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Odell Beckham Jr. Escorted Off Miami Plane; Dramatic Rescue in Maryland; Unrest in China and Iran. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired November 28, 2022 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:03]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JILL BIDEN, FIRST LADY: When our country comes together, we are stronger.

What we share is so much greater than the things that pull us apart. The soul of our nation is and has always been we, the people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KING, CNN HOST: Hope to see you tomorrow.

Ana Cabrera picks up our coverage right now.

ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: Hello, and thank you so much for joining us. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York.

A wave of unprecedented unrest sweeping through China and Iran today. In China, demonstrations that began as a response to the country's zero COVID policy are now expanding, as some protesters openly demand freedom of speech, some even calling for President Xi Jinping to step down, things that are virtually never uttered in public there.

At the same time, months of human rights protests in Iran coming to a head at the World Cup ahead of tomorrow's crucial match between the United States and Iran. The U.S. must win to advance. Now, Iran's state media is calling for the Americans to be booted from the Cup over an image U.S. soccer posted on social media.

And now we're learning the regime has threatened the Iranian players' families.

CNN's Don Riddell is in Doha at the World Cup. And CNN's Jomana Karadsheh is on top of everything happening inside Iran right now.

Let me start with you, Don.

What are the players and coaches saying about all of this ahead of tomorrow's decisive game?

DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Ana.

If FIFA, football's world governing body, was hoping that this could just be all about the football, that ship has sailed a long time ago. Within the last 24 hours, the tensions around this match have really been ratcheted up with the decision to replace the flag by the U.S. Soccer Federation, which has absolutely enraged the Iranian team.

And they seem to be using this as a way to galvanize their own players. And this has now become a political clash. The United States team was facing the media today, and they were peppered with political questions, Tyler Adams, their young captain, having to fend off some of those.

And the Iranians have become very, very good at holding up a mirror and saying, well, if you think these are the problems in our country, what about the problems in your countries? What about the racism, for example? And so Tyler Adams had to answer that.

And he was also educated on the way to say Iran. It's not Iran, as they say, often in the United States. It's Iran. This is what Adams had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TYLER ADAMS, CAPTAIN, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM: My apologies on the mispronunciation of your country. Yes, that being said, there's discrimination everywhere you go.

One thing that I have learned, especially from living abroad in the past years and having to fit in different cultures and kind of assimilate into different cultures, is that, in the U.S., we're continuing to make progress every single day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIDDELL: So, as you say, Ana, this is a must-win game for the United States. It's a rematch of their epic World Cup clash in 1998, where Iran won to knock the United States out.

The American players do not want a repeat of that. But the hype and anticipation and the intensity around this game is only building. And it's going to be fascinating to see which set of players can handle it best. The Iranian players are already in a very, very difficult situation.

Famously, they refused to sing the national anthem in their opening game. They then mouthed the words in their next game. So some people think they're sympathetic to the demonstrators. Some people think the team is pro-regime. The players are in a very, very difficult position. And the American players now have to go into the middle of this and try and block all of that out and just win the game in 90 minutes to get to the knockout round.

CABRERA: There will be so many eyes watching that game for a number of reasons heading into that in about 24 hours from now, at least when it airs here in the U.S.

Jomana, all this publicity may be leading to a crackdown on the Iranian side. As we mentioned at the top, sources are telling CNN the players' family members, Iranian players' family members have now been threatened inside Iran. What are we learning?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ana, this recording is coming from my colleague Sam Kiley, and it's coming from a source who's involved in the security of the games, a source that has been monitoring Iranian security agencies operating in Qatar during these games.

And, according to this source, he says that, after the players didn't sing the national anthem during their opening match with England -- and you know that was seen, of course, as a sign of the port for the protest movement, as a sort of silent protest by these players, the source says that the players had a meeting with members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and they were told that, if they didn't behave, if they didn't sing the national anthem in their next match, and if they did try to show any sort of political dissent against the regime, that their family members back home would face violence and torture.

[13:05:30]

And so we saw during that second game with Wales where they did sing the national anthem quietly, as we saw. Now, the source says that dozens of members of the IRGC had been pulled in to monitor the team. Team members are not allowed to mingle with foreigners or anyone outside the squad.

And according to this source, there's a large number of Iranian security officers in Qatar right now, he says, collecting information and monitoring the players, and also another worrying bit of information coming from the source saying that, during that last match, that there were hundreds of actors who were placed by the regime amongst the fans to create this impression of support for the team.

And the regime, the source says, is planning to increase that number to the thousands during the game with the United States.

CABRERA: OK, thank you for that reporting, Jomana Karadsheh and Don Riddell. We will check back.

Our next guest is a journalist who spent 544 days unjustly imprisoned in Iran, "Washington Post" global opinions writer Jason Rezaian.

Thank you, Jason, for being here.

You say you're Team USA, but you're rooting for Iran tomorrow. You write: "This moment deserves attention, and no global stage is bigger than the World Cup. Billions will be watching. The longer Iran stays in, the more recognition its people and their movement will receive."

How does this movement sustain itself beyond the World Cup, Jason?

JASON REZAIAN, JOURNALIST DETAINED IN IRAN: Well, Ana, thanks for having me on in such a heady time in the world and all that's going on in Iran is getting the spotlight that it deserves, in part because of the World Cup, but also because of the very clear aspirations and demands of Iranian citizens for a different way forward, something that they have been calling for, for a very long time, but never as clearly as they are right now.

CABRERA: What about what we're witnessing there at the World Cup with the players?

Last week, they stayed silent during their national anthem before the match with England. Now we're learning that families of those players have been threatened with imprisonment, even torture if these players fail to -- quote -- "behave" ahead of tomorrow's match. What's your reaction to all this?

REZAIAN: Look, the intimidation of Iranian security forces is well- known. It's something that has existed for a very long time inside the country, but it's spilled over beyond Iran's borders.

Famously, members of various Persian-language media channels and news organizations outside of the country operating in the U.K., in the United States and other countries have been threatened. Their family members have been arrested. And so we're seeing something on a much larger scale here.

And I think, for that reason, you really have to respect the quiet protests of the Iranian players ahead of the first game, the team captain speaking out in support of protesters and offering grief for those who have lost loved ones.

Ramin Rezaeian, no relation to me, but who scored the second goal in the game against Wales on Friday, speaking about dedicating it to the suffering people of his country, I think it's quite clear that these -- these players are under a tremendous amount of pressure and are dancing a very delicate line, and are taking great risks to stand up in support of the protests.

And we will see if that continues tomorrow.

CABRERA: In your op-ed, you talked about how you felt such great pride for your heritage watching the 1998 World Cup, when Iranian players gave flowers to Team USA before their game.

What are you feeling ahead of tomorrow's match? And what will you be watching for?

REZAIAN: Look, for me, it's always an opportunity, when Iran plays against other countries, especially the United States, for people to catch a glimpse of what Iranians are really all about.

For so long, the way that nation has been portrayed has been how it's perceived in the media, through the lens of the actions of a pretty nasty regime. But the Iranian people are more warm, friendly, love hospitality and camaraderie. And I'm just hoping that it's a competitive game, in which good sportsmanship takes the day.

[13:10:15]

CABRERA: Bigger picture, experts say this has become the most significant anti-government movement since the Iranian Revolution back in 1979.

How do you see it? Is this different than previous moments of unrest?

REZAIAN: It is. Ana, It is. It's different in several ways.

One, it's a movement that has captured the imagination of the entire country. There are people from all segments of the society rising up and protesting for equal rights. But it's also a moment where the regime has no answer for the very legitimate demands of the Iranian people.

So, I don't think that we see a return to the status quo. I just hope that the violence is minimal and that the Iranians have access to a freer future.

CABRERA: Absolutely.

Jason Rezaian, thanks so much for providing your insights and offering your perspective on all of this.

Now let's take you to China, historic demonstrations breaking out in several cities, as China posts another record number of new COVID cases.

CNN's Selina Wang is in Beijing with the latest -- Selina.

SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ana we're witnessing an extraordinary and historic moment in China.

No protests of the scale with demands for political reforms have been seen since the Tiananmen pro-democracy protests in 1989. That led to a massacre of unarmed protesters. In China, we have seen protesters chant for not just an end to COVID lockdowns, but also for free speech, democracy, the rule of law, human rights.

This is happening in major cities across the country on elite university campuses in far-flung areas and even here in the capital.

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WANG: I'm in the center of a protest in Beijing right now. They're chanting that they don't want COVID tests. They want freedom. They have been chanting this for hours. People have gathered here in the center of Beijing to protest the COVID measures.

We are in Taiyanggong district. This is the city center. This is also where the authorities have urged people to stay at home because the COVID outbreak is severe here.

Now, the area is also important because this is where the American Embassy is over there. There are many foreign embassies over here. There is a heavy police presence. I am surrounded by police. They're telling me to shift in a little bit.

And if we just turn the camera around, you will see there is a row of police. There is mostly young people who have gathered here, and many people are also holding white papers in their hands, which is a sign of solidarity against censorship.

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WANG: This is a country where it is extremely dangerous to publicly criticize the party, especially Xi Jinping himself. You risk prison time or even worse.

But that's exactly the risk that people across China are taking. While the protests I witnessed was peaceful, authorities have taken more violent approaches at protests in other areas, like in Shanghai, where videos showed arrests and chaotic scenes of police pushing, dragging and beating protesters.

This is a police state that does not tolerate dissent -- Ana.

CABRERA: And there is, of course, a record surge of COVID cases, as we mentioned, but Xi Jinping showing no indication he plans to roll back the country's harsh COVID restrictions.

So, Selina, walk us through what those rules actually are, what they're living under right now.

WANG: Well, living in zero COVID China is like constantly playing roulette. You never know when you will be sealed in your home, if you will be banned from going to the grocery store, or if you will be sent to a quarantine camp.

And if you get COVID, you and all your close contacts get sent to a mass quarantine facility. Then your whole neighborhood or community can go into strict lockdown. Regular COVID tests are required to enter any public area in many cities across the country. I have become used to standing in long lines outside for my regular COVID test. I need a 48-hour test to go into any public place.

Beijing has locked down several districts. While they have not announced a citywide lockdown it feels like a de facto lock down in many ways. I can technically leave my apartment here in Beijing, but there's almost nowhere to go.

CABRERA: Well, already almost three years of that.

Thank you so much, Selina Wang.

Now, imagine this. You survive a plane crash, only to find out that you are now hanging 100 feet in the air, surrounded by live power lines. That's the position the pilot and passenger of this small plane were in. How they survived it all next.

Plus, it hasn't been this bad in 10 years, November flu hospitalizations surging to a decade high at the worst possible time. How you can stay healthy through the holidays.

And high fashion label Balenciaga under fire for a disturbing photo shoot featuring kids and teddy bears in bondage gear.

[13:15:00] Why Kim Kardashian is now speaking out.

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CABRERA: A terrifying small plane crash in Maryland, the pilot and passenger both survivors, but stuck on the wreckage about 100 feet in the air and hours later saved in a dramatic and complicated rescue.

CNN aviation correspondent Pete Muntean is live from the scene for us.

Walk us through what happened. This is quite the story.

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: So incredible, Ana.

Think about what it was like, those long, cold hours in that single engine Mooney plane that was stuck in the transmission tower here of these high tension wires. As the crow flies, we're only about a mile away from the nearby Montgomery County Airport.

[13:20:01]

This plane was coming into land, according to the FAA. And those pilots and the passenger were stuck in the plane dangling for hours, until fire crews and the local power company, Pepco, good effort a safe rescue, many, many volts flowing through those power lines.

What is so interesting -- and we're just hearing this now from investigators -- they're holding a press conference right next to me. They were able to remain in contact with the pilot and passenger on board that plane almost constantly. This crash happened at 5:30. It took about seven hours for crews to ground the power lines to make it safe for them to go up in a 178-foot-tall specialized insulated cherry-picker.

And then it took another hour to get each person one by one very delicately into that cherry-picker and back to the ground. What is so incredible here, Ana, is that these two people were not hurt all that badly

Want you to listen now to one of the 100 firefighters who were on the ground here who described they weren't really able to tell the full extent of the injuries until those two folks on board the plane were back on the ground safely.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT GOLDSTEIN, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND, FIRE CHIEF: An aircraft hit an aerial tower at about 100 feet in the air. It's not going to be stable until it's chained and strapped in place.

Any movement, any accidental movement could make the circumstance worse.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: Fire investigators now say the plane did hit one of those power lines before striking the large transmission tower behind me.

The impact here was so outsized for an airplane crash of this size. About 120,000 people in Montgomery County, Ana, one of the most populous counties in Maryland, were without power for hours. It got restored early this morning. But some schools in the area did close down. The NTSB and the FAA are investigating this about how, simply, this went wrong, how we got here in the first place.

CABRERA: Yes, you're a pilot yourself. What do you think went wrong, the fact they were coming in for a landing and hit these power lines, even though, clearly, people have had to land around these power lines in the past?

MUNTEAN: The weather here, Ana, was very poor at the time of the crash. It was reported to the Montgomery County Airport has very low cloud ceilings, only a couple of hundred feet, very poor visibility.

The big question here that NTSB investigators will look into was the weather and the judgment of the pilot to press on into those poor conditions and whether or not they simply just got too low on the path going into the airport, big questions here yet to be uncovered just yet -- Ana.

CABRERA: Well, I'm so glad everybody appears to be OK.

Pete Muntean, thank you.

Meantime, we're hearing conflicting accounts over why NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. was escorted off a commercial flight in Miami. Police officials say the crew was worried he was seriously ill and went so far as to call for help from police and fire rescue. But Beckham's attorney blames the whole thing on -- quote -- "an overzealous flight attendant."

CNN correspondent Leyla Santiago joins us from Miami International Airport.

Leyla, what more are you learning?

LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what actually happened here, Ana, kind of depends on who you talk to.

What is not in dispute is the fact that Beckham was actually escorted off this flight, right? There is video of it. The airline has confirmed it. Beckham's attorney has confirmed it. But it's what led up to that moment. That kind of depends on who you ask.

Let's start with what police are saying. In their statement -- and I will read it with you -- it says: "The first crew" -- or -- excuse me -- "The flight crew was concerned for a passenger," talking about Beckham there, "as they tried to wake him to fasten his seat belt. He appeared to be coming in and out of consciousness prior to their departure."

Police say that, when officers arrived he was asked to get off the plane, he didn't get off the plane. So everyone was asked to deplane and eventually he was escorted out. So let's now go to the other side. You go to what Beckham's attorney is saying. And I will read that statement with you.

He's calling it an overzealous flight attendant, saying: "The overzealous flight attendant refused to simply allow Mr. Beckham to fasten his seat belt and proceed with the flight, and instead immediately removed everyone from the plane."

Now, this was a flight that was from Miami heading to L.A., several hours of delays, but they did eventually take off. And we should also note that while one is kind of framing this as a medical emergency, the other is saying he was just asleep and he was willing to comply, not disruptive at all.

There are no, at this point, any indications that there's a full investigation this or any charges either -- Ana.

CABRERA: Awfully bad timing, considering it was such a busy, busy holiday travel weekend as well.

SANTIAGO: Yes.

CABRERA: Leyla Santiago, thank you for your reporting.

Eat your fruit and veggies, that's what you were always told by mom and dad, right? Well, get this. Your memory long-term might depend on it. What a new study is telling us.

[13:25:02]

And beware of falling ash. The world's largest active volcano is erupting for the first time in nearly 40 years on Hawaii's Big Island.

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