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U.S. Holiday Travel; Virginia Mass Shooting; Power Supply Slowly Returning in Ukraine; Iranian Doctor Describes Brutal Crackdown; Holiday Shopping Season. Aired 5-6a ET
Aired November 26, 2022 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and all around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber.
Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, severe weather across the U.S. may threaten your travel plans this holiday weekend, depending on where you are. We're live at the CNN Weather Center with the latest.
Plus, the desperation for many Ukrainian residents, suffering from power outages caused by Russian attacks. I'll speak with one teacher living in Kyiv during the blackouts.
And --
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): A game watched around the world. How Team USA pulled off a dramatic draw against England at the World Cup.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: The Christmas season has begun in earnest here in the U.S., now that the country has wrapped up the Thanksgiving holiday. Shoppers from coast to coast took advantage of Black Friday sales in both brick-and-mortar stores and online. Airports will face a surge of passengers heading home this weekend, most of them on Sunday.
Government data shows the number of air travelers on Wednesday came close to a pandemic record, but weather could create complications. Heavy rain and even some snow could cause headaches for people on the air and on the roads.
(WEATHER REPORT) BRUNHUBER: Now if you're flying Sunday, the crowds might make you miss
social distancing. Aviation correspondent Pete Muntean looks at how packed the airports may be.
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PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're in a short-lived air travel lull but it's all about to come roaring back the Sunday after Thanksgiving, when everyone comes home all at once.
The TSA screened 1.4 million people in airports across the country, it's the lowest number since February. Look at the day before, 2.46 million people screened by TSA nationwide.
That's only 6 percent off from 2019 before the pandemic and just shy of a pandemic era air travel record.
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MUNTEAN: Now the question is will Sunday hit a pandemic era record?
And could it hit the all-time record when the TSA screens 2.88 million people?
The Sunday after Thanksgiving in 2019 I asked the TSA administrator if that's a real possibility this time around.
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DAVID PEKOSKE, TSA ADMINISTRATOR: This holiday travel period will be the biggest holiday travel period, we think, since the pandemic. So pre-pandemic on the Sunday following Thanksgiving, almost 3 million passengers. We will be pretty close to that, the Sunday following this Thanksgiving.
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MUNTEAN: These numbers are so important because of the uncertainty that airlines and passengers faced over the summer when they cancelled 50,000 flights in total due in part to staffing shortages. That was compounded by bad weather.
The weather this time around has been relatively good and airlines have been on a hiring blitz. In fact, United Airlines cancelled no flights network wide on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
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BRUNHUBER: More than 166 million people are expected to shop for the holidays this weekend. The high expectations have some wondering if this shopping season will be the boost that businesses need to deal with the current economy. I talked with Ryan Patel at Claremont Graduate University and I'll share his insights later in the hour.
Now check out this amazing video, a man rescued from the Gulf of Mexico after falling from a cruise ship. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER (voice-over): The U.S. Coast Guard shows him bobbing in the water, desperate for help after being spotted by a bulk carrier. He was eventually hoisted to safety.
He was on the Carnival Valor having drinks when he told his sister he was going to the bathroom. He never returned and she didn't report him missing until noon the next day.
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LT. SETH GROSS, U.S. COAST GUARD SEARCH AND RESCUE: He realistically could have been in the water for 15-plus hours before we were able to successfully rescue him. I'll be honest with you, 17 year career, this case is unlike anything I've seen. It blows the normalcy out of the water here. It really shows the will to live is something that you need to account for in every search and rescue case.
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BRUNHUBER: So far, the name of the man that went overboard hasn't been released. The Coast Guard said he was showing signs of hypothermia but is walking and communicating.
Mexican authorities have issued an arrest warrant and started extradition proceedings for a friend of the North Carolina college student found dead inside her vacation rental last month. Ryan Young has the details.
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RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is just a perplexing case. People trying to figure out the details of this investigation. We know Mexican authorities have moved forward with putting out that warrant.
We don't know the name of the person they're looking for just yet. But we do know that six friends traveled down with Shanquella Robinson. On October 28th, the first day there, there was some sort of attack.
Video has been spreading on social media that shows that attack. Her father has actually identified seeing his daughter in that video. We haven't been able to authenticate that video yet. But it's gruesome to see how she was hit over and over again.
At some point, authorities were called. But it's too late for her. If you listen to her mother, you can understand why she's upset and doesn't trust the friends that called her on that night.
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SALAMONDRA ROBINSON, SHANQUELLA'S MOTHER: On Saturday evening, they called and said that she wasn't feeling well and they were going to call a doctor. But when they called, the doctor hadn't arrived yet but they said she had alcohol poisoning. We received the autopsy report on Thursday and it said that her neck had been broke.
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YOUNG: The FBI has gotten involved and we know the Mexican authorities are looking for the person in the warrant. As soon as we have more information, of course, we'll push it forward, as this case continues to develop -- Ryan Young, CNN, Atlanta.
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BRUNHUBER: Authorities in Virginia are still trying to find a motive for the mass shooting in a Walmart store earlier this week. Officials say the gunman had no criminal history and they released a death note that he apparently had written on his cell phone. CNN's Brian Todd has more.
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JESSIE WILCZEWSKI, WALMART EMPLOYEE, SHOOTING SURVIVOR: He had the gun up to my forehead and -- this is really hard.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight's chilling new details released by police reveal that the man who killed six Walmart employee spot has weapon that very day.
City officials say the shooter had no criminal history and that he legally bought the gun he used, a nine millimeter handgun. Officials releasing screenshots of writings found on the gunmen's phone, the title: death now.
He describes that grievances he had, writing his associates were laughing and mocking him, saying they, quote, "gave me evil, twisted grins. Mocked me and celebrated my downfall the last day. That's why they suffered the same fate as me."
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TODD (voice-over): In another part he writes, quote, "I wish I could have saved everyone from myself. My God, forgive me for what I'm going to do."
While the gunman spoke of specific people in the note, police say none of them were his victims. And the names were redacted for privacy.
CNN reached out to Walmart to inquire if the shooter had any complaints against him or had ever been disciplined or demoted.
In response, Walmart said, quote, "there is nothing that can justify taking innocent lives."
One survivor, a fellow employee, told us earlier this week that she had been warned about the gunman.
BRIANA TYLER, WALMART EMPLOYEE, SHOOTING SURVIVOR: I am new but I had heard from the very beginning that he was the one to watch out for. TODD: The city also released the identity of the youngest victim. Now identified us 16-year-old Fernando Chavez-Barron. Friends say the teen had just started working at the Walmart and used his first paycheck to buy gifts for his mother.
JOSHUA TREJO-ALVARADO, FERNANDO CHAVEZ-BARRON'S FRIEND: I was hoping everything was a dream until the day. I wish he was so here standing with me.
TODD: With two people still in the hospital, dozens gathered Thursday to pray for the victims.
As the community struggles to move forward, the survivor can't stop reliving the terror.
WILCZEWSKI: The sound of the droplets, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick -- replays, replays, replays, replays, of how much blood was coming off the different chairs, it was making a rhythm and it was one of the most disturbing things I think I will never let go of that.
The mayor of Chesapeake, Rick West, has announced a vigil for the victims at City Park on Monday evening. Walmart still not answering CNN's questions, whether any disciplinary measures had ever been taken against the shooter or whether complaints by other employees had ever been made about him -- Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
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BRUNHUBER: Brazil is mourning after a deadly attack on two schools. Reports say a 16-year old opened fire on an elementary and middle school and an education center on Friday. At least three people were killed, 11 others injured. No details are available about the victims.
Police arrested the alleged shooter, who was seen in security footage in military attire with a semiautomatic weapon. The governor declared three days of official mourning after the attack.
Power outages, freezing weather, missile strikes, they've been facts of life in Kyiv for weeks now. One resident will join us live to talk about what it gets to get through all of that.
Plus, a World Cup draw that feels like both a loss and a victory. Ahead, why the U.S. is celebrating its scoreless match against England, while the other team is left with disappointment. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Well, the power is slowly coming back after Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy system. But millions still face blackouts that can last hours or longer. A Kyiv resident talks about the impact on daily life.
Plus --
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It's not just death. It literally could be worse. We wish they would kill us on the street rather than they arrest us.
BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Protesters speak out, as the U.N. says it will investigate the Iranian regime's crackdown. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
Ukrainian officials say the city of Kherson is taking Russian artillery fire around the clock. They released an update about an hour ago, saying at least 15 people have been killed in the last five days and 35 others wounded.
Hospitals in Kherson have started moving patients to other parts of the country. A voluntary evacuation of other residents began yesterday. Officials are urging people to leave before temperatures drop even further.
Also on Friday, President Zelenskyy paid a visit to the site of a Russian missile strike near Kyiv. Officials said the missile hit a residential building on Wednesday, setting it on fire and causing casualties.
The lights are slowly coming back on in Ukraine after massive Russian attacks on its power system earlier this week. Right now, Ukraine has about 70 percent of the electricity it needs. But repairing the damage is an uphill battle, as power crews deal with high winds and subzero temperatures.
Officials said an hour ago customers without power and heat is down to about 130,000 and they say water supply is back up and running and cell phone service is widely available again. But despite the progress, President Zelenskyy says many Ukrainians are still in the dark. Here he is.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The key task at hand today, as well as on other days this week, is the rebuilding of power infrastructure. From Wednesday to today, we managed to reduce the number of people who suffer regular outages to stabilize the grid by half.
As of this evening, those connections are inactive in most of the regions and in Kyiv. Overall, more than 6 million users are affected.
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BRUNHUBER: But some E.U. countries are moving to help Ukraine get through the winter even if power remains scarce. France, Latvia and the Czech Republic are pledging to donate dozens of generators and heaters.
We want to give you a firsthand account of what it's like to live under the constant missile strikes and blackouts. We're joined by Olena Chekryzhova. She's a teacher in Kyiv. She's speaking to us from the Ukrainian capital.
Thanks so much for being here with us. So your mayor of Kyiv, said, quote, "This is the worst winter since World War II."
In terms of dealing with the loss of power, heat, water, what's been the biggest challenge for you?
OLENA CHEKRYZHOVA, TEACHER, KYIV: The biggest challenge is to manage your life, to maintain some sort of life-work balance and to cope with stress. Because really, since the beginning of October, when those missile strikes on civilian infrastructure started, we're living in a constant atmosphere of unpredictability and uncertainty.
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CHEKRYZHOVA: But I must admit that people in Kyiv and residents of Ukraine developed some sort of stress-proof attitude and some strategies how to cope with power outages and how to live in the circumstances like this.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. It's easier for some to cope. But you know, for those who aren't mobile, the sick, who are elderly especially, they will suffer through this.
How are some of your more vulnerable neighbors dealing with this?
CHEKRYZHOVA: Yes. Yes, of course, plenty of people feel vulnerable. For example, children or people who are not mobile, the elderly or people who cannot -- who haven't prepared properly.
But there are now many shelters where people can get hot water and get warm, charge their phones or devices. And there are now many devices, heaters and lamps, candles, burners, generators which are available to people of -- somehow to live through this tough winter.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Resiliency that's always striking. You tweeted a picture of yourself, stuck in an elevator during a power outage.
And then you wrote, "The terrorists think they can undermine our morale by their threats and strikes but each new attack strengthens our character."
That seems to encapsulate the zeitgeist of the entire country right now.
CHEKRYZHOVA: That's true. We Ukrainians totally understand that the goal of this terror campaign is to inflict pain, misery, panic and depression in our Ukrainian society because Russians are not very successful on the battlefield.
So now they're fighting their war with residential areas, cities and infrastructure and the vulnerable categories of Ukrainian citizens. That is why the -- in fact, it's just the opposite. We are becoming stronger, more united, more resilient, more adaptable.
I wanted to say that we are getting used to this situation. But to get used means to put up with it. We don't put up; we just adapt. And it makes our nation stronger and we continue to fight against the invaders and the terrorists.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Just talk to me about that sense of normalcy that people are trying to establish. I understand people are still going out to restaurants. There may be more cold dishes served.
But how are people trying to keep that sense of normalcy?
How are they adapting in daily life to it?
CHEKRYZHOVA: Yes, of course, our day-to-day life changed our eating habits. Cooking habits changed and life-work balance is impossible to maintain. But still, we can use some elements of our normal life.
For example, many restaurants, cafes and shops and markets (INAUDIBLE) because they have outdoor power equipment. And they're very welcoming for people, again, to warm up, to get charged -- to get their devices charged. And, well, it's possible to maintain at least some sort of normal life.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Well, we appreciate getting a sense of what that life is like in Ukraine, as you struggle through all of these challenges. Olena Chekryzhova, I really appreciate you coming on with us. Thanks so much.
Well, as anti-government demonstrations continue in Iran, as many as 14,000 protesters have been arrested. At least 2,000 charged so far. At least six protesters receiving death sentences.
Lawmakers have been calling for protesters to be taught, quote, a good lesson to deter others who threaten the authority of the Iranian government. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh spoke to one protester about the relentless determination to keep going.
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JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iranians have been risking it all for freedom, to break free of the shackles of a repressive regime that's brutality and bullets only fueling the anger of those on the streets, making them more defiant than ever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know as long as the Islamic Republic is ruling the country, I couldn't do my duty.
KARADSHEH: This doctor we are not identifying for safety reasons was one of hundreds of medical professionals who gathered in Tehran last month for a demonstration organized by their council and it was violently broken up.
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KARADSHEH (voice-over): Doctors tell CNN at least one person was killed, many injured, including one shot in the eyes and blinded.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As soon as I arrived there, the area was full of all kinds of forces. Plain clothes forces was too much and they literally shoot everyone that was walking on the sidewalk of the street.
I have bruises, multiple bruises in front of my body and back and all them was above my waist. But I saw injuries with batons and beaten a lot, electric shock.
KARADSHEH: Just for going out and protesting, you could go to jail or get killed?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not just death. It literally could be worse. We wish they kill us on the streets rather than they arrest us.
KARADSHEH: Because of all the horrors in detention facilities, all these risks, the threats to you and your family, that's not stopping you and others?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course not. They killed more than 1,500 in three days, in less than a week, about two years ago. We know it could happen and all of us, we will continue. There is no other way.
We came from a long journey and we realize that the Islamic Republic cannot change and don't want to change. It is our duty for our next generation that we fight it and hopefully we can change it.
KARADSHEH: Only Iranians can change it, this protester and others say but they believe the international community can do more than just watch, condemn and announce symbolic sanctions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They could close Islamic Republic ambassadors, United Nations, UNICEF pay more attention. We need actual action.
The most important question is, are they willing to do that are not, to stand on the right side of history or not?
KARADSHEH: Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Istanbul.
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BRUNHUBER: The death toll from Monday's earthquake in Indonesia's West Java province has risen to 310. Rescue efforts are still underway. Officials said Friday 2 dozen remain missing. Tens of thousands of homes were damaged in the disaster.
Nearly half are considered badly damaged. Officials say they have built 14 shelters for those who are displaced.
Well, it's beginning to look like Christmas and, for many millions of Americans, that means shopping. Coming up, how the current economic climate can dampen the expectations for this year's holiday sales. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Well, despite the squeeze of inflation on many American families, holiday retail sales are expected to grow, which means shoppers will lean more on savings and credit to afford gifts.
The National Retail Federation expects more than 166 million Americans will do some shopping this weekend. That's a significant increase from last year. Now of those shoppers, 67 percent of them are expected to shop in store. That's up 64 percent from last year.
And an estimated $942 billion to $960 billion is expected to be spent between November and December. And sales are up between 6 percent to 8 percent from last year. Now inflation is the big elephant in the room. And people are having to be creative in the ways they shop. Listen to this.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the problems is inflation. Prices are high. You have to make some adjustments.
What are you going to buy this year?
Yes, it is a little bit of downsizing in terms of buying gifts. It's not like last year. So, yes, inflation is affecting us.
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BRUNHUBER: Ryan Patel is a senior fellow at Claremont Graduate University, he joins me now from Los Angeles.
Thanks so much for being here with us. So many of us that are interested in the economy and watching Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, hoping to glean something that might give us a sense of how the retail sector and economy are faring, is that a good indicator?
Can we draw any conclusions in the next few days?
RYAN PATEL, GLOBAL BUSINESS EXECUTIVE: At least you can say we're not moving too much backwards. Obviously with inflation, we saw the numbers what it was, increased by a couple percentage points.
You see Thanksgiving and also Black Friday sales, online numbers, close to $5.2 billion like you mentioned. That's a great indicator that we're moving there. Obviously, as we saw in the purchasing power, a lot of these purchases are strategic.
People have in mind the economy and looking for decisions in how they purchase. The traffic in stores, you know, definitely, we weren't seeing parking lots being full. You could find parking spaces. But people were more strategic about the decisions and where they bought it from.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. I'm wondering about that sort of paradox we're seeing, U.S. retail sales and consumer spending, they rose sharply in October.
So you know, I'm wondering about those expectations from retailers for this coming season because of that paradox. Polls show that Americans are really concerned about the economy and that possible recession. But they're spending like they don't have a care in the world.
PATEL: Well, you know, it's interesting, because this holiday season, at least from Black Friday going into Cyber Monday, which will be another huge record-breaking day probably for the U.S., there wasn't as many deals and slashing as you think.
You know, there were retailers that we were seeing that had many inventory issues. But you look at companies like Best Buy, where the CEO came out and they managed the inventory accordingly.
Not to say they didn't have great deals but normally it wasn't the deals that many were looking for. I think the other aspect of this, Kim, too, was if people are shopping, going into the holiday season, having inventory is a big thing as well because people are buying. You don't know if it's going to last.
We had supply chain issues, Kim, as you know. So people are making decisions, let me buy it now, even before -- a couple weeks before Black Friday, to ensure that you get what you needed and what you're looking for and that you don't have to fight for it in a couple weeks before Christmas shopping.
BRUNHUBER: That's right. People shopping early. Then from the consumer perspective, there are other cracks that seem to be appearing. More households are relying on credit cards to pay bills.
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BRUNHUBER: In fact, we recently saw the largest year over year increase in 20 years.
What does that tell you?
PATEL: That is telling, right?
That you got this, you know, you got -- I don't want to say bubble, because it's not the right word. You know, when you pay for something and you don't have the cash for it, it provides -- the word recession, things that household incomes can't afford.
We did see this year there's about a 12 percent purchasing average price go up as well, Kim. So when you have some cash and you have a job and we saw the seasonal high that comes down as well, people feel comfortable to where I don't want to spend my cash. I want to put it on credit and pay for it next month.
But reliance on credit was really clear that people are looking to spend and live their lifestyle, going into this holiday season.
BRUNHUBER: I want to pick up on what you said about seasonal hiring.
Those numbers that we've been watching, what do they tell you?
Also along with seasonal hiring not being what it was, we've seen also mass layoffs from so many tech companies. So for many, unfortunately, it won't be a good Christmas. And other companies as well are preparing for layoffs.
So what are all of those numbers telling you and what effect might they have?
PATEL: Yes, it's clear; employees kind of posted 8.2 percent fewer holiday openings this year compared to last year, according to Indeed. We saw seasonal jobs rose 33 percent year over year. So people are looking for jobs.
Also, you saw the tech jobs, many retailers are trying to put themselves in a better position to make money, retailers in general. When the margin is starting to squeeze, you think about the hiring wage, the wages increasing, it's interesting.
The FedEx chief customer service officer actually said that their company was scaling back this holiday hiring and expecting to handle lower volume packages this year. That's also interesting to note, when you see that, what they're trying to scale back to ensure that they actually make a profit as well.
BRUNHUBER: Watching this month or so should be fascinating as all these forces play out. Ryan Patel, appreciate your insight. Thank you for being here with us.
PATEL: My pleasure, Kim.
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BRUNHUBER: All right. Still ahead, we have why U.S. fans are claiming victory, even though their team failed to score in its latest World Cup match. We'll have that story and plenty more coming up.
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BRUNHUBER: Before we go, scientists say you can't actually see a black hole but you can hear one. Well, these rings, captured by an X-ray space observatory, show light echoes from a black hole 8,000 light years away.
They're similar to sound echoes but, instead, show bursts of X-rays reflected off faraway gas and cosmic dust. Scientists as NASA have used the method called sonification to turn those echoes into sound. Listen to this.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): The crashing wave sound you hear there represents bursts of energy bouncing off the cosmic debris. And the louder the sound, the brighter the light echo.
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BRUNHUBER: And take a look at these, NASA just released new pictures of the moon, the first look we've had of its surface in 50 years. The images were taken as part of the Artemis I mission, where the Orion spacecraft is expected to travel more than 40,000 miles beyond the far side of the moon.
Incredible. Well, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. You can follow me on Twitter @Kim Brunhuber. For viewers in North America, "CNN THIS MORNING" is next. For the rest of the world, it's startup.
