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One World with Zain Asher
China Prepares for Military Parade after Security Summit; Scholars: Israel's Actions Meet Legal Definition of Genocide; White House: Trump to Make Announcement Related to Department of Defense; Ceremonies to Mark the 80th Anniversary of the end of WWII; Scientists Denounce Trump Administration Climate Report; Parts of the Western U.S. See Above Average Temps. Aired 11-12a ET
Aired September 02, 2025 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: A show of military might in China as President Xi hosts Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un. "One
World" starts right now. The Leaders of Russia, North Korea and Iran will be watching as President Xi puts on his military parade. We'll look at what
kind of a challenge the event poses to the West.
Plus, today marks 80 years since Japan formally surrendered aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, ending World War II. We are live in Honolulu, where
a ceremony will be held at the exact time of the original surrender ceremony in 1945. And scathing words from more than 85 climate scientists
pushing back against a Trump Administration Climate Change Report, I'll speak to one of those scientists.
Live from New York. I'm Paula Newton, and this is "One World". One day after China unveiled its vision for a new world order by showcasing its
diplomatic power, Beijing is getting ready to flex its military might an elaborate parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II
will take place in the capital on Wednesday, complete with cutting edge hypersonic weapons, nuclear capable missiles and thousands of goose-
stepping soldiers.
The Russian President and North Korean Leader are set to attend in a very high-profile show of solidarity marking was reported to be the first time
Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un have appeared together publicly. Now earlier, Xi held formal talks with President Putin, the Russian
President greeted the Chinese Leader as dear friend, and said relations between Beijing and Moscow have never been better.
Meanwhile, this carefully choreographed parade set for Wednesday is all about sending an unmistakable message, one of solidarity and strength.
CNN's Marc Stewart is in Beijing with more now.
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are really being prepared to be overwhelmed with optics, in the sense that we will have all of these world
leaders here with Chinese Leader Xi Jinping as a unified front almost against the West. Let's talk briefly about this meeting we saw earlier
today with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin.
These two men have shared what's been described as this no limits, friendship. Once again today, the kinship was very strong. Remember, China
has not condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. China continues to be the top buyer of Russian oil.
In fact, a deal was announced today about the creation of a new gas pipeline that certainly could help benefit China. And then we heard from
Putin very warm words about his relationship with China and Xi Jinping, let's take a brief listen to some of his remarks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT: I thank you for the warm welcome extended to our entire delegation. Our close communication reflects the
strategic nature of Russia China relations, which are at an unprecedentedly high level.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: And all of this is leading up to tomorrow morning's big military parade through the streets of Beijing that will cross through Tiananmen
Square in front of Tiananmen Square, and there we will see Xi Jinping, Vladimir, Putin and Kim Jong Un all standing together as this united front
against the United States.
We have China, and we have Russia, which are nuclear powers. And then, of course, we've talked a lot about the nuclear ambitions of Kim Jong Un. It's
really a story where symbolism is going to be the big dominating theme, not so much any kind of agreements or announcements, but the fact that they are
all together. It's going to send a strong message, or at least China does, to the rest of the world, that it is a force.
NEWTON: Our thanks to Marc Stewart there. Joseph Torigian is an Associate Professor at American University, School of International Service, and he's
the author of the "Party's Interests Come First" and he joins me now live from Detroit, Michigan. Glad to have you here as we continue to parse these
extraordinary events in China.
You yourself begin with a very provocative premise in your writings that both Xi and Putin seek to and I'm using your words here use the memory of
the war to inoculate future generations against Western values and legitimate the global order they envision.
[11:05:00]
So, I ask you, what is that vision and how does this military parade the summit itself lend substantive progress to their goals? We've all heard
about the optics, but what does it really get them?
JOSEPH TORIGIAN, AUTHOR, "THE PARTY'S INTERESTS COME FIRST": For Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, World War II is a foundational moment for the
civilizational agendas that they're pursuing. They are both preoccupied with political order and the question of how to ensure that younger
generations continue with their vision of their countries.
And one way they go about that is by using World War II as moral education as patriotic education to get across this message that even though enemies
had been defeated many decades ago, they weren't completely annihilated, and that's why new generations of Russians and Chinese need to inherit that
baton and move forward.
NEWTON: In terms of inheriting that baton, though, there is a clear message here for the West. So, I do want to get to the so what of it all? You know
that might be the reaction in Europe, but what about when we get to the reaction at the White House with American voters? And how does this relate
to President Trump's posturing on all of this to date?
TORIGIAN: Well, certainly this kind of meeting for Vladimir Putin is useful. We've seen that since the Alaska Conference between Putin and
Trump, that Putin has increased the number of drone and missile attacks on Ukraine. He even hit an EU building, and now there's talk of a GPS jamming
of the plane of the European President.
And Trump says that the latest deadline is coming up. So, for Putin to show that he is in Beijing and meeting with Xi Jinping is his way of
demonstrating that he is not isolated.
NEWTON: And China, I mean, obviously their interests here are many folds. They have not shown that they are backing down in the face of American
demands either.
TORIGIAN: That's right. And so, for Xi Jinping, he even referred to a speech by Mao Zedong (ph) during the war against Japan, where he talked
about how China needed to be able to draw out strength and power from its population in order to defeat a powerful enemy. So, he's using World War
II, this memory of World War II, to call on his people to once again struggle against what he sees as Western bullying.
NEWTON: You know, I found the historical deep dive that you did really interesting, especially because you got into the history of these two men
and how they might have viewed World War II in the history of their families. I mean, the perspective that you talk about is that they want to
use this control over history is, and I'm quoting you here, is literally a matter of regime security and strategic imperatives.
But you also add justifying authoritarianism at home and expansion abroad is not a tribute that you argue will inspire anyone in China or Russia. And
yet, some would argue that, as far as these men are concerned, who saw their countries in a state of disarray, that they could not tolerate that,
that it is working at this hour for them.
TORIGIAN: So, for Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, World War II is something that's still alive. For our country we still commemorate World War II. It's
very important. But for Xi and Putin, World War II is something that they want to keep talking about over and over and over again.
And it's because they believe that for their regimes to survive, their people need to have a confidence in their nations as civilizations, and so
by talking about World War II and seeing their countries as being on the right side of history, is their way of winning people over.
And I actually think that's a message that's probably meaningful to many of the people within their own countries, but not everyone. And it will be
interesting moving forward, to what extent this message of struggle is something that will win adherence in the way that they wanted to.
NEWTON: But does it work in two measures, right in order to fight back towards Western values, which, again, you argue, is a key goal of both men,
but also to help, not just repress the people at home, but certainly convince them that they have a righteous cause in being this bulwark
against Western values.
TORIGIAN: So, it is using the memory of World War II to legitimate their authoritarian regimes at home, to say that because the outside world is so
dangerous and so aggressive, they need to organize their societies in a way that emphasizes discipline, that emphasizes authoritarianism, that
emphasizes putting the nation first, and that only by acting in that way can national rejuvenation that they want to achieve succeed.
NEWTON: Yeah, I want to thank you for joining us, Professor. I encourage everyone to read your writings. It was the deep dive, not just into
history, but again, the way these two men connect to that history and their families, which is incredibly important for the way they interpret it now.
Professor, thanks so much. Really appreciate it.
TORIGIAN: Thanks for having me.
[11:10:00]
NEWTON: Now, a landslide in Sudan's Western Darfur region has wiped out an entire village, killing an estimated one thousand people that's according
to a rebel group there. We're told there is only one survivor. It happened after days of heavy rainfall in the Amara Mountains, which had been a hub
for people fleeing heavy fighting in Sudan's ongoing civil war.
Now the Sudan Liberation Movement, which controls the area, is pleading for the United Nations and international aid groups for help. We'll have much
more on the story next hour when my colleague Bianna Golodryga speaks with the U.N. Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan. And you do not want to
miss that interview, given the struggles in Sudan at this hour.
Now, the Taliban, meantime, is asking for help after Sunday's deadly 6.2 -- 6.0 pardon me, magnitude earthquake, the huge quake leveled entire
villages. More than 1100 people were killed, and another 3200 were injured. That's according to the Afghan Red Crescent.
Making matters worse, the area suffered a large aftershock a few hours ago, heavy rain, landslides and damaged roads are making it difficult for relief
teams to even get to these remote mountainous areas where, of course, we know that at this hour the impact is greatest.
Afghanistan's capacity, of course, to respond to disasters, has shrunk since the Taliban regained power in 2021 the situation worsening again this
year amid cuts in U.S. aid spending. CNN's Nic Robertson has a report of the ongoing rescue challenges and the what the rescue workers themselves
are facing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Chaotic scenes searching for survivors in the dark, most people asleep in their
homes when the magnitude six quake struck. By day, the scale of destruction becoming clearer.
This young boy desperately calling for his older brother as other villagers arrive to help. The relatively shallow quake eight kilometers or five
miles, contributing to the destruction and staggering death toll. Kunar Province, the worst affected. Homes here are often made of mud, rock and
trees, particularly vulnerable to quakes.
95 percent of the houses in our village have been destroyed this survivor says. Every household has lost between 5 to 10 family members; we appeal to
all Muslims to open their hearts and help us at this time of hardship.
Some of the worst affected areas in the mountainous, rural East of Afghanistan could only be reached by helicopter as dirt roads already
weakened by weeks of heavy rain were cut by quake induced landslides.
KATE CAREY, DEPUTY HEAD OF OFFICE, U.N. OCHA: There are some locations and some villages in a few of the most hard-hit districts that are only
accessible by foot up to three hours. And of course, the priority is also to unblock impassable roads.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The Afghan government spokesman warning while they've reached most villages, it will take some time before international
aid agencies will get there to help. The nearest major city, Jalalabad, receiving some of the injured, only the luckiest survivors able to get to
hospital.
At least one NGO, the International Rescue Committee reporting entire villages have been destroyed. In our district alone, 100 to 150 people were
killed this man says. We still don't know the number of the injured. The roads are still closed. The Taliban ruled country is already reeling from
the effects of shrinking international aid budgets, health care at the forefront of basic services impacted. USA contracts alone down $1.7 billion
over the last year.
In 2023, a magnitude 6.3 quake caused more than 2000 deaths. Not clear if the toll this time will exceed that, but for sure, the country's ability to
cope with this type of catastrophe is weakening. Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: So, for more information about how you can help Afghanistan earthquake victims, go to cnn.com/impact. OK, up next for us, how Israel
might retaliate over an expected wave of Palestinian statehood recognition by Western nations? And Israel hits back after a scholars group says its
actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide.
[11:15:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: Israel is weighing annexing parts of the West Bank. That's according to two Israeli officials who tell CNN no decision has been made
yet. And this comes as Belgium joins a growing list of countries who say they will recognize Palestinian statehood at the U.N. General Assembly
meeting later this month.
Now, the Palestinians are seeking the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, to make a future state. CNN is also hearing from an Israeli security source
that tens of thousands of military reservists are set to report for duty today as Israel plans to expand the war in Gaza.
And those plans have sparked international condemnation, and now the world's largest academic group of genocide scholars says Israel has
committed atrocities that meet all five definitions and elements of genocide, listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMILY SAMPLE, EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GENOCIDE SCHOLARS: The real difference is when understanding a genocide is the
intent behind the extermination of a group and as such. And that is what many of our scholars are speaking up against, is that there is as well
beyond the threshold of what would be committed under war or under committed under self-defense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now Israel is rejecting the accusation, saying it's based on what it calls a campaign of lies by Hamas. CNN's Jeremy Diamond joins us now
from Jerusalem. So, if we stick to what this group is calling the elements of genocide, as defined, you know, what precisely are they looking at?
Because when anyone sees the suffering in Gaza, and again, I repeat, journalists like you or independent journalists not allowed in there to
assess this for yourselves, and yet we've seen so much despair. Why and how does this definition matter now?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, it's important to note that this association of genocide scholars is not only --
you know, at the kind of leading authority on this academic field, but beyond that, it is one of several groups in recent months that have reached
this very same conclusion, including two Israeli human rights groups who reached that conclusion over this summer as well.
Now in terms of elements that are required under the Geneva -- the Genocide Convention in order to define a genocide.
[11:20:00]
First of all, you need the quote intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. And then there are five
different elements, physical elements, that would then match that intention. And if any one of these elements, combined with that intention
are met, then you are talking about the definition of a genocide.
They include killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, deliberately inflicting on the group
conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part. The fourth -- the fourth element is imposing measures
intended to prevent births within the group, and the fifth is forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
The Israeli government, for its part, as you noted, Paula, has rejected this conclusion by this association of genocide scholars, calling it
disgraceful and an embarrassment to the legal profession and any academic standards. They claim that the IAGS is effectively basing its conclusions
on, quote, Hamas' campaign of lies and the laundering of those lies by others.
But as I noted, this comes following several other groups that have reached the same conclusion and following nearly two years of war during which more
than 63,000 people, the majority of whom are women and children, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, have been killed by the Israeli
military.
NEWTON: And as we noted earlier, Jeremy Belgium is now joining a list of Israeli allies, saying they will recognize a Palestinian State. What has
Israel's reaction has been not to just to Belgium's last move, but certainly in the last few weeks, as their allies have given note and notice
of their intention.
DIAMOND: Well, we have seen the Israeli government rejecting this notion, claiming that it would be a reward for terrorism to recognize a Palestinian
State in the wake of -- and in the context of this war that was sparked by Hamas' attack on October 7th, the real question now is, what are they
actually going to do about it in terms of any retaliatory measures which the Israeli government has vowed to carry out?
Could it simply be limited to sanctions against Palestinian authority officials, for example, measures to restrict diplomats from those various
countries their travel to Ramallah, to the Palestinian capital in the West Bank, the seat of government, at least. Or could we be talking about what
is actively under discussion right now, and that is the annexation of parts of the West Bank.
And the options on the table right now range from a limited takeover of several Jewish settlements or of this strip of land known as the Jordan
Valley on the Eastern Bank of the West Bank, or could we be talking about annexation of all of Area C, which is effectively already under Israeli
administrative and security control, but which accounts for 60 percent of the West Bank.
And as the Israeli Prime Minister weighs these various options, of course, he has to keep in mind not only the desires of his right-wing government,
whose leaders have made very clear they are actively trying to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian State. And he also has to weigh the degree
to which taking such steps, which would be viewed as contravening multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions and going against international law.
The extent to which that would increase Israel's isolation on the world stage at a time when we are already watching Israel increasingly become a
pariah among its international peers, Paula.
NEWTON: Continue -- we'll continue to watch its moves, Israel's moves, Jeremy as we do the lead up to that U.N. General Assembly meeting later
this month in New York. Jeremy Diamond for us. Appreciate it.
OK, coming up, Chicago braces for a potential flood of federal agents and National Guard troops this week. A look at what would be about to happen if
the president gets his way? Plus, ceremonies to mark the end of World War II are being held In American cities. We'll have a live report from
Honolulu, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:25:00]
NEWTON: And welcome back to "One World". I'm Paula Newton in New York. Here are some headlines we are watching at this hour. China's President met
Vladimir Putin for talks in Beijing earlier, Russian President addressed Xi Jinping as dear friend, and said relations between the two countries are
at, quote, an unprecedentedly high level.
It comes one day before a massive military parade is set to take place in Beijing that will be attended by Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The landmark trial of Brazil's Former President Jair Bolsonaro is now in its final phase. The country's Supreme Court begins hearing closing
arguments today.
The 70-year-old is accused of orchestrating a plot to remain in power after he lost his 2022 re-election bid. Bolsonaro is charged with five counts
related to attempting to stage a coup. He denies any wrongdoing.
A federal judge has ruled that U.S. President Donald Trump illegally put troops on the ground in Los Angeles this summer to carry out his
immigration crackdown. The judge found that National Guard members and U.S. Marines were deployed for domestic law enforcement, which the law is clear
that is prohibited.
Chicago is bracing, though, meantime, for an influx of federal forces. The Trump Administration is expected to launch a major immigration enforcement
operation in the city that could begin this week. The president has also repeatedly threatened to send the National Guard to Chicago to crack down
on crime now.
Now meantime, Donald Trump is also expected to make an announcement from the Oval Office in just a few hours from now, as Congress returns after
their summer recess. White House Reporter Alayna Treene joins us now watching it all from the White House. You know, this is a very much
anticipated Oval Office appearance by the president, but what is the White House saying about this announcement?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah. Well, Paula, this morning, I caught up with the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, she called
it an exciting announcement and said that was going to be related to the Department of Defense, but our colleague, Kristen Holmes, has learned more
details, which is essentially that the announcement is supposed to be centered on moving the U.S. Space Command Headquarters from Colorado to
Alabama.
Now, part of the reason this is such a big deal is because it's actually been a very controversial subject to the President Trump during his first
term, and actually announced that it would be going from Colorado to Alabama. But then there was a review of it, and long story short, then
President Joe Biden announced toward the end of his term that he wanted to keep the space command in Colorado.
[11:30:00]
Well, we are learning now that the President, President Donald Trump, is expected to move it back to Alabama. All to say, I do think one of the
reasons this is so anticipated is not necessarily the nature of the announcement, but the fact that we're actually going to be seeing President
Donald Trump for the first time in a week.
He did go golfing, I should say this weekend, he did. You know, has been posting on social media repeatedly, but it is very rare for the president
to remain largely behind closed doors and not taking questions from reporters for such an extended period of time.
And so, we'll have that opportunity to see the president today, to see him speaking on camera. And I should also note it comes after there's a lot of
speculation over the weekend of why he hadn't been out there addressing the media or reporters directly.
We did see the president kind of seem to respond to some of that on Sunday, when he said, I've never been in better shape. All to say we are expecting
this defense related announcement at 02:00 p.m. and also having reporters have an opportunity to push him on some of the most pressing topics of the
last week.
NEWTON: Yeah, we're certainly hoping for a fulsome appearance there, where he will take some questions. I do want to get back to this issue of the
National Guard, U.S. Marines. We just heard about the court ruling, right, and yet it's now still likely right. The President Trump will send the
National Guard to Chicago, I guess. I'm wondering how far can he, or will he go, in terms of this being a crackdown on crime, or will it be a dragnet
for immigration purposes?
TREENE: Yeah, well, when I -- when we had broken the news on this immigration operation in Chicago last week, Paula, it was very clear in my
conversations with White House officials that they wanted to make the distinction that this is about immigration, that they would be sending
personnel from ICE, from Custom and Border Patrol, from other agencies to deal solely with the issue of illegal immigration in Chicago.
However, of course, there are questions about what this may actually turn into, because the president has repeatedly, including this morning, in a
series of posts, been talking about wanting to take what he's doing here in Washington, D.C., and use that as a model for Chicago.
Just this morning, he was saying Chicago was one of -- you know, the worst cities for crime in the country, clearly making it that he still has his
set site on Chicago. But one of the things that's interesting is that ruling you're talking about from this federal judge.
The LA operation. It was all about the LA operation in earlier this summer, where he where the Trump Administration sent the National Guard to Los
Angeles to deal with the immigration operation there. From our conversations, they are planning the same thing with the National Guard for
Chicago. Unclear if this is going to be potentially an obstacle in some of those plans, Paula.
NEWTON: Yeah, and will be interesting. And again, we hope the president does address those questions later on this afternoon.
TREENE: Right.
NEWTON: Alayna Treene, thanks so much appreciate it. Now today, September 2nd, marks 80 years since V-J Day, the day the Allied victory over Japan,
when World War II officially ended. Now ceremonies are being held to mark the occasion.
You are looking right their live pictures from the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., where veterans, yes, veterans, and others, gathered to
honor the fallen. It is so good to see them out at the ceremony. The conflict, of course, pitted allied forces led by the U.S., Britain and the
Soviet Union, against the so-called Axis powers, principally Germany and Japan between 1939 and 1945. Glad they're getting some good weather for
that ceremony as well.
Now, the formal surrender documents were signed this day in 1945 aboard the battleship USS Missouri. Now, in just a few hours, a commemoration will be
head at the Missouri's current dock in Pearl Harbor to mark that exact moment. CNN's Stephanie Elam has gotten up early for us. Not only she up
early, she is on board the USS, Missouri.
So glad to have you there. And I always look forward to these ceremonies, because I think it really brings the history home to us in a way that other
events don't.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's so true, Paula. The history that we know it helps to inform our present and our future. And where I'm standing
right now. You see here, this is Pearl Harbor right here. This is where the Japanese snuck in and had that surprise attack that hit the United States
and actually drew the United States into World War II.
And where I'm standing in just a few hours, this is also where you're going to have this commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Japanese
surrender, which happened right here on this side of the ship, early in the morning. So that's why we're going to see it start early here Hawaii time.
But what I want to do is introduce you to one of the eight surviving naval shipman who was on the Missouri. This man actually got on the ship when it
was built in Brooklyn, and he's one of the originals, and he calls this my ship. Take a listen to why.
[11:35:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT SOMRAK, SERVED ON USS MISSOURI DURING WWII: Robert Somrak.
ELAM: When is your birthday?
SOMRAK: October 7th, 1924. 100 years ago.
ELAM: How long has it been since you looked out at the Pacific?
SOMRAK: This is the first time I've looked at it since 1946 probably. When I was in the Navy. I was fire control in second class. You handle the
firing of the guns. I had the opportunity to instead of going into the army, of joining the Navy, I know in the Navy, you always have a clean bed.
ELAM: So where did you first get on USS, Missouri. Was it in Brooklyn?
SOMRAK: Brooklyn, Navy Yard, yeah.
ELAM: So, you were on from the very beginning?
SOMRAK: Right.
ELAM: Were you at any point anxious as you started to churn your way across the ocean to Japan?
SOMRAK: Not really. I enjoyed every moment of it.
ELAM: I believe you were on the ship when the Kamikaze attack hit Marimo. Did you see it?
SOMRAK: I was in gun turret three, so I was behind a lot of steel armor. So even though the plane crashed into our ship, and when I got out of the gun
turret, was like from here to there, I picked up a piece of the plane, I made a letter opener out of it.
ELAM: It strikes me that's a very mundane thing to make out of something that was very pivotal moment.
SOMRAK: I still have it at home, and then I became an eyewitness to the at the surrender ceremony.
ELAM: You didn't think about the fact that you had a front row seat to a pivotal moment in history?
SOMRAK: No, not at that time, but now, when I look back at it, I realize that I am a part of history.
ELAM: What does it mean to you to be here for this 80th anniversary of the surrender?
SOMRAK: Well, first of all, I'm glad to be alive, to be here. I've had so many of my shipmates that are not here, so it's kind of humbling in a way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ELAM: We spoke to most of those survivors who are still here, still living, eight of them who are naval, naval shipment on this ship during World War
II. They all made it here for the commemoration Paula, which is amazing. And many of them were working on getting their health, their strength up so
that they could be here.
And I also heard that several of them actually got on those little skinny ladders on this battleship to climb down below deck, to look at the places
where they used to work, where they slept, all because they wanted to have this moment in time, realizing that this is very last -- very likely, the
last time that they will be on the USS, Missouri.
NEWTON: Yeah, it's so humbling, still, isn't it, Stephanie just to listen to them. I mean, what a charming interview, what an incredible man. And as
I said, I'm sure many of them are thinking of the U.S. veterans that are no longer with us, the veterans all over the world that are no longer with us,
that sacrifice so much. Stephanie Elon, thank you so much for bringing us the story. Really appreciate it. And we'll be right back with more in a
moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:40:00]
NEWTON: More than 85 veteran climate scientists push back hard against a Trump Administration report that downplays the impact of greenhouse gas
emissions on the severity and threat of climate change, even portraying it as potentially beneficial.
Researchers denounced the energy department document, saying it makes a mockery of science. They called it grossly misleading, lacking in substance
and peer review. Joining us now is our Chief Climate Correspondent, Bill Weir. Grateful to have you here to parse this for us. I mean, look, the
climate science isn't debatable anymore, right? It's omnipresent. So why are we still having this debate?
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it seems that the Trump Administration, Donald Trump himself, promised oil and gas CEOs before the
election, if you help me get elected, will deregulate the entire super polluting industry. And they're really trying to make good on that promise.
And it starts with just hollowing out American climate science, which is based on -- you know the work of thousands of experts over decades. Back in
July, the Department of Energy, under Chris Wright, put out their own critical review of climate science. It was put together by five noted
contrarians from the world of climate science.
And among the things that now they're pushing back against this finding seemed to poopoo climate changes effect on sea level rise and on the
effects of carbon dioxide, essentially saying, look, it's plant food. It's great. A trillion plus tons of industrial pollution of carbon dioxide.
The accuracy of climate modeling, in many cases, they say, was cherry picked in ways that just doesn't meet scientific peer review. There's
actually a law the Information Quality Act in the United States, that these kinds of declarations must be peer reviewed. None of that was done here.
So, this is the effort by more than 85 scientists, led by Robert Kopp at Rutgers and Andrew Destler at Texas A&M who actually says this is a rerun
of the tobacco battles, when the Merchants of Doubt basically cast doubt on the cancer-causing properties of tobacco. The goal here is not to win the
debate Destler says they're never going to win the debate. The science of climate change is incredibly solid.
All they're trying to do is muddy the waters, create the idea that there's a debate, and then the government will use that to roll back regulations.
We've seen that already with this. You know, five-person report put out by the DOE was now used as the reason that the environmental protection agency
wants to roll back the endangerment clause, the whole legal underpinning -- underpinning of climate law and regulation around factories and all those
sorts of things.
So, this is really the front lines of this war on science hatched in the second Trump Administration. They tried to roll back an awful lot in the
first but were -- you know sort of met some limits. Now, it seems the gloves are off, and they're not only just trying to roll back some things,
but destroy all pretext for future climate regulations for future administrations to correct that applies.
Of course, to international relations, the Paris Climate Accords they're about to meet in Brazil with no representatives from the United States. And
this, of course, has implications to just average, everyday folks who are seeing their insurance rates go up or see the cost of food impacted by the
freaky weather events that come on an overheating planet.
So, Paula, this is just the latest, but at least you've got almost 100 scientists trying to fight back best they can while the public comment
period is open and call attention to the vast damage this could do to the national reputation.
NEWTON: Understood. Bill Weir, for us, thank you so much for explaining that. And joining us now from Providence, Rhode Island, is the Director of
the Institute at Brown University for Environment and Society, Kim Cobb. She is also part of the group of scientists that responded to the
government's report, the one that Bill just outlined. Grateful to have you here and have your perspective.
You know, as a climate scientist, do you fear that this kind of pushback, the report that was just published, will be too easily dismissed by the
Trump Administration, because I think most viewers watching this -- you know, can understand the effects of climate change themselves, because they
see it in their everyday lives, and yet the Trump Administration still wasn't convinced.
KIM COBB, DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE AT BROWN FOR ENVIRONMENT & SOCIETY: Yeah, I don't think there's going to be any convincing the Trump
Administration, perhaps.
[11:45:00]
But what's important to the more than 80 of us who took time over the last month to provide this point-by-point rebuttal is that this is something
that needs to guide government policy, which must be, of course, following the best available science.
That's why decade, 13 federal agencies have worked with hundreds of scientists across America to generate the national climate assessments,
which is the definitive authority on what's happening with climate change in this country, the threats, the impacts that cost to our economy,
national security and public health.
So, it's really important that we stand up and defend the integrity of science in this moment, because these decisions and policies could have
lasting impacts and ultimately threaten the welfare of every American.
NEWTON: You know, this bill was just outlining. The Energy Secretary, Chris Wright said a few weeks ago that climate reports, previously, in his
opinion, issued by the U.S. government those are -- his words weren't fair or in their broad-based assessments of climate change, adding that in his
words, you find objectionable stuff and you want to fix it.
Is there anything that is in addition to this report that will have teeth, that you can set the record straight, or keep the record as it is on
climate science, because so much of that is supposed to really help with laws and regulations.
COBB: So, I think there are many incredibly important debates ranging about climate science. Today, you can go to the fall meeting of the American
Geophysical Union with 30,000 climate scientists and geoscientists eager to hash those things out at the frontiers of knowledge of climate and climate
science.
This report from the Department of Energy is not one of those lines of evidence that contains any spark of honest debate around the science of
climate change. Again, all of the issues that are raised in that report have been previously raised over many decades and thoroughly debunked again
and again and again.
So, what we need to do is fall back on the trove of available data now, of course, point-by-point in this extended report. But really resting on the
decades of really amazing climate science, not just by American scientists, climate scientists all over the world, but especially climate assessments,
which unfortunately have been removed from the red by the current administration.
So, when you do that, you're trying to bury science is never going to end well. Again, we have to have these lines of evidence to support robust
policymakers in the realm of the threats that we face today, which are hitting communities, Republican and Democratic. That's why the National
Climate Assessment has been released since 2000 we're up to the fifth one now, and this is a bipartisan, nonpartisan issue, really.
NEWTON: And I hear you that this is, you know, a warning to everyone that ignoring this climate science is at everyone's peril. I want to ask you; I
found it so interesting this comparison that was made to the tobacco industry.
Do you believe that could be something that might actually, you know, convince the Trump Administration that, OK, maybe the damage from this will
be severe. We do need to listen to this. You know, adhere to this a little bit differently in terms of regulations, in terms of law. The president
himself keeps saying that he wants clean air, he wants clean water.
COBB: Yeah, certainly. We want to keep all Americans safe. We want to have a thriving economy when we want to protect our national security. These are
things that every American shares, that we all share. They don't belong to one party.
But what must guide -- making around these most important topics is the science of climate change and what we know about it and how it's
threatening every everything that we know from coast to coast, food systems, insurance prices, food prices, hospital admissions, deaths,
devastating headlines around the year now.
So, this is what we're up against, and it's become very clear to every single American. And what we need to do now is built on the momentum that
we've had to date and make sure that we deliver the next generation a thriving economy, a safe country where everyone can thrive. That's what
science -- that's what the science will be.
NEWTON: Kim Cobb, we will leave it there for now and see where these reports lead. And perhaps the president will be asked about it this
afternoon. Thanks so much appreciate it. Now falls not officially here yet, but it may feel like it is in some parts of the U.S., while in other places
it is still summer. Derek Van Dam is up next with the forecast.
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[11:50:00]
NEWTON: The central part of the U.S. is facing cooler temperatures, while the West experiences boiling summer heat. All of this as fall, like weather
moves in from Canada. CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam is watching the weather for us.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh, Paula, fall is here, or at least meteorological fall, which started on September 1st, the cool, refreshing
temperatures here, East of the Mississippi in the United States are really being felt over the next several days.
In fact, we'll have about two dozen or so locations that will set record minimum high temperatures. What you need to know about that is that it's
below average, right? Lots of cool weather, basically from the Great Lakes the Upper Midwest through the Ohio River Valley, and it will spill into the
eastern seaboard as well.
But all these locations that we've plotted out here are going to set potential record minimum high temperatures going forward. So today is not
the coolest day of the next several days, but it's definitely starting to cool down. Look at 27 in Chicago, 25 for Buffalo, New York, New York City
at 24 the nation's capital, 26.
But what I want to show you is how the temperatures take a tumble, a nosedive over the next coming days, especially when we're talking minimum
temperatures. Look at this single digit minimum temperatures that is feeling more like fall, even though the actual start of fall doesn't begin
until the middle to end of September. September 23rd, I believe, this year.
So, here's a look at the high temperatures dropping off dramatically. Minneapolis, Des Moines, Chicago, St Louis and Kansas City, especially as
we head into the second half of the week, we call Chicago the Windy City, right? And it will start to get windy because we have a cold front that
will come in, and it will cool the temperatures bring that cooler air from the north.
Here it is, in fact, the secondary cold front after a cold or cool holiday weekend. We call it Labor Day here in the United States, coming off of
that, and now we get this reinforcing shot of cooler air that's going to drop our temperatures in those locations I just mentioned. So, this high
pressure behind it will actually keep the cool weather in place, and places like Nashville, Washington and New York will eventually feel the cooler
weather as well.
And even going further into the future, we have below average temperatures through the middle of September as well, for many of the locations I just
talked about. The East Coast to the Great Lakes, the Ohio Valley, Mississippi Valley, but the West Coast, that's a whole different story,
because the atmosphere is a very fluid and dynamic atmosphere.
So, we get this pumped-up heat ridge over the Western parts of the U.S. So, this is completely different weather pattern, but you can see how above
average temperatures are from Spokane into places like Eugene, Oregon, that, of course, increases the fire danger and, of course, the heat stress
as well. So, something we'll monitor closely too. Paula, back to you.
[11:55:00]
NEWTON: And thank you, Derek. And finally, for us, this hour, an astronaut has posted images the Aurora Borealis, rare light show from space. It is
stunning. Green auroras are more common, but NASA Astronaut Don Petit captured a Crimson Aurora during a previous mission on the International
Space Station.
In a social media post on Saturday, he said, red auroras this bold only happened a handful of times over the course of a six-month mission. I'd say
that is a privilege -- pretty privileged seat where he is coming from there, stunning anywhere you can see that. All right, I want you to stay
with us. There is more "One World" after the break with my friend and colleague, Bianna Golodryga, don't go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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