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In Wisconsin, Five People are Dead and 40 Injured When an SUV Rammed a Christmas Parade; Missing Chinese Tennis Player Resurfaces in Beijing; Two Missionaries Kidnapped in Haiti Released; Sudan's Prime Minister Reinstated After Deal with Military. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired November 22, 2021 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:00]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States, and of course, all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. We begin with this breaking news. City government officials in Waukesha, Wisconsin say at least five people are dead and more than 40 injured after a vehicle plowed through a Christmas parade.

Children are among those who were hit. They say one person is in custody, and that there is no active threat to the community. One man, caught the moment the vehicle sped up -- sped by members in the parade.

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Another video shot at the parade shows you just how quickly the SUV sped past a marching band, still heading down the street. Then, in this one, the driver seen plowing through barricades before driving off.

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Police say an officer did fire his weapon at the vehicle to try to stop it, but no one was injured by that gunfire. One woman caught the moment the vehicle ran down members of a marching band, and we should warn you that while we are not going to show the moment of impact, the video is disturbing.

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Earlier, CNN spoke with a man who witnessed the terrifying scene unfold. He had just finished marching in the parade himself and was circling back to watch it for himself when he spotted the speeding SUV. He described what happened next to CNN's Pamela Brown.

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ANGELITO TENORIO, EYEWITNESS, MARCHED IN PARADE: I saw an SUV speeding along the parade route and then all of a sudden heard a loud bang. And then I heard deafening cries, screams from people in attendance, people marching in the parade. Folks are running away from the scene and folks left their belongings behind. Holding on to their kids. Running away from main street where this parade was. And then when the crowd cleared out, it looked that there were people on the ground who were struck by the vehicle.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: The ones that there on the ground, those that you did see, where they -- where they young? Could you tell? I know there were a lot of young people in this parade.

TENORIO: It was hard to tell, but it did look like there were -- there were small children who were lying on the ground. I just saw bodies, lying, almost lifeless on the ground. So, it was really hard to tell and there was so much happening all at one time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And now I want to bring in Drake Bentley, a reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who was sent to the scene shortly after the tragedy occurred. Drake, thank you so much for joining us. And, of course, there is still a lot we don't know about this deadly incident particularly why this happened. But police have a person of interest in custody so perhaps those questions will be answered. We don't know. So, what all do we know so far and what more are you learning about what happened?

DRAKE BENTLEY, REPORTER, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL: So, shortly before joining this program, we learned that five are dead, more than 40 are injured. That's the latest numbers that authorities have provided. We still don't have a motive as to why someone would do this. It's still very early. An investigation is still ongoing, but you know, people can speculate about why they did, but we still don't have a determined motive from the person that did this.

CHURCH: Yes. That's a very important point you make there of course. And we are expecting another news conference in just a few hours from now and hopefully we will learn more. But authorities have said they believe this was an isolated incident. What was the scene when you arrived and what were witnesses telling you?

[02:05:00]

BENTLEY: So, when I arrived, I came flying to Waukesha from Milwaukee down Interstate 94, and the whole way up there, there were just ambulances passing in the other direction presumably headed towards the hospital. And when I arrived on the scene, my company sent me to city hall to see if any elected officials would arrive, any authorities.

The mayor did arrive. And then he -- they reshuffled all of the media members to the fire department. That is where we waited for instructions from the police. We did catch the mayor and the police chief and the fire chief in a Walgreens lot and they only gave a brief statement where they said that 20 or so people were injured. We now learned that went up to 40.

From talking to people, they're just devastated. They don't know why something like this would happen in their community. You know, there is a lot of, you know, national spotlight on this area, the country right now with the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse.

And, you know, people are naturally going to connect the two events. And let's hope that they aren't connected, but you know, that possibility remains. But that tells you the level, you know, of the emotions that people are having right now, where it's a very divided country, emotions are at an all-time high right now.

CHURCH: Yes. And unfortunately, when we are not hearing too much from police, people start to fill in all the gaps themselves, don't they? With a lot of misinformation. We're just wondering, have authority said anything about why they think the vehicle appeared to try to miss some people, but hit others? Have they said anything about that?

BENTLEY: They have not said anything about that. A reporter had joined the press conference to ask about that. The police chief said that he would rather not comment on that at this time.

CHURCH: And what is the sense there? What is the mood there in the community?

BENTLEY: Well, I mean, it's a devastating event and, you know, people are on edge. They, you know, the first thing they want to know is am I safe? What's going to happen? We've had some members -- some Waukesha citizens come to the fire department when this was all happening and, you know, were pretty upset and we're wondering, you know, saying things like, I've got -- my neighbors are on edge. They're going to defend their homes. What's going on? You know, and it's just a very scary time right now.

CHURCH: Yes, understandably so. Drake Bentley with the Journal Sentinel, thank you so much for talking with us. We appreciate it.

BENTLEY: Yes.

CHURCH: Well, for so many watching this strategy unfold, one question comes to mind. How do we stop this from happening again? CNN national security analyst, Juliette Kayyem, says, it might not be possible to entirely eliminate the threat, but communities can reduce risks. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: How can we be better prepared at that moment of impact, right, so we can minimize losses, get communities back up and running and thinking about what we call right of boom, right, after the bad thing because there is no way you can have societies like ours.

People want to get together. They want to go to sporting events. They want to go to parades. It's the holidays. It's been a pandemic. People want to be together. We want them to be together safely and vaccinated. There's no way that you're going to get the threat down to zero. So what we have to do is also anticipate, as you said, sort of, you know, a world in which this maybe recurring but their success is measured if less harm is done. And that is unfortunately, in an age of all sorts of mayhem, whether

natural or man-made, that is what we're going to have to think about. So from that perspective, this is an incident that is tragic, but it could have been so much worse.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And still to come here on CNN, why critics are skeptical about tennis star Peng Shuai's call with the International Olympic Committee about her safety and well-being in China.

Plus, two kidnapped missionaries in Haiti have been released. The latest, plus White House reaction after the short break.

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[02:10:00]

CHURCH: It's been nearly three weeks since Chinese tennis star, Peng Shuai, disappeared from public view after accusing a former top Chinese official of sexual assault. And now, the International Olympic Committee says Peng insist she is safe and well in Beijing. The IOC says its president and several other officials held a 30-minute video call with Peng on Sunday to check up on her amid growing concerns about her welfare. The IOC did not give CNN access to that video call.

So for more on this, we want to bring in CNN's Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. Good to see you, Kristie. So, not everyone feels assured of Peng Shuai's well-being after this IOC video chat particularly with the Beijing Winter Olympics just weeks away. How significant is it that this chat was done with the IOC and not the Women's Tennis Association?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, very significant, Rosemary, because IOC is not a neutral party here. The IOC has a very close relationship with Beijing, and concern over Peng Shuai, her safety and her welfare has cast a shadow on the Beijing Olympic Winter Games, now just two and half months away.

And with talk of possible diplomatic boycotts, this was something that they needed to address. And they did address it with this, in this highly choreographed and stage managed response. A form of a video chat. You know, according to the IOC, they said that Thomas Bach, the president of the IOC, had a 30-minute video chat with Peng Shuai, in which she said that she is safe and well.

[02:15:04]

She also said that she is living in her apartment in Beijing and that she would like to have her privacy respected. I should also add in regards to that video chat, two other individuals were present including a Chinese sports official and CNN. We were not able to get video of that video chat.

All we were able to get was a statement about it from the IOC, as well as a photo still in which you see Peng Shuai smiling at the camera. But look, it's been about three weeks since Peng Shuai made that explosive allegation when she accused a very powerful man, the former vice premier, of China, of sexually assaulting her. She made that statement, seen at Weibo,

That has been censored. It was taken down, 30 minutes later, and she was under blankets censorship since then. And allegations that she made is not reported on at all in state media in China or shared on social media in China. And that led to the international outcry, about Peng Shuai and her situation and it led to that hashtag that went viral, where is Peng Shuai.

And in response to that, we had Chinese state-run media over the weekend send out some footage, clips, videos, reporting to show Peng Shuai out and about, active in Beijing. But for her supporters, including the Women's Tennis Association, they say that it's not enough. You saw a bit of the statement that came up earlier there.

They are not accepting this video evidence and a lot of her supporters are not accepting this IOC video chat, either, because their concern is she may be active and alive and well in Beijing, but if she free? Rosemary.

CHURCH: And Kristie, as you have been reporting to us, we have been looking at the feed of CNN in China. No one in China can watch CNN at this moment while we're covering the story. Talk to us about that, and whether anyone across China, apart from the authorities there, of course, know about Peng Shuai's story.

LU STOUT: Sure. CNN has been censored when we've been bringing up the Peng Shuai story and the allegations, especially since the story started to heat up about a week ago. But you know, it's not only there, but also on social media. There is a blanket censorship ban. There is no discussion about Peng Shuai and the allegations. It's not reported, as I said, in state media as well.

But also through the government, we've reached out the State Council Information Office for comment especially in regards to the serious allegations against this former vice premier. We haven't heard anything. And for a few days now, international media has been reaching out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment. A briefing is due to take place very soon. They continue to say we decline to comment because this is not a diplomatic issue. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right, Kristie Lu Stout, in Hong Kong. Many thanks to bringing us up to date on that story.

Well, two of the 17 missionaries kidnapped in Haiti last month have been freed. The White House has issued a statement that they welcome reports of their release. Matt Rivers has been following the story from the beginning and has the very latest.

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it had been several weeks since we have received any substantive updates on the status of 17 missionaries who were in Haiti when they were kidnapped back on October 16th by gang members according to Haitian security forces. The gang being a gang called 400 Mawozo. They kidnapped these 17

missionaries just outside of Port-au-Prince while this group was on a missionary trip. But the group that they were there working for, Christian Aid Ministries, they released a statement on Sunday later in the day saying that two of the 17 missionaries that had been kidnapped have now been released.

They really didn't give too much more information. Part of the statement they said, "The two people that were released are safe, in good spirits, and being cared for. We cannot provide or confirm the names of those released, the reasons for their release, where they are from, or their current location."

They went on to say that our hearts are with the 15 people who are still being held at this time. So, basically, confirming that two of the 17 missionaries that were kidnapped have now been released. A source in Haiti security forces did confirm to CNN that those two hostages have been released.

The White House issued a statement, basically saying that they welcome these reports of the hostages being released. They don't have further comment at this time, according to White House spokesperson. But this is a big development in this case, and certainly one that is quite welcome at this time after so many weeks of not hearing anything.

You can imagine how thrilled the loved ones of these two people who were released must feel. But of course, the focus also remains on the 15 missionaries that remain, basically, as hostages in Haiti at this time, you know, as they are continuing to be held by that gang. Matt Rivers, CNN, Mexico City.

[02:19:56]

CHURCH: Still to come, a win for the socialists in Venezuela and Chile's presidential election is headed for a runoff. The latest on two big elections in Latin America. That's ahead.

And Abdalla Hamdok is again the leader of Sudan's transitional government. Details of the deal that reinstated him as prime minister following last month's coup. We're back with that and more in just a moment.

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CHURCH: Chile is headed for a runoff next month in its presidential election and the top two candidates are polar opposites politically. Hard right, former congressman, Jose Antonio Kast, seen on the right, leads in the vote count, but he is well short of a majority.

He will face leftist lawmaker and former protest leader, Gabriel Boric, in a December 19th runoff. Kast policy ideas on illegal immigration and corporate taxes have drawn comparisons to former U.S. President Donald Trump. Boric supports abortion rights and a welfare state model.

Well, Venezuelan election officials say preliminary results show Nicolas Maduro's socialist party won the capital district in all but three of the 23 states. Turnout was less than 42 percent. The vote was a setback for returning opposition politicians. They had boycotted elections in 2018 and 2020. At least one person was shot and killed at a polling station. The motive is unknown.

Well, nearly one month since a military takeover in Sudan, the country's military chief has reinstated Abdalla Hamdok as prime minister after the two men reached a political agreement.

[02:24:59]

Now, this means Hamdok will once again lead the transitional government and as part of the deal, political detainees jailed following last month's coup will be released.

Protests, broke out Sunday following news of the deal, which is being met with resistance by key opposition groups. CNN's David McKenzie is following all these developments and joins me now from Johannesburg. Good to see you, David. So, what more are you learning about this deal that re-instated the prime minister and of course, then the protest that followed?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, I think some of the key aspects of this deal, which is worth reminding everyone, resulted in the prime minister who had been kept under house arrest for nearly a month since that October 25th military push, has done this deal, which in some ways, critics say, legitimizes the military's takeover because he is sitting down and inking a deal with the very people that put him and much of his cabinet and other political leaders under arrest or detention.

What the prime minister, who will be reinstated, said is that he wanted the bloodshed to end, scores of people have been killed in protest since that military takeover. But some of the details are sketchy including how exactly the military will share power with civilian groups. And very soon, if not before even the deal was inked, there was fierce criticism from civilian groups, professional associations and others who were instrumental in pushing out Omar al- Bashir in 2019, and moving towards elections.

It's hard to see how the prime minister can maintain some of the support where you see the protests that immediately broke out in Khartoum and other parts of the city. I think this woman protesting reflected the views of many.

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UNKNOWN (through translation): You don't have anyone really to represent us. That is why I'm asking the resistance communities to speak on our behalf because we don't have politicians, otherwise. So they must do the work of politicians, to deliver our demands and tell the leadership what the people want and given the timeframe. If something is not achieved, we'll be back on the streets. The civil disobedience can continue and nothing will keep us away from the streets. Not even death will stop us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKENZIE: Those groups promised to continue protesting, which leaves this deal potentially shaky, but it does mean that there will be some of these key details ironed out, and I think it does show, or many believe it shows, that the generals who orchestrated this coup really overstep their mark.

It was instantaneous criticism and sanctions put in from the African Union and others, though they are dialing that back. But whether they can hold the shaky coalitions remains to be seen. Rosemary?

CHURCH: And we will of course continue to follow this story. David McKenzie, bringing us the very latest. Many thanks.

Well, still ahead here on CNN, as Europe tries to fight rising COVID cases, protesters are pushing back against restrictions they thought were a thing of the past. We'll take a look.

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[02:30:00]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Updating our breaking news out of Wisconsin now. City government officials in Waukesha say, at least five people are dead and more than 40 injured after a vehicle plowed through a Christmas parade. Children are among those who were hit. Police say one person is in custody and that there's no active threat to the community. The police chief says the suspect's vehicle was recovered and it's still unknown if this was an act of terrorism.

Well, COVID cases are on the rise in the United States and experts warn a combination of holiday gatherings and cold weather could lead to a further surge. Here's where things stand right now. The U.S. is averaging more than 92,000 new cases a day. That's a significant jump from two weeks ago. Experts say it's not too late to blunt this surge, especially with vaccine boosters, now available for all adults. Here's Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN: Let's make it clear. You know, when there's lack of clarity people get confused. They're not sure what to do. If you are 18 or older and you've been vaccinated, fully vaccinated with the Moderna or the Pfizer mRNA six months or more ago, get a booster. If it's J and J and it's two months ago or more, get a booster. I don't think we should get hung up on should may. Just go out and get boosted.

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CHURCH: And here is a stark reminder about exactly what's at stake. More Americans have died so far in 2021 than in all of 2020. And that's despite the fact that vaccines have been widely available for most of the year. Well, anger over new COVID restrictions has led to protests across Europe, some of them violent, a nationwide lockdown has just gone into effect in Austria, with a vaccine mandate expected in February.

In Croatia, 1000s rallied against mandatory vaccine certificates and other health measures. Police in Brussels used water cannon to disperse protests against a plan to ban unvaccinated people from some venues. And in the Netherlands, a partial lockdown is underway. Many people already were frustrated by months of restrictions and they are lashing out.

Over more on this we want to bring in Ger Rijkers, a professor in biomedical and life sciences at the University College Roosevelt and he joins me now from Tilburg, in the Netherlands. Thank you so much for being with us.

GER RIJKERS, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE ROOSEVELT: Thank you. Good morning.

CHURCH: So all the data and all the evidence shows that these COVID vaccines work. And yet so many people across Europe and indeed the United States are pushing back while people in poorer nations would probably do anything to get access to these same vaccines. Why is there so much resistance to these shots? And how do you overcome this antivax sentiment?

RIJKERS: That's a good question. Also a difficult question. It is not one coherent group that refuses vaccination. In the Netherlands we have at least three different reasons not to vaccinate, not to become vaccinated. One is based on religion. In our so called Dutch Bible Belt, there's a general low uptake of any vaccine including the corona vaccine. So that's one.

Then we have people that are migration background who hardly speak Dutch and live in certain areas. That's also a low uptake. There certainly distrust. Latest what I heard was that Somali women said that if they would get vaccinated that was meant by the government to kill them, active kill them. So that's really almost incomprehensible and then we have the antivaxxers who are on all kinds of weird reasons.

[02:35:00]

Conspiracy theories of Big Pharma, of Bill Gates, well, you have to same in the US. And that is a very vocal active group, who will flat out refuse no matter what you try.

CHURCH: Yes, misinformation being right at the center of all of that, apparently. And of course, scientific evidence is now showing that a third booster shot is the answer to stopping COVID in its tracks. What's your view on getting those open to being vaccinated, that third booster shot given, it was just approved here in the US for all those adults, 18 and over.

RIJKERS: We are - we are a bit late, we have just started the 18 plus group to get a booster vaccination. I think that most people that did get two shots also want to take three shots. But the argument that you would need an additional shot is also used by the antivaccine movement. They say this shows again that the vaccines don't work and now they want you to take a third shot and maybe your fourth and the fifth, where's the end?

CHURCH: Right. And of course, now there's a treatment, these COVID pills will become available to most people eventually. How confident are you that the various COVID pills, because there's a couple of companies that are putting these out, they're being approved when they help those who resist the vaccine? And could those pills eventually turn this around along with the vaccines of course, for those people who have accepted the science on this?

RIJKERS: Yes, you - but we'll have to see, of course, how effective those two pills will be in the practice but I have good hopes that it is effective for the religious group that refuses vaccination, they do accept treatment. So for them, it will be good. Also, of course, for everyone that was vaccinated, but because of their weak immune system, they still couldn't be vulnerable, that is good.

And I assume that everyone wants to remain healthy, and that if you are opposed to vaccination, you will still go to the hospital to your general practitioner, and have yourself treated. So I think that adequate treatments now for this horrible disease will certainly have its impact.

CHURCH: Let's hope people can be smart and turn this around. Ger Rijkers, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it. And you. Thank you.

RIJKERS: OK, thanks.

CHURCH: Vaccine misinformation is taking a tragic toll in much of Eastern Europe too. Vaccination rates are low there - lower there than in Western Europe. The problem is especially acute in Romania, with just under 36 percent fully vaccinated. It has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Europe, and it's suffering one of the highest mortality rates in the world, something sadly evident in hospitals and morgues across the country. CNN's Ben Wedeman joins me now from Bucharest, Romania with more.

Ben, we've been seeing a lot of antivax sentiment across the globe, but it appears particularly evident in Romania there could be other contributing reasons for why the vaccination rate is so low. What - what are the main reasons for this resistance there?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes Rosemary, it is a lethal combination of fake news, misinformation, superstition, and suspicion all of which have been stoked by some religious figures as well as politicians who are basically taking all of those factors and making them even worse. Now, this despite the fact that Romania actually got off to a pretty good start with its vaccination program last year.

But as you said, Romania now among European countries has the second lowest vaccination rate just after Bulgaria. Now the numbers are starting to go down. This is Romania's fourth wave, the numbers are starting to go down. And that ironically, has prompted the cabinet which is composed - which is actually a caretaker cabinet composed of a rather shaky coalition to consider the possibility of relaxing, some restrictions.

Clearly they're concerned about the sort of unrest, the opposition that has come from the streets in Western Europe to stricter measures. So it seems that they're putting politics before public safety when it comes to trying to bring this pandemic under control. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Ben Wedeman bringing us the very latest from Bucharest. Many thanks.

[02:40:00]

CHURCH: Well, Britain's Queen Elizabeth attended the double christening of two great grandchildren, one week after a sprained back caused her to pull out of the Remembrance Day Service. The 95 year old Monarch was spotted after leaving the baptisms in Windsor. The Queen resumed taking part in events just a few days ago.

I'm Rosemary Church. For our international viewers, World Sport is up next. For those watching here in the United States. I'll be right back with more CNN Newsroom including an update on their deadly accident in Wisconsin. You're watching CNN.

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[02:45:00]

CHURCH: Our top story this hour. Officials in Wisconsin say five people are dead and more than 40 injured after a vehicle plowed into a crowd at a Christmas parade in the town of Waukesha. This is video of the aftermath that shows people being treated at the scene. Police say they have a person of interest in custody, and there is no active threat to the community. It's not clear yet whether the incident was an act of terrorism. And we will have much more on this story at the top of the hour.

As US President Joe Biden heads into the Thanksgiving holiday week, he is expected to offer more insight on who will be appointed to hit the federal reserve for the next term. The President will also deliver a marks on the economy Tuesday. Meantime, Democrats will be working to push the President's Build Back Better legislation through the Senate. CNN's Eva McKend has details.

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EVA MCKEND, CNN US NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says that Senate Democrats will be negotiating with their more moderate colleagues in the weeks ahead, suggesting that the Build Back Better bill will have to be retooled in the Senate before it is sent back to the House and ultimately to the president to be signed into law.

Now of chief importance to Senator Schumer is a provision in the bill that would lower the cost of insulin. He says that this bill could get an insulin injection shot down from about $600 to $30. Take a listen.

CHUCK SCHUMER, U.S. SENATE DEMOCRATS LEADER: This is not one of those things that's protected by patent. So there's no reason the cost should be so high. So today, I'm announcing that as Majority Leader, I will do everything I can to keep this provision in the BBB bill and get the cost of insulin down to $35, an injection.

MCKEND: Lots of arm twisting also expected in the weeks ahead over this issue of Paid Family Leave. It's in the House version of the bill. But Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia has expressed his discomfort with this provision, but congressional Democrats that have put a lot of pressure on him as they do want to see this in the final version. That is the latest from Capitol Hill. Eva McKend, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Larry Sabato is the director of the Center for politics at the University of Virginia. He joins me now from Charlottesville, Virginia, always great to have you with us.

LARRY SABATO, DIR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Thank you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So Joe Biden's Build Back Better bill got through the House, but now of course faces a bigger hurdle in the Senate, just convincing Democratic Party moderates Manchin and Sinema to support it. How likely is it that they will get on board with this and see the bill passed and signed into law by Christmas? And how much damage has all this infighting cause, particularly now that we hear President Biden plans to run in 2024?

SABATO: Well, this has certainly been a long process. And I think for Democrats very damaging. It's difficult to get things together and to get a big bill like this and the infrastructure bill passed when you have such minimal margins, really no margin at all in the Senate. But look, I think there's a pretty good chance that some version of what just passed in the House will get through the Senate, it's clearly going to be reduced and changed.

There are several pieces in the House passed bill that will pass muster in the Senate, that mainly because Senator Manchin from West Virginia has already indicated he's opposed to them. But something is going to get through. They've lost too many pints of blood over this. And they know they have to get it done. Preferably by January 1.

They can go all night if they have to. But the sooner the better.

CHURCH: Yes, it has been a torture journey, hasn't it? And of course, President Biden's approval ratings, so rock bottom right now, according to most polls, but could that change significantly once the pandemic is behind us, his agenda approved and operational, all of which should bring inflation down?

SABATO: Yes, that's the ideal scenario for Democrats for the midterm election year. There's just enough time for the pandemic, to be corralled in ways that it has not yet been, which obviously, will be through greater vaccination, and maybe the new pills being developed.

Second, inflation has to die down, certainly with gasoline and food prices. But of course, that's also tied to some degree, with the economy generally, and to the pandemic. So it's - it's not impossible that all of these things could happen and then in combination with the two big bill that have passed, if the Democrats ever get around to telling people what's in them and getting specific about it, it's possible that Democrats could moderate their losses next year.

[02:50:00]

I think it's a bit much to hope for Democrats to hold the House. They have such a small margin in their majority and the Senate is going to be tough, too. But it does matter whether the Republicans control by five seats or 50. That's for sure.

CHURCH: Yes, we've seen that, haven't we? And, of course, on top of these domestic challenges internationally, President Biden is dealing with China, Taiwan, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, cyberattacks, the fallout from Afghanistan, it is a never ending list. How much does all this further weaken the President's position with his polls already low? Of course, and how risky is this for Biden on the international stage?

SABATO: It's very risky. And of course, a lot of its tied to the fact that domestically, Biden is viewed as weakened, his public polls are down, as you mentioned, and that's true across the board. And, you know, adversary sense that and they tend to pile up, they tend to take action, and cause problems when they sense that a president may not have the domestic backing, to take dramatic action to oppose them. So all of this is related. And that's why Democrats still have some hope that they can stabilize the situation and improve Biden's ratings, probably not into the mid 50s again, but if they can just get him back up around 50 or 51 percent, they'll be in better shape for the midterms.

CHURCH: And meantime, back in the US, of course, voting rights continue to come under increasing pressure with some Republican governors and others finding ways to shut out prospective Democratic voters by all means possible. The most recent of course, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, signing a new congressional district map into law that favors the Republican Party further diminishing democracy in this country. What should be done about this, and how has it been allowed to happen so openly?

SABATO: Well, has been allowed to happen for decades and it's gotten worse with each new census. Unfortunately, for the Democrats, Republicans already control the so called Trifecta. Governor and both Houses of the state legislature in far more states than the Democrats do. And unless it's a state with a nonpartisan commission and most states don't have that, if you control the trifecta, you control redistricting the House districts at the national level, and also the Senate and House districts at the state level.

So this is more of the same, but for Democrats, it's even more of more of the same because Republicans have done so well in state elections over the past decade.

CHURCH: Larry Sabato, always great to get your political analysis. Appreciate it. SABATO: Thank you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Authorities are searching for the man accused of trying to bring a gun through security at the Atlanta airport and accidentally fired off a shot. This was the scene on Saturday after the sound of the gunshots and travelers scrambling for safety. Police say 42 year old Kenny Wells mistakenly fired the weapon when he lunged for it inside his bag at a TSA checkpoint. The convicted felon then reportedly fled into the chaos with gun in hand.

CNN's Nadia Romero has more.

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NADIA ROMERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the manhunt continues for 42- year old Kenny Wells police say he is the passenger that came in through the TSA checkpoint here at Atlanta's airport and had a firearm and accidentally discharged that firearm and then he was able to run away. He was able to flee during all the chaos and the confusion that ensued and so they're still looking for him with multiple arrest warrants out for 42 year old Kenny Wells.

Now this happened at the busiest airport in our country, here at Hartsfield Jackson International during what was a busy weekend, as many holiday travelers were trying to get to their families and friends ahead of the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving. So this was a time when many people were already in the airport and then a scare happened. And then we saw the domino effect of a ground stop, temporarily stopping planes from taking off or landing, hours people were waiting inside of the airport trying to make their way out.

But we do know that there were more security measures this Thanksgiving compared to last year because of more security cameras. Now an airport spokesperson tells us they installed more than 300 new cameras here at the airport back in January bringing that total up to more than 3000. And they were able to use those cameras to see exactly what happened in this particular incident on Saturday afternoon.

Those cameras are being monitored 24/7 by the TSA and by the airport emergency operations, but the manhunt still continues for 42-year old Kenny Wells. Nadia Romero, CNN, Atlanta.

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CHURCH: A brazen robbery caught on camera in Illinois. Take a look. Police say at least say at least 14 people forced their way into this Louis Vuitton store in Oak Brook last week. Then stuffed merchandise into garbage bags they had brought with them.

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The thieves reportedly made off with at least $100,000 worth of handbags and other items. Police are still searching for the perpetrators. And in Oregon, State police say they have seized about 500,000 pounds of illegal marijuana, with a street value estimated at half a billion dollars. Police say they found the drugs in several warehouses along with migrant workers living in what they described as subpar conditions. Recreational marijuana is legal in Oregon but it's illegal to manufacture it without a license.

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CHURCH: Tiger Woods is getting back in the swing of things. The golfing legend captioned that short video, 'Making progress.' It is the first video Woods has posted of him golfing since his car rolled over in February leaving the champion with serious injuries. And in San Diego, California, it's raining cash. The door of an armored truck popped open on a freeway scattering cash all over the road. Drivers then scramble to grab the money shutting down the entire northbound Interstate.

The California Highway Patrol says at least two people were put in handcuffs after locking their keys in their cars and blocking traffic lanes. Authorities are now asking anyone who picked up cash to please return it.

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CHURCH: Well, thank you so much for watching. I'm Rosemary Church. Time for short break then. I will have more another hour of CNN Newsroom for you. Do stick around.

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