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Police Investigating Attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Husband; Obama Campaigns for Democrats in Georgia; Russia Digs In ahead of Expected Push on Kherson; Feds Warn Extremists Pose Heightened Threat to Elections; Impact of Economics on Voters; Iran Calls for Rallies to Condemn Shrine Attack. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired October 29, 2022 - 04:00   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 (voice-over): Welcome, to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber.

Coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, we're learning more about the horrific attack on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband. The details, plus, a look at concerns that politically motivated violence is becoming more common.

Those warnings, heard on the campaign trail, 10 days from the midterms as Democrats, fighting to keep Georgia Senate seat, blue.

And, later, why Iran is blaming the United States for the recent anti- government protests, spreading throughout the country.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: Authorities, in San Francisco, preparing felony charges against a man suspected of attacking the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Right now, Paul Pelosi, is recovering in a hospital, with the Speaker at his side. He has undergone surgery for a skull fracture, as well as other, serious injuries.

Police say, he was attacked with a hammer by a man who broke into the couple's home. Authorities have identified the suspect as 42-year-old, David DePape. Investigators are still looking into what motivated the attack but a source says, he was there, looking for the Speaker. Listen to this.

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CHIEF WILLIAM SCOTT, SAN FRANCISCO POLICE DEPARTMENT: This was not a random act. This was intentional. And it is wrong. Our elected officials are here to do the business of their cities, their counties, their states and this nation. Their families don't sign up for this, to be harmed. And it is wrong.

And everybody should be disgusted about what happened this morning.

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BRUNHUBER: We have more details from CNN's Josh Campbell.

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JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Paul Pelosi, 82 years old, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, undergoing surgery today after being violently attacked with a hammer early Friday morning at the Pelosi San Francisco home. Speaker Pelosi was in Washington at the time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Special call, special call, medic 66, location --

CAMPBELL (voice-over): Police say they found Paul Pelosi fending off an attacker after responding to a request for a priority wellbeing check out the Pelosi home.

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SCOTT: When the officers arrived on scene, they encountered an adult male and Mr. Pelosi's husband, Paul. Our officers observed Mr. Pelosi and the suspect boat holding a hammer. The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): The assailant was searching for the Speaker, according to a source briefed on the attack.

He confronted Mr. Pelosi, shouting, "Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?"

SCOTT: Our officers immediately tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup and rendered medical aid.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): Two sources familiar with the investigation tell CNN the attacker hit Pelosi and attempted to tie him up after breaking into the back of the home around 2:30 am.

A suspect, 42-year-old David DePape, is now in custody. His Facebook page, now taken down, had posts of memes and conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and the January 6th attack at the U.S. Capitol.

Not long ago, Nancy Pelosi was a target of the January 6 rioters, with them hunting for and trashing her office. The motive for Friday's attack on her husband is not yet known.

SCOTT: Mr. DePape will be booked at the San Francisco County jail on the following charges, attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and several other additional felonies.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): The Speaker's office issued a statement saying, Mr. Pelosi is expected to make a full recovery.

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CAMPBELL: Now we are learning about how police were initially dispatched here to the Pelosi residence in the first place. Sources tell CNN, Mr. Pelosi was able to call 9-1-1 at the start of the attack and kept the line open, speaking in code.

It was an adept dispatcher who realized, something was wrong and sent police here. Of course, they were able to tackle the suspect. He was taken into custody and now faces multiple charges, including attempted homicide and assault -- Josh Campbell, CNN, San Francisco.

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BRUNHUBER: The violent attack on Paul Pelosi, sending shockwaves through the U.S. Capitol, where security has been top of mind since the January 6th insurrection. Many of those lawmakers, speaking out about the growing threats to elected officials. CNN's Manu Raju, with those details.

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MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Now there has been bipartisan concern about what happened in the Pelosi household. We have heard from Republicans, Democrats, House and Senate, about what happened here, condemning the attack.

But also there was more reaction from Democrats than Republicans. That caught the eye of Adam Kinzinger, a Republican from Illinois, who has been on the outs of his party, who called on his party to do more.

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REP. ADAM KINZINGER (R-IL): This is what happens when you convince a third of the country that the election was stolen and that the other side is an enemy. You otherize people. You convince folks that your political opposition is out to get you and your family. This is the kind of stuff that every Republican needs to speak out on.

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RAJU: The top Republican in the House, Kevin McCarthy, has yet to weigh in himself. He has not tweeted about this, not spoken about this, not issued a statement. He did issue a statement through a spokesperson, not from him.

"Leader McCarthy reached out to the Speaker to check in on Paul and said he is praying for a full recovery and is thankful they caught the assailant."

It's a little bit different from the top Republican on the Senate side, as Mitch McConnell, who said he is, quote, "horrified and disgusted" about the attack at the Pelosi household.

But nevertheless, we are seeing, overall, members of Congress condemning what they are learning about this attack, wishing Paul Pelosi a quick recovery, as lawmakers grapple with this and deal with their own questions about their own personal security in the aftermath of this attack -- Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Earlier, I spoke about this disturbing incident with CNN senior political analyst, Ron Brownstein. I asked him, what needs to be done to protect politicians and others, from becoming victims?

Here he is.

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RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: One thing the experts say, is you have to be aggressive in prosecuting people who, clearly, break the law.

The second thing they say, is you need unequivocal denunciations and the drawing of bright lines between mainstream political activity and extremist political activity. That, really, predominantly, is the responsibility of the Right.

As I said, there are cases on the Left. But in the bulk, we talk about individuals who have been radicalized by far-right extremism who are mounting these threats. Then, there is the question of federal legislation.

The voting rights bill in the House passed last year, H.R. 1, included measures to increase protection, in particular, for election workers. That was blocked, of course, by a filibuster in the Senate by Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin, who would not agree to try to overcome.

There are steps that can be taken. But we are talking about, potentially, millions of people who believe the election was stolen from Donald Trump. And 55 percent of Republicans saying, the role of traditional life in America is disappearing so fast, when they have to use force to save it. That doesn't mean that all of them will act on it.

But there is a subset of the population, when they hear these very radical claims, like Marjorie Taylor Greene, saying Nancy Pelosi, in effect, was guilty of treason, are going to act on it. We know that now.

And it seems as if the people making that claim are willing to accept these kinds of outbursts of violence, almost as acceptable collateral damage for the political benefit they get of mobilizing supporters with that kind of virulent rhetoric.

We are in a bad cycle here and it is not clear what the way out is. And I think, as I said, if anything, all of the signs suggest it will get worse before it gets better.

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BRUNHUBER: The attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband coming just a week, a little more than a week, before the midterm elections. Some crucial races could determine which party will control Congress for the next two years.

Now some Democratic candidates, getting help from former president Barack Obama. During a campaign stop in Georgia, Friday night, he reflected on the current state of American politics. Here he is.

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BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Politics, where some in office or who inspired office worked to stir up division, to make folks as angry and as afraid of one another for their own advantage.

And all of this has been amped up, hyped up, 24/7, on social media, on platforms that, oftentimes, find controversy and conflict more profitable than telling the truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: CNN's Jeff Zeleny gas more on Obama's campaign stop here in Atlanta, Georgia.

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JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Former president, Barack Obama, returned to the campaign trail Friday night, outside of Atlanta, kicking off a weeklong series of stops across the country, in key battleground states.

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ZELENY (voice-over): He framed the midterm elections as a stark choice between Democratic candidates and Republican ones. He acknowledged that inflation is a challenge for the president and the party but he said it is a global challenge as well. Then, he said, Republicans have no answers.

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OBAMA: They are not interested in, actually, solving problems. They are interested in making you angry and finding somebody to blame because, that way, you may not notice that they have got no answers of their own.

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ZELENY (voice-over): The former president also said, democracy is on the ballot in November. He talked about election denialism and the rising tensions and coarseness in American politics.

He also delivered a blistering critique against Herschel Walker. Of course, he is the Republican Senate candidates here in Georgia, challenging senator Raphael Warnock. This is one of the key races across the country that could help determine control of the Senate.

Now the former president, praised Walker as a star football player but then he said he simply was not prepared to serve in the Senate.

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OBAMA: In college, he was amazing, one of the best running backs of all time. But here is the question.

Does that make him the best person to represent you in the U.S. Senate?

Does that make him equipped to weigh in on the critical decisions about our economy and our foreign policy and our future?

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BRUNHUBER: Obama's appearance in Georgia was the start of a five-state swing before Election Day. He's also going to Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada, wrapping up joint appearances in Pennsylvania with his old partner, President Joe Biden, for the closing weekend of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Biden will campaign in Florida, New Mexico and Maryland. They are appearing in some key Senate battleground states, underscoring the importance of these midterms. Control of the Senate, hanging in the balance on November 8th. And, of course, Republicans are hoping to take control of the House and the Senate.

Republican strategist and CNN political commentator, David Urban, weighing in on some of the key contests. Here he is.

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DAVID URBAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: President Obama is a very popular man in Georgia. Unfortunately, he's not on the ballot, right? Senator Warnock is on the ballot. We will see if that translates or not.

And, you know, Herschel Walker is surging right now at the right time. Same thing in Pennsylvania with Mehmet Oz surging at the right time.

In Nevada, I think Laxalt's going to win. I think it's going to be a bad night for Democrats. Just -- the fact of the matter is, I think Democrats are looking at places like Colorado.

You saw Washington state, Tiffany Smiley sneaking up on Patty Murray. Democrats playing defense in places that you thought were impossible to lose. If Tiffany Smiley wins in Washington state, Katy bar the door, Democrats got blown out.

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BRUNHUBER: More than 17.5 million early ballots, cast across 46 states, as of Friday. That is according to data from election officials and some research and catalysts. So far, turnout keeping pace with 2018 and Democrats are more likely, than Republicans, to vote before Election Day.

Meanwhile, the White House says, President Joe Biden will vote later today in Wilmington, Delaware. He will be joined by his granddaughter, Natalie, who will be voting for the first time.

Ukrainian troops, piling on the pressure on Russian forces ahead of a looming battle for a key city.

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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Still ahead, a Ukrainian push on occupied Kherson, as Russian forces make it clear, they are not going away without a fight.

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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Plus, just a week away from critical midterm elections, we will talk with a historian about how the GDP or the price of gasoline could affect U.S. voters' choices. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: We are keeping an eye on several developments in Ukraine at this hour. Kyiv says its forces are now practically in control of a major highway in the Luhansk region, northeast of Lyman. The highway connects two towns that have been major objectives for Ukrainians.

And in the south, Russia claims that it has repelled a Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea. All of that is happening as Ukraine fights to keep the lights on after weeks of Russian strikes on the power system. It is also preparing for an expected push to retake the strategic city of Kherson.

Russia is now reportedly pouring in reinforcements while shutting down hospitals and taking their equipment out of the city. Nic Robertson is monitoring that from Kyiv. He joins us now live.

Nic, one of the major concerns is the energy situation and the power outages across the country.

What is the latest?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: The power outages in particular are having an effect around Kyiv and this part of the country. It seems that that is the intention of the Russian forces to target this area in particular.

A lot of Kyiv, without power for a lot of time. And a lot of people are affected, if not directly then by the reduction in the internet services that are available on the mobile phone service, where it's available.

So these effects are really beginning to bite. It is clear that the way Russia's targeting the electricity, not just the grid here, it is not just the power stations but the vital equipment that interlinks all the power stations, the control rooms that balance the way the power flows around the country.

So the government or the energy officials cannot see what precisely or how much energy and electricity is available in different areas. And they cannot see the needs in other areas and so the system is essentially hobbled.

They cannot use what they have got effectively. The military picture in the south in Kherson, the Russian forces, as you say, they are taking away the medical equipment, trying to force the doctors out. It is essentially stealing the hospital from Kherson.

This is a major city with a major hospital; there's a big oncology unit there as well.

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ROBERTSON: All of that has been stolen and shipped off to more strongly controlled areas, where Russian forces have a greater grip on the situation. Even when the Ukrainian forces get there, vital infrastructure is going to be stripped out.

Some success in the east of the country, the Svatove to Kreminna highway, an important highway as Ukrainian forces try to push closer to Luhansk city and retake areas that they lost in the east of the country.

They now have that they say under fire control, which means that they can direct their artillery and other fire on that road, deny it to the Russian forces. It is an indication they are taking ground there. This is a slow battle, like many of the others, getting into winter here.

But if they can take that, it opens the way to put pressure on Russia in other eastern cities, slowly, slowly pushing Russian forces back.

BRUNHUBER: All right, I appreciate the update there in Kyiv. Nic Robertson, thanks so much.

The man behind Russia's infamous Wagner mercenaries may be trying to move up in Moscow's echelons of Russian power. Yevgeny Prigozhin created the group that's fighting in Ukraine after earning a reputation for brutality around the world. Melissa Bell has more.

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MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At a war council plotting Russia's next moves in Ukraine, a taunt to the Russian army's top brass.

"Leak away so they know they're not just picking our noses here."

The head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is now believed to have confronted Vladimir Putin himself about the mismanagement of the war, according to American officials. He'd already been emerging from the shadows appearing in Ukraine in April and in Russian prisons recruiting hardened and sometimes diseased criminals.

By this side, also, the grieving parents of the men he sent to their deaths.

Now the United States believes his complaints to Putin have centered around the defense minister Sergei Shoigu's handling of the war.

ANTON BARBASHIN, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, RIDDLE RUSSIA: It's being selling himself as, you know, the most loyal servant that can solve problems. So his rise is the payment for his work.

BELL: From the Kremlin, a clear change of tone since October 8th, with the appointment of General Sergei Surovikin, dubbed General Armageddon, to head Russia's war in Ukraine.

And on the ground, deadlier and more ruthless strategy, of bombing the civilian populations and its infrastructure into submission.

Prigozhin's mercenary is given a more prominent role at the expense of Russia's military hierarchy, according to Christo Grozev, speaking to "OUTFRONT."

CHRISTO GROZEV, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND LEAD RUSSIA INVESTIGATOR, BELLINGCAT: What's interesting from my point of view, the new ambition that Prigozhin has obtained, in that he believes he's much better than the regular army. His people are better equipped than the regular army.

BELL: A confidence in Wagner Vladimir Putin seems to share; the so- called Wagner defense line now shoring up Russian positions in the Donbas -- Melissa Bell, CNN.

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BRUNHUBER: The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog says that he is frustrated by the lack of progress with the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant. Rafael Grossi has been pushing for the creation of a safety zone around the plant that has not been established yet.

He says the need for that zone is a no brainer for him, because the plant came under artillery fire several times. The plant is occupied by Russia but it operated by Ukrainian technicians. And strikes raised fears of a possible nuclear incident, both sides blaming each other.

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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Thousands gathered in Prague on Friday to demand that the current center-right government step down. The demonstrations took place on a national holiday and were organized by far-right political movements, various fringe groups and the Communist Party.

Protesters were seen waving Czech flags and holding signs, calling for the country to leave the E.U. and NATO.

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BRUNHUBER: All right, still ahead, much more on the attack against Nancy Pelosi's husband. We will explain how quick thinking from a police dispatcher may have saved Paul Pelosi's life. Please 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 am Kim Brunhuber, this is CNN NEWSROOM.

Nancy Pelosi's husband is recovering from surgery after being attacked in his San Francisco home. Police say that Paul Pelosi was struck with a hammer by a man who broke into the residence early on Friday.

CNN has learned that Mr. Pelosi called police dispatchers during the break-in so that they could hear what was happening. One of the operators immediately grasped the severity of the situation and sent police to the scene in a matter of minutes. Listen to this.

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BROOKE JENKINS, SAN FRANCISCO DISTRICT ATTORNEY: It is really thanks to Mr. Pelosi having the ability to make that call and truly the attention and the instincts of that dispatcher to realize that something was wrong in that situation and to make the police call a priority so that they got there within two minutes to respond to the situation.

So we really do have to give her great credit for her response in this and for the police response.

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BRUNHUBER: As you can imagine, some of Pelosi's neighbors were rattled by the attack.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now with people being able to search and find people's homes, it is very distinctive and it's very close to the sidewalk, like so many houses in this neighborhood. It is up flights of stairs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come Election Day, this could be a dangerous place to be, should the Right decide to camp out here.

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BRUNHUBER: Federal officials are issuing a dire warning, a bulletin released by the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, U.S. Capitol Police and National Counterterrorism Center caution that violent extremism poses an extreme risk to the upcoming election, saying, in part,

"Perceptions of election related fraud and dissatisfaction with electoral outcomes will likely result in heightened threats of violence."

Poll workers too say that they are increasingly concerned about physical threats themselves and election infrastructure. CNN's senior justice correspondent Evan Perez spoke earlier.

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EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: they're also concerned about is obviously some of the cyber threats that could come to try to give the impression that the election was stolen. These are all things that come into play around a key time like a midterm election.

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BRUNHUBER: But it is the economy that remains the biggest issue on most voters' minds this election midterm. That comes down to how you digest a mixture of good news and bad news.

On. The positive side, Wall Street ended the day with impressive games. This is the fourth straight week that the Dow ended in green and it is the biggest weekly percentage gain since May.

It follows news that the U.S. economy grew more than 2.5 percent last quarter, bouncing back from a rough first half of the year. In an exclusive interview with CNN, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen expressed optimism about the near term forecast. Here she is.

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JANET YELLEN, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: We are a full employment economy. It is very natural that growth would slow. And it hasn't for the first three quarters of this year. But it continues to be OK. We have a very strong labor market. I do not see signs of a recession in this economy at this point.

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BRUNHUBER: But that may not be much comfort for U.S. consumers. Yellen acknowledged that high inflation is something that Americans are feeling every day.

September prices were up more than 8 percent from a year earlier. Mortgage rates rose again this week, topping 7 percent for the first time in 20 years. Now those higher rates are beginning to choke the housing market. The question is whether Democrats will be held responsible for those problems.

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SEN. ROY BLUNT (R-MO): I think that they are responsible, the American voters have got to hold them responsible Election Day. I think there is no question that Republicans will gain control of the House.

And in a very narrow environment, just as likely as not to gain control of the Senate. But we still will not have control of the administration and bad regulatory policies. And bad energy policies will continue to stoke what is now a fire of inflation that got way out of hand before Democrats knew what they were doing.

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BRUNHUBER: U.S. Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley joins me now from Austin, Texas. He is also a professor of history at Rice University.

Thank you so much for being with us. So we know, in these midterms, President Biden and the Democrats are swimming against the economic, current but how strong is that current exactly?

How tightly linked are the performance of the economy and the performance of the party in power come election time, especially during midterms?

DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Well, they're swimming against the tide of history, too. Midterms are usually terrible for the incumbent party; in this case, the Democrats with Joe Biden and both houses of Congress.

The big indicator has always been the economy. Right now, the verdict is not good. People are feeling they are paying too much at the pump. They are worried terribly about a recession coming.

There is a feeling that there is not been a golden post COVID era under Biden. So it is a drag effect for the Democrats. They may have won some debates in some of the swing states.

And they are also doing, in many ways, well in early voting in places like Georgia. But it is going to be a big hurdle, because, as James Carville famously said, it's the economy, stupid, and that's what people are going to be focusing on.

BRUNHUBER: Still as relevant today.

But historically, is there any precedent for a party navigating these choppy waters successfully?

Is there a narrative or a playbook that has worked in the past?

BRINKLEY: Well, whenever there is some jarring event that occurs, which might be what is happening to Mr. Pelosi, something that rechanges (sic) the narrative from the economy; in this case what is going on in the American democracy, that can have an effect coming in just a few weeks before an election.

The economy is something that is not going to be fixed in a day or overnight. But there can be a new concern of some of these swing voters. We are dealing with only about 2 percent of Americans and a bunch of, maybe six states that are going to matter in the end.

They may swing away, making the economy their biggest worry, (INAUDIBLE) democracy. That is what Biden has been shopping. His economic message has just fallen flat.

BRUNHUBER: That is why I want to ask you, the Biden administration is trying to make that case, that the numbers are improving. But it does not really reflect the lived experience of most Americans, which is giving more weight to the Republicans' claims that Biden is gaslighting voters.

Do the real numbers matter here?

Or is it only specific ones, as you mentioned --

[04:35:00]

BRUNHUBER: -- groceries and gas?

BRINKLEY: Well, when you look at recent one-term presidents, they always have the big economic problem. Jimmy Carter, double digit inflation, he loses to Ronald Reagan; Gerald Ford was wearing a "Whip Inflation Now" button on his lapel and he got beat by Jimmy Carter because of high inflation.

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BRINKLEY (voice-over): If you look at what happened to George Herbert Walker Bush, probably our finest one-term president maybe in American history, (INAUDIBLE) foreign policy, president of winning the Cold War and the first war in Iraq and Bush lost because of the economy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRINKLEY: So the Democrats are really trying to stem the tide of history. They're hoping that something else in the atmosphere is going to be happening. Perhaps it is the Roe v. Wade decision that brings out more women, perhaps last minute.

This Pelosi incident will remind people of January 6th and the real danger of extreme right wing election deniers have. But the atmospherics are not particularly good for the Democrats.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, although, the Democrats would cry foul saying that they are being blamed for all of these world forces that are impacting fuel prices; the economy in Europe, for instance, is having an even worse inflation problem.

They are also trying to make the case that Republicans, if they get in power, will crash the economy.

Is that a losing argument, do you think, trying to invoke fears of something that has not happened, rather than talking about something that actually is happening?

BRINKLEY: I think it is proper for the Biden administration, for Democrats, to remind people that inflation is global. This is not Biden's economy, per se. Unfortunately, presidents get credit when the economy is booming and they get blamed when it is not.

People do not have the time to microdivide the differences. It is a gut feeling that how am I paying my bills in middle class America. And Biden has struggled with it this whole year.

Yes, the war in the Ukraine creates a kind of problem, why am I struggling at the pump?

I cannot pay grocery bills, I don't have money for college tuition and then suddenly the rest of the war in Iraq, when, it's not going to end when we are paying that amount of money.

BRUNHUBER: It'll be fascinating to what role the economy plays in the midterms as we look ahead to them. Coming up shortly, thank you so much for your analysis. We really appreciate it.

BRINKLEY: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Brazil's two presidential candidates face off in a final debate just days before the runoff election. Details when we come back.

Plus civil unrest continues in Iran, as another anti government protesters is met with violence. We have details straight ahead, please stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Dozens of Iranians who live in Ukraine gathered in central Kyiv Friday to show their support for Ukrainians and to protest against Russia's use of Iranian made drones. One demonstrator had this to say.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My message is to (INAUDIBLE) the people, the Ukrainian (ph) people, are separate from (INAUDIBLE) for the republic Islamic. We don't want they do this and they don't give to Putin (INAUDIBLE). They are -- they are making war for here and we are telling to Ukraine people this, we are separate.

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BRUNHUBER: Amid nationwide unrest, Iranian officials are now accusing the CIA and the U.S. State Department of playing a major role in anti government protests. The IRGC intelligence unit and intelligence ministry issued a joint statement on Friday, alleging the U.S. State Department met with the leader of Iran's Kurdistan region.

CNN's Nada Bashir joins me now.

So what prompted the government to blame the U.S.?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kim, for the last six or seven weeks now, the Iranian regime has maintained that these are not anti regime protests, these are riots being instigated and encouraged by foreign agents.

They blamed United States and Israel previously, accusing foreign actors and agents of working within the country, creating unrest and instability. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has previously said that this is an attempt to destabilize Iran after the West is seeing the progress that the country has made, in his words, in the face of Western sanctions.

Of course this is a narrative that the regime has been pushing forward for weeks now and now we are learning more details around this claim, following Revolutionary Guard Corps' intelligence unit, which issued that statement, accusing CIA operatives of working under the guise of the State Department with Kurdish separatists.

We have seen much on the crackdown of Iran, really double down in the Kurdish region, in the northwestern part of Iran.

We are talking about cities like Sanandaj, where we have a major crackdown just in the last 48 hours, seen violence and clashes of Mahabad, where the regime has said that it is working against separatist organizations aiming to destabilize the country.

Of course, this is a narrative coming from state media and the regime and the message that we have heard from people in Iran and, of course, from human rights organizations, is that this is simply not the truth.

These are ordinary Iranian people, braving a crackdown by the regime, to take a stand against the human rights abuses perpetrated by the Iranian regime. They are calling for their fundamental human rights, for women's rights, many now calling for regime change.

The issue now is that we now have seen that terror attack in the southern city of Shiraz, a terror attack identified by the Iranian regime. Three assailants they have described as foreign nationals.

That once again plays into that narrative, that this could be instigated by foreign actors. The concern now is that this makes it a pretext for the Iranian for a regime to step up the crackdown that, of course, according to the United Nations, has already claimed the lives of at least 250 people.

BRUNHUBER: So now you have been talking about what has been prompting the protests against the government.

[04:45:00]

BRUNHUBER: We are also seeing now pro-government rallies in some parts of Iran.

What is behind that?

BASHIR: Absolutely, the regime has actually called for those rallies following the terror attack that we heard from the Iranian government propaganda platform, the propaganda unit, calling the Iranian people to take to the streets to show their contempt for the terror attack in Shiraz, in southern Iran.

Of course, this has dwarfed in the number of protests that we have seen in the last seven weeks. Thousands taking to the streets every single day, protesting against the regime.

We have seen the Iranian government and authorities trying to stem the spread and the evidence of these protests and of the violence that they are perpetrating against the protesters.

We've seen multiple occasions of internet blackouts, particularly in parts of the country where we are seeing that heavy crackdown by the security forces. Just in the last 48 hours in Mahabad and Sanandaj. We have seen several killed, according to human rights organizations.

But what has been most concerning is that the security forces are not only using tear gas and metal pellets, they are also using live fire ammunition against protesters. According to Amnesty International, in Mahabad war weapons were used by the security forces.

And there is really growing concern around the tactics being used by the security forces against protesters.

BRUNHUBER: Nada Bashir, thank you so much.

Brazil's incumbent president, Jair Bolsonaro says he will respect the results of Sunday's runoff against rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The two candidates sparred in their final debate before voters go to the polls, each accusing the other of lying.

The differences between them are stark, as Brazil continues to struggle with high inflation, limited growth and rising poverty. Neither Bolsonaro nor the leftist da Silva won over 50 percent of the votes during the first election earlier this month.

Tropical storm Nalgae is causing a lot of pain for the Philippines right now. The storm made landfall with rain and winds of 100 kilometers per hour, about 60 miles per hour. The rain brought dangerous flooding and landslides to parts of the

country. Rescue teams used boats to reach people trapped by the rising water; 72 people died in the deadly storm; 33 others were injured, 14 people are still missing.

All right, coming up, this 8-year old just made history and it was a family affair. We will have that story and more when CNN NEWSROOM continues. Please stay with us.

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[04:50:00]

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BRUNHUBER: Eight-year-old Sam Adventure Baker, yes, that this is real name, he has become the youngest person to climb El Capitan. That is according to his dad's recent post on Facebook, which says, "We made it."

Sam scaled the peak with his father and you can see them there on the way up. They camped on the ledge of the mountain, heating up mac and cheese on a small stove and watching "The Lion King."

El Capitan is more than twice as tall as the Empire State Building. The whole trip was just another family vacation, but nervous parents probably don't make good mountain climbers.

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JOE BAKER, SAM'S DAD: We definitely passed the halfway point on El Capitan. Still have a long way to go. The adventure awaits.

BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Now they just have to hike the eight miles down El Capitan.

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BRUNHUBER: Congratulations.

Well, someone could be hours away from winning Powerball's largest prize this year. An estimated $825 million jackpot is also the second largest jackpot in Powerball history. The next drawing is tonight. The chances of winning Powerball's big prize are slim.

Around one in 292 million but if you do beat the odds you can get your winnings gradually or in a lump sum payment of $410 million.

He was the all American quarterback and she the beautiful Brazilian supermodel. Together, Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen made an international power couple. But on Friday they announced they had finalized their divorce after 13 years of marriage.

Brady retired from the NFL in February, only to return to the sport months later. Bundchen has publicly spoken out about concerns of him returning to the field and wanting him to spend more time with the family.

The couple said it was an amicable decision and they will continue to concentrate on parenting their two children.

Rock 'n' roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis has died. His contributions to modern American music are legendary, rivaled only by his scandalous personal life. CNN's Stephanie Elam takes a closer look at the entertainer known as The Killer.

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STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jerry Lee Lewis, the wild rock 'n' roll piano man, who lit up the stage in the 1950s with hits like "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," had long hair, crazy moves and an energy that just didn't quit.

But that spirit would be tested many times during his roller-coaster life.

Born in Louisiana in 1935, Lewis started tickling the ivories at an early age. When he was 10 years old, his father mortgaged the family farm to buy the self-taught musician his first piano.

After getting kicked out of school, Lewis turned his full attention to music. He made his way to Memphis in 1956 and landed a job with Sun Studios. While there, Lewis rubbed elbows with Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash and recorded his first single.

His big break came with the 1957 release of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On."

[04:55:00]

ELAM (voice-over): Later that year, Lewis rocked the charts with another hit, "Great Balls of Fire."

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ELAM (voice-over): His high-energy antics earned him the nicknamed "The Killer." His personal life brought the rising star's career to a screeching halt when he married his 13-year-old cousin.

MYRA LEWIS WILLIAMS, LEWIS' EX-WIFE: Jerry decided that I was going to marry him and he took a girl that was 22 years old to the courthouse. And she posed as Myra Brown and she signed the marriage license.

ELAM (voice-over): The public outrage forced Lewis to cancel tours and radio stations stopped playing his songs. He made a comeback in the 1960s as a country star with hits like "Another Place, Another Time."

But tragedies followed. Lewis' 3-year-old son drowned and a teenage son died in a car accident. The singer developed a drinking problem and suffered a bleeding ulcer that nearly killed him.

Another decade, another upswing; in the late '80s, Lewis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and earned a Hollywood star.

JERRY LEE LEWIS, SINGER-SONGWRITER: I look forward to another 33 years in the business.

ELAM (voice-over): He also gained renewed popularity from the biographical movie, "Great Balls of Fire!" Jerry Lee Lewis kept entertaining audiences well into his golden years, just rocking his life away.

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BRUNHUBER: I am Kim Brunhuber, you can follow me on Twitter. I'll be back in just a moment with more CNN NEWSROOM. Please stay with us.