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CNN International: Red Cross: 100 Plus Feared Dead After Papua New Guinea Landslide; Trump Courts Black and Hispanic Voters in the Bronx; Heatwave in Latin America Endangers Mexico's Howler Monkeys; U.S. Forecasters Predict Active Atlantic Hurricane Season. Aired 4:30- 5a ET
Aired May 24, 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: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster. If you're just joining us, here are our top stories today.
China is continuing its military drills off Taiwan's coast. Chinese military officials say China is testing its ability to seize power and occupy key areas. Taiwan's defense ministry says 49 Chinese aircraft flew into Taiwan's air defense identification zone in the past 24 hours.
The office of Taiwan's president says it is confident and capable of defending national security.
U.S. officials tell CNN that CIA Director Bill Burns is heading to Europe in the coming days to try to revive the ceasefire in hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas. This as aid groups have begun distributing more than 500 metric tons of supplies brought into Gaza across a floating pier.
And a massive landslide in a remote region of northern Papua New Guinea. The Red Cross says more than 100 people are feared dead. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, it hit around 3 a.m. local time in the dark of night in an area about 600 kilometers northwest of the capital port of Moresby.
Joining us now, Serhan Aktoprak. He is chief of mission in Papua New Guinea for the International Organization for Migration. I think you're the only U.N. organization actually involved in this. What can you tell us about what happened?
SERHAN AKTOPRAK, CHIEF OF MISSION IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION: Well, unfortunately, of course, this morning we woke up to another saddening news. Papua New Guinea is prone to natural disasters, and we are experiencing many of them, which may happen in the form of earthquakes. And on this occasion, it was a landslide.
It hit a relatively sizable village, which is approximately two hours away from the capital of the provinces, Enga Province, Wabeg. The village is called Yambali, which hosts approximately 3,890 inhabitants. And at that hour of the day, everyone was asleep. And we fear that a sizable population has been affected by this unfortunate incident.
IOM, together with the provincial authority administrative departments, including the Provincial Disaster Center, Health, Police and Defense Force, as well as Department of Planning, have been deployed to the site from their offices in the capital, Wabag. And the reports are, of course, such that there is no power.
There is yet to be known how many people are buried under the debris at the moment. So far, three bodies could have been recovered. But the death toll is feared to increase because of the size of the landslide. It's not possible to reach to a significant portion of the village, which is under the debris at the moment.
Just to give you a little bit of a description of the size of the area that has been affected. The landslide, the debris is as big as approximately three to four football fields and is blocking the lifeline of the province's main highway called Porgera Highway, which is making the relief efforts even more difficult.
[04:05:00]
The team of 50 people, assessment team, has reached the site around midday today, but quite a big portion of them had to return to the capital's -- to the province's capital in order to continue analyzing the initial assessment.
There is no power, as I've explained. The three main sources, water streams that comprise the main sources of clean water for the communities is buried under the rubble and food gardens are completely destroyed. And of course, what we fear is that the continued road blockage is going to take time to be removed and therefore will make the relief efforts very difficult.
FOSTER: Sorry. Can I just ask you, when you look at the scene, it's very difficult to imagine anyone surviving that.
AKTOPRAK: That is absolutely true, unfortunately, but we need to verify the number of people that have been affected. Therefore, we refrain from making any comments in relation to the number of casualties, number of people that have been displaced as well as injured and gone missing. But we believe that the initially commented and shared numbers could well be exceeded.
But it's already dark. It's already nighttime in Papua New Guinea. There is no power to continue the relief efforts. Only with the sunrise, the teams will be returning.
IOM is additionally deploying further its personnel from the nearby provinces who will be joining the relief efforts from early on. And we believe with our partners, we will be able to help rescue more lives than otherwise it might be ever possible. And we'll be able to report to yourselves on the progress that is made.
FOSTER: OK, well, we really appreciate your time and thank you for sparing it. That's a big mission and I hope you get the support you need soon. Serhan Aktoprak, I really appreciate your time.
AKTOPRAK: Thank you.
FOSTER: Now to the race for the White House. Donald Trump is making his case to the voters of New York. He campaigned on Thursday. One of the most democratic districts in the country. That's the borough of the Bronx. It is part of his push to win over Black and Hispanic voters disillusioned with President Joe Biden.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It doesn't matter whether you're Black or brown or white or whatever the hell color you are. It doesn't matter. We are all Americans and we're going to pull together as Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: More now from CNN's Kristen Holmes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Donald Trump campaigning tonight in one of the bluest counties in the country, just a few miles from where a jury will start to weigh his fate in the criminal hush money trial next week.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going to the South Bronx to do a rally.
HOLMES (voice-over): As the former president tries to build support with Black and Hispanic voters. Recent polls showing him making gains with key blocs of President Joe Biden's coalition. Four years ago, Biden won Bronx County by nearly 68 points.
REP. RITCHIE TORRES (D-NY): I'm confident that the Bronx is going to overwhelmingly reject Donald Trump based on the polling data that I've seen among likely voters in the Bronx. Donald Trump is so unpopular as to be radioactive. You know, he's even less popular than arsenic in the Bronx.
HOLMES (voice-over): Despite New York's strong Democratic lean, Trump insists he can put the Empire State in play this November.
TRUMP: I love this state. I love the people of this state. I'm running hard in New York. I think we're going to win New York.
HOLMES (voice-over): Something he claimed during his first run in 2016.
TRUMP: I think we're going to win New York.
HOLMES (voice-over): And again in 2020.
TRUMP: We're going for New York. You know, we're going to New Yorkers. HOLMES: Losing the state both times by more than 20 points.
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Thank you and God bless you all.
HOLMES (voice-over): In fact, no Republican nominee has carried New York since Ronald Reagan in 1984.
The Bronx stop comes as the Republican Party continues to coalesce around Trump. After a bitterly fought primary campaign against Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor gave Trump a boost Wednesday, saying she would support him in November.
NIKKI HALEY, FORMER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Trump has not been perfect on these policies. I've made that clear many, many times. But Biden has been a catastrophe. So, I will be voting for Trump.
HOLMES (voice-over): Her turnabout coming after closing her campaign, warning about Trump's impact on the GOP.
HALEY: How much more losing do we have to do before we realize maybe Donald Trump is the problem?
[04:40:00]
HOLMES (voice-over): Another Trump rival, Ted Cruz, refusing to say if he would accept the 2024 election results during an interview with CNN's Kaitlan Collins.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Free and fair election, will you accept the results regardless of who wins? Look --
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): If the Democrats win, I will accept the result, but I'm not going to ignore fraud regardless of what happens.
COLLINS: But was there fraud in 2020?
CRUZ: Of course there was fraud.
HOLMES (voice-over): It's a message being put forward by several top Republicans, including those vying to be Trump's running mate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will you commit to accepting the election results of 2024, bottom line?
SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC), FORMER U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, at the end of the day, the 47th President of the United States will be President Donald Trump, and I'm excited to give back to low inflation, low unemployment, and high --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wait, wait, Senator, yes or no, yes or no, will you accept the election results of 2024 no matter who wins?
SCOTT: That is my statement.
HOLMES: Now we spoke to a number of voters, both inside and outside the rally, people who were from the community. And the response to Donald Trump being in the Bronx was really mixed. There were people who said he didn't belong here, that he should get out. People were incredulous that he actually showed up here.
But there were also people that we spoke to, again, voters who said that they had supported Biden in 2020, but they were really unhappy, particularly when it came to the economy and that they were looking for alternatives, namely looking for alternatives in former President Donald Trump. Many of them not even showing up today, but just speaking to us outside of this rally.
Kristen Holmes, CNN, Bronx, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Turning to two of Trump's legal cases on Thursday, New York State appellate judges denied Trump's motion, and that was to change the venue for his hush money criminal trial just days before closing arguments are set to begin on Tuesday in that trial. Trump's lawyers filed the appeal last month during jury selection.
And in Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis is appealing a judge's decision in March to dismiss six of the 41 charges in the election subversion case against Trump and several co- defendants. A trial date hasn't been set, and this latest appeal could cause further delay. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
When we come back.
Central America is suffering under a heat dome and sweltering temperatures are affecting animals and humans alike.
Plus, forecasters are issuing an ominous warning for the U.S. Gulf Coast when we come back. What experts say about the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: While Central America grapples with record high temperatures, Mexico's howler monkeys are feeling the heat. CNN's Gustavo Valdes takes us inside the effort to save these endangered primates. A warning, viewers may find some of these images disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[04:45:00]
GUSTAVO VALDES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This little monkey is clinging to his life, one sip at a time. It's one of many howler monkeys suffering from extreme dehydration in Mexico's jungle, officials say.
The little monkey held our hand. We could see tears coming out of his eyes. It was like he was begging us not to leave him, says Lorena Ventura, one of the residents of Buenavista, Tabasco, in southern Mexico, who helped nourish the monkey with water and food. But they could not save them all.
Her group found at least 10 monkeys dead. Some Ventura says, were falling from the trees.
Victor Hugo Morato is a veterinarian who treated the rescue monkeys. He said blood samples revealed severe dehydration and parasitic infection. He said it broke his heart to see the small creatures in such bad condition.
The Yucatan black howlers are an endangered species found in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. Under normal circumstances, their howl can be heard over 4 kilometers away, but now they lay silent, saving their energy to stay alive.
Environmentalist Alejandro Moreno says the high temperatures in the region are affecting the monkeys who have lost access to water and food due to deforestation, drought, and climate change. Mexico and Central America are experiencing record high temperatures because of a prolonged heat dump over the region.
Temperatures are 3 to 6 degrees Celsius higher than normal, exceeding 45 degrees in some areas.
Most of Honduras is under a cloud of smoke from the more than 2,600 fires reported by federal authorities. Many cities have canceled school and declared a health emergency. And the president ordered public employees to work from home because of the bad air quality.
They hope the rainy season starts on time, in late May, to help extinguish the fires and clear the air. Back in the Mexican jungle, volunteers and government workers are doing what they can to ease the pain of their animal neighbors.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Seeing this situation is very painful.
VALDES (voice-over): Pain humans feel too.
Gustavo Valdes, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Meanwhile, severe weather continues to batter the U.S. On Thursday night, a large tornado tore through Jackson County, Oklahoma. There are currently no reported deaths or injuries. There were 18 tornado reports across the U.S. on Thursday and more than 170 storm reports. The severe weather and the threat from it continues to move eastwards through the Memorial Day holiday weekend from the Great Plains to the Ohio Valley, while the South faces potentially record- breaking heat as well.
The U.S. National Weather Service determined that Tuesday's deadly tornado in Greenfield, Iowa, was an EF4, with EF5 being the most damaging. Peak winds reached speeds of up to 185 miles per hour or nearly 300 kilometers per hour as the tornado tore through the small town. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've lived in this area my whole life. I was born at the hospital. It's a horrible thing to see your son's house, you know? At least he's got insurance and we're all safe.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've done so much work on this little house. It was so cute.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Earn every dime, you work hard, and then it's gone. I think they said it was about seven seconds that it came through and it was done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Iowa State Patrol said four people were killed and at least 35 injured in Tuesday's storm. Governor Kim Reynolds issued a disaster emergency proclamation for the 15 counties that were impacted.
Experts warning that 2024's Atlantic hurricane season may be more active than those of previous years. A mix of favorable conditions and record warm ocean temperatures have led U.S. forecasters to issue their most aggressive pre-season predictions yet. CNN meteorologist Chad Myers has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, and as expected, the 2024 hurricane season's forecast is above normal. 17 to 25 named storms, 8 to 13 will be hurricanes, and 4 to 7 will be majors. Now, Colorado State already put their forecast out last month and every one of the numbers kind of falls right inside the range.
But the average is 14, 7, and 3, so there will be more storms in the water. 85 percent chance of that. Only a 5 percent chance of it being a below normal season.
But something we don't talk about much, accumulated cyclone energy. It's a tough thing to get really your head around. But what it means is that if there's a storm in the water and for how long, there's a number that they add that up.
If it's a big hurricane in a water for a very long time, your accumulated cyclone energy is very high. But this could be a season with 150 to 245 percent of average, average being about 103. So that's where you get all of these numbers from.
[04:50:03]
Let's take a look at the last 4 years, really, because we think of those as pretty active. But 145, 95, 145, and 179. Nowhere near 245 percent of normal accumulated cyclone energy.
Water's already warm. In fact, it's even warmer than it was in 2005. If you don't remember 2005, Dennis, Emily, Katrina, Wilma, Rita, it was a big storm. And this is what we're actually looking right down the barrel at. El Nino is gone. La Nina is here. We're going to see less shear in the Atlantic. All of a sudden, that less shear makes more storms. They can begin to spin, not get torn apart. And you get more storms when you get a La Nina year. In a typical La Nina year, who knows what this is going to be because the water is so warm already. 3 to 5 degrees warmer than it should be right now.
In fact, by Copernicus standards, the warmest on record for this development region That's what all the dark red is. This is where we're going to see the first named storm, Alberto.
And something else really to look at here is how wet the Deep South has been through spring. Some of these areas have almost double the amount of rainfall that they should have already. The streams are full. The ground is muddy.
All of a sudden, you put wind on top of muddy ground or you put more rain on top of muddy ground, it's just going to run off. And that's the next big problem we're going to keep watching for this hurricane season.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: There is more to come on CNN, including why the new manager of the U.S. women's football soccer team says she was made in America, even though she's English.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: The new manager of the U.S. women's soccer team is just a week away from her and the team's first match against South Korea. Emma Hayes is fresh off leading Chelsea to a fifth straight women's Super League title over in the U.K., here. And although Hayes was born in England, she's told CNN's Carolyn Manno she was definitely made in America.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EMMA HAYES, U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM MANAGER: I lived seven years around here. I lived in Queens, I lived in Long Island, I lived on the Upper West Side. So New York feels like a home from home, much like London, maybe built upwards a little more than London. But it's a city where I started my career and a place where I remember walking around at the beginning sort of always wondering what, you know, I was going to achieve in the game and dreaming a little bit inside. You know, the thought of one day, would I ever have the possibility of being the U.S. women's national team coach. So coming back here provokes a lot of really strong memories for me.
CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: What are you looking forward to about being back here or having your son, you know, be here and kind of take in America?
HAYES: Great question. I know he'll say the pancakes and Disneyland. But for me, it's always the people, the energy of the country. And I always felt really supported as a woman here.
I always felt like empowered to be able to achieve whatever I wanted to achieve, but also backed to do it. I often use that phrase, I was born in England, but I was definitely made in America. And I'm looking forward to being here as a improved version of myself with a lot of learnings.
[04:55:00]
Yes, a little more life in me, but one where I can't wait to go around the country and meet the soccer fans and soccer community.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Now a big first for women's basketball. The WNBA says it's adding a new team in Toronto, Canada. The first franchise for the league outside the U.S. The Toronto ownership group will be led by billionaire Larry Tanenbaum. He's the governor of the Maple Leaf's hockey team, the Raptors basketball team, and others. The franchise is set to begin playing in 2026. The WNBA commissioner has said she is confident the league will add even more teams by 2028.
22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal facing a tough challenge in what's likely to be his final French Open. The King of Clay will face world number four Alexander Zverev in the first round at Roland Garros. Germany's Zverev is coming off the heels of his Italian Open win last weekend and is one of the favorites to win the tournament.
The two last met at the 2022 French Open semi-final where he was forced to retire mid-match due to an ankle injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season.
And the story's in the spotlight this hour.
The U.S. stock market is hoping to end the week on a high note after a dismal Thursday. The Dow fell more than 600 points in its worst day of the year so far. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 also lost ground. Investors are concerned about signs that the Federal Reserve might actually raise interest rates again this year rather than cut them.
Demand amongst young Americans for weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic is soaring. New research shows the number of people aged 12 to 25 who have been prescribed such drugs has skyrocketed by close to 600 percent in just three years. Young women and adolescent girls had the biggest increase in the number of prescriptions.
For comparison, the study looked at trends for other medications and found a 3 percent decrease in prescriptions of other drugs during the same period of time.
And in the U.S. state of Tennessee, the Attorney General is investigating the attempted foreclosure auction of Elvis Presley's iconic Graceland home. An alleged private investment company has dropped its foreclosure efforts after initially trying to sell the property. It claimed that Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie, used Graceland as collateral for a loan worth close to $4 million and then failed to pay back the loan. But her daughter, Riley, filed a lawsuit to stop the foreclosure sale and accused the company of presenting forged documents and trying to defraud the family. Mystery.
Thanks for joining me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London. CNN "THIS MORNING" is up next after a break.
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