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Soon: Biden Addresses Economy As Nation Faces Threat Of Rail Strike; Government In China Uses Vast Security Apparatus To Smother Protests; Victim's Mom Sues Gun Manufacturer, Gun Shop, Law Enforcement. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired November 29, 2022 - 14:00   ET

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

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VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, I'm Victor Blackwell. Welcome to CNN NEWSROOM.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Alisyn Camerota.

Any moment now, President Biden will arrive in Michigan to visit a semiconductor plant and speak about his economic agenda. Earlier, the president said he's confident that Congress can help avert a potential economic disaster, a looming rail strike two weeks before Christmas. As of now, there's no deal, and rail workers are still negotiating.

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MICHAEL BALDWIN, PRESIDENT, BROTHERHOOD OF RAILROAD SIGNALMEN: Striking is the last option for us. We would much rather reach an agreement with the railroads at the table. But yes, we are prepared. If Congress does not act in time or act at all, we are prepared to strike.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: In a meeting at the White House today, the president asked congressional leaders from both parties to act immediately. Now, leaders on both sides were optimistic about how this will end.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D-CA): We must avoid a strike. Jobs will be lost, even union jobs will be lost, water will not be safe, product will not be going to market. It is we -- could lose 750,000 jobs, some of them union jobs. That must be avoided. So, tomorrow morning, in the House, we will bring up the legislation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Jeremy Diamond is traveling with the president, and joins us now from Bay City, Michigan. Jeremy, how involved is President Biden in these talks? JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, listen, we saw President Biden sitting down there with the four congressional leaders. And listen, let me just explain why we're here. First of all, the president is here to tout this manufacturing growth in the United States that he is tying to his policies, including investments in semiconductor manufacturing, which is what this manufacturing facility does here. But at the same time, as the president is coming here today, he's making very clear that his top economic priority right now is averting that rail strike. That could cost as much as a billion dollars to the U.S. economy in just the first week of that rail strike.

The president was, of course, closely involved in negotiating that initial tentative agreement, which just yesterday, he announced that he is calling on Congress to -- through legislation, essentially force the unions and the railway companies to implement that tentative agreement. The president today, though, saying that he is confident that a railway strike can be averted. And we also heard some optimism from those congressional leaders as well. But here's the president in that meeting with those leaders.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I asked four top leaders in Congress, whether they'd be willing to come in and talk about what we're going to do between now and Christmas in terms of legislation. And there's a lot to do, including resolving the train strike and the train -- what we're doing now in Congress, I think, has to act (INAUDIBLE). It's not an easy call but I think we have to do it. The economy is at risk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: And essentially, all four of those congressional leaders suggested that there is a pathway to getting this done through Congress. We're already learning for our Capitol Hill team that there is legislation language -- legislative language already beginning to circulate to do a resolution to actually implement this deal. The House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, specifically said that she believes that the House does have the votes to pass this.

Now, the only note of criticism that we heard was really from the House Leader, Kevin McCarthy, who was hoping to become the speaker of the house when Republicans take over the House next year. He criticized the president for allowing negotiations to even get to this point. And that's, of course, very interesting because McCarthy is fighting to get this speakership next year. He's very much trying to reassure the folks on the right wing of his caucus that he has the metal to stand up to the -- to the president in the White House, prove his conservative bona fides so that I think is why you're hearing that kind of language from McCarthy there today.

CAMEROTA: And, Jeremy, I mean, it's rare to see the president with McConnell and McCarthy sitting, talking. Do we know what else they discussed? DIAMOND: Well, we know that they have a lot to do in this lame-duck session. And I -- agenda number one, if not number two after this averting this railway strike is going to be to fund the government. In just a couple of weeks, government funding is expected to run out. We -- there's a question of whether they're going to do a short-term spending bill or an all-encompassing omnibus spending bill. That was what McConnell said he believes is the preference and what should be happening right now.

Included in all of this spending that they're looking for, the president made clear today he wants $10 billion in funding for COVID relief. He wants $37 billion in funding for the war -- to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia. And there's a number of other items.

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They're also trying to pass this same-sex marriage bill. There's questions about whether they could pass some electoral reform changes, so all of that being discussed. And, of course, also looming over this meeting is the fact that President Biden really hasn't spent a lot of time with Republican leaders and particularly with Kevin McCarthy, who could become the Speaker of the House come January. And the president very much needs to work on that working relationship. The president said he's willing to work with Republicans if they'll work with him. You heard a similar sentiment from McCarthy. But, of course, we know that the political reality is far different.

BLACKWELL: All right, Jeremy Diamond there traveling with the president ahead of his remarks scheduled for the next hour in Bay City, thank you very much.

Let's go now to CNN's business reporter Matt Egan. Matt, two things, first, what the unions want, and second, the impact that a strike could have on the economy.

MATT EGAN, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: Well, Victor and Alisyn, we thought disaster was averted back in September when a deal -- a tentative deal was reached between union leaders and management. That tentative deal called for pay hikes, bonuses, and a promise not to increase health care copays. President Biden, he held that deal as a win for thousands of union workers. Fortunately, workers though did not see that the same way, you -- rank-and-file members. And for unions, they voted this down.

There are still these sticking points, including lack of paid sick time, and there's scheduling issues here. And so if there's no agreement reached, we could have a strike next week. And this would be devastating for the economy. Cost of a billion dollars in just the first week alone. That's according to Anderson Economic Group. This is lost wages, lost production. Also, we see a big impact to inflation. The problem is that rail is just central to supply chains in this economy. Without it, you would see just a wide-ranging impact including gas prices. We would see food impact, commuters.

And just give you some key facts about how reliant this economy is on a rail. Nearly 70 percent of U.S. coal production moves by rail. Food, 1.6 million carloads every year go by rail. This is a crazy stat. 75 percent of new cars and trucks purchased in the United States also get delivered by rail. And to the impacts of commuters, about 70 percent of miles traveled by Amtrak trains are on tracks owned by freight rail. So, all of this explains why President Biden, one of the most pro-union presidents in recent memory is calling for Congress to step in here.

CAMEROTA: And so, Matt, one of the other sticking points is the lack of paid sick leave. So, how common is paid sick leave?

EGAN: It is increasingly common. Almost eight in 10 workers in this economy, they do have access to paid leave. The asterisk here because this really varies. Part-time workers, low-income workers do not get as much of access here. Also varies by occupation. The issue though, is that the United States is one of just six countries in the world that does not have a national paid leave policy, and this potential strike, as well as COVID, I think is really shining a spotlight on this issue.

CAMEROTA: OK, Matt Egan, thank you very much for breaking all that down for us.

OK, now to China. The crackdown on protesters is underway. Officers from the Chinese government's vast security force swarming main thoroughfares, setting up barricades, and randomly checking cell phones. Since the weekend, demonstrators -- demonstrations I should say, have taken place in at least 15 cities.

BLACKWELL: Thousands in China are fed up with the several years of COVID lockdowns and a sign that protests though may be working. The government has also been easing some of the restrictions. CNN senior international correspondent Ivan Watson is in Hong Kong with the latest. Ivan?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Victor and Alisyn, we're getting the first sense of how the Chinese government views the protests that erupted over the weekend in more than a dozen cities across China against the government's very strict zero-COVID policy of lockdowns. The powerful Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission issued a statement calling on authorities to "resolutely strike hard against infiltration and sabotage activities by hostile forces as well criminal -- as criminal activities that destabilize social order." It sounds like there is no room for compromise or tolerance whatsoever for protesters, even if they are peaceful.

And I think we're seeing a reflection of that the way that police flooded the streets of the capital Beijing, Monday night, the commercial capital Shanghai Monday as well erecting barriers along roadsides there to prevent people from being able to congregate where they protested over the weekend, and hearing anecdotally from eyewitnesses about police in the subway system in Shanghai stopping pedestrians and searching their phones. We even have some video illustrating this. One eyewitness is saying that the police were searching people's phones for images of the protests, also looking for apps, VPNs, that let people circumvent the great Chinese firewall that incredible system of censorship, that blocks everything from Google and Facebook from reaching people's phones in China.

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While this crackdown is taking place, we're also seeing signs still of some protests in the eastern city of Hangzhou. And Chinese health officials, this is interesting, are calling on reducing the length of lockdowns, which appears to be a tacit recognition that this is just putting too much pressure on people emotionally, psychologically, financially, Victor and Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Ivan Watson, thank you very much.

BLACKWELL: The House committee investigating the attack on the Capitol will interview Tony Ornato today. Now, he was the deputy chief of staff in the Trump White House on January 6. He's spoken with the committee before but this is the first time he'll be questioned since Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony in June. You'll remember that she said that Ornato told her that Trump lunged at a secret service agent who refused to let him go to the Capitol on January 6. CNN's Sara Murray is with us now. Sara, tell us what do we know about this Ornato interview today.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, this interview got underway earlier today. And it's an important one for the committee because as you pointed out, it's coming on the heels of this bombshell testimony they got from Cassidy Hutchinson. It comes as they've heard from about half a dozen other Secret Service officials. And you know, Cassie Hutchinson, when she testified, really laid out the anger that Donald Trump allegedly expressed toward Ornato as well as Robert Engle who was the lead agent in Trump's motorcade on January 6. Take a listen to what Cassidy Hutchinson said.

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CASSIDY HUTCHINSON, FORMER TOP AIDE TO TRUMP WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF MARK MEADOWS: Mr. Engle grabbed his arm and said, Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel. We're going back to the West Wing. We're not going to the Capitol. Mr. Trump then used his free hand to lunge towards Bobby Engle. And Mr. -- when Mr. Ornato had recounted this story to me he had motioned towards his clavicles.

REP. LIZ CHENEY, (R-WY): Did Mr. Engle or Mr. Ornato ever after that, tell you that what Mr. Ornato had just said was untrue?

HUTCHINSON: Neither Mr. Ornato nor Mr. Engel told me ever that it was untrue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MURRAY: Now, you heard Cassie Hutchinson there saying that these officials never walked back their story. And we should note that Engle and Ornato have never gone on the record to dispute what Cassidy Hutchinson has said. But previously, a secret service official granted and under the condition of anonymity told CNN that Ornato did not -- was denying, essentially that he told Cassidy Hutchinson that the former president reacted this way. So, that's why it's so important for the committee to get this testimony. You know, they want to set the record straight, you know, try to confirm what Cassidy Hutchinson told them, or if Tony Ornato is in fact going to dispute parts of Cassie Hutchinson's testimony. They want to get that on the record. They want to get it under oath. BLACKWELL: Yes, and they have just a few weeks to do it. Sara Murray,

thank you.

MURRAY: Thanks.

CAMEROTA: So, a new study shows the gun epidemic in America is getting deadlier and hitting some communities harder than others. We're going to tell you which ones.

BLACKWELL: And the list of Republicans criticizing former President Trump for dining with a white nationalist is growing, and now it includes House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and his former Vice President Mike Pence.

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CAMEROTA: The family of one of the fourth-graders killed during the Uvalde School massacre is suing the gun manufacturer and the gun shop that sold the weapon used in the attack. The mother of 10-year-old Eliahna Torres says she filed the lawsuit to seek accountability. The lawsuit alleges the mass shooter -- shooting was enabled by the negligence of the gun manufacturer and that the gun shop had a duty not to sell weapons to this shooter.

BLACKWELL: Now, the lawsuit also makes claims against law enforcement officials who, on-scene, they're waited 77 minutes before storming in and killing the shooter. The suit alleges that that delay effectively trapped the victims inside. 19 students, two teachers died in that attack. CNN has reached out to all the defendants listed in the lawsuit, but so far, we've not received any replies -- any comments to those requests.

CAMEROTA: The gun epidemic in America is deadlier than ever and hitting some communities harder than others. According to a new study, firearm deaths surged in America during the pandemic, killing nearly 50,000 people last year. That's the highest number since tracking began in 1981.

BLACKWELL: Researchers found there had been more than one million firearm deaths in this country since 1990. CNN's Elizabeth Cohen joins us now. Explain more the findings for us.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, those numbers are just so staggering when you think about there is a life behind each of those numbers. So, what this study found is that firearm deaths and -- are not affecting Americans equally. So, let's look at it first by gender. When you look at firearm fatalities in general, much more for men than for women, 86 percent of the victims are males and 14 percent are females. Now, if we look at firearms just at the homicides, very, very different when you break it down by race. These are all per 100, 000 people. For black people, it's 56 for 100,000. For Hispanics, it's 10, and for white people, it's three. So, as you can see, this horrible epidemic of violence is affecting different groups of Americans differently, Victor and Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Elizabeth, tell us about this CNN exclusive how experts are warning about the risks of toxic chemicals found in some skincare beauty products.

COHEN: Yes. My colleagues did a really just incredible story that is so important, looking at skin whitening creams.

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And what they found as they went to the Minnesota Department of Health which has really been very aggressive at trying to do, what they can against these. One woman, she lost her peripheral vision because there was mercury in her skin whitening cream. Other people are having tingling in their hands and feet or having fatigue and muscle weakness.

Let's take a look at what they found in Minnesota. So, the maximum acceptable level in someone's urine would be five micrograms per liter. For one Minnesota patient, just as an example, it was 46.6. Obviously, that is way too high. And then when they went into homes to see what kind of mercury was in the home, it wasn't just in the person who use the crane because it gets on clothing or whatever, they found it in the air, they found it in washing machines, they found it in bedding, they found it in towels.

Now, some people do need to use whitening creams for medical reasons. If you read the story, there's some advice about how to find safer brands. They tend to be made by the larger manufacturers. And also the ones in this Minnesota that the folks in Minnesota found, they were mostly in sort of smaller neighborhood shops not at larger retailers. Alisyn, Victor.

CAMEROTA: That's just an amazing finding. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you for telling us about it.

BLACKWELL: The U.S. faces off against Iran in a must-win game at the World Cup, the stakes on and off the field really couldn't be higher. We're at watch parties with fan reactions. That's next.

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CAMEROTA: Right now, the United States and Iran are going head-to-head in a winner takes all World Cup match. A source tells CNN that Iranian players were told that their families would "face violence and torture if they did not sing the national anthem or if they participated in any sort of protests." Players did indeed sing at the start of today's match. BLACKWELL: Now, the team that wins today will reach the knockout round of 16 at Qatar 22 -- 2022, that's what it is. CNN Sports Anchor Andy Scholes is at Fado Irish Pub in Atlanta. CNN's Nick Watt is live at a watch party in Woodland Hills, California.

Andy, let me start with you. I have learned after last week's hits with the USA-England game, it's best to hit you early because late in the -- in the match, you're a little distracted. How are folks feeling there where you are?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Victor and Alisyn, I tell you what, everyone, here's rather anxious because you know the U.S. has scored one goal since June. That was against Wales last week. We played pretty well against England, but that was a 0-0 tie. We can't tie this game. We have to win. So, that means we have to score.

Even when we get a shot at a goal, this place erupts with tears because everyone's just waiting for that goal to eventually happen. There's I guess nervous optimism that will eventually come. I got Matt Sheridan right here. He's been -- you got your ex early to get his spot to watch this game. Matt, so we're in the 27th minute, how do you think it's going so far?

MATT SHERIDAN, USA SOCCER FAN: I mean it's great. We've had possession of the ball, which is great. My heart is racing. And the fans in here are amazing. I mean the atmosphere of just being here. And missing last year or last time the world -- we went to the World Cup it was just -- I mean, there's just a lot of emotion. So, we're all excited. This is great.

SCHOLES: So, no goal yet. Is it coming?

SHERIDAN: Oh, it's coming.

SCHOLES: It's coming.

SHERIDAN: Oh, it's coming.

SCHOLES: All right, so, there you go, Victor.

SHERIDAN: Open for three but. Well, we'll go in one --

SCHOLES: Three?

SHERIDAN: I just need the first one. Let's make the first here.

SCHOLES: We'll take a one-zero to lead at this point, guys, but like I said lots of optimism, lots of anxiety because everyone's waiting for that first goal. If it happens, I tell you what, the roofs going to blow off this place.

CAMEROTA: We can imagine. All right, Andy, thank you for that. Let's check in with Nick. He's in LA which is home to a large population of Iranian immigrants. So, what's the mood there, Nick?

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alisyn, we are at the Nostal Cafe. And there are a lot of mixed emotions. I've got to say. A lot of these people are dual, Iranian U.S. citizens. Listen, they have a great fondness for their home country, but they do not have a great fondness for the regime in their home country.

However, a lot of them told me that, you know, they are putting their support behind this Iranian team because as you mentioned before, this Iranian team has been threatened by the regime. So, these people say listen, they are not -- this team is not for the regime. They have to be for the regime. And the loyalties here are very clear. We see the U.S. flag, we see the old pre-revolutionary Iranian flag, and we see many people wearing protest T-shirts, signs on the windows saying the Ayatollahs must go. So, split loyalties both between the U.S. and Iran and within their own feelings about their home country.

A lot of people diplomatically told me that they hope this game is a draw but as Andy just pointed out, if it's a draw, and it's Iran that goes through. One thing I can tell you it's a lot more genteel watching a football match -- a soccer match in an Iranian Cafe than in a Scottish or Irish Pub. It's all tea cookers and delicious sort of honey-drenched pastries, so a lot of nervousness here, a lot of pride in their country, mixed feelings in their country. The draw, as they say, if it's a draw, Iran goes through. And right now, nil-nil. So, let's see. Back to you, guys.

CAMEROTA: OK. This is how I like to watch a game. How they're watching it in Woodland Hills there, they're watching it sitting down with honey-soaked pastries.

BLACKWELL: Oh.

CAMEROTA: What's happening?

WATSON: Almost a goal.

BLACKWELL: OK, nothing. All right.