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G20 Leaders Arriving in Rome; Chinese President Not Attending G20 in Person; FDA Authorizes Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for Children 5- 11; Haiti Seeks Extradition of Suspect Arrested in Jamaica; Biden Goes to G20 without Domestic Agenda Deal; COP26 Faces Daunting Task with Worsening Climate; Authorities Want Interview with "Rust" Armorer; COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories Damaging Relationships. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired October 30, 2021 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To those of you watching us here in, the United States, Canada and around the world I am Kim Brunhuber.
It is now 9 am in Rome and world leaders are beginning to gather in just about an hour for the annual G20 summit. The Iran nuclear deal will be on the agenda when U.S. President Joe Biden will meet on Saturday with his counterparts from Germany, France and the U.K. On Sunday, the U.S. hosts events on the supply chain crisis.
Biden then heads to Glasgow, Scotland, for the COP26 climate summit. The president met with the pope, greeting the Italian hosts of this year's gathering. He also spoke, one-on-one, with French president, Emmanuel Macron in their first face to face meeting, since the canceled submarine contract, the French had with Australia.
Biden conceded, the U.S. handling of the matter had, been quote, clumsy. Listen to this.
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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What we did was clumsy. It was not done with a lot of grace. I was under the impression that certain things had happened that hadn't happened.
I was under the impression that France had been informed long before that the deal was not going through. Honest to God, I did not know you had not been.
There's too much we have done together, suffered together, celebrated together and value together for anything to be able to break this up.
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BRUNHUBER: CNN's Ben Wedeman and Kevin Liptak, standing, by in Rome. Ben, let's start with you, with the big picture, here looking ahead to
the day here.
What are we expecting?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Let's keep in mind, this group, the G20, comprises about 80 percent of producers, of 80 percent of the world's greenhouse gases and 85 percent of world GDP.
So if they can agree on something, that is a good sign, going into the COP26 conference, in Glasgow, next week. If they can't, however, that will be a problem and, may, in fact, scuttle the COP26 efforts altogether.
Now we understand, there is a busy schedule. They will discuss, for instance, vaccine access. It is a major issue between the developing countries and the developed world. Keeping in mind, for instance, a recent study found that the G20 countries have received, per capita, 15 times more vaccines than sub-Saharan Africa.
So they're going to try to address that. And, in fact, some of the G20 ministers have agreed on the formation of a body that will deal with future pandemics. But there haven't been any mechanisms to fund such a body yet. So we will see if that works out.
They are going to be focused on how to cut greenhouse gases but there are serious differences, between the countries, on how to do that and, at what milestones. For instance, India, which depends heavily on coal, is in no hurry to cut its greenhouse gas production, because of its coal.
Other countries, like the United States and the U.K. would like to do it as soon as possible. So there are serious differences.
They're going to discuss the implementation of a global minimum corporate tax. The United States is advocating 15 percent. That is taxes on corporations, where they make the money.
We now have companies obviously, working across borders. The benefits, the tax benefits never get to the countries where the money is, made the profit is made. So you have a variety of very pressing issues but we will see if there will be results or just gas.
BRUNHUBER: Big if there.
So Kevin, turning to President Biden, specifically, much of the narrative around this G20 has been Biden is going to heal rifts with allies and restore the very idea of American leadership around the world. Obviously, a big lift there. This is something you wrote about.
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BRUNHUBER: How does he go about doing that?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: I think in his view, the main objective is to show that America's back and the way he does it is by showing up to these summits with an agenda of multilateralism, working together, trying to unite American allies around a common goal.
What you have seen is that it's easier said than done to do that. Of course the president was at the G7 in June. His message there, was that America is back. Since, then there have been all of these issues that have come between America and its allies, whether it's the withdrawal from Afghanistan, which a number of European countries said, privately, was handled poorly and they weren't consulted.
The White House disputes that. And, this rift with France over the submarines, that the president tried to smooth over yesterday, with the French president Emmanuel Macron.
Today, the president is focused on a number of things. One is the global minimum tax that Ben mentioned and the, other energy prices, the supply and demand issues, with energy around the world. Of course, gas prices, in the United States, remain quite high.
The president has said, including at our CNN town hall last week, that he expects them to remain high for the foreseeable future. The president wants to convince energy producers, who are here, to amp up supply so the prices can come down.
It is not clear whether he will engage with the Saudi representative. The White House said, as recently as a few days ago, that it doesn't believe Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman will be at the G20 this. Week
The president is not going to tell OPEC, the Gulf energy cartel there, exactly, what to do. But he does want to bring a message that these prices must come down.
The other main issue, on the president's agenda, today is Iran. He is convening a meeting with the leaders of Germany, France, in the United Kingdom. The so-called E3, to discuss the next steps, in the Iran nuclear deal.
Of course, these negotiations, for the United States to reenter the deal have been languishing for months. The Iranian representative has, recently, said that they want those talks to resume maybe at the end of November.
But a lot of skepticism in Washington about Iran's objectives here and whether they were really serious about getting back into the deal and so the meeting today, the White House official said, it is meant to bring these countries together and all get on the same page.
There isn't a deliverable but it is more just getting everyone on the same pitch. These are all steps that the White House thinks will restore American leadership and put President Biden, back in a leadership position, after president Trump, sort, of disregarded these summits.
Many times he questioned his aides whether he even really needed to come. He ended up doing it but it was begrudgingly. President Biden is, markedly enthusiastic to be at the summits. He is a long time foreign policy hand, he knows what he is doing here. So I think that is the message you can see from him here today.
BRUNHUBER: Ben, Kevin touched on this, the meeting with Macron.
Is there is a sense that the French president accepted his mea culpa?
WEDEMAN: I think it was well received, shall we say. I think that the unhappiness among the French was intense. Let's recall, they recalled their ambassador to Washington, unprecedented with those 2 old allies. Certainly there was a good deal of contrition, coming from President Biden.
Keep in, mind they actually met at the French embassy. Normally, the French leader would go to the American embassy. But he made a point, president, Biden, of going to the French embassy and, admitting, it was clumsy the way the U.S. dealt with it.
He sort of passed the buck by saying, I was unaware, he didn't know the details of the deal, perhaps. But certainly, if we contrast this with his predecessor, Donald Trump, who never apologized for anything, certainly, I think the French will appreciate in terms of the totality of gestures, from the U.S. president, perhaps it has gone a long way.
Perhaps, not making up for $66 billion in the lost, diesel submarine deal. But it should make something of a difference -- Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Finally, Kevin, Biden's visit with the pope, it was unusually long. Maybe it reflects the importance of Biden's faith and their rapport.
What did you make of their meeting and that it didn't apparently touch on the political controversy of Biden's very standing as a Catholic?
LIPTAK: Yes, afterwards, White House officials, said it was striking how personal this meeting was.
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LIPTAK: And it did stretch almost 90 minutes, one-on-one, far longer than the pope generally meets with foreign leaders. They discussed a number of things. On the political front, climate was one of the main issues that the pope wanted to discuss with President Biden.
They also talked about COVID. Afterwards, the White House suggested that the pope didn't make a hard ask on vaccine donations but it was suggested that wealthier nations needed to do more to help poor nations.
Meanwhile, the main takeaway was what the president, said offhand, afterwards, which is that the pope told him he was a good Catholic and that he could continue receiving communion.
That's a reference to the debate in the United States with conservative bishops on whether politicians who want abortion rights for women should receive communion. The president seemed to suggest, the pope came down on his side and he should continue to receive communion. Seems unlikely that will settle the debate back in the United States,
these conservative bishops, not only on the other side of Biden but they don't necessarily agree with Pope Francis on all this.
Abortion rights are set to become on a hot button topic in the U.S. There are a few Supreme Court cases on the topic so no sign that this issue is, really, going to go away. But the takeaway from this meeting was that the president was glad to hear and he was glad to tell people about it afterwards.
BRUNHUBER: You don't think that will be the political salve back home, then for that meeting, in November.
Ben Wedeman and Kevin Liptak, thank you so much for your analysis, we appreciate, it and will come back to you later on.
Noticeable absence from the G20 summit, getting underway, in Italy. Why China's president won't be going to Rome.
And an announcement from the FDA could mean COVID vaccines for children as soon as next week. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: The G20 summit of the world's largest economies, now, getting ready to meet in person for the first time in more than 2 years. World leaders, arriving, at the site, this hour.
The official welcome, expected at the top of the hour and the welcoming ceremony, soon after that. So we will bring you that when it comes.
Then the real work begins, when they address climate, change COVID vaccines, supply chain problems and a host of other critical issues. But we won't see Chinese president, Xi Jinping, among the G20 arrivals. He's not attending in person, making an appearance by video link. David Culver, joining, me from Shanghai.
David, as you well know, China, the biggest greenhouse gas emitter, putting in about a quarter of them and the largest coal user. But missing from the G20 and the climate conference.
What are we expecting to hear from President Xi?
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DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Missing, certainly in person. I guess it will be a work from home attendance, if you will, beaming in from the Chinese capital, Beijing, where Xi would partake in the summit.
But why not be here and participating in person, for all of that? They don't give an exact reason. And several of the possibilities, in Beijing, a COVID-19 outbreak, causing a lot of lockdowns and issues, within the Chinese capital. If the president were to leave, coming back in he'd have to quarantine for 21 days for Beijing. That doesn't time out well because there is a major party meeting, in a few weeks.
Likely he'd want to be there for that. That is interesting, Kim, because it shows where the priorities, are in what has become an increased nationalism, here in China. That, is appeasing to what the party is experiencing and dealing with domestically and making sure that he shows face in China.
Going forward, there are questions to why he would show up at a particular party where everyone will be talking to you. Talking about, you certainly. You know that a lot of the folks, who are going to be attending, those world leaders, have a lot of issues with China.
There's a lot of confrontation between the, West and, China right now. So instead of getting encountered all at once, perhaps he is having phone calls, individually, with world leaders.
President Macron earlier this, week prime minister Johnson, just yesterday, where they talked about a range of issues, including climate. It seems to be the number one issue. And he had a phone all with President Biden in early September and we expect a Biden-Xi summit, that will be a virtual, one from what we're hearing. No date set on that. But again, this idea that dialogue, conversation, exchange is still very much happening despite Xi not being there in person.
Climate is massive here. The president hit on it going back to the National People's Congress earlier this year where he said green is gold. It's not just rhetoric, one thing that is increasingly aware here is the secured source of energy and knowing where exactly that is coming from, not just for the few, years but generations to come, is a matter of national security.
So a big priority and it is not solely about protecting the planet though that's incredibly important as well. It is about making sure that China can, continue, on the course it has been as far as this economic boom and, sustaining, that Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Thank you so much, David Culver, in Shanghai, we appreciate it.
It is the answer to the prayers of many parents, a COVID vaccine, for young children, could be days away. After the FDA's approval of the Pfizer vaccine in 5-11 year olds they're one step closer to getting that vital protection. CNN's, Nick Watt, with more.
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NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pfizer can start shipping vaccine doses for those younger kids 5 to 11 because the FDA just granted emergency use authorization. There could be shots in little arms as soon as Wednesday, if the CDC green-lights. DR. WILLIAM GRUBER, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PFIZER VACCINE CLINICAL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT: This is a great day for the health and well- being of children.
WATT: Vaccine mandates for older folks are the hot-button issue right now. Florida's governor just filed suit to halt an upcoming mandate for federal contractors.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): Many people have recovered from COVID and also have strong immunity through prior infection.
WATT: A CDC study of 7,000 people hospitalized with COVID-like illness published at lunchtime states, we now have additional evidence that reaffirms the importance of COVID-19 vaccines, even if you have had prior infection. Vaccination can provide a higher, more robust and more consistent level of immunity.
In Rhode Island, a mandate kicks in for state health workers Sunday. There are holdouts.
GOV. DANIEL MCKEE (D-RI): We'll work on other plans to activate strategies, including the National Guard if necessary.
WATT: In Iowa, lawmakers passed a bill granting unemployment benefits to anyone fired for failing to get a shot. And in Oakland, California, the school board voted to un-enroll currently eligible but unvaccinated kids come January 1 or teach them online only.
Now I just want to underline this Pfizer vaccine could be the first vaccine rolled out in this country for kids as young as 5.
So what happens next?
Those CDC advisers meet on Tuesday. If they are in favor, then it goes to the CDC director. And if she green lights, then we could be seeing shots in those little arms Wednesday morning.
It is important to note, the kids' dose is one-third of the dose that is being stuck into older people --
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WATT: -- Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
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BRUNHUBER: The U.S. Supreme Court, denying a request to block Maine's requirement for health care workers to receive the COVID vaccine. Three conservative justices, dissenting. The order applies to people working in such places as hospitals, nursing homes and doctors' offices.
A group of unvaccinated workers argued, the mandate violated their religious liberty because the vaccine was developed with the aid of fetal cell lines, that originated from elective abortions.
Maine offers a limited exemption, for some medical situations but does not consider requests for religious objections.
As deadlines approach for the U.S. military, the Pentagon says that nearly 90 percent of active duty members are fully vaccinated. But there is still a portion of troops unvaccinated.
So what happens if they miss the deadline?
CNN Pentagon correspondent, Oren Liebermann, with the details.
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OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The Air Force is the first of the military services to have its deadline for full vaccination coming up. That, being, this Tuesday, when airmen are required to be fully vaccinated. The Air Force, right now, has a very good number. Over 96 percent are fully or partially vaccinated, according to the latest set of data that they provided us.
That still leaves some 12,000 airmen, who have not gotten their first shot or have not accepted vaccination yet. The Air Force, and the other, services have made it clear that refusal to accept, or receive the vaccine, could lead to separation, under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the UCMJ.
That's because from the Pentagon's perspective, the order to get the vaccine is a, lawful legal vaccine. And service members who refuse can be separated from the force. Effectively, they can get the boot.
But that is not what any service wants as their first option. There will be guidance, there will be counseling, there will be a chance to essentially review and look at your decision. Then there are disciplinary actions that can be taken, as well but in the end it could lead to separation.
There are also exemptions that need to be reviewed, for example administrative, medical or religious exemptions. All of those, examined on a case by case basis.
The services have a good vaccination. Rate far better, in fact, than the general population. Take a look at these numbers. The Air Force, at 96 percent, Navy 99 percent, Marine Corps, 93 percent and the Army, 91 percent. That number from the Army is the oldest number we have from earlier this month.
Remember, the military already requires service members to, take a large sweep of vaccines, depending on where you are deployed to. Take a look at this list, the one including, for example, depending on where you are, anthrax, hepatitis, A and B, influenza -- a seasonal shot of course -- polio, rabies and much more.
The military is making the argument, you already receive vaccines; the COVID-19 vaccine has been proven to be safe. Now, it is time for those skeptics, those who refuse, at this, point to get on board, as those deadlines are approaching -- Oren Liebermann, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: Several hours ago, Russia began a 9-day stretch of non working days, in an effort to curb COVID cases. Moscow has been under the new COVID-19 restrictions since Thursday. All residents, over 60, who have not been vaccinated and haven't been ill within the last 6 months, are ordered to stay home, until late February.
Restaurants, entertainment venues, schools and many establishments in the capital are closed. Russia announced a daily record of more than 40,000 COVID cases on Thursday.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, urging people to report used or dirty medical gloves. This comes as a CNN investigation, this week, found that tens of millions of filthy, counterfeit and used gloves have reached the U.S., including millions from a company in Thailand that has been indicted by local police.
On Friday, at the FDA announced that it was investigating tampered imported medical gloves. Officials say, the gloves appear to have been reprocessed, cleaned or recycled and sold as new.
Haiti is seeking the extradition of a suspect in the assassination of its president Jovenel Moise. Officials say the suspect is a Colombian mercenary, who was arrested in Jamaica last week. Despite arresting dozens of other suspects, investigators are still in the dark around who is behind the killing.
As Patrick Oppmann reports, it's unclear if the extradition will change that.
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PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It could be an important development into the assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moise, the detention of a Colombian suspect, Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios, detained in Jamaica. Haiti is seeking his extradition.
It is still not clear how the suspect was able to leave Haiti. He was being sought there by officials who say he is about one of 12 Colombian mercenaries, who, Haitian officials say, had been brought to Haiti to kill Jovenel Moise in July. There were multiple arrests but police and Haitian officials have been seeking Palacios since the assassination.
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OPPMANN: It is not clear if he can shed any light who ordered, financed the assassination and why they apparently wanted Haiti's president dead. This is just one of a number of developments taking place and many controversies swirling around, the current prime minister, Ariel Henry.
Henry's also dealing with a kidnapping of 16 Americans and one Canadian missionaries who 2 weeks ago on Saturday were taken by one of the powerful gangs near Port-au-Prince. They are being held for millions of dollars in ransom. Ariel Henry, the embattled prime minister, took to the airwaves to say
he would not negotiate with these gangs, that they are the enemies of the Haitian people and that he will defeat them.
But it is an open question; as these gangs prevent gasoline from being delivered, choking off the Haitian economy and calling for Henry to step down, who has more power, Haiti's prime minister or these ruthless gangs that seem to rule so much of the country? -- Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.
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BRUNHUBER: In the coming hours, Sudan's opposition plans to flood the streets with protesters against a military coup. Rallies against the takeover have been going on since troops seized power, on Monday. Now the opposition wants to hold, what it calls, a million man march to turn up the pressure on military leaders.
The U.S., calling on troops to avoid violence and restore a power sharing government meant to guide Sudan to democracy.
Comments from the Lebanese information minister, George Kordahi angered Saudi Arabia. On Friday the kingdom recalled its ambassador to Lebanon and ordered the Lebanon ambitious to leave within 48 hours, suspending imports from Lebanon.
Kordahi said in an interview, before he became prime minister, the Houthis in Yemen had a right to defend themselves against, quote, "external aggression." Saudi Arabia calls a remarks "reprehensible and damaging." Lebanon's prime minister says the comments don't reflect his government's view.
Still to come, 2 of the largest gatherings of global leaders, about to begin in Rome and Glasgow, Scotland. Our coverage of the G20 summit and COP26 climate conference, ahead, after the break.
Plus, global climate protests set the tone ahead of COP26. What they're demanding and what they expect in Glasgow. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: World leaders have been converging on Rome from the start of the G20 summit, now, about 30 minutes away. The Iran nuclear deal, on the agenda, when President Biden in the leaders of Germany, France, in the U.K., meet on the sidelines in the coming hours.
On Sunday, the U.S. hosts events on the supply chain crisis. Biden then heads to Glasgow, Scotland to the COP26 climate crisis. This is Joe Biden's first G20 summit, as U.S. president and his reception may be a little different than the last time he was on the world stage. Joining me to talk about this is Thomas Gift, director of the U.S.
Center on Politics, at the University College London.
Thank you so much for being here with us. This is President Biden's second foreign trip, as president. The circumstances, very different from his tour of Europe, months ago.
How is the world's view of American leadership different, now?
How hard will it be for Biden to change that on this trip?
THOMAS GIFT, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: I think there is more skepticism, certainly, about Biden, than when he initially came into office. So if Biden is going to move past some of these foreign policy blemishes, restoring trust, it is going to require more than, rhetoric touting multilateralism.
I don't think anyone is confusing Joe Biden for Donald Trump, in terms of his professed commitment to working with allies. But 8 months into his presidency, Biden needs to reinforce a clear expectation about what the United States wants from its global partners and, what those global partners want from the United States.
Really, it is a two-way street and it's about reciprocity. I think that is what Biden needs to emphasize. A good example, here grappling with concerns of mounting aggression, in China. For Biden, this is a priority.
He needs to show, America's pivot toward Asia, which is discernible, doesn't mean that he's ignoring, traditional European alliances. For Europe this is about supporting American foreign policy objectives, where they can, in Asia; in issues on Taiwan and enforcing fair trade practices.
Also developing strategic independence at home, picking up slack on the domestic national security. So really, it is both sides needing to trust one another and improve communication.
BRUNHUBER: Some of the China-focused stuff might be easier Xi won't be, there in person. Biden wanted a win, to show off at the G20 and COP26. The president, Nancy Pelosi, couldn't have been more stark with their warnings about what was at stake.
No less than his presidency is on the line, in Biden's words. Our writer, Stephen Collinson called this debacle political malpractice.
So for you, who is the most to blame here?
GIFT: In terms of what's happening domestically, with Democrats, infrastructure bill?
BRUNHUBER: Yes, that's it.
GIFT: I think that, in my view, this is a matter for progressives who have really been asking for a lot. After Friday, it does look like Democrats will rally behind a $1.75 trillion dollar spending bill. And reports are, the votes could take place next week. But at the same
time, I do think there remains a significant amount of fine print, that needs to be worked out. And, some moderates, clearly, are still roiling over the size of this bill.
"The Wall Street Journal," reported, for example, the true cost of the new legislation could end up being closer to $4 trillion and that the Democrats are using gimmicky accounting measures to arrive at that $1.75 trillion dollar number.
That is on top of a new decade of new tax increases, which reports out of the University of Pennsylvania show, is not expected to raise as much as some Democrats hope.
Stephanie Murphy, an interesting quote from "The Washington Post," a congress member from Florida, quoted as calling the progressives the "never enough caucus." I think that is, really, the sense that many moderates feel right now, including, of course, Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin at the center of this debate.
But I think that progressives are asking a lot and they may feel emboldened. To this point, at the very, least they have been able to dictate the terms of the debate.
BRUNHUBER: I am wondering here, if the bill passes, if both of them pass but they lose a lot of their luster because of all this fighting, the watering down, clearly, Democrats will evoke the age old sausage metaphor here, about this getting made. But the impression is of chaos, incompetence.
Will that still to the bill itself?
GIFT: I think the fact that Democrats have not yet been able to pass infrastructure or the Build Back Better plan only reinforces what we already know and what you suggested.
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GIFT: There is a significant ideological gulf dividing the Democratic Party, at the moment. It is taking a toll on perceptions of Biden's leadership and, it may have an effect on the bills if they are passed.
Of course, Biden's political fate could change in a hurry if his Democratic colleagues do strike a deal, through reconciliation. Combined, that would unlock 2 big spending bills. Leading to a total of nearly $5 trillion in new federal commitments, from Biden, since he took office in January.
But right now, it's precarious. On the moderate side, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are dictating policy as much or even more than Biden, given the dynamics of the 50-50 split in the Senate and a large faction of the Left really, feels empowered they've been able to thoroughly dictate the terms of this debate over social spending to this point.
I think either way, this could have some implications for 2022 and, potentially, beyond.
BRUNHUBER: All right, we will be watching. Thanks again for your expertise. Thomas, Gift appreciate it.
GIFT: Thanks, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: In the days ahead, we could see new commitments to combat climate change. It is a top agenda item at the G20 summit, about to get underway. The main focus of the COP26 conference begins on Sunday.
Activists around the world are calling for action not just from world leaders but also banks that fund the use of fossil fuels. Scott McLean joins us from London, where some of those climate demonstrations have been taking place.
So Scott, Greta Thunberg was at one of those protests.
What did she say?
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Honestly, Kim, she did not say anything. She didn't give a speech or speak to the media. I asked her what she thought of China's climate change commitments, which some countries, say are far too mild for what the world need right now. But she didn't answer the question.
It's an odd sight to be at that protest because, frankly, it wasn't all that big. It was part of a series of protests in cities around the world calling for financial institutions to stop financing fossil fuel exploration.
At one point, at the London version of that protest, it appeared that there were more media there than campaigners or protesters, despite the draw of celebrity climate change activist, Greta Thunberg.
Now that particular protest focused on Standard Chartered Bank and their investments. The bank says it does have a plan to reduce emissions in its investments, becoming carbon neutral in those companies that they invest in by 2050 and by 2030 not dealing with any financial clients that are more than 5 percent reliant on coal for their revenues.
Still for the protesters, that was not nearly enough.
BRUNHUBER: So the British are hosting the COP26 next week. The U.N. secretary-general wasn't rosy in his outlook saying, serious risk that Glasgow will not deliver. Not the most optimistic about that pivotal event.
Are the British confident meaningful progress will come out of the summit?
MCLEAN: The short answer is, a spokesperson for British prime minister Boris Johnson said the outcome of Glasgow still very much hangs in the balance. Some countries convinced to do more that previously had committed to very little. There is, still, a very long way to go. The British line of thinking is that if emissions are not cut, in
half, by 2030 the world has no chance of staying below 1.5 degree threshold agreed to during the Paris summit.
The prime minister has been quite frank and quite honest, about his feelings of success. Here is what he said last week.
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BORIS JOHNSON, U.K. PRIME MINISTER: It will be very tough this summit and I'm very worried because it might go wrong and we may not get the agreements we need, it's touch and go.
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MCLEAN: Now one of the countries that the British and other nations, really need to convince is China. China, on its own, is responsible for one-quarter of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Johnson spoke with Chinese president, Xi Jinping, yesterday, and climate change was one of the topics that they discussed.
But no real signs China will make any drastic announcements or any drastic change of course on the very modest targets that it set, for itself, already -- Kim.
[03:40:00]
BRUNHUBER: Thank you so much, Scott McLean, appreciate it.
As we said, the G20 summit will set the tone for the COP26. The major goal is to wean the world off fossil fuels. But the global spike in prices, may create a bumpy transition to green energy. Some business leaders argue cutting funding for oil and coal is making things worse in the short term. Richard Quest reports.
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RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Whether it's emerging markets, the Middle East or the European Union, it's the same story, energy prices are rising and with that so is public anger.
As the global economy rebounds, much stronger than perhaps expected following the COVID 19 shutdowns, energy producers can't keep up. If prices continue to go up business leaders say the results could be devastating.
STEPHEN A. SCHWARZMAN, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, BLACKSTONE: You're going to get very unhappy people around the world on the emerging markets in particular but in the developed world.
QUEST: We're seeing it at the moment in Europe.
SCHWARZMAN: That what happens then Richard, is you've got real unrest. And this challenge is the political system. And it's all utterly unnecessary. QUEST: In many places, this crisis is already here. The cost of natural gas used for cooking and heating homes is spiraling upwards. China's facing a serious coal shortage and oil prices are at multiyear highs. Despite this energy crunch, public pressure continues over ditching fossil fuels. And that means investment is in short supply.
SCHWARZMAN: If you try and raise money to drill holes, it's almost impossible to get that money.
LARRY FINK, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, BLACKROCK: The short term policies related to environmentalism in terms of restricting supply of hydrocarbons, has created energy inflation and we're going to be living with that for some time.
QUEST: This all creates great headaches for the global leaders at the future investment initiative in Saudi Arabia. The chief executives told me it could put a major strain on the global economy.
DAVID SOLOMON, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, GOLDMAN SACHS: We need good public policy and a plan across the world to move this transition forward.
FINK: We don't have long term planning by most governments to effectuate these long term problems. We're not focusing on long-term solutions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not trying to change the world in a granular basis. We have these visions, we could go from a brown world and we could wake up tomorrow to be a green world, that is not going to happen.
QUEST: Warnings like this won't shake the resolve of climate activists as we head into COP26. Nor will they change the science of climate change and the need for countries to decarbonize. It's up to global leaders to walk that tightrope, as they try to reach a deal in Glasgow -- Richard Quest, CNN.
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BRUNHUBER: No one charged but no one cleared. Authorities investigating the deadly "Rust" movie shooting want to speak again with the film's head armorer but haven't yet been able to. We explain why, straight ahead.
Plus, Britain's Queen Elizabeth, being told to rest for a longer periods than first indicated. We explain ahead.
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BRUNHUBER: Authorities say, that they want to speak again to the head armorer, on the movie, "Rust," where a crew member was killed and another wounded.
But so far, Hannah Gutierrez Reed hasn't said whether she will give a follow-up interview to investigators, a source tells CNN. She did release a statement, through her lawyers. CNN analyst, Josh Campbell, has the story.
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SHERIFF ADAN MENDOZA, SANTA FE COUNTY: We encourage Ms. Gutierrez Reed to come in.
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Santa Fe County sheriff now strongly urging Hannah Gutierrez Reed to come in for more questioning. The 24-year-old head armorer was in charge of weapons on the set, where the sheriff says Alec Baldwin fired a suspected live round, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
MENDOZA: She is cooperating, but the sooner, the better that she comes in. We can clarify some of these questions.
CAMPBELL: Now for the first time, Gutierrez Reed is making her case publicly. A new statement from her lawyers reads in part, safety is Hannah's number one priority on set. Ultimately, the set would have never been compromised if live ammo were not introduced.
Hannah has no idea where the live rounds came from. Hannah still to this day has never had an accidental discharge. The entire productions that became unsafe due to various factors, including lack of safety meeting. This was not the fault of Hannah.
STU BRUMBAUGH, MOTION PICTURE KEY GRIP: We had a couple of discharges that were not announced on set.
CAMPBELL: A key grip on Gutierrez Reed's last film says several unannounced discharges occurred on that project over the summer and lack of safety was a concern.
BRUMBAUGH: You know, I witnessed the things on set that I thought were unsafe and my personal opinion, the way that she was handling firearms.
CAMPBELL: When asked last month about the work on her project, Gutierrez Reed said ...
HANNAH GUTIERREZ REED, ARMORER: I almost didn't take the job because I wasn't sure I was, ready but doing it went very smoothly.
CAMPBELL: She's a daughter of a longtime Hollywood armorer, who grew up learning about gun safety. After the fatal shooting on the set of "Rust" last week, court records indicate Gutierrez Reed told investigators no live ammo is ever kept on set. That was contradicted this week by the sheriff.
MENDOZA: We regard the specific casing and recovered projectile to be the live round that was fired from the revolver by Mr. Baldwin. We have recovered what we believe to be possible additional live rounds on set.
MARY CARMACK-ALTWIES, SANTA FE DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The entire situation has shocked me. I was under the assumption probably with most other people in this country that movie sets were much safer and more protected, than I think that at least this movie was.
CAMPBELL: Nobody has been charged, but officials say nobody involved has been cleared of wrongdoing either.
Now on the support of past dangerous incidents, occurring on set, the production company issued a statement, earlier this week, saying they received no formal complaints. They take safety very seriously.
They will be conducting their own investigation. This as law enforcement officials tell us they're not just looking at this one. Shooting they're also be looking backwards to see if there are any potential patterns, anything that could have been done to prevent this tragic shooting -- Josh Campbell, CNN, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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BRUNHUBER: Prince Andrew's attorneys are asking a judge to dismiss a sex abuse lawsuit against him. He's being sued, in New York, by a woman who said she was forced to have sex with Andrew while she was trafficked by late U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein. She was, reportedly, 17 at the time.
Andrew's attorney say, her lawsuit violates her earlier settlement, with Epstein and, also, accusing her of trying to profit from her claims. The statement says, she may, legitimately, have suffered at the hands of Epstein but denies the allegations against Andrew.
While conspiracy theories can, indeed, be damaging, after the, break CNN talks to one woman whose marriage broke apart, because of misinformation on the internet and she isn't alone. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: We've seen the ugly rise of conspiracy theories and misinformation, during the COVID-19 pandemic. As CNN's Donie O'Sullivan discovers, the anti-vaccine movement, also, is impacting marriages and tearing some couples apart.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I truly have been through hell and back fighting this damn cancer for the past 2.5 years. And he just acts like I should obey his wishes and not get the vaccine and throw everything to the wayside and go against my oncologists' recommendation.
Well, I say screw him and I got over 3,000 likes on that.
DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): COVID-19 conspiracy theories are complicating relationships. We spoke to one breast cancer patient whose oncologist recommended she get the vaccine. But she says her husband told her no.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was downright rude to me and said that, if you get the vaccine, I'll file for divorce. We will no longer be together. And it's like, well, OK.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Now she's the one filing for divorce. She asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation until it's finalized.
O'SULLIVAN: So at the start of COVID, he was very careful.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yes, he washed his hands, he'd sanitize his hands. He'd, you know, put on a new mask every time. He was fanatical about it. But then he went from one extreme to the other.
O'SULLIVAN: Why didn't he want you to get vaccinated?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had heard with all his research that the vaccine will shed to him if he hangs around people who have been vaccinated and that it will change his DNA.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): CNN has reviewed dozens of her husband's social media posts, where he shared baseless conspiracy theories regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Some of the Facebook posts include lies that the vaccine is spreading the virus, that it alters people's DNA and that it's being used to depopulate the world.
O'SULLIVAN: I mean, those beliefs, that sort of delusion, is that the man you married?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I don't even know who the hell he is anymore. He's not the same person. He just -- it -- it's like a switch that flipped.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): She's not alone. Others have taken to social media to express concerns about their marriages because of COVID-19 misinformation.
JESSELYN COOK, SENIOR REPORTER, HUFFPOST: I've spoken to about half a dozen couples, who, their relationships have kind of fallen apart under the weight of viral anti-vax disinformation. Some are getting divorced.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Jesselyn Cook covers tech, misinformation and conspiracy theories for HuffPost. She's currently writing a book about the human toll of misinformation.
COOK: And a lot of their spouses really didn't even buy into conspiracy theories or any misinformation before the pandemic. It's incredibly heartbreaking. And for many of the couples I spoke with, vaccines have been a breaking point. O'SULLIVAN: I mean, ultimately, do you think you'd be getting a
divorce for misinformation, COVID, the vaccine?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, we wouldn't. I don't think so. I don't think we'd be getting a divorce. You know, there were -- there's other things, too, you know, no marriage is perfect. But, you know, that was the driving force.
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BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Troubling revelations about Facebook --
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Companies like YouTube and Facebook had been criticized for allowing COVID-19 misinformation to spread on their platforms. YouTube says it has banned misleading videos about any approved vaccine.
And Facebook says it prohibits misinformation about the COVID vaccine. But many of her husband's posts still remain on Facebook.
O'SULLIVAN: How did it feel to watch the man you married, the man you love, go down this rabbit hole?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was sad. It was really sad. But -- and I thought, well, I got to you know, pull him out of this. But you can't. It's not something that I think -- it's got to be up to that person.
O'SULLIVAN: What's your message those people that --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To the makers of those?
O'SULLIVAN (on-camera): Yes, the makers of the people who are pushing all this disinformation?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get a life and just, you know, you guys need this to stop this nonsense because it's harming people. It's actually harming people.
O'SULLIVAN: The real, human toll, there, of misinformation. We've heard a lot over the last few weeks, truly, these bleak Facebook documents and how algorithms can pull people into echo chambers, rabbit holes and disinformation.
It's worth pointing out, this woman also noted that her husband, soon- to-be ex-husband, was also watching a lot of fringe cable news networks, some of which are pushing a lot of misinformation.
But really, there, just the way this demonstrates how we talk a lot about misinformation and you can see there, the real human toll of it -- Donie O'Sullivan, CNN, Atlanta.
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BRUNHUBER: Queen Elizabeth is being told by doctors to rest for the next 2 weeks. Buckingham Palace says the queen was told she shouldn't undertake any official visits and only do light desk-based duties, including some virtual meetings.
This comes more than a week after the 95-year-old monarch spent a night in the hospital for preliminary investigations. The queen had to cancel, in-person appearances, including an evening reception, for world leaders, of the upcoming, U.N. climate summit.
I'm Kim Brunhuber, at CNN Center, here in Atlanta and our coverage of the G20 summits continues, in just a moment. Please do stay with us.
