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CNN International: Severe Weather Alerts Threaten Holiday Celebrations; 2 Dead, 28 Injured in Baltimore Block Party Shooting; Israel Forces Launch Lethal Strike on West Bank's Jenin; Macron Meets with Top Officials, Pushes to Restore Calm; Yellen to Visit Beijing in Effort to Mend Relations; U.S. President Joe Biden to Travel to Europe; Russia: 700K Ukrainian Children Removed from War Zone. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired July 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 am Bianca Nobilo, and I'm back.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back.
NOBILO: Did you miss me?
FOSTER: Yes, of course. I'm Max Foster, joining you live from London, just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The threats themselves remain the same, still talking damaging winds and hail to be the main threat.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Super busy, super packed, tensions are high.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I knew that I was going to be -- there is going to be long lines.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want everyone to come forward and say. Treat this as if it was your daughter, your son, your brother, your cousin, that was out here shot at this event.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is insanity. This cannot, cannot be the society that were expected to live in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To remove the safe haven mentality that Jenin had in the minds of militants. A very extensive operation, much bigger than the ones we've seen in the past, that is still ongoing.
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ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo. FOSTER: It is Monday, July the 3rd, 9:00 a.m. here in London, 4:00
a.m. on the U.S. East Coast, where millions of Americans are under severe weather threats heading into the Independent Day holiday.
NOBILO: From Mississippi to Massachusetts, extreme rainfall, hail, and even tornadoes are possibilities, as storms churn across the country. This video, out of Chicago, shows flooding throughout the city on Sunday after record rainfall. The weather is creating a travel nightmare for those waiting to spend the holiday away from home.
FOSTER: Almost 400 flights have been either been delayed or canceled in the U.S. so far today, according to FlightAware, after about 8,000 on Sunday.
But AAA estimates more than 50 million people are still set to travel for the holiday. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says it's another sign that the travel industry is returning to normal.
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PETE BUTTIGIEG, U.S. SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION: Things look like they have quickly returned to normal for the system, and United also appears to have recovered. But you look at where we were a year ago, were even on blue sky days with no severe weather, they're really unacceptable levels of cancellation in place. We've come a long way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Now, more than 30 million Americans are under heat warnings as well. CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar tells us how hot it could get across the U.S.
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Another concern going forward is actually going to be the heat, not just for today, but really over the next several days. Into different areas of the country, one across the southeast, where we've got heat advisories in effect, and some excessive heat warnings up to the west.
This is where temperatures could exceed the 110s or even possibly get into the 120s, especially across Death Valley. Temperatures here are expected to continue to rise into Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, even stretching as far north as Oregon and Washington, where we do have the potential to break some records. In fact, over 30 cities have the potential to break some records well into Tuesday and Wednesday of the upcoming week as well.
NOBILO: Tragically, gun violence is once again overshadowing another holiday weekend in the United States. Police in Baltimore are investigating a mass shooting that erupted Saturday night at a block party. At least two people were killed, 28 others are wounded.
FOSTER: Most of the victims were teenagers, some as young as 13. Police believe there were multiple shooters. Local officials are asking the community in help in finding those responsible.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) COMMISSIONER RICHARD WORLEY, BALTIMORE POLICE DEPARTMENT: Detectives, federal partners, are still looking for evidence, and will continue to look for evidence until we find everything that we need to prosecute and arrest these individuals.
NICK MOSBY, BALTIMORE CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT: The folks who have information, come forward, don't just rely on the Baltimore Police Department and our federal partners to solve this crime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Religious leaders gathered Sunday in the Brooklyn Homes neighborhood to pray for the victims and those affected by the violence.
Baltimore's mayor has vowed that the investigation won't end until the responsible parties are found. CNN's Gloria Pazmino has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And we've learned two important details here so far. Police still very much in the early stages of this investigation, but they have confirmed to us that they are looking for more than one shooter. They believe multiple people may have been involved in last night's violence. They have not identified the suspects, and no one is in custody just yet, but we do know that they are looking for multiple people.
[04:05:00]
Now, another important detail. Police tell us 30 people were injured, caught up in the gunfire. Two of them were killed, an 18-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man, and 28 others sustained gunshot injuries. So, you can just imagine the panic that was unfolding here.
Now, we are in the Brooklyn Homes section of Baltimore. And this is a neighborhood that was doing much of what so many communities across the country are doing right now. It is a holiday weekend. People had gathered to celebrate. There was a block party. And there are families and children that had gathered here. Police say it was shortly after midnight that shots rang out, sending everyone into a panic, people running to cover. I spoke to people here today who told me it was absolute chaos as they heard the gunshots and they tried to get to safety.
Now, we heard from the mayor and local law enforcement officials, asking people to come forward if they have any information.
BRANDON SCOTT, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND MAYOR: We are asking again that anyone that knows anything about this mass shooting -- and that's what I wanted to call it, it's a mass shooting. We want this shooting to be treated just as it happened in rural America. We want everyone to come forward and say, treat this as if it's your daughter, your son, your brother, your son, your cousin that was out here shot at this event.
PAZMINO: Mayor Scott also very critical of gun violence in America, saying that this is not just a problem here in Baltimore, but really all across the country. He was critical of access to illegal guns, saying that gun manufacturers are able to bring guns into this community. So, very critical on that front as well.
Law enforcement officials also telling us they are still combing through the video that was gathered from this area. And they have videos that have been posted to social media, which appear to show a person who has a gun inside a bag. So, it sounds like they're starting to piece information that may lead them to the people that were behind this violence here last night.
Reporting in Baltimore, Gloria Pazmino, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Tensions have flared once again in the West Bank as Israel stages what it's calling a counterterrorism operation in Jenin and its adjacent refugee camp.
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(GUNFIRE)
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FOSTER: Gunfire rattled the streets, as Israeli forces carried out their assault and unverified video appeared to show several large explosions.
NOBILO: The Palestinian Health Ministry says at least five people have been killed and 27 others injured, while a sixth Palestine was shot and killed near Ramallah. The Israel Defense Forces say it was striking terrorist infrastructure, including a camp command center that it said militants reusing as a base.
Meantime, Israel is also bracing for another round of protest over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed judicial reforms. In the coming hours, demonstrators are planning to converge on Israel's main airport, near Tel Aviv, but police are warning them to be responsible and not block access to the airport.
FOSTER: The protest comes a day after tens of thousands took to the streets to push back against the bill, which will limit the powers of the Supreme Court.
NOBILO: For the latest on this story, let's go now to CNN's Elliott Gotkine, who is live in Tel Aviv. Elliott, tell us more about the objective of this so-called counterterrorism operation, and how long we can expect that last in Jenin.
ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Bianca, we don't know how long it's going to last. It's open-ended. But it's been going on now for some ten hours. That's when it began with an air strike from an Israeli drone against that commanding control center that Israel says was being used by militants. It said that this particular building was also being used as an observation center, and also as a refuge for militants after carrying out attacks against Israelis. They would come back there to seek refuge. So that was helping kicked off. As you say, the Palestinian Ministry of Health saying that five Palestinians have been killed, so far, and that some 27 have been injured, including seven critically.
Israel says also in the last half hour or so, that it has carried out further airstrikes against both gunmen and terrorist infrastructure it says. Including weapons production facilities and also explosive device storage facilities.
We're also learning in the last few minutes that an IDF soldier has suffered injuries, has been taken to hospital, after apparently being injured by one of the IDF's own grenades. But as I say, this operation is open-ended. It's one of the biggest ones that we've seen, and Foreign Minister Elie Cohen, who's been speaking with foreign journalists this morning also saying that this is a strike against what he describes as the terrorism hub, and that Israel is doing so with great strength.
And the other thing that Israel says that it's doing here, is to really to remove this, in its words, safe haven mindset that militants have, it says, in the Jenin refugee camp.
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This is a place where they can plan attacks, or they can carry out attacks from, that they can then come back to after carrying out attacks. That's something that Israel says it is trying to do away with as part of this operation. An operation, I should add, that's been condemned by the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, and by Jordan.
NOBILO: Elliott, these protests against the proposed judicial overhaul have been long enduring now. But they do seem to be gaining momentum. And protesters, I presume, are emboldened by the fact that Netanyahu said just days ago that he's willing to drop a particularly contentious overwrite clause.
GOTKINE: That's right, Bianca. Just to remind you, the whole point of this judicial overhaul from the government was really twofold. The two main issues of the protesters are demonstrating against, one, is to reduce the power of the Supreme Court to strike laws passed by the government of the day. And also enabling the government of the day to effectively pack the Supreme Court with judges that are to its liking. So, those are the main two bits that the demonstrators are protesting against.
We've seen these protests taking place, for what, the past six months or so. Earlier today, they were blocking in the Port of Haifa, one of two of Israel's major ports on the Mediterranean. Haifa in the north and Ashdod in the south. They've been blockading Haifa. And their plan is to do something similar to Ben Gurion International Airport, just outside of Tel Aviv. This is the main in and out for international passengers, some 90,000 due in and out today. Israel is going to try and make sure that things continue as normal, but delays are expected -- Bianca.
NOBILO: Elliott Gotkine live for us in Tel Aviv, thank you so much.
Now to France, were unrest has been eased, but tensions linger after days of violent protests. Officials say 157 people were detained overnight.
FOSTER: The unrest was sparked nearly a week ago by the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old boy of Algerian descent. In the coming hours, French President Emmanuel Macron is set to meet with the president of France's upper and lower houses of Parliament after huddling and its top ministers on Sunday and urging them to restore order. The shooting victim's grandmother also calling for calm.
NOBILO: Some 45,000 security forces remain deployed across the country, as officials brace for any further flare-ups of violence.
FOSTER: Let's go to Paris now, where CNN's Nic Robertson is standing by with the very latest. It was a bit calmer at least last night, Nic, do you think that's a reflection of what the family have been asking for?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think it's a trend we're seeing over the past few days. And it's a reflection probably of the mood across the country. The government's message, the very high and tight security that I think has put a lid on some of the violence and protest. You know, just look at one of metrics for example, 352 fires last night, 871 the night before, 2,560 the night before, 3,880 tonight before. You can see that even before Nahel's grandmother made this appeal, the violence had been slowing down.
Can you attribute that to the fact that some of it sort of ran its course? Should you attribute it to the fact that the police have been out in very big numbers, and as we saw in the streets here, in the centers of Paris and the Champs-Elysees on Saturday night. You know, riot police chasing down protesters, kind of stop fires being lit and that sort of thing. But I think the appeal by Nahel 's grandmother will certainly touch the understanding of a lot of people here.
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NADIA, GRANDMOTHER OF SHOOTING VICTIM (through translator): I blame the policeman who killed my grandson. I'm the grandmother. I blame the policeman who killed my grandson. That's all I want. The police, they are here, fortunately, they are here and the people who are breaking things, I tell them, stop, stop. They use Nahel's death as a pretext. Now, they must stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: So, what she went on to say was the buses that are being damaged, your mothers use those buses. The town halls that are being damaged, your mother's use those town halls. What you're destroying, is your destroying your community. That's been a message from the government. And what the government, the interior minister said just a couple of days ago, that 2,000 people detained at that point, the average age was 17. So, I think here's an effort sort of by parents, by adults, in the neighborhoods to send a message to their children as well. Whatever the injustice has done, you are also damaging your own society, your own communities at the moment. And that's the message, of course, that the government hopes will stick, along with that very, very, very heavy security presence, which yesterday, we heard the interior minister commit to again.
FOSTER: All right, Nic Robertson in Paris, thank you.
NOBILO: In New Hampshire, dozens of people were injured when an SUV crashed into a small-town bar on Sunday. Police say the car was involved in an accident with another vehicle when it careened into the Loony Bin Bar and Grill.
FOSTER: 14 people taken to hospital, none of the injuries are said to be life-threatening though. So, far no word on any charges.
[04:15:00]
The North Carolina Department of Labor says it'll inspect the enormous rollercoaster that faced in urgency shut down after a large crack was found. The crack in the rollercoaster was discovered by a man whose daughter road it eight times on Friday.
NOBILO: The rollercoaster is 325 feet tall. It opened in 2015 and was billed as the longest giga coaster in North America. So far, no word on how long it will take to make those repairs.
FOSTER: Good on her for noticing.
NOBILO: Exactly, it could have such a diligent father.
The U.S. secretary -- U.S. Treasury Secretary is said to visit China as Washington tries to stabilize its relations with Beijing. We'll go live to Hong Kong with a preview of Janet Yellen's trip there.
FOSTER: Thousands of hotel workers in Southern California have walked off the job. We'll have the latest.
NOBILO: And later, Mike Pence is reacting to reporting that he was pressured by Donald Trump over Arizona's 2020 election results. We'll hear from the former vice president, just ahead.
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FOSTER: Janet Yellen is the latest high-ranking U.S. official to work on repairing strained U.S. ties with China. The U.S. treasury secretary is scheduled to travel there later this week, but things could get a bit awkward. At a political fundraiser last night, her boss, U.S. President Joe Biden, compare China's leader Xi Jinping to dictators.
Joining us now, CNN's Anna Coren. I mean, there's been some ups and downs in this relationship. Do you think Janet Yellen is the grown-up to fix it?
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, to put it mildly, Max. Look, I think that she will be welcomed with open arms. We always knew that she planned to go to Beijing. We just didn't realize how quickly after Blinken's visit. The U.S. Secretary of State there just two weeks ago, and now, Janet Yellen will be there a little bit later this week.
We don't know her exact itinerary, but we do understand that she will meet with her Chinese counterpart and other high-ranking officials for what we understand will be constructive and frank conversations. But similar to Blinken's trip, officials are saying they're not expecting any significant breakthroughs. She is not expected to be meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping either.
Yellen has long signaled the Biden administration's desire to improve communications with the Chinese and really lower the temperature between the world's two largest economies, which as we know, are deeply entwined. Back in April while giving testimony before Congress, she stressed the importance of maintaining ties with China and said that decoupling would be a big mistake.
And then last month, at the Paris Finance Summit on stage with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, she said -- let me read it to you.
As the world's two largest economies, we also have a responsibility to work together on global issues. It is something the world expects of us.
And of course, you know, Yellen's trip comes at a time when there is real uncertainty to the global economy. China is struggling to reboot its economy post COVID, and the U.S., you know, trying to contain inflation and avoid a recession.
Global challenges and mutual areas of concern will no doubt be on the agenda, but the airing of grievances will no doubt be on the agenda. But the airing of grievances will no doubt be a priority. The U.S. has imposed sweeping restrictions on China's access to advanced technology, specifically semiconductor technology, citing national security threats to the U.S. This is very much upset the Chinese.
Well, you know, as far as America is concerned, the scope of China's new counter espionage law and the challenges that they could present for foreign companies is quite alarming. We know that Yellen will be meeting with American companies operating in China. Obviously, a lot to discuss on her three-day visit. But at the end of the day, Max and Bianca, these are two countries that trade something like 700 billion dollars a year, you know, at the end of the day, they both need each other.
FOSTER: OK, Anna, thank you.
NOBILO: I've noticed that frank conversations has emerged in the lexicon, as sort of euphemisms for when there's tensions between countries. They're always having frank conversations rather than sort of clear or robust conversation.
FOSTER: And we're not expecting anything to come out of it.
NOBILO: No. U.S. President Joe Biden will also be hitting the road starting next
weekend on a three-nation tour to Europe. First, he'll meet with the British Prime Minister and King Charles in the United Kingdom. Then Mr. Mr. Biden's next stops will be a vital importance as he meets with NATO's allies at two different summits. CNN White House reporter Priscilla Alvarez explains.
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PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: The White House announced on Sunday that President Biden will be visiting three countries next week, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, and Finland. Now the president will start his trip in the United Kingdom, where he is set to meet King Charles III, who was recently coronated, as well as the British Prime Minister, who visited the White House here last month.
Now, those high stakes meetings will later be continued for the president at the NATO summit, where there is sure going to be discussion over Ukraine and the war that is ongoing there. Particularly after the counteroffensive that has been launched and those internal tensions in Russia, all of that looming over this summit.
Now President Biden has repeatedly talked about the strength of the NATO alliance. Also saying that it has never, quote, been more united. But in all of these discussions, the ongoing debate will be looming over all of it. Over how and when Ukraine may become part of that alliance. Now after that summit, President Biden will then go to Finland, where he will conclude his three-country trip.
Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: U.S. has been providing almost nonstop support for Ukraine ever since the war began, but military leaders say critical units of the U.S. Army are being stretched too thin.
NOBILO: On top of training Ukrainian soldiers, the Army's air defense branch is tasked with missile defense systems across the globe to provide around the clock deterrence against America's biggest adversaries. CNN's Haley Britzky explains the pressure that those units are under.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
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HALEY BRITZKY, CNN PENTAGON PRODUCER: Leaders said that they've seen an increase in soldiers going to the Hedera heath on post. So, seeking out mental health support. They're also concerned about the wear and tear on families, as we so often here, you know, in the Pentagon, you recruit the service member, but you retain the family. And so, that is of concern for leaders as well. So, they're working to mitigate some of these issues, as well as keeping these units ready for the mission. They are standing at multiple new air defense units, so, sort of
staggered over the next several years, and offering quite a sizeable enlistments bonus to help fill out those ranks -- so roughly around $47,000. They're also embedding mental health specialties, these behaviors help specialist into air defense brigade, to sort of give someone closer to the soldiers, in case they need them. They're also reducing commitments. Officials said they reduce commitments in the Middle East particular, especially as foreign allies in partners in that region, can provide some of their own air defense.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: Ukraine is reporting heavy fighting along the entire eastern front, with Russian forces attacking in several directions and making some advances. But Ukrainian officials say their forces are having a partial success south of Bakhmut. They posted this video, showing what appears to be a strike on a Russian tank in the region. And Ukraine says it's gradually advancing along the southern front lines around Berdyansk and Melitopol.
Clare Sebastian joins us now to discuss some of the latest lines coming out of this conflict. Clare let's start with the rather startling statement we had from Grigory Karasin, who's a Russian member of Parliament. Who has said that 700,000 Ukrainian children are now in Russian territory as a result of Russia 's invasion. Which I just had a quick look at the statistics, that would make it about 10 percent of under 18's in Ukraine.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT Yes, I mean, look, it's strange, this number is startlingly high, orders of magnitude higher in the 19,500 children that President Zelenskyy said Russia had illegally deported as of early June. He also said they've brought some 371 back. He doesn't offer any evidence. He then proceeds to use this as a way of accusing Ukraine of mistreating, he says, Ukrainian teenagers in the southeast of the country. He does say that this is in recent years. The timeline is kind of vague. Some of it might have happened before the actual all out invasion of Ukraine.
And he says that this was part of program to protect orphans, children abandoned in the war zone, and that they include, in some cases, their parents and the caregivers, if they were at orphanages. But this is really important to watch, because obviously, there is evidence that this is happening. Enough evidence to, frankly, indict the president of the country. As the president of Russia, Putin is indicted in March, along with his children's rights commissioner.
And particularly important to watch as we see Ukraine take another potential step towards justice in this war. In the next hour, they will be opening an international center in the Hague to investigate the crime of aggression. This is a leadership crime, looking at the potential decisions that led to the invasion itself. This is the type of crime that really has not been prosecuted in any way since the Nuremberg trials after the Second World War. This isn't the tribunal itself, but it is perhaps a step on the path to that, for a tribunal for Russian leaders as a result of this war. NOBILO: But what power does something like that have? It just seems
like there's depressingly little muscle behind and it and use these international institutions, or perhaps, even the launching of this new international center at the Hague at this time while the conflict is active and all the officials involved are in Russian territory or in the war zone.
SEBASTIAN: You know, I think that is ultimately what came to mind. When you see this comment from this Russian lawmaker, saying in 700,000, why would you come out with that comment when your president has been indicted and there's clearly evidence that this is happening and the world sees this as a war crime. I think there is an understanding in Russia that there's not very much that can be done to actually reach the leadership of the country itself. But it would be very important symbolically for Ukraine to get this off the ground.
NOBILO: Clare Sebastian, thank you so much.
FOSTER: Just ahead, thousands of hotel workers have walked off the job in Southern California, saying they can't afford to live in cities where they work.
Plus, another bus carrying dozens of migrants arrives in Los Angeles in a similar scene to what happened last month. What we know about these asylum seekers, coming up next.
