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Joe Biden Addresses to the Nation Since His Withdrawal Announcement; Israeli PM Calls Americans to Remain a Steadfast Ally; Mainland China Heads for Typhoon Gaemi; Controversies Sparked the Games of the Paris Olympiad Ahead of its Opening; Shares of Luxury Brands Fell in the First Half of 2024. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired July 25, 2024 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead.
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JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: I've decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation.
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CHURCH: U.S. President Joe Biden gives an historic address explaining why he ended his bid for re-election.
A defiant Israeli Prime Minister gives his own address before the U.S. Congress calling on Americans to remain a steadfast ally in his nation's war with Hamas.
And the Olympic opening ceremonies haven't even begun and already there are controversies. We will have a live report from Paris.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Good to have you with us. The U.S. President is framing his decision to bow out of the race for the White House as a matter of saving democracy.
Joe Biden gave a nationwide address from the Oval Office on Wednesday that marked the beginning of the end of his many decades of public service. He admitted that his own desire to remain in office needed to be sacrificed for the greater good.
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BIDEN: You know in recent weeks it's become clear to me that I need to unite my party in this critical endeavor. I believe, I reckon as President, my leadership in the world, my vision for America's future, all merited a second term. But nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition.
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CHURCH: During the primetime speech, Mr. Biden also championed his Vice President who's now taking his place on the Democratic ticket. He said Kamala Harris is experienced, tough and capable and has been an incredible partner.
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BIDEN: So I've decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That's the best way to unite our nation. You know there is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life. There's also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes younger voices. And that time and place is now.
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CHURCH: Mr. Biden added that serving as President has been the privilege of his life, ticking off many of his first term accomplishments while indicating that he's not out of the White House yet and has more to accomplish during his remaining months in power.
I want to bring in Presidential Historian Alexis Coe from Amsterdam. She is the author of "You Never Forget Your First: A biography of George Washington" and she's also a fellow at New America. Thank you so much for being with us.
ALEXIS COE, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN AND FELLOW, NEW AMERICA: Thank you for having me.
CHURCH: So in an historic address to the nation from the Oval Office Wednesday, President Joe Biden said democracy was at stake and passing the torch was the best way to unite the nation, adding quote, "I revere this office but I love my country more." What did you think of his address and did he adequately explain why he stepped away?
COE: It was wonderful to see President Biden and to see that he had recovered from COVID. I think it was really important for the nation to have that commune with him on television and to see him talk about his legacy and reestablish what would have eclipsed. It was important to hear him say that he wanted to pass the torch so he was forward- thinking. He made it less about him and more about America.
CHURCH: Yeah, I want to talk about that because in his address, President Biden offered a striking contrast to Donald Trump, didn't he, with this selfless act of leadership, putting the country first and focusing on what he hopes to accomplish in his last six months in office. And he finished by saying to the American people, history is in your hands and power is in your hands. So how will voters likely respond to this, do you think?
COE: Well, it was a wonderful way of him also to take away the responsibility that people were worried his legacy would bear for losing the election and by extension, the American experiment.
[03:05:01]
I think that it was also there at the same time, a less cynical interpretation of that is he was re-emphasizing that the president serves the people and that it's really important that is at the forefront of everyone's mind as they continue to move towards November with an open mind towards both candidates.
CHURCH: And President Biden attempted to define his legacy of more than 50 years of public service. Where is Joe Biden's place in history and how would you write his story?
COE: Now I think it's much better. I think that I wrote in "Rolling Stone" that Daniel Conaghan, the late scientist, told us that the way things end matter. And so I fear that this time from the debate until November would have eclipsed his entire record, not just the presidency, but his many decades of service.
And so now I think he'll be remembered for four things. He'll be remembered for stepping aside and also a return to democratic norms. So after, of course, we had for the first time in our almost 250 years, a break in the peaceful transition of power, we saw Biden not only accept power with responsibility and humility, but he's also leaving it that way.
He'll surpass FDR as far as legislation. He'll be known as one of the most progressive presidents in all of American history. And certainly anyone even coming in in the 21st century will have a really hard time.
His lifelong service, of course, and that we can once again return to these norms and these sort of accepted values that we know Joe Biden for, for example, empathy. Before it seemed selfish, like he wanted to finish two terms. He wanted to be president.
And now we understand that he sees our anguish. He understands that America is for the future and that we need a reinvigorated office.
CHURCH: Alexis Coe, thank you so much for joining us. I Appreciate it.
COE: Thank you.
CHURCH: President Joe Biden insisted he will continue to carry out the duties of his office for the remaining months of his term. And that includes meeting with the Israeli prime minister later today. The two leaders are also set to meet with families of hostages being held in Gaza. The meeting comes after Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday. He gave a little detail about the status of ceasefire talks, but offered this message of hope to the families of hostages.
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BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: The pain these families have endured is beyond words. I met with them again yesterday and I promised them this. I will not rest until all their loved ones are home. All of them. As we speak, we're actively engaged in intensive efforts to secure their release. And I'm confident that these efforts can succeed. Some of them are taking place right now.
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CHURCH: CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins me now live from London. Good morning to Salma. So what all came out of Prime Minister Netanyahu's defiant speech Wednesday? And what's expected from his separate meetings today with the president and vice president and with Donald Trump on Friday?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a very divisive and controversial speech to Congress yesterday. Prime Minister Netanyahu's fourth speech to Congress. That's more than any other world leader has ever addressed U.S. lawmakers.
But it's also about who wasn't in the room that day. Dozens of Democratic lawmakers boycotted the speech, including the former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who called it, quote, "one of the worst speeches by a foreign dignitary" and attended an alternative event. And now Prime Minister Netanyahu, of course, has a series of very important but different meetings where he's going to be walking a tightrope.
He has a meeting with President Biden, of course, now a lame duck president, but someone who has made his foreign policy cornerstone part of it, a very close relationship with Israel, who has for decades built this lifelong friendship with Prime Minister Netanyahu, but who is, of course, on the way out.
Prime Minister Netanyahu will also meet with Kamala Harris. That's going to be extremely important because she's kind of a foreign, rather, she's kind of an unknown entity when it comes to her position on Israel. She was in lockstep with Biden, but now is the presumptive Democratic nominee. This is her opportunity to present her vision to Prime Minister Netanyahu.
And then finally, on Friday, he's going to be meeting with Donald Trump. So yet another meeting in Mar-a-Lago with someone who could be president in a matter of months, a close relationship there as well. Very controversial moves during the Trump presidency, including moving the American embassy to Jerusalem.
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So Netanyahu will yet again be walking that tightrope, trying to balance these three very different actors, very important figures in their future roles when it comes to America's relationship with Israel. But on that speech, very important to know what was happening outside, which was thousands of people protesting, some of them clashing with police. This is what Netanyahu had to say about those demonstrators.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) NETANYAHU: For all we know, Iran is funding the anti-Israel protests that are going on right now outside this building. Not that many, but they're there. You have officially become Iran's useful idiots.
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ABDELAZIZ: Very combative tone there, of course, Rosemary. And just a quick fact check there. He does accuse all of the protesters of being funded by Iran. That's simply false. But it does show that Netanyahu was by and large catering to those who were inside the chambers, many of them, of course, Republican lawmakers.
And what wasn't mentioned as much as maybe some would have liked to hear is the very intensive negotiations ongoing right now to reach a ceasefire. Netanyahu is speaking very little on that, showing his priority, his focus remains continuing that fight in Gaza, something that some people, some view as an attempt to hold on to power.
CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Salma Abdelaziz bringing us that live report from London. I Appreciate it.
Josh Rogin is a columnist at the "Washington Post", where he writes about foreign policy and national security. He joins me now from Washington. I appreciate you being with us.
JOSH ROGIN, COLUMNIST, "WASHINGTON POST": Great to be with you.
CHURCH: We saw a defiant Benjamin Netanyahu speak for nearly an hour to the joint meeting of Congress Wednesday, making his country's case for U.S. support and offering equal praise to both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, while many Democrats boycotted the address and protesters took to the streets. So what were your main takeaways?
ROGIN: Sure. Well, as you mentioned, Netanyahu's speech to Congress was less partisan than the last one that he gave in 2015, when he openly attacked the then Obama administration and openly called for Republicans to torpedo President Obama's plan to strike a nuclear deal with Iran.
So in that sense, the speech was more conciliatory to President Biden than he had been to his predecessor, President Obama.
On the other hand, as you also mentioned, it was a full-throated defense, not necessarily of Israel's position, but of the Netanyahu strategy for prosecuting the war in Gaza.
He defended against criticism that his government has been denying Palestinians humanitarian aid. He defended criticism that his government is resisting a ceasefire.
And he doubled down on criticisms of anybody, especially protesters in America, who he called useful idiots of Iran for objecting to these practices. So while it had a veneer of bipartisanship, deep down, it was a very partisan speech in the sense that it was partisan in terms of Israel's politics and in terms of Netanyahu's personal politics and his personal self-interest. That's my take.
CHURCH: Yeah. And Netanyahu says he won't rest until all the hostages are returned. But in his speech, he focused more on victory over Hamas rather than a ceasefire deal, even as top U.S. officials say a deal is within reach. Why isn't he focusing more on achieving that goal of a ceasefire and hostage release deal?
ROGIN: Right. Well, you know, two-thirds of Israelis think that he should be focusing more on achieving that deal. And in Israel, of course, the main speculation is that he's doing it to preserve his own political standing, that once the war ends, he'll be deposed and possibly prosecuted and possibly jailed.
So that's on the Israeli side. On the Washington side, it's very clear that he's been resisting the Biden administration's efforts to come to terms that would allow for the ceasefire deal to move forward under the specifications that President Biden announced a couple of months ago and that the U.N. Security Council endorsed. And he just won't do it.
And now that President Biden has taken himself out of the running for reelection, you know, the November elections, it seems like Netanyahu is content to wait it out. It seems that he no longer believes that President Biden can bring the pressure to bring him to the deal that President Biden wants. So it seems as if he's going to just stick his ground and resist calls from President Biden or Vice President Harris or any Democrats, for that matter, who think that he should make any concessions that might make a deal more possible at this point.
CHURCH: Yeah, because some critics say that Netanyahu is slow walking this process. Harsher critics suggest he's sabotaging it because, as you mentioned, he doesn't want the war to end because of his legal problems. What's your reaction to those more extreme criticisms?
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ROGIN: I think slow walking it, which he is doing, is a form of sabotage. And that's exactly what the slow walking is meant to do, is to delay and thereby deny the ability of both sides to strike this deal.
Now, of course, Hamas has its own domestic reasons for not coming to the terms that President Biden has laid out. So there's plenty of blame to go around. But it's certainly true that, at least from the Biden administration's perspective, they think that Netanyahu should do more, could do more.
And again, a majority of Israelis agree with that. So I don't think it's controversial or even harsh to say that Netanyahu is suggesting that Netanyahu is sabotaging the ceasefire deal. He's certainly slow walking it, and that in itself is sabotage as far as anyone is practically concerned.
CHURCH: Josh Rogin, many thanks for joining us and sharing your analysis. I Appreciate it.
ROGIN: Anytime.
CHURCH: Some family members of the hostages being held in Gaza attended Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the US Congress. But after the Israeli Prime Minister's speech, they expressed frustration that he didn't mention any progress in the ceasefire and hostage release talks.
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RACHEL GOLDBERG-POLIN, MOTHER OF ISRAELI-AMERICAN HOSTAGE: As parents of one of the American eight, we were saddened, we were disappointed. We really wanted to hear that the Prime Minister was on the brink of signing this deal, or that he was going to announce, I have signed, or we are signing right now, this first phase of the deal, just to get some movement going. And we didn't hear that.
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CHURCH: Meantime, the IDF has confirmed it has recovered the bodies of five Israeli hostages from Gaza. Among those recovered is Oren Golden. The kibbutz where he lived says he was part of their civilian emergency squad and was killed on October 7th by Hamas, his body taken to Gaza. Maya Gorin's body was also recovered by the IDF. Her kibbutz says both she and her husband were killed on October 7th, but only her body was taken to Gaza. Gorin, who was a preschool teacher, will be buried next to her husband.
Well still to come, mainland China is bracing for powerful winds and rain from Typhoon Gaemi after the storm battered Taiwan and the Philippines. We will have the latest on its path.
Plus, Kamala Harris is going full steam ahead with her presidential campaign, how the US Vice President plans to win over crucial swing voters.
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CHURCH: Typhoon Gaemi is expected to make landfall in mainland China in the coming hours after leaving a path of destruction in the South China Sea. The storm sat off the coast of Taiwan for hours, pummeling the island with heavy rain, strong winds and damaging storm surge. At least two people were killed and hundreds injured.
The storm is also blamed for at least 13 deaths in the Philippines. Authorities there say almost a million people have been impacted by Gaemi.
CNN's Marc Stewart joins us now live from Beijing with more. So Marc, what is the latest you have on Typhoon Gaemi's path right now?
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the typhoon is moving toward China and it is raising a lot of concerns. I should point out the backdrop behind me. We have been seeing very heavy rains throughout the day here in Beijing. It is from a separate system. It's not related to that typhoon, but it is representative of the immense rain China has seen. So that's why this typhoon is causing so much concern as it moves closer to the Chinese shoreline.
A big issue has been in the Philippines, specifically in Manila, where we have seen rescues, we have seen vehicles submerged underwater, people's homes are underwater. It's a very serious scene there. In fact, some new data that we've been getting shows that about 55,000 people have been evacuated, 16,000 of which are families. So the human impact on the Philippines from the typhoon is tremendous. It has led to schools being canceled, businesses have had to close, and about 150 flights were canceled.
I should point out that the damage that we're seeing in the Philippines is not because the typhoon hit the Philippines itself. It actually went along the coastline. It didn't actually hit the Philippines proper, but it is full of strong wind, heavy rain, and the storm surge and such is just causing that many problems.
Also Taiwan, dealing with the aftermath of the typhoon, heavy rain there again, but also very strong winds that have been very difficult for people to stand up. One thing that we have seen in Taiwan is that the mountainous terrain actually prevented the typhoon from moving closer inland. That is a good thing, but it did cause some problems in areas that thought that they wouldn't be as hard hit as other parts of that region.
Finally though, Rosemary, we are watching the arrival here in China. There is a very good chance that the storm could weaken, which would be good news considering all of the extreme flooding and weather that we've seen here in China so far this summer.
CHURCH: Alright. Our thanks to Mark Stewart keeping a very close eye on that and joining us live from Beijing. I Appreciate it.
Protesters have gathered outside a police station in Manchester, England overnight after new video shows officers beating people at the city's airport. The footage appeared on social media, and a warning the images are disturbing.
One video shows an officer with his taser drawn kicking a man and stomping on his head while he's on the ground. Another man is then seen being wrestled to the ground and kicked by an officer while he's being restrained. A second video shows police pepper spraying another man who then gets taken down. CNN cannot independently verify the condition of the man or of the events leading up to or directly after the violence captured on video.
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Three officers were injured in what authorities say was a violent assault. One female officer suffering a broken nose. In a statement police called the incident truly shocking and one officer has been removed from operational duties. They say four men were arrested and they're asking for an independent review of what happened. Flights are beginning to resume from the airport in Frankfurt, Germany
after demonstrations disrupted operations earlier today. The airport's website showed multiple flight arrivals diverted or canceled as well as several departures canceled.
A climate activist group said six people glued themselves to a taxiway. In a post on social media airport officials asked passengers to check the status of their flight before going to the airport and to allow extra time for travel. Yesterday climate activists caused flight disruptions for several hours at Germany's Cologne-Bonn airport.
In her speeches this week as a presidential candidate, Kamala Harris is offering her own vision of the country's future. How she's making her case to swing voters, that's next.
Plus old attack strategies, new opponent. How Donald Trump is lashing out against Kamala Harris? We'll have that and more after the break.
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: In an historic speech from the Oval Office, U.S. President Joe Biden explained why he ended his 2024 re- election bid and vowed to keep fighting for Americans for the rest of his term. President Biden's decision to step aside came after fellow Democrats convinced him that chances of an election win looked bleak following his disastrous debate performance.
And while he didn't mention Donald Trump by name, he referred to what he believes is the existential threat the Republican candidate poses to the country. The President concluded by reiterating his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor and with a call to action.
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JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: The great thing about America is here kings and dictators do not rule, the people do. History is in your hands, the power is in your hands, the idea of America lies in your hands. You just have to keep faith, keep the faith.
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CHURCH: Meantime, the Harris campaign is already vetting potential running mates and making the case in a memo that the shift in the 2024 race has created an expanded universe of swing voters.
CNN's Eva McKend has the details.
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EVA MCKEND, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kamala Harris pressing forward now that she's the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: When I am president of the United States.
MCKEND (voice-over): Addressing the historically black sorority Zeta Phi Beta in Indianapolis, focusing on winning over women of color.
HARRIS: With your support, I am fighting for our nation's future.
MCKEND (voice-over): And praising her former running mate, President Joe Biden.
HARRIS: He cares about the future, he thinks about the future.
MCKEND (voice-over): Attendees here in Indianapolis say Harris is the right choice.
UNKNOWN: She's been tried and tested, she's served as Vice President, she's had a political career, she's a senator, she's the Attorney General of California.
MCKEND (voice-over): The Vice President's outreach today follows a speech to her own Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority convention two weeks ago. More than 1,500 of her sisters are now sending support to the Harris campaign in the amount of $19.08 in honor of the founding year of their sorority.
HARRIS: These extremists want to take us back, but we are not going back.
MCKEND (voice-over): The Harris campaign also outlining their strategy in a memo today, sharing what they see as their electoral path to victory over Donald Trump.
HARRIS: The path to the White House goes through Wisconsin.
MCKEND (voice-over): -- saying they will, quote, "play offense" in the blue wall states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania that Biden was able to flip in 2020 and the Sunbelt states of North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada, where the campaign argues the vice president's advantages with young voters, black voters and Latino voters offer multiple pathways to 270 electoral votes.
HARRIS: We have an election to win.
MCKEND (voice-over): A new CNN survey of previous poll respondents shows Harris improving on Biden's performance among crucial voting blocs seen as trouble spots for the president, including women, younger voters, black voters and Hispanic voters, those groups critical to Biden's victory in 2020 and now Harris's chances in November.
MCKEND: And the vice president not only running a race defined by opposition to Trump. She's also touting the administration's record, capping the cost of insulin at $35, passing the child tax credit, addressing student loans, among other policy issues. Eva McKend, CNN, Indianapolis.
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CHURCH: There's no clear leader yet in the transform presidential race. That is according to a new CNN poll. It finds that Donald Trump holds 49 percent of support among registered voters compared to Kamala Harris's 46 percent within the margin of error.
But Harris is gaining more support as a candidate than President Joe Biden. 50 percent of those who say they will vote for the vice president are voting for her as opposed to against Donald Trump. Only 37 percent of voters polled in June said they were voting explicitly in support of Biden.
[03:34:56]
Well, meantime, Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail holding his first rally since Joe Biden left the race and Kamala Harris became the presumptive nominee and he's launching familiar attacks against his new opponent, accusing Kamala Harris of being a dangerous radical. Kristen Holmes shows us how he riled up the crowd.
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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Former President Donald Trump wasting no time going after Kamala Harris at that North Carolina rally, at one point calling her lying, Kamala Harris tearing into her record on immigration and really working to paint her as a radical liberal and sometimes as the mastermind behind some of Biden's policy. Take a listen to just some of what he said.
DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I was supposed to be nice. They say something happened to me when I got shot. I became nice. They're very dangerous people. When you're dealing with them, you can't be too nice. You really can't be. So if you don't mind, I'm not going to be nice. Is that OK?
This November, the American people are going to tell her, no, thanks, Kamala. You've done a terrible job. You've been terrible at everything you've done. You're ultra liberal that we don't want you here. We don't want you anywhere. Kamala, you're fired. Get out of here.
HOLMES: One point, Trump mocked Harris's attempt to define this race as that between a former prosecutor and a convicted felon, saying he doesn't think the people buy that.
Kristen Holmes, CNN, Charlotte, North Carolina.
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CHURCH: President Joe Biden's decision to stop his bid for reelection and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor has Republicans scrambling to find a way to stop it. The GOP and the Trump campaign are mulling various legal challenges. Earlier, I spoke with CNN legal analyst Norm Eisen, and I asked him
about the Trump campaign filing a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, arguing that Biden campaign funds cannot be legally transferred to Kamala Harris's presidential campaign. Take a listen.
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NORM EISEN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: There's one little problem with Donald Trump's legal argument, as is the case with so many legal arguments he makes is wrong.
Those funds are the property of the Biden-Harris ticket. Harris has now ascended to the top spot. And under U.S. law, the money goes to her. And Donald Trump knows that he didn't even bother to try to file a lawsuit. He just filed a complaint with a federal election commission. Three Democrats, three Republicans. No way he's getting the votes. It's a dead loser.
CHURCH: All right. What about this one? House Speaker Mike Johnson and others want to block the vice president at the state level from getting her name on the ballot using election laws. How legally feasible is that?
EISEN: Again, it's a fallacious legal argument. There are no ballot deadlines that have passed. The closest one would have been Ohio, but they changed their law. Now, there are some that cut it close with the Democratic National Convention.
That's why today the DNC Rules Committee allowed for virtual balloting to select the nominee. That's going to happen in the coming days. Well, before any deadlines, Kamala Harris and her running mate, whoever it may be, will be on the ballot in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the territories. That argument is a dog that won't hunt.
CHURCH: Legal fact checker extraordinaire Norm Eisen. Thank you so much for joining us. I Appreciate it.
EISEN: Thanks. Thanks for having me back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: We are one day away from the start of the Olympic Games in Paris and already there's controversy. The latest from Paris when we return.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. An enthusiastic welcome for the Palestinian athletes arriving in Paris ahead of the Olympic opening ceremonies on Friday. They're among the more than 10,000 athletes participating in the games. The Palestinian team consists of six athletes competing in boxing, judo, taekwondo, shooting and swimming.
And for more on the start of the Olympic Games, CNN's Melissa Bell joins us live from Paris. Good morning to you, Melissa. So it is, of course, the final countdown to the opening ceremonies. What can we expect and what is the atmosphere there right now?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Look here, I'm speaking to Rosemary from Paris Town Hall. We're about to speak to the mayor of Paris. But really, this entire part of the French capital really blocked off to ordinary traffic because of that extraordinary ceremony we expect tomorrow along the River Seine.
The first time that an Olympics has been organized really in the city center, which means, of course, for Parisians that it's much harder to get around the city. And that's led to a lot of grumbling, as you can imagine. Very difficult if you don't have the proper accreditation, because they've had to secure such a large part of the river.
It is 20,000 Parisians, Rosemary, who have had to be checked their identities, their security status in order that they can ensure that that opening ceremony happens safely and securely. And really, the river is all decked out now, very little traffic along its banks in order to make sure that it's safe.
It promises to be spectacular. We don't have word yet of exactly what artists are going to be involved, but there are rumors circulating of Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and Parisian authorities certainly have made this ambitious bet that they would hold it in the river. You have to imagine that the boats will carry the athletes along the River Seine through all the marvels of the French capital.
There are questions, of course, about the weather, whether the rain will dampen those expectations. But for now, Parisian authorities appear to have succeeded to meet that pledge that they would hold the opening ceremony there. There is really no plan B, so they're hoping at this point that the weather holds.
But for ordinary Parisians, these have been difficult times. What the mayor's office says and keeps telling them is that, look, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to showcase what they believe is the most beautiful city in the world, urging patience and calm.
Many Parisians have left altogether, assuming that the French capital would be fairly chaotic. It is certainly difficult to get around, but there is growing enthusiasm about this opening ceremony and the spectacular nature of it, what it suggests, what it promises to show the world of the French capital, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Very exciting, can't wait to see it, of course. And Melissa, the Games haven't even gotten officially underway and already we are hearing of controversy. What is going on?
[03:45:07]
BELL: That's right. There have been a few matches and a few controversies, and these, of course, inevitably follow the Olympics. When you consider the number of events, the number of people who made their way here already, Rosemary, we've heard of these allegations. An investigation has been opened by the IOC of spying down further south in France, where Canada's women's football team is preparing to take on New Zealand's allegations of spying in the shape of a drone.
One member of the enlarged Canadian team who apparently used a drone to spy on the training of the New Zealand women's football training. That now being investigated, the French press even reporting that that particular person has been sentenced already to eight months with a suspended sentence. So that's one of the controversies already hitting the Games, those allegations of spying.
But also there are fears about COVID. We've heard already, Rosemary, that several members of the Australian women's water polo team have tested positive. Now, we've heard authorities reassuring people Paris is not Tokyo. And if there is -- if there are some COVID clusters, there are special procedures in place to ensure that other athletes don't get sick.
So those are the really two big stories that already have hit the Games, even before that opening ceremony takes place. And these inevitably are part of the Olympics. Such a huge endeavor, again, such spectacular ambition on the part of Brisbane authorities who really wanted to make these Olympics like no others.
Still, the hope is that by the time we get to the opening ceremony tomorrow, those controversies early on will have been overshadowed by the opening ceremony along the River Seine and all that it promises in terms of spectacle, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Yes, let's hope for that. Melissa Bell, wonderful. Joining us live from Paris for that report. I Appreciate it.
And Paris is bracing for 15 million visitors to attend the Summer Olympics. If you are one of them, maybe you're wondering how you can blend into the city without being a tourist cliche.
CNN's Saskya Vandoorne has some advice.
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SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN SR. PRODUCER: Ah, Paris. Millions of people flock here every year for the culture, couture, cuisine. But how do you avoid being a cliche?
Well, this summer, the Olympics are coming to town and in a city that 7.5 times smaller than New York, trust me, it's easy to spot a tourist. There are a few simple ways to navigate Paris like a local.
I'll be your guide. Suivez-moi (Follow me).
A classic faux pas, asking for alternative milk with your coffee.
Almond Milk, please
UNKNOWN (translated): Sorry, Madam, I don't have Almond Milk here. VANDOORNE: Short and black. That's the traditional way.
Craving a baguette. What you really want to order at your boulangerie is--
UNKNOWN (translated): The tradition.
UNKNOWN (translated): The tradition. The Tradition.
UNKNOWN (translated): Tradition bread every day. Tradition, tradition.
VANDOORNE: Merci beaucoup. Tra-dee-si-on
Those in the know will avoid traveling by car. Paris traffic is notoriously chaotic.
Use a Veline, the city's public bike-sharing service. They're pretty much everywhere and cycle lanes are plentiful.
The city's metros are often super congested and in the summer, unbearably hot. So try walking instead.
In Paris, it's easy to get distracted, but beware of pickpockets. Don't keep your phone in your back pocket and do keep an eye on your belongings.
If you're lucky enough to be here for the Games, the first thing to know is that tourist sites like these have been turned into Olympic venues. So it's probably best to avoid them.
Places like Trocadero near the Eiffel Tower, or right here at Place de la Concorde, metro stations will be closed and areas will be shut off to the public.
Make sure you know how to pronounce the event venues properly. This place is called Les Invalides.
It's a former military hospital. It's pronounced Ahn-vah-leed.
UNKNOWN: Les Invalides.
UNKNOWN: Je dis Invalides.
UNKNOWN: Les Invalides.
VANDOORNE: Not Invalides.
And lastly, know how to refer to the Olympic Games like a local. Les J.O. JO, for Jeux Olympiques.
A lot of young people live in the east. That's the cool hipster area. Great for a glass of wine on a terrace or some nightlife.
The French capital's skyline is a familiar sight and the Eiffel Tower might be its most famous icon. Try one of its many rooftops instead. That way, you're only a stone's throw away from some of these other stunning landmarks. Sante.
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[03:49:55]
CHURCH: Fabulous report there. And be sure to watch our special one- hour program, "Aiming for Gold", this Friday at 7pm Paris time, that is 1pm Eastern in the U.S. All of our correspondents on the ground in Paris will bring you the sights and sounds from the Olympics opening ceremony.
And still to come, the first half of 2024 was a bit rough for a couple of luxury brands. The warning they've issued about the second half of the year.
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CHURCH: The bigger they are, the harder they fall. And that was the case on Wall Street Wednesday as a major sell-off in big tech, including Alphabet and Tesla, sent the Nasdaq and S&P 500 to their worst daily losses in two years. The Nasdaq fell more than 3.5 percent, the S&P more than 2 percent and the Dow was also down big.
Almost a week after the global tech outage, Delta's CEO is promising today will be a normal day with the airline fully recovered. But that's little consolation to the thousands of passengers whose lives were upended for days, many of whom are still missing their bags. Delta workers were seen moving unclaimed baggage from the Atlanta airport on Wednesday to an off-site location, they say to help with sorting and delivery.
[03:55:07]
Meanwhile, cloud monitoring and insurance firm Parametrix says the catastrophe will cost Fortune 500 companies more than $5 billion in direct losses. The health and banking industries were hit the hardest and airlines have lost around $860 million collectively.
High-end shoppers are reining in their spending. Two of the biggest names in luxury posted disappointing sales for the first six months of 2024. CNN's Anna Stewart has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Luxury brands have lost a little sparkle this year. Two of the world's biggest luxury giants have published their earnings reports for the first half of the year.
Now, both looked pretty lackluster and Kering has issued a profit warning for the second half. Kering's houses include Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga. Net profit fell 50 percent across the group. Revenue fell 22 percent in Asia-Pacific, which excludes Japan. That largely means China. Interestingly, revenue was up by the same amount in Japan. Clearly, some savvy Chinese tourists made the most of the weekend. And it was a similar story for LVMH, which owns maisons including
Louis Vuitton, Dior, Tiffany and Veuve Clicquot. Double-digit revenue growth in Japan, with a company noting strong growth in spending by Chinese customers in Europe and Japan. Revenue falls for both companies, albeit much worse for Kering and a day in the red for luxury stocks.
Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
And thanks so much for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "CNN Newsroom" continues next with Max Foster and Christina Macfarlane in London.
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