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Joe Biden's Job Approval at 42 Percent Amid Low Marks on Economy; Three Officers Wounded in Houston Shootout; China Reports New COVID-19 Cases Linked to Olympic Games; Some Europeans Ease Restriction Despite High Caseloads; World Marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired January 28, 2022 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:30:00]
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back 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.
Millions of Americans in the northeast are bracing for a wintry blast called a bomb cyclone in the next 24 hours. Many people already under a winter storm watch in major metro areas like Philadelphia, New York and Boston. Some regions could see 2 feet snow or more combined with winds reaching 60 miles an hour.
Plus, in the last 30 minutes or so Russian's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that if it's up to Russia there'll be no war. He also says the U.S.'s written response to Russia's security guarantees was, quote, the gold standard of diplomatic courtesy.
Meanwhile, the White House is pushing back on the account of a senior Ukrainian official who says a phone call between the U.S. and Ukrainian presidents, quote, did not go well. The source tells CNN President Biden insisted that a Russian invasion of Ukraine was virtually certain. But Ukraine's President Zelensky disagreed and urged Mr. Biden to calm down the messaging. We'll have much more of course on those two stories coming up in about 30 minutes on "EARLY START."
Back at home, Joe Biden's also dealing with fires on the home front. Of course, one year into his presidency, he struggling with an average approval rating of 42 percent. According to CNN's Poll of Polls more than half of those surveyed in mid-January disapproved of his job performance. And includes a new survey that there's only 30 percent of Americans think Biden is very concerned with the economic well-being of average Americans. CNN's Jeff Zeleny visited the swing state where Mr. Biden was born, to see how he's faring with the voters.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALLY BISSEY, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: Inflation is frustrating. Filling your tank is expensive. Everything is expensive.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sally Bissey feels the pain, yet she hardly believes President Biden deserves all the blame.
BISSEY: I think he's done as good a job as anybody really could have done. I don't care who would have been in his position, no Republican would have liked him. It's just -- we're just like that now.
ZELENY (voice-over): Here in Pennsylvania where Biden is visiting Friday as part of his new pledge to break free from the White House bubble --
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'll be out of this place more often.
ZELENY (voice-over): Exhaustion over the pandemic runs deep, including the economy. Conversations about how Biden is doing are filled with nuance, bookended by inflation at a four-decade high and Thursday's GDP report showing the biggest economic growth since 1984.
Going forward, Esther Lee wants the president to show more fight.
ESTHER LEE, PRESIDENT, BETHLEHEM NAACP: He's kind of a soft spoken, you know, easy-going guy. Those are his attributes but I'd like to see him press forward a little more.
ZELENY: A little more fire?
LEE: Yeah. I've got fire and I think he should just come forward, move forward on it. What's he got to lose?
ZELENY (voice-over): Lee is a long-time leader of the NAACP in Bethlehem. She doesn't hold Biden responsible for election reform falling short but believes he should sharpen his approach for today's reality.
LEE: I hear him talk about what he used to do, what he was able to do across the aisle. That no longer exists. That's out. This is a different world.
ZELENY (voice-over): As Biden kicks off his second year, he wants people here to feel the accomplishments of his first, like new roads and bridges, thanks to the infrastructure law. Congresswoman Susan Wild, who represents the 7th district here, is busy touting that landmark infrastructure achievement.
[04:35:00]
But she knows the mood of many voters is still sour.
REP. SUSAN WILD (D-PA): The fact of the matter is, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. People have seen increases in their wages but we know that those increases in wages have not kept up with the higher price of goods.
ZELENY (voice-over): Facing her own midterm election battle, she believes her fellow Democrats should turn to a scaled back version of Biden's economic agenda, like lowering prescription drug costs. WILD: Let's not just keep knocking our heads against the wall and, you know, trying to pass a massive bill if what we can get done are smaller bills that will really make a difference in people's lives.
ZELENY: Don Cunningham runs the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation. When we first caught up with him last year, he said most business leaders, whether or not they agree with all Biden's policies, saw him as a fresh start. But a year later, he believes what hasn't been accomplished often overshadows what has.
DON CUNNINGHAM, PRESIDENT, LEHIGH VALLEY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION: There's not enough understanding of what's trying to be done and that will be a challenge for the Democrats coming up in 2022, because you might know a name like Build Back Better but people don't know all of what's in it. They're not even discussing it.
ZELENY: And that's exactly what President Biden is hoping to accomplish when he travels back to Pennsylvania on Friday going to Pittsburgh to tout the merits of that infrastructure law which will be implemented as the year goes on and in the coming years. This is a landmark bill that no previous president, recent ones at least, have passed. But it has simply been over shadowed by everything in Washington that's been accomplished. The president trying to draw a sharper focus on this as he heads into the mid-term election year.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Allentown, Pennsylvania.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And of course, we'll bring you those remarks from President Biden when he speaks on the economy in Pennsylvania a bit later here on CNN.
We now want to show you dramatic video of a shootout in Washington, Texas, that left three officers wounded. Have a look at this. What you heard can only really be described as a hail of gunfire unleashed by a suspect who was chased by officers on Thursday. Police said they believe he was a fully -- he used a fully automated weapon. Rosa Flores has more on how that incident started with the automatic weapon and how the officers are doing now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Three police officers in Houston, Texas were shot in the line of duty. Now these officers are expected to be OK. According to officials here, they were shot in the arm, in the leg and in the foot. Each officer receiving one gunshot wound. Now these officers are in the hospital that you see behind me, Memorial Herman here in the city of Houston.
And according to officials who spoke with these police officers, they said that these officers were in good spirits.
How is how it all started. According to police, at about 2:42 p.m. on Thursday officers responded to a residence and as soon as the suspect saw these officers, he took off in a vehicle, eventually crashed. Once that happened, according to police, the suspect got out of the vehicle and started firing at police officers wounding those three officers.
Now according to police, these officers responded with gunfire but it was unclear if the suspect was actually wounded. But according to police, the suspect carjacked a vehicle and took off, started driving, headed towards the neighborhood. Eventually left the vehicle and barricaded himself inside a home.
According to police, the people who were inside the home ran out. In fact, at some point some of the people in that neighborhood were evacuated for the safety of those individuals. It's unclear how many people were evacuated. That suspect barricaded himself in this home for hours and eventually was taken into custody. Now the good news here is these three police officers who were injured in the line of duty are expected to be OK.
Rosa Flores, CNN, Houston, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Thank you, Rosa.
The funeral for a slain New York police officer is just hours away. Just 22 years old, Jason Rivera was gunned down last Friday while responding to a domestic disturbance. Another officer was wounded and died after days in the hospital. Thousands gathered outside St. Patrick's Cathedral Thursday as Rivera's casket arrived for the wake. The young officer joined NYPD's Academy just two years ago.
More of the pre-pandemic life is making a comeback in Europe despite high levels of infection. Still ahead, how some European countries learned to just carry on.
Plus, it hasn't been done in Honduras's 200-year history and what U.S. Vice President had to say while attending the event. That's next.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: The Beijing Winter Olympics are now just a week away. As you can see it on your screen. But COVID-19 concerns are ramping up as China reports more cases led to the event. Officials say 12 new infections were found among Olympic related personnel on Thursday. And that brings the total number of cases reported at the games to 141.
South Korea reported more than 16,000 new cases on Thursday. A daily record for the fourth day in a row. The country's health agency says Omicron is the dominant variant making up more than half of all infections.
Hong Kong also saw a record number of cases on Thursday with 164. Even so, officials have decided to shorten quarantine for incoming travelers from three weeks to two.
And Germany set a record of daily COVID-19 cases as well reporting more than 200,000 infections in just 24 hours. But as some European companies hit new records, half of them are relaxing their rules despite high cases.
Jim Bittermann joining us from Paris with more. And Jim, let me ask you about those record COVID cases out of Germany. What are lawmakers and government officials hoping to do here? Because it does seem those numbers seem to be getting records almost on a daily basis.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, Germans have got the same problem as a lot of Europeans have got. The numbers that are going up of daily infections are going up every day like here in France for example. Although France has come down slightly, but the lawmakers want to get as much as possible the restrictions lifted.
In Germany, however, they're saying that they're going to resist and the same thing implies in Sweden. In other countries like the Netherlands, for example, some of the strongest restrictions are off. The Prime Minister said we are actively trying to see exactly what is possible in the way of lifting restrictions.
[04:45:02]
In Denmark, they bring Denmark, all restrictions are off as of February 1st. Here in France things will start to ease next Wednesday when facemask restrictions in public areas will be lifted and the requirement for as many people as possible to work from home.
In any case, it's a very tricky question because the pressure is great from the public and the business community as you can imagine. But by the same token the doctors and medical authorities are saying that, you know, it's too early to do this. And I'll just give you a quote from the W.H.O. European Director Hans Klug, who said earlier in the week that it's possible the region was moving towards kind of a pandemic and game. But at the rate here in France for example, is that it's way too early to say that -- Isa.
SOARES: Yes, and what we've been seeing out of Germany, some lawmakers agonizing on whether to impose vaccines. That hasn't, as you can imagine, been very well received. Jim Bittermann in Paris for us. Thanks very much, Jim, good to see you.
BITTERMANN: You bet, good to see you.
SOARES: Angry Canadians are voicing their frustrations over vaccine mandates. Crowds lined the streets near Toronto cheering on truckers headed to the nation's capital to protest the government's vaccine mandate for cross-border truck drivers. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trying to get this country back. You know, it's not just for the truckers. We support them. It's for the entire country. It's actually for the entire world. Just -- you know, if you want to make some decisions and do things on your own and that's fine. If people don't want to, then we should have the choice to choose. And, yes, freedom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: The truck drivers are due to arrive on Parliament here in Ottawa on Friday. Organizers insist all demonstrations will be peaceful.
For the first time in its 200-year history, Honduras has a female president. Xiomara Castro was sworn in on Thursday in a soccer stadium in the nation's capital. She won in a landslide victory. With a promise of fixing the systemic problems behind poverty, as well as corruption. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris attended the inauguration and met with president Castro where they discussed the flow of migrants to the U.S. border. She says the two nations can work together on that as well, of course, as bolstering the Honduras economy.
North Korea has conducted at least six missile tests this month. And now is boasting about the apparent success of the program. It released undated photos said to be leader Kim Jong-un inspecting a weapons factory -- as you can see there. North Korea also put out images that said that Thursday's tests of two tactical guided missiles and of Tuesday's testing of long-range cruise missiles.
Burkina Faso's new military leader is speaking out for the first time since seizing power in a coup on Monday. He's asking for global support from the West African nation and insists that constitutional order will be restored, quote, when the conditions are right. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIEUTENANT COLONEL PAUL-HENRI DAMIBA, BURKINA FASO'S MILITARY LEADER (through translator): I call on the international community to support our country so it can emerge from this crisis quickly and resume its march toward development. I understand the legitimate doubts raised by the break in the normal functioning of the state, but I would like to reassure, Burkina Faso will continue to respect its international commitments, particularly the respect of human rights.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: People gathered on the streets of the capital -- which you remember we brought you these images on Monday -- to cheer the change in power. Frustrations have been growing on the former government's handling of jihadist attacks.
Turns out the third or fourth time wasn't a charm in Italy this week. Italian lawmakers failed to elect a new president after a fourth round of voting Wednesday. Bickering party leaders blamed each other for the failure. Italy's Prime Minister has been the front-runner, but only got five votes amid worries over pulling him from his position at a sensitive time. A fifth round of voting will be held today. The threshold required for victory falls from a 2/3 majority to a in Italy simple majority. In Italy the presidency is largely ceremonial. The Prime Minister holds most of the power.
This year's International Holocaust Remembrance Day came with warnings that lessons are being lost and twisted in this year, of course, of misinformation. A memorial ceremony was held Tuesday at the Auschwitz- Birkenau death camp in Poland marking 77 years since its liberation. Auschwitz set up by Nazis, is where more than a million people were killed, most of them Jews.
In Berlin the German Chancellor laid a wreath at the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe. And in Brussels a Holocaust survivor is now 100 years old spoke to European Parliament.
[04:50:00]
And condemned those who would dare compare government pressure to get vaccinated against COVID to the yellow star forced on Jews.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARGOT FRIEDLAEMDER, CENTENARIAN HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR (through translator): It is with disbelief that now as a 100-year-old I had to see how symbols of our exclusion by the Nazis, the so-called Jewish star, the star of David, are shamelessly being used today by the new enemies of democracy on the streets to style themselves in the midst of democracy as victims. On a day like today we must stand together. And that the memory of the Holocaust remains alive and is not abused by anyone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Margot went on to say, we cannot change what happened but it must never happen again. The Nazis killed 6 million Jews during the Holocaust. We'll be back after a very short break.
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SOARES: And this just in to CNN. The London Metropolitan Police have released a statement about impact of "Partygate" -- remember -- the report being put together by senior civil servant Sue Gray. They are asking for, quote, minimal reference be made to the events they are investigating.
[04:55:00]
Now the London police launched their own inquiry, if you remember, earlier this week into parties allegedly held at Downing Street during the pandemic -- numerous parties.
And in the statement, the Met says it did not ask for any limitations on other events in the report or for the report to be delayed to avoid any prejudice to our investigation.
Now we have been waiting, we have been promising that report from Sue Gray this week, but of course this investigation by the Met Police has spurred I think it's fair to say, a spanner in the works. So, minimal reference, as were hearing now from Met Police to the events it is investigating. Of course, when that report comes out by Sue Gray, we shall bring it to you. A new statue has been unveiled on the second anniversary of the
helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. The memorial at the crash site in Calabasas, California was created by sculptor Dan Medina. And as you can see the NBA legend is depicted in his Lakers uniform with his arm around his daughter who is holding a basketball. Their names and those seven others killed in the crash are inscribed on the statues base.
In tennis, Rafael Nadal is just one win away from becoming the all- time leader in the men's grand slam titles. He's currently tied with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. The 35-year-old Spaniard reached the Australian Open final after a four-set victory over Italy's Matteo Berrettini. Nadal is currently ranked fifth in the world and at last won a major in 2022.
And that does it for me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Isa Soares in London. Our coverage continues on "EARLY START" with Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett. Stay in touch -- details on your screen. I'll shall see you on Monday. Have a wonderful weekend. Bye-bye.
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