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President Biden Preparing to Address U.N. General Assembly; Current Conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon Threatens to Become Regional War in Middle East; American Held in Iran for Eight Years Interviewed on His Experience; ; Coast Guard Releases Video of Titan Submersible Wreckage. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired September 24, 2024 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: So I asked the university, and they said all of this is part of the investigation. They don't know. But there are instances in the past where this has happened to several members of a team at one team. We saw one from Iowa about a decade ago where more than a dozen football players were affected. There's one from South Carolina even longer ago than that, seven swimmers were affected. Supplements weren't necessarily involved in those. So sometimes this can happen if folks haven't been training for a little bit and they come back. And we know it's the beginning of the school year. Maybe these players were coming back into training and this one was particularly rigorous. So we're going to find out all these details.

There are estimates this affects about 26,000 people per year, so it is relatively rare. Doctors and the university say they expect these guys to make a full recovery. And so, of course, we're all hoping to hear that that is indeed the case, but it can be scary, as you pointed out, John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, stinks for a few days, but hopefully it will be OK.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Proof that you can come fully recover.

BERMAN: Yes.

SIDNER: Maybe no more marathons?

BERMAN: No more marathons.

SIDNER: OK. All right, thank you so much, Meg Tirrell. We appreciate that report.

And a new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight, the deadliest day in nearly two decades in Lebanon. Israel and Iran backed Hezbollah trading intense fire which will now be front and center as President Biden is about to make his final speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

Donald Trump heading back to battleground Georgia today after calling early voting stupid while also trying to get people to vote early.

And the zero proof movement, new details on mocktails becoming more and more popular, but how much more healthy are they?

I'm Kate Bolduan with Sara Sidner and John Berman. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

BERMAN: All right, it is a big moment in the Biden presidency. Happening now, President Biden is preparing to address the U.N. General Assembly for what could be the final major foreign policy address of his administration. It comes at a moment of extraordinary tension in the Middle East. Overnight, Israel Defense Forces say Hezbollah launched some 100 projectiles into Israel as Israel also intensifies its airstrikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Lebanon's health minister says so far the Israeli strikes have killed more than 500 people, they say also so including 50 children.

Let's get right to CNN's Kayla Tausche at the United Nations this morning. And this address, I imagine, well cover not just what's happening in the Middle East, but other hotspots around the world.

KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: John, it will be a wide-ranging address from President Biden today where he's expected to acknowledge what officials are calling a very difficult year in the Middle East.

They say that he'll continue to press the need for a ceasefire and also talk about the importance of maintaining regional partnerships as a way to pursue peace both in the Middle East and in other hotspots around the world. Now, Biden has been talking about that for years since he's been in office, and he's expected to touch on a lot of that today, fortifying alliances with like-minded nations and elevating democratic values in what is expected to be it more of a capstone address from President Biden as he seeks to burnish his legacy on foreign policy just as he has in other recent speeches on, for instance, the economy and also reforms he says are needed at the Supreme Court.

But in today's address, he is also expected to announce that he's going to be donating 1 million mpox vaccines to Africa to try to stem an outbreak there. And he's also going to be talking in later engagements about the need for climate policy around the world to create good paying jobs, and also about the work that's being done by a coalition that he helped to establish to fight fentanyl trafficking around the world.

But John, senior officials acknowledged that it is the ongoing tension, the escalating situation in the Middle East that's going to be front and center both for Biden in his remarks, but also in his discussions with world leaders on the sidelines. Now this is a conflict that many senior advisors never predicted and then thought would be short-lived. And while they've been working behind the scenes around the clock for a ceasefire deal, that deal remains elusive, and they now say that the goal in these discussions here in New York is simply going to be to stabilize the situation. John?

BERMAN: He's worked so long in foreign policy, decades and foreign policy. You know how he relishes these moments. But so many difficulties around the world, it makes it all the more meaningful, probably. Kayla Tausche, thank you very much. Sara?

SIDNER: All right, thank you, John.

Breaking overnight, the death toll from the Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon has now surpassed 550 people, including women and children. Both sides trading fire overnight. Now, U.S. officials are working around the clock to try and stop the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict from escalating further. But one official telling CNN, we are the closest we've been to spiraling to a regional war since the October 7th attacks by Hamas.

[08:05:00]

CNN national security correspondent Natasha Bertrand is live at the Pentagon. Natasha, how concerned are U.S. officials about this latest escalation that we are seeing play out at this very hour?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Sara, this is really the most concerned that they have been since war broke out between Israel and Hamas in Gaza last October, because as officials have emphasized, repeatedly, the potential for a full-scale war has always been much, much higher when it comes to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah than between Israel and Hamas because of that key player, of course, Iran, which backs Hezbollah. And the question of whether if there is a full blown war between Israel and Lebanon and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and Israel goes in on the ground and tries to defeat or seriously weaken Hezbollah that way, will Iran then get involved, turning this into a full full-fledged regional war.

And this is something that officials are deeply, deeply concerned about. As you said there, one official told me that we are the closest we have been since last October to this kind of full-scale regional conflict. Now, at this point, officials are working around the clock really feverishly to try to de-escalate the situation, trying to deter Israel from launching this kind of ground incursion against Hezbollah, which could escalate the situation even further. We have seen, of course, tit for tat strikes between Israel and Hezbollah over the last week.

But things have really escalated since that pager and walkie-talkie attack that Israel conducted on Hezbollah last week, and of course, the multiple rounds of airstrikes that we have seen from Israel which have killed many civilians in Lebanon. And so the U.S. now saying, look, we are deeply concerned about this. We don't necessarily know at this point what Israel's ultimate goal is, whether they simply intend to try to weaken Hezbollah from the air, or whether they are preparing and softening the battlefield there for some kind of larger ground incursion. That is something that the U.S. right now is really trying to prevent Israel from doing.

But of course, ultimately it is their decision. And what they are really emphasizing to Israel here is that if they do go in on the ground against Hezbollah, if this does escalate, it's not going to be a quick war. Hezbollah has been seriously weakened over the last week, but they are still a very powerful force. And as I said, of course, they have Iran's full backing, Sara.

SIDNER: I think it's worth mentioning the last time Israel and Hezbollah went at it was its 2006, truly. And that war lasted about a month and a few days. Thank you so much, Natasha Bertrand there live from the Pentagon. Kate?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And here with us right now is chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour. Christiane, thank you for being here. You've got a busy day ahead, I know. What are you hearing from world leaders and your sources about what's at stake for President Biden, but the world as these leaders are gathering, as the Middle East is just lighting up right now?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: It really couldn't be a grimmer background. I don't recall a General Assembly with all the leaders gathered with this much real havoc in the world, that it seems according to what were all reporting that even the United States, the biggest backer, for instance, in this case of Israel, apparently doesn't know what Israel's plans are. Does it plan to go in on the ground? Does it plan to see what's going on and try to do as much weakening from the air or not?

That, I think, speaks to the notion of leadership and the ability to influence things on the ground. As Sara just mentioned, I covered the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. It did last about six weeks, and it was fought to a draw. That's in 2006. Israel didn't win Hezbollah didn't win. It was fought to a draw. And now everybody is much more armed.

I think you'll see potentially, according to my sources, will Hezbollah respond in a way to yesterday's bombardments which killed maybe 300 people, wounded 1,000, including civilians, will Hezbollah respond in a way that breaches any so-called red lines? In other words, a long-range missile, ballistic missile on a heavily populated urban area in Israel is a major red line, right? So I think that's something to watch. And if that happens, then I think all bets are off, and we don't know what Iran will do in the meantime.

And of course, the president has to deal with a very real war that's going on in Europe right now, and that is Russia's ongoing invasion and occupation of Ukraine. I spoke to the Ukrainian president this week. He's going to be seeing President Biden tried to present his victory plan, but clearly what they want is to be allowed to use American weapons in the way that they can with no restrictions to be able to hit Russian military targets which are targeting them.

BOLDUAN: Which they have been asking and requesting that kind of allowance, if you will, for months and months and months at this point.

It was about a year ago almost to the day that we were on the program together watching live as Siamak Namazi stepped off an airplane onto American soil after being wrongfully imprisoned in Iran for eight years.

[08:10:03]

It was a huge moment because you have been covering and speaking to him for so long. We've and watching his imprisonment and everything he'd endured throughout that time together. And then you just had the opportunity to sit down with an exclusive interview with him.

AMANPOUR: Yes. I'm smiling because you remember this time last year because of the deal that finally Iran and the United States struck to release Siamak and four other Iranian Americans. They found finally got free. Siamak had been held hostage, as he says, the U.S. uses this anodyne word "wrongfully imprisoned," but they are hostages because of their American passports, period, end of story. They are a business. And you've seen it happen in Russia as well, and that's a real issue.

But he had called our program more than a year ago to beg President Biden to hear them and to try to do whatever they could, the U.S., to get them out. Siamak had been left behind by the Trump administration, negotiations twice, by the Obama negotiations that got several other hostages out.

When I finally spoke to him face-to-face this Sunday here in New York, I started by asking him what it was like to be free after all this year, and how this year has gone. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIAMAK NAMAZI, RELEASED AFTER EIGHT YEARS IN IRANIAN CAPTIVITY: The most dominant feeling that I have is gratitude. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to many people, particularly President Biden, who made a very difficult choice and struck the deal. I'm sure it was a very difficult deal for him to strike that brought us home. It took many more years than I hoped that it would. I was there eight years.

AMANPOUR: The longest held.

NAMAZI: The longest held. But the truth is when you get out of a dungeon after eight years, you don't just return to a normal life. It's overly optimistic. You don't just kind of shake it off. It's a eight-year earthquake that hits your life and it leaves a lot of destruction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: Yes, and he talked about things that, you know, just having to get new bank accounts, figure out driving license, just the daily aspects of life.

BOLDUAN: And also, he thinks he wasn't comfortable talking about that.

AMANPOUR: Yes. He talked old about the unalterable indignities, and he told me that he has not yet even gone there with his therapists. So he was explaining that the physical abuse was bad, and it was daily for a period of about 27 months, practically daily. But he said the humiliation and the psychological abuse, which was also daily and regular, was worse. And that's the kind of thing that he is still trying to process.

He said that extraordinarily, since he's probably had the most experience with the Revolutionary Guard in terms of negotiating and trying to get out, he has not been debriefed by the Biden administration. He would love to shake President Biden's hand and thank him. And he's exceptionally angry still with the Iranian government for so-called profiting on his life and selling Iranian Americans for profit and for this business. He's really furious at that.

But it's great that he's out. It's important to make these deals, and he really was very thankful.

BOLDUAN: It's important to hear from him.

AMANPOUR: Yes.

BOLDUAN: And really, sitting with you, I think that couldn't be more perfect.

AMANPOUR: And the whole interview is on CNN.com. It's fantastic. He really lays it all out. He's so articulate and profound.

BOLDUAN: Yes, his reflections on it are something for everyone to see. Thanks for coming in. It's great to see you. Thanks. John?

BERMAN: Right. Nothing convinces people to vote early more than telling them early voting is stupid.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have to win Pennsylvania.

(CHEERING)

TRUMP: Go out, make a plan to vote early, vote absentee.

Now we have this stupid stuff where you can vote 45 days early. I wonder what the hell happens during that 45. Let's move, see these votes? We've got about a million votes in there. Let's move them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Newly released video this morning from the ocean floor of the Titan submersible that imploded killing five people.

And a state of emergency declared in Florida, bracing for a storm that could become a major hurricane, this strongest storm of the season.

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[08:18:48] SIDNER: Donald Trump is headed to battleground Georgia today after

telling Pennsylvania voters how much he hates early voting, while at the same time encouraging them to vote early.

CNN's Alayna Treene is in Washington today.

A contradiction of sorts. What are you expecting to hear from him while he is in Georgia?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well Sara, you're exactly right. I mean, Donald Trump urged voters yesterday in Pennsylvania to vote early before quickly reversing course and calling the method stupid, and also arguing that it may have cost him the 2020 election. Take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We've got to get out and vote. You can start right away, you know that right.

Now we have this stupid stuff where you can vote 45 days early. I wonder what the hell happens during that 45 -- let's move -- see these votes, you've got about a million votes, and then let's move them. We're fixing the air conditioner in the room, right?

No, it is terrible. What happened the last time was disgraceful, including right here, but we are not going to let it happen again.

You know, too big to rig, right? That is one way you do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Now Sara, not only was that a contradictory statement in itself, but it also contradicts what Republicans, Donald Trump's campaign, and the RNC are really trying to do with this election.

[08:20:09]

I mean, just last month, we saw the RNC launch a process to -- an online tool in August to help Pennsylvania voters specifically request mail-in ballots arguing that it would make the election more secure than ever.

I think this is very common. Now, we've seen this with Donald Trump. Republicans around him, people on his own team, even JD Vance said this as late as yesterday that early -- they need to use all pathways and tools that they can this election.

Donald Trump personally believes that early voting is rife for fraud. We've heard him in the past repeatedly disparage early voting, mail-in ballots arguing that it led to widespread fraud in 2020, claims we know that are just not true.

But this is the balance that they are working with. I know when I talked to many Republicans, they are very wary of the rhetoric toward early voting, mainly the negative rhetoric toward early voting because some people believe that it actually did negatively impact them in 2020 because not enough voters recognized the importance of voting early and use the tools in the same way that Democrats did.

So we kind of saw that on display yesterday. I wouldn't be surprised if we heard similar rhetoric from Donald Trump in Georgia later today.

SIDNER: Yes, we've heard him attack early voting and mail-in voting. We will see what happens on the trail in Georgia. I know you will be there.

Alayna Treene, thank you so much. Appreciate it -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: So the haunting final message from the Titan submersible mission and the new video that's just been released and revealed.

And why Cards against Humanity is suing Elon Musk.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:26:03]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: We've got new video this morning showing the wreckage of the Titan submersible, which imploded in 2023, killing all five people on board. This is part of a Coast Guard investigation.

CNN's Jason Carroll joins us now.

Walk us through what we are seeing in this new video.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well look, it has been another week of testimony, John, and another week of more allegations that safety concerns were basically discarded or ignored by OceanGate's former CEO, Stockton Rush, and this time during this Coast Guard hearing, what we heard from -- we heard from the former director of engineering, a man by the name of Phil Brooks.

And what he said is, he said that back in 2022, when the Titan was on another expedition, as it came back up to the surface, everyone heard some sort of a very loud bang and it concerned a lot of people.

And so what the engineers wanted to do is they wanted to, at the end of the season, bring the Titan back so it could be examined to see perhaps what was the exact cause.

At the time, they thought perhaps it was the sub's frame readjusting itself. But instead of bringing it back, what happened was, it sat on a dock exposed to the elements for several months.

And Brooks says, the final decision when it came to safety and everything else came down to one man, Stockton Rush, OceanGate's former CEO.

Take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) PHIL BROOKS, FORMER DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING, OCEANGATE: It was -- it

was very frustrating because it was left in St. Johns and left on the dock and we had no way to work on it, no way to look at it.

And we were told it was a cost issue, that the cost of shipping it back was prohibitive. They were low on money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: So there are also questions about the carbon fiber composition of the Titan. This is what the hull was made of. A lot of questions about whether or not why it wasn't classed by a safety organization.

Well, we also heard from a representative from the American Bureau of Shipping. This person testified as well. You know what, John, he said, that organization and many others would never have classed the Titan because they said, because of what it was made of this, carbon fiber composition, he said: "The composite can fail catastrophically without much warning."

So you can imagine how that went over as the Coast Guard was listening to that testimony, as well as looking at some of the animation in the new video there from the Titan as well.

BERMAN: They've got to see as they do these investigations. You have so many questions about the risks that were taken there.

Jason Carroll, thanks so much for being here.

CARROLL: You bet.

BERMAN: Sara.

SIDNER: All right, latest polling numbers show Kamala Harris does not have the same level of support from some key voting groups as President Biden had even earlier this year. So what is giving her a chance at the White House?

And a new storm system coming together now in the Caribbean, it is on the path to hit the Florida Panhandle as a hurricane, we are tracking that timeline.

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[08:30:00]