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Isa Soares Tonight
Trump Indicted For The Fourth Time; Russia Attacks Lviv In Ukraine; Afghanistan Marks 2 Years Since Fall Of Kabul; Hawaii Fires Death Toll At 99, May Double; Trump Criminally Charged In Fourth Indictment This Year; Two Years Since The Fall of Kabul; Spain Reaches Women's World Cup Final For The First Time: Aired 2-3p ET
Aired August 15, 2023 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: A very warm welcome to the show everyone, I'm Christina Macfarlane in for Isa Soares. Tonight, the
clock is ticking for Donald Trump to turn himself in after he is indicted for the fourth time. We'll look at why these charges are so significant.
Then Russia launches a fierce attack on Lviv miles from the frontlines. We're live in Dnipro. Plus, two years on from the Taliban's return to
power, Afghan women fear they're being erased from society. We have a special report just ahead.
Now, it's been the most sweeping indictment yet against Donald Trump, and could lead to a televised trial allowing the public to watch a former
president answer to charges he tried to overthrow the very democracy he's campaigning to lead once again.
Republican frontrunner has until next Friday to surrender in the state of Georgia. The grand jury there indicted him and 18 other defendants using a
statue traditionally targeting mobsters to charge them with criminal racketeering. They're accused of scheming to overturn Trump's election loss
to Joe Biden in 2020.
And you may know already that Trump has been indicted in three other times, in three other jurisdictions. But there are critical differences in this
case that we will unpack for you this hour. Trump is already vowing to fight the Fulton County Georgia indictment, saying he will hold a major
news conference on Monday.
So, let's begin with CNN's Zachary Cohen, he's outside the courthouse in Atlanta this hour. So, Zachary, Donald Trump now has ten days to turn
himself in to face these accusations. Just walk us through here, what is going to come next, and if we expect the former president to cooperate.
ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY & JUSTICE REPORTER: Yes, Donald Trump and his 18 co-defendants all given ten days to voluntarily surrender here
in this court case. You know, found -- they're facing criminal charges related to this effort to overturn the 2020 election. And you know, we do
at this time sort of say, we do expect Donald Trump to personally and physically surrender here in Fulton County, we should see him in person.
Now, that process might play out a little bit differently than what we've seen in previous indictments of former President Donald Trump, where he
appeared, he surrendered on the same day as he appeared in court. It's a little bit different here in Georgia where that court date will be set by
the judge.
So, we could see Donald Trump surrender, and then a judge set a court date a few weeks or even months in the future. So, it's going to remain to be
seen how that will play out, how long before we see Donald Trump in court again. But we are expecting to see him turn himself in voluntarily within
the next ten days.
MACFARLANE: Yes, so much so to watch out for within that time. Zachary, thank you for now. The District Attorney Fani Willis says she wants the
trial to begin within the next six months, but it will be up to a judge to actually set that date. Now, let's talk more about the next steps in this
case. We're joined by CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elliot Williams.
Elliot, thank you so much for joining us in what has been an explosive 24 hours. And Elliot, I want to say off the top here that for international
viewers, you know, it has been quite hard for us to follow the details of the various indictment cases we've already seen. But I think in this case,
the thing that really stands out, that is really surreal, frankly, for viewers, is that the laws being used in this case were designed to bring
down mafia bosses, mob bosses essentially.
So, that's kind of where I want to begin with you, because we know that Fani Willis has had experience bringing RICO with these racketeering
charges. So, just explain to our viewers what RICO is as a legal concept, and the legal jeopardy it brings for Donald Trump in particular.
ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, it's not just people around the globe who are confused by these laws, to be clear. This is quite tricky in
America. We have states, we have the federal government, all of whom can prosecute someone as they're doing with the former president of the United
States here. So, it is quite confusing, I will acknowledge that.
Now, RICO, the racketeering and corrupt -- Racketeering Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act is designed at organized crime where individuals
working in concert as a group carry out a series of enumerated criminal acts. Now, that in the mafia context as you identified, can be things like
homicide and money laundering and so on, but doesn't have to be.
And what's alleged here in the state of Georgia against the former president is that, he and his associates engaged in a series of acts,
criminal acts designed at undermining the 2020 federal election in Georgia. It's an aggressive legal theory, it's an aggressive approach. But
certainly, one, that's not without precedent here in the United States.
[14:05:00]
MACFARLANE: Yes, 19 people now indicted as you point out in this sweeping case. But how significant is it that two of Donald Trump's most high-
profile associates, former -- his former Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, and lawyer Rudy Giuliani have also been indicted? What does that mean for Trump
in particular, given the closeness of those two to him?
WILLIAMS: Well, it's certainly relevant to the case in the former president because, number one, a lot of the evidence that could be used against them
could likely be used against the former president. When people have close associates and are engaged in frequent conversations or actions with them,
then certainly, when the --
MACFARLANE: Yes --
WILLIAMS: Criminal charges come down --
MACFARLANE: Apologies, we are just hearing from President Biden who is speaking in Milwaukee. Just want to listen in on this for now. Bear with
us.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've spoken to Governor Josh Green multiple times and reassured him the state will have everything it
needs from the federal government. I immediately approved the governor's request for his expedient major disaster declaration, that's a fancy word
of saying, whatever you need, you're going to get.
And that will get aid into the hands of people who desperately need it, who have lost their loved ones, who have lost their homes, their livelihoods,
who have been damaged and destroyed. And think about this, all that area they got to pileup, they can't do it now because they don't know how many
bodies are in there. They don't know what's left.
Imagine being a mom or dad wondering where your child is. Imagine being a husband, a wife, a mother, a father, it's really tough stuff. Almost 500
federal personnel have been deployed to Maui to help communities of survivors get back on their feet. FEMA, search and rescue teams are sifting
through the ashes in that 5-mile area that you've seen on television that's been burned.
It's painstaking work, it takes time. And it's nerve-racking. Most of the debris can't be removed until it's done. My wife Jill and I are going to
travel to Hawaii as soon as we can, that's what I've been talking to the governor about, I don't want to get in the way, I've been to too many
disaster areas, but I want to go, make sure we got everything they need.
We want to be sure we don't disrupt the ongoing recovery efforts. FEMA Administrator Criswell, who is the best we ever had, I think, was on the
ground this weekend, and I just talked to her, she's back in the States. I had directed her to streamline the process as quickly as possible to help
register survivors for immediate federal assistance without delay.
To date, FEMA has approved 5,000 -- 50,000 meals, 75,000 liters of water, 500 beds, 10,000 blankets as well as other shelter supplies for survivors
displaced from their homes. FEMA also authorized one-time payments of $700 per household, the folks who have been displaced so they can do the
immediate things of just taking care of medications of prescription that they so badly need.
We're working with the state to make sure survivors that have lost their homes have a place to call home until we can rebuild. We're also urging
federal personnel of the state to help the brave firefighters and first responders, many of whom lost their own homes, their properties while they
were out busting their necks to save other people.
How many have been so impacted themselves, but they're still working around the clock to put the fires out, evacuate survivors to safety and find the
missing. I've ordered all available federal assets on the island to assist local crews including the U.S. Coast Guard, the Navy third fleet and the
U.S. Army. In the immediate aftermath, the Coast Guard and Navy support the Maritimes searches and rescue operations.
The army helicopters helped fire suppression and efforts on the Big Island because there is still some burning on the Big Island, not the one that's -
- not the one where you see on television all the time. FEMA has deployed more than 140 urban search and rescue personnel as well, and there are so
many organizations to thank like the American Red Cross, helping survivors, missing loved ones.
Cell phone providers, making sure first responders can make and respond to emergency calls. Commercial airlines that had evacuated tens of thousands
of people from the island. The list goes on. And the small business administration has dozens of staff on the island and has began making low
interest federal disaster loans to Hawaii businesses, homeowners and renters, and nonprofits to help them begin to rebuild, just to get by for
the immediate near term.
And we're going to coordinate and continue to coordinate relentlessly with the people on the ground to make sure critical work continues. In the
meantime, you always hear this phrase, and I've been to so many disasters in my career, it's almost hollow, our prayers, our thoughts and prayers
with the people of Hawaii, but not just our prayers, every asset, every asset they need will be there for them.
And we'll be there in Maui as long as it takes, as long as it takes, and I mean that sincerely.
[14:10:00]
We're going to have more to report on this. But today, I come to Milwaukee to talk about what we're doing to bring manufacturing back home. It's about
our progress, building an economy from the middle out, and the bottom up --
MACFARLANE: You have been listening to President Biden there speaking in Milwaukee, addressing the wildfires in Maui after criticism in recent days
that he has not spoken out publicly at all really since the tragedy started. President Biden saying that he does intend to visit Maui in the
coming days, and pointing again to the work that FEMA have been doing in the relief efforts there on the ground.
And before President Biden was speaking, we were discussing Donald Trump's latest indictment. And I do want to go back to our senior legal analyst and
former federal prosecutor Elliot Williams. Elliot, thanks for standing by for us there --
WILLIAMS: Of course --
MACFARLANE: I think I was saying just then that we have now in this case as you laid out before, 19 people indicted. But you were talking to us about
the significance of the two most high profile associates, Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani, you know, and the closeness to Trump and what that might
spell. Can you just go over that again for us?
WILLIAMS: Yes, I think as a general matter, any time someone is charged with a crime, the proximity of witnesses to that person can work against
them. And so, for instance, you know, if we -- if you are looking at a criminal organization or enterprise, someone's deputies could potentially
provide useful evidence against that primary defendant if they were to decide to testify.
Also evidence that applies to Donald Trump also likely applies equally to Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows because they were probably in the same room
at the same time in the same meeting, same phone calls, same conversations and so on. None of it bodes well. You know, we shouldn't overvalue Rudy
Giuliani or Mark Meadows' relationships with the former president.
Because again, there's 19 people, all of whom played at least some role at least as alleged in this criminal conspiracy.
MACFARLANE: And Elliot, there's been much talk today about the difference between a state and federal case --
WILLIAMS: Wow --
MACFARLANE: Because the state court limits the power of a sitting president to pardon himself. But we have also been hearing that Trump's team, this is
something Trump's team are going to be pushing for nonetheless, to move this from a federal -- from a state court to a federal court. What are the
chances of that happening? And what would be their possible justification for that?
WILLIAMS: Sure. This is a very tricky legal question that we are going to see in the American courts over the next several months. And when something
happens in a state court, that is a court -- prosecution brought under the laws of the state of Georgia. There is an argument to be made that charges
being brought against someone who was a sitting president at the time carrying out some of his duties as president is better served or legally
should appear in federal court under the federal courts of the laws of the United States, the whole country.
It's convoluted, it's confusing, but it's going to require litigation to sort out what could actually happen. And so, it -- we're well aware of the
former president's long history of attempting to delay and slowdown criminal cases. He's done it in other circumstances. But he actually might
have a point here. And even if he doesn't, these issues never come up before and it's got to be sorted out in the courts.
MACFARLANE: Yes, so much of this is unprecedented.
WILLIAMS: Yes --
MACFARLANE: We also know that the timing is important here because there are going to be a lot of competing cases within the same time frame. And it
was interesting to hear Fani Willis say that she intends to try all 19 defendants at the same time and within six months. I mean, as a former
state prosecutor yourself, is that even possible?
WILLIAMS: I mean, anything is possible, I think that is highly unlikely. It's hard to envision a case that involves 19 defendants getting to trial,
and that's particularly a racketeering case involving, you know, hundreds of allegations and factual points that will have to be proven in court.
Now, most -- some of the defendants may not still be around by the time it gets to trial, some may decide to plead guilty or some may decide to
provide testimony or evidence elsewhere.
But the idea that you could bring a 19-defendant case to court in six months is pretty absurd. Now, beyond that, they're going to have to work
around the fact that the former president just has other trials. And at some point, the judges overseeing these cases are going to have to put
their heads together and try to determine when these trials can happen.
But it is a busy legal calendar between now and the end of next year, if not beyond that for the former president.
MACFARLANE: Yes, so much more to come. We really appreciate your analysis and for standing by there around President Biden's --
WILLIAMS: Of course --
MACFARLANE: In fact, thank you so much, we'll be speaking again in the days to come. Thank you.
WILLIAMS: Thanks.
MACFARLANE: Now, in Ukraine's Lviv region, we're seeing reports of a new wave of Russian airstrikes.
[14:15:00]
Ukrainian officials say more than 100 apartments were damaged, and that a kindergarten was destroyed. The region is right next to Ukraine's border
with Poland, a NATO member. But local media saying this was the largest air assault in the area since the early days of the war.
Well, CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is in Dnipro for us, which has seen its own share of Russian missile strikes since the war broke out. And Nick, the
western region of Lviv is not typically receiving this level of attacks, obviously, it's far from the frontlines. So how prepared were they for what
happened?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Yes, look, I mean, Lviv like much of Ukraine trying to protect itself with air defenses, but
clearly not entirely effective here. And so much of the damage essentially shattered glass, injuries from 10-year-old to 72-year-olds as a result of
the shockwaves that these missiles clearly caused.
But it was across Ukraine last night that these blasts were heard. I was awakened at 5 O'clock this morning by some explosions here in Dnipro. And
this just part of Russia's nightly barrage, frankly, against Ukrainian, often civilian targets here. We've also obtained some exclusive video
footage of one of the attacks which perhaps is fueling some of Russia's desire to wreak some kind of revenge on the Ukrainian civilian population.
And that was a July attack on the bridge that runs between occupied Crimea and the Russian mainland, the Kerch Bridge. And Ukrainian security services
have told us in rare televised comments how they were behind that attack, and how there may be more to come, really some extraordinary video about
how it was carried out by seaborne drone.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALSH (voice-over): It's become the most beleaguered symbol of Russian occupation. This weekend, Moscow saying this incident was just a smoke
screen foiling a Ukrainian attack on a $4 billion Kerch Bridge. The link between Russia and occupied Crimea that Putin seems to dote on.
Now, CNN has obtained exclusive footage heralding a new way of warfare of another earlier devastating Ukrainian seaborne drone strike there in July.
From Ukrainian security services, the SBU, who say they did it, and more will follow. This is exactly what the drone pilot saw, thermal imagery, the
wall to rippling as up to a ton of explosive approaches.
The bridge, the feed then obviously went dead as it hit the concrete. Russian officials say two civilians died in the attack, cameras on the
bridge captured the first blast on the road section, the cursor shows the drone moving in, and another on the railway tracks at about the same time.
Ukraine has been coy, some officials saying these huge blasts are from, quote, "unidentified floating objects". But no longer, the head of the
Ukrainian security services told CNN, this is just the start.
VASYL MALIUK, HEAD, SECURITY SERVICE OF UKRAINE (through translator): Sea surface drones are unique inventions of the security service of Ukraine.
None of the private companies are involved. Using these drones, we have recently conducted successful hits of the Crimean bridge, a biggest salt
ship Olegonski Gorniak(ph) and sink tanker.
WALSH: This, another Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian amphibious assault boats there on Olegonski Gorniak(ph) on which Ukrainian officials
said a 100 personnel were on board. It was a remarkable feat carried out by a growing fleet of what they call the Sea Babies. Hundreds of miles away
from Ukrainian bases and right in Russia's coastal heartland, they put the Black Sea's east suddenly at risk.
MALIUK: These drones are produced in an underground production facility in Ukraine. We are working on a number of new interesting operations,
including in the Black Sea waters. I promise you, it will be exciting, especially for our enemies.
WALSH: Ukraine's ingenuity again and again toppling the lumbering Russian Goliath.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALSH: Now, these sea baby drones, as the Ukrainian security service likes to call them, they are clearly being produced to a reasonable scale. We've
seen -- I could count probably about a handful of attacks now, often in parts of the Black Sea that Russia would call safe. And it is an
extraordinary change, frankly, and the narrative of the war here.
Ukraine pushing out experimental drone technology to take on Russia, and it's supposedly safe heartlands. So, a position I don't think anybody in
Kyiv thought they would be in when this war started 18 months ago now. Christina?
MACFARLANE: Yes, it is extraordinary ingenuity and resilience. Nick Paton Walsh there live from Dnipro. Thank you.
[14:20:00]
Well, as fighting rages in Ukraine, Poland has held its largest military parade in decades.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MARCHING BAND)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: The event was held in Warsaw to mark the country's Armed Forces Day. Polish and foreign-made weapons and equipment were on display. Poland
is a growing power within NATO, and its show of force comes as tensions rise on the border with Russian ally Belarus. Well, Michal Sznajder from
Polish news channel TV, "TVN24" joins me now live from Warsaw.
Michal, as I said, this is the largest military parade in decades for Poland. What message is Warsaw looking to send here? Not just to Russia, to
Belarus, but also to its own people about its commitment to their security?
MICHAL SZNAJDER, SENIOR ANCHOR & POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, TVN24: Good evening, Christina, thank you very much for this invitation, the
possibility to speak with you. I would say that there is a double message intended to -- for two kinds of recipients. As you said, one is for the
Polish public, the message being, you are safe, we are taking care of you.
We are improving our military. We are modernizing our armed forces, and what happened today was -- well, pretty much unparalleled military parade.
These events used to take place every year. They were put on hold for a few years due to the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And today,
we saw 2,000 service members attend.
We saw 200 items of equipment, we saw 92 aircrafts, and the message was something that the Polish people perhaps wanted or needed to hear, given
what's going on in Ukraine, given the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And also, there's -- that message also has an interesting context. We are
speaking on the 15th day of August, and that means that exactly in two months, a parliamentary election in Poland will take place.
And also, that has its significance because the ruling party, Law and Justice, is being accused of using the military as a political prop, if you
will, for the purposes of this political campaign. So, that is one context. And the other context is exactly as you said, is a message being sent to
Moscow, to Vladimir Putin, to the Kremlin, but also to Alexander Lukashenko; the Belarusian dictator, the threat coming from Belarus is
being considered, well, extremely dangerous right now.
We must remember, there are thousands of mercenaries from the Wagner group right now in Belarus. And there is this fear that they might create some
sort of provocation, provocations even towards Poland, and that might pose some sort of threat, those might be mercenaries crossing the border towards
Poland. That might be some sort of involvement in human trafficking and migrants coming through Belarus to Poland to western Europe, exactly
through Poland.
And also, the significance today was the fact that was being promoted quite heavily, is that not only is the Polish military, the armed forces getting
stronger and larger, but also that Poland has very strong friends, France has -- is a member of the NATO alliance, and also has a strategic
partnership with the United States confirmed by the American ambassador to Poland, Mr. Mark Brzezinski, whom I spoke with today in Warsaw.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK BRZEZINSKI, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO POLAND: This Polish-American friendship is closer now than ever before, and that's especially because of the
extremely significant military collaboration that we do day-in-and-day-out to keep Poland and NATO secure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SZNAJDER: So, to answer your question, Christina, that pretty much is -- to answer your question, Christina, that pretty much is the context of this
huge military parade which took place in Warsaw today.
MACFARLANE: Yes, timely for so many reasons. Michal Sznajder, we appreciate you giving us your thoughts, breaking it down for us. Thank you. All right,
still to come tonight, officials in Hawaii are bringing in more resources to search for victims of last week's wildfires. And residents on Maui
attending to their community to help those most in need.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:26:57]
MACFARLANE: Just moments ago, U.S. President Joe Biden spoke out about the devastating fires in Hawaii. He pledged ongoing help to the victims of the
fires. The president had faced mounting criticism for not addressing the disaster since last week. There are now 99 people confirmed dead in the
wildfires that swept through Maui.
And Hawaii's governor warns that number could double in the next ten days. Governor Josh Green says it's unclear how many people are unaccounted for.
The speed of the fires forced many to leave their phones behind. Green also addressed concerns that developers might try to press locals with damaged
properties to sell their land for cheap.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JOSH GREEN (D-HI): I would caution people that it's going to be a very long time before any growth or housing can be built. And so, you will be
pretty poorly informed if you try to steal land from our people and then build here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, the Maui police chief says 20 Cadaver dogs are now on the scene helping to search for victims. And as of Monday, only 25 percent of
the fire zone had been searched. Police say they hope to have covered 85 percent to 90 percent by the weekend. Well, meanwhile, several of the
injured have been taken to the Island of O'ahu, which has the only burn unit in Hawaii.
The Straub Medical Center says it's treating nine people for burns. The fires have devastated western Maui, but the spirit of ohana or family, has
been bringing people together. Here's CNN's Bill Weir.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Me --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Brittany(ph) will lead the front, we got raw behind us --
(CROSSTALK)
Just stay close.
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Charlie(ph) and Brittany(ph) Fleck(ph) saw pictures of the devastation in Lahaina, the
couple from Maui knew they had to do something.
(HONKING CAR HORN)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come, we're going to give you cash, we've got cash.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some money? Yes, we need that --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think there's a big ice truck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got help on the way.
WEIR: So they put out a plea on Facebook, and when thousands of dollars began rolling in, they began handing it out --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here you go, hey --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you so much --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're coming -- we're coming for you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aloha --
WEIR: But that didn't seem like enough. So they organized a caravan and sweet-talked their way past red tape and checkpoints, and when they finally
saw what Lahaina looks like for the first time, they wept. But just on the edge of the burned scars, we find an inspiring example of Hawaiian
togetherness.
ARCHIE KALEPA, HALL OF FAME WATERMAN: We've got a towel for your neck.
WEIR (on camera): Cold towel, are you kidding? That is aloha hospitality --
KALEPA: Yes --
WEIR: Thank you --
KALEPA: There you go, man --
WEIR: Thank you very much --
KALEPA: Right there over your neck, keep you --
WEIR: OK, I appreciate it --
KALEPA: Nice and cool.
WEIR (voice-over): Archie Kalepa is a hall of fame surfer and life guard with Maui roots that go back nine generations.
(on camera): This is your actual house here or --
KALEPA: Yes, this is my actual home, and we were really lucky because our neighbors, they were here fighting the fire right at this corner, and the
fire department said, this is our last stand, we're going to hold the line right here.
WEIR (voice-over): Well, there's so much frustration over the official response so far, he says authorities deserve some understanding given the
size of the disaster.
[14:30:08]
KALEPA: This right here is a crime scene. And so, what people don't understand is the government has to do due diligence before they start
moving in.
WEIR: So it's a humanitarian response in the middle of a working crime scene.
KALEPA: Exactly.
WEIR (voice-over): But at another relief pod on a beach nearby, frustration has turned to anger.
ALIKA PENEKU, VOLUNTEER: You know, everybody's like, oh, you know, they going to come and help. They going to come and help. I don't give
(INAUDIBLE). Nobody came for help to us. You know what I mean?
We rely on people like you guys that get compassion like we do, you know what I mean, that willing to help us because please, we need help. We need
help. We need the next step. This is just the first inning. This is the first inning of what we're facing.
KALEPA: Tourism is our number one source of income. I would hope that our representatives, our politicians, our government would ask the people from
here, when can we open?
They should not be telling us, oh, we want to open six months from now. The truth of the matter is when you look at the overall devastation, we are not
going to be ready to allow people to see what we're living through in six months.
WEIR: There are a lot of conflicting emotions around the tourism industry among Hawaii locals after reports that some tourists did not heed shelter
in place orders while the fire was raging and they clocked up the evacuation routes.
And some tourists actually went snorkeling right on Lahaina Beach a couple days after the fire which was deeply offensive to many locals.
There's also the question about what started this fire. We were up in here, the Kula neighborhood, up country from Lahaina where several hundred homes
are burned. They say it was the power lines that brought this down. These were still hot well after the fire started they say.
And that is a lot of the reason a class action lawsuit has just been filed against Hawaiian Electric over the weekend. Stock in that company dropped
40 percent on the news. So a lot of questions about how it started, where the warnings were for locals and where the help is now.
As the homeowners here told me, it would be nice to just see one person in uniform come check on us -- Bill Weir, CNN, Maui.
(END VIDEOTAPE).
MACFARLANE: Still to come tonight, we will have more on the fourth indictment of Donald Trump and the political crisis it's created.
Plus, two years on since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan and women and girls are paying the price.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:35:26]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MACFARLANE: Recapping our top story now, former president Donald Trump is facing a slew of new charges for allegedly masterminding a plot to reject
the 2020 election results to stay in power.
A grand jury in the state of Georgia has voted to indict Trump and more than a dozen others on state criminal charges. Trump is accused of 13 new
crimes and is now charged with 91 crimes total, from four indictments.
Trump calls the new charges politically inspired. Joining us with more is correspondent Stephen Collinson.
Stephen, in a cnn.com article today, you called these Trump indictments astonishing, surreal and a wrecking ball assault on democracy.
You go out to, write which I particularly like, that Trump could in 17 months be raising his right hand as the 47th president and swearing to
preserve, protect and defend the Constitution he was accused of plotting to shred.
For so many people, I think those words reflect the chilling reality in the United States right now.
Where does this latest indictment leave the race to the White House in 2024?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: We've had two impeachments, four indictments, 91 criminal charges levied against Donald
Trump. And still he's the front-runner in the Republican race for president. Still the most popular Republican in the United States, with a
huge following among conservative voters.
And if you look at general elections, anyone who wins that nomination, if Trump goes ahead and does that next year, they have a good chance of
becoming president, especially in a country that's split right down the middle.
Last time, when President Biden took on Donald Trump for the presidency, the race effectively came down to three states. All of those states, the
difference between the two men was about 20,000 votes.
You can see, if Trump does win the Republican nomination and he's miles ahead of his rivals right now, all of whom have failed to navigate a way of
criticizing the president of his liabilities over his legal problems while avoiding alienating the Republican base that they need to vote for them.
So right now, Donald Trump is looking very good. That doesn't mean it's going to stay that way. It's still five months until the first votes are
cast in the Republican nominating race.
We don't know what impact will have on voters, especially general election voters, if Donald Trump spends most of his time in court next year and not
on the campaign trail. He's under enormous criminal pressure with all these indictments. But right now, it looks like he is the man to beat in the
Republican race for the White House.
MACFARLANE: We were showing on the screen there, polling indicating that Trump has 54 percent of the Republican support right now. That from a poll
just 10 days ago.
When we talk about this current indictment, this fourth indictment, how much should we be factoring in the very public nature to which this
particular case is going to play out?
There will be cameras in the courtroom and, to your point there, I think about swing states. It's going to be seeing Trump repeatedly on trial
throughout 2024.
Going to have an impact on Republican support?
Are people going to tire of the spectacle of Trump being in court?
COLLINSON: If you talk to Republican voters in the early voting states, there are some who are worried about that. They are tired of the chaos and
the noise and the behavior that comes with Donald Trump. That's a significant bloc of the Republican primary electorate.
The problem is none of the candidates have so far really been able to consolidate the anti-Trump vote. That's always been the big question. Trump
doesn't necessarily have to win 50 percent.
He can probably win 30 percent of the primary voters and still win the Republican nomination, because that's the way the contest works, the way
that delegates are parceled out.
To your point of being in the courtroom, I think that could well have a damaging effect on general election voters in swing states and suburbs.
Trump has already alienated a lot of those voters over the 2020 election and with his interventions in the 2022 midterms.
So I think that's a danger. Then you have to ask the question, as the primary race goes on, if Donald Trump is repeatedly shown on television in
court, does that make some Republicans think that perhaps he might be too much of a liability to nominate?
[14:40:00]
COLLINSON: The one thing about this Georgia case is, it's so huge, 18 people are indicted apart from Trump. The chances of this particular case
coming to a trial before the election, I think, is pretty slim. So Trump may be able to get past this one.
But the question is, if he's convicted in one of the other cases, how that will play with the electorate?
But I think there's a lot that's unknown. But from what we can establish right now, he's in a strong political position.
MACFARLANE: Yes. We are in uncharted, unprecedented waters. Stephen Collinson, excellent analysis, as always. Thank you so much for joining us.
Now today marks two years since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, throwing the country's future into doubt. Since then, Afghans have suffered
from emergency food shortages, malnutrition and prolonged drought.
Despite promises to be lenient, Taliban leaders are steadily cracking down on human rights. As CNN's Anna Coren reports, no one's paying a higher
price than women and girls.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Today marks the second anniversary of Taliban rule in Afghanistan. To celebrate, the Taliban have announced a
public holiday.
For the girls and women of this country, this is no celebration. Each day, they are facing extreme repression and have now become prisoners in their
own homes. The U.N. says the Taliban is implementing a system of total discrimination, exclusion and subjugation of women and girls.
Afghan women's rights activists are calling the hardline stance of the Taliban as a war against women. We spoke to a university student inside
Afghanistan, who says there is no future for the women of her country.
COREN (voice-over): In the corner of her room, on a piece of string, hanging by paper clips, are the treasured memories of a 20 year old Zahra.
ZAHRA, AFGHAN UNIVERSITY STUDENT: They are my favorite people that I have them in my life.
COREN (voice-over): Photos, drawings, mementos. A secret world of a life once lived that this Afghan university student now grieves for.
ZAHRA: When I stand in front of the mirror, when I look at myself I just see a different Zahra from two years ago.
COREN (voice-over): On the 15th of August, 2021, Zahra's life as she knew it was shattered. The Taliban swept to power after the U.S. withdrawal from
Afghanistan following its 20-year war.
Handing back control to the same group of Islamic extremists who ruled in the 1990s. While the Taliban promised to be more moderate and honor women's
rights within Islamic law, the past two years have brought only a hard line stance toward women.
The closure of secondary schools for girls, the forced implementation of the burqa, the restriction on travel without a male chaperone, the banning
of women from universities and working at NGOs, including the United Nations.
And, just last month, the Taliban closed all beauty salons that employed roughly 60,000 women, many of them the sole breadwinners of their homes.
MAHBOUBA SERAJ, AFGHAN WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Women's freedom doesn't exist. There is no such thing as women's freedom anymore.
COREN (voice-over): women's rights activist Mahbouba Seraj, who stayed in Kabul while more than a million Afghans fled, says the Taliban government
is erasing women from society.
SERAJ: Even the rights that we had in Islam, even the rights that we had in Sharia, we are losing all of that. So if it's not annihilation, what is it?
COREN (voice-over): For Zahra, an aspiring designer, it is very clear what the Taliban demands of her.
ZAHRA: Just to stay at home, get married, you have to give birth to children, that's it. And this is your life, this is what women are made
for.
COREN (voice-over): While the international community repudiates the Taliban's treatment of women and girls, the Taliban is refusing to listen,
saying it will not be pressured.
BILAL KARIMI, TALIBAN DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON (through translator): Afghanistan was freed from occupation. Afghans were able to regain their country,
freedom, government and will. The only way to solve the problem is understanding and dialogue, pressure and force are not logical.
COREN (voice-over): But human rights activists fear that international condemnation is waning and that the Taliban, desperate for international
recognition, is gradually being normalized.
HEATHER BARR, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, WOMEN'S RIGHTS DIVISION, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: They are posing in photographs with smiling diplomats. They're
getting on private jets to fly off to important, high-level meetings where people roll out red carpets for them.
They are being permitted to take control of embassies in a growing number of countries. So I think, you know, from their perspective it is going
pretty well.
COREN (voice-over): A terrifying assessment for the women of this country. Protests have all but disappeared, apart from a small group --
[14:45:00]
COREN (voice-over): -- who face the threat of arrest as they try to get the world's attention. For most, they suffer in silence, convinced that the
world no longer cares.
ZAHRA: If it continues like this, the future, not only for me but also for other girls, it is horrible and it is disaster.
COREN: CNN spoke to Taliban deputy spokesperson Bilal Karimi (ph). He proudly listed the Taliban's achievements, such as restoring security and
cracking down on drug addicts and the opium trade.
When we asked him about girls' education, he was very evasive, refusing to say when girls will be allowed back to school or university. All he said
was that the Taliban needs to wait for the environment to become favorable.
It is important to note that this was the very same line that the Taliban gave back in the 1990s when they ruled for five years. In that time, girls
were never allowed to return to school.
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MACFARLANE: Welcome back.
The World Food Programme says nearly one third of all food produced each year is squandered or goes to waste. But one California company has created
a way to extend its shelf life. CNN's Bianca Nobilo takes a look at their technology taking on food waste.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
JAMES ROGERS, FOUNDER AND CEO, APEEL (voice-over): Food is a living, breathing thing. We don't think about, it but when we pick a piece of
fruit, it's still alive. And that fruit ages and the reason it ages is really simple: water goes out and oxygen goes in.
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): James Rogers, the founder of Apeel Sciences, had a brilliant idea to fight hunger and prevent food waste
and it only went skin deep.
ROGERS (voice-over): What our team is done is figure out a way to look at what the lemon, what the banana has learned and apply that same benefit to
things like avocados, strawberries, blueberries, et cetera.
NOBILO (voice-over): At this facility just outside Santa Barbara, California, employees are testing an avocado's ripeness.
ROGERS (voice-over): You can see, these avocados are a little overripe. And so we call them out of spec. You are at risk of these avocados going to
waste.
NOBILO (voice-over): This time lapse shows the difference between a normal avocado and one treated with Apeel. The secret to Apeel lies in an
invisible coating, consisting of purified monoglycerides and diglycerides, the fatty acids commonly found in the peels and pulp of fruits and
vegetables.
The Apeel coatings are odorless, tasteless and invisible. And in most parts of the world, foods treated with Apeel can still be labeled organic.
JIM SMITS, V.P., RETAIL ADVISORY (voice-over): Over the years, retailers have paid more for color or appearance. Now they are paying more for
products that last longer.
[14:50:00]
NOBILO (voice-over): Jim Smits spent a career overseeing the produce aisle of a major retail grocery chain. He says, for suppliers and retailers, even
a few days keeping produce fresher, longer can make all the difference in an ever-evolving landscape made more challenging by climate change.
SMITS (voice-over): You are seeing now growing areas that once didn't work for a particular commodity that are now being shifted to those commodities.
So the industry is trying to stay ahead.
NOBILO (voice-over): Apeel is currently in 20,000 stores across the globe. Still, Rogers says many more projects like Apeel are needed to fully
eradicate global hunger and reduce the carbon footprint left by food waste.
ROGERS (voice-over): We already have more than enough food to feed everyone. If everything that was growing was sold, everyone would be fed.
It's a matter of food going bad before we can get it to them. When we give food more time, we increase the likelihood that more of what's grown can
get to (INAUDIBLE).
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: For this and more stories about the innovative solutions to our climate challenges, you can visit cnn.com/goinggreen. Stay tuned, we will
be back after this short break with World Cup action.
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MACFARLANE: In a tremendous achievement, Spain has reached their first Women's World Cup final. The team beat favorites Sweden in a dramatic 2-1
win. Spain have scored more goals than any other team still in the tournament. CNN's "WORLD SPORT"s Don Riddell is with us.
Don, this is an even more remarkable achievement by Spain, considering they reached the final without fielding some of their best players due to a
major dispute ahead of the tournament.
DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's been a really turbulent journey to this World Cup and to this World Cup final for this team; 15 of their
players stood up to the coach about a year ago, hoping to get the coach fired.
And in the end, the coach stayed and only three of those players made it to the World Cup. They had only won one World Cup match out of seven before
this tournament and now here they are in the final. An incredible win for them.
Heartbreaking for Sweden. We will show you how it all happened. Sweden, remember, had knocked out the USA and Japan, two teams who have won the
World Cup five times between them.
This one was fairly quiet until the 81st minute, that's when the Spanish moved ahead. Sweden thought they'd scored a goal but would take this one to
extra time. Rebecka Blomqvist scoring in the 88th minute.
[14:55:00]
RIDDELL: But Spain just broke their hearts, just seconds later. Their captain, Olga Carmona, from the corner, firing in the winning goal. And
that puts them into the final, where they will meet either the hosts, Australia, or they will play England, the European champions.
That is the other semifinal, which is going to be played on Wednesday.
And Christina, the Aussies think that the Australian team, the Matildas, are going to win. And here's why. They sent this video out of a koala
choosing -- guess what?
Chose the Australian flag.
But you know what?
(CROSSTALK)
RIDDELL: I think it just shows the eucalyptus leaves. So nothing to do with the flag --
(CROSSTALK)
RIDDELL: -- just the eucalyptus leaves. I'm going to let it fly, because it's so cute.
MACFARLANE: So full of tricks, these, Aussies aren't they, Don?
So nervous for that tie tomorrow, really looking forward to it. Come on, England. Don Riddell there live for us. We'll speak again tomorrow, no
doubt.
And thank you so much for watching tonight. Stay with CNN, "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up after the break.
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