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Millions Under Flood Threat In California; U.N.: Iran Weaponizing Death Penalty To Crush Dissent; State Media: Belgian Aid Worker Sentenced To 40 Years In Prison, 74 Lashes And $1 Million Fine. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired January 11, 2023 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:30]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary church. Just ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM. Iran cracking down on dissent, rolling out tougher punishments for violating hijab laws as it's increasingly accused of executing protesters. Ukraine and Russia locked in an unrelenting and brutal battle for a key town in the east. We will take you to the front lines.

And all across California. Wild weather causing rockslides heavy snowfall even hail. Millions and the continued threat from flooding with more storms on the way.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Thanks for being with us. Well, the Iranian regime is facing growing condemnation over its executions of antigovernment protesters, with at least one man hanged from a crane in a public square. The U.N. accuses Tehran of weaponizing the death penalty to instill fear and crushed dissent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAVINA SHAMDASANI, SPOKESPERSON, U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: The weaponization of criminal procedures to punish people for exercising their basic rights, such as those participating in or organizing demonstrations amounts to state sanctioned killings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Two executions were reportedly carried out over the weekend, bringing the total known number to four. The U.N. says two more executions are imminent and as many as 100 people are facing charges for capital crimes in Iran. The regime is also handing out more jail sentences. We have learned a Belgium aid worker has been sentenced by an Iranian court to 40 years in prison and 74 lashes for espionage and money laundering charges according to state media. He also faces a $1 million fine. He was arrested last year while doing humanitarian work in Iran. And Iran is also toughening its crackdown on women who violate the country's hijab law. One of the driving forces behind the month long anti-government protests. And right now the main punishment for violating the law is up to two months in jail. But Iran's attorney general has reportedly ordered police to enforce even more penalties, including fines, travel bans, and loss of access to public services.

Harsher penalties could be handed out of those who encourage women to remove their hijab.

Mona Tajali is an associate professor of International Relations and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Agnes Scott College. She is also the author of women's political representation in Iran and Turkey demanding a seat at the table. And Mona joins me live here in the studio. Thank you so much for being with us.

Now, we know of course, that Iran is continuing to execute people. Four men at this particular point. And we know too that the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk calls these executions state-sanctioned killing. Do you agree with that?

MONA TAJALI, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND WOMEN'S, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY STUDIES, AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE: I do. I do. I agree with that. This is what we feared, knowing the brutal aspects of this regime that they weren't going to be violent. They were going to be violent crackdown. And yes, the executions are sort of signaling that and signaling that the regime is increasingly becoming desperate, that the regime feels that it needs to regain control over the protests.

And one of the ways that it wants to do this is through these executions with a violating its own due process laws. And it's doing this as a way to discourage the protests. However, we're not seeing signs of the protests letting up anytime soon.

CHURCH: Yes. I wanted to ask you about that too. Because I mean, the whole tactic, as you say, is to scare the people of Iran to terrorize them, in fact, to stop them from getting out on the streets and simply fighting for their freedom.

TAJALI: Exactly.

CHURCH: It's not working, but they are changing their tactics. Aren't they? Talk to us about That.

TAJALI: Yes, exactly. I mean, people now entering into four months of the protests are asking for basic freedoms, basic human rights. Right to freedom of expression, liberty, right to life, and the regime has shown very little tolerance to these public protests. And of course this is costly to them because of the fact that people are actually risking their lives. So there -- we've seen shifts in the way that the protests are happening.

[02:05:09] There are still street presence, particularly in the province or areas, particularly in the Kurdish areas, particularly in the Baloch areas. Areas where the people are particularly angry. They're historically as part of the disenfranchised sections of the society. But also, we're seeing a lot of strikes. We're also seeing university campuses being at the forefront of really discussing some of the key demands of the population. Labor unions are playing a major role.

And of course, celebrities. Celebrities, and athletes are also really pivotal in using social media, to expressing their solidarity with the protests.

CHURCH: And across the country, what is the feeling? What is the sense? What's been the reaction to these executions of four men so far?

TAJALI: So, people are angry. People are outraged. As far as many are concerned, this on its own, just the executions on its own just merely days at some cases, it's been 70 days after an initial arrest and individuals getting executed with having no access to legal counsel, having no opportunities to even appeal the court's decision which as I said, is already a violation of those due process laws of Iran.

So yes, there is a sense of outrage. Certainly, I can imagine if women were also getting such sentences, it would -- it would -- it would outrage the population even more, but I would say even at this stage, the population are certainly, certainly much more angry and much more filled up to continue the protests and pressure the regime.

CHURCH: So, what more does the international community need to do to apply more pressure on Iran to stop these executions?

TAJALI: Yes. What we're seeing is a liberatory movement in Iran right now. And right now, is really the time for the international community to go ahead and side with the Iranian population versus the Iranian government. And the need to listen to much of the pressuring that has been sort of put onto them by the Iranians outside. So certainly, they can put the IRGC onto the terrorist list.

They can go ahead and call the diplomats. They can go ahead and not allow the Islamic Republic of Iran to go ahead and crackdown in such violent ways with impunity. One of the -- one of the major points that's happening right now is putting pressure onto the European Parliament, for instance, to go ahead and put IRGC onto the terrorist list, which is, for instance, a meeting that's happening this Monday in Strasbourg in front of the European Parliament.

So, it's really critical that they're hearing these voices that are being brought up from the Iranian streets on to the international community to go ahead and stop these atrocious acts.

CHURCH: Mona Tajali, thank you so much for joining us.

TAJALI: Thank you.

CHURCH: Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Catholic official to be convicted of child sex abuse before his 2020 acquittal has died at the age of 81. Church officials say Pell died of cardiac arrest following hip replacement surgery in Rome. The Australian-born Pell was a former archbishop of Melbourne and Sydney. And he served as Vatican treasurer for five years.

But in a case that shocked the church, Pell was convicted in 2018 for allegedly abusing two choir boys in the 1990s. He denied the charges but served 13 months in prison before Australia's high court acquitted him.

CNN's Kristie Lu stout has this look at Pell's life and legacy.

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KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHCOR (voice over): Cardinal George Pell, Australia's highest-ranking Catholic has died aged 81. He entered the clergy in 1966 and went on to serve as Archbishop of Melbourne and later Sydney. While in archbishop, Pell set up the Melbourne Response which included payouts for survivors of clerical sex abuse within the Archdiocese. It became one of the earliest responses to address sex abuse accusations in the church.

But critics say was geared to prevent scandal and could have been more generous to victims. In 2003, Pell was ordained as a cardinal by Pope John Paul II and rose to become Vatican treasurer. Widely considered the third most powerful spot in the Vatican. The Italian newspapers referred to him as a bull in a China shop for his forthright manner when dealing with financial reform. But Powell was credited for his attempts to make the church's bookkeeping more transparent.

In 2014, Powell was called back to Australia to appear before Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to sexual abuse in the country. The commission found that Pell had known about sex abuse in the church, but not reported it to police. In 2018, Pell himself faced court on five counts of historical child sex abuse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cardinal Pell, would you please stand?

STOUT: Pell strenuously denied the charges, but he was found guilty. After spending one year in prison, Pell successfully applied to get the convictions quash by Australia's High Court who said that the jury should have had doubts about the alleged offences.

[02:10:03]

Pell's name was removed from Australia's child offender register but he remained the most senior Catholic to ever be accused of pedophilia. Pell died in Rome on Tuesday from cardiac arrest after a hip replacement surgery.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Pell vehemently denied the sex abuse charges which he called an interview a product of fantasy, but child abuse victims and advocates remain very angry. They've been sharing strong reactions on social media. And we have learned that the father of a deceased ex-choirboy, who allege that Pell sexually abused him, will continue his civil action against the cardinal despite his death. According to the father's lawyer, this is Lisa Flynn.

She says this in a statement, "There is still a great deal of evidence for this claim to rely on. And the court will be asked in due course to make its ruling on that evidence." She adds that the claim will continue against the church and whatever state Pell has left behind. Back to you.

CHURCH: All right. Kristie Lu stout reporting there. Many things. And Claire Giangrave, Vatican Correspondent with the Religion News Service joins me now from Rome. Thank you so much for being with us.

CLAIRE GIANGRAVE, VATICAN CORRERSPONDENT, RELIGION NEWS SERVICE: Thank you.

CHURCH: So, the most senior Catholic cleric to be convicted of child sex abuse and later acquitted has died now at the age of 81. How do you think Cardinal George Pell will be remembered? What's his legacy, given the churches saying very little about his passing. And of course, we do have to remember that in 2017, an Australian government inquiry found that Pell had known for decades that other priests had sexually abused children, but failed to act.

GIANGRAVE: Well, Cardinal Pell is one of those polarizing figures. And even in life, he was very much aware of that. And now that he's dead, we will see supporters, but also those who were against them, finally come to task about his very controversial legacy. On one hand, he is the punching strong reformer at the Vatican who walked in headstrong and tried to clean up the rot Vatican finances.

But on the other, he brought on his shoulders, this legacy of sexual abuse that continues to challenge the entire institution today and that marred his legacy right until the very end. So, it really remains to be seen. I mean, of course, we all know that he was found innocent due to lack of evidence on appeal in Australia, but still his legacy as bishop both in Melbourne and Sydney, but also when he was working at the doctrine at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican, which oversees this kind of litigation that has to do with sexual abuse, can now be revalued, reestablished somehow.

And we have yet to see how well will his experience stand the test of time. I heard you mentioned before he was among the first in the Catholic Church, 1996 to lock to launch some sort of investigation but perhaps his abrasive character, his lack of perhaps of understanding of the problems concerning sexual abuse at the time, or maybe we'll find out in the coming months.

A general lack of empathy even really made it impossible for that Melbourne Response to be effective. And still, it's controversial to this day.

CHURCH: Yes. Indeed. And of course, a reaction to the passing of Cardinal Pell in his homeland Australia has been divided as you say. He was a polarizing figure. If -- he certainly had his supporters, didn't he? Who have paid tribute to him, but he also had many critics who are now saying that their thoughts are with the victims of all those abused by the Catholic Church? Will his controversial legacy ever be resolved do you think?

GIANGRAVE: Well, of course, as you mentioned before on the program, there will be more litigations, more legal cases, looking at the documentation, perhaps other victims and survivors will step forward and talk about their own experience. There was a question not only about the personal responsibility of Cardinal Pell, but especially in cases of oversight and lack of accountability.

Did Cardinal Pell do as much as he could to stop sexual abuse? One thing that everyone agrees on though even with this polarizing figure is that something about the Cardinal's character made him easy to either really like or dislike. He has friends at the Vatican video also has enemies at the Vatican. And I am -- I wouldn't be surprised if they would step forward now and bring their qualms.

CHURCH: Where do you think this leaves the Catholic Church and its clear probably problem with some of its priests?

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GIANGRAVE: Well, the Catholic Church is always wanting to say that it's emerging from the scandal that has been now really tarnishing its reputation and its credibility worldwide for decades. But it is -- it remains a massive problem. One that also is tarnishing the pontificate of Pope Francis. Every day as Vatican journalists, we are confronted with stories of sexual abuse. The general idea is that perhaps now things are changing that there are regulations in order.

Well, brands has enacted a series of laws that forced clergy to report to legal authorities and state authorities to report to the Vatican when there are cases of abuse and there have been some marginal step forwards in that sense. At the same time, the scale and really the underlying problems that have to do with clerical sexual abuse in the church still remain. And countries like Australia, like Ireland and like Germany are trying to grapple.

What is it about the Catholic Church that made it such a fertile ground for this kind of predatory behavior? Those questions, I think, will continue to really be faced by the Catholic Church in the coming years and continue to be center stage as it grapples with this new - this new time.

CHURCH: Yes. They are important questions that need answers, don't they? Claire Giangrave, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

GIANGRAVE: Thank you.

CHURCH: The Russian military may be close to its first major victory since August on the battlefields of Ukraine. Fierce fighting is ongoing in the town of Soledar where Russian troops are said to be focusing all their attention. Ukraine disputes Russian claims the town has fallen and insists things are under control. But one Ukrainian soldier tells CNN it's only a matter of time. He says the death toll is so high no one even counts the dead.

Soledar is in the Donetsk region close to the city of Bakhmut. It's home to the largest salt mine in Europe with a vast network of cavernous underground tunnels.

U.S. and Ukrainian officials say they are seeing more evidence that Russia's position in Ukraine is weakening with Russian artillery fire down by as much as 75 percent in some areas. A sign that soldiers may be rationing their low supplies.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are claiming success with some of the same weapons used by the Russians. CNN's Ben Wedeman has our report.

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BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Commander Maksimilian or just Max, as he's known, is finalizing the coordinates for a striker on the Russian-occupied town of Kreminna. Before the war, Max was an English teacher. His 43rd artillery brigade has already seen action in the battles of Kyiv, Kharkiv and now Donbas. Their target today, a building in Krimenna from where he says attack drones are launched against Ukrainian forces.

WEDEMAN (on camera): This artillery system is known as a Pion. That's Soviet era artillery system, 203 millimeters, the rounds weigh 100 kilos, 220 pounds. This is a system used both by the Russians and the Ukrainians.

WEDEMAN (voice over): The cold here chills to the bone making this work all the more difficult. To protect against Russian drones they've deployed a special weapon that depletes drone batteries. First the round goes into the barrel, then the cordite and the trigger cord is pulled.

Sending the massive round hurtling toward its target 18 kilometers around 11 miles away. It fires again. Again.

And had a forward spotter radios Max that the target has been hit. He tells his men to use shrapnel rounds to finish the job.

MAKSIMILIAN, 43RD UKRAINIAN ARTILLERY BRIGADE: We damaged it we destroyed the building where they hide. And I suppose they will not make problems for us in future.

WEDEMAN: A small victory and a big war.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, near Krimenna, Eastern Ukraine.

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CHURCH: The Pentagon confirms it will begin training Ukrainian troops on the Patriot missile system in the U.S. as soon as next week. Between 90 and 100 soldiers will visit Fort Sill in Oklahoma for the program, which is expected to take several months. The U.S. announced last month it would send a single Patriot missile system to Ukraine.

Well, CNN's Clare Sebastian is following the latest developments for us. She joins us live from London. Good morning to you. So, what more are you learning about these Ukrainian troops set to begin training on the Patriot missile system here in the U.S. next week?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Rosemary. This would be a step up really in the U.S. as a military aid program to Ukraine. Previously, U.S. forces have trained Ukrainians in Europe and Germany. In particular, there are plans also to step up that training program. But this would be 90 to 100 Ukrainian soldiers, according to the Pentagon spokesman coming to Fort Sill in Oklahoma to train he says for several months on the Patriot battery.

Usually, U.S. forces train for up to a year. So clearly, there are plans to expedite this to minimize the amount of time that these forces spend away from the battlefield. And of course, to get that Patriot battery to Ukraine as quickly as possible, clearly a very important weapon. We know that Ukraine had been asking for this for a very long time. And President Zelenskyy making it very clear in his nightly address that he feels time is not on Ukraine side.

He said the free world has the tools to help and with, you know, it's even more important now, he said with Russia is gathering forces for an escalation. Clearly a major concern for Ukraine. Russia though has made it clear that it feels the provision of the Patriot battery in itself is an escalation. But the U.S. is clearly very committed to making this happen for Ukraine as quickly as possible.

CHURCH: All right. Thanks to Clare Sebastian joining us live from London. Appreciate it.

And still to come. Brazil is seeking the arrest of a former justice minister. As officials investigate Sunday's attacks on key government buildings. We're back with that and more in just a moment. Do stay with us.

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CHURCH: We have this just into CNN. Several people have been wounded in a knife attack at one of the busiest rail stations in Paris. That is according to CNN affiliate BFM T.V. A French rail operator tweeted that police open fire on the suspect at Gare du Nord. The suspect has been removed and the station is operating normally. We will of course bring you more information as it comes into us here at CNN.

Well, Brazil Supreme court has ordered the arrest of the country's former justice minister under Jair Bolsonaro just days after the attacks by Bolsonaro supporters on the three branches of government. Anderson Torres had been in charge of Public Security in Brasilia when the violence broke out Sunday.

[02:25:06]

He is currently on vacation in Florida but pledges to turn himself in. The court also ordered the arrest of a former military police commander who was taken into custody Tuesday. And this comes amid mounting criticism of Brazil security forces and questions as to how hundreds of protesters were able to breach the presidential palace Supreme Court and Congress. CNN's Isa Soares has more now from the Brazilian capital.

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ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice over): Pro-Bolsonaro supporters defiant and remorseful. Victory is ours, they scream. Our flag will never be read, they chant. A direct reference to President Lula da Silva's left-wing Worker's Party. They leave the Federal Police Academy as free men and women after being questioned about their alleged role in one of the obvious days in Brazilian politics. Some of those still inside complain of the conditions.

It is all for food, not even dogs eat this, one says. Some authorities have vowed to punish those involved. Those found to have violently played a part in tearing through the democratic institutions are being accused of terrorism and attempted coup among other offenses.

SOARES: One senator tells me that a large number of them have been free, but many are still inside. Authorities are trawling through all the intelligence, all the video to find out what role they played on that Sunday as they run riot through the Capitol.

SOARES (voice over): A protester who acknowledges she went inside but denies being part of any violence tells me her story.

It's chaos here because we don't know anything. They can't say exactly if people are imprisoned. If they're going to get out, she tells me.

For 50 days, she says she was protesting outside the army headquarters in Brasilia hoping the election that she says was robbed from Jair Bolsonaro would be overturned.

For many like her the issue is Lula. A man who previously served time on corruption charges. Those were later thrown out on a judicial technicality. Our intention, she asks, not agreeing with everything that was happening, she says. The ballot boxes, we keep claiming this all the time, asking for help from the armed forces to help the people, she asked. I asked her if her actions make her a terrorist.

I'm not a terrorist. I don't have weapons, she tells me.

SOARES: But those that did carry them left their mark on this country's institution tearing through the halls of power here with Max's (INAUDIBLE) and even grenades according to the justice minister, in an act that can only be described as an attack on Brazilian democracy.

SOARES (voice over): Back at the federal police I asked the same protester if she regrets anything.

I don't regret it. I don't regret it. Because I wasn't armed. I didn't go with a mask. I didn't go with glasses. I didn't go with a bomb. And this is a challenge for Lula da Silva who has been on the job for just over a week. Uniting a polarized country. A movement that is angry and simply refuses to accept defeat.

Isa Soares, CNN, Brasilia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The U.S. President recently returned from the North American Leaders Summit in Mexico City where he was unable to dodge domestic politics. Joe Biden was asked about the 10 classified documents found in a private office from his time as vice president. He said he was surprised to learn they were there and does not know what the documents contain. The White House says they were turned over to the National Archives the day after they were discovered.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: People know I take classified documents, classified information seriously.

I've turned over the boxes. They've turned over the boxes to the archives. And we're cooperating fully, cooperating fully with the review and which I hope will be finished soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Earlier President Biden met with the leaders of Canada and Mexico where the trio committed to a declaration of North America that pledges cooperation on everything from regional security, to climate change and health. The Mexican president also announced a new task force to strengthen economic ties and trade between the three countries. And the Biden administration rolled out new measures to curb migrant crossings from the southern border.

They include creating a virtual one-stop shop to help migrants find legal pathways to the U.S. as well as brick and mortar centers in southern Mexico where migrants can get similar information.

And just ahead. We are getting disturbing evidence of the current COVID outbreak in China is more severe than Beijing is willing to admit.

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Plus, outrage in France over proposed plans to raise the retirement age. Why the government is going ahead with pension reforms despite the backlash. Back in just a moment.

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CHURCH: There's outrage in France following the government unveiling plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. Dozens gathered on Tuesday to protest the proposed pension reforms. CNN's Melissa Bell has more details.

MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: One of the key objectives of Emmanuel Macron when he became president back in 2017, was reforming France's Pension System. Not only to bring the country in line with other European countries, but also to help plug the country's public deficits. He tried several times, bear in mind, that here in France, they were not really the yellow vest protests but also in 2019 when the pension reform was brought back on the table, huge protests across the country against those reforms. Then, of course, COVID-19.

Now, they've been brought back. The French Prime Minister speaking to Parliament on Tuesday and announcing the beginning of this bill that will now head through Parliament, and the promises to be fairly controversial. The idea that France is retirement age will go from 62 to 64, by 2030. Already here in France, it isn't just that the parliamentary progress looks complicated given that Emmanuel Macron lost his parliamentary majority back in 2022. But already trade unions threatening to take to the streets on January 19th. Melissa Bell CNN Paris.

CHURCH: There are growing signs the number of COVID deaths in China is far beyond what Beijing is admitting, even as it was winding down at zero-COVID policy and reopening its borders. This video shows a crowd of people lined up outside of a crematorium in Shanghai. In some cases, demand is so high, that the person who uploaded this video says, there were even scalpers holding spaces. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization expressed its concerns about China's levels of immunity, and what it could mean for the rest of the world.

DR. MIKE RYAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WHO HEALTH EMERGENCY PROGRAM: China is a very big country with 1.4 billion people, one in -- more than one in seven people on this planet live in China. It's a very big concern for us. Even a small event in China is a big event anywhere else in the world. A small change in the epidemiology, a small change in the hospitalization rate, resulted in a lot of people getting sick, a lot of people getting hospitalized.

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CHURCH: Beijing has stopped issuing ordinary visas to Japanese and South Korean citizens. The moves were in response to COVID restrictions imposed by Tokyo and Seoul on travelers from China. Japan and South Korea's Foreign Ministers both protested China's decisions calling them extremely regrettable.

Well, Prince Harry is pushing back on claims he was boasting in his new memoir about the number of Taliban fighters he killed while serving in Afghanistan, calling it a dangerous lie. In an interview with U.S. late night host Stephen Colbert, the Duke of Sussex accused the British press of stripping away the context and turning his stories into a salacious headline ahead of his book's release.

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PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: Last few days have been hurtful and challenging, not being able to do anything about those leaks that you refer to, but perhaps the -- or no, not perhaps -- without a doubt, the most dangerous lie that they have told is that I somehow boasted about the number of people that I killed in Afghanistan. If I heard anyone boasting about that kind of thing, I would be angry. But it's a lie. And hopefully now that the book is out, people will be able to see the context.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Prince Harry claims in his memoir he killed 25 people while serving in Afghanistan, describing Taliban insurgents as chess pieces. The comments sparked criticism from some British security and military figures. Still ahead, deadly flooding and powerful storms hit California, and more are on the way. Meteorologist Britley Ritz has the forecast for us. That's next.

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CHURCH: We have an update on the knife attack that's left several people wounded in Paris. The French Interior Minister tweeted the suspect has been neutralized. His condition is not known. CNN affiliate BFM T.V. reports the attack happened at Gare du Nord, one of the busiest rail stations in Paris.

A series of powerful storms is battering California. The U.S. National Weather Service says there are 150 to 200 reports of flooding and mudslides just in the Southern Regions.The state's governor says at least 17 people have died in the recent storms which have also forced tens of thousands from their homes. Millions are under flood alerts right now and around 70,000 are without electricity at this hour. Cleanup is underway, but the threat from the extreme weather is not over yet. Meteorologist Britley Ritz joins us now with more. So, Britley, what are you seeing, and how long is this likely to last?

BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOIST: We have another week of this, Rosemary, but thankfully a lot of this rain is starting to taper back a bit. You're noticing that on radar right now. There is scattered showers, and yes, still a few rumbles of thunder expected. And a lot of that moisture has pushed in land.

[02:40:10]

But notice out to sea, out in the Pacific, we've got that moisture rebuilding. And that's what's going to push in today, and tomorrow, and throughout the rest of the week. Here it is closer up towards Santa Rosa and Sacramento, just to South of Yuba City, this is where the heaviest rain has fallen. Down across the southern part of the state, Santa Barbara just off to the East, 10 plus inches over the last two days. And I mean, sure, look at this. 18-plus inches since the 5th.

Here's that area of low pressure. This is part of that atmospheric river, several areas of low pressure that come in off of Southeast Asia, and it gets pushed in from the jet stream. But you see how much moisture is involved with that, again, nowhere near as much as the previous areas of low pressure that moved in, but still enough to cause problems because the grounds are already saturated. So, wave after wave, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, more rain moving in. So, we'll have to keep our eyes out on the flood threat once more. Notice the flood watches that are still in effect from Redding to Fresno where we have the possibility of dealing with more mudslides and completely wiping out roadways which we've already seen. Not only that, but the creeks in the river start to rise. The Salinas River near Spreckels expected to hit major flood stage at 28.4 feet by Wednesday and into Thursday, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Thanks so much for that, Britley Ritz, appreciate it. Well, the Golden Globes have made a comeback after NBC didn't broadcast the ceremony last year amid allegations of racism. A Los Angeles Times report revealed a lack of diversity within the Hollywood Foreign Press Association that presents them. The report found there were no black members in the voting body, and very few members worked full time for notable foreign publications. But the organization has announced reforms since then. Now, let's take a look at some of this year's top winners. Colin Farrell won Best Actor in a musical or comedy motion picture for The Banshees of Inisherin. Michelle Yeoh, she walked away with the Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy motion picture for Everything Everywhere All At Once.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Welcome to the White Lotus in Cecily.

CHURCH (voiceover): And this is fantastic. The White Lotus was voted Best Television limited series. Here's more from the Creator.

MIKE WHITE, CREATOR, WHITE LOTUS: We went out with the show we wanted to do with Jimmy and Jennifer, and everybody passed. I know you all passed, you all passed on this show. And so, yes, it's very gratifying to have this moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH (on camera): And while, Abbot Elementary won top prize for best television musical or comedy series, the big winner of the night was the Fabelmans for Best Motion Picture Drama. And for a full list of the Golden Globe winters, just head on over to CNN.com. One of the biggest music festivals of the spring has just released its lineup.

(voiceover) Puerto Rican superstar, Bad Bunny, is set to headline both Fridays of Coachella, the Annual Two-Week Music Festival in California's desert, and Korean pop group Black Pink will headline both Saturdays. Meanwhile, Frank Ocean who was originally scheduled for the 2020 festival, but was cancelled due to the pandemic, he will headline Sunday's. And thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. "WORLD SPORT" is up next. Then, I'll be back in about 15 minutes with more CNN NEWSROOM. Do stick around.

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