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Trump Rallies with VP Pick Vance; Trump and Vance Holds First Rally in Michigan; VP Harris Fights for Biden; 35 Congressional Democrats Urge Biden to Drop Out; Pelosi Headlines "Unity" Fundraiser; Netanyahu to Visit Washington; Israeli Airstrikes in Yemen; Iran Warns of Dangerous Escalation; Israel Attacks Houthi Targets in Yemen for the First Time; Investigators Look Deeper into Shooter's Movements; CrowdStrike Under Scrutiny; Polluted Mediterranean Sea; Breakdancing Makes Its Olympic Debut. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired July 21, 2024 - 04:00   ET

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

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[04:00:00]

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers around the world. I'm Fred Pleitgen in London, and here's what's ahead on "CNN Newsroom."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Last week I took a bullet for democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: Donald Trump holds his first campaign rally since the attempt on his life with VP pick J. D. Vance by his side, their message to supporters in the battleground state of Michigan.

Also, as pressure builds on Joe Biden to step aside from the presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris has a message of her own to donors.

Plus, Iran warns of dangerous escalation after Israel targets Houthi rebels in Yemen. We'll have a live report on the Houthi's latest response to the attack.

Kicking things off with U.S. politics, though, and Donald Trump is giving us a sense of how he'll be conducting rallies now that he is officially the Republican nominee for president. Alongside his new running mate, J. D. Vance, he was in Michigan Saturday for his first campaign rally since surviving an assassination attempt last weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I stand before you only by the grace of Almighty God. That's true. I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be here. Maybe J. D. or somebody else would be here, but I shouldn't be here right now. But something very special happened. Let's face it, something happened.

They keep saying, he's a threat to democracy. I'm saying, what the hell did I do for democracy? Last week, I took a bullet for democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: And Mr. Trump was wearing a smaller bandage on his right ear than he had at the Republican Convention. Congressman Ronny Jackson, who is, of course, the former White House physician, says Trump is "recovering as expected from a gunshot wound to that ear."

The former president spoke for nearly two hours going over familiar themes of America being in decline and it all being the fault of current President Joe Biden And his VP, Kamala Harris. He also tried to distance himself from Project 2025, which is, of course, the Heritage Foundation's controversial playbook for the next Republican president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Like, some on the right, severe right, came up with this Project 25, and I don't even know. I mean, some of them, I know who they are, but they're very, very conservative, just like you have -- they're sort of the opposite of the radical left, OK? You have the radical left, and you have the radical right. And they come up with this pro -- I don't know what the hell it is. It's Project 25.

He's involved in Project -- and then they read some of the things, and they are extreme. I mean, they're seriously extreme. But I don't know anything about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: The Biden campaign criticized Trump's remarks at the rally, saying, "He's peddling the same lies, running the same campaign of revenge and retribution, touting the same failed policies and, as usually, focused only on himself."

Now, with the president recovering from COVID, Vice President Harris is out campaigning, even amid questions over whether she might eventually lead the ticket. Eva McKend has more.

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EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Harris spending part of the weekend on Cape Cod headlining a fundraiser, which reportedly raised more than $2 million for the Biden-Harris team.

Now, this comes as both Democrats and Republicans are trying to wrap their heads around what a potential Harris run could look like, and if she could beat Former President Donald Trump. The fundraiser also happening as some big dollar donors have held back from writing checks for the campaign amid growing concerns about Biden's candidacy, raising doubts about how long the campaign can continue operating in full force if circumstances don't change. Meanwhile, in pivotal battlegrounds states, Democratic voters telling us the stakes are too high this election for the infighting to continue.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think he should step aside. I mean, regardless of his physical appearance, I think as far as his administration and his policies and things that he's putting forth to advance America is what it's all about.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If they -- if he does step aside, I absolutely believe it should be Kamala Harris. She is the vice president. She is the next in line. She has been running alongside him this whole time. To bring in someone else, a governor or somebody, I feel like that's someone too new too late. And I don't think that's appropriate. And it's frankly rude to Kamala.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[04:05:00]

MCKEND: Both publicly and privately, Harris has remained loyal to Biden, assuring donors and voters alike they can win re-election in 2024, even though it won't be easy. She continues to be supportive of the president, saying she is a first-hand witness to his decision- making process, and that he's always thinking about everyday working Americans.

Eva McKend, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: And we go live now to Cambridge, Massachusetts to speak with Thomas Giff, director of the Center on U.S. Politics at University College here in London, usually. Thomas, welcome to the show. I got to ask you, do you think it's feasible at this point for President Biden to actually stay in the race, the trajectory at which this is going right now.

THOMAS GIFF, DIRECTOR, CENTER ON U.S. POLITICS, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: Thanks so much for having me, Fred. It's great to be with you. I think Biden is in a really bad place and it is going to be tough for him to stay in the race.

Every time a Congress member or a donor calls for Biden to step down, they hurt Biden in the polls. Biden digs in his heels. Democrats get exasperated. They call on Biden to step down again. Biden says no, and the vicious cycle continues. So, I think part of the problem is that top lawmakers on Capitol Hill are used to strong arming subordinates into compliance, but you can't really do that with the president.

This is his last foray into professional politics. Biden thinks that he's earned the nomination. You'd think he'd be mindful of his legacy and how it would be tarnished if he goes out by losing to Trump. But so far, he's been defiant. I think if there is one potential upside to Democrats of Biden waiting to get out, it might shorten that period of infighting that's invariably going to ensue among candidates who wants to replace him.

PLEITGEN: Well, it's interesting. I was just picking up on what you said there about Biden obviously thinking that he's earned the nomination. Of course, we did have the primaries already where he did, in fact, earn the nomination. So, it is quite difficult to pull him out of the race right now, or at least to try to force him out of the race. And we already see the Republicans, namely Donald Trump last night, having a field day with all of this.

GIFF: Well, I completely agree with you, Fred. I mean, one of the questions here is what's driving Democrats to pressure Biden to leave the race. Obviously, his mental acuity is the main story. But in the same breath, you also hear Democrats referencing the polls and saying that they don't think that Biden has a pathway to victory against Trump.

Clearly, the two are related, but I think making the latter case is more precarious politically. Because there can't be a norm that just because the party's presumptive nominee starts to decline in the polls, the party elites can discard what voters demanded in the primaries. And it's not like Biden has no pathway at all to beat Trump. I think everyone thought that Trump would lose in 2016 and he ended up beating Hillary Clinton. That's not to discount at all the tough situation that Biden is in right now. The polls definitely look dispiriting. But it is to say, I think that a replacement candidate wouldn't obviously be better.

PLEITGEN: Yes, that -- I was going to ask that next. Talk to me about Kamala Harris. Obviously, she seems to be trying to assert herself a little more in case she's going to be the candidate, but at the same time, of course, she does have to play this very carefully because right now she's obviously still supporting president Biden.

GIFF: Exactly. She has to give her full-throated support to Biden publicly and privately as well. And so, she's in a tough spot as well. Sort of trying to thread that needle. I'm not entirely convinced that Kamala Harris is going to be the strongest candidate against Trump, but I think she's the likely candidate against Trump simply because it will be very difficult for Democratic lawmakers or party elites at the convention to go against Biden's vice-presidential pick.

And again, the closer we get to the actual convention, I think that Harris becomes more and more likely simply because there won't be time for kind of a long-drawn-out mini primary, so to speak. And so, I think it's possible that everyone will coalesce again around her.

PLEITGEN: How much damage is all of this doing to the prospects for the Democrats, not just for the White House, but of course, also for the House of Representatives as well? Because right now, they are talking about themselves, essentially not talking about the issues while the Republicans seem to be showing unity.

GIFF: Absolutely. I mean, Republicans are falling in line behind Trump. That was true before the convention. It was true before the assassination attempt. But now, they are 100 percent galvanized by Trump in front of -- you know, actually what you're describing reminds me a lot of the debate or debacle, you might say, around the speaker of the house. Whenever Kevin McCarthy was ousted and Republicans just looked like they were in complete disarray, that's what Democrats look like right now.

[04:10:00]

Will Biden stay? Will he not stay? If he doesn't stay, who's going to replace him? There's so much infighting, bickering, quarreling, and that's just what we're seeing in public. I think behind the scenes, there are a lot of lawmakers trying to pull the strings. So, this is not a good look for Democrats.

Of course, a lot of Democrats are concerned about what will happen down ballot if Biden stays in the race, because at least right now, most of them are overperforming Biden in the polls, but they're concerned that he's going to drag down turnout in particular. It may not be the voters are shifting to Republicans, but they're just not going to show up to the polls.

PLEITGEN: Thomas Giff there in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as always, thank you very much for your insights.

And even amid reports that Mr. Biden has been "seething" towards her amid more Democratic defections, Nancy Pelosi headlined what was touted as a "Unity Dinner" in North Carolina. The former U.S. house speaker avoided talking about the President's re-election bid. She did, however, stress how important this election is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY PELOSI, FORMER U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: Elections are not about rewarding you for what you have done, they're about what you're going to do next. This isn't about any reward. This is about what comes next. And what comes next is very important for our country.

I have three nos. No wasted time, no underutilized resources, and no regrets the day after the election that we could have done more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: Now, Pelosi also went on to address Trump trying to separate himself from Project 2025.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PELOSI: Understand this, what they have in their 2025, you know, that thing, that Project 2025, what's his name keeps saying I don't have anything to do with it, I don't even know these people. No, they worked in his office. One was the head of the Office of Management and Budget. The other is a head of personnel. He knows him. He knows him full well, and that is the agenda.

(END VIDEO CLIP) PLEITGEN: And after the break the Israeli prime minister is set to visit Washington, D.C. amid warnings about escalating tensions in the Middle East. Stay with us.

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[04:15:00]

PLEITGEN: Welcome back, everyone. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to travel to Washington, D.C., where he will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden Tuesday afternoon. That's according to prime minister's office. He'll deliver remarks to the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, and the visit, of course, comes as officials say Israel mounted airstrikes in Yemen for the first time Saturday after an attack on Tel Aviv by Houthi rebels on Friday.

Now, Iran is condemning those Israeli airstrikes on Houthi targets and warning of a wider escalation in the region. Yemen's Houthi-run Ministry of Health says at least three people were killed and another 87 wounded when Israel struck the port of Hodeidah. You can see the flames there on your screen.

Israel's prime minister accuses Iran of using the port to help Houthi rebels.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The port we attacked is not an innocent port. It was used for military purposes. It was used as an entry point for deadly weapons supplied to the Houthis by Iran. They used this weapon to attack Israel, to attack the countries of the region, to attack an international shipping lane, one of the most important shipping lanes in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: And Israel's military said early Sunday that it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen, added -- adding that the projectile did not cross into Israeli territory. The Houthis, for their part, confirmed they did launch ballistic missiles towards Israel. Journalist Elliott Gotkine joins me now live in London. And, Elliott, this really seems to be an ongoing situation for Israel, isn't it?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: It is, Fred, and tensions between Israel and the Houthis do seem to be escalating. I don't think they're going to rise to the same kind of temperature in terms of conflict as we're seeing between Israel and the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon, not least because of the distance. It's about 1,800 kilometers, more than a thousand miles away, and also because of the threat that the Houthis pose to Israel.

But despite calls from no less than a U.N. Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez for his words, utmost restraint between Israel and the Houthis, there seems to be no sign of that. As you say, Israel saying this morning that it's Arrow 3 aerial defense system took out a surface-to-surface missile that was fired to Israel from Yemen and that it didn't enter Israeli airspace, although sirens did sound just as a precautionary measure, and the Houthis confirming that they fired a number of ballistic missiles towards Israel.

The Houthis are saying that they are preparing for a long war and that Tel Aviv is still not safe, a reference to the successful drone that they sent towards the Tel Aviv and that slammed into an apartment block near the beach front about 100 meters away from the U.S. consulate on Friday, killing an Israeli man, a 50-year-old man who moved to Israel from Belarus a couple of years ago.

And when he was asked, the IDF spokesman, Daniel Hagari said that despite more than 200 projectiles being fired by the Houthis towards Israel since the Hamas terrorist attacks of October the 7th, they acted on this occasion because an Israeli man had been killed. Fred.

PLEITGEN: Elliott Gotkine here in London, thank you very much. And joining us now live is Noa Landau. She is the deputy editor-in-chief for Haaretz and comes to us from Tel Aviv. Noa, and I want to speak about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netan visit to the U.S. in a second, but also, I do want to get your take on this back and forth that we're seeing now between the Israel and the Houthis Rebels. How dangerous do you think something like this can be in -- for Israel? Because they have their ongoing campaign in Gaza. They have the issues on the northern border in Lebanon. They have the standoff with Iran that continues and now, it seems possibly another front to worry about.

[04:20:00]

NOA LANDAU, DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, HAARETZ: Yes, Fred, that's right. Just this morning in Israel, it's now 11:00 in the morning in Israel and we already saw that there were several missiles fired from Yemen intercepted by the Arrow 3 Air Defense in Israel. It was outside Israeli territory, but still, this is pretty concerning.

Now, as you said, we have the northern front. We have Gaza. Now, the Houthis in Yemen are actually saying that they're going to increase their attack. So, yes, Fred, I would say that this is pretty much -- this is very worrying indeed.

PLEITGEN: It certainly is. And of course, all this as the campaign in Gaza continues and the prime minister now going to Washington, D.C. What do you expect? What does he have to deliver for the Israelis when he meets with President Biden, but of course, also in that address to Congress?

LANDAU: Well, of course, it depends to which Israelis, you know, Israel is pretty divided right now, and each side and the political game is expecting something else. Netanyahu just announced this morning he will leave for the U.S. Monday morning, and he will meet Biden on Tuesday.

Many of the Israelis that actually support a deal to release the hostages from Gaza and basically also end the war, expect Biden to be harsh with Netanyahu and demand that from him, while others, of course, supporting Netanyahu's more hawkish stand are expecting him to avoid any of these direct American demands. So, it really depends on which side of the political spectrum you are in Israel regarding the expectations from this visit.

PLEITGEN: Yes. And you did have some protests obviously going on over the past week, demanding a ceasefire, demanding a deal to release the hostages. How big is that pressure on Netanyahu, especially right now, as the U.S. is saying they believe that they're inside the 10-yard line as Secretary of State Blinken put it?

LANDAU: Well, there's quite a lot of pressures. And yes, Israelis are taking the streets more and more, demanding this deal. That will also end the war in Gaza. I have to say most Israelis that are demonstrating are not demonstrating to end the war, they're demonstrating to release the hostages. But this is the outcome. This is -- you know, this is what basically a deal will mean. And some Israelis also support that, but that's, I would say, a small -- it's a minority, a political minority right now.

So, there are growing pressures. But on the other hand, we've been saying that for a while now, and it's been nine months now since the beginning of this war, and we keep hearing about, you know, deals and pressures for a deal, but there's no deal.

PLEITGEN: And at the same time, of course, within the coalition, Netanyahu is facing a lot of pressure to not compromise from people like Itamar Ben-Gvir. How big does that weigh on him and how does he navigate that?

LANDAU: So, that's the extreme right branch of this government. Of course, they also -- they were against the previous deals, which in the end, got a lot of support within the Israeli public, even those that support the extreme right. In the end, you know, they were. When you see these people coming out of Gaza, in the end, people are happy about it, but they're -- you know, it's a political game. So, they're using it to pressure from their side.

There is a political solution to that, the center political spectrum led by Benny Gantz would, of course, support the government to make this deal. So, even if those extreme right factor will leave the government if, if such a deal will be accepted, then, you know, there is a solution. The government could still pass that.

PLEITGEN: There's clearly been a lot of tension between the Biden administration and Prime Minister Netanyahu. What do you think that he is going to Washington with? What is his strategy? What does he for himself and for his government want to come out with?

LANDAU: Well, Netanyahu always wants to give a good speech at the Congress. For him, it's also about domestic politics because his supporters, you know, they like it when he tells the American, you know, Israel's perspective of things. So, for him, it's always, I think, more about the domestic policy than the international achievement.

But he will, of course ask the U.S. to continue and provide ammunition for this war. We have to remember that this is not only about political diplomatic deal, this is also about Israel's ability to keep on fighting with American ammunition. So, that's also on the table, of course.

PLEITGEN: I want to ask you from your perspective on the ground, how big do you think the chances are of a ceasefire deal being very close? I know that the prime minister visited Rafah just this past week saying that the pressure on Hamas will continue and he believes that actually moves a ceasefire deal closer, that pressure that he's continuing.

[04:25:00]

LANDAU: Well, Fred, I have wishful thinking here because I hope so much that the deal is, is close. But again, we've been in this ongoing news for nine months now. And nine months we've been, you know, told that the deal is near and it wasn't. So, I can't really predict, but I really hope that we will see a deal soon.

PLEITGEN: Noa Landau in Tel Aviv, thank you very much for joining us.

LANDAU: Thank you.

PLEITGEN: And we are getting more details about President Zelenskyy's phone call with Donald Trump. Mr. Zelenskyy's spokesperson says Trump told Ukraine's president to ignore what he called "fake news," that his re-election would be beneficial to Russia. Trump reportedly added that there are no excuses for what Moscow has done in Ukraine.

Earlier, Mr. Zelenskyy said Trump had agreed to meet him and discussed possible ways to end the war. The spokesperson says the details of that meeting are yet to be worked out.

Turning now to Bangladesh, where the military enforced curfew continues ahead of today's highly anticipated Supreme Court hearing on the controversial job quota system. Outrage over the decades old program sparked nationwide protests earlier this month. Those demonstrations turned violent and deadly in recent days. As clashes between student protesters and police reportedly killed dozens and injured thousands more, according to data from hospitals across the country.

And we will take a quick break. For viewers in North America, I'll be back with more "CNN Newsroom" in just a moment. For our international viewers, "Decoded" is next.

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[04:30:00]

PLEITGEN: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and in Canada. I'm Fred Pleitgen. And you are watching "CNN Newsroom."

The motive for the assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally a week ago remains a mystery. Investigators continue to trace the movements of Thomas Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman who was killed by a Secret Service counter sniper. Gloria Pazmino now has the latest on the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're learning new details about some evidence that was found inside Thomas Matthew Crooks' vehicle. According to law enforcement sources who have been carrying out this investigation, they were able to recover a drone in the vehicle, and they believe that he was able to deploy the drone on Saturday morning.

Now, why is that information so critical? Well, it certainly suggests to a level of preparation and planning on Crooks part being able to fly the drone over the location of the Saturday rally likely gave him a bird's eye view of where this event was set to take place and potentially helped him decide where to position himself. We know that he was on top of a roof where he had a direct view of the former president.

Now, we still don't know the motive behind this assassination attempt on Former President Trump. We don't know what drove Crooks to commit this act of violence, but we do know something about the searches that he had carried out on the internet in the days prior to Saturday. He looked up information about both Former President Donald Trump as well as the current president, Joe Biden. He looked up information about the DNC and other high-profile politicians, including Congressman Hakeem Jeffries.

Another thing that we have learned in the last several days is information about the movements that Thomas Matthew Cooks made in the two days before the rally. On Friday, he went to a local shooting range where he practiced firing. And on Saturday morning, he drove to a local Home Depot where he bought a ladder. And to an ammunition store where he bought about 50 rounds of ammo. We know that he then returned here to his home, grabbed the weapon and then drove about an hour north of here where the rally was taking place.

Now, as I said, investigators still trying to piece together a full picture here, trying to determine what drove him to do this a week ago, if it was really driven purely by political ideology, or if this was really a crime of convenience and proximity. Especially because they've also found that Crooks spent some time on the internet looking up information about Ethan Crumbley and his parents.

Now, Ethan Crumbley is a math high school shooter who was convicted just recently along with his parents. We don't know why Crooks was looking up information about Ethan Crumbley and his parents, but we do know that the weapon that he used on Saturday belonged to his father, along with several other weapons that were recovered here at the family home.

So, into the next week, as we look into next week and as this investigation continues to develop, certainly investigators continuing to piece together the evidence, trying to come up with the motive, trying to determine exactly what drove Crooks to commit this act of violence.

In Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, Gloria Pazmino, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: Now, authorities, meanwhile, say they have thwarted another threat to the Republican candidate. Police arrested a Florida man for posts on social media threatening to kill Former President Donald Trump and his vice-presidential pick, J. D. Vance. Michael Martin Wiseman is also accused of threatening Trump and Vance's families with bodily harm. Wiseman was arrested Friday without incident after multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Secret Service investigated tips and Wiseman's Facebook account. He's currently being held without a bond.

Now, of course, another major story that we've been following this weekend, computer systems are coming back online after a global tech outage. But the fallout is far from over. More than 2,000 domestic and international flights in the U.S. were canceled Saturday and more than 8,000 were delayed. The most affected airline is Delta, which is now putting on hold its unaccompanied minors' program until Monday.

[04:35:00]

But in Europe, officials say the situation is largely back to normal at British and French airports, as well as the U.K. train service. Many international air carriers say their systems are back or close to being restored, including Turkish, Jetstar Japan, and Hong Kong Express Airlines.

The problem was traced to a faulty software update by the company called CrowdStrike. And according to some observers, the entire fiasco may have been caused by just one or two lines of bad code. CNN's Tom Foreman explains how such a small mistake snowballed into a massive problem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like I'm being completely screwed over. This is bullcrap.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As airports and trains, hospitals and emergency services, media, retailers, delivery companies, and even the U.S. Space Program grappled with the global cyber outage, a stunning admission, a single glitch in a software update from the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike triggered the whole mess.

GEORGE KURTZ, CEO, CROWDSTRIKE: We identified this very quickly and remediated the issue. And as systems come back online, as they're rebooted, they're coming up and they're working.

FOREMAN (voice-over): This is how it happened. CrowdStrike is a multibillion-dollar cybersecurity firm which helps many Fortune 500 companies protect their Microsoft operating systems from hackers and viruses. That requires constant updates. And normally, when one is deployed -- MIKE DRISCOLL, FORMER FBI AGENT: It will be tested extensively. And

they will work widely with the providers like Microsoft and other organizations that run these platforms to make sure it is compatible with these networks.

FOREMAN (voice-over): But this update was faulty, causing affected computers around the planet to shut down. Dave DeWalt is a top expert in the field. He was up all night helping get them back online.

DAVE DEWALT, CEO, NIGHTDRAGON: -- CrowdStrike was doing everything in its power to stop threats from occurring by doing the updates. But at the same time, you know, the quality control broke down and we ended up with what we had happen.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Government services far and wide were affected by the outage, including in the U.S., Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, Social Security, and even some state 911 systems. At the White House, the fact they could all be affected by one mistake is raising caution flags.

PETE BUTTIGIEG, U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: This digitization in technology has brought massive benefits, but every technology has its downsides.

FOREMAN (voice-over): As it is in New York, one of the famous billboards of Times Square was blanked by the problem. In Paris, final preparation for the Olympics were rattled and all over.

DEWALT: The banking industry and everything else, a couple more hours, you know, maybe the rest of the day, and we'll be returned.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Disputes about how long it will take to get back to normal.

VICTORIA BAINES, PROFESSOR, GRESHAM COLLEGE: There are estimates that this is going to take some days, perhaps even weeks, to fully recover from the impact.

FOREMAN: Analysts call it a testament to CrowdStrike that so many governments and corporations rely on the company. But they say it could also be a warning that maybe there should be some other options if one mistake can cause so many problems.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: But if such a small mistake can cause a glitch like that and such massive problems, are we likely to see something like that again? One expert spoke about that on CNN earlier, and he said, at this stage, there's only so much we can do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLENN GERSTELL, FORMER GENERAL COUNSEL, NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY AND SENIOR ADVISER, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: We're too far gone. We're 20 years into this particular internet and the structure and the backups. And so, we're not going to be able to change the underlying fragility and architecture of the internet and the way digital systems communicate and the way updates are delivered in particular by third-parties who you can't -- you just have to rely on. You just have to accept an update to your phone or your computer. You don't really know what's in it.

It's sort of too late to change that system. I guess the analogy I might use is if you had a bridge that collapsed, you might rebuild it with better steel and make sure it's stronger. And we certainly should do that. But if the underlying foundations, if it's just not practical to rebuild them, you're going to be stuck with them. And I'm afraid in this particular case, we're going to be stuck with inherent fragility of the internet and our digital system. We can do more to protect ourselves, but at the end of the day, this kind of thing might well happen again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: He also said the outage may have been caused by CrowdStrike not testing the update enough before it was sent out.

Excessive heat continues to scorch the U.S. from coast to coast as millions remain under heat alerts and face potentially record-breaking temperatures. CNN Meteorologist Elisa Raffa has details.

ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Drought conditions have been plaguing much of the East Coast from the mid-Atlantic, places like D.C. and Virginia, down through the Southeast to the Carolinas, and even into North Georgia, Atlanta, seeing some of these moderate, even in some places, severe impacts from drought.

[04:40:00]

Well, we've had a stationary front literally just parked across the southeast. A lot of this week that's continuing with the rounds of showers and storms, and you could see the storms continue to ignite on Sunday as this front kind of stays put will have those storms ignite again, especially with the daytime heat and humidity later on in the day.

Most of these storms look like they dropped. Somewhere on one to two inches of rain. If you get a real juicy storm, you could see some three- or four-inch totals that could cause some minor flash flooding if you're over an area that's already kind of saturated from the week.

Things are, again, kind of parked and stalled across the southeast, and it's because they're also kind of parked and stalled across the west with this dome of heat and humidity that just continues to sit and bring above average temperatures from the Pacific Northwest down the California coast. But again, with that heat kind of shoved that way, that's what's giving you that stalled front, the clouds, the storms, and some cooler than normal temperatures across the southeast.

Triple digit temperatures continue for a place like Palm Springs as we start out the work week near 112 on Tuesday. Vegas continues a stretch above 110 degrees. So, does Phoenix. We're even looking at temperatures from 105 to 110 degrees for places like Spokane and Boise. These places don't typically see heat this hot. It doesn't get that extreme this far north. These temperatures are much more typical and much more average for a place like Phoenix, a desert city.

So, something to watch very closely, especially considering where you're seeing a lot of this major and extreme heat risk. It's that risk for heat sickness. This is an area, again, doesn't have too much access to air conditioning. This is the Pacific Northwest, it doesn't usually get this hot even in summer, so something to watch pretty closely.

You see the moderate and major risk for heat sickness, it does continue to stay out west through Monday and Tuesday as that heat also just stays kind of parked.

PLEITGEN: The NTSB is investigating a deadly plane crash in Northern New York state, that was near Niagara Falls. One person is dead after the small plane went down on Saturday. Police say the single engine Cessna was being used for skydiving and was heading back to land after releasing all the skydivers. The pilot was the only one on board at the time of the crash.

And chemicals and plastic waste are clogging the Mediterranean Sea, dirtying the once beautiful blue water and putting both the environment and tourist dollars at risk. That story and much more, straight ahead.

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PLEITGEN: Welcome back, everyone. A sweltering Saturday on Spain's east coast. The National Weather Agency issued a red heat alert, the country's highest for the region of Valencia. Temperatures climbed beyond a stifling 104 degrees Fahrenheit. People flocked to the beaches, hoping to catch a break from the oppressive temperatures. And last year, Spain had almost 11,000 deaths attributed to extreme heat.

A study by the World Wide Fund for Nature estimates the Mediterranean Sea is heavy -- heavily polluted by chemicals and by plastic waste. Conservationists say the Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution since it is semi enclosed. CNN's Barbie Nadeau has more.

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BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): The Mediterranean Sea evokes dreams of luxurious vacations and total relaxation. But your perfect holiday comes at a price. This seemingly idyllic sea is 87 percent polluted, according to a new study by the World Wide Fund for Nature.

PIERLUIGI CAPOZZI, BUSINESS OWNER (through translator): I still see that young people without any problems throw plastic bottles into the sea, throw rubbish on the ground, leave the rubbish, abandon it everywhere, cigarettes, garbage. NADEAU (voice-over): Under and often above the surface is a deadly cocktail of toxic metals, industrial chemicals and plastic waste. This enormous body of water, which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to Asia and from Europe to Africa has the highest concentration of microplastics ever recorded. About 1.9 million fragments per square meter, experts say.

NADEAU: The Mediterranean Sea is incredibly popular for beachgoers who come here to enjoy these crystal-clear turquoise waters. But they're not exactly clean. Every single day, 730 tons of plastic waste are polluting these seas.

NADEAU (voice-over): 150 million people live on the shores of the heavily polluted Mediterranean and a further 270 million tourists visit each year. In 2019, water pollution was connected to about 1.4 million premature deaths globally each year, according to the Lancet, underscoring the risks involved with exposure to polluted water.

The fishing industry is also at risk, since microplastics and the toxic contaminants that attach to them are starting to show worrying health consequences for those who catch fish and those who consume it.

Plastic is a forever pollutant, according to climate crisis experts, meaning once it becomes invasive, it's here to stay. For now, holidaymakers who enjoy this peaceful paradise hope others will do their part to stop spreading the scourge.

FRANCESCO PACELL, TOURIST (through translator): It is so important to keep the beach, the water, clean. It's more beautiful. In my opinion, it is very important. Especially for fish, animals, with all the plastic that floats around.

NADEAU (voice-over): If humans don't do their part to stop the pollution, the dream Mediterranean vacation will soon turn into a nightmare.

Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, reporting from the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Italy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: And a new competition is breaking its way to the Summer Games. Just ahead, we'll show you how a bit of street culture will make its debut at the Paris Olympics. That's coming up.

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[04:50:00]

PLEITGEN: Welcome back, everyone. And as millions across the globe are still dealing with the fallout of the massive tech outage, the International Olympic Committee is choosing to see the silver lining in the lead up to the Paris Games, which has the potential to be a hotbed of technical issues and targeted attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MARK ADAMS, SPOKESPERSON, INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: I'm not a technology expert, so I can't really speak too much about it, but I would say almost it was quite a good rehearsal. Cyberattacks are part of everyone's daily life nowadays, and phishing attempts everywhere. And for the Olympic Games, it's a huge target.

But I can tell you that we have been assured by our people and by our partners and by Paris '24 that we are very, very prepared.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: And with the opening ceremony just five days away, the IOC spokesperson also acknowledged the possible increase of disinformation campaigns targeting the Paris Games. Laying the blame largely on Russia, a major absentee from the 2024 Olympics due to the invasion of Ukraine.

And as the excitement builds for the games to begin, a bit of street counterculture will be making its way into the competition for the first time. Our own Melissa Bell introduces us to a group of break- dancers hoping to pop and lock their way to Olympic gold.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the sidewalks and subways of the South Bronx to the Paris Olympics, breakdancing is about to take center stage.

MENNO VAN GORP "BBOY MENNO", DUTCH BREAKDANCER: It's not like the Olympics picked us up from the street and be like, hey, what those guys doing on the street is nice. Let's grab this. You know, we already really set also our community on a huge platform ourselves

BELL (voice-over): A huge platform that's already global from the U.S. to France, Pakistan, India, Libya, and Yemen. And for a dance that is highly competitive judged along specific criteria.

[04:55:00]

SOFIANE KINZI "BBOY SOSO", FRENCH NATIONAL BREAKDANCING TEAM COACH: Originality, execution, musicality, technique, and vocabulary. So, you need to be the most complete and you dance show you master all part from breaking and to mix all and to make the best demonstration (ph) at the moment with the music.

BELL (voice-over): Now, breakdancing is coming to the Place de la Concorde, where battles will be held at the very end of the Paris Games. France's team is working on its moves and its confidence.

NOE SOBESKY, BBOY NEOSAN", FRENCH BREAKDANCER: You just have to be the most connected to the moment possible. I think that's the key for me during a battle is forget everything and just face the opponent and be there, hear the music, look at the crowd, look at the judges, and enjoy the moment.

BELL (voice-over): A far cry from its early beginnings and an opportunity for the world to discover just how far breakdancing has come.

Melissa Bell CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: The WNBA All-Star team shines Saturday with a victory over the Olympic Team USA. Dominating the game is the woman that you see right here, the game's MVP Arike Ogunbowale. She scored an all-star game record of 34 points. And crowd favorite Caitlin Clark also set an all-star game rookie record with 10 assists. This is the second time non-Olympian WNBA players have beaten Team USA.

Another great story before we go. NASA's Curiosity rover made a discovery on Mars that scientists are calling "mind blowing." Rocks made of pure elemental sulfur. The one-ton craft cracked open a rock, revealing yellowish green crystals never seen before on the red planet. Scientists said they found a field of stones made of pure sulfur, describing it as "like finding an oasis in the desert." They are now on a mission to try and explain why it's there and what it says about the history of Mars.

And I am Fred Pleitgen. I'll be back with more "CNN Newsroom" after a quick break. Stay with us.

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