Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
George Clooney Endorses Kamala Harris for President; Netanyahu in Washington, Prepares to Address U.S. Congress; Harris Endorsements; Harris set to Kick Off Presidential Campaign in Milwaukee; Kenyan Police Disperse Protesters with Tear Gas; Using Brain-Computer Interfaces for Healthier Living. Aired 9-9:45a ET
Aired July 23, 2024 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: It is 5 pm here in Dubai. I'm Eleni Giokos, and this is "Connect the World". U.S. Vice President Kamala
Harris is ready to put in the work and after just two days, she's already the presumptive nominee and hits the campaign trail. As the hostage deal
remains elusive, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is in Washington to speak to Congress and meet with the U.S. President and Vice Presidents.
And rival Palestinian factions sign a deal brokered by Beijing. What does the agreement between Hamas and Fatah mean for the Middle East? From
uncertainty to clarity in a matter of hours, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has secured enough delegates to win the Democratic Presidential
Nomination after a wave of endorsements from state delegations.
And she's already in campaign mode, set to hold a rally today in Wisconsin and vetting possible VP candidates. Harris started out yesterday facing
potential challenges after President Joe Biden's announcement that he's dropping out of the race. One by one, they started endorsing Harris leading
to a surge of Democratic support and more than $100 million in campaign donations.
The message from President Biden embraces the woman he hopes will succeed him in the Oval Office. MJ Lee has more on the stunning turn of events in
the U.S. presidential race.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MJ LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kamala Harris stepping into the brightest political spotlight of her career. Vice President making her
inaugural visit Monday to what had been until Sunday, the Delaware headquarters of the Biden-Harris campaign that quickly transformed into the
Harris campaign, Harris rallying campaign staff at an unprecedented political moment.
Following President Joe Biden stunning announcement Sunday to drop out of the 2024 race, Harris earlier on Monday paying tribute to not only the
president's first term record.
KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: Joe Biden's legacy of accomplishment over the past three years is unmatched in modern history.
LEE (voice-over): But also, his character and his patriotism.
HARRIS: His honesty, his integrity, his commitment to his faith and his family, his big heart and his love deep love of our country.
LEE (voice-over): With just 3.5 months until Election Day, Harris now running full steam ahead. With Biden's full support and endorsement in
hand. The new Harris campaign quickly staffing up and welcoming a boon in fundraising, team Harris boasting an $81 million haul in its first 24 hours
while future affords a major democratic super PAC securing $150 million in commitments.
Major democratic donors making clear to CNN, the money drought is over. Her first order of business Sunday, reaching out to more than 100 individuals
over the span of 10 hours, including democratic elected officials, labor leaders and civil rights and advocacy leaders, a furious effort to quickly
get the party to coalesce behind her in an unprecedented political moment.
REP. JIM CLYBURN (D-SC): You decided to run and so I decided to support a Vice President Harris.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I support Vice President Harris.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): When you're up against a convicted felon who better than a former prosecutor to take it straight to Donald Trump.
REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): I fully support Kamala Harris. And in fact, she's been trained by the best.
LEE (voice-over): Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who worked largely behind the scenes to nudge Biden towards his decision publicly endorsing
Harris on Monday, other high-profile Democrats widely seen as having presidential aspirations of their own or potentially ending up on a future
Harris VP shortlist also getting behind Harris.
GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D-KY): The vice president is ready. She has my full endorsement. I'm going to do everything I can to support her.
LEE (voice-over): Biden's remarkable decision this weekend coming after he was presented with polling that showed his path to victory was basically
non-existent. A person familiar telling CNN that decision so closely held even senior most advisors barely getting a heads up, in a letter addressed
to the American people by it in writing.
It is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of
my term.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Well, MJ Lee reporting there for us and CNN has just learned that Actor and Democratic Donor, George Clooney has now endorsed Harris.
[09:05:00]
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Harris's top aides and the aides for President Biden trying to mesh operations. I want to bring in Arlette Saenz
to give us a bit more impact and a bit of insight on. Look at the delegates rallying behind her. You have George Clooney coming out and endorsing her,
this huge momentum.
So, give me a sense of what's happening behind the scenes to try and streamline President Biden and VP Harris as the campaign, frankly shifts so
dramatically.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, so much of the focus for the campaign team now is really trying to blend these campaign
operations together and now that Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to be at the top of the Democratic ticket. Now, Harris is essentially
inheriting the campaign that belonged to President Joe Biden until he dropped out of the race on Sunday.
And what advisors and people close to the campaigns have said is that they really want to ensure that these teams can continue to work together even
as Harris likely will bring on potentially some new faces to this campaign. Yesterday, she spoke with staff at that Wilmington, Delaware headquarters,
where she said that the campaign's Chair Jen O'Malley Dillon and the campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez would both stay on in those roles
as she seeks the Democratic nomination.
But there's also a likelihood that there are others who could potentially be brought in two names that have been floated around are Rahm Emanuel, the
Current Ambassador to Japan, Former Chief of Staff at the White House as well as Mayor of Chicago. And another name is David Plouffe, who worked on
President Barack Obama's campaigns when he ran for president.
But still, it's very unclear how a lot of this will shake out. For President Biden's part, he has really tried to rally to Vice President
Kamala Harris aside. Yesterday, he also called into that meeting at the campaign headquarters to really encourage his staff to come together in
this moment, even as they really have seen this upheaval to the campaign since he dropped out on Sunday. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The name has changed on the top of the ticket, but the mission hasn't changed at all. And by the
way, I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be out there on the campaign with her.
HARRIS: It is so good to hear our president's voice. Joe, I know you're still on the call.
BIDEN: I'm watching you kid, I love you.
HARRIS: I love you. Over the next 106 days, we are going to take our case to the American people and we are going to win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Now the campaign was very quick to change a lot of their operations to gear it more towards Harris in the last really 36 hours. That includes
changing social media accounts that includes putting up new merchandise on their website specifically tailored to Harris and also really ramping up
and transitioning their fundraising apparatus to bring in more money for the Harris campaign.
So far, we're told that as of last night, she had raised more than $100 million since Sunday significant amount, especially if you compare it to
what Biden raise back in June, he brought in $127 million for that entire month. So, they certainly have seen an uptick in their fundraising.
They're hoping that's something that will continue in the days to come. Of course, Harris today is heading to Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she will be
appearing in the battleground state for the first time as a presidential candidate really introducing herself to voters but also trying to make the
case against Donald Trump.
GIOKOS: Yeah, and we'll be watching all events in Wisconsin today keeping a close eye on VP Harris. Thank you so much Arlette Saenz for that update.
Good to see. Now Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington as talks on a ceasefire and the release of hostages remain stalled.
A U.S. official says he said to meet Joe Biden on Thursday as the U.S. President recovers from COVID. On Monday evening Mr. Netanyahu met family
members of hostages held in Gaza promised to bring their loved one's home. He has scheduled to address a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday.
Now normally, the vice president would preside over that session, but Kamala Harris has declined to do so saying it clashes with another event.
She's expected to meet the Israeli Prime Minister later on this week. Meanwhile, and the West Bank, CNN has obtained new video that shows the
moments Israeli settlers attack the Palestinian farmers and the foreign activists trying to protect them.
Israel Defense Forces says its soldiers were sent to the scene and five warning shots into the air causing the attackers to fleet. Now the group
defend Palestine says two Americans and a German national taken to the hospital with suspected fractures. A Palestinian farmer and another
activist were also taken for treatments.
CNN's Nada Bashir is in London for us with the latest. I want to start off with Prime Minister Netanyahu. The meeting postponed until later this week.
Look, the reality is he wants to see continuity even with any change of God. He met with hostage families. So, what's the latest there, Nada?
[09:10:00]
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's right ahead of his departure from Israel he did issue a message to both sides of the political aisle
saying that whoever is elected to lead the United States, Israel remains, the U.S.'s closest ally, most important ally in the Middle East. And that
will certainly be the message he hopes to carry as he addresses Congress on Wednesday.
But as you mentioned here scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden later this week on Thursday, he's also got meetings with Kamala Harris, on the
books as well. And of course, relations between the U.S. and Israel long standing but relations between Netanyahu and President Biden have become
increasingly fought in recent weeks and months as the war in Gaza continues.
We've seen both sides take different approaches when it comes to foreign policy goals in Gaza. We've seen Israeli officials, including the Israeli
Prime Minister vocally and publicly contradicting U.S. statements when it comes to calls for more aids to be led into the Gaza Strip and also
crucially, when it comes to ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release agreement.
So, we have seen those tensions mounting between the two despite that steadfast support from the U.S. to Israel. So, we haven't seen the U.S.
pausing weapons shipments including the shipment of 2000 pound bombs to Israel following confirmation that they had been used in populated areas in
the Gaza Strip.
So, we've certainly seen some tensions in those relations and Netanyahu will be looking to solidify America support for Israel in his current
visit, but whether or not President Biden can actually increase any sort of pressure on the Israeli government when it comes to that ceasefire
negotiation process is questionable, given those relations that have become so fraught, but also given his announcement that he is dropping out of the
race.
Now, again, Kamala Harris won't be presiding over that congressional address. However, she is set to meet with Netanyahu later this week, as
well be interesting to see what comes out of that meeting. And also, of course, what the reaction will be from both Democrats and Republicans to
Netanyahu's address.
GIOKOS: All right, Nada Bashir, thank you so much. Good to see you. Well, as talks between Israel and Hamas, for a ceasefire and hostage will remain
stalled, Palestinian factions have agreed to end their divisions during a meeting in Beijing. The announcement followed reconciliation talks hosted
by China involving 14 Palestinian factions starting Sunday.
According to China's Foreign Ministry, the agreement comes as Beijing has sought his broker in the Gaza conflict. CNN's Marc Stewart is in Beijing
with more on this. So, look, Beijing has been able to bring two opposing sides around a single table. It has had success with talks in the Middle
East before. So, tell us about this deal and why this is important.
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Eleni. I think for some people, the thought of China being curious and wanting to involve itself in the Middle
East, it may seem a little bit novel. But if we look over time, there has definitely been an interest from Beijing, in that part of the world as it
deals with its own struggles within Asia, but it does see the Middle East as a place where it can establish itself as a political power player.
Now as far as this most recent agreement between Hamas and Fatah, that is something that really began back in April when Beijing started to really
help facilitate these discussions. But if we look even further back to the start of the Israel-Hamas war, China, as part of a broader effort to
establish itself as an alternative to the west, really served as a leading voice for nations that didn't necessarily see eye to eye to Israel.
And felt that there should be Palestinian statehood for -- calling for Palestinian statehood. So, we've seen this role of China before. Now,
historically speaking, if we look at the Middle East, the United States has been a dominant player and a lot of experts have questioned if China has
that same political clout.
Well, if we look back in the calendar to last March, we saw China make a lot of headlines by helping to broker a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran
after so much diplomatic friction, a story that I'm sure you are well aware, Eleni, from your vantage point in the Middle East. So, the bottom
line, I think, is this China wants to establish itself as a power player, an alternative to the west, and it sees the Middle East as territory to
perhaps lead that effort.
GIOKOS: Yeah, absolutely. And it's had success before, so really interesting turn of events there, Marc Stewart in Beijing. Thank you so
much. And just ahead on "Connect the World", we've been telling you about that cascade of endorsements for Kamala Harris. But where does the top two
Democrats on Capitol Hill stand? We'll go live to Washington to find out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:15:00]
GIOKOS: Welcome back and in just 24 hours as being a fundraising bonanza for Kamala Harris, who has now secured enough democratic delegates to
become her party's nominee for president. Harris has the support of more than 40 Democratic Senators and nearly 100 House members.
And sources tell us Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries the top-ranking Democrats on Capitol Hill are set to
endorse Harris. Sue in donations, as well as endorsements are rolling in with Harris spokesperson saying the vice president has raked in more than
$100 million dollars between Sunday and Monday night.
CNN's Congressional Correspondent Lauren Fox is live for us from Washington D.C. a big day on presidents and fast moving few days frankly, for
Democrats. VP, Harris has secured the delegates just got the record breaking $100 million in just basically 24 hours. Lawmakers are back. So,
what can we expect?
LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I'm right now inside the House Democratic Caucus meeting, this is going to be the first opportunity
that the entire Democratic caucus here in the House of Representatives is going to have an opportunity to talk about where they find themselves this
morning.
You know, given the fact that this has been a fast-moving news cycle, it's easy to forget that it was just a few days ago that they learned that Joe
Biden would no longer be seeking the nomination in this race. Instead, they are now going to be turning their focus, their support to Vice President
Kamala Harris as she tries to clinch the nomination in just a few short weeks.
One thing to keep in mind about this meeting today is yes, the top Democratic leader here in the House Hakeem Jeffries has not officially
endorsed Harris. He told us yesterday that he expects he will have a joint meeting with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer over in the United States Senate
where they will have an opportunity to have a conversation with her.
And then he said he looks forward to sharing more after that meeting. I actually spoke to him just a few minutes ago as he was heading in to meet
with his caucus. And he was not divulging any additional details about when that meeting might take place, or what he might say following that meeting.
But as you know that Democratic support is starting to quickly solidify around Vice President Harris this in part is because Democrats are really
tired of this ongoing internal fight. They feel like this has been really distracting for the party. They feel like every moment that they are
talking about disagreements among themselves.
They are not focusing on Donald Trump and what a second Donald Trump term in office could mean for the country. They feel like this is an opportunity
to really rally around Harris and move on from that chapter over the course of the last month where Democrats were really divided over what they hoped
that Joe Biden would do.
[09:20:00]
GIOKOS: And it's a really good point, right. We mustn't forget there have been a few weeks of just major fissures within the Democratic Party, but
the Republicans meantime are sharpening their attacks on VP Harris and they saying that she's a DEI hire, that's where they want to hit, but she's
actually very accomplished. So, give me a sense of how they're preparing and what arguments they could possibly use.
FOX: Yeah, I think that there's a little bit of division on what the best strategy to attack Harris's among Republicans. You know, it's really
interesting after we saw Tim Burchett, a congressman yesterday makes those comments that he believed that Kamala Harris was a DEI candidate. You saw
that the NRCC, the campaign arm of the Republican Party put out a memo to their frontline members.
These are members who are running in swing districts basically arguing that they should talk about what Kamala Harris would do what her candidacy could
mean for the country, and nothing else. Reading between the lines, they want members to not be talking about her race. They don't want to hurt them
to be talking about her background.
They want her to be talking about the border. They want their members to be talking about what she means for natural resource extraction in this
country. Those are the issues they think are most important for their members to focus on.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
FOX: Obviously we'll see today after the republican conference meeting, if that's what happens.
GIOKOS: All right. Lauren Fox, great to have you on the show, thank you so much for that update. I want to get you up to speed now on some other
stories that are on our radar. Croatia's public broadcaster says six people were killed and six were injured on Monday after a gunman opened fire in a
nursing home.
The broadcaster reports, that the gunman's mother was among five residents who was shot dead. The other person who died was an employee. The gunman
was arrested and is due before a judge this morning, and one is preparing for Typhoon Gemi as it barrels straight towards them. The storm expected to
slam the island with strong winds and torrential rain.
Taiwan's monsoons are expected to weaken Gaemi before it makes eventually landfall on China on Thursday. Well, officials in California are blaming
fireworks for a bushfire that has scorched more than 500 acres and caused $10 million in damage. The Mayor of Riverside about 80 kilometers south of
Los Angeles says the losses are not just financial because families have lost their homes.
Authorities say the fire is not fully contained. Getting behind Harris, democratic delegates are showing support for the vice president -- not the
only one so preview from the first rally as she kicks off her presidential campaign. That's coming up just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:25:00]
GIOKOS: Welcome back, I'm Eleni Giokos in Dubai and you're watching "Connect the World". U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris departs for
Milwaukee, Wisconsin next hour. And a first rally since kicking off her presidential campaign. She's headed there with the backing of more than
enough delegates needed to win the nomination.
So, so far, no credible challenger has emerged. Meanwhile, a wave of endorsements continues with more than 40 Democratic senators and nearly 100
House members backing Harris. And first on CNN Actor George Clooney, who's been a prolific democratic fundraiser just announced his backing Harris,
after his public push to oust Biden, from the race stand.
Democrats from Hollywood to the White House, Clooney just released this statement, and I quote, President Biden has shown what true leadership is.
He's saving democracy once again. And we're also excited to do whatever we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest.
CNN's U.S. National Politics Correspondent, Eva McKend is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for us with a preview of today's rally. Eva, just a huge momentum
that's been building around VP Harris, whether it's grass root funding, you've got the delegates, you've got the Gen Z angle, have George Clooney.
So how does she bolt on this momentum at the rally?
EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we are going to see a former prosecutor eager to make her case to pink this contrast between
her and the former president and their disparate visions for America. She accuses Trump of selling out working family. She accuses him of attacking
reproductive rights and also undermining American Democracy.
We really got a sense of how she is going to make her election argument, when she spoke to campaign staffers at the headquarters in Delaware. The
first time she did so since President Biden announced he would not be seeking re-election. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: So, hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump's type. I specialize in cases involving sexual abuse. Donald Trump was found liable by a jury for
committing sexual abuse. I took on the big Wall Street banks and $120 billion for California families. Holding those banks accountable for fraud,
Donald Trump was just found guilty of 34 counts of fraud.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKEND: You know she enters this period, this big rally today in Milwaukee with relative strength. No doubt though, Former President Donald Trump's
message attacking her will come into sharper focus, but $100 million over just two days really gives you a sense of the energy and enthusiasm among
the base of the Democratic Party.
Thousands of black men got together last night on this big call where they rallied behind her basically talking about how they are going to be
ambassadors for her in their respective communities. Really interesting on that call, a Former White House staffer talked about how it was really
important for them to not engage with negative information that they see about her on social media as not to amplify it.
So, you see her allies and supporters trying to be strategic and really give it their all in the weeks ahead as Harris marches towards the
Democratic Convention in August.
GIOKOS: All right, Eva McKend, great to have you on, thank you so much. Well, during her first visit to campaigns headquarters are top of the
ticket Harris walked out to this Beyonce song freedom. You may be hearing a lot more of it as Kamala Harris wraps up her U.S. presidential campaign.
Beyonce is known for having strict clearance guidelines for her music, but a source close to Harris says the pops are quickly granted her permission
for the use of freedom. All right, I want to move now to Kenya where police are using tear gas to disperse anti-government protesters.
[09:30:00]
Some demonstrators are attempting to occupy the country's main International Airport in Nairobi. CNN's Nairobi team has witnessed a heavy
police presence in the center of the capital as well as at the airport. Larry Madowo is on the ground for us in Nairobi to bring us an update.
Larry, good to see, you've been covering these protests, which don't seem to have been subsiding, at least not for the last few weeks. What's going
on at the airport importantly, and how police reacting?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Eleni, this is one of the major roads leading to the airport here in Nairobi, the Jomo Kenyatta International
Airport. And we have a heavy security presence here, police and military here. They've been here all morning, all afternoon to make sure that
protesters don't access the airport.
They've been using tear gas that we're using flash bangs and even water cannon trucks, just to clear the roads. But that's still not been
successful to -- Instead of this being a busy highway. You see these police water cannon trucks here. We've seen a lot of military here on the streets,
that Kenyan defense forces.
Even some members of the Kenyan Navy patrolling heavily armed the streets to make sure the traffic is flowing, because most of the road has been
closed for the rest of the -- for most of the day, because Kenyan protesters promised to occupy the day not -- the airports. That's the sixth
week of protests we've seen in the country.
One of the most common refrains we've had again and again is Ruto must go, and they feel that President Ruto's Administration has not been paying
attention to them and going to the airport is a symbolic move to make sure that they force a total shutdown to get the president and the government to
pay attention to them. These began six weeks ago as protests against the finance bill.
When President Ruto did drop that he was supposed to fire his entire cabinet that now escalated into protests about present Ruto's own
legitimacy about corruption, his own government, about the high cost of living and especially more recently about the more than 50 people that have
been killed in protests, since they began more than a month ago, President Ruto, these protesters feel has not adequately addressed that has not
called for accountability for the police.
Nobody has been held accountable for the protests that have been killing these protests. That 50 numbers is from the Kenyan National Commission on
Human Rights is a state finance human rights body has been keeping track of these deaths across the nation. And this is what the city has turned into
for another week.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we see these protests happening. And they're extra angry that even the military has been called in just to make sure the
traffic is flowing. That's the last resort because these protesters have been trying to access the airport all day, Eleni.
GIOKOS: All right, Larry Madowo really important the work you are doing on the ground for us. Thank you so much for bringing us that story and stay
safe, my friend. Still to come, recycling old materials to make new clothes, so how do you refresh tired fibers? We'll tell you after the short
breaks, stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:35:00]
GIOKOS: Fashion accounts for 10 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions and as part of our "going Green" series, we're showcasing
innovative solutions that aim to make the industry more sustainable. In Finland, a former waste management expert is giving a new life to old
clothes. Lynda Kinkade reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is some -- that has been shredded and now it's ready to go to a transformation.
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Finland, Infinited Fiber Company turns discarded cotton blended fabrics into infinite fiber or 100
percent recycled textile.
PETRI ALAVA, CEO OF INFINITED FIBER COMPANY: One truckload of textile wastes every second is being landfilled or incinerated. Traditionally, and
presently clothing's are made by using working materials which are either say 65 percent made of plastics, oil based, causing the microplastics
problems or then using virgin cotton.
Cotton growing is a major concern consumer of fresh water. We can take in the worst quality of material which is broke and dirty and so forth turning
that into premium quality new textile materials. We're using less water; we are using less energy and circular fashion is taking care of that waste
problem.
KINKADE (voice-over): Cotton is the second most used textile fiber after polyester. And it's a challenging material to recycle, according to Alava.
But advancements over the last few years coupled with demand from labels have made it a reality.
ALAVA: This is our production facility we bring in here they collect data for the textile waste, purify the waste, and remove polyesters, other
synthetic material, and collars. We are regenerating the fiber, getting it to the stable fiber length, finalizing the fiber dried out and ship it to
the entrepreneur and ready to go through the brands.
It looks and feels natural and soft like cotton. And the materials can be mixed with LSD to make it very comfortable, stretchy materials or mixed
with the polyester.
KINKADE (voice-over): Big name brands like H&M, Adidas and Patagonia have begun to incorporate Infinna into their lives.
KIRSI ROINE, CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER OF INFINITED FIBER COMPANY: Patagonia made a Tee-Cycle project where they are certainly the old Patagonia T-
shirts. So, it's made 100 percent out of old clothes fully so rack products. This is a mix with Infinna and Lyocell.
ALAVA: Our main challenge is facing the fact that it's high volume and high-speed industry. So really getting the innovation which is quite new
into the volumes what are required by brands. We're in the process of preparing and planning for setting up the first commercial scale factory.
We have the really unique solution, making premium quality, cotton like fiber, having the same touch and feel 100 percent for waste. And that's a
unique value for the brands, for the consumers and naturally for the industry itself.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: For more stories from the series, you can visit cnn.com/going Green. Now want you to imagine being able to control a computer or a
machine with just your thoughts. That's the focus of the rapidly developing technology called Brain Computer Interfaces more than just computer chips
implanted in your brain.
The tech is being used in some surprising ways. CNN's Anna Stewart came here to Dubai to see how one of the clinics BCI devices are being used to
help people live longer and healthier lives.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): In Dubai, they take health and wellness to the next level. Therapeutic medicine is more than just massages
and spa treatments. Here at Lifespan clinic there's some serious science, including Brain Computer Interface technology.
DEENA AL JASSASI, DIRECTOR OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE AND BRAIN HEALTH AT HEALTHSPAN DIGITAL: I think what people mostly hear is Neuralink or the
CDs. You know devices that you put on your head that look like this sci-fi abstract thing. But these are actually headphones, and they're able to pick
up your brain signals.
STEWART: And ultimately, how does this help someone's health?
AL JASSASI: Mental health is health and I think what most people tend to forget is that your brain is actually an organ and that we need to take
care of it as an organ, but we need to know what your brain is saying.
STEWART: So, let's see what my brain is saying about my health, at least today.
AL JASSASI: So, we are going to detect your focus levels.
STEWART (voice-over): Deena guides me through a short meditation while my brain activity is monitored.
AL JASSASI: Take a deep breath in. Take a deep breath out.
STEWART (voice-over): If you have a spare $700 to $1,000 to gauge your focus, maybe this is for you.
AL JASSASI: Come back into this room.
[09:40:00]
STEWART: It didn't crash it.
AL JASSASI: No, it didn't crash it. I've never seen focus levels like this before.
STEWART (voice-over): I mean I don't know if that's a good thing. And I did question whether the headphones or my brain are really working. While I get
an insight into my health, I wonder how BCI firms and those who use the tech are protecting this data. The use of BCIs raises some pretty
compelling ethical questions.
Is data gathered from your brain even more private than that gathered by your smartphone or computer? And could it be hacked? How is that data
stored? And who has access to it? Tom Oxley CEO of Synchron says addressing these concerns is very important to his BCI firm.
TOM OXLEY, CEO OF SYNCHRON: The main ethical consideration, I think, is privacy and security. The FDA has been very clear on security requirements,
and there's a lot of security and we have to do things like encryption, encryption on the device level on the cloud level, to make sure devices
can't be hacked.
STEWART: What could you do if you could hack a BCI device?
OXLEY: I think a good way to think about the risk is, at least for the first generation and BCIs is what would it be like to have your mouse
packed when you're sitting at your computer. They would be able to see where the mouse is going potentially if they could have information from
the screen.
But it would really be you've -- they can see where you're intending to move the joystick around the screen and engage with the system. They can't
read your mind. They can't read your brain they can't control your brain. This is a -- BCI is like a joystick out of your brain to control devices.
STEWART: Do you get that question -- Will you ever be able to read my mind?
OXLEY: Every day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Well, and finally, those visiting Paris for the games can enjoy not just the sights, but also the smells of France. And they can even take some
home with a scratch and sniff stamp showing the country's iconic bread and the baguette. We're told the stamps don't actually smell like baguette but
more like the sweet bakery sense.
Paris is known for the stamps were unveiled back in May for Saint on race day, the Patron Saint of Baker's. One of them just takes a baguette home
with him. That's a big good plan. All right, well, thank you so much for watching. "World Sport" with Andy Scholes is coming up right after the
break. I'm Eleni Giokos, I'll see you soon.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:45:00]
(WORLD SPORT)
END
