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Researchers: Pro-Chinese Online Influence Campaign Promoted Protests In Washington; Morgan Stanley Upgrades Forecast, Credits Bidenomics; Unrelenting Heat Wave Shatters Records; Thousands Protest After Israel Limits Supreme Court Power; "Barbi" Beats "Oppenheimer" In Box Office Opener. Aired 3:30-4p ET
Aired July 24, 2023 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:30:00]
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: There is new research showing that pro China operatives organized and promoted protests in Washington last year and used dozens of fake news websites to push pro-Beijing issues. CNN's cybersecurity reporter Sean Lyngaas joins us now. So Sean, what is behind this?
SEAN LYNGAAS, CNN CYBERSECURITY REPORTER: Well, Boris, I mean, this is sort of an ongoing thing where you have likely governments overseas, China, Russia, Iran that used front companies or companies that appear to operate for whatever reason to influence U.S. discourse.
Now we often see this around the election -- around election time. In this case this happened a few months before the mid-terms. We don't really have the ability to connect the dots between what these protesters were doing and the U.S. election. However, it's really interesting that you see Chinese operatives sort of adopting that we used to consider, the Russian playbook. The 2016 you had all these Facebook and Twitter post kind of trying to play both side of the debate, fanning American divisions.
That's exactly what's going on here in the research. There were two protests last year. They're very obscure protest. Right? They didn't get much attendance. But this Chinese company is linked to them, and there were protests supposedly against the U.S. restrictions on the goods coming from Xinjiang, where the U.S. government has accused the Chinese government of atrocities. That was the main protest event.
Again, very sparsely attended. Freelancers here in the Washington DC area who were hired unwittingly to attend these protests. They didn't know exactly what was going on with them. But speaks to sort of the intent of some of these actors in China and elsewhere to influence discourse, to kind of fan the flames. And it could be sometime to look out for as we move into election in the next year -- Boris.
SANCHEZ: To create unrest. Has there been any response from the U.S. government so far?
LYNGAAS: U.S. government not saying much. The Chines government angerly deigning any connection to this. And the Chinese company itself did not respond to CNN's request for comment. SANCHEZ: Sean Lyngaas thank you so much -- Jim.
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: Now the story we're this hour on the business side. As it turns out, the Dow Jones is heading for its longest winning straight in nearly 6 years. Right now it's up about 150 points. If it stays on the positive side at the closing bell today that would be the 11th straight business day the Dow has risen. It comes as one of Wall Street's biggest banks -- and this is crucial -- is growing more confident the economy will avoid a recession. They are giving some of the credit to the White House's economic agenda.
CNN's Matt Egan joins us now. Tell us about this economic forecast for Morgan Stanley here, and why they believe the economic agenda of this administration has helped here?
MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Jim, remember when it felt like everyone on Wall Street was freaking out about 2023 recession?
SCIUTTO: Yes.
EGAN: Well those recession fears have clearly faded big time. These days Wall Street is growing more and more bullish on America with Morgan Stanley just operating its U.S. economic outlook calling for 3.13 percent GDP this year.
Now normally that is nothing to celebrate. But everything is relative. This is double what the bank previously expected. And this is light years away from those doom and gloom recession forecasts we heard so much about.
Now Morgan Stanley had begun in the more optimistic camp all along, but now they're feeling even more confident.
Writing, quote, incoming data now points to a more comfortable soft landing than we had anticipated.
Now what's so interesting to me there is, the why. They're pointing to two key developments. One, infrastructure spending is surging. And two, manufacturing is booming. And both of those forces, manufacturing and infrastructure, those are the key parts of "Bidenomics," the administration's economic strategy. Both of that should have been incentivized by key pieces of legislation that President Biden has signed into law.
When we look at manufacturing in particular, companies have announced more than $.5 trillion of manufacturing projects says the president took office.
Now none of this is to say that the economy is out of the danger zone. It's not. Inflation has cooled but not nearly enough to get the Feds to start cutting interest rates anytime soon.
Russia's attack in Ukraine, the port city of Odesa, that could hurt food prices. A potential strike by UPS. Well, that could cripple supply chains. But still, Jim, it is nice to see that those recession fears are taking a backseat. This economy really has proven to be so much more resilient than people thought.
[15:35:03]
SCIUTTO: Yes, and that boom in manufacturing would reverse a many years long slump in manufacturing in this country. Matt Egan in New York, thanks so much -- Boris.
SANCHEZ: Now to the unrelenting heat scorching much of the nation. Right now more than 35 million Americans are under heat alert from the Western U.S. to south Florida. It is so hot in some areas that emergency rooms are seeing patients who've been burned by hot pavement. Some of those injuries life-threatening.
Let's take you now live to one of the hottest places on the West Coast in Las Vegas. With Stephanie Elam where temperatures soared past 100 degrees today. What is it like outside right now, Stephanie?
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boris, it's like you opened up a oven that's been at like 400 degrees, and you know how that heat blows out at you, that's what it feels like. It's just like there's no escaping it. And this in mind, the first time Las Vegas hit 100 degrees this year, was the last day of June, which was the latest on record that it ever did that. But since then, the average temperature has been about 110 degrees and July's on its way to be a record month.
But the heat is not just a problem here, is across the entire West.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAM (voice-over): A heat wave bearing down across the globe with little relief in sight. Millions of Americans are under heat alerts. And now wildfires are ablaze creating more challenges for some communities in the Pacific Northwest. Residents in parts of Maricopa County, in Arizona, were told by local authorities to evacuate as firefighters battled the Diamond fire while facing scorching hot temperatures.
MAYOR KATE GALLEGO, (D) PHOENIX: The heat has been unrelenting in our community.
ELAM (voice-over): In Phoenix, Sunday marked 24 consecutive days of at least 110 temperatures. And in Las Vegas, the city has seen 10 consecutive days of temperatures at or above 110 degrees. Tying the longest streak of days with those high temperatures.
In parts of Arizona that heat is so brutal emergency rooms are filling up with people being treated for heat related illnesses. Dr. Frank LoVecchio shows us the ice bud used to treat some of the worst patients.
DR. FRANK LOVECCHIO, ER PHYSICIAN, VALLEYWISE HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER: We try for a little bit of ice, you know, on here, on the bottom. Get a little bit on the bottom. And then they get their body on here, we like to throw away all above them. So what's going to happen then is the only showing is going to be their head. OK, that in an ideal world. We also like to throw water on there. This has been shown to drop their temperature a degree almost every five minutes if done properly.
ELAM (voice-over): It's not just heat stroke. The director of the Arizona burn center says people are getting burned on the pavement. Accounting for the half the patients in the Valleywise ICU.
DR. KEVIN FOSTER, ARIZONA BURN CENTER DIRECTOR, VALLEYWISE HEALTH: The pavement is so hot that all it takes is a fraction of a second to get a pretty burn. And to lay on a pavement or a hot surface for 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 1/2 an hour, and hour, that's full fitness burn, the skin is completely destroyed.
ELAM (voice-over): Phoenix's mayor explains how they are battling the neat.
GALLEGO: We have mobile cooling units that can go to an emergency site like a fire. We even have tactics where we can go out with IVs that have been cooled. And that can cool people from the inside. Which can save lives.
Another program we have that's very popular is our cool pavement program. So we are really just looking at how we design the city.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ELAM (on camera): And these desert communities are saying that they know that they have to learn how to adapt. We are seeing the impact of this human induced climate crisis. And as these extremes are getting more and more extreme each year from the heat and the cold. They realize to make these cities continue to be viable places that people want to live, they're going to have to figure it out.
And just think about this, Boris, we have seen over 5,000 records in the last 30 days either match or be beaten because of the heat.
SANCHEZ: And there could be more ahead. It is brutal out there Stephanie Elam, hope you stay hydrated my friend. Thanks. Jim.
SCIUTTO: Coming up, Israel's Parliament has just passed a deeply, deeply controversial bill widely opposed in the country. A first step in the government's plan to weaken the judiciary. Why the U.S. is calling this vote, quote, unfortunate.
[15:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to CNN NEWS CENTRAL, and here are some of the other headlines we are watching this hour.
A new study shows that during the COVID pandemic, Republicans were significantly more likely than Democrats to experience higher than expected death rates. Researchers looked at data from Florida and Ohio. They found that the gap in excess deaths grew after COVID vaccines became widely available to Americans. Researchers say, it suggests the political attitudes towards vaccines play a role in the severity and trajectory of the pandemic. In Iran, the country's hardline rulers had banned a film festival
after a promotional poster and actress not wearing a hijab -- the head cover worn by many Muslim women. State-run media say Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance deemed that poster inappropriate. You may remember the mass protests across Iran last year when an Iranian woman burn hijabs, cut their hair to protest the mandatory dress code and the death of a woman who was arrested simply for not wearing one.
And in Montana, a woman was found dead following an apparent bear encounter. Wildlife officials say that grizzly bear tracks were found near the victim's body in the Custer Gallatin National Forest. A portion of that forest is now closed as a precaution -- Boris.
SANCHEZ: We're following major developments out of Israel today where thousands of protesters are in the streets after hard right lawmakers led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu past the first part of the government's plan to weaken the power of the country courts. Protesters fear the move would turn Israel into a dictatorship. CNN's Bianna Golodryga has been covering this story. She is filling in for Jake Tapper on "THE LEAD." And Bianna, you spoke with Israel's president about the situation now.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN SENIOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yes, and the backdrop obviously these unprecedented riots that we're seeing on the street and protests that we're on street following this judiciary overhaul and reforms that the most conservation government in Israel has put forward.
Now the president, who acts mostly as a dignitary, you will recall, visited the United States last week. He was in Washington. He met with President Biden. He also spoke before a joint session of Congress. And then he came here to New York to address Jewish leaders here in the United States who were obviously also very concerned about what is happening in Israel. And I pressed him on all of these issues, and while he was trying to be above politics as he says that the current role is, he couldn't avoid addressing what is happening in this country and talk about the longer-term implications. Here's what he told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISAAC HERZOG, ISRAELI PRESIDENT: I truly believe that the alternative to the Jewish people, to the unity of Israel is bad, is dangerous, and that is why I keep on repeating my message throughout the political system, the people of Israel, sit down, try to find to find a way to resolve this. If one side wins, Israel loses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: So you can hear that, if one side wins, Israel loses. He has acted as the top mediator here throughout this crisis, thus far to no avail. And as we saw today, this piece of legislation has passed. And the interesting part now, Boris, is, it goes where else? The Supreme Court. And this is the same Supreme Court who this government has deemed too powerful and that's with legislation like this, are trying to take away some of its authority. SANCHEZ: And notably the situation on the street in the last hour was
getting more and more tense. Bianna, we look forward to your coverage on "THE LEAD." It starts at the top of the hour. Be sure to tune in. Thanks so much, Bianna. Jim.
SCIUTTO: And very serious events there. We'll continue to follow them.
Meanwhile, still ahead, a weekend for the record books, "Barbenheimer" as it's been come to be known gives Hollywood a serious boost.
[15:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: TAPPER: "Barbie" scores big at the box office. Ranking in $155 million over the weekend. The comedy far outpacing its closest competition. Universal pictures drama "Oppenheimer" who also did pretty well. And that's not only a stunning box office win, it's also the largest debut for "Barbie," for a female director, Greta Gerwig.
CNN's business correspondent Vanessa Yurkevich has more. All
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARI NEF, ACTRESS: This is the best day ever.
ROBBIE: It is the best day ever.
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Barbie" painted the world pink, and this weekend, fans came out in droves.
AMERICA FERRERA, ACTRESS: Barbie, in the real world?
YURKEVICH (voice-over): Not only is it possible, the film shattered expectations and is on track to make at least $155 million at the U.S. box office in its opening weekend.
KEN: I'm coming with you.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): The new movie sends Barbie and Ken to the real world.
BARBIE: Cold shower. Falling off my roof. And my heels are on the ground.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): To deal with an existential crisis.
BARBIE: This is the real world. What's going on? Why are these men looking at me?
YURKEVICH (voice-over): The movie is the biggest domestic start for a solo female director, Greta Gerwig, surpassing "Wonder Woman."
SHERI LAMBERT, MARKETING PROFESSOR, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY: Mattel and Warner Bros., they have to just be tickled pink.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): Barbie is made by Mattel, and the film is distributed by Warner Bros. Discovery, the same parent company as CNN.
LAMBERT: Everything about this movie and the toy is fun, right? And I think people are looking to escape.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): "Barbie" bested this weekend's other blockbuster, "Oppenheimer," about the father of the atomic bomb.
OPPENHEIMER: I don't know if we can be trusted with such a weapon.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): Which made at least $80 million over the weekend. The two blockbusters premiering at the same time spawned fan mashups dubbed "Barbenheimer."
OPPENHEIMER: The world will remember this day.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): The two real films contributed to the fourth highest grossing movie weekend ever in North America, something theater owners hope is a sign that the pandemic-fueled slowdown is finally over.
MARK ANASTASIO, DIR. OF SPECIAL PROGRAMMING, COOLIDGE CORNER THEATER: It's being celebrated as some sort of novelty, but this is the way it was prior to the pandemic. Like, movies used to come out on the same weekend and compete with one another.
YURKEVICH (voice-over): But for "Barbie" fans, it's just fun.
BARBIE: I've been waiting for two years.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like you in Barbie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Barbie has inspired you to be like anything you want. You can be an astronaut, a doctor, a chef --
YURKEVICH (voice-over): Or even a blockbuster movie star.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get that Barbie.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[15:55:00]
YURKEVICH (on camera): And global ticket sales are coming in. The two movies, "Oppenheimer" and "Barbie" bring in over $.5 billion worldwide. And normally, Boris, we here from the stars. We hear from Cillian Murphy, we here from Margot Robbie, but that's not happening right now because they are on strike along with their other SAG members. Also remember, the writers are on strike. So we won't be hearing from any writers from the film.
We could hear though from the directors, Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan, who directed both films. They have contract deals with their union and the studios. But listen, the crews and the cast have to be so, so happy with this. Even if they're not celebrating publicly, Boris, they're probably celebrating in private. SANCHEZ: It'll be interesting to see, Vanessa, how this success might
be used as leverage in negotiations. Vanessa Yurkevich, thank you so much -- Jim.
SCIUTTO: Coming up, it has been a very sweet 16 for one Italian soccer player. Just an amazing story. We'll have the details just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: So most 16-year-olds are just getting their driver's licenses. They're getting ready for their junior year of high school, but not Julia Dragoni.
[16:00:00]
She just made her debut at the World Cup. Just 16-years-old she's known as "Little Messi" and she wore number 16 on her jersey. She's the youngest player ever to represent Italy at the World Cup. Italy edged out Argentina with a late header from the oldest player, 33- year-old Cristiana Girelli who was a player on field yesterday who was in for Argentina that debuted for her nation before this player was even born.
SCIUTTO: That is crazy, and by the way, to make the Italian national team at 16 --
SANCHEZ: Not easy.
SCIUTTO: -- it is a pretty damn impressive thing to do. Better than me at soccer.
"THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.
