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Israeli P.M. Defends Gaza City Occupation; Four Al Jazeera Journalists Killed in the latest Israeli Strike in Gaza; Trump's National Guard Deployment in Los Angeles Now Questioned in a Lawsuit. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired August 11, 2025 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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IVAN WATSON, CNN ANCHOR AND SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world. I'm Ivan Watson, in Hong Kong.

Now, just ahead, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are preparing for a summit on the fate of Ukraine. We'll examine how they might reach a durable peace in Ukraine.

Plus, Israel's Prime Minister defends his planned military takeover of Gaza City as condemnation grows about the operation and its consequences.

And later today, the Trump administration goes to court over the President's decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles. We'll explain both sides of the case.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Hong Kong, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Ivan Watson.

WATSON: Okay, now days before President Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin, more European leaders are expressing their support for Ukraine. They're insisting that Ukraine must have a seat at the negotiating table for the talks on Friday.

So far, the U.S. has not invited President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and E.U. leaders say if he's not there, the talks will not produce any type of just peace.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRIEDRICH MERZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): We are preparing intensively for this meeting at a European level together with the American government, and we hope and assume that the government of Ukraine, that President Zelenskyy will be involved in this meeting. In any case, we cannot accept that territorial issues between Russia and America are discussed or even decided over the heads of Europeans and Ukrainians. I assume that the American government sees it in the same way. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: The NATO chief warns that Vladimir Putin remains, quote, "the main threat to the Western alliance" and says if Putin is serious about peace, he needs to commit to sitting with Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian President says the world cannot let its guard down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We clearly understand the threats. All our partners understand the threats just as clearly. Everyone sees that there has been no real step from Russia toward peace.

No action on the ground nor in the air that could save lives. That is why sanctions are needed. Pressure is needed, strength is needed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: But the U.S. Vice President insists only Donald Trump can negotiate peace even if it's unpopular.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: We're going to try to find some negotiated settlement that the Ukrainians and the Russians can live with, where they can live in relative peace, where the killing stops. It's not going to make anybody super happy, both the Russians and the Ukrainians probably at the end of the day are going to be unhappy with it.

But I don't think you can actually sit down and have this negotiation absent the leadership of Donald J. Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Joining me now is John Herbst. He is the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and is currently the senior director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center. Ambassador, thank you for joining me.

We are now counting down to what will be an historic meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin. What do you think, what are you looking for in the days before this summit?

JOHN HERBST, SR. DIRECTOR, ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S EURASIA CENTER, AND FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Well, I would like some clear indication from the White House that Russia is going to be required to make substantial compromises of the type that they are discussing about Ukraine.

WATSON: Okay. And are there any indications whatsoever that Vladimir Putin is coming, willing to make some kind of concession, some of the kind of concessions that you are suggesting?

HERBST: No, unfortunately, the Russian position on the war has not changed, despite the last visit of Special Envoy Witkoff. They still demand that Ukraine withdraw its forces from the four oblasts on continental Ukraine, which Russia has, quote-unquote, "annexed," as well as recognize Russia's control of Crimea, which, of course, is illegal.

There was some confusion, apparently, in the way that the Special Envoy reported back his conversation with Putin, and they thought initially that Russia was willing to make serious compromises, for example, dropping its claims on the Kherson Oblast and the Zaporizhzhya Oblast, and maybe even withdrawing its troops. But that misinterpretation or that misunderstanding was cleared up certainly by Friday or Saturday.

[03:05:09]

WATSON: Do you get any sense from the White House what President Trump is going to be looking for coming out of this meeting?

HERBST: Well, President Trump has stated consistently he wants to achieve a durable peace. And he and his team have also spoken about the need for Ukraine to be able to defend itself after having made some compromises on territory, to make sure that Russia does not renew the war after this deal is concluded.

And Russia has rejected the types of things that the administration has discussed, for example, substantial arms of Ukraine from Western countries, including the U.S. For example, the possible deployment of European troops to Ukraine as peacekeepers, peace enforcers.

So there's no sense that Putin has demonstrated a willingness to compromise, yet the conversations we are hearing about suggest a requirement for Ukraine to compromise. So this is not going to achieve peace, because Putin does not want to end the war. Only if Putin feels the pain that the United States can provide might he be willing to make a peace which lasts.

WATSON: And at the crux of this is the question, can you establish a durable peace between Russia and Ukraine when you're having a meeting between the presidents of Russia and the U.S. without any Ukrainian presence to these talks? What are your thoughts?

HERBST: That's a very good question, and I should have mentioned that as well instead of just talking about the terms of the peace. Putin's aim is to reach an agreement with Trump and have Trump impose that on Zelenskyy and on our European and NATO allies. And, of course, that's not a way to make an actual peace that would last.

And as we all know, when Witkoff and Putin spoke on Wednesday of last week, Witkoff was talking about a summit meeting of the three leaders, Zelenskyy, Putin, and Trump. But Putin said no, and for some reason President Trump decided to cave. And, again, that suggests an unwillingness to put the pressure on Moscow needed to achieve a durable peace.

Having said that, however, it's clear that the White House has heard some of the criticism. And J.D. Vance has been meeting in the U.K. with not just the Brits but other Europeans, including Ukrainians.

And the White House is again talking about maybe inviting Zelenskyy. But they only say things like we are open to inviting Zelenskyy, not saying we will insist that Zelenskyy be there.

WATSON: From the perspective of diplomacy and statecraft, I wonder what you think about the fact that Putin will be traveling to U.S. territory for this meeting. The State Department says he hasn't been in the U.S. in nearly 10 years since attending a U.N. General Assembly meeting in 2015. Is that a concession of sorts from Putin?

HERBST: Well, there's a positive and a negative to this summit being held in Alaska. The positive is, yes, this is seen as a Putin gesture to Trump because he's coming to our turf.

But obviously, from my point of view, for him to make that gesture is not a problem because Trump seems to be accommodating on the key substantive issues. I say it seems to be because none of this is official yet.

On the other hand, Putin is an indicted war criminal. And from his point of view, coming to the United States, being received as the leader of Russia, having no, paying no penalty for the kidnapping of Ukrainian children, which is why he's considered an international war criminal, is a way of saying that indictment of him has no meaning. So looking at everything altogether, better if Putin were not coming here, and certainly better if Zelenskyy was there, and certainly better if the terms were demanding Putin to compromise, too.

WATSON: Ambassador John Herbst, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts about this summit, which seems to be very much still being put together almost as we speak. Thank you for your time.

HERBST: Thank you. My pleasure.

WATSON: To the Middle East now. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is defending his country's planned military takeover of Gaza City, even as that plan faces growing international condemnation. Netanyahu spoke by phone with Donald Trump about his intention to expand the war, and according to the Prime Minister's office, he thanked the U.S. President for his, quote, "steadfast support of Israel."

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But the U.S. stands increasingly apart from allies, with more countries voicing their opposition to Israel's new war plan. Australia is the latest country to say it will recognize a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly in September. Still Netanyahu shows no signs of backing down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: I don't want to prolong the war. I want to end the war. Given Hamas' refusal to lay down its arms, Israel has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: The staff of the network Al Jazeera is mourning the loss of colleagues killed in an Israeli airstrike. The Israeli military says it deliberately targeted journalist Anas Al-Sharif, accusing him of leading a Hamas cell.

The director of the al-Shifa Hospital says Al-Sharif was in a tent marked with a press sign at the time of the attack. In all, seven people were killed, including at least three other Al Jazeera journalists.

Before his death, Al-Sharif responded to Israel's accusations, saying he was a, quote, "journalist with no political affiliations." Al Jazeera is calling the killing a desperate attempt to silence voices ahead of the occupation of Gaza.

The Committee to Protect Journalists released a statement, reading, quote, "Israel's pattern of labeling journalists as militants without providing credible evidence raises serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom. Journalists are civilians and must never be targeted. Those responsible for these killings must be held accountable."

The CPJ says 186 journalists have been killed in Gaza in the last 22 months.

CNN's Nada Bashir is following all of these developments and joins us live now from London. Good to see you, Nada.

Can you tell me a little bit more about Anas Al-Sharif? From what I understand, he anticipated the possibility that he could be targeted and killed by Israel, right?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. He had indeed raised concerns over the threats and allegations that he had seen mounting by members of the Israeli military and other Israeli government officials who had highlighted and pinpointed Anas Al-Sharif as a potential target.

And as you mentioned, Ivan, we've been hearing those warnings around his safety and calls for his protection from others as well, including the U.N. Special Rapporteur for the Freedom of Expression, as well as the Committee to Protect Journalists. And in fact, Al Jazeera, the international media network, had also raised concern around the safety and protection of Anas Al-Sharif, as well as his other Al Jazeera colleagues and other journalists on the ground in the Gaza Strip.

And we have been hearing those mounting allegations from members of the Israeli military, including the IDF's Arabic spokesperson. This has been described by many as a smear campaign against the Al Jazeera journalist. They accused him of being linked to Hamas, in their words, quote, "a terrorist."

But of course, Anas Al-Sharif has become a household name for many in the Arabic-speaking world, for many closely following updates on the ground, on the situation in Gaza on social media. Anas Al-Sharif, over the last 22 months, has been a constant source of information on the ground across the Gaza Strip. At the time of his death, he was, of course, in Gaza City. He was outside of the previously destroyed Al Shifa Hospital with other journalists, according to the hospital's director, Dr. Mohamed Abu Salmia, in a tent clearly marked as a press tent.

Now, this isn't the first time that we have seen these press tents in Gaza across the Strip being targeted in Israeli airstrikes. The Israeli military itself has indicated that this was a targeted strike against the Al Jazeera journalist, as well as his colleagues.

And we previously heard, as I mentioned, from the U.N. Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, denouncing those allegations by the Israeli military as unfounded accusations. We've heard from the Committee to Protect Journalists.

We also heard from Anas Al-Sharif speaking to the Committee to Protect Journalists, saying, "I live with the feeling that I could be bombed and martyred at any moment. This feeling is difficult and painful, but it does not push me back. Rather, it motivates me to continue fulfilling my duty."

And, of course, as I mentioned, Anas Al-Sharif was a crucial source of information in the Gaza Strip. As we know, international journalists have thus far not been permitted to access Gaza independently. And, of course, Palestinian journalists on the ground have been a huge source of information and updates on the ground and the situation. Ivan?

WATSON: And they appear to have been systematically targeted. If you can cite the numbers from the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 186 Palestinian journalists killed in 22 months of conflict in Gaza, some 90 others imprisoned.

Nada Bashir, live from London. Thank you very much for that update.

Moving to the U.S. now. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce a plan for FBI agents to patrol with police in Washington, D.C.

[03:15:06]

Mr. Trump scheduled a Monday news conference on crime and beautification of Washington. Last week, he ordered an increase in federal law enforcement in the city. A person familiar with the President's plan says more than 100 FBI agents will patrol the city.

Meanwhile, Washington, D.C.'s mayor, Muriel Bowser, pushed back the President's aims of rising crime in the nation's capital.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER (D), WASHINGTON D.C.: There are very specific things in our law that would allow the President to have more control over our police department. None of those conditions exist in our city right now. As I mentioned,

we are not experiencing a spike in crime. In fact, we're watching our crime numbers go down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: The legal battle over President Trump deploying the National Guard to Los Angeles heads to court on Monday. California Governor Gavin Newsom filed a lawsuit in June saying the deployment violated the 10th Amendment to the Constitution and a 147-year-old law.

CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has more.

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JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This case is about far more than just one deployment of the National Guard. It is a crucial moment for testing a President's power over the military in national territory. The White House used a rarely used law that allows for federalizing the Guard during a rebellion, invasion, or if regular forces can't enforce the U.S. laws.

It's only the second time in history a President has used that statute this way. California's lawsuit names not only Trump but also Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Defense Department, arguing that the president had no legal authority in asking the court to block future deployments without a governor's consent. The state's legal arguments center on basically three claims.

One is that sending in the Guard violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which bars the military from acting as civilian police. The second thing is that it infringed on California's rights under the 10th Amendment, basically the amendment that gives states their rights, and that the Defense Department's actions broke administrative law by bypassing the governor entirely.

Now Trump's lawyers say that the troops, along with the small number of Marines that were deployed, were limited to guarding federal property and personnel, and never engaging in policing, and that the President acted squarely within his powers.

Judge Charles Breyer, who's hearing the case, ruled back in June that the protests didn't quite meet the legal definition of an insurrection, and that Trump exceeded his authority, and also that the President's initial memo instructed Secretary Hegseth to coordinate with governors, which he did not do, so he ordered the federal government to return the state's National Guard to the governor. But that same day, an appeals court paused that order, allowing the deployment to continue for now.

Nearly two months after the federalization, 300 National Guard members are still on duty here in Los Angeles, 4700 of them have demobilized. Now the trial will take place in San Francisco, and is scheduled to go through Wednesday, although that could be extended. However Breyer rules, though, that decision could shape how future presidents can use military force on U.S. soil. Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: Flooded streets, vehicles stranded, and dozens of water rescues. Coming up, we show you the devastation caused when heavy rainfall and flash flooding hit parts of Wisconsin.

Plus, first responders across Europe are working to contain an outbreak of wildfires. We'll have an update on the August heat wave that's fanning the flames after this break.

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WATSON: Alright, here's an extreme weather update. Historic rainfall caused flash flooding and led to dozens of water rescues in Milwaukee over the weekend, the city's fire department performed about 65 water rescues as rising water inundated homes.

Milwaukee County declared a state of emergency. Nearly six inches of rain fell in the area in just hours on Saturday. That's a month and a half's worth of rain, setting a new daily record for the region.

Experts say our next named storm system could already be moving into the Atlantic. They're keeping a close eye on the tropical wave that has just left Africa.

CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar has more.

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ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's that time of year again and the tropics are really starting to heat back up. We're keeping an eye on this particular system that just came off the coast of Africa. It's not doing all that much right now, but the real question becomes what happens when it enters this red shaded area right through here.

The reason for that is that is a much more favorable environment for further development of this, meaning it could become the next named tropical system, likely by the middle portion of the upcoming week.

When you take a look at a lot of the models, you really don't do all that much with it till, say, about Wednesday or Thursday of this week. But by Saturday, you can start to see it begins to finally head towards the Lesser Antilles and continue on its westward track.

From there, though, the question becomes where does it go? And at that point, it's just simply too early to tell, but also something to keep a very close eye on, especially because it's going to be going through very warm waters. All of these sea surface temperatures you see in the yellow and orange shaded areas means that it is actually above average for this time of year.

A lot of these areas still in the low to mid 80s, which is the perfect fuel for these tropical systems. Now, where it is forming and where it is headed is exactly where we would expect it to be in the month of August. This is typically where you have that development for tropical systems and also right here along the U.S. east coast.

Now, if this does, in fact, get named later on this week, the next name on the list is Aaron.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: A new August heat wave is fueling more wildfires across Europe. On Sunday, shifting winds steered flames towards Las Medulas, a World Heritage site in northern Spain. Several wildfires there have forced at least 1400 people to evacuate the Castile and Leon region.

[03:25:05]

And in Scotland, a wildfire burning near Edinburgh is scorching a popular tourist overlook. Smoke could be seen from miles away after the extinct volcano known as Arthur's Seat was badly damaged on Sunday. Police are advising people to avoid the area.

Now, for more on these sweltering conditions, we're joined by CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau, live from Rome. Barbie, Scotland and Spain, and now I understand Mount Vesuvius is on fire?

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Yes, you know, we've just seen these fires really being pushed by these strong winds and these dry conditions. In Scotland, of course, they've had the driest season since 1964, which doesn't help anything there.

Here in Italy, Mount Vesuvius, this fire started on Friday. They're looking at that it was possibly set intentionally, possibly the burning of toxic waste in that area.

They've been trying to fight this fire on Vesuvius for the whole weekend. They've had to close the entire mountain range to hikers, even though it's really located just on one side.

You know, the views from Pompeii are just incredible seeing this fire, but it's really kind of toxic smoke now. They're worrying about it. And, you know, we're looking at extreme temperatures here all across Southern Europe for these coming next three or four days, expecting to even break some of those records, those records, of course, up into the 40s that were set in the last year.

Every couple of years, you know, we set a new record that is, you know, would have seemed unbelievable even 10 years ago. These extreme temperatures really are becoming unbearable, and so many people here, Ivan, don't have air conditioning, especially in the southern part of Europe. Ivan?

WATSON: All right. So, nearly 2000 years after the destruction of Pompeii, the mountain is on fire again. Barbie Latza Nadeau in Rome, thank you so much for that update.

Moving on, we are going to have an update on how Texas' congressional redistricting fight is getting in the way of rebuilding from the state's deadly 4th of July flooding. All that and more just ahead after this break.

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[03:30:00]

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WATSON: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom." I'm Ivan Watson. Let's check today's top stories.

European leaders are urging Donald Trump to include Ukraine's President in his upcoming peace summit with Vladimir Putin. The U.S. President will sit down with his Russian counterpart in Alaska on Friday and as of now, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not invited. Ukraine's European allies say there can be no peace without Ukraine's input or involvement.

Benjamin Netanyahu is defending Israel's planned military takeover of Gaza City. Amid growing international opposition, the Israeli Prime Minister spoke about his plans to expand the war with Donald Trump on Sunday and thanked the U.S. President for his steadfast support of Israel.

An Israeli strike in Gaza City last Sunday night killed seven people, including at least four journalists from the news network Al Jazeera. The Israeli military says it targeted and killed Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al-Sharif, accusing him of leading a Hamas cell, an allegation Al-Sharif had previously denied.

Alon Pinkas is a former Israeli consul general in New York, and he joins us live from Tel Aviv. Good to see you. It's been months since we last spoke, I wanted to get your sense.

We're hearing about families of Israeli hostages and the Israeli political opposition calling for a general strike this coming weekend over the Israeli government's expanded war plans in Gaza. Will that make any difference?

ALON PINKAS, FORMER ISRAELI CONSUL GENERAL IN NEW YORK: Well, that depends on the size, the scale, and the sustainability of such an effort, Ivan. I mean, if it's a strike, that's one day or two days, that's not going to have a big impact.

If the strike is accompanied by demonstrations growing in size, you know, from 10,000 to 30,000 to 100,000 and even more, and we've seen those in the past, so it's doable. If we see that on an ongoing basis, then it could change.

Now, on top of that, these protesters and this opposition is backed by or emboldened, is a better word here, by the military's opposition, resistance, and reservations about the plan. And if you notice or if our viewers have noticed, Mr. Netanyahu is trying to sell a nonexistent plan by changing the terminology constantly in the last 48 hours.

From an occupation, it became a takeover; takeover became a temporary military presence; evacuation became partial evacuation; occupation of Gaza became military control of central Gaza, etc.

So there's no real plan, yet the war is going to continue. That's a given -- that's almost an inevitability. And against that background, that strike and those demonstrations are going to be held.

WATSON: You know, as Prime Minister Netanyahu was defending his, as you've argued, evolving plan, I also heard that he was denying reports of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza. And I wanted to ask you, Mr. Pinkas, is that a widespread belief in Israel that these images and first-hand accounts, and then the reports that have come from the health ministry in Gaza of at least 217 Palestinians, a hundred of which are children, dying of malnutrition, do people in Israel believe that this is happening? Or as Prime Minister Netanyahu has said, do they not think that this is actually taking place in Gaza?

[03:35:05]

PINKLAS: That's a good -- that's a good question. And it's going to take a trained social psychologist, which I am not, to figure out whether or not people actually believe that there's no starvation, no malnutrition, no humanitarian crisis or humanitarian catastrophe, or they're living in denial, meaning that they sort of know that it's happening, but they choose to look the other way, denying that we can ever be, that Israel can ever be a part of that.

But I've seen -- I'm seeing rather, a dramatic change in the last two, three, four weeks from complete denial and being indifferent, oblivious and ignorant about what's going on in Gaza. There's much more reporting on what is going on in Gaza.

Now the question is, is this a policy -- a deliberate policy? Is this done with an intention to starve? Or is this just incompetence, ineptitude, and a bad prosecution of the war? And of course, that depends on how you analyze this.

But the public understands now what it chose to ignore for the better part of the last six months, that there is a humanitarian crisis, there is starvation, and that the Prime Minister is denying it. You know, that's what he does. He usually tells you, believe me, not what your eyes are seeing.

So what can I say? I cannot, even if I really try, defend what he's saying here.

WATSON: Australia is the latest government to say that it is going to recognize a Palestinian state. That's something that the Israeli government vehemently opposes. Is there any hint or suggestion that that kind of international move could lead to any change inside Israel, or does it just kind of toughen up and double, have Prime Minister Netanyahu and his supporters double down on their course of action?

PINKAS: Well, that's a huge question, Ivan. And there are two answers here. One is, you know, for many years, Israelis said, well, that's declaratory, declarative, symbolic.

The fact that 147 countries in the U.N. out of 193 member states recognize a future Palestinian state is nothing but a symbolic defiant gesture. Okay, but there is a critical mass building of Canada and Britain and France and Australia on top of other European Union countries like Norway and Ireland and Spain, and now, as you mentioned correctly, Australia and also New Zealand is considering.

There's a critical mass that is building that is going to cause Israel a lot of diplomatic problems. That's one answer.

The second answer is, you know, from a much broader perspective. Here's Mr. Netanyahu, the man who tried mendaciously to sell to the world and to sell domestically to Israelis that the Palestinian problem is no longer the main problem, that a Palestinian state is neither feasible nor in the works, that Israel can survive and prosper in the Middle East via relations with other countries without dealing with the Palestinian issue, and that the Palestinian state is an existential threat to Israel.

Now, he himself, Mr. Netanyahu, brought the Palestinian issue and the possibility of a future Palestinian state, which is a complex issue. Don't misunderstand me. It's not as if recognizing it by Australia or Britain or Canada is going to change reality overnight, it's not.

But nonetheless, the idea of a Palestinian state is gaining momentum, and it's probably going to reach a, you know, a climax point at the U.N. General Assembly this coming September. So will that change Israeli policy? Will that change Israeli public opinion? Probably not.

But it exerts enormous pressure that Israel hasn't experienced on the issue. And the next government, and there will be a next government, is going to have to deal with this seriously. As for this government, they're not going to deal with this in any meaningful way.

WATSON: All right. Alon Pinkas, thank you so much for your analysis and observations from Tel Aviv. Great to speak with you.

PINKAS: Thank you, sir.

WATSON: All right. To the U.S. now, that's where Texas Governor Greg Abbott is upping the ante in the state's congressional redistricting fight. The Republican governor told Fox News Sunday that the standoff with Democratic state lawmakers could last years.

[03:39:59]

Now, some Texans fear the stalemate in the state legislature is overshadowing the original reason for the special session, to help communities recover from the deadly flooding on the 4th of July and to try to prevent it from happening again.

CNN's Leigh Waldman has more.

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LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The ongoing redistricting fight happening in Texas has taken over this special session that was initially called in response to the devastating flooding we saw rip through the Texas Hill Country area on the 4th of July. It left over 130 people, including children, dead. That special session was called to introduce legislation to enhance early flood warning systems in place, improve some of the communication issues that we saw present in light of that flooding, and also to provide relief funding for these communities and the people who have been impacted.

So far, only two hearings have surrounded the flooding issue, but there's been a handful of hearings surrounding the redistricting issue that's at hand. It's something that Texans we spoke to are taking issue with.

PAT DIXON, TEXAS RESIDENT: Calling a special session when there's a flood that kills people, that's appropriate. When you hijack a special session to rig the next election, that's inappropriate.

RANDY SIMBRO, TEXAS RESIDENT: Whatever it takes, let's go steal an election and rig the districts in our favorite way that makes it impossible for other candidates to oppose them. That's what we're seeing here.

WALDMAN: Now, since those Democrats left the state to stop the quorum from reconvening with this special session, we've seen legal action being introduced by some of those GOP officials there, including the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asking the Texas Supreme Court to remove 13 House Democrats from their seats. He's also asking courts in California and in Illinois to uphold and enforce these civil arrest warrants that we've seen be introduced, and also asking the Texas Supreme Court to remove the State Representative Gene Wu from his seat.

Now, the House Speaker Dustin Burroughs is reconvening the House for a special session on Monday. He is urging Democrats to come back so they can have a quorum.

In New York, Leigh Waldman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: All right, just ahead, 40 people per cell, five-minute meals, and handcuffed trips to the bathroom. What one man says he endured inside the controversial detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz.

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[03:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WATSON: All right, new details are emerging about the conditions inside the controversial immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades known as Alligator Alcatraz. CNN's Rafael Romo reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was meant to be a visit to his brother in the United States to mourn together the recent death of their mother. But Carlos Gonzalez says it turned out to be a nightmare that started with a traffic stop.

He says he was stopped for driving a car with tinted windows and detained. He says he had in his possession a tourist visa and his Mexican passport and driver's license.

After originally being held at a county jail, Gonzalez says he was eventually transferred to the migrant detention center in the Florida Everglades dubbed Alligator Alcatraz, where he claims he endured harsh conditions, including lack of toiletries, staying inside tents 24/7 with the lights on even at night, five-minute meals, up to 40 people per cell, going to the bathroom with handcuffed hands, and switching from hot and humid conditions inside the tents to cold when they turn the air on.

I see it as a form of torture to all of us there, Gonzalez said.

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said that "On July 7, 2025, Florida Highway Patrol arrested illegal aliens Carlos Martin Gonzalez-Meza Cole and Oscar Alejandro Gonzalez-Meza during a traffic stop near Orlando, Florida. Carlos was illegally working in the U.S. while here on a tourist visa, and his brother Oscar overstayed his visa," adding that the vehicle they were in was unregistered and had 212 toll violations.

By the time he was stopped, Gonzalez acknowledges he had been in the country four months already because he was trying to get over the painful loss of his mother.

ROMO: We have heard similar testimonies from relatives of migrants who have been held at Alligator Alcatraz, as well as immigrants' rights groups and elected officials. But White House Border Czar Tom Homan says detainees are treated with dignity and respect, dismissing claims that treatment at the Everglades Detention Center is inhumane.

TOM HOMAN, WHITE HOUSE BORDER CZAR: Bunch of crap, I was there, I walked through detainee facilities, I walked through the medical facilities, I walked through the cafeteria. I had them show me, what did you feed these people today? I saw the lunch where they fed them. They ate better yesterday than I am eating today.

ROMO (voice-over): Last week, a man speaking by phone from inside Alligator Alcatraz claimed he was on a hunger strike to protest conditions there, along with at least 11 others, as reported by CNN affiliate Univision.

I'm not eating another plate of food until my rights as a detainee are respected, he reportedly said.

His wife calls what he and others are going through psychological torture. Officials at Homeland Security said the reports of a hunger strike inside the facility are false and call them unsubstantiated and inaccurate allegations.

Back in Mexico, Carlos Gonzalez reflects on the multiple days he was detained. A trip to heal from the loss of a loved one, he said, turned into what he calls an arbitrary detention and a violation of his human rights.

Rafael Romo, CNN.

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WATSON: Liverpool and Crystal Palace squared off in the Community Shield, the traditional curtain raiser for the Premier League's new season. Those highlights coming up after the break.

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[03:50:00]

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WATSON: Welcome back, everyone. The Community Shield signals the start of a new Premier League season. CNN's Patrick Snell has this report on the action between Crystal Palace and Liverpool.

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PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Well, this the traditional curtain raiser to the new English Premier League season. The Community Shield and the build-up to Liverpool's meeting with Crystal Palace give an added poignancy as it was the Reds' first competitive match since the tragic deaths of their striker Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva.

The Portuguese siblings, whose images displayed here on the big screens at Wembley, passed away following a car crash in July in Spain. And those are the somber scenes ahead of kickoff. Reds' great Ian Rush, carrying roses and a wreath in tribute, a minute's silence also taking place in honor of the brothers' lives.

Unfortunately, though, the minute was cut short after noise from a small minority of Palace fans. Liverpool supporters in turn making their disapproval abundantly clear. Some Liverpool fans had earlier booed the national anthem as well.

The match itself seeing Liverpool ahead after just four minutes. And what a moment for their new signing, Ugo Eketike, the young Frenchman with an instant impact after being set up by another new boy, Florian Wurz.

Minutes later, Palace are level after Virgin Van Dijk commits the foul. Penalty given, no mistake, from Jean-Philippe Mateta, another French player for one-all. Then in the 20th minute, and with Liverpool fans applauding in tribute to Jota, their team go ahead.

And yes, you guessed it, another signing, Jeremy Frimpong with what looked like a cross, but somehow it flies into the back of the net for 2-1 Liverpool. Ismail Asar making it two all with a very nice finish indeed, with just over 10 minutes to go in that match.

So what happens next? It's the penalty shootout, cool as you like, Justin Devaney making it and winning it for Palace who triumph 3-2 on the penalty shootout in front of just under 83,000 fans. Absolute joy and elation for Crystal Palace.

[03:55:09]

Mo Salah, by the way, among the Liverpool penalty takers and he would miss for the Reds, a crucial miss. Let's hear now from Dean Henderson, the Palace goalie and a real hero of the shootout.

DEAN HENDERSON, CRYSTAL PALACE GOALKEEPER: It's incredible, honestly, I can't even, I didn't even hear your question. But these emotions are fantastic. You'd think obviously they were 2-1 up, you'd think we were out the game.

And Vlad stopped by it, the manager said we'd get a chance in the second half on transitions, we did. He stopped by it, defended great and we deserved that in the end.

SNELL: A famous day, no question about that in the history of Crystal Palace Football Club. And with that it's right back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: Okay, here's an unexpected coda to those deadly floods that hit Texas last month.

Volunteers cleaning up afterwards, this is in Texas, they made a rare discovery under the debris. Take a look at this.

Crews stumbled upon dinosaur tracks preserved in a riverbed. A paleontologist told CNN the footprints likely belonged to a 35 foot tall carnivore that roamed the Texas plains some 100 million years ago. Each print measures about 20 inches across, that's roughly the size of a large pizza.

Now, researchers hope that newly exposed riverbanks will reveal even more tracks from these ancient giants.

Thank you for your company, I'm Ivan Watson in Hong Kong. "Amanpour" is next, and then stay tuned for "Early Start" starting at 5 a.m. in New York, 10 a.m. in London.

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