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World Leaders Gather in Glasgow for COP26 Meetings; 100+ World Leaders to Agree to End Deforestation by 2030; House Could Vote on Major Economic Plans This Week; Biden, Trump Loom Large Over Virginia Governor's Race; U.S. Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Texas Abortion Ban; Desperate Afghan Parents Selling Daughters. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired November 02, 2021 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and right around the world. I'm Isa Soares in London and just ahead right here on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are, after all, the greatest problem solvers to have ever existed on earth.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we fail, they will not forgive us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The decisions you make here will help determine whether the rain spirits return to our land.

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SOARES: Some dire warnings to climate pledges, world leaders meet for last best chance to save the planet. We're live in Scotland for the COP26 summit.

Plus, a CNN exclusive report. Daughters sold to strangers so their families can eat. A heartbreaking look at the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan.

And new January 6 court documents reveal what Donald Trump is trying to keep secret from Congress.

ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Isa Soares.

SOARES: Good morning, everyone. It is Tuesday, November the 2nd. At this hour, world leaders will begin arriving for a second day of critical climate talks in Glasgow. After a day of stark warnings and urgent calls for action at COP26, let's hope countries will start pushing forward with more concrete commitments.

Now in the hours ahead we are expecting to see the first substantial deal. According to the British government, more than 100 world leaders representing over 85 percent of the world's forests will commit to ending and reversing deforestation by 2030. Now, on Monday India's Prime Minister set 2070 as a target date to reach zero carbon emissions. That pledge coming on a day dozens of world leaders spoke about the urgency of the climate crisis. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Will we act? Will we do what is necessary? Will we seize the enormous opportunity before us? Or will we condemn future generations to suffer? This is the decade that will determine the answer, this decade.

ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: Enough of killing ourselves with carbon. Enough of treating nature like a toilet. Enough of burning and drilling and mining our way deeper. We are digging our own graves.

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: If we fail, they will not forgive us. They will know that Glasgow was the historic turning point when history failed to turn.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Now, President Biden says he hopes the U.S. will lead by the power of example, and he apologized to world leaders for the climate actions taken by the Trump administration.

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BIDEN: I guess I shouldn't apologize, but I do apologize for the fact the United States in the last administration pulled out of the Paris Accords and put us sort of behind the eight ball.

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SOARES: Well, let's get more on the story. CNN's Phil Black is following developments and joins us now from Edinburgh, Scotland. Good morning to you, Phil. As we just outlined there, clearly yesterday it was all about the stark warnings. Today we're expecting to hear commitment bills. And that includes commitments to end deforestation by 2030. Talk me through what's in that commitment. I mean, are the biggest players on board? How far does it go? I'm thinking of meat consumption, of course, the biggest drivers of deforestation.

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so, this is one of the first big announcements to be made over the course of this conference. It is separate to the Paris agreement process, which is aimed at driving down emissions country by country. This is a voluntary political agreement between 100 plus countries, we are told. Separate to the issue of food consumption. It has been signed on by countries which do have big agricultural industries, which produce agricultural products and commodities like palm oil and soy, and meat as well, and these sorts of things which are responsible for significantly driving deforestation.

It includes Brazil, for example. So, in theory this should go towards protecting the Amazon. A 100-plus countries covering some 85 percent of the world's forests, we are told, backed up with some finance as well. A mix of public and private, around $19 billion worth. So potentially significant, it is saving trees as we know is always kind of iconic for environmental and climate activists.

[04:05:00]

We are waiting to hear precisely what they think of this. The response so far has been pretty cautious. No doubt saving forests is worthwhile, but they want to know the detail. They want to know where the money is going to go. They want to know more of the specifics of this plan. It is on the whole, though, an important area of focus, something that the Prime Minister Boris Johnson here has been talking about trying to make progress on for some time. The act of deforestation itself is responsible for a big chunk of annual global emissions, around 11 percent.

And then of course, through deforestation the world is also how depleting a vital resource which then is also responsible -- has the potential to remove carbon from the atmosphere. Carbon sink, if you like, a vital resource for countries as they strive to achieve carbon neutrality towards the middle of the century. Natural resources are a big part of the mix of solutions. Natural solutions, I should say, are a big part of the mix of solutions which will help countries achieve that. And so, that is why there has been strong will to try and make some progress on this front -- Isa.

SOARES: And very briefly, Phil, whilst we've seen world leaders meet inside. And you know, we've heard those warnings from them and these pledges coming today. We have seen also, Phil, protests outside of Glasgow, of COP26. I'm thinking here Greta Thunberg. What is the mood like there?

BLACK: Well, I think that is expected to ramp up over the coming week. There are protesters that have traveled here from vast distances, often over very long periods of time, in a deliberate statement traveling sometimes on foot, having trekked from vast distances across Europe, so forth. Many people traveling by train, deliberately using low-carbon options. The protest action I think is going to intensify over the course of the week ahead. But these are all people who had gone to a great deal of effort to come here and maintain pressure on world leaders so that the most significant progress is possible over the course of the next two weeks -- Isa.

SOARES: this Phil Black in Edinburgh, there in Scotland. Thanks very much, Phil, good to see you.

Ahead on this show I'll talk to a climate expert about the pledges being made at the COP26 summit, particularly what Phil was just talking about, the deforestation. We'll go live to Glasgow in about 20 minutes or so for that.

Now back in Washington, the center piece of President Biden's domestic agenda may be getting a green light this week after being stalled in Congress for months. Democratic leaders have been pushing to pass a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill in the House. But progressives held that up by demanding a concurrent vote on the larger but not yet finalized social safety net plan. And while progressive Democrats in the House now say they're ready to move forward but moderate members of the party in the Senate are once again, casting doubt on the whole effort. Take a listen to this.

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REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA): I believe from the conversations that I've had and the accounts that we've done, that we will have almost all or all of our members voting for both bills, yes. We're assuming these things get resolved. I mean, we still have a few things that are on the table to get resolved.

SEN. JOE MANCHIN (WV): Political games have to stop. Holding this bill hostage is not going to work in getting my support for the reconciliation bill. What I see are shell games, budget gimmicks. None of us should ever misrepresent to the American people what the real cost of legislation is.

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SOARES: Well, the White House says it remains confident Manchin will come around despite that statement. CNN's Jessica Dean is on Capitol Hill for what's ahead this week.

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JESSICA DEAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sources are telling CNN both the bipartisan infrastructure package as well as the Build Back Better Act could get votes on the House floor by Wednesday or Thursday of this week.

Now, of course, put a giant asterisk by that. Because as we have seen continues to slip on both of these bills, but that is what the House Democratic leadership is sort of eyeing at this point.

We heard from Senator Joe Manchin on Capitol Hill on Monday. He held a press conference where he said he wants greater clarity on what's going into the Build Back Better Act, and also how it's going to impact both the debt and also the economy moving forward. That is not where the White House thought he was. It's not where really anybody thought he was. They thought they would have greater assurances from him at this point.

But House progressives who have said they would not vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill until they had assurances from Manchin and also Senator Kyrsten Sinema that they would support that companion Build Back Better Act. They are now saying they are willing to vote yes in favor of both bills as long as those bills move at exactly the same time. Which could explain why we may see this movement on the House floor later this week.

[04:10:00]

In the meantime, there are still negotiations ongoing surrounding what exactly will be in the final text of that Build Back Better Act. We know over the weekend and also on Monday and likely into the rest of this week, there continue to be negotiations about prescription drug pricing and being able to negotiate some of those prices to save people money on prescription medications. We'll continue to keep an eye on that.

Jessica Dean, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Well, in Virginia today is the final day of voting in the key governor's race. Republican Glenn Youngkin and Democrat Terry McAuliffe campaigned across the state on Monday. The race has captivated the nation's attention and could provide valuable insight about voter sentiment ahead of next year's midterm elections and control of Congress hangs in the balance. CNN's Jeff Zeleny has more for you.

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JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One final push for votes in Virginia.

TERRY MCAULIFFE (D), VIRGINIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Do not sleep for 24 hours. Let's bring this baby home!

ZELENY (voice-over): Democrat Terry McAuliffe is seeking a second act as Virginia's governor. But on election eve, he's locked in a bitter duel with Republican businessman Glenn Youngkin.

GLENN YOUNGKIN (R), VIRGINIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: The entire nation is watching this. All eyes are on Virginia.

ZELENY (voice-over): A year after President Biden won the commonwealth by ten points, Republicans are riding a wave of energy. They hope to spark a party resurgence, as Democrats scramble to keep their party together and avoid an embarrassing defeat.

YOUNGKIN: There's not going to be a Democrat in any seat anywhere in this nation who is going to think that his or her seat is safe.

ZELENY (voice-over): Virginia elects its governors the year after the presidential race. Since 1970, the party out of power in the White House has won every time. Except once in 2013 when McAuliffe narrowly carried the state after President Obama's re-election.

MCAULIFFE: We can't get this done unless we keep this positive momentum going.

ZELENY (voice-over): This time, the political headwinds facing Democrats are strong, even with a parade of party stars visiting over the last month.

Tonight, more than 1.1 million Virginians have already voted, casting their ballots early. Aides to both campaigns tell CNN they expect a record turnout for a governor's race with most of the electorate voting on Tuesday. The race has emerged as a proxy war for the popularity of the current president and the former one.

MCAULIFFE: That's what you got with Glenn Trumpkin. ZELENY (voice-over): With Donald Trump set to call into a rally tonight after praising Youngkin in a new statement saying: We get along very well together and strongly believe in many of the same policies.

Hoping to woo independent voters, McAuliffe has repeatedly tried tying Youngkin to Trump.

MCAULIFFE: Donald Trump and Glenn Youngkin are trying to run down the democracy of this country and we will not tolerate it.

ZELENY (voice-over): For months, Youngkin has walked a careful line on the Trump tightrope trying to energize the former president's loyal followers without alienating independents and even Republicans turned off by Trump. He's tapped into the latest front on the culture wars. From vaccine mandates to what kids learn and read in the classroom. It's put the power of the parents' movement at the center of the race.

YOUNGKIN: This is no longer a campaign. This is a movement led by parents, led by Virginians.

ZELENY (voice-over): Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Fairfax, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: And we'll have much more on the governor's race throughout the day right here on CNN.

Now, a CDC advisory committee is set to meet in the coming hours to vote on the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccination on children ages 5 to 11 in the United States. The reformulated shot is one-third the dosage of the adult vaccine, and the White House already has enough shots waiting to vaccinate 28 million children. But even though the new program is ready to take off at full strength, officials want parents to feel comfortable as well as informed.

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JEFF ZIENTS, WHITE HOUSE COVID-19 RESPONSE COORDINATOR: We've been planning and preparing for this moment. We are ready to execute pending CDC's decision. And starting the week of November 8th, our vaccination program for kids ages 5 through 11 will be running at full strength.

DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, DIRECTOR, U.S. CDC: We'll know the possibility of vaccines for our children will be a welcome relief for many families, and we also know parents will have a lot of questions. And I would encourage parents to ask questions as they consider the benefits of vaccinating their children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Well, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, nearly 101,000 children were infected with COVID last week -- as you can see there on your screen. Nearly 6.4 million kids have been infected globally since the start of the pandemic. Now the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Monday on two cases that

could decide the future of abortion rights in America. Both center around a Texas law that really bans the procedure once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, that's usually around six weeks. During Monday's arguments liberal Justice Elena Kagan warned allowing the law to stand could open the door for other states to use the same tactic on other issues. Take a listen.

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JUSTICE ELENA KAGAN, U.S. SUPREME COURT: Essentially, we would be inviting states, all 50 of them, with respect to their unpreferred constitutional rights to try to nullify the law that this court has laid down as to the content of those rights. I mean, that was something that until this law came along, no state dreamed of doing. And essentially, we would be like -- you know we're open -- you're open for business. There is nothing the Supreme Court can do about it. Guns, same-sex marriage, religious rights, whatever you don't like, go ahead.

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SOARES: Well, meanwhile conservative justices Brett Kavanaugh and Coney Barrett signaled that they also might be open to allowing providers to challenge the law. Here's Kavanaugh echoing some of Kagan's concerns.

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JUSTICE BRETT KAVANAUGH, U.S. SUPREME COURT: It could be free speech rights, it could be free exercise of religion rights, it could be second amendment rights if this position is accepted here, the theory of the amicus brief is that it could be easily replicated in other states that disfavor other constitutional rights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: But whatever the court decides, it won't block the law immediately since the justices are only deciding who can sue to block the law. And before the Texas cases can play out, there is a chance the court will have already decided another case about Mississippi's abortion law.

Now, for the first time the National Archives has laid out what former U.S. President Donald Trump is fighting to keep secret from lawmakers investigating the Capitol -- the attack on the U.S. Capitol. We have the latest for you.

And the unthinkable choices of some parents in Afghanistan say they must make as a humanitarian crisis unfolds. We'll have an exclusive report next.

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[04:20:00] SOARES: Now, a distressing story out of Afghanistan show really the harsh reality of the humanitarian crisis engulfing the country. Desperate families say they are being forced to sell their young daughters in order to survive. And in this CNN exclusive, CNN witnesses the tragic fate facing these helpless little girls. The parents gave us full access as well as permission to speak to the children and show their faces because they say they cannot change the practice themselves. Here's CNN's Anna Coren with this exclusive report.

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ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In this arid, desolate landscape, not a scrap of vegetation in sight, lies a makeshift camp for some of Afghanistan's internally displaced. Among its residents, 9-year-old Parwana. Her bright pink dress squeals of laughter and childhood games, a ruse to the horrors unfolding in this inhospitable environment.

Parwana's family moved to this camp in Badghis Province four years ago after her father lost his job. Humanitarian aid and menial work earning $3 a day providing the basic staples to survive. But since the Taliban takeover, two and a half months ago, any money or assistance has dried up. And with eight mouths to feed, Parwana's father is now doing the unthinkable.

I have no work, no money, no food. I have to sell my daughter, he says. I have no other choice.

Parwana who dreams of going to school and becoming a teacher applies makeup. A favorite pastime for little girls, but Parwana knows she is preparing for what awaits her.

My father has sold me because we don't have bread, rice and flour. He has sold me to an old man.

The white bearded man who claims he's 55 years old comes to collect her. He's bought Parwana for 200,000 Afghanis just over 2,000 U.S. dollars. To cover it up, Parwana whimpers as her mother holds her.

This is your bride please take care of her says Parwana's father. Of course, I will take care of her, replies the man. His large hands grab her small frame. Parwana tries to pull away.

As he carries her only bag of belongings, she again resists. Digging her heels into the dirt, but it's futile. The fate of this small helpless child has been sealed.

Child marriage is nothing new in poor rural parts of Afghanistan. But human rights activists are reporting an increase in cases because of the economic and humanitarian crisis engulfing the country.

HEATHER BARR, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: These are devastating decisions that no parent should ever have to make. And it really speaks to what an extraordinary breakdown is happening in Afghanistan right now. COREN (voice-over): For months, the U.N. has been warning of a catastrophe. As Afghanistan, a war ravaged a dependent country descends into a brutal winter. Billions of dollars in central bank assets were frozen after the Taliban swept to power in August. Banks are running out of money. Wages haven't been paid for months, while food prices soar.

According to the U.N., more than half the population doesn't know where their next meal is coming from. And more than 3 million children under the age of five face acute malnutrition in the coming months.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People of Afghanistan need a lifeline.

COREN: And while a billion dollars has been pledged by U.N. donors to help the Afghan people, less than half those funds have been received. As the international community holds off recognizing the Taliban government.

ISABELLE MOUSSARD CARLSEN, HEAD OF OFFICE, U.N. OCHA: People of Afghanistan will be dying of hunger in the next couple of months. And not just a few. This is just making people more and more vulnerable. We cannot accept that.

COREN (voice-over): Sentiment shared by the Taliban.

[04:25:00]

MAWLAWI ABDUL HAI MOBASHER, TALIBAN OFFICIAL FOR REFUGEES (through translator): We are asking aid agencies to come back to Afghanistan and help these poor people, otherwise the crisis will worsen.

COREN (voice-over): For this family in neighboring Ghor Province, they are trying to sell two daughters. Nine-year-old Leeton (ph) and four- year-old Zaiton for 1,000 U.S. dollars each.

Do you know why they're selling you? The journalist asked Zaiton.

Because we are a poor family and don't have any food to eat, she says.

Are you scared? He asked.

Yes, I am.

Another family in Ghor Province borrowed money from their 70-year-old neighbor. Now he's demanding it back but they have nothing to give, except their 10-year-old daughter, Magul.

My daughter doesn't want to go and he's crying all the time. I am so ashamed, he says.

Terrified she threatens to take her life.

If they push me to marry the old man, I will kill myself. I don't want to leave my parents.

Days later, she discovers the sale has been finalized. Another Afghan child sold into a life of misery.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN (on camera): Isa, it is absolutely harrowing knowing what these young girls will be subjected to. Just an update on the 10-year-old Magul, the last girl in the story who threatened to take her life. She will be handed over to that 70-year-old man who bought her for 2,000 U.S. dollars in the coming days. Now, if the lack of aid is not urgently addressed, the United Nations projects that by the middle of next year, 97 percent of Afghans will be living below the poverty line, meaning there will be even more girls who will end up like Magul and Parwana -- Isa.

SOARES: Anna Coren there with that exclusive reporting, incredibly stressing as well. Thanks very much, Anna, appreciate it.

We're back after a very short break. Do stay right here.

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