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Moscow Moves Ahead with Military Mobilization; Russians Fleeing Abroad as Mobilization Gains Steam; Hong Kong Ends Hotel Quarantine COVID Policy; Stocks Fall After More Central Banks Raise Interest Rates; Florida Lawmaker Files Lawsuit to Block More DeSantis Migrant Flights; Campaigns Ramp Up with Less Than 50 Days Until Midterm Elections; Federer Teams Up with Rival Nadal for Final Match. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired September 23, 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 there, welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Christina Macfarlane. If you're just joining, us let me bring you up to date with our top stories this hour.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard is warning of further crackdowns as violent protests rocked the nation. It says that anybody who spreads false news and rumors should be prosecuted. The unrest was sparked by the death of a young woman in police custody. Officials claim she had a heart attack. Iranian media reports at least 17 people have died in the crackdown.
Plus, separatist leaders in for occupied regions of Ukraine say voting is underway on whether to become part of the Russian Federation. The areas make up about 15 percent of Ukraine's territory. If they join Russia, many believe that will provide Vladimir Putin the pretext that he needs to declare war on Ukraine. Ukraine as well as the West consider the referendums to be a sham.
Meanwhile, many Russians are not welcoming a new military mobilization with open arms. Social media videos show tearful goodbyes between those being drafted and their families. Up to 300,000 military reservists could be called up following Russia's military setbacks in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is now calling on Russians to protest against the mobilization, but many of them are not waiting for draft letters, opting instead to head across the border. Now the demand for flights out of Russia has gone through the roof since the mobilization was announced.
For more on that, Ivan Watson is joining us live from Hong Kong. And Ivan, this Russian exodus really laying bare their feelings perhaps about this war. I know you've been tracking the developments of those fleeing, what are you hearing?
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it looks like Russian men, some of them are voting with their feet. Instead of scenes of enthusiastic Russians patriots waving flags, marching off to fight in Ukraine, we are seeing long lines, ten kilometers or more at border crossings in the Republic of Georgia from Russia, in Kazakhstan as well.
The Kazakhstan government saying that since Vladimir Putin announced that he was going to press up the 300,000 men into the military, on Wednesday that they've seen passenger cars surge coming to the border of some 20 percent over what had been previous. And at the Georgian border seeing, you know, waits of 10, 12, 13 hours to try to come into Georgia. These are some countries that Russians do not need visas to travel to.
[04:35:00]
And CNN has spoken with some of the men who've made it to places like the Georgian capital Tbilisi. Here's one young man, 29 years old who says half of his family are Ukrainian and he does not support this war. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to discover the world. And this situation with Ukraine and Russia, it's -- I don't believe that in 22 century you need to fight with someone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: We've spoken with another man who says that he's an officer in the reserves who fled Russia by train to Belarus and is then going to try to travel on.
And he said quote: I don't support the war, I don't support what's going on. So, I decided to leave right away.
Already there had been a surge of people after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th in former Soviet Republics like Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan. Where the price of rent has gone up dramatically since February, in the commercial capital Almaty. Where the number of Russians enrolling in the universities in Almaty have gone up significantly. But now we're seeing a fresh surge.
And if you look at social media, platforms like Telegram, which many Russian speakers use. You see just an explosion of people asking questions. How do I get across the border? If there is a long line, is it faster if I ride a bicycle to the border instead of taking a car. If I ride an electric scooter, these are the kinds of conversations taking place right now. Which suggests that there is a substantial portion of the Russian male population that does not want to go off and fight in this deadly war.
MACFARLANE: Yes, Ivan, extraordinary indeed. So much as you say coming on social media right now. Appreciate your reporting, thanks.
Now Hong Kong eases its COVID travel restrictions that have been in place since the pandemic began. We've got details of that just ahead. Plus, some of the Venezuelan migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard are
now suing alleging that they were victims of fraud. An update when we return.
[04:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACFARLANE: There's been some welcome news for travelers to Hong Kong. Beginning on Monday the city will scrap its COVID 19 hotel quarantine policy for new arrivals. Hong Kong's residents and businesses have been critical of the strict COVID rules, saying it threatens the city's competitiveness and standing as a global financial center.
For more on this, I'm joined now by CNN's Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And I'm sure, Kristie, many Hong Kong residents feel this is long overdue.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, feeling that it's long overdue, and the beginning of slow reopening for Hong Kong. Because let's face, for over two and a half years, this city once Asia's world city has been locked in one of the toughest quarantine regimes on the planet.
And within the last hour we heard from Hong Kong's top leader John Lee, he announced an end to mandatory hotel quarantine effective from this Monday September the 26th, it will be replaced by three days self-monitoring. He also said that the PCR test or negative PCR test is no longer required for people before they board that flight to Hong Kong. Very welcome news indeed for businesses, and for residents here in the territory.
You know, Hong Kong with its fate tethered to mainland China and its punishing zero COVID policy has had a very tough border restrictions in place throughout the pandemic. At its peak, people had to pay for and spent 21 days in hotel quarantine before they could fully arrive into the city. That was eventually eased down to seven days hotel quarantine, and then last month three days hotel quarantine, followed by four days of self-monitoring.
I want to bring you up a chart to look at right now, which shows you the cost of Hong Kong's tough COVID policy. Many population experts say that because of its tough zero COVID policy, along with political crackdown in the city, that has led to an exodus of talent. If we have that chart for you, there it is. Over the past year we know over 113,000 residents have left Hong Kong marking the city's sharpest annual drop in population on record since 1961.
So, it's absolutely critical for the government to come up with some sort of policy to reverse this trend. The announcement about the end of hotel quarantine, it comes at a critical time, it comes ahead of the plan for the city to host the International Rugby Seven, as well as a big financial conference due to take place in November. Boasting its opportunities for Hong Kong to reopen, to engage with the rest of the world and reestablish itself as a financial hub. Especially when you see Singapore the rival city has already opened up and has been seeing booming business. Back to you.
MACFARLANE: Yes, I've been to Hong Kong many times, and there is many sports events in Hong Kong that are just so important to the infrastructure and tourism there. Kristie, thank you very much.
STOUT: Hope to see, soon take care.
MACFARLANE: All right, so another rough day for U.S. markets on Thursday. Following several interest rate hikes by central banks in the U.S. and Europe, U.S. stocks fell with the Dow closing down more than 100 points with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 also suffering losses.
Wall Street's new trading day gets underway at just under five hours. Here's a look at where the U.S. futures are standing right now, and unsurprisingly all three indices down. You can see there after that historic rate hike on Thursday.
Meantime European markets are up and running too but also you can see there the CAC, FTSE 100 and the Dax all down.
And here's a quick look at how markets across Asia fared today. Similar picture across the board, isn't it. Nikkei, Hang Seng and Shanghai Composite all very much down.
Now Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis vowing to transport more migrants from the border. But a Florida lawmaker is trying to stop it. Jason Pizzo, a Miami Democrat filed a lawsuit saying DeSantis mismanaged taxpayer dollars by transporting 50 migrants from Texas. This as DeSantis says he's proud of his decision to fly migrants to Martha's Vineyard.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RON DESANTIS, (R) FLORIDA GOVERNOR: Hopefully, we're going, to be talking about this a lot more now. This was not an issue of concern, even two weeks ago, now it seems to be on the front burner. So, we're proud of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Meantime, more than a half of the migrants flown to the island have filed their own class action lawsuits against DeSantis and Florida's transportation secretary. CNN's Erin Burnett spoke with the lawyer representing some of the migrants who says they were misled for political gain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[04:45:00]
OREN SELLSTROM, REPRESENTS MIGRANTS IN CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST DESANTIS People who are in desperate need of food, and Ron DeSantis' accomplices would buy gift cards for them to McDonald's to try and gain their trust. A young man that we met who needed new shoes because he had walked across Mexico to reach our border, the woman who is working with governor DeSantis offering to buy him new shoes. All of these ways to gain their trust when all along it was nothing but a political stunt. That is what is so shameful and illegal about this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well in response to the lawsuit, DeSantis office maintains the migrants were relocated upon a quote, voluntary basis.
Now we are less than 50 days away, would you believe, from the midterm elections. And both Republicans and Democrats are teeing up issues they believe will energize their voters. Presidential Joe Biden is set to speak later today about abortion rights, and he'll hit Republicans on their Medicare and Social Security proposals.
Meanwhile, Republicans are seizing on the issues of inflation, crime and immigration. CNN's Jeff Zeleny reports from New Hampshire.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARYLOU BLAISDELL, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER: Two years ago, if you would've said to me four years ago, Roe v. Wade will be overturned, I would've said you're crazy, that's will never happen, but it happened.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For Marylou Blaisdell, the fall election is first and foremost about abortion rights.
BLAISDELL: I thought that my generation had that issue solved. But apparently, we don't, and we are starting all over again.
ZELENY (voice-over): But for Gary Hendricks, the November vote is primarily about President Biden.
GARY HENDRICKS, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER: The people are unhappy with what Biden is doing, number one.
ZELENY (voice-over): And a chance to put a check on democratic policies in Washington.
HENDRICKS: He's just anti-oil. I mean, I can see you wanting to, you know, save the environment, but do it at a pace that the -- it's not going to hurt the world.
ZELENY (voice-over): It's one midterm election, but two decidedly different campaigns are underway here in New Hampshire and across the country. Democrats are trying to tap into an urgent desire to protect abortion rights and democracy.
That message resonates with Laura Miller, a pediatrician who said she paid little attention to politics before the Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade.
ZELENY: Did that make you more motivated to vote?
LAURA MILLER, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER: Yes, definitely. We are now I feel like, OK, we need to get out and actually vote. Not -- I don't even know that it makes a difference, but I feel now I need to because I have an opinion. ZELENY: And was that ever something that you thought could happen in your lifetime?
MILLER: No, I didn't. No, and that's what kind of scares me with politics.
ZELENY (voice-over): Yet Republicans believe inflation, crime and immigration will motivate voters to change course. Mike Gillespie owns a small business and said economic concerns are paramount.
MIKE GILLESPIE, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER: I mean, my cost to operate my business are astronomically more than they used to be. Finding employees is next to impossible.
ZELENY: Do you hope that November brings a change in Washington in terms of who controls Congress?
GILLESPIE: Absolutely. Absolutely.
ZELENY (voice-over): This tale of two elections is playing out in a crush of campaign ads from coast to coast. On crime, Republicans are hammering Democrats.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): He is more worried about criminals than victims.
ZELENY (voice-over): Spending more than $21 million on ads in the last month alone, while Democrats have invested less than $5 million. On abortion, Democrats are dominating the airwaves.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Kari Lake is serious, serious about criminalizing abortion.
ZELENY (voice-over): Spending $46 million over the last month in ads. Republicans, only $4 million. In New Hampshire where key races will help determine control of the House and Senate, election integrity is now also at play.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The 2020 election was undoubtedly stolen from President Trump.
ZELENY (voice-over): Inside her store, Blaisdell said friends of all political persuasions voiced concern about the country's deep divide. The question is whether that becomes a voting issue in the final weeks of the race.
BLAISDELL: We should all be standing up and supporting this country and this democracy because there are those who are trying to tear it down through their anger and their false information that's out there.
ZELENY (voice-over): Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Nashua, New Hampshire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: All right, tennis fans Roger Federer is preparing to call it a career, but not before one final epic match Friday night alongside his friend and biggest rival. Details when we come back.
[04:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACFARLANE: Welcome back. Roger Federer is getting ready to hit the tennis court for the last time of his professional career. He set to retire after playing a doubles match in the Laver Cup in London on Friday night. His partner for that historic match, longtime rival and friend Rafa Nadal. The pair have 42 Grand Slam titles between them. Both say they're looking forward to the partnership.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROGER FEDERER, 20-TIME GRAND SLAM CHAMPION: Super special playing with Rafa. Feels really different you know also just walking out on the court and having the chance to play the likes of Rafa and Novak also in the past has been an amazing experience for me. So, to be able to do that one more time I'm sure is going to be wonderful.
RAFAEL NADAL, 22-TIME GRAND SLAM CHAMPION: After all the amazing things that we shared together on and off court. To be a part of this historic moment. Going to be something amazing, yup, amazing, unforgettable for me. And yes, super excited. I hope I can have a good time to play at a decent level and hopefully together we can create a good moment that maybe win a match.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: I think they might. Federer and Nadal have faced off against each other 40 times in their careers in this is not the first time they will be on the same side of the court. They've played together, of course, at the first Laver Cup in 2017.
Now the head coach of the Boston Celtics will be missing from the bench in the upcoming season.
[04:55:00]
Ime Udoka was suspended on Thursday after revelations he had a consensual relationship with a female staffer. The relationship violated the team's policy. The Celtics say they'll decide whether Udoka will stay in the team for the long run. The coach apologized for his conduct in a statement to ESPN. He was suspended after leading the Celtics their first NBA final in 12 years.
And in just a few days, NASA will tested out a mission that sounds straight out of a Hollywood movie. A spacecraft that will deliberately crash into an asteroid moon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATE CALVIN, CHIEF SCIENTIST AND SENIOR CLIMATE ADVISOR, NASA: The dinosaurs didn't have a space program to help them know what was coming, but we do. And so, DART represents an important progress in understanding how to avoid potential hazards in the future. And how to protect our planet from potential impacts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: The mission launched ten months ago to see how the impact will affect the motion and direction of an asteroid in space. This spacewalk does not pose a threat to earth but scientists believe the demonstration of deflection technology could help to protect planted if God forbid an asteroid is ever on track to hit earth.
Now brand new images of the planet Neptune, the most distant planet in our solar system have been revealed, courtesy of the James Webb Space Telescope. They're the clearest images ever seen. Neptune's hard to detect the rings. Web also revealed several of Neptune's moons it's faint dust bands. The comparison -- here are some of the previous NASA images of Neptune. The planet looks white, as you can see there in the new pictures because they were taken by Webb's new infrared camera.
That does it for this edition of CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Christina Macfarlane in London. Stay with us for EARLY START with Christine Romans up next.
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