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Ukraine Military Officials: Russia Pulling Some Troops from Ukraine to Defend its own Territory; Italian Hospitals See Increase in Heat-Related Illnesses; NYT: Hunter Biden's Lawyers Says "No Meeting Occurred, No Project Materialized," And Request was "Proper"; Annual U.S. Inflation Falls Below 3 Percent for First Time Since 2021; Poll: Younger Americans Drinking Less Than in Past. Aired 9-9:45a ET
Aired August 14, 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)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, it's 09:00 a.m. in Washington, D.C. You're looking at the White House, where officials are
declining to comment on Hunter Biden's decision to hire a new high-profile lawyer ahead of his latest trial. More on that is coming up. It's 02:00
p.m. here in London. I'm Becky Anderson. You're watching "Connect the Word".
Also happening over the next two hours, Ukraine advances deeper into Russia in an incursion that could potentially turn the tide of the war. The Middle
East on tender hooks, as the region looks to Doha, where ceasefire talks are expected to resume without Hamas. And as Americans economic concerns
grow, Former President Trump is expected to focus on his economic record today.
And the stock market in New York will open about 30 minutes from now, 09:30 local time there the opening of the markets. These are, well, a mix to
better look, as far as the futures are concerned, indicating a better opening. We've had some inflation data out should convince investors that
the Fed will be cutting rates at its next meeting, not confirmed, of course, as of yet, but that inflation data should spur these markets higher
at the open.
Well, Ukraine claiming new advances inside Russia and says it has seized almost as much land in its week long offensive as Russia has taken this
year. Ukrainian military officials say Russia is pulling some of its forces from Southern Ukraine to the East Kursk border region and now the
neighboring Belgorod region has declared a state of emergency as thousands there flee.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen has reported extensively from Ukraine. He joins us from Berlin at this point. We are a week into what was this surprise offensive a
surprise to Russia clearly, a surprise to many of, if not all of Ukraine's Western allies. Kyiv says it is taking more Russian territory, while the
Kremlin says it shot down more than hundred Ukrainian drones.
From your position and speaking to your sources on the ground, what's the state of play with regard the fighting at this point?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, we're actually getting a lot of information from various sources right now Becky.
And the thing that all of them seem to point to that it is still a very dynamic situation on the ground there, but that by and large, the
Ukrainians are still advancing.
One of the things that we saw earlier today is that the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had a video call with his top general,
Oleksandr Syrskyi, where Syrskyi then said that the Ukrainians had already advanced another one to two kilometers into Russian territory just this
morning alone.
So, on Wednesday, another one to two kilometers just as this day has started. So certainly, the Ukrainians saying that they are still very much
on the move there. Zelenskyy then also said the Ukrainians are consolidating those gains. They do say that they're getting the services
there back up and running, that they're obviously also, to a certain extent, digging into some of those places that they're capturing.
We've seen some videos also over the past couple of hours, of Ukrainian forces in some of the smaller towns and villages in the Kursk area, raising
the Ukrainian flags and going through those towns, sweeping those towns, seeing if there's any more Russian forces left in them.
The Ukrainians also saying that just on this day alone, on Wednesday, hundred Russians have already surrendered. The Ukrainians, of course,
hoping to exchange prisoners of war that they take for Ukrainians who are in captivity.
There's another set of things that we're looking at as well at Becky is the Russians now saying that they are making more use of their own aviation,
that their air force is dropping glide bombs, which, of course, have been very effective in other areas of the front lines. However, the Ukrainians
this morning also say that they shot down a Russian plane, a Russian attack aircraft called a Sukhoi Su-34 also in the Kursk region.
So, as you can see, a very dynamic situation that continues to unfold. And the Ukrainians really putting on the press right now also saying that
overnight, they attacked several airfields in Russia as well Becky.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you Nic and we keep a keen eye on exactly what is going on there and trying to understand what the strategy is and how
this impacts the wider war going forward. Thank you. This just into CNN, a diplomatic source telling CNN Hamas will not attend negotiations for a
ceasefire and hostage deal with Israel.
[09:05:00]
They will, however, be willing to meet with mediators afterwards. Those talks are set to kick off in Doha on Thursday. U.S. officials are in region
and are making a last-ditch diplomatic push to encourage a deal,
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMOS HOCHSTEIN, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY TO LEBANON: We have to take advantage of this window for diplomatic action and diplomatic solutions. That time is
now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, it couldn't be more urgent. Nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and over one hundred hostages are still unaccounted
for in the Enclave. U.S. President Joe Biden laid out a three-phase deal in May. First, a six week pause in the fighting, a withdrawal of Israeli
forces from populated areas in Gaza and a limited hostage prisoner exchange.
Phase two would see the release of all remaining living hostages and a permanent end to the fighting, a permanent ceasefire. And finally, the
reconstruction of Gaza. But since July, there has been little progress on reaching that deal. Mediators are expected to put forward a bridging
proposal at the talks tomorrow.
CNN's Ben Wedeman is in Beirut, and that is where we saw Amos Hochstein speaking earlier, and I'll get to you shortly Ben. Nic in Tel Aviv for us
today. We've heard from Joe Biden on his expectations for the talks. He spoke yesterday Nic, let's have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think you can still get to a ceasefire deal, or is it starting to be a distinct possibility?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: It's getting hard. We'll see what Ukraine does. We'll see what Iran does. And we'll see what
happens if there is any attack. But I'm not giving up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are these two things tied together? Do you have the understanding that Iran could cease or stop doing an action if a ceasefire
deal was possible?
BIDEN: That's my expectation. But we'll see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So, let's just be clear here the president tying Iranian retaliation for the assassination of both the Hamas political leader and a
senior leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon to those ceasefire talks. Both you and I have been hearing behind the scenes that a deal would not necessarily
stop an Iranian attack.
So that's one thing. The other thing is, how close are we to any ceasefire deal never mind the threats from Iran and Hezbollah at this point? Where
are we at Nic very specifically?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Becky, it's very hard to say, because Hamas is engaged in ambiguity. Israel is engaged in
silence. And I think you know there's been a lot of pressure on both sides. But really it will be Israel that's the first to go at the talks tomorrow.
They -- they're -- all they have always been proximity talks.
Israel and Hamas have never been in the same room. The mediators go talk with Israel, and then separately, the mediators go talk with Hamas. And in
many ways, even within the context of the ambiguity that Hamas is putting down, it is very much the same scenario.
But Hamas has the added caveat that they will only talk with the mediators if Israel, in their words, is serious about the proposals that they're
going to hear from the mediators. And in that context, it means that they don't want Prime Minister Netanyahu adding anything additional.
We know the Head of the Mossad, David Barnier, will be at those talks. But we understand at the moment, it might just be him. He might not have a
larger delegation with him, as we've seen at other talks. How significant or not is that we don't know.
But I think when you stand and look at the situation right now, we've been here many times before, and if you judge it by past practice, past evidence
of what we've seen happen, there will be very little change at these talks. I do think that's where we're at right now.
And Hamas's position here to only engage if they think Israel is serious, really makes the stakes higher and puts more pressure on Israel at the
talks, simply because they get to go first. They meet with the mediators first, and the mediators hear from them first, and Hamas will have a chance
to react or not react to that as they desire.
ANDERSON: So, the question is, this, isn't it ultimately? Is Israel, at this point, prepared to sign up to a ceasefire, a permanent ceasefire, and
the removal of its troops from Gaza going forward? Doesn't have to be in the first stage.
[09:10:00]
But the idea is that that is the aspiration here, certainly from the position of Hamas, that certainly it seems, not necessarily Benjamin
Netanyahu's position at this point. We have been here before Ben -- Nic, you're absolutely right, and we bring in Ben at this point.
We have never been as close to a U.S. election, of course, as we are now. Joe Biden, very keen Ben to get a conclusion to the conflict, at least in
the first instance, before the election. We know, for example, the Former President Donald Trump, has a relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu.
We know that there -- there's an opportunity for Benjamin Netanyahu to kick the can down the road, effectively, to see who does take over the White
House back end of this year. What are you hearing where you are very specifically?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Becky, this morning, I was in contact with a source who was very close to a Hamas
leader, who is privy to the details of the negotiations, and basically said -- they said, at this point, our position is not to have a position on
whether to participate or not in these proximity talks.
He told me, and this is one part of his statement, is that the ambiguity is the movement's position, which was announced in its latest statement. It is
intentional and did not come by chance. It comes as a result of Netanyahu's behavior. He said that if it's just talks for the sake of talks, meetings
for the sake of -- sake of meetings, Hamas isn't interested.
They want to see an end to Israel's military aggression, as it describes it. They want to see a complete withdrawal by Israel from Gaza. They want
to see those hundreds of thousands, almost 2 million, people, who have been displaced repeatedly in Gaza, to be able to return what remains of their
homes.
And I think they -- there is -- in this my interaction with this source, there's real frustration that they feel that Netanyahu keeps changing his
conditions to an agreement that Hamas insists it has already agreed upon. And there's also growing frustration with the Biden Administration, which,
on the one hand, expresses concern over the horrendous bloodshed in Gaza, but at the same time, we are hearing that it's approved $20 billion in
weapons sales to Israel.
Of course, those weapons won't be delivered for several years, but the optics seem to be all wrong, as far as not just Hamas, but many in the
region would feel. Because the feeling is that the United States has all the power and leverage to put pressure on Israel to insist that it reaches
an agreement.
But instead of putting pressure on Israel, it seems to be sending these signals that, yes, we'll provide you with ever more weapons, ever more
diplomatic cover. So, in my interaction with this source, it definitely felt that they have very little confidence that these talks tomorrow in
Doha, whether they attend or they don't attend, participate or don't participate, will come to anything Becky.
ANDRESON: Ben and Nic it's good to have you. Thank you, important stuff. There's no end in sight for the extreme heat that settle over parts of
Europe right now. Italy issued red alert heat warnings on Wednesday for nearly two dozen cities, people visiting the hot tourist spots, trying to
stay cool from what are these record-breaking blistering temperatures?
Volunteers handed out cold water and ice lollies to people. Temperatures are predicted to go upward to 45 degrees Celsius, that's above 110 degrees
Fahrenheit, causing severe health risks for the elderly and for kids very specifically. CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau joins me now from Rome, early
afternoon there, and just describe how it is.
BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, Becky, it's brutal. It's really, really, really hot. And, you know, we're here about two miles from us there
are people outside in St. Peter Square, people waiting in line to see the Coliseum. We can duck inside get some water, a little air conditioning. But
those tourists are under this brutal sun.
And they're -- you know, civil protection authorities are very worried about them. They're saying you shouldn't be outside during around 11:00
o'clock in the morning till 06:00 p.m. at night, and that's exactly when these tourists are going around. They're giving them water. They're giving
them shade.
You know, the City of Rome, for instance, has put up palm trees and other kinds of trees that bus stop, so that there's at least a little bit of
shade. But I can tell you, the shade doesn't make much of a difference when it's this hot Becky.
ANDERSON: You know absolutely. Good to have you stay cool. Well, the economy a critical issue for U.S. voters this election year.
[09:15:00]
Ahead on CNN, how Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will try to make the case on the campaign trail. They can deliver economic prosperity if elected
president.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: With just 83 days now to go until the U.S. presidential election, the economy remains a critical issue for American voters. Republican Donald
Trump travels to North Carolina today to highlight his economic agenda, while the Democrat Kamala Harris is expected to roll up her economic plan
in the same state on Friday.
A recent national poll found that Americans trust Trump over Harris to handle the economy, but it is a close split, with 51 percent saying they
believe Trump would do a better job. CNN's Steve Contorno is covering the Trump campaign for us, and he joins us now from Florida. So, when the voter
says they just trust Donald Trump more than they do.
Harris, when it comes to the economy. What are they speaking to that? What's the substance of his economic policy? And what is he likely to
highlight today in his speech?
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Well, he's likely to focus on the inflation problems that have beleaguered the U.S. economy and the Biden
Administration throughout much of the last few years. And obviously there are signs that inflation problem is improving and that the Biden
Administration and the Fed here have gotten their arms around it.
But it doesn't change the fact that a lot of people are paying a lot more money for things that they got for much cheaper just several years ago, and
that is something that Trump and his campaign are hoping to take advantage of in the coming months, tying Vice President Harris to that Biden record
on the economy.
The trouble that the campaign is having is that very little of Donald Trump's messaging when he is out there on the campaign trail is actually
reflecting what the campaign wants him to talk about. They would love for him to talk about economy and the inflation. Unfortunately, for their
campaign, he is spending a lot of time talking about many other things.
There is conspiracy around his crowd size, about around her crowd sizes. There is conspiracy about whether or not she has ever embraced her black
heritage. Those are things that even people very close to the former president, have now publicly said he needs to stop doing and needs to focus
on the economy.
He has a speech later today in North Carolina. It's one of those battle grounds that looked in his favor just a few weeks ago, but is now becoming
more of a toss-up, and he is supposed to give a speech on the economy, but we will be closely watching how closely he sticks to the script, because so
far, he is having trouble doing just that.
[09:20:00]
ANDERSON: It's interesting. I mean, today's CPI numbers, the core inflation number and the headline number, both providing some substance. It has to be
said for both campaigns. I mean, the Harris campaign has been slamming Donald Trump over his economic agenda. What are they saying?
CONTORNO: That well, the Harris campaign obviously is saying that, you know, the inflation problems of the past year are under control, but they
still have empathy for the people who are paying more for milk and for cars and for rent, and they were four years ago, the Trump campaign.
You know, their message to people and what they would like for Trump to talk about is something he posted on X before his interview with Elon Musk
earlier this week, which was, are you better off now than you were when I was president? But Donald Trump again during that interview with Elon Musk,
waited until the end of a two-hour interview to actually bring that up himself.
So just there's such disconnect between what the campaign wants Donald Trump to focus on the areas where they feel like they have the upper hand,
and yes, Donald Trump has not necessarily been out there touting an economic message. You know, he has said things like he wants to get rid of
taxes on tipped wages, and that he would try to, you know, get his arms around inflation, things like that, but not very much detailed policy.
It's mostly being fought on the fact that the Biden Administration oversaw this massive spike in prices, comparing that to when he was president.
ANDERSON: Yeah, is interesting, and we're going to do more on the CPI numbers later on in the next couple of hours. I mean, there are some major
pain points in these latest numbers, not least on housing, food and car insurance. And these are things that consumers look at, aren't they?
When we talk about the cost of living and how you feel about how well off you are or not, or how painful things are. It's an interesting day to hear
from Donald Trump given these numbers, because, of course, the headline number really encouraging and suggesting that rates are likely to come
down, that inflation is under control.
But when you dig a little bit deeper, it is worth noting. There are, as I say, talking points in these numbers for both the Harris and Trump
campaigns. Thank you, sir. Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now. We are closely watching Tropical
Storm Ernesto.
It's on the edge of becoming a dangerous hurricane as it barrels through the Caribbean and into open Atlantic waters, Ernesto has already pounded
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with heavy rainfall and winds. Thailand looking to form a new government after the prime minister there
was removed from office.
The nation's constitutional court ruled that he had breached ethics rules by appointing a cabinet member who served prison time. This comes a week
after the court dissolved a leading political party. And Real Madrid Football Star Vinicius Junior has been offered a lucrative deal worth more
than a billion dollars to play in Saudi Arabia.
Watch us reporting the five-year contract is worth around 218 million per season, plus bonuses. The 24-year-old reportedly studying the offer. Well,
a few hours, NASA is scheduled to provide an update on what is happening with the Boeing Starliner Mission.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore only expected to be on the International Space Station for about eight days after their test flight. We have been
keeping up with how they've been doing now that they've been in space for 70 days. Thruster failures and helium leaks detected in the Starliner have
extended their stay indefinitely while mission managers craft a plan to get them home.
NASA has said it is possible the two will be on the station until next year. Officials are planning what they call decisional meetings no earlier
than next week. Well, in the meantime, Williams and Wilmore have been keeping busy by helping the ISS crew with tests and experiments, and even
filmed an homage to the Olympics. "Connect the World", back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:25:00]
ANDERSON: Hunter Biden's dealings with the Ukrainian energy company are back in the spotlight today. According to "New York Times" report, Hunter
Biden reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Italy in 2016 trying to secure support for an energy project there. His father was vice president at the
time.
CNN's Senior Crime and Justice Reporter Katelyn Polantz live in Washington, and I do think we just need to set some context for this for our viewers
who may be new to this. So just remind us what we've known today and how the State Department responded to him as far as reporting is concerned.
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Yeah, Becky, we have long known about Hunter Biden's role on the Ukrainian energy company
Burisma as a board member while his father was serving as vice president. And there have been many examples of how Hunter Biden was interested in
capitalizing on his father's status as the Vice President of the United States.
And was doing that as a way to aid his own businesses and his own wealth. With this new information that the "New York Times" has obtained, it is
from the State Department, and it's just coming out now, after Joe Biden is no longer running for a second term in office, what it shows is that Hunter
Biden in 2016 reached out to the U.S. ambassador in Italy.
He wanted, essentially some networking help for Burisma. And the U.S. government balked. They were quite hesitant to help, and they ultimately
didn't. That's something that we've seen a pattern of over and over again. Whenever Hunter Biden was trying to use his connections, the U.S.
government just didn't do anything.
And Joe Biden himself, there's no evidence that he did anything to help Hunter Biden's financial interests either in the private sector. A lawyer
for Hunter Biden told "The New York Times" that no meeting occurred, no project materialized. The U.S. government, in the records that were
obtained, said that they did not believe that they should be actively advocating with the government of Italy, especially related to this
Ukrainian energy company, even if it was Hunter Biden reaching out.
And all of this, Becky, is coming at a time where Hunter Biden has faced several criminal charges. He has been convicted of gun crimes in Delaware's
federal court. He is going to trial in three weeks in California's Federal Court related to tax evasion because of some of the work he was doing at
this time.
[09:30:00]
But he has been investigated for illegal foreign lobbying, and he has never been charged with that as a crime by the Justice Department of the United
States. So, this is just another bullet point in the understanding of who Hunter Biden is and what his business practices were like, including at a
time when his father was the vice president.
ANDERSON: Yeah, absolutely! Good to have you. Thank you. Right. Opening bell is about, has it gone? Maybe we just missed it. Well, that is the
image of New York, and that is the opening of the markets here. We're going to take a very short break before this?
Well, let's crack on these markets are open for business. They are a little bit higher. A key U.S. economic gage released just last hour shows a number
that hasn't been seen almost 3.5 years. The latest CPI, or Consumer Price Index, indicates prices increased 2.9 percent for the 12 months ending in
July.
That's the first time the year on year, CPI has been below 3 percent since March of 2021. Matt Egan is in New York to break down the numbers for us.
And as ever, there's a headline number, and then there is what lies behind that headline number.
And I think we've been talking just this hour having looked at these numbers, about the fact there are some, you know, some key takeaways for
both U.S. presidential candidates in these numbers, both of whom are talking economic policy in the next couple of days. So, what are the key
takeaways? Do you believe from this report?
MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Becky, what a difference a week makes, right? I mean, just a week ago, markets were freaking out about the state
of the U.S. economy. We saw all these massive drops in the stock market, and things have calmed down so much in large part because of the inflation
picture.
Yesterday better than expected numbers on wholesale inflation, and today, we have this better-than-expected Consumer Price Index, as you mentioned,
the big milestone here is sub 3 percent inflation, 2.9 percent look at that chart. This same metric was at 9 percent just about two years ago.
That's when gas prices were at $5 a gallon. And we can see a massive improvement initially, and a little bit more of a gradual one, but going in
the right direction. And when you dig into some of these numbers, there is a lot to like. We saw price drops on things like gasoline, appliances, new
cars, used cars, 11 percent cheaper than a year ago.
And one of the things that I pay attention to is the price of suits. We saw a 12 percent drop in the price of suits. Now this is not to say everything
is great. Of course, some things are still too expensive, car insurance, the cost of shelter, and overall, I mean prices overall, they're not
necessarily going down, they're just going up at a more gradual pace.
But Becky, this is exactly what the Federal Reserve wants to see, right this is going to give them even more confidence that inflation is going
back towards normal and that they can lower interest rates, and that, of course, would be good news for consumers because it means lower mortgage
rates and car loans credit card rates, but it also would be good news for Wall Street, where they are hoping for not just one interest rate cut, but
multiple rate cuts in the coming months, Becky.
ANDERSON: Right, but as I pointed out, and all of this is great grace and certainly good news in principle, mostly for consumers and for Harris, who
is looking to show that she's got her arms around, you know, the last four years and going into a new presidency.
There are also some pain points in here, of course, because despite the fact that these numbers, the increase is slower, the numbers are beginning
to fall in the right direction certainly. We are still in this position where American consumers are still feeling in pain. There is a sense that
the cost of living is still high, and that works to Donald Trump's messaging and narrative, doesn't it?
EGAN: Well, absolutely, the cost of living remains a major argument working in favor of Former President Trump. It's a major frustration that a lot of
people have right now. And here's the thing, right. There's a lot of confusion when we see these inflation readings, because we hear that the
rate of inflation is coming down, but a lot of people are thinking, will wait, I'm paying a lot more.
First off, at the supermarket, I'm paying more for rent. I'm paying more for car insurance and home insurance than I was a few years ago. And both
of those things are true.
[09:35:00]
The point, though, is just that the prices are going up a more gradual pace, right? I mean, there is this snowballing effect to inflation, and
this chart shows wages against inflation. And the good news here, and this is something that works in the favor of Vice President Harris.
The good news is that the dark blue line is higher than the green line, and that means that paychecks are going up at a faster pace than prices, and
that was not the case two years ago. So that is a very important shift, because it means, it should mean at least that a lot of people can stomach
these price gains at this pace, because their wages are going up as well.
But I know that a lot of people are. They're yearning for those prices in 2019 and unfortunately, we're probably not going back to those prices,
right? The best case all along has been a more gradual pace of price increases, and we are getting that and Becky, it does leave open very much
the possibility for a soft landing, for interest rate cuts and for the Fed to pull this off.
But it's not going to be easy, because we do know there's some weakness in the jobs market, so the next few months are going to be crucial.
ANDERSON: Yeah, stay across it for us, it's always good to have you. Thank you very much indeed.
EGAN: Thanks Becky.
ANDERSON: Well, still to come, Real Madrid takes on at Atlanta at the UEFA Cup, Super Cup in Poland later today. Our Patrick Snell joins us for a
preview of that big game. Yes, it is the football season all over again.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Younger people, at least in the United States, are drinking less than in past years. That is the conclusion of a new Gallup poll, which also
finds an increasing number of 18 to 34-year-olds believe that drinking in moderation, one or two drinks a day, is actually unhealthy.
CNN Medical Correspondent Meg Tirrell joining me now. And this can be fascinating to our viewers around the world, not least in parts of the
world where people simply don't drink. But, Meg, you know, this is interesting, because this is a big change. What are these numbers telling
us about changing attitudes towards alcohol in the states?
And then we can talk about, you know, if not alcohol, what else is it that Americans are doing these days?
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, so this is a Gallup poll. They've been doing this since 2001 and in this most recent poll, they found
that 45 percent of Americans view drinking 1-2 alcoholic beverages per day as unhealthy. That is the highest they've ever had since they've started
doing this survey that's up six percentage points since just last year, and up 17 percentage points since 2018.
So, this is shifting quite dramatically, and particularly as you pointed out, among younger Americans, those between 18 and 34 are most likely to
say that alcohol negatively affects health.
[09:40:00]
65 percent of people in that category responded that way, compared with 37 percent for people 35 to 54 and 39 percent for people over the age of 55.
We're also seeing the biggest decline in reported drinking among people in that younger age group. So now they are down to 69 percent who say they
consume or sorry, 59 percent in that age group who say they consume alcohol, and they've declined the most over the past few years, compared
with almost 70 percent of people 35 to 54 and 58 percent of people over the age of 55. So clearly, people in that age group are still consuming
alcohol, but increasingly they are cutting back, and they say they do think it's unhealthy.
ANDERSON: And that younger group who believes that alcohol is unhealthy, are they right? I mean, you know, those levels one to two a day, even, you
know, to many people would be considered sort of moderate drinking. Are they right about alcohol's impact on our health?
TIRRELL: Well, an increasingly large body of evidence does suggest, the less alcohol you drink, the better that is going to be for your health. We
just got a new study out about this week that looked in older adults and moderate drinking, and what they found is that as people increase the
amount of alcohol they were drinking each week, they also increase their risk of cancer, and at the highest levels of alcohol consumption, increase
their risk of heart disease.
So increasingly, what you hear from researchers in this space is that the less alcohol you drink, the better. But you know, things are continuing to
look into the kinds of things people drink, how they drink, and really, how much over time, and how much that makes a difference?
ANDERSON: Yeah, significant numbers, and it's good to have you on. Thank you very much indeed. Keeping a close eye on today's UEFA Super Cup
showdown in Poland, featuring Kylian Mbappe's new team, Real Madrid versus Italy's act Atlanta. Mbappe landed in the Spanish capital last week to
start training with the team after joining Real Madrid as a free agent.
And what a saga that was over, what two or three seasons. Patrick Snell joins me now for this UEFA Super Cup preview, and you know some comment
about the saga that was Mbappe leaving PSG to go to Real Madrid of course.
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes, a player you've spoken to, and you know, Becky, that everyone wanted his signature. But in the end, there was
only going to be one club for him, and that was the club of his boyhood dreams. Really, in many ways, Real Madrid lost blank course, taking on
Atlanta later.
It's a really, you know, the Olympics are in the rear-view mirror now, Becky, have been a wonderful summer games, but now it's all about football,
European football. We've got the Premier League returning. We've got LaLiga. We've got Italy, Syria, and tonight in Warsaw, it's all eyes on the
Super Cup. Back to you.
ANDERSON: Good stuff. "World Sport" up after this, we will be back with the second hour of this show after that, stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:45:00]
(WORLD SPORT)
END
