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Consequences in Brazil after January 8 attacks; Russia's war on Ukraine Continues; "Spare" Royal Revelations; Outrage in Iran as Death Sentence Looms. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired January 10, 2023 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world, I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead here on "CNN Newsroom," Brazil's president furious of what out he calls connivance by police and their actions leading up to the January 8th attacks as he vows to hold all of those involved accountable.
From drought and fire conditions to flooding and mudslides, California is seeing excessive rainfall triggering evacuation warnings and rescue efforts across several counties. We will head to the weather center for updates.
And few details were spared in Prince Harry's new memoir which recalls some of the most intimate and vulnerable moments of his life. We're live in London just ahead.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: And we begin this hour in Brazil and the fall-out from attacks that targeted the country's three branches of government. The Justice Minister says that some 1500 people have been arrested since the violence broke out in Brasilia on Sunday. That is when thousands of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed key buildings, leaving behind widespread damage.
On Monday, authorities disbanded the camp set up by Bolsonaro supporters in the capital saying that it was a de facto headquarters for the attacks on Congress, the Supreme Court and Presidential Palace.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva returned to the palace on Monday Where he met with governors. He blasted what he called the coup acts and criticize police conduct before and during Sunday's attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I couldn't believe it. That is why I was forced to talk to my justice minister and take a strong attitude because the police in Brasilia neglected it. Brasilia's intelligence neglected it. There is an explicit connivance of the police with the demonstrators even here inside of the palace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: CNN'S Isa Soares has more now on the unrest in Brasilia.
ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A stunning attack on Brazil's seat of power. As thousands of supporters of former far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, broke through security cordons in Brasilia. Roaming presidential building corridors, vandalizing congress, smashing windows, stealing presidential documents and destroying invaluable works of art. Simply running riot through Brazil's house of power. And seems, eerily similar to the insurrection in the U.S. Capitol two years ago.
One week earlier, the scenes were of democratic triumph, as Bolsonaro's left-wing rival, Lula da Silva, was inaugurated as the new year Brazilian president following a tight election result. Bolsonaro never explicitly conceded and needed that his most ardent followers.
"This, this is my hero, I am at his home, our home, our home!" A Bolsonaro supporter says from inside of the Presidential Palace.
Protesters dressed in the colors of the Brazilian flag, now a symbol of Bolsonaro's far-right movement, unfilled banners from the congressional building rooftop, demanding the result of Brazil's most fought election in a generation be overturned.
More than a thousand arrests were made after security forces used tear gas and stunning grenades to regain control of the congressional building, the Supreme Court and Presidential Palace. But, by the time that they did, the damage had already been done. The president's chief of communication showed destruction inside his own office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULO PIMENTA, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT'S CHIEF OF COMMUNICATIONS (through translator): It's unbelievable what was done in the palace. Look at the state of the rooms, equipment, computers. Look at this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: World leaders condemned the attack as an assault on democracy. Brazil's new president pin the blame on his predecessor, accusing him of encouraging rioters through social media from Florida. He promised no stones be left unturned, vowing to find those responsible.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DA SILVA (through translator): We will find out the financiers and they will pay with the force of the law for this irresponsible gesture, this anti-democratic gesture of vandals and fascist.
(END VIDEO CLIP) [03:05:00]
SOARES: Bolsonaro denounced the actions of his supporters from the U.S., where he traveled after the election. The former president already facing four supreme court investigations. The latest scenes will only add to further calls at-home into Bolsonaro's influence on his face.
A conservative firebrand politician who, for years, has been taking cues from the Trump playbook, pushing election fraud conspiracies and casting doubt on the integrity of the electoral system. Isa Soares, CNN, Brasilia.
CHURCH: And joining me to discuss the developments is Christopher Sabatini. He is a Senior Research Fellow for Latin America, U.S. And Americas Program at Chatham House. Thank you so much for being with us.
CHRISTOPHER SABATINI, SN. RESEARCH FELLOW FOR LATIN AMERICA, CHATAM HOUSE: Thanks rosemary.
CHURCH: Now, you suggested any tweet that the mob attack on key government buildings in Brasilia signaled something sinister was in the works and that the U.S. should extradite Jair Bolsonaro to Brazil to face the consequences of inciting his supporters to overthrow democracy. What exactly did you mean? And do you believe Bolsonaro was orchestrating this from Florida even though he condemned the violence and he's currently in the hospital?
SABATINI: First of all, he has been stoking this animosity, this distrust towards the electoral system with no evidence for months now. In the first round and second down, he claimed that it was electoral fraud. Steve Bannon, by the way, had also claimed that a report that there could be some internet interference was indication of fraud. And then he never accepted the consequences of the election. He never conceded as your correspondent Isa Soares said.
And you know, while he didn't denounce the violence, you can't hand a mob the matches, give them the gasoline then point them towards the house and then claim he didn't commit the arson. Clearly, he had some direct influence.
Now, obviously, to be extradited, there has to be a request by the Brazilian authorities to do so. But I do think a full investigations has to take place and I think the United States, if that request is made, has to be willing and demonstrate its objectively when it comes to defending democratic norms in the world but especially the western hemisphere, has to be willing to hand over Bolsonaro if indeed, and I think there's a very strong argument here that he indirectly influenced and incited the mob to commit a horrible act of terrorism against the three branches of Brazilian democracy.
So, we don't have direct evidence but I think, you know, all the pieces are there.
CHURCH: Right and if he's extradited, what should happen to Bolsonaro and of course his supporters if they are found guilty of attacking democracy in Brazil? Are we seeing a decline of democracy right across Latin America?
SABATINI: Those are two big questions Rosemary. First, you know, what should happen, that's obviously up to the Brazilian justice system. President Lula has said he will make sure that justice is done. They rounded up, as you mentioned, 1500 insurrectionists.
You know, this is -- this is sedition. This is insurrection. It's mob violence. It's obviously vandalism as well at least of charges of course. They should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The problem here of course is that Brazil is a deeply divided country. Bolsonaro lost by only 1.8% of the vote. And the two sides are deeply distrustful of each other. So, in trying to ensure there's accountability for this horrendous attack, Lula is also going to have to be careful not to inflame the other side, not to just continue to stoke this, this animosity.
Now, in terms of democracy in the hemisphere, it is in the decline. It's sad if you look at Freedom House's evaluation of democracy every year, it has declined in the hemisphere. But populism for both sides, from both the left and the right, what we learned from whether it's in Mexico whether it's in Venezuela or in Brazil. Demagoguery is really stoking the decline in trust in democratic institutions and a decline in support for democratic norms.
And so -- once across the ideological spectrum and indeed it's very troubling. For now, at least Brazil -- in Brazil, democracy is held. The military didn't intervene despite the calls by the mob for them to overturn the constitution.
CHURCH: And just how alarmed were you by what happened in Brazil's capital on Sunday and of course, the parallels that are being drawn with what happened here in the United States on January 6th.
SABOTINI: I was alarmed. Entirely surprised, no. The Lula government and of course the outgoing Bolsonaro government, allowed these encampments by Bolsonaro's supporters that took root, if you will, right after the second round of the elections in October to remain outside of the military barracks, not just in Brasilia but in South Paulo and across the country.
In those encampments, people were regularly coming out and calling for the military to intervene to overthrow the elections. And I think, we were all surprised that no violence occurred immediately after the elections or during the inauguration but it was a surprise it happened a week after Lula was inaugurated on January 1st.
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You know, we'll have to see what happens in the future with this but the truth is that the government or elements of the government and certainly the state police forces, the federal district, the state in where Brasilia is, the governor is an ally of Bolsonaro. It looks very much like that he ignored social media messaging on the preparations for this protest.
They've brought together 40 buses and collected supporters, brought them to Brasilia, announced -- actually announced there was going to be food and fireworks and fun at the protest and nothing was done to beef up security and to protect Brazil's democratic institutions.
CHURCH: Yeah, sadly, a very familiar scenario. Christopher Sabotini, many thanks for joining us, appreciate it.
The civilian death toll is on the rise in Ukraine after a series of Russian attacks. Ukrainian officials claim a Russian missile hit a road in the city of Kramatorsk killing two people in their car. And in the Kharkiv region, another reported missile strike hit a village market killing two people and wounding four others.
Ukraine's government reports that Russia has launched a powerful assault on the eastern town of Soledar, in the Donetsk region. The industrial town is known for its salt and gypsum mines and a vast network of cavernous underground tunnels which could be used to hide troops and military equipment. More now from CNN's Scott McLean and a warning, his report contains some graphic content.
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Amidst the destruction, there is movement an unlikely sign of survival. Then commotion as rescue crews arrive to pull the victim out. A few feet away, a police officer walks out carrying an injured girl who officials say is just 13 years old, bloodied but alive.
Ukraine says on Monday a Russian missile strike hit a market in the village of Shevchenkove, some 25 miles from the frontline. Local officials say that two people died and at least six others were hurt.
Over the weekend, the Russians launched a series of missile strikes on Kramatorsk. They say in retaliation for a devastated New Year's strike on a Russian makeshift barracks that even Russian concedes killed 89 soldiers though Ukraine insists there were many more.
Russia claims its retaliatory strikes killed more than 600 Ukrainian troops. Ukraine called that nonsense and CNN's team in the city found no evidence to suggest there had been any mass casualty event. Just a massive crater in front of high school and a lot of broken glass.
Some of the fiercest fighting is taking place in Bakhmut and nearby Soledar. A visiting Ukrainian general saw the destruction along the main road and a hive of activity as medics work to treat an injured soldier in an undisclosed location.
Near Bakhmut, a Ukrainian drone captured the moment that a bomb was dropped on Russian troops carrying an injured soldier.
Both Kiev and some Russian military bloggers believe Moscow is eyeing a fresh round of conscription to bolster the frontlines. The Kremlin has firmly denied it though it also denied its plans ahead of the first mass mobilization in the fall.
On Sunday, 50 Russian prisoners of war were swapped for 50 Ukrainians held captive without any news from the battlefield.
"What is going with Izium?" One soldier asked? "Izium has been liberated," he is told. It was recaptured way back in September. Scott McLean, CNN, Kyiv.
CHURCH: And CNN's Clare Sebastian is following the latest developments for Russia, joins us live from London. Good morning to you Clare. So, talk to us about the strategic importance of the eastern town of Soledar to both Ukraine and Russia and how difficult battle is proving to be.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah Rosemary, I think it is likely that Russia sees Soledar as a gateway or perhaps even an easier victory than Bakhmut that it has been trying and failing to take for many months since some of the fiercest fighting we've seen in this war. Bakhmut itself a strategic. It's a full quaint[ph] of multiple highways linking key cities in the Donbas region, both those inside of territory that Russia occupies and in territory that it has yet to take over. So, strategic really for both sides.
As for Soledar itself, well there's a lot of talk of their salt mines and then potentially, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group which we know is also fighting in that region, says that there are sort of an underground city -- underground cities as he called and they have a lot of potential to store weapons as they've been used in the past.
[03:15:12]
As for the fighting itself, incredibly intense. The Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister says that much of the city of Soledar has been destroyed, that there are corpses of the occupiers in the streets as she put it that they've been covered with artillery fire as the russian forces move there.
President Zelenskyy also spoke about how difficult the fighting is in his nightly address. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN TRANSLATOR: The battle for the Donbas continues and although the occupiers have now concentrated their great efforts on Soledar, the result of this difficult and prolonged battle will be the liberation of our entire Donbas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: So, he is saying that he wants to liberate the entire Donbas. Russia says it wants to take over the entire Donbas and what you have there is just an incredibly intense and violent pitched battle. Zelenskyy now calling for an acceleration of weapons, provisions -- of new weapons provisions to that frontline.
I think this just shows how much in terms of manpower and firepower is being committed to this fight in the Donbas and again has raised that speculation that the Kremlin has denied that they might be considering another round of mobilization.
CHURCH: All right, Clare Sebastian, many thanks for that report, appreciate it.
And just ahead here on CNN, more antigovernment protesters are sentenced to death in Iran. And the country's supreme leader is calling the demonstrations acts of treason. A live report just ahead.
Plus, North Americas leaders hold a summit on urgent regional matters and once again, immigration is high on the agenda. We will discuss their plans to address the crisis.
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CHURCH: After days of leaks, Prince Harry's eagerly awaited memoir "Spare" is hitting bookstores globally. The explosive tell-all book provides a deeply personal look at Harry's life growing up as a royal and lays bare the rifts within the British Monarchy.
Ahead of the memoir's release, the Duke of Sussex described the breakdown of his relationship with his brother Prince William.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: Do you think you have any responsibility in the breakdown of the relationship?
PRINCE HARRY: Without question, I'm sure but what people don't know is the efforts that I've gone to to resolve this privately, both with my brother and with my father.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: CNN's Bianca Nobilo joins me live from London. Again, good to see you Bianca. Prince Harry's revelations about Camilla are shocking and scathing aren't they? But according to harry, his own father, King Charles also had a dark role to play and his brother Prince William. So, what is the latest on the revelations and of course the impact they're having?
[03:20:03]
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well exactly Rosemary and it's too soon to tell just yet as to how this will dent popular support for the monarchy but that's potentially the most significant fallout from this. We will keep an eye on the popularity of all of the key members of the Royal Family. But nobody gets out of this on scathed.
And in large part, Prince Harry's indicating that is because whether it is King Charles, the Queen Consort Camilla, Prince William or the Princess of Wales, they are all operating within this institution which Harry describes as having to be in cahoots with the main antagonist of his life as he sees it, the British press.
And everybody is accused of essentially jeopardizing their personal and familial relationships in exchange for getting better stories and more favorable press coverage in the United Kingdom. And King Charles is also according to Prince Harry accused of not being a particularly good ol' present father especially after his mother, Princess Diana, died.
I think, Rosemary, one of the most significant new lines that we're hearing as all of these revelations continue to feed out, is in his interview with Good Morning America, Harry when he was asked if he thought the monarchy had value today, he said, yes, he thought it did but not in the form it is now. Not in the way it is now.
That could be after all of these days of speculation, the strongest indication that we have yet about what is truly motivating Harry and how he sees his larger mission. He does not believe that the way the monarchy is operating with regard to its relationship with the British press and tabloids and according to him, it's unconscious bias, essentially makes it fit for purpose in the modern age.
CHURCH: Yes, it all appears so Machiavellian doesn't it? They're just being incredible. Bianca Nobilo joining us live from London, many thanks.
Iran has sentenced three more antigovernment protesters to death on charges of "Waging war against God" according to state media. And this follows two more executions over the weekend. Bringing the total number of people known to have been executed in connection with the protests to four.
Demonstrations erupted across the country in September after 22-year- old Mahsa Amini died in the custody of the morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly. The international community is rallying behind the protesters. Multiple European countries summoned their Iranian ambassadors and condemned the death sentences.
Meantime, Iran's supreme leader calls the antigovernment protests acts of treason.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN TRANSLATOR: Undoubtedly, these actions are treason and responsible institutions deal with treason seriously and justly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: CNN's Jomana Karadsheh joins us now live from Istanbul. Good to see you Jomana. So, more death sentences issued as the regime shows no sign of backing down, what's the latest on all of this?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know Rosemary, this is exactly a scenario that so many Iranians and activists have been very concerned about and have been warning about for weeks now. I mean if you look at the Iranian regime's position, pretty much from the start. Dismissing these protests as a foreign conspiracy, these protesters as foreign agents and rioters, something that is really used as a pretext for that brutal crackdown.
And more than 100 days into this, there's absolutely no sign of the regime backing down, listening to its own people. Just this weekend, the Supreme Leader appointing a new national police chief. A notorious hard-line please official who is under U.S. sanctions for his role in the 2009 crackdown on the Green Movement Protest that took place in the country, now in charge of dealing with the crackdown on the ground.
And you know, everything that we have seen play out over the last few months. The regime's utter brutality in dealing with the protests, the beatings we've seen on the streets, shooting at protesters, the killings, the thousands of arrests that have taken place, none of that seemed to deter and stop these determined protesters.
And then the scenario that so many have been concerned about, that the regime appears to be resorting to the death penalty to try and scare people, to try and stop people from taking part in the protests, taking to the streets in an attempt to suppress the protest movement.
A mother's heart-wrenching final farewell for her son, "The oppressor took you away from me," she cries at his grave, "Now you are asleep here," she says. This is the only goodbye Mohammad-Mehdi Karami's family got. No final visit, no justice.
[03:25:11]
The 21-year-old Kurdish Iranian karate champion was executed by the Islamic Republic this weekend along with Seyed-Mohammad Hosseini, a volunteer children's coach. They were convicted of killing a member of Iran's Basij Paramilitary Force during a protest in November. Death sentences handed down after what right groups say are sham trials based on forced confessions extracted under torture.
Karami's parents taking the risk of speaking out in social media recordings begging the state to spare their boy's life.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
(SPEAKING IN ARABIC)
(END AUDIO CLIP)
KARADSHEH: The ruthless republic has shown no mercy. At least four young men were hanged, many others facing execution by a regime that appears to be using the death penalty to crush dissent. Among them 19-year-old Mohammad Boroughani and 22-year-old Mohammad Ghobadlou sentenced to death by this notorious judge, Abolqasem Salavati, nicknamed the judge of death, sanctioned by the U.S. in 2019 for harsh sentences he has issued activists, journalists and political prisoners.
On Sunday night, a crowd gathered outside of the prison where Ghobadlou and Boroughani are being held after activists reported their execution was eminent.
Scenes of sheer bravery as the crowd chants against the regime. In support Ghobadlou's mother, they sing it all to try to save her son. No one really knows how many protesters have been sentenced to death. More than 40 according to CNN's count but the real number is believed to be higher.
And this past week, new sentences were reported by activists. Mansour Dehmordeh, a disabled member of the Baluch minority was sentenced to death. One of many arrested during these ongoing raging protests in the city of Zahedan.
Activists are urging the international community to do more than just condemn the act executions, to try to save the defenseless on death row and save their families from this unimaginable pain.
And Rosemary as you heard there, we don't have an exact number of the protesters on that throw because of the lack access to information, lack of transparency from the Iranian regime. But that number is continuing to rise as you mentioned earlier, three protesters sentenced to death yesterday.
And the concern is that when you have thousands and thousands of people who are behind bars and you have what activists are describing and human rights organizations as a sham and show trials, they are concerned that there will be more of these sentences and more executions in the coming days Rosemary.
CHURCH: Yeah, and we thank you for shining a light on this very important story, Jomana Karadsheh, joining us live from Istanbul.
Well, scary scenes out of California as the state reels from another round of heavy rain and dangerous flooding. And more severe weather is still on the way. We will have a look at the forecast ahead.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Attorneys for the U.S. president say they discovered a small number of classified documents at a Washington think tank where Joe Biden once worked.
Officials say less than a dozen papers were found in his former office at the Penn Biden Center on November 2nd and were turned over to the National Archives the next day. They appear to be government records from Mr. Biden's time as vice president.
Officials say the Justice Department is reviewing the matter and the White House is cooperating. When asked about it on Monday, the president did not comment.
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UNKNOWN (voice-over): Any comment on the documents, sir?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: In the day ahead, Mr. Biden will take part in a leaders' summit on the most pressing issues in North America. The talks will be held in Mexico City with his Canadian and Mexican counterparts. According to the White House, a major topic of discussion will be immigration and the recent surge in border crossings to the U.S.
Ahead of Tuesday's summit, Mr. Biden discussed the matter in a bilateral meeting with Mexico's leader. He has expressing confidence that they would find solutions.
CNN's MJ Lee is in Mexico City with more on what the leaders discussed and what they're still hoping to achieve.
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MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden participating in a highly anticipated bilateral meeting with his Mexican counterpart here in Mexico City. This marks the first time that a U.S. president has visited the country of Mexico going back to 2014.
The U.S.-Mexico relationship, of course, was incredibly fraught during the Donald Trump administration but also hasn't been without friction under President Biden's watch.
We know that the two leaders were set to discuss immigration as one of the most urgent issues, and President Biden before going in to this meeting with his counterpart, he highlighted a number of areas where he said he believed the two countries could very much work together. Take a listen.
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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today, we are going to discuss how we can further deepen our relationship, not only Mexico but western hemisphere. This includes strengthening our supply chains to make the industry more competitive.
We will also discuss our shared security, including our joint action to address the plague of fentanyl, which has killed 100,000 Americans so far, and how we can tackle irregular migration which I think we are on our way to doing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEE: Now, this meeting comes at a moment when it has been made clear that President Biden clearly needs the support and cooperation from partners like Mexico. Last week, the Biden administration announced a new immigration policy, basically an expansion of the controversial policy known as Title 42.
A part of that announcement said that there is an agreement by Mexico to accept tens of thousands of migrants each month that would turn away at the U.S. border if they hadn't sought asylum from other places.
Now, officials will clear heading into this highly-anticipated meeting that there wasn't necessarily going to be a new announcement, new numbers, new plan coming out of this meeting, that the two countries at this point in time, at least as far as the issue of migrants, they would really just have to wait and see if that initial agreement was working for the two countries.
MJ Lee, CNN, Mexico City.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Ana Maria Salazar is the former deputy assistant secretary of defense and policy adviser for then President Clinton's special envoy for the Americas. She joins now from Mexico City. Good to have you with us.
ANA MARIA SALAZAR, FORMER ADVISER FOR U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR THE AMERICAS: Thank you, Rosemary. Greetings, greetings from Mexico City.
CHURCH: So, the North American Leaders' Summit brings together the latest in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada, the three days of talks on major topics. Immigration clearly the top issue of discussion, but also drug smuggling and border security.
[03:35:03]
CHURCH: The Biden administration is playing down expectations. So, what is achievable in the next few days, do you think?
SALAZAR: Well, I think what was going to be achievable has happened. There is an agreement by which Mexico will be accepting up to 30,000 migrants back into Mexico, which are migrants coming from Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, which is actually politically a win for President Biden since the possibility or strategy to control the flow of migrants crossing through Mexico into the United States was one of the big priorities.
There was discussion -- there are discussions of better cooperation to confront these criminal organizations that are trafficking fentanyl to the United States and a lot of goodwill speeches regarding climate change. Mexico initially, at least, this administration, was not very keen in talking about climate change strategy. They are now. That is one of the priorities -- obviously one of the priorities of President Biden.
So, I mean, there are some things that have been agreed to already. It is just to show that there is the willingness. The issues are very difficult. These are the issues where both the president of Mexico and the president of the United States don't seem necessarily eye-to-eye.
CHURCH: Of course, the Biden administration says this is also an opportunity to get to the root causes of why so many immigrants are heading to the United States.
SALAZAR: Right.
CHURCH: How critical is it to figure that out and come up with better solutions, perhaps, to the immigration problem at the southern border?
SALAZAR: You know, that's a really important question because the president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has been very insistent and he has been annoyingly insistent in terms of pushing the United States to invest more money in Central America, with the assumption that if you provide direct cash or you provide some programs in the short run, people will stop migrating out through Mexico to try to get into the United States.
As you know, the U.S. has a different view of how to control migration from Central America, which is with investment, creating employment, creating a secure and safe environment so they don't necessarily see -- you know, providing cash and crops to people as the best strategy.
So, it is a good question because both the United States and Mexico don't see eye-to-eye. And what makes all of these issues so interesting, we also have Canada. Justin Trudeau is here. When you think about it, Canada really doesn't worry about it. Immigration is not a big concern. And the trafficking of fentanyl up until now is not a big concern.
So, it is a little bit uncomfortable because you have the prime minister in the room and you have the president of the United States and the president of the Mexico in the room, and you have to supply at least some issues where there is -- where Canada has interest and input.
CHURCH: It is an important point. President Biden is, of course, in Mexico after facing considerable criticism for not meeting with any migrants during his first visit to the border since becoming president. Why wouldn't he have met with at least some migrants? What is the logic behind sanitizing his visit? Surely, that opens him up to more criticism.
SALAZAR: Obviously. And can I tell you something? President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, when he went to the United States, went to Washington, he didn't meet with migrants either. I mean, it's kind of this hot potato where they know that if you sit and talk to at least the leaders of some of the migrant groups, there is going to be a lot of complaints, a lot of concern.
And it is kind of this uncomfortable situation, Rosemary. It's terrible for these millions of people that live in the United States, have been working in the United States, where children are born in the United States, and you have leadership that is uncomfortable meeting with them because they entered illegally, you know, -- quote, unquote -- "illegally" into the United States.
And from the president's perspective, president of Mexico's perspective, you know, it is a little uncomfortable because Mexico depends on the remittances coming from the United States into Mexico. But he doesn't meet with them directly.
So, that is a very good observation. It would have been an easy one to meet with these migrants, but the criticism he would receive in the United States from the Republicans and from the more conservatives is that he is meeting with people who technically are criminals because they entered illegally into the United States. It is a humanitarian crisis, what is happening right now.
CHURCH: Ana Maria Salazar, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.
SALAZAR: Thank you. Thank you so much.
[03:40:00]
CHURCH: In California, thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes amid another round of powerful storms battering the state. The heavy rain causing major damage across central and southern California with floodwaters turning streets into rivers and submerging cars and homes.
The severe weather also prompting dozens of water rescues with at least 18 people pulled from a river north of Los Angeles. The flooding so intense in some areas it caused the sewage system to overflow into the street.
CNN's Camila Bernal is in Santa Cruz County with the look at the cleanup efforts underway there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Cleanup is underway here in Santa Cruz County. As you can see here behind me, crews are working to restore power. Many are still without power in this area. And the neighborhood, the people here, the residents, doing everything they can to push the mud out of their homes after being completely flooded over the last couple of hours.
I spoke to a resident who has been here for 20 years, and she told me that she is tired of cleaning up time and time again, that it gets harder as these storms are closer together.
I want to show you exactly how high the water went. You can see it here on the fence. The water coming all the way up here. This car was underwater when all of this was flooded. And so, you see what happens when the river rises. There is a nearby river.
Officials in Santa Cruz County saying that the water rose at some point, about a foot, in just 15 minutes. Here is how that resident that I talked, Rachel Olivera, described what she saw this morning.
RACHEL OLIVERA, RESIDENT: Getting the reverse 9-1-1 call at 4:00 a.m., waking up and seeing the water coming. It just came really quick, like, within a matter of minutes. It was from across the street all the way into our yard. It went really fast.
BERNAL: And 32,000 people in this county are still under evacuation order. They are telling people not to drive. It is dangerous to be out on the road. And so, they're saying, if you don't have to travel, please, stay home. They are expecting more rain. We will have to wait and see what happens to the people that have already been impacted by the storm.
Camila Bernal, CNN, Santa Cruz County, California.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHURCH: And right now, more than 34 million people across the state are still under flood watch as the storm system tracks south towards Los Angeles. CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Talk about weather whiplash, the state of California going for months with drought and fire conditions, then Mother Nature flipping on a switch, and now we are contending with flash flooding, mudslides and landslides, very active situation with flood alerts stretching from the north all the way to the south.
Just to give you a sample of what some of southern California has contended with over the past 12 hours, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, they've had swift water rescues. We've had cars completely submerged underwater, landslides, mudslides, even mandatory evacuations for Montecito and Santa Barbara County.
Look at the rainfall totals. There is Santa Barbara, there is Ventura, there is Los Angeles counties, we had 10 inches of rain mustered out of this initial atmospheric river event.
There's an end time to this. We are going to get a drawing trend temporarily because we have another low pressure that is going to slam into the central parts of the coast, and this is going to bring another oscillating trend of heavy rainfall from the north through the south through the course of the day on Tuesday. We can't even rule out the potential of severe weather, in fact.
Here is a look at the high wind warnings that are in place across the state, extending throughout the Great Basin. We would not do this weather broadcast justice if we didn't talk about the feet of snow that is going to pile up across the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Interstate 80 virtually unpassable from Reno to Sacramento. Find alternative travel arrangements if you have to go throughout that region.
Here's a look at the severe weather threat. Look at this. Marginal risk, including Los Angeles on for today and Tuesday. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: All right, thanks for that. Just ahead, zero-COVID is cast aside and China's airport suddenly full of families reuniting after years of state-imposed separation. We will have a report from Beijing. Back in just a moment with that.
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[03:45:00]
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. China has announced it will suspend issuing short-term visas for South Koreans wanting to visit the country. It comes as Beijing condemns what it calls discriminatory COVID restrictions that South Korea and many other destinations have imposed on travellers from China. They include PCT testing and quarantining upon arrival. South Korea says the measures are based on scientific and objective grounds.
Inside China, people are on the move again with the self-isolation of zero-COVID in the rearview mirror. Travel restrictions have fallen and the great migration for the lunar new year is expected to reach some two billion trips.
CNN's Selina Wang shows us how families are rushing to reunite with their long-lost loved ones.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Anticipation is in the air. Flowers in hand, they anxiously wait. This is the most exciting day in three years at Chinese airports as the country reopens its borders.
And the moment finally arrives. These are especially meaningful reunions. For the first time since the start of the pandemic, travellers from abroad can meet families right after getting off the plane instead of getting south to a quarantine facility.
We documented this family's reunion. A mother and her son waiting for her husband, his father, at the airport. They haven't seen each other in almost a year.
UNKNOWN (through translator): Yes, I'm really excited. It has been too long. I'm thrilled to see him today.
WANG (on camera): He is a little shy, but he says he misses his dad and the flowers are for his dad.
(Voice-over): They patiently wait hours for his arrival. The family running to greet the father. His son finally getting that warm embrace.
UNKNOWN (through translator): It feels great to go home straight without quarantine.
WANG (on camera): The Beijing Capital International Airport is finally coming back to life. But as China is opening up, other countries are getting nervous. More than a dozen countries have imposed COVID-19 testing rules on travelers coming from China.
(Voice-over): But it's not stopping people from going abroad.
JANE SUN, CEO, TRIP.COM GROUP: The pent-up demand is very strong. We have seen serious growth in the search volume for almost all of the destinations.
WANG (on camera): So the platform saw the biggest increase in international searches and booking since the pandemic started?
SUN: That is correct. WANG (on camera): Where are you going to right now?
UNKNOWN: Macau.
WANG (on camera): Macau?
UNKNOWN: Yes.
WANG (on camera): Are you excited you don't have to quarantine anymore?
UNKNOWN: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
UNKNOWN: It's very good.
(LAUGHTER)
WANG (voice-over): This family is waiting to board their international flight. I asked him where he wants to go the most.
UNKNOWN: Italy.
WANG (on camera): He said he really wants to go to Italy this year.
(Voice-over): Across the country, all of China's land borders have reopened, from Hong Kong to Inner Mongolia in the north, Xinjiang in the west, and (INAUDIBLE) in the south. All the gates now pushed open. No more restrictions. Residents cheer the historic moment.
But the celebratory mood dampened by the explosive spread of COVID. Hospitals across the country overflowing with elderly patients. The medical system was unprepared for the country's sudden U-turn away from zero-COVID.
But it is a poignant moment for all of these families at the airport. After years of sacrifice during zero-COVID, finally, they're reunited.
[03:50:01]
WANG (voice-over): Selina Wang, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: A Washington think tank is predicting a bloody battle with heavy casualties should China ever invade Taiwan. The center for strategic and international studies has released new computer- stimulated wargames. Our Pentagon correspondent Oren Liebermann has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Taiwan is perhaps the most sensitive flashpoint between the U.S. and China. Some experts warning that Beijing's use of force to claim what it sees as its rightful territory is drawing closer. Chairman Xi Jinping has made it a priority for Beijing, which hasn't ruled out the use of force, a decision that could cause thousands of lives for China, Taiwan, and America.
A war game from the Center for Strategic and International Studies begins with a Chinese missile barrage against Taiwan's military in 2026, destroying much of its air force and navy, followed by an amphibious invasion across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwanese forces fight back using advanced U.S. weaponry, Patriot missiles for air defense, anti-ship missiles and torpedoes for sea defense, and its ground forces to defend the beach.
MARK CANCIAN, CSIS WAR GAME REPORT CO-AUTHOR: Whatever the Taiwanese are going to fight the war where they have to have that when the war begins (ph).
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): In every scenario, China (INAUDIBLE) forces on Taiwan. But only in the most pessimistic cases does Beijing avoid defeat. But victory for the U.S. and Taiwan comes at a great cost.
The war game assesses that the U.S. loses 10 to 20 combat ships, including two aircraft carriers and 200 to 400 military aircraft. In three weeks of fighting, the U.S. suffers more than 3,000 troops killed in action. That is about half of what the U.S. suffered in Iraq and Afghanistan over two decades. America's global position is damaged for years.
China loses 90% of its amphibious fleet in 52 major surface warships and its air force loses more than 160 combat aircraft. Crucial to this outcome is the stockpile of precision-guided munitions. Taiwan would need more U.S.-supplied Harpoon anti-ship missiles, which maybe in short supply because these missiles have been sent to Ukraine. The U.S. needs its own long-range anti-ship missiles and this supply is one of the big risks.
CANCIAN: It runs out within typically the first couple of days. And when that runs out, then the United States has to use shorter range munitions. Those can be effective but it increases losses and increases risk.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): China has the world's largest navy with about 340 ships and submarines compared to nearly 300 for the U.S. China's army has one million active-duty service members and it is the third largest air force in the world. Top U.S. generals say the key to avoiding conflict is deterrence.
GEN. MARK MILLEY, CHAIRMAN, U.S. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: As long as we remain number one, then we will deter the war that people worry about, a great power war between China and the United States.
LIEBERMANN (on camera): Crucially, this war game doesn't ask the question of, what would happen to make China decide to use military force to invade Taiwan? That remains an open question.
But it is a crucial one to understanding the situation, especially given the west's reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, sanctions that have crippled Russia's economy. Will China run the same risks given its own imports and exports, given its industrial economic power, or would it use those powers to try to control Taiwan without using its military? That is a critical question.
Oren Liebermann, CNN, at the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: A mission called "Start Me Up" after the Rolling Stones song did indeed get started, and then it failed. What this means for the British space industry, that is next.
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[03:55:00]
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, the first rocket launch from British soil has failed despite getting off to a good start.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN (voice-over): It is off the ground. Godspeed, LauncherOne. Godspeed, Cosmic Girl. This the start of European --
CHURCH: Virgin Orbit says an anomaly kept its LauncherOne rocket from reaching orbit and it's not clear what went wrong. No people were on board the rocket, only satellites. The UK's space agency and royal air force were also involved in the mission.
CNN's Tom Foreman picks up the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This launch from the UK looked very promising in the first place. The plane Cosmic Girl took off. It is a modified 747 that carries this rocket beneath its swing. The rocket is called LauncherOne. Just south of Ireland, about 38,000 feet, they dropped the rocket. It rapidly accelerated to well over 8,000 miles an hour and climbing.
And everything looked promising. Really, it had gone through most of the very dangerous maneuvers, the difficult maneuvers. And yet, after the first stage fired and the second stage fired, they went into a coasting (ph) period. At the end of which the second stage was supposed to start up again and push it to the orbit where it would release the satellites, something went wrong there.
After a long pause, an official from Virgin Orbit came on the livestream and said, we've had an anomaly, we will not be able to reach orbit. The impact economically was immediately clear. In the after-hours trading, their stocks started plummeting.
But there's a bigger impact here as well. What does this mean to the future of this kind of mobile platform out here? These setbacks are very big in the space industry, and certainly, we will have a lot of people asking a lot of very hard questions as we look for answers as to exactly what could have gone wrong so late in this mission.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: On behalf of the whole team, thanks so much for spending part of your day with us. I'm Rosemary Church. "CNN Newsroom" continues with Bianca Nobilo. That's next.
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[04:00:00]
