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Isa Soares Tonight
Germany's AfD Party Secures a Historic Victory in State Elections; U.S. Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner Officially Visit Kyiv in a Bid to Restart Talks to End the War; Safety Inspectors on the Scene in Miami Where an Amazon Cargo Plane Crashed and Killed At Least Five People. NTSB to Hold Briefing on Deadly Amazon Cargo Plane Crash; Woman Allegedly Kills Her Toddler After Following Clancy Trial; Hawaii Braces for Hurricane Lowell; Cuba's Energy Crisis. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired September 07, 2026 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, Germany's AfD Party secures a historic
victory in state elections. The closest a far-right party has come to holding power in German states since World War II.
Then, for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine, U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner officially visit Kyiv in a bid to restart talks
to end the war. Plus, safety inspectors are on the scene in Miami, where an Amazon cargo plane crashed and killed at least five people.
We'll have that and much more ahead for you this hour. But first, tonight, we begin right here in Europe, where the continent's biggest economy is
seeing historic state election results, a win for Germany's largest far- right party.
The AfD secured victory in the eastern region of Saxony-Anhalt in Sunday's state election, making it the closest the German far-right has come to
governing a state since World War II. German Intelligence has classed the party as extremists for its anti-Muslim and anti-migration stances.
The party -- just put into context for you, took 44 percent of this weekend's vote, putting them just short of an absolute majority. While
plans of a potential coalition are still up in the air, the leader of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt says they won't be compromising their values. Have a
listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ULRICH SIEGMUND, AFD LEAD CANDIDATE IN SAXONY-ANHALT (through translator): This is the best result any party has achieved in Saxony-Anhalt since 1990.
You really have to stop and appreciate that fact. So, this result is, of course, a mandate to govern.
But -- and we emphasize this yesterday too, only on the condition that we remain true to ourselves, that we don't compromise our principles, and that
we don't become like those who are heavily punished by the voters in Saxony-Anhalt yesterday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's get more on this story. I want to bring in our Fred Pleitgen, who is in Berlin for us this hour. So, Fred, the AfD, as we were
just saying there, short of an outright majority. The question is now, is anyone lining up to be a coalition partner given, of course, this firewall
that has been created against the far right?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the question is, is anyone lining up? And would the AfD then be willing to go
into a coalition with them? There's one party whose name is --
SOARES: Yes --
PLEITGEN: Being mentioned as a possible coalition partner for the AfD. They're called the BSW, Bundnis Sahra Wagenknecht, which is the political
party of the former chairwoman of the leftist party, who has started her own party, and who does have some of the same views as the AfD on certain
issues, like, for instance, migration, but also very anti-Ukraine and very pro-Russia.
So, there are certain areas where those two parties could intermingle and possibly coalesce. However, at the same time, the AfD seems very lukewarm
to a possible coalition there. One of the things that Ulrich Siegmund, whom you showed there, that election winner from last night said, is he wants to
stay, as he put it, true to the values of the AfD, which of course means tough course on immigration and other things as well.
He believes that there could be certain people voted into parliament under the CDU of Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, who might defect to his
party and then possibly be able to give him that outright majority that he would need to govern.
All of that very much up in the air, the AfD believes that they have the right to try and form a coalition to have the governor in that state, but
right now it's very much unclear whether or not they are going to be able to achieve that.
Nevertheless, as we sit here and talk tonight, Isa, it's very difficult to understate or overstate the shockwaves that all of this has sent through
political Berlin. And really, some of the statements that we saw from Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor and others certainly seem to indicate
that they are very concerned about what happened in that election.
SOARES: Yes, and actually sticking with Friedrich Merz; the German chancellor, I did see Fred that he said he called these results seismic,
right? And his party, the CDU did see a share of its vote, its share of almost half.
[14:05:00]
So, where does this leave him and his position? How much pressure will he be under? Speak to that, Fred.
PLEITGEN: He's under immense pressure. And I would say that if you are in the CDU or probably a German citizen, you wouldn't say that this was a slap
in the face for Friedrich Merz. You'd probably say that this was an uppercut from Mike Tyson in the face of Friedrich Merz. That's sort of the
way that he looked at that press conference that he had earlier today.
One of the things that we have to keep in mind is that before these elections took place in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, it was always clear
that the AfD was going to get the largest share of the vote. They were polling at around 41 percent, but the CDU was polling at around 23 percent.
And in the end, they ended up with less than 18 percent, and a lot of people blame the federal policies here in Germany, and especially the
unlikability of Friedrich Merz as a chancellor for that. Friedrich Merz did say that he was absolutely shocked by these results. Let's listen in to
what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRIEDRICH MERZ, CHANCELLOR, GERMANY (through translator): We are all deeply shocked. This outcome was not expected in this form. We must of
course, accept it. These are the rules of our democracy. But yesterday, something changed not only in Saxony-Anhalt, but throughout Germany.
This election result will have repercussions. It also has repercussions on the international situation. Just look at who sent congratulations
yesterday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Friedrich Merz talking about those who sent congratulations yesterday, one of those, of course, Elon Musk, but also some MAGA
Republicans. But key also, some pretty prominent Russians also sent congratulations to the AfD as well, including the chief negotiator for
Russia with the United States, Kirill Dmitriev.
So, clearly, Friedrich Merz, they're saying, look, he has understood that message. But at the same time, he really didn't offer a path forward or any
change forward as to how he wants to deal with the situation. Isa.
SOARES: A lot of thinking, no doubt. Fred, appreciate it. Fred Pleitgen there in Berlin, good to see you, Fred. Thank you. Well, let's stick with
this. My next guest is the Director of the Europe Team at the Eurasia Group and former chief speechwriter at the German Ministry of Defense, Jan Techau
joins me now from Berlin.
Jan, great to have you on the show. Look, before I came on the show, I was seeing a comment from the deputy parliamentary leader of the AfD being
quoted here in the U.K., basically saying they are very close to taking power. I mean, how realistic is that in your view, given what we were just
hearing from my colleague, Fred Pleitgen?
JAN TECHAU, DIRECTOR, EUROPE TEAM, EURASIA GROUP: Yes, thank you, Isa. I think it's quite realistic, actually. There are the AfD in that particular
state that we're talking about is about three votes short in parliament to gain that majority that they want.
And there are two pathways for them really. One is to find these defectors that Fred was mentioning just now. The other one is to find a party that
might go into a coalition or support them in a minority government.
Both of these options are quite possible. You know, time will tell. Parliament has until the sixth or so of October before it needs to come
together. But there's no fixed date to vote in the new prime minister, which means the AfD has time, and time is playing for them.
And finding one of these two options to get that majority, I think, is eminently possible for that party.
SOARES: Right, so now I'm guessing, Jan, is a question of horse trading, political horse trading. Fred was talking about a leftist party. I think he
said BSW, although it doesn't seem the AfD is keen on that. How do you see that horse trading playing out? Talk us through the scenarios here.
TECHAU: I mean, there are some overlaps in their agendas as was mentioned also on energy policy on migration. They have a joint hatred of established
elites and established political parties. They want to wage the culture wars together to a certain extent, getting rid of public broadcasting,
legal frameworks, you know, which they deem to be hostile to their political goals.
So, there are a number of issues where they could easily come together, and where there wouldn't have to be a lot of horse trading. Horse trading, of
course, comes in when it comes to the actual people who need to support the AfD, what kind of perk do they get?
What kind of office can they get? What kind of job can they score? That's the kind of stuff that's being talked about now behind the scenes. But on
the agenda, finding enough overlap between those two parties shouldn't be too difficult.
SOARES: And look, we have covered here in this show, we have seen for years, Jan, as you would know this being in Germany, populist parties,
faring pretty strongly, you know, not just in Portugal, but in Spain, in Italy. Are you surprised by the gains by the AfD here?
[14:10:00]
TECHAU: No, not really. You know, Germany has so far been --
SOARES: Yes --
TECHAU: The outlier in Europe. We see these developments pretty much everywhere. You've mentioned a number of countries. The same applies to the
U.K., it plays out slightly differently there, but --
SOARES: Yes --
TECHAU: It's essentially the same mechanism. It's pretty advanced in France. We have it also in smaller countries like Austria. So, Germany for
a long time was a little more resilient. And that is now fading away.
And so, this is not very much of a surprise. What was surprising again, was the fact that the polls were just not very accurate before these elections.
And this is what, you know, caused that earthquake that the AfD would come out strongest here is not a surprise at all.
But that the distance between the AfD and the others would be so great was something that really, you know, shook people's nerves and so, that's the
unpredictable part here. But the overall trend is not a surprise at all.
SOARES: Yes, look, we heard Merz, as Fred was mentioning there talking about this, we'll have -- this -- there will be repercussions I think is
what he said. Where do you see, Jan, where does this leave Chancellor Merz? Do you think it leaves him in a delicate position?
How will he adjust his position or his stance on some policy issues? Although of course, unlikability, as Fred was saying, is another concern.
TECHAU: Yes, there are really two stories here about Merz. One is the story of his government, the one that he leads, the other one is about
himself. The government, strangely, is perhaps more stable after this. Because this is a coalition of conservatives and social democrats.
There's not much love shared between the two of them. The common agenda is very shaky. And they're both weak now. You know, they have to fear of
getting obliterated in elections, so they will not seek new elections.
Neither of these two parties in the coalition has any kind of incentive to really leave the coalition. So, that's a stabilizing factor here. The story
for Merz personally is a bit different. He is in a very difficult spot now. There's a lot of criticism within his party, which is really the biggest
risk to any kind of leader that your own people abandon you.
And there's this massive disgruntlement with Merz as a leader who doesn't deliver, who often looks weak on communications and on the craft of
politics, you know, less convincing than people anticipated. This is the real risk to him.
I think he's probably safe for the next six months or so, perhaps into Spring of next year. But then, we have a crucial state election in one of
the biggest states of Germany and a possible successor might come out of that one.
So, there's, you know, something cooking in the background that could become dangerous for him, but certainly, in the medium term --
SOARES: Yes --
TECHAU: Merz must really be worried about his future.
SOARES: Yes, let's see where that goes, given, of course, the precarious positions you said that we are seeing. Thanks very much, Jan, I really
appreciate you taking the time to speak to us. Really enjoyed that conversation. Thank you, Jan Techau there for us in Berlin.
We're going to leave Germany for just a moment and turn our attention to Ukraine because U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he would
end the Russia-Ukraine war on day one. If you remember, on -- of his second term. That's when he said it.
But nearly, 600 days later, there still isn't a clear path to peace. In an effort to try to change that, U.S. envoy, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner,
met with Ukrainian President there, Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, and it came on the heels of a visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Witkoff says he's optimistic there will be a new round of trilateral talks, but there are no negotiations scheduled any time soon. The 72-hour truce
while Kushner and Witkoff visited the two leaders, well, that is now over. A Russian strike damaged a tobacco plant in northern Ukraine. Our Clare
Sebastian has more on those talks and those strikes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, look, this weekend of diplomacy came amidst a cycle of escalating violence. We've seen over
the last week-and-a-half or so, pretty much nonstop Russian attacks on Kyiv.
And look, this was a really big moment for Ukraine, but barely had the dust settled when we saw this cycle of violence restart again, the air raid
alert back on in Kyiv Monday afternoon for the first time since the early hours of Sunday morning.
On Monday, we saw both sides exchanging long-range strikes. There was a British-American Tobacco facility that was struck by a Russian drone in the
Chernihiv region to the northeast of Kyiv. One person reportedly injured there according to local authorities.
And on the other side, Ukraine continuing to fire drones at Russia. Video emerged from the central Perm region in Russia of a Ukrainian drone
purportedly hitting a residential building. Video that CNN has verified of that one person killed, according to the governor of that region in Russia.
[14:15:00]
So, look, all of that, I think, clearly underscoring the challenges ahead as the U.S. seems committed to re-invigorating to restarting this
diplomatic process. The U.S. envoy is pushing now for a restart of trilateral meetings involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States.
The Kremlin on Monday saying that it wouldn't rule that out. But perhaps slow-balling, saying that it's not ready to talk about location or time.
And meanwhile, Ukraine really wants to seize on the momentum here, it had talks in Kyiv about a Winter package of aid involving help for its energy
facilities and in terms of air defenses as well.
That was very positive. There was talk of security guarantees. They want to seize on that momentum. They want talks to continue to involve the
Europeans, as they did on Sunday. But look, Russia is really offering no opening here.
We heard after talks in Moscow on Saturday; Russia reverts again to talking about resolving the root causes of this conflict. That is shorthand for its
Maximalist goals in this war, including things like Ukraine withdrawing from the Donbas and promising not to join NATO.
So, look, at this point, clearly, it looks like we'll see more U.S.-led diplomacy ahead, but it isn't clear how they're going to break this cycle
of violence.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Our thanks to Clare Sebastian for that. Well, let's go deeper and get some more perspective on this. I'm pleased to welcome back Volker; the
former U.S. ambassador to NATO. He also served as a U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations.
Ambassador, great to have you back on the show. Look, I heard, and I'm sure you did as well. We heard some words, kind, warm words, I should say, being
exchanged. But clearly, as Clare was saying, there are no breakthrough.
I did see that you told my producer and I'm going to -- I'm going to quote them here that you believe that we are no -- you know, that both sides are
not presenting things both in Kyiv and in Moscow, how they should be. What do you mean by that?
KURT VOLKER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NATO: Well, look, Russia is telling the U.S. mediators, yes, we want peace. Yes, we want to end the war, yes,
we are ready to negotiate. But what the Russians are not saying is that only if we have Ukraine capitulate.
We want to take territory from Ukraine, that we have not even been able to conquer. We want Ukraine to limit its independence and be subject to
Russian oversight. This is subjugating Ukraine to Russia. That's what the Russians mean. Even though they are saying these nice words.
You go to Ukraine and the Ukrainian leadership doesn't want to be seen as unwilling to negotiate. They don't want to be the ones blamed for failure
to talk. So, they say, yes, you know, we're ready to meet. We're ready to talk.
We're ready to end the war. But the terms that Russia is insisting on are outrageous from a Ukrainian point of view, just giving up your own people,
giving up your own territory. So, they're not going to do that, but they don't want to be seen in a negative light.
To simplify this, Ukraine is offering and has suggested an immediate ceasefire. Let's just stop fighting. Russia has rejected that and
consistently rejects that. And that pretty much tells you everything you need to know.
SOARES: Yes, right. That you've laid the cards very clearly for our viewers -- for our viewers listening there. So, as a diplomat, ambassador,
just help us understand the thinking from the U.S. side, because Witkoff has been to Moscow, something like eight or nine times to meet Putin,
right?
He says -- Witkoff says --
VOLKER: Yes --
SOARES: It's to help Washington better understand Moscow's position. Surely by now, you know their position. So, what is the strategy from the
U.S. side?
VOLKER: Right, so the U.S. is desperately trying to maintain a position of being a neutral mediator rather than taking sides where for Ukraine we're
against Russia or vice versa. Saying, no, there are two warring parties, they're fighting each other.
As Jared Kushner said in his press conference in Kyiv, war is not good for anybody, it's just destructive. It's a zero sum. What we want is a win-win
for everybody. And so, we should be looking for that. That is a very -- you know, nice thing to say.
So, oh, we want to win-win for everybody. But it completely misunderstands the actual situation where nobody in Ukraine asked for this war. Vladimir
Putin decided to launch this war to seize Ukrainian territory and to subject Ukraine to Moscow -- to Russia, make it part of an empire.
And Ukrainians do not want to be part of a Russian empire, so, they're resisting. If you understand it that way, then this approach of taking a
morally neutral and a politically-neutral position and ending the war doesn't make any sense.
[14:20:00]
And the only way to end the war is to put pressure on Vladimir Putin so that financially, economically, militarily, he can't continue. And so far,
the United States has not been willing to do that.
SOARES: And why hasn't it been able then to do that? Because as you're talking, I mean, I saw a quote today from a person close to the Kremlin
speaking to "Reuters" who said this, ambassador, let me read it out. There is no chance -- "there is no chance of reaching an agreement regarding the
frontline until Putin finishes securing the remaining part of the Donetsk region."
This person then added that the Kremlin leader was confident, based on reports from his commanders, that this would happen by the end of the year.
Now, military analysts will pour cold water on this. But where then? How can you change the tact from the U.S. perspective regarding Putin here?
VOLKER: Well, first off, I think it is a hard, cold realization or recognition of what Putin is doing. He is seeking to subjugate Ukraine.
It's not only about taking territory, which it is. You know, he wants to take these territories, including --
SOARES: Yes --
VOLKER: All of Donbas, which he has not been able to capture, but he wants more than that. He wants to limit Ukraine's sovereignty and independence.
He does not believe that Ukraine is a true, separate, independent identity, nationality, country and so forth.
And he's wrong about that. He just doesn't like the truth. If we buy into the Russian narrative here and believe that, that is somehow true, then
this war will go on forever, because the Ukrainians will never allow themselves to be subject to Russia in that way again.
SOARES: Ambassador, always great to have you on the show, appreciate it. Thank you very much, Kurt Volker, there joining us from Odesa in Ukraine.
Thank you --
VOLKER: It's a pleasure, thank you.
SOARES: And still to come tonight on the show -- you're very welcome. CNN gets rare access to the flood zone in Chinese-governed Tibet. What
officials there say about recovering victims and contacting families? That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Iran is threatening to retaliate against any more U.S. attacks on its assets, warning that energy infrastructure across the gulf may be
vulnerable. U.S. forces struck three Iranian oil tankers over the weekend after Iran launched missiles toward U.S. Navy warships in the region.
[14:25:00]
Iran has tightened restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and now says it will soon announce a new restricted zone outside the
Strait. Iran says the zone would begin where a U.S. Naval blockade starts and would extend into parts of the gulf.
Lebanon's Health Ministry says at least nine people have been killed in new Israeli strikes, including a child and a paramedic. It says Israel bombed a
residential building in southern Lebanon, as well as a vehicle. Israel says it was responding to a Hezbollah drone attack launched at Israeli troops in
Lebanon.
It says reports of civilians harmed is, quote, "being reviewed". Israel has been carrying out near-daily strikes despite a ceasefire. Lebanon's
President says the attacks go beyond what he called the alleged military targets. He's urging the world to intervene.
Now, the death toll from the devastating floods in Nepal has risen to more than 1,300 people. Nearly, 5,000 people are still missing. It's been about
12 days since the floods hit over the weekend. More survivors were pulled out alive after being trapped in hydropower tunnels.
About 900 of those still missing are hydropower crew members. Chinese officials have allowed CNN to get a firsthand view of the disaster zone on
the China-Nepal border in Tibet. This is a rare government organized reporting trip, but CNN maintains full editorial control of our coverage.
Here's Simone McCarthy with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIMONE MCCARTHY, CNN SENIOR CHINA REPORTER (voice-over): This was Jurong Port, the main gate, the immigration halls, Customs, the parking lots where
buses waited. The last man-made structure, pilgrims, tourists and traders walked through before crossing between Nepal and China. That building,
bridge, roads are gone.
(On camera): This is the spot where a huge wall of water washed over a five-story building. In video that was captured on surveillance footage on
August 26th, when devastating floods and landslides hit the China-Nepal border, I am standing now in the area where that building was. You would
never know that there had been anything here at all. It's just completely flattened.
(Voice-over): What is left is an apocalyptic field of mud, so deep that in places, machines are cutting through about 12 feet of it. The first teams
did not arrive by road. They climbed, got on rubber boats and helicopters because the highway had been torn out.
ZHANG XIAOJUN, CHINESE RESCUE TEAM LEADER (through translator): All of the structures above ground had been swept away by the mudslide. It was really
heartbreaking to see so many of our fellow Chinese lost their precious lives in this disaster.
MCCARTHY: Zhang also says at this stage, they are clearing mud layer-by- layer, searching for the deceased. There are no signs of life nearly two weeks in. Chinese authorities have confirmed dozens of deaths on this side
of the border in Tibet. But what the world can see of this loss is tightly managed.
(On camera): This is the first time that foreign media is getting access into this area, where CNN is part of a small group of foreign reporters who
have been given access to this site. The first time that foreign media have been allowed entry here. But certainly, this is a place where there are
many questions about who was here, many families seeking more answers.
(Voice-over): Like Arushi Gupta's family in India. Those were her last messages to her father less than an hour before the flood struck. The 33-
year-old even included a picture of the Jurong Port crossing as she approached the port.
(On camera): Is there something you would --
(Voice-over): This is her father's message to Chinese authorities.
AJAY GUPTA, DAUGHTER ARUSHI GUPTA MISSING SINCE FLOOD: My request to them with folded hand is, please provide any information you have about my
daughter. I shall be grateful to you, madam. I am requesting China authority to please share any details they're having.
MCCARTHY: More than 500 people remain missing on China's side of the border. Roughly half of them foreign nationals.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are many foreign nationals including --
MCCARTHY: When asked about the government's plans on releasing data about those who were at the port that fateful day, Chinese officials say
information about missing foreign nationals has been shared with their embassies.
PU WEIDONG, PUBLIC SECURITY DEPARTMENT OF THE TIBET AUTONOMOUS REGION (through translator): After the identities of the victims remains are
confirmed, the relevant departments will properly hand over the remains and belongings to the families.
The specific procedures for claiming and handling will be carried out in strict accordance with relevant regulations.
MCCARTHY: And so, the search continues, but the answers may never come. Simone McCarthy, CNN, Jurong Port.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. We are waiting for the National Transportation Safety Board, the NTSB, to hold a news conference in just
about two hours about Sunday's deadly Amazon cargo plane crash. And it happened in Miami when the plane overran the runway, hitting multiple
vehicles and killing five people. Five others were also injured.
Our Pete Muntean joins me now from Miami with the very latest. So, Pete, bring us up to date with the very latest and whether, critically,
investigators are getting any closer to understanding why the plane could not stop.
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's going to be a long process, Isa, but we know from the NTSB that their team of investigators has done the initial
walk around of the crash site behind me. We're about a quarter mile away from this Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767. It was operated by one of Amazon's
contractors called 21 Air.
I can see off in the distance the tail of the plane hanging over Northwest 67th Avenue here. That's on the west side of the airport. This airplane was
landing on a northwesterly runway, runway 30, when it sailed off the end at about 130 miles per hour, traversed about 1,700 feet of grass, then went
through a fence over the road and coming to rest in the parking lot back there, clearly striking vehicles in its path. We know that five are dead
and five are injured.
I want you to look at the open-source data that we're able to access right now, and this is from Flightradar24. It shows that this plane was on what
pilots would refer to as an unstable approach. The green and yellow lines there show approaches that airplanes made before this incident, a nice,
steady descent, whereas the airplane in this incident, the red line, made what pilots would call a balloon up and then dove back toward the runway
touchdown area.
[14:35:00]
And then the video taken from the tarmac at Miami International Airport continues to tell the story, showing this plane sailing past about the two-
third point of the runway, nearly at the end of the runway, with only the right main landing wheels and the nose landing wheels touching the ground.
The left main landing gear trolley, about the size of a passenger car, still airborne as this plane continues towards the end of the runway.
The speeds also really tell the story here, and about that point, near the point of view of that video, the plane going about 155 knots, that's about
180 miles per hour. Typically, at that point, an airplane like this, this Boeing 767, would be clearing the runway and taxing in to parking. So, a
lot of unanswered questions here about this landing that clearly went horribly awry, and investigators will really want to key in on the black
boxes, the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder, to see if the pilots realized that this landing was clearly not going the way they
intended.
SOARES: Look, absolutely terrifying just looking at that video. And you did mention there, Pete, that five people died as a result. We know that
five people, five others, were injured. What do we know about the victims, about those who were injured, including, Pete, the two pilots?
MUNTEAN: We know that the injured, some were taken to a nearby trauma center with critical injuries. Others were taken to a nearby hospital with
an emergency department, not as serious of injuries. It appears, at least from video surfacing on social media, that the pilots were able to get out
of the airplane OK.
In fact, I can see one of the doors here on the wreckage, the 1L door is what it's officially known as, the front left door, open right now. Unclear
if the pilots got out that way or through emergency exits on the cockpit itself. There are windows. There's a roof escape in some types of airplanes
like this.
A cargo airplane such as this is a little different than a normal passenger flight. The pilots are usually one and two. There's only two on board.
There's no flight attendants. Only on larger cargo flights operating over a long distance would there be other pilots on board working in shifts. So,
it seems that the pilots were able to get out OK.
Of course, investigators will want to reach them and interview them nearly straightaway while their memories are fresh so they can get good
information about what was taking place in the cockpit leading up to this crash.
SOARES: Pete Muntean there for us in Miami, Florida. Thanks very much, Pete. And of course we'll you that press conference from the NTSB when it
does get underway in about two hours or so from now.
In the meantime, we are following a strange and tragic twist in a story that has gripped the United States. A woman in Illinois has been charged
with the murder of her 2-year-old son. Police say Corie Walsh, told them she killed her son because she believed he was the devil. Prosecutors say
Walsh was closely following the story of Lindsay Clancy. Clancy, if you remember, is a Massachusetts woman who was tried for killing her three
children last week. A jury deadlocked in her trial after Clancy said she was suffering from postpartum psychosis.
CNN Law Enforcement Correspondent Whitney Wild is following this story. So, Whitney, I mean, just talk us through, talk our viewers through this case,
first of all.
WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we know, according to prosecutors, is that up until 12:30 last Tuesday, Corie Walsh
was on a group text with friends talking about the Lindsay Clancy trial. By 4:00 that afternoon, police were responding to her home for reports of an
unresponsive toddler.
Prosecutors say a neighbor found this entire scene. A neighbor walked into the home and at some point, found her two-year-old son Barrett Walsh
hanging from a rafter. The neighbor tried to bring Barrett Walsh down, tried to administer CPR to try to save that toddler's life, but sadly that
toddler was pronounced dead about an hour after police arrived.
The neighbor also found Corie Walsh in a bathtub, apparently trying to harm herself. According to prosecutors, that neighbor told police that she found
her actively trying to harm herself. The neighbor grabbed a knife and threw it into the sink. And when police arrived, they found Corie Walsh in a
bathtub surrounded by bloody bathwater.
As you had mentioned, Corie Walsh told police that she did this because her two-year-old son was the devil and was the Antichrist. And then later,
after she went to the hospital and they spoke with her again, she gave them detail about this crime that matched with what police found when they went
to that scene. There was a baby inside the home at the time of this tragedy. And then, heartbreakingly, her other two kids, two school-age
children, came home around the same time that Barrett Walsh was found.
[14:40:00]
So, absolutely, just so tragic to think that these school-age children came home as this horrifying situation was starting to come into a clearer
picture.
What we know now is that prosecutors firmly believe Corie Walsh needs to stay behind bars. She is due in court tomorrow. Prosecutors are continuing
to argue that she needs to stay there because of not only the severity of the crime, but because, at some point, she had also made comments about
harming her other children and harming her husband.
Her husband was not home at the time. He was traveling out of state. He has since flown home. Now, this family, you know, in the throes of just really
horrific situation here that is only just beginning.
Corie Walsh's attorney insists that this was the result of a psychotic episode saying this. This is a tragedy for the Walsh family, all of whom
are mourning the loss of this child. It is also a tragedy that Corie herself was experiencing a psychotic episode at the time that this
happened. It is our hope that through a thorough presentation and investigation of the facts that all of us will come to see this heartbreak
for what it is.
However, law enforcement saying flatly, this is first-degree murder. They will continue to argue that at her court appearance tomorrow morning. Back
to you.
SOARES: An absolutely horrific crime. I know you'll stay across this for us. Thank you very much, Whitney Wild. Apologies for getting surnames mixed
up. Whitney Wild, of course, there for us in Chicago. Thank you, Whitney. We're going to take a short break. Do stay right here with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Hawaii is now facing its third major storm in as many weeks. Hurricane Lowell has made a final turn toward the islands. The U.S. state
may avoid a direct hit, but the effects of the storm could still be devastating.
I want to bring in our meteorologist, Derek Van Dam. So, Derek, good to see you. Just talk us through, first of all, what we're likely to expect here,
what we're likely to see.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Isa, it's been a very dramatic day here because as we edge closer to this impact from the storm, we're getting
these three-hour special updates from the National Hurricane Center, kind of the leading authority here in the United States for hurricanes and
hurricane forecasts. And what we're seeing is this trend that keeps pushing this hurricane further and further east.
[14:45:00]
So, much so, just in the past update that occurred about 45 minutes ago, they included the island of Oahu. So, many of our international viewers may
be familiar with that area. We visited Honolulu, perhaps. Of course, we have tropical storm warnings for that location, but a hurricane warning is
issued now across the Kauai County area. So, this is the far most northwestern areas of the populated parts of Oahu.
So, let's take you to the ground. This is what it looks like in Oahu County. This is on the south-facing shorelines. Yes, that's some ominous
clouds in the background, but this doesn't look too beat up just yet on the ocean. That's going to change here in the hours to come because it's
pushing up a lot of swell and large waves towering over two stories at times are headed that way.
Now, this is what it looks like from the air. This is the Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. That's
the hurricane hunters. They go flying into the center of these storms. We're lucky to have that kind of information because that helps us pinpoint
exact path where this storm will go, and it's important right now because this is a game of miles.
At the moment, it's about 325 miles to the south and west. That's roughly 500 kilometers south and west of Kauai, but because of that easterly shift
that we're seeing in this storm, it is increasing the risk of tropical storm and hurricane force winds for a larger population density, namely
Honolulu. Tropical storm force winds becoming more likely. It is certainly going to happen there across the island of Kauai. The radar showing just
how active it is, and this isn't the main event. We're seeing the outer rain bands, some of which likely have tropical storm conditions associated
with them.
Here's the forecast track, likely to pass just west of Kauai County as a category 2 Atlantic hurricane, so it is weakening, but it is a formidable
hurricane, and what that means is it travels northward. It actually starts to see the wind field expand. This is important, too, because as it does
so, that allows for the outer bands to contain those tropical storm force and hurricane force gusts, especially when they extend 175 miles out from
the center, so not just the middle of the hurricane with the strongest winds, but also well away from that.
So, that's what we're concerned about, the potential here for landslides, and mudslides are a real probability as over a foot of rain could fall from
the sky as well. Isa.
SOARES: Goodness. I know you'll stay across it for us, Derek. Thank you very much. Of course, it goes without saying, if you're in Hawaii, please
keep safe. Thank you. Thank you, Derek.
Now, it seems U.S. President Donald Trump had a very strange day on Sunday. His social media feed posted a series of bizarre videos and memes, in one
he claimed possession of the moon. I kid you not. Another depicted the president as the Green Lantern superhero.
But perhaps the most unusual post that proposed changing the name of New Mexico to New America. Some critics say it all may have been an effort to
distract from high gas prices and the ongoing conflict with Iran. The president's own Republican Party is struggling to find a message that
connects with voters, as we head, of course, into the critical midterms.
And still to come tonight on the show, Cuba's deepening energy crisis, with the country suffering under really, really tough days, of course. We'll
have more after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
SOARES: Well, 100 days. That's how long Albanians have been taking to the streets night after night to protest against government corruption and to
pose a planned luxury resort. This was a scene about an hour or so ago in Tirana, Albania. I'm being told by my producer the protests continue to
this hour right now.
In fact, the project is planned on an environmentally sensitive stretch of the Adriatic Coast, as we've been telling you here on the show, home to a
host of wildlife, including flamingos. Hence why you see the flamingos has become an icon, really, of this protest. The resort also backed by a
company linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. That's how it started. It has expanded with calls, of course, for
the government to step down. We'll stay across the story as we have right from the beginning.
While thousands gathered in Belgrade earlier for the funeral of the war criminal and former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic, Mladic died while
serving a life sentence for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. His coffin was paraded through the streets, surrounded by armed
soldiers and accompanied by, as you can hear, a brass band.
It comes as Serbia defied E.U. warnings against allowing public homage to the man found guilty of the continent's first case of genocide since World
War Two. Last week, the E.U. enlargement commissioner postponed her visit to Serbia, which is a candidate country to join the bloc because of what
she called the glorification of Mladic.
Former Cuban President Raul Castro has made a public appearance amid rumors that he's in very poor health. The 95-year-old brother of the late Fidel
Castro, a revolutionary in his own right, attended a military ceremony over the weekend. State TV showed him there alongside current President Miguel
Diaz-Canel and members of the armed forces in Havana.
The Cuban government is struggling to cope with an ever-worsening energy crisis triggered by the U.S.-imposed oil blockade. Fidel Castro tried to
reduce the country's dependence on oil in the 1980s by building a nuclear power plant. Our Juan Carlos Lopez has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Blackouts aren't new to Cuba. They've been a part of life since at least the 1980s. Although not at the
scale of the current crisis triggered by the Trump administration's ban on the sale of oil to the Cuban government.
In 1982, Fidel Castro made a bold move.
FIDEL CASTRO, FORMER CUBAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The Juragua nuclear power plant has been the largest and most complex construction
project undertaken by our country.
LOPEZ (voice-over): The nuclear plant at Juragua would be the first step of a plan to wean the island off oil with the help of the Soviet Union
which would build and finance the project. Driving down the coast, we spot the concrete giant. Long abandoned, it was once expected to provide at
least 15 percent of the island's electricity needs.
LOPEZ: Now, that was back at the end of the' 80s, beginning of the '90s. It wasn't the best moment for this type of project so close to the United
States. A project that took too long, cost too much, and at the end ended up just being what it is today. Just ruins.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Cuban premier, Fidel Castro, in Russia for a visit with big brother.
LOPEZ (voice-over): That's because Havana bet everything on being in the Soviet Union's sphere of influence during the Cold War and on Moscow's
assistance for ambitious projects like the Juragua power plant which sat under 200 miles from the Florida Keys and sent Washington into a tailspin
over national security even though the Turkey Point nuclear plant in Homestead, Florida had been operating 200 miles from Havana since 1972.
NICHOLAS BURNS, FORMER U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: We've had long standing concerns about the quality of the plant's construction and about
Cuba's ability to operate it safely.
LOPEZ (voice-over): Fears of an accident stemmed largely from the world's worst nuclear disaster in Chernobyl in 1986. But the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission reported that same year to Congress that even though they had reservations about the project, Juragua resembled Western nuclear
plants and was not considered a threat.
[14:55:00]
In the end, when the Soviet Union collapsed, Havana came up dry and this now eerie monolith was left unfinished. This is Ciudad Nuclear, built to
house the plant's workers.
It's where I meet Luis Vargas, an electrician who was involved in the project.
What do you feel when you see the structure? I ask him. I don't know, Luis says. I feel a deep sorrow inside because many things were ruined. It's a
shame that it ended up this way because unfortunately millions were invested and we weren't able to finish it.
Francisco Perez, who also worked at the plant, remembers when Fidel Castro came to tell them it was over. He told us the truth, Francisco tells me. He
explained the situation, the problem they faced, and that they had to shut the plant down.
Juragua was the first of three nuclear plants that would help Cuba overcome a monumental challenge the island faces to this day. A growing demand for
electricity and a lack of capacity to produce it. This fading sign, in Russian and in Spanish, reads, may the atom be a worker and not a soldier.
In Juragua, it was neither.
Juan Carlos Lopez, CNN, Uruguay, Cuba.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And that does it for us for this hour. Do stay right here. "What We Know" with Max Foster is up next. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye-bye.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
