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CNN International: Paris 2024: Opening Ceremony Going Ahead As Planned; Harris Wins Backing Of Barack And Michelle Obama; Harris Back In Washington As VP Search Intensifies. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired July 26, 2024 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE & DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: We're looking at early to mid-August at the earliest, John.

JOHN BERMAN, HOST, "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": I guess not exactly lost in space but maybe stuck in space.

Kristin Fisher, thank you so much.

A new hour of CNN News Central with Emmy award-winning music --

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello, and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and this is the CNN Newsroom.

Straight ahead, malicious arson acts disrupt train travel in Paris, but the Olympic opening ceremonies will go on as planned in just a few hours. We're alive in the French capital for the latest. Momentum and enthusiasm in the Democratic Party, as Kamala Harris gets a big endorsement this morning from Barack and Michelle Obama. And a massive wildfire in California is quickly spreading with no end in sight.

The show must go on. That's the word from the Paris Olympics Committee, saying the opening ceremony for this Summer Games will go ahead as planned, and it's only hours away. And it follows what officials are calling coordinated sabotage, targeting train lines in France. A source tells CNN that French intelligence services are quote, "fully mobilized to find those responsible." The Olympic Committee has canceled a news conference about its ambitious opening ceremony, which will be held outdoors on the River Seine, in what could be a rainy Paris.

We've got team coverage in Paris. CNN's Amanda Davies is standing by. But first, let's go to Melissa Bell reporting from the Montparnasse train station. Explain what's happening and how inconvenient and really frightening this has been to.

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And very difficult for Paris 2024 planners to have anticipated, to have prevented, Fredricka. What we're talking about is a series of coordinated sabotage attacks that happened at about 04:00 a.m. across the country. Now, there were cables cut. There were -- there was arson. And these installations, many of them signal boxes at crucial points that allow France's high speed rail lines to function, were attacked. We don't yet know who is responsible, simply that from about 04:00 a.m. onwards, authorities began to understand that the entire or huge parts, rather, of France's rail network were going to be crippled.

The Gare du Nord (ph) behind me is one of Paris's main train stations. It's about to be entirely closed down. And it isn't simply those who had been hoping to arrive in Paris today for the opening ceremony, Fredricka, that are impacted. It is also the many hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, French people who this Friday were hoping to set off on their summer holidays. We were just inside the train station, and they were announcing over the loudspeakers that people should put off any travel till Monday, many people traveling with their small children, again, heading off for their annual break. So, travel chaos and misery we're being told, at least until Monday, as authorities frantically try and repair those train lines and installations that had allowed the rail network to function. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And then, do we have any idea of the numbers? How many people are we talking about? I mean, you've got tourists. You've got folks who are there just for the games. I do understand that the athletes are not going to be relying on the train system, and then the regular commuters there. I mean, this is hugely inconvenient.

BELL: It's hugely inconvenient, and it impacts not just people inside France, but people outside France hoping to come in. Large parts of the Eurostar network, of course, have been impacted as well. What we're hearing from the French main rail operator, the SNCF, is that they believe 250,000 people will be impacted today, but it is 800,000 over the course of the weekend. That sounds to me like an underestimate. They're really only just beginning to get their heads around the impact this is going to have on travel, again, not just in and out of the Paris 2024 Olympics, but for anyone who had been hoping to leave France or come to France by rail today, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Wow, incredible. And of course, the investigation is still ongoing, and we hope to hear more from authorities later on.

Melissa, thank you so much. Of course. Melissa, we saw you on the River Seine yesterday.

Amanda is there now because -- or at least you're at the Arc de Triomphe, right? So, that is going to be a centerpiece too for these Olympic Games. The opening ceremony, it will be historic for a number of reasons. Let's start with it being held outdoors on the River Seine and then there is another interruption. We're not just talking about the train system but weather. What is expected?

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes. It was certainly not how the script had been written when we woke up this morning, not only to the news about the rail network disruption, but also to pouring rain. Now, the message from the Sports Ministry has very much been, as you said at the top of the show, the show will go on. We will just have to sing in the rain. The question, though, very much has been, who is it going to be doing the singing?

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It's certainly not going to be me, but all the rumors talking about Celine Dion, Lady Gaga. They've both been pictured here in Paris over the last couple of days for this truly unprecedented Olympic opening ceremony. This is the moment traditionally that the host city of a games can really stake their claim and really set the tone for what is to come over the next couple of weeks. And really, this has been the flagpole moment that Paris 2024 has been talking about since the very start. They wanted to do something very, very different.

I have to say, given the political context that we're talking about, the political situation, not only here in France, but around the world, the first question that many people asked when we talked about this six-kilometer journey along the River Seine, 100 boats, dancers on the bridges, all the teams out on display, 206 teams with thousands of the athletes who are due to be taking part parading down the river in this four-hour ceremony, people are asking about the safety and security. And we have got 40,000 police and security officials who have been descending here on Paris over the last few weeks and days. There is this soundtrack, very much of sirens, which I'm sure you can hear going on behind us.

This roundabout by the Arc de Triomphe has just gone into lockdown. All the cars have been cleared out. All the fans have been cleared from around the way. We're just seeing the VIPs who are all flocking into town to, to be part of it. But, the message from the organizers is that the show will go on. They are not concerned. They are not changing their plans after the attacks on the train networks. And the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, has issued a statement in the last few minutes, saying he has full confidence in the French security authorities.

WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness. Well, have your walking shoes right or a bike, is that's how you're getting around, and then now add a chapeau. You're going to need a hat with the rain.

All right. Amanda Davies, Melissa Bell, thanks to both of you.

All right. Now, let's talk about politics. The race for the White House in the U.S. from mega donor support to now backing from the Democratic Party's biggest stars, the Obamas. Presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris gets the call, a phone call from Barack and Michelle Obama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE UNITES STATES: I can't have this phone call without saying to my girl Kamala, I am proud of you. This is going to be historic.

BARACK OBAMA, 44TH U.S. PRESIDENT: We called to say, Michelle and I couldn't be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office. KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S., (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Oh, my goodness. Michelle, Barack, this means so much to me. I'm looking forward to doing this with the two of you, Doug and I both.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Following President Joe Biden's announcement that he was exiting the race on Sunday, Barack Obama didn't immediately endorse Harris, instead expressing his confidence in the party and the process, well now with the announcement of the two of them fully endorsing her through the phone call. It's also now part of Harris's ad campaign.

Let's talk more about all this. CNN's Kayla Tausche is at the White House for us. Kayla, good morning to you. So, what kind of role do we expect the Obamas to play in Harris's campaign? We heard her on that call saying, I'm looking forward to you all being out stumping with me on the campaign trail. In what capacity?

KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, in their statement endorsing the Vice President, Fredricka, the Obamas said that they will be out on the campaign trail stumping for her, supporting her, and you heard in that phone call, saying whatever they can do to get her into the Oval Office. This was a role that the Obamas were expected to play for President Joe Biden before he exited the race, and now they are lending their firepower to Harris to help get her across the finish line. Of course, that finish line is approaching quite quickly, with a truncated timeline, now that, as of Sunday, there will be just 100 days before the election, and there is now less than a month before the Democratic Party's big convention in Chicago.

Notably, the Obamas withheld their endorsement until after the Democratic Party's formal process to clinch the delegates for Harris had concluded. The Obamas did not want to be seen as anointing her or participating in what would be seen as a coronation. They wanted to let the process play out in an open and transparent way. But, the timing and the sequential nature of this, of course, has the benefit of lending some extra momentum to Harris. But, it also comes as former President Trump, who is now the Republican opponent in the race, has said that he is not confirming his participation in a September 10th debate. And in a statement, his spokesman says, one of the reasons is because there has not been an endorsement of Harris from President Obama.

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Now, of course, that sets up former President Trump to be able to say, well, I said that was a condition for the debate. Now, it happened. We know that the former President is always inclined to do things on his own terms. But, Harris yesterday speaking to reporters, saying that she believes Trump is backpedaling, but she is ready to hit the stage. Fred.

WHITFIELD: Oh, boy. And that debate maybe, right, it's scheduled to happen September 11th. We'll see what happens. OK. Well, let's talk about Harris now. She is going to be back in

Washington. Well, she is back in Washington. She met with the Israeli Prime Minister. She'll be taking a few days now traveling to campaign events. This is a big push this weekend. What do we expect will happen?

TAUSCHE: Well, Harris now is in the spotlight fully. There is no question that both in her official capacity as Vice President as well as the Democrats' presidential nominee that she is going to be under immense scrutiny both on the campaign trail and here on campus at the White House. That was why her appearance yesterday following her one- on-one meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu was watched so closely, for any signs of where she was going to plant the flag on her own policy on the Middle East.

Of course, as the number two in this administration, she had been in lockstep with President Biden, but now as a nominee, she has an opportunity to establish a bit more nuance on where she stands. And she said in no uncertain terms yesterday that Israel has a right to defend itself and how it does that matters. She said that she sees and hears those on all sides of the debate here in the U.S., and certainly she is going to be taking more opportunities to establish her policies like those on the economy and on immigration and elsewhere in the coming days, and that's something that voters are going to be watching closely. Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kayla Tausche at the White House, thanks so much.

All right. In the coming hours, former President Donald Trump and the Israeli Prime Minister will sit down for their first meeting since Trump left office. Benjamin Netanyahu faces growing pressure to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. That was the message during a meeting with the sitting U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday, and it was echoed by Vice President Kamala Harris when she met separately with Mr. Netanyahu. The presumptive Democratic nominee expressed support for Israel, while saying she will not be silent about the suffering in Gaza.

Let's talk more about that. CNN's Alayna Treene is with us now, joining us from Washington, D.C. All right. So, I guess first off, let's talk about the expectations of Trump meeting with Mr. Netanyahu. They were once great friends. The relationship then soured after Netanyahu congratulated Biden after he won the 2020 election. We heard Netanyahu boast about having a relationship, knowing Biden for some 40 years. So, what might this meeting be like today with Trump and Netanyahu?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: I mean, it's going to be fascinating, Fred, because this is the first time the two leaders will have met since Donald Trump departed the White House. And you're exactly right. I mean, Donald Trump and Netanyahu are used to tout their close personal relationship. Donald Trump often refers to himself still as the most pro-Israel President in modern history. He says that frequently on the campaign trail. But, their relationship has soured in recent years, part of it is, exactly as you said, which is that he did not like the way that Netanyahu had congratulated Joe Biden for winning the 2020 election. He actually told Axios in an interview after that "F" Netanyahu, essentially, but also another reason he feels betrayed, and things that Netanyahu had been disloyal was, because at the very end of Donald Trump's first term in the White House, he believes and he claims that Israel had pulled out at the last minute out of the air strike that ultimately killed Qasem Soleimani.

So, there is a lot of reasons for their souring relationship. But, I think the big thing here to keep in mind is that these two men have not been speaking. They do not have the same type of relationship. And of course, they have not met since Donald Trump was in the White House. So, really, what I think today is going to mark is a potential resetting of relations between these two leaders. Now, Donald Trump has also been very critical of the way that Netanyahu has handled the war between Israel and Hamas. He has repeatedly said that Netanyahu and Israel overall has a public relations problem. And he also claims that he thinks that he would be able to help end the war swiftly, but of course, doesn't offer any sort of specifics.

And so, when I talked to Donald Trump's senior advisors, they told me that there is no clear agenda going into this meeting today between Trump and Netanyahu. However, like I said, Donald Trump has repeatedly said he would want to find a quick end to the war.

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Now, I think, on Netanyahu's part, he is being smart. He is meeting with every potential leader. He is meeting with Joe Biden, of course, the current President. He met with Vice President Harris, who is expected to be the Democratic nominee and face off with Trump in November. And then he is also meeting with Trump. So, he is hedging his bets to make sure that they are in the best place.

Now, I also just want to address, I spoke with one senior advisor about the stakes of this meeting and Donald Trump's willingness to meet with Netanyahu despite their fraught relationship. This is what he told me. They said, quote, "Trump is willing to put any personal or political differences to the side and develop or reconnect with him, to develop a working relationship with him. It shows the evolution of how Trump will conduct himself in a second term."

And I can also tell you, Fred, that I worked on this story with my colleague -- our colleague, Kylie Atwood. And when she speaks to Israelis and those Israeli officials in the Middle East, they believe that Trump could potentially give Netanyahu a longer leash than the current Biden administration has. So, I would keep that in mind as well. We do know that Netanyahu has repeatedly tried to reach out to Donald Trump in the years since he left the White House and to repair relations. And so, we'll see some of that, I think, playing out in that meeting at Mar-a-Lago. Fred.

WHITFIELD: Oh, that's interesting. I mean, all of it was interesting, but the latter part, especially that it's Netanyahu who has been wanting to talk with. So, just really quickly, who initiated this meeting? I mean, we know that Netanyahu had plans to meet with President Biden and address Congress. But, was it Netanyahu who initiated this time to meet with Trump or vice versa?

TREENE: It was, it was Netanyahu. He was the one who had requested that they meet, and I think also noting that he was in Washington, D.C. yesterday for these meetings with Biden and Harris, and of course, he addressed Congress on Wednesday as well. He is making the decision to fly down to Florida to meet with Donald Trump at his Mar- a-Lago resort. We're told the meeting is going to happen at 11:00 a.m. So, this came on their behalf.

But, I would also note, just as part of this, that I also -- Donald Trump has met with a series of world leaders in recent weeks. He recently hosted the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. He has met with the British Foreign Secretary and former Prime Minister David Cameron, several meetings that he has hosted at his own private properties. This is just one of them. But, it does, from the Trump campaign's view, signal to them that perhaps they are, like I said, hedging their bets in the event that Donald Trump does win in November. Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. All fascinating. Alayna Treene. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

All right. Well, let's take a deeper look at Netanyahu's U.S. visit with CNN Political and National Security Analyst David Sanger. David, great to see you. I find that fascinating, don't you, that Netanyahu said he wants to get more bang for his buck in his visit to the U.S. He reached out to, as Alayna was reporting, he reached out to Trump, and after all of these attempts over the years, he got a yes, heading to Mar-a-Lago. What do you expect the tone will be of that meeting and what the goals are here?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL & NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, it is fascinating, Fredricka, and it's fascinating, I think, for two or three reasons. First, the cause of their breach. The most important cause of that breach was that, as a national leader, Prime Minister Netanyahu congratulated the duly elected winner of the presidency, and that President Trump couldn't abide by that, because at the moment, he was so wrapped, as he has been since, in the concept that he had won.

I think the second fascinating thing is the Trump Organization, I think, or they -- the Trump campaign definitely believes they have the upper hand right now with Netanyahu, because they would essentially allow him to continue to use U.S. s weapons for any purpose that he had in mind. President Trump's complaint about the Israelis has been that they have a public relations problem, not that the operation itself against Hamas has been flawed in any form in its conception, whereas, of course, the Biden administration says they have not gotten correct the use of weapons in ways that would result in the indiscriminate deaths of civilians. You've never heard that from former President Trump.

I think a third thing is Netanyahu himself clearly would prefer Trump came in, because I think he would go back to a situation in which the United States would basically back almost all of his major moves. It's Trump, of course, who moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, and there was rarely a moment of disagreement on policy issues between Trump and Netanyahu.

[08:20:00]

WHITFIELD: Fascinating. OK. So, that meeting later on today. Netanyahu did meet with the sitting President and the Vice President, now the presumptive Democratic nominee, and she, Kamala Harris, was blunt in her conversation with Netanyahu. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Israel has a right to defend itself, and how it does so matters. I also expressed with the Prime Minister my serious concern about the scale of human suffering in Gaza, including the death of far too many innocent civilians. And I made clear my serious concern about the dire humanitarian situation there. We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, David, you already said -- I mean, you believe Netanyahu would prefer Trump in the White House. But, what did you hear in her tone?

SANGER: What I heard in that tone was no deviance from what the official position was of the Biden administration, but a much more forceful and concise explanation of that, how it does so matters. I don't think you're going to hear words like that at Mar-a-Lago today. Her description of the fact that she was concerned that not enough aid was getting to the Palestinians, her concern that we can't become numb to the suffering, these are all things that we've heard from Biden aides over the course of the nine months or so of the war. But, President Biden, I think, had a harder time putting these together for fear, I think, that he would -- it would make it harder for him to go deal with Netanyahu. She has clearly made a different calculation that you had to come after Netanyahu straight on.

WHITFIELD: All right. David Sanger, we'll leave it there for now. Great to see you. Thanks so much.

SANGER: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Still to come, it's California's largest wildfire of the year and it's exploding in size, the uphill battle to slow the flames, next in a live report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Firefighters have been battling California's largest fire this year in Butte and Tehama counties. The blaze has grown to almost 650 square kilometers, the equivalent of half of Los Angeles, and is just three percent contained. A 42-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of starting the fire by pushing a burning car into a ditch. High winds and extreme temperatures have fueled the rapidly growing fire.

[08:25:00]

CNN's Camila Bernal is near the park fire there in a very smoky and smoldering Chico, California. Tell us more.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred. We're seeing firsthand just how quickly these flames are spreading. A few hours ago, we were standing here, and what you see behind me, the flames, they were not here. So, we're seeing just how quickly they're moving down this area. And yesterday, we were here and saw them spreading through a canyon in a matter of hours, getting closer to some of the homes here in Chico, California. And it's why it's prompted evacuation orders in this area. We also saw local authorities trying to help people get out of this area, get the animals out of this area.

And unfortunately, as you mentioned, authorities also saying that they arrested this 42-year-old man who they believe is responsible for starting this fire. They say witnesses saw him as he pushed that burning car about 60 feet or so in a local park, and it is a park and an area that is extremely dry. The terrain is dry. You add the heat, the triple digits, and then you also add the wind, and that's what causes this fire to spread so quickly.

You mentioned about 160,000 acres already burned. That's about the size of Chicago. And again, it's the speed really that's contributing to these flames, about an average of 50 football fields a minute. That's how quickly it's spreading. And so, officials telling people, they need to be extremely careful. Already, three firefighters were treated for heat-related injuries. They were released, and officials saying that structures in this area had been destroyed. But, they do not have an official number yet. So, these firefighters really working around the clock, about 1,000 firefighters in this area.

But, it's also important to point out that there are other fires in the U.S. right now in Eastern Oregon. You also have firefighters working around the clock. That fire is the largest burning in the U.S. at the moment, with 280,000 acres already burned. That fire is at about 20 percent containment. So, we are seeing some progress there. But, you're seeing it affect the communities. You're seeing it affect people's livelihood. And so, again, it's just been very difficult in terms of how hot it's been in the western U.S. over the last couple of days and months.

And then, I also want to point out that we're in Butte County. This is where the deadliest wildfire in California history happened. So, a lot of the people that were in paradise are now in Chico and experiencing this all over again, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Oh, that's horrible. All right. Camila Bernal in Chico, California, thanks so much.

All right. For more on these fast-moving fires, I want to bring in CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam. Wow. I mean, it is moving really rapidly.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah. Camila touched on that as well, and you can see it in the backdrop of her shot. Look at this. You can even see the park fire from space. This is a satellite image. Look at the rapid growth of this fire, just over a few hours' time, and of course, the smoke that is billowing from this massive wildfire across northern California. That's why we have these red flag warnings right where -- near the area that is burning at the moment. This is across the Central Valley of California. And that's not the only location that we're monitoring the potential of fire risks and ongoing fires. She mentioned Western -- or Eastern Oregon, of course. In total, there is nearly 90 active large wildfires here in the United States.

But, let's take you to Western Canada, where parts of a beautiful tourist town known as Jasper, this is in the area of Alberta, this just -- is just astounding to see this footage of completely charred vehicles, homes, businesses, as yet another Canadian wildfire burns another Canadian town. And unfortunately, all of these wildfires leading to degradation of our air quality. That's why we have air quality alerts in effect for much of the U.S., and that extends into portions of Canada as well. You can kind of see the evolution of the smoke billowing from Montana through Idaho and into the Pacific Northwest.

Now, quickly switching gears, because a lot of eyes right now are on Paris for the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, first time in 100 years that Paris has held the Olympics, there was rain this morning. It's starting to dry out now. But, what we see is a concerning trend because the opening ceremonies are so weather-dependent. Remember, this is going to take place along a six-kilometer stretch of the River Seine. And with that being an outdoor event, that means that performances could be impacted by this weather, which, by the way, could become light to moderate rainfall, not what you want to see right during the beginning of the opening ceremony, that cluster of showers, that could pick up over 15 millimeters.

[08:30:00]

That's roughly a half an inch of rainfall through the overnight period. So, that could definitely dampen the opening ceremony. This is our official forecast. We do anticipate the rain to rebuild into the Paris area through this evening, dry out by Sunday before another rainy day on Saturday, and then Monday, we start to enter in the heat into the equation as well. So, the Olympics and the weather, they go hand in hand, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Of course. OK. So, it's going to be muggy with that pairing of that kind of rain --

DAM: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: -- and the heat.

DAM: Right. Yeah.

WHITFIELD: These are the --

DAM: Tough on athletes.

WHITFIELD: -- the elite athletes. They're prepared for any and all elements.

DAM: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: OK. Derek Van Dam, thank you so much, at the CNN Center.

DAM: All right.

WHITFIELD: All right. Still to come, with just hours until the start of the Olympic Games opening ceremony, France's rail system is hit with what's being called a coordinated sabotage attack. We're live in France with details. And the man accused of being one of Mexico's most notorious drug lords is now sitting in a U.S. jail. Wait until you hear how law enforcement got him onto U.S. soil.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's get an update now on this breaking news this hour. French intelligence services say they are fully mobilized to find who is behind the attacks on the country's railway network. France's state rail company calls it a targeted criminal sabotage operation that included arson and cable theft. The attacks have caused commuter headaches across the country, affecting some 800,000 travelers, even forcing other rail services to divert route. All this comes just hours before the Olympic opening ceremony along the River Seine in Paris. Organizers tell CNN it will go on as planned.

Let's bring in a CNN's Senior National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem, who is formerly the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Great to see you. (FOREIGN LANGUAGE). OK. It's still picturesque --

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes.

WHITFIELD: -- even though you've got looming clouds, rain --

KAYYEM: Yes.

WHITFIELD: -- and now this mess with the interruption of rail services. I mean, it's a very serious matter.

[08:35:00]

But, the sabotage of rail attacks has to be something security would anticipate when you've got the world descending on that city. So, what do you think is at hand now when trying to investigate who is behind all of this?

KAYYEM: Yeah. So, look, I mean, I've been involved with sort of knowing what's going on here. The city, honestly, Fredricka, is completely empty underneath me. The security is so strong in Paris, as the opening ceremony begins in just a few hours, just a couple blocks away. There has been so much focus in Paris and a lot less outside of Paris, and that's going to mean that there is vulnerabilities, as there always are with public transportation infrastructure, because they could not protect every foot of those lines. So, this seems this is a targeted, multiple arson attack and cable disruption attack on the trains that is now impacting visitors, Parisians, and of course, potentially athletes.

So, the most important thing is to get the athletes where they need to get. And so, there is going to be bus services and other things like that to compensate. They don't think this is going to be cured for at least through the weekend. That's how bad it is.

WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness. And so, what --

KAYYEM: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: -- do you believe is kind of in the forefront of their investigation? How do they get to --

KAYYEM: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: -- looking for the suspects? Obviously, there are cameras everywhere in that major city, just as there would be anywhere else. But, is there something particularly unique about this investigation?

KAYYEM: Yeah. So, there is two theories right now that you're hearing French authorities talk about. One is always a concern about Russian disruption. I'll be honest with you. I think everyone is always concerned about disinformation by the Russian cyberattacks. This seems a little old school. You can hear. This seems a little bit old school for the Russians there. The physical attack would be very hard for them to plan. And then, you're hearing about sort of political, or as one minister here suggested, a sort of internal domestic threat where it might be left-wing extremism. That makes more sense in the sense that they understand what the train system would look like, where there might be vulnerabilities, although it's more sophisticated than anything we've seen in terms of some of these protests or rallies in the past.

So, it could be any combination or something that we're not thinking of yet. But, we do know, look, this is a known vulnerability. It's very hard to close up. The most important thing for all of this planning is, are the opening ceremonies going to be safe and secure, given their inherent vulnerabilities? They are not in a stadium, as we've all been reporting. They are on the river. I've done -- this is my fifth the Olympics in safety and security. I've never seen anything like it before. It's going to be either spectacular or not, something -- but nothing in between. I'll tell you that.

WHITFIELD: Hey, the French wanted to be spectacular, and so does the rest of the world. Right? That's all they want.

KAYYEM: They want it, and I do too. I do too. I still want that too. I may be a security analyst, but I want that too.

WHITFIELD: OK. We're all looking forward to watching, and glad you're there. Juliette Kayyem, thank you so much.

All right. When the man suspected of being the leader of Mexico's most notorious drug cartel boarded a plane on Thursday, he thought he was flying to inspect some property. Well, instead, the plane landed in the U.S. and he was arrested by the FBI. Ismael Zambada Garcia is known as "El Mayo" and is thought to be the current leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel. He has evaded U.S. authorities for years, and the reward for information leading to his arrest was up to $15 million. Authorities also arrested Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of the notorious drug lord El Chapo. And there are reports that it was Guzman Lopez who tricked Zambada into boarding that plane. Wow, huh.

Polo Sandoval is tracking this story. This is incredible. Tell us more.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It reads like Narcos episode, Fred, and it is impossible to overstate the importance of this arrest for U.S. authorities. Ismael Zambada, as you mentioned, known as "El Mayo" for his nickname, is believed to have actually started the Sinaloa cartel together with Joaquin Guzman. We all know him as El Chapo and he is currently serving a life sentence here in the U.S. So, this is absolutely big.

In terms of what I have heard directly from sources that are close to the investigation, I've been briefed on this, here is the way it all played out. According to authorities, El Mayo boarded a small airplane under false pretenses that he was going to go check out a property or two that he would potentially buy, not knowing that that plane would eventually land just west of El Paso, Texas, where U.S. law enforcement were waiting. According to at least one account, that that arrest went down quite quickly and without any major Incidents.

[08:40:00]

Zambada in custody there. A man in his mid-70s, this is an old school cartel leader, Fred, not like his partner Chapo that was really more high profile. In fact, it's very difficult to even find a recent photo of Mayo. He was, according to federal prosecutors, overseeing as far back as 1989 and up to this year the manufacturing and distribution of narcotics into the United States. According to the DEA, the Sinaloa drug syndicate largely responsible for a vast majority of the fentanyl that ends up in the U.S., killing just many, many Americans. So, that really speaks to the importance of this arrest here.

Now, in terms of what we may see south of the border, what this may mean for the cartel landscape, it certainly does not mean the end of the Sinaloa drug cartel organization. In fact, it's an organization that has splintered. If anything, it is, according to several analysts, it is very likely that we will see some infighting and a power struggle to fill that vacuum, Fred, and what a vacuum it is. This man, again, seen as an elder cartel head, according to analysts, and now certainly there is the big question about who will take over.

And then, finally, you mentioned Joaquin Guzman Lopez, Chapo's son, also arrested, also flying on that aircraft. And finally, a big question here, who betrayed El Mayo? There is some reporting out there likely it was somebody from within the organization, as you mentioned, reports that even it was possibly a Chapo's son, who you see there in the split screen. That has not yet been confirmed by authorities. But, what they have confirmed is the arrest of these two men known as leaders in the Sinaloa cartel. WHITFIELD: Well, maybe someone is going to find out when someone is

walking around with $15 million or living a little larger as a result of $15 million, then we might find out.

All right. Polo Sandoval, thank you so much.

SANDOVAL: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Ahead, Venezuela's presidential election on Sunday, several foreign officials are dropping plans to travel there to act as election observers. Brazilian officials canceled plans to send monitors because of what it called false statements by the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He claimed Brazil does not audit its own election records. Former Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said the Venezuelan government asked him to stay away, after he said if Maduro loses the election, he must accept the results. And Colombia's Foreign Minister said he would no longer travel to Venezuela to oversee the election, but gave no reason for the change in plans.

More news after the break.

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WHITFIELD: Kamala Harris received a big endorsement this morning from former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. And now that she has lured top donors, top Democrats, what about voters?

Nick Valencia is in Georgia taking their temperature.

[08:45:00]

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NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If the election were held today, Margarita Eberline doesn't know who she'd vote for. The elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris in the race hasn't made things any clear for her.

MARGARITA EBERLINE, GEORGIA SWING VOTER: No. It's not exciting to me. It's not like, oh, wow, the easy answer. It's not an easy choice for me. It still isn't. People are assuming that because I'm a Latina woman that, oh, I'm going to be excited about her. And it's not that easy for me, because I worry about character. We had somebody that was the right hand of somebody that was not healthy, who was silent about it, and that concerns me.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Eberline lives in Gwinnett County, a key suburban county in a swing state, where she believes her vote is more consequential than ever. In a recent memo, Vice President Harris's campaign said it sees securing swing voters, like Eberline, as part of a pathway to victory.

VALENCIA: Do you think a lot of people are burned out with politics at this point? EBERLINE: Absolutely.

VALENCIA (voice-over): In 2020, Joe Biden won Georgia by less than 12,000 votes, becoming the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state since 1992. But, in 2024, we're finding that Democrats have their work cut out for them, if they're hoping for a repeat.

VALENCIA: How has it changed your opinion seeing her as a potential nominee for the Democrats?

PING SORIANO, GEORGIA SWING VOTER: I don't know yet, 50:50.

VALENCIA: 50:50?

SORIANO: Yeah.

VALENCIA: You still have to learn more and research more.

SORIANO: Yes.

VALENCIA: If the election was today, you wouldn't know which way you would vote.

SORIANO: I am still doubt -- in doubt --

VALENCIA: In doubt?

SORIANO: -- right now. But, give me, please, about two months. It will be ready.

SHELIA HOLLEY, GEORGIA SWING VOTER: It's not like I want to vote for her because she is black. That's not the reason. This year, it's just because we just to make sure Trump is not elected.

VALENCIA: What makes you want to vote for Trump?

VALENCIA (voice-over): Aber Martinez doesn't need any more time to make up his mind. He saw our camera and shouted "Trump 2024."

ABER MARTINEZ, GEORGIA SWING VOTER: I'd rather vote for Trump, no matter what. They're going to keep bringing the liberal agenda and I'm not for it. I'm just sorry.

VALENCIA (voice-over): For Margarita Eberline, some progressive policies are troubling. But, it's Trump's rhetoric, specifically on immigration, that makes it hard for her to support him.

EBERLINE: I'm a conservative person, and I just cannot make peace with anybody that uses hatred in their rhetoric and that uses the vision as a strategy.

VALENCIA: And I really struggle --

VALENCIA (voice-over): Eberline also questions whether either outcome will even make a difference for her and her family. EBERLINE: I'm not from a privileged background. I was the first in my

family to go to college, and I went to a really good university and all of that, and I feel like I've checked all the boxes. But, relatively speaking, like, my life is not easy. And no matter who wins, the financial implications are not necessarily going to be easy for me.

VALENCIA: Our biggest takeaway in talking to voters throughout the day is just the overall lack of enthusiasm about the upcoming election. The voters that we spoke to say they're just not animated in the same way they were in 2020. And for as instrumental as Georgia was in handing Biden a victory four years ago, what's clear to us is that the Democrats in 2024 are fighting against a lot in Georgia, and the name of Vice President Harris just hasn't injected the excitement or enthusiasm into those swing voters we spoke to.

Nick Valencia, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Still to come, Paris says the Olympic opening ceremony is happening, and two global superstars are expected to pay tribute to a French cultural icon. More on the historic Paris games and entertainment, next.

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[08:50:00]

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WHITFIELD: All right. More now in our top story. We're hearing that French intelligence services are on the case to find the source of the attacks on France's railway network. This follows what officials are calling coordinated sabotage on the train lines just hours before the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris. That's going ahead as planned, say organizers. And the A-listers also plan to be there in full force.

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OK. Lady Gaga, just one of the headliners for that big event in the coming hours. According to reports, she and Celine Dion are expected to perform a classic French ballet made famous by French cultural icon Edith Piaf, and before the opening ceremony even begins, rapper Snoop Dogg, there he is, he has been carrying the Olympic torch through the streets of Saint-Denis in northern Paris.

So, let's go to Paris live right now. There is so much excitement throughout the city. David Wallechinsky, the former President of the International Society of Olympic Historians, is joining us right now. Bonjour.

DAVID WALLECHINSKY, FMR. PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF OLYMPIC HISTORIANS: Bonjour.

WHITFIELD: Nepa Vianne. Well, this is very exciting. I mean, everyone is there for these incredible Summer Games, which are historic all the time, because Olympic records, world records are set because of the athletes. But, let's talk about Paris and why this is so incredible, because it's been 100 years since the Olympic Games have been in that city. But, this is going to be unlike any other games. Give me some of the reasons why.

WALLECHINSKY: Well, for of all, the opening ceremony is really innovative. A lot of people are nervous because it's going to be outdoors on the Seine River. The athletes will come down in boats. So, this has never happened before. (Inaudible) the opening ceremonies have been in the stadium. So, that's a big breakthrough.

One thing I've noticed clearly is sustainability. Everything is done environmentally as correct as possible. I will say, it's been very quiet in Paris. All the taxi drivers and other drivers are complaining they're not getting as much business. They didn't receive nearly as many tourists as they thought they were going to. There is always seems to be the sound of sirens in the streets. So often, it's just motorcycles accompanying VIPs.

WHITFIELD: Oh my Gosh. That is so different. Look, I was in Paris for the French Open just a couple of months ago, and I mean, it was a buzz of activity everywhere, of course, fine tuning some of the venues there near the Eiffel Tower, Trocadero. There were cars everywhere. It was gridlock. So, you are now describing the complete opposite that it's nearly a ghost town, which means people will have to walk or they're going to be riding their bikes. But, the whole idea is to secure the city, secure the athletes, the athletes who will be able to get around in their private buses and transportation. But -- yeah. And when you look at a lot of these athletes that are arriving, I mean, they are over the top, over the moon, excited about things. What are the venues looking like to you?

WALLECHINSKY: Well, some of the venues are fantastic, for example, beach volleyball, it's going to be right next to the Eiffel Tower. Equestrian events will be in Versailles. How can you beat that?

WHITFIELD: Wow.

WALLECHINSKY: Yeah, the other venues. And the big thing is we're finally going to have an audience, because in the last Summer Olympics in Tokyo, spectators were not involved -- not allowed to come. I was there. I went to a lot of events. It was the -- the competitions were exciting, as they always are. But, there was nobody in the stadiums. So, we're finally going to get people cheering and yelling. And I think all the athletes in particular are looking forward to that.

WHITFIELD: I bet. I mean, yeah, that's going to make a huge difference. I mean, you're helping to us -- helping to remind us how different Tokyo games were. I was recently listening to an interview of the mom of Simone Biles, and she too talked about how -- what an impact not having an audience, not having family members present made a difference on the performance, the mindset of the athletes.

[08:55:00]

So, they are going to have a completely different experience this go round with friends, family and the world able to attend.

WALLECHINSKY: Yes. And we were expecting full low stands in most of the events, certainly the big events like track and field. Of course, gymnastics is the biggest one for big (ph) countries. You mentioned Simone Biles. Everybody is looking forward to her performance. But, there is a lot of other stories. I mean, different countries have their own stories. I, as an Olympic historian, I'm really excited about this Cuban Greco-Roman wrestler who is trying to become the first athlete in any sport to win the same individual events five times. Nobody has ever done that. I know Greco-Roman wrestling is not popular sports, but I'm keeping my eye on this one.

WHITFIELD: Hey, it's always important, but I'm even more riveted now. I'll be watching just because you said so. I'll be rooting for him too in the Greco-Roman wrestling event.

All right. David Wallechinsky, thank you so much, former President of the International Society of Olympic Historians. Thank you so much.

And thank you for joining me today here in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Connect the World with Erica Hill up next.

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