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Three U.S. Soldiers Killed in Jordan Drone Attack; Countries Pausing Funding for UNRWA; Fighting in Gaza Continues Killing 165 Civilians, Death Toll at 26,000; Israeli Protesters Blocks Aid Trucks Entering Gaza; U.K. Navy Ships Shoots Down Houthi Drone; NATO Chief Visits U.S. for Ukraine Support; Putin Apologizes for Price of Eggs; Hong Kong Court Orders China's Evergrande Group To Liquidate; Chiefs To Face 49ers For NFL Championship; Migrants Waiting For Shelter In New York. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired January 29, 2024 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:00]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States, around the world and streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead, Biden vows to retaliate after a deadly strike against American troops in Jordan.

One of China's largest real estate developers is being forced to liquidate. What property giant Evergrande's collapse could mean for China's economy.

And the lineup is set for Super Bowl 58. The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers head to Las Vegas with everything on the line.

U.S. President Joe Biden is vowing to respond after three American soldiers were killed and more than 30 injured in a drone attack in Jordan. The attack on the outpost known as Tower 22 marked the first time U.S. troops have been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.

That small military base seen in this satellite image is located near the border with Syria. Mr. Biden is blaming Iran-backed militant groups for the attack. While in Iran, state media reports Iran's permanent mission to the U.N. denies the country had any involvement. The U.S. president is vowing to hold those responsible to account.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We had a tough day last night in the Middle East. We lost three brave souls in an attack at one of our bases. I'd ask for a moment of silence for all three of those fallen soldiers. And we shall respond.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us now from Abu Dhabi with more. So, Paula, what is the latest on this deadly attack and of course, reaction from Iran?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, that denial from Iran was fairly swift, saying that they had no involvement in this attack. It did come from the permanent mission in the U.N. reported by state media. But what we've heard from the U.S. side is that they believe that this was an attack that was carried out by Iranian-backed groups, by the Iranian proxies in the region. They believed that the drone originated from Syria and it's not clear at this point why there were no air defense systems that actually kicked into place to try and intercept this drone.

Now we have heard from the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which is an umbrella group for many of these Iranian-backed and funded and equipped groups in Iraq. They have said that they were carrying out a number of attacks along the Jordanian-Syrian border, including on Al- Rukban camp, which is in close proximity to Tower 22 where this U.S. outpost is.

Now, the U.S. personnel we understand from Central Command were there in order to do an assist mission with Jordan. They say that they're there in the region as well including in Iraq and Syria to help fight against ISIS. There were some 350 service members at this particular outpost, but of course the question is what is the reaction from the U.S. side?

They have made it clear that they believe that it was an Iranian- backed group. Whether or not Iran had operational control over this particular attack is not really what the U.S. is focusing on at this point. They have come under attack on an almost daily basis at their bases in Iraq and in Syria. Almost 160 rocket and drone and missile attacks against U.S. troops since October 17th of last year.

Now, there have been a number of injuries, but as you say, this is the first time that there has been a U.S. soldier personnel loss of life since the war in Gaza began. Rosemary?

CHURCH: And Paula, there were already ongoing concerns the Israel- Hamas war could widen into a regional conflict. Could this event be that trigger to expand the conflict?

[02:05:05]

HANCOCKS: It's a question that everybody's asking at this point, Rosemary. I mean, the U.S. was already directly involved in targeting some of these groups. They had carried out retaliatory attacks against Iranian-backed groups in both Iraq and in Syria because of the constant attack that they were coming under from these groups.

We've seen also that the U.S. has directly engaged in Yemen. They have been trying to take out Houthi rebel bases and some missile launch sites from the Houthis who are launching missiles into the Red Sea against commercial shipping. So, the U.S. has already been involved directly in attacks against certain elements, but it's always been against Iranian-backed elements, the Iranian proxies.

There has not been a direct impact between the U.S. and Iran at this point. And up until this point, it has appeared as though Iran was reticent to become directly involved, that they had enough proxies in the region that were carrying out these attacks, that Tehran itself did not need to become involved and of course they have denied involvements in this particular attack.

The question is though, now there has been loss of life of U.S. military personnel, the U.S. President will come under increasing pressure, and we have seen it back in Washington, to do more, to carry out more retaliatory strikes and potentially to carry out strikes in Iran itself.

Now, of course, that would certainly escalate events. We don't know exactly what the response will be from President Biden at this point, but he has said that there will be a response. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Paula Hancocks joining us live from Abu Dhabi. I want to bring in Malcolm Davis now, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Appreciate you joining us.

MALCOLM DAVIS, SENIOR ANALYST, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE: It's my pleasure, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Well, reacting to that deadly attack on U.S. troops in Jordan, President Biden says the U.S. will respond. But how does he do that without escalating this war even more? What possible military options are available to him right now?

DAVIS: Well, I think that's the key question. He has to respond and he has to respond in a much more robust way than what the U.S. has been doing in the past few months really to respond to these attacks by these Iranian sponsored proxies. So, he can't essentially do more of the same what people are calling pinprick strikes.

At the same time, he can't respond in a way or will try to avoid responding in a way that would then justify Iran in retaliating further and you end up in this tit for tat escalation cycle that leads to a major regional war. So, he's got to walk a fine line in this regard.

I think that there are probably various options that he can do, not only in terms of attacking the Iranian-sponsored militia groups in Iraq and Syria that carried out the attack, but also potentially attacking the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps units that may have supported it.

And that could include something similar to Operation Praying Mantis back in 1988 when the Reagan administration struck out Iranian naval vessels in the Persian Gulf. Well, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has its own known navy.

And so, one option the Americans could have would be to strike out the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps naval capabilities to prevent them from interfering with shipping in the Persian Gulf, particularly to stop them from laying mines in the Persian Gulf. That would be a next step along the spectrum to prevent Iran from going further in future attacks. CHURCH: Now, this attack on U.S. troops in and of itself escalates

the precarious Middle East situation, doesn't it? So, how might Iran react to any U.S. retaliatory action given Iran is denying any role in this deadly attack?

DAVIS: Yeah. Look, I think it's obvious that any U.S. response is going to see an Iranian retaliation. They're not going to simply back down and essentially turn tail and run. So, I think that what the U.S. has to do is respond in a way that actually reduces Iran's ability to retaliate against that response.

And it does then get complicated in terms of our response to their response to our response to that response and so on. And you can go on and add an (ph) item. But I think that the Iranians could certainly retaliate. One of the concerns would have to be that they could lay mines in the key maritime choke points and in the key maritime straits.

They could do cyber-attacks not only in the Middle East, but also globally. They have a strong cyber warfare capability. And they could do further attacks with their own missile capabilities against U.S. forces.

[02:10:04]

And as I said, taking down the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy would be an important step for the U.S. because that naval capability held by the IRGC is optimized for swarming attacks on vessels, where hundreds of small craft laden with explosives streak out and attack a vessel at sea.

So, I think that the Iranians have a number of options, we have to counter those options as well as sending a message to Tehran to continue -- not to continue these attacks.

CHURCH: And of course, this all stems from Israel's military campaign in Gaza. And whilst ever that war continues, the U.S. will be vulnerable to attacks like this in the region. So, what would the U.S. likely be saying to Israel at this time when it comes to their war with Hamas?

DAVIS: Look, I think that it's important to distinguish between Iranian broader attacks in the region and that not only include the Iranian militias in Iraq and Syria, but also Houthi forces in the Red Sea from Israel's actions against Hamas in Gaza. Now, the two, there is a connection there, and I think the Iranians continue to push this connection.

But in fact, when you look at what the Houthis are doing in the Red Sea, what the Iranians are doing in Iraq and Syria, there's no real definitive response there by Iran to Israeli actions against Hamas. And even if the U.S. could influence Israel to wind back its operation and cease all military operations against Hamas, that doesn't guarantee that either Hamas wouldn't continue to strike at Israel or that Iran wouldn't continue to strike at U.S. forces in the region. So, these are sort of two separate conflicts going on, co-located with the potential to emerge into one larger war.

CHURCH: Malcolm Davis, many thanks for joining us and sharing your military analysis. We appreciate it.

DAVIS: Thank you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Well, the main U.N. agency in Gaza is urging countries to reconsider cutting off funding over allegations staff members were involved in the October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel. France and Japan have joined several other countries including the U.S. and U.K. in suspending funding for UNRWA.

An Israeli official says the country shared information with U.S. officials on the intelligence they had on the UNRWA staffers who were allegedly involved in the attacks. The official said they also reached out to UNRWA several times or several days before briefing the U.S. Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are dependent on aid from that U.N. organization, and some say a pause in funding would be disastrous.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FATIN SAFI, DISPLACED PALESTINIAN (through translation): The situation we live in right now has support from all around the world. The whole world is responsible for the situation that we live in right now. It is the world that cuts the aid from children and women. We are not talking only food. We are also talking on cutting medicine. They would also cut us off from the air if they can. What is our fault as a Palestinian people? Our land has been occupied, our houses have been destroyed, and we have been through many wars, and this is the worst. We don't have any hope in life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meantime, Palestinians are mourning the deaths of family members killed in overnight Israeli strikes. The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says at least 165 people were killed in just the past 24 hours bringing the overall death toll to more than 26,000 since the war started. It comes as heavy fighting continues in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Israel defense forces say they are carrying out precise operations against members of Hamas, operating in and around Nasser and Al-Amal hospitals. But the Palestine Red Crescent Society says their hospitals have been under siege over the past week.

Well, meantime, hundreds of Israeli protesters once again blocked aid trucks from entering Gaza. They're demanding that the remaining Israeli hostages be freed before any more assistance is delivered to the enclave. CNN's Nic Robertson has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): In southern Israel, protesters snake through fields, dodging police checkpoints, eventually forced to walk. (On camera): So, we're getting close to the border now. There are a

lot of police and a lot of soldiers here, but it seems that people can just pass through.

[02:14:58]

(Voice-over): They've come, a hundred or so, to Kerem Shalom, Israel's only functioning border crossing to Gaza, to block aid trucks.

(On camera): Did the army and police stop you?

SEFI BENCHAIM, PROTEST ORGANIZER: They would. Now they tried, but we came a lot of people and they are with us because well --

ROBERTSON (voice-over): A pause as he finds the right words that the soldiers sympathize with them.

BENCHAIM: All of us, we're the same. We have the same kids inside Gaza.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Sefi organizes the protests. In their last four days have effectively shut the border. Their demand? No aid until all hostages are released.

BENCHAIM: We're saying the simple thing, very, very simple. We're saying that you want humanitarian aid. Okay, we will give you everything. First of all, give us our people.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): More than 130 hostages still held in Gaza. Attitudes among some Israelis are hardening.

UNKNOWN: It's very simple. Hamas is killing us. We're at war. In a war you don't give help to your enemy.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Since the war began, many Israelis sought aid to Gaza, pre-war about 500 trucks a day, as tantamount to backing Hamas. But this is the first-time protesters are actually stopping the convoys, already operating way below the minimum the U.N. says is needed.

(On camera): Does it worry you that the trucks that don't come through here today, they'll be starving children tonight because of it?

MEIR RASKAS, PORTESTER: The fastest way, in my opinion, I'm not a military expert, but the fastest way to end this war and end the suffering is to have the hostages released.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Inside Gaza, desperation grows. Aid trucks this weekend looted in conditions many experienced humanitarian officials describe as the worst they've seen. Doctors Without Borders chief of mission just returned, says more people may die if aid is held back.

LEO CANS, MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES: We have desperate supplies that need to come in and it's not coming in. So, yes, it's a -- as I said the consequences is people will die, people will suffer more and international law will be disregarded even more.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): By late afternoon, police and soldiers at the border sent running when protesters saw trucks moving. Turned out they were being sent back to Egypt. The IDF says it's tightening security in the area. Nic Robertson, CNN on the Israel-Gaza border.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The U.K. says a British warship in the Red Sea took down a drone launched by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on Saturday. So far, no injuries have been reported. The British defense secretary is calling the growing attacks along the key shipping route, quote, "intolerable and illegal." The U.K. and the U.S. have been jointly carrying out strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. But the rebel group says it won't stop the attacks until the war between Israel and Hamas ends.

Some Russians are having to line up at grocery stores where they are finding rising prices on staples like eggs. How it's revealing an unstable reality in the country, that's just ahead.

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[02:20:00]

CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. The head of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, is visiting the U.S. and he is expected to meet with senior officials in Washington in the coming hours. In an interview Sunday, Stoltenberg touched on the dispute in Congress over tying Ukraine aid to tighter U.S. border controls, stressing that Ukraine's needs can't be ignored.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL: What matters is that Ukraine gets continued support because we need to realize that this is closely watched in Beijing. So, it's not only making Europe more vulnerable, but all of us, also United States, more vulnerable if Putin gets what he wants in Ukraine. And this is actually a good deal because by using a fraction of the U.S. defense budget, we have been able to destroy and degrade the Russian army substantially and therefore we should continue to do so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Stoltenberg also argued the U.S. benefits economically by supporting Ukraine because it leads to more weapons production in the U.S. and creates more jobs.

Meanwhile, as the war grinds on in Ukraine, President Putin is trying to project an image of economic stability in Russia, but it's proving difficult. The price of one staple, eggs, surged in the country last year, possibly underscoring a bigger problem for Putin ahead of Russia's upcoming elections. CNN's Clare Sebastian reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When your husband spoils you with expensive presents, reads the caption. Russian social media brimming with egg memes --

(VIDEO PLAYING)

Making light of a new feature of Russia's upside-down war economy. Sudden and unexpected price rises. Drive an hour outside Moscow, though, and it's no laughing matter for these pensioners.

Of course, we notice it, the pension is 13,000 rubles, says Lyubov (ph). That's less than $150 per month. Maybe we buy less meat, says Nadezhda (ph). There's still enough for medicines. Egg prices rose 18 percent in December alone. Russian official data shows more than 60 percent over the year, far outstripping overall inflation at 7.4 percent.

[02:24:58]

As images spread of lines forming outside supermarkets, this purportedly from Belgorod in December, Russia's president forced into damage control mode.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translation): I am sorry about this and want to apologize for this problem. This is a setback in the government's work. Although they say this is not the case, I still think it is. The problem is related to a failure to increase imports enough.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): The government took the not-so-subtle hint. Eggs were exempted from import duties for six months and shipments started arriving from Turkey, Azerbaijan, and staunch ally Belarus also ramping up supplies. Its president unable to resist a rare dig.

ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO, PRESIDENT OF BELARUS (through translation): Our own production covers our needs in terms of grain, pork, chicken, milk, vegetable oils and chicken eggs.

PUTIN (through translation): Send some to us, don't be greedy.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): In Putin's surprisingly resilient war economy, the egg crisis reveals the biggest problem is not decline, but overheating. Putin says this is about higher demand because of slightly higher wages. Partly true, economists say, but what Putin doesn't say is why wages are up.

(On camera): This labor shortage is a huge issue, right? Where does that come from?

ELINA RIBAKOVA, SENIOR FELLOW, PETERSON INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS: Mobilization. I think to me the key issue here is the fact that there are a lot of deaths at war and then they have to be replaced. These people have to be replaced. You know, the Russian officials trying to keep it very quiet, the numbers of how many people have died. SEBASTIAN (voice-over): The weaker ruble, a direct result of

sanctions, has also pushed up import costs for poultry producers. And then there's the wartime spending.

RICHARD CONNOLLY, ASSOCIATE FELLOW AT RUSI: The budget for 2024 envisages even adjusted for inflation, record levels of federal government expenditure. So, when you put that alongside, you know, a supply side tightness with a massive increase in demand driven by the state, you've got a recipe for inflation.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): President Putin now poised for the next price spike, a threat to his image of stability ahead of March elections, though likely not his presidential shelf life. Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Still to come, one of China's largest real estate developers is being forced to liquidate. We're live in Hong Kong with more on the court order. Back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:31:21]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

A court in Hong Kong has ordered the Evergrande Group, one of China's largest property developers, to liquidate. It comes years after the company defaulted on more than $300 billion in debt and sent the Chinese real estate industry into a tailspin it's still recovering from.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is following developments for us. She joins us now live from Hong Kong.

Good to see you, Kristie.

So, what does this ruling mean for China's property sector and the world's second biggest economy?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, this ruling could send shock waves through China through its capital markets, its property market as well. Monday, this is what we heard from a judge here in Hong Kong, she ruled to liquidate Evergrande after years of failed attempts to restructure this company. And when she announced a ruling, it took place earlier this morning, the Hong Kong judge, his name is Linda Chen, she said, quote: It is time for the court to say enough is enough.

Now, before the hearing, Evergrande shares were trading down as much as 20 percent and trading was halted in both China Evergrande, as well as its list of subsidiaries across China. Now, for years now, this company, Evergrande, has been the poster child of China's property debt crisis. It was back in 2021 when it triggered a market panic when it defaulted on its offshore debt. Evergrande is the world's most indebted property developer. It has more than $328 billion worth of liabilities, as well as $240 billion in assets.

And last year, in September, its founder and chair Xu Jiayin was suspected of, quote, crimes and detained by the police in China. Analysts have been weighing in on this ruling to liquidate the company and they say the decision is good news long-term for the Chinese economy but it is going to be a very, very painful process.

Now, according to Andrew Collier of Orient Capital Research, he's managing director there, he says this, quote: Evergrande's liquidation is a sign that China is willing to go to extreme ends to quell the property bubble. This is good for the economy in the long run, but very difficult in the short term.

We also heard from Gary Ng of Natixis. He's a senior economist there. And he said: It is not an end but the beginning of a prolong process of liquidation which will make Evergrande's daily operations even harder. And he goes on to say that investors will be concerned about whether there will be snowball effect on other developers as the queue of liquidation is long.

Gary Ng there making reference to perhaps Country Garden, another heavily indebted Chinese developer.

Now, this process of liquidation for Evergrande, it could be long, arduous, and complicated, given the many authorities and players involved. There had been questions about jurisdiction about whether authorities inside China would uphold a ruling from a court in Hong Kong. But ahead of the decision, we learn that China's Supreme Court and Department of Justice here in Hong Kong signed an agreement to jointly enforce this judgment -- Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Kristie Lu Stout, joining us live from Hong Kong.

Next here on CNN NEWSROOM, defensive dominance. An effect comeback and Swifties rejoice. We will have highlights from championship Sunday in the NFL with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

Back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:37:44]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

The teams for Super Bowl 58 are now set and it will be a rematch of the NFL's title game from four years ago between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. The Chiefs are the defending champs headed to their fourth Super Bowl in the last five years. For San Francisco, this will be their eighth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, going for the sixth title. The 49ers needed an epic comeback over the surging Detroit Lions in Sunday's NFC championship game to reach the Super Bowl.

And for the Chiefs, it was all about defense in their AFC title win over Baltimore.

Our Cory Wire has more on both games reporting from Detroit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Detroit was looking to make it to their first Super Bowl in franchise history and things started off great. Lions fans erupting here at a watch party at Ford Field in Detroit.

Powered by a punishing ground game, the men from Motor City went full throttle on the 49ers and the NFC title game. Detroit was up 24-7 at halftime but led by last year's last pick in the NFL draft, quarterback Brock Purdy and San Francisco fights back in the fourth quarter to overcome the largest half time deficit in conference championship history, getting a 34-31.

KYLE SHANAHAN, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS HEAD COACH: Guys didn't want it to be the last day. And we put our self in a hole but they played like that in the second half and were able to get the ball bounce right away and we made up from what we did for the first half.

BROCK PURDY, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS QUARTERBACK: Went out, we all knew what we had to do, season on the line, we're down 17. So I think everybody stepped up and we played good complimentary football from there.

WIRE: Lions fans heartbroken after a historic collapse.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The heart is really hurting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Speechless. Heart broken. Some things I don't understand why we didn't go for the field goal. If I looked at the score, we blew a 17-point lead.

WIRE: Kansas City facing Baltimore in the AFC title game. Chiefs got on the board first with Mahomes and Kelce extending for their record, extending 17th post-season touchdown. The Ravens self-destructed. A sure touchdown by rookie phenom Zay Flowers turned into a turnover when the Chiefs defense forced him to fumble.

[02:40:02]

Then, MVP frontrunner Lamar Jackson throwing into triple coverage leading to another Baltimore turnover. Heartbreak for Baltimore and Jackson who is now 2-4 in his playoff career.

PATRICK MAHOMES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS QUARTERBACK: You never know how many you're going to get to or if you're going to get to any. And so, it's truly special.

ANDY REID, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS HEAD COACH: When it came time to put the hammer down, they put the hammer down which was -- which is important. The best part is we're not done.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We believe it, baby. We are going to Las Vegas, Nevada, to go get us another one.

WIRE: Seventeen-ten, the final. Mahomes on to his, count 'em, first, second, third, fourth Super Bowl in six seasons as a starter, the Chiefs chasing a third Super Bowl title in five years.

This sets up the rematch, the 49ers and the Chiefs in the Super Bowl for a second time in four seasons. Super Bowl 58 is in Las Vegas on February 11th.

Cory Wire, CNN, Detroit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And as if the Super Bowl ratings weren't already high enough, this Super Bowl could be off the charts with a massive boost from the Swifties. Yes, Taylor Swift fans will have a rooting interest in her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Swift, of course, was there, but it's no sure thing Swift will actually attend the Super Bowl. She will be touring in Tokyo next month with her final show set for February 10th, one day before the big game. But I suspect she will find a way to do it.

Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church.

For our international and Max viewers, "WORLD SPORT" is coming up next. For those of you here in the United States and in Canada, I'll be back with more CNN NEWSROOM in just a moment. Do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:38]

CHURCH: Welcome back to our viewers in North America. I'm Rosemary Church.

A key negotiator on a possible border deal in the U.S. says the text of a compromise could be ready to go to the Senate floor in coming days. The Democratic Senator Chris Murphy adds that its passage depends on whether Republicans are willing to ignore former President Donald Trump's opposition and support the bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): We do have a bipartisan bill. We are finishing the text right now, and the question is whether Republicans are going to listen to Donald Trump who wants to preserve chaos at the border because he thinks that it's a winning political issue for him or whether we are going to pass legislation which would be the biggest bipartisan reform of our border immigration laws in 40 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: President Biden has endorsed the bipartisan border deal but House Speaker Mike Johnson is warning it will face strong opposition in his chamber. Thousands of immigrants have arrived in New York City since last

spring some bused from the southern border. New York Mayor Eric Adams has warned the city is running out of shelter space.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino reports from Randalls Island where some migrants are waiting in the cold for a place to shelter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESEPONDENT: We spent time here on Randalls Island speaking with migrants, including many who are waiting outside exposed to the elements, the rain and the cold as they wait for a shelter assignment. Other migrants have been given a bed to sleep in but know they'll eventually be kicked out. That's just one of the few challenges migrants are facing as the city continues to plead for federal intervention, saying they're simply out of room.

(voice-over): A warm meal after a day of cooking over open flame on a shopping cart turned stove outside Randalls Island migrant tent city.

Robinson Bata says he shares this pot of rice with fellow migrants on the island, home to one of New York City's sprawling tent facilities built with capacity to house 3,000 men and women. Robinson 31 years old is from Colombia. Just one of more than 170,000 migrants who have arrived here in New York since spring of last year, more than 68,000 of them are still in the care of the city and space is running out.

For now, Robinson counts himself among the lucky ones.

He says he's at a shelter in the Bronx that's safe a hotel where there are cameras and security, but it's different here on Randalls Island. The massive facility has security but no metal detectors. Two weeks ago, a 24-year-old man was stabbed in the neck during a fight that resulted in 18 arrests, according to police. And earlier this month, a man was stabbed and killed after a fight broke out inside the tent cafeteria.

ERIC ADAMS, NEW YORK MAYOR: It's under investigation but it's horrific, you know, to have some one come here and pursue the American dream and see it turned into a nightmare to lose a life.

PAZMINO: CNN has learned there are dozens of security cameras around the island and the city is in the process of installing more. In the meantime, the administration is also exploring a plan to install metal detectors. While Mayor Adams continues to plead for federal intervention, his administration has put strict limits on shelter stays.

ADAMS: Our humane policy that is -- we're telling single adults 30 days, of children and families 60 days.

PAZMINO: Back at the food stalls, migrants make due with what they have, a steaming pot of coffee and pastries to fry, sold by migrants at $2 a pop, it will help keep some of them warm overnight.

This makeshift camp provides shelter to dozens of migrants who are waiting for placement inside the big tent and city shelters. The crude setup is just one reminder of the struggle migrants here in New York continue to face as winter drags on.

Still, Robinson is hopeful.

[02:50:02]

The reason for the hat is he says, well, this is the American flag and the American flag is what's helping me out right now, so I wear it with pride because I'm -- he's telling me he hopeful in the next few months his situation will improve significantly and he will be able to get settled and provide for his family back home.

Now, New York City is just one of the few municipalities around the country that guarantee the right to shelter. The city is currently in the middle of a legal fight to make some changes to that rule, something that advocates have criticized the Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless telling us that those changes that the rules are simply pushing onto the streets.

In the meantime, other cities around the country are facing the same issue, and adopting similar policies. The city of Denver announcing today, they, too, will impose limits at their shelter facilities.

I'm Gloria Pazmino in New York, CNN.

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CHURCH: U.S. H Republicans released two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Sunday. They are accusing Mayorkas of repeatedly violating immigration laws, saying he has committed high crimes and misdemeanors. The House committee is expected to vote on the articles of impeachment later this week.

But the DHS is blasting House Republicans over the articles calling the upcoming vote a, quote, farce and distraction from other vital national security priorities. Heavy rain and flooding could hit parts of the U.S. West Coast this week because of atmospheric river event is moving from the Pacific northwest down to southern California.

And meteorologist Elissa Raffa has the latest.

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ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We're watching the West Coast closely this week as an atmospheric river event unfolds looking at impact from Washington, Oregon, even into northern California as we go into the week, a level 4 out of 5 atmospheric river event is possible on parts of the coast, meaning that some of the heavy rain could be hazardous, could even some cause landslides.

Now, Washington has already gotten some hefty rain totals already this weekend from one to three inches and breaking some daily records, here's that moisture plume that we'd be dealing with whole weekend, starts to shift south as we go into the middle of the week. By Wednesday in Thursday, heavy rain starts to stretch into California. So you could see the series of storms that does this. You'll find some

rain arriving from Washington and Oregon on Tuesday, but in that front really starts to drip south by Wednesday, bringing some of the heavy rain from northern California to the state line and down into southern California, Los Angeles getting some of that rain by Thursday. So, we've got multiple days here of flooding risk in California. You have that slight risk on Wednesday level 2 out of 4 from Sacramento, down into San Francisco, and then that threat spreads to southern California by Thursday, that marginal level 1 risk, includes Los Angeles and San Diego as we go into the week.

So you can see where this hefty rain totals slide south through the five days, we are looking at some four to five inch rain totals possible from the San Francisco Bay Area and North. But we're looking at two or three inches of that coming in just one day, so something we have to watch and then you see two-inch totals could spread far south as Los Angeles and San Diego. Plus, where you got that colder air and the higher elevation.

We're looking at a foot of snow possible in the Sierra Nevada. All of this also comes with some gusty winds as the storm kind of hits the West Coast, we could find wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour, maybe 50 mile-an-hour gusts in northern California, as we go into Wednesday. So when we're talking about impact, we're talking about impacts from heavy rain and from gusty winds. Stream and urban flooding will be possible, when you get those heavy downpours, numerous showers landslides also possible at downed trees and power lines could be a problem as we go into the week.

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CHURCH: Activists have once again sort to vandalize art as a method of protests. In the latest incident in Paris, two people threw pumpkin soup at Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece the Mona Lisa, living some visitors disgusted and annoyed.

CNN's Michael Holmes explains.

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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The crowd gasped as two activists throw soup at one the most famous works of art in the world, that would be the Mona Lisa painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in the 16th century, he would have the last laugh.

Her mysterious smile untouched by the stunt, safe behind a shield of protective armored glass as security ushered people out of the room.

[02:55:01]

The vandals obscured behind barriers.

Their protests for healthy and sustainable food, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of many visitors.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's disgusting to treat arts as really valuable for the history of humankind that way.

HOLMES: Museums around the world are on guard after a series of similar attacks on famous works of art whether it's throwing soup at a Van Gogh, smearing paint on the casing of the Degas sculpture or hurling at a painting by Gustav Klimt. It's all for shock value, a tactic used by climate or anti-oil groups to get attention. But to many people, it's a baffling if not infuriating disruption.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really don't see the link. I'm not shocked for the Mona Lisa. I'm not worried for her because she's ultra protected, but then I don't see the link with food other than the fact that the Mona Lisa is internationally recognize. So, we'll definitely hear about this.

HOLMES: The Mona Lisa has survived the centuries. It's been stolen, attacked with acid, had objects thrown at it so a dowsing of soup and canned message by activists only puts the spotlight back on it. A master class in capturing the public's attention, something with which know gimmick or cheap trick can compare.

Michael Holmes, CNN.

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CHURCH: And thanks so much for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church.

I will be back with more CNN NEWSROOM after a short break. Do stick around.