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Flood Warnings and Calls for Evacuation in Jackson, Mississippi; NASA to Launch Unmanned Artemis 1 in Coming Hours; U.S. Intelligence to Conduct Damage Assessment Over Seized Documents at Mar-a-Lago; IAEA to Inspect Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired August 29, 2022 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. You are watching "CNN Newsroom" and I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, Jackson's mayor pleads with residents to get out immediately as record rain threaten more flooding in Mississippi. We will have the forecast from the CNN weather center.

And we are just hours away from the launch of NASA's most powerful rocket to date. A historic stay step that will shape the future of exploration to the moon and beyond.

Plus, the U.N. nuclear watchdog makes it official. A team is going to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia power plant amid fears of a looming catastrophe.

And thanks for being with us. We will start in the southern U.S. where Jackson, Mississippi and neighboring communities are keeping a wary eye on the swollen Pearl River expected to crest well above flood stage in the coming hours. Water has already swamped parts of the city and some neighborhoods lost power on Sunday.

The state has distributed more than 100,000 sandbags and is deploying drones to assess water levels along the rivers path. Jackson's mayor has been sounding the alarm for days now telling those in flood prone areas to evacuate. He tells CNN that the city learned critical lessons from flooding just two years ago which took weeks to fully recede.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA, MAYOR OF JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI: If we risk the life of one individual, that's one individual too many. And so, we want to make certain that we know that both people and individuals, pets and to the extent that some property can be saved that it is all spared due to early preparations. Unfortunately, because we have seen these events as recently as 2020, we have a reference point and we know the damage that can occur. And so, we are asking those residents to heed the warnings that are being provided to them. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings for the area. So let us get now to meteorologist Karen Maginnis who joins us live from the CNN Weather Center. Karen, in yet another example of extreme weather conditions. The Pearl River set to crest in Jackson, what is the latest on flooding in that region?

KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. And in a summer where we have seen these epic events that have produced crises in areas across eastern Kentucky and St. Louis, also Las Vegas. Now we've got the Pearl River in Mississippi. Now, the Pearl River is very prone to flooding. We've seen this historically across the Pearl River.

But, this year, just in the month of August, more than 12 inches of rainfall. And that has caused the river to rise in moderate territory. It is just literally a fraction of where it would be into major flood stage. Right now, it is crest at 35.5. It is expected to inch up just a little bit more as we go into the afternoon.

There is going to be additional rainfall so these rivers are still going to run very high. But we are not looking at that soaking, very heavy rainfall amounts like we saw in the past week or so. Still, lots of rivers, all the way down towards New Orleans are really going to be running high.

I took a look at some of the forecast crest for the areas right around New Orleans and they are just going to be just below that major flood stage. So, it looks like we're pretty much in the clear as far as the precipitation goes. If there's any precip forecast for Jackson, it's going to be on the light side.

But still I know that that's an aggravating factor for people who've already been flooded and are still looking and casting a wary eye to the sky. Alright. Some of that flooding and the potential for flash flooding persists across section of Texas, southern Louisiana, but also in Florida because it is becoming critical now.

They've done all of the technical testing. They've tweak things. But as far as the Artemis launch, here we go. Now, this is the optimistic part. We're looking at about an 80 percent chance that this is going to be a go at around 8:33 to that 10:33 window in the eastern time.

[02:5:06]

There had been a few storms across here, but now it looks like they are weakening a little bit, mostly light precipitation. So, things are going into place. We'll start to see those temperatures pretty much in the upper 70s and about a 20 percent chance of an isolated shower. Beyond this first hour though, Rosemary, it looks like a 60 percent chance of a launch potential for that second hour.

CHURCH: Very exciting stuff. Karen Maginnis bringing us the very latest on that. Appreciate it.

So, as we just heard, we are just hours away from the scheduled launch window for the Artemis 1 rocket. And you are looking at live pictures now of the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This unmanned mission to the moon is the first of several in the years ahead for the U.S. Space Agency NASA.

Eventually, the goal is to send astronauts back to the lunar surface for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. And ultimately, NASA hopes to someday land the first humans on Mars. While there is no crew for this test flight, there are several objectives' scientists hope to accomplish on the mission. CNN's Rachel Crane has a preview.

RACHEL CRANE, CNN INNOVATION & SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Well, weather is 80 percent favorable for a launch. And this launch window opens at 8:33 a.m. eastern. And it's a two-hour launch window. So, so far, Mother Nature is on our side, but folks are not just keeping an eye on the weather when it comes to this launch. That is because this rocket behind me has never flown before.

And several rehearsals of the SLS launch didn't go exactly as planned. Three wet dress rehearsals as they referred to had many issues involving valves and leaks. As I've said, this vehicle has never flown before. And its really important part of NASA's Artemis program that this uncrewed test flight is a success.

That's because NASA's several major objectives here, they need to test the heat shield of the Orion spacecraft before they put crew on board. They need to make sure as they're putting up this brand-new rocket actually functions as planned. They also need to go through retrieval of the Orion spacecraft.

If this launch is successful, it will be a 42-day mission. And the Orion spacecraft will splash down in the Pacific, so they need to go and retrieve that spacecraft. There is some avionics on board that NASA is hoping to use on Artemis 2. Now, that will be the first crewed mission of the Artemis program. NASA hopes to achieve that next year and hopefully put humans once again on the moon, the first woman, and the first person of color in 2025. Back to you.

CHURCH: And CNN spoke with retired astronaut Leroy Chiao and asked him what's taken U.S. so long to go back to the moon?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEROY CHIAO, RETIRED NASA ASTRONAUT: This rocket has been in development since '10, 2010. And finally, here we are in 2022 getting ready for its maiden flight. So, getting back to the moon is, you know, we haven't been there for almost 50 years since Apollo 17 back in 1972. So, this is very exciting. It's a steppingstone to Mars if you will, to develop and test all of our hardware we're going to use to train astronauts as well as all the scientific objectives of going back to the moon.

Most large organizations, NASA is not immune from this nor the contractors that design and build the spacecraft. As they grow bigger and larger, they grow a little more bureaucratic, a little less efficient and so, unfortunately, it's taken longer and, you know, a lot more money than it would have in the past. For reference, the Apollo program, I mean, the NASA was created in 1958. In 1969, just somewhat less than 11 years later, we landed the first humans on the moon.

This program in one iteration or another has been going since 2004, 2005. So, you know, that's kind of just a reference point. But we are here now, and so the launch is exciting. It certainly cost a lot more that most of us thought it would. It's taken a lot longer than most of us thought it would, but at least we're here now.

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CHURCH: Indeed. And NASA administrators are sticking with their goal of landing humans on Mars by 2033, the year set by the Obama administration.

We are following the latest developments related to the FBI search of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. A federal judge has set a hearing for Thursday to consider the former president's request for a special master to oversee the review of the materials seized.

The judge has indicated she is leaning towards doing so, which means a third-party attorney would filter out potentially privileged materials found at Trump's Florida residence.

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This news comes as the head of National Intelligence tells Congress a damage assessment has been launched into the documents taken from Mar- a-Lago. Several lawmakers had been calling for the move after the FBI's search earlier this month.

Ron Brownstein is a CNN senior political analyst and senior editor for "The Atlantic." He joins me now from Los Angeles. Always good to have you with us.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, Ron, a damage assessment will be conducted by the director of National Intelligence to see if all the classified documents recovered from Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home pose any potential risk to national security or a threat to U.S. agents in the field. And as this happens, the Department of Justice will continue its criminal investigation and a Florida judge will likely appoint a special master to assess the documents as a third party. So, that is where things stand right now. Where do you see them going?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, first, in the near term, what this has done is help transform the landscape of the midterm election. You know, we think of midterm elections in the U.S. primarily have functioned as a referendum on the party in power. And that was certainly the dynamic earlier this year.

But so many things have happened between the January 6th Committee and the Mar-a-Lago search warrant and the reaction to it by both Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress to move the former president front and center. And that combined along with the Supreme Court decision overturning

the 50-year right to abortion in the U.S. as well as growing concerns about gun violence following the Texas massacre, have really changed the playing field to the point where Democrats now have the possibility not to avoid all of the losses that they were facing, but to certainly put it in a much better showing than anyone seem -- you know, thought possible a few months ago.

For Trump himself, I mean, this guarantees that this is going to be going on for months. And that Republicans are going to feel pinioned I think by the pressure from him and his base to defend him at every turn, even if revelations make the conduct more and more indefensible.

CHURCH: And Ron, the redacted affidavit released last week that authorized a search of Mar-a-Lago, revealed that the original 15 boxes recovered in January contained 184 classified documents and indicated that the DOJ is working with civilian witnesses, focusing on obstruction of justice, how worried should Donald Trump and his legal team be at this juncture do you think?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, look, I mean, many people who you know, have more legal expertise than I have made the case already that this was anybody else, they would be indicted and arrested already. I mean, ultimately, the question of his legal culpability I think above all comes down to the choice, the kind of the social, political, legal choice of is the Biden administration willing to indict its predecessor?

And you know, that question is going to be just as pointed over his actions leading into the January 6th insurrection and all of the multi-tiered, multi-month efforts to overturn the election.

CHURCH: And Ron, you touched on this, recent polls indicating increasing support for Joe Biden amid claims the abortion issue has hurt Republicans. And "The New York Times" is reporting a surge of women registering to vote after the recent Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that took away a woman's constitutional right to an abortion. How do you think this and all of these issues and this shift that we seem to be seeing will impact the outcome of the midterms?

BROWNSTEIN: You know, I've been thinking about this and I think in many ways, the best way to kind of conceptualize what's happening is that we have one weather system that is beginning to move out another. I mean, the weather system that was controlling the midterm election for most of this year was the usual dynamic of a referendum on the party in power and voters by and large expressing dissatisfaction over inflation, over the economy, Democratic voters frustrated over what wasn't getting done in Washington.

But over the past several months, we have basically seen what amounts to a new weather system. A new complex of issues kind of intruding on that campaign dialogue. And that includes, as I said, gun violence, it includes climate, which Democrats have now passed the most significant federal action ever to address climate change.

It includes all of the issues around the threat to democracy and re- emergence of Trump and the focus on him on that front. And then above all, it includes abortion. You know, all of this doesn't completely erase the threats to Democrats from inflation, from dissatisfaction with Biden's performance from the usual tendency of the president's party to lose seats in the first midterm elections. But it has undoubtedly changed the overall environment, certainly created an opportunity for Democrats to told the Senate.

[02:14:57]

Perhaps to gain governorships and reduce probably the ceiling of House seats that Republicans can realistically hope to obtain in November.

CHURCH: And in just a few weeks, we will see where it all lands. Ron Brownstein, always great to get your analysis. Many thanks.

BROWNSTEIN: Thank you.

CHURCH: Still ahead, anti-radiation pills are being handed out in Ukraine signaling growing concerns about a potential disaster at Europe's largest nuclear plant.

Plus, millions of people are being impacted by deadly flooding in Pakistan. What we're learning about the scope and scale of the devastation. We're back in just a moment.

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CHURCH: A team of International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors are now on their way to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. The head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog tweeted the news just a short time ago with ongoing fighting around the complex prompting grave warnings from world leaders and international experts. CNN's Sam Kiley is in Zaporizhzhia with the latest.

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SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The International Atomic Energy Agency has now officially confirmed that a building inside the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been hit by shelling. They say that this occurred in the last few days, that it was what they call a special building, possibly building for water pumping or maintenance.

But the point is, that it was 100 meters, by the 100 yards away from one of the reactors. And that is the issue that is really going to raise concerns internationally, even higher if that were humanly possible.

Now, here in Zaporizhzhia, the authorities, in reaction to the general threat against the nuclear power station, which is only 20 miles away from the city, the authorities are beginning to hand out iodine tablets as a prophylactic against the worst effects of radiation or radiation sickness.

And also, the Ukrainian energy, atomic energy authority has put out a statement effectively warning the Russians that if there were a disaster in that power plant, certainly at the beginning of this week, the meteorological signs are that the wind would blow the resulting radioactive fallout into Russian territory, that it would literally cause blowback against the Russians.

Clearly, signaling to the Kremlin that any kind of danger that would affect the Russians as much as Ukraine, and all of this against the backdrop of continuing shelling right across this extended frontline. And indeed, in the last 48 hours, a number of people being killed in a village not very far from Zaporizhzhia. Sam Kiley, CNN, in Zaporizhzhia.

CHURCH: Two towns in the embattled Donetsk region have also come under shelling from Russia. Early Sunday, Russian forces targeted Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. The head of the Donetsk region military administration said high-rise and residential buildings were damaged in both towns, but so far, there have been no reports of casualties.

Ukrainian forces have been firing back in a region that's seen intense fighting. Ukraine has been urging residents to evacuate the Donetsk region as Russian forces have been keeping up pressure in their push to gain more territory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translation): The proud and glorious Ukrainian Donetsk is humiliated and robbed by Russian occupation. Russia brought the most terrible thing there, total disregard for the value of any life. Total disrespect for anyone. The invaders brought degradation and death and they believe that they are there forever, but they are not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And Scott McLean joins us now live from London. Good morning to you, Scott. So, we have learned that an International Atomic Energy Agency Mission will visit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant this week. What more are you learning about that and, of course, other developments from the plant as well as the shelling reported in the Donetsk region?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Rosemary, yes. A lot to unpack here. So, what we know about this delegation of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency comes from a tweet from the director general, Rafael Grossi, who said that they are on route right now and that they will be there later this week.

He also sent out a picture with that tweet that seems to confirm "The New York Times" earlier reporting that the actual delegation, the actual team of inspectors would consist of Grossi himself who is leading them, along with 13 other inspectors.

"The New York Times" had reported that those experts, those inspectors were from largely from countries that are neutral in this conflict so, we're not talking about anyone from the United States, we're not talking about anyone from Britain. Remember, the IAEA had to negotiate the terms of its inspection, of its visit to this nuclear power plant with the Russians and it's not clear what exactly those terms were, what exactly the limitations might be.

Even getting there though, Rosemary, is going to be one heck of an ordeal. I can tell you from firsthand experience that getting in and out of Ukraine takes a very long time. If they're coming from the Ukrainian side, we don't know exactly how they're getting there, they would have to fly likely into Poland and they probably have two days of driving or train rides to actually get to Zaporizhzhia. From there, they will have to negotiate an active frontline to actually get into Russian held territory where of course this plant is.

If they were coming from the Russian side, they could fly into the closest Russian city and then they still probably have a days' ride plus all of the check points that you would expect to find in what is occupied territory and what is still very much an active war zone. So that's why they say that they won't be here -- won't be there until later this week.

There is also no shortage of danger in that area. Sam mentioned in his reporting that there has been shelling in a town nearby. In suburban Enerhodar there was shelling reported about five kilometers or so from the actual site of the nuclear plant. We had videos showing the aftermath of it. Burnt out cars in front of residential buildings.

[02:25:01]

Officials there say that there were three direct hits on residential buildings. The Russian say that there were about 25 parked cars that were completely burnt out and nine people who were injured. And Rosemary, remember, this is Russian held territory. So logically, you would expect that any attack coming into this area would be coming from the Ukrainian side. And so that's who the Russians are blaming. The Ukrainians though say that this is actually Russia's doing. That they are shelling territory that they hold in order to provoke a response. They call, quote, "nuclear blackmail."

CHURCH: Alright, Scott McLean, bringing us the very latest from London. Many thanks to you.

Well, President Vladimir Putin also has his sights on integrating Ukrainians now living in Russia. He has signed two executive orders providing financial benefits for Ukrainians who have entered Russia since the war began.

The first order according to the Kremlin allows citizens of Ukraine, Donetsk, and Luhansk People's Republic to live and work in Russia without a work permit, but they have to meet certain requirements like passing a drug test and obtaining a medical certificate.

The second order provides a monthly pension of 10,000 Rubles to citizens who've been forced to leave Ukraine since February 18th. It also includes pensions for those who are physically challenged and a one-time payment to pregnant Ukrainians now living in Russia.

Well, still to come, water is rising in the streets and neighborhoods of the Mississippi's capital. The latest on flooding along the Pearl River after the break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:09]

CHURCH: Jackson, Mississippi is under flood warnings this hour as the region watches the Pearl River and waits for it to crest. Water is already rising in neighborhoods near the river. The water is forecast to hit 35-1/2 feet which is more than 10 meters high and well above flood stage. State authorities have distributed tens of thousands of sandbags and are using drones to assess water levels. Jackson's mayor has been warning for days that residents in flood-prone areas should get out while they can.

We're also tracking flooding in Pakistan where monsoon rains and high water have killed more than 1000 people including more than 350 children. Pakistan's army is helping with relief and rescue operations as the government calls for international aid.

CNN's Sophia Saifi has more on the widespread devastation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN PRODUCER (voice over): Family scramble on dry ground to meet awaiting rescue helicopter. It's just one of many rescue missions taking place in Pakistan, parts of which have been diluted by floods after weeks of unprecedented monsoon rains. The Pakistani government says more than 30 million people across the country have been impacted by the floods. The operations by air critical to transporting the stranded to relieve centers.

And also dropping supplies to areas not accessible by boat or roads. With Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif joining the effort over the weekend. The government says it needs international help to deal with the scope of the disaster. Heavy rain and flooding have killed more than 1000 people since mid-June. The misery fed all around the country. In the north, tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate this weekend after flash floods caused a river to rise.

Wiping out a critical bridge and cutting off roads. And there are fears the rushing waters could wipe away more structures, even nearby villages. Many rivers in the region have already done so. These families camped by the side of a road and wondering where they will go next, say they narrowly escaped with their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): First, the water level rose a little and we brought the goods to the rooftop. We could not bring the household with us. We came out on the highway with our lives, children and cattle. Late night the water level had risen until it was knee deep.

SAIFI: In southeast Pakistan, many people are just trying to salvage what they can, often losing their homes to the floods.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We are in dire straits. We are exhausted and moving our belongings here and there. Our homes and village drowned in the water. Most of the livestock died. We have suffered a huge loss.

SAIFI: Those lucky enough to reach a relief center which have been set up across the country can get a meal and a bed. But with the flooding so widespread Pakistan faces enormous challenges ahead. Sindh province alone, which is badly hit by the flooding has asked for a million chance to help with the displaced.

Sophia Saifi, CNN, Karachi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And CNN's Anna Coren is tracking the flooding across Pakistan. She joins us now live from Hong Kong. Good to see you, Anna. So, the numbers of course this shocking at least 33 million people impacted by this flooding and Pakistan, is calling for international help. What is the latest?

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, as we can see from those pictures in Sophia's package, it is just on a scale not seen in recent times. The last catastrophic floods were in 2010 when more than 2000 people died. The death toll as it stands for these floods is more than 1000 and authorities believe that is going to continue to climb. The reason for this is that Pakistan is experiencing its eight monsoonal rains.

Normally in the summer it has rains and flooding, but it goes through about three or four cycles. This is now double. So the amount of water flowing particularly down the Indus River which runs through Pakistan all the way the length of the country. It's just inundating these communities. And as you say more than 33 million people have been affected. Millions are homeless. We've seen for the -- from the pictures, you know, hundreds of thousands of homes destroyed.

Bridges roads washed away, you know, farming fields and this is an agricultural country just inundated with water.

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The military has been mobilized, Rosemary, to try and help with the evacuations. Obviously, there are plenty of people who have been cut off and stranded. But there is an appeal for international help and for further assistance because the government is quite simply overwhelmed, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Incredible, isn't it? Anna Coren, thank you so much for staying on top of this joining us live from her vantage point there in Hong Kong. Appreciate it.

Well, fighting between rival factions has led to some of Libya's worst violence in years. How aid groups on the ground are responding. That's coming up.

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CHURCH: Well, conflict between rival militias is fueling some of Libya's worst fighting in years. The country's health ministry says at least 32 people were killed in clashes in Tripoli over the weekend. And the International Rescue committee's is it helped to suspend some of its humanitarian services for migrants and refugees due to the violence.

CNN's Nada Bashir has more now from London.

NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL REPORTER: Well, these are some of the worst clashes Libya's capital has seen in at least the last two years. And there are real concerns that this could push the country back into a state of sustained conflict. This latest round of violence comes off the back of a month-long political standoff between two rival factions. In the capital Tripoli you have the U.N.-backed and internationally recognized government of national unity, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

And in the east, you have a rival administration, which has essentially appointed its own prime minister, Fathi Bashagha. Tensions between these two factions happen simmering for months now. Back in May, Bashagha and his allied forces launched a failed attempt to seize control of Tripoli.

[02:40:07]

And over the last few weeks we've seen Eastern forces mobilizing around the capital. But over the weekend, those tensions really came to a head, with forces allied to Bashagha once again attempting to seize control of territory in Tripoli, entering the capital from several directions, using small arms fire, heavy machine guns and even mortars in central areas around the city. But while there's real concern that this could push the country into further political turmoil, these latest clashes have already had devastating consequences.

At least 30 people were killed and more than 150 people wounded in the fighting according to the health ministry. The U.N. has called for an immediate end to the violence and a return to political dialogue. But we also heard from the GNU leader Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh speaking on Saturday night to his allied fighters in the capital. He commended them -- for in his words defending the city and he paid his respects to those who had lost their lives.

Stressing the GNU remains committed to democratic elections. But he also issued a stark warning to members of the opposition, saying the time for political cues is long gone, and also warning that any actors looking to take control of the country by undemocratic means wouldn't meet his fighters in the field.

Nada Bashir, CNN London.

CHURCH: Thanks for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. For our international viewers, "WORLD SPORT" is up next. For everyone else, do stay with us. We'll be back with more news after the break.

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(WORLD SPORT) [03:00:00]