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Calls for Action on Criminal Justice Reform Grow; Biden and McCarthy to Meet on Debt Ceiling; Russia's War on Ukraine Continues; Paul Pelosi Attacker Tells Reporter He Had No Remorse; More Rain Forecast in Northern New Zealand; Brazil Launches Raids to Fight Amazon Deforestation; 2023 Super Bowl: Chiefs vs. Eagles; Novak Djokovic wins 2023 Australian Open. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired January 30, 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]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. You are watching "CNN Newsroom" and I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLORIA SWEET-LOVE, PRESIDENT, TENNESSEE NAACP: The blood of black America is on your hand, so stand up and do something.

CHURCH: Demands for police reform in the U.S. This follows outrage over the harrowing video we saw of police beating Tyre Nichols to death while may say change begins in Washington. We'll bring you the latest on those and the debate over the U.S. debt ceiling, and how the outcome will be felt well beyond the United States.

And the U.S. secretary of state arrives in the Middle East amid rising tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from CNN Center. This is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: And we begin this hour with the beating death of Tyre Nichols and efforts to prevent police brutality in the future. On Sunday, the Nichols's family attorney told CNN he hopes this will become a watershed moment in the push for criminal justice reform.

Hours after video was made public showing Nichols's ruthless beating at the hands of Memphis police, officials shut down the specialized "scorpion" unit. All five former officers who have been charged in Nichols's death were members of that unit. A local district attorney and the Nichols's family attorney discussed the charges and the release of the video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN CRUMP, ATTORNEY FOR TYRE NICHOLS'S FAMILY: This video illustrates that it's this culture that says it doesn't matter whether the police officers are Black, Hispanic or white, that it is somehow allowed for you to trample on the constitutional rights of certain citizens from certain ethnicities and certain communities, and we have to have a larger conversation about this.

STEVEN MULROY, SHELBY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: We knew that the longer the video was delayed, the more unrest and suspicion about the process there would be, so the video needed to be released soon. But at the same time, we also knew that releasing the video without an announcement of charges could itself be provocative (INAUDIBLE).

Solution was to expedite the investigation and to investigate -- expedite consideration of charges so that the charges could come first, and then the release of the video. And I think that proved to have been a fruitful sequence of events because, as we were seeing, there has been demonstrations, there has been reaction to the video, which is certainly shocking, but they've been peaceful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And in Washington, there are growing calls to return to the issue of police reform and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. CNN White House correspondent Arlette Saenz has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The White House and lawmakers on Capitol Hill are certainly facing renewed pressure when it comes to police reform. President Biden has said he wants to see meaningful reform passed, but it's unclear what exactly that would entail in the current environment.

Now, Democrats did try to push through the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act back in 2021. That would have included creating a registry for police misconduct. It also would have banned chokeholds and put restrictions on no-knock warrants. Now, that passed the House. It did not pass the Senate.

But Senator Cory Booker, a Democrat, was engaged in bipartisan talks with Senator Tim Scott, a Republican of South Carolina. But those talks did eventually fall apart back in 2021. One of the sticking points was the issue of qualified immunity which offers immunity for police officers that prevents them being sued in civil court.

Now, Senator Dick Durbin, a top Democrat, said that he wants to see Booker and Scott sit down together again to try to hammer out some details regarding police reform. Take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): This is a call for all of us to really be honest about the situation. I'm chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. We do many pieces of legislation. I think of the police reform package that Senator Booker was working on with Senator Scott. It had many elements in it that are important: banning chokeholds, dealing with no warrant searches, dealing with accreditation of police departments.

[03:04:59]

DURBIN: It's necessary that we do all of these things, but not sufficient.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Senator, I want to --

DURBIN: We need a national conversation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, one big question is whether there will be the appetite for police reform up on Capitol Hill, especially as Republicans now control the House. At the same time, members of the Congressional Black Caucus are asking to meet with President Biden this week to talk about police reform.

We're actually also learning just moments ago that the head of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressman Steven Horsford, invited the family of Tyre Nichols to be his guests at the state of the union, and he said that they have accepted. So, that certainly will be quite the moment if they, in fact, attend the state of the union on February 7th.

At this moment, the White House and Congress is facing so much pressure. The question is, will there actually be an appetite to act? What exactly any type of legislation regarding police reform could pass the currently divided Congress?

Arlette Saenz, CNN, traveling with the president in Wilmington, Delaware.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The president of the Tennessee chapter of the NAACP is also demanding congressional action. During a fiery news conference in Memphis on Sunday, she blasted the lack of progress and called for change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SWEET-LOVE: We come to call action for Congress. By failing to craft and pass bills to stop police brutality, you're writing another Black man's obituary. The blood of Black America is on your hand, so stand up and do something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Earlier, I spoke with Joe Ested. He is a former Richmond, Virginia police officer and author of the book "Police Brutality Matters." I asked him what could be done to make these incidents stop.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE ESTED, FORMER RICHMOND, VIRGINIA POLICE OFFICER: Historically, culturally, the law enforcement (INAUDIBLE) police is through force and intimidation. We need to change that mindset. And because officers are allowed to do that historically and police department hasn't held them accountable, they are able to get away with that.

(INAUDIBLE) guys up after they run is very common. They've been around for centuries. So, hands down. That will need to change. We need a task force for the DOJ combined with federal and state legislation that will investigate all police shootings and police use of force.

You know, you can't have the police department investigate itself. That's too much of a conflict. I mean, I work with guys who (INAUDIBLE) to internal affairs. Now, these guys are assigned to actually investigate my misconduct. Shouldn't have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And that was former Police Officer Joe Ested speaking to me earlier.

The NBA's Memphis Grizzlies held a moment of silence to honor Tyre Nichols before they play the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. It was the Grizzlies' first home game since video of Nichols's beating was released.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (voice-over): The Memphis Grizzlies ask you to please join us in a moment of silence to remember the life of Tyre Nichols, a skateboarder, photographer, and fellow Memphian. We share in the pain being filled throughout our community and have faith in this city and our power to heal. Our heartfelt sorrow and deepest sympathies are with the Nichols family, his friends, and all of Memphis during this time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And a GoFundMe campaign started in Tyre Nichols's memory has raised more than a million dollars in just two days. The donations will cover time off for Nichols parents as well as their mental health services. They also want to build a memorial skate park in Tyre Nichols's honor.

U.S. President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will discuss the debt ceiling when the two sits down for talks on Wednesday. The White House spokesperson says Mr. Biden will ask McCarthy if he intends to meet his -- quote -- "constitutional obligation" to prevent a national default.

The White House has previously said raising the debt ceiling is not a negotiation but an obligation to avoid economic chaos. In the Senate, two dozen Republicans say they won't back an increase without major spending cuts.

Here's McCarthy is looking for.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KEVIN MCCARTHY, SPEAKER, UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: I want to find a reasonable and a responsible way that we can lift the debt ceiling, but take control of this runaway spending. If you look at the last four years, the Democrats have increased spending by 30%, $400 billion. We are at 120% of GDP. We haven't been in this place to debt since World War II. So, we can't continue down this path.

I don't think there's anyone in America who doesn't agree that there is some wasteful Washington spending that we can eliminate.

UNKNOWN: Uh-hmm.

[03:10:00]

MCCARTHY: So, I want to sit down together, work out an agreement that we can move forward to put us on a path of balance, at the same time not put any -- any of our debt in jeopardy at the same time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Jeff Stein is a "Washington Post" White House economics reporter. He joins me now from New York. Great to have you with us.

JEFF STEIN, WHITE HOUSE ECONOMICS REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST: Thanks so much for having me.

CHURCH: So, as the White House braces for a tough fight ahead over raising the debt limit, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden prepare to meet on Wednesday to discuss the issue. Mr. Biden is saying raising the debt limit is an obligation, not a negotiation. McCarthy is disagreeing on that.

But at the same time, Republican leaders are trying to educate GOP members who don't seem to understand how the debt limit works and what the ramifications will be if they fail to raise it. So, what are you learning about this effort to educate these members?

STEIN: There's an interesting tension right now in the Republican Party where some members really seem to think that we can go over this cliff and fail to pay our payment obligations for the first time in the nation's history and that that will be manageable.

And this has different tenors and flavors but the upshot is that this is an opportunity for the Republicans that many of them see to push for major concessions on spending and spending cuts in the Biden administration because they are -- do not fear really the consequences of default.

I would say most Republicans -- that's probably a minority view but enough of a view to have a big swing in the caucus and there's another faction that says, look, we can try to use this opportunity to negotiate for concessions, but we're also going to be realistic that massive freak-out in the market that has caused by GOP brinkmanship could have negative political consequences as well as economic ones for Republican Party.

CHURCH: And when Biden and McCarthy do meet on Wednesday, how do they move forward on preventing this country from defaulting?

STEIN: You know, I covered a bunch of debt limit fights. This is the one that should at least create path out. The administration understandably does not want to reward Republicans for taking the U.S. economy hostage as they would say for, you know, over the debt limit. But Republicans are in on a bind as well. Kevin McCarthy really can't preserve his speakership and give in to meaningful concessions.

And simultaneously, House conservatives are not going to fall for any sort of token gesture or symbol that McCarthy could further raise in an attempt to get them to buy into a debt ceiling deal.

So, I have a really, really hard time seeing how this gets resolved and that is obviously quite scary for markets and the other economy.

CHURCH: So, what will happen if Congress fails to do its job and prevent a debt default? What's at stake here?

STEIN: U.S. Treasury, you know, the debt the government issues to pay its balance are not just important for the function of the U.S. government because we need to raise money to make the balance payments between, you know, what we bring in and what we spend.

It's also U.S. Treasury debt are the benchmark, the foundation of the global financial system. Almost every country around the world bases its trades and its financial markets on the value of the U.S. dollar. We never really seen the kind of ripple effect that economists fear if that goes haywire with the sudden change in what the U.S. trustworthiness for our credit and that could throw the treasury markets, you know, billions of which are traded every day completely out of sync.

More long-term, we can be looking at U.S. loose end (ph), what is called dollar (INAUDIBLE), which makes it easy for us to borrow money because people seek out U.S. treasuries and bonds in time, you know, as safe assets, that U.S. dollars regardless among (INAUDIBLE) safest asset in the world (ph).

And if we question that through our political malfeasance and incompetence, jeopardize that dollar dominance, we could really permanently damage our ability to lend cheaply, really increase our borrowing cost, and that could trigger cuts to vital government services and provisions that Americans really depend and rely on.

So, these topics can (INAUDIBLE) disconnected from people but there's a real potential tangible impact if we don't get this result.

CHURCH: Yeah. And Representative Patrick McHenry, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, has warned Republicans to be reasonable in their demands for concessions. So, what would be considered reasonable?

STEIN: I heard from Republican sources that they're looking at something that maybe the Biden administration doesn't really want to do but would be okay with, maybe increase in border security or ending the sort of COVID emergency measures or maybe some sort of deal where the White House agrees to set a committee that doesn't have real power but can issue recommendations and issuinh standing that the White House would then ignore, maybe take a political hit from.

[03:15:15]

STEIN: I don't see Republicans -- Republicans I've talked to have said that they're not going to go along with that. So, really, as I said, really hard to see what negotiation could be productive here.

McHenry is interesting because he's the head of the Financial Services Committee, as you mentioned. He has ties to Wall Street. He's among the Republicans left who are very business-friendly and are sort of at odds with this MAGA fire-breathing wings (INAUDIBLE) debt limit. There are many Republicans who retain close ties to big business that are (INAUDIBLE) about coming down this path and McHenry sorts of speaks for them.

CHURCH: Jeff Stein, great to get your analysis. Appreciate it.

STEIN: Thanks so much for having me.

CHURCH: The U.S. Justice Department says it is trying to meet lawmakers' demands for more information on classified documents found at properties associated with Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.

The DOJ adds that it will try to do so without harming ongoing investigations into both matters. House Democrat Adam Schiff says lawmakers should at least get briefings on the probes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): We should certainly be briefed on the documents. This was a point I made after the Mar-a-Lago discoveries. It was a point I reiterated after it was discovered that President Biden also had classified documents. Both the department and the Congress need to be careful that what we do in handling this doesn't interfere with any investigation that the Justice Department is conducting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Attorney General Merrick Garland believes the DOJ should withhold the documents from lawmakers until the special counsels who are handling each case give authorization.

In the United States, over 25 million people are under winter weather alerts today. That includes more than 15 million under wind chill warnings. Winter weather alerts are still in effect for parts of Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and Nevada with the possibility of significant icing from central Texas to central Illinois.

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth, Texas is asking people to avoid travel on Tuesday. They say this system could produce freezing rain and sleet for a prolonged period.

And still to come, the U.S. secretary of state is expected to urge calm when he visits Israel and the West Bank this week. Details of the deadly violence in the region, next.

And later, a missile strikes a residential building in northeast Ukraine. We'll have the latest just ahead.

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[03:20:00]

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, international security is high on the agenda today as the U.S. secretary of state continues his trip to the Middle East. This hour, Antony Blinken is scheduled to meet with Egypt's foreign minister after holding talks with the country's president. Later, the secretary will head to Israel for the first time since the new right-wing government took power. He is expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then with Israel's foreign minister and president.

Blinken's trip comes as Israel is taking strict measures to address a wave of violence. In Jerusalem, Israeli authorities have sealed off the family home of a suspected gunman. They say he killed seven people near a Jerusalem synagogue on Friday, a day after Israeli forces launched a deadly raid on the West Bank.

Israeli officials are planning other punitive measures, including revoking certain benefits from families of people they consider terrorists. They're also seeking to expand gun licenses for Israeli citizens, making it easier to carry weapons and to -- quote -- "strengthen settlements and reinforce security units."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL (through translator): We are not seeking escalation, but we are prepared for any possibility. Our answer to terrorism is an iron fist in a powerful swift and precise response.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Critics say the measures are collective punishment and give so called Jewish extremists a green light to commit crimes. On Sunday, a Palestinian official said dozens of Israeli settlers attacked properties in the West Bank in an apparent response to Friday shooting. Shops were damaged, cars were burned, and at least one house caught fire.

At least one person is dead after a missile struck a residential building in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Three other people were injured in the strike. Officials say residents were evacuated to the south.

In Kherson, the city council says at least three people are dead and six injured following Russian shelling. According to local officials, the shelling hit a hospital, school playground, and warehouses, and damaged buildings in the region.

All of this as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the situation on the frontlines of the war is very tough, including in the city of Bakhmut which he says is under constant attack from Russia.

And CNN's Clare Sebastian is following developments. She joins us now live from London. Good morning to you, Clare. So, what is the latest on those deadly Russian attacks in Kharkiv and Kherson? How is President Zelenskyy is responding?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Rosemary, this was a deadly weekend for Ukrainian civilians. The attack on Kharkiv on Sunday, which is Ukraine's second largest city, killed one person, an elderly woman. According to the head of state military administration, that was, according to that official, an S-300 missile that hit a residential building. That is missile that is usually reserved for air defense but has been repurposed by Russian offensive operations over the last few months.

And then further south, quite a way south, this is how widespread the frontline is in this conflict.

[03:25:00]

SEBASTIAN: More than 500 kilometers away in Kherson, a shelling, killing more civilians there. Three civilians killed by shelling on Sunday. Civilian infrastructure continues to get hit. And then in the middle of all that, in the Donetsk region, that continues to be heavily contested.

We're hearing this morning from the Russian-backed head of that region, (INAUDIBLE), saying that Russian forces, he says, are making progress, amassing on the east of the town of (INAUDIBLE), just west of the region of capital where we've seen intense fighting in recent days. All of this contributing to what President Zelenskyy is really describing as a war of attrition by Russia. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): Russia hopes to drag out the war and exhaust our forces. So, we have to make time our weapon. We have to accelerate developments. We have to speed up the supply and launch of new necessary military options for Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: This more lobbying, of course, by President Zelenskyy for more sophisticated weapons from the west (INAUDIBLE) on the success that he has had with tanks. He now wants U.S.-made long-range missiles. He called for that over the weekend. We know Ukraine is also looking for fighter jets from the west.

We're also hearing from Russia this morning, the deputy foreign minister, saying that under the conditions, he said of these provisions of tanks by the west, he sees it as pointless to even begin negotiations with Ukraine. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Clare Sebastian joining us live from London.

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says Russian President Vladimir Putin once threatened him with a missile. Johnson told the BBC the conversation happened during a phone call before Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. The exchange was released as preview to the BBC documentary, "Putin Versus the West."

And here's how Johnson described it, and I'm quoting. "He threatened me at one point and said, you know, Boris, I don't want to hurt you, but with a missile it would only take a minute, or something like that. You know, jolly."

Johnson went on to say, "I think that from the very relaxed tone that he was taking, the sort of air of detachment he seemed to have, he was just playing along with my attempts to get him to negotiate."

Neither Mr. Putin nor the Kremlin have publicly commented on the alleged threat.

And still to come, the man who allegedly assaulted a U.S. lawmaker's husband is showing no remorse for his brutal attack. Details of what he's saying from jail just ahead.

Plus, California honors the man who stopped a second mass shooting from happening at a dance studio. How Brandon Tsay was recognized for his bravery after a short break.

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[03:30:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: The man arrested for allegedly attacking the husband of then U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says he should have come better prepared the night of the attack. It's one of many things David DePape said when he called a San Francisco reporter over the weekend from jail. He allowed their call to be recorded, which came the same day that a California court released video of the attack. Here's part of that call.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

DAVID DEPAPE, CHARGED IN ATTACK OF PAUL PELOSI: It originates with Hillary but like Pelosi ran with the lying, much more than anyone.

UNKNOWN: Right.

DEPAPE: So not only were they spying on a rival campaign --

UNKNOWN: Right.

DEPAPE: -- they were submitting fake evidence to spun on a rival campaign, covering it up, persecuting the rival campaign.

UNKNOWN: When you say rival campaign, you're talking about Trump?

DEPAPE: Trump, yes.

UNKNOWN: Yeah.

DEPAPE: And just like -- it's just like an endless (BLEEP) crime spree, it's like they go from one crime to another crime to another crime to another crime. And it's just like the whole (BLEEP) four years until they were finally able to steal the election and it's just --

UNKNOWN: Yeah.

DEPAPE: -- it's unacceptable.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

CHURCH: DePape is facing many state and federal charges for allegedly attacking Paul Pelosi in October and has pleaded not guilty.

The man who disarmed the Monterey Park shooting suspect at a second dance studio in Alhambra, California has been awarded a medal of courage by the local police department. Brandon Tsay was given a Certificate of Congressional Recognition on Sunday. The shooting just over a week ago left 11 people dead while celebrating a Lunar New Year at a dance studio in Monterey Park. Tsay later wrestled the gun away from the suspect at a second dance studio likely preventing another tragedy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRANDON TSAY, DISARMED MONTEREY PARK SUSPECT: I want everyone to take the time to grieve, to mourn, to recover. But after, I want us, the people of this nation, to take action.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: This surveillance footage shows Tsay confronting the gunman. For his heroism, Tsay has now been invited to Joe Biden's State of the Union Address in Washington next week as a guest of the U.S. President.

In Baltimore, Maryland, police are investigating a shooting that left one man dead and led to a car accident that injured two boys, one a 3- year-old, and the other only two months old. The mayor of Baltimore told CNN police do not have a suspect or motive in the shooting. Here's more what he said on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRANDON SCOTT, MAYOR OF BALTIMORE MARYLAND: We do know now, even though they're still, you know, in conditions that we wish they were not in that neither the 3-year-old or the two -- were not shot, thankfully, but people were shot there, and we're going to continue to push, apply pressure to the community, to everyone, to people that were out there, because there were dozens of people out there and someone know who did this and someone has to step up and we will find this person and turn them over to other parts of the justice system.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Police believe someone opened fire on a Baltimore street Saturday night, but they don't know if shooter or shooters were firing at the people in the car or others on the sidewalk.

Police in New Jersey say there was an arson attempt at a synagogue during the early hours of Sunday morning. Security camera footage shows a man throwing a Molotov cocktail at the front door of the house of worship and fleeing. The bottle broke but didn't cause any damage to the building. Police say the incident is being investigated and patrols of synagogues in the area increased as a result of the attack.

[03:35:07]

In the coming hour, students attending Richneck Elementary School in Virginia will be back in classes for the first time since a 6-year-old allegedly shot a teacher more than three weeks ago. A new administrator on assignment at the school told parents in an e-mail to expect a police presence.

She was given the position after the school's principal was assigned to another post in district. The school has promised other updates to safety protocols, but many parents say they're too little too late. And legal experts say the school has opened itself up for possible lawsuits.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MISTY MARNS, LEGAL ANALYST AND DEFENSE ATTORNEY: In this day and age, every school has safety protocols trainings, active shooter training, why weren't protocols followed in this particular case. And from liability perspective, there could be significant civil liability against the school. There are additional legal hurdles. However, in case of gross negligence, meaning the school failed to act, they did not do their due diligence, they're absolutely could be civil liability in this case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Teacher Abby Zwerner is still recovering after being released from hospital. Her attorney claims administrators were told three different times that a child had a gun on campus, but no action was taken.

In Oregon, a man suspected of kidnapping and beating a woman unconscious is still on the run. Police say they continue to follow leads and are confident they will find Benjamin Foster with the help of the public. But they warn he may try to change his appearance to evade capture. Over the weekend, they also said he could be using dating apps either to lure unsuspecting people into helping him escape or to find new victims. Foster faces charges of attempted murder, kidnapping and assault.

University of Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett was arrested in Dallas, Texas Sunday for alleged public intoxication. According to the Dallas Police Department, Bennett was taken into custody, transported to the city detention center and charged.

CNN affiliate, WFAA, reported he was released from the detention center a few hours later. It's unclear if he has an attorney at this time. Bennett led the Georgia Bulldogs to a second consecutive national championship earlier this month.

Well, after record rainfall and severe flooding, more heavy rain is coming in Northern New Zealand. Details when we come back.

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[03:40:00]

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CHURCH: Parts of northern New Zealand including Auckland getting hit with more heavy rainfall today, that's on top of the severe rain storms and extensive flooding battered the region since Friday, leaving at least four people dead. Officials don't expect the storm to be as intense, but the impact will still be widespread because the ground is already saturated. Here's one residence impacted by flooding and landslides.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE HARDING, TAURANGA RESIDENT IMPACTED BY LANDSLIDE: Before the tornado, just a huge, huge crash and that's all. Looked out the window, I couldn't see anything. I'll just (inaudible) hear the kids screaming out here. So, we got to (inaudible) with it and had a look. It was hard to comprehend what the heck it was to start with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: High alert warnings for more heavy rainfall have been highway-forward Auckland and another round on Tuesday and forecast is expect another round of heavy rain on Tuesday.

An earthquake in Northwestern Iran left at least three people dead and more than 800 injured. This video shows the moment the 5.9 magnitude quake hit near the Turkish board late Saturday. Seventy villages across the region reportedly suffered damages. Emergency officials told state TV some affected areas are also dealing with freezing temperature, snow and power outages.

Brazil is beginning raids to combat deforestation of the Amazon. It's part of a major initiative of the Brazil's new government and President Lula da Silva, who has promised to undo some damage caused under his predecessor's leadership.

CNN's Rafael Romo reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They move slowly through the jungle. Their weapons are cocked and loaded. It doesn't take long becore they find what they're looking for. Illegal logging has been a challenge in Brazil for decades, but it's gotten worse, expert say, during the last four years when President Jair Bolsonaro was in power.

The commander in charge of the unit conducting raid said the previous government only carried about solving emergency situations but lacked strategic planning to combat deforestation.

His team later makes an arrest. In his first speech after taking office on January 1, current President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva said one of his government's goal is to reach zero deforestation in the Amazon, adding that Brazil doesn't need to get rid of trees to remain an agricultural powerhouse.

After a series of massive wildfires in the Amazon in august of 2019, then President Bolsonaro said his government had zero tolerance not only for crime in general but also for environmental issues.

BRIAN WINTER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, AMERICAS QUARTERLY: But that wasn't the case under Bolosnaro during his four years in power. We saw deforestation decrease by 40 percent during that time. And so, the challenge for Lula here is going to be enormous.

ROMO (on-camera): Between 2019 and 2022, the four years he was president, Brazil lost more than 45,000 square kilometers of forest according to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research or INPE. By comparison, when Lula was first empowered between 2002 and 2010, deforestation shrunk by 65 percent.

WINTER: The forest in party scene is desirable by loggers and others because not just of the trees themselves, which of course they can sell, but also because of what happens when the trees go away, principally cattle pasture, soy and other crops.

ROMO (voice-over): Back in Para State, other agents with the Brazilian Environmental Agency destroy an illegal saw mill.

[03:44:57]

Agent Natalia Castro says she's glad there's once again able to act against illegal deforestation and remain committed to the Amazon survival. Protecting is not only vital for Brazil but the world.

According to the World Bank, the Amazon, quote, "hosts 40 percent of world's remaining rainforest."

Rafael Romo, CNN Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Well, vanity license plates re selling for big bucks in Hong Kong with some drivers spending millions for a few letters on a custom tag. We'll check out why they're such a hot item. That's next. And the matchup for this year's Super Bowl is set. We'll have highlights from Sunday's NFL Conference Championship games.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Well, some people say your car says a lot about you. And in some countries, vanity license plates can say more. Those custom tags have gotten to popular in Hong Kong they're being auctioned like fine art and the price tag, well, that can be staggering.

So, let's bring in CNN's Kristie Lu Stout at the latest auction on Sunday. So, Kristie, how much did these plates go for?

[03:50:02]

KRISTIE LY STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): You know, we were kind of expecting more action, Rosemary, and higher bids, you know, at this government auction that took place here in Hong Kong. Elon Musk was up for bids and sold for just over $1,400 U.S. or 11,000 Hong Kong dollars.

But this was just one of a number of personalized license plates that went under the hammer on Sunday at a regular auction that's organized by the Hong Kong Transport Department. And let me tell you, it can be a very hot market. People here have paid anywhere from $640 U.S., which is a starting bid price, to over $3 million U.S. for a coveted plate.

(voice-over): Stepping into his convert he believe Rolls Royce for a leisurely drive next to his chauffeur, Hong Kong tycoon, Cecil Chao, has the front seat to life of luxury, a palacial home, pricy artworks, and a penchant for car plates.

CECIL CHAO, HONG KONG TYCOON: I have Cecil and Chao.

LU STOUT (voice-over): Here's his Rolls Royce with Cecil and another Rolls with the number 4.

(on-camera): Why the number four? Isn't that unlucky?

CHAO: I was born in China, Shanghai, in Chinese, number 4 is happiness.

LU STOUT (voice-over): Since 2006, over 40,000 personalized vehicle registration marks have been sold at auction by the Hong Kong Transport Department. Car owners can create marks of up to eight characters including spaces with prices starting around $640 U.S.

(on-camera): It's a hot market. Owners has spent millions for a coveted plate. In 2021, one person spent more than $3 million U.S. for a plate with a single letter, W.

(voice-over): The phenomenon has sparked social media accounts where hunters share finds online. On Twitter using the handle and hashtag HK#plates, spotted in the wild, a yellow Lamborghini with SIN, a black BMW with DARKSIDE, and a white Porsche with CNN. There's also this -- (MUSIC PLAYING)

The rap is part of the Hong Kong Vanities Project, an online platform that collects photos of personalized plates and invites users to stream them together into poetry like TGIF by Tony (ph), TGIF time out, Lift of Love, City Life.

Hong Kong Vanities creator, Michele Salati, says he has gathered about 2,500 images for his platform.

MICHELLE SALATI, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, HKVANIT1ES: These vanity plates are used by the owners to highlight their status, wealth, humor, desires, many things, superstition, or even their favorite food. To me, like each plate, is like a line of poetry, you know, like racing from the street of a city, kind of a poetry motion.

LU STOUT (voice-over): A creative outlet for some and for this wealthy property developer --

CHAO: My philosophy over life is you come to this world for only one aim, to be happy.

LU STOUT (voice-over): Happiness came at a good price for Chao. In 2007, he bought Cecil for just over $2,500.

(on camera): Now, as for the new owner of the ELONMUSK registration mark and the make of their car, that is unknown but vanity plate hunters here in Hong Kong hope to soon see it on the streets of the city along with these other choice finds. You got the yellow -- you got the yellow Porsche with BANANAS. You got my personal favorite, the white Prius with MACHO, and a red Tesla with GINGER.

There's a CNN in town. CNN, in fact, sold at auction back in 2015 for 32,000 Hong Kong dollars or just over $4,000 USD. Now, transportation department spokesperson, it confirmed with CNN that all revenues go straight to the Hong Kong government's treasury.

Back to you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Wow. A lot of money for a tag.

LU STOUT: Yeah.

CHURCH: Kristie Lu Sout in Hong Kong, many thanks for that report. I appreciate it.

Well, the teams are set for Super Bowl 57 after Sunday's conference title games in the NFL. The Kansas City Chiefs won a nail biter over the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20 for the AFC Championship, a late field goal with just seconds to go sealed the victory. The Chiefs are headed to the third Super Bowl in the past four seasons. Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes spoke to reporters after the game.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK MAHOMES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS QUARTERBACK: Whenever you thought you're the underdog when you're playing at Arrowhead Stadium, it gets guys ready to go.

UNKNOWN: (Inaudible).

MAHOMES: Yeah. I mean, you got (inaudible). I mean, they beat us last time. They're talking about it. We got to play them. There was a lot of stuff. I mean, the mayor came at me, man. I mean, you got to understand he's the mayor of Cincinnati. He has to think about something. But I mean, it's something that you just got to play the football game and let your play do the talking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:54:58]

CHURCH: And the Philadelphia Eagles headed to their first Super Bowl since 2018 after easily beating the San Francisco 49ers, 31-7, in the NFC Championship. The Eagles did most of their damage on the ground 148 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JALEN HURTS, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES QUARTERBACK: We put a lot f work in to have this opportunity, you know, put a lot of work in to have this opportunity and to be here, and it's a moment we want to enjoy as a team, reflecting on everything that we've been able to overcome to have this opportunity in front of us, we want to take advantage of it. You know, we want to take advantage of it. The atmosphere tonight was amazing. The fans showed up, the energy, all of it. So, you had to bring that AZ (ph).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And those Eagles fans wasted no time celebrating flooding the streets after game. The city announced street closures and vehicle restrictions in the city center because of those celebrations.

And tennis great Novak Djokovic is back on top of the world rankings. It comes after the Serbian claimed his 10th Australian Open title and his 22nd grand slam, which ties the record with Raphael Nadal. Djokovic was emotional after Sunday's final match while speaking to the crowd.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NOVAK DJOKOVIC, 2023 AUSTRALIAN OPEN MEN'S SINGLES CHAMPION: I just have to say this because only the team and the family knows what we've been through in the last four, five weeks, and this probably is the, I would say, biggest victory of my life considering the circumstances.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And that victory comes one year after Djokovic was departed from Australia over his COVID vaccination status, making him unable to compete in the open.

And thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "CNN Newsroom" continues with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo, next.

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