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Connect the World
Authorities: At Least Six Killed In Turkey Earthquake; U.S. Election Four Days Away; U.S. Hits New Daily Record With 88,000 Plus Cases; Parkland Survivors Join New Generation Of Youth Leaders; Source: Church Attacker Is A 21-Year-Old Tunisian; CNN: 83 Plus Million Have Already Voted, 60 Percent Of All 2016 Ballots. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired October 30, 2020 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four of the highest number of cases we've ever seen. Virus is raging.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The U.S. will probably climb past 100,000 infections per day within the next couple of weeks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they continue on the course we are on there is going to be a whole lot of pain in this country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think - failure to mask up and to get enough testing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've seen voters moving from Trump citing concerns about the pandemic.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We know the disease. We social distance we do all of the things that you have to do.
JOE BIDEN (D) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Donald Trump just had a super spreader event here again. They are spreading more than just Coronavirus. They are
spreading division and discourse
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this "Connect the World" with Becky Anderson.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, this hour one American is infected with the Coronavirus every second. Just consider that. The
United States on a road to disaster all the while the two U.S. Presidential Candidates fight to find their road to victory.
I want to get to that momentarily first up though we have some breaking news out of Turkey. At least four people have been killed after a 7.0
earthquake struck off the Coast of Izmir in the Aegean. You are looking at live pictures of the search and rescue effort happening this hour people
shifting through the rubble.
Have look at the moment the quake struck. Frightening stuff, officials in the City of Izmir say several buildings have been damaged but we've also
learned that four people have been injured and buildings have collapsed on the Greek Island of Samos. Let's get you to Arwa Damon who is reporting for
you from Istanbul. What is the latest from the area hardest hit?
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, actually, we just learned that that death toll has gone from four to six and there
are about 152 people who have been injured.
Now the search and rescue operation is still very much ongoing. Around 70 people have been rescued so far, and the search and rescue operation is
really focusing mostly on two districts in the City of Izmir itself.
What we do understand is that these operations are focusing on 12 out of the 20 or so buildings that were damaged in this earthquake, and there's
been some pretty dramatic footage of people being pulled out from underneath the rubble.
What this earthquake also did keeping in mind that the earthquake's epicenter was in the Aegean Sea about 16, 17 kilometers off of the Coast of
Turkey, close to the Greek Island of Samos, and the town, the Turkish coastal town of - that is closest to the epicenter, some pretty dramatic
footage out of there as well showing sea level waters rising.
The local officials there say that the earthquake generated a small tsunami. People have been evacuated from that area. People are also being
asked to stay away from where the search and rescue operation is happening to try to clear the roads for emergency workers.
Dozens of teams have already been dispatched, and teams arrived on site fairly quickly following this earthquake. Turkey does have these types of
search and rescue and emergency teams at the ready given how prone this country is.
[11:05:00]
Two fairly sizable earthquakes we're on a number of fault lines here in Turkey and, you know, you hear the terror in people's voices,
understandably so in all that have footage that has been coming out, especially in those seconds during the earthquake and right afterwards as
people were trying to flee for safety, trying to evacuate buildings as much as possible.
People are now also being asked not to clog up phone lines, to try to check in on loved ones via text message, again, to clear the lines so that
emergency workers can use them however they best see fit. And also residents are being asked to as they are evacuating buildings, you know,
turn off natural gas, electricity, water.
Again, as a precaution there have been at least, Becky, 33 aftershocks since that initial first earthquake struck.
ANDERSON: Greece and Turkey both situated in one of the world's most active earthquake zones. Viewers may remember the 1999 7.4 magnitude earthquake
that struck Turkey's Northwest that killed some 17,000 people. Emergency services are well equipped. They know their stuff in this region, don't
they? Clearly it's never easy, but these are well-experienced.
DAMON: They are, Becky, and, look, when it comes to the direct response in terms of search and rescue, in terms of getting, you know, food aid sent,
in terms of dispatching the Turkish Red Cross, this country is very adept at that.
The there are already cargo planes that, you know, are sending food to help thousands of people that may have been affected by this earthquake. But
what some or many residents will tell you is that where they feel that the system is perhaps lacking, it's in terms of awareness when it comes to
exactly what should people do.
Where do you go when you're evacuated where are all of the points that people should be evacuating to? This is where people feel as if they
perhaps don't necessarily have all of the information that they need to have, even though it does get put out there every once in a while, for
example, after we had an earthquake that hit the city that affected the City of Istanbul rather, didn't cause much damage at all.
But, you know, people were reminded of what they need to do and where they need to go, but some people will say that these reminders need to be
happening more often so that individuals know how to better protect themselves?
ANDERSON: Yes, and as ever in situations like this, sadly, the numbers continue to grow, and I've just heard that there are now six dead and 202
injured in this earthquake. For the time being thank you.
Well, the Coronavirus pandemic quite frankly has never been worse in the United States. That is just the cold hard fact. On Thursday the country
recorded its highest uptick of cases since the pandemic began, more than 88,000, yes.
88,000 new infections importantly hospitalizations also rising at an alarming rate, up more than - almost 50 percent this month, this due to the
uptick of cases in some 43 states, including Ohio.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is by far the highest number of cases we've ever seen during the entire pandemic. In fact, it's about 700 cases more than
our previous high which was just a few days ago. The virus is raging throughout the State of Ohio. There's no place to hide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Now with more cases come more deaths. A new projection showing just under 400,000 U.S. deaths by February. Experts say it is crunch time.
Americans need to skip their holiday gatherings and get serious about the pandemic if they want things to get better in the New Year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SCOTT GOTLIEB, FORMER FDA COMMISSIONER: This is really sort of the last stage of the acute fades of this. 2021 is going to start to look a lot
better. I think we'll be celebrating together in 2021, Thanksgiving of 2021. We need to get through the next couple of months.
This is it the hardest point in this pandemic right now, the next two months. We've done a very good job sheltering a lot of people and keeping a
lot of people safe. We can't give up our guard right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that is the warning. The Presidential Candidates not letting their political guards down either. Just four days out from
election, the America's road to victory in either direction coming to a dangerous intersection with the road to a pandemic disaster with both the
candidates painting a very different picture of the COVID reality right now.
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TRUMP: We locked down. We understood the disease, and now we're open for business.
BIDEN: We're expected to lose another 200,000 people between now and the end of this year if we do nothing.
This is not a political statement. It's a patriotic duty for God sake. But still Trump refuses to listen to the science.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, both candidates are pressing the battleground states hard in these last few day disease before the election turning their focus to
the Midwestern states like Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. One of the astonishing aspects of the election is the massive early voter turnout.
Nowhere is that more evident than in Texas where early voting has surpassed the 2016 elections overall vote. That turn out giving Democrats a hope that
they can turn what is a red state blue. Jason Carroll explains.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They have been lining up in the lone star state for days for early voting ends Friday. More than 8.4 million people
have already cast ballots in the state. That's 94 percent of the overall vote from 2016.
Both sides are clearly energized, but Democrats in this reliably red state are feeling more encouraged than they have in decades thanks to changing
demographics, the party's improved standing and fast-growing suburbs and with younger voters, like Angelica Tutton who voted for Joe Biden.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELICA TUTTON, DEMOCRATIC VOTER: I come from a very conservative background. I'm the only one in my family that I know that's voting blue
this year.
CARROLL: Do you think Biden has a chance in the State of Texas.
TUTTON: I think she does.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: The 24-year-old says she lost her job as a server due to the Coronavirus. She lives here in Tarrant County home to Fort Worth. Donald
Trump won Tarrant County by more than 8 points four years ago two years later Democrat Beto O'Rourke narrowly carried it while coming up short in
his bid to defeat Republican Senator Ted Cruz. Tutton didn't vote then. In fact, she's never vote until now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TUTTON: I listened to some of the things that Trump said and I educated myself a lot more and I think that this year just in general with
everything that's gone on it's really been the turning point for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Make no mistake, a Biden win in Texas is still a tall order. The last Democratic Presidential Nominee to win here was Jimmy Carter back in
1976, but given the early turnout, Democrats aren't seeing red, they are seeing purple. One sign of that have shift, people like Former Dallas Mayor
Steve Bartlett, a Republican, who says the former vice president has a shot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE BARTLETT, FORMER DALLAS MAYOR: Well, he's gone from being a no shot to a long shot to now a medium shot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Bartlett is backing Biden saying Trump is not shown the character needed to be an effective president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARTLETT: I'm a lifetime Republican, but the country is suffering and we will suffer a lot more if we re-election Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Democrats are making a late investment in the race with time and money. On Thursday a Super Pac funded by Michael Bloomberg added another
$5.6 million in ads in the state that's on top of nearly 9 million already spend.
And Vice Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris is making three stops here Friday to mobilize new voters in the rapidly diversifying state.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD MURRAY, POLITICAL SCIENTIST: They are much less culturally conservative. They are very, very diverse, they're generally better
educated and those are the kinds of voters that are much more amenable to voting for a moderate Democrat like Joe Biden.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: And back here in Tarrant County many voters from both parties saying a Biden win in Texas could just be wishful thinking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CASSIDY COKER, REPUBLICAN VOTER: He has a chance in Maine, but for Texans, no, unlikely.
TIOMBE NIXON, DEMOCRATIC VOTER: It's hard to say because Texas has always been a red state so I'm not really sure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Jason Carroll, CNN, Dallas, Texas.
ANDERSON: Well, it's not something you see very often, the U.S. First Lady on the campaign trail but in the final sprint to the election Melania Trump
held two rallies this week in what are crucial battleground states. She made a rare joint appearance with the president in Florida on Thursday and
had a message for the American people that critics blasted as tone deaf.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELANIA TRUMP, U.S. FIRST LADY: In a time when hate, negativity and fear are the messages the media streams into our homes and the large tech
companies are protecting political censorship, we need to remember what is really important. My husband's administration is focus asked on the future
the health and safety of the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, four days out still plenty to play for.
[11:15:00]
Let's bring in CNN Political Commentator and Conservative Blogger Mary Katherine Ham she joins us from Washington and it is really good to have
you. Thanks for joining us. What did you make of those comments from Melania?
MARY KATHARINE HAM, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. I think that is the appeal to Trump voters. It is, hey, you are not represented particularly in
media and these social media networks right, and so they say, you know, they feel marginalized and that is - that is the way that the pitch goes to
Trump voters, and with some good reason.
So she's saying, look, we are the ones who represent you, and that's a basic political pitch four days before an election. I think it's
interesting that where each campaign is putting their resources right now. These guys - Trump is in Florida. He's in the Midwest.
Biden the other day is in Georgia. Interestingly neither one of them is going to Texas right now which is what we just spoke about being a little
on the bubble which it may very well be.
ANDERSON: And that's really interesting. We've been reporting that Texas passing the total 2016 voter turnout with two days to go. I want to track
back to this moment in the last debate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Would you close down the oil industry?
BIDEN: By the way, I would transition from the oil industry, yes.
TRUMP: Basically what he's saying is he is going to destroy the oil industry. Will you remember that Texas?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: After that you said not much can change the race, but if there was anything it was likely to be those comments on oil. What do you think,
what do you genuinely think is motivating this level of turnout in Texas? Is it clear at this point?
HAM: It's not clear. Look, I think Texas is to Democrats right now as Pennsylvania and maybe New Hampshire are to Republicans and were a couple
of elections ago, and it takes about three cycles of we're really going to do this until you actually turn it. It doesn't mean it's not happening. I
think it's unlikely this time.
Now a lot of people voted early but people who are Republicans are more likely to vote or center rightish are more likely to vote on Election Day.
Those are the people who would be upset about that oil comment.
The oil comment also plays in Pennsylvania which is a - a bad moment for Biden in Pennsylvania because the voters who will be motivated to come out
on Election Day, voted after that comment happened, are likely more traditional voters on energy whose livelihoods might depend on those fossil
fuels and whose bank can't handle rising prices.
And they go that energized me. So I think in Pennsylvania is the state through which almost all of the electoral paths travel so that's an
important point, too.
ANDERSON: Yes. We've been looking at these roads to a win, and, you know, quite often we look at the Biden road to a win because he's obviously the
opponent in this point but we've been looking at Donald Trump today. All effort is, of course, this last leg in those battleground states. Have a
listen to Joe Biden in Florida yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: The heart and soul of this country is at stake right here in Florida. You hold the key, if Florida goes blue, it's over. We need a
president that will bring us together, not pull us apart.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: This is the state, of course, that Donald Trump voted in this year, early. What chance that flips?
HAM: Republicans I would say feel better about Florida than a Pennsylvania so I - Pennsylvania feels to me like the new Florida. It used to be Ohio
and Florida is all we worried about, and one of the things that's nice about the Trump era, and I know it's weird to be optimistic in 2020 about
this democracy, right?
But one of the things that's nice about this era is that it has mixed up the map. It means that Democrats have to go to Georgia and make a pitch. It
means the Republicans have to go to Minnesota and make a pitch. These are places that they had written off for very long periods of time and to be in
those places and meet those voters to make the pitch I think is an actually an uplifting part of this process.
ANDERSON: OK. And you're making the point about having to get into these battleground states.
HAM: Yes.
ANDERSON: This, of course is because all of this is part of this race to 270 Electoral College votes.
HAM: Yes.
ANDERSON: State, of course, that don't hold many votes seemingly left on the sideline. That's not unheard of it. It happens pretty much every cycle.
Is it not time to rethink the Electoral College system? Can you honestly say that this is democracy at work when ultimately this is not one man or
women these days one vote, is it?
HAM: No, but we're a Republic. We are not a fewer democracy and that was on purpose so that you could have representation for lower populated states.
[11:20:00]
Now here's the question. The push for reform of the Electoral College comes from Democrats after having lost elections in the Electoral College but
winning the popular vote. Fine, I'm willing to listen to that.
ANDERSON: Bill Clinton.
HAM: If the Democrats win in the Electoral College this time, as it looks like they may very well do, will they be calling for reform? My guess is
that it will not be a quite strong a call. This is very much based on who's winning at any given moment? And I happen to like the system that we have
that's in place because it gives these states that have smaller populations a little bit more say in the game than they would have otherwise.
ANDERSON: It's been a pleasure having you on. It's going to be a busy couple of days I'm sure for you as a commentator and blogger. Tuesday is
the day, of course. Let's talk after it's all over. Thank you.
HAM: I'll be here.
ANDERSON: Let me show you - good. Thank you. I want to get you some breaking news updates here, and we are bringing in live drone pictures.
These are coming to us from Izmir in Turkey after that earthquake earlier today.
So far we've heard that six people died. 202 are injured and at least a dozen buildings have been damaged. And it's quite rare to be able to get
this sort of perspective of an event as quickly as we have. I mean, quite remarkable.
Of course, this earthquake off the Coast of Turkey in the Aegean Sea felt, of course, and we understand damaging impact in Samos in Greece as well,
but this is Izmir specifically, and this is where we've been reporting.
There are 202 injured, 6 dead and the rescue services very quickly dispatched to this area. Sadly, this was the site - this city was the site
of the earthquake in 1999 when so many thousands it of people lost their lives.
I mean, since then infrastructure and construction has been improved so one has to hope and assume that we will not see the numbers go much higher, but
who knows at this point, and sadly as we've been on air in the last hour and a half we have been reporting an increase in the numbers.
These are aerial shots of Izmir and the damage to buildings from an earthquake around just after midday today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: The streets of Paris empty once again. France is now officially in its second nationwide Coronavirus lockdown after a dramatic surge in
cases, and it is not the only one new lockdown measures spreading across Europe.
Germany bringing back restrictions starting next week, and in the last few moments the Netherlands reporting it hit a new record high an hour ago
Austria hitting its highest daily numbers. All the while the U.S. has just seen its highest uptick in daily infections.
We've been connecting you to the COVID world for over ten months now, but the fact of the matter is it is worse than it has ever been. Well, a COVID-
19 vaccine would be nice, wouldn't it? In fact, it would be a saving grace.
[11:25:00]
ANDERSON: Getting one approved is a ways off. It will take time after approval to get a vaccine distributed across a very diverse world. The
U.S., China and Russia all seem to be at the forefront of that race. Pharmaceutical company Moderna saying Thursday it will have follow-up
safety data on its COVID-19 vaccine in late November.
One of the big issues in these COVID-19 vaccine trials around the world has been the lack of diversity among the volunteers, but here in the UAE it is
leading an impressive race with a trial involving participants from 120 different nationalities taking part. I talked to some of those taking part
about the trial and why they volunteered.
Sammin (ph) is getting her blood pressure checked, a regular routine since being injected with two dose of COVID-19 back in August. Originally from
India, Sammin lives in the UAE and is one of 31,000 volunteers from more than 120 nationalities taking part in Phase III trials of a vaccine being
developed China's state owned pharmaceuticals firm Sinopharm.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I saw my father work as a frontline worker. That just motivated me to help them in any way I could and I've seen him and his
colleagues work non-stop and relentlessly towards what they're doing over here and I think that if I could just be a tiny part of what they are doing
it would help humanity in some way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Mihala (ph) is Romanian and has been living in the UAE for 17 careers. She says she decided to participate after she lost her job in
aviation during the pandemic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wasn't afraid after I considered the possible side effects. I know the first two phases of the trial were successful, and
considering this I decided that I can go ahead and do the vaccine trial for Phase III.
DR. JAMAL AL KAABI, UNDERSECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: I got the reassurance that this vaccine is really safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Dr. Jamal Al Kaabi is the Undersecretary at the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi. He was one of the first to volunteer back when the
trial began in an effort, he says, to encourage others.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. AL KAABI: From a medical perspective, having such great mix of population and demographics is really a critical requirement to warrant the
robustness of the research itself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: He explains this is a double blinded study, testing two vaccine strains and a placebo. Volunteers received two jabs, three weeks apart.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And what will success look like, Dr. Kaabi.
DR. AL KAABI: If we develop the immunity for those who are on the trials and we are talking about fourfold increase in their immunity and then at
the same time if they are exposed to the virus will this vaccine protect them or not? This is the $1 million question.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: In terms of safety he says so far so good, and he says preliminary results have shown no major side effects.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. AL KAABI: The question is how effective is this vaccine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And that, of course, is the million dollar question, and getting an answer couldn't be more important to the authorities here. The UAE has
one of the highest per capita testing rates in the world, but it's clear COVID-19 won't be defeated until there's a vaccine.
And despite a mask mandate in public places in Abu Dhabi and strict quarantines guidelines for people traveling here, the spread of the
pandemic around the globe has not spared this country of just less than 10 million. It's seen a surge in new cases in the past two months.
While results are still pending for the Phase III trials recently UAE leadership granted emergency approval for its use: Since then the Dr. Al
Kaabi tells me that the vaccine has been taken by some 27,000 people.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: When do you genuinely believe a vaccine will be available for wide distribution here in the UAE and elsewhere?
DR. AL KAABI: I think by the end of this year we'll have the answer for this type of vaccine that we're using from Sinopharm to tell us exactly if
this is the vaccine or not? So I'm expecting next year we will develop a lot of vaccine. We're talking about 75 million doses to 100 million doses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Local health care form G-42 says it has distribution and manufacturing agreements with Sinopharm to provide the UAE and other
countries in the region with the vaccine. Until then for the volunteers it's all about avoiding complacency.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think it is safe to lower my guard just yet or to not wear the mask or not sanitize my hands. So I'm still sanitizing my
hands, still wearing the mask because we're all going through this together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:30:00]
ANDERSON: You're watching "Connect the World" live from our Middle East Programming Hub here in Abu Dhabi. Still ahead tonight, America's youth
making their presence felt in this most important of U.S. election. We're going to talk to one youth activist who is part of a movement aimed at
confronting some of America's most difficult problems.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, just four days to go in the U.S. Presidential Election. Early voting is coming to an end in some state. The number of people
casting ballots so far is eye-popping. More than 84 million, now well over half the number of total votes cast in the entire 2016 election, and
there's been a big spike in the vote from youngsters.
Take a look at this map, numbers up across the country. The two most populous states, Texas and California each with more than 1 million youth
votes cast so far. Compare that to four years ago. Rates of voting in 2016 were only about half of what they are this year. And America's youth have a
lot of big issues on than collective radar, the climate crisis, racial injustice, gun violence all looming large this year.
Leaders forms a movement called "March for our Lives", you may remember, to get others involved in their activism. And there's a new documentary about
one aspect of this movement that arose from the 2018 mass shooting at a Florida high school. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's my obligation to tell people what the young population care about.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to the revolution.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Young voters showed up at the polls at historic rates.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We - but it still doesn't feel like enough.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm here today to acknowledge and represent the African-American girls whose stories don't reach the front page of every
national newspaper.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're here today to vote for policies that won't get you killed tomorrow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: While you're still in there, David Hogg, a survivor of that mass shooting in Florida. He joins me now live via Skype from Washington. Thank
you for joining us. It's tremendous to have you on. We have seen a huge increase in youngsters turning out to vote.
You were a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018 when a gunman killed 17 people and injured 17 others. "March for our lives"
being one of the many key movements from the past couple of years, mobilizing youngsters to get out.
[11:35:00]
ANDERSON: How have you specifically been working to encourage others to vote?
DAVID HOGG, YOUTH ACTIVIST, SUBJECT OT "US KIDS" DOCUMENTARY: Yes. I think the way that we've been encouraging young people to vote is simply by
highlighting the ways that we're impacted by politics, and by talking to other young people about it. I think oftentimes there's a notion that the
best way to get young people to vote is by, you know, slightly yet less young people or older people telling them to vote.
And of course it's a brunt that we do, but I really think what makes the impact is the younger people talking to each other about why this is
important. And I think we're already seeing some of the results of that, you know, as you showed on the map and just across country, it's really
inspiring to see the work that I know so many young people, thousands, actually probably millions of young people at this point across the country
have put in.
ANDERSON: What do you think people are voting on? What are the issues that matter most? I mean, I came up with a number as I introduced you, but what
are these kinds of hot button issues that you've spoken to people about during this campaign?
HOGG: Yes. I mean, obviously in my case it's mainly about the effect of the gun lobby on our country and the harm that it's caused our children. But I
think the main issues that young people are voting for right now is the climate crisis, racial justice obviously and overall gun violence too is
obviously part of that.
And I think that's why they're trending out, they are facing the direct dread in their schools and communities of gun violence on a daily basis
going through active shooter drills and they're facing the long term threat and some of immediate threat of climate change and racial injustice.
ANDERSON: I want our viewers and you to have a listen to this Republican student voter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAYLEE CORVIN, OUTREACH COORDINATOR, UVA COLLEGE REPUBLICANS: People are really starting to recognize just all of the different chaos within the
political climate right now, that voting is only real say that we can have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: There is a shift in mindset clearly compared to previous elections on both sides of the aisle, it has to be said. What issues do you
believe matter most to young Democrats in comparison to young Republican voters? Is it clear?
HOGG: Yes. I think in the case of younger, you know, progressive people, I think the issues that matter to us are income inequality, you know. It
comes down to income inequality and, you know, the fact that a lot of us feel like we're not going to necessarily be better off than our parents
were economically, because now we're going through the second recession in a lot of our life times before we've even graduated college. I think along
with that, too, obviously gun violence is another one and racial justice, too.
ANDERSON: Sure.
HOGG: But I think there's more bipartisanship actually that we started to see to form with young people around climate change, which is really
hopeful and gives me some hope because that is really something that we need to act on immediately along with all these issues.
ANDERSON: Youngsters were told at the beginning of this COVID-19 pandemic that you know, don't worry about it. It's got nothing to do with you,
you'll be OK. It's not going to affect you; clearly, it is now clear that, that is not the case. Be that as it may. How much do you think the pandemic
has changed people's perception with regard to voting?
Because this is a pandemic which has been politicized, let's be quite frankly. And when you say two young progressives - it is all about what is
- who is best for our future, COVID will have really impacted your future, won't it?
HOGG: Yes, absolutely. And I think with young people especially in the beginning of the pandemic many were told that, you know, this wasn't life-
threatening. But I think what a lot of us have come to realize is that, that doesn't mean it's not life-changing.
And I think that the pandemic is obviously playing a pivotal role because it's - it's really, you know, it's growing all of the vast inequality that
we already had in this country and a lot of the injustice, it's just exacerbating it that much more, and it's causing a lot more people to
become involved.
Because one thing I'd say is that, activism for those that do it really is not voluntary. People have to organize for the survival of their
communities, and I think that's what we're seeing across the country is, people fighting literally for their lives and for the lives of their
community members.
ANDERSON: Well, that is fascinating. Barack Obama's been out campaigning with a number of ads speaking specifically to youth voters. I'm going to
say to youngsters because I hate the term youth voters, so specifically he's been talking to youngsters. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARRACK OBAMA, 44TH U.S. PRESIDENT: Over the past few months, I've learned a thing or two from young people about how to quarantine successfully.
You've taught me how to make a mean sour dough starter. It looks awful. You showed me the renegade challenge.
[11:40:00]
Great name, by the way, which I've been enjoying on my Insta. So since you've given me so much lately and so much hope over the years, I want to
return the favor and help you make a plan in the upcoming election.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: When he was elected, he had very strong support with youngsters. I just wonder whether you really think he's the best voice to speak to the
demographic. He's not running. Two men over 70 are running and the Democratic candidate, of course, is Joe Biden. What sort of impact do you
believe Obama is making on behalf of the Democrats at this point?
HOGG: You know, I think he helps to show, although, you know, as with any president he doesn't have control over absolutely everything that the
country does. We're not, you know, a monarchy, at least not yet, you know, it's - I think it is having an impact because it shows the impact of our
vote and what happens when we can vote and the progress that our country can make. It's always about us becoming a more perfect union.
And I think, you know, President Barack Obama is a really good example of that and the change that we can make through our vote even though it takes
an incredibly and frustratingly long time to create that change.
And I also think we just need as many people in general talking about voting, be it a president or, you know, an everyday young person that's
just focusing on their problems that, you know, like I just went through astronomy in college.
It's just got to be all of us talking about it, and I think it can have an impact. I think one of the best things that the campaign has done, the
Biden Campaign that is, is that they used - I started to see a lot more use of comedy to appeal to young people, for example, like the fly swatter
memes that went out after the debate.
ANDERSON: Yes.
HOGG: And I think, you know, it's helped reduce a lot of the - intergenerational tensions, by - through laughing about, you know, random
stuff just like the chaos that's going on around us.
ANDERSON: David Hogg, it's always a pleasure. You are a fantastic voice of reason, and we wish you the best, whatever happens in this election.
Congratulations on the work that you have done to try and mobilize youngsters out there to actually vote and exercise their rights which they
should and must do. Thank you, sir. Still ahead--
HOGG: Thank you.
ANDERSON: --faith in the face of terror. People in the French city of Nice say they will not give into fear after the horrific murder of three people
at a church more on that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
ANDERSON: Well, church bells rang out across France mourning the lives of three people murdered in a knife attack at a church in the City of Nice.
The French Bishop's Council says the country's Catholics refuse to give in to fear. French authorities are attributing Thursday's attack to in the
words of President Macron, "Islamist and terrorist madness".
On Thursday, this is expected attacker a 21-year-old who recently arrived in Europe from Tunisia was taken into custody. This latest attack is being
seen as an assault on the whole of France on it staunchly secular values.
Two weeks ago another attacker decapitated a school teacher in a Paris suburb. Authorities said the teacher had shown caricatures depicting the
prophet Mohammad during a lesson, well just weeks before that two people were seriously hurt in a knife attack near Charlie Hebdo's former offices.
That was the site of an attack you will remember in January 2015, which began with a massacre, the magazine's offices and ended with a siege at a
Kosher Supermarket two days later. "Charlie Hebdo" had published cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammad there, have been many, many other acts of
violence in France blamed on Islamist motives.
Well, our Cyril Vanier is in Paris. And we are hearing from the attacker's family. Doesn't quite square with what we're hearing with the official
version from authorities. Just tell us what we're hearing and break down what we know for viewers, if you will.
CYRIL VANIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky, look, we're getting a great deal of more information, and frankly it's raising as many questions as it
is answering. So right now we have two competing if not totally contradictory versions.
One of its coming - one of them is coming to us from the French prosecutor. I'll detail that in a minute. And the other more recent coming to us from
the family of the alleged assailant via the Reuters News Agency that interviewed them in Tunisia on the coastal city of Sousse where they live.
So here's what they say happened. The mother and siblings who spoke to the Reuters news agency that say that, just hours before the attack took place,
their son and brother, the alleged assailant, called them on a video call. He was in France.
Now they were surprised to see that he was in France, because last they had heard he had been to Italy. Before that of course, he had left Tunisia, and
they didn't even know that that was in his plans. But he had migrated to Tunisia and then made his way to France, which came to the surprise to
them.
On the video call he was standing in front of the church where he would later be found wielding a knife and shot down by police. He told them that
he was there just seeking refuge, and that he was going to sleep just in front of that building. Listen, Becky, to the mother of the suspected
assailant as interviewed by the Reuters News Agency.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At 8:00 pm he called me. He told me, mom, I came to France. I said oh, my son. You moved from Italy to France? You're not
educated. You don't know the language. Why did you go there? He said, mom, pray for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VANIER: So, look, his family had never seen and his neighbors also said that to Reuters, they had never seen any extremist or any dangerous
behavior or behavior that would raise any suspicions, that he was somebody who would go on his motor bike and go to work. Those are the quotes of his
neighbor again via Reuters.
His brothers and sisters say, he was simply sleeping at the church on the steps of the church or maybe in front of the church and that he certainly
couldn't have carried out this attack. They are in shock; they in fact told Reuters that they believe that he went to the church only when he heard
there had been attacks, so they are in total denial, that he had anything to do with it.
That is their version, Becky. Now, listen to what the prosecutor described as the sequence of events. He said that shortly after 6:00 am local time on
Thursday morning the suspected assailant entered the Nice Train Station that he was picked up by video surveillance cameras and that he changed his
clothes. He turned his jacket inside out, he changed his shoes.
From there, he walked some 400 meters up the road to the Notre Dame Basilica, this well-known church in the center of the commercial center of
Nice wielding a knife. He was carrying his bag and had his personal belongings, he had a Quran, two phones, three knives, two of which he did
not use.
He used one knife, and for the following 28 minutes, according to the counterterrorism prosecutor, proceeded to butcher, butcher is the word,
three people. Two of them he did his utter best to decapitate. That is when police entered the building and opened fire on him. They had first tried to
subdue him. It didn't work, so they had to use their firearms.
He's now to the best of our knowledge still in critical condition, Becky, and the investigation is going on. The very last thing I'll tell you is
that a 47-year-old man was arrested earlier today. It is believed that that person was in contact with the suspected assailant the day before the
attack, Becky.
[11:50:00]
ANDERSON: Fascinating. Cyril Vanier is on the story for you out of Paris. So thank you for that. Still ahead, the race to the White House coming down
to the wire as both candidates battle for the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election. I'll put my teeth back in, shall I, and we'll break down
the numbers after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: The U.S. Presidential Election is now down to the wire. There are just four more days until America decides which of these two men will lead
the country into the future and hopefully out of the Coronavirus crisis. The voting booths close Tuesday, but there is a good chance the race that
White House could last way longer.
Voters are turning out in droves to make their voices heard in this consequential election. In fact, more than 83 million have already voted.
That's nearly 60 percent of all the ballots cast back in 2016. The road to 270 electoral votes all comes down to the math, not magic. Let's break that
down with CNN's Harry Enten who is live for us from New York tonight.
So Harry, it seemed to be a long week for you by the way, and Tuesday night is going to be horrendous. The race for president stands in six of the
closest states that Trump won in 2016. How and why?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN POLITICS SENIOR WRITER: Yes, I mean, take a look here. These are the six closest states plus Nebraska second congressional
district. Trump won all these contests in 2016, but as you can see now, he's trailing in all of them now. In Florida, North Carolina, it's too
close to call really, but if you go to Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, Biden has leads of at least six points in all those states.
You add those to the states that Hillary Clinton won in 2016 and that gets Joe Biden over 270 electoral votes, so there's no doubt that he's favored
at this point.
ANDERSON: The polls were horribly off in a number of states in 2016. What happens if we have a similar error this year?
ENTEN: Yes, I mean, look, this is always what I hear as a polling guy. You can't trust the polls! You can't trust the polls! Look, the fact is if the
polling averages are as wrong as they were in 2016, Joe Biden would still easily get over 270 electoral votes. He get up to 335.
So look, I can't guarantee that there won't be a polling miss that's even larger than there was in 2016, but keep in mind that is what Donald Trump
will need to happen in order to win re-election. He needs an even worse polling mess than he got last time around.
ANDERSON: We've been pointing out now for some weeks, it has to be said, that it may take us quite a while to declare winners this year. How unusual
is it that votes are counted sometime after Election Day?
ENTEN: Yes. I mean, I think this gives you an idea right here. Look at the six closest states Trump won in 2016 were there more votes count that after
Wednesday morning the day after the election?
The answer was yes, in all six of those states. Now, this year there's probably going to be many more than historically speaking, but there's
nothing unusual about the fact that states will take their time and make sure they count all their votes, and I'll just say this over and over and
over again. It's more important to be accurate and right than it is to be fast.
[11:55:00]
ANDERSON: Yes, and that's really important, isn't it, because everybody is going to want to be first out of the gate calling this election. And I want
you just to explain for our viewers finally how important this early voting has been? I mean, some places, for example, Texas, more people have voted
already than voted in the entire election in 2016 and that includes on the day.
ENTEN: Yes, I mean, look, I think what that indicates is we're headed for a record turnout, right. You and I have spoken about this before; it's backed
up by the polls. More folks say they're certain to vote them well last time around at this point.
We're heading for a record turnout, and the other thing I will note is, there are a lot of states specifically in the Midwest that don't really
have the experience of counting a lot of vote by mail and that's another reason why I think that we might have to wait for the results from those
states. But record enthusiasm, people are going to have their say.
ANDERSON: Good luck. Thank you sir.
ENTEN: I'm going to try. I need it. I need it all. All the luck I need.
ANDERSON: It's going to be a really - for our colleagues in the states on CNN, this is one of the times we clearly give it up to them. This is a big
story, and this lot including Harry will be exhausted afterwards. But, you know, they do such a good job and I'm sure given some time off at some
point next year. Thank you, Harry.
ENTEN: Bye.
ANDERSON: Well, a number of injuries in Turkey following the earthquake there have increased to 257 people. Do stay with CNN. The more we get on
that story, of course, we'll bring to you. Thank you for joining us. The news in this part of the world as ever is non-stop. It is now though time
to say good-bye and good-bye for a week or so, in fact.
I've decided to give these two critical hours that we air, "Connect the World" over to my colleagues in the United States for the next few days,
because I do have an enormously consequential election to cover.
They are just so well placed to bring you all the fig and fast updates of the American election as its happening. That's our slogan after all. Go
there, so that's what we're doing, and it's all because the person who runs the most powerful country on earth can totally change the lives of the rest
of us.
The other 8 billion of us around the world, so powerful is America's awesome military, economic, social and cultural pull, for good and
sometimes less so as so many know all too well here in the middle east. We'll all, of course, be here working my sources for the latest reaction as
events unfold stateside, so you can bet that you'll be hearing from me in about this region as much as ever.
We're poised for tremendous change, no matter who wins after we've seen the rug so wholly and completely and beyond imagination pulled out from under
us. You can always find us on the social media, of course. I'm Becky, CNN on Twitter, and you can find me on Instagram and on Facebook as well.
For the time being, that's it from us. The team here wishes you a very good evening, as do our colleagues who are working with us around the world,
including those in Atlanta. And we wish them well as many of them will be working on the election as well. Stay safe wherever you are watching in the
world. Look after yourselves. Good night.
END
