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U.S. Government On The Brink Of A Government Shutdown; First Trump Codefendant Pleads Guilty; Record Rain And Flooding Hits New York; Nagorno-Karabakh Crisis; Russia Marks One Year Since Annexing Parts Of Ukraine; Ukrainian Soldier Amputee Returns To Battlefield; Philippines Vows To Defend Territory In South China Sea; Second Arrest In Tree Vandalism Case; L.A. Officials Fights To Save Marilyn Monroe's House; Major League Baseball; Tributes Ahead Of Jimmy Carter's 99th Birthday. Aired 5-6a ET
Aired September 30, 2023 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and around the world. I'm Laila Harrak.
The U.S. government less than 19 hours away from shutting down. Ahead, we'll look at the Republican infighting that's making a deal nearly impossible.
Plus, the first one flips: one of Donald Trump's 18 codefendants in the Georgia's sprawling 2020 election case strikes a deal with prosecutors.
And a state of emergency in New York City as highways, subways and even LaGuardia Airport is flooded.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Laila Harrak.
HARRAK: The U.S. government is down to its final day of operation before it must shut down, beginning at midnight, Sunday, Eastern time.
On Friday, rebellious Republicans roundly rejected U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's latest attempt to gain their support.
Unless there is a breakthrough this weekend, active duty troops and border agents may soon have to work without pay. Food assistance for millions could be at risk. Government loans to farmers, students and small businesses wouldn't be processed.
And air travel could be disrupted if unpaid TSA workers don't show up, as has happened before.
Well, after his failed vote on Friday, McCarthy emerged from his conference suggesting a new option.
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REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: I think if we had a clean one without Ukraine on it, we could probably be able to move that through. I think if the Senate puts Ukraine on there and focuses Ukraine over America, I think that could cause real problems.
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HARRAK: We get the latest from CNN's Melanie Zanona on Capitol Hill.
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MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: House Republicans are scrambling to come up with a plan to avoid a government shutdown. Even after Republicans huddled for nearly two hours on Friday evening to discuss their limited options.
And at this, point there is still no clear consensus about what, if anything, they are going to bring to the House floor on Saturday. But Kevin McCarthy did emerge from that meeting with a slightly new message.
He said he could be open to a stopgap spending bill as long as it doesn't have money for Ukraine. That is a slightly different position for the Speaker, because, up until this point, he has said that any bill to fund the government needs to include border security provisions.
So clearly a last-minute shift in strategy after his efforts to work with Republicans have come up short. And that failure to rally around a Republican plan has created some tensions in the ranks. Let's take a listen.
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REP. STEVE WOMACK (R-AR): We're the governing majority. This is what we're supposed to do as a governing majority. We're supposed to lead. And it's kind of hard to lead when you got a significant number of people that are on the wrong snap count when you call the play. So that's where we are.
REP. DANIEL CRENSHAW (R-TX): They killed the most conservative position we could take and then called themselves the real conservatives, which is like, make that make sense.
REP. ANDY OGLES (R-TN): In January, we promised 12 appropriations bills. We should have stayed here in August. I didn't set the calendar; someone else did.
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ZANONA: Now over in the Senate, they are working on a bipartisan plan to fund the government that includes $6 billion in Ukraine money and disaster aid. They will take a procedural vote on Saturday. But because of the way the Senate rules work, they will not be able to
take a final passage vote until potentially as late as Monday. So bottom line here is Congress nowhere closer to averting a government shutdown, midnight on Saturday -- Melanie Zanona, CNN, Capitol Hill.
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HARRAK: As McCarthy struggles to rein in the hardliners, the Senate's leaders were clearly unhappy. The U.S. appears to be heading into a costly and unnecessary government shutdown. Take a listen.
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SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MINORITY LEADER: Shutting down the government doesn't help anybody politically. It doesn't make any meaningful progress on policy. And it keeps unnecessary hardships on the American people, as well as the brave men and women who keep us safe.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), MAJORITY LEADER: The Speaker needs to abandon his doomed mission of trying to please MAGA extremists. And instead, he needs to work across the aisle to keep the government open. Things seem to be getting worse for the Speaker rather than better. And it's time for him to try bipartisanship.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: A man charged alongside former president Trump in the Georgia election subversion case has pleaded guilty.
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HARRAK: Scott Hall will have to testify against his fellow defendants. CNN's Nick Valencia reports.
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NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This all went down at a hearing on Friday. Hall pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor charges. Initially, he was facing seven charges from the district attorney's office in Fulton County, including a racketeering charge.
With that guilty plea, Hall becomes the first of the 19 codefendants in the Georgia election subversion case to cut a deal with the district attorney's office. Listen to part of what happened in court.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How do you plead to the five counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with the (INAUDIBLE) of election duty (ph)?
SCOTT HALL, TRUMP CODEFENDANT: Guilty.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is this (INAUDIBLE) voluntarily given (INAUDIBLE) to the charges against you? HALL: Yes, ma'am, it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VALENCIA: As part of the conditions of his sentencing, Hall will have to pay a $5,000 fine, be on probation for five years and have to complete 200 hours of community service.
Perhaps, most importantly, he will have to testify against his co- defendants in any future proceedings or trials related to this case -- Nick Valencia, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: Trump rival Chris Christie is a former prosecutor and the Republican presidential hopeful says he expects many more plea deals to come.
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CHRIS CHRISTIE (R-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that what the DA probably was convinced of was that she would get a number of pleas out of this and that also the volume of the number of people indicted puts pressure on them as well.
And the legal fee pressure will be enormous in addition to that. I think it's just the first of probably at least half, is my guess, of those people will plead.
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HARRAK: Georgia prosecutors have signaled they may soon extend the plea deal to codefendants Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro. Their trial is set to begin in three weeks' time.
The president of the United Auto Workers says there is still a long way to go before the union reaches a possible deal with carmaker Ford, despite Ford saying earlier in the day that the two sides were making significant progress.
The union chief says they are far apart on core economic proposals about wage increases, retirement, health care and job security amid the industry's transition to electric vehicles.
The UAW again expanded its strike against GM and Ford on Friday, with thousands more workers joining the picket lines at factories in Illinois and Michigan.
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SHAWN FAIN, PRESIDENT, UNITED AUTO WORKERS: And so nothing has changed from day one of where we, stand and what we expect. You know, it is unfortunate companies chose to wait, almost seven weeks to get serious about bargaining.
They put themselves in this position. So, no, expectations have not changed. Our demands have not changed. And we are bargaining hard. We have been there every day.
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HARRAK: Meanwhile, the union says negotiations are progressing with Stellantis. In total, more than 25,000 workers are striking across all three automakers.
People in the northeastern U.S. will be trying to dry out and checking for possible damage today after Friday's record-setting rainstorms that overwhelmed homes, business, streets, subways with dangerous flooding. More now from Gary Tuchman in New York.
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GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Life-threatening flash flooding in America's largest city, creating large scale problems. Many houses and apartments inundated, particularly in the New York City Borough of Brooklyn. One Brooklyn man said when he woke up at 8:00 am, the water was at his knees.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Within, I guess, about 10 minutes, it was waist high water.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): This was the scene at one of the city's largest parks. Prospect Park in Brooklyn.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How the -- am I supposed to get across this?
Are you -- serious?
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Cars, trucks, buses driving through floodwaters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my goodness.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): The huge New York City subway system impacted. With raging rapids pouring down stairs of this station in Brooklyn. Deluges flooding some of the tunnels and causing signal issues. Delaying some of the 36 subway lines. And getting to airports, a huge challenge for many.
On the Grand Central Parkway on the way to LaGuardia Airport in Queens, flooded roadways. The New York City mayor warning people earlier in the day to stay in place, whether they were at home, work or in schools, which were open.
MAYOR ERIC ADAMS, NEW YORK: I am issuing a state of an emergency for New York City based on the weather conditions. And I want to say to all New Yorkers this is time for heightened alertness and extreme caution.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): A state of emergency was also declared in New York State's Long Island and the Hudson Valley, north of New York City.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow, this is unbelievable. I had never seen this situation happen. And this is crazy. TUCHMAN (voice-over): And across the state line, a state of emergency declared in New Jersey.
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TUCHMAN (voice-over): In Fairfield, New Jersey, about 25 miles west of Manhattan, a man driving through floodwaters is rescued by a Fairfield police officer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, keep going. Keep going.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): The driver is fine.
This flooding highly unusual. But because it's New York City, many people went on with their normal lives the best they could. Like this man on his delivery bicycle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought it was 3 inches of water. I'm soaked. I'm soaked now. I got -- I probably got like a disease now.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Gary Tuchman, CNN can, New York.
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HARRAK: According to flightaware.com, 512 flights into or out of the city's three major airports were canceled on Friday.
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HARRAK: Still ahead, Ukraine and the West closely watching the election in Slovakia. Why they fear a pro-Russian politician could become prime minister and cut off military aid to Kyiv.
Plus a Ukrainian soldier loses his leg on the battlefield. Despite that, he's back in the fight and taking on Russian troops again.
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HARRAK: Some news just coming in to CNN. The ongoing exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia now stands at over 100,000. That's according to a spokeswoman for the Armenian prime minister.
Cars have been lining up on roads out of the enclave ever since Azerbaijan launched a lightning offensive last week and defeated the separatist government.
The United Nations will now send a mission to Nagorno-Karabakh this weekend in what will be the U.N.'s first access to the region in about 30 years. The U.N. mission will assess the situation on the ground and determine the humanitarian needs of those leaving. (MUSIC PLAYING)
HARRAK: Ukraine says Russia has launched at least 50 drones and a new wave of attacks overnight. Military officials say 30 drones were shot down. But others hit an infrastructure facility, causing a massive fire.
Meanwhile, Russian president Vladimir Putin stuck to his standard script as he marked one year since declaring an annexation of four occupied regions in Ukraine.
He addressed the nation in this video, released on Friday, claiming again that the annexation reflected the will of the people and complied with international norms -- which is not true, of course.
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HARRAK (voice-over): Outside the Kremlin, crowds were cheering for Russia at a large concert that marked the anniversary on Friday. Despite Mr. Putin's words, the annexation did violate international law and was widely condemned. The referenda that preceded the annexations were largely dismissed as shams.
But some people in Moscow still got behind the Kremlin's message.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I think this concert is a very touching occasion. I go to Donetsk. I know what it is like to be under fire and I understand what we are fighting for. So I came in support.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Since I have an education in history, I am in favor of our Russian territories being with us and, most importantly, the people. People have already suffered so much that it is time to return to our native lands.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: Katie Polglase joins us from London.
Good to have you back with us. Talk to us about the Kremlin's messaging here.
KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE RESEARCHER: Good morning. Clearly, the messaging here is that people in these annexed areas are supportive of the Kremlin and want to be part of the Russian motherland.
Clearly, that claim is heavily disputed. Ukraine and Western allies disagree with that statement. But this is the message Russia is trying to project. They are trying to project more certainty than perhaps in reality, not only agreement on the ground in terms of who is in control but also which country the citizens want to be part of. You mentioned the referenda that were considered sham. A lot of people
in these areas were under heavy military occupation during the voting. There was not much choice as to how to vote. The outcomes of those elections were highly suspicious.
If you look at the results we reported on last year, we're talking about 99 percent voted in favor in Donetsk, 87 percent in Kherson and nearly universal in Zaporizhzhya and Luhansk.
Clearly, these results are very doubtful and many on the ground really disagree with that. But in terms of what Putin right now is trying to convey, one year on, Ukraine is the aggressor. These people want to be part of Russia.
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POLGLASE: Have a listen to what he said.
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VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): There were attempts to scare them, strip them of their right to decide their own future, their fate, to take away things that are dear to every person -- culture, traditions, mother tongue.
All the things that were so hated by nationalists and their Western patrons, who organized a coup in Kyiv in 2014.
People of Russia supported the free and unequivocal choice of our brothers and sisters wholeheartedly. People of Russia understood it and deeply felt the main thing: by protecting our compatriots in Donbas and Zaporizhzhya (ph), we protect Russia itself.
We fight together for the motherland, our sovereignty, spiritual values and unity, our victory.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POLGLASE: Now clearly, these areas are very much still contested. For example, Kherson, we were reporting on multiple fatalities. This is close to where Ukraine is battling to take them back from Russian control.
So again, this declaration they are not only part of Russia but they are celebrating a one year anniversary of being part of Russia is something that Ukraine strenuously denies.
If you look at the civilian impact, further north along the eastern front line, these areas have been evacuated by the Ukrainian officials because of the risk of Russian attacks in these areas.
That's a reminder of how heavy this fighting is and how current it is. These are ongoing disputes, areas that, while Russia has already annexed, Ukraine intends to get back.
HARRAK: And meanwhile, we understand the Russian leader issued another decree.
POLGLASE: That's right. So this is part of the framing that these areas are part of Russia. And they are part of the decrees that impact all Russian citizens. Having military conscription, this will be the first time there's military conscription in these areas.
Again, a very significant moment because where they will be fighting and who they would be fighting for. It's part of the narrative that they are part of Russia. It comes in a week of other messaging of a similar vein.
They talked, the Russian authorities, about making it possible for Ukrainians to travel into Russia without visas, without documentation. Not only Ukrainians in the annexed areas but in other parts of Ukraine, whether it's Ukrainian control.
All of this part of an indication that Ukraine has a positive relationship. They want to travel into Russia rather than being under a very serious heavy military occupation, which is how many citizens actually in these areas feel.
HARRAK: Katie Polglase, thank you so much.
We now want to tell you an amazing story about bravery and persistence, involving a Ukrainian soldier who lost his leg in battle. But despite that and other injuries, he's back on the front lines, fighting Russian troops the best he can. We have to warn you that some images in this next report are graphic. Here's CNN's Fred Pleitgen.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): It was a race against time after Danylo stepped on a land mine while on a mission behind enemy lines.
DANYLO, UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES (through translator): The mine blew me up and my brothers carried me for seven.5 kilometers. They gave me first aid and carried me.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): They saved his life but his injuries were catastrophic.
DANYLO (through translator): One leg was gone. It was blown away and the other was hanging, all broken.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): But that isn't holding Danylo back. He is hiding his face for safety reasons but his story is remarkable. After the incident, he recovered, traveled all the way to Mexico to get an artificial limb, learned to walk again and is now back on the battlefield.
DANYLO (through translator): I can't just sit at home and just watch what's happening. In a country under attack, every man has to stand up from the couch and defend his home. I have to do it and I'm good at it. PLEITGEN (voice-over): He's contributing to Ukraine's massive counteroffensive in the south, where Kyiv says its forces have been making increasing progress. Danylo right on the front lines.
DANYLO (through translator): I'm in charge of mortar, grenade launcher and anti-tank squads. The platoon commander and I choose the right positions, targets and plan the operations.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Russian minefields and artillery are still causing a lot of casualties on the Ukrainian side and while Kyiv won't disclose exact numbers, they acknowledge the going is tough.
Combat medics gave us this video showing the trauma they deal with every day. Medic Vlad tells me sometimes they simply can't save their comrades' limbs or even their lives because the wounds are too severe.
VLAD, COMBAT MEDIC, UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES (through translator): We had around 10 cases where the limb is dramatically amputated and there was no chance to save. Compared to the number of people in the brigade, it's not much. But it is a terrible sacrifice.
[05:25:00]
PLEITGEN (voice-over): A sacrifice that changed Danylo's life but he's adapted, learning to move and fight effectively, even though his artificial limb limits his mobility.
DANYLO (through translator): We don't have a choice. We can't lose this war. This counteroffensive can't fail. We don't have this right. We are defending our home. It is victory or death for us.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: The outcome of Slovakia's general election could determine whether or not Ukraine loses a key ally. Voting is underway as they choose their fifth prime minister in just four years. Robert Fico served as prime minister twice before and is an open Kremlin sympathizer.
Fico vowed to stop sending military aid to Kyiv if he comes out on top. He's against Ukraine joining NATO.
Still ahead, the Philippines vow to stand up against China, accusing it of acting like a bully.
Plus much more on the looming U.S. government shutdown, with a deadline just hours away.
What options does Congress have to break the stalemate?
That's next.
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HARRAK: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and Canada and all around the world. I'm Laila Harrak You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
The U.S. Congress has less than 19 hours to reach a funding agreement to avoid a government shutdown. Without a breakthrough, millions of federal employees will be without paychecks Monday morning. And the country could see serious reductions to essential services, like national defense, border security, federal loans and air travel.
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HARRAK: U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy tried to pass a last-ditch funding measure on Friday. But a group of hardline conservatives rejected it. He is expected to try again in the day ahead.
Earlier, I spoke about this with Leslie Vinjamuri, the director of the U.S. and Americas Programme at Chatham House, and asked if she saw anything that could head off a shutdown.
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LESLIE VINJAMURI, CHATHAM HOUSE: If you look across both the Senate and the House, the majority of members of Congress and senators would like to see a deal, would be willing to work very, very hard across the aisle.
It's not easy. The U.S. government has faced this before but the situation that we're in right now, having this radical, partisan polarization, where you've got a very small, very vocal number of Republicans in the House, about 20-21 that McCarthy's beholden to.
And they're not looking at the interests of -- certainly not of the country, not of Congress and not even of their own party. These are individuals who are making a name for themselves, who are very popular on social media, who are raising money on the back of taking very extreme positions.
So how do you bring those individuals into some sort of notion of a broader collective interest?
That's really the problem. It comes down to very hard deals. And at the far end, there is a question of whether or not speaker McCarthy can survive this particular period politically.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: A trailblazer in American politics has died. Dianne Feinstein was the longest serving woman in the history of the U.S. Senate. Elected in 1992, the Democrat was also the longest serving senator from California and the first woman senator from the state.
She chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee and led a review of the CIA's detention and interrogation program following 9/11. She became mayor of San Francisco in 1978 after the mayor and a supervisor were assassinated.
The experience led her to becoming a strong advocate of gun control measures. She was behind the assault weapons ban that Bill Clinton signed into law in 1994. She announced earlier this year that she would retire at the end of her term as the oldest member of the Senate.
Feinstein had been in failing health for years. Dianne Feinstein was 90 years old.
The Philippines is vowing to defend its territory in the South China Sea amid escalating tensions with Beijing. The Philippine president visited an island in the region on Friday.
And said his country's, quote, "not looking for trouble but will stand up for the rights of its people."
His remarks follow weeks of confrontations between China and the Philippines, a key regional ally of the United States. CNN's Ivan Watson has more now from Manila.
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IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Philippines may be vastly outnumbered by China when it comes to this ongoing maritime territorial dispute.
China has a much larger coast guard and navy than anything that the Philippines can really put out to sea. But officials here are saying they will not back down. They will not surrender an inch of territory in this ongoing and escalating disagreement.
WATSON (voice-over): An act of defiance at sea. A Coast Guard officer from the Philippines armed with a knife and an order from his president, slices through a rope laid by China, part of a barrier placed by the Chinese Coast Guard.
WATSON: You're facing off against literally the largest navy in the world.
GILBERTO TEODORO JR., SECRETARY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE, PHILIPPINES: We don't want to face off with them. We just want them out of our territory.
WATSON (voice-over): China and the Philippines are locked in an angry maritime territorial dispute. The standoff taking place at a shoal here in the South China Sea, some 124 miles from the Philippines and around 528 miles from Mainland China.
China claims virtually all of this busy body of water as its own, ignoring competing claims from the Philippines and several other countries.
WATSON: The Philippines has thrown away a previous policy of accommodation with China. Though much poorer and smaller, this island nation is now standing up to Beijing in what appears to be a David and Goliath faceoff at sea.
WATSON (voice-over): Officials in the Philippines have released images of a Chinese Coast Guard ship blasting at a much smaller Philippines vessel with a water cannon, just some of China's bullying tactics, says the Philippines' defense chief.
TEODORO: Shadowing, harassment, dangerous maneuvers, water cannoning and military-grade lasers being used on the vessels.
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WATSON: Is that how you feel, as if China is bullying you?
TEODORO: Oh, you bet. I cannot think of any clearer case of bullying than this.
WATSON (voice-over): In 2016, an international tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines, concluding China has no historic rights to these disputed shoals. But Beijing refuses to accept the court's decision and claims the U.S. is behind the current tensions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WU QIAN, SPOKESPERSON, CHINESE DEFENSE MINISTRY (through translator): South China Sea was in peace until the U.S. came to disrupt it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Is the Philippines acting upon the behest of its treaty ally, the U.S.?
TEODORO: No. No. And it's --
(CROSSTALK)
WATSON: That's what China says.
TEODORO: -- yes, and we're going to stand up more because it's an insult to our integrity, an insult to our intellect and an insult to our common sense.
WATSON: To suggest that you're American puppets?
TEODORO: Yes.
WATSON (voice-over): The Biden administration reminding that any attack on a Philippines ship while playing (ph) in the South China Sea would demand a U.S. response under a mutual defense pact. That raises the stakes in this high sea confrontation.
After cutting the Chinese barrier, the Philippines Coast Guard brought home a Chinese anchor, a trophy and a symbol, officials here say, that they won't surrender a single inch of their territory. WATSON: The Philippines Coast Guard says they only have three ships
capable of making it out the distance to these contested areas where the confrontations are taking place with the Chinese Coast Guard. But they say they are not going to back down.
They are going to keep pushing for what they call transparency, trying to reveal what they describe as China's aggressive tactics. And they are relying on international sympathy and on expanding their partnerships with long-time allies like the U.S.
So there's an agreement to expand U.S. access to a number of bases and facilities across the Philippines in the coming months -- Ivan Watson, CNN, Manila.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: Is Marilyn Monroe's former home headed for the wrecking ball?
Not if one city councilwoman in Los Angeles has anything to say about it. We'll tell you about the fight to save a unique piece of Hollywood history -- next.
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HARRAK: Police in England have now arrested a second suspect, a man in his 60s, after an historic tree was chopped down. A 16 year old boy arrested earlier is now said to be assisting in the investigation. And as ITV's Rachel Townsend tells us, the sycamore was a beloved landmark, full of precious memories for many people.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RACHEL TOWNSEND, ITV CORRESPONDENT: What possible motive could there be to destroy such a thing of beauty?
Sycamore Gap was part of the landscape here for over 300 years but it was also integral to those who lived in its shadow.
CATHERINE CAPE, LOCAL RESIDENT: You know, our children, it's part of them. It's relative, the ties to it (ph). That was the angle to see the tree.
TOWNSEND (voice-over): To Catherine Kay (ph), the tree was a focal point in both the happiest and saddest of times. Her daughter took her first steps here. And when Catherine lost loved ones through COVID, this is the place they came.
CAPE: The fact that it's gone now is heartbreaking.
TOWNSEND: Can you put into words how it feels? CAPE: It feels like a grief, it's a trauma. In my case, I lost my mom and my sister during the pandemic and we couldn't meet in each other's houses. We weren't allowed to funeral for my mom. So it was a way of gathering and we would walk to the tree and it was a place of solace for us.
And now the tree is gone. And we have all those memories of that place. We don't know quite what to do with those memories.
TOWNSEND (voice-over): And that sense of loss is felt by everyone, with those here today asking why.
TOWNSEND: The National Trust are now considering future options. They say the stump is healthy and, if nurtured, could potentially grow fresh shoots. But the fact is that nothing at all comparable could possibly grow back in our lifetime.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: After nearly three decades, an arrest in the killing of rapper Tupac Shakur. Duane Keith Davis actually told police about his role in the death in 2009 but that confession was part of what's called a proffer agreement with prosecutors.
And it could not be used against him. But that all changed when Davis started talking publicly about his involvement in the death.
Las Vegas Police saying Friday it prompted authorities to revive the investigation. Tupac's brother, Mopreme Shakur, says Davis' arrest is bittersweet and says their family still has questions about who else may have been involved.
You can do a lot of things in Los Angeles but you can't mess with Marilyn Monroe. The new owners of the late star's house wanted to tear it down. But some people in high places are not having it. Nick Watt explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRACI PARK, LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL: Marilyn Monroe made the Brentwood Bungalow, at issue today, her home.
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): And city councilwoman Traci Park sported a hair and makeup homage for her fight to save that home.
PARK: This was the only home she ever owned. And it's the home where she tragically died 61 years ago last month.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the most famous stars in Hollywood history is dead at 36. Marilyn Monroe was found dead in bed under circumstances that were in tragic contrast to her glamorous career as a comic talent.
WATT (voice-over): An overdose, the coroner said it was probably suicide. More than a year after the release of her final film, "The Misfits."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What makes you so sad?
MARILYN MONROE, AMERICAN ACTRESS AND MODEL: First man never said that. I'm usually told how happy I am.
WATT (voice-over): The house, a near 100-year-old hacienda on half an acre, sold in August for over $8 million. The new owners, who apparently also owned the house next door, applied for a permit, a demolition permit.
(on camera): Here in L.A., people love to knock stuff down.
ADRIAN SCOTT FINE, LA CONSERVANCY: It is part of the story of L.A. L.A. is always reinventing itself. If you can't see, sometimes touch the place, visit the place, the history, the story, the people connected to it are just less real.
WATT (voice-over): For now, the demo permit is paused while city officials debate giving this house historic protected status.
(on camera): Why shouldn't they be allowed to do what they want with what they bought?
FINE: Even if it is ultimately designated as an historic cultural monument, you can add on to it. You can make modifications. Could still be living, breathing, changing but still be there to help tell the story of Marilyn Monroe.
[05:45:00]
WATT (voice-over): Monroe fans, conservationists and the councilwoman are confident they can save this suburban slice of Hollywood history.
PARK: To her and to us, this residence is more than just a brick and mortar structure. It is a symbol of her journey.
WATT: The new owners of Marilyn Monroe's house -- there it is, just behind that wall; you can see the tiles and the roof there -- the new owners have been keeping a pretty low profile. But I did manage to get a text message from them.
It reads, "We are optimistic we will be able to work with the city and councilwoman to reach an agreement that recognizes Marilyn Monroe's legacy and reflects our hopes and concerns. We'll see what happens" -- Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
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HARRAK: Major League Baseball is just days away from the post season. Next, we'll tell you what teams are still hoping to make the playoffs.
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HARRAK: The final weekend of the Major League Baseball regular season is here.
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HARRAK: There are still five playoff spots on the line. "CNN SPORT" correspondent Carolyn Manno joins us now.
This is really coming down to the wire.
CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: This is exactly what Major League Baseball had in mind when they expanded the post season field before the 2022 season. They wanted these close playoff races and now we've got them.
The battle to the American League West title may not be decided until the last out, which is so compelling. The Seattle Mariners went into Friday night's game with the Texas Rangers with their backs against the wall and ended up with one of their most dominant wins of the season.
Shortstop J.P. Crawford coming up huge with a grand slam home run in the fourth inning, leading Seattle to the 8-0 win. The Mariners are now just two games out of first place with only a pair of games remaining.
The Houston Astros taking another step toward a seventh straight playoff appearance on Friday. They got an absolute gem from pitcher Jose Urquidy against Arizona. He threw six scoreless innings in his first start in more than a month.
Jose Reyes' two-run double in the 6th was all that Houston needed to hold off the Diamondbacks. Originally, they thought it was a three-run home run but it was overturned on review.
So with the 2-1 victory, Houston now needs just one more win to clinch a playoff berth.
Take a look at the AL West standings. The Rangers can punch their ticket with either a win or an Astros loss. But there's still a possibility of a three-way tie for that division title.
Elsewhere in the WNBA, Asia Wilson and the defending champion Las Vegas Aces are heading back to the finals for the third time in four seasons. They finished off a three-game sweep on Friday night against the Dallas Wings with a dramatic 64-61 win. The Aces held the Wings scoreless during the final five minutes of this one and closed on an 11-0 run.
So Vegas has a chance to become the first to win back to back titles since the L.A. Sparks in 2001 and 2002.
And the New York Liberty are one win away from advancing to their first WNBA finals since 2002. They open game three on an offensive tear. They outscored the Connecticut Sun, 37-16 in the first quarter and that ties the playoff record.
So Breanna Stewart showing everybody why she was named the league's most valuable player earlier this week. She finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds in New York's 11-point win with game 4 set for Sunday afternoon.
And finally, Ryder Cup history made in Rome. Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg pulling off the largest margin of victory ever for an 18-hole match, 9 and 7. They only needed 11 holes over 2 hours and 20 minutes to beat Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka.
Europe going into day two with a 5-point lead, tying their best start to a Ryder Cup as they look to reclaim the gold trophy.
HARRAK: Carolyn, thanks.
Later today, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum will hold birthday celebrations for the former president. Some events are happening earlier than planned because of the government shutdown. Officials wanted to make sure Carter is honored before he turns 99 on Sunday.
CNN's Tom Foreman shows us how others are marking his special day.
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TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Seven months into hospice care, making a surprise appearance in the peanut parade, there was former President Jimmy Carter, barely visible but smiling, rolling into his 99th birthday where everyone seems to know him as a friend.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really impressive he's made it that far, too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy birthday to him. Yes, yes, yes. That's a good president.
FOREMAN (voice-over): To anyone passing through, tiny Plains, Georgia, may not look like anything. But to the 39th president, it is everything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jimmy Carter knows what it's like to work for a living.
FOREMAN (voice-over): This is where he dreamed of playing baseball while helping his parents scratch a living from the red dirt, where he launched his bid for president. Then after decades of building houses for struggling people, fighting disease in faraway lands and defending rights --
JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We look on human rights as an ability to live in peace. And to believe that your future will be better than your past might be.
FOREMAN (voice-over): This is where he is calling it done. When the folks at Gladys' Kitchen heard the president was craving their casserole, they started sending a whole pan every few days. TRACIA TULLIS, OWNER, GLADYS' KITCHEN: It was just overwhelming knowing that someone like him came from where I'm from.
CARTER: Good morning, everybody.
FOREMAN (voice-over): He can't make it to church as he once did every week, drawing people from hundreds of miles away to hear the farmer turned president turned Sunday school teacher.
CARTER: South Carolina?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ohio.
CARTER: Ohio.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: California.
CARTER: Yes, in the middle.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: D.C.
CARTER: D.C., I used to live there.
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KIM CARTER FULLER, JIMMY CARTER'S NIECE: Even when he can't attend, he's listening.
FOREMAN (voice-over): His niece, Kim, took over and notes the tourists are gone.
FOREMAN: But the people who are here for him are still here for him.
FULLER: Yes. Exactly. And we're here for him. And we know that we have to keep on -- keeping on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy birthday, dear Jimmy.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Of course, there are big tributes in New York. Singer and activist Peter Gabriel led a chorus of "Happy Birthday" at the Carter Center in Atlanta. Good wishes are coming in too fast to count.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy birthday, President Carter.
FOREMAN: So what is the oldest living president in American history making of all of this hullabaloo?
In his simple, quiet house away from prying eyes here in his hometown, his family says he's just taking it all in.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Alongside his wife, Rosalyn, now diagnosed with dementia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are at home, in love and they know who they are. And I don't -- you know, you don't get more from a life than they've gotten.
FOREMAN (voice-over): The former president is with his family, watching the Braves play baseball and enjoying the extra innings, at home at last -- Tom Foreman, CNN, Plains, Georgia.
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HARRAK: That wraps up this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Laila Harrak. For viewers in North America, "CNN THIS MORNING" is next. For the rest of the world, it's "AFRICAN VOICES."
