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Isa Soares Tonight
Harris, Walz Sit Down For Exclusive CNN Interview; Zelenskyy Fires His Air Force Chief After Fatal F-16 Crash; Israel Agrees To Pauses In Fighting In Gaza For Polio Vaccination; Trump To Speak In Battleground State Of Pennsylvania; Special Counsel To Propose Next Steps In Trump Election Case; NHL Star Johnny Gaudreau And Brother Killed In Bike Crash; Palestinian Educator Details Struggles Teaching In Gaza; Americans Swarming Airports And Roads For Holiday Weekend. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired August 30, 2024 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
PAULA NEWTON, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: And a very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Paula Newton in for Isa Soares. Tonight, U.S. Vice
President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz give the first sit- down interview of their campaign. What we learned about their day one plans, that's just ahead.
Plus, we're following breaking news out of Ukraine. President Zelenskyy has just fired his Air Force chief. It comes just days after an F-16 jet
crashed, killing a top pilot. We'll have a live update from Kyiv in just a moment. Then kids around the world heading back to school.
But in Gaza, the classrooms are very different. My conversation with a teacher there about what she's doing to support her students. Now, right
here on CNN, the Democratic nominee sat down for her first major interview since rising to the top of the ticket, by her side, running mate Governor
Tim Walz.
Now, CNN's Dana Bash asked her key policy questions including what Harris would do on day one in the Oval Office. Here's how Harris responded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: If you are elected, what would you do on day one in the White House?
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Well, there are a number of things. I will tell you
first and foremost, one of my highest priorities is to do what we can to support and strengthen the middle class. When I look at the aspirations,
the goals, the ambitions of the American people, I think that people are ready for a new way forward in a way that generations of Americans have
been fueled by hope and by optimism.
I think sadly, in the last decade, we have had in the former President, someone who has really been pushing an agenda and in an environment that is
about diminishing the character and the strength of who we are as Americans, really dividing our nation. And I think people are ready to turn
the page on that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, last month, you'll remember Harris' political opponent, Donald Trump questioned her racial identity. When asked about the comments,
Harris refused to engage in identity politics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: What I want to ask you about is what he said last month. He suggested that you happened to turn black recently for political purposes,
questioning a core part of your identity.
HARRIS: Yes, and he's same old tired playbook. Next question, please.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: OK, there are only 66 days left until election day, but early voting is just weeks away in some states. Now, in this final stretch, the
Harris campaign is launching a new bus tour across the swing states. Their goal is to advocate for women's reproductive rights.
Harris' first joint interview, OK, it's in the books. Now, all eyes are focused on the September 10th debate. Joining us to discuss is our
economics and political commentator, Catherine Rampell. Catherine, I do want to get to some of the economic specifics. Not that she uttered, but
more specifically that she didn't utter.
But just your overall impression, given that we have heard from a lot of Americans that they want to know more from her. Did they get more in this
interview?
CATHERINE RAMPELL, CNN ECONOMICS & POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I don't know that they got a lot more in terms of substantive policy, which is what I am
listening for, but I think she came across as, you know, that treacherous term that female politicians struggle with, likeable, you know, if she
seemed comfortable in her own skin.
She seemed, you know, I thought she gave very strategic and good answers to some of the questions that you just shared some clips of, including the
question about Donald Trump questioning her race, her identity. I thought she handled that masterfully, in fact.
And so, I think she defused some potential, you know, time bombs very well. In terms of what she actually will do as President, what her priorities
are, I think that there are still a lot of question marks there.
[14:05:00]
But I frankly don't know how much voters are looking for those kinds of insights as opposed to insights about temperament, for example, which is
going to be a major issue this election --
NEWTON: Right, well, what we do know Catherine, though, is that many Americans, a significant minority, but that is still significant is the
economy, right? When answering that question, she was very vague about what she would do on day one. We just listened to that, but she also brought up
this idea of the price gouging without giving us policy on that.
Would you be surprised to see that she continues that political line without being prescriptive policy-wise, and will that work?
RAMPELL: I think that's basically what she's been pursuing. The campaign - - Harris campaign started out with something not exactly specific, but I would say, but that seemed to invoke a specific piece of legislation that
Harris as President might model an anti-price gouging policy on, they have since walked that back because I think it is relatively extreme and they
got some blowback for it. Now, she's been relatively vague about what she means or she just means, more aggressive anti-trust enforcement, more
resources for the federal trade commission, the DOJ, et cetera, that enforce anti-trust violations.
Does it mean something more expansive than that about actually banning particular levels of price hikes? We don't really know. And to be fair,
unless there's an unexpected sweep of both chambers of calm -- fear(ph) and Democrats take on, you know, this House, this Senate and the White House.
Probably whatever this, you know, vague thing that she's talking about isn't going to become law.
NEWTON: So --
RAMPELL: I am thinking that -- I am paying more attention now, frankly, to some of the things that she said that do have a greater chance of working
their way into law, things like one of the -- one of the policies she mentioned last night was expanding the child tax credit, which I'm
personally in favor of.
There has been some bipartisan progress towards that goal. There was a deal earlier this year, maybe there's an opportunity for reviving that deal next
year when a lot of the tax code expires, those are the kinds of things that I think those paying attention, those looking for what she might do as
President, you know, should be grappling with.
NEWTON: And we will see right, how much more of that she articulates before the all-important debate, September 10th. Catherine Rampell, have a
great holiday weekend, appreciate it.
RAMPELL: You too.
NEWTON: Now, we are tracking breaking news in Ukraine where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just fired his Air Force chief. This after a pilot
with the call sign Moonfish was killed in the crash of a U.S.-made F-16 fighter jet. Now, it's not clear if the two incidents are actually related.
But the crash was a major blow, as you can imagine for Ukraine after it struggled for years to just get access to these western fighter jets. Now,
the firing comes as Ukraine makes its pitch to the Pentagon about which enemy targets it wants to strike inside Russia.
Earlier, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at military headquarters. Ukraine is pressing
Washington to lift restrictions on the use of American long-range weapons on Russian territory. We have complete coverage of both of those stories.
We're going to go to Washington, and also to Ukraine. Fred Pleitgen is in Kyiv for us, Oren Liebermann at the Pentagon. Fred, can you bring us right
up-to-date? What have you heard about this Air Force chief being fired and specifically why?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's a very good question, Paula, literally happened, I would say in about an
hour, maybe a little more ago that we learned that the Air Force chief Mykola Oleshchuk had been fired by Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
All that also being put down on the website of the presidency of Ukraine. There really weren't many reasons that were named. There is already
successor, at least an acting successor that has been made -- named. It's unclear why exactly this was done. There is a short statement by Volodymyr
Zelenskyy that was written down.
I want to read you part of it because we thought it was quite interesting. It says "it is necessary also at the command level, we must strengthen."
So, obviously the Ukrainians are saying they need to fill, they need to strengthen the Air Force Command here in Ukraine, whether or not that's in
direct relation to this aircraft going down on Monday.
And of course, the Ukrainians just yesterday really acknowledging, first of all, that the plane had crashed, and also that one of their most well-
known, most prolific pilots had actually been killed in that crash. Really unclear what exactly that says about all that, whether or not there might
have been some sort of internal failure, where there might have been some sort of failure with the aircraft or something else that may have happened.
The Ukrainians are saying Paula, that there is an investigation that is ongoing, that they welcome any sort of international help into that
investigation.
[14:10:00]
But of course, for them, the loss of this aircraft and even more so, the loss of this pilot is a major blow. Of course, the F-16s are supposed to be
the backbone of the new Ukrainian Air Force. One of the things that we've been seeing as we've been covering this war over the past two years, is
that the Ukrainian Air Force has been more and more depleted, losing of course, a lot of those Soviet-era aircraft that they have, also spare parts
running out for those Soviet-era aircraft.
So, the F-16s are extremely important to them. And this specific pilot by the call sign Moonfish, Oleksiy Mes, he was really instrumental to lobbying
internationally. He went to the United States, he went to other countries and he lobbied to get the F-16 to Ukraine, and he was also one of the first
pilots to go through that training program.
So, in that regard, big blow for the Ukrainian Air Force, unclear whether or not with the sacking of the Air Force chief, whether the Ukrainians are
somehow acknowledging that maybe there was an internal error that led or a string of internal errors that led to this, the investigation will no doubt
show this.
Nevertheless, obviously, a significant signal coming from Ukraine's President, replacing the Air Force chief. And already, having a successor
on the boards as we speak.
NEWTON: Yes, and as you said, that investigation will be crucial. Oren, I want to go to you now, you've also followed the training of the pilots for
these F-16s, you're also a pilot yourself, I don't want to insinuate that you're a fighter pilot, but give us some insight into what kind of a blow
this would be and what questions the Pentagon would have had the minute that they saw that this crash happened.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The key question of course, is what happened here. Ukraine has one of the most complex militaries in
the world, simply because of the various systems they have from so many different countries. The U.S. uses for obvious reasons, most of its own
equipment, so, it's relatively easy to make that equipment talk to and communicate with each other, to make sure your air defenses don't target
your own aircraft.
In Ukraine's case, it's possible that that's a more complicated question, because they have different systems from so many different countries. On
top of that, they're also facing massive Russian barrages. So, making sure your air defenses are coordinated with your aircraft, and we know that
Ukraine has used F-16s for air defenses to shoot down Russian drones and Russian missiles when it can.
It's a far more complicated question and a far more difficult task because of how much Russia is firing and because of all your different systems. So,
the U.S. will try to sort through all of that information, and that in and of itself is a challenge. And then of course, there's what aid can the U.S.
provide?
The U.S. isn't likely to put service members on the ground to be a part of the investigation, but the U.S. is likely to be ready to answer any
questions the Ukrainians have when it comes to what may have interrupted with an F-16 systems, where are the weak points in terms of the
maintenance?
How much is Ukraine flying these F-16s, are complex jets. The U.S. Air Force F-16s don't fly 100 percent of the time, they need to be down for
maintenance routinely. So, all of this will go into an investigation into what is a major blow to Ukraine's Air Force to have lost their F-16s that
they only got so recently.
NEWTON: Yes, and I specifically hear you on the issue of defense, right? About being able to defend themselves against this kind of airstrikes.
Oren, OK, we also have an important meeting going on there right now. Ukraine taking the move to say, we're going to tell you face-to-face,
exactly what our victory plan looks like and what permission we will have to strike inside Russia. I mean, when we -- when will we get a better idea
of what the U.S. thinks of this plan?
LIEBERMANN: So, Ukraine's victory plan right now remains a secret at least, between Ukraine and the U.S. They haven't said publicly what they
intend to do. They have called the Kursk offensive an effort to create a buffer zone. But the Pentagon is still as clearly, still had questions
about that.
In terms of what they're pushing for today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been very public about that, saying at least part of this
meeting is about trying to get the U.S. to ease or remove restrictions on the use of long-range U.S. weaponry, particularly the ATACMs which they've
used effectively to strike targets in occupied Crimea.
They want to be able to use that to strike targets deeper inside Russia. That's not where the U.S. wants these meetings' focused. The U.S. has, if
you will, a bigger picture perspective, Russia has moved a lot of their targets outside of ATACMs range, so, it's not clear from the U.S.
perspective what easing those restrictions will do in terms of hitting high-value targets that the aircraft that have launched these devastating
glide bombs that Russia has used.
Instead, they want the conversation on air defenses which the U.S. is very much trying to race there. And then they want to hear Ukraine's plan on
what they're going to do with the Kursk offensive and the land they've taken there. And then how do you blunt this massive slow-grinding Russian
offensive in eastern Ukraine, but one that is still gaining ground for Russia.
NEWTON: Oren Liebermann at the Pentagon, Fred Pleitgen for us on the ground. Good to have you there, and we'll look forward to your reporting in
the week to come, appreciate you both.
[14:15:00]
Still to come for us, Israel and Hamas have agreed to humanitarian pauses in fighting so children in Gaza can finally get polio vaccinations. When
and where the rollout is expected to happen. Then an unimaginable tragedy, NHL star Johnny Gaudreau, known as Johnny Hockey, is killed while cycling.
We'll have those details.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: The United Nations' plans to begin the first round of polio vaccinations in Gaza this Sunday during humanitarian pauses in fighting.
Now, Israel and Hamas agreed to the pauses to allow for these vaccinations after Gaza recorded its first case of the disease in a quarter-century.
The campaign will be split into three phases right across the territory that includes central Gaza, southern Gaza and northern Gaza. The U.N. aims
to vaccinate about 640,000 children. Nic Robertson joins me now from Jerusalem. I mean, look, Nic, you and I have seen public health officials
at work right around the world.
This is quite a task, 640,000 children in this kind of an environment, thankfully, the pauses are in place, but what more are you learning about
the campaign itself and the logistics of it?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, I was just -- Paula, I was just speaking with an UNRWA, one of the UNRWA leaders in Gaza,
Paul -- Sam Rose, who was kind of giving me the layer of the land of how they're going to do this.
And he described the task as monumental. Something that they've never been able to try to attempt before, because it's being done in a war zone,
because there are these pauses. Even this morning, the sort of timing of those pauses was changing, and this morning as well, they were -- they were
only getting the information there about the pauses.
So, they believe that they're ready. They want to do this. They think it's a really good signal for humanity that actually a decision has been given
for the pauses. But everything is at stake here because if polio isn't caught and trapped, if you will, with its vaccination programming in Gaza,
it could break out of Gaza, right?
It could spread throughout the region. So, there's a lot at stake here. The way they're going to try and do this on the days, and as you were saying is
three different regions and three days in each region. And they'll have about seven or eight hours each day to vaccinate the children.
[14:20:00]
They're going to have total about 3,000 workers on any day. They'll have their main health centers, they'll have the smaller health clinics. They'll
have mobile teams that are literally, he said, just setting up in the sand or the scrub land in the middle of the tent to try to process and get as
many children done as possible.
But it's going to be tough for another reason as well, 640,000 children is the estimate of all of those under ten years of age, but it's an estimate,
an accurate estimate they believe. But there are a lot of people that have moved around, there are a lot of families that have been hit by the
bombing.
And very sadly, he said, look, frankly, there are children under the rubble, so, we don't really know the target figure. And a lot of this is
sort of going to have to be, you know, something that the plan will evolve on the ground. Day-by-day, they'll learn from day one, and by the time they
get to day nine, they'll have a pretty accurate picture of what's going on.
But here's another catch too, they have to rinse and repeat and four weeks' time, they have to give a second dose of the vaccine. And if they don't get
these pauses again to do that, everyone's seen how hard it is to get to this moment, if they don't get that, then what they're doing now will be --
he said, just a waste of time.
They need to get that second phase too. Of course, you know, that's four weeks and nobody is giving any guarantees about that right now.
NEWTON: Yes, four weeks is a political life -- political military life- time away from this war zone. I do wonder though that if you're looking at this as an opportunity, right? That it is -- can they build on this? It's a
pause. It is a public health campaign. We -- they did manage to get here. Do you get a sense of optimism with those public health officials that you
speak to?
ROBERTSON: Look, it appears to be that the reason that both sides, both Hamas and the Israeli government have bought in on this is because it's a
health issue and it's an issue that faces not just that, not just the IDF troops who are on the ground in Gaza, but Israeli children and the rest of
Israel will be vulnerable if polio breaks out of Gaza.
And without a vaccination program that could happen, it could get into Egypt, it could get in other countries. When he was here, Secretary of
State Antony Blinken was applying pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu to give the pause, U.N. Secretary-General wanted a seven-day blanket complete
full-on pause, that didn't happen.
Prime Minister Netanyahu was really politically arguing very strongly in defense of his position that there would be no blanket pause. So, this
agreement to give this phased incremental pause, it's awfully prone to it breaking down, but a 100 percent. This is the sort of best of what's out
there. So --
NEWTON: Right --
ROBERTSON: The U.N. and all the other NGOs that are working on this are going to give it their best shot. But it is -- but it is way off of ideal.
NEWTON: Nic, thanks so much for laying all that out and of course, we'll continue to keep track of what this health official said is a monumental
task at hand. Nic Robertson for us, appreciate it. Now, this comes as the Israeli military continues its offensive in the occupied West Bank. The IDF
said Friday, it killed three Hamas members, including a commander in Jenin.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades confirmed the deaths. The IDF's West Bank operation has been ongoing for three days. The local governor in Jenin is
now demanding a humanitarian pause there, so residents can get food, water, and medicine. More details now on what's happening in the West Bank from
CNN's Jeremy Diamond.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(GUNFIRE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bursts of gunfire cut through the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank. Israeli
soldiers and border police are raiding the northern West Bank in one of the largest operations in years, triggering clashes with Palestinian militants
who are deeply embedded here.
Israeli forces have killed at least 16 people in 48 hours according to health officials. Israel says 16 were militants, Palestinian militant
groups said just eight of their fighters had been killed. In Jenin, Israeli forces have surrounded several hospitals, ambulances must stop and be
inspected before taking patients in for treatment.
Markets in bustling downtown streets have been turned into a ghost town. Wanwar(ph) streets, water and electrical lines will need to be repaired.
(on camera): This is the aftermath of an Israeli military operation in the city of Jenin. Streets torn up by those D9 bulldozers. And we've seen
scenes like this across this city. Those bulldozers as well as armored Israeli military vehicles came rolling down this street, clashes with
gunmen we're told ensued.
(voice-over): Suzanne Gilad(ph) and her grandchildren were woken by the sound of bulldozers and gunfire at 7:00 in the morning. "It was loud, very
loud, everybody was terrified". She says this Israeli operation is different from the regular raids the city has grown used to.
[14:25:00]
"They want to take revenge", she says, from who? I ask, "from the resistance, we stand with the resistance and hopefully, we will stay
standing and steadfast." Israel says it is targeting militant groups who have mounted dozens of attacks against its soldiers and civilians.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
DIAMOND: In the Palestinian city of Tulkarem, Israel killed one man it says was behind some of those attacks, Muhammad Jaber; an Islamic Jihad
commander. But at Alrazi Hospital in Jenin, the victims of Israel's raids are also children like 15-year-old Usama(ph) who tried to leave his home to
buy bread.
"I took two steps and they started firing at me", Usama(ph) says, two rounds of gunfire, one bullet came here and one bullet came here."
(on camera): And did you see any soldiers before you got shot?
(voice-over): "No, he says." He now faces a long recovery and the life trapped in this seemingly endless cycle of violence.
(on camera): In a statement, the Israeli military confirmed that they shot Usama(ph) claiming that he posed a serious threat to security forces. They
also said that they coordinated his evacuation to a hospital with a local Palestinian ambulance service, despite making such a serious allegation
against him, Israeli authorities have not arrested him. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Still to come for us tonight, Donald Trump draws scrutiny over his views on reproductive rights. Comments on IVF treatments and Florida's six-
week abortion ban.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:06]
NEWTON: So, in just a few hours Donald Trump is expected to deliver a campaign speech in Pennsylvania. Of course, it's a key Battleground state
in the presidential race. His running mate says Trump could soon announce how he'll vote on a Florida amendment that would protect abortion rights.
Remember, the President is a resident in Florida. And it comes a day after the former President signaled that he opposes Florida's six-week abortion
ban. Now, Trump also announced a proposal to have IVF treatments paid for by the government or insurance companies defending his support of the
procedure.
On top of that, he defended a recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery to honor U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan three years ago. Trump insisted
photos he took at the site were not used for political purposes.
We want to get more on all of this now from CNN's Jason Carroll who is in Pennsylvania for us. Obviously, interesting continuing the early voting
dynamic. I mean, I think they vote there in a few weeks in Pennsylvania. I do want to get to this issue though of abortion rights first. I mean,
Donald Trump has been fairly coy about a few things and that includes how he will vote in Florida regarding the abortion issue. But then what some
regard as well as a flip-flop on abortion rights altogether.
JASON CARROLL, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, what the campaign is trying to make clear here, and that's simply because, you know,
a lot of folks are saying the former President didn't make it clear. When it comes to what is going on in Florida the President's position is the
following. He does not support a six-week ban. That is what the campaign is trying to make that point after Trump himself spoke about this and was not
specifically clear about what sort of timeline he was talking about in terms of what would he support. That's why there's so much ambiguity there.
But the broader issue here is this. What the campaign is trying to do is they're trying to appeal at this point to as many people as possible,
including those people who turned away from the GOP, who turned away from the former President with the feeling that this is a party that is not
receptive to those who respect Reproductive Rights. And so, that's why you see the former President now trying to find that sweet spot if you will in
terms -- in terms of what to do with this -- with this initiative in Florida.
And not surprising now he's come up with this new plan in terms of IVF treatment which is a new initiative that he's putting forth. He is saying
that if he were to be reelected, his administration would see to it that any couple seeking IVF treatment would have that covered by the government.
And if the government doesn't cover it -- cover it, then it would be the responsibility then of insurance to cover the full cost.
Again, some questions still outstanding there in terms of where's this money going to come from, how is that going to be paid for. So, a lot of
still outstanding questions here surrounding the topic of Reproductive Rights. Again, all in an effort to reach out to some of those voters who
have left the fold.
NEWTON: Yes, Jason, we're going to leave you to that rally now. You've explained that perfectly. Again, a lot more questions to be asked. And I
know it's loud there. I know you're following that campaign. We'll see what more the former President has to say in the hour to come. I appreciate it.
Now, today, U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith is expected to tell a judge how he wants to proceed in the election subversion case against Donald Trump.
And it comes after Smith's office reworked Trump's indictment to comply with the recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity. Trump is
still charged with the same offenses but this time the prosecution is focusing on his actions as a candidate, not a president.
We want to get more now from our Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Perez who's live in Washington. You know so much riding on what happens next with
this case. And to put a fine point on it, we are a little bit more than 60 days before an election. But isn't there supposed to be, you know, that
protective guard rail 60 days before an election on any of these kinds of cases?
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: There is. There is supposed to be this protective guardrail. And that's why you see the
Justice Department and Jack Smith, the special counsel, having to sort of like tread lightly as to how they handle this.
Now, this is a case that's already been filed. Obviously, he was first indicted last year. And we've seen the calendar eaten up by Donald Trump's
effort to slow it down and to try to make sure it never happens and getting a lot of help from the courts, from the Supreme Court in particular that
waited -- that basically waited eight or nine months in order to render this decision that really calls into question a lot of the evidence that
the Special Counsel Jack Smith is going to be able to use in this case.
[14:35:08]
Now, what we are expecting from this -- from this filing today is its first -- it's the first joint filing from both sides. Not very often that they
actually have to get together and sort of hash out what it is a filing is going to, do but that's what they've had to do over the last few days. And
what we're -- what we're going to see from it is really a few details of how they want the judge to go forward calendar-wise.
Now, you might expect that Donald Trump believes this case should go nowhere at all, that it should be dismissed completely. But if it is going
to go forward, then it should certainly not get in the way of his ability to campaign, being able to go out on -- to campaign stops before now and
November. And so, that's what we're expecting to hear from his side.
For the Special Counsel's side, they want -- they're going to be light on specifics. They're trying to make sure that the judge is the one that makes
all of these decisions and that it's not the Justice Department's fault for instance if we're going to have hearings between now and November where
some of these details of what Donald Trump did back in 2020, what some of those details get back into news.
So, we're expecting a pretty procedural set of documents here today, Paula, but it does really, as you pointed out, it's going to tell us a lot about
what's going to happen in the next 60 days.
NEWTON: Yes. And again, the sensitive timing. Everyone will be watching that as will the former president depending on what comes out of this and
his lawyers. Evan Perez, thanks so much.
Now, a driver has been arrested and charged in the death of NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau. His team, the Columbus Blue Jackets confirmed that
he and his brother were killed after being hit by a car while out cycling last night. The tragedy came, if you can believe it, on the eve of their
sister's wedding.
USA Hockey paid tribute to the brothers, tweeting, "Our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau whose
lives ended way too soon. Words cannot appropriately express the sorrow the hockey community is feeling today." Now, Johnny Gaudreau was affectionately
known as Johnny Hockey. He was just 31 years old.
Patrick Snell has been following this story for us. And of course, this is shocking for the sport community but my goodness does the tragedy extend
beyond there.
PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Paula, there are -- there are a few words. This is absolutely devastating. My heart -- family -- the prayers to
the whole family. It is so, so, so difficult to comprehend when you -- when you take stock of it all.
Let's try and recap what we can because tributes have been pouring in from the global sporting community, I will say. The Columbus Blue Jackets
Forward Johnny Gaudreau passing away on Thursday night along with his brother Matthew. This after the pair were struck by a vehicle. They were
out riding their bicycles at the time in New Jersey.
Now, the siblings were in the area preparing for their own sister's wedding which was scheduled for this day, on this Friday. Absolutely devastating to
report there. Police say a man, as you said, has now been charged with two counts of death by auto. A news release adding the 43-year-old was
suspected of being under the influence of alcohol.
Nicknamed Johnny Hockey, Gaudreau played 11 professional seasons and was going into his third with the Blue Jackets. He spent his first nine
campaigns with the Flames where he became one of the league's top players and a fan -- absolutely huge fan favorite.
In a statement. the National Hockey League, the NHL, saying it was shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Gaudreau and his brother Matthew.
Adding, while Johnny's infectious spirit for the game and showstopping skills on the ice earned him the nickname Johnny Hockey, he was more than
just a dazzling hockey player. He was a doting father and beloved husband, a son, brother, and a teammate who endeared himself to every person
fortunate enough to crossed his path.
Well, just a unthinkable tragedy Paula. His current team, Columbus Blue Jackets, adding in a statement that Gaudreau played the game with great
joy. The club and its fans also establishing a memorial tribute right there outside Nationwide Arena where he played.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You definitely could tell that he was -- he was happy and in a good place when, you know, you saw him with his daughter. So, I've
been thinking about them a lot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He loved Columbus, spoke highly of Columbus. He wanted to raise his family here. He talked about that all the time. And so as a
community, I felt it was important for him to -- for us to back him up and show him support and his family support.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Johnny was so important to Columbus and so important to the hockey community. I just wanted to take a walk down here and pay our
respects.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: You could just sense the sadness for a player that made such an impact off the ice but also on it as well, Paula. Seven-time NHL All-Star
with 243 goals in 11 seasons. It's no wonder they called him John Hockey. And basketball great LeBron James a short while ago on this Friday taking a
social media. I instantly got so down and sad after reading the story. My thoughts and prayers going out to the Gaudreau family. May Johnny and
Matthew fly high, guide, and guard, and bless their families from the heavens above.
Paula, this is a desperately sad day. It goes without saying of course as well our own prayers are very much with the entire family at this time. Our
deepest condolences indeed, Paula. Back to you.
[14:40:34]
NEWTON: Yes, we certainly hope that their family goes through the next few days with all the strength they're going to need. And I do want to add that
in fact the community in Calgary where he played for so long also sending their condolences. I appreciate it.
Still to come for us tonight, my conversation with Palestinian English language teacher Asma Mustafa on how her teaching has adapted since the war
and her concerns of the future of education in Gaza.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: Now, right around the world, kids of all ages are heading back to school but in Gaza the classrooms look different. Makeshift tents serve as
school, books and paper a rarity, more often used for building fires than learning materials. Earlier, I spoke with Asma Mustafa, a Palestinian
English teacher in Gaza who says she has been displaced eight times in 11 months. We spoke about her duty, the duty she feels as a teacher, and how
she's trying to bring a sense of normalcy back to these children's lives.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ASMA MUSTAFA, PALESTINIAN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER: Actually, all over the world, as you said, children are being sent to schools except in Gaza
because of the war. And unfortunately, for the second year, we're not going to schools for this year. I hope this war will end and we will be back to
schools at the very beginning of this year because children have the right to learn, to live, safe life, to play, and you know, to enjoy their right
just like other children all over the world.
NEWTON: How have you persevered though? Because as a teacher yourself, what have you been able to do in the last 10 months to try and give these kids
some normalcy and some teaching that they need.
MUSTAFA: Yes, actually, from the 7th of October, as you know, I was displaced just like the Palestinians families from the northern Gaza to the
south of Gaza Strip. And during this displacement time, I spend much time thinking about the children around me because they are wasting their time.
They are losing themselves. Even their parents are not free to do anything for themselves.
[14:45:23]
I thought deeply in how can I as a teacher and as a mother too to help those little kids around. And I started thinking deeply for those children,
how can I help. so, I decided after a while to start telling them stories and I found this a very great idea because they love the idea and including
this active -- I managed to include 1,000 children in this activity every day by short stories, by music, by songs, by love.
I teach them by paintings colors, you know, some simple papers. Although they -- you know, people need those papers to make the fire because there
are no gas, there -- you know there is no electricity, there's no life at all. Not only education stopped there.
I also taught them, you know, the basics of first aid because they need this in this time. I sometimes focus on what is called the personal hygiene
because they this. They need for example to be -- you know, to look after themselves. And their involvement in my activities tell me what -- how much
they need this because they need to get out or far away from the war, the news, the sounds of bombs. You know, it's miserable life really -- and we -
- all of us, not only children. And we as adults need this.
NEWTON: You have described these children as treasures and indeed you are right. You also talk about feeding their hearts and their brains. What have
you seen in those moments of normalcy where you can give them this teaching? What have you seen in them?
MUSTAFA: I always see the future. I always hope this war will end soon. And those little kids you know have the right to live a peaceful life just like
the other all over the world. And those are really the treasure of human beings. If a human can see another human in a difficult situation and
cannot help this is not a human. So, what I do is my duty towards them as long as I am a teacher. I feel happy that I can do something for the people
around me.
If I can make a child smile, I feel that I said succeeded. I am a successful person because I managed to make them happy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: And our thanks to Asma for really talking to us and bringing us what school will not look like this fall for children in Gaza.
Still to come for us tonight, planes, trains, and automobiles, it's expected to be a record-breaking travel weekend in the United States. We
will have the details next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:51:09]
NEWTON: Now, it's the last long weekend of summer for the United States with travelers making moves right across the country. The TSA is expecting
this Labor Day weekend to be the busiest on record screening as many as 17 million travelers through the nation's airports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a lot of holiday travel happening. People want to make the most of the holiday break, so just be patient with people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We did get a hiccup but that's OK. Delta has done an amazing job and we're going to still get to our destination in time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you share what the hiccup was?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, our flight got canceled due to weather, so we just had to -- we're rerouting. So -- but we're not upset or anything. We're
still going to get there for my grandma's 95th birthday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Good to hear. And it's not just passengers taking to the skies. AAA says overall domestic travel is up nine percent compared to last year. It's
worth noting gas prices are 13 percent cheaper than Labor Day weekend 2023.
For more in all of this, we'll bring in CNN's Pete Muntean. Pete, you know, I'm a little surprised that this weekend is so busy. I kind of assumed a
lot of the holiday travel, summer travel was over. I guess not.
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: So many people are just trying to shim in one last trip because it's been such a huge summer for holiday
travel or huge summer for travel just sort of in general. We saw an all- time air travel record here in the United States back on July 7th. That was just after the July 4th rush. Three million people screened at airports
across the country. That's the biggest number they've ever seen in the history of the Transportation Security Administration.
And the number today will come pretty close to that. The TSA tells me they were expecting 2.86 million people at airports across the country. Now
they've resized that number to be closer to 2.9 million people. Here at Reagan National Airport, they're expecting 40,000 people to pass through
security checkpoints like this one and the three others at this airport. It's a number that they've not seen even before the pandemic.
So, travel is really so big right now. It's not just the pent-up post-COVID demand. It's not just the Taylor Swift phenomenon, people wanting to get
out and get abroad to catch up a little bit of the last part of the Eras Tour. So many people are just really trying to book and shim in one more
trip.
The big story here on the East Coast of the United States is that there was a lot of bad weather moving through the Mid-Atlantic late last night, and
so Airlines have been mostly in recovery mode today. There were a lot of cancellations. Here at Reagan National Airport, about one in five flights
canceled. At Washington Dulles which is the big international hub here for the D.C. Metro area, about a third of all flights delayed. At Philadelphia
International Airport, a big international hub for American Airlines.
I want you to listen now to passengers though who are really taking all of the challenges in stride and grateful for that one last chance to get away
this summer. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been pretty smooth. I think that we have a longer layover. So, no one likes being stuck in the airport but given the fact
that it's Labor Day weekend, it hasn't been too bad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MUNTEAN: Here is the deal with weather as the day goes on here. We're getting into the afternoon here on the East Coast of the United States and
that's when the thunderstorms are going to start to pop up. We've seen some ground stops pop up at airports on the East Coast. We'll see it in Florida,
the New York metro area, in the D.C. area, also in Texas in Houston which is a big hub for United Airlines for flights coming from Latin America.
Also, Dallas a big hub for American Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
The good news is that security is moving pretty smoothly. And at this checkpoint, the terminal 2 north checkpoint here at Reagan National
Airport, the wait time has actually gone down. I just checked it online. It's only about five minutes or even less if you have TSA pre-check. So, a
lot of people getting to where they need to go.
[14:55:09]
NEWTON: Yes, amazing. And it lets us know that when you're dealing with things you can control, unlike the weather, things can run smoothly. Pete
Muntean, have a great long weekend. We'll see you again. I appreciate it.
Now, the holiday weekend could be a little extra stressful for travelers in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Why? A cyberattack continues to disrupt
operations at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. System outages have gone on for almost a week. SeaTac is asking travelers to only bring carry-
on bags if possible, but insisting flights are continuing as normal.
Now, a lioness rescued from Ukraine is taking her first steps outside. 3- year-old Yuna was held in a private home where she suffered shell shock and concussion during the war. She was evacuated in a 5-day journey that took
her through Poland, Germany, and France before she arrived at a sanctuary in Southern England where she touched the grass for the first time. And we
hope she enjoys her new home.
I want to thank everyone for watching. Stay with CNN. I'll be back with more news after a short break.
