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U.S. and Israeli Leaders See Opportunity after Sinwar's Death; Former President Barack Obama Campaigns for Harris, Slams Trump; Harris and Trump Hold Dueling Events in Battleground Michigan; No Consensus among Quad Leaders on Ukraine's Use of Long-Range Weapons; North Korea Sending Troops to Train in Russia; Tributes Pour in for Singer Liam Payne; Major League Baseball; King Charles III Visits Australia. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired October 19, 2024 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to all of you watching us around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
We're learning more about the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The Middle East reacts to what some hope can be a game changer in the war in Gaza and return of Israeli hostages.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump delivered two very different messages to supporters in the same county. Harris gets a boost from former U.S. president Barack Obama. We'll have the latest from the campaign trail.
And North Korean soldiers are preparing to be part of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. What we know about the North's latest involvement with Russia.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: We are monitoring a breaking news story out of Israel, where a drone has been launched this morning at the home of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
That's according to his spokesperson, who says Netanyahu and his wife weren't there at the time. And there are no casualties in the city of Caesarea, where the residence is located.
Meanwhile, U.S. and Israeli leaders are starting to see a long shot opportunity following Israel's killing of the top Hamas leader. Israeli sources tell CNN that returning Sinwar's remains to Gaza could be used as a bargaining chip to free the hostages still held there.
Israel's president and prime minister say there's a significant window of opportunity to bring the hostages back and eliminate Hamas for good. But the group's top negotiator says there will be no release of hostages until the fighting stops and Israeli troops pull out.
Israel's military says, it's clear what Hamas should do now.
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MAJ. DORON SPIELMAN, IDF SPOKESPERSON: There's no question that Sinwar's elimination destabilizes Hamas and it depends how that's going to be leveraged.
If we can leverage it to defeat Hamas and the prime minister has already said that anyone who notifies and brings in a hostage will happen immunity, if that is able to be moved forward, then that last remaining group can raise their hands, raise the white flag and carry out three things.
Stop shelling Israel, returning our hostages and disbanding. This can end tomorrow.
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BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Tehran and its allies will continue their fight against Israel. And all that is happening as Israeli airstrikes killed at least 33 people in northern Gaza Friday night, according to local officials.
We're also getting word that Israeli artillery struck the Indonesian Hospital in the area.
U.S. President Joe Biden says, ending the conflict in the Middle East will be difficult even in the aftermath of Yahya Sinwar's death. After meetings in Berlin with the leaders of Germany, France and the U.K., Biden acknowledged that Sinwar's killing alone can't end the war in Gaza but he says it could present an opportunity. Here he is.
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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The death of the leader of Hamas represents a moment of justice. He had the blood of Americans, Israelis, Palestinians in Germany and so many others on his hands.
I told the prime minister of Israel yesterday, let's also make this moment an opportunity to seek a path to peace, a better future in Gaza without Hamas. Now look forward to discussing Iran.
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BRUNHUBER: Now a source tells CNN that Israel's plan to respond to Iran's October 1st attack is ready. Sources also say that U.S. officials expect Israel will retaliate before the U.S. presidential election on November 5th.
All right, for more, I want to bring in Melissa Bell, who joins us from Paris.
Melissa, in the aftermath of Sinwar's death, what more can you tell us about the impact it will have?
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As you heard, as you mentioned, there, a lot of hope that this could be a game changer.
But in fact, when you look at what we've heard directly from, for instance, Yahya Sinwar's deputy in the aftermath of his killing, on the contrary, reiterating the extent to which Hamas' position remains unchanged.
They insist, in order for any ceasefire to come about, for any release of any hostages to be orchestrated, that their demands that have been much the same as they have for the last year be met, which is the release of Palestinian prisoners, the withdrawal from Gaza of Israeli forces.
On the other hand, you hear again from Israel that there will be no ceasefire until all hostages are released. Very difficult to see how those lines have shifted. And watch going forward.
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The replacement of Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas, will mean a lot of speculation, of course, came about who that might be.
Whether it could be his deputy who expressed himself immediately after his death on those continued demands from Hamas or in country someone based in Qatar, including one of those who's been most closely involved with the hostage negotiations.
But that power vacuum in terms of the shape of the next leader of Hamas doesn't appear to have dampened their fundamental position nor indeed their determination to keep on fighting against what they see, is what they say is the continued also the Israeli occupation.
And words of determination and defiance despite what we've seen over the course of the last few days, including that very dramatic footage that saw the drain -- the drone capture the last few moments of Yahya Sinwar.
And the act of defiance that we saw from him again, repeated and taken up by anyone who represents Hamas in the wake of his death, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: All right, so Hamas still expressing determination.
What more reaction are we seeing then from the region?
BELL: The interesting place to keep an eye on, of course, is Iran. As you mentioned a moment ago. And we've been hearing also from the Ayatollah Khamenei about his mourning for Yahya Sinwar, the mourning of one of those Iran backed proxies.
Also the reminding the world I think importantly of what previous Israeli executions of Hamas leaders have meant or have not meant for the movement, reminding the world that it has always tended to regroup and to vow with greater defiance to continue its fight against the Israeli occupation. I think that speaks a great deal about what the hopes will be for
those who back on us about what its future will be. But words there from Khamenei very quickly mourning the last but also reminding the world that the resistance, as he called it, would continue, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: All right. Appreciate those updates. Melissa Bell, thanks so much.
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BRUNHUBER: We are now only 17 days away from the U.S. presidential election, more than 11 million Americans have already voted since according to data from 42 states. California leads the way with more than 1.5 million ballots cast, more than 1.1 million ballots have been cast here in the battleground state of Georgia.
Both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are trying to shore up support in those key states. Later today, Harris heads here to Atlanta, Georgia, for a rally with R&B star Usher while Trump is expected to court voters Saturday evening in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
Now both candidates battled for voters in the critical state of Michigan Friday, holding multiple campaign events. The former president went back to Detroit after insulting the city last week in front of voters. But he didn't try to clean up his previous comments.
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DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: You know, Detroit has such great potential but Kamala and the Democrats have been wreaking havoc on this place, this very, very, in many respects, it's a sacred place.
So many things happened in Detroit and it's been treated so badly and they've been talking about comebacks for so long but we're going to bring it back better than it ever was, better than it was many, many years.
We're going to make Detroit great again.
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BRUNHUBER: Now one point in the rally, Trump's microphone cut out for nearly 20 minutes.
The crowd chanted his name as they waited for things to get worked out.
While in Michigan, the vice president questioned whether Trump is fit to hold office after "Politico" reported, he's canceling interviews because he's exhausted. Harris told the crowd that Trump was full of big promises but always fails to deliver, calling him one of the biggest losers of manufacturing jobs in American history.
She also had an important message for Arab American voters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KAMALA HARRIS (D), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And listen.
I know this year has been very difficult given the scale of death and destruction in Gaza. Sinwar's death can and must be a turning point.
Everyone must seize this opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza, bring the hostages home and end the suffering once and for all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Former president Barack Obama hit the campaign trail in another battleground state, Arizona, on Friday to get out the vote for Harris. Obama appeared with Democratic Senate candidate Ruben Gallego.
The former president criticized Trump for calling himself the father of IVF. He also mocked Trump's behavior at a town hall earlier this week where he swayed and listened to music.
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And you're looking at those images now. Here's what Obama had to say about it.
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BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I do have to point out that, along with his intentions, there is also a question of his competence.
Have you seen him lately?
He just decided, you know what, I'm going to stop taking questions and then he's swaying to "Ave Maria" and "Y.M.C.A." for about half an hour. You would be worried if your grandpa was acting like this.
No, no. I'm not joking.
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BRUNHUBER: And Obama also said Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are what America needs right now.
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OBAMA: The point is, if you elect Kamala and Tim, they will not be focused on their problems. They will be focused on yours. We have had enough of arrogance and bumbling and bluster and division. America is ready to turn the page. We're ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.
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BRUNHUBER: Joining us now is Thomas Gift, the director of the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London.
Good to see you again. So first, both candidates held dueling events in Oakland County in Michigan. Talk to me about where they were.
Why is that county specifically so important to them?
THOMAS GIFT, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: Well, it's great to be with you, Kim, as always, thanks so much for having me. You know, Michigan is definitely going to be tight. FiveThirtyEight has the odds of Trump or Harris winning Michigan as dead even. So, Oakland County and I'll add to that, Kent County, are really two places to watch.
Oakland County, that includes suburban Detroit; Kent County includes Grand Rapids. Both have really been trending blue in recent elections. But some polls show that Trump is making some inroads there.
I think both Oakland and Kent Counties could really be leading indicators for the rest of Michigan. In 2020, Joe Biden won those counties by combined 130,000 votes and his statewide margin was about 154,000.
So Trump doesn't have to win these counties. He just needs to improve his performance by maybe 10,000 or 20,000 votes, perform a bit better than he did four years ago in Michigan's rural counties. If he does, I think he could crack Michigan.
On the flip side, Harris can actually cede Biden's margin in some of these counties, Trump will have a significantly harder time outside winning.
BRUNHUBER: So obviously, margins so close in that state. There's a huge Muslim population there, huge Arab American population. Obviously the war in Gaza, very important with many voters there.
We heard Kamala Harris addressing that in that clip. We've already seen several large, high-profile Arab American groups decide not to endorse any candidate.
So how much do you get a sense that the war in Gaza will hurt Harris?
GIFT: Well, there are certainly Democrats who say they won't vote for Harris because of what they allege has been her insufficient support for Gaza. These are by-and-large single issue Democrats who likely won't vote for Trump. They just might not vote at all.
And they're taking a very uncompromising line, that basically if a candidate doesn't meet the threshold to what they consider acceptable on Israel-Palestine, that they're just going to abstain from voting.
I do think that that ignores trade-offs that sometimes you have to attack the middle to reach a second best outcome. During the Michigan primary back in February, there were more than 100,000 Democrats who voted uncommitted when Biden was the nominee.
That makes up about two-thirds of the vote disparity by which Biden beat Trump in 2020. And it's not just Michigan, Kim. North Carolina as well had more than 80,000 votes come in uncommitted during the primaries in Gaza. So this is a real concern for the Harris campaign and one that they are taking very seriously. BRUNHUBER: Yes and, you know, Gaza is one issue that she's tried to
kind of distinguish herself from President Biden, although the distinction is quite slim. And it's something that keeps coming up. She, she's always asked what she would have done differently from President Biden and she seems to struggle with that question.
GIFT: I agree. I mean, that's true on Gaza and it's true on other issues as well.
When she was asked that on "The View" and basically she said that she would support everything that Joe Biden had done, I do think that that's a problem because she's saying that she wants to turn the page for the next generation.
Of course, she's also tethered to all of the policies of Joe Biden. I think she needs a clear, snappy response to that question. It's such an obvious one. But I'm not sure why political advisors haven't figured out what the response to that when she's asked is.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, exactly. It is an obvious one. She should have a top three lists of things and she seems to devolve into some vagaries there. In terms of the Democrats, they seem to be leaning into this narrative about Trump being exhausted.
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As I mentioned off the top, we've seen some reporting around that. Trump's canceled several interviews. He's pushed back on that, of course, but it must be a risky thing for Harris to do, considering President Biden is still the actual president.
GIFT: Yes, absolutely.
And of course, those criticisms keep coming in by Republicans, that Joe Biden should step down. If he's not fit enough to run for office, then he's not fit enough to serve. I also think that it's just a distraction.
Kamala Harris can make this case all that she wants but she really needs to focus on policy. I just don't understand why she's getting into these games with Donald Trump about personality and kind of ad hominem criticisms.
It's not reaching out to any swing voters. It's only appealing to the base of people that believe that Donald Trump is washed up, that he's tired, that he's fatigued, that he's crazy, that he's senile.
Those Democrats are already a vote for Kamala Harris. She needs to make inroads with swing voters who are going to be motivated, I think, by other issues.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, great point. We'll leave it that there. Thomas Gift in London. Thank you so much, really appreciate it.
GIFT: Thanks. BRUNHUBER: Well, it's one of the biggest armies in the world but
modern North Korean troops have never been to war. Now South Korea says hundreds of soldiers are getting ready to join Russia's fight against Ukraine. Our details on that next.
And Cubans are lighting fires in the streets so they can see. The whole island has hit a power failure. Details on what caused it next here on CNN. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Russia's war in Ukraine was on the agenda during President Biden's meeting with the European Quad leaders. Biden said he and the leaders of Germany, France and the U.K. expressed unanimous support for Ukraine.
He says there's still no consensus on whether to allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons to hit targets deep inside Russia. Here he is.
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BIDEN: As Ukraine faces a tough winter, we must, we must sustain our resolve, our effort and our support. I know the cost is heavy. Make no mistake. It pales in comparison to the cost of living in the world where aggression prevails.
OLAF SCHOLZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): Our stance is clear.
We are supporting Ukraine as strongly as possible. At the same time, we are ensuring that NATO does not become a party to the war, so that this war does not lead to an even greater catastrophe.
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BRUNHUBER: Ukraine and the upcoming U.S. presidential elections were at the top of the agenda during a summit of NATO defense ministers this week. At least one NATO official said he wasn't optimistic about the fate of Ukraine if Donald Trump wins the White House.
NATO officials say they are preparing for the U.S. to take on a lesser role in supporting Ukraine by increasing weapons production in Europe.
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MARK RUTTE, SECRETARY GENERAL, NATO: Strengthening our deterrence and defense is this alliance's top priority.
Because keeping our 1 billion people safe is NATO's most sacred duty. And that is why we are amping up our defense industrial capacity, strengthening our supply chains, investing in new defense capabilities and harnessing new technologies.
Supporting Ukraine is not an act of charity. It is also an investment in our own security because the cost of letting Putin have his way will be much higher than the cost of supporting Ukraine. Ukraine's fight is our fight.
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BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, Russia alone is producing about 3 million munitions per year.
That's at least 1 million more than NATO allies produce. A senior NATO official says Russia is also getting a significant amount of munitions from North Korea, Iran and China.
North Korea may be moving toward giving significant military support to Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. South Korea says Pyongyang has sent 1,500 North Korean troops to Russia for training. Our Mike Valerio has more from Seoul.
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MIKE VALERIO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, when we're talking about why this story matters, we're thinking of two central questions.
First of all, could North Korean troop involvement help to prolong Russia's invasion of Ukraine?
And the second question, could North Korean special forces troops help to tilt the balance of power in this conflict further toward Moscow?
So let's take you through what we know. This information coming from South Korea's National Intelligence Service. And the NIS saying it observed not just one but seven Russian ships transporting 1,500 North Korean special forces troops to Russian military bases.
These troops from North Korea personally inspected by North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, the National Intelligence Service says.
And the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy warning others, warning fellow world leaders a few days ago that he's anticipating not just these 1,500 troops but up to 10,000 North Korean troops to help Russia in its invasion.
The North Korean special forces troops, according to South Korea's National Intelligence Service, are being disguised with Russian military uniforms, equipped with Russian weapons.
And also Seoul says being given fake Siberian ID cards with photos resembling Siberian residents in order to better blend in with the Russian military. So responding to that, the Kremlin has denied all allegations of North Korean troops helping in its war effort.
Former South Korean Navy commander Yu Jihoon told us the following, quote, "This subterfuge points to a deliberate effort by both nations to obscure the extent of North Korean involvement in the conflict. "Such a move could be seen as an attempt by Moscow to avoid further
international scrutiny and sanctions while simultaneously bolstering its depleted manpower and ammunition stockpiles."
Now the commander is right. This is all happening because Russia has gone through manpower, has gone through ammunition.
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So quickly in its invasion of Ukraine, North Korea desperately needs cash and has a surplus of ammo that it is selling to Russia in order to get cash. So this is the latest sign of how cooperation between Russia and North Korea is deepening -- Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul.
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BRUNHUBER: It's a few hours from sunrise In Cuba, where the morning will bring the first light the country's seen since last evening. More -- most of the 11 million people on the Caribbean islands have been without power since an aging electrical plant failed on Friday morning.
That shut down the electrical grid nationwide. Cuban officials are blaming a host of problems, from increased U.S. economic sanctions to disruptions caused by recent hurricanes.
But the island's limited infrastructure is old and run down and recurring blackouts have been happening since the 1990s.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The times we're living, with what's happening in the country, the most logical entertainment left is dominos or any other kind of entertainment like running. We are in a total crisis.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): And we're without internet too. And we went to a restaurant and there was no food because there was no power. But we arrived yesterday, so it's hard to say. But in two days, we've already heard several inconveniences.
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BRUNHUBER: Right now it's not clear when the power will come back on in Cuba.
Israel says the top Hamas leader was killed after a tank fired at the building where he was hiding. But an autopsy of his remains show it could be a part of the story that's missing. We'll explain coming up, stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us around the world.
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I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
A quick update on the breaking news story we're monitoring in Israel. There are no reports of casualties after a drone was launched from Lebanon at the home of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
That's from his spokesperson who says the Israeli leader and his wife weren't at the residence in the city of Caesarea this morning. U.S. and Israeli leaders say there's a possibility the killing of the top Hamas leader could help talks between Israel and the militants finally bear fruit.
Israeli sources tell CNN that returning Yahya Sinwar's remains to Gaza could be used as a bargaining chip to free the hostages still held there. Israel's president and prime minister say there is a significant window of opportunity to bring the hostages back and eliminate Hamas for good.
U.S. President Joe Biden says, there's now a road to peace, even though it won't be an easy one. But as those leaders see an opening, Hamas is digging in.
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KHALIL AL HAYYAH, CHIEF HAMAS NEGOTIATOR (through translator): We will tell those who are concerned about the occupation, hostages held by the resistance.
Those hostages will not be returned to you unless you stop the aggression on our people in Gaza and the complete withdrawal from it and the release of our heroic detainees from the occupation's prisons. We will continue on the Hamas path.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, an autopsy is raising questions about how exactly Sinwar was killed. Israel says he died after tank fire hit a building where he was holed up. As Katie Polglase reports, an examination of his remains suggests there's more to the story. Now we just want I'll warn you, some images in this story are disturbing.
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KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE RESEARCHER (voice-over): Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, has been killed. But how?
We looked through what the footage from the scene tells us so far. We geolocated the house where his body was found to here in the Tel al- Sultan neighborhood in Rafah, right in the south of Gaza. It's unclear clear how long Sinwar had been in the house or even this area. Back in August, the area had less destruction. You can see here some
houses still standing. But during September, you can see more tank tracks through the area as the destruction grows. By October 16, the morning before he died, IDF tanks were 250 meters away.
You can see them here in this satellite image surrounding the place Sinwar spent his final moments. The IDF later said they were not aware he was in the area but spotted a man fleeing from another house in the area and sent a drone to follow the fleeing man up to his new location.
This video is likely the last footage where we see Sinwar alive, staring into the drone's camera from the second floor of a rubble- strewn building. Back down on street level, this IDF video shows a tank firing at the building where Sinwar is inside.
We don't have any images of what happens after that. But in the next images we do have, Sinwar is dead. In this photo, visibly taken in the same location, we can see Sinwar's body surrounded by IDF soldiers.
But we noticed a change in some videos we assume were taken later that reveal some details about what happened to his body. Take a closer look here at Sinwar's hand and watch.
In this next video the watch has gone and one finger is missing. The pathologist who conducted the autopsy on his body told CNN his finger was taken to Israel to identify it was Sinwar. The IDF are yet to confirm this.
You can also see a serious head injury in this photo. We're blurring it because it's so graphic which would fit with what the pathologist said, that it was a gunshot wound to the head that was the cause of his death.
Again, the IDF are yet to confirm. For now these photos and videos are our main clues as to how this operation unfolded as the world waits to see the political consequences of his death -- Katie Polglase, CNN, London.
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BRUNHUBER: Now asked to comment on the pathologists' findings, an Israeli military spokesperson told CNN there was an exchange of gunfire and that the combat ended with the firing of a tank shell and that the IDF is still working to learn the full details.
Israel is denying accusations that it's blocking medical specialists from entering Gaza. On Friday, the World Health Organization told CNN that more than 50 specialist medical personnel have been denied entry into Gaza between August and October.
But the Israeli agency that coordinates the inspection and delivery of humanitarian aid says they don't limit the number of humanitarian teams. It argues that significant efforts have been made to allow medical teams into the enclave.
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BRUNHUBER: Early voting is now underway in multiple states with more than 11 million Americans already casting their ballots. But Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are still hoping to scoop up any undecided voters, especially in battleground states. Nearly $1.5 billion has been spent on presidential ads in just the past three months.
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Since Harris ascended to the top of the ticket in July, Democrats have spent $921 million, eclipsing the $569 million shelled out by Republicans. Nearly all of that money is targeting a very small sliver of the American population across a handful of states. CNN's Harry Enten breaks down the numbers with Dana Bash.
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HARRY ENTEN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Let's just talk about the money that's being spent in the battleground states from this point onward, since October 15th onward from candidates, parties and PACs. Look at this. $351 million will be spent over the next few weeks. Oh, my God. All of that money going into so few states.
Now what type of numbers are we talking about in terms of how many voters this is targeting?
Well, how many voters are there?
Nationwide, there's over 200 million voters. But in those key battleground states, what are we talking about in terms of registered voters?
Only about 45 million voters and over, as we pointed out, $351 million, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN HOST: And it's just a subset of voters in these states that these ads are targeting.
ENTEN: Absolutely right. So how many undecided voters are there in these key battleground states?
Well, on vote choice, what are we talking about?
We're talking about 5 percent of voters who say they're undecided. How many voters is that?
That's only about 2 million voters.
Now there may be folks who are undecided about vote choice or know who they would want to vote for but aren't necessarily going to turn out. So let's take a look at that. All right, what are we talking about?
In those key battleground states, those who say that there are less than likely, very likely to vote, we're talking about 11 percent, 11 percent. But that's only, Dana, about 5 million voters. So we're talking about a very, very small portion of the electorate in these key battleground states.
BASH: OK.
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BRUNHUBER: Well, as Election Day approaches, the two candidates are trading jabs over who's more fit for office. If elected again, Donald Trump would be the oldest president in American history at 78 years old. Kamala Harris will celebrate her 60th birthday on Sunday.
In the wake of "Politico" reporting that Trump was canceling events due to exhaustion, she asked whether Trump is physically capable of handling another term in the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS (D), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now he is ducking debates and canceling interviews.
Come on. His own campaign team recently said it is because of exhaustion.
Well, if you are exhausted on the campaign trail, it raises real questions about whether you are fit for the toughest job in the world. Come on. Come on.
(ENDS VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Now Trump, who claims he's in excellent physical and mental condition, has repeatedly called for Harris to take a cognitive test to determine her mental capability.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: What events have I canceled? I haven't canceled. She doesn't go to any events. She's a loser. She doesn't go to any events. She didn't even show up for the Catholics last night at the hotel. It was insulting. They, all they are is sound bites.
I've gone 48 days now without a rest. And I've got that loser, who doesn't have the energy of a rabbit.
Tell me when you've seen me take even a little bit of a rest. Not only am I not -- I'm not even tired. I'm really exhilarated, you know why? We're killing her in the polls.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Some observers say the question of mental and physical fitness for the presidency worked well for Trump when he was running against Joe Biden. Is now working for Harris against Trump.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What really is a thing that bothers him is the fact that he's being attacked.
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BRUNHUBER: New documents in the 2020 election subversion case were made public on Friday, despite former president Donald Trump's efforts to delay their release. But many of the nearly 2,000 pages were heavily redacted. Most of the visible information is already available.
But there are new details, including the movement of an employee who gave Trump a Diet Coke while he watched the January 6, 2021, riot on TV in the White House dining room.
The former president has been charged with four criminal charges stemming from his actions following his 2020 election loss, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction. Trump has pleaded not guilty.
Tributes continue to pour in for Liam Payne as investigators continue to try to piece together the events leading up to the singer's death.
Plus U.S. authorities say a drug trafficking ring smuggled vast amounts of cocaine across the Americas. The ring's alleged leader, a former Olympic snowboarder. That report coming up, stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Liam Payne's family, friends and fans are still trying to make sense of the devastating loss of the singer who fell to his death this week from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): On Thursday at her concert in Osaka, Japan, Rita Ora paid tribute, singing the song, "For You," that the pair had a hit with as a duet.
And pop impresario Simon Cowell, who helped launch the career of Payne's former band, One Direction, said in an Instagram post, he felt empty.
Meanwhile, Liam's father has been to the site of the tragedy. Jeff Payne viewed the flowers, photos and letters left by fans in tribute to his son outside the hotel. CNN's Dario Klein has more on the investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DARIO KLEIN, CNN ESPANOL CORRESPONDENT: Their emotional moment happened this afternoon here in this sanctuary that the Directioners built here outside the hotel where Liam Payne fell on Wednesday afternoon.
Liam's father, Jeff, he arrived here to Buenos Aires. He first had to go to the local morgue to recognize the body of his son, a very difficult moment. But after that, he came to this hotel, where he tried to get in the room where Liam was living before he died.
He wasn't able to get in because the room is sealed by the justice, by the prosecutor's office. And after that, he came down. He -- the Directioners let him just see what is going on here. He let -- they let him see the cards, see the pictures, see the poems, see the candles, the flowers and everything.
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Signs that said, for example, "Thank you, Liam, for saving us" and "We are sorry for not being able to save you." The father showed those signs, he started to cry. The Directioners cry with him.
He said, thank you, and he left -- Dario Klein, CNN, Buenos Aires.
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BRUNHUBER: U.S. authorities say a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder is wanted by the FBI after being charged with running a drug trafficking ring and murder. Ryan James Wedding is considered a fugitive. His last known address was in Mexico. Our Polo Sandoval has the details.
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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In newly unsealed federal court documents, Ryan Wedding is portrayed as a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder turned associate of the Sinaloa drug cartel.
In the federal documents I've had a chance to review, he is often referred to by his alias as El Jefe or The Boss. Federal prosecutors in California alleged that Wedding actually was the head of a massive cocaine smuggling and distribution organization that bears his name.
According to investigators, large quantities of cocaine would often be smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico, often be stored in various stash houses in Los Angeles before eventually being transported to Canada, using what federal investigators describe as long-haul semi-trucks.
In addition to various drug-related charges, Wedding also accused of several murder charges as well. Investigators alleging that he ordered the killing of two people in 2023 in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment and another person in May of this year to settle a drug debt.
And becoming this alleged drug lord, Wedding was representing, at least represented Canada in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in the snowboarding category in Salt Lake City. Wedding, a Canadian citizen, however, according to authorities, he
last resided in Mexico. So authorities are offering currently a $50,000 reward for any information leading up to his arrest.
He actually went to prison for cocaine distribution for a conviction there in 2010 but believed to have resumed trafficking under the protection of the infamous Sinaloa cartel.
The head of the DEA field office in Los Angeles wrote in a statement, "Wedding, the Olympian snowboarder, went from navigating slopes to contouring a life of incessant crimes. And now he remains a fugitive" -- Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.
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BRUNHUBER: Fast moving brush fires have damaged at least seven homes in Oakland, California.
Strong winds pushed flames to the Hillside neighborhood, where more than 500 people were ordered to evacuate. Firefighters arrived with winds whipping up to 40 miles an hour. The fire was near the freeway that connects the San Francisco Bay area to central California.
There were traffic jams as people fled the area while the inferno grew and spread smoke over the city.
All right, still ahead, the world's smallest Rubik's Cube can give you a big headache. We'll see if our correspondent can solve it in Tokyo where it was designed. That's coming up, stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: The New York Yankees avoided a second meltdown in a row to take a three-to-one lead in the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians. The Yankees were able to score two runs in the ninth inning off the Guardians closer to win 8-6. Game five takes place tonight in Cleveland.
And earlier on Friday, the New York Mets beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 12-6. This sent the National League Championship Series back to L.A. for game six on Sunday. The Dodgers lead the best-of-seven series, three games to two.
In the WNBA playoffs, the Minnesota Lynx held on Friday to force a decisive game five. With 18 seconds left, Bridget Carleton drew a foul and made two free throws with two seconds left to outscore the New York Liberty 82-80.
The teams will meet Sunday in New York for the first game five of finals since 2019.
The worlds smallest Rubik's Cube is the size of the few grains of rice. Japanese toy maker Mega House unveiled the miniature puzzle earlier this month. Our Hanako Montgomery in Tokyo had a go at solving it using a pair of tweezers. Have a look.
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HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is what it takes to solve the world's smallest Rubik's Cube. You'll need a lot of patience and a pair of tweezers. It's about the size of a few grains of rice, with each side measuring just five millimeters.
But yes, it actually works.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It's made with such delicate parts that have been shaken roughly like you would with a normal Rubik's Cube.
There's a possibility that parts might come off.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): The worlds smallest Rubik's Cube was designed by Japanese toy maker Mega House. Made of aluminum, it's about 1,000 times smaller than the classic version.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I wanted to show the world the beauty of Japanese miniatures. The technology that is packed into these small things. But assembling them is the trickiest part because it has to be rotatable.
If you make it too tight with no gaps, it won't move. So you need a minimum amount of space.
MONTGOMERY: You need a lot of concentration to do this. OK, and good eyes.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): At over $5,000, this tiny cube is more of a collector's item, with deliveries rolling out from April -- Hanako Montgomery, CNN, Tokyo.
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BRUNHUBER: King Charles is in Australia for his first trip to a Commonwealth country since assuming the throne. Besides being the British King, Charles is also the king and head of state in Australia. There's wide anti-monarchist sentiment in the nation. Republicans even branded the trip as the farewell Oz tour.
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But while prime minister Anthony Albanese is pro republic his government seems to be in no hurry to talk about severing ties with the House of Windsor.
The musical, "The Lion King," opened at London's Lyceum Theater 25 years ago today. And now the stage adaptation, based on Disney's 1994 film, is back this weekend with a special gala performance on Sunday.
It's been seen by more than 19 million theatergoers in the British capital. The director was part of the team that created the original stage show, which opened in the U.S. in 1997, winning six Tony awards, including Best Direction and Costume Design.
Here she is talking about the universal and enduring appeal of the musical.
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JULIE TAYMOR, DIRECTOR AND WRITER: This piece is something that does transcend culture.
And we found that, everywhere we go in the world, it has a life because it is something very essential to the human experience. London is a theater town. So people come here for theater and they get to see all kinds.
But this is really -- this isn't American theater. It's not English theater. It's not African theater. It's international theater.
BRUNHUBER (voice-over): In a spinoff of the film, titled "Mufasa," "The Lion King" is set to be released in December.
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BRUNHUBER: All right, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment. Please do stay with us.
