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CNN International: Tim Walz Accepts Democratic VP Nomination; Trump To Speak On Immigration At The U.S.-Mexico Border; Source: RFK Jr. To End Campaign Friday, In Talks To Endorse Trump; Crews Resume Search For Last Missing Person; Russia: Ukraine Targets Military Airfield In Mass Drone Attack; Indian PM In Poland And Set For Historic Visit To Ukraine On Friday; Flooding Strands Three Million In Bangladesh And India; Canadian Freight Railroads Shut Down, Dealing Potential Blow To North America's Economy; Harris To Accept Dem. Nomination With Major Speech; Israel's Hostage Families Forum And Others To Boycott Government's October 7 Memorial; Taylor Swift Addresses Vienna Terror Plot For The First Time. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired August 22, 2024 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:20]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, ANCHOR, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and this is the CNN Newsroom.

Just ahead. Kamala Harris prepares to make her pitch to the nation when she takes center stage at the Democratic National Convention, a speech that will be watched by millions. And she does indeed have a tough act to follow her vice-presidential pick, Tim Walz. Start on Wednesday night in Chicago, we'll bring you analysis of his emotional speech.

And we're live in Sicily, where we'll have more on the tragedy at sea. A fifth body has been recovered from a luxury yacht that sank on Monday.

WHITFIELD: All right. She has been a McDonald's fast food worker, a stepmom, Momala, a prosecutor, a politician. And tonight, Kamala Harris will formally accept the Democratic nomination for President. She has spent weeks polishing what will be the biggest speech of her career. She's expected to fall back on her personal history and experiences in an effort to convince the American people that she is the right person to take the nation into the future.

At the convention on Wednesday night, her vice-presidential pick, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, delivered a rousing speech. Walz, who was a relatively obscure politician before Harris elevated him to the national stage, drew raucous cheers from the crowd, as he repeatedly leaned into his life story, including his background as a football coach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN), 2024 VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, you might not know it, but I haven't given a lot of big speeches like this, but I have given a lot of pep talks. So, let me -- let me finish with this, team. It's the fourth quarter, we're down a field goal, but we're on offense, and we've got the ball. We're driving down the field.

We got 76 days. That's nothing. There will be time to sleep when you're dead. We're going to leave it on the field. And as the next President of the United States always says, when we fight --

(CROWD CHANTS "We Win")

WALZ: When we fight --

(CROWD CHANTS "We Win")

WALZ: When we fight --

(CROWD CHANTS "We Win")

WALZ: Thank you. God bless.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN Politics Senior Reporter, Stephen Collinson, is at the DNC. Stephen, I mean, what a night, huh? I mean -- I mean, I guess everyone thought, OK, Oprah, that's big. But then, I mean coach Walz, I mean he brought the house down. And he also elicited quite an emotional response, not just from the crowd, but from his family. How enduring are those images?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: I think they're valuable to the campaign just because they show Tim Walz to be an authentic person, a Midwest dad. That was the reason why he was picked in the first place by Vice President Kamala Harris.

The campaign is trying to appeal to older white males. They're elevating his biography as a football coach, a teacher, a hunter, a veteran. They're trying to leave the impression that, that particular demographic, which is one that's more difficult for Harris to reach in the swing states, can find a political path that does not involve going down the MAGA Republican Party route proposed by Donald Trump. So, that was why it was important.

I think, tonight, we're going to flip to really the most important part of this campaign so far. Kamala Harris has shown America that she can bring joy to this campaign. But now, she has to convince sufficient voters that she can be President. They have to see her as a potential commander-in-chief. It's a barrier every nominee has to face. And it gets really serious from here on in.

WHITFIELD: Right. Well, she calls herself a joyful warrior, as she does the team around her. And you heard the references made throughout the evening of what a fighter she is. You know, whether it was being as a prosecutor, or whether it was as a little kid you heard, you know, one of her best friends talk about her, you know, fighting for others when she was a kid, her mother saying, if you don't like something, then do something. So, how will she incorporate all of that and some more? Because we heard, you know, a chorus of people around her speak to that. How do you believe she will try to deliver that this evening?

[08:05:00]

COLLINSON: I think she will highlight her biography as a middle-class person growing up, who worked in McDonald's, paid her way through college, became a prosecutor, and Attorney General of California, then a senator, then Vice President, and now potentially President.

She's going to argue that she, and not the billionaire Donald Trump, properly represents the heartland values of many Americans. I think you'll see her identify with the struggles that many Americans have had in recent years, coming out of the pandemic, talking about the cost of high grocery prices. She'll try to convince people she has a plan to tackle that.

In many ways, she's trying to bill herself. And we've seen all the democratic elders make the same case that she is the candidate of change, notwithstanding the fact that she's the second most important person in a very unpopular administration.

She's -- even though she's Biden -- President Biden's Vice President, she's saying that she, and not Trump, who has been on the scene for eight years, he's offering the same pretty much dark rhetoric that he's offered for the last two -- over the span the last two presidential terms in this election. So, she's trying to take the country to a different place.

Whether that message resonates with voters, who are still having quite a hard time in many ways, and question whether she has the skills to turn around what they see as a malfunctioning economy, even though, by the classic terms of financial data, is doing quite well. We'll have to see.

But she's offering joy, toughness. But what we need to see from her, I think, now, is a bit more substance to convince voters that she's a potential president.

WHITFIELD: All right. Stephen Collinson, thank you so much, there in Chicago. All right. Let's talk more now about all this. CNN Political Analyst, Jackie Kucinich, with me now. Great to see you. Good morning, Jackie.

JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning.

WHITFIELD: OK. So, wow, huh? What an incredible build-up tonight. It's been bold, it's been energetic, it has been joyful. But let's remember, you know this tone was already set by Kamala Harris. So, tonight, the presidential nominee will spell out her experience growing up, her prosecutorial framework, and now her vision. How do you see her filling in any blanks that voters need to hear?

KUCINICH: Well, she really is reintroducing herself to the American public. Yes, she has been Vice President for the last almost four years. But in -- this is a different capacity. This is now talking about its first show, where -- you know what issues she wants to focus on.

I think you're going to hear a lot of focus more broadly on the economy. This obviously isn't a policy speech tonight. But I think you'll continue to hear that theme of -- freedom has been a big theme here. And moving forward from some of the policies and the dark politics of the recent past. And that is what we'll hear.

And I'll tell you, when you inside that arena, obviously, some very friendly crowd she's speaking to. But there is a real electricity, and excitement, and nervousness, frankly, from this -- from this DNC crowd, because they know how much is at stake.

WHITFIELD: Yeah, what do you mean nervousness?

KUCINICH: It's like a frenetic energy, because there's -- they're -- they're glad that they don't have to have Joe Biden. I mean, they thank him, but they're glad that that is not the top of their ticket. But there is this real nervousness of -- you know, of the next 70-plus days ahead, and you know, whether they can make that case. There's all positivity. But right into the surface, there -- they know how much work, I think is a better way of saying it, is ahead of them.

WHITFIELD: OK. I think Bill Clinton did make some reference to that. You know -- you know, don't -- don't rest on your laurels with the 70 -- at least, last night, it was 76 days. Today, 75 days ago --

KUCINICH: Michelle Obama, too.

WHITFIELD: Right. She sure did. All right. So, so much is said. You know that -- so much is being said rather than -- this is the most important speech of her life. How much of it will be about what she is saying or how she is saying it?

KUCINICH: I think it's a little bit of both. It's hard to say, you know, get into the minds of the voters, and what they're looking for. But I think she's -- she tends to be able to give -- to meet these moments. Obviously, we haven't seen her speak yet. But you know, they're doing all they can to get to build up the crowd and create an environment where she can give this address that, as you say, is so important.

WHITFIELD: OK. You know, so much is often said about the people that surround you. You know, her vice-presidential pick, it had people in tears through his family's reaction, and you know, team members.

There was Oprah, there was a former President Bill Clinton, former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, and so many Republicans, Jeff Duncan, you know, former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, Stephanie Grisham, used to work in the Trump White House.

[08:10:00]

So, if anyone you know was on the fence before this convention, did those speakers, in your view, kind of bring it home for Harris? KUCINICH: I think we're must see -- I mean, the closers are tonight, right? That's why, if you have a speaking slot on Thursday, it's a really -- it's a really big deal, particularly that primetime hour. We're going to see people like Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, we'll see Maura Healey from Massachusetts, we'll see Adam Kinzinger -- is expected to speak -- speak, who is a Republican.

So, I've been really trying to show that no matter where you land politically, there's a place for you with this candidate, not necessarily in the Democratic Party, but in the Harris camp. And I thought it was really interesting the moment where Oprah said that she's an independent voter, and she votes her values.

And, you know -- and she spoke directly to independent voters. And I think that's going to be part of the pitch tonight, Fredricka, because that is a -- that's the whole ballgame -- is where the independent voters go. Those voters who really -- the swing voters who really, you know, every year, have to make that choice.

WHITFIELD: All right. CNN Political Analyst, Jackie Kucinich, great to see you. Enjoy the rest of Chicago there.

KUCINICH: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Donald Trump, meanwhile, is focused on one of his priority issues, immigration. The former President will be at the U.S.-Mexico border later on today, as part of his DNC counter programming tour. He is expected to slam the Biden administration's handling of the border crisis.

And two sources tell CNN that independent candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. is expected to end his campaign on Friday. And he's reportedly in talks to endorse Donald Trump. Alayna Treene is joining us now from Washington with more details on this.

I said he's focused on one thing, immigration, but really he's focused on two things. He's very angry. He's kind of also focused on his anger that seems to be upstaging everything. What's going on with Donald Trump in his camp?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, that's right. And I think you kind of saw that on display yesterday, when Donald Trump was in Asheboro, North Carolina. That was a speech that was billed as a national security speech. And he did talk about national security at some points.

There were those elements he harkened back to his own administration and the policies that he had then. But it was also very clear, Fred, that he was paying very close attention to what is happening at the Democratic National Committee, and specifically many of the speakers who are talking about him.

He talked about the Obamas during that speech yesterday, railed against how broadly he thinks Democrats are spending too much time focused on him and attacks against him. You heard him earlier in the week when he was in Michigan. That was a speech that was supposed to be focused on crime, where he talked about, you know, they say, don't give, you know, personal attacks against me. Everyone says I shouldn't be lobbing personal attacks against my opponents, but they're personally attacking me.

So, you're seeing some of those elements play out, even though this week is supposed to be Donald Trump staying very focused on the issues. And you're right, there's a reason he is going to the border today. Today, he's going to be in Arizona at Montezuma Pass, and that is really going to be a speech focused on immigration.

And of course, this is one of the most -- the highest profile issues that Donald Trump's campaign wants to really drill into the minds of voters, as they look ahead to November. This is one of the issues that they think they pull better on, that Donald Trump pulls better on, and also one that they feel is very important to voters, of course, in Arizona, but a lot of other states as well.

And so, you're going to hear him talking about that a lot today, but I also think you'll hear many of the same attacks we heard last night, and he'll probably be responding to a lot of what the speaker said last night, and maybe a little prebuttal of what Harris is going to do later tonight on that stage.

WHITFIELD: OK. And what more about this reporting of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dropping out of the presidential race as early as tomorrow, and these talks he's having? Talks with the Trump campaign?

TREENE: That's right. There are talks with the Trump campaign, really people within Donald Trump's orbit. I was told, Fred -- so, I talked to a number of people, both on the campaign, but close to the former President, about this. And they said, really, one of the key drivers behind trying to get RFK Jr. to drop out, end his campaign, and throw his support behind Donald Trump has been Trump's own son, Donald Trump Jr.

He has been in talks with people within RFK Jr.'s camp for weeks now, I was told. Even before the Republican National Convention in mid- July, these talks were starting to take shape. Two other key people that have been crucial in this behind the scenes kind of brokering of this have been Tucker Carlson, of course, former Fox News host, but also someone who is close to RFK Jr. has a relationship with him.

[08:15:00]

And then, Omeed Malik. He is someone who is close to both Carlson and Don Jr. He is a Donald Trump donor, but he's also supported and donated to RFK Jr. in the past. So, they're really the three people I'm told that have been crucial in some of this.

And what's interesting is, when I asked them about, you know, when -- why is this coming about? Why do you think that his support will help you, specifically after Donald Trump's campaign has spent months going after RFK Jr., labeling him as being radically liberal, as having these really progressive ideals? Why would they want him as someone who was backing him and potentially even as a surrogate? And they told me that, you know, the change that they saw in this was around when Biden ended his campaign, and it became very clear that Harris was going to top the Democratic ticket. They said there were a lot of questions for months, and we've been reporting on this, Fred, about who RFK Jr. would hurt the most. Who -- who's -- his candidacy, who would that impact the most?

And after Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee, they thought that it could actually hurt Donald Trump more. And that's really why you've been seeing this push behind the scenes. Now, one other quick, interesting thing just about that announcement from RFK Jr. tomorrow is that he's going to be making that announcement in Phoenix, Arizona. Who else is going to be in Arizona tomorrow? Donald Trump.

So, take a look to see if -- you know, keep an eye out to see whether they end up joining forces, or if it's just a coincidence that they're in the same state on the same day.

WHITFIELD: OK. All right. Alayna Treene, thank you so much. All right. Just hours from now, JD Vance will also be talking about immigration, but in South Georgia. The Senator from Ohio tells our Jake Tapper that he has no reservations about becoming Donald Trump's running mate. He adds that's because he's ready to help Trump build on the progress of the former President's first term.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), 2024 VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would love for Tim Walz, or Kamala Harris, or anybody else, to say that during the three and a half years that Kamala Harris was Vice President, here is the thing that she did to make groceries more affordable, here is the thing that she did to make it possible to raise a family in this country, or here's the thing that she did to secure rather than open up the border.

Because they can't talk about Kamala Harris' record, they're creating a phantom of Donald Trump's leadership. The Donald Trump that I know and that the American people know, I think, produce really good results for the American people. It's a record to be proud of, and a record I'd like to get back to, frankly, because it was good for the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Still to come. The search goes on for the last person still missing in that sunken yacht tragedy off Sicily. We'll take you there live straight ahead. Then, as Ukrainian forces continue to push into Russia's Western Kursk region, Moscow accuses Kyiv of launching another massive drone attack on Russian territory.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:20:00]

WHITFIELD: Italian authorities continue to search for the last missing person from a luxury yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily earlier in the week. A CNN team on the ground saw authorities bring a fifth body from the wreckage to the Sicilian port of Porticello earlier.

That brings the total number of confirmed deaths to six. The yacht, which had 22 people on board, sank early Monday during a violent storm. 15 people were rescued. CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau is following this for us. So, she's joining us live from Porticello, Sicily, right now. A fifth body recovered a short time ago. What can you tell us?

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Yeah. You know, these are very grim experiences here. You know, when they bring this body forward to the -- to the staging area behind me, and you know, they -- they had people identify it, and then they took it in an ambulance away.

Now, they were bent out -- the divers have bent out twice more since that fifth body was brought in, and twice they came back empty-handed. So, we understand that they may have identified where that last body is, but we don't have that confirmed.

And so, we're -- they're taking what seems to be some sort of a break behind us right now, expecting them to go back out to the debris area here shortly to try to find that sixth and final missing body, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And tell me more about the divers mission, what they're equipped to do, and you know, what obstacles they might be facing.

NADEAU: Yeah. You know, these divers are in a very difficult and tricky situation. They could go down for like 10 to 12 minutes, we're told. And in that -- inside that luxury yacht, you know, they've got wires, electric cables, and also all of the debris that is now floating around inside that vessel.

We understand that they had to get all the way down into the sleeping suites to find the five bodies they've found so far, and assuming that last body may well be there, but we understand that the actual wreck is sort of at a 90-degree angle there underwater. And so, it's very, very, very difficult for them.

This water's about 50 meters deep. And we've seen these divers, you know, come back out after 10, 12 minutes, coming back here to the shore, and then another team will go out. So, it's really working very difficult. These are -- some of these divers, actually, we're told, worked on the Costa Concordia, that giant cruise ship that crashed off in Tuscan coast, you know, about 10 years ago. But these are highly specialized cave divers who know what they're doing, but obviously it's difficult in those circumstances.

WHITFIELD: And then, Barbie, what happened? What is believed to have happened anyway, with this yacht? And, you know, was this, you know, a privately owned yacht that, you know, people were there having, you know, great time together? I mean, what do we think happened?

NADEAU: Well, you know, this is one of the things that the local prosecutor is looking at. They've opened a criminal investigation into criminal negligence, if there is any, to see if there is something that could have been done to save these lives, or if in some way, the captain made some sort of mistake.

Now, they've interviewed him. He's from New Zealand, we understand, for a couple of hours yesterday. And you know, all of these survivors, these 15 survivors are staying at a hotel here that faces the debris area in the search area, so they're watching very closely, but they've been questioned.

And you know that -- we're waiting to hear some kind of information about what the -- where this investigation is going. But once they find this final body, then eventually they'll have to raise this vessel from the bottom of the sea, and that will also be part of the investigation, that they'll be able to look at some of those details as well, but the criminal investigation is equally important here, I think going forward, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Indeed. All right. Barbie Latza Nadeau, thank you so much.

All right. Turning now to Russia's war in Ukraine, where fighting is intensifying in both countries, Russian defense officials say Ukraine launched another cross-border drone attack overnight, with targets including a military airfield. We're also learning that Moscow is ramping up efforts to protect civilians in the city of Kursk, more than two weeks into Kyiv's Surprise incursion there.

Meanwhile, Russian forces are advancing faster than expected towards a key city in eastern Ukraine, and local officials are issuing a stark warning, urging people in nearby communities to get out as soon as they can. Let's take a look a bit closer now with CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joining me from London. So, what is the latest on those Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. So, straight to that advance in Kursk, where Russian officials are now building shelters -- concrete shelters to house families that need safety from this incoming Ukrainian advance. Kyiv, of course, says it continues. It insists on pushing through that advance in an attempt to try to inflict serious damage on Russia's war machine.

They've taken out key bridges in that area. They've attacked on the pontoon bridges that Russian troops have put in those places, and continue to push forward. But two weeks into this, now no longer surprise, assault, of course, Russia has been able to regroup, rearm, refortify, and Ukrainian forces now saying they are facing tough resistance.

[08:25:00]

And it's not just the Kursk region that is of concern. Ukrainian officials fear that Russian troops are now focusing ever more on eastern Ukraine, in the Donetsk region, where there is a massive push by Russian troops that is forcing hundreds of Ukrainians to leave their homes, President Zelenskyy addressing this last night. Take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (interpreted): The frontline, our positions, primarily in the Pokrovsk direction, our Donetsk region, we understand the enemy's moves, and we are strengthening our defenses. A review of ammunition supplies has been conducted. It's very important that our partners fully meet their commitments regarding every package and all our agreements. This is fundamental for defense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: You hear him there speaking specifically on the Pokrovsk region. That's, again, in eastern Ukraine. I want to read you a quote from a local official there to residents saying, don't wait. It will not get better. It will only get worse. Leave. That's a very stark warning, a very serious fear -- is that Russian troops will only continue to push, only continue to advance in that region.

Meanwhile, of course, you have that continued tit-for-tat drone attacks that are occurring. Yesterday, Moscow's mayor saying that the city faced the largest -- were one of the largest drone attacks it's ever seen from Ukraine. There were also, according to Russian officials, attacks on a military site near the border in Volgograd by Ukrainian drones.

And then, of course, drones going the other way as well Ukraine, saying that dozens of drones were fired at the capital. So, you have that continuing war, that shadow war, if you will, the drones going back and forth between these two countries as that front line shifts, shapes, and changes, while Russian troops move and maneuver to try to meet this assault in Kursk, but continue to push through to what is important and strategically key for Moscow, which is eastern Donetsk.

WHITFIELD: All right. Salma Abdelaziz, thank you so much from London.

All right. The Indian Prime Minister is preparing for what's being described as a landmark trip to Ukraine this week. Narendra Modi is in Warsaw right now on the second day of his visit, where he is meeting with Polish leaders, and calling for dialog, diplomacy, and the restoration of peace.

The Indian Prime Minister is then set to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday in talks aimed at boosting economic cooperation. Mr. Modi's visit comes weeks after he traveled to Moscow in a trip that was heavily criticized by the Ukrainian President.

And relentless monsoon rains and flooding have stranded nearly 3 million people in Bangladesh and parts of India. At least, 13 people have been killed. Hundreds of homes have been submerged in the water. Video from Bangladesh show residents evacuating with their belongings by boat. Officials in Bangladesh say the Army and Navy are helping with rescue efforts, and tens of thousands are taking shelter in relief camps, high schools, and tall buildings.

And the move could shake both the U.S. and Canadian economies. Canada's two major freight railroads have shut their operations, locking out 9,000 members of the Teamsters union, who operate the trains. The stoppage follows months of failed labor talks. Nearly a third of the freight handled by the two railroads crosses the U.S.- Canadian border. And the shutdown could disrupt operations in a number of American industries.

Still to come. It will be the biggest moment of the Democratic National Convention. When we come back, a look at what to expect when Kamala Harris delivers her big speech tonight. And Donald Trump graciously accepted Taylor Swift's endorsement. The only thing is, she didn't offer that. We'll look at the new menace in the political sphere, fake endorsements.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. We are just hours away from the biggest moment of Kamala Harris' political career. She will step in front of the thousands of delegates at the Democratic National Convention and an audience of tens of millions of people watching on television, and she will accept the Democratic nomination for President.

Her speech comes after her vice-presidential pick, Tim Walz, drew rave reviews for his acceptance speech Wednesday night, which was full of references to his history as a football coach. And of course, we'll have much more on both of those important events, but we wanted to give you a few other moments from last night's convention.

One theme Democrats have highlighted repeatedly is Republicans who say they simply cannot vote for Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEOFF DUNCAN, FORMER LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA: Look, you don't have to agree with every policy position of Kamala Harris. I don't. But you do have to recognize her prosecutor mindset that understands right from wrong, good from evil. She's a steady hand and will bring leadership to the White House that Donald Trump could never do. Let me be clear to my Republican friends at home, watching. If you vote for Kamala Harris in 2024, you're not a Democrat, you're a patriot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The Convention also featuring some pretty big Democratic leaders as well. Here are some of the highlights from two of them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): It's like an old boyfriend, who you broke up with, but he just won't go away. He has spent the last four years, spinning the block, trying to get back into a relationship with the American people. Bro, we broke up with you for a reason. Donald Trump can spin the block all he wants, but there's no reason for us to ever get back together. Been there, done that, we're not going back. BILL CLINTON, 42ND U.S. PRESIDENT: Now, let's cut to this chase. I am too old to gild the lily. Two days ago, I turned 78, the oldest man in my family for four generations. And the only personal vanity I want to assert is, I'm still younger than Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's get back to the main event, which will be this evening at the DNC, Kamala Harris taking center stage. Joining me right now with a preview of what to expect from the Harris speech, CNN's Eva McKend. Great to see you, Eva. So, Harris is a speechwriter, reportedly says Harris will talk about her upbringing, and her vision, among other things. What are you learning will be the content of her speech?

EVA MCKEND, U.S. NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fred. We are in for a historic night in this arena. And it is all the more remarkable, given that this was inconceivable a little over a month ago. We know that she is going to offer a new path forward. That is, of course, something that so many Americans have told us time and time again that they desire, very little appetite for Biden or Trump.

Her advisor is also telling us that she will have the opportunity to introduce herself to America. So many Americans don't know the Vice President. That will. And then, she will have the chance to do this in her own voice. We also know, Fred, a battle cry of this campaign has become this notion of freedom. We expect her to lean into that theme heavily tonight as well.

[08:35:00]

WHITFIELD: OK. And then, is there any way to anticipate what the Harris-Walz campaign has in mind to try to maintain this kind of momentum? Because, I mean, everyone you know -- it was feeling the love right there in the United Center. But then, what happens once they leave the confines of the convention?

MCKEND: Fred, not before long, they will be back out on the campaign trail. We don't have the schedule just as yet, but we know that they are hitting those battleground states hard. In fact, they didn't even take this week off. This week, they had a raucous rally in Milwaukee, in Wisconsin, the battleground state there during the convention.

Little skeptical going into that event, this split screen moment, I was wondering if they were going to sort of stomp on their own DNC or overshadow their own DNC. But it ended up being a pretty seamless production, and it illustrated that they really just didn't want to waste any time. So, I suspect that they are going to be out rallying within the days -- within the coming days.

WHITFIELD: All right. All right. Lots of excitement and more to come. National Politics Correspondent, Eva McKend, thank you so much.

All right. So, the third night of the DNC wasn't just about political heavy hitters, but also huge names from the entertainment industry as well. One of the most powerful and influential women in the world, Oprah Winfrey, made a surprise appearance at the convention.

She urged Americans to quote, choose common sense over non-sense, she said. And she said, decency and respect are on the ballot in this election. The TV legend also making a direct appeal to the undecided voters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OPRAH WINFREY, AMERICAN HOST AND TELEVISION PRODUCER: Good evening, everybody. Now, there's a certain candidate that says, if we just go to the polls this one time, that we'll never have to do it again. Well, you know what? You're looking at a registered independent who's proud to vote again, and again, and again, because I'm an American, and that's what Americans do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Winfrey also hailed Kamala Harris as, quote, the best of America. For more now, I'm joined by CNN's Lisa France. Lisa, great to see you. OK. So, Oprah -- I mean, there are a lot of folks that rolled out in terms of, you know, big Hollywood, heavy hitters.

You know, John Legend, you know, an ode to Prince, you know, from Minnesota. But let's talk about Oprah. You know, she recently has tried to stay away from politics, but there was something that compelled her in this convention where she just couldn't stay to stay away. Do we know the back story to that at all?

LISA FRANCE, CNN REPORTER: Well, we don't know much about what made her decide to make this surprise visit and appearance. But what we do know about Oprah Winfrey, I don't know if people remember, a lot of what's on the ballot right now is personal to her.

She is a woman, like I said, I don't know if people remember, at the age of 14, she gave birth to a child that was born prematurely and unfortunately did not survive. So, she definitely has a connection to reproductive rights. We're talking about banning books. And she's a woman who started a book club, which became famous.

So, there's so much that's going on right now that's being discussed nationally that Oprah feels a personal connection with. And she showed us that while she's not been talking about politics lately, she's definitely been paying attention. Let's hear some of what she had to say last night about a really rather famous remark that JD Vance made. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WINFREY: When a house is on fire, we don't ask about the homeowner's race or religion. We don't wonder who their partner is or how they voted, no. We just try to do the best we can to save them. And if the pace place happens to belong to a childless cat lady, well, we try to get that cat out too.

(END VIDEO CLIP) FRANCE: Oh, Fred, they love that remark. As you heard, people were laughing. They had a good time with it. And so, I mean, Fred, she is extremely influential. We cannot forget about the fact that she is one of the reasons why Barack Obama ended up in the White House. She's extremely influential. And she showed us that she still can get people to pay attention to what she has to say.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. And plus Chicago. Hello?

FRANCE: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Chicago's still her home. I mean, you know, folks there said that even before she arrived. This is still Oprah's town. This is still, you know, the Obama's town. All right. So, Oprah was preaching to the choir.

FRANCE: She was.

WHITFIELD: But she was also -- she singled out independence. And she also revealed she votes independent. But she also talked to those who have yet to be undecided, and she says, you know, just use your common sense in all this.

[08:40:00]

You know, a lot of her viewers, you know, just may happen to be Trump voters too, you know, Trump supporters. I mean, she -- she appeals to a lot of people.

Do you think she may have moved the needle, you know, speaking to potentially Trump voters or people who were undecided?

FRANCE: Listen. I mean, the ticket has been very clear about the fact that they are the underdogs. Trump is extremely, extremely, you know, tapped into his political base, but there are some people out there who are listening to the other side.

So, she, you know, made a direct appeal to independents. She made a direct appeal to undecideds, because there's a feeling that those are going to be the people who are going to decide this race. You when you look at MAGA, those people are pretty much locked in to Donald Trump. That is his base.

But there's the hope that there are people who are going to look at a VP -- Tim Walz, as possible Vice President, and say, you know what? Here's a guy who loves to hunt. Here's a guy who is an everyman like I am. So, there's a hope that they'll be able to connect with some people and pick off some potential Trump voters, Fred. So, I guess we just have to wait and see. It all remains to be seen.

WHITFIELD: It sure does. All right. Lots more to come today. This evening. Lisa France, thanks so much.

FRANCE: Thank you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: We'll be talking again tomorrow. FRANCE: Maybe.

WHITFIELD: Clear your calendar. All right. Still to come. Gosh, wasn't your heart just on the floor? The parents of an American-Israeli hostage overcome with emotion during the Democratic National Convention. Details straight ahead.

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WHITFIELD: And now to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Israel's Hostages and Missing Families Forum says it will boycott the country's official memorial event on October 7th. The group is blaming, what it calls, Israeli government's glaring inability to secure the hostages' return. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the parents of an American-Israeli hostage spoke about their anguish.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON POLIN, FATHER OF HERSH GOLDBERG-POLIN: In an inflamed Middle East, we know the one thing that can most immediately release pressure and bring calm to the entire region, a deal that brings this diverse group of 109 hostages home and ends the suffering of the innocent civilians in Gaza.

(CROWD CHANTS "Bring Them Home")

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: In northern Gaza, an overnight Israeli strike on a house killed 12 people, including six children, according to the local hospital.

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This as mediators are still trying to push for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, with more talks expected in Cairo this weekend. CNN's Nada Bashir is joining us now from Cairo, Egypt. What is the latest on these talks or the path ahead for the talks?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka. Following those high level talks in Qatar last week, there had been indications that we would see high-level officials delegations reconvening in Cairo this week, Thursday and Friday.

At this stage, no clear indication of confirmation that we are seeing those high-level officials or delegations. We are certainly seeing those working technical conversations ongoing between officials, between mediators here in Cairo, remains to be seen whether we do see that advance to those high-level officials over the coming days, perhaps into the weekend. That is still to be confirmed.

But the focus of these talks and the ongoing technical discussions remains on those bridging proposals put forward by the Biden administration to try and narrow the gaps in these final sticking points and details in the border agreement between Israel and Hamas. We heard on Monday from Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, saying that Israel Habbo, they agreed to these bridging proposals. A sign of optimism, perhaps, but now we are hearing from the Prime Minister's office that they have not perhaps fully endorsed all of the terms put forward in these bridging proposals, namely, focused on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

We know there have been calls from Hamas as part of these negotiations to see a full withdrawal of Israeli troops. There had been reports in Israeli media that Netanyahu's office had agreed to withdrawal of troops from the Philadelphia corridor, a crucial buffer zone separating Egypt and Gaza.

But now, the Prime Minister's office has said that these reports are, in their words, incorrect. They have framed that Philadelphia corridor as being crucial to Israel's security. They have said that securing that border in any sort of post-war situation is crucial to Israel's security.

And then, on the other side, of course, Hamas has not explicitly or fully endorsed these bridging proposals. In fact, there has been no indication that Hamas has agreed to any of these bridging proposals. We heard earlier in the week from one Hamas official saying that there were no stipulations in the current bridging proposals for a full and permanent ceasefire, a crucial point that Hamas wants to see guaranteed.

And also, they have accused the United States of conforming to Israel's demands and of Israel putting forward new conditions that they have not agreed to, mainly focused on the terms surrounding the release of Palestinian prisoners. We know that Israel has been pushing for veto power over which Palestinian prisons are released from Israeli jails as part of a proposed ceasefire agreement. That is something Hamas does not want to see.

And we heard earlier in the week from President Biden say that they have received indications that Hamas is actually backing off from the deal on the table than has been rejected by Hamas. They have said that the mediators involved in these discussions are aware of Hamas' position, that they are still keen to see a ceasefire deal agreed upon, that they continue to want to see their demands, and crucially want to see a deal agreed upon based on the proposal put forward by Biden in late May, which they say they agree to you, more broadly, in early July.

So, clearly, there are still significant gaps between the positions of both Israel and Hamas. These sticking points remain. And while there had been hope for the sense of optimism that perhaps we might see some progress that week -- this week, that finish line feels a little way off at this stage, and we continue to wait for confirmation that we will see high-level delegations arriving in Cairo to try and iron out those details and, crucially, finalize some sort of agreement. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right. Nada Bashir, thank you so much. Misinformation during a political campaign. Well, that's nothing new. But in the age of AI and social media, it's getting harder to recognize. The latest example, Donald Trump posted an image from a group of Taylor Swift Fans calling themselves Swifties for Trump, which implied an endorsement from the singer.

Despite that, there was no such endorsement. And some of the images were actually created with the use of AI. It's all part of a trend, according to a new misinformation database launched today. Marshall Cohen is joining us now from Los Angeles with more on this. Marshall, well, we all knew it was coming, right. And some of it was already out there. But tell us more about this new research, new effort.

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Hey, Fred. The internet is just swamped with these fake endorsements. They're spreading widely and sowing confusion on social media. So, researchers from the News Literacy Project, a non-partisan group, analyzed more than 500 unique examples of election misinformation.

They're launching a new searchable database today, hoping to raise awareness and combat the lies. We got an early look at the data and found that about one in 10 of their examples were fake endorsements like these. So, you mentioned Donald Trump and Taylor Swift. Let's take a look at that.

Just this past weekend, Donald Trump shared these AI-generated images of quote-unquote, Swifties for Trump. But many of these images just aren't real. They were made by a computer and designed to deceive voters.

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But of course, Fred, it's not just Trump. The misinformation is coming from all angles. Here's another viral post from earlier this year, claiming that Taylor Swift endorsed Joe Biden. So, she did endorse him in 2020, but she hasn't yet weighed in for 2024, just to be clear.

And here's one more. Look at this photoshopped image of the actor Ryan Reynolds, supposedly wearing a T-shirt in support of Kamala Harris. Some fakes like these are easy to spot. They're pretty rudimentary. But others are far more sophisticated. And the truth is that posts like these regularly rack up millions of views online. Fred?

WHITFIELD: So, I wonder what, if anything, can social media platforms do to try to combat the spread of this kind of fake information?

COHEN: Well, a lot of these posts are spreading on Twitter, which is now called X. And this is the first presidential election under its new owner, Elon Musk, who has actually dismantled many of that company's safeguards against disinformation.

Unfortunately, its AI Chatbot, Grok, recently even rolled out a new feature that allows users to generate their own AI images with a few clicks. I tried it out. It's very fun to use, but it's making the problem worse when bad actors take advantage of that technology. For their part, Facebook and Instagram say they are spending billions on election integrity, and they say they're cracking down on AI images being used in political ads. But ultimately, it comes down to us. If you see pictures of celebrities wearing political T-shirts, or holding up a political sign, or claims from some random Twitter user about a shocking new celebrity endorsement, you should probably take a closer look before you hit that share button. Fred?

WHITFIELD: Good advice. Marshall Cohen, thanks so much.

All right. Still to come. Taylor Swift is commenting publicly for the first time about the alleged Vienna terror plot that forced the cancelation of her shows in Austria. What she's saying about that? Straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Singer Taylor Swift is opening up about the thwarted terror plot in Austria, which forced the cancelation of multiple concerts earlier this month. Police arrested three teens in connection with the planned attack on the venue, where Swift was set to perform, finding one of them to be an ISIS sympathizer, who had been radicalized online.

Swift released a statement online, saying in part, quote the reason for the cancelations filled me with a new sense of fear and a tremendous amount of guilt, because so many people had planned on coming to those shows, but I was grateful to the authorities, because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives. My priority was finishing our European tour safely. And it is with great relief that I can say we did that. End quote.

All right. Comedian Adam Sandler's movie Alter Ego is returning to the world of professional golf with the help of a major NFL star and the boyfriend of Taylor Swift. Sandler says Travis Kelce will have a cameo in Happy Gilmore 2, a sequel about a soft-hearted golfer, with a slap- shot style, swing, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end is hot off, winning the Super Bowl earlier this year for the second time in a row.

[08:55:00]

Sandler called Kelce a very nice guy and so funny, and said fans are going to love him. It's the latest and a growing acting resume for Kelsey. He also landed a role in a new FX horror series. Congrats to him. With that wig, that's kind of horrifying.

All right. Tributes are pouring in to a Sydney aquarium after the death of Sphen, the penguin, one half of a world-famous same-sex couple. This is file footage of Sphen with his partner Magic. Sphen was an Australian gentoo penguin who became a global symbol for equality.

He was part of the same-sex penguin power couple that inspired millions with their unshakable bond. The SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium says Sphen died of apparent natural causes at the age of 11. Thank you so much for joining me here in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Connect the World with Erica Hill is up next.

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