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Abortion Rights Center Stage in U.S. Presidential Race; IDF Says Ground Ops Complete in Parts of Gaza; Taliban Vice and Virtue Have Silenced Women; Mexico's Largest State Suffers Devastating Drought; Airports Brace for Labor Day; NHL Star and Brother Killed by Drunk Driver; Brazilian Judge Suspends X. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired August 31, 2024 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to all our viewers watching in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong.
Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, a major about-face from former president Donald Trump on reproductive rights. The GOP nominee now says he will not vote to expand abortion access in his home state.
The U.S. and Ukrainian defense ministers meet in Washington. What Kyiv wants out of the Biden administration.
And a brutal crackdown on women's rights, how the situation is getting worse in Afghanistan.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Hong Kong, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Anna Coren.
COREN: Well, the battle over abortion rights is taking center stage in the U.S. presidential race. Donald Trump is weighing in on the abortion initiative that will be on his home state's ballot in November.
And Kamala Harris has issued a strong response to Trump's comments. It comes just one day after her sit-down interview with CNN's Dana Bash.
Well, we start with Trump's saying he'll vote no on a Florida constitutional amendment that would allow abortions in that state after the first six weeks of pregnancy. Florida law currently bans abortions after six weeks.
The amendment will be on the ballot there in November. It's another reversal for Trump, who has previously said he's against a six-week ban. CNN's Steve Contorno has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) STEVE CONTORNO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Former president Donald Trump on Friday, saying for the first time that he intends to vote against a referendum that would expand abortion access in his home state of Florida.
Trump's remarks come just 24 hours after he was asked the same question and his answer ignited a firestorm among anti-abortion activists who were concerned that he might actually vote for the referendum.
Well, Trump, on Friday, sought to clarify those remarks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: ... yes or no on Amendment Four in Florida?
TRUMP: So I think six weeks, you need more time than six weeks. I've disagreed with that right from the early primaries when I heard about it. I disagreed with it.
At the same time, the Democrats are radical, because the nine months is just a ridiculous situation, where you can do an abortion in the ninth month. And some of the states like Minnesota and other states have it, where you could actually execute the baby after birth.
And all of that stuff is unacceptable. So I'll be voting no for that reason.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CONTORNO: I should note that there are no states where a child can be aborted after they are born.
Trump on Friday also seemed to back away a previous assertion that he would veto federal abortion legislation if it reaches his desk, something his running mate, JD Vance, had said just a few days prior.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTEN WELKER, NBC HOST: if such a piece of legislation landed on Donald Trump's desk, would he veto it?
J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think he'd be very clear he would not support it. I mean --
(CROSSTALK)
WELKER: But would he veto it?
VANCE: -- yes, I mean, if you're not supporting it as a President of the United States --
WELKER: He would veto a federal abortion ban?
VANCE: I think he would. He said that explicitly that he would. (END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: Would you veto a federal abortion ban?
TRUMP: I'm not going to have to think about it because it's working out so well right now. The states are doing it. It's a states' issue.
RAJU: I'm only asking that because JD Vance said that he would veto an abortion ban if it was sent to your desk.
TRUMP: Well, what's happening is you're never going to have to do it because it's being done by the states.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CONTORNO: In response to Trump's latest remarks, Vice President Harris put out a statement, where she said, she would, quote, "proudly sign a new law that would expand abortion access in the United States" -- Steve Contorno, CNN, Washington, D.C.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Well, also in that statement from Kamala Harris, she wrote, quote, "Donald Trump just made his position on abortion very clear. He will vote to uphold an abortion ban so extreme it applies before many women even know they are pregnant.
"Trump proudly brags about the role that he played in overturning Roe versus Wade and said that there should be punishment for women who have an abortion."
The Harris campaign is planning a bus tour through battleground states to support reproductive rights. It's scheduled to start this coming Tuesday in Palm Beach, in Trump's home state of Florida. Campaign officials say the tour will feature elected officials, celebrities and Republicans who support Harris.
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It appears the new election subversion case against Donald Trump will not go before a judge before November's election. Special counsel Jack Smith and Trump's lawyers filed a status report with the Washington, D.C., court on Friday.
It shows that Trump's legal team is at odds with Smith over how the case should proceed. Smith is not offering firm dates for the next phase of the case. Trump's team is recommending a schedule that could stretch into early next year and possibly even later.
The new superseding indictment came this week. Smith says it's designed to comply with the Supreme Court's earlier ruling on presidential immunity. Trump's lawyers say it does not do that.
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COREN: Ukrainian cities are taking more fire from Russia as Kyiv lobbies for more leeway to strike back with U.S. weapons. Officials say Russia targeted the city of Kharkiv on Friday, killing at least seven people and leaving 77 others injured.
The victims reportedly included a 14-year-old girl killed at a playground and a number of people who died in a high-rise that caught on fire after the attack.
Well, meanwhile, Ukraine's defense minister met with his U.S. counterpart on Friday. Kyiv is pushing for a green light from Washington to conduct strikes deeper inside Russia with U.S. long- range weapons.
The Pentagon has indicated it's not keen on the idea. But the Ukrainian minister says the U.S. is still considering the request.
Ukraine also says it has pushed its cross-border incursion up to two more kilometers into Russia. Kyiv claims it has captured about 100 settlements since launching the operation earlier this month. CNN can now show exclusive video of the moment some Ukrainian troops breached the Russian border. Fred Pleitgen reports.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Never before seen footage of some of the first Ukrainian troops entering Russian territory in early August. This video, given exclusively to CNN by one of the assault units spearheading the charge.
We just crossed the border, one soldier says and then glory to Ukraine.
Soldiers from the same unit also provided us this video showing them coming under fire as they advanced deeper into Russia. The incursion into Russia is one of Ukraine's made in building blocks for what the country's president says is his plan to force Moscow to the negotiating table.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I will present this plan to the president of the U.S. The success of this plan depends on him. Will they give what we have in this plan or not?
Will we be free to use what we have in this plan or not?
PLEITGEN: The Ukrainians want a lot more U.S. weapons and they want Washington to allow them to use those weapons to strike deep into Russian territory. So far the Ukrainians are only allowed to use missiles the ground launched ATACMS to strike in Ukrainian areas occupied by Russia and Russian territory close to the border.
Kyiv's air force saying they recently used U.S. provided guided bombs to take out bridges in the Kursk area.
Ukraine's defense minister meeting U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon to present a list of targets deeper inside Russia, the Ukrainians want permission to hit. UMEROV: During today's meeting, we will engage in detail discussions
about the situation on the front line, including our vision, objectives and plans.
We'll also address Ukraine's critical needs, including necessary arms, equipment and training.
PLEITGEN: While Ukraine is advancing in some areas, they're on the back foot on the eastern front with Russian troops are making slow but steady progress. But Kyiv hopes a massive arms package from the U.S. could help them turn the tide, a senior Ukrainian official tells me in Kyiv.
MYKHAILO PODOLYAK, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR (through translator): Russia can be forced through a proper military strategies, through military strikes to increasing the cost of war for the Russian federation increasing the cost of war the war will be fought on Russian territory.
PLEITGEN: But as the war grinds on, the toll among Ukrainian civilians continues to rise. A massive missile strike on the northeastern city of Kharkiv on Friday, killing several people and wounding dozens.
Still, Moscow are lashing out at the U.S. its allies over even just the talk of possibly lifting restrictions on the use of Western weapons.
SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): This is an attempt to pretend that the West wants to avoid excessive escalation. But in truth, this is not so. The West does not want to avoid escalation. The West, how we say it in Russia, is looking for trouble.
PLEITGEN: Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Kyiv.
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COREN: Israel's military says it has completed ground operations in parts of southern Gaza and it's allowing residents to return to their homes. However, many Palestinians are finding their homes destroyed, their neighborhoods much like the enclave in ruins.
For the past month, the Israeli military carried out intense operations in Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah. The Israel Defense Forces said eliminated more than 250 of what it called terrorists and destroyed so-called terrorist infrastructure.
Meanwhile an Israeli strike on a humanitarian convoy in Gaza killed four transport workers on Thursday. The convoy set out from Kerem Shalom crossing. The aid group, American Near East Refugee Aid, says there was
confusion over the travel plans and the four victims decided to ride in the lead vehicle but had not been cleared by Israeli authorities. The IDF says it attacked the lead car because the men inside appeared to be armed, a breach of the agreed plan.
Meanwhile, the U.N. and world health officials are gearing up for a polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, a major undertaking that hinges on pauses in the fighting. The World Health Organization outlined the plans for distributing the vaccine and the logistical challenges of reaching Gaza's children.
CNN's Nic Robertson has the latest details from Jerusalem.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: This is huge. It's something that the U.N. has never really done before. I was speaking to one of the U.N. senior officials in Gaza, Sam Rosen. He told me this is monumental.
They're going to do this in three parts, said they'll do the center of Gaza first, then the south, then the north. And they'll have three days in each place. And each of those days they'll have seven- to eight-hour pauses.
So if you run the math, 640,000 children they need to vaccinate, you roughly have about to do 10,000 children every hour. So that's a massive numerical challenge in and of itself.
And he says, look, we're going to have clinics and our big health centers, our smaller clinics. We're going to have mobile clinics. We're going have teams out in the field, 3,000 people on the ground setting up vaccination spots in the middle of some of the sort of the tent cities and places like that.
So they're going to have a lot of people out there to do it. But there are many, many challenges here. And one of those is actually needing to get 90 percent of those 640,000 children vaccinated.
And they don't really have a solid number. He says he fears, sadly, many of those children may be under the rubble. So getting the right number of children vaccinated is also a challenge.
But despite all those difficulties, Sam Rose was telling us, look, there's one big positive that they can take away from this, that both sides agreed to this humanitarian pause.
And that's a real positive, he said -- Nic Robertson, CNN, Jerusalem.
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COREN: The U.S. military says more than a dozen ISIS operatives were killed in an early morning raid in Western Iraq on Thursday. The 15 operatives were said to be armed with grenades and explosive suicide belts, according to U.S. Central Command. U.S. forces and Iraqi security personnel were involved in the
operation, which was an effort to disrupt ISIS' ability to target both Iraqi and U.S. citizens. It was no indication of any civilian casualties.
The heavy hand of the Taliban repressing women's rights even further, banning the sound of their voices in public. I'll talk to an Afghan human rights activist about this latest outrage against the women and girls of her country.
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COREN: Afghanistan's Taliban rulers are extending their brutal crackdown on women's rights, now outlawing even the sound of women's voices in public. Women are banned from singing, reciting or reading aloud in public, part of a strict new set of vice and virtue laws under the Islamist regime.
The laws also make it mandatory for a woman to cover her body in public at all times. And women are forbidden from looking at men who are not related by blood or marriage.
This is the first formal declaration of vice and virtue laws since the Taliban returned to power three years ago.
Pashtana Durrani is the founder and executive director of LEARN Afghanistan. She's also a human rights activist and joins us now from Wellesley, Massachusetts.
Pashtana, great to have you with us. Thank you for joining us. We didn't think that the situation for women and girls could get any worse in Afghanistan and, yet, with this latest, most oppressive draconian edict from the Taliban, it has.
Explain to us what this means.
PASHTANA DURRANI, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LEARN: I mean, you also have to understand that the Taliban (ph) expect to -- almost like terrorize people (INAUDIBLE) with this edict.
But then at the same time you have to realize that they're gunning out of innovative ways to get attention from the international media and international community. Telling one woman that has been loud enough (INAUDIBLE) in the past three years or in the past 20 years, even, first and foremost.
I think the one thing we keep on forgetting is the fact that they're using women rights and human rights just to get more attention. And that's where they're going. COREN: So this is what you think it is. This is about the Taliban
trying to get the attention of the international community, because we know they desperately want international recognition.
DURRANI: Yes, they do.
I mean, before this interview, I was getting asked this one question that the Taliban have asked the world see to be considered and ask the world to recognize them and I because they are important (INAUDIBLE) like, what have they done for our women in Afghanistan (ph) in the past 24 years.
Or in the past three years that they have been in power.
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One has to ask those questions, what have they done?
What are their plans in the future?
The one thing they desperately seek is more power, more money, more humanitarian assistance without doing anything in return to reciprocate any of those things.
COREN: Well, let me quickly ask you, do you think that if the world gave them international recognition, that they would then allow women to live freely or more freely?
DURRANI: I don't believe men who bombed schools and threw acid on women's faces and harmed women will ever do that for a weapon. I don't think they're going to ever let women (INAUDIBLE).
COREN: And you fled the country when the Taliban took over.
The women that you were speaking back in Afghanistan, tell us what has been their response to this law?
DURRANI: Women are going about their day. I have students, I have 661 students. They're going on about their day. They are learning, they are preparing, they're hoping that there's going to be in Afghanistan (INAUDIBLE) going to greet them and accept them and honor them for being the true daughters of Afghanistan.
And they know that this is a dark chapter in our history but that definitely is not the only identity of Afghanistan. And definitely not something that we should be completely accepting. These medieval rules mentality doesn't exist (INAUDIBLE).
COREN: The mental health crisis in Afghanistan, among girls, it is frightening. We have extensively covered it in our own reporting here at CNN. We know about the surge in attempted suicides. The U.N. says something like two-thirds of girls and women are suffering from a mental health issue.
Explain to us the societal impact of this law and the permanent damage that it is doing. DURRANI: You have to understand communal society in a country (ph) they are aware women are big, integral part of that. And imagine if 50 percent of your country's depressed, suicidal, is going through mental health issues, your children, your next generation, your current communal life is not going to be happy, either.
So one assigns, I think also, bank one of the most depressed countries and it's not just affecting the women but also the young boys, the men and those women want to sign as the country's a depressed country. Let's not forget that.
COREN: The Taliban appears indifferent to the overwhelming international condemnation of its treatment of women. It recently banned the U.N. special rapporteur, Richard Bennett, who has been highly critical of the Taliban.
What leverage, if any, does the international community have in influencing the Taliban to change its behavior?
DURBIN: I mean, for starters, the U.S. can use the Magnitsky Act, which is very important.
And then apart from that, instead of sanctioning the whole country, maybe go after the Taliban leaders who are actually pursuing these decrease in laws.
And then apart from that, or the fact that they have their office opening in Qatar, why is nobody questioning that?
And nobody is closing that?
Why do they still have access to international travel, international funds and bank accounts and they get to be accepted as permanent ambassadors in the Tajik (ph).
Well, I've won women are refugees in countries that they are being abused.
COREN: Pashtana Durrani, we're going to have to leave it there but we thank you for your time and certainly the work that you are doing on behalf of Afghan women.
A Paralympian from Afghanistan has dedicated her medal winning performance to freedom for Afghan women and girls and peace in her country. Zakia Khudadadi made history as the first female athlete from the refugee team to win a medal at the Paris Paralympics.
She clinched a taekwondo bronze medal, locking down her place on the podium when her opponent pulled out before the competition.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZAKIA KHUDADADI, AFGHAN PARALYMPIAN (through translator): I wore this medal to show it, the strength for all the girls and women in my country, Afghanistan. And I hope that with this medal, it brings us together. It is one for freedom and for peace in my country. (END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Khudadadi made her Paralympics debut three years ago in Tokyo just days after being pulled out of Taliban-controlled Kabul.
Well, deadly flooding is bringing new anguish to the country of Yemen. The United Nations says at least 97 people have been killed over the past month, with more than 56,000 homes affected by flooding.
That devastation is making things even more difficult for the roughly 4.5 million people in Yemen, who have already been displaced from their homes. The U.N. estimates 85 percent of families that have experienced displacement are unable to meet their daily food requirements and are in urgent need of humanitarian aid
Well, Mexico's largest state, Chihuahua, is suffering through a months-long drought.
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It has dried up lakes and dams, killed fish, even devastated bee colonies. CNN's Derek Van Dam has this report.
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DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): After facing unusually low levels of rain, people in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua are waiting for storm clouds. The much needed rain could refill dried- out dams, water wells and lagoons. But so far, they've had no luck.
Known for its dry or semidry climate, Mexico's largest state has seen minimal rainfall in recent years and has been suffering from drought since February. This has led to dams drying up and becoming infested with dead fish.
MAYOR ROGELIO PACHECO FLORES, BUENAVENTURA (through translator): But it is unusual. I have never seen this dam like this without water. We see a total devastation. Nature is punishing us.
VAN DAM (voice-over): Well, some parts of Mexico came out of drought in July.
The national water commission reports that 100 percent of Chihuahua remains in drought; 54 percent of the state in extreme drought and 11 percent in exceptional drought, the highest level.
With the little amount of wet mud, remains cattle from nearby farms come to cool off. But the scarce water available has left farmers suffering, unable to irrigate their crops.
ANGEL RUEDA SOLORIO, FARMER (through translator): The levels of the agricultural wells are dropping. This year we have not been able to plant because of the low water levels in the wells. It has not rained for two years. We have stopped planting because of the lack of rain.
VAN DAM (voice-over): Bees have also been affected. Many are dying because the lack of rain has reduced wildflower yields (ph). With fewer flowers available, bees are turning to crop fields for pollen.
But pesticides in these fields are killing them. And with water levels falling, local tourist visits have dried up.
DANIEL ALBERTO RUBI, FISHERMAN (through translator): I have been working at the dam for a year now and I have seen how the number of people who come to visit the dam has decreased. This year, the dam is very dry. Its water level is 20 percent and the water level continues to drop.
VAN DAM (voice-over): Derek Van Dam, CNN.
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COREN: For international viewers, "AFRICAN VOICES: CHANGEMAKERS" is next. In North America, more CNN NEWSROOM, stay with us.
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COREN: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong.
In the U.S. presidential race, Kamala Harris is blasting her rival's latest stance on abortion as she prepares for a battleground bus tour that will focus on reproductive rights.
Donald Trump now says he will vote against a Florida constitutional amendment that would allow abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy. He has previously said he's against a six-week ban. But by opposing the amendment, he's effectively supporting Florida's existing ban.
In Pennsylvania Friday, he promised that his administration would help Americans grow their families.
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TRUMP: If I'm elected this November, for the first time ever, your government will pay for or require insurance companies to pay for all costs associated with IVF fertility treatment.
We want more babies to be born in America. we want more babies. We need them.
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COREN: Joining us now from Oxford, England, is Richard Johnson.
He is a lecturer in U.S. politics at Queen Mary University of London. We are going to get to what Donald Trump's said about IVF. But let's
first start with his struggle, I guess, to stick to a position on reproductive rights.
Why is he straying from the Republican message about abortion?
Because he appears to have upset many conservatives.
RICHARD JOHNSON, QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY: Well, if you go back early in Trump's public life, Trump was someone who was pretty relaxed about abortion rights. But described himself as a pro choice individual when he ran for the presidency.
He realized that within the Republican Party overturning Roe v. Wade was a major motivating force, particularly for evangelical Christian voters. And Trump admitted two, appointing judges to overturn Roe. And he was successful in doing that.
Overturning Roe was a very unifying message to the Republican Party. But once you overturn Roe, then you have to decide what replaces Roe. And that is decided at the state level. OK, that's been Trump's line.
But Trump lives in a state. He happens to live in a state that now has an amendment about changing the abortion laws of that state. And Trump has a vote on that referendum.
And that is Trump's problem now, is that he is being pinned down by having to make a state-level decision about abortion rights.
Now Amendment IV, I think is particularly tricky for Trump, because Florida has this ban after six weeks, which Trump has said, he's on the record he thinks that's too short.
This amendment would push abortion rights up to the point of viability or possibly later, based on consultation with a doctor about the woman's health. Now from a Republican standpoint, that is -- that's too far.
But also Trump doesn't like the six-week ban. So he's kind of caught in between. I think Trump might be comfortable with where, say, John Roberts had landed in the Dobbs decision, which was accept the 15 week limit. But that's not on the ballot.
And this is the -- this is the problem that Trump has created for millions of Americans, is that they have to make these decisions state-by-state and the instruments for making those decisions can be pretty blunt.
COREN: And as we just heard from Donald Trump, he is now proposing that all women have access to IVF through either the government or insurers.
I mean, he -- is he trying to appease women voters perhaps put off by his abortion stance?
JOHNSON: Yes, I think the IVF issue has become a bit of a liability for Republicans. The Harris campaign, particularly with the introduction of Tim Walz on the ticket, has made alternative reproduction options for parents center stage.
Because although Tim Walz didn't have IVF, he and his wife had alternative reproduction treatments that brought about their daughter, Hope. And there's a story that I think many American couples and families can recognize, as something that would be desirable or they sympathize with people who are struggling to have family.
Who want to have a family and the Republican Party is meant to be the party of families. Certainly that was his message.
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Once upon a time was it was the party of family values.
And to be seen as a party that would restrict those reproduction options has been an uncomfortable place for the public. And that's why I think Trump has now come out and basically made this really bold gesture of an unfunded, as it seems to be at the moment, commitment that the federal government would either pay for or require insurance companies to provide IVF to anyone who wanted it, which is a very expensive procedure.
We're talking tens of thousands of dollars.
COREN: Yes, absolutely.
If we now turn to Kamala Harris; first interview with Tim Walz -- I'm sorry, lot to squeeze into this conversation.
How did you rate her performance?
And did she achieve what she needed to?
JOHNSON: I think she did achieve what she needed to do.
She needed to avoid making any gaffes or anything that could be clickable by the Republicans as a baseline. She far exceeded that. She came across, I think, as very poised, very measured, very confident.
I actually thought Walz wasn't really necessary in that interview. I know its traditional after the convention that you have the nominee for president and vice president being on TV together. I can understand why they did that.
But actually I think for her first interview, she would have been perfectly fine doing a solo first interview. Actually thought Walz came across as a little bit more nervous than Harris. Maybe he's a bit newer to the national stage.
But I thought she, she, she had a very competent performance. She's going to need to do more interviews. This can't be a one-off and she's going to have to, particularly, develop her policy message. I think that's the area now where people are expecting to see a little bit more from her. COREN: I mean, the critics would say it was vague, it was vacuous.
She had to refer to notes. There was no deep dive into her policy positions. But I guess, at the end of the day, this is about swing states, undecided voters that she needs to win over.
Do you think this interview helped in that regard or will the presidential debate be the true test?
JOHNSON: I think what she did in this debate had -- she had to answer some serious questions about changes in her policy position from when she ran in the Democratic primary way, back in 2019.
I think that was -- that was her first major hurdle. She had taken various commitments which were quite progressive, quite liberal. During the primary, that's not unusual for a candidate to do that in a primary contest, is to -- is to hug to the base but then tack to the center in the general election.
And in effect I think she did a reasonable job at explaining why she was no longer, for example, in fan -- a fan of a ban on fracking, for example. And I think that's a difficult thing for any politician to say, I once said something but now I'm saying something else.
But I thought she made that transition quite well. But yes, I would agree that when it comes to the policy detail, she was light on detail in that interview and she's going to need to -- she's going to need to work on that and do, again, more interviews to flesh that out in the weeks to come.
Richard Johnson, great to get your analysis.
Thanks so much for joining us.
JOHNSON: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Well, if you're hitting the road this Labor Day weekend, expect to see lower prices at the pump.
GasBuddy is projecting the national average will be $3.27 a gallon. That's the lowest Labor Day price since 2021 and $0.50 cheaper than last year. But in some states like Oregon, Washington and Arizona, seeing even bigger drops over the holiday weekend.
GasBuddy says Americans are expected to spend about $750 million less on gas than they did in 2023.
It's also expected to be a busy weekend at airports across the country but many are hoping that new technology will help speed things up. CNN's Pete Muntean is at Reagan National Airport in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Friday will be a huge day for the Labor Day weekend rush when it is all said and done. The TSA was anticipating screening 2.8 million people at airports nationwide on Friday.
They say that number will probably be closer to 2.9 million people, just shy of the all-time air travel record set back on July 7th of about 3 million people. In fact, here at Reagan National Airport alone, they're anticipating screening about 40,000 people.
That number bigger than we have seen, even considering the numbers before the pandemic. One thing that you will see that is different at airports nationwide is more facial recognition technology.
The TSA has rolled that out at about 80 airports nationwide. You bring your ID, you scan it and a computer screen with a camera on it matches your photo live to the photo on your ID.
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The TSA says folks should be aware of that and you can opt out if you want to. The other big storyline here is the weather and that could really throw a wrench into people's plans. It did on Thursday.
About a third of all flights out of Reagan National Airport here delayed, along with Philadelphia International Airport. About the same numbers there. One in five flights canceled just down the road at Washington Dulles International Airport.
So we are were not out of the woods yet and the TSA is anticipating Monday will be another huge day for travel, with so many people just trying to fit in one final trip of the summer -- Pete Muntean, CNN, Reagan National Airport.
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COREN: Police investigating the disappearance of a couple from a California nudist resort, demolished part of a suspect's house. The startling discovery officers made beneath the rubble ahead on CNN.
And tragedy as a professional hockey player and his brother were killed by an alleged drunk driver on the eve of their sister's wedding. That story, when we come back.
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COREN: Police investigating the disappearance of an elderly couple at a California nudist resort say they found human remains beneath the home of a neighbor. The coroner's office is working to identify the bodies.
But its believed they may be Daniel and Stephanie Menard. The couple went missing last week from their home at Olive Dell Ranch, which bills itself as Southern California's favorite nudist resort for families and couples.
Redlands police demolished part of the suspect's house to get to him during a standoff. They say that's when they discovered the remains under his mobile home.
An alleged drunk driver has been arrested and charged in the death of National Hockey League player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother. The two were out cycling when they were hit by an SUV. CNN's Polo Sandoval has more.
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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother, Matthew, killed by an alleged drunk driver Thursday night on the eve of their sister's wedding, where they were set to be groomsmen.
State police confirm the siblings were bike riding and southern New Jersey when they were hit by an SUV.
Sean Higgins is the 43-year-old alleged drunk driver. He was charged with two counts of death by auto police records showing that he admitted to drinking five to six beers before the accident and failed field sobriety test.
Gaudreau, who earned the nickname Johnny Hockey was drafted by the Calgary Flames in 2011 -- signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022, where he tallied a dozen goals and nearly 50 assists the last season alone.
Johnny played the game with great joy, read a statement from his team. The impact he had on our organization and our sport was profound but pales in comparison to the indelible impression he made on everyone who knew him.
But despite the success in the rank, the true passion appeared to be off the ice, as a loving husband and proud father of two babies, the youngest born this year and carries dad's name.
Matthew followed in his brother's footsteps, playing side-by-side with Johnny in Boston College. Coaches there described the brothers as full of joy for the sport.
JERRY YORK, FORMER HEAD COACH, BOSTON COLLEGE MEN'S HOCKEY: If you ask us the name of our favorite players, you know, they've got to be -- both boys are going to be among them.
SANDOVAL: An uncle of the Gaudreau brothers releasing the statement saying: Last night, we lost two husbands, two fathers, two sons but truly two amazing humans -- Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE) COREN: Absolutely tragic.
One of two doctors charged with conspiring to distribute ketamine to actor Matthew Perry pleaded guilty in federal court Friday.
Perry died because of the acute effects of ketamine and subsequent drowning last year at his home after taking the drug. CNN's Nick Watt reports from Los Angeles.
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NICK WATT, CNN ANCHOR AND NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Dr. Mark Chavez is, according to his lawyer, full of remorse and really eager to do whatever he can to make the best of a terrible situation, which ended, of course, with Matthew Perry, the much beloved "Friends" actor, dead due to ketamine.
He died in his hot tub at his home here in Los Angeles. Now Chavez certainly appears to be doing all that he can to cooperate. He was asked to submit his passport, to surrender his passport today. He had it in his back pocket.
Now I asked Chavez's lawyer, is he willing, is he going to testify in court against the other people who've been in charged in Perry's death?
He would not answer that question. But Chavez is planning to put a guilty plea in. He waived his right to a grand jury indictment. It certainly appears he is cooperating.
What he is alleged to have done, this other doctor, Salvador Plasencia, allegedly called Chavez -- they were friends -- and said, listen, let's get some ketamine. We've got Matthew Perry. He wants the drug.
And Plasencia said, "I wonder how much this moron will pay?"
What allegedly happened is Chavez, Dr. Chavez, bought the drug from a wholesaler by falsifying documents, paid 12 bucks a vial for it and the pair of them charged Matthew Perry $2,000 a vial for the drug.
Now that other doctor, Salvador Plasencia, and a woman called the Ketamine Queen, who was a street-level dealer allegedly, who was also supplying Perry, they are due in court next week -- Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Stay with CNN, we'll be right back.
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COREN: Welcome back.
Well, after days of delay. SpaceX's Falcon Nine rocket has been cleared to fly again. That puts the spacecraft back on track for two high-profile missions. The company is set to launch a mission called Polaris Dawn, which will carry a crew of civilian space travelers to attempt the first ever commercial spacewalk.
Polaris has been delayed twice already because of technical issues and by bad weather. And as soon as late September, SpaceX is expected to take two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station on Crew Nine.
That mission is then expected to bring home Boeing's Starliner test crew in early 2025. Their planned return delayed for months because of technical issues.
Well, meanwhile. X owner Elon Musk is slamming a Brazilian supreme court justice's decision to suspend the social media giant in the country. Musk says the judge is destroying free speech. The ruling comes after the company failed to name a legal representative there, despite giving -- being given a 24 hour deadline.
Details because now from CNN's Julia Vargas Jones.
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JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN PRODUCER: A feud between a billionaire and a supreme court justice, what could go wrong?
Well, now 200 million people in Brazil are no longer able to access X. Not only that but those who try to, the court say, will be hit with a fine of almost $10,000 a day if they tried to access the site via a VPN.
All providers in the country are now blocking the website from mobiles and other devices. Now Elon Musk took that to X and said that the oppressive regime in Brazil is so afraid of the people learning the truth that they will bankrupt anyone who tries the oppressive regime.
He's talking about is the supreme court specifically, supreme court justice Alexandre de Moraes. He has been the lead in an investigation that's been sweeping Brazil over misinformation and hate speech online that the court says might have the intent to undermine democracy.
This includes the Big Lie of Brazil, that the election was stolen, that there were fraud, fraudulent voting happening along those lines in the elections all the way back to 2019. This rhetoric has been escalating.
[03:55:00]
And this is the government's attempt to tame it. Now Musk has basically refused to comply with some of the orders of the court to terminate some accounts on X. He said that he will not give into this kind of censorship.
He called the supreme court dictators and said that he will stand by allowing people to say what they want on his platform. Now he's also been hit at this point with this closure after removing all of the representation of X in the country.
Now no company can actually operate in Brazil without representation this is why we got to the place that we did. Now another company led by Musk might also be affected in this. That's Starlink. That provides internet service for many remote regions in Brazil, up to 250,000 users.
And they could also be affected as the assets of that company become frozen. Musk says he will continue to operate in the country and will now give the services for free -- Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: WNBA fans witnessed a battle of the top two rookie stars Friday night as Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever took an Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky. Clark scored a career-high 31 points and became the first rookie in league history to score at least 30 points and 10 assists in a single game.
She needs just six more points to break the franchise record for most points scored by a rookie.
Well meanwhile, Reese finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds for her 23rd double-double of the season, a new rookie record for the WNBA. Indiana defeated Chicago 100-81.
I'm Anna Coren live in Hong Kong. I'll be back with more CNN NEWSROOM right after this short break.
