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Kyiv Worries Tumult In U.S. May Affect Other Allies' Aid; Pro- Russian Robert Fico Wins Parliamentary Election; Candidates Face Off In Argentina's First Presidential Debate; Rep. Gaetz Says He Will Try to Oust U.S. House Speaker; U.S. Border Patrol Relieved Government Shutdown Averted; 13 Dead in Spain's Deadliest Nightclub Fire in Decades; FDA Updates Ozempic Label; France Vows to Take Action as Bedbugs Sweep Paris; L.A. Official Fights to Save Marilyn Monroe's House; Europe Prevails to Win Ryder Cup. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired October 02, 2023 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[01:00:25]
LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. I'm Laila Harrak. Ahead on CNN Newsroom, seeking to reassure allies, the U.S. President says aid to Ukraine will keep flowing but time is running out. And Ukraine's western neighbor, Slovakia, waits to see if a, quote, Russian former prime minister can build the coalition he needs to return to power.
Plus, France hopes to end a pesky problem before it plays host to the Olympics.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with Laila Harrak.
HARRAK: The Ukrainian government is facing growing challenges in securing aid from western allies. In the U.S., lawmakers now have a month and a half to negotiate a new funding package for Kyiv, after hardline conservatives refused to include it in the latest spending bill. While the E.U.'s foreign policy chief says, he was surprised Washington didn't secure the funds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSEP BORRELL, EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF: To tell the truth, we were surprised by the fact that the last minute agreement has taken a decision that we have to regret deeply. I have the hope that this will not be a definitive decision and Ukraine will continue having the support of the U.S.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: Meanwhile, Ukraine is also facing doubts from Slovakia one of its western neighbors. A pro-Kremlin party has just won parliamentary elections there while its leader tries to build a governing coalition he says the country has bigger problems to worry about than Ukraine. Still, despite so much uncertainty, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says, Kyiv remains resilient. On Sunday, he promised victory for his country as it honored its fallen war heroes.
This was the scene in Kyiv during the Defender's Day holiday. People left flowers and flags to remember those who died defending Ukraine.
While Ukrainian officials say they're confident that overall U.S. support for their country is still strong but they're carefully watching. What happens in Washington and how it could affect future aid from other countries. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Ukrainians certainly are concerned about some of the things that have been going on in the U.S. especially in Congress there. And certainly they do rely very heavily on U.S. security assistance. And we've seen it on the battlefield here in the east of the country and in the south as well, pretty much in all facets. It starts with rifles, it starts with bullets, but then you also have larger cannons, ammunition, and all the way to surface to air missile systems. So the U.S. is by far the largest provider of arms to the Ukrainians that they then use on the battlefield so that's very important to them.
But there's a second facet to this as well and that is the possible chilling effect that any sort of cut in U.S. security assistance could have on the U.S.'s partners who are also giving weapons to Ukraine. There's two big examples. For instance, the Germans gave multiple rocket launching systems to the Ukrainians but only did so after the U.S. also gave MLRS to the Ukrainians and also main battle tanks. The Germans allowing other countries to give Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine doing the same as well, but again only after a deal was reached with the Biden administration for the Biden administration to provide Abrams main battle tanks to the Ukrainians.
So certainly it could be a huge deal if the U.S. decides to curtail their security assistance for Ukraine or stop it altogether. Again, the Ukrainians very much aware of that. It was quite interesting because a spokesman for Ukraine's foreign ministry came out today trying to put a good face on things, saying that, look, in the end he hopes that they will be able to work with the Biden administration to make sure that any future budget will beneficial for Ukraine.
Frederik Pleitgen, CNN in eastern Ukraine.
HARRAK: Earlier, I spoke with Ukrainian parliament member Inna Sovsun. And I asked her whether Ukrainians were frustrated or concerned that the U.S. agreed to a budget that does not give funds to Ukraine for now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
INNA SOVSUN, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Of course, we are alarmed because for us this war is literally daily reality. I will tell you this, it's 7:00 in the morning here in Ukraine. Week here in Kyiv woke up at 4:00 in the morning because of yet another air raid alert. And me and my son, who actually has the birthday today, had to relocate to the bathroom so that we are not near the windows in case there is yet another missile attack here in Kyiv. And this happens almost daily in our lives. And we are here quite far away from the front line.
[01:05:11]
The reality for those who are on the front line is even much worse. And unfortunately our daily life consists of news from our friends, from relatives learning about yet another friend of ours being killed or wounded in the war. And this is of course very scary reality for all of us. And we understand that the only way to fight back is to coordinate with our partners, with our friends who share the same principles that we do. They believe in democracy and human rights. So of course we are concerned with lack of additional funding and the situation in the U.S. right now.
HARRAK: So do you feel that there is a disconnect between, you know, those harrowing experiences that you just shared with us and what's happening, you know, an ocean away in Washington? Because President Zelenskyy was in Washington just barely two weeks ago to make the case for continued support of -- need for U.S. support. Why do you think his pleas have fallen on deaf ears?
SOVSUN: Well, on the one hand, I do understand that it is very far away for the United States. I understand that it is a very distant war. Yet, it is a very close war to the U.S. as well because it is the war against the country that hates the United States. And I do believe that this strategic thinking should be part of the decision making in Washington, D.C. right now. Russia hates United States. It hates everything that the U.S. is standing for. And Ukrainian army is the only one fighting against this army which is hostile to the U.S. which is hostile to everything that the U.S. represents.
But I understand there is wariness of war. I wish I could say the same for us. We don't really have a choice. But I understand that the U.S. has its own political reality. It has upcoming elections and it does become part of the political process there. I just want the U.S. to remember that there is a human cost to all of that. And that all those delays, they come at the cost of life. Actually, recent -- yesterday, before going to bed, I was reading the biography of the great American General Marshall and when he was asked whether generous appropriations would shorten the war, he said, and I quote here we certainly will not shorten it by delays. That was the understanding in the U.S. administration in the early 1940s. That should be the understanding today as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: And that was Inna Sovsun a Ukrainian lawmaker joining me from Ukraine. Well, now let's get some insight from the U.S. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld is the senior associate dean for leadership studies at the Yale School of Management and recently returned from a visit to Kyiv. I asked him whether time is on Vladimir Putin's side given the discord in the U.S. House of Representatives over support for Ukraine.
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JEFFREY SONNENFELD, LESTER CROWN PROFESSOR IN MANAGEMENT PRACTICE, YALE UNIVERSITY: Putin is losing diplomatically, of course. He's lost militarily. He's lost half of his military, to everybody's surprise. Where is he winning economically, by the way, it's a disaster. Every sector is down 60 percent to 95 percent, 1,200 major multinationals have pulled out energy, which was two thirds of his exports, is down by half. He's in terrible shape economically.
He's only surviving by cannibalizing the 60 percent of the economy that he now controls. He's basically burning the living room furniture to keep the blaze going. But the other thing he has is he's counting on attrition. He's hoping that by January 20, you know, 50 -- 20, you know, 25 that Trump is back in there and that we'll see a weakening of the resolve of the allies, but that's all he has is propaganda and a war of attrition.
The allies have to hold together and not believe this insidious campaign that he's running to try to weaken it. But it's very effective. And we look at the United States Senate, it's 91 percent behind Ukraine and 70 percent in the House of Representatives. So there is no weakened resolve. It's certainly going to go through. It's just silly politics here that they carve things up into pieces.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: Well, as we mentioned, voters in neighboring Slovakia are waiting to see who will lead their next government. The party of former Prime Minister Robert Fico got the highest percentage of votes in parliamentary elections over the weekend. Fico says as Prime Minister, he would do everything he could to kick start peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT FICO, FORMER SLOVAK PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We think Ukraine is a huge tragedy for all, and if smear formed the cabinet, whether it has the Prime Minister or not, we will do best, even in the E.U., to get peace talks underway as soon as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:10:06]
HARRAK: However, Fico's party has not secured enough votes to govern on its own and will have to form a coalition government. CNN's Scott McClain has more now on the crucial vote.
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a man who blames Ukrainian Nazis and fascists for provoking Russia into war has won Slovakia's election. On the campaign trail, Robert Fico had pledged to cut off military aid to Ukraine if he won. Slovakia has been one of Ukraine's staunchest allies since the outset of the war, sending helicopters, artillery, and air defense systems. But Fico's basic argument is that sending weapons and ammunition only prolongs a war in which Russia will never accept defeat, and that is an appealing message in a country that is struggling with inflation and the cost of hosting more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.
Fico's party won by a more comfortable margin than some polls had predicted, but he will still need a governing partner in order to govern the country. And he had not ruled out pairing up with a far right party that broadly shares his view on Russia and Ukraine. But that party didn't quite make the 5 percent threshold needed in order to take seats in parliament. So it is more likely that he will now aim to work with the Halas party, which has been more vague about Ukraine, on the one hand, arguing that Slovakia has given all it can afford to give.
On the other hand, it says that Slovakia should continue to manufacture ammunition for Ukraine, which is ultimately good for the economy. So Fico's policy toward Ukraine and Russia is likely to be moderated out of political necessity, and he has been prime minister twice before, so he has a track record of being pragmatic in order to govern. Voter turnout, by the way, the highest that it's been in 20 years, but it will likely take weeks before Slovaks ultimately find out who will be part of that coalition government.
Scott McLean, CNN, London.
HARRAK: Poland is looking ahead to an election that gives voters two starkly different choices when it comes to governing the country. Massive crowds gathered in Poland's capital Sunday for a rally. The liberal opposition is hoping the Million hearts march can build momentum before the October 15th vote. They are framing the election as a national referendum on the conservative law and justice party, which has controlled Poland since 2015.
The opposition says the ruling party is looking to leave the European Union. The law and justice party denies those claims. Jan Cienski is a senior policy editor at Politico, and he joins me now from Warsaw, Poland. So thank you so much for joining us, Jan, a massive turnout. What mobilized that many people to come out and rally?
JAN CIENSKI, SENIOR POLICY EDITOR, POLITICO: Yes, it's potentially the largest demonstration in Polish history. There's enormous disaffection with the ruling law and justice party in the larger cities in Poland and among the more liberal side of the electorate. The eight years that the party has been in power have been punctuated by many demonstrations against them, their sort of dismay at their reforms of the judicial system, backsliding on democracy and the feeling that Poland is kind of veering in an authoritarian direction and loosening its ties with the European Union.
HARRAK: So is the opposition party able to capitalize on that sentiment?
CIENSKI: Well, you know, the sense of dismay managed to get this huge demonstration. The numbers people sort of question, the numbers a little bit, but it's probably close to the million that the opposition said so enormous demonstration through central Warsaw and in many other Polish cities as well. The problem for the opposition is that law and justice has been solidly ahead in the opinion polls for months. They're around 38 percent and the leading opposition party civic coalition is at around 30 percent.
So if that trend continues, we've only got two weeks before the election. Then law and justice looks like it might be able to form a minority government or have to try to build a coalition. But despite the pressure that they're putting on the ruling party, it's not great news for the opposition that they haven't been able to break through and take the lead themselves.
HARRAK: Now, we just saw a Slovakia vote in a party described by some as populist. If polls who head to the polls in two weeks time give the nationalist conservative law and justice party another go at governing their country, what would that mean for relations with the European Union and with neighboring Ukraine?
[01:15:00]
CIENSKI: With the European Union, it's likely Poland already is facing a cutoff from some E.U. funds because the concern in Brussels over Poland's not fulfilling various democratic criteria that the E.U. demands. It's likely that those tensions would continue. The problem for the European Union is that this would be the third time that law and justice is elected, and at some point, they have to reconcile themselves with, this is the kind of government that Poland wants, and they have to figure out how to get along with this country.
Law and justice has also put out a few peace feelers of trying to make a few changes to their changes to the legal system to see if they could patch things up with Brussels. It hasn't worked so far, but in the third term, it's possible that they would try to lessen those tensions.
On Ukraine, everybody in the Polish political spectrum is strongly pro-Ukrainian, very much in favor of sending weapons and acting as a major shipment point for weapons to Ukraine. There have been tensions with this government over Ukrainian grain coming through Poland, and the government has moved to protect its farmers, which has created a little bit of a tension with Kyiv. But the likelihood is that whoever rules Poland after the election is going to be very strongly pro- Ukrainian.
HARRAK: And a few words, what's at stake during this election?
CIENSKI: Both sides are putting it in fairly cataclysmic terms. I think that if law and justice wins, we're likely to see continued moves to put the judiciary under political control, for the government to continue to control the media as much as possible, and for Poland to diverge from sort of a liberal mainstream West European direction and carve a more populist course.
HARRAK: All right, Jan Cienski from Politico, thank you so much for joining us. Greatly appreciate it.
CIENSKI: Thank you.
HARRAK: Now, the new chair of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee says you will block the release of military aid for Egypt if the country does not improve human rights. Senator Ben Cardin has also threatened to withhold future arms sales, saying, quote, the government of Egypt's record on a range of critical human rights issues, good governance and the rule of law must improve if our bilateral relationship is to be sustained.
Well, the announcement comes after the committee's previous chairman, Bob Menendez, was indicted on corruption charges over claims he accepted bribes to help Egypt obtain military aid.
Turkey says it has destroyed 20 targets in northern Iraq belonging to the PKK. Just hours after the Kurdish militant group claimed responsibility for a bombing outside the Turkish Interior Ministry in Ankara. The ministry says two attackers killed a civilian and stole his vehicle. Two police officers were able to stop the attackers but were injured in the process.
The PKK is designated as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and Europe. It has been waging an insurgency against Ankara for four decades.
Still ahead on CNN Newsroom, presidential candidates in Argentina take the stage for the country's first debate before this month's general election. How one political outsider who campaigned waving a chainsaw is promising to shake up business as usual.
Plus, fireworks light up the night sky over Victoria Harbor. We'll get a live report from Hong Kong on the tourism boom expected for China's Golden Week holiday. Stick around.
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[01:21:03]
HARRAK: At least nine people have been killed and 40 are injured after the roof of a church collapsed in northern Mexico. As many as 30 others were believed to be trapped under the rubble. Authorities say about 100 people were at the church when the collapse occurred. While several emergency teams and Red Cross volunteers are at the scene to help with the search and rescue.
The U.S. state Department is condemning what it says are efforts to undermine a peaceful transfer of power in Guatemala. Bernardo Arevalo de Leon won a landslide victory in August's presidential election. But the Guatemalan Public Ministry recently seized election materials from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. Election officials say the ministry's agents opened ballot boxes and photographed their contents. The U.S. says it's actively looking to restrict visas for individuals who continue to undermine Guatemala's democracy.
And candidates in Argentina just squared off in the country's first presidential debate before the general election later this month, with a major focus on the economy. And one political outsider in the race is vowing to shake up business as usual, drawing comparisons to former U.S. president Donald Trump's quick rise in politics. Journalist Stefano Pozzebon has the details.
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: The first presidential debate in Argentina ahead of the elections set for October 22nd, so the five leading candidate debate around the areas of the economy, education and human rights. Argentina is in the midst of a deep economic and financial crisis, with inflation in the month of August, yearly inflation in the month of August topping over 120 percent. And that's why public finances and fiscal policy were the areas that the five candidates debated the most.
The far right candidate, Javier Milei reiterated his intention to shut down the central bank and dollarize the economy, which essentially means completely replacing the Argentinian peso as his main strategy against inflation. Milei is leading in the polls since taking the local political scene by surprise this year. But Argentina has been largely dominated by the two main political groups for the best part of the last 20 years.
But Milei is notorious for his rallies, where he sometimes brandishes a chainsaw in the streets of Buenos Aires and other Argentinian cities. This chainsaw represents, according to Milei, his intention the cut to public finances that he intends to apply when in government and also to symbolize his intention to break up with the status quo.
If he follows up with this plan, it would be the first time that a country as big as Argentina would voluntarily give up its sovereign currency and replace it with the U.S. dollar.
For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.
HARRAK: In Australia, early voting has begun in parts of the country ahead of an upcoming landmark referendum to recognize the country's indigenous people. In the Constitution, Australians will decide on October 14 whether to create a body called the Voice to Parliament to advise the government on issues affecting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The proposal must get a majority of votes nationwide, however, recent opinion polls show it's likely to fail.
A week of festivities continues in China as the country marks the 74th anniversary of the People's Republic as well as the mid-autumn festival. Well, Hong Kong held its first National Day fireworks show in five years, with police estimating more than 400,000 locals and tourists attended. And officials say they expect nearly, get this, 900 million trips throughout the country during the 8th day holiday period.
[01:25:01]
And CNN's Kristie Lu Stout joins me now with more live from Hong Kong. Kristie, China's big golden week holiday is here. Will it deliver the big economic boost for the country?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that is a big question here, Laila. Look China's mid-autumn golden week holiday is underway. It is one of the first holiday periods since the COVID-19 pandemic. And since China's zero COVID tough travel curves, nearly 900 million trips are expected during this time.
And according to China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 896 million domestic trips will take place. That's an increase of about 86 percent from the year before. Revenue from domestic tourism is set to reach some $107 billion. And trains are busier than ever. In railway stations across China, there are scenes of the surge in domestic train travel during this holiday season. In fact, according to China railway, 190 million railway trips will be made during the travel rush. Around 20 million passenger trips are made one day alone on the very first day of the holiday.
Now, despite scenes like this and despite the surge in domestic travel numbers, China's overall outbound market is still low compared to pre pandemic levels. China's outbound international flight capacity is still down around 50 percent. That is much lower compared to other countries. And international flight fares are still very pricey. They're much higher compared to 2019.
Look, China's economy is still struggling. It's struggling to recover after the pandemic and zero COVID. And many Chinese consumers are reluctant to splurge on expensive and splashy overseas holidays. For the Chinese who are going abroad, they are opting for cheaper Asian destinations. Destinations like Thailand, which has become a top choice after it introduced a visa free policy for Chinese tourists.
And according to trip.com, in fact, hotel bookings to Thailand have surged over 6,000 percent year on year after that policy was introduced. Laila?
HARRAK: All right, Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong, thank you so much.
STOUT: Thank you.
HARRAK: Now, a U.S. Republican lawmaker says he will soon try to oust the House Speaker. Ahead, why Matt Gaetz is calling for change and how Kevin McCarthy is responding to that threat.
Plus, we'll go live to Spain for the latest on a deadly fire that ripped through a nightclub on Sunday.
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HARRAK: Welcome back to all of our viewers around the world. I'm Laila Harrak and you're watching CNN Newsroom.
[01:30:04]
A hardline Republican who opposed the latest U.S. spending bill says he will try to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy after he worked with Democrats to pass the measure. Matt Gaetz told CNN that he will soon force a vote on whether to remove McCarthy saying the Republican leader can't be trusted.
CNN's Melanie Zanona reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Well, Speaker Kevin McCarthy may have avoided a government shutdown, but now he is facing a showdown with his critics. And that is because he opted to put a stopgap bill on the floor at the 11th hour that did not include many of the demands that his conservative hardliners were seeking, and instead ended up getting the support of nearly every single House Democrat.
So now, Republican Matt Gaetz is promising to make good on his threat to try to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker as soon as this week. But Kevin McCarthy says he's not scared of the fight. Let's take a listen.
REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): I do intend to file a motion to vacate against speaker McCarthy this week. I think we need to rip off the band-aid. I think we need to move on with new leadership that can be trustworthy.
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: So be it, bring it on. Let's get over with it, and let's start governing. If he's upset because he tried to push us into shutdown and I made sure government didn't shut down, then let's have that fight.
ZANONA: Now, in order for Gaetz two 60, he is going to need the majority of the House chamber. That means he's likely going to need most, if not all, Democrats behind him in order for this to work.
But it's just unclear at this point what Democrats are going to do. Most of the Democrats that I talked to say they are reluctant to bail out McCarthy. They feel like they can't trust him, they don't like that he just launched an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden without sufficient evidence.
But there are some moderate Democrats who are really worried about throwing the House into chaos. So as of this point, Hakeem Jeffries, the Democrats' leader is counseling members to keep their powder dry. And Democratic leadership put out a letter on Sunday saying they're going to talk about the issue as a caucus this week.
Melanie Zanona, CNN -- Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: Fellow House Republican Mike Lawler has criticized Matt Gaetz's plan to oust McCarthy, saying such a move would be destructive to the country. He also told ABC that McCarthy hasn't lost the confidence of the party even 90 Republicans voted against the spending bill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE LAWLER (R-NY): No, I don't think that was a lack of confidence in the Speaker's leadership. We have a lot of people in our conference that I never voted for CR. That's their prerogative. That's their right as elected representatives of their districts.
But we have to work together as a team. We have 221 Republicans, we need 218 votes to pass legislation through the House floor. Putting a motion to vacate forward in defiance of conference rules which requires a majority of the majority.
So, you know, I hear Matt constantly talking about the need to follow regular order, follow conference rules, Kevin McCarthy lied, he violated this, he violated that, Matt Gaetz voted against the choice for speaker of the conference. He voted to take down rules, and now he's putting a motion to vacate on the floor in defiance of conference rules which requires a majority of the majority.
So you know, this is a guy who says one thing out of one side of his mouth and speaks another thing out of the other side.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: Meantime, House Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she would absolutely vote to oust McCarthy, calling him a very weak speaker.
Here's what she told CNN's Jake Tapper.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO CORTEZ: My vote beginning this term for Speaker the house this term was for Hakeem Jeffries. And I do not intend on voting for a Republican speaker of the house. But I believe that it's up to the Republican conference to determine their own leadership and deal with their own problems. But it's not up to Democrats to save Republicans from themselves especially.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Do you think that there will be any Democrats that might vote to save McCarthy?
OCASIO-CORTEZ: I certainly don't think that we would expect to see that, unless there's a real conversation between the Republican and Democratic caucuses, and Republican and Democratic leadership about what that would mean. But I don't think we give up votes for free.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: California Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Laphonza Butler to complete the Senate term of the late Dianne Feinstein. Butler is currently the president of Emily's List, that's a group that works to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights.
Butler will be the only black female senator serving in congress, and just the third in U.S. history.
Feinstein passed away last week at the age of 90. She was the longest serving female senator ever in the U.S.
[01:34:54]
HARRAK: U.S. Border patrol agents are breathing a sigh of relief now that a government shutdown has been averted. Those agents are considered essential employees, and would have been forced to continue working without pay if the funding bill wasn't passed.
CNN's Camila Bernal has more on the influx of migrants desperate to reach the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many you got?
CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A dramatic increase -- hundreds of migrants, almost constantly arriving in waves into the California border.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What country?
BERNAL: Sometimes 50 or 100, or just five, many with the help of a so- called coyote (ph) -- or smuggler. We ran into one operating openly at the border. He asked us not to show his face, and distort his voice for fear of being killed.
Just to get to the U.S., you need at least $2,500.
The illegal trafficking of people operating almost like a travel agency. The coyotes arrange the trip, starting in the Middle East, Asia, South or Central America, then they buy plane tickets and tell migrants exactly where to go. With each paying a few thousand dollars or between $9,000 to $12,000 for Mexican nationals, the business is lucrative.
He says they're at war with another cartels the only way they can get money is by bringing people in.
People like Alexander.
He says he came here because of the violence he lived in Colombia.
The number of hundreds of people being here at any given time over the last couple of weeks is not normal.
Behind me is Mexico, this is an area in Boulevard, California where there is a gap in the border wall, so a lot of the migrants are able to just walk into the United States.
They continue this walk along the border wall and eventually turn themselves into border patrol. This is where that asylum process begins.
JACQUELINE ARELLANO, BORDER KINDNESS: They don't have food, and they don't have water, and they don't have supplies on them.
BERNAL: Jacqueline Arellano with the nonprofit Border Kindness says there's not enough to address the need.
ARELLANO: Just regular folks patching up together and a humanitarian response to a huge crisis is not sustainable.
BERNAL: This week, the county of San Diego with a bipartisan vote unanimously declared a humanitarian crisis.
NORA VARGAS, SAN DIEGO COUNTY SUPERVISOR: The reason why we're advocating that the federal government get engaged in this process is because this is a federal issue. You're talking about asylum seekers, who legally have a right to be here and to be processed and get to their final destination.
BERNAL: The hope is that the federal government provides for migrants like Maita (ph) and thousands of others, who after being process by customs and border protection, will eventually be released in the streets of San Diego.
She says she wants to work, be honorable, and have a good job.
But first, they wait in the desert. These makeshift shelters, their only protection.
Camila Bernal, CNN -- Boulevard, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: And to Spain now where at least 13 people have died in the country's deadliest nightclub fire in decades. The cause of the fire, which broke out early Sunday in the southeastern city of Murcia is not yet known. But officials fear the death toll could rise, as search operations continue.
Journalist Al Goodman joins me live now from the Spanish capital of Madrid. Al, horrifying fire. What more have you been able to learn? You
AL GOODMAN, CNN JOURNALIST: Hi, Laila. A police spokesman in Murcia told CNN late Sunday just hours ago that in addition to Spaniards among the victims, there are also people from other nationalities. He said he couldn't elaborate on that.
The mayor of Murcia, which is Spain's seventh largest city vowed the full weight of the law against whoever is responsible for this. Here's what he said about the 13 bodies that have been recovered so far, and what investigators have found. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE BALLESTA, MURCIA MAYOR: (through translator): 13 bodies have been found, all of them are now at the Institute for Legal Medicine of autopsies. Of these 13, three had been identified through fingerprints, and the rest cannot be identified through this test and will have to be identified through DNA tests.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOODMAN: Now the assistant mayor said in a nationally-televised interview late Sunday that in addition to these 13, there are five other people that are known to be missing that have not reported in. They hope that these people were not at the scene of the deadly fires, but that these could be additional victims.
[01:39:44]
GOODMAN: Now, this was at a series of three discotheques right next to each other in an industrial zone and commercial zone just outside of downtown Murcia, which is a huge hub for agriculture raising fresh fruits and vegetables to send to the rest of Spain and to the rest of Europe.
It could've been, according to authorities, that some of the workers from that agricultural business, the farmers and that also people in the processing plants were at these discotheques. There were three of them.
Investigators don't know whether the damage, which was mostly in one of the discotheques at the one out of the rectangular building, and that's where the bodies have been found if the fire started there and then spread to the other two, or if it started in the middle one and spread both ways.
They do know that temperatures are very hot. Firefighters have told the police according to this official that they need to go very carefully and try to stay out of this area, to see what's going on.
This is an area, this discotheque area, a night area with fast food restaurants and even more nightclubs than this, that has attracted all sorts of people, according to this police official telling CNN, people from as young as 18 up to about 45, because they'll do nights -- they'll do things like there might be a night of oldies and the older people will come. There will something on something on reggaeton, the younger people will come.
They do know these two-story discotheques that the fire started on the second level, and burned up to the roof. And it came at around six in the morning local time.
So the police officials are saying that they were less crowds, people had start to go home. And also, it was a bit of a relief that it started up higher instead of on the ground floor, it could've even been worse. Investigation continues. Laila.
HARRAK: Al Goodman, reporting in Madrid, thank you so much.
Now more than 100,000 refugees have fled to Armenia amid a crisis in the Nagorno-Karabakh according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. Azerbaijan reclaimed control of the breakaway region leaving Karabakh Armenians two choices: stay and accept Azeri citizenship, or leave.
The U.N. says at least 31 percent of the refugees are children, and nearly 20 percent are elderly. Armeni citizens have lost hope of returning after the president of the region dissolved state institutions.
The U.K. is supplying around 200 soldiers to Kosovo amid rising tensions in the country. They will be supporting a NATO peacekeeping mission that's been operating in Kosovo for more than 20 years. It comes just more than a week after an attack on police had left one officer dead and another injured.
Three armed men were also killed in the attack and the U.K.'s defense ministry says their troops will join a contingent of 400 others already in Kosovo. Still to come, with the Paris Olympics less than a year away, the
French government sounding the alarm over a pesky outbreak of bedbugs. Details, ahead.
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HARRAK: The diabetes drug Ozempic has recently soared in popularity as a weight loss treatment. Well, now it has an updated warning label after dozens of reports of intestinal issues.
CNN's Jacqueline Howard has the details.
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JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: CORRESPONDENT: Some people using Ozempic have reported that they're experiencing blockages in their intestines. And now, the label on the medication has been updated to acknowledge that specifically.
This gastro intestinal disorder called ileus or having blocked intestines, maybe related to how semaglutide drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy work. You see, they mimic a hormone that the body naturally makes to slow down the passing of food to your digestive system, so that's what helps make people feel full longer, leading to weight loss, but it also could be related to these reports of having blocked intestines, or possibly even stomach paralysis, which also is rare, but has been reported previously in some people using these medications.
Now the company Novo Nordisk, which manufactures Ozempic and Wegovy, told CNN in a statement that it's working closely with the FDA to continuously monitor the safety profile of its medications and it, quote, "stands behind the safety and efficacy of Ozempic and all of its medicines when used consistent with the product labeling and the approved indications".
Back to you.
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HARRAK: France is sounding the alarm as a widespread bed bug outbreak sweeps through Paris. The pests have been spotted at places like movie theaters and even on public transportation. And it comes just as the French capital is preparing to host next year's Summer Olympics.
CNN's Melissa Bell reports.
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MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A nasty commute, and not just for the passengers you can see. French officials say that bedbugs have infested Paris's transport networks and the wider city.
The race is now on to exterminate the bugs, with less than a year to go until the Olympics. From metros to high-speed trains, videos have shown them taking over some cinemas and even Charles de Gaulle Airport which is making for an itchy situation, as France prepares to host the rest of the world next summer.
French officials are preparing to take measures to contain this scourge with transport operators gathering this week to try to find ways of getting rid of the pests.
But that's not enough for some, who say the thought of sitting on a bus or train next to the uninvited seatmates makes their skin crawl.
LAURA MMADI, TRAIN PASSENGER: That really traumatized me. I'll keep my luggage closed to prevent them from getting to my home. Also I am not from here, so once I get home, I will have to wash all my clothes.
LUC VILLETTE, TRAIN PASSENGER: I mean the fact that we can actually see them means there are a lot of them. And in addition, they are being seen in the day, when they usually come out at night. So there is a big problem somewhere.
BELL: Paris deputy mayor Emmanuel Gregoire says that no one is safe from the problem because the bugs can be picked up anywhere. A recent government report estimated that about one in ten French households had had bed bug infestations between 2017 and last year. Though some fumigation companies say business is higher than usual, and more urgent.
SACHA KRIEF, PEST CONTROL MANAGER: we've had customers calling us up crying, desperate for a solution. And it is very, very costly, when you have to throw away all of your bedding, when you have to undergo works in your apartment. And so, you get into a sort of paranoia.
BELL: And whilst bedbugs may be a growing nuisance in Paris, health experts say that they are not considered dangerous, causing merely itching and rashes. And their numbers are increasing not just in the French capital, but around the world, as people travel more and the bugs become more resistant to pesticides.
An irritating problem, but not one, say French officials, that should pose a threat to the upcoming Olympics. Their plan, to stop the bedbugs biting as soon as they can.
Melissa Bell, CNN -- Paris.
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HARRAK: And still to come, Sunday's victory wasn't a sure thing after all, but in the end, Rory McIlroy and team Europe celebrated the coveted Ryder Cup. Highlights, ahead.
Stick around.
[01:49:21]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRAK: 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 want to tear it down, but some people in high places are not having it.
CNN's Nick Watt explains.
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TRACI PARK, L.A. CITY COUNCIL: FEMALE: Marilyn Monroe made the Brentwood bungalow at issue today her home.
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: 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 (ph) talent.
WATT: An overdose, the coroner said it was probably suicide, more than a year after the release of her final film, The Misfits.
CLARK GABLE, ACTOR: What makes you so sad?
MARILYN MONROE, ACTOR: No man has ever said that. I'm usually told how happy I am.
WATT: 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 own the house next door, applied for a permit -- a demolition permit.
Here in L.A., people love to knock stuff down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 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: For now, the demo permit is paused while city officials debate giving this house historic protected status.
Why shouldn't they be allowed to do what they want with what they bought?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even if it is ultimately designated as an historic, cultural monument, you can add on to it, you can make modifications, you can still be living, breathing, changing, but still be there to help tell the story of Marilyn Monroe.
WATT: Monroe fans, conservationist, and the councilwoman are confident they can save this suburban slice of a 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: Now, the new owners of Marilyn Monroe's house, there it is, just behind that wall and the bamboo, you can just see the tiles on 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 that we will be able to work with the city and Councilwoman Park to reach an agreement that recognizes Marilyn Monroe's legacy, respects our neighbors, and reflects our hopes and concerns.
Let's see what happens.
Nick Watt, CNN -- Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: And it's another history-making day for decorated gymnast Simone Biles. While competing at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships on Sunday she became the first woman to land the Yurchenko double pike vault during an international competition. Well, the high-difficulty skill is historically done by men, and will likely now be named the Biles, too in honor of the 19-time world champion, making at her fifth named element.
Now despite the European teams commanding lead heading into Sunday's final round, the Americans gave them a scare at the Ryder Cup in Rome. But in the end, team Europe prevailed, and CNN World Sport anchor Don Riddell has all the highlights.
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DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: You know, there is nothing quite like the Ryder Cup for passion, drama, and intensity. And the events of this weekend will live long in the memory of the European players and their fans.
[01:54:49]
RIDDELL: Right from the off on Friday morning, the home team was in command against the U.S.A. and they entered Sunday's singles with a 5- point lead. That meant that Europe only needed to take 4 of the 12 points available to win the cup.
And their captain, Luke Donald, stacked his lineup to get the job done quickly. Jon Rahm secured a half point against Scottie Scheffler, before the young Norwegian Viktor Hovland thumped Collin Morikawa for Europe's first full point of the day.
And in the 4th match, Rory McIlroy beat Sam Burns to make McIlroy the leading point scorer of the week with 4. (INAUDIBLE) win against Brian Harman for Europe on the precipice of victory. But then the Americans had something to say. And when Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, and Xander Schauffele all won their matches, suddenly Europe's win wasn't quite so assured. It was Tommy Fleetwood who got them over the line, when Rickie Fowler conceded a putt on the 16th green, Europe had done enough to win back the cup. And for their captain, Luke Donald, the emotions were overwhelming.
LUKE DONALD, EUROPEAN RYDER CUP CAPTAIN: They played for more than themselves this week. They come together. We share special moments, special memories. And it makes it that much sweeter to come out on top.
RIDDELL: In the end, this is a convincing win for the Europeans by 16.5 points to 11.5. They've now won 5 of the last 7, 8 of the last 11. And it means the U.S.S. hasn't won on European soil now for 30 years.
But the celebrations had barely started before McIlroy was already outlining his intentions for the next one in this two years' time.
RORY MCILROY, LEADING POINTS WINNER 2023 RYDER CUP: I've said this for the last probably 6 or 7 years to anyone that will listen, I think one of the biggest accomplishments in golf right now is winning an away Ryder Cup. And that's what we're going to do at that stage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go on, Rory.
RIDDELL: Yes, the next one is going to be played at (INAUDIBLE) in New York. It's a famously raucous venue, which should favor the Americans.
The last 5 cups now have been won by the home team, so even though Europe dominated this one, it's already going to be a tall order in 2025. Either way, can't wait for that. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: Thanks, Don. Sunday was a good day to be a fan of the NFL's Buffalo Bills. The team safety, Damar Hamlin, made his season debut against the Miami Dolphins. It was his first appearance in a regular season game since going into cardiac arrest on the field in January.
The 25-year-old had been on the team's inactive list the last 3 weeks. The Bills, meanwhile, put on a monster performance against the dolphins, winning 48 to 20.
And that wraps up this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Laila Harrak.
Rosemary Church picks up our coverage next.
And I'll see you next time.
[01:57:48]
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