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Candidates Make Final Pitch Before Election Day; Ukraine Braces For Power Blackouts, Fresh Infrastructure Attacks; North Korea Says Missile Tests Were Practice Response To Attack South And US. Aired 1- 2a ET

Aired November 07, 2022 - 01:00   ET

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

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[01:00:27]

LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of our viewers watching from around the world. I'm Laila Harrack, ahead on CNN Newsroom. We're in the closing stretch of an extremely consequential midterm election. It's a dead heat for Senate races in Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia. We have a preview of what's at stake for both parties.

Plus, some Spanish speaking communities are being inundated with election disinformation and conspiracy theories. Ahead a look at how it's spreading so easily. And Ukraine is bracing for a bitter winter as Russian strikes pound the power grid, leaving millions in the cold and dark.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with Laila Harrak.

HARRAK: We're now just one day away from the critical midterm elections in the U.S. and the stakes couldn't be higher. The candidates are now making their final pitch ahead of Election Day up for grabs, all 435 House seats and 35 of the 100 Senate seats. The outcome of this election will determine who controls Congress. And while Democrats currently hold a slim majority, it remains unclear if they'll be able to hang on to power especially in the House. That's where race ratings by inside elections shows Republicans appear to have the advantage heading into Tuesday.

Well, the party needs 218 seats to control the chamber. And with 20 seats rated as a toss up. Republicans would only need to win a few of those to take back control but in the Senate control still appears up for grabs of the 35 seats on the ballot only three are considered a toss up and those key races in Nevada, Georgia and Pennsylvania may end up determining which party will lead the Senate.

Well for voters the key issue remains the state of the U.S. economy. According to a recent CNN survey, 51 percent of likely voters said that was their top priority far greater than any other issue. But those numbers are divided along party lines. According to the polls, 71 percent of Republicans called the economy their top concern, while 53 percent of independence and 27 percent of Democrats set the same while the polls also show partisan divisions on other issues, including abortion, which resonates strongly with Democrats and immigration, which Republicans consider a more pressing matter which.

So much at stake, Americans have been rushing to the polls and force for early voting. So far, more than 40 million people have already voted across 47 states. Georgia alone recorded about two and a half million pre-election ballots. That's a midterm record and far higher than the numbers from 2018. Traditionally more Democrats vote early. But a former Atlanta mayor says the turnout is no guarantee of a Democrat win.

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KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS, FORMER ATLANTA, GEORGIA MAYOR: We have seen a record number of people turn out in early vote but we still have an election on Tuesday and we cannot let up until this election is over. It doesn't matter what the polls say. People still have the ability to show up to vote on Tuesday and to make a difference in Georgia. The thought of Herschel Walker going to the Senate is frightening.

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HARRAK: Well, our correspondents are covering all the angles of the elections. In New York Donie O'Sullivan is tracking the impact of misinformation. In Florida, Kristen Holmes looks at two competing rallies by top Republicans and in Pennsylvania, Athena Jones is following the state's close Senate race.

And Athena Jones in Pennsylvania, first to you. Pennsylvania races are heating up. Why are all eyes on this state?

ATHENA JONES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Laila, Pennsylvania is the Democrats biggest opportunity to pick up a Senate seat in this quest to maintain control of the chamber. You mentioned that there's a lot of indications that that Democrats are going to lose control of the House They're hoping to hold on to the Senate, retiring Senator Pat Toomey is a Republican.

[01:05:05]

So they hope they can pick up this seat as lieutenant governor John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz a square off.

This is of course a challenging environment for Democrats not just in Pennsylvania but all across the country with voters so concerned about the economy and inflation and with the President's approval numbers upside down. So more people are disapproving of the job he's doing that approving of it.

Polls here suggest that Fetterman is ahead in this close race, but as you mentioned, it's considered a toss up. And of course, turnout is going to be key. That is what we've seen. The candidates and their surrogates big names in each party are focusing on in the last several days. Dr. Oz campaigning in Bethlehem and in Bucks County today. Fetterman was also in Bucks County and in Harrisburg, and Fetterman himself making the point earlier today by bringing up a mayoral race he won by just one point. He said it's going to be a jump ball. On Tuesday, it's going to come down to every single vote.

Meanwhile, Oz today in Bethlehem, which is in Northampton County, one of only two counties, that President -- that flipped from Trump to Biden and helped him win this state in 2020, Oz trying to appeal beyond the Republican base, telling his supporters at that rally don't just focus on Republicans, they're already in our camp, they're already voting for me. Instead talk to some conservative Democrats and some independents, people who are upset about the economy, the direction of the country, they may not realize they are Oz supporters. So talk to them, get them to come over to our side.

One key thing here in Pennsylvania, you noted the early voting going on all across the country. Pennsylvania, not sitting records here, but we're looking at more than a million early votes cast. That's about 20 percent of the total vote in the midterm elections back in 2018. So that it could give us some indication of just how interested people are in in making their voices heard. But it also tells you that it could take a while before we learned the results here in Pennsylvania because they cannot open those ballots until Election Day. Laila.

HARRAK: All right, Athena Jones live in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Thank you so much.

For more on these tight races, let's bring in CNN national political reporter Maeve Reston. She joins us now from Los Angeles, so good to be with you. You've been traveling across the U.S. talking to voters throughout your reporting. What are they telling you? What is top of mind for people this election?

MAEVE RESTON, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, it's just a -- it's just been such an amazing cycle, because you really see how much Democrats are on defense at this point. They, you know, when you're out talking to voters, in states like Arizona and Nevada a lot. What is most top of mind, obviously, is inflation, gas prices, the economic uncertainty, fears that the nation has headed toward a recession.

And so that has just been the absolute dominant issue, which is not what we thought earlier this summer when it seemed as though, you know, abortion was going to play a much larger role in this election. But it's all those economic issues, that frustration with Washington, the feeling that no one is doing anything to help them. And I think that's really what the economic headwinds are that Democrats are facing going into Tuesday.

HARRAK: Can you tell us a little bit more about that? What did your reporting find on how the rising cost of living is shaping how voters think about this election?

RESTON: Well, they feel frustrated at the party in power, as always. And it's so interesting, because Democrats really tried to campaign on all of these legislative accomplishments that they had this year, like an infrastructure bill for, you know, spending on roads and bridges, or the extent of the pandemic aid that they put out there to help people with things like housing insecurity.

But voter memories are very short. And when I was out there talking to people about those initiatives, that just what -- they just felt that that had not helped them, and their families enough going into this year, and so a lot of them are just looking for change.

Even the mention of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Democrats passed this year, would sometimes draw like laughter from voters that I talked to saying like what's been reduced, I'm still paying $5 a gallon for gas and I'm having to cut all of these things from my life. And I've gone through my savings is what a lot of people said. And I think that that's going to give Republicans potentially a really good night.

HARRAK: Now you've written about women voters playing a critical role in these elections. What's the trend that you've observed?

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RESTON: Well, it's so interesting because we know that there are all of those college educated women who are really alienated by former President Donald Trump, and who kind of fled the Republican Party during his presidency. Republicans feel like these economic issues are really a chance for them to bring a lot of those suburban women back into the fold. And they're such an important swing vote in states like Arizona, Pennsylvania, Nevada.

But a lot of the women that I've talked to feel conflicted. They don't like the direction that the Republican Party has taken on abortion. They see the laws that have been passed in a lot of red states as being much too restrictive. And at the same time, you know, they want change and think that Republicans potentially would do a better job on some of these economic issues. So you see, actually a lot of older women headed into this final stretch who were still undecided. And it's because there are so many different crosscurrents this time.

HARRAK: And in conclusion, want to get a final thought from you. How is the question of democracy after January 6 influencing voters?

RESTON: Well, I think it really depends on the state. And, you know, it does not come up as often as you would think when voters are asked about their top concerns, except in a place like Arizona, where the candidates that Donald Trump back to the top four candidates are all election deniers.

And in that state, Democrats have really been making the case that, you know, the future of democracy could be at risk in America, if you have election deniers running this -- the apparatus of government in a state that could decide the 2024 election, and especially now that Trump is running again, because all of those candidates have echoed his lies about the election.

There's just a lot of uncertainty about what would happen in 2024 If they were to win. And so that's the one state where people really do seem to be taking that that issue into consideration.

HARRAK: Maeve Reston, thank you so much for joining us.

RESTON: Thank you so much. Good to be with you. HARRAK: An envelope containing suspicious white powder was sent to the campaign headquarters of Kari Lake, Republican nominee for Arizona governor. A staffer opened the envelope on Saturday and is now under medical supervision so far no reports of injuries. While that envelope was one of two that were confiscated by law enforcement and sent to professionals for examination, according to a campaign spokesman.

Miss Lake is condemning the incident saying quote, we are living in dangerous times. Her team said it was taking the threat incredibly seriously and thanked authorities for investigating the incident.

Do join us on Tuesday for in depth special coverage of the crucial U.S. midterm elections that will determine control of Congress starting at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

Still to come, Ukraine's president says Russian forces are attempting to knock out power across the country. The weapons he says they're using to do it just ahead. Plus, North Korean officials defend their recent flurry of missile tests. Why they claim the U.S. and South Korea forced them to do it.

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HARRAK: Ukraine's President warns Russian forces may try to disable the country's infrastructure with missiles obtained from Iran. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the claim during his nightly address on Sunday. Millions of people in cities like Kyiv have seen access to electricity and water knocked out by Russian airstrikes over the last few weeks. Kyiv's mayor says Russia means to make them suffer. So they're preparing for the worst a complete loss of all utilities.

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VITALI KLITSCHOKO, MAYOR OF KYIV, UKRAINE (through translator): Our enemies are doing everything to keep the city without heat, electricity and water supply. And in general, they want us all to die. This is their task. And how well we'll hold out depends on how well we're prepared for different scenarios. The future of our country and the future of every single citizen depends on this level of preparation. That's why we need to be prepared.

This is not a war. This is terrorism. This is genocide. Putin doesn't need us Ukrainians. He needs territory. He needs Ukraine without us. That's why everything that is happening now. Strikes on infrastructure is genocide.

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HARRAK: Well, further south and Harrison residents are also without water and electricity. Ukrainian and Russian forces have blamed each other for the outages on several buildings are also reported to be on fire in the Russian health city of Donetsk after claims of Ukrainian strikes Monday morning. Many Ukrainians have no idea what happened to their loved ones who joined the fight against Russia after the invasion began in February. CNN's Nic Robertson followed a Ukrainian military team attempting to find soldiers lost and battle and a warning his report contains graphic images and may be difficult to watch.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN International Diplomatic Editor (voiceover): Somewhere in this forlorn corner of a not so forgotten Battlefield, six Ukrainian soldiers are missing, believe dead. Leonid Bondar and his two man military recovery team have come to look for them.

LEONID BONDAR, UKRAINIAN ARMY SEARCH AND RECOVERY UNIT (through translator): It's important for their families, for us, for the country, that we bring them home.

ROBERTSON: They are the first to search since Ukraine retook this area from Russian troops six weeks ago. Dangerous abound, minds a deadly menace, he explains. Russians shelled then overran the position late spring. What happened in the soldiers final moments and to their mortal remains is the mystery Bondar and his team have come to solve. Lives ended in an instant, now perhaps their story's not over.

[01:20:09]

BONDAR (through translator): We worked out the possibility of the bodies flying after the explosion, and thus found the remains of two more fighters.

ROBERTSON: By the end of the first day, Bondar is finding clues and something else to something he feared. Russian inhumanity.

ROBERTSON (on camera): There's bits of metal from ammunition cases here and bone fragments a piece perhaps from a leg piece of skull over here. The investigators think that perhaps the Russians tried to burn the bodies.

ROBERTSON (voiceover): The following day, the team back digging in the bunker where they think the soldiers hid during the shelling.

Meanwhile, Bondar collects the bones of a soldier thrown from the blast. Every fragment recovered a possible DNA lead and potential solace for loved ones. And then he discovers a ring. Helpful for identification he says, but the bones also confirmation of what he feared. Russians callously burned this fallen soldiers.

BONDAR (through translator): This is not the first time we have encountered a situation where the norms of humanity are neglected and soldiers are not properly buried.

ROBERTSON: Back in the bunker, important finds bone fragments, their hunch the soldiers huddled here getting traction. Then the unexpected. Other Ukrainian soldiers take the team to a dead Russian soldier they just discovered nearby. His remains recorded, recovered. Given the same respect as their own fallen. In the bunker war progress, several bodies located beneath the rubble. Come on home, brother Leonid whispers, as the fallen soldier's broken body gently is free. Then the next soldier gun in hand is pried out. His documents located. Thank you for helping us identify, Bondar tells the body.

BONDAR (through translator): We've seen five of our fellow servicemen. Questions remain about one more body. When we raise these, we will see if he is there too.

ROBERTSON: Those found soon to be reunited with their grieving families. Their final moments better understood. Bondar on his team vow to keep searching for the sake.

ROBERTSON (on camera): They know they may not be able to find out all the details of how these soldiers died. The only certainty here is that as long as the war goes on, their job is far from over. Nic Robertson, CNN, Brashkivka, Ukraine.

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HARRAK: At least nine people were killed in Syria after attacks on camps in western Idlib for internally displaced people according to the White Helmets group. The Volunteer Rescue organization says the attack was carried out with Russian warplanes and missiles loaded with cluster bombs. It's just the latest violence in Idlib, despite a truce between Turkish and Russian troops to stop military activity in the area.

Well, that agreement has been violated multiple times by Russia and the Syrian regime. Although Syria denies any involvement.

North Korea is defending a recent series of missile launches that have sparked international condemnation the country says last week says were in response to a military drill that the U.S. and South Korea held together. Pyongyang is claiming to have fired more than 80 missiles and threatened more action if Washington and Seoul hold future drills. CNN's Anna Coren is joining us live now with more on these -- on this developing story.

Anna, North Korea on a missile launching spree blames the US and South Korea for provoking it with their military drills in the region. What has been the response?

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well look, North Korea releasing these images Laila of last week's missile launches and the intercontinental ballistic missile launch which happened on Thursday and of course, in Japan it triggered those evacuation alerts in the north of the country.

North Korea is justifying why it fired this record number of missiles last week.

[01:25:05]

It claims that these weren't (ph) simulated strikes against South Korea and the United States. As you say North Korea claims at five more than 80. The South Koreans say it's more like you know, in the 30s. But North says this was to counter the intolerable and unpardonable joint exercises between the U.S. and South Korea.

Last week's exercises were vigilant storm. Every year, the United States and South Korea get together and conduct joint military exercises. This one last week had to do with the Air Force. They were long scheduled in the book but interestingly, Laila, there were no images whatsoever of Kim Jong-un watching on, which is what we have certainly seen in the past and some analysts have analyzed the images saying that they're old photos of previous tests.

So, you know, once again, we have this discrepancy, but let me read to you something that has come from the North Korean military. It says the large scale combined air drill is in fact an open provocation, aimed at intentionally escalating the tension in the region, and a dangerous war drill a very high aggressive nature directly targeting the DPRK.

Now I just want to tell you that Vigilant Storm was extended by a day because of those North Korean missile tests. And then on Saturday, we saw this show of force by the United States and South Korea. The United States flew two B-1B bombers, these are supersonic strategic bombers. They were flown from Guam, and this is the first time that they've flown over the Korean peninsula since 2017.

As you can see from that picture, they were flanked by for us F-16 fighter jets, as well as for South Korean F-35 jets. These exercises involve 214 war planes, Laila, and thousands of servicemembers. North Korea just finally as saying that any future U.S.-South Korean drills, they will respond with sustained resolute and overwhelming military measures. Laila.

HARRAK: A lot of back and forth there. Anna Coren reporting, thank you so much. And still to come, Democrats and Republicans still have one more day to try and reach voters ahead of Tuesday's crucial midterm elections, a look at what's at stake. Plus, political disinformation spreads in some Latino communities. We'll look at the impact it's having on their professional and personal lives.

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HARRAK: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. I'm Laila Harrak and you're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

The midterm elections are looming large in the U.S. with just one day to go until voters across the country cast their ballots. The vote will determine who will control Congress and who will lead more than two dozen states.

All 435 House seats and 35 of the 100 senate seats are up for grabs. While Democrats currently hold a slim majority it remains unclear if they'll be able to hang on to power. And addition, 36 states will be electing governors. Candidates in crucial contests have ramped up their campaigning in the lead up to Tuesday's election, in an effort to sway undecided voters and get their base to the polls.

And they've been getting some help. As president Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump both hit the campaign trail in a final push ahead of the critical vote.

Already, some states have seen a huge turnout in early voting. According to data from election officials, more than 40 million preelection ballots have been cast in 47 states.

Meantime, former President Donald Trump and state governor Ron DeSantis hold competing rallies in Florida. Mr. Trump, who's campaigning for state Senator Marco Rubio, once again pushed his false election claims.

CNN's Kristen Holmes has the latest from Miami.

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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In the final days before the midterms, former President Donald Trump delivered a dark message during a rally with Senator Marco Rubio in Miami. The president focused on crime, particularly crime committed by illegal immigrants, drug dealers, murder, death.

But all of that dark messaging similar to what we saw when he ran for president in 2016, resonated with his supporters. Supporters stood cheering for him, even as a torrential downpour started outside of the rally.

Perhaps the most surprising remarks that came from former President Trump were those in support of Senator Marco Rubio. He praised the senator. Usually during these rallies, he focuses much more on himself and his political future. However, he heaped praise on Rubio there.

Now one person who is noticeably missing among top elite Florida Republicans was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. He was not invited by former President Donald Trump to this rally. DeSantis is largely considered Trump's most formidable opponent in 2024, should both of them run for president.

As we reported last week, former President Trump is likely to announce in the two weeks between the midterm elections and Thanksgiving. That's when he's eyeing announcing a third presidential run.

Kristen Holmes, CNN -- Miami.

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HARRAK: In Georgia, all eyes will be on the race for governor as well as the senate race. Republican candidate Herschel Walker against incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock. If no candidate gets a clear majority, there will be a runoff election. And Georgia's Republican secretary of state is fighting to keep his

job against a Democratic challenger. At the same time he's also in charge of making sure the elections went smoothly in the state. Here is what he had to say about the integrity of the elections.

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BRAD RAFFENSPERGER (R), GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE: I know in Georgia, we have honest and fair elections for everyone. And I will honor the results for my own personal race. I'm not going to be contesting it. Let the people speak, you know, through their vote. Because I do know that we have honest and fair elections.

[01:35:00]

RAFFENSBERGER: I'm going to accept the results of my race, and I've encouraged everyone holding themselves up and running for office. You know, you have a process that's so close you can ask for a recount. You can have your challenges.

But when that's all said and done, you follow the law, and you follow the constitution, and you accept the will of the people.

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HARRAK: Well, this election has been mired by widespread disinformation, and much of it is circulating in Spanish-speaking communities. CNN's Donie O'Sullivan shows us how these falsehoods are affecting Latino voters and their faith in democracy.

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EVELYN PEREZ VERDIA, CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, WE ARE MAS: You're sitting in a home where I used to break bread with Republicans who have now been radicalized.

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For some Latinos here in south Florida, election lies have ruptured friendships and split families.

VERDIA: It's dividing our families, but it's also creating a lot of distrust in Spanish-speaking voters.

O'SULLIVAN: The same kind of election lies and even QAnon conspiracy theories that circulate in English also go viral among the Spanish- speaking community.

TAMOA CALZADILLA, FACT CHECKER, FACTCHEQUEADO: You can see disinformation in English, and in two or three days, you can see this disinformation with captions in Spanish.

O'SULLIVAN: Tamoa Calzadilla, a journalist who had to flee Venezuela, is now a Spanish language fact-checker, and says some of the disinformation is targeted at immigrants from specific countries.

So this narrative that the Biden administration is a socialist, communist regime -- CALZADILLA: -- (INAUDIBLE) for people that came from Cuba, Venezuela,

Nicaragua. This is scary.

What your friends or family are telling you is the Democrats are radical socialists -- they're the same as what Chavez brought to Venezuela.

O'DONNELL: Maria Corina Vegas' phone is filled with disinformation from her friends and relatives, including QAnon type lies about pedophilia and the Democratic Party.

MARIA CORINA VEGAS, JOE BIDEN SUPPORTER: I don't want my grandchildren living in a society that does not condemn pedophilia.

O'DONNELL: Vegas volunteered for the Biden campaign in 2020. She says the Democrats should not ignore disinformation.

VEGAS: So, in Spanish -- (INAUDIBLE) -- you know, if you stay silent, you are conceding the point.

O'DONNELL: What is the phrase and Spanish?

VEGAS: E que caia otoria (ph). You're essentially acknowledging that it's true.

O'DONNELL: Are you seriously saying that the Democrats should be out there saying, Joe Biden's not a pedophile like responding to every meme?

VEGAS: When there's a narrative that is created, and you have people on the ground telling you, this is having an impact, you should at a minimum listen, and try to come up with a strategy to counter it.

O'DONNELL: One of the challenges of tackling Spanish disinformation is that so much of it is spread on the messaging platform, WhatsApp. Messages are encrypted so fact check labels can't be used like they are on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

ALAN DUKE, EDITOR IN-CHIEF, LEAD STORIES: Why is it happening now? I think it's very simple. The stakes are very high.

O'DONNELL: Alan Duke is a global fact checker who says the that disinformation is aimed at winning critical Latino votes.

DUKE: Spanish-American voters are very crucial in many of the races. It's different in different parts of the country. There's very important key political races that are being targeted with this misinformation.

JUAN CARLOS PLANAS, FORMER FLORIDA REPUBLICAN: I became a Democrat the week after the November 2020 election, when I saw that Republicans were in denial about what was a free and fair election.

O'SULLIVAN: J.C. Planas is a former Republican Florida House Representative and now lectures on the electoral system.

You said you've lost friends because of this.

PLANAS: One of the fears of the Hispanic community is we're going to have socialism and we're going to have a socialist dictatorship. The best way to make sure that we do not have socialism is to protect our democracy. If we protect our democracy, we can survive.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: And that was CNN's Donie O'Sullivan reporting.

And join us Tuesday for in-depth special coverage of the crucial U.S. midterm elections that will determine control of Congress starting at 4 p.m. eastern.

Just ahead, a deadly plane crash in Tanzania. What may have caused the aircraft to plunge into Lake Victoria.

And with the COP27 climate conference underway in Egypt, we'll look at unique proposals to reduce humankind's carbon footprint. Ahead, on CNN NEWSROOM.

[01:39:33]

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HARRAK: 19 people are dead after a Tanzanian commercial flight crashed into Lake Victoria on Sunday. The airline says there are 24 survivors as rescue operations continued on Sunday.

CNN's Larry Madowo has the story.

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LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rescuers desperately search for survivors among the wreckage of an aircraft submerged in Africa's largest freshwater lake. Videos posted to social media show the plane almost entirely underwater, with only the tail visible.

Nearby onlookers and fishermen join in on the search and rescue operation. Officials say 19 of the 43 people who were on board have died, including the captain and first officer after the passenger plane crashed in Tanzania.

The Precision Air operated flight had taken off from Tanzania's commercial capital Dar Es Salaam and was destined for the northwestern city of Bukoba. But heavy rainfall and strong winds led the flight to plunge into Lake Victoria, officials reported. The CEO of Precision Air fought back tears as he updated reporters in Dar es Salaam.

PATRICK WANN, CEO PRECISION AIR (through translator): Our team and the authorities are heading to Bukoba to investigate what caused this accident. So I'd like to give my condolences to all Tanzanians in the Precision Air family. Let's be united in this tragedy, and may God help us.

MADOWO: Tanzania's prime minister Kassim Majaliwa said officials believe all bodies have been recovered. Names of the 18 dead were released apart from one woman who remains unidentified.

[01:44:54]

MADOWO: The airline has also opened a crisis management center to communicate with families as they continue to investigate what went so wrong.

Larry Madowo, CNN -- Johannesburg.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan is now out of the hospital days after being wounded in a shooting. He was shot in the leg during a nationwide tour demanding new elections on Sunday.

He called for an independent inquiry into the apparent assassination attempt. And he again claimed without proof that Pakistan's prime minister was one of several officials behind the attack, which also left one person dead and 11 injured.

Mr. Khan says he will resume his long march toward Islamabad, which had been paused due to the attack.

And Israeli election rule gives Benjamin Netanyahu an even bigger majority in the Knesset than his popular vote. Mr. Netanyahu won his most recent bid to take back the office of prime minister from Yair Lapid. It was the highest voter turnout since 2015.

Although his majority is small, an election threshold rule kept many of the 40 parties who ran from gaining any seats. Only one pro Netanyahu party failed to pass the threshold, while two parties opposing him failed.

All those votes were effectively discarded. The rule has been decisive in elections before, but not since 1992.

Still ahead, what wealthy nations owe the developing world for the consequences of global warming. Why some think they have a debt to pay for their carbon footprint.

[01:46:33]

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HARRAK: In Egypt, global leaders are meeting for the U.N.'s annual climate summit. Researchers, advocates, and the United Nations itself are warning that the world is nowhere near its goal of keeping global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALOK SHARMA, COP26 PRESIDENT: Friends, we are not currently own a pathway that keeps 1.5 in reach. And whilst I do understand that leaders around the world have faced competing priorities this year, we must be clear, as challenging as our current moment is, inaction is my optic, and can only defer climate catastrophe. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Well, reports from the U.N. and the World Meteorological Association Show carbon and methane emissions hit record levels in 2021 and plans that countries have submitted to slash those emissions are beyond insufficient.

CNN's Bill Weir has more on what is at stake for the future as a planet.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: With Paris was about exuberant hope, and Glasgow about time lost to COVID, then an ideal U.N. climate conference Sharm el-Sheikh would rally the world around even bolder climate goals, because both levels of huge traffic pollution and average temperatures are higher than ever.

And while 150 years of industrial revolution have overheated earth by 1.2 degrees Celsius, we are on track to blast past the Paris target of 1.5, by a full degree or more.

But thanks to Vladimir Putin and his war in Ukraine, the goals of Paris have been throttled by a global energy crisis, even as big oil racks up record profits.

And while the Paris agreement never would have happened without U.S.- Chinese cooperation, now a boiling trade war over semiconductors could turn the superpowers from clean tech partners, to rivals.

This could upend the entire solar supply chain, just as a new U.N. study finds that even if every country somehow meets its 2030 targets, planet cooking pollution would only fall by 5 percent, to hold at 1.5 degrees it must drop by 45 percent.

GRETA THUNBERG, CLIMATE ACTIVIST: I'm doing this for my son, the government's inaction on climate change is (INAUDIBLE).

WEIR: In an age of viral climate protests, Greta Thunberg will not attend calling it an exercise in greenwashing. And pointing to President Sisi's Egyptian crackdown on free speech.

Amnesty International worries this could be the most restricted COP ever, which is ironic, because a main theme is fairness for the voiceless, like those in Pakistan still suffering from apocalyptic floods. Are countries with tiny carbon footprints entitled to loss and damage and claims from those with the biggest.

The U.S. and other rich nations have yet to make good on $100 billion dollar pledge to the global south (ph). But John Kerry says he will keep loss and damage on the agenda.

JOHN KERRY, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR CLIMATE: I think we are anxious to do this in a very cooperative, non-confrontational way. We don't feel that this has to be an issue that is, you know, sort of pounding at people because we agree. As do almost all nations now that much more has to happen, faster.

WEIR: Joe Biden has the clean energy incentives of the Inflation Reduction Act to show the world modest American progress, but he may have lost congress by the time he touches down in Egypt.

The first green king won't attend but after waffling his new prime minister's will. And maybe the most welcome world leader will come from Brazil for a change. Lula Da Silva is vowing to end the destruction of the Amazon, but Bolsonaro supporters in those regions don't seem ready to comply.

Another example of how another COP brings urgent need, high hopes, and endless complications.

Bill Weir, CNN, New York.

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[01:54:53]

HARRAK: Well, protesters across the world have been working overtime to draw attention to the climate crisis, as the COP27 summit takes place in Egypt.

This is Germany where climate activists unveiled this massive poster near the Neuschwanstein Castle, one of the country's most famous landmarks. The sign says "no more fairytales, climate justice now."

50,000 runners hit the road Sunday in the New York City marathon. The event was at full capacity for the first time since 2019.

Runners from Kenya, Ethiopia took the top two spots in the men's race. And Kenya took the top prize in the women's race as well.

Well NASCAR has a new champion, Joey Logano won this year's NASCAR cup series champion after 312 laps at the Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. It's Logano's second career championship after winning one in 2018.

The 32-year-old gave his condolences to Ty Gibbs' family after the race. Gibbs was slated to drive Sunday, but was replaced following the death of his father.

The Power ball jackpot is continuing to grow, Saturday night's $1.6 billion jackpot was the largest in history, that is according to the folks at Guinness World Records.

As people continue to buy tickets, the jackpot is not $1.9 billion, and could reach $2 billion by Monday's drawing. That is enough money for even Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos to notice in their checking account.

That wraps up this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Laila Harrak.

Rosemary Church picks up our coverage after a quick break.

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