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Isa Soares Tonight
Ukrainian Troops Advance Further Into Russia; Hamas Says It will Not Participate In Gaza Ceasefire Talks; A New Study Suggests More Americans Are Saying No To Alcohol; Inflation In U.S. At Its Lowest Level; Trump And Harris To Focus On Economy; Harris To Pitch Economic Policy On Friday; Trump Allies Concerned On His Inability To Stay On Message; Americans Drinking Less Alcohol; Greek Firefighters Tame Remnants Of Wildfire; Greek Officials Are Warning Against Complacency; NASA Updates Status Of Starliner Astronauts. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired August 14, 2024 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
LYNDA KINKADE, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show everyone, I'm Lynda Kinkade in for ISA SOARES TONIGHT. Coming up, Ukrainian
troops claim more ground inside of Russia after a surprise cross-border attack that has Moscow scrambling to respond. Then Hamas says it will not
participate in high-stakes ceasefire talks in Doha this week as the U.S. and its allies press for a deal.
Plus, are Americans getting sick of alcohol? A new study suggests they might be. We will have those details for you. Well, Moscow says potential
peace talks are on a long pause as Ukraine looks to push even further into Russia's Kursk region. Ukraine wants to expand its buffer zone.
Officials in Kyiv say this will keep towns in northern Ukraine safer. Take a look at these images coming into us. Ukrainian truck carrying blind-
folded men in Russian military uniforms away from Kursk and towards Ukrainian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says 100
Russian servicemen have been captured.
Well, in the air, Russia says it destroyed more than 100 Ukrainian drones overnight, adding that 37 of them as well as four missiles were destroyed
over the Kursk region. Well, CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is following the developments and joins us now from Berlin. Good to have you with us, Fred.
So, Ukraine has conducted what it says is its biggest attack on Russian airfields since this war began. Just explain for us what you're learning
about this drone strike, and how much damage there's been.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, the Ukrainians said there was damage that was caused. They believe
that there were several hangers that were hit, possibly also some aircraft that were hit as well. But I think one of the things that Ukraine has
definitely wanted to point out, Lynda, is how complex of an operation this is, because it wasn't just the biggest strike on Russian airfields.
It was also on-air fields in various regions of Russia. You have some that are fairly close to the border with Ukraine, like for instance, in the
Belgorod region. But then also for instance, as far east as the Nizhny Novgorod region, which is actually even east of Moscow or the Voronezh
region, which is also in the south of Russia as well.
So, certainly something where the Ukrainians claim that this was a successful operation, but also one where the Ukrainians show that they are
able to project that power that they have with those drones that they use into various areas of Russia. But of course, all of this is also meant by
the Ukrainians to degrade some of Russia's airpower that Russia is now trying to use to stop those Ukrainian offensives in the Kursk region.
There was a lot that happened there today. A lot of movement that went on there today. Here's what we're learning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
PLEITGEN (voice-over): A humiliating scene for the Kremlin. Ukrainian troops sweeping through a Russian village behind a U.S.-supplied Max Pro
armored vehicle. Kyiv soldiers taking down the Russian flag in another town with.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
PLEITGEN: With Ukrainian TV reporting from the scene. Ukraine's top General telling President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the advance continues.
"Troops have advanced 1 to 2 kilometers in various directions", he says, and then adds, "since the beginning of this day, we've taken captive about
100 enemy soldiers."
The Ukrainians say they want to create a buffer zone in this part of Russia to stop Moscow's army from attacking Ukrainian territory in the future. But
the blitz offensive is also a major morale boost for Ukraine commander fighting inside Russia tells CNN, catching the Russians off guard.
"They were shocked by such a rapid advance", he says, "they were in tactical encounters and willingly surrendered to the defense forces, and
then every warrior, every soldier who defends their homeland probably had a dream of stepping onto Russian soil and destroying the enemy there. These
feelings are impossible to forget."
While the Russians claim they are stopping Ukraine's assault, releasing this video of their jets dropping powerful glide bombs.
(EXPLOSION)
[14:05:00]
PLEITGEN: Ukraine says it shot down a Russian warplane, and a security source says it launched the biggest drone attack on Russian air bases since
the war began. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has vowed a crushing response to Ukraine's incursion, but even Kremlin-controlled TV acknowledging that
won't be so simple.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Unfortunately, I must say that in some settlements, the enemy is holding that ground, and we will need to
fight them out of there, that will not happen as fast and as easy as we want it to.
PLEITGEN: The Ukrainians have said they will continue to push forward and fortify the gains they've made, hoping to withstand the massive counter
attack the Kremlin has promised.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN: And Lynda, we're actually getting some more insights now as well as to why this Ukrainian offensive has been so successful or what the
Ukrainian troops think as to why it was. That commander that you saw there in our report, he says he believes that essentially it was two reasons.
He says, first of all, meticulous planning was absolutely key, but he also said that the professionalism of the assault forces that are on the ground
there in Russia right now is absolutely key to keeping that offensive going. And he believes that the Ukrainians could achieve much more, Lynda.
KINKADE: And it is incredible when you hear, Fred, how quickly the Ukrainians are pushing through that territory in Russia, another few
kilometers overnight. And obviously, at first, Ukraine wouldn't comment on this surprise incursion, but we are hearing more now from the Ukrainian
President. Russia is certainly trying to paint a different picture of what's going on. Just tell us more.
PLEITGEN: Yes, they certainly are. I mean, the Russians are essentially saying that their forces are holding the Ukrainians up. One of the things
that we consistently hear from the Russians, this was actually quite interesting. You asked that question because we have been monitoring
Russian state TV throughout the entire day today.
The thing that we keep hearing is that the Ukrainians are running out of steam, is what the Russians are saying. But of course, one of the things
that's actually pretty remarkable about the Ukrainian offensive is that the Ukrainians are still making progress eight days into this offensive.
And if you look for instance, a comparison to the recent Russian offensive into the Kharkiv region in the northeast of Ukraine, that came to a
standstill about two to three days into the offensive. Of course, never went so far into that region as the Ukrainians are now.
So, the fact that they are still making progress certainly is something that must catch the Russians or must have caught the Russians by surprise.
And there are some voices, even in Kremlin-controlled media like we saw there in our report that are saying the situation for Russia is a lot more
difficult than some people are letting on, Lynda.
KINKADE: Certainly is. Frederik Pleitgen, good to have your reporting, appreciate it, thank you. Well, I want to welcome the former Ukrainian
Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk, who is joining us live from Kyiv, Ukraine. Good to have you with us. I want to ask you --
ANDRIY ZAGORODNYUK, FORMER UKRAINIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: Thank you --
KINKADE: About how this new offensive we are seeing against Russia, inside of Russia, is redrawing the boundaries of this battle.
ZAGORODNYUK: Well, certainly, the Russians will be substantially diverted from the -- from just focusing on where they attacked Ukraine. And this is
critical for us because they had almost no reserves. They had almost no spare capacity and they focused whatever they had in one or two specific
areas.
And it was -- and it is still for us extremely difficult to deal with that, because Russia is still a large country with a substantial force and lots
of the resources which they put there. And also they -- spare like no people. I mean, they're sending them and the losses -- Russian losses in
Ukraine are staggering.
But they can afford them, at least, that is according to their vision and so on. So, for us, it was very clear we needed to do something out of the
box. We needed to do something creative, and in order to sort of divert that and change the playbook of the -- of this war. And apparently, that's
what Ukrainian commanders have managed to do.
KINKADE: And of course, we are hearing that Ukraine has seized as much land in the last week as Russia has taken --
ZAGORODNYUK: Right, yes --
KINKADE: This year. And of course, that Ukraine caught Russia completely off guard with this incursion.
ZAGORODNYUK: Yes --
KINKADE: What has been the reaction inside Ukraine?
ZAGORODNYUK: Well, people are of course, happy that Ukraine does something different. Because there's been even intuitive strategic goals here in
Ukraine, that Ukraine can only win asymmetrically. Ukraine cannot do what Russia does, because Russia only have more resources.
And so we need to do something different. We need to do something out of the standard book, it's something which people would not even be able to
define and qualify originally, because right now even military experts are still asking whether this is raid, whether this is incursion, whether this
is offensive, whether -- what is this? And this --
KINKADE: I mean, that is the question, right? That was what I wanted to know, I'm hoping you can shed some light on that, on Ukraine's long-term
objective. Are you going to hold on to this territory?
[14:10:00]
Will it be negotiation for further talks down the track? Are you merely just trying to distract Russia from the battle within Ukraine? What is the
long-term goal?
ZAGORODNYUK: The Ukrainian government and particularly Ukrainian leadership is very known to not to disclose that. So, it's not being
disclosed during the whole operation, I mean, since it took place. And I believe that one of the reasons could be that they have multiple options,
and they have -- maybe have multiple scenarios, and also, that, they don't want to sell their ultimate goal too early because, you know, they don't
want to be sort of saying something before that happens.
And I believe that, that should be -- that should be kept like that and we'll see -- we'll see it in the future. But for sure, there is no --
again, and a strategic culture of Ukraine. There is no such thing as like we wanted to have some piece of Russian territory forever or anything like
that.
So, I don't think -- I don't think anybody seriously thinking that to keep it like forever. But at the same time, at the same time, even if it
distracts the forces already, and I think that's a minimum operational goal. If that operation distracts the forces from Ukraine, so Russians are
failing in Ukraine offensive, like trying to get success in Ukraine.
That already would be a good result. But also, if Russians still cannot get it back and -- or they don't divert the forces, then maybe Ukraine would
hold it for longer and even potentially, I'm just saying it's hypothetically, maybe until the political settlement of the -- of this war.
KINKADE: Oh, we have heard just today that Russia has pulled reserves from key battleground areas, both on the frontlines within Ukraine and also
Russia and occupied Crimea, back to Russia to try to hold some of that Russian territory. How many Ukrainian soldiers are taking part in these
incursion? And are we likely to see more deployed to that -- to that area?
ZAGORODNYUK: We're talking about several brigades there. Again, the numbers not disclosed, but that's certainly a substantial number. And the
fact that Russians are pulling the forces outside of eastern Ukraine, that's most likely, most likely has been one of the -- one of the key
operational goals of the whole -- of this whole, you know, process what's happening right now in Kursk.
KINKADE: All right, we wish you all the best. Former Ukrainian Defense Minister and former adviser to the government of Ukraine, Andriy
Zagorodnyuk. Thanks so much for your time. Well, now to critical hours ahead for efforts to stave off a regional war in the Middle East.
International mediators are set to convene Gaza ceasefire talks in Doha tomorrow.
When asked about the prospects for a deal, U.S. President Joe Biden says it's getting hard, but he believes an agreement could convince Iran to hold
off a threatened retaliatory attack against Israel. Israel is sending a delegation to the talks that will include -- that will include the U.S,
Egypt and Qatar.
And a source says Hamas will not participate, but could talk to mediators afterwards if Israel delivers, quote, "a serious response" to a U.S.-backed
ceasefire plan already on the table. Well, let's get more now from CNN's Nic Robertson, who joins us live from Tel Aviv. Good to have you with us,
Nic.
So, take us through what Hamas is saying about these talks and the expectations around them.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, they're laying out very clear expectations from their side. They're saying that the
ceasefire framework that was laid out by President Biden at the beginning of May and had a lot of discussion in the following weeks, that should be
the basis for the talks, and that Israel, because they say they don't trust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, should not add on any additional points
to that, such as wanted to control the southern border of Gaza to Egypt, that's known as the Philadelphi Corridor or the Rafah Crossing, which is
the main crossing into -- between Gaza and Egypt.
That there should be the free movement of people back to the north of Gaza, that Israel should have no control or no right to veto, if you will, over
the Palestinian prisoners who will be released. These are all very contentious points. Some of them that Hamas feels Israel's added on.
So, what they're saying going into these talks is -- and I think it's kind of important to understand here, these were never talks where Hamas was
going to be in the same room as Israel. These have always been proximity talks and sequential as well, because first of all, it will be the Israeli
delegation, the head of Mossad, the head of internal Intelligence, Shin Bet, and the General who's in charge of Intelligence around the hostages.
They will be meeting with those interlocutors and the U.S. officials. And after that, previously, that's when the mediators would go to Hamas.
[14:15:00]
And what Hamas is saying at the moment is, we're open to meeting those mediators, but on those conditions we've set out. So, that does put a lot
of pressure on Israel because they get to engage in these talks first. And that's been the crux of this all along since the United States has worked
hard to get the diplomacy going, to avoid an Iranian retaliation that could escalate the region.
It's been predicated on the idea, at least, that's the understanding in the region that the U.S. would exert enough pressure on the -- on the Israeli
Prime Minister to allow his delegation to find perhaps a softer landing spot for the Gaza talks. And I think at the moment, that question is
absolutely up in the air, and that's what everyone will be watching for out of those talks that will determine Hamas' response.
KINKADE: Yes, I mean, and that really is key, right? The U.S. really wants to bring a sense of calm to the region, to de-escalate the situation it
has, of course, deployed an envoy to Lebanon to again push on that diplomatic front. How could a potential ceasefire deal bring down the
temperature in the region?
ROBERTSON: Yes, Amos Hochstein was in Beirut today, another press conference, he stressed that point that the ceasefire talks in Gaza
absolutely linked to the tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. Now, Hezbollah wants and have said it will retaliate for the killing of their
military commander two weeks ago, same as the arranges -- Iranians have said that they will -- that they will retaliate and respond for the killing
of Ismail Haniyeh; Hamas' top political figure who was in Tehran when he was assassinated.
So, in terms of these pieces to the puzzle, both Iran and Hezbollah have said that their military actions all along have been based on supporting
the Palestinians. So, the premise is, get a deal or advance a ceasefire and a hostage release in Gaza. So, Palestinians stopped being killed in Gaza,
then that can deflate, de-escalate the tensions that Israel currently has with Hezbollah.
That is an utter over-simplification, I absolutely admit to that, because the tensions there are deeper. Israel's evacuated almost a 100,000 people
from its northern -- from its northern border. They haven't been able to get it back to their homes for almost a year. They want Hezbollah to
retreat back deeper into Lebanon and away from the border.
And that hasn't happened. But the sense is, the principle of all of this is, if you solve Gaza, then that very thorny issue on Israel's border
becomes slightly easier to solve, not because the mechanics are easier, but because the temperature behind the debate and the hostility and the
tensions in the region are slightly lessened.
KINKADE: A lot weighing on these talks tomorrow. Good to have you as always, thanks so much for your analysis Nic Robertson. Well, as Nic was
just pointing out, a ceasefire can't come a moment too soon, especially for the families of hostages in Gaza, and of course, the millions of
Palestinians who live with the constant fear of death.
The war has taken a huge toll on Gaza's civilian population. The U.N. warned months ago that Gaza is becoming a graveyard for children, according
to the Palestinian Ministry of Relief Affairs, more than 16,000 children have been killed since the war began. Our Jeremy Diamond brings us a heart-
wrenching story of two tiny babies who died just days after their lives began.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): How do you console a man whose whole world has been shattered. A man who hours earlier was locked in
the warm embrace of his wife and newborn babies. But now cries out in agony, begging to see them one last time. His new horrific reality is too
much to bear.
His wife and twin babies are dead, killed in an Israeli strike on their apartment in central Gaza according to hospital officials. Asir(ph) and her
brother Asa(ph) were just three days old. The Palestinian Ministry of Health says they are among 115 infants born and killed during the war in
Gaza.
Hours earlier, their mother, Jomana(ph), a pharmacist, was blissfully responding to congratulations and well wishes on Facebook. "I feel like it
was a miracle (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) sister, everything is going well". Jomana(ph), Asir(ph) and Asa(ph) now lie here in a room consumed
with Mohammed's(ph) inconsolable grief.
[14:20:00]
"These are the birth certificates", he says, "while I was getting them, I received a phone call telling me our apartment was targeted, and that my
wife and children were at Al-Aqsa Hospital." Neighbors are still sifting through the aftermath of that strike. Hospital officials say an Israeli
shell hit the building.
The Israeli military did not respond to CNN's request for comments. The victims for several other strikes in central Gaza also pour into Al-Aqsa
Martyr's Hospital where more parents grieve the deaths of their children. "How can I live after you, my son?" This mother cries. Amid the grief,
there is also anger and exasperation including from the dead man's father.
"The entire unjust world does not care about this, that's all I can say", Hassan says. "Just numbers, we are just numbers, but for God, we are
martyrs." One-by-one, their bodies are brought out of the morgues so the living can pray for the dead, including 9-month-old Jamal(ph) and his
father, Huddai(ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
DIAMOND: Mohammed(ph) is performing the same rituals for his wife and twin babies, but prayers offer little comfort for a man who has lost everything,
for a new father with no children to raise. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Haifa, Israel.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: And after this report first aired, Israel's military told CNN that it is quote, "not currently aware of the details surrounding that
strike that killed the twins and their mother. It says it targets only military objectives. Well, still to come tonight, Ernesto is now a Category
One hurricane as it moves past Puerto Rico. We are tracking the storm's path.
Plus, high prices topped the list of concerns for American voters ahead of the full presidential election. But there are signs today that inflation in
the U.S. is cooling.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. Ernesto has now strengthened down, it's become a Category One hurricane as wind speeds of about 75 miles per hour, and it's
just northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico. And even though Ernesto do not directly hit the island, it did cause power outages to nearly 700,000
customers across Puerto Rico and nearly all the U.S. Virgin Islands are now without power.
Multiple flash flood warnings are in effect in the region, and Ernesto's current track, it should threaten Bermuda by the weekend.
[14:25:00]
Well, joining us now from the CNN Weather Center is meteorologist Chad Myers. Good to see you, Chad. So, it's great that this storm kind of stood
at around Puerto Rico, but it is headed for the Bermuda. What is expected when it makes impact?
CHAD MYERS, METEOROLOGIST: Well, I mean, in its path, it does become a Category three hurricane. Maybe when it gets as close to Puerto Rico as it
is going to get, possibly still 110-mile per hour Category two, but that threshold is 111. So, is it close enough? Sure. A lot of wind especially in
the Virgin Islands through Saint Martin, also into Culebra, into Biacas(ph).
Wind speeds there were in the middle 80s miles per hour, and yes, it is still blowing and getting stronger. The bigger threat, and I know the wind
brought down a lot of power lines, and there's so many people, hundreds of thousands without power. And even people without water because they're
unable to actually keep the sanitary -- sanitation systems going there.
But look how much rainfall and how long it has been raining over Puerto Rico? Yes, very heavy, 6 to 8 inches up to 10 inches. When if you put that
into perspective, I mean, you're talking about, you know, well, 300 millimeters of rainfall in some spots here, and so flash flood warnings
obviously are in effect.
Where does it go from here? Because eventually, today, it will stop raining in Puerto Rico, but right under that too, is the word Bermuda. And yes,
that's where we think it's going. Does it get stronger? Possibly. The water is 1 to 2 degrees warmer than it should be this time of year. And yes, if
you look under that M right there, there is the island, and this is the IBM model showing you where it thinks it will be by Friday and into Saturday.
Earlier today, it looked like the European model was trying to push the storm eventually -- now this long way away, I mean, hours and hours,
hundreds of hours away toward aimed towards Nova Scotia. But now, it's looking maybe just like skirting New Finland. We'll have to watch because
it's not out of the question that this remains a hurricane and could affect Atlantic Canada, maybe New Finland a little bit.
We'll have to see, all the models are really off into the ocean much farther. But what we're going to see in the U.S. along the U.S. East Coast,
probably 10 to 15 foot waves, and those will be very dangerous for beachgoers this weekend.
KINKADE: All right, we will check in with you in the coming days for an update. Chad Myers --
MYERS: Yes --
KINKADE: Thanks very much. Well, still to come tonight, Donald Trump hits the campaign trail with his economic message to voters. Why some of his
allies are pleading with him to stay focused on policy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Hello. Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
Well, inflation in the U.S. is now at its lowest level in more than three years. The Consumer Price Index, a key indicator of the American economy
rose 2.9 percent last month, the first time it's been below 3 percent since March of 2021. That keeps the door open for a possible interest rate cut by
the Federal Reserve when it meets next month.
Well, the U.S. economy is the focus of both the Republican and the Democratic presidential campaigns this week. And in the coming hours,
Donald Trump will be in North Carolina to give a speech on his economic plan. And then, on Friday in North Carolina, Vice President Kamala Harris
will roll out her proposal for the economy. Her campaign is spotlighting the fresh numbers on inflation, saying the economy is strong and wanting
that Trump's agenda will drive it into a recession.
And right now, Republican VP nominee J. D. Vance is in the critical swing State of Michigan where he is expected to discuss economic issues.
Well, let's break things down with CNN Senior Data Reporter Harry Enten, who joins us from New York. Good to see you, Harry. So, it's interesting
that despite very little information or detail on Kamala Harris' economic policy, that a poll suggests that most Americans would trust her with the
economy more than Trump.
HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: This, to me, is one of the more interesting poll findings that we have had during this entire campaign.
All right. So, let's take a look. We're going to look at the national picture here. Trust more on economic issues. And I want you to note the
trend line here because the trend line is so important. In July, what did we see in this University of Michigan poll? You saw a 41 percent of
Americans said they trusted more -- trusted Donald Trump more on economic issues than Joe Biden at 35 percent down here.
Now, let's jump ahead to this side of the screen and let's take a look at August. That Republican advantage that Donald Trump had, adios amigos,
goodbye, see you later. Look here, Kamala Harris, 42 percent more trust in the economy, Donald Trump at 41 percent. Look, that's no clear leader,
that's within the margin of error.
But the bottom line is, at least according to this one particular poll, this advantage that Donald Trump has had on the economy nationally, his top
issue, along with immigration, that advantage has gone. See you later.
KINKADE: Wow. It's just incredible. So, how is it looking in the battleground states in the Great Lakes right now?
ENTEN: Yes. You know, if you know anything about American politics, it's the race to 270 electoral votes. A popular vote winner nationally means
absolutely nothing. Just ask Al Gore or Hillary Clinton back in 2016.
So, let's take a look at these key Great Lakes battleground states. The states that we've been talking about so often, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and
Wisconsin. And I want you to take a look here. Trusted more on the economy. Now, you can see that Donald Trump still holds an advantage in August. But
it's a six-point lead, right? 52 percent to 46 percent. Look at where we were back in May. Again, it's the trend line that is so important here.
Back in May, Donald Trump held a 14-point advantage on the economy over Joe Biden. And so, what we're seeing both in the national numbers as well as in
the swing states on the economy, in fact, on pretty much every single issue, where Donald Trump was prior to Kamala Harris getting into the race
when the likely Democratic nominee, the presumptive Democratic nominee was going to be Joe Biden, Donald Trump is flailing. His advantages are
receding. The issues in which Democrats lead becoming wider. And you see it right here.
Because the fact is, if Donald Trump is up only six points on this issue that has been such a key issue for him, that is likely not going to be good
enough if he wants to win. Of course, in these pivotal battleground states which probably will decide this election.
KINKADE: And November, of course, is rapidly approaching.
ENTEN: Yes.
KINKADE: So, how much are these economic issues and policy going to impact this election down the stretch?
[14:35:00]
ENTEN: All right. So, let's go back in. We're going to look at Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. But I'm going to zoom in on undecided voters,
because this election is so close. All right. So, the top issue for your presidential vote among undecided voters. Well, not much of a surprise. The
economy inflation is number one. Look at that, 21 percent who say that is their top issue in terms of determining their vote. And this is, again,
among the undecided voter, that critical small block of voters.
And look how much higher that is than abortion, which is the number two issue. That comes in at only 7 percent. So, the economy inflation, three
times as important to voters as the number two issue. If you can tell me what the economic numbers are going to look like on election day, that is
who is going to be more trusted according to the voters, I can tell you who is going to win that election. Of course, I'm not Nostradamus, so I can't
tell you how those numbers are going to look on election day, but I can tell you that's where we want to look.
KINKADE: We do love your prediction. Harry Enten, good to have you with us, crunching the numbers as always. Thanks so much.
ENTEN: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, the state of the U.S. economy is, as we were just discussing, top of mind for American voters. So, the candidate that can
deliver the clearest economic message could capture the White House. CNN Politics Senior Reporter Stephen Collinson joins us for more on that.
And interesting, Stephen, you've just written an article on cnn.com saying that the candidate who could coin an effective economic message can win the
election. Of course, we're going to hear more from both candidates later today and in the coming days on their economic policies. What will you be
listening for?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: I think when the vice president speaks on Friday, it's going to be very interesting to see how
her message differs from that of President Joe Biden. She, after all, has been in the administration for four years. She is complicit, as the
Republicans would say, in all of the decisions that took place on the economy.
I think there's a few clues in what she's been saying. She seems to be talking more about high prices, which have been haunting Americans,
especially in the grocery stores ever since the pandemic, more so than the more longer-term factors that Biden has been very interested in, for
example, boosting manufacturing, trying to transform the economies of those Midwestern states, which are important issues, but they tend to take a
longer time to deliver. So, that's the vice president.
As far as Trump is concerned, I think the thing we're looking for is to see whether he can stick to his script. He's been flailing ever since Harris
came into the race. And a lot of conservatives and Republican strategists are very frustrated with him and want him to narrow down on that issue of
the economy that Harry was saying is going to be decisive in November.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. I think we've got some sound from Nikki Haley, who certainly said, focus on the message, forget about A.I., forget about crowd
sizes. I just want to play some of her sound.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIKKI HALEY, FORMER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And the one thing Republicans have to stop doing, quit whining about her. We knew it was
going to be her. But the campaign is not going to win talking about crowd sizes, about what race Kamala Harris is. It's not going to win talking
about whether she's dumb. It's not. You can't win on those things. The American people are smart. Treat them like they're smart.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: So, if Trump does stick to the economic policies and message, there are still concerns about that. We saw just early this summer, a 16
Nobel prize winning economist penning a letter saying that Trump's policies could potentially fuel inflation. They all -- and he's also warned about a
potential great looming depression. How could those claims in his policies backfire?
COLLINSON: In a close election as this is probably going to be, anything can really change the tone of what is going to happen. It only takes 10,000
or 20,000 votes, say, in Wisconsin to shift that state from one side to the other. We've seen that in the last two elections.
So, if there is concern about Donald Trump's economic policies, I think that will have an impact. The one thing I would add to that however, is
that lots of Americans appear to be quite nostalgic for the pre-pandemic economic conditions of Trump's term. Prices in the grocery store were much
lower, and that's what a lot of people remember.
So, I'm not sure that a lot of voters are going to start getting into the nitty gritty of whether his policies would cause inflation because he's
going to slap big tariffs on Chinese goods. A lot of people would perhaps like to see him getting tougher on China. So, that may be the way they
process that question. But as I said, this is going to be a very close election. Any one issue could be decisive.
KINKADE: And just quickly, months ago we were talking about how little interest there was in the upcoming election when it was Trump v. Biden.
That is very different now, according to a poll with Harris at the top of the ticket.
COLLINSON: Yes. There are actually several polls out today which show that Democrats are increasingly enthusiastic about this election, and that shows
us how Harris has transformed this race since getting in three weeks ago. She's on a real surge right now. That's important because you have to get
voters to the polls in a lot of these swing states where, as I said, a few thousand votes can make a difference.
[14:40:00]
Under the Biden ticket, Democrats weren't very enthusiastic. Many of them thought they were going to lose. And there were real questions about
whether Biden could, first of all, assemble the same Democratic coalition that he did in 2020 when he won the election and whether a lot of those
Democrats or softer voters or independents even would get out to vote for him. That's been transformed under Harris. And that is a very good trend
for Democrats.
The problem though, however, is she probably has to win by 2 or 3 percentage points in the national vote to win in the U.S. electoral college
system and become president. So, although she's rising in the polls, there's a long way to go here for her.
KINKADE: Yes, it certainly is. Quite a few months. We will chat again soon. Stephen Collinson, good to have you with us. Thanks.
COLLINSON: Cheers.
KINKADE: Well, people are changing the way they think about alcohol, moving from binge drinking to moderation to none at all. Younger Americans
in particular, those under 35, are the ones leading their way on this healthier habit. A new poll finding that young people are more likely to
think that throwing back a couple of drinks is bad for you. More than half of those polled said adults should reduce how much they drink, and 22
percent said they should stop drinking entirely.
Well, joining us now is CNN's Meg Tirrell. Good to have you with us. So, this certainly sparked a lot of conversation on our morning meeting today,
especially considering that younger people on the call said they rarely drink at all. What does this data show?
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so Gallup has been doing this survey on alcohol consumption going back to 2001 and across the board,
across all age groups, 45 percent of respondents in this survey said that they believe that drinking one to two drinks per day is unhealthy. That is
the highest number since they started doing this poll in 2001. It's up six points since last year and up 17 points since just 2018.
And as you pointed out, that really is being driven by younger adults. 65 percent of adults in the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 34 say that
alcohol negatively affects health, compared with just more than a third of people over the age of 35. And in terms of drinking behaviors, you can see
that younger people, although, they do still report drinking in fairly high numbers, under the age of 34 down to 18, 59 percent report drinking
alcohol, but they are declining the fastest. Whereas, people over 55 or just about at that level, people 35 to 54 report the highest levels of
drinking, 69 percent of folks in that age group say that they have occasion to drink alcohol. So, these are really changing on a generational basis.
KINKADE: All right. Meg Tirrell, good to have you with us. Interesting study. Thanks so much.
Well, still to come tonight, Greek officials now warning against complacency as they bring a wildfire near Athens under control. We'll have
a live report next.
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KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Greek firefighters are now working to tame the remnants of a deadly wildfire near Athens. Conditions
have improved since flames broke out over the weekend, but flare ups do remain a threat, and officials are warning against complacency. Now, the
blaze led to the evacuation of thousands of people, at least one person was killed. And some residents have returned to see their damaged properties,
hoping to find any belongings to salvage.
I want to bring in CNN's Eleni Giokos, who joins us from just outside Athens. Good to have you there for us, Eleni. So, after a brief lull the
last two days, the fire danger threat level is set to increase again Thursday.
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, it is. And that is because -- I mean, and you can see, and I just want you to notice there's no wind right
now. And the hope is it will remain this way. However, tomorrow it is expected to pick up. And if it does, that is where the threat comes in. The
heat coupled with any kind of winds will, of course, cause major risk factors playing out.
But what we saw today was really interesting. We went to ground zero where the fire started in Granada (ph). And this was just incredible to see.
Firstly, a small hill where the fire began and then spread 50 kilometers long. We saw a plethora of planes, of aircraft, as well as helicopters
dropping water on this region.
And the reason they're doing this is, firstly, when the fire goes out, it still remains burning. And we were talking about major forest area that
will burn probably not only for weeks, but probably as well for months. And you see these plumes of smoke and that's where the risk sort of comes in.
You've got heat and you've got a lot of wind coming in tomorrow.
We spoke to the fire departments a little earlier and they said that they aren't high alert, but they believe that the effort that they've put in the
past few days is enough to mitigate any further risk and spread. The other thing I have to mention is where we are right now is Penteli, where we were
this morning, ground zero, it took us about an hour and a half to drive to where we are, and we just saw so much land that was burnt and forest areas
as well as homes. So, it gives you a sense of just the scale of this.
Authorities say 100,000 acres of land has been destroyed. We've seen so many homes that have been completely engulfed by flames. We spoke to many
residents. In fact, today, we spoke to one sculptor whose workshop was completely decimated. The pain that comes with that. To having to rebuild
their homes as well as rebuild their livelihoods is something they're thinking about right now, Lynda. And that is the scary reality, because
once the fires go out, then you've got the residents and the victims dealing with the reality. And of course, it will take years for the forest
area to grow back.
KINKADE: Yes, years for the forest area to grow back, but also years, potentially, for some people to rebuild their homes. What's been the
reaction there from people with regards to the response from authorities to these fires?
GIOKOS: Yes. So, there's been a lot of criticism because there's a belief that when the fire began at noon on Sunday, that more could have been done
not only by people on the ground, firefighting teams, but also by -- authorities say that they did what they could, but they were fighting gale
force winds and it was almost impossible.
Some of the people we spoke to say it was -- it happened so quickly that was what's so shocking about it. And it moved into suburbs very close to
the Athens city center. We're around 11 miles away. So, that gives you a sense of the proximity.
But what I also did today, I went to an area that we covered last year. It's called Bagmifa (ph). It's sort of the lands (ph) of Athens, which is a
very beautiful forest area. I wanted to see what the forest would look like a year after fires. And I actually couldn't tell the difference between
some of the forests that we saw in the last few days in the live active fire areas versus a forest that was burned one year ago, and that is the
scary reality of how long it's actually going to take for land to be recovered and for forest to be recovered. But also, we also saw homes that
were burned one year ago that have not been rebuilt. So, I think this is something that has a long-term effect, Lynda, and that's, I think, what
makes it so worrying.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. And heartbreaking for those victims. Eleni Giokos, good to have you with us. Thanks so much.
[14:50:00]
Well, still to come tonight, a week-long mission has turned into months in space. What NASA says about when the Starliner astronauts could finally
come home.
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KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. NASA has just finished a briefing on when astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, may be
finally able to leave the International Space Station. And officials say a decision on what to do is still more than a week ago.
The duo has been stranded on the ISS due to safety issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft. The astronauts were only expected to be on the
International Space Station for eight days after their test flight. They've now been there for 70 days so far. NASA has warned it's possible the two
stranded astronauts could be on the station until next year.
Well, joining us for more as CNN's Kristin Fisher. So, Kristin, you were in this briefing, firing questions at NASA. These astronauts, of course, were
meant to be going for eight days. They could be up in space for eight months. What did you ask? And what NASA tell you?
KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, as one of the questions that I think is on everybody's minds, which is when is NASA going
to finally be able to make this decision about whether or not Butch and Suni, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the two NASA astronauts that are up
in space, stranded, stuck, whatever words you want to use, when is NASA going to be able to make this decision about whether or not they can come
home on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft that they flew to the International Space Station on? And what Ken Bowersox, who is NASA's associate
administrator, told me was, he said that end of August is really their drop-dead decision point.
Specifically, he said, we're reaching a point where that last week in August, we really should be making a call, if not sooner. And so, that's
significant because, originally, NASA had said they were hoping to make that decision by mid-August. During this press conference today, Lynda,
they pushed that back, obviously now, to the end of August.
And when I asked, you know, why -- what are the various reasons why you have this deadline at the end of August, the reason given was consumables.
So, things like food, water, perhaps oxygen but also various ports on the International Space Station. They need to free up the ports that various
spacecrafts can dock to for those resupply missions and for other astronauts and other missions to get up there.
[14:55:00]
So, no definitive return date yet. No sense for which vehicle these astronauts are going to fly back on, Starliner or the contingency plan, a
SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. The big headline from this press conference today, Lynda, was that we're going to have to wait until the end of next
week or at the beginning of the following week.
KINKADE: And just quickly, NASA was asked about what is an acceptable risk for a spaceflight mission. What did they say?
FISHER: So, that's actually something that's actively being debated. You have to base those kinds of questions based on the individual mission and
what they were saying in this briefing today is that, you know, all spaceflight is risky. No matter what you do, anytime you have a person in
space, it's risky. The question now that they are facing is given the fact that they have an alternative vehicle, the SpaceX Crew Dragon, that has a
safe track record of getting these astronauts back, do they just do that or do they take the risk with Starliner? Lynda.
KINKADE: All right. Kristin Fisher, we will stay tuned. Thanks so much.
FISHER: Thank you.
KINKADE: And thanks for your company today. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Stay with CNN, Newsroom with Jim Sciutto is next.
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