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CNN International: Trump Pleads Not Guilty, Waives Arraignment; Republican Gov. Kemp Rejects Calls for Special Session; Thomas and Alito Disclose Trips Paid for by Conservatives; Russia Reports Drone Attacks on Moscow, Kursk Regions; China Issues Highest Alert for Typhoon Saola; Maui Residents Still Reeling from Devastating Fires; 74 Dead in Johannesburg Fire; Cause Under Investigation. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired September 01, 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]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, hello there and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Bianca Nobilo.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: With amazing transporter skill.

NOBILO: I know I've just moved from another studio in less than a minute.

FOSTER: I'm Max Foster. Joining you live from London, just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Donald Trump, in his own words, quote, I do hereby waive formal arraignment and enter my plea of not guilty. I fully understand the nature of the offenses charged.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have not seen any evidence that DA Willis's actions, or lack thereof, warrant action by the prosecuting Attorney Oversight Commission. We're going to follow the law in the Constitution. Regardless of who it helps or harms politically.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today is going to be a good day, I'm not going to cry. You hug the first person and that's all you want to do is cry. I don't want to be upset. But nothing's moving.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo.

FOSTER: It is Friday, September the 1st, 9:00 a.m. here in London, 4:00 a.m. in Atlanta, where former President Donald Trump has again pleaded not guilty. This time to racketeering charges related to his alleged efforts to overturn his election loss in Georgia. The judge in that case has signaled his intention to televise and live stream all proceedings going forward, but Trump has waived next week's arraignment so he won't be seen in court.

NOBILO: Meanwhile, the judge could rule at any time on a motion by co- defendant Mark Meadows, Trump's former chief of staff, who wants his case moved from Georgia to a federal court. A ruling in Meadows's favor could dramatically alter the dynamics of the Fulton County case.

FOSTER: CNN's Sarah Murray has the latest from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump officially entering his plea of not guilty in the sprawling racketeering case he faces in Fulton County, Georgia, where he and 18 other co-defendants were charged for their efforts to allegedly try to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. Donald Trump is now one of five again of the 19 co-defendants in that case who have entered not guilty pleas and we waived their right to an arraignment. That means we're not going to see Donald Trump showing up next week in the Fulton County Courthouse. We won't see him on camera there as many had expected.

And now it's a question of what happens next for Donald Trump's case? His attorney has moved to sever his case from other do-defendants, saying well, there are some who want to move ahead speedily with this trial and move ahead to trial in October of 2023. Donald Trump is not one of them. His attorney say there's no way he's going to be ready for trial by then.

It's also possible we could see Donald Trump's team try to move this into federal court. They have not made that attempt yet, but others involved in this case have. Trump's team may be waiting to see how his other do-defendants fair in their arguments before they make their play to move Trump's case to federal court.

Sara Murray, CNN Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Some Republican lawmakers in Georgia have been demanding a special session to punish the woman leading the case against Trump and many of his co-defendants. But Georgia's Republican governor is not on board.

FOSTER: Brian Kemp says he's seen no evidence that Fani Willis did anything to deserve impeachment or the defunding of her office. He called a special session unfeasible and possibly unconstitutional.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN KEMP, (R) GEORGIA GOVERNOR: The bottom line is that in the state of Georgia, as long as I'm governor, we're going to follow the law and the Constitution, regardless of who it helps or harms politically. And in Georgia, we will not be engaging in political theater that only inflames the motions of the moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP) NOBILO: New financial disclosures from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito revealed gifts and travel paid for by conservatives. Alito's new filing includes a trip that he took to Rome that was paid for by the conservative Notre Dame Law School's Religious Liberty Initiative. Thomas is disclosing for the first-time private jet trips paid for by Republican mega donor Harlan Crow.

FOSTER: There were two trips on Crow's private plane to Texas and New York. Also listed three properties Thomas sold to Crow. Those transactions were not previously disclosed by the justice but had been revealed by ProPublica.

[04:05:00]

Here's how one former federal judge weighed in on the matter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GERTNER, FORMER U.S. FEDERAL JUDGE: The notion, for example, that, as Justice Thomas said in the latest disclosure that he had to take a private plane after the Dodd decision because of security issues. Dodd was in May of 2022. That hardly justifies all of the flights that predated that.

Then he said he needed to take one of these private planes for an ice storm. Unless we're prepared to give a fleet of private planes to all of the federal judges on the public dime that it just doesn't make sense. But more significant, this is someone who's simply giving the back of the hand to the existing disclosure rules, and that should be troubling whatever side you're on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: The U.S. markets are likely to be driven by the August jobs report, which is due out in the coming hours. The U.S. economy is expected to have added around 170,000 jobs last month, and the unemployment rate is expected to hold steady at 3.5 percent. Analysts are divided over whether job growth could slow too much and turn negative or if the U.S. economy can maintain its current sweet spot.

For the fourth day in a row, Russia is reporting Ukrainian drone attacks on its soil.

FOSTER: Officials say air defenses intercepted one drone heading in the general direction of Moscow, while another hit a city in the Kursk region on Friday morning, damaging a building. The operations at three Moscow airports were temporarily restricted after those attacks. But flights are now back to normal.

Across the border, Ukraine says its troops are edging towards what could be the toughest line of Russian defenses in the south. It's happening near the village of Robotyne, which Ukrainians recently captured.

NOBILO: But now they're up against a maze of heavily fortified trenches and obstacles that Russia has been building for months. Ukraine has faced criticism that its counteroffensive has been grindingly slow, which prompted an angry response from its Foreign minister on Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DMYTRO KULEBA, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Criticizing the slow pace of counteroffensive equals to spitting into the face of Ukrainian soldier who sacrifices his life every day moving forward and liberating one kilometer of Ukrainian soil after another. I would recommend all critics to shut up. Come to Ukraine and try to liberate one square centimeter by themselves. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy says Ukraine has successfully used a new weapon that hit a target from 700 kilometers away. Didn't give any details about the weapon or the targets. CNN couldn't independently verify that claim.

NOBILO: Katie Polglase is keeping an eye on developments in Ukraine, and she joins us now with more. Good to see you again. Never have so many drones being used in a conflict as this one. But Ukraine, it's difficult to tell exactly what they think they're achieving by these overnight attacks, which aren't causing a huge amount of military consequences. What happened last night and what impact is it having?

KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE PRODUCER: You're right to point that out, because when we actually look at these attacks, they're not having considerable damage to buildings to any kind of infrastructure or causing any casualties or any injuries to people. And it is worth noting that. However, that may not be the tactic here really. The tactic may just be to cause a sense of anxiety, a bit of a war on the psyche, perhaps. To give the sense to Russian people beyond their government that this war is also going to affect them, that these drones are reaching far into Russian territory and well away from the frontline.

And it's clear if we look at how Ukraine is investing in its manufacturing capacity that these drone tactics are here to stay. We heard just this morning. We were looking at some figures from the Ukrainian Government that look at drone manufacturing now double what it was a month ago. So 200 to 300 drone manufacturers just in the last month. In the beginning of the war, it was just 30. So that shows you where this is moving.

And also, as you point out, how this is changing conflicts to come, drones being a key part of this warfare. But it's also worth bearing in mind that this is all happening while there is still a very much on the ground land offensive continuing. It is making some marginal gains. There was some considerable gains in the last couple of days.

There was some interesting notes overnight from the Ukrainians. They're claiming they have now actually broken the Russian's first line of defense. These are these heavily fortified trenches that the Russians have dug in on the southern frontline. Now that is quite notable, and it's notable from what that sound bite earlier from the Ukrainian Foreign Minister is saying they're sounding defensive. They're sounding quite angry about people's criticism.

And that speaks also to a confidence here that they feel they might start to have the upper hand. They are starting to keep progressing, pushing the Russians back towards that frontline. And it's notable if you look at where they were last week, they captured Robotyne, a small village near the southern frontier. They kept pushing. They didn't stop and they're definitely not retreating. And that speaks to a real sense that they think the war is turning potentially their way.

[04:10:02]

NOBILO: Katie Polglase, thank you so much for joining us.

FOSTER: The United Nations has proposed terms to Russia for the renewal of the Black Sea grain deal, which is critical for global food supply.

NOBILO: Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that he sent a letter with concrete proposals to Russia's foreign minister, but Guterres warned that any renewal of the deal must be stable and not, quote, move from crisis-to-crisis suspension to suspension. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday that he wants to see some guarantees.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): As you know, President Putin has repeatedly officially stated clearly that all measures are taken not on the negotiations of the Russian part of the Black Sea package, but measures are taken to solve all problems that have remained unfulfilled. Despite the promises of the UN Secretary General, who efforts we appreciate, but as soon as the talks turn into more concrete decisions on the same day, we are ready to resume the Ukrainian part of the grain package.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Russia pulled out of the UN brokered deal in July. The Black Sea agreement allowed for safe passage of Ukrainian and Russian exports of grain, fertilizer and other goods.

NOBILO: Just ahead, Hong Kong is bracing for a hit from a major typhoon. We'll tell you how people are preparing for what could be the worst storm to hit the region in years.

FOSTER: Plus, the latest on an inmate who escaped from a Pennsylvania prison after his conviction in the stabbing to death of his girlfriend. Details in the on the manhunt when we come back.

NOBILO: And in the aftermath of deadly wildfires in Hawaii, we've got the latest numbers for those still missing. Stay with us.

[04:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NOBILO: The National Hurricane Center is warning that the danger from tropical storm Idalia is not over. Forecasters say life threatening surf and rip current conditions will persist for the next few days off the southeastern coast.

FOSTER: Meanwhile, in Florida, the clean up is in full swing. Moody's Analytics estimates the hurricane could caused between 12 and $20 billion in damage. President Joe Biden has approved a major disaster declaration for the hardest hit areas, and he plans to tour the damage on Saturday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To the people of Florida and throughout the southeast. I'm here to make clear that our nation has your back and we are not going to -- we're not going to walk away. We're not going to give up. We're not going to slow down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, we are due to get our next update on Typhoon Saola next hour as it approaches Hong Kong and the southern coast of China. It's been weakening somewhat, but forecasters warn it's still a very powerful and dangerous storm. At last report it had maximum sustained winds of around 140 miles an hour, equivalent to a Category 4 Atlantic hurricane.

NOBILO: Saola it's skirting the Hong Kong coast right now and it could make a direct hit, or it could spin away from the city. China has issued a typhoon red warning, its highest level across Guangdong Province, with heavy rain, violent wind and damaging storm surge expected in low lying coastal areas.

Let's go live now to Hong Kong and CNN's Kristie Lu Stout. Kristie, you're working from home because of these conditions and the threat that they might pose. How are Hong Kong and southern China bracing for the arrival of this typhoon?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, Bianca and Max, here in Hong Kong, we are indeed hunkering down for the arrival of Typhoon Saola. Typhoon Signal number eight has been lifted. That's the third highest typhoon warning here in Hong Kong. That has effectively shut down the entire city.

And you're right, that's the reason why I'm working from home. Because most businesses this Friday have been closed. Schools have been closed. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange has been closed. Cathay Pacific, the flagship carrier here in Hong Kong, has canceled virtually all flights to and from the territory. We have a statement from Cathay. Let's bring it up for you. And Cathy says this:

With the exception of CX840 September 1 to New York, JFK, All Cathay Pacific flights arriving and departing from Hong Kong between 2:00 p.m. on Friday and 10;00 on Saturday have been canceled, unquote.

The Hong Kong Airport Authority says 366 flights have been canceled, 40 more have been delayed. We're also closely monitoring the situation in mainland China. On Thursday, mainland Chinese authorities raised the typhoon warning to the highest level. We know that in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, these two mega cities in the south, that schools have been closed this day in Shenzhen starting from 4:00 p.m. That was just the top of the hour. Markets and businesses have been closed. Authorities have urged residents in Shenzhen to stay at home.

And according to Shenhua, they're reporting some 4,000 train services across the province of Guangdong has been suspended. Authorities in China not taking any chances given recent extreme weather events in China.

Quite recently, Beijing and surrounding Hubei province struggled with record-breaking rains and flooding that took the lives of dozens of people and displaced about 1.5 million residents.

As for this current typhoon that's approaching Hong Kong, Typhoon Saola -- I'm looking at conditions outside my window -- more and more steady rain is falling. Winds are starting to pick up. But the Hong Kong Observatory is warning that the conditions will rapidly deteriorate as the storm nears. Residents here advised to stay indoors -- Bianca. Max back to you.

FOSTER: We were just looking at that graphic, Kristie, and there's actually two typhoons heading towards you. What's the story with the other one?

STOUT: Yes, there are two typhoons in the region, so you have Typhoon Saola heading this way towards Hong Kong and southern China and also Typhoon Haikui, which is heading towards Taiwan. It's due to make landfall there to hit Taiwan on Sunday, bringing with it some very heavy rain. And then after that, it will sweep through to eastern China to Jinjiang Province. Hitting an area about 100 to 200 miles south of Shanghai. By the time it hits Eastern China, it is expected to weaken to an equivalent of a category one or category two hurricane. Not a super typhoon, but still a storm of known and one to watch. Back to you guys.

[04:20:00]

FOSTER: OK, Kristie in Hong Kong. Good luck and thank you for joining us.

Now to the latest from Hawaii. After those deadly wildfires raged through Maui at the beginning of August. The state's governor says the official number of people still missing will be updated later today.

NOBILO: Governor Josh Green says he believes the new number will be in the lower double digits, possibly less than 50. CNN's Natasha Chen has more on how the people of Maui are dealing with the disaster.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's hard, it's hard to take in seeing all this devastation. NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even as Lahaina fire survivors take stock of what's left of their historic community --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Make me cry, make me cry.

CHEN (voice-over): -- officials are trying to identify the bodies of those lost, but it is a mystery at the moment how many are still missing. Right now, they're investigating about 100 missing person reports.

KALAI ASUELA, LAHAINA RESIDENT: I'm like, oh, OK, today is going to be a good day, I'm not going to cry. You hug the first person, that's all you wanted to do is cry.

CHEN (voice-over): Kalai Asuela says her Lahaina home is still standing but has no idea what condition it's in. She's with her family in temporary housing not living, she says, just existing.

ASUELA: I don't want to be angry and I don't want to be upset but nothing's moving.

CHEN (voice-over): The number of dead stands at 115, a number that hasn't moved in 10 days. Active search and rescue is over, as federal agencies are now working to remove hazardous materials and debris to make it safe for families to return to their neighborhoods. Most Lahaina students have to either enroll at other schools on the island or take virtual classes at least until mid-October.

The entire survival and recovery process has surfaced long held skepticism and resentment towards outside authority, which many locals have historically blamed for mismanaging the land and water.

BIDEN: I directed my team to do everything we can for as long as it takes to help Maui recover and rebuild in a way that respects and honors Hawaiian traditions and cultures and the needs of the local community. We're not going to turn this into a new land grab.

ASUELA: But who has he talked to? You know, who he has he really sat down with and said what is it going to take?

CHEN (voice-over): Asuela questions whether this tragedy could have been prevented. Residents in the county of Maui are suing Hawaiian Electric, accusing the utility of not properly maintaining powerlines that remain energized leading up to August 8. The company says a downed powerline in Lahaina seems to have sparked flames that morning but says the cause of the fire that afternoon is still unknown.

And while sirens have not previously been used for wildfires on Maui, new protocols will soon be shared.

DARRYL OLIVEIRA, INTERIM ADMINISTRATOR, MAUI EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY: As we go forward, we need to educate the public on what do they need to do when a siren sounds, and that includes our visitor population that will be unfamiliar as well. CHEN (voice-over): Visitors who are currently avoiding Maui. The Hawaii Tourism Authority says they're losing $9 million each day with a steep drop in daily passenger arrivals to the island. Local businesses are laying off employees.

RICHIE OLSTEN, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, AIR MAUI: We've had people cancel their reservations all the way through December of this year.

CHEN (voice-over): Air Maui has laid off seven dispatchers. Its seven pilots used to fly more than two dozen trips a day. Now they take turns making one or two flights a day. While island residents want tourists to stay away from burned areas, they need people to come visit the rest of Maui.

OLSTEN: Most people that live on Maui have two jobs to sustain themselves. So they're not going to be able to survive and pay their bills and their home mortgages on unemployment insurance. It just won't cut it.

CHEN: You heard him mention mortgages. Then there is some temporary relief there. The state of Hawaii says borrowers with the Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, FHA or VA mortgage are able to pause payments right now through early November. Now HUD says in many cases, borrowers can reduce or suspend payments for up to 12 months by working with their lenders. But interest may still accrue during this time and the payments still have to be made-up in the future.

Natasha Chen, CNN Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Now South African authorities are investigating what caused that Johannesburg building to go up in flames in the middle of the night. We were talking about yesterday. Hundreds of people were inside.

NOBILO: At least 74 of them were killed, with some of the victims burned beyond recognition. Twelve children were among the dead. The fire also left dozens of people injured. A call center has been set up for those looking for missing loved ones.

FOSTER: The five-story building had once served as an apartheid era court and a women's shelter but had been turned into an informal housing complex. The South African president called the tragedy a wake-up call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT: The lesson for us is that we've got to address this problem. And root and everything else root out those criminal elements. Because it is these types of buildings that are taken over by criminals. Who then levy rents on vulnerable people and families who need and want accommodation in the inner city.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[04:25:04]

FOSTER: Well, the building that burned was owned by the City of Johannesburg, but authorities say it was quote hijacked. CNN's David McKenzie explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A woman's wail pierces the streets of Johannesburg. More than 70 people are now dead and dozens injured after a brutal fire tore through a five-story building in the center of the South African city.

WISEMAN MPEP, SURVIVOR: People were making noise, yelling, Fire, fire, fire, fire!

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Survivors like Wiseman Mpep say he was woken up by screams in the early hours of the morning and raced to get out of the building, but the gates were locked.

MPEP: So I come back in the gate, the fire is full, full. After that, I don't have any plan. I just sit.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): The smoke quickly smothering him.

MPEP: The smoke is coming for me. After that, I just fell down. Then from there, I don't know anything until now.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Authorities quickly on the scene, moving through the building, floor by floor and pulling out charred bodies. Many, though, still remain missing.

MPEP: I have a brother, sister, sister's husband.

MCKENZIE: And you don't know where they are?

MPEP: I don't know.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Another survivor, who lost three sisters, describes how her niece was thrown out the window and caught by people who already made it outside.

OMAR FOART, SURVIVOR: My in-law just hit the window and threw the daughter outside. The people then caught the daughter while it was hot in the air.

MCKENZIE: When you look at this building behind me, you can imagine the chaos and the terror that ensued. People desperately trying to get out of those packed apartments. Floors of it totally gutted as people were burned to death.

This is what's known as a hijacked building in South Africa, taken over by gangs and mostly leased to poor migrants.

HERMAN MASHABA, FORMER MAYOR OF JOHANNESBURG: This for me, it's made of culpable homicide. Because it was bound to happen. Actually, what you see in this building, I can tell you. I can take you to buildings that are worse off, where people live worse than pigs.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): This tragedy tangled into the deeply ingrained inequality across the country. Many of the people who lived here were migrants, just hoping to start a new life. Instead, emergency services are sorting through the ashes of the little that is left.

David McKenzie, CNN, Johannesburg.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Still ahead, a U.S. judge hands down some of the longest prison sentences yet in the January 6th insurrection case. Next, what sets apart these two leaders from the far-right group, known as the Proud Boys, when we return.