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Trump's Running Mate Tease; Biden and Trump Get Ready for CNN Presidential Debate; Biden Spends Two Full Days at Camp David; U.S. Debt Not Being Addressed; 52 Killed or Missing After Israel Strikes Saturday; Israel Defense Minister Heads to U.S.; 250M Plus across U.S. to Experience Temps above 90F this Week; Death Toll Mounts at Hajj Pilgrimage; Whelan Speaks from Russian Prison; Russia Cruise Missile Strike on Kyiv; Fourth Victim Dies After Arkansas Store Shooting; DRC Help Children Cope of War by Playing Chess; Prince William Celebrates Birthday at Taylor Swift Concert. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired June 23, 2024 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[04:00:00]
LIEV SCHREIBER, HOST, VIOLENT EARTH WITH LIEV SCHREIBER: A miracle. It was a Craigslist post from a stranger over 50 miles away who had found a photograph in their yard. It was a picture sucked up by the tornado. A baby photo of Amber, the only one to survive. The woman mailed it back to Amber along with $5, all she could afford, but wanted to give to help Amber start her life over.
For more information on what you can do in a tornado, and what you can do to help combat the growing climate crisis, go to cnn.com/violentearth. I'm Liev Schreiber. Thanks for watching. Good night.
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom."
Donald Trump says he has chosen his running mate, details. Plus, how he and Joe Biden are getting ready for the CNN Debate in a matter of days.
Israel's defense minister is heading to the U.S. amid claims that Washington is withholding military aid and fears that tensions between Israel and Hezbollah could escalate further.
And what Britain's Prince William's visit to a Taylor Swift concert says about the music star's popularity far from home.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber."
BRUNHUBER: Well, we're only four days away now from the CNN presidential debate, while U.S. President Joe Biden continues to prepare with advisers. His challenger, Donald Trump, hit the campaign trail. The Republican addressed Thursday's showdown at a campaign stop in Philadelphia before teasing his vice-presidential pick. CNN's Steve Contorno has more.
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STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: We have been hearing in recent days that Donald Trump has narrowed his shortlist of VP contenders to Senator J. D. Vance of Ohio, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. Well, now, Trump says that he knows who he is going to pick, he's just not letting anyone know it yet.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In my mind, yes.
CONTORNO: Do they know? Do they know?
TRUMP: No, nobody knows.
CONTORNO: Those remarks came during a full day of campaigning by Former President Donald Trump, who's not studying behind closed doors ahead of next week's debate, nor is he holding mock debate sessions. Instead, he spent the morning at a Christian conservative conference in Washington, D.C. before moving on to a campaign rally in Philadelphia.
There, though, he did tease his upcoming debate with President Joe Biden.
TRUMP: As you know, it's been reported that right now, Crooked Joe's gone to a log cabin to study, prepare. No, he didn't it. He's sleeping now. Because they want to get him good and strong, so a little before debate time, he gets a shot in the ass. And that's -- they want to strengthen him up. So, he comes out. He'll come out. OK. I say he'll come out all jacked up, right? All jacked up.
CONTORNO: Trump has been holding informal debate prep sessions with some of his advisers and some of his potential vice-presidential picks, sand he has a pretty open schedule heading into Thursday's debate.
Steve Contorno, CNN, Philadelphia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Our recent poll numbers out of Pennsylvania show what makes the state so important. A survey by Marist shows Trump with a slight lead over the president, 47 percent to 45. Now, this is a state Biden narrowly won back in 2020, but the poll is also the latest to show has declined among black voters. Well, President Biden maintains a sizable lead, 68 percent compared to 23 percent. Keep in mind, Biden won 92 percent of that vote four years ago.
Meanwhile, Biden continues his intense preparations with advisers at Camp David. The president and his team are pouring over briefing biners and holding mock debate sessions. One Democratic congressman who ran against Biden in the democratic primaries in 2020 shared some advice on CNN earlier.
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REP. SETH MOULTON (D-MA): Joe Biden needs to come into this and just show Americans that he's in control, he's competent, he's a normal guy. And that's such a contrast to the convicted felon he's running against. This is not a time for zingers or zealotry. Biden just needs to show confidence, command of the facts and command of his really impressive record in contrast to Trump's criminal record. That's what Biden does well. He just comes across as the ordinary guy you can sit down and have a milkshake with, that's what we need to see from Joe Biden on the debate stage.
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BRUNHUBER: Here is. CNN's Kevin Liptak with more details on how the president's getting ready.
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KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Biden has now spent two full days at Camp David in this intensive preparation for the first presidential debate on Thursday. The way officials describe this going is it will begin with some informal discussions among his aides, looking through these binders that his team has prepared that sort of crystallize the policy differences between himself and Former President Trump.
[04:05:00]
It has some potential questions, some potential answers. His team will sort of bat those around, discuss potential retorts, zingers, responses to what they fully expect will be a barrage of attacks from Trump over the course of this debate, both on President Biden's policy, but also on his fitness for office and even on his family. And certainly, they want to be ready for anything that Trump throws in their direction.
Eventually, this preparation will culminate in mock debates, you know, these 90-minute sessions behind a podium as if the debate were really happening. And it has been interesting that we have heard from Bob Bauer. He's the president's personal attorney who actually played Trump in these mock debates back in 2020. He has described getting into that character in preparation for these practice sessions. Listen to what he said.
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BOB BAUER, JOE BIDEN' PERSONAL LAWYER: Whenever you do this, you want to strike a balance between trying to approximate the experience, but it's not an opportunity for theatrics. That's a distraction. So, you want to find some balance between recreating the experience and not attempting to, if you will, audition for "Saturday Night Live."
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LIPTAK: So, you hear Bob Bauer there describing less of an impersonation, more of a character study as they work to get Biden prepared for whatever may come his way from Trump. Now, Bauer is just one of quite a large team of advisers who will be at Camp David this week participating in the preparatory sessions.
It's all being led by Ron Klain, who is President Biden's former chief of staff, but perhaps more importantly, he is the most seasoned Democratic debate coach. He has done this for President Obama. He did it for Hillary Clinton as well. And he is coming into this sort of with the frame of reference -- historical reference for how these debate preparations will go.
The president also has, you know, senior members of his team who have been with him for a long time, people like Mike Donilon, Anita Dunn, the messaging gurus at the White House and campaign, he has policy advisers like Bruce Reed and Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, and then senior members from his campaign, Jen O'Malley Dillon, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Cedric Richmond, people who have been with the president for a while, but also some new faces Quentin Fulks, Michael Tyler, Rob Flaherty, trying to bring as much perspective to this debate preparation as they can.
Now, ordinarily presidents when they're at Camp David like to get outside a little bit. The weather this weekend there was very hot. High of 98 degrees on Saturday. So, I think those preparations will likely be transpiring indoors, but certainly very intensive for the next several days.
Kevin Liptak, CNN, Washington.
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BRUNHUBER: And tune in to the "CNN Presidential Debate" right here, Thursday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time. And it will replay the candidates face off in its entirety a couple of different times. You can watch it on Friday, June 28th at 7:00 a.m. London time. That's 2:00 in the afternoon in Hong Kong or 12 hours later at 7:00 in the evening in London and at 10:00 p.m. in Abu Dhabi.
Well, the economy is likely to factor big in the debate, but some are concerned that neither candidate is addressing one major issue. Right now, the U.S. national debt stands at a little under $35 trillion. Now, that comes out to more than $103,000 for every man, woman, and child in the country. And you see it on the screen there, growing in real-time. Tens of thousands of dollars every second.
The Peter G. Peterson Foundation describes itself as a nonpartisan organization dedicated to addressing America's long-term fiscal challenges, and its website is one of several places where you can see the debt increase just like that.
Meanwhile, it's becoming tougher and tougher for Americans to carry on with their spending spree. Years of elevated inflation and the highest interest rates in almost a quarter century are wearing out the U.S. consumer. Retailers say shoppers are fed up with rising prices and are changing their purchasing behavior.
All right. joining me now is Ryan Patel, senior fellow at Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University. Thank you so much for staying up for us. So, on the debt, I mean, $35 trillion. That number is so big, it's abstract. I mean, how worried should we be and how can it affect us day to day, do you think?
RYAN PATEL, SENIOR FELLOW, DRUCKER SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, CLAREMONT GRADUATE UNIVERSITY: Well, I mean, there's a couple of things, right. And that is abstract because what's an extra trillion that keeps getting added because he keeps growing at it.
BRUNHUBER: Among friends, yes, yes.
PATEL: Yes. You know, it keeps growing. And I think part of it, there's a couple of things. I've got to address the first thing about how to handle the debt, right? It's the national debt requires a bipartisan cooperation. So, that's kind of why the consumers don't really see it because we've seen both parties haven't come together. You mentioned both Biden and Trump not really addressing it because they really can't do it alone.
[04:10:00]
I think when it comes to the average American, you know, if the debt continues to increase and the U.S. economy doesn't keep up with it, right? The whole point is that you make money, you spend money, right? You spend money to make investments. But if it slows down and there's a gap, then it puts economic pressures that are not being addressed and it leads to economic downturns, the consumer spending would reduce, and it would lead to these kinds of cycles where there's decrease in business revenue and interest rates are not helping.
And so, it does play into the fact if the GDP of the U.S. can't keep up with that, and I think that's where, you know, why the focus probably on the conversation, Kim, is how to boost the economy where you can still have that type of debt.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, you mentioned, I mean, it's a bipartisan issue, but neither party talking about it. I mean, it seems, you know, so long ago now that we'd see heated debates over the debt. I mean, you had those Republican, especially debt hawks really fighting over the issue. It doesn't seem to be anything that either party is really talking about. Do you think it'll come up during the presidential debate?
PATEL: I don't think it'll come up in the presidential debate. But you know when it will come up, Kim? You and I talked about it. Every time we get to the budget deadline, every time there's a deadline, we start talking about it because both parties try to do it, right? There was -- the last one was the statutory cap, how much they can borrow. So, there's a limit Congress pass.
Then you think of most of 2017, Trump's tax cut will expire around 2025. So, what does that mean? The conversations has to come. Do I hope that this conversation comes in the debate, Kim? I absolutely do, but it's a lot more multifaceted to -- toward both of them to talk about it because it really needs both parties to come together because they both, as Congress, need to either increase the cap, and you and I know then the government shuts down and they don't really get to that cap because then there's no money.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Unlikely that people are able to come together. It's so hard in Washington as we've seen. So, speaking of debt. Americans themselves usually carry a huge amount of debt, but it seems as though they might be set to curb their spending this summer. Why is that?
PATEL: Yes, I think we've seen the numbers when you think of the CPI index, the big purchases are still -- they were there six months ago, but they're starting to slow down. I also think that shelter and housing and that rise of cost is rising. So, people are choosing what they have. And there has been a drop in savings as well.
So, we put all that together, people start to kind of realize where should they put their money. Although, you know, there's some other instances where travel is still up. So, people are still spending money, but they're using their money in different aspects. And that hurts the big purchases where the U.S. economy and consumer spending, two-thirds of where the GDP comes from, it hurts that degree. So, I think people are starting to feel that.
And also, interest rates are high, Kim. So, if you're carrying a credit card debt, it adds up really, really quickly. So, people choose, hopefully, they're not wanting to take out more debt when the interest rate is this high.
BRUNHUBER: So, is that a good thing, do you think, cutting personal debts and cutting overspending, or should we sort of see it as a cloud on the economic horizon?
PATEL: Well, there's two questions there. One as a personal, you know, you obviously want to have more income and have less debt. But the second part of that question, which I think you're asking me is that does make an impact on businesses, because businesses are waiting on a sign. Do they use the cash? Do they invest it? Do they hire? Do they grow? This all plays in the fact that there's not that stability of where the money should be going. And that, Kim, is the kind of crystal ball and why the Fed is so important of saying, well, there's only one Fed increase this year. So, that keeps me interested. It's going to be still higher.
And what does that growth look like then, Kim, next year? Does it grow faster or is it still slowly and steady? And that does make an impact when it comes to the markets, the people and you and me.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. All right. So, listen, you talked about the crystal ball. Big picture, what kind of economy are we looking at then as we sort of round the corner to the elections? I mean, polls show that economy is the number one issue for voters, and to some extent, how the economy is doing may decide the presidency.
PATEL: Well, I think the numbers will -- the facts will behind it that the economy will be growing. But, Kim, there's a second piece to this, how are people feeling when they vote, right? Do they see prices raising, do those kinds of things, even though the economy could be doing well, but because certain ecosystems don't -- can't feel it, you know, what do you have you done for me lately? That'll be the big question coming into November, unfortunately.
So, regardless of what you've done the last couple years, it's going to be how are you feeling at that moment? And we're starting to feel some of that tension coming through the summer.
BRUNHUBER: All right. Listen, great to talk to you as always. Ryan Patel, thanks so much.
PATEL: Thank you. Kim
[04:15:00]
BRUNHUBER: Fifty-two people were killed or are missing after Israeli strikes near Gaza City on Saturday. Now, those numbers come from the Hamas controlled Gaza government media office. This, what you're looking at there, is the aftermath of a strike on a residential block in the Al-Shati Refugee Camp. The Israeli military says its jets struck Hamas military infrastructure in the area. One rescue worker told CNN the airstrike felt like an earthquake. Now, this comes one day after the International Committee of the Red Cross says a strike in a supposed safe zone killed at least 22 people.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is reiterating the importance of Israel's relations with the U.S. He's about to travel to Washington to meet with senior American officials. Ahead of the trip, he said the U.S. is Israel's most important ally.
CNN's Elliott Gotkine joins us now from London with more. So, Elliott, Israel's defense minister heads to Washington in the context of not just the war on Hamas, but also with the conflict with Hezbollah heating up.
ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Very much so, Kim. Indeed, it was wheels up for Israel's defense minister, Yoav Gallant, last night. As you say, he'll be meeting with senior officials, among them U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Amos Hochstein. Before boarding the plane last night, Yoav Gallant addressed reporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YOAV GALLANT, ISRAELI MINISTER OF DEFENSE (through translator): During these meetings, I plan to discuss developments on the southern and northern fronts in Gaza and Lebanon. These discussions are particularly important and impactful at this time. We are prepared for any action that may be required in Gaza, Lebanon, and in additional areas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOTKINE: And so, of course, they will be discussing the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas and, of course, the ceasefire plan from President Biden, which he says Israel has signed off on and which doesn't appear to be making any progress. This ceasefire, obviously designed to cut off result in a lull in a pause in hostilities and also, of course, return of hostages and a surge in humanitarian aid. They'll also be discussing a point which became a little bit even more controversial this week when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly criticized the United States for holding back on the supply of some weapons. Indeed, in an interview, saying that only, in his words, a trickle of U.S. aid had been getting through the U.S. to Israel. Yoav Gallant will be discussing that with the United States, whose response seems to have been that they don't really know what Netanyahu was talking about on that front. They'll also be discussing, as you say, the tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, the militia backed by Iran in Lebanon.
Now, things started heating up there the day after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks of October the 7th, with Hezbollah firing on Israel. There have been daily tit for tat strikes ever since then. You've seen tens of thousands of people in Northern Israel displaced and also, even more people displaced from their homes in Southern Lebanon.
The situation, Israel says, cannot continue. And there's been certainly an escalation in the war of words as well with Yoav Gallant himself warning that Lebanon would, in his words, be effectively bombed back to the stone age if all-out war were to ensue. Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, saying that nowhere in Israel would be safe in the event of all-out war.
So, the U.S. very much trying to de-escalate tensions. Indeed, Amos Hochstein, the U.S. Special Envoy, was in both Israel and Lebanon this week to try to do so. But even this morning, we've seen an explosive laden drone coming from Lebanon over into Israel, which Israel failed to intercept. No casualties, but some damage done to a settlement, to an Israeli village in the northern part of the country. So, no sign of tensions de-escalating there.
Indeed, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying that one rash move, either by Hezbollah or by Israel, could set off, in his words, a catastrophe. Kim.
BRUNHUBER: All right. And then, Elliott, there were protests that took place in several cities. So, take us through the point the demonstrators were hoping to make.
GOTKINE: Look, they've been making the same point every week for months now, Kim, which is they want the Israeli government to do everything humanly possible to get the hostages who were kidnapped on October the 7th in that Hamas-led terrorist attack back into Israel.
Now, it's believed that there are still 116 hostages who were kidnapped that day, about a third of whom are already believed to be dead. And what the protesters have been saying on a weekly basis in Tel Aviv and other cities across Israel is they want the government to do more, to make it a priority to bring those hostages home.
Now, it took on added poignancy on Saturday night when it was actually the birthday of Naama Levy. Now, she was in a viral video on October the 7th being seen being dragged by her hair at gunpoint with bloodied sweatpants before being bundled into a jeep and driven off. It was her birthday on Saturday and her parents addressed the crowd in Tel Aviv, not just trying to address Naama herself, wishing her a happy birthday, but also reiterating that the only way to get all of those hostages back into Israel is to do a deal with Hamas. Kim.
[04:20:00]
BRUNHUBER: All right. Elliott Gotkine in London. Thanks so much.
And new controversy from the West Bank. The Israeli military says its troops drove a vehicle with a wounded Palestinian man tied to its hood. Now, you can see it in this video from the Palestinian Red Crescent. The group's crews say they were prevented from providing first aid to the man.
In a statement, the IDF says the wounded man was a suspect apprehended after an exchange of fire. The Israelis say the troops who did this violated orders and standard operating procedure. The man's current condition and identity is unknown.
Well, the sweltering heat isn't letting up in the U.S. Just ahead, the latest forecast on who might finally get some relief.
Plus, hundreds die from sweltering heat at this year's Hajj Pilgrimage. What witnesses tell CNN about what happened at one of the world's largest religious gatherings, that's ahead. Stay with us.
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[04:25:00]
BRUNHUBER: A dangerous heat wave continues to bring record breaking temperatures across the U.S. On Saturday, Washington, D.C. topped triple digits for the first time in eight years, and there's no sign of the heat letting up. The National Weather Service said temperatures in the upper 90s and even triple digits will be possible in the nation's capital this week.
More than 100 million people in the U.S., including those in major cities like New York and Philadelphia, are under heat alerts through the weekend. Now, today's expected high in New York's Central Park is 95. And for the first time this year, the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for New York City. CNN's Polo Sandoval is there.
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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For another consecutive day, millions of Americans throughout the northeast are just trying to get by beating this heat with the threat of triple digit temperatures in some parts of the country here. The National Weather Service, issuing heat advisories for roughly 100 million people.
And you could see some of the youngest ones trying to, at least, beat the heat at this water feature in Brooklyn. Really the best place if you're in the water, it might be on the water because of the prolonged nature of this weather event, which is why emergency officials in cities throughout the northeast are issuing those warnings and those recommendations for people, not just to stay hydrated, to stay cool, but also take care of what could be perhaps the most vulnerable people.
Because of the heat and humidity combination, there are certainly -- there's a segment of the population that may not be able to actually deal with this kind of weather. In Washington, D.C., the -- as the temperature gets closer to triple digits, the mayor there extending a heat emergency the rest of the weekend, potentially into next week. Here in New York, though, we're going to continue to see temperatures, according to the forecast, in the 90s, if not higher for the rest of the weekend and potentially into next week.
So, again, the best place to be, if not indoors and air conditioning, at least in the water or on the water.
Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: The northeast isn't alone in its suffering, as large portions of the U.S. could experience record high temperatures this week. CNN Meteorologist Elisa Raffa has the latest forecast.
ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, a lot of the U.S. is going to be sweltering in heat as we go through the next couple of days, more than 80 percent of the lower 48, that's 250 million people are looking at high temperatures over 90 degrees. We're looking at hundreds of records falling. More than 250 records could fall both daytime highs and overnight lows. And it looks like we'll find even more records on the overnight as we really just get no relief even at night.
Temperatures on Sunday will swelter middle and upper 90s. 97 degrees in Little Rock. Triple digits possible in Oklahoma City. 99 in Dallas. 98 in Atlanta. 96 in Raleigh. Temperatures in middle and upper 90s going up the I-95 Corridor. 98 degrees, the forecast for Washington, D.C. It looks like we'll get up near 100 again on Sunday for places like Philly, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia. A lot of these places have not seen 100-degree temperatures in years.
And as you take a look at the next couple of days after that, you notice by Monday and Tuesday, temperatures do start to come down a little bit, some middle and upper 80s. We'll find a cold front come through that will briefly bring some relief. Notice though, some low 90s already sneaking in there by Tuesday.
So, the heat risk will be major again from New York to D.C., down the I-95 corridor into the Carolinas on Sunday. Then as we go into the work week, that heat dome will continue to linger and build. We'll find extreme impacts across a lot of the south.
BRUNHUBER: Well, as the death toll mounts from the scorching heat at this year's Hajj Pilgrimage, witnesses are describing what they say was poor infrastructure and organization at the event. They tell CNN there wasn't enough water, shade, or medical support to protect them as temperatures climbed past 125 degrees Fahrenheit. They also say worshippers lost consciousness and fell ill. CNN has reached out to Saudi authorities regarding the reportedly inadequate response, we have yet to hear back.
The daughter of two Americans who died while on the pilgrimage say both of her parents likely succumbed to the brutal heat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SADIA WURIE, BOTH PARENTS DIED DURING HAJJ PILGRIMAGE: Someone from the U.S. embassy did advise that natural causes could have been due to a heat stroke, which, based on the temperature, people were saying it was over 110 degrees. There are millions of people. They have to walk long hours. So, it was more than likely a heat stroke for both of my parents.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: More than 500 people have been confirmed dead, while there are fears the death toll is well above 1,000.
American Paul Whelan speaks out after speaking 2,000 -- spending 2,000 days and counting in a Russian prison. His message, it's time to up the ante to get him and another American released. We'll have that and more coming up. Stay with us.
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[04:30:00]
BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom."
We're days away from the first presidential debate of 2024, and it happens right here on CNN. U.S. President Joe Biden continues to prepare with advisers by holding mock debate sessions and planning for personal smears.
Meanwhile, his challenger, Donald Trump, hit the campaign trail on Saturday with back-to-back events. The Republican addressed Thursday's showdown at his campaign stop in Philadelphia before teasing his vice- presidential choice.
Now, the Democratic National Convention Committee says it will allow content creators to apply for media credentials. Organizers say this will be the first time in history that content creators will be able to report on the national convention alongside more traditional media. It's a move to reach young voters who tend to get their news from non- traditional sources.
According to a Harvard Institute of Politics Survey, 25 percent of those aged 18 to 29 get their news from YouTube. Another 25 percent get news from Instagram and 23 percent from TikTok. Only 22 percent say they watch local news.
We're getting word of a new Russian strike on Ukraine's capital, which reportedly left two people injured. Officials say Kyiv was struck with one cruise missile earlier today, but Ukrainian air defenses shot down two others. It happened hours after Russia hit the City of Kharkiv with guided bombs, leaving at least three people dead and more than 50 injured. Explosions tore through this five-story apartment building, leaving much of it in shambles.
Guided bombs are Soviet era dumb weapons that Russia is now converting into precision missiles. They can weigh up to one and a half tons, and Ukraine's president says they've been raining down on his country. Here he is.
[04:35:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Just since the beginning of this June, Russians have used more than 2,400 guided aerial bombs on Ukraine, including about 700 on the Kharkiv region, on our positions, on our cities, and communities in the Kharkiv region. Russian strikes are also carried out in the Donetsk region and our other frontline and border regions daily.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin marked the anniversary of the Nazi invasion on the former Soviet Union. He laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier just outside the Kremlin on Saturday.
Germany launched its Operation Barbarossa on June 22, 1941, unleashing the most powerful invasion force ever seen. The Soviet Union lost around 27 million people in World War II, more than any other country. Putin, of course, uses that war to justify his invasion of Ukraine, portraying it as a continuation of Russia's existential struggle.
Paul Whelan says the U.S. should give Moscow a dose of its own medicine to get him and other Americans released from Russian prison. He gave an exclusive interview to CNN after marking 2,000 days behind bars. Whelan, who is also an Irish, British, and Canadian citizen, spoke by phone with CNN's Jennifer Hansler from a remote prison camp southeast of Moscow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT REPORTER: Paul Whelan seemed incredibly disheartened and in disbelief at the fact that he has spent five and a half years now in Russian detention. He called it an incredible amount of time, noting that for high school, for example, for college, you're there for four years. So, five and a half years. This far surpasses the time you would spend for those major life events.
And he is calling on the U.S. government to take decisive action to bring home both himself and detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has also been deemed wrongfully detained. He says he thinks the U.S. government is taking his case seriously, but he wants them to take it more seriously.
And he told me some steps that he thinks could show that they are taking decisive action on his case. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL WHELAN, AMERICAN, PRISONER IN RUSSIA: The U.S. needs to go out and do something, you know, fill up Guantanamo Bay with Russian officials, arrest Russian spies, do something that makes the Kremlin sit up and take notice and say, OK, yes, right. Now, it's time that we're going to get Evan and Paul back and then we want back what you've, you know, got of ours, and we'll call it a day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANSLER: Now, Whelan said that until the U.S. government takes these steps, he believes Russia will continue to detain other Americans. We have seen a number of Americans arrested in Russia in recent months. Now, the U.S. government, on their part, has put forward what they describe as a substantial and serious proposal to secure both Evan and Paul's release from Russia. To this point, the Russians have not accepted that proposal, and we don't even know if they are actually seriously considering it.
Now, as this is going on, Paul remains in this remote labor colony out in Mordovia, Russia. That's about a day's drive from Moscow, and he describes the situation there as grim. He told me that conditions are very poor. This is how he described them to me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHELAN: Everything is dusty and dirty and nasty. And, you know, you do everything you can just to stay cool and just to stay clean. The food we're served is horrible. You know, we really do rely on personal purchases to stay healthy. You know, medical care is nil. There is no dental care at all. It's -- you know, it's the worst environment you can imagine. I mean, it's unbelievable that anyone could even consider this human rights. It's nothing that you can get used to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANSLER: So, he is calling on the U.S. government to do whatever they can to bring him home and bring his ordeal to an end.
Jennifer Hansler, CNN, Washington.
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BRUNHUBER: Police in Arkansas say a fourth person has died after a mass shooting in a grocery store on Friday. Nine others were wounded, including two police officers in the small town of Fordyce. The daughter of 63-year-old Shirley Kay Taylor says their family is completely lost after her death. She told CNN that Taylor was a great person and the hardest working woman she knew. The alleged gunman was injured in a shootout with police and taken into custody. Prosecutors say he's set to appear in court on Monday.
Well, disturbing crime outside Dallas, Texas, where a woman is accused of making racist statements and trying to kill a toddler. Police charged Elizabeth Wolf with attempted capital murder and injury to a child after they say she tried to drown a three-year-old in an apartment complex swimming pool. According to a press release, Wolf had been asking the victim's mother where she was from.
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Wolf then tried grabbing the woman's six-year-old son, who got away, before grabbing her three-year-old daughter and forcing her underwater. Police say Wolf made racially insensitive comments about the mother not being an American. Both children have been cleared by medical personnel.
An initiative in the Democratic Republic of Congo is taking what might seem an unusual approach to helping children cope with war by playing chess. We'll have that and more when we come back. Please stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: A satellite developed by France and China was launched into space in a notable show of unity between China and the west. A Chinese rocket carrying the satellite took off from a base in the Sichuan Province on Saturday. It'll be used to study massive explosions and gamma ray bursts in space, which could lead to a better understanding of the history and evolution of the universe.
Well, chess is more than just a pastime for some kids in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As CNN's Larry Madowo reports, it's helping displaced children there cope with the debilitating effects of war.
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LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Children at this camp for internally displaced people in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo huddle around a plastic covered square on the ground. They are learning to play chess. To focus on strategy and rules and take a mental break from the trauma of war.
The founder of "Chess in the City" says the game brings these children peace of mind.
AKILI BASHIGE LWENDA, "CHESS IN CITY" PROGRAM FOUNDER (through translator): When a young person grows up and lives in a state of displacement, they will soon spend more than two years in these camps. Their intelligence will focus much more directly on the war. So, we want to break that. We want to break this infernal cycle. Finally, by occupying their minds because chess eliminates stress, it manages stress, and it gives people the opportunity to find peaceful solutions to problems.
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MADOWO (voice-over): The children living in this camp near Goma are among the 6 million people displaced by decades of grinding conflict between the Congolese army and insurgent groups. Chess players from Goma provide weekly lessons to the children. And the director of the association running the camp says it has transformed their lives.
CLAUDE BWENGE, "FOCUS CONGO" ASSOCIATION DIRECTOR (through translator): These children were scattered. They were playing dangerous games. But since we started this activity here, you can see for yourself how very, very concentrated they are. They're so interested, so concentrated. We tell ourselves it was worth it.
MADOWO (voice-over): The program founder says the ultimate goal is to train these young players to compete around the world. One small move at a time, chess is giving Congolese children a chance at a better future.
Larry Madowo, CNN.
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BRUNHUBER: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is in London drawing a number of British celebrities to Wembley Stadium, including Prince William dancing like no one's watching. We'll have more on that coming up soon.
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BRUNHUBER: When in Italy during a heat wave, do as the Italians do, in the Sicilian capital of Palermo, beachgoers sought relief from scorching temperatures brought on by an intense heat wave. The Italian Ministry of Health issued a red alert for several Sicilian cities, including Palermo, last Friday. The Mediterranean has been struggling with unbearably high temperatures, with countries like Portugal and Greece battling forest fires sparked by the heat.
A temple in Southern India is now using a mechanical elephant for its rituals. It's 10 feet tall and remarkably lifelike, as you can see there. It was donated by the people for the ethical treatment of animals in recognition of the temple's decision to stop using live elephants in its ceremonies. Despite local laws aimed at protecting the creatures, they often suffer in captivity. There have been cases in the past of elephants used for rituals, running amok, damaging property, and injuring or even killing people.
Hundreds of people flocked to Rio de Janeiro to celebrate the International Day of Yoga. Yogis gathered at Copacabana Beach on sunrise on Saturday to greet the dawn. It was the 18th edition of Yoga at Sunrise, which organizers say is a blend of music, connection with nature, and self-knowledge. The U.N. declared June 21st International Yoga Day in 2014 after it adopted a measure proposed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Venezuela scored twice in the space of 10 minutes to get a 2-1 victory over Ecuador in their Copa America opener. Ecuador played most of the match with 10 men after captain Enner Valencia was shown the red card for a high boot. Still, Ecuador went ahead just before halftime, then Venezuela substitutes Salomon Rondon and Eduard Bello struck the equalizer and go-ahead goal in the 64th and 74th minutes, and Ecuador had no answer.
Well, there was a slate of action at Euro 2024 on Saturday with Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal progressing to the knockout round. World Sports Patrick Snell has the latest.
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PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Well, Portugal have now become the third country to reach the last 16 of the Euros, emulating Spain and the host Germany, Cristiano Ronaldo and co. having no problems at all on Saturday getting past Turkey.
Pick up the action, 21 minutes on the clock, Portugal ahead in Dortmund as Bernardo Silva opens the scoring in the packed Hallenstadion, a classy finish for the opener.
And just minutes later, what is going on here? A kilometer zone goal doubling Portugal's lead. What is the Turkish defender Samet Akaydin up to there? The Fenerbahce player not even looking as he attempts the back pass, which easily beats the Turkish keeper, who's helpless. 2- nil Portugal. And the Portuguese rounding out the scoring in style to seal the 3-nil win early in the second half.
It looks like Cristiano Ronaldo was certain to score, but instead, he selfishly passes it to teammates, Bruno Fernandes, who could not miss. No player has provided more assists in Euro Championship history than Ronaldo, who's now on eight. Yet another record for him. It was all too easy for Portugal.
Meanwhile, the earlier Group F match, seeing Georgia take on the Czech Republic. This one at the Wolfsburg Stadion in Hamburg, both countries losing their openers. So, you can understand some initial caution, but it would be Georgia in the end to break the deadlock. Right at the end of the first half after a VAR check on that incident, the decision handle. And it's George Mikautadze making no mistake from the penalty spot. He's now the sixth player to score both of his country's first two goals in this competition's history.
The Czech Republic would be rewarded though, just shy of the hour mark went from the header against the woodwork. Patrik Schick reacts well to turn the ball into the back of the net off his chest. Nice composure from the Bayer Leverkusen man. Well taken goal.
Georgia had a wonderful chance to win it. Though, deep into stoppage time, it's the very last kick of the match and it is huge disappointment for the Atlanta United man, Saba Lobjanidze, who puts it over the crossbar with the goal gaping. A massive opportunity spurned. One-all, the final score.
Well, Portugal's victory seeing them sealing their place in the next phase as group winners. The 2016 champs take on Group F opponents Georgia on Wednesday Turkey can still qualify when they go to Hamburg to face the Czech Republic. Let's get to Group E action on Saturdays. Belgium a nation once ranked number one in the world look to steady the ship after their shock lost to Slovakia in the Red Devils tournament open. Let's get to Cologne now. Belgium's opponents Romania, remember having comfortably beaten Ukraine in their first match, and it would be the Belgians determined to prove a point and they take the lead after just 73 seconds. Romelu Lukaku teeing it up superbly for Youri Tielemans who makes no mistake with a very composed finish after Romelu Lukaku's third disallowed goal of a tournament. It would be Kevin De Bruyne who puts the game to bed for the Belgians with just over 10 to go. It's a brave, courageous finish.
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It's a brave, courageous finish. Not the best defending from Romania, I will say, but the Man City man makes it count with an important second goal for his country. 2-nil the final score there in favor of Belgium.
Well, that Group E leaving all to play for, by the way, all four teams, Belgium, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine, each sitting on three points with one match day remaining. Can't wait for that. For now, though, I'm going to send it right back to you.
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BRUNHUBER: Well, Prince William celebrated his 42nd birthday with pop royalty at Taylor Swift's show Friday night. The prince was spotted busting a move there, in this clip, captured by one concertgoer. William's scene letting loose in the stands, dancing along to the hit "Shake It Off." We spoke to Rolling Stone senior writer, Will Richards, who was there at the show about the significance of this blockbuster tour.
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WILL RICHARDSS, SENIOR WRITER, ROLLING STONE U.K.: I think it shows that if, yet, anyone who's anyone wants to be at this tour, it's one of the biggest cultural moments of 2024 in the U.K. You know, the Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer was also at the show, and there's a general election in two weeks. You know, it's a good thing to be seen at this tour and be part of something so massive.
Not many other artists could even attempt what she's trying to do because her fans are so dedicated and know so much about her music.
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BRUNHUBER: After the show, the megastar snapped a selfie backstage with William and two of his children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The royals also posed for a selfie with Swift and her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce. This was the first of eight shows Swift is performing at Wembley Stadium.
All right. Well, that wraps this hour of "CNN Newsroom." I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment. Please stay with us.
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