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Kamala Harris Confirms Nomination as Democrat's Standard Bearer for the Elections, Speaking for the Finale Night of the DNC; Indian PM is in Ukraine After His Visit to Poland; Harris Swipes to Her Opponent Donald Trump on Border Issues and a Possible Second Term; 13 People Dead and More than 300,000 Impacted by Floods in Bangladesh and India. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired August 23, 2024 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS (D), U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I promise to be a president for all Americans.
-- between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand and I know where the United States belongs.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: A historic moment in American politics, Kamala Harris officially accepts the presidential nomination for Democrats, vowing to put the country above party and self.
And Russia and Ukraine are making cross-border gains. Moscow now pointing the finger at Kyiv for a civilian ferry attack. Plus this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bangladesh, a country of more than 170 million people, is on the front line of climate change as flooding and cyclones become more extreme in recent years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: CNN is in Bangladesh where devastating flooding has displaced millions of people.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Kim Brunhuber. BRUNHUBER: Kamala Harris is making her case to American voters in a
historic address to the Democratic National Convention. The vice president spoke for a little more than 30 minutes, hoping to win the next four years in the White House. Have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERING)
ANNOUNCER: Please welcome the Democratic nominee for president, Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris.
(CHEERING)
HARRIS: Good evening, everyone. Good evening.
On behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on earth, I accept your nomination to be the president of the United States of America.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Harris recounted her childhood, raised by her immigrant mother during the civil rights era. She talked about her career as a prosecutor, an attorney general, fighting for victims of fraud and sexual abuse. And she promised to cut taxes for the middle class, protect reproductive rights, and fight gun violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: -- a chance to chart a new way forward.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: Not, not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: And let me say, I know there are people of various political views watching tonight, and I want you to know, I promise to be a president for all Americans. You can always trust me to put country above party and self. To hold sacred America's fundamental principles, from the rule of law to free and fair elections, to the peaceful transfer of power.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Now Harris also took aim at Donald Trump, claiming his tariff plans would raise prices for Americans, and she warned he would use the power of the presidency to serve only himself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: -- consider what he intends to do if we give him power again. Consider his explicit intent to set free violent extremists who assaulted those law enforcement officers at the Capitol.
(BOOING)
HARRIS: His explicit intent to jail journalists, political opponents, and anyone he sees as the enemy. His explicit intent to deploy our active-duty military against our own citizens.
(BOOING)
HARRIS: Consider, consider the power he will have especially after the United States Supreme Court just ruled that he would be immune from criminal prosecution.
(BOOING)
[03:05:10]
HARRIS: Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails.
(BOOING)
HARRIS: And how he would use the immense powers of the presidency of the United States. Not to improve your life, not to strengthen our national security, but to serve the only client he has ever had -- himself.
(CHEERING)
HARRIS: And we know -- and we know what a second Trump term would look like. It's all laid out in Project 2025, written by his closest advisors, and its sum total is to pull our country back to the past. But America, we are not going back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Now there was no surprise appearance from Beyonce but there were musical performances from Pink and The Chicks and actor Kerry Washington help get Harris' family involved in the action. Have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KERRY WASHINGTON, ACTRESS: -- it's come to my attention that there are some folks who struggle or pretend to struggle with the proper pronunciation of our future president's name. So hear me out, confusion is understandable. Disrespect is not.
So tonight we are going to help everyone get it right. Here to help me are some very special guests. Thank you, ladies. Can you tell us your names?
AMARA: Hello, everybody my name is Amara.
LEELA: And my name is Leela, her little sister.
WASHINGTON: And what are you here to do?
AMARA: To teach you how to say our auntie's name.
WASHINGTON: Okay, so how do you pronounce it?
AMARA: First, you say Kamala like a comma in a sentence.
LEELA: Then you say, la like la, la, la, la, la.
AMARA: Everybody over here say Kama.
CROWD: Kama!
LEELA: Everybody over here say "la".
CROWD: La!
WASHINGTON: Together.
CROWD: Kamala! Kamala! Kamala!
WASHINGTON: For president.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: More now on the Democratic Convention finale from CNN's M.J. Lee.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
M.J. LEE, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: For four days, there was a jubilant celebration here in Chicago, culminating in Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday night formally accepting her party's nomination for the presidency.
But despite all of this, the confetti and the balloons and the celebration, I am told that the vice president remains clear-eyed about what could come next after Chicago. I spoke with somebody who recently spoke with the vice president. And they said that even though the vice president with them didn't use the word honeymoon, the idea is definitely there.
The idea that the honeymoon period that we have seen over the past month or so could come to an end at some point and that there's a recognition by the vice president and others on down in the Harris campaign, that the enthusiasm and the momentum that have fueled Harris' quick ascension to the top of her, the party's ticket that those things could wane for reasons that may or may not be under the vice president's control. But for the time being, Thursday night, the partying, the celebration,
all of those things continuing in Chicago, including with the vice president heading over to the Queenie Supper Club here in the United Center, where she was going to be greeted by supporters. And also there's something else she is celebrating tonight, her 10th wedding anniversary with second gentleman Doug Emhoff.
M.J. Lee, CNN, in Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Now Donald Trump watched Kamala Harris' speech during his visit to a U.S.-Mexico border town in Arizona on Thursday. And he posted about it in real time on his true social platform. He criticized Harris for talking a lot about her childhood and accused her of lying about Project 2025, the conservative blueprint for the next Republican president, which he disavows. And he went on Fox news after she wrapped up. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It was a lot of complaining. She didn't talk about China. She didn't talk about fracking. She didn't talk about crime. She didn't talk about 70 percent of our people are living in poverty.
[03:09:58]
She didn't talk about the trade deficit, she didn't talk about child trafficking that she's allowed to happen because she was the border czar and she presided over the weakest border in the history of our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Now a quick fact check on what Donald Trump just said. Harris did mention China in her speech. She said that she'll make sure, quote, "that America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century and strengthen, not abdicate, its global leadership." And Harris vowed to stand up to bullies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: I will not cozy up to tyrants and dictators like Kim Jong Un, who are rooting for Trump --
(CHEERING)
HARRIS: -- who are rooting for Trump, because, you know, they know, they know he is easy to manipulate with flattery and favors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: And I want to bring in Brett Bruen, who's a former U.S. diplomat who served on the National Security Council and at the State Department. He joins me now from Dublin, Ireland. Thanks so much for being here with us. So Kamala Harris' marquee moments, how did she do?
BRETT BRUEN, FORMER U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL AND STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: She rose to the moment. I think this was kind of a transformative opportunity for her. There was a large audience, not only in the United Center, but watching to get an introduction to Harris. You know, a lot of us pundits, political observers, have been following the last few weeks. Most Americans have not. And this was a great job, if I could say it, Kim, that she delivered on that contrast with who she is and quite frankly who Donald Trump is.
BRUNHUBER: Now she was short on a lot of specifics in terms of policy. She did make some comments about the Israel Hamas war, perhaps her strongest yet in terms of her support for Palestinians in Gaza. And more broadly it seemed that the pro-Palestinian protests were a bit scaled down. How do you sense that she and the party handled that particular issue?
BRUEN: Well, on that issue, I think you're right. The protests were far smaller, far less intense than was feared. And I think it speaks to the fact that Harris has changed the dynamics around this situation. She's been able to put some distance between her views, her policies, and those of President Biden. I think last night we also heard some of that, a strong line in defense of Israel's right to defend itself as well as the threat from Iran, but also saying that the actions of Israel are concerning that we need a ceasefire.
And I think Harris didn't have to deliver extensive policy points last night. Convention speeches are never about policy proposals. They're about persona, they're about creating that personal story, that personal connection to the American people. And on that score, Harris delivered.
BRUNHUBER: Big picture looking at the DNC over the week. For Democrats, there was a feel-good factor, a lot of focus on joy and energy. One could expect maybe Harris to get a bump from this, but how long do you think this lasts in terms of democratic voter enthusiasm, maybe, or just as importantly, convincing any independents out there?
BRUEN: I do think she gets a boost out of this, four, maybe five points. And that may be enough to provide some level of buffer, because we will see a counterattack from Trump. We will have the debate on September 10th, and that will be another pivotal point in the election.
But look, Harris is now sailing with the wind at her back, I think most Democrats, but quite frankly, even on CNN, I was listening to the focus group that CNN organized and- You had eight out of 10 undecided voters in that panel after Harris' speech saying we're voting for her. That's a pretty strong testament to what she achieved.
BRUNHUBER: Yeah, and again, that may be just a reflection of all the energy and momentum coming from this. We'll see whether it sticks. You mentioned Donald Trump. I talked about him giving kind of a play-by- play on social media. What do you make of his response so far to Kamala Harris as a candidate? He's sort of struggled with that. Is he honing in on an effective message, do you think? BRUEN: Haven't seen it yet. He's been trying out a lot of one-liners,
those famous attacks, and yet they seem to be falling flat. And I think, quite frankly, it's because Kamala has gone from playing defense to playing more offense. And that has really rattled Trump. He, you know, is trying, obviously, to scratch back control of this conversation. But there is no sign to him that he has a message yet that is going to be able to be effective against Vice President Harris.
[03:15:06]
And for the time being, what we heard all this week were very strong lines, very strong attacks, both from Harris, Governor Walz and other Democratic figures, luminaries like former President Obama and Michelle Obama, all of that creates a pretty strong for a for the conversation around the election going forward
BRUNHUBER: All right. We only have about a minute left but I did want to ask you this, RFK Jr. has filed paperwork to withdraw from the presidential race in Arizona. There's some reporting that he'll drop out of the race completely and support Donald Trump later today. The Harris campaign says it's unlikely to significantly impact the election. Is that true, do you think? What influence might have if any on the race?
BRUEN: Yeah, I quite frankly think it just reinforces this weird narrative around Trump. RFK Jr. has been a pretty strange figure with some of his personal antics as well as some of his policy positions. Also, it seems as though, you know, his voters split about 27 percent for Harris, maybe 49 percent for Trump. But I don't think it has a major impact on the race. And quite frankly, it allows Harris to show the effect that she's having in changing this to a two-person race.
BRUNHUBER: All right, we'll leave it there. But really good to talk to you, Brett Bruen, in Dublin, Ireland. Thank you so much.
BRUEN: You bet.
BRUNHUBER: All right, just weeks after meeting with Vladimir Putin, India's prime minister arrives in Kyiv for a face-to-face with the president of Ukraine. We'll have a look at what's at stake next here on CNN.
Plus, Israel is stepping up its military operations in Gaza ahead of ceasefire talks expected to take place this weekend. We'll have those details and more when we come back. Please stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRUNHUBER: Russia is pointing a finger at Ukraine for the sinking of a civilian vessel carrying fuel tanks at a port near Crimea. It says the ferry caught fire and went under after a Ukrainian attack at the port of Kavkaz on Thursday. Russian officials say there are no confirmed casualties so far.
Ukraine isn't commenting. Russia is claiming more progress near the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, northwest of Avdiivka. Moscow says it captured a village about 25 kilometers southeast of the city, which Ukraine hasn't confirmed yet. Kyiv says from a different direction, Russian troops are about 10 kilometers from Pokrovsk and approaching faster than expected.
And Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ukraine a short time ago. He's expected to meet with President Zelenskyy in the coming hours. The trip comes weeks after Modi traveled to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin. During that visit, Russia launched several assaults on cities in Kyiv, including a deadly strike on a children's hospital.
[03:19:56]
Alright. We have reporters standing by to cover those developments from all angles. Marc Stewart is in Beijing, but first I want to go to Salma Abdelaziz in London. So Salma, on the front lines in Russia and Ukraine, what's the latest?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And let's start with that ferry sinking because I think it is interesting. This is important because that port is one of Russia's key locations on the Black Sea. It deals not only with the export of goods, but with importing fuel to Crimea. And that ferry was apparently doing just that.
Kim, there was an attack on this ferry, according to Russian officials who are blaming Ukrainians for it that caused this huge fire. I believe we have social media video to show you of that rescue workers were able to evacuate everyone on board, but that ferry did sink with 30 tanks of fuel on board, I think.
Although we don't have, of course, any comment from Ukraine at this time to Russia, this is absolutely yet again a sign that it is vulnerable, that its war machine can be struck deep in the Black Sea, but also, of course, in Kursk, where Ukrainian forces are continuing that surprise offensive they launched two weeks ago, but Russian forces have been able to divert to that front line, able to push back, able to create more resistance.
But what Ukrainian officials are most concerned about right now, Kim, is a very different diversion. And that is one in eastern Ukraine, where, as you mentioned, Russian troops are advancing more quickly than expected.
The city of Pokrovsk, which is right now very much near that front line, everyone there has been asked to evacuate within two weeks. Already record numbers are fleeing every day. Local officials saying that parents are going so far as to hide their children from these mandatory evacuations.
So true scenes of distress playing out in eastern Ukraine where you have these Russian troops advancing very quickly, claiming yet another village just in the last 24 hours, but Ukraine carrying on its offensive in Kursk trying to push and break that Russian war machine, Kim. BRUNHUBER: All right. I want to turn now to Marc. So Narendra Modi has
now arrived in Ukraine. Take us through what we're expecting from his visit. Right, Kim.
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kim, I think first and foremost, we should point out the fact that Prime Minister Modi's visit to Ukraine comes at the invitation of President Zelenskyy. That's how this all came about.
As far as the messaging that we will hear from this meeting, well, based off of statements from New Delhi prior to this meeting and based off of statements from Prime Minister Modi speaking yesterday in Warsaw, he's very much trying to portray himself as a statesman. In fact, if we look at his remarks from yesterday in Warsaw. He talks about diplomacy, dialogue, being an advocate for peace in the region.
But as you alluded to, there are some challenges. First of all, the meeting with Vladimir Putin in Russia, where these two leaders are seen embracing each other. In addition, India has not condemned Russia's aggression, its invasion of Ukraine. It has called for a ceasefire, but it has not made a direct condemnation. In fact, if we look at the United Nations, it has abstained from resolutions and dialogue relating to the Ukraine issue.
Now, India may have some geopolitical reasons for that. It obviously has strong trade ties with Russia and is trying to be a global player, but these are going to be the focus of likely some tough discussions between these two world leaders.
It's also important to stress that this relationship between Ukraine and India, it's not new. This is one that dates back to the early 90's. These two nations have enjoyed trade together. They have, India, for example, sends its medical students to Ukraine for trading.
As one official from New Delhi pointed out, there are a number of issues that will be on the table, including economic ties, infrastructure, and defense as well as this current conflict.
So this is certainly going to be a relationship that these nations are going to want to discuss not only because of this conflict taking place with Ukraine and Russia, but also the broader implications for their cultures, for their citizens and for their economies, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Absolutely, all right. I wanna thank both of you. Salma Abdelaziz in London and Marc Stewart in Beijing. I Appreciate that.
And I want to bring in Oleksiy Goncharenko who's a member of the Ukraine's Parliament, and he joins me now from Kyiv. Good to see you again. Thanks so much for being here with us. So we heard there from our report of the extensive ties between the two countries between India and Ukraine. For you, what is at stake here with this visit?
OLEKSIY GONCAHRENKO, MEMBER, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT: I think this is very important because it's the first visit of Indian leader to Ukraine during the time of independence of Ukraine.
[03:25:01]
For more than 40 years, there were no Indian leaders in Kyiv. So this is a historical one. Definitely the first and the most important thing for us is Russian aggression against Ukraine. And we see that Indian position is concerning us because India continues its economical ties with Russia, India, their position of non-alignment.
We see it and we are concerned about these and the ties of Delhi with Moscow. But we hope that India is the biggest democracy in the world, will be on the right side of history, and will be with other democracies, and not supporting the camp of atrocities and tyrannies, these acts of chaos from Russia, China, North Korea, and other countries which are in these acts of chaos.
BRUNHUBER: I'm wondering how hard it will be for India to mend the fences. It was especially striking that when Narendra Modi was giving that bear hug to Putin in his visit to Moscow, Russia hit one of Ukraine's largest children's hospitals and killed at least 41 people, and Modi didn't condemn it. President Zelenskyy called it a huge disappointment. How strained do you think the personal relationship would be between the two?
GONCHARENKO: I think this is very important that they will have this possibility to speak in person here in Kyiv. I think it would be great if Prime Minister Modi will go to this children's hospital, which was attacked during his visit to Moscow. I think it would be symbolic. I don't know if it would happen or not, but I think it would be right.
And Ukraine needs Indian support, but India also needs Ukrainian victory, because India is not also in an easy situation. They have complicated relationships with China and they know what it means to live near big, big autocracy, which can be very dangerous. So I think it's in the best interest of India that international law would be restored and will work in the world.
And this would not happen if Ukraine will not win in this war, because the international law is at stake and international law and order is at stake. So we hope very much that India will start to pressure Russia to start, will start to have a real position. Because for the moment, India tries not to have any position on the war from an official point of view. I think it's not a best choice for India itself. I think this is a mistake.
BRUNHUBER: Yeah, you say, I mean, it's in India's interest to align itself with sort of international law and with Ukraine. I'm wondering how difficult that will be to influence Narendra Modi, given economically India needs Russia, perhaps more than it does you crane so do you think you will really be able to get something concrete out of this meeting sanctions for instance or an agreement to stop buying cheap Russian oil?
GONCHARENKO: I want to be frank with you, my expectations from this is it are modest and I don't think these will happen. But I hope that this will be the start of new page in Ukrainian-India relationships. And in general, I want, I hope that President Zelenskyy will address Prime Minister Modi saying it's time for India to take its place. It's the biggest country in the world by population today. It's the biggest democracy in the world. It's time for India to take a real position.
And yes, short term, India is benefiting from these economical ties with Russia. But in the long term, India would benefit from international law working for international borders, national borders, being really respected in the world and so on.
So I hope India will realize this and I hope India will use the leverage they have because of their economical ties with Russia in order to pressure Putin to stop this war.
BRUNHUBER: All right. We will see what comes out of this. Ukrainian parliament member Oleksiy Goncharenko, thank you so much for joining us. I really appreciate it.
GONCHARENKO: Thank you.
BRUNHUBER: Well Kamala Harris saying they are out of their minds as she went after Republicans on abortion. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: -- one must ask, why exactly is it that they don't trust women?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: We'll have the rest of her message to America's women and takeaways from the finale of the Democratic National Convention when we come back. Please stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS (D), U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We were underestimated at practically every turn. But we never gave up. Because the future is always worth fighting for.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: And that's the fight we are in right now. A fight for America's future.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Kamala Harris there making a passionate pitch to the American public and marking a historic moment in America as the first black and South Asian woman to be leading a main party's presidential ticket. Harris vowed to be a president who leads and listens, but she also drilled down on her plans for global security, crime, and women's rights. The federal rollback of abortion rights was an issue near and dear to her heart. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And get this. Get this. He plans to create a national anti- abortion coordinator, and force states to report on women's miscarriages and abortions.
(BOOING)
HARRIS: Simply put, they are out of their minds.
(CHEERING)
HARRIS: And one must ask -- one must ask, why exactly is it that they don't trust women? Well, we trust women.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Now the U.S. Vice President who no one thought would be the Democratic nominee even five weeks ago, went on to warn about what would happen to America should Donald Trump win. And she went after her Republican rival for torpedoing bipartisan efforts to tackle the border crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Joe and I brought together Democrats and conservative Republicans to write the strongest border bill in decades. The Border Patrol endorsed it.
But Donald Trump believes a border deal would hurt his campaign. So he ordered his allies in Congress to kill the deal.
(BOOING)
HARRIS: Well, I refuse to play politics with our security. And here is my pledge to you.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: As president, I will bring back the bipartisan border security bill that he killed, and I will sign it into law.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: CNN's Jeff Zeleny has a closer look at Harris's big moment, how she went after Trump and how profoundly she's changed the presidential race.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The Vice President Kamala Harris sets off on a 74-day march to the November election with a Democratic convention now behind her. She leaves Chicago with a united party, an excited party, trying to take on Donald Trump. But she had a very serious message for convention-goers about the former president.
[03:35:06]
HARRIS: In many ways, Donald Trump an unserious man.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: But the consequences, but the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious.
Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails.
ZELENY: And as the vice president continues on this campaign with Governor Tim Walz, she is also clearly trying to still present herself to America. So many biographical details were infused upon her throughout this entire convention. But when she made the historic announcement, she said this.
HARRIS: And, so, on behalf of the people, on behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender, or the language your grandmother speaks, on behalf of my mother, and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey, on behalf of Americans like the people I grew up with, people who work hard, chase their dreams, and look out for one another.
On behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on earth, I accept your nomination to be the president of the United States of America.
(CHEERING)
ZELENY: With her historic nomination behind her, now she marches to November trying to make the nomination indeed a victory.
The Harris campaign believes that they are indeed the underdogs in this race. At least that is the mindset going into the fall campaign. We do know the vice president will be traveling again extensively after catching her breath this weekend. There could be an interview around the Labor Day timeframe, we are told, but that debate in September with Donald Trump on September 10th in Philadelphia. That could be a defining moment of this campaign.
Of course, Donald Trump has been watching this convention very carefully. In many ways, he was more successful than the Republican one. However, Trump left his convention just a month ago in Milwaukee, unified as well. The question of these conventions is how they play in the country, much more so in the convention hall. Again, 74 days until the election.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Gaza ceasefire talks are set to resume this weekend in Cairo. CIA Director Bill Burns and top White House envoy Brett McGurk are expected to attend the high-level meetings with Israeli and Egyptian officials. Officials confirm the talks will focus on the Philadelphia corridor and the Rafah border crossing on the border between Egypt and Gaza.
Israeli forces seized control of the area in May, and it remains a key sticking point reaching a deal. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized the need for a deal as soon as possible during her speech at the Democratic National Convention. Here she is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: -- now is the time to get a hostage deal and a cease-fire deal done.
(CHEERING)
HARRIS: And let me be clear. And let me be clear.
I will always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself.
At the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating --
(CHEERING)
HARRIS: So many innocent lives lost, desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking.
The suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Now the ongoing push for a ceasefire comes as Israel steps up military operations in Gaza, Palestinian officials say Israeli strikes killed at least 22 people over the past 24 hours.
At least 13 people are dead amid heavy rainfall and flooding in Bangladesh and northeast India. More than 300,000 people have been impacted, including tens of thousands of people displaced. India is denying claims that it opened the floodgates of one of its dams exacerbating the flooding in Bangladesh.
I want to bring in CNN's Anna Coren, who joins us live now from the Noakhali district in Bangladesh. So Anna, I mean, I can see the situation where you are there. Clearly, many people in dire straits there with the flooding. Take us through what's happening there and the level of anger as well that you might be hearing about.
[03:40:04]
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Kim, we are in Noakhali, which is very close to the epicenter of these floods. The next city, really, Feni. We are on our way there, but the anger here is palpable. People are walking past saying, India, it's India's fault. And that is
the message that we are hearing in Bangladesh, that it was India that opened the floodgates to one of its dams just past the border. We are virtually on the border of Bangladesh and India.
And that has caused this extreme flooding. You know, Bangladesh is no stranger to flooding. It has them every single year. And in actual fact, they have developed an early warning system, probably one of the best in South Asia.
So the fact that there was no warning on Wednesday night when this surge of water came down the river, you know, Bangladeshis are absolutely furious. Now, India denies that they opened the floodgates, but it also says that there is an automatic release that is triggered when there is too much water.
There has been no apology from India, just further infuriating people here in Bangladesh. But you know, this is unprecedented. That is what we are hearing from the government, that this is an unprecedented flood situation.
And this is a huge challenge as well, Kim, for the interim chief advisor, Mohammed Yunus, an 84-year-old sworn in just two weeks ago, after the mass uprisings here in Bangladesh, which lasted for over a month, and saw the overthrow of Prime Minister Sheik Hussain. I think it's also really important to stress that Sheik Hussain has taken refuge in India.
So like I say, a huge challenge for the Chief Advisor. He has called on the military, the army, the navy for volunteers to come out and help the flood affected people. And the latest numbers that we are getting, Kim, is 3.6 million Bangladeshis have been impacted by these floods here in the southeast of the country.
It has spread over 10 districts. And the water here, there were Friday players just a short time ago, and the people here, they are wading through. This is what they've been living now for days. We also, Kim, and I think this is really important to note that guest houses have been affected, livelihoods have been affected, there's been a very low death count so far, but we just saw a baby rushed to a clinic. It had fallen into the flood waters, it was lying on a bed, the bed was surrounded by water, the one year old tumbled into the water.
We've just received amazing news that the baby is alive, but the mother walked past, she was screaming, she was crying. This has a human impact, this is not just about houses, this is about lives, people's livelihoods. So Bangladesh is going through so much right now -- now and you know there is a real shortage of boats so there is a truck after truck coming down the highway with boats on board to rescue the people who are trapped on their on their on their rooms and in their houses, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Yeah, Anna, on that and I mean, first of all good to hear the news about that baby surviving and that the death toll considering what we're seeing behind you there is remarkably low. But just give me more of a sense of how the people are coping day-to-day. Certainly trying to get food and trying to find shelter for so many people must be such a huge challenge and you've been talking to people out there. How are they faring?
COREN: I think they're finding it extremely tough. You know, Bangladesh is a poor country. Where we are, this is a farming community. This would normally be rice paddies. There are rivers that come from India flow through Bangladesh, which is the life source of these areas. So for these communities, they rely on the rivers, but they have never seen anything like this. Yesterday, when we arrived in the area, we went up to a levee where people were gathering because the water was lapping at the edge. They were very fearful that the levee was going to break.
When we heard last night that where we were standing actually did break up several hours later and all the homes below were flooded. We spoke to a mother who said, I don't know where to go. This is my only home. My children, I have nowhere else to go.
[03:44:58]
So 3.6 million people impacted, that is an extraordinary amount of people as I say, you know, the military has been mobilized volunteers have been mobilized. When we were there at the levee yesterday with students who were, you know, hammering in bamboo poles to fortify the riverbank and then there was a tractor that brought a wagon of a trailer of sand and they were making sandbags, you know, to try and fortify that levee.
They say, this is their duty. This is about unity. This is about Bangladesh. And, you know, even speaking to the people that we've come into contact with, they say they've never seen this sort of mobilization, if you like, for a natural disaster. I think it's also very important to note, like I said, Bangladesh is used to these natural disasters. They're used to flooding. They're used to cyclones. But they've put in early warning systems to ensure that the people are able to evacuate. This time there was no warning Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Listen, really great reporting out there. Anna Coren, live in Bangladesh covering the floods, thank you so much.
The search has resumed for one person still missing in the tragic sinking of a yacht in the Mediterranean. We'll have that story and more when we come back. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: The oceans surrounding South Africa's coastline are teeming with life, but in some areas there are also large amounts of plastic waste impacting the ecosystem. Today on "Call to Earth", CNN tags along with a rescue unit on Cape Town's waterfront that helps protect one of its most playful inhabitants from the perils of plastic.
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UNKNOWN (voice-over): It's an early and quiet morning at one of South Africa's most visited tourist destinations, Cape Town's iconic V&A waterfront which attracts around 24 million people annually.
Situated in the oldest working harbor in the southern hemisphere, it's also a welcoming host to an entirely different breed of mammal.
MARTINE VILJOEN, MARINE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME, TWO OCEANS AQUARIUM FOUNDATION: Over the past 20 years, we've had a population of wild caper seals making use of our harbor, acting as an extension of our oceans, and to them, I really think they believe this to be their home. It's a stop off point or a safe space. They're not habituated, but they move in and out as they please.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Aside from playing the part of waterfront attraction, they also play a vital role within the marine ecosystem.
VILJOEN: They help balance everything out from being a prey source to being a predator themselves. They indicate how the health of the ocean is doing, and they give us a valuable insight how the bigger picture of our ocean helps.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Once heavily hunted, cape fur seals are now a protected species in South Africa, and it's estimated that around two million inhabit the coasts of southern Africa.
[03:50:05]
Still, they face significant challenges with climate change, human- wildlife conflict, and more recently, rabies, all areas of concern. Here on the waterfront, a team from the nearby Two Oceans Aquarium looks after them.
BRETT GLASBY, MARINE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, TWO OCEANS AQUARIUMS FOUNDATION: The programme that we run here, the Marine Wildlife Management programme, is unique. It's the first of its kind in the world, where we are essentially reducing conflict between humans and animals within the space of a working harbor slash tourist destination. We are the buffer.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): But one of the most widespread and tangible threats facing these curious creatures is plastic pollution.
GLASBY: We are out here on our second patrol of the day, looking for any seals that have plastic around their neck in the hope that we can actually get them disentangled this morning.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Removing the plastic items, which is most often commercial fishing debris, can be a challenge so they have to get creative.
GLASBY: So we gave them the dedicated seal platform you're going to see behind me there with all the seals resting on it. The added benefit to the seal platform is that we've made the gaps between the wood and slats very wide and for a very specific reason. We have around 100 seals a year that come into the waterfront with plastic entanglements just like these around their necks. But if they come and rest on our platform here with the wide slats, we get to climb into wetsuits, swim below them and disentangle them. And we use a very special tool for that.
This is our cutter and it is a hooked blade on the inside, very thin to fit through the wooden slats. And the idea is that we'll swim in a wetsuit underneath the platform. We poke this through the slats, hook it onto the entanglement and give it a really good tug. And that'll snap it off the seal's neck. From the seals' point of view, he's resting in the sun. He'll feel a tug on his neck. He'll stand up, he'll bark at the seal next to him and lie down again. He doesn't even know there was a human involved in removing this plastic off his neck.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Brett Glasby says in 2023, they disentangled 124 seals at the V&A waterfront alone, a statistic that is increasing year after year.
VILJOEN: Seals need our help. We've put them in situations that they can't get out of themselves and we have to step in to help them out. It's our responsibility and I really love being a part of that change.
GLASBY: I can spend hours standing here at our SEAL platform watching them busy tussling and wrestle with each other. It is entertaining. So they have obviously their natural role in the environment but they also have a role in terms of engaging people's hearts and minds and getting them passionate about something with regards to the sea. All you need is a little bit of passion and then the ball starts rolling and you start caring about more and more of our environments.
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BRUNHUBER: And you can let us know what you're doing to answer the call with the hashtag Call to Earth. We'll be right back.
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BRUNHUBER: The search has resumed for the one person still missing after a luxury yacht sank off of Porticello, Sicily. The body of British tech billionaire Mike Lynch was recovered Thursday, the sixth of seven people presumed dead. Fifteen people survived the tragedy. Divers continue to search for Lynch's 18-year-old daughter Hannah in difficult conditions.
CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau is live in Porticello, Sicily. So Barbie, take us to the latest on the search. What can you tell us?
[03:55:02]
BARBIE LATZA-NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, you know, the divers went out just about an hour ago and they've already come back but we have not witnessed ourselves the body -- the body bag. We've been we've seen this five times with the five people that they did take out during the early part of the week including Mike Lynch, the father of the young 18-year-old who still -- body is still thought to be out there.
You know, this is the fifth day of the search since a tornado struck this luxury yacht and sent it to the bottom of the sea behind us. So of course it's getting to be at a point where they're wondering, you know, where is this body? Is it under the boat? They've done a lot of surveillance. They've got underwater robotic cameras down there to try to understand it. Or did it get swept out to sea? That's a continuing concern. You know, what exactly, five days later, why haven't they been able to find her?
So, you know it is a very difficult situation and that they've been out of for five days now this is the fifth. And so concern is that perhaps the body's not there. Kim?
BRUNHUBER: Barbie, we're getting new theories about what may have happened. What is the latest on the investigation?
LATZA NADEAU: Yeah, you know, the criminal investigation is part of almost every single accident of this magnitude where it involves a death here in Italy. It's a very normal part of an investigation. They're looking for criminal negligence. They're looking to try to understand if human error in some way contributed to the deaths of these seven people. They did pull the body of the onboard chef out on Monday, so the death toll will be seven when and if they find this body.
You know, we're going to be hearing from the main prosecuting magistrate over the weekend. It's unclear exactly what we're going to hear from him at the time, you know, but there's a lot of focus on the captain. The captain, of course, completely responsible for what happens on the ship if he is, in fact, the captain.
We heard from the maker of this particular line of luxury yacht, said the yacht is unsinkable unless there's a mistake made, insinuating that perhaps there was. But of course, we won't know until the entire investigation is complete and that may take until they raise this yacht from the bottom of the sea to take a good look at it, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Alright. I appreciate the updates. Barbie Latza Nadeau in Porticello, Sicily. Thanks so much.
Well, the harbor in Sydney, Australia, one of the world's busiest, became the scene of a dramatic rescue operation on Friday. The subject in need of help was, as you can see there, a young humpback whale with fishing gear tangled around its tail. The harbor is on a migration route known as the Humpback Highway, where the whales sometimes come into contact with humans. The 13-meter-long whale eluded rescuers at first, but rescuers attached orange floats to slow it down, and it finally was cut free after an overnight pause. The mammal was last seen heading south.
I'm Kim Brunhuber, in Atlanta. I'll be back with much more ahead in just a few moments. Please do stay with us.
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