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Tragedy At The Astroworld Festival In Now Under Investigation; Judge In Ahmaud Arbery's Trial Cites Discrimination For Nearly All- White Jury; Giuliani Declared Under Oath The Election Lies; Desperate Afghan Parents Selling Daughters For Money; Inflation And Job Growth In October. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired November 07, 2021 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington and we begin in Texas where a deadly concert tragedy is now a criminal investigation. Fans who were at the Astroworld Music Festival in Houston tell CNN this was not a concert, this was a fight for survival.

Eight people were killed and dozens injured after many in the crowd rushed the stage. But police are also looking into reports that someone with a needle was injecting unsuspecting people there with drugs including a security guard who was pricked in the neck and needed to be revived by Narcan.

New video obtained by CNN shows the chaos started before the concert even began. Have you seen this video? It's just unbelievable, as some people were trampling one another and pushing past security just to get into the venue. You can see people right there on the video falling to the ground. This was before it even ended with those tragic consequences. I want to get right now to CNN's Rosa Flores who was in Houston for us right now with the latest. Rosa, what else are we learning?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the latest on the investigation is that police say that they were planning to scour through video looking for evidence of criminal wrongdoing. As you said, this is a crowd stampede, crowd compression incident that has turned into a criminal investigation. This after a security officer reported that he felt a prick on his neck. He went unconscious. He was treated with Narcan and then revived. Well, now, investigators are interviewing witnesses to get to the bottom of it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNKNOWN: It was a death trap, basically.

FLORES (voice-over): More witnesses are coming forward to share their experiences at Houston's Astroworld Friday night, where eight people died and hundreds more were injured. UNKNOWN: I picked some kid up and his eyes rolled to the back of his

head, so I checked his pulse and I knew he was dead. And then I checked the people around me. And I just had to leave him there. There was nothing I could do. I had to keep going.

FLORES (voice-over): Another concertgoer saying the mood noticeably shifted in the audience just before internationally acclaimed rapper Travis Scott took the stage.

LESLIE HANS, ATTENDED ASTROWORLD FESTIVAL: As the time was winding down, you know, people became more rowdy and more antsy and just more standoffish is the vibe that I got.

FLORES (voice-over): Police also say that a security guard was pricked in the neck with a needle, prompting more questions about what was happening in the crowd.

TROY FINNER, CHIEF, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT: He went unconscious. They administered Narcan. He was revived and the medical staff did notice a prick that was similar to a prick that you would get if somebody's trying to inject.

FLORES (voice-over): But Scott maintains he had no idea about the severity of what was happening in the crowd as he continued his set, telling fans in an Instagram video Saturday night that he is devastated by what happened.

TRAVIS SCOTT, RAPPER: Any time I can make out, you know, anything that's going on, you know, I stop the show and, you know, help them get the help they need.

FLORES (voice-over): It isn't first time crowd control issues have come up for Scott who sells out concerts across the globe and is known for his high-energy shows. In this 2019 Netflix documentary, a member of Travis' team tells security guards about the anticipated rowdy fans ahead of one of his shows.

UNKNOWN: The pressure becomes very great up against the barricade. You will see a lot of crowd-surfers in general, but also you see a lot of kids that is just trying to get out and get to safety because they can't breathe because it's so compact. You won't know how bad it could be with our crowd until we turn on.

FLORES (voice-over): In the past, Scott has faced legal trouble for egging on fans at his shows. In 2018, Scott pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in Arkansas, according to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette after police say he encouraged people to rush the stage at one of his shows. Two other misdemeanor charges including inciting a riot were dismissed.

And in 2015, Scott pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless conduct charge after encouraging fans to rush the stage at Chicago's Lollapalooza Festival according to the Chicago Tribune. He was sentenced to a year of court supervision.

In Houston, a criminal investigation is now underway according to police who are urging concertgoers to contact them if they have information to share. The medical examiner's office also seeking help identifying this man, one of the victims in this tragedy.

(EDN VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES (on camera): Hearts are heavy here in Houston as we start to learn the names and the stories of the individuals who have died. Eight people died total between the ages of 14 and 27. Here are some of their names -- 21-year-old Franco Patino, 27-year-old Danish Baig, 16-year-old Brianna Rodriguez, and John Hilgert, we don't know his age, but we know John -- Jim, excuse me -- that he was a ninth grader at a high school here. Jim?

ACOSTA: Just, just so sad. All right, Rosa Flores, thanks so much for that report.

[17:04:57]

With me now are two people who attended the concert, Batool Naji and Dana Schlomovits. Dana, let me go to you first. I first want to show our viewers a video that you filmed during the chaos. Let's take a look.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

ACOSTA: Dana that must've been terrifying. Can you tell us what this was like being in there?

DANA SCHLOMOVITS, ATTENDED ASTROWORLD FESTIVAL: It was just terrifying is the only word I have to describe it. I mean, everyone around us was just trying to take each individual breath. There was just no air left for anyone to breathe. We were too closely compact. Everyone was too pushed up against each other. There was just nowhere to go and no air to breathe.

ACOSTA: And I understand that you were crowd-surfed to a medic area. Is that -- is that right?

SCHLOMOVITS: Yes. I just started screaming, help, help, please help me, I can't breathe. And finally some people around me told me they were going to pick me up. And they just started saying "crowd-surf her to the medics." And I just got crowd-surfed to the front.

And then a medic picked me up and put me on the ground and that was it. No one asked me if I was okay. They just moved on to the next person who needed help. There wasn't enough time to pay attention to each person.

ACOSTA: Batool Naji, tell us what happened when you were there by yourself. That's just so awful.

BATOOL NAJI, ATTENDED ASTROWORLD FESTIVAL: Yes. So, I had a panic attack when she was lifted away and I kept telling people around me screaming that I need to stay with her and pointing at her, need to stay with her, but no one around me was listening. And the pressure and everyone around me was still crushing me and I couldn't breathe at all.

And eventually I actually ended up vomiting in the crowd. And no one around me helped at all. And I ended up screaming very loud. And one person next to me ended up helping lift me up and get me to security. And three people ended up lifting me up and I grabbed security's arm. And it took a little while, but eventually they pulled me out and I just fell back on my back.

And same situation, they barely asked me if I was okay. But I got up and I started looking for her and staying with her. We started looking for each other right away and we just were screaming each other's names. So it was just absolute panic attack and honestly terrifying chaos.

SCHLOMOVITS: Chaos.

ACOSTA: It sounds like it. And just to either one of you, we're hearing these reports that a security guard was pricked in the neck and they're investigating reports that people might've been injecting, you know, folks with a needle. Did either of you hear anything about this while you were at the show?

SCHLOMOVITS: No.

NAJI: No.

SCHLOMOVITS: Not at all.

NAJI: We all just -- everyone just couldn't breathe because of how closely compacted and how, like, tight we were together. We didn't know anything about the needles until the following day.

SCHLOMOVITS: Yes, just suffocation.

ACOSTA: And how did it get to that point? How did it get to the point where you guys were being crushed and you couldn't breathe?

NAJI: Every person who was at the festival was at the one stage, and there wasn't enough room for everyone who was there. So, when it got closer to the time of the festival, everyone wanted to be close. And when you're at the front of the stage wherever you are, there's nowhere else to go except for -- into the person in front of you.

SCHLOMOVITS: There's no (inaudible).

ACOSTA: Yes. And Dana, you were -- you've told us that you've been to other Travis Scott concerts. Is that right? But you say this one felt different?

SCHLOMOVITS: I am 18 years old now and I went to my first Travis Scott concert when I was 13. And they were -- their concerts, they're wild, but I have never experienced anything like this. I've been to at least 10 Travis Scott concerts and music festivals, and something was seriously wrong with this one. I don't know what was different, but I really have never experienced chaos and terror in a crowd like this. ACOSTA: And we have seen videos of medics stuck in the crowd and not

being able to move. Batool, can you describe as someone who was in that crowd what that felt like, just struggling to get help?

NAJI: Yes. Actually, we were -- before we got pushed forward, we were standing behind one of the cameramen on the left side, and someone passed out behind us before even Travis got on stage, before anything started. They passed out and we tried calling a medic.

[17:09:58]

And I even had to turn on my flash on my phone and wave it around and everyone around me was screaming "medic" and trying to get them through, but we were so compact. There was not any room for anyone to get through. No medic showed up right away from what I know.

I mean, maybe they got the person out. I even remember before starting, people were already walking out because they knew how compact it was. One girl had asthma, and some person was trying to get her out because she couldn't breathe at all. That was before Travis even got on stage.

ACOSTA: And we have video of people rushing into the event, almost stampeding each other at the beginning of this, before even the music started, you know, while it was still day out -- daylight out. And it's just -- did you all see this? Did you see this unfolding when it was happening? And did you get the sense that it was out of control from the very get go?

NAJI: When we first entered, it was actually very orderly at our entrance. We didn't see any of the initial stampede running through the entrances. They checked our wristbands. They checked our bags. Everyone was going through the lines properly in an orderly fashion. So we all thought, oh, they upped security this year, it's really going to be safe. And we were totally incorrect, it was the complete opposite and it was the most unsafe event.

ACOSTA: Well, we're glad both of you are okay. But what -- just what an awful situation. Batool Naji, Dana Schlomovits, thanks so much for sharing your story with us. We appreciate it.

SCHLOMOVITS: Thank you so much.

NAJI: Thank you for having us on. Thank you.

ACOSTA: All right. You take care. Up next, the trial for three men accused in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery resumes tomorrow as the judge in the case is already saying there appears to be intentional discrimination in the jury selection. Benjamin Crump, the lead attorney for Arbery's father, he joins me next. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:15:00] ACOSTA: The trial for the three men accused in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery continues tomorrow, and it has already been incredibly emotional. As part of the opening statement Friday, the lead prosecutor played video from the day Arbery was shot and killed while he was out for a jog in Brunswick, Georgia. That was in February last year. She also outlined how the events of that day unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LINDA DUNIKOSKI, PROSECUTOR: All three of these defendants did everything they did based on assumptions, not on facts, not on evidence, on assumptions. And they made decisions in their driveways based on those assumptions that took a young man's life. And that is why we are here.

How do you know this was an attack on Mr. Arbery? Because Greg McMichael said it perfectly. Mr. Arbery was trapped like a rat. That's what he told the police. Trapped like a rat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Meantime, the defense argued their clients, Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael, and William Bryan, Jr. was fearful of break-ins and trying to protect their neighborhood.

(BEGIN VIDFEO CLIP)

BOB RUBIN, ATTORNEY FOR TRAVIS MCMICHAEL: It's tragic that Ahmaud Arbery lost his life. But at that point, Travis McMichael is acting in self-defense. He did not want to encounter Ahmaud Arbery physically. He was only trying to stop him for the police.

FRANK HOGUE, ATTORNEY FOR GREGORY MCMICHAEL: The why it happened is what this case is about. This case turns on intent, belief, knowledge, reasons for those beliefs, whether they were true or not. Were there good reasons to believe them?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And looking on throughout all of it, a nearly all-white jury. Eleven white jurors and one black juror. State prosecutors have accused defense attorneys of disproportionately striking black jurors, and the judge actually agreed. Let's discuss with Ben Crump, the lead attorney for Ahmaud Arbery's father.

Ben, great to see you again. Thanks so much for making time for us. We appreciate it. How concerned are you that the racial makeup of this jury will actually impact the verdict in this trial? What are your thoughts?

BENJAMIN CRUMP, LEAD ATTORNEY FOR AHMAUD ARBERY'S FATHER: Well, Jim, we are very concerned. Ahmaud's mother and father are very concerned as well as everybody who you talk to. In Brunswick, this does not represent a jury of Ahmaud Arbery's peers. We are very afraid that they won't understand his life experiences, his background, his culture. We are concerned that they may identify more with the perspective of his killers. And so the family is very concerned, as are we all.

ACOSTA: And are you satisfied with what you heard from prosecutors in their opening argument?

CRUMP: Well, I think the video is such a clear and convincing piece of evidence that the prosecutors have something that most people never have when they go into trial especially in a situation like this where race is such a huge dynamic.

It is the elephant in the room despite anybody trying to say, well, it's not about race. Race is the issue here because if this was three black men who chased down a young white man for jogging because they had a prejudice notion that he was committing a crime, there would be no question that they would all be convicted of murder, and they never would've been given 72 hours to sleep in their bed at night by the local prosecutors.

[17:20:07]

But with all of that said, Jim, it really is about the prosecutor has to remind them that Ahmaud Arbery was a human being. Attorney Merritt and I keep discussing with the prosecutors and his parents that you got to tell him about who Ahmaud was. This was a good kid. He was only jogging for exercise. He wanted to be a carpenter like his uncles and they help humanize him. We all have -- they all try to humanize the killers but they haven't humanized the victim.

ACOSTA: And this defense that this shooting was in self-defense, what is your response to that?

CRUMP: Well, it's hard to claim self-defense. It is an assault on our intelligence. You chase this young man back and forth for almost two miles, and you are saying it was in self-defense? I think one of the lawyers for Travis McMichael said that, well, he was chasing Ahmaud because he was concerned about the safety of his 5-year-old son.

Well, Jim Acosta, if he's concerned about the safety of his 5-year-old son, he should stay home with his 5-year-old son and call 911. But it's asinine what they are trying to say to justify killing this unarmed young man for jogging while black in 2020.

ACOSTA: It sounds like the defense is just throw everything up against the wall and see what sticks. But, Ben, you know, as graphic video of Ahmaud's final moments were played in court, his mother chose to stay and watch it. If our audience hasn't seen this, let's listen to what she had to say about that decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WANDA COOPER-JONES, AHMAUD ARBERY's MOTHER: I'm doing okay. Many times over the last 18 months, I question what happened to Ahmaud in the last minutes of his life. I often avoided the video, but today I decided it was time to see the video to cure my curiosities. It's very heartbreaking, but I've got past that part.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ACOSTA: Ahmaud's father chose to leave the courtroom instead of

watching that video. This is devastating. I assume it continues to be devastating for the family. How is the family doing, Ben?

CRUMP: It's very emotional for them, Jim. And the video is so graphic showing his fingers blowing off, showing the hole in his back. It's just god awful really. And Wanda, his mother, was very courageous to watch the video for the first time there in court.

His father Marcus just thought he saw the video already, he thought that he could not sit there and watch that video being so close to the killers of his youngest son. So he chose to leave the courtroom to be able to not lose grip of his emotions. Because, to us, Ahmaud is news story, a case, a hashtag to Wanda and Marcus, that was their baby boy.

ACOSTA: He's a human being, absolutely. No question about it. Benjamin Crump, always great to get your insights and thanks as always for what you do. We appreciate it. Thanks for your time.

CRUMP: Thank you, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. Up next, video obtained exclusively by CNN showing Rudy Giuliani under oath admitting he didn't have time to verify the election fraud claims he was repeating over and over again. We'll show you the tape, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:25:00]

ACOSTA: New video exclusively obtained by CNN shows former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani being challenged under oath about his election lies. Giuliani is being sued by Dominion Voting Systems for claiming the 2020 results were rigged and the video and the video you're about to see was taken during his deposition back in August.

[BEGIN VIDEO CLIP]

RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER TRUMP PERSONAL LAWYER: We had a report that the heads of Dominion and Smartmatic somewhere in the mid-teens, you know, 2013, '14, whatever, went down to Venezuela for a get-to-know meeting with Maduro so they could demonstrate to Maduro the kind of vote- fixing they did for -- for Chavez.

UNKNOWN: You said that heads of Dominion and Smartmatic?

GIULIANI: Yes. That's what I was told. Before the press conference I was told about it. Sometimes I go and look myself when stuff comes up. This time I didn't have the time to do it.

It's not my job at a fast moving case to go out and investigate every piece of evidence that's given to me, otherwise, you're never going to write a story, you'll never come to a conclusion.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ACOSTA: Oh, boy. CNN senior legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elie Honig joins me now. Elie, Giuliani admits he didn't have time to verify the wild theories he was spouting. You know, he couldn't even get the Four Seasons correct as we all remember. Is this case closed in this lawsuit? What are your thoughts?

[17:30:07]

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: It really should be, Jim. This is a defamation lawsuit. So Dominion has to show two things here. First, that Rudy Giuliani lied. There's no real question that he lied that crazy stuff you just heard him talking about trips to Venezuela.

The second thing is that Rudy Giuliani knew it was false or should have known. And when you admit that as a member of the bar you stood up at a microphone and didn't even bother to check, didn't have time for whatever reason that's essentially admitting that you should have known.

And every time I see Rudy do something ridiculous like this, Jim, it makes me cringe because he's just become an embarrassment to himself, to the legal profession and it's really just a shame.

ACOSTA: Yes. I mean, it's a total catastrophe. I mean -- in the meantime, the House Select Committee says former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark refused to answer their questions Friday. Here's some video, exclusive video on CNN of him, walking there. He is a key figure in all this because lawmakers believe he was part of Trump's attempt, obviously, to get states to throw out already certified election results. How long can this process play out, do you think?

HONIG: Yes, Jeffrey Clark's another attorney who has not covered himself in glory. The question of how long is really now up to the January 6th committee and Congress. Jeffrey Clark went in there and raised completely bogus exceptions. He refused to answer questions. He said executive privilege, even though Donald Trump has already said in writing I am not invoking executive privilege as to Jeffrey Clark.

Clark tried to claim attorney/client privilege. There is no attorney/client privilege between DOJ and the president. They don't represent the president. They represent the American people. So, the committee's option now is to do the same thing we saw them do with Steve Bannon, hold him in contempt, have the whole House hold him in contempt and then send it over to the Justice Department where it will, again, be up to Merrick Garland to decide whether to bring criminal charges.

ACOSTA: Yes, I mean, I don't understand. If they were so sure of what they were doing at the time and if they have absolute confidence in all of the arguments that they were making, I don't understand why they wouldn't want to go up to Congress, get in front of the cameras and tell everybody what they -- give us the evidence, show us the proof.

Let me turn to something else, the case of 18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse because this has also been on my mind. He's on trial for killing two people and wounding another during riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year. The FBI released new infrared aerial surveillance I should say that shows the moments before Kyle Rittenhouse shot and killed one of the victims, Joseph Rosenbaum. A witness testified that Rosenbaum launched at Rittenhouse as he was shot. How significant is this do you think?

HONIG: That's going to be a key piece of evidence, Jim, because we know Rittenhouse is making a self-defense claim here. That video and other evidence in the case makes clear that Rosenbaum, the first person who Rittenhouse killed, was chasing Rittenhouse through that parking lot right before Rittenhouse shot him.

However, it's not okay to shoot someone in self-defense if they're just chasing you and throw a plastic bag at you. So Rittenhouse is going to have to show that he reasonably believed his life was in danger. Being chased is not enough. And that's why that piece of evidence, the claim, and there was a witness to this who said that Rosenbaum reached for the gun.

Well, watch for Rittenhouse's lawyers to use that fact to argue that fact of the jury to say because this man reached for his gun, that gave him reason to believe his life was in danger. That's why it's self-defense. This will be a question ultimately for the jury, whether that happened and whether it was reasonable by Rittenhouse to respond with lethal force.

ACOSTA: That's a key question in this case. Elie Honig, thanks for covering all that ground for us. We appreciate it.

HONIG: Thanks, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. Thanks. Coming up, a disturbing look at the crisis in Afghanistan where CNN witnessed desperate families who say they're being forced to sell their young daughters. That's right. You heard that correct, in order to survive. That harrowing story is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:35:00]

ACOSTA: A distressing story out of Afghanistan showing the harsh reality of the humanitarian crisis engulfing that country. Desperate families say they're 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 and permission to talk to the children and show their faces because they say they cannot change the practice themselves. This remarkable story comes from our Anna Coren.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COPREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In this arid, desolate landscape, no a scrap of vegetation in sight, lies a makeshift camp for some of Afghanistan's internally displaced. Among its residents, a 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.

[17:39:57

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.

Covered 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, WOMEN'S RIGHTS DIVISION, 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 catastrophe as Afghanistan, a war ravaged aid 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 5 face acute malnutrition in the coming months.

ANTONIO GUTERRES, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS: People of Afghanistan need a life line.

COREN (voice-over): 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, UNOCHA: 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. And we cannot accept that.

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

UNKNOWN: We are asking aid agencies to come back to Afghanistan and help these poor people. Otherwise a crisis will worsen.

COREN (voice-over): To this family in neighboring Ghor Province, they are trying to sell two daughters, 9-year-old Letan (ph) and 4-year-old Zeton (ph) for a $1,000 each.

Do you know why they're selling you, the journalist ask Zeton (ph).

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

Are you scared, he asks?

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, Mago (ph).

My daughter doesn't want to go and is 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. Anna Coren, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Since this powerful piece first aired, Anna Coren says she has been inundated with offers of help for the young girls you just saw featured in that report. CNN is reaching out to local aid organizations in Afghanistan to see how we might channel these efforts. And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:45:00]

ACOSTA: The October job reports showed a significant boost in the nation's economic recovery. So, why are Americans still feeling the pinch when paying for everyday goods? Here's CNN's Christine Romans with this week's "Before the Bell" reports. Hi, Christine.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CCN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Jim. Job growth is back and wages are rising but you're also paying more for just about everything. This week we find out how quickly prices are rising. Reports on both consumer and producer inflation for October are due.

In September, consumer prices stayed high matching a 13-year peak. The Federal Reserve is watching these numbers closely. Last week, Fed Chair Jerome Powell argued inflation is not the new normal but will take some time to go away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEROME POWELL, CHAIRMAN, THE FEDERAL RESERVE: Our baseline expectation is that supply bottlenecks and shortages will persist well into next year, and elevated inflation as well. And that as the pandemic subsides, supply chain bottlenecks will abate and job growth will move back up. And as that happens, inflation will decline from today's elevated levels. Of course, the timing of that is highly uncertain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[17:50:00]

ROMANS: As for job growth, that's surging. The U.S. economy added back 531,000 jobs in October. August and September were also revised higher. The jobless rate ticked down to 4.6 percent and wages jumped again, up 4.9 percent over the past 12 months.

That's good news for workers, but also another inflationary signal for the Fed to watch. In New York, I'm Christine Romans.

ACOSTA: Thanks, Christine. And what happens when a royal marriage comes to an end? A brand new episode of the CNN Original Series "Diana" explores Princess Diana divorce from Prince Charles and how freedom from the royal family came at a price.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: One person, Diana, took on the royal family. And now she needs to take a step back and figure it out.

UNKNOWN: Diana was even more isolated after her divorce. She hadn't just lost the royal family and her ex-husband but the whole backup, the palace machinery.

The one saving grace, if you like, for her was, of course, William and Harry. But when they were not around, she was quite alone.

UNKNOWN: She would go back to the palace and there would be nobody there to welcome her home, to say, well done, or let me pour you a drink.

UNKNOWN: She had lost her sense of trust and security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Joining me now, CNN royal commentator Kate Williams. Kate, this is fascinating, a fascinating chapter in her life. What changed for Diana once her marriage was over?

KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR: Well, Jim, everything changed because with the royal family, you're either in or you're out, and once Diana was divorced, she was out there in the cold just as we were hearing in the clip there.

She was very isolated and lost the networks of power, lost the networks of support. She didn't have protection. She lost her HH title. But to her, that was liberating. It was terrifying, but now she could finally forge her identity outside the royal family and be known for herself.

ACOSTA: And as an estranged member of the royal family, Diana really embraces the role of a humanitarian activist. People may forget this about her, but that was a big part of her life. How did she do that and what has she able to accomplish?

WILLIAMS: Well, you're right, Jim. I think people do forget this about her. She had always been an activist. Think of what she'd done for HIV and AIDS in the royal family. Outside she could now really adopt causes that might have been seen as political and particularly that of land mines, the explosives that were left in countries that had been at war that were maiming people, killing people.

She went to visit Angola and talked about land mines. And there was that such powerful footage of her walking through a field of land mines and that went all over the world because it was Diana. And not long after the treaty against landmines was signed, and of course, very sadly after her death, she couldn't see it, being landmines campaign one of the (inaudible) and her work was revolutionary. She really was inventing the role of celebrity activist.

ACOSTA: I remember that very vividly. I mean, without her, I don't think that would have ever been accomplished. And the media was a double-edged sword for Diana. She courted them to support those humanitarian causes, gave her a lot of publicity for those causes.

But then the media -- members of the media -- not all members of media, but some member of the mediae wanted access to everything including her personal and dating life and, of course, that led to just awful consequences.

WILLIAMS: Yes, that's sad, isn't it, because Diana wanted the media attention and used it brilliantly for the (inaudible) campaign for her work. But then she was afraid to go out anywhere. Going to the gym, all of her friends, and it was really intruding into the personal life, just as you say.

She was front page news. A photo of her legs when she was going to the gym in a pair of shorts, headlines all over the world and then it was ridiculous. But what was particularly distressing for her was that she couldn't have friends and she, of course, couldn't have a dating life.

Her gentleman friend, Hasnat Khan, he was really scared of (inaudible) massive paparazzi intrusion. And in the end when she died, she was being chased by paparazzi photographers. So, really, the media was so obsessed with her photos -- it was obsessed that they couldn't leave her alone.

ACOSTA: Now, that's for sure. And before we go, just a quick update on the queen. What is the latest on the health of the queen after that mysterious hospital stay?

WILLIAMS: Yes, well, we've -- it's very rare to see the queen in the hospital. We always find it a surprise. And of course, the queen never cancels. She goes to everything even though she's 95. So it was a great shock for everyone when the queen (inaudible) in hospital, but also cancelled to go to the COP in Glasgow.

And we have to say though seems she's looking good. She's been driving around. There's been photos of her driving around smiling, looking in great health. And it does seem as if that was just minor tests and now she's back doing everything and all systems go.

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ACOSTA: All right, well, we hope that is the case for sure. All right, Kate Williams, thanks so much. As always, we appreciate it. And be sure to tune in. A brand new episode of "Diana" airs at 9:00 tonight right here on CNN.

That's the news. Reporting from Washington, I'm Jim Acosta. I'll see you back here next Saturday at 3:00 p.m. eastern. Pamela Brown takes over the CNN NEWSROOM live after a quick break. Good night, everybody.

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