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Matt Tuerk is Interviewed about Latino Voters; Israel Strikes Hezbollah in Lebanon; Linda Thomas-Greenfield is Interviewed about the U.N. General Assembly; American Astronaut Returns to Earth. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired September 23, 2024 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[09:30:00]

MAYOR MATT TUERK, FIRST LATINO MAYOR OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA: Everybody else does. So, we're interested in not just getting by, but getting ahead in the economy. We're interested in educational opportunities for our families. We want to make sure that there's a roof over our head, that housing's important for us and that our families are taken care of. So, making that appeal to us as Americans it is critically important.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Why is that different? Because "Politico" has this article, and Sara mentioned it, that the Harris campaign - you're quoted in it, that the Harris campaign is doing things differently with Latino voters this time. How so?

TUERK: Well, you know, I can speak about the campaign right now. And in contrast, the Harris campaign against the - the Trump campaign. The Harris campaign's listening. They're treating us seriously. They're treating us like adults. And we're seeing kind of gimmicks from the Trump campaign, like Nicky Jam and misgendering him onstage.

What's different is that we're being treated seriously, where people - the campaign understands that the kitchen table politics, the kitchen table issues that are important to us are what we need to hear from - from leadership. So, it's - it is about prices. It's about housing. It's about education. And I think the Harris campaign has understood that and understood that Latino's are interested in more than just the border. That we're interested in making sure that our families can do well.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Why do you think, though, that the numbers have shifted and that there is a Latino bloc that has started voting for Donald Trump?

TUERK: I mean, the - you know, we're - again, we're - we're Americans. We have diverse viewpoints. So, I think, you know, you'll see some numbers of Latinos in southwestern states who are more conservative and might buy into the MAGA rhetoric. But I think you also see significant numbers of people who fundamentally are interested in decency and kindness in a candidate and strong character and somebody who is going to, again, uphold those values, help our families get ahead and ensure that - that we have an opportunity. That's what I hear from the Harris campaign here on the ground and in

Pennsylvania. I hear a campaign that respects us as human beings and as Americans. I can't, you know, I can only speak to what I see here in Allentown. I can't speak to Latino voters in Texas and Arizona. But I can tell you that - that here we're looking for a candidate that is going to help us get ahead and to help us access opportunity for our families and - and for our children.

BERMAN: It's interesting, Mayor, because Allentown is in Lehigh Valley. I went there twice in 2008 to cover white, working class voters in Allentown. It's a different Allentown now, isn't it?

TUERK: We're significant - over the past 20 years, we've become a majority of Latino cities. So, many people know Allentown for the Billy Joel song. And we're still - you know, we're still working class, middle class voters, it's just that many of us speak Spanish now. There's a strong Dominican and Puerto Rican influence here. But it's fundamentally the same Allentown in that respect, that we - we still have those basic concerns. We want to make sure that we have economic opportunity. We want to make sure that there's housing. I think that's one of the things that's compelling about the Harris campaign is that they're talking about investing in 3 million housing units across the United States that will help folks in cities across the United States do a little bit better.

We contrast it against the Trump campaign, whose approached to reducing the cost of housing seems to be mass deportations, as detailed in Project 2025.

We, again, I'll keep coming back to, Latino voters are American voters. We have these fundamental values that are important to us. And that is the opportunity to get ahead and not just get by. We - we need to see that.

We - I talk to so many people here who are interested in being involved in the economy, who are interested in entrepreneurial opportunities, and we - we resonate with candidates that present a vision for the future that is a way forward for us. That's going to be Allentown 20 years ago, 50 years ago, and 20 years and 50 years into the future. This is a city that works hard, that rewards hard work and is interested in doing a little bit better for our families.

SIDNER: Mayor Matt Tuerk, thank you so much for coming on this morning and getting up with us early. I appreciate it.

More than 130 world leaders, including President Biden, will meet at the U.N. General Assembly. What's on the agenda as the Israeli airstrikes intensify against Hezbollah this morning.

And, new images just in of an American astronaut returning to earth. More than six months in space.

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[09:39:40] SIDNER: Breaking news for you. The death toll is rising in Lebanon Israel - as Israel pounds what it says are Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Lebanese officials now say at least 182 people have been killed and more than 700 wounded in Israeli airstrikes.

CNN's senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman is in Beirut with more information.

[09:40:00]

What else are you hearing about these strikes and what people are doing after being warned by Israel that they were coming?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we know so far that at least 300 Israeli airstrikes have occurred in southern Lebanon and also other parts of the country. And the Israelis have put out a warning to residents of the Bikov (ph) Valley to the east of the country, a very large area, telling them that if they live near or in any building that contains Hezbollah weaponry, that they should leave immediately and stay at least 1,000 meters away or go take shelter in nearby schools. That's a huge part of the country.

And, of course, when people hear that, their inclination is probably simply to leave the entire area whatsoever. They were given a two-hour warning. And, in fact, within the last half hour, we have seen two Israeli warplanes flying north over Beirut. And we've also heard drones as well.

So, what we're seeing is that this is the most intense day of Israeli airstrikes going back to the war of 2006. And as a result, we're seeing a mass exodus of people moving out of the south of Lebanon, trying to reach safer ground. Of course, the worry is that at this point there really isn't much safer ground. In fact, we were just on the phone with one individual who is a resident of the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, which is about 25 kilometers north of the Israeli border. He said, it has been raining bombs since 5:00 a.m. And he says he saw several buildings collapse. And these are his words, the city is being emptied of its residents. Everyone is fleeing.

And what we're seeing indeed is that the highways going from the south of Lebanon toward the capital are absolutely crammed with cars, people leaving in that area. Not just one side of the highway. Both sides of the highway. Everybody is trying to flee north.

Now, as a result of these Israeli strikes, the Lebanese minister of education has announced all classes for all educational institutions are suspended as of tomorrow morning. The Lebanese prime minister saying that he's appealed to the United Nations in what he called influential countries to deter Israel from carrying out these strikes. But all words from Israel seem to indicate that this is just the beginning of this offensive. This perhaps yet another war between Lebanon and Israel.

Sara.

SIDNER: And we're looking, Ben, at those jam-packed roads in parts of Lebanon.

Thank you so much for your report. Appreciate it.

John.

BERMAN: All right, with us now is the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

Ambassador, thank you so much for being with us.

As the U.N. General Assembly meets this week, the acting prime minister of Lebanon has called on all nations, including the U.S., to pressure Israel to stop what it calls the aggression in that country.

What's your response to that?

LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES: Look, we have been clear from day one that we do not want to see this war escalate. And that is a message that we have given to both sides.

But let us not forget that on October 7th, when Hamas attacked Israel, Hezbollah, in support of Hamas, started to send weapons across the border into Israel. We support Israel's right to self-defense. But again, we do not want to see this war escalate. That is the message that President Biden is giving to both sides of this conflict.

BERMAN: It clearly has escalated in the last few days. The tension its higher than we've seen maybe since 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. How do you think that colors the meetings and the speeches that will take place where you are over the next few days?

THOMAS-GREENFIELD: It certainly will be something that will be discussed in the course of - of the general assembly and the security council during this week when we have all of the heads of state in town. Our message is, let us get to a cessation of hostilities in Gaza. And that will hopefully bring an end to all of this. Hezbollah has been supporting Hamas. Everyone needs to put their efforts behind bringing us to a final cessation of hostilities that will get the hostages out, allow for more assistance to get to Palestinian people in Gaza, and allow people on the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon to return to their homes, and allow Lebanese on that border to be able to return safely to their homes.

[09:45:08]

BERMAN: President Biden speaks to the general assembly tomorrow in what will be his last address to that body. What is the thrust of the message, Ambassador?

THOMAS-GREENFIELD: So, we have laid out three priorities that will be reflected in the president's speech. First and foremost, we want to work to find peace. So, we're putting all of our efforts behind peace and security, not just in Gaza and Israel and Lebanon, but we're also focusing on Sudan. We're focusing on Ukraine. And so all of these will be part of our agenda, as well as conflicts elsewhere in the world. Secondly, the humanitarian system around the world. It's under tremendous stress. Humanitarian workers are - are being attacked. They do not have access. They don't have all the resources they need. So, the president will raise concerns about the humanitarian system and how we can give them more to be able to respond to the situations we're seeing on the ground.

And finally, as you know, we have been talking over the past two years about U.N. reform and how we can make the security council more inclusive, but also empower the security council. And so we made an announcement, I did a few weeks ago, announcing our support for two additional, permanent seats for Africa, a rotating seat for small island developing states, and to move toward text-based negotiations that will allow for us to actually moved the needle on U.N. Security Council reform.

So, that will be the broad parameters. We're excited that we have over 100 heads of state, many foreign ministers, and there will be a series of bilateral meetings that the president will be engaged in, including with the secretary general. The secretary of state will also participate in bilateral meetings, as well as myself.

BERMAN: I know you have a busy week ahead of you. Think you so much for taking the time to speak with us this morning. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, thank you.

THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Thank you.

BERMAN: All right, just moments ago, after 184 days in space, a NASA astronaut returns to earth.

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[09:52:06]

BERMAN: Happening now, the co-founder of OceanGate is testifying at a hearing about the Titan submersible that imploded near the Titanic wreckage last year killing all five people on board. He left the company, the CEO did, in 2013 before the development of the Titan. The Coast Guard panel is in the middle of a two-week hearing to investigate what went wrong. Former OceanGate employees have testified that the company ignored repeated safety warnings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, everybody at the entrance, move!

(INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Bulls on the lam there. That dramatic video of what happened at a rodeo in Massachusetts. Which may be the problem, frankly. Rodeos in Massachusetts may be problematic in and of themselves. Eight bulls escaped, seven have been recovered, but one bull is still on the lam. This is what one person who lived nearby said they found in their backyard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS MOONEY, ESCAPED BULLS RAN INTO HIS YARD: As soon as I stepped out and I looked over there and I was like, those aren't horses. Those are literally bulls. And, oh my God. So, I got all my dogs from outside. Brought them inside real quick. The kids were inside. Safety first. And that was it. Everybody else just started coming (ph) as much people as you can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Don't say we aren't observant in Massachusetts. Those aren't horses. As I said, seven of the bulls are now back in custody, though, as we said, one bull still on the lam. The rodeo itself under investigation.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right. NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson back on earth after more than six months aboard the International Space Station. The craft carrying Dyson and two cosmonauts touched down in a remote area of Kazakhstan just last hour.

CNN's Tom Foreman is joining us.

You are watching all of that. This is - yes, it's always pretty cool. You know, when someone comes back from space safely, we're all for it.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Yes, and it's old-school with the parachutes landing in Kazakhstan on the land.

SIDNER: Right.

FOREMAN: That's very unusual. Seventy-eight million miles she went. Seventy-eight million miles. That's really a long way.

And her story is really pertinent, spectacular. PhD in chemistry. Grew up in California. While she was up there, she did some research into stem cell research, 3D printing of heart tissues, fire in microgravity, even operating robots on earth from space. I guess that will come in handy when the robot revolution comes.

Here's the best part about all of this, though, really, Sara. She says, when she was a teenager, she watched Christa McAuliffe, that first teacher who was to go up, who tragically died in the Challenger accident, and yet that was her inspiration to go to space. And here she is making this extraordinary trip six months up there, coming back. And she says the part she missed most was her family.

And I'm going to guess, Sara, that after all of this, this may be her last flight. She's in her 50s now.

[09:55:01]

Astronauts kind of time-out in their late 40s typically. But, boy, what an amazing way to go out.

And one of her fellow astronauts, Oleg Kononenko, one of the Russian cosmonaut on board, he was up there for a year this time and set the all-time record for total days in space of 1,111. So, really, an historic flight in so many different ways. And I'm sure they're all glad to be back on earth and yet longing for being out in space.

Sara.

SIDNER: I love it, and I would do it.

BERMAN: Party in Kazakhstan.

SIDNER: Yes.

BERMAN: They landed. You know, you're there.

SIDNER: Party.

BERMAN: You've been in space - you've been in space for three years. Where do you get to go out your first time back? Kazakhstan.

All right, Tom Foreman, thank you.

FOREMAN: And then (ph) they said, that's not a horse. That's not a horse. That's what they said when they landed.

SIDNER: Oh, Massachusetts. The accident is forever giving. I love it.

BERMAN: Thank you very much, Tom.

SIDNER: Thank you so much, Tom.

And thank you for joining us. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL with John Berman, Kate Bolduan and me.

"CNN NEWSROOM," up next.

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