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U.S. Moves Strike Group into Korean Peninsula Region After North Korean Missile Tests; 36 Dead in Thailand Nursey Shooting; Woman Killed in Russian Missile Attack in Zaporizhzhia; U.S. Believes Ukraine Behind Killing of Putin Ally's Daughter; White House Working on How to Mitigate OPEC Plus Decision; House GOP Aiming to Impeach DHS Chief Instead of Biden; Court Filing Reveals Details on Materials Seized at Mar-a-Lago. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired October 06, 2022 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:52]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Good Thursday morning. I'm Erica Hill. Jim and Poppy are off today. We are following a number of major developing stories at this hour both here in the United States and across the globe.

Happening right now, the U.S. Navy moving an aircraft carrier strike group into waters off the Korean Peninsula. This follows a series of North Korean missile launches over the past two weeks.

CNN correspondent Paula Hancocks is in Seoul, South Korea.

So, Paula, we just learned in the last few minutes there appears to have been another missile launch from North Korea. What more do we know?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, this particular thing that we've just heard about in the last few minutes from the Joint Chiefs of Staff wasn't a missile launch. What we're being told it was was that it was some kind of an aircraft firing exercise they believe. 12 North Korean aircraft were detected carrying out some kind of exercise just south of the Special Surveillance Line.

Now this line is in North Korea, but it is a virtual line that if any North Korean aircraft come below that point, then South Korea does stave some kind of a response. And they did that. They mobilized 30 aircraft according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

So you can see this tit-for-tat is really starting to escalate here. And we also know that the USS Ronald Reagan is back in the waters off the east coast of South Korea. There has been another naval drill between the U.S., South Korea and Japan. They say in response to the number of missile launches they've seen from North Korea. Six missile launches in just the past 12 days.

Now this particular naval drill was to detect, track and intercept missiles. So clearly training for something that is very pertinent to what we are seeing at this point. We did hear from North Korea today as well, the Foreign Ministry speaking through state-run media KCNA saying that they believe it's the U.S. that's destabilizing the Korean Peninsula and the reason they are carrying out these missile launches is because the U.S. and South Korea carried out joint drills last week. But of course we know that they had other naval drills today -- Erica.

HILL: Yes. Certainly a lot happening in these moments there, Paula. Appreciate it. Thank you.

Staying in the region, a horrifying story unfolding in Thailand where at least 36 people are dead including 23 children after a former police officer opened fire in a daycare center while children were sleeping. Officials say the man killed his wife and child as well before killing himself.

CNN's Selina Wang covering this for us from Tokyo.

So, Selina, he had actually been as I understand it in court just hours before the shooting. Do we know more about the chain of events here?

SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right. Just hours before the shooting, he was in court on drug charges before he went over to that nursery where he opened fire on children who were sleeping. That death toll continues to climb. Now at least 36 people killed including 23 children.

Now we've learned from the police that the gunman got to the nursery around noontime. He had himself armed with several different kinds of guns as well as a long knife. Police say he went to the nursery looking for his 2-year-old stepson but could not find him. He managed to get into a room where 24 kids were sleeping. He started stabbing the children and staff members as well as shooting. The police said all but one child died in that room.

After that police said say he drove himself home, and in the process he was running into bystanders. When he got home, he first killed his own stepson and wife before taking his own life. Before he killed himself, authorities had issued this most wanted man notice and poster.

This is a deeply, profoundly troubling and devastating time for people in Thailand. This is an area where it's not known for violence. It's a peaceful, quiet town. In the videos at the scene you can see family members sobbing outside of the building. You can see the ambulance and medical workers around. The prime minister in Thailand has expressed his condolences to the family.

[09:05:04]

Now Thailand has relatively high rates of gun ownership compared to other areas. However, mass shootings are rare -- Erica.

HILL: It is just a horrific story. Selina, appreciate it. Thank you.

In Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia hit with another round of Russian strikes this morning. One woman was killed, seven more people are trapped in the rubble we're told after an earlier strike targeted the city in southern Ukraine. This was earlier today.

Vladimir Putin meantime now says the nuclear plant named Zaporizhzhia is now a Russian federal asset, prompting a trip from the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency to Kyiv.

CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is also in Kyiv.

So bring us up to speed here, Fred, on all these developments.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Erica. Well, these strikes in Zaporizhzhia they certainly were devastating. And as -- overnight there was a residential building that was pretty much all but leveled by those missiles that were sent in there by the Russians. And there was that one woman who was killed but there really were a lot of people who were trapped under the rubble there as well.

I mean, you're seeing some of the video that's been coming out of Zaporizhzhia, those rescue crews really for hours trying to dig those people out while that town was then again under another possible air raid alert as well. So certainly some devastating scenes that we're seeing from there.

As you mentioned, Vladimir Putin now saying that the Zaporizhzhia power plant which is close to the city of Zaporizhzhia but is on the other side of a very wide river, that is now effectively a Russian installation. Obviously the Ukrainians having absolutely none of it. In fact the head of the Ukrainian Nuclear Energy Agency, he's now saying that he is the actual boss of that nuclear power plant and certainly no one from Russia. So you can see that standoff sort of developing as the head of the IAEA is in town here as well.

Meanwhile, Erica, and I think it's really important, the Ukrainians continue to say that they really have the momentum on their side, especially in the south of Ukraine. It's quite interesting because a senior defense official here in Ukraine was saying that they had liberated around 400 square kilometers of territory just in the south of Ukraine and just in the past couple of days.

We've been talking about it a little bit. The Ukrainians are saying they believe that some of those Russian defensive positions have, you know, all been but collapsing over the past few years and really think that the momentum is on their side, and certainly the Ukrainians are saying they're not going to be letting up, they're not going to be stopping. They want to liberate all of their territory -- Erica.

HILL: Frederik Pleitgen with the very latest for us, thank you.

We are also learning more -- CNN is learning more about the car bombing that killed the daughter of Putin ally back in August. U.S. intelligence officials believe now that people within the Ukrainian government authorized the attack. Those same sources, though, say Darya Dugina was probably not the intended target.

CNN White House reporter Natasha Bertrand joining us now with more on these developments.

This is a big development in and of itself.

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It's pretty remarkable turn of events here. So what we are learning is that the U.S. intelligence committee is now assessing based on information that it has gleaned that officials within the Ukrainian government authorized this attack on this prominent political figure, Alexander Dugin. Now importantly, that did not occur. Instead what happened is that his daughter was killed because she was the one who was driving his car at the time.

U.S. officials do not believe that the daughter Darya was actually the intended target of this assassination that happened just outside Moscow at the end of August. But what we are learning is that this is potentially a big expansion of Ukraine's covert operations inside Russia, right. Previously it had seemed that the operations were really limited to around the Ukraine-Russia border, kind of in the southwest part of Russia and they were aimed mostly at fuel depots and military installations there.

Now, for this to have occurred really in the heart of Russia just outside Moscow, that is something that signals to the U.S. that perhaps Ukraine might be becoming a little bit bolder in its operations there and they're a bit wary of that. Now we should note that CNN did reach out to a top official in Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Agency. And the official said that he had no updates as of right now on what happened to Darya Dugina.

But of course the Ukrainians have vehemently denied ever since this story came out that they had anything to do with this. So for now the U.S. intelligence community is really relying on their intelligence here and saying that officials within the government, not necessarily senior officials, not necessarily President Zelenskyy, did authorize this operation -- Erica.

HILL: Natasha Bertrand, appreciate it. Thank you.

This just in to CNN. The Biden administration is working to, quote, "identify" the tools to mitigate the impact on gas prices after the world's major oil producers announced a plan to slash production by two million barrels a day. The Biden administration calling that move concerning and unnecessary.

[09:10:04]

It comes less than two months after Biden's controversial visit to convince the Saudi crown prince to increase production.

Joining me now CNN chief business correspondent Christine Romans and Alayna Treene, White House reporter for Axios.

Good to see you both this morning. So, Christine, let's start with this. So there's this new development. We're looking at all the tools here. I think they know the tools that exist in the shed, correct me if I'm wrong. CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Right.

HILL: Bottom line is that OPEC was very clear here. They said we're cutting production because we need to boost the price of oil. This is about profits.

ROMANS: This is about profits. It's also about supporting Russia, quite frankly. And this means that this alliance of oil producers is essentially standing behind Russia and allowing Russia to have more money to fuel its war with Ukraine. And so that is a direct affront to what the White House and the rest of the West has been trying to do. So politically this is just a loss for this administration.

And that's why the administration is saying they will do everything they can to mitigate the power of OPEC here, and even look into ways maybe that it's unfair that OPEC can wield its power by setting these quotas and stuff. It's something that other presidents have been careful not to do because there are really big blowbacks that can happen as well.

HILL: Right.

ROMANS: It's a complicated international energy market.

HILL: It certainly is, to put it mildly. You bring the politics of this, though. And Alayna, it's not just about profits, it is about politics. So much of it is about politics here. The White House is really insisting that this trip that President Biden took was not a waste of time to Saudi Arabia, and then we're hearing New Jersey Democratic Rep Tom Malinowski, for example, telling "Politico" it's time for the U.S. to, quote, "stop acting like suckers in its relationship with Saudi Arabia."

Realistically, though, even as we're looking at all the tools here, is there anything that's going to change in that relationship? What are you hearing?

ALAYNA TREENE, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, AXIOS: Well, the White House is fuming, as are Democrats. And you know, there's no question about that. And I think, you know, the White House is really -- took a symbolic shift by saying that they're preparing to target OPEC and the oil-producing countries its covers by going after them to potentially hold them legally liable for any activity to try and force prices up, which is exactly what they're doing.

And that legislation is called NOPEC and they try to pass it earlier this year but that effort failed. Ans so it's a really big symbolic shift on the Biden administration's part, although I spoke with some Democrats and they don't think that's going far enough. Ro Khanna, Democratic from California, told me that he thinks that Biden should call the king of Saudi Arabia himself and tell him he has five days to reverse this decision, reverse these cuts, and if not, tell them that they're going to work with Congress to try and pass some sort of ban on limiting even going as far as saying limiting the air parts that they provide to the air force in Saudi Arabia and limit the military arms that they give to the country. And so it's really hard to see what exactly the Biden administration

is going to do at this point. So far it's all been threats, but very real threats I think that -- what I'm hearing are, you know, solidified and significant and if they will follow through on if they do not turn this around. And of course, a lot of Democrats also arguing that Saudi Arabia is a third world country and that they shouldn't be working with them or using their threats to, you know, have a grip on oil prices in the U.S.

And so I think they have a lot of tools at their disposal, but people really want the Biden administration to go stronger here.

HILL: Yes. And let's not forget, too, midterms loom, and that is a major issue for Democrats as they see this. And that translates, right? The issue is gas prices, Christine. So when we look at this, most people are looking at this, going, OK, so we saw 98 days of prices drop. They just started to go up again. Bottom line, when do I start to feel it at the pump?

ROMANS: So they're up 20 cents from the September low. And there are analysts, some who think it could be 15 to 30 cents. The White House is disputing that you could see gas prices rise that much but no one really knows. There's a lot going on here as well. You still have the war in Ukraine and we still are in the middle of a hurricane season which is also something that can affect gas prices here.

But I think it's fair to say gas prices move sideways or higher into the midterms. They're higher than they were a year ago, but they're well off that $5.00 number from earlier this summer. But this is one of those numbers that gets outsized influence in people's psychology because you see it every single week.

I will say on the West Coast that's where it's being felt the worst. And so there are some of those races, congressional Senate races out west where I think gas prices will be a bigger factor than they are in a lot of other parts of the country.

HILL: Yes. That's for sure. Christine, Alayna, appreciate it. Thank you both.

Just ahead here, House Republicans ramping up talk of impeachment if they win back control of the midterms. CNN has learned, though, their latest target is not President Biden.

Plus a new twist in the allegations against Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker. "The Daily Beast" now reporting the woman who claims he paid for her abortion is also the mother of one of his children.

And a bit later, the lasting impact of Hurricane Ian on thousands of children in Florida.

[09:15:03]

With so many communities destroyed, one district says as of now they can't even say when schools will reopen.

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HILL: The future of DACA again in question after a federal appeals court ruled the Obama-era program is unlawful. Now the ruling won't affect those who are already enrolled. So far more than 600,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children will be allowed to renew their status. But new applications will continue to be blocked.

The appeals court ruling sends this case now back to a lower court to consider a new Biden administration policy issued in August to safeguard the program. President Biden in response issuing a statement which reads in part, "The court's stay provides a temporary reprieve for DACA recipients, but one thing remains clear, the lives of Dreamers remains in limbo. Today's decision is the result of continued effort by Republican state officials to strip DACA recipients of the protections and work authorization that many have now held for over a decade."

[09:20:06]

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says he is deeply disappointed by the decision.

Meantime, CNN has learned that Secretary Mayorkas is increasingly becoming a target of House Republicans, that the Homeland Security leader could in fact face impeachment proceedings if the Republicans win the majority in the midterms.

CNN's Melanie Zanona joining me now with more on this.

So, Melanie, we know that some far-right Republicans have pushed for impeachment proceedings against the president if they are to take back the House. Your reporting, though, finds the top official in charge of the border is the one who could really be facing impeachment. What more do we know about these plans?

MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So this idea of impeaching Secretary Mayorkas has really gained steam among House Republicans who are itching for revenge after Donald Trump's two impeachments. So really this is about politics and payback more than anything else. But the reason why Republicans have zeroed in on Mayorkas as their number one impeachment target is because, A, they think it will be more palatable inside their party going after a political appointee versus a sitting president, and B, for them Mayorkas embodies one of the issues that animates Republicans the most, which is problems at the southern border.

Republicans say Mayorkas has failed to enforce immigration laws, has failed to secure he border all of which the agency denies. But just listen to what GOP Congressman Chip Roy told my colleague Manu Raju about potentially impeaching Mayorkas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. CHIP ROY (R-TX): I think that' something that we ought to consider. You know, impeachment cases are things you built. I've circulated memoranda articulating why I think that the actions he has taken rise to the level of impeachability. But again, I think you build cases.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZANONA: Now not everyone in the party thinks this is a good idea. There are some veteran and moderate lawmakers who are worried about the political blowback of over such a move as immediately impeaching. It also would be doomed in the Senate of course and it would go nowhere. But we are told that GOP leader Kevin McCarthy is very much open to the idea. And it is certainly an issue he'd have to confront almost immediately if he takes over as speaker.

And meanwhile the Department of Homeland Security says that Mayorkas is solely focused on his mission and that he has no plans to resign even as Republicans are vowing to impeach him -- Erica.

HILL: Melanie Zanona, appreciate the reporting, thank you.

Well, right now court is back in session in Washington, D.C. in the seditious conspiracy trial tied to the Capitol insurrection. Five alleged members of the Oath Keepers, a far-right group, are facing charges for conspiring to oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power by force. The group is charged with plotting to violently block Congress from formalizing President Biden's 2020 election victory.

Now they've all pleaded not guilty. They face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. These are the most aggressive charges any of the alleged rioters have faced. Keeping an eye on that.

We are also this morning learning more about the trove of documents seized by the FBI at Mar-a-Lago. A list which was posted briefly by the DOJ offers a glimpse into the thousands of documents removed from former President Trump's golf resort over the summer. Among those items, clemency requests, health care documents, IRS forms and paperwork that appears to be related to the 2020 election. A full list of the seized documents though is still not available.

Joining me now Elie Honig, senior CNN legal analyst and a former assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.

So, Elie, in terms of this list, it's not a full comprehensive list as we know but offers up some new insight. What did you glean from those revelations?

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, Erica, this new list shows us why Donald Trump asked for and why the district court, the trial level judge gave Donald Trump a special master because on the one hand, on the one extreme you have the classified documents, those are obviously documents that have national security implications that Donald Trump, according to the court of appeals, has no personal interest in.

These documents are on the other extreme. These are documents where Donald Trump may have a legitimate claim of attorney-client privilege or legitimate claim that these are personal documents. And so what the district court judge said here is let's get a special master in, let's have the special master review these documents and decide whether Donald Trump does have some legal claim to these documents or not.

And it's worth noting DOJ has acknowledged before that they seized 500 pages or so of documents that may actually be covered by a privilege. This gives us much more detail into that.

HILL: So that's the one part. There's also a federal appeals court so granted the Justice Department's request to expedite a case about the legality of the appointment of a special master. What does this mean? How could that impact, if at all, the ongoing criminal investigation?

HONIG: So this is all about timing, Erica. Let's keep in mind the special master's review is ongoing as we speak. The special master has to get through about 11,000 total documents. Now DOJ is appealing that. They are appealing the entire appointment of the special master. They're saying never should have been appointed, shouldn't be going through any documents.

But if you look at this from a practical perspective, this appeal is going to take under the normal circumstances well into December and January, but the special master is supposed to be done his review by the end of November.

[09:25:09]

So now the court of appeals I think sensibly has said, OK, we need to speed this up, we need to get this done by at least November or so. Because if they ruled that the special master was improper or never should have been appointed, then at least there would be something to stop. It won't be essentially a moot issue because the special matter will be done already.

HILL: Right. So when we put all of that together and even what Trump's legal team asked of the Supreme Court earlier this week, all of these things playing out at the same time. They impact one another.

HONIG: Yes. It's all interrelated, you're right, Erica. I think it's safe to say here neither party is winning when it comes to the special master. On Donald Trump's and he has lost in the court of appeals with respect to the classified documents and we've seeing the special master try to call out some of his more dubious claims about declassification or planted documents.

On the other hand, DOJ is not winning either. Because this is taking forever. We're now eight-plus weeks out from the actual search of Mar- a-Lago back on August 8th, and the special master is just getting started with his review. In the meantime, DOJ is unable to fully do their investigation because they can't use those documents until the special master has reviewed them and signed off. So somehow this is turning into a lose-lose scenario.

HILL: The win is I get to talk to you, though, Elie Honig. So I will take that. Thank you, my friend.

HONIG: Thanks, Erica. HILL: Still to come here, a new twist in the drama involving

Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker and the accusations that he paid for an ex-girlfriend's abortion. His response this morning.

Plus a new survey shows the fallout from the Supreme Court's decision to reverse Roe v. Wade. We're going to take a look at that real world impact ahead.

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