Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Russia Strikes Zaporizhzhya And Near Kyiv; Ukraine Makes Push In Kherson Region; Georgia U.S. Senate Candidates Face Off; U.S. Justice Department Appeals Third-Party Review Of Mar-A-Lago Documents; Rising U.S. Inflation Driving Costs Up For Everyday Items; Xi Jinping Set To Secure Third Term; Iranian Women Abused By Officers; Hurricane Ian's Toll On Florida's Schools; Actor Robbie Coltrane Dies At 72. Aired 5-6a ET
Aired October 15, 2022 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: There's a race here to prepare new positions so they can't be seen by Russian drones in the winter.
BRUNHUBER (voice-over): A look at the battle for Kherson. We're live in Kyiv with the latest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Plus, two of the most closely watched U.S. congressional candidates face off in their first debate. We'll look at what stood out in the race that could decide the control in the Senate.
And with the holiday season around the corner, many people could have sticker shock. We'll break down the numbers.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: Ukraine is reporting new Russian strikes on at least two cities. A short time ago, an apparent rocket attack hit a community outside Kyiv, causing severe damage to an energy infrastructure facility, while multiple missiles and kamikaze drones struck Zaporizhzhya.
There are no reports of any casualties yet at either location. Meanwhile Ukraine is claiming success in the east, saying it struck a
railway hub in the Luhansk region Friday, putting a significant amount of Russian weapons out of commission. But Russia does appear to be making steady progress in the Donetsk region.
Vladimir Putin says he's not making any apologies. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I have no regrets. What is happening today in Ukraine is unpleasant but this is all the same results we would have received later, only in much worse conditions for us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Down south, Russia is moving forward with a plan to evacuate civilians from Kherson as Ukrainian troops gain ground. Nick Paton Walsh is reporting.
What's the latest?
WALSH: Yes. I mean it's unclear at which stage Ukraine would end up in a critical mass, unable to push forward. But what we saw on the front lines was very clearly Russian professional soldiers, dug in what seems for the longer term, Kim.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALSH (voice-over): Night is when the push for the south busies. Humvees speed the roads; incendiary munitions light up the night.
That dusk, the skies alight with air defenses around the Russian held heavily defended town of Snihurivka. Just three miles south of here, it's the gateway to the big prize, the city of Kherson, where Russia is already evacuating civilians and low on supplies.
WALSH: They say the shelling has been noticeably less over the past 1.5 months. Probably because of the damage done to supply lines the Russians need to bring munitions toward the front here.
WALSH (voice-over): Radio chatter they've intercepted between Russians here is of ammo running out and conscripts fleeing.
VOLODYMYR, SOLDIER, 63RD BRIGADE (from captions): The mobilized conscripts here are called humanitarian aid and they say they don't need them.
In three days moving around the front lines here, it's clear Ukraine's movement forward has met a hardened Russian defense, even if they are low on ammo. On this tree line to the west, the Russian paratroopers are under a mile away.
NAZAR, SOLDIER, 63RD BRIGADE (from captions): They are well trained. They fire often and yesterday hit the trees, 200 meters away from us, 25 times. [05:05:00]
WALSH (voice-over): New trenches are being dug and camouflage laid out. Nature is about to turn on both sides equally.
WALSH: So obviously in the winter, the cover of the trees will be gone. And so, there's a race here to prepare new positions so they can't be seen by Russian drones in the winter.
WALSH (voice-over): A mix of the oldest type of warfare and oven heating bunk beds underground.
WALSH: Place for their rifles. This for five people is where they're going to be during the winter if they're still here.
WALSH (voice-over): And the newest. This is an antenna for Starlink. Billionaire Elon Musk's satellite internet service, sending a live stream of drone footage of the artillery battle here.
STAS, DRONE OPERATOR (from captions): They are firing at us and I am trying to find them.
WALSH (voice-over): This is where that signal is sent.
Meet Fugas (ph), his nickname, a farmer turned drone warfare commander. And then the lethal impact of a billionaire's internet service and store-bought drones. A hit on a Russia vehicle. The black smoke under the mouse cursor. They show us video of several impacts that day. They know that they will be hit back.
FUGAS (PH), UKRAINIAN COMMANDER (from captions): They don't value human life or the lives of their soldiers, unlike us. But all the same, they are watching us all the time.
WALSH (voice-over): In the villages out east in Kherson, we see how fierce the fight for each village has been. Ukraine is slowly moving forward.
But every farm is a slog. Smoke crawling over every hill, one of Russia's largest bombs hit here. Nothing left to come back for if you once lived in these homes. It is as if this wasteland is telling the Kremlin it's time to leave. But they think there's more damage left to do before the inevitable happens.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALSH: Now with the continued strikes on infrastructure here in the environs of the capital of Kyiv and Zaporizhzhya as well, it's clear the pace that the Kremlin is trying to pursue is being maintained.
But what is interesting is to hear from President Putin, yesterday talking about, yes, of course, the catastrophic nature of conflict but also trying to herald possible diplomacy.
Of course the West and Ukraine do not trust Russia at the diplomatic table. It is a game, a sign of weakness from the Kremlin. They would never normally wish to ask for talks.
And so we have to see what the next weeks bring ahead in terms of that part of the discussion. What is interesting, too, is there are signals this morning of heightened activity in the Kherson area, where Ukraine's continually moving forward on the front line.
BRUNHUBER: Outstanding reporting on the ground there in Kyiv, Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much.
The future of the key communications link that Nick mentioned in the report is up in the air. SpaceX has reportedly given thousands of its satellites to Ukraine but that may be coming to an end. Elon Musk says it plans to reduce or stop the services in Ukraine.
The company told the Pentagon last month it's spent almost $100 million on it so far. The Pentagon says it's now looking into other options.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
BRUNHUBER: The two contenders in one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country finally faced off on Friday. Current Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock, the Democrat, and the Trump-backed Republican candidate Herschel Walker, former football player, traded jabs. Take a listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This week, you said that the accusations are "all lies."
For the voters watching tonight, can you explain the circumstances surrounding these claims?
You have 60 seconds.
HERSCHEL WALKER (R), GEORGIA SENATE CANDIDATE: Well, as I say that's a lie and you know, most things, I put -- I put it in a book. One thing about my life it's I've been very transparent. Not like the senator, he has hid things. But at the same time, I say that's a lie. And on abortion, you know, I'm a Christian. I believe in life.
And I tell people this, Georgia is a state that respects life and I'll be a senator that protects life. And I say that was a lie, and I'm not backing down.
And we have Senator Warnock, people that would do anything and say anything for this seat but I'm not going to back down because this seat is too important to the Georgia people for me to back down right now.
[05:10:00]
SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-GA): The patient's room is too narrow and small and cramped a space for a woman, her doctor, and the United States government. We are witnessing right now what happens when politicians, most of them men, pile into patient's rooms. You get what you're seeing right now.
And the women of Georgia -- the women of Georgia deserves a senator who will stand with them. I trust women more than I trust politicians.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Now of course, a lot is riding on this with control of the U.S. Senate hanging in the balance. Eva McKend has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: The highly anticipated Georgia Senate debate in the books, both candidates appearing side by side, likely their only debate appearance before Election Day.
The debate started out on economic issues, inflation, gas prices, prescription drugs, Walker trying to tie Warnock to Biden's politics.
And Warnock rerouted the conversation to Inflation Reduction Act. The controversy over Walker's abortion allegations came soon after, Walker denying them, repeating his support for the heartbeat bill.
Sparks flew once again when the discussion turned to crime and Walker chastised for holding up a prop badge. Warnock countered that Walker has trouble with the truth, a familiar attack line from on the trail.
Now the decision whether to send Warnock back to the Senate for six years or elevate a political newcomer is up to Georgia's voters -- Eva McKend, CNN, Savannah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Earlier I asked Tia Mitchell what stood to her in the debate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIA MITCHELL, "THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION": What stood out for me was, number one, Herschel Walker was more prepared. A better debater than I think a lot of people expected. And I think that helped him to perhaps convince some skeptical voters, skeptical Republicans, skeptical conservatives that they should stick with him.
(CROSSTALK)
BRUNHUBER: Was that just a case of Walker meeting or exceeding low expectations, do you think?
MITCHELL: Yes, I think, you know, for the people who were looking for a reason to stick with Herschel Walker, I think that he gave it to them.
You know, I don't necessarily think that any minds were changed by either candidate. But I think the people who, you know, wanted a reason, you know, give themselves something, where they can say, OK, I'm OK, I'll stick with Herschel Walker, I think that he gave it to them.
I also think, you know, reverend Warnock, Senator Warnock, was running on his record and, of course, he had better answers, more specific answers when it came to some of the policy questions.
It was also clear that Herschel Walker, a big mission of his during the debate was to tie Senator Warnock to President Biden as often as he could. He said it many times.
You could see the crowd starting to react because that became kind of a common refrain from Herschel Walker, was to keep saying, you know, Raphael Warnock is lockstep with President Biden.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Other closely watched Senate race is in Pennsylvania. John Fetterman used his health challenges as an opportunity to thank voters on Friday. He suffered a near fatal stroke in May and has lingering auditory issues. He asked how many have had their own personal challenges.
He asked, "What kind of a doctor roots for the sick to stay sick?"
Dr. Oz said he would not have talked to his own patients the way his campaign has talked about Fetterman.
And in Wisconsin, one of the main issues in the debate was voting rights. Earlier this year Evers vetoed bills that would have imposed new requirements on mail-in voting and citizenship verification. Mitchell's vowed to sign those measures into law. The polls show the two candidates are locked in a neck and neck race.
And the faceoff between the DOJ and former president Donald Trump took another turn on Friday. A Florida judge's ruling said that a special master could go through the documents. CNN's Evan Perez has details from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SR. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: The Justice Department formally appealed a Palm Beach judge's order --
[05:15:00]
PEREZ: -- that appointed a third-party special master to review over 21,000 pages of documents seized by the FBI in its search of Mar-a- Lago.
In an appeal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, federal prosecutors say that the lower court judge, Aileen Cannon, exceeded her authority by inserting herself into a criminal investigation that, at this point, has not produced any charges.
Prosecutors quote from an earlier opinion by the appeals court, that says that Cannon abused her discretion when she blocked federal investigators from being able to access hundreds of documents marked classified.
The appeals court overturned Cannon on that part of the ruling and now prosecutors want the appeals court to go further, to say Trump shouldn't be able to use a special master's process to delay the process by claiming certain documents are privileged.
"Trump has no plausible claim to such a privilege with respect to the records-bearing classification markings or any other government documents related to his official duties."
Trump's lawyers have until November 10th to respond, followed by another Justice Department response a week later. The special master review is already ongoing and is scheduled to be complete by mid- December -- Evan Perez, CNN,, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Wall Street closed a wild week of mixed results. The U.S. economy reacts to growing worries of recession. We'll tell you what that can mean for Americans and the heavy toll inflation is taking.
Plus ahead, political turmoil in the U.K. takes another turn as the country's finance minister is fired by the prime minister in growing expectation that her days at Number 10 could be numbered.
New video shows Iranian officers surrounding a woman in the streets. We've got the details straight ahead. Please stay with us.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:20:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
BRUNHUBER: U.S. stocks wrapped up a volatile week of trading with Friday's slump erasing many of the rebound gains that happened on Thursday. The Dow managed to close out the week with a small win. S&P and the Nasdaq ended the week lower after a strong rally on Thursday.
Stocks plunged Friday in reaction to a survey from the University of Michigan showing that inflation expectations are rising. Rising inflation is putting a major dent in the pockets of many Americans.
Now here are some of the costs that have been on the rise over the past year. Rent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, rent has gone up 7 percent, the highest increase since 1982.
Airfares are up more than 43 percent. Car maintenance and repairs have gone up the highest since 1975. Food costs at work and school have increased 90 percent with common grocery items like butter up more than 30 percent.
Canned fruit and vegetables have risen 20 percent. Those who have animals have seen an 11 percent increase in pet care costs and health insurance has seen an almost 30 percent hike.
That was a big topic for President Biden visiting California Friday, where he said we're fighting for folks who need our help. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We pay more for prescription drugs than any nation in the world, for the same, not drugs generically, the same exact drug. The cost of that drug by the same company sold in France and the United States is sometimes 25 percent cheaper.
Or Canada or any other place I can name for you and there's no reason for it because Big Pharma has been just a dominant force.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: We're joined now by Ryan Patel from Los Angeles.
Thank you so much for being here.
First I want to ask you what's behind the stubborn high inflation, particularly here in the U.S.?
Some top economists say it's not because of supply chains and a rise in costs but companies are chasing profits. They've raised their prices, even though their costs have come down.
Any merit to that argument?
RYAN PATEL, GLOBAL BUSINESS EXECUTIVE: I mean, you've got to be specific about what industries and what companies. To throw a blank statement to everybody, that's really kind of hard when the supply chain has been really hard for many small businesses out there.
If you're asking me if retail prices have increased, especially at the grocery level, do I think people are going to decrease them right after they increase them?
No, I don't think so. They're waiting to see how it plays out with the bottom line. That's one aspect.
And then, yes, there is record profit. It's happening.
Are there certain companies, industries that should give back?
Sure, I think there's a great conversation that consumers and employees should have. But I think we we're still seeing the skyrocketing costs not just with inflation but food, housing, medical care have all pointed to the wider pressures on inflation. We're also feeling it at the same time.
BRUNHUBER: When do you think people will be able to see relief then?
PATEL: I wish I had the real answer to this. I think, you know, we're really going to see the relief once inflation really kind of stabilizes. We're not there yet. Even then, it won't happen right there and then, Kim.
It's not something we're going to say, OK, we're good now. It's going to take a handful of months where the pressure is laid off. Obvious the U.S. administration has come out and said they're in a better spot. But everyone is keeping an eye on the global level as well.
Do I see that we're going to see some relief?
I don't know. We've got to stabilize the inflation piece. All signs are showing the Fed is going to be aggressive again. And I think Wall Street is not going to react real well again to that.
[05:25:00]
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Looking down the road, we're hearing everybody can expect home heating prices to skyrocket this winter.
Is that inevitable?
PATEL: I think compared to year over year it's going to be very different. We've seen gasoline prices have come down a little bit but I don't think it's going to be anywhere near what it is during the holiday season.
Is it going to have an effect on people shopping?
It's going to have some impact. We're starting to see an inkling of changes in shopping behavior. It could carry over from fall into winter.
BRUNHUBER: What advice do you have for people as prices continue to go up in the holiday season?
PATEL: You need to keep a wants and needs list. You have Black Friday coming on, Cyber Monday after Thanksgiving. Revenue spend was over $9 billion the year before.
Why are we giving you these numbers?
They're going to move that up quickly. They've got extra inventory and they don't have to deal with the inflation concerns. So they're trying to get rid of inventory earlier. Keep an eye out. You've got other brands and retailers doing the same thing, where they may be price matching after the price comes down.
My whole goal is, if you've got some list, put down what you need and shop earlier than normal, because we're going to see that quicker than in the past.
BRUNHUBER: Finally turning to solutions, you mentioned the Fed and what they're trying to do. Democrats getting hammered on this. President Biden trying to do damage control. It's in his interest heading into the midterms to see things improve, inflation come down.
Is he doing enough and how much agency does the administration have with global economic troubles playing a huge role here? PATEL: It plays a huge role, Kim. You're right. They're looking for silver linings and looking to put in how the economic economy is there. But we can't jump-start this thing, right?
We're going to see unemployment increase.
How do you address that and still lower costs for families?
It's really difficult to address that. And then in November, to show the difference from now until then, it's going to be really hard if you're a Democrat right now going in and doing that. You can only place in what foundation is behind that.
Part of what they're doing is focusing on energy prices and retail prices. That's up in front. We saw the CPI index come up a little higher. Those are the things that consumers and voters can feel and touch, where the rest of the micro aspects of it, is the long-term effects, which needs to be addressed at the same time.
BRUNHUBER: I really appreciate your insights, Ryan Patel. Thank you so much.
PATEL: Thanks, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: More political upheaval in the U.K. Prime minister Liz Truss has only been in the job for over a month and her premiership is already on shaky ground. She made a big U-turn, firing Kwasi Kwarteng and backpedaling on her economic policy.
She appointed Jeremy Hunt as the new chancellor, a former foreign secretary and health secretary. His first big priority will be to deliver the government's medium-term term fiscal plan.
During a press conference on Friday, Truss dodged questions on whether or not she'll stand out. She's going to scrap her plan on corporate tax.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIZ TRUSS, U.K. PRIME MINISTER: I have acted decisively today because my priority is ensuring our country's economic stability.
As prime minister, I will always act in the national interest. This is always my first consideration. I want to be honest, this is difficult. We will get through this storm and we will deliver the strong and sustained grace that can transform the prosperity of our country for generations to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Britain is now on its fourth finance minister in four months and some are questioning whether the country will soon get its fifth prime minister in six years.
China's Xi Jinping first came to power 10 years ago. Now he's looking to stay at the top for many years to come, possibly for life. We'll have a live report from Beijing just ahead.
Also coming up, possible intervention in Haiti. The Biden administration is pushing for a rapid action force.
[05:30:00]
BRUNHUBER: We'll have that and more when CNN NEWSROOM continues. Stay with us.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States and Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
The Chinese Communist Party will convene for one of the most consequence Congresses in its history. As the leader of the party since 2012, Xi Jinping might have passed on his position to a successor but shows no signs of stepping aside. CNN Beijing's bureau chief Steven Jiang is standing by.
Steven, what are we expecting here?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER, BEIJING BUREAU: Well, Kim, probably in slightly different wording, he'll say he's the only man who can restore the Communist Party's dominance in every aspect of China's society, politics, ideology and even in people's personal lives.
His instinct and demand for total control is just unmistakable. Our viewers outside of China can watch this live feed of CNN's signal in China, which has been blocked by censors here as soon as we started talking about Xi Jinping and the congress.
One thing is clear: he's not going anywhere any time soon.
[05:35:00]
JIANG: It's widely expected there's no revelation or hints of a succession plan, really paving the way for him to rule for life. That's why the whole world will be paying very close attention to what he says in the coming week, especially in the opening day speech delivered on Sunday.
Because he is facing mounting pressure on multiple fronts domestically and internationally, especially the challenge being the sharp slowdown in this economy, the world's second biggest, just with the prospect of a global recession on the horizon.
Many problems in the economy, obviously due to his own doing, the sweeping crackdown on the private sector and the intransigence on COVID rules. People trying to see if he'll drop any clues about less state interference.
Or is he going to say the opposite in terms of shifting the party's top priority from economic growth, which has been the case for the past few decades, to national security, especially in preparation for more confrontation or potential conflict with the United States. Kim?
BRUNHUBER: We'll be watching. Steven Jiang in Beijing. Thanks so much.
Joe Biden is saying that he was "stunned" by how the protesters reacted to the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police. And in Tehran, new video obtained by CNN from IranWire shows male security forces surrounding and grabbing a woman in the street.
It has been shared widely by Persian language news channels outside the country. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh is monitoring events.
How are Iranians reacting to this video?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dramatic and quite damning. It's been picked up by Persian media outside the country as well. It's so damning the government couldn't ignore it.
It doesn't look good for their supporters to be seeing this behavior by the security forces. We've heard from the vice president of Iran for women and family affairs saying women should not be disrespected.
She's asked for an investigation into the incident. Tehran police saying they are investigating this and that security forces should be following the rules and behaviors that security forces are obliged to follow.
But according to human rights groups, Kim, this video is shocking but it's not really surprising. We've been hearing for weeks, saying that these young women, these protesters out on the streets have been treated that way by the security forces.
And I mean if you look at that video, it's just so hard to imagine what that young woman was going through. She's being described as a ringleader of protesters by Iranian state media.
But to be there, standing surrounded by all these armed men, intimidated and grabbed by them, it's really hard to imagine what she went through there. And we're seeing this. This was caught on camera. There are so many more incidents that we don't get to see on camera.
According to Amnesty International, they've documented many cases where young women without head scarves on, when they're out protesting in the streets, they're being detained violently. They're being dragged by their hair. They're being groped. They're being sexually assaulted.
And we don't even know what happens after they're arrested. This is, of course, you know, the kind of incident that does show you why these young Iranians are out on the streets, why they're fed up, why they're angry.
They talk about the hypocrisy, the corruption, the brutality that's driving so many of them to risk their lives to go out and protest every single day throughout the month. You mentioned President Biden's statement there.
You know, there has been a lot of support coming from the international community, a lot of statements, a lot of condemnation, symbolic sanctions, some would say, targeting police and Iranian officials.
But speaking to human rights lawyers, international human rights lawyers, who have been following these events for years, they say this isn't enough. There needs to be an accountability measure set up to hold the perpetrators of these violations and crimes accountable for what they're doing because this is not the first time it's happening in Iran.
The country has seen protest movement after protest movement and the Iranians seem to be using the same tactics every single time. Now we've been seeing this happen for four weeks.
[05:40:00]
KARADSHEH: And rights groups say they're not doing enough to try and deter the Iranian regime from dealing with the protesters so violently and continuing to carry out these human rights violations, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: I appreciate you tracking this story for us. Jomana Karadsheh, thank you so much.
The Israeli army says its soldiers killed a man who opened fire near a settlement in the occupied West Bank Friday night. The shooting comes hours after clashes erupted in East Jerusalem for a sixth straight night. Israeli TV showed a right-wing politician drawing a gun, saying, quote, "If they throw stones, shoot them."
Violent fighting this year has killed the number of highest number of Palestinians and Israelis since 2015.
The United States has drafted a U.N. Security Council resolution that would support the deployment of a rapid action force to Haiti. It is not clear how much involvement the U.S. may or may not have in the to puzzle.
CNN's Patrick Oppmann says help cannot come soon enough for the nation as it is facing gang violence, starvation and disease.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Haiti has recorded, quote, "a catastrophic level" of hunger in one Port-au-Prince neighborhood. For the first time ever, a report from the United Nations' World Food Programme says, a record 4.7 million people are facing acute hunger, including 19,000 in the catastrophe phase. JEAN-MARTIN BAUER, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME: Haiti's facing a
humanitarian catastrophe. The food security situation in Haiti is getting worse. The report that's being released today, the integrated food security classification report, shows the severity and extent of food insecurity in Haiti is getting worse.
OPPMANN (voice-over): It's the result of a series of crises that have occurred in years. Gang violence has only increased since the assassination of Jovenel Moise last year. In Port-au-Prince, where the World Food Programme reported catastrophic levels of hunger, streets sporadically erupt with looting and lawlessness.
Access to food has been cut off for many.. The armed gangs clash with each other and government forces. Frustrated citizens have taken to the streets of Port-au-Prince, protesting the rise in crime and fuel shortages.
The threat of cholera has returned to Haiti. Amid the flood of disasters, the prime minister made a public plea for international assistance. In response, the U.S. Agency for International Development deployed a disaster assistance response team to Haiti.
NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: Our staff is on the ground in Haiti, working alongside Haitians and NGOs to deliver care for those who need it. We'll accelerate additional relief to the people of Haiti.
OPPMANN (voice-over): But Haiti has yet to receive enough aid to counter the calamities it faces. For now, many Haitians continue to struggle with food insecurity as a humanitarian disaster spirals out of control -- Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Exhausted rescuers are searching for survivors after a deadly coal mine explosion in northern Turkiye. At least 40 are dead and dozens are reported trapped in the rubble. It happened near the Black Sea on Friday.
The energy minister says there may have been a naturally occurring gas, usually methane, in the mine; 110 people were working at the time of the blast. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to visit the town in the hours ahead.
Coming up, how parents and schoolchildren are coping after hurricane Ian straight ahead. Please stay with us.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:45:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
BRUNHUBER: Much of Florida is still reeling from hurricane Ian more than two weeks after the powerful storm slammed into the southwest part of the state. Schools there have been particularly hard-hit. And as CNN's Rene Marsh reports, it's just the latest example of extreme weather brought on by the climate crisis in the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA WRIGHT, SON'S SCHOOL DESTROYED: My goodness gracious.
RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT ( voice-over): Melissa Wright sees the destruction at her ten-year-old son Zane's school for the first time.
WRIGHT: That's the sign he stands in for the first day of school every year.
MARSH (voice-over): Fort Myers Beach Elementary, is one block from the ocean as Hurricane Ian's powerful winds tore down walls in the storm surge approach the top of the doors to throwing everything inside.
WRIGHT: Losing that school is probably what I've cried about most.
MARSH (voice-over): It has been more than two weeks and the entirely Lee County School District remains shut down.
CHRISTOPHER BERNIER, SUPERINTENDENT, LEE COUNTY SCHOOLS: We do have schools that remain in a high need category, suffering significant damage.
WRIGHT: He has said most years are this year is tougher than him than most and I'm worried about him falling behind.
MARSH (voice-over): Lee County schools are emblematic of a growing trend, the climate crisis disrupting school systems nationwide for months and, in some cases, years.
In California, wildfires have been the leading cause of school closures. From 2018 until 2019, a record 2295 schools closed. Last year in Louisiana, Hurricane Ida, a devastating category four storm ripped off roofs and destroyed schools. More than a year later, two schools were close to 900 students are still inoperable.
And in Tennessee, 17 inches of rain fell in 24 hours, flooding Waverly Elementary and Junior High School. More than a year later, some students are using an auditorium with partitions for classrooms.
A government study found that, since 2017, more than 300 presidentially declared major disasters have occurred across all 50 states and U.S. territories. With devastating effects on K-12 schools, including trauma and mental health issues, lost instructional time and financial strain, something Waverly, Tennessee schools no well. After the flood there, student test scores like mine the rest of the state.
RICHARD RYE, WAVERLY SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT: Some of our staff and teachers lost their homes, they lost their loved ones and learn classrooms. So mentally wise, that has put a toll on them. MARSH (voice-over): As schools struggled to recuperate from extreme weather, experts say they must better understand future risk and rebuild more resilient structures.
LAURA SCHIFTER, ASPEN INSTITUTE: Our public schools right now, they received a D+ on America's infrastructure report card.
MARSH (voice-over): Until then, when extreme weather strikes, all that is lost will undoubtedly also include quality instructional time in school.
[05:50:00]
MARSH: Extreme weather has already had a multifaceted impact on America's schools. Several school systems tell me the mental health of students and teachers who are coping with personal losses as they try to resume learning is a major issue.
And supply chain issues have made rebuilding schools a drawn-out process, so students are in temporary learning environments for extremely long stretches of time -- Rene Marsh, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: If you want to help those affected by the storms, you can go to CNN.com/impact and you can find a list of various organizations that can help you find a way to make a difference.
Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, the actor behind the iconic lines from Harry Potter has died.
(VIDEO CLIP, "HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE")
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
BRUNHUBER: The actor who played the beloved half-giant groundskeeper Hagrid in the Harry Potter series has died. Robbie Coltrane was among the first people to appear in the films, reciting his now famous line.
[05:55:00]
(VIDEO CLIP, "HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE")
BRUNHUBER: The actor who played Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe, paid tribute to his colleague, writing that Coltrane was, quote, "one of the funniest people I ever met, keeping us laughing constantly as kids on the set. He was an incredible actor and a lovely man."
Emma Watson, who played Hermione, said the large man had, quote, "immense talent." Before his death, Coltrane spoke of his character, Hagrid's legacy, living on through his children after he's gone. Here he is. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ROBBIE COLTRANE, ACTOR (voice-over): The legacy of the movies is that my children's generation will share it with their children so you can watch it in 50 years' time easy. I'll not be here sadly.
Don't you think on it for one minute.
But Hagrid will, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Robbie Coltrane was 72 years old.
That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. ""NEW DAY"" is next.
