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FBI Asks Public for Help Finding Gabby Petito's Fiancee; U.S. House Passes Bill to Avert Shutdown, Suspend Debt Limit; Biden Urges Relentless Diplomacy Over Military Might; Taliban Ask for Representation at This Week's Meetings; Study: Two-Dose Version of J&J Shot Boosts Protection; Parts of Eastern U.S. Face Flooding Risk. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired September 22, 2021 - 04:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[04:00:00]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world, I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, Gabby Petito's death ruled a homicide as the manhunt continues for her missing fiancee.

Then unprecedented methods are being used to deter migrants from flooding across the Mexico/U.S. border.

And a CDC panel set to discuss COVID boosters and expected to clarify who should be eligible as deaths tied to the virus continue to climb in the United States.

Good to have you with us. Well, with authorities now confirming the death of Gabby Petito, the FBI is asking the public for help finding her fiancee. 22-year-old Brian Laundrie hasn't been seen in more than a week. Authorities planned to resume their search for him in the Florida wilderness this morning. They believe Laundrie might be the one person with answers about what happened to Petito. CNN's Athena Jones reports on potential clues in the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): An autopsy conducted confirming the remains found in a remote part of Wyoming on Sunday are those who 22-year-old Gabby Petito. The FBI saying in a tweet, the initial determination for the manner of death is homicide. The cause of death is pending autopsy results.

The search for her fiancee Brian Laundrie intensifying today. Police returning to this 25,000-acre reserve. Officers searching by foot with canines using all-terrain vehicles and drones to cover the vast area of treacherous wilderness.

JOE FUSSELL, NORTH PORT POLICE DEPARTMENT COMMANDER: Terrain is very difficult. Essentially 75 percent of it is underwater and other areas that are dry we're trying to clear. JONES (voice over): Authorities not saying what led them back to the 25,000-acre reserve, after calling off the search there Monday morning. A search warrant obtained for an external hard drive found in the van the couple had been traveling in noting more and more tension between Laundrie and Petito. And detailed what Petito's mother, Nicole Schmidt called an odd text she received from her daughter, calling her grandfather by his first name saying, per the mother, she never calls him Stan. Petito stopped posting anything on social media after that message.

GABBY PETITO: We have been fighting all morning and he wouldn't let me in the car before.

JONES (voice over): We're also learning more about their August 12th encounter with police in Moab, Utah captured on body camera. Officers concluded the situation was the result of a mental health crisis and suggested the two separate for the night. No charges were filed.

A National Park Service Ranger there for the stop revealing to a newspaper that she told Petito her relationship seemed toxic. Also telling the Deseret News, we thought we were making the right decision when we left them.

MIRANDA BAKER, SAYS SHE ENCOUNTERED BRIAN LAUNDRIE: On August 29th, my boyfriend and I picked up Brian at Grand Teton National Park.

JONES (voice over): And authorities looking into an encounter with Laundrie in Wyoming where this woman says he was hitchhiking. Picking him up in an area near where Petito's body was later discovered. According to the woman, Laundrie told the couple he had been camping alone for days, while Petito stayed back of the van to work on social media posts.

Once Laundrie realize the couple was not going toward his destination she says he became agitated and quickly left their vehicle.

BAKER: He kind of like hurried out of the car. And he said all he had was a tarp to sleep on, which you think if you're going camping for days on end, you'd want food, need a tent and he had none of that.

JONES: With the corner's finding the remains found over the weekend in Wyoming, are those of Gabby Petito. The FBI is once again asking for the public's help in locating her fiancee Brian Laundrie, calling on anyone with information concerning Laundrie's role in this matter or his current where-abouts to contact them.

Athena Jones, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: As of now, Brian Laundrie is not charged with a crime and is not named as a suspect in Petito's death. But CNN legal analyst Joe Jackson says Laundrie's behavior is raising suspicions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: The bottom line here is that you look at everything there and then you look and assess his conduct, and what you find when you see the conduct is a lot of circumstantial evidence. A critical fact in this case is the fact that he ran. Why, it's evidence of consciousness of guilt.

[04:05:00]

You could explain away the hitchhiking. Oh, he went somewhere. He was gone for a brief period of time. You could explain the indication that he was hiking alone, or at least so he said to Ms. Baker. Right, OK, they separated for a little while, he was hiking alone. What you can't explain is where the guy is, why did he run and why did he really feel that he needed to evade authorities. And those are going to be questions, in the event he is brought back safely. But everyone is going to want to know, if there's an innocent explanation, you stay and explain, you don't run and hide.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And stay with CNN as we continue to following this investigation.

Well, the U.S. House has passed a bill to avoid a government shutdown later this month and suspend the nation's debt limit. But it faces an up-hill battle in the Senate. It comes at a critical time for President Joe Biden's sweeping economic agenda. He has a meeting with key Democratic leaders in the coming hours, to address some deep divisions within the party. CNN's Ryan Nobles has more developments from Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The House of Representatives did get some work done on Tuesday night, but it's likely that work won't get much further. The House passing a bill that would extend government spending through the end of the year and suspend the debt limit through the end of next year.

But that bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate. The Republican minority has said that they are not support any type of bill that gets rid of the debt limit for any period of time. Even if it means a government shutdown. Which this bill would do if not passed. Because it is tied to that government spending proposal, and it would require ten Republican votes in the Senate in order to pass. We'll have to see how Republicans play it.

And there are some Republicans in a tough spot because there is certain aspects of this spending bill that would impact specific state, particularly those impacted by recent hurricane devastation. But at this point, Republicans say they plan to hold firm.

Now if this doesn't pass the Senate, the next option for Democrats would be to include it in the big reconciliation package which can be passed with only Democratic votes. The problem is Democrats are having a hard time passing that piece of legislation as well. Democrats still haven't agreed to how they want to spend the $3.5 trillion that could potentially be available in that reconciliation package. Some moderate Democrats believe that price tag is just too high.

And then that backs into the issues that both sides are having as it relates to the bipartisan hard infrastructure plan, that $1.2 trillion proposal that's already been passed in the Senate. Now the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had promised moderate Democrats in the House that they would pass that bill as soon as next week, Monday in fact. And so far, Pelosi not backing away from that promise. The only problem is that progressives have said they're not voting for the bipartisan deal unless they get a vote on the reconciliation package. The bigger $3.5 trillion package in both the House and the Senate.

So, we've got a wide range of topics here. Really four different issues. But you can see how they are all intertwined and at this point not one of those four big issues that the Congress is attempting to try and reconcile have a clear path toward being complete. Next week's going to be crucial and negotiations throughout the rest of this week will also be very important.

Ryan Nobles, CNN, on Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Well, President Biden is back at the White House, after his speech to the U.N. General Assembly. He will convene a virtual summit with world leaders, aimed at ending the coronavirus pandemic. And that comes as Brazil's health minister tells our affiliate CNN Brazil, he tested positive for COVID-19 and will quarantine in New York, for 14 days. Marcelo Queiroga had been attending the U.N. summit with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who refuses to get vaccinated.

On the diplomatic front, President Biden sought to mend relations with European allies over the new defense pact with Australia and the U.K. and he urged world leaders to rely on diplomacy, not military might to solve the world's problems. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We've ended 20 years of conflict in Afghanistan. And as we close this period of relentless war, we're opening a new era of relentless diplomacy.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In his United Nations debut, President Biden committing to a new era of U.S. diplomacy and international cooperation to tackle everything from climate change to cyber security as he looked to turn the page on America's longest war and some of the most tumultuous weeks of his presidency.

BIDEN: Today, many of our greatest concerns cannot be solved or even addressed through the force of arms. Bombs and bullets cannot defend against COVID-19 or its future variants.

[04:10:00] DIAMOND (voice-over): But in the wake of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and a recent rift with France, Biden also looking to quell doubts about his commitment to restoring U.S. leadership and alliances.

BIDEN: As we look ahead, we will lead. We will lead on all the greatest challenges of our time, from COVID to climate, peace and security, human dignity and human rights. But we will not go it alone.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Even as he vowed -- without naming them -- to vigorously compete with adversaries like China and Russia, Biden stressing he doesn't want a new Cold War.

BIDEN: We'll stand up for our allies and our friends and oppose attempts by stronger countries that dominate weaker ones. But we're not seeking -- say it again -- we are not seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs.

DIAMOND (voice-over): The president's speech coming against the backdrop of a new security partnership with Australia that will provide them with nuclear powered submarines. The effort to counter China's growing footprint in the Indo Pacific, angering not only China but also France, which saw its own submarine deal with Australia implode.

BIDEN: The United States has no closer or more reliable ally than Australia.

DIAMOND (voice-over): After sitting down with Australia's prime minister, Biden returning to the White House to meet with his British counterpart, also party to the U.S./Australia pact. As for Biden's call with French President Emmanuel Macron, still nowhere to be heard.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Well, President Biden's pivot away from military conflicts toward diplomacy comes as the U.N. faces its own diplomatic challenge. The Taliban want their own representation at the U.N. General Assembly this week. Afghanistan is currently represented by an appointee of the former government.

Our Anna Coren is following developments. She joins us now live from Hong Kong. Good to see you, Anna. So, how is this likely to play out? And what is happening back in Afghanistan, as the Taliban struggle to govern the country in the midst of major challenges and concerns about their treatment of women?

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, you know, the U.N. is yet to recognize the Taliban government. This is something they've been asking now for weeks. No other country in the world has recognized this Taliban government. And now you have the Taliban who sent an embodiment, saying we want an ambassador at U.N. We want a seat at the table and we want our acting foreign minister to speak at the U.N. General Assembly.

Making all of these demands, and yet making no compromises whatsoever. When the Taliban came into power, over a month ago, they said that they would be an inclusive government. That women would be an integral part of society, despite the Taliban's track record. That they would be more tolerant and respectful. Clearly, that has not transpired on the ground.

What we have seen is a brutal put-down of protests, of peaceful protests on the streets, and women not being allowed to return to work, girls not being allowed to return to secondary school. And this is causing great concern within Afghanistan and obviously within the international community. The U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet, she spoke at the U.N. yesterday and let me read to you what she said.

She said: There is a real and palpable fear among Afghan women of a return to the Taliban's brutal and systemic repression of women and girls during the '90s.

And this is what we are hearing, Rosemary, from women in Afghanistan. You know, they want to work. They need to earn a salary to feed their families. And yet, they are being made prisoners in their own home. Let's have a listen to what one Afghan woman had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Women want to have a profession and to work. But since the Taliban came and took Kabul, they can't continue in that's jobs. The Taliban have taken away their freedom to work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: And this is a huge issue. I mean not just for women but all Afghans because obviously joblessness is rising and the humanitarian crisis is unfolding, the Taliban cannot access, you know, the $9 billion in reserves that are in American banks. The international community, you know, this is leverage that they have over the Taliban. So, someone needs to tell this government that if you want recognition, if you want a seat at the table, then you need to play ball, and you need to be a responsible citizen and honor human rights, women's rights, and be the partner that you claim you will be.

CHURCH: Exactly right. Anna Coren, joining us live from Hong Kong, many thanks.

[04:15:00]

Well, the U.N. General Assembly is also discussing global inequality with regard to COVID vaccines. Natalie Samarasinghe, the CEO of the United Nations Association U.K., and I asked her what global leaders need to achieve on vaccine equity, and what is actually possible.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NATALIE SAMARASINGHE, CEO, UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION UK: The international community is united at least in its diagnosis of the problem. And I think that is very acutely evident when it comes to vaccine equity, the secretary general did not mince his words. He evoked a very stark image of, you know, discarded vaccines in bins, whilst 90 percent of people in Africa are still waiting for their first dose.

So, I think what we need to see is very concrete commitments to funding COVAX, to donating vaccines but also to enabling other countries to produce their own vaccines, removing patents, and making this, you know, a global public good, which it needs to be because it's a moral imperative and because it's in our own self-interest. The situation will not end until we get this right.

CHURCH: U.S. President Joe Biden told the world he favors diplomacy, over military might and said America is back. But many people saying what does that mean exactly, especially in the wake of his new defense pact with the U.K. and Australia, that France calls a breach of trust. And then there's the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, that caught allies by surprise. What do France, European allies and others to make of all of this and can Biden win back that trust that he clearly lost.

SAMARASINGHE: I think he gave it a good go yesterday but he did not have the hero's welcome that we might have expected him to have, had he addressed the General Assembly, you know, six months ago. At a basic level, it's great to have a U.S. president send these positive signals on diplomacy, give a coherent speech. You know, raise human rights issues, as well as, you know, make some clear commitments on the climate and COVID.

But I think, you know, the trust really does need to be earned and the same goes I think for the U.K. as well, in the lead up to Glasgow. It is really up to them to use the informal spaces in the General Assembly to reconnect with allies as well as the sort of theatrical set to these speeches.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH (on camera): Well, coming up, what CDC vaccine advisers are expected to discuss when they meet on COVID booster shots in the coming hours.

Plus, the humanitarian crisis on the U.S. border with Mexico. America's immigration challenges are once again in the spotlight, amid outrage over these images showing desperate migrants.

[04:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: The CDC advisory committee is expected to discuss COVID booster shots in the coming hours. Pfizer will present data to the vaccine advisers on the safety of a third dose. And CDC scientists are expected to present vaccine effectiveness studies. On Tuesday, we also learned some promising news about a different company's vaccine. CNN's Jason Carroll has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An encouraging

development for the nearly 15 million Americans who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The company now says that adding a second dose of the shot provides 94 percent protection against symptomatic infections.

It's a big day for Pfizer as well, FDA authorization on their booster shot for some people could be coming at any moment. This, as it looks more and more likely the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 could come as soon as Halloween.

DR. ZEKE EMANUEL, FORMER WHITE HOUSE HEALTH POLICY ADVISOR: We've had 225,000 kids with COVID. It's a serious issue among children. And the best way to protect them is with this vaccine.

CARROLL (voice-over): Many hospitals seeing an increased number of children infected with COVID-19, doctors had to put up a tent outside an emergency room of a children's hospital in Pittsburgh, to help meet the demand of patients.

The hospital's chief of emergency medicine writing on social media: The number of children coming to the emergency department at UPMC children's is historic.

In all, ICUs are still over 90 percent full in at least six states.

DR. STEVEN NEMERSON, CHIEF CLINICAL OFFICER, IDAHO'S SAINT ALPHONSUS HEALTH SYSTEM: Currently, across this state, we've activated crisis standards of care, this means that the ability to deliver community standards of care using conventional means has been exhausted.

CARROLL (voice-over): Two-thirds of hospitals in Kentucky are reporting critical staffing shortages.

ANDY BESHEAR, KENTUCKY GOVERNOR: And I start my day every day with a situational report from hospitals. And it hurts to see that the hospital has every single person, every single ventilator in use, and we have to send them more. That's a trend that we want to reverse.

CARROLL (voice-over): This, as medical professionals are now sounding the alarm about this year's flu season. Doctors say it could be particularly harsh given how little exposure people have to it last year.

CARROLL: And getting vaccinated still a tough sell for a number of people out there. A healthcare provider in North Carolina said it had to suspend hundreds of its employees because they were not vaccinated. Novant Health in North Carolina says it actually ended up suspending 400 employees because they were not compliant. But they healthcare provider says that overall, the majority of their employees are vaccinated saying 98 percent of its employees are in compliance.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: Parts of the U.S. are facing an increased risk of flooding as

the nation marks the first official day of autumn. Meanwhile, there's another possible threat forming in the tropics. CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri is tracking the system -- Pedram.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Rosemary. Yes, the stage is set for quite a bit of wet weather across the Eastern United States.

[04:25:00]

High pressure offshore, southerly flow to our tapping into some tropical moisture and a frontal boundary coming in very slowly that'll just kind of develop this region into being a very wet setup of rainfall here going into much of Wednesday.

From Detroit, south into Fort Wayne, Indiana, eastward all the way to portions of Virginia and certainly parts of southern Pennsylvania, all of these into slight to moderate risk here for excessive rainfall.

And of course, today, it's the 22nd, which means the seasons are changing in the northern hemisphere, it is the first day of autumn. And certainly, want to feel like autumn here once the front arrives. We do have 12 hours of daylight, 12 hours of nighttime across the globe today. As the autumnal equinox kicks right around 3:20 p.m. Eastern time this afternoon.

The usual flood alerts in place including portions again in and around the Philly metro. Back towards the West along the Great Lakes also seen some flooding alerts and you can see how much rainfall is forecast here, lights up like a Christmas tree. Talking four maybe six inches in some areas over the next say 24 to 36 hours. And this front does come in with a lot of drier and cooler air back behind it, so just like clockwork here, we usher in more autumn-like temperatures, Rosemary with gusty winds to boot as well. So, it's certainly going to feel chilly across parts of the Midwest.

The tropics still pretty active. A couple of tropical depressions, Peter and also Rose, sitting out there, no impacts to land in the immediate future. 40 percent chance well across the north central Atlantic as well. But the area we're more concerned about is the 90 percent that is sitting there across portions of the eastern Atlantic. Model guidance does want to gradually bring in this towards the Leeward and the Windward Islands and of course, beyond this potentially into the Caribbean. So that'll be a story worth following over the next several days -- Rosemary.

CHURCH: We appreciated too, thank you, Pedram.

Well, China, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases is now pledging to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. A live report from Beijing next on this landmark move.

Plus, an autopsy confirms Gabby Petito's remains have been found and her death was ruled a homicide. We will have the latest on the manhunt for her missing fiancee. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)