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Ukraine: Incursion Into Russia To Persuade Putin Into "Fair" Negotiations; Black "X" Appearing On Doors Of Maduro Critics In Venezuela; Harris Enthusiasm Puts NC Back In Play For Dems. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired August 16, 2024 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They certainly do say that they're not going to allow comments like that to derail any sort retaliation if that were to happen. But I think one of the things that's been so interesting to see throughout the course of the day is that those ceasefire talks that have been going on in Qatar, while Iran is not at the table there and is not involved in those talks, Iran obviously looms very large at those talks.

You can see that by the fact that Qatar's prime minister called the foreign minister of -- of Iran on both days just to keep him up to date as to what exactly was going on in those ceasefire talks. Now, many of the parties who are part of those -- those talks, they hope that they can prevent Iranian retaliation if indeed there were to be significant progress or possibly even a ceasefire agreement, and of course, also prison, hostage release as well.

The Iranians have said that to them the two things are not linked. They say that that retaliation could still happen, and it could still happen at any time. At the same time, of course, the Iranians also watching very closely what goes on at those talks. One of the things that the Iranian government has said is that they also don't want to escalate the situation to obviously, some sort of wider conflict that could involve not just Iran and Israel, but, of course, the U.S. as well, guys.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: All right. Frederik Pleitgen -- Frederik Pleitgen again from inside Iran in Tehran tonight, thank you so much for that reporting.

Ukraine is pushing ahead with its military offensive into Russia with aides to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying the cross border incursion is designed to push Vladimir Putin into what they call a fair negotiating process.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST Zelenskyy confirmed to CNN that Ukrainian forces captured the Russian town of Sudzha in the Kursk Region. CNN, chief international security correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh, gained some of the first access to that region. CNN was accompanied by the Ukrainian military who reviewed the video without sound prior to release for operational security reasons. We should point out the Ukrainian government had no editorial control over the report. Nick shows us the intensity of the fight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: All around us, the signs of the intense fight that's been raging inside here. It's very surreal to be inside Russia again with Ukrainian forces leading the way. Well, not even the statue of Lenin is unscathed here, this Ukrainian assault so persistent. And Russia, despite its sense of history, it's sort of passed as being so impregnable, completely unable to push the Ukrainians out here. The sound of small arms fire we can still hear so clearly there is a bid for the Russians to push back, but simply isn't working, and the humiliation for Putin endures.

You can see the damage that's been done to this street here. From the intense fight, the range in. Still clearly active fighting happening here, and there's still the question is, where are the drones? Where are the Russian drones that have made Ukraine's life hell on the front lines for months, simply nowhere to be seen? Well, there's constant artillery as well. Clearly a fight still underway for this, to become deeply symbolic for Ukraine's totally surprise assault into Russia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: All right, our thanks again to CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, for that wonderful reporting there.

Let's take you now to Venezuela, where some of its citizens say they're being targeted by the regime of embattled, President Nicolas Maduro.

SANCHEZ: Yes, a black letter X has started appearing on the doors of residents who say they oppose the outcome of July's presidential election, which Maduro claims he won, even though independent observers say he likely lost by a wide margin. Let's go to CNN's Stefano Pozzebon, who's live for us in the region with more. Stefano, how many of those that have been singled out believe that this was a direct threat?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST: Well, Boris, we're talking about dozens of people in an area of Caracas that is particularly close to the government. That's the area of Caracas where Maduro's mentor and the late President Hugo Chavez is buried in what is called in Venezuela de Cuartel de la Montana. That's a military force overlooking the presidential palace, and that area is so connected with the government, that paramilitary squads aligned with Maduro and the rest of -- of the current government in Venezuela are employing these tactics.

And, of course, Boris, are scaring a lot of people in Venezuela, in the rest of the country. These are tactics of intimidation that are meant to be stemming the protest. But I also think, Boris, these tactics strip away any political legitimacy of the Maduro regime. For the last two weeks, Maduro has claimed that he's a victim of a neo- fascist coup d'etat that nobody should meddle with Venezuela's own business. He accused, for example, Jeff Bezos of being personally involved in a conspiracy, just because the website that the opposition runs is hosted on an Amazon Web Service server, and using these taxes, which are frankly straight out of the Third Reich and of Hitler in Germany show how the -- the government is completely scared and is just employing more and more repressive strategies and tactics to keep the situation under control without any sort of political legitimacy. There is nothing neo-fascist going on in Venezuela other than the current government's strategy.

[15:35:21]

In the meantime, the diplomatic circles, Boris, are working very fast to try to find a mediated solution, any solution, frankly, to these precipitating crisis, and many, including Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, have ventilated the proposal of a new round of election, a second round between the opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez and Maduro to sort of clear the air and make sure that the real winner prevails. But this is what the opposition think about that option.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA CORINA MACHADO, VENEZUELA OPPOSITION LEADER: What if Maduro doesn't like the second election, we do a third one, a fourth, a fifth, until Maduro likes the results? Would you accept this in your countries if the results aren't satisfactory, then an election is repeated? We competed in the election under the tyrannies rules. Many people told us we were crazy, that we were taking a risk and that there would be a monumental fraud that we would not prove. We trust in the organization of citizens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POZZEBON: And we should note, Boris and Jess, that Maduro has also rejected that option. Neither the government nor the opposition are ready to entertain even the idea of repeating the election. They both claim to be the legitimate winner. The opposition, we should say, has presented tens of thousands of voting tallies on their website. The government hasn't done any of that. And the situation is probably, and this crisis is probably likely to continue, Boris, because tomorrow, Maria Corina Machado, the opposition leader, has called for new protests in Caracas and the rest of the country. Boris, Jess?

SANCHEZ: Stefano Pozzebon live for us from Bogota, thank you so much.

Next, North Carolina hasn't gone blue in a presidential election since Barack Obama beat John McCain 16 years ago. But there's a reason that Vice President Kamala Harris chose to make her first major policy speech there today. The signs giving Democrats hope this election cycle when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:41:58]

SANCHEZ: Last hour, Vice President Kamala Harris laid out a string of economic policy proposals during a rally in North Carolina. Harris said that bringing down costs will be her top priority if she's elected, and that she would do it at least partially with a ban on price gouging on groceries. Here's the Vice President.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And key, key to creating this opportunity economy is building up our middle class. Building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency, because I strongly believe when the middle class is strong, America is strong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: It's no accident that Harris chose North Carolina for this speech. Both candidates are targeting the Tar Heel State, including Donald Trump earlier this week with another speech on the economy, although it's been reliably red for Republicans going back 44 years. There is one exception. Barack Obama won there in 2008. The question now is, can Kamala Harris do that again?

Joining us now is the head of the state's Democratic Party, Anderson Clayton. Anderson, thank you so much for being with us. Obviously, both Harris and Trump both visiting North Carolina this week. What do you think that says about the state's role in this election?

ANDERSON CLAYTON, NORTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR: I think it shows that Donald Trump is scared. And I think it shows that North Carolina is in play for the Democratic Party more than it's ever been. You know, slowly but surely, since 2016 we've been bringing the margins down at the presidential level for how Democrats have lost our state. You know, 74,000 votes is the margin that we came within in 2020 and we're fully expecting to break that margin this year and bring that back for us.

SANCHEZ: So in July, there was a poll done, and it showed that 74 percent of registered voters in North Carolina rated the economy in the Biden administration as fair or poor. How important is it you think for Vice President Harris to distance herself from President Biden on economic policy. And what did you think of the speech today?

CLAYTON: I think that she gave a good speech today about focusing the priorities of this administration in the future, forward for the -- the next four years of this administration, really focusing on working families and bringing down the cost like we've seen in grocery stores, but also, you know, just ev -- everyday costs for working families. And also I love that she talked about creating a pro union economy, especially in a state like North Carolina, where we've got a Republican state legislature that has right to work laws still on the books at that state level.

And so it's been a really hard thing for folks to talk about unionizing in a workplace right now in North Carolina. But I also think that President Biden has a great economic record to run on, quite frankly, especially in a place like North Carolina, where 59 percent of our state still lives in a rural or ex urban community right now. You know, this is the first federal administration that invested in communities and cities and counties. Across our state that gave every community money for the first time to bring us back from that post pandemic, you know, ec -- economy, honestly, that was under Donald Trump that we're still coming back from to this day and age.

[15:45:13]

SANCHEZ: So of the dozen plus proposals that she's put out today, including that ban on price gouging, the -- these subsidies for first time home buyers. I'm curious about which ones of those you think might actually become law, because you have even some Democratic economists saying that these sound great on paper, but they can make things much more complicated for consumers, and there is some doubt about whether they can get through Congress.

CLAYTON: Well, I mean, I think that's what we also have to work towards, right? You know, congressional district one this year in North Carolina is going to be really important to help get Don Davis over the line and making sure that we have a Democratic majority in the United States House to ensure that these policies can become reality, versus what we're seeing from Donald Trump right now, which is trying to raise tariffs and raise prices, raise inflation more right on consumer goods in the United States right now.

I mean, we're seeing an economy, a pre -- a presidential economy, that's trying to bring back and that has brought back manufacturing jobs in North Carolina, over 6,000 that have come back to places like Hickory, North Carolina in the western part of the state that used to be known right for manufacturing furniture and the number one capital in the country for that. We're now one of the number one producers for fiber in the country. And so recreating rural economies is something that you're going to see over the next four years as well from the investments that this federal administration has made.

You know, one thing that I credit this administration for is that they have not just been prioritizing 2024 as an election cycle, they've been prioritizing the next 50 years in places where they've not had a future set for them. And that's really amazing to see I think, the fact that we are recreating, we're having a rural renaissance right now, and we should be talking more about that, I think.

SANCHEZ: Anderson, I -- I know you spoke with my colleague, Erin Burnett, recently about how you see the dynamic in the race changing and attracting younger voters. There's a lot more enthusiasm that's reflected in polling for Vice President Harris, than there was before when -- when President Biden was still in the race. Which of these economic policies do you think resonate with those younger voters, especially many of whom see an economy that is challenging for them, to say the least?

CLAYTON: Especially young people right now, housing. I love the fact that she talks about taking on landlords right now, taking on corruption when it comes to rent prices, I think especially for young people that are experiencing that at this level. You know, we want to see that aspect taken on. In the state legislature right now, in North Carolina, for an example, there is a ban on a rent cap in any city. So you've got the state legislature fighting with local municipalities on being able to do that.

We do need federal legislation that helps alleviate that burden for state legislatures, but also for local cities to be able to do what they need to do right now in their own communities. It's about giving autonomy back to the places that need it, that are being overrun, quite frankly, by folks that are making legislation that's actually not living in the communities that they're in right now that are struggling with these policies.

But I also think that you're going to see excitement from folks, you know, I'm from Person County. Right now, we've got someone serving in local government who works at McDonald's, and I loved when the Vice President today talked about in her speech how she came up their working class background. She worked her way through college, right. And we do still have people. She worked with folks that were working those service level jobs, that had families at home.

And right now, when the city that I'm from, you know, one of our city council women, Shana Outlaw (ph), works at McDonald's right now. She does not make $15 minimum wage yet. But she's also a mom, and she's got four kids at home that she provides for. And I think that she's speaking to a population right now that Donald Trump and, quite frankly, MAGA Republicans don't believe exist in this country at this moment in time.

SANCHEZ: Anderson Clayton, we have to leave the conversation there. We appreciate you sharing your perspective with us.

CLAYTON: Thank you.

[15:48:53]

SANCHEZ: Still ahead, officials announcing charges against the alleged mastermind of a scheme to steal Graceland from Elvis Presley's heirs. Stay with CNN News Central.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: Now an update on that bizarre story involving Graceland, the former home of Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tennessee.

SANCHEZ: Yes. This was a weird one. You might recall, there was this mysterious investment company that tried to sell the property through a bogus foreclosure scheme earlier this year. A woman in Missouri has just been arrested as the alleged mastermind of that failed plot. CNN's Paula Reid joins us now with more. Paula, take us through the details here.

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: This story is absolutely wild. I've been covering legal affairs for almost 15 years. I've never seen anything like this. Now, as you know, Elvis's daughter Lisa Marie Presley died a little over a year ago, and after she died, the woman who has been charged now, Jeanine Findley. She claimed that Lisa Marie had taken out a roughly $4 million loan from Findley and that she had pledged Graceland as collateral. So after Lisa Marie died, Findley goes after the Pressley family trying to get a roughly $3 million settlement for this alleged loan.

Now, in furtherance of this scheme -- scheme, she allegedly created false documents. She forged Lisa Marie signature that of a notary. She even pretended at various times to be at least three different people associated with this lender, knowing she didn't get the money she wanted from the Presley family. She published a foreclosure notice in a Memphis newspaper saying that Graceland would be sold to the highest bidder. Now, the Presley family had filed a lawsuit. The courts intervened at this point.

But even when that became a story back then, it wasn't clear who was behind this. There have been some reports about a woman with a different name while Jeanine Findley, she has multiple pseudonyms, but she had also tried to divert attention to potential Nigerian scammers. But now the Justice Department has investigated and charged her with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. She faces a minimum of two years in prison and up to a maximum of 20 years in prison.

[15:55:00]

But I -- I want to note something that was said today by the Justice Department that really speaks to a larger issue here. They said, quote, fame and money are magnets for criminals who look to capitalize on another person's celebrity status. In this case, Ms. Findley allegedly took advantage of the very public and tragic occurrences in the Presley family as an opportunity to pray on the name and financial status of the heirs to Graceland estate, now attempting to steal what is rightfully belongs to the Presley family for her personal gain.

And it speaks to what we've talked about a few times this week, Matthew Perry and others, right? You have a lot of money, you have a lot of fame, and sometimes that attracts the -- the attention of criminal, I don't know if I want to call this a mastermind. This was pretty creative. She got pretty far for criminal minds.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

DEAN: Criminal activity, yes. Paula Reid, thanks so much. A crazy story, indeed.

Did a fish predict the earthquake that rattled Southern California this week? We'll explain next.

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DEAN: One fish is so elusive, fewer than two dozen have been spotted in California since 1901. But last weekend, a dead 12-foot long oarfish turned up in La Jolla Cove, that's near San Diego. And you may be thinking, the kayakers and snorkelers who came across it are lucky, but not if you knew its nickname.

[16:00:09]

SANCHEZ: Yes, it's also called the doomsday fish, according to folklore, seeing one is a bad omen. And now some people are noting how this particular fella was spotted two days before California's 4.4 magnitude earthquake scientists at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography are now studying this specimen. I don't know.

DEAN: Don't hold it. It's bad omen.

SANCHEZ: Good sushi, though.

DEAN: Is it?

SANCHEZ: I'm joking. The Lead with Jake Tapper starts right now.