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Vance Calling Democrats "Childless Cat Ladies" Clip Goes Viral; U.S. Launches Probe into Delta's Ongoing Flight Disruptions; What is "Brat Girl Summer"?; Torch Relay on It's Way to Paris for Opening Ceremony. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired July 24, 2024 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:30:00]
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But she doesn't have what they call name education, meaning that most people don't know anything about Harris.
You hear Donald Trump there talking about her time in California. We are expecting that to come up a lot. They are going to try to use this education gap to fill the void with negative information.
We know right now it is a race between Donald Trump and his team and Kamala Harris to define her in this race.
Now, the other interesting thing that Trump said in this call with reporters that he wanted to debate Kamala Harris, but that he never agreed to it or he hadn't agreed to it yet, saying he'd only agreed to debate President Joe Biden.
So clearly he's saying he wants to do it, but leaving the door open there for him to not actually take Harris on.
One thing is clear. We are now in uncharted territory, and everyone is trying to figure out what this race looks like ahead of November.
Kristen Holmes, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR: Now, controversial remarks made by Trump's vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance, three years ago have recently resurfaced and are going viral.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, during an interview with Fox News back in 2021, Vance tries to insult Democrats, including Kamala Harris, by calling them childless cat ladies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), U.S. REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're effectively ruining this country via the Democrats, via our corporate oligarchs, by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made. And so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too. And it's just a basic fact.
You look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC. The entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Well, we have to point out that Vice President Harris has two stepchildren and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband adopted twins since that interview. Let's also not forget that many people who have cats are not children and not children are quite happy about that. I mean, it's a bizarre argument.
MACFARLANE: It's not an argument he's going to win, I don't think. A lot of friends who are childless cat women who are quite comfortable being that way, actually.
FOSTER: Yes, owning it.
MACFARLANE: Yes.
FOSTER: The U.S. government is opening an investigation into Delta Airlines' ongoing flight disruptions. Over 6,000 flights have been cancelled since Friday's global tech outage, impacting more than half a million travelers.
MACFARLANE: Airline officials say it could be a week before it's all sorted out. CNN's Isabel Rosales reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DYLAN STEELE, FEDERAL WORKER: It's been an experience. It definitely has been an experience.
ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Delta Airlines still struggling. Five days after a massive CrowdStrike outage cost the airline systems to fail, leaving its customers stranded, while other airlines are back to normal.
STEELE: United Airlines seems to be back up and running.
ROSALES (voice-over): Delta has canceled more than 6,000 flights since Friday, and accounts for 66 percent of all the flight cancellations in the U.S. on Tuesday.
Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Delta's headquarters and largest hub, has been left in chaos. Rows and rows of bags line the floors of the world's busiest airport. Even celebrities like Charles Barkley are searching through it.
CHARLES BARKLEY, FORMER NBA PLAYER: I'm looking around. It's going to be a minute because there's a lot of luggage here.
I just flew in today. Didn't have any issues. Well, I don't know. I haven't found my golf clubs yet.
ROSALES (voice-over) Frustration is everywhere. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're not being picky. We'll go anywhere in North Carolina. But he booked us some tickets, and before we got out of the airport, they had canceled them five minutes later.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is out of control. It's not -- it's not OK.
ROSALES (voice-over) Dozens of Delta employees from all different departments have jumped in to ease the pain for passengers.
BARKLEY: I fly Delta twice a week for 24 years. They've always been fantastic. I've never had an issue. But in fairness, though, they can't do anything about this.
ROSALES (voice-over): But the Department of Transportation doesn't agree. Secretary Pete Buttigieg today launching an investigation into Delta.
The airline's CEO, Ed Bastian, has apologized to passengers.
The airline responded in a statement saying in part: Delta is in receipt of the department's notice of investigation and is fully cooperating. We remain entirely focused on restoring our operation. Delta teams are working tirelessly to care for and make it right for customers impacted by delays and cancellations.
Such meltdowns are not new. Earlier this year, DOT reached a $140 million settlement with Southwest Airlines following an investigation into similar systems problems triggered by weather over the 2022 holiday.
Like with that meltdown, Delta's system that schedules crews for flights failed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They would cancel, delay, bump, and then it would start all over again.
ROSALES: And it could be several more days of headaches for passengers dealing with delays, these cancellations and lost luggage just like this.
We've also gotten a clear picture of the impacts of what's become now a Delta meltdown. Pete Buttigieg, the secretary of transportation, saying that half a million Delta passengers have been impacted. His office has received over 3,000 complaints about this issue and about Delta.
Isabel Rosales, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[04:35:02]
MACFARLANE: Now, Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has posted better than expected revenue for the second quarter, driven by strong digital sales and demand for its cloud computing services.
FOSTER: Revenue up 14 percent from April to June, almost $85 billion. For the year, Alphabet's stock is up around 30 percent.
MACFARLANE: The company is competing with Microsoft and Amazon, as all three continue to spend billions on artificial intelligence.
FOSTER: Tesla, meanwhile, saw its profits plunge in the second quarter, reporting a drop of more than 40 percent from a year ago. It's the first time Tesla has reported consecutive quarters of declining sales.
MACFARLANE: Shares of the electric carmaker fell about 8 percent after hours trading on Tuesday. Tesla also warned its vehicle growth rate this year may be notably lower than last year. CNN's Clare Duffy has more on the challenges the company is facing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: It's kind of a surprise. We actually saw revenue take up about 2 percent year over year, which is sort of a good result for them, given the fact that deliveries were falling. But it's this continued increased competition in the EV market.
Tesla has been cutting costs, trying to bring consumers back, but it doesn't look like they're buying it. At the same time, I had to notice that Tesla acknowledged in this report that its operating expenses are increasing because it's investing in AI. And so it's having to continue to invest in this movement that all of the big tech companies are taking at a time that's really tricky for this company.
I think we'll be waiting to hear if Elon Musk talks about things like the self-driving robotaxi that is supposed to turn things around. But right now, things are not looking great.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: While President Joe Biden, at the age of 81, was struggling to win over younger voters, it seems his 59-year-old vice president, and now presumptive presidential nominee, is "Brat."
FOSTER: It's a good thing, apparently, according to Gen Z.
MACFARLANE: It's a good thing.
FOSTER: Anna Stewart explains what Bratt actually means.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Last summer, the world went pink.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So cool.
STEWART (voice-over): Buses, shop fronts, and billboards. This year, pink is out --
(BUZZER)
-- and lime green is in. From cosmetics retailers, this now TikTok famous deli in Charleston, even London Zoo got in on the action.
Charli XCX spawned this trend with the launch of her Brat album in June. Slime green, basic font, it's irreverent.
STEWART: Am I surprised that it's inspired a whole summer trend? A little bit.
STEWART (voice-over): You can look to music videos like 360 for inspiration, or get the definition from the artist herself.
CHARLI XCX, SINGER: It can also be, like, so, like, trashy. Just, like, a pack of cigs, and, like, a bit lighter.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, right.
CHARLI XCX: And, like, a strappy white top --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
CHARLI XCX: -- with no bra.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
CHARLI XCX: That's, like, kind of all you need.
STEWART (voice-over): Beyond that, it's hard to really nail down what "Brat Girl Summer" looks like.
STEWART: Do you know the answer to this question?
EDGAR WRIGHT, FILM DIRECTOR: Charli XCX.
STEWART: Yes. You know. You know.
STEWART (voice-over): Stumbling upon film director Edgar Wright was worth further investigation.
WRIGHT: Charli XCX. There we go.
STEWART: Are you "Brat Girl Summer"?
WRIGHT: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope so. Not today. I don't feel like I am today. But, like, the boots kind of are.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: SPF in your girlies.
STEWART: What? What does that even mean?
This is just the latest micro trend. Recent ones include gorpcore, coastal grandma, and last year's tomato girl summer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it has a bit of that if you know, you know angle. Like, if you understand it, you want to buy into it. It doesn't guarantee viral success, but it's just very easy to hop on, and people will enjoy it.
STEWART (voice-over): With engagement that easy, even politicians are having a "Brat Girl Summer." It was a Bratty election campaign for the U.K. Green Party, and now U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is hoping slime green will appeal. And Charli approves.
STEWART: Go enjoy your Bratt girl summer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. You too. Have a Bratt girl summer. Fun. Bye. Bye.
STEWART: I like "Bratt Girl Summer."
STEWART (voice-over): Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
STEWART: Do you know what "Bratt Girl Summer" is?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: You know, I know you were struggling with this concept yesterday, but now that you've seen this, what do you think? Are you a Bratt Girl Summer?
FOSTER: I think it's like being a Brat. It's like a whole, it's bigger than just one idea, isn't it? It's like a whole style, whatever.
MACFARLANE: Yes.
FOSTER: But you claim to be a former.
MACFARLANE: Well, I mean, I don't aspire to be Brat. Let's just put that out there. However, as a child of the 90s, I think I just inherently am Brat. You don't want to look at me, pictures.
FOSTER: I don't think any parent really encourages Brat summer. We've got a long way to go.
MACFARLANE: Yes, maybe Barbie over Brat.
[04:40:00]
Anyway, with just two days to go before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, Paris prepares for its moment on the world stage when we return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: All eyes on Paris as the city prepares to host the Summer Olympic Games. We are just two days away from the opening ceremony where thousands of spectators will gather along the banks of the River Seine.
Security will be tight. France's interior ministry says it's rejected about 5,000 security accreditation requests for Olympics workers. MACFARLANE: The Olympic torch relay has travelled from Versailles to the outskirts of Paris and will make its final journey to the city. Meanwhile, athletes are arriving at the Olympic Village as events for Games kick off today with men's football and rugby.
FOSTER: Yes, I've seen all sorts of TikTok videos about those cardboard beds again.
MACFARLANE: It's not going to be a comfortable month.
FOSTER: It's not just the world's best athletes arriving, though, in Paris for the Games. Snoop Dogg.
MACFARLANE: Yes.
FOSTER: He'll be one of the final torchbearers of the Olympic flame. The rapper says he grew up watching the Olympics and is thrilled to see the incredible athletes bring their A-game to Paris.
MACFARLANE: Very exciting. He will carry the torch through the neighborhood of Saint-Denis, which is the flame's final stop before ending its journey at the Eiffel Tower.
Well, CNN's Saskya Vandoorne joins us now live from --
FOSTER: You said there was much more than the athletes. Saskya's there too.
MACFARLANE: Paris. I know. My good friend, Sask. Great to see you. The excitement, Saskya, clearly building the announcement that Snoop Dogg is going to be in town. And we're also hearing some rumors about a possible Celine Dion involvement as well. What can you tell us?
SASKYA VANDOOME, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Well, let me tell you more, Chrissie and Max. So, first of all, a few months ago, the French weren't that enthusiastic about the Games. But I'm happy to report that this morning I've been talking to some French people here and excitement is finally building.
As you guys said, the competition kicks off today. So, we've got France facing off with the U.S. in the men's soccer and rugby.
[04:45:02]
Now, you also mentioned that they've been arriving at the Olympic Village. I was lucky enough to visit it recently. And let me tell you guys, they have really made a big deal about this being a sustainable Olympic Village. As you said, you've got those cardboard beds, stools, quite similar to what they had in Tokyo. You've got these solar rooftop panels everywhere. So, it really is like a neighborhood that is meant to be sustainable but also that's been built to last. So, you know, the buildings are also then going to become apartments and offices once the Games are over.
But meanwhile, I'm here in central Paris. Max, it has changed a lot from when you came for the elections several weeks ago. So, I'm here on the Pont Neuf within the security perimeter. And it is so rare to see this bridge without any traffic on it. And that is because we are within the security perimeter.
And of course, everybody is talking about the opening ceremony that is set to happen on Friday. So, it's the first time that an opening ceremony for the Summer Games is going to be taking place outside of a stadium. So, it's very ambitious. It should be spectacular.
It's going to happen here on the Seine on a 6 kilometer route. You're going to have up to 7,000 athletes on those boats and over 300,000 spectators cheering them on. And as you said, Chrissie, we don't know who's going to be performing yet. Celine Dion did arrive yesterday. Maybe Daft Punk. Maybe Dua Lipa. We don't know yet -- Chrissie and Max.
FOSTER: All right, Chrissie, thank you so much. I mean, that just shows the security pressure, doesn't it? I mean, you've been to so many Olympics and they're always in a stadium.
MACFARLANE: I've been to three opening and closing ceremonies all in a stadium. The fact that this is on a river, the scale of the ambition, I have no idea what to expect.
FOSTER: Celine on a boat, presumably.
MACFARLANE: What could be better than Celine on a boat? With some fireworks. Make it happen, Paris.
FOSTER: History being made.
MACFARLANE: Meantime, Olympic organizers are trying to keep athletes safe from air pollution. CNN's Derek Van Dam has been showing us how.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): Here in the Olympic Village, these air purifiers are here to help athletes breathe easier. And their inspiration comes from an often overlooked feature of the city's skyline.
You see, athletes' performance could be in danger because the Paris region has a serious pollution problem with over 8,000 deaths a year. With a nearby highway spewing fumes into the Olympic Village, air quality experts are concerned.
JEAN-BAPTISTE RENARD, RESEARCH DIRECTOR, CNRS: It's crazy. It's totally crazy. It's not a good place to put the Olympic Village. It's clear.
VAN DAM (voice-over): The engineer behind these giant vacuum cleaners says his air filters suck in polluted air and filtered out harmful particles.
JEROME GIACOMONI, CO-FOUNDER, AEROPHILE: Please start the device, the air filter, one by one.
VAN DAM: Oh, you can hear.
GIACOMONI: You breathe the same air as if you were at the top of the Alps. Breathe. This is good air. You can breathe. You feel it.
VANDAM: I feel it.
GIACOMONI: You feel it.
VAN DAM: These air filters have the ability to clean the air of the equivalent of 40 Olympic-sized swimming pools volume per hour, acting as a barrier from the adjacent highway, providing the cleanest possible air for the athletes.
VAN DAM (voice-over): The concept of purifying the air on a large scale came from a different hobby of Jerome's, hot air ballooning.
GIACOMONI: Let's have a flight now.
VAN DAM: A thunderstorm is coming. Is this thing safe? Get a little wobbly?
GIACOMONI: A little bit.
VAN DAM: This is like a real-life climate lab, but on a balloon. Now, not only is there carbon dioxide being measured by this very box right here, but we are also measuring methane, ozone, and even pollen counts.
VAN DAM (voice-over): Jerome noticed that while his balloon was flying, it was extracting pollutants from the surrounding air.
GIACOMONI: And so all the particulate matter who are positively charged come --
VAN DAM: Oh wow!
GIACOMONI: -- and go straight to the balloon.
VAN DAM (voice-over): And with the balloon's visibility to over 400,000 people across the city, he could turn this into a useful tool for all Parisians.
VAN DAM: If the balloon is green, no action is required. If the balloon is orange, it's a warning to Parisians that they need to take extra precautions. But if this balloon turns red or violet, that's when they need to take action.
VAN DAM (voice-over): Back at the Olympic Village, these five filters remove at least 50 percent of air pollution, but their reach is limited to a few dozen meters. And even after the 14,000 athletes leave, they're expected to live on.
Derek Van Dam, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE) FOSTER: A new sport debuting at the Olympics. Why this athlete says his mission is to represent his country in the breakdancing event, something that you were a champion on, weren't you?
MACFARLANE: I wish.
FOSTER: Late 90s.
[04:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: The script says the world of sport is buzzing about breakdancing. Are they really?
MACFARLANE: I mean, personally, I'm quite excited by this because it's fresh, it's different, new, modern. Less stuffy than some of the more traditional sports.
FOSTER: It's an Olympic sport this year. One Ukrainian dancer, actually, is ready with his moves.
MACFARLANE: The 34-year-old says he's on a mission to represent his country in the games. Take a listen to this and a watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OLEG KUZNIETSOV, UKRAINIAN BREAKDANCER: It's a pretty tough and hard time for Ukraine, but I'm really glad that I have a chance to represent the country. I mean, the people there are really good and beautiful. I love the culture.
I represent Ukraine, I represent my country in this stage. And for now, at least, as a voice of Ukraine, you know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Yes, an important moment for him. He says he's been preparing for the Summer Games in Poland, where he's lived since 2013.
FOSTER: Stories in the spotlight. A rare and uncorrected proof copy of the first Harry Potter book. I feel I talk about the first Harry Potter book all the time and selling it a new record.
The "Philosopher's Stone" will be auctioned on Thursday. It was the first time that Harry was introduced to the world in print making it a sort of making it a sought-after item, apparently.
[04:55:03]
MACFARLANE: The uncorrected book is one of only 200 ever printed and is riddled with misprints. Even the name of the author, J.K. Rowling, is misspelled.
FOSTER: Or mispronounced.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMANTHA SISLER, MANAGER, SPECIALTY COLLECTIONS AUCTIONS, HERITAGE AUCTIONS: It's misspelled on the title page. So it's given as J.A. Rowling, so obviously the A should be a K and it's missing a period.
Probably the most notable misprint that carries over into the first edition, and of course is present here in the uncorrected proof, is on page 53 under the equipment that a Mr. Harry Potter needs. It says one wand and is duplicated twice, one at the top of the list and one at the bottom of the list.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Now, a deep breath for this one. This is Europe's highest swing. It's atop of Berlin's hotel and leaves visitors dangling over 120 meters or nearly 400 feet above the city. Not for me. The swing provides stunning views of daredevils who are pushed at the speed of their choice.
FOSTER: Several say they were nervous. They found it amazing.
MACFARLANE: I wonder why.
FOSTER: They've got lots of security stuff, though.
MACFARLANE: No, not for me.
FOSTER: I think it looks cool.
MACFARLANE: Hotel swimming pool for me, thanks.
FOSTER: A teen from Maine was fishing with his brother when they witnessed an unbelievable sight. The 16-year-old was filming the water with his iPhone when a whale breached, slamming into a nearby boat.
MACFARLANE: Unbelievable. The brothers raced to help rescue the passengers on the boat when it capsized. Thankfully, none of them were injured.
FOSTER: The whale's just having a laugh, isn't it?
MACFARLANE: No, I was reading up trying to find out if this was deliberately done by the whale or not. Is this natural for whales to --
FOSTER: We just didn't know where it was bouncing.
MACFARLANE: -- to go for boats? I mean obviously, we see them breach.
FOSTER: They're not predators, are they?
MACFARLANE: I don't think so. Anyone knows, let us know.
FOSTER: We should be having the answers with us. We're the anchors. We'll come back with that information, shall we?
MACFARLANE: We will come back with that information. Anyway, frightening video, and that does it for us here at CNN NEWSROOM.
FOSTER: I'm Max Foster.
MACFARLANE: And I'm Christina Macfarlane. CNN "THIS MORNING" is up next after a quick break.
[05:00:00]
