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Biden, Harris Appears Together for the First Time Since The Latter's Exit in the Presidential Race; U.S. Vice Presidential Candidates to Square Off in a Debate on Oct. 1; Authorities Charged Five Individuals Linked to the Death of Matthew Perry; Thailand Elects New Prime Minister; Ampil Devastates Japan's East Coast Disrupting Travel Plans and 1,000 Homes are now Powerless. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired August 16, 2024 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom."

The economy takes center stage in the U.S. presidential election. The former president tries getting ahead of his Democratic rival's major policy speech, set to take place just hours from now.

Are Israel and Hamas any closer to a ceasefire and hostage deal as the death toll in Gaza hits 40,000? The latest on renewed high-stakes negotiations.

And prosecutors say the investigation into actor Matthew Perry's death uncovered an underground drug network. We'll have details on the arrests made and the case against the defendants.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris will roll out her economic policy in North Carolina later today, and her Republican rival Donald Trump is heading to Pennsylvania this weekend as they ramp up their campaigns in key battleground states.

But they held very different events on Thursday. Trump railed over the rising costs of groceries during a lengthy news conference at his private golf club in New Jersey, and Harris appeared in public with President Joe Biden for the first time since he exited the race. Their joint appearance in Maryland felt very much like a Harris campaign rally, but it was just as much about touting the Biden administration's accomplishments. Those include fighting inflation and lowering prescription drug costs.

CNN's MJ Lee has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS (D), U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our extraordinary President Joe Biden.

M.J. LEE, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the first time in three and a half weeks.

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: She's going to make one hell of a president.

LEE (voice-over): Retiring lame duck President Joe Biden appearing at an official event alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, the brand new Democratic nominee for president.

HARRIS: Thank you, Joe.

LEE (voice-over): Harris first paying tribute to the man who chose her as his running mate four years ago.

HARRIS: There's a lot of love in this room for our president.

LEE (voice-over): The pair promoting the administration's work to lower the costs of prescription drugs, a popular idea that heavily affects senior and black Americans.

HARRIS: Two years ago as vice president, I was proud to cast the tie breaking vote that said Medicare, the power to negotiate.

LEE (voice-over): Thursday's event coming as Harris is quickly establishing her own campaign with distinct policies and messaging and offering an early preview of how she might try to navigate Biden's low marks on the economy.

REPORTER: How much does it bother you that Vice President Harris might soon, for political reasons, start to distance herself from your economic plan?

BIDEN: She's not going to.

LEE (voice-over): Harris, who until recently was eagerly making statements like this. Bidenomics is working.

Now carefully assessing how to selectively break from Biden. She is not expected to carry the banner of Bidenomics. Instead, she is poised to highlight specific policy prescriptions aimed at lowering prices.

On Friday, Harris will travel to North Carolina to propose a federal ban on price gouging to lower grocery costs.

HARRIS: Our president, Joe Biden.

LEE (voice-over): Meanwhile, Biden said to be still smarting from being forced out of the 2024 race last month. Sources say he won't soon forget the Democrats who played the most active roles in pushing him to drop out, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Biden now focused on burnishing his own legacy and preparing to be an active surrogate for the new Harris-Walz campaign. BIDEN: The guy we're running against, what's his name? Donald Dump or

Donald whatever. They want to get rid of this.

LEE: Now, as for the vice president's economic policy rollout speech in North Carolina on Friday, we are learning that as a part of those remarks, the vice president will be unveiling a four year plan that is aimed at trying to lower the cost of housing, including, we are told, a $25,000 down payment assistance for first time homeowners, as well as the construction of new housing and tax incentives for the building of starter homes.

[03:04:59]

Of course, high costs in food and housing are among the some of the most stubborn economic challenges for the Biden administration. So it's no surprise that she is trying to address those issues as the vice president is clearly trying to put a little bit more distance between herself and President Biden's economic record.

MJ Lee, CNN at the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, Donald Trump has been slamming Harris's economic record. During remarks at his golf club in New Jersey, the Republican presidential nominee falsely accused her of driving up inflation. And once again, his attacks were personal.

CNN's Alayna Treene explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Former President Donald Trump on Thursday addressed the press at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. And the whole point of this speech was to really drive home his message on the economy.

Now, when I talked to Donald Trump's senior advisers, they said that was really the goal for this entire week, that they wanted him to really drive a contrast between his economic policy and that which of his record when he was in office and compare that to what Harris is going to propose on Friday in North Carolina. Now, he had a series of props around him, a bunch of different groceries. And really, the point for him was to try and argue that Kamala Harris is responsible for the crunch that many Americans are feeling on their wallets.

They also want to tie her to the Biden administration's economic policy. Part of that is because they know that Donald Trump pulled higher than Joe Biden when it came to that issue. And they believe that is a winning issue for him in November. Now, it was really interesting because Donald Trump really stuck to the script. He brought out a binder with him for these remarks. He put it on the podium, and then he read it line by line.

However, once he started taking questions from the press, that restraint went out the window. And you really saw Donald Trump revert back to his well-worn playbook. I asked him specifically, you know, you have a lot of allies who are pressuring you, both privately and publicly, to stop with the personal attacks on Kamala Harris and focus on a more disciplined message, particularly when it comes to the issues, like the economy, but also immigration and crime.

And he told me that he actually believes that he is entitled to those attacks. Take a listen.

DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think I'm entitled to personal attacks. I don't have a lot of respect for her. I don't have a lot of respect for her intelligence. And I think she'll be a terrible president. And I think it's very important that we win. And whether the personal attacks are good, bad, I mean, she certainly attacks me personally. She actually called me weird.

TREENE: Now, the reason Donald Trump's answer there was so important is because this is something that so many people who want him to win this fall are telling him not to do. He said that Harris makes him very angry, that he is entitled to these personal attacks. But you have heard from a series of his top allies, including Nikki Haley, who recently endorsed him and went on stage at the Republican National Convention and said that she stood behind him.

The former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, even one of his advisers, Kellyanne Conway, all of them went out publicly this week and said you need to stop with the attacks on Harris and begin talking more about the issues. But it was clear today that Donald Trump seems like he does not want to do that and will not be changing his strategy.

Alayna Treene, CNN, Bridgewater, New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Trump's vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance has agreed to a debate with his Democratic rival. He and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will face off on October 1st. Vance says he also accepted CNN's invitation for a debate on September 18th, but Walz has yet to sign on. Harris and Trump are scheduled to have their first debate on September 10th. Their campaign says it's open to an additional debate in October, but won't settle the details on that until the first one is in the books.

Talks in Doha, Qatar over a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal are expected to resume in the coming hours. Delegations from Israel, the U.S., Egypt and Qatar will pick up where they left off on Thursday when no deal was reached. Separately, Egypt and Qatar are in communication with Hamas, which reiterated that any agreement must include a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

Meanwhile, thousands of protesters marched in Tel Aviv on Thursday demanding the release of hostages still held in Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GADI AMICHAI, NEPHEW OF HOSTAGE HELD IN GAZA: If it won't happen now, we believe that none of the hostages will be alive. It is the last chance to bring them all here to Israel alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Adding to the urgency and pressure for a deal is a looming Iranian attack on Israel. Iran has threatened retaliation for last month's assassination of a senior Hamas leader who was visiting Tehran.

Alright. We go live now to London and Elliott Gotkine with the very latest on the ceasefire talks. So, Elliott, where do things stand as we head into those negotiations?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Kim, we stand pretty much where we have stood every day for the past nine months, which is the hope that a ceasefire deal can be reached.

[03:10:06]

Certainly the pressure is higher than perhaps it has been since the last one and only ceasefire deal ended at the end of last November.

And we do hear from U.S. officials or U.S. officials telling CNN that talks had gotten off to a promising start. Another U.S. official saying that the bulk of the work has been done, but there are still four or five outstanding issues. Now, that may not sound like a large number of issues, but they still seem to be ones that thus far, at least in these, what, nine months or so of on-and-off talks, that the two sides have been unable to resolve.

Now, we got a statement from Hamas' political bureau on Thursday outlining its demands, saying that the deal would need to incorporate a comprehensive ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from Gaza of Israeli forces, the return of displaced persons, reconstruction in addition to a prisoner exchange deal in exchange for the release of Israelis who were kidnapped on October the 7th.

But the fact is that there still seem to be gaps between the two sides that, as I say, have thus far proved unbridgeable. And according to a regional diplomat, the main sticking point, at least as far as Hamas is concerned, is Israel's demands to screen people returning to the northern part of the Gaza Strip to make sure that armed men don't return and kind of reconstitute as a fighting force in areas that Israel believes that it has cleared, that Israel wants to veto the identities of some of the Palestinian prisoners that would be released in exchange for Israeli hostages.

And then finally, Israel wanting to remain in control of the so-called Philadelphia Corridor, which runs along the border between Rafah and Egypt and which Israel sees as the main conduit for weapons and other materials to Hamas inside the Gaza Strip.

Now, there is certainly hope that a deal can be done. There is certainly pressure for a deal can be done, not least because the death toll, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, now has exceeded 40,000. And, of course, in order to hopefully forestall an attack by Iran or Hezbollah on Israel that could drag the region into all-out war. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right. Thanks so much, Elliott Gotkine in London. I Appreciate that.

And as Elliott mentioned, the ceasefire, Gaza is reporting another milestone. The health ministry there says more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its war against Hamas 10 months ago. The devastating human toll of war highlighting the suffering and volatility inside the enclave.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NAJY ABU HATEB, GRAVE DIGGER IN GAZA (through translator): Since the war began, we haven't stopped even for a minute, and we hope the war ends. There's no place to bury people. We are even exhausted. We are working beyond our capacity, and we wish for this war to stop. Today, we roughly dig 50, 60, 70 graves daily, until the death toll reached 40,000 people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, the U.S. National Security Council spokesperson says Israel has delivered significant blows to Hamas and their military capability, but John Kirby stopped short of saying Hamas' military threat to Israel has been eliminated.

All right. Joining me now from Prague is H.A. Hellyer, a Middle East Studies scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and a Senior Associate Fellow in International Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute. Thank you so much for being here with us again.

I want to start with this. I mean, sometimes, you know, we in the media make too much of round numbers and milestones, but it really is worth reflecting at this point. 40,000 Palestinians dead, just the sheer number of innocent people who have lost their lives in this conflict. It is worth pausing and sort of thinking about that.

H.A. HELLYER, MIDDLE EAST STUDIES SCHOLAR, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SR. ASSOCIATE FELLOW IN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES, ROYAL UNIVERSITY SERVICES INSTITUTE: So, thank you very much for having me. The 40,000 number is, by many accounts, an incredible underestimate. If you notice, the last number that came out was, I think, several months ago at 38,000, and it's definitely, unfortunately, the case that more than 2,000 people have been killed.

There are scores of people that are still under the rubble. So, the estimates that many of my colleagues and I are working with is anything from 100,000 to 200,000.

Of course, we don't have the ability to verify those numbers, but I suspect that that's far close to the truth. And the reason for Al-Aziz negotiations continually failing, you only have to look at what Israeli negotiators have said themselves, and your own expert in "Axios," Barak Ravid, has reported on this, and also the Israeli press like "Haaretz." Benjamin Netanyahu has continually sabotaged these negotiations for 10 months because he doesn't want the negotiations to succeed.

[03:15:58]

Just this latest round, even though he claims there have been no additional conditions put on the table to the quote-unquote "Biden plan," which Biden insisted was an Israeli plan, he's gone and added more conditions, which he knows will blow up the negotiations, on top of the fact that he had the lead negotiator of the other side assassinated in Tehran, Ismail Haniyeh.

So, you know, I think that it's worth framing all of these negotiations really appropriately, very soberly. The Israeli prime minister is in a very particular and delicate domestic situation, where if the war were to end, then his government would fall, elections would take place, he would lose, and there would be a national inquiry into October 7th, which he's responsible for in terms of the security and intelligence failure.

So I think that it's pretty clear, including to the Israelis themselves, that the main obstacle to any forthcoming resolution to these negotiations is unfortunately Benjamin Netanyahu himself.

BRUNHUBER: So given all of that, I mean, it doesn't sound as though you're very optimistic about a deal being reached here. Do you think that any pressure from the U.S., for instance, will achieve anything here and sort of force something to happen? We've also seen protests in Israel as well. They clearly want the return of these hostages. Do you think Netanyahu will feel that pressure and feel that he does have to give here?

HELLYER: So there's pressure from the Israeli public, that's true. I wouldn't say there's pressure from the United States. What we have is rhetoric from the White House, we have rhetoric from the Biden administration, and it's public rhetoric, but it's not the harshest of public rhetoric, to be quite frank. The harshest is, of course, reserved for private.

But in any case, it's not pressure. Pressure is when the United States says that we have leverage on the state of Israel in terms of our protection of it in the United Nations Security Council, where we veto resolutions that are critical of Israel. We have leverage over Israel when it comes to the provision of offensive weaponry and financial support.

And when that leverage comes into question, that's pressure. Right now, all we have is talk. Right now, all we have is rhetoric. Right now, all we have is the Biden administration saying we wish that things weren't the way that they are.

Well, they are the way that they are. And unfortunately, until Benjamin Netanyahu feels that there will be actual leverage used against him, then he will continue to act with impunity, which is precisely what he's been doing for the past ten months, precisely because he knows that the Biden administration puts down red lines, including going to Rafah, including, you know, various actions over the past 10 months.

And he crosses those red lines, and there's never been a price to pay. And I think that he knows that that's exactly the situation he's in right now.

BRUNHUBER: We only have a minute left, but I wanted to ask you this. For all of the damage that's been done, the loss of life, we heard the assessment there by the Biden administration about Israel damaging Hamas, but they're only weakened, not eliminated.

HELLYER: So, look, there's a very sober assessment here from within the security establishment internationally. Yes, Hamas' offensive and military capabilities have been degraded. They have not been destroyed. I think that many of their battalions are still intact. So, by all measures, what Israel declared to be its war aims, I think, has failed.

BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll have to leave it there. Always appreciate your analysis. H.A. Hellyer, thank you so much for joining us.

HELLYER: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Authorities make arrests in the overdose death of Matthew Perry. When we return, the investigation into who supplied the "Friends" actor with the lethal drugs.

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BRUNHUBER: The woman known to authorities as the Ketamine Queen was charged in connection with the death of TV star Matthew Perry on Thursday. She pleaded not guilty in a court appearance. She's one of five people facing charges in the death of the "Friends" actor. Authorities say their investigation uncovered an underground network of drug sellers and suppliers allegedly responsible for distributing the ketamine that killed Perry.

CNN's Nick Watt reports from Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW PERRY, PLAYED CHANDLER ON "FRIENDS": Could I be more sorry?

NICK WATT, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two medical doctors, Matthew Perry's assistant and an alleged dealer known as the Ketamine Queen, among the five now charged in the death of the sometimes sardonic star known as Chandler Bing on one of the most successful sitcoms of all time.

PERRY: 215 Coffeehouse.

WATT (voice-over): Perry had a long history of drug abuse and mental health struggles. ANNE MILGRAM, U.S. DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY: Matthew Perry sought

treatment for depression and anxiety and went to a local clinic where he became addicted to intravenous ketamine. When clinic doctors refused to increase his dosage, he turned to unscrupulous doctors.

WATT (voice-over): Dr. Mark Chavez has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to sell the drug to Dr. Salvador Plascencia who allegedly would inject Perry and expressed a desire to be his go-to for drugs.

MARTIN ESTRADA, U.S. ATTORNEY, CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA: He wrote in a text message in September 2023, quote, I wonder how much this moron will pay.

WATT (voice-over): Prosecutors allege those doctors made tens of thousands of dollars from the "Friends" star.

MILGRAM: They supplied Matthew Perry with large amounts of ketamine in exchange for large sums of money, charging Perry $2,000 for a vial that cost Dr. Chavez approximately $12.

WATT (voice-over): When that became too much, prosecutors say Perry turned to a street supplier. He was 54 when he died last October.

COURTNEY COX, "FRIENDS" CO-STAR: I think he's probably one of the funniest human beings in the world. He, you know, he's just so funny. He is genuinely a huge heart, obviously struggled.

WATT (voice-over): Cause of death, acute effects of ketamine with drowning a factor, according to an autopsy report.

[03:25:08]

Found unresponsive in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home by his longtime live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who authorities say admitted he injected Perry numerous times on the day he died. He's pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.

ESTRADA: These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves. In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being.

WATT: Investigators believe this went well beyond Matthew Perry. They say they've uncovered a, quote, broad underground criminal network. They believe the queen of ketamine has been dealing in North Hollywood since 2019. That year, they say she sold ketamine to a young man named Cody McClory, who overdosed and also died.

She was in court Thursday, pled not guilty. So did Dr. Salvatore Placencia. He is still allowed to operate his clinic, but he has to have a notice on the door telling patients about the case, and he's not allowed to prescribe controlled substances. His trial date is set for early October.

Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: And for more on this, I want to bring in Christopher Melcher, who's a legal analyst and celebrity attorney, and he joins me now from Los Angeles. Thank you so much for being here with us. So what surprises you most about what we know so far about this case and the charges that have been laid?

CHRISTOPHER MELCHER, LEGAL ANALYST, CELEBRITY ATTORNEY, AND FORMER CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, Kim, they did a great job in investigating and taking their time to kind of work up the chain from the assistant who administered this fatal dose to Matthew all the way up to these doctors who were getting it.

And so that's super important because there has to be accountability. Obviously nothing we can do for Matthew's sake at this point, but for other people who would find themselves in the same situation, there needs to be some accountability for what happened.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. Looking sort of more broadly, talk to us about ketamine. I mean, normally it's an anesthetic, I understand, but it can be prescribed as well, right? What do we know about that and how Perry was using it?

MELCHER: That's right. So there is this off-label use for depression and anxiety. And so Matthew was being prescribed that, you know, it sounds like under some kind of controlled supervision by a doctor at this clinic.

And he had received the last infusion of that maybe a week or two before his death. And then there was this recreational or illegal use of it that although a doctor was involved in providing it, this was not for medical necessity. This was basically because of his drug habit. And it's a popular drug. It is available. But here in these doses, obviously fatal.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. You talk about accountability. So I want to play you some sound from one of the defendant's attorneys, the lawyer for Dr. Plascencia. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEFAN SACKS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR SALVADOR PLASENCIA: Mr. Perry was on the ketamine treatment, medically supervised, medically prescribed. And while the U.S. attorney may disagree with Dr. Plascencia's medical judgment, there was nothing criminal at the time. And more importantly, the ketamine that was involved in Mr. Perry's passing was not related to Dr. Plascencia. That was provided by another party sometime later.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: So nothing criminal at the time, he says. That's what you'd expect him to say, I suppose. But what do you make of this as a defense?

MELCHER: Well, the U.S. attorney's office did a really good job in the indictment. And it's this charging document where they lay out their case, which include text communications between these two doctors. And so, sure, you know, there's -- there's a presumption of innocence and that needs to be afforded to these defendants. But this looks not like a regular doctor that would be giving prescriptions or supervising a patient.

What the U.S. attorney's office has described these folks as really being street level drug dealers is the kind of conduct that -- that's alleged to have engaged in. So I don't know that, you know, when these facts come out or presented to a jury that it's going to look as good as the defense attorney portrayed it just now.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. Well, when we're hearing all of this, I mean, it's hard not to think back to Michael Jackson and his overdose death, also, you know, contributed by a doctor in his death.

MELCHER: Yeah, well, this is a problem. I mean, there -- there can't be dealers without users.

[03:30:00]

And somebody like Matthew Perry or Michael Jackson, if they're finding themselves with this substance abuse disorder or problem, they're going to go to great lengths to find the drug that they want or need. And they have the power and money to get it and they can manipulate people.

Now, of course, they should doctors of all people should be looking out. And that's what's really disheartening about this. We have medical providers, physicians who were involved, just like in the Jackson case, the one last line of defense you think would be there for the patient that failed him.

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: So we're seeing charges now, you know, quite some time, a year basically after his death. What role do you think that Perry's celebrity has played in pursuing this case and the charges that we're seeing now?

MELCHER: Well, I don't think we would see this case at all without that information and without Matthew being who he was. Like in the charging document, there was this other gentleman who died from the ketamine queen providing it. And that was, you know, that other person died. We never heard about that until now. So this is cast a light on this again. Nothing we can do about Matthew, but certainly there will be other people, other doctors, other suppliers who want to come in here and make that money and supply this drug.

But there are some serious charges here that are being laid against these defendants, which I hope will cause these folks to think twice.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. Well said. Christopher Melcher, thank you so much. I really appreciate having you on.

MELCHER: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: All right, straight ahead, confirmation from Ukraine that a town on the Russian side of the border is no longer under Moscow's control. Stay with us.

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[03:35:03]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom."

Ukraine says it's pressing ahead with its cross-border foray into Russia. The attacks and the first such incursion into Russia since World War Two and a major embarrassment for the Kremlin. The operation is still going strong, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin pledging to end it. Meanwhile, two U.S. officials tell CNN thousands of Russian troops appear to be headed back to Russia from Ukraine to try to hold off Kiev's advance. Ukrainian military officials in the east and the south say they don't see Russian troops moving anywhere.

Now for more, let's head over to London, where we're joined by Nada Bashir. So, Nada, sounds as though Ukraine is digging in. What's the latest?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Kim. Ukrainian forces continue to advance deeper into Ukrainian, into Russian territory. Well, they're now pushing, according to Ukrainian military officials, just over 21 miles through Russian defenses. They have, according to Ukrainian officials, gained over 1,000 square kilometers of territory, 82 settlements.

And we heard yesterday from the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announcing, confirming that Ukraine had captured yet another town, this time the town of Suzha, near Kursk. He said that this town is now fully under the control of Ukrainian forces as the Ukrainian troops continue to advance and push deeper into Russian territory as part of their ongoing incursion.

As you mentioned, this has really put Russia on the back foot. This has been a huge source of embarrassment, of course, for the Kremlin and, of course, for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Tens of thousands of Russians have been forced from their homes. In fact, in the region of Belgorod, the Russian government has now been forced to declare that the region is in a state of federal emergency. We've heard from officials saying that the situation in Belgorod is, quote, "difficult and tense."

Now, as you mentioned, Ukrainian military officials have said that they haven't observed a shift in the presence of Russian troops in the occupied territories of Ukraine. However, we have been hearing from Western and U.S. officials. They believe that Russia is focusing on moving its troops, sending several thousands of troops now towards other areas, focusing on areas within Russian territory to bolster defenses there, as opposed to in those southern and eastern front lines, as we have seen over the last few months.

But, of course, what we've also been hearing from Western officials is that they do not believe that Russia is moving its larger, more advanced troops to its internal defenses, rather focusing on relying on conscripts from other parts of Russia to bolster its defenses, particularly in that Kursk region. But, again, this has really put Russian forces on the back foot. It has come as a surprise to the Kremlin, of course, and, again, a huge source of embarrassment.

BRUNHUBER: Nada, you spoke there about Western allies. More broadly, what's been the reaction from the West to this incursion into Russia?

BASHIR: Well, look, we've been hearing from U.S. officials this incursion came somewhat as a surprise even to U.S. officials, and they have been somewhat impressed by Ukraine's ability to push so far into Russian territory.

We've been hearing that, according to Western assessment, the focus of this incursion by the Ukrainian troops is to create a logistical dilemma for President Putin, particularly when it comes to allocating manpower, as we've seen the distribution of troops between those occupied regions within Ukraine, and, of course, bolstering defenses within Russian territory.

However, while this has been somewhat successful at this stage, what we are hearing from Western officials is that they do not believe that Ukrainian troops will be able to hold onto these Russian territories for a long time.

And, in fact, there is still too early to tell, according to Western officials, just exactly how this latest incursion by Ukrainian troops will affect the broader outcomes of the war in Ukraine. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right, I appreciate that update. Nada Bashir in London, thanks so much.

And elsewhere in Russia, the crime donating $50 to a Ukrainian charity, the sentence, 12 years in prison for treason, handed down to an American-Russian woman, Ksenia Karelina. The White House calls the punishment vindictive cruelty. Ksenia pleaded guilty to the charges, which the U.S. dismisses as ludicrous. She was detained in Yekaterinburg after visiting her parents. Her lawyer says they will appeal the verdict. The conviction comes just two weeks after Russia and the West carried out a major prisoner swap.

Karelina, who was living in Los Angeles, became an American citizen in 2021.

[03:39:59]

Just two weeks after his release from a Russian prison, Putin critic Vladimir Karamurza met with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House. Biden hosted the Russian opposition politician and his family on Thursday to welcome him back to the U.S. He was released as part of the largest prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia since the Cold War. Karamurza had spent two and a half years in a Russian prison. He was held in solitary confinement for 11 months and locked up in 13 different penitentiaries. U.S. President Joe Biden appeared to voice his support for a new

election in Venezuela Thursday. Biden's remarks come on the heels of similar statements made by the leaders of both Brazil and Colombia earlier that day.

But the White House is walking back Biden's comments with the U.S. National Security Council spokesperson saying, quote, "The president was speaking to the absurdity of Maduro and his representatives not coming clean about the July 28th elections. It is abundantly clear that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the most votes on July 28th." Longtime Venezuelan strongman claimed victory over an opposition candidate in the country's election, which was marked by accusations of fraud and counting irregularities.

Thailand's parliament has approved the nomination of Paetongtarn Shinawatra as the country's youngest ever prime minister. She is the daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed by a military coup in 2006.

The new prime minister was nominated after the previous one was dismissed on Wednesday by the Constitutional Court for ethics violations. Assuming she receives the royal endorsement from the king, she will start work as the new premier and head of a ruling coalition facing many challenges, particularly stimulating the economy.

Hurricane Ernesto is gaining strength as it churns through a record warm Atlantic. But what could be the season's second major hurricane has already left a major trail of damage in its wake. Stay with us.

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[03:45:02]

BRUNHUBER: Hurricane Ernesto has intensified to Category 2 strength in the Atlantic, reaching maximum sustained winds of 100 miles per hour as of this morning. Ernesto is expected to pass near or over Bermuda on Saturday. But the hurricane can and has caused major damage without making landfall.

In Puerto Rico, intense rainfall and flooding caused several rivers to overflow, impeding service at a number of water processing plants, which left hundreds of thousands of customers without drinking water. Meanwhile, strong winds from Ernesto knocked out power to nearly 300,000 customers on the island amid an excessive heat warning, making life and the recovery after the storm that much more difficult.

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MADELYNE MATOS, PUERTO RICAN BUSINESS OWNER (through translator): This has been really hard. This is hard for us in our daily lives and for those of us who have businesses. I am in Dorado, but on behalf of all of us in Puerto Rico, each person suffers. Their pockets suffer. And worst of all is that if you make a phone call, they don't answer. They don't respond. And we are tired of seeing this happen. We'll be working and the power goes out.

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BRUNHUBER: Ernesto could intensify to become the season's second major hurricane at Category 3 or stronger in the hours ahead.

Japan's eastern coast is bracing for a typhoon, Ampil. It's been intensifying rapidly and is now the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane. Thousands have been ordered to evacuate along coastal cities. More than 1,000 households were without power this morning. The storm is causing major disruptions during Japan's peak travel season.

Two of the country's major air carriers canceled about 500 flights serving Tokyo. And several lines on the bullet train network are suspending rail service in warning of major delays. There is some good news. Ampil is expected to weaken by Saturday morning local time as it moves into cooler waters.

A strong earthquake has struck Taiwan. The 6.1 magnitude quake hit off the island's east coast Friday morning. There is no tsunami threat and emergency officials say there are no immediate reports of damage. The island has frequently had tremors due to its location between two tectonic plates. This one happened near the epicenter of a deadly earthquake that hit the island in April.

A faulty power cable may have sparked a deadly wildfire in Greece earlier this week near Athens. An area the size of Paris was left scorched and blackened. Wildfires are becoming a regular part of Greek summers. CNN's Eleni Giokos reports climate change is being blamed.

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ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The horror of Greece's wildfires. But these are not images from this year's fires. This is from 2018, 2021 and 2024. Year after year, fires rage across Greece leaving a path of destruction.

GIOKOS: This is part of Parnitha forest. And if you look at the blackened trees behind me, you can't tell that a fire ravaged this area one year ago. And every now and again, I get the smell of charcoal that still lingers in the air.

GIOKOS (voice-over): Last year, we were in this very street in Parnitha. This house looked like this then. And now it's still exactly the same.

PANAGIOTIS SIDIRPOULOS, LOCAL RESIDENT (through translator): The situation hasn't changed over this year. No one from the authorities has come here. It's complete abandonment. And it doesn't just concern us. It's a general phenomenon in Greece.

GIOKOS (voice-over): Annual fires have become one of Greece's biggest problems in the Attica region, that includes the entire Athens metropolitan area. In the last eight years, wildfires destroyed more than 700,000 hectares here. Climate change has increased the risk of wildfires in Greece. Higher temperatures, drier forests, stronger winds. SIDIRPOULUS (through translator): The climate has changed. The temperature has definitely risen. There is no vegetation anywhere. So even the stones are scorching hot.

GIOKOS (voice-over): Many point the finger at the government, expecting more action.

STEFANOS KASSELAKIS, LEADER OF OPPOSITION PARTY SYRIZA: Climate change is a reality, but it's not just a Greek reality. Why have we not seen this in other European capitals? Including in our zone, our latitude. So it's truly something to consider, particularly because we have been the recipients of a lot of E.U. funds. And the question is, where have those gone?

GIOKOS (voice-over): CNN's requests to the Greek government have not been returned. Greece's Prime Minister told Reuters that it is constantly improving, devoting almost $2 billion to tackle fires. And, he says, seven newly bought firefighting aircraft are three years away. Now the damage is being assessed. Numbers will be attached to everything you see here.

But one thing that can't be quantified, the fear and pain every time a fire strikes.

Eleni Giokos, CNN, Parnitha, Greece.

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[03:50:04]

BRUNHUBER: Harry and Meghan went to Colombia to support the Vice President's initiatives to fight cyberbullying. We'll have that story when we come back. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are in Colombia where they attended a traditional performance with the country's Vice President, Francia Marquez. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex came to lend their support to initiatives to protect children from online harm. Marquez has promoted the need to combat cyberbullying and online exploitation. The mental health impacts this kind of threat. And she said the Sussexes share the same ideals and goals for a safer digital future.

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MEGHAN, DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: I do believe all of us agree, despite whatever disparities there are throughout the world, no one contests the fact that we want to keep our children safe.

PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: A.I. is scary. And I think a lot of people are scared and uncertain. And I think one of the solutions to that is education and awareness.

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[03:54:58]

BRUNHUBER: Artwork by the street artist Banksy is being removed from the London Zoo where it recently appeared unexpectedly. The display includes a mural of a gorilla with birds and other works including a mountain goat, monkeys, a wolf and a couple of pelicans. In a post on social media, the zoo says the animal-themed works will be moved for safekeeping. The zoo says it's thrilled by the joy the artwork has brought, but it needs to make full use of its entranceway where the art is located.

And speaking of art, this artist is quite unique for a very simple reason. Limbani, as he's known, is a chimpanzee. The Zoological Wildlife Foundation discovered and encouraged the eight-year-old's talents and gives him free reign to express himself on canvas or paper or whatever. They say Limbani enjoys the process and has become a professional. His artworks are now available for purchase. The proceeds help to support his home, well-being and conservation.

And finally, you won't want to be late for this very important date. A new exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden brings the whimsical world of "Alice in Wonderland" to life. Visitors are invited to journey through the fairytale world of Lewis Carroll's famous creation.

The show's indoor and outdoor exhibitions are spread throughout the garden, and guests can see some of the unique plants featured in the book and a display of the story in multiple languages. The director of the exhibit says the show has been years in the making. Listen to this.

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MICHAELA WRIGHT, DIRECTOR OF EXHIBITIONS, NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN: We've been talking about doing a show about Alice in Wonderland for about a decade, and only about two and a half years ago, we really were like, OK, we're doing it. These are the dates. And so it took about two, two and a half years for the show to really materialize.

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BRUNHUBER: And the Alice-themed show runs through October 27th.

All right, that wraps this hour of "CNN Newsroom." I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment. Please do stay with us.

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