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U.S. Keeps an Eye to the Middle East Tensions, Orders Two Carrier Strike Groups to Remain; Harris, Trump Begins Battleground States Campaign 10 Weeks Before Polls; Telegram CEO Arrested in France. Evan Gershkovich Returns to Princeton and Reunites with his Community; Hurricane Hone Dumped Rains in Hawaii; Australians Can Put Their Phones in Silent Mode at Work. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired August 26, 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]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world and streaming us on CNN Max. You are watching "CNN Newsroom" and I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, the U.S. is keeping carrier strike groups in the Middle East as we wait to see if tensions flare up again.

The U.S. presidential nominees are pounding the campaign trail this week. We will track where they're going as Kamala Harris tries to maintain her momentum against Donald Trump.

And Alaska authorities are worried about more deadly landslides, with one community now ordering mandatory evacuations.

ANNOUNCER (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Well the U.S. says it's closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East after a heavy exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel on Sunday. The U.S. defense chief has ordered two carrier strike groups to remain in the region and informed his Israeli counterpart of the decision.

Meantime, on the ground, it appears Israel and Hezbollah want to avoid escalating the situation into a wider war. Hezbollah's chief says its attack on Israel in retaliation for the killing of a top military commander is done, but more strikes are possible in the future. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also vowing that this is not the end of the fighting.

CNN's Jennifer Hansler has more on the situation in the region.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT REPORTER: The U.S. is keeping a major show of force in the region, following back-and-forth strikes between Israel and Hezbollah over the weekend. A U.S. defense official said the U.S. provided intelligence to help Israel track oncoming Hezbollah attacks, but did not participate physically in those attacks.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told his Israeli counterpart on Sunday that he would be keeping two major strike groups in the region to help deter a further war. The U.S. moved a number of assets to the region earlier this month to try to prevent Tehran and its proxies from launching a retaliatory attack against Israel. There are fears that such an attack could spark a wider regional war.

At the same time, U.S. officials are pressing the urgency of getting a hostage and ceasefire deal across the finish line. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned earlier this week that this could be the last chance to get such a deal across the finish line. High-level talks continued in Cairo on Sunday and wrapped up without an apparent resolution. However, working-level talks are expected to continue this week.

A U.S. official said the talks were constructive and conducted in good spirits towards trying to get an agreement. However, a number of gaps remain. U.S. officials hope that they are able to narrow those gaps in the coming days.

Jennifer Hansler, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: CNN's Ben Wedeman has been following the developments from Beirut in Lebanon and has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hezbollah has finally made good on its vow to take revenge for the killing of the group's senior military commander in an Israeli drone strike on southern Beirut in late July.

In what it called phase one of its response to the assassination, the Iranian-backed group claimed it launched more than 300 missiles at Israeli military positions along the border and struck the headquarters of Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, its signal intelligence unit known as Unit 8200, and the headquarters of its anti-missile defense forces.

An Israeli military spokesman said no military bases were damaged. In a televised speech broadcast Sunday evening, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the were delayed to allow the Gaza ceasefire talks to proceed and due to the high state of alert in Israel and the bolstered U.S. military presence in the region. Nasrallah said Hezbollah planned the strikes to avoid civilians or civilian infrastructure. Now the question is, will there be a phase two?

HASSAN NASRALLAH, HEZBOLLAH LEADER (through translator): We will assess the outcome of the enemy's concealment of today's events. If the result is satisfactory and it achieves the intended goal, we will consider the response process to the assassination of Fuad Shukr complete. If it falls short in our view, we will reserve the right to respond at a later time.

[03:05:02]

WEDEMAN: In the event neither Israel nor Hezbollah choose escalation, it's unlikely the border conflict will change. Since October, tens of thousands of Lebanese and Israelis have had to flee their homes along the border and will probably not be able to return. And the daily and often deadly exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah along the frontier will continue.

I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Beirut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And for more, let's go to CNN's Paula Hancocks, who joins us live from Abu Dhabi. Good to see you, Paula. So what is the latest on this exchange of heavy fire between Israel and Hezbollah and how this might impact the ceasefire talks?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, certainly what we saw on Sunday morning was among some of the heaviest strikes and most significant that we've seen between Israel and Hezbollah since the renewed tensions from October of last year.

From Israel's point of view, they believe that they managed to prevent a more significant attack on the northern parts of Israel, also on some military targets in central Israel. They say that they had intelligence which showed that Hezbollah was about to carry out these strikes and that is when they carried out what they called a pre- emptive strike, saying that about 100 fighter jets went across the border to take out some Hezbollah targets. Here's the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The Israeli army destroyed thousands of short-range rockets, all of which were intended to harm our civilians and forces in the Galilee. Additionally, the Israeli army intercepted all of the drones that Hezbollah launched at a strategic target in central Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: Now Hezbollah did say that it had targeted 11 military bases. It appears that more than 300 rockets, it says that it fired, were in order to try and occupy Israel's defense systems.

And then they carried out drone attacks, as they say, on military installations. Now the IDF says that there was no damage to military bases in northern or central Israel. But we do hear from the Hezbollah side that they believe that this was a successful attack against Israel in response to that assassination of a top Hamas, excuse me, Hezbollah military commander at the end of last month. Now, as of now, it appears as though the tensions are simmering still,

but they are not as high as they were over the weekend. There is a hope that this will be. the end of this latest flare-up between Israel and Lebanon, although we have heard from both the Hezbollah chief and also from the Israeli prime minister that this is not over. Nasrallah is saying he reserves the right to carry out more attacks if he believes that the damage was not sufficient to those Israeli military installations.

So at this point the region is still on tenterhooks, but certainly it seems as though those tensions reduced somewhat from what we saw about 24 hours ago. Now as you say Rosemary, this does happen as those talks are continuing in Cairo for a hostage-ceasefire deal. The leaders we understand or the heads of the delegation are no longer involved at this level. It is the working level talks which will continue in Cairo in coming days.

The U.S. for its part and the Biden administration say these talks have been constructive. But to be honest, that is the only side that we are hearing optimism from at this point. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Alright. Paula Hancocks, many thanks for that live report.

It's a sprint to the finish line in the race for the White House. With only 10 weeks to go, both campaigns will be heading to battleground states this week. Former President Donald Trump will go to Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, trying to crack the Democrats' so-called blue wall. Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz will be crisscrossing Georgia. Harris is hoping to keep the momentum going following the DNC, while Trump campaign advises a warning she could benefit from an extended polling bump.

Well one issue extremely important to voters from both parties is abortion. It's a motivating factor for many liberals who want to reverse the attacks on reproductive rights brought about by the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, and conservatives want to take those restrictions as far as they can and enshrine them into law.

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But going to extremes could cost them support with more middle-of-the- road independence. Republican Vice Presidential candidate J.D. Vance spoke with NBC's "Meet the Press" about how Trump could handle a possible federal abortion ban if re-elected.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), U.S. VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: California wants to have a different abortion policy from Ohio, then Ohio has to respect California and California has to respect Ohio. Donald Trump's view is that we want the individual states and their individual cultures and their unique political sensibilities to make these decisions.

KRISTEN WELKER, "MEET THE PRESS" ANCHOR: If such a piece of legislation landed on Donald Trump's desk, would he veto it? VANCE: I think it would be very clear he would not support it. I mean,

he said that explicitly.

WELKER: But would he veto it?

VANCE: Yeah, I mean, if you're not supporting it as the president of the United States, you fundamentally have to veto it.

WELKER: So he would veto a federal abortion ban?

VANCE: I think he would.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Jessica Levinson is a law professor at Loyola Law School and host of the "Passing Judgment" podcast. And she joins me now from Los Angeles. Great to have you with us.

JESSICA LEVINSON, LAW PROFESSOR, LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL: Great to be here.

CHURCH: 71 days to go in the race for the White House and Kamala Harris's speech Thursday at the DNC resulted in a massive surge in donations according to her campaign. How might this huge enthusiasm bump translate into increased support when polls come out soon and how big a boost do you expect Harris will get from this?

LEVINSON: I think she will get a significant boost. And what we know, Rosemary, of course, is that any boost could be outcome determinative in the sense that this is going to be a close election.

And so any boost that she gets, the key is if she can maintain that, that could make the difference. We've all been saying it so often, but it's true. It's the swing voters in the swing states.

Much of the map is already done. We already know. how many of the states will vote. But when it comes to those, kind of, 11 key states, that's where we need to look, does the momentum translate into sustained support, not just donations, but also, are more people registering to vote? Will more people turn in early voting ballots, and then of course go to the polls?

CHURCH: And Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, launched their bus tour in the battleground state of Georgia this week. How likely is it, do you think, that they win Georgia?

LEVINSON: Well, I think Georgia is in play, and we know, of course, that Georgia has elected Democratic senators before. So I think that Kamala Harris would be foolish to count Georgia out, and this is one of those really interesting situations where the swing states have changed maybe a little bit from when Joe Biden was running to Kamala Harris. I think. With her at the top of the ticket, it is making Georgia more competitive than it would have been with Joe Biden.

CHURCH: And Donald Trump is preparing to hit the campaign trail in key battleground states this week, with his camp signaling an aggressive campaign ahead, saying, think Trump on steroids. So how panicked are they by Harris' momentum, do you think? They seem to be having some problems how to deal with the situation.

LEVINSON: Well, I think this is going to be an all out sprint for his campaign. He always knew it was going to be, but things change for him. And frankly, for everyone a few weeks ago, when he was no longer running against, you know, quote, "Sleepy Joe Biden", when all of a sudden he's running against Kamala Harris, this is a different race. As you alluded to, I think he did have trouble figuring out exactly how that would change his message and how that would change his campaign strategy.

So at this point, look, it was always going to be a dead sprint, but I think even more so because the map looks different. Kamala Harris has changed this. She's tightened the race. She's made more states competitive. And there is some reporting that some polls are going to come out saying she actually has the edge in the electoral college. That has to be making him nervous. That was not true a month ago.

CHURCH: And Jessica, both parties are campaigning on reproductive rights, with Harris promising to restore reproductive freedoms, while Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance now says Trump would veto a federal abortion ban. No guarantee of that, of course. Does this signal, though, that Republicans are perhaps stepping back from a harder line on abortion, or is this just a sign of more panic?

LEVINSON: Well, I think that we've seen in a lot of ways after the Dobbs decision, which of course overturned Roe v. Wade, Republicans largely acknowledging that this is a issue where they need to tread very carefully in the sense that we have seen state elections, state Supreme Court elections, special congressional elections.

[03:15:04]

We've seen a variety of elections where when the issue is reproductive choice or that's one of the big issues that the candidates are talking about, that tends to do bode well for Democrats. And that's part of why I think we see J.D. Vance saying, don't worry, there won't be a federal ban because talk of a federal ban is not going to motivate those swing voters to vote for Trump-Vance.

CHURCH: And just quickly, what impact will Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s endorsement of Trump and the suspension of his own presidential campaign likely have on the outcome of this? Very much, do you think?

LEVINSON: I don't think so. I think at this point, he did not have a ton of support and his support will splinter. If every single person who supported him came out for Donald Trump, that obviously is not good news for Kamala Harris. But I don't think that's likely to happen. It's difficult because we kind of have to throw conventional wisdom out the window when it comes to this particular race.

But I don't think everybody who was polling as a supporter of his will ultimately turn out for Donald Trump, which is really what you would need for this to make a big difference.

CHURCH: Jessica Levinson, many thanks for joining us. I appreciate getting your analysis on this. LEVINSON: Thank you.

CHURCH: A deadly Russian strike in eastern Ukraine kills a man hired to keep journalists safe. The latest on the attack in Kramatorsk and on the war in Ukraine. That is next.

Plus, what the Telegram messaging app is saying now that its CEO has been detained in France. We'll have that and more on the other side of the break. Stay with us.

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CHURCH: Ukraine says Russia launched a massive aerial attack overnight. The country's air force detected dozens of missiles and drones targeting nearly every region of Ukraine. At least three people have been killed and the strikes have knocked out power in cities including Kyiv and Dnipro. This comes as Ukraine's president says his troops are making progress in Russia's Kursk region. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says they have captured two more settlements and have advanced up to three kilometers or nearly two miles.

Ukrainian officials confirmed that a British citizen was killed by a Russian attack in the Donetsk region. Ryan Evans was a former British soldier serving as a safety advisor for Reuters journalists in the city of Kramatorsk. Their hotel was hit by a missile on Saturday night. At least six other people were injured in that attack, including several journalists. The Ukrainian regional military leader says the victims were citizens of Ukraine, the U.S., Latvia and Germany.

Salma Abdelaziz joins me now from London. Good morning to you Salma. So what is the latest on these massive attacks in Ukraine?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. So Ukraine saying that overnight into Monday Russia hit nearly every single one of its provinces or at least attempted to. It says that its air force detected a huge barrage of drones and missiles that were being fired nearly at every single region of Ukraine. The result of that is so far three people killed.

Power outages in certain cities and towns across the country, people in Kyiv and other parts were told to stay in bomb shelters and shelters for their own safety. So yet another example, Rosemary, of how families, civilians very far from those front lines continue to suffer under these Russian missile strikes.

CHURCH: And Salma, what more are you learning about the attack on Kramatorsk?

ABDELAZIZ: Absolutely. So this is yet another shocking attack that happened over the weekend in Kramatorsk. This is in eastern Ukraine, an area that's very close to the front lines, but still very much under Ukrainian control. So it's often used as a base by journalists who want to be able to cover the conflict. And that's exactly what was happening at Hotel Sapphire was a Reuters crew was staying there. That's when it was struck by a Russian missile.

Several people were wounded. One person killed a British security adviser to Reuters Ryan Evans. As you mentioned, President Zelenskyy of course squarely pointing the finger at Russia. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): All day today, debris was being cleared in Kramatorsk after the Russian missile strike. Journalists were among the casualties. The video crew from Reuters, citizens of Ukraine, America and Britain. A regular city hotel was destroyed by a Russian Iskander missile. Absolutely purposefully, in a thought-out way, seven people were wounded and one died in this strike. My condolences to friends and families. And this is everyday terror which still goes on because Russia has the means to continue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Everyday terror there is how President Zelensky described it and unfortunately, Rosemary, this is absolutely a reminder of just how dangerous and difficult it is to cover this conflict.

CHURCH: Alright. Our thanks to Salma Abdelaziz bringing us that live report from London.

Pope Francis is criticizing a new law in Ukraine that bans the Russian Orthodox Church. In his Sunday Angelus address, the pontiff said, let no Christian church be abolished. This comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law banning religious groups with ties to Russia. The new law gives the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and other religious groups nine months to cut ties with Russia or risk being shut down by court order.

The Telegram messaging app says its CEO has nothing to hide after he was arrested in France. Pavel Durov was taken into custody at an airport outside Paris on Saturday on a French arrest warrant. BFMTV reports the warrant alleges a lack of moderation has let Telegram become a platform for money laundering, drug trafficking, and sharing of pedophilic content.

[03:25:02]

Durov is a 39-year-old French and Russian citizen. The Russian embassy in France said it's in contact with his attorney. And a Russian lawmaker claims the arrest is part of a plot by the West to seize control of the messaging app.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA BUTINA, RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: The arrest of Pavel Durov means that there is no freedom of speech, that the freedom of speech in Europe is dead. Elon Musk is free, Mark Zuckerberg is free, but Pavel Durov is now in prison. Why? Because he is Russian. I do believe that Pavel Durov is a political prisoner, that he is the victim of the witch hunt that the West did do for the people who are not simply minded as they are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Telegram has posted a statement saying its moderation is within industry standards and getting better.

In the coming hours, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz plans to visit a community trying to recover from a deadly stabbing attack. Police in the western city of Solingen say a Syrian man is in custody after confessing to the attack that left three people dead at a music festival on Friday. Several others were wounded. Prosecutors accused the 26-year-old man of being a member of ISIS. The terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack, but offered no proof to back up its claim. The suspect turned himself in after a major manhunt following the attack at the Festival of Diversity. The assault is already prompting calls for a crackdown on knife crime and for tighter rules on immigration.

Still to come, Israel and Hezbollah exchange the heaviest fire since the start of the war in Gaza. What it means for the already volatile region? I'll speak to an expert, that's next.

Plus, "Wall Street Journal" reporter Evan Gershkovich is home after being released from a Russian prison. How the community is celebrating his return, that's next.

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[03:30:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back everyone.

More on our top story this hour. Tensions are high in the Middle East after Israel's military launched quote, preemptive strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon. And the militant group fired hundreds of rockets into Israel in response to the killing of a top commander. The IDF says they intercepted most of those rockets and drones.

Meantime, another round of hostage and ceasefire talks in Egypt ended with no agreement. But the U.S. official says talks will continue in the coming days and negotiating teams will remain in Cairo to hopefully iron out the remaining issues.

Firas Maksad is a senior fellow and the senior director for strategic outreach at the Middle East Institute. He joins me now from Washington. Appreciate you being with us.

So what could this major escalation in violence and heavy exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah mean in terms of a wider regional conflict with Israel launching a preemptive strike on Hezbollah in Lebanon? FIRAS MAKSAD, SR. FELLOW AND SR. DIRECTOR FOR STRATEGIC OUTREACH,

MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE: Well, Rosemary, actually Lebanon, Israel and much of the region today collectively breathe a sigh of relief for all the huffing and puffing over the past 25 days after its military chief was assassinated by Israel. Hezbollah's response was actually underwhelming.

Now, the Israeli narrative will have you believe that was because of the preemptive strike that they conducted at the predawn hours. However, Hezbollah says that's because they intended it to be very precise, focused on a military target, and that Hezbollah really does not want a much broader war that can drag others, particularly its Iranian patron, into a conflict with Israel.

CHURCH: And both Israel and Hezbollah are claiming victory. Hezbollah says its attack is now complete, but it is sending mixed signals on whether that is indeed the case. What does this all indicate to you?

MAKSAD: Such is the nature of the Middle East. Everybody wants to claim victory. But actually, I mean, to be very precise, the secretary general of Hezbollah's speech after the attack said that this preliminary response is over, but left the door open for other cycles of violence. He very interestingly spoke about the calculation of the group, said that the Houthis in Yemen, even perhaps Iran itself, thought about an orchestrated, coordinated multi-front attack, but that they chose this smaller attack.

However, one has to note that Iran has promised to retaliate for Israel's killing of Hamas' chief Ismail Haniyeh on its own soil, and that also hangs in the balance. What Iran and Hezbollah are trying to do here is to exercise leverage over the talks, the ceasefire negotiations that are still ongoing to help out Hamas, the Palestinian arm of their pro-Iranian axis.

CHURCH: And let's talk about those talks. So where does this leave the ceasefire and hostage release negotiations?

MAKSAD: Well, those are complex and ongoing. There'll be a key visit by the Qatari Prime Minister to Iran. And so all eyes on that. Qatar has been a key interlocutor in a lot of these talks.

There's progress, but one would suspect that this multi-stage agreement, ceasefire agreement, perhaps if we have a breakthrough, might succeed. Some of it might be implemented at the initial stage. But I wouldn't at all be surprised if it again falters in the second stage of that ceasefire, again, if we do grasp an agreement in the first place.

CHURCH: And let me ask you this, who is standing in the way of a ceasefire and hostage deal?

MAKSAD: Well, Israeli politics is always complex. Certainly, the Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has a day of reckoning awaiting once the guns fall silent. And the gains that have been made in over 10 months of conflict, those are things that Netanyahu does not want to necessarily negotiate away or give away very easily. But certainly a lot of pressure from the American administration on the Israeli prime minister to show some leniency in these talks.

[03:34:52]

And I have to say also Hamas, its leader, Yahya Sinwar, who is hiding in the tunnels of Gaza, very hard to get a response from. From day one, from October 7th, Hamas has wanted to suck in Iran, suck in Hezbollah, the fight on behalf of its cause. They have an interest in broadening this war. So the local players are perhaps not too keen to get to a ceasefire. Iran and the United States perhaps much more wanting to go in that direction.

CHURCH: Firas Maksad, thank you so much for joining us. I Appreciate it.

Israel's military is ordering more evacuations in central Gaza, where about 40,000 Palestinians are sheltering. But it's unclear how many people are currently aware of the order. The evacuation zone has five school shelters, tents, houses and the Al-Aqsa hospital. Many of those living in the area previously fled from Rafah and they're expressing their frustration at having to flee yet again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAWSAN ABU AFESH, DISPLACED PALESTINIAN (through translator): Everyone with a conscience hopefully can see us and bravely see that we are dying. No one is watching. Please, watch us with mercy. Watch how we are moving from a place to another. And we have no idea where to go. I have no place. I am moving with my kids and what it can carry. My furniture left behind and I will sleep tonight on the ground.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meanwhile, polio vaccines have arrived in Gaza in preparation for a mass vaccination campaign. The Palestinian Health Ministry says 1.26 million doses are being stored in a warehouse and they're working to secure an additional 365,000 in the coming days. The ministry says it's coordinating with UNICEF to vaccinate about 640,000 children with two doses each.

A Princeton, New Jersey community is celebrating the release of "Wall Street Journal" reporter Evan Gershkovich. He was released from a Russian prison earlier this month as part of an historic prisoner exchange. CNN's Gloria Pazmino has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Well, it's Evan's former high school soccer coaches, some of his former teammates who gathered here and they're all breathing a sigh of relief to learn that Evan is finally home. You see, this is the community that saw Evan grow up. He went to Princeton High School where he played soccer, won the state championship when he was a senior. So this is a community of people that have watched him grow up, followed his career.

And when they found out that he had been taken into custody and put into a Russian prison, they jumped right into action. They tried to figure out what they could do as a community to support him. They partnered with the "Wall Street Journal" and held a series of events to keep Evan's name and his story in people's minds. They worried that as time went on that somehow people would forget about Evan's story.

So they've been holding these types of events. In fact, the event that was held here was originally scheduled to be another one of these awareness type of events. But when they learned the good news on August 1st that Evan was coming home, they quickly pivoted and changed this into a welcoming party. They have gathered here. The same place where they gathered as young students. This is where they gathered to celebrate their victories. They say they want to welcome him home and celebrate that he's finally free.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thankfulness and relief. And it couldn't have come at a better time, I know, not just for people that are going to be at this event and over the last 16 months who have supported him, including most importantly all the members of the "Wall Street Journal" staff, but for him his family, I can't imagine. So it's really great. It's really kind of like the cherry on the icing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We held our breath for about a day and then when we finally found out he had landed in Turkey is when really the excitement really started building and the happiness really started setting in.

PAZMINO: Now speaking to Evan's former coaches, they all talked about some of his skills, his leadership, the fact that he was able to stay cool under pressure and little by little we've been learning about what it was like for Evan. Those 491 days that he was held in captivity, that he kept his spirits up, that he somehow managed to keep his good humor up.

And people here. told me that it didn't surprise him that it was just part of what Evan's character has always been and that they were not surprised to see him deal with such a difficult situation in that way.

[03:39:54]

So again, if he is able to come and celebrate they're ready for him to come home and to celebrate that he's finally home or whenever he is ready to do it, they hope that he can come back here to Princeton to celebrate at the same place. where they gathered for so many years when they were in high school.

In Princeton, New Jersey, Gloria Pazmino, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Still to come, dozens of people have to be rescued after flash flooding hits the Grand Canyon, but the search for a missing hiker comes to the worst possible end.

Plus, deadly flooding displaces hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh. What officials have to say about the disaster, when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Some people in the Alaskan city of Ketchikan are being told to evacuate after a landslide killed one person and injured several others. Officials in the coastal town worry a second slide could be triggered to the south of the area. The landslide happened late Sunday afternoon, sending a wave of dirt, trees and power poles into a row of homes. Several houses, businesses and roadways were damaged when the slide came down.

In the southwestern U.S., the body of a hiker has been recovered three days after she went missing. 33-year-old Chanoah Nickerson was hiking in Grand Canyon National Park when she was swept away by flash floods. A river trip group found her body on Sunday in the Colorado River. More than 100 people have been rescued after monsoon storms set loose those floods. Arizona's governor called out the National Guard and they used a Blackhawk helicopter to lift stranded people to higher ground.

We are following a Category 1 hurricane that's now moving away from Hawaii's Big Island. Hurricane Hone is dumping rain on parts of the Hawaiian islands, while creating life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

[03:45:02]

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm will pass well south of Hawaii's smaller islands in the coming hours as it begins to weaken. Hone is expected to become a tropical storm at some point today.

We're also tracking Typhoon Shanshan as it moves through the Pacific towards Japan. According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, the storm has sustained winds close to 150 km per hour and is less than 800 km from the Japanese coast. Shanshan is expected to grow even stronger before making landfall on Wednesday. Some parts of Japan could see up to 250 mm of rain along with high winds and dangerous storm surge.

In Bangladesh, crews are rushing to save people stranded by floods that have already claimed at least 18 lives. Hundreds of thousands of people are now living in relief camps. In the Southeastern District of Feni, many are taking refuge in government buildings and schools. Authorities say millions of people are impacted and many won't be able to return to their homes anytime soon. There's an urgent need for food, clean water and medicine.

Residents of Porticello, Sicily laid flowers in the sea and said prayers to honor the seven people who died when a luxury yacht sank last week during a powerful storm. The victims included British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah. Italian authorities have opened a manslaughter investigation. Prosecutors say the super yacht sank because of human behavior, not as a result of the weather.

And we'll be right back.

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[03:50:00]

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CHURCH: Australians can finally put phones on silent after leaving the office and not worry about missing a work email or phone call. That is due to a new law that took effect today, protecting their quote, "right to disconnect." CNN's Kristie Lu Stout has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For all of Australia's beauty and relaxed reputation, it might be hard to imagine that many people here feel overworked. But according to some lawmakers, Australians are working an average of six weeks unpaid overtime every year, and so the government has stepped in to protect people's right to disconnect. As of Monday, people won't have to answer out of hours calls, texts or emails.

RACHEL ABDELNOUR, ADVERTISING INDUSTRY WORKER: I think it's actually really important that we have laws like this. We spend so much of our time connected to our phones, connected to our emails all day. And I think that it's really hard to switch off as it is.

LU STOUT (voice-over): Around the world, ill-defined job expectations and constant connectivity has allowed our jobs to encroach on our private worlds. The gray areas remain. There may be times the boss still requires an answer, but workers can now defend their right to disconnect in court if they want to.

DAVID BRENNAN, FINANCE WORKER: We are professionals. We're well paid. We're expected to deliver. And we feel we have to deliver 24 hours a day if you have to. So the phone's always on, the computer's always on, and we're working.

LU STOUT (voice-over): Australians likely won't forget work entirely after they leave the office. But more people may feel like they don't have to be always on, meaning more time to enjoy what is already a fortunate place to be.

Kristie Lu Stout, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: It certainly is. Well, the torch for the Paralympic Games is making its way to Paris. The relay began on Saturday in Stoke Mandeville, England, where the event was first imagined by a neurologist nearly 80 years ago. British athletes had carried the torch midway through the Channel Tunnel on Sunday before handing it over to their French counterparts. The flame will arrive in Paris in time for Wednesday's opening ceremony.

The jersey that Babe Ruth wore when he hit a legendary home run has scored a new record. The collectible went for $24.12 million at an auction Sunday, making it the most valuable sports collectible ever. Ruth was wearing the gray number three jersey while playing against the Chicago Cubs in the 1932 World Series. It's known as the call shot play. Ruth appeared to point at center field just before hitting a home run into the bleachers. Some have questioned whether the slugger really called the shot.

Well, the European leg of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour has drawn to a close. From London to Germany to Italy, the pop star has entertained fans at sold-out shows in more than 40 locations with hit tracks, glitz and glamor. CNN's Anna Stewart has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lights, camera, fans smile.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just wonderful. The vibe is just so nice.

STEWART (voice-over): As the fog is slipping away, Taylor Swift's European tour is coming to a close, leaving behind windfall profits.

Swift has dazzled fans in Dublin, shaken it off in Warsaw, and styled it out in Stockholm, all to the tune of millions of dollars in sales and a boost to retail, travel and hospitality businesses.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's gotta be tired. Because if I am, she's gonna be tired too.

STEWART: How much Taylor Swift have you played in the last few days?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, hours, countless, it's been my whole life.

STEWART (voice-over): In the U.K., the average fan is spending $1,100 all in, according to analysis from Barclays Bank. They estimate a $1.27 billion boost for the British economy.

Gelsenkirchen, Germany hosted almost as many Swifties as the city's population, giving the hotel sector a Swift lift. Fans say it's all worth the hype.

[03:55:05]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I spent a lot of money. It's not good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's fine, we spent it last year, so it's like it's not real. It's great, it's great.

STEWART: You've forgotten all about it.

Yeah, yeah, Gullmaff, Gullmaff. I love that, Gullmaff.

STEWART (voice-over): Eras is the highest-grossing tour of all time, according to Pulstar. Eclipsing $1 Billion in sales before the 2024 concerts in South America, Asia and Europe even began.

And it's had no shortage of viral moments in Europe. From celebrity appearances, to fans without tickets clamoring to get a view. And the guy on the Chiefs.

London had to bolster security after three Vienna shows were canceled due to a terror threat. But even then, Swifties in the Austrian city rallied with fans singing her music in the streets.

After more than 40 sold out shows across Europe, Miss Americana is heading back to North America. Swift gets a two-month break until she hits Florida, Louisiana and later Canada.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like the adrenaline probably keeps her going. I'm sure when she finishes the tour, she'll sleep for about two years.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah, she must be knackered, like they say in the U.K.

STEWART (voice-over): But for now, it's so long, London.

STEWART: Oh, thanks!

STEWART (voice-over): Anna Stewart, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Magnificent. Thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "CNN Newsroom" continues next with Max Foster and Christina Macfarlane in London.

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