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Trump Staffs Up For His Second Term; Gunfire Hits Commercial Planes In Haiti; Elon Musk A Frequent Visitor To Mar-a-Lago After Trump Win; U.N. Climate Change Conference Underway in Azerbaijan; Unprecedented Toxic Smog Clouding Skies Over Pakistan; Philippines Braces for Two More Tropical Storm Systems; Firefighters Battling Blazes on Both Coasts of the U.S.; Daily Pompeii Tourists Limited to 20,000; Carnival Season Kicks Off in Cologne, Germany. Aired 2-2:45a ET

Aired November 12, 2024 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:36]

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Anna Coren.

Just ahead. Donald Trump staffs up for his second term, naming loyalists and hardliners to key cabinet positions.

Plus, Trump said he would end the fighting in Ukraine within 24 hours, but do Russians believe him?

A special report from the streets of Moscow.

And Haiti stops flights in and out of the capital after two commercial planes are hit by gunfire.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Hong Kong, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Anna Coren.

COREN: Well, first on CNN. One of Donald Trump's most important picks yet for a coveted cabinet position. Well, two sources say he has selected Kristi Noem to head up the Department of Homeland Security. The South Dakota governor, a long-time loyalist, would be in charge of a sprawling agency that controls customs and border protection, immigration enforcement and emergency management, as well as the Secret Service.

Noam had been on Trump's shortlist for vice president, but there was backlash to her recent book. In it, she admitted killing her 14-month- old dog for not showing signs of being an ideal hunting dog. A few hours ago, came word Trump is likely to choose Marco Rubio for Secretary of State, but it's not clear if the Florida Senator had been formally offered the position.

Well, these are some of the other expected staff selections, which include EPA Administrator and U.N. Ambassador. Many other cabinet positions, like Attorney General and the Secretaries of Energy, Interior, Labor and Treasury, have yet to be announced.

CNN's Alayna Treen has a closer look at those who have been named so far and the common theme that unites them.

ALAYNA TREEN, CNN REPORTER: Well, President elect Donald Trump on Monday, we're told, offered the role of National Security Advisor to Florida Republican Mike Waltz. Waltz is a former Green Beret. He had served in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa. And his military experience could help him, as he navigates some of the wars abroad, including in the Middle East and in Ukraine.

Now, Waltz's pick really is keeping in what Donald Trump is valuing most for some of these top positions. And that is loyalty. We saw him name, Susie Wiles as his chief of staff. CNN reported that Stephen Miller is going to be named deputy chief of staff for policy. There's been a number of other people, Tom Homan, to serve as his border czar. Elise Stefanik as his U.N. ambassador.

All of these people have one thing in common and that is that they are loyal to him, particularly so they are loyalty stretching back to the time that he had departed the White House in 2021 when many people had tried to distance themselves from Donald Trump following the January 6th attack. All of these people stood by him, and I'm told that is his version of rewarding them. Now, I also want to note that Waltz, like some of these other picks, has been seen at Mar-a-Lago in recent days.

He's also been a strong defender of the former president on television, particularly when it relates to some of these military matters. Now, another, influential voice that, we are continuing to see him move sway with is Elon Musk. He has been at Mar-a-Lago virtually every single day since Donald Trump won the election. And I'm also told that he's been not only calling up, Trump allies and lawmakers, but they are calling him as they seek to exert as much influence as they can in this process.

Really hoping that Musk will help them paint a bigger -- a better picture of them to the president elect.

Alayna Treen, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

COREN: Our political analyst Michael Genovese, is back with us. Michael, good to see you. I'd like to get your thoughts on Marco Rubio as Secretary of State. We know he was in contention for Vice President. Do you think this is likely?

MICHAEL GENOVESE, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY: I think this was no surprise to anyone in Washington. His name was being floated around. And he is a strong presence. He's a strong ally of Donald Trump's. He's very loyal to Trump now after initially being very opposed to Trump. But Donald Trump is using this as an example of how he can control people and control the process.

[02:05:04]

And he's doing a very good job of managing the process so that each day a different story is leaked out that draws attention to Trump. COREN: Well, of course, he is drip feeding these appointments, one of those being, the EPA head. Trump campaigned on mass deportations of illegal immigrants. Obviously, this is another, appointment, by appointing immigration hardliner, Stephen Miller, he's deputy of chief of staff, and Thomas Homan, his borders czar. He is certainly staying true to his word. Let me now play you some sound from both of these men.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS CHANNEL HOST: When will the deportations begin?

STEPHEN MILLER, TRUMP SENIOR ADVISOR: As President Trump said, they begin on Inauguration Day. Ss soon as he takes the oath of office.

CECILIA VEGA ABC NEWS HOST: Is there a way to carry out mass deportation without separating families?

TOM HOMAN, FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR, IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT: Of course, there is. Families can be deported together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Michael, what will U.S. immigration policy look like with both these men at the helm?

GENOVESE: Well, it's hard to imagine mass deportation starting on day one. It's such a massive undertaking. I think what they'll probably do is try to go after some of the more egregious examples of criminals and people who are, sort of the bottom of the ballot. They don't want to, to separate families. The objects are terrible. Plus, they know they can't put millions and millions of people into detention centers.

Put them on buses, put them on planes and get, get them out of the country. It's just too massive an undertaking logistically. So, I think what they're trying to do is make a statement and send signals.

And the signals are chilling. I know at my university, we have students who are, not legal and are dreamers and are worried. And they have a reason to be worried because the signals being sent out from Washington are that things are going to get ugly and they're going to get ugly very quickly.

COREN: What is the hope that if they send out enough of these scary signals that that people will leave, undocumented people will leave of their own accord?

GENOVESE: Well, that was the hope that -- if you remember Mitt Romney when he was running for president had that idea. People come here for a reason. It's incredibly hard to get here. They get here and they plant down roots. They pay taxes. They get jobs. Almost all of them are very law-abiding citizens. But the fear of God has been struck in them and you just -- you can imagine how day to day these folks are now saying, is today the day? And it serves no positive purpose. COREN: Michael, we know that the Environmental Protection Authority is clearly in Trump's sights. It certainly was during his first term. He rolled back more than a hundred environmental policies and regulations. Many of them were restored and strengthened under Biden. We can expect, obviously, to see a dismantling of landmark climate regulations. What is Trump's second term going to look like for the environment?

GENOVESE: Well, he has a mandate. He has the trifecta. He controls -- his party controls the White House, the House, the Senate, and the Supreme Court. And so, they feel that, you know, they're feeling their oats, they feel that they can do just about anything. And so, this will be a real test of Trumpism. And what they want to do is stamp their personality and their policies onto American government in a way that they were unable to do in the first term when Trump brought in people he didn't know, and a lot of them were not Trump

allies.

They -- the grown-ups in the room prevented him from doing certain things that he wanted to do. The second term will be very different. He's going to bring in people who are loyal to him, people who are extremists, people who will do all the jobs that people refuse to do in the first term. So, it's going to be a very different term and, on the environment, you're going to see deregulation take place.

You're going to see a lot of the Biden policies undone and it's going to be a massive change on the environment.

COREN: Michael Genovese on that sobering note. We thank you for joining us.

GENOVESE: Thank you, Anna.

COREN: The possible appointment of Marco Rubio as Secretary of State sends a strong message to Beijing. The U.S. Senate Republican is known as a China hawk. Well, CNN's Marc Stewart is covering this story live for us from the Chinese capital. Marc, I believe that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs press briefing will be happening this hour. I know you're going to be keeping a close eye on that. But how do we think the Chinese leadership will feel if Rubio is appointed as Secretary of State?

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Ana. That press briefing set to begin any minute now, and it certainly will provide an official government response. But regardless of what is said here in Beijing, Marco Rubio is already a known entity in this part of the world.

[02:10:06]

And the mere mention of his name likely caught the attention of the Beijing. As you mentioned, he's a well-known China critic. He's a China hawk. He has been sanctioned twice by the Chinese government in recent years. It'll be interesting to see if that will impact how this potential role as secretary of state unravels when it comes to doing business with China. There are going to be a lot of issues that he and the government would likely have to confront in this part of the world, including trades and tariff, which has been also a position that this treasury secretary will certainly attack or look at as well as some of the contentious issues with the South China Sea and Taiwan.

Marco Rubio has been an outspoken critic of China for a very long time, especially in his role as a senator. I want you to take a listen to some remarks he made back in 2023.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL): China today is the single most formidable adversary the United States has ever faced. The Soviet Union was not an industrial power, a technological power, a commercial power. And, you know, we have both foreign policies, geoeconomic policies, and military postures that were built for a world that no longer exists.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEWART: He used the term, describing China as an adversary. If this moves forward, he will likely not be alone. The other reporting that we have, we've garnered today is the fact that Representative Mike Waltz of Florida, likely to be named National Security Advisor. He too has been very hawkish, very critical of China. So, those two will provide perhaps a united front from the United States toward these very contentious issues.

China has been trying to play it diplomatically safe. I mean, early on saying that it's very open to this new administration, asking for mutual respect and cooperation. The relationship by with Xi Jinping and now President-elect Trump is an interesting one. At first it was very formidable, very cordial. The two men had chocolate cake together at Mar-a-Lago. But then issues of trade and the tariff issue surfaced as well as China's response to COVID.

So, Anna, if this nomination does indeed move forward, it will be interesting to see where these two leaders, where these two nations pick up these very important conversations.

COREN: We will all be watching. Marc Stewart, always a pleasure. Thank you.

Well, Israel's far-right finance minister wants the country to engage the incoming Trump administration on his push for Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank. Bezalel Smotrich's comments come as he orders preparations for the annexation of settlements. The Prime Minister's office has yet to comment and it's not clear whether Smotrich's push has any chance of being implemented soon.

Around half a million Israelis live in West Bank settlements, which are considered illegal under international law. Smotrich says Israel was on the verge of applying sovereignty during Trump's first term but says now is the time to do so.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEZALEL SMOTRICH, ISRAEL FINANCE MINISTER (through translator): I intend, with God's help, to lead a government decision that says Israel will work with the new administration of President Trump and the international community to apply the Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria for American and international recognition and to end the Israeli-Arab conflict in the Middle East.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: His announcement drew swift condemnation from the Palestinian Authority and from the E.U.'s top diplomat who wrote on X "I unequivocally condemned Minister Smotrich's call to apply sovereignty in the West Bank, a clear step towards illegal annexation. For such rhetoric undermines international law, violates Palestinians rights and threatens any prospects for a two-state solution."

A group of eight aid organizations say the Israeli government has failed to meet the criteria requested by the U.S. to improve the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. The group released a joint scorecard coinciding with a 30-day deadline for action set by U.S. officials to act on more than a dozen measures. The organization's note that as many as 95, 000 people remain besieged in northern Gaza without food or medical supplies and said, "Israel not only failed to meet the U.S. criteria that would indicate support to the humanitarian response, but concurrently took actions that dramatically worsened the situation on the ground, particularly in northern Gaza."

The scorecard was compiled by UNRWA, CARE International, MedGlobal, Mercy Corps, Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam, Refugees International, and Save the Children.

[02:15:11]

Well, Moscow is levelling tremendous military pressure on Ukraine on every front. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his forces continue to hold ground in Russia's Kursk region as 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops work to push them out. Mr. Zelensky says his country needs more Western aid than ever to continue targeting Russia's war machine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): Our forces strikes on Russian arsenals have reduced the amount of artillery used by the occupier, and this is noticeable at the front. That is why we need decisions from our partners, America, Britain, Germany, on long range capabilities. This is vital. The further our missiles and drones can hit, the less real combat capability Russia will have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: And Russia has been launching relentless airstrikes for weeks on end. Ukrainian officials say several people were killed on Monday across central and southern Ukraine. Well, one haunting example, a woman and her three children were killed in the city of Kryvyi Rih.

And the outcome of the U.S. election could embolden Moscow to pursue its special military operation with even more force. CNN's Fred Pleitgen brings us the Russian reaction to Donald Trump's win.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Russian state T.V. feasting on Donald Trump's election victory. The main talk program showcasing a social media post by Donald Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr. mocking Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying his so-called allowance from the U.S. will soon run out.

The message from Russian media, Ukraine is concerned U.S. aid could dry up and Russia will win the war. On Moscow Street, optimism about the incoming administration in Washington.

PLEITGEN (on camera): Since the war in Ukraine, relations between Moscow and Washington have continued to plummet to new lows. But now, many people here hope and believe that a new Trump presidency could bring those relations back on track.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): I don't think he can directly stop the war, but I feel he can set ultimatums to both sides, which will definitely bring this conflict closer to an end.

PLEITGEN (text): Trump also said he wants to end the war in Ukraine?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (text): We all want that. We really want the war to end now. The situation is impossible. I hope we get to a mutual understanding.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): But what could a so-called mutual understanding look like? This video from Ukraine's military purporting to show Kyiv's forces hitting Russian troops in the Kursk region of Russia, where the Ukrainians say they are now facing off against nearly 50,000 Russian and also North Korean troops.

The Ukrainians acknowledge they probably wouldn't be able to sustain their operations without U.S. military aid. Aid Donald Trump has in the past insinuated he might cut altogether in an effort he claims to end the war.

DONALD TRUMP, UNITED STATES PRESIDENT-ELECT: They're dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I'll have that done -- I'll have that done in 24 hours. Take over, Elon. Just --

PLEITGEN (voice-over): A Ukrainian source now saying Trump was joined by billionaire Elon Musk on a recent phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Musk, who while helping Ukraine by providing Starlink satellite internet, has in the past also criticized military aid for Ukraine, ridiculing Zelenskyy in posts on his platform X.

The Kremlin is vehemently denying Washington Post reporting claiming a Trump-Putin phone call has already happened. Still, Vladimir Putin openly praising the President-elect's stance on Ukraine and on Russia.

A slot was said concerning the desire to restore relations with Russia to help end the Ukrainian crisis, in my opinion, seems to me to be at least worthy of attention, Putin said.

The incoming Trump administration certainly has the attention of many in Russia, hoping for improved relations with the U.S. and even possible sanctions relief.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Eugene Finkel is a professor of international affairs at Johns Hopkins University, and he's the author of the forthcoming book, Intent to Destroy Russia's 200 Year Quest to Dominate Ukraine. He joins us now from Bologna in Italy. Ukraine -- Eugene, thank you for joining us. There's obviously a lot of anxiety in Ukraine about what a Trump presidency means for its war against Russia. Do you believe that this is warranted?

EUGENE FINKEL, PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: So, there is no way to sugarcoat it. It's definitely not a good development for Ukraine, but I think a lot of the doomsday scenarios that we're hearing right now are a bit overrated.

It's at the end of the day up to Russians and Ukrainians to decide whether they want to continue fighting.

And Ukrainians for now do have the will to fight even without U.S. military aid.

[02:20:13]

So, I think the war will continue and there are limits to what Trump can do. He's definitely not going to end this war in 24 hours. And the best approach to the Trump -- to the Trump's presidency from Ukraine's perspective is just to prepare and try to mitigate what might come, but definitely not panic.

COREN: Eugene, as you say, the Ukrainians have the will to fight, but as we hear from Zelenskyy, you know, every other week, we need more arms, we need more money, more aid, to fight this war. Will Donald Trump turn off the tap for funding as he has implied?

FINKEL: Right. So, Donald Trump definitely implied that he is -- that he plans to do so. Whether he will do so, it's unclear because Trump's rhetoric does not always align with his actions. See, if you go back to Trump's first presidency, he actually approved military aid for Ukraine, while President Obama vetoed this decision. And Trump did it not because he is a great friend of Ukraine, absolutely not.

He did it because he believed that this military aid benefits U.S. domestic producers, and the current military aid that goes for Ukraine mostly goes to production within the U.S. So, shouting of this aid will also have domestic implications for U.S. production, which I think the president-elect has not fully thought through. And the aid still is quite popular among Americans, even among the Republicans. If you look at the last aid package, it was approved by overwhelming majority, both in the Senate and in the House. So, I think if Trump decides just to cut off date immediately, there will -- he will be facing pushback from within the U.S. and also let's be clear about what's happening with the current aid. The nominal value of the aid that U.S. promised to Ukraine is extensive, but in fact, Ukrainians complaining that they received only about 10 percent of what has been promised and what did come also comes with string attached like refusal to allow Ukrainians to strike deep into Russian territory.

So, there is also a great frustration in Ukraine about the aid that they currently receive. So, I think that -- I think that the views -- the fear that Trump shuts down aid and then Ukrainian. Military will immediately collapse, over it. So of course, it will be much harder for them, but U.S. is not alone.

COREN: Eugene, Donald Trump has promised tough policies for China and Iran. I mean, both of them, as we know, they are Russian allies. So how likely is it that Trump will be able to thread that needle?

FINKEL: Right. So, those policies are interdependent and I think that Trump and Putin will find themselves on a collision course pretty fast precisely because what Trump's do with regards to China and running those things are interdependent. Any attempt to contain China or to impose new sanctions on Iran will directly harm Putin. And Russia, no questions about that. And on the other hand, accommodating Putin in Ukraine will likely embolden China and Iran, for instance, in relations to Taiwan -- to Taiwan and the potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

So, so again, I don't think that Trump and people around him fully taught true that how interconnected their foreign policy ideals are. And I think that again, I don't think that this will increase Trump's willingness to help Ukraine But it might decrease his willingness to strong arm Ukraine into submitting to Putin.

COREN: Eugene, I think we'll have to leave it there. But thank you for joining us from Bologna in Italy.

FINKEL: Thank you.

COREN: Well, the airport in Port-au-Prince shuts down as two American commercial flights are hit by gunfire over Haiti's capital. Those details, next on CNN NEWSROOM.

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[02:26:29]

COREN: Haiti has suspended all flights to the International Airport in the capital until November 18th, after two commercial jetliners were hit with gunfire around the airport in Port-au-Prince. JetBlue says it's stopping all service to Haiti after a bullet was found in the exterior of one of its planes upon arrival from Port-au-Prince.

Well, that discovery came shortly after a Spirit Airlines flight from Florida was hit by gunfire as it tried to land in the Haitian capital. Stefano Pozzebon has the details.

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN REPORTER: What we know as of now is that on Monday morning, a plane owned and operated by Spirit Airlines was hit by gunfire as it was approaching landing at the International Airport in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital.

The airline said in a statement that the flight, which originated in Fort Lauderdale in Florida, was safely diverted to the Dominican Republic. However, one flight attendant reported minor injuries in the incident. And footage and photos verified by CNN show bullet holes on the body of the plane and inside the main cabin.

The airport in Port-au-Prince has been shut down as a result of this incident that occurred as this deep political, social and security crisis in the Caribbean nation shows really no sign of resolution. Last month, a U.N. helicopter was also targeted by gunfire as it was flying over Port-au-Prince, and the same occurred to vehicles owned and operated by the U.S. embassy that was driven on the streets of Port-au-Prince which is ridden by criminal gangs all across the capital.

On Monday, the transitional presidential council swore in Alix Didier Fils-Aime as the new prime minister who pledged to restore democracy and security to the nation and we will be monitoring closely whatever happens in Haiti in the weeks to come.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.

COREN: Officials in Pakistan say smog has reached unprecedented levels. Still to come, we'll take you live to Islamabad for a look at how dangerous conditions are putting the public at risk.

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[02:30:55]

ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": The Cop 29 Climate Summit is underway in Azerbaijan. Dignitaries began their 12-day conference under a cloud of uncertainty after Donald Trump's re-election. The U.S. president-elect disputes the existence of man-made climate change and he's vowed to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement once again. Climate activists held a silent protest on the sidelines of the summit's opening day. Demonstrators said the U.N. prevented them from chanting or making speeches, and they could only congregate in designated areas.

New satellite images from NASA showed just how extensive the toxic smog has become over parts of Eastern Pakistan. Officials say this season's smog has reached unprecedented levels. It's all thanks to a dangerous combination of coal-fired power plants, traffic, burning waste, and weather. On Monday, air quality levels in Lahore reached more than four times the level considered hazardous by IQAir. Well, CNN Producer, Sophia Sofi joins us now from Islamabad with the latest. And Sophia, how are people coping?

SOPHIA SOFI, CNN PRODUCER: Well, Anna, I'm in the capital city of Islamabad where levels are close to 301, which is considered the safe limit. It's 12:30 here in the afternoon, but we really haven't had much sun, proper sunlight, for at least three days. It's been this terrific, grim, milky gray light that has enveloped the atmosphere and that's just a fraction of what's happening just a couple of hours away in Lahore. The second largest city in the country has been caught up in a toxic smog situation with numbers crossing 1,000. In the province of Punjab where Lahore is located, there is also Multan which has crossed 2,000.

Now, people are complaining that the government has simply not done enough to tackle this issue that has been causing an economic, an education, as well as a health crisis in the country. Schools are shut. Children are using online classes, the few children who do have access to internet, so millions of children are not going to school at the moment. Offices are working at 50 percent capacity. The province, which is the largest agriculture and industrial province of the country, is operating at 50 percent capacity. It's heading towards a lockdown.

You also have the fact that there hasn't been enough of a clamp down on emissions, on industrial emission, on the fact that farmers, according to the government, are responsible for burning stubble in their farms which is also leading to this cause. But critics have said that making artificial rain happen or just closing schools is simply not enough to deal with this crisis.

Another problem, which is not just Pakistan's problem, which actually contributes to less than 1 percent of emission globally, is the fact that it's just not cold enough. The winter rains have not come which dissipates the atmosphere, which causes the smoke to go away. A continuous season of rain has not come yet, and it's the middle of November. And in a place which is famous for its beautiful autumns, for being known as the greenest part of the country, this is something that is going to continue to be a crisis until we see that rainfall and actual proper policymaking action being taken in this part of the country. Anna?

COREN: Sophia Safi, we appreciate the update. Many thanks.

Well, no respite yet for the Philippines which is bracing for two possible typhoons just days after being hit by back-to-back tropical storms. CNN Meteorologist, Chad Meyers has the latest.

CHAD MEYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: What a couple of weeks for the Philippines? I mean, this is an area that is used to typhoons, but four so far and possibly two more on the way, Yinxing and then Toraji -- and here's Yinxing making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane equivalent here across the northern part of the Philippines. It has now moved toward Da Nang, kind of falling apart.

[02:35:00]

This really made landfall at the end of last week. But here's the landfall here, right around Da Nang, kind of coming on land and really losing an awful lot of power. Here's Toraji as it moved a little bit farther to the south, but still made torrential rainfall, especially in the mountains. There will be places, and if you add it all up from the storms that have already made landfall and the ones that are still due to make landfall, because there are still two out there, there'll be places that will have 2,000 millimeters of rainfall from these storms just over the past couple or three weeks.

Here is another storm. Here's Usagi. This was tropical storm number 27 earlier, now it has a name, guess where it's headed? Right toward the Philippines. And yes, maybe a glancing blow to the northern part of the island of Luzon here, but there's still going to be significant rain in the same places that have picked up so much. That likely makes landfall on Thursday.

There are still a few more back out there to the east, and yes, they're going to get very close as well. Just kind of the crossroads here into the Philippines of one storm after another with the wind gusts, with the next storm, probably somewhere in the ballpark of 140 -- maybe 150 kilometers per hour. Here's Man-yi, we're still watching this. This is way off toward the east, but there's Guam. We'll have to watch out for that because there's certainly a landfall possibility there, somewhere in the a hundred kilometer per hour. But again, it's more of that surge in the wind and obviously, the rainfall is still to come.

So one, two, three, four, they're all lined up and most of them, at least this year, have been getting too close to the Philippines.

COREN: Chad Meyers, thank you for that report.

Well, dangerous wildfires are being fueled by bad weather on the eastern west coast of the U.S. In California, the mountain fire is just one of the multiple blazes firefighters are attempting to contain. So far, it has burned an area larger than 10,000 football pitches, and it is less than 50 percent contained due to strong winds.

On the east coast, a historic drought is driving the Jennings Creek Fire burning in New York and New Jersey. Well, CNN's Gloria Pazmino has details on how the fires are affecting local residents.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From a New York City Park to forests across the Hudson River in New Jersey, unprecedented fires are burning across the northeast, fueled by strong winds and months without significant rain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Never seen it like this before.

PAZMINO (voice-over): The Jennings Creek wildfire in New Jersey has scorched thousands of acres and is still going. Across New York and New Jersey, 600 wildfires have burned since October.

THOMAS HOWLEY, GREENWOOD LAKE, NEW JERSEY MAYOR: In my over 50 years of living here, this has been the most significant and probably most potentially dangerous situation I've seen or been involved in.

PAZMINO (voice-over): Dariel Vasquez, an 18-year-old parks and recreation employee was killed Sunday while he was responding to a fire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a very dangerous profession. This is a very dangerous incident that we have here.

PAZMINO (voice-over): Strong winds across the region have carried the heavy smoke across New Jersey and New York, leading to air quality and red flag warnings for millions of people. The water supply is also under strain.

ERIC ADAMS, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: October was one of the driest months we've had in recorded history.

PAZMINO (voice-over): A man was charged with arson after he fired an illegal shotgun believed to have sparked a fire in Jackson Township, New Jersey, prompting evacuations in surrounding communities.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My daughter and I, we packed up our important papers and all of our prescriptions and got the dog ready and when they said go, we were ready to go.

PAZMINO (voice-over): Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: So CNN much more, after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:40:58]

COREN: After a record breaking summer season, Italian authorities plan to start limiting the number of tourists allowed to visit Pompeii each day. Well, CNN's Barbie Nadeau has more.

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Starting November 15th, the site of Pompeii in southern Italy will start limiting visitors to just 20,000 a day in an effort to combat mass tourism and make this experience safer in the event of an earthquake, the site organizers say. The new regulation comes after a record summer of visitors with peaks of over 36,000. Visitors will also have to buy personalized tickets with their names on them, an effort to stop travel groups from buying up tickets to sell at higher prices.

The changes are part of an effort to make important tour destinations like Pompeii sustainable by focusing on the quality of the experience for the visitor rather than on the quantity of tickets sold. Pompeii was destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. and is an ongoing archeological dig with just two-thirds of the site excavated.

Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, Rome.

COREN: Well, thousands of people have flooded the streets of Cologne, Germany, dressed in costumes and rain ponchos. They are dancing and drinking beer to kick off this year's Carnival Season. The festivities begin every year on the 11th day of the 11th month at 11:11 a.m. They last through Ash Wednesday in early March of next year. Millions visit Cologne during Carnival every year.

The celebrations pause for the Advent and Christmas season, then pick up in the New Year, culminating with the five Crazy Days Carnival in late February. I think we all need to take part.

Well, thank you for your company. I'm Anna Coren. "World Sport" is next. Then "CNN Newsroom" continues with Max Foster in London.

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