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Israel Conducts "Targeted Strike" On Southern Beirut; Harris Speaks On Reproductive Rights During Georgia Campaign Event; Secret Service: There Will Be Organizational Changes" After July Assassination Attempt Against Trump; Georgia State Election Board Approves Controversial New Rule; Factory Shreds Evidence Of Marriage For Divorced Couples. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired September 20, 2024 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:37]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: It's 8:00 p.m. in London, 10:00 p.m. in Beirut, 3:00 p.m. here in New York.

I'm Jim Sciutto. Thanks so much for joining me today on CNN newsroom.

And let's get right to the news.

We begin in Beirut, where the Israeli military says it has killed the leader of an elite Hezbollah unit as well as 10 other commanders in what Israel is describing as a targeted airstrike. It is the latest in a series of Israeli attacks inside Lebanon in which Israel has threatened a new era of war. Today's strike destroyed as you can see in those pictures there, an entire apartment building leaving at least 14 people dead, 66 injured.

The Lebanese prime minister says the attacks are quote, akin to genocide, while Iran's embassy in Lebanon is condemning what it calls Israeli madness that crossed all red lines. The U.N. Security Council is currently holding an emergency meeting to discuss the situation in Lebanon. We will bring you the United States' remarks as they happen,

CNN senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman, he is in Beirut for us.

And, Ben, you've been following events over the last several days there, an unprecedented attack targeting thousands of Hezbollah fighters via pagers and walkie-talkies, and now this strike inside Beirut.

I wonder when you speak to Lebanese officials and others there, do they feel that Lebanon's on the brink of war with Israel.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Jim, they feel actually it is already in a war with Israel. I mean, lets keep in mind that since last October, there's been a sort of a medium intensity border conflict going on. But if you look over the last four days, there have been three major attacks on Hezbollah, but for many Lebanese, they feel this is Lebanon as well. It started with that very unconventional attack using the thousands of, perhaps thousands of pagers killing thousands of individuals affiliated with Hezbollah, 12 people including two children, but also Hezbollah members. And then the walkie-talkie attacks, killing 20 Hezbollah members and others in addition to more than 600 people.

And today, this strike the Israelis claim killing Ibrahim Aqil, the senior Hezbollah military commander, although, of course, Hezbollah has yet to comment on it, nor have we heard anything from any government officials here. But when you put it all together, it does add up to basically a war. The question is, when or how is Hezbollah going to fire back?

We heard Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah say last night that the response is coming, but it appears that perhaps he's lost some of his key commanders -- having lost his top commander back in July. And we see that the Israeli seemed to be pulling out all the stops, not only have we seen these three out of four days of major attacks but for instance, overnight yesterday, there were within a span of about 20 minutes, more than 50 Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon. Hezbollah did respond to this morning with almost 200 rockets fired into Israel.

So, really the pace is intensifying those border -- and the border exchanges were almost becoming background noise to most people here in Lebanon. The feeling was the war was down there. But in Beirut, part from occasional Israeli strikes three in total, they have never felt the war coming home as it is now.

And so, we're certainly if not on a full scale war already, we are really teetering on the brink of one right now. We see that this evening, rescue crews are still working at the site of the building that was hit today. The death toll at this point is 14, more than 60 injured, some of them still in critical condition and we expect the death toll to rise.

And among the dead, we understand from one hospital here in Beirut, there are many children, women and children because this was a residential area, part of Beirut that I'm sure you're aware of is quite densely populated.

[15:05:09]

The strike took place in the late afternoon when there were lots of people out and about going about their normal business -- Jim.

SCIUTTO: This has become a feature of these strikes, particularly in populated areas, whether that be in Beirut or Gaza.

Ben Wedeman, thanks so much.

Well, here to discuss Firas Maksad. He's a senior fellow, senior director for strategic outreach at the Middle East Institute.

Thanks so much for joining.

I wonder in your view, does Israel want war with Hezbollah, open war with Hezbollah? And Hezbollah want war with Israel at this point?

FIRAS MAKSAD, SENIOR FELLOW & SENIOR DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC OUTREACH, MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE: Yeah, Jim, good to be with you.

Well, the first one is the more difficult one to answer. We don't know if Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is, in fact, taunting Hezbollah into a war. What we do know the second part of your question is that Iran and Hezbollah have not been eager to have one and not for them being responsible actors in the region, far from it. But because their strategy depends on taking 1,000 blows to Israel, one cut at a time using asymmetric warfare, the various proxies in Lebanon, Hezbollah being the crown jewel of the Iranian proxies, but also the Houthis in Yemen, the militias in Syria and Iraq.

So they know that in a direct confrontation, Israel probably has the upper hand, because, but as they continue to receive one blow after another, one would question what the threshold is for Hezbollah being dragged into an all out war.

SCIUTTO: Going back months as the prospect of an expanded war along that northern border what he has been out there, there had been hope that a ceasefire hostage deal for Gaza was holding off that prospect to some degree that even Hezbollah didn't want to disrupt those chances. Given the state of those talks and an increasing understanding among Biden administration officials that they're really not going anywhere right now, does that increase the chances of a broadening conflict without that -- I don't want to call it a stopper on the bottle, right. But to some degree, there had been the perception that that was at least holding back some of the worst outcomes.

MAKSAD: Jim, that's exactly it. I actually just came from a background briefing with two senior administration officials handling these files. And I can tell you that level of frustration in the White House is quite high as it comes, as regards to Israel currently conducting. The administration very much had pre-negotiated a new security arrangement, a new security regime for south Lebanon that would see Hezbollah and Iran, I'm sorry, Hezbollah redeploy some ten kilometers away from that were in return for Israel also withdrawing from some disputed border points all with American and French guarantees and supervision.

Obviously, Iran and Hezbollah have made a Gaza ceasefire as a precondition to signing on that dotted line. So the administration has very much been trying to push for a ceasefire in Gaza, which would then unlock this deal they negotiated in Lebanon, but they just can't seem to get Bibi Netanyahu to find his way to a ceasefire in Gaza.

SCIUTTO: I mean, that last point has been from quite a consistent message in recent weeks and months, U.S. pressure to, for instance, show more attention for civilian casualties in Gaza, seemingly often ignored or downplayed U.S. pressure to get a ceasefire deal across the finish line and U.S. encouragement to avoid escalatory moves by Israel. Has this administration lost its influence over Bibi Netanyahu's government? MAKSAD: I mean, probably no Israeli politician knows Washington better than Bibi Netanyahu. And I think he understands very well that this is election season here in the U.S. and that there are tools of pressure that the administration just simply does not have the political will to use.

So, yes, there's been quite some concerns for some time in Washington, D.C., but during this election period, particularly after November 5 and before I knew administration is sworn in on January 20, that this would be a period that perhaps Netanyahu would want to launch an all out offensive in Lebanon, maybe were a few weeks early, were not were not in November just yet, but it seems that this might be afoot.

SCIUTTO: Firas Maksad, thanks so much.

I want to bring in now lieutenant general -- retired Lieutenant General Wesley Clark, former NATO supreme allied commander, founder of Renew America Together.

General, thanks so much for joining.

LT. GEN. WESLEY CLARK (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask quite a simple, similar question to what I asked Firas, but are we now in are on the precipice or already in the midst of a larger war along Israel's northern border, between Hezbollah and Israel, Israeli forces.

[15:10:04]

CLARK: Yeah, I think we are, Jim, but the question is, how far will Israel take this? You know, when they went in in 2006, they did mostly with airpower, they realized their airpower wasn't going to get the job done. They relate committing ground forces. They didn't commit enough ground forces and then they took casualties and the ground forces from dug-in RPGs, other things. And okay, it was you could say it was a draw, but it was a tough rebuffed for Israel.

So they have to think about if they're going to go and now they got to go in really heavy firepower. It's just not just about, you know, there's no fighters in uniform up there. These are people embedded in the civilian population. They've decapitated a lot of the leadership. If you're going to go in, this is the time to go in. But when you go in, you've got to be fully committed and take it all away.

And I don't understand exactly the interstate because when you finished, if you withdraw, that population hates you, and they're going to -- they're going to bring people back against you. So this is a really, really tough strategic situation that Israel finds itself in. And also for Lebanon, who they didn't really -- they couldn't keep Hamas -- Hezbollah out of there. Hezbollah is there and so, it's integrated into the politics of the country.

This looks to me like Bibi wants to go, he wants to try to bring Iran in, he wants to then have the United States help him deal with the potential of Iranian nuclear capacities, because that's what's on the horizon, if not already, and this would be sort of the Israeli right- wing dream. Hezbollah will fire a bunch of rockets. The Americans will say Israel's endangering, Israel will say, the only way to solve this is go after Iran directly and they're about to get nuclear weapons must take them out together.

And those nuclear weapons are scattered around Iran, and some of them are, you know, the distance between the Tel Aviv and Tehran is a thousand miles and Iran is a big country. They're not in -- some of them may be in Iran, but some maybe 1,400 miles.

SCIUTTO: Okay.

CLARK: So, they can't do it without American help.

SCIUTTO: You're saying there that Netanyahu and the right-wing, they're attempting to goad Iran into war, what is Iran's most likely response?

CLARK: I think there is -- there's a group there that would like to get this thing going right now before it gets worse, before Iran gets actual nuclear capabilities, yeah. I think that's true.

SCIUTTO: Does the U.S. have the ability to keep a lid on that. The U.S. does not want to go to war with Iran.

CLARK: Absolutely not. I mean, from the United States' perspective, look, if we anything we can do to retard Iran getting nuclear weapons is good. We don't want a nuclear proliferation crisis in the Middle East. But Iran also has its own problems. It's -- we have certain amount of leverage over it and others have certain amount of leverage, too.

Don't forget though that Russia is in this, and from Russia's perspective, Iran is not as important as Ukraine and Russia would like to meddle in the U.S. election and I'm sure somewhere in the Kremlin people are talking to Vladimir Putin electronically, of course. And he's thinking if I could get the Iranians to use nuclear, do it and just a nuclear test sometime before November, think what that would do to the American presidential race. It would throw it into chaos. And he likes chaos.

So, there's a lot a lot of vulnerable potential volatility here, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Yeah, goodness. Well, better watch very closely. Wesley Clark, thanks so much.

CLARK: Thank you, Jim.

SCIUTTO: As we do go to break, we want to let you know, we are awaiting remarks from Vice President Kamala Harris, who is in Georgia. Those remarks expected to focus on abortion. This comes after a "ProPublica" report regarding a mother there that died following delays blamed on the state's restrictive abortion laws. We'll bring you those remarks when they do get underway.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [15:17:31]

SCIUTTO: Vice President Kamala Harris, moments away from speaking on abortion rights in the battleground state of Georgia. We're going to bring you those remarks when she does take the stage. The vice president making the trip after a report revealed the deaths of two pregnant women in Georgia linked to that state's abortion ban, as Harris stays on offense.

Republicans in North Carolina very much on defense after a CNN investigation revealed the nominee for governor, GOP nominee for governor, made a series of deeply inflammatory and offensive comments on a pornography websites message board. These taking place a little more than a decade ago.

Robinson, we should note, is one of Trump's protegees who he has publicly praised on several occasions with lavish language.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Unbelievable. Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson.

This is Martin Luther King on steroids. I think you're better than Martin Luther King. I think you are Martin Luther King times two.

Mark Robinson, he's out there. He's fighting. He's a great one.

I want to thank a very good man and he's in there fighting. He's fighting and we know he's a fighter. The next governor of North Carolina, Mark Robinson.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Better than Martin Luther King, Jr.

While Trump is set to campaign in North Carolina today, here to discuss the state of the race, 46 days out from election day, former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger and Democratic strategist Maria Cardona.

A lot to get to here. Adam, I mean, Mark -- what can you say about Mark Robinson's comments here, just offensive across the board. I mean, even called for the return of slavery. Imagine that.

Does this, one, kill his chances to be governor? And, two, does it put the state of North Carolina in play for Democrats?

ADAM KINZINGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It abs -- I mean, look, I think his chance of being governor was killed when they basically nominated him. There was more normal Republican that got beat by Mark Robinson because he's more extreme and that wins primaries nowadays. But I think this is definitely a death knell in the political coffin of him. There's no way he can win.

But what its going to do for Donald Trump, I don't think there's going to be a ton of people that say, you know, Mark did this. So I'm going to vote for Kamala that were otherwise Trump supporters.

[15:20:01]

But what it could make a difference as an enthusiasm and in a one- point race, which is basically what North Carolina is looking like again, any dampening of enthusiasm can actually kill the candidate that's trying to -- you know, is on the receiving end of that.

So yeah, I think this is definitely something that Trump campaign doesn't want to see happen and those messages, I mean, I'm glad CNN isn't showing them because they were beyond anything I even imagined, start reading it. That's like me -- I don't even know if I can finish this.

SCIUTTO: Maria, beyond events in North Carolina and public statements like that, are private statements now, public in the past, quite offensive ones. You have a series of efforts by Republicans in a number of states to frankly affect the race, right? I mean, they're trying to take away that one district in Nebraska, where it decides one electoral vote. You know, well, really weeks before the election, you have this Georgia election board now requiring hand counting of ballots, a number of moves.

What is the Democratic -- Democratic Party's response to those moves? They could have effects on Election Day, counting on Election Day, but also on the electoral count.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Absolutely. And that's exactly what Republicans want because they know they can't really win on the issues. I smell complete and total desperation on behalf of this Republican Party, who is saying, their campaigns across the board spiraling. And they know that they're losing the support left and right of swing voters, of independent voters, certainly of women, and frankly, common sense men who want to have a country that values common sense and decency.

And so, I think what Republicans are trying to do is sort of their last-ditch effort, a last -- a last resort to try to manipulate the system, which they're so good at trying to do to make sure that these elections don't go the way of the Democrats, even if and even when Democrats win fairly and squarely.

But Democrats have a very strong legal infrastructure in place and all of these shenanigans that Republicans are going to try, there will be pushed back legally and they're already has been. There's going to be suits across the board and not just from Democrats, but I think from common sense Republicans who understand that when you mess with the vote, with the system, that's dangerous territory, not just for the Democratic Party, but for the Republican Party and for the country writ large.

SCIUTTO: We should note, in Georgia, the Republican election officials who warned about the dangers of the changes there. Stand by if you can, because I believe Vice President Harris has begun her remarks in Atlanta. Let's listen in.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you, thank you, everybody -- everybody who's here.

So, Georgia, this election right here is a fight for the future. It is a fight for the future. And it is a fight for freedom, for freedom.

And we know in America, freedom is not to be given. It is not to be the bestowed. It is ours by right. It is ours by right. And that includes the fundamental freedom of a woman to be able to make decisions about her own body and not have her government telling her what to do.

Yes, we must trust women. And we all know how we got here. When Donald Trump was president, he hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court. The court of Thurgood and RBG, with the intention that they would overturn the protections of Roe v. Wade, and as he intended, they did.

And now, more than 20 states have Trump abortion bans, extremist that have passed laws that criminalize health care providers, doctors and nurses, and punish women. In two states of those states, they provide for prison for life, prison for life for health care providers for simply providing reproductive care, the care they saw earnestly and rightly believe must be delivered. All Trump abortion bans, and think about this many of these bans make no exception even for rape and incest.

Now many of you know, I started my career as a prosecutor specializing in crimes of violence against women and children.

[15:25:01]

What many of you may not know is why. So when I was in high school, my best friend I learned was being molested by her stepfather, and I said to her, look, you got to come stay with us. I call my mother. She said, of course, she does. And she came in, she stayed with us.

And so I made the decision early in my life that I wanted to do the work that was about protecting the most vulnerable among us and doing the work that was about giving them dignity in the process. So, look, thank everybody here for being here standing in solidarity around the importance of that.

And so, I say to you then from that experience and from the work that I've done, the idea that someone who survives a crime of violence to their body, a violation of their body would not have the right to make a decision about what happens to their body next, that's immoral. That's immoral.

And let us agree and I know we do one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government should not be telling her what to do.

(CHEERING)

HARRIS: If she chooses, if she chooses, she will talk with her pastor, her priest, her rabbi, her imam, but it should not be the government or Donald Trump telling her what to do with her body. The stories that Dr. Reddick shares with us, the stories we heard last night, the stories we've been here for two years, one in three women in America lives in a state with a Trump abortion ban. This includes Georgia and every state in the South, except Virginia.

Think about that when you also combine that with what we know has been longstanding neglect around an issue like maternal mortality. Think about that. When you compound that with what has been longstanding neglect of women in communities with a lack of adequate resources, they need for health care, prenatal, during their pregnancy, postpartum. Think about that.

These hypocrites want to start talking about this is in the best interest of women and children, well, where you been? Where you been when it comes to taking care of the women and children? Where you been?

(CHEERING)

HARRIS: How dare they? How dare they? Come on.

And we understand the impact of these bans, and the horrific reality that women and families, their husbands, their partners, their parents, their children are facing as a consequence every single day.

Since Roe was overturned, I have met women who were refused care during a miscarriage, wanted to have a child, suffering a miscarriage, I met a woman -- a woman I've actually met several who were turned away from the emergency room, one early stages after the Dobbs decision came down to me with tears. She was with her husband but how only when she developed sepsis did she receive emergency care? Only when she developed sepsis did she receive emergency care.

And now we know that at least two women and those only the stories we know here in the state of Georgia died, died because of a Trump abortion ban.

One, and we heard about her story last night, a vibrant 28-year-old young woman. She was ambitious. You know, I talked with her mother and his sisters about her and they described such an extraordinary life of a person.

She was excited. She was working hard. She's a medical assistant. She's going to nursing school, raising her six-year-old son.

She's really proud that she had finally worked so hard that she gained independence. Her family was telling me that she was able to get an apartment in a gated community with a pool for her son to play.

[05:30:02]

She was so proud and she was headed to nursing school. And her name and we will speak her name, Amber Nicole Thurman. Amber Nicole Thurman.

CROWD: Amber Nicole Thurman. HARRIS: That's right.

And she had her future all planned out, and it was her plan. You know, let's understand. Just take pause on that for a moment. She had her plan which she wanted to do for her son, for herself, for their future.

And so when she discovered that she was pregnant, she decided she wanted to have an abortion. But because of the Trump abortion ban here in Georgia, she was forced to travel out of state to receive the health care that she needed. But when she returned to Georgia, she needed additional care. So she went to a hospital.

But you see, under the Trump abortion ban, her doctors could have faced up to a decade in prison for providing Amber the care she needed. Understand what a law like this means. Doctors have to wait until the patient is at deaths door before they take action.

You know, on the other side of my -- do you know -- the other folks, that Trump and his running mate and they'll talk, oh, yeah. But I -- you know, I do believe in the exception to save the mother's life.

Okay. All right. Let's break that down. Shall we? Let's break that down. Let's break that down.

So we are saying that we're going to create public policy that says that a doctor, a healthcare provider, will only kick into give the care that somebody needs if they're about to die? Think about what we are saying right now. You are saying that good policy logical policy, moral policy, humane policy is about saying that a health care provider will only start providing that care when you're about to die?

And so, Amber waited 20 hours, 20 hours, excruciating hours, until finally she was in enough physical distress that her doctors thought they would be okay to treat her. But it was too late. She died of sepsis and her last words to her mother which her mother, as you know, tears up and cries every time she speaks it, last words to her mother, promise me, you'll take care of my son.

So, I met last night and I spent time with Amber's mother, and her sisters and they spoke about Amber, a daughter, a sister, a mother with the deep love that you can imagine and how terribly they miss her. And their pain is heartbreaking. It's heartbreaking.

Amber's mother Shanette told me that the word preventable is over and over again in her head when she learned about how her child died, the word "preventable". She cannot -- she can't stop thinking about the word that they spoke to her. It was preventable because you see medical have now determined that Amber's death was preventable.

And through the pain and the grief of her mother who courageously told her story. I promised her as she has asked, that we will make sure Amber is not just remembered as a statistic, that she will not just be remembered as a statistic.

(APPLAUSE) [15:35:11]

HARRIS: So that people will know she was a mother and a daughter, and a sister, and that she was loved and that she should be alive today, and that she should be alive today.

(APPLAUSE)

HARRIS: And many of us remember, there's so many leaders here. From two years ago when the Dobbs decision came down, we knew this could happen. There is a word "preventable" and there is another word "predictable".

And the reality is for every story we hear of the suffering under Trump abortion bans, there are so many other stories we're not hearing but where suffering is happening every day in our country, an untold number of people suffering.

Women who are also being made to feel as though they did something wrong. The judgment factor here is outrageous. They made it as though to feel as though they are criminals, as though they are alone. So, to those women, to those families, I say on behalf of what I believe we all say, we see you and you are not alone and we are all here standing with you. Standing with you.

(APPLAUSE)

HARRIS: You are not alone. You are not alone.

SCIUTTO: You are not alone, that phrase repeated by Vice President Harris speaking to women about abortion rights, reproductive rights, highlighting the case of a woman in Georgia who died waiting for critical medical care. That death blamed on the restriction -- restrictive abortion laws there that as the vice president was explaining there prevents medical intervention until the mother is close to death.

I'm back now with my panel, Adam Kinzinger, Maria Cardona.

I would ask you to go to you, first, Adam, if I can, because part of the message from the vice president there was, one, we've heard before -- beyond reproductive rights, it -- she goes after Republicans by saying, you say you're for children and families opposing reproductive rights, but not then doing the work of supporting children's -- children and families when people have families with things like family leave and childcare, et cetera. It's an interesting point because a truck me some Republicans have made that point. Mitt Romney made that point when he was pushing for paid family leave, saying that, you know, if we're going to back having families and growing families, we got to have to provide some support to help them.

And I wonder, beyond the reproductive rights issue, which is so central to the campaign, I wonder if you think as Republican that's a workable message for Democrats this cycle.

KINZINGER: I think -- look, I think it's an extremely winnable message because there's a couple of things.

So, you know, look, when you just say, hey, we want abortion, because if somebody got pregnant, they don't want the child, they should have that right. That's when you put pro-life and pro-choice in their corners, because that's the divisive issue.

SCIUTTO: Right.

KINZINGER: When you talk about the medical issues though, that's huge, and that some 99 percent of people can sympathize with.

And when you're talking about -- I've always said this, the Republican Party after the overturning of Roe versus Wade, they should have, and, of course, they didn't because what ended up happening is a race to be more cruel and more restrictive. But what the Republican Party should have done is put out a pro-family agenda that says, okay, if somebody is with an unwanted pregnancy, here's how we make adoption easier. Here's how we support families that can't financially afford it.

And that's a way to follow up with the pro-life agenda and say, now, we're going to back this. The fact that Democrats have seized on that instead, cruelness has become the point, I think is extremely effective, even among pro-life constituency.

SCIUTTO: The words from the vice president, where -- where were they, Republicans in effect when it came to supporting families?

Just I've got to go to the United Nations, Maria, just a very quick thought on that message, and how central it is for Harris in this cycle.

CARDONA: I think it's not just super central, but incredibly effective because it points to the phenomenal hypocrisy of the Republican Party when on the one hand, they're telling women what to do with their bodies and then claiming that therefore women and children.

[15:40:00]

And on the other hand, when it comes down to issues of, or bills and laws wanting to take care of women and children, they turn their backs. I think it really underscores the kind of hypocrisy that is there. And the fact that the Republican Party right now cannot claim that they are on the side of working families, middle-class families, which is what Kamala Harris's whole message is about.

SCIUTTO: Well, voters will have their choice to make in less than 50 days. Maria Cardona, Adam Kinzinger, thanks so much.

I do want to go to the U.N. Security Council gathered to address increasing tensions in Lebanon. We're hearing here from Robert Wood, United States deputy ambassador to the U.N. Let's listen in.

ROBERT WOOD. U.S. DEPUTY AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: Israel has a right to defend itself against Hezbollah's attacks. No member of this council facing a terrorist organization on its border would tolerate daily rocket attacks on its territory and the displacement of tens of thousands of its people.

We expect all parties will comply with international humanitarian law and take all reasonable steps to minimize harm to civilians, especially those in densely populated areas.

Continued escalation of the violence across the blue line will not create the conditions for displaced Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return to their homes in northern Israel and Southern Lebanon. Rather the United States continues to believe a diplomatic resolution is the only way to create the conditions for displaced Lebanese and Israeli civilians to return to their homes with safety and security, and we will continue to pursue this goal.

Iran, through its sustained supply of weapons and personnel to Hezbollah, in blatant disregard and defiance of the call for disarmament in resolutions 1559, and 1701, and in violation of the ladders legally binding arms embargo appears to have a different agenda over many years the United States is committed substantial resources to humanitarian efforts in Lebanon and supported independent institutions such as the Lebanese armed forces and internal security forces.

Equally significant, the Security Council has clearly and repeatedly expressed its desire to see the full authority of the Lebanese government extended throughout Lebanon's territory. And it has emphasized its strong support for the aspirations of the Lebanese people to live in peace, free from foreign meddling.

Every member of this council has a responsibility to help Lebanon's people avoid further tragedy to support diplomatic efforts that would help restore calm along the blue line, which again would enable civilians in southern Lebanon, and northern Israel to return to their homes and to also press Iran to cease its destabilizing and dangerous use of Hezbollah to undermine regional security in a way that puts the Lebanese people in danger.

This is the path toward greater regional stability and the United States will continue to do everything possible to support de- escalation and enduring diplomatic solution.

Thank you, Mr. President.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thank the representative of the United States for their statement.

I give the floor to the representative of China.

(SPEAKING CHINESE)

SCIUTTO: All right. We'll continue to monitor the comments from the U.N. Security Council that the -- there the Chinese leader and Chinese representative speaking.

Well, back here in the U.S., the U.S. Secret Service admits there were communication failures between agents when former President Trump, you'll remember, was wounded in an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July.

Short time ago, Ronald Rowe, the acting director of the Secret Service, told reporters that quote, complacency on the part of some that day in Butler led to what he described as breached protocol. He is now promising accountability, vows as well that there will be organizational changes.

CNN's Annie Grayer joins us live from Capitol Hill with more details.

Listen, he's certainly taking responsibility here. He is also pointing the finger at his own agency.

Were his answers satisfying to the folks on the Hill?

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN REPORTER: Well, that's still unfolding. I mean, the Hill has multiple probes into both the July 13th assassination attempt at Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the more recent apparent attempt at Trump's golf course.

So they are looking at all of this and this is all coming, Jim, when Congress is trying to figure out if Secret Service needs more resources to get through this election and the inauguration.

[15:45:07]

Now in his briefing today, the acting Secret Service director said that Trump has the same level of security as any sitting president would, and that the agency has everything that they need so that they believe to safely get Trump and all the candidates through the election and inauguration. But there are serious concerns about how the Secret Service is run. I mean, as the director talked about this the serious breakdown of communications at the Butler rally for Trump in July.

So members are weighing this of this. They're actively making these decisions now as they try and figure out how to fund the government passed September 30th, if that's going to include any additional funding to Secret Service or all these fixes needing more of a long- term solution, more structural overhauled changes that can't be addressed in this immediate timeframe.

SCIUTTO: Yeah. Listen, it's happening in the midst as you say, of an election where you have Harris and Trump and Biden to think of protecting in the midst of increasing -- an increasing threat environment. Annie Grayer on the Hill, thanks so much.

Well, now, there are new details out of Georgia where the state election board just approved a controversial new rule. They could have a consequential impact on Election Day.

CNN's Marshall Cohen joins us now.

Marshall, so hand-counting of ballots, explain to us exactly how that would work.

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Jim, that's what we're all wondering because it hasn't happened like this before. And these Trump loyalists, these Trump loyalists on the election board rammed through these new rules on the eve of the election, the vote was three to two just a few hours ago. It was supported by those three Trump loyalist it was opposed on the board by a Democrat and a Republican appointed independent.

But outside of that panel, Jim, it was also passed over the strenuous objections of the Republican attorney general of Georgia, and the Republican secretary of state of Georgia.

Okay, so here's what the new rule does. It requires every county in the state of Georgia at the end of election day, once the polls are close, they need to go through by hand and make sure that the number of paper ballots that they have cast matches the number of ballots that were tallied up by the machine.

It could take a long time and it could delay the results. That's, of course, everyone's concern. But let me play for you something from the chairman of that board. This is the Republican appointed independent. He voted against this measure and he pleaded with his colleagues to stand down. They didn't listen, but check out what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN FERVIER (I), CHAIRMAN, GEORGIA STATE ELECTION BOARD: The overwhelming number of election officials that have reached out to me have been opposed to this. There were several things concern me about this. Number one, I do think it's too close to the election. I do.

We have received guidance from the secretary of state and from the attorney generals office. They say it's not supported in statute. If this board votes to implement this rule, I think that we put ourselves in legal jeopardy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: And that legal jeopardy could come. There definitely will be some lawsuits on this. So, we'll see, Jim, if this gets blocked by a judge.

But as of now, this is going to be the rule going into the election.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this question, Marshall. It brings about the possibility, maybe the likelihood of delays even in terms of reporting. But does it also provide opportunity for challenges, perhaps even baseless challenges as folks are carrying out a hand count here? Is that part of the concern?

COHEN: Well, imagine what this might look like. It's late on election night and where are the results? Where are they coming from? Well, there still counting by hand in some of these counties. Fulton County, Atlanta, there's like hundreds of thousands of people in that county.

How long do you think its going to take for them to count all of that by hand to make sure that the number of matches the machine? What's going to happen in that void? That's the big fear -- disinformation, lies accidental accidents, you know, false claims, all kinds of problems. That's the chief concern of Brad Raffensperger, Jim.

He is the Republican secretary of state. He's famous for doing his job in 2020 and upholding the legitimacy of those results in 2020, when Trump lost.

And he spoke to our colleague Sara Murray yesterday and explained just what he's so worried about with this new rule. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRAD RAFFENSPERGER (R), GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE: You start breaking up the ballot boxes after you closed the precinct. You won't be getting those Election Day votes until maybe 1:00, 2:00, or 4:00 in the morning. And we just don't believe that's healthy for the republic and we don't think it's healthy for people of Georgia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:50:04]

COHEN: Well, look, it's an unfortunate situation. You have Democrats, Republicans, and nonpartisan experts saying this is a bad idea. But, Jim, these are the rules. They were passed today.

SCIUTTO: Marshall Cohen, thanks so much for covering. It's an important development.

Please do stay with us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: Welcome back.

In mainland China, it is common for newlyweds to have large professional wedding portraits done. However, the country's divorce rate is skyrocketing and getting rid of those portraits has now become big business, as Marc Stewart explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a factory complex about 60 miles outside of Beijing. It's fueled in part by the business of breakups.

(voice-over): Divorce couples send their momentous to Liu Wei and his team, paid to destroy the evidence of their marriage.

For Chinese families, photos like these are a big part of their home on full display for friends and family to see.

But these photos are pretty much indestructible, made out of hard acrylic boards. The teams spray paints faces to ensure privacy before being placed inside the crusher. It's a better solution compared to just throwing things in the trash. Divorce is still seen as shameful in China.

This entire process is recorded on video. Customers want proof the deed has been done.

It's happening as China's divorce rate is skyrocketing, and as authorities try to avert a demographic crisis by promoting marriage and parenthood. But the slumping economy leaves many young couples feeling stressed out about work, life and relationships.

Where did you even get the idea to have a business like this?

LIU WEI, CO-FOUNDER, BEIJING ZHONGTIANJIE COMPANY: This was actually an accidental idea, but it quickly became an obvious business. During my daily contact with some customers, they will have the same thought because they were troubled by the issue. There was no way they could destroy them.

I had the same thought. I saw that dilemma.

STEWART: A lot of these photos have captions, talking about happiness and dreams. These were couples that were once in love.

[15:55:01]

Does this ever make you sad watching this process happen, knowing once happy couples are no longer together?

LIU: I think of myself as a doctor. I see my job as being a witness to the disappearances of all kinds of relationships. Love or not, marriage or not, it's all normal, and divorce might not necessarily be a bad thing. It could be a good thing.

STEWART: The cost of this varies up to around $30 depending on what needs to be destroyed. Yet for some people in China, it's a small price to pay for a fresh start.

Marc Stewart, CNN, Long Fung (ph), China.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Kind of a sad ending there.

Well, one last thing before we go -- baseball history. Los Angeles dodgers, slugger, Shohei Ohtani became the first Major League Baseball player to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season. The Japanese phenom became the inaugural member of the 50-50 club by smashing -- and it was truly a remarkable night -- three homeruns, stealing two bases on Thursday against the Miami Marlins, drove in ten runs last night. Ohtani who also pitches though he's been injured this year, has a whopping ten years, $700 million contract with the Dodgers. They are in first place in the National League West division.

Ohtani is the odds-on favorite to win the league's most valuable player award.

Makes it tough for us Mets fans.

Well, thanks so much for joining me today. I'm Jim Sciutto in New York. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next.