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19 Dead After Plane Crashes Into Tanzania's Lake Victoria; Trump, DeSantis Hold Dueling Rallies In Potential 2024 Preview; Houston Will Honor Astros At World Series Parade Today. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired November 07, 2022 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:30:00]
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely the Kremlin's motivation -- to try to break the will of the Ukrainian people. To try to ramp up the cost of this conflict even for families that are far, far away from the front lines.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Salma. Thank you so much for that in Kyiv.
All right, 19 people are dead after a tragic plane crash in Tanzania. Officials say the commercial flight crash-landed in Lake Victoria on Sunday because of winds and heavy rain.
CNN's Larry Madowo joining me live from Johannesburg, South Africa. Larry, what can you tell us about the circumstances of this crash?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christine, the puzzle is whether the 19 people that were killed was as a result of the impact of the crash landing or they drowned because there is some inconsistency regarding the public statements, the eyewitness accounts -- survivors of this crash.
The officials initially said Sunday that they had been in contact with the captain and the first officer after the aircraft was already in the water. But later on, when the names of the 19 who were killed were released, the pilots were among the dead.
So one of the working theories here is that this could have been another example of the miracle on the Hudson. That this plane landed safely on the water, shallow enough to pull the plane out of it and rescue people. But because the emergency services -- the rescue didn't happen fast enough that many of these people could have possibly drowned, which is a tragic situation.
We know this aircraft left Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital of Tanzania around 6:00 a.m. local. It was expected at around 8:30 in the northwest part of the country, but at 8:53 it had still not been -- it had not landed and that is when an alarm was raised. And shortly after that, that's when it ditched into the lake.
This is a decent regional airline and has a great safety record. This is the worst accident in its history. This aircraft had only been in operation with the airline for 12 years. It's a French-manufactured aircraft and the ATR, the company that makes it, now says it's supporting the investigation in line with international protocol.
But a true tragedy here. Nineteen people killed in an accident that some say could have been avoided if enough people got there with the right equipment and the right training to pull people out. Because what happened is local fishermen in villages came in and did their best and got some people to safety.
ROMANS: Amazing -- amazing story there. All right, Larry, thank you so much.
Quick hits around the globe right now.
North Korea defending its latest series of missile launches that sparked international outrage. Now, Pyongyang says they were in response to what it called intolerable joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises in recent months.
At least 13 people are dead after a nightclub fire in the Russian city of Kostroma this weekend. Officials believe it was sparked by someone lighting fireworks.
The captain of a migrant rescue ship refused to obey Italian orders to leave a port after authorities would not allow 35 male migrants on board to disembark in Sicily. The ban is part of the new far-right-led government's tactics targeting migrants.
All right, Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis holding dueling rallies in Florida. A preview of the 2024 Republican primaries. And one Republican who now says he will not be part of those primaries.
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[05:37:49]
ROMANS: Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis holding dueling rallies in Florida over the weekend, possibly previewing the 2024 race for president. The former president gave DeSantis a new nickname while the governor didn't name Trump at all.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): To ensure that all of our laws are enforced, we've created in-state government for the first time -- a unit for election integrity and to prosecute voter fraud.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There it is. Trump at 71, Ron DeSanctimonious at 10 percent.
CNN's Steve Contorno live in St. Petersburg, Florida with more. We know the president has been -- former president has been testing out possible nicknames for his potential rival. Could their rivalry impact the midterm outcome?
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Well, Christine, it has certainly overshadowed the final weeks of the race here. And Republicans are just flummoxed why these two men are already jousting about 2024 when we haven't finished the 2022 elections yet. I talked to one Republican official who said he's exhausted by all the intrigue so far.
And if you think about it, just how extraordinary it is that you would have two of the biggest names in the Republican Party in Florida and in the country holding dueling campaign events on opposite ends of Florida's coast just days before an election when we normally see parties come together and have like a show of unity. But instead, we have Trump in Miami, DeSantis holding three events all throughout the west coast of Florida yesterday. And it just shows how this rivalry is really already seeping into the public.
But as far as these midterms go, look, the Republicans already having a very strong showing in this election. Their turnout in early voting is far outpacing Democrats and outpacing their own performance in previous election cycles. And Republican voters here -- they love Trump, they love DeSantis. There's no rift in their hearts between these two guys, at least not yet.
And even Trump himself, last night, when he was at his rally in Miami, told his supporters to make sure they go out and vote for Gov. DeSantis -- sort of walking back a little bit of the Ron DeSanctimonious from the night before.
[05:40:02]
But it is still quite the scene to see these two guys already having this rivalry out in full display in public when --
ROMANS: Yes.
CONTORNO: -- we're not even out of the 2022 election cycle yet, Christine.
ROMANS: Yes. No, we are not.
All right, thank you so much, Ron. So nice to see you. Thank you.
All right, Trump's former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeting his support for Gov. DeSantis. After Trump mocked DeSantis at that rally over the weekend, Pompeo posted "Not tired of winning. @GovRonDeSantis you've proven conservative policies work. Florida is better for it. Vote for Gov. Ron DeSantis."
Pompeo plans to decide whether he wants to run for president in the spring.
Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton deciding not to run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Sources tell CNN Cotton's decision comes after months of consultation with donors, and aides, allies, and his own family. They say Cotton ultimately did not want to be away from his young sons but that he remains open to serving in a future Republican administration.
All right. First, Twitter, now Facebook looking at large-scale layoffs. And we'll look ahead to the stories that will grip Washington and beyond after the elections.
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[05:45:21]
ROMANS: Your Romans' Numeral this morning, 87,000. Facebook parent company Meta reported more than 87,000 employees at the end of September. It added tens of thousands of workers during the pandemic.
And now a report in the Wall Street Journal says the social media giant plans large-scale layoffs expected to affect thousands of employees. The Journal reports Meta has already told employees to cancel nonessential travel beginning this week.
The move would make the first major headcount reduction in the company's history.
Looking at markets around the world, the possibility of China easing COVID-19 restrictions prompted a rally for Asian markets. European shares have opened mixed here. And on Wall Street, stock index futures are looking for a bounce back after a lower week for stocks.
It's an election week with the economy issue number one. Inflation hurting family budgets. But the job market is resilient, just now beginning to show signs of slowing down after six months of rate increases. Two hundred sixty-one thousand jobs added back to the economy in October, the fewest since December 2020. A year ago, that same month, 677,000 jobs were created. You can see the slowdown in action there.
We get a gut check this week with October's Consumer Price Index Thursday, consumer credit data. Weekly jobless claims also due out this week.
Gas prices held steady overnight, now sitting at $3.80 a gallon.
Our next guest says there will be several major stories developing immediately after the midterm elections. Let's bring in Greg Valliere, chief U.S. strategist at AGF Investments.
Greg, I want to start here first, though, with the warning about the economy that so many Democrats have been -- have been talking about. Let's listen to Hilary Rosen, a Democratic strategist, of what she said the Democrats got wrong this election cycle.
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HILARY ROSEN, POLITICAL STRATEGIST: We did not listen to voters in this election and I think we're going to have a bad night. When voters tell you over and over and over again that they care mostly about the economy, listen to them. Stop talking about democracy being at stake.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Is it the message that's muddled on the economy, or is it the fact that 8.2 percent consumer inflation is sort of insurmountable?
GREG VALLIERE, CHIEF U.S. STRATEGIST, AGF INVESTMENTS INC. (via Skype): I think it's insurmountable. Good morning, Christine.
ROMANS: Good morning.
VALLIERE: I think the messenger, Joe Biden, wasn't particularly effective. He looked pretty feeble toward the end of the campaign. It's like a perfect storm. Anything that could have gone wrong for the Democrats has gone wrong.
ROMANS: All right, let's talk about what you say in your piece, the "Six Stories to Watch Immediately After the Election."
One, you say it's highly likely that Republicans have a really good night. And then you say look, for recounts and allegations. What do you mean?
VALLIERE: I think several states will have recounts. That's to be expected. And I'm sure there will be some allegations of voter fraud. But I don't see it as debilitating as it was two years ago.
ROMANS: You also say the next campaign will begin on election night.
VALLIERE: Indeed, yes. You know, DeSantis will win Florida and he'll sound like a candidate. And we've already heard Donald Trump over the weekend starting to sound like a candidate. So, yes -- so, we've had a two-year campaign and we're going to have another two-year campaign.
ROMANS: Do you think -- you think Trump's going to run?
VALLIERE: Oh, absolutely. I think it's just a question of when. I think he'll announce by Thanksgiving.
ROMANS: What will Congress do? That is issue number three for you.
VALLIERE: That's a big deal. Spending mostly. I think Congress wants to get the debt ceiling out of the way because Republicans are talking about shutting down the government.
And I think also, crucially, there's got to be more money for Ukraine because a lot of people are getting cold feet on that. So I think you'll see a lot more spending between now and Christmas.
ROMANS: Do you think they'll raise the debt ceiling or vote to eliminate the debt ceiling? Is that a possibility?
VALLIERE: They'll try to eliminate it. That's going to be really intriguing.
ROMANS: All right. Next, the long cold war. Will the resolve for the -- from the West for Ukraine -- that's going to be important to watch.
VALLIERE: Everywhere you look now you see people getting slightly less enthusiastic about Ukraine unless Zelenskyy makes a pledge that he will negotiate. He hasn't done that. The Washington Post is reporting Washington is pressuring him to do that. That'll be a big story right after the election.
ROMANS: But isn't that mostly the fringes of the Republican Party, not the mainstream?
VALLIERE: Fringes of the Republican Party but also fringes of the Democratic Party. So you've got -- in both parties you've got a growing aversion to spending a lot more money on Ukraine.
ROMANS: All right. Number five on your list of six is housecleaning. What do you mean?
VALLIERE: I think some people will go -- maybe some economic officials. There's been reports about Ron Klain, Janet Yellen. I think there will be a lot of people leaving between now and the holidays.
ROMANS: And number six, what do you think comes next for Biden and the Democrats?
[05:50:02]
VALLIERE: That's the big one, isn't it? I think there will be a cry from a lot of Democrats that he should not run again. And I think despite his assertion that he will run again, I think lots of things -- especially, his age -- will combine to force the president to announce that he's only going to serve one term.
ROMANS: You know, usually after a midterm election you have kind of this sort of collective pause heading to the holidays, traditionally.
VALLIERE: Yes.
ROMANS: That's not going to happen, is it?
VALLIERE: No, the old days are gone. So literally, within 24 hours of the election, we'll start a new cycle with all sorts of new stories.
ROMANS: All right, Greg Valliere. You will be wagering on what it all means for all of us -- AFG Investments. Nice to see you. Thanks, Greg.
VALLIERE: You bet -- yes.
ROMANS: All right. A source telling CNN Twitter is delaying the rollout of its $8.00 subscription plan for the blue verified checkmark until after the midterms. The new feature was expected to be part of the app's latest update. New owner Elon Musk claims the plan will help fight spam on the platform, but the idea to charge users for verification has fierce -- has faced fierce public backlash.
Next on "CNN THIS MORNING," Twitter now asking some just-fired employees to come back. And a new exclusive interview with House minority leader Kevin McCarthy.
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[05:55:40]
ROMANS: OK. So the Powerball jackpot growing to a whopping $1.9 billion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your Powerball number tonight -- good luck, everyone -- is 20, and your Power Play --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: No winning tickets were sold in Saturday night's drawing. The next drawing is set for today. So if someone wins this thing it will be the largest lottery prize ever. Whoever wins can either opt for an annuity spread over 29 years or a lump sum payment of more than $929 million. I say go for the lump sum and think about how to grow the money and don't spend it.
All right, another day, another record- setting performance by Tom Brady.
Coy Wire has more in this morning's Bleacher Report. Hey, Coy.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine. Can you spend that much money, ever?
ROMANS: I can try.
WIRE: Yes. Good to see you.
It's a tough season so far for Tom Brady, right, but the 45-year-old reminded everyone he's the GOAT. He became the first player to go over 100,000 passing yards and led a game-winning drive. And afterwards, you could almost feel the relief on his face.
With 44 seconds to go, his Bucs trailing the defending champion Rams 13-9. Sixty yards in front of him -- watch him work. A huge pass to Cade Otton and gets the Bucs to the Rams' 32-yard line. Then, a quick hit to Leonard Fournette, followed by another to Scotty Miller.
Just 19 seconds to go now and it's back to Miller. He's just taking what the defense gives him, Christine. It's simple. And Brady, after a pass interference call, then fires the game-winner to Otton.
The work of an artist. The greatest comeback artist in NFL history. A record 55 career game-winning drives now.
And here's that relief when he walked into that postseason -- postgame press conference.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM BRADY, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS QUARTERBACK: That was awesome. That was (bleep) awesome.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: How about those Chiefs hosting the Titans in primetime? Derrick Henry is a machine -- 115 yards, two touchdowns, breaking Earl Campbell's franchise rushing touchdown record with 74.
But the night belonged to Magic Mahomes, the Chiefs' superstar quarterback throwing for 446 yards, then making Jeffery Simmons look like a baby draft on ice on his way to a touchdown. Sixty-three yards on the ground for him.
The Chiefs were down by two, so they go for two. Again, it's Patrick Mahomes getting the block and getting in.
So, in overtime, Mahomes fires to Noah Gray who makes a bobbling catch, putting the Chiefs in field goal range. They kick it, make it, take the lead. And then the defense who held Malik Willis to just five completions on the night, hang on to get the 20-17 overtime win. Now 6-2 and tied for first in the AFC.
And that's because the Bills had their role slowed by the New York Jets and a broken SkyCam, Christine. The game delayed over 10 minutes in MetLife Stadium. Robert Sola's defense was the story, though, harassing MVP candidate Josh Allen all day -- picking him off twice.
This one by Sauce Gardner. That set up the go-ahead score. And Zach Wilson swings it to James Robinson who just joined the team last week. He gets in for the score.
The Jets win 20-17. They're 6-3 and just a half-game behind Buffalo in the AFC East.
What is going on with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers -- one of the biggest questions in the NFL.
Rookie Aidan Hutchinson intercepts Rodgers early in the game. The 1-6 Lions came to play. Aaron Glenn's defense, stellar. Kerby Joseph had two interceptions off Rodgers.
The Packers did have one shot left with 40 seconds to go but Rodgers pass lands in no man's land. The Lions win 15-9, and the Packers are now 3-6, having lost five in a row.
NASCAR's Cup Series crown on the line in Phoenix yesterday. Thirty- two-year-old Joey Logano finished in the top 10 eight times over the previous 10 seasons with only one championship to show for it in 2018. But now he gets his second. What a year for him and for team owner Roger Penske, winning the NASCAR and the IndyCar titles.
Finally, the Astros will have their World Series parade this afternoon in Houston, Christine. They won their second title in six years Saturday night.
This is video shot by our very own Andy Scholes in the clubhouse after the win. I believe Andy is with you tomorrow, Christine, so you need to be sure to bring this out of him. The passion was just oozing from him all weekend long. It was something to see.
ROMANS: I will. I will ask him, for sure. I'm sure he had a great time covering that.
Nice to see you, Coy.
WIRE: You, too, Christine.
ROMANS: All right, thanks for joining me. I'm Christine Romans. "CNN THIS MORNING" starts right now.
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