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R. Kelley Faces Life in Prison After Sex Trafficking Conviction; Authorities Searching for Laundrie in Florida Swamplands; Germany's Post-Merkel Future; United Airlines: 98.5 Percent of Employees Vaccinated by Deadline; Long-Delayed James Bond Film Set for World Premiere. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired September 28, 2021 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SONIA MOGHE, CNN REPORTER: There have been 50 witnesses during the course of this trial. Some of them women who say they were sexually abused by the singer when they were minors. Testifying that R. Kelly knew their ages at the time and had sex with them anyway and some cases even reporting the sexual encounters.

Now one victim we heard from multiple times from different witnesses, was the late singer Aaliyah, who married R. Kelly when she was just 15 years old. Prosecutors showed a copy of her and R. Kelly's marriage license, which shows her age at the time of their 1994 wedding as 18 years old. But a witness testified that he bribed a local worker to make an I.D. for Aaliyah, to make her appear older so she could marry Kelly. Now this trial was during the 20th anniversary of Aaliyah's death.

We also heard from former employees of the singer and former live-in girlfriends who testify about the strict rules he had in place at his home for his female guests. Some witnesses testified that they were not allowed to leave rooms without asking for permission from the singer and his associates first. Even to get food or go to the bathroom. Something the prosecution says was a coercive tactic to control his victims. But defense attorneys say was simply R. Kelly keeping his home, which was also a recording studio, safe.

Now the first witness that we heard testify in this trial, a woman named Jerhonda Pace took to Instagram to speak shortly after the verdict.

Say, quote, for years I was told for speaking out against the abuse that I suffer at the hands of that predator and thankful again with those who brave enough to speak up.

Now course, we were not allowed in the courtroom for this entire trial but CNN was one of the few outlets that was allowed inside the courtroom when the verdict was read and I watched R. Kelly's face as that decision came down. He was emotionless. He stared at the one spot in front of him. Did not move. His attorney telling us after the verdict that was read that he was not expecting this guilty verdict. Now he does have several more legal battles ahead of him. A state and federal case in Illinois, as well as a state case in Minnesota.

In Brooklyn, I'm Sonia Moghe.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: Now, Gloria Allred represented three of Kelly's victims. She put his crimes in historical perspective of her nearly 5-decade career as an attorney. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY FOR THREE R. KELLY VICTIMS: I have been practicing law for 47 years. During this time, I have pursued many sexual predators who have committed crimes against women and children. Of all the predators that I have pursued, however, Mr. Kelly is the worst. He used the power of his celebrity to recruit vulnerable underaged girls, for the purpose of sexually abusing them.

R. Kelly thought that he could get away with all of this, but he didn't. Because despite the fact that he thought he could control all of his victims, he was wrong. Many of his victims had the courage to speak up and tell their truth, under oath, in a court of law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Now, the man who tried to assassinate the President Ronald Reagan is free after 40 years. You may remember this moment when John Hinckley Jr. Was taken into custody. Have a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I, like you, I too am reflecting on what we've just seen and heard in its entirety. The suspect, John Hinckley Jr., was rushed, as we saw, in that video tape, to district of police headquarters, the suspect will be charged with assault with intent to kill a police officer and will be charged with attempting to assassinate the president of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Well, the Justice Department reached a deal with Hinckley on Monday, granting his unconditional release. He has been living under house arrest with his mother since 2016, when he was released from a mental hospital.

Now, we have new details on the case of Gabby Petito, the American women whose remains were found in Wyoming. Her family is expected to hold a press conference in the coming hours. In a new audio recording, reveals what police knew about a fight between Petito and her fiancee Brian Laundrie back in August. Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DISPATCH ON PETITO AND LAUNDRIE: But the female who got hit they, both the male and the female, both got into the van and headed north. RP states a male, hit a female, domestic. He got into a white Ford Transit van.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Well meantime the FBI is scaling back their search for Laundrie. CNN's Randi Kaye has the details for you from Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I spoke with a survival specialist, Steve Claytor who says he is with North Florida's Survival. He's been a survival instructor now for seven years. He also does search and rescue for Marion County here in Florida. And he said that some of the tools they would be using to try to find Brian Laundrie would include infrared, which they can use to track heat in the night.

Also, he said just your basic eyes on the ground. Looking for something that people might've left behind. Somebody that's out there may be a candy wrapper, or some batteries, or clothing. Also, look for spaces where brush might have been moved.

[04:35:00]

And he said some potential problems Brian Laundrie could include rain, heat, humidity, dehydration. He also said moving around at night is also risky for him because there are so many predatory animals here in Florida. Those would include bob cat, Florida panthers, alligators, you name it, so even though you might think moving around is safer at night for him to have some cover, it's risky in that sense.

Also, this expert told me that in order for Brian Laundrie to survive -- if he is out there -- he said he would need to find high ground to build a sleeping platform. He would need to find edible plants and likely have to trap some animals in order to have something to eat.

Randi Kaye, CNN, Northport, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: The United Steelworkers Union says it is deeply concerned for the 39 miners trapped underground in Ontario, Canada. It's cautiously optimistic they will be rescued as soon as possible. Now the union represents many of the miners who became stranded on Sunday, after the equipment used to enter that mine malfunctioned. No report of injuries so far. Rescuers plan to use a ladder system to help them escape. We will keep you on top of the story.

And the Cumbre Vieja volcano in the Canary Islands keeps spewing, as you can see there, ash and lava and its entered a dangerous new stage. Residents on the east shore of La Palma were ordered into lockdown on Monday, as lava neared the ocean. Experts warn that when the lava hits the Atlantic, it could be explosive, triggering enough force to actually shatter windows. On top of that, it can launch plumes of toxic smoke.

And in the United States, much of the country is experiencing a heat wave, so when will the relief come? Pedram Javaheri has our forecast at the CNN Weather Center -- Pedram.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good Morning, Isa. Just a few weeks old -- just about a week old, I should say, and the temperatures back to summer-like in nature across parts of Kansas, parts of the state of North Dakota, on into Nebraska, we're talking upper 90s in some case. These records have been standing since the 1800s. The upper 70s where we should be for this time of the year. So, an incredible departure from where we should be this time of the year.

Record heat continues in the Central Plains and also the Northern Plains of the U.S., where over the next several days, would you believe it, another 30 record temperatures could be tied or set in this region of the United States. Really speaks to the incredible heat that is built in this region.

But off towards the north and west, much cooler. Off towards the north and east, much cooler and here in Minneapolis, cooler air eventually arrives, but the next will stay several days here, among warmest whether you'd expect this time of the year. And Minneapolis well known to be one of the ice boxes of the United States. Average temperature this time of year, a mild 68. Quickly though transitions into wintry across this region of the U.S. But will climb up into the middle 80s for the next three days.

The tropics, a quick glance at what is happening. We've still got a major hurricane to tell you about, Hurricane Sam. The forecast guidance does wants to strengthen this to category four, at least briefly. And make it a close-run at Bermuda, but models have been pulling away from Bermuda which is excellent news and not the only storm to talk about. We've got a trio of other storms with moderate to high probability of formation. Fortunately, yet again, the steering environment for these storms at least in the initial phase of the forecast does look to push them away from any threat to land.

We'll leave you with this. High temperature, 71 in Albuquerque, 59 in Seattle, New York City, should be right around 75 degrees -- Isa.

SOARES: Thank you very much, Pedram. I can tell you, summer is officially over here in the U.K.

And still ahead right here on the show, Germany's leaders are facing an uphill battle as they try to cobble together a new coalition government. We're live with Fred Pleitgen from Berlin after this.

[04:40:00]

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SOARES: Now French President Emmanuel Macron had to duck and cover at a food fair in Lyon. Why, you ask? Well, because someone threw an egg at him. You see it flying through the air in this video before it bounces off his shoulder. Security escorted a young man away. Mr. Macron also was pelted with an egg four years ago, if you remember, when he was running for president. That one cracked on his head.

Now, the election might be over, but the top job for Germany is getting under way. The most likely contender is the finance minister Olaf Scholz. He helped lead his left leaning Social Democratic Party to the first-place finish, you remember, in Sunday's vote.

But before he can be chancellor, he has to form a new government. And that means cobbling together three parties that often, let's face it, don't see eye to eye. On top of that the conservative runner-up and chancellor Angela Merkel pick to succeed her, is trying to do the same thing.

Merkel will remain in power until the new government is formed. After nearly 16 years, with her in the top job. There are big questions, if you can imagine, about what her departure will mean for Germany's future at home as well as abroad.

CNN's Frederik Pleitgen joins us now from Berlin. And Fred, when you and I spoke yesterday, you know, you mentioned that the Greens liberal, and the Liberal Free Democrats have kind of emerged as a king makers here. How complex, Fred, do you think these negotiations will be, given the fact that the point that I was making that, you know, they may not see eye to eye on some of the key issues here.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think it's going to be extremely complex and I think that you then added -- and the other thing you mentioned, Isa, the fact that obviously, the Conservative Party is also trying to start some sort of coalition negotiations as well. That certainly is going to mean that a lot of this is probably going to drag out for a very long time. And in many cases, there could be some serious infighting also about some of the details as well.

What is going on however is that apparently the Greens and the Liberals are already talking to one another, to try to make sure that they would then be in a strong position when they talk to either the Conservatives or the Social Democrats to get as much out of the negotiations for themselves and of course, for their constituencies, if they go into any coalition with either of the two bigger parties after these election results.

It looks to us, as though this morning, Olaf Scholz has certainly solidified his poll position, and his desire to then go into a coalition with the Greens and with the Liberal Democrats. He said that he has already invited both of those parties to start those negotiations to see where there are things where they see eye to eye. Where there are things where they don't see eye to eye that maybe they can work out.

He says he wants to create an atmosphere of trust where everybody can bring things into these negotiations that they say are key to them and try and push those issues through. So, it certainly seems if Olaf Scholz forms a coalition, it will be one where each of the partners -- if he does get the Liberals and the Green Party -- will have a pretty strong position and pretty strong leg to stand on. Of course, also due to the election results which has both of those parties with some pretty strong results.

[04:45:00] On the other hand, Armin Laschet of the Conservatives, of course, the party of Angela Merkel, it really seems as though for him, the air seems to be getting quite thin. There's a lot of criticism and a recent poll also showing that a lot of Germans do favor Olaf Scholz to become the next chancellor -- Isa.

SOARES: Frederik Pleitgen keep us posted on those negotiation talks. Appreciate it. Thanks, Fred.

Now, let me get you a quick check of the global markets at this hour. If you can bring up the board for us. As you can see there, red arrows right across the board, FTSE here in the U.K., Xetra DAX down almost 1 percent. Paris CAC are going down. The most so far in Europe one and almost 4/10 of a percent.

If I show U.S. futures on what we can expect this Tuesday, all three indices really down, with just hours until the markets open as you can see there. Nasdaq obviously the biggest potentially the biggest losses when it opens. The Dow was up nearly a quarter of a percent.

Now, U.S. crude prices topped $75 on Monday. And they're still rising. Its high -- that is a high that we really haven't been seen in three years. Goldman Sachs predicts Brent crude will hit $90 a barrel by the end of the year due to a fast-recovering demand. Gains like these suggest Americans might be paying more at the pump for all little bit longer unfortunately.

And China's dealing with an energy crisis that is causing disruptions right across the country. Businesses and residents are being asked to limit their use of electricity as the country faces shortages, and some factories too have reportedly been forced to cut production due to the new measures. The price of coal and surging demand are leading to supply issues and we will keep on top of that story for you.

Now United Airlines says that an overwhelming majority of its thousands of employees have been vaccinated ahead of a deadline. CNN's Pete Muntean reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Isa, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby just spoke about this. And he says 98.5 percent of United Airlines employees have now been vaccinated. Back on August 6th, is when United announced that 67,000 employees in the United States would have to get vaccinated or face getting fired. And Kirby says these new numbers are proof that vaccine mandates by companies do work.

United gave employees until the end of Monday to get at least one shot of the coronavirus vaccine. And United says it will begin the separation process for employees who did not get the vaccine starting as early as Tuesday. Except for some employees who sought religious and medical exemptions. Six of them filed suit in federal court, they have been given some extra time, if they successfully apply for those exemptions until October 8th, they could stay with the company. That is when the next court hearing on this is scheduled -- Isa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Thanks very much, Pete Muntean there.

And still to come right here on the show, for more than 15 years, Daniel Craig has been Bond, of course, James Bond. And now for his final 007 film about the premier, he will reflects on how his role has changed his life. That story in just a moment.

[04:50:00]

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SOARES: Now football superstar Lionel Messi prepares to take his former boss and a new coach. And Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is a shining new star. Don Riddell has our minute in sports for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Isa, I think we should expect Lionel Messi to be the center of attention in the Champions League later this Tuesday, when his new team Paris Saint-Germain takes on Manchester City at the Le Parc des Princes. It would have been a blockbuster clash without him. But PSG are hoping his arrival can help them land this elusive trophy, and this game is a major test. Messi will be up against his former coach from the Barcelona days, Tito Vilanova.

Meanwhile, a dramatic night in the Premiere League where this injury turned goal from Neal Maupay helped Brighton to 1-1 Crystal Palace, it means Brighton is sixth in the table but only a point behind the leaders in Liverpool.

Monday night football in the NFL was all about the Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott playing in the home stadium for the first time since break can his ankle here last October. It was the triumphant return. He threw for three touchdowns against the Eagles.

And with the NBA season just around the corner, there are questions around the Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving. Local laws mandate that players who are not vaccinated against the coronavirus will not be allowed to play in home games. He has refused to say whether he is vaccinated or not. He said, quote, I like to keep that stuff private, but reporters asked him on Monday, and watched his face. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE) very much, Don.

SOARES: Thanks very much, Don. Now a major announcement from K-Pop superstar giving the army of fans

a reason to celebrate. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

K-POP, SINGING: K-pop. I want to dance. I want to dance with you.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SOARES: I can hear you screaming and I know you're excited. The group announced a series of in person performances scheduled for later this year, in Los Angeles, with Permission To Dance on stage L.A. and run for four nights at the new stadium.9 It will mark the first time the group has performed for an in-person audience since 2019. Last year, the schedule was canceled because of the pandemic.

Now, in just a matter of hour, London's has the world premiere James Bond film "No Time To Die." It will be the last time Bond will be played by actor Daniel Craig after five Bond movies. After 15 years there will be no more martinis, shaken not stirred for Craig. The story now from our own James Bond, our Max Foster.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It may be "No Time to Die", but for actor Daniel Craig it's a good time to move on. From the blockbuster movie franchise that made him an international star. Craig's last bow as the smoothest operator in British intelligence is long overdue in theaters. Pushed back several times from its initial release date in April 2020 because of the pandemic.

[04:55:00]

And there were reports the star was reluctant to reprise the role after injuring himself on the movie "Specter" six years ago. But in the spirit of never saying never again, Craig is back as James Bond for a fifth and final time.

DANIEL CRAIG, ACTOR: I'm so happy that I got the chance to come and do this one and we've tied up lots of loose ends. And we've try to tell one story with all my Bond movies. It's sort of that they're all connected in some way and this one just sort of -- it is capped it off.

FOSTER (voice-over): Craig made a dramatic entrance as James Bond in 2005. Riding up the Thames in a speedboat, in a press stunt that ended speculation over who would take over the role from Pierce Brosnan.

CRAIG: I would like to thank the royal marines for bringing me in like that and scaring the (BEEP) out of me. But apart from that, it was something else. I can't tell you really. I'm a bit speechless.

FOSTER (voice-over): But Craig quickly found his voice as 007 and the movies were a huge success. "Sky Fall", released in 2012, is the most lucrative of all the Bond films, earning more than a billion dollars at the global box office. And the character under Craig became a more modern take on the poker playing, gadget loving spy of the past. This one was fitter, grittier, and could even fall in love.

CRAIG: It changed my life, and my life will never be the same again. And it's just amazing -- a wonderful, wonderful thing.

FOSTER (voice-over): Many actors have been rumored to be in the running to take over from Craig with some fans saying, it's time for a black actor or a woman to step into the iconic role. But producers say that they won't discuss a replacement until next year.

Max Foster, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: A little Bond theme there.

Thanks very much for joining us. I'm Isa Soares. "EARLY START" with Christine romans and Laura Jarrett is up next. Do stay right here with CNN.

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