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CNN International: Texas Officials Install More Razor Wire Along Border Area; FAA Moves to Allow Boeing 737 Max 9 to Return to the Skies; U.S. Supreme Court Won't Halt First-Ever Nitrogen Gas Execution; Jon Stewart Returning to The Daily Show as Part Time Host. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired January 25, 2024 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: More information on the breaking news this hour. South Korean media are reporting that a member of the country's parliament has been attacked in Seoul, in South Korea, the capital there.

She is identified as Bae Hyun-jin, a member of the ruling People Power Party. Media outlets, including CNN affiliate JTBC, say she was hit with an object and taken to hospital. Reports say her life isn't believed to be in danger.

Let's bring you up now, up to date, with some of our top stories this hour.

Donald Trump is expected to be back in a New York courtroom today. His attorneys say he would like to testify on his own behalf in the defamation case brought against him by writer E. Jean Carroll.

Jurors will determine how much in damages he has to pay to Carroll. A separate jury earlier found that Trump sexually assaulted her and is liable for defamation.

President Biden has secured a major endorsement from the United Auto Workers Union. The union has more than 400,000 active members, though they can vote for whichever candidate they choose.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. federal government can remove the reams of razor wire that the state of Texas has put up along the U.S. southern border with Mexico. So far, that hasn't happened, though.

In fact, Texas state officials are putting up more wire. They want to keep both immigrants and federal border officials out of that area. That leaves desperate asylum seekers trapped, hungry, cold, between a river and the razor wire. Rosa Flores hears more from them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm at Shelby Park, and the scene that's unfolding behind me is what we see occurring since the state of Texas took over the park. There's a few people back there who are waiting to turn themselves in to U.S. immigration authorities.

I spoke to two of them, Kevin and Vanessa. They're both from Venezuela. They're students studying architecture. But they say that they fled Venezuela because they're fleeing the Maduro regime there. They said that they protested against the government in 2019 and that they couldn't live there anymore because the future that Maduro regime there. They said that they protested against the government in 2019 and that they couldn't live there anymore because the future that holds them there is either kidnapping or death because they stood up against the regime.

Now, they say that they've been on the banks of the Rio Grande for two days. They say that they haven't eaten for two days and that they literally just had some water because a Texas National Guard member gave them a bottle of water. So, they've had water.

But Vanessa has cuts on her legs from the razor wire. She says that she has difficulty walking. And really what they want to do is turn themselves in to U.S. immigration authorities. But you can see that there are several layers of razor wire here. And they're not able to do that.

The other problem is that U.S. Border Patrol is not allowed in this area because this is the area that was taken over by the state of Texas.

And so, what is unfolding is a humanitarian situation where these two individuals say that they are cold, they are hungry, they want to turn themselves in to immigration authorities. And technically, they are on U.S. soil. The international boundary between Mexico and the United States is in the middle of that river.

So, they've been on U.S. soil for two days trying to turn themselves in to immigration authorities. And they have not been able to do that. Now, the future that holds them if they do enter into this park, according to Texas authorities, is they could be arrested because they are two single adults with no children.

We don't know exactly what's going to happen. But these are the scenes that we see unfolding here at Shelby Park since the state of Texas took over the area.

Rosa Flores, CNN, Eagle Pass, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Argentina's new president is facing a massive pushback on the streets against his sweeping economic reforms. On Wednesday, the nation's labor unions held a nationwide strike against the policies pushed by President Javier Milei. They include spending cuts and ending some protections for businesses and consumers while making it easier to privatize public companies.

The president has made it his priority to tame Argentina's skyrocketing inflation. Some of his reforms have been put on hold by the courts, while others are slowly making their way through Congress. Union members are also on strike in Germany, wreaking havoc on travel

plans and supply chains across the country. Today is day two of a nationwide train driver's strike, which is demanding better pay and shorter working weeks from the state-owned rail operator. The company says the protests will cause delays and cancellations across the board, from commuter services to freight transport. Some passengers have mixed feelings about the workers' action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it is important that employees stand up for their rights. But on the other side, for me personally now, this is a pain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: The six-day strike is the longest in the rail operator's history.

French farmers who have been using their farm vehicles to block key roadways are vowing to keep up their protests across the country as they demand concrete responses from the government. The roadblocks that started in one southern region last week have already spread to all four corners of France. The unions are protesting against cheap imports and government regulation.

One farmer expressed his frustration with the situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We like our job. We like going to the stables. But frankly, when we see what we earn in the evening, we are tired. We are at the end of our limit. And we no longer want to be. We honestly don't want to anymore.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: A union representative tells CNN he's been talking with his counterparts in other European countries about the issues affecting farmers across the continent.

Boeing's 737 MAX 9 jets could be back in the skies this weekend, according to the United and Alaska Airlines.

The planes have been grounded since a door plug blew out in midair on an Alaska Airlines flight earlier this month. The plane was left with a hole in its fuselage the size of a refrigerator, but the pilots still managed to land safely. Yesterday, the FAA cleared the way for the planes to return to service if they pass a set of inspections.

Boeing's CEO was on Capitol Hill earlier in the day, but as Pete Muntean reports, he didn't get good news there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: More developments all the time on this story. And now the chair of the U.S. Senate committee that oversees aviation is now calling for hearings to investigate what she calls safety lapses at Boeing.

Not likely that this was the outcome that Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun was looking for. This was his first trip to D.C. since the blowout on Alaska flight 1282. And here is the statement from Senate Democrat Maria Cantwell.

She says, quote: In today's meeting with Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun, I made it clear that quality engineering and a commitment to safety always have to be the top priority.

[04:40:04]

Cantwell, also from Washington state, where the 737 MAX 9 is built. So far, it's been a very controlled message from Boeing. And true to form, Calhoun answered few questions from reporters. This is how he responded when asked if the public should fear his airplanes.

DAVE CALHOUN, BOEING CEO: We fly safe planes. We don't put airplanes in the air that we don't have 100 percent confidence in. I'm here today in the spirit of transparency to, number one, recognize the seriousness of what you just asked. Number two, to share everything I can with our Capitol Hill interests and answer all their questions, because they have a lot of them.

MUNTEAN: On Thursday, Boeing will pause production for the entire day at the 737 MAX 9 factory. They're calling it a safety stand down, much like the U.S. military does after a crash. In this case, Boeing workers will break into smaller groups, evaluate Boeing's processes on the production floor and make recommendations on where things could be improved.

Pete Muntean, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Testers in Alabama are urging officials to halt the execution of a convicted murderer. The state plans to use a controversial method to carry out that sentence.

Details after this quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Alabama is on the brink of executing a death row prisoner using nitrogen gas for the very first time after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to halt his execution.

Kenneth Smith is on death row for his part in the 1988 murder for hire of a woman on the orders of her husband. He would be the first inmate put to death by nitrogen hypoxia, a method that's unprecedented and untested.

CNN's Isabel Rosales has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[04:45:00]

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kenneth Smith's lawyers argue that this is essentially cruel and unusual punishment, a violation of his Eighth Amendment right and that this amounts to torture, something that the UN has also criticized.

The attorney is arguing that Smith is being used as a test subject for a never before used form of execution. And it's about to be used on someone who actually survived an execution two years ago. Executioners trying for four hours to find his veins for a lethal injection and then they had to stop because the time ran out on the death warrant.

Well, Smith originally did ask for the execution method to be nitrogen gas, but then he reversed course after he got a hold of the state's proposal, how this would undergo. And the biggest sticking point is this mask that's going to be put on him, pumping that nitrogen gas.

The worries here, according to court documents, is that he might vomit inside of that mask and end up choking on that, which they argue would lead to excessive pain instead of dying from the actual nitrogen gas.

Now, I spoke with Reverend Jeff Hood, who is a spiritual advisor of Smith, and he has five children. He says he is worried about his own safety. He had to sign a waiver indicating that he understood the harm in being in the execution chamber with Smith, and he's worried about gas getting out. He had this to say about a safety mechanism that he checked out in person, an O2 monitor that will sound the alarm if there's hazardous gas in the air. Listen.

REV. JEFF HOOD, SPIRITUAL ADVISER FOR ALABAMA DEATH ROW INMATE: I was even told today, Isabel, that if the oxygen monitors go off, they are -- they have no sort of requirement that they evacuate the room. So, what we're talking about is people who have put these monitors in place and basically told me today that they have no plan on how to follow them. I don't think that it's alarmist to say that this is a group of people who have consistently failed to carry out executions, and I believe that they are on a fast track to fail again.

ROSALES: Reverend Hood tells me he is scheduled to go inside the execution chamber and be there with Smith sometime after 7 p.m. Eastern on Thursday.

Isabel Rosales, CNN, Atmore, Alabama.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Out of the 27 states with the death penalty on the books, only Alabama, Oklahoma, and Mississippi have approved the use of nitrogen gas to carry out the sentences. Alabama has even outlined a protocol to use it.

In theory, proponents say giving someone 100 percent nitrogen to breathe would deprive the body of oxygen and cause a painless death. However, some fear that the attempt could go awry when using it to carry out a death sentence on an inmate.

A Japanese man found guilty of carrying out the country's worst mass killing in nearly two decades has been sentenced to death. The 45- year-old defendant set fire to a renowned animation studio in Kyoto back in 2019 while dozens of people were inside. 36 were killed, with many others wounded.

Shinji Aoba was charged with murder and arson after telling police his work had been plagiarized and that he used gasoline to set fire to the studio. The judge determined the defendant was neither insane nor mentally incompetent at the time of the attack.

Still to come, Jon Stewart is set to return to The Daily Show. How the iconic host is set to breathe new life into his once thriving program, just ahead.

Plus, we'll tell you why a U.S. scientist's advice about the perfect cup of tea has outraged the British public.

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Now to the NFL, where the San Diego Chargers have a new head coach. The team announced Wednesday they've hired Jim Harbaugh. The 60-year-old coaching veteran spent the past nine seasons with the University of Michigan Wolverines. He led them to the national championship earlier this month.

Harbaugh has previously coached the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, leading them to the Super Bowl in 2012. The team lost to the Baltimore Ravens, who were coached by Harbaugh's brother, John.

The Australian Open semifinals are underway right now. Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka has just overpowered American phenomenon Coco Gauff in a tiebreaker to win the first set. It's a rematch of last year's U.S. Open final, where just four months ago Gauff defeated Sabalenka to win her first Grand Slam title. The 19-year-old Gauff has won four of the six previous head-to-head matches against Sabalenka. But Sabalenka, the world number two, didn't drop a set on her way to the semifinals. The Belarusian star says that after losing to Gauff at the U.S. Open, she's setting out for revenge.

Comedian Jon Stewart is returning to The Daily Show after nearly a decade away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, HOST, THE DAILY SHOW: What the f**k is wrong with him? It is hard to get mad at Donald Trump for saying stupid things. In the same way you don't get mad at a monkey when he throws poop at you at the zoo.

I reckon it's time to find out which of these two is just more plain folk. Madam Secretary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Cutting criticism of politicians, Stewart will take on part- time hosting as the U.S. prepares for the presidential election later this year. He'll also serve as executive producer of the show, which airs on Comedy Central.

Stewart previously hosted The Daily Show from 1999 to 2015, and viewership hasn't been the same since.

[04:55:00]

During his time away, he focused on activism for victims of 9-11 and U.S. veterans and hosted a show on Apple TV Plus for two seasons before it ended last year.

Ozzy Osbourne is planning to end his touring days with a proper goodbye to his fans, with two final concerts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OZZY OSBOURNE, SINGER: Times have changed, and times are strange. Here I come, but I ain't the same.

Mama, I'm coming home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Osbourne's wife, Sharon, told Rolling Stone U.K. that he'll perform in Birmingham, England, the city where he grew up.

The 75-year-old singer has had health issues in recent years, needing several surgeries after a fall in 2019. His wife says Ozzy's voice is absolutely perfect, and that he's ready to give his fans a legendary send-off.

There are tensions brewing in the special relationship between the U.S. and the U.K. over Britain's national drink, and its tea.

It comes after a U.S. scientist wrote a book on what she believes will create the perfect cupper. She says you need to add a tiny pinch of salt to block the perception of bitterness. This suggestion has absolutely baffled and horrified the British public, and TV hosts are afraid to fire back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the fact is she's an American making a cup of tea.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which by definition means she's not an expert.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: The U.S. embassy in the U.K. was quick to respond, saying: ... we want to ensure the good people of the U.K. that the unthinkable notion of adding salt to Britain's national drink is not official United States policy, and never will be. The U.S. embassy will continue to make tea in a proper way by microwaving it.

And those clearly are pretty fighting words. And also, why do you want to take away the bitterness, I wonder?

Thanks for joining me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London. "EARLY START" is next here on CNN.

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