Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
CNN International: Ukrainian Official: Cabinet to Undergo "Major Reset" This Week; Harris to Unveil New Details of her Economic Plan; Pope Francis on 12-Day Historic Asia-Pacific Tour; Ex-Aide to NY Governors Accused of Acting as Secret Agent for Chinese Government; Fritz and Tiafoe Thrill Home Fans With Victories in New York. Aired 9-9:45a ET
Aired September 04, 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]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, this is the scene in Jakarta where Pope Francis made his first stop on his 12-day tour of Asia.
It's 08:00 p.m. in the Indonesian capital, it's 05:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Becky Anderson, you're watching "Connect the World".
Also happening this hour, the shake up in Ukraine's Cabinet Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba hands in his resignation after the country suffers a
deadly wave of attacks, we'll be live for you in Kyiv. The U.S. Department of Justice charges six Hamas leaders over the October 7th attack on Israel,
the first attempt by the U.S. to hold the terror group accountable. And as the race for the White House kicks into full gear, fresh CNN polls show a
dead heat race in critical battleground states.
Now, the stock market in New York will open about 30 minutes from now, at 09:30 local time, and it does look like a quite open for the main indices.
That's at least what is being indicated by the futures markets after steep losses yesterday. Of course, technology stocks have been a real drag in
recent weeks. Back to those markets, bottom of the hour as they open for you. In Ukraine, rare deadly strikes in the west and big changes on the way
for the government in Kyiv.
Well, sirens sounded as Russian missiles pounded the City of Lviv. Officials say seven people were killed, including three children, and this
comes a day after one of Russia's deadliest attacks of the war. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Foreign Minister was amongst those to hand in their resignations
ahead of an expected cabinet reshuffle. That is, according to the Parliament Speaker. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says his country is
entering a critical period.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: The autumn will be extremely important for Ukraine, and our state institutions must be set up so that
Ukraine achieves all the results we need all of us. To do this we need to strengthen some areas of the government, and we have prepared personnel
decisions. There will also be changes in the office. I'm also counting on a slightly different weight for certain areas of our foreign and domestic
policy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the outgoing Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, spoke with my colleague Christiane Amanpour just yesterday, before we learned that he
handed in his resignation. And Christiane joins us now from Kyiv. I mean, why this huge reshuffle now? Why is autumn going to be so important for
this war, and exactly how is Zelenskyy looking to beef up parts of the government Christiane?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well Becky, I think in general, I think he feels that now, 30 months into this war, it's autumn.
It's a traditional -- you know in all our systems, a kind of a back-to- school moment. You've got the UN meeting starting in September.
And he has made a shake up both in that surprise attack in the Russian region of Kursk that's on the battlefield. Then, of course, militarily, or
rather diplomatically, he has said that he's got a four-point victory plan to present to the United States, to the Biden Administration. So that's on
that front.
And then within they need to, they say, shake up the efficiency of the systems. And we've heard that from others who we've spoken to, they have
the wherewithal to be able to actually run a war and try to win they say. Obviously, they need more aid, but the systems inside this country need to
be strengthened, not just the economic, the democratic, but the bureaucratic and efficiency systems of production for their own -- for
their own weapons production. So, all of that, I think, is at stake.
Over the years I mean, they have moved ministers around, and it's not necessarily the case that a minister who submits the resignation will have
it accepted. So, there's going to be a lot of -- you know shuffling and resignations and reassignments and that. But when I talked to Kuleba
yesterday, it was as news of the massive attack on Poltava in Central Ukraine was coming through on a military academy near a hospital as well.
Ballistic missiles from the Russians. And Kuleba, I asked him many things. One of them was the -- you know he repeated what their main message is,
please send us proper anti-aircraft, anti-missile defense systems.
[09:05:00]
But he also said they plan to ask the administration in the United States to unshackle them and allow them to use the weapons that they're getting
further into Russia to target Russian air bases, missile launching bases that are used to attack Ukraine. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DMYTRO KULEBA, UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: The capacity of Ukraine to strike military targets deep inside of Russia and diminish the Russian
capacity for air attacks on Ukraine lays with the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany. These are the countries who are close to us,
who are friendly to us, and they have necessary missiles.
So, they have to do two things, basically. First, to make a decision that allows us to strike these military airfields where strategic bombers take
off, carrying missiles and bombs. And second, to provide us with the sufficient amount of those of those missiles. This is not a rocket science.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: Not rocket science he says, it's obvious. And he says, what is also obvious when we get the weapons he says, we can show that we can use
him. Hence, they're very proud of what happened in Kursk because he said it shook up conventional wisdom about the current state of Ukraine's military,
and it showed that they could take the fight to the Russians and have this prize incursion. So, all of this is part of a whole as they seek a new
phase in this war Becky,
ANDERSON: Good to have you. Christiane, thank you. Let's get you to the latest with the Gaza ceasefire and negotiations. New information into CNN
confirms that this strip of land between Egypt and Gaza, the Philadelphi Corridor, as it is known, is the main sticking point preventing a deal
between Israel and Hamas.
A diplomatic source familiar with the matter told me, quote, as long as the Philadelphi Corridor issue is not resolved, there is no deal. Things are
very tense, very much up in the air they said. Well, Nic Robinson connecting us from Tel Aviv and Kylie Atwood is in Washington.
And Nic, you know, others I've spoken to today familiar with what is going on in these negotiations were very frank today. They said they're going
nowhere at the present, what are you hearing?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, the most popular whole, widely read newspaper in Israel has put out a long and extensive
report that does appear to put detail on to the understanding behind, behind that sense that nothing is going to happen at the moment.
And this document that they've put forward has six different points in it, and it is the document that they say that Israel presented to negotiators
on the 27th of July. It was a revision document. It was a revision of what Israel had already agreed to, a plan that the interlocutors the mediators
had put forward at the beginning, or rather at the end of May. That Israel, at that time, agreed to, that the mediators were agreeing to, that it
appeared that Hamas was agreeing to in most part.
But this new document, of which the newspaper has published details from as a seven page document, a revision of Israel's original position, put in
conditions, including Israeli troops staying on the Philadelphi Corridor, including potentially exiling some of the Palestinian prisoners, senior
ones who were going to be released as part of the hostage for prisoner part of the deal, including controls on the Rafah border crossing, including
controls on the Netzarim Corridor across the center of Gaza.
All of these details, and as well at 1.4 -- you know defining the Philadelphi Corridors 1.4 kilometers wide, almost a mile wide. So, all of
these additional details of what sources have been telling CNN have essentially blocked getting the negotiations done, including a senior
Israeli source said, you know, it puts blood on the prime minister's hands, or on Israel's hands for the deaths of the hostages.
Because it is widely seen that the conditions -- that the conditions that were added, these additional conditions coming from the prime minister that
are detailed in the newspaper are the things that are prevented getting a deal done, and to this moment, prevent it from getting done Becky.
[09:10:00]
ANDERSON: Let me bring in Kylie at this point. Kylie, Yair Lapid the opposition leader also quoted in an extensive report in "The Times of
Israel" today telling members of his party during a faction meeting in the Knesset that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government prefers the
war, and as long as it exists, the war will continue.
He says, the forever war will go on as long as this government is in power. And his words, echoed by many inside Israel, not everybody, by any stretch
of the imagination, not everybody is calling for Netanyahu's ouster, but there is a -- there is a groundswell of those who are inside Israel.
And real concern, and as I understand it, shared by those in the Biden Administration in Washington about Netanyahu getting in the way now, of any
deal. As I said to Nic, I've had the talks at present described to me today as going nowhere.
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I mean, you heard President Biden earlier this week pretty bluntly say that Netanyahu
isn't doing enough. He was asked by a reporter if he's doing enough to get a deal into place here, and he simply said, no.
He wouldn't expand on that, but the fact that the president felt the need to make that public statement, not just -- you know have these discussions
privately, as we have reported on extensively, U.S. officials growing concerned with Netanyahu in recent months, and of course, growing
particularly frustrated with Netanyahu after he gave that press conference earlier this week, doubling down on Israel, not pulling out of the
Philadelphi Corridor.
There is a sentiment here in Washington that those frustrations with Netanyahu continue to grow. At the same time Becky, the Biden
Administration is determined to put something back on the table to work with Israel, excuse me, to work with Egypt and to work with Qatar to get
something back on the table to Israel at Hamas.
When I speak with U.S. officials, they are privately not overly optimistic that what they're going to put on the table right now is going to be a
breakthrough by any stretch of the imagination. But they do feel that there is an urgency here, particularly after those six hostages were murdered
over the weekend, they think that things need to get back on track.
Whether or not Netanyahu actually comes back to the table and is willing to work on it. It doesn't seem like he's in that space right now, but U.S.
officials say that they're going to continue pushing.
ANDERSON: Good to have you both. Thank you. Well, with just 62 days left to go, we are now getting a new snapshot of just how tight this U.S.
presidential race could really be. A CNN poll out in the last few hours shows Harris and Trump virtually tied in the three key swing states of
Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
Harris leading in Wisconsin and Michigan, while Trump has an edge in Arizona. When it comes to who voters trust the most to handle the economy,
Trump leading in all six of those battleground states. The poll also shows the majority of voters who said the economy is the most important issue in
this election are Trump supporters.
Well, Harris is set to roll out her brand-new details of her plan for the economy. Today, she travels to New Hampshire, where she is expected to
propose tax cuts to benefit small business owners and entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, her running mate kicks off two days of campaign events in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. Tim Walz's first solo visit there since
joining the campaign. CNN's Chief U.S. National Affairs Correspondent Jeff Zeleny has the very latest live from Omaha, Nebraska. And I wonder whether
you might just explain why you are there. And then what we're expecting to hear from Harris?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Becky I mean, let's start with Vice President Harris. You mentioned there laid out she'll
be talking about the economy, and we know why. This is one of, really the softest points in her head-to-head matchup with Donald Trump on the
economy.
American voters are trusting the former president over her on handling the economy. So, she's trying to make ground there. This is the second economic
speech she's given. I suspect she'll be giving more, but today focusing on small businesses and entrepreneurs trying to make it easier to open a small
business, to run a small business.
So, proposing tax credits for up to $50,000 that's about 10 percent more than currently exists. She's talking about cutting bureaucratic red tape
and the like.
[09:15:00]
This is all designed to try and focus the effort to the middle class that she's trying to do something on the economy to help them. We will see how
much that lands with voters.
But she is doing that, obviously New Hampshire. The reason we're in Nebraska, for all the talk about the blue wall states, our polls certainly
indicate that from Pennsylvania being one of the tightest contests on the map, Michigan, Wisconsin, that is the road to victory.
Those blue wall states do not reach the magic number of 270 electoral votes without the blue dot here in Omaha. It's a little complicated, but follow
along with me, Omaha and Nebraska, one of two states in the country that divide their electoral votes by district, not statewide winners.
So, Democrats can actually win one of the electoral votes right here in deep red Nebraska, like Joe Biden did in 2020 he won this electoral vote.
So, the reason this electoral vote, a single electoral vote, matters, is because without Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, you still need one
more to hit 270.
Of course, the Harris campaign and the Trump campaign have multiple paths to victory with North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada. However, the blue
wall needs the blue dot, and that is why we are here in Omaha, Becky.
ANDERSON: It is all about the blue dot. I really never expected that you and I will be having this conversation about a blue dot, but it is an
incredibly important one, as you have eruditely laid out mate, I thank you for that on behalf of our viewers, keep up the good work, mate. Thank you.
Well, Donald Trump returns the campaign trail today. He is also headed to Pennsylvania, where he will answer questions at a town hall hosted by Fox
News in Harrisburg. Meanwhile, while his running mate, J.D. Vance is set to speak at a chase the vote rally in another battleground state, Arizona.
CNN's Alayna Treene with more from Washington. So, this is Trump's sort of return to the campaign trail, as it were. I wonder what we can expect to
see and hear from him. From your perspective, speaking to and being as close to that campaign team as you are.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Right. Well, it is a Fox News town hall. I'll tell you, what I find always interesting about these types of events is
that Donald Trump tends to be a little bit more comfortable, a little more candid when he's sitting down and being interviewed by someone he knows,
someone he likes, and Sean Hannity definitely falls in that bucket.
You can remember a little over a year ago, he did a Fox News Town Hall with Hannity, and he had made that now infamous comment about him being a
dictator on day one. It was a joke, but of course, that has stayed with his campaign throughout the rest of the election cycle.
So, stay tuned for that, but look, this will be a pre-taped interview airing in the U.S. at 09:00 p.m. Eastern. But what I'm told when I talk to
Donald Trump's campaign is that this is really their version of debate prep. We know that Donald Trump doesn't like formal debate prep.
He doesn't like to do the mock sessions where he has someone standing in for his would-be opponent, in this case Kamala Harris, and said he likes to
do more informal sessions and use these types of events, particularly town hall style events, to answer questions and really use this as a way to get
out his talking points and see how it fits and how it lands with his audience.
So, I'd expect that from him tonight as well. Now all of this also comes as Jeff just laid out that great polling that CNN had released today about how
close this race really is. What we're going to see Donald Trump do tonight and again next week on that debate stage in Pennsylvania is try in any way
that he can to tie Kamala Harris to Joe Biden's policies.
Particularly the ones where they know that Biden had been weaker on and see how they can get any sort of edge over her that she can, because any win on
the margins could really alter this very close race, Becky.
ANDERSON: Good to have you. Thank you. Well, still to come here on CNN, you're watching "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson. Of course, Pope
Francis urging interfaith dialog to counter religious extremism and violence across the world. A closer look at his remarks on his tour of
Asia.
And seven years after London's Grenfell tower bloc turned into a deadly inferno. Families are now getting some answers about exactly who and what
was to blame. We reveal the findings of what is a major report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:20:00]
ANDERSON: Pope Francis says the Catholic Church is going to step up its efforts to tackle religious extremism and violence across the world through
interfaith dialog. His remarks came during a speech in Indonesia, the first stop of the 12-day tour of Asia. The Pontiff did not specifically address a
particular conflict or war. In his speech, though, he spoke more broadly, saying global conflicts were due to a lack of mutual respect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE FRANCIS, SOVEREIGN OF THE VATICAN CITY STATE: In various regions, we see the emergence of violent conflicts, which are often the result of a
lack of mutual respect, of the intolerant desire to let one's own interests, one's own position, or one's own partial historical narrative,
to prevail at all costs, even when this leads to endless suffering for entire communities and results in wars and much bloodshed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, CNN's Christopher Lamb is following the pope for us in Jakarta and joins us now. And this is the message, Christopher, about
promoting peace through interfaith dialog. It isn't actually unfamiliar when we consider that this is something that the pope has been really,
really interested in now for some time, but it comes at such a pressing point, doesn't it?
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely right, Becky, as you will recall, Pope Francis in 2019 went to Abu Dhabi and
signed a really important interfaith document with the grand imam of al- Azhar, and he's going to sign another document tomorrow here in Jakarta, in at the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, with the
grand imam of Indonesia.
And I expect that declaration will cover similar themes to the human fraternity, interfaith document of Abu Dhabi. What Pope Francis is saying
about interfaith dialog is that when religious leaders, when people of different faiths come together to talk to each other, to understand each
other, that can break down barriers, that tackles prejudices, that can prevent religious extremism and can bring about a more peaceful world.
He didn't name any particular conflicts today. However, he was very clear that the importance of religious interfaith dialog can bring about peace.
And the President of Indonesia spoke before the pope actually thanked the Vatican for its calls for peace in the Middle East.
So, Francis, here in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, is coming with a very strong message that he hopes will resonate across the
region. This afternoon, he was at the Catholic Cathedral in Jakarta. It's a cathedral that is opposite a mosque.
[09:25:00]
One of the largest mosques, in fact, in Southeast Asia. And the mosque and the Cathedral are connected by a tunnel, the tunnel of friendship. So, many
ways it embodies what Pope Francis is calling for when it comes to this interfaith cooperation, Becky.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed for joining us. Well let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our
radar right now. Decades of failure was responsible for the single deadliest fire in the U.K. since World War Two.
That's the verdict of a public inquiry investigating the devastating blaze at London's Grenfell tower, which killed 72 people seven years ago. The
report singles out what it calls the systemic dishonesty of the companies that made and sold, the building's cladding and insulation, which caused
the fire to spread uncontrollably.
Well, dozens of African leaders are in China for a three-day summit. They looking at new ways to cooperate in areas such as energy and green
technology. China is Africa's largest trading partner, and African leaders are likely to seek more investment from Beijing.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has declared the Christmas season will come early, beginning on October the first. It appears to be an attempt to
offer good news. At what is a tumultuous time, Human Rights watch just issued a scathing report on post-election violence in Venezuela, saying the
killings and detentions there have been the worst that the country has seen in years.
Be with "Connect the World" with me. Becky Anderson, time in Abu Dhabi just before half past 5. Coming up, what a boom in China's electric vehicle
market means for car makers around the world. Plus, a former top aide for two New York governors is charged with acting as a secret agent for the
Chinese government. Luxurious benefits that led prosecutors to her arrest. That is after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:30:00]
ANDERSON: Oh, well. They are out of the gate on Wall Street, ringing the opening bell today, the CEO of Eastman Chemical Company. Welcome back. I'm
Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. Time here is half past 5 in the evening. It's 09:30 on Wall Street. You're watching "Connect the World".
And right now, traders beginning their day after what was quite the tumult yesterday. This is how the market is doing at the open. The DOW, of course,
fell more than 600 points on Tuesday after concerns about manufacturing data and the impact of past Fed rate hikes on the economy.
That was the macro picture that spooked the markets, but shares were also dragged down by chipmaker Nvidia, after it suffered the biggest one day
drop in market value in U.S. history. Let me just give you the number. It is extraordinary, $279 billion. You heard me correctly.
$279 billion were wiped off on Tuesday, amid fears of an AI slowdown and an investigation into whether the company broke competition laws. Now this is
a company that sits at the very heart of the AI era. It makes those chips that powers the technology. The plunge in its share price so dramatic.
It also wiped off a whopping 10 billion from the personal net worth of Nvidia's CEO and co-Founder Jensen Huang. Well, Tuesday's drop comes after
what has been, I have to say, a meteoric rise for the tech giant. That graph really shows us where we are at. Just take a look at that since the
start of the year.
Other AI related stocks have also suffered from volatility, with concerns it might take longer than expected to see the practical impact of the AI
revolution. It's now down 24 percent from its high still worth trillions of dollars, of course. Well, in Europe, thousands of Volkswagen workers
gathered at the company's main factory for the start of what are crucial meetings over the brand's future.
VW is warning it could close plants in Germany for the first time in its history, as part of a drive to cut costs. One huge issue has been a steep
decline in deliveries to China, its single largest market, Volkswagen or the people's wagon. That's where the name comes from.
It was taken over by one of China's biggest selling car brands, as the country sees a huge boom in homegrown electric vehicles. Well, Hanna Ziady
following this story for us from London. And this Volkswagen story, I mean, this is historic, as I say. This is a, you know, an organization that, back
in the day, the very term Volkswagen, is all about the people's wagon.
This is one of Germany's sort of stalwarts. What's the latest from the talks there between staff and management?
HANNA ZIADY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: As you mentioned, Becky, the company meeting with workers today after it said on Monday that it cannot rule out
plant closures in Germany. That is historic. You're right. It would be the first time, if it happens that happened in 87 years, that's how old
Volkswagen will be this year.
Chief Financial Officer, Arno Antlitz telling employees that Europe's car market is now permanently smaller. Since the pandemic, about 2 million
fewer units a year being sold, or about 14 million in total. He does not expect that to recover, and Volkswagen is selling around half a million
fewer cars a year in Europe, equivalent to about two car plants.
So, certainly a very serious situation. And let's saying that the company has a year, maybe two, to turn things around. Major upheaval Becky, for the
world's second largest car maker.
ANDERSON: Yeah, and it's fascinating, because where Volkswagen leads, of course, others may need to follow, and this about the enormous demand in
China, of course, for homegrown EVs. It's always good to have you, Hannah, thank you very much for keeping us bang up today on the business beat.
A former aide for two New York Governors has been charged with acting as a secret agent for the Chinese government.
[09:35:00]
Current Governor Kathy Hochul says that she is furious and outraged at what she calls, quote, brazen behavior by her Former Deputy Chief of Staff,
Linda Sun. Officials say Sun and her husband Chris Hu were arrested on Tuesday at their home in Long Island. Both pleaded not guilty to numerous
charges in federal court.
Well Gloria Pazmino joins us now from New York. And what is it the prosecutors say that Linda Sun was doing on behalf of the Chinese
government. What are these allegations?
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Becky, the indictment really is sort of fascinating and shocking when you read the details of what federal
prosecutors are alleging that Linda Sun was doing at the request of the Chinese government and the Communist Party.
They say that she used her position in state government in order to give special access to Chinese government officials and also to block Taiwanese
officials here in New York City from having access to that office. One of the things that Sun is accused of doing, Becky, is of writing letters of
invitation in behalf -- on behalf of the governor, and inviting Chinese officials into the United States.
The officials used these letters in order to travel into the country. She also issued proclamations to them with the governor's signature and the
seal of the state. And while these things may not hold much significance. They certainly were important to the Chinese government officials that were
receiving them.
Becky, in exchange for all of these actions, federal prosecutors say that Linda Sun received millions of dollars in kickbacks. She laundered that
money by purchasing several properties here in the United States. She received tickets to special events. Her husband was able to kick back
business to his personal businesses.
And their family members were able to benefit and take jobs in the Communist Party. Now, all of this appears to be part of a trend that we
have been seeing here in the United States. Certainly, in the last year, we've seen several cases of people being accused and convicted of working
on behalf of the Chinese government.
Now we did hear from China just a few hours ago, they, of course, denied having knowledge of any of this. In the meantime, both Governor Hochul and
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who she also worked for, have both tried to distance themselves from this aid, saying that as soon as they learned that
there was any inappropriate behavior, they flagged it to the correct people, and that eventually she was let go from her post.
But one thing that we are learning from this indictment, Becky, she held numerous positions, not just in the executive chamber, but also across
several state agencies, for more than a decade. So, there are some real questions about just how much access she had, how she was able to get it,
and why she went undetected for as long as she did, Becky?
ANDERSON: Yeah, absolutely. Good to have you. Thank you. Well still to come in tennis, the U.S. Open -- proving a bonanza as two American men get
closer to the final. Details on that, after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:40:00]
ANDERSON: Well, it has been an amazing U.S. Open with at least one American player guaranteed a place in the men's final, but first, Francis, your
faith, will face Taylor Fritz in the semifinals at Flushing Meadows. Their contest is on Friday. Neither player, of course, wants to go out without
the trophy.
Amanda Davies joins me now. This has been a particularly exciting U.S. Open, not least when it comes to these American players.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yeah, and Becky. I think those of us of a certain age will cast our minds back and remember those incredible moments
at the U.S. Open under the lights on the Arthur Ashe court. The lights of Jim Courier, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi dominating this tournament and
lifting the trophy.
But there hasn't been a homegrown U.S. man in the final since 2006. No U.S. man has won it since 2003 that was Andy Roddick. It was heralded as the
start of a new era, but it really didn't then pick up any momentum. And as a guest on our last show said, well, of course, Roger Federer is to blame
for that.
But we are now in this new era, and there is such excitement with the likes of Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe. Tiafoe, this is his second semifinal
here in New York. But both of these players hoping that they will be in the final for the first time. And if the atmosphere has been good up to this
point, it is certainly cranking up a new couple of notches.
And we're looking ahead to the final few days of action in just a couple of minutes in "World Sport".
ANDERSON: Andy Roddick 2003, God, it feels like yesterday. So I am of that age, and thank you for reminding me. Very exciting new era for men's tennis
in the States. Good to have you, Amanda. Amanda is back after this break. I'm back with the second hour of this show after that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:45:00]
(WORLD SPORT)
END
