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Abortion a Key Issue for Voters in Midterm Elections; At Least 10 Killed in Clashes in Baghdad's Green Zone; NASA Postpones Artemis 1 Launch After Engine Issue; U.S. Air Traveler Complaints Surged in June Amid Disruptions. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired August 30, 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]

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Christina Macfarlane. If you are just joining us, let me bring you up-to-date with our top stories.

Sources say U.S. intelligence agencies have been going through the documents found at Mar-a-Lago since mid-May. This is to ensure sources and information in the documents remain protected.

And a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency has arrived in Kyiv. They will visit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant later this week. More on both of these stories coming up on "EARLY START."

U.S. President Biden is set to deliver a primetime speech in Philadelphia on Thursday where the White House says he will speak about the continued battle for the soul of the nation. The president is expected to warn about what he calls the extreme MAGA philosophy even labeling it semi-fascism. That type of language is an escalation in his criticism of his predecessor Donald Trump and his followers.

Later today the president is expected to call for increased funding for law enforcement. The White House says that he will also address gun safety and renew his push for a nationwide assaults weapons ban.

We are now exactly ten weeks away from the critical midterm elections in the U.S. and it appears that the issue of abortion is already a huge factor for voters especially women. It's caught the attention of several Republican candidates as they seek support ahead of November's vote. CNN's Kyung Lah reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLAKE MASTERS (R), U.S. SENATE NOMINEE: Most people support common sense regulation around abortion.

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Republican U.S. Senate nominee Blake Masters surrounded by his children trying to reset the debate over abortion rights.

MASTERS: I support a ban on very late term and partial birth abortion, and most Americans agree with that. LAH (voice-over): Just after this digital video dropped, Masters campaign site scrubbed strict anti-abortion language. Before, Masters wrote he's 100 percent pro-life, calling Roe v. Wade a horrible decision, then listed a series of strict stances on abortion. Now, a softer tone, Roe went from horrible to a bad decision. The words 100 percent pro-life removed from this section. And that list of positions is shorter.

JOHN THOMAS, NATIONAL REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: There's no getting around it that abortion in his particular race is a hot, hot issue for one of those swing coalitions. He has to speak to that issue and being pro- life 100 percent of the time isn't going to get him there. So, he has to attempt to make that pivot.

LAH (voice-over): Masters' campaign says he remains 100 percent pro- life. But he's not the only one retooling.

TOM BARRETT, REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE, MICHIGAN'S 7TH DISTRICT: I'm Tom Barrett ...

LAH (voice-over): In Michigan 7th Congressional district, challenger Tom Barrett fundraised in the Republican primary as 100 percent pro- life, no exceptions.

[04:35:00]

But over the weekend, his web site that listed a value section to protect life from conception is now gone. Barrett's campaign tells CNN we regularly update the web site.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Should all abortions be illegal in this country?

LAH (voice-over): In Iowa's Republican primary to represent the third congressional district --

ZACH NUNN, IOWA REPUBLICAN NOMINEE: For all abortions, no exceptions.

LAH: The man in the center, Zach Nunn won the Republican nomination. The incumbent, Democratic Congresswoman Cindy Axne turned that primary debate moment into a campaign ad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, POLITICAL AD: Even in the case of rape, even in the case of incest, even if a woman's life is in danger.

LAH (voice-over): Nunn's campaign did not respond directly to CNN's request for comment on the Democratic attacks. But Nunn wrote in an editorial that the ad was false and says, while he opposes abortion, we must be compassionate toward both women and unborn children.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've grown up here.

LAH (voice-over): In Minnesota's gubernatorial race, Republican nominee Scott Jensen, a doctor, said this in a radio interview before the primary.

SCOTT JENSEN, MINNESOTA REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: If a mother's life is in danger, I think that that would have to be a medical consideration and an area for potential exception.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No exceptions for rape or incest?

JENSEN: Unless a mother's life is in danger.

LAH (voice-over): Now in the general election, he's calling his previous words clumsy.

JENSEN: If I've been unclear previously, I want to be clear now. Rape and incest along with endangering the mother's mental or physical health are acceptable exceptions.

THOMAS: It is an animating issue, particularly in very tight congressional and Senate races, where there are lots of college educated white women, but that's not every district in America. So, in select races, you're seeing these shifts on abortion.

The challenge is on some of these very hot issues the other campaign keeps receipts, meaning they have the web site. They have the primary TV ads.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, POLITICAL AD: Too dangerous for Arizona.

LAH (voice-over): Those receipts are now appearing in general election ads. Democratic campaigns and groups have spent more than $50 million in ads referencing abortion since Roe was overturned, sensing a chance to energize voters this November.

LAH: Pivots in politics are certainly not that unusual. Whether it works on a wedge issue like abortion is how convincing the candidate is. If the candidate is sincere and most importantly, whether voters believe it.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Well, California's leaders are focused on the issue of abortion and are working to extend assistance for those from out of state. In a tweet Governor Gavin Newsom said, quote, California is launching a new fund to help women that need to travel here for reproductive care. While Republican leaders across the nation strip away women's freedom, California is here to help.

Lawmakers are set to vote this week on the amendment that would ensure help is extended beyond state lines.

America's largest wireless carriers not only know where users are, every time they make a phone call or use their data connection, but they hold to that information for years and they rue routinely share it with law enforcement. That is according to letters that the companies wrote themselves to the Federal Communications Commission, which were made public last week. The issue is under intense scrutiny as states pass new laws redistricting abortion. Privacy advocates say the sensitive location data can reveal whether a person may have visited an abortion clinic or other such facilities and they fear that the information could then be used to prosecute people for seeking the procedure.

Now two people are dead after a shooting at a grocery store in Bend, Oregon on Sunday. The gunman was found dead at the scene as well with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities say the shooter may have posted information online regarding his plan.

Prosecutors in the Atlanta area have indicted 26 alleged gang members for series of crimes over several years which targeted celebrities and wealthy residents. The Fulton County district attorney says 220 count indictments included charges related to home invasions, kidnappings, shootings and armed robberies. The prosecutor says that the suspects targeted people who displayed their wealth on social media. Some of the victims included singer Mariah Carey and Atlanta Falcons player Calvin Ridley.

Now to Iraq where at least ten people are dead after violence protests inside Baghdad's heavy fortified green zone. Hundreds of supporters of the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed the area after al-Sadr announced he would withdraw from public life. Some got inside the Republican Palace where the Iraqi cabinet meets. The country has been without a new government since elections last October.

Now CNN's Nada Bashir is following the developments here and joins me here in London. And Nada, we know this is some of the worst fighting Baghdad has seen in years. What are the concerns right now that this could lead to sustained violence?

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NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Well, absolutely, we've seen sporadic protests over the last few weeks but this is some of the most intense clashes we have seen between these protestors, supporters of the influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and the Iraqi security forces as well as other rival Shia groups. And we've already heard just this morning from medical sources in Baghdad that at least ten people have now been killed in these clashes, some 200 people injured. And that could certainly continue to rise today.

And we've just heard from the Iraqi security force confirming that four rockets landed within the once very secure green zone damaging a residential complex in that green zone. This of course is an area that houses government ministries, foreign diplomatic missions. So, there are concerns that this could continue to escalate.

We are seeing those protestors still present within the green zone perimeters. And of course, as you mentioned, this has come off the back of the announcement from Muqtada al-Sadr that he would be withdrawing from political life, that he would be closing all of his political offices associated with his Sadrist bloc across the country. And this is not the first time we've heard this sort of rhetoric from al-Sadr. Back in June he actually called on his lawmakers, among the 70 in the Iraqi parliament to step back from their seats in protest of what has been months and months of political stagnation. His bloc unable to form a government despite coming out on top in elections back in October and unwilling to enter into negotiations with his rival Shia blocs, namely the pro-Iran coordination framework alliance. And we've seen is continued stagnation and over the last few weeks he

has encouraged Iraqis to take to the streets to protest what he has described as corruption in the government. He's called for the delusion of Parliament, for a complete overall of the Iraqi political system. The concern now is that these protests we've seen yesterday and today could escalate, we're seeing a crackdown by the Iraqi security forces, heavy gunfire, tear gas being used. So, there are real concerns that this could lead to sustained instability.

MACFARLANE: Yes, well we will continue obviously to monitor this in the coming hours. But for now, Nada, thanks very much.

OK, next on CNN NEWSROOM, NASA's historic moon mission will have to wait a little longer as the Artemis team tries to work through an unexpected issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL NELSON, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: This is a brand new rocket. It's not going to fly until it's ready.

MICHAEL SARAFIN, ARTEMIS MISSION MANAGER: This is an incredibly hard business, we're trying to do something that hasn't been done in over 50 years.

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[04:45:00]

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NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON, ASTROPHYSICISTS AND DIRECTOR, HAYDEN PLANETARIUM: It is rocket science and it's hard and it requires a lot of people and a lot of things to happen correctly, all things that have to work. And so, we shouldn't be surprised. Engineering is hard. Science is hard. And these are just reminders of that. Better that it gets scrubbed than it explodes on the launch pad. So, to consider the alternatives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Yes, better safe than sorry. NASA is now hoping for a launch this Friday for its Artemis 1 rocket after an engine issue forced them to scrub Monday's planned liftoff. Mission managers will meet tomorrow to evaluate their next steps as they prepare for the U.S.'s space agency first moon mission in almost 50 years. The latest now from CNN's Kristin Fisher.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mission and lift off of the space shuttle discovery ...

KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Engine number 2058 has helped propel six space shuttles into orbit, starting with this flight back in 2006.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Scrub of the attempt of launch of Artemis 1.

FISHER (voice-over): But today, the system that cools that engine was the primary culprit behind the scrub of the first test flight of the Artemis moon rocket.

MICHAEL SARAFIN, ARTEMIS MISSION MANAGER: We need the engine to be at the cryogenically cool temperature, such that when it starts it's not shocked with all the cold fuel that flows through it.

FISHER (voice-over): NASA says it's too soon to determine when it will try again. But Artemis mission manager, Mike Sarafin gave a classic NASA response when addressing if the next launch opportunity on Friday is still in play.

SARAFIN: There's a non-zero chance we'll have a launch opportunity on Friday.

FISHER (voice-over): The Artemis rocket or SLS has largely been cobbled together using leftover parts from the shuttle program, the four RS25 engines on Artemis 1 combined flew more than 20 shuttle missions. NASA had hoped that by recycling these old parts they'd be able to build this new rocket faster and more affordably. Instead, the SLS rocket is six years behind schedule and billions over budget.

LORI GARVER, FORMER DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR OF NASA: We know these shuttle parts were very finicky and expensive. And so, it shouldn't have been any surprise that putting them together differently was going to also be expensive and take longer than we hoped.

FISHER (voice-over): Still, this rocket is the most powerful ever built. It's designed to return humans to the moon by 2025 and someday go on to Mars.

Thousands of people converged on the Kennedy Space Center today in hopes of seeing it fly for the first-time including Vice President Kamala Harris.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today was a very important day. And while a lot of folks might be disappointed that the launch did not actually happen, a lot of good work really happened today.

FISHER (voice-over): NASA administrator Bill Nelson whose own shuttle flight scrubbed four times reminded that these kinds of delays are routine for any space flight, but especially a first test flight.

BILL NELSON, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: This is a brand-new rocket. It's not going to fly until it's ready. Needless to say, the complexity is daunting when you bring it all into the focus of a countdown.

FISHER: Despite all of the technical issues this rocket is still the only rocket in the world as of now that is capable of carrying people to the moon. And that's this close to being ready to launch. SpaceX is developing a similar rocket, but it's not quite ready yet. Though that rocket called Starship is going to be fully reusable, which would make it much more affordable to fly in the future.

Kristin Fisher, CNN, at the Kennedy Space Center.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: And this cross to Friday.

All right, American flyers are fed up with air travel. During a summer of frequent disruptions, customer complaints soared. Details on what is causing the frustration when we return.

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MACFARLANE: U.S. financial markets are looking to rebound when trading begins in just a few hours' time. As you can see right now all three indices are currently up. Stocks fell on Monday as investors continue to worry that the Federal Reserve will keep raising interest rates. The Dow lost about half a percent, the Nasdaq was down a full percent, while the S&P 500 lost about three quarters of a percent.

If U.S. air travel has frustrated you this summer, you're not alone. New data from the Department of Transportation shows travel complaints surged nearly 35 percent from May to June this year during the beginning of the summer travel season. CNN's Pete Muntean takes a look at the numbers and the reasons for all the headaches.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT Christina, this new data from the Department of Transportation reflects the pain that passengers have been experiencing during the summer of staffing troubles for airlines. 45,000 flight cancellations by U.S. carriers between June 1 and now -- according to Flight Aware -- June had some of the worst days for flight cancellations. So not surprisingly this new data from June shows 28 percent of consumer complaints had to do with cancellations and delays. 25 percent had to do with refunds from the airlines. 5,800 complaints in total.

Compare that to June back in 2019, pre-pandemic, when there were 1,500 complaints. So, we're seeing a 270 percent spike in complaints compared to pre-pandemic figures. Only adds ammo to the federal push for airlines to step up their game especially with the Labor Day rush on the horizon. I want you to listen now to our exclusive to our exclusive interview with United airline CEO Scott Kirby who shifts some of the blame for all of this away from the airlines and on to the federal government and the air traffic control system.

[04:55:04]

SCOTT KIRBY, CEO, UNITED AIRLINES: Frankly, the bigger challenges are not the airlines themselves. They're all the support infrastructure around aviation that hasn't caught up as quickly.

MUNTEAN: Let me push back on that a tiny bit. Because United has had 5,000 cancellations this summer. What do you say to somebody who does see this as an airline issue rather than some other cause?

KIRBY: Well, first, I would say we're doing everything we can to get the airline running reliably. We know that's the most important thing for a customer. It's our number one priority. We had ground stops for the entire day. And when the FAA says you can't land airplanes at the airport, you're going to have delays and cancellations.

MUNTEAN: Before the Labor Day rush begins, Department of Transportation is rolling out a new website in which it breaks down airline by airline of passengers' rights. This new data really just shows how desperate airline passengers have become after a tough period for air travel -- Christina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Our thanks to Pete for that.

Now Honda and LG Energy Solution are teaming up to build a nearly $4.5 billion factory in the United States. It will supply LG batteries for Honda's electric vehicles. The location of the factory has not yet been announced but the companies plan to start building early next year to prepare for mass production by the end of 2025. Honda plans to launch the electric SUV in 2024 and hopes to have 30 EV models by the end of the decade.

Now pumpkin fans rejoice. Today marks the return of the famous pumpkin spiced latte at Starbucks. The fall favorite is not immune to inflation. It will cost about 4 percent more than last year with the Grande going for nearly 6 bucks in some locations. Starbucks has amassed a loyal fan base for this specific drink for nearly 20 years.

That does it for this edition of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Christina Macfarlane here in London. Stay tuned for "EARLY START" which is coming up with Christine Romans after the break.

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