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Tourist Denied Abortion in Malta Seeks Care in Spain; Moody's Says Russia has Defaulted on Sovereign Debt; 2020 Election Deniers on Colorado Primary Ballot; Forecasters Monitor Tropical Systems, Extreme Heat Out West; At Least 12 Killed, 260 Injured at Jordanian Port. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired June 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]

ANDREA PRUDENTE, AMERICAN TOURISTS DENIED ABORTION IN MALTA: So, there was a doctor and nurse with me the whole time in the aircraft. Flying was extremely risky. Mainly for hemorrhage happening in flight, so they picked Majorca because it was the closest. It was a really smooth transition. I was never not being monitored.

And then the doctors in Majorca were expecting us. They knew my case. They took us right in. You know, a nurse hugged me when we first got there. And what happened from the point we arrived at the hospital here was, you know, given the language barrier, luckily, I speak some Spanish, but we navigated our best.

They examined me, kind of confirmed the situation and sat us down and said here are your options. You know, here are the risks. This is what we advise. And then they let us choose. And there was -- through the whole process, which was painful and heartbreaking and they were so kind and so patient and always honoring the fact that this was -- these things happen. This is the natural process, this is the loss of a family member. We really felt seen and cared for in a very human way and we'll be forever grateful to the doctors and midwifes and staff at the hospital here in Majorca.

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: And Andrea, I know this obviously wasn't, you know -- it wasn't a selective abortion on your part, but of course what you were going through, what Jay is going through, happening obviously on the sidelines of this decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. When you hear what is happening in the United States and given what you have gone through, what thoughts come to your mind?

PRUDENTE: Yes, I mean, we understand that circumstances like mine are relatively common. Sometimes women miscarry in a kind of incomplete way that where there isn't a viable baby and the woman's life is at risk. And the problem we are learning quickly with complete bans on abortion is everyone the ones that say -- have a provision for, you know, except in cases where the woman's life is at risk, without clearly defining what that means and what the threshold is for that risk and for making that decision, and in the presence of really severe punishment like prison time for example in Malta for the doctor and the woman if they run afoul of the law and do something considered to be an abortion, women will die. Like this will keep happening. So, we find it scary that, you know, even states in our own home

country are implementing laws similar to the one in Malta and not making space for and defining what do you do when there isn't even a viable baby. You know, how close do we let the mother get to death before it is safe to make an intervention.

The whole thing has been -- the timing is crazy. It's very upsetting and we hope that -- we hope that by sharing our story we can contribute to the conversation that like this is a complex issue and, you know, sometimes banning abortion doesn't mean fewer abortions or fewer babies die, it just means more women die.

SOARES: Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. Andrea Prudente and Jay Weeldreyer, I really appreciate you sharing your story with us and once again condolences from myself and the entire team at CNN. Thank you very much.

JAY WEELDREYER, ANDREA'S PARTNER: Thank you.

SOARES: And we're taking a very short break. We'll be back after this.

[04:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Isa Soares. Let me bring you up-to-date with our top stories this hour. Authorities say 46 suspected migrants have been found dead in the back of a semi-truck in San Antonio. 16 others, some of them children, were found alive at the scene and taken to hospitals for treatment.

Federal investigators will arrive on scene this morning a deadly train derailment in rural Missouri, at least three people killed and 50 injured.

And we are just hours away from a surprise hearing held by the January 6 Committee. Today's key witness is former aide to Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.

Well, Moody's says Russia has defaulted on its sovereign debt. The credit rating agency reporting Moscow missed the 30 day grace period for payments on two euro bonds worth $100 million. It is the first time Russia has defaulted on a foreign debt since 1918. The Kremlin rejects the claim saying that the necessary payments were made back in May.

Let's bring in CNN's Clare Sebastian monitoring it all for us. And Clare, the default was expected but, you know, given that we've got sanctions, we've got reserves. But What does it mean in practical terms for Russia and for Russians?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not much, Isa, in the immediate term. Russia is already locked out of financial markets, unable to borrow on its international markets. So, it really doesn't change much in the immediate term and certainly not for the lives of the Russian people. But if you look further down the line, you know, you could see, you

know, highly likely that they're borrowing costs will remain very high for a very long time even after potentially we might see the end of this conflict. They will remain, you know, in this sort of pariah status on international markets.

But the other reason why this isn't particularly impactful for Russia in the immediate term is because they are already flush with cash. And that is because of their energy exports. The value of which has gone up as the war in Ukraine has disrupted energy markets, pushing the prices up. This of course is of course, what the G7 is trying to fix with its potential oil price cap. So, that is one thing.

And the other part of this interesting that you do see the Kremlin in terms of denying that the default has happened. This is something that the Kremlin and the finance ministry has been doing even as they edged closer to default over the past few months.

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They deny it's happening, they say it is artificial, that they have the money, they just can't get it to the people who need it because of sanctions. That is in part a managing of public opinion. Memories are fairly long in Russia, the 1988 default on domestic bonds was very painful, people's savings evaporated and they want to keep the Russian people on their side in order to maintain support, frankly, of their special military operations in Ukraine -- Isa.

SOARES: Clare Sebastian there for us. Thanks very much, Clare.

And still to come, 2020 election deniers are on the ballot as primary voters go -- in Colorado go to the polls today. We'll have the latest for you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: July 4th cookouts in the U.S. will cost 17 percent more this year according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. The insurance company estimates that $10 more Americans will have to pay for burgers and brats to feed 10 people. It's due to the latest price hike, of course, caused by supply chain issues, as well as inflation. The cost of beef is up 36 percent as well.

Well, Colorado voters go to the polls latest today in the state's primary election. But some Republicans on the ballot are still pushing lies as well as conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. Remember that one? CNN's Kyung Lah has the story.

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KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Through the doors of this Grand Junction, Colorado hotel with just hours left before the primary a crowd of activists gather for what amounted to an election conspiracy forum hosted by My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, featuring 2020 election denier and Republican Colorado Secretary of State Candidate Tina Peters.

TINA PETERS, REPUBLICAN COLORADO SECRETARY OF STATE CANDIDATE: Well, if they don't cheat, I'm in.

LAH (voice-over): Peters is not just a headliner here. She's made headlines across Colorado for the last year.

PETERS: Let go of me! Enough of this!

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LAH (voice-over): This is Peters in February, one part of a long saga of investigations she has faced with. A grand jury indicted Peters on multiple felony counts stemming from an election security breach at her Mesa County clerk's office. She's pleaded not guilty. As part of the investigation, confidential forensic images of voting machine hard drives and log-ins appeared on a QAnon-affiliated telegram channel. She's now barred from overseeing the county's elections this year. Instead --

PETERS: I'm running to be your secretary of state to make that happen.

LAH (voice-over): She is on Tuesday's ballot running to oversee elections in the whole state.

PETERS: I'm not an election conspiracy theorist. When people came to me and I listen. I listen to the people. That's how I got involved.

LAH: What do you say to critics like your opponents who say that you are just simply raising lies?

PETERS: Oh, I like that one. Well, I want to run on being accurate, transparent and a voice for the people.

LAH (voice-over): Also, on the far-right republican ticket, state Representative Ron Hanks running for the U.S. Senate, a 2020 election denier. Hanks, on his campaign website, proudly shared this image of himself in Washington on January 6th. In his campaign video, he wheels out a copier with the words "Dominion voting machine," a widespread conspiracy lie that the machines were rigged against Donald Trump.

RON HANKS, COLORADO STATE REPRESENTATIVE: I'm Ron Hanks, and I approved this message.

LAH: What happens if Republicans do nominate these candidates?

DICK WADHAMS, FORMER COLORADO REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN: You can kiss this election goodbye.

LAH (voice-over): Election liars can't win in November in blue-leaning Colorado, says former state Republican Chairman Dick Wadhams. That's why Republicans are now seeing this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): How conservative is Ron Hanks?

LAH (voice-over): Millions of advertising dollars boosting Ron Hank's conservative credentials paid for by the Democrats.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Democratic Colorado is responsible for the content of this advertising.

WADHAMS: The Democrats spending this much money to nominate the weakest candidates is smart. I mean, I think it's unethical, but I think it is smart. And frankly, it has moved voters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It dumped so much money into this.

LAH (voice-over): Republican Senate candidate Joe O'Dea, a businessman and supporter of abortion rights, is not just fighting Democrats boosting his competitor but also millions to tear him down. He can't even get through a campaign event at a restaurant --

JOE O'DEA, COLORADO REPUBLICAN SENATE CANDIDATE: Yeah, there is my commercial there.

LAH (voice-over): -- without a negative ad running in the background.

LAH: Why are they targeting you with so much cash?

O'DEA: They know I can win. And they're going to have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to beat me in November, so they're trying to get me off the ballot right now.

They're looking for somebody who can't win here in November. He's focused on an election that was stolen and he's focused on things that don't matter to working Americans right now.

LAH: We reached out to the super PAC that is funding this effort. And in short, this Democratic group says, so what?

We got a statement from the spokeswoman who says, quote, we are an organization committed to ensuring that Colorado doesn't elect a Republican to the U.S. Senate. Both GOP candidates are totally out of step with our values and voters deserve to know the truth about who's running to represent them.

But, of course, if you talk to the Republicans who are actually running in the primary, they just call it meddling.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Denver.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Still to come right here on the show, millions in Western U.S. are under threat from extreme heat. Plus, forecasters are watching the Atlantic. We have the latest from CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri. That's next.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: Welcome back everyone. Now forecasters are watching potential tropical storm systems across the Atlantic, but extreme heat continues to be a major concern across much of the United States. CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri takes a look at the forecast for you. Good morning, Pedram.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Isa. After so much talk about excessive heat in recent days, how about we get a little bit of a break across parts of the United States, namely the central tier of the U.S. where big time heat had been in place. Milder temperatures are back in action here and you'll notice plenty of moisture in areas we needed. Around the Southwestern region, the drought stricken areas of Colorado getting at least up to 1 1/2 inches of rainfall which really isn't all that impressive. But when you factor in the state is experiencing about 81 percent of coverage area here underneath drought conditions, it is all good news and they'll take it.

Across of Arizona into New Mexico, up to 100 percent and 98 percent respectively as far as drought coverage. And the beneficial rainfall here certainly has been helpful as well for areas for firefighter efforts. The largest and second largest fires in state history, the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon and the Black Fire here, begins to see some improvement as far as conditions especially in the Hermits Peak area because 93 percent containment in place here with the beneficial rains that we have seen.

Now, there is some hot weather left in place for about at least 10 million Americans across areas of Central and Southern California, the heat is on here at least the next couple of days. Los Angeles up to 86. Looking into the Valley and Las Vegas, about 109 degrees. But gradually cooling back down to 105 while the Pacific Northwest has already cooled off into the 60s and 70s.

A glance here at the tropics, a couple areas of interest, one across the Gulf that is mainly going to be a rainmaker around northern Texas and northern Mexico and areas of southern Texas.

While back around eastern Atlantic, 20 percent chance of formation in the next five days. Also watching a potential tropical cyclone in the works here that is poised to become tropical storm Bonnie. Looks kind of ride the northern tier of Venezuela and eventually end up potentially late this weekend as a category 1 approaching areas of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. So, we'll follow this as the story progresses. Leaving you with the high temperatures, Isa, 90s in Denver, about 107

in Phoenix. And in San Francisco, highs there around 70 degrees.

SOARES: Thanks very much, Pedram. Still very hot, indeed.

Now the Jordanian government says a toxic gas leak in the port city of Aqaba is now under control. At least 12 people were killed and nearly 300 were injured Monday when a crane loading a tank full of chlorine mistakenly dropped it sending a huge cloud of yellow gas across the port. Journalist Atika Shubert joins us now with the latest. In Atika, what more do we know in terms of what happened and what are authorities telling you?

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ATIKA SHUBERT, JOURNALIST: Well, it happened at around 4:15 p.m. yesterday and it was all caught on CCTV camera. You can actually see when the crane hoists up this tank and it slips and crashes on the deck of the ship that's in port, that huge bright yellow gas cloud billowing out.

We now know from the Jordanian security and crisis management center that that cloud is chlorine, of course highly poisonous especially when inhaled in large quantities. You could see people, dockworkers there in that footage running away for their lives from that cloud as it billows out across the port.

Now immediately after the accident they asked all residents to stay indoors, to keep their windows and doors closed. There was some concern earlier that you could see the chlorine drifting towards the beach resorts, in Aqaba. It's a very popular tourist area.

But fortunately, according to Jordanian authorities, the wind did not carry the chlorine very far. They were able to contain a lot of that gas and we've seen now a number of workers in hazmat suits in the port area cleaning it up. So according to Jordanian authorities, there is no longer any danger and it is safe for people in the immediate area -- Isa.

Thanks very much, Atika Shubert for us in Istanbul. Appreciate it, Atika.

Now, you may have seen a double rainbow before, but what about a double moon crater? New photos from NASA show two overlapping craters made from an unknown rocket part. At its longest point the double crater measures about 92 feet or 28 meters across. Astronomers and NASA suspect a piece of debris from a 2014 Chinese mission to the moon made that impact.

And that does it here for me on CNN NEWSROOM. Thanks very much for your company. I'm Isa Soares in London. Our coverage continues on "EARLY START" with Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a wonderful day. Bye-bye.

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