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Israel Begins Ground Offensive to Occupy Gaza City; Charlie Kirk Shooting Suspect Charged with Aggravated Murder; Trump Makes Unprecedented Second State Visit to U.K.; Heat-Related Deaths Reaches Thousands Across Europe; Study: 24,000+ Heat-Related Deaths Across Europe; Remembering Robert Redford, Dead at 89. Aired 12-12:45a ET
Aired September 17, 2025 - 00:00 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 INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM.
Israel says its military offensive in Gaza City could last months. More than a million Palestinians, many already displaced, are being ordered to flee. Coming up, we'll speak live with Doctors Without Borders on the ground in Gaza as the humanitarian crisis deepens.
The suspect in the Charlie Kirk shooting appears for the first time in court. The district attorney is seeking the death penalty.
Plus, a few degrees can be the difference between life and death. A new study shows climate change is behind almost 70 percent of heat related deaths across Europe this summer.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Lynda Kinkade.
KINKADE: We begin in Gaza, where Israel's ground assault to occupy Gaza City is well underway. The city is home to nearly half of the enclave's population, about a million people. Israel's military says it expects the offensive to take several months to complete, the first timeline the IDF has given for its plan.
The Israeli prime minister is facing mounting criticism both abroad and at home. But Benjamin Netanyahu will be meeting with the U.S. president at the White House later this month, his fourth visit since the beginning of Donald Trump's second term.
In Jerusalem, protesters are calling for an end to the war and the release of all the hostages. Hostages' families fear the new incursion will put their loved ones in further danger and prevent a deal to bring them home.
CNN's Jeremy Diamond has the details. We need to warn you some of the images you're about to see are graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The invasion of Gaza City has begun, at least according to the Israeli military. Israel says its ground forces are moving toward the heart of the city, with some 20,000 troops committed to conquering and occupying it. But as smoke rises over its skyline, CNN has yet to independently confirm that ground forces have pushed into the city center.
From above, the Israeli military did deliver a terrifying night of bombardment, sending rescue crews into bombed out buildings. Outside Al-Shifa Hospital, one child after the next is hurried into the emergency room. All are bloodied and covered in soot. Through tears and obvious signs of shock, doctors and nurses work to treat and comfort these young victims.
There is no comforting those in the hospital's courtyard, where relatives arrive to discover their loved ones are among the 82 killed overnight.
"My daughter, check her. My daughter, she's killed," this mother cries out in disbelief. "Someone check her."
As the military escalates its assault, it says some 350,000 people have fled Gaza City. Israel wants to displace all of the city's population of about one million people, drawing accusations of ethnic cleansing. Israel says it is trying to move civilians out of harm's way as it takes on a Hamas force of just 2,000 to 3,000 fighters, according to an Israeli military official.
But not everyone has the means or the ability to leave, including this pregnant woman.
"I don't want anything. All I want is to go south to escape death," she says. "We're all injured and ill. It's difficult for us to move."
For the first time, an independent United Nations commission concluding in a 72-page report that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a conclusion Israel categorically rejects.
CHRIS SIDOTI, MEMBER, U.N. COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ON TRAVEL AND PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: This is not a minor matter. The extremity of what is happening is such that we could come to no other reasonable inference than genocidal purpose.
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DIAMOND: The global outcry, blunted by diplomatic cover from the United States, which is now backing Israel's invasion of Gaza City and casting doubt on prospects of a negotiated ceasefire.
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, as you saw, the Israelis have begun to take operations there. So we think we have a very short window of time in which a deal could happen.
DIAMOND: That rapidly closing window driving hostage families into the streets, fearing their loved ones will be caught in this latest Israeli assault. And government doesn't seem to be listening.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Want to go now to Khan Younis, Gaza, where I'm joined by Esperanza Santos Suarez. She is the emergency medical coordinator in Gaza for Doctors Without Borders.
We appreciate your time today. Thanks for joining us.
Good morning.
KINKADE: So you were recently in Gaza City and like so many Palestinians, you had to flee yet again. Over a million people are being asked to evacuate. Just describe what the last few days have been like for you.
ESPERANZA SANTOS SUAREZ, EMERGENCY MEDICAL COORDINATOR IN GAZA, MSF: And the last week in Gaza City has been, yes, I mean, quite terrible with the -- with the increase of the military activities, with the continuous bombardments, not only in the specific areas as before, but really all over. Indiscriminate and in residential buildings, in the tents of displacement in big towers, but also small tents of people.
And really like a population, yes, was feeling trapped because also there is no option for many of them to move out of Gaza City as, as the Israel army is asking them, is requesting them. It's not only even -- even if they would like to many of them, they don't have the means to flee and they feel trapped in this -- in this offensive.
KINKADE: And for your colleagues and friends still in Gaza City, talk to us about the sort of injuries that you're dealing with there.
SUAREZ: Yes. We're talking about the, yes, I mean, like the Israeli army, they are saying, OK, the hospital are still functioning, but you know that the medical staff and patients need to access the hospital. So, and this safety -- safe access is not guaranteed. So many people like in the way to the -- to the work, in the way to the hospital or in the -- in trying to seek aid, trying to seek health care is when they get injured and when they got bombed.
So really it's, yes, it's very dramatic situation for all the population and of course, among the population, our staff and the medical staff that is trying to keep running the hospitals and to keep supporting the population.
KINKADE: And of course, you know, as we've been reporting, hospitals have been bombed, medical facilities have been raided, health workers have been killed. Do you fear for your life?
SUAREZ: I mean, I think, I mean, for me, the important focus is to put in this a million people, a million civilian population in Palestine, in Gaza City that are threatened and the life is threatened. And they don't have a solution anywhere to go. I mean, at least this is how I feel like. KINKADE: Yes. I mean, nowhere to go. They've already had to -- they've
already been displaced multiple times. And of course, we've heard from Israel that, you know, fuel, water, medicine has been stolen by Hamas. But, you know, U.S. intelligence has said there's no evidence of widespread theft. What is your experience on the ground with regards to those sort of supplies?
SUAREZ: These medical services, water and food, yes, it's not enough for the population in the Gaza Strip in general and even less now in Gaza City that many of the, yes, the salinization plants and the water plants are not running so, I mean, like even if there is war, even if there is a conflict, the people still need of drinking water, the people still need to eat and the people still need to seek services in medical care. So this should be protected and we cannot use the delivery of these essential services as a weapon of war.
KINKADE: Speaking of weapons of war, the U.N. has found that genocide is happening in Gaza. Do you agree with that conclusion?
SUAREZ: Well, all I can tell you it's again like it's indiscriminate. I mean, we have seen how, like, bombardments reach all over the city, how complete neighborhoods and full neighborhoods have been erased.
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And there is no sign at all of what it was or what the city or the neighborhood was a couple of weeks ago. So I think --
KINKADE: Yes, it's horrific. We appreciate all the work you and your team are doing there.
Esperanza Santos Suarez, thanks so much for your time and take care.
SUAREZ: Thank you. Have a good day.
KINKADE: Well, the 22-year-old accused of killing conservative political activist Charlie Kirk appeared for the first time in court by video link to hear the charges against him. Tyler Robertson showed no emotion Tuesday as the judges read the seven charges, which include aggravated murder and obstruction of justice.
Earlier, the Utah County attorney held a news conference to announce the formal charges and reveal that he will indeed seek the death penalty. Prosecutors outlined new evidence in the charging documents, including texts from the day of the shooting, as well as details on the engravings found on the bullet casings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF GRAY, UTAH COUNTY ATTORNEY: The fired cartridge was etched "No tice bulge, O-W-O, what's this?" The second cartridge that was -- that was again not spent, the last three were not spent, were not fired. The second, "Hey, fascist, catch," with arrow symbols. The third cartridge. "Oh, bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao." The fourth cartridge, "If you read this, you are gay. L-M-A-O."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: CNN's Danny Freeman is following all the developments from Utah.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have the right to have the charges read that you stand charged of.
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The man accused of murdering conservative activist Charlie Kirk facing a judge in his first court appearance since the horrific killing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shooting heard shots.
FREEMAN: 22-year-old Tyler Robinson seen in custody wearing a suicide prevention vest, saying only his name as the judge announced seven charges, including aggravated murder, with an enhancement for targeting Kirk for his political expression.
GRAY: I am filing a notice of intent to seek the death penalty. I do not take this decision lightly.
FREEMAN: The appearance following a staggering amount of new and tragic details revealed by Utah County prosecutors. Court documents laid out a series of text messages after the shooting between Robinson and his roommate, Robinson's romantic partner, who was transitioning from male to female.
GRAY: On September 10th, 2025, the roommate received a text message from Robinson which said, "Drop what you're doing, look under my keyboard." The roommate looked under the keyboard and found a note that stated, quote, "I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I'm going to take it."
FREEMAN: The roommate texted Robinson, shocked, "What? You're joking right?" The roommate added later, "You weren't the one who did it, right?" "I am," replied Robinson. "I'm sorry." Robinson said he was planning to retrieve the hunting rifle he used from a drop point, and explained he was trying to get away from the crime scene before the roommate asked this question. "Why," the roommate asked. "Why did I do it? Replied Robinson. "Yes," the roommate wrote back. "I had enough of his hatred," wrote Robinson. "Some hate can't be negotiated out."
GRAY: DNA consistent with Robinson was found on the rifle's trigger. After shooting Mr. Kirk. Robinson hid the gun, discarded the clothing he wore when he fired the rifle, and told his roommate to delete incriminating text messages and not talk to police. Roommate, "How long have you been planning this?" Robinson, "A bit over a week, I believe."
FREEMAN: Eventually, after acknowledging what he called memes written on bullet casings recovered from the scene, Robinson told his roommate to delete the messages and not speak to the media. "I'm going to turn myself in willingly," Robinson wrote to his roommate. "One of my neighbors here is a deputy for the sheriff. You are all I worry about, love," he said. "I'm much more worried about you," his roommate replied. Robinson told his roommate he'd hoped to keep the shooting a secret until he died of old age.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FREEMAN (on-camera): Now, on Tuesday, the judge said that Robinson must have an attorney appointed to him in time for the next scheduled hearing. That hearing has been scheduled for September 29th.
Danny freeman, CNN, Provo, Utah.
KINKADE: Well, pageantry, politics and protests all part of Donald Trump's second state visit to the U.K. We'll have a preview of the events, plus a controversial demonstration.
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KINKADE: Welcome back.
The U.S. president and first lady traveled to London Tuesday for a second state visit. Right now, the Trumps are spending the night at the official residence of the U.S. ambassador to the U.K., and activists have been projecting images of Donald Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein onto the walls of Windsor Castle. The photo showing a timeline of their relationship. The stunt was shut down pretty quickly by the police, who arrested four people and removed equipment from a nearby hotel.
CNN's Max Foster reports from Windsor.
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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Touching down in the U.K., President Donald Trump is back, an unprecedented second state visit for the U.K.'s most important ally country. It comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer hand-delivered a personal invitation from King Charles III during his meeting with Trump at the White House earlier this year.
Trump described Charles as a beautiful and wonderful man. Echoing sentiments he expressed for the late Queen Elizabeth, and Prince William, who he met in Paris last October.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He's doing a fantastic job.
FOSTER: Eyebrows were raised during his last state visit. Whilst inspecting the Guard of Honor, he walked in front of the Queen, though the palace says this wasn't a breach of protocol. And at the state banquet, he placed his hand on the late monarchs back after his toast, another breach of royal etiquette, though the palace insisting not a breach in protocol. But it did make headlines. Trump has also spoken highly of the British prime minister, Keir
Starmer. But a series of scandals in the British government has weakened his position and strengthened key rival Nigel Farage of Reform, who's famously close to Trump.
Not everyone is a fan of Trump here. With pageantry comes protest. Security has been ramped up and police are on high alert as disruptions are planned up and down the country but particularly in Windsor and London. A reminder of the infamous Trump balloon that soared across Parliament Square as thousands protested against his visit in 2019.
But some do see his visit as a cause for excitement.
ANNE DALEY, WINDSOR RESIDENT: This is the second state visit. You know? It's spectacular. It's a shame really they're not having a carriage ride through Windsor because everybody loved Mr. Macron in the carriage. You know, so the security is very, very tight. I've been searched.
FOSTER: This state visit will be even bigger than his last. 1300 members of the military marking out in honor of the president, unprecedented in modern times. This visit's fanfare will also be extended to Melania Trump, who set to join Queen Camilla for a whistle stop tour around Windsor Castle if Camilla has recovered from her recent illness. Followed by a scouting event with Princess Kate on Thursday, cultivating the close ties between the two nations.
As Trump's visit mixes pageantry with politics and protests, it remains to be seen whether this visit will cement the relationship or revive memories of the past.
Max Foster, CNN, Windsor, England.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Extreme heat in Europe has caused tens of thousands of deaths in recent months, according to a new study. Still to come, we'll show you how climate change is driving the deadly rise in temperatures.
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KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Let's take a look at today's top stories.
Israel's military says it expects the ground offensive in Gaza City to take several months. Tuesday's announcement marks the first time the IDF has given any new details on this plan. About one million people, nearly half of Gaza's population, live in and around the city. The IDF claims about 40 percent of them have fled so far. CNN cannot independently confirm that number.
Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty for the suspect in the Charlie Kirk shooting. 22-year-old Tyler Robertson showed no emotion Tuesday as he appeared in court via video link, hearing the seven charges against him including aggravated murder. His next hearing is set for September 29th.
The FBI director got into several shouting matches during a Senate hearing. Kash Patel clashed with Democrats, who pressed him on the Jeffrey Epstein files, his controversial handling of the Charlie Kirk investigation and the firing of FBI agents allegedly for political reasons.
Extreme heat across Europe caused more than 24,000 deaths in recent months, according to a new study. Experts say climate change was a major factor, causing nearly 70 percent of those deaths.
CNN meteorologist Chris Warren walks us through the details.
CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The study, conducted by Imperial College London and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine focused on heat deaths across more than 800 European cities, representing about 30 percent of Europe's population. It estimated about 24,000 heat deaths, and they found that climate change was responsible for an overwhelming majority of those deaths.
Looking at a map of Europe showing climate change's impact, the temperature impact, seeing an increase, a larger increase in temperatures more than two degrees Celsius with some of the darker red showing where already hot areas getting even hotter because of climate change.
And it was a very hot summer. Europe's deadly summer heat, June, July, August was the fourth warmest on record.
Western Europe had its hottest June on record, and Southeast Europe recorded July heat waves and extreme fires. The Mediterranean region, absolutely baked through much of August. Spain recorded its most intense heat wave on record.
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So, it was a very hot summer. And a big reason for that was the weather pattern, what we call a heat dome. So, it's a big area of high pressure and with some rising air, it gets capped, essentially. It's like a lid on the atmosphere.
And that air is forced back down. And high pressure is sinking air, and that sinking air warms up even more by compression. So, just the heat builds on top of itself.
You also have clear skies, which allows more sun in and produces more warming.
So, it was an extreme summer with warmer than average temperatures. The darker red shows us where it was much warmer than average. And again, these are areas that are hot anyways.
So, going forward, if things don't change, if things stay the way they are, we can expect to see even more heat-related deaths. And cities are highly vulnerable to heat waves, because the cities
themselves can absorb more heat, retain more heat. They essentially trap the heat. And in Europe, 70 percent of people live in cities, and that number is expected to go up to 80 percent by 2050.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, is being treated in hospital after feeling unwell on Tuesday, according to his family.
They say the 70-year-old was vomiting, had low blood pressure, and a severe bout of hiccups.
It comes less than a week after the far-right leader was convicted of plotting a coup to overturn the results of Brazil's 2022 election.
Bolsonaro was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Well, fans, friends, and costars are mourning the loss of Hollywood legend Robert Redford. A look at the illustrious career of the leading man, award-winning director, and environmentalist when we come back.
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KINKADE: Welcome back. A new exhibition exploring the style of Marie Antoinette, the 18th Century French queen, will open in London this week.
The wife of Ling Louis XVI -- "Seize," is best remembered for her lavish wardrobe and, of course, her lifestyle at a time when France was poverty-stricken.
The V&A Museum exhibition will feature prized jewels, portraits, and other personal belongings. And of course, her final written note.
Friends and former colleagues are paying tribute to actor Robert Redford. He died on Tuesday at the age of 89.
In a statement shared with CNN, Redford's co-star in several films, Jane Fonda, said, quote, "I can't stop crying."
Barbra Streisand, Meryl Streep, and Morgan Freeman, and many others are also mourning the loss of the Academy Award-winning director and environmentalist.
Here's more now from CNN's Anderson Cooper.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): He was the golden boy of the silver screen.
ROBERT REDFORD, ACTOR/DIRECTOR/ENVIRONMENTALIST: Corey, I can't kiss you anymore. My lips are numb.
COOPER (voice-over): The piercing eyes, the windswept hair, and of course, that smile.
In a career that spanned more than 60 years, Robert Redford starred in some of Hollywood's most memorable hits --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sundance.
COOPER (voice-over): -- "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."
PAUL NEWMAN, ACTOR: I'll jump first.
REDFORD: No.
NEWMAN: Then you jump first.
REDFORD: No, I said.
NEWMAN: What's the matter with you?
REDFORD: I can't swim!
COOPER (voice-over): "The Sting."
NEWMAN: Well, kid, you beat him.
REDFORD: You're right, Henry. It's not enough. It's close.
COOPER (voice-over): "The Way We Were."
And while his good looks helped make him a star, it was Redford's eye for filmmaking that made him a legend. In the wake of the Watergate scandal, he bought the movie rights to the landmark political thriller "All the President's Men."
JASON ROBARDS, ACTOR: How much can you tell me about Deep Throat?
REDFORD: How much do you need to know?
COOPER (voice-over): In 1981, Redford won an Oscar, not for acting, but for directing the searing family drama "Ordinary People."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- the wrong thing you did.
REDFORD: What, for me, is the greatest gratitude, and that keys around the word "trust." I -- I really am grateful for the trust that I received from a terrific cast.
COOPER (voice-over): By then, Redford, whose friends called him Bob, had already founded Utah's Sundance Film Institute for aspiring independent filmmakers after falling in love with the state on a cross-country motorcycle trip, and where his passion for movies merged with his commitment to environmentalism.
REDFORD: I wanted to find a place that was going to be the last outpost of development, and this seemed to be it. So, I just bought two acres in 1961, about two acres of land for 500 bucks. And --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You did.
REDFORD: -- and then had to wait. I had to wait for two years before I could get the money to build my own house, which I did.
COOPER (voice-over): Years later, Redford would reportedly bemoan how the institute's namesake film festival had become a magnet for marketing gimmicks and reality TV stars.
By then, though, his legacy was long secured with a list of acting and directing credits that included "The Great Gatsby," "Three Days of the Condor," "The Natural," "Out of Africa," "Indecent Proposal," "Quiz Show," and "A River Runs Through It."
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REDFORD: As an artist, I just can't think of a better life than the one that I've been blessed with. It's just a great ride.
COOPER (voice-over): A great ride we were lucky to be invited along for. Robert Redford was 89 years old.
Anderson Cooper, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: And our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.
Thanks so much for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade. I will be back with much more news at the top of the hour. Stay with us. WORLD SPORT is next.
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(WORLD SPORT)
