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Trump Says He Plans To Hold Talks On Ukraine In Coming Days; Lisbon In Shock After Funicular Crash Leaves 15 Dead; Trump Defends Lethal U.S. Strike On Venezuelan Vessel; UAE Warns Israel That Annexing West Bank Would Cross "Red Line"; Israel Expects Gaza City Offensive To Displace One Million Palestinians; Putin and Xi Caught on Hot Mic Discussing Immortality; Kim's Daughter and Possible Heir Joins Him in Beijing; Karol Nawrocki Praises Trump for Keeping Troops in Poland; U.S. Military Works to Boost Its Drone Capabilities; Afghanistan Reels from Quake that Killed 1,400; Trump Asks Supreme Court to Save His Emergency Tariffs; Bogota Welcomes First Train for Long-Awaited Metro System; What is the Song of the Summer for 2025? Aired 1-2a ET
Aired September 04, 2025 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Good to have you with us. Ahead here on CNN Newsroom, President Trump will speak with Ukraine's president and European leaders in the coming hours as Russia intensifies its attacks.
A deadly accident in Portugal is a tram popular with tourists derails.
And the U.S. Secretary of state defends the deadly strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean. But a former top drug enforcement official questions whether the vessel was actually used for smuggling drugs at all. That exclusive interview coming up.
UNIDENATIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with Lynda Kinkade.
KINKADE: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Paris where he's getting ready to sit down with allies in the so called Coalition of the Willing in the face of intensifying Russian attacks.
French President Emmanuel Macron says the group is ready to provide security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire with Russia. The comments come as the momentum to end the war have come to a standstill. Ukraine faced a new barrage of drone and missile strikes in the western part of the country overnight on Wednesday.
Donald Trump, who plans to speak with President Zelenskyy Thursday, says he'll also talk with Vladimir Putin in the coming days. The U.S. President says his Russian counterpart knows where he stands, adding, quote, you'll see things happen if the U.S. is unhappy with Moscow's response.
Well, that subtle warning didn't seem to rattle President Putin, who joined the leaders of China and North Korea for a show of unity in Beijing. Putin now says he's willing to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart in Moscow and offer Kyiv calls unacceptable. Here's what the Russian leader said about security guarantees.
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VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I agree with those who believe that every country has a right to choose by itself the system which provides its own security. This applies to all countries, including Ukraine. But it also means that security of one country cannot be provided at the expense of another country, in this case of the Russian Federation.
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KINKADE: Vladimir Putin speaking there in Beijing. Why? He also sat down with the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and thanked him for sending troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine. CNN Sebastian Shukla reports.
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SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: It has been another highly successful diplomatic outing on the international stage for the Russian President Vladimir Putin, culminating in that enormous military parade and show of force in the Chinese capital, which is what then happened was we saw President Putin, the Chinese leader, and Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, striding confidently and in seemingly in good spirits together. That message was almost as important for Russia as it is for China.
For President Putin, it sent a message to the west that says, we, these Asian leaders are supporting you in your war in Ukraine. China, don't forget, inked an enormous multibillion dollar deal to help import Russian gas, something that it's been doing since the invasion of Ukraine and has subsequently allowed Moscow to fuel its war chest and to keep the fighting going in Ukraine's borderlands.
The image stood alongside North Korea, a leader of a hermit kingdom exiled on the international stage is equally poignant, especially given that North Korean soldiers have been found fighting in Ukraine on behalf of Vladimir Putin.
But what came out at the end of the day, a press conference from the Russian president, gave us still a flavor that the Ukraine story and the discussions around ending that war are still very much front and center of his mind.
PUTIN (through translator): Donald asked me if it was possible to hold such a meeting. I said, yes, it is possible. In the end, if Zelenskyy is ready, let him come to Moscow. Such a meeting will take place.
SHUKLA: The prospect of President Zelenskyy arriving in talks for Moscow with the Russian president is almost a non-starter for a myriad of reasons, one of them being that the Russian government doesn't view President Zelenskyy as a legitimate leader. President Zelenskyy himself, though, will know that part of the initial invasion plan put together by Vladimir Putin was that he wanted a decapitation of the Ukrainian government and that there had been numerous security fears for President Zelenskyy going there would offer would be a real test of his own personal security.
[01:05:07]
And that is all before the optics that would come around such a meeting where President Zelenskyy would go essentially to kiss the ring and on bended knee, you know, signing a peace deal after his country was invaded.
President Zelenskyy, though, for his part will be meeting with European allies in Paris with President Macron of France, and then later with other European leaders in a meeting of the so called Coalition of the Willing. What we're starting to get from Europe now is a little bit more of a flavor about these so called security guarantees promised by European allies and the United States.
A source in the Elyse has told CNN that there are now three key pillars that President Macron will be talking to President Zelenskyy about. One of those is the continued support and delivery of equipment supplies to bolster and train the Ukrainian armed forces. The second, crucially, appears to be some sort of contingent of European peacekeepers on the ground, although details of that are not quite clear. And finally is that the US Will be involved in some sort of American safety net, as the source called it. Sebastian Shukla, CNN, Berlin.
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KINKADE: At least 15 people are dead and more than a dozen injured after a cable car popular with tourists derailed in Portugal. The crash happened Wednesday in Lisbon, and authorities say foreign nationals are among the dead. Joao Povoa Marinheiro with CNN Portugal has more.
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JOAO POVOA MARINHEIRO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's one of Lisbon's worst ever transit tragedies and what the city's mayor described as a tragic day for the Portuguese capital when the Gloria funicular, a historic 19th century cable car and a tourist hotspot, derailed and crashed into a building.
All of this happened in broad daylight in the busy city center right after 6pm during rush hour, which means that the incident was explicitly witnessed by many passersby. Many of them actually attended the scene to help victims before the arrival of first responders that nonetheless were quick to get there.
Now questions arise as to the funicular's maintenance. Preliminary analysis from experts consulted by CNN Portugal point to the rupture of the cable that upholds the carriage that crashed. The company responsible for managing Lisbon's traditional funiculars has stated that all safety protocols have been met.
However, recent and repeated warnings from the city's cable car workers related with maintenance issues have resurfaced. A series of inquiries from several authorities have now begun. Lisbon's mayor suspended all public access to the Portuguese capital's other historic funiculars as a precautionary measure. Joao Povoa Marinheiro, CNN, Portugal, Lisbon.
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KINKADE: President Trump is sending drug traffickers in the Caribbean a warning after Tuesday's military strike at a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela. Despite providing no evidence about who or what was on board that boat, he said, quote, a lot of other people won't be doing it again. Eleven people were killed in the strike, which Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggests was the most effective way to deal with smart smuggling into the US.
What will stop then, Rubio told reporters, is when you blow them up, when you get rid of them. He initially said that boat was on its way to Trinidad. Venezuelan officials suggest the strikes is a move towards a larger goal, overturning Venezuela's leadership.
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DIOSDADO CABELLO, VENEZUELAN MINISTER OF INTERIOR, JUSTICE AND PEACE (through translator): Who in his right mind can talk about combating drug cartels and dismiss where 87 percent of drugs transit to target instead where 5 percent goes through? There's an ulterior motive which they have not owned up to, but which they've always sought, which is regime change in Venezuela.
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KINKADE: Besty Klein has more details.
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BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Trump weighing in on a very significant and likely unprecedented escalation against a drug cartel operating in the Caribbean as video, dramatic video released by the Trump administration on Tuesday shows the moment that an alleged drug vessel was lethally struck by the U.S. military with 11 people alleged drug traffickers.
Now, the Trump administration says that this boat was operated by Tren de Aragua, that is the Venezuelan criminal organization. And President Trump has taken significant steps since the beginning of his second term in office to crack down on Tren de Aragua, including a step earlier this year to designate Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization.
But the president said in a post to social media that Trend Aragua is operating under the control of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He said it is responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking and other acts of violence.
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But the president was pressed Wednesday on why he authorized this strike. Why not just take that boat round it and its drugs and the people aboard up? And he said that this was aimed at sending a message of deterrence. Listen.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: There was massive amounts of drugs coming into our country to kill a lot of people. And everybody fully understands that. In fact, you see it, see the bags of drugs all over the boat and they were hit. Obviously, they won't be doing it again. And I think a lot of other people won't be doing it again when they watch that tape, they're going to say, let's not do this. We have to protect our country and we're going to. Venezuela has been a very bad actor.
KLEIN: And speaking to reporters in Mexico City on Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that previous efforts to interdict these boats have not worked. He went on to say that what will stop them, quote, is when you blow them up. Rubio also said that the strike was specifically authorized by President Trump himself.
We also heard reaction from Venezuelan President Maduro on Tuesday. He says that the U.S. poses an extravagant threat to his country. All of this, of course, could have major implications for the region. Betsy Klein, CNN in Washington.
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KINKADE: Joining us now is Michael Vigil, the former Drug Enforcement Administration Chief of International Operations. Good to have you on the program.
MICHAEL VIGIL, FORMER CHIEF OF INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS, U.S. DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION: Thank you so much, Lynda. It's always a pleasure.
KINKADE: So you were responsible for combating drug trafficking both domestically and internationally across dozens of countries. You've said the facts don't add up in this U.S. strike on an alleged drug boat. Why do you doubt that the individuals killed were actual drug traffickers?
VIGIL: Because there's no evidence to prove that they were drug traffickers. And then also the Trump administration indicated that they were members of the Tren de Aragua. The Tren de Aragua gang is not engaged in transportation of drugs. They're distributors.
And the other thing that is a little bit puzzling to me is that in these type of boats that they use to transferred or transport drugs, the crew members only consist of 3 to 4 max. In this case, by the estimates given by the Trump administration, they indicated that 11 were killed. And that is an outrageous number for this type of operation. Because when they transport drugs in these small boats, not only will
they take drugs, but they also have to take barrels of fuel given the distance that they have to travel. So everything has been destroyed. And there was no reason to blow up that boat.
In this case, they decided to use unnecessary lethal force and blow up that entire boat. And there's a strong possibility, as far as I'm concerned, that these were Venezuelan citizens that were fleeing the repressive Maduro regime given the number of people that were on that boat.
KINKADE: How will we ever get clarity on that if these were citizens of Venezuela fleeing that regime?
VIGIL: Well, I think that there has to be an investigation conducted, and then the individuals, the force, the naval force that is in the Caribbean is going to have to provide evidence that they knew that boat was carrying drugs and that these individuals were connected with that venture. It can easily be cleared.
But here's the problem is that these drug cartels organizations, they usually hire poor fishermen that have these little boats and they know the area to transport drugs. They pay them usually $2,000 to $3,000, and they do it because of the fact that they very poor.
KINKADE: There are reports that a Tomahawk missile was used to destroy that small boat. Does that make operational sense?
VIGIL: Not at all, Lynda, simply because the latest version of a Tomahawk missile is $2.4 million to destroy a little boat.
[01:15:10]
That is probably worth no more than $1,000 and then unnecessarily kill the individuals on that boat. And there's no way that they could tell that boat was carrying drugs. Donald Trump gave a statement. He said, oh, they were carrying drugs, lots of drugs. Well, how do you know that? And unfortunately the media never asked them.
How did you know this? What evidence do you have indicating that boat was carrying drugs? And I can assure you that statement that was made, that it was Tren de Aragua, I can tell you 100 percent that is false.
KINKADE: Historically speaking, would the DEA or U.S. law enforcement ever recommend such a high level military strike against suspected drug traffickers?
VIGIL: Never. Never. Because this would be equivalent, Lynda, to a DEA agent walking up to a drug dealer on a street corner in Chicago who's selling drugs and just executing them there, you know, shooting them in the head when there was no provocation, where there was no threat to the, you know, DEA agents life. That is basically what it's tantamount to.
KINKADE: So what message does this send right now about how the U.S. government is operating?
VIGIL: Well, you're right because unfortunately you have a lot of unqualified individuals that are in this cabinet and the fact is that they make calls that deal with extreme cruelty. You know, you can see what they're doing with a lot of the undocumented migrants. And this is another example of the cruelty that is being exacted by the Trump administration.
And this causes consternation, it creates instability in Latin America because, you know, these countries see these things taking place and they no longer trust this administration. The administration continues to talk about security. But if you alienate a lot of the countries that we've been aligned with for many, many decades, the security level of the United States goes down drastically.
KINKADE: Michael Vigil, an important discussion conversation. We appreciate your expertise. Thanks for joining us.
VIGIL: Thank you, Lynda.
KINKADE: Israeli anti-war activists are changing tactics ahead of the IDF's expected all-out assault on Gaza City. Still ahead, protesters take their message to a place where political leaders can't ignore it.
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KINKADE: The United Arab Emirates is warning Israel against a possible annexation of parts of the West Bank. The UAE says the move would be a red line that would end the push for regional integration through the Abraham Accords.
Those agreements normalized Israel's relations with three Arab states, including the UAE. Israeli officials say Prime Minister Netanyahu will meet his top ministers Thursday. They'll consider proposals to annex up to 60 percent of the West Bank and discuss possible retaliation for the recognition of a Palestinian state by several Western countries expected later this month at the UN.
One of Israel's far right cabinet members says the country should take as much land as possible.
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BEZALEL SMOTRICH, ISRAELI FINANCE MINISTER (through translator): The time has come to apply Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria, to once and for all remove from the agenda the idea of dividing our tiny land and establishing a terror state in its center.
And we have no desire to apply our sovereignty on a population that wants to destroy us. Enemies should be fought against, not allowed a comfortable life. That is why the chief principle for applying sovereignty, get it well into your heads. This is the slogan. Maximum territory, minimum population.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Gaza City is bracing for Israel's full blown military onslaught, but so far most civilians are choosing to remain in the city. A senior Israeli official says about 70,000 people have left out of about 1 million residents. Israeli drones have been dropping leaflets urging people to move south. Well, anti-war protesters in Israel are changing tactics and taking their rallies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Our Jeremy Diamond reports.
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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Thousands of Israelis have come out into the streets of Jerusalem tonight to protest against this current Israeli government arguing for a deal to free the Israeli hostages and against this military offensive that is gearing up in Gaza City.
You can see behind me thousands of people who are beginning to march towards the Israeli prime minister's residence. That is who so many of the calls tonight have been directed against, directly towards the Israeli prime minister who so many here hold responsible for the current situation, for the fact that the hostages still are not home and for the fact that more Israeli troops are likely to die in this military offensive.
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And so you're seeing people here who are getting ready to march. You can see a lot of Israeli flags as well as these yellow flags that represent, that have come to represent the plight of the Israeli hostages over the course of this war. I want to pause here as well to talk about what an extraordinary moment this is right now in Israel and why so many people have showed up.
They have showed up because they feel like this is the last opportunity to try and stop what is about to happen. And that is this massive Israeli military offensive to take Gaza City and perhaps eventually to take Israel down a path of occupying the entirety of the Gaza Strip.
So many here have been parroting the words not just of other activists and protesters, but of the Israeli security establishment. Israel's military chief of staff, the head of the Mossad, David Barnea, and the head of Israel's internal security service. All of them in recent security cabinet meetings have been arguing against this military offensive, concern that it will risk more soldiers' lives, that it will risk the lives of the hostages as well, and that it won't get Israel any closer to defeating Hamas.
But against the advice of Israel's security cabinet, of Israel's security establishment, I should say the Israeli Prime Minister has chosen to move forward with that military offensive. Tens of thousands of Israeli reservists have been called up already and so many here are trying to stop that from actually taking effect, concern about the lives of soldiers, but also critically the lives of the hostages. And of course, many here also talking about concerns for the lives of
Palestinians in Gaza City, nearly a million of whom could be displaced by this Israeli military operation. And already in recent days we have seen hundreds of Palestinians who have been killed by Israel's intensified bombardment and artillery shelling in preparation for that all out ground offensive. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Kim Jong Un is making headlines not just for being in Beijing, but also who brought him -- who he brought with him. Some say we could be seeing the future leader of North Korea.
Plus, the numbers are in for one of the biggest Powerball jackpots in U.S. history. We'll check the odds and the payout if there's a lucky winner.
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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
Well, with all the military might on display and predictions of a new world order, discussions about longevity and living to 150 was not officially on the agenda. But that's what they got as Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin prepared to watch Wednesday's military parade in Beijing.
Here's what a hot mic picked up from their interpreters.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the past, we used to say that very rarely people lived past 70. But these days, at 70 years, you are still a child.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Those who are 75, 65, they have better in a few years with the development of biotechnology, human organs can be constantly transplanted so that people can live younger and younger and even become immortal.
XI JINPING, CHINESE PRESIDENT (through translator): The prediction is that in this century humans may live to 150 years old.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: I spoke earlier with CNN contributor and former Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty, and I asked her about that hot mic moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I thought it was fascinating, but this is important because both of these men are in their early 70s. And it is important if you look especially at Putin, he intends to it appears to stay in power until he's about 83, technically. And if he could live and be in great shape until 150, then that might be ok with him.
So I think, you know, we can kind of laugh about it, say it's a little weird, but I do think that is probably happening. There's probably some research. And I'm sure that some of these men would like to live longer than the average person.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, Kim Jong-un's visit to Beijing for the Chinese military parade is noteworthy on its own. But observers are also talking about who went with him.
CNN's Mike Valerio reports from Seoul.
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MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Amid the red-carpet welcome for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, his armored train pulling into Beijing's station flanked by members of the Chinese military, North Korea watchers immediately spotted a girl standing just behind Kim.
Her name is believed to be Kim Ju Ae, daughter of the North Korean leader. And we say "believed" because North Korea is shrouded in secrecy and so little is known about her. We don't even know exactly how old she is, pre-teen or young teenager.
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VALERIO: But we do know she, in recent years, has been seen trailing her father at high profile events, fueling speculation that she could one day be Kim's successor.
Her public debut, in fact, was at this 2022 intercontinental ballistic missile test launch.
We only knew about her existence before the launch because American basketball star and Kim's friend, Dennis Rodman, told "The Guardian" newspaper in 2013 he held Kim's baby, named Ju Ae.
Fast forward to this week, she's seen smiling as a high ranking official, the de facto chief of staff of the Chinese Communist Party greets her father.
But the younger Kim was not seen at Wednesday's ceremonies at Tiananmen Square. Kim's daughter has been present more often at Kim's side for nearly three years, instead of his wife, Ri Sol-ju or his sister Kim Yo Jong.
Experts say events from presiding over North Korean military parades, attending sporting events, even inaugurating a new beach resort could be part of her training to lead.
There's also a potential message to the world that the Kim dynasty, which has ruled North Korea since its founding, could continue with Kim's daughter. She perhaps one day walking in the footsteps of her father, side by side with those who hope to forge a new world order. Mike Valerio, CNN -- Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: President Trump welcomed Poland's new president to the White House Wednesday. Karol Nawrocki was elected in June, thanks in part to an endorsement from Mr. Trump.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Mr. Nawrocki praised the president's decision to keep U.S. troops stationed in Poland.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAROL NAWROCKI, POLISH PRESIDENT: This is the first time in Polish history in 20th century and the 21st century, that the Poles are happy that we have foreign soldiers in Poland.
We will not stop. Me as the president of Poland, we are going to achieve 5 percent of GDP for military service. But with American soldiers on Polish soil, we solidified and we are secure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: In many ways, drones are changing the way military battles are fought, and particularly in Ukraine. Now the U.S. and other countries are playing catch up.
CNN's Haley Britzky went to a base in Texas where U.S. troops are working to take their drone skills to the next level.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The character of warfare is changing rapidly. Every nation that's on the battlefield right now is using drones in some way, shape or form.
It's our responsibility to have the edge on any future battlefield.
HALEY BRITZKY, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Small but lethal drones have transformed the battlefield for Ukraine and Russia. The warring nations are rapidly innovating because stronger and smarter technology can literally mean life or death. But it has also meant a game of catch up for America.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got to make sure that we're keeping pace with what technology is emerging so that if we have to ever employ it, we know how to use these systems.
BRITZKY: These units at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas are learning how to build and fly FPV or First-Person View drones. FPV drones are much cheaper and lighter than many of the U.S.' current drones.
These drones have rapidly transformed warfare. From Ukraine, smuggling them thousands of miles into Russia in one shocking attack earlier this summer, to Russia launching nightly drone attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure. This is a simulation where soldiers will learn how to operate the
drones. Certainly much more successfully than I am currently doing it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So they get to hop on the sim, start flying and then after roughly the first day, the next three days after that is building. Next day after those three days would be programming, make sure your drones all good.
BRITZKY: Once they've practiced flying virtually, the soldiers take their skills to what is essentially a training gym for drones.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So our FPV operators are actually gaining proficiency of flying in and out. So actually into an enemy armored vehicle if they ever needed to do so.
BRITZKY: Small unmanned systems, like what we saw at Bliss, could be outfitted with a range of explosives. The soldiers who operate them wear goggles that allow them to see what the drone sees, whether that's to strike a target like an armored vehicle or peek into a window.
But as the soldiers explained, it's easier said than done.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is very disorienting. And the goggles, you can't see anything on the outside, so you have to use your environment the best you can so you don't fall over.
BRITZKY: The army and the U.S. military as a whole have recognized that the conversation about drones and unmanned systems is not a discussion for the future. It's about adapting to threats that exist on the battlefield today.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: The U.S. President is appealing to the Supreme Court to save his tariff, or his administration may have to pay back billions of dollars to American businesses. We'll have the details next.
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KINKADE: Rescue and relief efforts continue in Afghanistan, where a powerful earthquake killed more than 1,400 people on Sunday. Several aftershocks have followed, including a 5.2 magnitude tremor on Tuesday.
As CNN's Nic Robertson reports, villages are reeling from the devastation.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: For these children, their first cooked food since the quake struck. Families in this remote village in eastern Afghanistan forced to seek shelter in their fields.
More than two days after the Magnitude 6 tremor hit the rugged, mountainous region, aid agencies are only just beginning to reach the worst affected.
"We need everything. We don't have food," this villager tells us. "We don't have the means to cook because we lost our kitchens and firewood. We don't even have a pillow and a mattress to sleep on. Everything is gone."
The only way even these limited supplies are getting here is by helicopter. Firefighters with little more than picks and shovels joining the search for survivors. Many villagers still missing. But time is running out.
Recovery efforts pausing to pay respects as they discover those who didn't make it through that awful Sunday night. Homes here, testament to the quake's power and an object lesson to the scale of the calamity for communities whose buildings are boulders, rock and trees bound together by mud.
"The majority of people from every household were killed. For example, there was a house where 19 people were living, and now only one of them is alive," this survivor tells us.
"I'm in a state of shock right now and so is everyone else. Our brains have stopped working."
The government says the death toll is still climbing. Over 1,450 people now, and likely to get worse.
DR. MUKTA SHARMA, WHO AFGHANISTAN DEPUTY REPRESENTATIVE: Being able to bring in the heavy equipment to rescue people, to remove the rubble is something which has not been possible to date in many sites. So really a very, very difficult situation on the ground.
ROBERTSON: Seen from a helicopter, the scale of the challenge becoming clearer. Miles of dirt roads cut by landslides, only accessible on foot.
Aftershocks and heavy rain are hampering relief efforts. But the challenge here goes way beyond just getting to those affected.
SHARMA: These are not wealthy people. These are people who are barely on the edge of existence. They eke out a living.
So for most of them, they have lost everything. They've lost their homes, they've lost their animals. And they're starting when they start life again really from zero.
ROBERTSON: For many here, for now at least, shedding Sunday's trauma is still their biggest challenge.
"It was like doomsday for us," he says. "It was a test from God, and I pray that the Almighty God doesn't test us like this again."
Nic Robertson, CNN -- London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Donald Trump is urging the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling which found he overstepped his authority. He relied on a 1970s era emergency law to impose sweeping international tariffs.
If the Supreme Court doesn't hear Trump's appeal or upholds the lower court ruling, the administration may have to refund billions of dollars to American importers.
CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump says his administration will be filing an appeal with the Supreme Court over a ruling last Friday by a judge who said that the Trump administration unlawfully imposed tariffs under the Emergency Powers Act, also known as IEEPA.
Since April, when the tariffs took effect, they've reached heights of 145 percent on countries like China and the U.S. has collected $210 billion through August 24th but that has been paid by importers and U.S. businesses.
If President Trump's appeal fails, the federal government will have to cease collecting those tariffs and pay back all of that money starting on October 14th.
So how does that exactly happen? Well, there's no clear answer, but experts say the government could one, refund the tariffs to all of the importers who paid them.
Or argue that the court ruling only applies to the named plaintiffs in the lawsuit that this judge ruled on.
[01:49:49]
YURKEVICH: Or the Trump administration could require importers to request refunds individually.
The tariffs have been a way for the government to fill its coffers and reduce the amount of money it has borrowed, which ultimately reduces the federal deficit.
Now Trump, about all of this, said that the ruling, if it does stick will be devastation for the country.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Our thanks to Vanessa.
Well, it's been said that no publicity is bad publicity and American Eagle is taking that theory to the bank. The clothing company stock surged 25 percent in after-hours trading after its earnings report Wednesday.
American Eagles CEO thanked the controversial Sydney Sweeney good jeans ad campaign for boosting brand awareness and sales.
The campaign had the blond-haired, blue-eyed actress boasting that her parents gave her great genes. Responses to the ads range from cheers to accusations of eugenics.
American Eagle says it will continue the campaign in the coming months.
Well, still ahead, Bogota has a long-held reputation as the world's largest capital without a metro system. But thanks to a new arrival, that's about to change for the Colombian capital.
Plus, the final days of summer in the U.S. are drawing near. But did anyone release an anthem worthy of the title "Song of the Summer"? That story and more just ahead.
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KINKADE: Welcome back.
After a wait of more than eight decades, Colombia's capital is getting a metro system. Bogota's first metro train arrived at the Port of Cartagena on Tuesday.
The mayor's office says the train for the city's Line One has six cars, which were unloaded from a cargo ship from China. It's expected to launch in March of 2028, and the metro will eventually consist of 30 trains that can transport up to 1,800 passengers each.
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CARLOS FERNANDO GALAN, MAYOR, BOGOTA, COLOMBIA, (through translator): With this project, Bogota enters a new phase, a new era. It will no longer be, as we were told for so many years, the largest capital in the world without a metro. No, Bogota will finally have a metro.
YANG QIWU, DIRECTOR, BOGOTA FIRST LINE METRO PROJECT (through translator): The importance of this does not need to be explained. Everyone knows how important this project is.
The unloading of the first train, this is a dream long-awaited by all citizens of Bogota for 83 years. And today, with the arrival of the first train, that dream has been fulfilled.
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KINKADE: The iconic music and food festival known as Farm Aid is coming back for the 40th anniversary this month. Founding musicians Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp are bringing the festival to Minneapolis, Minnesota for the first time. Farm Aid is a primary source of funding to support family farms here
in the U.S. Organizers say the festival has raised more than $85 million since it started back in 1985. And you can watch the big event from the comfort of your home right here on CNN on September the 20th.
Well, summer winds down in the northern hemisphere. We're looking for the song of summer. That's an honor given to one or maybe even a few songs whose sound perfectly captures the feeling of the season.
CNN asked people on the streets of New York what they're listening to.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, New York. It's. Kristin McKee.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there a song of the summer? According to some, not this year. So is it true? Have we reached peak SOS?
We hit the streets of Brooklyn to find out what people are thinking and listening to.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some summers have a song. This summer, I don't think does.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over time it's either like single artists are really big, but I don't think I've felt like one song of the summer in quite some time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For me, this might be the first summer without a song.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel like songs of the summer are born on the radio, at least in my memory. Just because that was the one platform or medium where everybody had access to.
Now we're kind of scattered in terms of streaming. Everybody has their own like niche avenues and areas that they listen to music.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The fact that everybody is plugged in to their own, you know, little box. They're all listening to something different. And I mean everyone has actually formed their own realities.
Is the song of the summer "Golden" from Netflix animated film "K-Pop Demon Hunters"?
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But I've heard it played at stores, especially Golden by Huntrix.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Many told us their song of the summer wasn't a top 40 hit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I do throwbacks. So I've been listening to "Let It Go" by Keyshia Cole and "Moody Wind" by Anthony Lazzaro.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the song of the summer is "Sugar" by Tyler, The creator.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that the song of the summer is "Rock Your Body" which is a throwback, but I've seen a lot on TikTok.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm thinking that New York. Yes. "New York", Jay- Z and Alicia Keys.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, that's a throwback. Can a throwback be a song of the summer?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yes. Definitely, yes.
Whatever you want to put on when you feel that weather and you know, you just want to start moving.
So you want to put on something familiar that just reminds you of good times and good summer times.
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KINKADE: Well, Powerball says there are no winners for the latest jackpot here in the U.S. The grand prize is now expected to hit upwards of $1.7 billion for Saturday's drawing. Wednesday's $1.4 million (SIC) mark was already the fourth largest in the lottery's history.
A single winner on Saturday can claim a one-time lump sum payment of about $770 million, or they could spread the larger amount over 30 years.
The odds of winning, though, are not great. You have about a 1 in 292,000,000 chance. I still might buy a ticket.
Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
CNN NEWSROOM continues with Rosemary Church in just a moment.
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