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First Move with Julia Chatterley
Hurricane Helene Bears Down On Florida; Zelenskyy Presents "Victory Plan" To Biden; Zelenskyy To Meet With Harris In Washington; U.S. And Allies Push For Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire; Longest-Serving Death Row Inmate In Japan Acquitted; Fortescue's "Real Zero" Initiative; Hurricane Helene Now, A Category 4 Hurricane; New York City Mayor Indicted; Macao Toymakers To Revive Toy-Making Tradition; Giant Pandas Arrive In Hong Kong; World Record In Baseball. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired September 26, 2024 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:05]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's going to be I-10, U.S. 98, and U. S. 19. We're working directly with local utility companies to have a direct line of
communication to expedite our cut and toss efforts. A lot of times when storms like this come through, you can have oak trees wrapped in power
lines, it takes very close coordination with utilities and we're ready to do that.
The cut and toss efforts have actually already begun in Southwest Florida. The impacts were not that significant where the storm has already passed.
FDOT crews have already driven and cleared more than 2,000 miles of roadway in southwest Florida. So --
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: -- in Hong Kong 6:00 a.m. to be precise, 7:00 in Tokyo, spin the globe and it's Monday night at 6:00 p.m.
in New York. I'm Richard Quest in for Julia Chatterley. And wherever you're joining me tonight or today, it's your "First Move."
And a warm welcome. This is your need to know. Warnings of an unsurvivable storm surge as Hurricane Helene bears down on Florida. In Japan, the
world's longest serving death row inmate has been acquitted. A court found the evidence against him was made up. And Hong Kong is rolling out the red
carpet to welcome two giant pandas from China, while Finland is sending pandas home. We've got all of that and more.
We must begin in Florida, where Hurricane Helene is approaching fast, and with it, potentially deadly storm surges and powerful winds. It's expected
to become a Category 4 hurricane when it arrives on land, that's about four and a half hours from now.
So, far, at least 60 million people are under some sort of watch or warning across at least 12 states in the southern and eastern U.S. The warnings are
of an unsurvivable storm surge of six meters, that's 20 feet or more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEANNE CRISWELL, FEMA ADMINISTRATOR: Now, it looks like it's a dead on hit to Tallahassee.
GOV. ROY COOPER (D-NC): This is an unusually dangerous storm that threatens to bring heavy rain and potentially catastrophic flooding.
GOV. BRIAN KEMP (R-GA): This will be a statewide event. We expect strong winds throughout the state with hurricane force winds, wind gust up to 80
to 100 miles an hour.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Helene is simply massive. You can see this view from the International Space Station. And those tropical storm force winds reach out
about 350 miles or 500 kilometers from the center. They're so far and large, they go from the west, western Cuba, all the way to the north of
Tampa Bay.
Now, earlier, on Thursday, Hurricane Hunters flew through the eye of the storm as it was gathering pace. And Kamala Harris, the U.S. vice president,
gave this warning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: So, the president and I, of course, are monitoring the case and
the situation closely. And we urge everyone who is watching at this very moment to take this storm very seriously. And please follow the guidance of
your local officials.
And President Biden and I, of course, will continue to work closely with state and local officials to ensure that everyone is safe and to protect
communities before, during, and after the storm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: With me is Florida Chief Fire Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis, sir Thank you for taking time. I know how busy you are. You're
joining me from Tallahassee. From your point of view, how bad and dangerous is this storm?
JIMMY PATRONIS, FLORIDA CFO AND STATE FIRE MARSHAL: Well, this storm is bigger than the State of Florida. And this is probably the second largest
storm that we've had in the last 18 years. This storm being just a massive in size.
It will probably make landfall as close to a Category 4 storm. And as it gets closer to shore, it will be traveling at almost 24 to 27 miles per
hour. So, it will be at breakneck speed with huge storm surge and they -- as they say, with these storms, you can hide from the wind, but you must
run from the water. There is nowhere to hide from water of this magnitude.
QUEST: The storm surge at 20 feet, this is going to cause flooding on an extraordinary scale. And with that, you end up with power lines down,
obviously, the risk of trees falling, electrocutions. If you haven't left or got out of the way, what do you do?
PATRONIS: So, you know, we have been stressing for the evacuations. And there's at least a note Hurricane Idalia last year's storm, Hurricane
Debby, this year's storm, and now, with Hurricane Helene, this year's storm, three storms almost within 50 miles of each other.
[18:05:00]
So, the individuals that live in this area know the challenges and the risks that they're being faced. The concern that I have is those
individuals that become complacent, and they do happen. It happens, storm complacency. They feel like, well, you know, I didn't -- I evacuated for
the first storm and it wasn't that bad. Now, I'll stay for this one. Unfortunately, this storm is much more serious, much more deadly.
QUEST: You see, that's exactly the point, isn't it, sir? You know, people like you have to find new ways to impress upon the public the gravity and
risk because these storms are getting more popular and people are getting saying, as you say, complacent.
PATRONIS: Sure. So, this storm is very similar to Hurricane Michael that hit Northwest Florida in 2018. We will see a storm, like I said, that this
nature where people that have not seen a storm in a number of years that don't evacuate. But again, this area has been touched. It's the third time
in two years. Mother Nature loves to visit Florida. And this particular storm is very fast. It's very strong. It will hit the State of Florida like
a buzz saw.
QUEST: Right. So, what is your biggest challenge? Assuming, you know, there has been a sensible evacuation, what is going to be the number one
job of putting Humpty Dumpty back together again afterwards?
PATRONIS: So, soon as the storm clears far enough out, my office coordinates 1,100 urban search and rescue first responders. They will be --
they're all pre-staged right now as soon as it's safe enough, they will hit the roads, they will climb into helos (ph), they will fly out to the
Barrier Islands.
We have been trying to identify those individuals that have been reluctant to evacuate so we know where to go. We have pleaded with those that refuse
to leave, can you please notify, at least via TV and radio, notify your loved ones that you decided to stay so we at least have somebody who is
looking out for you to say, hey, I cannot find my sister. She did not evacuate. So, we'll have the lifesaving mission.
And then afterwards, in a couple days, we will start the financial recovery. Unfortunately, there's the absolute best in people that comes out
after a storm, but also the worst in people, the predators. They canvas the neighborhoods like locusts, and they try to get in between the individual
and their insurance claim simply because they're vulnerable.
QUEST: There's just no end, is there, to the opportunistic badness of some people at a time of great crisis. And it is matched only, sir, by the good
work of volunteers and the hard work of people like yourselves.
PATRONIS: I tell you, I get very emotional because you see so much good in people. You see them show up. And I tell people all the time, the predators
are there moments after the storm. The good Samaritans show up day three, day four. And whether it be church groups or other organizations that will
come and they will canvas the neighborhoods with chainsaws and they will help the elderly and they will help those that maybe not have the resources
or maybe they live alone. So, I mean, it's -- you see the best in humanity. Unfortunately, you see the worst in humanity.
QUEST: If I may call you, Jimmy, on behalf of everybody here, wishing you well, keep the good work. We'll check in with you after this thing has
passed. And Godspeed and good measure in the work that you're doing, sir.
PATRONIS: Thanks. Thanks so much. Take care.
QUEST: Now, let's go to Washington, where Ukraine's President Zelenskyy has been making the rounds on Capitol Hill and at the White House. He's
presented his so-called victory plan during a meeting with President Biden, and he thanked the president for delivering more aid.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Today, we have a new support package, $7.9 billion. This will be a great help. And I raised with
President Biden the plan of victory. Today, we are preparing to discard the details to strengthen the plan.
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: Let me be clear. Russia will not prevail in war. Russia will not prevail. Ukraine will prevail. And we'll continue to
stand by you every step of the way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: President Zelenskyy, there you are, there you see him, with Vice President Kamala Harris. Now, the Democratic candidate said the fate of
Ukraine is vital to U.S. interests.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: History has shown us, if we allow aggressors like Putin to take land with impunity, they keep going. And Putin could set his sights on
Poland, the Baltic States, and other NATO allies. We also know that other would-be aggressors around the world are watching to see what happens in
Ukraine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: The Republican candidate, Donald Trump, says he will meet President Zelenskyy on Friday morning in New York.
The U.S. and several allies are pushing for a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. It's part of an effort to avoid an all-out war in the
region. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now in New York where he'll address the United Nations on Friday. Now, he's calling -- calls the
idea of a ceasefire and a pause incorrect.
Lebanon's health minister has described the situation as a full-fledged war, and said there could be as many as half a million internally displaced
people in Lebanon. Ben Wedeman has more from South Lebanon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the best shelter Sidon's town hall has to offer those fleeing the war. A
mattress on the floor outside.
Thousands have fled here from Israel's bombing campaign. Uhm Mohammed (ph) walked 12 hours with her two children, her feet still blistered, her son
running a fever.
Our entire neighborhood is gone, she says. There are martyrs, people we knew and loved. The city's schools have been turned into shelters, but
that's not enough.
Volunteer Reem Afifa (ph) says there's no place in any school, and in those schools the resources are very limited. Not enough mattresses, not enough
resources. All the while Israel's airstrikes continue. Not at the same pace as Monday's shock and awe, but steady and extensive.
Thursday, Israel struck Beirut once again, with a targeted strike intended for one of Hezbollah's commanders.
In the southern city of Tyre, a Franciscan monastery has opened its doors. Fatima tells us she and her elderly mother had no choice but to leave their
home.
We couldn't stay there, she says. All the houses around us were destroyed, the glass, the cars. We came here by a miracle.
The monastery's father, Tawfiq (ph), received a surprise call from neighboring Syria.
They called from Aleppo and said, we want to help you, he tells me. That surprised me. And I say again, the lord hasn't abandoned us.
These Ethiopian and Sudanese migrant workers and their families also escaped the bombing and are now in a state of rough.
No one is asking after us, says Raheel (ph) from Ethiopia. We keep quiet and wait. We registered with the U.N., but they don't ask about us.
Forgotten and abandoned in the midst of a war far, far from home.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Tyre, South Lebanon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: Now, let me bring you an incredible story from Japan. The world's longest serving death row inmate has now been set free after almost half a
century behind bars. The officials say the evidence used against the now 88-year-old inmate was completely made up. Hanako Montgomery reports from
Tokyo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Iwao Hakamada's acquittal is a cause for celebration for his family and for his supporters. But many in Japan
are also asking whether justice was really served. Hakamada spent nearly five decades, more than half of his life, behind bars for a crime that he's
now been acquitted of.
Now, some background information about his case and the timing of this retrial. Hakamada is a boxer turned miso factory worker who was arrested in
the '60s for allegedly killing his boss and his boss' family. At the time of his arrest, he initially confessed. But according to the judge, he was
forced to confess by the police who threatened and beat him.
Since making that forced confession, Hakamada has always maintained his innocence, which you can see in the hundreds of letters he's sent and
written to his family over the years. Now, he was granted a retrial in 2014 after new evidence emerged in his case. And as we learned from the judge's
ruling today, that evidence was in fact fabricated by the police. They planted articles of clothing at the scene of the crime and said that the
bloodstains on the clothes matched his DNA.
But again, as we learned from today's verdict, at least some of the evidence used to convict him was fabricated, which is all the more reason
why human rights activists argue that the death penalty should be abolished. Hakamada's case has renewed debate about Japan's criminal
justice system and who it serves.
Hanako Montgomery, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[18:15:00]
QUEST: Now, as you and I continue more, we will hear from the Real Zero Initiative, the billionaire philanthropist, Andrew Forrest on his green
energy in mining.
And think of it as the big scandal in the big Apple, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is vowing to fight on after his indictment on five federal
corruption charges. We need to ask how realistic is that aim in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: Welcome back. The Benny move. The bulls are back in action on Wall Street. The Dow and the S&P hit all-time highs after pulling back on
Wednesday. It was good economic data. Shares of Micron surged 14 percent after an earnings beat. Isn't that the sort of thing you wish you'd bought
yesterday? The chipmaker also raised guidance due to a strong demand from A.I. data centers. You and I have talked about that many times.
And as for Asia, this is how you start today on Tuesday. Further measures from Beijing, promising to boost the economy, all push the market higher
and it's a bullish start. If you take a look at Hong Kong Hang Seng, 4 percent gain, 2 percent across its pan regional. Wall Street records could
give a further boost to Chinese stocks today, as you can see.
One of the largest mining companies in the world is going green. Fortescue is planning to reach zero emissions by 2040 as part of its Real Zero
Initiative. It means no carbon offsets or capture. The company is using -- it's a very large truck. No, it's a mining sort of thingamajig. Well,
Andrew was going to explain in a minute exactly what it is. But it's part of the truck fleet, which was revealed, that's going to help decarbonize
the mining industry.
Andrew Forrest is the executive chairman of Fortescue. He joins me now. I'm sure you've got a very technical name for that large beast. But it's 240
tons and you're going to try and convince me that that's zero emissions.
ANDREW FORREST, EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, FORTESCUE: Yes, we've nicknamed it the love truck, Richard, because it's the love of humanity truck, and it's out
there demonstrating that the whole mining industry can go zero emissions and save money, Richard.
[18:20:00]
So, the iron ore prices come down, and now, everyone has to work for a living in the mining industry instead of just being fat, dumb, and happy
because we've got high prices, they actually have to work for a living. So, they're looking at operating costs, and the best way to cut your operating
costs is to get rid of all your diesel and fossil fuels.
QUEST: You have done an equivalent, though, of the Emperor's New Clothes with these zero emissions, haven't you? Because you have basically said,
everybody who's talking about zero emissions, it's all about a bit of a shell game. Oh, look, there's the carbon emissions. Oh, we've got it this
way. You're going for real zero. And you're actually saying that that's the way to go. But is it realistic?
FORREST: Now, look, it's absolutely realistic. I mean, basically, the reason why we've got carbon emissions going through the roof and natural
carbon absorption by nature faltering is because of this big con, Richard, known as Net Zero 2050. It's just a con. It's just allowing untrammeled use
of fossil fuel. There's no abatement at all.
So, Real Zero 2040 is the challenge we set to the world. We've set ourselves Real Zero 2030, that means no fossil fuels at all by 2030. Well,
I think we'll be there pretty well by 2028, but let's just say 2030. And then, you know that everything we do, the biggest trucks, ships, trains,
wherever you go, will be zero emissions.
QUEST: Why? I mean, I, obviously, both an existential reason, and a -- why have you made it such a totemic point for Fortescue to do this when you
could have just continued, like all other miners have, along the same happy path?
FORREST: Well, look, it's a hell of a good question. Firstly, clearly, we're always looking for how to cut our operating costs. Secondly, we see
this -- as you mentioned, this existential threat. It's like coming up on us hard, much quicker than we ever thought. But also, I believe in a
beautiful world. I think by 2040, we could have a really beautiful world, Richard.
So, you know, the mining industry, if it can go green, if it can save its shareholders a truckload of money through not burning diesel, not burning
oil and gas, then it should do it. It's responsible. It's called the hard to abate sector. But, Richard, the business flow on from this is massive.
We start making zero emissions iron ore. That's green iron ore. Then you can start making green iron metal. Then you've got a real serious premium
product which can stop pollution all over the world. It will be in high demand. We're going to pivot away from iron ore to green iron ore to green
iron metal, and that creates a huge market and a very beneficial market for the rest of the world because steel, as you know, is probably the biggest
single polluter in the world.
QUEST: How concerned are you? Because you're obviously bringing the iron ore out. The demand is still strong. Steel is a political potato. I mean,
between the countries that make it. And I don't necessarily expect you to get deeply involved in that side of it. But as the U.S. economy is still
the fastest performing and the most robust and probably still gives you the most confidence in many ways, say, as against China.
FORREST: Yes, I think that the United States is standing on the edge of greatness or weakness. The IRA is there to drive multidecadal employment
growth and economic growth for your country. If you -- I mean, you just look at the State of Texas or anywhere, these old fossil fuel states, they
employ more people now, re-voters Richard, they employ more people in renewable energy than they do in the fossil fuel sector now.
So, your country's pivoting to high economy and high economic growth and lower energy prices. Now, at the same time you've had A.I. and these big
tech companies sucking all the green energy up they possibly can. Thank God you've got the growth in green energy. But if the IRA gets going, and this
little thing called 45V, I don't want to bore everyone, but it's basically the fossil fuel sector putting in a few, let's get perfect so we don't ever
get the good, to stop green hydrogen, to stop green energy, then that will slow the United States down.
And I just hope whoever wins the election can see that for what it is, and see green energy is the biggest employment and economic growth the United
States has had for decades, and they push it through.
QUEST: Can Australia learn from the IRA?
FORREST: It is learning. It is learning. And it's a great question. The IRA made such a shocking impact. I mean, we had, in the United States,
literally thousands and thousands of investment propositions that didn't exist before the IRA came in. Now, Australia watched that happen, watched
capital being sucked out of Australia going to North America. Hey, guilty as charged. That was us too. And it's putting in $2 hydrogen fuel tax
rebate. So, that's going to really encourage us to make green metal to green steel and cut the pollution around the world.
[18:25:00]
QUEST: Your foundation is one of the most powerful because it's chosen to do difficult things, whether it's human trafficking, whether it's the
cancer moonshot, how do you decide what -- where to put that firepower in a world with many demands? How's -- what's your moral compass telling you?
FORREST: All right. Well, thank you, Richard. We go really where angels fear to tread, where the need is maximized because governments or for some
-- or other economic, social -- you know, governmental dislocation reasons these areas are not able to be hit by government or normal marketplace
practices.
So, things like brain cancer in children, they die so quickly that the business sector doesn't invest in brain cancer in kids because there's no
market because the kids die. That's where we must step in as philanthropy or modern slavery. I mean, you've got this massive dislocation of humans,
like 49 million people, two-thirds of which are women.
And governments, unless they're told, this is slavery, this is what it looks like, this is where it is in your economy, then they can act. But it
needs philanthropy to trigger that, Richard. And we go to where we can solve a problem, demonstrate it to governments, so they can take it over
and fix it long-term.
QUEST: We need to talk more, Andrew. Let's do it next time in Sydney, or at least in Australia, when I'll be down there in the next few months. I'll
buy you dinner and I'll pay. How about that?
FORREST: You're on, Richard. Look forward to that, sir.
QUEST: Thank you.
FORREST: Cheers.
QUEST: As we continue tonight on "First Move," Hurricane Helene is now a Category 4 storm. You see where it's going, Florida, the big curve, or
whatever they call it. That's in the middle of it. I'll tell you where it's going next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:30:00]
QUEST: Breaking News forecasters now say Hurricane Helene is a Category 4 storm. It's slamming towards Florida's Big Bend where it will reach in a
few hours. Tallahassee, the state capital, we were talking to the fire marshal after few moments ago, that could take a direct hit. It is one of
the largest storms in the Gulf over the last century.
So, to put that in perspective, there are 60 million people who are affected by it in 12 states, all of whom, in some shape or form, are
suffering weather related alerts.
In Florida, tens of thousands of people have moved to safety. And flooding, you can see the flooding like this, it's underway along parts of the coast.
Derek Van Dam is in Apalachicola, Florida, which I finally found on the map. A storm surge of more than 10 feet, around three meters. OK. Derek,
has, it's heading your way. When does it arrive to you?
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good question, Richard. You know, we've got another four to six hours before landfall, but that will likely occur
just to our east. But the storm so big we'll feel the impacts in a big way here in Apalachicola. I just want to give you a little bit of a scene set.
This is a remarkable difference compared to what we talked about with you. Just about live on air. We've seen conditions go downhill very quickly.
We're starting to see kind of the first little bits -- behind us.
And I just want to take you over to these palm trees, give you an idea of how they're swaying in the wind. You can kind of hear the wind picking up
in my microphone as well. That's because Hurricane Helene, as you've already mentioned, is strengthening.
And we've got this remarkable thing in the United States called the Hurricane Hunters. They fly in and out of these hurricanes. I've been on
these C-130 airplanes with them. And they give us this minute-by-minute update on how strong the storm is, and that populates to us here on the
ground. And then we relay that information to you. And what we've seen is winds now at 215 kilometers per hour, near the center, and a pressure at
947 millibars.
That's significant, Richard, because that means the storm has strengthened since last hour, and it only is going to get more powerful before it makes
landfall. And I cannot stress enough, not only is the storm surge so incredibly dangerous but it's the winds that will push far inland.
That's the differential with this storm, Richard, is that this isn't just a coastal hurricane in the Big Bend of Florida sparsely populated area, we're
talking about millions of Americans across five to six U.S. states throughout the southeast that will feel the brunt of tropical storm and
extremely torrential rainfall that will lead to a very precarious overnight period tonight, especially after dark here.
QUEST: Just one quick question, Derek. Does it -- you obviously, as a meteorologist, and you obviously know about these things and does it -- you
can predict, in a sense of, you know what the numbers are showing, and then you can almost say it will arrive X, or it's going to do this Y, and then
the rain arrives. That must -- it must be quite a weird experience, that you are able to know how this thing moves forward.
VAN DAM: Oh, yes. We've been tracking this thing for over a week. We knew it was going to develop. Now, it's game time. Every mile matters. And we're
watching the forward speed increase. We can use some -- casting where we time out the difference between the outer edge of the eyewall and how close
it is to land and then we interpolate that, and that gives us an idea how long until landfall, the most potent part of the storm crosses over the
shoreline of the Big Bend.
QUEST: All right.
VAN DAM: We do expect local time here in the Eastern U.S. about 10:00 p.m. to about midnight, that's when we expect the thank you worst of the storm.
But remember, it doesn't end there.
QUEST: And to find out where it will end or at least give us an idea -- thank you, Derek -- Chad Meyers is with me. Chad, now, this is -- just look
at it. Just look at this monster.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I know.
QUEST: Even by -- you know, you're the expert, but I've sat and watch you talk about these things for over the years. And this is a real biggie.
MYERS: It is. And what you're seeing here in the purple are temperatures in the atmosphere where the storm has pushed the air so high. This purple
is 80 degrees below zero Celsius. So, that's how high, how big these storms are. We don't get them with this purple very, very often.
Talking about maximum wind speed, 130 miles per hour. OK. That's only about 10 miles either side of the eye. So, let's go 130, 110, 90, 80, 70, this
kind of just spreads out the wind and this is spread its wings here all the way from Louisiana all the way down to Cuba at this hour.
[18:35:00]
The temperatures are still 32, 33 degrees Celsius, 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and the winds are now beginning to pick up. We are starting to get the eye
itself, those bigger numbers, closer to land. When that happens, those wind speeds go up. When it happens, the potential for tornadoes will go up as
well.
And then, we talked about this too, fresh water flooding. It is raining. It has been raining for 24 hours in places and it really just getting started,
because the storm isn't on shore yet. There will be places with 20 inches of rain in the Carolinas. That is a half a meter of rain. We already have
some warnings out there for flash flooding. I think there's going to be a lot more than that. Rarely, and Derek touched on this, I'm not sure I've
ever seen it.
You talk about landfall here in your Apalachicola, and I'm glad you found it. There is a hurricane warning in Macon, Georgia. It would take you three
hours to drive that far by car at highway speed. That's how long these winds are going to be around as a hurricane. So, so many -- I mean, I don't
even know. You couldn't put a number on how many millions of trees are going to come down because there are tall pine trees, how many millions of
people are going to be without power because those trees are going to fall on power lines.
But you talk about that 20-foot storm surge, a six-to-seven-meter surge of salt water, that is going to kill people if they don't get out of the way.
And the Hurricane Center said it. This is life-threatening. This will not - - you will not survive if you're on the coast when you're talking about a six-meter storm surge. That's -- you just have to be out of there.
So, we're going to see the rain all the way up even to Atlanta. So, tomorrow morning, when I wake up, winds are going to be 75 miles per hour
here? 110, 115, 120 kilometers per hour in Atlanta when it would take me six hours to drive to Apalachicola. So, that's how far away we're talking.
QUEST: Fascinating. I'm grateful to you as always. Thank you, Chad. Thank you.
MYERS: You bet.
QUEST: "First Move" next, New York City's mayor has been indicted on federal charges, corruption and the like. The accusations. How's New York
going to be governed while the mayor's fighting serious criminal charges? In a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: Welcome back to "First Move." Before I go on any further, I just wanted to say thank you to Andras Pacau (ph), who has e-mailed me.
[18:40:00]
Andras (ph) rightly points out, and nobody else noticed, that when I said at the beginning it's Tuesday, it's not, it's Friday in Asia. It's Thursday
in New York. I have absolutely no idea what I was thinking. Well, I probably wasn't thinking for the moment. Anyway, it's Friday. Friday and
Thursday.
Whatever day it is, New York is a bit of a gog when New York's mayor has been indicted on federal charges while in office. A historic first for
America's largest city. Eric Adams is facing charges of bribery and wire fraud amongst other things. Most of it hinged on an alleged quid pro quo
and having gifts and donations and approval of a new Turkish consular building in New York.
The mayor is set to appear in New York on Friday. New Yorkers are bewildered and frustrated. One of them heckled the mayor at his press
conference on Thursday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not a (INAUDIBLE). You're a politician and black. You are a disgrace to our black people and (INAUDIBLE). To think
what you have done are unconscionable. You hurt our schools, our streets are dirty, our children are harassed by police. This is ridiculous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: For more on the events of the day, Gloria Pazmino reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAYOR ERIC ADAMS (D), NEW YORK CITY: I look forward to defending myself.
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New York City Mayor Eric Adams once a rising star in the Democratic Party now faces a
five-count federal indictment.
DAMIAN WILLIAMS, U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK: The conduct alleged in the indictment, the foreign money, the corporate money,
the bribery, the years of concealment is a grave breach of the public's trust.
PAZMINO (voice-over): Prosecutors say Adams sold his office in exchange for thousands of dollars in illegal donations from foreign nationals along
with gifts, luxury travel, and premium hotel rooms. Adams forcefully denied the allegations.
ADAMS: The leaks, the commentary, the demonizing, and I asked New York is to wait to hear our defense before making any judgments.
PAZMINO (voice-over): The indictment lays out a decade-long scheme by Adams stretching back to his time as Brooklyn Borough president. Since
then, prosecutors say Adams solicited donations from Turkish nationals in violation of campaign finance laws. The indictment lays out a number of
alleged instances, like one where a staffer is communicating around a potential $100,000 donation, writing, I think he wouldn't get involved in
such games. They might cause a big stink later on. The Adams staffer allegedly responded, I'll ask anyways.
WILLIAMS: Adams knew that these wealthy individuals could not legally donate in a U.S. election.
PAZMINO (voice-over): Prosecutors allege Adams tried to hide the donations by funneling them through straw donors. The money multiplied by thousands
of dollars in taxpayer funded matching funds.
Once he took office, prosecutors say Adams used his power to pressure agencies to take favorable action to benefit Turkish officials. In one
instance, the mayor directed the fire department to facilitate the opening of the new Turkish consulate, which had failed to pass safety inspections.
WILLIAMS: This building was important to the Turkish official, and it was important to Turkey.
PAZMINO (voice-over): Turkish officials, under pressure from an impending visit by the Turkish president, allegedly asked Adams to intervene. The
building opened without incident. Prosecutors allege Adams took multiple trips to India, France, China, Hungary, and Ghana, making critical stops in
Turkey. At one point, texting his partner, you know first stop is always Istanbul.
During the trips, Adams stayed in luxury accommodations for free or at a steep discount, according to prosecutors.
WILLIAMS: He asked to pay a nominal fee for all of this in order to disguise what we allege were, in fact, bribes.
PAZMINO (voice-over): The indictment also lays out how Adams would keep cash with an e-mail that, quote, "suggested that he left, at a minimum,"
well over $10,000 in cash in the Adams scheduler's desk drawer to, quote, "send to Turkish airlines."
When he learned federal prosecutors were investigating, Adams allegedly tried to conceal the evidence, directing staffers to delete messages.
Federal agents spent more than three hours inside Adams' residence this morning.
Only Adams was named in the indictment. But since news of the investigations and impending charges broke into the open, several officials
have tendered their resignations, leaving critical agencies without steady leaders.
ADAMS: From here, my attorneys will take care of the case so I can take care of the city.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[18:45:00]
QUEST: Coming up a race to the bottom, literally. The Chicago White Sox is on the verge of breaking the worst record in baseball, and even some fans
are cheering them on. In a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: From "Transformers" to "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." If you have any old toys from the 1980s just lying around, take a closer look. You
might find that many of them say made in Macao. 25 years after the region's handover from Portugal to China, some toymakers are hoping to revive that
long gone industry. CNN's Marc Stewart reports as part of our Next Stop series.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (VOICE-OVER): Street artist, Anny Chong and her Costa Rican born husband, Felipe Wong, are hoping to put Macao on
the global stage one toy at a time.
ANNY CHONG, CO-FOUNDER, NATIVO TOY WORKSHOP: It's a very good blend of the east and the west, you know, and storytelling wise, it's actually quite
interesting too.
STEWART (voice-over): In 2020, the couple founded toy brand Nativo, which translates to native in both Portuguese and Spanish, reflecting their
diverse backgrounds.
Anny and Felipe gravitated toward this nostalgic medium, plastic, as their canvas, on souvenirs with their own spin, heavily inspired by hip hop
culture. In fact, the plastics industry is nothing new here. For a brief time in the 1980s, Macao was a thriving hub for manufacturing, its main
export toys.
Matchbox cars, Hasbro's Transformers G1, and Mattel's Hot Wheels were all made in Macao.
FELIPE WONG, CO-FOUNDER, NATIVO TOY WORKSHOP: Some people would say, like, some people that is not involved in the culture, it's like it's just a
piece of plastic, but this piece of plastic for us, this is the -- our stories. So, it is super important for us.
STEWART (voice-over): Alice Kok leads a nonprofit organization helping develop the local art scene in Macao.
ALICE KOK. PRESIDENT ART FOR ALL SOCIETY: I think this is quite characteristic to our cultural identity, I think. So, we can see that the
younger artists, they also have this tendency to mix very traditional medium and also from contemporary and the east and the west and mixture
with the Mekinese culture.
STEWART (voice-over): It could be big business, too. The toy collectibles market is estimated to reach a market value of over $35 billion by 2032,
according to analysts. Much of it made in Mainland China.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[18:50:00]
QUEST: Marc Stewart reporting. From Macao to Hong Kong. And now, a riddle. What's black and white and had a red-carpet reception? Yes. Sorry. The
answer is the arrival of two young pandas. Kristie Lu Stout explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The motorcade is arriving. Two very important pandas are being given the presidential treatment here in Hong
Kong. These are national treasures that were gifted by the Chinese central government to Hong Kong ahead of the October National Day holiday next
week.
Now, the pandas, they touched down earlier before midday today, Thursday in Hong Kong. They were given a welcoming ceremony at the Hong Kong
International Airport, and then, they were given a very special escort by elite police officers on motorcycles to their new home here at Hong Kong's
Ocean Park.
The two five-year-old pandas are named An An and Ke Ke, and they're from a conservation and research center in Sichuan Province. Now, An An is male,
Ke Ke is female. They were both born in June of 2019. They are not genetically related and they're said to have complementary characteristics.
They're also said to be in good health.
Even so, they have to spend 30 days in quarantine here at Ocean Park. And then after that, they have a month to acclimate and to get used to their
new habitat. But the public won't get a chance to see the dynamic duo of the giant pandas until mid-December.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: Now, a couple of pandas in Finland are going back to China because the Finnish zoo says it can't afford their upkeep, which is over a million
euros a year.
I spoke to the Finnish president, Alexander Stubb, earlier, a bit earlier. Now, Finland is spending the best part of a billion on its NATO budget.
Couldn't they find a million or so to keep the animals, the pandas?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEXANDER STUBB, FINNISH PRESIDENT: Richard, this was the first connection that I've ever heard between the pandas and Finnish defense. I think from
what I understand, the zoo in question had financial troubles and we have thoroughly enjoyed the pandas in Finland. But I do think it is time to send
them home and I do wish them very well on their trip back home, a safe journey in many ways.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: That told them. Now, to Major League Baseball, where the Chicago White Sox are tied for a record. The most losses in a single season. The
White Sox have dropped 120 games so far. They've won their last three, but don't worry they have a few games left and could easily lose the lot.
You might wonder why White Socks fans still go. Well, earlier this year, I was in Japan where I spoke to fans of the Hanshin Tigers. They constantly
lose as well. They told me why they continue to support a team famous for losing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Why do you support the Tigers? They're always losing, except last - - except in '23. I'll give you that. They won in '23. But they're always losing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, they are always losing.
QUEST: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why? There's all sorts of reasons.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ten times wins. That is the case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Jon Greenberg is senior columnist for The Athletic. He joins me now from his car in Chicago. They lose all the time, except for the last few
games, and the fans seem to like it. Tell me why.
JON GREENBERG, SENIOR COLUMNIST, THE ATHLETIC: Well, I don't know if you'd say like it, but they -- fans still go because it's their team and Chicago
is a two-team town and the White Sox fans, it's a bit more provincial, you know, they're Southsiders, they have this kind of attitude and this kind of
identity to it. It's been kind of weird the past few days there because when they came home on Tuesday, everyone expected them to lose and break
the record. And so, fans were actually cheering the Angels and booing the White Sox.
There's a little booing on Wednesday. Today, was all cheering for the White Sox as they kind of dominated the Angels. The players acknowledged that it
was an odd situation.
QUEST: So, why are they so bad?
GREENBERG: Well, here's the thing, they're not -- they can't hit, pitching hasn't been great, they don't play good defense. So, it's really been a
little bit of everything. You know, they had a really good team in 2021. Then it got worse in 2022. Last year, we thought they hit rock bottom with
101 losses.
And they got rid of some more veterans. They knew they were going to be bad. I don't think their new GM prepared for this. He was just hired last
year and his first year doing the job. And I don't think he quite understood some of the ways to make sure this team wasn't rock bottom. But
they were just -- they were bad in every way.
QUEST: Are they hold beneath the waterline? Is there any salvation that you can see? Because, obviously, that can often take money.
[18:55:00]
It can take investment. It's hard as it get -- you know, it's harder to get that if you are a perennial losers.
GREENBERG: Correct. And, you know, there won't be big players in the free agent market. Juan Soto is not coming to the south side. Their only hope
is, you know, they've been building up their minor league pitching, their prospects, they got to hope that these guys all pan out and they get lucky
with some hitters here and there. Because they don't have a lot of money, they don't have a lot of hope. And it's not looking good for 2025.
QUEST: I thought the Hanshin Tigers was my team. You know, I'm British, we like losers. You know, we always support the underdog. I'm giving up the
Hanshin Tigers. Forget them. They're gone. It's -- instead, the White Sox. Thank you, sir. Get home safely. Go back to the traffic of Chicago, which
can be pretty grim the best of times. Enjoy your evening, sir. Thank you.
And that's -- we'll update you with Hurricane Helene throughout the course of the night. Julia, you'll be relieved. Julia's back tomorrow. Sanity
prevails. I'm grateful for your time and attention. Enjoy your Friday. The weekends ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
