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CNN International: Rafah Crossing Passenger Terminal In Gaza Burned, Damaged; U.S. Pier Reattached To Gaza Coast After Being Dismantled For The Second Time; Hezbollah Threatens Cyprus As Tensions With Israel Escalate. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired June 20, 2024 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN HOST: Good morning or good evening, depending on where you're watching. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York.
Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, Israel and Hezbollah ramping up the rhetoric and trading new threats of war. We're live in Beirut and Jerusalem with the latest here. A number of blockbuster U.S. Supreme Court cases are yet to be decided this term. We are live in Washington with the latest here. And the biggest star in football is ready for the start of another major international tournament. We are live from outside the stadium with a preview of the Copa America.
Well, we want to begin in the Middle East, with new threats against Cyprus from the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah warning the EU member could become a part of this war if a full-scale conflict breaks out between Israel and Lebanon. In a televised speech, Nasrallah warned that Cyprus not to open its airports and bases to Israeli forces. The threat was part of his fiery response to Israel warning that an all-out war with Hezbollah is quote, "getting very close".
And a video, meantime, has surfaced from the Rafah border crossing linking Egypt and Gaza, which was once vital for aid deliveries, and it shows the passenger terminal has been burned and severely damaged. CNN cannot determine what caused the damage, but it did happen after Israeli forces took control of the crossing in early May. Now, the Pentagon says that a U.S.-constructed pier meant to facilitate aid deliveries into Gaza, well, they say that could be operational once again this week. U.S. officials tell CNN that the pier has now been reanchored to the Gaza coast. It was dismantled because of high seas.
Let's get more now from Paula Hancocks, she is live for us in Jerusalem, and Ben Wedeman is in Beirut. Paula, let's start with you. As we could see in that video, that passenger terminal along the Rafah crossing seriously damaged. What more do we know here?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rahel, this is a key crossing, this Rafah crossing. It's where before Israel took control of the crossing on May 7, about a quarter of humanitarian aid was coming into Gaza. Now, we know nothing has come through that crossing since May 7. And we know also that there are serious fears about not enough getting in. The UN warning of potential famine for about a million people by mid-July, that they could face starvation. So, there have been many calls for this crossing to be reopened.
But, what we are seeing now is it is in no shape, able to be reopened. It is badly damaged. It is badly burned. We understand from satellite imagery and footage we have seen that at the end of last month, it was badly burned. It's not clear how that happened. But then, either June 9th, June 10th from satellite imagery, we can see that there was bulldozing in the area by Israel to clear the area, presumably, and they have severely damaged part of that passenger terminal as well.
Now, this is a key terminal, not only to allow humanitarian aid in, but also to take some of the more critical cases out of Gaza, so critical patients who cannot get the treatment that they need within Gaza. Just last week, we spoke to someone from the World Health Organization who says they believe about 10,000 patients are critical and currently waiting to come out of Gaza, but they need to do so through the Rafah crossing. And if this is the case that it is severely damaged, then that will raise more concerns that even if the Israeli military pulls back and they try and open it, it simply won't be functioning. Rahel.
SOLOMON: Paula, what about the pier that the U.S. says has now been reanchored to the Gaza coast? How soon can people start to see humanitarian aid being brought in from there?
HANCOCKS: Well, we have to wait for U.S. officials themselves to tell us when they will be able to do that. We don't have transparent images or transparency over the pier itself. U.S. officials have told us it has been reattached to the coastline, so to the Gaza beach, where they will be allowing humanitarian aid to come on to the beach and then the World Food Programme takes it to distribution centers and where it is needed. It has been problematic, this pier.
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The U.S. has said consistently it's not instead of land crossings, they are far more important, this was meant to be adding to what could go into Gaza. It was first started and first attached about mid-May. And since that point, there has only been two weeks where it's actually been functioning. The high seas, the bad weather have really disrupted this particular pier. And at one point, last month, it actually broke apart because of those high seas. We did hear from the Pentagon, though, that some 6,000 metric tons of aid were able to be brought onto the beach at Gaza during those two weeks that it was functioning. And then, the U.S. troops have said that they will not have boots on the ground. So, it is then the WFP that takes it further along. But, it has been particularly problematic, this pier. Rahel.
SOLOMON: OK. Paula Hancocks live for us there. Paula, thank you.
Let's get over now to Ben Wedeman, who is in Beirut. Ben, just give us a sense of what more we're learning. I mean, we heard a part of Nasrallah's speech there about Hezbollah's threat to Cyprus.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I guess in that speech, he essentially said that Hezbollah had collected intelligence that would indicate that this Cypriot government is going to allow Israel to use Cyprus' bases and airports. And he said, and I'll just read from what he said, he said, "If that happens, the Cypriot government will become part of the war, and the resistance will deal with it as part of the war." Now, keep in mind, of course, Cyprus is 200 kilometers away. So, it's not clear how actually Hezbollah would be able to do anything in Cyprus using its normal conventional weapons.
But, this statement has obviously ruffled feathers in Cyprus. We heard the President describe his statement, Nasrallah's statement as unpleasant, and insisted that Cyprus has no part in this war. And also this morning, a spokesman for the Cypriot government came out and said that Cypriot territory will not be used for any military action. Now, this situation has put the Lebanese government, which is essentially a bystander because of its basically weak nature, and Hezbollah essentially deals as it acts -- as it wants to act, but the foreign ministry here in Beirut came out with a statement saying that Lebanon and Cyprus have a rich history of diplomatic cooperation and continued to be in close communications at all levels. Rahel.
SOLOMON: Ben, talk to us a little bit about the situation on the border. You've been reporting out there on and off for months since October 7. How would you describe the situation right now?
WEDEMAN: The situation today, I would say, if you sort of were talking averages, it's slightly below average in the number of Israeli strikes and Hezbollah strikes. Hezbollah, I think I'm counting five today, was nine yesterday. But, keep in mind, on Sunday and Monday, there were no strikes at all from Hezbollah whatsoever, although Israel carried on its normal tempo of strikes on targets in the south. Now, this morning, one Hezbollah fighter was killed in a drone strike. Yesterday, four or Hezbollah fighters were killed. I think the total number at this point of Hezbollah fighters killed, acknowledged by Hezbollah, is around 350.
So, really, the tempo of action on the border has not been out of the ordinary. But, I think the one thing that really rattled nerves, particularly in Israel, is that nine-minute drone video published by Hezbollah, which, of course, didn't contain anything in the way of specific threats. It was just pointing out what you're seeing on the video. But, it certainly underscores perhaps the vulnerability of some of Israel's most sensitive strategic sites given Hezbollah's obviously enhanced abilities when it comes to what you compare what it had in, say, 2006. Rahel.
SOLOMON: Yeah. All right. Ben Wedeman live for us there. Ben, thank you. We'll talk soon.
All right. Here in the U.S., we are awaiting major decisions from the Supreme Court on high-profile cases that could have a major impact on this fall's election and on American democracy itself. On the docket in the final frenzied weeks of the court's term, decisions on whether former President Trump's claim of absolute immunity in relation to his role in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. We are also watching for a crucial ruling on reproductive rights, including whether women experiencing a medical emergency have the right to an abortion.
Let's bring in CNN Justice Correspondent Jessica Schneider. So, Jessica, those are some of the things we are so waiting for.
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But, what did we hear from the court today?
JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. It's always hurry up and wait, Rahel, this time of the year when it comes to the Supreme Court. We did have opinions this morning, also expecting opinions tomorrow. Today, they were relatively minor. There were four total opinions released by the Supreme Court, the biggest one among them, it upheld a 2017 Trump-era tax that taxed unrealized gains on foreign investments. This came from a challenge from a couple who had made an overseas investment.
Now, interestingly, the Biden administration actually pushed for the Supreme Court to uphold this tax, which it did. The Biden administration fearing that, if the court had struck it down, it could upend a lot of the tax code, and the Biden team also feared that it could jeopardize any future plans for a wealth tax. It was interesting, we heard from Justice Brett Kavanaugh on the bench, he took the bench this morning to announce the opinion. He stressed this decision does not impact at all any other tax initiatives that might come down the pipeline. So, that was one of the first cases we got. We also got a case from the court greenlighting the ability of a small town Texas councilwoman to sue other town officials over what she said was a retaliatory arrest based on First Amendment grounds.
So, relatively, minor cases today. We are still waiting on more than a dozen big decisions. That is a lot of decisions for this late in the term. Typically, the Supreme Court wraps up and is essentially out of town by the end of June. So, we're looking at probably, if they hue to normal procedure, that the Supreme Court should be wrapped by next Friday. We've got about 17 big decisions left, Rahel. You mentioned a lot of them, the big one being whether Donald Trump and former presidents can be immune from criminal prosecution. We also have a case about gun rights relating to a federal law that restricts people subject to domestic violence restraining orders from owning a gun.
Then, we also have a case about abortion. It would be the second case this term from the Supreme Court. We saw them sort of kick away a challenge to the abortion pill last week. This one is challenging in Idaho law, and whether or not a federal law which says you have to treat women if they're in severe distress, even if it means performing an abortion, whether that federal law upends the Idaho law that pretty much outlaws abortions completely.
And then, the one last case we're looking at, that's a big one, is whether about 350 January 6 defendants who have been charged with a very specific federal charge on obstruction, whether their convictions will actually hold up, and it could sort of impact the case against Donald Trump when it comes to his January 6 case here in Washington.
So, as you can tell, Rahel, we are waiting for the big ones here. And every day, we sort of get geared up before 10 a.m. to see what the Supreme Court will release because we never have any indication beforehand. Today, we got geared up. We got four opinions, but none are the big ones. Rahel.
SOLOMON: Yeah. It's always really interesting to see, Jessica, if they wait until the very last minute --
SCHNEIDER: Yeah.
SOLOMON: -- to drop a huge bomb or drop a huge decision.
SCHNEIDER: They often do. They often do.
SOLOMON: They often do. So, we will talk much more I'm sure, Jessica Schneider, over --
SCHNEIDER: Yeah. Probably tomorrow.
SOLOMON: -- the next week or two. Thank you. Yeah. Probably tomorrow. Thank you. I'll see you soon.
SCHNEIDER: Sounds good.
SOLOMON: All right. Coming up, we are one week away from the first U.S. presidential debate of the year. Details ahead on how Biden and Trump are both preparing. Plus, we are live in New Mexico, where wildfires have killed two people and destroyed hundreds of buildings. We're going to take a short break. We'll be right back.
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SOLOMON: All right. Countdown is on for a historic showdown. In exactly one week, President Joe Biden and Donald Trump will take the stage in Atlanta for CNN's presidential debate. This pivotal moment in the 2024 race will mark the first time in U.S. history a sitting President and former President go head to head. Millions of potential voters are expected to tune in next Thursday to listen to the candidates' messages on issues like the economy, reproductive rights, and the ongoing wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Let's get straight to CNN's Steve Contorno, who joins us live from St. Petersburg, Florida. So, Steve, give us a sense of how both candidates are preparing and what you've heard.
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Well, it's really a tale of two candidates. You have President Biden, who will be spending the next few days at Camp David leading up to the debate, huddling with trusted advisors, going through intense debate prep, briefing books, holding mock debates with his team that could last as long as 90 minutes. And on the other hand, you have former President Donald Trump, who will be holding a fundraiser tonight in Ohio, then holding a rally Saturday in Pennsylvania, and not necessarily holding any mock debates, as far as we're told although he has been having some policy briefings with some close advisors, as well as some of his potential vice presidential candidates.
And so, you're really sort of seeing two very different approaches to this debate. And we're going -- this is a rematch of sorts. So, it's interesting to see how they are approaching this so differently, heading into a debate that in many respects people have been anticipating for more than four years now.
SOLOMON: And Steve, some have said that Trump has set such a low bar for Biden that he is now trying to get in front of that in terms of setting expectations. Talk to us a little bit about that.
CONTORNO: Yeah. Even though Donald Trump and Joe Biden are nearly the same age, the Trump campaign has spent much of the past six months telling their supporters, telling voters that Joe Biden is not fit for office, that he doesn't have the mental capacity to lead, that he doesn't have the physical stamina for it. They have been splicing these selectively edited clips and sharing them of Joe Biden trying to make him look feeble and weak. Well, now, there has been some sort of expectation recasting heading into this debate where we're seeing Trump and some of his allies suggest that they expect President Biden to perform, that he is going to show up there, quote, "pumped up".
And so, it's been really interesting to see. They've been spending so much time trying to get their supporters anticipating a weaker President Biden, similar to what we saw at the State of the Union address, where that was the same sort of expectation coming in for Republicans, and Joe Biden sort of easily overstepped that bar. So now, we're seeing that again, as we're heading into this debate.
SOLOMON: OK. A lot to watch. One week away. Steve Contorno live for us there in St. Petersburg, Florida, beautiful St. Petersburg. Steve, thank you. And tune in to see the presidential debate right here on CNN, coming up on June 27 at 9 p.m. Eastern, and we will replay the debate in its entirety a few different times for our viewers around the world. You can watch it at 7 a.m. London time, 2 p.m. Hong Kong, or 12 hours later at 7 p.m. in London, or 10 p.m. in Abu Dhabi.
All right. A second death has been reported from wildfires in New Mexico. That is according to the New Mexico State Police. The wildfires in the southern part of the state have also burned more than 1,400 buildings, including 500 homes. Nearly 8,000 residents have been evacuated from their homes. Now, to the east, unusual heat and humidity continue to blink at parts of New England. But, relief may be on the way, thanks to a cold front from Canada. And in Texas, the governor there has issued a disaster declaration. That's in preparation for Tropical Depression Alberto. It is a first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.
Let's start this off with CNN Meteorologist Elisa Raffa and the forecast in the U.S. Elisa, quite a busy forecast, as we can see in the map behind you. A lot is going on. Break it down for us.
ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah. We have been very busy. I want to take you through the heat. I mean, we've had this heat dome that we've been tracking over the last couple of days.
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And basically what that is, it's an area of high pressure that just sits, and it's got dry sinking air and that helps trap the heat, and a lot of times, it makes the air stagnant. These things don't really move all too much that keeps the days on end of heat. And we'll find that for parts of the U.S. I mean, more than 82 percent at the lower 48, that's more than 260 million people, are finding temperatures at 90 degrees or hotter, even in places that typically don't really see too many 90 degree days, like Manchester in New Hampshire, 98 degrees yesterday, Boston 98 degrees yesterday, breaks a record that was set over 100 years ago, temperatures at 95 degrees in Syracuse, all of these tying or breaking records.
Caribou has been the most impressive, one of the most northeastern points in the U.S. but closer to Canada, frankly. And they tied their all-time record yesterday, 96 degrees, the all-time hottest temperature that they've ever had during the day. They also broke that all-time record at night as well. And they broke the all-time heat index record at 103 degrees, and they hit that heat index at like 11 a.m. So, just incredible.
Now, we do know that this heat up in New England across parts of Maine yesterday was made two to three times more likely because of climate change. As our atmosphere is warmer, that makes it more likely for us to see extreme heat, especially earlier in the season, like we are right now. The alerts are still in effect as we go through the day today. Noticed some of them being chopped away up in New England. We'll find a little bit of a cooler air coming in as we go into tomorrow. But today, the risk stands from Cincinnati up through Maine. You see what I'm talking about by tomorrow. We'll get that cooling in New England. We still have the extreme heat risk, though, over the Ohio Valley, some purples there where you really need to watch out for signs and symptoms of heat sickness. Same thing going into Friday.
So, here is a look at these temperatures. I mean, we're looking at the heat, again, sinking south, 99 degrees in Philadelphia by Saturday, and D.C. to D.C. could be looking at one of their first 100 degree days since 2016. Noticed the cool down in Boston, 93 degrees today, getting back down to the 70s much closer to average by the weekend. So, some cooling up there for New England. The overnight lows, again, sweltering tonight into tomorrow morning, another sign symptom and fingerprint of climate change. Rahel.
SOLOMON: All right. Meteorologist Elisa Raffa, thank you.
And let's now get to Corpus Christi, Texas, for more on tropical depression Alberto. That is where we find Rosa Flores. Rosa, we talked to you yesterday and it was a pretty, pretty tough scene. Talk to us about what you're seeing today.
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the water keeps rising, Rahel. I want to show you around because this is really incredible. The streets here are inundated. Let me start with this hotel. This hotel is on pilings. You can see that there are several inches under this hotel. You can tell by the tire level there in those cars that are under there. Now, this is normal construction for a lot of the coastal areas in Texas. You want that building up high because you want the water to be able to flow underneath.
But, take a look around. There is just so much water here. There are some people here on an inflatable boat. And a lot of residents have been trying to come out here. Some of them have been stuck, like the vehicle that you see here in the middle higher ground. And just take a look where the water is coming from. This is the Corpus Christi Bay, and the bay has eaten the street. It has eaten this parking lot. It has eaten this entire area and completely taken over. And if you keep -- if we keep walking around, you'll see how every street, as far as your eye can see, it's just completely covered in water.
Now, this scene is replicated in other towns along the Texas Gulf Coast. We have video of Surfside Beach. Now, that is near Houston, Texas. And if you look at that drone footage, you can see that water is running underneath those homes. Those homes are also on pilings. Again, that's by design, because they know that when the water rises from the coast from the ocean, that water can flow underneath, and the family can be safe up high. We also have a video or pictures from Matagorda, Texas, very similar scene.
And Rahel, I got to tell you, I talked to officials here in Corpus Christi. And despite how devastating all this looks, they are counting their blessings. They say, no one has died. They have no injury so far. And even though there is probably a little damage, it's not significant damage. They're counting their blessings today. Rahel, back to you.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Fair enough. OK. Rosa Flores live for us there. Rosa, thank you.
Let's now go out to Ed Lavandera. He was covering the wildfires in New Mexico. Ed, as we saw you yesterday, give us a sense now of what the latest is where you are.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the weather has changed dramatically from where we were yesterday, and rainfall has come in overnight and this morning. And one of the local fire official was telling us that that has really helped dramatically in helping to control the intensity and the spread of this wildfire, even though it has already burned more than 23,000 acres here in the area of the mountain village of Ruidoso.
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But, it has also caused other problems. There has been intense rainfall and that's caused flash flooding. It has caused mudslides. It's become very treacherous for firefighters working in that area, because all of that water is landing on the burn scar that is on these mountains. So, that makes this land much more susceptible to those mudslides and that sort of thing.
But, it still remains a tragic situation. Officials have also announced the death of a second person. They have not identified the victim, but they say that this person was found dead in their car, presumably trying to escape from these wildfires when they erupted here on Monday. And there was also -- the first victim that was announced, his name was Patrick Pearson, a 60-year-old man who was living in a hotel, but he had recently broken his leg and was not able to drive, and his family is talking about just how painful this moment is for them.
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ZACH PEARSON, VICTIM'S SON: He was trying to get away from the fire as fast as he could, but with a broken leg and a brace, using a walker, trying to carry what you could, it's heartbreaking to know that he didn't make it, to know that he was trying to run for his life, trying to get away from the fire.
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LAVANDERA: Now, we were in Ruidoso yesterday, and there is just almost nobody left. There are a handful of people that are left. But, more than 8,000 residents have evacuated from that area, more than 1,400 structures damaged or destroyed in this wildfire as well. So, the devastation and the impact here will be felt for years to come, as many people are still waiting desperately to be able to see this wildfire get under control so they can return to these areas and start assessing the damage in their own personal lives. Rahel.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Well said, the devastation and the grief, obviously, for those families. Ed Lavandera, thank you.
Well, Russian President Vladimir Putin visits another Asian-Pacific ally. It's a similar support-building mission like in North Korea. What he said and what he is signed, coming up. Protesters in Kenya demanding changes in the government's latest tax bill. The demonstrations have led to many arrests and some bill modifications. We will have the latest live from Nairobi.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York.
And here are some of the international headlines we are watching for you today.
Two beluga whales evacuated from an aquarium in eastern Ukraine are now swimming in safe waters. The whales were relocated to an aquarium in Spain, during what was called the high-risk journey. The travels included a 12-hour drive west, arriving in Moldova for chartered flight to Spain. Two Ukrainian caregivers are staying with the whales for the first few weeks to help with their transition and to help with their care.
Well, the "Just Stop Oil" group has struck again, this time, potentially aiming at Taylor Swift. The climate activists sprayed orange paint on two private jets at an airfield where the singer's private plane is believed to have landed. Now, this happened this morning at Stansted Airport outside London. The group posted a video showing them breaking into the airfield and spraying paint on the jets. On Wednesday, you might remember, the group spray painted the prehistoric Stonehenge structure.
Heavy rains, flooding and landslides have led to the death of at least 31 people in the northeast India state of Assam. That's according to authorities there. Five people died from a landslide on Wednesday. The heavy flooding has affected more than 160,000 people and 15 districts across the state. In Delhi, soaring high temperatures have caused heat waves that have lasted weeks. Temperatures have risen to nearly 50 degrees Celsius or 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and increased power demand to an all-time high.
All right. We're tracking new unrest in Kenya over potential tax hikes. Protesters continue to take to the streets and have been confronted by police. Civil society groups say that at least 283 people have been taken into custody since Tuesday. Kenya's government is voting on the new tax bill today.
For the latest, let's get to CNN's Correspondent Larry Madowo, who is live in Nairobi. Larry, the last time I spoke to you, it was quite a scene out there. Give us a sense of what the latest is on the ground.
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's no different, Rahel. It's -- if anything, it looks to be getting worse. Police is still kind of fighting with the protesters. There is groups of protesters in different parts of the city. These appear to be the most dramatic here, who sometimes are throwing rocks at the police. They're pulling away street banners and signs. This is after a whole day of confrontation with these policemen, who have been trying to make sure that they don't make it to the National Assembly. So, you see what the cop just said, well, that -- there is flashbangs and there are a lot of teargas canisters being deployed here. He is about to do the same again, just to make sure that they don't get too close.
It's been largely peaceful for most of the day. But, as the evening has worn on, we've seen a bit more of violence from the protesters who've taken aside some of the street signs there and trying to make sure that as the day goes on, they're getting their voices heard. The basis of this is the finance bill, which was proposed by the executive, by President William Ruto's government a few weeks ago. There has been a lot of controversy around it. After huge public outcry, some sections were eliminated. But, these -- that's not enough for these people who are essentially been out of the streets for more than 10 hours. Rahel.
SOLOMON: Yeah. And Larry, as you say, I mean, the government has said that it is willing to change some of the tax bill. As we can see behind you, that doesn't appear to be enough for protesters. Any sense of what happens next, or how long people are willing to continue to protest?
MADOWO: So, some of the anger here is because the finance bill has gone through a procedural vote in the National Assembly a short while ago. It went ahead. So, it's coming up to what is called a Committee of the full House on Tuesday next week. They thought that this would fail after all these protests was on Tuesday and again today. But, that's not happened. And so, that's why you see this extra agitation here. The people on the streets here in Nairobi and other parts of the country want the entire finance bill rejected, not piecemeal changes, as has happened before. They want every single aspect of this law to be taken down. And that is what they're doing here. It's not just in that section.
There is a few more of them. This is a bit more peaceful on this other side and see how far we can get here. These are mostly young people, Gen Zs, who organized on social media to try and get their voices heard. This is the first time in President Ruto's administration that he has seen this much youth-led organizing. He came to power on the back of what he called a hustler government that he understood the plight of the Kenyan people. And these young people here telling him that they're not satisfied and they're overtaxed, and he has got to do something. And many people here blaming the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund specifically for pushing through these very strong taxation measures that are making life difficult for many Kenyans, Rahel.
SOLOMON: Really interesting. Larry Madowo, we appreciate your reporting on the ground there. Of course, be safe. Thank you.
All right. After signing a mutual defense agreement with North Korea, Russian President Vladimir Putin is forging strategic partnerships with Vietnam. Like in Pyongyang, people lined the streets of Hanoi to greet the Russian leader.
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Well, Kremlin says that during discussions with Vietnam's President, they agreed to build a reliable and adequate security structure. The Russian leader also thanked Vietnam for its so- called balanced position on the war in Ukraine. The two countries also signed agreements on oil and gas, nuclear science and education.
Joining us from Seoul, South Korea, is CNN's Mike Valerio. Mike, there is a very specific reason why Putin chose Vietnam for this neighborhood tour of Asia. Let's start there, and how this visit is different than what we saw in North Korea.
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure, Rahel. And in short, he is a welcome houseguest in Vietnam. If we analogize this to basic human relationships, what's going on here in Asia with Vladimir Putin in his neighborhood Asia tour, if you're a pariah, where you live, often what you do in your neighborhood, you go from home to home to check in and say, are we OK? Are things alright, even after something very terrible? Make no mistake that that pariah has done. That certainly happened in North Korea, Rahel, where the day after, we're still dealing with the fallout of all of these headlines and mutual military defense treaty, all the pomp and fanfare in Pyongyang in the center of the city with 100,000 people, up to 100,000 people in Kim Il Sung Square, watching, looking on. So, now, we move to Vietnam, where the environment being houseguest
there, he is welcome, but it's a little bit different, because America is a houseguest. That is welcome there as well. So, it's China. So, we've heard Vladimir Putin's tone, take, of course, with a grain of salt. It's Vladimir Putin for crying out loud. But, he was very incendiary north of the DMZ from where we're listening to him yesterday. In Vietnam, he knows that this is a non-aligned country. He needs as many regional friends as possible, and he has got to tone it down a little bit. Listen to what he told the Vietnamese parliament earlier today.
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VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (Interpreted): While discussing the Asia-Pacific region, we discussed mutual interest in building a reliable and adequate architecture of security based on non-violent methods of dispute resolutions.
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VALERIO: OK. So, he is talking about regional security. He is not, Rahel, talking about, his words, not mine, down with quote unquote, "American imperialism. Enough with America." In very relative terms, he has pretty -- been pretty staid. It makes sense that he is moving from North Korea to Vietnam because of full, up to 70 percent, Rahel, of Vietnam's military hardware comes from one place and one place alone, and that is Russia. Lest we forget all the historical ties that Russia slashed the USSR shares with Vietnam, the USSR, the Soviet Union, one of the first countries in 1950 to recognize North Vietnam, as the Vietnamese were fighting -- the North Vietnamese were fighting the French and the Americans for years, it was the Soviet Union that was the biggest backer of those fighters.
But still, Vietnam wants to court American tech companies. They're moving away from China for supply chain and rule of law concerns. So, bottom line, as we leave you, Rahel, we're going to be watching acutely how Vladimir Putin leaves as a houseguest from Vietnam. Is he going to leave with like a lot of food and coffee and come back soon? Or is President Lam and Vietnam going to say, all right, we'll call you later? Just go now by.
SOLOMON: Take it.
VALERIO: We're not giving you too many things, too many deliverables.
SOLOMON: Yeah.
VALERIO: So, it'll be interesting --
SOLOMON: Well put.
VALERIO: -- to see what happens, Rahel.
SOLOMON: Absolutely. Mike Valerio, appreciate the analogies. They are very helpful. Thank you. All right. Coming up for us. LinkedIn co-founder has a stark warning
for CEOs who support Donald Trump. Coming up, we will explain why Reid Hoffman wants other business leaders to reject the former U.S. President. Plus, the legend, known by many simply as Leo, once again leads Argentina, as they kick off the Copa America tournament in the U.S. Will it be Lionel Messi's swan song on the international stage? We'll be right back.
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[11:40:00]
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. The billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn says the U.S. President Joe Biden is more pro-business than Donald Trump. Reid Hoffman is calling for business leaders to reject Trump's latest presidential bid because of the threat he poses to the rule of law. Hoffman tells CNN that many CEOs supporting Trump are naive about how dangerous he is, and others, he says, are scared to speak up. When asked if he was nervous about Trump hitting back at him, Hoffman said, of course. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REID HOFFMAN, CO-FOUNDER, LINKEDIN: And I literally talked to business leaders who are fearful about speaking out against this because they're fearful of retaliation.
MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Are you concerned that Trump could retaliate against you?
HOFFMAN: Of course I'm concerned.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: All right. Joining us now from New York is CNN's Matt Egan. So, Matt, as we saw there, you spoke to Reid Hoffman. Talk to us a little bit more about what he told you and why he is deciding to speak out.
EGAN: Well, Rahel, I think it's remarkable to hear a billionaire admit that. He is nervous about the former leader of the free world retaliate against him just for speaking his mind. I think it says a lot about where we are right now. Remember, there are some CEOs who were critical of former President Trump, especially after January 6, and they have changed their tune. Right? They're back on the Trump train. Reid Hoffman, who, by the way, is a director at Microsoft, co- founder of LinkedIn, Reid Hoffman, though, is arguing strongly against that. He put out this OpEd recently in The Economist, titled "American business should not empower a criminal."
Now, what's interesting is that Hoffman told me that in the end, Trump is going to hurt Corporate America, really where it hurts the most. And that's the bottom line. He argues that it's Biden who is pro- business and not Trump, because he says that Biden respects the rule of law and Trump does not. It's an interesting argument, especially considering that Trump sees himself as sort of the CEO/President, right? And he has been very pro-business. He has called for lower taxes. He has called for less regulation. He just had a meeting in Washington with a roomful of CEOs, where he said he doesn't just want to extend the 2017 tax cuts. He wants to lower the tax rate even further. Hoffman, though, he argues that none of that matters if there is no rule of law. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOFFMAN: The rule of law is what has made America very special. It has made an environment for business that has been spectacular, a glowing beacon to the entire world. It's the trust that other countries have in us and our system and how we interact, which allows our industries to export and allows the dollar to be the reserve real currency of the world. And that's the reason why Biden is fundamentally, no matter what, more pro-business than Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
EGAN: Fundamentally more pro-business than Trump. At least, that's what Reid Hoffman is arguing. Every chapter of the Trump campaign, they responded by attacking Reid Hoffman, calling him a quote "protege of George Soros", but they did not directly address any of his actual arguments here. At the end of the day, Rahel, listen, this is not going to be up to the CEOs. It's going to be up to the voters. And we do know that how they feel about the economy and who is going to do the best job in terms of everyone's own personal situation financially. That's going to be a major factor in November.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Voters will have a chance to see both men on the debate stage, obviously, a week from today, to make their own assessments. Matt, how would you describe the difference between the two men on their economic proposals, whether it's energy policy, whether it's how they would address inflation?
[11:45:00]
Give us a sense of how they differ economically.
EGAN: Yeah. It's a great question. There are really big contrasts. I mean, notably, one of them is on the tax rate. Right? I mean, as I mentioned, Trump wants to lower the corporate tax rate even further. President Biden, he has called for an increase. That is a major difference and that's one that those CEOs and shareholders care deeply about. Also on energy, clearly, President Biden has been more in favor of clean energy than former President Trump. Trump has talked a lot about drilling more and more oil, although we should note that the U.S. is producing more oil right now than it ever has before, more than any other country on the planet ever has before, under Biden.
I should also talk about their policies around inflation, which is obviously the number one frustration for voters. What's interesting is that Trump has proposed tariffs against China, higher tariffs across the board against all trading partners. And some of the economists I talked to, they worry that that's actually going to make inflation worse.
Another major policy from Trump, of course, is on immigration. Right? He has called for sweeping deportations. And this is -- would come at a time when a lot of businesses, they say they need more workers, not fewer, and that's another policy that some of the economists that I talked to are concerned, could actually make inflation worse. It's fascinating to see the contrast here, and it'll also be fascinating to see which of these economic arguments ends up winning out in November.
SOLOMON: Absolutely. Well said. Matt Egan, thank you.
EGAN: Thanks, Rahel.
SOLOMON: Good interview.
All right. Let's take a quick check of the markets right now. Let's start in the U.S., where markets are green across the board. Would love to see green. Now, the Dow is up about a quarter of a percent, the NASDAQ pretty much flat, and the S&P up as well, but green is green. We'll take the W (ph), right? And let's take a look in Europe, where markets are also higher, FTSE 100 up almost a percent, same for the DAX, CAC 40 1.4 percent, let's call it. Asian markets are a bit more mixed.
All right. Still to come, remembering a baseball legend. When the Giants and Cardinals meet in Alabama tonight, a tribute game will carry extra significance following the death of Willie Mays. Ryan.
RYAN YOUNG, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Yes. This is huge in Birmingham, Alabama, Major League Baseball back and they're going to honor one of the biggest sluggers of all time. My best story coming up in a live report.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. Will this be Lionel Messi's last stance with Argentina? The Copa America tournament kicks off tonight in Atlanta, Georgia, and it could be the final major international tournament for the legendary football star. Leo and his mates will take on Canada, and Argentina are once again the favorite, as they try to win and for a record-breaking 16th time. It'll be a tall mountain to climb for underdog Canada and its captain Alphonso Davis -- Davies. The tournament is being played outside South America for just the second time in its 108-year-history.
Let's go to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium to sign up tonight's game, and our Patrick Snell. Patrick, as we talked about earlier, Argentina the favorites here. But, walk us through some of the other contenders
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Hi there, Rahel. Yeah. Just over eight hours to go to kickoff ahead of the tournament open of the famed Copa America, a tournament that dates all the way back to 1916.
[11:50:00]
It is steeped in history. We're expecting around 70,000 fans packed inside here at the Mercedes-Benz for Argentina. The Albiceleste taking on Canada, are the contenders potentially down the line. We shall see. Uruguay, a youthful team. I liked the look of them. They also won this tournament 15 times. And then you've got Colombia, the Cafetero, for the 23 match unbeaten streak as well. They look as though they may well be a threat here.
But, of course, look no further, I believe all things Argentina. They won this one in 2021. They are the reigning world champions as well. And the thousands turning up tonight will be hoping to get a glimpse, more than a glimpse of a certain Lionel Messi. Remember, he caused quite a stir worldwide when he didn't play in a Major League Soccer fixture here last year when his Inter Miami team were taking on Atlanta United. That was due to a muscle fatigue, we were told. He sat down and went out.
But, we've got this incredible video of absolutely ecstatically excited Argentina fans. This was more than 24 hours out ahead of kickoff. Outside the Argentine team hotel right in the heart of downtown Atlanta, talk about excitement. Fans have been trying to catch a glimpse of the players training as well. Remember, these players are absolute icons in their homeland as well. So, you've got that scenario. You've got the Messi factor in play, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, World Cup winner. He has won the Copa America. The pressure is off in terms of his career, and this could well be his final international competition for his country. Bear that in mind.
That's something that was put to the Albiceleste head coach Lionel Scaloni, only when he was asked about the prospect of Messi, and another great, Angel Di Maria, playing together for their country, the major event for the last time. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIONEL SCALONI, ARGENTINA MANAGER (Interpreted): We are fine with clear ideas and knowing how difficult this tournament is. We will try as always to do our best and what we believe is the best for the team at this moment in time. It will be a very difficult Copa America, as it always is. So, we are prepared for what is to come.
ALPHONSO DAVIES, CANADA CAPTAIN: I think we prepared well for this game, and our mindset is strong. We're going out there playing against the World Cup champions and that's motivation for us, and obviously, just to win this game and then try to move on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: Yeah. There'll be a lot of scrutiny on Alphonso Davies, the Bayern Munich star. Canada are tournament debutants, and they'll be lucky to put on a show, Rahel, in more ways than one. Why? Because they're also one of three co-hosts for the men's 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be played in Canada, in the United States, and in Mexico as well. I do feel it's going to be a very tough task against Argentina and they may well find goals hard to come by. Back to you.
SOLOMON: All right. A lot to watch. Patrick Snell live for us in Atlanta. Patrick, thank you. All right. Sticking with sports now, the legacy of the "Say Hey Kid"
will be honored tonight at the oldest professional ballpark in America. Just two days ago, Major League Baseball lost one of its most illustrious stars, Willie Mays. The MLB had already planned to honor players from the Negro Leagues at tonight's game, and Mays' native state of Alabama at Rickwood Field. That is where a teenage Mays once roamed the outfield for the Birmingham Black Barons and tonight's matchup between Mays' beloved San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals will now serve as a National Remembrance for Mays.
Our Ryan Young is live for us in Birmingham, Alabama, with more on what is sure to be a memorable tribute. Ryan, walk us through what we can expect to see tonight.
YOUNG: Yeah. Absolutely. I heard all the energy in that last report. So, Rahel, we thought about this. Look, there is a lot of star power that's headed to Birmingham, Alabama. And if you think about it, yes, Atlanta has professional sports all day long. This is huge for not only the state, but for the city. That's the field down there, Rickwood Field, it's so important. That's the oldest baseball stadium that's left. It was built in 1910. So, you understand the history there. And then, when you put in the fact that one of the greatest players in baseball history grew up near here, Willie Mays mean so much to this community.
We talked to the mayor. We've talked to people who've flown in from all across the country, who wanted to be a part of this celebration. At last check, the tickets for this game were averaging about $2,600 that were left on the open market. You understand. People understand. This will be a part of history. They want to be here to recognize this man who had an all-star life as well. He served two years in the military, but he also crushed a lot of homeruns while he was in the major leagues. Take a listen to one of the greatest managers of all time talking about Willie Mays.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE TORRE, MLB HALL OF FAMER: Willie loved the game. I mean, it was evidenced by the fact that when he played in an all-star game, he batted first and played the whole game, because he knew people wanted to see him.
[11:55:00]
And it was exciting. Never needed a coach because his head was on a swivel all the time when he ran the bases.
DOUG EMHOFF, SECOND GENTLEMAN: I'm old enough to have actually seen him play. My dad took me to see him when he was on the match. (Inaudible) go down as not even arguably, the greatest baseball player of all time. Yes, it's a loss, but it's almost poetic to have him pass literally the night before this incredible event. I'm looking at the Willie Mays Pavilion as we speak, surrounded by all these legends who held him in such high esteem. So, he is a hero.
(END VIDEO CLIP) YOUNG: Yeah. Our passion for sports all around the world is amazing. You have people who really don't forget being a kid and their first time being introduced to one of the heroes. So, you understand this connection is pretty strong. Rahel.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Great to see his contributions and his influence really being recognized there in a really important state. Ryan Young, I think the last time I saw you was in Birmingham, Alabama, for professional convention. So, good to see --
YOUNG: Absolutely.
SOLOMON: -- you back, my friend. Good to see, Ryan. All right. Thank you.
All right, and thank you. We know your time is money. So, thanks for spending some time with me today. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York. Stick with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is coming up next.
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