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Biden Signs 45-Day Spending Bill To Keep Government Open; McCarthy's Speakership May Be At Risk After House Vote; U.S. Conservatives Remain Divided Over Aid For Ukraine; New York City Area Drying Out After Historic Flooding; U.K. Families Struggle As Rent Prices Soar. Aired 5-6 am ET

Aired October 01, 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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[05:00:39]

LAILA HARRAK, CNN HOST: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world, I'm Laila Harrak.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, (D) NEW YORK MAJORITY LEADER: It's been a day full of twists and turns, but the American people can breathe a sigh of relief. There will be no government shutdown.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: The U.S. government's still operating but Kevin McCarthy needed Democrats to seal the deal. Ahead, what could be next for the Republican House Speaker.

Plus, U.S. funding for Ukraine not included in the spending bill. We'll take a look at how that might affect troops on the ground.

And President Jimmy Carter turns 99 years old today. We'll take a look at birthday greetings for America's 39th President.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with Laila Harrak.

HARRAK: The United States waking up in the hours ahead to a fully functioning government at least for now. Deep anxiety over an impending government shutdown gave way to relief late Saturday, when U.S. President Joe Biden signed a 45-day stopgap measure to keep the government running and the military paid. It includes more aid for natural disasters but not additional funding for Ukraine or border security.

The President advise Congress to use the extension wisely saying there's plenty of time to pass government funding bills for the next fiscal year. And I strongly urge Congress to get to work right away. The American people expect their government to work.

Well, U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had to reach across the aisle to get the temporary spending bill through the House before sending it over to the Senate. After the House votes, here's what he said about the GOP hardliners who had sought the process.

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KEVIN MCCARTHY, (R) U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: Do you have members in your conference that won't let you vote for appropriation bills, doesn't want an omnibus and won't vote for a stopgap measure. So the only answer is to shut down and not pay our troops. I don't want to be a part of that team. I want to be a part of a conservative group that wants to get things done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: While U.S. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries had this reaction to the surprise turnaround in the House.

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HAKEEM JEFFRIES, (D) U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADER: The American people have won. The extreme MAGA Republicans have lost. It was a victory for the American people. And a complete and total surrender by right wing extremists, who throughout the year have tried to hate, to hijack the Congress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Well, Kevin McCarthy, practically daring hardline Republicans to come after him. Here is -- here he is after the vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCARTHY: If somebody wants to make a motion against me, bring it. There has to be an adult in the room. I am going to govern which what is best for this country.

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HARRAK: Of course, we don't know yet if there will be a motion to oust McCarthy, but as one Republican lawmaker told our Dana Bash, the Speaker's problems are largely of his own making.

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KEN BUCK, U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN: We knew in January that we had to pass 12 appropriations bills. He and so many others wait util the very last minute to jam people with bad spending bills, with the excuse that the -- the only option we had was to shut down government or spend too much money. That's not the option. He promised when he ran for speaker that we would have 12 votes on 12 separate bills. And he did not fulfill that promise. Then he promised the President a very high number on spending. And he promised other Republicans in the House lower numbers. So he has made promises that conflict with each other.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: On Monday when you all come in, well, there'll be a motion to vacate the chair, meaning throw him out?

BUCK: Well, I am not going to make that motion. Matt Gaetz may make it, some others may make it, but he's going to have to rely on Democrats again to survive and to keep his speakership.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Partisanship in fighting and dysfunction in Congress have contributed to many Americans feeling sour about the institution and politics in general. According to a recent Pew surveys 65% of Americans say they are exhausted while 55% say it makes them angry, only 10% view the situation with hope and a whopping 86% of Americans say they agree with this description. Republicans and Democrats are more focused on fighting each other than solving problems.

[05:05:18]

With us now is Thomas Gift, Director of the Center on U.S. Politics at the University College London. Always good to see you. Thomas, I'm glad that you could join us. They hashed out a deal at the 11th hour, what do you make of the compromise that was reached?

THOMAS GIFT, DIRECTOR, CENTER ON U.S. POLITICS, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: Well, it's good to see you, Laila. Thanks so much for having me. This certainly isn't an ideal bill by any measure. But I think for Kevin McCarthy to do what he did, compromise with Democrats and then dare the right to rebel and make good on their promise to oust him is quite something.

And to my mind, it shows that he's willing not to be held hostage by extremist in his party. Critics will say that a continuing resolution isn't any way to govern. And that's certainly right. But you have to ask yourself compared to what. McCarthy is navigating an opposition Senate, a hardline GOP caucus, that's ready to burn it all down.

Granted, he has embolden that faction on occasion, but he didn't create it. And late last week, he put forward an extremely, extremely conservative stopgap spending bill and he couldn't get 218 of his colleagues on board. So I think McCarthy achieved what he could with the hand that he was dealt. That's true substantively in terms of what the bill look like. But from a sheer political perspective, I think he also preserved the interest of moderates in his party. That said, he's doing this at great personal risk to his own speakership. And we'll see soon enough, if Matt Gaetz follows through on his pledge to advance a motion to vacate whether that's real, or it's just a bluff.

HARRAK: And it tells us this keeps happening, the odds of a shutdown were initially, you know, they look pretty high. But it didn't happen. Does the country pay a price for these non-recurring shutdown threats, even if in this case, the government shutdown was averted?

GIFT: Well, I think absolutely, there are -- is a huge cost to this, that none of this improves America's reputation in the eyes of the world. And I think that's particularly troubling at a time when the U.S. is desperately trying to persuade other countries to ally with it over China, and also to secure support for Ukraine against Russia, its invasion. But beyond foreign policy just speaks to a country that's afflicted by entrenched interests. You know, it goes without saying that this hyperpolarization is the chief cause of why Congress so rarely passes government spending bills on schedule. A lot of that does speak to the fact that we're in an era of unstable shifting majorities where there's no one party dominance, and that perpetual threat of power swings between the parties, really disincentivizes a compromise.

But it's not just a Democrat Republican divide, it's really within party splintering, that's to blame for a lot of this dysfunction. You know, one of the benefits of these big tent modern parties is that they can coalesce very diverse interests. But right now you have a huge gap between the far-right wing of the Republican Party and GOP moderates. I think it's at least as wide as the gap between GOP moderates and the median Democrat. And that makes it really hard to govern. And that's especially true when you have the Matt Gaetz' of the world having almost as their raison d'etre blowing up the system.

HARRAK: In conclusion, a final thought from you, a few moments ago, we saw how little faith Americans have in their lawmakers. And how many of them are just angry about thinking about politics. What do episodes like this do to the divisions in America that you alluded to a moment ago? Was McCarthy right in saying that there are no winners in moments like these?

GIFT: Well, I think that there's certainly no winners in moments like this. And of course, this only entrenches partisan divisions. I think that we have to recognize that whenever you have the threat of a shutdown, it's always because one group actually wants it. It's a non- trivial faction of Congress. I think there's value to that outcome. It's conscious move. So there's a political agenda at play always. In 2018 and 2019, it was Trump wanting leverage over building the border wall in 2013. I think the goal was to delay enactment of the Affordable Care Act. This year, it's really Ukraine that the fight many hardline Republicans seem to want. They don't necessarily even expect to win the funding battle many at the front and center. So, yeah, it's a real issue. And I think we're in for more partisan divisions going forward.

HARRAK: Thomas Gift, thank you.

GIFT: Thank you.

HARRAK: Now, new details on a story we brought you a last hour from Turkey. Ankara's Chief Prosecutor's Office is launching an investigation after an explosion in front of the Interior Ministry. The Interior Minister says to terrorists carried out a bomb attack outside the building. He says one of the suspects has been, "neutralize" and the other blew himself up. Two police officers are said to be slightly injured.

[05:10:07]

The U.S. government avoids the shutdown and a process that went down to the wire. But USAID for Ukraine pays the price for it. I'll explain. Plus, meeting the needs of migrants in New York City, how a former

hotel became a refuge for hundreds of people seeking asylum.

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HARRAK: Ukraine is starting a new tradition today to honor military members who gave their lives for the country. President Zelenskyy urged all Ukrainians to drop whatever they're doing at 9 a.m. local time, which was about three hours ago, and remember their fallen heroes. It's part of a holiday known as the Day of Defenders, which is usually in about two weeks from now. But for the first time, it's being celebrated on October 1.

Well, additional military aid for Ukraine will not be included in the latest U.S. spending bill as conservatives remain divided on the issue. Earlier Senator Rand Paul tweeted that he will do everything he can to "stop the U.S. government from being held hostage to Ukraine." He is added, "we cannot continue to put the needs of other countries above our own."

[05:15:03]

Former Representative Liz Cheney had a different take, she suggested that denying assistance to Ukraine is comparable to the appeasement policies of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in the run up to World War II.

But according to a CNN poll, when Americans were asked if Congress should authorize more funding for Ukraine, 55% of respondents said no. For more now, Fred Pleitgen joins us live from Kyiv. Fred, good to see you. Your reporting has given us an up close and personal perspective into the grim realities on the battlefield. So what would a drop in U.S. military assistance mean for the war effort?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Laila, I think it could be catastrophic for the Ukrainians. One of the things that we have to keep in mind is, of course, the United States is by far the largest donor of military aid to Ukraine.

And, you know, one of the things that we recently saw a very up close on the battlefield here in Ukraine is that when the Ukrainians for instance, go on the attack, and they use a lot of artillery, and other heavy weapons, a lot of that is, of course, U.S. supplied, and they do need a lot of them. If you have a nighttime battle, for instance, a lot of artillery shells are fired. And obviously, all of that needs to be replenished. So certainly, it could have a big effect.

But we also need to keep in mind that the -- the quality of weapons that the U.S. supplies to Ukraine really transcends pretty much all forms and all shapes of the battlefield here. It starts from small weapons, like for instance, machine guns, machine gun ammunition, small bullets, all the way to anti-aircraft systems, which of course, are extremely important, but also very expensive for U.S. taxpayers as well. But those are things that directly keep Ukrainians alive. You have of course, the HIMARS system, for instance, which has made a huge impact on the battlefield here in Ukraine has certainly helped the Ukrainians in some of these battles, turn the tide on the battlefield. So that in itself would have a massive impact on the Ukrainians as far as their mobility is concerned, as far as their firepower is concerned, as far as their soldier staying alive. And in many cases, also their civilian staying alive as well.

But one of the things that we've been talking about here in Ukraine, we've been speaking to Ukrainian soldiers and people fighting on the battlefield, they said, look, obviously they're very concerned about some of the things that are going on in the U.S., and whether or not the funding for their military campaign and for their defense is going to continue. But they also say whether or not it continues, they are going to have to keep on fighting because they believe that the existence of their country is at stake.

And you mentioned the fact that the Ukrainians today are memorializing the people who have been killed on the battlefield. Well, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of this country had a message that catered to that which also included a part where he said, look, the Ukrainians defending their country is not dependent on other countries, it will continue no matter what. I want you to listen to some of what he had to say.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): No one should or will be able to turn off our resilience, endurance, grit, and fortitude, neither on a regular nor any emergency basis. None of them have the expiration date, and end date or a final point, after which we will stop resisting and fighting. There is only one such point our victory, as we bring it closer every day, we say we will fight for as long as it takes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: They have Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying he will -- they will fight for as long as it takes. But of course, also, the reality on the battlefield is that if the Ukrainians want to continue to make games against the Russians, and certainly we can see in their counter offensive both in the south and the east, where we are that they have been making some more gains than they have over the past couple of months. They are going to need a lot of ammunition. They are going to need a lot of weapons, and they're going to need that supply to continue. So certainly a lot of Ukrainians very concerned about some of the things that they've been seeing out of the U.S. in the past couple of days, Laila.

HARRAK: So you partially answered this next question a bit. I was wondering if you could flesh it out a bit. Can anyone make up for a decrease in U.S. aid to Ukraine?

PLEITGEN: Well, it's a really important and a really interesting question. First of all, there is no single country that could make up for the aid that the United States supplies. But I think a lot of it actually goes deeper than even that. There are countries who are stepping up and who are giving more. If you look at, for instance, the Germans, who started out when the Russia first fully invaded Ukraine, or started that full on invasion, offering 5000 helmets, and they're now putting up Main Battle Tanks, howitzers, other important weapons, air defense weapons.

But the Germans are doing a lot of that and a lot of other countries are doing a lot of that because the U.S. is doing it. And if the U.S. stops doing that, then that certainly could have a chilling effect on other countries as well.

You look at two examples that I think are really important. The Germans, for instance, are giving multiple rocket launching systems to -- to the Ukrainians. They're called MARS. The United States, of course, has the HIMARS. It's been really efficient. But the Germans cut a deal with the Americans to say we are going to supply these things as long as you supply these things. They want to know that the United States is in the fight for them to remain in the fight.

[05:20:02]

And the same, by the way, goes for main battle tanks as well. The Germans, of course, have supplied Leopard 2 battle tanks and when the Germans did that, a lot of other European countries that all have those Leopard 2 main battle tanks as well also gave main battle tanks. But the Germans again only doing that after the Biden administration said that they would offer up Abrams battle tanks to the Ukrainians, which by the way, have also just now arrived in Ukraine as well.

So the U.S. if the aid that the U.S. is giving would significantly drop or dry up altogether, it could certainly and most probably would have a chilling effect on many other countries that are willing to give but only if that security umbrella from the United States is up for them. Would they be willing to continue to do that, Laila.

HARRAK: Fred Pleitgen in Kyiv, thank you so much.

And now to Slovakia, where a party headed by a pro-Kremlin leader is heading for a win in Saturday's parliamentary election. Preliminary results show former Prime Minister Robert Fico's party has won nearly 23% of the vote while a significant number he will need a coalition partner to form the government. Let's go now to CNN Scott McLean live in London. Scott, Slovakia, an E.U. and NATO member, what does this outcome signal?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Laila, yeah, I think for the West, there's going to be plenty of concern that's Slovakia may turn into sort of a hungry when it comes to the E.U. and NATO and Prime Minister Viktor Orban there who's been, you know, seeking to water down or obstruct in some cases, its policies or its sanctions on Russia. The E.U. already has one of those countries to contend with. It certainly doesn't want to have to.

And also, from a Ukrainian standpoint, it needs all the help -- they need all the help they can get in one less country providing military aid surely will be detrimental, though, Slovakia is obviously a small country.

The message from Robert Fico, the -- the leader of the Smer party, former Prime Minister twice over has proven to be more popular than polls predicted it to be, won by more comfortable margin and his message, I mean, though, he's taken the Russian line and blamed Ukrainian Nazis and fascists in his words for provoking Russia into war. His message he sort of framed it as one of peace that look, the longer we supply weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, the longer this war will drag on. And he believes that it's a war that Ukraine can't win because Russia will simply never concede.

But politically, Laila, Robert Fico is not the Prime Minister of Slovakia quite yet. He still needs to go through and find a coalition partner and we've just heard this morning from his primary opposition party, the leader of that party, the progressive Slovakia or PS party has said that look, he will do everything in his power to try to prevent Robert Fico from actually forming government. He thinks that it is bad for his country and bad for Slovakia's international standing.

Now, if you look at the results that we have thus far, Fico's party, the Smer Party is taking home about 23% of the vote right now. You have the Republic Party, down there at the bottom. They are a far- right party that shares Fico's views of Russia and Ukraine and he hadn't ruled out working with them and a coalition but they haven't reached the minimum 5% threshold that is required in Slovakia to actually get seats in parliament. So more likely, they'll be trying to pair with the third place Hlas Party with 15% or so of the vote. That's actually an offshoot of breakaway offshoot of Robert Fico's own party.

They've been rather vague on the Ukraine issue. They say that look, Ukraine -- or Slovaks have given all they have to give to Ukraine, but they also support continuing to send ammunition to Ukraine because much of it is actually manufactured in Slovakia and they figure that it is it's good for the economy. So there's still a lot to shake out here. This could take several weeks before we figure out who's in this coalition. And if Robert Fico is in fact, the next prime minister of the country. Laila?

HARRAK: Scott McLean reporting in London. Thank you, Scott.

And still ahead this hour, New York City drying out after record flooding report on the day after and the day ahead, coming up.

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[05:27:34]

HARRAK: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and Canada, and all around the world. I'm Laila Harrak and you're watching CNN Newsroom.

Washington has approved a last-ditch plan to avert a government shutdown while President Joe Biden has signed the spending measure which will keep federal agencies running through mid-November. It includes more aid for natural disasters, but not additional funding for Ukraine. The House approved the continuing resolution earlier in the day, 90 Republicans voted against it and so did a single Democrat. Earlier he spoke with CNN about the lack of unity in Congress.

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MIKE QUIGLEY, U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRAT: I saw people patting each other on the back and clapping and saying this was a bipartisan victory. Let's look at the record recently. We came within an inch of defaulting on our debt. We just now came within inches of a shutdown. This is not how the most important democracy in the world should function. Our dysfunction, our inability to govern is a national security threat beyond all the other reasons we shouldn't shut down. It's a scary time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: While the White House may rest a little easier after avoiding a shutdown, but CNN Senior White House Correspondent MJ Lee tells us there's still questions that need to be answered.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Just hours ahead of a midnight deadline for a government shutdown, President Biden signing into law a government funding bill that would fund the government for 45 days. The White House had made a deliberate decision some time ago to take a hands-off approach as the process unfolded on Capitol Hill. The messaging that we have been hearing from the White House over the last few days has really been this is the House Republicans problem to solve. They made a political calculation that if the government were to shut down at midnight, that House Republicans would end up shouldering much of that political blame.

Of course, there is a sigh of relief tonight here at the White House that a government shutdown has been averted. But there are two very big outstanding questions. First is how the government is going to potentially secure more funding for Ukraine. That has been a big priority for many Democrats and White House officials as well. And it's also just not clear whether or not a situation like this is again going to unfold exactly 45 days from now. But again, there is a huge sigh of relief that a government shutdown that the White House had been bracing for and had been preparing for has now been averted CNN. MJ Lee at the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[05:30:09]

HARRAK: Well, the new U.S. spending bill will not include additional funding for border security despite a surge in immigration. According to recent government data, there have been more than 2 million migrant encounters at the U.S. border in the fiscal year 2023, while thousands of asylum seekers have been bused to New York. And many have been received at a former hotel. That's become a refuge for those in need. CNN's Shimon Prokupecz reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DR. TED LONG, SENIOR VICE PRSEIDENT, NEW YORK CITY HEALTH AND HOSPITALS: We're going to offer you food and water right away. A hot meal can go a long way.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Dr. Ted Long from New York City's Health and Hospital is proud of the operation the city has established here.

LONG: Everything that we've developed in New York City is to meet the needs that were not met for people coming to us from Texas so far. So, here, whether it's screening for communicable disease, if you're a pregnant woman, giving you prenatal care, or screening for the very important mental health conditions you might have, like depression, we do it all here because it's not done before here.

PROKUPECZ: It really catches your eye to see so many kids running through the halls of the Roosevelt Hotel, almost like a playground, so many kids. The city says 20,000 migrant children have come through New York so far.

(On camera): Why did you come to America?

(Voice-over): Lady Kaza (ph) is 23 years old and escaping violence in Ecuador. She says she came here for her daughter, Mia, who was born with a physical disability.

(On camera): How are you feeling?

(Voice-over): She says she's happy that she's here now, and she's scared to go back to Ecuador.

I'm afraid that my daughter will die there if she can't get medical attention. I need a place to stay. I think they're going to help me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sorry.

PROKUPECZ: Good luck, OK?

It's good news for Lady and Mia. They're being moved out of the intake center to a shelter. As this group leaves, another is already shuffling in behind them. A 116,000 have come to New York City since the spring of 2022, city officials say. And it's a reminder that the flow of migrants doesn't stop.

FABIEN LEVY, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR FOR COMMUNICATIONS: The burden on New York City is too much, quite honestly. We are at past our breaking point.

PROKUPECZ: Among those just arriving, Luis Flores (ph). We met him outside, and his wife, Irmalinda Morales (ph). They now have seats inside.

It's a dream come true, he says.

It took him two and a half months to come to this country through the border. And now he's just hoping to give his family a better life. And they've been sitting here now for several days, waiting for the next steps and the next process.

And this is your wife, yes? 38 years you have been marry.

How are you doing?

Irmalinda (ph) tells us it was their dream to come to the United States and she doesn't want to lose her husband now that they've finally made it.

As we leave, Luis (ph) speaks directly into our camera. I just want to work, he says. These are the hands of a worker.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: The last-minute vote wasn't the only drama on Capitol Hill on Saturday, just before the House was scheduled to vote on the stopgap spending bill, Jamaal Bowman pulled a fire alarm in a Congressional Office Building. The New York Democrat says it was an accident, telling reporters he was trying to get through a closed door and mistook the alarm for a way to open it.

Well, Bowman is facing backlash. Republican lawmakers are calling for his censure, accusing him of trying to stall the vote. Bowman says that accusation is, "complete BS."

And a developing story from Illinois, residents there are being allowed to return home after a deadly crash involving a vehicle carrying thousands of gallons of ammonium. Five people were killed when the semi-truck crashed in a village a couple of 100 miles south of Chicago. Hundreds of residents were forced to flee and the Fire Department now says testing indicates that the danger from the ammonia has dissipated.

To Spain where the Mercury has rebounded after a post summer cooldown. In Madrid, forecasters say temperatures are far above normal for this time of year. Spaniards have reached for their summer wardrobes again after a period of cooler rainy weather. The outlook is calling for temps in the mid-30-degree Celsius range or low 90 degrees Fahrenheit in Madrid and even hotter further south. While this comes after a blazing hot summer of extreme heat across the region.

While the calendar may -- the calendar may now say October but parts of the U.S. we'll see record high temperatures until at least midweek as meteorologist Allison Chinchar shows us, there's a change coming after that.

[05:35:09]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: In total, more than 30 potential records could be tied or broken starting Sunday, all the way through Wednesday of this week. And you'll notice it several different regions of the U.S. that are looking at those potential records.

Now, for some portions of the central U.S. those records actually began on Saturday, including the area around Brownsville, Texas, which means they could end up breaking records three or even four days in a row before we finally start to see those temperatures dropping back down towards normal.

Take, for example, Sioux Falls, going from a high on Sunday of 93 degrees back down to only 76 on Tuesday, keeping in mind however, that that 76 is still actually above normal for this time of year, just not quite as extreme as the high temperature will be on Sunday.

Another location looking at that big drop St. Louis going from a high of 91 on Sunday down to the low 80s Thursday before dropping back below average into the low to mid-70s once we finish out the rest of this week.

Farther down to the South Dallas also looking at several more hot days looking at highs in the mid-90s once all the way through Tuesday of the upcoming week before finally dropping back into the 80s by the end of the week, and possibly down even into the low 70s. Once we get some rain back into the forecast next weekend.

Now, this heat is going to stick around. It's just going to start to shift as we head into the latter portion of the upcoming week. So you'll notice it starts to recede from the central U.S. really starting to focus more across the Northeast and the Mid Atlantic as cooler air begins to push into the central U.S. by Wednesday and Thursday of this week. That means into the northeast, those temperatures are actually going to be warming looking at already going from 78 on Sunday back into the mid-80s by Tuesday. Similar scenario for Boston, going from 73 on Sunday up to the 80s once we get to the middle portion of this week.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Well, two days after historic flooding hit New York City, the region is beginning to dry out. Friday storm dropped the most rain ever recorded at JFK Airport is state of emergency is in effect now for the next six days. And while some flood warnings are still in effect, what a difference a day makes. CNN's Polo Sandoval reports now from New York.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's certainly a sense of normalcy that's been restored in New York City after Friday made for an absolutely nightmarish day for millions of people in America's largest city with record rainfall soaking the region. Here in the ground at the entrance to the New York City subway system, at least one of them, there is also that sense of normalcy. New York Governor Kathy Hochul confirming on Saturday that the transit system is back up and running after parts of it were essentially paralyzed by Friday's weather event. The Governor also taking the time to commend not just the responders but even the people themselves, many of whom were actually listened to some of those warnings and many of them staying off the streets.

KATHY HOCHUL, NEW YORK GOVERNOR: And I want to say this, because New Yorkers heated our warning. And when they could they stayed home. And most importantly, they stayed off the roads. What had been described by myself as a potentially life-threatening event ended up being a play at a time. When people listened, they reacted properly, they took precautions, and no lives were lost.

SANDOVAL: And so this weekend, there's certainly a sense of pride coming from officials and some relief but also some serious questions that are being asked about what can be done to limit the impact. The next time we see an event of this magnitude as we heard from New York City officials say on Friday and again on Saturday. They believe that climate change is certainly a factor here that we are likely going to see these kinds of weather events and they hope that infrastructure will be able to keep up which is why they are calling on more investment in that system. Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Coming up, rental prices are soaring across the United Kingdom and there's no relief in sight. We'll hear how families are coping with the stress.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:42:20]

HARRAK: Alive look of the U.S. Capitol where the sun will soon rise over a fully functioning federal government that's no longer threatened with a shutdown, at least not for the next 45 days. President Biden quickly signed the extension into law soon after it cleared the Senate late last night. For now millions of government employees and active military members will continue getting paid.

Well, earlier seen in Economics and Political Commentator Catherine Rampell said the spectacle of costly and unnecessary shutdown does not inspire confidence abroad about America's future.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CATHERINE RAMPELL, CNN ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It just feels like over and over and over, we replay these dramas, these completely unnecessary dramas. And we look like a basket case, frankly, before the rest of the world, which you know, even if it doesn't directly affect economic outcomes, it does drag on confidence and it does drag on confidence specifically in the United States as a responsible player on the global stage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: While the U.S. Auto Workers strike still going strong on Saturday, Union President Shawn Fain joined a picket line in Ohio and rallied his troops.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Shawn Fain, president, UAW: Just like the Jeep they make it's one of the most rugged vehicles that's ever been made. It was there during World War II. It's been there ever since. And these workers are just like that Jeep. They'll stand here and they will be here until the end, you're not going to beat him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: On Friday, the UAW announced it was expanding the walkout by one more assembly plant each for Ford and General Motors. But the Union said talks with the last of the big three companies Stellantis are progressing.

The U.K. is grappling with a cost-of-living crisis this that's throwing millions of people into financial insecurity. According to recent data, rent prices are soaring, leaving many struggling to keep up with payments. Isa Soares spoke to one family who's feeling the pressure.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW GREENWOOD, PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER: It's been a really, really tough six months. I've lost sleep over it because you wonder where the next bill is going to come from.

ISA SOARES, CNN HOST (voice-over): It's been a year of constant stress for the Greenwood family.

GREENWOOD: You see the cost on your electric just trickling up and up and up and it's not that you're doing anything different on the day to day.

SOARES (voice-over): And with that the anxiety sets in. It's a cycle that has left Matthew, a 34-year-old primary school teacher struggling.

He lost his job as schools cut budgets, and his wife, who works 12- hour shifts, is training to be a nurse.

In between parenting and job searching, he's counting the pennies, as the cost-of-living crisis squeezes the middle class.

[05:45:07]

(On-camera): Did you ever consider, I mean, have you considered with rental prices going up and inflation and food inflation moving in with family member?

GREENWOOD: Yeah. I think this was something that was on the cards last year. We really sort of put it to the board that it would be something we'd have to do because we didn't know where the extra money was going to come from to cover the increase in rent.

SOARES (voice-over): Matthew's rent went up last year, like many others around the U.K. facing a similar problem. Since July 2022, Private rental costs increased here by 5.3%, and now more than a third of adults are finding it difficult to afford their rent or mortgage payments.

The charity Turn2Us, which advises people in financial difficulty, is seeing first-hand the scale of the problem.

THOMAS LAWSON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, TURN2US: We're seeing people get into debt, let alone holiday funds or saving for their children's university. They've already been spent, they're borrowing from family members. So people are making really hard choices about not only their long-term future, but even months away.

SOARES (voice-over): And that's the case for Matthew, who's dreading another rent hike.

GREENWOOD: If it did go up, there's no guarantee I'd be able to afford that extra 50 pounds a month. I know a lot of people say, oh, it's only 50 pounds a month, you can cut back on some things, but --

SOARES (on-camera): What else are you going to cut back on?

GREENWOOD: There's nothing else to cut back on, you know, we are strict to the bare minimum.

SOARES (on-camera): But just a few days after our interview, Matthew tells us that his worst fears have become a reality.

Matthew, we saw your text message, give us a sense of what your landlord has told you.

GREENWOOD: So we had a message off him. a couple of days after you left, basically saying that he's really sorry and he's got to put the rent up. So that's grown up another 50 pounds.

SOARES (on-camera): Another stressful news for you.

GREENWOOD: Worst case scenario is we'll have to move out. But realistically, I don't know. I don't have words at the moment.

SOARES (voice-over): Isa Soares, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Commemorations have been taking place to mark the founding of the People's Republic of China, 74 years ago. A flag raising ceremony was held in tenement square in Beijing earlier, thousands of people from all over the country gathered at the square in the early hours of the day.

A similar ceremony was held in Hong Kong attended by senior officials. There will be massive fireworks display over Victoria Harbour later tonight.

Still to come, the playoffs are now certain time for some October baseball and the Rangers just one of five teams to clinch a spot in the post season on Saturday.

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[05:51:43] HARRAK: Well after 161 regular season games, the Major League Baseball playoff field is now set. CNN's Sports Anchor Coy Wire joins us now with more court that seems to have a lot to play for.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, we know who is in, we just don't know the matchups yet. But that's all going to become crystal clear by the end of Sunday. The Texas Rangers check out what they clinching their first playoff versus 2016. It was a 6/1 win over Seattle Mariners on Saturday. Just two years ago, this team lost 102 games and finished in last place in their division now they have a chance to win the American League West title with either a win or a loss by the Houston Astros.

Just a few minutes later in Arizona, the reigning World Series Champs Astros, they punch their playoff ticket with a one nothing win over the Diamondbacks. This will be their seventh straight year that they've advanced to the postseason. And they've been to the World Series four times in the last six seasons and they've won it twice.

Now even though they just lost this game, Laila, the D'Backs still throwing a pool party out there in the outfield where the fans are usually getting drenched. They clinched a wildcard playoff spot. Thanks to a loss by the Cincinnati Reds. This is Arizona's first playoff appearance in six years .

Now, the Miami Marlins meantime booked a spot for just the fourth time in team history as a seven three win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. And this is Miami's first postseason appearance since the shortened 2020 season and the franchise's first in a 162-game season since 2003. That's when they won the World Series.

Let's get a little college football action where a week after losing on a last second touchdown to number four Ohio State, 11th ranked Notre Dame they come up with their own clutch win against number 16 Duke. They were down by one with time running out and Audric Estime broke free for that 30-yard touchdown run with 31 seconds to go. That was a 95-yard drive. They had to go to pull this off. The Irish improve to five and one this season with the 21 to 14 win and they keep themselves in contention for a coveted college football playoff spot.

Now, the two-time defending national champs, the Georgia Bulldogs, they were given a big time scare by the Auburn Tigers in the south oldest rivalry which dates back to 1892. The game was tied at 20 with just minutes to go but their best player Brock Bowers barreled his way for a 40 yard go ahead touchdown. And then with about a minute 30 left, the Georgia defense would seal the deal. Malakai Starks out fighting the receiver to intercept the past 27 to 20 as the final. Georgia now has a 22-game unbeaten streak all the way back to 2021.

Finally, tensions were running high at the end of Saturday's Ryder Cup in Rome Italy. In the last match of the day, USA's Patrick Cantlay, think that putt them on a team but check out is Caddie here, Joe LaCava, celebrating for what they thought was a little bit too long so he's getting heated there as Rory is getting set up for a putt that would have tied the match. I mean, look at this Caddie's still getting after him. You rarely see that.

Now, check this out. It's like a volcano waiting to arrive. Rory couldn't hold it back any longer. Patrick get in his car and drive away but the cameras caught the four-time major champ getting into it with LaCava again before he was ushered away by his own teammate that's Shane Lowry there, going over say, hey bro, what were you doing man? This is golf. We don't suppose to do that sort of thing, Laila.

[05:55:18]

HARRAK: I know, it's --

(CROSSTALK)

HARRAK: -- and stuff but, you know, still tempers flare.

WIRE: Yeah. Good to see you.

HARRAK: All right, good to see you. Thank you so much. You should do this again.

WIRE: Mm-hmm.

HARRAK: Coy, thanks a lot.

Now, birthday greetings keep rolling in for former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. He served at the White House between 1977 and 1981. And the residence mark the occasion with this display on the lawn. Carter turns 99 today. Well, in his home state of Georgia, a party at the Carter Library with children making birthday cards, well-wishers celebrated with cake, games, trivia, and fond memories.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOYCELYN STOKES, GEORGIA RESIDENT: It's important to celebrate President Carter because he's an honest, honorable man with a lot of character he brought so much to America. He -- he values the American people. He values peace. He -- he exemplifies everything that a president should exemplify. That is so missing in today's society.

DANIELLE PRICE, GEORGIA RESIDENT: I would say 99 years is a great life. I love that he was -- he's been so open about his illness.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we thank God for President Carter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: While meantime, the Carter Center arranged for 14,000 people around the world to send their messages and birthday wishes to President Carter.

So what happens when a shark shows up in the middle of a fever of stingrays? Well just take a look at video captured off the coast of Florida. And you can see one shark approaching hundreds of sting rays. Then suddenly the shark starts chasing them. A drone operator says he plan to capture videos of dolphins and sharks for his video blog. But his jaw dropped when he saw this many sting rays ahead. Well according to local news reports, the footage has already racked up nearly a million and a half views and counting.

Thank you so much for watching. I'm Laila Harrak. I'll see you next time.

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