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Trump Set to Rally in New York's Madison Square Garden; Harris Courting Black and Latino Voters; Michelle Obama Joins Harris on the Campaign Trail; Trump Rallies in Two Swing States in One Day; Trump Attacks Harris and Beyonce; Trump Focuses on Pennsylvania and Michigan; Washington Post Won't Endorse Presidential Candidate; Los Angeles Times Not Endorsing Harris; Hopes of Tensions Easing in the Middle East; Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Scheduled for Today; Israel Raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital Raid Ends; Israeli Strikes in Lebanon Kills Nearly 2,000 People; Russia to Deploy N. Korean Soldiers to Ukraine; Post-Election Divisions in Georgia; Election Violence End in Arrests; Musk Working Illegally in U.S. When Starting His First Company; Russia Strikes Ukrainian Hospital. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired October 27, 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]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama joins Kamala Harris on the campaign trail. Look at the message the two delivered in a crucial state where early voting has just started.

Donald Trump rallies in two swing states in one day as he attacks both his rival and Beyonce. We'll have the latest on the historically tight race for president.

And hopes the tensions between Israel and Iran will ease after Israel's retaliatory strikes for the October 1st missile attack. We'll have a live report from Jerusalem.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are preparing for their last full week of campaigning before the voters decide which one of them is the next president of the United States. Later today, Trump is set for a rally in New York's Madison Square Garden. Now, New York isn't a swing state, but the rally could help with the down ballot races. Meanwhile, the U.S. vice president will be courting black and Latino voters in Battleground, Pennsylvania.

More than 36 million Americans have already cast their ballots, and statewide early voting is now underway in Michigan, where polls are showing a very tight contest. On Saturday, Trump and Harris were both in that battleground state. CNN Senior Data Reporter Harry Enten looks at the latest numbers from there and the other must win states.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: And this, to me, is the simplest way to sort of show it mathematically. Kamala Harris likely must carry three of these four states to win. These are the states that are most likely going to determine who the next president of the United States is. You look at North Carolina, look at this, Donald Trump with less than a point lead. Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, that great blue wall in the Great Lake States, Harris ahead by less than a point, less than a point, less than a point. When you're showing the four most important states and the margin in all four of them is one of the candidates up by less than a point, I'm not quite sure there's any other way to put it than this race is really, really close.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: One of the biggest names in the Democratic Party showed up in Michigan to help Kamala Harris galvanize her base. For the first time this cycle, former First Lady Michelle Obama rallied for Harris. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER U.S. FIRST LADY: Do not buy into the lie that we do not know who Kamala is or what she stands for. This is someone who for Harris understands you, all of you, someone from a middle- class family raised mostly by her mom like so many of us, leaning on her neighbors like we all do. That's what you want in a president. Someone who gets you and will have your back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: CNN's Eva McKend has more from Kalamazoo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVA MCKEND, CNN U.S. NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Vice President Harris focused on the pillars of her closing argument, asking Michigan voters to take advantage of early in-person voting that started in the state this weekend. She talked about the former president's enemies list, contrasting that with her to-do list for the American people. She argued that Trump, in a second term, would operate with no guardrails, and reminded voters about his calls to terminate the constitution. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: This is going to be a right race until the very end. So, we have a lot of work to do. But we like hard work. Hard work is good work. Hard work is joyful work. And make no mistake, we will win. We will win. We will win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: It was the first time that we saw Vice President Harris on stage with Former First Lady Michelle Obama, who argued that this race should not even be close, and asked supporters to do something, not look at the polls, but instead, do all that they could to support the vice president. She also asked women to lean on the men in their lives on this issue of reproductive rights, arguing that they have every right to be angry at people that, in her words, assault their sense of safety.

Eva McKend, CNN, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:05:00]

BRUNHUBER: So, with the presidential race in a dead heat, Donald Trump focused Saturday on shoring up support from key groups in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan. In Pennsylvania, the former president worked to appeal to younger voters with a rally on Penn State's main campus. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Pennsylvania, you have to stand up and you have to tell Kamala that you've had enough. You're not going to take it anymore. You're the worst vice president. You destroyed San Francisco. You are horrible to the great State of California. You're just horrible. Kamala, you're fired. Get out of here, Kamala. Get the hell out of here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now, earlier Saturday, Trump was in Michigan. His attention there was focused on Arab-American voters, who make up a significant portion of the state's electorate. Trump invited several Arab-American and Muslim leaders to join him on stage, and in his remarks, he said he met with other leaders before the rally.

But Trump also brought Beyonce's appearance at a packed Harris rally in Houston. He said the crowd thought the singer would perform and falsely claimed people got angry when she didn't. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: So, Beyonce went up, spoke for a couple of minutes and then left and the place went crazy. They booed the hell out of everybody. They thought she was going to perform. Now, I would have no interest in that, but they said -- and what happened is my opponent got up and started speaking, they booed the hell out of her. It's crazy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: There's turmoil at The Washington Post after the paper announced it wouldn't endorse a presidential candidate this year or in the future. So, far, owner Jeff Bezos isn't commenting on the controversy or on reports that he squashed an endorsement for Kamala Harris drafted by the editorial board. Former executive editor Marty Baron called it an act of cowardice. At least one editor has resigned and some high-profile staffers have publicly condemned the decision. Others tell CNN they have no problem with the editorial board not endorsing generally, but they all said they found the timing of the announcement troubling.

Meanwhile, the daughter of the Los Angeles Times owner says she and her father decided that the paper wouldn't endorse Harris. Nika Soon- Shiong told The New York Times that the decision was motivated by Harris' support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza. But the 31-year-old activist has no official role at the paper and has been accused before of meddling in coverage. Billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong later refuted his daughter's comments, saying she wasn't involved in the decision. Three members of the editorial board have resigned, and a wave of outraged readers have cancelled their subscriptions.

One day after Israel's retaliatory strike on Iran, there are hopes that tensions between the two countries will ease. Israel is keeping a tight lid on detailed results from its Saturday airstrikes on Iran. Iranian officials say they're ready to respond, but they haven't said how.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden is calling for calm. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: I was on with the Intelligence Community for the last half hour, I think half hour, and it looks like they didn't hit anything other than military targets. My hope is this is the end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The Pentagon says Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant after the strike. Austin says Iran shouldn't respond to Israel's strike and that this, quote, "should mark the end of this exchange."

Meanwhile, Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks are scheduled to take place today. The heads of the CIA and Mossad will be among the negotiators. This will be the first meeting in more than two months. CNN Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Matthew Chance is live in Jerusalem. Matthew, you've been tracking the reaction and the implications of Israel's attack on Iran. What's the latest?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, I mean -- look, I mean, the situation seems to have calmed in the region following this Israeli strike on Iran on Saturday morning. As you mentioned, both sides have really played down, you know, what was hit. The Iranians have acknowledged that at least four soldiers were killed in the Israeli airstrikes, but they haven't commented anything in terms of the missile production facilities or the air defense installations being attacked, which is what Israel says were targeted.

I think there was a sort of collective sigh of relief around the region and amongst Israel's allies that the targets that were struck were only military targets. Certainly, that's what the Israelis have underlined. Whereas there was a concern that a much broader spectrum of targets could have been hit, nuclear research facilities, individuals in the Iranian regime, fuel infrastructure, facilities as well.

[04:10:00]

But, you know, the Israelis kept it very narrow to these military targets and that's led to some hopes, I think, that this could be the end of the current round of tit for tat attacks between the two countries. But again, you can't -- you know, there's still lots of volatility in the region and it's not certain that that whole situation has now come to an end.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And speaking of hopes, Matthew, on the Gaza ceasefire and hostage negotiations, where do things stand right now?

CHANCE: Yes, well, there's been a hiatus in the talks to get the hostages out. There are still 101 Israeli hostages being held inside Gaza and, you know, talks on the ceasefire as well, which is, you know, the two things go hand in hand.

There's been, you know, nothing happening on that front for a couple of months, but that's now about to change with Israel sending one of its top security chiefs to Doha in Qatar to engage with Dohari officials, Egyptian officials as well who are the sort of proxies by which Israel talks to Hamas. And it's about whether those negotiations can resume.

I mean, part of the problem, of course, is that the Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, has been killed and the organization has not yet formally appointed a new leadership. And so, it's not clear who the other party is, if you like, for Israel to engage with about the ceasefire and about the release of hostages. And of course, it's also not clear what the new Hamas position -- or the position rather of the new Hamas leader will be, whether it will be just as hardline as Yahya Sinwar or whether it will be more conciliatory and more willing to sort of engage in a ceasefire.

So, I mean, that's something that hopefully we're going to get some more clarity on in the days ahead as these talks resume in Doha. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, still so many questions on how this will unfold. Matthew Chance in Jerusalem, thank you so much.

Gaza officials say an Israeli strike on a residential block in Northern Gaza has killed and wounded dozens of people. The Israeli military says the numbers are exaggerated and that it carried out, quote, "precise strike on Hamas." Israel prevents western media from working in Gaza. So, CNN can't independently verify the claim.

Meanwhile, the head of the World Health Organization says an Israeli raid on the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Northern Gaza ended Saturday. One of the nurses who was there provided a horrific account of the raid;

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MAYSSOUN ALIAN, PALESTINIAN NURSE (through translator): We were surrounded from all sides. They were shooting from all directions with bombs and mortars. They evacuated everyone that was sheltering here. Both men and women had to leave. They separated men and women and made two queues. It was very, very humiliating for our men, since they took them without clothes and nothing to cover with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: In Lebanon, Israel hasn't let up on its attacks. This was the scene in Beirut a short time ago. Explosions and smoke visible in the early morning sky. Lebanon's health ministry says Israeli strikes have killed nearly 2,000 people over just the past five weeks. 1.2 million Lebanese are displaced from their homes.

All right. Still ahead, we'll go live to the capital of Georgia after a hotly contested parliamentary election. The future of the former Soviet Republic is at stake as it's torn between the east and the west.

Plus, Russia launches a deadly missile strike on a hospital in Ukraine. We'll have the latest from the front lines ahead. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:15:00]

BRUNHUBER: Russian forces have targeted residential buildings in a major hospital in South Central Ukraine, killing at least five people. One of the victims is a child. Russian missiles slammed into the city of Dnipro overnight Saturday, leading to terrified sleepless nights, according to the city's mayor.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the hospital hit was one of the country's most important. It's being used to treat injured soldiers. At least 21 people were wounded in the attack.

And starting today, Russia will begin deploying North Korean troops to the battlefields in Eastern Ukraine. That's according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He's calling it a clear step in Russia's escalation of the war. CNN's Nathan Hodge reports, the North Korean deployment isn't universally popular among Russian troops.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATHAN HODGE, CNN FORMER MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): These pictures of North Koreans training in the far east of Russia have sparked a lot of speculation over Russia's plans in Ukraine. In intercepted communications from the front line, obtained by the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Russian soldiers can be heard complaining about their new allies. The North Koreans are code named the K Battalion.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): He's standing there talking to this mother -- about the K Battalion. I asked, who gets the weapons, the ammo for them? We did get -- rations. And from what I hear, the -- brigade get it. And he's like, why the -- brigade? You receive everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HODGE (voice-over): We can also hear them refer rudely to the North Koreans as the Chinese. The audio intercepts also reveal plans to have one interpreter and three senior officers for every 30 North Korean men. The Kremlin had initially dismissed allegations of North Korean troop deployments, but at the recent BRICS Summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to acknowledge that Pyongyang had sent soldiers to the country.

Nathan Hodge, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The post-Soviet Republic of Georgia could be pulled closer to Russia after a crucial parliamentary election on Saturday. Georgia's ruling Green Party claimed victory. Partial results show it won 53 percent of the vote, with the prime minister thanking Georgians for their support.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IRAKLI KOBAKHIDZE, GEORGIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Thank you to the Georgian people who are experienced and wise people. Thank you for standing together. The Georgian people are the main authors of this victory. More than a million of our citizens came to the polling stations and supported peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[04:20:00]

BRUNHUBER: However, the country's deeply divided pro-western opposition movement is rejecting what it calls falsified election results and claims the ruling party orchestrated a, quote, "constitutional coup."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TINA BOKUCHAVA, LEADER OF UNITED NATIONAL MOVEMENT: We believe, we are convinced, and we are certain that this is due to election fraud, and therefore, unity national movement does not accept these falsified election results.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Jill Dougherty joins us now from the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, and she's an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and a former CNN Moscow bureau chief. Thank you so much for being here with us. So, these elections are billed by some as the country's most important since independence here, there in Tbilisi. So, what's the mood like there today?

JILL DOUGHERTY, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Well, I was just walking on the streets of Tbilisi, and I'd have to say, right now, there's a lot of lack of clarity, actually, where we go, because you have now, I would call them incomplete final results. We probably today will get the final results from the Central Election Commission. But both sides really are claiming victory, and that's the problem that I think the country faces right now.

BRUNHUBER: Yes.

DOUGHERTY: As you said, the government -- you know, the ruling party, Georgian Dream, is definitely saying it won and won big. And then, the opposition is saying, no, there was vote buying, intimidation, ballot stuffing, other things like that. So, they essentially say it was stolen.

So, what we have today, what will happen is the international and the Georgian observers will be speaking at various news conferences and they will explain what they've seen and whether they can, you know, justify these charges that it was stolen, and then we'll have to see what foreign governments, including the United States and European governments say. Russia has already pretty much spoken that it's happy with the results. But I think it's -- it could potentially can be dragged out for quite a long time, and that means that things will be unstable.

So, even tonight, we don't know whether the opposition will have protests and what could happen from that.

BRUNHUBER: Yes.

DOUGHERTY: But it's -- it is --

BRUNHUBER: So, you said Moscow would be happy with the results. Let's look at the context here. I mean, it wasn't that long ago that Georgia was looking to join the E.U., now, it seems closer than ever to Moscow. So, take us through what's on the line here if the Dream Party does indeed win.

DOUGHERTY: Well, I think, you know, if you look back, the Georgian Dream in the beginning actually was pretty western oriented. But what happened, especially with Ukraine, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia really speeded up this process in this ruling party, which is really one-man rule kind of behind the scenes, it speeded up this process of moving closer to Russia. And the Georgian Dream has said, and I saw the posters right down the street, they're saying, look, if you want what is happening in Ukraine to happen to you then don't vote for us or vote for us if you don't want what's happening to Ukraine to happen to you.

So, the government has really frightened people to say, we are -- you know, we will bring peace and security and progress and the west will bring you into war. In fact, they have a phrase, the party of war. So, that's where Georgians are. Now, obviously, a lot of people, actually, if you look at the polls, 80 percent roughly of the country wants to become part of the E.U. But the trick is the government says, yes, we do too. But in 2030 -- and they continue to pass laws that will make it impossible for them to join the E.U. because they contradict, you know, E.U. values, the anti-LGBT law, which you may have heard of, the foreign agent law that was passed, all of this. So, that's where we are.

And I think if you talk to anybody, they would say -- here, they would say that this could be a real turning point for Georgia.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. And for that reason, I mean, the west is watching this intently. What's at stake for the U.S. for example?

DOUGHERTY: Well, you know, Georgia is a very small country, but it is very strategically located. And right now, you have China entering the picture because you have certain areas for the supply of energy and oil gas, especially, that China is looking at this, what they call the middle corridor. So, actually there's a lot of Chinese investment here.

[04:25:00]

Then you have Russia looking at it as a former Soviet Republic, which it wants to keep in under its thumb. And then, the United States looks at it as the Black Sea and just -- and also, in a broader sense, Kim, this is a place that really did, it was kind of the poster child at the end of the Soviet Union and independence here and in other former Soviet states. It was a poster child for democracy and openness. And you can see that, they have a very vibrant civil society.

So, I think the west looks at it really in terms of losing Georgia and having the Georgian people lose what they have already gained over the years.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Still so much up in the air. It'll be interesting to see how this shakes out. Jill Dougherty, really appreciate getting your analysis on this. Thanks so much.

DOUGHERTY: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Well, there's also an important election in Japan where polls close in just a few hours. Voters are casting ballots in a big test for the new prime minister. They'll decide who fills the 465 seat House of Representatives, Japan's lower House of Parliament. Shigeru Ishiba called the snap election immediately after winning the leadership of his Liberal Democratic Party. The 67-year-old prime minister wants a public mandate after one of the country's biggest political scandals. Some lawmakers have accused -- have been accused of taking kickbacks or failing to properly declare their income.

Incidents of violence aimed at election workers end in arrests, and one man is charged with shooting at Democratic offices in Arizona. That's just ahead. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [04:30:00]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have entered the final stretch of the U.S. presidential race with only nine days left. Later today, Trump will hold a rally in New York's Madison Square Garden, while Harris will be looking to connect with black and Latino voters in Pennsylvania, where polling is showing a very tight contest.

Harris' running mate, Tim Walz, is slamming Donald Trump for saying America is like a garbage can for the world. Walz says the former president is trash talking the country and his comments are unpatriotic. Republican vice presidential nominee J. D. Vance is doubling down on comments he's made before. He says Ukraine isn't as important to the U.S. as other regions of the world. Vance also says it's absurd to fear that Vladimir Putin would send Russian troops marching beyond Ukraine through Europe.

So, with the election just days away, tensions are running high in many places. In one case, a man was arrested outside an early voting location in San Antonio when things got violent. CNN's Rafael Romo has more on that incident and others like it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: According to officials, the voters showed up at a polling site wearing a red MAGA or Trump baseball cap. The man, identified as Jesse Lutzenberger, was told by poll workers to remove his baseball cap while he was at the polling place, and he initially complied. But moments later, as he was walking out of the voting area, he put his baseball cap back on.

According to the incident report, when an election clerk told him to remove his hat, he started punching the clerk on the chest and face as other people watched. Lutzenberger faces a felony charge of assault. CNN has reached out to Lutzenberger and his attorney for comment. When the incident happened, he was with his wife and she told them to stop as he punched the election clerk, according to the sheriff's office. Barrett County Elections Administrator Jackie Callenen says there's no place for violence at polling stations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACKIE CALLENEN, BEXAS COUNTY ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR: Since the lines are getting longer, obviously people are getting a little bit more testy for standing in a line, and we understand that, but the officials are doing a fantastic job and they don't need to be treated like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: The Texas Election Code says in part that a person may not wear a badge, insignia, emblem, or other similar communicative device relating to a candidate, measure, or political party appearing on the ballot or to the conduct of the election in the polling place or within 100 feet of any outside door through which a voter may enter the building in which the polling place is located. This is something that Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar also wanted to remind voters about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAVIER SALAZAR, BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF: Wearing clothing, supporting a political candidate, which that's electioneering. And it's certainly something that you're not supposed to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: In a separate incident, police in Arizona have arrested a man accused of shooting at the Democratic National Committee office in a suburb of Phoenix. Tempe police say 60-year-old man Jeffrey Michael Kelly is a suspect in three separate shootings of the DNC office and investigators surveilling him say they also saw him posting political signs with bags of a white powdery substance attached. He now faces three felony counts of acts of terrorism and seven other counts related to the shootings. Reached by CNN, his attorney Jason Squire said there was no evidence at all that he was on his way to commit mayhem, destruction, and death as prosecutors claim.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Billionaire Elon Musk is a harsh critic of illegal immigration, harping on the issue on his social media platform and while campaigning with Donald Trump. But new reporting indicates Musk was actually working in the U.S. illegally when he started his first company.

The Washington Post reports that he came to the U.S. in the 1990s on a student visa, but never enrolled in classes. Instead, he worked on the startup that became Zip2, for which he later sold for $300 million. The Post says that company investors became worried he'd be deported and gave him 45 days to obtain legal work status. CNN has previously reported on a 2013 event where Musk discussed his immigration status and he admitted he worked while on a student visa but called it, quote, "a grey area." CNN has reached out to Musk for comment.

There are hopes in the Middle East and the United States that Israel's strike on Iran on Saturday was limited enough in its targeting that it might not further increase tensions. Have a look. This is what it looked like over the skies of Tehran on Saturday. Israel is keeping a tight lid on detailed results from the strikes, possibly to give Iran flexibility in its response.

Meanwhile, protesters in Tel Aviv are demanding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a ceasefire and hostage release agreement. Some say they hope the situation has reached a turning point with the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Israel's strike on Iran. [04:35:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEE SIEGEL, BROTHER IS HELD HOSTAGE IN GAZA: It's time to move to diplomacy. It's time to bring an agreement home. Hostages come home.

NILI BRESLER, TECHNICAL ENGLISH TEACHER: I've been here at Hostage Square almost every day for the past year, together with many others, protesting, yelling, and hoping that it's not too late to get our hostages out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And joining me now is Fawaz Gerges who is in London. He's a professor of international relations at the London School of Economics and he's the author of "What Really Went Wrong: The West and the Failure of Democracy in the Middle East." Good to see you again. Thanks so much for being on with us here.

So, when we look at the totality of the attacks, the scale, the targets, as well as Iran downplaying the impact of the strikes, is the region now on that so-called off ramp for escalation, do you think?

FAWAZ GERGES, PROFESSOR, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND AUTHOR, "WHAT REALLY WENT WRONG": Just a bit. I mean, I think the region has escaped the risks of all out regional conflict in the past three weeks. I think the Iranian leadership is downplaying the gravity and the extent of Israeli attacks. A statement by Iran's military stated that Iran prioritizes a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon over retaliation.

Obviously, for many of us who watches the Iran scene, the Iranian leadership or Iranian leaders prefers de-escalation. They are terrified that Netanyahu is trying to drag Iran into all-out war with the United States. So, I don't really expect Iran to retaliate for Israeli attacks.

Iran's National Security Council met yesterday and no decision has been taken. The dust has not settled on the battlefield in Iran yet. We have to wait and see the results of the attacks and what the decision-making process in Tehran decides to do in the next 24 hours or so.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, all will be watching that. You mentioned the U.S. Certainly, there would have been pressure from the Biden administration on Israel to avoid attacking nuclear sites or economic infrastructure. And then, as you mentioned, pressure from some within Israel who would have wanted to encourage a wider conflict with Iran. Do you think the U.S. pressure paid off here?

GERGES: Well, one of the big lessons that we have learned out of the Iran-Israel direct clash is that the Biden administration has leverage with the Israeli government if and when it wishes to use its influence with Israel. In fact, the United States, the Biden administration played a major role in trying to convince and to nudge and to pressure Israel not to attack Iran's nuclear facilities and oil and gas facilities. Sadly and tragically, the Biden administration has failed to use its influence and leverage with the Israeli government to basically bring about a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and now in Lebanon. And that's why the protesters in Israel, they have been calling for a ceasefire and the return of the hostages in Gaza for the past quite a few months.

Without American pressure on the Netanyahu-led coalition, I doubted very much whether we're going to witness a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, let alone in Lebanon in the next few hours and next few days.

BRUNHUBER: No, certainly not within the next few days, but in the intro, I mentioned that with the death of Hamas' leader, and now with these strikes against Iran over and done with we might have reached a turning point for the potential for a deal. There was hope for that, at least. Do you share that hope, sort of in the more medium-term?

GERGES: Well, the reason why I am a bit pessimistic, because the Israeli prime minister made it very clear after the killing of Yahya Sinwar, the top Hamas operational and political leader, he said the war goes on because Benjamin Netanyahu wants total victory. And in fact, without really pressure by the Americans, I doubted very much whether Benjamin Netanyahu will go, will accept a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Remember, you have U.S. presidential elections coming up on the 4th of November. And Benjamin Netanyahu gambles on Donald Trump to win the elections because Donald Trump will give Benjamin Netanyahu a green light, not only to continue the war in Gaza, but to attack Iran. This is really the overarching strategic goal of Benjamin Netanyahu.

[04:40:00]

So, to come back to your question, without a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, I doubted very much that even though we have escaped, that the region has escaped all-out regional conflict, as long as the war continues in Gaza and Lebanon, the risks of all out regional conflict continues. And that's why we all hope that the Biden administration will redouble its efforts and use its leverage with the Netanyahu government in order to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of hostages to Israel and of course the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jail.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, we shall see. Fawaz Gerges in London, thank you so much. Really appreciate having you on.

GERGES: Thanks.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Still to come, one family's journey to escape Russia's war in Ukraine led to a new type of horror here in the United States. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BRUNHUBER: All right. Now to one family who escaped Russia's full- scale war in Ukraine to live with relatives in the State of North Carolina. Well, they thought they'd found safety and security in their new home until Hurricane Helene wiped it all away. Gary Tuchman has the story from Asheville, North Carolina.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hurricane Helene demolished the North Carolina home of Anna Wiebe, her husband and two sons. But it's what happened here, about a mile away, on this now empty lot, that has shattered her.

ANNA WIEBE, RELATIVE OF HURRICANE VICTIMS: I'm trying to stay strong for my family, because I have to.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Anna moved to the United States from Ukraine 25 years ago, seeking better opportunities. But two years ago, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, her mother, Tatiana, her sister Anastasia, Anastasia's husband, Dmytro (ph), and their 13-year-old son, Yevheny (ph), all fled war-torn Ukraine and settled here, in what was peaceful and quiet Yancey County, North Carolina. In this home, a 10-minute walk away from Anna and her family, a home which no longer exists on the empty lot.

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All four were home as Hurricane Helene ravaged Western North Carolina. They were swept away. The bodies, a wife and husband found about two weeks later, miles away from where the house was. Son and grandmother are still missing to this day. For Anna, her husband Ryan, and their sons, it doesn't feel real.

A. WIEBE: I'll just still in disbelief and heartbroken and I'm still thinking maybe I will wake up from this dream and everything will be back how it was.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): This video was shot by Anna's husband as the nearby river started rapidly rising. They realized they needed to evacuate, but by then cell phones and electricity were no longer working. All four of them frantically trying to get to the home of their relatives.

RYEN WIEBE, RELATIVE OF HURRICANE VICTIMS: Trees are down. And we had to walk halfway to get through. I have no shoes on going through the woods and we get down to the location of we think where it was, and it was just hundreds of yards wide of water.

TUCHMAN: Their house was gone?

R. WIEBE: Gone.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Anna knows her missing mother and nephew are presumed dead, but --

A. WIEBE: I still have hope, just because -- unless I've been proven wrong, I will be still hoping the miracle could happen. Maybe my nephew still survives somewhere, and we just don't know where he is.

TUCHMAN: The South Toll River is now its tranquil self. But for this family, its fury on September 27th was impossible to comprehend and is now impossible to ever forget.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Anna and Ryan hoped to build a new home close by, but on higher ground.

TUCHMAN: Please tell me what you would tell your sister and your mother right now if you could talk to them?

A. WIEBE: I would tell them how much I love them and that if I would go back, I would change it. So, none of this we would go through. And we would be still all together.

TUCHMAN: But they know how much you love them.

A. WIEBE: I think they do.

TUCHMAN: Anna and her family are now staying at the home of Ryan's mother about a half mile away. It's not an optimal situation. The house is very small and the power has been out ever since the hurricane arrived.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Asheville, North Carolina.

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BRUNHUBER: In the Northwestern Philippines, the death toll from Tropical Storm Trami continues to rise. Last report, at least 85 people have died in the massive flooding and landslides after the storm ravaged the area earlier this week. More than 40 others are still missing. There are still many people in isolated areas who need to be rescued. Thousands are displaced and the damage is extensive. Cleanup and recovery efforts are now underway. The storm is now moving slowly over Vietnam where it's expected to bring heavy rain and flooding over the coming days.

Well, it's almost November, but in much of the United States, areas are still baking in the sun, and it feels more like summer. And this is a trend that's getting longer and hotter. CNN Meteorologist Elisa Raffa has the forecast.

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ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The dry stretch continues. Look at how many cities have had no measurable rain at all since the start of the month. Atlanta, Houston, Philly, New York City. It has been 26 days since you have seen measurable rain in New York City, again, just incredibly dry. And it's triggering the some drought conditions and even some wildfire conditions for parts of the northeast. But look at how far-reaching the dry conditions are. I mean, much of the lower 48 with at least dry or moderate drought conditions as we really continue this stretch with not much rain in sight.

It's also coming with incredibly warm temperatures. Nearly half of the lower 48 with highs above 80 degrees, feeling much more like summer. In fact, we're looking at more than 150 record high temperatures possible as we go into the work week. Look at all these red dots, especially in the Northern Plains and the Great Lakes.

As we go into the week here, temperatures really just falling out of the record books, and we'll continue to do so until we get some of that cooler air later in the week. Until then, we're looking at these temperatures in the middle and upper 80s. For a place like Dallas, 87 degrees on Monday, 90 starting out the work week there Sunday in Houston, temperatures in the middle 80s across New Orleans, again, way above average.

Now, this is the trend. We do find more warm fall days since 1970 in Atlanta. 15 more warm days in September, October, and November, as some of that extreme heat from summer can just linger longer. Now, it's not just the daytime temperatures, the overnight temperatures also feel that fever, three and a half degrees warmer since 1970.

Now, when you don't find those temperatures cooling at night, it doesn't trigger the chlorophyll or that green chemical in the leaves to break down and give us that bright color. So, if it's not cool enough and you have warmer night, then that fall leaf color is going to be on the duller side of things. You need those temperatures to really drop to get that chemical reaction, to spark some of those beautiful colors, so you just don't get the bright, beautiful colors that we love to see if it's too warm out.

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That can also mistime time this season. Some of that color could come a little bit later. If there's drought conditions, it could come a little bit earlier. Missed time seasons of the fall color is incredibly crucial for some of those small towns, especially in the North Carolina mountains, that really depend on leaf peeping tourism.

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BRUNHUBER: All right. We have some news coming in to CNN. Israeli emergency services say 10 people have been injured after being hit by a truck north of Tel Aviv. A spokesperson said the truck hit a bus stop. A police spokesperson said the incident was being treated as a deliberate attack and the driver of the truck has been, quote, "neutralized." Emergency services said 10 injured people had been taken to two local hospitals, of whom four were in serious condition. We'll have more on this story as we get the information. We'll be right back.

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BRUNHUBER: Los Angeles Dodgers' superstar Shohei Ohtani writhing in pain there after he was injured during Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday. Now, with his team leading the New York Yankees in the bottom of the 7th inning, Ohtani tried to steal second base. The slugger eventually was helped off the field by trainers. The Dodgers' manager says he hurt his shoulder and will undergo some tests, but he added that that the team is encouraged because his shoulder appears strong with a good range of motion.

Now, despite Otani's exit, the Dodgers took down the Yankees 4 to 2, fending off a late comeback threat in the ninth inning. They now lead the series two games to none.

All right. Now, to college football in Texas in a big primetime matchup between two highly ranked teams. Texas A&M ranked 14th, beats number 8, LSU, 38 to 23 on Saturday. The Tigers were leading at halftime, 17 to 7, but the Aggies came back strong in the second half. Texas A&M is the only team to be undefeated in the Southeastern Conference.

All right. Well, have a look at this. More than a hundred equestrians competed at this horse-riding tournament in Hungary over the weekend, but as you can see, the horses are of the hobby variety. This fast- growing sport has fans apparently around the globe, who knew. These stick horses with stuffed heads are ridden in many different events from dressage, jumping and racing. And while obviously the riders do all the work, one competitor who's also a judge says it's just fun.

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LOTTA KEMPPAINEN, FINNISH JUDGE AND HOBBY HORSER: There's this one thing that pulls us all together and we can have a really good time hobby horsing and it's like you can use your imagination and it's -- if you love horses, you'll love hobby horsing as well.

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BRUNHUBER: And she had the break dancing and skateboarding were also misunderstood when they got started, So, maybe we'll see a hobby horse riding in the Olympics. Who knows?

I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more CNN Newsroom in a moment. Please do stay with us.

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