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Democrats: Far-Right Candidates Threaten Democracy; Russian Oligarch Appears to Admit to Election Interference; Imran Khan Says He Had Prior Information on Shooting; Ukrainians Rebuild After Russia Devasted Irpin, Bucha. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired November 08, 2022 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM I'm Max Foster. If you're just joining us, let me bring you up to date with our top stories this hour. Polls will open in a few hours across the United States in the midterm elections. Republicans look to have the edge and could win majorities in the House impossibly the Senate as well. But final results in many races won't come in for a few days after the election due to the counting of mail-in and absentee ballots.

NOBILO: Democrats are facing a nightmare scenario in this election. Not only are they expected to lose control of Congress, many could also lose to far-right candidates who have denied the legitimate results of the 2020 elections.

FOSTER: It's an alarming prospect, especially after the January 6th insurrection when a violent mob of election deniers try to stop lawmakers from certifying the votes. Democrats now warned that such fringe groups control Congress, they could further weaken Americas institutions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

All JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We know in our bones that our democracy is at risk and we know that this is your moment to defend it. Preserve, and protect it, choose it. And I want you to know we will meet this moment. Remember, the power of America lies where it always does, in your hands. The hands of the people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: What former president of the United States, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, others have spread stories casting doubt on what happened, fomenting conspiracy theories. What you have to say to them?

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): It is really sad for the country. It is really sad for the country that people of that high visibility would separate themselves from the facts and the truth in such a blatant way. It's really sad and it is traumatizing to those affected by it. They do not care about that, obviously. But it is destructive to the unity that we want to have in our country. But I do not have anything to say that. I mean, we have nothing -- there would be no common ground to have any kind of conversation with him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: In Pennsylvania, Democrats also argue that far-right groups are scaling back voting rights by trying to reject mail-in ballots with wrong or missing dates. The Democratic Senate nominee is now suing to allow those ballots to be counted.

FOSTER: And it's not just a domestic concern, a Russian oligarch also appears to have admitted that Russia has interfered in U.S. elections and suggested they would do so again. Let's discuss with Julie Norman, an associate professor of politics and international relations at University College London. Thank you so much for joining us. How much of a threat to democracy are we seeing and the United States ahead of this election?

JULIE NORMAN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: Well, Max, you said it is the tale of two Americas. And indeed, I think we can say it is the best of times in the worst of times for U.S. democracy. And I say the best because we do see, you know, a much more mobilized public than we have to before. Breaking records with voter turnout. People are more active and invested in politics. And I think we can say the basis of both the left and right are motivated by what they see as a fierce defense of democracy.

[04:35:04]

But at the same, time we see that, you know, public will for democracy really being exploited by elites like obviously Donald Trump himself, and his closest allies, who are just exploiting that public will for their own gain through this disinformation, to bogus claims, and that's just contributing to this eroding faith in elections and institutions that we see. They have over 300 election deniers on the ballot going into today, and I think it's just people taking advantage of people who already feel left out and left behind. And are really trying to mobilize those grievances against anything that seems like the establishment. And we see that around the world, as well.

NOBILO: And Julie, do you think we are seeing unprecedented levels of polarization in the United States? Because of course, having really robust and fierce debates in a democracy is actually a sign of the strength of democracy. But when there's no consensus on the foundational facts and institutions and electoral process in the democracy, that's something else entirely.

NORMAN: Absolutely, and this is the flip side that as we are seeing people more active and more animated, part of what's driving that is just this deep divide in the United States. Not only on issues anymore, but even how people just see society, see their place in society, and much of that is fueled by disinformation, by conspiracy theories, and all of this again just going into this idea of polarization. And again, I would say it is a -- it's sort of a flipside of democracy, the dark side of democracy if you will. That as we have more voices in the public sphere, in the public space, we see more attention given to these and more extreme views that are pulling the parties further apart than they probably have at any time recently.

FOSTER: Have you seen populist popular politicians outside of America inspired by Trump's sort of strategy around election denial? Is that going to be the next phase of, you know, popular -- popularization effectively in politics? We've seen them take ideas from in the past, haven't we?

NORMAN: Well, that's certainly right. And we've seen Trump take ideas from outside as well. I think probably the closest example recently was the elections in Brazil where of course Bolsonaro was using many of the same claims that we heard from Trump around potential voter fraud or questioning the integrity of the election. At the end of the day, he has accepted the results, and so I think the fact that that election went -- you know, that the results held, I think was very encouraging for the global perspective. I think if that had been challenged, to the degree that we saw in 2020 in the U.S., we will be a bit more worried on the global scale.

With that said again, across Europe, across much of the world right now, we see this, you know, real drive behind many right-wing parties that are if not threatening the institutions themselves, are certainly are questioning some of the liberal values that I think many have been taken for granted for quite a while. So, this is a bigger phenomenon than just the U.S.

NOBILO: Security services in the United States, Great Britain, and elsewhere, talk about how states such as Russia seek to foment dissent and destabilized election process in politics. How useful is it for Americans foes to have these deepening divisions, to the extent where bipartisanship on a lot of issues is not even impossible?

NORMAN: Sure, well I think it is very much a strategy for states like Russia to do this meddling. Because the more you can divide a strong state like the United States, the better it is for America's foes. We've seen this coming out of 2020, the response of the world to January 6th, really questioning the ability of American to project democracy overseas when democracy at home seemed quite fragile and threatened. So, I think the more that states like Russia feel they can stoke those divisions, they see it as a demand advantage for them and further diminishing the stature of the U.S. abroad.

I think Americans are very aware of that. I think Biden has really tried to use a lot of his term to calm those fears overseas, but if there is an administration change, I think those will come back to the fore quite strongly.

NOBILO: Julie Norman, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your perspective.

And be sure to join CNN later today for in-depth special coverage of the crucial U.S. midterm elections that will determine control of Congress starting at 4 p.m. Eastern. That is 9 p.m. here in London.

Still ahead, resiliency in the face of war. Ukrainians in the city of Irpin are rebuilding their lives and mending their hearts after Russia's devastating attacks.

FOSTER: Plus, we'll hear from Iman Khan about a shooting incident in which he was injured and the political climate in Pakistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IMRAN KHAN, FORMER PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER: Most people are appalled by what is going on in this country.

[04:40:00]

What is happening in Pakistan is unprecedented.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan says he had prior information the shooting instance in which he was injured would take place. Khan told CNN that he found out about it from the country's intelligence agencies. He also alleged without evidence that Pakistan's Prime Minister and other senior officials were involved.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KHAN: It was a planned assassination attempt. And we knew about it. I went on air beforehand. I warned them that this is what would happen. They would blame it on some religious fanatic. And why after the attack, the things that have happened -- the cover-up that is going on, so that's why I have called for an independent investigation.

These three people were responsible. If an independent or proper investigation is to be done, with them on top, it can never happen because the investigating agencies are below them. That's why I have also appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan, who have an independent inquiry. If my allegations are wrong, then the inquiries would prove they are wrong.

I know the sequence of events, I know the cover-up that took place and still taking place. And we've known that this was planned two months ago. Remember three and a half years I was in power. I have connections with intelligence agencies, with different agencies that operate. How did I get the information? From within the intelligence agencies. Why? Because most people are appalled by what is going on in this country.

What is happening in Pakistan is unprecedented. I was put in jail Musharraf's martial law. I was in jail during his time. Never did we see the sort of oppression that is going on right now in Pakistan. Never happened in Musharraf's martial law.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Khan says that three bullets were taken from his right leg after he was shot at the political rally. An incident his party is calling an assassination attempt. In Iran, the British charity Save the Children is calling for an

investigation into how authorities have treated children amid the recent antigovernment protests.

FOSTER: The group says dozens of kids have been killed, injured, and arrested since the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, almost eight weeks ago. CNN can't independently verify the death toll or the number of arrests. The charities calling for an immediate end to the violence against peaceful protesters.

NOBILO: They call Irpin a hero city where Ukrainian forces stopped a Russian advance on the capital in the first month of the war. And with winter coming and a failing national power grid, reconstruction has taken on a new urgency.

[04:45:00]

FOSTER: The repairing bricks and mortar will be relatively easy compared to overcoming the emotional trauma inflicted on so many by the cruelty and inhumanity of their Russian occupiers. CNN's Christiane Amanpour has our story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voiceover): On the outskirts of Kyiv, the bridge into Irpin in the Bucha district was a life saver for those who managed to flee the early Russian advance. In the seven months since these scenes, the horrors of what those troops left behind have been fully exposed. Mykhaylyna, the deputy mayor of the Bucha region, is taking us to meet residents who are rebuilding.

But throughout this heavily destroyed residential area, it's a race against winter. As temperatures start to plunge and blackouts continue. Money is tight but spirits are high. At the very least, they need to replace glass in the windows and patch up holes the size of tank and artillery rounds.

Tatyana (ph) shows us pictures of her apartment's small bedroom, destroyed in March, rebuilt now. Her story is hair raising and miraculous. Hunkering down in the basement for 10 days under Russian occupation, this is the picture of the Russian tanks arriving just 15 minutes after she fled.

When we left, they were shooting at us from behind, she tells me. Now, I realize what kind of a second birthday I got. What kind of a gift? Because those people who left right after us were shot.

As this city tries to put the pieces back together again, there is another, more sensitive, perhaps even more difficult kind of rebuilding underway.

The U.N. children's fund UNICEF has placed pop-up tents full of warmth, light, and care. All these children have been traumatized and some have been forced to witness unspeakable horrors. This is Bucha district, after all, ground zero for Russia's war crimes. Eugene Lopatin is the regional manager for this program.

EUGENE LOPATIN, UNICEF REGIONAL MANAGER: They started to tell some really cruel things. I cannot even describe how cruel they were. Some people -- some children saw invaders raping their mother or beating their father.

AMANPOUR (voiceover): Ksenia (ph) volunteers as a psychologist here. Seeing parents whose children have had to hide with them in silence or spend long periods with no bathroom breaks.

And the body remembers this. And even after reaching safety, the child cannot go to the toilet, she says. It's the same with speech. The parents have told them to keep quiet. So, the child closes its mouth and does not know when they can talk again.

And so, they turn to these kinds of games. And Katarina (ph), the volunteer art therapist says, she sees them gradually come out of their shells and start to smile and connect again. They seem to forget about their inner stress when they're making something like this, says Katarina.

Back in the construction zone, Mykhaylyna, has her own harrowing story of loss and recovery. She says her first husband was killed in Donbas during the first Russian invasion in 2014.

MYKHAYLYNA SKORYK, DEPUTY MAYOR, BUCHA CITY COUNCIL: Like, when you lost your beloved, you have to find a new motivation how to live. How to go on. How to feel alive again. So, when I thought what would motivate me to live, I decided that, look, I'd like to have a boy. A boy called Philip as my first husband wanted. And I met another man and realized that plan, you know.

AMANPOUR: That's fantastic.

AMANPOUR (voice-over): Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Irpin, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Still to come, rain is moving into parts of Europe. Pedram is keeping an eye on it all for us.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And a series of storm making their presence felt across parts of western Europe. We will break this down. And also, the flooding rain potential that was in place and going to continue for some. All coming up in a few minutes.

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Warmer temperatures are moving into Europe pushing rain further east, with some countries even at risk for some early snow we're told. Storms forming over the Mediterranean also dumping buckets of rain in the region.

NOBILO: CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri has the latest forecast for us from Atlanta -- Pedram.

JAVAHERI: Yes, good morning, Max and Bianca. Some rough weather across parts of Europe the last couple of days. I want to show you some images here as the waves batter the coast of south of France here with a system that is kind of really impacting a lot of the Mediterranean. And notice from Greece, on into Cyprus, rainfall amounts pretty impressive for one hour rainfall totals pushing up over 30 millimeters over the past 24 or so hours. For now, in the region, quieter conditions but back towards the west, it's your choice of one system after another here ushering in.

Gusty winds also some wet weather in place there, certainly higher elevations snow showers. I wouldn't be surprise if we run into some travel disruptions across this region as the systems push on in. And again, rain showers in store there across Dublin, across London as well. A little further toward the east, quieter conditions versus Kyiv comes in with about 11 degrees for your high morning rain showers also possible.

But notice this initial surge of warmth we expect across this region, which is pretty impressive for this time of year. So, Berlin, highs of 16, mind you should be around eight for this time a year. Temps do gradually want to cool off and certainly do by the time we get to say Saturday or Sunday.

Possibility Tehran aiming for about 15 degrees, Tel Aviv a few showers that system migrates a little farther towards the east there. Highs at 23 degrees while the northern tier of Africa aiming for 37. Monrovia, a few storms also into the 30s, and down in areas around Joburg, expect a few thunderstorms. Harare as well. Cape Town warmth beginning to build. Temps there around 23 degrees -- guys.

FOSTER: Thank you to Pedram.

Now thousands of Meta employees could be shown the door as advertising profits shrink. Competition from TikTok increasing and fears of a recession as well, all playing into that. According to "Wall Street Journal," the layoffs at Facebook's parent company could start as early as this week. Meta currently has more than 87,000 employees and was once valued at more than $1 trillion. The company's current market cap is closer to 250 billion.

NOBILO: Apple is considering changing the way that you interact with its voice assistant, Siri.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey Siri, what's the most popular song in the U.S. today?

SIRI: Sorry, I cannot look up the music charts for you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Now the company is reportedly working to drop the word "hey" from is trigger phrase which is a Siri. That would make it similar to Amazon's Alexa which doesn't need a trigger word to launch. Greenberg reports the change could come into effect the next year or two. I still have not committed to a speaker being in my sitting room.

NOBILO: No, it creep me out. I know that they say that now it does not eavesdrop on you, since 2022, but I just do not believe that.

FOSTER: But explain -- that it's got to be on for them to hear me.

NOBILO: Yes, to hear the trigger word.

FOSTER: So, it is monitoring.

One of this year's most anticipated movies is a sequel to "Black Panther". "Wakanda Forever." Since Wakanda is a fictional African nation, it seems appropriate that the movie is premiering in Africa.

NOBILO: That's a first for a Marvel movie. The stars and the filmmakers of "Wakanda Forever" attended the black carpet in Lagos on Sunday and they told us why it was important bring the film to Nigeria.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KADARIA AHMED, MEDIA EXECUTIVE: We are now doing the African premiere in Nigeria. The home of creativity, the home of music, this is become the cultural capital of the black race in many ways. So, it is why the Africa and premier to be here. Amazing, I'm excited, really happy.

[04:55:00]

LUPITA NYONG'O, "NAKIA": Wakanda Forever is a film very different from the first one we made. We had to respond to the death of Chadwick Boseman and the fate of T-Chaka. And so, in this film we lost the king T'Chaka and we see how all the characters are dealing with that lost in different ways. And we have to question, how do you move on after such a tragedy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, it's amazing to bring it film back to the continent.

TENOCH HUERTA, "NAMOR": I was really lucky to be part of "Black Panther," is that to have trained to show this representation of the indigenous heritage in Latin America.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: "Wakanda Forever" opens in Nigeria in Friday and in the U.S. on Wednesday.

NOBILO: The sea has given up another one of his secret, it has to do with the reck of the titanic. Back in 1996 a sonar blip was detected near one of the world's most famous shipwrecks in the North Atlantic Ocean.

FOSTER: The blip was so large it was thought to be another shipwreck. This is a lovely news, isn't it. Now scientists have found the blip is really a rocky reef thriving with sea life. The discovery was made about 12,000 feet below the ocean surface on what was called the of abyss -- or say that.

NOBILO: The abysmal plane.

FOSTER: I was going to say abysmal.

NOBILO: I'm sure you were.

FOSTER: It could be thousands of years old, as well as lobsters, deep sea fish and sponges.

NOBILO: A few facts about coral, it is actually an animal and coral polyps, which make up the coral reef has a mouth and a stomach.

FOSTER: I didn't know that, but we all know that now. As well as the fact that there is music playing.

NOBILO: I can play it. It's one of the only songs I can play on the piano, "As My Heart Will Go On." Yes, beautiful.

FOSTER: Americans hold on to your Powerball tickets. Something you really do need to get at the moment.

NOBILO: The drawing for the 1.9 billion dollar jackpot has been delayed.

FOSTER: The multistate Lottery Association says that result will likely not be available until Tuesday morning. But if you win, the lump sum cash that you get after tax over $929 million. And you've adjusted your plans for the big win.

NOBILO: I think that we buy quite a lot of historical artifacts and paintings and I'd put them in a secret room access by a book case.

FOSTER: We'll hear more from Bianca tomorrow on that. But we are going to go to the special coverage on the election, next.

NOBILO: I think that's more appropriate.

FOSTER: Yes.

NOBILO: See you tomorrow.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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