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Occupied Donetsk City Takes Fire; Warnock And Walker Clash In Only Georgia U.S. Senate Debate; Police Arrest Man In Stockton Suspected In Series Of Killings; Xi Jinping Poised To Rule With Iron Grip For Many Years; Elon Musk Waffles On Starlink Pullout Over Ukraine; Fire At Iran's Notorious Evin Prison Injures Eight; Strong Flu Comeback Expected For U.S.; Greek Island Of Crete Devastated By Floods. Aired 5-6a ET
Aired October 16, 2022 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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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.
Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, an oil depot hit and nearly a dozen Russian recruits killed in the region near the border with Ukraine. We're live in Kyiv with a look at what's behind the latest setback in Putin's war.
Plus --
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Xi Jinping has a message for Taiwan as he prepares to secure a historic third term as party leader. We're live in Beijing and Taipei with details.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): And the CDC is reporting an early wave of flu cases sweeping parts of the U.S. We'll look at where they're surging and why some Americans won't get the flu shot.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: We're getting word of new strikes in Ukraine, reportedly affecting people on both sides of the front line. A short time ago, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian missiles destroyed two schools in the Zaporizhzhya region.
At the same time, a pro Russian official says the occupied Donetsk city also came under fire, which reportedly destroyed an administration building there. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER (voice-over): These images show smoke after the alleged strike Sunday morning. Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops are under pressure near the city of Bakhmut, where Russia has been making gains. President Zelenskyy says Ukrainians are still holding the line. Here he is.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): A very difficult situation persists in Donetsk region and Luhansk region. The most difficult is the Bakhmut direction as in the previous days.
We hold our positions in general in the east and south. We do everything to make the occupiers feel that they have no prospects. No matter who they send to fight against us, it will only end in defeat for them.
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BRUNHUBER: Now all that is happening after military training came to a deadly end for some recruits across the border in Russia. Two gunmen opened fire at a training center in Belgorod on Saturday, leaving dozens dead or wounded. For more, Fred Pleitgen is standing by in Kyiv.
Let's start there with the Russian attack on two schools.
What more can you tell us?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, once again, in the Zaporizhzhya area, as you said, Kim. And essentially what the Ukrainians are saying is the two buildings were basically annihilated by the missile strikes.
So far there is no word there would have been any casualties there. Another case of where we have seen massive rocket and missile attacks in that southern region of Zaporizhzhya.
We have been talking about it so much over the past week. But really over the past two weeks, if you will, that city of Zaporizhzhya is one of the main targets. You saw them use 10 S-300 missiles.
And one thing about the missiles is they're usually used to shoot down aircraft. When you use them against ground targets, they're pretty inaccurate and that very much increases the chance of there being civilian casualties.
Other thing we see in Zaporizhzhya as well, this is close to front lines where the Russians are as well, is the use of those kamikaze drones that attack in swarms and then essentially hit infrastructure and important key infrastructure, not just there in Zaporizhzhya but something we have seen in other places in Ukraine as well.
But Zaporizhzhya, taking a beating once again as we have seen over the past couple of days. Certainly seems to be one of those areas that the Russians are massively hitting, especially with their longer distance weapons, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: All right. So Fred, let's turn now to Belgorod and the attack on the soldiers there.
What more can you tell us?
PLEITGEN: Yes, I mean, it is an incident that certainly is causing a lot of waves in Russia. Belgorod, you know, Kim, is one of those areas that the Russians really use to stage a lot of their military, especially if you're looking toward the northeastern front in Ukraine, around the area of Kharkiv.
But it is generally also a massive military town. And obviously that's where a lot of those new recruits that have been mobilized are currently being trained. Essentially what the authorities there are saying is that two gunmen opened fire as this training was taking place, 11 people were killed, 15 apparently were wounded.
We heard today from the local administration there that apparently no residents of Belgorod came to harm.
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PLEITGEN: But certainly a massive incident as that mobilization takes place. And certainly a massive incident in a town that has become a bit more unstable over the past week or so, I would say.
Belgorod, the city itself, was struck at least twice, the Russians say, from Ukrainian territory. They say the Ukrainians have denied one of those strikes. But it certainly seems as though the war in Ukraine is slowly also having an effect on the town of Belgorod as well. It is a military town, again.
Certainly a lot of the mobilization taking place, those recruits being trained up to go to Ukraine in that area and now this massive incident, of course, something that is certainly causing a big stir in Russia, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Absolutely. Thanks so much, Fred Pleitgen in Kyiv.
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BRUNHUBER: U.S. President Joe Biden has wrapped up a rare four-day campaign tour across the West Coast. There is much more at stake for the president as his Democratic Party tries to hold on to control in Congress and win key local and state elections.
Biden's job approval is low across national polls, fueling concerns among Democrats that his unpopularity could weigh down the party at the ballot box.
So instead of stumping alongside some of this year's most vulnerable candidates, the president is using events in Democratic strongholds like Oregon and California to highlight his achievements, make the case for his party and raise millions of dollars from donors. Here he is.
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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is, I think, the most important off-year election that we've had in -- since Roosevelt's time. I mean that sincerely because so much is at stake.
If we are able to keep the House and keep the Senate, we can continue to do the things we've been doing, which are really going to make change to the country.
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BRUNHUBER: Another popular Democrat is trying to shore up support in advance of the midterm elections. A spokesman tells CNN that former president Barack Obama will head to Georgia in the weeks ahead to campaign for Democrats.
That likely includes senator Raphael Warnock, who is fighting to keep a Senate seat that could decide the balance of power in Washington. Warnock went head to head on Friday night with Herschel Walker.
Earlier CNN spoke to CNN's senior political analyst Ron Brownstein about the Georgia debate and how Walker and Warnock handled themselves. Here he is.
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RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: I think he came out of the debate, you know, he had a stronger debate in many ways than I think people anticipated. That doesn't mean he necessarily got what he needed out of it.
You saw in Walker the core strategy of Republican Senate candidates everywhere. And, you know, what has been really since time immemorial, the strategy of the party out of the White House. If things aren't going well, you point at the president and his party and say they have messed things up.
And my opponent is going to continue going in the direction that you don't like, that is producing high inflation and crime and border problems.
Warnock chose really not to directly engage as aggressively as he might on that. I think he focused on maintaining the posture of the amiable creature that got him elected in 2020. He seemed like someone who believed he was ahead and his job was more to reassure voters to stick with him rather than persuade voters.
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BRUNHUBER: President Biden is reacting to the most recent January 6th hearing. He said the House committee probing the attack on the Capitol has made an overwhelming case. He made the remarks in Oregon while campaigning for Democrats ahead of the midterm elections.
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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The testimony and the video are actually devastating. And I've been going out of my way not to comment. We'll see what happens. But it's -- I think it's been devastating. I mean, the case has been made, it seems to me, fairly overwhelming.
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BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, we have new video of congressional leaders on January 6th as they fled the Capitol while it was overrun by rioters. The footage shows how the nation's top lawmakers transformed a nearby military base into a command center. Here's CNN Zachary Cohen with more.
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ZACH COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: This exclusive CNN video shows new details of what was happening behind the scenes at Ft. McNair after congressional leaders were evacuated from the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection on January 6th.
The new footage shows top lawmakers discussing whether they should go back to the Capitol that day or if a backup plan needed to be put in motion so they could vote to certify the 2020 election. Take a look at this.
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SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), MAJORITY LEADER: So let's say we finish at midnight or 1:00 in the morning.
How does it -- you're going to them all back to the Capitol and let them disperse?
How would we look out for their safety once we're finished?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will make sure they are safe getting back to where they need to be. We will have time as we set up this operation and move forward with this democratic process and we'll adjust accordingly. But obviously the Capitol is, is no condition to go back to.
COHEN (voice-over): You can see just how concerned congressional leaders like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer were but also their focus on moving forward with the election certification either from the Capitol or another backup location if needed.
We know lawmakers ultimately returned to the Capitol on January 6th and certified Joe Biden's electoral victory.
(END VIDEO CLIP) COHEN: But the video sheds new light on what was happening behind the scenes in this secure location as the riot was unfolding -- Zachary Cohen, CNN, Washington.
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BRUNHUBER: There's been a grim discovery in northeastern Oklahoma. Police in Okmulgee say they pulled human remains of four adult males from a nearby river. It's unclear whether they are the four close friends last seen last weekend when they went for a bicycle ride.
The police chief suspects foul play but it's up to the medical examiner to determine how they died.
Authorities in Stockton, California, have arrested a man they believe is connected to a series of killings. They say the suspect was armed and on a mission to kill another victim when they caught him on Saturday. CNN's Camila Bernal reports.
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CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have been following this story for days and now authorities say they believe they have their suspect. This is 43-year-old Wesley Brownlee of Stockton.
And what authorities are saying is that they were able to arrest this man thanks to two things: the first being the tips and the help from the community and the second being old-fashioned police work.
They say they were able to zero in on one possible suspect thanks to all of these tips and they began following this man trying to figure out exactly where he was going, trying to see if there were any patterns to all of this. And the chief of police in Stockton saying this man was on a mission to kill.
Saturday at around 2:00 in the morning they were following him. They say he left his house, he was in dark areas, going to parks, stopping, looking around, then moving again and they decided to arrest him.
They say that he was wearing all black, that he had a mask around his neck and also that they found a gun. He was carrying a gun. Here is now what the mayor of Stockton, Kevin Lincoln, is saying about all of this.
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MAYOR KEVIN LINCOLN, STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA: We will use every resource at our disposal to make sure the people of our city are protected, it feels safe and that no parent has to worry about taking their kids to a park.
That nobody would have to worry about looking over their shoulder when they go to the grocery store and that our unhoused population here in the city of Stockton will be able to rest a little bit easier tonight, as we take the next steps towards getting them help and healing in their life. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BERNAL: And authorities say they will announce the charges on Tuesday when this man is first set to appear in court. In terms of the motive, the chief of police still saying they do not know and do not have a motive.
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BRUNHUBER: History is unfolding right now in Beijing, with Xi Jinping preparing to extend his iron grip well into the future while issuing a stark warning to Taiwan. Live reports from Beijing and Taipei are just ahead.
And a Ukrainian government official called Starlink essential.
So why is SpaceX threatening to shut off the service in the wartorn country?
We'll have details.
Plus a fire breaks out in a prison in Tehran, injuring eight people. Who one official blames for igniting the blaze. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: After 10 years in power already, China's Xi Jinping is well on his way to controlling and shaping his country's destiny for many years to come. The Communist Party Congress, which only meets every five years, gathered in Beijing to give Xi an unprecedented third term as head of the party.
Whoever controls the party also controls the military. The Chinese leader used the occasion to put Taiwan's fate front and center as he addressed the assembly.
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XI JINPING, PRESIDENT OF CHINA (through translator): We will continue to strive for peaceful reunification with the greatest of sincerity and the utmost efforts but we will never promise to renounce the use of force. And we reserve the option of taking all measures necessarily.
This is directed solely at interference by outside forces and a few separatists seeking Taiwan independence.
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BRUNHUBER: Well, that line received the biggest applause of Xi's two- hour speech. He went on to say China would continue to modernize all aspects of his military so that it can, quote, "effectively fulfill the mission and tasks in the new era."
We're covering all angles of the story for you with CNN Beijing bureau chief Steven Jiang and senior international correspondent Will Ripley in Taiwan. Let's start in Beijing.
Steven, what stood out to you from the speech?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER, BEIJING BUREAU: Well, the overarching theme of this lengthy speech is very clear. The only way to restore China's global standing is to restore the Communist Party's dominance in every aspect and Xi is the only man who can do it.
He has said all the right things, including addressing some pressing issues faced by the country. He promised to renew economic growth by focusing on innovation. But critics have long said innovation has actually been stifled under him.
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JIANG: Because of the government's cracking down, sweeping crackdown on the private sector, on the tech industry, and the sharp economic slowdown here, also in large part due to his own doing, including his intransigence on the strict zero COVID policy.
He's unlikely to back down from this and any other hardline positions and policies he has taken. One word we kept hearing during the speech was struggle or fight. He talked about fighting COVID, fighting corruption, fighting separatists in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
And also without naming the U.S., fighting unilateralism and hegemony. This is a reflection of his philosophy, attitude or personality. And in this opaque system, sometimes we have to look at not just the obvious but more subtle signs.
Many people have noticed how he paused several times during the speech to clear his throat, sipping water, leading to some assessment of his stamina, which is increasingly important, given the extraordinary amount of power concentrated in his hands.
He needs to and wants to put his personal stamp on almost every issue big and small. So this is an increasingly physically demanding job, with a growing list of decisions for him to make. They're having some concerns, given the global implications. Kim?
BRUNHUBER: Yes, truly everything being analyzed there.
So Will, let's drill down on what Xi said about Taiwan. The language was forceful and blunt. Take us through what was said and how Taiwan is responding.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, what was said was similar to what we heard the CCP and Xi Jinping say before. What was striking was, as you mentioned in your introduction, the applause. Every time that Xi Jinping talked about Taiwan and talked about
reunification with Taiwan, this island that none of the people in that room, predecessors, have ever controlled.
And yet in that room, they believe very fervently that they will eventually reunify with Taiwan. When he says things like, we'll do it and not renounce the use of force, and people start clapping, that is a very popular view held by many people who have a nationalist mindset in Mainland China.
The result of decades of propaganda that has taught Chinese people from the Mainland that Taiwan is a part of China, that this island's government, that its people, more than 20 million of them, have voted into office is, in the eyes of Beijing and many people in China, not legitimate.
So as a result of that, Xi Jinping, he talks about a potential military conflict to take this island, take control of this island, even though for the people here, that prospect would absolutely up end their way of life, their freedoms, you know, their entire democratic system that people have fought and died for here it is a popular view in the mainland.
And it is something that could distract, frankly, critics fear, from the mess that is zero COVID and the economic downturn that is the result of this draconian zero COVID policy that people are at their wits' end in China about as the rest of the world, including Taiwan, which fully reopened its borders in the last few days.
You know, Taiwan and the rest of the world moving on, China and Xi Jinping holding on. And that's exactly the same, as true about his Taiwan policy. And that's why, when you look at the latest poll numbers, Kim, this is pretty interesting, from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
The view of Americans of Mainland China is at its lowest level since they started surveying Americans in the late 1970s. For more than 40 years, never before has the American public seen China in such a low regard.
And at the same time, American views about military intervention helping Taiwan by sending in U.S. troops, if China were to move in, those numbers in support of Taiwan are at a record high.
And it is not just in the United States. According to the author of this survey from the Chicago Council, he says the shift in public attitude is not just limited to the U.S. But public opinion polls from around the world, including in the region, Japan, South Korea, Australia.
They have all turned against the People's Republic of China in recent years as a result largely of Beijing's own policy.
So even though the things that we heard Xi Jinping say in that very orchestrated, old-fashioned, old school, grand Communist style room, even though that seems so out of touch and disconnected from reality, in the free world and even from what is happening on the streets of China itself, Kim.
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RIPLEY: It is very much what they are determined to do and that is certainly unsettling for the government here in Taiwan, which continues to say they won't accept unilateral intimidation or coercion.
And they say if China wants to talk, they should do so from an even level playing field, not with the ever looming threat of some sort of military takeover, like all of the military exercises we see in the Taiwan Strait in recent months.
BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. Listen, both of you, really appreciate the analysis, Steven Jiang in Beijing and Will Ripley in Taipei.
North Korea is reaffirming its ties with Beijing to mark China's 20th National Party Congress. North Korean state media says Pyongyang received a message from Xi Jinping this week, in which the Chinese leader emphasized how the two countries should continue to strengthen their relationship.
North Korea in turn sent a congratulatory message, praising Xi's leadership and thanking the Chinese president for his support.
Just ahead, Elon Musk backs off a threat over a service he provides in Ukraine that is helping the nation fight Russia. The details are still ahead.
Plus, a major fire erupts at Iran's notorious Evin prison, known for housing political prisoners. We'll have a live report next. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
U.S. Billionaire Elon Musk seems to have backed off a threat to stop funding his SpaceX firm's starling system in Ukraine.
He tweeted, "The hell with it, even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we'll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free."
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BRUNHUBER: The nation uses Starlink for military communications in its war with Russia. One senior Ukrainian official calling it essential, another Ukrainian official said it was crucial that Starlink be available in the newly liberated territories so that officials can communicate.
Musk earlier demanded the Pentagon pay tens of millions of dollars for the service to continue operating in Ukraine. Here's CNN senior national security correspondent Alex Marquardt.
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ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): What we have been reporting is that the company that runs Starlink in Ukraine, the satellite internet service, is SpaceX, which is largely owned by Elon Musk.
And they had requested that the Pentagon start paying the bill. They simply said we already spent $100 million, we can no longer continue to pay for this hardware and this service indefinitely. We're asking the Pentagon to start picking up the tab.
And what they were asking for in the immediate term was $124 million for the rest of the year. That could amount to around $400 million for about 12 months, not an insignificant amount.
So it seems that SpaceX was essentially done paying for this really critical internet service in Ukraine. Now after our reporting, there was a bit of an uproar. And it looks like now Elon Musk is deciding to switch course.
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BRUNHUBER: For more on this, we're joined by Mariia Zolkina, the head of regional security and conflict studies at the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation in Kyiv and she's joining us from Warsaw, Poland.
Thank you for being here with us. Just to start, we spoke to Ukraine's deputy minister of digital transformation, who said how important Starlink is, saying you have to be online. Take us through that in more detail.
Why is it so crucial to Ukraine right now?
MARIIA ZOLKINA, REGIONAL SECURITY AND CONFLICT STUDIES, ILKO KUCHERIV DEMOCRATIC INITIATIVES FOUNDATION: It is crucial actually because Ukraine didn't have and doesn't have right now its own satellite.
And we don't have the specific technically system for Ukraine itself to support all the equipment to be online, interconnected, because, especially right now, when Ukraine is using sophisticated NATO weapons, almost all of them are actually digitalized in terms of targeting, in terms of everything.
And moreover, Ukrainian army divisions, they should be interconnected, one with another, because one is defining what is going on in one part of the front line and the other one can (INAUDIBLE) the front.
So it is not only military but also logistical issue for Ukraine and taking into regard that we do not have actually an alternative, so that's why Starlink is so important right now.
BRUNHUBER: All right, so let's go back, a bit. This spat with Elon Musk, it started out after Musk tweeted what he thought might be a pathway to peace between Ukraine and Russia, which wasn't all that well received from the Ukrainian side, shall we say.
So following some high profile criticism, basically telling Elon Musk to butt out of the conflict, he said, well, he was going home and taking his toys with him.
So when you saw that conflict escalating with Musk, did you think that this war of words might lead to consequences in the actual war?
ZOLKINA: Actually I would say that when we (INAUDIBLE) the situation around Starlink and Musk's tweets, number of tweets, actually, we have to keep in mind there were lots of politics or communication misinterpretations rather than technical problem with financial support to Starlink operation in Ukraine.
Of course, his position was heavily criticized in Ukraine actually because it was treated like illegal proposal to sell out part of Ukrainian territory in violation of Ukrainian legislation and international law, actually.
But on the other hand, we were pretty sure that, with the help of a number of Ukrainian Western allies, we will be able to financially support further operational Starlink, even if the contribution of SpaceX will be put to zero, actually.
Moreover, people involved in the issue know that SpaceX is not just the one contributor to the budget of Starlink operation in Ukraine. We know there are different sponsors, including governments. One of them is your government, actually.
So I wouldn't make the direct correlation between, let's say, changing of Musk's decision but mainly his decision to restore his participation in finance of Starlink and Ukraine and the critics on the side of Ukrainian society of his offers to fake peace, actually.
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BRUNHUBER: Despite that, it must be precarious to have Ukraine's national security at least partially hinging on the whims of a touchy and eccentric billionaire. You talked about there being no alternatives right now. Surely Ukraine has to work on this, maybe getting some alternatives for the medium to longer term.
ZOLKINA: I'm pretty sure that this is one of the most important issues for military staff and political staff in Ukraine, in cooperation with our allies, especially (INAUDIBLE). But this is one of the issues which we will hardly know much details before there will be concrete decision.
In the midterm perspective, in the couple of years, the decision will be by creation of one of those possible decisions, is to create specific satellite systems, exactly for Ukraine to make Ukraine be able to pay for it or to find international financing for that.
Second decision or second option, which might be is to include Ukraine or connect Ukraine actually to the satellite systems, which are being used by our partners. But for that reason, we need for this goal -- actually we need to become part of defense or military alliances, meaning NATO or any other newly established because, right now, we have almost maximum what we can get from our partners (INAUDIBLE) in terms of changing of our communications (ph).
So in live regime are we receiving the intelligence data but intelligence data is not 100 percent what comes from satellite systems. So it is a different option. It is a different system, let's say.
And being fully connected to you have to Polish or to U.K., satellite let's say data is not possible if we are not in a specific defense alliance or if we are not part of NATO at this moment. So in the midterm perspective, this solution will be found. And there are several options, mainly I have talked about them.
BRUNHUBER: It is a fascinating story, we appreciate your analysis, Mariia Zolkina, thanks so much.
In Iran, protesters marched toward Tehran's Evin prison to support inmates inside the facility after a massive fire erupted there on Saturday. Have a look.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): At least eight people were injured in Saturday's blaze, according to Iranian state media.
The governor of Tehran says the fire was started by prisoners inside the facility. Now at this point, CNN isn't able to independently verify the situation. We do know that some Americans are imprisoned inside and the U.S. State Department is responding.
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BRUNHUBER: In a tweet, spokesman Ned Price says, quote, "We're following reports from Evin prison with urgency. Iran is fully responsible for the safety of wrongfully detained citizens who should be released immediately."
For more on this, let's bring in Nada Bashir in London.
This is happening in the context of weeks of protests in Iran.
What more do we know about what is behind this prison fire?
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the full picture, it is still somewhat unclear. We're hearing different accounts of what led to this fire, the notorious Evin prison from different sources.
And this prison has been the focus of international attention for some time now. It houses potentially hundreds of political prisoners. We're talking about human rights activists, lawyers, professors, political activists. Some of Iran's best and brightest have been detained for their political views and their opposition to the Iranian regime.
There was significant concern last night. We saw the videos emerging of plumes of black smoke emerging from the Evin prison complex. We heard from one activist group, which has been for some time now sharing a lot of video and footage coming from the protests that we have seen over the last few weeks.
They were sharing those videos late last night, which showed gunfire in the background as well as reports of Iranian security forces being deployed to the prison complex.
One reformist news outlet, IranWire, has reported that it has been in touch with a source within the prison, said a revolt had taken place amongst the inmates last night and that a fire later ensued.
But of course, we are hearing a contrary line from the Iranian officials, who have blamed the fire on "thugs," as they described it, within the prison, saying that the clothing warehouse in the complex caught fire and that was the cause.
But they were quick to say it had been taken under control by the authorities and that calm had been restored in the prison complex. Of course, this has very significant concerns.
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BASHIR: It is unclear -- we are unable to independently verify exactly how this fire was caused but this comes off the back of weeks and weeks of protests that we have seen up and down the country.
We have already seen just overnight further calls on social media, nationwide protests against the regime. This is somewhat symbolic because this is a complex which houses political dissidents, political activists against the regime.
And we have seen that brutal and deadly crackdown by the Iranian regime against all signs across the country. Despite that violent crackdown, these protests are continuing and they are gaining momentum. Kim.
BRUNHUBER: All right, thanks so much, Nada Bashir.
COVID may be less of a concern than it used to be but now a common virus that has been on the back burner for a while is making a comeback. That's ahead.
Plus, water, water, almost everywhere. Heavy rains and flash flooding swamped towns from Australia to Africa. We'll have details straight ahead. Stay with us.
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DR. ASHISH JHA, DEAN, BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Given what we have seen in Australia, this summer, our summer, their winter, it is reasonable to suspect we'll see a significant flu season this year.
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BRUNHUBER: That was a word of warning from the White House, about signs that the nation is in for a rough flu season. The U.S. saw a dramatic drop in flu cases during the height of the COVID pandemic. But as Jacqueline Howard reports, flu appears to be coming back with a vengeance.
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JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Public health officials already are seeing some flu hospitalizations, possible cases within schools and they are bracing for what could be a rough flu season ahead. And when you look at the numbers, it seems as if we are returning to flu levels that we saw before the COVID-19 pandemic.
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HOWARD: When you look at the percentage of specimens from people going to the doctor's office with respiratory symptoms, that percentage that tested positive for flu was 3.1 percent in 2019 before COVID. Then in 2020, that percentage dropped to 0.2 percent. In 2021, it dropped to 0.1 percent. And now, it's up again around 3.3 percent.
And that's likely because we're no longer following COVID measures like masking and social distancing. Those are practices that help prevent flu spread, too. And then because the past two flu seasons were very mild, we also might not have robust immunity right now.
Over in San Diego, where high schools have many students out sick, county public health officers say they anticipate this will be a rough flu season, quote, "We're coordinating with local school districts and are checking with other school campuses to try and figure out why so many students have been affected so suddenly.
"Unfortunately, we anticipated this would be a rough influenza season and, alongside COVID-19, other respiratory viruses are also making a rapid comeback."
And, of course, remember to protect yourself against flu, get your flu vaccine, stay home when you're sick and wash your hands often. Let's remember to practice good hygiene. Back to you.
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BRUNHUBER: Even though this year's flu season is expected to be a bad one, only 49 percent of American adults plan to get their flu shot, according to a survey conducted by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. So even one in five of those who are at higher risk for influenza-related complications say they won't get vaccinated.
More U.S. adults are gravitating toward masking as a form of protection against the flu instead of getting vaccinated.
So let's look at why Americans say they're skipping the flu shot this season: 41 percent think flu shots don't work very well, 39 percent are concerned about the vaccine's side effects, 28 percent say they never get the flu shot, 24 percent are concerned about getting the flu from the shot and 20 percent don't think influenza is a serious illness.
Record drought and dangerous floods both targeting parts of the U.S. today. CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam has details when CNN NEWSROOM continues. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: The mighty Mississippi isn't nearly as mighty as it used to be, as we hear from CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam. The river has dropped to record lows while other parts of the country are getting ready for too much water all at once.
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BRUNHUBER: Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese says it is devastating to see flood ravaged areas of Melbourne. Floods from different weather systems are wreaking havoc around the world. CNN's Michael Holmes has more.
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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Almost as quickly as they came, the floods, at least in this part of Melbourne, have receded. Officials warn that, in many parts of the Australian states of Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania, floods are still a threat and, at times, even intensifying.
But some residents have already returned home and the damage is widespread. What was at one point floating, now haphazardly strewn around. A garbage can stuck in a tree, mud is everywhere.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The cleanup is going to be huge, right?
Just if you think about all of the branches and all of the garbage that has washed up and is up against fences now, it is going to be messy.
HOLMES (voice-over): The daunting task of cleaning up also facing people on the Greek island of Crete, where flash flooding there has caused similar devastation, leaving a tangle of toppled cars and tree limbs.
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HOLMES (voice-over): In some places, the floods spilled over embankments like waterfalls. Witnesses say it was terrifying how quickly the water rushed in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): It all happened within seconds. We just barely managed to get everyone out when the water had reached up to their shoulders.
HOLMES (voice-over): And while these floods may have surprised some residents in parts of Africa, especially during the rainy season, flooding is not uncommon. But what is shocking is the scale of some of the recent floods.
Officials in Nigeria say the country is experiencing some of its worst floods in a decade, with around 90,000 homes partially or completely destroyed and nearly 1.5 million people displaced because of them.
In Chad, families are fleeing flooded cities, searching for drier ground, many traveling on foot, carrying their possessions, forced to set up makeshift camps after their homes became unlivable.
In Vietnam, social media users posted videos of motorcycles making their way through deep floodwaters in the city of Da Nang. Residents there saying they haven't seen flooding this bad in 30 years, water rising to as high as 1.5 meters in five to 10 minutes. Authorities there say cleanup has begun as floodwaters recede -- Michael Holmes, CNN.
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BRUNHUBER: That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. For viewers in North America, "NEW DAY" is next. The rest of the world, it is "LIVING GOLF."
