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First Lady Jill Biden Catches COVID Despite The Nation's Uptick in Cases due to a New Variant; NoKor leader to Meet Russian President Soon to Tackle Weapons; Thousands Departed the Desert-turned-Mud Venue after the Rainy Burning Man Festival; Russian and Turkish Leaders Discussed Black Sea Grain Deal Renewal; African Leaders Lays Out Plans at the African Climate Summit; Smash Mouth's frontman Dies. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired September 05, 2023 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: And a very warm welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. I'm Paula Newton, ahead right here on "CNN Newsroom."

U.S. First Lady Jill Biden tests positive for COVID-19. A reminder that cases have been rising across the United States as scientists track new variants of this virus.

Russian President Vladimir Putin may soon meet with North Korea's Kim Jong-un to talk weapons. What we're learning about that potential visit?

Plus a Burning Man exodus. Thousands of people are making their way out of the festival site after heavy rain turned the desert into a mud pit.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Paula Newton.

NEWTON: And we begin here in the United States where Lady -- First Lady Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID-19. The White House says she's currently experiencing only mild symptoms and will in fact remain at Biden's home in Delaware. However, President Joe Biden has tested negative for the virus and that is good news. Both were in Delaware, though, for the Labor Day weekend.

An official tells CNN there are currently no changes to the president's schedule at this time. The president is scheduled to depart for the G20 Summit in India later this week.

And as COVID cases increase across the United States, lab tests indicate the new coronavirus variant may be less contagious than previously thought. And vaccinated Americans should have some protection against it. Scientists say the new BA.2.86 variant is highly mutated. It's been detected in 11 countries so far, including the United States. Two groups of scientists, one in China and another in Sweden, have also reported the results of the analysis of the new variant.

Joining me now is Dr. Scott Miscovich, who is president and CEO of Premier Medical Group. So good to see you again. Here we are again talking about COVID. I'm going to steal that headline from the "New York Times." They said it seems everybody has COVID. They asked why. I'm sure Jill Biden wants to know, Dr. Biden wants to know why she has it as well. Just to state the facts here, she's doing fine, she's 72 years old, in very good health. What can you tell us about any risks that you know those people that age might encounter from getting COVID and if she should start maybe Paxlovid?

DR. SCOTT MISCOVICH, PRESIDENT AND CEO, PREMIER MEDICAL GROUP: Absolutely what a way to start that's exactly what I was going to say. I really hope that she is on Paxlovid because, you know, Paxlovid has worked so well. It does reduce up to 90 percent risk of hospitalization and even higher with death. Now, with First Lady Biden, the good news is, from what we know publicly, she's in pretty good health for, what, 72. And so that also goes in her favor. But I really hope that she is on Paxlovid right now.

And back to your other point at the beginning, masks in public. We don't see any masks anywhere, especially, well, anywhere, let alone our politicians and other people in other areas, but people over 65 probably should be wearing a mask when they're in public.

NEWTON: You know, like everything about this virus, it continues to be debated whether or not the masks were effective. I mean, I'm sure you've seen the most recent studies. What do you think?

MISCOVICH: Oh, the major study that was produced was so flawed that, you know, in the professional world, we look at it and shake our heads. So the bottom line is masks work. We wear them in the healthcare setting.

I have been around literally hundreds of thousands of positive COVID people when I'm out in the field or I'm working in the office, same with my staff. And we're able to keep our staff safe. Same thing, in working in an intensive care unit, those people rely on masking. Now the question is, are you wearing the right type of mask and are you wearing it appropriately?

[03:04:59]

All of us have seen people wearing a mask and their nose is coming out or it's open on the side. Those don't work. Cloth masks don't work. But if you're wearing a good N95, KN95, they significantly work. So please still wear them.

NEWTON: And again, more, you know, information that we all need. Should we be getting the next vaccine? Does it include this new variant? Which the good news is, is not perhaps as contagious as once thought.

MISCOVICH: Yes, that's very important right now. Now the good news is in the laboratory studies that have been done with this type of virus and the mutation, you know, as you alluded to, has 35 different changes in the spike protein, very significant.

It does show the early studies that this new vaccination is going to be effective. So right now we're back at square one, anybody over the age of 65 should be getting it. All the nursing home residents should be getting it. Anybody who's immunosuppressed should be getting it.

But some of the early looks we're getting are that the lines aren't gonna be that long when it comes out in a couple of weeks. And at the same time, please everybody get your flu shot and adults now over 60 get the new RSV vaccination. So, it's an important time to prevent infection that will be happening for sure. We are going to see increases COVID through the fall season, no doubt.

NEWTON: Yeah, I hate to tell everyone it is back and apparently back with the first family as well. We will continue obviously to wish them well and hope of course that the president really stays COVID free. Dr. Scott Miscovich, good to see you again. I Appreciate it.

MISCOVICH: Nice to see you. Thank you.

NEWTON: Two pariah states may be closer to sealing a weapons deal which could impact the war in Ukraine. Now, a U.S. official says North Korea's Kim Jong-un is expected to travel to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin, who's believed to be seeking more firepower for his war effort. The U.S. has already accused North Korea of delivering arms to Russia last year for use by the Wagner Group.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is covering this live from Hong Kong. And Kristie, I imagine in terms of covering the nuts and bolts of this story, which I know you're doing. It is also of interest, right, to see how China would react to some kind of a meeting like this.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, and we are monitoring, waiting for a fresh reaction from China when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefing kicks off in the next hour or so, you know. But this is what we know about this potential reported meeting, that Kim Jong- un may meet with the Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia. This is what we've learned from the U.S. National Security Council.

And they are set to discuss potential arms deals. Russia to get even more North Korean weapons to use against Ukraine. The timing of this meeting is unclear, but according to "The New York Times," citing U.S. officials, it first reported about this potential meeting. The Times says that Kim would travel from Pyongyang to Vladivostok, where he would meet with Putin at an economic forum that is set to run this weekend, starting from September 10, roughly around the same time as the G20 in Delhi.

Vladivostok is not far from North Korea. It's also where this scene took place a couple years ago in 2019, where Kim Jong-un and Putin met for the very first time. And Kim made that journey on that famous, highly armored green train.

Now, as for this new potential reported meeting, The Times reports that in exchange for North Korean weapons, what Kim Jong-un wants is advanced technology from the Russians, technology for satellites, for nuclear-powered submarines, as well as desperately needed food aid.

Now this potential meeting follows that recent visit in July by the Russian defense minister. He visited North Korea then. It also comes as the United States says that these two countries are actively advancing their talks over another potential arms deal.

Now last year, the U.S. said that North Korea delivered rockets and missiles to Russia for use by Wagner forces, which was something that North Korea denied. Now Russia and North Korea, though, their relationship has been getting stronger. In fact, we just learned that the Russian defense minister says joint military exercises are currently being discussed.

And Kim and Putin have been exchanging letters to each other, pledging to increase their cooperation. I want to show you this letter. This was published on August 15th by the North Korean state news agency, Kim's message to Putin, saying, quote, "I am firmly convinced that the friendship and solidarity between the DPRK and Russia will be further developed into a longstanding strategic relationship and that the two countries will always emerge. Victorious," unquote.

Now, the U.S. is urging North Korea to end its weapons talks with Russia. Back to you, Paula.

NEWTON: Kristie, and we'll continue to stay with you in the coming hours just to see what China's reaction may be to this, if they have any reaction at all. Kristie Lu Stout for us, live in Hong Kong. I Appreciate it.

[03:10:08]

Now, here in the United States, the Senate will reconvene after its August recess in the coming hours and the House returns next week. Now, lawmakers will have to resolve major differences over funding the government before October 1st. It won't be easy.

If they're not able to get on the same page, the country faces a government shutdown. Stop me when this sounds familiar. House Republican Mike Simpson tells CNN, quote, "I tell people to buckle up. It's going to be crazy for September, October, November and December. The next four months are going to be wild." End quote.

Both the White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are pushing for a short-term bill that would fund the government until later this year, allowing more time to address the broader issue. Now, several Republican presidential candidates spent the Labor Day holiday campaigning in one of the most crucial states in this election, New Hampshire, home of the first presidential primary of 2024.

And our Jeff Zeleny is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The Republican presidential primary entering a new post-Labor Day phase, several candidates campaigning throughout the Labor Day weekend in New Hampshire, of course, a critical stop on the road to the White House.

Iowa will vote first next January, followed by New Hampshire. So several candidates were fanning out, making their case to voters, Republicans, of course, independent voters as well. Also important here in New Hampshire.

But it was former Vice President Mike Pence who made the case that he said the race is not at the end, it's at the beginning.

MIKE PENCE, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't know about the rest of you, but I think Labor Day is my campaign begin. And I'm here because I really do believe that different types call for different leadership. And I promise you I will continue to work my heart out. To hold up a banner of common sense conservative value, strong national defense, American leadership in the world, fiscal responsibility, free market economics, traditional values, and the like. There's some people that say those aren't the values of the Republican Party anymore, right? I beg to differ. I believe they still are.

ZELENY: There is no question that former President Donald Trump holds a strong national lead and a slightly smaller lead state by state, but there is also a sense that many Republican voters and certainly independent voters have open minds. Many want to turn the page from the Trump style of leadership. Others do not believe he can win a general election.

So going into the fall stages of the campaign, one thing is clear. This field of Republican candidates is beginning to try at least to distinguish themselves, to differentiate themselves.

Donald Trump has not been on the campaign trail here in New Hampshire in a while. He is going to be returning to the campaign trail in other parts of the country this week, even as he contends with his legal cases around him. But as we enter a post-Labor Day phase of the campaign, the question really is, is the race near the end, or is it, as Mr. Pence said, just beginning?

Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Rye, New Hampshire.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Meantime, U.S. President Joe Biden ramped up his reelection campaign on America's Labor Day holiday, rallying blue collar union workers in Philadelphia. Mr. Biden pointed out his administration's achievements on job creation. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: Job satisfaction is higher than it's been in 36 years. While unemployment is down, inflation is down as well. Bidenomics is a blue collar blueprint for America. It's for you. My plan for the country is to make the economy work for people like you because when it works for people like you, it works for everybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: But many Americans just simply do not appear to share Mr. Biden's rosy assessment. A "Wall Street Journal" poll in late August indicated 58 percent of Americans think the economy got worse during the past two years. And while the 2024 presidential election is still about 14 months away, another recent "Wall Street Journal" poll put a race between President Biden and former President Trump dead even at 46 percent each if the election were held today.

Political analyst Michael Genovese joins me now from Los Angeles. He's a president of the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University. He is also the author of "The Modern Presidency: Six Debates that Define the Institution."

We'll talk about the fact that Donald Trump is not willing to debate, at least not so far. But we do want to start with President Biden. He has been running hard on his economic record. He really wants this to be the cornerstone of his reelection campaign. But so far, Michael, Americans aren't buying it. Why not?

MICHAEL GENOVESE, POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it's been an uphill battle, which is surprising because, you know, in a perfect world, you get credit when things go well. Biden is getting virtually no credit. Thirty seven percent of the public approves of the way he's handling the economy. Fifty eight percent, fifty nine percent disapprove.

[03:15:08]

And so he's getting zero credit. Now, Democrats have said, Obama said it, now Biden, we're not messaging well. I think it goes deeper than that. I think there are two factors that work here. One is the distinction or the disjuncture between reality and perception. People perceive things going poorly, but all the numbers are going in the right direction. Jobs, 3.8 percent unemployment, inflation 3.2 percent, stock markets, economic growth. So that's one factor is that perception is guiding rather than evidence.

The second thing is that virtually everything in American politics today comes down to tribalism. And therefore, Biden's numbers are hardly mutable at all because Republicans, if -- if he cured cancer, they wouldn't give him approval ratings.

So, you know, I think what we're seeing is that, you know, everything is filtered through the lens of partisanship.

NEWTON: Yeah. Partisanship, and yet there is this other issue of President Biden and his age. Let's listen to him first, talking about it on Monday. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Someone said, you know, that Biden, he's getting old, man. I tell you what. Well, guess what? Guess what? I can't, you know, the only thing that comes with age, a little bit of wisdom. I've been doing this, Lauren, anybody, and I guess what? I'm gonna continue to do it with your help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: He does need their help. As much as that was a receptive audience, age is still a factor here, isn't it?

GENOVESE: It is 73 percent of the American public thinks Biden is too old and 80 to be president for another term. Trump himself is 77, so then 47 percent think he's too old. So they both are in not quite the same basket because Donald Trump exudes energy on the campaign trail, whereas Biden seems a little slow and sluggish. And so that's a real albatross around his neck.

The problem is that it looks like we're gonna have a choice between two very senior possibilities for the next president.

NEWTON: Yeah, and America isn't happy about that either, but as you point out, more so, it seems to be a problem with Biden. Let's talk about that GOP race though. And of course I have to ask you, Michael, what race? I mean, look at this latest poll from the "Wall Street Journal." Trump is not only the overwhelming choice, the gap between him and any of the challengers has only grown with the indictments.

You know, some have suggested that he's actually running more like the incumbent president, meaning there is no debate about who the GOP nominee will be. What do you think?

GENOVESE: Well, he has a 46 percent gap between Donald Trump and his leading rival, Ron DeSantis, who's at about 18, 16 percent, depending on the poll. I think you're right, you pointed out that he seems to do better after he gets indicted. And that's partly because 78 percent of Republicans believe that the indictments are illegitimate and that he actually behaved legitimately in trying to overturn the election. That's pretty amazing.

But most of the candidates are in New Hampshire now. Donald Trump's not there, so where's Waldo? Usually in New Hampshire, the voters there expect even demand a little bit more retail politics, you know, pressing the flesh, do some comparison shopping. Donald Trump doesn't need to go there. And that suggests that he thinks it might be over, and the numbers look very bad for any potential rival.

NEWTON: And, Michael, I don't have a lot of time left, but when you take someone like Vivek Ramaswamy, who's had, like, some kind of momentum there, is anyone like that going to be able to punch through this?

GENOVESE: We keep on waiting for someone to jump ahead, to move ahead of the pack. No one has done it thus far. And that's because there's not a lot of room to move. Donald Trump has captured most of the party. He owns that party.

NEWTON: It really is the party of Donald Trump and more and more that's borne out by the newest polls. Michael, thanks so much. It's always good to see you.

GENOVESE: Thank you, Paula.

NEWTON: Still to come for us organizers of the Burning Man Festival lift a driving ban they imposed after muddy conditions. Thousands who were stranded have now started a mass exodus while others have stuck around for the grand finale.

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NEWTON: All right. So those attending the Burning Man festival got their finale. There it is. It is a burning of the Chapel of Babel. They're doing that at this hour. Those are, in fact, live pictures. This was after they burned the effigy of the man.

Now, in the meantime, there has, in fact, been a mass exodus from the Burning Man Festival after organizers finally lifted that driving ban that was in place due to extremely muddy conditions. Some 72,000 people, you remember, have been stranded in that desert over the weekend by heavy rain and floods.

On Monday afternoon, organizers said some 64,000 still remain there, but many started rolling out before Monday's night's finale, the finale you just saw there. They had, as I said, the burning of the effigy of the man and there was the Chapel of Babel.

For more now on an unforgettable festival, CNN's Nick Watt.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Exodus underway. That sunshine you see is the savior, drying the mud just enough for tires to grip, not sink into sludge.

PAUL ROMERO, ATTENDING BURNING MAN FESTIVAL: It was impossible to function, impossible to move around. A lot of struggling people in what became very cold, very storm-like conditions. People's tents and entire camps became pretty much destroyed.

WATT (voice-over): More than 70,000 people were basically trapped for days.

[03:25:01]

(VIDEO PLAYING)

Trapped in this makeshift desert city that pops up in Nevada every year around Labor Day, filled with campers and creators, fun lovers and those with their freak flags flying, that culminates in the man burning.

ZOHAR KENNARD, ATTENDING BURNING MAN FESTIVAL: We planned on leaving right after the burn, which is Saturday night. And then it started raining on us. Everybody took their shoes off, started dancing in the mud. It was great. And then the reality sunk in that we couldn't leave.

WATT (voice-over): Chris Rock and some other celebs decided to take the only uncomfortable exit available.

THOMAS WESLEY PENTZ AKA DIPLO, DJ AND BURNING MAN ATTENDEE: We had his New York Knicks jacket on and he just got up with us and started walking. And we walked about three hours in the mud and he was happy it was me. I think Cindy Crawford walked with us, Kyra Gerber, Austin Butler. It was a challenge, but it was honestly one of the highlights of the whole trip.

WATT (voice-over): Thousands of others stuck it out, many embracing the ethos of self-reliance that surrounds this festival.

UNKNOWN: I was waiting for the looting, honestly. I thought that would have been great. But, uh, nah, like, it's really beautiful, actually, when you go into the camps, everybody was helping each other out.

WATT (voice-over): Burning Man, Raining Man. Suck it up, stick it out.

BOBBY WHITE, BURNING MAN ATTENDEE: I have my R.V. here and all my other campmates have either RVs or big rental trucks or things like that. And getting those out was basically impossible. I mean, sure, you could have walked out, but what am I going to do with all my stuff?

WATT (voice-over): All this chaos caused by less than an inch of rain.

WHITE: Even just the slightest bit of rain makes everything super slick. When you walk around on your feet, you have like five pounds of mud on your feet.

WATT (voice-over): Why? Well, this is a desert. Nothing much grows, so the soil isn't lovely, loamy and absorbent. It's just miles of gray clay. Most years, this is a dusty, not a muddy mess. And under an inch of rain, well, that's still two or three months worth of rain in this arid land within just 24 hours.

(on-camera): Noon on Monday organizers said about 64,000 people remained on the site. That was just a couple of hours before they officially opened the road. They advised people to wait until Tuesday to try and get off the site, but by the look of the long, slow moving lines, a lot of people. We're ignoring that advice.

Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Now in the U.S. it is the official start of fall, supposed to be. That is supposed to be just a few weeks away. But summer, no sign of giving up, especially east of the Mississippi. Forecasters expect more than 200, I mean look at that, 200 record highs this week alone.

And right now more than 12 million people are under heat alerts with a lot of hot and humid conditions. Now a cool down is coming for parts of the Midwest and that includes Minneapolis and Chicago. However, the cold front won't reach the mid-Atlantic or the south just yet. We'll continue to keep an eye on those records.

Now several co-defendants charged in the sweeping investigation into Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia face a Wednesday deadline to enter a plea or appear for their arraignment. Meantime, another racketeering case brought by the Fulton County District Attorney against a major rap star could offer clues about what lies ahead.

CNN's Tom Foreman explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Onstage, Young Thug is a rap superstar. On the streets of Atlanta, prosecutors say he is a gang leader, indicted along with many associates and allegedly tied to a raft of crimes.

FANI WILLIS, FULTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Crimes of violence, crimes of thefts, crimes involving drugs.

FOREMAN (voice-over): And the person pushing that case is Fani Willis, the same district attorney who indicted Donald Trump.

WILLIS: My number one focus is targeting gangs.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Surprisingly, the rapper's case could provide clues about how the former president's case might proceed. Both were filed under racketeering laws, typically used to fight organized crime. Both indictments listed a range of crimes and lots of defendants, although Young Thug's case through plea deals and other developments is now down to fewer than a dozen.

And both involve well-known public figures who have pleaded not guilty and whose cases have grabbed headlines. With Trump lashing out of this prosecutor just as he has others.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I didn't do anything wrong. I did nothing wrong.

FOREMAN (voice-over): With such claims so easily flooding headlines, the process of selecting an impartial jury is complicated. Young Thug's case was filed in May 2022, and jury selection has been underway since January of this year. Former U.S. Attorney Michael Moore.

MICHAEL MOORE, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY: So if it's taking eight months to pick a jury in the Young Thug case, I -- I have no belief that you could do it quicker than that in the Trump case.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Indeed, he says, considering all the defendants, all the lawyers, and all the legal wrangling in Young Thug's case.

[03:30:00]

It is impossible to imagine the politically explosive case of the former president moving any smoother or quicker. MICHAEL MOORE, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY: It's a resource drain. It's a

time drain. That's one reason I suggest there'll be no possibility of trying that case next year.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Still ahead for us, reviving the Black Sea grain deal, the Russian president says it could happen, but only with some major strings attached.

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[03:35:00]

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NEWTON: Ukraine's president is visiting troops on the front lines of the counteroffensive. On Monday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the regions of Zaporizhzhya and Donetsk, handing out awards to soldiers and military doctors.

Mr. Zelenskyy was saying that it is important to speak to the fighters who are facing the battle to hear what kind of support they need. And to find out what needs changing. Ukraine's deputy prime minister says the country's armed forces are advancing along the southern front lines, liberating more areas around the village of Robotyne. She also says heavy fighting is raging in the East.

Salma Abdelaziz joins us now from London. And in following all of these developments, Salma, I mean, President Zelenskyy was there. He was there in that region for a reason. And this comes as analysts like the Institute for the State of War and others say they agree with Ukraine, that tactically there have been some significant advances. What more are we learning about those advances?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely, Paula. I mean, in recent days, Ukraine is claiming that it's been able to pierce through the first line of Russia's defensive positions along the south towards the Zaporizhzhya access. I mean, for months now, this counteroffensive has been going on, at least publicly, for about three months. What we've seen mainly is minor gains and really shaping operations, the softening of targets, the redistributing of assets.

Piercing through that first line of defense is absolutely significant to Ukraine, but I emphasize it is the first line of defense.

And you have to remember, we are looking at a summer offensive as the summer wraps up, whether conditions are going to get much tougher soon.

And the greater prize, the much larger prize here, of course, is to continue to push south towards that Black Sea coast and make a major victory in the form of trying to cut off Russian supply lines. That seems very far from the reality on the ground right now. But President Zelenskyy, on hand, on those battlefields, on those

front lines there to give a morale boost. Take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It is extremely important to support our soldiers, to talk to the brigade commanders and battalion commanders. It is very, very useful to hear from those who go into battle directly. What exactly is lacking? What is already sufficient and what needs to be changed?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: I think the word to take away from Ukraine's military leadership right now, Paula, is consolidate, consolidate, consolidate. They are working to try to expand and deepen the gains. They've been able to make on those front lines. They're pushing further south towards the village of Tokmak. They see that as a major strategic hub for Russia that could shift the war.

But again, you are talking about an inch by inch artillery war that is absolutely draining resources, absolutely draining manpower on the ground. Western allies expect to see gains and the clock is ticking on weather conditions.

NEWTON: Yeah. And when we say draining manpower, the price to be paid by so many Ukrainians as this war continues is just astounding. Salma Abdelaziz, thanks so much, I appreciate it.

Now after talks with the Turkish president, Vladimir Putin said he would consider reviving the Black Sea Grain Initiative but only with one big condition. And Ukraine's foreign minister reportedly called it classic blackmail.

CNN's Nic Robertson has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): By inviting the Turkish president to grand deal talks in Russia, Vladimir Putin got a big platform to vent his grievances with Ukraine's Western backers.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The West, to put it mildly, deceived us about humanitarian goals by the humanitarian Black Sea initiative to assist developing countries.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): But just hours ahead of the meeting, Putin's drones were destroying vital grain stores in Ukraine, as they have done with increased intensity since Russia pulled out of the Black Sea grain deal in July.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan went to Sochi hoping to convince Putin to accept a new U.N. grain deal. If he had success, it might be slow coming. RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, TURKISH PRESIDENT (through translator): I

believe we will be able to reach a solution which fulfills the expectations soon.

[03:40:01]

ROBERTSON (voice-over): The deal was, in fact, two deals in parallel, one with Ukraine, one with Russia. Inspectors checked cargoes as grain ships exited the Black Sea and entered Turkish waters. It lasted for a year before Putin unilaterally pulled out.

His reasons for exiting the deal, apparently rooted in Western sanctions, imposed as a result of his illegal and unprovoked war of choice, potentially now leveraging the grain deal to roll some sanctions back.

PUTIN (through translator): What we saw is that there was a refusal to renew deliveries of the agricultural spare parts. And also there were problems with them, financial settlements and transaction fees.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Erdogan wants to be peacemaker, but in Sochi seemed to scold Ukraine and legitimize Putin.

ERDOGAN (through translator): In order to be able to take common steps with Russia, Ukraine needs to soften its approach. Putin rightfully does not approve if 44 percent of the grain goes to European countries.

ROBERTSON (on-camera): Putin says he'll consider reviving the UN grain deal if he gets what he wants, which includes the removal of what he claims are export restrictions on Russian agricultural products. But he is also upping the ante and the pressure, pressing ahead with a separate work-around grain deal with Erdogan.

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Coming up for us, we'll take you live to the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi to find out why African leaders say climate change presents opportunities to remake the continent's future. That's next.

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[03:45:00]

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NEWTON: Green hydrogen, blue economies and a determination to make their voices heard. They're all on the agenda as day two gets underway at the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi.

This hour, African heads of state are making statements before a host of panels, presentations and seminars begin. Africa generates, I'll remind everyone, only a tiny fraction of the world's greenhouse gasses but suffers a major share of the climate change impact. And some of the participants say they want Africa to have a central role in global climate decision making.

CNN's Larry Madowo is at the summit for us in Nairobi and they're already starting to talk about something called the Nairobi Declaration. I mean, How far are they getting and what would be the aim of something like that?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, they have to convince the rest of the world why they have to prioritize adaptation, because Africa's carbon footprint is minimal, but the human toll of climate change here in Africa is devastating. And that's why you have people like Ursula von der Leyen, the E.U. Commission president, who is speaking right now, John Kerry, President Biden's climate envoy, will be speaking later. It's really trying to get the global north and the global south to agree on how to finance adaptation mechanisms for those who are worst affected by the climate crisis.

I want to hear some reaction now from the mayor of Banjul in the Gambia, Malick Lowe. Thank you so much for coming here. As a mayor of a local government in Africa, what is your priority coming here?

ROHEYATOU MALICK LOWE, MAYOR OF BANJUL, THE GAMBIA: Thank you very much. I'm not only the mayor of Banjul, that's the capital city of the Gambia, but also the president of the locally-elected women in Africa. And our network is about 240 million.

So climate change is very, very important to us because climate change is about territorial. And it means that the mayors have a stake in this. When we talk about local government, you talk about the mayors. And who are the most vulnerable in our communities? These are the women and the youths.

So being the president of Raffaella, it is very, very important for me to be here in this summit to see how adaptation will work, because we want to have everything, the money, our climate change is all going to the national government. So, and the most vulnerable --

MADOWO: So you feel that national governments get all the attention and all the money, but not local government?

LOWE: Exactly. So we want now to change the shift. Women are the breadbasket of Africa. So we want them to understand that local government is very, very important because we are nearer to the people. We know the problems of the people and we are confident that we can solve their problems.

Look at the COVID. When COVID hit, this was the time that everybody knows the importance of mayors.

MADOWO: Have you seen women adequately represented in the climate crisis conversation?

LOWE: Yeah, gradually it is coming. And this is why here we were talking about water, which is very, very important. If you look at Africa, water is something that hinders the leadership of women.

MADOWO: Right. LOWE: Because if you look at the girls going to school, most of them

has to walk about one kilometer or 30 meters.

MADOWO: Just to fetch water.

LOWE: Just to fetch water.

MADOWO: Right.

LOWE: Whereas the boys have the priority just to go to school because our traditional cultural norms are telling us that the girls should be helping their mothers in the household.

MADOWO: Mayor, thank you so much. Mayor Malick Lowe of the Gambia, the capital city in Banjul there.

And so you hear some of those conversations about centering women in all of these conversations around the climate crisis, Paula.

NEWTON: Yeah, that and a long list of things and challenges to have to meet at that conference, that summit. Larry Madowo will continue to check in from you live from Nairobi. Appreciate it.

And we will be right back with more news.

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NEWTON: That's just a bit of "All-Star" from the rock band Smash Mouth. I know you recognize that tune. The group's manager says former lead singer Steve Harwell died Monday. Harwell led Smash Mouth from the group's founding in 1984, right up until 2021 when he retired. He can be heard on hits like "Walking on the Sun" and the band's popular cover of "I'm a Believer." Harwell's manager says he passed away at his home in Idaho surrounded by family and friends. He was just 56 years old.

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And nearly a year after her passing, a commemorative coin has been revealed honoring Queen Elizabeth. They're calling it a coin, but it's really the size of a dinner plate. Look at that. It's made from almost eight pounds of gold, contains about 6,400 diamonds, and took more than a year to produce. Dubbed the crown coin, it's valued at more than $23 million.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is sporting an eye patch these days and getting a lot of kidding about it. Scholz posted an image of himself on X. His spokesperson said he was injured, which is not funny, but apparently this is. He was injured during a fall while he was jogging. In the caption, Scholz says, It's worse, it's much worse, it looks worse than it is, and he looks forward to the memes.

He looks like he has quite a bruise out of there though. There have been plenty of memes. Many have been told sporting a pirate look. He looks pretty good as a pirate there, as the parrot. Such as this one where he wears only an eye patch.

Now, I am Paula Newton, standby for more news. "CNN Newsroom" is next with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo.

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