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Russia Peace Deal Not Happening; Mass Evacuations Underway in Gaza; Crack Down on Crime Extends Beyond D.C.; California Follow to Texas Redistricting; Nicolas Maduro Deploys Militia Against U.S.; Remnants of Hurricane Erin Still Felt in Cities; Kids Get Addicted to TikTok. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired August 22, 2025 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: I want to welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.
Russia unleashes its biggest attack on Ukraine in weeks as peace talks lose momentum. We'll talk to an expert about Kremlin's strategy.
Cries against a looming Israeli takeover of Gaza City grow louder as Palestinians refuse to leave their homes. Officials warn the offensive could be a death sentence for tens of thousands.
Plus, President Trump is vowing to expand his law enforcement crackdown to other places as he visits a police facility in the nation's capital.
UNKNOWN: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia's latest barrage of drones and missiles shows that Moscow isn't ready for talks or to end the war. Russia launched its largest attack in more than a month overnight Thursday, striking as far west as the city of Lviv. Ukraine says at least nine civilians were killed and a U.S. owned manufacturing company was hit.
The attack comes days after U.S. President Donald Trump met first with Vladimir Putin, then with Zelenskyy and European leaders amid a push to end the war. Moscow accuses Kyiv of not being interested in peace, but Ukraine says it's Russia that's standing in the way of any progress. Here's Zelenskyy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): Right now, the signals from Russia are frankly obscene. They're trying to wriggle out of the need to hold a meeting. They do not want to end this war.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: We're also hearing from Donald Trump, who posted on social media after Russia's latest attack on Ukraine. CNN's Kristen Holmes has the details from the White House.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump ramping up the rhetoric against Russia as peace talks seem to have stalled. Today, posting on Truth Social, seemingly offering a rationale for Ukraine to attack Russia to go on the offensive, something that has been a red line for Russia.
This is what he posted. He said, "it is very hard, if not impossible to win a war without attacking an invader's country. It's like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offense. There is no chance of winning." Then he continues to say, "regardless of this, the war would never have happened if I were president, zero chance, interesting times ahead."
The reason why this post is so significant is it marks the first time he's used this kind of amplified rhetoric against Putin since their sit-down last week. And it comes at a time in which the Kremlin has continued to essentially deny that they will sit down with or that they agreed to sit down with Ukrainian President Zelensky.
The next step in this process was supposed to be a bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy and Putin, but as far as we can tell from our reporting from our sources, there is really, where they are no closer to that bilateral meeting than they were on Monday when it was announced.
And again, as I mentioned, there has been a continuation of the Kremlin not even saying that Putin has agreed to sit down with Zelenskyy. Now we know President Trump this is incredibly to him. The original plan had been for them to have a tri-lat that included President Trump. They changed that to this bilateral.
The question is, where do they go from here, particularly if Putin is not going to go to the table with Zelensky. Do they change their plan? Do they move in a different direction? And that right now is just unclear.
Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.
BRUNHUBER: Amid all the questions and uncertainty, Russia is intensifying its attacks. CNN's Ben Wedeman is in southern Ukraine with a look at how Ukrainian soldiers are fighting back.
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BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A Russian train full of fuel goes up in a blaze of fire and smoke struck by Ukrainian drones. This new era of warfare combines high-tech with close quarters combat, harking back to the First World War.
The same brigade that took part in the train strike is also fighting in the trenches. Infantry squad commander Yevgeny returned at five in the morning from a deadly six-man attack on a Russian position. "One of my men was killed," he says. "Two took shrapnel. Two of us got concussions from drone attacks and mortar fire."
[03:04:56]
His men managed to kill a Russian soldier, then had to withdraw, and came here, well underground, where the war is barely audible.
This complex of bunkers and trenches is not the front line. It's well away in the rear. The purpose is that they will be ready in the event the Russians push forward. And what we're hearing from senior Ukrainian officials is that they fear that the Russians are preparing for a major push in the Zaporizhzhia area.
Until then, this is where troops from the 65th Mechanized Brigade rest and recuperate. Cramped and stuffy, yet safe, the cats welcome company, also keeping the mice at bay.
They're resting up for their next mission, defending the town of Orikhiv, or what's left of it. Only 800 of its original 14,000 residents remain.
Oleksander (Ph) is the only handyman left with plenty to keep him busy. Windows, doors, roofs. You can see for yourself everything needs repairs, he says. In the town's post office, the last vestige of normalcy, we meet Ludmila (Ph), who lives alone with her two dogs. Her day started with shelling.
"When it hit, I thought that was the end of everything," she says. To lighten her mood, I share pictures of hobbies and pets. These are my potatoes. Communicating in a linguistic hodgepodge. (FOREIGN LANGUAGE) We shared a laugh. Her dog, Alpha (Ph), shell-shocked, was unmoved.
Far away is the powerful talk war and peace, here the powerless can only hold on and hope to live another day.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Orikhiv, Southern Ukraine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: And joining us now is retired major General Mick Ryan of the Australian Army and he's also the author of "The War For Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire."
Good to see you again. So, the past a peace, I mean, we seen no closer now after Russia's latest massive attack. We heard from our correspondent Ben Wedeman there that Ukrainian officials are fearing Russians will make a major push in Zaporizhzhia.
So, what is each side hoping to achieve militarily in what could be the final push if there is an agreement down the road? And can anything they achieve on the battlefield impacts their negotiating position?
MICK RYAN, RETIRED AUSTRALIAN ARMY: Well, it will be a long and very winding road to any peace agreement. Certainly, given Russia doesn't want to have a ceasefire, wants to leap straight to peace negotiations. That's going to make it an even longer and more winding road.
Both sides want to demonstrate to their supporters that they have agency, that they have the upper hand in the war. But it's clear at this point, Putin can't win this war. But Ukraine at the same time can't win it at the -- you know, in the same why.
So, I think both are struggling to show their supporters that they have the upper hand, but Putin has not stepped away from his maximalist gains in the war at this point.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. In that question of who has the upper hand, I mean, Russia has been making these small territorial gains but losing massive numbers of troops to get them. On the other hand, Ukraine is proving it can hit targets anywhere in Russia.
So, from a military perspective, so who is actually in the stronger negotiating position right now, would you say?
RYAN: Well, I think Ukraine actually is it can hurt Russia more than Russia can hurt it at the moment. I mean, Russia in the period since February 2022 has taken just 12 percent of Ukraine's territory. It already occupied 7 percent before then, of course. And every single night Russia is suffering these attacks on its oil refining capacity, its airfields and its capacity to deliver cruise missiles, which has been almost halved in the past year.
So, Ukraine is still in a good position. It has the support of Europe and hopefully it will retain the support of the U.S. administration.
BRUNHUBER: On that, I mean, the Trump administration has reiterated its commitment to back Ukraine's security guarantees but they've ruled out boots on the ground. So, what are the likeliest options there then?
RYAN: Well, it's hard to know because the position changes if you wait 48 hours.
BRUNHUBER: Yes.
RYAN: But clearly, the U.S. president is getting tired of Putin not giving any ground whatsoever. And Putin has given no ground to Trump whatsoever. He's really humiliated him in many respects.
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So, I think Trump is coming to the slow realization that the only pathway to peace, which is his core goal to be fair, is peace, is going to be helping Ukraine and Europe use their strength to bring Putin to the negotiating table.
BRUNHUBER: Obviously, a lot isn't known yet, but you know, the U.S. is talking about potentially flying air support missions over Ukraine as part of these security guarantees. I mean, how significant a shift would that be?
RYAN: That would be an enormous shift. Right from the start of the war the Biden administration ruled that any kind of boots on the ground or boots over the ground in Ukraine. So, this would be a very significant shift. Clearly, there are some on the Republican side of politics, the United States, who would be against that. But it would be a very big achievement because the one thing the president of Ukraine has consistently asked for is to close the skies and stop these attacks against Ukrainian cities. USA support would help that.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. And you spoke about Europe's support here. I mean, there are some 30 countries now pledging security guarantees for Ukraine, with some willing to put boots on the ground. But Russia, of course, is demanding a veto over all of this. I mean, is that just more bluster, do you think, to influence President Trump?
RYAN: Yes, that's just bluster from Foreign Minister Lavrov who made those comments in the last 24 hours. At the end of the day, Russia does not get a say on how Ukraine gets to defend itself or the kind of security guarantees it gets to negotiate with other countries, including with the United States.
BRUNHUBER: All right, we'll leave it there. Always appreciate getting your insight. Mick Ryan, thank you so much for being with us.
RYAN: Thank you.
BRUNHUBER: Palestinian officials are warning that a looming Israeli invasion and occupation of Gaza City is, in effect, a death sentence for more than 1.2 million people living there. Some residents and displaced people are already fleeing northern Gaza's largest city out of fear of what may be to come.
Officials are calling on the international community to step in before it's too late. An Israeli source says the military will give Palestinians approximately two months to evacuate Gaza City before the new assault begins. They've set a deadline of October 7th, the two- year mark of the war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed on Thursday that Israel is now at a critical juncture. He indicated he'll approve plans for a military takeover of Gaza City, which is a major escalation of the war. And he instructed Israeli officials to resume negotiations with Hamas. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I came to approve the IDF's plans for taking control of Gaza City and defeating Hamas. At the same time, I instructed to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and the end of the war under conditions acceptable to Israel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Aid groups are warning against the massed forced displacement of Gaza City's residents. Medical aid for Palestinians says people are already exhausted by war and hunger. They now face a horrible decision, either stay and risk annihilation or flee to uncertainty and risk being driven into exile.
Israel's military said Thursday it has begun warning medical officials and international aid groups to plan for mass evacuations and displacement in northern Gaza. The U.N. warns the military operation against Gaza City could cause, quote, "massive death and destruction." The spokesperson for UNICEF describes the dire situation facing many Palestinians. Here she is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TESS INGRAM, SPOKESPERSON, UNICEF: They've got an impossible decision before them and families feel torn. They feel torn about the fact of staying in their home or moving once again. One family has moved 14 times already and they don't know where they will go this next 15th time to find safety in a place that's inherently unsafe. They're worried about leaving elderly grandparents behind who cannot move but they want to take their children out of the offensive in Gaza City. So, what do they do? The family will likely be separated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Fearing further displacement and escalating bombardment, Palestinians gathered in Gaza City on Thursday to protest. They carried signs reading, stop the genocide and Gaza is dying.
In the last hour, I spoke with Amir Tibon, a journalist with Haaretz, and I asked him about Prime Minister Netanyahu's efforts to negotiate and end the war while simultaneously expanding the military offensive in Gaza. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AMIR TIBON, JOURNALIST, HAARETZ: If there were real negotiations, maybe it would make sense as a tactic to try to impact the outcome of the negotiations, but Netanyahu is not really negotiating.
[03:14:56]
A few days ago, we had an announcement that Hamas has accepted a proposal by Egypt and Qatar for a temporary ceasefire along the same lines that Netanyahu had been advocating for many months. Some temporary two-month ceasefire, a release of half of the hostages.
This is something that Netanyahu himself drew up at the time. This was his plan. And Hamas said they prefer a comprehensive agreement, all the hostages to end the war. He rejected that demand because he wanted to continue fighting after the ceasefire. Now Hamas have changed their mind and they're willing to go along with this kind of plan. But Netanyahu says, I want to negotiate something completely different.
It's a tactic to play for time. We saw it last summer when the Biden administration was trying to reach a ceasefire. We're seeing it now when the Trump administration is, well, at least some parts of the Trump administration are interested in a ceasefire. It's not actually an attempt to reach an agreement because if there is a will for an agreement. The contents are clear to everybody that there isn't much to negotiate
here. There is going to be a release of all the hostages and there needs to be an end to the war and the other parameters are solvable. But the real question is, do you want to solve it or not?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Twenty-one countries, including the U.K., France and Canada have condemned Israel's plans to build new settlements in the occupied West Bank. They're calling it a violation of international law. The joint statement says the plan for new settlements, quote, "risks undermining security and fuels further violence and instability, taking us further away from peace."
The British government summoned Israel's ambassador to the U.K. over the decision, saying the plans undermine a two-state solution. The new housing units would effectively divide the West Bank and make a contiguous Palestinian state with the capital in East Jerusalem virtually impossible.
All right. Still ahead, President Trump is praising the ramped-up law enforcement presence in Washington, D.C. and he says it won't stop with the U.S. Capitol. We'll have that story and more coming up. Please stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: A parole board in California denied Erik Menendez parole on Thursday after 10 hours of virtual hearings. Erik was convicted alongside his brother Lyle in the notorious 1989 murders of their parents. They were originally sentenced to life in prison without parole but became eligible for early release after a judge re- sentenced them in May.
The board said Erik Menendez continues to quote, "pose an unreasonable risk to public safety." Erik's brother Lyle has his own parole hearing later today.
Regardless of any parole recommendation, California's governor has the final word on whether they'll be released or stay in prison.
The U.S. president is vowing to expand his law enforcement crackdown to places other than Washington. Donald Trump made those remarks on Thursday while visiting hundreds of officers, federal agents, and National Guard troops deployed in the U.S. Capitol.
CNN's Brian Todd has more on how people in the city are reacting to his takeover.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're here at the corner of 14th and U Street, Northwest in Washington, where this rally has been going on for the past couple of hours here, a rally against the escalated police and federal law enforcement presence in the District of Columbia.
There have been several events like this over the past few days, and you can easily tell that the sentiment in this neighborhood and in some neighborhoods around here, this is a popular area for bars and restaurants in this city, that the sentiment in this neighborhood is decidedly against the police escalation in Washington.
But a lot of people indeed see also don't feel that way. A lot of people feel that it's been a positive thing, including members of the Trump administration. And the president earlier on Thursday paid a visit to the Anacostia Park station of the National Park Police. That has been kind of a command central, a real beehive of activity for all the deployments of all the federal agents and national guardsmen.
President Trump went there late Thursday afternoon along with Attorney General Pam Bondi. Their teams passed out food to the agents and the officers there. The president spoke to them for a while and expressed words of gratitude for all the deployment that has been going on.
And what has been also going on every day since this operation started is that the White House has issued daily numbers to track the numbers of arrests and other things to basically tell the public what they've accomplished here since this escalation started on August 7th.
According to the White House, their latest numbers are 630 total arrests since August 7th, including what they say have been the arrests of 251 illegal immigrants during this operation. Among the arrests, they say three known gang members have been arrested and more than 80 firearms have been seized. Those are just overall numbers put out by the White House, the latest numbers as of late Thursday afternoon from the White House of the numbers of arrests and firearms seized.
So, the White House touting this as a real success, but I can tell you that in neighborhoods like this, the sentiment is not -- does not reflect that. The people here in this neighborhood and other neighborhoods like it, they do not like this. They don't feel it's necessary. And they feel it's just kind of an escalation that may even make the streets more dangerous.
And one of the other things that they are really against is the presence of some federal law enforcement agents who are wearing masks during these operations. We often hear some of the people in these neighborhoods yelling at the officers who wearing masks to take off their masks and identify themselves, you know, what agency they're from.
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There was a checkpoint set up here the other night where they were doing that. And again, people in these areas are decidedly against the police presence here.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
BRUNHUBER: All right, still to come, Texas is on the brink of passing its congressional redistricting plan, and California just approved sending its plan to voters. We'll look at how California Republicans are responding next.
Plus, the U.S. flexes its military muscle in what it describes as an anti-drug operation against Venezuela. But the response from Caracas is blunt and defiant. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Let's check today's top stories.
Ukraine's president says Russia's latest attack on his country shows that Moscow isn't ready to end the war. At least nine people were killed in Russia's largest attack in more than a month. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also accused Moscow of trying to wriggle out of the need to hold a meeting.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he instructed Israeli officials to resume negotiations with Hamas to free Israeli hostages and end the war in Gaza. He indicated he will approve plans for a military takeover of Gaza City. An Israeli source says the military will give Palestinians approximately two months to evacuate Gaza City before the new offensive begins.
U.S. President Donald Trump met with members of law enforcement and the National Guard in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. His visit comes after he ordered the federal government to take control of D.C.'s police department. President Trump said his efforts to crack down on crime will expand beyond the nation's capital.
Donald Trump is claiming total victory after a New York appeals court threw out a half billion-dollar fraud judgment against him. In a divided ruling, the appeals court found the fine was excessive, but judges agreed to uphold the ruling that Trump committed fraud.
New York's attorney general filed the suit against Trump in 2022. Letitia James accused him, his real estate business, and two of his children of inflating his net worth to get better terms on loans. James vowed to appeal the court's decision to eliminate the financial penalty, and Trump blame the entire case on politics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I have a victory today, you know, they stole $550 million from me with a fake case. This was a terrible thing they've down. It was a witch hunt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: California Democrats passed three redistricting bills Thursday. They're designed to help Democrats pick up five congressional seats next year. Just one day earlier, Texas House Republicans approved their state's
new maps. The issue now goes to the state's Senate, which could approve it as early as Friday. California voters will decide if they want to replace their state's current congressional map with versions that favor Democrats.
CNN's Steve Contorno has more from Sacramento, California.
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: California lawmakers on Thursday passed a sweeping overhaul of the state's congressional districts that could potentially net the party five additional House seats in next year's midterm election.
This move is in direct response to a similar play by Texas Republicans to give them an advantage in five seats in the Lone Star state.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed the legislation into law quickly after it passed, saying that California didn't ask for this fight, but it was happy to get into it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): I'll remind you all the time, it's not the rule of law, it's the rule of dot. And we're standing up to that. We're responding to that. They fired the first shot, Texas. We wouldn't be here if Texas had not done what they just did. Donald Trump didn't do what he just did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CONTORNO: The fight in California, though, is just beginning. Voters must still approve of the Democrats redistricting plan, and they will see that question on their ballot on November 4th. It gives Democrats just 11 weeks to convince voters.
Republicans, meanwhile, are building up their own opposition with a unique coalition, said former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN MCCARTHY, FORMER U.S. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: We have the right path that I will help with. Charles Munger and League of Women voters have their own. Governor Schwarzenegger, he's off on his own. It's a unique group out there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CONTORNO: Both sides are gearing up for an expensive fight, perhaps the most expensive of this entire election cycle in any state. A source for Gavin Newsom's political committee telling me that they have already raised $6.2 million in just the last week alone, a sign of the enthusiasm on the Democratic side for this redistricting fight.
Steve Contorno, CNN, Sacramento, California.
BRUNHUBER: Lower tariffs on cars being imported from the European Union is currently on hold until the E.U. takes further steps outlined in the recent trade deal it struck with the United States.
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The agreement would cut import tax on cars from 27.5 percent to 15 percent, but this lower rate won't take effect until the E.U. introduces legislation reducing its own tariffs on U.S. goods.
Now this comes as American lawmakers have objected to the lowering of its own tariffs on overseas imports while keeping higher rates on cars and parts from Mexico and Canada. The E.U.'s trade commissioner hopes to have the required legislation introduced by the end of August.
At least 14 people were killed in two separate incidents in Colombia that authorities say were terrorist acts. This was the scene after an explosion near a military air base in Cali on Thursday. Colombian military says a car bomb there killed at least six people and injured 50 others. Also on Thursday, eight people were killed when a police helicopter crashed after a drone attack. It's not clear if the events are related.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro used the incidents to call for drug trafficking gangs to be designated as terrorists.
Venezuela is mobilizing millions of militia members as the United States deploys more military forces to the region. The U.S. has the increased military presence as an attempt to crack down on drug trafficking.
Patrick Oppmann has more.
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A major show of force in South America. At least three U.S. Navy destroyers attack aircraft, amphibious landing vehicles, and more than 4,000 Marines. The Trump administration says it's meant to crack down on drug smuggling from the region to the U.S. and intimidate Venezuela's embattled leader, Nicolas Maduro, who has responded by calling up more than four million militiamen to defend against any possible U.S. aggression.
The White House alleges Maduro is the head of a shadowy cocaine trafficking empire known as El Cartel de los Soles, a criminal organization secretly operated by Venezuela's military. This month the administration doubled the reward for Maduro's capture to $50 million.
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela. It is a narco terror cartel in Maduro. It is the view of this administration is not a legitimate president. He is a fugitive head of this cartel who has been indicted in the United States for trafficking drugs into the country.
OPPMANN: Now U.S. Navy ships approaching Venezuela are putting Maduro on notice. The deployment may just be a show of force, but one that Venezuela's leader vows to resist. Maduro denies the drug smuggling accusations and says his government will fight into the last bullet.
NICOLAS MADURO, PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA (through translator): We must defend Venezuela because they want to turn us into slaves of supremacists due to the racist contempt they have for us.
OPPMANN: Maduro, counts Russia and Iran as allies, says he's mobilizing his military and militia across the country to ensure any U.S. action would be drawn out and bloody.
MADURO (through translator): No empire is going to set foot on the sacred soil of Venezuela.
OPPMANN: Despite the saber rattling on both sides, it's clear the U.S. forces deployed would not be sufficient for regime change, says a former U.S. official who has studied what an invasion of Venezuela would look like.
FRANK MORA, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES: We're talking about 200, 250,000 troops, because it's not just question of bringing the regime down. That would not be that difficult. The invasion becomes an occupation. And that gets very complicated because how do you maintain social order in a country where the government has collapsed?
OPPMANN: This is not the first time the U.S. has vowed to oust Maduro. In 2019, during the first Trump administration, a U.S.-backed uprising of dissident Venezuelan soldiers led to fighting in the streets of the capital Caracas, between pro- and anti-government forces.
But that would-be coup failed, and Maduro emerged with a tighter grip on power, an even more defiant of U.S. attempts to end his rule.
Patrick Oppmann, CNN.
BRUNHUBER: Hurricane Erin is moving away from the East Coast, but the threat from flooding isn't over. We'll have a report from the New Jersey shore.
Plus, a wildfire in Portugal suddenly shifted directions and engulfed a vehicle with a firefighter inside. We'll bring you a story of survival just ahead. Please stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Hurricane Erin is moving away from the U.S. but along more than 1,000 miles or 1,600 kilometers of the East Coast the danger isn't over. The National Weather Service says parts of southern New Jersey and southern Delaware could see major coastal flooding through Friday. A higher risk of rip current will likely remain through the weekend.
CNN's Omar Jimenez has more from Atlantic City.
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's not a single person in this amusement park and that's because of Hurricane Erin, at least because of precautions over it. We spoke to the owners here and essentially, they said they didn't want to risk having people come to Steel Pier as it's known here in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Now, what are we talking about? This was the day that officials warned
we would see Hurricane Erin pass the closest that it ever would get to the Jersey Shore in this part of the United States. And what that's brought is of course tropical storm force winds over the course of this but also it has brought incredibly high waves.
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I want to show you some of what we've seen here standing on the beach here in Atlantic City. Waves getting up to at least 12 feet in some cases but then the time of day we're here is high tide. We're standing on the beach here in Atlantic City. Waves getting up to at least 12 feet in some cases but then the time of day we're here is high tide.
This is officials worried about, that when high tide combined with some of the strength of Hurricane Erin, even though it's hundreds of miles off of shore, that it would threaten restaurants, threaten beachgoers, threaten people who were anywhere in the vicinity of the power of this ocean water here.
It's actually why officials here in Atlantic City and throughout this coastal region were warning people to stay away from the beaches and stay away from getting in the water. In fact, they prohibited it.
I want you to take a listen. though, because people were taking the instructions and warnings seriously. Take a listen to one resident we spoke to about how she felt ahead of some of the peak conditions of Hurricane Erin here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: But it's great to see that anyone on the beach is literally here just to take videos and get off the beach. I've not seen anyone in a 10-mile stretch who's actually in the water. So, I think everyone is taking safety very seriously and I think that's amazing.
JIMENEZ: And the governor in New Jersey here did declare a state of emergency mainly just to free up resources as they monitor for the effects of some of these coastal hazards, including coastal flooding, which we've already seen a little bit of. And it's what officials warned there would be at the very least a moderate risk of here. And it is going to be a major factor they're going to be looking at as Hurricane Erin makes its way further and further away from United States shores.
Omar Jimenez, CNN, Atlantic City, New Jersey.
BRUNHUBER: The flame from a wildfire in Portugal suddenly changed direction on Thursday and engulfed this vehicle with a firefighter still inside. Authorities say the firefighter suffered severe burns but survived.
More than 1,600 firefighters are battling several wildfires in central and northern Portugal. The fires have killed at least three people this past week. European officials estimate about 274,000 hectares or 677,000 acres of vegetation have burned. This is Southern Europe's worst fire season in 20 years.
Heavy rain left some farms completely submerged in India's western state of Gujarat. The rainstorms are common during the region's monsoon season, but climate change is making the rains more extreme. Now, earlier this month, monsoon rain triggered landslides that killed more than 400 people in India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
The British government has agreed to pay compensation after its troops sparked a huge forest fire while training in Kenya. But locals say it's not enough to deal with the aftermath of an ecological disaster that continues to affect them to this day.
CNN's Larry Madowo spoke to some of the families who waged a legal battle against the British army.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A forest fire raging through the hills of central Kenya in 2021, burning over 10,000 acres of protected land and smothering the local community with toxic smoke. The British Army posted this video at the time of the troops tackling the blaze.
UNKNOWN: The local community behind us is safe and we're also quite aware that there's wildlife that we need to protect.
MADOWO: Those words now jarring as neither the community nor the wildlife were ultimately kept safe. The British government has agreed to pay out nearly $4 million to thousands of locals whose lives were changed forever by the fire according to a settlement agreement obtained by CNN.
The blaze in the Lolldaiga Hills started during a training exercise of the British military inside a privately owned wildlife conservancy. Speaking to me before the settlement was agreed, activist James Mwangi says the fire wrecked the environment and harmed people far outside the area.
JAMES MWANGI, LOCAL ACTIVIST: This area in 2021 March, it was a furnace. For seven days, over 10,000 people were choked by smoke, toxic smoke. Nearly everyone in this community has chest problems. Everyone.
MADOWO: "This is now our life," this woman told me, showing her inhaler. Hannah Wanjiko (Ph) starts crying when she tells me about the sick grandchildren she is struggling to raise.
"My grandchildren are all and well," Hannah told me. "Even I can no longer read. And I have developed chest problems," she says. "We live a difficult life." Hannah, like so many members of the community, says she wants to use any compensation money she receives to leave the area and get away from the British forces.
Kenya earns about $400,000 annually for allowing the British Army to train here. This 27-year-old lawyer grew up in the area and filed a class action lawsuit against the British Army after the fire.
[03:49:59]
KELVIN KUBAI, LAWYER FOR VICTIMS: Military training and conservation aren't compatible. There is need to separate both of them. My clients expected much more money from this payment, but this payment is nowhere close to give them the financial assistance to enable them move from this training.
MADOWO: The British government has agreed to compensate more than 7,000 people whose lives were impacted by the smoke and flames, but they have refused to admit liability and have blocked locals from pursuing any further claims relating to the fire.
Many people here have been campaigning for years for justice. Some will receive just $170, the lawyer says. The British government said Thursday it was, quote, "pleased that a global settlement has been agreed," saying that the Lolldaiga fire was extremely regrettable.
Many here tell us the behavior of troops from the former colonial power is becoming too much to tolerate.
Larry Madowo, CNN, Lykipia, Kenya.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Some TikTok employees have apparently been worried that the app is addictive and could hurt young users' mental health.
We'll have details on that story coming up after the break. Please do stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: TikTok has often claimed that its platform is safe for young people, but now we're learning from new video evidence in a North Carolina court case that current and former TikTok employees have raised concerns about how the app's popular algorithm could impact the mental health of teenagers.
CNN's Clare Duffy has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: This video is part of a lawsuit filed by North Carolina last year against TikTok accusing the company of designing the app to be quote, "highly addictive for young people," also accusing it of misleading parents and young people about the safety of the platform.
A judge ruled on Tuesday that this video should be unsealed and that the public should be able to see it. I want to play for you a clip showing just a few of these employee comments because I think it's really striking to hear it directly from them. Take a listen.
BRETT PETERS, EDUCATION & PHILANTHROPY LEAD: We all have these really lofty goals of getting people to be on the app longer, literally. That's why we're all here is to help continue to diversify the content ecosystem to make TikTok a place where you can get so much different types of content that you never want to leave.
NICHOLAS CHNG, ISSUES PROGRAM MANAGER: Unfortunately, some of the stuff that people find interesting are not always the most healthy. So, I think we do have, we do, in a way, encourage some of this content being put up.
[03:54:57]
ALLY MANN, CREATOR LEAD MARKETING: We obviously wanted people to spend as much time as possible on TikTok, which is can be in contrast to what is best for your mental health.
DUFFY: Now it's worth noting that we don't know exactly when these comments were made and it's also not totally unusual for internal teams at tech companies to have conversations about how to improve their platforms.
But North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said he thinks this underscores the claims that they're making in this lawsuit. He tells me these videos prove what we've argued in court. Social media companies are keeping kids hooked to maximize profits even at the expense of their health.
Now, TikTok has pushed back against the claims in this lawsuit and is also pushing back against the attorney general's characterization of this video and these comments. A spokesperson told me the A.G.'s civil sizzle reel is a shameful attempt to distort an open internal conversation about making the platform safer when TikTok was just beginning five years ago. This manipulation relies on conversations taken out of context with the sole purpose of misleading the public and grandstanding.
The spokesperson also pointed to some of the youth safety features that TikTok has rolled out in recent years, everything from parental oversight tools to a meditation feature the platform recently introduced to try to keep young people from scrolling so much on the platform.
But I do think it's going to be interesting to watch how this video plays into this North Carolina court battle, but also a number of lawsuits that have been filed against the company in states across the country.
Clare Duffy, CNN, New York.
BRUNHUBER: Well, hidden under the waves for hundreds of years, relics of an ancient Egyptian city have started to resurface. On Thursday, crews working in the Mediterranean and off Alexandria hoisted large statues and other artifacts from a sunken city that date back more than 2,000 years.
Egyptian officials say there's evidence the site may have been the extension of the ancient city of Canopus. Once a thriving port city along the Nile Delta, natural disasters doomed the city to a watery grave in the 8th century. Actress Millie Bobby Brown came to fame playing the character Eleven
on the Netflix series "Stranger Things." Well now at 21 she's become a mom. Brown and husband Jake Bon Jovi announced on Instagram on Thursday that they adopted a baby girl this summer. The British actress and 23-year-old Bon Jovi, the son of rock star Jon Bon Jovi, married last year. Brown says she's always wanted to be a mom at 21 just like her own mother who had her first child at that age.
Thanks so much for watching. I'm Kim Brunhuber in Atlanta. CNN Newsroom continues next with my colleague Erica Hill.
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