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U.S. Intel Agencies Assessing Risks from Mar-a-Lago Documents; Judge May Appoint "Special Master" in Mar-a-Lago Search; Ukraine Confirms Operations in Russian-Held South; Russia Says It Will Ensure Security of IAEA Mission; Serena Williams Wins First Singles Match at 2022 U.S. Open; Pakistan Calls for Global Aid as Floods Impact Millions. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired August 30, 2022 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Christina Macfarlane in for Max Foster here in London. Just ahead --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Justice Department has already begun digging through these documents that they seized from this search at Mar-a- Lago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They believe they need what is known as a special master assigned to this case to handle this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Russia is trying to legitimize its presence at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Ukrainian ministry has confirmed that an offensive is currently under way in the south.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Serena Williams as she puts it all on the line in the last tournament of her legendary career.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was so loud and I just was overwhelmed in a good way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Hello and welcome, it's Tuesday, August 30th, 9:00 a.m. here in London, 4:00 a.m. in Washington and Florida where we begin with new details into the search of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.

Intelligence agencies have been working with the FBI since mid-May to examine hundreds of documents to determine their level of classification. The process has been part of the Justice Department's investigation that led to the search of Trump's Florida home. Big picture, intelligence agencies and the FBI want to make sure no information was compromised while the documents were stored there. Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has more insights. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREW MCCABE, FORMER FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR: So, the folks operating under DNI Haynes's authority, they're going to look through every one of those documents and they're going to figure out what is the home agency that made the original classification of that document. And then they will go back to that home agency, whether that CIA or FBI or NSA, whoever that might be, and ask them to review each of those documents individually to say do you feel you have sources in jeopardy by virtue of the release or the poor storage of these documents or has it potentially compromised a technical intelligence collection opportunity. And they're going to wait to see what those home agencies report back. And with all that, they'll have an assessment as to how much damage has actually been done.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Meantime a hearing is scheduled for Thursday on Trump's request for a special master to review the material the FBI took during its search of his Mar-a-Lago home. Now some of these documents may contain material covered by attorney-client privilege. CNN's Kaitlan Collins has the latest on what the former president's team is hoping for.

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KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Former President Trump's attorneys are saying that they still would like a third party person assigned to the case of the materials that were taken from the former president's home. When of course, those are the materials seized in the search of his home. That's despite the Justice Department saying on Monday that they've actually already conducted a review of those materials. They've set aside a limited amount of what they say could be potentially covered by attorney/client privilege and those are already going through the proper procedures of how to handle material like that is seized in a situation like this.

But despite that you are still seeing some of those former president's attorneys, including Jim Trusty, arguing that they believe they need what is known as a special master assigned to this case to handle this. Basically, to have an outside party, a third party attorney help them work through the materials and make a judgment call based on what the Justice Department has been looking at, what they say could potentially be covered by attorney/client privilege or by executive privilege.

Now it remains to be seen how exactly the Justice Department is going to argue against that, they said that they will have more to say this week. And of course, on Tuesday there is expected to be an argument made by the Justice Department in response to what Trump's team has asked for. And Trump's team was pleased by the fact that on Saturday a judge indicated that she did potentially see an opening for appointing a special master in this case. Of course, it remains to be seen if she actually does and if that actually comes to fruition. One way and one thing that Trump's attorneys are hoping to get out of that, is that it would slow the process down. It could potentially throw things in to chaos but it certainly would slow them down. Because then this person would have to review what the Justice Department has already gone through.

[04:05:04]

Of course, whether or not that ends up remains to be seen, but this does come as they are expecting the Justice Department to make a more fulsome argument in court this week.

Kaitlan Collins, CNN, Washington.

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MACFARLANE: One of Donald Trump's former White House staffers calls his push for a special master a legal tactic to delay the Mar-a-Lago document investigation. Alyssa Farah Griffin was Trump's White House director of strategic communications. She spoke to CNN earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: It's completely a delay tactic and he has got this kind of, you know, ad hoc team of attorneys, none of whom to my knowledge specialize in these sort of investigations. Some of the more credible lawyers who surrounded him earlier in his presidency won't touch this issue because they know how legally exposed, he is. This is honestly an attempt just to stop the process.

But honestly, the former president's real focus is litigating this, the public relations around it. He's been sounding off on Truth Social putting out statements saying what a corrupt job this was by the FBI and DOJ and I think that he knows the legatees of this is not in his favor but he's trying to win in the court of public opinion. I'm confident he's going to lose in both, but that's what he is trying to do.

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MACFARLANE: Well, CNN will have much more on this story next hour on "EARLY START."

Elsewhere the U.S. Secret Service Assistant Director Tony Orinato left the agency Monday. Now it's a significant departure which comes two months after his name came up during the explosive testimony to the House Select Committee investigating January 6. You will recall former President Trump's White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified in June that Orinato told her that then President Trump became irate when he learned his security detail would not take him to the U.S. Capitol on January 6. The House Select Committee says it believes Orinato could provide valuable information about Trump's movements and intentions leading up to and on January 6.

A dangerous mission is under way in Ukraine as inspectors from the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog make their way to the embattled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. This as new images reveal some of the damage within the complex including this massive hole in the roof of a building. At least three other holes have also been spotted. It comes after week of repeated shelling around the Russian-held plant and growing fierce of a potential nuclear disaster. Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of the attacks and both countries say they support the International Atomic Energy Agency's visit.

Well, the long awaited counteroffensive appears to be getting under way in southern Ukraine with troops launching a series of attacks on Russian forces in the Kherson region. Moscow acknowledged the attacks on Monday but said Ukraine's offensive, quote, failed miserably.

Well for more let's bring in CNN's Melissa Bell. She is live for us in Kyiv. And Melissa, we know Ukrainian officials have been promising this counteroffensive for months now. But what are our sources telling CNN about the advances overnight?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what senior regional officials are saying this morning is that for the second day the fighting continues, that counteroffensive continues with fighting in several towns they say along the frontline. But also, just as we've seen during the preparation phase also continuing to tax beyond it. So, when things like ammunition depots and infrastructure across the bridge, the Dnipro River, of course that is one of the targets of Ukrainian forces and has been throughout the phase of preparation of this counteroffensive to try and cut off Kherson from the other side of the river and the supply roots that allow Russian forces to bring in weapons and men.

So, that counteroffensive continues. But there is of course something we're hearing from Ukrainian officials and we've been hearing from the Ukrainian president last night in his address that whilst this counteroffensive is under way, there needs to be patience and time given in order for it to succeed.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We will chase them to the border. To our border which line has not been changed. Occupiers are well aware of it. If they want to survive, it's time for the Russian military to run away, go home. If they do not hear me, they will have to deal with our defenders who will not stop until they free everything that belongs to Ukraine. And this is not something special. It's not something that just started. We've been talking about this for 187 days.

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BELL: So, a very determined tone there from President Zelenskyy last night. But you get a sense of how difficult this is going to be, Christina, and how important it is. If the counteroffensive makes some progress, it brings momentum back to the Ukrainian side.

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If it fails to make progress and that line between the Ukrainian-held territory and those parts held by Russia will seem more entrenched still. That is the danger. And as you mentioned a moment ago, that is one of the stories we're watching this morning. The other of course is the inspection by the IAEA mission, 14 strong mission to Zaporizhzhia. We're expecting a press conference here in Kyiv later this morning from its head -- Christina.

MACFARLANE: Yes, we will keep an eye out for that press conference. For now, Melissa Bell, thanks very much. Melissa there live from Kyiv.

Well, let's turn now to CNN's Fred Pleitgen who is live for us there in Moscow. Fred, you were hearing from Melissa there reports that the counteroffensive has got under way. We know Russia have already been responding. What are they saying?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Christina. Well, the Ukrainians of course, had said that they had taken four towns or villages -- is what they told our crew -- on the ground. The Russians are saying that that isn't true. They claim that the offensive as they put it as so far failed miserably. But it did also take the Russians actually pretty a long time to actually acknowledge that there was a counter offensive going on.

So, the Russians at least acknowledging now that there is heavy fighting going on, that this is a counteroffensive by the Ukrainians.

One of the other things that the Russians have also said, is that overnight there was some pretty heavy shelling going on in a town called Novofedorivka, which is also in that general area. It's a pretty long frontline actually if you look at the counteroffensive where the Ukrainians are trying to make head way. Again, right now the Russians say that they are holding on but they do acknowledge that there's some pretty heavy firing going on from the Ukrainians as well.

It was quite interesting because there was a local Russian installed official in the Kherson area earlier today who said that no one was threatening the town of Kherson and that the Russians are well dug in. Of course, whether or not that is the case is impossible to independently verify.

But the Russians do acknowledge that right now there are heavy battles going on, but so far, they have not acknowledged that they have lost any sort of territory or that they're having any sort of problems resupplying their troops on the ground there. Even though of course, we have seen from satellite imagery and also from some images that have come out overnight -- that the Ukrainians continue to hit a lot of the bridges over the Dnipro River crossing, making it very, very difficult for the Russians to keep their logistics upright -- Christina.

MACFARLANE: And Fred, just turning to Zaporizhzhia, we know that obviously Russia agreed for the IAEA to visit the nuclear power plant or it wouldn't be happening. What else are they saying about the impending visit?

PLEITGEN: Well, the Russians claim that the Ukrainians continue to shell that area whereas the Ukrainians keep saying it's the Russians and they're saying that this is all a provocation. One of the things that happened overnight or in the early morning hours of today is that the Russians claim that there was a building in the vicinity that has spent nuclear fuel in it that apparently close to there may have been some hits. It was a statement of put out by the energy provider saying that there were two ruptures in the area near a building that has stored nuclear fuel in it.

Unclear whether or not that means explosions or whether there was any sort of more serious damage that was done. But it's something that we've been hearing from the Russians really over the past week increasingly as this IAEA mission draws closer. They claim that the Ukrainians are trying to disrupt the mission. Obviously, the Ukrainians are denying that. And of course, also the mission itself right now is in Kyiv and as Melissa just said, there's going to be a press conference by them today. The Russians did say that they will provide for safety for that mission, however they also say of course that they can only do that in the areas that they control -- Christina.

MACFARLANE: All right, Fred Pleitgen in Moscow, appreciate your reporting, Fred. Thank you.

Now Russia could soon have new military hardware on the battlefield in Ukraine. U.S. officials tell CNN they believe Moscow has acquired weapons capable drones from Iran. But it's unclear whether they'll be a game changer for Russia. U.S. intelligence officials believe many of the Iranian drones have technical problems when the Russians were testing them.

Well, today marks one year since the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan and the last American troops departed the country. In the days leading up to that chaos erupted at Kabul airport as Afghans attempted to flee the country and the Taliban. The U.S. says that it was able to move about 124,000 people to safety. CNN's Clarissa Ward will have more on this live on CNN's "EARLY START" in the next hour.

And we're keeping a close eye on the situation in Baghdad, Iraq where at least ten people have been killed in violent protests. It started on Monday after a powerful Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announcement that he was withdrawing from politics. CNN's Nada Bashir is following the developments from here in London. We'll go live to her in just a few minutes.

Also next on CNN NEWSROOM, her outfit sparkled, her hair sparkled, but it was her play on the court that shined brightest of all. More on Serena Williams' dazzling day at the U.S. Open.

[04:15:00]

Plus, NASA postpones its highly anticipated Artemis 1 launch, the latest on the reason for the delay and when the liftoff might be rescheduled.

And the U.S. Southwest goes on alert with millions are under excessive heat warnings. We'll have the latest forecast for you.

KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We've Got a long duration heatwave taking place for the next few days across much of the west. I'll have details just ahead.

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MACFARLANE: Welcome back. If Serena Williams is indeed retiring from tennis, she is going out with a bang. The 23 time grand slam winner was dominant in first round play at the U.S. Open defeating Montenegro's Danka Kovinic. Carolyn Manno reports with more from New York.

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CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS: All of the stars were out on Monday night here for Serena Williams. She herself shining perhaps the bright, not only for this beautiful celestial ensemble that she donned as soon as she took the court, but with the way that she play. She moved so well. She moved better than we have maybe seen her move all year. And even though she started a little bit inconsistent with the serve, you could tell she was a little bit tight and who could blame her.

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I mean, the atmosphere was overwhelming. She really settled midway through the first set and in the second set used the fuel of the crowd to get her past this highly anticipated first round match. And now so many are wondering the door has been opened just a crack, what is possible for the greatest player that this sport has ever seen. And if you look at her face after the match was over smiling from ear to ear, you could tell that nobody wants to extend this run at her final grand slam more than Serena Williams herself.

SERENA WILLIAMS, DEFEATED DANKA KOVINIC 6-3, 6-3: I always just got to do the best that I can, you know. This is -- I feel so comfortable on this court and in front of everyone here. And you know, when I step out on the court, I just want to do my best that I can do on that particular day. Just keep coming out and supporting me as long as I'm here and know that I love you so much and I'm so excited to be here.

MANNO: The test will only get more difficult from here. And coming up next for Serena Williams is the two seed in the tournament Anett Kontaveit, who also won in straight sets today. We don't know what that match will ultimately end up being. It could be the final time we see her on the court at a Grand Slam. But what we do know and what she knows especially after tonight and probably all along is that this crowd, her home crowd at the U.S. Open, will be behind her every step of the way.

At the U.S. Open, Carolyn Manno, for CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Now the water system in the state capital of Mississippi is on the brink of collapse. Jackson is struggling after heavy rain and extreme flooding damaged infrastructure impacting some 250,000 people. The governor has declared a state of emergency for the city saying there isn't enough running water to fight fires or even flush toilets. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TATE REEVES (R) MISSISSIPPI GOVERNOR: Until it is fixed, it means we do not have reliable running water at scale. It means the city cannot produce enough water to fight fires, to reliably flush toilets and to meet other critical needs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: But Mississippi isn't the only state worried about lasting effects from storms. Several states across the U.S. Midwest are at risk for severe storms in the coming days with potential for tornadoes. Well, CNN meteorologist Karen Maginnis joins me from Atlanta with more. And Karen, which states are we talking about here?

MAGINNIS: Well, we've got the heat across the West and thunderstorms across the East. So, we've a variety of weather all across the United States. But for the West, about 50 million people are under some sort of heat alert. And, yes, that even includes the Pacific Northwest. Probably hoping to transition to a more fall-like pattern. This is late in the season to start and continue to see these triple digits heatwave after heatwave, drought conditions that have been so pervasive across the West.

But look at these temperatures the next three days. I say and emphasize three days because this is probably a seven day event where these temperatures will be ten to as much as 20 degrees above where they should be for this time of year. Even Death Valley will soar to 121 degrees later on in the workweek. Sacramento sees triple digits as well. But even around Seattle also Portland, Oregon, into Reno, Salt Lake City, that's where the heat is going to get cranked up over the next few days.

Heat advisories to the north, excessive heat watches further to the south includes portions of western Arizona but also for the metropolitan Phoenix area. Phoenix on the way to 110 degrees, Portland 98. Boise, Idaho 101 degrees as a ridge of high pressure dominates this region.

All right, take a look at the East. We've talked about some of the thunderstorms that are expected to move in across the Northeastern part of the United States. Yes, for Boston, Washington, D.C., afternoon and evening thunderstorms could produce some brief and heavy rainfall.

But also, there's an upper level disturbance that is bringing in lots of return moisture for the Gulf of Mexico. So, some of the rainfall here actually from Hobbs, New Mexico down to Midland, Texas, some of that rainfall could be substantial and the ground is hard packed because it has been a continuation of the extreme drought that has taken place across the region.

Here comes a frontal system sweeping across the Northeast in New England, further south it kind of dries out a little bit, but we'll expect a few showers here as well. And then high pressure moves in and then those temperatures are still going to be back up there again. So, this is the overall weather pattern. Frontal system across the eastern sea board could see strong to severe storms in the Northeast. Be aware of that as you travel on the roads. Also, for some of the flights. Back to you -- Christina.

MACFARLANE: Yes, not much relief for now, is there. Karen, thank you very much there live from Atlanta.

[04:25:00]

Now Pakistani officials say deadly and widespread flooding has caused more than $10 billion in damage so far this year. Repeated floods over the summer months have swept away buildings and destroyed homes across Pakistan. The international rescue community says that more than 70 percent of the people that they have contacted don't have access to enough clean drinking water. The flooding is so excessive that Pakistan climate change minister has compared it to a small ocean.

Well, CNN's Anna Coren joins me now from Hong Kong with more. And Anna, given the scale of this damage, there's not really going to be any swift recovery from the floods. So, what response and what efforts are being made here by the international community to try and help?

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we heard from some of the international community today and, Christina, they said it is not months, this is years that is going to take for Pakistan to recover. I mean, this is a country with an incredibly fragile economy that has had to be bailed out by the International Monetary Fund. And now the planning minister is saying that a conservative estimate for the damage is $10 billion. He says that until teams can actually go to these areas -- you have to remember that so much of these communities have been cut off and are inaccessible. So really until the damage is fully assessed, they think that it could be two to three times higher from that $10 billion. That's the financial cost.

The human cost is staggering. You were talking about more than 1,100 deaths. Once again that is conservative because they think that it will be so much higher once they can access these areas. Fifteen percent of the population has been affected by these floods. Remembering that these monsoon rains have been happening since the middle of June. There is a reprieve at the moment, Christina, but they believe that they will start up again in the coming weeks.

But let's have a listen now to the climate change minister talking about the unprecedented scale of this disaster.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERRY REHMAN, PAKISTANI CLIMATE CHANGE MINISTER: Literally one third of Pakistan is under water right now which has exceeded every boundary, every norm we've seen in the past. We've never seen anything like this. Even the 2010 super floods which had literally wiped out half the country was better than this. I mean, we are much worse today than 2010.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COREN: Now Christina, humanitarian aid is slowly trickling in. There's

plane loads of aid from China, the UAE, Turkey, Australia, Canada, the U.K. and Japan have also pledged assistance. But at the end of the day, it is a drop in the ocean. Pakistan is appealing for much more international aid and assistance and it will need it.

MACFARLANE: Yes, absolutely, Anna. And the fact that this is climate driven, as you say, means this can only get worse, right, in years to come. Anna Coren from Hong Kong there, thanks very much.

Now a new study finds that even if we stop emitting greenhouse gasses now, global sea levels could still rise significantly. The research published in the Journal "Nature Climate Change" predicts that more than 3 percent of Greenland's ice sheet will melt in the near future and scientists say that will raise sea levels by nearly a foot or more than 25 centimeters. The study also didn't specify a timeline but they believe this could happen sometime by the end of this century.

All right, still to come, how the issue of abortion is having a key impact on how candidates campaign ahead of the midterm elections.

Plus, the Iraqi capital is seeing its most violent day in years. What led protestors to storm the Republican Palace in Baghdad, that's ahead.

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