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CNN International: Heat, Fires, Flood, Tropical Storm Impacting U.S.; New Mexico Wildfires Forcing Resident to Evacuate; Putin in Vietnam After Signing Deal with North Korea; U.S. Reacts to Netanyahu's Withholding Weapons Comment; Chinese, Philippine Vessels in Confrontation at Sea. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired June 20, 2024 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and around the world. I'm Anna Coren sitting in for Max Foster.

Just ahead, extreme weather in the U.S. with fires, floods, mudslides and a tropical storm. We'll tell you when there will be a break from the record-breaking heat.

Plus, U.S. President Joe Biden and Donald Trump will meet face-to-face one week from today for the first presidential debate. We'll show you how the two candidates are preparing for the event.

And Russian President Vladimir Putin touches down in Vietnam just hours after signing a mutual defense pact with North Korea.

It's Thursday, June 20th, 4 p.m. here in Hong Kong, 3 a.m. on the southern Gulf Coast of Texas, where more than two million people are under a tornado watch right now due to Tropical Storm Alberto. The National Hurricane Center says Alberto has been strengthening and will continue to bring heavy rains, coastal flooding and gusty winds along the coasts of Texas and northeastern Mexico through the day today.

Flash flood warnings are also up in some areas. Storm surge combined with the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded. And mudslides are also possible, especially in higher terrains across northeast Mexico.

The center of the storm is about 120 miles east-southeast of Tampico, Mexico, and is expected to make landfall near there in the coming hours. The winds have knocked out power to more than 10,000 customers in Texas. That's according to poweroutage.us.

And Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for 51 counties impacted by the tropical storm.

Well, meantime, extreme heat is still posing a threat to other parts of the U.S. CNN meteorologist Chad Myers has the latest forecast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It sure would be nice to get some of those rains here from parts of Texas into New Mexico where the fires are. And yes, we will see a few scattered showers here, but really more we're going to get will be the wind. We're going to see winds 20 to 25 miles per hour in areas where the fires are.

Now, the wind is from an opposite direction that could put firefighters in some danger but also could push the fires back onto areas that have already burned. But you never like to see 20 to 30 mile per hour winds over a fire zone.

I'd like to see some wind here in the east, maybe blowing this heat away for a change or at least giving you a wind chill factor, which certainly won't be the case.

Again, we're talking about heat index. About 260 million people or more going to see temperatures above 90 over the next few days. Maybe not every day, but certainly you will.

There's where the heat will be for today, a little bit farther toward the west tomorrow, and really just expanding toward even D.C. by the weekend where temperatures will be almost 100 degrees. And that's not heat index, that's thermometer.

We still have these excessive heat warnings and watches all the way across the U.S. where we're just now seeing just long-duration days where it's day after day over 90 degrees, over 95 degrees in some spots, even New York City today all the way to 92. And if you are not in the wind or if you are in the sunshine or between buildings with the concrete, it will feel warmer than that without a doubt.

Today's heat index in Syracuse, a lovely 99 this afternoon. And 99 not with heat index but with the air temperature for D.C. Saturday and for Sunday. A lot of folks going to be doing things out and about in D.C. Make sure you try to stay cool there. Lots of water for you, the pets, the kids, and even the plants because they're going a little bit of water, please. Have a great day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Chad Myers, thank you.

Well, parts of New Mexico are enduring multiple weather-related disasters. Water rescues are underway in the mountain village of Ruidoso after flash floods caused by heavy rains on Wednesday. Well, those storms are appearing alongside deadly wildfires in the area. Our Ed Lavandera spoke with residents forced to evacuate as the flames drew closer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Scott escaped Ruidoso, New Mexico just in time through thick smoke and an orange glow.

[04:05:02] As a massive wildfire consumed his mountain neighborhood.

MICHAEL SCOTT, RUIDOSO, NEW MEXICO RESIDENT: My truck was being hit with chunks of ash. It was almost like big gray rain hitting my truck.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Scott and his wife and his mother were able to make it out with a few belongings and their three dogs. We met them at a motel 50 miles away where all they can do is nurse the shock that everything they own might be lost. The not knowing is a numbing feeling, he says.

LAVANDERA: I imagine it's an incredibly helpless feeling and there's literally nothing you can do.

SCOTT: It really is, and for the past 24 hours we've been in this little motel, and I think, well, we don't have anything left. Now where do we go?

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Two massive fires around Ruidoso are burning across 20,000 acres. Emergency officials say the wildfires have destroyed 1,400 homes and structures. We reached some of those neighborhoods and saw the charred remains of dozens of homes. Even found deer making their way through the scarred hillsides.

KURT DELGADO, RUIDOSO, NEW MEXICO RESIDENT: Yes, I can see the fire right outside this window.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Kurt Delgado evacuated his home to the edge of town where he set up his Papi Chulo food truck and started feeding firefighters and emergency crews.

KURT DELGADO, RUIDOSO, NEW MEXICO RESIDENT: From the window of your food truck, you can see the smoke in the canyon where your house is.

DELGADO: Yes, our house is literally right there where that smoke is.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Delgado says he'll stay here as long as he can.

DELGADO: So my parents are in that airstream right there. We're ready to go. We're going to do what we can to, you know, just stay vigilant.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): About 8,000 people have evacuated the Ruidoso area since Monday. The mountain village is an eerie, smoke-filled ghost town. There are a few people left, though, like Jordan Rue.

LAVANDERA: I imagine a moment like this is pretty nerve-wracking.

JORDON RUE, RUIDOSO, NEW MEXICO RESIDENT: Yes, yes, I thought, I didn't think it was going to come this close to us, but it happened so fast.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Our conversation was interrupted by police urging residents to evacuate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) evacuate Ruidoso now, immediately. LAVANDERA (voice-over): We managed to find our way into Michael Scott's neighborhood in Ruidoso. Many of the homes were burned to the ground, but somehow Michael's home is still standing, a slice of good news surrounded by devastation and sadness.

LAVANDERA: We were able to show Michael Scott a picture of his home. He said he had tears of joy seeing that his home was still intact, but he and thousands of others are still not in the clear. These wildfires continue to burn, but the good news is that weather forecasters say rain, which has already fallen a little bit on Wednesday, is expected to continue into Thursday, and the hope is that that will give firefighters the relief they need to get these wildfires under control.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Ruidoso, New Mexico.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Like our Chad Myers reported a little earlier, higher temperatures are set to continue across the U.S. through the weekend. It comes after more than a dozen daily high-temperature records were either broken or tied on Wednesday in the northeast. Some New England states will see a brief reprieve from the heat thanks to a cold front sweeping in on Friday, but others are busy thinking of ways to stay cool.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEWEL MANLEY, BEXLEY, OHIO RESIDENT: It feels muggy and hot and crazy, overwhelming, but it is what it is.

SHEILA STRAUB, BEXLEY, OHIO RESIDENT: Staying cool is a process this week. I think eating a lot of ice cream, taking lots of showers, and being grateful for air conditioning. We are so blessed to have it. So stay hydrated and be well out there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Vladimir Putin is spending the day in Vietnam in a bid to boost economic ties after his trip to North Korea. Dignitaries welcomed the Russian leader at Hanoi's presidential palace a short time ago. Mr. Putin is trying to dispel the perception that he's increasingly isolated by Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine.

He's already met with the Vietnamese president and will speak with the Prime Minister and Communist Party chief in the hours ahead. The Russian leader has expressed his willingness to help Vietnam with its nuclear power program and increase tourism between the two countries.

Well let's bring in CNN's Beijing bureau chief, Steven Jiang.

Steven, explain to us the importance of Putin's trip to Hanoi and I guess how it differs from his stopover in Pyongyang, knowing very well that Russia and Vietnam share this very deep and long relationship.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, this stop in Hanoi, of course, is part of Russia's effort and Putin's effort to show to the U.S. and its Western allies that Russia still has friends on the global stage. And for Hanoi, of course, Russia has remained its number one arms supplier.

[04:10:00]

And that is an important role that Russia obviously wants to maintain because Hanoi has been trying to diversify its sources of weaponry, especially following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

But the two sides are still very much tied up on this front. And they're also maintaining very strong ties economically, especially in the oil and gas field with their joint venture in Vietnam's biggest oil field, for example, generating millions of dollars for both sides.

And politically, of course, Hanoi has been very adept in playing the straddling game, trying to maintaining and improving ties with all the major powers that really have been trying to woo Hanoi, not only with Moscow, but also with Beijing and Washington. And that seemed to be quite a successful strategy so far. And Putin, of course, as you have seen in all these visuals, both in Hanoi and Pyongyang, really enjoying this status of being welcomed and received as a head of state, even as he increasingly become a pariah in the eyes of the West.

And that kind of upgraded relationship with both Hanoi and Pyongyang is definitely a messaging to the Western world as well.

And from where I am standing, China has not said much about these developments. They're obviously watching very closely, but I think they are secure and confident enough about their own relationship with Russia and North Korea and understanding that their role is indispensable in propping up both economies.

Obviously, they've been providing North Korea with an economic lifeline for decades, but increasingly they're doing so with the Russian economy as well, helping Moscow dodge severe Western sanctions by rapidly expanding economic and trade relationship with Moscow. And that's why they are very much confident that these newly signed agreements between Pyongyang and Moscow, they're not going to affect China's role and China's position and China's relationship with both Moscow and Pyongyang -- Anna.

COREN: Steven Jiang joining us from Beijing. We appreciate the update. Thank you.

Israel and Hezbollah are trading new threats of war. The militant group's leader is warning Cyprus against opening its airports and bases to Israeli forces after Israel warned of an all-out war. The Iran-backed group is also vowing to hold nothing back against Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HASSAN NASRALLAH, HEZBOLLAH CHIEF (through translator): If war is imposed on Lebanon, the resistance will fight without restraints, without rules and without limits. The enemy knows very well that we have prepared ourselves for the worst and most difficult days and the enemy knows very well what awaits it and that is why it was deterred for nine months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Israel and Hezbollah have been trading cross-border attacks since October 7th, but the strikes have ramped up in recent weeks and Israel is threatening to destroy Hezbollah after the group released this drone footage purportedly showing military and civilian sites in northern Israel.

Well meanwhile, tensions between the U.S. and Israel are spilling out into public view. We're learning that a U.S. envoy called out Benjamin Netanyahu during a private meeting following public comments by the Israeli Prime Minister who claimed the U.S. is withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel. CNN's MJ Lee reports from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Those comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu where he accused the U.S. of holding back weapons and ammunitions from Israel really not sitting well with U.S. officials. One senior official telling me that they were perplexing and simply wrong and what CNN is learning is that U.S. officials actually privately conveyed that sentiment to Prime Minister Netanyahu in a meeting.

U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein told the Prime Minister that those comments were unproductive and completely untrue. And meanwhile U.S. ambassador to Israel Jack Lew said in that same meeting basically sort of walked through all of the arms that are being provided to Israel and have been delivered to Israel basically to make the point that he believes the ambassador is wrong. And what we've seen U.S. officials do is publicly emphasize that there is only one shipment of arms that the U.S. is currently holding and that is the shipment that President Biden has talked about publicly.

Now there is an Israeli delegation that is currently in Washington to have a series of meetings with their American counterparts and we are told that a meeting that was slated for Thursday appears to have been postponed though one official said that that was actually a reaction to Prime Minister Netanyahu's comments in that video.

Other officials told CNN that it was actually just a scheduling matter.

[04:15:00]

But either way we are of course continuing to see those tensions between U.S. and Israeli officials continuing to mount as this war goes on.

MJ Lee, CNN, at the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COREN: The U.S. has re-anchored its temporary pier to the coast of Gaza according to two U.S. officials. The pier was dismantled earlier this month for the second time in anticipation of rough seas and weather conditions. The U.S. began building the pier in April and started using it to deliver food and medical supplies in May. Well since then the Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary says more than 3,500 metric tons of aid has been delivered from the pier.

Well, tensions are growing in the South China Sea as China takes its maritime confrontations with the Philippines to a whole new level. That story and a video of the incident ahead.

Plus, outrage over a new law in Louisiana which critics say puts the U.S. one step closer to losing religious freedom.

And later, climate protesters give an orange paint job to one of the world's most famous historic monuments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:20:00]

COREN: The U.S. is offering assurances it will have the Philippines back following this run-in with China's Coast Guard. The Philippines says China launched a brutal assault with bladed weapons on its supply boats in the South China Sea on Monday. This video released by Manila appears to show Philippine boats surrounded by Chinese vessels, with Chinese sailors brandishing sharp weapons and slashing a Philippine vessel.

The incident happened near the contested Spratly Islands.

For more, let's turn to our Ivan Watson here with us here in Hong Kong. And Ivan, you of course have witnessed these skirmishes up close firsthand, but this incident certainly appears to be far more aggressive.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sure, this definitely looks like an escalation. And yes, I've been on board a Philippine Coast Guard ship. I've witnessed how Chinese Coast Guard ships and maritime militia, they will swarm and surround and block and harass and intimidate.

But what's different here in the footage that's been released by the Philippine Armed Forces is these are smaller boats. China Coast Guard, what appear to be either Philippine Marines and or Navy, and the confrontation involves injuries.

The Philippine Armed Forces, they say that several of their sailors were injured. One lost a finger. They have shown video of the Chinese personnel in uniform, waving an axe and other clubs and knives. They've accused them of basically an act of piracy and of taking materials and bags from on board the Philippine boats and also of destroying some of their equipment.

The Chinese government has responded and basically blamed all of this on the Philippines. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIN JIAN, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON (through translator): China urges the Philippines to immediately stop its infringing and provocative actions. China will continue to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and rights in accordance with the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: At issue here, Anna, is a territorial dispute that goes back years, but that has been heating up for a number of months now. The South China Sea, it has a number of countries surrounding it, but China claims almost all of it for itself. And that includes areas like the Spratly Islands and the Second Thomas Shoal, which are much closer to the Philippines -- If you look on the map -- then they are to mainland China.

And that is where the confrontations have been taking place over much of the last year. As these have escalated, the Philippine government has basically said, hey, if one of our personnel, if one of our citizens is killed, China will have crossed the Rubicon. It will have crossed a red line. And that was spelled out by the Philippine president Marcos Jr. in Singapore just a few weeks ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FERDINAND MARCOS JR., PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: If a Filipino citizen is killed by a willful act, that is, I think, very, very close to what we define as an act of war. And, therefore, we will respond accordingly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: So these are serious words being thrown around. It is a David and Goliath confrontation, China here being Goliath, much larger with the world's largest navy versus the Philippines. But, Anna, the Philippines and Manila have a mutual defense treaty with the U.S. It could be invoked, and some experts say that Manila has grounds to do that. The U.S. continues to reassert that its commitment to this mutual defense treaty is ironclad.

And you've had the top diplomats from both countries communicate about this, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accusing China of provocations and illegal acts in international waters -- Anna.

COREN: I mean, let's talk about that commitment, because the U.S. says that it has the Philippines back. I mean, what can it do? Or, more importantly, what is it likely to do?

WATSON: Well, I don't need to explain to you that there are already a number of major deadly conflicts taking place in Gaza, risk of another one between Israel and Lebanon, the raging war in Ukraine as well. I think the last thing that the world wants to see right now is a major conflict.

But the South China Sea, this is not a new area of tension. You routinely have U.S. and Chinese planes and ships shadowing each other. I've seen that. I've witnessed that firsthand aboard U.S. Navy planes, for example.

[04:25:00]

But there are other actors at play here, not just the Philippines, but Vietnam, Indonesia, the Australians. European Navy ships will go through these waters as different governments seek to challenge China's claim to this heavily trafficked body entirely for itself.

So, during some of these confrontations that I've witnessed between Philippine and Chinese ships, U.S. Navy ships have not been far away. And one of the things, the measures that Manila has taken in recent months is to grant the U.S. additional rights to access military installations on Philippine territory and to even move weaponry into there, something that China has objected to.

But all of this shows different sides building up, tensions building up, and a miscalculation could lead to further escalation. That is something we should all be concerned about.

COREN: Ivan Watson, great to get your reporting. Thank you so much.

Well, debate preparations are underway with just one week until U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump face off on stage. How they're getting ready, just ahead.

Plus, Vietnam rolls out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin. How the war in Ukraine is factoring into another state visit for the Russian president.

[04:30:00]