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CNN International: U.S. Shootdown Unidentified Object over Michigan; Heavy Fighting in Eastern Ukraine; Valentine's Day Spending Expected to Hit Nearly $26 billion. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired February 13, 2023 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Bianca Nobilo.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Max Foster. If you're just joining us, let me bring you up to date with the top stories this hour.

The death toll in the Turkey/Syria earthquake has now surpassed 36,000. Rescue efforts are still ongoing in Turkey, while much needed aid arrives in Syria.

And a winter storm will hit at least 11 U.S. states this week, bringing brutally cold temperatures, snow and ice.

NOBILO: And there's been yet another shootdown of an unidentified object flying in U.S. airspace. CNN's Arlette Saenz filed this report from the White House on what we know and are still waiting to hear.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: For the third time in many as many days President Biden ordered the takedown of an unidentified object in North American airspace. The latest shootdown happened on Sunday afternoon. There was an object seen flying at about 20,000 feet over Michigan's upper peninsula and nearing Lake Huron. It was then that officials say an F-16 fighter jet shot it down.

Now officials have described this object as being octagonal in shape with strings attached to it but no discernible payload. And officials have also said that it connected to some radar contact that was found in Montana on Saturday evening. Initially fighter jets were sent up into the skies in Montana on Saturday to try to track down a possible object. They did not find anything, and that led NORAD and NORCOM to believe that it was a radar anomaly.

But then on Sunday they reacquired that radar contact and did find this unidentified object flying over Wisconsin and then Michigan. Ultimately, there was concern because of the height that this object was flying at, 20,000 feet, which could pose some threat to civilian aircraft. There was also concern about the path that it was taking. So the military leaders recommended to President Biden, that he shoot it down, and he ultimately issued that order. Now, this is just the latest in a string of puzzling events of aerial

craft being seen in the skies above the United States. Starting with that prospective Chinese spy balloon that was shot off the coast of South Carolina just nine days ago. And still so many questions about these other objects that were shot down, one off the Alaskan coast on Friday and then another shot off in the Yukon in Canada on Saturday.

Now officials have been very careful and cautious about how they are trying to describe some of these objects.

[04:35:00]

They say that they are still awaiting for more information. And some of the big questions facing this administration is exactly the size of these items. Also, the origin and what their purposes are. All of these questions, they are hoping to get some answers to, as these recovery operations are all under way.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Now the airborne objects also pose a threat to civilian aircraft. CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo says vital safety equipment is at risk until we know more about these objects.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SCHIAVO, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: It's clearly a hazard to aviation as well. These objects are flying at -- floating at 40,000 to 60,000 feet. U.S. commercial and other aircraft, private aircraft, and military aircraft can operate at those levels. It's close to the ceiling of commercial aircraft, of course, how high the plane can fly.

The pilots they have gone up to check the objects out have said in some cases, their communications were interrupted. They said they've been difficult to see. They don't put out the usual signals to identify themselves which would allow transponders and most importantly collision avoidance equipment to work. And then, of course, every time one is spotted, aviation has to be moved away. There has to be a restricted zone and the military flights have to come out. So, it's obvious this is a hazard to aviation.

And even if we weren't concerned about military implications, it's the operations are illegal under the federal aviation regulations, so we have to take them out. At this point, this is a hazard not only, you know, in terms of our national defense, but in terms of our civilian aviation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: We've got more from CNN's Beijing bureau chief Steven Jiang now, because we've also got statements from the Chinese about possible incursions into their airspace.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: That's right, Max, but the latest from China here is they seem to be trying to turn the tables on the U.S. and accuses the U.S. being the biggest spying empire, pointing to some long-held grievances against what they describe as hundreds of closed in reconnaissance missions targeting China.

But they also revealed one interesting detail a short while ago with a foreign ministry official saying since January 2022, the U.S. has flown more than ten high altitude balloons over Chinese air space without authorization. And according to this official, the Chinese handled these situation in a professional and responsible manner. So, it seems to be their way of suggesting this kind of occurrences was fairly common in the past involving both sides and it was the U.S. deciding to blow this out of proportion due to domestic and geopolitical considerations this time. That is the real danger here.

But the Chinese did refuse to comment on the latest developments from the U.S. over U.S. and Canadian airspace over the weekend. They did -- not surprisingly -- condemned the decision to sanction six Chinese entities involved in country's balloon program. Which of course, according to our own reporting, is part of a sweeping global intelligence gathering operation run by the Chinese state.

But there's one intriguing development, as you mentioned the Chinese also declined to comment, that is on Sunday, state media here quoting local maritime authorities as saying they have spotted a UFO off the coast of eastern China, and preparation was under way to shoot it down.

Given the timing and given the Chinese military's previous threats to take similar actions after the U.S. shot down that confirmed Chinese balloon, as you can imagine the story went viral. But since the U.S. story initially broke out we have not heard much confirmation or updates from Chinese authorities or state media. But all of that silence, of course, fueling even more speculation as well as uncertainty and tension in this bilateral relationship -- Max.

FOSTER: Steven in Beijing, thank you so much we don't know. That's what's creating all the ministry.

Meanwhile, another mystery. Mars Wrigley has been fined for two workers fell into a tank partially filled with chocolate.

NOBILO: It happened in June of last year at the candy factory in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. Officials say that the workers employed by an outside contracting firm fell into the tank while doing maintenance work. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says that the workers weren't authorized to work in the tanks and weren't trained on safety procedures. Rescue for disaster, I think. A company representative says that the safety of workers and contractors is of course a top priority.

FOSTER: We should note they're OK.

NOBILO: Well, to we know that for sure.

FOSTER: I think we do.

NOBILO: Yes, they were all rescued which is a complete sigh of relief.

FOSTER: It was only partially filled with chocolate to make that point really.

NOBILO: Yes.

FOSTER: An annual ice fishing tournament in Vermont has been cancelled after three fishermen died after falling through the ice according to organizes.

NOBILO: The National Weather Service in Burlington says ice thickness on area lakes and ponds has been variable due to well above normal temperatures in the region. And if it hadn't been for the cold front that hit the Northeast earlier this month, there would likely be little ice on the lake at all.

[04:40:00]

FOSTER: Still to come, heavy fighting rages in eastern Ukraine as Kyiv urges allies to ramp up their support and provide fighter jets. We'll have the latest in developments, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: We're following developments out of Ukraine where the Wagner mercenary group is claiming to have captured a small village north of Bakhmut as fierce fighting rages on, on the front lines in the east.

NOBILO: The Ukrainian military says nearly two dozen Russian rocket attacks were carried out in a 24-hour period had narrowly focused on the Donetsk region. Ukraine's military also says that Russia has set records hitting Ukraine's east with artillery fire.

CNN's Scott McLean is following developments and joins us in London now with the latest. Scott, the head of the Wagner mercenary group Prigozhin has been talking about how essential it is for the Russians to capture Bakhmut if they want to have -- I think he said -- an easier time basically capturing the rest of the east. What are we hearing about the progress they're making?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's pretty remarkable considering that Bakhmut is a town that surely very few people outside of Ukraine would have even heard of before the war. Now it has this really outsized importance and its that way for a few reasons. A, it's been really a brick wall for the Russians for months and months who have been trying to capture it. And part of the reason that they've had such difficulty is because it was extremely well fortified both naturally and militarily. And so, the Russians have exhausted a huge number of people, huge number of equipment, actually trying to take it with really no luck.

And so, as of late, their strategy instead has been to go around it, to try to surround it. And there are some indications that they're having -- making progress. The Ukrainian military says there have been fierce battles in towns to the north of Bakhmut, and also to the west of Bakhmut as well which is concerning. The Ukrainians also acknowledge that, look, their access in and out has been sporadic as of late, has been difficult, because many of the maim routes have been cut off.

[04:45:00]

And now this this morning, we're learning that the Wagner private military contractor claims to have captured this town called Krasna Hora, which is just north of Bakhmut. In fact, they posted a picture with their fighters standing at the southwest corner of the town. And so, all of this paints a picture that is not good for the Ukrainians. Despite the fact that Ukraine says, but look, it's not the Russians there are wearing down the Ukrainian troops and the Ukrainian resolve. They say that it's actually the opposite, that the Ukrainians are rushing down the Russian ability to launch a major attack.

But this is a pretty optimistic view of the situation that clearly is very difficult for the Ukrainians. And of course, we've seen this movie before with several towns in that area where, you know, the Russians don't make one huge fell swoop breakthroughs, but it's just sort of this slow grinding move forward and that seems to be what we're seeing now there today.

NOBILO: Scott McLean, thank you.

Israel has retroactively approved nine Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank with Benjamin Netanyahu government saying it's in response to recent terror attacks in Jerusalem. The government also announced the construction of new homes within existing settlements.

FOSTER: Since capturing West Bank in the 1967 war, Israel has established more than 130 settlements on land the Palestinians still claim as their own. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is condemning Sunday's move.

NOBILO: Meanwhile, an Israeli raid in the West Bank has left a Palestinian teenager dead. It happened Sunday in the city of Jenin.

FOSTER: Israeli authorities say they were targeting a man accused of terrorist activity against security forces and he's now in custody. As for the teenager, Israeli officials say their forces came under fire during the raid and returned fire. And that a number of armed individuals were also injured.

Now coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, U.S. economists brace for a new spending report on Tuesday, but what will it say about inflation? We'll have the details.

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: U.S. investors really holding their breath going this week with January's Consumer Price Index set for release on Tuesday, especially as prices increased in December, instead of falling like many economists had predicted. Let's take a look at how U.S. futures are faring. In the leadup to that report, you can tell, pretty mixed at the moment.

Not even Valentine's Day is safe from inflation in the U.S. A survey says that consumers are expected to spend nearly $200 apiece for their special someone this year. Pays to be single. The National Retail Federation says that's an increase of nearly $20 from last year. CNN's Mike Valerio has more on the holiday spending from Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT Well, right now, we're in the center of the California flower market, in the heart of the flower district. The largest flower district in the United States. If you look at everything we have right here, you know, really the theme of our reporting is that demand is still so high. Even though we have all of these inflationary pressures, just look at the activity that we have right here. All of these beautiful roses for Valentine's Day.

You know there is, perhaps, a record that could be approached with Valentine's Day sales with all of these roses, the perfusion of flowers for this year. If you take a look at the graphic that we prepared for you, last year spending was just under $24 billion. But this year, spending is probably going to approach, according to the National Retail Federation, just south of $26 billion. So, demand and inflation certainly fueling that projected rise. But we spoke with the CEO of the flower market, just before we came on the air here. Listen to what he told us about what goes into the prices of all of these flowers, watch.

MARK CHATOFF, PRESIDENT AND CEO, CALIFORNIA FLOWER MALL: There are many factors. You have cost of labor, cost of transportation, cost of supplies and general cost of fuel. All of those factors boil into, you know, the actual delivery of the rose product, the flower product. Whether it's here at the market side and the wholesale side, or ultimately into the end to the consumer side. You're going to see all of those numbers baked into the actual cost.

VALERIO: So, an example of perhaps the most expensive thing you can get here at the flower mall, 200 roses, $400. And again, even though inflation is relatively high. People here, vendors say that the demand is also expected to keep up and be high well into Valentine's Day.

Mike Valerio, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Now this is a controversial line, but everyone knows football isn't really about the big reason for the Super Bowl. Although it is for a lot of people.

NOBILO: Yes.

FOSTER: Some people are interested in just the ads. And here are the fewest favorites from this Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN AFFLECK. ACTOR: And then you want to take a self-portrait.

JENNIFER LOPEZ, ACTOR: What are you doing here? Is this what you do when you say you're going to work all day?

AFFLECK: I got to go, guys.

LOPEZ: Grab me a glazed!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: The story of his life at the moment isn't it. Being told off by his wife. That's Ben Affleck and his wife Jennifer Lopez starring in this 30-second coffee ad that shows Affleck working with Dunkin' Donuts in a playful and a playful note to his love affair with the coffee chain. The actor says he has long been associated with the place and finally decided to do a commercial about it.

NOBILO: A pet food company which specialize in fresh dog food aired its first ever Super Bowl commercial last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE SINGING: I'm going to love you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You going to be a good boy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: That heartwarming promise to that beautiful pup is from the Farmers Dog forever ad campaign. The company's co-founder says he hopes football viewers are encouraged to make healthy changes to give their dog a longer, happier live.

FOSTER: That's when a moment, ah. Now did you wish that you could take a perfect picture and remove unwanted people or objects in the background?

NOBILO: Most of the ones we have taken together.

Yes, that's not a good answer here. Google claims you can do it now. So, that may happen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wait, I can erase my exes?

I don't even remember this guy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got it, remember that dunk in the third quarter?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What dunk?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[04:55:00] FOSTER: Bianca is already ordering it. Her Google Pixel 7 phone has got a magic eraser feature that lets you remove undesired elements from the photo and even fix its focus. How do you do that?

The ad for the Super Bowl commercial break featured A listers like Amy Schumer and Doja Cat.

NOBILO: Many new movie trailers also debuted during the game. The latest trailer for "Guardians of the Galaxy" volume 3 has already racked up millions of viewers in just a few hours.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you ready for one last ride?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll all fly away together into the forever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: The third film in the franchise comes six years after Volume 2 and serves as the end of this version for the quirky superhero team. The movie hits theaters on May the 5th.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're -- you are --

MICHAEL KEATON, ACTOR: Yes. I'm batman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: He is. Michael Keaton returning as the caped crusader for the first time since 1992 as part of an upcoming DC superhero film, "The Flash." The new trailer premiered during Sunday's Super Bowl of course. The film also stars Ezra Miller as the title character. "The Flash" hits theaters on June 16th. CNN in DC are both part of the same pair company which is Warner Bros. Discovery.

Thanks for joining us here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster.

NOBILO: And I'm Bianca Nobilo. "EARLY START" up next right here on CNN. And we well see you tomorrow.

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