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First Move with Julia Chatterley
U.S. And European Allies Call For Iran To Stand Down; British PM Asked Iran President To Refrain From Attacking Israel; U.S. Defense Secretary Orders Guided-Missile Submarine To The Middle East; Ukrainian Forces Push Deeper Into Russia; Putin Vowing To Stop Ukrainian Incursion; Russia Orders Massive Evacuations; Greece Asks E.U. For Help To Contain Wildfire; Evacuations Ordered Near Athens; Europe Hit By Heat Wave; Flood in North Korean Villages; Kim Jong Un Rejects International Aid; Harris Supercharging Democrats; FBI Investigates Trump Campaign Hacking; Musk To Interview Trump On X; Spectacular Finish To Olympics Games; Show-Stealing Uniforms In The Olympics; Great Barrier Reef Facing Existential Threat. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired August 12, 2024 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: It's 1:00 a.m. in Athens, 7:00 a.m. in Seoul, and 6:00 p.m. right here in New York. I'm Paula Newton in for Julia
Chatterley. And wherever you are in the world, this is your "First Move."
A warm welcome to "First Move." And here's today's need to know, U.S. and European allies call for Iran to stand down from any attack on Israel.
Ukraine says it controls 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory. Donald Trump now set to be interviewed by Elon Musk live on X shortly. And
a Biles bonanza. The company turning the Olympic superstar success into profits. That conversation and much more coming up.
But we do begin with urgent calls for calm in the Middle East amid rising fears of a military escalation. The U.S. says it's ready for what could be
significant attacks on Israel carried out by Iran or its proxies as soon as this week.
Now, all this after the killing of a senior Hamas and Hezbollah officials. U.S. President Joe Biden and European leaders releasing a joint statement
Monday calling on Iran to stand down. Meantime, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer asked Iran's new president in a phone call to refrain from
attacking Israel. And Canada is urging its citizens to leave Lebanon, citing a real risk of escalation in Israel's conflict with Hezbollah.
Israel, for its part, says its military remains on high alert.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REAR ADM, DANIEL HAGARI, ISRAELI MILITARY SPOKESPERSON (through translator): We have increased the patrols in the Lebanese skies and are
prepared to intercept threats in real-time. We take the statements of our enemies seriously and are therefore prepared at the highest level of
readiness.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: The U.S. defense secretary, meantime, announcing that he is ordering a guided-missile submarine to the Middle East and is accelerating
the arrival of a U.S. carrier strike group to the region as well. Nic Robertson joins me now. Nic, you are in the region following all of this
very closely. Top of mind, of course, this hour, can a major escalation be avoided because, as we just outlined here, many in the region still
preparing for the worst.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: They are. And I think the answer has to be yes, it can still be avoided. A major escalation that
is can be avoided. It's not clear if a strike within the sort of boundaries of the international rules of military engagement, i.e., not targeting
civilians if Iran will have that kind of limited strike with the intent to avoid escalation. It's not clear that's off the table. It's not even clear
that maximum escalatory strike is entirely off the table.
It's a rollercoaster at the moment. I have to say, Paula. It's been up and down. Yesterday, the sort of mood music was that it was possible that the
talks could happen on Thursday and then getting up today, it seemed just the hope that the requirements of what it would take for those talks to be
successful, pressure by the Qataris and the Egyptians on Hamas to get Hamas to compromise pressure from the United States, from President Biden on
Prime Minister Netanyahu to compromise his position enough to send a strong enough signal to Iran that the talks were going to be productive in some
way. That, earlier this morning. had seemed that the hope of that was fading, that the tensions were really high. And in essence, that still
remains a situation.
But I think at the moment on that roller coaster, we're in a position right now, which still holds open the possibility those talks will happen, that
they will at least hold back retaliatory strikes by Iran and Hezbollah until after Thursday.
But that said, none of this is a guarantee, because there are so many potential avenues where this could go wrong. And I think when we're talking
about negotiations coming up, we know fundamentally that both sides are going to try to maneuver and try to -- and have -- try to have pressure put
on the other parties, try to make their position look the best. And I think that's where we're at the moment.
NEWTON: Yes. Well, it's certainly high stakes for everyone and the calculus of this seems to change literally by the hour. Nic Robertson for
us in the region. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
[18:05:00]
Now, Russian President Vladimir Putin is vowing to put an end to the stunning Ukrainian incursion into Russian territory, which has seen Kyiv's
forces take control of more than two dozen settlements and force a massive wave of evacuations.
Meantime, the Ukrainian military chief said on Monday that some 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory now under Ukrainian control. Our
senior international correspondent, Fred Pleitgen, has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ukrainian troops sweeping through Russian territory.
Dear Ukrainians, this soldier starts and then says his forces went into a Russian supermarket, but that Ukrainian stores have a better selection.
Videos released of several areas inside Russia showing Ukraine soldiers taking down Russian flags and raising Ukraine's. And while the Kremlin
claims its forces have held up Ukraine's advances in some areas, posting videos of bombed out alleged Ukrainian vehicles, the numbers the Kremlin
does admit are staggering. Almost 30 villages under Ukrainian control, more than 120,000 Russian civilians evacuated in the Kursk region alone and more
under evacuation orders in Belgorod region to the south.
Russian President Vladimir Putin irate, vowing to respond while ripping into Ukraine and its western allies.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It appears that the enemy, with the help of its western masters, is fulfilling their will,
and the west is fighting us with the hands of the Ukrainians. So, it looks like the enemy is seeking to improve its negotiating position for the
future. The enemy will certainly receive a worthy response, and all our objectives will undoubtedly be achieved.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): All this as Russia and Ukraine blame each other for what appears to be a major fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in
Southern Ukraine, an area under Russian control. So, far, no increased radiation levels have been detected.
Kyiv has published little information about its offensive into Russian territory, but Ukraine's president justifying the incursion.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): From the beginning of this summer and only from the Kursk region, our Sumy region
suffered almost 2,000 strikes, artillery, mortars, drones. We also monitor every missile strike. And each such strike deserves a fair response.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): And it seems Ukraine's response is not over yet, even as Moscow scrambles to prevent further loss of territory.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: To a fast-moving situation in Greece now, where emergency workers are struggling to contain a wildfire north of the capital, Athens. Now, you
are looking at some of the latest images as the fire rages into the night. It looks absolutely terrifying. More than 600 firefighters and 30 water
bombing aircraft have been deployed.
Now, Greece is, of course, calling on the E.U. for help at this hour, and France says it will send almost 200 firefighters. You can see here a
glimpse of the damage so far. Evacuations have been ordered in the regions affected, and hospitals even are being told to be on high alert. Nada
Bashir is following this story from London.
And as I say, the pictures are terrifying enough. I can't imagine what people in and around Athens are going through at this hour.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Hugely terrifying. We've been hearing evacuation orders for some suburban neighborhoods near these
fire zones that have been outlined by the authorities on the ground. But of course, there is huge concern that these fires will only continue to
spread.
The fire broke out on Sunday. Firefighters have been battling throughout the night, continuing today. But we have seen more than 40 flare ups,
according to authority, since the early hours of this morning. And as the weather conditions continue to intensify, as the extreme heat continues to
intensify, there are real fears that these fires will only continue to spread. Take a look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BASHIR (voice-over): The scorching orange blaze illuminating the night sky over Greece's Attica region, just north of Athens. Hundreds of firefighters
and volunteers desperately working to battle a devastating wildfire, which broke out on Sunday. As dawn breaks, the air is filled with thick smoke.
The damage already evident with some homes in this community now destroyed. Residents left powerless in the face of disaster.
MARIANA PAPATHANA, SUPERMARKET EMPLOYEE (through translator): This situation is very difficult. We still have strong fires. From midnight
onwards, some houses started to burn. We are trying to protect our local restaurant. The firefighters are doing very well.
[18:10:00]
BASHIR (voice-over): As the fire edges closer to the capital, Athens, authorities have urged some residents to evacuate. More than a dozen people
in the area are said to have already been treated for respiratory problems or burns. At least three hospitals are now on heightened alert, with two in
the region already evacuated.
But as the blaze continues to intensify, officials warn extreme weather conditions could continue throughout the week.
DIMITRIOS PIPIKIOS, RESERVIST (through translator): The situation is chaotic. Our military unit has been here from the beginning. We're trying
to help the fire unit and volunteer teams. You can see we're surrounded by fire here. The night will be very hard.
BASHIR (voice-over): Officials in Greece have now called for air and ground assistance from the European Union. With France, Italy, and the
Czech Republic among those sending emergency personnel or equipment. Greece has already faced dozens of fires so far this summer. The country recording
its hottest June and July on record this year.
But experts warn that weather conditions are only growing more dangerous. With wildfires set to become more frequent and potentially more deadly in
the coming years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASHIR (on camera): And, Paula, we have already heard from some European nations now committing support to help contain those fires. France, as you
mentioned, sending in firefighters and equipment. Italy has said that it will be sending two firefighting aircrafts, which should be arriving in the
early hours of tomorrow morning. The Czech Republic also committing firefighters and trucks as well to supporting that effort. And Greek
officials say they are expecting support from both Spain and Turkey to come in as well.
This is a huge multinational effort, but as we have seen in previous years, there is real fears that this will only continue to intensify. And of
course, this is a warning sign as well for other countries in the Mediterranean region as we continue to see this extreme heat across the
region.
NEWTON: Yes, absolutely. Nada Bashir for us. Thanks so much for the update. And Greek firefighters aren't getting any help from the weather,
unfortunately, as Europe suffers, as we were just hearing from Nada, under a brutal heat wave. Paris, Rome, and Bilbao in Spain are just some of the
tourist destinations that have become literal hot spots. And Europe isn't alone, with much of the U.S. experiencing its own heat wave.
For more on this, I'm joined by Chad Myers. It's been years now, you've been warning us about this heat, and here it is.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And the wind today. It was a very bad day around Athens, especially in those eastern suburbs. Wind was 60 to 70
kilometers per hour. And when you have it like that, we're at the number five of five, a level five category. Extreme fire danger today, slightly
less tomorrow, as the winds will only be 30 to 40, which is still high enough to make an awful lot of smoke and flames and sparks move.
Here's where the storm started. Here's where the firestorm really began up here over the weekend, but now it's down into the suburbs of Athens, not
into downtown, but the smoke is already moving through there because the wind is blowing it in that direction. Those embers are moved maybe a
kilometer or so ahead of the fire where the firefighters think that they have it stopped. In fact, they don't.
So, here's the fire here in Athens, Athens being right there, is the fire under the word Athens. But there you see it pop up. But look at all the
other fires that are in Europe right now. So, this is not the only place that's seeing this type of weather, but this is the only place today that
saw those type of winds. Those are the areas that are still in drought, have been in drought, and are not going to get rid of this heat. And the
heat doesn't really make the fires worse. It certainly makes the conditions worse for firefighters. It's the dryness and it's the wind that makes such
a big difference.
35 degrees for today and for tomorrow. Something they would love to see is something tropical come off the Mediterranean. Well, this is the Caribbean.
Now, a new tropical storm, Ernesto, about to move into the leeward islands and eventually possibly toward Puerto Rico with tropical storm warnings
there.
I don't want to zoom this out too far because there's another island in the way at the very end of this and that's still five days away. But Bermuda,
you are in the cone. Paula.
NEWTON: And we will hope it is no longer in the cone when the storm gets closer.
MYERS: Tomorrow.
NEWTON: Chad Myers for us. There you go. Thanks, Chad. Appreciate it.
Now, from too much heat to devastating floods, parts of North Korea have been affected by heavy rainfall, spurring a visit by leader Kim Jong Un. He
has, though, rejected foreign aid, even from close allies like Russia. While North Korean state media is reporting thousands of evacuations, it
says there have been no deaths.
CNN, of course, can't verify that information. Will Ripley now with more.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On his emerald green bulletproof train loaded with supplies from the capital
Pyongyang, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is portrayed as a hero on state TV, traveling to areas devastated by flooding.
Record rains left entire towns and villages underwater, just miles from the Chinese border in the northwest of the country. State media reports
thousands of evacuations, but no deaths, a claim impossible to verify with no foreign aid organizations allowed in.
[18:15:00]
Kim delivering a defiant speech from the rail car carrying his armored limousine, declaring with confidence North Korea is fully self-reliant.
Rejecting all offers of international aid, even from allies China and Russia, at least for now.
Some fear Kim's deepening military partnership with fellow strongman Vladimir Putin could be giving his economy and confidence a boost. Russia
effectively vetoed United Nations sanctions monitoring earlier this year, opening the door for illicit trade, the U.S. says, perhaps emboldening Kim
to shut the door on international aid and diplomacy.
LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: We are prepared to have an open dialogue with the North Koreans without
preconditions. We want to pursue diplomacy. U.S.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, visited the Korean Demilitarized Zone this spring, telling OutFront at the
time, any top-level meeting, like Former President Trump's summits with Kim, would require lots of legwork.
THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Before any meeting like that could happen, we have to have engagements at other levels.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Trump signaling he'd be willing to engage directly with Kim if re-elected.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I got along very well. North Korea, Kim Jong Un, I get along with him. He'd
like to see me back too. I think he misses me.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Vice President Kamala Harris taking a decidedly unfriendly stance during her visit to the DMZ in 2022.
KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: In the north, we see a brutal dictatorship, rampant human
rights violations, and an unlawful weapons program that threatens peace and stability.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Kim blasted South Korean media for speculating about massive flooding casualties, calling it a smear campaign from a dirty,
rubbish country. North Korea even tried sending another round of trash balloons, following South Korea's offer of humanitarian aid. South Korean
media reports shifting winds blew all but 10 of them back.
South Korea's unification ministry accuses Kim of trying to shift focus away from the devastating flood damage, visible even in these carefully
edited state TV images. This is what North Korea wants the world to see, Kim visiting flood survivors living in tents under the sweltering summer
heat. As many wonder what state media is not showing. How many people may be suffering for the sake of self-reliance?
Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Now, in just one week, U.S. Democrats will open their convention and their nominee, Kamala Harris, appears to be supercharging the party. A
new poll by The New York Times and Siena College shows Harris leading Donald Trump by four points in the crucial states of Pennsylvania,
Wisconsin, and Michigan. But that, of course, as you can see, within the margin of error still. It also shows a closer presidential race overall
compared to when President Joe Biden topped the ticket. But again, there's no clear leader.
The FBI, meantime, is investigating an apparent hacking incident that Former President Donald Trump's campaign blames on Iran. Now, a statement
from the campaign pointed to a report from Microsoft that it says found that Iranian hackers broke into the account of a high-ranking campaign
official in June. That coincides with the timing of Trump's selection of his vice-presidential nominee. Iran has denied responsibility for the hack.
CNN's Kristen Holmes has more details now, and you've been following this, especially given that the campaign released the information itself, but
what are they telling you about this incident?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, to be clear, they only released the information themselves because Politico, an outlet, had
said that they had acquired a number of documents in a way that they didn't have a person, like the person essentially had said, that it could have
been not legal and that they had gone to the campaign to comment about these documents, which included writing documents about J. D. Vance and
other vice-presidential contenders. Then they responded to Politico saying that they had been hacked and they blamed Iran.
So, what you're looking at is two different things here, or potentially two different things, and also the details are very murky. Now, one thing we do
know, which has been an advancement in the story, as you said, is that the FBI is now looking into this.
But earlier, all we had from law enforcement was that they were aware of these reports. Now, when you talk about that Microsoft memo, it wasn't --
they talk about an unnamed political campaign. They say that it was an attempted hack on a senior campaign official, but they don't give any
details about, one, it being successful or, two, anything coming out of it.
[18:20:00]
And I talked to a number of campaign aides and staffers who said that they were surprised to see the campaign's reaction, saying that this hack had
been hacked by Iran because they had never been briefed on any potential e- mail hacks for quite some time, particularly not about one from Iran.
So, where the questions become murky is whether or not this was actually a successful hack. What is actually going on in terms of the investigation?
The campaign itself won't give us any details in terms of what they're talking to law enforcement about. And if these specific documents came from
this alleged hack or this specific hack. So, we still have a lot of questions.
Again, all we know right now is a very small set of documents, including one e-mail exchange with a senior campaign official. Again, those vetting
documents. But we don't have a wider look at how potentially big this hack could be. There hasn't been -- for example, what we saw in 2016, which was
a massive e-mail dump in the sense of WikiLeaks.
Now, what's been interesting to hear from the campaign is how they are essentially saying that no one who gets these documents should publish them
because it came from this hack, it came from foreign actors who are trying to sow chaos into the election and into the 2024 outcome, saying it's
election interference. Well, this is obviously very different from what we heard from Donald Trump back in 2016, where he actually encouraged Russia
to hack Hillary Clinton's e-mails or to post anything they found in her servers.
So, different kind of lines coming out now, but we're still trying to figure out the pieces of, one, what this hack actually looks like, if the
information that Politico obtained came from this hack, specifically the Iranian hack, and how exactly law enforcement is going to handle this.
NEWTON: Yes, and those are important details given the fact that, of course, law enforcement and intelligence has warned that foreign
interference is likely during this campaign. Kristen Holmes for us in Washington, appreciate the update.
Now, straight ahead for us, X marks the spot for Donald Trump. The former U.S. President is about to sit down for a high-profile conversation with X
owner Elon Musk. Why two of the most famous men on the planet are striking an alliance.
Plus, the hottest ocean temperatures in centuries are threatening the future of the Great Barrier Reef. A disturbing new report on one of the
world's great natural wonders. You'll want to see this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: And welcome back to "First Move." A mixed start to the U.S. trading week and a significant spike, in fact, in oil prices topping
today's Money Move. The Dow losing a bit of ground in Monday session, the S&P finishing flat, but the NASDAQ plowing ahead a bit with tech stocks
continuing their recovery after that tumultuous week of trading last week. All of this as traders brace for key U.S. inflation and retail sales data
in the coming days.
[18:25:00]
Now, oil, we were saying, rose significantly in Monday's trading amid growing military tensions in the Middle East. The U.S. warning that Iran or
its Middle East proxies could launch a military strike against Israel as soon as this week. Brent Crude now trading above $80 a barrel.
Now, mostly green arrows meantime in Asia as that region's market continues to recover as well. South Korean stock, the big winners there, up more than
1 percent.
Now, call it perhaps Donald Trump's extraordinary day on X, the former U.S. president posting on the social media platform for the first time in almost
a year. Trump's first post was a two-and-a-half-minute campaign video highlighting his political career.
He also plugged his upcoming conversation with owner Elon Musk. Now, that is set to take place in about 90 minutes for now. And of course, it is on
X. The event comes after Elon Musk's endorsement of Trump for president just a few weeks ago.
The two men, though, we have to say, do make strange bedfellows. Not only do they run rival social media outlets, at times they are diametrically
opposed in terms of their views on climate change. And Trump remains a critic of electric vehicles like those made by Musk's firm, Tesla.
So, what is in this for Trump and Musk in terms of this newly minted alliance? Emily Glazer joins me now, and she is a reporter at The Wall
Street Journal. Thanks for joining us. I mean, there was riveting detail that you have, that you've tracked in this relationship between Elon Musk,
given his political pursuits in the recent months. You know, I'm going to begin with a pointed question though to try and frame this conversation for
us. Why is Elon Musk doing this?
EMILY GLAZER, REPORTER, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: A lot of people are asking that question, and I think the best answer I have is that he runs
six companies. So, part of this is a business reason. SpaceX, which he runs, has billions of dollars in government contracts. xAI, his newer
company, is factored a lot on what will happen with U.S. regulation over A.I. You mentioned, of course, Tesla. There are questions about E.V.
credits and policy around that.
And for Elon Musk, it's also about social issues. He's talked about the so- called woke mind virus, and we've written a lot about how he's broken from the Democrats and has felt personally snubbed by Joe Biden. So, we know
that he wants to create this so-called red wave of voters. And I think there are several reasons behind that with money being a big one.
NEWTON: Now, given this interview, though, what can it achieve, especially then if we turn the tables on to Trump? I mean, Trump owns an ex-
competitor, as we were just saying, Truth Social. I mean, what do these two see in each other? Musk is on the record as saying that he believes Trump's
so-called safeguard the meritocracy. And, of course, he says he's a big believer in free speech, and Donald Trump is an ally there. But I guess, if
I see it from the former president's perspective, what does he get on this platform right now?
GLAZER: Right now, he has the wealthiest person in the world endorsing him, and even though it is going on the platform of his competitor by going
on X instead of Truth Social, this is something that will make his pal, his newfound pal, Elon Musk, very happy. Elon Musk has tweeted on X more than
once about how engagement on X has been at its highest levels.
He did that back during the Trump assassination attempt a couple of weeks ago. He said -- he tweeted it more recently and just a few days ago. And
so, this is helping him and his business. When he bought Twitter, you know, for more than $40 billion, a lot of people wondered how he could turn it
around and he cut a lot of people. There have been questions about its revenue growth, its advertising. So, Donald Trump is getting to make the
wealthiest person in the world happy. And Elon Musk is getting a big business boost with this interview tonight.
NEWTON: When we talk about money and influence, though, that you pointed out so well, though, and succinctly, Trump doesn't need the voters that
already back him, right? He needs to add to the people who may vote for him. How can, perhaps, this interview or, writ large, the alliance with
Elon Musk help with that?
GLAZER: We reported exclusively today that Elon Musk has been meeting with consultants and different types of political vendors since the spring over
creating the America PAC or what's become of that. This Super Political Action committee where we've reported he has told people he plans to give
around $45 million dollars a month. And their goal is to turn out roughly 800,000 low propensity voters in battleground states that Donald Trump
needs.
[18:30:00]
Let's not forget that the Trump campaign has had issues with its ground game this cycle. They've had some personnel turnover. There's less than 90
days until the election, and they're relying pretty heavily on outside groups to turn out those voters and swing states and Elon Musk is
spearheading this pack, the America PAC and a lot of their purpose is to do just that.
NEWTON: And you make such a good point there that in terms of what you outlined in your reporting with your colleagues, it is, again, people who
usually do not vote, even if they have a political opinion and those who are not registered. In terms of success on the ground, Elon Musk is again
devoting a lot of money, but you guys also point out how he's really looking into the fine detail of this.
GLAZER: He was meeting weekly, every Friday as he blocked out an hour to talk to political consultants and vendors. This is a guy who runs six
companies. People wonder where he has enough time and he's spending an hour a week on national politics. Interestingly, though, he oversaw the firing
of a number of these vendors recently, and they had to even rehire one of them because there were so many issues around the website and around
mailing voter ballots.
So, we know that there have been some issues with state election officials in swing states. So, this pack, while it's very well-funded, it's got the
backing of Elon Musk and a number of his allies and people he's worked with in the past, or he's associated with, it's had its fair share of
dysfunction. And they're trying to really make sure it's pulled in the right direction with some new hirings, people that used to run Ron
DeSantis' failed presidential bid. And Elon Musk is right there in the middle of the action.
NEWTON: Yes, these two men have dysfunction in common, especially when it comes to their organizations. That's been highly publicized. I don't have a
lot of time left, but what do you think it's going to be like to see these two, we have to say, very popular men on X within about an hour and a half?
GLAZER: First of all, I think a ton of people are going to tune in. Elon Musk was running -- or his people were running on X different tests
yesterday into today to make sure that it would have this streaming capability. And I saw hundreds of thousands that were at least on X when
those tests were being done.
So, I think we're going to expect a lot of people. We're definitely going to expect some unfiltered remarks. And I think that there's going to be two
big personality shining through. It'll be interesting to see if they're getting along with each other when they go back and forth, or if they'll
trade any barbs. And of course, how much truth there is to the interview. So, we'll certainly be tuning in.
NEWTON: And again, you just point out that -- I have to go, but I just want to point out, you guys pointed out that they beta tested it, they're
trying. But there is still a risk, like what happened with Ron DeSantis, that this thing could crash. There'd be too many people trying to tune in,
right?
GLAZER: A tech snafu would not be a good thing for X. This is so much about how the platform can attract a lot of people for Elon Musk and for
the way that they've kind of rebuilt it and tried to make it more scrappy. So, certainly, I think they're trying to avoid any tech problems here, but
we'll see.
NEWTON: And we will indeed see. We'll all be tuning in. Emily Glazer, thanks so much. Really fascinating reporting there. Appreciate it.
Next, pageantry in Paris as the Olympic Games end in spectacular style. We look back on two and a half weeks of sporting glory.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:35:00]
NEWTON: The city of Lights, you see, proved it was indeed just that. As fireworks lit up the skies over the Stade de France, bringing the Paris
Olympics what a majestic finish. This is how the final medal table looks. The U.S. and China, both with 40 gold medals. But the U.S. taking the
overall crown. Japan, Australia, France, and the Netherlands round out the top six, as you see there.
But there is the alternative list, right? If you were to tally gold medals per capita for each country, it would be a bit of a different picture.
Grenada would come up on top, followed by Dominica, Saint Lucia, New Zealand and Bahrain.
Don Riddell is here with more. I mean, what an Olympics, right? We watched it from our living rooms, most of us. Our families loved it. I mean, really
a tour de force, as they like to say.
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes, absolutely. It brought the joy and the excitement and the energy back to the Olympics. Remember, three years ago
in Tokyo, we had the pandemic games, which are so sterile. There was really nobody there apart from the athletes. And this was quite the scene to bring
the Olympics back.
Paris was so into it. The venues were absolutely packed. The energy was there. The performances were incredible. And then, of course, we had a
pretty cool closing ceremony to sign off with, as you've just shown, the fireworks from -- on Sunday evening.
Pretty cool to see a Hollywood legend, Tom Cruise, arguably stealing the show, I would say, rappelling from the roof of the arena down into the
Stade de France and then making off with the Olympic flag on a motorbike, which, of course, now throws us forward to the next Summer Games, which
will be in Los Angeles in four years' time. And I would say Paris has set the bar pretty high.
NEWTON: Pretty high indeed, especially with their whole concept of the open games, right? A lot of the venues you could go to and you didn't need
tickets to go. Don, I want to ask you, though. You've had so much experience and all this. I mean, what were the highlights for you as you
watched?
RIDDELL: I mean, too many to count. I mean, when you think of the number of events and the number of athletes, it's difficult to pare it down. But I
did think about this. So, I mean, let's talk about a star is born, Leon Marchand, the swimmer for France, winning four gold medals for the host
nation. That was really quite incredible. He's only the sixth swimmer in the Olympics to win that many golds in one games.
Hard to overlook what Simone Biles did. Remember, three years ago in Tokyo, she got the twisties. She had to withdraw from her events. Concerned about
her mental health. We didn't think she'd ever be back. What a comeback, though. Three golds and another silver.
And, I mean, the 100 meters is always the eye -- the event with the most eyeballs. And look at that for a finish. All of the sprinters coming in
under 10 seconds, just, what, five-thousandths of a second between first and second. Noah Lyles, the eventual winner, was only ahead in that race
when they hit the finish line. He was behind for 99.9 of those meters, winning it at the line. That was just incredible. So, I mean, those were
some of the moments that stick out, but it was great from start to finish, all of it.
NEWTON: It was definitely the Olympics the world needed, Don. We could rerun a lot of those highlights for weeks to come. Don Riddell for us,
thanks so much. Really appreciate it.
Now, glitz, glamour, and yes, lots of sequins. The U.S. women's gymnastics team wowed both in and out of the competition for the Olympics, all while
wearing some show-stealing uniforms. We'll talk to the company behind the costumes after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:40:00]
NEWTON: And welcome back. Now, if you, like so many, watch the Paris Olympics and were starstruck by U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, you may also
have been bedazzled by Team USA's stunning outfits. These sparkly uniforms aren't made by a mega brand, but a smaller company based in Reading,
Pennsylvania.
And as you can see from the reveal video, wow, look at them. The team clearly loved the designs. They came up with these custom outfits feature
some 10,000 hands sown Swarovski crystals. Now, aspiring Olympians can get their hands on a replica kit, which sells for around $90. The company,
which prides itself on manufacturing in the U.S., says the outfits combine beauty and performance.
Matt Cowan is the CEO of Elite Sportswear, and he joins me now. They really are stunning. I felt they were iconic from the moment the young women
stepped out there to perform in these. But we do expect the big sporting brands to do this, right, like Nike or Lululemon or if it's not sporting
then it's Ralph Lauren. How did you guys get this gig and what makes it so special?
MATT COWAN, CEO, ELITE SPORTSWEAR: Well, thank you, Paula, for having us. For us, we've worked in partnership with USA Gymnastics for over 20 years,
both in the forefront and behind the scenes. And so, what we do is we make leotards. Here in Reading, Pennsylvania, we have over 500 employees that we
design, we pattern make, we develop, we construct. This is our specialty. This is what we do.
And when the big stage calls, you have to be prepared to answer. And so, GK for the first time was on that in Tokyo. And then, we got to do a curtain
call for Paris this past year. So, truly a privilege to have, you know, the representation of the country, the trust of the athletes, and the trust of,
you know, a great organization as we move forward.
NEWTON: Yes, we continue to show the video of those women, Team USA, opening up these outfits. It's just glorious to watch, to be honest,
because you could tell, you know, they really enjoyed performing in these outfits. When you begin with this kind of a concept, though, and you have
someone like Simone Biles, where does the inspiration come from?
COWAN: Sure. Well, we start the process about two years in advance. We obviously want to make sure that we're bringing patriotic red, white, and
blue through the designs, but we also like to look at a nod to the host city, which this was an easy one for Paris, fashion capital of the world.
And so, you'll see a lot of couture in the designs as well.
[18:45:00]
So, we begin that process, we design board, we work in partnership with USA Gymnastics as well as the athletes, athlete feedback. It's so critical. Our
brand works with Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey on a daily basis. So, we kind of know what they're looking for, whether it's
materials or fit, how many embellishments we can get on the leotard, which is always as many as possible. That's the answer.
But we really work hard with all those constituents to bring forward great designs that, you know, most importantly, the girls feel great in and can
perform great in. You know, fashion is not why we're there. It's a great add on. It's a great fun thing to show, but ultimately, we're there to win
medals and we have to make sure we provide product that allows them to do that.
NEWTON: Yes. And as I said, they were iconic from the moment we saw them. And I get the fact that this is your specialty. This is what you do. If you
do gymnastics, you know, many in North America and beyond know your brand. How good, though, has it been for sales?
COWAN: It's been phenomenal. For the first time ever, we launched the replicas and unveiled the designs to the world in advance of the games.
Traditionally, they were unveiled when they walked out onto the mat for their first competition. So, this year, we're able to work in partnership
with USC Gymnastics and the athletes to bring them to the world in advance with really that vision of wearing, you know, all these girls, all these
boys around the country and around the world, being able to wear the same product as the athletes when they're competing.
And for us, that was such a special moment to be able to celebrate not only in the community, but, you know, for all those new kids that saw gymnastics
for the first time this year and turn to their parents and said, I want to try that. And for us, that's -- you know, that's a really important
privilege for us to bring forward that opportunity to grow the sport of gymnastics as well.
NEWTON: Yes. They've certainly come a long way from the plane leotards that we were used to seeing. I have to ask you. When you're looking at some
of these outfits and you see the craftsmanship and everything, like one for Simone Biles, how much does it cost to make one of those?
COWAN: Sure. So, if we were to retail the one that Simone or that -- you know, the one that the team won, the all-around in -- the team all-around,
those would be about $3,000. They have over 10,000 Swarovski crystals in them. Their hand sewn, you know, garments that have multiple steps of
process into them. And those -- you know, they're wedding gowns, they're prom dresses. You know, in the end, we want to make sure that they look
spectacular and perform spectacular. And indeed, they did.
NEWTON: Indeed, they did. It added such an element to all of their absolutely flawless routines. And again, the City of Lights putting on
quite a show there, as you said, the capital of couture. Matt Cowan, I mean, congratulations. Thanks so much for speaking to us about this.
COWAN: Thank you for the opportunity. And yes, we're thrilled for the opportunity and success for the future. Thank you.
NEWTON: All right. Thank you. Next, a natural wonder that could soon become a historical one. Scientists say Australia's Great Barrier Reef is
facing an existential threat.
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[18:50:00]
NEWTON: And a reminder now of one our top stories, evacuations have been ordered near Athens as emergency crews struggle to contain a wildfire north
of that city. Hospitals are being placed on high alert. And the situation is being called extremely dangerous. More than 600 firefighters have been
deployed. France will also send firefighting units as Greece calls on the E.U. for help. A team from Romania is already on site.
Now, a wildfire broke out in Spain as well. You are looking at pictures from the northeastern part of the country. Climate experts are blaming
unusually hot and dry weather for the ferocity of these fires.
Now, scientists say the extreme heat is impacting one of its greatest natural wonders. In a new report, researchers say the waters in and around
Australia's Great Barrier Reef are hotter than they've been in 400 years. The reef is the world's largest living ecosystem, but scientists say that
unless global warming is halted, it will simply not survive for future generations.
We want to break down some of these key findings in this report with author Benjamin Henley. He's an honorary fellow at the University of Wollongong
and a lecturer at the University of Melbourne. And I thank you for joining us.
You know, what is most alarming to so many of us right now is this concept that we've reached the tipping point already, the point where recovery is
impossible. In this report, you and your colleagues say, and you warn really that warming temperatures will cause increasingly more frequent and
intense bleaching and mortality events, potentially to the point that the reef will struggle to recover. I mean, this is bleak.
BENJAMIN HENLEY, HONORARY FELLOW, UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG AND LECTURER, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE: It is bleak. And thank you very much for having
me and greetings to your audience. It's not good news for the Great Barrier Reef. And we've known that climate change is likely to have these impacts.
We've seen five mass bleaching events in just nine summers on the Great Barrier Reef. And with, you know, small gaps between these mass events, you
can see that the corals, you know, are struggling to recover.
And until the study, we didn't actually know much about the past sea surface temperatures, the temperatures that the corals are growing in, and
we actually can use the coral records themselves to tell us about the history. So, these cores that we take are in these massive boulder shaped
corals that you may know. And many of our colleagues around the world have been coring those and some of our colleagues in the U.S. do this a lot.
And we can measure the chemical signatures in those coral cores, and they're closely related to the ocean temperature at the time. So, we can
produce these long, high resolution up to monthly sampling resolution records of what's happened in the past.
NEWTON: It's a bit of an autopsy, really. And I think we're looking at some of the pictures right now in terms of how you get to some of that. But
I guess what people want to know is there a way to fix it in terms of the recovery, given the climate goals, are we really looking at an overarching
solution here? Because as the model -- your model confirms, human influence is what's responsible for this.
HENLEY: Yes, it's very clear in the climate modeling that human influence is the main driver of these long-term threats to the reef. There are other
threats. And yes, corals can recover. They're remarkable creatures. But they need the time between the mass bleaching events. And the big concern
with climate change is that these events will become near annual. And these mass bleaching events just have -- can have catastrophic impacts on the
corals.
Of course, this is a world heritage site. This is one of the most vast and spectacular places on Earth with thousands of fish and corals and species
and mollusks and turtles and dugongs. And, you know, I would just encourage people to come and see this beautiful place. You know, because unless we
alter something in a major way from the current trajectory, we're actually likely to witness the demise of the Great Barrier Reef in our lifetime.
And, you know, that's -- I find that tragic, actually,
NEWTON: And I can tell that you find it tragic. I mean, obviously, you speak with such intense passion for what you say, obviously, is a natural
wonder. And yet, when we talk about urgent intervention, what does that look like? Because many of us just don't see it right now on any level.
HENLEY: Yes. So, sure. Well, everyone in the world has a responsibility to take action on climate change, I believe, because it's -- it really, at the
end of the day, it affects all of us. We need governments to step up and take more action, deeper and more rapid cuts. We need to solidify and
actually amplify the Paris Agreement commitments. All countries need to step up on that.
[18:55:00]
And, you know, it's with that agreement to hopefully find a way a path to that 1.5 degrees of global warming. We're currently on track to sail past
1.5 and well and truly towards 2 degrees. If we can bring the global temperature down and stabilize at 1.5, that gives the reef a chance and
many reefs around the world a chance to survive, a chance to recover.
NEWTON: It is such a good point. Benjamin Henley, thank you so much for bringing us the findings of the report. Really appreciate it.
HENLEY: Thank you so much.
NEWTON: And finally, on "First Move," it is a question that has captivated everyone from scientists to singers over the centuries. Is there life on
Mars? We don't have the answer today, but scientists have just uncovered remarkable new evidence of what could be a reservoir, get this, of water
deep beneath the planet's surface.
The data came from NASA's InSight Lander, which studied the interior of Mars over a period of more than four years. Now, experts say the findings
provide a new place to search for life on Mars if the red planet could ever be accessed. And we will wait for news on that.
That wraps up the show. Julia is back tomorrow. I want to thank you for joining me.
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[19:00:00]
END
