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Israel Bracing For Potential Attacks by Iran And Hezbollah; Kyiv Blames Moscow For Zaporizhzhia Fire; Ukraine Ramps Up Drone Attacks On Russian Targets; Paris Games come to spectacular close, hand off to Los Angeles; Harris Campaign Raises $12M at San Francisco Fundraiser; Venezuelan Opposition Leader Calls for Day of Mass Protests; All Voice, Data Info Pulled from Black Boxes; Drug Lord Makes First Statement after U.S. Arrest; Drought Threatens Goat- Farming Collapse in Sicily. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired August 12, 2024 - 01:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. I'm Anna Coren. Ahead on CNN Newsroom.

The U.S. orders a guided missile submarine to the Middle East as Israel prepares for a potential attack from Iran. Ukraine pushes deeper into Russian territory, will examine how drones and other high tech weaponry could be crucial in their surprise offensive.

And what's more, L.A. than Tom Cruise. Paris hands off the Olympic torch to Los Angeles Hollywood style/

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Hong Kong. This is CNN Newsroom with Anna Coren.

COREN: We begin this hour with escalating tensions in the Middle East as Israel braces for a possible attack from Iran and the Iranian- backed militant group Hezbollah. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a guided missile submarine to the region, with the public announcement seen as a message of deterrence to Iran and its proxies. The U.S. is also accelerating the arrival of a carrier strike group.

Well. CNN political and foreign policy analyst Barak Ravid reports that, according to a source, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the U.S. Defense Secretary that Iranian military preparations suggest Iran is preparing for a large scale attack.

Well, two sources also told Ravid that Israeli intelligence suggests Iran could be planning an attack within days. The situation is still fluid.

Tensions were only heightened Sunday night, Israel says about 30 rockets were launched from Lebanon. Israel Defense Forces says some fell into open areas and no injuries have been reported. All this ahead of planned ceasefire talks that are due to take place later this week in an effort to end the war in Gaza. On Sunday, Palestinians were seen leaving Khan Younis after evacuation orders from the Israeli army. They carried whatever belongings they could in search for safety. CNN's Jeremy Diamond is following developments, and there's more now from Haifa, Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, just days ahead of a potentially critical summit to try and finalize a hostage release and cease fire deal, Hamas is now casting doubt on whether or not they will actually attend that latest round of talks.

In a new statement, Hamas is saying that they want to see a deal based on previous rounds of talks, rather than engaging in another round of negotiations. Saying, quote, the movement demands the mediators to present a plan to implement what they presented to the movement and agreed upon on July 2, 2024 based on Biden's vision and the U.N. Security Council resolution, and to compel the occupation to do so instead of going for further negotiation rounds or new proposals.

Now, Hamas says that they have arrived at this latest position after the latest Israeli attack on a school in Gaza, this one coming on Saturday, killing at least 90 Palestinians, including women and children, according to local Palestinian officials.

And even as this is happening, hours earlier, I was told by an Israeli source familiar with the talks that Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader actually does want a deal. That was the message that was conveyed by the Egyptian and Qatari mediators, two Israeli officials saying that Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader wants to get to a ceasefire agreement.

But the question, as we're now learning, is exactly what deal, which version of that proposal that President Biden has been talking about for several months now, is Hamas actually willing to enter into? And the same question can be asked of Israeli officials and the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli Prime Minister's allies say that he does want to get to a deal. They've been telling that to other Israeli government officials, to journalists as well, but there still is considerable skepticism in the Israeli security establishment, which has been trying to push the Israeli Prime Minister towards a deal about whether or not he's actually committed to doing so.

And so there's a lot of uncertainty about his commitment to reaching a deal. What is clear is that he will face enormous pressure this week from the United States to reach an agreement, but now that very critical summit is in question, not only because Hamas is indicating it may not participate, but also we are watching these regional tensions as a potential Hezbollah or potential attack from Iran appeared to be looming on the horizon.

[01:05:03]

If there is a cease fire deal, though it could certainly deescalate the situation, but we simply may not even get to that point. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Haifa, Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CORNE: Well, joining me now from Cairo is a H.A. Hellyer, a Middle East Studies scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a Senior Associate Fellow in International Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute. Great to have you with us.

These local reports that Iran will attack in the coming days. What are you learning?

H.A. HELLYER, MIDDLE EAST STUDIES SCHOLAR, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: I think that we're all on pretty much the same page here when it comes to those reports, having said that those reports have been coming out now for a couple of weeks.

So it's still an open question as to whether or not these reports are quote, unquote genuine, or if they're part of Iran strategy to rattle the Israeli establishment. Because, of course, if you're expecting an attack, then yes, you prepare for it, but also means you put your community on high alert. It means that you get rattled, and that may indeed be part of it, but frankly, we won't know, unfortunately, until it's too late.

COREN: Are you surprised that Iran and Hezbollah have not yet responded to those two assassinations, high profile assassinations last month, and what does the delay suggest?

HELLYER: So Iran did make something quite clear at the U.N. only a few days ago, where they prioritized a ceasefire deal over pretty much anything else. And as you reported -- reporter just pointed out, there's considerable enthusiasm for such a ceasefire deal for amongst the international community. I think even Iran wants that deal.

The biggest sticking point, of course, which your reporter alluded to is Netanyahu and his cabinet. And keep in mind that over the course of the past 10 months, there have been numerous reports now coming out to show that Netanyahu has sabotaged ceasefire deals quite a number of times.

So, I think that that's probably a part of it. I think there's probably the other consideration, well, one of the other considerations being, what sort of reprisal ought to take place? There's probably considerable discussion in that regard. And there's no rush, I suppose, from the Iranians perspective, to actually respond as much as there is to respond at a time of their choosing.

COREN: Are you expecting a combined attack by Iran and Hezbollah? Will they engage the Iranian other Iran's other proxies?

HELLYER: It's entirely possible. So the Iranians have allies in the region, whether it's Hezbollah, whether it's the Houthis, there are others as well in Iraq. But the question will be, who starts? Who does what when? I think that it's quite likely that there will be attacks from more than one place, keeping in mind the reprisals will be about the killing of Hezbollah leader in Lebanon, as well as the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

So you know, those are two completely different places in two different countries. So it wouldn't surprise me if there were a combined attack of some sort. But again, the focus on the ceasefire is what Iran brought up quite publicly. And I think they are serious about that. And I think that the key to deescalating a very, very dangerous and precarious situation does lie in Gaza.

And I think that at least in the European arena, there's great concern that the Israelis are not serious about a ceasefire, that you have ministers like Ben-Gvir and Smotrich really pouring fuel on fire in places like the West Bank. But also, of course, when it comes to just general policy in avoiding or sabotaging a ceasefire deal.

I mean, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, said publicly yesterday that the European Union had to put sanctions on the agenda when it came to Israel, precisely because of statements like from Ben Gvir about cutting fuel and supplies to civilians that are in occupied territory, with Israel's occupying power having responsibility for them.

So, there's a lot of movement here towards the ceasefire, but unfortunately, not from the Israelis. And my last point is that the report -- your report to mention that there'll be a great deal of pressure this week from the United States.

[01:10:00]

I'm afraid that for the past 10 months that pressure has been rhetorical. It hasn't been public. It hasn't been something that's used the leverage that the United States does have in terms of supply of weapons, in terms of protection at the U.N. on a political level, if we want to see the cease fire deal come through, then pressure -- genuine pressure, will have to be applied, and that will mean that President Biden will have to use the leverage the United States has in order to push Israel to the table.

COREN: Finally, before you go, as we know, the U.S. has deployed the USS Georgia guided missile submarine to the region along with the Abraham Lincoln strike group. It's accelerating its deployment to the Middle East. Do you see this as just a deterrent?

HELLYER: Yes. I mean, I think that the United States has made it clear that they will defend Israel if it's attacked. But I don't know what that means in practice. I do think that the movement of these assets into the region is designed to send a message to Hezbollah, to Iran, that the United States is Israel's ally.

It did so also in October, and has done so, you know, a number of times over the course of not just the past 10 months, but you know, more historically than that. I don't think that it's a prelude to taking any action without some sort of initial reprisal from Hezbollah or from particularly Iraq.

COREN: H.A. Hellyer, great to get your analysis from Cairo and Egypt. Thank you for joining us. HELLYER: Thank you.

COREN: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is blaming Russian forces for starting a fire at a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. He shared this video online showing smoke coming out of one of the towers at the Russian controlled Zaporizhzhia plant, but Russia claims the fire erupted after a Ukrainian attack.

Zelenskyy says Moscow is just using the nuclear plant to blackmail Ukraine and the rest of the world. He added that radiation levels in the area are normal.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops are pushing deeper into Russia's Kursk Region after launching an incursion last week. Latest report by the Russian Defense Ministry indicates they've advanced up to 30 kilometers inside Russia. On Sunday, Zelenskyy said his military is doing what is necessary to end the war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Only from the beginning of this summer, and only from the Kursk region. Our Sumi region suffered almost 2,000 strikes, artillery, mortars, drones. We also monitor every missile strike, and each such strike deserves a fair response.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: CNN's Clare Sebastian has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Russia is clearly racing to try to stem the Ukrainian advance into its territory. Now, almost a week since it begun, the Ministry of Defense putting out this video, purportedly of a strike on a Ukrainian military convoy, some five armored vehicles on Sunday. CNN has geolocated this to about 14 kilometers from the border, near where the Ministry of Defense claimed to have thwarted Ukrainian advances last week.

Now it's unclear at this point whether Russian efforts have slowed the advance, but the question for Ukraine, as Russia amasses forces and evacuates tens of thousands of civilians, is how long that they can hold on, and if holding on, even occupying pockets of Russian territory is part of the plan.

Videos like these have started to surface online of Ukrainian troops replacing Russian flags with Ukrainian ones. Now, after days of silence, only dropping hints about the operation, President Zelenskyy addressed it directly for the first time on Saturday.

ZELENSKYY (through translator): Today, I received several reports from commander in chief Syrskyi, regarding the front lines and our actions to push the war onto the aggressor's territory. I'm grateful to every unit of Defense Forces ensuring that. Ukraine is proving that it can indeed restore justice and ensure the necessary pressure on the aggressor.

SEBASTIAN: Well, that pressure not enough to prevent another bleak chapter in an increasingly deadly summer for Ukrainian civilians. Ukraine's Air Force Sunday saying that Russia fired four North Korean ballistic missiles, part of a combined overnight missile and drone attack that killed a father and his four year old son in a suburb of Kyiv. Ukraine now grappling with a new front inside Russia and an evolving enemy, likely intent on hitting back harder. Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: As the war grinds on, Ukraine is relying more on drones to reach targets deeper in Russia.

[01:15:00]

The country's drone program has grown significantly since Russia's full scale invasion began. Ukraine has developed long range attack drones that are capable of striking hundreds of kilometers beyond its borders. And just this year, Ukraine claims that its drone sank or damaged several Russian warships and destroyed fuel depots, military targets and energy infrastructure.

Well, joining us now is Marcel Plichta in Inverness, Scotland. He's a Fellow at the Center for Global Law and Governance at the University of St Andrews. He's also a former analyst for the U.S. Department of Defense. Marcel, great to have you with us.

Ukraine, as we know, outgunned, outmanned and under resourced in this war, and yet their drones have transformed the law. Explain to us how?

MARCEL PLICHTA, FELLOW, CENTER FOR GLOBAL LAW AND GOVERNANCE: Yes, what Ukraine has found out is that drone technology is a lot easier to harness than something more traditional, like a missile. And so you know, as more and more firms in Ukraine have started producing drones for the military, this has created a bit of a force multiplier for Kyiv that they -- that we didn't expect them to have in, say, 2022 where national (ph) missile to, you know, attack Russian territory. Now they can use 15, you know, cheaper drones, and that's what we've been seeing over the past year with attacks on oil infrastructure and military airfields, there was just an attack on. Sorry.

COREN: Hello, Marcel, you're there?

PLICHTA: Yes. Sorry.

COREN: We're experiencing some hits on the line. You can hear us. That's OK. That's good.

PLICHTA: Yes.

COREN: Ukraine, as we know, the first country in the world to launch a military branch dedicated solely to drone warfare. Why does Ukraine have the edge on Russia in regards to this? PLICHTA: For Ukraine, drones replace a lot of traditional military systems, so Ukraine doesn't have much in the way of a navy anymore after initial hostilities broke out. So, for instance, drone boats now do a lot of Ukraine's naval operations, and that's what sunk a lot of their warships. It's the same for their aerial drones, right? They've replaced a lot of what a traditional air force would do, or a traditional missiles would do.

So, it essentially allows them to, you know, use drones in place of people, in place of boats, and in place of aircraft and missiles.

COREN: Tell us, how has it developed the capability to strike hundreds of kilometers inside Russia?

PLICHTA: Yes, to a certain extent, you know, it's always been possible to get that distance. The problem has been communicating with the drone at that distance. Traditionally, people, you, know to unmanned platforms communicate via either satellite or radio, and that has severe limitations to it, and it can be jammed.

What Ukraine is leveraging is a combination of GPS or GNSS satellite navigation, inertial navigation, which is the drone sort of doing the math on how fast it's gone and where, and increasingly leveraging autonomy through what's called terrain mapping, which is where it, you know, it has a camera or some other sensor, and it uses that to figure out where on the globe it is and where it's supposed to go.

COREN: I was in Ukraine at the end of last year, and electronic warfare was causing a huge problem for both sides, but in particular for Ukraine, how have they managed to overcome this?

PLICHTA: Yes, jamming is one of one of the biggest problems for both sides in terms of drone use. It's tricky. There's a lot of different innovations that Ukraine has leveraged. And that's anything from sort of, you know, increasing the strength of the signal between the drone and the ground to increasingly, actually, in some cases, attaching a physical fiber optic wire between the command and the drone.

This obviously mostly works for short drones or and then lastly, autonomy, right? You can't use -- you can't usually use electronic warfare against something that's navigating without a connection to the ground or connection to the satellite. So that leads to -- so that leads to a platform that's much more difficult to jam reuse electronic warfare against.

COREN: So is that why Russia is struggling to stop these Ukrainian drones?

PLICHTA: It's, yes, well, it's a combination of factors. Autonomy is probably more on the cutting edge, but the way that Ukraine's drone production works is it's very decentralized. So you have a lot of very small workshops, you know, working and sharing best practices where they can.

What that leads to is a lot of different ideas on how to defeat jamming that sort of end up on the battlefield. COREN: Yes, it really is the future of warfare. Marcel, we really appreciate your time. Thanks for joining us.

PLICHTA: Thank you.

COREN: When we come back, will always have Paris.

[01:20:00]

A recap of the thrilling last day of competition at the Summer Games and a one of a kind closing ceremony.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Spectacular fireworks illuminating the sky above the south de France just outside the French capital. This was part of the Paris Games action packed closing ceremony. Up to two and a half weeks of exciting and historic competition Paris chose to go out with a bang.

Well, some of those lucky enough to catch the breathtaking show in person say they were overcome with feelings of pride for their city and excitement as they look ahead to the upcoming Paralympics and the Los Angeles games in 2028.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REJOICE TOURBILLON, PARIS RESIDENT (through translator): We enjoyed it from beginning to the end. Let's not talk about the Americans, because Tom Cruise was the climax, but really it's our athletes, the parade, the music, there was no cut off point. It was really vibrant from the beginning to the end, with a bit of remorse in my heart, because we have to wait 15 days, is that it, for the Paralympic Games and we'll be there.

ALSSATA MARIKO, LOS ANGELES RESIDENT: Oh, my God, it's not finished. Like she's from here. I'm from LA.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MARIKO: So she's coming to see me in 2028 is like just, you know, the next chapter.

RHODIA DIALLO, PARIS RESIDENT: Reclaimed. So I'm Parisian. She's for (INAUDIBLE) in four years now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Happy girls. Well, before the ceremony, there was still medals to be won on the final day of the games, 13 gold medals were awarded on Sunday. The U.S. and China, who have been neck and neck the last few days, made history in Paris, finishing in a tie for the most golds with 40 each.

Well, Team USA finishes with the most medals overall with 126. Our Coy Wire has more now from Paris.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: What an incredible ending to the Summer Olympics here in Paris, the U.S. Women's Basketball Team going down to the wire with host nation France and the gold medal game. The Americans entered with an Olympic winning streak that dated back to 1996 but they win by maybe the tip of a toe. France hitting a buzzer beater as time expired, the crowd erupted, thinking the host nation had just shocked the world, sending its overtime, but Gabby Williams' foot was on the line. It was only a two pointer.

So heartbreak for France. Elation for the U.S. claiming an eighth straight Olympic gold, and with that team, USA dominates total medal count, but it ties China at 40 gold medals each on the very last event of these Olympics, a tie for gold has never happened in the history of the Summer Games.

Now, at the closing ceremony to show respect to all the athletes and their people from around the world, it was a celebration for the ages. Snoop Dogg, Billy Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers, H.E.R. and others performing marking the official handover to the 2028 Los Angeles Games and the end of these incredible and unforgettable Summer Games here in Paris.

[01:25:10]

The Olympics, once again, showing that perhaps sport better than anything else, can bring people together from all over the world, no matter their differences, to embrace and celebrate one another.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Earlier, I spoke with international sports broadcaster Tracey Holmes on what made the Paris Games a hit and whether it will be a hard act to follow for LA in 2028.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRACEY HOLMES, INTERNATIONAL SPORTS BROADCASTER: Part of the reason why this has been so successful for Paris and France more generally is that they really try to engage the country in the lead up, but they remain true to themselves. They used the strengths of France and Paris and incorporated that into a show for the world.

Now, as you say, the USA knows better than anybody how to put on a good show. It's going to be very different in Los Angeles, of course, they've hosted the Olympics a couple of times before. They know how to do that. But, you know, I guess what everybody is waiting for, and these are the question points always leading into a games, is that what happens politically in the country? What are the geo political tensions? All of these play out around it, and that's what feeds into, eventually, what will become the games that LA owns in 2028.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Economists warn the International Olympic Committee needs to take drastic action to make hosting the Games more financially feasible. An Oxford University study found the cost of hosting continues to grow, with host cities investing billions, but seeing less in return. Five of the past six Olympic Games, both summer and winter, had final costs well over 100 percent of their initial bid estimates when adjusted for inflation.

Economists argue the Olympics will have to look much different than what we're used to in order to make them truly sustainable. They believe the IOC may need to move toward a permanent host city in the future, or even a small list of rotating cities.

Well in the not too distant future, climate change could make it too hot for many cities to even be considered as Summer Olympics hosts. CNN analyzed data from carbon plan, a nonprofit climate science group, which predicts that rising temperatures in the coming years will make it unsafe for athletes to compete in some regions. Well, CNN Meteorologist Elisa Raffa looks at the data and some possible solutions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: As Paris wraps up the Olympic Games this weekend, some new data is telling us that for some host cities like Paris, it may be too hot for them to host ever again. We know that in the last 100 years since Paris hosted the last time in 1924 those summer months have warmed by five and a half degrees Fahrenheit, or three degrees Celsius. We have added more than 120 scorching hot days and more than 80 sweltering nights to the mix, just really not getting relief at night.

Well, a new study shows us that as we look into the future towards 2050 we're really going to lose some safe cities to host the Olympics in. They looked at wet bulb globe temperature, and that looks at temperature, but also with humidity, wind speed, shade, sun angle to kind of really understand how heat is impacting the body. It looks at heat stress.

And they used 82 degrees Fahrenheit, or 27 degrees Celsius, as that threshold of it being just too dangerous and too hot to host visitors and athletes. And you can see that by 2050 look at how many cities are in that too hot to host threshold, Beijing, Rio, Athens, Atlanta, all looking like it will be too dangerous to host the Olympic Games.

When you broaden it out even more, look at the map all of these kind of really dark red or brown dots. A lot of the Eastern U.S., India, eastern Asia, all at that threshold where it will be too hot, too dangerous to host. So what are our options? Well, we can pick host cities that are in higher elevations, where it might be cooler. We could host the Summer Games, not in summer. Does that really make it the Olympic Games, though? Or if we want it in the months of June, July and August, we may have to rely on our friends in the southern hemisphere, where it's your winter and those temperatures may be a little bit cooler for us to safely get out there, but unless we decrease our emissions, this could be the reality for the Olympic Games going forward.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COREN: U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are getting ready to hit the campaign trail together for the first time since he dropped out of the presidential race. We'll tell you when and where, ahead.

Plus, family members search for answers as investigators try to figure out paused last week's deadly plane crash in Brazil.

[01:29:48]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Welcome back.

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Anna Coren.

Israel is bracing for potential attacks by both Iran and Hezbollah, the U.S. Secretary of Defense spoke with his Israeli counterpart on Sunday, then announced that the U.S. is deploying both a carrier strike group and guided missile submarines to the region.

And with the launch of rockets targeting Israel from Lebanon in the past few hours, the risk of wider escalation is growing.

U.S. President Joe Biden is sharing new details about his decision to drop out of the presidential race three weeks ago. In his first sit- down interview since then, Mr. Biden explains why he decided to suspend his reelection campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When I ran the first time, I thought to myself I'd be a transition president. I can't even say how old I am. It's hard for me to get out of my mouth.

And -- but things got moving so quickly, it didn't happen. But I thought it was important because although it's a great honor being president I think I've an obligation to the country to do what I -- the most important thing you can do. And that is we must, we must, we must defeat Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Well meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris returned to her home state of California for the first time since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee.

She attended a fundraiser in San Francisco telling her donors that the real work for her campaign is yet to come.

CNN's Kevin Liptak has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Vice President Kamala Harris is looking to extend the momentum that has surrounded her presidential campaign into a new week.

She did conclude a five-city introductory tour of the new Harris-Walz ticket. It was followed by an enormous amount of enthusiasm in energy. All told, Vice President Harris spoke to tens of thousands of people at her rallies across last week.

That has also extended to her fundraising. On Sunday vice president spoke to 700 donors in San Francisco, bringing in around $12 million to her campaign war chest.

And her message to those donors was don't be complacent. She told them she's never been one to really believe in the polls and that they can take nothing for granted. She does acknowledge that it's been a good couple of weeks but we have a lot of work to do.

[01:34:49]

LIPTAK: And I think Vice President Harris would be the first to acknowledge that good vibes alone are not what's going to win the election in November.

And to that end, she he did tell us on Saturday that she plans to unveil new policy proposals in this upcoming week, specifically- related to the economy and bringing down prices for Americans.

In fact, she did unveil one new piece of policy at her event in Las Vegas on Saturday evening saying she would work to eliminate federal income taxes on tipped wages. That's something that's enormously popular among workers, particularly where she was in Las Vegas.

It's also a policy proposal that Donald Trump has raised on the campaign trail and he wasted no time calling her a copycat. A Harris campaign official said that her proposal would need to be worked through with Congress. That it would include income limits and it would also include provisions to protect against fraud.

Now, in this upcoming week, she will continue this push on the economy. We will see her for the first time with President Biden. Their first official joint appearance since she replaced him atop the Democratic ticket.

And it was interesting. In an interview just this weekend, the president discussed how he would be campaigning for Kamala Harris in the months ahead. He said he was planning a tour of Pennsylvania, his home state, and he said he plans to do whatever Kamala thinks I can do to help the most.

Kevin Liptak, CNN -- Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Republican vice-presidential nominee, J.D. Vance is weighing in on restrictive abortion bans in several GOP-led states while speaking to CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday.

He said he's not passing judgment on what these laws should be. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: I spoke to a woman named Kate Cox. She lives in Texas.

J.D. VANCE (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Sure.

BASH: She was 20 weeks pregnant. Her fetus was diagnosed with a disease called -- it was a deadly genetic condition called trisomy 18. She said that carrying the pregnancy, she was told this by her doctors, to term if the fetus even survived would hurt her chances for having more children, which she and her husband desperately wanted.

Why is not allowing her to end that pregnancy helpful or supportive of expanding families like you want it to be?

VANCE: Well, first of all, Dana, my heart breaks for this woman. I don't know her personally. I've certainly heard the story and our heart breaks for and we want people to have healthy, happy families.

And it's extremely unfortunate that sometimes, you know, medicine, the act of whatever ever happens it just doesn't work out.

What the president has said I think very clearly is that he is not trying to prevent women who have non-viable pregnancies from getting access to the medical aid --

BASH: But allowing -- but allowing the states to decide a place like Texas, which has very strict laws now, doesn't allow a Kate Cox to end a pregnancy that is fatal and could potentially hurt her ability to have more kids.

VANCE: But what President Trump has said is that we are going to let voters make these decisions. And again, Texas might have a view that President Trump disagrees with. They might have a view that President Trump agrees with. But you've got to let the voters make these decisions.

BASH: So you're comfortable with that law in Texas.

VANCE: I'm not comfortable with anything, Dana because I'm not passing judgment on what these laws should be. You asked me my own personal view, I campaigned against an Ohio referendum.

But I think that we have to let voters decide. And when they speak their mind, you have to be respectful. Agree or disagree with whatever voters decide, they're going to make these decisions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Vance also said a Trump administration would not use the U.S. Food and Drug administration to block access to mifepristone, seemingly walking back former president Donald Trump's recent comments suggesting he is open to banning the abortion drug.

Venezuela's leading opposition figure, Maria Corina Machado, is calling for a day of mass protests over the country's contested presidential election results.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA CORINA MACHADO, VENEZUELA OPPOSITION LEADER: Today, I want to talk to you who do not recognize yourself in this Venezuela we are living in, who have a family member, a very dear friend, separated by distance, who are tired of living without electricity, without water, of not knowing what you are going to eat, who are persecuted for saying what you think or for writing it in your social networks, who are fired for denouncing everything that is wrong.

To you, who lost someone dear to you as a result of the regime's violence, who have not been able to return to Venezuela, to your country because you are afraid or because they annulled your passport. You who were not allowed to vote on July 28 or who did vote and now they intend to disregard your will.

That is why this Saturday, August 17, we are going to take to the streets of Venezuela.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[01:39:48]

COREN: President Nicolas Maduro claimed victory in last month's election. But the opposition says its candidate won in a landslide.

Authorities have cracked down on protesters with reports of more than 2,000 arrested. Venezuela's electoral authority has not yet released a detailed a vote tally. The country's supreme court says it is investigating the disputes.

Well, turning now to Brazil where authorities say it could be weeks before they have an initial report into the cause of Friday's deadly plane crash near Sao Paulo. They say all of the voice and data information has been pulled from the plane's black boxes.

Meanwhile, authorities are working to identify the bodies of the 62 victims with the help of family members.

Journalist Stefano Pozzebon has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST: The process of identifying the bodies of the victims of Flight 2283 here in Sao Paulo, Brazil is still ongoing as of Sunday night.

This is the Institute of Forensic Medicine, where all the bodies have been taken from the carcass of the plane. And here is where dozens of relatives and family members have arrived on Sunday to participate in these investigation.

Only two that were possible to have been recognized through facial recognition due to the violence of the impact when the plane crashed to the ground. For all the other bodies, its necessary to go through DNA identification and other techniques in order to correctly match their identity.

And for some of these family members today was also the opportunity to say goodbye.

FATIMA ALBUQUERQUE, VICTIM'S MOTHER (through translator): I had DNA collected for the identification of my daughter and I don't know what state she will be in. My daughter was 1.7 meters tall, a strong and beautiful woman. You will see her photos on the Internet.

I saw my daughter burn live on television. A mother seeing the plane on fire with my daughter inside. Guys, there is no greater (INAUDIBLE), there can't be for a mother.

I'm going to fight as long as I have life. As long as I have life, I'm going to fight because I know that she would be fighting if I had been killed because this wasn't an accident. Don't label it as an accident. Don't use that narrative.

POZZEBON: Just like that mother, the entire Brazil is still waiting for an answer to the question of what could have happened to cause that plane to fall from the sky and crush onto the ground?

On Sunday, investigators from France, where the plane was manufactured in the first place arrived in Brazil to participate in the investigation. They are analyzing and going through two black boxes that were successfully retrieved from the carcass of the plane to identify a probable bubble motive.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon -- Sao Paulo, Brazil.

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COREN: The pilot of a helicopter is dead after crashing into a seaside luxury hotel in northeast Australia. Some guests were evacuated after the choppers slammed into the seven-story building's roof and caused a fire. Police least say the pilot was the only one aboard the helicopter. No other injuries have been reported.

Helicopter's charter company says it's investigating unauthorized use of one of its aircraft with officials.

Well, coming up, an alleged Mexican drug lord is facing trial in the U.S. But he insists he did not surrender voluntarily. The story in his own words, next.

[01:43:29]

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COREN: A Mexican drug lord is sharing in his own words how he ended up in a U.S. prison awaiting federal trial. Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada says he was kidnapped by the son of another notorious Mexican cartel leader and dragged to the United States against his will.

Rafael Romo reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You normally only hear from a suspected drug lord speaking publicly in movies or TV. So on the rare cases when they do so in the real world, everybody pays attention.

A statement from Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada released through his attorney on Saturday is making headlines around the world.

In the statement Zambada reiterate the claims that he was ambushed and kidnapped by a son of notorious drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and hand delivered to U.S. authorities.

"The notion that I surrendered or cooperated voluntarily in completely and unequivocally false," Zambada said. "I was brought to this country forcibly and under duress without my consent and against my will."

We had heard us much from Zambada's attorney days after U.S. law enforcement arrested both Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez at an airport near El Paso last month. But this time Zambada added details including accusations that he was being asked to mediate in a dispute between the governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa, which gives its name to the cartel and a political rival.

Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha Moya, who belongs to the same party as Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador vehemently denied the accusations on Saturday at an event where they appeared together.

RUBEN ROCHA MOYA, SINALOA STATE GOVERNOR (through translator): There's absolutely nothing -- nothing that can link me to that matter. Nothing. I say it bluntly, forcefully -- nothing.

ROMO: The Mexican president later said he fully trusts the governor and praised him for forcefully responding to deny the accusations.

As for the statement from Zambada, he ends by calling on the people of Sinaloa to use restraint and maintain the peace. The men accused by the U.S. Department of Justice of atrocities like conspiracy to murder countless people and trafficking of the deadly chemical known as fentanyl added that quote "nothing can be solved by violence".

Zambada remains in U.S. custody, held without bond after pleading not guilty to seven federal criminal charges. He's due back in court next month.

Rafael Romo, CNN -- Atlanta.

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COREN: A wildfire is tearing through a region just outside Athens, Greece. It's moving fast like lightning, that's according to fire officials, and is spreading between residences.

Harsh, windy weather is fanning the flames and turning trees, houses and cars into tinder. Firefighters will resume their operations in the morning. And a wildfire broke out in northeastern Spain on Sunday, spreading quickly thanks to hot wind. Authorities ordered people in a nearby town to stay inside due to heavy smoke.

But Spain and Greece have suffered intense heat waves and dry weather this summer making wildfires like these even more dangerous.

Extreme drought in Sicily is threatening the Italian island's goat farming industry. And without enough water, farmers could be forced to send their animals to slaughter.

CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau has this report.

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BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Roaming under hot temperatures, these goats to search for food in fields turned brown by the heat in central Sicily. Shortage of water and little food make it hard for these Girgentana goats to survive and the prospects for their survival leave goat breeder Luca Cammarata in despair.

LUCA CAMMARATA, GOAT BREEDER (through translator): The grazing land is zero. As we can see, nothing has grown on the land this year.

The animals take a walk, eat what they find, and then we try to supplement their diet with water and fodder.

NADEAU: Earlier this year, Sicilian enforced water restrictions when the region declared a state of emergency. Italy's Environmental Protection and Research Institute says, while other parts of the country are experiencing drought, only Sicily is considered extreme.

[01:49:47]

CAMMARATA: The land is dry the lakes we have placed in the pastures are completely dry. It is difficult to satisfy the animals with the drinking water we had. And we are forced to plug the problem with water tankers.

ALESSANDRO PANZARELLA, MEMBER, CARABINIERI FORESTRY DEPARTMENT: We arrive wherever there's an emergency. The water doesn't arrive so farmers are forced to take the animals to the slaughter house.

They don't have water and can't quench their animals' thirst. So it's a big problem.

NADEAU: The cheese and dairy products made from these goats' milk has been prized for thousands of years, but that may soon come to an end. Deprived of water, these animals may be sent to slaughter.

CAMMARATA: If we cannot at least satisfy the animals' demand for water, they run the risk of being sent to slaughter. There is no other way, no other solution. There is no market for live animals, nor can we give them to a fellow farmer and other (INAUDIBLE) because there is currently no market for live animals.

They're destined to go to the slaughterhouse and this would be a considerable loss of livestock and a loss of production model.

NADEAU: Doing what needs to be done to save the goats will take time. Drilling new wells, reactivating dormant desalination plants importing water but time like water is another thing that is running out for these goats.

Barbie Latza Nadeau -- CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Banksy is back. This time the anonymous artists is up to something fishy. The story when we return.

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COREN: What's old is new again, that's the message Disney is sending after unveiling a slate of new projects over the weekend at its D23 fan convention.

Among the new films and shows, a large number of sequels, including the coming release of "Moana 2". Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's my job as way-finder to finish what he started.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Moana, show how people just how far we will go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Disney's latest animated feature will release in November eight years after the debut of the first "Moana". Meantime actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are teaming up for more than 20 years after their remake of Freaky Friday for a second entry titled "Freakier Friday."

Disney executives also announced new sequels or TV projects for other animated franchises, including "The Incredibles", "Toy Story" and "Inside Out".

Well, he's done it again. London is reacting to the latest in a series of animal-themed works, the anonymous artists known as Banksy, has been creating throughout the U.K. capital and speculating about their meaning.

CNN's Christina MacFarlane has more.

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CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Banksy strikes again. An ordinary glass police box on a street in London has been re-imagined as a tank full of toothy fish that look like piranhas. The fish follow a stream of animal-themed murals confirmed to be the handiwork of the infamous street artist that have popped up in London in the past week, drawing crowds but in a good way. The fish are painted in translucent aquatic colors, a departure from the other works in this series that were done in black silhouettes including a black cat stretching on a billboard, which has since been removed.

[01:54:46]

MACFARLANE: Two pelicans perched over a fish and chips shop, a howling wolf on a satellite dish which was quickly stolen, three monkeys swinging on a railway bridge, two elephants giving each other a trunk's up and a goat on a precarious perch.

It's been a guessing game for Londoners to try and figure out what might appear next and what message Banksy might be sending.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Possibly linked to all the riots in the U.K. recently.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Obviously the Olympics going on at the moment, lots of people talking about a goat, greatest of all time, maybe it's symbolic of that?

MACFARLANE: Even an expert on world affairs who regularly appears on CNN is weighing in.

FAWAZ GERGES, PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: What Banksy is trying to do is to really get us to think and reflect about the ecological crisis that really threatens humanity.

MACFARLANE: Or maybe like all art, the meaning is in the eye of the beholder.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To be honest, I think he just paint the animals. They don't have to be a meaning, you know.. It doesn't have to be meaningful. It's just animals.

MACFARLANE: There is speculation the murals are just a way to cheer people up. And Sunday's edition was just that with people taking photos in and around the artwork until contractors placed plastic barriers around the box. While the city of London says its looking for options to preserve it.

A fleeting and fun distraction from an artist who is not really known for explaining himself.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who knows? You'd have to be Banksy to know that. But it was very nice to have it in this particular week.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Well, McDonald's France has some Olympic beef with Team U.S.A.'s Steph Curry after France lost to the Americans in the men's basketball final on Saturday. Curry was key to that win hitting eight three-point shots in just over two minutes in the fourth quarter of the game. Well, McDonald's France shared this post online featuring their

classic curry dipping sauce. And the message reading quote, "For obvious reasons, we are considering removing this sauce."

It's all in good fun, of course. No response on social media yet from Curry.

Well, thanks so much for your company and for watching CNN NEWSROOM.

I'm Anna Coren.

CNN NEWSROOM continues with my friend and colleague Rosemary Church after this short break.

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