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Harris Joined by Obama, Springsteen at Georgia Rally; Yale Professor Weighs in on Trump as a Fascist; Blinken: Gaza Ceasefire- Hostage Talks to Resume Soon; L.A. District Attorney Recommends Resentencing for Menendez Brothers; Ukraine: North Korean Troops Seen in Russia's Kursk Region; Beyonce to Join Kamala Harris Campaign Rally in Houston; World Series Ticket Prices Reach Record High. Aired 12- 12:45a ET

Aired October 25, 2024 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:14]

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Paula Newton, live from New York. Ahead right here on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We're a dumping ground. We're, like a -- we're like a garbage can for the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: As Donald Trump debuts his latest anti-immigrant attack line, Kamala Harris teams up with Barack Obama to warn of the potential dangers of a second Trump presidency.

Plus, a new push to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, hours after the latest strike kills 17 people inside a school sheltering refugees.

And nearly 30 years after they were sentenced to prison for life for killing their parents, a new legal move which could set the Menendez brothers free.

ANNOUNCER: Live from New York, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Paula Newton.

NEWTON: Eleven days and counting. Kamala Harris turns on some high- voltage star power in her push for new support, as Donald Trump makes a swing through several key battleground states.

Now, more than 30 million ballots -- think about that, 30 million -- have already been cast in states allowing early voting. That's about 19 percent, nearly one in five, of all votes cast for president in 2020.

Now at a rally in the battleground state of Georgia on Thursday, Harris was joined on stage by former President Barack Obama. It's the first time the two have campaigned together since she became the Democratic candidate for president. Harris urged the crowd to vote as soon as possible. She stressed the

critical importance of their choice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: So much is on the line in this election. And this is not 2016 or 2020. The stakes are even higher, because over the last two years, and in particular, the last eight years [SIC], Donald Trump has become more confused, more unstable, and more angry.

You see it every day. He has become increasingly unhinged.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, Trump rallied against -- pardon me -- railed against the Biden administration's immigration policies at a rally in the swing border state of Arizona. He falsely claimed that an army of migrant gangs have crossed into the United States.

And he warned that the presence of migrants will literates Medicare and Social Security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We're a dumping ground. We're like a -- we're like a garbage can for the world. That's what's happened. That's what's happened to -- we're like a garbage can.

You know, it's the first time I've ever said that. And every time I come up and talk about what they've done to our country, I get angrier and angrier. First time I've ever said, "garbage can."

But you know what? It's a very accurate description.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, Harris, meantime, painted a stark difference between what day one in the White House would look like for herself versus Trump, as she campaigned in Georgia with some famous faces right by her side.

Our Priscilla Alvarez was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama using their first joint campaign appearance, here in battleground Georgia --

ALVAREZ (voice-over): -- to mobilize voters; to gin up enthusiasm; to get them to go out and vote.

Both former President Barack Obama and the vice president warning of a potential second Trump terms, casting the former president as consumed by his own troubles. Now, the vice president outlined her policies on the economy and on

health care, but she also used a line that campaign officials tell me --

ALVAREZ: -- that she will reiterate several times over the next several days: having voters in the crowd imagine what a Trump in the Oval Office would look like. Take a listen.

HARRIS: Just imagine the Oval Office in three months. Picture it in your mind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You'll be there.

HARRIS: It is either -- so, but there's a choice that everybody has. So, let's imagine it for a moment. It's either Donald Trump in there, stewing -- stewing over his enemies list, or me, working for you, checking off my to-do list. You have the power to make that decision.

ALVAREZ (voice-over): Now, the vice president also called on voters to vote early. Here in Georgia, early voting is well underway. And in DeKalb County, almost a third of active voters have already cast their ballots.

That is going to be a key part of the strategy moving forward, where campaign officials tell me that they are trying to mobilize voters and capitalize on early voting in the battleground states.

[00:05:04]

Now, of course, this event also a star-studded one, with Bruce Springsteen headlining the event. Of course, he has been a frequent appearance in the waning days of the election for Democratic candidates.

More stars expected to come out over the next several days, including on Friday when the vice president will be joined by Beyonce to talk about reproductive freedoms in Houston, Texas.

ALVAREZ: Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, traveling with the Harris-Walz campaign.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Now, meantime, Donald Trump is vowing to fire Special Counsel Jack Smith if he is re-elected, Trump says he would use presidential powers to end Smith's probe into Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and his alleged mishandling of classified documents.

Here is the former president speaking with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUGH HEWITT, RADIO HOST: You're either going to have to pardon yourself, or you're going to have to fire Jack Smith. Which one will you do? TRUMP (via phone): Oh, it's so easy. It's so easy. It's so easy. I

would fire him within two seconds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, the Harris-Walz campaign quickly responded, arguing Trump's need for, quote, "unchecked power." Here's the statement: "Donald Trump thinks he's above the law, and these latest comments are right in line with the warnings made by Trump's former chief of staff that he wants to rule as a dictator with unchecked power.

"A second Trump term, where a more unstable and unhinged Trump has essentially no guardrails and is surrounded by loyalists who will enable his worst instincts, is guaranteed to be more dangerous."

For more, I'm joined by Professor Timothy Snyder. He's a professor of history at Yale University, as well as the author of the book "On Freedom." That is your most recent book.

But you have so often spoken about the dangers of fascism, among other things, and tyranny.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in fact, just a few hours ago, Professor, on CNN -- on CNN, name-checked you as a scholar who's qualified to answer the question: is what Donald Trump is threatening to do -- and let's start with firing Special Counsel Jack Smith -- is that fascism?

And does he stand as a fascist, in your eyes?

TIMOTHY SNYDER, PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, YALE UNIVERSITY: He does, but it's -- it's not so much for any given policy steps, like firing one person or another.

It's more of the general style of politics where, A, we're supposed to believe in a leader, not in the institutions or the law; B, we're supposed to live within a big lie rather than caring about facts; and C, we're expected to turn against one another and live in a politics of "us and them" indefinitely, rather than expecting the government to do anything for us.

It's those sorts of broader things which makes me think it's fair to characterize his approach to politics as fascist.

NEWTON: Why do you believe this hasn't been uttered in any grand way before?

SNYDER: Great question. I think, number -- No. 1, American exceptionalism. We don't want to think that things that happened to other countries can happen to us. But of course, when we think that way, we make it more likely that it's going to happen to us. And I find it very strange that we're having this conversation so late in the day.

No. 2, I think there's the desire not to offend Mr. Trump's supporters by using these kinds of labels. Although, of course, it turns out that they don't seem to particularly mind at all when one does so.

And No. 3, I think there's a kind of American fear of concepts. We sort of like to play it by ear and kind of hope it's all going to turn out for the best.

But I think in Mr. Trump's case, and also in Mr. Vance's case, there's a very consistent pattern, which is just reaffirmed when Trump, for example, puts himself in Hitler's place and says, I want to have Hitler's generals.

NEWTON: You know, you make a good point in terms of voters looking at this, but perhaps hoping for the best. You remind people often that democracy is precious and exceptional.

This can serve as a warning, of course, in today's politics.

But many Trump voters, as you know, will say, look, this type of discussion is alarmist; that Americas democratic institutions have survived one Trump term. And they will survive another, if that happens.

SNYDER: I mean, it's sort of the equivalent of like, you know, you drop a bowling ball on one foot, and you think, Oh, look, I'm still walking. I'll drop it on the other foot. Going to be fine.

I mean, I drove my car into the wall once. I think I'll try it again, see if the house is still standing.

It's really kind of a bad argument, isn't it? I mean, we know that Mr. Trump tried to overthrow our constitutional system in January of 2021. Why would we take that risk again? Why not vote for somebody who you -- who you know actually affirms the principles rather than someone you know who puts them at risk?

But I think it goes deeper than that. I think people are rationalizing. I think some folks would kind of like to see what happens if we just go into chaos. I think a lot of Trump voters are fine with the idea of changing the regime.

[00:10:11]

And if this conversation happened earlier, I think we'd be a little bit more straightforward about that.

So no, this is not alarmist. I mean, it's -- when Mr. Trump says he wants Hitler's generals, that's not anybody making some kind of comparison. That's Mr. Trump talking about what kind of regime he'd like to have, which is a regime where he's a military dictator, where the Constitution doesn't matter, right? And where -- and where he's a sort of leader who's beyond the law.

He says these things over and over and over again. If anything, our problem is that we don't listen to him and his -- because we don't want to believe it.

And supporters are always ready to say, oh, well, that's just words. But, you know, in fascism, that's a new regime change. It's the words that tell you what the deeds are going to be.

NEWTON: And given that definition of fascism, I mean, look, the so- called "F"-word, it's out there now. As a historian, you said during Trump's first term that -- and I'm quoting you now -- "Fascism exists. It existed in history, and we need to keep returning to the history of fascism, because it allows us to see things in our present world that we might not otherwise see."

So, what do you see here right now, less than two weeks before America votes?

SNYDER: It's kind of you to recall that. I mean, the -- thinking in terms of fascism helps you, for example, to see the significance of the big lie.

Fascism involves big lies, alternative realities that people can live in. And so, we can expect, for example, that, regardless of what happens in November, Trump will again claim that he won, and people will follow along with that. That's absolutely predictable, given the framework that we're in.

Another thing which I'm afraid is also very likely is violence. When you live inside a big lie, ultimately, the only way you can "prove," quote, unquote, that it's true is by carrying out an act of violence.

And the third thing one can be sure about is that, given that this is a leader cult which has been -- which has been instigated by a person who regards himself not really as a democratically elected representative, but as a leader of a people, it will -- it will seem clear to a lot of people that he should be in charge, regardless of the legal or the electoral niceties, as they will see it.

These are all predictable things.

Another thing which is predictable is that, as you say, fascism is a thing in the world, which means that Mr. Trump has allies who like his form of government around the world. So, it's pretty predictable that the first half of November, people who support Trump, for example, the regime in Russia, will try to take advantage of whatever he's doing to make matters worse in the U.S.

NEWTON: And we will continue to see how everything unfolds. As you said, less than two weeks to go. Professor, really appreciate your insights and being here with us.

SNYDER: Thank you, Paula.

NEWTON: The latest peace mission from the top U.S. diplomat hasn't stopped the fighting in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon.

Hospital officials in Gaza report at least 17 people, mostly children and the elderly, were killed by an Israeli strike on a school sheltering refugees.

Now, the Israeli military says Hamas terrorists were the target. Israeli strikes throughout Lebanon, meantime, killed at least 12

people on Thursday, according to Lebanese authorities. That is where Israel says it's striking Hezbollah targets.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to meet in London in the coming hours with Jordanian, Emirati and Lebanese officials.

During a visit to Qatar on Thursday, he said Gaza hostage and ceasefire talks would, in fact, resume this weekend.

Yaakov Katz is a senior columnist for "The Jerusalem Post" and a fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute. He is also the author of "Shadow Strike: Inside Israel's Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power."

Good to see you again, and good morning to you. The U.S. continues here to press for a deal. They have clearly scaled back ambitions: perhaps just a hostage release, a limited one, in exchange for a short pause in the fighting, for maybe a week or so. Even that scaled-back plan, what are the odds, do you believe, of getting that done?

YAAKOV KATZ, SENIOR COLUMNIST, "THE JERUSALEM POST": Unfortunately, Paula, the odds are not too high, right? What we've seen is that the -- Hamas, their side, has -- is digging in their heels. They've never been willing to engage in talks now for several months.

There is some cautious optimism that the renewed talks -- this is after two months of no negotiations -- that are supposed to take place beginning Sunday in Doha. The head of Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, is expected to fly there as the head of a delegation to try to get those talks going again. William Burns, the director of the CIA, will be there.

But we also have to keep in mind is that there are elements within the Israeli government who are also opposed to any ceasefire, even if it would be a short one of just a couple of weeks.

[00:15:05]

There is a lot of accomplishments, though. And this is what makes this complicated. For the Israeli military on the ground, we spoke a couple of weeks ago about the death and the killing of Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, who was captured and killed by the Israeli military in Gaza when he was moving between different safe houses.

This, it gives Israel now an opportunity to leverage its military accomplishments and try to move towards a deal.

But it needs someone on the other side willing to negotiate that deal. And it also needs to be able to pass it through its coalition. Not looking very simple right now.

NEWTON: Right. But is it -- right. Is it giving Israel momentum to actually strike a deal? Or giving Israel, you know, new momentum in its military campaign? We have seen some incredibly fierce strikes in Gaza in the last few days. KATZ: Israel is keeping up its campaign in Gaza and is keeping up the

pressure on Hamas, particularly in the North, in a refugee camp called Jabalya, where it had yet to really operate in a big way in the previous ground offensive. That's where it's focusing most of its operations at the moment.

Hamas has been reconstituting itself, according to the Israeli military, and rebuilding its capabilities and infrastructure there. So that campaign will continue.

But I think we have to look at the bigger picture. And the bigger picture here is that Israel's accomplishments on the ground in degrading Hamas's capabilities are significant; in taking out their leadership, are significant.

The question is, how do you translate that from military accomplishments into what you need to end this war, which is going to have to be a political resolution that also includes a return of at least those hostages who are alive out of the 101 who are still being held by Hamas.

And it ends the war, which is now entering its, what, 14th month almost since it began on October 7th, so -- of last year.

So, Israel needs to try to find a way to get out of this. The accomplishments and achievements of the military does provide that path forward.

NEWTON: Yes, but Yaakov, you yourself, months ago, started writing about the fact that -- and I quote -- you hear that, you know, "a political resolution needs to be put on the table."

You just said again, it's still not on the table. So -- so what is it going to take here? Because this does not look like the Israeli government is ready to actually come to that political deal, which you and I both know, there are people around the cabinet table. There are people in the Israeli military, the IDF, saying, yes, we need that political solution. What does it look like?

KATZ: Yes, unfortunately, Paula, I stand by that. And I think that this is the possibly greatest mistake and failure of the current Israeli government; is not articulating or outlining what it is that it wants.

Military is just one means in a war. You need to have a process at the end that is going to end that war. We've seen it countless times, tragically, throughout all the wars throughout history. You need to have something that is going to be that -- that end game.

And Israel's not articulating it, I think, mostly out of political consideration. The prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, understands that he needs this, but his hands are a bit tied, because his coalition is made up of at least two parties on the farther right, who are opposed to any resolution that would see anyone from the Palestinian Authority, any other force that is not Israel, retaking the reins over Gaza, now that Hamas has been removed, essentially, from power, definitely with the elimination of Yahya Sinwar, the leader who was killed.

So, there's an opportunity here, but Israel needs to help outline and articulate what that's going to be. Of course, it needs to work with its allies, whether it's the Saudis, or the Emiratis, or the Egyptians. And of course, the Americans.

And Tony Blinken's visit here, the secretary of state, just a couple of days ago, is meant to try to move that forward. That's why he went from Israel to Riyadh. That's why he's now meeting with leaders and the foreign ministers of Jordan and the emirates. And he went to Doha.

All of this is aimed at trying to get that process moving forward, but Israel has to realize that it has to play a role here. And unfortunately, it's not doing that at the moment.

NEWTON: Yes, and that is unnerving, not just to the families of the hostages but also of course, civilians in Gaza as they wait to see some kind of resolution here.

Yaakov Katz in Jerusalem for us, appreciate it.

KATZ: Thank you.

NEWTON: Still ahead for us, North Korean troops could be closer than ever to fighting for Russia in Ukraine. We'll explain exactly where they were spotted.

Plus, L.A. County's district attorney is asking for a re-sentencing for the Menendez brothers, nearly 30 years after their trial gripped the United States.

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NEWTON: The Los Angeles County district attorney says he will recommend re-sentencing for the Menendez brothers at a hearing in the coming hours. He says the move would make them eligible for immediate parole.

The trial of Lyle and Erik Menendez gripped the United States in the 1990s. They are currently serving life sentences without parole for killing their parents in 1989.

But recently, there has been new attention on this case. CNN's Jean Casarez picks up the story from there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Los Angeles district attorney, George Gascon, is recommending a re-sentencing for Erik and Lyle Menendez.

CASAREZ (voice-over): They, of course, are the brothers that were sentenced in 1996 for premeditated murder of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in 1989. At the time of the commission of their crimes, Erik was 18; Lyle was

21.

The district attorney says they have served and been in custody about 35 years at this point. And because of their rehabilitation, which it appears he's going to focus in on, he believes that a re-sentencing is appropriate.

Here are the exact words of the district attorney of Los Angeles, George Gascon.

GEORGE GASCON, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, LOS ANGELES COUNTY: After a very careful review of all the arguments that were made for people on both sides of this equation, I came to a place where I believe that, under the law, resentencing is appropriate. And I am going to recommend that to a court tomorrow.

CASAREZ (voice-over): The district attorney says that continuous rehabilitative efforts of the brothers during their incarceration is going to be front and center in this.

But also of immense importance is, he says, quote, "Our office has gained a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding sexual violence."

The defense of these brothers was that their father sexually assaulted them for years and they committed these killings because of the fear that they had inside of them.

Now, the district attorney says that they have done a meticulous review of the filings. They have spoken with family members who are supportive of this. They are really looking at the rehabilitation.

And the focus has been that prison is where you serve out your sentence. That is your punishment. And this is according to California's statute. And that the prison sentence itself that you have endured is rehabilitative. It is the rehabilitation.

Next step will be -- will go before a judge. We'll see if anyone contests this. And the date for a hearing is as yet to be determined.

CASAREZ: Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: According to Ukraine's intelligence service, North Korean troops have been spotted near the Ukrainian border.

Now, it's believed thousands of soldiers from the North had been training in Far Eastern Russia, but this is the first time they've reportedly been seen near the front lines.

[00:25:05]

We're told they're now in Russia's Kursk region, marked in orange there, where Ukraine has maintained a foothold since launching an incursion in August.

The Russian president was questioned about the North Korean deployment on Thursday and said his country is, quote, "in contact with Pyongyang" but said little else.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): As for our relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as you know, our strategic partnership treaty was ratified only today. There is Article IV, and Russia never doubted that the DPRK is serious about Russian cooperation.

But what we will do and how we will do it is our business.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, President Putin's remarks came during the BRICS economic summit that he's been hosting in Russia. The final day's events included remarks from the U.N. secretary-general, who also met with the Russian president.

CNN's Marc Stewart has our details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARC STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: At a time when the West is trying to isolate Vladimir Putin, the BRICS summit that we've been watching in Russia shows that he has supporters who are coming to his home turf in the midst of the Ukraine war.

STEWART (voice-over): Among the many events on Thursday, an address by the U.N. secretary-general, Antonio Guterres. His invite to the BRICS summit drew criticism from Ukraine's government. Its foreign ministry posted this statement to X, reading, "The U.N. secretary-general declined Ukraine's invitation to the first global peace summit in Switzerland. He did, however, accept the invitation to Kazan from war criminal Putin. This is a wrong choice that does not advance the cause of peace. It only damages the U.N.'s reputation."

Broadly speaking, a U.N. spokesperson said this visit comes after last year's BRICS gathering in South Africa, adding it's standard to attend meetings where there are large numbers of important member states, like G-7 and G-20.

Guterres did address the war in Ukraine and the violence in the Middle East. But the remarks, very general. Let's listen.

ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: We need peace in Gaza with an immediate ceasefire. We need peace in Lebanon with an immediate cessation of hostilities, moving to the full implementation of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701.

We need peace in Ukraine, a just peace in line with U.N. charter, international law, and General Assembly resolutions. STEWART (voice-over): A big part of this gathering was for Putin and

Chinese leader Xi Jinping to promote a message that there are other worldviews besides the United States and its allies.

Putin has touted BRICS as part of a, quote, "new world order" --

STEWART: -- but denies it is an anti-Western alliance.

Marc Stewart, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: As election day nears in the United States presidential race, the Boss joined Democrat Kamala Harris to get out the vote. And more big stars are on the roster. We'll tell you all about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

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NEWTON: Music superstar there, Bruce Springsteen, performing hours ago at a campaign rally for Vice President Kamala Harris in the battleground state of Georgia.

Now, between songs, Springsteen said he wants a president who reveres constitutional principles, adding that would be Harris.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, MUSICIAN: Donald Trump is running to be an American tyrant. He does not understand this country, its history, or what it means to be deeply American.

And that's why November 5, I'm casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: And the stars, they keep coming. Superstar Beyonce is expected to perform and appear alongside Kamala Harris at a campaign rally in Houston, Texas, on Friday.

And speculation does continue over whether pop star Taylor Swift will join Harris on the campaign trail. CNN's Brian Todd has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) (MUSIC: BEYONCE'S "FREEDOM")

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Her Grammy-nominated ballad "Freedom" is already a staple at Kamala Harris's rallies, but on Friday, pop superstar Beyonce will up the ante, appearing on stage with the vice president at a rally in Houston.

LEIGH ANN CALDWELL, ANCHOR, "WASHINGTON POST LIVE": This is a huge, huge get for Kamala Harris. It generates excitement. It generates buzz. And that's what Kamala Harris's team wants in these final days.

TODD (voice-over): The celebrity buzz for Harris also ramped up on Thursday night with an appearance by rock star Bruce Springsteen, who took the stage with the vice president and former President Barack Obama at a get-out-the-vote rally in Atlanta.

Harris said she was honored by it.

HARRIS: I think it just shows the breadth and depth of the support that we have and also the enthusiasm.

TODD (voice-over): The sheer star power that's been brought to the 2024 race is palpable.

TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER: Are you ready for it?

TODD (voice-over): Harris has also scored the endorsement of musical icon Taylor Swift, who brings more than 280 million Instagram followers and a proven record of being able to inspire young people to register to vote.

BRYAN WEST, TAYLOR SWIFT REPORTER, "USA TODAY": With Taylor, it's not just about her influence, it's her power. It's her ability to speak to a massive fandom.

TODD (voice-over): Harris has won endorsements from musician Lizzo, pop and R&B star Usher, actor George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention.

OPRAH WINFREY, MEDIA MOGUL: Values and character matter most of all.

MEGAN THEE STALLION: With the future president of the United States!

TODD (voice-over): And from rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who also appeared with the vice president at a rally.

Donald Trump has scored a high-profile endorsement from X owner Elon Musk, who's also contributed tens of millions of dollars to boost Trump's campaign.

ELON MUSK, OWNER OF X, TESLA, SPACEX: Donald Trump has to be -- has to win this election. He really does.

TODD (voice-over): Trump's also won the endorsement of country rock star Kid Rock, who performed at the Republican National Convention; an endorsement from actor Dennis Quaid, who's campaigned for Trump; and from icons of combat sports like UFC head Dana White; and pro wrestler Hulk Hogan.

HULK HOGAN, FORMER PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER: Let Trump-amania run wild, brother!

MICHAEL WARREN, SENIOR EDITOR, "THE DISPATCH": These may not be the most popular with Gen Z college girls, but men, that's a big part of Donald Trump's coalition. And that's who he's trying to tap into with those celebrities. He does need those celebrities to validate him.

TODD (voice-over): On Harris's aside, the suspense now lies with one tantalizing possibility.

CALDWELL: I'm sure that they would love for Taylor Swift to appear alongside Kamala Harris.

TODD: A Harris campaign official declined to answer a question on whether Taylor Swift would appear with the vice president on the campaign trail, only saying, quote, "Wouldn't that be great?" 4

When Swift endorsed Harris in September, Donald Trump said at the time that she would probably pay a price for that in the marketplace. And a Trump campaign spokesman said it was more evidence that the Democrats have become the party of the wealthy elite.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: The U.S. president is getting ready to deliver a message that he says is way overdue.

Joe Biden will apologize for the government's role in running boarding schools that abused Native American children from the early 1800s through the 1960s.

The formal apology is scheduled for Friday during a visit to a school on the Gila River Indian reservation in Arizona.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[00:35:07]

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm heading to do something that should have been done a long time ago: make a formal apology to Indian nations for the way we treated their children for so many years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: The White House says the boarding schools forced at least 18,000 Native American children to assimilate by using harsh methods to destroy their culture, language, and identity.

Nearly 1,000 children died while attending these schools.

The White House says Americans must learn and remember their country's full history, quote, "even when it is painful, so that it is never repeated."

OK. Still to come for us, Shohei Ohtani's Los Angeles Dodgers will take on Aaron Judge's New York Yankees at the World Series, ticking off Friday. We'll get a preview of the legendary match-up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: A Colorado man is suing McDonald's restaurants in the U.S. over an E. coli outbreak linked to its Quarter Pounder hamburgers.

And the outbreak has caused at least 49 illnesses across ten states, including one death. The suit comes a day after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a food safety alert.

The plaintiff's lawyers say the man ate at a McDonald's before experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms and tested positive for E. coli a few days later.

Regulators say the onions or beef on the sandwich are likely the culprits. McDonald's has taken Quarter Pounders off the menu in about a fifth of its U.S. stores.

Some other major fast-food chains have proactively removed fresh onions from their menus. That's in response to the McDonald's outbreak. Burger King, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC say they've pulled fresh onions from select restaurants, quote, "out of an abundance of caution."

Also, the distributor, U.S. Foods, has recalled four onion products due to potential contamination. And a supplier to McDonald's and Burger King followed suit, despite finding no traces of E. coli in tests of its onions.

OK, the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are preparing for an epic showdown when the World Series kicks off on Friday. Ticket prices, yes, they've reached a record highs now as fans scramble to see the two teams face off for the first time since 1981.

CNN's Natasha Chen has more.

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NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): East versus West. Shohei Ohtani versus Aaron Judge. It's the dream matchup, 43 years in the making.

MIGUEL JIMENEZ, KADI PROMOTIONS: Because it's Yankees versus Dodgers. You know, nobody wants to miss this game.

CHEN (voice-over): Miguel Jimenez is a ticket reseller in Los Angeles.

JIMENEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

CHEN (voice-over): With high-rolling clients hoping to score seats.

JIMENEZ: What kind of ticket are you looking for? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In this case, I'm just looking for the best deal. Whatever the best deal is.

[00:40:03]

JIMENEZ: OK. You know the cheapest ticket's 1,100.

CHEN (voice-over): Seats closer to the action are going for thousands, the most expensive tickets to a World Series ever.

Jimenez says that's partly because prices in general have jumped since the pandemic but also because of who's playing.

CHEN: The interest in this epic World Series matchup between an East and West Coast team from the two largest metro areas in the U.S. really extends beyond our borders to countries where fans may have historically rooted for the Yankees.

JIMENEZ: You have to let you know, in Mexico, 80 percent of the population go for Yankees. A lot of people, the North side of Mexico, they go for Dodgers.

CHEN (voice-over): Gary Lee, founder of the Dodgers Nation fan site, says similarly, in Japan after World War II, there had been a tradition of rooting for the Yankees, but now Shohei Ohtani is their nation's superstar.

GARY LEE, FOUNDER, DODGERS NATION: Shohei turning into a Dodger right now and then having to face the Yankees. This is going to be -- there's going to be some discussions between Grandpa and -- and his grandkids at the dinner table.

CHEN (voice-over): Fans from Japan poured into L.A. during the regular season to see Ohtani play, staying in L.A.'s Little Tokyo, where businesses have seen way more customers this season.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We thought we ordered enough, but then people got-- you know, the word got out, and all of a sudden, they're here all the time.

When we hit the like 50-50, we broke the record. Tons of people just swarmed downtown just to, like, celebrate.

CHEN (voice-over): A very different dynamic than the last Dodgers World Series appearance in 2020, when the pandemic prevented most fans from attending any of the games, played in Texas rather than at the team's home stadiums.

LEE: That feeling -- we didn't get a parade. Nothing. You know, it was more of like a "yay, we won." You know, stay home. You know? Keep your mask on.

CHEN (voice-over): This time, the series starts in Los Angeles, and people are seizing the moment, even if many can't afford a seat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the classic clown face. You know, a little bit of pinstriping. Bring car culture into it.

CHEN (voice-over): They're buying merchandise and treats with cultural touches, the way only a melting pot of a city can do.

DEANNA DUCTOC, OWNER, LOS ANGELITOS BAKERY: It's even more meaningful, because we're bringing our culture and what we love, and part of our city together.

CHEN (voice-over): Natasha Chen, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: OK. I know East Coast, West Coast. But the middle of the country is saying, what about us? I've heard that already.

I'm Paula Newton. I'll be back at the top of the hour with more CNN NEWSROOM. But first, WORLD SPORT starts after a quick break.

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