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The Aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Florida; Hurricane Orlene Moving Towards Mexico; Brazil Election Goes to Runoff; President Putin Submits Draft Annexation to Parliament; Ukraine Liberates Lyman. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired October 03, 2022 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. You are watching "CNN Newsroom" and I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead, Ian's aftermath, the death toll from the catastrophic storm is rising amidst criticism over how evacuations were carried out. Details ahead and the latest on another massive storm.

Voters in Brazil learned the results of the presidential election there and whether they will be going back to the polls for another round.

And CNN takes you inside the city recaptured by Ukraine just a day after the Kremlin declared it part of Russia.

Thanks for joining us. Well, authorities in Florida have now confirmed 76 deaths from Hurricane Ian as they continue to search for more survivors. Over the weekend, they evacuated hundreds of people from Lee County, where more than half of the state's deaths have been reported. They've also been delivering aid to towns such as Arcadia where flood waters have emerged entire neighborhoods.

The situation is so bad there, people can only move by sailing on boats instead of driving in cars. Back in Lee County, officials have been criticized for waiting too long to order evacuations. But some are pushing back, claiming they did the best they could with the information they had. Here is how the state's former governor responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICK SCOTT (R-FL): Well, first off, every life is important. I mean, when I was governor, my goal was nobody died. We can rebuild everything, I don't want anybody to die. I think once we get through this and we do an assessment, what I always try to do as governors is, say, okay, so what did we learn in each one of these?

Because I had four hurricanes, we had flooding at different times and tornadoes, and what do you learn from each one of them. Because I think as we go through this, we'll find out. Is there things that we could do better to make sure we don't lose people's lives.

(END VIDEO)

CHURCH: Many of those who survived the hurricane are facing a long road to recovery. CNN's Leyla Santiago visited a town in southwestern Florida, and spoke with residents about their struggles.

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LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Neighbors here in the city of Naples tell me they're still having a little bit of disbelief, a bit of shock when they see the damage outside their doors. But the reality of this is really starting to set in. The reality of what it will be like in the weeks and months ahead, when it comes to recovery.

Let me show you exactly what some of the neighbors are having to deal with here. And you have homes where there are boats that came into the backyard, debris, boats flipped over, cars that came in with that storm surge. We even had one house where the dock actually came up and is now in another neighbor's driveway.

So, quite a bit of effort will have to go into the cleanup of all this. I spoke to one woman who still had water in her oven, in her drawers as we talk to her. Here's what she told us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

: It's very sad because a lot of history here and with all the photos from my husband and his family. And it just tears me up, but I didn't get emotional. I haven't cried, but I'm almost ready to cry right now talking to you, so. But it's okay because we're alive and we're here and that is most important thing.

(END VIDEO)

SANTIAGO: And you know, I also talked to the city manager here and he mentioned two things specifically in terms of where the immediate focus is. One is on where to find shelter for displaced people that have been impacted by Hurricane Ian. And then of course a very big one is power restoration.

At this point, they are still assessing the damage when it comes to infrastructure to try to get a realistic idea as to when they believe they'll be able to get to 100 percent for power restoration. I have not spoken to one person here that does not say they expect this to be a long road to recovery. Leyla Santiago, CNN, Naples, Florida.

CHURCH: Parts of southern Mexico are preparing for Hurricane Orlene to make landfall late Monday.

[02:04:58]

The Category 2 storm is expected to bring strong winds to the region, but the storm is already showing signs of weakening. The National Hurricane Center predicts storm surge will contribute to flooding as well as life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. So, let's bring in our meteorologist, Pedram Javaheri, for the latest on both of these storms. So Pedram, what do you think?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Rosemary. As you noted, a very good news here. It is weakening on approach to land. Very different than what we saw with Hurricane Ian just a few days ago where it was strengthening as it approaches land. This system, a Category 2 and we're going for closer perspective because the winds, 165 kilometers per hour. It is a healthy Category 2, but slated to weaken on approach this landfall sometime in the next 12 to 18 hours.

But Islas Marias is across this region of Mexico, a four-island archipelago, typically this region known as the Alcatraz of Mexico, it's essentially an island prison colony across that region, that is now sparsely populated, but the system moving directly over that region producing powerful winds, storm surge on the coast of that area. And notice it went up from a Category 1 to a Category 4 just in the past 24 hours.

It has now again weakened on approach and we expect landfall late Monday, heavy rainfall, storm surge (inaudible) the primary concern. A very rapid intensification yet again, the timing a little bit better than what we saw of course with Ian, but you'll then notice the government of Mexico taking this very seriously. Mazatlan, south toward Puerto Vallarta, some of the port communities across this region have already closed operations as a result of this system approaching.

But when you look a little bit higher up into the atmosphere, there is quite a bit of wind shear or winds moving at different speeds and different directions, that are going to weaken and break the system apart. Storm surge threat, at its highest one and a half, almost two meters in a few areas, but where we think landfall will be made it will be south of Mazatlan and a very sparsely populated area, essentially into the lagoon dotted landscape.

So, impacts are going to be localized to that, and notice Cat 2 top Cat 1 landfall, and very quickly becomes a tropical storm because of its landscape. They are very elevated terrain. There are rugged terrain as well across this region, the impacts were very localized. If you're tuned into Mazatlan, had plans of going to Mazatlan, that's an area that will see some impacts in the coming hours with some gusty winds and the storm surge stretch on the coast.

But that's really about with that storm system. Also monitoring offshore across the Atlantic Ocean, Rosemary, a couple of disturbances developing, but very quiet pattern finally across the large area of the United States, which is excellent news for a lot of folks who've dealt with quite a bit in recent days.

CHURCH: Yeah. Very true. Pedram Javaheri, many thanks. Appreciate it.

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Supporters of Brazilian presidential candidate Lula da Silva celebrated in Rio de Janeiro Sunday night, even though there is no winner yet in Brazil's high stakes election. With nearly all the votes counted, election authorities say Lula leads with just over 48 percent of the tally, while current president, Jair Bolsonaro, has just over 43 percent.

That means neither candidate topped the 50 percent threshold needed for an outright victory. A runoff vote is now set for October 30th. Sunday's results were a far better showing than predicted for President Bolsonaro. Pre-election polls have suggested Lula would win outright. Both candidates expressed confidence of rallies after the runoff was announced.

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LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (through translation): I want to tell you that the campaign starts tomorrow. I've never won an election in the first round. I've won all of them in the second round, all of them. Here in the second round, what's important is the chance to think thoroughly on what you propose for society. To build a network of alliances and supporters before winning. For you to show to the people what will happen and who will win.

JAIR BOLSONARO, PRESDENT OF BRAZIL (through translation): I understand it was a vote for change for the people, but there are certain changes that could be worse. We tried to show this in the campaign, but that didn't reach the part of the population. We will analyze it. We are moving forward, where all is now equal and we will better demonstrate for the Brazilian people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And still to come, Ukraine reclaims the key city of Lyman from Russia. A CNN crew is there to witness the devastation left behind.

Plus, in Iran, crackdowns on anti-government demonstrations are mounting as police clashed with students at a prominent university. We're back with that and more in just a moment.

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CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. In the coming hours, Russia's lower house of parliament is set to consider treaties submitted by President Vladimir Putin on the annexation of four Ukrainian regions. The Russian leader began the process Friday by signing agreements to join the territories to Russia following so-called referendums condemned by the west as a sham.

That move even as land Moscow now claims is back in the hands of Ukrainian forces. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh gives us a firsthand look at the recently liberated city of Lyman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (voice-over): It may not look like much, but this is where Putin's defeat in Donetsk began. A prize from the last century perhaps, but trains and tracks are still how Russia wages war today. Lyman, what's left of it, now freed of Russia.

WALSH (on camera): Well, this is what it was all about. The central railway hub here now in Ukrainian hands. And devastated by the fighting. And this was such a seminal part of Russia's occupation of Donetsk and Luhansk. The concern for Moscow is the knock-on effect this is going to have for their forces all the way to the Russian border.

(Voice-over): From the town's edges, we saw no sign of the hundreds of Russian prisoners or dead that had been expected to follow Moscow's strategic defeat here nor inside it either. Perhaps they have already been taken away. Instead, utter silence. Only local bicycles on the streets.

[02:15:00]

Several residents told us the Russians actually left in large numbers on Friday.

TANYA, LYMAN RESIDENT (through translation): They left in the night and the day, people said. I didn't see it myself. But they say they sat on their APC's and their bags were falling off as they drove. They ran like this.

WALSH (voice-over): It would be remarkable timing that Russia fled Lyman in the very same hours that Putin was signing papers declaring here Russian territory and holding a rally on Red Square. A similar story in the local administration where the only signs of Russia left are burned flags.

They ran away without saying a word to anybody, he says. It was bad. No work, no gas, no power, nothing. The shops didn't work. It truly feels as if there is nobody left.

(On camera): Ghostly silence here. Apart from occasional shelling and small arms fire. And it is for so much of this town, utterly destroyed. So many locals we're told leaving when the Ukrainian push towards it began. But now it's just this utter ghostliness in a place that's such a strategic defeat for Russia.

(Voice-over): Gunfire in the distance. They're nervous some Russians may be left. Outside what's left of the court, the constant change in violence is too much for some. Her husband just arrested.

UNKNOWN (through translation): You want the truth? You put on a hat, you take off a hat. What life is this? I am 72 years old. I'm like a rat in a basement crawling out of the basement.

UNKNOWN (through translation): You will not show this -- the truth. Yesterday, Ukraine came, checked documents on a checkpoint.

UNKNOWN (through translation): And took my husband. A man disappeared from the police station. One hat, another hat.

UNKNOWN (through translation): People are suffering. One beat us, another beat us -- and we cry. WALSH (voice-over): The Ukrainian troops we did see had already stopped celebrating. There is little time. They're on the move again. Another Russian target further east, Kreminna in their sights. And those left in Lyman, a town cursed to have these bars of rusting steel running through it, are gathering the ruins to burn for fuel with winter ahead. Left in the wake of Russia's collapse here, a town they took weeks to occupy but only hours to leave. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Lyman, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Joining me now is Malcolm Davis, a military analyst and senior analyst of defense strategy and capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Thank you so much for being with us.

MALCOLM DAVIS, MILITARY ANALYST: My pleasure.

CHURCH: So, how effective have these Ukrainian advances been in the east and south of the country and what do they reveal, do you think, about the state of Russia's military even as President Putin tries to illegally annex those four regions of the country?

DAVIS: Look, I think Ukraine has demonstrated utter professionalism and skill in its recent advances that has surprised everyone. Ever since the war began, they've been demonstrating this, but the speed and the scope of these advances in the Donbas region and now in the south around Kherson, I think has caught everyone by surprise, most obviously, the Russians.

And I think that what we are saying is the beginning of the end of Russia's war in Ukraine. The Russians will obviously keep falling back. The Ukrainians will keep advancing. Obviously, the winter will slow things down quite a bit, but in the northern spring, I fully expect that the Ukrainian victories will continue. It really does make an absolute mockery of Putin's claims that these are somehow a part of Russia. Very clearly, they are Ukrainian territory and always will be. And that goes for Crimea as well.

CHURCH: You mentioned the approach of winter. What's Ukraine's likely military strategy in the east there?

DAVIS: Okay. Winter is brutal in Ukraine. I think so that both sides will essentially stabilize their frontlines for the winter and dig down to get through that winter.

[02:19:50] But the Ukrainians will be counting on continued supply of military hardware from the west to build up their capability so when the northern spring thaw hits next year, the Ukrainians are ready to go with some lightning fast offensives deep into the Donbas and to continue the advance in the south, ultimately to secure Mariupol.

That would essentially wrap up the end of the Russian forces in Ukraine and would then give the Ukrainians the chance to decide do they want to try and take Crimea, as well, and I hope they do. CHURCH: President Putin, of course, is getting increasingly

frustrated. His partial mobilization of Russian men has backfired and now, of course, the leader of Chechnya is calling on Moscow to use low grade nuclear weapons in Ukraine after a major new defeat on the battlefield. How likely is it, do you think that Putin would resort to nuclear weapons?

DAVIS: I think everyone in the strategic policy community is becoming more and more concerned about this. I think we're no longer dismissing it as, you know, extremely unlikely. I think there is growing concern that, you know, that more that Putin is backed into a corner, the greater risk that he will reach for a tactical nuclear weapon and use it.

The question that needs to be asked then is what happens after that? How does NATO then respond to a Russian use of a tactical nuclear weapon or indeed several tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, and what are the risks in terms of rapid escalation in the event that NATO does decide to intervene militarily against Russia in support of Ukraine directly on the battlefield.

That's the key question going forward. In the sense that everyone feels that the Ukrainians really do have the momentum here and have the upper hand. But the risk is that either later this year or in the northern spring that Putin may become so desperate that he could then reach for a nuclear weapon and then, you know, potentially, it's a whole new war.

CHURCH: I mean, that is the fear, isn't it? He is, as we mentioned, very frustrated because he just can't win. At each turn, Ukraine has come out on top. So, talk to us about the consequences on the ground, if Putin decides to use nuclear weapons and talk to us about the move in terms of what the west needs to do. You see NATO coming into this. Are we talking World War III here?

DAVIS: Well, firstly, what we need to do here in the west is to strengthen deterrents against Putin making that initial use of nuclear weapons. I think that's absolutely crucial. The Biden administration has been engaged in back-channel discussions with Moscow to try and make it clear that if he does use nuclear weapons, there would be absolutely catastrophic consequences for Russia.

But maybe we need to be a little bit more visible than back-channel communications. We need to start putting in place preparations just in case that that message doesn't get across. We need to perhaps put in place assets that can potentially counter any first use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine.

From Putin's perspective, if the war in Ukraine fails, if he suffers a defeat, then he is facing his own personal end. He is facing his demise. And I think that in that sense, he is becoming desperate. The mobilization order, the annexations, the Hitlerian speech that he made in Moscow (inaudible) I think are all signs of a man that is becoming truly desperate.

And this is a man that has basically access to nuclear weapons. Now, my hope is that the Russian command staff and his advisers would prevent him from using such weapons, would refuse to carry out any orders, but you never can tell. So that's why I think NATO does need to start preparing for the possibility to either prepare to deter nuclear use or to respond to it.

CHURCH: A very delicate situation. Malcolm Davis, thank you so much for walking us through that. Really appreciate it.

DAVIS: Thank you very much.

CHURCH: Well, Ukraine's president says his country's military success has extend beyond the city of Lyman with two settlements in the Kherson region and a village near Lyman now among a growing list of areas liberated by Ukrainian forces. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also blasting Russia's move to annex those four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (voice-over): Recently, someone somewhere held pseudo-referendums and when the Ukrainian flag is returned, no one remembers the Russian farce with some pieces of paper and some annexations, except of course, law enforcement agencies of Ukraine. Because everyone who was involved in any elements of aggression against our state will be accountable for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:25:00]

CHURCH: CNN's Clare Sebastian is following these developments for us. She joins us live from London. Good to see, Clare. So, Moscow is moving forward with its illegal annexation of those four Ukrainian regions. What is expected to happen today with this?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Rosemary, today we get the first part of the ratification procedure in the Russian parliament. The draft legislation was submitted by President Putin to the State Duma, which the lower house of parliament. They are set to formally discuss this today and then on Tuesday it moves to the upper house, which is the Federation Council.

Now, obviously, all of this is just theater. Parliament is dominated by Putin's party, United Russia. And certainly, after the ceremony and the speech on red Square, the (inaudible) on Friday, no one is going to turn around and undo what Putin has already decided. So, this is Russia trying to sort of lend an official front to its illegal annexation, to distract from the fact that it is essentially annexing territory in which it's actively retreating.

And all this as international condemnation of the annexations continues to mount, we had French President Macron speaking to President Zelenskyy on Sunday saying, you know, condemning this, calling for more sanctions. More sanctions have already come from the U.K. and the U.S. The E.U. is now considering an eight package. The U.S. suggest approved another $12 billion in aid for Ukraine so

that even though we swore President Putin on Friday calling for Ukraine to return to the negotiating table, even though his red line of saying that these territories are now part of Russia, he won't give that up, is Ukraine's red line because they won't discuss peace while these annexations are being carried out. This is obviously a forced invitation to peace talks.

All of his actions point to the fact that he has prolonged this war. But the western resolve to support Ukraine has not weakened. So, we watch this theater unfold in Moscow today, Rosemary, but it does not really change the reality of what's happened.

CHURCH: Yeah. Clare Sebastian, joining us live from London. Many thanks.

A new round of protest in Iran, this time at a prominent university after a young woman's death in police custody. We will have a live report after the break.

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[02:00:32]

CHURCH: The crackdown on anti-government demonstrations in Iran continues in several key cities. Riot police clashed with students at a prominent university in Tehran on Sunday. And you can see in their social media video, people shouting at police. The university's official newspaper reports that security forces fired less lethal pellets of large groups of students.

So, let's bring in CNNs Jomana Karadsheh. She has been following this story for us very closely from her vantage point in Instanbul. So, Jomana, what is the latest on this crackdown overall and of course, these clashes between police and students at this university in Tehran?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary over the weekend, what we saw is thousands of students with the start of the new university term, the fall term, you saw thousands of university students in Tehran and across the country, staging protests on campus and out on the streets. Late on Sunday evening Tehran time, we started getting reports of an unfolding situation at Sharif University.

This is one of the most prestigious universities in the country. But because of the communication restrictions put in place by the government, the internet blackout, it's very difficult for us to reach people on the ground and to get information in real time. But we started seeing some images coming out, some reports coming out from local media, from the university's own newspaper.

And we've been trying to piece it all together and it appears that there was a violent crackdown by the security forces on these protests that were taking place on campus. Now, as you mentioned, they are -- the university publication saying that live rounds less lethal, but yes, still live rounds. Metal pellets were shot at protesters. Late in the evening, the university -- the state media was reporting that the situation was calm and students were taken back to their dormitories.

But there's a lot of concern about what may have happened to these students with reports that many have been detained as we see this widening and intensifying crackdown continuing. But what is clear right now Rosemary as we enter the third week of these protests is that these young protesters remain defiant and no sign of them backing down and it has been women who've been at the forefront of these protests.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARADSHEH (voice over): This is the gut-wrenching grief of a sister burying her brother. A forever goodbye too soon for 36-year-old Javan Haididi (ph) shot and killed at a protest. Fatima (ph) cuts off her hair and tosses it over his grave. These anguished cries make it hard to understand what she says. But her pain needs no words.

For some in Iran cutting off hair is an age-old mourning right. But it's also become a poignant form of protest for those rising up for their rights, united in their anger and their battle for change. And from every corner of the world, women are sending the messages of solidarity.

In Syria's Kurdish one region a woman chops off her hair to the chant. Women, life, freedom, one of the slogans of Iran's protests.

In Istanbul as fans cheered Turkish singer Melek Mosso cut her hair live on stage. To the women of Iran she said, you are not alone.

Far from the streets of their homeland, Iranian women abroad have joined in the protests for Mafa Amini (ph) this woman tweeted. Fasia Ofshun (PH) says only her dad could tame, braid and cut her thick curly hair. She hadn't cut it since he died in March. She was one of the first to post her hair cutting video online.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was more than a gesture for me. It was like saying goodbye to all those beautiful memories of him cutting my hair with love. Because this time I cut it with anger. I needed to do something to take part in what my beautiful brave people are doing.

KARADSHEH: What's happening in Iran is a women's uprising. Not only are they on the streets, leading protests, braving the bullets, the threat of jail or flogging. They're now challenging the Islamic Republic and its so-called morality enforcers walking the streets in broad daylight, no headscarves, no fear. The barrier of that fear now broken.

[02:35:09]

These two women sat for breakfast in a traditional tea house, a space typically for men. Donia Rod (ph) on the right was arrested after the photo went viral. We don't know what happened to the other woman but that and an intensifying crackdown hasn't stopped other Iranian women. Many are revolting to reclaim freedoms lost, their right to choose. These two sisters in Tehran with a Farsi rendition of Bella Ciao, the anthem of Italian resistance against fascists and Nazis. The song of women breaking the shackles of a repressive regime.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KARADSHEH: And Rosemary, remarkable acts of defiance by so many women across Iran continued over the weekend despite the crackdown. As we enter week three we have really seen these protests that started with calls for justice and accountability for doubt for the death of Mahsa Amini they've now really morphed into these real daring calls for regime change.

CHURCH: Defiance and bravery on the streets there. Jomana Karadsheh bringing us the very latest from her vantage point in Istanbul. Many thanks.

In England, protesters in the streets and a revolt in the ranks. We will have the latest from the Conservative Party Conference where the prime minister is under fire for her trustnomics economic plan. We'll explain.

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CHURCH: Day two of the U.K. Conservative Party Conference kicks off just hours from now with Prime Minister Liz Truss already backtracking on a key point of her plan.

[02:40:09]

Her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng announced moments ago the government was reversing its plan to scrap the highest rate of income tax. She admitted to the BBC Sunday the plan had been rolled out -- could have been rolled out better.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIZ TRUSS, PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: I do want to say to people, I understand their worries about what has happened this week. And I do -- I do stand by the package we announced. And I stand by the -- by the fact that we announced it quickly because we had to act. But I do accept, we should have laid the ground better. I do accept that.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUSS: And I have learned from that. I have learned from that. And I will make sure that in future we do a better job of laying the ground.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: But Truss also past some of the blame for the public fury to her Chancellor of the Exchequer. She says Kwasi Kwarteng made the decision despite dissent from within the cabinet. He will speak to the conference today and Truss will address it Wednesday, the final day of the gathering. Meanwhile, the public fury has been on display in the streets of Birmingham. Protesters denouncing the prime minister's policies as pro-rich and anti-poor.

And thanks for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. For our international viewers, World Sport is coming up next. If you're joining us from North America, I'll be back with more news in just a moment. Do stay with us.

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