Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

U.S. To Play Iran in World Cup After Altered Flag Controversy; China Tightens Security Amid Widespread Covid Protests; Sever Storm Threat Could Impact Over 30 Million Americans. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired November 29, 2022 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo.

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Bianca Nobilo live from London. Max Foster is off this week for an exciting assignment. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here we are now -- what 24 years later and the stakes are even higher.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Iran/U.S.A. matchup is dripping with drama, seething with dissent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Iranian regime has threatened the players families with imprisonment and torture if the players fail to, quote, behave.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Outbursts of anger and frustration across the country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this point in their lives, they had nowhere to go and no one to voice their concern to.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: An elevated risk for severe weather including the potential for a long track tornados. All in the forecast later today. We'll break this down coming up in a couple minutes

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: It's Tuesday, November 29th. 9 a.m. here in London, 12 p.m. in Doha, Qatar, where the final round of the World Cup group stage is about to begin and all eyes will be on the highly anticipated match between the U.S. and Iran.

The stakes for the Americans couldn't be higher. The only way that they can move onto the next round is with a win. For Iran there's more leeway. As a victory or a draw could help them advance. But the Iranians under heavy pressure politically. According to a

security source the players have been warned if they protest their government or decline to sing the national anthem, their families could face imprisonment or even torture. To add to the controversy, the U.S. Soccer Federation upset Iran after posting a doctored image of its flag in support of the Iranian protesters without the emblem of the regime. And on top of all of that there was this awkward exchange between the U.S. captain and in Iranian reporter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You say you support the Iranian people but you're pronouncing our country's name wrong. Our country is named Iran not I ran. Please once and for all let's get this clear.

TYLER ADAMS, U.S. SOCCER CAPTAIN: My apologies on the mispronunciation of your country. Yes, that being said, you know, there's discrimination everywhere you go. You know, one thing that I've learned especially from living abroad in the past years and having to fit in, 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. Obviously, it takes longer to understand and through education I think it's super important. Like you just educated me now on the pronunciation of your country. So, yes, it's a process. I think as long as you see progress, that's the most important thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Let's get more from our correspondence CNN's Nada Bashir is here in London and Amanda Davies is at the center of the action in Doha. Amanda let's start with you. So, the U.S. coach says that they're going to take inspiration from the 1998 match between Iran and America where America were defeated. How so and to extent are these wider tensions having an impact on players?

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes, good morning, Bianca. The U.S. team and their coach facing a press conference like they've never faced before really. Confronted head on by these questions of politics and international relations. We knew as soon as this draw was made here in Doha in April, that these would be some of the issues we were talking about. But with events in Iran over the last couple of months, that decision by the Iranian team not to sing their national anthem ahead of their opening game and then that U.S. soccer stance via social media to change the Iranian flag, it really has become a forcing match-up impossible to extricate from the international diplomatic landscape.

And it is very similar to what we saw play out at France '98, the last time these two sides met.

[04:05:00]

That was a match that was built as the mother of all games via a number of publications. There was increased security around the game. The Iranian team had been asked not to shake hands with their American opponents. And it was a match at which the current U.S. boss, Greg Berhalter was a TV pundit. But interestingly, he says it's not the politics he remembers but Iran's passion on the pitch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREGG BERHALTER, U.S. SOCCER MANAGER: That game just sticks in my mind. It burns in my mind. And what I saw, you know, from the opening whistle is one team that really wanted to win the game and one team that didn't really want to win the game and Iran wanted to win the game with everything. And they played really committed, really focused and for us to have a chance to advance tomorrow, that's going to have to be the mindset of our group. Because we know exactly what Iran's going to bring.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIES: Berhalter urging his side not to make the same mistakes as the past there. The Iran coach Carlos Queiroz for his part has urged that the politics get put to one side for 90 minutes at least. He knows that his side stands on the verge of history. They need just a point to make it through to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time, but for the U.S. it is simple. It's a case of win or go home -- Bianca.

NOBILO: And to get into these geopolitical tensions that are permeating World Cup, Nada, let's talk about how in a huge gesture the Iranian team didn't sing their national anthem before they played England in the World Cup about six days ago and now, we're hearing reports that there'll be harsh reprisals if there are any more gestures or shows of solidarity with the protesters on the ground.

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Yes, absolutely. We've seen the Iranian regime before take a pretty hardline approach to its athletes overseas. You'll remember Elnaz Rekabi, the rock climber who competed without her hijab. Now it seems the Iranian national football team is no exception to that pressure. They didn't sing the national anthem at that first opening game but they did sing the national anthem at their second game. And it does appear now that they have been facing pressure and threats from the Iranian regime.

We are learning from a source working closely on the security of the games that the Iranian regime has placed threats, not only on the players themselves but also on their family members and loved ones threatening them with potential imprisonment and violence and even torture if they fail to sing the national anthem ahead of today's game against the USA or if they take part in any other form of protest at this match. And according to this source, the players themselves were called into a meeting with representatives from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as the head coach as well being called into a meeting. Essentially telling them that if they don't behave in the way that the regime expects them to ahead of this game and they will face repercussions and their loved ones and family members back home will face repercussions.

And of course, we've also learned from this source that the players themselves are facing pretty strict restrictions. They aren't being allowed to speak to anyone outside of their squad -- according to the source. And there is apparently an increased presence of the Iranian security forces in terms of their monitoring of the team itself as they take part in the World Cup. So, clearly a lot of pressure now mounting on the team.

NOBILO: Deeply concerning restrictions of freedom of expression. Nada Bashir thank you so much and thank you to Amanda Davies live from Doha.

Now to China, where today did not bring the kind of protests that we've seen over the past few days. This was the scene on Sunday in Chengdu. People venting their anger and frustration over strict Covid lockdowns, censorship and the ruling Communist Party. Now the streets are filled with police. And the Chinese Foreign Ministry says media accounts of the demonstrations do not reflect what actually happened.

A protester in Shanghai claims authorities detained around 80 to 110 people on Saturday deleting photos and social media apps from their phones. State-run media has not directly covered the protests. But one newspaper called the government's zero-COVID policy the most scientifically effective approach.

The Biden administration has stopped short of criticizing China but says that the U.S. supports the right to protest peacefully.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL COMMS. COORDINATOR: This is a moment for the Chinese people and the Chinese government to speak to. We have been nothing but clear and consistent. People should be allowed the right to assemble and to peacefully protest policies or laws or dictates that they take issue with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Panic over the pandemic and Beijing's response sent Wall Street plunging. The Dow dropped nearly 500 points or one half of a percent on Monday.

Let's go live now to Hong Kong where CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is tracking the latest developments for us. Kristie tell me more about the shape of this police crackdown in China.

[04:10:00]

And that we're seeing signs of that still hasn't extinguished the desire to protest.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bianca, China is indeed tightening security in Beijing, in Shanghai. Police are out in force patrolling the streets in Shanghai. Authorities are erecting barriers in Urumqi Road which is the site of a major protest over the weekend. And we've also learned that protesters are being rounded up. In fact, one protester told CNN that Shanghai police after Saturday's protest detained 80 to 110 protesters and also took the biometric details including their retina scans, fingerprints, photographs as well. And it's unclear how many remain in detention. On Monday no new protests or new signs of protests in Shanghai and in Beijing but protests do continue.

In fact, there was a significant one in Hangzhou last night, Monday night. Where there were scenes a very tense confrontations between protestors and police at a shopping center there in Hangzhou.

I want to show you a map. And this is a map of verified COVID-related protests across China. And according to this map that we've put together, we have verified 20 COVID related protests in 15 cities from Beijing to Shanghai to Guangzhou to Urumqi to Nanjing and Wuhan and elsewhere. There have also been protests -- very rare ones -- here in Hong Kong. Last night there was a vigil in the central business district and some protesters were seen holding those blank sheets of paper, a symbol of censorship which has also become a symbol of the protest movement.

Because of these protests there is so much pressure on China to find a way out of its zero-COVID policy and the experts I'm talking to say that requires boosting China's medical capacity. Changing its medical or COVID-19 messaging as well as boosting its vaccination rate especially among the elderly. And we have just learned this afternoon China's national health commission has announced plans to boost the vaccination rate among the elderly in China. According to a spokesperson of the national health commission, they also said that lockdowns should be lifted, quote, as quickly as possible to reduce inconvenience for the people. A very significant reaction to these protests. Back to you.

NOBILO: Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. Thank you so much.

CNN correspondent David Culver lived in China throughout much of the pandemic -- you might remember his reporting. He's in the U.S. now and we asked him what he thinks about the protests and where things could go from here.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When you look at where this is going -- and I think there would be some hope if you catch your breath and you say, well, at least they'll be an end at this point. There is no end here. And that was the frustration living under the lockdown and talking to my neighbors who were local Shanghainese who had with there for generations and who had felt at this point in their lives they had nowhere to go and no one to voice their concern to.

You go to places like Schengen, right, where we have traveled to. It is one of the most heavily surveilled places on this planet arguably, certainly within China. And you start to see now traces across China, particularly in Shanghai where we were, one of the most cosmopolitan and the financial hub of China, the city that really had gravitated in getting a lot of attention internationally for folks who saw this as perhaps the window to the West, and they started building that same infrastructure.

We started to see it in front of our own homes. We started to see the walls go up, the cameras go into place. And they would corral you through certain areas where conveniently those cameras were pointing on your face. So, they start to build that same infrastructure in the name of COVID security across China.

I really believe that COVID is not a huge factor in all of this. I think what we're looking at is an ideology at its core to part of the party's effort to try to purify -- certainly from Xi Jinping's perspective. And remember, he's at the center of the party which is at the core of human life within China as they see it. And so, this seems to be an effort to really maintain control over a massive population.

We started to see that with the big brother data that they were implementing there, have the QR codes which at first seemed effective and ultimately you begin to feel that they were tracking you. And now just get into a restaurant in places, just to go into any sort of public space you need to scan in. So, not only are they able to acknowledge that in their words, that you're not a close contact or you don't potentially have the virus but also, they know exactly where you've been if they want to trace from one point onward.

And they're able to do that with these protesters by the way. They're going to be able to track them all down individually. So, it's not going to be that tough. One thing that has also worth noting -- I was talking to some friends on the ground. And they said they are stopping people randomly in cities like Shanghai, Hangzhou and Beijing and they're asking to see their phone. They're going through their camera rolls. Imagine a cop here doing that and having to hand over your photo album, things being deleted, apps being deleted, especially those that are WhatsApp and Signal, things that might have connection to outside of China. It's scary.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: The world's largest volcano Mauna Loa in Hawaii is erupting for the first time in almost four decades.

[04:15:00]

At the same time the smaller nearby Kilauea volcano is also erupting. Southwest Airlines has canceled several flights to and from Honolulu due to the volcanic activity. And the rare dual eruptions have health officials warning of the poor air quality in the region. CNN spoke earlier with Josh Green, who is also the Lieutenant Governor and governor elect of Hawaii.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. JOSH GREEN, HAWAII LT. GOVERNOR AND GOVERNOR-ELECT: People are about twice as likely to have asthma exacerbations or problems with the COPD when the volcanoes go off. Also, there's a thing called Pele's Glass or Pele's Hair which is shards of volcanic ash and the carbon forms into like a glasslike fiber and people can breathe that in. But right now, it's been very minimal. It's been safe. We're encouraging people to wear masks if they are concerned. We have our department of health on it. We are monitoring air quality. So, there's no worries about traveling to Hawaii. There's no worries about being on the Big Island. But it's a concern always. We worry about all of these things.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: And severe storm threats in the United States could impact more than 40 million Americans today. It stretches from southeastern Texas to Georgia in the south and northward to parts of Indiana and Illinois. Significant tornadoes and large hail are possible for some of those areas too. Let's bring in meteorologist Pedram Javaheri at the CNN Weather Center in Atlanta to tell us more -- Pedram.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Bianca. A very multi-faceted setup here when it comes to the severe weather potential later on Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday night. And you'll notice around the western U.S. an entirely different weather pattern impacting a lot of folks across that region where parts of 13 states dealing with winter weather alerts and as much as 2 feet of fresh snow possible across some of these high elevations. And even across the lower lying areas, some major cities like Portland, like Seattle seeing some unusual snowfall for the month of late November into early December where climatologically the sort of weather patterns develop across this region in late December into early January.

So, you notice temps into the 30s for multiple days here. We're at 49 degrees which is what is considered normal. So, we'll watch for additional rounds of snow here and then also the severe weather threat across the southern United States. But as that front really quickly pushes across portions of eastern Texas, into western Louisiana as early as say, 5, 6 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, Tuesday evening, it really sparks up a round of severe weather.

The elements are in place, Gulf moisture coming in from the South, cool dry air coming in from the north. And put it together and you've got the clash of air mass here that will in part be responsible for the severe weather outbreak that we expect Tuesday afternoon, and especially late Tuesday -- maybe into Tuesday night -- and that's the concern.

Any time you see a pattern like this where the storms begin to develop, this time of year, keep in mind, the sun will begin to set between 5 and 6 p.m. across this region. So, as the system migrates off towards the east, you get the storms that develop and possibly create long track tornadoes into the overnight hours. Those are often times twice as likely to be fatal than ones during the daytime hours for obvious reasons. It is harder to get the alerts out to folks in those hours.

But notice the threat here for damaging winds in place there. Some of these wind gusts could be 50 plus miles per hour into the afternoon and evening hours. And then the larger threat being four large hail and also some large tornadoes. Again, possibility for what is called long track tornadoes. These storms that produce tornadoes that could stay on the ground for many, many hours in some cases. And in that setup develop and lead to a lot of damage and a lot of fatalities as well.

Notice that threat for tornadoes has kind of shifted farther towards the south where the highest risks include the city of Jackson. Where this time yesterday the highest risks extend a little farther towards the north and included places such as Memphis. So, within this area, as much as 10 to 15 percent probability that we'll see at least a few strong tornadoes within 25 miles of a point.

The other threat across the region will be large hail potential. As much as 2 inches or larger in diameter with the storms that'll develop into the afternoon hours. And Bianca, any time you look at storms that produce almost 2 inch or greater hail stones, we're talking golf ball size hail, possibly larger than that with these storms as we go into the afternoon, overnight hours. So, certainly, a story we'll monitor here on CNN.

NOBILO: As ever, Pedram Javaheri, thank you so much.

The U.S. Senate will hold the final vote today on a bill that will codify same-sex marriage into law. First there will be three amendment votes and the final passage is expected soon after. The respect for marriage act will require states to recognize both same-sex and interracial marriages as legally valid. After the Senate, the House would then need to approve the legislation before President Biden can sign it into law.

U.S. Democratic leaders say they could act as soon as this week to pass legislation averting a rail strike. President Joe Biden urged immediate action on Monday. The strike could come as soon as December 9th causing food shortages, price hikes and travel disruptions. Congress has the power goes a contract on both parties involved or extend the negotiations to keep those railroads going.

[04:20:00]

Labor and management already agreed to a tentative deal back in September.

And good news for those planning to travel this holiday season in the U.S., gas prices keep on falling. AAA says a gallon of regular unleaded is $3.52 a gallon. That's down almost 25 cents from last month. And that's because oil prices continue to fall. On Monday West Texas Intermediate Crude was trading at $74 a barrel. Brent Crude at $81 a barrel. The protests and COVID lockdowns in China have investors concerned about lower demand.

Ahead on CNN, rock star Dave Matthews among the big names trying to push voters to the polls as Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker face off in George's runoff state election.

And speaking out against the former president, Mike Pence becomes the latest Republican to slam Donald Trump over his dinner with a holocaust denier.

Plus, a triple homicide in California. Why police believe the victims were part of a catfishing scheme involving a former officer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We believe there might have been an exchange of texts, maybe phone calls and he was able to get her personal information. He was able to get her address obviously.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:25:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-GA): I still wake up every couple days pinching myself because my lifelong project is service, and I'm running for reelection not because I'm in love with politics but because I'm in love with change. I tolerate politics because every now and then you get to do something amazing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: That's incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock who's fighting to hold onto the U.S. Senate seat. He's facing Republican challenger Herschel Walker in a closely watched runoff election in Georgia. Early voting is already underway with more than 300,000 people voting on Monday alone. CNN's Dianne Gallagher has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Just seven days to go before the runoff election here in Georgia between Senator Raphael Warnock and his Republican opponent Herschel Walker. Now Monday was the first statewide mandatory day of a five-day early voting period in the state of Georgia. And according to the Secretary of State's office, we're looking at potentially record-breaking numbers for that day.

Now get out the vote event just wrapping up here in Atlanta for the incumbent senator. Democrat Raphael Warnock with artist Dave Matthews trying to go increase enthusiasm because of this abbreviated four week period.

This is something we expect to see quite a bit of over the coming days here. One person we do not think we're going to see here in the state of Georgia, that's the former President Donald Trump. A person close to Walker tells CNN that the former president not going to come and rally for the senate candidate here in the state of Georgia. Instead, he'll hold a tele-rally.

There are plenty of Republicans who are breathing a sigh of relief about that here in the peach state though. Many of them still blame President Trump for their double losses in the January 2021 runoff elections that saw Senator Warnock be elected into the Senate for the first time that abbreviated finishing out a term there. We will see former President Barack Obama later this week rallying support for Senator Warnock as well.

Now again, people will be early voting for the duration of this week and then of course election day on Tuesday in this very, very closely watched election. Dianne Gallagher, CNN, back to you. (END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: In Arizona the Maricopa County board of supervisors certified its 2022 mid-term election results on Monday despite objections from some residents over malfunctioning equipment at voting sites. In Arizona's Cochise County a different story. County officials delayed certification of its elections on Monday missing the legal deadline citing concerns about voting machines. This move forced the Arizona Secretary of State's office to sue over the county's failure to sign off the results.

Mike Pence is speaking out against Donald Trump. The former vice president says that his old boss was wrong to recently host white nationalist and holocaust denier Nick Fuentes and rapper Ye -- formally known as Kanye West -- at his Florida resort. Here's part of what Pence had to say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PENCE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: President Trump was wrong to give a white nationalist, an antisemite and a holocaust denier a seat at the table. And I think he should apologize for it and he should denounce those individuals and their hateful rhetoric without qualification.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Pence's comments are the latest criticism directed at Trump in recent days. The former president has faced growing backlash from members of his own party over the dinner at Mar-a-Lago. Former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway has now spoken with the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol. Two sources tell CNN that she answered questions for about five hours on Monday and was asked about her conversations with Trump after his election loss. Conway spoke with reporters after her meeting with the committee.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why did you choose to come here today?

KELLYANNE CONWAY, FORMER TRUMP ADVISER: Because I was asked to.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But you said you came here voluntarily to not understand.

CONWAY: I'm not interested in that comment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does the former president know that you were meeting with the committee today?

CONWAY: He doesn't know that from me. He may know that from you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And just to be completely clear, you did not plead the fifth once during that at all?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Conway revealed in her book that she called the Trump White House on January 6th to ask the former president to take action and cool off the rioters. She would not say whether she discussed that conversation with the committee though.

Still ahead, an online scam turns deadly. Why police believe a triple homicide is connected to a catfishing scheme involving a former police officer and a teenage girl.

Plus, university students in Idaho are back from holiday with a killer still on the loose. How students are feeling about on-campus safety when we return.

[04:30:00]