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Trump "Open" to Allowing Zelenskyy Into Summit with Putin; Ukraine Strikes Russian Drone Storage Warehouse; Pushback Against Israel's Gaza City Takeover; Hostage Families Sail Near Gaza; Texas Sues to Remove 13 Protesting Democrats from Seats; DNA Advances Help Identify Victims of 9/11; Europe Swelters Under Extreme Heat. Aired 4- 5a ET

Aired August 10, 2025 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: -- not exactly. White House officials are now reportedly blaming their inaction on the fact that Trump can't legally do this on his own and would need Congress to pass a law. Republicans have a majority in Washington, of course, and the President has successfully gotten them to pass other legislation.

In response to this new reporting, the White House says, quote, "President Trump pledged to expand access to fertility treatments for Americans who are struggling to start families. The administration is committed like none before to using its authorities to deliver on this pledge.

Thanks so much for joining us. The news continues right here on CNN.

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Ukraine gets another show of support ahead of the high stakes Trump- Putin meeting. A member of Ukraine's Parliament will give us his perspective. Israelis ramp up the pressure on their government to bring the hostages home. The father of one of those hostages will join me live. Plus, how the Texas redistricting battle could have serious ripple effects across the country ahead of next year's midterms.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: The White House says the U.S. president is open to a joint summit with both leaders of Russia and Ukraine in Alaska on Friday. Biden official is tamping down expectations, saying most likely any meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy would happen after Donald Trump speaks with Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine's president and his European allies say There can be no deal without Ukrainian involvement. Zelenskyy has also ruled out giving up Ukrainian land. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): What is needed is not a pause in the killings, but real lasting peace, not a ceasefire sometime in the future, months from now, but immediately. President Trump told me this and I fully support it.

The President of the United States has the leverage and the determination. Ukraine has supported all of President Trump's proposal since February. All parties supported the ceasefire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, Britain's foreign minister hosted a meeting with U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance, and representatives from Ukraine and other European nations to discuss the war. A U.S. official says significant progress was made. The European nations issued a joint statement afterwards saying, in part, quote, "Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force."

CNN's Betsy Klein brings us the latest on the Trump administration's efforts to end the war on Ukraine without Ukraine's input.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, since President Donald Trump announced his plans to meet with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, there has been an intensive diplomatic effort behind the scenes to get U.S. allies on board. The details of this meeting are still coming together very quickly, and we still don't know exactly where in Alaska this meeting will take place. But notably, when the president announced this meeting, he did not say whether or when Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would be a part of this process to achieve a potential ceasefire deal with Russia.

Now, Zelenskyy has been emphatic that Ukraine will not seed any territory to Russia. He has also said he wants to be a participant in these conversations. And it also comes after Putin personally met with the president's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, earlier this week where Putin laid out the contours of a potential deal. The president pressed on those specific details, said it was possible that a deal could include, quote, "some swapping of territories." Leaving European allies scrambling to learn more about a potential deal here. They've expressed concern about the possibility of Ukraine seeding territory, and have also been strongly advocating for Zelenskyy to be a part of these talks.

Now, to allay some of those concerns, Vice President J. D. Vance on Saturday convened an hours long meeting with U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy and officials from Europe and Ukraine in England to discuss the U.S. view going into that meeting on Friday, as well as Americans' understanding of the Russian stance ahead of that meeting. Steve Witkoff was also said to have attended virtually. A U.S. official, telling me they made significant progress during that meeting.

But it's still unclear at this point whether there is buy-in from those European officials on this potential peace deal. European officials are also working to ensure that Zelenskyy is present at any future conversation about a potential deal. If not in Alaska, then at any follow up meetings.

[04:05:00]

But two sources familiar with the matter tell our colleague Kristen Holmes that the White House has not completely ruled out inviting Zelenskyy to Alaska. The details of this meeting remain in flux.

Betsy Klein, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Ukrainians are reacting angrily to being left out of peace talks, they don't trust Russian president Vladimir Putin, and they insist they won't accept an unjust peace paid with countless Ukrainian lives. But Russians say they believe in their presence, goals, and motivations. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Putin is a very clever man. He will go for some swapping of territories. He will, because he's clever and he values people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): For sure these talks will help. These will be the meeting of two big, powerful figures, our president and Trump. But if these talks do not help, nothing will help.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I believe that if Trump wanted to end the, he has every opportunity to do so. You can't play games with Putin. Look at Europe. They said, let's appease him, and he sees that he can do whatever he wants.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The current leader of America is a spineless windbag. What is happening now is some kind of game that we do not understand. While they are negotiating something there, people are dying. If they could make a deal or wanted to, they would've had already done it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: All right. I want to get the view from Ukraine. Yehor Cherniev is a Ukrainian member of parliament and is the chairman of the Ukrainian delegation to NATO, and he joins me from Kyiv. Thank you, sir, for joining us here. Really appreciate it. So, the two presidents meeting in Alaska without any Ukrainian representatives, we heard their -- from some Ukrainians, do you share their anger about being left out of these discussions?

YEHOR CHERNIEV, UKRAINIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: Well, I'm sure that President Trump understands the situation and know the position of Ukrainian, the Ukrainian people. And this position have long known -- have been long known and unchanged. We will never surrender any territory of Ukraine voluntary. So, we'll -- it's not a position for Ukraine just to give up and just to give this territory to Putin, as Putin try to convince our partners that it'll be the final request from him and it'll appease him and he will not go ahead.

But we shouldn't be fooled by these words because, for me, actually, and for Ukrainian people, it seems like the repeating of their situation in -- of 1938 when Hitler tries to convince our western partners that you should just give a part of Czechoslovakia (INAUDIBLE). And it will be end of any wars, but we all understand we all know that what was happened after.

BRUNHUBER: Yes.

CHERNIEV: And now, we see the same rhetoric, the same diplomatic treats, the same manipulation and lies from Putin, and unfortunately, the same plans to conquer the neighborhood countries step by step. So, I hope that Trump will not be tricked by Putin and the deal will be fair and just for Ukraine.

BRUNHUBER: Well, on that exactly, I mean, President Trump has said he won't make a bad deal for Ukraine, but he's also promised to end this war quickly. So, can those two things actually go together from Ukraine's perspective?

CHERNIEV: I hope so. I hope so. And Trump -- President Trump has the leverages how to push and press to Putin and Russia through the sanctions, through the tariffs, secondary sanctions for other countries. And I think it can bring peace. But again, we need just peace, not for any price.

BRUNHUBER: Well, if Donald Trump then comes out of the Alaska discussions and says, Ukraine needs to give up territory for peace as he has already said, by the way, how do you think you know, President Zelenskyy and Ukrainians in government would respond to that kind of pressure from their biggest ally? And I recognize that you've already said that you don't intend to swap territory. But with that kind of pressure, what can you do?

CHERNIEV: Well, the absolute majority of the Ukrainian people will not support this idea. And despite even the -- this devastating war, despite that fatigue of war, we still have the same position. We cannot betray our people who still live on these territories, just saying to them that, well, we'll leave you there. It's a hundred of thousands of people.

[04:10:00]

It's our territory. We shouldn't bargain -- you know, exchanging Ukrainian territory to Ukrainian territory. It's a nonsense. So, I think, unfortunately, we'll be forced just to rely on ourselves and our European partners, but it's not an option for us to surrender and to give up our people, first of all, and then territory. BRUNHUBER: How realistic is it though to be able to rely just on your European partners if Donald Trump says, all right, you're not willing to give up any territory, I'm washing my hands of this and cutting Ukraine's support?

CHERNIEV: Well, first of all, I really count and we really count on the U.S. and on the President Trump's vision and position and hope that the U.S. will stay our strategic partner and will provide us with the support of the weapon and intelligence data. But if not, unfortunately, we will -- as I said, we will be forced just to rely on ourselves.

Yes, we increased our own military production, but unfortunately, we cannot cover all our needs by ourselves or all -- or by the help of our European partners because they cannot provide us, for example, with all needed air defense systems or air defense missiles, these systems. And it will bring, I think, a catastrophic situation to our civilian cities because more civilians will be killed by Russian missiles and drones. But as I said, we don't have any other options just to keep fighting.

BRUNHUBER: We'll have to leave it there. I really appreciate your time. Yehor Cherniev, thank you so much.

CHERNIEV: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Ukraine's Security Service says it hit a Russian warehouse used for storing Iranian-made Shahed drones. Now, this footage released by Ukraine's SBU appears to show a long-range Ukrainian drone making a direct hit on the logistical hub in Tatarstan in East Central Russia. It called the warehouse a legitimate military target.

Some families of Israelis held hostage in Gaza sailed toward the enclave this week. Ahead, one of them will join me live to explain why he did it, and the message the group's trying to send to Israeli lawmakers.

Plus, protests, threats, and accusations. The battle over U.S. congressional redistricting is expanding. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:15:00]

BRUNHUBER: The families of hostages in Gaza are putting Israeli leaders on notice that there'll be a price to pay if their loved ones don't return home.

Tens of thousands of protestors rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday, pushing back against a new plan for a military takeover of Gaza City, and this was one of the largest rallies in months. But this time around, hostage families went a step further, sending a direct warning to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) EINAV ZANGAUKER, MOTHER OF HOSTAGE MATAN ZANGAUKER (through translator): If you had made parts of the strip and the living hostages are murdered, we will pursue you in the streets during elections and everywhere at all times. We will remind the people of Israel day and night that you could have secured a hostage deal and instead, you chose to condemn them to death. Prime Minister, your hands will be stained with the blood of the hostages and our soldiers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The families also sent a symbolic message sitting at a dining table with canned food and sand spread across it. It was meant to represent the dire conditions and hunger their loved ones are facing in captivity. CNN's Matthew Chance was at the protest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're here in the center of Tel Aviv where thousands of people have gathered to express their anger, their fury at this latest decision by the Israeli government, Israeli military to go into the Gaza Strip and to occupy Gaza City, the most densely populated area that remains inside Gaza.

There are a great deal of concerns here that that military operation, which is expected to take place within the next two months will jeopardize the security, the lives of the Israeli hostages still being held inside Gaza. There are 50 hostages still inside Gaza, 20 of them are still believed to be alive. And so, there's a great deal of concern amongst the Israeli public about that.

There's also concern that the Israeli military is already overstretch. The military is expressed its opposition to further military action, and that opposition is reflected in the population at large. Opinion polls say 70 percent of Israelis want an end to the war right now and an immediate deal with Hamas to get the hostages back home and for the war to end.

Every night -- every Saturday night rather there are protests like this in Tel Aviv, but this one is particularly intense as the country stands on the brink of yet more military operations inside Gaza. In fact, the only people in Israel who are really satisfied and happy with this decision to go into Gaza are the far-right partners on which Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, depends for the survival of his fragile political coalition. And that's why there's such a lot of criticism that you hear expressed here that this latest next phase in the conflict in Gaza is motivated by politics, by his political survival, not by a necessity to secure the future of Israel.

Matthew Chance, CNN in Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Police in London arrested 365 people on Saturday. Large crowds were protesting the British government's ban on a pro- Palestinian activist group called Palestine Action. [04:20:00]

Now, in Barcelona, hundreds of people marched in support of Gaza. They chanted Gaza, you were not alone, and held signs showing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu behind bars.

Airdrops of desperately needed humanitarian aid turned deadly in Gaza on Saturday. Now, we just want to warn you, the images we're about to show you are disturbing.

Hospital officials say a 14-year-old boy was killed after being struck by a box of aid in Central Gaza. A video showed a crowd scrambling to remove the palate from him after he was crushed by its weight. The victim's brother who was nearby described how it happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Despite the famine and the hard conditions that we live in, my brother went to get aid that was dropped into the sea by airplanes. A box fell on him directly and he was martyred. They cannot enter the aid through the crossing, but they drop them over us and kill our children. A kid was killed in Zawayda and here and there, and nobody feels us. God is sufficient for us against them and their aid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The U.N. has been warning that airdrops are dangerous. Officials in Gaza say the aid packages often crash onto the homes or tents of displaced Palestinians, and that the airdrops led to crowding and stampedes, which have caused injuries.

Family members of Israeli hostages boarded boats this week to send a message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They took part in a flotilla that traveled to Gaza's maritime border. It was an emotion plea asking the Israeli government to do more to free their loved ones. The boats were decorated with Israeli flags and yellow flags, which have come to represent a call to bring home the hostages.

Yehuda Cohen was the man in this photo. He was one of the men on the boats, and his son Nimrod on the left in this picture here was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7th. Nimrod Cohen was 19 years old then, he is 21 now. And we're joined by his father, Yehuda Cohen in Rehoboth, Israel. Thank you so much for being here with us. Really appreciate it. So, first, before we get into any of the issues, your son, do you have any word about his condition?

YEHUDA COHEN, FATHER OF HOSTAGE NIMROD COHEN: We know he is there in the tunnel in -- two hostages were with him. Two hostages returned in the end was with him. Condition is -- relative to other hostages were there (INAUDIBLE). They had food and -- less food, but they had severe supply of food.

In the tunnels that is more or less conditioned. Right now, we don't know what condition he is. Potentially, the condition worsened because of the war, resumed to war and that's why it's crucial to end it as fast as possible.

BRUNHUBER: OK. And we are having a bit of trouble with your audio, but I did understand that he is, at last word, was at least in a reasonable condition. So, looking at the flotilla that you were part of, you were out there on the water pleading for your son. I mean, if he could have heard you, what would you have wanted to say to him?

COHEN: Well, first of all, let's say this flotilla -- actually over cruising near echelon in Israel. We didn't get into international water or leave national -- Israel national water. It was the more symbolic. Anyway, my son is way in the south, in Khan Younis. We were north to Gaza. And if it was closed anyway, he was in the tunnels.

So, I think it was more symbolic. The thing was to attract media, to attract attention, and that was what it was. No more than that. The thing is -- the more important thing is to reach international governments. And right now, emphasizing about the European with their declaration of declaring -- in the U.N. and I think we could get, because first of all, it's a pressure on Netanyahu.

We currently don't see much pressure from the Trump administration, and we know that Netanyahu is more or less that don't count public opinion in Israel demonstration and everything. We need more to work from the outside (ph).

[04:25:00]

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Listen we appreciate you speaking with us. Unfortunately, the audio is a bit poor. But we appreciate the emotions behind what you were saying and your efforts to try and get your son and the rest of the hostages home. Appreciate you speaking with us. Yehuda Cohen, thank you so much.

COHEN: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Well, it's been more than two decades since the 9/11 terror attacks and recent breakthroughs in DNA analysis are bringing much needed closure to the victim's families. We'll have details when we come back. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

The battle to change congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms is expanding. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is asking the State Supreme Court to remove 13 Democratic lawmakers whose absence is preventing a vote on redrawn Texas districts. Texas is also suspending direct deposit for the absent lawmakers. In a direct response to Texas, Democratic lawmakers in California are planning a special election in November to redraw their state's congressional districts. CNN's Arlette Saenz has more on the battle for control of Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Republican push for redistricting in Texas remains at a standstill as the Texas House Democrats are sticking to their strategy to remain out of the state in order to block a vote from happening. Republican leaders in the state are trying to exert a pressure campaign on these lawmakers to get them back into Texas. On Saturday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton actually filed a legal complaint in the State of California asking them to enforce civil arrest warrants for these Texas Democrats.

[04:30:00]

The complaint lists six Texas House Democrats who were in California with California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday. But the catch here is, is that those Texas Democrats are no longer in the state, that's according to a source familiar with their whereabouts that I spoke with. And the California governor seemed to tease that in a post on social media writing, quote, "You should definitely use all resources looking for them here, Ken. You will totally find them."

Now, the attorney -- Texas attorney general has also asked the Texas Supreme Court to remove 13 absent House Democrats from their seats. But so far, Democrats in that Texas House delegation have said that they remain undeterred.

STATE REP. GENE WU (D-TX): We will not be broken by these antics. We are not here to play games. We are not here to make waves, to go viral, or do any of that stuff.

SAENZ: Now, the Texas House speaker says they plan to reconvene on Monday to try again on redistricting. But so far, Democrats have not shown any indication that they are budging from their strategy. There is a very real time crunch here as the Texas special session is set to end on August 19th, and several of those Texas House Democrats have said that they are prepared to stay out of the state until that session ends.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: CNN's Senior Political Analyst Ron Brownstein calls this an ominous moment for voters serious. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: We are in a surprisingly decent place on redistricting after 2020, not that red states and blue states drew a lot of fair maps, but almost all experts have studied it, basically say that the red and blue gerrymanders largely cancel each other out, and we now have a House in which is more sensitive and representative of public opinion than we've seen in many decades, where the party that wins the most votes nationwide is also very likely to win the majority, that obviously is at risk if we have an all-out districting war between red and blue states and the biggest flaw in the current maps. So, like a war could undermine the best feature of the current maps, which is somewhat inadvertent, but real partisan neutrality. But a war would also compound the biggest flaw in the current maps, which is a lack of competition. There are only 37 districts in 2024 that was decided by five points or less, according to the Brennan Center. Both parties, but especially Republicans, yes, have drawn seats that are not competitive, don't really give voters a chance to weigh in.

And if we go down this road of all the red and blue states being forced into an all-out war, there'll be even less choice for voters. We'll be in a world where elected officials are picking their voters rather than the other way around.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Investigators have identified men suspected of carrying out a fatal shooting at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. He's 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White who died during the incident. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation into what caused him to open fire. Photos obtained by CNN show bullet holes in CDC windows. Police say 33-year-old officer David Rose was shot during the attack. He later died from his wounds at a nearby hospital. Authorities haven't confirmed a motive, but sources tell CNN the gunman may have targeted the CDC because he believed a COVID vaccine made him sick.

Three victims of the 9/11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center in New York have been identified nearly 24 years later. The positive identifications came thanks to new advances in DNA matching. CNN's Leigh Waldman spoke with the son of one of those finally identified.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This week, through extensive DNA testing, three additional remains have been positively identified from the 9/11 terror attack by the New York City Medical Examiner's office. They are identified as Ryan Fitzgerald, a woman whose family is choosing to withhold her name at this time, and Barbara Keating. We spoke with Barbara Keating's son Paul, who said this news was shocking after almost 24 years without a positive identification of his mother. He said they had begun to lose hope.

But they got a call from the medical examiner's office saying that they found a hairbrush with hair in it they believed to be belonging to his mother. After some testing from familial DNA, they were able to positively identify her, something that they are so incredibly thankful for.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL KEATING, SON OF IDENTIFIED 9/11 VICTIM: That we were told not to anticipate that. And apparently, there's -- through ridiculous impressive effort by the ME's office and apparently some new technology, they were able to do that and that that was amazing to me.

[04:35:00] We'll always have a connection and a debt of gratitude to them for everything they've done every step of the way. And they have given us a form of closure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALDMAN: The New York City Medical Examiner's office is continuing on with these efforts to try and identify more of those unnamed remains at this point. The chief medical examiner saying quote, "Each new identification tests the promise of science and sustained outreach to families despite the passage of time. We continue this work as our way of honoring the lost. 1,100 people have still not been positively identified more than two decades later.

In New York, I'm Leigh Waldman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Some say President Trump is attempting to bring Mar-a-Lago to the White House. Up next, we'll bring you the latest on Trump's legacy project, which includes big changes for the historic Rose Garden.

And Europe is once again facing extreme heat. How communities across the continent are dealing with the high temperatures. Those stories and more coming up after the break. Stay with. us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: For more than a century, the White House Rose Garden has been a stage for everything from presidential pardons to parties. Once a colonial style garden, famously revitalized by First Lady Jackie Kennedy who put in a paved patio. CNN's Tom Foreman walks us through the history of the garden and its new look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Call it a new war of the roses with the makeover of one of the world's most iconic gardens, prompting a critic on X to say team Trump's paving job has made the rose garden look like a patio at Panera. While the President insists it's a big improvement over the grassy expanse that rain routinely turned into a squishy mess.

[04:40:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Would take three, four, five days for it to dry out. And we couldn't use it for really the intended purpose. So, yes, we've gotten great reviews on the Rose Garden.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOREMAN (voiceover): For more than a century, the legendary spot has hosted history. John Kennedy welcomed astronauts here after they returned to Earth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KENNEDY, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let me tell you that you've given the United States a great day and a great lift.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOREMAN (voiceover): Richard Nixon launched his daughter into marriage in the garden.

George H.W. Bush welcomed royalty from afar.

Bill Clinton, as a young visitor, met President Kennedy there, then apologized for some of his actions during his presidency near the same spot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am profoundly sorry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOREMAN (voiceover): Pronouncements, parties and pardons have all had moments in the garden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I hereby grant you a full pardon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOREMAN (voiceover): But change has come, too. From Edith Roosevelt's colonial garden in the early 1900s to Jackie Kennedy's update in the early 1960s, which established the modern look of the rose garden, to Melania Trump's try just a few years ago. By comparison, that was a minor remake, but it still triggered outraged opposition and left the first lady feeling bruised by the backlash, asking people to accept the very act of planting a garden involves hard work and hope in the possibility of a bright future.

FOREMAN: It all comes down to a fairly simple equation. President Trump is once again trying to put his indelible stamp on Washington, and there are some people who do not find it to their taste.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: From storms to scorching heat, communities in the U.S. and around the world are closely watching the weather. In the Pacific, Henriette is once again a tropical storm but isn't expected to threaten land. At the same time, tropical storm Evo is moving southwest of Mexico. No coastal watches or warnings are in effect for either storm. Now, in the Atlantic, a strong tropical wave is moving off the coast of Africa and could become the next named storm, and the next name on the list is Aaron. Meanwhile, parts of the U.S. are feeling the heat temperatures in California remained around the triple digits this weekend. The heat in the west is expected to move into the Central Plains and the East. And parts of New England could have record breaking temperatures on Monday.

Now, Europe is enduring a heat wave that's impacting millions of people. It's expected to persist through at least early next week. CNN's Ben Hunte has more on how communities are dealing with those scorching heat.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The fountains in Florence are streaming with water. At least they look cool in the scorching summer heat, but that's not so easy for people moving about under the blazing sun in Italy as temperatures continue to bake in parts of Southern Europe, in some places reaching or exceeding 40 degrees Celsius or 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

VITTORIO CANU, LOCAL PAINTER (through translator): In June, it was horrible. It was extremely hot. Let's see what will happen now.

HUNTE (voice-over): It was about a month-and-a-half ago when during another severe heat wave. Researchers found an estimated 2,300 heat related deaths occurred in just 10 days across 12 major European cities. People in Madrid are trying to find ways to stay safe as this latest round of intense heat is expected to last until Wednesday.

MARIA PEREIRA, TOURIST (through translator): There isn't much shade to cool off in. We're always filling up our water bottles. Walking in the sun becomes very difficult.

HUNTE (voice-over): Many places in Europe aren't built for the heat. Only around 20 percent of European homes have air conditioning, and in some places, the rate is even lower. Building materials, like the zinc roofs in Paris, can trap heat inside buildings. Officials in Paris say they plan to add greenery and insulation to offset the oven effect created by the roofs. But it is just expected to get hotter in years to come and European cities often have higher temperatures than rural areas during the summertime, sometimes by up to 10 to 15 degrees Celsius.

RAPHAELLE HAYWOOD, SENIOR LECTURER IN PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY, UNIVERSITY OF EXETER: Basically, the tarmac and the concrete absorbs all this heat, and they get warmer, and also these places don't cool down as much during the night. So, you're more likely to have these prolonged, you know, two, three-week events where the temperature just doesn't go below 20 degrees at night.

HUNTE (voice-over): Climate shelters are becoming more prevalent in Europe, spaces where people can work, rest, or just hang out in an air-conditioned environment, a break from the heat that, in such extreme conditions, isn't just a luxury anymore but a necessity. Ben Hunte, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:45:00]

BRUNHUBER: Fires in Spain have gotten so intense, a military emergency unit had to join firefighters in the mountains northeast of Madrid on Saturday. Dozens of people who live in the area had to be evacuated. Trains between Madrid and the City of Avila were disrupted and some roads closed. The fire was mostly brought under control later in the day, but residents were still unable to return home. The summer heatwave across Southern Europe is also sparking fires in Greece and France.

Dozens of people are missing in India days after flash flooding in the Himalayas, at least four people were killed in heavy rains last week, and several military personnel, workers, and villagers are missing. Mudslides have buried homes and cars. Crews are using heavy machinery to search for people who were trapped. The mountainous area is prone to floods and landslides. One local official said there are huge losses of both life and property.

A group of astronauts is back on earth after spending nearly five months aboard the International Space Station.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Slow down.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: SpaceX Dragon, 400 meters. SpaceX Dragon, 400 meters. Space Dragon, brace splash down. Brace for splash down.

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BRUNHUBER: They returned in a SpaceX Dragon capsule on Saturday. This was the company's third Pacific splash down with people on board, but it was the first for NASA in 50 years. The last time NASA astronauts landed in the Pacific was during the 1975 Apollo Soyuz mission. Two Americans returned on the dragon along with astronauts from Japan and Russia.

All right. Have a look at this. You're watching a time-lapse video of what's known as the sturgeon moon rising behind the ancient temple of Poseidon near Athens, Greece. It's the last full moon of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Now, the name stems from the old farmer's Almanac with August marking the time of year when sturgeon were caught in the lakes of North America. Saturday's peak illumination came amid a series of meteor showers and was also accompanied by eclipses (ph) Jupiter and Venus.

A giant panda is drawing thousands of visitors to a zoo in Mexico City every day. Just ahead, we'll introduce you to the 35-year-old with a historical lineage. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: After making history on Saturday as the first woman to umpire a Major League Baseball game. Jen Pawol is set to return to the field later today, this time behind home plate.

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JEN PAWOL, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL UMPIRE: This morning, I'm like, we just got to get out there now, we got to do this and make some calls. Because I was, you know, just all the emotion and stuff talking about it the past few days since the news broke and just having it as a dream for 10 years, you know, the dream came true today and it is just been incredible.

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BRUNHUBER: Pawol works at first and third base during a double header matchup between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins, she'll close out her debut in the coming hours by calling the ball strike count in the final game of the series. Now, Pawol is one of 17 AAA minor league umpires, ready to be called up to the MLB if needed. Earlier this week, the commissioner said, quote, "She earned this opportunity" and that her call was a historic accomplishment.

A new sport has debuted at the World Games, the athletic event for sports that aren't in the Olympics. Dragon boat races were introduced as an official games sport on Saturday with Indonesia, taking home the gold in the open eight-seater 2,000-meter race. Crews of up to 20 athletes, including a drummer and a steerer, propel brightly colored boats carved obviously to look like dragons. The games say dragon boat races is perhaps one of the most traditionally Chinese sports on its roster. Dragon Boat races took place at the World Games as an invitational discipline in 2005 and 2009.

Well, Mexico is home to a very rare giant panda, one born outside Asia, living a facility with no supervision from China. Xin Xin is a direct descendant of pandas gifted to Mexico by China in the 1970s, and she's recently celebrated her 35th birthday along with thousands of visitors at are home in Mexico City. Valeria Leon has more.

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VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At 35 years old, Xin Xin is already a legend. The oldest panda in the world living outside China, her home, Mexico City's Chapultepec Park Zoo.

Xin Xin was born to Tohui, Alberto says. Tohui was the first cub born in Chapultepec to reach adulthood.

Xin Xin has outlived her mother by more than double, a remarkable feat. In human years, she'd be over a hundred.

We could be talking about a person over a hundred years old, Alberto tells me. So, obviously, her activity level is no longer the same. To keep her healthy, her caretakers, known as panderos, adjust her diet of bamboo and apples with specialized nutrition and supplements. The expertise to care for Xin Xin came from China. But Mexico was the first country to successfully breed pandas outside Asia. Up to 4,000 visitors come to see her daily.

What could be better than meeting Xin Xin? The only Mexican panda and the last one left. Roberto Vasquez tells me, since Xin's already quite old and we don't have much time left with her, we have to enjoy her.

Celebrating Xin Xin's life brings generations together.

I like the pattern of her fur, is the reaction of Maria Jose, who at 11 years old met Xin Xin for the first time. For her mother Cecilia, it's a special return.

A legend lives on. Despite her age, Xin Xin continues to dazzle both young and old alike alike.

Valerio Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

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BRUNHUBER: A retired circus alligator is living out the rest of her days at a home in a pool cuddling her owners in Germany. Have a look at this. Former circus artist, Klaus Kaulis, bought the American gator, Frau Meyer or Mrs. Meyer, more than 40 years ago when she was just two years old.

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KLAUS KAULIS, RETIRED CIRCUS ARTIST (through translator): Never has anything happened. I can still order 10 beers, no problem. She has never attacked anyone, not us, nothing because she trusts us. She has never experienced anything negative. Maybe because she is an American alligator. The older and bigger these animals get, the calmer they become. They're among the calmest species of crocodiles.

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BRUNHUBER: The eight-foot-long Frau Meyer has been around humans her entire life, and her owners say she's never acted aggressively. She performed in circus acts until 2016, making quite the name for herself and the family. Now, the 45-year-old reptile will spend her days lounging in the sun, swimming with her family and receiving occasional visitors who want to see the circus star.

Now, Colombian flower growers are gearing up for a special event in Medellin, the Silleteros parade. They've been picking up and arranging thousands of flowers for more than 500 people who will march through the city later today. They'll carry silletas, wooden structures ladened with the colorful arrangements on their backs.

The silleteros were originally used to carry other goods. Now, they're seen as works of art, symbols of local heritage. For some artisans, it's more than a one-day parade, it's all about legacy and the future of an age-old tradition.

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FRANCISCO QUINTERO, SILLETERO AND ARTISAN (through translator): We have many new ideas. And I have a bunch of young people working with me who are eager to be a part of all this. So, it's a unique emotion to look at the past, feel this present we're living in, and know that the future will be even more promising because my son is going to participate tomorrow in the parade too. So, it's quite exciting knowing this will go on for a long time.

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BRUNHUBER: Unlike this newscast, because that wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment.

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