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CNN International: Death Toll From Catastrophic Maui Wildfires Rises to 55; GOP Hopefuls Ply Retail Politics at Iowa State Fair; 5 Americans Prisoners in Iran Released from Prison to House Arrest; Russia Launces New Wave of Missile Strikes on Ukraine; Russia Steps Up State Media Campaign. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired August 11, 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 week off. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you see the full extent of the destruction of Lahaina, it will shock you. It does appear like a bomb and fire went off.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: None of it's there. it's all burnt to the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Compared to "The Walking Dead," is completely apocalyptic.
MIKE PENCE, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's almost no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could pick the American president. I mean the American presidency belongs to the American people and the American people alone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I show up, cops act differently. We all act differently when people are watching.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo.
NOBILO: It is Friday, August 11th, 9:00 a.m. here in London and 10:00 p.m. on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Which is coming to grips with a tragedy that many say came out of nowhere. At least 55 people have been killed by the devastating wildfires. And the death toll is likely to keep increasing as emergency crews scour block after block of destroyed properties. Upwards of 1700 according to the government. Much of the historic town of Lahaina, Maui's business hub, is no more. The wildfire is now the second deadliest in the U.S. in a century. Tens of thousands of people, tourists and locals have been evacuated. One resident describes the terrifying moments of her escape. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAY WEDELIN-LEE, MAUI RESIDENT: One of the palm trees that were 40 feet up in the air, once the flames hit that and the heat came and hit us in the face. It was like, maybe like 50 to 100 yards away, you know. We were like, we got to go. So we just ran out in panic mode and just -- we want to stay together, stay together but there was no time to wait for anybody. Like I just jumped in my truck and smoke -- it was like 4:00 or 5:00 in the afternoon and it was pitch black. It was like it was nighttime because the smoke was so thick and so dark. It was just panic. People were crying on the side of the road and begging. There was a man -- I never going to forget him as long as I live -- he laid in the middle of the road and just cried and pleaded to Jesus that we were going to be safe. You know, it was --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: The fire is now contained and President Biden has green lit a disaster declaration that will free up federal aid for Hawaii. CNN's Veronica Miracle has further details from Maui.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is anybody still out here. It's time to go.
VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chaos and panic, as the relentless wildfires continue to ravage the paradise island of Maui, leaving loss and destruction in its wake.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God.
MIRACLE (voice-over): Some residents escaping by boat, watching the flames engulf their town as they sailed away. Historic Lahaina essentially gone as the fire torched hundreds of houses, cars, and businesses.
We caught up with volunteers today in Kahului harbor, where they were loading up supplies to be taken to nearby Napili.
CAMPBELL FARRELL, VOLUNTEER COORDINATING RELIEF EFFORTS: We've been hit by firebombs, was so big, they were sucking oxygen out of the air. People don't have oxygen to breathe.
I think this is an absolutely top-level national disaster. We've never seen anything like it. I've been here 32 years.
MIRACLE (voice-over): The before and after images show the horrific scene left behind and fears of a rising death toll.
DEANNE CRISWELL, FEMA ADMINISTRATOR: What we're seeing is just this widespread devastation, across many different neighborhoods in Maui.
MIRACLE (voice-over): For some who escaped like Florian Doyal who was able to get out with his kids and dog, Visu (ph), a feeling of guilt that he couldn't do more to help others. FLORIAN DOYAL, ESCAPED FIRE ON MAUI: There's a lot of people, more than 36 people that didn't make it. I tried to warn a lot -- as many people as I could. We tried. There was a lot of people like -- I think it was just like so chaotic that nobody knew, there was no phone connections, and as much as I was trying to save and let people know, there was no options. I just had to go. I went and got my kids, and now I got the news that there's like so many friends that --
[04:05:00]
MIRACLE (voice-over): The Coast Guard pulled more than 50 people from the ocean, who had jumped into escape the flames.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Still got dead bodies in the water, floating, and on the seawall.
MIRACLE (voice-over): Nearly 11,000 customers remain without power. More than 2,000 residents are in shelters, and thousands of travelers are still stranded on the island. The National Guard reports, they dropped 150,000 gallons of water over the fires Wednesday, to help suppress the flames. And while the fires still rage on, the search and rescue efforts continue.
MAJ. GEN. KENNETH HARRA, ADJUTANT GENERAL, STATE OF HAWAII, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: The primary focus is to save lives and to prevent human suffering and then mitigate great property loss.
MIRACLE (voice-over): Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke toured the damage by helicopter Wednesday and was shocked by what she witnessed.
LT. GOV. SYLVIA LUKE, (D) HAWAII: It looked as if -- it's just the whole town was devastated.
MIRACLE: The one road into Lahaina remains closed. People can leave, but they can't go back in. And others have been waiting on the side of the road hoping that the moment this road opens up they can go see their homes and their community. But the governor of Hawaii saying earlier today, he estimates about 80 percent of Lahaina has been decimated. There is a glimmer of good news, that fire that decimated Lahaina, it is now 80 percent contained. Firefighters have been able to make forward progress despite these conditions.
Veronica Miracle, CNN, Maui, Hawaii.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: Another casualty from the Lahaina wildfire is a majestic tree that has become a symbol of Maui's culture. 46 trunks, this sprawling banyan tree is one of the largest in the U.S. but it's now lost much of its vegetation. The tree stretches an entire block and has provided shade to generations of locals and visitors. It was imported from India and planted in front the town's courthouse back in 1873 and it's been a national historic landmark for more six decades now.
Lawyers for Donald Trump are set to make their first appearance before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan today. She scheduled a hearing on the handling of the evidence on the case against Trump for plotting to overturn the 2020 election. The special counsel is asking for jury selection in that trial to start in December with a presentation of evidence beginning January 2 of next year.
Trump's attorneys are expected to push back given all the former president's other legal entanglements. They include fraud, defamation and hush money cases in New York, plus charges that Trump mishandled classified documents after he left the White House.
Judge Chutkan also said that she could have something to say today about Trump's recent attacks on special counsel Jack Smith. The former president has repeatedly called him deranged. And on Thursday he lashed out at the proposed January trial date posting on social media:
Only an out of touch lunatic would ask for such a date one day into the New Year. The trial should only happen, if at all, after the election.
Meanwhile in Florida, Trump's co-defendants in the Mar-a-Lago case, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira appeared in court. Nauta pleaded not guilty but De Oliveira, is arraignment was postponed.
And in Michigan, all 16 people charged in the fake elector scheme have now pleaded not guilty. They each face eight felony charges including multiple counts of forgery.
His legal problems notwithstanding, Donald Trump will campaign at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday and so with almost everybody else. But if any of those Republican challengers hope to catch Trump, they still have a very long way to go. We get more now from CNN's Jeff Zeleny.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The annual Iowa State Fair is unfolding with a hearty sign of politics as nearly every Republican presidential candidate is descending on the state in the coming days to make their case to Iowans about their presidential hopes. Now of course the Iowa caucuses opened the 2024 Republican nominating contest on January 15th, leaving the candidates less than six months to make their case.
Now there is no doubt that Donald Trump is the frontrunner in this campaign. He will be here at the state fair on Saturday. But several others are as well. But his former Vice President Mike Pence was visiting the fair on Thursday, was asked a very pointed question about his actions on January 6. He defended them like this.
MIKE PENCE, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Here's almost no idea more unamerican than the notion that any one person could pick the American president. I mean, the American presidency belongs to the American people and the American people alone. People deserve to know that on that day, the former president asked me to choose him over my oath to the Constitution. I chose the Constitution and I always will.
ZELENY: And from that crowd at least, he received applause. Of course, this is still an uphill challenge for the former vice president to make his way through this very crowded primary with so many other candidates.
[04:10:00]
Now of course, the Iowa caucuses are less than six months away, but before that critically is the first Republican presidential debate. That takes place in less than two weeks in Milwaukee.
Now four candidates have already signed the loyalty pledge that requires them to sign to support the nominee to get on stage. Former President Donald Trump has not said if he will compete in the debate or not. But clearly the Republican campaign is heating up as many of the other candidates are trying to catch the frontrunner as they define themselves and introduce themselves to Iowa voters.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Des Moines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: A team of FBI agents is expected to help Ecuador investigate the shocking assassination of a presidential candidate. Six Colombian nationals are now being held in connection with Wednesday's fatal shooting in the capital. All are said to be members of organized criminal groups. Police raids reportedly netted a machine gun, grenades and other weapons, as well as two motorcycles and a stolen car that was used by the men. The suspect gunman died in the exchange of gun fire with police just after the attack.
And we also have a major development in the difficult contentious relationship between the U.S. and Iran. Five Americans have been released from an Iranian prison and are now under house arrest according to one of their attorneys. We know the identities of three of the men declared by the State Department to be wrongfully detained. A source says it could take weeks before they returned to the U.S.
The deal calls for the U.S. to release $6 billion of Iranian funds that are frozen in South Korea. But that money can be used only for non-sanctionable trade including food and medicine. More now from CNN's Kylie Atwood at the U.S. State Department.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The White House confirming five Americans held by Iran are a step closer to freedom.
ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, good afternoon, everyone.
ATWOOD (voice-over): Freedom that for the United States will come at a price.
BLINKEN: My belief is that this is the beginning of the end of their nightmare and the nightmare that their families have experienced.
ATWOOD (voice-over): Four Americans today being moved out of Iran's notorious Evin Prison and joining a fifth under house arrest. Three of them, Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz and Emad Shargi have been held by Iran for years. Sources telling CNN their full freedom is part of an elaborate, multinational effort involving billions of dollars and a potential prisoner swap.
Among those potential plans, giving Tehran easier access to $6 billion in Iranian funds currently held in South Korea. A source familiar with the negotiations saying there would still be strict limitations on how that money could be used. For their part, Iran also said that five Iranian prisoners in the U.S. would be released as part of the deal.
But the Biden administration still needs to finalize some details in the coming weeks, leaving plenty of room for something to go wrong.
JARED GENSER, LAWYER FOR SIAMAK NAMAZI: All we know now today with any assurances are that they are out under house arrest. And what happens next is anyone's guess.
ATWOOD (voice-over): National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson called their move to house arrest, quote, an encouraging step, but said that the Biden administration will not rest until they are back in the U.S., calling ongoing negotiations delicate.
Siamak Namazi is the longest-held American prisoner. Arrested in 2015 and left behind in multiple deals between the U.S. and Iran that freed other Americans. His brother telling CNN this in 2021.
BABAK NAMAZI, BROTHER OF SIAMAK NAMAZI: Each time I saw a light at the end of the tunnel, it turned out to be a fast-moving train, unfortunately.
ATWOOD (voice-over): And Siamak was so desperate to get out that he courageously called CNN's Christiane Amanpour from behind bars earlier this year.
SIAMAK NAMAZI: Desperate times call for desperate measures.
ATWOOD (voice-over): Kylie Atwood, CNN, the State Department.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: Still to come, U.S. President Biden wants to send Ukraine billions in more aid. What the money will be used for and why it may not be such an easy sell to lawmakers.
Plus, the U.S. Supreme Court puts a $6 billion opioid settlement on hold. Details of the unprecedented deal for the former heads of Purdue Pharma that's raising eyebrows.
And later on, golfer Phil Mickelson responds to allegations that he considered betting on a tournament that he played in.
[04:15:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NOBILO: U.S. President Biden is asking Congress for more than $24 billion for Ukraine and other international needs. The request includes more than $13 billion in security assistance, $7.3 million for economic and humanitarian needs and over $3 billion to fund infrastructure in countries affected by the war. President Biden's request comes amid signs of softening support for the war in Ukraine. A recent CNN poll found 55 percent of Americans believe that Congress should not authorize additional funding for Ukraine and that is compared for 45 percent who said lawmakers should OK more aid.
And we're learning more about a new wave of Russian missile strikes on Ukraine. Air defenses have been at work in the capital of Kyiv and a region in western Ukraine. And we're also fearing that some missile fragments have fallen on the major city. Now Salma Abdelaziz joins me to discuss this. Salma, what more can you tell us about these recent missile attacks that's truly relentless overnight for Ukrainians?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, in the early hours of this morning, families were told to take shelter because the air defense systems were at work. Officials in Kyiv saying that Kinzhal cruise missiles -- these are hypersonic missiles fired by the air -- were making their way towards the capital. We do understand now that the air raid sirens have been turned off and they are assessing the damage. Some frags have landed in Kyiv so we'll wait and see if there are any casualties or damage there. There's also been attacks to the south of the capital in a region that's often been targeted because there is an Ukrainian air base there. So a continuation there of course of Russian attacks far from those front lines.
[04:20:00]
Speaking of those front lines, Ukrainian officials saying today that Russian troops are essentially trying to pull them away from the southern front. Which of course, has been Kyiv's main focus towards the northern, words Kharkiv where Ukrainian forces say that Russia has been sending reinforcements, tank reinforcements, airborne division troops, essentially using their airpower, air support, their air superiority to try to launch further and intensify attacks in that northern region. In fact, so intense were these attacks that one region near Kharkiv -- a city near Kharkiv -- Kupyansk was ordered, families were ordered to evacuate from their homes this week. Officials there saying that dozens of airstrikes were occurring every single day in that region.
Russia is claiming that it has been able, again, along its northern front, to make some gains. We'll see if they have been able to solidify them or if Ukraine able to push back. But it yet again illustrates the issue in this counteroffensive, which is that you have hundreds of miles of frontlines of active fighting, Ukrainian forces stretched thin. Their resources stretched thin. Russia able to push and pull, distract as they can, using their air superiority, of course, on the ground. And amid all this, as you mentioned, President Biden requesting $24 billion in additional aid with very few successes in hand so far.
NOBILO: Last night, Ukraine time, we received word that hotel in Zaporizhzhia and also been hit. And my sources tell me that that's a hotel that government officials or the IAEA often stay at. What more do you know about that attack? ABDELAZIZ: So this is an attack that the United Nations called
appalling and utterly inadmissible. It is a hotel, again, in the Zaporizhzhia region and is used by the United Nations, by other humanitarian organizations. We actually have video to show you of the aftermath of that attack. It's also used as a children's camp. Now by just a stroke of luck those children were left -- their time at that camp ended just an hour prior. I want to let some of sound play just to allow our viewers to hear just the terror on the ground in that attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SOUNDS OF BOMBS, PEOPLE RUNNING AND SCREAMING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABDELAZIZ: Absolutely horrifying. And again, for the United Nations, for Ukrainians, this is another illustration of civilians of innocents being caught in the crossfire.
NOBILO: And complete disregard for any kind of international conventions on how anybody should participate in a conflict. But obviously, we would expect that. Salma Abdelaziz, thank you so much.
As Ukraine tries to make a breakthrough in its counteroffensive, Russian state media are making their own push on the airwaves. Their take on the Ukrainian offensive is that it's already dead in the water. Matthew Chance reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is how the Russians say they're taking advantage of Ukraine's flagging counteroffensive.
Latest defense ministry pictures showing Russian forces advancing on land and in the air. We can't independently verify Russian claims but officials here insist they're now making daily military gains on the battlefield.
IGOR KONASHENKOV, SPOKESPERSON, RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY (through translator): During the day, seven counter attacks from armed forces of Ukraine were successfully repelled in Kharkiv region.
CHANCE (voice-over): On the country's flagship news show, they're already branding Ukraine's counteroffensive a bust. Looping videos of Ukrainian troops in Western-supplied kit getting bogged down, ridiculing. What they say are Western excuses for Ukraine's failure.
At first, Westerners justified Ukrainian failures with the weather. General frost, the anchor says. Later it was general mud. And now it's the turn of General thistle. The Russian army is now aided by the greenery. This insurmountable obstacle is why the Ukrainian army is failing to push forward, supposedly, she says.
In fact, Ukraine says it is making progress, albeit slow. Without the weapons, it says it desperately needs to overcome heavily defended Russian lines.
And it's going on the offense, stepping up drone attacks on Russian shipping and other targets to pressure Moscow and disrupt supply lines, bringing home Russia's special military operation like never before.
We're all shocked that it's happening here, says this woman in Moscow. But we're not politicians, so we don't want to comment, she told local media.
[04:25:03]
I've got two kids and want to stop being ashamed that they were born in this time, says another. Her face blurred to protect her identity.
But on the battlefield, Ukraine's slow progress is fueling Kremlin hopes that a turning point may soon be reached and that patience with Ukraine in the West may eventually run out.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: For the first time in 47 years, Russia has successfully launched an unmanned spacecraft to the moon. The Lunar 25 is expected to enter an orbit around the earth before transferring to a lunar orbit and then descend to the surface of the moon. The Lunar and an Indian spacecraft that launched last month, are both expected to land at moon's south pole on August 23. It's really a race to see which country will land first.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five, three, two, one, release, release, release.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: More than a decade after it began selling tickets, Virgin Galactic has finally launched its first tourists to the edge of space. The spacecraft BSS Unity traveled more than 80 kilometers above the earth's surface. The altitude the U.S. government considers to be the boundary of the outer space. Unity carried three paying customers on board. About 800 customers previously bought tickets to go into space with Virgin Galactic, at prices as high as $450,000 each.
Ahead, the death toll from the Hawaiian wildfires keeps creeping up as survivors describe what they've lost. And it's a lot as you'd imagine.
