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One World with Zain Asher
First Harris-Walz Interview Since They Launched Campaign; U.S. Army Rebukes Trump Campaign Over Arlington Incident; IDF Says It Killed Five Militants In Gun Battle Around Mosque; 132 Killed By Floods As Sudan's Humanitarian Crisis Deepens; Why Black Market Weed Farms Persist In This California Suburb; Pavel Durov Under Formal Investigation In France; Democratic Voter Enthusiasm Soars Near Record Highs; Concerns Grow Over Potential Polio Outbreak In Gaza; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired August 29, 2024 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:39]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST: Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher. Bianna is off today. This is ONE WORLD.
In one of the biggest moments of her campaign, thus far, Kamala Harris is about to sit down for an interview with CNN's Dana Bash.
For weeks, critics have been calling for Harris to take in-depth questions from the media.
Also taking part in today's interview with CNN will be Harris' running mate, Tim Walz. It's taking place in Savannah, Georgia where Harris has had
-- has a rally planned rather this evening.
The opinion polls continue to find evidence of a Harris surge. A brand-new Fox News poll of voters in four key Sunbelt States gives Harris a small
lead in three states. Though all of those figures are of course within the margin of error. There is no clear leader here.
Let's dive right into the analysis of all of this. CNN politics senior reporter, Stephen Collinson, joins us live now.
Stephen, a lot of people are going to be watching for this moment with Harris and Walz sitting down for an interview with CNN's Dana Bash tonight.
Just in terms of what people are watching for. A lot of Republicans are saying this is a woman who hasn't been cross-examined yet. She hasn't been
tested by the media. It's not just about talking about what your policies are, but you also need to give concrete examples as to how you will
implement them. Walk us through what we can expect tonight.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes. The big task tonight for Kamala Harris is not to make any mistakes that do anything to quell the
momentum she's had coming out from her rollout of her campaign after she took over from former President Joe Biden, her convention and running into
the presidential debate on September the 10th.
Republicans have been goading her into doing this interview because they're going on the evidence of some interviews that she did early in her vice
presidential tenure in which she seemed unprepared.
One famous one was about immigration and why she hadn't visited the southern border at that point. So they think that she's not a politically
nimble athlete and that she can be tripped up on questions of policy, that she doesn't really know where she stands ideologically.
Having said that, she clearly is a far different political figure since she became the democratic nominee. I think there's a good possibility that she
could disappoint some of these Republican expectations, consider as well that she's in the middle of debate prep.
There's no chance that she comes into this interview where we expect her to get questions on some of the issues where she's changed her policy for more
liberal positions without being very prepared.
So I think this is a completely different animal, if you like, of an interview and a public appearance, but it still is a very high pressure one
for her campaign as all appearances are when you're running for president and there's only two months to go.
ASHER: All right. Stephen Collinson, we'll wait and see. We've got nine hours to go until the interview as on the network. Stephen Collinson,
appreciate it.
All right. That interview, I was just mentioning, will take place right here on CNN with Dana Bash, a little bit less than nine hours from now.
All right. Over the past 24 hours, former President Trump has taken to his social media platform, Truth Social, reposting memes and comments so
offensive that we will not -- we will not be detailing them on T.V.
The Trump campaign's senior advisor, Jason Miller, had this to say about the social media post.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON MILLER, TRUMP CAMPAIGN'S SENIOR ADVISOR: And I don't know if the president even saw the comment that was on there or simply the picture.
But I would say with regard to Kamala Harris, the attacks that have been levied by Kamala Harris is both the campaign, by Harris allies, against
President Trump, not just recently, but over the past year and a half, two years ever since he came down the escalator, quite frankly, in the case of
many leftist center people, have been quite horrific.
All of this though, Kasie, is a distraction to the real issues that are going on right now.
KASIE HUNT, CNN HOST: Do you think as terrific as what was reposted? I mean, I -- the -- I mean --
MILLER: Oh, hundred times worse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Later on Thursday, Trump is headed to the Midwest as he returns the campaign trail for the first time this week. He has rally in Michigan,
followed by a town hall this evening in Wisconsin. He's expected to focus on inflation and the economy at both events.
Meantime, his vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance, is stirring up more controversy with attacks on Harris.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[12:05:00]
SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Well, we're going to talk about a story out of those 13 brave innocent Americans who
lost their lives. It's that Kamala Harris is so asleep at the wheel that she won't even do an investigation into what happened. And she wants to
yell at Donald Trump because he showed up. She can -- she can go to hell.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The U.S. Army has issued a stark rebuke of the Trump campaign over the former president's visit to the Arlington National Cemetery on Monday.
It says an incident took place between campaign staff and a cemetery employee who was abruptly pushed out of the way by Trump staffers after
asking them to observe federal laws, which forbid political activities inside military cemeteries.
The employee has decided not to press charges according to the Army statement.
CNN's Oren Liebermann is at the Pentagon with these new developments. Oren, what more do you know?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Zain, this is a fairly remarkable statement from the Army because of its content. Part of it, and
we'll get to this in a moment, essentially stands up for the Army soldier that was a part of this incident.
But the beginning of it is quite a powerful rebuke of the Trump campaign and a former President Donald Trump's visit to Section 60, pointing out
that turning that into a campaign stop or a campaign event with partisan activities was a violation of federal law. And it's incredibly rare to see
the Army make a statement like this.
Now, the statement itself doesn't mention Trump by name or the campaign, but it's clear as it references the August 26 visit, as well as the
subsequent visit to Section 60. And that's exactly what former President Donald Trump did when he was at Arlington National Cemetery early this
week.
It goes on to say that before this visit took place, the campaign and all of the visitors were aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DOD
policies which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds.
An Arlington National Cemetery employee attempted to ensure adherence to these rules and, according to the statement, was pushed out of the way.
Instead of escalating the situation effectively, that employee then stepped aside, allowing this visit to continue.
The Army considers the matter closed because that employee decided not to press charges and that's where part of the story ends.
Now, we'll quote the relevant federal law. It falls under a section of law. I apologize. I don't have it in front of me at the moment, but it
explicitly bans and prohibits partisan political activities at Army military cemeteries of which, of course, Arlington is one.
Now, the Army statement goes a step further in backing up its own employee who has been attacked by Trump aides as a despicable individual and some of
whom have questioned whether this employee has mental health issues.
The Army statement says, this incident was unfortunate. And it's also unfortunate that the Arlington National Cemetery employee and her
professionalism has been unfairly attacked. Arlington National Cemetery is a national shrine to the honored dead of the armed forces. And its
dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nations fall and deserve.
Again, Zain, a fairly remarkable statement from the Army, given the events of what happened.
It had seemed over the past several days the Army wasn't going to weigh into this. But clearly, here the Army rebuking the Trump campaign for what
it sees as a partisan political activity in Section 60 on the hallowed ground of Arlington National Cemetery and then strongly standing up for the
-- for the soldier there that was involved in this.
ASHER: All right. Oren Liebermann live for us there. Thank you so much.
A Ukrainian defense source says a U.S. made F-16 fighter jet crashed on Monday. The source tells CNN, a top Ukrainian pilot was killed, saying that
he died in action repelling a major Russian aerial attack. The source says the crash is being investigated.
Israel says it killed five militants during a gun battle within near -- within a near a mosque as one of its largest incursions into the occupied
West Bank. It moves into a second day.
The IDF says an Islamic Jihad commander, behind multiple terror attacks, was among those killed. The Palestinian Ministry of Health says at least 15
people have died since Israel began its raid on Wednesday.
It troops backed by bulldozers, armored carriers and drones that are being used to target what Israel calls Islamic Iranian terrorist infrastructure.
The United Nations is among those sounding the alarm saying the dangerous developments are fueling an already explosive situation.
CNN's Nic Robertson joins us live now from Tel Aviv.
So, Nic, ever since October 7th last year in the past 10 months, we've seen a dramatic escalation in terms of the number and a sheer scale of the raids
being carried out by Israel in the West Bank.
Is this the new normal we're going to see in the West Bank until there is a ceasefire in Gaza?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It's beginning to feel that way, for sure. And certainly it feels that way for Palestinians in
Gaza -- in the West Bank, rather, who feel that they are being ossified (ph) if you will, that there's levels of security -- Israeli security
intrusions into their lives have been growing, the destruction for their lives have been growing, the number of airstrikes have been growing.
[12:10:22]
And the statistics that sort of inform that picture very much seem to back up that those perceptions that Palestinians are feeling.
According to the U.N., since October 7th, the Hamas' brutal attack, 622 Palestinians were killed until Sunday last weekend, 135 of them in
airstrikes, 49 total airstrikes.
Until October 7th, there had been barely any airstrikes inside the West Bank. So it is a new normal. Whether or not this level of incursion for
battalions of the border police, as well as IDF, many hundreds of military forces going in, backed by airstrikes again, whether or not this very
large-scale incursion becomes the new normal isn't clear.
But it's certainly at a high enough level to give pause and give concern for the U.N. representative for human rights. Their spokesperson saying
that Israel is obliged to, and by implication appears not to be by the terms that they reference, appears not to be adhering to international law.
This is what the spokesperson said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAVINA SHAMDASANI, U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS SPOKESPERSON: Israel, as the occupying power, must abide by its obligations under international law. The Israeli
security forces' use of airstrikes and other military weapons and tactics, violates human rights norms and standards.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: But the picture is becoming a little bit clearer of what's been happening inside of places like Jenin. Some of the areas that have been
torn up by those diggers inside the market area, that was what ruptured the communications.
And that's why the Red Cross, the Palestinian's Red Cross, couldn't communicate with their control center in Jenin for a while there. The
internet, the phone lines, the cellular service was down. Some of those things seem to be being restored.
The IDF says that all those 15 people, Palestinian health authorities said, have been killed, they say they were all terrorists, but very much that the
civilian population in the West Bank, in the northern part here, has really been caught up in this massive operation.
ASHER: Yes. And then we just got word from the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Israeli occupied West Bank, essentially saying that 16 people
have been killed since the start of the Israeli incursion. We do know that militants are included in that number as well.
Nic Robertson live for us there. Thank you so much.
I want to turn now to Sudan, where more than 130 people are thought to have died in floods after torrential rain caused a major dam to burst. But it's
yet another disaster in a country where civil war has raged for more than a year and food shortages are severe.
CNN's Paula Newton has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dozens dead as floods ravage an already crumbling Sudan.
MALEHASHIM MOHAMED, SUDANESE FARMER (through translator): We lost everything and we could barely rescue our families. The water washed away
our farms, vehicles, livestock and crops. It's the worst water flows I've seen in my life.
NEWTON (voice-over): Locals are bearing their neighbors as more than 100 people are found dead due to severe floods.
According to government officials, flash floods in the country caused a dam in Eastern Sudan to burst. It swept through villages, destroying more than
12,000 homes.
The U.N. says the death toll could still be higher. Many people are still missing under the rubble.
ABU ALI AHMED, ARBAAT RESIDENT: The situation is catastrophic, to be honest. We have children, families and elderly and others that need
continuous medication. And this is the fourth day. The water came onto them and destroyed all the villages. And we don't know the circumstances they
are going through now.
NEWTON (voice-over): The aftermath of these floods could be more fatal still in Sudan. A country already plagued by civil war.
A new independent report found that more than 20,000 people have been killed in Sudan since the start of a conflict in April 2023. The country is
suffering from a humanitarian crisis.
According to the U.N., more than half of the population faces acute hunger. The growing crisis affects the education of millions of children as well,
with schools in Sudan either destroyed or shut down.
ASRAR SABER ESSAM, DISPLACED STUDENT (through translator): I have lost my normal life and my dreams have been shattered. I aspire to become a doctor,
but with the school closed, I feel as though my future and the meaning of life have slipped away.
[12:15:04]
NEWTON (voice-over): The arrival of aid, complicated by a civil war that continues to ravage the country.
As peace talks in Switzerland, led by the U.S. and Egypt are ramping up, so too are diplomatic efforts to secure food and medicine.
For the first time in six months, humanitarian aid resumed in Sudan's famine-threatened Darfur region. The convoy of food is a short but much-
needed relief to the thousands of people at the brink of this tragedy.
Now in the eastern part of the country, thousands are reeling with the aftermath of floods. People are cut off from the capital, Port Sudan, and
many are searching for the bodies of their loved ones.
Paula Newton, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. The founder of the popular messaging app, Telegram, is out of a French jail.
After the break, we'll run down the accusations against him and why the Russian government is speaking out.
And later --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Family homes worth nearly a million dollars, the interior unrecognizable. Every
part of the home used to grow weed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: A CNN investigation goes inside illegal grow houses in upscale neighborhoods used to feed America's appetite for black market marijuana.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: We have a new CNN investigation to tell you about. Authorities across the U.S. say family homes in suburban neighborhoods are being used
to grow and fuel the black market marijuana industry.
It's creating a major problem for law enforcement, particularly in a state like California where the growers face little in criminal penalties.
CNN's Kyung Lah has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAH (voice-over): This upscale California suburb is a glimpse into an underground world where authorities say a Chinese crime ring feeds
America's black market.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police (INAUDIBLE)
LAH (voice-over): Doors and windows heavily fortified at three different homes on the same block in this bedroom community of San Francisco.
When officers finally break through, inside, it's a massive marijuana farm. These are family homes worth nearly $1 million, the interior,
unrecognizable. Every part of the home used to grow weed.
[12:20:05]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is probably a nursery is my guess. Just based off of the way it's set up.
LAH (voice-over): Windows boarded up to control the light, a massive ventilation system running full blast, intricate electrical setups to power
lights and fans, a generator in the laundry room.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Somebody hold that up here.
LAH (voice-over): Mold can be seen growing on walls, and ceilings runoff into makeshift drains. And room after room after room filled with
marijuana.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Couldn't even tell this as a master bedroom.
KEVIN MCINERNEY, COMMANDER, CA DEPARTMENT OF CANNABIS CONTROL'S LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION: It's easy to disguise out here. If you're not growing
outside, you're growing indoors.
And as long as the house looks nice and the yard is taken care of, nobody is going to question what's going on inside.
LAH (voice-over): Investigators say this bust snagged more than $1 million worth of illegal weed, cultivated by unlicensed growers, using chemicals
without regard for safety that end up in the plants.
Despite the growth of the legalized marijuana industry, most pot is still sold on the illegal black market.
California produces about 40 percent of the nation's weed. Much of what's grown here will be shipped across the country and sold far cheaper than
legal weed.
LAH: How many houses have you hit in Antioch?
BILL JONES, CHIEF, CA DEPARTMENT OF CANNABIS CONTROL'S LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION: About 50.
LAH: How many more might exist in Antioch?
JONES: Somewhere between one to 200 houses.
LAH (voice-over): Up to 200 that they think they know of. Law enforcement says this criminal enterprise can operate in California more easily than
anywhere else in the country because California law says illegally growing weed is just a misdemeanor in most cases.
MCINERNEY: It's relatively low risk, huge reward.
LAH: This, whether you have one plant or a truck full of plants, what is the penalty in California?
MCINERNEY: It's a misdemeanor in California.
LAH (voice-over): And that offers an opportunity, says law enforcement, for organized crime.
Inside these suburban grow houses, on walls and doors, instructions in Chinese.
LAH: CNN reviewed Antioch search warrants, as well as online property records, and found that in nearly every grow house busted in Antioch,
almost all of them go back to a Chinese owner or occupant.
JONES: It's related to Chinese criminal syndicate that's dominant.
LAH: Why would the Chinese cartel care about marijuana?
JONES: Because it's so lucrative. It is a very profitable crop.
LAH (voice-over): And it's not just in California.
CHRISTOPHER WRAY, FBI DIRECTOR: We are starting to see as we unpack this more, more ties between a lot of these growing operations and Chinese
organized crime.
LAH (voice-over): Twenty-two states have illegal grow operation, says Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Intelligence Committee, including
her state of Maine.
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS, (R-ME): Why are Chinese, transnational criminal groups, here in the United States, buying up these homes and growing illegal
marijuana in them?
It's difficult for me to believe that there isn't some sort of plot involved.
LAH: How much of this bleeds into a national security issue?
COLLINS: I believe it does pose a serious national security threat, as well as a public health risk.
LAH (voice-over): Back in California, we learn there's even more financial incentive for illegal growers.
LAH: It's been about two months since the grow houses were busted. We've learned that one of the houses is going back on the market and today is the
open house.
LAH (voice-over): A manicured home with the "for sale" sign listed for just under $1 million, flipped since that day we watched law enforcement swarm
in.
LAH: Hello?
SUSANNA HUANG, REAL-ESTATE AGENT: Hello.
LAH: Hi. Are you Susanna Huang?
HUANG: Yeah.
LAH (voice-over): Susanna Huang is a real estate agent listing this open house and the agent who sold three other suspected grow houses in this
area. She owns one of those homes where authorities found more than $900,000 of marijuana last year.
Her attorney tells CNN, the house she owns was busted by the state, but it was being rented at the time, and she was not involved in any illegal
activity.
LAH: My name is Kyung Lah and I'm a correspondent with CNN. We are recording here. I just wanted to talk --
HUANG: No. I'm not feeling comfortable.
LAH (voice-over): Huang did not want to speak on camera, but she did invite us to come inside this home she's listed, to record video on our cell phone
and take a look at this immaculately cleaned up space.
The dramatic make-over seen in the master bathroom, before and after. The house is listed for $200,000 more than the owner paid for it.
BILL TILLSON, RESIDENT OF ANTIOCH, CALIFORNIA: Now, they're going to make money off the houses as well as they resell.
LAH (voice-over): Bill Tillson lives on this block.
TILLSON: What's deterring them from setting up shop someplace else? They got to recover their equipment, so now they just pick another location and
do the same thing. Oh, bummer, we've got a misdemeanor and then they'll do the same thing and on and on and on. So it's, you know, whac-a-mole.
[12:25:11]
LAH: One of the houses we saw raided that day is owned by an Oakland police officer, Samson Liu.
Cannabis control tell us that what they found inside the house was 80 pounds of illicit marijuana trimmings. And they were stuffed in garbage
bags. The home had been extensively modified for cultivation and it also have been fortified from the inside.
Cannabis Control adds that is doesn't know whether Liu was living in the home at the time or had it been rented out to tenants, citing an ongoing
investigation.
We reached out to Oakland Police Department who says that since the raid, Samson Liu has been placed on administrative leave. They are cooperating
with outside law enforcement and treating this as a personal matter.
We did try to reach Officer Liu, both in person, over the phone, as well as an e-mail, we did not hear back.
Kyung Lah, CNN, Minneapolis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. Russia says it wants the case of Pavel Durov to not turn into a political persecution.
The CEO of Telegram was released from a Paris jail Wednesday morning. Authorities there have launched a formal investigation for a criminal
activity on the platform, including illegal gang transactions and refusing to talk with authorities.
The Russian-born billionaire has to check in with French police twice a week and cannot leave the country.
The Kremlin spokesperson says that Russia will help Durov as it would any Russian citizen.
Let's get some more perspective on the Durov situation. We're joined live now by Genevieve Helleringer, a French law and business law professor at
Oxford University.
Genevieve, thank you so much for being with us.
How common or how rare is it to have a CEO held criminally liable for corporate misdeeds?
GENEVIEVE HELLERINGER, LAW PROFESSOR, OXFORD UNIVERSITY: So good afternoon. Thank you for having me.
So in a French law, it's -- you know, this is a situation that actually happens more often than one thing. And when I teach my student at a
business school in Paris, where I teach as well, you know, when -- and, you know, teach them about French law, I tell them, you know, it's more likely
than not that you will find yourself at one point or another facing a judge and having to, you know, to defend yourself in a criminal proceeding.
So the reason for this is that French law allows for CEOs to be held criminally liable when it comes to their role in particular in overseeing
the company's operations and ensuring that they're -- that they comply with the legal obligations.
And so the -- yes, so this is -- this is a reason why CEOs can be directly apprehended even if they haven't themselves presumably committed their
misdeeds.
ASHER: Yes. And that's what's interesting because, oftentimes, you have seen CEOs held accountable for what they've done, like Sam Bankman-Fried,
for example, but you don't really see CEOs held accountable for what they have failed to do, which I also think is quite interesting here.
HELLERINGER: Yes. You know, from -- it's an interesting distinction, but from a legal standpoint, failing to oversee the operations of the company,
which is, you know, one of the duties of the -- of the -- of the CEO is the equivalent of doing an act of -- and they're -- you know, and they're
overseeing, you know, doing, you know, sort of -- and doing -- and doing actually are not that not the different in that --
ASHER: From the legal perspective, right? Right.
HELLERINGER: Yes.
ASHER: From the legal -- I understand what you're saying. So --
HELLERINGER: What they do is that they failed to do what they were supposed, you know, where they were expected -- where they were expected,
expected to do.
And actually -- and this would be true, you know, sort of just sort of to be clear, you know, and this concept applies in French law, you know, in --
and, you know, European countries in, you know, more generally, which are governed by civil law, but it would also apply in the U.S. -- in the U.S.
context, you know, sort of the idea of, you know, this idea that the E.U. is to supervise operations is, you know, is key in U.S. law.
ASHER: So we know that law enforcement have -- you know, have been monitoring Telegram and its activities for quite some time.
What can you tell us about the timing of this particular arrest? Does the timing make sense? Why wait until now, you know, to arrest him?
HELLERINGER: Yes. Yes. So this is -- so the timing, yes, absolutely right is telling. So at -- the, you know, the European context is that in earlier
this year, in February 2024, the Digital Service Act was adopted.
[12:30:20]
So it's -- the purpose of this act is to make the digital space safer. And platforms are, of course, you know, very much at the center of this -- of
this new -- of this new act.
The platforms that are -- that are actually most in the scope and have the stronger duties are though that are called very large, you know, sort of
very significant platforms, those who have more than 45 million users a month in the -- in the E.U.
So Telegram itself discloses only 41 million users a month, but the commission, the European Commission seems to be doubtful about these
figures and is actually currently sort of inquiring into this and checking what is the -- what is the, you know, exact number, how come it's just
under the threshold. But even with 41 million, there are, you know, new duties that are sort of weighing on Telegram.
In the French context, the Digital Act, of course, applies as well. And in addition, there is also a French law that has been adopted, which is
entitled the law for the confidence in digital economy, and which as comes also with all sorts of requirements.
And Telegram is said not to always abide by them. So in particular, platforms, in this context, are required to answer inquiries from
authorities and to transfer, you know, public documents.
ASHER: All right. Professor Genevieve Helleringer, thank you so much for joining us and from your perspective there. We appreciate it.
All right. Still to come, who is more excited about this election, Democrats or Republicans? The conversation about what voters are thinking
in the swing states, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:35:58]
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to ONE WORLD. I am Zain Asher.
America is a polarized nation with most voters firmly in one camp or the other. That's why turnout and voter enthusiasm will be so important to
electing the next president.
And a new study released by the Gallup polling service finds democratic enthusiasm has soared since Kamala Harris entered the race. Almost 80
percent of Democrats now say they are more enthusiastic than usual about voting this year.
It's the highest level of democratic voter enthusiasm since 2008 when Barack Obama first ran for president.
Meantime, a Fox News poll for four Sun Belt swing states finds the race too close to call. Voter -- voters prefer Donald Trump on issues like the
economy and immigration, while Harris has a big lead when it comes to abortion and healthcare.
Time now for The Exchange.
Joining me live now are a pair of journalists who can talk about what voters are thinking in some of those swing states.
Lisa Rayam is a longtime Atlanta, Georgia journalist and a local radio host as well. We've also got Lawrence Andrea, the Washington correspondent for
the leading newspaper in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Lisa, let me start with you because what we saw in 2020 is that President Biden won Georgia by the narrowest of margins. The last times Democrats
though won Georgia was way back in the early '90s.
What's different this time?
LISA RAYAM, HOST, NPR'S MORNING EDITION ON WABE 90.1: Well, what's different this time is outreach and that's what Vice President Harris and
Tim Walz are focusing on this round in Savannah.
This is Vice President Harris's second time in Savannah in the -- in the last year or so. And I'm telling you, the mode of operation they're taking
is very key.
Savannah, while it leans democratic, Savannah proper, you have all these outskirts of Savannah that are red and almost purple in some places.
So the goal is there to lessen the gap. You know, every ounce, every vote counts or whatever they can do.
So that's what they're doing. They're hitting these rural areas, specifically in South Georgia, trying to tip the scale a little bit in
their favor.
ASHER: Yes. It's an interesting -- and it's very -- it's very bold play by the Harris campaign.
Lawrence, let me bring you in because Trump's focus is obviously recapturing some of the states that he lost in 2020, but won in 2016.
How much is J.D. Vanceing (ph) J.D. Vance. J.D. Vanceing. J.D. Vance helping? Is J.D. Vance helping? Because obviously he's from the Midwest.
Is he helping as much as Trump would have hoped he would?
LAWRENCE ANDREA, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL: Well, you mentioned the polling and bottom line is Wisconsin's a 50/50
state where these elections are frequently decided by no more than a percentage point.
We've seen Trump deploy Vance across Wisconsin each of the past four weeks. He's been all over the state in the western part. Last night -- last night,
he was in northeastern Wisconsin.
So they are doing these targeted events across the state. Sort of smaller press conference style events where Vance is focused on speaking with local
media and getting the word out that way.
And, you know, Republicans held the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month. So we are seeing an intensity from both campaigns on
Wisconsin, but also Trump has been deploying Vance there quite frequently.
ASHER: And, Lisa, just back to you. I mean, obviously, you know, this election has made headlines for a number of reasons. It's making history as
well, partly because you have a black woman at the top of a major party ticket.
And the fact that she's campaigning in Georgia, Georgia, I used to live there, has a very, very robust, energetic, vibrant black population. How
far will that go? I mean, what will that mean if anything when it comes to, A, voter turnout and whether or not she can make the state go blue again,
as it did in 2020?
[12:40:12]
RAYAM: Well, you recall the state was on fire when Obama was running for president, the Democrat base in particular.
And you will talk to a lot of people who say they feel it even more now with Vice President Harris. You have all of these groups organizing,
women's organizations and things of that nature.
So you're feeling -- you really are feeling the difference that you walk out into the city. The excitement of the Harris-Walz campaign opened up, I
think, 24 offices in the region alone. So, you know, they're taking Georgia very seriously as they should.
As the recent polls show, it is neck and neck here. And people are feeling that as well. And just seeing the light at the end of the tunnel that
possibly, possibly, Harris can make it over the mark.
ASHER: We shall see.
And, Lawrence, just talking about Wisconsin for a second, I mean, obviously, Wisconsin is where Trump's going to be today. And also, very
importantly, it's where the RNC was held.
So that tells you a lot about the fact that Wisconsin is really a centerpiece, right? It's a major focus for the Trump campaign.
The fact that the RNC was held in Wisconsin, does that move the needle at all when it comes to what happens on November 5th?
ANDREA: I'm not sure the RNC being located in Milwaukee for last month moves the needle, but it shows -- it shows that, as you mentioned, that
focus on the state. And J.D. Vance's four weeks in Wisconsin have proved similar.
On the flip side, we're seeing the same thing from Harris and Walz. Harris launched her, you know, held the first rally of her presidential campaign
last month, just outside Milwaukee.
During the DNC last week, they rallied in Milwaukee, 90 miles up the road. So we're seeing both campaigns just really put this focus on Wisconsin and
try to move that needle where, you know, where tens of thousands of votes will make the difference.
ASHER: And, Lisa, my last question to you. I mean, obviously, you were talking about the fact that she's in Savannah and how the sort of
surrounding areas of Savannah obviously read.
What will be the deciding factor in whether or not Harris is actually able to overperform in places that have been historically weak for Democrats?
RAYAM: Well, timing, tonight, timing. You know, she's sitting down with CNN along with Tim Walz today giving her first national interview. What better
way to reach the masses, finally, after this little honeymoon stage, once she announced her vice presidency.
So this is going to be her opportunity outside of the DNC to lay out her platform with all eyes watching right now, particularly in an area South
Georgia that really matters, really matters to her campaign.
ASHER: And, Lawrence, I do actually have a little bit more time. So my last question, I think, will be to you.
So, obviously, the core of Trump supporters, white working class voters and, you know, the key for Trump to win this election is to tear down that
blue wall as he did in 2016, but of course, couldn't do it in 2020.
What is going to be his strategy when it comes to that do you think?
ANDREA: Yes. Well, I think the strategy, so far, has been to blanket the state. We've seen J.D. Vance in La Crosse and Eau Claire in Western
Wisconsin and De Pere in northeastern Wisconsin, and in Milwaukee where there are, you know, there's a high concentration of black and minority
voters.
So I think both campaigns are trying to hit all corners of the state and the different groups throughout.
ASHER: All right. Lisa Rayam, Lawrence Andrea, thank you both so much. We appreciate it.
We'll all be watching the interview that airs on CNN tonight.
Once again, as I mentioned, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will be sitting down with our very own Dana Bash in a little over eight hours from now, nine
o'clock in the evening, Eastern Time, if you're watching from the eastern part of the United States.
We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:45:09]
ASHER: All right. Newly freed hostage, Farhan al-Qadi, says he hopes the war on Gaza ends for all Palestinian and Israeli families.
The 52-year-old Bedouin Israeli citizen spoke with reporters as he is released from hospital on Wednesday.
His family says that food was scarce. And al-Qadi lost about 65 pounds or 30 kilograms in captivity. They say he was held in isolation the entire
time and did not meet any other hostages.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FARHAN AL-QADI, NEWLY FREED HOSTAGE (through translator): The pain is the same pain, whether it is Palestinian, Jewish, or Bedouin. God made us
human.
I tell everyone, Sinwar and Netanyahu to put an end to it. We have been in wars for 74 or 75 years. And where have we come? Nowhere. Just more blood
and more blood and more dead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Health officials are also concerned about the possibility of a polio outbreak in Gaza. They recently discovered the first case of the disease
there in 25 years.
The vaccination drive is planned in the coming days, but with conflict raging, there are a lot of challenges.
CNN's Jeremy Diamond has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 11-month-old Abdul Rahman is no longer the energetic baby he once was.
He now sleeps most of the day, gently rocked by his mother, who is still grappling with how quickly he went from feverish and vomiting to partially
paralyzed.
My child started to move and crawled at an early age, Niveen (ph) says, but suddenly everything went backwards. Suddenly, he was no longer crawling or
moving, or able to stand on his feet or even sit.
Doctors delivered the devastating news earlier this month. Abdul Rahman has polio, the first known case in Gaza in 25 years.
It is a shock for a mother to hear such news.
Now he is lying here in the tent in these unhealthy conditions. There's no treatment, no capabilities and no supplements.
The course of Abdul Rahman's life cruelly twisted by the war that started just weeks after he was born, leaving him vulnerable to malnutrition, dirty
drinking water, and missed vaccines.
The fear now that Abdul Rahman could be the first of many.
DIAMOND: What is your plan to keep this one confirmed case from becoming an epidemic in the Gaza Strip?
SAM ROSE, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING, UNRWA: Absolutely. The plan is to start a vaccination campaign, a mass vaccination campaign involving all children
under 10 or 640,000 children who needs to be reached. So we need to reach about 95 percent of them.
DIAMOND (voice-over): 1.2 million vaccine doses have now arrived and thousands of U.N. staffers and volunteers are ready to inoculate Gaza's
children. The challenge will be getting the job done as the war rages on.
[12:50:06]
ROSE: It's a relatively easy vaccine to administer. It drops on tongues. It doesn't require needles. It doesn't require injections. It's something
that's relatively simple to do. The difficult part is everything else.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Gaza's health system has been devastated by nearly 11 months of war. And global health officials are calling for a pause in the
fighting to distribute the vaccine.
Israeli authorities who launched the drive to vaccinate their troops last month haven't committed to that. They say, quote, routine humanitarian
pauses will facilitate the inoculation drive.
In Central Gaza, Niveen fans the flies from her son's face. She is helpless to fight off the disease that now grips his small body.
Abdul Rahman needs treatment, she says, pleading with the world to take her son out of Gaza. She's still waiting for someone to answer her cry.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus is advancing to the third round of the U.S. Open with a win over Italian, Lucia Bronzetti. But the highlight of
her day might have an -- it might be an encounter with a fan after the match.
A young girl, that you see her in the stands, was actually decked in the exact same pink outfit, pink Nike dress, holding a small tiger stuffed
animal.
The world number two went over to greet the girl. And then also posed for a picture after her victory.
She talked to reporters about the encounter after the match.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARYNA SABALENKA, BELARUSIAN TENNIS PLAYER: That was really adorable moment. I just looked up and I saw on the big screen like mini me and I was -- I
was -- it was so cute. And I -- it's such a motivation to keep going to how to inspire the young generation. I mean, that's the main goal. And, yes,
that was very adorable moment.
The first time I see someone like dressing -- dressed up the same as me and having like little tattoo and little tiger. How cute is that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: And finally, no one has more star power in baseball than Shohei Ohtani, unless you're talking about his dog, Decoy.
Ohtani brought Decoy to the ballpark last night because it was their bobblehead night. Massive lines formed outside of stadium to get in and
secure that bobblehead.
[12:55:07]
Come game time, it was Decoy's turn to shine. He brought the ball from mound to Ohtani for the first pitch and then gave him a high five. Just
awesome.
Then Ohtani put on a show. He hit his 42nd home run of the season in the Dodgers' 6-4 win over Baltimore.
He also stole two bases and now has 42 for the season. Ohtani is looking to become the first player ever to hit 50 homeruns and steal 50 bases in the
season.
All right. That does it for this edition of ONE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher. Appreciate you watching. "AMANPOUR" is up next. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:00]
END
