selene, texted me and asked me to send her the list of family members," he recalls. The next day she asked me to go to the airport at five in the morning. We left all our belongings and property behind.

When I saw the situation at the airport, I thought we wouldn't be able to get in. The Taliban were firing at people, barely missed me. The Italian government managed to evacuate nearly 5,000 Afghans before the Taliban took control of the airport. Selene looks back on the last month with mixed emotions.

BIFFI: On the one hand, I am very, very relieved that they are here and they were able to come to Italy. But I'm very worried about everybody else that could not leave the country. So, my thought is also with them.

WEDEMAN: Barely a month in Italy, Soheila mourns the life she lost.

SOHEILA DOROSI, AFGHAN IN ITALY: I love my country. I love my people. And I have a lot of friends in my country, and I don't know what happening -- happen -- happen for them. And it's -- makes me so sad.

WEDEMAN: Ahead now lies the long, hard struggle for these strangers to adapt to a new life in this strange land.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH (on camera): And back here in the United States, the family of Gabby Petito is asking for privacy as they grieve the loss of their daughter. On Sunday, FBI investigators said the human remains they found in Wyoming are consistent with the description of the 22-year- old Petito. She was reported missing more than a week ago.

Meanwhile, authorities spent another day searching the Florida wilder -- wilderness for Petito's fiance whose whereabouts are unknown.

CNN's Leyla Santiago is on the scene with more.

LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: North Port police say that they will continue to work with the FBI in order to find more answers when it comes to the disappearance of Gabby Petito as well as the disappearance of Brian Laundrie. Now, they have been searching here in this wildlife reserve where we are right now, 25,000 acres, by the way, a very lush terrain all day long.

After the Laundrie family reached out to police on Friday saying the last time they had seen him was on Tuesday. The search continues to finding Brian Laundrie.

[03:10:02] Now, as far as Gabby Petito, FBI held a press conference with some very tragic news. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES JONES, FBI SUPERVISORY SENIOR RESIDENT AGENT: Earlier today, human remains were discovered consistent with the description of Gabrielle Gabby Petito. Full forensic identification has not been completed to confirm 100 percent that we found Gabby. But her family has been notified of this discovery. The cause of death has not been determined at this time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANTIAGO (on camera): Still, lots of questions remain and there are still a lot of investigators, as well as a community here that is hoping that if investigators can find Brian Laundrie that perhaps they can get more information to what led up to the disappearance and death of Gabby Petito.

Leyla Santiago, CNN, North Port, Florida.

CHURCH: And the Laundrie family expressed their condolences on Sunday saying, through a family attorney, the news about Gabby Petito is heartbreaking. The Laundrie family prays for Gabby and her family.

Well, a migrant crisis is unfolding at the U.S.-Mexico border. This is the scene at a migrant camp under the Del Rio International Bridge where nearly 12,000 migrants are waiting to be processed by U.S. immigration authorities. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has already conducted three repatriation flights from Del Rio, Texas, to Port-au-Prince with more than 300 Haitians onboard.

But that's not deterring more migrants from arriving at the border. Now, the head of U.S. homeland security plans to travel to the area to assess the situation.

Here's what he told CNN's Jim Acosta.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We are increasing the frequency and size of the repatriation flights. We have sent a very clear message early on. In light of the fact that we are in the midst of a pandemic, that the border is not open and people should not take the perilous journey here. We are returning people to other countries.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH (on camera): CNN's Rosa Flores takes a look at the desperate living conditions at the migrant camp.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I've never seen anything like this in the United States. Take a look. This is a migrant camp in Del Rio, Texas underneath the international bridge. Now, days ago, there were a few tents out here. There was a small tent city.

Now, you can see that it has grown significantly. People have used what looks like tree branches, bamboo, blankets, plastics to create small huts so that they can protect themselves from the heat.

Now, we are seeing state and federal resources arrive to make sure that these individuals can be processed in U.S. immigration facilities. But we don't have a timeline. The federal government doesn't know exactly when they will be able to clear this camp out.

Now, if you look closely, you will see that these are men, women, children. I see pregnant women, infants, in the heat, underneath a bridge living here. You can see that they're drying their clothes, hanging them from what -- wherever they can.

Now, the federal government says that they've brought in towels, toilets -- I'm looking at them -- and that they are trying to up the humanitarian action, the humanitarian aid. And by what I'm looking at, it doesn't look like much of that has arrived because these are huts. Take a look at this. They are huts that have plastic and blankets covering over them.

Now, the silver lining here is that the mayor of Del Rio who has been calling on the federal government to step in says that now there are the resources to take care of this humanitarian crisis. He says that both state and federal resources are arriving. We know that hundreds of agents are being sent here to Del Rio to make sure that these individuals are processed.

Again, these are the gates of America. This is the immigration waiting room right now in Del Rio, Texas.

Rosa Flores, CNN, Del Rio, Texas.

CHURCH: And coming up, FDA advisers have weighed in on COVID booster shots for Pfizer recipients. But what about everyone who got a different shot? That's just ahead.

[03:15:00]

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CHURCH (on camera): This was the scene in Melbourne, Australia on Saturday when hundreds of anti-lockdown protestors clashed with police. Ten officers were injured and more than 230 people were arrested.

Frustrations are rising after weeks of tough COVID restrictions and lockdowns across the state of Victoria and its capital, Melbourne. Victoria reported more than 560 new COVID cases Monday, its largest daily rise this year.

Well, the United States is averaging nearly 2,000 COVID deaths a day. The highest level we've seen since March. Health experts say the best way to reverse the trend is to get more people vaccinated. But for those who already are, there is new confusion over booster shots. The Biden administration had wanted to make them available for all

eligible Americans as soon as Monday. But on Friday, an FDA advisory committee made a more limited recommendation.

CNN's Arlette Saenz has more.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The Biden administration is signaling it will follow the guidance and recommendations of the FDA and CDC when it rolls out COVID-19 booster shots.

[03:20:06]

This week, advisers to the FDA said that that plan needs to be more limited in scope after the Biden administration has initially said they would plan on rolling out booster shots for all Americans by the week of September 20th. The advisers to the FDA met on Friday, and said that initially boosters should only be going out to those in higher-risk categories, including individuals 65 and above.

Dr. Anthony Fauci says he believes later on that decision may be revised. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We fully anticipate that within a period of a couple to three weeks, that there will be enough information on the data that will be presented to the FDA by J&J and by Moderna, that we'll be able to proceed and get those data analyzed to be able to move with a booster in those categories. We don't believe it's going to be a considerable period of time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, these advisers were saying more scientific evidence was needed before they would authorize and recommend these boosters for the general population. Much of their focus right now is also on trying to get those first-two shots to those unvaccinated Americans across the country.

This all comes as the COVID-19 pandemic remains a top priority for President Biden, both domestically and abroad. On Wednesday, the president will be hosting and holding a virtual COVID-19 global summit where part of the discussion will include donating vaccines across the world.

As the president wants to get a handle on this pandemic both here at home in the United States, and helping those foreign countries around the world.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, traveling with the president in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

CHURCH: Dr. Jayne Morgan is the executive director for Piedmont Healthcare's COVID Task Force. She joins me here in Atlanta. Thank you so much for talking with us.

JAYNE MORGAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PIEDMONT HEALTHCARE COVID TASK FORCE: Thank you, Rosemary, for having me.

CHURCH: So, of course, sadly we know the daily death toll from COVID- 19 has been just below 2,000. Hospitalizations across the country have put doctors and nurses in dire circumstances, sometimes having to choose which patients to save.

But the most frustrating part of where things currently stand in this country is the fact that we have access to vaccinations for COVID. But these patients choose not to get it. How do your colleagues feel about that? And the burnout and staffing shortages that they are also facing?

MORGAN: You know, Rosemary, that's such a great question. We are in this fourth surge, and this is our first surge that has been entirely preventable where we have had not only vaccines available but vaccines readily available and plentiful.

So, this has certainly been a bit more of a psychological strain. I think, you know, people are beginning to talk about, you know, compassion fatigue syndrome. And what do we see in physicians and nurses and others who are on the front line?

And certainly, it can be discomforting, discouraging to admit these patients, treat these patients, manage these patients. Many of whom, will be quite sick. And then, you leave the hospital and you see people right outside your hospital on the sidewalks, at stores without masks, without social distancing, and literally, even putting your life on the line for the entire day.

So, I think we are beginning to write about this compassion fatigue syndrome in this fourth surge, a year and a half into this pandemic. And what does that really mean on the psyche and the mental and emotional state of people who are there risking their lives to make certain that they can save yours?

CHURCH: Yes, totally understandable. Of course, we all heard the story of the young boy whose appendix burst while he was waiting for a bed because the hospital was full of unvaccinated COVID patients or the cancer patients who had to be turned away because they couldn't get access to a bed.

At what point does this become untenable? When COVID patients who have chosen not to get vaccinated take up valuable beds, and put the lives of others at risk.

MORGAN: I think, you know, you are getting at this -- at this -- the unconscionable and something that we really never anticipated that we were going to face. And that's part of that compassion fatigue syndrome, as well. Where does empathy begin to wane? As people become weary of continuing to fight and move this forward.

And when this is all said and done -- when this is all said and done and we are on the other side of this pandemic in some form or another, I think the true death toll from this COVID pandemic will be far greater than the numbers that we are counting now because they will include all of the ancillary people who died who did not have COVID.

[03:25:06]

But who were blocked or -- or chose to stay home, to stay safe instead of seeking medical care at hospitals because we were in this COVID pandemic. Those numbers, I suspect, will be astronomical and staggering.

CHURCH: So, how do you convince those 80 million or so Americans who still have decided they're not ready to take the shot or they never want to take the shot? How do you convince those people?

MORGAN: You know -- you know, we have, you know, different buckets and we certainly have this anti-government group that's following a specific ideology. And certainly, they are going to be more difficult to reach when you are following a specific type of culture. Because ration and reason don't necessarily fit in there.

But then, you have others, as well who really just don't trust the science. And how are you going to manage that? I think as we move forward -- and a couple things. One, we begin to have vaccine mandates at corporations and government agencies, at schools. Then, people will have to either step up and be vaccinated or choose to be unemployed.

And I think that that is a strong motivator for many as well. We may begin to see the travel industry also begin to require that for people who are traveling. That will be another strong motivator. And so, I am hoping, bit by bit we can get there. You know, we have a saying, how do you eat an elephant? You eat an elephant one bite at a time. And that's what we're trying to do to move that forward.

CHURCH: Absolutely. Dr. Jayne Morgan, a pleasure to talk with you. Thank you so much.

MORGAN: Thank you, Rosemary. It's a pleasure.

CHURCH: And still to come here on CNN. A critical moment on the world stage for President Joe Biden as he prepares to address the U.N. General Assembly this week. He is facing a long list of challenges here at home.

And the submarine deal between the U.S., the U.K., and Australia that left France out in the cold has sparked days of fallout. A live report from Paris after this short break.

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[03:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday, will deliver his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly since taking office. It's viewed by many as a critical moment for Mr. Biden to articulate his foreign policy. He is expected to address the pandemic, climate change, human rights, and the assault on democracy around the world.

But events over the past several weeks are complicating his debut at the general assembly, including ongoing criticism of the U.S.' withdrawal from Afghanistan and what could happen to the country with the Taliban in charge.

Then, there is the crisis at the southern border where his administration is struggling to manage an immigration system overwhelmed by record migration. He is also battling the spread of the Delta variant, vaccine hesitancy across the country, and a confusing booster shot rollout.

Juliette Kayyem is a CNN national security analyst and former assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She joins me now from Providence, Rhode Island. Good to have you with us.

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: So, the multitude of crises are growing for President Biden. The COVID pandemic, Afghanistan, immigrants massing at the southern border. Extreme weather disasters across the country. And now, he plans to use his first speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday to advocate for a global response to the major issues currently facing the world.

Does that help his cause showing many of these crises are shared by other nations, despite Republicans trying to politicize all of them?

KAYYEM: Yes. I think it will. He needs allies in fights that are either caused by other nations, so think about immigration and the migration of Haitians, for example, that we're experiencing here in Texas. Or will only get solved if there's sort of a floor, right? In other words, if enough -- if enough people, globally, are vaccinated. That is really the only way that we are going to be able to stop COVID.

So, he is correct to sort of not look for allies where he can't find them which is Republicans often. And to look for global support. And the reason why he does this isn't just simply for political reasons. He needs to make a gesture to the global community that America is serious about solving these problems.

We've come out of four years in which it seemed we weren't very serious about our national-security threats and the ones that we share with other nations. So, I think that this is one in which he accepts responsibility for America's role and place in the world while the world seems to be handing everybody a lot of crises, one after one -- one after another, after another.

CHURCH: Yes, and, Juliette, as we watch the images of thousands of Haitian immigrants gathering at the southern border along with those from other nations, as well. What does the Biden administration need to be doing about this humanitarian situation? And will it always be a no-win situation?

KAYYEM: Yes. I think for Democrats, it's particularly no win because a huge part of the party is -- you know, is pushing the Biden administration to allow more immigrants in. To allow them to have some sort of status just given why they are coming from Haiti. Certainly, in response to the earthquake there in the last couple weeks.

But the moderate wing of the Democratic Party, let alone the Republicans, are very much into border enforcement and so the Biden administration is sort of trying to thread a very, very narrow needle. At the same time, these numbers just increase.

So, what they can do, of course, is to make sure that they stabilize the detention status of these -- you know, this tragedy that's happening in Texas. Make sure that we have the resources to be able to protect people from COVID. And then push hard in Mexico and further south to stop the mass migration that we are seeing. Otherwise, it won't go away because we'll just serve as a magnet. The more people we have allowed in, we have just seen historically the more the U.S. serves as a magnet for others who might be considering it.

[03:35:00]

CHURCH: Yes, exactly. And on another issue, in an effort to perpetuate the big election lie, --

KAYYEM: Yes.

CHURCH: -- Trump supporters and other right-wing protestors gathered Saturday at the capitol. But the event didn't turn out to be the threat --

KAYYEM: Yes.

CHURCH: -- that many feared it might be. What does that indicate to you? And what comfort can President Biden take from this, if any?

KAYYEM: Well, I think the comfort might come from the sort of public safety response, the National Guard, even the media focus that came on quite heavy in the -- in the lead -up to this -- to this protest, which was essentially in support of the insurrectionists.

That is key because I do think that this sort of forward-leaning, this kind of we see you, we see what's going on this time, as compared to January 6th. It's very important because it minimizes the impact of the rally itself. It keeps recruits and those that we call curious from -- from joining. But it also sends a message out nationally.

What we have seen with the white supremacist groups since January 6th is not so much that they are focused on a particular place like Washington, D.C. or the capitol but they continue to fester their hate and the potential for violence leading to elections.

I personally wish the -- President Biden would be more aggressive about pushing back on this narrative by the president. I recognize why president -- why President Trump -- I recognize why President Biden essentially wants to ignore him. Essentially, de-platform him as Twitter has and hope that the oxygen that he gives these groups goes away.

And I think we are actually starting to see that in the arrests and the number of people that are actually going to these rallies but we will still have this threat so long as former-President Trump, as well as the GOP continues to sort of nurture it or -- or wink and nod -- wink and nod to it to sort of, you know, satisfy the base, so to speak.

CHURCH: And of all the many crises facing Biden --

KAYYEM: Yes.

CHURCH: right now, the pandemic, Afghanistan, immigration, climate change, an attack on our democracy which could prove to be his biggest test, do you think? And perhaps even his downfall come 2022?

KAYYEM: I think -- look, I believe that the Biden administration and the Biden presidency will be judged by COVID. It just has to be because it isn't just about COVID. Of course, it is getting the vaccines out. Overcoming the misinformation in this country about vaccine hesitation. Or even the anti-vax movement.

But it is related to the economy. It is related to our children and schools and travel. And our -- and our -- and our global engagement. Look, the world looks at the United States right now. We went from being second in vaccinations to falling, I think, in the mid -- you know, the third -- the second tier at this stage.

The world looks at the United States right now and thinks we are not a functioning competent democracy. That -- that has an impact on our strength and our power, our ability to coalesce and cooperate with allies.

So, he needs to get Delta as he is trying under control. Push vaccination through mandates. I would prefer that he puts a man -- a vaccination ban on travel, both domestically and internationally. And get this country to get its shots so that we can begin to move forward.

CHURCH: Juliette Kayyem, always great to chat with you. Many thanks.

KAYYEM: Thank you. Thank you.

CHURCH: Well, Trans-Atlantic damage control will be on the agenda when Mr. Biden speaks with French President Emmanuel Macron this week. Both sides say they are seeking a way forward after that security deal between the U.S., the U.K., and Australia sparked a diplomatic crisis.

The French ambassador insists they were not informed, though both Washington and Canberra say they were. The deal helps Australia obtain nuclear-powered submarines but France lost a multibillion-dollar contract for conventional subs. Paris has recalled its ambassadors to both the U.S. and Australia.

So, let's go live now to Paris where we find our senior international correspondent, Jim Bittermann. Good to see you, Jim.

So inevitably, this is going to be an awkward conversation between Biden and Macron when they talk at the U.N. is there anything the U.S. president can do or say at this time to make things right with France?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is a good question, Rosemary. We are waiting to see exactly what the French are going to come up. They are meeting in diplomatic circles this morning, trying to iron out exactly what their reaction, what the appropriate reaction should be going forward.

But in fact, already, there's been an effort to de-calm the waters. There is this phone call that's been set up between the White House and the Elysee Palace, as you mention but also, we heard from Boris Johnson, for example, who is on his way to New York for the U.N. General Assembly meetings. And he said, quote, "our love of France is ineradicable."

[03:40:04]

Everybody is trying to come up with some soothing words here. But this is more than just hurt feelings on the part of France. It's the commercial deal. That's one thing.

But the most important part of this is the security arrangement, the new security arrangement for the Western Pacific that's been set up between Australia, the U.K., and the United States. And France has great interests in Western Pacific with New Caledonia, Polynesia, there is 7,000 French troops out there. And they also have participated, militarily, in a show of force against China back in May with Japan and the United States.

So, they feel like they're being excluded from something here. And it's something they believe they should be a part of. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Jim Bittermann, joining us live from Paris. Many thanks.

And still to come. Canadians will soon cast their ballots in what's become a tight race for the nation's prime minister. Details on the man trying to unseat Justin Trudeau. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH (on camera): Investigation is underway after a U.S. navy training jet crashed in a neighborhood near Dallas Sunday. The instructor and student onboard were able to eject safely. Debris from the crash fell into the yards of at least three homes. But there were no serious injuries on the ground. Authorities say the instructor is in stable condition. The student's condition is unknown but the navy says he is alive and receiving treatment at a medical facility.

Well, Canadians are just hours away from casting their ballots in the nation's federal election. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the vote early hoping his handling of the pandemic could win him a majority in parliament.

[03:45:01]

But will he soon regret that decision? We will find out, of course. But polls show Mr. Trudeau's once-healthy lead is quickly shrinking.

CNN's Paula Newton has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the last lingering days of summer, a snap election seemed a rude intrusion for so many Canadians. It's the middle of a pandemic, not even two years since the last one. And it was tough to dodge, especially this campaign. It was ugly. This, the token moment.

Protestors, many of them opposing vaccines, threw gravel at Justin Trudeau and stopped his campaign. His rivals have hit him rhetorically, calling him selfish for calling the snap election in mid-August, trying to capitalize on good poll numbers to secure a majority in parliament.

At first, those favorable polls collapsed for Trudeau. For a few weeks, he even trailed main rival, conservative party leader, Erin O'Toole. He accused him of attempting a power grab.

ERIN O'TOOLE, LEADER, CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF CANADA: We are actually in the middle of an unnecessary $600 million pandemic election called by Mr. Trudeau for no other reason than himself.

UNKNOWN: The (Inaudible) will no longer be taking place here today.

NEWTON: But the angry, loud, anti-vaccine chants of Canada's people's Party energized the Trudeau campaign and put the pandemic squarely in voters' sights.

JUSTIN TRUDEAU, PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA: We are going to trust science. We are going to trust the experts. We are going to make sure that anyone on a plane or train is vaccinated.

NEWTON: Here in Shefford, Quebec, an hour from Montreal, it's a district or riding that has voted for three different parties in the last decade. Organic farmer, Isabelle Hauver, was looking on with sheer exhaustion. She, like so many Canadians, wanted to hear more about enduring issues like climate change.

ISABELLE HAUVER, CANADIAN FARMER: I won't be going on what this little event on the right or this little event on the -- on the left. You know, that bothered me. Or that made a big thing on the news, you know? That's not really the -- to me, that's not the big picture of it.

NEWTON: But time and again, the election pivoted back to the pandemic in divisive ways. The local New Democratic Party candidate says the people's party imported a brand of disinformation.

PATRICK JASMIN, CANDIDATE, CANADIAN NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY: And not believing in truths, sorry to say that Trump didn't help on that issue.

NEWTON: A short drive away, the people's party candidate is pressing her points to voters. And she says, they're listening.

UNKNOWN: Because we give them freedom of choice. We believe in a choice as opposed to forced vaccination.

NEWTON: This is still a tight race with Trudeau favored to win but perhaps with no more political power than he started with. The campaign may not change Canada's leader or even its parliament. But it has already left its mark on the very character of politics here.

Paula Newton, CNN, Granby, Quebec.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH (on camera): Millions of Russians voted in parliamentary elections this weekend. And now, officials are counting ballots that will select members of the state duma along with regional and municipal leaders.

The United Russia Party is projected to hold onto its parliamentary majority. State media report it has about 45 percent of the vote, with 30 percent of returns tallied. United Russia firmly supports President Vladimir Putin. It is widely expected to win after many opposition candidates were blocked from running.

And still to come on CNN, the threat of strong wind gusts triggers a red-flag warning across northern California. What fire crews and residents can expect in the hours ahead.

[03:50:00]

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CHURCH (on camera): Incredible images here showing plumes of smoke and streams of lava spewing from a volcano in La Palma. One of Spain's Canary Islands. The island was on alert for a possible eruption after earthquakes were felt over the weekend. Thousands living nearby were reportedly forced to evacuate. So far, no reports of injuries.

In northern California, a red flag warning has been issued, meaning conditions are favorable for the spread of wildfires. The warning affects about six million people, and includes the Dixie Fire which has burned nearly a million acres.

Crews are also battling fires near the Sequoia National Park and King's Canyon National Park. Some residents near King's Canyon have been warned they might have to evacuate, and officials are hoping to avoid a repeat of last year when thousands of majestic sequoia trees were destroyed.

So, let's bring in meteorologist Gene Norman. Gene, just how bad is this looking right now? And what is the situation in the hours ahead?

GENE NORMAN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Rosemary, those are great questions because the concern is that we are seeing this possible spread of more fire. And all of this is due to big change in the weather that we had over the weekend.

Now, as we mentioned, the red flag warning is in effect for northern California. The area you see shaded here in that kind of pinkish color. It means that the fires -- the fires could be easier to start and easier to spread quickly because of high winds. That's the big thing.

Of course, we been tracking Caldor Fire and the Dixie Fire all fueled by the climate change problems of excessive heat and, of course, the dry conditions out in west. And there's been a lot of progress on Dixie because it is up to 90 percent contained but the winds that are going to be picking up could cause that fire to continue to spread.

Now, why are we seeing increased winds? We had a cold front come through the weekend. And that front, in the wake of the front, high pressure built in and that is causing the winds to push offshore and that is the reason for those windy conditions.

[03:54:58]

In fact, there is a level two out of three threat for the fire spread. And we could see those winds in excess of maybe 20 to 30 miles an hour. Some gusts could be even higher. So again, the critical areas shaded there in red. Mainly from Redding back to just north of Oakland are places where we could see those strong winds because of the dry conditions and the dry fuels, in general.

Now, further to the south, the concern is for those sequoias because of two fires that are nearby. Not a lot of containment on those. In fact, on Thursday and Friday of last week, we had fire officials wrapping the bases of these trees in foil to try to protect them in case the fires got close to them. A dangerous situation, Rosemary. Something we'll be watching very carefully. Hopefully, these giant, majestic trees won't be impacted.

CHURCH: Absolutely. We are keeping a very close eye on that. Gene Norman, many thanks.

Well, all the glitz and glamour of television's biggest night was back on display at Sunday's primetime Emmy Awards. After last year's virtual ceremony, stars of the small screen were back on the red carpet to the delight of fans and photographers.

One of the night's biggest winners was the Netflix series "The Crown." bringing home awards for best actor and actress in a drama series, best supporting actor and actress in a drama series, as well as best drama.

As for comedy, the night belonged to Ted Lasso. Apple TV's hit show won Emmys for best actor, best supporting actor, and best supporting actress in a comedy series. It also claimed the prize for best comedy. Well done.

And thank you so much for joining us this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back with more news in just a moment. Don't go anywhere.

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