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CNN International: Alabama Police Investigate Case of Carlee Russell; Police Re-Interview Sex Workers Propositioned by Suspect in Gilgo Beach Murders; Anti-Government Protest in Kenya Set to Continue Amid Clashes; Nigerians Adapting to Fuel Prices After Subsidy Cut; Southern Europe Swelters in Intense Heat; 800,000 Die or Disabled by Diagnostic Errors Each Year. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired July 20, 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]

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN newsroom. I'm Christina Macfarlane. If you are just joining us, let me bring you up to date with our top stories this hour.

In the coming hours, the grand jury investigating Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election is expected to meet. Multiple reports say the special counsel is looking at charges related to three different laws.

And National Weather Service confirms that an EF-3 tornado with winds estimated at 150 miles per hour hit North Carolina. The storm flattened buildings across two counties including a Pfizer Pharmaceutical facility.

Now police in the U.S. state of Alabama are investigating the case of Carlee Russell. A woman who went missing for more than two days last week before returning home on foot. Russell told investigators she was kidnapped by a man and a woman after stopping on a busy highway to help a toddler near the road. Officials say -- have been unable to verify most of her statement and that there've been no reports of a child missing or wondering by the highway. Local police chief says they are still looking for answers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK DERZIS, HOOVER, ALABAMA POLICE CHIEF: When someone says something like this, we put every available resource. Everybody comes together from, like I say, state, local, federal, is just a lot of work. I mean, it's a little frustrating to think that this has been done and we can't find anything out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: While authorities say despite the unsettling case, they don't believe that there is a threat to the public.

The wife of the Gilgo Beach murder suspect has filed for divorce -- her attorney tells CNN. It comes as new information is coming to light about the serial killings in Long Island, New York. CNN's Jean Casarez has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the investigation into the Gilgo Beach serial killing suspect continues, more people coming forward to talk about their interactions with Rex Heuermann.

NIKKIE BRASS, FORMER ESCORT: I had a really, really bad feeling, like, my gut was like telling me I needed to get away from him.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Nikkie Brass telling "Good Morning America" Heuermann solicited her online in 2015 when she worked as an escort and that he talked about the Gilgo Beach murders.

BRASS: When he talked about it, he would, like, speak in a "they" and hypothetical. But he had this like smile on his face. I mean, it made me really uneasy. And like, he had this like glossed over look in his eye.

CASAREZ (voice-over): The investigation now spans the country. Authorities in South Carolina searching property owned by Heuermann for any evidence to link the 59-year-old architect to the murder of three young women in New York in 2009 and 2010. Sources tell CNN a Chevy Avalanche was seized from the property and is being combed for evidence.

STEVE CASTON, HEUERMANN FAMILY PROPERTY NEIGHBOR IN SOUTH CAROLINA: There were SWAT team, the FBI, there was all kinds of stuff.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Those living next to the property were stunned.

CASTON: We have an adjoining property to a serial killer, which is, like, you know, I was like, I never put that on my bucket list.

[04:35:00]

CASAREZ (voice-over): And over 2,000 miles away in Las Vegas, law enforcement officials tell CNN they are looking at cold case homicides to see if there could be any links. According to property records obtained by CNN, Heuermann and his wife purchased two timeshare condos in Las Vegas in 2003 and 2005. On Long Island where Heuermann lived, crime scene investigators continue to collect and process potential evidence from inside his home and his nearby storage unit.

Also searching for possible connections to remains of eight other people found along that beach.

SHERIFF ERROL D. TOULON, JR., SUFFOLK COUNTY: Does it tie into any other victims, any other victims that we may not even know where the bodies are. You know, people who may have been reported missing.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Heuermann remains in jail on a routine COVID restriction protocols and suicide watch. Law enforcement tells CNN he isn't talking and has had no visitors.

Jean Casarez, CNN, New York. (END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: U.S. financial markets are riding high after a slew of positive corporate earnings reports. The Dow finished up about a third of a percent on Wednesday, its eighth straight day of gains. Bank of America, Morgan Stanley and United Healthcare have all helped move the markets higher. And we'll find out in just a few hours if Wall Street can keep the winning streak going. Taking a look at things now. The Dow still up, whereas the Nasdaq and futures have dipped into the red.

Anti-government protests in Kenya are set to continue in the coming days despite violent clashes with security forces. Demonstrators are angry over high costs and tax hikes that have been met with tear gas and water cannons by police. CNN's Larry Madowo reports now from Nairobi.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Violent confrontations between Kenyan police and demonstrators in a neighborhood of the capital Nairobi. Even tear gas did not keep these young men away for long. They responded with even more stones or anything else they could throw at the police. The first day of the opposition's planned three- day antigovernment demonstrations came down to these battles with security forces or cat and mouse games in some areas.

Construction worker Elijah Monde (ph) says, he was on his lunch break nearby when he got hit.

ELIJAH MONDE (ph), CONSTRUCTION WORKER (through translator): I don't know if it was tear gas or a bullet. It just hit me. And I passed out.

MADOWO (voice-over): He was still bleeding even after first aid. With no ambulance available, this motor bike taxi was the only way to get him to hospital.

Armored water cannon trucks keeping demonstrators away from the roads in a different part of Nairobi. But some residents concerned about the sharp increases in the prices of basic commodities are ready to endure the crackdown.

MADOWO: Do you support the protests?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do. 100 percent I support the protests. It needs to continue until the president hears our cries. The cost of living is high. And the president should look at this situation, at least take a look and reduce the cost of living.

MADOWO: A heavy security presence made sure that there were no major street demonstrations today. But the opposition did score a win by managing to bring the capital of Kenya almost to a standstill. These rallying battles between police using water cannons and tear gas and the young men throwing rocks has been the order of the day.

MADOWO (voice-over): But the President William Ruto remains defiant. Saying Kenya's politics should be devoid of violence. WILLIAM RUTO, KENYAN PRESIDENT: We must protect this country and the police must be firm on the hooligans, on criminals, on people who want to destroy other people's business.

MADOWO: That firm police action earned condemnation from the U.N. human rights office last Friday when it said it was concerned about widespread use of violence by officers. Kenya's foreign minister called the U.N. statement inaccurate and misleading.

DR. ALFRED N. MUTUA, KENYAN FOREIGN MINISTER: The U.N. is most critical in this statement. I'd like to know them, their names and others. They are just throwing names and figures out there. you know, that is bad manners for an organization of such stature.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Reporting from Nigeria.

Now it's been weeks since Nigeria's new president announced an end to a long-standing fuel subsidy that has kept gas prices low for decades. Now Nigerians are being forced to make drastic changes to survive in the rising transportation and electricity costs. CNN senior Africa editor Stephanie Busari is joining us live from Lagos. And Stephanie, we're hearing that fuel prices have now reached a record high after the subsidy removal. So how much worse are things protected to get for Nigerians?

STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN SENIOR EDITOR, AFRICA: Christina, the analysts are saying that Nigerians should prepare for pain and more pain before things get better. They are projecting that things will get better. Look, everybody agrees that the fuel subsidy removal was the right thing to do.

[04:40:00]

Was the timing, right? Could it have been planned better? Could palliative cushions have been put in place to help the poorest Nigerians. Many poor people live in this country. And so people agree that it had to be done. It was costing the government $900 million a month. Horrendously expensive. But now Nigerians have to cushion that blow. They have to bear the brunt of the prices going up. Now 78 pence per liter at the pumps. Which seems low to other people and other parts of the world, but it's very high. It's triple pretty much overnight.

And so, people are just taking measures. Some have stopped using their cars all together. Some are walking. And you know, cycling and things like that. And some will unfortunately go without food because, you know, because retail costs of petrol affect the cost of everything. From transports, to logistics, to price of food. You know, you him walk into shops here and people are -- signs everywhere saying we regret that we have to put up our prices. So even the middle classes are being squeezed.

But it is the poorest of Nigerians who will really bear the brunt. And the government has announced that it will introduce palliative measures. So we wait to see what they will be -- Christina.

MACFARLANE: Yes, let's hope that there will be measures put in place. Stephanie Busari there live in Lagos, thank you.

All right, still ahead, they're sweltering in Seville and roasting in Rome, we'll have the latest on the heatwave stalled over southern Europe.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACFARLANE: This just in to CNN, at least nine people have been killed in a landslide following heavy rainfall in western India.

[04:45:00]

Disaster officials say four teams have been deployed to the area but persistent heavy rain and strong winds are hampering rescue efforts. About two dozen homes are buried in mud and rocks and officials estimate about 15 to 20 people may still be trapped.

Well the heat is on across southern Europe again today, with nine regions in France under an orange alert. The World Health Organization says the weather is taking a harsh toll on the people least able to manage its consequences, including the elderly, children and the homeless. And the heat is putting pressure on health systems around the globe. Planes from France and Italy are joining the firefighting effort in Greece, along with crews from Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia. Fire officials say 66 new wildfires broke out in just 24 hours.

Let's go live now to Rome and CNN's Barbie Nadeau. And Barbie, any sign that this prolonged spell of heat is beginning to subside, that things will get any easier?

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Well you know, the temperatures are down from those record setting temperatures over a couple of days, but it is still very hot. And one of the issues with that of course is not just how hot it gets on a certain day. It's how long it's been hot and how very little relief there is. It's hot overnight.

And as we've been saying these last few days, not everyone has air conditioning or access to air conditioning. What we're seeing now, more than before, are the workers. Those city workers that are upset that they have to be out in the heat of the day. You know, authorities are saying to the tourists, to the locals, get inside during the heat of the day. But yet garbage collectors, bus drivers, which, you know, not all Roman buses are air conditioned by any means. Those people are now starting to complain.

And so, we've an emergency meeting by the labor ministry today, to try to figure out a protocol for those people who have to work outside. So these problems, you know, generally kind of pile up on top of each other. We're not expecting it to cool down anytime soon, but, you know, the record-breaking heat seems to be over during this particular heatwave. We have no idea though of course what's around the corner -- Christina.

MACFARLANE: Yes, and the firefighting of those wildfires continuing across the region. Barbie Nadeau, live from Rome. Thanks, Barbie.

Now a startling new study has found that nearly 800,000 people in the U.S. die or become permanently disabled every year because of errors in their medical diagnosis. Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is here to tell us more on this. And Sanjay tells us how concerned we should be.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christina, they are talking about misdiagnosis, which could mean, got the wrong diagnosis or it could mean more of a missed diagnosis. Meaning that they didn't get a diagnosis at all of what was really problematic for the patient.

What they found were some pretty big numbers -- as you mentioned. When I talk to people -- I talked about people dying annually it was about 371,000 people every year and of people who had some sort of disability as a result of these missed or misdiagnosis, 424,000 people. That is what their study showed.

Now I do want to be clear that overall going to the hospital, going to the clinic, the average person has less than 0.1 percent chance of having some severe problem as a result of misdiagnosis. But there were certain areas where you had the biggest concerns. Things like stroke. Those could be missed leading to severe outcomes. Sepsis, pneumonia, a blood clot in a vein which could lead to something like a pulmonary embolism for example and lung cancer. That's what they found were the biggest concerns overall with this.

Now what exactly is going on here? Why do these misdiagnoses happen? There were several different reasons. But let me give you a couple examples.

When it comes to stroke, people often know if you're having weakness, if you're having trouble speaking, things like that, that sort of an indication someone might be having a stroke. But what about more vague symptoms? Such as dizziness and headache and fatigue. That could also be problematic for stroke or some indication of a stroke.

But when it came to cardiac problems, you think maybe the classic left sided chest pain. But it could be more generalized chest pain. It could be some sort of weakness or fatigue as well.

So again, being able to sort of dial back a little bit and say, OK, this isn't fitting a classic pattern. Could it be something else? That's what the authors of this study really focused on as well.

There is some advice which is that you should be as clear as you can when you are going to see your doctor, your nurse, about what's been going on. Make sure that you're a good historian, that can really also offer up clues that could help make it more likely you'd get the right diagnosis. And also, be sure to ask these questions. What could be causing my problem? And then also the follow up. What else could it be? Gets everyone thinking into other possibilities of what might be going on there. And if there's test results, when will the test results come back? Christina, you want to figure that out. And what decision will then get made based on those test results?

[04:50:00]

Doesn't solve for these gigantic numbers, but it can certainly make a difference in terms of actually getting to the right diagnosis or not missing the diagnosis in the first place -- Christina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Thanks to Sanjay there.

All right, still to come, coffee chain Starbucks is partnering with one of the biggest musical acts in the world for a new line of merchandise. We'll have the details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACFARLANE: Welcome back. The best golfers in the world are facing off today as the open championship gets understand way. Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and world number one, Scottie Scheffler, are some of the top players to watch in the final major of the year. Rahm enters the tournament leading the FedEx Cup standings with four wins this year, including the Masters. And I had a chance to sit down with him and ask about the controversial partnership between the Saudi backed LIV Golf and the PGA Tour.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JON RAHM, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: Even though it's a harsh word, betrayal is the way to explain it. Because we heard all we heard about the PGA Tour what they thought of each other. And one day we wake up and we see the news, oh, you know, we're all friends again. I mean, it is a bit of mixed messaging for all of us.

[04:55:00]

But at the end of the day, you know, I just want to play golf. I want to play golf against the best. And I believe at what I say that I have faith that the governing bodies are doing what's best for all of us to have the best competition.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Those comments coming a week after the Congressional hearing looking into the relationship between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

Now to other stories in the spotlight.

Fares are going up on the New York City transit system starting next month. The base price to ride the subways and buses will rise to 15 cents to $2.90. It's the first increase in eight years. The country's largest public transit system says it needs to hike revenues after ridership plunged during the COVID pandemic and still hasn't fully recovered.

Well the world's biggest coffee chain is seeming up with a big name in K-pop. Starbucks and girl group Blackpink are set to release a new line of drinks and merchandise in Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea and other locations next week. The collaboration includes the new Blackpink Strawberry Choco Cream Frappuccino as well as drink wear and other product products. The president of Starbucks, Asia-Pacific, say the company is quite thrilled to partner with one of the biggest icons of this generation.

And finally, one lucky ticket in California has won the third largest jackpot in Powerball history. Wednesday's drawing will give the winner just over $1 billion before taxes. It's the first Powerball jackpot won since mid-April. And the tickets were sold at this store in downtown Los Angeles. Powerball says the odds of hitting the jackpot are about one in 292 million -- according to some calculation. You are actually more likely to be struck by lightning, date a supermodel or get killed by a falling asteroid. That makes you feel better.

That does it for this edition of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Christina Macfarlane in London. Stay with us, "EARLY START" with Christine Romans is after the break.

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