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CNN International: Gaza Ceasefire And Hostage Talks Resume In Qatar; Gaza Health Ministry: 40,000+ Palestinians Killed Since October; Military Chief: Ukraine Has Advanced 35 Km Since Incursion Began. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired August 15, 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, CNNI HOST: Good morning or good evening, depending on where you're watching. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York.
Ahead on CNN Newsroom, a devastating milestone, more than 40,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza. It comes as stalled peace talks in Doha are now underway. We are live in Israel and Lebanon for the very latest here. Plus, Ukraine making more advances inside Russia, as it conducts its biggest attack on Russian air fields since the war began. And it was supposed to be a speech about the economy, but Donald Trump could not resist the insults.
Well, we begin this hour with that devastating milestone in Gaza, a reminder of all the lives that are at stake, as mediators begin a last-ditch effort in Doha to end the war. Officials from the U.S., Israel, Egypt and Qatar are all taking part. Hamas is not at the table, but says that it could meet with negotiators afterwards. Now, each day that passes with no deal, more people in Gaza lose their lives.
Gaza's Health Ministry says that the death toll now tops 40,000. Now, we don't have a breakdown of how many combatants versus civilians have been killed. But, earlier this month, the Palestinian Ministry of Relief Affairs reported more than 10,000 women and 16,000 children have been killed in Gaza since October 7th, and the numbers could actually be significantly higher, because Gaza's government media office estimates that at least 10,000 people are still missing, believed to be under the rubble.
We have team coverage for you. Let's get more now from Jeremy Diamond, who is live in Haifa, Israel, and Ben Wedeman, who is in Beirut.
Jeremy, let me start with you. What more can you share with us, and what more are you learning about these ceasefire talks?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, listen, these ceasefire talks are certainly a critical moment in these negotiations that we have seen in the conduct of this war that has stretched for more than 10 months now, as we are learning that more than 40,000 Palestinian civilian -- Palestinians in Gaza, I should say, both civilians and combatants, have now been killed.
But, the expectations for these talks today are certainly not very high. There is certainly no expectation that a deal will be reached today, but there is the potential for progress to be made, and with that, the potential for these tensions in this region to be significantly lower. That also means, of course, that there is the potential for a lack of progress in these talks, and for that to then perhaps hasten that prospect of Iranian and Hezbollah retaliation attacks against Israel over the coming days.
Now, all the key players are in Doha today, the CIA Director, Bill Burns; the Director of the Mossad, David Barnea; the Qatari Prime Minister, as well as the Egyptian head of intelligence, all of them set to meet today. They're actually meeting, as we speak right now, trying to hash out some of the differences that remain between Israel and Hamas and to come up with what could be a bridging proposal that could bridge the gap between Israel's position and Hamas'.
Now, Hamas has said it will not participate in these talks, but that's -- a lot of that is rhetoric, because they are still in Doha and they are willing to hear out the mediators after their meeting with Israel, which, frankly, isn't all that different from the way in which these talks have been conducted in the past, with the mediators acting as the go-between between Israel and Hamas, never the two parties having actually been in the same room together.
We understand that the Israeli Prime Minister has given his team an expanded mandate to engage in these negotiations to try and reach a deal. But, sources that I've spoken to have expressed doubts about whether or not that will actually be enough to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas. So, certainly, a lot riding on these talks, a lot of potential for progress, but also most folks who we're talking to trying to keep expectations very low. Rahel.
SOLOMON: Potential is always there. Jeremy, talk to us a little bit about just the scale of devastation, as we mark this grim milestone, 40,000 plus Palestinians killed in the 10 months of war.
DIAMOND: Well, Rahel, when we're talking about 40,000 as a number, it sounds so abstract, but just imagine the fact that each of those 40,000 people are lives cut short, dreams and hopes for the future also cut short. The Palestinian Ministry of Health says that we crossed that grim milestone today, with the death toll standing at 40,005 people killed.
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They do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but they do say that the majority of those deaths are women and children, who are by definition considered to be civilians. And then keep in mind the fact that thousands more are still believed to be trapped under the rubble. I also think it's important to note that in past conflicts, the Palestinian Ministry of Health's numbers have checked out, have been verified by other organization -- other international organizations, and in fact, even today, international organizations, they believe that the death toll is, in fact, much higher than 40,000 in particular, because so many are still believed to be trapped under the rubble.
Now, we have watched, as humanitarian aid organizations, world leaders and other groups have consistently pointed out, that despite Israeli rhetoric that the Israeli military simply has not taken enough precautions as it relates to civilians in Gaza. They simply have not done enough to minimize the number of civilians killed. And make no mistake, the overwhelming majority of those 40,000 people have been killed by Israeli bombs, missiles and bullets.
There is no question that Hamas also has a share of responsibility for this death toll in Gaza, no less, because they launched this war on October 7th with the terrorist attack that they conducted on that day, also because they do embed themselves within civilian areas. They hide in tunnels beneath civilian areas, and even civilians in Gaza, we have increasingly heard anger from them as well, directed at Hamas.
What is clear at the end of the day, though, is that we are talking about an enormous scale of civilians suffering, not only in terms of deaths, but also in terms of the humanitarian crisis, the overwhelming majority of the population there that has been displaced, and this is ultimately what we're talking about. When we talk about these ceasefire negotiations, it's not just abstract. It's not just at the political and the policy level. You're talking about the lives of people in Gaza being affected, as long as this conflict continues. Rahel.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Certainly an important reminder there. Jeremy Diamond, thank you.
Let's get over to Ben Wedeman now. He is in Beirut. And Ben, as we've spoken for months about just sort of the heightened fears of a wider escalation, talk to us about the big picture here with these ceasefire talks resuming, and just the regional tensions that remain.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, these ceasefire talks, I mean, some people are describing them as a last- ditch chance to reach some sort of settlement in Gaza. Not quite sure what message that sends. Does it mean that the United States is simply going to give up if they fail? But certainly, the worry is that, if they fail, that really we are back on that slippery slope to perhaps a regional conflict. And now, diplomats here in Beirut, for instance, have stressed that they don't believe either Hamas or -- rather Hezbollah or Iran are ready or willing or wanting a regional war. They can't afford it militarily, politically, or economically, given that the economy here in Lebanon is in shambles. In Iran, it's not much better.
But, they worry that the same sort of hesitance for a regional war doesn't exist within the Israeli cabinet. They have seen as going back to April when Israel struck the Iranian diplomatic complex in Damascus, and then just two weeks ago, killing a senior leader of Hezbollah here in Beirut, and then it's widely believed, even though Israel denies it, killing Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, that they've crossed red lines that some thought they wouldn't cross, the Israelis. And the worry is that the Israelis confident that the United States will continue to provide diplomatic cover, will continue, as we saw yesterday, to increase its sales of weapons and other munitions to be used in Gaza.
And the he fear is that the Israelis, there is no real control or pressure being put by the United States on the Israelis to tamp things down. American diplomats are busy calling on Iran and Hezbollah to restrain themselves, but they are hearing very little on this side in terms of calls of restraint on Israel. Rahel.
SOLOMON: OK. Ben Wedeman reporting live for us there from Beirut. Ben, thank you.
And we're going to have much more on the ceasefire talks ahead in the show. We're going to speak with Steven Cook. He is a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and author of "The End of Ambition: America's Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East."
Well, Ukraine now says that it controls over 11,000 square kilometers of Russian territory, and that it has advanced 35 kilometers through Russian defenses. All of this happening since the start of their surprise incursion. One Ukrainian military commander says that the reassignment of Russian forces is helping Kyiv.
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DMYTRO KHOLOD, COMMANDER OF THE "NIGHTINGALE" BATTALION (Interpreted): The Russians are now trying to stop our advance. They have pulled in reserves, which has benefited our defense forces in other areas, because it's become easier to work there. We have information that reserves were pulled from the Zaporizhzhia, Crimea and Kharkiv regions to stop our advance. Of course, it will be harder for us to advance further, but we will still advance.
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SOLOMON: And these are new images of Russian POWs captured over the last week. A Ukrainian official told local media that they are treating the POWs in accordance with the Geneva Conventions, and that there are discussions about a possible prisoner exchange with Russia. Moscow's Defense Minister says that more troops will be sent to the Belgorod region amid Ukraine's ongoing incursion into the neighboring Kursk region.
Joining us now from Berlin is CNN's Fred Pleitgen, who has been tracking this ongoing incursion for us. Fred, let's just start with what you're hearing about what's happening on the ground today.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. It's quite interesting to see. It does appear as though the Ukrainians are, in fact, still advancing, but it seems as though at a much slower pace than we have seen in the past couple of days. You already mentioned the President of the country, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying that the Ukrainians are now about 35 kilometers into Russian territory, which is still very far. However, they also say that in the course of really since the beginning of today, they managed to advance about 500 meters to 1.5 kilometers. Now, that, on the face of it, is not very far.
However, one of the things, of course, that is remarkable is that on day nine of this incursion into Russian territory, the Ukrainians are still advancing. If we look, for instance, at Russia's recent offensive into the Kharkiv area in northeastern Ukraine, that came to a standstill about two or three days into that offensive. So, the Ukrainians still able to move forward. That in itself certainly an achievement for the Ukrainians.
The Russians, for their part, today have said that they've been hitting the Ukrainians back in certain areas. They claim that they've taken one village back from the Ukrainians. However, Kyiv saying that they still control 82 towns and villages on the Russian side of the border, of course, not just in the Kursk region, but all this seems to be spilling over into the Belgorod region as well. One of the things you mentioned is that there is now a federal emergency in place in that region, Rahel.
SOLOMON: And Fred, what about that attack on Russian airfields Wednesday? What more do we know about that?
PLEITGEN: Well, that certainly seems to be part of this ongoing offensive as well, or at least feeding into it. One of the things, of course, that the Ukrainians have been trying to do is sort of degrade or to a certain extent trying to halt Russian air power. The Russians, in recent weeks, have become a lot more proficient and effective at using their air power, using some pretty heavy aerial glide bombs, as they're called, which they can dump off their jets further away from the frontline than before.
Now, the Ukrainians managed to hit, they say, four airfields really pretty deep into Russia, and there are satellite images that came out from one of those airfields in the Voronezh region, which is in the south of Russia, apparently showing two hangars that have been damaged in general. The Ukrainians saying that they obviously wanted to damage aircraft, but then also hangars and fuel depots as well for those planes. How much of a dent that's going to put into Russia's air capabilities? Of course, very difficult to ascertain. But, the Ukrainians certainly showing that they do have those fairly long distance drone strike capabilities, Rahel.
SOLOMON: Yeah. And Fred, to that point, I mean, how -- I mean, I hear you say it's difficult to ascertain, but how badly could this affect Moscow's ability to wage war?
PLEITGEN: Well, look, I think right now, the Russians certainly are still very capable of waging war. Certainly, every dent that they could put the Ukraine can't put into Russia's air power is something that will benefit their frontline troops. It's hard to overstate how much more effective the Russians have become at using their air force. Of course, there is other things that are in play as well, like, for instance, the Ukrainians having those F-16 jets, which they haven't used on the frontlines yet, but seemingly they're waiting for their pilots to get a little more experience. So, on those also, the air defense capabilities have gotten a lot better.
At the same time, of course, the front that we're looking at right now, the Kursk front, is only one of several in this war. And if you look, for instance, into the Donbas area, first and foremost, the town of Pokrovsk, the Ukrainians are saying that the Russians there are indeed still advancing and getting closer to that town, which is an important logistics hub for the Ukrainians. So, certainly, that offensive by the Russians or those -- that pressure that the Russians are putting on the Ukrainians there, that is still ongoing. It seems they may have redeployed some of their forces in some of those areas, but certainly, still very capable of putting pressure on the Ukrainians on other fronts.
SOLOMON: OK. Fred Pleitgen live for us there in Berlin. Fred, thank you.
Still ahead, President Biden's stunning decision to drop out turned the U.S. presidential race upside down, and now for the first time since that announcement, he is planning to share the stage with Vice President Kamala Harris. We will have the details. Plus, Donald Trump delivers a speech about the economy that also includes something that his allies are begging him to leave behind, the personal attacks on his opponent. We'll be right back.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. Donald Trump making his economic pitch to voters in a speech that was also packed with personal insults, as he veered off message, much to the dismay of many of his advisors and his allies, and they'll likely be holding their collective breath when the Republican nominee hosts another news conference today. Trump's remarks in North Carolina on Wednesday did include some policy talk. He did make this pledge to seniors. Listen.
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DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To help seniors on fixed incomes who are suffering the ravages of inflation, the will be no tax on Social Security. We're going to stop it. It only came into existence in 1984, and at that time, it only affected a very small number of recipients. But now, nearly half of all seniors are forced to pay income tax on Social Security, and thanks to inflation, under Harris, she is horrible. This tax hits more seniors every year.
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SOLOMON: Lowering drug costs will be the focus of an event today in Maryland, when Vice President Kamala Harris shares the stage with President Joe Biden for the first time since he exited the race. Harris will roll out her economic plan on Friday, and she is expected to call for a federal ban on price gouging aimed at lowering grocery store prices. Now, the focus on the economy comes as voters say it is their top issue. A recent NPR/PBS News/Marist poll shows registered voters give Trump a 51-48 edge over Harris in handling the economy. That's within the margin of error, which is a big gain for Democrats over the same poll in just June.
And Republican vice presidential nominee, J.D. Vance, has now agreed to debate his Democratic counterpart Tim Walz on October 1 on CBS. Vance says that he is also willing to debate the Minnesota Governor on CNN on September 18th.
Our team coverage here, CNN's Steve Contorno covering the Trump campaign. He is standing by for us. But first, let's get to Arlette Saenz. She is at the White House for more on the Harris camp. So, Arlette, what's the latest on this Biden-Harris event today?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rahel, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are teaming up to tout an existing policy they believe resonates with American voters. The two Democrats will be talking about the administration's efforts to lower the price of prescription drugs. It comes as they are touting these new figures that show that the efforts by Medicare to negotiate drug prices directly with drug companies could result in $6 billion in savings for the federal government. Additionally, it could also reduce out-of-pocket costs for seniors by $1.5 billion. This is just one of those elements of the Biden agenda that Vice President Kamala Harris is eager to promote, as she is now waging her own presidential campaign.
Now, for President Biden and Harris, this will be the first time that the two are appearing out on the road together since Biden bowed out of the race and since Harris rose to the top of the Democratic ticket.
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So, much of Biden's work going forward is not only burnishing his own legacy, but also making sure that Harris succeeds in this presidential race. And just yesterday, the President joked a little bit about his own job prospects at an event here at the White House. Take a listen.
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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: -- more people who want to go into your business than any other these days. (LAUGHTER) You think -- when I retire, where do you think I'm going? (LAUGHTER) I got contacts, man. You break through. You break through in ways that I think are going to change the entire dynamic of the way in which we communicate. And that's why I invited you to the White House, because I'm looking for a job.
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SAENZ: Now, a big focus for President Biden in the coming months will be in trying to cement his own legacy. Just this week, he traveled down to New Orleans to talk about efforts related to his cancer moon shot. There is a host of other initiatives that he wants to focus on in the coming weeks and months, potentially also some major travel abroad, as he is looking to highlight some of his foreign policy wins during his one term in office.
But, for President Biden, he also views Harris' success as a critical part of his own legacy. He is expected at some point in the fall to hit the campaign trail with Harris in at least one joint event. He will also be fundraising with her, trying to do everything that he can out on the campaign trail, but also from here at the White House to ensure that she can win a nomination -- or she can win the presidency come November.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Super interesting. Also really interesting to imagine Joe Biden as a content creator, as an influencer, but it was a good joke.
Arlette Saenz live for us there at the White House. Arlette, thank you.
Let's now turn to CNN's Steve Contorno in St. Petersburg, Florida. So, Steve, we've heard for days that the allies, advisors of Trump are frustrated by his inability to stay on message and to avoid personal attacks. I'm curious how they view that speech yesterday.
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, Rahel. He definitely did not stay on message during that speech, and it was supposed to be a speech that was focused on the economy. Instead, he sort of poked fun at the idea that he would ever stay on message. At one point, he said, we're going to talk about one subject, and then we will start going back to the other, because we sort of love that. And then, at another point, he said, they say the economy is the most important subject. I'm not sure it is, not exactly the ringing endorsement for the economy message -- economic message his campaign was looking to put out.
But, when there was an effort to veer into the economic issues that Republicans believe they can win on, he focused largely on some of his ideas going forward, which is to get rid of taxes on tips as well as taxes on Social Security. And he also tried hard to attach Vice President Harris to the Biden record on inflation. Take a listen to what he said.
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TRUMP: Really, what she needs to explain is the present suffering that she has caused, along with Joe Biden. And by the way, they are a team. She is trying to throw him overboard. She doesn't want to know who he is anymore. She doesn't want to talk about him anymore. She says, let's not bring this guy in. Let's not bring him in. No, no. They were a team.
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CONTORNO: Trump has doubled down on those remarks in the past day on Truth Social, which is somewhat confusing given that, as Arlette just said, the Vice President and the President are appearing in public today. But, however, that is the -- that is a part of the message that he is trying to use to knock Harris down and claim that she is trying to distance herself from President Biden. And clearly, there is an interesting sort of cat and mouse game going on there, and trying to keep the President close at times otherwise. But, the timing of that claim is interesting, given what's happening later today.
SOLOMON: Yeah. I think anyone watching that speech, just as soon as he started with, they say the economy is the most important issue, I'm not sure it is, you sort of knew the conversation was going to take a left turn.
Steve Contorno live for us there in St. Petersburg. Steve, thank you.
All right. I want to welcome in Justin Wolfers. He is a Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Michigan. Justin, good to see you. I want to start first with just a few clips from yesterday, just to kind of set the scene, one clip specifically where Trump said that Kamala Harris copies him. Take a listen.
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TRUMP: When Kamala lays out her fake economic plan this week, probably will be a copy of my plan, because basically that's what she does. Just remember, she goes to work every morning in the West Wing. Her desk is 10 steps from the Oval Office. She cast the tie-breaking votes that gave us record inflation. And for nearly four years, Kamala has crackled as the American economy has burned.
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SOLOMON: So, Justin, my question is, would you describe the American economy as having burned the last four years? Certainly we experienced inflation, but so did a lot of other places.
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Consumer spending held up. Unemployment remained quite low for quite some time. I mean, would you describe it as having burned?
JUSTIN WOLFERS, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMIC AND PUBLIC SAFETY, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN: I think it's actually been a -- the underlying state of the American economy is very good, and then we received a once-in-a- century economic and social shock with the pandemic. Honestly, the economy was quite good at the -- by the middle of Trump's last term, and it's quite good today. Unemployment is near a 50-year low. Many of us were worried about inflation. But, what we've learned over the past few days is that the inflation crisis is now behind us. And what we're going to see over the next few days is that the Federal Reserve Board is -- or next few weeks, the Federal Reserve Board is going to cut interest rates again.
If things were good in 2019, the same metrics would lead you to say that things are pretty good in 2024. It is important to see that there was a real moment in which we were tested in between, and maybe thinking about how the two different leaders, Biden and Trump, dealt with that moment, is telling about their different approaches to economics.
SOLOMON: Really interesting. As you mentioned inflation cooling, I mean, one thing, Justin, of course, as you know, is that shelter continues to be a significant issue for a lot of people, certainly for a lot of Americans. And Trump had something to say about rent prices and smart landlords, as he called it. Let me let you listen to that.
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TRUMP: The colossal influx of migrants into our cities is driving rent, rent, absolutely through the roof. Some very smart landlords are getting a lot of money. That's why some of the luxury hotels are going into migrants. They can make much more money renting to a migrant than to wealthy people.
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SOLOMON: So, Justin, it seems to be sort of conflating issues in terms of immigration versus the very real issue, not saying immigration is not, but also the very real issue for a lot of people of rent prices and shelter. Housing is a problem that has been years in the making. Have you heard anything from either candidate that would effectively address this issue and hopefully create more supply for people and hopefully reduce rents? I mean, what have you heard in that way?
WOLFERS: I mean, what you heard from Trump there is what you often hear, which is a listing of a grievance and a promise to make things better with no detail or no follow-through. Look, the housing crisis is real and it reflects something very simple, which is, in many of our biggest cities, it's effectively impossible to build new houses. And it's not that there is not land or it's not that there is not developers, it's that we've regulated it to a point, and this was equally true under Biden as it was under Trump, where it's very difficult to do. I think the policy that won't work is let's give buyers more money that actually creates more demand and will push prices up higher. What I'd really like to see people do is address the supply side here.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Supply side, of course, a huge issue. Let me turn to Harris. So, it sounds like, and obviously we'll learn more tomorrow, hopefully in terms of what her plans are. But, her plan about corporate profit-taking or a federal ban on price gouging, what are your thoughts about that? I mean, has that been proven to be effective, and how much of an issue was that really in inflation, because the data I saw seem to be mixed?
WOLFERS: Yeah. So, the thing about inflation is, there is a story that's going about, and some people on the left are very fond of it, that inflation rose because of greed. Now, the thing is, that's sort of like saying a plane crashed because of gravity. Yes, the plane crashed. Yes, if there was no gravity, it wouldn't have crashed. But, I don't think I'd blame the plane crash on gravity. I might blame it on Boeing instead. And in the same way that gravity is an eternal constant, so is corporate greed, and it's hard to see corporate greed having gone up.
There are definitely places where corporations, I think, behave in some pretty terrible ways. Have you tried to unsubscribe from a website or a subscription recently? I think we should do things about that sort of grubby behavior, but we should really understand that corporations are greedy. They're going to continue to be greedy. But, what we need to do is create the forces of competition that mean that they can't price gouge. And I think that's our best savior.
SOLOMON: OK. Justin Wolfers, good to see you. Thank you again. I'm sure we'll have you back soon.
WOLFERS: Always a pleasure.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
SOLOMON: We have some breaking news surrounding the investigation into the death of Friends actor Matthew Perry. Details of multiple arrests will soon be released at a press conference in Los Angeles.
We want to get straight to CNN's Omar Jimenez, who has more. Omar, what are you learning?
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Well, we're learning, as you just mentioned, multiple arrests have been made in connection with Matthew Perry's death, a law enforcement official familiar with the situation tells CNN, and we are expecting more details of potential charges, which we do expect to be federal to come out at a press conference in about an hour and a half from now.
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So, to take you back to where this all originated from, it was back in October 2023, that's when Matthew Perry was found dead in his Pacific Palisades home pool, which we learned later on from an autopsy was because of the acute effects of ketamine and subsequent drowning.
Now, in May, a few months ago, the LA Police Department, the LAPD, said that they were conducting a criminal investigation into the source of the ketamine that led to Matthew Perry's death. They were short on details at the time. They did mention that the DEA and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service were involved as part of that, but again, not very much as far as details go. And certainly at that point, at least from what they were saying, they did not believe what they had found had risen to a criminal level just yet. Clearly, things seem to have progressed. Things seem to have changed.
Now, as far as the ketamine use goes, Matthew Perry had been -- or was reported to be receiving ketamine to treat -- ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety, but his last known treatment within that regiment was about a week and a half prior to his death. And so, it would have been well out of his system at that point. So, the question becomes, where did he get this ketamine, and was it exactly what he thought it was going to be? Because we have seen cases in the past where dealers or suppliers of drugs or counterfeit drugs that lead to overdoses are charged and sometimes charged federally. We have no indication that that's exactly what happened in this specific case.
But, it does sound like we're going to get some of those answers in about an hour and a half from now, and hopefully bring some answers at the end of a saga that has been playing out for almost a year at this point, Rahel. SOLOMON: Yeah. Certainly a lot of questions for his friends and family, and of course, all of his fans from his many acts and friends, of course. So many of us remember him as Chandler Bing.
Omar Jimenez, thank you.
JIMENEZ: Of course.
SOLOMON: Well, still to come, so much at stake in today's ceasefire talks aimed at ending the war in Gaza and securing the return of hostages. Coming up, we're going to speak with an expert from the Council on Foreign Relations. That's straight ahead. Plus, Taylor Swift fans are getting ready for her show tonight, after a security threat canceled her shows in Austria.
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IGGY WILDE, FAN FROM NEWCASTLE: And I think there is a concern, obviously. It's worrying. And I think the main thing that I felt is that Swifties have come together, and there is a real sense of solidarity between us that I think makes me not afraid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: We are live in London with the latest on security preparations for the show.
We'll be right back.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. You're watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York.
A White House official says that Gaza ceasefire talks now underway in Doha are off to a quote, "promising start", but that no breakthrough is expected today. National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby says that there remains a lot of work to do.
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JOHN KIRBY, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR: Both sides need to show compromise. Both sides need to show some leadership here. We are now talking about the implementing details of the deal itself, the smaller gaps that we absolutely believe can be narrowed in terms of how the deal is executed. It's not about a debate in Doha today about the deal itself, the structure of it. It's now about implementing. And sometimes, when you get to the end of a negotiation and you're talking about those kinds of details, that's when it gets the hardest and the most gritty.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SOLOMON: Well, the U.S., Egypt and Qatar acting as mediators. Israel
is at the table. Hamas is not, but says that it could join discussions later. So much is at stake for Palestinians in Gaza, where the Health Ministry now says that more than 40,000 people have been killed. Securing a ceasefire also critical for the families of hostages. They have endured an agonizing wait, hoping that their loved ones will finally return. Hostage families protested today in Tel Aviv, some saying that if Israeli negotiators don't reach a deal soon, they shouldn't bother coming home.
Let's bring in Steven Cook, a Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also the author of "The End of Ambition" America's Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East." Steven, good to see you. Thank you. So, we heard --
STEVEN COOK, SENIOR FELLOW, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Thank you.
SOLOMON: We heard John Kirby there say that talks are off to a promising start, but said that he doesn't expect necessarily a deal today, that this could take days. How optimistic are you after hearing that?
COOK: Well, I think John Kirby is trying to message any number of ways. If you listen carefully to what he said, he said that he is positive but he is actually really negative, and there is a long way to go because there are details that need to be ironed out, and both sides need to show leadership. I think this would suggest that, although publicly the administration has said that the parties are close, they're actually not as close, as Kirby would like people to believe.
It's important to note that Hamas is not at the table. It said it will consider what's discussed at the table today, and that the Israelis have made modifications to their demands related to the control of the Rafah border crossing and where and how Palestinians can cross into the northern part of the Gaza Strip, and of course, they have to be disarmed. Those are things that are more than just nitty-gritty details that need to be worked out. So, I'm not at all as positive as the White House is sounding right now.
SOLOMON: And Steven, what would you say seems to be the biggest obstacle to any sort of progress at this point, and there seem to be many? And I mean, to your point, we heard Kirby say that the last mile, the sort of last negotiating bid seems to be the hardest, but it's -- it was hard from the beginning. It just seems like it's only gotten harder.
COOK: Well, I think the major obstacle is that the parties who are most concerned, Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, doesn't actually want a ceasefire. He believes he is winning the conflict, and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is dependent upon parties to support his government that also do not want a ceasefire and want to prioritize the destruction of Hamas over the return of hostages. That is the big issue, and that has been the big issue from the very start with these long running on and off again negotiations. And then there are those details that I mentioned, control of the
Rafah crossing, whether armed cadres of Hamas can return to the northern Gaza Strip. Those types of things are important. But, they are not as important as the fact that we need to recognize the fact neither side actually has much incentive here for a ceasefire.
SOLOMON: And let me play for you a clip. It's interesting, as you mentioned, Benjamin Netanyahu and some of the challenges that he is facing or the pressure he is facing from within his party, the far- right members of his party. I want to play for you a clip. This is with my colleague Bianna Golodryga yesterday from Rachel Goldberg- Polin. She is the mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, and here is what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RACHEL GOLDBERG-POLIN, MOTHER OF HERSH GOLDBERG-POLIN, & MOTHER OF MAN KIDNAPPED ON OCTOBER 7: Every single hostage family, and not just every single person I speak to in this entire region, is suffering so terribly. This must come to an end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: And so, Steven, I just wonder, what would it take to move the needle?
[11:40:00]
COOK: Well, that is the million dollar question. And as I said, it strikes me that the critical actors in this war don't want a ceasefire. The hostage families, of course, want a ceasefire. These poor Palestinians who have been caught in the crossfire for 10 months of course want and need a ceasefire. But, there is a problem with political leadership, and neither leaders at the moment can make those concessions to get a ceasefire. It's notable that Netanyahu has broadened the mandate somewhat slightly for his negotiators. That may be a political tactic. But, it is, I think, much further away -- a ceasefire is much further away than the White House is suggesting, or hostage families and Palestinians are hoping for.
SOLOMON: And what do you make of the threat that continues to loom, of a response from Iran, which hasn't come yet, but that threat still remains and presumably will come? I mean, all indications is that there will be some sort of response. I mean, how does that factor in here?
COOK: Of course the fact that the Iranians and Hezbollah have stayed their hands is, I think, a positive development, as these parties come to Doha to negotiate. But, of course, there is a lot of maneuvering that's going on. No one wants to be blamed for tanking a ceasefire that no one actually really wants. But -- so, that's why we haven't seen that response just yet, in addition to the fact that the United States has poured a lot of force into the middle -- into the Middle East, which may be staying (ph) the Iranian hands. But, I think it's undoubtedly the case that the Iranians and Hezbollah will respond to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps guest house in Tehran on the occasion of the new Iranian President's inauguration. I think the idea that the Iranians will think twice is not at all accurate.
SOLOMON: OK. Certainly still a lot to watch, as we all continue to watch and wait. Steven Cook, great to have your perspective today. Thank you.
COOK: Thanks for having me.
SOLOMON: Well, Taylor Swift is set to bring her Eras Tour back to London. Tonight will be the first of five shows at Wembley Stadium. A week ago, her concerts in Austria were canceled when police there uncovered a plan to attack one of her shows. Three teenagers have since been detained in connection with the alleged plot. Officials say that the main suspect was an ISIS sympathizer who was radicalized online.
Joining us now in London, from and near Wembley Stadium, is CNN's Salma Abdelaziz. So, give us a sense of how, Salma, security has been fortified in and around the stadium. What are you seeing?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Rahel. So, you have thousands of thousands of Swiftie fans, rather, that you can see right here, just making their way to the stadium. You can also see the police officers among the crowd. (TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY) security, safety is top of mind. The London mayor says that they've been working closely with this venue, Wembley Stadium, to make sure that those security preparations are tight. One of the restrictions is that Swifties cannot congregate outside the stadium. That means no tailgating, which is a favored tradition. Everybody has to go inside one of these venues, like BOXPARK over here, for example, and only ticket holders should make their way to the stadium.
I've been speaking to fans about how they're feeling, including this group of fans right here. I want to bring you guys just really in tight and close. I know we were talking about how you feel after what happened in Vienna. What's your mood today going in?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So obviously, what happened in Vienna is just incredibly sad and upsetting. However, I think the Swifty community, Wembley Stadium, Metropolitan Police, have really come together. I feel very safe and secure. Everyone here is really understanding of the situation, and it's just really built on that Swifty community.
ABDELAZIZ: Was there any apprehension?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A little bit, yeah, but like I said, the Metropolitan Police have done so much work, and yeah, I feel safe, I think.
ABDELAZIZ: And tell me about the move, just looking around, seeing all the fans, tell me your mood.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's incredible, like seeing everyone's outfits, and just like the fact that we can wear trade bracelets, it's like a real community. Everyone is so lovely and kind. It's just great to be here.
ABDELAZIZ: And speaking about fits, can I just show these outfits, because they deserve showing? That's absolutely amazing. There is glitter. There is pink. There is -- we've seen the red from Swift. So, you really have these fans here today, just really preparing for a huge welcome to Taylor Swift, who missed, of course, canceled those three shows in Vienna, but has five sold out concerts here in London. It will be the final leg of her European tour before she moves on to North America.
[11:45:00]
And there is just so much anticipation, and this real sense that a safe space has been returned for these Swifties.
SOLOMON: Yes. Salma, I'm so glad that you gave us sort of a full look at their outfits, because as they were complimenting else's outfits, I'm thinking, they look great too. So, wonderful to see. Glad to see people are enjoying themselves despite the scare.
Salma Abdelaziz, thank you.
All right. Just ahead, we're going to take a look at another snapshot of the world's biggest economy. What retail sales are saying about the U.S. consumer? Also, earnings from America's biggest retailer are beating estimates. What that could signal about the wider U.S. economy? We'll be right back.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. The world's biggest economy appears to be flexing its muscles. Sales for U.S. retailers unexpectedly jumped in July. They rose by a solid one percent. That was far more than economists were predicting. We're also seeing that the latest earnings from America's biggest retailer, Walmart. Well, they beat Wall Street expectations as well, both for sales and profits, bottom line, top line, off the lines, and it's boosting its full-year outlook.
Joining us now with the details is CNN's Nathaniel Meyersohn. So, Nathaniel, let's start. Love that you're at the magic board. Let's start with Walmart. Why does Walmart's business appear to be doing so well right now?
NATHANIEL MEYERSOHN, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: So, Rahel, Walmart is just firing on all cylinders right now. Let's take a look at its latest results, up 4.2 percent overall. And take a look at its digital sales, up 22 percent last quarter. Those are numbers that kind of rival Amazon's. And Walmart has really been able to use that size and scale to drive down prices with suppliers. And you think about Walmart in the past. Its core customer has typically been lower and middle income. Bu, Walmart has really seen higher income shoppers flock to stores right now. That's where the biggest market share gains are coming from, higher income customers making more than $100,000 a year, who are looking to save money on groceries and other items after the run-up in inflation in the last few years. SOLOMON: So, that's a really interesting point, Nathaniel, to put a
fine point on it. Not only did they retain sort of their core base of customers, but they were able to attract a different perhaps clientele because of inflation, folks who might have otherwise shop somewhere else, but were looking for lower prices. So, how is Walmart stacking up against some of its competitors, Nathaniel?
MEYERSOHN: So, Rahel, Walmart is really out pacing its competitors right now. It's at the top of its game. You look at some of its rivals. We saw a drop in spending at Home Depot last quarter, down 3.6 percent, people not spending on these major home renovation projects anymore. Starbucks, people were tired of those $5, $6 ice coffees. People trying to make coffee at home, or maybe they're going to boutique coffee shops rather than Starbucks. And then even McDonald's. We've talked about how those $15 Big Mac meals, other higher expensive items at McDonald's really turning away customers.
[11:50:00]
So, I think Walmart is taking business from its competitors, and we see a drop-off right now at some of these major brands.
SOLOMON: Nathaniel, walk me through sort of what they're predicting. I think I said that they're raising their full-year outlook. I mean, anyone who owns shares of Walmart, you love to hear that. What are they predicting?
MEYERSOHN: So -- yeah. Walmart is expecting its -- you look at some -- the drop in sales at Starbucks and others, but Walmart is expecting that sales are going to rise three percent, four percent, and you see that the share price right there, up seven percent. Walmart is not a -- it's not really considered a growth stock, but a seven percent jump after earnings, that shows just how high retail investors are on the company right now. And folks are really looking for value, and that's where Walmart stands out.
SOLOMON: Yeah. And talk to us just about more broadly. As we said, we got retail sales this morning. That was obviously music to Wall Street's ears. What we learned about the health of the U.S. consumer right now?
MEYERSOHN: Yes. As you mentioned, Rahel, retail sales in July up one percent. It shows that the mighty American consumer is still spending. The consumer is still resilient, despite inflation, despite higher interest rates. This really outpaced Wall Street's expectations. They were just expecting kind of a 0.3 percent 0.4 percent rise. Retail sales last quarter were kind of juiced by Amazon Prime Day. That pumped up spending a little bit. But, the consumer still continues to defy expectations, and it's obviously a great sign for the economy, especially coming off the lackluster job numbers that we saw last week.
SOLOMON: Well, and to that point, it's a great sign for the economy, but it sort of highlights the importance of keeping the labor market strong, because it's wages and it's the labor market that's fueling consumer spending. Nathaniel Meyersohn, great to see you. Thank you, Nathaniel.
All right. Yankees player Aaron Judge is used to being the star, but now he is one who is also just made history. Maybe one more thing for us. Coming up, we'll show you how many it was for him.
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SOLOMON: Stonehenge in England is one of the world's most mystifying prehistoric monuments. Now, new analysis shows that one of its stones came from much farther away than previously known. The Altar Stone, which lies at the heart of the ancient monument, is a perfect match to the bedrock which was found now in northeastern Scotland. It was originally thought to be from present day Wales. And discovery means that the 13,000-pound slab was transported at least 430 miles. There is no record of any other stone being transported that far during the time period, nearly 5,000 years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK PEARCE, PROFESSOR, ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY: It's very different. So, it must have stood out like a sore thumb or something else. And bring it 700 kilometers, however you brought it, whether you brought it down by boat or whether you brought it over land, yeah, it must have taken a huge effort to do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: The findings suggest that the people of ancient Britain were far more advanced than thought before.
[11:55:00]
And staying in Scotland, some parts were treated to this spectacular view Monday night as the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, lit up the night sky. This time lapse video showing the stunning view in the town of Bridge of Allan.
And before we go, one more thing.
(VIDEO PLAYING)
New York Yankees star outfielder Aaron Judge just made history in Major League Baseball by becoming the fastest player to ever hit the 300 home run milestone. It happened Wednesday in the Yankees win over the Chicago White Sox. 32-year-old Judge did it in the eighth inning of his 955th career game, I'm tired for him, making him the 162nd player in MLB history to reach the record. The Yankees went on to win 10 to two. And after the game, Judge said that it was great. I bet it was. Making history is great.
And 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. Amanpour is coming up next.
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