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Seized Document Shows Top Secret Foreign Nation's Information; Bill Barr Don't Agree Hiring Special Master; County Official Under Criminal Investigation; Prime Minister Liz Truss Face Huge Challenges; California Inferno Not an Easy Job for Firefighters; U.S. Anticipates for Hurricane Season. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired September 07, 2022 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: 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, a new report that a document seized during the search of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home contains potentially compromising nuclear details.

Liz Truss has laid out her plan to help Britain, now she has to defend it. Lawmakers will pressure on all of the details during her first prime minister's questions in parliament in just a few hours.

And in California, authorities have ordered evacuations as wildfires tear across the state already struggling with power outages and droughts.

UNKNOWN: Live from CNN center, this is CNN Newsroom with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: And thank you for joining us.

We begin with new details about the FBI search of Donald Trump's Mar- a-Lago resort. We know from court filings and of course, that now famous picture that agents recovered classified and top-secret documents. Here's what the Washington Post is reporting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEVLIN BARRETT, REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST: We've learned that when the FBI conducted the search in August 8, it obviously has been court documents but describing a lot of classified material that was taken. We are told that one of the things found in the course of that search was a document that described a foreign government's military defenses including its nuclear capabilities.

And obviously, that was a cause for some concern. Although there is a lot of material in this tranche of stuff that they've searched foreign found that is a cause for concern. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The Post reports that such documents require special clearances on a need-to-know basis. They are typically kept under lock and key with a designated control officer to keep tabs on their location.

Well, Donald Trump's former attorney general is speaking out against a federal judge's ruling on the Mar-a-Lago search. William Barr says he thinks the decision to appoint a special master to review materials seized from Trump's home is deeply flawed. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM BARR, FORMER United STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL: The opinion I think was wrong. I think the government should appeal it. I don't think the appointment of a special master is going to hold up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Barr says that even if the decision holds up, it won't fundamentally change the Justice Department's investigation. Only delay it for a short time.

Well, Georgia authorities are investigating newly-obtained surveillance video which shows a Republican county official escorting two pro-Trump operatives into local election offices. They gained access to those offices on the same day the voting system there was breached.

CNN senior investigative correspondent Drew Griffin has that story.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Their surveillance video you are about to see is from an election's office in the state of Georgia. A swing state in the United States. Just one of the states where these breaches of voting machines are under investigation.

Cathy Latham is the woman in blue. She used to be the chairwoman of the Coffee County Republican Party. She's already under investigation for posing as a fake elector signing a document that declared Donald Trump won the 2020 election, not Joe Biden.

She can be seen escorting a team of these pro-Trump operatives into the elections office where the operatives then breached the voting machines including a man named Paul Maggio. He is an I.T. specialist whose company was hired by Trump attorney Sydney Powell.

Now, how do we know that they breached the machines once inside? This guy, Scott Hall actually admits it in this audio obtained by CNN.

(BEGIN VOICE CLIP)

SCOTT HALL, ATLANTA BAIL BONDSMAN & FULTON COUNTY REPUBLICAN POLL WATCHER: I'm the guy that chartered the jet to go down to Coffee County to have them inspect all of those computers. I've heard zero, OK? I went down there. We scanned every freaking ballot. And they scanned all the equipment, imaged all the hard drives, and scanned every single ballot.

(END VOICE CLIP)

[03:04:59]

GRIFFIN: Scott Hall turns out to be an Atlanta bail bondsman and is described as a Republican operative. CNN got no response from him when we asked for his response. Cathy Latham, who opened the door in the video, she has been connected to this plan to access the elections office through e-mails and text documents in a civil case.

Her attorney told us that Ms. Latham is not acted improperly or legally and Ms. Latham did not authorize or participate in any ballot scanning efforts, computer imaging or any similar activity.

The I.T. specialist firm says that it has no reason to believe that the lawyers that hired them would direct them to do anything wrong. But there seems to be no doubt that this county's machines were compromised and ballots were scanned on behest of these operatives working for Donald Trump.

Drew Griffin, CNN, Atlanta.

CHURCH: So, I want to bring in CNN national security analyst, Juliette Kayyem who joins us from Cambridge Massachusetts. Good to have you with us.

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: So the Washington Post is reporting that among those highly sensitive documents seized by the FBI last month at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home is material on one foreign nation's nuclear defense capabilities. The report did not identify that country but how concerned are you about that revelation?

KAYYEM: I think it's a big issue because it goes to our reliability for our allies or our capacity to get information from our enemies. And that's where I think this is an international story in many ways.

Look, there's not that many countries that have nuclear weapons. The pool is relatively small. Our allies must be wondering, is this information about me and about me in terms of the nuclear capabilities or limitations? Our enemies have to be wondering how could they get information about my nuclear capabilities, what sorts of sources or methods are being utilized.

And in both instances, you know, this is -- this is another instance where Donald Trump's sort of, misuse of classified information becomes a present-day problem. Right? This is an issue for the United States presently in terms of our intelligence capabilities and our allies' support.

CHURCH: Yes, because I mean, you have to ask how is it even possible that a former U.S. president was able to take home a document as sensitive as the nuclear secrets of another nation and essentially endanger the lives of an unknown population, should that material fall into the wrong hands.

KAYYEM: Right. That's exactly right. I mean, this is -- this is not, people sort of say this is a paperwork issue, or this is papers, and in the United States we have a tendency to think of everything in terms of ourselves. Right? In terms of Donald Trump or the presidency.

This is the magnitude of what is potentially being exposed, what's been shared, what's been duplicated. Because it wasn't secured what's been stolen, the magnitude of information goes well beyond the United States borders. It goes to the sources and methods that our allies might be utilizing to help us, the United States, programs that maybe be utilized to find out information about our enemies.

And in all of those instances, any disclosures can cause the immediate harm to a spy or anyone else in the intelligence community, but also as you point out, a larger harm to a nation or a city or a community if this intelligence is abused or misused. And that's -- that's where this gets really serious. This isn't about law or about politics, it's really about, you know, sort of safety and security.

CHURCH: And meantime, Juliette, former attorney general Bill Barr, --

KAYYEM: Yes.

CHURCH: -- who served under former President Trump responded Tuesday to the federal judge's decision that granted Trump's a special master and called that opinion wrong and deeply flawed. And Barr says the DOJ should appeal that decision. What is your reaction to his comments?

KAYYEM: So, the legal opinion is I think at best bizarre. In the sense that the only interest that the judge takes into account is Donald Trump's interest. Right? Either his executive privilege or the harm that may accrued to him if, you know, if there is any evidence that the FBI may have that isn't actually about classified information or national security.

The judge, who is of course a Trump appointee, never seems to take a step back and say, there is a larger interest here, which is the interest in the United States. Forget who the president is, and protecting its classified information.

[03:09:57]

But I actually think there is also a trap in the DOJ's filings or one that we should continue to pay attention to, which is, the pres -- the former president of the United States had an opportunity to make this right. And he chose not to.

CHURCH: Right. And Juliette, on another issue, we are also seeing surveillance video showing a Georgia state fake elector --

KAYYEM: Yes.

CHURCH: -- escorting operatives into the election office before an alleged data breach. What did you make of that video? And what need to happen now as a consequence?

KAYYEM: Yes. So, this is the fake elector's series of investigations. So, this is, remember, this is tied to January 6th and the violence on January 6th because if you think through what their strategy was, it was, we want there to be enough violence on January 6th. So that the election is not certified and then right behind that comes these fake electors. Right? So, this is essentially what's happening.

So, what we see in these pictures is of course the fake electors, which is a real thing. I mean, these people were organized, they were multi-state, they had ties to the Republican Party. Clearly, not simply, let's say, you know, challenging the vote but actually looking like they tried to change or undermine the counting of the vote.

So, this, I believe these fake elector cases are really the thing to watch in many ways because so many people are involved and are now speaking about what in fact the Trump White House and Trump was trying to do to stop the certification of the elections.

CHURCH: These are strange times.

KAYYEM: Yes.

CHURCH: Juliette Kayyem, always great to have you on the program --

KAYYEM: Thank you so much.

CHURCH: -- to talk about these issues. I appreciate it.

KAYYEM: Thank you.

CHURCH: Trump associate Steve Bannon is expected to surrender to New York state prosecutors on Thursday over a new indictment. The charges are related to his fundraising efforts to build a wall along the southern U.S. border. The state charges are based on the same conduct that Bannon was charged with by federal prosecutors back in 2020. but former President Trump pardoned him.

In a statement to CNN, Bannon called the indictment phony charges and nothing more than a partisan political weaponization of the criminal justice system.

Liz Truss is beginning her first full day as Britain's new prime minister. And in the hours ahead, she will head to parliament to face her first press minister's questions. Truss is only the third woman in British history to hold office. And she faces a long list of economic challenges ahead.

She says her three early priorities will be growing the economy through tax cut, addressing the energy crisis and tackling the public health system.

And CNN's Nada Bashir is tracking developments. She joins us now from London. Good morning to you, Nada.

So, Britain's leader Liz Truss will likely come under considerable pressure to provide more details for her plan to rebuild the economy when she faces her first prime minister's questions in just a few hours from now. What is ahead for her?

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely, Rosemary. We've heard a lot of promises from Liz Truss already that she will deliver, deliver, deliver on those three key priorities she outlined yesterday in her first address as prime minister from here at Downing Street.

She has already appointed her cabinet minister. She's expected to face the opposition at prime minister's question time later today. She is chairing her first cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street behind me this morning where of course, those three key priorities will be discussed.

And we are expecting at least this week for the new prime minister to outline the framework for her premiership. The framework for how she plans to address these pretty significant challenges that she now faces.

And as you outlined there, she has highlighted three key areas that she plans to focus on. Growing the economy, she said yesterday through tax cuts and through pursuing financial reform. And of course, something that is at the forefront of many people's minds up and down the country is the cost-of-living crisis.

And in particular, the soaring energy prices that many are seeing now that we are seeing really reaching unimaginable levels since March of this year.

Now, Liz Truss says that she will be addressing trying to make sure people aren't facing unaffordable energy bills, but also addressing the question of how Britain can secure its energy supplies in the future. Something she has held, pointing the finger at President Putin over the course of the war in Ukraine for, of course.

So, there are real concerns around the energy crisis, but a third key priority that she will be focusing on is improvements to the NHS, the National Health Service. Now she will face questions later today at the House of Commons and will be asked really about her plan to tackle the significant challenges and the finer details around how she plans to do so. Rosemary?

[03:15:01]

CHURCH: We'll see what she has to say. Nada Bashir, joining us live from London, many thanks.

Well, the record shattering heat wave in California isn't just feeding wildfires. The temperatures are making it harder to fight those flames. The challenges firefighters are facing, that's next.

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CHURCH: Triple digit temperatures and dry conditions continue to feed a deadly wildfire burning in Southern California. Two people have died and several buildings have been damaged since the Fairview Fire started on Monday afternoon. [03:19:58]

Meanwhile, those soaring temperatures are threatening rolling power outages across the state. More than 90,000 customers were without power on Tuesday as Sacramento broke its all-time temperature record. The temperatures are not only making things miserable for residents, they've made fighting those wildfires much more difficult.

I'd like to bring in Cal Fire battalion chief Jon Heggie. He joins us from Riverside, California. Thank you, sir, for being with us.

JON HEGGIE, CHIEF, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY & FIRE PROTECTION: Thank you.

CHURCH: So, what is the latest information that you have for us in the fires devastating your state right now particularly the Fairview Fire burning in Hammond?

HEGGIE: Yes, I just left that incident a few hours ago. And as of about 7 o'clock tonight. The fire is 4,900 acres and 3 percent -- correction, 5 percent contained. So, really making a lot of acres in a short period of time and really, challenging our firefighters that are out there today.

CHURCH: Yes. And of course, the problem for California right now is that these record high temperatures are forecast to continue for now, at least. And that makes your job even harder of course. So, what is the plan for the next few days and weeks to try to contain these fires, particularly this one only 5 percent contained.

HEGGIE: Yes, it's a challenge when the -- when the temperatures are extremely high and the humidity is low, the fire really becomes a lot more active. And what we typically see is our humidity recovery at nighttime. That's when we take advantage of that, that cooler weather and the damper conditions and usually get a little bit of headway on the fire.

We're not seeing that right now because it's so hot and so dry, the fires burning just as active at night as it is during the day. So that's what our challenge is. We're looking forward to hopefully a break in the weather as we get towards the end of the week. And hopefully we'll have some better news at that point.

CHURCH: Right. And what other issues do you need to help try to turn this around?

HEGGIE: You know, the challenge is it's in a lot of remote locations and it's really rough and steep terrain. So, it's just a matter of getting those resources, getting the men and women in there. And they -- this is a hard job and they're going to really just have to engage themselves on the fire's edge. And in these conditions with these hot temperatures, that makes it very challenging.

So, we have to rotate crews and more often than we would, typically just because it's so hot and it's so dangerous to get people working in these types of conditions. CHURCH: And of course, climate change is signaling that these record high temperatures could become the new normal for your state and others. So, what is the bigger plan for the future how to tackle these fires?

HEGGIE: Yes, we've been seeing this happen for the last few years in California. So, we've been able to anticipate that, and basically change the way we fight fire. And we've been doing that differently for the last few years. It really comes down to a multitask approach to this. It's not just one thing. It's either fuel management. It's prevention. It's community engagement, education, and then also aggressive firefighting.

So, if we could put all those together, that is kind of the plan for success moving forward as we are in this new generation of firefighting.

CHURCH: Chief Jon Heggie, thank you so much for joining us, and we wish you the best in your incredible efforts to try to contain this fire and others. Thank you.

HEGGIE: Thank you.

CHURCH: And we are watching not one, but two growing tropical systems in the Atlantic. Earl has strengthened to a hurricane. It is the second hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.

And in the Pacific, watches and warnings are in place as hurricane Kay moves up Mexico's Pacific coast after leaving at least three people dead.

So, let's turn now to our meteorologist Pedram Javaheri. He joins us now live. So, Pedram, what is the latest on these tropical systems?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, Rosemary, watching hurricane Kay very carefully because the storm system, although it is a category one right now, it is expected to strengthen also pretty broad reaching impacts.

As you noted, it has already caused a couple of fatalities across the southern tier there of the area of the Baja, Mexico region. But this particular storm forecast to get up to category two within the next 24 hours.

And notice tropical storm watches, even a few hurricane watches have been prompted across the west central region of the Baja. And conditions conducive for this development. But beyond this, once we get to say Thursday and Friday, it's going to run into much cooler ocean temperatures across this region.

So again, good news beyond that is that it will begin to weaken. Before it gets there, significant threat here for heavy rainfall across the Baja region of Mexico. And away from the center of the storm system wide reaching impacts of some 300 kilometers, about 175 miles away from the center of the storm. You'll still feel tropical store force winds. So even into parts of Southern California, as the system kind of

pushes off towards the north and eventually peels away to the west is going to bring in some rainfall potential and some gusty winds into Southern California.

[03:25:01]

Of course, the Baja hardest hit region here could see as much as say four, maybe six inches with isolated totals exceeding 10 inches over the next several days. The tropics also getting very reactive. There's Earl, there's Daniel.

In California, of course, the Baja hardest hit region here could see as much as say four, maybe six inches with isolated totals, exceeding 10. Over the next several days. The tropics also getting very active. There's Earl, there's Danielle.

Danielle can't even a fish storm, essentially not much impacts, but Earl something we're watching very carefully here because peak hurricane season, of course, just a few days away and the model suggests the storm system will intensify in the coming days here, possibly get up to hurricane a major hurricane category three status.

So, Rosemary, watch this as we kind of see the system approach areas of Bermuda. That's the main area of concern right now with the storm getting uncomfortably close to Bermuda sometime Thursday night and then pushing over open waters beyond this. But activity very quickly brewing across portions of the Atlantic.

CHURCH: Yes, most definitely. And thank you for keeping such a close eye on it, Pedram Javaheri.

JAVAHERI: Thank you.

CHURCH: Well, still to come, a new report says safety measures are needed at a Ukrainian nuclear plant under Russian control. Why experts are worried about a nuclear emergency. That's when we return.

[03:30:00]

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CHURCH: The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog group has released a damning new report on the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency says immediate changes are needed to prevent a nuclear emergency in Ukraine.

After visiting the site last week, the IAEA says shelling around the plant poses a large threat and is calling for the creation of a safety zone around the facility.

So, let's go live to Ukraine where CNN's Melissa Bell is standing by in Kyiv. Good to see you, Melissa. So, what more are you learning about this IAEA report, and how likely is it that the safety changes they're calling for will be put in place to prevent a possible nuclear emergency? MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this was a report, Rosemary,

as you say that explained just how gravely concerned the IAEA was about what it had found during its several days mission at the plant. Two inspectors remained. But this is the report that was produced after four of them left on Monday, explaining what they saw not just damage to buildings, but also the fact of Ukraine -- of Russian military equipment being there expressing their hope, their desire that urgent measures be taken including the protection zone around the plant.

Now that is very similar to what President Zelenskyy has been calling for a demilitarized zone without ever exactly using those terms. And you understand that that is what's now going to be under negotiation, trying to create a demilitarized zone around the plant.

This is what President Zelenskyy had to say after the publication of the report in his nightly address last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): The report notes the presence of Russian military equipment on the territory emphasizes pressure on our nuclear workers and makes clear references to the Russian military occupation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: Now, what we also heard from the IAEA last night was that they intend to bring concrete suggestions to the Russians side. That of course continues to occupy the site, but already there's been a sense of Moscow's reluctance really to consider what's being suggested.

We heard not only from the Russian ambassador to the security council last night explaining that they rejected part of what we're saying, but also Sergey Lavrov explaining that Moscow was waiting to hear more and had more questions for the IAEA already.

CHURCH: All right. Melissa Bell reporting live from Kyiv. Many thanks as always.

Well, Vladimir Putin talks global economics. The Russian president speaks out on western sanctions and Moscow's own challenges. We will break down his comments. That's next.

[03:35:00]

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CHURCH: Just over an hour ago, Vladimir Putin spoke at the country's eastern economic forum. In his address, the Russian president called out the west for what he believes is shortsighted security and economic policies, and played down Moscow's own economic problems and the country's role in obstructing Ukrainian grain exports.

CNN's Clare Sebastian joins me now live from London. Good morning to you, Clare. So, what all did President Putin have to say when he addressed the Russian eastern economic forum in Vladivostok just a short time ago, in fact.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Rosemary, a lot of what he said on the economy -- on the economy we've heard before Russia is coping with sanctions. He says that the west is in the midst of a crisis essentially of its own making, that inflation rates are being pushed up because of its own sort of, sanctions, and the way it's handled the situation with Russia.

He said that western enterprises are sort of losing, declining in competitiveness. We've heard much of this from him before. Striking though to see him at this time and in that location doing this in Russia's far east, it's sort of the edge of Asia there as Russia continues to step up efforts to pivot economically towards new markets away from the west ahead of that European oil embargo that comes into force in December.

He continues to step up those efforts. We're seeing deals, for example, Myanmar, saying that it is now buying Russian oil products and is likely to pay for those in rubles. So, all of that continues. The one thing that we haven't actually heard from him before was what he said on the U.N. brokered grain deal that continues to send ships from Russian occupied Ukrainian ports through the Black Sea.

This of course has caused a major crisis in some of the poorest countries in the world. Putin heavily criticized this, saying that the much of the grain is not actually heading to the poorest countries in the world, but actually going to E.U. countries. Have a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[03:39:55]

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Just like many European countries over the past decades have acted like colonial powers. They are continuing to act like that today. Once again, they have deceived developing countries and are continuing to deceive.

It's clear that with this approach, the scale of the world's food problems will only grow, unfortunately, which is capable of leading to an unprecedented humanitarianism catastrophe.

It might be worth restricting the export of grain and other food via this route. I will definitely discuss with Turkish leader Erdogan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: So, a pretty ominous signal there from Vladimir Putin. The U.N. brokered grain deal one of the key, if not the only diplomatic achievement of this war. Now he looks at to go back and talk about maybe restricting grain exports through Ukrainian ports. So, one to watch there as we continue to monitor how Russia handles this situation, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, most definitely. Clare Sebastian, joining us live from London. Many thanks. And thank you for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. For our

international viewers, Marketplace Middle East is next. And for our viewers here in the United States, I'll be right back after short break. You're watching CNN. Do stick with us.

[03:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, Seattle public schools are canceling the first day of classes which were planned for today. The teacher's union there has authorized a strike. One official says free sack lunches will be available for all students and afterschool athletics are still expected to happen.

The teacher's union president says 95 percent of the members who voted opted to go on strike for multiple reasons including more support for students in special education and higher pay.

Students in Uvalde, Texas started a new school year on Tuesday. Memories are still fresh of the deadly school shooting in May with some students choosing to stay home for virtual learning instead.

CNN's Ed Lavandera spoke with families struggling to move forward.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Before walking to school, Celeste Ibarra and her two daughters held hands in prayer.

CELESTE IBARRA, MOTHER: Abriela (Ph) usually prays that my grandpa, which is my dad, will protect her that, you know, the shooter won't come for her. He won't hurt her. He won't take her and for her to have a good day and come back home.

LAVANDERA: This isn't just any other first day of school. Abriela (Pb) was a third-grader at Robb Elementary last May. This morning she's walking to a new school building, but the new walk hasn't helped escape the horrors of the last school year.

IBARRA: I bought toys, everything, colored pencils, everything cute for them. They didn't care.

LAVANDERA: They didn't care.

IBARRA: No. Usually they do not, not today.

LAVANDERA: So, this doesn't really feel like a normal first day of school.

IBARRA: No, at all.

LAVANDERA: Celeste says the memories of that day have left Abriela (Ph) struggling with nightmares and depression. When Abriela (Ph) heard the gunshots at Robb Elementary, she hid inside a bathroom that the gunman walked past. IBARRA: She's literally like having a panic attack and she's putting chairs on the doors and she's like literally asleep crying that he's right over her.

LAVANDERA: The Uvalde school district has put up eight-foot fencing around some school campuses, more officers and school monitors will be stationed at campuses around the city.

Even on the day before school parents like Celeste were still struggling with sending their children back to school.

IBARRA: I know she needs to go to school, but then at the same time, I'm like, do I send her and lose her or keep her home. And she doesn't get, you know, to study or any of that stuff.

LAVANDERA: As Uvalde students return, a group of artists have spent the summer ensuring that the memories and names of the 19 students and two teachers who were killed are never forgotten.

The portraits of each victim are breathtaking. Abel Ortiz helped organize this project.

ABEL ORTIZ, MURALIST: We're defined by how we respond to the tragedy. And for me, the murals take us on that positive path towards that - towards that -- towards that redefinition of our community.

ZAYON MARTINEZ, THIRD GRADE STUDENT: I forgot. I don't know what this is called.

LAVANDERA: This is called a globe.

Z. MARTINEZ: A globe.

LAVANDERA: Zayon Martinez was also at Robb Elementary last year. This school year, he is one of 59 students staying home and attending school virtually. His dad has turned his man cave garage into a classroom.

ADAM MARTINEZ, FATHER: I told him, you know, that they're going to have more cops, they're going to have higher fencing and he wasn't having it. He said it doesn't matter. They're not going to go in the class. If it happens again, they're not going to protect us.

Z. MARTINEZ: Whoa.

LAVANDERA: At home, Zayon feeds his chickens. He also has a new Guinea pig that his parents say has helped him emotionally. He feels safe here.

What scares you the most about going back to school in person?

Z. MARTINEZ: I had a, I had a friend who got killed.

LAVANDERA: You had a friend who got killed. I'm so sorry.

Z. MARTINEZ: I just don't want to end up with that because I love this family that I have right now.

LAVANDERA: Abriela (Ph) left school with a smile on her face. She said she felt safe and looked forward to going back to another day.

Ed Lavandera, CNN Uvalde, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Police in Tennessee say a body found behind a vacant building on Monday is that of 34-year-old Eliza Fletcher.

[03:50:00]

Surveillance video showed the kindergarten teacher being abducted last week while she was jogging. The suspect, 38-year-old Cleotha Abston will be arraigned on first-degree murder charges in the day ahead. He spent time in prison for aggravated kidnapping more than 20 years ago.

Police say it's too early to determine where and how Fletcher was killed. And they're not saying what led them to the site where her body was.

New details have emerged about the remaining suspect in a deadly stabbing rampage in Canada's Saskatchewan province. This, as the manhunt for the alleged killer enters its fourth day. Myles Sanderson had been assessed by a psychologist as a moderate risk of violence and has a prior criminal history.

CNN's Nick Watt has the latest.

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The manhunt goes on. Authorities looking for 30-year-old Myles Sanderson, and they are looking pretty much across the entire province of Saskatchewan. That's more than 250,000 square miles. Sanderson believed to be responsible for that stabbing spree Sunday morning on the James Smith Cree Nation and in a village nearby that left at least 10 people dead.

Now, initially authorities believed that Myles Sanderson was on the run with his brother who was also involved in that spree, they say. His brother, Damien, but Damien's body was found on the reserve. He was found dead. So, Myles Sanderson is the only suspect that we know of still at large.

Now on Sunday, there was a report that a car that authorities believe the brothers were driving was seen in Regina about 200 miles south, that appears to have led nowhere. Also, on Tuesday, there was a report that Myles Sanderson had been seen back on the reserve. Again, that came to nothing. So, the manhunt goes on.

Meantime, we are learning a little bit more about Myles Sanderson. He is, as I say, 30 years old with a rap sheet that goes back nearly 20 years. Fifty-nine convictions. Among them for kicking a police officer in the head and stabbing two men with a fork.

We're told he had a troubled childhood, began using drugs and alcohol at age 12. There are allegations of some gang connections. There are domestic violence issues. He was also jailed in Canada for his part in an armed robbery, but he was released in August, 2021.

And then in February of this year, the Canadian parole board confirmed that that statutory release is valid, that he should be out and about. And I will quote from their decision. "It is the board's opinion that you will not present an undue risk to society if released."

Well, he is now on the run, the subject of a manhunt believed to be with his brother responsible for that stabbing spree and charged already with three counts of first-degree murder. And so far, evading the authorities.

Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

CHURCH: The infamous former defense contractor known as Fat Leonard is on the lamb. U.S. Marshals say Leonard Francis removed his ankle monitor by cutting it off and then escaped house arrest in San Diego three weeks before sentencing.

The 2015 -- in 2015, Francis pled guilty to charges in the biggest corruption scandal in U.S. Navy history.

CNN's Oren Liebermann has more now from the Pentagon.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: This is an investigation that's gone on for years and was perhaps nearing its conclusion. Leonard Francis was scheduled to be sentenced later on this month after he pleaded guilty to charges of bribery and fraud seven years ago. In the intervening period he had at times been in federal custody, been under house arrest, cooperated with authorities until he vanished.

Police went to check on him in house arrest over the weekend but they got no answer. When U.S. Marshalls went in, all they found was his ankle bracelet in a portable cooler. U.S. Marshals say they spoke with neighbors who told them that they'd seen moving trucks at the house over the course of the past few days, an indication they say that he'd been planning this escape, this leaving of house arrest for quite some time now.

Again, Francis pleaded guilty back in 2015 to charges of bribery and fraud. The investigation had started two years earlier. Prosecutors say that Francis handed out expensive trips, fancy meals, and had parties where Navy officials had the services of prostitutes in exchange. Those Navy officials directed toward Francis the services and the Navy craft and Navy ships, which would use as tugboat service as well as his fuel.

Prosecutors say it was Francis' goal to build the Navy out of millions of dollars. He was then taken into custody as the investigation continued and was scheduled to be sentenced later on this month.

[03:55:00] Now U.S. Marshalls say they are looking for him. They have several leads they're trying to follow up. But as of right now, Francis is on the run.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, in the Pentagon.

CHURCH: Tennis's reigning bad boy is at it again. Australian player Nick Kyrgios is making headlines after an outburst at the U.S. Open. Kyrgios smashed two of his rackets moments after he lost a quarter final match to Russia's Karen Khachanov.

Now this isn't the first time Kyrgios has lost his temper after a loss. In March, he threw a racket after a defeated Indian Wells. He later apologized after the racket nearly hit a ball boy.

And thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. CNN Newsroom continues with Max Foster, next.

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