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British Royals Honor World War II Veterans; European Allies Wary Of "American First" Movement; Right-Wing Parties Making Gains Across Europe; First U.S. and South Korea Live Munitions Drop in 7 Years; Boeing's Starliner Heads to the International Space Station. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired June 06, 2024 - 00:00   ET

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

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JOHN VAUSE, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello, everyone. I'm John Vause.

Ahead here on CNN Newsroom, the greater the contrast, the greater the potential. U.S. President Joe Biden enormity and talking of America's global leadership, both past and present, unlike his predecessor Donald Trump, and his America First policy.

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ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: In the case of climate, we are not the dinosaurs. We are the meteor.

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VAUSE: After 12 consecutive months setting new monthly record highs, the UN Secretary-General warns we're on the highway to climate hell.

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And at first you don't succeed, try, try, try, try, just keep trying. It worked for Boeing, finally launching its Starliner spacecraft with two astronauts on board.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.

VAUSE: At this hour, 80 years ago, allied warships and planes were pounding German defenses on the French coast ahead of what was and still is the largest seaborne invasion in history. The Battle of Normandy would continue for months, the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany. On this day, war is once again raging in Europe with Ukraine in a fight for its very survival now into the third year against Russia. And against that backdrop, world leaders are gathering in France to mark the anniversary of D-Day, with one notable exception. Russian President Vladimir Putin was not invited, but the German Chancellor was.

U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to meet shortly with veterans and their families during a visit to the American Cemetery. French President Emmanuel Macron paid his respects earlier to civilians killed in bombardments during the war. He plans to host to state dinner for President Biden later this week. Veterans who fought in Normandy, many nearing 100-years-old, have been arriving in France over the past few days, receiving a hero's welcome at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla paid tribute to veterans at a ceremony in Portsmouth in England on Wednesday. King Charles praised the bravery of those who fought against tyranny.

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VOICE OF KING CHARLES, UNITED KINGDOM: The stories of courage, resilience, and solidarity, which we have heard today and throughout our lives cannot fail to move us, to inspire us, and to remind us of what we owe to that great wartime generation.

PRINCE WILLIAM, UNITED KINGDOM: The mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, who watched their loved ones go into battle, unsure if they would ever return. Today, we remember the bravery of those who crossed the sea to liberate Europe.

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VAUSE: The speeches were followed by an elaborate drone show featuring images of Spitfire fighter aircraft, a soldier and the words I can remember.

More now on the D-Day anniversary from CNN's Melissa Bell.

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MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: World leaders have been gathering here in Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day. That's to be marked by the heads of states of not just the United Kingdom, France, and the United States, Joe Biden expected to deliver a speech at the cemetery where so many American servicemen are buried. But also, it'll be in the presence of President Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, a reminder of what we expect to hear from the American President over the course of the next couple of days, an important historical line being drawn between events here on the beaches of Normandy 80 years ago, through the Cold War into what's now being done in and for Ukraine.

It isn't just the heads of state that are here, though. So many people have turned up with their vehicles, World War II vehicles, that helped carry the weapons and the equipment, the men that allowed Operation Overlord to be the success that it was the amphibious vehicles as well, an important reminder of the huge logistical operation, hugely ambitious as well, that was to mark the very beginning of the liberation, not just of France, but of Europe.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Normandy.

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VAUSE: Joining us this hour is Max Boot, historian, author, columnist for The Washington Post, and senior fellow for National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Welcome back. Max, it's good to see you.

MAX BOOT, COLUMNIST, THE WASHINGTON POST, & SENIOR FELLOW, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Good to be here.

VAUSE: So, we'll get to Joe Biden in a moment, his trip to France. But, I wanted to hear your thoughts on this 80th anniversary of D-Day, and the leader of Germany is there at the invitation of the French President. Well, the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, is not because he wasn't invited.

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BOOT: Well, I think that summarizes in one sentence, the great achievement and the great failure of Europe over the past 70 plus years, the great achievement being the reconciliation of Germany, the transformation of Germany into a liberal democratic state and close alliances with former enemies such as France and Britain and -- as well as Germany. And of course, the great failure is the fact that Russia has not been integrated into Europe, and Russia is very much a threat to Europe, a liberal country that once seemed to be on the cusp of becoming a democracy in the 1990s and now has regressed. So, that's a completely liberal state that threatens Europe. It's a tragedy.

VAUSE: Well, the theme of the ceremonies in Normandy this year is a brotherhood of nations united in sacrifice to beat back authoritarianism. And that sentiment, The Washington Post reports, is factoring into European parliamentary elections this week, as well as Biden's message in his campaign against Trump. The issue here is that 80 years ago, the U.S. faced an external threat from dictators and fascists in Europe and elsewhere. In 2024, the calls are coming from inside the House.

BOOT: There is actually a lot of similarity between the period right now and the period before World War II, because remember, right before World War II, there was also a threat from fascist states like Nazi Germany and fascist Italy. But, a lot of Americans were oblivious to what was going on. We had an America First movement in the United States that said that what happened in Europe was none of our business and that we should just stick to our internal domestic affairs. And then, of course, came the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan on December 7, 1941, and that was the end of the America First movement, and you've never heard it, and again, anybody who is saying that they were part of an America First movement until Donald Trump came along in 2016.

And now, his America First isolationist philosophy is embraced by a large section of the Republican Party and could well be once again in office at this time next year, even as a new fascist threat looms in Europe from Russia, which has invaded Ukraine and is threatening the frontline NATO states in Europe.

VAUSE: And across Europe itself, there has been a resurgence of far- right parties. As POLITICO reports, in France, the National Rally party is on track to receive a third of the vote, more than double the support of its nearest rival President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance Party.

In Germany, despite a series of scandals, the AfD is headed for second place, ahead of every partner in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's governing coalition. In Italy, the Prime Minister there, the right-wing Brothers of Italy party, is floating far ahead of the chasing pack. So, with EU elections this weekend, it seems Europe is now heading for its own Donald Trump moment. Is that possible?

BOOT: There is no question that far-right populist parties are surging not only in Europe, but also in the United States. But, I think so far, Europeans with a handful of exceptions have generally had the good sense not to award power to those parties and to stay on a democratic path and to oppose the Russian invasion of Ukraine, even though we know the Russians are spending a lot of money around to far- right parties to try to subvert European unity. I hope that the example of D-Day 80 years later will help to inspire both Americans and Europeans to stay their course in the defense of liberal democracy.

VAUSE: Well, President Biden also wants to present a stark contrast to Donald Trump's visit for the 75th D-Day anniversary. That's when Trump refused to visit a cemetery where U.S. Marines were buried. He had concerns about the rain messing up his hair. And during an earlier conversation with senior staff, he asked them, why should I go to that cemetery? It's filled with losers. He later referred to 1,800 dead Marines as "suckers" for getting killed. And on Friday, Biden will make a point to visit the cemetery which Trump skipped. The contrast here is about a lot more than just visits to cemetery. So, it is building international relations, which Trump did not, and standing together supporting Ukraine, which Trump will not continue, working with allies and repairing fences that were damaged during Trump's four years in office.

How effective, though, could this ultimately be for Biden come November?

BOOT: I mean, I think it'll certainly help right now, but probably be forgotten by November. But, I think it's good to reinforce his basic message. And of course, he doesn't have to say anything overtly political while he is in Europe, and he probably shouldn't say anything overtly political because he doesn't want to do what Trump did, which was to take partisan fights to other countries. But, I think simply the example of going to the cemetery and honoring the dead, and representing America, as we would all want America to be represented, I think it'll be a very powerful contrast to Trump, who see seems to be entirely focused on himself, and based on the comments you quoted, which have been widely verified, he -- Trump seems to have nothing but contempt for those who have served this country and even given their lives for this country.

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And obviously, President Biden has a very different attitude because his own son Beau Biden was a veteran of the U.S. military. So, I think he understands the importance of the kind of sacrifice and service that we honor when we have these commemorations on D-Day. VAUSE: Max, thank you for being with us. Really appreciate your time

as well as your insights.

BOOT: Thanks for having me.

VAUSE: Fighting on Israel's northern border has surged in the past 24 hours, leading to renewed fears of a wider regional conflict. Cross- border attacks from Hezbollah militants in Lebanon sparked fires across northern Israel, forcing some residents to evacuate. The Israeli military says approximately 30 rockets and drones were launched from Lebanon towards Israel on Wednesday, while Israeli airstrikes targeted Hezbollah positioned in southern Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the border area and had this warning.

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BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (Interpreted): Whoever thinks that they can hurt us and that we will sit idly by, is making a big mistake. We are prepared for very intense action in the north. One way or another, we will restore security to the north.

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VAUSE: The U.S. remains quote "incredibly concerned" about the risk of escalation on the Israel-Lebanon border. The State Department says they're engaged in intense diplomatic talks to prevent further escalation, calling it an untenable situation.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is in Jerusalem with more.

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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At least 10 people were injured in the northern Israeli town of Hurfeish, according to the Israeli military, after Hezbollah launched an explosive drone attack at that town. It's not clear how many of these 10 people who are injured are civilians versus military. But, this is a significant attack carried out by Hezbollah, one that interestingly did not set off those sirens in northern Israel, which typically sound when Hezbollah fires rockets or drones. But, this is the latest in what has been really an uptick in terms of the size and scale of attacks, both from Hezbollah directed at northern Israel, but also in terms of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon over the course of the last week or so.

We've been witnessing this kind of slow simmering conflict for the last eight months, cross-border attacks between Israel and Hezbollah. But, they have yet to unleash a full-blown war between the two sides. But, there is no question that now, especially in light of these wild fires that we've seen in northern Israel over the course of the last couple of days as a result of that rocket fire from Lebanon, that there is renewed attention on the security situation in northern Israel, renewed attention on the fact that more than 60,000 Israelis in north have been displaced from their homes as a result of this conflict. And now the question is, what can be done to restore that sense of

security? The Israeli Prime Minister was in northern Israel, and he vowed that Israel is quote "prepared for intense action in the north", vowing that one way or another security will be restored in northern Israel. And what he is talking about there, obviously, is either diplomatic means or he's talking about military action. And it's clear that the clock is ticking. It's just not clear what exactly could potentially trigger that all-out war between the two sides.

There is a sense, though, that if these ongoing ceasefire and hostage negotiations succeed, if Hamas agrees to this latest Israeli proposal on the table, you can see a weeks-long ceasefire in Gaza, one that in addition to providing a much needed respite in Gaza could also provide a diplomatic opening for some kind of resolution between Israel and Hezbollah. But, at the moment, we seem very far away from that happening.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.

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VAUSE: On Wednesday, Israel marked Jerusalem Day, the day IDF forces took control of East Jerusalem during the six-day war. And CNN witnessed large groups of Israeli Jewish settlers and nationalists descending on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam.

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Israeli settlers were seen dancing in the compound, known as the Temple Mount to Jews and the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims. The Jews are allowed to visit but not pray. Other images show crowds of young Israeli nationalists throwing objects at Palestinian shopkeepers in Jerusalem's Old City.

Jerusalem Day is a national holiday in Israel, is a contentious day, a nationalist for many. In recent years, right-wing Israelis have held the -- have used the holiday, rather, to stage rallies, singing anti- Palestinian songs and harassing Muslims. Israeli police say 18 people were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of violent offenses and disorderly conduct.

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Israel's Defense Minister says the country's military offensive in Gaza would not stop the ceasefire and hostage negotiations with Hamas. Yoav Gallant said Israeli forces are aiming to wear down the enemy. His remarks came as senior officials from the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar were set to meet in Doha to revive the ceasefire talks. U.S. is urging both sides to accept the plan laid out by President Biden last week, which would pair the release of hostages with a total ceasefire in Gaza. The State Department says Egypt and Qatar, which have relationships with Hamas, have been putting pressure on the militant group.

Well, prosecutors in two of Donald Trump's criminal trials are now dealing with new setbacks. In Georgia, a state appeals court filed an order Wednesday saying it's suspending the election interference case indefinitely, while it rules on whether the district attorney should be disqualified. That's a big win for the former U.S. President. He has been trying to delay all of his legal issues until after November's election.

CNN's Sara Murray explains why.

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SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: The Georgia Court of Appeals pausing the prosecution of Donald Trump and several of his co- defendants in the election interference case in Fulton County indefinitely. This latest move basically guarantees that there is no way the case against Trump and several of his co-defendants is going to be going to trial before the presidential election.

That is a far cry from what the Fulton County District Attorney had hoped for. She had hoped to go to trial in August, well before the election. Now, we're looking at potentially months of re-litigating this question of whether Fani Willis should be disqualified from prosecuting the case because of her romantic relationship with a fellow prosecutor, as well as other public comments she has made about the case.

Now, the District Attorney's Office declined to comment on this latest development. Meanwhile, an attorney for Donald Trump in Georgia, Steve Sadow, cheered on this move by the appeals court. He says he looks forward to arguing that the case against Donald Trump should be dismissed and Willis should be disqualified for what he calls misconduct.

Sara Murray, CNN, Washington.

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VAUSE: Now to the classified documents case in Florida, initially scheduled to begin last month. Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, handed him yet another win by revamping the court schedule and causing even more delays. That move pushes legal questions that she has had months to consider even further down the road. She has also agreed to hold complex hearings later this month on Trump's request to have evidence found at Mar-a-Lago tossed out, and on his challenge to the Special Counsel's appointment.

A passenger train with more than 300 people on board collided with a freight train about 100 kilometers east of Prague in the Czech Republic Wednesday. The Reuters news agency reporting that so far four people are confirmed dead. More than 20 others have been hurt. The Czech public broadcaster reports the freight train was transporting calcium carbide and industrial chemical, which is considered hazardous, and the passenger train was headed to a town in western Ukraine.

Well, the highway to climate hell, why the UN Secretary-General is issuing this dire warning on the climate crisis? That's ahead. Also, the U.S. and South Korea launched a new military drill on the Korean Peninsula that involves flying over and exposes, very wide, almost close to the DMZ.

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And as tensions continue to rise on both sides of the border in North Korea and here in South Korea, there are concerns that lives could be offended all around us like here at this rice farm. When we're back after the break, we'll have a new interview with a man who just released 10 balloons with scenes of freedom bound for North Korea.

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VAUSE: Well, this is the moment when a tornado hit the U.S. state of Maryland, just an hour or a half away from Washington, D.C. Trees were toppled. Homes were damaged. First Responders rescued five people stuck inside one home and then really got them to hospital. A Fire Department spokesperson says one person suffered traumatic injuries.

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GUTERRES: But like the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs, we're having an outsized impact. In the case of climate, we are not the dinosaurs. We are the meteor. We are playing Russian roulette with our planet. And we need an exit ramp off the highway to climate hell.

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VAUSE: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres there with an impassioned speech on climate change Wednesday. He was very critical of fossil fuel companies. He called them the godfathers of climate chaos. And for the first time, he is calling on all countries to ban advertising for fossil fuel products. His speech comes as new data from the EU reveal the planet marked a quote "shocking new milestone of 12 consecutive months of unprecedented heat." It shows that every single month from June 2023 to last month was the world's hottest months on record, and that each month since July 2023 has been at least 1.5 degrees warmer than pre-industrial era. It also shows the average global temperature over the past 12 months was 1.63 degrees above pre- industrial average.

And to Lafayette, California, now and Henna Hundal, a delegate to the UN climate change conferences, joins us now. Henna, thank you for being with us.

HENNA HUNDAL, DELEGATE TO U.N. CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCES: Thank you for having me, John.

VAUSE: OK. So, this record-breaking monthly temperatures, 12 months and over a year, it's shocking but it's not actually surprising. Anyone who has been outside in the past 12 months knows that it's hot, and there is much worse to come. Here is the deputy head of the World Meteorological Office. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KO BARRETT, DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL, WMO: There is a nearly nine in 10 likelihood that at least one year between 2024 and 2028 would be the hottest on record, even hotter than 2023, which smashed all temperature records and witnessed extreme heat, droughts, fires, floods and ice and glacier retreat.

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VAUSE: And we're in this situation because we haven't done enough still and are not doing enough to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. So, how bad is it going to actually get before we actually are doing enough? And it seems that's the Catch 22 here, because by that time arrives and we're motivated to act, it'll be too late.

HENNA HUNDAL, DELEGATE TO U.N. CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCES: You're exactly right, John. What we're trying to do is limit global average temperature increase to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre- industrial levels. That's the goal that everyone talks about, 1.5C. Keep it under 1.5C. Well, we can't actually do that unless we substantially make progress on curbing our fossil fuel emissions. And I think that's why when Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gave his speech, he was so impassioned, and delivered very fiery remarks, really lambasting Big Oil for their role in this, and the fact that countries really have not held up to a lot of their promises to actually hold Big Oil accountable. So, I think you heard a lot of rightful frustration and indignation in his speech there.

VAUSE: Well, there was another data point which came out Wednesday, the rate the planet is warming. It's at a faster rate in 2023 than 2022. This was determined by a group of 57 scientists. They published it in a report in the journal Earth System Science Data. It read apart, "Human-induced warming continues to increase at a rate that is unprecedented in the instrumental record." And it seems no one really knows precisely why, because for the most part, the heating part of the global heating is expected and how this is expected to play out. They're not entirely sure what is going on here. Is this an acceleration, or what?

HUNDAL: Yeah. It's something that a lot of people are still trying to work on right now. But, what we do understand is that these records continue to be shattered, and I think that's why people are so concerned. I mean, just to add to those statistics, we know that last year there were likely 11,000 deaths that were related to heat.

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And so, the numbers that we've been going off of are actually an undercounting, and that 11,000 figure would mean a record since 1987. We've seen just between the months of March and May of this year in India, 25,000 cases of heatstroke, at least 50 confirmed deaths. So, likely more. So, a lot of these heat-related impacts are actually undercounted, and that's also a big part of the problem. So, we really are in a world of hurt. And as you mentioned earlier, it unfortunately is not actually that surprising because people are feeling the direct effects right now.

I mean, the National Weather Service just issued a heat advisory in the United States. We have the southwestern region, especially bracing for a tremendous heatwave. We're seeing that really hit South Asia as well. Europe is also incredibly prone to these. We've seen it a couple of summers ago and the UK roads were actually buckling because the infrastructure was not resilient to accommodate these heat impacts. So, it's a wide -ranging problem, and we're going to need wide range of solutions.

VAUSE: Well, part of the solution, it seems, according to Antonio Guterres, is this ban on advertising for the fossil fuel industry. Here is part of what he said about that. Here he is.

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GUTERRES: We must directly confront those in the fossil fuel industry who have shown relentless zeal for obstructing progress over decades. Billions of dollars have been thrown at distorting the truth, deceiving the public, and sowing doubt.

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VAUSE: In many ways, this sounds like something similar to the balance on the cigarette advertising. And just like the tobacco industry, which use advertising to try and convince people that cigarettes were harmless, even medicinal, this ban would prevent oil giants from selling a fake message that they're all green and sustainable and friendly. Right?

HUNDAL: Oh, I love the way you put that, John, because here is what we know. We know that Big Oil was actually aware about climate change based on their predictions and their modeling that have come to light in recent years. They knew about climate change well before it was actually in the public consciousness. And what they've done since that time is engage in a public messaging campaign to either conceal the evidence or obfuscate public knowledge around it. And that's where you still have a portion of people who doubt climate change, who doubt climate scientists, and those seeds have been sown by Big Oil.

And so, exactly what we did with Big Tobacco, rightfully vilify it, rightfully vilify their deceptive tactics. I think what you're hearing in Secretary-General Guterres' speech is a kind of an omen to that as well. And we can, I think, absolutely draw a very stark parallel between how these two types of industries have really worked to harm the public and not take accountability for their actions. And I think it's going to be up to countries to actually hold their feet to the fire on those accounts.

VAUSE: Well, the tobacco industry has been sued for billions and billions of dollars for the harm caused over the years. We've seen there is a similar case to be made legally against the oil industry and the fossil fuel industry.

HUNDAL: And we've already seen headway on that front. There was recently a court case by the Youth of Montana to try to hold Big Oil accountable, and they really made an appeal to their livelihoods, their futures, talking about how climate change has destroyed their right to a healthy environment. So, we're seeing lawsuits prop up using that angle. We're also seeing recently the state of Vermont actually passed a measure trying to get Big Oil to pay for climate change damages. And so, a lot of the times you're seeing these legal measures really tie the harm that Big Oil has caused to the health and well-being of communities. And I think those impacts are quite tangible, and that type of messaging is something a lot of ordinary folk can get around.

VAUSE: And yet, hundreds of millions of dollars every year in subsidies to the oil industry from the federal government, which makes absolutely no sense.

Henna, thanks for being with us. Really appreciate your time. Thanks for being here.

HUNDAL: Thank you. Appreciate it.

VAUSE: Thank you. Well, still to come, a gunman opens fire near the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon and tries to get away in an instant, all caught on video, details in a moment.

Also, the U.S. and South Korea do something they haven't done in years, those dropping some very large bombs.

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VAUSE: Welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

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For the first time in seven years, the U.S. and South Korean militaries have dropped live munitions as part of joint military drills. A U.S. B1B bomber with two South Korean FK -- F-15K Eagles, dropped joint direct attack munitions, weighing hundreds of kilograms on South Korean soil.

This comes from the great tension over the hundreds of trash balloons North Korea has sent across the border into the South.

CNN's Mike Valerio following this, live from close to the Korean Demilitarized Zone. And Mike, give us a sense of what you're seeing.

Also, the tensions between these two sides are ramping up as, what, North Korea sends its garbage into the South.

MIKE VALERIO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, John, and you know, because of that, we are seeing people just trying to go about their daily lives like all of the farmers who live all around us for kilometers and kilometers on end.

But there is a new sense of discomfort and concern. Unease, I think, is probably the best way to put it. Because, you know, for years, John, South Korea has been sending balloons to the North, replete with scenes of freedom.

But this is the first time that North Korea has sent trash balloons to its neighbor, to the South.

So one of the reasons why we're here about 16 kilometers, ten miles from the DMZ, is to show you, John, that in times of unease in the past, the South Korean military has had to come into rice fields like this one. And sees a sealed-off part of private property so they can protect the people, farmers who are just trying to farm their rice crop, who have been here for generations, not able to access their properties freely.

So that's the concern, right? That if things -- if tensions increase even further, lives could be upended.

But going back to the balloon belligerence, earlier this morning before dawn, we were able to speak to a South Korean man launching not one, but ten balloons from this side of the border -- border Northbound, filled with scenes of K-dramas, K-pop albums, 200,000 anti-Kim Jung-un leaflets describing what life is like on this side of the DMZ.

Listen to what the founder told us, just a few hours ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PARK SANG-HAK, LEADER, FIGHTERS FOR A FREE NORTH KOREA (through translator): South Korea is not an American colony or a wasteland of humanity, like I learned in North Korea. North Koreans are filled with anger and hatred and only sing military songs, but South Korea is a gentle country, like you can see.

We send money, medicine, facts, truth, and love. But to send filth and trash in return, that's an inhumane and barbaric act.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALERIO: So it's incredibly personal for him, because he defected from North Korea in 2000 and remembers vividly in the '90s, John, when one of those balloons from South Korea popped, and all of these leaflets with the truth came raining down. He had to pocket one of them and read it in the protection of his own home.

So the question now, as we leave you, is how North Korea is going to respond to this. As you said in the beginning of our segment, we have this B1B strategic U.S. bomber that, for the first time in seven years, launched precision-guided live munition drills, just to make sure that this strategic bomber is able to hit targets on the ground here in the Korean Peninsula.

So we're going to sign off with you all. We're going to talk to people who live in around the area. They are just hoping that things don't get any worse, John.

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VAUSE: I can guarantee you that Kim Jong-un is not happy at the moment. Mike Valerio, live close to the Korean DMZ. Thank you, sir.

Well, the gunman who was found (ph) near the U.S. embassy in Lebanon was wearing what appeared to be an ISIS insignia, according to the U.S. State Department.

All of this incident was caught on video Wednesday. Officials say the gunman fired near the main entrance before Lebanese forces and embassy security chased him down. They say he was later arrested, but his motive remains under investigation.

The Lebanese army says it also arrested five other suspects, including three of the gunman's family members. One of the embassy security guards was injured in the incident.

In a moment, a win for Boeing. The troubled aerospace company just made a successful launch of its Starliner spacecraft. But there are still challenges ahead. That's next.

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VAUSE: Good times continue to roll on Wall Street. The NASDAQ and S&P 500 both hit new record highs Wednesday, boosted by chip maker Nvidia. The Dow gained a quarter of a percent, once again, flirting with the elusive 40,000 mark.

The NASDAQ was up nearly 2 percent, and the S&P gained more than 1 percent.

Boom times, happy days.

Well, the boom in artificial intelligence helped boost Nvidia shares. It's now the second largest public company, behind Microsoft and just ahead of Apple. Shares were up 5.2 percent, more than $1,200 a share, at the close of trade Wednesday.

Nvidia CEO said earlier this week, the company would roll out its most advanced A.I. chip platform called Rubin. That will be in 2026.

The company accounts for around 70 percent of A.I. semiconductor sales.

Well, after false starts, scrapped missions and other embarrassing missteps, Boeing's Starliner spaceship is heading to the International Space Station for the first time. It's about halfway there now.

But now, two helium leaks have been detected on a ship, in addition to one that was found before takeoff. NASA and Boeing say the spacecraft is in orbit and stable, and the two astronauts on board are safe and were told to sleep while they monitor the situation.

Kristin Fisher tells us what they're now watching for.

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KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams are now on their way to the International Space Station after a successful launch of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which lifted off from the launchpad just behind me about four or five miles away on Wednesday.

They're going to be docking with the International Space Station at around noon on Thursday, about a 24-hour trip. They'll spend about eight days up there.

And if all goes according to plan, they'll then come back to Earth under some big parachutes and land, not in the water, but in the Southwest United States. They're going to be landing on land.

So that's a little bit different from the other company that is in the business of taking NASA astronauts up to the International Space Station. SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, it splashes down in the water.

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And so today really represents the fulfillment of NASA's commercial crew program. They have been wanting two options to get its NASA astronauts up to the space station.

And they've been wanting that for the better part of a decade.

Today, we saw that these two astronauts are well on their way to making that happen. So not just a huge day for NASA, but a really big day for Boeing.

They have been dealing with so many delays, so many financial issues over the decade that this spacecraft has been in development.

Today, the person that heads the Starliner program for Boeing during a post-flight press conference. He said, to give you an idea of how big a day this was for Boeing, my boss was here, my boss's boss was here, and my boss's boss's boss was here.

So the highest of the high up at Boeing were here for this launch today, and if all goes according to plan, it means that NASA will now have two options to get its astronauts up there.

So a successful start to this mission, but it will still be several more days, about a week, before we know if Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is indeed capable of flying NASA astronauts not just into space but return them safely back to Earth.

At the Kennedy Space Center, Kristin Fisher, CNN.

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VAUSE: Well, Big Mac and McDonald's goes together like peanut butter and jelly. McDonald's no longer has exclusive rights to the term. The European Union's second top court ruled the fast-food chain had

forfeited the trademark after five years of non-use. The decision is a partial victory in a long-running dispute between McDonald's Irish rival, Supermac's, which seeks to expand across the United Kingdom and Europe.

With that, I'll say goodbye. Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'll be back at the top of the hour with more news. In the meantime, please stay with us. WORLD SPORT starts after a short break.

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