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CNN International: Prime Minister Netanyahu Disbands Israel's War Cabinet; U.S. Envoy Meets With Top Israel Officials Amid Increasing Israel-Lebanon Hostilities; IDF Vows To Press Ahead With Fighting Across Gaza. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired June 17, 2024 - 11:00   ET

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

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RAHEL SOLOMON, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Good morning or good evening, depending on where you're watching. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York.

Ahead on CNN Newsroom, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disbanding the country's war cabinet. This as a U.S. Special Envoy is in Jerusalem amid tensions at the Lebanon border. Plus, we are getting word that Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to North Korea for a two-day visit. We will take you live to Moscow with a look at the deepening alignment between the two nations. And the first U.S. presidential debate is now just 10 days away, right here on CNN. I'll discuss with my political panel how the campaigns are getting ready.

Israel's Prime Minister is disbanding his war cabinet as the Israeli military clarifies what it meant by announcing a tactical pause. An Israeli official tells CNN that Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved the war cabinet just over a week after a key opposition figure withdrew. The Prime Minister had been facing growing demands to include several far- right ministers. Now, the shakeup comes as Israel's military insists that the fight against Hamas continues in Rafah and all across Gaza. It says that it should have made that clear when announcing the daily pause along the southern route meant to facilitate aid deliveries.

Now, UN agencies say that they have not yet seen improvements in aid distribution. Israel also warning of a wider escalation amid increased attacks across its northern border with Lebanon. The U.S. Special Envoy is meeting top officials in Jerusalem today to try to defuse hostilities.

Let's get to Ben Wedeman, who is following all of these developments from Beirut. Ben, let's start with Benjamin Netanyahu's move to disband the war cabinet. What do we know about the why behind it? Why now?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly with the departure of Benny Gantz eight days ago that the end of this war cabinet seemed inevitable, because he took with him Gadi Eisenkot, who was also an ally of Gantz, who was part of that war cabinet as an observer, but an effective participant as well. So, he essentially stopped existing once Gantz left. And now, the question of discussing and deciding matters relating to the war in Gaza has gone to a wider security cabinet, which, of course, includes the likes of Bezalel Smotrich, the Finance Minister, and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the National Security Minister, both of whom are ultra-right-wing extremists in the government. And that's going to pose a problem in terms of just deciding what to do in Gaza.

But, what Netanyahu clearly didn't want to do is have, as part of that war cabinet, those two ministers who certainly, for the United States, would simply not be acceptable. But, they're still in the government. They're still very much involved in many of the decisions that are being taken. And those two ministers are essentially opposed to any humanitarian aid to Gaza, any ceasefire whatsoever until Hamas is completely destroyed. So, Benjamin Netanyahu is now in a government that's lost two perhaps cooler heads, and he is now sitting in this security cabinet with some of the most extreme elements in Israeli society at the moment. Rahel.

SOLOMON: Yeah. Those two figures were considered the more moderate members among the war cabinet. Ben, let me ask, the U.S. Special Envoy meeting with Netanyahu earlier, as you have reported for months, I mean, it comes on the heels of these tensions on the border with Lebanon, how do you think this trip will hopefully or the aim to de- escalate tensions there along the border?

WEDEMAN: Well, the question is, Amos Hochstein, who is the Senior Energy Advisor to the White House, but essentially has the job of dealing with Lebanon and Israel on their common issues, he is in Israel. He met with Prime Minister Netanyahu. We haven't heard from either the Lebanese government or the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon whether he is coming here, but the assumption is he is on the way. His message probably to both sides is, don't do it. Don't go to war, because for one thing, Hezbollah is far more capable, has far better weapons than Hamas, and has the ability to inflict far more pain in terms of a war on Israel than Hamas does.

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And there is also sort of the broader question, if there is a full- blown war between Israel and Hezbollah and all the destruction and death and disruption that goes along with it, it's going to impact things like world oil prices. Iran, of course, a major producer of oil, a close ally of Hezbollah. So, for the United States, the Biden administration thinking ahead to the election, the last thing they want is another major war in the Middle East that's hard to end, like the one in Gaza, and skyrocketing oil prices. Rahel.

SOLOMON: Yeah. Certainly a lot of considerations there, as you point out. Ben Wedeman live for us in Beirut. Ben, thank you.

Let's continue the conversation now. I'm now joined by Gideon Levy, a columnist with the Israeli daily Haaretz. He accuses his country of waging war in Gaza quote "without a conscience." Gideon, good to have you. Welcome today. Let me just start first with your reaction to the disbanding of the war cabinet. What impact will that or won't that have, from your perspective? GIDEON LEVY, COLUMNIST, HAARETZ: Unfortunately or fortunately, it will

not have any impact. It's more of a symbolic game, mainly to please the Americans and to show them that Netanyahu is tough enough and he does not add Bezalel Smotrich and Ben-Gvir into his war cabinet. But, the meanings are very little. In your conversation with Ben, you just mentioned that the leaving of Bezalel Smotrich and Benny Gantz and Eisenkot, who were the moderates in the war -- in this cabinet will now change its nature. So, I would like to claim, Rahel, that in this framework, their influence was zero. What moderation was there with 37,000 Palestinians killed was the destruction, the starvation and all the atrocities in Gaza? How worse could it have been without the two?

So, we are a little bit plagued with ourselves. This government is led by Netanyahu and he is the main decision maker, in many ways, the only decision maker. He is being taken hostage by his own will, by the right wingers, and he follows the lines with the war cabinet or without it, and this will continue.

SOLOMON: So, Gideon, then from your perspective, if this doesn't change anything militarily, talk to me about the symbolism that this sends even just in terms of the state of affairs within Israeli government right now.

LEVY: So, before the government in the elections, in the campaign, Netanyahu wouldn't be ready to be photo together with Itamar Ben-Gvir. Can you imagine that you said? Now, he sits in his government and he is one of the most powerful ministers in this government. By the end of the day, also Ben-Gvir does not get direct decisions on war and peace, but he has an enormous influence. But, Netanyahu is the one, as I said, who decides. Inside the cabinet, you see, there are no normal decision-making processes in this cabinet. Everyone looks at its own political basis and is concerned about his own reelected in the next primaries, and it's not a serious government or a serious organ that you can analyze how will, from now on, decision making will go on.

It will continue to be based on domestic politics. Like, always in Israel, it will continue to be by pleasing the right wingers both in the government and in the public opinion and to avoid any kind of chance of ending this war.

SOLOMON: And so -- I mean, to that end, I mean, how do you see this ending? I mean, what likelihood do you see of a ceasefire anytime in the near future?

LEVY: As long as the United States let Israel continue, this war will continue. And don't tell me that the United States doesn't want it to continue, because the United States is supplying the arms as many as before, and whenever the United States is threatening Israel, it is later on showing that this was a hollow threat. I will give you only one example. The United States threatened Israel that if it penetrates into Rafah, the arms supply will stop or will be decreased. And surprise, surprise, Israel is deep in Rafah and nothing changed in the American policy. So, as long as the United States will continue to spread hollow threats, Israel will continue in this war.

SOLOMON: Well, Gideon, let me just provide the counter. I mean, what would you say to those who say, look, this is a huge liability, even politically?

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I mean, to say nothing of the humanitarian crisis on the ground, just even talk about the politics at the moment, this is a huge liability for the current President. What would you say to that counterpoint that, how or why would he want the war to continue when at least politically it's a huge issue for him?

LEVY: No, no. I don't think he wants the war to continue. I think that Biden is a good man and thinks in a very positive way. He cares about Israel. He cares about the Palestinians. He does not want this war to continue. But, he is not ready to be decisive enough against Israel, and without being decisive enough in deeds, not in talking. As long as he is not decisive enough that Israel (inaudible0, he will never convince Israel in anything, and therefore, all the good ways, and he has good ways, President Biden was (inaudible).

SOLOMON: I'll take your point. Gideon Levy, so good to have your insights and opinions today. Thank you so much. Thanks for the time.

LEVY: Thank you.

SOLOMON: And U.S. President Joe Biden will be meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House in just a few hours. Over the past several days, the U.S. and Ukraine signed a security pact at the G7 summit in Italy, whilst Stoltenberg and NATO defense ministers agreed on a plan to take a greater role in security assistance and training for Ukraine's military. There was also an agreement at a summit in Switzerland over the weekend to forge a path to peace in Ukraine. But, some key powers didn't sign the joint statement, and Russia and China did not attend. Meanwhile, heavy fighting is reported along Ukraine's eastern border with Russia, as Ukrainian troops counter recent advances by Kremlin forces.

Let's get to CNN's Clare Sebastian, who is tracking all of this from London. So, Clare, talk to us a little bit more about what we know on the ground there in Ukraine.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Rahel. I think what's happening in Vovchansk right now, up there in the north, where we saw that Russia in recent weeks has essentially opened a new front coming across the border, again, is really, I think, in the Ukrainian view, symptomatic of an overall strategy here, which is to launch multiple attacks in multiple different locations along these frontlines, try to dilute and exhaust Ukraine's defense, to try to target strategic locations in Vovchansk itself, is only about 70 kilometers from Ukraine's second city Kharkiv, and to do all this as quickly as possible now before more Western weapons come into play.

Now, Ukraine has had more success recently in trying to stabilize that area of the frontline up in the north as more Western weapons have come into play gradually, and of course, as we saw that lifting by the United States of the restriction on using Western weapons or American weapons to hit across the border with Russia, it was a very limited loosening of those restrictions. But still, it is seeming to have some impact. The fighting is very intense. Ukraine saying that in the past day, Russia has launched some five attacks in that area around Kharkiv too was still ongoing as of Monday morning, but Ukraine claiming it is holding on to its positions, while Russia, on the flip side, saying that it believes that that part of the frontline is going its way. Rahel.

SOLOMON: And Clare, what about the impact from this meeting with President Biden and Stoltenberg? What can we expect from that?

SEBASTIAN: So, this, I think, will be a chance, certainly off the back of all that diplomacy that we saw last week, for Stoltenberg to try to get the U.S.'s full backing ahead of the leaders NATO Summit that we're going to see in Washington in July for several things, in particular, his initiative to try to bring more of the responsibility for coordinating aid for Ukraine under the auspices of NATO, essentially taking some of that responsibility away from the U.S., which currently coordinates aid under the so-called Ramstein format of more than 50 countries. So, that will certainly come up.

He also wants to secure an annual financial commitment, which many in Europe have interpreted as a way of sort of Trump proofing aid for Ukraine, making sure that it's in place ahead of November election. So, there is certainly an urgency there. And then, of course, we did see comments to a British newspaper over the weekend from Stoltenberg saying that the NATO alliance needs to essentially bring some of its nuclear weapons out of storage to show the world its nuclear arsenal. The U.S. is one of only three NATO countries with nuclear weapons, will certainly be crucial if he attempts to move forward with that. Russia has said that it would see that as an escalation. Rahel.

SOLOMON: OK. Clare Sebastian live for us there in London. Clare, thank you.

All right. Coming up for us, Donald Trump and Republican congressional leaders want everyone to know they are on the same page ahead of the November elections. So, what's on the agenda for Mr. Trump's meeting with the U.S. House Speaker today? We'll go to the Capitol live. Plus, President Biden is joined by former President Barack Obama for a star- studded fundraiser in Los Angeles. We'll tell you who else was there.

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You might have a guess looking at the screen. And we will tell you what was said on stage, when we come back.

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SOLOMON: Welcome back. With control of the U.S. House hanging in the balance this fall, Donald Trump is hosting a high-stakes meeting today. A Republican source says that Trump will meet with House Speaker Mike Johnson and National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Now, it's the first time the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has met face to face with the Speaker since his conviction in his hush money trial.

Let's bring in now Congressional Correspondent Lauren Fox to give us a sense of what's on the agenda for today's closed-door meeting between Trump and Speaker Johnson. Lauren.

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is an opportunity for both former President Donald Trump and the top Republican on the Campaign Committee as well as the Speaker to all be on the same page going into the November election. This comes after a series of meetings on Capitol Hill last week where Donald Trump met with both the Republican conference in the House and the Republican conference in the United States Senate in two separate gatherings, an opportunity once again to sort of pitch what his campaign theory of the case is and to try to get Republicans united behind him ahead of the election.

Look, a lot of what former President Donald Trump would be able to do in a second term will hinge on whether or not Republicans continue to control the House of Representatives and whether or not they're able to take back the United States Senate. And the reality is that it's a very steep hill to climb to keep the House right now, given what we are seeing in polls across the country, and given the fact that there has been so much Republican disarray because of that narrow majority in the House of Representatives.

Now, this is also an opportunity for the Speaker to send a signal to some of his conservatives like Marjorie Taylor Greene that he is united solidly with former President Trump, that Trump has his back. That comes in handy, because as you remember, just a couple of weeks ago, Marjorie Taylor Greene tried to oust the Speaker. Now, the votes weren't there, but there were a considerable number of members who voted with her. So, that gives you a sense that even if Republicans keep the House, Mike Johnson is also thinking about his future and trying to cement his legacy as a Speaker, also trying to keep his job if the House remains in Republican control. Rahel.

SOLOMON: Fair enough. Lauren Fox live for us on the Capitol. Lauren, thank you.

Let's discuss this further and bring in our panel, Republican Strategist Rina Shah with me, and CNN Political Commentator and Democratic Strategist Maria Cardona. Good to see you both, ladies.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, & DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Good morning.

SOLOMON: I want to start with this new ad that the Biden campaign has just released this morning. Take a look.

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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The next President is likely to have two new Supreme Court nominees. Two more. Two more. He has already appointed two that have been very negative in terms of the rights of individuals.

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": Could this be the scariest part of all of it?

[11:20:00] BIDEN: Well, I think it is one of the scariest parts of it. Look, the Supreme Court has never been as out of kilter --

UNIDENITIFIED MALE: In the courtroom, we see Donald Trump for who he is. He has been convicted of 34 felonies, found liable for sexual assault, and he committed financial fraud. Meanwhile, Joe Biden has been working.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: All right. We got it up there, ladies. Maria, let me start with you. This is a part of a push to sort of remind voters, in the words of the campaign, that character matters. Talk to me about who that ad is trying to reach? If there is a target voter, a target audience for that ad, who is it?

CARDONA: I think it is independents. It is suburban women. It's certainly Democrats, progressives. It's young people. It's the whole Democratic coalition that still needs to be energized to come and support the Democratic ticket. And frankly, it is common sense Republicans who understand what a danger another four years of Donald Trump would be if he is allowed to get to the White House, Rahel.

And I love this ad. I think it is super smart for the campaign to be doing this. I think it's really aggressive in a good way, in an important way. Americans do need to understand who Donald Trump is today, a 34 times convicted felon who has been found liable for sexual assault and for fraud. Is this the kind of person that Americans at the end of the day are going to want to pull the lever for? We don't think so. And so, that's why I think it's really important.

And the other thing, Rahel, is you've heard about this as well, and I want the international audience to understand what's going on politically and why things are so close when you have this kind of person versus a decent, accomplished President like President Biden is, and why things are so close. Americans went through trauma during the first four years of Donald Trump, and the psyche and the body is designed to forget trauma, and four years have passed. And so, it's easy to forget. It's easy to be focused on what's going on today. It's easy to kind of go into an amnesia, if you will.

And this ad is designed to shake people out of that kind of amnesia so that they understand exactly what's at stake and what the contrast is between these two men, and that there is absolutely no measure of equal, right? The other side, Trump's supporters left to say, Oh, well, but Joe Biden this and But Joe Biden that. No, there is no but, right? Donald Trump is a 34 times convicted felon, and that is who people would be pushing -- pulling the lever for. And we believe at the end of the day, the vast majority of Americans will not do that.

SOLOMON: Rina, your thoughts on the ad. I mean, it wasn't long ago that the Biden campaign wouldn't touch the issue of Trump and his legal issues. I mean, he has now been convicted. To Maria's point, is it a smart strategy? Is it a smart ad? What do you think?

RINA SHAH, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think this ad touches on a very important point, is that to call it like you see it, and that's what I see Biden doing. His team has seen what the challenge has been over many months. And look, this massive fundraising hall he just had over the weekend from out West in Hollywood, it's important. Numbers matter. Fundraising halls matter. Because, again, the team knows the challenge, and it's to go up against what Donald Trump does every day, which is to deceive and deny responsibility for anything he has done, whether it was while he was in the Oval Office or since he was kicked out of it.

So, again, that money is important. But, does any amount of money counter again that juggernaut of Trump continuing to put out so much misinformation? No. But, what it does do is create a grassroots operation across the country, which will turn out the vote for Democrats, and that's what Republicans need to wake up to. They have no victory offices. We're less than six months out from Election Day. And where is the grassroots operation for the RNC? It's not there, because they're too consumed with Trump's legal woes.

But, more importantly, this ad should set the foundation for what's to come, Rahel, and that is really a sense of, we need to be direct in what Trump means. And this is why conservatives, common sense Republicans should care, because the American Civil Liberties Union, for example, has done a mapping, has already projected over 60 situations in which Trump and his people, if they get a chance to be back in the White House, will put individual rights and the rule of law under attack. And that is not a joke. It's something that's very real. And that's something that conservatives need to wake up to, because it's not like Trump essentially is bad for a certain class of Americans, a few here or there, but because he could put individual rights and the rule of law are under attack.

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A next term for him would be dangerous for all Americans, and we need to be very clear about that, and President Biden and his team need to continue to be very clear about that.

SOLOMON: And in that sense, it sounds like, Rina, Maria, you actually agree on that point. But, stick around for just a moment. I want to get to our report and I'll come back to you in just a minute. As we mentioned there and as you saw there, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, who were among the stars who attended a fundraiser for President Joe Biden. The two Hollywood heavyweights kicked off the event on Saturday night in Los Angeles. They helped to raise more than $30 million for President Biden's reelection campaign. TV host Jimmy Kimmel hosted a conversation between Mr. Biden and former President Barack Obama. He discussed the importance of the upcoming election, on the makeup of the Supreme Court. President Biden saying that would be quote "one of the scariest parts of a potential second term".

Joining us now with more from Washington is Arlette Saenz. Arlette, Biden's strategy was clear this weekend, reminding his supporters what a second Trump term could look like. What did you hear?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Rahel. I was in the room for this fundraiser, and President Biden and his -- really teamed up with former President Barack Obama to issue some stark warnings about what a second Trump presidency could look like. As you mentioned, he drilled in specifically about his concerns with the Supreme Court saying that the current Supreme Court is more out of kilter than ever before. And he also warned voters of the implications a Trump presidency could have if some more Supreme Court justices retire and these appointments, these seats, open up, President Biden predicted that there would likely be two Supreme Court appointments that the next President would face, and he issued this warning about what that would mean if Trump was elected.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: The next President is likely to have two new Supreme Court nominees. Two more. Two more. He has already appointed two that have been very negative in terms of the rights of individuals.

KIMMEL: Could this be the scariest part of all of it?

BIDEN: Well, I think it is one of the scariest parts of it. Look, the Supreme Court has never been as out of kilter as it is today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, President Biden also spoke about the prospect, and specifically referencing Justice Clarence Thomas raising that after the Dobbs ruling that there could be other rulings relating to individuals rights that could be reconsidered. That includes access to contraception as well as gay rights. That is something that President Biden was warning about in this fundraiser as well. You also heard directly from President of Barack Obama, who lamented the fact that there has been a normalization of behavior that was once disqualifying for candidates. He specifically referenced the fact that Trump was convicted in that New York City criminal hush money trial, and he said that voters need to look at the values of the two men, of Biden and Trump, when making their choices.

Now, this event, in addition to making these stark warnings about a second Trump presidency was also a chance for President Biden to really boost his campaign war chest. The campaign said that this event brought in $30 million. That is the largest Democratic fundraiser in history. The Biden campaign has really tried tapping in to the celebrity star power around this event with George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jimmy Kimmel, and others being there to entertain the crowd, serving as a draw for people to donate to this event.

It all comes as Biden is still trying to maintain his cash advantage over Trump. That is something that he has had for most of this campaign cycle so far. But, there have been signs that Trump has made significant gains within his own fundraising. So, the Biden campaign is hoping that a big haul like this will also help drive some more momentum, as they're looking to bring in more campaign cash in what's expected to be a very expensive race.

SOLOMON: And perhaps a close one. Arlette Saenz from the White House, Arlette, thank you. All right. Let me bring back our panel. Rina, let me pick it up with

you. The debate, less than about 10 days away now at this point, if you were advising the former President, just one goal, top priority that night, it would be what?

SHAH: For former President Trump, he has one sort of addict on debate night and that is to tell the American people what he is for instead of what he is against. There is a sense, there have been whispers across Washington of Wall Street coming to save Trump. And have they fully done so yet? No. But, they could. And so, if he really wants to make his campaign hum, which you need money to do, and draw, again, the eyes of Wall Street, just like they fixated their gaze on Nikki Haley this past fall and after she performed well in debates, he needs to again be more inspirational, be giving a message that, again, is about for, not against. That's not something he has been able to do in recent weeks. He has poor message discipline, as we know.

But, one thing is for sure here is that down ballot candidates are also suffering and they could use a boost as well. Republican candidates in tough districts across the country know that they can't have Trump show up for him.

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But, if on the debate stage, Trump gives a more hopeful vision for America and is able to outline more clearly and speak to the promise of a better America, exactly how he would make Americans' lives better, then he will be seen as besting Joe Biden. Is he going to be able to do that? I'm not really sure.

SOLOMON: Maria, same question, but about Biden. If you were advising him, top priority that night, it would be what?

CARDONA: Well, I actually have five things that I think President Biden needs to do. The first one is to remind people of the massive accomplishments that he has brought to the American families and to our economy, number one. Number two, acknowledge that not everyone has felt this incredibly historic, robust economy, as we have seen by the numbers. So, show that empathy that he is so good at. That leads into number three, what else can he do to make sure that everyone is included and feels the economic accomplishments and that their own economies are looking good and looking robust?

The fourth one is to remind people, and this goes to the ad, exactly who Donald Trump is. What he did in the first four years? What he will do in the next four years that he is an existential threat to our democracy, and that he will take away Americans' rights and freedoms? And the fifth one, Rahel, is to make sure he is prepared for Donald Trump to bring up his son Hunter Biden and to not be rattled by it, to have some good responses to that, to shut him down immediately, and to pivot to how Donald Trump is the 34 times convicted felon sexual assaulter, business fraudster that does not deserve another four years in the Oval Office.

SOLOMON: OK. Well, ladies, I'm sure we'll talk about it again. Rina Shah, Maria Cardona, we'll leave it here for now. Thank you both. CARDONA: Thanks so much, Rahel.

SHAH: Thank you.

SOLOMON: And be sure to watch as CNN hosts the U.S. presidential debate next week. It is on Thursday, June 27 at 9 p.m. Eastern here in the U.S. That is 9 a.m. Friday in Hong Kong.

All right. Still to come, they're on tobacco products and alcohol. Now, America's top doctor wants a warning label slapped on social media apps. That story right after the break. Plus, a rare international trip by the Russian leader. Western allies are concerned about where Vladimir Putin is going and who he is meeting with? The details when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOLOMON: Welcome back. You're watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York. And here are some of the international headlines we are watching for you today.

Russia will hold a closed-door trial next week for detained American journalist Evan Gershkovich.

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That's according to the court that will hear his case. Gershkovich is accused of trying to obtain state secrets. The Wall Street Journal reporter has now been in prison for more than a year in Moscow, and he could face a 20-year sentence if he is convicted. He vehemently denies the espionage charges against him.

Meanwhile, the trial for a U.S. soldier in Russia is already underway. Gordon Black was arrested in May in eastern Russia. State media report that he is charged with threatening to kill a woman and theft. These images you're seeing here from a court appearance earlier this month. Now, Gordon did not admit to the threats, but he did plea partially guilty to theft charges. He is accused of stealing from a woman who is believed to be his girlfriend. His next hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

In southeast China, heavy rains have caused flooding and deadly landslides. New video showing swollen rivers rushing into fields and cities. Officials and state media report that at least 35,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, and at least nine people have been killed and 17 are missing.

The Kremlin says that Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to visit North Korea on Tuesday at the invitation of Kim Jong Un. It will be the Russian leader's first trip to North Korea in more than two decades, Western allies have accused Pyongyang of supplying Moscow's war effort in exchange for help developing its military satellite program. Both countries have denied North Korean arms exports.

Let's bring in CNN's Matthew Chance, who joins us from Moscow. Matthew, what more can you share with us about this upcoming trip? MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you say, Rahel, it is the second time the Vladimir Putin is being -- would have gone to North Korea, the first time being 24 years ago at the start of his presidential rule. But, such a lot has happened, of course, since then, and it's against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and Russia's ongoing kind of alienation from much of the international community as a result of that.

This visit becomes so important because despite what Russia says about not receiving arms and ammunition supplies from North Korea, many governments, including the United States and the South Koreans, say that's exactly what's been happening. Millions of artillery rounds, for example, they say, have been shipped from North Korean factories to the frontlines in eastern Ukraine, and are being used by Russian forces to maintain their bombardment of Ukrainian positions. Remember, Russia is using approximately 10,000 artillery shells every day across that frontline. So, it needs to ramp up its own production, which it is doing in its factories, but it also needs supplies from outside, and it's countries like North Korea that are able to meet that demand. And that's why this relationship has become so crucial for Moscow.

And it's, I think, probably why Moscow is regarding it's so important that Vladimir Putin is going on his second ever visit there, starting on really Wednesday -- Tuesday night local time. Wednesday morning is when the main events will take place. In terms of what North Korea wants in return, well, I mean, just about everything. It's got food shortages. It's got energy shortages. It wants help in its ballistic missile technology and space program. All of those things theoretically Russia could be willing and could already be helping out with. Rahel.

SOLOMON: OK. A lot to watch there. Matthew Chance live for us in Moscow. Matthew, thank you.

Well, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram are just a few of the social media apps that could be required to come with a warning label. In a New York Times OpEd, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says that urgent action is needed to try to combat the threat social media poses to children. Murthy cites social media as being a driving factor behind a mental health crisis. Speaking on NBC, he said that labels would help remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proven safe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. VIVEK MURTHY, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: Not only have companies not demonstrated that their platforms are safe for kids, but there is growing evidence of harm. But, warning label would help parents to understand these risks. Many parents don't know that those risks exist.

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SOLOMON: CNN's Meg Tirrell joins us now with more. Meg, always good to see you. So, talk to us a little bit about -- we know he pointed to several studies that showed that teens who spent three hours a day on social media apparently double the risk of depression. Can warning labels help?

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Surgeon General in his OpEd today cited data, looking at the warning that went into place on cigarettes back in 1965. He linked to a report from the Department of Health and Human Services that showed a 67 percent decline in cigarette smoking among U.S. adults between 1965 and 2020. Of course, that can only be due to this warning that was placed on cigarettes. He noted -- the study noted that there were a lot of factors that played into that from a societal level. But, that did, of course, lead to less lung cancer and smoking patterns over the years.

And one of the pieces of data he cites in this OpEd is that kids, a coordinated data as of last summer, were spending almost five hours per day on social media.

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And as you pointed out, he also cited a study that was published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry that said kids who spent at least three hours a day on social media double their risk of mental health problems, including symptoms like depression and anxiety. He also pointed out that almost half of kids say that spending time on social media makes them feel worse about their bodies. And so, he has been trying to call attention to this issue for a long time, including an advisory put out last year. We have not seen Congress act. And in order to put a warning label on social media apps, we would have to see an act of Congress. And so, he is calling for a lot more attention to be paid here.

SOLOMON: So, Meg, it's obviously a really important topic. It's a topic that's discussed often. What do parents and families do in the meantime before there is a potential label? Or even if there never is a label, what can families do?

TIRRELL: Yeah. This is something that our colleague Dr. Sanjay Gupta has spent a lot of time focusing on, including in his podcast "Chasing Life", where he interviewed the Surgeon General about this, and Dr. Murthy gave three tips for families. One is, of course, start the conversation with your kids. You have to be communicating with them about these potential risks and about their use of these things. Number two, is to establish tech-free zones, perhaps around dinnertime and bedtime, social occasions, time for kids to exercise and get outside, make sure that they are spending time away from their phones and social media in order to get sleep and other important things.

And third is to band together with other families, because kids might feel like, oh, it's only us who are putting in these rules. But, if you actually come together with other parents, create sort of shared rules and guidelines around this, it could help everybody do better here. And one thing he suggests is to avoid social media use until after middle school, really kids before 13, he says, shouldn't be on these apps.

SOLOMON: Wow. Really, really fascinating. I think one of the things you said that really caught my attention, Meg, is that we could all benefit perhaps from some of these rules and sort of guardrails in place. Meg Tirrell, good to see you. Thank you.

All right. Coming up, crews continue to battle a growing wildfire in California, as hundreds evacuate their homes. We're going to have details ahead on the blazes in the West and heat building in the East.

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SOLOMON: Welcome back. And from flames in the West to extreme heat in the East, the U.S. is battling severe weather this week. Let's get straight to a wildfire happening north of Los Angeles that officials say has consumed nearly 15,000 acres so far. It's about 6,000 hectares. And the fire you see here is on the move and has forced 1,200 people to evacuate their homes. Meanwhile, here in New York, Governor Kathy Hochul is urging the state to prepare for several days of extreme heat and high humidity. Right now, the expectation is that the heat and humidity forecast with feels like temperatures could exceed 100 degrees.

Let's get to Camila Bernal, who joins us live from Lebec, California. That is north of Los Angeles. Camila, give us a sense of what you've been seeing on the ground there.

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CAMILA BERNAL, CNN U.S NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Rahel. So, still a lot of wind is what we're getting and that really was the biggest concern for firefighters overnight because they were forecasting 60 to 70 mile per hour wind gusts. And that, of course, picks up those embers and carries them even further, which is exactly what they're trying to avoid at the moment. Thankfully, though, when I last spoke to firefighters, they told me, we were able to hold the lines, and that's why containment went from two percent to right percent. So, they were very happy to tell me that.

But, it is already a vast area that has been damaged by this fire. If you take a look here behind me, this is an area where the fire came through uncontrollably. And so, what you have to keep in mind is that we had very two wet years here in California. So, that helps the grass and the brush and the trees grow. But then, you have these very high temperatures drying up all of this and converting it into what fire officials call fuel. And so, that essentially fuels those flames and creates these just very dangerous conditions for firefighters in this area as they work 24/7.

We had crews here on the ground and then you had a number of helicopters. We've been here since yesterday and saw many of the water drops over and over again. But, because of the wind, it's also hard to drop that water in that precise location. So, it's been a lot of hard work from these firefighters and these crews on the ground. There is 1,200 people also that have been told to evacuate their homes, and others are under evacuation warnings. They've been told to just have things packed and ready to go in case they do have to leave at a moment's notice, because they know that the wind is just so strong that those embers and just the fire itself can spread quickly, and will have to force people to leave at a moment's notice. So, that's why officials just stressing that people need to be extremely careful if they are in this area, Rahel.

SOLOMON: And Camila, I mean, when can people in that area expect to see some relief? I mean, we can still see just even in how your hair is blowing in the wind, how windy it is. When can people expect to see some relief?

BERNAL: Yeah. So, it all depends on the wind and on the high temperatures and the humidity. But, of course, firefighters are hopeful that maybe by the end of the week they can get better control of this fire. But, it is going to be a difficult fire season. So, I think it's important to say that all of California needs to prepare for a fire season that is going to likely be one with massive fires or a lot of fires in the state of California and the surrounding states just because of what we mentioned, a lot of rain, then very high temperatures, and it's that back and forth when it comes to climate change that fuels these fires. And so, really, relief is likely not on the way for the state of California, Rahel.

SOLOMON: OK. Camila Bernal, thank you, live for us here from Lebec, California.

And also with us now is CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar. She is from the Weather Center -- reporting from the Weather Center in Atlanta. Allison, take us through this scorching forecast. I mean, the map tells a thousand words there. That is a very descriptive map. Well, what's going on?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah. So, I mean, basically, what this is showing is over 80 percent of the U.S. population is expecting temperatures above 90 degrees at some point this week. Now, you do have some areas where it's going to be a bit more extreme than others, and that's where we are forecasting most of these records to be broken. You're talking almost 200 potential record highs that could be broken at some point this week. Now, the bulk of them, yes, are going to be located in the northeast in the Midwest.

But, also, you notice we have a few dots in the Southeast. We'll also have a few dots out in the West. So, it's not just one particular area. The concern for the Northeast and the Midwest is really more of the prolonged nature. For some of these areas, you're looking at multiple days of above average temperatures. For example, Cleveland, looking at least a five-day stretch of temperatures 90 degrees or higher. Some of these areas in the Northeast could break multiple days of records back to back.

The other concern, especially in the Northeast, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, all of these areas don't even peak until we get to Wednesday and Thursday of this week, and then temperatures will be 15, even 20 degrees above average. So, it's that prolonged nature too. Another thing we're keeping an eye out is this. This particular system right here has a 70 percent chance of developing into a tropical system in just the next 48 hours. Now, regardless of whether or not this actually gets to be a named tropical storm, it's going to push a lot of tropical moisture up into a lot of these Gulf Coast states. So, you're talking Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and especially Texas, looking at a tremendous amount of rain in a short period of time. Look at some of these numbers, west of Houston, all the way down

towards Corpus Christi, the red color and the pink color, you're talking six, eight, 10 inches of rain. Some spots could pick up as much as a foot of rain over the next several days. And Rahel, you probably remember, just last month, Houston went through devastating floods. Now, a month later, we're adding even more rain on top of it.

SOLOMON: Wow. Yeah. So, it sounds like it looks or it looks like based on that map that everyone is getting hit with a little bit of something.

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Allison Chinchar, thanks for the forecast. Thank you.

All right. Coming up, it was a truly unforgettable finish to this year's U.S. Open. How the golfer known as "The Scientist" pulled a stunning victory from the jaws of defeat? We'll be right back.

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SOLOMON: Welcome back. And before we go, one more thing. Bryson DeChambeau became a U.S. champion for the second time after a topsy- turvy day of golf in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Known as "The Scientist" for his precise and sometimes centric approach to the game, DeChambeau applied his calculus to win by one shot after an early challenge from a surging Rory McIlroy. McIlroy led at one point, but then faltered in the homestretch. DeChambeau held his nerve with a crucial sand save at 18, made par and that won over for the round, secured his second championship in five years.

And after that victory, our Patrick Snell caught up with a thankful and thoughtful Bryson DeChambeau. Take a look.

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PATRICK SNELL, CNN ANCHOR, WORLD SPORT: Well, Bryson, many congratulations on your second U.S. Open title. It was a crazy wild finish. Take us out there on the course with you. You're down the stretch with Rory McIlroy. And I'm wondering, where do you rank bunker shot at the very last?

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU, 2024 U.S. OPEN CHAMPION: That bunker shot at the very last was possibly my best golf shot my entire life. I didn't know that practicing those 50-yard bunker shots, when I was a kid, would have brought me to this point at Pinehurst No. 2 to win my second U.S. Open. But, sure enough, it did and it couldn't be more proud

SNELL: Yeah, and a place in history. Absolutely. One of the wonderful images from this whole week, your engagement with the fans. You told me earlier in the week, though, that three years ago, the landscape was very different for you and that you could have handled things differently. Compare that to that euphoria and the warmth you felt all weekend at Pinehurst.

DECHAMBEAU: A lot of personal growth. 2022 was a rock-bottom year for me and pushed me to be the person I am today, and I've got a lot of people that stuck around me from 2022, which has allowed me to be the person I've grown to be now. And I can't thank them enough, because without them, I wouldn't be here. And it's been a long road, but I'm certainly very blessed and thankful to have those individuals sticking with me and continuing to push me forward.

SNELL: The memory of your late father John is, of course, forever special, especially so on Father's Day. What would he have said to you about this victory, and how did he inspire you to achieve this title?

DECHAMBEAU: He'd have probably said, why did you pull it on 18 off the tee shot, knowing him and his witty humor? But, he would have been smiling and hugging me and giving me a lot of praise. So, he was a good man.

SNELL: Did you feel his presence out there?

DECHAMBEAU: All day. There was numerous times on two, three, four, even five, where I was just thinking -- I was walking down the fairway thinking about him. As much as I was engaging with the fans, they were at the forefront of my mind still.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: All right. Well, thanks for being with us today. We know your time is money. So, thank you for spending some time with me. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York. Stick with CNN. One World is coming next.

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