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CNN International: Liam Payne, Former One Direction Singer, Dead at 31; Zelenskyy Pitches his "Victory Plan" in Brussels; Israel Issues Evacuation Order for Buildings in Beqaa and Tyre it's First Outside of Southern Beirut; Houthis: U.S. will "Pay the Price" for Strikes on Yemen; New Italian Law Makes it Illegal to go Abroad for Surrogacy; IDF Investigating Whether Yahya Sinwar Killed in Gaza Strike. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired October 17, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00]
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and this is the CNN "Newsroom". Just ahead, fans around the world are shocked and saddened following the death of Former One Direction Singer Liam Payne. We'll have the latest on the investigation into his death.
And breaking from Biden, Kamala Harris is promising she will be her own president in her most combative interview so far, find out what else she said. And a strong message from Washington as the U.S. launches rare air strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.
Tributes and remembrances are pouring in for Liam Payne, the former One Direction singer, died Wednesday after falling to his death from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. You're looking at a Snapchat video posted by Payne just hours before his death. The Buenos Aires Security Ministry tells "The Associated Press" that the 31-year-old singer jumped from his third store balcony.
And we now have audio of the emergency call placed just before the fatal fall by the hotel manager saying, a guest was, quote, overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol. Pictures released by police show his hotel room, TV smashed. Hotel staff said they hadn't been allowed inside for several days.
Investigators are still piercing together what happened in the days and hours leading up to Payne's death, and an autopsy will be conducted. Meanwhile, fans and those who knew him are in shock. Dozens of fans gathered outside the hotel, lit candles and sang in tribute to Payne, recovering all the angles of the story.
Lisa Respers France joins us from Atlanta, and Stefano Pozzebon is in Bogota, Colombia. Good to see you both, Stefano, let's begin with you. So, what more do you know about Payne's death and the circumstances?
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Yes, Fredricka, well, we'll be looking forward to hearing more from Argentina authorities in the next few hours and days, as just like you said, they will pierce or try to pierce together exactly what happened in those fatal hours on Wednesday afternoon down in Buenos Aires in the Argentinian capital.
The police and the first responders were alerted by the manager of the Casa Sur Hotel, which is a high scale hotel in one of the most popular and nicest barriers neighborhoods of the Argentinian capital yesterday around fifth p.m. local time, because just like you said, the manager denounced that one of the guests that was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and was threatening to tear up the room. Take a listen to that frantic 911 call that we got hold of.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we have a host who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol. And well, even when he's aware, he breaks things up. He is tearing the whole room apart and, well, we need someone to be sent, please.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is, under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Yes, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POZZEBON: And well, the police have not formally identified Payne as that guest in the call, but they've released photos from inside the room showing a smashed-up television and what appears to be synthetic drugs and drugs on the floor. Now, of course, is in many cases, the police and Argentina authorities are keeping a tight lid.
They're not releasing any further information at this moment. And they will, of course, perform an autopsy. And we will hear more about what happened in those hours once the results of the autopsy will be out in the next few hours and days. And also, of course, once the body could be repatriated, Payne leaves a seven-year-old son behind. He was just 31 when he died yesterday night in Buenos Aires, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: So very young. All right, Lisa, what are you hearing about the reaction coming from his many fans?
LISA RESPERS FRANCE, CNN REPORTER: The Directioners as the hardcore fans of One Direction are known, are sad. They're in shock. I mean, this is huge to them. So many of them grew up with this group. And so, to have a member of the group pass away like this, so surprisingly, so shockingly, so tragically. And I think we have a reaction from one of those fans. Move on to take a listen.
[08:05:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't really believe it right now, if it's part of my past, like my adolescence, basically One Direction. So, it's really like, there yet. I'm -- I haven't, like, processed it yet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a fan of One Direction since I was a kid. I'm nervous. I'm really nervous because it's my idol, and I'm shocked. I don't believe this is happening.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANCE: As you can hear, people are just so devastated by this, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, and then Lisa, do we know anything about what kinds of struggles he may have had leading up to this, especially since you're hearing, you know, from the hotel, you know operators that he was trashing the room, that they felt he was under the influence. What do we know about what led up to his Buenos Aires trip?
FRANCE: Well, we do know that in the past, he's been very open about his struggles with substance abuse, with his mental health. Fame takes a huge toll on people, and he was very clear about the fact that he had struggled in the past. He had spent 100 days in rehab a few years ago, actually, here in the United States.
And he talked about that. He was very, very transparent about that. So that is part of, I think, what is factoring into the deep grief that fans are feeling today is because they're wondering, you know, is this, you know, something where he fell off the wagon? You know, was this a mental health issue?
So, people really want to see what the autopsy says, and they probably are going to want to hear from anybody who was around him in the days leading up to this.
WHITFIELD: Yeah. All right. Lisa Respers France, Stefano Pozzebon, let us know when you both learn more. Thank you so much. All right. It is a sprint now to the Election Day finish line in the U.S. with less than three weeks to go, and both candidates are stepping up their campaign appearances and making last minute pitches to voters.
Vice President Kamala Harris is in the battleground state of Wisconsin today. On Wednesday, Harris vowed she would be her own president in a contentious Fox interview, particularly when it came to the issue of immigration. As she grew increasingly frustrated as anchor Bret Baier repeatedly interrupted her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S., (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know what I'm going to talk about --
BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Yeah -- just a number. Do you think it's 1 million, 3 million -- of apprehension?
HARRIS: I'm not finished. We have immigration --
BAIER: -- 6 million people have been released into the country. And let me just finish. I'll get you the question. I promise you.
HARRIS: I was beginning to answer --
BAIER: -- Yes ma'am. HARRIS: May I finish responding?
BAIER: But --
HARRIS: You have to let me finish.
BAIER: You have the White House and the House and the Senate --
HARRIS: I'm --
BAIER: -- they didn't bring up --
HARRIS: -- responding to the point you're raising.
BAIER: OK.
HARRIS: And I'd like to finish.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. Meanwhile, at a town hall hosted by Univision Former President Donald Trump once again, downplaying the January 6th insurrection and his role in it, calling it a day of peace and love. He also repeated baseless claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio are eating pets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's been reported, and eating other things too that they're not supposed to be. But this is all I do, is report --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: CNN's Stephen Collinson joining me now, live from Washington. Great to see you, Stephen. All right, so let's talk about Trump first and how he finds it advantageous to continue to promote lies.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: That's right, that's the political method that Trump has used ever since coming down that golden escalator in Trump Tower in 2015 for his first campaign, and that is how he's trying to close out this election. I think what is happening is that the former president is avoiding the kind of contentious interviews that you saw Kamala Harris take part in on Fox yesterday.
He's trying not just to drive out the maximum turnout from his base voters. He's going around looking for voters who agree with him on many issues, like immigration, who buy into his false realities and who don't usually vote. He's trying to expand the universe of potential voters.
He's not really moving to the center, as you often see candidates do. I think almost everyone in the United States has an opinion about Trump, and there's not that much room for him, I think, to grow to his left. But what he's trying to do is maximize this core of people who like him and think like him, but perhaps may not vote. And I think that's what Trump is doing right now.
WHITFIELD: And then, you know, perhaps the Fox appearance, you know, helps put to rest criticism of Harris about limiting interviews, not anymore. But does this choice to appear on a fox program add. I guess, important feathers in her cab so to speak for A, doing it and B, being contentious and candid, if not direct.
COLLINSON: Right. The entire day of the vice president yesterday was devoted to trying to win over a slice of Republican voters who are disdainful of Trump.
[08:10:00]
They're worried about his behavior. They don't like those lies that you were talking about, and they think that a second Trump term could be exceedingly turbulent. Some of these voters voted for Nikki Haley, the Former South Carolina Governor, in the Republican primary race, quite large numbers of them, in fact.
And the question is, are there voters that Harris can get? That's why she was going on Fox News. Of course, there are some Democrats and independents that watch Fox as well. I think what was so interesting about that interview, and it shows the polarization in the country, was that both sides thought that they got what they wanted from the interview.
Harris's team thought she'd be very well. She stood up to Bret Baier, she parried his interruptions, and she showed that she wasn't frightened to go into the lair of conservative media. Fox commentators after the event all thought that the interview was a complete disaster.
So, it shows that different ways people look at the same thing in this fractured political environment that really tells us a lot about what this election is about.
WHITFIELD: So, it is an important juncture, right? You know, whether it's the Fox interview, the Univision, you know, appearance and there was the Al Smith Dinner too. I mean, these candidates need to show even more to voters, don't they? I mean, they need to appeal especially to the independent voters or voters who remain undecided.
So how do you see early voters, perhaps in North Carolina today, Georgia this week, taking notice?
COLLINSON: Well, we've seen large numbers, especially in Georgia, of voters who are very keen to cast their vote and show up early. They're clearly watching what's been going on over the last few years and few months in this campaign, and they want to register their vote.
And that, I think, is something that is healthy for democracy at a time when we're having a campaign, when a lot of people are talking about democracy being under attack. Generally, in the past, good early voting numbers have tended to favor Democrats, and we have had record breaking numbers in Georgia this week.
It is difficult to say this time, because Republican operatives are increasingly also embracing early voting, even if Former President Trump insists that all voting should take place, you know, on paper ballots on Election Day, as it refers to his false claims that he was cheated out of power four years ago.
So, it's difficult to say what exactly it means, and we don't know whether the people that voted would have voted anyway, whether they're voters that don't normally vote, whether they've changed their vote from past elections. But you know, lots of people voting is a healthy sign.
WHITFIELD: Sure, it at least shows and demonstrates, yeah, a healthy dose of enthusiasm at the ballot boxes already. All right. Stephen Collinson, thank you so much. All right. U.S. President Joe Biden set to leave for Germany this hour. The planned trip was postponed last week because of Hurricane Milton.
On Friday, the president is expected to meet in Berlin with the German Chancellor and the Leaders of France and Britain. They're the top weapons suppliers to Ukraine and future support for Kyiv is expected to top the agenda. And ahead of President Biden's planned trip, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is trying to convince the EU and NATO to back what he calls his victory plan to end Russia's war against Ukraine.
The Ukrainian President has been speaking to EU lawmakers and NATO Defense Ministers in Brussels. The cornerstone of his plan, according to Mr. Zelenskyy is Ukrainian membership of both NATO and the EU. But allies have already signaled they are not quite ready to accept that in the midst of war.
Let's get right to CNN's Clare Sebastian, good morning to you. Good day to you, Clare, it looks like President Zelenskyy's victory plan, as he calls it, is a bit of a hard sell. What are you hearing about Mr. Zelenskyy's latest pitch to Brussels -- in Brussels?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Fredricka, he's got a lot of positive noises. We're hearing some more fulsome support for the plan, particularly, most notably from the Baltic states, which tend to be very supportive of Ukraine. The U.K. also coming out, sounding very supportive.
Broadly across the board, we're hearing the same noises that we continue to hear that they'll support Ukraine for as long as it takes, and the key is to show Russia that its goals will not be fulfilled in this war. But when it comes to NATO, which is, of course, one of the banner issues in this victory plan.
The number one request is an invitation to NATO, which would go further than the current sort of situation that we have when NATO's latest declaration simply used the language irreversible to describe Ukraine's membership. That is a little bit more complicated.
Some countries are coming out in favor when it comes to the NATO Secretary General himself, he has made it pretty clear he's not budging from the current status quo. Take a listen.
[08:15:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: Yes, in the future, NATO will have as a 32 or 34th member, we will have Ukraine. At the moment, it seems that it will be Ukraine as number 33 but maybe somebody else pops in front of him, but Ukraine will be a member of NATO in the future. That is what we decided in Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: So, sticking to what they decided in Washington. Interestingly, we just had a press conference from President Zelenskyy, who went into some detail about conversations he had in the United States about NATO. He said he talked about it to both President Biden and the two presidential candidates, Harris and Trump.
And he went into detail about his conversation in particular with Donald Trump, where he said that he described to him the situation where Ukraine has had to give up its nuclear weapons when it split from the Soviet Union, and because of that, it is now in the situation in which it finds itself.
He says that Ukraine has to choose, basically between nuclear weapons and NATO membership, and it is choosing NATO membership. So, an interesting insight into those conversations there. But as you say, it is an uphill battle for Zelenskyy on this latest leg of his diplomatic blitz to sell this plan.
WHITFIELD: And U.S. President Joe Biden, he's heading to Germany with Ukraine topping the agenda, and concerns are growing about what a potential Donald Trump victory next month would mean for the future aid to Ukraine. And so, with that in mind, what might come out of Mr. Biden's meeting with other top allies of Kyiv?
SEBASTIAN: So, in terms of results, it's just not clear at this point. Biden has signaled on the issue of lifting limitations on long range Western missiles being used on Russian soil by Ukraine that he is potentially open to this. But President Zelenskyy just talked about this and his press conference, and he said that, look, he's getting positive noises out of allies on this issue, but they are looking for unanimity.
That means that the three countries that have supplied these long- range missiles, the U.K., France and the U.S., would have to all agree to go ahead with lifting these limitations. And he hinted fairly strongly that it might be the U.S. that still the holdout. He said that the U.S., as the biggest donor, needs to be positive on this issue, and they are still hoping.
So that is what will be closely watched coming out of this meeting of the so-called Quad, the U.S., U.K., Germany and France and I think what the Ukraine is looking for just over three weeks out from the U.K. -- the U.S. election, is that Biden will look to this to sort of cement his legacy on Ukraine, that is what they are looking for, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Clare Sebastian, thanks so much. All right. Still to come, the Biden Administration uses strikes by B-2 bombers to send a message to Iran backed Houthis. We'll have details after the break. Then Vice President Kamala Harris is turning her attention to the so-called blue wall states with just 19 days left until the U.S. election.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: The Iran backed Houthis have a warning for Washington. They say the U.S. will quote, pay the price for air strikes against Houthi weapons facilities in Yemen.
[08:20:00]
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says the strikes were carried out late Wednesday by B-2 bombers after more than a year of attacks by the Houthis on U.S. and international vessels in the Middle East. The Houthis have targeted ships in the Red Sea for months, calling the attacks a response to Israel's war against Hamas. CNN's MJ Lee has more on this.
MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Sources tell CNN that U.S. officials currently expect that Israel's retaliation against Iran is expected to take place sometime before November 5th, even though sources say this is not believed to be directly related to the timing of the U.S. presidential election.
What it does mean is that this issue, the volatility in the Middle East, could really end up being in the spotlight just within days of the U.S. presidential election. We know that there have been serious and ongoing consultations between Israeli and American officials in recent weeks about exactly how Israel should respond to the 200 or so, ballistic missiles that rained down on Israel on October 1st.
We know that President Biden has urged Israel to take a proportional response, and Prime Minister Netanyahu did recently say to the president that he did not intend to strike any of Iran's nuclear or oil facilities. Welcome news for the Biden Administration, as it is looking to avoid a further escalation in the region.
But obviously goes without saying that this is an issue that has been very politically fraught for President Biden and of course, now Vice President Kamala Harris, for one example, she is campaigning on three different days in the State of Michigan just this week. This state, of course, is home to a sizable Arab American population for whom these kinds of issues could end up being decisive. MJ Lee, CNN, at the White House.
WHITFIELD: All right, the man who once led Mexico's fight against drug cartels is going to prison for being on their payroll. Genaro Garcia Luna, Mexico's Former Public Security Chief, has been sentenced to more than 38 years in the U.S. Prosecutors say he received millions of dollars in bribes from the powerful Sinaloa cartel in return for protecting it. He did that while serving as Mexico's Cabinet Member for more than 12 years ago, more than 12 years rather, when the U.S. hailed him as an ally in the war on drug trafficking, Luna was convicted last year. Prosecutors also say his actions led to thousands of deaths in the U.S. and Mexico.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay nearly $900 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse dating back decades. Lawyers say it's the largest single settlement ever by a Catholic diocese and attorneys for more than 1300 people who said they were sexually abused as children by clergy members, reportedly reached the settlement after months of negotiations.
The Los Angeles Archdiocese is the largest in the U.S., and in a statement following the settlement, Archbishop Jose Gomez said he was sorry for every one of the incidents, and hopes this will now provide some measure of healing. Still to come, the already dire humanitarian situation in Northern Gaza is getting worse.
We'll have a live report on the Middle East and some analysis of the deepening crisis. Then a contentious exchange Vice President Kamala Harris clashes with Fox News as she tries to peel away Republican and undecided voters. Will it work?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:25:00]
WHITFIELD: Israel is issuing its first evacuation notices for buildings outside of Southern Beirut as it keeps up its bombardment of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Video has emerged showing the apparent destruction of a historic town in South Lebanon, home to buildings more than 200,000 years old.
The U.S. says it does not want to see entire villages destroyed. Israel released video, which it says shows the dismantling of an underground infrastructure used by Hezbollah. Lebanon's Health Ministry says 16 people were killed in that strike Wednesday, including a mayor.
Meanwhile, UNICEF says approximately 400,000 children are among the 1.2 million people displaced by fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. And in Northern Gaza, a horrific humanitarian crisis is worsening. The emergency services chief in Jabalia says Israeli forces are destroying everything.
People are starving, and stray dogs are eating dead bodies in the streets. CNN's Nada Bashir is tracking developments from London. Nada, tell us more about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which is getting worse by the day.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really is, Fredricka. It is only getting more desperate with each passing hour. We've been hearing from medical workers on the ground, as you mentioned, from the chief of the emergency services in Northern Gaza, reporting some pretty damning evidence of what is taking place on the ground. Of course, it's very difficult to get much communication or evidence of what is coming out. But from these doctors and medical officials, we are hearing that countless people are now starving as a result of this seed, as a result of the lack of aid getting in. We know, of course, we have seen some aid trucks now crossing in to Northern Gaza.
Again, this is a very minimal amount, and we hadn't actually seen any aid getting in from the beginning of the month. So, you can imagine the level of deprivation that there is currently now in Northern Gaza. As you mentioned, we're hearing reports of dead bodies being eaten by dogs in the street.
We're hearing from civilians on the ground who have said they have been shot at as they've tried to evacuate. Of course, we have reached out to the Israeli military on this. They have said that they are focused on targeting Hamas and preventing Hamas resurgence in Northern Gaza.
They say that they have found weapons stores, for example, in parts of the Jabalia camp. But again, this is an area where hundreds of thousands of civilians are still stranded, are still taking shelter. We have seen evacuation orders being issued to civilians, but again, it is very difficult for many of them to make the move to these areas that have been designated as safe zones, according to the Israeli military.
Many have been told to head to the Al Mawasi coastal area, this is a safe zone, a humanitarian zone, that we have not only seen shrinking in size, but have also seen targeted in previous attacks over the last year. So, you can imagine that there is a sense of fear and concern for many civilians who have been told to move, of course, not for the first time.
And this comes, of course, as the Biden Administration mounts its pressure on the Israeli government. We of course, saw that letter issued over the weekend to the Israeli government saying that they essentially need to do more to prevent the humanitarian catastrophe that we are seeing within the next 30 days.
Or Israel could stand in violation of U.S. laws governing military assistance or foreign military assistance, essentially placing U.S. military aid to Israel in jeopardy. We heard yesterday from the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations saying that they believe that Israel will be taking steps to mitigate those risks to improve the humanitarian situation.
But of course, they have been given 30 days. It remains to be seen whether or not enough action is taken.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, and Nada Bashir, thank you so much. In these pictures, alongside your reporting, just get harder and harder to watch. All right, for more on the escalating situation in the Middle East, let's bring in Fawaz Gerges.
[08:30:00] He is a Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics. He's also an Author. His most recent book is titled "What really went wrong the West and the failure of democracy in the Middle East". Professor Gerges, always great to see you.
FAWAZ GERGES, PROFESSOR, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: Thank you so much.
WHITFIELD: So, what's your assessment and what are your biggest worries about -- you know this continuing humanitarian crisis?
GERGES: Well, I mean, I can really summarize in a statement what the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon said yesterday. He said, we are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe in Lebanon with similar echoes to that of Gaza, literally, if you really watch what Israel is doing in the South of Lebanon in the Central Beirut in Beqaa Valley in Nabatieh in the north and everywhere.
Similar, basically bombings of residential areas I'm citing now UN officials who said yesterday that historical centers, mosques, residential areas, healthcare facilities have been reduced to rubbles. Yesterday, Israel bombed a town called Nabatiyeh in the south of Lebanon. It killed 16 civilians and injured 52 at least, including the Mayor of Nabatiyeh and a relief team that coordinating humanitarian aid to displaced people. It bombed a governmental center.
So, what you have now, you have 1.2 million, at least 1.2 million displaced people. 400,000 children have been displaced, according to United -- UNICEF in Lebanon, the official in charge of UNICEF. He says, the children now the 400,000 children have nightmares. They are traumatized because of loss of loved ones, because their schools and homes have been destroyed.
So, what can I tell you? I mean, whether you look at Gaza or Lebanon, it's similar -- a similar pattern of destruction, basically, is visited both on Gaza and Lebanon by the Israeli army.
WHITFIELD: And the universal feeling has been -- you know starting with Gaza, yes, this is the precipice of a larger regional war. Do you agree with that?
GERGES: You know, I don't know if on CNN, I've been talking to CNN, to all of you in the past 12 months, and really, from day one, we have been warning about the risks of all out regional conflict. And here we are now. I mean, we are -- we could wake up tomorrow and see all-out war between direct war between Israel and Iran, even though you have all-out war now in Gaza, in Lebanon, in Yemen and the West Bank.
I mean, the casualties, the number of civilian casualties are vast, staggering, almost you have 42,000 Palestinian civilians who have been killed, 100,000 injured. In Lebanon the numbers of civilians killed, are staggering. What's really shocking to me, and I'm saying it from a human perspective.
That Israel is targeting basically health workers, first responders, medical centers, hospitals, and this is really goes against all kinds of international humanitarian law and the rules of wars that no state ever, not even the United States, what invaded Afghanistan and Iraq did what Israel is doing, both in Gaza, the West Bank, and now in Lebanon.
WHITFIELD: Now that the U.S. has used a Stealth Bomber, these B2 bombers, to target Houthi weapons facilities in Yemen, in your view, what does this potentially provoke or thwart?
GERGES: I mean, imagine you asked me earlier about the potential, the risks of all our war. Imagine the United States using strategic bombers, B52 that is the strategic bombers. These are nuclear bombers to bomb a country, the poorest countries in the Middle East, and it so far, the U.S. and the UK and other countries have bombed.
I mean, Yemen at scores of times we have lost times how many times it has been bombed. It tells you a great deal about the failure of the Biden Administration, not only to end the bloodletting in Gaza, but to prevent the escalation of war. You can bomb Yemen to eternity, but the war will not stop without ending the war in Gaza and preventing the escalation.
And that's what the Biden Administration really has not used leverage on Israel in order to allow humanitarian aid to come to Gaza. A minute ago, you were speaking to your correspondent in Gaza, in Northern Gaza, 400,000 Palestinians are being bombed to death 400,000. They are stopped. They are battered. I mean, literally, the Jabaliya Camp in North Gaza has been reduced to rubbles.
[08:35:00]
Where's the Biden Administration? How many times has the Biden Administration told Israel, we need you to minimize civilian casualties. We need you to allow humanitarian aid to go to Gaza 12 months and yet -- and yet, the Netanyahu led coalition keep doing exactly the opposite what the international community has been really urging and pleading with Israel.
WHITFIELD: Professor Fawaz Gerges, thank you so much. I always appreciate your perspective.
GERGES: Thanks.
WHITFIELD: All right, with just 19 days now to go into the U.S. Presidential Election, it's a fight to the finish line. Donald Trump is set to attend a charity dinner in New York tonight, while Kamala Harris is campaigning in the battleground State of Wisconsin. On Wednesday, Harris made her pitch to undecided and Republican voters in a contentious interview on Fox News. She put some distance between herself and U.S. President Joe Biden and she repeatedly called Former U.S. President Trump a threat to democracy. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: He's the one who talks about an enemy within -- an enemy within, talking about the American people, suggesting he would turn the American military on the American people. He has repeated it many times, and you and I both know that, and you and I both know that he has talked about turning the American military on the American people.
He has talked about going after people who are engaged in peaceful protest. He has talked about locking people up because they disagree with him. This is a democracy, and in a democracy, the President of the United States, in the United States of America, should be willing to be able to handle criticism without saying he would lock people up for doing it. And this is what is at stake.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: In the hours ahead, Kamala Harris will be turning her attention to a key blue wall State of Wisconsin where she will be holding campaign events, and the visit comes as some say the blue wall may not hold this November. CNN's Jeff Zeleny explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So much is at stake in this election.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Democrats are grabbing a bullhorn and feverishly working to fortify their blue wall.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALEL: This election is going to come down to a handful of states, and that's why we're doing the Blue Wall Bus Tour Michigan, Pennsylvania and of course, the great State of Wisconsin are going to decide the outcome of this election.
ZELENY (voice-over): Few battlegrounds hold as much critical symbolism as this trio of states where Democrats are still haunted by Donald Trump's 2016 victory.
ZELENY: Is the anxiety among Democrats justified?
GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): You know what? I would always want my side to be anxious, right? It means we're taking it seriously. It means we understand how high the stakes are.
ZELENY (voice-over): Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is making the case for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz hitting the road with Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to need every single freaking vote we can get.
ZELENY (voice-over): In hopes of helping Harris win over voters skeptical of Trump who are not yet sold on her.
WHITMER: We've got a lot of folks who aren't quite sure what they're going to do yet, and that's why making a seat at the table for Romney Republicans or Bush Republicans, you don't need to believe 100 percent and that's why we're showing up in red areas and blue areas alike.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a whole bunch of people that don't start thinking about this until the last minute. ZELENY (voice-over): The November election will test whether the
states will march in lockstep, as they have all but twice over a half century, except 1988 when Michael Dukakis won Wisconsin and George H. W. Bush carried Michigan and Pennsylvania and 1976 when Jimmy Carter won Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and Gerald Ford carried his home State of Michigan.
GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN), 2024 VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: One or two people in every precinct in Wisconsin or Michigan or Pennsylvania will be the difference, not just for the next four years, but for the next 40 years.
ZELENY (voice-over): Democrats are seeking to convey urgency without panic.
ZELENY: Does the thought of his reelection scare you?
CHRISTINE FINK, WISCONSIN VOTER: Actually, it scares me quite a bit. I've actually applied for dual citizenship in Ireland, if it happens. I'm thinking about moving if he gets in.
ZELENY (voice-over): Trump accepted the GOP nomination in Wisconsin and has returned again and again.
BRIAN SCHIMMING, REPUBLICAN STATE PARTY CHAIR: Kind of feels like 2016.
ZELENY: You won in 2016?
SCHIMMING: We won in 2016.
ZELENY (voice-over): Brian Schimming leads the Wisconsin Republican Party and believes a Trump comeback after falling short in 2020 could start here.
SCHIMMING: They are in trouble in that blue wall, and that blue wall is not built right now for them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's great to be here in Michigan.
ZELENY (voice-over): Democrats are stepping up their efforts in the final weeks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are winning Wisconsin.
ZELENY (voice-over): Warning against third party candidates like Jill Stein.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stein was key to Trump's 2016 wins in battleground state.
ZELENY (voice-over): And imploring supporters to turn anxiety into action here in the blue wall Harris's most favorable path to the presidency.
WHITMER: Stop wringing your hands and roll up your sleeves. [08:40:00]
A couple of votes per precinct, which is what -- the election was eight years ago. That can be made up through hard work.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZELENY (on camera): And Vice President Harris is set to have a full schedule on Thursday here in Wisconsin, continuing her full week spent in these blue wall states, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and of course, here. There is no question this is a deadlocked race.
Republicans optimistic, but Democrats are fighting to take this race seriously. So many echoes of 2016 back when Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump. One difference, Kamala Harris is coming to campaign Wisconsin. One thing Hillary Clinton never did. Jeff Zeleny CNN, Milwaukee.
WHITFIELD: All right, still to come, a big win for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni'S Conservative Party. Parliament just approved a new measure banning couples from using surrogates abroad. A live report from Rome straight ahead.
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WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. In Italy it is now against the law for couples to go abroad to have a baby using a surrogate mother. Members of Parliament approved the measure on Wednesday. It was proposed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Conservative Party. Meloni has called surrogacy a quote, inhuman practice that treats kids like supermarket products.
It is already banned in Italy. Advocates say the new law is designed to make it more difficult for same sex couples to become legal parents. CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau is live for us in Rome. Good day to you. So, walk us through this controversy.
BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, you know, it really is a very difficult situation for a lot of people, especially those who are in the process of their surrogacy. That is to say, maybe they've gone to Canada or the United States, and they've arranged for a surrogate to carry their baby.
When they bring that child back to Italy, they face fines up to a million euro and up to two years in jail if, in fact, they register that baby here. And so that becomes a very difficult situation. Now, this is something that has been going on for quite some time now in the last six months, the lower house of parliament did uphold the bill in the Senate.
You know, after seven hours of debate, passed it overwhelmingly. But there's a lot of controversy, and there's a lot of opposition to it, both in the heterosexual and the LGBTQ communities, who feel especially that it's directed at them Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: So now, what happens to families who have kids born to surrogates who are already registered?
NADEAU: Yeah, that is a big question, especially for those people you know, whether or not they're going to be able to do anything retroactively. You know and there are a number of people. One of the things of the LGBTQ groups that were protesting the Senate yesterday were saying that 90 percent of the surrogate use here in Italy is with heterosexual infertile couples.
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And so, while they may be able to get around it, because in some states, in the United States, for example, the mother and father intended mother and father can be put on the birth certificate, so it would be easier for them to register. But you know, this is going to be especially difficult for male gay couples.
You know, there's just going to be no loophole for them. And everybody's wondering if they're going to go back and retroactively do anything about it, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And so, this is the first such legislation like this.
NADEAU: Yeah, it's the first legislation directed at surrogacy particularly. But just earlier this year, we had a number of communities in Italy that were taking the -- when you had a lesbian couple who had a child, and one of them was the birth mother of the child, they were removing the other mother's name from the birth certificate and from the registrations here.
Now, you know, not having your child properly registered here has a great effect with -- you know the public school system, with the public health system and all of those things, but in those communities, they were only -- mostly all run by Giorgia Meloni's Conservative Party leaders in those places when that started happening.
So, this is something Meloni wanted, and it's very much in lockstep with Pope Francis. He is also against surrogacy, so they consider this a victory.
WHITFIELD: All right, Barbie Latza Nadeau in Rome thank you so much. All right, still to come, how the U.S. Treasury Department used AI to recover a billion dollars in check fraud. That's next.
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WHITFIELD: The U.S. government's gamble on employing AI to fight financial crime seems to be paying off. It says it used artificial intelligence to recover $1 billion worth of check fraud. That figure is triple what it recovered during the last fiscal year. Machine learning helped the Treasury Department comb through massive amounts of data to find the fraud.
Let's bring in now Matt Egan, who is following this story from New York for us. Good to see you, good morning. So how big of a deal is this for AI to be used by the U.S. government to fight fraud? MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Well, yeah. Good morning, Fredricka. I'm told that this has really been transformative for the federal government. About two years ago, Treasury quietly started using AI to fight financial crime, and these new numbers, shared first with CNN, show that in fiscal 2024, alone, AI helped Treasury recover a billion dollars in check fraud, as you mentioned, that's almost triple the year before.
So, this has really been a game changer. It helped to level a playing field between the government and the bad actors here. Listen, payment fraud is a growing problem. A Juniper Research estimates that by 2028 $362 billion is going to be the online payment fraud figure.
And listen, it only makes sense that the federal government takes a page out of the private sector playbook, because we know banks and credit card companies, payment platforms, they're all increasingly turning to AI here to try to sniff out suspicious transactions. The IRS is even using AI to comb through complex tax returns and find out whether or not hedge funds and other firms are actually cheating on their taxes.
[08:50:00]
So, this is a growing area, and it's a growing way that the government is using to try to fight financial crime.
WHITFIELD: And why is AI so helpful when it comes to fighting financial crime?
EGAN: Well Fredricka, it's important to distinguish what we're talking about from generative AI, right? Gen AI is the technology that powers ChatGPT and Google Gemini and helps to generate images and answer complex questions. But what we're really talking about is big data and machine learning, that type of AI is really good at combing through oceans of data.
And detecting subtle patterns and anomalies, stuff that humans might not ever detect, and this technology can do it, sometimes in milliseconds, and sometimes it's so fast that could actually detect fraudulent checks before the checks are ever even cashed. It feels like something out of the minority report. And I think all of this shows how the government is trying to balance the risks and rewards with AI, right?
Because we know that AI can actually make fraud worse. There are concerns about AI killing jobs, about what it means in finance, and yet this enormous potential for AI to actually do some good. And listen, Treasury Fredricka is just getting started with how it's using AI. They won't even tell me all the ways that they're planning to use it to fight financial crime, they said, because they don't want to tip off the bad guys.
WHITFIELD: All right. Matt Egan, thank you so much for that.
EGAN: Thank you. WHITFIELD: All right, in this breaking news into CNN, the IDF is investigating whether one of three people killed in a strike in Gaza was Hamas Leader, Yahya Sinwar. CNN's Nada Bashir is tracking the developments from London. So how are the assessments underway now?
BASHIR: We are just getting more details in literally right now Frederica from the Israeli military, who are assessing these initial reports. As you mentioned, we've received a statement from the Israeli military say that they are checking the possibility that one of the terrorists eliminated in this strike.
They say they shouted three terrorists was Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar. They say at this stage, the identities of all three has yet to be confirmed. Again, we don't know exactly where in Gaza this strike took place or when. We are still getting more details in from the Israeli military.
But of course, if indeed this is confirmed that Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in this strike. This would be a significant development. Yahya Sinwar has long been characterized by the Israeli government as essentially enemy number one. They place full responsibility for the October 7th attacks on Yahya Sinwar, who they say played a key leadership role in coordinating these attacks.
And of course, in maintaining Hamas attacks over the last year, as we have seen, Israel as well, of course, continuously striking the Gaza Strip. Of course, there has been a lot of speculation questions around Yahya Sinwar's presence and location over now more than a year of war in Gaza.
He is, of course, a critical figure in the organization designated by the United States as a terrorist. He has recently been sanctioned, of course, as well by the United Kingdom and others. Of course, this would be a significant development, but we are still waiting for that confirmation. No clarity just yet on whether or not Yahya Sinwar is confirmed to be dead.
WHITFIELD: Right. Not confirmed whether he is dead now, as the IDF carries on with its investigation tries to verify the identities of those who were struck. You just underscored that Yahya Sinwar was a primary target for the IDF, if indeed it were the case that he were taken out. What does this mean for the conflict in Gaza? What does this mean for Hamas potentially?
BASHIR: Well, of course, we have obviously seen other senior Hamas figures killed assassinated over the last year. Among them Ismail Hanieh, the Political Chief, President of Qatar, who was assassinated. Of course, his only military not claiming responsibility for that.
But Yahya Sinwar, of course, the crucial figure within Hamas, the main figure for the Israeli military and main target over the last year that has clearly been expressed by the Israeli government repeatedly. It's unclear, of course, what that could then lead to? This would be a significant blow, of course, for Hamas.
But again, this is also somebody who has been a crucial sticking point in ongoing negotiations to secure the release of hostages. Both the United States and Israel have accused Yahya Sinwar of putting up obstacles to prevent any sort of ceasefire negotiation or deal moving forward. Alternatively, of course, Hamas has also accused the Israeli government pushing forward new conditions which have prevented the ceasefire negotiations from also moving forward.
[08:55:00]
But this has been a key target. Yahya Sinwar has been a key target for the Israeli military from the beginning of this war. They have been targeting senior Hamas figures, not just in Gaza, but we've seen them targeting them in Lebanon, of course, with Ismael Hanieh in Iran on Iranian soil.
So, this is would -- this would be a significant development, but also a significant win -- perhaps for the Israeli military. And again, a huge blow to Hamas as well. But we've also seen on the ground in Gaza is Hamas forces essentially regrouping their efforts and actually growing perhaps inside, we haven't really seen a let up in the fighting on the ground.
So, what this means for the actual ongoing clashes that we're seeing on the ground? What this means for Hamas' activities that would remain to be seen. But again, there is concern, of course, about how this will translate as well, of course, for the civilian population? And what this will mean for Israel's military operation in Gaza?
WHITFIELD: All right. Nada Bashir, keep us posted from London. Thank you so much. And thank you so much for being here in the CNN Newsroom with me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. "Connect the World" with Becky Anderson is up next.
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