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Idaho Murder Investigation Continues; Texas Murder Suspect Due in Court; Demand Grows For Children's Medication; Economic Forecast; Final Day of Campaigning in Georgia Senate Election; Power Grid Attacked in North Carolina. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired December 05, 2022 - 13:00   ET

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

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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are one, but we're not the same. We get to carry each other.

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JOHN KING, CNN HOST: And it's that time of year, time for you to vote on your favorite CNN hero.

Go to CNNHeroes.com. You can vote up to 10 times a day every day. And, remember, you can use all your votes for one hero, or you can spread the love.

Thanks for your time today on INSIDE POLITICS. We will see you back here tomorrow.

Ana Cabrera picks up our coverage right now.

ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: Hello. Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York.

No suspects, no motive, and the FBI is now stepping in after a series of intentional, targeted attacks on electric substations in North Carolina. Now tens of thousands of people have no power and might not get it back until Thursday. Schools are closed, shelters are open, as crews race to get the lights and heat back on ahead of yet another cold night.

Here's what we do know. The two substations were damaged by multiple rounds of gunfire on Saturday. Officials estimate the damage is probably in the millions.

CNN's Whitney Wild leads us off.

Whitney, what do you know about this investigation?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, at this point, police are saying very little. They are only saying, as you pointed out, that these two substations sustained gunfire. At one of the substations, a gate was taken off of its hinges. And, Ana, what they're saying, notably, is that they believe this was intentional, and that this was a deliberate criminal act. And what's notable, Ana, is when you look at the two substations, they're 13 miles apart, so it took effort to go from one to the other.

That's about a 20 minute drive, at a minimum. So, certainly, that will be a significant reason that law enforcement is describing this as a -- again, a deliberate criminal act. Right now, there is a little bit of good news, because, here in Moore County, Duke Energy tells me that around 7,000 people have been able to get back online since last night.

The number of people out of power here is hovering around 33,000. They are working around the clock. You can see these folks behind me working very, very hard to get this equipment back up and running. But it's, Ana, on because this was so significant. The damage was just so significant that this isn't like a snowstorm, where you can just pop things back up online in 12 hours, 24 hours.

I mean, as you mentioned, millions and millions of dollars of very significant damage here. So it's going to take some time. Duke Energy saying that they're not going to be able to bring customers back online until about Thursday.

CABRERA: Wow.

WILD: Meanwhile, back to the investigation.

The FBI, the state Bureau of Investigation all trying to figure out who's behind this. Law enforcement-wise, Ana, this is an all-hands-on- deck situation -- back to you.

CABRERA: Explain that, though. What is the FBI's role in this? Why get them involved?

WILD: Well, quite often, what the FBI will do is, they will send many resources here to process evidence, to offer any expertise as far as you know, again, processing that evidence and drawing up a potential profile of someone who might have committed this type of act.

But, further, when you look at the how -- what kind of significance this has in the broader sense, in the broader domestic homeland security sense, there is a concern among some people that this may be constituting an act of domestic terrorism.

I want to be very clear. Law enforcement has not described it like that. But this is something that the FBI would potentially look into as they descend on something like this, because what we have seen is the Department of Homeland Security warning, just recently as November 30. Ana, that attacks on critical infrastructure are possible, that there are lone wolf-style attacks that have potential to cause great damage.

They're very concerned about individuals mobilizing to violence. We have seen other types of acts like that, so the Department of Homeland Security warning critical infrastructure, as well as schools, faith- based institutions, large gathering places, those are all places where people may seek to carry out their personal grievances or ideological beliefs and cause real damage, Ana.

CABRERA: Whitney Wild, I know you will stay on top of this investigation. Stay warm as well. Thank you.

One day away, one Senate seat, one rematch that will have major ramifications for the next two years of the Biden agenda. It is the last day of the campaign for the Senate run-off in Georgia pitting Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock against Republican challenger Herschel Walker. Tomorrow, voters will decide whether Democrats expand their majority in the Senate or Republicans keep it split at 50/50 for two more years.

CNN's Dianne Gallagher joins us live in Atlanta.

Dianne, early voting turnout was massive. What's happening now on this final day of campaigning?

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Ana.

And I always wanted to be a sports reporter, so please engage in my gulf voice here, because Senator Warnock is addressing students at Georgia Tech University right now, talking to them about the importance in getting out to vote and making sure that they get their colleagues, their students, their friends to do the same.

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It is really sort of a barnstorming today, just on this day before the election, trying to get out what's left of the vote for both candidates.

And, look, we had more than 1.5 million people cast early ballots here in the state of Georgia. And even though Reverend Warnock has essentially told his supporters, do not celebrate before we get into the end zone, I can tell you that his campaign does feel very good, looking at the fact that roughly one-third of the early vote so far, early vote, came from black voters.

A CNN poll shows that, among likely black voters here in Georgia, 96 percent prefer Warnock to just 3 percent Herschel Walker.

And so that's something that campaign has highlighted as good news for them. I have felt a difference in their vibe and their energy over the past few days here.

But we're also seeing a change in Herschel Walker's campaign. He has five events today. And they have discussed the fact that they had a very, very light schedule during this four-week run-off period, even taking five days off of public events in a short campaign time.

Again, five events today, and most of them in this North Georgia area, where they're falling behind in the general election from Governor Brian Kemp, trying to get out that Election Day vote. Republicans say that is their bread and butter, and they believe that is what's going to pull Herschel Walker into the end zone.

CABRERA: We know both campaigns will be working hard to the finish line. And, in fact, we have now learned that former President -- President Trump will be doing a tele-rally tonight for Walker. So that's one more potential twist to this campaign.

Dianne Gallagher, we will let you get back to the event you're covering there with Raphael Warnock. Thank you for your reporting.

This week is kicking off with a bit of a gut punch on the economy. Two new reports are out that reveal how CEOs and businesses are bracing themselves.

Let's bring in Matt Egan now.

And, Matt, on Friday, you and I were talking about all the good news, all these good reports, but now a double whammy?

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Yes, some gloom and doom from business leaders.

Just last hour, the Business Roundtable put out its closely watched survey of CEOs, and it shows that their CEO economic outlook index dropped in the fourth quarter to a two-year low. It's going down pretty sharply, getting awfully close to the 50 level that divides expansion and contraction.

Some of the internals here were pretty negative. CEOs, they dimmed their views on hiring and on expansion. They also cut their sales outlook. Another survey out, National Association for Business Economics, they're projecting near zero growth next year, 0.3 percent.

That is a big downgrade from above 2 percent. That was the forecast as of May. They see the unemployment rate going from 3.7 percent today to 4.5 percent, that translates to millions of jobs lost. Also, only 23 percent, less than one in four, expect a soft landing.

Two words of caution here, though. One, these are surveys. These are forecasts. Reality sometimes differs, also timing. These surveys came out -- they were taken last month. New numbers in recent days show some reason for reason for cautious optimism, one, strong holiday shopping sales, two, that strong jobs report on Friday.

CABRERA: And yet Delta is announcing a big hiring surge. So what's going on here?

EGAN: That's right.

So, Delta wants to hire between 4,000 and 6,000 flight attendants next year alone. That is on top of a record-setting 4,300 flight attendants that were hired in the last year. This is another sign of the air travel recovery from COVID.

Look at this. We saw, of course, travel just plunge. This is the number of passengers screened by TSA -- plunged in 2020, bounced back big time last year. It's almost back to pre-COVID levels. One problem here, though, Ana, is, of course, going to be finding all those workers, because Friday's jobs report, it shows that we still have a -- we still have a worker shortage.

So they may want to hire 4,000 to 6,000. Finding those workers is another matter.

CABRERA: OK, let's talk about oil, because we have all been enjoying lower gas prices right now, right? But, today, some of Europe is announcing this embargo on Russian oil. And this is important, because it's those oil profits that are helping to fuel Russia's war.

But could this punishment ultimately also hurt consumers?

EGAN: Well, that is what they're trying to avoid. And that is, of course, the trillion-dollar question, because, if they don't get this right, then everyone is going to feel the impact in terms of prices at the gas pump.

We have seen a big improvement and 15 cents in the last week. This is a big decline over the last month, and we're almost back to where we were a year ago. Europe has imposed a seaborne ban on Russian oil, and the West has imposed a $60 price cap on Russian oil.

What they're trying to do here is punish Vladimir Putin, deprive him of all of that oil revenue that he's using to use the -- to do the war in Ukraine, but not to do it so much that it actually causes Putin to take his ball and go home, slashing oil production, because that would hurt everyone. We have to watch how this plays out. Early signs, though, I think give us some reason for optimism, because look at this.

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Oil prices are actually down, despite all of these new sanctions, Brent crude down 2 percent, WTI down 2.5 percent, down near the lows of the day. So, Ana, oil markets do not seem to be freaking out, at least not yet.

CABRERA: Let's capitalize on these lower gas prices while we sure can. Thank you so much, Matt Egan.

EGAN: Thank, Ana.

CABRERA: We have told you about the tripledemic of viruses straining hospitals across the country, COVID, flu, RSV all on the rise, and so is the demand for medications for children dealing with fevers and other symptoms.

And that means it's harder to keep store shelves stocked.

CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now Elizabeth, should we be worried?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, I think, in some areas of the country, in some pockets, they are seeing, from what we have heard, shortages of some medications in various places. It's hard to predict where it will be.

But, obviously, this is a problem when your child has a fever or if you're looking for Tamiflu. Obviously, that is a problem. Let's take a look at what's driving this. This map is really striking.

You will see that nearly the entire United States has high or very high levels of the flu. To see a map like this, this early in the season is so, so unusual. Put on top of that the fact that RSV has been very high this season, and then put on that -- on top of that COVID is kind of creeping back up again. The numbers are still relatively low.

But if you take a look at the week of November 26, there were 33,000 people admitted to the hospital with COVID in the U.S., 33,000. That is not a small number. That's a 27 percent increase over the week before. So, in other words, it's going in the wrong direction. We were sort of enjoying the benefits of having COVID numbers go down. And now they appear to be ticking back up a bit.

And so this is really a problem. One thing I will say is that, if you're concerned about medication, please don't hoard. Even if it's for your child, don't hoard it. That will be bad karma that will come back to get you. Instead, get yourself vaccinated against the flu and COVID. That's what can really help -- Ana.

CABRERA: I know, here in New York, officials are calling on federal resources to come in.

So what is the Biden administration doing about this?

COHEN: So, the Biden administration says that they're monitoring all of this. And the FDA has said: We're working hard on this.

But they note, they say very clearly the FDA cannot tell a company, hey, we'd like you to make more of this drug or we'd like you to make more of that drug. So, right now, they're using words like following and working on this and monitoring.

Ana, I'm having a little bit of PTSD from the formula shortage earlier this year, the infant formula shortage, because that's kind of what they said, and that didn't -- now it's fine, but it was pretty bad for quite a long time. Hopefully, this one, they will catch it before it becomes a bigger deal than it already is.

CABRERA: Yes, absolutely. We will keep watching. And, of course, the holidays are upon us. We're smack in the middle of a very busy time of year, so, hopefully, things don't get worse.

Appreciate your reporting, Elizabeth.

We have new developments in a terrifying story out of Texas. The FedEx driver who police say confessed to kidnapping a 7-year-old girl from her driveway and killing her is expected in court today. The child's mother also speaking out. That's next.

Plus, Donald Trump says the U.S. should just flat-out terminate the Constitution. So, what are Republicans saying about that? They normally are very vocal about defending the Constitution, aren't they?

And Iran now downplaying comments from a top official, who said the controversial morality police force has been abolished. What's going on?

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CABRERA: To Texas now and the case of a FedEx driver accused of kidnapping and killing a 7-year-old girl.

Authorities say Tanner Lynn Horner confessed to killing Athena Strand after kidnapping her from outside her home last week. He's now being held on a $1.5 million bond. In a Facebook post, the girl's mother says her daughter was taken by a sick, cruel monster for absolutely no reason.

CNN national correspondent Ed Lavandera joins us now.

Ed, this is a parent's worst nightmare. What do we know about this suspect and his plan?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's horrific, the details of all of this.

Investigators say they do not believe that this suspect, who is now charged with capital murder and will very likely be facing the death penalty here in Texas, did not know the victim, the 7-year-old girl, Athena Strand, or her family. And in the words of the sheriff there in Wise County just northwest of Fort Worth, that they believe at this point that it appears to be a crime of opportunity.

But Athena Strand went missing last Wednesday, when investigators say that she disappeared. And the authorities say that a tip led them to this contracted FedEx driver and then, shortly after that, they were able to discover the location of the body, though the body was not found until Friday, two days after hundreds of people were out in the area searching for this little girl.

The mother of Athena Strand posted on Facebook an incredibly emotional and loving tribute to her daughter -- to her daughter, where she goes on to say that: "My princess was taken from me by a sick, cruel monster for absolutely no reason. Athena is innocent, beautiful, fun, intelligent and just the bright just, happiest soul you could ever meet."

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Now, we understood or we thought that the suspect in this case was going to make a court appearance, one of his initial court appearances today, but that has not appeared to have happened yet. So, we're still working on getting more information when that will -- when that will happen, but a truly tragic situation and a horrific ending to this painfully emotional story -- Ana. CABRERA: I can only imagine how that neighborhood, that community is

shaken by this news. How are they coping? And how are they supporting this family that lost this little girl?

LAVANDERA: Well, clearly, the anguish is spreading. We have been talking to people there in Wise County who were involved in the search for two days, hoping for the best possible outcome to this story.

But it just wasn't to be. And there are almost two dozen school districts there in the area around where Athena Strand lives. Athena Strand's mother said that her daughter's favorite color was pink. So almost two dozen school districts in the area are urging their students today to wear pink in her honor.

So those are just some of the things that are vigils planned for tonight and tomorrow night as well, so clearly an outpouring of grief for this family that is just simply devastated at this point.

CABRERA: Ed Lavandera, thank you.

We turn now to the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students. Whoever killed them is still out there. But we are learning new information from one of the victims' dads.

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STEVE GONCALVES, FATHER OF VICTIM: They have said the entry point was the slider or the window. It was in the middle floor. So, to me, he doesn't have to go upstairs. His entry and exit are available without having to go upstairs or downstairs.

Looks like he probably may have not gone downstairs. We don't know that for sure. But he obviously went upstairs. So I'm using logic that he chose to go up there when he didn't have to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Today, the families, along with the entire college town in Moscow, Idaho, are bracing for what could become a critical week of information, as new forensic data is expected.

CNN's Veronica Miracle joins us from the community that has been on edge now for weeks.

Veronica, what are police saying today?

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ana, I just spoke with police this morning.

And they tell me that information revealed over the weekend by the Goncalves family on FOX News, well, that's not information that is coming from the department. They are not revealing or releasing that information at this time. They're also sensitive to the fact that these families desperately want answers, but they are trying to also protect the integrity of the investigation. And so they reiterated to me that any information released this

weekend was not from the department. Steve Goncalves did say that he's been asked to sign a waiver or their family has been asked to sign a waiver so that police could look into their mail. And while police have not revealed any suspect information, the Goncalves family believes that the suspect may have been close to the victims, just based on the way that suspect entered the house and what information that they know at this time.

And the Goncalves family also expressing their support for law enforcement, but, however, they are losing confidence. Ana, it has been three weeks, more than three weeks now since these murders happened, and still there has been no information released about a suspect, no motive and no weapon found -- Ana.

CABRERA: The two survivors who were inside that same apartment as these murders were taking place and authorities have said are not suspects, as far as they're concerned, they're now speaking out?

MIRACLE: That's right.

We heard from them for the first time this weekend in a statement through a pastor at a memorial on Friday, each of them writing a letter, the pastor expressing and reading those letters. Here's what he had to say:

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "I know, somewhere, Xana and Ethan are together keeping each other company, watching us and telling us it's OK and that we have each other, Maddie and Kaylee, the inseparable duo, the two best friends that were like sisters. Maddie and Kaylee were like second moms to me. They taught me a lot on how to be a responsible adult, but also how to live life happy."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MIRACLE: So, Ana, this morning police just reiterating to me that that information released this weekend is not coming from them, but they are definitely sensitive to the fact that not only do the families want answers, but the community does as well, but they're also trying to protect this investigation -- Ana.

CABRERA: OK, Veronica Miracle, thank you.

Months of mass protests, deadly crackdowns and world condemnation. Now Iran says its hijab law is under review. We have the latest.

And you got to wonder how the royal palace is taking this. An explosive new trailer for Prince Harry and Meghan's docuseries just dropped, and there's no holding back.

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PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: There's a hierarchy of the family. There's leaking, but there's also planting of stories.

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CABRERA: Uncertainty in Iran.

State media is now pushing back after a top official said the country's mandatory

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