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CNN International: Republican Candidates Campaign in New Hampshire; Kim Jong-un May Meet with Putin in Russia; Driving Ban Due to Mud Lifted at Burning Man Festival; Japan Increases Financial Support for Fishing Industry After China Banned Seafood; Africa Climate Summit Strives to Make Africa's Voice Heard on Climate. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired September 05, 2023 - 04:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. Whatever you're Geo coordinates, we're so happy that you're with us right now.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Geo coordinates.

NOBILO: Yes.

NOBILO: I'm Max Foster. Joining you live from London. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Republican presidential primary entering a new post Labor Day phase. Several candidates campaigning throughout the Labor Day weekend in New Hampshire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some people spending a lot of time looking in the river. Instead of focusing on what they want the people to focus on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kim Jong-un may be meeting with Vladimir Putin in Russia. They are expected to discuss potential arms deals.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The U.S. is urging North Korea to cease negotiations with Russia.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ken Paxton's impeachment trial begins Tuesday in the Texas State Senate, and it features some of the highest profile and unique legal characters in the state.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nonsense, it's definitionally political.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

FOSTER: It is Tuesday, September the 5th, 9:00 a.m. in London. It's 4:00 a.m. in Delaware, where First Lady Jill Biden will remain after testing positive for COVID-19. The White House says she's currently experiencing only mild symptoms and President Joe Biden has tested negative for the virus.

NOBILO: Both were in Delaware for the Labor Day weekend, and an official tells CNN there are no changes to the president's schedule at this time. Mr. Biden is scheduled to depart for the G20 summit in India later on this week.

And as COVID cases increase across the U.S., medical experts say it's time to mask up again in public.

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DR. SCOTT MISCOVICH, PRESIDENT AND CEO, PREMIER MEDICAL GROUP: I really hope that she is on Paxlovid because, you know, Paxlovid has worked so well. It does reduce up to 90 percent the risk of hospitalization and even higher with death now. With First Lady Biden the good news is, from what we know publicly, she's in pretty good health for what, 72? And so that also goes in her favor. But I really hope that she is on Paxlovid right now and masks in public. You know, we don't see any masks anywhere now, especially in, well, anywhere, let alone our politicians and other people in other areas. But, you know, people over 65 probably should be wearing a mask when they're in public.

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FOSTER: Well, lab tests indicate that the new coronavirus variant may be less contagious than previously thought, and vaccinated Americans should have some protection against it.

NOBILO: Scientists say the new BA.2.86 variant is highly mutated and has been detected in 11 countries so far, including the United States. Two groups of scientists, one in China and another in Sweden have reported the results of their analysis of the new variant.

The U.S. Senate will reconvene after its August recess in the coming hours, and the House returns next week. Lawmakers will have to resolve major differences over funding the government before October 1st, but it won't be easy. If they're not able to get on the same page, the country faces a government shutdown.

FOSTER: Indeed, House Republican Mike Simpson tells CNN, quote, I tell people to buckle up. It's going to be crazy for September, October, November and December. The next four months are going to be wild.

Both the White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are pushing for a short-term bill that would fund the government until later this year, allowing more time to address the broader issue.

NOBILO: But it's not stopping President Biden from celebrating his economic policies since taking office. On Monday, Mr. Biden visited Pennsylvania to speak with members of the local sheet metal workers union. Union members have been a part of his base for decades now.

FOSTER: And Mr. Biden slammed Donald Trump's policies and actions whilst in office while trying to shore up his own accomplishments. The U.S. President appealed to the blue-collar workers, adding quote. Bidenomics is a blue-collar blueprint for America.

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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In my first two years, all this stuff, guess what? I cut the deficit $1.7 trillion. Cut the debt $1.7 trillion. And one more thing. One of the ways I was able to invest in you and still bring down the deficit was I started making people pay their fair share.

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FOSTER: Meanwhile, some Republicans who are challenging Mr. Biden for President worked overtime this Labor Day weekend.

NOBILO: Yes, they spent the holiday campaigning in New Hampshire, where the first presidential primary will be held in 2024. CNN's Jeff. Zeleny has that for you.

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JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The Republican presidential primary entering a new post Labor Day phase. Several candidates campaigning throughout the Labor Day weekend in New Hampshire. Of course, a critical stop on the road to the White House. Iowa will vote first next January, followed by New Hampshire. So several candidates were fanning out, making their case to voters. Republicans, of course, independent voters as well. Also important here in New Hampshire. But it was former Vice President Mike Pence who made the case that he said the race is not at the end. It's at the beginning.

MIKE PENCE, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't know about the rest of you, but I think Labor Day is when campaigns begin. And I'm here because I really do believe. The different times call for different leadership. And I promise you, I'm going to continue to work my heart out to hold up a banner of common-sense conservative values. Strong National Defense, American leadership in the world. Fiscal responsibility, free market economics, traditional values in life. There's some people to say those aren't the values of the Republican Party anymore, right? I beg to differ. I believe they still are.

ZELENY: There is no question that former President Donald Trump holds a strong national lead and a slightly smaller lead state by state. But there is also a sense that many Republican voters, and certainly independent voters, have open minds. Many want to turn the page from the Trump style of leadership. Others do not believe he can win a general election.

So going into the fall stages of the campaign, one thing is clear. This field of Republican candidates are beginning to try at least to distinguish themselves, to differentiate themselves.

Donald Trump has not been on the campaign trail here in New Hampshire in a while. He is going to be returning to the campaign trail in other parts of the country this week, even as he contends with his legal cases around him. But as we enter a post Labor Day phase of the campaign, the question really is, is the race near the end or is it, as Mr. Pence said just, just beginning.

Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Rye, New Hampshire.

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NOBILO: A U.S. government official says North Korea's leader could head to Russia to cut a weapons deal aimed at bolstering the Russian war effort in Ukraine.

FOSTER: "The New York Times" says that that meeting between Kim Jong- un and President Vladimir Putin may happen this month. Back in July, the Russian Defense Minister visited North Korea and paraded through its hall of weapons as the cameras rolled -- as you can see. Let's go to CNN's Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. I mean, these are two countries that probably need each other right now.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, for different reasons. And this is what we know about this potential meeting. Kim Jong-un may meet with Vladimir Putin and Russia -- that's according to the U.S. National Security Council -- and they are expected to discuss potential arms deals for Russia to get more North Korean weapons to use against Ukraine. The timing of this meeting is unclear. But it was "The New York Times" that first reported about this potential meeting. Saying that Kim would travel from Pyongyang to Vladivostok, where he would meet with Putin at a forum set to run this weekend. Starting from September the 10th, around the same time as the G20 in India.

Now Vladivostok is not far from North Korea. It's where this scene played out in 2019, where Kim and Putin met for the very first time. And Kim made that journey on his famous train, his slow chugging, heavily armored green train. Now as for this new potential meeting, "The Times" reports that in exchange for weapons, what North Korea wants is advanced technology from the Russians. Technology for satellites and for nuclear powered submarines. As well as desperately needed food aid.

Now this potential meeting, it follows a recent visit by the Russian Defense Minister who visited North Korea in July, along with the Chinese delegation. It also comes after U.S. officials said that the two countries are actively advancing their talks over another potential arms deal. You know, last year the U.S. and North Korea delivered rockets and missiles to Russia for use by Wagner forces, which are something North Korea has denied.

Russia and North Korea, without a doubt, their alliance is getting closer. They've been edging closer together. We've learned the Russian Defense minister says that joint military exercises with North Korea are currently being discussed. And Kim and Putin have exchanged letters to each other pledging to boost the alliance and to increase their cooperation. Back to you, Max and Bianca.

FOSTER: Fascinating, Kristie, thank you so much for joining us from Hong Kong. NOBILO: This might expose as well the deficiencies that Russia we know

has when it comes to artillery and other elements of its defense structure. But -- and North Korea has a lot of Soviet weaponry themselves. But it's incredible when you think, you know Russia I think spends 4 percent a year on its defense budget. North Korea, it's about 20, 24 percent. So potentially a very important alliance for North Korea.

Now the exodus for the Burning Man Festival continues at this hour in Nevada after organizers lifted a driving ban that was in place due to extremely muddy conditions. Some 72,000 people have been stranded in the desert over the weekend by heavy rain and floods.

FOSTER: With conditions improving. These are live pictures, aren't they? Thousands of partygoers have stayed for the main event, which is the burning of a giant wooden effigy of a man. See where the name comes from. It began a few hours ago and was followed by the burning of the Chapel of Babel, another ritual. More now on this year's unforgettable festival from CNN's Camila Bernal.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a real sloppy mess out there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We put the boat around the bar.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tens of thousands of people stuck at Burning Man in the Nevada desert over the weekend, after heavy rains made a mess of the dirt roads.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We drove out and got stuck. I made one bad decision. It was up to here.

BERNAL (voice-over): Hundreds of cars ended up stranded on roads leading out of the Black Rock Desert in the northwestern part of the state.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everything was shut down and getting out was a nightmare.

BERNAL (voice-over): Paul Romero and his wife left Maui's devastation for what was supposed to be a relaxing honeymoon.

PAUL ROMERO, BURNING MAN ATTENDEE FROM HAWAII: It became a mini disaster for a lot of people. It was impossible to function, impossible to move around, impossible to communicate. Entire camps became pretty much destroyed.

BERNAL (voice-over): Less than an inch of water fell over one 24-hour period from Friday to Saturday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So much water. We are flooded.

BERNAL (voice-over): Organizers of the weeklong festival asked attendees to shelter in place and to conserve food, water and fuel.

TONY "COYOTE" PEREZ, CITY SUPERINTENDENT: It's actually been fairly festive. Everybody's taking it in stride.

BERNAL (voice-over): But not everybody. Some so-called burners say the mood was festive until supplies started running out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody took their shoes off, started dancing in the mud. It was great. And then the reality sunk in that we couldn't leave.

BERNAL (voice-over): There was one death over the weekend, which authorities say is not weather related. No serious injuries have been reported.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody was helping each other out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are making mud sculptures.

BERNAL (voice-over): DJ Diplo and a few others, including comedian Chris Rock managed to walk out and hitch a ride.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think Cindy Crawford walked with us, Kaia Gerber, Austin Butler. It was a challenge, but it was honestly one of the highlights of the whole trip.

BERNAL (voice-over): Tens of thousands are now slowly inching their way out of the event grounds.

BERNAL: Organizers say that this line and the amount of time that they wait here is normal. The difference here is that people are coming out muddier and obviously happier to be out than in previous years. Just because the last couple of days have been difficult.

Camila Bernal, CNN, Black Rock City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: In the U.S., the official start of autumn is just a few weeks away, but the summer heat is still sticking around, especially east of the Mississippi River.

FOSTER: Forecasters expect more than 200 record highs this week alone. And right now more than 12 million people are under heat alerts, but a cool down is coming for parts of the Midwest. CNN's Chad Myers has more.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Some are not going away without a fight here in the eastern half of the U.S., 200 record highs expected this week alone, east, really of the Mississippi River. The Heat index is going to be high. The humidity is all over the place. Temperatures are well on up into the upper 90s, and then the heat index is going to make it feel much warmer than that.

But there is a cool down. Minneapolis, you were almost 100 yesterday. And now you're back down into the 60s, a little bit cooler than you should be. Chicago, you're going to be a day later to get that colder air, but it is on its way. You go from 93 all the way down to a morning low of 58. Finally, some football weather out there for Chicago land.

Here we go off to the east. Nothing yet. Temperatures are still going to be hot. Cold front not making it to DC for a while. Really, it'll make it to New York City and I think it probably 72 hours from now with a cold front that runs on by. But still Thursday with a thunderstorm at 94 and then the cooler air by the weekend.

NOBILO: Steve Harwell, the former lead singer of rock band Smash Mouth, has died. The group's manager made the announcement on Monday. Harwell lead Smash Mouth from the group's founding in 1994 up until 2021 when he retired.

FOSTER: He can be heard on hits like "All Star Walking on the SUN," and the band's popular cover of "I'm a Believer."

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Harwell's manager says he passed away at his home in Idaho surrounded by family and friends. He was just 56.

NOBILO: So tragic, I used to love Smash Mouth.

FOSTER: Yes.

Still to come, Japan looks to prop up its fishing industry after China banned Japanese seafood over the Fukushima wastewater concerns.

FOSTER: Plus, an impeachment trial by the Texas Senate. What the state's Attorney General is accused of, and how he's responding to those claims.

NOBILO: And also ahead, we'll take you live to the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi to find out why African leaders say that climate change presents opportunities to remake the continent's economic future.

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FOSTER: Japan is giving more financial support to its fishing industry after China banned Japanese seafood.

NOBILO: That ban is in response to the release of treated radioactive waste water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, CNN's Ivan Watson reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (through translator): Backlash in China over Japan's decision to release treated nuclear waste water from the Fukushima power plant into the Pacific Ocean.

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The Chinese government banning all Japanese seafood imports to prevent the risk of radioactive contamination and to protect the health of Chinese consumers.

Fears over Fukushima, prompting panic buying of salt in several cities until authorities reassured the public China consumes mined salt more than sea salt. Ripple effects also felt here at a Japanese food court in Beijing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I told my daughter that we should go and eat some seafood now while it's still safe and let's not eat it anymore afterwards. Nothing from the ocean is edible from now on.

WATSON (voice-over): Fears echoed by her daughter.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Of course, first seafood will be affected, but other crops and food will also be affected later on. It's only a matter of time.

WATSON (voice-over): The nuclear controversy, potentially crippling business for this sushi chef.

Some customers are disgusted by this news. They no longer want to eat Japanese food, he says. His once busy restaurant, now largely empty.

After the pandemic, our business this year has not recovered yet and now with this news from Japan, our business is worse, he says.

Some scientists argue these fears are unfounded. The International Atomic Energy Agency says Japan's plan to release wastewater is in line with IAEA standards.

RAFAEL GROSSI, IAEA DIRECTOR GENERAL: Our cooperation and our presence will help build confidence in Japan and beyond. That the water disposal is carried out without an adverse impact on human health and the environment.

WATSON (voice-over): And yet the heavily censored Chinese internet still bubbles with anger at Japan, including prank calls, harassing Japanese businesses.

This group of young people are purportedly calling random numbers in Japan.

Why do you release nuclear wastewater into the ocean? This young man shouts.

Elsewhere, a Chinese restaurant owner makes a show of tearing down Japanese decorations at his Japanese rest. The Chinese government is tolerating these displays of anger at Japan, tacitly encouraging nationalist fervor. Even if it results in empty restaurants at a time when China is increasingly suffering from economic uncertainty.

Ivan Watson, CNN Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Green hydrogen, blue economies and a determination to make Africa's voices heard. They're all the on the agenda as day two gets underway at the Africa Climate Summit. It's in Nairobi this hour. African heads of state and making statements before a host of panels, presentations and seminars begin.

NOBILO: Africa generates only a tiny fraction of the world's greenhouse gases but suffers a major share of climate change impacts. And summit participants say they want Africa to have a central role in global climate decision making.

CNN's Larry Madowo is at the summit for us in Nairobi. Larry, one of the objectives here from leaders is to make sure that Africa is seen as a destination for green investment and not just a victim of floods and drought and famine and climate related issues and also not a risky place to invest that money.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's correct. And you mentioned the tiny percentage. Actually Africa generates about only three percent of greenhouse gas emissions, but the impact of the climate crisis here, especially in marginalized and underprivileged communities, is devastating.

And what African leaders are hoping to do with this summit is sell the continent as an opportunity, as a place for climate investment. The renewable energy potential here is endless. The carbon sinks that exist here, we're talking about the Congo basin, for instance, which is a huge forest that covers present day Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These are opportunities that they hope that they can kind of dangle in front of the world and say, we're not asking for a handout. We're asking for what we're entitled to.

I want to hear from some of the voices we're seeing here. People from all across the continent. Sunday Geoffrey is here with me. He's a climate justice activist from Cameroon. What is your main priority? What do you hope to take out of convening?

SUNDAY GEOFFREY MBAOFAMBE, CAMEROONIAN CLIMATE JUSTICE ADVOCATE: Thank you so much, Larry. You know here we are talking about green growth and I want to say that green growth will not happen in offices. Green growth will happen on the people on the ground. And what I'm hoping here is that the African leaders as we meet will be able to come up -- will be able to prioritize Africa and make sure that the decisions we take here are put Africa first and that it reflects the aspirations of every African.

MADOWO: We have John Kerry here representing the U.S. president. We have Ursula von der Leyen from the European Union. What is Africa asking for from the global North?

MBAOFAMBE: America, European Union, they are friends of Africa.

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But we think that we have to revisit our friendship because we feel that we Africa contribute very little to climate change. But we are feeling the impact most. And we think that this is the moment for the global North to take the responsibility to provide more finances. But most importantly, to ensure that the finances they are providing gets right to down -- right down to the organizations and right down to the committees which are most impacted. Because as I said earlier, this climate change will not be fought in offices. It will be fought on the ground.

MADOWO: It's not fought in the offices. And do you feel that minority communities don't have a voice in the conversation?

MBAOFAMBE: They don't have a voice. And these resources, the money they put in, they do not reach out to them. So we are demanding more climate finances, but we are saying that there must be an alternative way to finance these climate actions. And we must target organizations, local organizations who are leading these initiatives on the ground.

MADOWO: And the U.S. is one of them is what you're trying to say.

MBAOFAMBE: Of course, I'm one of them. And I feel so happy because you know the impact on the ground, sometimes we have to represent the voices of these communities. Because we they don't have the opportunity to speak for themselves. They have the opportunity to speak for themselves and we understand the impact in terms of health, in terms of water, in terms of food sovereignty, on the communities, energy.

MADOWO: Sunday Geoffrey, thank you so much from Cameroon representing minority voices. And the African leaders hope that they can come out of here with a unified platform going to Cop 28 -- Bianca, Max.

NOBILO: Larry Madowo in Nairobi, thank you so much for your coverage of this summit.

FOSTER: Now police in Pennsylvania are hoping a message from a dangerous, fugitive's mother will convince him to surrender. The latest on the manhunt just ahead.

NOBILO: And later, houses demolished and lives crushed. We'll take you to New Delhi where families say that their homes were destroyed by the government to improve the city's appearance ahead of the G20 summit.

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