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Austria: Target of 100 Percent Renewable Electricity by 2030; U.S. Begins Rollout of Pfizer Doses for 5-11-Year-Olds; Yellen: Inflation Expectations Remain Well Anchored; Attorney for "Rust" Armorer Suggests Sabotage on Set; Storms to Bring Rain, Snow Across the West. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired November 04, 2021 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:30:00]
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Which can be stored or transported. Then, when it's cloudy, all the turbines aren't spinning, you turn the hydrogen back into electricity using a clean chemical reaction.
MARKUS SARTORY, RESEARCH AND PROJECT MANAGER, HYCENTA HYDROGEN CENTER AUSTRIA: We have many, many questions to solve.
BLACK (voice-over): Markus Sartory is a project leader at Hydrogen Center Austria.
SARTORY: Of course, it's a very complex system, but we have the possibility to incorporate the renewables and to build up a new sustainable green energy system. And this is -- this can be done with actual technologies, but it will cost us.
BLACK (voice-over): At the power station in Graz, hydrogens potential is being tested with a pilot project. The possibilities are vast, so are the challenges.
BLACK: It's a potential game changer, do you think?
KURZMANN-FRIEDL: I do think yes.
BLACK: And crucially, there's still so much work that needs to be done --
KURZMANN-FRIEDL: Yes, you're right.
BLACK: Because it's just too expensive right now.
KURZMANN-FRIEDL: No, it's too expensive, but we have to do the first steps and this is one of the first step.
BLACK (voice-over): Austria's coal habit was pretty modest compared to some other European countries. Poland, for example, still mines and burns it for around 80 percent of its electricity.
And yet, even with Austria's strong starting position, early commitment, and willingness to innovate, the ultimate success of its low carbon transition is still uncertain.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACK (on camera): So, new commitments on coal taken with other new big deals dropped in the first few days of this conference targeting specific issues will add to the guarded sense of optimism at this conference. But crucially they do not collectively add up to achieving the goal of limiting average global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees by the end of the century.
Climate analysts say what it does show is that the world is on the right path. A low carbon future is now irreversible. It is just a question of the speed. Can it be delivered quickly enough to avoid the worst impacts of climate change -- Isa.
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: And as your piece just outlined very clearly, it can be done. Phil Black for us in Scotland, thanks very much, Phil.
Still to come right here on the show, Europe is experiencing a disturbing surge in COVID-related cases as well as deaths. What a German official is calling this new wave of the pandemic. That is next.
Enough vaccines for every child in America ages 5 to 11. That is the promise from the U.S. president. It is becoming a reality. More on the progress in the U.S. after a very short break. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM.
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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today is a great day for American parents, American families and American children. We've taken a giant step forward to further accelerate our path out of this pandemic.
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[04:35:00]
SOARES: Welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Isa Soares. If you're just joining us, let me bring you up to date with our top stories this hour.
Phil Murphy has been re-elected as governor in New Jersey. His win is a sigh of relief for Democrats who lost the governor seat if you remember in Virginia.
And the Pentagon warns China is adding to its nuclear weapons stockpile much faster than expected. China says the report is, quote, full of bias. It comes as tensions over Taiwan are impacting China/U.S. relations. And we'll have much more of course on both those stories in about 25 minutes or so. Do stay with CNN for more.
Now, Europe is seeing an uptick in COVID cases even though much of the world is trending down. Have a look.
The World Health Organization says the region is reporting a 6 percent increase in new weekly infections compared just to last week. Germany is one of the places seeing a surge in daily COVID cases, and the country's health minister is calling it a massive pandemic of the unvaccinated. And in Romania, one person is dying every five minutes as the health care system reaches its breaking point. The country has the second lowest vaccination rate in the European Union.
Well, the virus is also taking its toll in the United States where more than 750,000 Americans have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. Out of more than 5 million people have died from the virus worldwide, U.S. has reported the most infections and the most deaths so far.
But there is a bright spot. On Wednesday -- as you can see there -- children in the United States age 5 to 11 began receiving their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine after health officials approved it. The president stressed education importance of young children being vaccinated. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: Vaccinating our children will help us keep our schools open, keep our kids in the classroom, learning and socializing with their classmates and teachers. I think every reporter in this room has a child and understands that the difference of a child going to school and having to learn from home. It matters. It matters in terms of their not just physical health and mental health. Now during this pandemic we've seen just how important being in school is for families and for our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, demand for the vaccine in some states has been overwhelming. In Texas, about 37,000 vaccine appointments have been made for the kids size shot through the Thanksgiving holiday. The top disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says even though children have been less affected by the virus, parents have responsibility to protect them from it. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, U.S. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We have vaccinated children for diseases that have far less severity, far less mortality than what we're dealing with now than with COVID-19. We really have a responsibility to protect the children. You don't want to play Russian roulette with this. You don't want to say, well, this kid doesn't get infected. So, I'm not going to worry about the other child. True, it is absolutely true, you can't walk away from it. That the likelihood of a severe illness in a child is less than for an elderly individual or person with an underlying condition. But it is enough that you really want to be concerned about protecting the children. That's the rationale, together with the fact that you want to help to control the outbreak.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Dr. Anthony Fauci there.
Now, the Federal Reserve's latest decision on pandemic recovery sending Wall Street to new highs. The Dow hit a new record Wednesday. Remember, we told you there was a new record on Tuesday. Well, this is a new record on Wednesday after the Fed announced it would ease off its emergent stimulus on buying. The S&P and Nasdaq saw even higher percentage gains as they, too, enjoyed record closes.
[04:40:00]
Green arrows right across the board.
Now, getting a handle on inflation of course is one of the goals behind removing some of the emergent support for the U.S. economy. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says while prices have been rising, it's nothing like the surge seen in the 1970s. This is what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANET YELLEN, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: Inflation expectations rose and wage price spiral developed, but I certainly see no evidence that that's the case now. Inflation expectations remain well anchored, and I think the Federal Reserve has the ability and has learned from history that if there were to be evidence, which there is not now, but if there were to be evidence that it's developing into a self- fulfilling prophecy, that they would learn the lessons of history and act appropriately.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Yellen has said she expects inflation to normalize by the second half of next year, so for Thanksgiving this year your Turkey may still be somewhat more expensive.
But while inflation is expected to level off, Bank of America predicts gas prices will continue to rise. They're already in fact at a 7 year high in the U.S. at 3.40 a gallon. Bank of America warns that Brent crude oil which drives gas prices could soar to $120 a barrel by next June. That is a 45 percent higher increase, in fact, than current levels. Another oil spike would further raise the cost of living for Americans.
Still to come right here on the show, new allegations of deliberate sabotage on the "Rust" film set where a crew member was fatally shot. We have the latest developments for you next.
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[04:45:00]
SOARES: Now, police in western Australia say the man suspected of kidnapping 4-year-old Cleo Smith had to be hospitalized after harming himself while in custody. His injuries are not considered life- threatening. The 36-year-old is expected to be charged in the coming hours. Police won't say what charges he'll face. But they believe he acted spontaneously and alone. Cleo Smith was rescued from a locked house Wednesday morning if you remember, not far from her own home nearly 3 weeks after vanishing from her family's camp site. She was seen just a short time ago smiling and holding a pink balloon while in her mother's arms. I'm glad that she is well.
Now, we have new details on the fatal shooting on the set of the Alec Baldwin film "Rust." A lawyer for the woman who managed weapons on the set is now raising the possibility the gun Baldwin fired had been sabotaged with a live bullet. CNN's Nick Watt reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The armorer on the set of "Rust" is in the spotlight. Her lawyer now claims this could have been sabotage.
JASON BOWLES, ATTORNEY FOR HANNAH GUTIERREZ-REED: There was a box of dummy rounds and the boxes is labeled dummy. She loaded rounds from that box into the handgun.
WATT (voice-over): But, of course, we now know the round was live fired by Alec Baldwin, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
BOWLES: We're assuming somebody put the live round in that box. I believe that somebody who would do that would want to sabotage the set, want to prove a point, want to say that they're disgruntled, they're unhappy.
WATT (voice-over): No comment on that theory from the sheriff's office. Meantime, a crew member who resigned the day before Hutchins died is talking.
LANE LUPER, FIRST CAMERA ASSISTANT, "RUST": I think with "Rust," it was a perfect storm of, you know, the armorer, the assistant director, the culture that was on set, the rushing.
WATT (voice-over): When he quit, Lane Luper sent an e-mail to producers,
During the filming of gunfights on this job, things are often played very fast and loose, he wrote. So far, there have been two accidental weapons discharges.
Luper also lambasted Lax COVID restrictions and the lack of nearby hotel accommodation for crew.
LUPER: And specifically, gun safety, a lack of rehearsals, a lack of, you know, preparing the crew for what we were doing that day.
WATT (voice-over): Mr. Luper's allegations around budget and safety are patently false, say rusts producers. It is truly awful to see some using this tragedy for personal gain.
Baldwin, producer and star, says he can't comment on the investigation but shared what looked like comments from the film's costume designer with the instruction read this.
It reads, in part: The story being spun of us being overworked and surrounded by unsafe chaotic conditions is BS.
WATT: We were unable to reach that costume designer for comment. But we have also read another resignation email from another crew member who says, I also feel anxious on set. He added that the assistant director, quote, rushes so quickly that props hasn't even had the chance to bring ear plugs. And he rolls and the actors fire anyway.
This is in the, he said she said, stage of the investigation. In public, anyway, we are waiting for the FBI analysis and for the incident report from the local sheriff which might shed a little bit more light.
Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Now, after a long and contentious election process and nearly all white jury was chosen to decide the fate of three white men accused of murdering Ahmaud Arbery, a black man. The 25-year-old was fatally shot last year -- if you remember -- while he was out for a jog in Brunswick, Georgia. Arbery's mother, she's not happy about the jurors chosen. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WANDA COOPER-JONES, AHMAUD ARBERY'S MOTHER: Seeing that the African- American jurists coming in and they were questioned so harshly by the defense team. It was very hard -- it was just -- it's like unreal. I just can't put it into words. I was very shocked we only had one black African-American man. I mean, that was devastating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Ahmaud Arbery's mother there. Well, prosecutors accused the defense of disproportionately striking qualified black jurors and basing some of their strikes on race. The judge admitted there appeared to be intentional discrimination in the jury selection but ruled there were valid reasons beyond race. We'll stay on top of that story, of course, for you.
And still to come right here on the show, much needed rainfall is on the way for the Western U.S. while the East Coast faces freezing temperatures. We'll have a check of the weather next.
[04:50:00]
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SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Now, in the U.S. some much needed rain is expected to spread across the Western states as several storms move into the region. But it could actually be too much of a good thing. Meteorologist Derek Van Dam is tracking this system. Good morning, Derek. DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Isa. That's right. We
have yet another atmospheric river event shaping up for the Western U.S. We have a steady parade of storms just lining up one after another after another, developing across the Pacific Ocean and lining up that fire hose of moisture across the Western parts of the country. In fact, anywhere from Northern California through Oregon as well as Washington that's where we have the potential to measure not only snowfall in feet for the higher elevations, but also the potential for up to a foot of rain for the lower elevations, right along the coast of Washington and Oregon.
So, the potential of flash flooding and mudslides exist, especially considering that this is a bit too much rain in a short period of time. Even though we have our long-standing drought over Western parts of the country, this amount of precipitation in such a short period of time could cause some troubles.
There's a lot of wind associated with the system as well, gusting to near hurricane force in some instances. Could take down some tree limbs, some power lines, causing some electrical outages across this area. High wind warnings and advisories in place as we speak.
[04:55:00]
Now, the other side of the country we have a completely different set of weather circumstances taking shape this weekend. In fact, a coastal flood advisory and warning taking shape for the Carolinas and into the coastal regions of Florida and Georgia. This as a strong easterly breeze sets up through the course of the early weekend thanks to an area of low pressure that the form throughout this area, and that is going to combine with what is called astronomical high tides. So that is the highest tides of the month and that could lead to some localized flooding right along the coastline is there as well.
Look at this. Freeze warnings and advisories in place for a large area of the U.S. so a very cold start to your Thursday morning for the Central and Eastern U.S. Back to you.
SOARES: Thank you very much, Derek.
And if you're on the East Coast, fans of the hit series "Sex in the City" will soon get the chance to live like Carrie Bradshaw as Airbnb gets ready to rent out a re-creation of her New York apartment. Take a look at this. The upper east side unit will come complete with a spacious closet in Carrie's signature styles, a writing desk and an old school laptop. It is only available for stays on November 12 and 13. Each night stay will cost just $23 and marks the 23 years since the original "Sex in the City" first premiered.
And as Indians get ready to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights today, to U.S. lawmakers have introduced a bill to make the festival a federal holiday in the United States.
Meantime, in New Delhi crowds of shoppers have been flooding the streets to buy decorations, undeterred of course by COVID concerns and government advisories. And in the state of Uttar Pradesh, devotees with more than a million
lamps ahead of the festival, lining a three kilometer stretch of a river bank. If you are celebrating, happy Diwali.
And that does it for me. Thanks very much for watching. I'm Isa Soares. Do stay in touch with myself and the rest of the team. You can tweet me @IsaCNN. Early start with Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett is up next. Have a wonderful day. I shall see you tomorrow. Bye-bye.
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