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Inferno Rages through Hong Kong Residential High-Rises; Trump on Bloomberg Leak; Trump Claims Progress on Ukraine Peace Deal, Witkoff to Visit Moscow; Hegseth Weighing Potential Punishment for Kelly; People Booking Air Tickets Again after Government Shutdown Ended. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired November 26, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): And welcome back to the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. We are following breaking news out
of Hong Kong and that deadly high-rise apartment complex fire.
Authorities say now at least 13 people have died, 15 injured but, unfortunately, more -- we're not sure how many more -- remain trapped
inside. This after flames tore through high-rise apartment towers overnight. Fire officials say six people were taken to the hospital in
serious condition and four of them later died.
Investigators say flames spread along bamboo scaffolding put up outside the buildings. The Hong Kong fire department has just given an update. We want
to listen in now to their deputy director, Derek Armstrong Chan.
DEREK ARMSTRONG CHAN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, HONG KONG FIRE DEPARTMENT: We encountered particular difficulties in several areas, like the fire is
spreading quickly to nearby buildings and we received numerous assistance call from the public and also debris and scaffolding of the tower (ph)
buildings are falling down.
So pose an additional danger to our front line personnel. Besides, the temperature inside the buildings concerned are very high. So it's quite
difficult for us to enter the building and go upstairs to conduct firefighting and rescue operation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: We want to go straight now to CNN's Ivan Watson.
You've been on the scene for us for several hours.
What more can you tell us, Ivan, as we can see behind you, this fire continues to rage?
IVAN WATSON, CNN ANCHOR AND SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Continues to rage; according to the fire department, seven out of the eight towers
are on fire right now. These were homes to more than 4,000 people.
And I think most chilling, from the briefing from that official, the deputy director of the Hong Kong fire department, is his acknowledgment that the
emergency services have been in contact by telephone with residents at upper levels of the towers.
And saying that it's been too dangerous to try to reach them and advising them to put wet towels around their doors and window frames and to remain
in position, waiting for some kind of rescue.
But just judging -- and I'm a layman; I am not an expert at this -- but we are looking at buildings that are at least 24 -- 20 stories tall, with
flames raging in them from the ground floor to the top. So the prospect of being trapped anywhere in there is absolutely terrifying.
We do know that at least 13 people have been confirmed dead at this point, one of them a seasoned officer from the fire department who succumbed to
injuries. Another member of the fire department has been injured as well.
So this inferno -- and as you heard from the deputy director, it's posing direct threats to the emergency workers. And we see periodically
scaffolding and debris tumbling down, falling down from high levels in these towers. So it poses a threat to the emergency workers.
And I can't even imagine what it would be like if there's anybody inside one of these burning towers right now. Again, at least 13 people killed
thus far, dozens injured. And this is clearly one of the worst and deadliest fires that Hong Kong has dealt with in decades, Paula.
NEWTON: Yes, it really -- there are no words to describe what we continue to see unfolding. After several hours here, a few things that we've
learned, Ivan, is the fact that unfortunately, more than a third of the residents in there were likely elderly.
But we also have an eyewitness report of a woman saying that she was in a tower that was not engulfed in flames. She decided to go outside just to go
take a look, she said, in her complex. She didn't hear any alarms. There wasn't anyone calling for evacuation, even no one knocking on doors.
It is chilling to think and you can kind of understand why people may still be trapped in there.
[10:05:05]
WATSON: Yes and very, very worrisome. And again, important, the demographic here, this is a public housing estate. So a large proportion of
the residents are elderly, over the age of 65.
Now what happens when a fire hits a high-rise building, you don't take the elevator, right. So if you are elderly or infirm and you're on a top level,
you have to take the stairs. That is the only way out.
So that immediately poses challenges to vulnerable residents. And the prospect of not getting a warning, of not hearing a fire alarm, as we heard
from one eyewitness who did manage to escape, absolutely chilling and frightening.
And we've had that stated by a top official in the fire department, that they have been in touch by telephone with some residents at high levels of
this building and have had to advise them to sit still and wait for a rescue, though I just -- I do not know how that would be possible.
For example, in this central tower here that's being hosed down about halfway up by people here, by the rescue services, there are dozens,
dozens, scores of fire trucks on the scene as well as ambulances and police as well.
But how is that going to help if people are trapped inside these burning structures where the fire now -- more than eight hours since the first fire
alarm are still burning out of control?
I've seen in the surrounding area -- this is a larger residential community of Hong Kong here, Tai Po. I've seen people coming in, apparently, with
what looked like donations and supplies coming in, because, in the span of several hours, thousands of people that lived here have been made homeless
overnight.
There is a public shelter in another area here, with police cordoning it off. But that's going to be another immediate worry. The temperatures,
they're chilly here for Hong Kong. We're approaching winter.
So a lot of people have been made homeless as we continue to fear for those who could be missing and could be trapped inside, according to a senior
official in the fire department.
Again this is a crisis for the city that is still far from over.
And there're going to be questions about how is it possible in a city with a relatively good safety record, for a fire to have spread this quickly to
engulf seven of eight towers in this public housing project?
NEWTON: And again, as we know, at least one eyewitness telling CNN that, look, she did -- she was in another building, she -- no one told her to
evacuate. She didn't see any signs of -- she didn't hear any alarms or see anyone telling her to evacuate.
Ivan Watson, really grateful to you. You remain on the scene. It is 11:07 there pm in Hong Kong as firefighters are still trying to get to those
trapped in those buildings. Ivan Watson for us. Thanks again.
Now Paul Marriott is a teacher at Law Tin Pong (ph) Secondary School. He told me just in the last hour that his students saw the smoke from their
classrooms. I want you to listen to this interview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL MARRIOTT, SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHER: It was actually in a free period. And what happened was we went outside. And a couple of the kids said to me,
Mr. Marriott, there's all this smoke coming out. And they kind of made a joke that, oh, somebody had a cigarette and they were smoking, you know,
near the mountain.
And we never really thought much about it. We just kind of thought it was probably just a hill fire or maybe a bush fire, someone was burning leaves
or maybe a sacrifice or something and didn't really think twice about it.
And it wasn't until about an hour later, just before the end of school, I get a WhatsApp message from my wife. And she says to me, oh, hey, did you
know that, on the news, Tai Po, well, there's a big fire.
And I'm like, oh, my gosh, that fire outside, the billowing smoke, that huge trail, that must be it. And wow. Yes. So it was, to say the least, it
was shocking. It was really shocking.
And by the time the school finished at 3:50 and all the kids went out, when -- they all just looked at the smoke. They got their phones and they were,
you know, taking photos and videos. It was just mad. It really was.
(CROSSTALK)
NEWTON: Mad is a good way to describe it. We are looking at pictures right now, Paul, of some of the daylight scenes that you would have caught in
terms of all the smoke.
But the fire remains out of control at this hour.
What can you tell us about this neighborhood?
And could you actually see or actually -- you saw smoke, could you smell it?
I mean, at what point did you realize this is a much -- this is not a run- of-the-mill fire?
[10:10:04]
MARRIOTT: When the -- couldn't smell anything. I mean, you could really -- you couldn't miss it for the world in terms of the trail. So there was a
lot of billowing smoke. There was a lot of ash clouds up, up in the sky.
And by the time the school had finished at 4:15 pm, I actually, you know, the curiosity in me decided to go out. I went out and I was walking down
the trail. And according to the news, we were told of the housing estate where the fire was taking place.
So I made my way there. And as I progressed toward, you know, using my Google Maps, I was able to -- there were lots and lots of people, you know,
just crowding around, like looking at this fire and -- yes. It was -- yes.
So by the time we -- I got to the venue, there were just loads of people just, you know, looking at the fire, just looking really confused, not
knowing what to do except take a few photos and videos. Yes. So it was -- so, yes, all we did was just, you know, just follow the smoke, follow the
smoke and follow the map.
NEWTON: Yes. And we are looking at some of the pictures now from earlier in the day and we've got that scaffolding. But then obviously the green
cladding over it as well, which seems completely engulfed. Earlier you saw plumes of smoke. Now we are actually seeing full-on blazes.
Did you get a sense of how many people were able to escape this fire?
I mean, thankfully it was in middle of the afternoon. Hopefully most people were not in the building who usually live there.
MARRIOTT: To be quite honest, I really have no idea in terms of how many people were living there. I couldn't even -- I couldn't even answer at this
specific moment in time whether we had -- have or had any students who live there or any parents.
And, you know people who were part of the community living there, which is, when I got there, you know, we had a few students kind of passing by and
they were saying hi. And we kind of spoke about the thing. At the time, there were about two or three buildings on fire.
I think that was when it was -- I'm not too good with my terminology. But I think it was like a class three or class four and that was just before it
upgraded to class five. So it was three buildings billowing with smoke and there was fire.
And it wasn't until like, you know, later on in the evening, when the fire started building up and it engulfed the fourth building, and I think that
was when they started bringing it to category five.
So no, there was no smell. It was just a lot of visible, you know, flames and smoke. And in terms of how many people were evacuated, we could not
tell. I personally don't know anyone who lived in that building.
NEWTON: And so, Paul, I don't know how long you've lived in Hong Kong or if you live in a high-rise.
But how terrifying is this event right now for so many residents in Hong Kong as they take this in?
MARRIOTT: Well, I'll answer that. Yes. So I've lived in Hong Kong pretty much all my life. I was born here although I grew up in a very expat
international community. Unfortunately, I don't really speak Cantonese.
But beside the point, in terms of, like, the high-rise thing, in terms of all the, you know, the tragedies that we've, you know, the events that
we've had in Hong Kong, this by far in Tai Po is probably one of the worst events I've ever encountered in Tai Po of my 15 years of working in the Tai
Po district, if not the whole of Hong Kong.
So I would say, you know, in Hong Kong, it's very common to live in a high- rise building because it's a very densely populated city. There's so many people living here, so living in a high-rise building is like the norm. The
necessity, you know, we rely on lifts or elevators, as we call it, to go up and down.
And, you know, we have fire -- at school, we've got fire drills, we have fire exits and stuff. But we never really sit down to think what would
happen if there was a fire. And I'm just thinking if -- because we have had in the past couple of years, if you kind of look at the news we've had,
we've had quite a few building fires.
And I think the reason for that is like, we have a lot of flats that are very small and very dense. And people are just putting who knows what into
their flats, you know, connecting all these wires and stuff. Everything's so densely packed, it's bound to have a fire.
But I mean, a lot of the fires that you see in Hong Kong on the news, they usually just, you know, one flat, maybe one block, but very rarely is it
like eight blocks. I mean, that is just something way beyond our imagination. And it's just shocking. It was terrifying. And to me, I mean,
it's terrifying. It really is, absolutely terrifying.
NEWTON: It is incredibly concerning. We continue to take in the pictures from both earlier in the day and also what's happening now in the evening,
because this fire still looks out of control.
How sobering will this be, though, for the community that you work in, given how close it is to where you teach?
And obviously most people, hopefully at this point in time, being reunited with family members.
[10:15:00]
But then having to face the prospect of not having a home.
MARRIOTT: That's a really good question. And I was talking to quite a few friends and family members and colleagues about this.
This is not something that, you know, it just happened, it just happened to happen. And, you know, the next day, it's business as usual because we --
there could be people from our school who know people who live in that building, if not live in that building per se.
If this is going to affect a lot of people and this is not something that you can just brush under the carpet, this is something that's going to
linger in people's minds for a long time.
And I know in Hong Kong there's been a lot of debate. You know, some of the students have also had school debates, if not Hong Kong debates in general.
Should scaffolding, should bamboo scaffolding be abolished?
And there's been a lot of debate about it. I know I might be rabbit holing here but bamboo scaffolding is a cheap commodity. It's easy to get, you
know, in Hong Kong. But the problem is because it's got this kind of wood property to it. So it's flammable.
That might be -- this could very well be a case to say, hey, you know, maybe we've got to start abolishing bamboo scaffolding because of incidents
like this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: That was Paul Marriott, a teacher, who was an eyewitness in the last hour, speaking to us. I do want to update you as well that Chinese
leader Xi Jinping has expressed his condolences.
And in his words, he wants all-out efforts to make sure, of course, that those trapped can be rescued.
All right. We will continue to give you updates on this story throughout the hour. Later, we'll bring up the latest, of course, from the scene. As
you can see there, 11:16 pm in Hong Kong.
And then Russia's latest comments appear to pour cold water on U.S. posturing that an end to the Ukraine war is within -- is within sight.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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NEWTON: U.S. President Donald Trump is walking back his Thursday deadline for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. He now says his son-in-
law, Jared Kushner, may travel to Moscow with special envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with Putin next week.
It comes amid a bombshell leak from Bloomberg. Now the report contains a transcript of a phone call between Witkoff and one of Putin's aides in
October. Now in the call, Witkoff appears to be advising the aide on how to approach Mr. Trump on negotiations for the Ukraine war. The president is
brushing off those concerns, though. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I haven't heard it, no. but that's a standard thing, you know, because he's got to sell this to Ukraine. He's
got to sell Ukraine to Russia. That is what he's -- that's what a dealmaker does.
You got to say, look, they want this. You've got to convince them of this. You know, that's a very standard form of negotiation. I haven't heard it
but I heard it was standard negotiation. And I would imagine he's saying the same thing to Ukraine.
[10:20:00]
Because each party has to give and take.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: CNN's senior White House reporter Betsy Klein joins us now from Washington.
I know how closely you've been following this. I mean, look, the president is quite magnanimous there, saying nothing to see here. Move on. And yet it
is extraordinary because, at the end of the day, this transcript really lays out the fact that Mr. Witkoff is coaching the Russians on how to get
to the deal they want.
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It is absolutely extraordinary, Paula, and it really shows how we got to the path to this
28-point peace plan that has been the subject of intense discussion and negotiation between members of the Trump administration, along with
officials from Russia and Ukraine.
And it starts with that rare and remarkable transcript of this call between special envoy Steve Witkoff and his Russian counterpart, the foreign policy
advisor, Yuri Ushakov.
What Witkoff is doing in this call is advising Ushakov on how Putin should approach an upcoming phone call with President Trump. He says that
President Putin should congratulate President Trump on peace in the Middle East.
I want to read to you from the audio obtained by Bloomberg and transcribed by them.
Quote from Witkoff, "Just reiterate that you congratulate the president on this achievement, that you supported it, that you respect that he is a man
of peace. And you're just -- you're really glad to have seen it happen."
Ushakov goes on to say, "I agree with you that he will congratulate. He will say that Mr. Trump is a real peace man and so and so."
Now, President Trump's reaction, as you saw there, was to offer his full backing of Witkoff. He says that this is a standard negotiation and Witkoff
is a dealmaker.
Ushakov, meanwhile, pushing back, he says, quote, "Some of these leaks are fake. My conversations with Witkoff are confidential. No one should
disclose them. No one."
We are also hearing criticism from some of the Republican hawks on Capitol Hill, including Republican congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska. He says that
the transcript of this call reveals that Witkoff fully favors the Russians.
Now I want to get into the timeline here. This call took place on October 14th; two days later, October 16th. President Trump has that call with
President Putin, in which Putin congratulates Trump, according to a readout that the president posted to social media right afterward.
He suggested that peace in the Middle East could provide some momentum to end Russia's war in Ukraine.
And then a day after that, October 17th, the president hosts Ukraine's President Zelenskyy at the White House. That meeting, we reported at the
time, turned very tense, as the president suggested that Ukraine needed to make territorial concessions.
The next steps now, Witkoff set to travel to Moscow as soon as next week and he could be bringing Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, who has
been involved in some of these thornier foreign policy negotiations.
Also later this week, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll set to travel to Kyiv for ongoing discussions with the Ukrainians. President Trump says that he is
open to meeting with President Putin and Zelenskyy but not until a deal is final or close to final.
The president was also asked about that Thanksgiving deadline that he had imposed. He said that there is no deadline. The deadline for him is when
it's over. Paula.
NEWTON: Yes. Again, breathing a sigh of relief in Ukraine because certainly President Zelenskyy himself, just a few days ago, seemed to take
the deadline to heart. Betsy Klein for us, appreciate the update.
My next guest is former U.S. ambassador to NATO, Ivo Daalder.
He is -- he has been critical of the administration's approach on ending the war, writing, quote, "A serious effort focused on supporting Ukraine
and pressuring Russia might have produced results but this plan isn't serious. It's insulting."
Ivo Daalder joins us now from Chicago.
Really grateful to get your insights here. You know, embodied in your statement there is a concern that this leaves Ukraine not much wiggle room
here. And it leaves not just Ukraine vulnerable, right, but Europe as well vulnerable to Russian aggression in future, even after a ceasefire.
Why do you believe Ukraine and European allies have been unable, really, to convince anyone in the Trump administration to this point of that
vulnerability, of that risk of making this kind of a deal?
IVO DAALDER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NATO: Well, I think they have been able to convince secretary of state Marco Rubio.
And, indeed, the conversations that took place in Geneva on Sunday with Marco Rubio, European -- senior European leaders, as well as the
Ukrainians, shifted the conversation away from this Russian -- written Russian-pursued 28-point plan to what is now a 19-point plan that the
Ukrainians are claiming.
And I believe the Europeans also claim is it's much closer to what could be acceptable with some very important issues with regard to territory and
other issues to be resolved.
But I think it's important, that, as Betsy's report just underscored what Steve Witkoff, who was the principal negotiator, is trying to do is to try
to side with Russia against Ukraine.
[10:25:11]
Not only did he ask the President of Russia to call the President of the United States and flatter him and to allow him to make this kind of -- have
this conversation.
He also implied that, if he called before President Zelenskyy came to Washington on October 17th, then perhaps they could -- President Putin
could prevent the sell the sale of Tomahawk missiles, which was going to be under discussion with President Zelenskyy to Ukraine.
And indeed, after the meeting, President Trump said he was not going to sell these missiles. So not only is he trying to serve the Russian side on
the negotiations, he's trying to serve the Russian side in the actual fighting of the war.
NEWTON: Right. In terms of actually taking away any leverage that the United States might have had to try and get Russia to an agreement.
I do want to lean into some of these details of the 19 points, apparently, that may be left. There are concessions that apparently Ukraine is willing
to make.
But what conditions, as far as you see them, are non-negotiable?
I am thinking of things like security guarantees. I mean, at one point there weren't supposed to be any boots on the ground from allies.
Is that something that's -- that should be a concession that Ukraine is making at this point?
DAALDER: No, I don't think so. I think the -- there are two fundamental issues. One is the issue of territory. And President Zelenskyy has said he
is the only one who can negotiate that. So that is tabled. The other is Ukraine's sovereignty.
What does it mean to be a sovereign state?
It means that you can decide for yourself how to provide for your own security -- the strength and capability of your army, the capabilities that
that army possesses and the friendships that it has with other countries.
If Ukraine as a sovereign country decides that it needs and wants other countries to deploy their troops in Ukrainian territory, then that should
be its sovereign right. That is not something you negotiate away.
The idea that somehow you're going to limit Ukrainian sovereignty, which is at the core of this 28-point plan, is a Russian idea. It's not a Ukrainian
idea. It's not a European idea. And it shouldn't be a U.S. idea.
The sovereignty of Ukraine means it can decide the size of its armed forces and the capabilities. It can decide who's -- who it will ally with. It can
decide whether or not foreign troops are on its territory, not Russia, which is -- went to war to prevent Ukraine from deciding that that is the
core issue in this war.
And somehow the administration doesn't seem to get that.
NEWTON: And it is the core issue that has brought -- been brought up again and again, not just by Ukraine but by the European allies, that so-called
Coalition of the Willing.
You know, it strikes me that this is all sound and fury, signifying absolutely nothing, because I cannot see which concessions Russia is
willing to make at this hour.
This all serves a purpose, though, for Russia still, right?
Even if it doesn't get to the table, sign up to any kind of a ceasefire even, never mind a peace agreement.
DAALDER: Yes, no, it serves a great purpose. It divides the United States from Europe. It divides the United States from Ukraine.
It serves to have -- a whole discussion we have this week that says, what is Ukraine going to accept as opposed to when is Russia going to stop this
war?
After all, Russia started this war. It was Russian aggression that started it, not the Ukrainians. Ukrainians were living their lives in peace, not
threatening Russia, not in any way trying to take territory from Russia.
And yet we spend an entire week, debating what Ukraine will and will not accept as opposed to talking about what Russia needs to do in order to end
this war. And that is a major success for Vladimir Putin. Every moment we talk about what Ukraine needs to do is a moment that Russia wins.
NEWTON: Evo, I don't have a lot of time left.
But given, you know what you've seen in the last couple of weeks, I mean, many people want a deal to happen, right?
Not least of which are the Ukrainian people themselves. There is certainly momentum after the Middle East ceasefire. Having said that, look, you're
negotiating with a terror group, not a nuclear superpower there.
What odds do you see of this coming together?
Because to give the Trump administration credit, at times they seem able to break deadlocks that other administrations cannot.
DAALDER: Well, I mean, we're approaching Thanksgiving. So yes, this is a time when one hopes that that peace can prevail. But I'm afraid that the
differences between Russia and Ukraine are just too, too big to bridge diplomatically, no matter how skilled or not the diplomacy is from the
Trump administration.
So I'm afraid we're going to see this continuing for quite a while unless and until Putin decides to end this war. He can decide tomorrow, take his
troops out, go home and the war will be over.
[10:30:05]
It's that simple. And that should be our goal.
NEWTON: And that has been repeated often over the last few years. Evo Daalder, I wish you a happy Thanksgiving and we'll continue to speak to
you. Appreciate it.
DAALDER: Thanks, Paula.
NEWTON: OK. Still to come for us here at CNN, six lawmakers face potential retribution for a video reminding military members they can refuse unlawful
orders.
How far will an FBI investigation go?
And we're following the high-rise fire in Hong Kong. My conversation with the fire and emergency planning consultant on how this is playing out on
the ground. You will want to hear this.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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NEWTON (voice-over): And a warm welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD. Here are the headlines this hour.
Authorities in Hong Kong say at least 13 people are dead, 15 injured, as an unknown number still remain trapped at this hour in that Hong Kong high-
rise fire. Firefighters are battling the huge blaze, which has engulfed several high-rise apartment towers. They are desperately trying to reach
people trapped on upper floors.
But extreme temperatures are making that next to impossible.
The Kremlin says it's premature to talk about an end to the war in Ukraine. It comes as U.S. President Trump walks back his Thursday deadline for an
agreement. He suggested some of the main sticking points centered around territorial concessions.
The FBI wants to interview the six Democratic lawmakers who U.S. President Donald Trump has accused of seditious behavior. The bureau is looking into
-- to interview the lawmakers about the video they made last week, urging military service members to refuse illegal orders.
Lawmakers say they won't be intimidated by the Trump administration. Now as a reminder, this is the video that has stirred so much controversy and
angered the U.S. president. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARK KELLY (D-AZ): Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders.
SEN. ELISSA SLOTKIN (D-MI): You can refuse illegal orders.
REP. CHRIS DELUZIO (D-PA): You must refuse illegal orders.
SLOTKIN: No one has to carry out orders that violate the law.
REP. CHRISSY HOULAHAN (D-PA): Or our constitution.
REP. JASON CROW (D-CO): We know this is hard.
KELLY: And that it's a difficult time to be a public servant.
SLOTKIN: But whether you're serving in the CIA --
CROW: -- the Army --
DELUZIO: -- or Navy --
HOULAHAN: -- the Air Force --
KELLY: Your vigilance is critical.
SLOTKIN: And know that we have your back.
CROW: Because now, more than ever.
HOULAHAN: The American people need you.
SLOTKIN: We need you to stand up for our laws.
DELUZIO: Our Constitution.
KELLY: And who we are as Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Now meantime, a source tells CNN that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is looking to make an example of Senator Mark Kelly. You just saw him there,
the retired Navy captain and one of the -- is one of the six Democratic lawmakers who, as you just saw, appeared in that video.
[10:35:02]
Now Hegseth is said to be considering a range of potential punishments here, from reducing Kelly's rank and his pension to actually prosecuting
him under military law. Here's more from CNN's Zachary Cohen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: We're told now that, behind closed doors, Hegseth is considering a variety of options to
effectively punish Kelly, using potentially military law to do so.
And that is something we're told, technically speaking, is possible that Kelly, because of his status as a retiree from the military, he could be
recalled back into active service and court-martialed as a result.
Now it remains unclear, despite all the public attacks, levied by the president on down to his cabinet members, what exact violation of the --
what's known as the Uniform Military Code of Justice -- what violation Kelly, in their minds, committed by speaking out about in the city of (ph).
But at the same time, we've seen them quote several different possibilities, including the president himself using -- or words of art
(ph) in terms of our legal terms (INAUDIBLE) likes to dish in as treason (ph).
He clearly has been calling on this administration to hold these lawmakers accountable and to really send a message. And that what Hegseth appears
willing to do by focusing his efforts on Kelly himself.
Now in response to the way this conversation about Kelly, a coalition of former military judge advocates, in a rare statement, calling this push
political or partisan in nature, legally baseless and compromised by unlawful influence.
And, of course, the last one they're referring to, Hegseth's own public comments about Kelly, in which he's insinuated his -- Kelly's guilt and
effectively tainted the process, according to these former military lawyers, preventing Kelly from ever getting a fair trial if it comes to
that.
Now Hegseth has given his Navy Secretary until December 10th to review this case and provide him with recommendations on how to move forward. But
ultimately, at the end of the day, this will be up to Hegseth to decide if he wants to continue to push for Mark Kelly's potential legal proceedings
in military court.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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NEWTON: Thanks to Zachary Cohen for that.
And back to our breaking news in Hong Kong with more shocking images of that deadly high-rise apartment fire. Authorities say at least 13 people
have died. An unknown number, though, at this hour, remain trapped as fire continues to tear through these 31-story residential towers.
Firefighters, facing unimaginable conditions and intense temperatures, smoke, say they know there are still people on the upper floors and they
are trying to reach them.
The fire likely spread along bamboo scaffolding, which had been set up around the outside of the buildings. Now earlier, I spoke with Stephen
Mackenzie. He is an independent fire and emergency planning consultant, who says he's clearly dismayed by how this could have happened.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEPHEN MACKENZIE, FIRE AND EMERGENCY PLANNING CONSULTANT: Bamboo is -- it's got a degree of flame retardants. But once you get a fully developed
fire, it just starts watering and going.
There is fire phenomenon such as the chimney effect and there might be wind-driven elements, given the high-rise and low atmospheric elements,
which actually are just driving the fire. And then the scaffolding would just actually lose its structural integrity and showering down on
surrounding buildings and responding emergency services.
The burning debris, it's astonishing that we don't have any fire breaks and that seven out of the eight blocks have been affected. And we've been
warning since 2020 -- 2017 that we're expecting Grenfell, too, somewhere in the world and now we have it, a major life loss event with over 14 to
start, 13 (ph) fatalities we know of.
And that unfortunate death count may rise as emergency services proceed.
NEWTON: Yes. And we certainly hope for the best there because this has been burning for several hours. I do want to return to that point that you
make.
And just to remind our viewers, that is the Grenfell Tower fire that happened in 2017. An absolute devastating event there in London, where more
than 70 people lost their lives.
And the video that we saw from there also involved the cladding around the building, which seemed to really go up in flames very, very quickly here.
As you see this fire unfold here in Hong Kong, what would you say about that in terms of its similarities to Grenfell and what needs to happen?
Because, let's face it, many buildings around the world are clad in scaffolding at this hour, undergoing repairs and renovations.
MACKENZIE: Yes. But outside Asia, the majority of scaffolding that is currently in the Western world is heavily controlled. We generally use
steel or aluminum elements in the U.K. following a number of high-profile high-rise fires in the London area.
We're trying to encourage clients to move from timber-based decking materials into aluminum materials.
[10:40:06]
And also be very careful in the selection of fire retardant netting or scaffold coverings. However, in Asia, the bamboo is a locally-sourced,
cheap, sustainable material. But ultimately it's combustible.
Therefore, when you get a fully developed fire, it will lose its integrity. The fire load is -- it spreads up to the building, will adhere to the
building, be drawn into the building using a chimney effect of the corona effect. And therefore the fire will then accelerate.
And then if you get any high winds in the area, it will then give a wind- driven effect which can have potentially lethal consequences that we see. And also ultimately with the showering debris -- they project 1.5 times the
building height -- impacts on, as we see in all high-rise fire emergency services response and operations.
We did inform the Grenfell inquiry chair in 2017 to put the United Nations on notice to say we will have other high-rise out there with other fire
phenomena and other dangers and hazards and risks that we haven't yet identified.
And therefore please put them on notice formally so that the international community can start looking at high-rise safety. And there's been a huge
body of work done since then.
But there is no central international reporting mechanism. And it's a lot of independent consultants like myself trying to champion public policy or
influence governments or trying to keep residents safe at home. And then we get these big, large events, which leads to a public inquiry or a inquiry
and then a change in legislation again.
NEWTON: And the -- but the task that you outlined right there, immense, really.
Stephen, I want to ask you, as we continue to take in these pictures and the fact that the fire clearly is not under control at this hour, what are
firefighters trying to do now as they continue?
They've got so many units on the scene. You can see that they are directing as many fire hoses as they can at the building. And yet Ivan Watson just
showed us that, in fact, the firefighters are suiting up.
I mean, they've explained how dangerous it is right now. You've got flying debris on fire, you've got intense temperatures.
What are they trying to do to finally bring this fire under control right now?
MACKENZIE: They're trying to do two predominant things. One is to gear up the weight of response to the fire. And we use different levels -- bronze,
silver and gold command. And we can draw upon the entire area fire response and draw on neighboring firefighters to put away response on.
These are quite well practiced after Grenfell, the firefighting community picked up those lessons learned very, very quickly.
They're trying to do two things. One is to get and control the external fire spread within the building of origin and to neighboring buildings and
also penetrate the blocks ...
I must pause. We just shouldn't see this after Grenfell, after the extensive public inquiry, we should not see fire spread from a block to a
block to a block in an occupied premises. This is tantamount to gross negligence. It should not happen. It flies in the face of the entire
premise of fire and life safety legislation.
The firefighters were desperately trying to contain the fire and to enter to rescue any persons within the building. And we expect, unfortunately,
we're going to move from a fire containment process to search and rescues and then persons recovery.
This is an absolute devastating fire and I just cannot believe what we're seeing. It should not happen with modern building legislation. And after
all the legislation after the Grenfell tower fire, I'm stunned.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Stephen Mackenzie there, who says he continues in the last few years to really have more safety protocols in high-rises, not just in Hong
Kong but around the world.
Now stay with us. We will go back live on the scene to Hong Kong and the site of that high-rise fire.
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[10:45:00]
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NEWTON: All right. We continue to follow the breaking news out of Hong Kong. At least 13 people have been killed and 15 others injured in a
massive fire at a high-rise apartment complex. Police say they have received multiple reports of people still trapped inside.
However, firefighters are warning that the extreme heat of the flames and, of course, the smoke is making it impossible for rescuers to reach anyone
who might be on the top floors at this hour. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHAN (through translator): Fires in some individual units are very fierce and our firefighters have encountered extremely high temperatures inside
the buildings.
Furthermore, there are still cases in the upper floors that we are still unable to reach. However, our control center is in touch with them by
phone. Once we are able to reach the units in the upper floor, we will immediately bring them to safety.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: CNN's Ivan Watson remains on the scene for us.
And Ivan, what more can you tell us?
Because I know in the last hour you witnessed firefighters suiting up, you know, oxygen tanks at hand.
What more do they seem to be doing there?
WATSON: Yes. I mean, from this location, I can't tell if they're trying to penetrate into these buildings, which are -- do still seem to be burning
out of control. We've heard a little bit more from some of the residents.
For example, a retiree who had purchased an apartment in this public housing development and was in Mainland China and had seen reports that one
of the towers was on fire and then flew to Hong Kong.
And then by the time he landed, the fire had spread to the seven, in total, out of the eight towers here. And his apartment had gone up, likely has
gone up in smoke.
Another elderly woman who never says she says she never heard a fire alarm, that the fire was in one of the towers, and she came out on her own and saw
that it was spreading quickly. And realized that it would have been dangerous for her to go back to her home.
And these are just some of the thousands of people who have been made homeless in the last couple of hours. In addition to that, there is the
real concern that there might be people still trapped in there.
If we can take the account of that one eyewitness, who claims she never heard a fire alarm, or we take into account the fact that this housing
complex was home to more than 4,000 people -- of course, not all of them would have been home at the time that the fire was first reported.
This was just before 3 pm earlier today but a disproportionate amount of the residents are elderly, 65 and above. This is public housing, more
affordable housing. So if people were caught unawares, well, if you're at the top floors, then the elevators are not going to work in a fire.
That means you have to walk down perhaps 15, 20, 25 stories of stairs. And that would be difficult for some people, certainly some of the elderly. So
these are some of the scenarios that you're going through as this fire continues.
Now more than nine hours after the first reports, continues to burn out of control. In fact one of our reporters heard that some of the embers had had
spread across the waterway and briefly ignited a blaze across a canal from here.
[10:50:10]
That's been put out, fortunately. But this main fire continues to burn and there're going to be real questions about how it could be possible in a
city with a safety record like Hong Kong, that you could have an inferno like this with a death toll that now already puts this at one of Hong
Kong's deadliest fires in recent history. Paula.
NEWTON: I mean, Ivan, the reporting you've been bringing us in, the pictures that we're seeing are just terrifying and remain so. We certainly
hope to hear of some of those rescues in the in the coming hours, 11:50 pm now in Hong Kong.
They've been at this for about -- for more than eight hours now in terms of trying to battle this fire. Ivan Watson, grateful to you.
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NEWTON: And breaking news now from the U.S. state of Georgia. The new prosecutor in the state's election interference case against President
Donald Trump and his allies is dismissing that case.
Now. Pete Skandalakis made the decision two weeks after he appointed himself as prosecutor. President Trump and others have been charged with
attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Stay with us. We will certainly have more on that story as well. We'll have more on the -- after a quick break as we continue to monitor the breaking
news. Stay with CONNECT THE WORLD.
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NEWTON: Today is expected to be one of the busiest travel days in the United States on the roads and, of course, at airports as well, as millions
of people head out for the Thanksgiving holiday. Transportation officials say it's a 15-year high for travel and to expect heavy traffic right across
the country.
But an unwelcome guest, yes, the weather, not cooperating. Apparently in Minnesota, they call this puking snow. You can see snow, rain and even ice.
Yes, ice could complicate the travel rush. People, slow down. That's the advice I have for you.
Joining us now from Reagan National Airport in Washington is CNN's Pete Muntean, who always has some great advice about traveling.
And I have to say, breaking records post-COVID and everything and post-the shutdown a good thing, right?
People are getting to see family and friends.
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Totally a good thing. You know, I appreciate the advice of a Canadian. Slow down. If you're not used to the
snow here at Reagan National Airport, things are actually moving at a pretty good clip, though.
This is the Terminal 2 North checkpoint here at DCA. You can see how smooth things are. Things have been pretty orderly, you have to say. Got to hand
it to the TSA. They're handing -- handling about 2.7 million people in total today.
That's about the same as we saw yesterday, although it feels like, here at the airport, things have been a little bit bigger. I can say it was harder
to find a parking spot here. The traffic has picked up a little bit.
You know, there was so much concern going into this Thanksgiving travel rush because we're not that far out of the grasp of the government shutdown
that lasted about 43 days, not all that far back in the rearview.
And there was a lot of concern about cancellations and delays. Remember that airlines had to cancel thousands of flights because of a mandate from
the Trump administration.
And I want you to listen now to AAA's Aixa Diaz, who says that a lot of people may have been waiting essentially until the last minute to book
their flights, sitting on the sidelines, worried about how the government shutdown would really pan out and impact Thanksgiving travel. Listen.
[10:55:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AIXA DIAZ, SPOKESPERSON, AAA: Certainly some people have that concern. I think most people, though, who want to fly and had their tickets booked,
they were waiting to see what would happen and they were taking a wait and see approach.
And it's worked out for them that flights are now going back, back to normal. Of course, the weather is always the wild card here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MUNTEAN: Weather is the big wild card and we just heard from the Federal Aviation Administration that there is a ground stop for flights to Chicago
O'Hare right now because of snow and ice. There was a ground stop here earlier at Reagan National Airport because of low cloud ceilings. That has
since ended.
Although the Federal Aviation Administration is warning of ground stops today for flights to Newark; also flights to Philadelphia hubs for United
and American Airlines, respectively. So that could have a big impact on international trips as this holiday continues. We're not totally out of the
woods yet, Paula.
NEWTON: Pete Muntean, we are thankful for you. We will continue to keep an eye on it, both on the roads and in the air. Appreciate it.
Now Pope Leo is encouraging gratitude ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE LEO XIV, PONTIFF, ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH: I would encourage all people, especially with this beautiful feast that we have in the United
States -- which unites all people, people of different faiths, people who perhaps do not have the gift of faith -- but to say thank you to someone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now the pontiff's comments come as he begins his first trip abroad as pontiff. That will begin today and for six days he will be going to the
Middle East. Now he's going to Turkiye first, then Lebanon. He was invited by their presidents. It's an effort to keep promises made by his
predecessor, Pope Francis, to visit both countries.
That's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. I want to thank you for joining us. Stay with us, though. We will update the Hong Kong fires with "ONE WORLD," which
is up next.
END
