the damage is done. ♪ hello and a warm welcome to our viewers here in the united states and right around the world. i'm paula newton. ahead on "cnn newsroom," missiles and the military making statements in taiwan. celebrating national day while refusing to bow to china. also, the politics of climate change ahead of the cop-26. can the world's largest carbon polluters show the way to a greener future? plus -- >> every day i feel like i'm

starting a new life. >> so they're out of afghanistan. now how refugee families are adjusting to their new life in america. taiwan put its military on full display sunday in an extraordinary show of defiance toward beijing. a parade marking the anniversary of the chinese revolution allowed taiwan to showcase some of the island's most advanced and sophisticated weapons. and there was nothing subtle about the message. just the day before, chinese president xi jinping had infuriated taipei when he again called for taiwan's peaceful reunification with the mainland. cnn's will ripley was at the national day parade and has more from taipei.

>> reporter: this may not match the massive scale of military parades in mainland china, but for taiwan this is an extraordinary sight. four kinds of domestically produced missiles rolling through the capital in front of taiwan's presidential palace, an ominous sign of escalating regional tensions. taiwan's military has never played a more prominent role, at least in recent history, as it has this year. and while the overall atmosphere is festive, this island is increasingly concerned about the behavior of mainland china. provocative behavior. more than 100 planes entering taiwan's self-declared air defense identification zone in just one week this month. and with those aerial incursions come new propaganda videos from the taiwanese air force vowing to defend their national sovereignty and the weapons that they plan to use to defend their sovereignty on display here. taiwan is vowing to up its national spending on defense by billions of dollars. in 2020 alone, reports say that

they bought $5 billion in weapons from the united states, including f-16 fighters and patriot missiles. they're also developing their own weapons here on the island, increasingly calling on the support of the united states and other democratic regional allies to come to taiwan's defense. taiwan's president, tsai ing-wen, spoke in front of the presidential palace, laying out the situation as a fight for the future. not just of taiwan, but the world. >> translator: at this moment, free and democratic countries have been alerted to the expansion of authoritarianism, and taiwan is on the forefront of the defense line of fellow democracies. >> reporter: defending that future comes at a cost. taiwan is having to up its military spending even as they struggle to get a volunteer military force after phasing out most mandatory conscription here on the island. will these weapons, will the help of the united states, be enough to defend against the threat from an increasingly assertive mainland china?

as president xi jinping vows to, in his words, reunify the mainland with taiwan, beijing has long claimed this self-governing island as its own territory for more than 70 years since the end of china's civil war. taiwan points out that they've never been ruled by the communist party of china, and they say they plan to keep it that way, putting their military on full display here. will ripley, cnn, taiwan. to iraq now where a possible low turnout and calls for boycotts threatened to undermine the country's general election. voting to decide the next parliament and prime minister has been under way for about three hours. but ethnic and religious fault lines still divide iraqi politics and corruption, unemployment, and iran's influence, of course, remain major issues. for the latest, cnn's sam kiley is tracking the election from abu dhabi. of course, we discuss it all the time, religious and political divisions certainly have their role to play in this election.

in terms of the iraqis themselves, though, there is a huge dose of skepticism and even contempt for the way this election's being handled now, why? >> reporter: well, it's a sad irony in many ways that back in 2016, 2019, rather, when the protests against the corruption, iranian influence, and unemployment you mentioned in the introduction reached an absolute peak over the course of several months, some 600 demonstrators at least being killed during those protests. many others being simply "disappeared" right across the country. that heralded a response from the central government. first of all, the collapse of the previous government, then the government of prime minister -- a new prime minister came in, declaring earlier elections than were anticipated. and now those elections are being conducted, all the predictions are the turnout's

going to be very low because of the level of contempt, as you point out, that there is for the political system, the very political system people are wanting to change. they're now not participating in any significant numbers to change it. so most of the expert predictions at the moment is that the old dispentation is going to be largely repeated in a new form. notwithstanding the fact that there's 3,200 candidates in this election. it's been designed in some ways to try to give a greater voice to more independent politicians, politicians stepping forward as a consequence of those protests that peaked in 2019. but the turnout means that the representation of those very independent voices will be limited. there is some predictions that al sadr, leader of one of the major shiite factions that is opposed to iran, might do best of the lot.

but he's up against others, other shiite blocs with their own militias that are very, very close to iran. then of course, because of the sectarian nature of iraqi politics, sunnis and kurds who are similarly divided. the predictions are for a messy outcome to this election and none of the sort of reform energy, reformist energy, those protesters were demanding and that this early election is supposed to deliver, paula. >> yeah, since you use the term, there's complicated, then there's iraqi politics. i know you'll continue to follow it for us, appreciate it. german chancellor angela merkel is in jerusalem meeting with israeli officials as her tenure winds down. she has a full day ahead, including a planned trip to the holocaust museum. for the latest, han that is gold is in jerusalem. she could have stayed in germany to sit out her days, she chose to go to israel, why is this important?

>> reporter: it goes to show you the importance of the relationship between germany and israel, especially under angela merkel. as noted, this visit was actually scheduled to take place in august, but it was canceled at the last moment because of the situation in afghanistan. rescheduled for today. to give you the idea of the importance of this visit, even though it's a farewell tour, the new israeli prime minister, naftali bennett, is essentially accompanying angela merkel all day, he's cleared his schedule including meetings with israeli cabinet. she's met with prime minister bennett. he tweeted a photo of the two of them together saying, welcome to israel, dear friend. she will visit the holocaust memorial and museum, which she has done on all of her visit. she will as a physicist receive an honorary doctorate from the haifa university israel institute of technology. germany and israel have long had a strong relationship. obviously there is a historical basis and sensitivity in germany

towards israel because of the holo holocaust. but that relationship is being seen as having strengthened under angela merkel. this is her seventh visit to israel, the first german chancellor to speak at the knesset, and proclaimed on the world stage that israel national security was a top priority for german foreign policy. during her tenure germany outlawed symbols, for example of the militant group hamas, and invested a lot to combat anti-semitism. that doesn't mean she never criticized israel, especially when it came with the relationships with the palestinians, she was known to have butted heads with the former prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, especially as he sidled up to right-wing leaders in the union. a priority of her meetings will be a return to the 2015 iranian nuclear deal. israel has long opposed the iranian nuclear deal, and a return to the deal, although the

israeli leadership's tone has softened in recent weeks. now the israeli leadership are looking for some sort of alternative in case diplomacy fails. although this is a farewell visit for merkel, many israelis are hoping it's not going to be a farewell to the strong relationship between germany and israel. both israelis and palestinians are now eyeing who will succeed angela merkel, especially if that person comes from a more left-leaning political stance, and how that will affect germany as stance in the region. >> there has been a lot of pressure on the left hand of german politics to perhaps be a little more strident with israel and its policies. hanna gold will continue to follow the story, appreciate it. the man known as the father of pakistan's nuclear weapons program has died. state news reports that abdul khedair khan passed away after being taken to hospital. the atomic scientist was hailed a hero in his native pakistan but seen as a dangerous threat by the west for providing

material to nations wanting to make their own nuclear weapons. khan was 85. we want to bring in sofia saffie from our bureau in islamabad. sofia, it is really a momentous death here for pakistan. certainly he had been ill. but this will really be pakistan coming to terms with what this man meant, really, to its history, and really its existence. >> reporter: paula, the tributes have already started pouring in. i mean, dr. abdul khedair khan is seen as one of the few figures in this country to actually unite pakistanis. you've got people from all ends of the political spectrum, from the prime minister to the leader of the opposition, praising a.q. khan for strengthening pakistan's defenses, for ensuring pakistan became a nuclear state in the late '90s. you have to understand how

important pakistan's own understanding of itself comes from being a nuclear state. because of neighboring india, its much-reviled neighbor, was heading toward becoming a nuclear state late in the '90s. 1998, pakistan became a nuclear state, and that was because, according to many pakistanis, according to the efforts of dr. a.q. khan. he his a complicated legacy internationally because back in 2009, 2004, the u.s. state department had accused him of heading a vast proliferation network, assisting north korea, libya, as well as iran, for getting nuclear assistance. this had marred pakistan's reputation as being not a very reliable nuclear country. however, you know, with the fact that he had been under house arrest, then even after being

taken out of house arrest, he was under surveillance by pakistani security agencies for his own security as well as fears he might share pakistan's nuclear secrets. and he's expected to get a state funeral today in pakistan, so he leaves behind a complicated legacy internationally but is very revered here in pakistan. >> sophia, thanks so much, i appreciate you following developments for us there. u.s. health experts are cautiously optimistic that the country may be turning a corner on the pandemic. here's a look at the latest numbers. the u.s. is now averaging less than 100,000 new cases a day. that's very good, some of the lowest numbers we've seen in weeks. we're also seeing fewer people hospitalized for covid-19. since september the number of covid patients in u.s. hospitals has dropped more than 30%. covid deaths have also been trending downward, though the u.s. is still averaging more than 1,600 deaths a day.

and a potential game changer for many parents of young children. fda advisers meet later this month to discuss emergency use authorization for a vaccine for 5 to 11-year-olds. experts warn there are signs the u.s. isn't out of the crisis just yet. 15 states still haven't vaccinated half their residents. on saturday, the national institutes of health director blamed vaccine hesitancy and misinformation. >> much of it is this disinformation that is so widely spread on the internet and which has i think caused a lot of people to be confused or fearful about what the vaccinations might do to them. and that is truly heartbreaking when we see still more than 1,000 people losing their lives to this disease. almost all unvaccinated, and therefore didn't have to happen. in brazil, it has now passed a grim milestone with more than 600,000 people dead from

covid-19. it's only the second country to pass that threshold after the united states. brazil's president has been heavily criticized for his handling of the pandemic. he has repeatedly downplayed the dangers and has openly refused to get vaccinated. only about 45% of brazilians have been fully vaccinated. protests against a covid health pass in italy turned violent saturday. police used tear gas and water cannons to push back hundreds of demonstrators in rome days before italy is set to expand the so-called green pass system to all workplaces. the pass is a certificate that shows whether someone has been vaccinated for covid-19, tested negative, or recently recovered from the virus. usa, usa! >> thousands of people took to the streets in switzerland on saturday to protest pandemic rules there. in geneva, some demonstrators held signs denouncing the swiss

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an airline passenger taken into custody after a security incident forced a plane to make an emergency landing at new york's laguardia airport on saturday. cnn's polo sandoval picks it up from there. >> reporter: the plane was wheels down safely yesterday afternoon at about its scheduled arrival time, but the landing was anything but routine. dramatic images captured by passengers after american flight 4817 landed safely in new york laguardia yesterday afternoon. it was flying from indianapolis here to new york city when towards the tail end of the flight according to investigators, several people aboard that flight reported one of their fellow passengers was acting strangely, erratic is the way they described it, at one point even reached for their luggage. the crew relayed that information down to first responders on the ground that scrambled into action, waiting

for that safe landing of that airplane. it was not long after it landed that the pilots then moved the aircraft from the active runway onto the taxi way, and that's when that emergency evacuation took place. the goal there was for first responders to board the aircraft and make sure there was no immediate threat. as we see some of these pretty dramatic images, it's important to remember it's unclear as to whether or not that person that is seen in that video being held down by authorities is that passenger in question. we also haven't been told if there have been criminal charges filed in connection to this. what we do know is 76 passengers and six crew members are safe this morning as this investigation gets under way. it's important to point out this is happening just days after the federal aviation administration released brand-new numbers of incidents involving unruly passengers. now over 4,600 this year to date. and that is according to authorities the highest weekly increase in 2 1/2 months. the issue of unruly passengers

has been something that's been heavy on the mind of u.s. authorities that have been trying to obviously cut down on that. in terms of this latest incident saturday afternoon, the investigation is just getting started. polo sandoval, cnn, new york. austria's conservative chancellor resigned saturday under a cloud of suspicion surrounding a corruption scandal. sebastian kurz stepped down just a few days after his office was raided by prosecutors investigating allegations of bribery and breach of trust. opposition parties had threatened to bring a vote of no confidence against him next week. salma abdelaziz is following the story from london. i guess he decided to go before he was actually pushed. having said that, this lays the ground work for a bit of a change in austrian politics at the moment. >> reporter: absolutely. the allegations first. saturday evening, prosecutors raiding the office of chancellor kurz. he is under investigation along

with nine other officials linked to his party. and the allegation here is that public funds were used to obtain a favorable poll for chancellor kurz and to get favorable coverage. this is the second time mr. kurz has been forced out before the end of his tenure, the second time his exit has been linked to allegations of corruption. very serious concerns there about his ability to lead. already, as you said, movements to make a vote of no confidence against him, the coalition he is in, the green party in austria. the green party expressing he's no longer fit to lead. chancellor kurz, now he's stepped down, but he has proposed that the foreign minister take his position for the time being. we'll see if that takes place. but this has larger implications beyond austria. i'll tell you why. kurz is a very young, charismatic, conservative figure at a time that conservative parties across europe are

struggling to get votes, especially among young people. at age 31, in 2017 kurz was one of the youngest democratically elected leaders in the world. he's seen as bringing a fresh face to conservatism. i'm going to point to germany in particular. the christian democratic union, the party of angela merkel, i was in berlin when they lost in the polls. a stunning defeat. and the concern for that party and other conservative center right parties is that young people are leaning towards more progressive parties, more green parties. so chancellor kurz was seen as someone who could really bring this conservative movement forward to the future. that puts all of this in question, of course, and it asks, what is the future of austria? also, at large, what is the future of conservative parties across europe? if they can't continue to gallivanize young people and continue to meet the agendas of green demands across europe, the demands of the climate crisis

and more progressive agendas wanted by young people. >> important perspectives. you covered the elections in germany, and i guess if you look at austria as ll be i'm sure a coalition going forward. salma abdelaziz, thanks so much. opposition groups in the czech republic appear to have eked out a razor-thin victory in parliamentary elections. cheering there in prague as the center right coalition narrowly won a majority in saturday's vote. the leaders of the opposition groups are pledging to work together to try and form a new government. >> translator: ladies and gentlemen, friends, the democratic coalitions have a majority in the lower house. and now have a chance to create a majority government.

that is the change. we are the change. you are the change. >> a key point here, if they succeed it will end prime minister andrea bowvich's grip on power even though his populist party won more votes than any single party. power shortages putting pressure on beijing. what china is doing to boost output and why it could threaten efforts to address the climate crisis.

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the deaths of at least six people in recent days. since the end of september there have been at least three scenes like this one. that's just incredible. terrifying orange dust clouds rumbling across urban and rural areas, packing extremely high winds. officials say hot, dry weather is making the storms worse, of course, but add, they can't be separated from climate change. activists are speaking out as brazil sees its worst drought in nearly a century. >> translator: today the water crisis in brazil is giving us a sign, a warning sign that is important for us to be able to act and demand concrete actions from our government to regulate our country's climate issue. today to speaking of a water crisis is to speak of the largest tropical forest in the world, the amazon forest, which is mostly in brazilian territory and has alarming levels of

deforestation, fire seasons, and fires caused by human actions. in laebanon, most of the country without power. the two major generating stations shut down because of a fuel crisis. lebanon's state-run news is reporting that residents blocked roads in several areas to protest. they say electricity will return gradually in the coming hours. china is finding it hard to balance its need for electricity with its growing efforts to combat climate change. the country has ordered dozens of coal mines to boost production as residents and businesses face ongoing power shortages. in some places the government has been forced to rasner gy during peak hours. cnn's selena wang has more. >> reporter: china has ordered 72 coal mines to boost production by nearly 100 million metric tons, according to chinese state media, the figure equivalent to 30% of china's monthly coal production. it's an example of china's

struggle to balance its aims to tackle the climate crisis while use using coal to keep the lights on. power shortages in china have spread across most of the country in recent weeks. it's forced the government to ration electricity and some factories to suspend production. it's also disrupted people's daily lives. some areas have dealt with complete blackouts. stores have had to shut down earlier or resort to candlelight. traffic lights have stopped working in areas, leading to severe traffic jams. coal is still china's main energy source, but in a push to reduce carbon emissions, china has shut down hundreds of coal mines earlier this year. experts say that in the short-term, china has little choice but to increase coal consumption to meet demand. this current energy crunch is the result of a perfect storm of factors. you have demand for chinese goods surging as the world emerges from the global pandemic. and that increases the use of china's electricity-hungry factories that are sending

energy prices skyrocketing. since electricity prices are regulated in china, some power companies are losing money and hesitant to boost production. at the same time, china is trying to meet these ambitious climate targets, to be net zero by 2060, for carbon emissions to peak by 2030. so local officials are rationing power to meet those targets. all of that puts more downward pressure on the chinese economy, with economists slashing their estimates for china's gdp growth. sh sh selena wang, cnn, tokyo. china's increase in coal production is sure to harm xi jinping's goal of a carbon-neutral nation. to make a fine point of this, the international energy agency has made clear that china will remain the world's largest carbon polluter for decades to come, but that it can, it has

the opportunity to move to a clean energy infrastructure. do you think that's what president xi has in mind, especially given what we saw in selena's report? >> i mean, look, china's absolutely the world's largest emitter. they hold the keys in many ways to our global future and will for -- what china does in the next few decades will absolutely matter for the rest of the world. what's really significant, though, is the carbon neutrality commitment that your reporter just mentioned there for 2060. until that was announced last year, china is the world's largest emitter, soon to be the world's largest economy, didn't have a timeline to decarbonize their economy as increasingly the rest of the world does. now that's in place. it's all about how does china actually get there, and do they get there soon enough, such that we can stay within the global carbon budget that's required in

order to stay within the temperature limits established by the paris agreement six years ago. >> you know, the negotiations around all this, of course, something that's been on the table whether explicit or not, for decades. the fact that china and the united states continue to get caught up in the point that, look, china keeps pushing back and saying, we'll go at our own pace, thank you very much. the united states going back to the table again and again at these cop meetings and saying, china, you have to do more. where do you think we are in all of this, and do you think china still has more to bring to the table here? >> absolutely, i mean, every country has to do more. >> right, but i mean, their willingness to bring more. there's been a lot of speculation as to whether or not xi will still come out with another grand gesture that he will stick to for the climate meeting in november, even though we should point out he's not attending. >> well, let's get a couple of things right. so first of all, even by xi's

own commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2060, china has to do more. they are not on a pathway to reach carbon neutrality by 2060. the durability of that commitment, xi jinping's personal commitment, is increasingly on the line if that is not matched with short-term action. that is principally what the world is looking for, including the united states, from china, to deliver by cop-26, is additional action this decade and at home in order to reduce emissions. so things in recent weeks like their pledge to stop building coal-fired power plants overseas, the belt and road initiative, is welcome, but all eyes are very much on what china can do this decade. you're right, there's expectation, in fact, even potentially in the next few days that china will formally deposit what's called their nationally determined contribution, their revised target under the paris agreement. whether that sort of measurably

increases what they committed to six years ago or whether it sort of budges a little bit of what those commitments were and improves them in some smaller ways remains to be seen. but there is absolutely a hope, whether it's done there or elsewhere, that china will take much greater additional steps in the short-term. the biggest signal people are looking for is a commitment that china will peak their domestic emissions around 2025. at the moment, they're committed to do that around 2030. that would be much more consistent with a carbon neutrality by 2060 pathway. that said, you know, there are expectations also on the united states. united states has come out with a groundbreaking commitment to reduce emissions by about half by 2030. that's absolutely seismic. from beijing's perspective, they are looking for signals around the durability of that commitment, including given the recent administration in the u.s. so they would be hopeful, for

example, to see signals around how that is being involved in domestic legislation, ongoing short-term steps towards doing that, as well as financial interests in the united states which goes into the international negotiations process that developing countries understand that developed countries are there to help them through that transition. >> do you think, though that materially -- i don't have a lot of time, but i'm wondering how you've parsed everything, especially since in september when xi said, as you pointed out, they would no longer be building coal plants in other countries. do you sense that shift ahead of this climate meeting? >> i think for china, the risk for them, frankly, is being painted as a villain at cop-26. and as a result, they therefore need to bring something more to the table. you're right in saying xi jinping won't attend. frankly, i wouldn't read too much into that. china will absolutely be there,

he'll speak virtually, and either way the world's attention will be on what china delivers, probably more than any other country, around the world. i think the essence of your question or the essence of the suggestion of your question is correct that we are yet to see what have been some very groundbreaking announcements to really translate into action in china in what is really the critical decade. there are a number of policy instruments coming down the pipeline domestically which hopefully will speak more to that transition. but there is going to have to be, you know, a very large line in the sand drawn at some point, particularly with respect to the domestic use of coal, and obviously, yes, we saw a shift in the international support for coal and a similar shift at home. for example, a moratorium on building any new coal-fired power stations would be something that is so significant that i think would give the international community faith that china is absolutely heading in the right direction. >> right. we're going to have to leave it there. you've teed up a lot of things

for us to think about and cover in the coming weeks before that all-important climate meeting. tom wolfe, thanks so much, appreciate it. >> no worries, thank you. thousands of afghan refugees are beginning new life in the u.s. after fleeing violence and instability in their homeland. ahead on cnn, hear one family's experience as they make their transition to america. ♪ ♪ ♪ aloha! isn't this a cozy little room? sorry your vacation request too, so you missed out on the suite special.

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♪ i think to myself ♪ ♪ what a wonderful world ♪ thousands of afghan evacuees are leaving germany bound for the united states. this flight departed saturday carrying a few hundred evacuees to philadelphia. the flights were paused for weeks due to confirmed measles cases among evacuees who had already reached the united states. officials say approximately 1,000 evacuees will be flying out on a daily basis until all 9,000 remaining at ryanstead arrive in the united states.

what has it been for afghans who have escaped to the united states? cnn's pamela brown spoke to one family adjusting to their new life. >> every day i feel like i'm starting a new life. >> reporter: the juwad family fled afghanistan on a special immigrant visa. what was that like when you stepped foot in the u.s.? >> fresh. the first word that comes in mind. all this greenery and stuff out there for us. wonderful. >> reporter: the juwads were initially on their own when they arrived, living in a bare-bones basement apartment, sleeping on the floor, surviving off just enough saved-up money for food as they awaited housing help from one of the nine resettlement organizations receiving funds from the u.s. government. >> we had to start everything from zero. >> reporter: but they at least felt safe, unlike their final weeks in afghanistan when the taliban was rapidly taking over. abed juwad said he worked for a

defense contractor and knew they could be targeted. >> our daughter was our priority. i couldn't make myself eat, i was so stressed. since the day we stepped in this country, i don't seem to stop eating. >> reporter: the juwads are among an estimated 60,000 afghans resettling in the u.s. after a rapid and chaotic withdrawal from the 20-year war in afghanistan. >> so many of them have gone through a tremendous amount for us that we consider it not only our obligation, but quite frankly, a privilege to dedicate our resources for them in return. >> reporter: but the unprecedented relocation efforts have come with challenges, like finding affordable house ing an meeting security procedures for people entering the united states. >> we take their fingerprints, i get their biographical information, we take their photographs. >> do you know of any instances where someone didn't pass the screening, they couldn't come through? >> oh, yes.

we have, and quite frankly, if we learn of information at any point in time -- remember, we have our enforcement authorities as well that we could bring to bear and have brought to bear. >> reporter: in september, a measles outbreak among afghan refugees halted evacuations for a few weeks. but resettlement efforts have resumed after the cdc made new vaccine and quarantine requirements against infectious diseases, including covid-19. where refugees initially end up in the u.s. depends on their status. >> if, in fact, they are u.s. citizens, lawful permitted residents, or visa holders, they are actually able to resettle directly into the united states. but if they are not, then they go to one of eight military facilities where a tremendous amount of resources are dedicated to their well-being. >> reporter: the u.s. government

accommodations for afghans have raised questions about why the same isn't being done for migrants arriving at the southern border in record numbers. if the u.s. government was able to set up this system so quickly for afghans, why not set it up so quickly for those that are in need coming to the southern border? >> remember, we are working with countries to the south that are dealing with border management challenges themselves. resource constraints and the like. so the challenges are very different here than they are with respect to the afghan nationals. >> reporter: the juwads are living in a one-bedroom apartment in virginia they found through one of the resettlement organizations. but mary whitehill, founder of mary's list, a group that helps incoming refugees, says housing alone is not enough to make refugee families feel at home in the u.s. >> imagine you're coming to a new country, being dropped off. we can intervene to make sure that the arrival is a completion

to the refugee experience and the beginning of a resettlement experience. these are our newest americans. we have a tremendous opportunity to show up for them. >> by someone who doesn't even know us. >> reporter: the juwad family says mary's list gave them comfort items, toys for their daughter, comfortable beds to sleep in. >> i said, we need beds. she said what type of beds? that was surprising to me, i get to choose? >> reporter: they'll ob their own paying rent fafter two monts and they are both looking for w work, the pursuit of becoming a heart surgeon. >> i did my m.d., halfway to a heart surgeon. it's a five-year program, i was two years in. i had to leave. i hope i can do something to be useful to society. >> the department of homeland security says it is working to match skills from eligible

afghans with job opportunities in the u.s. and there are many ways that you can help. mary says the easiest way is a handwritten note welcoming a family here. you can go to maryslist.org, click on "list," find a family to help directly. visit cnn.com/impact for more ways to assist. pamela brown, cnn, washington. social media platforms are under scrutiny. how apps like instagram could be having a negative effect on teenagers. you try to stay ahead of the mess but scrubbing still takes time. now there's dawn powerwash dish spray. it's the faster way to clean as you go. just spray, wipe and rinse. it cleans grease five times faster. dawn powerwash now available in free & clear.

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>> they say specifically, i deal bad when i use instagram, yet i can't stop. >> you could hit something really exciting or you could connect with someone in a really positive way that feels great. these things don't happen often, but they could happen at any moment. and this is not unlike a gambler who's playing a slot machine and plays it over and over, because you never know when that next pull is going to hit a jackpot. >> reporter: studies show the part of the brain that controls decision-making and judgment is still developing in teenagers. >> i want to understand the science of teens' emotional life. >> reporter: doctor and filmmaker delaney ruston says that can make it harder for them to stop doing something, even if it's upsetting. >> they will have micro-emotions that are positive, like get attention. and micro-emotions that are negative. oh, i feel jealous of that person. the real concern that we have as a society is the teen brain is

primed to more likely get absorbed by that negative feeling. >> it's not just the type of content that can affect the teenage brain, it's the amount of time spent just sitting and scrolling. >> remember that adolescence is a time when the brain is not finished developing, right? it's not actually growing, it's actually shrinking. but it's becoming more efficient. >> reporter: dr. paul weigel says if social media starts to displace other activities, that could leave a permanent mark. >> if a young person isn't engaging in certain activities sufficiently, whether they be, for example, social activities or developing musical talent or reading, these parts of the brain are -- tend to wither and are destroyed so that they can never really be regained. >> they say just take your kid's phone away. the reality is, it's more complicated than that. >> reporter: quitting social media in a digital world is not always realistic.

experts say there's a middle ground. >> i think social media companies could very realistically put safeguards in place that encourage people to take breaks from social media. >> teens tell me over and over that they feel better when they have significant bouts of time off social media. >> reporter: clare sebastian, cnn, new york. >> a facebook spokesperson hit back saying, quote, we don't agree with her characterization of the many issues she testified about, despite all this we agree on one thing -- it's time to begin to create standard rules for the internet. i want to thank you for watching "cnn newsroom." i'm paula newton. my colleague, kim brunhuber, takes over for me right now after a short break. you are watching cnn.

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pay taiwan marks national day with an unprecedented show of force. missiles and military on display a day after fiery rhetoric from the chinese president. desperate need of change but little expected from this election. plus, stories of courage, defiance, afghan women living under the taliban rule. welcome to all of you watching us here in the united states, canada and around the world. i'm kim brunhuber. this is "cnn newsroom.