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CNN International: Police Issue Four Warrants in Alabama Dock Brawl; Health Experts in the U.K. Warn of Infection Risk on Housing Barge; Zoom Making Staff Return to Office Twice a Week; California Highway Patrol Officers Deployed in Oakland to Combat Crime; Women's World Cup Quarterfinal Finals. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired August 08, 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: The judge in Donald Trump's election interference case is planning a hearing this week on how to handle evidence. The Justice Department and Trump's legal team are arguing over restrictions on what the former president can disclose to the public.

In Ukraine, a woman has now been detained in connection to an alleged plot to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. She's not been named but officials say that she's from the southern Ukrainian region of Mykolaiv.

Police in U.S. state of Alabama have issued arrest warrants for four people connected to a large brawl that broke out on a dock over the weekend. It's unclear what caused the fight exactly and police say that more warrants may follow as they review the footage. CNN's Ryan Young shows us what happens.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN YOUNG, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An altercation on a Montgomery, Alabama boat dock over the weekend between a group of white boaters and a Black employee escalating into a massive brawl that resulted in multiple arrest warrants.

Montgomery Mayor Stephen Reed is calling for justice to be served for attacking a man who was doing his job.

STEVEN REED, MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA MAYOR: It's an unfortunate incident and it's something that we're investigating right now. We'll continue to go through that process before we take any additional steps.

YOUNG (voice-over): It all begin when the Black employee was trying to clear the dock space for the Riverside cruise, the Harriet II normally docks. The cruiser was about to return to shore and needed its space to dock.

LAUREN SPIVEY, WITNESS: You know, just doing his job. And for some reason, they didn't like it. They didn't want to move the boat. And he decided to get physical with him. YOUNG (voice-over): You can see in the video, the Black employee on the dock arguing with one of the men from the pontoon boat. And then another shirtless white man charging at the employee and hitting him in the face. Soon after that, you can see several others joining the attack of the dock employee.

In some of the videos, which has gone viral with millions of views, people on the boat can be heard yelling for someone to go help the employee. Then at one point, you can see a young man who has jumped off the boat, swimming ashore to help the man who was being attacked.

SPIVEY: The boat got closer, the guys and the crew members and everybody cut off and that's when it happened. That's the reason why when they got off the boat, they came right to that smaller boat.

YOUNG (voice-over): And that's when more fighting ensues, turning into an all-out brawl that included several people getting hit over the head with a folding chair. Soon after, officers started trying to take control, handcuffing people in the fight.

SPIVEY: You know, they were the antagonists of the whole situation. Arrest them, because unfortunately when things happen, people of color are the first to be put in handcuffs.

YOUNG (voice-over): Many questions remain about the melee that appear to be very much split across racial lines.

REED: We are fully engaged and we are doing all of our due diligence to find out exactly what took place.

YOUNG: And we've learned from police that there are four warrants that have been issued and we're told there'll be a Tuesday news conference that'll be around two o'clock eastern. We should learn more from police and city officials about this. But I can tell you this really captivated the internet and people are paying attention to what the next steps are.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: New York City is taking all steps to cope with the influx of asylum seekers. Mayor Eric Adams has announced plans to build a new humanitarian relief center on Randall's Island to accommodate thousands of migrants. The center will provide on-site services like other relief sites across the country. The number of asylum seekers funneling into the city has reached nearly 100,000 since the start of the crisis with more than 57,000 currently seeking care.

Meantime, the number of migrant families that the U.S. state of Texas has separated under its Republican governor has gone up. An immigration attorney says the number has now increased to 40 from 26 known cases last week. The separations come following a marked shift in the state's policy where it is arresting fathers for trespassing and then turning over mothers and children to U.S. immigration authorities for processing. The attorney also says that most of the separated families are from Venezuela and Colombia. And the controversy over how to deal with the influx of asylum seekers in the U.K. is growing more complicated. On Monday health experts warned of a possible risk of infection aboard a barge that's being used to house migrants. ITN's Carl Dinnen has more from Portland in southwest England.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARL DINNEN, ITN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Asylum seekers bussed through Portland were welcomed by a small group of campaigners on their way to the Bibby Stockholm.

Although some of the buses only seem to have brought a handful of people on board. The campaigners have prepared welcome packs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got a map of Portland, because obviously they'll be new to the area and it will help them find their way around. We've got notebooks and pens so they can write things down for their English lessons.

DINNEN (voice-over): But not everyone here thinks this kind of welcome is appropriate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take these bags to the community fridge or Portland Food Bank.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People here do support the community fridge.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're not there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We helped set up the community fridge.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're not there on Wednesday or Saturday.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But we also want to support a refugee. Why not? Do you want to support them?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, not over the people of Portland, I don't know.

DINNEN (voice-over): These are not the first migrants to stay on the Bibby Stockholm. It has previously housed migrants in the Netherlands and indeed construction workers in Scotland. But the Mayor of Portland says the 500 people being put on it here is too many.

CARRALYN PARKES, PORTLAND, ENGLAND MAYOR: When it was used as accommodation for workers, it was 220. Now they're talking about more than double that. It's beggars' belief. Human beings belong in communities. That's where human beings should be treated and taken care of, not on a barge.

DINNEN (voice-over): But 500 is just a drop in the ocean of 137,000 outstanding asylum decisions. Nearly 60,000 people are awaiting them in temporary accommodation, like hotels, and the pressure is all upwards with 15,000 migrants already having crossed the channel in small boats this year.

And the Home Office said 20 people had refused to come here. That's more than have actually boarded the barge.

CHERYL AVERY, U.K. HOME OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR ASYLUM ACCOMMODATION: So we successfully on-boarded the first cohort today, and there are 15 people on board. We have had a few challenges, but this is part of a long-going and structured process to bring a cohort of up to 500 people on board.

DINNEN (voice-over): The first residents of the Bibbi Stockholm can expect to stay here for three to nine months. What happens to those not granted asylum after that depends on whether the government can get its Rwanda plan through the courts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Still to come, while Zoom keeps the work from home dream alive for millions of people around the world, the video communications company wants its employees back in the office.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NOBILO: Zoom became a household name during the pandemic.

[04:40:00]

The video communications company has helped enable the work from home revolution. Now though, even Zoom is requiring its workers to start returning to the office. But as you'd expect, not everyone is ready to ditch their couch for a commute. Some of us don't have that option. As CNN's Tom Foreman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, the irony here. The company that taught us all how we could work from home and see each other, Zoom is now saying it wants its workers in the office at least two days out of every week. And they are not alone this doing that. Several others have done the same thing. Google, Salesforce, Amazon and the U.S. government are all saying we like the idea of people being there face- to-face. We like the synergy. We like the productivity that comes out of it. They're convinced that's better.

Now a lot of workers are not so convinced, especially younger workers and those that who more highly educated. They are saying, look, we don't like commuting. 48 percent say that's one of the reasons they don't want to come into the office. It costs gas, it costs time, it costs money. They don't like paying extra child care. When you're home, they can take care of that -- 14 percent think that. 13 percent say that they are better able to focus.

What is the difference here in what they want? Generally employers want 1.6 days at home per week. That's where the uptake .6 days. So basically, we are saying two days at home a week is enough. Workers want a little more than that. So basically three days at home per week. But workers have a really strong hand to play here right now because so many employers are still trying to find enough people. And interestingly, working from home one study found workers equate that to an 8 percent higher salary if they have the freedom to work from home a lot. So you can see for employers, yes, they want people back, but it's an uphill climb.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: For the first time in more than 40 years, Los Angeles city workers are going to strike today. The 11,000 public sector employees walking off the job include those working in sanitation and transportation. The main LAX airport and port of Los Angeles could also be affected. The workers union voted to strike for 24 hours after accusing city management of, quote, repeated labor law violations and are refusing to participate in a fair bargaining process. But the L.A. mayor says the city has been bargaining in good faith.

Elsewhere in Los Angeles, the Hollywood actors and writers strike has slammed the brakes on the entertainment industry. And union representing thousands of hotel workers have also staged a series of rolling strikes.

Now the north in Oakland, California robberies, burglaries and assaults surged in July compared to the same month last year. The California Highway Patrol is now being deployed to help fight crime and protect the city's more than 400,000 residents. That's after a local branch of the civil rights organization the NAACP called on city leaders to declare a state of emergency over Oakland's rampant crime. CNN's Kyung Lah has this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIN COOK, MOVING OUT OF OAKLAND: I love Oakland. It's very hard for me and my son, especially my son.

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): So, Kristen Cook is leaving Oakland, California.

COOK: Be careful.

LAH (voiceover): After living here her entire life.

COOK: I can't take it anymore. I got to the point I was too scared to leave my house.

LAH (voiceover): Cook blames brazen assaults and robberies in broad daylight, break-ins and home invasions across the city, as Oakland sees a surge in reported violent crimes this year compared to last. While homicides are down, robberies burglaries and rape are all up by double digits percentages. Everyone we talked to says that it doesn't matter your race, your income, everyone seems to be a target, including carjackings, like this one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

(SCREAMS)

COOK: Now, they are carjacking people at stop signs. And my son is about to start driving. The fact that I am being pushed out because I emotionally can't take it anymore is horrible.

LAH (voiceover): But Toni Bird is staying. She lives with a locked front gate and five security cameras. Bird says Oakland police recommended steel braces for residential doors and air horns.

TONI BIRD, OAKLAND RESIDENT: The idea is that if you set it off, your neighbor would hear it, set theirs off and more people are alert that there's danger.

LAH (voiceover): Her neighbor across the street, 60-year-old retiree David Schneider was shot to death in June, trimming his front tree during the day. He died as Bird and other neighbors tried to save him.

BIRD: I'm not looking for the perfect safe place. I'm looking for a place where the elderly, women with children aren't targeted. I think we can all agree that that needs to change. And so, I feel like it will change and that is why I'm staying.

[04:45:00]

TROY WELCH, OWNER, LAUREL ACE HARDWARE: Found everything you're looking for OK?

LAH (voiceover): But staying open gets tougher every day for Troy Welch, owner of Laurel Ace Hardware.

WELCH: There's about six of them that comes in.

LAH (voiceover): Welch's store was robbed just hours before we met him.

WELCH: They went through our cash registers. And this is at my office. You can see they're going in, they tried to take a sledgehammer to it. Tried to lift it and he's going to figure it out, they're not getting into that safe.

LAH (voiceover): Welch says he loses 10 percent of his merchandise to theft. So common this year, he leaves his registers empty and open, tired of replacing them.

WELCH: It's more brazen, sometimes more violent, I think than what it used to be.

LAH: How long does it take for police to arrive?

WELCH: Forty-five minutes.

LAH: Forty-five minutes. Is that typical?

WELCH: That's probably fast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to know --

LAH (voiceover): Frustration has spilled over in community meetings. Anger often directed at leadership, like the newly elected district attorney who has been on the job just seven months. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's unreal.

DARREN WHITE, OAKLAND NAACP: Hey, I'm a Black man, born and raised in Oakland. When I walk out of the house every day, I want to be safe. So, if that call for some whoever commits the crime to be prosecuted, so be it. But we want it to be fair and just.

LAH (voiceover): Darren White is with the NAACP Oakland branch, which penned an open letter to their city, blaming failed leadership, the defund the police movement and anti-police rhetoric for creating a hay day for Oakland criminals.

WHITE: We are not trying to say, you know, mass incarcerations and arrest everyone. We want the people that are out here committing these violent crimes arrested and charged.

LAH: Do we need more cops on the street?

WHITE: Yes, we do need more but every community needs police.

LAH (voiceover): Flanked by partners in the city, Oakland's interim police chief, Darren Allison, says Oakland is taking a comprehensive approach to fighting crime.

LAH: They all say that the crime feels different now. Why is that?

INTERIM CHIEF DARREN ALLISON, OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT: So, I think because it is pervasive, not just localized, or even they have to sort they've seen maybe gang group violence. I think the feeling has become that it's everywhere.

LAH (voiceover): From cops to crime prevention, funded for 712 officers, Allison says he has 715 on staff.

ALLISON: So, what you're seeing is changes in bail, changes in sentencing.

LAH: Are you saying you need tougher punishment on the backend?

ALLISON: It's everything. It's not just enforcement and punishment, I think accountability comes in many forms.

LAH: Now, in a statement, Oakland's mayor tells us that it is a top priority of her office to reduce gun violence. And similar to what you heard from the police chief, it is not just all about enforcement from her office's perspective, that it is about a sustained multipronged approach to crime, investigating, prevention as well as looking at the root causes of crime.

And we also heard from the Alameda County district attorney's office, she did not go on camera with us, but instead, directly took on the NAACP, saying that she was, quote, disappointed in what they said. That she felt it was a false narrative and that she would expect more from the NAACP.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Los Angeles. (END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Still ahead, a clash of trailblazers is under way at the World Cup. Will Jamaica triumph in their knockout stage debut? Or will Colombia reach the quarter finals for the first time.

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NOBILO: At the Women's World Cup all countries are competing today for the last two spots in the quarter finals. The first match is happening right now. Colombia taking on Jamaica and so far, it's been tightly contested. But both teams are still searching for their first goal going into halftime. The winner will go on to the round of eight for the very first time. After that match, Morocco will try to extend its fairy tale run at the World Cup against the heavily talented French team. Whoever wins will face cohost Australia who are coming off a strong win over Denmark. CNN's Don Riddell has the story for you.

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DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: The one and only time that the Women's World Cup hosts have won the title was back in 1999 -- the USA's when against China in a penalty shootout. Well Australia must fans see their chances of doing it this time. The previous champions USA, Germany and Norway all out of the tournament already.

A massive crowd of over 75,000 packed the stadium in Sydney to see Matildas strolling past Denmark 2-nil. Forward Caitlin Foord streaking past defenders to swap the ball home just before the half hour mark. And Aussies kept up the pressure in the second half in the 70th minute Hayley Raso scored her third goal of the tournament.

But arguably the biggest cheer of the night came ten minutes after that when Australia's star striker Sam Kerr came on as sub for her first appearance of the tournament. It was the Matildas master class, players that matched Foord were so hyped up afterwards that they had to pull out the bleep button.

CAITLIN FOORD, AUSTRALIA FORWARD: It was awesome. I'm so proud of everyone tonight. We just ran (BLEEP) and gave it everything and we knew if we defended well, there was going to come chances and we're going to score. And that's what we did tonight. So, yes, just super proud of everyone.

RIDDELL: And this Woman's World Cup has been full of surprises and it's been historic too with three African teams reaching the knockout stage for the first time. Only one of them is left, but Nigeria won plenty of admirers for the way they went out to England on Monday. And England frankly are rather fortunate to be in the quarter finals. They were given an all-mighty scare by the Silver Falcons.

In the group stage, Nigeria had held the Olympic champions Canada to a goal of straw. And against the European champions England, they hit the cross bar twice and England were really up against it. Their frustration boiled over when Lauren James stepped on Michelle Alozie, a petulant act which earned her a red card. England had to play the 30-minute extra time period with only ten players. They held on though. Nigeria came on unstuck in the penalties. They missed their first two kicks. And in England, the initiative and they settled it with a furious but accurate kick from Chloe Kelly. England on the shot out 4-2.

[04:55:00]

They'll play either Columbia or Jamaica in the quarterfinals.

SARINA WIEGMAN, ENGLAND COACH: We stuck together as a team. And fortunately it was a very, very hard game. Although we had the red cards, then we stuck together. We made it to the extra time and we won the penalties. How we did that as a team and how the team -- yes, just went going. I'm so proud of them.

RIDDELL: Chloe Kelly becoming quite the football legend at the age of 25 also netting the winning pen in the Finalissima against Brazil earlier this year and of course scoring the Euro 2022 winner against Germany. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: And some stories in the spotlight for you this hour. The filmmaker behind what many consider the most famous car chase in movie history, " The French connection", director William Friedkin has died. Among Friedkin's many credits during his long a career was "The Exorcist" and "To Live and Die in L.A." His death was announced by his wife, former Paramount Pictures CEO, Sherry Lansing. Friedkin won the 1972 Academy Award for best director for "The French Connection."

A new study finds that over diagnosing breast cancer could cause more harm than good. It says many American women over the age of 70 are potentially over diagnosed with the disease and this could put him at risk for unnecessary and expensive treatments. According to this study, over-diagnosis means that breast cancer was found in a screening but would have stayed dormant and perhaps never caused symptoms.

And that doesn't here on CNN NEWSROOM. Thanks for joining me today. I'm Bianca Nobilo in London. "EARLY START" is next.

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