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Pentagon Tracking Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon Over U.S.; Air Raids Sirens Sound in Kyiv Ahead of EU Summit; Millions of Americans Face Wind Chill Warnings and Arctic Blast in Northeast; Ilhan Omar Booted From Foreign Affairs Committee. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired February 03, 2023 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Bianca Nobilo live from London. Max Foster has the day off today. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: For several days now the U.S. has been tracking this surveillance balloon over northern U.S., specifically over Montana.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we're likely to encounter over the next 36 to 48 hours is going to be really unprecedented.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are dangerous temperatures. Again, if you don't need to be out in the temperatures, stay inside.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The resolution is adopted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: House Republicans in one of the first moves in power, ousting Democrat Ilhan Omar from the seat on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

NOBILO: It is Friday, February 3, 9:00 a.m. here in London, 2:00 a.m. in Montana. Where a mysterious flying object has been spotted and is being monitored.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is the moon. And then what is that? What planet is that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: It is not a planet, but a suspected Chinese spy balloon, the size of three buses that is flying over the northern U.S. U.S. military is being aware of it for days and there has been debate over whether to shoot it down. The Pentagon has decided against that for now, but we're told while the flight path does not bring it near sensitive sites, it is not considered a major risk. But its presence did cause authorities to ground flight in Billings in the state capital Helena for about two hours on Wednesday. The timing is perplexing. Antony Blinken is on the verge of visiting China for the first time since becoming Secretary of State. And the two super powers have a stack of tricky issues to tackle already. CNN's Oren Liebermann has the latest on the balloon from the Pentagon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: For several days now the U.S. has been tracking this surveillance balloon over northern U.S., specifically over Montana. The U.S. says that they believe, they are confident in fact, that it is from China. A balloon that drifted in or came in over Canada and has been over sensitive sites the Pentagon admits over Montana. Now they haven't specified what those sites are, but Montana is home to several ballistic missile fields, ballistic missile silos and perhaps that's what this surveillance balloon was going after.

The Pentagon says when this first came over and they started watching it, they did launch F-22 fighter jets. In the end the decision was made not to shoot it this down. President Joe Biden asked for military options for the possibility of what it would take to shoot this down. In the end senior military leaders, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, top U.S. officer, recommended against shooting it down for a number of reasons.

First, there is a risk to what's on the ground. Facilities and people there on the ground, even if it is Montana and isn't densely populated. More importantly though, the Pentagon says they don't believe this has intelligence gathering capabilities, with satellite communications above what Chinese spy satellites already have.

In the end the decision was made not to shoot it down, but the Pentagon emphasized that should they determine this is a high risk, they do retain that option of carrying out a military option against this of essentially shooting this surveillance balloon down.

The Pentagon will keep watching this. It's important to note that the Pentagon did bring this up through diplomatic channels both in Washington and in Beijing and it comes at a time of incredibly high tensions with China.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, at the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Not long ago China spoke out about the balloon situation for the first time. CNN's Steven Jiang is covering this live from Beijing. Steven what has China had to say about this indiscreet inflatable?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Bianca, I just returned from the Chinese foreign ministry's daily briefing a short while ago. Where I asked the spokeswoman several questions about this alleged Chinese spy balloon. Interestingly she did not reject the Pentagon officials remarks out right, instead she gave a rather vague response.

[04:05:00]

Saying, quote, we are aware of reports of the balloon and are trying to understand the circumstances and verify the details of the situation. I'd like to stress that before it becomes clear what happened, any deliberate speculation or hyping up would not help the handling of the matter. China is a responsible country, we act in accordance with international law. We have no intention of violating other country's air space. We hope relevant parties would handle the matter in a cool handed way.

So this rather muted response in a way gives some credence to this analysis by some American experts that the revelation was actually deliberate on part of some of the U.S. officials ahead of the Blinken visit to put the Chinese on the back foot. To allow the secretary to raise this issue, to address this issue with them more directly. To tell them what the U.S. knows and what they would like to see Chinese do.

But of course the timing is what makes highly delicate and potentially highly consequential, because this is a time when both sides, at least publicly, are saying that they are trying to reset, trying to stabilize this increasingly contentious relationship. And even without the balloon news expectations already very low in terms of concrete results out of the visit. But now of course it just adds more complication and uncertainty on highly anticipated visit -- Bianca.

NOBILO: Steven Jiang, thank you.

We have this just in from Ukraine. Air raid sirens sounding in the capital city of Kyiv just ahead of an EU summit. The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is leading a dell indication set to talk about Ukraine's bid to join the European Union. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is asking EU members to tighten sanctions against Russia too.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Now the pace of sanctions has somehow slowed down in Europe. And the terrorist state on the contrary, is adopting to the sanctions. We need to catch up, we need to correct this.

URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: Today Russia is paying a heavy price as our sanctions are eroding its economy, throwing it back by a generation. The price cap on crude oil already cost Russia around 160 million euros a day. And we will keep on turning up the pressure further.

(END VIDEOTAPE) NOBILO: Associates tell CNN that the U.S. will be sending longer range missiles to Ukraine as part of a soon to be announced military aid package. The ground launched small diameter bomb, a guided missile with a range of 90 miles will be part of a new $2.2 billion security package. The bombs will effectively double the range of Ukrainian weaponry but the package won't include even longer range missiles that Ukraine has expressed a desire for. Now sources say that the details could be announced as soon as today.

And with more on the air raid sirens in Kyiv and this military aid package that's coming down the pipeline, CNN's Scott McLean is here joining us. Scott, have we seen this before, that Russia might be launching air attacks when prominent world leaders or EU summits are happening in the country?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it has definitely happened before. The one that immediately comes to mind is when Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin , the American Defense Secretary was in Kyiv last year. One of his first visits if I remember correctly to the country, that there were a series of missile strikes I think just before or just after his visit. And so this is not uncommon for Russia to try to send a clear message.

A bit of context though around these air raids sirens is that they may or may not be significant. It doesn't always necessarily mean that there is incoming, obviously the air raid sirens cover huge swathes of the country. And so, even if it was incoming, it wouldn't necessarily hit Kyiv and sometimes they could also be triggered by say fighter jets taking off and Belarus near the border. And so, this could easily be a false alarm. But perhaps also meant to send a message. We don't know.

NOBILO: And on that subject to sending a message, relatedly we've been hearing ramped up rhetoric from Vladimir Putin in response to the West pledging more military aid to Ukraine to fight off Russia. And we're now hearing that the U.S. will be including longer range missiles in their new defense package that they are providing to Ukraine. What impact will that have for Ukraine's defense on the ground? Are we likely to see some form of retaliation from Russia?

MCLEAN: Yes, I mean that is certainly an open question and you say long range, it's certainly longer range, but definitely not the kind of long range that the Ukrainians are actually looking for. This is part of a new package worth some $2.2 billion, does not include fighter jets, does not include these long range missiles.

But yesterday the Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov tried to make his case for getting these kind of weapons to -- in a meeting with the European Commission, trying to head off concerns about them being used to strike Russian territories.

Saying, quote: If we had the opportunity to strike at a range of 200 miles, the Russian army would be able to maintain defenses and would be forced to lose. Ukraine is ready to provide any guarantees that your weapons will not be involved in attacks on Russian territory.

[04:10:00]

But of course as we know, Bianca, there have been plenty of mysterious explosion strikes on Russia itself. But this point, the Ukrainians have not at least officially taken responsibility for any of those.

So this package includes a heck of a lot. One of the things is these missiles that you mentioned, they are called ground launch small diameter bombs. They are guided missiles. They have wings on them. They have little engines inside which allow them to fly 90 miles. And they also work with the HIMARS portable artillery system that the Ukrainians already have which means they're easy to get on the ground as soon as they get them. There's no need to train on an entirely new system. Doubles the range of that HIMARS system but it's still half the range of what the Ukrainians are actually looking to get. Obviously, it doesn't include fighter jets as well.

But Ukraine it get a small boost on that topic yesterday from the Polish Prime Minister who says that obviously his country will go along with whatever NATO allies decide. But he said that if he were deciding unilaterally that Ukraine would get those kind of weapons. This is significant because remember, just a month ago, nobody was willing to send tanks until Poland decided it would send tanks and very quickly everyone followed suit.

NOBILO: Exactly, and we keep seeing this bolder approach from the eastern flank of NATO countries. Understandably Poland and the Baltics that are right on Russia's doorsteps. So we can understand why they would be more keen to try and have more robust defense approach. Scott McLean, thank you so much for joining us.

The northeast U.S. will soon be feeling the coldest temperatures in decades as dangerous windchills, some as low as 50 degrees below zero, are expected to hit the region in the coming day. And as the Arctic blast moves down from Canada across to the eastern seaboard, officials are urging residents to check on neighbors and friends during the cold snap.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL RAVELIN, VERMONT STATE POLICE PATROL: These are dangerous temperatures. Again, if you don't need to be out in these temperatures, stay inside. We'll have troopers from barracks traveling the length of the Interstate both Interstate 89 and 91 throughout the entirety of the night to ensure that if there is any stranded motorists, they will be rendered aid as quickly as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: People are also being advised to limit their time outdoors as the frigid blast can cause frostbite in just minutes. Millions are underwent show warnings and advisories covering all of new England, most of New York state and parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Fortunately the deep-freeze will only linger for about 36 hours. Here is more from the governor of New Hampshire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHRIS SUNUNU, GOVERNOR OF NEW HAMPSHIRE: What we're likely to encounter over the next 36 to 48 hours is going to be really unprecedented. This is going to be a cold weather crisis from Seabrook to Colebrook.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: And take a look at this brutal snow squall in New York state. This was about 150 miles northeast of Buffalo on Thursday.

And speaking of New York, officials say New York City could set a record low in the single digits. CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam has more.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's right Bianca, the coldest air in the entire northern hemisphere is funneling across the Great Lakes, Canada and it's got is I sat on northern New England. So cold that the Boston mayor declaring a cold emergency. The animals at the Zoological Society in Utica, New York are being brought in-doors to protect them from the cold and schools are closing across the board -- New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine into Massachusetts as well Rhode Island. And it's all thanks to this cold front right here.

And we read some of the discussions coming out of the National Weather Service offices here and coming out of Caribou, Maine. They're using wording like epic generational event that's going to rival some of their coldest air they have ever experienced, back in '82 and 1988 as well.

And as meteorologists, we always like to look for the extremes during some of these Arctic outbreaks. And on top of Mount Washington, highest peak in New Hampshire, wind gusts could exceed category 4 Atlantic hurricane strength and that it's going to plummet our windchill values to get this, below -100 degrees Fahrenheit. That's mind boggling, right.

We have over 50 million Americans under windchill alerts across the Great Lakes and Northeast. Look at these wind forecasts. That is what's causing that windchill alert to be issued especially when you factor in how this will feel on your exposed skin as you step outside. Just incredible numbers. Caribou, Maine at -51 by Saturday morning. That's a fine how do you do as you wake up on Saturday morning. You'll want to get your warmest winter coat and then find another winter coat and layer it on top of that, right.

Well, the good news out of all of this is that the Arctic blast will be short lived. And if you just look at the extended forecast through the weekend, quite a temperature recovery as we head from Saturday into Sunday. Look at Montreal as well as Boston and New York City, we are talking a good 20 to 30 degrees warmer by the end of the weekend. Bianca, back to you.

[04:15:04]

NOBILO: On Capitol Hill, Republicans are being accused of political revenge after Democrat Ilhan Omar was formally booted off the Foreign Affairs Committee. Those details coming up just ahead.

Plus, House Republicans and the White House get down to brass tacks to raise the debt ceiling. We'll hear what Kevin McCarthy had to say after his first meeting with the president since becoming House Speaker.

And also ahead, possible new charges in the police beating death of Tyre Nichols.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NOBILO: U.S. House Democrats are accruing the Republican majority of political revenge after the GOP blocked Omar Ilhan from powerful Foreign Affairs Committee. CNN's Manu Raju has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REP. ILHAN OMAR (D-MN): -- like I was.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): House Republicans, in one of their first moves in power, ousting Democrat Ilhan Omar from a seat on the Foreign Affairs Committee over past remarks condemned as antisemitic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She has brought dishonor to the House of Representatives.

[04:20:00]

RAJU (voice-over): By a 218 to 211 vote, a response to 2021, when Democrats booted Republicans Paul Gosar and Marjorie Taylor Greene from all of their committees over their rhetoric.

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): Thank you all for coming.

RAJU (voice-over): But Speaker Kevin McCarthy claims this is different, since Omar can serve on other committees, just not Foreign Affairs.

RAJU: Is this the message you want to send to voters as you come into power here?

MCCARTHY: No, and that's the clear part, how it's not tit-for-tat. We're not removing her from other committees. We just do not believe, when it comes to foreign affairs, especially the responsibility of that position around the world with the comments that you make.

RAJU (voice-over): Then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi set the precedent in 2021 but told CNN at the time she was not concerned the GOP might retaliate.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): We would not walk away from our responsibilities for fear of something they may do in the future.

RAJU (voice-over): Now Democrats say the vote was an act of pure political vengeance. REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): But what's going to take place on the floor today is not a public policy debate. It's not about accountability. It's about political revenge.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not justified.

RAJU (voice-over): But Omar has apologized, even signing onto a resolution recognizing Israel as a legitimate U.S. ally. And today, defiant.

OMAR: I am an immigrant, and interestingly, from Africa. Is anyone surprised that I am being targeted?

RAJU (voice-over): Even some Republicans, uneasy about the vote.

REP. TONY GONZALES (R-TX): I'm not excited about the direction that we've -- the direction that we've kind of taken this place is tit-for- tat.

RAJU: How, you know, you feel about this being one of the first major actions of the new Republican majority, to kick Ilhan Omar off the committee?

REP. NANCY MACE (R-SC): Well, certainly, I am concerned, representing a swing district, that we're distracted from the real issues facing Americans who are struggling. Talking about inflation.

RAJU: Now, those last two Republican members did end up voting to kick Omar off of the committee. Nancy Mace, in one, said she had gotten some assurances that, going forward, there will be a different process for removing committees -- members off of committees for bad behavior, for conduct that looks dishonorably among the House.

Kevin McCarthy did indicate that that would be his plan also going forward. He plans to have talks with the Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries about this issue as the Republicans appear eager to put this behind them amid concerns within the ranks.

Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a fiery speech on the House floor after the vote. She also spoke with CNN's John Berman and said she thought Republicans were motivated by the trivial desire to get even with Democrats.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): I think this was about revenge. This was about petty politics. But also, I think it's also important to state that this was not just about Republicans trying to feed a base that they have already primed for years under Donald Trump with racism, misogyny, xenophobia, Islamophobia, but also it represents a stripping of an important perspective on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, that Ilhan Omar as a refugee, as an immigrant, as the only Hijabi woman in the United States Congress presents. And that perspective is critical in terms of American foreign policy.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So you brought up race and religion. I want to play a little more of what you said on that front. Let's listen.

OCASIO-CORTEZ: As a fellow New Yorker, I think one of the things that we should talk about here is also one of the disgusting legacies after 9/11 has been the targeting and racism against Muslim Americans throughout the United States of America. And this is an extension of that legacy, consistency, there is nothing consistent with the Republican Party's continued attack except for the racism and incitement of violence against women of color in this body.

BERMAN: So you're talking about Representative Omar, who is of course, from Somalia, a minority, but Swalwell and Schiff are both white guys. So that's not about race, but this is?

OCASIO-CORTEZ: Well, you know, I think when we look at all three of these, first of all, when you look at Swalwell and Schiff, they're targeting and the Republican Party's targeting of all three of them have always been about campaigning, and it has always been about the perspectives that they bring. It is about political revenge in the case of all three of them.

Political revenge for Adam Schiff for his work on the impeachment of Donald Trump. Political revenge with Eric Swalwell in the incisive -- his incisive ability to communicate against the Trump administration and the wrongdoings of the Republican Party. And in the case of Ilhan Omar, I believe that that hers is absolutely especially amplified with racist targeting because this is what set her base, this is the same Representative that Donald Trump held rallies around saying send her back to "her country." Her country is the United States of America.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:25:00]

NOBILO: Early talks between the White House and Congressional Republicans to raise the national debt limit did not produce any breakthroughs, but House Speaker Kevin McCarthy seen here with President Joe Biden at the National Prayer Breakfast said that he believes a deal will eventually be reached. Following his meeting with the president on Wednesday, McCarthy said Republicans will continue to push for spending cuts as part of any deal. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA) U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: I'm very clear, we will not pass a clean debt ceiling here without some form of spending reform. So there'll never be a clean one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: The U.S. government is unable to borrow more money until Congress raises the debt limit. If that doesn't happen, the impact to the U.S. economy will be severe with global consequences. But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Democrats are united behind the president in raising the debt ceiling without any strings attached.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY) U.S. SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: I've spoken to the president both before and his staff after the meeting. He had the same position Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, the House Democratic caucus, the Senate Democratic caucus and the president have the exact same position. Which is we are to pass the debt ceiling clean, that's where we're at.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Sources tell CNN that the home and office of former Vice President Mike Pence will soon be searched by the FBI for more misplaced classified materials. No time frame for the search was announced, but representatives for Pence say they intend to cooperate fully. About a dozen classified documents were found at Pence's home last month. Those materials are said to be at the low end of the classification spectrum. As more and more sensitive materials are discovered where they shouldn't be, the National Archives has formally requested that former presidents and vice presidents check their personal records again for any errant documents that they might find in their possession.

The Department of Justice is indicating it will appeal the latest court ruling on guns in America. On Thursday a federal appeals court ruled the law that bans people who had domestic violence restraining orders against them from possessing firearms is unconstitutional. The reason the judges said the ban would not have been accepted by the framers of the U.S. Constitution. But Attorney General Merrick Garland says that the ban has been in the books for more than 30 years. The department did not indicate if it would ask the entire appeals court to reconsider or if it would go straight to the Supreme Court.

More charges could be in the works in the beating death of Tyre Nichols. We'll have the latest on possible next stems by prosecutors.

And still ahead, calls for justice after a double amputee is shot and killed by police in California. Coming up, why officers say that they were forced to fire.