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Clock Ticking To Pass Two Massive Spending Bills; U.S. Hospitals Overwhelmed By Unvaccinated Patients; Activists Rally Across The U.S. For Reproductive Justice; Brazilian Protesters Demand Impeachment Of President Bolsonaro; Taiwan Reports Second Day Of Chinese Air Incursion; Time, Environment Complication Search For Gabby Petito's Fiance; Thousands Of Climate Protesters March Through Milan. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired October 03, 2021 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to everyone watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber.
Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sets a new deadline for Democrats to vote on President Biden's trillion-dollar infrastructure bill.
Many marches but one voice. Women across the country protest threats to abortion access. We'll look at what to expect from the Supreme Court as it begins a new term.
And China at it again. We're live in Taipei as Taiwan reports another, even larger incursion into airspace it monitors.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: The United States' divided House of Representatives is facing a new deadline. At issue is a popular bipartisan bill to fix America's infrastructure.
The $1.2 trillion package needs to pass the House by the end of this month. But a crucial bloc of progressive Democrats say they won't vote for the infrastructure until they have a much grander and pricier piece of social legislation in place. And that is nowhere an agreement, with two Democratic senators objecting to the cost of that measure.
But the president says setbacks and obstacles are just part of political life in Washington. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Everybody's frustrated. It's part of being in government. Hey, look, one of the things I love about you guys. I watched today, Biden vowed he's going to do this, Biden commits, Biden's going to work like hell to make sure we get both of these passed.
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BRUNHUBER: The immediate challenge facing the president is winning over two Democratic senators, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema. Here's CNN's Joe Johns on Capitol Hill.
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JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Over the weekend, a real sense of where the tension lies on Capitol Hill. It's not just about Democrats and Republicans bickering at this point; that happens all the time.
Now it's more about the Democrats. A moderate Senate Democrat, Kyrsten Sinema, putting out a statement, slamming progressive Democrats in the House of Representatives as well as the leadership for stalling a vote on President Biden's big infrastructure bill, which Sinema actually helped put together.
In a statement, Sinema called it "inexcusable, deeply disappointing. Over the course of this year, Democratic leaders have made conflicting promises that could not all be kept and at times, have pretended that differences in our own party did not exist."
This battle is really about the price tag on the social safety net bill, $3.5 trillion. Moderates say that is simply too high. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said the infrastructure bill has to be voted on by October 31st, setting up what potentially could be a Halloween showdown -- Joe Johns, CNN, the Capitol.
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BRUNHUBER: Despite the ongoing struggle to forge a consensus with Democrats on the budget reconciliation bill, one member of the progressive caucus says she sees progress amid the turmoil. Listen to this.
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REP. DEBBIE DINGELL (D-MI), SENIOR WHIP: I actually think that while everybody else is running around doom and gloom, I think what finally happened at the end of the week is it became clear exactly what the president wants.
We know where we stand, what the reality is of two senators, that are going to keep blocking things and are only going to agree to certain things, though we got to keep them at the table and keep working with them.
But I do think that what you miss is that Democrats are unified that failure is not an option. And it's not. We have to deliver for the American people.
I suspected we were going to see the kind of -- whatever -- the creativity of something last week. But I ended up -- this is what legislating is. People finally started talking to each other. They were exchanging ideas. You know where people stood. And for too long, Leslie (ph), people weren't exactly sure, where was the bottom line?
What did the president want?
What were we going to be able to get done?
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BRUNHUBER: The global coronavirus death toll could soon reach a new milestone. Around the world, nearly 5 million people have now lost their lives to this virus, driven recently by the Delta variant. And the U.S. is leading in the number of COVID deaths, crossing the 700,000 mark late Friday.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Each of the flags you see in these pictures taken on the National Mall in Washington represents an American who died from COVID. But new cases and hospitalizations are now finally dropping.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): The number of new deaths is also beginning to decline.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): And even more encouraging, drugmakers Merck and Ridgeback say their new anti-viral pill cuts the risk of hospitalization and death by 50 percent for COVID patients.
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BRUNHUBER: So let's go now to Honolulu, Hawaii, where I'm joined by emergency physician Dr. Darragh O'Carroll.
Thank you so much for joining us here. So the world is still digesting the news about the COVID treatment pill. I recognize, though, it's still early days. But from a doctor's perspective, walk us through this.
How would it be administered if I were to walk into your hospital with a positive COVID test and complaining of shortness of breath?
DR. DARRAGH O'CARROLL, EMERGENCY MEDICINE SPECIALIST: Sure, Kim, thanks so much for having me.
It's welcome news. It's something akin to Tamiflu that we've used and had for quite a while in our armamentarium for the flu. So it's a five-day course, allegedly, according to -- again like you
said, it's early days. It's a press release. We do need to see the concrete data. More data needs to be revealed before we can throw our confidence into it.
But it would be a five-day course and it wouldn't really be for people who are so sick they need to be admitted to the hospital. It would be for those who are testing positive and hit them early and prevent them from getting sick enough to be in the hospital and then mortality and death.
It's really kind of hitting them in that anti-viral phase, similar to remdesivir, although that's an intravenous drug, very expensive. We're hoping this is going to be cheap and effective. And it's very welcome news and we're hoping to have hopefully more than one of these types of medications in the future.
BRUNHUBER: So it would rely then on early detection and testing, because, if you were, as you said, to present to hospital and it was fairly severe, it would be too late to use this.
O'CARROLL: Absolutely correct. Yes. So you'd want to have robust testing system. I know that's part of the plan. And it really needs to be ramped up as much as possible.
You know, if you look in the European Union -- and many member states there are giving many of their citizens rapid tests, two to three to even five rapid tests per week so they can really keep an eye on what their infection levels are doing.
So it's really important, yes, to get notified early in the disease. And also that prevents you from spreading it either to your family, your friends, co-workers. And rapid testing really needs to be a part of our national strategy.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. This is happening in the context of a new milestone in COVID deaths we just passed here in the U.S., 700,000.
Big picture, what's the latest on what areas and populations are still being hit the most right now?
O'CARROLL: Yes. Absolutely. It continues to be our unvaccinated population. You know, in Hawaii, we still have roughly 250,000 persons, who have not yet become vaccinated out of a total population of 1.4 million. Half of those are eligible over the age of 12.
We're waiting for hopefully some really good news for those under 12, who could be vaccinated and become less at risk and also less carriers to the community as a whole. And so I think you could just really kind of pick and look toward the vaccination rates of what states have -- and areas of each state have low vaccination rates.
We've definitely seen that here in Hawaii and we've seen that nationally and internationally. And so it's really an inverse correlation; the more vaccinations you have, the less infections you have. If you look at Portugal, they have the highest -- they're the highest
country with the highest vaccination rate. They have one of the lowest, lowest per deaths and per capita infections in the world.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. You mentioned Hawaii where you are. I'm just curious, in many states, including where I am, Georgia, you wouldn't really know there's an ongoing pandemic.
But where you are, the governor just extended the COVID restrictions. I imagine people are starting to make their holiday plans. Obviously Hawaii is a popular destination.
What's the latest there?
O'CARROLL: Yes, we are fortunately past peak of our large Delta surge. The unfortunate thing about the last month is we had almost 200 deaths, which is way more than any month that we've ever had since this pandemic started.
So the Delta variant really, really hit Hawaii very, very hard. But again, fortunately we're past peak. But our ICUs are still very full. And our hospitals are still jammed up; less so than before and we're heading in the right direction. But this isn't really a time to take your foot off the pedal.
And so definitely it commends having more of a cautious approach. This virus can really throw a lot of curve balls.
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O'CARROLL: And then also what's to say that there might be another new variant, which the WHO continues to warn us about?
This virus and other coronaviruses do share genetic information. There is precedent for that. We haven't seen that yet.
But is that something that's going to happen this winter?
We all hope not, absolutely, absolutely hope not. But it's something we need to prepare for. And I would argue we're not testing vaccinated people here that arrive here in Hawaii. But the federal guidelines for international travel say that we should.
The U.S. is on every other country's really high list of being dangerous for travel so -- for travelers to come to their country. So I would argue that we need to be testing all vaccinated travelers and have a post-arrival test here in Hawaii because we do depend quite a lot on travel, as you mentioned. And we're a small state with a small hospital capacity. And the more that we test, the less infections will arrive on our shores.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Absolutely. We'll have to leave it there. Dr. Darragh O'Carroll in Hawaii. Thank you so much. Really appreciate you joining us.
O'CARROLL: Thanks, Kim. (END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: New Zealand's prime minister is widening COVID-19 restrictions after new cases spread beyond Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. But some say restrictions have gone too far.
About 1,000 people gathered in Auckland Saturday at an anti-lockdown protest. A nationwide lockdown imposed in August was supposed to be short and sharp. But while parts of New Zealand have largely returned to normal, an outbreak driven by the Delta variant has kept Auckland's restrictions in place for seven weeks now.
Portugal is a country that understands the critical importance of vaccinations. The nation was hit hard by COVID-19 at the beginning of the year, reporting one of the world's worst surges. But Portugal has gone from worst to first, thanks to the highest vaccination rate on the planet. CNN's Vasco Cotovio reports.
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VASCO COTOVIO, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): Meet Vice Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo. He led Portugal's vaccination campaign and has become somewhat of a hero for the Portuguese. The country now has the highest vaccination rate of any nation.
But despite the credit he is getting, the admiral tells me "hero" is a title he feels uncomfortable with.
VICE ADM. HENRIQUE GOUVEIA E MELO, PORTUGAL VACCINATION TASK FORCE (through translator): I think that's an overstatement. Luckily, I was able to help my people, to help my country. And that fills my heart and it's good enough.
COTOVIO (voice-over): The admiral and his military unit ran the campaign from what they called their war room, facing the virus like the enemy they believe it is.
GOUVEIA (through translator): I've worn combat fatigues from day one to show people this was no joke. In less than 1.5 years we lost 18,000 people to this virus.
If this isn't a battle, what is?
COTOVIO (voice-over): The worst of that battle happened earlier in the year; when CNN visited in January, ICUs had no beds to spare. Health authorities had to move patients around to free up much-needed space and doctors told us they were forced to decide which cases to prioritize.
The German military flew in to help out. And strict restrictions to curb the spread of the disease emptied the capital Lisbon. But fast forward eight months and the situation's now completely different. Businesses are open and tourists are back.
The turnaround started in centers like this; 20-year-old Alana Silva (ph) knows all too well what it's like to get COVID-19. She recovered a few months ago and now she says it is a great comfort to get the vaccine.
ALANA SILVA (PH), COVID-19 PATIENT (through translator): Even though you can still get COVID-19, despite having had the vaccine, the symptoms will be milder. So I'm quite relieved.
COTOVIO (voice-over): She's one of only a dozen people at this vaccination center. They're mostly empty these days, because there are simply very few left to vaccinate. But for the admiral, the war's not over until the enemy is defeated on a global scale.
GOUVEIA (through translator): We need to protect mankind. Rich countries have a moral obligation to do it. Every delay, every action we don't take, will have a boomerang effect and we will regret it in the future. It's a strategy that is both wrong and stupid.
COTOVIO (voice-over): Gouveia e Melo sees COVID as an opportunistic enemy. And until the world is vaccinated, no country, not even Portugal, can afford to fully let its guard down -- Vasco Cotovio, CNN, Lisbon.
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BRUNHUBER: U.S. activists fear more restrictive abortion laws could be coming. Up next, a legal expert tells us why she believes a law recently signed in Texas may only be the beginning.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Women's rights are human rights.
Women's time, women's rights are human rights.
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BRUNHUBER: That message was heard in cities across the U.S. on Saturday. Abortion rights activists held hundreds of marches in cities and towns coast to coast. In their target audience, the U.S. Supreme Court.
Activists are angry the court refused to overturn a recently passed restrictive abortion bill in Texas. The justices are set to reconvene Monday and with another restrictive abortion law on their docket. Suzanne Malveaux has more.
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SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT: We're at ground zero of the abortion debate here in front of the Supreme Court. You can see the officers, who are protecting the building.
There are counterprotesters outside, offering prayers as well as song for some of those justices. And, of course, you see the police that are lined up, to keep these two groups separate from each other.
If you swing around here to East Capitol Street, this is where the women's march is wrapping up, concluding. There were thousands strong. The main focus around reproductive rights, abortion rights and a sense of urgency, particularly around the Texas banning abortion, the Texas law banning abortion after six weeks.
The Supreme Court refused to weigh in on that. And many people in this women's march today making this front and central, this issue.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm dressed up as the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
And I'm here today for everything that women have fought for since 1973, when this law was first passed, given us the right to choose and I'm just curious what has changed in that timeframe that makes our Supreme Court justices think that we have changed our minds about that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm dressed up as Lady Justice. And I believe that it stands for the fact that justice should be blind, it should be without bias. And there's religious bias in the Supreme Court. Extreme religious bias.
And so -- and why I'm here today, the things that are going on in Texas really drove me here today.
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MALVEAUX: The Supreme Court will be back in session on Monday. They are not taking up this Texas law but they are taking up a Mississippi law, banning abortion after 15 weeks.
And so this is an issue that voters say will be front and center; particularly they believe a ruling could come down regarding that particular case mid next year, right around the time of the midterm elections. So full focus on this issue -- Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, in Washington.
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BRUNHUBER: Jessica Levinson is a professor of law at Loyola Law School and joins me now from Los Angeles. She's also the host of the podcast "Passing Judgment."
Thanks so much for being with us. Hundreds of marches around the country, support coming in from around the world.
What message do you think yesterday's event sent?
JESSICA LEVINSON, LOYOLA UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL: Well, I think they sent a message that there are a lot of people who care deeply about this issue, more so than just posting on Facebook or Twitter about how much they care but actually leaving their homes and literally taking it to the streets.
I think the real question there will be, can people channel this energy that they put into a communal event, which, frankly, I think in a lot of ways, is a kind of cathartic and bonding event?
Can they channel that into pushing for changes in legislation, changes in the legal system?
That's always the question when you see these big marches.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. So when it comes to the changes, I mean, the law, the Texas law's facing a few legal challenges on different fronts. It's the vigilante justice element of this law that made it all the more horrific and dangerous for many opponents. And it's that aspect that may actually be part of its undoing. So bring us up to speed.
LEVINSON: So there was just a hearing late last week in a Texas district court. And the Department of Justice has actually sued Texas. And they're trying to say to a court, stop this law, do not let it continue to go into effect.
And the arguments were really interesting because you have the Department of Justice saying, we have case law in this country; we have Roe versus Wade, we have Planned Parenthood versus Casey. They both say women have a constitutionally protected right to have an abortion in this country.
And we have this Texas law that bans abortions after six weeks. You can't say these two things are consistent. And then we have Texas arguing really something completely different, which -- you mentioned this vigilante justice aspect of the law. You have Texas saying, Department of Justice, you don't even belong here and you shouldn't be suing us.
Because this law allows any private individual to sue another private individual who helps or tries to help a woman obtaining an abortion.
So we have these two completely different tracks of arguments. We don't know what the judge is going to say in that case. As you said, we know there are other cases pending, where there is a doctor who published an op-ed.
And he said I violated that law, basically, come and get me. And that case is also working its way up now the system. It will be interesting to see which one, if either, reaches the Supreme Court. BRUNHUBER: And, of course, for supporters, it's being hailed by
conservatives as a wildly successful template for other states.
So could we see this cropping up across the country?
LEVINSON: Yes. We've already seen essentially copycat laws, laws that are almost mirror images of Texas, being proposed. I think Florida is seriously considering one of those laws.
And frankly, how could you have a judge stop it -- or at least a federal judge, when the Supreme Court has allowed Texas' law to go forward?
Now there still will be legal challenges. But Roe versus Wade is essentially overturned in Texas and potentially in other states if they decide to follow suit.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, Mississippi one of the key ones, right?
So the Supreme Court in December will be hearing a case on that law that could basically overturn Roe v. Wade?
LEVINSON: We thought that was going to be the big abortion case this term. So Mississippi passed a law that essentially bans all abortions after 15 weeks. And the Supreme Court agreed to take up that case.
And this is a full frontal assault on Roe versus Wade. It is a completely separate law than the one in Texas. And that's a law where the justices, I suspect, either will explicitly overturn Roe versus Wade or they will kind of implicitly hobble it and hollow it out and say, well, this is consistent with Roe versus Wade.
And they will so narrow the holding of Roe v. Wade, that, basically, any state in the country can ban abortions after a comparatively early period in a pregnancy.
BRUNHUBER: So widening this out, the Supreme Court's approval is at an all-time low, according to one recent poll. And we've seen several of the justices going around doing speeches, making comments, trying to restore faith in the court.
Justice Alito the other day saying the court wasn't a dangerous cabal, for instance.
Do you get the sense that they feel that they're getting further out of sync with the public sentiment, on an issue like abortion and that may lead to moderation in the future?
Or is that just wishful thinking on the part of liberals?
LEVINSON: I think no moderation in the future. I think this is preparing us for what's about to happen.
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LEVINSON: This is a huge term that's going to start on Monday, October 4th. It's not just the abortion case. It's gun control. It's religious rights. It's freedom of speech. It's potentially freedom of speech, affirmative action, it's money in politics.
And I think they're defending themselves from what we know will very likely happen. I don't see moderation. I that think there are conservative justices who have been picked for the express purpose of making these decisions and they will make them. And the country will look very different in 10 months than it does now.
BRUNHUBER: Well, we'll be following all of those cases, of course. Jessica Levinson, always great to get your perspectives on this. Thank you so much for joining us. Really appreciate it.
LEVINSON: Thank you.
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BRUNHUBER: Brazil's president is facing new calls for his impeachment, as not just his handling of the pandemic driving protests. The top election year shaping up for Jair Bolsonaro, ahead.
Plus, Rodrigo Duterte says he's retiring from politics but that doesn't mean his family is. Who might be next in line to run for Philippine president when we come back. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
Protesters in Brazil can't wait a year to elect a new leader. They demonstrated on Saturday to demand the impeachment of president Jair Bolsonaro.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Bolsonaro is under fire for his handling of the pandemic but these protesters are about more than just COVID-19. As Stefano Pozzebon reports, the president is being blamed for a poor economy, surging inflation and high unemployment.
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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Demonstrators took to the streets, again. This Saturday, across Brazil, to protest the president, Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the pandemic, and his economic management. Major marches were reported in Brazil's major cities, including Sao
Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and the capital, Brasilia.
According to local pollsters, Bolsonaro is facing his worst time as president, with 53 percent of Brazilians opposed to his government as well as a worrisome economic outlook.
Basic food items and gasoline prices are on the rise. Million Brazilians are unemployed. At the same time, COVID-19 is giving no respite. Brazil, edging closer to the threshold of 600,000 deaths, due to the pandemic -- for CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.
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BRUNHUBER: Voters in the Philippines are also facing an election next year and news that president Rodrigo Duterte will retire from politics has fueled speculation about who might take his place. Media reports they are focusing on his daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, the popular mayor of Davao City.
CNN's Selina Wang is following these developments from Tokyo.
Many of us were taken aback when the news came out.
What do you think is driving his decision?
SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This was a major surprise reversal. Duterte is barred by the constitution from another presidential term after serving six years in office. But just last month, he said he would be running for vice president.
And that was a move that was widely criticized as an attempt for him to maintain his political power and circumvent any political legal action. But then on Saturday, Duterte's longtime aide went to submit papers that declared that he, in fact, would be running for vice president and not Duterte.
Duterte was with him. They are accompanying him in a show of unity. Now with this announcement, it leaves the race wide open for the presidential race. And much speculation has been laid on his daughter, who is the popular mayor of one of the Philippines' largest cities.
And boxing star Manny Pacquiao has also announced that he's decided to run for president and he's vowed to go up against corrupt officials. Take a listen to what Duterte said about him stepping down.
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RODRIGO DUTERTE, PRESIDENT, THE PHILIPPINES (voice-over): So in obedience to the will of the people, who, after all placed me in the presidency many years ago, I now say to my country men that I will follow your wishes and today I announce my retirement from politics.
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WANG: Experts say that he has decided to reverse his plans to run for vice president because he realizes that the tide is turning against him. The controversial strongman has seen his high approval rating slip during the pandemic and the ensuing economic fallout.
Experts say he will need a loyal successor in order to shield himself from possible legal action at home or from the International Criminal Court. Duterte has presided over a brutal so-called war on drugs that has left thousands of dead.
It's important to note, there could still be last-minute changes and Duterte is known to take political U-turns. For instance, back in 2015, when he was then mayor, he said that he was going to retire from public life for good. But then at the last minute, he entered the presidential race and won by a wide margin -- Kim.
BRUNHUBER: A good reminder there, Selina Wang in Tokyo.
A showdown in the skies is raising tensions between China and Taiwan. Taiwan's defense ministry is reporting the largest incursion by the Chinese air force for the second day in a row.
The self-governing island says that more than 3 dozen aircraft entered its Air Defense Identification Zone on Friday and Saturday. China has yet to comment. CNN's Will Ripley joins us now live from Taipei.
Are folks there in Taiwan worried about this or are they taking it in stride?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's happening on the weekend, Kim. So some people that I met -- friends of mine that I have mentioned about this, they say, they're surprised to hear about it. Then the general response is, ugh, again?
China has been doing this for quite some time. Taiwan's ministry of national defense started announcing this basically last year. And this is now two consecutive days.
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RIPLEY: With the two highest numbers of planes in Taiwan's self- declared air identification zone, since they started announcing it publicly. So you had 39 planes on Saturday, 38 on Friday. That's 77 warplanes.
And if you look at the list of the hardware that was in the skies -- and we don't know the totals for Sunday yet -- you had more than 6 dozen Chinese warplanes, 68 fighters, four nuclear capable bombers, three anti-submarine warfare aircraft and two early warning aircraft.
When this happens, when these planes fly close to Taiwan, the Taiwanese air force scrambles their planes. They deploy air defense missile systems and they issue this radio warning. Listen.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).
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RIPLEY: Beijing did not violate Taiwanese airspace, which extends over the main island and 12 nautical miles off the coast. Because they flew into this kind of buffer zone that is recognized as international airspace, there's no technical violation here. But from the perspective here in Taipei, they see it as intimidation.
Chinese state media is hinting that it might be because of U.S. aircraft carrier activity in the South China Sea and that these flyovers might be a response actually to actions more by the United States, which, of course, is closely aligned with Taiwan, albeit unofficially, because they haven't recognized this country's government.
They recognize Beijing. And of course, Beijing claims sovereignty over this whole island, which this democratically elected leadership here in Taipei, they reject that. They say that Beijing has never ruled this island.
But yet, Beijing has tried to make it pretty clear and through these acts of military intimidation that they have the means, they have the air force and the navy to take it back at any moment if they wish.
It's interesting, the location of these flights, because they're inside Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone, to the far extreme southwest, right near a very important little island, that's very important strategically for Taiwan. It's called Pratas Island, it's kind of in a location that makes it almost the gateway to the Taiwan Strait.
And the Taiwanese military have a small outpost there, they have a runway, some soldiers and they have some scientists and researchers stationed there. It would be very easy for Beijing to take it back pretty much at any moment.
And some analysts fear that that small island could become a flashpoint if things are to escalate from where they are right now. And they appear to be heading in an -- in not a great direction at the moment, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, great context there. We'll keep following this story. Will Ripley in Taipei. Thanks so much.
Still ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, new potential clues. The latest in the FBI for Brian Laundrie and the increasing the death of Gabby Petito. Stay with us.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER (voice-over): People gathered in Orange County, Florida, Saturday night for a vigil to honor Miya Marcano. The 19-year-old woman was last seen over a week ago. Authorities say Saturday they found a body believed to be Marcano. Her family has been notified but they're still waiting for an official identification and a cause of death.
Marcano's purse and ID were found near the body some 18 miles from her home. The discoveries weren't far from the home of the main person of interest in Marcano's case, who was previously found dead of an apparent suicide. Authorities say they believe that man is responsible for the crime and they're not looking for anyone else.
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BRUNHUBER: Elsewhere in Florida, time and the swampy environment are complicating the search for Brian Laundrie, the fiance of Gabby Petito. Authorities seem to be no closer to finding the 23-year-old, as the search enters another week.
Laundrie hasn't been charged with the death of Petito but he has been charged with using two financial accounts that didn't belong to him. Petito's death was ruled a suicide.
We're also learning new details on -- a homicide, rather -- we're also learning new details on the couple's encounter with police in Utah during a road trip earlier this summer. CNN's Nadia Romero has more.
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NADIA ROMERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: More video being released from the Moab police department, showing the altercation between Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito when the police responded on August 12th.
When you look at that video, you can hear the pain in Gabby Petito's voice, as she pleads with officers not to arrest her or Brian and asks for leniency.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GABBY PETITO, BRIAN LAUNDRIE'S FIANCEE AND MURDER VICTIM: Can I have a ticket for hitting the curb or something please? Because we're OK. We're just --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I understand. But we don't have -- we don't have like -- listen, if I had any discretion in this, I would separate you guys for the day and just give you warnings to stop hitting each other. But I lawfully don't have discretion here. I don't have any --
(CROSSTALK)
PETITO: Is it only because somebody said, like a witness said something? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's two witnesses. And there's what you said
and what he said and, guess what, it all matches nicely that you were the primary aggressor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMERO: So that incident and more video that we have now helps to put together some of the puzzle pieces of this story, of what happened between August 12th and September 11th, when Gabby Petito's family reported her missing.
On that same day that Gabby Petito's family reported that they hadn't spoken to her, they didn't know anything about her, there was a police call that came here to Brian Laundrie's parents' house.
And take a look. This is the police report. And you can see, it is fully redacted, which gives us some insight that there is so much more to this case that we don't know, because it remains under investigation -- Nadia Romero, CNN, North Port, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, the U.S. suffered a brutal summer of natural disasters made even worse by climate change. Our meteorologist analyzes what we can learn from these heartbreaking events, next. Stay with us.
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[04:50:00]
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Climate activists marched through the streets of Milan, Italy, on Saturday. They're calling on wealthy nations to live up to a long-standing promise to spend $100 billion to help developing countries transition to clean energy. Activists say they need to do that and much more.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA VALLARO, CLIMATE ACTIVIST: I'm here because, in these days in Milan, there is the pre-cop and the world leaders have met to discuss the policies on the -- to face the climate crisis. But are not listening to us young people and to us people in general. And we want them to listen.
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BRUNHUBER: Environmental disasters ravaged the U.S. and Canada this summer and experts say climate change is fueling the extreme events. The West has struggled with unrelenting drought, dozens of wildfires and a deadly heat wave. And back-to-back hurricanes slammed the East, breaking all-time rainfall records.
(WEATHER REPORT)
[04:55:00]
BRUNHUBER: And I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back in just a moment as CNN NEWSROOM continues. Please do stay with us.
