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CNN International: Biden-Trump Rematch To Be One Of Longest Campaigns Ever; House To Vote On Bill That Could Ban TikTok In U.S.; Palestinians Face Food Shortages In Gaza During Ramadan; 12-Year-Old Palestinian Boy Shot And Killed By Israel Police; Countries Ramp Up Efforts To Deliver Aid To Gaza; Putin Speaks To State TV Days Before Russian Election; Ukraine Launches Drone Attack On Three Russian Oil Refineries; Pentagon On Alert For Possible Mass Migration From Haiti; Haiti Gears Up For Transitional Council After PM Resigns; LATAM Airlines Passengers Recount Frightening In-Flight Drop; Report: AI Could Pose "Extinction-Level" Threat To Humans; The Enormous Human Cost Of Harvesting Acai Berries; Lenny Kravitz Gets Star On Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired March 13, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00]
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN HOST: How do you make that not feel that way?
S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Listen, there are stages of grief.
BOLDUAN: I mean, that -- they really have to be --
SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Are you asking this for political purposes or for TV purposes?
BOLDUAN: I really do mean this. I really do mean this on -- for political strategy, you have to start thinking about this.
CUPP: There are stages of grief and America will go through some anger, will go through some denial, will go through some bargaining, like, you know, third party candidate, could it happen.
JENNINGS: Yes.
CUPP: And then they will --
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Omar Jimenez and this is CNN Newsroom.
Just ahead, the rematch is on. Donald Trump and Joe Biden win enough delegates to clinch their party's nominations for president. We're going to have full coverage this hour.
Plus, it is a critical morning on Capitol Hill for the social media giant TikTok. How one vote could cut access for tens of millions of Americans? And Russian President Vladimir Putin has a defiant message for the world just days before Russians go to the polls. Let's start with the U.S. presidential matchup. It is a done deal. Joe Biden and Donald Trump are headed for a November rematch. Both candidates clinched enough delegates to secure their party's nominations Tuesday night after primary wins in three states. Afterwards, Donald Trump took a victory lap.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESUMPTIVE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We're not going to take time to celebrate. We'll celebrate in eight months when the election is over, November 5th, I believe will go down as the most important day in the history of our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: So with the Biden-Trump rematch in place, this campaign will be tied for the longest general election campaign in the past half century. As soon as Biden clinched the democratic nomination, his campaign released this video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Come November, we will vote a record number. And we can do it. It's within your power to do it.
Are you ready?
ALL: Yes.
BIDEN: Are you ready to defend democracy?
ALL: Yes.
BIDEN: Are you ready to protect our freedom?
ALL: Yes.
BIDEN: Are you ready to win this election?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: Are you ready, I think is the question many of us are asking heading into this general election cycle. CNN's Alayna Treene joins us from Washington with the details.
OK, so after last night's wins, I mean, what is next for Donald Trump's campaign and how is he using the Republican National Committee to boost his general election campaign?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, Omar, Donald Trump had already been acting like a general election candidate for weeks now, even before Nikki Haley had exited the race. But now comes the hard work. His team recognizes that this is going to be a hard election and it'll likely be a close election.
And so they have their work cut out for them. And part of what they're going to be doing is really mobilizing teams in several battleground states. I'm told from his campaign that they're really focused on seven states in particular. That includes Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, among others.
And part of their strategy is going to be trying to target specific voting blocks and peel those by voters away from Joe Biden. Some of those voting blocks include black male voters in Georgia, Hispanic voters in Arizona, as well as working class and union voters in Michigan.
We've seen some of this play out already, but they really want to make this strategy in more earnest and go after this much harder now that he officially has the necessary delegates to clinch the nomination come the summer's conventions.
As for the RNC, that's been another huge focus for Donald Trump and his campaign. Part of the reason they were so eager for him to become the presumptive nominee as soon as possible was so that he could begin using the National Republican Party's infrastructure to help boost his general election campaign.
Part of that is fundraising, but part of that as well is this new focus on election integrity. We saw last week Donald Trump his handpicked candidates to lead the RNC, Michael Whatley as chairman, his daughter in law, Laura Trump as co-chair, are going to be helping with some of that.
But then overnight, we actually learned that Chris LaCivita, one of Donald Trump's senior advisers, he's going to be taking on a massive role at the RNC. And he's hired two people in specific to handle election fraud claims.
One is Charlie Spies. He's going to be the new chief counsel for the RNC. And then also Christina Bobb, she is a former correspondent at One America News Network. She's someone who has peddled Donald Trump's claims of election fraud around 2020.
And their goal is really going to be looking at potential fraud in the months ahead and kind of seeing, you know, a repeat of what we saw in 2020, where they're going to be laying the groundwork to potentially challenge the election again.
And so, I think this is going to be a very important focus for Donald Trump and his campaign in the months ahead. And as they really, you know, dig in in earnest for their general election campaign. Omar?
[08:05:01]
JIMENEZ: Yes, and while him being the nominee seemed inevitable for weeks now, the presumptive official matchup being set, obviously, a whole new chapter in this election cycle.
CNN's Alayna Treene, thank you so much.
I want to bring in Priscilla Alvarez at the White House for the Biden side of things because the president isn't wasting any time with a campaign event today in Wisconsin. I mean, what message do we expect to hear from him now that this matchup is actually cemented?
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, this is also an extension of what he has been doing over the last couple days, which is visiting battleground states over the weekend. For example, he was in Georgia. Before that, he was in Pennsylvania, and now he heads to Wisconsin to continue the drumbeat as his campaign also recognizes that this is going to be a close election.
Wisconsin is a state that he narrowly won in 2020. It's one that they have their eyes set on in 2024. And when he is there, he's going to open a campaign headquarters. That's part of the campaign's general efforts to ramp up across the country, especially in these key battleground states to mobilize voters and work on voter outrage.
But he's also going to be talking about infrastructure. This is something that often comes up as a theme of his campaign. He has touted the fact that his administration was able to get an infrastructure package through. And so when he is in Wisconsin, he's going to be talking about those projects.
But then after that, he's going to go to Michigan. Again, another state he narrowly won, but one where he is trying to court voters to and peel off the voters that were are considering former President Donald Trump.
And so this is the Biden campaign really pivoting toward the general election in earnest. And they felt pretty good last night because Georgia was among the states that took President Biden over the top. Georgia again, a really crucial state for President Biden. It's one that's going to be even more challenging this year because there aren't those key statewide races that would mobilize voters to the polls.
So it's really only going to have to stem from enthusiasm for President Biden. But he was just there on Saturday, so seeing that quick outcome gave them confidence. And the president in a statement last night saying that he was, quote, "honored" to receive the Democratic nomination and saying, quote, "Democratic Party across the country have put their faith in me once again to lead our party and our country in a moment when the threat Trump poses is greater than ever."
So you can anticipate in the weeks and months to come that we're going to hear the same messaging from the president, but the stakes of it all are just going to become something that they stress even more on the campaign trail. Omar?
JIMENEZ: Yes. We will see. Priscilla Alvarez, thank you so much.
And now that we know the presumptive nominees in the White House race, how is the rest of the world reacting? We're going to take a look in about 15 minutes. But first, in the coming hours, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on a bill that would ban TikTok from U.S. app stores. Unless its Chinese parent company divest from the social media platform within the next five months. Now the legislation cites national security concerns. TikTok has launched an intense pressure campaign, even prompting users within the app. Warning lawmakers that a ban would hurt 5 million businesses that rely on the platform.
And the Chinese foreign ministry says banning TikTok would be a, quote, "act of bullying that will backfire on America."
CNN's Lauren Fox joins me live from Washington, D.C. So, Lauren, just for starters, what do we expect to see today?
LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Around 10:00 a.m., the House of Representatives is going to be putting this bill on the floor and it may be a rare moment of bipartisan unity in the House, something that you don't see very often, especially in this Congress.
But one of the key questions is, where are lawmakers going to fall? Because while a number of them have been warning for months, for years, that there are national security implications of using TikTok. Several of them are also saying this is an issue of free speech, and some are warning that this could have an impact on Democrats abilities to win over young voters, especially given the fact that Biden has already said that if Congress can get this to his desk, he would sign it.
Now, the future is much less certain in the United States Senate. That is where you have a number of lawmakers who have yet to say whether or not they are supportive of this specific House bill. Mark Warner is one of those members. Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, was also pressed yesterday as to whether or not he would make the decision to put this bill on the floor.
He said he is still looking at it. He wants to see what that vote total looks like in the House. But this bill is going to come to the House floor under a suspension of the rules, which means it would need a two-thirds majority, a large number, a bipartisan number of members, to get it over to the United States Senate.
From there, we'll have to wait and see what happens next. Omar?
JIMENEZ: Yes, a future -- a lot less certain in the Senate but of course anything can happen. CNN's Lauren Fox on Capitol Hill. Thank you so much.
Later in the show, we're going to take a closer look at how a ban would affect millions of users in the U.S. and how other countries might also be affected.
[08:10:01]
Now, we want to turn to the Israel-Hamas war. The Gaza Ministry of Health says 88 people have been killed in the enclave over the past 24 hours. Tensions are also rising in Jerusalem. Israeli police say a 12- year-old Palestinian boy was shot and killed by a border officer in a refugee camp in the city. And we warn you, the video we're about to show is disturbing. Here, you'll be able to see the boy holding a lit firework above his head before the sound of a gunshot is heard. A police spokesperson says forces responded to a, quote, "violent disturbance at the camp" and an officer fired towards a suspect who, quote, "endangered forces while firing aerial fireworks in their direction."
You see some of the crowd gathered around what appears to be the boy there. But, of course, this isn't the only thing happening in the region. Meanwhile, some desperately needed assistance is heading to Gaza, this time by sea. A ship carrying aid from the World Central Kitchen is now en route to the Palestinian Enclave after leaving Cyprus on Tuesday.
CNN's Nada Bashir has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): On its way at last. The open arms, normally a search and rescue vessel, setting sail from Larnaca in Cyprus with nearly 200 tons of aid in tow, rice, flour, and canned goods, enough for 500,000 meals according to World Central Kitchen.
JUAN CAMILO JIMENEZ, WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN: It's the first time happening in many years, and that means that we are working with different actors, different governments, different entities to make this possible.
BASHIR (voice-over): And this is where it's going. A makeshift pier in Gaza, still under construction. This, in addition to a temporary pier to be established by the U.S. military on Gaza's coast. World Central Kitchen says it plans to distribute the food in Gaza, where a quarter of Palestinians are on the brink of famine, according to the U.N.
ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: My strongest appeal today is to honor the spirit of Ramadan by silencing the guns and removing all obstacles to ensure the delivery of lifesaving aids at the speed and massive scale required.
BASHIR (voice-over): Any form of celebration during this holy month is, at best, muted. With little food for Palestinians to break their fast at sunset.
OM SHAHER AL QTA'A, GAZA RESIDENT (through translator): We decided to come and break our fast here in our home, which was struck. Despite the destruction and the rubble, we brought our food and cooked on firewood.
BASHIR (voice-over): Open Arms will be one of the first ships to enter the Strip in years. Ever since Israel implemented a naval blockade on the territory in 2007. Aid trucks which, on average, crossed at around 500 a day before the war began, now pile up at the Rafah border crossing in Egypt.
Only a fraction actually make it across the border every day. Governments and other aid agencies have also taken to airdrops. Though this option has proven both controversial and even risky. Leaving the sea as one of the last remaining avenues to bring food to those so desperately in need.
Nada Bashir, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JIMENEZ: CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us now live from Abu Dhabi. So, Paula, tell us more about the series of violent incidents overnight, all seemingly relatively small scale, but shattering really the piece of the first couple of days of Ramadan.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Omar, really goes to show the heightened tensions in the region at this point, given what's happening in Gaza. Now, the first incident we saw just on Tuesday evening, so just the third night off Ramadan.
And a 12-year-old boy was shot and killed by Israeli police officers. This was in the Shuafat refugee camp just in occupied East Jerusalem. Now what we understand happened from the police version of events is that there was an individual. You see this video obtained by CNN, who was holding a lit firework above his head.
We understand that there was then one cracking sound of a gunshot. He then fell to the ground and the firework was let off into the air. Now, the police claim that there had been individuals firing fireworks towards them at this point and they say there had been a, quote, "violent disturbance."
Now, you can't see the security officers in this particular video and you can't see a violent disturbance. So we have asked the IDF to give more clarification as to what exactly happened.
And then just this Wednesday, so today, we understand there was also a second incident. This was at the tunnels checkpoint, just in between the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.
[08:15:04]
On this occasion, we understand, again, from the Israelis, that a 15- year-old arrived to the checkpoint on a bicycle. He pulled a knife out and then stabbed two Israeli security officers. We understand that they suffered mild to moderate injuries.
He was then shot and killed. So this just goes to show how tense the situation is at this point. You have these pockets of violence arising and certainly differing accounts when it comes to the Israeli and the Palestinian side of events. Omar?
JIMENEZ: Yes. And while small scale all things considered here, no less significant. Now on the large scale of things, there's been a lot of focus, of course, on how aid is going to get in to Gaza for the people who desperately need it at this point.
And we're hearing the IDF is trialing a new corridor into the enclave. What are you hearing on that front? HANCOCKS: So this is something that the IDF publicized earlier on, and we understand it was with the U.N. World Food Program. They say that they are -- they had a pilot scheme to allow aid through a particular area of the security fence. Israel has come under immense pressure from countries around the world for not allowing enough humanitarian aid through the land crossings.
Just two are open at this point and with heavy restrictions on both of them. So there have been pushes, including from the U.S. President Joe Biden for more crosses to be opened. There was a pilot program. We understand from the IDF, they did manage to get six aid trucks through that particular part of the security fence and were able to get food and humanitarian aid to parts of northern Gaza.
In fact, World Food Programme saying it's the first time since February 20th that they have been able to access that area and get food and aid and medicines to that area. So in this, the Israeli military showing that they can in fact get food into aid -- get food and aid into Gaza through other means rather than just the two very restricted checkpoints. Omar?
JIMENEZ: Yes. Paula Hancocks, thank you so much for staying on top of all of it.
Meanwhile, Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if the country is at stake. A defiant Vladimir Putin delivered that message during an interview on State TV. But the Russian president says there's never been a need to do so. Putin also claims that Moscow's nuclear arsenal is more modern than that of any other nation.
CNN's Senior International Correspondent Fred Pleitgen is live in Berlin. So, Fred, I mean, Vladimir Putin gave that extensive interview to Russian State TV just days before elections in Russia. What were his main messages to voters there?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Omar. First of all, I think you're absolutely right that this interview that he gave was first and foremost for domestic consumption inside Russia. And obviously, it's no coincidence that it happened right before the Russian elections as you've just stated.
I think one of the things that Vladimir Putin is trying to portray is that Russia is is stronger than ever before, at least since he's been in power and that Russia is on par and possibly even ahead of the United States as far as nuclear capabilities are concerned.
Of course, one of the things he's having to deal with is despite the fact that the Russian economy has been fairly resilient in the face of those massive sanctions since Russia's full on invasion of Ukraine, there are a lot of people who are suffering economically. There's a lot of companies in Russia that are suffering economically.
So essentially what he's saying is, look, we are a grand nation, a gigantic nation and one that is militarily on par with anyone, including the United States. So certainly, trying to portray strength and show strength there. And we saw that in some of the other things that he was also saying in that interview, warning the United States from sending troops into Ukraine.
Of course, the United States has never said it wanted to do that warning Poland from sending troops into Ukraine. The Poles have also not said that they want to do that. So, Vladimir Putin definitely painting a Russia as the country that has the initiative right now on the ground in Ukraine, but also one that can deal internationally with things like sanctions and military pressure as well.
Certainly, what he said there about Russia's nuclear arsenal definitely directed at the Russians, but certainly also, of course, a message to the United States saying, look, right now it's better to negotiate with Russia then to risk any sort of escalation. I think that would have been sort of the secondary message that he would have towards the United States.
In total, very bullish, Vladimir Putin in that interview. And again, as you said, definitely not a coincidence that he gave that interview just a few days before that election is set to take place, Omar.
JIMENEZ: And of course, within the backdrop of that election is the war in Ukraine that continues. I know you've been back and forth to that country for now over two years since the war began.
[08:20:08]
What is the latest on the ground? We heard about Russia destroying dozens of Ukrainian drones overnight. What are you hearing?
PLEITGEN: Yes. First of all, I think you're absolutely right. It is the backdrop to that election. But it's of course the big looming issue also in that Russian election as well. Certainly, if Vladimir Putin performs the way that everybody thinks that he's going to perform, he will definitely have a much stronger mandate than even before to further escalate if he wants to.
There's a lot of people who are talking about a possible mobilization on a large scale of Russians if -- after the election takes place. Although that has not been confirmed by the Russians yet. As far as things are on the ground are concerned, Vladimir Putin referenced that in his interview as well, saying he believes some of these drones attacks that are happening by the Ukrainians, like for instance, the one that apparently took place overnight, the Ukrainians are doing that because they're losing on the battlefield as he put it.
The Ukrainians of course, saying something different. They say, this is part of a well-planned campaign. The Russians are claiming that it destroyed some 58 drones in various regions of Russia overnight. The Ukrainians saying that they attacked some oil infrastructure in the Ryazan region, that's just south of Moscow, not far from the Russian capital at all.
So certainly some long distance drones that would have been involved in that, but also in the Leningrad region, which is around St. Petersburg, that is very far away from Russian or Russian controlled territory. So that also would've been a very long distance strike. The Ukrainians would've been trying to conduct there. It, of course, comes as we've seen some more momentum from at least the pro-Ukrainian side on the battlefield. Yesterday, of course, we talked a lot about those Russian fighters on the side of Ukraine that said that they went into Russia and now these drone attacks definitely something that the Ukrainians have been stepping up, Omar.
JIMENEZ: Yes. CNN's Fred Pleitgen in Berlin, thank you so much.
Still to come on the program, nearby nations brace for possible mass migrations from Haiti after its prime minister steps down. What Caribbean nations are doing to stop the chaos? That's next.
Plus, Boeing under fire again after a frightening mishap on a flight from Australia to New Zealand. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JIMENEZ: The Pentagon is on alert right now for possible mass migration from Haiti. This comes after Haiti's prime minister agreed to resign his post amid a wave of gang violence that's unleashed chaos across the country. Caribbean nations are working to set up a transitional council to pave the way for elections in Haiti.
CNN's David Culver reports from the neighboring Dominican Republic.
DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Mounting uncertainty in neighboring Haiti despite efforts by CARICOM, the regional bloc, to craft a transitional presidential council. The council would include seven members from different political factions within Haiti, and it will appoint an interim prime minister.
[08:25:04]
The goal is for it to stabilize the country enough for presidential elections, which haven't happened since 2016. And this comes as current Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, has succumbed to the mounting pressure and announced his resignation. But he says he's going to stay in power until the transitional council is in place.
Meantime, you've got gang and former coup leader saying they either won't recognize the transitional government. Or, they say it won't work because it doesn't represent the will of the Haitian people. They see this as put in place by an outside force. This comes after weeks of anti-government protests and gang violence. A lot of it directed towards Henry.
We were in Port-au-Prince a little more than two weeks ago, and you could feel the anger amongst folks who believed that Henry had overstayed his welcome, and they wanted him out. At the same time, the country has been dealing with lawlessness, and gangs taking more and more control, especially following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021.
Folks, we first met a couple of weeks back having recent days felt the growing wrath of gangs. Some have had their makeshift camps or homes torched. Others are sealing themselves indoors trying to hunker down. Police are feeling the pressure too.
A Haitian security source telling us they are frustrated. They've been holding the front line as they see it awaiting the Kenyan security forces. But that deployment is now on hold, much to the frustration of the U.S. And it's because Kenyan officials say, with Henry resigning, there is no anchor for the Kenyan forces to rest.
Meantime, the Pentagon is on alert for possible mass migration from Haiti. This is happening as the WFP, the World Food Programme, warns 1 million people in Haiti are one step away from famine.
David Culver, CNN, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
JIMENEZ: David, thank you.
Now, across the world, we're hearing from more passengers on that LATAM Airlines flight that suddenly dropped mid-flight on Monday. It was headed from Australia to New Zealand when it plunged, sending some passengers flying. Medical personnel in Auckland, where the plane landed, said about 50 people had to be treated for injuries.
CNN's Aviation Correspondent Pete Muntean has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New images show the aftermath of Monday's mysterious in flight jolt on a Chilean Boeing 787. LATAM Airlines says a technical event caused a strong movement on board, injuring 50 passengers who peppered the pilots with questions.
BRIAN JOKAT, LATAM FLIGHT 800 PASSENGER: I immediately engaged with them and said, you know, what was that? And he openly admitted. He said, I lost control of the plane. My gauges just kind of went blank on me. And that's when the plane just took a dive.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Boeing says it is standing by to help investigate the incident. The latest involving a Boeing plane following the Alaska airlines door plug blowout in January, a wheel falling off a United flight last week, and hydraulic fluid traveling from another United flight during takeoff from Sydney this week.
MARY SCHIAVO, FORMER U.S. TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT INSPECTOR GENERAL: People are pretty wary of Boeing right now. And when anything happens on a Boeing, people want to know.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Though, there was no clear link between each incident, Boeing remains under the microscope of federal investigator. The Federal Aviation Administration now says it has completed its review of the 737 production line with "The New York Times" reporting Boeing failed 33 of 89 quality control audits.
MICHAEL WHITAKER, ADMINISTRATOR, U.S. FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION: It wasn't just paperwork issues and sometimes it's ordered that work is done. Sometimes its tool management at -- it sounds kind of pedestrian, but it's really important in a factory that you have a way of tracking your tools effectively, so that you have the right tool and you know you didn't leave it behind.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): FAA scrutiny follows anger from the National Transportation Safety Board, which blasted Boeing on Capitol Hill last week for failing to provide records that detailed the omission of key bolts from the Alaska Airlines plane. Boeing says those records do not exist.
JENNIFER HOMENDY, CHAIR, U.S. NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD: We don't have the records. We don't have the names of the 25 people that is in charge of doing that work in that facility. It's absurd that two months later, we don't have that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MUNTEAN (on-camera): The National Transportation Safety Board just announced a rare hearing on the Alaska Airlines door plug incident. That means Boeing officials could be subpoenaed to testify publicly. Boeing has not indicated how it will respond, but it is answering to the findings from the FAA's audit.
A new Boeing memo underscores that workers must precisely follow every step when building airplanes.
Pete Muntean, CNN, Washington.
JIMENEZ: All right. Still to come, done deal. It was just a formality. But now, U.S. President Joe Biden and Donald Trump are officially gearing up for a rematch after clinching their party's nominations.
Plus, a new warning, if you needed more, about the possible impact of artificial intelligence. We'll explain, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:32:29]
JIMENEZ: OK, it's the rematch that so many Americans never wanted to happen, but it's now a reality. President Joe Biden and Donald Trump both crossed the finish line last night by securing enough delegates to officially become their party's presumptive nominees. It's a symbolically important moment for both.
But one the Biden administration hopes will focus his supporters on the November election. In a statement, the president said, "I am honored that the broad coalition of voters representing the rich diversity of the Democratic Party across the country have put their faith in me once again to lead our party and our country in a moment when the threat Trump poses is greater than ever."
So let's take a closer look. Leslie Vinjamuri is the director of the U.S. and Americas Programme at Chatham House. And she joins me now live from London.
So Leslie, good to see you. It's the matchup we all saw coming at this point. Now it's just confirmed. But how do you think people around the world will be viewing this Trump-Biden round two as opposed to the first time around?
LESLIE VINJAMURI, DIR. U.S. AND THE AMERICAS PROGRAMME, CHATHAM HOUSE: I think, you know, people have been watching this for a while. They're somewhat astonished that this is what America has delivered as the two candidates, the two leading parties, a rematch.
And for what many people see as a, you know, remember back to Donald Trump's first presidency as being one where America was volatile, where it was unpredictable, where many of the long standing expectations about America's global engagements, and it's just basic style of behavior were upended.
And I think, quite frankly, people are very surprised and deeply concerned that this is what the rest of the world is faced with again and without a vote. And as we know that here in Europe, people are very concerned about what this will mean for the defense of Ukraine, whether the U.S. will stay in that game, already fraught, but looking to be much more fraught were Trump to be reelected.
And it's not only Ukraine, it's a question of basic commitment to European security to NATO. And you can run right down the list of policies and for many governments and for many people, but especially for governments.
There's a fundamental question now. What do you seek to hedge against the bet that Donald Trump is elected and a certain way of doing business is going to be upended? Or do you double down on forming solid relationships across the aisle?
[08:35:01]
JIMENEZ: And, you know, Leslie, to your point, I mean, some international organizations like the E.U. or NATO, for example, might be looking at that potential second Trump candidacy with some worry, especially as Trump recently suggested he would let Russia do, and I'm quoting here whatever the hell they want to any NATO member that doesn't meet spending guidelines.
And so just expanding on a little bit of what you were saying, how do you think foreign governments will be preparing, I mean, realistically, policy wise, for the possibility of a second Trump presidency?
VINJAMURI: Well, I can tell you that here in London, across Europe and beyond, but especially in Europe, this is the number one topic of conversation at many think tanks in government, across the whole of government. But it's not an easy calculation.
Remember that, you know, that the pressure domestically in many countries that are facing elections that includes the U.K., but the pressure in regional and global terms at a time when there are two major wars where, you know, economic growth is challenging and best for inflation is still a problem trying to then cast your lens forward eight months to prepare for something that may or may not happen.
And that if it does happen, a reelection of Donald Trump will be very unpredictable. It's just simply not as easy as it sounds. There is clearly pressure within Europe to try and increase defense spending. But, you know, that is not new.
It's, you know, largely accelerated by the war in Ukraine. It's certainly being, you know, put back at the front of the agenda by the possibility that Donald Trump would return. But it doesn't, in and of itself, solve the basic and urgent problem of the defense of Ukraine. It takes a long time to, you know, increase those levels of spending.
It takes long to translate that into effective defense and deterrence. And, you know, that partnership with America is absolutely vital. It's hard to work around a country that spends, you know, well, more than $800 billion a year in defense and has been deeply embedded in Europe's partnerships.
But that is exactly what many countries are trying to do to think about, you know, do you create a European pillar within NATO that has more significance and consequence? Does Europe internally find new mechanisms? These are really tough questions.
And add to that, you know, this ongoing concern that America is becoming more protectionist. The Inflation Reduction Act has been received poorly in Europe. And the fear that already a direction of travel that is fraught could become much more fraught after the U.S. election.
JIMENEZ: And there will be time for speculation for how this ends up as it stands right now. It will be tied for the longest general election campaign in the last half century, 244 days.
So Leslie Vinjamuri, we'll bring you back in the meantime. We'll have plenty to talk about. Thank you so much.
VINJAMURI: Thank you so much.
JIMENEZ: All right, let's take a closer look at another top story we're following at this hour. We're expecting the U.S. House of Representatives to vote on a bill that would ban TikTok in the U.S. if its Chinese parent company doesn't sell it within the next six months.
Now, lawmakers have expressed national security concerns, but some cybersecurity experts have said U.S. officials have not publicly presented evidence that China would have access to the data of the roughly 170 million users in the U.S.
So let's bring in Lance Ulanoff, award-winning journalist and U.S. editor-in-chief of TechRadar. He joins me live from New York. So, Lance, I just want to start with logistically speaking, how would the possible ban of an app like TikTok actually play out?
LANCE ULANOFF, U.S. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, TECHRADAR: Well, the app would disappear from app stores like Apple's App Store, Google Play which means you couldn't download it anymore. However, the app on, you know, 170 million U.S. users, it would still continue to work, but updates would no longer arrive. And so eventually, it would stop working. And then they wouldn't have access to the network. They wouldn't have access to the platform in any way, except for using a VPN to basically act as if they're in another country, and then download and use the app.
JIMENEZ: Yes, yes. And so let's talk about the major concerns here. So while largely the worries of U.S. lawmakers haven't played out on a large scale that we know of, there was at least one major set of allegations last year from a former ByteDance employee that the Chinese Communist Party did access TikTok data, allegedly to spy on pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong back in 2018.
Now, ByteDance denied what they called baseless claims there. But what data privacy risks does TikTok pose as opposed to any other social media we may use?
[08:40:01]
ULANOFF: Well, it all boils down to China, right? China -- the whole way that China works with any company is that they have full access to anything in any data that any company that exists that works inside China. They can just say, show us your stuff, shows all -- show it all to us.
ByteDance is obviously a Chinese company. But what they've done in the last year or so, Project Texas, is basically migrate all the data to the U.S. Sandbox it away from any part of the Chinese company and Chinese officials higher 7,000 U.S. employees. So -- and even sort of have an oversight group that is part of security, you know, independent security expert oversight, all of these things to sort of watch and keep that from happening.
Now, I do want to say that the biggest question, one thing that I've noticed that a lot of legislators are stuck on is the algorithm. And the algorithm is kind of interesting because TikTok has one of the best algorithms out there.
And what it does is it really decides what you're going to see next based on your interests. So tells a lot about you and it shapes a lot of your experience. And what's not clear yet from ByteDance and TikTok is how much that's cordoned off from Chinese officials. Because the developers, the people who built the algorithm in the first place, they've been in China.
Are they now all in the U.S.? Are they only U.S. employees? And does China have any access to that algorithm which could define your experience and maybe how you come away feeling about things after spending two hours on TikTok?
JIMENEZ: Yes, exactly. And some of the concerns, too, is that if someone knows exactly what you like, someone like the Chinese government, could use that to their advantage to show you things that potentially are propaganda for the country.
Now, look, obviously this -- we're talking about between the U.S. and China here, and I'm curious, what do you feel the repercussions would be on other countries here? I mean, could we see TikTok ban outside of the U.S., or is this simply a product of, well, it's really an adversarial relationship between the U.S. and China?
ULANOFF: Well, look, cyberattacks are very real, right? You know, people, companies are attacked every day and often from nation state actors and people outside. China is always trying to do it. Russia is always trying to do it. We know this is a fact.
And so, you know, there's certainly a path you could see where somebody could say, hey, what are the countries have tried, you know, attacking us in this fashion? Are they creating software there? Do they have do the -- the officials there have access to the software and the data that's being created in these places?
I don't know if any of that's true, but that's certainly a path that they could take forward here. The reality is, though, you know, I've never believed that China's intention here was to use TikTok to somehow infiltrate us. Because, you know, they're really going after infrastructure. They're going after us with ransomware attacks. There are other ways they can do it that are probably more effective than spending a lot of time trying to shape the thoughts and feelings of Americans.
JIMENEZ: Yes. Well, we will see what happens that first step with the House of Representatives. That vote scheduled in about an hour and change or so from right now.
Lance Ulanoff, thank you so much.
Meanwhile, a dire warning about artificial intelligence and the risks that come with it. A report paid for by the U.S. State Department found AI poses a, quote, "extinction level threat to humans." It's urging the American government to take action now.
CNN's Matt Egan is in New York. OK, so extinction level threat. That sounds like a job for the Avengers, but what else does this report say about the real potential risks of AI?
MATT EGAN, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: Well, Omar if you're looking for some light reading, stay away from this report because --
JIMENEZ: Yes.
EGAN: -- it's pretty scary. I mean it reads almost like a sci-fi novel. And some of the warnings the real dangers that these researchers are laying out are, one, the idea that eventually AI systems could become weaponized. Or that they could become so advanced that we lose control of them. Either one would be a pretty terrifying outcome.
Now, let me read you a key line from this report. The researchers wrote, "Given the potential capabilities of such a system, in the worst case such a loss of control could pose an extinction-level threat to the human species." Now, that may sound ridiculous, but it does echo concerns that we've heard from CEOs, from tech leaders like Elon Musk. And even from Geoffrey Hinton, the godfather of AI himself. Now the U.S. State Department, it did confirm to CNN that, yes, they did pay for this report. But they say no, the report does not reflect the views of the U.S. government.
But it does reflect the views of hundreds of people that the researchers interviewed. Including national security officials, cyber security researchers, WMD experts, and people inside front line AI Labs.
[08:45:11]
And one of the things that has been laid out here is a major concern is that AI could be weaponized. And so what does that mean? Let me give you just a few examples. One is that AI systems could be used to turbo charge cyberattacks, such as on infrastructure like power grids.
Another concern is that they could be used for massively scaled disinformation campaigns. There's also worries that it could be used in weaponized robotics. And lastly, there is also worries that AI could just become so advanced that it basically refuses to be turned off by its creators because if it gets turned off, it wouldn't be able to accomplish its goals.
Now, the researchers, they did lay out some guardrails that they could be used here by U.S. officials to try to prevent some of these nightmarish scenarios from playing out, including launching a new AI regulatory agency imposing safeguards like limits on computing power and also export controls within the supply chain.
And Omar, we should know that just this morning, the European Union, they did approve landmark AI regulations that would impose some guardrails. It would ban some risky activities. It would even require the deep fakes, be clearly labeled as such. So, Omar, clearly, some regulators overseas, they are taking action, but unfortunately so far in the U.S., we have not seen any AI regulation just yet.
JIMENEZ: Well, we are entering into a new age if it is not here already. So hopefully we catch up soon.
CNN's Matt Egan in New York, thank you so much.
EGAN: Thanks, Omar.
Still to come, CNN's Freedom Project takes us to the Amazon, where child labor is used for a dangerous harvest. Stay with us.
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JIMENEZ: It's a superfood you might find in high-end grocery stores or juice bars. The acai berry is said to benefit everything from heart health to the effects of aging, but the story of how the fruit is harvested might leave you with a pretty bad taste in your mouth. As part of CNN's Freedom Project, Julia Vargas Jones ventured into the Amazon rainforest where young children are risking their lives just to be able to make a living.
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JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): It's the middle of the night on the banks of the Amazon River. But the young workers of the Fazinginyi (ph) village are already loading up for a day's work.
They don't bring much -- machetes, tarp bags, and a dry change of clothes. But first, their small boat needs to cross this massive river.
[08:50:05]
Inside, the smell of diesel is nauseating. But Lucas, at 13 years old, is still waking up. On top of school, he says he's been picking acai for two years now, helping his older brother, Wengleston (ph), feed their seven siblings.
By dawn, we reach the Marajo Archipelago in the far north of Brazil, crossing state lines to Para, the world's capital of acai.
JONES: Amidst this lush vegetation are hundreds and hundreds of acai trees. These are these tall palms that can get up to 70 feet tall. Right now, these guys are looking closely to see which ones are ripe and have fruit ready for the picking.
JONES (voice-over): In Brazilian culture, acai has been called the guardian of the Amazonian population. Those who can harvest it, they say, will never go hungry. And 90 percent of the super fruit comes from this northern state.
From 2012 to 2022, acai exports grew 21,000 percent, according to industry data. More than 8,000 tons were exported in 2022, moving more than $26 million. But Lucas will only get a fraction of that number. And to earn it, he will do grueling work and face the dangers of the jungle.
Hiding in the forest are deadly snakes, scorpions and jaguars. And then, there's the climb. With no harness, Lucas will climb dozens of acai trees on a single day in search of ripe berries.
JONES: He makes this look easy, but actually, these are quite heavy. Each one of these is about 10 pounds. These are dense fruit and he comes down with two, sometimes three, or even four of these bushels just sliding down the tree.
JONES (voice-over): In these remote areas of the jungle, rescue can be hours away. The stories of harvesters who've fallen from trees are numerous. Some have never walked again, or worse.
JONES: When was the first time you got up on an acai tree?
JONES (voice-over): He was 11 years old, he says. The money he makes, he says, he gives to his mom, who in turn gives him back a smaller portion.
What do you use your money for, I ask?
To buy my school supplies, he said.
Families are risking their children's lives to get a paycheck, community leader Nerivan Da Silva says.
NERIVAN DA SILVA, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT (through translator): It's out of need and not having food on the table. This practice is inherited. Passed down from father to son, but it's too dangerous. At the same time, it's our tradition that we've been doing for more than 100 years.
JONES: So it seems to me like there is a clash between both the tradition of the community and in the education of the children.
JONES (voice-over): There is, he says, but it doesn't have to be this way. The cycle of child labor here can be broken, he says, but they need help, incentives to get children to stay in school.
Allan Bruno is a prosecutor investigating individual complaints of forced labor across the region. One of the biggest challenges, he says, is educating workers and children of their rights.
ALLAN BRUNO, PROSECUTOR, PUBLIC MINISTRY OF LABOR (through translator): This is a reality of the rural work.
JONES (voice-over): Some of them can't read, write, or even count. Their needs are so basic, it's almost unfathomable.
DA SILVA (through translator): Come see the culture where the acai comes from. Because more often than not, people have no idea how much work it is for us to get it to your table.
JONES (voice-over): Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Marajo Islands, Brazil.
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JIMENEZ: And be sure to join us tomorrow for My Freedom Day, a student-driven event to raise awareness of modern day slavery. Stay with us.
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JIMENEZ: Of course, that's "American Woman" from rock star Lenny Kravitz. And yesterday, the four time Grammy winner was in Hollywood to receive a star on the Walk of Fame. Actor Denzel Washington paid tribute to Kravitz, calling him more than a friend and a brother for 30 years. I wish I was that cool to have Denzel say that about me. I'll say that for the record.
Lenny says he's truly touched by the honor.
Thanks for joining me here on the CNN Newsroom. I'm Omar Jimenez. Connect the World with Becky Anderson is next.
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