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Portland Mayor Accuses Trump Of Stoking Violence; Wisconsin Governor To Trump: Please Keep Out Of Kenosha; India's COVID Cases Top Global Daily Record; Belarus Protests Intensify; Wisconsin Governor Asks Trump Not to Visit Kenosha; Historic Flight Planned Between Tel Aviv and Abud Dhabi; Using Tech to Protect the Amazon; Potential TikTok Sale Must Clear New Hurdles for China; Champagne Industry Cuts Production due to Drop in Demand. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired August 31, 2020 - 01:00   ET

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

[01:00:00]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to you, our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber.

Coming up on CNN NEWSROOM.

Taking Trump to task. Portland's mayor blames the president for creating hate division in America after a night of deadly violence.

While Wisconsin's governor urges the president to stay away amid protests over police brutality.

And in India a massive spike in coronavirus cases breaks a global record.

All right. We begin with two U.S. cities that are flash points in the protest over racial justice.

In a moment we'll have the latest from Kenosha, Wisconsin.

First to Portland, Oregon. And you may find this next video disturbing.

A person was shot and killed as protesters and supporters of Donald Trump faced off Saturday night.

Now we don't know why the victim was shot. "New York Times" reports he was wearing a hat with a insignia for a far right group. Portland mayor Ted Wheeler pinned the blame for the violence on President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR TED WHEELER, PORTLAND, OREGON: Yesterday's events started with hundreds of cars filled with supporters of the president rallying in Kakamas County and then driving through downtown Portland.

They were supported and energized by the president himself. You've tried to divide us more than any other figure in modern

history, and now you want me to stop the violence that you helped create.

What America needs is for you to be stopped.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Well, of course, Mr. Trump reacted with a series of insulting tweets like this one blasting, quote "radical left Democrat mayors like the dummy running Portland."

He also criticized, quote "the guy right now in his basement unwilling to lead or even speak out against crime."

And of course, that's a reference to his election rival, Joe Biden. In condemning the violence Sunday, Biden urged America not to be, quote "at war with itself."

All right. Let's go now to CNN's security correspondent, Josh Campbell, who's on the ground for us in Portland.

Let's start with that shooting. What more do we know about that?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. As of right now, Kim, police are not releasing a lot of the details. They are in investigative mode.

They're asking for anyone here in the City of Portland that was in and around the area that may have information to contact authorities. Now, of course this began on Saturday night. Police say that they heard the sound of gunfire. Officers rushed to

the scene. They found one person who was unconscious, he was pronounced dead.

As you mentioned, "The New York Times" reporting that he had a cap, a that on, that had an insignia of a far right group.

That leading to a lot of concerns here by law enforcement because that happened against this backdrop of clashes between protesters here in the City of Portland and hundreds of supporters of President Donald Trump who came into the city on Saturday by caravan.

Again, several clashes. Police say that that led to several arrests as well. And again, one person was shot dead.

We do know that the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI, as well as the Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms Bureau here in the United States, they are investigating, the federal government as well. Trying to get to the bottom of what transpired there.

But I talked to the police chief today here in Portland and he said what they are worried about right now, authorities, is that there could be groups of these far right supporters that may be coming into the city trying to seek retribution for that man's death. The police officers were urging the public to obviously remain calm,

they didn't want people to jump too any early conclusions while the investigation was underway.

But still very concerning for them with these incidents of violence happening on Saturday. Police very much on edge here in Portland, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. No, as I understand it -- you can tell me better but things seem fairly quiet now, right? But, as you say, there are fears of more violence.

What special preparations are local law enforcement taking, if any?

CAMPBELL: I tell you, it is eerily quiet right at this moment. We are right across the street from the federal building here which has served as the epicenter for so many of these protests for well over 90 days here in the city of Portland.

Most of those protests peaceful, calling for racial justice, an end to police brutality. But at nighttime, those protests have turned violent with people trying to attack the federal building here.

And again, on Saturday, we saw this group of counter-protesters, the pro-Trump crowd, coming in and squaring off with these demonstrators.

[01:05:00]

We're not seeing any of that at the moment -- and again, police are concerned about pockets possibly coming in from different parts of the city, of violence. But so far none of that they're seeing.

We do know that the governor is calling upon neighboring jurisdictions to provide support, to provide officers to help with resources.

And it could be that infusion of resources that is leading to this period of quiet right now. Still too yet to -- too early to be determined whether this will last throughout the night.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right. Well, let's hope it does. Thank you so much. Josh Campbell in Portland for us. Appreciate it.

For more now on, this I'm joined by journalist, Sergio Olmos.

Thank you very much for speaking with me. So given the violence last night, given the two groups and authorities could collide again, one of those groups possibly seeking revenge. Do you have any sense of how on edge people are there now?

SERGIO OLMOS, JOURNALIST: Most of the city is not on edge in terms of the protesters. And yes, there is some tension about -- because there is chatter on certain right wing pages about retribution tonight.

But I want to make clear. What the police chief was saying today was about staffing large, planned rallies like the one on Saturday and the one Saturday before that.

In terms of the nightly Black Lives Matter protests there is (inaudible) the officers staffed for those.

Like tonight, there's going to police officers staffed at Laurelhurst Park where the Black Lives Matter protesters are gathering right now.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. I guess -- we know there's always a police presence. But given what happened yesterday, we were expecting, perhaps, details about an enhanced presence or special considerations. Given that we could see more violence.

I wanted to ask you, there is also a lot of anger over accusations that police enabled those caravans and the vigilantes. What are you hearing on that?

OLMOS: Yes. So to answer -- both those concerns are actually the same. Which is the police have been staffing for 94 days now, officers at night to handle the Black Lives Matter protesters.

And they have 43 (ph) officers, the rapid response team and then another 30 to create a mobile field force for arrests and stuff like that. And those are pulled from patrol units and stuff like that.

And what they're -- what the police chief is saying at these press conferences is look, we can't do that at night and then have those officers go in the middle of the day to another rally. They have to sleep, right, they have to do the shift the next night.

And so we just don't have enough officers to staff rallies at night and in the daytime.

And because of that, the ones planned by the conservative sides are left open. And for now, two weeks, we've had consecutive violent rallies.

So that's the issue that's going on right now.

Critics will say then why do the police choose to assign more bodies to the Black Lives Matter protests? Police chief will say we need more police officers.

BRUNHUBER: Wondering whether the war of words between the president and the mayor has or will exacerbate the tensions? I'm also wondering on a sort of larger question, I guess.

Are the protesters aware how happily President Trump is sailing in the political headwinds they're creating there?

OLMOS: Yes. So the mayor is leaning into that conversation with the president. And in terms of the protesters here, the mood is not -- Donald Trump, the president, is not talked about very often.

The protests here have been largely against this local police force and kind of -- errors they've committed in the past. They do -- when federal agents were here for about two weeks and it

was a scene outside the federal courthouse, they were definitely focused on the federal agents. But the president is kind of a secondary issue here.

They really do want local city council people to defund this police department. The election is kind of a secondary issue to them.

But if you listen to the mayor, it is a fight for democracy. He's choosing to engage with this in terms of a federal overreach. And so that's kind of where he wants to have that conversation.

Locally, they're more focused on the police department here.

BRUNHUBER: And his response may be predicated by local politics there as well, facing a challenger himself. And he certainly wants to be seen as an opponent of Donald Trump. Is that accurate?

OLMOS: Yes. Yes, definitely. This is a very liberal city and there's not a lot of Trump supporters here.

[01:10:00]

He definitely is saying something that a lot of people will say which is they don't like what the president's saying about Portland.

But I think outside of Portland that probably gets more nods. Inside of Portland there's a lot more of sense of we weren't having that conversation, we were arguing against you and your police force. You know he's also the police commissioner.

So I think what you're seeing with that press conference, him talking about the president, to a lot of ears here it felt like he was ignoring the criticisms laid at him and directing his ire towards somebody that most people have kind of written off anyway.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting. Well, we really appreciate your local insights. Sergio Olmos in Portland. Thank you.

OLMOS: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Well, you've seen one of President Trump's tweets on Portland during the past 24 hours. Well, there were dozens more.

And Jeremy Diamond tells us they did nothing to heal the city's wounds.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, amid this volatile situation in Portland, Oregon, President Trump is not trying to calm tensions in that city. Not trying to de-escalate the situation.

Instead we saw the president in early morning tweets on Sunday, nearly 90 tweets from the president, mostly focused on amplifying the divisions that we are seeing in that city.

Specifically, some of the clashes between the president's own supporters and the Black Lives Matter protesters in that city.

The president even retweeting a video in which you can see some Trump supporters on the flatbed of a truck firing pepper spray and paint balls at protesters, and also in fact hitting a journalist.

Now the president was also directly responding to the mayor of Portland, Oregon as he was delivering a news conference on Sunday. The mayor of Portland drawing a direct line between the president's divisive rhetoric and the violence that he has seen in that city.

The president responding in real time with this tweet where he calls the mayor of Portland, Ted Wheeler, a "radical left do nothing Democrat mayor.

And he also says this, which is very important. He says:

"He would like to blame me and the federal government for going in, but he hasn't seen anything yet. We have only been there with a small group to defend our U.S. courthouse because he couldn't do it."

This seems to raise the issue that the president has returned to time and again which is this notion of sending federal forces into these cities to quell some of the violence that has been happening there.

Of course, the president normally isn't allowed to do that without the consent of the mayor or the governor of where this is happening. And in this case the mayor of Portland has already rejected that suggestion.

But nonetheless, the president has continued to raise the specter of doing something unilaterally.

But ultimately this is playing into a much broader strategy. We have seen the president time and again focus on the protests and some of the violence that we have seen in American cities, as he is trying to campaign on this message of law and order.

The irony, of course, being that all of this is happening on his watch as president. Even as he tries to tie former Vice President Joe Biden to the violence in some of these cities.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Another U.S. city is also coping with unrest following the shooting of a black man by police.

It's been a rough week for Kenosha Wisconsin following violent clashes and a deadly shooting during racial justice protests.

Yet, the White House President Trump is still planning to visit there on Tuesday to talk with law enforcement and survey the damage. But the state's governor, Tony Evers, is pleading with the president to reconsider.

Saying in a letter, quote: "I'm concerned your presence will only hinder our healing. I'm concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together."

Now, despite the governor's reservations, the White House says President Trump's visit is moving forward as planned.

Well, there was chaos in the streets of Belarus's capital Minsk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: (Shouting)

BRUNHUBER: Thousands of protesters were out in force once again demanding that President Alexander Lukashenko resign. Many were angry over the results of this month's presidential election which opposition leaders claim were rigged.

A convoy of at least eight military thanks moved through Minsk Sunday as the protests were going on.

Meanwhile, the government has revoked the accreditation of 19 journalists and deported two others angering critics who say it's a violation of press freedom.

And while this photograph may give you a sense of Mr. Lukashenko's growing unease, this is the president photographed Sunday with a rifle in his hands. And it's not the first time we've seen that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

These protests began, in part, over the president's dismissal of the coronavirus.

Just days after setting a global record for daily COVID infections, India sees another massive spike in new cases.

We'll look at how the country is responding to the growing crisis.

Plus the White House's chief coronavirus advisor says it's possible to beat the virus as long as people work together.

Well, that's easier said than done. Stay with us.

[01:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: India has just surpassed Mexico for the third highest coronavirus death toll in the world with 971 new deaths confirmed. It also confirmed more than 175,000 new cases for the fifth day in a row, pushing its total past 3.6 million. That's also the third most in the world behind only the U.S. and Brazil.

For more on this let's go now to CNN's Vedika Sud who joins me now live from Delhi.

Vedika, are there fears that India could soon emerge as the world's COVID epicenter?

VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER: Well, Kim, that's a good question you ask because, as you said, we've just made it to the third slot when it comes to the total number of confirmed deaths across the world.

We're already the third worst affected country across the world when it comes to our COVID tally.

So yes, these are grim figures. And they come at a time where for the last five days India has been reporting over 75,000 new infections on a daily basis.

[01:20:00]

It took us just about eight days to get to 3.5 million from three million cases. So if you just work the average out you're looking at 14 to 16 days to hit a million mark and get to four million.

So worrying figures indeed. And this comes at a time when India also has come out with the fourth phase of unlocking and has announced that they will phasing the restrictions out a bit to ease the system for the economy as well.

But what is to be noted here is that the government has consistently been talking about the fatality rate which stands at lower than two percent. And given India's population, two percent is a small number.

But when you speak to medical experts they talk about how India has a very young population compared to other countries because of which the fatality rate, fortunately in this case, remains low. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Well, you touched on this. Despite the huge increase in numbers, the government continues to take steps to return to normal there.

Is the government in denial there or is it sort of what you mentioned, that the economic considerations simply outweigh the health outcomes?

SUD: Well, after over 60 days of a stringent lockdown, of course, it is the economy that the Indian government has been talking about.

We've heard from representatives of the government talk about how India needs to coexist with COVID-19 and start opening up the economy. Because obviously jobless people, the numbers have gone up also along with a lot of hit back as far as business is concerned.

So those have been the worries for India. Today we are going to get the figures of GDP for India. They don't

seem to be very bright is what we're hearing as of now but that comes out later this evening, India time.

But yes, the reopening of the economy is taking place. Unlock phase four is going to start in September where we're going to see the metros which is basically the underground train services resume.

Remember, at least in Delhi we have over a million people traveling through the metro services. So it's going to be a staggering number of passengers also on those trains.

And that could lead to more cases, perhaps. And that's going to be a big worry for medical experts in the country as a whole. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. And we'll be waiting for those economic figures, hoping that they're better than the COVID numbers.

Vedika Sud in New Delhi. Appreciate it.

SUD: Thank you (ph).

BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, Brazil is a case study in how Latin American countries are finding it hard to get a handle on the pandemic.

Brazil's reporting 16,000 new cases, bringing its count to nearly four million along with more than 120,000 deaths. Only the U.S. has more of either.

Brazil is one of five Latin American countries currently among the 10 hardest hit nations in the world.

Meanwhile the U.S. is very close to reaching six million coronavirus cases according to Johns Hopkins University. That's nearly a quarter of the world's known infections.

Johns Hopkins also counts more than 183,000 deaths.

The White House coronavirus response coordinator says that she's hopeful for a vaccine but believes we can stop the virus now largely by wearing masks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: Don't wait for the vaccine to do the right thing. Do the right thing today. Because if we do the right thing today we go into the fall with much fewer cases.

Right now we gain freedom through wearing our masks and socially distancing.

With a vaccine it's a very different potential interaction for all of us.

And so, yes, I'm hopeful for a vaccine but I'm also very convinced right now that we can stop community spread by wearing masks, socially distancing and avoiding crowds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now the U.S. is seeing progress, but cases are still on the rise in several states.

Natasha Chen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NATASHA CHEN, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT: It's now been more than seven months since the first coronavirus case was reported in the United States. And since then more than 180,000 people in this country have died of COVID-19.

If you look at the newly reported cases in the last seven days compared to the previous week, 18 states in the United States are seeing an increase, 23 states are holding steady, and nine states are seeing a decrease.

One of those nine states is Florida. Their seven-day average of new cases has come down significantly since mid-July. And on Sunday the state reported its lowest daily death record since late June.

And Georgia was blasted by the White House coronavirus task force report earlier this month for not doing enough to curb the spread of the virus. But Georgia now has also seen a significant decrease in its seven-day average of new cases since early August.

And on Sunday, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported under 1,300 coronavirus cases, the lowest since late June.

Now last week the CDC revised its guidance raising the bar on who should get tested for COVID-19, saying that some people with no symptoms, they may not need a test.

[01:25:00]

Still, the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control released a statement on Sunday emphasizing the importance of testing, saying that people with mild or no symptoms should still get tested as they could easily transmit the virus to other people.

Natasha Chen. CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: U.S. President Donald Trump is stoking fears over law and order as the election draws closer.

Just ahead, more suggestions that he's exploiting the violence to boost his reelection chances.

And sealing the deal overseas. Mr. Trump's senior adviser and son-in- law about to board a historic flight symbolizing progress in the long stalled quest for Middle East peace. Stay with us.

(CNN HEALTH & WELLNESS)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's considered the gold standard for fighting the pandemic. Contact tracing requires testing of all people who may be infected, isolating those who are and then tracking down others who may be exposed to someone infected then testing and isolating them as well.

But a new study suggests quick COVID testing and quick reporting of those results are crucial keys to making this tool work.

The researchers say app-based contact tracing methods were more effective.

CNN's senior international correspondent, Fred Pleitgen, is familiar with app-based contact tracing after having to be tested for COVID-19 while working in Germany.

The researchers say app technology could keep the virus from rapidly spreading even with a delay in testing of not more than two days. As long as 80 percent of people are tested and have their contacts traced.

(END CNN HEALTH & WELLNESS)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHEELER: It's you who have created the hate and the division. You've tried to divide us more than any other figure in modern history.

And now you want me to stop the violence that you helped create.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Strong words there from the mayor of Portland, Oregon. Protesters are gathering once again in Portland one night after a deadly shooting during clashes with Trump supporters.

President Trump is set to visit another flashpoint, Kenosha, Wisconsin. But the governor's him to stay home.

CNN's Shim Prokupecz tells us officials worry the visit could do more harm than good.

[01:29:39]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Officials here in Kenosha, Wisconsin are extending the curfew which was set to expire Monday morning to now last through Tuesday evening in anticipation of President Donald Trump's visit.

The mayor today speaking out of concern that the president's visit could spark unrest. The lieutenant governor also saying that this is not the right time for the president to visit and also people who live here, they were hoping that they can continue, go on with their lives, and keep things peaceful are concerned that the president's visit here could cause some unrest.

The president is scheduled to be here Tuesday. He says he's coming here to thank law enforcement and to visit some of the damage that was caused during some of the violent protests.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Mr. Trump's election rival, Joe Biden, heads to Pittsburgh Monday. He'll ask voters, are you safe in Donald Trump's America?

Ryan Lizza is a CNN senior political analyst and chief Washington correspondent for Politico and he joins me now from Washington. Thanks so much for speaking with us today.

I want to start with President Trump's response the violence in Portland and to the city's mayor. Clearly both are useful foils for his law and order campaign. Do you think the violence and chaos will help his reelection bid in the sense that it will not just activate those who believe, you know, Republican America is under siege but also help win back those white suburban voters?

RYAN LIZZA, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, I think all year that dynamic has been what he has been wishing for, and frankly pushing for. Kellyanne Conway, his senior adviser, the other day kind of said the quiet part out loud when she said that the more violence and chaos there is, the better -- and I'm paraphrasing -- it is for Trump electorally.

I can't remember any time in modern American politics where a presidential campaign was hoping for violence and a spike in crime as a positive electoral force for them.

What's odd about this is he's the incumbent president, so you would think that the more chaotic things are, the more people would turn against him and look for an alternative, which is what his opponent will argue.

That being said, I think there is something to the fact that some of these protests when they turn violent, they can have -- potentially have the effect of turning off some of the voters that Joe Biden is relying on, and some of the voters that frankly up until now have been very, very supportive of the anti racism protests in the United States.

That's been the big dynamic this year is that a lot of these white suburban voters that we're all talking about, because they're kind of the swing vote in this election, most of this year they have been highly pro protest. And some Democrats, as your question kind of alludes to, are a little concerned that that dynamic could change.

I think it's too early to say that yet, but that is the fight now between Biden and Trump is who can take political advantage over this chaotic situation. And I know that's kind of crude to put it that way but that's what we're seeing.

BRUNHUBER: So you think it might cut both ways then as, you know, Biden tries to say well, you know, this is, you know, Trump's America.

LIZZA: Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

BRUNHUBER: So I want to ask you -- yes, despite some, you know, Donald Trump's racially divisive rhetoric and his general reluctance to criticize the actions of white supremacists, you've written recently that the appeal to black voters that we saw during the Republican convention isn't as odd as it seemed to many pundits. Can you explain this?

LIZZA: Well, you know, there are some Democratic analysts that will point to 2016 when Hillary Clinton did not do as well as Barack Obama did with African American voters, and to some evidence from some key states in 2018. And then a third data point is some of the polling this year showing Trump being surprisingly, I wouldn't say strong with African-American voters, but better than one would expect given his policies and rhetoric.

Now the argument against that is well Barack Obama was the first black president, you probably can't compare Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama's black support. It's natural that it went down a little. But I think it's something to watch.

[01:34:52]

LIZZA: And I don't think the Trump campaign is completely insane with their outreach to black voters. We're really talking for a potential of, you know, what -- one to two to three to four points. But that could be decisive in some of these swing states if it works.

Remember the last election was decided by 70,000 votes in three states. So, you know, a little bit of support on the margins for black voters, could be very meaningful for Trump.

In other advanced democracies, you know, it's very unusual to have one ethnic or racial group that votes, you know, 85 percent, 90 percent for one party. So it's not -- you know, eventually in American politics there'll probably be some more diversity in some of the -- in the black vote. And that is what some Democratic analysts are pointing to. I will tell you, this is a very controversial debate among Democrats.

BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. Well, it's something we'll be watching for in the coming days as we head towards the election.

Thank you so much Ryan Lizza. Appreciate it.

LIZZA: Thank you, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: White House senior adviser Jared Kushner is in the Middle East with a push to boost his father in law's reelection efforts. Sources say Kushner will press Arab leaders to attend the ceremony for normalizing ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. That deal launches in a couple of hours with a historic flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi.

John Defterios is in Abu Dhabi. So John, explain what makes this flight so special.

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Well, you know Kim, it's the first commercial flight by the El Al, the Israeli carrier into an Arab Gulf state, it's actually not going to be carrying commercial passengers, the two large delegations from the United States and Israel along with Jared Kushner will be national security officials and special representative to Iran Brian Hook on that flight. And the Israelis will have defense officials, security officials and also some business leaders as they try to forge the ties.

The flight symbolically will be number 971 which is the area code here in the U.A.E. Jared Kushner will be with Prime Minister Netanyahu at a press conference where the prime minister was suggesting this will be the first of a number of Arab states that will eventually sign on.

We've had this boycott in place in the Gulf for about a quarter of a century. So the first U.A.E. country to do so here, advancing the cause. And I think the focus today obviously because of the flight coming from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi should be on the advance ties here led by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, who runs the military and pushed this forward Prime Minister Netanyahu.

There are some thornier issues on the table though, Kim. Not just trying to forging business ties here and diplomatic relations and when they open embassies but also will the U.A.E. for example have access to the Lockheed F-35 advanced jet fighter which the Israelis have.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has not been a supporter of that and this is on the table that the U.A.E. has been trying to unlock for six years under the U.S.-Israeli ties. Israel has a pact to maintain military superiority so this will be a clear sign if they unlock that, that this is going to advance and cement these ties here on the Arabian peninsula.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Very interesting. Thank you very much John Defterios in Abu Dhabi. Appreciate it.

Coming up, Amazon tribes are enlisting the help of technology to help protect their land from deforestation in Brazil. A Call To Earth is next.

[01:38:39]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: Call To Earth is a call to action for the environment to share solutions to critical issues like global warming, deforestation or plastic waste. It is a long term priority for all of us at CNN to work with you, our audience, to drive awareness and inspire change, so we can engineer a sustainable future.

In this week's report, how indigenous communities in the Amazon are using new tools to protect their land, fighting deforestation from the ground up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Amazon tribes are learning to use technology to help protect their land from the impact of deforestation by illegal loggers and land grabbers in Brazil.

AWAPY URU-EU-WAU-WAU, MEMBER OF THE URU-EU-WAU-WAU TRIBE (through translator): Nature, for us, is the life of the Indian. We don't want to see the jungle chopped down. If you chop it all down, it will definitely be hotter, and there won't be a river or hunting or pure air for us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 28-year-old Awapy Uru-eu-wau-wau is one of a new generation learning to use drones to detect deforestation. He is part of a training program for indigenous communities and others who work in forest protection, run by the World Wildlife Fund and local NGO, the Kaninde Ethno-Environmental Defense Association.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We really accept the technology with open arms, and pretty quickly start to use it.

FELIPE SPINA AVINO, SENIOR CONSERVATION ANALYST, WWF, BRAZIL (through translator): We know that in Brazil, the government doesn't have all the resources needed to protect the Amazon. It is very important that they are part of this process.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Awapy's tribe, the Uru-eu-wau-wau, first come into contact from people from outside their community in the early 1980s. their land is a protected area of almost 7,000 square miles of rainforest in the Brazilian state of Rondonia. An increase in illegal deforestation and forest fires is threatening their indigenous way of life. Destroying the forest they depend on for growing, and gathering food and for clean air and water.

Out on patrol, Awapy and his team used the drones to find and document areas of deforestation, collecting high-resolution images, video, and mapping data, to use ass evidence when reporting illegal activities to the authorities.

URU-EU-WAU-WAU: Look at the size of the deforested area here. It is huge. We send the drone up here to. There is no end to it.

JESSICA WEBB, SENIOR MANAGER FOR GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT, GLOBAL FOREST WATCH: The key is not to think that the technology, of course, is the silver bullet, but it is carrying that tool along with indigenous knowledge that makes it so much more powerful.

Having an intricate history, and understanding of, you know, where the areas that are most important to protect. Where are there, you know, roots that animals passed through? (INAUDIBLE)

[01:44:57]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Keeping the forest intact is crucial to protecting the rich biodiversity of this Amazon region, home to over 180 species of mammals, and more than 600 species of birds.

It is also vital to the state's water supply.

IVANEIDE BANDEIRA CARDAZO, FOUNDER, KANINDE ETHNO-ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE ASSOCIATION (through translator): Water from there, irrigates all the fields outside of it. It irrigates the soil, the pastures, if you destroy the water, you are destroying your economy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For his work protecting the forest, Awapy he says he has faced death threats from land grabbers, and illegal loggers. But, he is determined, with the help of this technology to continue the fight for future generations.

URU-EU-WAU-WAU: My hope is that while I am alive, I want to see the jungle standing, and the jungle intact -- that is my hope.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And we'll continue showcasing inspirational stories like this as part of the initiative at CNN. And well, let us know what you are doing to answer the call with the #CallToEarth.

[01:46:06]

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BRUNHUBER: The potential sale of the popular social media app TikTok is now facing new hurdles. China's government must approve any sale of U.S. operations by TikTok's parent company, ByteDance. Government ministers, and regulations, were changed to protect national security.

So here to discuss further is CNN correspondent, Selina Wang joining us live from Hong Kong. Selina, I have to say the seesawing between deal and no deal is leaving people with whiplash. Explain how this come about, and what this means for ByteDance?

SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kim, whiplash indeed. This is just the latest geopolitical hurdle that is being thrown up against TikTok and its struggle to save its operations in the U.S. Increasingly so, as technology becomes central to this broader geopolitical struggle between the U.S. and China.

Now, on Friday, China announced new export restrictions on technologies that include data processing, speech and text recognition. Those are technologies that are all used by TikTok. In fact, they are critical for powering it's artificial intelligence, and algorithms that make the app so powerfully addictive.

Now, experts say that this will likely mean that TikTok needs to get approval from the Chinese government, in order to sell its operations in the U.S. even though the government notices did not specifically name ByteDance or TikTok. ByteDance, for its part, has said that it would strictly comply with these rules.

Now, there is huge pressure on this company right now. The CEO just resigned after months on the job. The company has been scrambling to find American buyer after the Trump administration said it was going to ban the app if it didn't find itself a U.S. buyer.

You have companies like Walmart, Microsoft, Oracle that are all vying to get a piece of this company. We don't yet know exactly what these export restrictions are going to look like but it very likely is going to undermine or delay any possible deal.

BRUNHUBER: All right. So you talked about some of the technology reasons behind this but, you know, is there more to it than what it seems? What is China trying to achieve here?

WANG: Well Kim, China says that this is for safeguarding its national security. But the experts I've spoken to say that this is really about China getting some leverage in this situation, making it clear that it is not entirely in the United States control when it comes to the future of TikTok's operations in the United States. It can also be seen as retaliatory tit-for-tat reaction to the restrictions that have been placed on TikTok and ByteDance.

Now, another way, to look at this as well, is that actually mirrors many of the moves that the Trump administration has placed on U.S. companies. On one hand, China has not used this export rule change. They haven't made any changes to this since 2008.

But this isn't a new concept. For instance, the Trump administration has frequently blocked acquisitions by Chinese companies of American companies because of the grounds of national security. Also, the Trump administration has put many Chinese companies on blacklists that then require American companies to get special licenses in order to export their technologies to those Chinese companies.

I spoke to a law professor, Anupam Chander (ph) who put it to me this way. That this move certainly puts up a hurdle on the U.S. side when it comes to putting control on TikTok. But it doesn't' significantly escalate the situation.

For instance, China could've taken much harsher measures. It could've targeted American companies operating in China.

BRUNHUBER: Ok. So, no retaliation probably there from the U.S. which is a good thing. If we want this to stop, eventually.

This is a huge blow for the potential buyers, among them you mentioned, Walmart. I'm wondering, why would, you know, Walmart want to get involved with TikTok? What is in it for them?

WANG: Kim, it does seem like a strange concept. Why would a retail giant want these viral short video, that's popular with teenagers and even younger kids.

[01:54:49] Well, actually, it's all about the data here. Think about it. If

Walmart was to acquire TikTok, it would give it access to this vast trove of incredibly important user behavior on that dancing demographic. They could be then turned into a lucrative advertising audiences. They could also be potential purchasers of their goods in store or online.

Walmart could also play a role in turning TikTok into an e-commerce app both for creators and users. In fact, that is how TikTok's version in China is used, as an e-commerce app integrated into the short video app.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting. Well, we appreciate you following all of the blows of this ever-evolving story for us. Selina Wang in Hong Kong, appreciate it.

Well, the champagne industry is one of many impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. After a sharp drop in demand this year's harvest is being limited to keep prices high.

CNN's Melissa Bell speaks to French wine makers protecting the drink's integrity until a time for celebration returns.

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MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's harvest time in Champagne. The work in the vines much as it ever was, only the masks are new.

NADECHE BOUCHEBESSE, GRAPE PICKER: We are used to wearing the mask now. It's for the security of everyone, so it's ok.

BELL: But this year, the Champagne Wine's Committee has announced that only 8,000 kilos of grapes per hectare can be harvested as opposed to the more than 10,000 that were harvested last year.

The industry body limits each year the amount that can be picked. Never before had it been limited this much.

MATHIEU ROLAND BILLECART, CEO, CHAMPAGNE BILLECART SALMON: There is no point having a lot of champagne that won't -- (INAUDIBLE) around the world that are not able to consume it.

Clearly (ph) with COVID-19, the social life has been interrupted, stopped, disrupted in many ways, which hasn't led to as much shipment towards the beginning of the year. Once things are starting to get a little better. We are in uncharted territory.

BELL: The Champagne Committee says that 50 million fewer bottles were sold in the first six months of this year compared to last. And an excess of champagne bringing down prices would affect the entire region.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would say people feel like they have to pay a lot for a champagne. It's a premium product. So there's this idea that if the champagne you're buying isn't expensive, then you are not really getting a good champagne. BELL: From New York to Tokyo to Beijing by way of Milan and London,

the world's ultimate luxury drink can only be produced in this region which is why for producers like Billecart-Salmon, protecting the value of the treasure that lies directly beneath my feet was crucial.

Down here in the cellar is 10 million bottles of champagne that are kept over two miles of dimly lit corridor. It is down here, as well that that crucial ingredient will emerge, the bubbles.

The question is whether their allure is simply in their price?

BILLECART: You know, we do two fermentations. We do several brands, and we keep the wines in our cellar here between 3 and 15 years. So it's not a need to have a higher price. It's there is a cost to all of these things in making an exceptional champagne. And ultimately that need has be reflected in the price.

BELL: It is a cut in production then that it is about allowing this particular region, and this product to weather the storm the storm, giving us all, when the time comes, the ability to toast the end of the pandemic.

Melissa Bell, CNN -- Mauritio (ph) France.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And thank you for watching. I'm Kim Brunhuber. The news continues.

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