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Experts Say Volcano Could Erupt Lava For Next Three Months; Friends And Family Remember Gabby Petito; Afghan Militants Launch Brutal Oppressive Restriction. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired September 27, 2021 - 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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[02:00:00]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: 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, a crucial week for both the White House and Congress. It's all on the line with bills that must pass to keep the government running and to secure the president's agenda.

One drugmaker says it's ready to seek approval for its COVID vaccine for young children. We'll look at whether parents should be expecting that anytime soon.

And early results from Germany's election have one party claiming a narrow victory. We're live in Berlin with the latest from this landmark election.

Good to have you with us. Well, U.S. President Joe Biden is starting a critical week with a feature of his domestic agenda unclear. At stake, his $1 trillion infrastructure bill as well as his $3.5 trillion social welfare and climate control package.

Despite division in his own party, Mr. Biden remains optimistic about this week's negotiations. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had said she would call for a vote on the infrastructure bill later today. Now she is acknowledging that might not happen.

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REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): We will bring the bill tomorrow for consideration, but you know, I'm never bringing a bill to the floor that doesn't have the votes.

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CHURCH: The infrastructure bill includes spending for roads and bridges, high-speed internet and public transit. It has bipartisan support. But progressive Democrats want to tie to the much larger spending bill. Moderate Democrats join Republicans in opposing the massive price tag.

Congress faces a Thursday deadline to fund federal agencies, a Democratic move to tie the government funding to a suspension of the debt limit faces Republican opposition in the Senate. Arlette Saenz reports on President Biden's push to get his infrastructure and spending measures passed.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden acknowledged negotiations over his sweeping economic agenda may take the better part of the week as he is hoping to get those two packages across the finish line.

President Biden spoke to reporters as he returned to the White House from Camp David on Sunday and he expressed optimism that these negotiations would be fruitful. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I'm optimistic about this week. It's going to take the better part of the week I think.

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SAENZ: Now, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had initially promised to hold a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill on Monday. But on Sunday, Democrats said that that vote likely would not happen. The House Speaker said that she would not bring a bill up for a vote if the votes were not there.

And progressives are still saying that they will not vote for that package unless there is agreement on the larger $3.5 trillion spending bill, which moderates have said they will not support in that size and scope. So the president has a long road ahead as he is trying to bring these negotiations together.

Last week, the president hosted lawmakers here at the White House so we will see whether he decides to do that in the coming days as his domestic agenda is really entering crunch time and one of the most critical structures of his presidency this coming week. Arlette Saenz, CNN, the White House.

CHURCH: Ron Brownstein is a CNN senior political analyst and joins me now from Los Angeles. He's also the senior editor at "The Atlantic." Good to have you with us as always.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Thanks, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, given all the infighting within the Democratic Party, with progressives refusing to vote for President Biden's infrastructure bill without his sweeping $3.5 trillion economic plan the moderates won't support, what's likely to happen during this critical week, do you think?

BROWNSTEIN: I don't think anybody knows for sure. I mean, I think the assumption has been, I've certainly been in this camp, who believe that at the end of the day Democrats have to and will find a way to overcome their differences, because there is no faction in the party that benefits if the whole thing collapses both in terms they all have policy priorities that are included in one or the other of these giant bills, the infrastructure bill and then the broader public investment and social safety net bill.

And also, they all stand to be exposed to more risk politically if this goes down and Biden's approval rating tumbles even further.

[02:05:02]

So my assumption has been that they always find a way in the end to do this and you wouldn't bet against Nancy Pelosi based on her track record, but boy, they are taking it down to the wire.

CHURCH: Right. And of course, she -- as she's always said, she won't bring a bill forward unless she's got the votes and she doesn't think she has for the infrastructure. So you're feeling that there'll be all this venting, but eventually they will come on to the same page because I mean, President Biden's agenda is really struggling to survive right now, isn't it?

BROWNSTEIN: Right. I mean look, I mean, there is a historic degree of difficulty here. The reconciliation bill in particular, the $3.5 trillion, even after its scaled back that has been described as the great society in a single bill. It does everything from universal pre- K to free community college, to expanded Medicare, to a new child tax credit, to historic massive investments in green energy, and paid family leave.

I mean, you know, it is an agenda in a single bill. Well, when Lyndon Johnson passed that great society in fact in the 1965 in Congress, he had I believe 68 Democratic senators and 150 seat Democratic majority in the House. Now they can only lose what, four votes in the House? And they are at 50-50 in the Senate. So they are trying to make historic change on a very slender majority and that is very difficult.

CHURCH: Ron Brownstein, always a pleasure to get your analysis in all things political. Appreciate it.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: Pfizer is ready to ask the FDA to authorize the use of its COVID vaccine in children ages 5 to 11. Pfizer's CEO says the company has been testing a new formulation and a smaller dose in younger children.

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ALBERT BOURLA, CHAIRMAN & CEO, PFIZER: I think we are going to submit this data pretty soon. It's a question of days, not weeks. And then it is up to FDA to be able to review the data and come to their conclusions.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: As we just heard, the FDA will then review the data and if they authorize it, vaccine advisers at the CDC will decide whether it should be recommended for younger children. Well here's what former FDA commissioner, Dr. Scott Gottlieb had to say about vaccinating children.

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SCOTT GOTTLIEB, FORMER FDA COMMISSIONER: I think this is a choice parents and pediatricians are going to need to make. I certainly would encourage parents to consider vaccinating kids. I don't -- this is a dangerous pathogen. It's dangerous in kinds. I think a lot of people focus on the number of children who tragically died from this virus and say that, you know, the amount isn't much more than what we see with a typical flu seasons.

But I wouldn't be so cavalier about this virus. We know that this virus has long term consequences in a lot of people who contract it including children. We see lingering effects of this virus in kids, neurological effects as well.

So I think we don't understand this virus. I certainly would want to see children protected through vaccination and not have to go through a course of illness with this coronavirus.

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CHURCH: Well, New York Governor Kathy Hochul is preparing to address potential medical staff shortages due to the state's health care vaccination mandate. The deadline for health care workers to get vaccinated with at least one COVID shot is Monday.

The governor is considering a potential state of emergency which would allow the government to deploy medically trained National Guard members as needed. So let's turn now to Dr. Scott Miscovich. He is a national consultant for COVID testing and a family physician and he joins me now from Hawaii. Thank you doctor for talking with us and for all that you do.

SCOTT MISCOVICH, NATIONAL CONSULTANT FOR COVID-19 TESTING: Hi, Rosemary. Good to be with you again.

CHURCH: Absolutely. So, Pfizer says it's submitting data to the FDA to authorize its COVID vaccine for children 5 to 11. So how long will that process likely take to get these kids vaccinated and what's your reaction to Britain's vaccine advisers suggesting that healthy kids actually don't need to be vaccinated?

MISCOVICH: Wow. That's a load of questions but they're all excellent questions. First of all, I think that, you know, everything is moving quickly with Pfizer and the FDA. Most of us believe that we are going to have vaccines available to put shots in the arms in November sometime. So, that will come up fairly quickly. I mean, when you look at the holidays and you look at break time, you know, I believe we could have a significant amount of vaccine into the children here probably well through the holiday into January. So, that is definitely something we are looking forward to. And I do

believe that we should have the pediatricians and family physicians like myself actively involved because, you know, you're going to have to work with the parents to have them accept the vaccine.

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Now, I would have a question concerning the -- what Britain is saying mainly because, well, how many children are we seeing right now that are actually contracting COVID or actually hospitalized with delta and unfortunately are dying? Granted it's not a large percentage, but you know, is one too many? In my mind it is.

How many are we willing to accept that possibly could have been prevented that would be a healthy child that would be vaccinated? So, I think that's going to be a hard sell overall.

CHURCH: Yes, that is a valid question. And currently, about 55 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated. But former FDA commissioner, Dr. Scott Gottlieb suggest that vaccination rate might be closer to 80 percent when you add in those who have recovered from COVID infections. He also thinks infections will run their course by Thanksgiving. Do you agree with him on all those points?

MISOVICH: Yes, I do. I agree with him on all those points because, you know, we have zero prevalence data across the United States and what that means is people going for a routine blood draw for like a pre-op test or just a regular, you know, cholesterol test, and they will do serial surveillance to also see if there's any signs that someone had contracted COVID.

The numbers are all over the map where some states are upwards of 40 percent of those who are positive. So, most of us believe that there is a significant percentage well beyond what we see with our testing of Americans who are positive and will have immunity.

So, I fully believe we're, you know, well into the 80 percent right now. If we could throw the children, you know, where we get half of them or more, we're going to be pushing ourselves probably into the mid-80's even closing on 90 if we get continuation of vaccinations.

CHURCH: That is very encouraging. So, I did want to ask you this because New York Governor Kathy Hochul is preparing for a potential medical staffing shortage because the statewide deadline for health care workers to get vaccinated with at least one dose has not been met. I mean, that's just in a few hours from now. So, why do you think some health workers don't understand the science behind these COVID vaccines? They've been trained in science.

MISCOVICH: Boy, I'll tell you. When I look at it, I -- it just blows me away. And, you know, look at the national data though. We have 13 percent or so or to even 15 percent depending on the state, who basically are never going to get the vaccine. Well, those people work in health care also. And there is something more when you're like myself and my team is out in the field whether it's giving vaccines, you know, there is some misunderstandings that have been perpetuated in the web that we're never going to understand.

And I do believe that we are going to see this across the country as vaccine mandates go. There will have to be some hardline held that people will be losing their jobs. I mean, even in regular health care right now, if you accept Medicare or Medicaid within a short period of time, all doctor's offices, nursing homes, et cetera, are going to face losing federal funding unless you have your staff vaccinated.

So, it's going to be a push, but I would have to say I believe we are going to get to a point, my prediction is, we're going to have mandatory vaccines just like we have mandatory school vaccines.

CHURCH: Yes. It seems to be the only way forward, doesn't it? Dr. Scott Miscovich, thank you so much for talking with us, joining us from Hawaii. Appreciate it.

MISCOVICH: Thank you, Rosemary. Nice to see you again.

CHURCH: You, too. And still to come, the first official results from a landmark election in Germany. It's a big disappointment for the party of outgoing chancellor Angela Merkel. We'll look at that. We'll also break down what those results say about the direction Germany will take after its longtime leader steps down.

Plus, a volcano in the Canary Islands has been erupting for more than a week now. Why officials say it will continue until Christmas.

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CHURCH: Germany's Social Democratic Party celebrates after scoring a narrow victory in a landmark election. Preliminary official results show the left leaning party claiming that most seats in Germany's federal parliament. They eked out a narrow lead over outgoing Chancellor Merkel's conservative block, but she will remain in office for now.

It will likely be sometime before we know who will succeed her. First, a new governing coalition will need to be formed. A process that could take weeks, even months. Fred Pleitgen joins me now live from Berlin. So, Fred, I mean, it was very close for a long time there. It appears Germany's Social Democratic Party has scored this narrow victory. Talk to us about the latest on all those numbers.

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it certainly does appear that way, Rosemary. And, I mean, we have to say we were at the party headquarters until very late last night. This is certainly one of the most exciting German elections that we've covered over the past couple of years.

And things obviously were neck in neck for a very long time, but it does now look as though Olaf Scholz and the Social Democratic Party seem to have eked out a win. According to the preliminary results of the election, they're up by about 1.6 percent.

Now, that doesn't seem like a lot, but one of the things we have to keep in mind is that when Angela Merkel first became chancellor in 2005, she only had a lead of about 1 percent. So certainly, it does seem as though the mandates to become chancellor right now lies with the social Democrats.

However, that doesn't necessarily have to be the case. The conservatives could still try to form a coalition and make their candidate, Armin Laschet, the chancellor. It's something that they've been talking about, wanting to try to do.

The big question here now is the small parties. There's two parties that are key right now, which is the Green Party that really scored a historic high turnout.

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And then also the Liberal Democratic Party. They now have to decide which of the big parties they want to make a coalition with to then decide who the next chancellor is going to be. And you're absolutely right. That could take weeks. That could take months.

But from what we're seeing this morning, it certainly does look as though, and you just showed those pictures of the folks at the Social Democratic headquarters celebrating, it certainly looks as though they believe that they are going to have the next chancellor. It's a gigantic win for them. They scored a lot of points. They made a lot of gains.

Whereas for Angela Merkel's party, this was no doubt and absolutely disappointing election. It was a historic low turnout for that party and certainly not the way that Angela Merkel would have wanted to leave the world stage, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, indeed. Fred Pleitgen, many thanks for covering this election and joining us now live from Berlin. Appreciate it.

Well, Stefan Cornelius is a German journalist and author of "Angela Merkel: The Chancellor and Her World" and he joins us now live from Munich. Thank you so much for being with us.

STEFAN KORNELIUS, POLITICAL EDITOR, SUDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG: Great to be with you.

CHURCH: So, Germany's left leaning Social Democratic Party, celebrating what appears to be a very narrow victory, next of course comes these long drawn out coalition negotiations. What could this potentially mean for the country going forward?

KORNELIUS: Well, it means a long period of uncertainty probably (inaudible) on what content of the new government will be. It means a lot of uncertainty for Germany's neighbors, mostly in the European Union where major decisions are due and the European Council. It's inconclusive, this result. I mean, even though Merkel's party, the CDU, the conservatives have

lost big, they're now claim a right to form a coalition and there will be a continued fight now, a continued battle between the four central parties on who goes with whom to form that coalition, who gets what claims. They all have demands. They all have interests. So that will take time to sort out.

CHURCH: And so, why do you think Angela Merkel's party, the CDU did so badly? Was this a rebuke of Merkel and what she stood for or was it a rebuke of all have her party and replacement?

KORNELIUS: Well, actually, if Angela Merkel would've stood again for re-election she might have won this, but after 16 years in power, she, for some very good reasons decided to step down. Actually, the parties worn out after there is such a long stretch in government. You probably have to reinvigorate. You have to get new ideas, find a new leader-- leadership figures.

That's with the CDU hasn't done. The whole process of handing over power has gotten pretty bad. Actually, not only just the past months, but even for past years. The main candidate, her presumed successor, Armin Laschet, was weak. He was not really -- he wasn't really keen on getting that kind of power. And there was an internal party battle between the sister party in Bavaria, so, a complex pattern of issues or problems which really, really cursed the party.

CHURCH: And after the very complicated coalition negotiations which will take place, what would you expect to be the outcome in terms of the next government of Germany and indeed, chancellor?

KORNELIUS: Quite honestly, I can't tell. This is very, very tough to predict. There is something like a moral right where the Social Democrats to claim that shop. It becomes -- to have Olaf Scholz and the chancellery, but then again it's just 1.7 percent of points of difference and it will be the small parties who call the shots.

It will be liberals. It will be the greens. And they will decide on the basis of what their contents will be in the new government. It will be about climate issues. It will be about taxes. It will be environmental issues, and definitely about the economy. In that kind of field we're moving no. It will be a give and take for the next weeks.

CHURCH: And so ultimately what will Angela Merkel's legacy be after 16 years in power and how difficult did the pandemic make it for her in the end?

KORNELIUS: Well, the pandemic was a decisive issue as in all our countries all over the world actually. So, Angela Markle was hindered in the past years to unfold against some kind of governing power. She was found into the nitty-gritty's of managing this pandemic. Her legacy will, however, will be decided upon the 16 years (inaudible) judge.

It's definitely not nice for her that it has ended that way. The loss of her party has tarnished her legacy. But then again, it has been 16 years of continuity and stability.

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So, in the end, historians will make claim on the entire stretch and not just the past weeks or months.

CHURCH: And immigration certainly ended up being a very big challenge for Angela Merkel, didn't it?

KORNELIUS: Well, immigration in 2015 was the decisive cut in her reign (ph). That was the time when those huge numbers of refugees mostly from Syria were coming to Europe and all wanted to go to Germany. She was under severe pressure at the time. It was the moment when the right wing AFD unfolded wearing the party, actually, her own party split apart.

Right after that moment, she dropped by about 7 percent in the polls and she has never recovered from that. Yes, that was definitely a down point in her chancellorship, but however, right wing parties are a common (inaudible) now in the European country -- in the European party landscape and German wouldn't have been spared that fate.

CHURCH: Stefan Kornelius, joining us live from Munich. Many thanks for you analysis. Appreciate it.

KORNELIUS: Yes.

CHURCH: And coming up on "CNN Newsroom," live pictures of a volcano eruption in the Canary Islands. Flights are now canceled as officials warn another explosion could be imminent. We'll have a live report next.

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CHURCH: We are looking at live pictures right now of a volcano erupting in the Canary Islands. Officials warn that the volcano in La Palma is getting even more dangerous, and experts predict lava explosions could last another three months.

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And this dramatic video of a church collapse just hours ago on the island of La Palma. The lava engulfed the church causing it to crumble to the ground, hundreds of homes and businesses have been destroyed since the volcano first erupted. Our journalists Al Goodman joins us now live from Madrid Good to see you Alto. What is the latest you have on this volcano eruption and a danger this lava is posing?

AL GOOD MAN, JOURNALIST: Hi Rosemary. They call LA Palma Island, La Isla Bonita the beautiful island but for the past week, as you say, a part of that beauty has been destroyed by this lava, not just homes and businesses but banana plantations which feed Spain and Europe. Now the latest on this is just overnight or in the early hours of this day Monday, the Canary Islands regional government, the emergency services tweeted out to the people on the island that four towns need to stay indoors because the lava flow is now, it has been going slower, faster, slower, faster.

Now it's going faster towards the ocean, the Atlantic Ocean on the west side of the island. And the experts say that once it hits the water, there'll be all sorts of toxic gases. So they've told these people in these four villages near that point to stay inside close their windows. They're saying that the lava is just a little less than two miles now from the coast. So that's a big danger.

But the damage has been extensive on this island of about 80,000 people, 6000 people have been evacuated since the eruption started eight - eight days ago. And we saw on Sunday, the collapse of this church, the belfry just came down and this is what's been happening with the lava, sometimes 10-20-30 feet tall according to experts. This lava flow is coming down.

Now officials are happy to report one of the few pieces of good news here is that so far there have been no reported injuries or deaths. So they have been clearing people out and leaving what they call an exclusionary - exclusionary zone. That's where the church was, and they keep expanding that as needed. For instance, 160 people who were evacuated from three small towns on Friday were told late Sunday they could go back because the danger has diminished there.

So there are Spanish experts in volcanoes from the Canary Islands and freight from right here in Madrid. The Prime Minister was down there most of last week, the king and queen of Spain went to see the people who've been displaced. They've been housed with relatives friends, in military barracks, sometimes in hotels, some international visitors, it is a touristy island for people from Northern Europe have been taken to other islands. So the authorities are trying to stay on top of this. But the volcano besides the spectacular - especially the spectacular night-time video of this red hot lava coming out is posing extreme danger and the authorities are trying to stay at least a slight step ahead of it and keep people safe. That's the top priority.

Airports have been closed -- open right now. Most of the flights seem to be canceled at the La Palma airport, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Al Goodman, thank you so much for staying on top of all of this joining us live from Madrid. Appreciate it. Oman is working on a whole new economic strategy with a focus on sustainability. Coming up a look at the aviation sector and what it's doing for Oman's economy.

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CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. Well, the nation of Oman is trying to diversify its economy and break its dependence on hydrocarbons. CNNs Eleni Giokos introduces us to leaders hoping to grow the country's aviation sector.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The expanded Muscat International Airport opened in early 2018, boasting a brand new $1.8 billion passenger terminal that is considered the cornerstone of Oman's economic strategy.

AIMEN AL HOSNI, CEO, OMAN AIRPORTS: And those are the designer chairs that are only for Omoni of course. Wherever you go in our seven airports, you find those chairs.

GIOKOS: The airport CEO says it was designed to showcase a mighty heritage, from the architecture to the art, the airport even smells like Oman.

AL HOSNI: We went to air freshener companies. And we demanded to have something from the local community from the culture. And we found that that the Frankincense which comes from the south region of the country, is a good representation to the country.

GIOKOS: And this air freshener didn't exist before. You had to develop it yourself.

AL HOSNI: No, no, no, it was, you know, made for many reports.

GIOKOS: That's incredible. So you can smell the Frankincense in all your airports in the country.

AL HOSNI: Yes.

GIOKOS: The country's culture is also on display on board the national carrier, Oman Air.

MOHAMMED AL BARWANI, CHAIRMAN, OMAN AIR: Oman has a long history of hospitality. And that hospitality, we take it to the skies, you know, with Oman Air. And as you land into a man that continues to the airport. And basically you're coming into Oman as you land into the airport, you're seeing Oman environment.

GIOKOS: Oman's aviation sector was hit hard by the global pandemic at a time when it was expected to grow. As people are starting to travel again, there is renewed optimism about the importance of the aviation sector, and what it can do for the Omani economy going forward.

AL BARWANI: The aviation industry is a very interesting industry, it touches everything for instance, from hotels to tourism to travelers, even to the simple taxi driver depends on the airline industry. For every dollar we spend, we contribute $5 or $6 into the national economy.

GIOKOS: In terms of Oman Air's growth, what are you thinking at the moment?

AL BARWANI: At the moment we fly to 34 destinations but through code sharing with other airlines, we can take people to more than 100 cities all the way from North America to the Asia Pacific region. So basically, we can connect our passengers to anywhere throughout the world. SHATHA AL BALUSHI, PILOT, OMAN AIR: So this is the biggest fleet we have in Oman Air.

GIOKOS: Shatha Al Balushi has been a pilot for Oman Air since 2016. She says she is looking forward to seeing the airline industry recover from the pandemic.

AL BALUSHI: Should I pick my seat?

GIOKOS: And although she remains one of just a few female pilots for the airline, she hopes that will change too. So you're a role model for young girls. How does that feel?

AL BALUSHI: Many other female they wanted to be a pilot you know They even when they see me in the street and they know me, they ask me so how is it an, how is Oman Air, how is the cockpit. You know they ask all this questions.

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So definitely they interested now. They want to know more, they want to be like one of us.

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CHURCH: Thank you so much for joining us World Sport is next for our international viewers. For everyone else, I'll be right back with more news, don't go anywhere.

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JOSEPH PETITO, GABBY PETITO'S FATHER: The entire planet knows this woman's name now and she's inspired a lot of women and a lot of men to do what's best for them first. Put yourself first and do it now while you have the time. I couldn't be more proud as a father.

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CHURCH: Gabby Petito's family and friends gathered Sunday in New York to say goodbye as the search for her fiance Brian Laundrie continues. A long procession of mourners entered the public memorial service near the town where she grew up. The service was held exactly one week after her remains were found near a campground in Wyoming.

Now $30,000 in rewards are being offered for any information on the whereabouts of Brian Laundrie, the last person to have seen her alive. And CNN is covering the story from all angles. Nadia Romero is following the search in Florida but first let's go to Alison Kosik in Holbrook, New York for more on Gabby Petito's memorial service.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This kind of outpouring that we saw for 22 year old Gabby Petito's memorial service really speaks to how much her story resonates not just in this Long Island community, but across the country. And around the world. This was a five hour memorial service. And during the time that the service was going on, there was even a line that snaked around the building.

People waiting over an hour to get in and pay their respects and many people didn't even know Gabby personally but they wanted to come in and give their regards. Gabby's father gave a eulogy and so did her stepfather. I did speak with her great aunt who talks about the heartbreak.

GABBY PETITO'S AUNT: It's just so heartbreaking what happened to her and - and we love her and we know that she's at peace right now. She was a beautiful beautiful soul. You could see it. Why do you think all of this is happening? She was a beautiful soul, beautiful person.

KOSIK: Inside the memorial were pictures of Gabby that line the walls including flowers, sunflowers as well. We're told that sunflowers were her favorite. We learned from the funeral director that people came from as far as Texas and California, flying in and they didn't even know Gabby. Alison Kosik CNN, Holbrook, New York.

NADIA ROMERO, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT: There's still so many unanswered questions here in Florida on Sunday, we saw two FBI agents go to the doorstep of the Laundrie family home, pick up something and put it away in a paper bag, much like what we saw them doing with evidence during their second search warrant.

And that has been the most activity on this street, not far from here is the Carlton reserve in the Laundrie parents told investigators that their son Brian was going there and that was the last time they heard or saw of him since last Tuesday. And there was supposed to be a resumed effort at that reserve to try to find him.

25,000 acres swampy with alligators and snakes. That was supposed to happen throughout the weekend here in Florida. Over in New York on Sunday, a memorial service for Gabby Petito, her friends and family and really people who didn't even know her lined up long before the memorial started to pay their final respects. It was even live streamed and we heard from Gabby Petito's mother for the first time in almost two weeks.

She posted on Facebook saying, "as I scroll through all the posts, my heart is full of love. I wish I could reach out and hug each and every one of you. Your support has been so overwhelming and we are so filled with gratitude." And Gabby Petito's family has said that they believe that Brian Laundrie has the answers to their questions. Nadia Romero, CNN Northport Florida.

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CHURCH: Gabby Petito's story and case have gripped the nation but the reality is there are so many families, especially families of color that are desperately searching for answers about their missing loved ones, and they're calling for more attention and help. CNN's Adrienne Broaddus has more.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: JonBenet Ramsey --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Natalie Holloway vanished in Aruba.

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Murdered or missing white women and children who captured national media attention. The most recent --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: - still on the hunt for Gabby Petito's fiance.

BROADDUS: Gabby Petito found dead in Wyoming, eight days after she was reported missing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was at work on this one.

BROADDUS: In Chicago, Karen Phillips is fighting to make sure the world knows her daughter, Kierra Coles, a mail carrier missing for almost three years.

KAREN PHILIPS, DAUGHTER MISSING SINCE 2018: I believe that if Kierra was a different color, we'd have more results by now.

BROADDUS: This photo of Coles holding an ultrasound after learning she was pregnant is one of the last pictures taken of her in 2018.

PHILIPS: We couldn't wait, we could not wait.

BROADDUS: Philips is among dozens of black and minority families struggling to get attention on their missing person cases.

PHILIPS: She was so good. Everything she wants to know, they just come up missing like --

ZACH SOMMERS, CRIMINOLOGIST: There are 1000s of cases out there of folks who have gone missing that we don't know about.

[02:50:00]

BROADDUS: Zach Sommers, a criminologist specializing in missing persons cases, says only a fraction of minority cases received non- stop news coverage compared to white people.

GWEN IFIL, LATE ANCHOR: If there's a missing white woman, we're going to cover that every day.

BROADDUS: A systemic issue, the late longtime anchor, Gwen Ifill coined Missing White Woman Syndrome in 2004.

SOMMERS: Missing White Woman Syndrome is the idea that young white girls and white women they get much more news coverage than - than other folks of different demographics when they go missing. BROADDUS: According to 2020. FBI data, blacks only make up 13 percent of the U.S. population. They account for nearly a third of the missing persons cases in the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell her we love her.

BROADDUS: In Washington State, Mary Johnson's family is still waiting for answers. Johnson went missing late last year from the Tulalip reservation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's a Native American woman, sorry, I'm not racist or anything but she deserves the same - the same treatment.

BROADDUS: Online black and brown families are using hashtag Gabby Petito to post about their missing loved ones, hoping to gain momentum, a move that helped the family of Daniel Robinson raise awareness. Robinson went missing in June.

ROGER HAWLEY-ROBINSON, BROTHER MISSING SINCE JUNE: We shouldn't have to depend on other stories or the cases to push our own story. And I've just - I just want - we just want to answers just like anyone else.

BROADDUS: Those families also saying they didn't get the same allocation of resources or treatment from law enforcement.

SOMMERS: There's data that suggests that when people of color go missing, especially young adults, teenagers, adolescents, that they're more likely to be classified as runaways by police, they're more likely to be considered missing of their own accord by voluntary means.

BROADDUS: How do we balance the coverage?

SOMMERS: No one is saying that Gabby isn't worthy of coverage. It doesn't have to be Gabby Petito or someone else gets coverage. The same spotlight should be getting shone on both of them.

BROADDUS: Today, Philips should be celebrating her daughter's 29th birthday. Instead, she made flyers with the message find Kierra Coles.

PHILIPS: What can we really do about it other than try to keep our name out there, you know, keep doing interviews. And hopefully, one day somebody just call me, just leave it till. We grieve every day because we don't know where she is or what's going on.

BROADDUS: Adrienne Broaddus, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: U.S. transportation investigators are on the scene of a deadly train derailment in rural Montana, just south of the U.S. Canada Border. They're looking for what caused eight cars of the Amtrak passenger train to derail, killing three people and hospitalizing seven others. Montana's governor called it a heartbreaking event, and said all passengers on board the Empire Builder had been accounted for. The railway released a statement on behalf of its CEO saying, 'we have no words that can adequately express our sorrow for those who lost a loved one, or who were hurt in this horrible event. They are in our thoughts and prayers.'

On Tuesday, the U.S. Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will face questioning on Capitol Hill about the military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Since the U.S. exit, the country has seen a swift return to strict and brutal Taliban law. A quick warning the video you're about to see is graphic and may be difficult to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Over the weekend, militants put the dead bodies of alleged kidnappers on display in Herat. There is also word that the Taliban is implementing more restrictions. So let's bring in CNNs Arwa Damon, she joins us live from Istanbul. So Arwa, what are these additional restrictions the Taliban implementing?

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're hearing about them being implemented in Herat and quite possibly in some other areas as well. These are specific to men, men are not to cut their beards. And any barber who is caught cutting a man's beard or playing music will be punished. And the great concern, of course, among many Afghans is that they're seeing this implementation of the Taliban of old despite all of the rhetoric about how the Taliban may have changed, these are very much the rules, regulations, ways of behaving of the Taliban of 20 years ago.

There's also great concerns about the potential disconnect that exists between elements of the Taliban that are more on the political sphere of things versus those that are actually the foot soldiers and controlling things on the ground. And of course, today Afghanistan is meant to be addressing the United Nations General Assembly, is that going to happen? We don't know yet because the Taliban did write a letter requesting that they be the ones to represent Afghanistan.

[02:55:00]

That has not even been debated at this stage. Right now the official representative to the United Nations is still the person who was seated by the government of former president Ashraf Ghani. And there is this big debate that is happening right now among global players, key leaders about how to deal with this Taliban government and what demands to make of the Taliban government before finances and potentially even humanitarian aid is released.

But of course, while all of this debate is happening, while the world tries to navigate how to deal with this government, it is the people of Afghanistan who are continuing to face the brunt of this lack of humanitarian access, many of them heavily reliant on it.

CHURCH: Arwa Damon, many thanks for that live report. Appreciate it. And that wraps up this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back in just a moment with more CNN Newsroom, do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: 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.