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Xi and Putin Share Vision for New Global Order; At Least 800 Dead After Powerful Earthquake in Afghanistan; California Dems Launch Redistricting Campaign; Giuliani Recovering After Car Accident. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired September 01, 2025 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST AND U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): The Russians have perfected GPS jamming technology. The Ukrainians are dealing with it on the frontlines. And it's something that is, you know, clearly impacting not only normal people who travel on commercial airliners, but also people like Ursula von der Leyen.

And this very fact that they specifically targeted von der Leyen's jet, that is an indication that they are very serious about not only creating a problem for von der Leyen, but also showing their power that they can do these kinds of things and they believe that they can get away with this. They don't think the Europeans are strong enough to respond, or they at least they won't respond in a similar manner. And now, if this were to happen to Putin's jet, then it would be interesting to see what -- you know, what the next results would be. But right now, the Russians feel they can get away with this, and they're not above causing problems for somebody like von der Leyen or any other European leader.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: No, they're definitely not. Let's look ahead, Wednesday, a big military show of force and parade in China. Vladimir Putin expected to be there as well. Not only displaying China's might, as President Xi is trying to show the world that China, in fact, is the country of stability here, but also, new military technology and equipment, just as China is once again trying to rewrite history, specifically as they're commemorating 80 years since the end of World War II and the role that the Chinese Communist Party played. What do you make of that?

LEIGHTON: Yes. So, the -- you point out something very interesting because the Chinese Communist Party actually had a very minimal role in the defeat of Japan in World War II. It was actually the Chinese nationalists that bore the brunt of that fight. And this display of military hardware, which of course is typical for these kinds of parades, is going to showcase what China can offer, it's arsenal that it has, some of which they were able to create based on their cyber- attacks against U.S. defense contractors in the past. So, copies of the F-22 and the F-35 show up in Chinese jets like the J-20, and we'll see the J-20 and other Chinese jets in this parade.

We'll also see some missiles, some of which we don't know yet exactly what they're going to be showing. Will show some other capabilities that the Chinese have. The Chinese have also decided to reject any efforts that non-proliferation on the nuclear side of things and the fact that not only will Putin be there, but also Kim Jong Un that shows that there's, you know, really this triumvirate and possibly quad apartheid derangement that the Chinese are developing with the major powers in Asia.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, no doubt the Pentagon will be paying close attention, as will you, Cedric Leighton. Thanks so much.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Breaking overnight, at least 800 people are now dead, and that toll could climb. More than 2,000 injured after a huge earthquake struck Afghanistan. The 6.0 magnitude quake tore through a mountainous area in the country's east, entire villages have been wiped out. And this morning, rescue crews are struggling to reach survivors who may be trapped in the rubble in remote areas, which is why I think there is great concern that that death toll could rise even more. Let's get right to CNN's Nic Robertson for the latest. Nic, what are you learning?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, remote region. The road is almost impossible, you know, on good times. There's been heavy flooding recently, landslides because of the earthquake. The buildings themselves made of rubble, rock, mud timber. And here we're talking about not -- you know, not prepared flat sheets of timber, but literally tree trunks are very often the roofs with the leaves forming sort of interlinking with mud on top of it.

So, of course, this quake coming in the middle of the night in these very rustic rural rough shot houses, if you will, people asleep in those homes, collapsing on top of them, a desperate search through the rubble. One little boy we saw in one video was crying out for his older brother. It wasn't clear where his older brother was. So, these places are difficult to access. The roads are bad. The houses are poor condition have collapsed. To make matters worse, this quake, 6.0 magnitude, was only five miles below the surface. And of course, that means when it's closer to the surface, the destruction at the surface is much higher.

Some people have been brought to nearby hospitals by helicopter, but those are really just the lucky ones. The death toll is expected to climb. This is what aid officials say and the Afghan government putting out those figures of 800 people dead so far, more than 2,000 people injured, and a country that's impoverished, that has seen international aid budgets cut, which of course, healthcare's on the frontline of those international aid budgets oftentimes. So, the facilities at the hospitals, when they are lucky enough, some of those survivors to get there are not going to be the source of services you and I would expect at hospitals we might go to. So, a very desperate situation and the details only becoming clearer through the day, John.

[09:35:00]

BERMAN: Again, that very shallow quake there makes it all the more dangerous. 800 killed so far, concerned the death toll could rise. Nic Robertson, thank you very much. Bianna. GOLODRYGA: All right. Well, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani recovering this morning after a serious car accident. We have new information about his condition and what led to the crash. And if California voters approve, the redrawing of congressional districts could shake up strongholds across the state. How voters in those districts are reacting to the move by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:40:00]

BERMAN: Labor Day is the traditional kickoff to the fall campaign season, and in California, it will be one like no one has seen before. Voters get to weigh in on redistricting the plan from Governor Gavin Newsom that would add as many as five Democratic seats to counter what they see as Republican gerrymandering in Texas. State lawmakers have approved Governor Newsom's plan. Now, they need voters to sign off in this special election. CNN's Julia Vargas Jones with a look from the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In California's race to counter Texas, San Diego County is a big prize.

JONES: Where are we?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're in Escondido, which you might call it the capital of North County San Diego, and this is Friday night. It's a regular routine during the summer. The town will be filled with antique cars and it brings out people who wish they had one.

JONES (voice-over): This southern slice of the state stands to be most affected if voters approve an extraordinary mid-decade drive to redraw district lines that could add up to five Democratic seats in Congress. Local Republicans like Garvin Walsh, call it a power grab.

GARVIN WALSH, BOARD MEMBER, SAN DIEGO COUNTY REPUBLICANS: It's not a question of fairness towards Republicans, it's a question of, you know, principle and playing by the rules, and they're not doing that.

JONES (voice-over): Earlier in August, the initiative passed a California legislature, a tit for tat redistricting push to offset expected Republican gains in Texas. Republican assembly member Carl DeMaio is vowing to take the fight to the polls.

CARL DEMAIO (R), CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBER: A lot of what our campaign would be focusing on is getting the truth to voters, making sure that they understand that these lines were drawn by the politicians. These lines are not about fairness.

JONES (voice-over): California's 48th District is a Republican stronghold stretching from just east of Orange County all the way down to the Mexican border. The newly proposed lines would take out some of the reddest parts of San Diego County and add in liberal leaning Palm Spring voters, which could give Democrats an edge in the midterms.

JONES: Much like in Texas, support part redistricting here in California is split along partisan lines. These people here are fully in favor of Governor Gavin Newsom's efforts to redistrict California. They're saying they don't care this is a political move, it's along the lines of their belief system.

JAMES CASSIDY, ESCONDIDO RESIDENT: I voted for the independent districting, but we have to fight fire with fire.

DEBBIE, DEMOCRATIC VOTER, ESCONDIDO RESIDENT: This is simply to counteract what's going on and try to make sure that Trump does not wield control over Congress.

JONES (voice-over): At the forefront of this fight is Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar. Twice his run in this part of the state and lost. The last time was in 2020 against longtime Republican Congressman Darrell Issa. But Campa-Najjar is hoping the new boarders will help push him across the finish line in 2026.

AMMAR CAMPA-NAJJAR (D), CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: Good way to turn out on November 4th for the ballot measure?

We have to win this ballot initiative. Once we get into office, we could raise the bar and hopefully fight for a national independent commission like we have here. But if we're the only ones doing it, we're at a disadvantage.

JONES (voice-over): Back on the main drag, these cars are parked right at the current district's border. New maps would fold all of these blocks into the new 48.

WALSH: They're making it more difficult, but I don't think we're going to give up.

JONES (voice-over): Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Escondido, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Those classic cars will make all the difference. All right. Some people say that Labor Day is the end of summer, but is it really? We've got a team of researchers analyzing the data and we will tell you what they found.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:45:00]

BERMAN: This morning, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is recovering after a car accident in New Hampshire. Giuliani's head of security said the former mayor's vehicle was hit from behind at high- speed. Police say the driver was a 19-year-old woman. Troopers witnessed the crash and said both vehicles slammed into the median and were heavily damaged. Giuliani who is 81 was taken to a nearby trauma center where he was treated for a fractured vertebra and other injuries. At this point, no charges have been filed. So, a traumatic end to a police chase in Michigan all caught on dash cam. You see that right there? That's the real axle of a stolen car, it was ripped right off what was speeding down the middle of a highway. Police use something called the grappler, which might be my favorite new name. The grappler to stop the car. It's a high strength net that locks around a car's rear axle. Three people were arrested. No one was hurt except for the axle.

So, the Powerball jackpot surged to an estimated $1.1 billion after there was no winner in Saturday's drawing. It's the fifth largest prize in the game's history. The odds of winning are one in 292.2 million. Now, if someone does win, they can choose between the $1.1 million annuity or a onetime payment of nearly half a billion dollars before taxes, or instead of throwing away your $2, you can, you know, give to charity. Just saying. Bianna.

[09:50:00]

GOLODRYGA: Or we could share the winnings, John, that's an option too. All right. As we wrap up the summer, millions of Americans are on the move. This Labor Day is shaping up to be the busiest holiday travel weekend on record. Airports across the country are expected to be packed as millions had home from their getaways. The TSA says nearly 17 million passengers traveled through security checkpoints over the weekend, a record-breaking into the summer travel season.

CNN's Pete Muntean is at Reagan National Airport for us. How are things looking there? Pretty steady I see.

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Pretty steady. And I just took the wait times here at the Terminal 2 North Checkpoint, Bianna, less than five minutes to get through not only the standard lanes, but also pre-check here at DCA.

The good news is things have been relatively smooth. And the TSA anticipates about 2.1 to 2.8 million people at airport checkpoints nationwide, that -- adding to that total of 17.4 million people over the five-day long Labor Day travel period. So, it's going to be another busy day as so many people rush back after the three-day weekend.

Today is when the air traffic starts to pick back up, and the FAA says the nation's air traffic controllers, of course, working today on Labor Day, will handle about 46,000 flights in total. We're not totally out of the woods yet. And the FAA does anticipate maybe some ground stops or delays here at Reagan National Airport, also Orlando and Tampa, Houston, both of the airports there, and then in Dallas, that's a place that's been especially hard hit by thunderstorms and flooding over the last few days. It's had a disproportionate impact on American Airlines, one of the airline's biggest hubs there at DFW, delayed about a third of all flights yesterday. So far, only about 6 percent of flights delayed for American Airlines.

So, you may want to consider driving. And AAA, spokesperson Aixa Diaz says it's going to be pretty busy today as a lot of folks head home from the long weekend and back to reality. Listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AIXA DIAZ, MEDIA RELATIONS MANAGER, AAA: Monday is going to be especially busy, the holiday itself coming back. So, a lot of people are going to do short road trips, couple of nights, or maybe even some staycations or day trips. That's why you have to watch the traffic because some people might be going and coming back on the same day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: Worst times to travel today are essentially between one and 4:00 p.m. That's when everyone's not only going to cookouts, but also may be coming back from grandma's house or the beach. So, if you want to get an early start, that is a pretty good idea, according to AAA, one of the things that may be driving some of the road traffic here, pardon the pun, is the fact that gas prices are about the same as they were back in 2021.

GOLODRYGA: Wow. I do have to say staycations are pretty underrated. They feel quite good, especially on busy travel days like this one. Pete Muntean, thank you so much. John.

BERMAN: All right. So, some people call Labor Day the official end of summer. They are of course technically incorrect, right? The official end of summer is like September 20th, 21st, but some people think it's the unofficial end of summer, but how do you feel about it, America? We ask CNN Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten to research this burning question. Harold, what do people say?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: All right. I dug deep into the numbers here. OK. Dug deep into the numbers here. When is -- what best represents the end of summer to you? Labor Day takes the cake, folks, 67 percent. Just 27 percent, my God, say the Autumnal Equinox.

Now, for me personally speaking, I believe it's when football begins and not your college football, OK? Not your college. I'm sick of the college. It's the NFL. When the NFL begins, when my Buffalo Bills, when Josh Allen's throwing that football down the field, that is when, in fact, autumn begins. So, it is not yet begun for me.

BERMAN: All right. Did you hear, by the way, Congressman Lloyd Doggett take issue with your criticism of Arch Manning from UT?

ENTEN: Look, the bottom line is he's a homer. OK. They're all homers in the State of Texas.

GOLODRYGA: Hey, I'm a Longhorn too. Hey, hey, hey.

ENTEN: We got a homer in the studio over there.

BERMAN: All right. So, end of summer, Harry. How does it make people feel?

ENTEN: It makes -- does it make you feel happy or sad? I think there are a bunch of kids who feel pretty gosh darn sad on this one because summer ends 24 percent. 61 percent though, say happy, fall begins. I definitely fall into the happy camp because the bottom line is, as far as I'm concerned, the kids have been running wild out there. They need to be put back into school. They need to be learning. I'm sick and tired of them going out there having a good time. They should be sitting down having an apple a day and reading those textbooks and fulfilling their minds, not just their bodies.

BERMAN: Wow. I can't believe the assault on Arch Manning and on children.

GOLODRYGA: I know.

BERMAN: All across the country.

GOLODRYGA: Tell us how you really feel, Harry.

ENTEN: I would just say this. The year in which I graduated high school, I wanted to go back the following fall, bring some Starbucks, drink it as those kids went back into school and say, bye-bye. I'm going home to take a nap right now.

BERMAN: You must have had a lot of friends in school. All right. So, talk to me about when kids do go back to school.

[09:55:00]

ENTEN: OK. When do kids go back to school? Because for me, the kids always went back to school basically this week. But I was from New York. I don't know if you can tell from my accent, I'm from New York. 85 percent of the kids in New York go back this week. But in the nation overall, only 15 percent. The vast majority of the kids go back before Labor Day. You know, I was talking with our dear senior producer Bethany, whose kids went back last week.

So, most kids are already back in school, but the kids in New York, they are finally going home, going back to where they deserve, and hopefully, they'll get the learning and the discipline they so sorely need.

BERMAN: Education, Harry. I know you think it's very, very important. Reading is important.

GOLODRYGA: You know where they went back to school early, Harry?

ENTEN: Where? Texas?

GOLODRYGA: The state you've been dissing on all morning, Texas.

ENTEN: Ah, that's a state for me.

BERMAN: Harry Enten, thank you --

ENTEN: Thank you, John.

BERMAN: -- very much.

GOLODRYGA: Thanks, Harry. And thank you all for joining us. This is CNN News Central. The Situation Room is up next.

[10:00:00]