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Trump Campaigns in Battleground State of Pennsylvania; Kamala Harris to Appear With Biden at DNC Monday Night; Gaza Civil Defense: Israel Strike Kills 15 in Central Gaza; U.S. Applying New Pressure For Ceasefire Agreement; Ukraine's Morale Boost From Cross-Border Offensive; World Health Organization Declares Mpox a Global Emergency. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired August 18, 2024 - 05:00   ET

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

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[05:00:36]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

We're just one day away from the Democratic Convention, where Kamala Harris is set to accept the presidential nomination. What we know about the preparations underway right now.

Donald Trump launching new attacks against Harris, why he says she'll be easier to beat in November.

Plus, the U.S. Secretary of State flying right now to Israel amid the push for peace between Israel and Hamas. What still stands in the way of a ceasefire agreement.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: We're counting down to tomorrow's start of the Democratic National Convention, where Vice President Kamala Harris officially becomes the party's nominee for president.

In the hours ahead, Harris and her running mate Tim Walz will launch a bus tour through Pennsylvania, a key battleground state. That comes as the campaign is spending big on fall advertising, saying in a statement that it has reserved $370 million in TV and digital ads, including some on the conservative Trump-friendly Fox News.

Meanwhile, former President Trump was also campaigning in Pennsylvania on Saturday. It's his second visit to the Keystone State since last month's assassination attempt.

CNN's Danny Freeman was there at Trump's rally in Wilkes-Barre and has more on the day's events.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No doubt this was a packed and raucous rally for former President Donald Trump here in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. But the big question leading into this rally was, could the candidate stay on message? Could he stick to the topics of the economy, immigration and crime?

Because allies and advisor of the former president said that that was the primary way that he could start to blunt some of the momentum that Vice President Kamala Harris has had in her campaign over the past few weeks.

Now, there were some lines that were specifically on topic. I'll get to that in a moment. But make no mistake, this was generally a normal Trump rally, which included a lot of wandering and meandering lines. The crowd loved a lot of that, but it was, again, far from on message. There were certain points where the former president made fun of Harris's laugh. He also called her a lunatic.

And then at one point, he actually referenced a Time magazine cover and took a moment to say that he's better looking than Harris. He also spoke at length about debates and also spoke a lot about President Joe Biden, who is no longer his opponent in this race.

Now, there were a few moments where the former president was able to stay on message. He brought up a man who had family in Venezuela who talked about his fear of communism. He also played an attack ad for the crowd that really painted Vice President Harris as a radical liberal.

And there was one moment where he actually addressed some of the new economic policies that Vice President Harris released back on Friday. Take a listen to how he addressed these new policies.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Kamala laid out her so-called economic plan. She says she's going to lower the cost of food and housing starting on day one. But day one for Kamala was three and a half years ago. So why didn't she do it then? So this is day 1305. We're at 1305. So why isn't she doing it now? Why doesn't she get away from her nice little place with her wonderful husband, go to Washington and do it now? You could do it right now.

FREEMAN: Now, importantly to note, on Friday, Vice President Harris said that her economic plan is supposed to ideally cut taxes for the middle class and reduce costs at the grocery store. But you heard former President Trump said, well, if that's what Vice President Harris wants to do, if she's elected, why hasn't she done this as part of the Biden-Harris administration?

This was the primary new issue focused attacks that we heard from former President Trump at this rally, but it was frankly a small part of the -- about hour and a half speech that we heard here in Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon.

Danny Freeman, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden is at Camp David this weekend working on the speech he'll give when he passes the torch to Harris at the DNC Monday. He'll be the featured speaker on night one. Aides say Biden is pleased at the momentum building around the candidacy of his second in command.

[05:05:00]

Monday, he's expected to argue that she is the best choice to lead the country and build on the gains his administration has made. Biden will also make the case that Trump is a threat to democracy.

Now, Democrats are holding their convention amid a dramatically changed political landscape. A new poll of likely voters from "The New York Times" and "Siena College" shows a much tighter race, especially in some key Sunbelt swing states. Only a point or two separates Harris and Trump in both Nevada and North Carolina. That's well within the margin of error. Trump leads by four points here in Georgia, while Harris leads by five points in Arizona.

Earlier, I spoke with Natasha Lindstaedt, professor of government at the University of Essex. I asked her, what can the Democrats do to make sure this convention is a success? Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATASHA LINDSTAEDT, PROFESSOR OF GOVERNMENT, UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX: In the last few weeks, the campaign has been rolled out and it's been really expertly rolled out. They want to just keep that momentum going. They want to showcase the Democratic Party in a positive light. They want to show that it's united.

Now, that's something that the Republicans were able to do last month at their convention. And, you know, even a month ago, the idea that the Democrats would be united would have seemed almost impossible.

But now they're really united behind the Harris-Walz ticket, and they want to show that they are really behind her and Walz as well. And they also want to give America a chance to get to know Harris and Walz.

So who are they? Who do they represent? What are they all about? Though there's been all kinds of media coverage on this ticket and the campaign, there's still millions of Americans that don't really know that much about them.

So they want to portray the ticket in a really positive light and explain to the American public what their broader agenda is and what the specific policies are that they're advocating.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, on that, so what do you think the major themes will be?

LINDSTAEDT: For sure, they're going to be talking about reproductive rights. I mean, this is something that Kamala Harris is very comfortable talking about. I know she's not speaking until Thursday. But this is an area that the Democrats have been doing really, really well. This probably explains why Harris is doing so much better than Trump when it comes to female voters. Depending on the swing state, you have a lead of somewhere between 14 and 17 points.

In addition to focusing on reproductive rights, I think they're going to be talking about freedoms more generally. The idea that Harris is there to protect people's freedoms. And they're going to also have to talk about the economy.

And this is an area where there could be an opportunity, but it could also be a bit tricky for the Democrats. We've seen that Harris has been closing in on Donald Trump's lead with the American public in terms of how they feel who is best at managing the economy. So she's doing better than Biden was.

And Biden struggled to just articulate why things were going so well. Even though there was unemployment and so forth. She's going to have to articulate an economic message that can resonate with the American public.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And stay with CNN for complete coverage of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. It begins Sunday at 7 in the evening Eastern Time. That's Monday, 7 a.m. in Hong Kong.

Right now, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on his way to Israel. The trip is part of the U.S. plan to apply new pressure on Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire deal. He's expected to meet with Israeli officials later today.

Israeli negotiators are said to be optimistic about the talks, but Hamas is expressing reservations. In Gaza, officials at the Al-Aqsa Hospital say an Israeli strike today killed seven members of the same family. The victims are said to be a mother and her six children.

On Saturday, civil defense officials say an Israeli strike killed at least 15 members of another family, including nine children.

On the streets of Tel Aviv, protesters lit a fire at an anti- government protest, saying there would be a deal or escalation, but some Israelis are skeptical that a ceasefire deal will actually happen.

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YAIR MOSES, RELATIVE OF HOSTAGE: Every time there's a conversation like this, it's a very tense time for us. We learned from past experience not to build expectations too much, because then, if it doesn't complete to a deal, the disappointment is so huge, and you go down so far, so far, that it's very hard to rise up again. But we still try to stay optimistic and hope, but we really, really can't build our expectation too much, because then it will be very, very hard to recover for us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Journalist Elliott Gotkine is live in London. So, Elliott, let's start with the latest from Gaza. We have more strikes, more deaths, and according to the U.N., a shrinking humanitarian area.

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Very much so, Kim. You mentioned those two families being killed in those two separate airstrikes in the early hours of Sunday morning and the early hours of Saturday morning. Now, without specifically referring to those families that the authorities in the Hamas-run enclave say were killed and almost obliterated by the sounds of it, Israel's saying that it was targeting rocket launchers that in the Saturday morning incident it says were firing towards its soldiers and in the Sunday morning incident had been firing towards Israel.

[05:10:09]

But as you say, at the same time, that has prompted Israel to put in place more evacuation orders because of rocket launchers from parts of the central part of the Gaza Strip. That is why Israel says it is putting in place additional evacuation orders to move to this so- called humanitarian areas, which now, according to the United Nations, accounts for just 11% of the entire area of the Gaza Strip. In other words, 89% of that, even as far as Israel is concerned, is not considered safe, is considered part of the fighting area.

And all the while, the humanitarian situation is also deteriorating. And one evidence of that is the first outbreak of polio in the Gaza Strip in 25 years. A 10-month-old child has been infected by that, prompting the UNICEF and also the Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, to call for a one-week pause in fighting to enable authorities to vaccinate more than 600,000 children in the enclave to try to prevent the spread of polio.

Now, as that fighting is happening in Gaza, we also had one of the deadliest attacks in southern Lebanon since the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel erupted a day after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks, when Hezbollah started firing on Israel in solidarity. Ten members, ten people, all Syrian nationals killed in that strike.

Israel says that it was carrying out strikes on a Hezbollah weapons storage facility, and that prompted a barrage of dozens of rockets being fired by Hezbollah on Israel.

Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right, thanks for the latest there, Elliott Gotkine, appreciate that.

I want to turn now to our Fred Pleitgen, live in Tehran. So, Fred, we were hearing cautious optimism from the Israeli side and the American side about a deal. No such optimism from Hamas or Iran, is that right?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's absolutely right. That's exactly how I would categorize it. In fact, just a couple of minutes ago, I was inside Iranian parliament, where right now the new cabinet of the newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, is going through a confirmation process, which is a pretty tough process actually here in Iran.

We were actually able to speak to a lot of members of parliament who were in that session, and none of them really expressed big optimism that a ceasefire deal is going to happen. There were some -- we were speaking to who said that they don't believe that specifically Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is serious about a ceasefire agreement. They believe that the Israelis have consistently moved the goalposts on a possible agreement.

Of course, a lot of them also don't trust the United States as a mediator at all. They believe that the U.S. is firmly in Israel's corner on most of the issues regarding the ceasefire. And so, therefore, as far as Iranian parliamentarians are concerned, it appears as though very few of them believe that a ceasefire is something that could be on the horizon.

But one of the things that we did hear from parliamentarians, including some very prominent ones here in Iran, is that they hope that a ceasefire will happen. They say they believe that the bloodshed in Gaza needs to end, and they say that they hope that some sort of agreement could be hammered out.

Of course, one of the reasons why there's so much pressure right now, why specifically the U.S., of course, is also working so hard to make a deal happen, is that looming retaliation by the Iranians for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, which happened on July 31st here in the Iranian capital, just a day after that new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, was inaugurated into office.

And so the Iranians are saying that the retaliation for that is still very much on the table. And I was able to speak to a political analyst who told me what he believes some of the thought processes right now are among the power elite here in Tehran.

Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMAD MARANDI, POLITICAL ANALYST: I think the response, although it will be harsh, I think it will be calculated in a way so that countries across the global south don't conclude that Iran is putting them at risk. So the ball really is in the court of the Americans. After the Iranian strike, and I think it will be hurtful significantly, they will cause significant pain to the Israeli regime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: So you have the view of a political analyst, Mohammad Marandi here in Tehran. It was also quite interesting to hear from some other sources here on the ground, is that they believe that if such a retaliation happens that it will be harsh, but the Iranians, of course, also not looking to further inflame tensions here in the Middle East, they say. They also say they're not sure whether or not such a retaliation would

happen simultaneously, for instance, together with Hezbollah, but they do believe that it would be coordinated with Iran's allies in the greater Middle Eastern region, of course, including Hezbollah, including some groups on the ground in places like Iraq as well.

Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right, and Fred, you spoke about the skepticism about the American role in the negotiations. We have Secretary of State Blinken landing in Israel soon. How much pressure can or will the Biden administration exert on Israel to get a deal, do you think?

[05:15:08]

PLEITGEN: Well, I think it's quite difficult for the Biden administration. On the one hand, the Biden administration has said that they are cautiously optimistic. The Israelis apparently have said the same thing.

However, it has been the case in the past that President Biden has already said that he had been optimistic, and deals kept falling apart. We heard some of the skepticism in that earlier report that we just had on from folks inside Israel, and that's a demonstration in Tel Aviv of people who are related to the hostages that are still inside the Gaza Strip.

So certainly it seems as though the power of the United States to actually get the Israelis to implement a deal or to sign off on a deal seems to be viewed around the entire region as being quite limited. And that's also something that we're hearing on the ground here in Iran as well.

On the one hand, the Iranians question how much leverage the Biden administration actually has over the Netanyahu administration and Prime Minister Netanyahu himself. At the same time, the Iranians in general, of course, believe that the U.S. is such a big backer of the Israelis that they do not trust the U.S. to mediate a ceasefire or to be objective in doing that.

Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Fred, great to have your reporting from Tehran there. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Ukraine says it's moving ahead with its offensive in Russia, but more Russian civilians are paying the price and leaving their homes behind.

Also coming up, Ukraine destroys this bridge inside Russia, and the Kremlin says the U.S. is partly the blame. Stay with us.

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[05:20:28]

BRUNHUBER: Well, a dramatic video shows the moment Ukraine blew up a bridge in Russia's Kursk region. Have a look. Moscow claims Ukraine probably used U.S.-made HIMARS rockets in Friday's strike. U.S. officials say Kyiv has used HIMARS in its ongoing offensive in Russia, but they appear to have been launched from Ukraine. And officials say Kyiv is technically still in compliance with Washington's restrictions on the use of those weapons.

But as Kyiv pushes ahead with the offensive, Russia is stepping up the evacuation of civilians from border areas. More than 3,000 were moved on Saturday, bringing the total to at least 200,000 since the Ukrainian offensive began.

All right, I'm joined now by Ukrainian journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk. She's the CEO of the Public Interest Journalism Lab, as well as co- founder of the Reckoning Project. And she joins us now from Kharkiv.

Thank you so much for being here with us. And as my producer said, I mean, the background there in Kharkiv, it looks absolutely beautiful. You wouldn't tell that a war is going on right now. Just give us a sense first of how things are there where you are?

NATALIYA GUMENYUK, INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST: So Kharkiv is the second biggest Ukrainian town. It's just around 30 miles from the Russian border. And actually, in spring here, when Ukraine ran out of the ammunition, it was all the time targeted with the glided bombs, which were very, very heavy.

And attacks are constant. But I think in particularly now, we are speaking about the situation when it's becoming calmer for the Ukrainians, because the attacks on such cities like Kharkiv can be possible, especially because they are so close from the Russian border. So Russia was waging the war just from, let's say, around the corner.

So moving the Russians back, but it's not really in this region. It's really a bit northern, really makes the situation calmer in these towns. And as you see, when I was just arriving to the town, there were air raid alert. It was, you know, ongoing. So the risks are still there. However, you know, Ukrainians find the way to the deterrence.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, many initially thought perhaps Kharkiv might be overrun and were perhaps surprised that Ukraine was so successfully able to push Russia back. And then speaking of surprise, now this incursion into Russian territory. So from a morale point of view for Ukrainians, what does this mean exactly?

GUMENYUK: So it's indeed a very serious turning point for the war, because so far the Russian tactics was to stretch Russian Ukrainian resources. So Ukraine needed to, for instance, after the attack on Kharkiv region three months ago, Ukraine needed to redeploy very strong brigades here to this area. So the south and the east were vulnerable.

Now, actually, the very same things is happening to the Russian forces. And it's part of the Ukrainian strategic task of this operation in Kursk, first of all, to force Russia to redeploy their troops, to stretch their lines. So they won't be that firm here in the northern part of Ukraine, in Kharkiv, but also in the south, in the Donbas.

And it's even more strategic. You started the episode with the blowing up this bridge. You know, it sounds like the bridge. In the military term, it's very important things for stopping the Russian logistics, because Kursk region, together with the Belgorod region on the border with the Ukrainian border, they were the most significant to bring permanently the troops and for making Russia capable to wage this war.

So stopping them is absolutely critical, as it was said earlier, for instance, how Ukraine explained this Kursk operation officially. Just from the Kursk region within last three months, over 250 guided bombs and 1,000 missiles were striking upon the Ukrainian territory. And kind of now it's not happening. So that's how it's explaining. But we, of course, are following what's going on.

BRUNHUBER: All right. So that's from a military point of view. You've argued that this incursion may help change the war. So take us through why that is and why it's so important in terms of giving Western allies like the U.S. more faith.

GUMENYUK: So, first of all, it really shows that in the moment when, you know, a lot of people were writing about the stalemate, Ukraine is capable to wage such offenses, which are very strategic, huge, and in the very, you know, secret manner when everybody's watching with the drones. So it really shows the capability and the mobility of the Ukrainian army.

[05:25:14]

And also, as I just was saying, it really stretches the resources. And if it looked like Russia is pushing Ukraine further and overtaking some of the Ukrainian villages and smaller towns, now they needed to be on defense or at least they would stop some of the counterattacks.

And the most important, it really stops Russian potential to wage a very, very severe attack. What I'm arguing as well, that if a lot of analysts explain this war as a war for attrition, in particular in case of Ukraine, it's also the war for attrition for Russia. Because Ukrainian task is partially, you know, what looks as a stalemate for outside, is to stop Russian potential to wage this severe, this huge war with guided ammunition, with missiles, from being very, very close on the Ukrainian border.

So this operation actually shows that there is a chance for Ukraine to succeed. And it's probably the most significant development. And that's how the war would look for the next kind of months and at least still until winter.

BRUNHUBER: Listen, it's really great hearing from you. Ukrainian journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk, thank you so much for being here with us.

GUMENYUK: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: All right, still to come, former U.S. President Donald Trump launches more personal attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris, we have the latest from the campaign trail just ahead. Please stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

[05:30:01]

More on our top story this hour, a source tells CNN former U.S. President Donald Trump is planning to hold a series of events this week to counter the Democratic National Convention.

His campaign is describing them as messaging events, which will be held at smaller venues in several battleground states. They'll focus on the economy, crime, and immigration, and will kick off in Pennsylvania on Monday. That's where Trump was campaigning on Saturday, his second visit to the state since last month's attempted assassination.

During the rally, Trump escalated his personal attacks on his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I believe she will be easier to beat than him, because she's a truly radical left lunatic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Democrats are gearing up for their national convention in Chicago. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to make her first appearance on the opening night on Monday, after President Joe Biden delivers his keynote address. He'll then pass the Democratic torch to Harris.

We have details from CNN's Kevin Liptak.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Biden is spending the weekend at Camp David writing and revising his convention speech on Monday evening, essentially this high-stakes moment of passing the torch to his vice president, Kamala Harris. This could be one of his largest television audiences before the November election, and it also starts this long goodbye to political life for someone who has been in the sphere for 50 years.

And I say the start because President Biden's aides are emphatic that we will see plenty of him over the next five months, campaigning for Kamala Harris, but also working to cement his legacy.

But there's no question this speech that he will deliver on Monday is not the speech he was planning to give, not the speech that he was hoping to give. And certainly, President Biden, I think, is still processing that prolonged effort to remove him from the top of the Democratic ticket.

But when he speaks to the delegates in Chicago, his goal will be to look forward, and certainly Democrats want to look forward as well. And what Biden advisers say the President will do is make the case for Kamala Harris as the natural successor to his accomplishments in office.

He'll make a proactive case for his vice president, talking about her record, talking about her character. But he'll also make a case against Donald Trump, repeating his warnings that Trump represents a threat to American democracy. And in the words of a Biden aide, that Kamala Harris' election is necessary to ensure democracy is preserved.

So that's a lot that he will need to pack into his speech on Monday night. When we heard from him on Friday evening as he was heading out to Camp David, he was a lot more concise in describing his goals.

Listen to what he said.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you going to work on your speech this weekend?

JOE BIDEN, (D) U.S. PRESIDENT: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. What's your message to Democrats on Monday night?

BIDEN: win.

LIPTAK: When you talk to White House officials, they say Biden is extraordinarily proud of how the Democratic Party has coalesced around Kamala Harris, in no small part because of how quick he was out of the gate to endorse her once he withdrew from the race.

And what I think you'll see from Democrats throughout the course of next week's convention is conveying their thanks to President Biden for his handling of the COVID pandemic, for his legislative accomplishments, in fact, in those large screens inside the United Center in Chicago, where this convention is being held. You'll see some quotes from President Biden, his quote, "spread the faith," something he says a lot.

The quote, "history is in your hands," which comes from his Oval Office address that he delivered a few weeks ago, explaining his reasoning for dropping out of the race.

Now, on Monday evening, Kamala Harris will be on hand in Chicago for this historic handing of the torch in the Democratic Party for President Biden. That will be his last night at the convention.

After he speaks, he will head out of town, essentially leaving this event and leaving this gathering to his chosen successor.

Kevin Liptak, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado there in the center made her first public appearance in weeks on Saturday, joining demonstrators in what her party called a protest for the truth in the capital, Caracas.

Thousands of Venezuelans and others around the world answered Machado's call to action, showing support for the opposition's claim of victory against longtime strongman Nicolas Maduro and demanding truth and transparency nearly three weeks after the country's hotly contested presidential election.

Tropical Storm Ernesto, which is currently accelerating northward, could reintensify and regain hurricane status in the hours ahead. CNN Meteorologist Elisa Raffa has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Ernesto continues to pull away from Bermuda after lashing the island with tropical storm force winds nearly all day and all evening on Saturday. That's after dumping more than a month's worth of rain on the island on Friday.

[05:35:07]

Rain totals there approached five and a half inches or 140 millimeters on Friday. Their average for the entire month of August is just over five inches or about 130 millimeters, so a significant amount of rain just in one day.

Those winds will continue to churn and swirl across the Atlantic, scraping some of these Canadian islands with some intense winds as we go into Monday. But this will continue to pick up some significant wave height in the Atlantic through the weekend and going into early next week, which is really posing a concern for coastal erosion, large swells and rip currents.

Look at the rip current risk from Miami to Maine, stretching up and down the East Coast here. A lot of the coast highlighted in red for that high risk of rip current. So you want to just be careful and keep that in mind as you're headed to the beach.

Remember, rip current takes you out to sea. Your instinct, if you're caught in it, might want to be to fight it and swim back to shore. But you absolutely cannot do that. You need to swim faster than an Olympic swimmer to beat out that current, which most of us can't do.

So the safest way to get out of this rip current is to swim parallel to the shore to get out of the current. Then you're in much safer waters and will be able to make that trek back to the shore safely. That is the best way to get out of a rip current. Remember, try not to panic, but really to avoid all of this. If you see those double red flags, even red flags on the beach, just don't go into the water.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Parts of central Canada are trying to recover after being submerged by wet weather. Have a look. Heavy rain triggered flooding in Toronto and neighboring communities as Environment Canada issued weather alerts.

Firefighters helped people stranded by high water and there were reports of a tornado touching down elsewhere in Ontario. Severe thunderstorms also caused numerous flight delays and diversions at Toronto's airport. The rain is expected to continue into today.

Many cities around the world are facing another threat from extreme weather, dangerously high temperatures. UNICEF has just published a new report about the global heat crisis and its impact on children. Lynda Kinkade reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Many places in the world are experiencing extreme heat right now. And according to UNICEF, that's a particular threat to children. In a new report, the U.N. agency says almost half a billion children are experiencing at least double the number of extremely hot days as their grandparents did when they were kids.

LILY CAPRANI, UNICEF CHIEF OF GLOBAL ADVOCACY: On that trajectory, it's getting worse and worse for those children. And it's not just in countries that you might think traditionally are hot countries. It's happening in every continent. We're seeing heat waves all over the world, in northern Europe, in the United States, as well as in countries in Africa. And if you can imagine the type of temperatures we're talking about, that kind of heat is dangerous. It's dangerous for anyone, but especially for young children.

KINKADE: UNICEF says one major impact is on children's health. Extreme levels of heat stress can contribute to malnutrition and increase the likelihood of infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue.

Countries like South Sudan, Sudan, Mali, Niger and Senegal are home to children spending half the year in temperatures over 95 degrees Fahrenheit or 35 degrees Celsius.

In the United States, 36 million children are facing twice as many heat waves as children in the 1960s.

CAPRANI: The bodies of young children are not like little adults. They have much more vulnerability to extreme heat. Their hearts beat faster, they breathe faster, and they can't cool themselves down. So it's actually very dangerous for them from a health perspective. But also, schools are closing, so they're missing out on education. So it really has a long-term impact on children.

KINKADE: UNICEF's point is not just that schools close when temperatures are too hot, but also that high temperatures can negatively affect brain development. So the agency is advocating not just for more air conditioners in schools, but long-term action against climate change.

CAPRANI: We're calling on governments everywhere to understand that and think long and hard about policies that really meet the needs of the most vulnerable groups. Not just because they need to be protected now, but it is their future that we are handing to them. It's the legacy we leave behind for them that these climate plans now will set the course for in the future.

KINKADE: Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And stay with us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:42:47]

BRUNHUBER: We're just one day away from the Democratic National Convention. And as preparations continue at the United Center in downtown Chicago, where Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to officially accept the nomination, many of the city's streets are being blocked off and barricaded as police prepare for what could be four days of commotion outside the venue. Roughly 50,000 people are expected to converge on Chicago, including thousands of anti-war activists and other advocacy groups planning to demonstrate near the convention site.

Chicago's mayor says the city is ready to accommodate people exercising their First Amendment rights, including those planning to participate in a march on the convention.

And you can stay with CNN to watch all the speeches, developments and analysis at the convention. Our special coverage begins on Saturday -- on Sunday rather, at 7 in the evening Eastern Time, Monday at 7 a.m. in Hong Kong.

Thailand's newly elected Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has officially assumed the leadership after formal endorsement by the country's king. The 31st Prime Minister of the country, and its youngest ever, faces the task of reviving a sluggish economy while fending off potential opposition from conservative, military and royalty-aligned parties, and the growing popularity of the People's Party. In her acceptance speech, Shinawatra said she would take the country forward with stability.

More than one million doctors in India staged a 24-hour national strike on Saturday over the brutal rape and murder of a female colleague. They demanded protection from bullying and threats of violence from patients and their families.

They were also frustrated with the problem of violence against women. The murder echoed the notorious fatal gang rape of another medical student in 2012 on a bus in New Delhi. That victim's mother lent protesters her support.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOTHER OF ASHA DEVI, 2012 DELHI GANG RAPE VICTIM, SPEAKS OUT (through translator): The way this misfortunate incident happened inside the hospital, it is a matter of concern and very disheartening to know that the heinous crime happened in a place where this child was working and taking care of the patients and treating them. It is believed that doctors are gods, and if a doctor is working in a hospital and is not safe there, how can we think that other women and young girls are safe anywhere?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:45:02]

BRUNHUBER: The protests this week include sit-ins, vigils and demonstrations for greater protection for medical staff. The 31-year- old trainee female doctor was raped and murdered in a Kolkata medical college when going for a nap after working 24 hours of a 36-hour shift.

The World Health Organization describes the ongoing Mpox outbreak in Africa as just the tip of the iceberg. The virus is now popping up in other parts of the world, prompting health officials to warn that more cases are likely. CNN's Michael Holmes reports.

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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Alarmed by the rapid spread of an Mpox outbreak in Africa, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern and warned of possible new cases in the coming days and weeks.

TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DIRECTOR- GENERAL: It's clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives.

HOLMES: Formerly known as Monkeypox, Mpox infections have surged in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with more than 15,000 cases reported to the WHO this year and more than 500 deaths, including many children.

It's since spread to at least 13 African countries and has been detected in Sweden and Pakistan too, although it's unclear if the strain there is from the current outbreak or one that circulated during a previous health emergency in 2022.

What health officials do know is this new Mpox outbreak is driven mainly by the relatively new Clade 1b variant, which is deadlier than past strains. It's highly contagious and causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions and is spread by skin-to-skin contact and touching contaminated objects, making it very transmissible in close quarters.

DIEU MERCI MONGOU POUTOU, MPOX SURVIVOR (through translator): Three of my children and I were infected. One was treated here and the other two were taken to another hospital. After two weeks they were discharged from the hospital and a week later my wife was infected.

HOLMES: In severe outbreaks of Clade 1 Mpox, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says up to 10% of infected people have died from it, with health officials particularly concerned about vulnerable populations like pregnant women and children.

MARGARET HARRIS, WHO SPOKESPERSON: It's particularly dangerous for those with a weak immune system, so people who maybe have HIV or who are malnourished. And as you know, in the area that it's spreading very rapidly, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, there are a lot of people who are displaced because of conflict.

HOLMES: Countries like Pakistan are taking precautions to try to prevent further infections by screening passengers in airports and fumigating luggage carousels and common areas. Sweden's state epidemiologist says public awareness on Mpox as well as contact tracing and isolation of patients are key to containing the virus. And there are talks of travel recommendations, including vaccines for those travelling to the region.

MAGNUS GISSLEN, STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST, SWEDEN PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY: We do have vaccine and we have a stock of vaccine. And we are also discussing together with a lot of other European countries if we need more vaccine.

HOLMES: Biotech firm Bavarian Nordic says it plans to ramp up production of its Mpox vaccine and can supply 2 million doses this year and 10 million by the end of 2025. But getting those vaccines where they are most needed is critical. And right now, Mpox vaccines are not widely available in Africa.

Michael Holmes, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And we'll be right back.

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[05:52:40]

BRUNHUBER: Elon Musk's social media site X is closing its office in Brazil immediately over a censorship dispute. In a post, the billionaire called the decision difficult. He claims a Brazilian judge secretly threatened one of the country's reps in Brazil with arrest if X didn't comply with orders to remove some content.

The judge was said to be investigating the spread of fake news under a previous right-wing government. The X site remains available online to people in Brazil.

All right, we're still a few weeks away from the start of the new NFL season, but the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs already look like they're in midseason form.

Carolyn Manno joins us now from New York. So, Carolyn, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, you know, he just makes it look easy.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: He really does, Kim. He always does. Mahomes has thrown quite a few amazing passes in his career, that's for sure. But he may have outdone himself in Saturday's preseason game against the Detroit Lions.

I want to show you this one play. Mahomes rolls to his right, realizes that his tight end Travis Kelce had run the wrong route.

So, did you see the two-time league MVP improvise by throwing it behind his back to pick up a first down? I mean, just incredible. Afterwards, he said that play just happened after the mix-up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK MAHOMES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS QUARTERBACK: I knew it was kind of on target, it just was low, but like I said, it wasn't like I didn't do it to like look cool. I literally did it as I was like pissed. I was like, why did you run that route like that? And then it just worked out.

TRAVIS KELCE, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS TIGHT END: You know, he's got the voice thing, and so he kind of mumbled out the play, I couldn't hear it. I was walking up to the line. I was like trying to decipher what he was saying.

Before I knew it, he snapped the ball. And by the time I looked over there, he was already in mid-form, like a photo on a sports card, throwing the ball to me. So it was just, I guess, right place at the right time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: And after a performance for the ages at the Olympics, Simone Biles was in Chicago for the Bears game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The superstar gymnast supporting her husband, Chicago safety Jonathan Owens. But Biles may want to rethink her wardrobe choice just a bit. That is a Green Bay Packers jacket. That's the Bears' biggest rival. That's OK, though.

Meantime, Chicago's number one overall draft pick, Caleb Williams, making another strong impression in his second preseason game. He completed 6 of 13 passes for 75 yards. He can run, too. Williams taking care of business all by himself, a scramble for the score as well. So the Bears win this one, 27-3, the final.

[05:55:08]

In the WNBA, the New York Liberty are the first team to clinch a playoff spot in this year's playoffs after executing on both sides of the floor in a 79-67 win over the defending champs, the Las Vegas Aces.

Fresh off winning gold for Team USA, Sabrina Ionescu, and Breanna Stewart leading the way for New York. Ionescu put up 23 points, Stewart added 18, Jonquel Jones grabbing 17 boards for the Liberty who are a franchise best 23-4 through 27 games.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BREANNA STEWART, NEW YORK LIBERTY FORWARD: You guys have clinched the first spot in the playoff.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What? Wait, what?

STEWART: Officially, yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What the --

STEWART: Surprising because we still got a lot of games to go.

SABRINA IONESCU, NEW YORK LIBERTY GUARD: Proud of us. Proud of how we fought. It wasn't always pretty, but I think being able to just continue to chip away and obviously being able to clinch a spot in the playoffs is huge and one of our goals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: In baseball, where Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Brandon Lowe thought he was home free with a no-doubter against the Arizona Diamondbacks here before the roof at the drop had a different idea. What he thought was a home run ended up being a high fly ball that actually got stuck in the catwalk and never came down. So that gets recorded in the scorebook technically as a ground rule double. The Rays go on to win 6-1 the final there.

And Royals outfielder, Dairon Blanco had himself a night on Saturday. He blasted not one, but two home runs including the first grand slam of his career while driving in seven runs.

The best part is he did it all while using a bat that looked like a yellow crayon. This is players weekend when guys are allowed to bend some of the traditional equipment rules, get a little creative, Blanco probably wouldn't mind having every weekend as players weekend. We saw pencils, crayons, all kinds of different things, but it ended up working out in his favor. That's for sure. Really nice night for Blanco.

BRUNHUBER: I think they should make that permanent. That looks good.

Thanks so much, Carolyn. I appreciate that.

All right. That wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. For viewers in North America, CNN This Morning is next. For the rest of the world, it's Africa Avant-Garde.

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