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Hezbollah Fires Rockets Deep Into Northern Israel; U.S. Urges Israel to De-Escalate with Hezbollah; World Leaders Gather for Meetings Ahead of 79th UNGA; Record Rains Cause Devastation in Parts of Japan; Nanoparticle Discovery Could be Key in Solving Cold Cases; Minnesota Power Plant Trading Coal for Renewable Energy. Aired 12- 12:45a ET
Aired September 23, 2024 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
[00:00:34]
Ahead this hour, tensions rising in the Middle East. Israel's prime minister says, if Hezbollah didn't get the message, he will make sure they do. But the Iranian-backed militants warn this is now a battle without limits.
Well, conflicts are top of the agenda at the U.N. General Assembly, which gets underway this week. It's described as a summit for the future and an attempt to modernize global institutions.
And deadly flooding in Japan impacting regions still recovering from an earthquake. We'll go live to Tokyo for the latest.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Lynda Kinkade.
KINKADE: The Israeli military says it's preparing to take the next steps in its fight against Hezbollah in the coming days after attacks across the Israeli-Lebanese border intensified over the weekend.
The Iranian-backed militant group is fight or the 8,000 rockets towards Israel since October 7.
That's according to the Israeli ambassador to the U.N. He says about 70,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in Northern Israel, quote, "becoming refugees in their own land."
The IDF warned Hezbollah would be dealt another blow after killing 16 militants on Friday, which included senior leaders.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HERZI HALEVI, CHIEF OF STAFF, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES (voice-over): The IDF strike against Hezbollah's chain of command is a clear message to Hezbollah. It has hurt it badly, and it is also a message to the entire Middle East and beyond.
We will reach anyone who threatens the citizens of Israel. We have many more capabilities that we have not yet used. We are at very high readiness in offense and defense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, Hezbollah held a funeral on Sunday for one of the group's most senior figures, Ibrahim Aqil. He was one of the members killed in Friday's strike.
Hezbollah's second in command spoke at the funeral, claiming that Israel has committed war crimes, and warning that a battle without limits has now begun.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAIM QASSIM, DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL OF HEZBOLLAH (through translator): We don't need to make threats, and we won't specify how we will respond to aggression.
We've entered a new phase titled "open-ended battle of reckoning," where we monitor the support and confrontation front while, every now and then, we kill them and fight them from where they expect and beyond.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: CNN's Ben Wedeman is in Beirut with the latest developments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It has been six days of sky-rocketing tensions between Israel and Lebanon. And there aren't any signs either side, Israel or Hezbollah, is prepared to back down.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): Early Sunday, Hezbollah launched the first of three volleys of rockets deeper inside Israel than any time since the beginning of hostilities last October.
Hezbollah claimed the targets included the Ramat David Air Base and a defense factory outside Haifa. But it appears those rockets that weren't intercepted hit other areas, causing a few injuries and some damage to property --
WEDEMAN: -- while Israel continues to strike targets in Southern Lebanon, more than 300 between Saturday and Sunday.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): In Beirut, Hezbollah held a funeral for Ibrahim Aqil, one of the group's senior commanders, killed along with more than a dozen other militants. And then an Israeli airstrike on Southern Beirut Friday.
The strike also killed more than 30 civilians, including women and children.
At the funeral, Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem vowed that Hezbollah strikes deep inside Israel, or an installment in what he called a battle without limits and said -- WEDEMAN: -- despite the pager and walkie-talkie attacks, and Friday's strike on Beirut, the group will continue to fire into Israel.
Israeli officials are making equally dire threats towards his butler, with Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi saying, "Our strikes will intensify."
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: U.S. President Joe Biden says Washington is doing everything it can to prevent a wider war from breaking out in the Middle East.
His comments come as U.S. officials continue to urge Israel to de- escalate tensions with Hezbollah. CNN's Julia Benbrook has more from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In a series of interviews, White House Security Council spokesperson John Kirby is stressing that it's the White House's view that military escalation does not help --
BENBROOK (voice-over): -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government reach its goal of returning to a sense of normalcy.
BENBROOK: He also said that the U.S. is not giving up on trying to secure a hostage and ceasefire agreement.
[00:05:18]
But he acknowledges that the Hamas leader is a big obstacle when it comes to those talks.
BENBROOK (voice-over): When President Joe Biden arrived back at the White House on Sunday, he told reporters that he is concerned about the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you worried about rising tensions in the Middle East?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes, I am. But we're going to do everything to can to keep a wider war from breaking out. And we're still pushing hard. Thank you.
BENBROOK: This as Biden prepares for a week focused on foreign relations.
Both he --
BENBROOK (voice-over): -- and Vice President Kamala Harris are expected to meet with the president of the United Arab Emirates here in Washington on Monday.
They're expected to talk about the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, the crisis in Sudan, and a number of other bilateral and regional topics.
Biden will then travel to New York where he will participate in the United Nations General Assembly. He's expected to address the group on Tuesday, meet with various leaders and discuss a wide range of topics, including international peace efforts.
Now, even as Biden is keeping this busy schedule, some world leaders --
BENBROOK: -- are already looking to Harris and/or former President Donald Trump as they plan for the future and trying to hold meetings there.
Now, as of right now, only one leader is meeting with both Harris and Trump, and that's Ukraine's --
BENBROOK (voice-over): -- Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as he makes an urgent appeal to both candidates, along with Biden for sustained help in combatting Russia's invasion.
BENBROOK: At the White House, Julia Benbrook, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: And of course, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is kicking off a busy week here in the U.S. leading up to an appearance at the U.N. General Assembly later this week.
And on Sunday, Zelenskyy began his visit at a Pennsylvania manufacturing plant that makes munitions for his country.
The Ukrainian president says he's reached an agreement to expand cooperation on that front. Zelenskyy is also set to visit New York and Washington, where he plans to unveil his victory plan against Russia to U.S. President Joe Biden, who he's called a critical part of that plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): This fall will determine what comes next in this war. Together with our partners, we can strengthen our positions as needed for our victory, our shared victory for a truly just peace in the United States.
Ukraine will present its plan for victory. And the U.S. president will be the first to see it in full.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, on Monday, world leaders will gather for discussions focused on our world's future and how the U.N. will help develop it.
That's part of the two-day Summit of the Future, centered around a document called the Pact for the Future, which world leaders adopted on Sunday. It's seen as a blueprint on how to address critical issues in the
world, like conflicts and climate change. Then U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said this type of summit was needed, given the current state of the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: I called for this summit, because our world is ebbing off the rails. And we need tough decisions to get back on track.
Conflicts are raging and multiplying from the Middle East, Ukraine, and Sudan with no end in sight.
Our collective security system is threatened by geopolitical divides, nuclear posturing, and the development of new weapons and theaters of war.
Resources that could bring opportunities and hope are invested in death and destruction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Maya Ungar is a United Nations analyst for the International Crisis Group, and she joins us now from New York. Good to have you with us.
MAYA UNGAR, UNITED NATIONS ANALYST, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: Thanks for having me on.
KINKADE: So, the annual U.N. General Assembly kicks off Tuesday. The theme this year is leaving no one behind, acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for present and future generations.
It all sounds very hopeful, ambitious, but also quite vague. What can be achieved?
UNGAR: I think that this U.N. General Assembly is going -- has had a focus on bringing together unity and consensus of the international community.
Something quite unique about this year is that you had a Summit of the Future, which was the secretary general's kind of goal to bring together member states, to agree on how to deal with the emerging challenges that are facing the international system, and the Summit of the Future was meant to bring a sense of consensus and, really, a roadmap for the future.
I think that this General Assembly was focused, and will be focused, on you know, how do we actualize this roadmap, now that we have it forth (ph). It was adopted on Sunday.
[00:10:05]
Now that we have this in place, how are we going to move forward to make sure it applies to the various issues and concerns that are facing the U.N. system?
You know, there is a real sense of, I think, disillusion and disunity that many member states are feeling about the U.N. right now. And the secretary-general and the U.N. system, writ large, are hoping to use the General Assembly as a moment to bring people together back into a sense of unity.
Although I'm -- I'm pessimistic about how effective that might be.
KINKADE: You have to wonder where we will see unity on some of these issues. The humanitarian situation in Gaza, of course, is deteriorating.
There's no ceasefire. There's still no agreed-upon plan to bring hostages home. And the conflicts between Hezbollah and Israel is ratcheting up. We will hear from world leaders calling for peace.
I just want to roll some sound of what we've heard from Israel so far.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANNY DANON, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: As we gather here today to speak about the future, hundreds of rockets are being fired at our civilian population.
Let me be clear. We are a peaceful nation. We do not seek war, nor do we desire it. However, we will not stand by as our people are attacked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: It's just a couple of weeks from the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on October 7. Will we see any real progress on this issue this coming week?
UNGAR: I think during the U.N. General Assembly, you're going to hear a lot of rhetoric about the war in Gaza.
You know, it is going to be the top issue that diplomats are discussing. Now, are we going to see a ceasefire negotiated on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly? Unfortunately, that is very unlikely.
We are going to continue to see world leaders call for a ceasefire, call for peace to be had. But you're also going to see. I'm anticipating some pretty harsh rhetoric from Israel, from Iran, from many of the parties who are most closely implicated in this conflict.
I think that much of the discussion will actually also center around UNRWA, the U.N. agency responsible for dealing with Palestinian refugees, where the U.N. and many Palestinian allies are going to be hoping to use this moment to ratchet up -- to ratchet up both political support, as well as financial support for the beleaguered institution.
KINKADE: We know Ukraine's president will meet with the U.S. president, Joe Biden. He's also apparently set to meet with both presidential candidates Harris and Trump.
Zelenskyy wants less restrictions on how it can use U.S. weaponry. Will he get that?
UNGAR: I mean, I think that many of the discussions, for example, on restrictions for -- for how usage of U.S. weaponry will go forth are going to happen in bilateral and private conversations that many of us are not going to see.
I think that's Zelenskyy's focus at the General Assembly is instead going to be rallying global support, especially that of the so-called global South towards Ukraine. And specifically, towards his plan for peace.
KINKADE: And of course, with so much focus on these conflicts in Ukraine, Israel, and Gaza. And of course, the civil war in Sudan.
There's less time to focus on other issues, from artificial intelligence to climate change. And every year, we are reporting on these more frequent intense, deadly weather events, which nations will really push that issue.
UNGAR: The Pacific island nations have long been champions of ensuring that climate change and climate security issues are heard at the U.N.
There's been a lot of frustration over the way in which climate and specifically climate security has been discussed during the Summit of the Future.
And I imagine that many of these nations that are specifically climate vulnerable will take the opportunity of their leadership speeches before the General Assembly to raise it and to remind member states that this is an existential threat for them and for the entirety of the international community.
KINKADE: We'll be following it very closely here at CNN. Maya Ungar, good to have you with us, United Nations analyst with the International Crisis Group. Thanks for your time.
UNGAR: Thank you so much.
KINKADE: Still to come, what Donald Trump said about a potential presidential bid in 2028 if he's unsuccessful this November. That and much more on the race for the White House after a short break.
Plus, U.S. House Republicans move to avoid a government shutdown but have to jettison a Trump-backed election measure to get that. Details next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:16:50]
KINKADE: We're back. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
There is just over six weeks left in the race for the White House. But Donald Trump is already fielding questions on what he would do if he doesn't win the U.S. election in November.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you're not successful this time, do you see yourself running again in four years?
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: No, I don't. No, I don't. I think that that will be -- that will be it. I don't see that at all. I think that, hopefully, we're going to be successful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: The Republican nominee also says no deals have been made over positions in his next administration, if elected.
U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris says she will lay out her economic vision in the coming days.
Harris will push for what she refers to as an opportunity economy. Her plan will address the aspirations of voters while tackling the challenges they face, like grocery bills and homeownership.
It comes as independent voters across key swing states question how a Harris presidency will handle the economy.
More than 700 high-ranking current and former national security officials from both parties have penned a letter endorsing Harris.
They compare her, quote, "serious leadership" to Donald Trump's vengeful impulsiveness, and they agree that the former president poses a threat to the nation's defense and its democratic system.
Sabrina Siddiqui is a national politics reporter for "The Wall Street Journal" and joins us now from Washington, D.C.
Good to have you with us.
SABRINA SIDDIQUI, NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL": Thanks for having me.
KINKADE: So, 44 days until the election, Harris is gaining on Trump ever so slightly in these new polls from NBC and CBS. The NBC poll showing Harris leading by about 5 percent.
But overall, it's still really close, right?
SIDDIQUI: Absolutely. And I think what you've seen the Harris campaign do is reinforce that they believe that they are the underdogs in this race, even if you see her having this polling advantage over former President Trump.
And here's why. You know, national polls, she could do as well as she is perhaps doing in those polls. But it's ultimately going to come down to the Electoral College in a handful of key battleground states that, in recent elections, have been determined by tens of thousands of votes. So truly razor-thin margins.
And I think, you know, if you're Vice President Harris, you're in a fairly good position, but what you don't want is complacency. You still have to turn out your base. You still have to make sure that, you know, Democrats who are animated to vote for her show up at the polls.
And then also try and get those persuadable voters, independents, suburban voters, moderate Republicans, the kind of coalition that helped elect President Biden four years ago.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. As you say, razor-thin margins. And really, it is going to come down to these key battleground states.
But interesting, the way that voters view Harris in his latest polls have -- has certainly improved since she became the presidential candidate.
In July, just 32 percent had a positive view of her. Now that's up to 48 percent. What does that mean in real terms at the ballot box?
SIDDIQUI: I think it's a good position to be in one thing that we saw with Vice President Harris, his poll numbers before, is that they were very much tied to President Biden's approval ratings, which of course, have been at a low point for many, many months now.
[00:20:10]
And it's not unusual for a vice president's approval ratings to mirror that of the president that they served. But now that Harris is out there as the nominee of the Democratic Party, you know, voters are looking at her in a different light. They're getting to know more about her.
And most importantly, I think when you step back and think about where we were in this election just a few months ago, poll after poll show that voters were extremely dissatisfied with their choices when it was a rematch between President Biden and former President Trump.
They wanted to vote for -- there were many voters who wanted to vote for anyone else, really, other than Trump or Biden. And Harris is actually giving voters that opportunity.
And then, of course, she's performed pretty well in the debate, as well as on the national stage. She hasn't had a lot of missteps. So, that, I think, is also helping bolster her approval ratings in this crucial final stretch.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. That debate, of course, between Harris and Trump widely watched around the world. Republicans, as well as Democrats, concede that Trump had lost.
Harris, we know, has accepted another invitation for a second presidential debate here on CNN later than next month. Trump says it's too late for another one.
Is there anyone that would convince him otherwise or his advisers, his team also worried that it could further derail his campaign.
SIDDIQUI: I don't think that, if your former President Trump or you're his advisors, you want him to get back out there on a debate stage, given what happened when he faced off against Vice President Harris, just a couple of weeks ago.
And just to remind people, it is not unusual to hold presidential debates well into October. In fact, when then-candidate Trump debated Hillary Clinton in 2016, two out of their three debates were held in October.
So, it's not too late. It's just that, you know, he -- he doesn't want to, I think, remind a lot of voters, which is what happened during the debate, what it is that they don't like about him. You know, when he's abrasive, you know, obviously going after Harris in very personal ways. You know, a lot of the rhetoric and conspiracy theories around immigration, even though he's still pushing those from the campaign trail.
Just failing to stay on message and coming back to points like the economy or inflation or those points that are driving voters at the polls.
You know, so I think a debate can only likely do Trump even more harm than -- and he's already in a fairly precarious position. So, I don't anticipate that we would see another Trump-Harris debate.
KINKADE: This week, the U.N.G.A. is happening. Foreign leaders are trying to jockey for some time with both Harris and Trump. And at this stage, it seems like only Ukraine's president will have a one-on-one with both.
How do these leaders differ on their approach to Russia's invasion of Ukraine?
SIDDIQUI: Well, I think there's a very stark contrast between how Vice President Harris and former President Trump view Ukraine and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
You know, under Vice President Harris, you're going to see a continuation of the approach that we've seen under the Biden administration, which is to continue and provide Ukraine with military and financial support in its war with Russia, continuing to approve the transfer of U.S. weapons and just trying to lead an international coalition in support of Ukraine.
Whereas with former President Trump, he has refused to explicitly condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He, of course, has a very favorable view of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
And he talks about how he would bring an end to the war. But when you get within -- when you get behind the curtain a little bit and go into the details, Trump's version of ending this war, oftentimes what he and his advisers say is it would entail Russia essentially holding onto a fair amount of Ukrainian territory, which is, of course, a non- starter for President Zelenskyy and Ukrainians. So, you know, I think the concern is that Trump would not support Ukraine or continues providing U.S. aid to Ukraine, if you were back in the White House. And that there would be -- that he would put a lot of pressure on the Ukrainians to accept some kind of deal with Russia that effectively would be a victory for Vladimir Putin.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. All right. Sabrina Siddiqui, good to have you with us, national politics reporter for "The Wall Street Journal." Thanks so much.
SIDDIQUI: Thank you so much.
KINKADE: Well, the U.S. speaker of the House is laying out plans to avert a government shutdown, but it involves cutting an election security proposal that Donald Trump wanted included in the measure.
Mike Johnson has unveiled a short-term spending bill that would fund the government until December 20. It includes $230 million in Secret Service funding, but excludes any mention of the SAVE Act, a Trump- backed proposal that would require people to show proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote, despite the fact that it is already illegal for non-citizens to cast a ballot.
[00:25:09]
Top Democrats say they're ready to pass the stripped-down stop-gap bill.
Record rains are hammering coastal Japan, causing widespread flooding and devastation. We'll have the details after the break.
Plus, voters in Sri Lanka elect a new president in a massive landslide. Just ahead, why this self-avowed Marxist beat his closest rival by more than a million votes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:27:57]
KINKADE: Welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
In Germany, the Social Democrats' chancellor, Olaf Scholz, won an election in the Eastern state of Brandenburg, but just barely. The SPD narrowly defeated an effort by the far-right Alternative for Germany Party.
Projections give Social Democrats 30.7 percent of the vote, with the AFD getting 29.4.
AFD leaders told cheering supporters it is the party of the future. The party is strongly anti-immigrant and pro-Russian.
This narrow loss comes just three weeks after the AFD became the first far-right party to win a German state election since World War II. Voters in Sri Lanka elected a new president who calls himself a
Marxist left-leaning politician, won in a landslide with more than 42 percent of the vote.
This after the incumbent lead, the nation to an economic meltdown by imposing austerity measures that left voters angry. At its peak, inflation in the South Asian nation was at 70 percent.
Turnout for the election was strong, with some 75 percent of eligible Sri Lankans casting their vote. Crowds took to the streets to celebrate the results.
The new president represents the People's Liberation Front, and he beat his nearest rival by more than a million votes.
A coastal area in Japan is being drenched with record rains while still recovering from a devastating New Year's Eve earthquake.
Deadly flooding and landslides hit Ishikawa prefecture on Saturday. At least six people were killed, thousands more evacuated as 16 area rivers burst their banks.
The storm has caused widespread flooding and cut power to thousands of households.
CNN's Hanako Montgomery joins us now from Tokyo. So, this region already dealing and trying to recover from this catastrophic earthquake, are now trying to deal with these deadly floods. What more can you tell us?
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Lynda, this region was hit by a devastating and massive earthquake on January 1st, a horrible start to the new year.
[00:30:09]
And now this region is reeling after experiencing some of the heaviest rainfall it's ever seen. If you take a look at some of the footage, Lynda, you can see entire roads and rivers completely flooded and overflowing.
People are also having to wade through their businesses, their stores, and their homes just waist deep in this floodwater.
And some of these flooded homes, Lynda, are actually temporary shelters that people had to evacuate to after the deadly January 1 earthquake that killed hundreds of people.
In fact, we were there in Noto after that deadly earthquake, and we saw entire homes just collapsed and flattened. Entire roofs have caved in, and people were buried alive.
Now, some of those survivors were evacuated to temporary shelters. And when we spoke to them, they told us that they didn't know when they'd get to go home, because they literally had no home to return to. Now, some of those very same survivors are having to deal with a
second disaster just months later. Here's what one resident had to say about the double disaster.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AKEMI YAMASHITA, RESIDENT (through translator): The earthquake occurred on January 1st. And again, the city became like a scene out of a movie in September. I cannot help thinking the Noto region might be cursed or something. I'm shocked that so many unbelievable things happened in one year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MONTGOMERY: Now, these residents, Lynda, are exhausted. They have spent months trying to reconstruct and rebuild this region, only to have to start all over again.
In fact, according to some local government officials, some of the damage caused by these floods were actually exacerbated by that earthquake we saw earlier clear this year, particularly damage to flip banks and revetments.
Now Japanese self-defense forces, members of the police force, and also firefighters have been dispatched to the region to try to locate and rescue some of those remaining survivors. And also, just account for how much damage has been caused.
But really, the mental toll this double disaster has caused to the residents living there cannot be measured. They are really going through a very difficult and crippling time -- Lynda.
KINKADE: Yes, it's a really tough time for them.
Hanako Montgomery, good to have you on the story for us. Thank you.
We're turning to Iran now, where at least 51 people are dead, 20 injured after a gas explosion in a coal mine on Saturday. That's according to state media.
Iran's interior ministry says search-and-rescue operations are still underway and could last until Monday. The blast marks one of Iran's deadliest work accidents in years.
And Iran's supreme leader and president both expressed their condolences to the families of the victims.
Well, still ahead, the details on a forensic science breakthrough that could help solve cold cases that have eluded law enforcement for years.
Plus, Minnesota's biggest climate polluter is making a major move from coal to renewable energy. But the actual infrastructure is staying pretty much the same. We'll explain when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [00:35:21]
KINKADE: Welcome back.
A new crime-fighting tool developed from microscopic particles holds the promise of breaking open cold cases from decades ago. The fluorescent power illuminates what was previously invisible to the naked eye.
Anna Stewart explains how it works.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Young Ph.D. student Nick Ross is examining a breakthrough in forensic science, one that could solve some of the oldest crimes and bring what was once visible to the surface.
NICK ROSS, CHEMISTRY PH.D. STUDENT: So, what we've done, what we've aimed to do is create a new powder for developing fingerprints. Powders are the most widely used, most successful method for developing fingerprints, but they have lots of issues already in there. There's always room for improvement.
STEWART (voice-over): The powder dusting method to identify fingerprints has been utilized since the 19th Century. But even as the most widely used method of developing prints, there's only so much this earlier technique can detect.
ROSS: What we're hoping is that we'll be able to get fingerprints that current powders can't get. We should be able to get fingerprints that maybe someone's washed their hands more recently, they've touched something, but they've left residue behind. But we're going to be able to get that using a more sensitive powder.
STEWART (voice-over): Ross, along with other experts, created this luminous substance made from tiny particles of matter and a sugar found on the exterior of shellfish.
Made of natural oils and sweat, fingerprints can sometimes evaporate, but the smaller particles and fluorescence in this new powder can light up much smaller details.
It can stick to remnants on many surfaces, like glass, metals and even more intricate surfaces like bank notes, which can resemble fingerprint details themselves.
ROSS: This image is particularly nice, because the fingerprint is so different to the bank note itself. It's so clear.
The fluorescence of the particles are so strong that there's no chance you mistake the detail for the bank note. There's even, as you can see, a fluorescent detail in the background, but that fluorescent detail is not strong enough to contrast with the fingerprint that's been enhanced.
STEWART (voice-over): For now, experts can detect prints up to a month after it's been deposited.
ROBERT HILLMAN, CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR: So, could we go back and visit cold cases? I would be reasonably optimistic about this, because there will inevitably be some residue left. Perhaps not very much, but we don't need very much.
STEWART (voice-over): Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, shoppers in California will soon have to bring their own bags if they want to use plastic bags. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law Sunday banning all plastic shopping bags, starting in 2026.
California had already banned thin shopping bags, but customers could buy thicker ones that were billed as recyclable.
When the law takes effect, shoppers will only be asked if they want a paper bag. A state study found the average person threw away five kilograms, or 11 pounds, of plastic shopping bags in 2021.
Well, in Minnesota a coal-fired power plant will soon shut down and reopen using solar and wind energy. Experts say the plan to repurpose the plant's existing infrastructure could supercharge the push for renewable energy.
CNN chief climate correspondent Bill Weir reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Behold, a fire-breathing dinosaur named Sherco. For decades, it has been devouring mountains of coal in Minnesota and belching out gigatons of planet-cooking gases, making this power plant the state's biggest climate polluter.
But in a vivid example of energy transition, Sherco's owners are changing its diet, swapping out coal for renewables, until the last fire goes out in 2030. And after that, 125,000 homes will be powered by sun, wind, and iron batteries with four days backup.
WEIR: Is Xcel decarbonizing as a strategy?
RYAN LONG, PRESIDENT, XCEL ENERGY MINNESOTA: Yes, so we are decarbonizing as a strategy. We have had a goal to get to 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2050 for a number of years now.
Two years ago, the Minnesota legislature passed a law that said they want to get to 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2040. So that's now our target. And we're on track to meet that.
WEIR: That pile of coal weighs around 1.7 million tons. In about six years it'll be all gone. The smokestacks will be obsolete. But this fossil of a different age will remain a valuable part of the community, pushing out clean energy from wind farms and solar fields all around the state.
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But this is also a model for the rest of the country. A study out of Cal-Berkeley found that the U.S. could double its power capacity by building new energy next to old infrastructure.
PETE WYCKOFF, MINNESOTA COMMERCE DEPARTMENT: Minnesota, for economic reasons, is already moving to phase out coal. But what the Inflation Reduction Act did through its tax credits is give extra incentives for when you phase out a plant, a fossil fuel plant, to build something new right there and use the bones.
WEIR: Use -- and the connections.
WYCKOFF: You use -- the site is actually being used, but the more important thing is you're using an existing way to connect to the electric grid.
WEIR (voice-over): Minnesota recently completed a transmission upgrade, but the lines are already strained by all the new supply and demand.
So like a FastPass at Disneyland, this method allows clean energy projects to skip the years-long wait for grid connection, while making the shift a lot less jarring for local communities.
WEIR: What does that mean for workers? Can the same people who are now working in coal come over and work in sunlight?
LONG: Well, some of them can, so we've got about 240 workers at the plant. And what we have told them is, if you want a job with Xcel Energy after that plant retires, you'll have a job with Xcel Energy.
WEIR: Would this have happened without the Tim Walz administration and their targets? Would it have happened without the Inflation Reduction Act that Joe Biden --
LONG: Yes, so the Walz administration has been really great to work with. And the IRA benefits have been really significant for our customers. That helps us move through this transition while bringing customer bills down, compared to what they otherwise would be.
We're extracting about 300 million of IRA benefits for our customers with this project alone.
WEIR (voice-over): He says their customers will eventually reap billions in tax incentives as Xcel winds down dozens of fossil fuel plants, all part of a quiet industrial revolution, steadily spreading nationwide.
Bill Weir, CNN, Becker, Minnesota.
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KINKADE: Well, a rare painting from a Belgian surrealist artist. Rene Magritte's famous "Empire of Light" series could sell for more than $95 million at Christie's in New York this fall, a sum that would break the artist's record at auction.
It would also score a major win for the auction house after softened sales across the industry.
The painting is part of a collection to go up for auction in November. And a Christie's spokesperson says a significant portion of the proceeds will go towards philanthropic initiatives.
Thanks so much for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade. I'll be back with much more news at the top of the hour. For now, WORLD SPORT is next.
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