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CNN NEWSROOM

Trump Not Included in One Planet Summit; Trump Accusers Back on TV; Alabamians Decides Between Moore and Jones; Lone Wolf Failed Attack in New York Subway. Aired 3-3:30a ET

Aired December 12, 2017 - 03:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

[03:00:00] ROSEMARY CHURCH, HOST, CNN: ... his accusers is now asking Congress to investigate his behavior.

And the U.S. Senate candidate embroiled in sexual harassment allegations will know his political fate soon. It is election day in Alabama for republican Roy Moore and democrat Doug Jones.

And we will go live to Paris. Mexico's president is there. The British prime minister is there but President Trump not invited.

Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. And this is CNN Newsroom.

It is the two year anniversary of the Paris Climate Accord and the world leaders are once again gathering the French capital, this one for the one planet summit.

President Donald Trump announced in June that the U.S. would withdraw from the accord, only a delegation the U.S. embassy in Paris will attend this summit. The focus is expected to be a push for wealthy nations to increase climate financing and to step up efforts against global warming.

Melissa Bell joins us now from Paris with more. So, Melissa, what all is the summit expected to achieve this time around.

MELISSA BELL, INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, the idea is that it should result, Rosemary, and this is very much the will of the French president who's organized the summit here on the banks of the River Seine that it should end today in a number of different concrete proposals. Twelve in all, that is the plan.

And as you say, the idea is very much this question of finance, that 100 billion that had been pledged to the world's poorer countries each year by 2020 should be found and that has yet to be the case, Rosemary.

And this is really something that Emmanuel Macron has sought to grasp, has sought to make his own, has sought to keep sort of giving momentum to in order that the Paris Accord should not die as a result of the American withdrawal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: It was the deal that few had imagined impossible.

A universal and finding climate change treaty aimed at keeping global warming below degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Francois Hollande may have been the man of the hour on this stage two years but it is his successor, Emmanuel Macron who has made the deal rescue his mission.

EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE: Make our planet great again.

BELL: A message delivered within hours of Donald Trump's announcement on June 1st of America's withdrawal from the deal.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're getting out.

BELL: And in practice also the French president wasted no time in picking up the mantel of global leader on environmental issues. Launching with the help of the former U.N. Secretary Ban Ki Moon a draft global charter for the environment and this only three weeks after Donald Trump's decision.

MACRON (through translator): I doubt about the deal could have emerged with this decision by the president of the U.S. to pull out. But you saw as I did, that it seems to have made no difference at all.

BELL: And that is perhaps partly because where the American president left off, other high profile Americans stepped in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm here with President Macron and we are talking about environmental issues and the green future.

MACRON: And now we will deliver together to make the planet great again.

BELL: On Sunday, Macron lit the Elysee Christmas tree, just ahead of the summit that he hopes will be a gift to the world. But can the Paris deal targets still be met?

JEAN JOUZEL, FRENCH CLIMATOLOGIST: It's still possible to keep up. We have obviously to change our development scheme of USA to go to a local society. It will create jobs. Economically and psychologically is you will win if you do it. And you will lose if you don't do it.

BELL: The question is whether Paris as determined as it is, has the power to lead, even where the United States refuses to follow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: It's because that question still hangs in the balance, Rosemary, has yet to be fully answered that the pressure really is on here today for French authorities even as the delegates some 4,000 of them begin to arrive. They will need to have concrete decisions taken by the end of the day if they have any hope of convincing the world that this really can be achieved. CHURCH: And Melissa, we just want to listen for a moment to what

French President Emmanuel Macron had had to say in an exclusive interview with CBS News.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MACRON: You have more than 180 countries as negotiators, I'm not ready to renegotiate with so many people. I'm sorry, around the table. The U.S. did sign the Paris agreement.

[03:04:57] It's extremely aggressive to decide on his own, just to leave and no way to push the others to renegotiate because one decided to leave the floor. I'm sorry to say that. It isn't right. I'm not ready to renegotiate, but I'm ready to welcome him if he decides to come back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: So, Melissa, President Macron says that Mr. Trump is welcome to come back and join the accord, but why, why would he offer to do that? I mean, that's not going to happen anyway. Is it, and what has been the impact of the United States withdrawing from the accord?

BELL: Well, the French president would have you believe that in fact it's been fairly minimal, that in fact it hasn't so far threatened the Paris accord, in fact, of course it is a massive flow because the United States is one of the major producers of carbon emissions in the world, and because its financial contribution -- contributions that fund though, I was talking about a moment ago had been going to be so significant.

But if you think back to that day, when Donald Trump announced that U.S. withdrawal and you remember all of those immediate pronouncements made by the mayors of various American cities, leaders as well at the federal level about their commitment to seeing this through, you'll see that the plan from the European perspective is that perhaps if enough American actors can be brought together to stick to those pledges, then perhaps Washington's determination to pull out need not be as catastrophic as it may have seen.

Then in fact, that's very much the theme here today. There's going to be a large American delegation. You're quite right, Rosemary that it is fairly low level in terms of those representing the American embassy and the Americans officially. But Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to be here, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York as well, the current mayor of California, all here to recommit from the American perspective to the Paris Accord.

CHURCH: All right. Many thanks to our Melissa Bell, joining us there from Paris, where it is 9.06 in the morning.

And do stay with us next hour for a special report from the Arctic. CNN's Clarissa Ward travels to Greenland to see firsthand how climate change is impacting the region. Her report global warning Artic melt is at the top of the next hour at 9 a.m. in London, 5 p.m. in Hong Kong. And a few hours later, join Max Foster for a special edition of CNN talk, focused on climate change. That's at noon in London and 8 p.m. in Hong Kong.

Well, the number of senators calling for President Donald Trump to quit has risen to four. This after the national discussion of sexual harassment refocused attention on the president's accusers.

As Jim Acosta reports those accusers are calling for a congressional investigation.

JIM ACOSTA, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN: For the White House the questions aren't going away, even if the answers remain the same.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH HUCKABEE-SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president has addressed these accusations directly and denied all of these allegations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Women who accused President Trump of harassment and even assault, are telling their stories once again to join the Me Too movement that are shining a bright light on the issue of sexual abuse in the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RACHEL CROOKS, PRESIDENT TRUMP ACCUSER: This was serial misconduct and perversion on the part of Mr. Trump. Unfortunately this behavior isn't rare in our society and people of all backgrounds can be victims. The only reason I am here today is because this offender is now the president of our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: The women are also speaking out as the president is endorsing republican Senate candidate Roy Moore who's denying accusations of sexual assault or abuse by four women, including one woman who alleges he alleges her when she was 15.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSICA EEDS, PRESIDENT TRUMP ACCUSER: In some areas of our society, people are being held accountable for unwanted behavior. But we are not holding our president accountable for what he is and who he is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Press Secretary Sarah Sanders claim there are eyewitnesses who will back up the president's denials.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: Several reports have shown those eyewitnesses also back up the president's claim in this process. And again, the American people knew this and voted for the president, and we feel like we are ready to move forward in that process. (END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Sanders made that claim despite Mr. Trump being caught on tape with Access Hollywood bragging about forcing himself on to women.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. I just can kiss. I don't even wait. And when you are a star, they let you do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley appears to differ somewhat with the White House view that the issue of the president's past behavior was settled in the last election.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIKKI HALEY, UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: Women who accuse anyone should be heard, they should be heard and they should be dealt with. And I think we heard from them prior to the election and I think any woman who has felt violated or felt mistreated in any way, they have every right to speak up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Before the election, the Trump campaign tried to argue past behavior does matter only women who have accused former President Bill Clinton of misconduct.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bill Clinton raped me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[22:09:57] ACOSTA: In an exclusive CNN interview, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined a growing number of democratic senators who say there's enough evidence to call on the president to resign from office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, (D) UNITED STATES SENATOR: President Trump should resign. These allegations are credible, they are numerous. I've heard these women's testimony and many of them are heartbreaking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: As the president's accusers were sharing their stories, Mr. Trump was lashing out once again at the news media on Twitter. The line of attack on the American press picked up in the White House briefing room.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Journalists makes honest mistakes and that doesn't make them fake news. But the question, though...

(CROSSTALK)

SANDERS: Well, when journalists makes honest mistakes they should own up to them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do.

SANDERS: Sometimes, and a lot of times you don't. But there's a difference -- there's a very big -- I'm sorry, I'm not finished. There's a very big difference between making honest mistakes and purposely misleading the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: As of the press secretary that there are eyewitnesses who will back up that the president's denial said he ever engage in sexual misconduct, the White House has passed along a few news reports that came out during the 2016 campaign. But it is the president who have hardly produced enough evidence or eye witnesses to refute all of the claims of abuse directed at the president.

Jim Acosta, CNN, the White House.

CHURCH: In just a few hours from now, voters in the U.S. State on Alabama will choose their next senator. The winner could be Roy Moore, the republican facing sexual harassment and assault allegations involving under age women or it could be democrat Doug Jones who wouldn't have much of a chance in any other year in the deeply republican state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG JONES, (D) U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: I'm going to tell you, folks. It is time. And I think we are going to see it tomorrow. That the majority of the people of Alabama, say that it is time that we put our decency, our state before political party.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Kaitlan Collins is in Alabama following the Moore campaign.

KAITLAN COLLINS, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, CNN: Well, good moshing. After nearly a week-long absence from the campaign trail we saw from a Roy Moore's biggest surrogates return in an attempt to rally support for the embattled candidate just hours before voters head to the polls here in Alabama, hearing from not only Sheriff David Clarke and Congressman Louie Gouhmert but also former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, one of Moore's longest and most ardent supporter in this race.

Now at one point during the night Steve Bannon seem to take a shot at Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter who, as you recall after this numerous sexual assault allegations were made against Moore says there was a special in hell for people who prey on children.

Now Bannon seen to be responding to that when he said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE BANNON, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF STRATEGIST: To Mitch McConnell and Senator Shelby...

(CROWD BOOING)

... and Conde Rice and all that, all that little Bobby Corker, all the establishment up there, all that establishment up there every day that doesn't have -- that doesn't Trump's back, you know they don't back his back at all. What they wanted for is that corporate tax cut, that's all they wanted for. Soon as they get that tax cut you watch what happens.

There is a special place in hell...

(APPLAUSE)

... for republicans who should know better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Now after being introduced by his wife Kayla, Roy Moore took the stage and attempted to downplay those multiple sexual assault allegations made against him even questioning the timing of the accusers but not denying the specific allegations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROY MOORE, (R) U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: One thing that like the media said that a lot of people who are republicans claim they are going to vote for me and just ignore what they believe. I want to tell you, if don't believe in my character, don't vote for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Now that last line, they are seeming to be a direct reference to those republican voters who have struggled with supporting someone from their own party who has been accuse of sexual assault are voting for a democrat when they get to the polls.

Because as you know, the senior senator from Alabama republican Richard Selby that he just couldn't bring himself to vote for Roy Moore in light of those sexual assault allegation and instead wrote in a distinguished republican. But it's safe to say that the White House's support and President Trump's support behind him the more campaign is feeling more confident than ever.

Kaitlan Collins, CNN, Midland City, Alabama.

CHURCH: Joining us now to discuss all of this is political analyst Peter Mathews in Los Angeles, he is also a professor of political science at Cyprus College. Thank you so much for being with us. PETER MATHEWS, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, CYPRUS COLLEGE: Good to be here. Thank you.

CHURCH: In just a few hours voters in Alabama will decide who they want as their senator. Democrat Doug Jones or republican Roy Moore, a man accused of sexual misconduct and the sexual assault of a 14-year- old girl, allegations he denies.

[03:14:56] Now it is a tough choice for the most republican state in the country. But the poll show Moore with a narrow lead except for a surprise Fox News poll that has Jones ahead by double digits. What do you make of that discrepancy and how is this vote likely to play out do you think.

MATHEWS: It's going to be very close obviously. But the reason the Fox poll is different is because they used a type of polling were all the random sample of voters are called and it's directed -- polling that include a cell phone voters. The other polls used an automatic system where voters are called by machine and so the response of those voters will be different, especially the ballot sample.

So I think Fox poll may be quite, I believe more accurate than you think but it is still going to be very, very close as you can see the forces pulling these voters in two different directions here with someone like Doug Jones running this especially in the accusations against Moore.

CHURCH: Right. Indeed, and of course, the reason why this election has captured the nation's attention is because the Republican Party currently has a very slim majority in the Senate.

MATHEWS: Yes.

CHURCH: But even some Republicans say they can't bring themselves to vote for Moore. Senator Richard Shelby is one of them. How significant is that, and if Moore does win this vote what impact could that have on party unity?

MATHEWS: Well, first of all it's going to be very significant as someone like Senator Shelby would come out against Moore, he's a fellow republican and he's saying it's a matter of integrity and honesty and would have would Moore is accused of doing.

So that's very important. Because a segment isn't taking up many republicans to switch over to Jones, very few percent will throw election the opposite direction. And don't forget that in many cases people will vote for someone even though they are saying they'll vote for someone else. They may actually go in the polling booth and both for the other person based on their heartfelt feelings.

In this case, President Trump's, the allegation about Trump which was brought forth by these three women today and the 15 women who have accused him earlier, those allegations will play heavily on the voter's minds when they actually go to vote for Moore whom Trump has support 100 percent now. CHURCH: Yes, and I do want to talk about that because while of this plays out in Alabama we did see those three of -- about 14 or so women who accuse the president of the United States of sexual misconduct. They appeared on television telling their stories and asking for accountability from the president.

He has dismissed their claims in the past as false. And then on Monday White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders double down on her argument that his 2016 election victory answered those groping allegations made during the campaign.

How likely is it that the accusations of these women will gain any traction given what we've seen in Alabama and given what we've seen in the past? I mean, after all the Access Hollywood tape came to light and he was voted in, wasn't he?

MATHEWS: That's true. The Access Hollywood tape we thought that might trip him up, but it didn't in that case. And keep in mind though, that President Trump still did not win a majority of the popular vote. Most Americans voted, more of them voted for Hillary Clinton, about three million more actually did. So he won it by Electoral College.

And this time around there is no Electoral College. It's the state election and it could flip either way. And I do believe that these women coming out and holding a press conference recently, this recently and that was very important because it reminds people once again. It's only 5 percent or 3 percent of the Alabama voters are reminded once again about the sexual accusations or the alleged activities of these men, inappropriate activity.

That is something is very key and very important because it doesn't take very many to flip the election over and it's raising this issue once again when powerful men have used their position, abuse their position when it comes to women around them, and Moore is definitely part of that. It looks like very much so.

CHURCH: Yes. And we're watching that national reckoning. I do want to turn to on another side to this story. The White House accusing the media of purposefully misleading Americans with some mistakes that have been made recently but corrected by various networks. How fair though is that accusation?

MATHEWS: I think it's a political accusation, the worst meaning of the word political. It's very biased and it's actually on the part of the president for saying accusing the media of being in that way when he is come across so many times and put out false information misinformation.

And it's true the media actually has corrected themselves very clearly, they apologize for the mistakes and mistakes are going to be made in any media. But media has to be emboldened to speak the truth regardless of how it comes out as long as they correct their mistakes. They come up be tiptoeing around on eggshells because then the truth will not come out.

So I commend CNN, MSNBC and the other stations to speak the truth and when they make mistakes they actually say they're wrong. And President Trump should accept that as part of being in the universe of democracy with free media which is so important to democracy. That's the way I see it.

CHURCH: Peter Matthews, thank you so much for joining us and bringing us your perspective and analysis to these issues. We appreciate it.

MATHEWS: Thank you. My pleasure.

CHURCH: And we'll take a short break now, but still to come, a lone wolf terror attack in the heart of New York City. It happened been during the morning rush hour but it didn't go as planned for the attacker.

[03:20:01] Plus, a fifth day approaches in Gaza and the West Bank comes over President Trump's Jerusalem decision and the latest demonstrations turned violent.

And still to come, an update on the six wildfires burning their way through Southern California. We'll have and more after a short break. Do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, in New York City authorities say Monday's attempted terrorist attack could have been far worse. A suspect is now in custody after he detonated a homemade pipe bomb in a crowded underground walkway that connects some of the city's busiest subway lines.

The device failed to explode completely but five people were injured and so was the attack.

The latest now on the investigation from CNN's Jason Carroll.

JASON CARROLL, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: A man is in custody after an explosive device detonated in the busy Port Authority Bus Terminal near Times Square.

This cell phone video captures the moment. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio calling it an attempted act of terror.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL DE BLASIO, MAYOR, NEW YORK CITY: And let's be also clear that this was an attempted terrorist attack.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Police have identified the suspect as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, a Brooklyn resident of Bangladeshi descent. Authorities say he was wearing a homemade device that either malfunction or did not go off as planned.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JAMES O'NEILL, POLICE COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT: Preliminary investigation at the scene indicates this male was wearing an improvised low tech explosive device attached to his body. He intentionally detonated the device.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: With more than 200,000 commuters passing through the terminal daily, authorities say the situation could have been much worse. The suspect is under close watch at Bellevue Hospital where he is being treated for burns and lacerations.

A law enforcement source telling CNN that the suspect had pledged allegiance to ISIS, and that he was motivated by recent actions in Gaza and most recently, investigators say Ullah had worked near the Port Authority doing electrical work along with his brother.

He had been licensed to drive a taxi in New York, but it's unclear if he ever dis. His license expired in 2015. Ullah is a permanent legal resident who came to the United States in 2011 to join family members already living in New York.

This attack comes just over a month after an ISIS sympathizer killed eight people by driving a truck down a busy New York bike path. New questions about security levels in New York's transportation hubs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O'NEILL: Listen, we have almost 3,000 transit cops that work in the subway system every day, we have the strategic response group, we have the critical response command, all parts of the system are controlled.

[03:24:57] ANDREW CUOMO, GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK: This is New York, the reality is that we are a target by many who would like to make a statement against democracy, against freedom. We have the Statue of Liberty in our harbor and that makes us an international target. We understand that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Port Authority is open, 42nd Street open as well. Authorities want to talk to the suspect's family, including his brother who he worked with at this point, they believe this was an isolated attack.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

CHURCH: Palestinian officials say dozens of people were hurt in Gaza and the West Bank on Monday protesting President Trump's decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.

But as CNN's Arwa Damon explains some of the recent demonstrations have not been as big as expected.

ARWA DAMON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: The billowing smoke from the burning tires creates a dramatic backdrop as the cars try to weave their way through. Youth gather rocks from the ground. Their faces covered, both in a vain attempt to diminish the effect of the tear gas.

But also, so that they are not identified by Israeli forces later. Parents do try to half-heartedly convince their children to stay away from the clashes. But like any rebellious generations, they are not listening. Especially not now. Not now that they feel that Jerusalem has slipped from their hands.

"My parents say don't go, and if the Arab and the fake Arab leaders aren't taking action, it's not going to be liberated with rocks or young men and women," this 19-year-old tells us, "but I do what's in my head."

With the number of Palestinians who have taken to the streets remains relatively speaking low.

This sort of a back and forth. It's pretty much the norm here. In fact, a little muted at least by what the expectations were. People say that they are exhausted. They say that they still will continue to fight. It just gets that much harder every day.

Yet that is hardly a reflection of what is happening within the populations hearts. The anger of it all. And as Mustafa Barghouti says observers should not rush to any conclusions.

MUSTAFA BARGHOUTI, MEMBER, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF PLO: I know, it's 50 years of occupation, 70 years of displacement, lots of disappointments, lots of disappointment, one after the other, of course, it has effect on the people's psychology. But I know our people.

DAMON: Back in 1987, it was the same Barhouti explains that population suffocated by its collective disappointments and that resulted in what he described as the most fantastic uprising in Palestinian history. The first Intifada that led to the OSLO Accord in 1993.

The banner carried in this small demonstration reads "Jerusalem is the red line and the gateway to peace the war." The ONUS is not just on the Palestinian street, but on its leadership and Arab and Muslim nations who many say could and should do so much more.

BARGHOUTI: I would not say that it is the end of the story, I think what we see today is the beginning of a new chapter, a whole new chapter in our election to Israel and the United State.

DAMON: A new chapter that may see America replaced as a mediator, a new chapter with all its unpredictability and unknowns that people can only hope will be for the first time authored by the Palestinians themselves.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Ramallah.

CHURCH: And while the anger may see somewhat restrain in Ramallah, this was the scene in Beirut Sunday.

We will have a report from Lebanon on the largest protest so far over the Jerusalem controversy. That is still to come. And we will hear from voters in Alabama, just hours before one of the

most closely watched elections in recent memory.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:31:26] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN NEWSROOM HOST: A very warm welcome back to our viewers joining us from all around the world, I am Rosemary Church and this is CNN newsroom. Let's update you with the main stories we have been following this hour. World leaders are gathering on the second anniversary of the Paris climate accord, it's expected to focus on increasing climate financing. French President Emmanuel Macron awarded multi-year grants to U.S. researchers fulfilling a promise he made when the U.S. withdrew from the accord. Authorities say a suspect that detonated a homemade pipe bomb near New York City main bus terminal had at least one more device with him. Five people were injured in the Monday morning blast. Police say it was an attempted terrorist attack and the device failed to fully explode. The suspect is in custody and officials say, he pledged allegiance to ISIS.

The U.S. State of Alabama will be the center of the political world Tuesday when voters pic their next Senator. Republican Roy Moore is facing sexual harassment and assault allegations, while Doug Jones hopes to be Alabama's first Democratic Senator in Alabama in decades. In just a few minutes voters will share their views on the race.

The firefighters are dealing with strong winds and dry weather as they battle six major fires in Southern California. Here are some of the staggering numbers on the largest one known as the Thomas fire. It has burned more than 93,000 hectors, larger than all of New York City. California has spent $48 million fighting this fire alone. And 7,000 firefighters are battling it. CNN Kyung Lah has the latest from the scene.

KYUNG LAH, SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: The Thomas fire. The largest of southern California's wildfires remains a significant threat even as the weather begins to shift. What you are looking at is the southwestern flank of this fire. This is the area where firefighters have been making a stand in part because what is directly below this area, if you continue to burn it at a high rate of speed, Santa Barbara, many, many homes, but the wind shifted today. What you are seeing is that smoke heading upwards. Yesterday, it was burning down. The smoke was covering this area. You could not see the sun. The evacuation area was expanding rapidly. Today is much more of a slow burn a positive development say firefighters, but this fire still remains a significant problem.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: Is it too soon to say things are looking up?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not too soon. You know, hope springs eternal and every day, we will hope that this is progressing and getting closer and closer of being put to bed. Right now, we will need rain and the long range forecast does not show that. This fire can burn, we are number five on the list of biggest fires in the state of California's history, we move up a slot from like yesterday, when we were number six. And we are going to need a lot of work. We have got a lot of folks, over 6,000 people are attached to the fire, and they are working hard and they are going to be here until the fire is completely out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: More than 6,000 firefighters remain trying fight just this one fire. They say, what would make a significant difference, the game changer, would be some rain but so far, rain is not forecast for weeks in California. Kyung Lah CNN, Santa Barbara County, California.

CHURCH: And our meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us now from the international weather center. Pedram that is a worry to hear that there may not be rain for weeks to come.

[03:35:09] PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. You know, they went much of the month of September, October and November without any rain across these region. So, any rain is a beneficial, but at this point still about 10 days I think until the 22nd of December. They say, they pinpointed that time period to get some decent rainfall, but look at the perspective here, as far as the land consumed, 90 percent is consumed between this six fires is coming from the Thomas fire. That is upwards of 93,000 hectors of land that was consumed, in fact you take the fires combined and you put it together, you bring in the five Burroughs of New York City, and Boston as well that is about the same size of this regions consumed in a matter of just one week. Of course we know his is a long duration of event, we have the Santa Ana in place across this region. There's a bit of improvement in store here as far as the high pressure weakening a bit, retreating a bit, so the winds will also begin to die down and the heart of Ventura County, the winds calm on Wednesday and I think these next couple of days, even though rainfall is zero percent is our best bet to get the containment number above 20 percent. We do have gusty winds across the area up to 30 and 40 kilometers per hour. That is a far cry from the 80 and 90 kilometers per hour we had this time last week. And of course, all the energy is focused across the Thomas fire as the other fire is closing in on 100 percent containment and they are considerably smaller in size. The Thomas fire comes in the top five, top 10 largest wildfire sitting there at number five. And as far as the amount of structures that have been taken by this, now, we are talking about 2017, having three of the most destructive fires in the state of California history and in looking at the fire threat, it dropped to elevated, which is on a scale of 1-3, a one. That is an improving set up, but we need the rainfall, Rosemary and I think we have another ten days pass before the best bet presents itself for rainfall.

CHURCH: It's too long. Pedram thank you so much for that, we appreciate it. And we are just a few hours from Election Day in Alabama candidate Doug Jones hopes to be Alabama's first Democratic Senator in 20 years. While his Republican rival, Roy Moore is accused of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls. On the last night of campaigning. Moore told supporters to vote what they believe in. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROY MOORE, (R) ALABAMA: Transgender rights. He believes in their rights, in the military, in the bathrooms and said he supports children. And same-sex marriage, he thinks I'm a bigot, he thinks that base I favor traditional marriage, ordained of god, and that it's the position. The people of Alabama do not believe that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: So what exactly do they believe? Gary Tuchman went to Moore's hometown to find out.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The tiny community of gallant Alabama is where Judge Roy Moore lives.

Are you concerned about the allegations against him?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I'm sure, that probably more than half of this world has done something inappropriate sometime. God forgives everybody.

TUCHMAN: Roy Moore is popular here, as well as in the nearby town, the larger City where he was born and served an assistant district attorney.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm voting Roy Moore, 100 percent.

TUCHMAN: Why do you like Roy Moore so much? I think he is an incredible Christian man.

TUCHMAN: His popularity does not mean that they are not doing rationalizing. Tell me why you like Roy Moore?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I don't want to see a Democrat get it. That is really the only reason.

TUCHMAN: What do you think of the allegations against him? They trouble you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. They do trouble.

TUCHMAN: You still will vote for him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will still vote for him.

TUCHMAN: It's more important to not have a Democrat there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think so, I really think so.

TUCHMAN: Lost in much of the discussion of the sexual assault allegations against Roy Moore and his denials are controversial statements that he made in his past. We asked a mother and daughter about that. The mother voting for Moore and the daughter not. Roy Moore said on a radio interview years ago and never took it back

that homosexual conduct should be illegal. When you hear that, does that trouble you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I honestly agree homosexuality is biblically wrong, it is wrong, but I know people who are gay.

TUCHMAN: He said that it should be illegal, though, do you feel that way?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't answer that.

TUCHMAN: If you could pass the laws, would you agree with him that it should be illegal?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think I would take a positioning on that.

[03:40:02] TUCHMAN: What about you, as the daughter?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. It should not be illegal.

TUCHMAN: As recently as last year, Judge Moore continued to stand by previous statements that Barack Obama is not a natural born citizen. This husband and wife are voting for Moore.

How do you feel that he is still saying that Barack Obama was not run in the country?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't even -- I guess it never crosses my mind. I think politicians say things all the time that are controversial and I would not recommend saying that, but I find it hurtful or goes against our country.

TUCHMAN: And then there's this statement. Roy Moore said earlier this year during a campaign event, when asked when America was last great, I think it was great at the time when families were united even though we had slavery, referring to the mid-1800s. How does that make you feel?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very sad, I will be. That is disappointing. You know, for him to feel that way. I mean to say something like that, it must be something that was instilled in him.

TUCHMAN: This voter is not voting for Roy Moore. But most of the people we talked with in his home county say they will, no matter what comments he has made or no matter the assault allegations against him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I did not see it with my own eyes until I see it with my own eyes I don't believe anything.

TUCHMAN: Gary Tuckman CNN, Alabama.

(END VIDEO)

CHURCH: All right, let's turn to the Middle East now and a chilling warning for Israel from the head of Hezbollah. It comes as 10s of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Beirut again, denouncing the U.S. move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. CNN Ben's Wedeman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Death to Israel goes the chants the largest protest so far in Lebanon against President Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capitol.

Death to America they chanted.

Hezbollah organized this massive march attended also by Palestinian groups in Lebanese leftist parties. Other Arab countries had allowed limited protest for the American move, but in Lebanon almost every day has seen demonstrations, peaceful and occasionally otherwise. Israel invaded Lebanon multiple times and the troops occupied part of the south for decades until they withdrew in May 2000. The depth of animosity here is genuine and not surprisingly. Especially in Hezbollah's strong hold in Southern Beirut.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: America, and others Israel.

WEDEMAN: Jerusalem, is not America's to give to Israel.

Hezbollah back by Iran has been deeply involved in the wars in Iraq and Syria. And those fighters are beginning to return to Lebanon. Hezbollah fought Israel to a standstill after 34 days of war in 2006, the Hezbollah secretary general addressed the crowd calling on the Palestinians to launch a third (inaudible). Trump's decision he declared is the beginning of the end for Israel god willing. The will to make it happen is here. Just not the way, yet. Ben Wedeman CNN Beirut.

(END VIDEO)

CHURCH: Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Trump administration sufficient to recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital will worsen tensions. Mr. Putin met with the Turkish President Erdogan in Istanbul on Monday, and he said that the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem and its decision to move the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv destabilizes the Middle East and could endanger peace prospects between Israel and the Palestinian. Earlier Mr. Putin met with Syrian President Assad in a Russian base in Syria, where he said that he is ordering a partial withdrawal of Russian troops from that country.

It was a daring escape, a North Korea defector running toward freedom ahead the American medic who save the soldiers life shares his story and growing concerns of Kim Jong-un is planning to expand his arsenal, the latest threat from North Korea. We are back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:46:49] CHURCH: A U.S. Medic who helped save a North Korea soldier last month is describing the dramatic rescue. His quick thinking drawing the flight of the hospital made the difference between life and death. Paula Hancocks has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A North Korean soldier run for his life under a hail of bullets from his former comrades, he crosses the border in to South Korea, shot five times. Clinging to life. The call for a U.S. medivac was made, it was had his last mission before returning to the U.S. and civilian life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw his condition and I could tell he was probably going die in the next 15 minutes.

HANCOCKS: Sergeant saw the wounded man was in danger of collapsing so he did a needle chest compression with a 3-1/2 inch needle, the first time he had done that procedure outside of training.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I knew if I do not do it, he was going to die and so, from the time I got him in the aircraft, I said a prayer and I saw his condition and I didn't' think he was going to make it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you were fast? Very fast.

HANCOCKS: The 30 minute flight from the DMZ to the hospital just took 22 minutes. But even that felt long.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well the surgeons are cool and calm, so immediately as the patient gets on there and he comes on the later come and he said, hey, this guy, this is bad, this guy is dying we have to go.

HANCOCKS: The U.S. team had no idea the man they were trying to save was North Korea. As they approach the hospital the sergeant started to suspect, saying he looked malnourished and different, but it simply did not matter who he was, he was a patient they needed to keep alive. The treatment saved his life without a doubt said the doctor who took over at the hospital.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I let him know what the people, those people who saved your life is not me, but the dust-off team.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just glad that he is ok. That he crossed the border, he got shot at five times. This is quite a price to pay for freedom.

HANCOCKS: Mission accomplished for the North Korean defector saved, an incredible story of desperation and bravery that ended well. Paula Hancocks CNN South Korea.

(END VIDEO)

CHURCH: And concerns about the North Korean threat has focused mainly on Pyongyang nuclear program, but there is indications that the north is developing other weapons that are just as deadly. Brian Todd reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO) BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are new concerns that Kim Jong-

un's deadly ambitions go beyond nuclear weapons. South Korean officials and independent weapons experts are growing increasingly concerned that Kim's regime has the intent and capability to develop biological weapons.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are a weapon of terror in a sense. Because we have in our own minds these thoughts about the horror of biologicals, outbreaks of disease this is something that frightens us.

TODD: South Korean governments reports recently cited by Harvard University say North Korea has 13 types of biological agents which it can weaponizes within ten days. They say, anthrax and small pox are the most likely agents to deploy.

[03:50:10] Anthrax is virtually the ideal biological agent for weapon purposes. It's a bacteria that is very hardy, it can survive all kind of conditions. It can persist, it is very deadly, you can aerosol it and spray it with sprayers.

TODD: June 2015 Kim Jong-un tours to Pyongyang biotechnical institute. The North Koreans said it was a factory that manufactured pesticides, but some machinery on this display raises alarm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It seems they have invested in a lot in imported equipment that cost a lot and I think unreasonable for any civilian application.

TODD: Equipment like analyst say are in industrial scale which can produced Anthrax on a large scale and other machinery that can convert biological agents in to a sprayable form. South Koreans would be in the direct line of fire, a threat taken seriously enough that South Korea holds drills for WMD attacks, but American troops in South Korea could also be hit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A small aircraft, basically over flying them, individuals who are infected infecting them. There's no way to guarantee and protect U.S. troops from this.

TODD: Officials say there's no evidence North Korea have yet produced a biological weapon, but with the assassination of his half-brother this year, Kim Jong-un has shown, the willingness to use his chemical weapons arsenal. And having the capability of a biologic attack, with the difficulties in tracing those weapons experts say adds another dimension to Kim's threat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In biological there's a slight element of deniability. There could be an outbreak of a disease in South Korea and it would take us weeks, maybe even longer to trace it back to North Korea. And during that time, he could kill South Koreans.

TODD: Experts say another advantage it gives Kim is the diversion of the enemy's resources. For every dollar that U.S. and South Korean spent on preparing for anthrax, small pox or another biological outbreak that is a dollar they do not spend on preparing for a conventional or nuclear attack from North Korea. Brian Todd CNN Washington.

CHURCH: We will take a short break here, but still to come, we are expecting to hear whether the Russian athletes will be take part in the winter Olympic, the latest from Moscow after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back everyone, we are expecting a formal announcement from Russia on its athletes competing in the winter Olympics. Last week, of course, the international Olympic committee banned the country from the games. Citing evidence of a state sponsored doping scheme. CNN's Matthew Chance joins us now from Moscow. Matthew, next hour, and just a few minutes, perhaps, we will hear what Russia has decided to do in a wake of its ban from the 2018 winter Olympics. Whether to boycott the games or allow athletes to compete or what is the mood in Russia and what would be the ramifications of a Russian boycott?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think the ramifications of a boycott would be profound, Russia is one of the biggest Olympic countries in the world. It's sponsored, hundreds if not thousands of events over the decade associated with the Olympic movement. The idea that it has been banned and has already been a sort of bitter pill to swallow politically here in Russia and the Olympics are taking place of course, next year, just a few months after the Presidential election in these country and because of the close relationship between Vladimir Putin and Russian President standing again in the elections in March and Russian Olympic bid.

[03:55:22] The fact that this state sponsored allegation doping allegation ban has come through, could have political consequences. It may already had been, you know, upsetting for many Russian support crazy, at the same time the Russian President has already made clear last week, that he supported the idea of Russian athletes competing in the Pyongyang elections under a neutral banner under the Olympic flag, if that was the sanction that the international Olympic committee insisted on. The expectation today was when the Russian Olympic committee votes whether they will accept the sanction or not, they will accept them. It's if they won't accept those sanctions that they have a developing political story here.

CHURCH: All right, Matthew Chance joining us there live from Moscow, many thanks to you. And we would like to thank all of you as well for joining us this hour. I am Rosemary Church. Remember to connect with me any time on twitter. Stay tuned after the break for a special report from the arctic, CNN Clarissa Ward reports on global warming, Arctic Melt. You are watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNAH VAUGHAN JONES, CNN NEWS NOW: Hello. I'm Hannah Vaughn Jones in London. This is "CNN news now." Investigators say the man suspected of detonating a homemade pipe bomb in New York City had another device on him. This surveillance video captured the moment of the blast. It targeted the city's main bus terminal. Police are calling it an isolated attempted terrorist attack. The suspect has been named. He is a 27-year-old Bangladesh in the U.S. since 2011. Police say he pledged allegiance to the terror group ISIS.