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More Fallout from KFile Report on Mark Robinson; Bipartisan Push against Georgia Election Board's New Rule; IDF Kills Top Hezbollah Commander in Beirut; Suspect Confessed to Killing Japanese Boy in China; National Teamsters Leadership Declines to Endorse Candidate for 2024; Kentucky Sheriff Charged with Murder of Judge; "Doomsday Glacier" Collapse May Be Unstoppable; London Mayor Plans to Ban Traffic on Oxford Street. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired September 21, 2024 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to all you watching us here in the U.S., Canada and around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
Donald Trump is getting set to campaign in North Carolina. We will look at how a scandal involving one of his allies could make victory there a lot harder.
Kamala Harris visits the battleground state of Georgia, where reproductive rights have become a front and center issue for her campaign.
And scientists get an unprecedented look at what they ominously call the Doomsday Glacier. We'll look at what they learned and what it could mean for humanity.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: We begin this hour in the battleground state of North Carolina, where Donald Trump is set to hold a campaign rally later today. It's his first event there since CNN's investigation into the state's Trump approved candidate for governor Mark Robinson revealed disturbing online activity involving a pornographic website.
Trump has yet to comment on the controversy but while he's in North Carolina, Trump could see billboards like this one from the Democrats, linking him to the lieutenant governor with the hope that statements like these showing his past support could come back to haunt him.
CNN's Dianne Gallagher has details of the scandal and how Robinson himself is responding.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The
fallout from CNN's bombshell report about Mark Robinson spilling over into a second day.
LT. GOV. MARK ROBINSON (R), NORTH CAROLINA GOV. CANDIDATE: I'm running for governor.
GALLAGHER: The GOP nominee for North Carolina's governor moving forward with his campaign after the deadline passed for him to withdraw as absentee ballots are sent out to voters Friday.
The fresh swirl of controversy follows a KFILE investigation that found Robinson made a series of inflammatory comments on a pornographic websites message board, more than a decade ago, referring to himself as a Black Nazi and expressing support for reinstating slavery, among other salacious, lewd and gratuitous statements.
ROBINSON: Thank you so much.
GALLAGHER: Robinson categorically denying the allegations.
ROBINSON: This is not us. These are not our words and this is not anything that is characteristic of me.
GALLAGHER: The controversy extending beyond the Tar Heel State's race for governor, with Robinson having received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly praised the conservative firebrand.
TRUMP: This is Martin Luther King on steroids, OK?
GALLAGHER: The campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris highlighting the ties between Trump and Robinson in a new ad Friday.
ROBINSON: We can pass bills saying, you can't have an abortion in North Carolina for any reason. Abortion in this country is about killing a child because you weren't responsible enough to keep your skirt down.
TRUMP: I've been with him a lot. I've gotten to know him and he's outstanding.
GALLAGHER: The former president is set to hold a rally in the state on Saturday. Sources tell CNN that Robinson has not been invited to the event, despite being a regular presence at Trump's events in the state, including two last month. Some Trump allies are dismissing the potential impact on the former president's campaign.
REP. BYRON DONALDS (R-FL): We're going to be fine in North Carolina. This issue is going to come and go.
GALLAGHER: But the reality of what's happened in our country remains and that's why Donald Trump's going to win the state of North Carolina. As Democrats in North Carolina seek to turn Robinson's controversy into a challenge for other Republicans. GOV. ROY COOPER (D-NC): I think that when people go to the polls,
they need to think about these candidates who had supported and encouraged somebody like Mark Robinson and continue to do so.
GALLAGHER: Now Democrats across the state of North Carolina taking advantage of this. Nearly every statewide candidate down through the ballot has posted a photograph the Republican opponent has taken with Robinson or touted an endorsement, even just kind comments about the lieutenant governor.
There was a fundraiser that was scheduled for Mark Robinson, featuring the chair of the Republican Governors Association, Tennessee governor Bill Lee.
Well, a source familiar tells CNN that that is no longer taking place. And governor Bill Lee is not coming to North Carolina -- Dianne Gallagher, CNN -- back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Earlier, CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten weighed in on how the Robinson scandal may impact the race in North Carolina between Trump and Harris.
[04:05:03]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRY ENTEN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: You look at where the polls we're heading into this, right?
In the presidential race. My goodness, gracious. How tight it was. It was tied. I think it was like 0.2 percentage points. If you didn't round it. But the bottom line is tied between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
And the governors race. Look, the Democrat Josh Stein, was well ahead of Mark Robinson, up by 10 points. I think he's going to be leading by even more after this particular thing. It's the real question of how much this may impact the presidential race.
And how important is the great state of North Carolina when it comes to the presidential race?
Look at this, the chance of winning the election if they win in North Carolina, it's very important. If Kamala Harris wins in North Carolina, look at that. Her chance of winning up to 95 percent. Donald Trump, even if he wins there, it's just 76 percent.
But that actually says that this state is much more of a must win for Donald Trump than it is for Kamala Harris. And that's why this scandal could be so devastating to his chances in what is really a must-win state for him?
(END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: Kamala Harris railed against Donald Trump's position on reproductive rights Friday, while campaigning here in nearby Georgia. Abortion restrictions passed by Republicans have reportedly contributed to several deaths in the state.
Harris drew a contrast with the former president, blaming him for the changes that followed the overturning of Roe versus Wade. Here she is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS (D), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: One in three women in America lives in a state with a Trump abortion ban. This includes Georgia and every state in the South, except Virginia. Think about that.
When you compound that with what has been long-standing neglect of women in communities with a lack of adequate resources they need, for health care, prenatal, during their pregnancy, postpartum, think about that.
And these hypocrites want to start talking about this is in the best interest of women and children.
Well, where you been?
Where you been when it comes to taking care of the women and children of America?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: The Democratic presidential nominee also visited Wisconsin, another battleground state. Wisconsin senator Tammy Baldwin told CNN, Harris has to keep emphasizing the stark differences between herself and Trump.
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SEN. TAMMY BALDWIN (D-WI): Wisconsin has been the battleground state in many presidential elections. It was the tipping point state that gave Trump the White House in 2016. And you mentioned how close the victory for Biden was in 2020. They are tied right now.
In terms of what Harris needs to do, she did it today, showing up. And you got to show up in red parts of the state, purple parts of the state and blue parts of the state. And she has to continue to make the contrast between what she's running on, what she is about and what Donald Trump is pushing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Harris' appearance in Georgia came as the state's election board, which is controlled by Trump allies, approved a controversial new rule, despite bipartisan objections.
It requires counties to hand-count ballots cast on Election Day to ensure the number matches the tally from voting machines. More now from CNN's Sara Murray.
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TRUMP: Three people are all pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency and victory. They're fighting.
SARA MURRAY, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Those three Republicans on the Georgia state election board who Donald Trump praised at a campaign rally last month charging ahead with a controversial new rule about hand counting ballots.
JANELLE KING (R), GEORGIA STATE ELECTION BOARD MEMBER: So this leaves us in a very difficult position. Do we maintain the status quo because it's easier or do we make a few adjustments so that we can be better?
MURRAY: But it's not better for many bipartisan election officials across the state who begged the board to pause on new rules ahead of November.
MILTON KIDD, ELECTIONS DIRECTOR FOR DOUGLAS COUNTY, GEORGIA: The idea that you're not going to listen to the individuals that are charged with conducting elections is absurd to me.
MURRAY: State officials from Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to Attorney General Chris Carr issued sharp warnings, saying several of the dozen rules the board is considering may run afoul of the law.
BRAD RAFFENSPERGER (R-GA), STATE SECRETARY: We're too close to the election. In fact, we're really just three weeks before we start early voting. And it's just too late in the cycle.
MURRAY: The new rule doesn't help determine a winner. Rather, it requires a hand count of the number of ballots at polling places on Election Day and then comparing the number of ballots cast with the number recorded by voting machines. Critics say it's a recipe for chaos.
KRISTIN NABERS, GEORGIA STATE DIRECTOR, ALL VOTING IS LOCAL: If I were to hand this stack of paper to three random people in this room, especially at the end of a long voting day and ask them to arrive at the same total number, do we think that's feasible?
People doing a hand count are going to make mistakes, which can then be exploited to spread lies.
MURRAY (voice-over): Raffensperger says the change could delay reporting results on Election Day.
RAFFENSPERGER: You start breaking up the ballot boxes after you close the precinct, you won't be getting those Election Day votes until maybe 1:00, 2:00 or 4:00 in the morning. And we just don't believe that's healthy for, you know, the republic and we don't think it's healthy for people of Georgia.
MURRAY: The three Trump-backed Republicans passed the rule anyway. [04:10:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The motion passes three to two.
MURRAY: Even steamrolling the independent chairman of the five member board.
JOHN FERVIER, CHAIRMAN, GEORGIA STATE ELECTION BOARD: If this board votes to implement this rule, I think that we put ourselves in legal jeopardy.
MURRAY: And this new rule is almost certainly going to face legal challenges.
And to that end, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger put out a statement after the meeting, saying, "Attorney General Chris Carr has stated that these rules would not withstand a legal challenge.
"And I have worked every day to strengthen Georgia's election law to ensure our elections remain safe, secure and free."
So just a question at this point of where these legal challenges are going to come from -- Sara Murray, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: So here's another indication of just how tight this race has become.
Donald Trump and his Republican allies are mounting an effort to try to change an election law in Nebraska, hoping it will save him potentially one electoral vote.
Now the state awards electoral votes by congressional district, unlike most states which are winner-take-all. The former president won all five of Nebraska's electoral votes in 2016 but lost the Omaha area district to Joe Biden in 2020.
Trump phoned into a meeting with some of Nebraska's Republican lawmakers and the Republican governor, Jim Pillen, this week describing the law as unfair, according to one official.
Governor Pillen has said that he would convene a special session before the November election to try to change the law but only if there's enough support for the vote.
It's been just over two weeks since four people were killed in a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. The final funeral was held on Friday. Our Rafael Romo was there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SR. LATIN AFFAIRS EDITOR: It's been yet another very hard day for this community of Winder, Georgia.
We are at St. Matthew Catholic Church, where the funeral mass was held Friday. The remains of 14-year-old student Christian Gabriel Angulo were then laid to rest at a cemetery about 10 miles north of here.
Angulo's funeral is the last one of the four fatal victims of the September 4 shooting at Apalachee High School. It was standing room only inside the church for a very emotional mass. Besides the Angulo family, there were many students and teachers from Apalachee High School, who were here earlier today showing their support.
There were also many people from Winder and neighboring towns. Atlanta Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer officiated the mass, which was held mostly in Spanish as a sign of respect for Christian Angulo's family and his Mexican heritage.
The parents of 14-year-old Mason Schermerhorn, the other student who died in the shooting, were also here after the mass. We spoke with Armando Martinez, an Apalachee High School student, who was very close to Angulo. This is part of what he told us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARMANDO MARTINEZ, CHRISTIAN ARGULO'S FRIEND: He was just blessed with the grace of God that made everybody just enlightened whenever he was around. It's sad that he was taken from us and the other victims from the mass shooting.
But all I can say is that it's going to impact us very hard. I mean, we're never going to let this -- we're never going to let this go. We're not going to forget it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: Martinez says he also knew Richard Aspinwall well, the 39-year- old assistant coach, who also died in the shooting.
This last funeral happened the same day some students in different parts of the state staged a school walkout for gun safety on Thursday. A couple of dozen school children from the ages of 5 to 12 attended a state Senate committee meeting on gun violence at the Georgia state capital.
One of the students told CNN affiliate WSB that their purpose was to tell adults to do something about gun violence. Back here in Winder, students at Apalachee High School face one more challenge: a gradual return to classes is expected to begin on Monday.
The school has been closed since the shooting on September 4 -- Rafael Romo, CNN, Winder, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Still ahead, the aftermath of a deadly Israeli strike in Beirut and fears are growing it won't be the last as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalates. The latest from the region next.
Plus speculation abounds about what's behind the deadly stabbing of a 10-year-old Japanese boy in China. Stay with us. (MUSIC PLAYING)
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BRUNHUBER: Hezbollah confirms one of its senior commanders was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut on Friday. The Iran-backed militant group says Ibrahim Aqil was killed in what it called an Israeli assassination operation.
Israel says it killed him along with, quote, "about 10 other commanders" and accuses of planning to raid and occupy Israeli communities. And just now we're hearing that Hezbollah says 16 of its members were killed.
Lebanon's health ministry says the strike in a densely populated neighborhood killed at least 14 people and wounded 66, including children. Israel's military had this to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REAR ADMIRAL DANIEL HAGARI, IDF SPOKESPERSON: At the time of the strike, Aqil and the commanders of the Radwan forces were gathered underground under a residential building in the heart of the dark in Beirut.
Hiding among Lebanese civilians, using them as human shields, Ibrahim Aqil had the blood of many innocent people on his hands, Israelis, Americans, French, Lebanese and more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: All right, want to go live now to London and CNN's Jomana Karadsheh.
So Jomana, Hezbollah have warned they will retaliate. So take us through what they're saying.
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, everyone is waiting to see what that retaliation is going to look like.
When is that going to happen?
We heard from Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday following those shocking and unprecedented pager and walkie-talkie attacks that killed and injured thousands, not only Hezbollah operatives, of course but also civilians, including women and children.
And what we heard Nasrallah say is that Israel had crossed all red lines. He admitted that this was a severe blow to his organization.
[04:20:03] And he said, a response will be coming and everyone has been waiting since. But the situation has also escalated even further since you had that strike that you just mentioned in Beirut's southern suburbs, in Dahiyeh yesterday.
That Israeli strike that killed one of Hezbollah's most senior commanders, Ibrahim Aqil, the head of the Redwan elite force. That is pretty much Hezbollah's special operations force.
In the past few hours, we've also heard Hezbollah announce that 15 other members of the group operatives were killed in that strike, including another senior commander.
So the question right now, Kim, is what happens next?
Where is this all headed?
And the one thing that has -- is very clear about all of this is that we have entered a very dangerous and unprecedented phase in this cycle of escalation that has been going on in the region for about a year.
And you have to look at the context of what has been happening in this conflict since October 8th of last year. Israel and Hezbollah have been engaged in what you could describe as a middle, a mid-level intensity conflict.
These cross-border attacks, very much for the most part, really concentrated in the border area. Of course, these have been deadly cross-border attacks. But they have tried to keep it confined to the border with the exception, of course, of some assassinations and attacks that we have seen in other parts of the country.
But the events of the past few days has taken this to a whole new level.
And the question is what is Hezbollah going to do?
And what is it that Israel is doing right now?
Hezbollah has been backed into a corner. Those who know the group say that is going to have to respond.
But is it in a position to carry out any sort of a prompt response and retaliation right now?
When you consider this blow after blow that it has taken in the past few days, clearly its communications, its meetings and its secrecy really that the group is known for, all has been compromised.
And then you also have the Iran factor.
What does Iran want Hezbollah to do?
It is its most powerful proxy in the region. It has used it for years as leverage, as pressure on Israel. Doesn't want to use that card right now. And the question of course, as well, what is it that Israel is doing?
Is it laying the groundwork for a major offensive?
Or is this Israel trying to set a new chapter in this conflict and setting deterrence for Hezbollah and trying to use that military pressure to stop its attacks?
Because the Israelis have made it clear now, one of their main goals is to return their tens of thousands of residents from the -- from the northern part of the country back to their homes. They've been displaced for nearly a year now, tens of thousands. And they're ready to do whatever it takes, they say, to return them home.
BRUNHUBER: All right.
Appreciate that update, Jomana Karadsheh in London. Thanks so much.
President Joe Biden held his first cabinet meeting in a year on Friday, instructing the members to sprint to the finish on his agenda. With tensions escalating in Israel and Lebanon, he stressed the importance of making it possible for people there to return to their homes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're continuing to try to do and try to begin a -- to make sure that both people in northern Israel as well as southern Lebanon are able to go back to their homes and go back safely.
And secretary of state, Secretary of Defense, our whole team is working with the intelligence community, try to get that done, really keep at it to get it done. But we've got a way to go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Asked if that seemed realistic, he said, quote, "A lot of things don't look realistic until we get them done. We have to keep at it."
An official said Biden told his cabinet to get as much as possible done before the end of his term. And that includes new programs and policy funding and achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and hostage deal.
The White House is trying to beat a deadline with a new batch of military aid for Ukraine. A major weapons package is expected to be announced as soon as next week. Officials have to act fast because the money will come from the so-called presidential drawdown authority, which expires in less than two weeks.
But Ukraine may have to wait a while to receive that equipment because it will come from U.S. stockpiles, some of which are running low.
Chinese police say a suspect has confessed to a deadly knife attack on a 10-year-old Japanese boy, killed on his way to school. [04:25:00]
The killing raised diplomatic tension between the two countries. The attacker's motive is still unclear but, as Hanako Montgomery reports, some people in China have theories about what it could be.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This was a very tragic attack that occurred about 200 meters away from where this boy went to school. Chinese authorities are still investigating the exact motive behind this brutal murder but have released further details about the suspect.
Chinese state media said the 44-year-old suspect has been detained twice before in 2015 and 2019, both times for nonviolent crimes. Police also said the suspect has confessed to stabbing the student and that he acted on his own.
There's been an outpouring of grief following this attack. Locals in the southern city of Shenzhen, where this boy lived, have been laying down flowers to mourn him and his bereaved family. Here's what one local said about the stabbing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I am a random resident in Shenzhen. As the Chinese people, we oppose this behavior. We oppose this teaching of hatred. Many of us have been under such hatred education for a long time, which has led to such evil consequences.
This is the evil consequence of persisting in hatred education for a long time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MONTGOMERY: There's also been urgent demands for the Chinese government to better protect foreign nationals because, even though violent crimes are rare, a series of high-profile stabbings in recent months have raised concerns.
In June 4, American college instructors were stabbed in China. Just two weeks later, a Japanese woman and her child were stabbed in front of a school bus at a bus stop in China. The Chinese bus operator who tried to intervene later died from her injuries.
These concerns were echoed by the Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida at a press conference on Thursday.
He described the attack as, quote, "a despicable crime and a serious and grave matter," adding that, quote, "such an incident must never be repeated. We strongly urge the Chinese side to ensure the safety of Japanese people."
Authorities still haven't announced what the motive of the attack was. But some on Chinese social media have speculated that it could have been racially motivated and a product of anti-Japanese sentiment, given the timing of the attack.
It occurred on the anniversary of the 918 incident, a highly sensitive day that commemorates the beginning of the Japanese invasion of China in 1931. But whatever the motive, the incident has fraught relations between China and Japan as people from both countries mourn this tragic loss of life -- Hanako Montgomery, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: After the break, a major labor union says they're not endorsing a U.S. presidential candidate for the first time in three decades.
But what will that mean for the race?
That's ahead. And a Kentucky sheriff charged with murdering a judge in his own chambers faced previous accusations. Details after the break. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: On Friday, President Kamala Harris had her first rally in the battleground state of Wisconsin since the presidential debate. Appearing alongside her was the president of a local union for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Now this appearance came days after the Teamsters' national leadership declined to endorse a presidential candidate for the first time in nearly 30 years. But John Palmer, the Teamsters' VP at large, thinks the union members' best interests are served by Harris. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN PALMER, VP AT LARGE, INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS: The facts are very clear. The rank and file members that were on those roundtables all chose to endorse Harris.
The facts that were provided to those eight members and the rest of the G&B (ph) were overwhelmingly in support of Ms. Harris. So we should have provided those to our members and we need to do that as soon as possible.
Trump, along with Elon Musk, laughed and chuckled when they said that striking workers should be replaced. That should be a nonstarter for every man and woman that is in a labor union.
And when labor unions prosper, the rest of America prospers. And we can't be voting for an anti-union derelict, frankly, like Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: So all this raises two questions.
Is there a split between union leadership and the rank and file members?
And does a union endorsement matter much these days?
Now consider these numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. As of last year, only 10 percent of wage and salary workers were union members. That's half of what it was 40 years ago.
The membership rate among public sector workers is more than five times higher than the rate of private sector workers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: All right, joining me now on this is Lainey Newman. She's a co-author of the book, "Rust Belt Union Blues: Why Working Class Voters Are Turning Away from the Democratic Party."
Thanks so much for being here with us. Great to get your perspective on this.
So first of all, what do you make of the schism that seems to be going on now in the union movement, the Teamsters not endorsing the Democratic nominee?
LAINEY NEWMAN, AUTHOR: Thanks so much, Kim, for having me. So I think that this is a schism that has been growing for some time now. And it's not only the Teamsters. A lot of the large manufacturing industrial unions in the building trades as well have been seeing these numbers internally for quite some time.
So they're -- in our research, we found that this dates back to early 2000s and even the late '90s when people were becoming disillusioned with the Democratic Party and wondering whether the Democratic Party was really on the side of union members and the working man.
And so I think that this is a growing rift. And it's sort of all encapsulated in this moment with the Teamsters. It's not the only time that a union has not endorsed a presidential nominee, a Democratic presidential nominee.
The United Mine Workers, for example, have not endorsed anyone since 2012. That used to be a very important constituency for Democrats. So it's indicative of what's going on. But it's not, it's not the first time since --
(CROSSTALK)
BRUNHUBER: Right.
OK, so from your research, does it actually matter who the leadership, the national leadership endorses?
Because on one hand, you have a lot of the local Teamster groups endorsing Harris. On the other hand, as you say, more blue-collar union members, especially men, support Donald Trump.
NEWMAN: Yes.
I mean, that's the question, right?
Does the national endorsement really matter?
And in our research, we found that it might seem like it matters more than it really does.
[04:35:00]
So in other words, people are influenced, union members are influenced by their local leadership and the people in their direct union. It seems as though more than by the spokesperson of the executive leadership, often D.C.
So you know, people who are within the community, who are sending updates and newsletters and the leadership of the local union has a lot to do with the sort of what the political outcome is in that, in that region.
Often there are union members who are very involved in the political sort of goings-on of communities. So the local leadership has a lot of power here. And I think it'll be really interesting to see on the district and local level in these coming days and weeks what local Teamsters' presidents are going to do in reaction to the lack of endorsement.
BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. So you talked about the schism has been growing for a while now.
In terms of the union members as a voting bloc, do you get any sense of a difference between sort of what we're seeing now and 2020 or maybe even 2016?
NEWMAN: I think one thing that's different now is union members are going to have to think about the realities of this race and the identities of the candidates that are being presented. So the polls showed a very different outlook between candidate Harris and candidate Biden.
Whether that has to do with Biden being from Scranton, Pennsylvania, being Union Joe and that type of narrative, and candidate Harris being more of sort of what's perceived as a coastal elite --
(CROSSTALK)
BRUNHUBER: And male and female as well.
Will that make a difference?
NEWMAN: Right.
So there are all of these identity differences exactly. And I think that that played out in 2016. We know that gender had something to do with the outcome in the Rust Belt back then. And so it'll be interesting to see if Harris can overcome those challenges, which, of course, are innately more difficult for someone in her position.
BRUNHUBER: Maybe bigger picture, if I can ask you, how much does it actually matter?
I mean, I ran through the numbers earlier. Union membership has been declining dramatically over the past few decades.
NEWMAN: Yes, that's true. I think that it really does matter, though, because, in these states, the margin of votes is going to be very slim. Union members are traditionally very engaged voters. This is a constituency that you can expect to turn up at the polls.
But their vote is still sort of up in the air. And that's exactly what these candidates are trying to get at, those middle voters that are, that are still not on -- staunchly on one side or the other.
So I do think that the votes are quite important. I also think that they have more impact than just the immediate person that's a member of the union because of union families and a presence in the community.
And historically that had a lot to do with the power of unions. Even people in the community that weren't members of unions were influenced by union moves and the fact that they were really present in those communities.
BRUNHUBER: Right.
Before we go, you talk about their votes sort of being up in the air or the fact that unions aren't automatically supporting Democrats anymore, that their votes are up for grabs.
I mean, could that be better for the union members themselves?
NEWMAN: Well, look, I actually talked to members, who thought exactly that, that they wanted to see both parties competing for their votes. And they thought that maybe that would be better for them, that, if the Democrats had to sort of compete for their votes, then they might actually deliver on some of these promises and really prioritize labor.
But I mean, I think that --- I think that it depends on sort of where you sit, right. And for Democrats right now, it is, it is concerning that this is a constituency that historically was very close to the Democratic Party and has now clearly -- has moved away.
BRUNHUBER: It's going to be really fascinating to see how it all plays out in November. I really appreciate getting your take on all this, Lainey Newman, thank you so much.
NEWMAN: Thanks, Kim.
(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: All right. An unexpected twist in the case of a Kentucky sheriff charged with murdering a judge. The lawman, Sheriff Shawn Mickey Stines, was also previously accused of ignoring deputies' alleged sexual coercion of an accused woman.
And both the judge's murder and the abuse occurred in Judge Kevin Mullins' chambers.
[04:40:00]
Sheriff Stines is charged with murdering Judge Mullins after an argument.
His deputy, Ben Fields, was charged with multiple crimes, including rape. He was given a suspended sentence after a plea deal. Sheriff Stines was deposed earlier this week in an ongoing related federal lawsuit.
Well, the worst is far from over in Europe, where deadly floods continue to devastate significant portions of the continent, triggering an $11 billion recovery refund from the E.U.
And it's nicknamed the Doomsday Glacier maybe for good reason. The enormous ice sheet may be on an unstoppable path to collapse. We'll look at what that would mean for sea level rise when we come back. Please stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Parts of Europe are either bracing for or just beginning to recover from the deadly floods brought on by storm Boris. At least 24 people have died across Poland, Austria and the Czech Republic and Romania since last week.
In Hungary, the Danube River, the second longest in Europe, burst its banks on Friday. Prime minister Viktor Orban says he expects the water level in Budapest to peak in the coming hours.
Meanwhile, Italy looks to recover and rebuild after storm Boris brought torrential rains and devastating floods across much of the country's northern region.
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SILVIA BALDINI, TRAVERSARA RESIDENT (through translator): It all happened in 10 minutes. In a matter of 10 minutes, a wave came and swept everything away.
We're all left with nothing and covered in mud. There was no way to do anything. I had water up to the window outside and inside, it was up to mid calf. I have a single story house, so I lost everything.
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BRUNHUBER: European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced $11 billion will be given to member nations hit by the, quote, "heartbreaking" floods caused by storm Boris.
It's nicknamed the Doomsday Glacier and that may be no exaggeration.
Scientists using ice-breaking ships and underwater robots have found that the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica is melting faster than previously thought.
[04:45:02]
And it may be on an irreversible path to collapse.
Its ice loss is set to speed up the century and melting of the ice sheet, which is the size of Florida, could lead to 10 feet or three meters of sea level rise with devastating effects for humanity.
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BRUNHUBER: So for more on what's been learned, I'm joined by Robert Larter. He is a marine geophysicist from the British Antarctic Survey. And he's in Cambridge, England.
Thank you so much for being here with us.
So just to start off, to set the stakes here, why is that glacier called the Doomsday Glacier?
ROBERT LARTER, MARINE GEOPHYSICIST, BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY: That's a name that wasn't given to it by scientists. It was given by the media. But it does focus a lot of attention.
It's because this is the weakest link in the Westlands (ph) Antarctic ice sheet, which is the most vulnerable ice sheet in the world, because a lot of the base of the ice sheet, the ice sits on a bed that's a long way below sea level.
We have a good understanding of how ordinary glaciers in mountain areas behave, glaciers that sit on rock at or above sea level. But when you start to retreat an ice sheet where the bed is below sea level, that's something that we've never observed while scientists have been studying ice.
BRUNHUBER: All right, so that brings us --
LARTER: -- it's a tricky thing -- yes.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, that brings us to where we are now.
So you've been among those who've been conducting a range of experiments for a number of years now. And I understand you sent this sort of torpedo shaped robot to get a look at what you've just been talking about, that most vulnerable part of the glazier, its underbelly. So how did you go about doing it?
LARTER: OK. So there's a range of different devices that have been used. The one I think you're talking about is one that was designed to be put down a bore hole, drilled through the floating extension of the glacier.
So these glaciers, they continue out into the sea and they have a large floating extension. And the world underneath the floating extension, the cavity under there, these are some of the most inaccessible places on the planet.
So what has been done is people have designed robotic submersibles that can go into this space because it's -- clearly, it's a space that's very dangerous.
You don't want to send crude submersibles into that. So the latest technology in these instruments was used to enable it to go down a borehole less than only about a foot across with a conducting fiberoptic cable.
So that the scientists could communicate with it and get data back from it and really find out what was happening, right where -- at the point where the glacier goes afloat.
BRUNHUBER: All right, so let's talk about what is happening. You've published your results and I guess there's good news and bad news. So the good news, as I understand it, there were fears that, if this were to collapse, it would sort of start a chain reaction of ice cliffs collapsing that would basically pile a catastrophe upon catastrophe.
It sounds as though that isn't likely.
Did I explain that right?
LARTER: Yes.
That's what the latest published research says, that there was some work, results of one of the studies was published just a few weeks ago, saying exactly that.
But to the best, the best they can, that it can be modeled at the moment, they don't expect a runaway collapse to be initiated if we get to the condition where we have very tall ice cliffs.
The principle here is that, if this is something all engineers know, if you pile any material high enough in a vertical face, you get to a point at which it fails and cracks and collapses. And the ice is just -- in that respect, ice is -- behaves in an analogous way to concrete.
So yes. But the moment --
BRUNHUBER: Let me, let me, let me jump in --
(CROSSTALK) BRUNHUBER: -- let me jump in, sorry to interrupt because we only have -- we only have about a minute or two and I do want to get to what is just as significant, maybe even more significant, which is the bad news, that the glacier is melting at an accelerated rate and is on a path to collapsing.
And it seems irreversible even if we cut down on global warming.
Is that right?
LARTER: Cutting down global warming definitely should slow the pace of it. But we do think that the retreat is going to continue now certainly at least in the next century, possibly sooner. It's going to accelerate. So at the moment this areas cover contributing 8 percent or 10 percent to the current rate of sea level rise.
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So it's a very significant contributor for a relatively small part of Antarctica and that is definitely set to increase. The question is still, how fast it's going to increase. There are still uncertainties about that. And there's a lot more study remains to be done to really nail that down.
BRUNHUBER: Obviously, if it were to release faster, that would have more catastrophic events for humanity, right?
LARTER: Yes. So right now we have a sea level rise of around four millimeters a year. So that's four centimeters a decade, 40 centimeters essentially, if it carries on linearly. It has been, it has been accelerating over the last 30 years.
So there's every expectation of acceleration will continue. And this is, this part of Antarctica is one of -- is really the biggest potential contributor if it really, if the instability really takes off.
BRUNHUBER: All right, well, certainly incentive for humanity to take, to take climate change seriously, to try and slow down as much as possible. Really appreciate getting your expertise on this. Robert Larter, thank you so much.
LARTER: Thank you for having me on.
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BRUNHUBER: And we'll be right back.
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(MUSIC PLAYING) BRUNHUBER: London's mayor has announced a plan to ban all vehicles
from a section of Oxford Street, one of the city's most famous streets. And the project has the backing of the British deputy prime minister. CNN's Anna Stewart has the story and the reaction.
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ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Imagine if Times Square had no cars. Well, that may soon happen here in London.
Welcome to the shopping hub of Oxford Street. This major intersection is where the mayor of London would like to pedestrianize.
What do locals think?
Banning cars on Oxford Street, yes or no?
That was a no.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ban cars (ph)?
Actually, it's --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't like it so much because I think it's full of people and I like despite it be easy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's a great idea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) where are the passengers going to capture the block, server block? (ph)
Sure
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You get me up, get the traffic health, the city complete (ph).
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STEWART (voice-over): It's not the first time the mayor has proposed this. Plans were blocked by Westminster City Council in 2018.
SADIQ KHAN, MAYOR OF LONDON: Well, the difference this time is I've got the support of central government. And that means if, God forbid, there was opposition from the council, we would have the powers to proceed with good plans.
STEWART (voice-over): The mayor still needs to get the green light from government.
But in two years, this may all be car-free (ph) -- Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
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BRUNHUBER: I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more CNN NEWSROOM in just a moment. Please do stay with us.
