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Republican Party Have a Clear Path of Winning House Majority; GOP Lost Chance of Winning the Senate; President Biden Looking Forward Meeting President Xi Jinping; Blast Killed Six People in Istanbul. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired November 14, 2022 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to all of our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. Live from studio seven at CNN center in Atlanta, I'm Rosemary Church.

Well, it has been nearly a week, but election night in America goes on with control of the House of Representatives still up for grabs. However, Republicans are closing in. They picked up another seat Sunday night. They've won 212, compared to the Democrats 204. And they are closed the 218 seats needed for a majority, with 19 races still to be called.

Current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wouldn't speculate on whether she would seek another term as leader. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY PELOSI (D), U.S. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: My decision is going to be rooted in what the wishes of my family and the wishes of my caucus. But none of it will be very much considered until we see what the outcome of all of this is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meantime, Democrats are taking a victory lap after keeping control of the Senate, thanks to Catherine Cortez Masto's victory in Nevada. And depending on the results of Georgia's runoff next month, they might even expand on that. Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted that the Republicans upcoming Senate leadership contest should be delayed because of that runoff. And other top Republicans are voicing their own concerns about the future direction of the party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICK SCOTT (R-FL): What is our plan? Why -- what are we running on? What do we stand for? What are we held bent to get done? What, you know, there's no plan to do that. The leadership and the Republican Senate says, no, you cannot have a plan. We're just going to run about against how bad the Democrats are. And actually then, they cave in to the Democrats. SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): Going forward, Mitch will be a leader. But

that is not to say that we are going to have a necessary debate about ideas. And I think it's very, again, one more time, important for us to explain to the American voter why Republicans have a better vision for the future of our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And if Republicans do win the House, get ready for a battle within the party. With so many House races still to be called, the chamber's leadership is up in the air. And some members have said they will not support Kevin McCarthy's speakership bid.

CNN's Melania Zonona has more on what it's likely to be a rough few days for the GOP.

MELANIA ZONONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Republicans are gearing up for a tense series of meetings this week as they return to Washington for the first time since their disappointing midterm election results. Republicans want to figure out what went wrong by a red wave never materialized. And they must also decide the fate of their political leaders.

In the House, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy is facing revolt from his right flank. I'm told there are dozens of hard liners threatening to vote against him for speaker if he does not give in to their demands, and they will have significant leverage since Republicans will likely have a razor thin majority if they do win the House.

Our Dana Bash ask Speaker Nancy Pelosi whether she thinks McCarthy has what it takes to become speaker. Here is her response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PELOSI: Why would I make a judgment about something that may or may not ever happened? No, I don't think he has it. But that's up to his own people to make a decision as to how they want to be led or otherwise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZONONA: Meanwhile, in the Senate, GOP leader Mitch McConnell also facing some backlash. A small but vocal group of Republicans is pushing to delay their internal leadership elections, which are set for this Wednesday. And former President Donald Trump has been calling Republicans and trying to blame McConnell for their underwhelming performance.

However, based on our reporting, McConnel does have enough support to become leader once again. Still, the internal GOP blame game is sure to heat up this week.

Melanie Zonona, CNN, Washington.

CHURCH: Well, let's get perspective now from Leslie Vinjamuri. She is the head of the U.S. at the Americas program at Chatham House. And she joins us now live from London. Good to have you with us.

LESLIE VINJAMURI, HEAD, U.S. AND THE AMERICAS PROGRAMME, CHATHAM HOUSE: Thank you.

CHURCH: So, midterms are supposed to be a referendum on the party of the incumbent president. But instead, the Republican Party has been rocked by big losses after promising a red wave that never came. What went wrong for the GOP, and will this perhaps signal the end of the road for Donald Trump, do you think? Even as he gears up to announce another presidential bid this week?

[03:05:09]

VINJAMURI: Yes, that is clearly the number one story. I mean, this is an extraordinary loss, the greatest loss for a party out of power in 20 years. And Donald Trump was presiding over it as the unofficial leader of that party.

So really, you know what, everything we've just heard from you, turmoil inside the Republican Party to see, you know, what will come next, I think is the number one story. Why did they go wrong? Why did voters turn out and deny election through all of those election deniers in battleground states, many of whom Donald Trump had endorsed. Why did they support some of his rivals in the GOP party.

I think we saw voters really voting for stability, for moderation. We had lots of young voters coming out in support of abortion rights. I think the gun, the young voters who opposed the use of guns all over America's streets are now a voting age.

They're out on the streets voting. Those young voters are largely Democrat. But really, I think it's, it was a very big story that as much as the Republicans thought that the economic message, that the inflation message that they were, that they were putting out would really win the day, it just simply hasn't.

CHURCH: Yes. And the polls got it wrong again, didn't they? So, whatever happens in the December 6th Georgia Senate runoff election, the Democrats will still control the Senate, but counting continues for the House of Representatives, and it looks like Republicans will control it with a slim majority. So, what will that mean for Kevin McCarthy's efforts to become Speaker of the House with pro-Trump freedom caucus pushing a deal in exchange for their vote for him?

VINJAMURI: I think it will be very turbulent, difficult to anticipate. It seems like that that position is very unstable for Kevin McCarthy. The, you know, the Republican Party with what will if they do take that majority will be razor thin with tremendous division across the party.

The best that they will probably be able to do is to really double down with those holding those committee chairs on investigations, which will be disruptive trying to disrupt the president's legislative agenda. And, you know, as we turn to President Biden and the leader of China meeting today, one thing that will matter, I think in the House if the Republicans take that majority, is that they will control a number of committees that look at things like intelligence, export controls, policies that are -- that are critical, America's policies towards China, and really try to push a harder line so they will have some leverage.

But again, I think the big story of the day is that internal disarray, and contest for who will come next as the leader of the Republican and who will take that nomination eventually for president in 2024.

CHURCH: And what about Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell? There's talk that his leadership post maybe in jeopardy. What will likely happen there do you think?

VINJAMURI: Again, another -- another impossible to know for sure because of the level of internal contest and disarray. That certainly seems to be, first of all, a far less attractive position now that the Democrats have taken that majority in the Senate. But whether he will hold on remains to be seen. I'm sure that he will be trying.

There's a question, of course, I think a broader question across the entire political spectrum of whether this election will be the election that really leads to a much younger set of leaders across all the parties. This is, you know, one of the big questions in U.S. politics, we have older leaders and pretty much, every single key position. And there is going to be a moment where those younger voters want to see themselves reflected at the top of the -- of the political spectrum.

CHURCH: Yes, it's certainly an interesting point. And of course, we are used to seeing infighting on the Democratic side of the political spectrum. Now we're going to see more of that and we have been seeing more of that on the Republican side. So how big a wake up call was this midterm election for the Republicans, do you think?

VINJAMURI: In my view, this is the biggest wakeup call that we've seen for the Republican Party. We have a former president who, you know, even back in 2016, he lost the popular vote in 2018, he lost the House. In 2020 he then lost the presidency and out of the Senate to that loss. And now he's failed to deliver which what should have been easy, right?

[03:10:00]

A midterm election when inflation was high, when there's a lot of uncertainty in the -- in the U.S. economy, and when historical precedent demonstrates that, you know, his party, the party out of power should do very well. He's failed to deliver that. He's demonstrated that he is a loser.

And this is, you know, the Republican party as it approaches the next two years, which are, you know, election years will want to win. So, I think there's a very significant wakeup call in the back of years of disinformation, division, internal disruption, will they, will his base stay with him? a dwindling base, uncertainty will, but whether the field will now open up and we will see internal change is the big question. I certainly hope that we will.

CHURCH: All right. Leslie Vinjamuri, thank you so much for your analysis. I appreciate it.

VINJAMURI: Thank you.

CHURCH: Well, fresh of some unexpected election wins here in the United States, President Joe Biden is in Bali, Indonesia for the G20 summit. He met with the Indonesian president earlier, but he's highly anticipated meeting with Xi Jinping is grabbing the headlines.

The Chinese leader arrived in Bali earlier today. We brought you those pictures and will meet Mr. Biden at a time when the U.S.-China relationship is in its worst shape in decades.

CNN is covering this story from all the angles with Kevin Liptak live in Bali, Indonesia, and Steven Jiang joining us live from Beijing.

Good to see you both. So, Kevin, let's start with you. And of course, President Biden is there emboldened by his wins in the midterm elections. So, what is he looking to gain here when he sits down with his first face-to-face meeting with Xi Jinping since he was elected, of course. So, what will he get out of this.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Right. I think he really wants to set some parameters for this relationship. As you said, it has deteriorated rapidly even over the last several months, and President Biden wants to get in the same room with President Xi, look him in the eye, and sort of set some red lines so that this tension, this competition doesn't tip over into conflict, and that's what the president hopes to achieve when he sits down with President Xi today.

White House officials have been fairly frank that they don't expect any so-called deliverables to come out of this meeting. For example, there won't be a joint statement afterward that ticks through areas of cooperation, that talks about things that they have accomplished in the meeting. Instead, how the White House describes it as they want to build a floor.

Essentially, they want to prevent this meeting from deteriorating any further. They have been working to, to set it up since July. Of course, a month after that, the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan setting off this furor in Beijing. China cut off most channels of communication with the United States after that, but U.S. and Chinese officials were able to continue talking about setting up this meeting.

American officials said earlier today that those talks were serious. They were constructive. They continued through the fall. They even continued until late last night as officials were still going over some of the agenda for this meeting. Items they wanted to emphasize, items they wanted to deemphasize. And so, when President Biden walks into that meeting with Xi later today he really does know what he wants to get out of him.

His expectations are limited, but he does have an idea of what he wants to talk about. Of course, that includes the issue of Taiwan. It includes the issue of the economy of what the U.S. calls unfair, trade practices by China. But it also has this whole set of issues that the U.S. wants to cooperate on, and you always about climate change. And of course, North Korea.

The president will want to talk to Xi about how to use his influence in Pyongyang to try and convince the leader there, Kim Jong-un, to back away from a nuclear program.

Now, I do think it's significant to note that this meeting is taking place in Bali, here in neutral ground on the sidelines of an international summit. It wasn't that long ago that it was fairly common for an American president to go to Beijing for the Chinese president to come to the White House. I've covered several of those meetings now.

Now it's almost unimaginable for that to happen now. So, they do have to meet sort of in a neutral, neutral zone. White House officials, Chinese officials long ago identified this particular summit as the best place for that to happen.

Now, in addition to this being their first face to face meeting since Biden took office, it's also one of the first times that President Xi has left China since the COVID pandemic and how American officials view that as is he's ready to go back out kind of into the foreign stage really enhance foreign relations in China.

And they do think that this is a good opportunity to talk to him at the front end of that as he begins to engage more on the world stage in an interpersonal way over the next, several months. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Yes, really, really important points there. Steven, let's, turn to you now joining us at live from Beijing. As we mentioned, what is President Xi Jinping hoping to get out of this face-to-face meeting with President Biden?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Rosemary, I think Xi Jinping wants time. Time for China to achieve self-reliance in key technologies to upgrade its economy, but more crucially to upgrade its military to catch up with the U.S. Obviously Xi can afford to play the long game having just assumed that precedent breaking third term, paving the way for him to rule for life.

Now, that is one reason probably we have seen him offering a slightly more conciliatory tone in the past few days. For example, telling a U.S. business lobby group that he's willing to work with the U.S. to find ways to cooperate.

There have also been signs of possible tweaks in China's position on Ukraine, for example, with Xi Jinping telling the visiting German chancellor that Beijing opposes the threat or the use of nuclear weapons, which is seen as a subtle rebuke to Mr. Putin given the Russian leaders nuclear posturing.

So, all of this is really why, Chinese state media as well as officials echoing American officials saying the meeting itself is a positive sign, stressing the importance of keeping lines of communication open at the highest level, especially when tensions are running high. But the problem here, of course, the relationship is in a free fall,

not because of the lack of a rapport between the two leaders who have known each other for years. It is really because how each side views its own strengths and the other side's intentions.

Now Washington, of course, has been increasingly vocal about China under Xi Jinping becoming more authoritarian at home and more aggressive abroad. But from China's perspective, the U.S. government under Biden has been really doubling down on its effort to build this empty China coalition to contain its rise on the global stage.

Not only has Mr. Biden kept most Trump era tariffs on Chinese imports, he's been ramping upon restrictions in terms of export controls. Not to mention Mr. Biden, saying more than once of the U.S. commitment to defending Taiwan military. So, all of this is really why Xi Jinping has really shifting the country's -- the party's top priority from economic growth to national security.

So that's why stakes are so high in this meeting, despite the very low bar of ex -- of expectations set by both sides. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right, Kevin Liptak, Steven Jiang, many thanks to you both.

Scott Kennedy is the director of the Project on Chinese Business and Political Economy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and he joins me now from Falls Church, Virginia.

Thank you so much for being with us.

SCOTT KENNEDY, DIRECTOR, PROJECT ON CHINESE BUSINESS AND POLITICAL ECONOMY, CSIS: Happy to be with you.

CHURCH: So, in just a few hours from now, President Biden sits down for his first face to face meeting with President Xi since taking office. And while expectations are pretty low, how critical is this particular meeting at the G20 summit in Bali to both the region and the United States?

KENNEDY: It's certainly an important meeting because they've not met since President Biden was elected because of the pandemic. They've talked by phone, video conference, but this will be the first face to face meeting in a very long time. And the slate of issues that the U.S. and China have before them on economics and security on climate are broad and large, and the relationship has been declining. And that's trying to find a floor for the relationship is important to both countries as well as the region, and the rest of the world.

CHURCH: And let's talk about that because of course it will be a high stakes meeting that comes as economic and military tensions continue to rise between the U.S. and China, as they also tackle tensions over Taiwan, Russia, and North Korea.

But President Biden says they just have to work out where the red lines are on those issues and the important problems for each of them over the next two years. Is he right to downplay the complexities involved, or could that perhaps backfire?

KENNEDY: I think what the president is saying isn't that the relationship isn't complicated or that we don't need multifaceted solutions. But that on issues like Taiwan, we're getting closer and closer to potential conflict and we have to really figure out how to avoid them and being very clear about what our red lines are, and trying to explain them in a way that the other side will understand, so that we stop sliding in the direction of conflict is got to be at the very top of the agenda. And I expect Taiwan will take the front seat in their discussion.

CHURCH: And of course, it is worth noting that President Biden comes to this meeting with Xi Jinping boosted by his political wins back home, and surprisingly shocking wins it has to be said.

[03:19:54]

How significant will that be for Biden when trying to get the best for the United States out of this meeting, and what role, if any, will their personal history together play given they did meet in China back in 2011 when they were both vice presidents?

KENNEDY: Sure. They've met a few times before in 2011 and 2012 when they were both vice presidents. Correct. And they've been in touch a lot since as well.

You know, when I was in China over the past month and a half, I heard a lot of Chinese asking about domestic politics in the United States suggesting that the president was weak and they were reading the New York Times and watching CNN and all the other others suggest that the president and his party were going to do poorly in the midterms.

And so, President Biden actually goes into this meeting stronger than not only most Americans expected, but that the Chinese expected. And that may give him a little bit more credibility in his conversation with Xi Jinping on a range of issues. I think the Chinese have been wondering, you know, can they make a deal not only with this president, but looking ahead whether it's this president or others, what is the credibility of the U.S. government long term?

And coming in with a stronger domestic political hand will give the president an ability perhaps, to reach further into the future than otherwise might be the case. And that's really important because we're talking about long term strategic challenges, not things that could be solved in a week, a month, or even a few months.

CHURCH: And as we mentioned at the start, expectations are very low. So, if all that comes out of this meeting is keeping those channels of communication open between the United States and China, will that be progress enough for now at least?

KENNEDY: Well, the level of communication now is the lowest it's been in several decades. The U.S. and China prior to the Trump administration had hundreds of regular dialogues, up and down the government. We have barely any lines of communication now, simply between the secretary of state, national security advisor, the U.S. treasury, the U.S. trade representative, and their counterparts.

I hope that the two sides in this meeting would agree to have much more regular communication throughout the government. We don't need the resumption of these grand dialogues that we've had before, but just regular ongoing dialogue even about simple basic issues would be progress.

And of course, in August, the Chinese shut down conversations over climate change because of Pelosi's visit and their reaction. Restarting that would also be some progress. But yes, regular communication is needed between the world's two largest powers on the planet.

CHURCH: Scott Kennedy, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your analysis. I appreciate it.

And still to come, police have arrested a suspect in connection with a deadly explosion in the heart of Istanbul. We will have the latest on that investigation.

[03:25:00]

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CHURCH: Turkey's interior minister has blamed Kurdish separatist for carrying out Sunday's attack. At least six people were killed and more than 80 wounded in the explosion, which happened on a busy street in the heart of Turkey's largest city.

And for more on this, we go to CNN's Scott McLean who joins us live from London.

So, Scott, you have new information on the suspect. What are you learning?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a lot of new information coming in. So let me run you through what we know so far. So, there was a video that was released by authorities in Turkey, which shows a woman being arrested inside of an apartment in Istanbul by armed police who go into the house and then quickly proceed to search the apartment, go through belongings, cash, they find cash, jewelry, things like that.

And then, this woman along with others who you can't see their faces in the video, are also let out handcuffed by police. So that is what we know about the suspect at this point. As you mentioned, the interior minister says that this responsibility lies with the PKK, a militant Kurdish separatist group. He didn't explain what precisely the connection was, but a Turkish state broadcaster citing Istanbul police says that this woman, this suspect who was arrested is a Syrian national.

Now again, still a lot of questions to have answered here, but if there is in fact a connection with the PKK, it is not uncommon. In fact, it is common for Kurdish militant groups to operate out of Iraq or Syria where they can more easily operate than perhaps, they can in Turkey because the Turkish authorities have been in conflict with Kurdish separatists for really the last four decades costing tens of thousands of lives in the process.

There have also been terror attacks, either claimed by Islamic extremists or Kurdish militants that have really plagued Turkey but not in the last few years. Turkey has really been trying to get tourists, to come to the city, to come to the country as of -- as of late, especially given the economic difficulties facing the country.

Yesterday afternoon was a perfect example of a perfect day for Turks and for tourists to be out. The weather was perfect on a Sunday afternoon on Istiklal Street. Really the beating heart of Istanbul filled with shops and cafes and bars when the explosion went off.

The justice minister described yesterday what he saw in security footage, which was a woman who had a bag, put it down on a bench, sat down for more than 40 minutes, and one or two minutes after she sat down that is when the blast went off.

[03:30:05]

And so that is why authorities were very quick to point out that they believe that the suspect was a woman. Again, still a lot of unanswered questions here, though.

As for the victims, quickly, Rosemary, they include a married couple, they include a mother and her daughter, and a 9-year-old boy who was out with a male relative, as well as for those who are hospitalized. The vast majority of the 80 -- more than 80 people who were injured have been released from the hospital. There are still five, though, who are receiving intensive care right now.

CHURCH: Yeah, heartbreaking story for those innocent bystanders. Scott McLean joining us live from London, many thanks.

And still to come here on CNN, no red wave, but Republicans are still hoping they will have a majority in the House. We will bring you the latest midterm election results, plus allegations of Russian war crimes in Kherson. Ukraine says it has documented hundreds of cases since liberating the city. What the president is pledging to do about it? We are back with that and more in just a moment.

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CHURCH: Our top story this hour, fresh results from Tuesday's U.S. midterm elections in Oregon's fifth congressional district. CNN projects Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer beat Democrat Jamie McLeod- Skinner. This is a pickup for Republicans and a huge victory, but votes are still being counted as control of the House remains up for grabs nearly a week after polls closed.

Republicans made six of the remaining uncalled seats to take the majority in the House.

[03:35:00]

CHURCH: Meantime, Democrats are celebrating a big victory after retaining control of the Senate with a win in Nevada on Saturday.

CNN's Harry Enten takes a look at how the Democratic Party defied midterm history this year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Although votes are still being counted, the 2022 election will go down as historically good for the Democratic Party. Normally, in midterms, the president's party does poorly, but in this midterm, we saw the Democratic Party have a net gain of gubernatorial seats, not lose any Senate seats, and they may, in fact, gain one, and a net loss looks like right now of less than 10 House seats. The last time that happened in a midterm election, 1934.

So, how did Democrats pull this off? Well, despite high inflation, the issue of abortion was also on the minds of voters. In fact, a look at our exit polls show that about as many voters said that abortion was important to their vote as inflation. And those abortion first voters, they voted overwhelmingly democratic.

And, of course, Joe Biden's popularity had sunk considerably over the course of his presidency, and indeed, our exit polls showed that only about 41% of voters had a favorable view of Joe Biden. But when you also ask them whether or not they had a favorable view of Donald Trump, Trump's favorable rating was right around the same level.

Indeed, there was a solid portion, just a little bit less than 20% of the electorate, that did not have a favorable view of either Donald Trump or Joe Biden. And those voters who you might have expected to go overwhelmingly for the Republicans because Joe Biden is the president of the United States, in fact, basically split their tickets fairly equally, only slightly going for Republican candidates.

Of course, it's not just about Biden and Trump. It's also the fact that there were a lot of candidates running for the United States Senate who in the minds of the voters were extreme. Indeed, in pretty much all of the key battleground Senate races, more voters said that the Republican candidate was too extreme than said that the Democratic candidate was too extreme.

Lastly, in the governor's races, there are a lot of Republicans running who denied that Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election which, of course, he did. All of those candidates who were running in either swing states or in blue states currently with GOP governors are either trailing or lost. The only one who is currently trailing who CNN has not been able to project as a loser yet is Kari Lake in the state of Arizona who right now is trailing. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The Ukrainian military says Russia may be preparing to step up its attacks in the newly-liberated portions of the Kherson region. This as Ukraine is taking stock with the widespread damage Russian troops already left behind.

Ukrainian officials say Russia employed scorched-earth tactics when it withdrew, destroying most of the city's critical infrastructure. The area has also been littered with mines, one of which reportedly injured a family of four.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says authorities have uncovered evidence of war crimes and that they're investigating more than 400 cases.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): In the Kherson region, the Russian army left behind the same atrocities as in other regions of our country where it was able to enter. We will find and bring to justice every murder, without a doubt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Sam Kiley joins us now from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Good to see you, Sam. So, what more are you learning about this evidence of war crimes in Kherson?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As you said, Rosemary, President Zelenskyy has said that they're looking at already 400 alleged cases. Now, that is just in the last 48 hours, effectively, since Kherson was liberated. Some may relate to some of those smaller settlements.

We've seen this pattern elsewhere before. The Ukrainian government is saying it is fitting the pattern that we saw in Izyum, which is the other large city that was liberated a couple of months ago now in the northeast of the country.

But Kherson was also a hotbed of partisan resistance activities. This was the regional capital where the Russians tried to hold illegal referendum in order to try to justify their illegal annexation of that region. It is a place where the locals were very resistant right from the very first days of the occupation against the Russians. So, the anticipation is that there could be lot more horrific finds in that location.

But, and this is an important aspect, just as the Russsians have been able to evacuate that area and conduct a pretty well-ordered military withdrawal, they would have planned to hide most of their crimes. So, it's also going to be very difficult for investigators to get at who did what, exactly, even if they find horrific evidence.

[03:39:57]

KILEY: And then there will examples of that evidence being moved, too. By that, I mean, you know, victims or the materiel used to create victims in Kherson. But the fighting continues elsewhere in the country.

And also, as you rightly point out there, Rosemary, the Ukrainians are warning that they anticipate, and we're beginning to see some evidence of that, that the Russians will use the Dnipro River as a natural barrier against the Ukrainian advance and start to bombard Ukrainian civilians and military positions as those people return to their homes in Kherson province.

They still, of course, the Russians, control about 60% of Kherson and they can use that death to hide their artillery and pound those areas that they've recently evacuated, Rosemary. That is going to be a major concern over the next few days, indeed, all the way up through Christmas and beyond. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right, Sam Kiley, joining us live from Kyiv, many thanks as always.

Well, throughout the war, Moscow's attacks have shattered the lives of ordinary people. Among them, a six-year-old boy in Mariupol who lost his parents to shelling in the first week of the invasion. Thankfully, the boy eventually found a new home in Kyiv with a loving couple that now plans to adopt in.

CNN's Salma Abdelaziz has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Like any six-year-old child, Elias's (ph) energy is endless. He wants constant attention and entertainment. He craves affection from the two people who care for him most.

Now we have that love, they tell me. That love that makes you a family. We did not have this baby, but our love is real. Maria and Vladimir (ph) are Elias's (ph) legal guardians. They have been a little family for more than six months. The couple planned to formally adopt him and become parents to a child orphaned by this war. The pair was forced to flee their home in the east for Kyiv because of shelling, but refused to give up on their dream of starting a family.

(On camera): This was such a difficult decision, to adopt during a war. Did you hesitate? Did you think maybe this is not the right time?

(Voice-over): We had been planning to adopt for many years, he says. The war pushed us to make it happen sooner. Now, we wonder, why did we ever wait?

Elias's (ph) mom was killed in Mariupol, his birthplace. She left home to find food and was struck down by shelling in the first week of war. Unaware of his wife's fate, Elias's father went looking for her the next day, only to lose his life, too.

Elias (ph) was left with neighbors, where he sheltered with strangers for weeks in a cold, dark basement. When they ran out of food, Elias (ph) says, he started to eat his toys. The newfound parents are trying to give Elias (ph) sense of security.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Hello.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Hi.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): When we visit their home in Kyiv, we see why that is a challenge. Blackouts caused by Russia strikes on the power grid leave the family without electricity for hours.

Sometimes, he gets scared, she says. He is hysterical and he will tell me it is like being back in Mariupol, in the basement, in the darkness. During the outages, the young family try to make things normal, playing games, watching movies, anything to ease Elias's (ph) worried mind.

(On camera): Do you get afraid in the dark, Elias (ph)?

(Voice-over): Not anymore, he says. I know the lights will come back on.

And they do. During our interview, electricity is restored, and Elias (ph) runs to switch on the lights, ready to play again. But first, he wants to put on his Spiderman costume. He says it makes him feel strong and brave.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: Now, when you look at the sacrifices and the suffering that Elias (ph) has endured, that that young couple who are forced out of their home because it was right on the frontlines have endured, you begin to understand, Rosemary, just how much the victory of Kherson means not just on those frontlines but all across Ukraine and beyond to those millions of refugees forced out of their homes.

It gives that momentum, it gives that morale boost to the troops, and it begins to fulfill that promise that President Zelenskyy has made to his people, to win back every inch taken by Russian forces. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Yeah, it is incredible report. Our thanks to Salma Abdelaziz for that.

Still to come, a court in Iran handed down its first death sentence to a protester after demonstrations rocked the country following the death of a young woman in police custody. We will have details on that, next.

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[03:45:00]

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CHURCH: An Iranian court has issued its first death sentence to a protester convicted of alleged -- quote -- "enmity against God" amid protest following the death of Mahsa Amini.

State media says the protester allegedly set fire to a government center. Five others who took part in the protests received sentences of 5 to 10 years in prison.

CNN's Melissa Bell has been following the latest developments. She joins us now live from Paris. So, Melissa, what are you learning about this death sentence that has been issued to a protester? MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The first of its kind and a worrying

development, of course. It was earlier on Sunday that we also heard from the Iranian judiciary, Rosemary, that there were more than 700 people who had been charged as well with various security-related charges, all to do with these protests.

And of course, that is of huge concern because we heard over the course of the weekend that updated toll for the number of people believed to have been killed in Iran since the protests began, from the Norway-based Iran human rights NGO, which put the figure at 326, emphasizing, Rosemary, that that was undoubtedly an underestimate.

Also warning that this was a figure that was likely to rise not only because the protests are continuing but also because of the nature of the Iranian judicial system, warning that there were many people who have now been taken into custody who were likely to be charged and who could face execution. I think the confirmation from the judiciary on Sunday about that sentencing confirms those fears.

Meanwhile, of course, there is no sign that these protests are going anywhere. We've seen over the course of the last few days and weeks several Iranian personalities, both from the world of sports and the world of film, making their protests clear on social media, keeping that momentum going.

On the streets, those protests continue. These are the latest videos that we've been able to clear, to confirm here at CNN. That are from provinces in Iran's southeast. You can see there the people out on the streets again. They're chanting, death to the dictator, death to Khamenei.

Again, protests that are representing incredible bravery in the context of the repression that we've seen. Again, repression that appears to be continuing as the regime continues to keep a close eye on these protests.

[03:50:03]

BELL: Again, announcing the further charges against people who have been arrested these last few weeks and that sentencing. That, of course, a huge significance. We keep an eye over the course of the next few days to see how much worse the protests go and whether that momentum is kept up. Rosemary?

CHURCH: We thank you for following this story. Melissa Bell joining us live from Paris, many thanks.

Still to come, the GOAT goes to Germany. Tom Brady and the Buccaneers battle to see who wins (ph) in Munich. A historic game for the NFL. We'll have details on the other side of the break. Stay with us.

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CHURCH: The NFL made history on Sunday with its first ever regular season game played in Germany. The matchup in Munich featured the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks. That means fans got to see the GOAT, Tom Brady, who is now the first NFL player to win a game in four different countries.

CNN's Fred Pleitgen has more on the fanfare surrounding this contest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: German fans were clearly thrilled to have the NFL here in this country. The game sold out within minutes.

[03:54:58]

PLEITGEN: The NFL says they could easily have sold hundreds of thousands more tickets if there would have been the capacity. Football is a huge deal here in Germany. There's a lot of people who follow the game.

Take a look at this game. It was so interesting to see before the match started. It was obviously a Seahawks-Bucs game. There are people wearing jerseys from pretty much every NLF franchise that is out there. That is because people here love the game of football and they say they want to see more of it in their country.

UNKNOWN: It is an unbelievable feeling to have an NFL game in Germany. Five years ago, it was simply impossible. So, it's simply amazing.

UNKNOWN: Actually, I'm a Bengals fan. But today, Seahawks against Bucs, I go with the Bucs because they have Tom Brady and I'm a Brady fan.

UNKNOWN: Just having a lot of fun with the (INAUDIBLE) out here. We're going to win today! Whew!

PLEITGEN: And, of course, it is a legendary venue for this match. The Allianz Arena, home to soccer powerhouse Bayern Munich. The folks here tell us this is the first time that a non-soccer-related sporting event has happened here in this venue. But, of course, for the NFL, it is also an extremely important game with both the Bucs and the Seahawks sitting atop their divisions.

At the same time, we know that Tom Brady has been having some problems as of late. However, he did speak about his own excitement about playing here in Germany.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM BRADY, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS QUARTERBACK: Yeah, that was one of the great football experiences I've ever had. So, it says a lot for 23 years in the league and for regular season game, and I think the fan turnout was incredible. It felt like a very electric from the time we took the field.

PLEITGEN: Right now, the NFL says it has a commitment for three more games here in this country, two in Frankfurt and one more here in Munich. However, judging by the reaction from the fans in the game that we saw on Sunday, there certainly is a lot of appetite, not just in Germany but in continental Europe in general, to have more of the NFL.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Munich, Germany.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Thanks for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "CNN Newsroom" continues with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo. That's next.

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