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New Zaporizhzhya Rocket Strike Kills at Least 17; Traffic Jams Clog Crimea Bridge; At Least Two Killed in Latest Iranian Protests; NYC Mayor Declares Emergency over Influx of Migrants; U.S. Reviews Haiti's Request for International Security Support; Occupied West Bank Becoming Increasingly Volatile; Death Toll at 10 in Gas Station Blast in Ireland; Britain's Mr. Doodle. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired October 09, 2022 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world. I'm Laila Harrak.
A mysterious explosion on Russia's bridge to Crimea deals a blow to the war effort and has Ukraine mocking the Kremlin for its losses.
Gang violence and a cholera outbreak, just two of the crises pushing Haiti to the brink of humanitarian disaster. Why the president wants armed intervention from the international community.
And Tropical storm Julia strengthens into a category 1 hurricane over the Caribbean. We're live at the scene with the forecast.
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HARRAK: We begin in Ukraine, where, for the second time within days, the city of Zaporizhzhya is taking a deadly pounding from Russian rockets.
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HARRAK (voice-over): These are scenes of chaos after multiple rockets slammed into residential areas on Saturday, reportedly killing at least 17 people.
While further south, Moscow is scrambling to get the bridge linking the occupied Crimea with Russia back up and running. A part of the bridge collapsed after a huge explosion and fire on Saturday.
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HARRAK: Now Russia says repair work will be underway around the clock. Some train and road traffic has already resumed but drivers will go into the water -- divers, rather -- will go into the water later today to see if the structure can still support trucks.
Scott McLean is keeping an eye on developments in Ukraine, including the deadly strike on Zaporizhzhya. He joins us from London, Scott.
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we don't have a ton of information about those rocket strikes but we do have that video, which shows a pretty chaotic scene in the aftermath. There was rubble still very much on fire.
What's extraordinary about this video is the massive hole that you can see that has been punched in the side, right through that actual apartment building. Local officials say, as you mentioned, at least 17 dead by the latest count, 40 injured. Obviously those numbers may change as we get more information.
Five houses, they say, were completely destroyed as well as this apartment building, which was very nearly completely destroyed. There is so much rubble on that scene, Laila, that the acting mayor is actually calling for people to come to help clear it because it's too much for the emergency services to do on their own.
They're hoping if they can clear it quickly enough, they might actually be able to find some survivors. The head of the local regional military administration says that eight people have been rescued already. He also claims there were a total of 12 missiles that were fired at the city.
What's not clear is how many landed, how many of them might have been shot down, how many actually hit their intended target. It is also very unclear what the intended target might actually have been, since this looks like it was very much a residential neighborhood.
Similarly, just two days ago, there was another attack. You're seeing pictures of the aftermath here also in Zaporizhzhya. This one on a four-story apartment building that killed at least 11 people.
Again, very unclear as to what exactly the military target may have been. Now the Zaporizhzhya region, it is significant because it is one of the four regions that the Russians have officially annexed. The difficulty is that they only partially control all four of those regions after the referenda that the West announced as a sham.
So attacks like this seem to indicate the Russians are looking to take more territory. The difficulty is that they are lacking manpower. Even one pro-Russian military correspondent said earlier this week, look, it could be two months before the Russians actually have the manpower at the front lines in order to push the front lines forward.
For now, it seems they are content to just lob missiles deeper into Ukrainian territory, Laila.
HARRAK: Scott McLean recording, thank you.
People in Crimea are already feeling the pain from that bridge explosion; specifically, a long traffic jam that clogged the working section of the bridge. The structure is not only a key traffic artery for the peninsula but also it's a logistical lifeline for Russian troops in southern Ukraine.
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HARRAK: For Russian president Vladimir Putin, it's a pet project, a symbol of his desire to bind Ukraine to Moscow. And as Frederik Pleitgen reports, the blast has a ripple effect on both military and political fronts.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): The devastating blow to Vladimir Putin's war effort in Ukraine both strategically and symbolically. The Kerch Bridge that links Russia's mainland with occupied Crimea on fire and heavily damaged.
Moscow's investigative committee acknowledging that severity of the attack.
SVETLANA PETRENKO, RUSSIAN INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE (through translator): According to preliminary information, a truck exploded on the automobile part of the Crimean Bridge from the side of the peninsula in the morning today, which caused seven fuel tanks to ignite on a train heading toward the Crimean Peninsula. As a result, two lanes partially collapsed.
PLEITGEN: This CCTV video appears to show the moment of the blast. A truck is seen driving on the lane leading toward Crimea when, all of a sudden, there's a massive explosion. Though it's not clear whether it is a truck that actually blew up.
Russian officials saying several people were killed in the attack.
Moscow already pointing the finger at Ukraine. But so far, no claim of responsibility from Kyiv's leadership.
"Crimea, the bridge, the beginning, everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine, everything occupied by Russia must be expelled," an adviser to Ukraine's president tweeted.
While Russian authorities say fuel and food supplies to Crimea are insured, videos released on social media show long lines forming at gas stations on the peninsula hours after the blast.
The Crimean Bridge is a vital supply artery for Russian forces fighting in Ukraine but it's also a prestige project for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin personally drove a truck across the bridge when it was opened in 2018.
The attack came just a day after Putin's 70th birthday, leading Ukraine's national security adviser to tweet this video, apparently mocking Russia's leader.
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PLEITGEN: Ukraine's postal service was quick to issue a stamp commemorating the bridge explosion. Residents in the capital taking selfies in front of the main postal service. SVITLANA STEPUN, POLTAVA REGION RESIDENT (through translator): We have waited for the moment the bridge burns. I think all Ukrainians waited for it. And we are very satisfied it's finally happened.
PLEITGEN: Moscow says it got the railway section of the bridge up and running again quickly. But the damage to the road section is more extensive, creating another bottleneck for Russian forces in southern Ukraine already struggling with logistics -- Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Kyiv.
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HARRAK: For more analysis of how the bridge explosion could impact Russia's war effort, we're joined by military analyst Malcolm Davis. He's with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and he joins us from Canberra.
Thank you for your time.
How is this explosion affecting Russian operations in the area?
MALCOLM DAVIS, SENIOR ANALYST, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE: Thanks, Laila. Look, I think what you're going to see is greater pressure on the Russian logistics network. Essentially by attacking this bridge, they have certainly reduced the ability of the Russians to supply Crimea.
And they've also demonstrated essentially that the bridge is vulnerable, particularly as the Ukrainian forces advance around Kherson. They can bring in systems such as HIMARS to attack the bridge again and potentially collapse the thing entirely.
So the Russians I think will be likely to move forces from the Donbas to the south to try and protect that bridge and protect the supply lines around Melitopol because if they lose those two ground lines of communication, then the ability of the Russians to defend the whole of Crimea comes into question.
That really would be the ultimate prize after the Ukrainians take Kherson.
HARRAK: How might this have happened?
DAVIS: Look, I think, you know -- I've seen the videos of supposedly the truck coming up onto the bridge and then the massive explosion. I'm not convinced it was a truck bomb. For starters, I don't believe the Ukrainians do suicide attacks.
Secondly, the truck looks too small to generate a blast of that size. There's some discussion within the strategic policy community on social media that it could have been some sort of explosion coming from underneath, perhaps from some sort of vessel in the water. But even that is uncertain.
So it could be sabotage, it could be Special Forces; really hard to say how it happened.
HARRAK: What does the blast on this Crimean bridge do for Ukraine and its momentum?
DAVIS: I think it really does provide a huge boost for the Ukrainian morale, which is already very good after a series of advances around the Donbas area and also Kherson.
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DAVIS: I think, as I said, it places increased pressure on Russian ground lines of communication, the logistical network.
And the Russians will be desperate to try and defend that because if they can't defend that network, then their ability to hold their positions in Ukraine just come apart at the seams.
So it gives the Ukrainians, I think, added opportunity to press home the advantage, either in the Donbas or in the south around Kherson, ultimately toward Crimea. Ultimately it sets up the end game whereby the Ukrainians eject Russia from Crimea, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya and eventually Donbas in Luhansk and Donetsk.
HARRAK: We're not there yet. Russia appointed a new general to lead the war against Ukraine.
Does this solve Russia's problems on the battlefield?
DAVIS: No. Essentially, another new general doesn't do anything. I think Russia's problems are essentially unsolvable because what they have is their forces are now poorly equipped, poorly trained.
Those professional forces that are left are not enough to haul back the Ukrainians. The mass mobilization that Putin has ordered isn't going well and won't produce enough trained and motivated fighting troops in the northern spring to be able to reverse the Ukrainian advances.
So I do think that the Russians are staring defeat in the face.
The question is how long does that take to happen?
Is it going to be by Christmas?
Or is it more likely to be by the northern summer?
HARRAK: Of course the question is, can the Ukrainian troops continue this offensive, how far can they continue?
Of course, winter, is, well, it's almost impending. It's about to start. It's going to be a tough one.
DAVIS: Exactly. I think winter will slow things down quite a bit. But the Ukrainians will use that to reconstitute their forces, regroup, to bring in new military capabilities supplied by the West, potentially including longer-range missile systems, like ATACMS and also main battle tanks.
The Russians, on the other hand, I think, are going to be desperate. They're not going to be able to reposition and regroup their forces sufficiently so when the spring thaw happens, they're not going to be well-placed to defend against any Ukrainian offenses that launch at that point.
HARRAK: Malcolm Davis, thank you so much for your time.
DAVIS: My pleasure.
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HARRAK: CNN sources say top Biden administration officials met face- to-face Saturday with members of the Taliban in Doha, Qatar. The White House has called the delicate relationship a work in progress.
It was the first sit-down meeting for both sides since the Al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri was killed by a U.S. drone strike. The Biden administration said he had been sheltering in a safe house in Kabul and blame the Taliban for violating an agreement by hosting the Al Qaeda leader.
It has been more than a year since the U.S. withdrew the last of its troops from Afghanistan, resulting in the Taliban regaining control of the country.
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HARRAK (voice-over): A show of defiance in Iran. A group of women denounces the country's president even as his government threatens to crack down further on dissent. We'll have the latest on the uprising there.
Plus people in Central America are bracing for hurricane Julia's landfall. Where the enormous storm is targeting.
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HARRAK (voice-over): You're looking at a group of Iranian women denouncing the nation's president, telling him to, quote, "Get lost." It happened at a university in Tehran which the president visited on Saturday amid nationwide protests against the government. The uprising is now in its fourth week. It began after Mahsa Amini, a
22-year-old Iranian woman, died in the custody of the morality police. Since then, it has grown into a large movement against authoritarianism and the denial of women's rights. CNN's Nada Bashir joins us with more.
Bring us up to speed on the protests we're seeing.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Those brave acts of defiance are continuing up and down the country. We have over the weekend in Iran continued to see demonstrations taking place across the country.
But of course, in response to that, we are also continuing to see that violent and deadly crackdown by the Iranian security forces, particularly as we saw over the weekend in the Kurdish region of Iran.
We saw at least two people now being killed, according to human rights groups, by the Iranian security forces after they shot at peaceful protesters. Security forces on video are going into people's houses, targeting houses, attacking protesters where they are attempting to take shelter.
So the violent crackdown continues. We've heard from human rights organizations detailing the use of excessive and lethal force by the Iranian security forces. We're talking about tear gas, metal pellets, beatings, even the use of live fire ammunition against these peaceful demonstrators.
While the death toll varies from government figures, from international human rights groups, from local journalists on the ground, we can't independently verify that total figure.
We have heard from one human rights organization based in Norway, which has been tallying the death toll since these demonstrations began three weeks ago, they take that figure at least 154 deaths and hundreds of others injured. This is a movement that has grown. But of course, that crackdown is also beginning to intensify.
And although, as you saw there in that video, women continue to be at the forefront of the this movement, demanding more rights, acting in defiance against the restrictive and severe measures against women in place by the Iranian regime, this has grown to encompass more wide- reaching grievances held by the Iranian people.
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BASHIR: This is continuing to gain momentum.
HARRAK: Nada Bashir reporting, thank you so much.
One of Iran's state broadcasters appears to have been hacked. The network was airing a speech by the supreme leader. You see there, suddenly the broadcast is interrupted by a video of a masked figure and a graphic of the leader with a target on his head.
The video also showed images of several Iranian women whose recent deaths have fueled the protests.
We're tracking a powerful weather system barreling toward Central America. Hurricane Julia is expected to strengthen before making landfall in Nicaragua over the coming hours. Julia will bring heavy rain to much of the region and life-threatening flash floods and mudslides are possible.
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HARRAK: More rain is the last thing Florida residents need after many of them were kicked out of their homes by hurricane Ian. Now for the first time in more than a week, people from Ft. Myers Beach are being allowed to return today to survey the damage hurricane Ian has left.
City officials say residents need to bring identification proving they own or live in the area. They must be prepared to leave by the 7:00 pm curfew. As of now, Ft. Myers is without running water or power.
New York City's mayor has declared a state of emergency to help respond to an influx of asylum seekers. Eric Adams says southern border states like Texas have bused more than 17,000 asylum seekers to New York since April.
Adams says there are more people arriving in New York than the city can immediately accommodate, including families with babies and young children.
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MAYOR ERIC ADAMS (D-NY), NEW YORK CITY: Our shelter system is operating near 100 percent capacity. And if these trends continue we will be over 100,000 in the year to come. That's far more than the system was ever designed to handle.
This is unsustainable. The city is going to run out of funding for other priorities. New York City is doing all we can, but we are reaching the outer limit of our ability to help.
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HARRAK: CNN's Polo Sandoval has more from New York.
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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: New York City mayor Eric Adams is calling on the federal government to assist the city in responding to the growing number of asylum seekers arriving in the Big Apple.
Mayor Eric Adams specifically calling on the federal government to assist in at least two ways: one, provide funding as the mayor fears that the city will have spent roughly $1 billion in handling this crisis and also in providing expedited work authorization for these asylum seekers that have arrived in New York City.
[03:25:00] SANDOVAL: With over half a dozen buses arriving every day, the mayor says that they are coming in at a number that is simply not sustainable.
Mayor Adams saying, while the city's compassion is limitless when it comes to receiving asylum seekers, that the resources are not. Over 17,000 asylum seekers as of Friday have arrived in New York City.
The issue is many are yet to receive their work authorization from the federal government, due largely in part to a massive backlog of applications. That's why many of these migrants are now choosing to travel to the state of Florida to assist in post-hurricane Ian cleanup and recovery.
And that is certainly something that asylum advocates here in New York City are aware of, that that's a practice or that they are basically trying to educate these migrants, making sure they're aware, if they do take up these opportunities in Florida, then they know they at least have various rights that still apply, even if they're working off the books.
Back in New York, city officials saying that they will continue to take various steps to try to get a handle on the situation, including setting up humanitarian relief centers for these migrants, also expediting the process of getting homeless New Yorkers into permanent housing.
The goal would be to free up space in the city's shelter system for those numbers of migrants that continue to come into the city -- Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.
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HARRAK: The U.S. is considering how to answer Haiti's cry for help. This as anti-government protests threaten the Caribbean nation's security. Details coming up.
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HARRAK: Welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I'm Laila Harrak. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
The chaotic situation in Haiti continues to deteriorate as the country struggles through crisis after crisis. Saturday, the U.S. said it's reviewing Haiti's request for international intervention after the Haitian government asked for military help this week to restore security in the country.
Security has been steadily deteriorating since the assassination of president Jovenel Moise in July last year, leaving a power vacuum and room for gangs to gain more control of Haiti.
The gangs' blockade of the country's main fuel ports and weeks of anti-government protests have paralyzed the country, crippling public transportation, forcing schools, businesses and hospitals to close, which couldn't come at a worse time.
Cholera outbreak takes hold, with dozens more cases identified this week. Now a human rights group based in Port-au-Prince is reporting at least 25 prisoners died this week inside the national penitentiary, with one prisoner there telling CNN the facility is, quote, "hell on Earth."
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HARRAK: For more on what's happening in Haiti, let's turn now to Jacqueline Charles. She's the Caribbean correspondent for the "Miami Herald" and she has reported extensively on Haiti.
Jacqueline, thank you so much for joining us. A very volatile situation in Haiti. Describe for us what is going on there and what led to this moment.
JACQUELINE CHARLES, CARIBBEAN CORRESPONDENT, "MIAMI HERALD": You know, this moment has been in the making for quite some time. It didn't happen just because the president was assassinated a year ago in July. Haiti has been on a downward spiral for a number of years.
But this particular case with this crisis, what we saw was, after the prime minister announced that they would be raising the price of fuel, people took to the streets.
And that just sort of ignited frustrations that had already been building as a result of higher food prices, an economy that's in shambles, the uncertainty and, of course, the gang violence along with the kidnappings.
Where we are today is that we have a cholera outbreak, a deadly cholera outbreak. It's unclear whether or not it has spread beyond the capital of Port-au-Prince. We're hearing reports that it may now be in the prisons.
At the same time, we are entering week five, where a very powerful gang has basically been holding the country hostage by blocking fuel distributions from the main terminal as well as all traffic in and out to any of the ports.
So what that means, there's no potable water. People are running out of fuel. Everything has ground to a halt. Hospitals are closing. You're looking at a country slipping deeper and deeper into a humanitarian crisis.
HARRAK: Jacqueline, how are Haitians holding up in the face of these types of hardships?
CHARLES: It's very difficult. We've seen widespread protests throughout the country. Of course, there is a popular revolt in the sense that people are tired. But at the same time, a lot of these protests have been very violent.
What we're hearing from the international community is that there are economic interests that have joined in because they don't like the fact that the government has decided to reduce $400 million in fuel subsidies, as well as crack down on $600 million in lost revenue at the ports as well as illegal arms trafficking.
There is a U.S. arms embargo against guns into Haiti. But yet the place is flush with illegal weapons and ammunition. And over the summer, we saw there was major seizures that were done, one of which was over 14,000 of ammunition that was headed to the capital.
So it's a very confusing and chaotic situation that you have there.
And at the same time, what's next?
Just when people think that things can't get any worse, they do.
HARRAK: Now Haiti's prime minister wants an armed international force to intervene and restore security.
What do we know exactly about the kind of help that he is asking for?
And just how extraordinary is this request?
CHARLES: Well, there has been some talk for over a week about the need for a humanitarian corridor, which basically means that, in order for the international community, United Nations for instance, to provide any kind of assistance, it's going to require some sort of armed escort.
From U.N. facilities, warehouses, World Food Programme, several of their warehouses have been looted, ransacked. Catholic Charities, just when the U.N. head of the humanitarian sector was speaking to journalists Thursday of this week, a UNICEF warehouse in the southwest was being looted.
So it is a very volatile situation. You say, if I need to get to people, after experiencing cholera in 2010.
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CHARLES: We know this thing spreads like wildfire. It's in the furthest reaches of the country and today there's so many places you cannot go by road because of the gangs.
So the idea, what we understand it to be, is that the government needs assistance. Humanitarian partners in Haiti need assistance in order to get the aid.
What will it look like?
We're not clear. In the decision that was taken by the council of ministers, it said significant enough to cover the territory. And they did not specify which countries or how it should be -- how it should look; basically, just specialized armed forces. HARRAK: The issue of foreign troops, as you know, is very sensitive
in Haiti.
What has the reaction to the prime minister's request for international intervention been publicly and politically?
CHARLES: This is a prime minister that's embattled, a prime minister people are not very happy with. He was not put in by a sort of popular mandate. He has been tapped by the president prior to his assassination.
But it became publicly known just days before the assassination of the late president. So there, there was a power struggle for him to come into office. I think from there, that basically set up the problem.
So even today, people who privately agree that there should be -- there needs to be some international force, you hear them on the radio, they're opposing it because it is Henri (ph) is asking for it today. He's detractors are saying, oh, you're doing this in order to remain in power.
On the reality on the ground, the Haitian police have not been able to take back control of this country from the gangs. People have been complaining about the situation.
What we haven't really heard from is the average Haitian on the ground, which I think you will find they are in favor of some sort of outside assistance because they just cannot take it anymore.
HARRAK: Jacqueline Charles, Caribbean correspondent for the "Miami Herald," thank you for taking our questions.
CHARLES: Thanks for having me.
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HARRAK: New details now about the suspect in Thursday's mass murder at a day care in Thailand, the country's worst-ever massacre. Neighbors tell police the suspect was reclusive and did not socialize much.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): He tended to be in his own world. He didn't mingle with the neighbors and the neighbors never went to talk to him. He didn't really leave his home or he would drive his car home and stay with his family.
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HARRAK: Authorities say the suspect killed more than 30 people in a knife and gun rampage at the child care center before returning home and killing his wife, stepson and then himself. The victims at the day care facility, 24 children between 2 and 5 years old. The tight-knit community and survivors are in shock.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I'm still traumatized by the sounds of footsteps. When I sleep, I'm also afraid of little noises at night. Even retelling the event now makes me scared. I'm still scared right now.
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HARRAK: Grief stricken families of the victims held funerals on Saturday. Hundreds attended to pay their respects.
North Korea has fired off so many ballistic missiles in such a short period of time that South Korea, Japan and the United States are scrambling to figure out why.
South Korea said the North tested two more short-range missiles on Sunday, calling it a serious provocation, prompting an emergency meeting of the National Security Council. No fewer than seven missile tests have been detected in the past two weeks alone.
Since the start of the year, there have been at least 25, including cruise missiles. Last week, a North Korean ballistic missile sailed over Japan without warning, setting off sirens. A senior Japanese defense official blasted Pyongyang for its threatening behavior. Here he is.
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TOSHIRO INO, JAPANESE STATE MINISTER OF DEFENSE (through translator): These actions by North Korea are a threat to the peace and security of our country, region and the international community and it absolutely cannot be tolerated.
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HARRAK: While adding to the growing tensions, it's widely believed Pyongyang is preparing to carry out its seventh underground nuclear test.
An Israeli soldier was killed during a shooting at a military checkpoint in east Jerusalem, according to Israel Defense Forces. Israel's prime minister called it a terrorist attack. Two other Israelis were injured Saturday at the normally quiet area near the Shuafat refugee camp.
Border guard forces are searching for suspects. That shooting came hours after a pair of Palestinian teenagers were killed during an Israeli military operation in the Jenin refugee camp, according to Palestinian officials. The occupied West Bank has become increasingly volatile and deadly in recent days --
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HARRAK: -- between the Israeli military and Palestinians.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HARRAK (voice-over): You're looking at thousands of people marching in Washington, calling for reproductive rights. This is just one of many demonstrations that took place across the U.S. on Saturday in support of the issue.
The so-called Women's Wave Day of Action comes a little more than three months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending protected rights to an abortion. It's also a month before midterm elections.
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HARRAK: The marches come as judges in two states put abortion bans on hold for now. A judge in Ohio granted a preliminary injunction against the state's new law that bans abortions after early cardiac activity is detected, typically around 6 weeks, before many women know that they're pregnant.
The ruling means abortions up to 22 weeks of pregnancy will remain legal while litigation continues.
In Arizona, an appeals court temporarily blocked the enforcement of a ban on nearly all abortions across the state. The ruling temporarily allows health care providers to provide abortions up to 15 weeks of pregnancy until the state's Planned Parenthood appeal is resolved.
Still ahead, Europe is taking steps to address its energy crisis as winter approaches. The united efforts to cut back on fuel use -- that's when we come back.
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HARRAK: A small village in northwest Ireland has been plunged into mourning after an explosion at a fuel station killed at least 10 people, including two teenagers and a child. At least eight other people were injured when the blast ripped through the station on Friday.
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HARRAK: Police believe it was an accident. Ireland's prime minister calls it a terrible tragedy.
Drivers in France are feeling pain at the pump amid nationwide supply problems. Motorists were forced to wait for hours in line on Saturday as fuel stations ran low. A French environment minister says the government will not ration gas for drivers and it won't limit the use of fuel stations.
France was already looking at an energy crisis this winter due to Russia's war on Ukraine impacting supplies. Now a workers' strike over pay has led to disruptions at refineries and storage facilities. One website tracking fuel supply says a large majority of fuel stations around Paris are out of service.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I'm at a point where I just need to find gas, that's all. As for the price, we don't have a choice. If the price is not good for me, I can't go elsewhere or I would go looking for hours.
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HARRAK: To help tackle the energy crisis, the European Commission president says there is growing support among member states for joint energy purchases. Ursula van der Leyen says this would eliminate the need for countries in the bloc to outbid each other for supplies.
As CNN's Michael Holmes reports, France is one of several countries asking the public to help.
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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A cool dip gets the blood flowing even if the heat in the pool isn't. Under new energy savings measures, the French government is asking operators of public swimming pools to lower the water temperature by 1 degree Celsius.
This outdoor pool going a length further by shutting off the heat completely to reduce its gas bill. Brave swimmers wear wet suits to swim in the brisk waters. There's a chill in the air as Europe heads into winter during an energy crisis.
ADRIEN ROUDOT, MANAGER, NOGENT NAUTIQUE SWIMMING POOL (through translator): In September 2020, the price of gas was on average 11 euros per megawatt an hour. In September 2022, we have an average of 151 euros. I'll let you make the calculations.
HOLMES (voice-over): The French government setting out a plan to save power this winter, which is being called energy sobriety. The goal is to reduce energy consumption by 10 percent over the next two years by lowering thermostats, working from home, turning off the lights.
Even the famed Eiffel Tower will go dark a little earlier each night. Although gas prices have eased since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, they're still more than 200 percent higher than a year ago.
Russia, which once supplied 40 percent of Europe's needs, cut supply in retaliation for sanctions over the war, forcing countries to look for alternatives.
Britain's national grid warning of a worst-case scenario over the winter if gas supplies run extremely low. The utility company says it's unlikely but if shortages escalate, there could be planned power blackouts for periods of three hours at a time.
During her leadership campaign, U.K. prime minister Liz Truss pledged there would be no energy rationing. But when asked about it again recently, she didn't repeat the guarantee.
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LIZ TRUSS, U.K. PRIME MINISTER: What I'm saying is that we do have good energy supplies in the U.K. We can get through the winter.
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HOLMES (voice-over): For many countries, the solution for now is to stockpile energy. Many places filling their storage tanks to around 90 percent capacity. And the European Union is also considering a gas price cap. But some countries oppose that, saying it would make it more difficult to get supplies.
Finding long-term alternatives to Russian gas won't be easy. There are discussions of building a new pipeline through the Pyrenees, which is backed by Spain and Germany. France says it's willing to talk about the project but has its reservations.
Finland is ahead of the game. Its new nuclear reactor reached full power last month, making it what the operator says is the most powerful electricity production facility in Europe. That could go a long way in reducing strain on its power grid -- Michael Holmes, CNN.
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HARRAK: Lots of us doodle.
But do you know anyone who's become a millionaire doing it?
We'll introduce you to Mr. Doodle, whose house is a tad busy.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one -- ignition -- and liftoff of Falcon 9.
HARRAK (voice-over): That was the scene in Florida on Saturday, as a SpaceX rocket launched two communications satellites into orbit. The satellites are called the Galaxy 33 and Galaxy 34.
They are owned by Intelsat and they're part of a project to replace part of the company's aging fleet of satellites that keep cable television stations on air, including CNN.
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HARRAK: Can you doodle your way to riches? If you're Sam Cox, the answer is apparently yes. CNN's Jeanne Moos talks to the artist known as Mr. Doodle about his art, his inspiration and the hardest thing in the house to doodle upon.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What do you call a guy who makes a living doodling?
SAM COX, ARTIST AKA MR. DOODLE: Hello, there, I'm Mr. Doodle.
MOOS (voice-over): Mr. Doodle, aka Sam Cox, is a British artist who covers everything from murals to his Tesla with doodles.
But what does Mr. Doodle dream of?
Covering his entire house in doodles. We mean everything.
This is a guy who's been doodling since he was 3 or 4. And now he's finally living in a house bedecked with doodles inside and out. It took two years to accomplish.
COX: My ultimate lifelong dream.
MOOS (voice-over): It's his master doodle.
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MOOS: What was the hardest thing to doodle over?
COX: I think probably the toilet was quite difficult. Drawing around the toilet, getting all inside it.
MOOS (voice-over): These days he's flush with success. One of his pieces sold for almost 1 million bucks.
MOOS: Did you doodle your outfit?
COX: Yes, I did, yes.
MOOS (voice-over): And he sells merchandise. He credits street artist Keith Haring as a major influence. Online commenters had mixed feelings.
"Super cool project but it would kill me living there."
MOOS: And do you ever wake up and just wish there was a solid gray wall there?
COX: No. I really love living within the doodle world. It makes me very happy.
MOOS (voice-over): In his video debuting his doodled home, there's breaking news: doodles consuming entire planets -- maybe the planet he's on -- Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
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HARRAK: It's the most wonderful time of the year, Fat Bear Week. Every year the Katenai National Park in Alaska puts 12 fat bears against each other in a contest to highlight and celebrate how bears prepare for winter hibernation.
The favorite is 480 Otis, who's already racked up four wins over the years. He once ate 42 salmon in one sitting, just waiting for the fish to swim by. But 435 Holly is proving stiff competition. The mama bear was the Fat Bear Week champion in 2019.
There are four other contestants still in the running. Vote for your favorite chunky bear at fatbearweek.org. The winner will be announced Tuesday, when one of these will be crowned the champion.
That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Laila Harrak. Kim Brunhuber pick up coverage after a break.
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