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CNN International: Georgia D.A. Expected to Present Election Case to Grand Jury; Hawaii Authorities Limit Access to Disaster Zone in Maui; Ukraine: Three Injured in Russian Attacks on Odesa; China Condemns Transit of Taiwan's Vice President Through U.S.; Police Raid Kansas Newspaper Office, Publisher's Home. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired August 14, 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 welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Bianca Nobilo in London. And Max Foster is off for this week. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are serious charges that are -- racketeering, conspiracy, RICO. I mean, these that are garnered for the mafia or the mob.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What were they thinking? It's so plainly something that campaign can't get involved in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kids screaming, babies being handed off to other people. It was something out of a volcano or like a war movie.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The entire historic town of Lahaina burned to the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we'll find out what we could have done to prevent such loss of life to the best of our ability.

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ANNOUNCER live in London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo.

NOBILO: It is Monday, August 14, 9:00 a.m. here in London, 4:00 a.m. in Atlanta. Where Fulton County's district attorney is expected to present the case on Donald Trump's alleged election subversion this week. She could possibly seek more than a dozen indictment including a fourth round of charges for the former president. It comes as CNN has exclusive new details on the case. Sources say Georgia prosecutors have new evidence linking Trump's legal team to a 2021 voting system breach in Coffee County. CNN's Zachary Cohen explains the significance of that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ZACHARY COHEN, CNN U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Specifically these text messages show that lawyers working for Trump actively sought to get a written letter of indication from a local election worker in Coffee County in the days leading up to the breach. This show that they were involved in the planning. Lawyers like Rudy Giuliani and former Trump attorney Sydney Powell both were very knowledgeable and helped coordinate the breach in the days leading up to it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: This video obtained by CNN back in 2021 shows local officials allowing operatives working for one of Trump's attorneys, access to voting machines. Investigators believe Trump's associates attempted to access voting systems after the 2020 election to support his baseless claims of election fraud. Some of the people involved could also see charges in the Fulton County case.

This week we're expecting to hear testimonies from current and former Georgia officials, including former Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan. Here is what he had to say.

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GEOFF DUNCAN, FORMER GEORGIA LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: I did just receive notification to appear on Tuesday morning at the Fulton County grand jury and I certainly will be there to do my part in recounting the fact. I have no expectations as to the questions and I'll certainly answer whatever questions put in front of me and certainly don't want to go any deeper than that to, you know, jeopardize or compromise the investigation. But for me, this is a story that is important for Republicans to hear -- Americans to hear. Let's hear the whole truth and nothing but the truth about Donald Trump's actions and the surrounding cast of characters around him.

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NOBILO: Fulton County DA Fani Willis is investigating a wide array of potential crimes allegedly committed by the former president including solicitation of election fraud, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of oath in office and more. CNN legal analysts explain Willis's tactics with these possible charges.

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NORM EISEN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: The racketeering laws, there is a federal model, but the states have also adopted it. And Georgia has one of the most powerful in the country. A long list of federal crimes, plus 40 Georgia state crimes can allow Fani Willis to charge RICO.

She's done it numerous times on high profile cases in the past. And that's exactly what Rico does. It pulls together those three conspiracies we were talking abou, including this hacking conspiracy into one large case that you can present to a jury where you say, hey, what was the point of those fake electoral certificates? What was the point of pressing Georgia officials to do the wrong thing? What was the point of the computer hacking? The same point all of these people were working together in one as we put it enterprise in order for Donald Trump to allegedly hang on to his office when we know that he had lost the election.

HARRY LITMAN, FORMER U.S. DEPUTY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: The distinctive thing about the Willis indictment that we're waiting on is it has so many defendants.

[04:05:00]

So even if it is simply that this crime stops at Powell and Giuliani, it's still very damning of the campaign as a whole and will be part and parcel of charges that certainly will include Trump in many fashions if not this one specifically.

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NOBILO: Meantime, Fulton County is putting in place additional security measures in case an indictment takes place this week. CNN correspondent Isabel Rosales has the latest details for you.

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ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well the big question here is, will Fulton County be yet another place where Trump is charged and arrested. Regardless of that answer, it appears that Fulton County is ready. They have an increased police presence around the courthouse right here -- and you can see that. And often times we're seeing law enforcement officers patrolling around the courthouse. And also these barricades, orange and white, that have been set up and they're doing road closures as well to control who goes in and out of this sensitive area.

And it's not just the building but also the very visual face of this investigation in Fulton County into Donald Trump and that is Fani Willis, the Fulton County DA. According to a source who's familiar with law enforcement movements in Atlanta, she has received additional security protection near her home.

And Willis has recently urged local officials to stay vigilant about any security threats. In an email obtained by CNN, Willis shared racist and sexualized messages that she has received due to this investigation and also similar threatening voice mails. The Sheriff Patrick Labat, he is the man in charge of security here on the ground in Fulton County. He says that his team is prepared.

SHERIFF PATRICK LABAT, FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA: So we are living in technology, right? We want to make sure we focus on the latest and the greatest. What that looks like, how it can really create a force multiplier for us. But then we as many as four or five other sheriff offices that are coming in to help across those particular parameters and making sure holistically, we are safe. So we're ready.

ROSALES: And Trump has been over the past couple of months been attacking Willis on campaign events and on Truth Social with what he's been saying against her. Willis has previously said that due to Trump's rhetoric, securities concerns have escalated.

Isabel Rosales, CNN, Atlanta.

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NOBILO: Hawaii's main electric provider is now facing legal action over the state's devastating wildfires. A lawsuit claims Hawaiian Electric Industries and its subsidiaries they kept power lines live during high winds driving the destructive fires responsible for at least 93 deaths. The fire in Lahaina is now the deadliest in the U.S. in over a century. About 60 percent of Hawaii Electric customers on Maui now have their power restored and the governor has declared his fifth emergency proclamation. We're also learning about the astonishing speed of the fire that ripped through Lahaina last week.

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JOSH GREEN, HAWAII GOVERNOR: The fire traveled one mile every minute resulting in this tragedy. With those kinds of winds and 1,000-degree temperatures, ultimately all the pictures that you will see will be easy to understand. Because that level of destruction in a fire, hurricane is something new to us in this age of global warm was the ultimate reason that so many people perished.

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NOBILO: The governor also said about 2,700 structures were destroyed in Lahaina, most of them people's homes. Now residents are slowly starting to sift through the debris. CNN's Mike Valerio is in Maui with this report.

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MIKE VALERIO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right now we're at Waihee, which is the only way to get into the disaster zone for residents to access the areas near Lahaina. So we're going to show you what is going on. These officers from Maui police are checking to make sure that anybody who goes in here is in fact a resident, not a tourist and not somebody who would engage in looting from out of town somewhere from a different part of the island.

Some people who we have met, they have told us that this is a profoundly emotional juncture for them as they move from this lush landscape to try to move and see through this area and see what has survived. We met a woman Susan who told us exactly that. Listen to what she said.

SUSAN SLOBODNJAK, 31 YEAR MAUI RESIDENT: Well I drove through Lahaina for the first time on Friday. OK, I again live up north, you know, 7 miles out of Lahaina and the night of the fires we were watching the sunset on one side and it seemed like the sunset from the other side from the flames -- and we did not know how serious it was.

And when I drove through on Friday, I had no clue what I was going through. Everything was gone. I worked at the Chart House in 1991, it is flat to the ground. There's houses that I used to live in Lahaina that I don't even know where they were. And you know, I lost friends in there, you know, they were going back to get their animals, you know, and she died. So I mean, you know it's really sad because people come over here, you know.

[04:10:00]

I heard there was a snorkeling boat looking at Lahaina town. Give them respect, you know. It's so bad. This is -- you know, people died here. I mean, it's not just a vacation -- is not just a place for vacation. We live here.

VALERIO: Just utterly heartbreaking to hear vignettes and sentiments like that as we look out at the ocean to give you some more perspective. Just the juxtaposition as you see that as your beautiful ocean -- this beautiful corner of the world and then just a couple miles down the road, you'll see the moonscape, seared, scarred. We also want to note, you know, about this road, it narrows into one lane of traffic. That's one of the reasons why it's so hard and so slow for people to get into the disaster zone to figure out what has survived and how they move forward.

Mike Valerio, CNN, Maui, Hawaii.

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NOBILO: More than 90 million Americans are starting the week under heat alerts across the South and Pacific Northwest. In parts of the self the heat index could reach as high as 117 degrees and the entire state Louisiana is under an excessive heat warning too. Meantime, more than 100 million people across the Eastern U.S. are under severe storm threat today. The risk stretches from eastern Tennessee and Kentucky to the southern part of the Northeast. The main threats are damaging wind gusts, isolated tornadoes and large hail.

We're following developments out of Ukraine where at least three people have been injured in Russian missile and drone attacks on the southern region of Odesa. One official says multiple fires were sparked by falling missile debris. Meantime, Ukraine's foreign ministry is strongly condemning Russia's provocative actions -- that's a quote -- in the Black Sea. This after Russia defense ministry said one of its warships fired warning shots and servicemen boarded a cargo ship that it claims was headed to Ukraine.

So to get into both of those stories, CNN's Clare Sebastian joins us now in London with more. And Clare, what more have we heard from officials for our sources about those overnight attacks on the southern ports that's near Odesa?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so as you know Odesa has targeted right after Russia pulled out of the grain deal and multiple attacks over the course of about a week and a half. Seem to be targeting the ports. This time we're seeing that debris from missiles. The Air Force is saying that it shot down some 15 attack drones and some eight Kinzhal missiles where fired from the Black Sea.

But if you look at the pictures, extraordinary to think that that is caused by debris alone. That the Air Force is describing it as an antiaircraft battle that happened in the skies over Odesa. They're not ruling out at this point that the ports could have been targeted. That this hit in the center of the city, a supermarket, a dormitory belonging to an educational institution, three people injured at this point. So it looks like they avoided the worst effect of this, but a major operation now to put out those fires.

And separately we're hearing this morning of more attacks in the Zaporizhzhia region. A village near Zaporizhzhia City where a man and woman in their 70s were killed. And two more people killed in Kherson Monday morning after a very deadly Sunday which saw an entire family killed including a three-week-old baby. So pretty violent weekend that we've seen for civilians in Ukraine.

NOBILO: And the other story that I just mentioned, is this one about Russia engaging a cargo ship. I think the home port was Istanbul. Obviously, Russia and Turkey have often a mutually beneficial relationship. What more can you tell us about the timeline of events and what does this mean?

SEBASTIAN: Yes, so I think it's fair to interpret these warning shots -- as the Russian ministry of defense describes them -- as directed not only against this individual ship, right? Because Russia has warned ever since pulling out of that grain deal that it will consider any ship heading to Ukrainian ports -- as it says this one was -- as potentially carrying weapons.

So this is according to the Russian ministry of defense. One is to carry out inspection. Apparently, the ship's captain did not respond to their request to stop and let them board. They ended up having to fire these warning shots, they say, and then put a sort of helicopter loaded servicemen onto the ship where they seems to have carry out the inspection. And then let the ship carry-on along its way.

Right now, according to the marine traffic -- it's tracking data -- its on its way to Sulina, which is above a Romanian port on the mouth of the Danube on the Black Sea, on the way to Izmail, which is the Ukrainian river port in the Danube. Which Russia says the ship was heading for. Right now we really only have Russia's word for it. We're trying to get hold of the owner of the ship to get more. But it's a bit hard to track that down at the moment. So mysterious, but I think clearly Russia asserting its control over that region.

NOBILO: And just very briefly, there's no sort of nonaligned countries which would be able. Out these inspections.

SEBASTIAN: Right now, no. I mean there's no agreement now that the Black Sea deal has elapsed.

NOBILO: Clare Sebastian, thank you so much.

[04:15:00]

China is condemning the transit of Taiwan's Vice President William Lai, through to the U.S. Lai arrived in New York on Saturday where he was welcomed at the airport by one of Washington's unofficial representative to Taipei. He is scheduled to leave today for Paraguay where he will attend the inauguration of the Paraguayan president on Tuesday.

To talk about this, CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us now live from Seoul in South Korea. Paula, China has called William Lai a troublemaker. This is also potentially more significant because from what I understand, he's the frontrunner to become Taiwan's next president. Talk to us about the context of this in the midst of deteriorating relations between the U.S. and China.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Bianca, this individual -- he is a vice president -- but as you say, he is also a key presidential candidate in upcoming elections in Taiwan. So whatever he does, Beijing is going to be watching very closely indeed.

He has also done this in the past. Back in January of last year, he went on an overseas trip and transited through the United States. And other officials, including the President Tsai Ing-wen have also done this in recent months. And it has always provoked a strong reaction from Beijing. The Communist Party considers Taiwan to be a part of its territory despite never actually having controlled the self-governing island, the democratic island and this is where the tension lies. So William Lai himself, he was in the U.S. on Sunday. He met up with some Taiwanese American community members. This is what he said to Beijing.

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WILLIAM LAI, TAIWANESE VICE PRESIDENT (through translator): So at this decisive moment, I want to promise once again at this time and place that no matter how great the threat of authoritarianism is to Taiwan, we absolutely will not be scared nor cower. We will uphold the values of democracy and freedom.

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HANCOCKS: Now senior U.S. administration officials have said that these transit visits are from senior officials are unofficial. And it is in keeping with the one China policy. But that's simply not good enough for Beijing. They have consistently had an angry response to these transit visits.

And we have a statement from the foreign ministry saying that they firmly oppose any official interaction between the U.S. And Taiwan also saying that Lai clings stubbornly to the separatist position for Taiwan independence. He is a troublemaker through and through.

And just a few months ago, as I say, President Tsai Ing-wen also transited through the United States. She also met with senior U.S. officials on her way to Guatemala and Belize, including Kevin McCarthy the House Speaker -- Bianca.

NOBILO: Paula, north of where you are, Kim Jong-un has been encouraging his country to boost missile production and doing so in his characteristically theatrical way.

HANCOCKS: That's right, we have new images through from state run media in North Korea showing that the guidance that Kim Jong-un has been giving to his officials, these particular ones, where on Friday -- according to KCNA last week. And it was munitions factories, major weapons factories that he was touring.

And the narrative did say that he is calling for a significant increase in his missile production capacity. Say North Korea needs to be able to respond to any war at any time. So it's a continuation of this strong rhetoric we have been seeing from North Korea. And it comes just a few days, just a week in fact, before military drills between the U.S. and South Korea which again will likely provoke a response -- Bianca.

NOBILO: Paula Hancocks always great to speak to you. Thank you so much. Paula for us in Seoul

Still ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, a brazen smash and grab caught on video in broad daylight at a shopping mall. What officials are saying right now after this store was cleaned out in just a matter of minutes.

And officials are working to find out what triggered a house explosion in Pennsylvania. Why they say the investigation could last months if not years?

Plus, U.S. Republican presidential hopefuls are taking their campaign pitches to the Iowa State Fair. We're there with corn dogs, games and a lot of mud slinging as well.

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NOBILO: In Michigan two people safely ejected from a vintage fighter jet during an air show on Sunday. In this video you can see their parachutes opening up as they burst out of the plane. The jet later crashed into a parking lot of an apartment complex and thankfully no one on the ground was hurt. And the two people who ejected didn't suffer significant injuries. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate this incident.

Meanwhile, two people were killed in North Carolina when a small plane crashed in to a lake early Sunday. Officials in the city of Hickory say the plane hit power lines on the way down knocking out electricity to more than 17,000 customers. It was mostly restored by Sunday evening. Federal authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.

Five people including a teenager are now known to have died in a massive home explosion outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This video shows the moment the house exploded Saturday morning blowing out windows and doors throughout the neighborhood. Three homes were destroyed and at least a dozen were damaged. Authorities are now working to determine the cause.

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STEVE IMBARLINA, ASST. CHIEF, ALLEGHENY COUNTY EMERGENCY: Now that we're at this phase, the cause and origin investigation of our fire marshal's office will begin in earnest. Please understand that this will be a slow and long process as things need to be tested and there will be lots of forensic testing to be able to prove anything one way or another.

[04:25:00]

And that this investigation may last months, if not years. So, please keep that in mind. It's a slow process.

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NOBILO: CNN affiliate KDKA reports that this is the third house explosion in the area in 15 years. One happened last year and another in 2008.

A Kansas police department is facing criticism after it raided the offices of a local newspaper and the home of its publisher, seizing computers and other records. Dozens of news organizations sent letters to the police chief urging him to immediately return all of the seized materials. They say that the raid naturally raises concerns about press freedom. CNN's Polo Sandoval has more.

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One press freedom group here in the United States says that the Friday rate that targeted the Marion County Record, not far from Wichita, Kansas, not only violates federal law, but also the First Amendment.

Now in terms of what we've heard from Eric Meyer, he's the co-owner of the publication. He tells CNN that the Marion County Police Department raided both his home and his publication's office last week. He adds that police seized things like computers, cell phones, and other materials. Meyer suggesting that this was all partly triggered by a story that was published mentioning Kari Newell, the owner of a local coffee shop.

Meyer explaining that he and his colleagues received a confidential tip about Newell allegedly driving without a driver's license rather than publish a story based on that tip. Meyer says that he consulted with an attorney and then notified local law enforcements that the newspaper, his newspaper, had come into the contact or at least into the possession of some possible sensitive materials.

Meyer says that police then notified Newell. What followed was the issuing of a search warrant alleging violations of identity theft and authorizing the seizure of any documents pertaining to Newell. Newell, for her part, telling CNN that she was, quote, flabbergasted when she learned about the raid and denied knowing that it was even in the works.

Meyer, claiming that law enforcement did not provide him with much information, only handed him a copy of that search warrant. During the search, Meyer's 98-year-old mother, who was home at the time. She was there. Meyer confirming for CNN that she died earlier this weekend, and he believes that it was from stress that was brought on by that search, though an exact cause of death has not yet been confirmed. The Marion County Police Chief says that he is confident that the judicial system that is currently being questioned will eventually be vindicated.

CNN has also reached out to the Marion County magistrate, who is initially the one who signed that warrant. It is certainly a complicated story, to say the least, but albeit quite an important one to follow, as is small Kansas town is now caught in the middle of a battle over the First Amendment.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Still to come, the former U.S. President Donald Trump could be facing another indictment, this time in Georgia. But that's not stopping him from hitting the campaign trail.

Plus, an attorney for Hunter Biden is speaking out about the possibility that the president's son will be put on trial. We'll hear from him next.

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