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Trump, Zelenskyy Set to Hold Talks in Washington Monday; Crowds Protest National Guard Deployment in D.C.; California Dems Ready for Redistricting to Counter Texas; New Orleans Mayor Indicted for Alleged Fraud With Bodyguard; Nationwide Strike Underway in Israel to Support Hostages; The Future of High-Speed Rail in the United States. Aired 5- 6 am ET

Aired August 17, 2025 - 05:00   ET

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

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[05:00:38]

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.

President Trump is inviting more people to his Monday meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. We'll look at who else might be joining them and the meeting's agenda.

Texas Democrats are protesting as redistricting battles pop up in other states. We'll show you how one state is working to counter any gains Republicans might make in Texas.

Plus, Hurricane Erin in the Atlantic Ocean is expected to once again become a category five storm. We'll look at why its rapid growth could be a sign of things to come.

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

BRUNHUBER: Ukraine's European allies are expected to hold a virtual meeting in the coming hours as the U.S. president works to make the final push to reach peace in Ukraine. President Donald Trump told European leaders he wants to hold a trilateral meeting with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts by Friday. That is, if his talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy go well on Monday.

Now, all this is happening after Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly put his cards on the table at his summit with Trump in Alaska. European officials say Trump told them Putin wants the entire Donbass region in eastern Ukraine. In exchange, he would freeze the front lines in the rest of the country, and Russia would pledge not to attack Ukraine or any other European country again.

All right, for more, Ben Wedeman joins us from Kyiv. Ben, obviously huge stakes for President Zelenskyy in Ukraine. Take us through what we're expecting. BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you mentioned, there's going to be this video call among European leaders at some point today. Their priority at this point is to come up with a united position on security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of some sort of peace deal. And we do know, for instance, that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has put out this idea of Article 5 style security guarantees for Ukraine.

Article 5, of course, being the NATO Article 5, which stipulates that an attack on one requires that all come to the defense of the country attacked. It's a somewhat awkward arrangement. But anyway, that's a theoretical thing.

Clearly, the Europeans are very concerned about how this meeting on Monday is going to go forward. We understand that some European leaders will be present in the room when President Trump and apparently Vice President J.D. Vance meet with Zelenskyy. The hope is to avoid the kind of horrific meeting that took place back in February between President Trump and Zelenskyy.

The European leaders are very eager to see that the relationship is brought back on an even keel. And that's, of course, leading up to this theoretical by Friday trilateral meeting involving Trump, Zelenskyy and Putin. And it's not at all clear whether that meeting is actually going to take place.

We did hear, for instance, the foreign affairs advisor to President Putin yesterday saying that the whole idea of a trilateral meeting wasn't even raised in the Alaska summit. So, there's many question marks hovering over that possibility. But certainly, all eyes are going to be on the Oval Office tomorrow when Zelenskyy goes.

This sort of this Russian position doesn't seem to have shifted at all as a result of the Alaska meeting. The idea that Putin wants Ukraine to basically give up all of the Donetsk region, which it currently holds about 25%, including the rather significant cities of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk. These are fortified cities, cities that have been fortified since 2014 when Russian forces entered that part of the country.

And giving those up and just freezing the lines in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions is not a position, is not a proposal that Zelenskyy is likely to entertain at all. And probably he will have the support of his European backers in refusing, rejecting that idea.

Kim?

[05:05:11]

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, we'll see whether President Trump will -- will respond with that.

Now, Ben, you've been speaking with Ukrainians. You're there in Kyiv in the wake of this summit. I mean, what have they been telling you?

WEDEMAN: They are sort of across the board. The reviews of the Alaska summit were negative. And the distrust many Ukrainians feel towards President Trump has only deepened as a result of the sort of the optics of the Alaska summit.

In fact, there's a story in "The Kyiv Post," one of the independent online newspapers here, which describes the Alaska meeting as a mugging in which the only thing that was really on display was this deep friendship and warmth between the American and Russian presidents. There is a feeling that, you know, fortunately, Ukraine has European leaders behind it. But in terms of the American president, who just a few weeks ago was talking about his disappointment with President Putin and his disgust -- that's the word he used -- at the missile strikes, the drone strikes on Kyiv, that he's gone warm again on President Putin. And they just don't have a lot of faith or confidence that President Trump really has their best interests at heart.

Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. All right, I appreciate it. Ben Wedeman in Kyiv, thanks so much.

I want to bring in Matthew Karnitschnig, who's the editor-in-chief of Euractiv, and he joins me now from Brussels.

Thanks so much for being here with us. So, we -- we heard European leaders make sort of careful statements after the summit, not contradicting Trump, but also not endorsing Trump's shift from demanding a ceasefire first. So, explain this diplomatic dance that we've been seeing as they set the stage for what is obviously a crucial meeting with President Trump.

MATTHEW KARNITSCHNIG, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, EURACTIV: Yes, thank you for -- thanks for having me. I think that the Europeans overall remain very nervous about this entire process. And as you said, before the Alaska meeting, I think many people felt that they had convinced Trump to demand a ceasefire, to make that a condition of full-blown peace talks.

And that appears to have gone out the window pretty quickly. And as -- as we just heard, also these discussions around -- around territory swaps and what have you. So, I think that there's a lot of frustration on the European side because they spend time talking to Trump. But, you know, at the end of the day, he seems to be most influenced by the last person he spoke to in this. And in this case, it was obviously Vladimir Putin, which is why they -- I think, on Monday at this meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump are -- are really hoping that they will be able to sort of turn the tide again more in a direction that they think will -- will guarantee Ukraine security and their own security writ large.

I mean, this is what this is -- is really about is European security, not -- not just Ukraine. And I think there's a concern here that Trump, having gone into his second term promising to, you know, craft a peace deal within 24 hours, now just wants to -- to do something quick and dirty to be able to say to his voters, to his domestic audience in the U.S., that he's the great -- the great peacemaker and that he's not going to pay as much attention as they would like to -- to the details of any eventual arrangement.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. And all the Ukrainian official I've spoken to have said that if a deal is a quick and dirty one, as you say, it would be to the benefit of Russia. In terms of Europe, are you surprised that some European leaders are being apparently invited to the White House? Any idea who might be going?

KARNITSCHNIG: I'm not too surprised, to be honest, because I think everybody recognized that the last meeting, as we just heard, between Trump and Zelenskyy was something of a disaster. So, I think it's in both the European and the U.S. interest to have a more kind of collegial meeting, although they have met since then, Zelenskyy and Trump, and things seem to have gone much better. But at the end of the day, it is going to be the Europeans who are asked to, you know, police any peace deal in the form -- in the form of sending peacekeepers in, perhaps.

And also, there's a big financial piece here because Ukraine is going to need money for its military. It's going to need massive amounts of support to reconstruct the country.

[05:10:05]

And I think this is where the Europeans will -- will have a much larger role than -- than they have so far on the -- on the military front, although they are providing military aid. They can't really match what the United States is doing, which is -- which is why they are really in a backseat role here, because without the United States continuing to support Ukraine, the Europeans really wouldn't be able to step into that breach.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, on that, I mean, if President Trump sort of pushes through a deal that is heavily tilted towards Russia, I mean, what options do you see for the U.S. and the U.S. and the U.S. Europe actually have?

KARNITSCHNIG: Well, they can continue to try to support Ukraine. I think we've seen them, you know, scrambling in recent months. There was this period a couple of months ago, if you remember, where it looked like Trump was going to pull back aid and then, you know, he sort of did for a while and then re-engaged.

So, I think, you know, they have some options. Ukraine has also gotten a bit better in arms production itself. But again, for these sort of key weapons systems that Ukraine needs, like the Patriot anti-air missiles and this kind of thing, you know, they really -- they really need the U.S. I mean, in all of Europe, for example, there's only one TNT factory. So, they really are many years away from being able to produce the kinds of arms, you know, that you would need for a conflict like the one that Ukraine is facing, much less protect themselves from the Russian threat.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, so it underscores the importance of this meeting, not just for Ukraine, but for all of Europe as well. Appreciate talking to you again, Matthew Karnitschnig in Brussels. Thanks so much.

KARNITSCHNIG: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Republican governors of three U.S. states are sending hundreds of more National Guard troops to the nation's capital in escalation of Donald Trump's federal takeover of Washington, D.C. law enforcement. Troops from West Virginia, Ohio and South Carolina will join D.C. National Guard forces in providing what the White House calls a visible presence to deter crime.

President Trump this week declared a crime emergency in Washington, insisting violent crime in the city is getting worse. Now, that is despite police statistics showing a drop in crime over the district in the past year.

Now, on Saturday, protesters gathered near the White House to voice their outrage over the federal takeover. They surrounded Guard members, a military vehicle chanting Trump must go now and carrying signs reading no troops in D.C. and stop the military takeover.

Hurricane Erin exploded in intensity on Saturday, strengthening into a fearsome Category 5 storm for much of the day. It is now a Category 3 with sustained winds of about 125 miles per hour or 205 kilometers per hour. Erin's rapid intensification makes it one of the fastest strengthening storms in Atlantic history and one of the earliest storms to do so, which is raising alarms for researchers.

On Friday, the Air Force's Hurricane Hunter, a powerful hurricane, flew through the eye of the storm and recorded this amazing video. The National Hurricane Center says Erin is undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle, which will make its wind field grow in size. The warm water Erin is interacting with is providing more fuel for the storm, and that's a symptom of a warning world that scientists warn could cause more of these powerful, rapidly intensifying hurricanes to impact coastal communities.

Now, Erin isn't expected to make landfall, but Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are getting heavy rain and wind from the outer bands of the storm. Tropical storm warnings have been issued for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Massive flooding has caused devastation across parts of Pakistan. India administered Kashmir and Nepal. In Pakistan, at least 321 people have died within the last 48 hours after heavy rain swept through the region. Officials are warning of more flash flooding through the weekend, as rain is expected to intensify.

Now, in India administered Kashmir, 60 people are dead and more than 200 are missing. In Nepal, the death toll is at least 41.

A political tit-for-tat, California Democrats want to redraw the state's electoral map to counteract a redistricting effort by Republicans in Texas. We'll look at how it could impact the future balance of power in Congress. That's coming up ahead on CNN Newsroom. And later, the mayor of a major American city is facing a criminal indictment. We'll give you an update on the charges she's facing and how her bodyguard is involved in the scandal.

Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Texas Republicans aren't stopping their push to get congressional lines redrawn in their favor ahead of the 2026 midterms. Now California is fighting back. Led by Governor Gavin Newsom, Democrats have a new map that would strip Republicans of most of their seats they currently hold in the deep blue state. The political shifts shown on this map are based on one analysis of the proposal shared with lawmakers and obtained by CNN. CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has more.

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JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, California's redistricting effort is a direct retaliation to what's happening in Texas. But even so, Democrats here are defending the new map. They're saying that it allows for more compact districts, fewer cities being split in half, and minimal disruptions to the existing map.

Currently, California has 43 Democratic seats and nine Republican seats, and that would go up to 48 to 4. That is a five-seat difference, matching the exact number of seats that Texas Republicans want to add there. But unlike in Texas, where the GOP can pass new U.S. House maps as soon as enough Democrats return to Austin, California Democrats will need to get approval of voters in a November referendum.

[05:20:00]

And Republicans here are already saying that they will put up a fight, particularly, of course, the five Congress members whose seats are at stake. One of them, Doug LaMalfa of the 1st District of California, slammed the proposal on X, saying, quote, "How on earth does Modoc County on the Nevada and Oregon border have any common interests with Marin County and the Golden Gate Bridge? This is naked politics at its worst."

And you may say, well, all of this for only five seats, but out of more than 400. But the majority in D.C. is so thin that these California seats will matter. And President Trump has made it clear that he wants to do more, that he wants more legislative wins to enact his agenda and that he needs that majority to do so.

Now, another interesting development that we are following as these redistricting wars unfold is that for months now, Governor Gavin Newsom has tried to position himself as the anti-Trump on a national stage. But more and more, we're seeing him using the president's very language, talking about Trump trying to, quote, "rig the election" with these redistricting maps, telling his fellow Democrats to stop being, quote, "weak" and then post like these on X. Clearly tongue in cheek, but still remarkable where he says in all caps, "MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING -- AND I AGREE -- THAT I, GAVIN C. NEWSOM, AMERICA'S FAVORITE GOVERNOR, DESERVE THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE. WHY? BECAUSE OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE MAPS IN THE HISTORY OF MAPPING." Now, clearly tongue in cheek. But also there is another opponent that the governor will have to face, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. He's entered the chat posing a photo of him wearing a T-shirt that reads, quote, "F politicians and terminate gerrymandering."

Now, Schwarzenegger is a longtime advocate of nonpartisan redistricting, and he says that he's ready to fight gerrymandering from Democrats or Republicans.

Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Los Angeles.

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BRUNHUBER: The first woman elected mayor of New Orleans is facing a criminal indictment. Prosecutors say LaToya Cantrell and her bodyguard tried to hide a years-long fraud scheme, but she says she's being targeted because she's a black woman. CNN's Rafael Romo has the details.

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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Local media reports about the relationship and the couple's alleged conduct began circulating in November 2022. But it was not until Friday that a federal grand jury indicted New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell on 18 counts, including conspiracy to commit fraud, obstruction of justice and making false statements.

According to Michael Simpson, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Cantrell and her former bodyguard identified as Jeffrey Vappie engaged in a nearly three-year fraud scheme that, in his words, exploited their public authority and positions.

The city of New Orleans told the "Associated Press" in a statement that it was aware of the indictment and that the mayor's attorney is reviewing it. Until his review is complete, the city will not comment further on this matter, the statement said. Cantrell's attorney Eddie Castaing later replied to our email saying that, quote, "It's too soon for a comment. Still studying the indictment."

According to Simpson, the couple took many steps to hide their alleged scheme and perpetuate their fraud, including using WhatsApp to exchange over 15,000 messages, pictures and audio clips in an eight- month period, using the platform to intimidate subordinates, harass a citizen and lie to colleagues and associates. They are also accused of lying to FBI agents and giving the government an affidavit with false statements. According to the indictment, the scheme started as early as October 2021 when the relationship began.

Until June 2024, when Vappie retired from the police department, Simpson said he wanted to make it clear that the indictment does not allege that our relationship constitutes a crime or that the alleged criminal activity occurred on merely a handful of days or involved discrete actions. MICHAEL SIMPSON, ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY, EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA: Rather, it reflects the prosecution of two public officials alleged to have engaged in a years-long continuing fraud scheme that used public money for personal ends by exploiting their power and their authority.

SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE JONATHAN TAPP, NEW ORLEANS FBI OFFICE: The citizens of New Orleans work hard to provide for their families and they expect their public officials to be honest stewards of those funds. And today's indictment outlines a betrayal of that trust by Mayor Cantrell and Mr. Vappie.

ROMO: Vappie, who retired from the police department in 2024, was already facing charges of wire fraud and making false statements and, as the "Associated Press" previously reported, has pleaded not guilty.

[05:25:00]

Cantrell was known for being the first female mayor in New Orleans' 300-year history and was elected twice. With this indictment, she has also become the first mayor to be charged while in office less than five months before her term comes to an end.

Lastly, Cantrell was listed as a guest speaker at an event launching New Amtrak service to New Orleans on Saturday but did not show up.

Rafael Romo, CNN Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right, coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, the reaction from Russia after the U.S. President extended a warm welcome to Vladimir Putin. That story and more coming up. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Let's check some of today's top stories.

Protesters angry about Donald Trump's federal takeover of policing in Washington, D.C. are making their voices heard. Crowds gathered near the White House calling for the National Guard to leave the district and chanting Trump must go now. The White House says troops are there to protect the city from violent crime.

The Guard was on hand as demonstrators rallied against a Republican- led effort to redraw congressional maps in several states. The Stop the Trump Takeover demonstrations accused Donald Trump of trying to silence people of color through redistricting. Efforts to reshape the electoral map in Texas could bring Republicans five new seats in next year's elections.

And President Trump is aiming for a trilateral meeting with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts by Friday. That's what he told European leaders if his talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy go well on Monday. Trump says he's pursuing a peace agreement, not just a ceasefire, following his summit with the Russian president in Alaska. [05:30:03]

Melania Trump made a personal appeal to Putin during the summit. President Trump delivered a letter from the First Lady to the Russian president. According to "Fox News," her letter urged Putin to protect the innocence of children and to help them live in safety and peace.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Putin two years ago. He's accused of illegally deporting Ukrainian children to Russia. The Russian government says the children were moved from war zones to a safer environment.

Russian media are celebrating Vladimir Putin's trip to Alaska. They're welcoming the sight of their president being embraced again by President Trump. Fred Pleitgen has the latest from Moscow.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Russians seem to be pretty happy with the way the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska went down. Russian media celebrating the way that Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, was received by U.S. President Donald Trump, calling the handshake between the two leaders, quote, "historic."

Also, the spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, she came out and said that for three years the West has been telling people that Russia is isolated on the international stage and now they see Vladimir Putin on the red carpet on U.S. soil.

Another person who also talked about this was the former Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, and he said, first of all, the Russians are quite happy that it seems as though that threat of massive sanctions by President Trump, at least for now, is off the table. Medvedev also saying that he believes there is now a mechanism in place for Russia and the United States to speak to one another without any threats or pressure. But most importantly, he says, he believes that right now the door is open for negotiations even as what Russia calls its special military operation continues.

That is, of course, the position that Russia has had for a very long time, where they have said they are against an immediate ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict. Instead, what they want is longer-term talks towards a wider agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.

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BRUNHUBER: Well, our next guest is someone with whom we've spoken a few times since Russia's full-scale invasion of our country more than three years ago. Olena Chekryzhova is an entrepreneur, an educator, who's made it her mission to teach English to the Ukrainian armed forces, and she joins us now from Kyiv.

Good to see you again. Thanks so much for being here with us. So, we just heard there the positive reaction to the summit from Russians, a very different reaction where you are, obviously, in Ukraine. So, take us through what you were expecting, how you were expecting the summit to go versus how it actually played out.

OLENA CHEKRYZHOVA, ENTREPRENEUR AND EDUCATOR: Well, thank you for inviting me again. Actually, here in Ukraine, we've been ready for peace negotiations six months ago. Russia ignored every attempt. And I'm not an analyst or an expert. I'm just a citizen of Ukraine who follows the events. And I personally predict that on Monday in Washington, the talks will be extremely difficult, especially for President Zelenskyy.

The stakes might be pushed so high that they will become just unacceptable for Ukraine, for our sovereign and democratic state represented by President Zelenskyy. And the Ukrainian people will not agree to give away our territories, the territories and the cities of our country. And we will not agree to step back from our course towards the European Union and NATO.

And we will not agree to return to Russia's sphere of influence and become its colony like it was more than 30 years ago. There will be no deal, I believe, because Russia is not interested in peace. They are interested just in buying time for rearmament, for repositioning their troops and finally for eliminating Ukraine as a state and as a nation. And after Ukraine, Russians will choose another country as their victim and will continue their imperialistic war.

BRUNHUBER: I understand from our correspondent in Kyiv, there's been a lot of talk about the contrast between how President Trump greeted Putin with that red carpet treatment versus how he's handled President Zelenskyy, especially that time they met at the White House and they had that Oval Office argument. You work day in, day out with soldiers on the front lines, teaching them English. I mean, those soldiers have depended on the U.S. Do you imagine many Ukrainian soldiers are now losing respect for the country, for the U.S., after watching President Trump's behavior at the summit?

[05:35:01]

CHEKRYZHOVA: Well, actually, Ukrainians are embarrassed for the American soldiers and the American nation because we know very well who Putin is and we know that he's a military criminal with an arrest warrant who has violated multiple human rights and international laws, multiple agreements with other nations, and he's a cruel bloody dictator. And he started wars in different countries.

So, he and his supporters must be brought to special tribunal for crimes against humanity, fall into disgrace, dishonor, and diplomatic, economic, and cultural isolation. But instead, he receives this red- carpet treatment, a round of applause, a warm welcome from President Trump, the leader of a nation that once was the beacon of democracy, democratic values, and human rights. And at this moment, the advantage is clearly on Putin's side.

Imagine that in 1941, instead of entering World War II and supporting the Allies, President Roosevelt gave a warm welcome to Adolf Hitler and held a friendly conversation with him at a U.S. military base. So, from the Ukrainian perspective, this is exactly how it looks like.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. President Trump has said a few times now that a peace deal would involve a swap of territory, meaning, obviously, Ukraine would give up some of its land to get some of it back. You're originally from Bakhmut, which, you know, a city which might be involved in that swap. It could end up permanently in Russian hands. I mean, that must really strike you in a visceral -- visceral way.

CHEKRYZHOVA: Again, we feel that the destiny of our country is negotiated and is traded by two foreign leaders of big countries like it used to be 100 years ago. We, Ukrainian nation, believe that no negotiations and no decisions can be made without Ukraine being present at the table.

And I don't think it's a fair deal to swap territories, because these are our territories, Ukrainian historical lands, and now the lands of sovereign and democratic state of Ukraine, which were cruelly and brutally illegally occupied by Russian terrorists. They destroyed our cities, our town, my hometown included, killed our people, our relatives, our friends, and keep -- keeping and -- killing and kidnapping our children, women, and civilians. So, why should we swap our territories with terrorists and occupants?

BRUNHUBER: Listen, I know you work with -- with the soldiers, so I certainly hope you stay safe throughout this conflict. Good to speak with you again, Olena Chekryzhova. Thank you so much for joining us.

CHEKRYZHOVA: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Hundreds of thousands of Israelis are expected to join nationwide rallies today. We'll get a live report with the details coming up after the break. Stay with us.

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[05:41:43]

BRUNHUBER: Officials in Gaza City are urging the United Nations and other countries to step in as fears of forced displacement grow. Israel says it will hand out tents and shelter supplies as its military prepares to relocate up to one million Palestinians to southern Gaza. The Israeli Security Cabinet approved a plan last week to take over Gaza City and eventually occupy the entire strip.

Meanwhile, the fighting goes on. New video shows Palestinians surrounded by rubble after an Israeli strike hit a school on Friday. Gaza's health ministry says several people who were sheltering at the school were killed or injured.

A massive strike is underway across Israel right now to demand the government reach a deal with Hamas to release the remaining hostages. Organizers say hundreds of thousands of business owners and private citizens are expected to participate. 20 hostages out of the 50 that remain in Gaza are believed to be alive.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke at a protest earlier in hostage square, and he had a strong message for international decision-makers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ISAAC HERZOG, ISRAELI PRESIDENT: Stop being a bunch of hypocrites. Press, because when you know how to press, you press. Press and tell Hamas, no deal, no nothing, until you release them. And I want to say to our brothers and sisters all over the world, we are together in this fight. We want the hostages back home. They are the most important issue in world affairs, and we want to see them back home as soon as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: For more, I want to bring in CNN's Larry Madowo, live from Nairobi, Kenya. So, Larry, take us through that strike, what's happening right now and what we're expecting.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kim, we're expecting a day of mass action across Israel to try and pressure Benjamin Netanyahu's government to strike a deal with Hamas to bring back the hostages, the 20 who are believed to be still alive and at least 30 more whose bodies they expect back into Israel for a dignified burial. They fear that the planned expansion of the war, the takeover of Gaza City, and eventually the entire Strip to demilitarize the zone, to get rid of Hamas, they fear that will endanger the lives of those who remain in the Strip, and the possibility of return of those who remain, the bodies that remain in Gaza. That is why this nationwide operation is taking place.

It will culminate in a major rally at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv at 8 p.m. local. That's just 1 p.m. Eastern. It's expected to involve different businesses, organizations.

We expect tech companies, regional and national bodies, taking part in this strike. And it's one of the largest we've seen in recent days to try and get the Israeli government to commit to this. They expect large numbers, but people fear that it's not likely to leave -- it's not likely to move the needle here. But listen to the mother of one soldier who was kidnapped on October 7 and who remains, it is believed, in Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANAT ENGERST, MOTHER OF HOSTAGE MATAN ENGERST (through translator): Today, an entire nation has come together in a state of emergency. Today everything stops for an effort to save and bring back the hostages and soldiers. Today everything stops to remember the highest value, the sanctity of life. Today everything stops so that we can continue living here together for hundreds of years to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:45:03]

MADOWO: The Gaza municipality has also warned of the threat of occupation, destruction, mass displacement if this Israeli plan goes ahead. That was announced about a week ago, this occupation of Gaza City. And they have warned of forced displacement of nearly a million people from Gaza City to the southern part of the Strip. They have called for the U.N. and other international organizations to stop Israel from carrying this out.

Israel has said it will continue to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, but they will only be available in places outside combat zones. The criticism here is that that means starving people inside Gaza will have to leave Gaza City to access life-saving food and shelter and medicines and that leads to that forced displacement that has been so widely criticized by bodies, by international actors, by human rights groups from around the world, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right, I appreciate that. Larry Madowo in Nairobi, thanks so much.

All right, much more to come here on CNN NEWSROOM. We'll be right back.

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BRUNHUBER: Well, hundreds of robot athletes are preparing to power down after competing in the world's first humanoid robot games in China. Now, the competition began Thursday in Beijing and ends today. 280 teams from 16 countries competed in 26 different events, including soccer, track and field, and boxing.

[05:50:15]

During the opening ceremony, humanoid robots showed off their skills in martial arts. They also played keyboards, guitars, and drums, and danced to hip-hop. Organizers say the games are a chance to collect data that will help future development.

Air Canada says it plans to resume flights on Sunday after striking flight attendants were ordered back on the job by the government. The labor dispute will now go to a third-party arbitration. More than 99% of the attendants voted in favor of the work stoppage. They're demanding higher wages and pay for the work they do while not in the air.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WESLEY LESOSKY, PRESIDENT, AIR CANADA COMPONENT OF CUPE: We are here because Air Canada pays our junior flight attendants so little we had to open food banks in our union offices. Because our flight attendants are living 6 or 8 or 10 to a two-bedroom apartment in Toronto or in RVs in the parking lot in the Vancouver airport. We're here because Air Canada forces us to work for free for hours and hours every day. And we're here because we're not going to accept it anymore.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: It's expected to take several days before Air Canada's operations fully return to normal. Well, in just a couple of weeks, high-speed Amtrak trains will be

getting a major upgrade on America's east coast. But it comes after the federal government polled funding for a major rail project on the west coast. Though there are still hopes for a proposed cross-country rail network before the FIFA World Cup next year. Brian Abel has a look at the state of high-speed rail in the U.S.

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BRIAN ABEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The east coast corridor route getting that major upgrade is the Acela Line. It connects some pretty major cities, Boston, New York, as well as Philadelphia, Baltimore, and D.C. But what's missing from the bigger picture is a connection to other major cities across the country, like Chicago, Kansas City, Dallas, Denver, all the way to California. That may be changing. But if it does, will anybody ride it?

(Voice-over): A long-awaited upgrade will roll out on Amtrak's northeast corridor August 28th. Modern interiors for 28 new Acela trains running from Washington, D.C. to Boston at a top speed of 160 miles per hour. The Acela Line, a rare success story for high-speed rail, not seen elsewhere in the U.S.

DR. STEPHEN MATTINGLY, PROFESSOR OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON: It's in a market where trains can definitely be successful. That's not necessarily the same when we start looking at some of our larger population centers throughout the rest of the United States.

ABEL: Like on the west coast, former California governor Jerry Brown pushing for high-speed rail back in the 80s. Despite voters approving roughly $10 billion in '08, it's yet to be built.

MATTINGLY: Once you make the commitment, it then becomes a question of do you have the political will to see through the investments?

ABEL: At a national level, that will appears to have jumped the tracks. Just this year, the Trump administration pulled the plug on both $4 billion in funding for California's rail project and $63 million for a project connecting Dallas and Houston. And experts are skeptical a proposed cross-country line from New York to L.A. will ever gain steam.

MATTINGLY: I struggle with believing that we can build out a rail network that competes effectively with air.

ABEL: And that cross-country route would take about three days, and that is why Matt only says it'd be good for tourists, but maybe not other travelers. We should note that California is suing the Trump administration, saying that they are illegally pulling out of their obligations with the rail project there.

In Washington, Brian Abel reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: To Mexico now, where the police in the western state of Jalisco added three Tesla Cybertrucks to its fleet. It's part of an effort to beef up security ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Police plan to use them as mobile units for intelligence operations, searches, criminal containment, and security tasks. The state has spent $60 million to buy nearly 700 vehicles.

A recent celestial discovery has astronomers excited. They say they've discovered what appears to be a new type of supernova, a powerful stellar explosion. It happened when a massive star at least ten times the size of our sun tried to swallow a black hole. The event is giving scientists new insights into how some stars end their lives. The explosion occurred around 700 million light-years away from planet Earth.

To tennis now. As top seed and defending champion, Jannik Sinner marked his 24th birthday with a win in the Cincinnati Open semifinals on Saturday. He defeated France's Terence Atmane in straight sets 7-6 and 6-2 to reach the finals.

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The Italian, world number one, maintained his lead throughout the match, winning 91% of his first serve points and not facing a single break point. Sinner will now face second-run Carlos Alcaraz in Monday's finals. That will be a fascinating match to watch.

All right, that wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom.

I'm Kim Brunhuber for our audience in North America. CNN This Morning is next. For the rest of the world, it's Blueprint.

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