Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

CNN International: Gaza Ceasefire Talks To Resume In Doha For Second Day; Today: Harris To Unveil Economic Plan In NC Speech; Ukraine Presses Ahead With Incursion Into Russia; Typhoon Ampil Lashes Parts Of Japan; Hurricane Ernesto Barrels Towards Bermuda; Trump Defends Personal Attacks In Rambling News Conference; Secret Service Beefs Up Security For Trump; 5 Charged In Connection To "Friends" Actor's Death; Indian Doctors Strike To Protest Rape & Murder Of Trainee; Hong Kong Welcomes Baby Giant Panda Twins. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired August 16, 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]

SARA SIDNER, CO-ANCHOR, "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": On the pale. Democratic veterans in Congress now calling out JD Vance's attacks on Tim Walz's military records, slamming the Senator in a scathing new letter that has just been released. Plus, the Secret Service is boosting safety measures for Donald Trump after the assassination attempt, more agents, bulletproof glass, some of the agency's new tactics after bipartisan criticism of security lapses. Plus, she says --

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, ANCHOR, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Fredricka Whitefield, and this is the CNN Newsroom. Just ahead, crucial Gaza ceasefire talks resume, as mediators try to break the deadlock between Israel and Hamas. Then the economy takes center stage in the U.S. presidential race. Kamala Harris prepares to lay out her vision for America, the day after being blasted by her rival Donald Trump. Plus, thousands evacuate as Typhoon Ampil batters Japan, a live update from Tokyo straight ahead.

A promising start, but more work remains. That's how Gaza ceasefire talks, set to resume in Doha soon for second day, are being described by a U.S. official. Delegations from Israel, the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar are all meeting together. And Qatari and Egyptian mediators are engaging Hamas separately.

One source says mediators are still working to bridge the gap remaining on key differences. And it comes as dozens of Israeli settlers invaded a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, firing live bullets and tear gas at residents, and setting cars and houses on fire.

CNN's Nic Robertson is in the West Bank. But first, let's go to Jomana Karadsheh, who joins me now live from Doha, Qatar, where those talks are about to get underway, or perhaps they've already started, Jomana. What is the latest that you're hearing about them?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have not had a confirmation that the talks have resumed, Fred, but we believe they are likely underway. Right now, we don't really know how much progress is being made in these high-level talks behind closed doors, but the fact that they have gone into a second day is certainly being viewed as a positive.

We understand that the Israeli delegation, headed by the Mossad Chief David Barnea, is taking part in these talks, along with the mediators, the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt. And where things stand right now, Fred, is, you know, last month, it appeared that both sides, Israel and Hamas, had pretty much agreed to the broad framework to the agreement that proposal that was put forward by President Biden, a three-phase plan for a ceasefire and a hostage release deal endorsed by a UN Security Council resolution.

But then, it appeared that the Israelis came back with new demands from the Israeli Prime Minister in the 11th hour, when it was -- when all indications were that they were very close to a deal, and that created major differences between both sides that these mediators now are continuing to try to work to bridge the gaps between both sides.

And what we understand is, there are several sticking points here, but the major ones, Fred, as we understand, are relating to the presence of Israeli forces along the Egypt-Gaza border in a nine-mile stretch of land known as the Philadelphi Corridor, because under this agreement in the second phase of the plan, that would see the full withdrawal of the idea from the entire Gaza Strip, but the Israelis want to maintain a presence in the Philadelphi Corridor.

Then you have the issue of the return of Palestinians from the north -- from the south to the north of Gaza. And the Israelis want to put restrictions in place to ensure that no armed Palestinians return to the north. And the question is, how do they enforce this? How is this going to look? What sort of mechanism is going to be put in place to make that happen?

And then, there's the identity of Palestinian prisoners who will be released under this deal. Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be released in exchange for Israeli hostages. The Israelis want to maintain veto over who these Palestinians are and the identity of these Palestinian prisoners.

So, a lot of complex issues that they are having to work through. And what we understand is the Egyptians and the Qatari mediators will be engaging with Hamas separately, essentially taking back what comes out of these talks, back to Hamas.

So, this is likely going to take some time. And you know, this has always been about Gaza. This has always been about a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages. But of course, there is more on the table right now. What happens in this region as a whole next pretty much hinges on the outcome of these talks.

[08:05:00]

There were indications that what Iran does next, of course, is the region has been bracing for an Iranian retaliation for the assassination of Hamas' political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran earlier this month, and Hezbollah retaliation as well for the killing of one of its leaders, Fuad Shukr, in Beirut last month, with both Israel and Iran -- sorry, Iran and Hezbollah have vowed to strike Israel.

And this whole region has been bracing to see what that response has been, and indications have been that that response, the Iranian response, could be contained if a ceasefire agreement is reached, and that link between what happens at these talks, and the Iranian response made very clear yesterday, when the Qatari Prime Minister, who is also the Foreign Minister, who is one of the mediators, who is sitting in on these negotiations, called the acting Iranian Foreign Minister to brief him on the talks, and the Iranian Acting Foreign Minister saying that the -- his Qatari counterpart described this phase of negotiations is, quote, sensitive. So, a lot at stake here.

WHITFIELD: Certainly. All right, Jomana. Thank you so much. And all that, while, Nic, you are in the West Bank, where we saw these attacks by Israeli settlers overnight. What more are you learning?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, these were very violent attacks, even by the standards of the occupied West Bank. The people in this village of Jit said, they'd never witnessed settlers coming in here, firing live rounds, firing tear gas as well before.

The car behind me is just one the things that got burnt last night. I talked to the man who owned the car. His face is smashed up. He said that was done by the settlers. Him and his brother had tried to sort of slow the settlers from getting into the village. His brother was also, you know, beaten in the melee, but one person was shot and killed, a 23-year-old Rashid Sedda.

We arrived in the village here, just as he was being carried at shoulder height through the village by all the young men and the old men here, out on the streets, wailing and chanting absolute anger against the settlers, and absolute pain at the loss of one of their own.

This is a small settlement on the top of a hilltop in the sort of rolling hills, mountain tops of the West Bank. They're aware of settler violence. This is the worst settler violence in this area for a number of months now, but it's been into this town. And now, they're rattled by it. They're shaken by it. They're scared by it. The children are scared. The families are scared. They don't know if this can happen again.

We've heard the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, condemn it, saying he's appalled, and that this must stop. We've heard Yoav Gallant, the Defense Minister of Israel, saying that this was a radical riot. He said this doesn't represent at all the values of the State of Israel. We've heard the Interior Minister describing it as a serious nationalist crime. Government officials in Israel saying that they will investigate.

But that doesn't cut through here. I've talked to a lot of people here, young and old, and they all say the same thing. They don't believe that the Israeli government wants to stop the settlers. In fact, they think they're working in cahoots with the settlers. And they feel that this is, in part, the timing of it is aim to destabilize these very sensitive peace talks around Gaza.

Hamas has called for the people in this -- of the West Bank to sort of rise up and revolt. And it stokes passions and anger, when armed settlers can come into a village that -- where the villages are not doing anything provocative over that night, and shoot somebody dead.

And the villagers say, they had -- they are powerless to protect themselves. And that's the crux of it here. It's come at a very sensitive time. And just another realization for people in the West Bank that, at times, they're extremely unsafe.

WHITFIELD: Yeah, it's a horrible situation. Nic Robertson, Jomana Karadsheh, thanks to both of you. So, how is all of this impacting or perhaps even influencing things in Lebanon? CNN's Ben Wedeman is joining me live outside Beirut. So, all eyes are on Doha. But look at all this conflict that we just heard being described by Jomana and Nic. How is all of this impacting the situation?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Fredricka. Well, clearly, people here in Lebanon are watching very closely how these talks in Doha come out, how they -- what the result is.

[08:10:00]

Because the worry is that, if they fail, then perhaps those fears of a regional war will be coming very closer.

Now, what we've seen today is that, Hezbollah, on its official Telegram channel, has put out a four-minute and 11-second video, sending a very blatant message, very clear message, to the Israelis. Let me just describe it to you. It starts with pictures from inside what appear to be tunnels cut out of the rock, and you hear a voice- over by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah from recent speeches.

But it is not new, and he says that the resistance, and of course, he's talking about Hezbollah, possesses weapons, equipment, capabilities, cadre, experience, and faith, and determination, and courage, at this point, and that they have weapons, missiles, non- precision and precision, that are focused on targets in Israel. Then it goes through a long sequence of what you see as masked men in military uniforms in these tunnels, as well as motorcycles and truck after truck driving through them.

Now, I must stress that it's not clear if this was, in some part, computer-generated, perhaps shot in a studio. We cannot verify whether this was actually shot in these underground tunnels, but it certainly does send a very, very clear message of what Hezbollah says it can do, as opposed to what perhaps it can actually do.

At the end of this four-minute and 11-second video, you hear, once again, the voice of Hassan Nasrallah, who says that if Israel imposes war on Lebanon, Israel will face a new destiny and reality. War with us will extend across Palestine, from the Lebanese border, to the Jordanian border, to the Red Sea.

Now, Hezbollah, on the 30th of July, a senior military commander, Fuad Shukr, was killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Beirut. We've heard from the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, that they will strike. There was no conditional phrase about it, that it is inevitable.

But of course, at this point, it is 17 days since that strike took place. We've heard twice Nasrallah making speeches, reiterating Hezbollah's determination to strike. The question is, if there is a positive outcome for the Doha talks, if there is actually an agreement for a ceasefire and exchange of hostages for prisoners and detainees, there is the possibility that Hezbollah will not make good on its threats.

But at this point, it's very much -- we're on the edge of perhaps an abyss. If there is no agreement, some of these threats that we saw in this video could perhaps come true.

WHITFIELD: All right. Very ominous. Ben Wedemen, thank you so much. All right. Now to the road to the White House in the U.S. More than three decades ago, a well-known political strategist, James Carville, summed up the race for president then by saying it's the economy stupid.

And later today, Kamala Harris will unveil the economic plan that she hopes will win her White House -- her the White House this fall. Harris' speech in North Carolina will focus on lowering prescription drug prices and fighting price gouging.

She will also unveil a plan to help first-time homebuyers by giving them up to $25,000 in downpayment assistance. Today's speech comes one day after another passing-of-the-torch kind of moment, the first joint appearance involving the Vice President and President, Joe Biden, since Biden dropped out of the presidential race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S., (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I could speak all afternoon about the person that I am standing on this stage with.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I'm an incredible partner. The progress we made --

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

BIDEN: She's going to make one hell of a President.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. CNN's Edward-Isaac Dovere is tracking Harris' economic plans for us. Isaac, great to see you this morning. So, this will be Harris' most substantive economic policy announcement since launching her campaign. In addition to help to first-time homeowners, as I mentioned, Harris is expected to propose a new plan to cut taxes for middle-class and lower-income Americans.

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yeah, that's right. And look, we've had three-and-a-half weeks of the Kamala Harris campaign. This is where she is starting with actually talking about what she would propose to do. It's building on some of the things that were in the Biden administration, record things that were in the inflation Reduction Act. Some of the which was announced yesterday with these new negotiations over Medicare drug prices.

[08:15:00]

But now, it's about, OK, you want to be President, not having this be running for a Biden second term, but for what her term would be. And we'll get some detail about that. In addition to things you mentioned, she's also going to talk about a crackdown on price gouging at supermarkets.

All of it geared toward a way of Harris thinking about this, where it's about talking about what people are going through, the prices that they have been facing, the increases that they've been facing, the way inflation has been hitting them, rather than the larger macroeconomic terms that Joe Biden have been talking like Bidenomics.

WHITFIELD: All right. Isaac Dovere, we'll leave it there for now.

DOVERE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Good to see you. Thanks so much. All right. Donald Trump's aides and allies have been begging him to stay on message lately. And at a news conference on Thursday, they even surrounded him with tables full of groceries as a visual cue to keep him focused on the economy and inflation, but Trump largely veered from the script airing grievances and attacking Harris.

Steve Contorno is watching the Trump campaign for us. Good morning to you. So, what were your takeaways from that news conference?

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Well, it was interesting, Fred. For the first 15, 20 minutes or so, Trump was quite literally reading from a script. He was reading his remarks from a binder, going -- sticking very closely to the economy.

Obviously, as you said, the trappings of the message were all around him, as he was standing in front of grocery items, and food products, and things that families need in their household, trying to hammer home this message that you're paying a lot more for items now than you were four years ago.

That quickly changed, though, and his posture changed as well, especially when we got closer to the portion where he was taking questions from reporters. In fact, our colleague, Alayna Treene, had an opportunity to ask Trump, what do you make of these Republicans who say you are squandering your opportunity here, you need to change your approach, and stop attacking Vice President Harris. Listen to how he responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think I'm entitled to personal attacks. I don't have a lot of respect for -- I don't have a lot of respect for her intelligence, whether the personal attacks are good, bad.

I mean, she certainly attacks me personally. She actually called me weird. He's weird. It was just a soundbite. And she called JD and I weird. She's weird in her policy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONTORNO: Trump clearly is still adjusting to his new political reality. At one point, he actually said that he should have been a little easier on Biden during the debate, and maybe then he would still be facing the current President instead of Vice President Harris. Fred?

WHITFIELD: OK. All right. Steve, we've also had some developments overnight about Donald Trump's financial disclosures. And what are we learning about it?

CONTORNO: Yeah, for this was our first glimpse into his vast wealth in at least a year, and it was 250 pages long, really showing how much money the former President makes, selling his image and capitalizing on his fame.

What's interesting is that a vast majority of his wealth is tied up right now in his Truth Social -- the parent company that owns Truth Social. He has about 115 million shares of stock in that company. He also made more than $500 million from his golf clubs.

But he also made quite a bit of money, as I said, selling his image, $7.2 million on digital NFT trading cards, featuring the former President's image. He also made $300,000 from those Greenwood Bibles that he sells for $60 in his website.

I also found interesting that he has about $1 million to $5 million worth of investments in cryptocurrency, because he has been promising lately to be a pro cryptocurrency President, if he is elected. And now, that's -- it turns out that he actually has quite a bit of money invested in digital currency, Fred.

WHITFIELD: OK. Steve Contorno, thanks so much. All right. Russia is apparently ready to push Ukraine out of its territory. Two senior U.S. officials tell CNN, Moscow appears to be moving thousands of troops from Ukraine back to Russia to try to stop Kyiv's advance.

Ukrainian troops have captured more than 1,000 square kilometers at the border. CNN sources say a goal of the operation is to create strategic dilemmas for Russia, causing them to scramble their troops. One adviser to Ukraine's President says their actions are strictly defensive and not aimed at occupying Russian territories.

The Ukrainian operation is the biggest into Russian territory since World War II and a major embarrassment for the Kremlin. As Nick Paton Walsh reports from the Russian border, Ukrainian troops are facing no resistance crossing over.

[08:20:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (on- camera): This is where Russia begins. It's startling to see the steady flow of military vehicles that probably an ambulance and armor just passing through the Russian border point here.

That is the border post that clearly got heavily hit when Ukraine moved in hard over a week ago. Russia's borders here are completely undefended. It's also remarkable the freedom with which Ukrainian military are moving around here. They simply aren't afraid of the drones that have hampered their every move for the past months.

That says the Border Service of the FSB, the Russian -- Security Services of Russia. It has a bullet hole above the rules and bullet holes in the rules themselves.

Now, this is what's so startling about this offensive. The volume of Western-supplied armor that we're seeing passing back and forth. Their passage through here, up into Russia, unimpeded entirely, that (inaudible) from Canada.

WALSH (interpreted): Did you expect it?

UKRAINIAN SOLDIER (interpreted): No, we didn't expect this operation [ph]. There's a task, we're doing it, no more no less. The final result? No one speaks about that now.

WALSH (on-camera): All right. Just saying about how frequently have been going back and forth over the last week or so. And you get a real sense of the euphoria. But ultimately, too, the -- the enduring question is, what is all this for? What is the end game?

Yes, it's a huge embarrassment for Vladimir Putin, but sending some of their best equipment deep into Russia. And I'm sure in the back of the minds of these troops is the question of, what ultimately are we going to achieve? And we still don't know the answer to that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: That was Nick Payton Walsh reporting from the Ukraine- Russian border. All right. Still to come. Hundreds of thousands of people evacuated in parts of Japan as Typhoon Ampil lashes the East Coast. We're live in Tokyo. Straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Japan's eastern coast is being lashed by a strong typhoon. Now, the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane. Hundreds of thousands have been told to evacuate. Rail service and flights have been canceled. Forecasters warn parts of Japan could see violent winds, flooding, landslides, and overflowing rivers in the coming days. CNN's Hanako Montgomery is joining us now from Tokyo with a look at the conditions there. Hanako, what's the latest?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. So, we know that Tokyo -- yeah, we know that Tokyo and also Greater Tokyo have been pummeled by strong winds and heavy Rain. But we're not hearing any reports of any significant damage as of yet, as this typhoon continues to move north along the eastern coast of the country.

[08:25:00]

Now, in terms of the destruction and the latest, Fredricka, we know that at least a couple thousand households are without power. We also know that at least three people have sustained injuries, but all minor, non-life-threatening. The Japanese government has also warned that we could see landslides and flooding in certain high-risk areas.

But again, we're not hearing any reports of any really significant damage. And I think, Fredricka, that really speaks to just how well- prepared Japan can be when dealing with these sorts of natural disasters. We saw the Japanese government issue evacuation advisories to several hundred, thousand people, urging those who didn't have any homes or buildings that were safe enough to go to evacuation centers to shelter there for the time being.

We also saw hundreds of flights canceled that were leaving to -- leaving from Tokyo and also going to Tokyo. We've also seen bullet train lines suspended and highways closed, as people really just shelter at home and ensure that there are no unnecessary injuries or damage.

We've also seen buildings and businesses taken upon themselves to close and make sure that their employees can go home in time and make sure that they can avoid the worst of the damage. Just anecdotally speaking, there's a cafe on the first floor of our building, and we saw that close early today as well, so that, again, all the employees can go home early.

Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea also closed early to, again, ensure people were not getting injured. So, again, you know, it really speaks to just how well-prepared Japan can be, but it has been very disruptive to summer holiday plans, Fredricka.

Right now, it's Obon in Japan, which is a summer holiday. It's a national holiday when millions of people across the country fly or visit their relatives and their families. But again, as these flights have been canceled, train lines suspended, highways closed, people simply just cannot go to see their relatives, or simply can't go home. So again, it's been disruptive. But fortunately, we're not seeing extensive amounts of damage as of now, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Well, that is the bright side so far. But yes, people are stuck, depending on their situation. Hanako Montgomery, thank you so much.

All right. Hurricane Ernesto is barreling towards Bermuda in the Atlantic. It's now a Category 2 storm. Ernesto has reached maximum sustained winds of 100 miles per hour. The storm is expected to pass near or over Bermuda on Saturday. But storm conditions on the island are likely to begin this afternoon. Ernesto has already pummeled parts of the Caribbean, drenching Puerto Rico, while causing severe flooding on that island.

All right. Still to come. The economic plans of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, well, which of the candidates is connecting with voters more? I'll put that question to one of the leading political analysts, when we come right back. Then, Democrats are heading to Chicago next week for their big convention, after a whirlwind, couple of weeks that upended the race for the White House.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris may seem like very different presidential candidates because they are, but they both are spending a lot of time talking about at least one thing in common, the economy, from tax cuts to fighting inflation. The two candidates have unveiled a number of proposals aimed at attracting voters.

Later today, Harris will formally unveil her economic plan in a speech in North Carolina, which just happens to be the same state Trump visited just days ago when he attacked her over the economic struggles of the Biden Administration. Joining us right now is Larry Sabato, Larry Sabato, Director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. It's been too long, Larry, how are you?

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: I'm doing great, Fred. I hope you are --

WHITFIELD: I am. All right. There's a lot to talk about here. I mean, the Vice President, I mean, by the way, she's not really trying to distance herself, right, from the Biden administration instead, it appears she is trying to extend on it with her proposed help for first-time homebuyers and a new plan to cut taxes for middle-class and lower income Americans.

So, this proposed tax relief for more than 100 million Americans. Is this going to be enticing enough for her as she unveils her economic plan?

SABATO: Well, Fred, what's interesting is, she has been able to turn the page, or even turn the chapter, from President Biden. And of course, she is Biden's Vice President. But, you know, the American public knows, or they sense that vice presidents don't make policy, and therefore, they don't always hold vice presidents accountable for what the President has done.

And I think that's what Vice President Harris has benefited from on the subject of the economy. She is able to project new ideas that will be appealing to Americans in a way that couldn't have been done by Biden, because they're upset about inflation, or they're upset about the costs of rentals or buying a home.

So, this is important, and also it's significant that they're both in North Carolina, have been, will be again. North Carolina ought to be more or less a gimme state for Trump, for any Republican, and it may be in the end, but it's become very close. This is a competitive state, and I don't see how Donald Trump can really win without it.

WHITFIELD: Oh, and it's interesting, Larry, you said, you know, vice presidents don't make policy yet, Harris' opponent, Donald Trump, has been saying, wait a minute, where were her policy ideas, you know, for the last three years while in the White House as Vice President?

Donald Trump, he was supposed to reveal more about his economic policy yesterday, but then instead, he focused on his entitled insults, against his opponent. He wants Harris to do more pressures or interviews, but as long as he conducts himself this way, does Harris really need to?

SABATO: No, she does not. And I believe she's been wise enough so far to reject the requests, understandable requests from the press. That's their business. They're in there advocating for the American public. They want access, so the public will have access, but a candidate's in a very different position.

You know what Vice President Harris' main responsibility is? It isn't giving interviews in press conferences, it's winning the election. And those two are at cross purposes. The more you give your opponents and the press the opportunity to criticize you, the less change you're going to have winning.

You know, that press conference by Trump yesterday, it's classic Trump, you know, it's the Trump we've all come to know over nine years. But, as I watched this, I just could not believe that his staff has had less impact on him than they apparently have. That phrase about, I'm -- I'm entitled to the insult, that's going to come back to haunt him, because it's just inappropriate to most people.

WHITFIELD: Right, which then leads me to this final question, which is, you know, if the goal is for candidate to connect with voters, and whether using language like that, I mean, between Harris and Trump, you know, who is more likely to be connecting with voters?

SABATO: Well, that's pretty obvious right now.

[08:35:00]

Harris has moved up so dramatically in the overall horse race, but also in the individual candidate qualities, in less than a month. She has been the presumptive nominee for less than a month, and she has really rocketed past Trump, and it bothers the heck out of it, that's obvious. He's -- he's got to change focus. I don't think he can. So, Harris is looking better and better in that sense.

WHITFIELD: Wow. OK, so that was my last question. I was kidding. I have a little bit more time. Let me ask you one more. So she, you know, OK, so she is enjoying kind of this, you know, pre-convention bounce. So, what do you expect the Harris campaign might gain during the convention week?

SABATO: Well, a point or two overall, that's all our bounces are anymore. We used to have very significant bounces from conventions. That is, public support increasing for the candidate who was getting a week long very positive TV commercial. That's what a -- what a convention is. So, it's not going to be so much in the overall horse race, but what it's going to be is filling in the blanks.

People have been surprised to learn. I don't know why, but they've been surprised to learn that the American public knows very little about this Vice President, and that's been true for most vice presidents, it was actually true for Biden during the two terms of the Obama.

WHITFIELD: But, they're kind of in the shadow. That's --

SABATO: They are. But why would the public follow what vice presidents are doing, really? So, she has a chance to really define herself, not redefine herself, but define herself, and that's what the convention is aiming to do.

WHITFIELD: Yeah, yeah. Vice President is literally and figuratively kind of in the shadow, you know, of the President. So, here we go. The big reveal now underway. All right. Larry Sabato, great to see you. Thank you so much.

SABATO: Thank you, Fred. Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right. The stage is set, and police in the Secret Service are ramping up security, preparations in Chicago are in full swing. The Democratic National Convention is now just three days away. President, Joe Biden, is expected to address the Convention on night one. Let's get more on the security preparations.

What we are learning about them, CNN's Whitney Wild is joining me now from Chicago. So, what is being revealed about how fortified this area is going to be?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The most visible thing out here, Fredricka, is this non-scalable fence. So, this is going on for blocks and blocks here outside the United Center. The United Center for people who are not from Chicago don't know the area, that's where the Black Hawks play their pro hockey team out here. That's where the bulls play their pro basketball team.

So, this is a pretty iconic building for the City of Chicago. This area, Fred, has been shut down for a month. And that is how long it takes law enforcement to try to get this as secure as possible. We're in what is basically the outer perimeter. So, there's going to be two layers here, Fredricka.

There's going to be the pedestrian area, where they're going to be blocking off roads, and pedestrians can come and sort of watch what's going on here. But then, there's going to be this hard inner perimeter, and that's what these fences are meant to do. They're meant to block off an area where you can only get in if you have a credential for the DNC. This is a pretty heightened threat environment, Fredricka, I mean, it was just little more than a month little more than a month ago that there was the attempted assassination of the former President.

The protest situation here is also of concern for law enforcement. This is home to the largest Palestinian population in the United States. This is the Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. And for many months Fredricka, we have seen protesters take to the streets in downtown Chicago protesting the war in the Middle East.

It is expected that tens of thousands of protesters could come out here. There is a concern that those protests will be fueled with anger, at least, give a chance for people to voice their anger about the war in the Middle East. And what protesters have made clear is that they hope to use the DNC spotlight to shine a light on their causes as well, Fredricka, so there's a lot of dynamics here.

Again, the fence is going to be the most visible. Law enforcement will have support from the air as well as on the water. And then, in addition, this is a ground game, Fredricka, so in addition to hundreds of local law enforcement, you know, even into the thousands of local law enforcement assigned to the DNC, there are also going to be upwards of 500 mutual aid officers to try to keep this area as safe as possible, and make sure that this convention goes off smoothly and that people have an opportunity to exercise their First Amendment rights in a safe way, Fred.

WHITFIELD: So, while the United Center, you know, is the focal point, are there other areas in the general vicinity that law enforcement, you know, wants to keep a close watch on, or you know what -- what is being revealed about that?

WILD: Right. You know, I haven't -- thank you for bringing that up, because I realized I did not mention McCormick Place.

[08:40:00]

So this dynamic is going to be different than what we saw at the RNC. The RNC was really just one big area.

Law enforcement has to deal with two locations, so McCormick Place, which is in a different part of the city that's going to have a very similar perimeter, that pedestrian perimeter I was talking about, as well as the hard perimeter. There are going to be more events going on there during the day. So, law enforcement has these sort of two balls in the air when they're trying to manage this security dynamic here, Fred.

WHITFIELD: OK. Whitney Wild in Chicago, thanks so much. All right. The Secret Service is beefing up security around Donald Trump as well. This comes after the assassination attempt against him at a rally in Pennsylvania last month. The new measures include surrounding him with bullet-proof glass at campaign rallies and increasing manpower.

That's according to a senior official. A Secret Service spokesman said, they will not comment any further on any more specificity. John Miller joins us right now from New York with details on this. So, I wonder John, while the former President said, he wants to continue to have his rallies outside, even though, the Secret Service had said, from that point forward, after that assassination attempt, things need to be inside in a more contained area.

That, he is insisting on outdoor rallies, is that what has brought this -- this you know idea of reinforcing with the Plexiglas and more man power?

JOHN MILLER, CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: You know, Donald Trump loves his rallies, and he loves them outdoors. He loves that image. He loves the picture. He loves the crowds. And the Secret Service, they have to adjust to what the candidate and what the campaign's needs are to provide security around that, absent a specific, credible, you know, threat that they have specific knowledge of, they really can't override that.

So, what they've been doing is building towards, how do we increase security in that environment? And they have added additional agents. They have added drone capabilities to have on standby there. They have added, of course, the bullet-proof glass, which really can surround on three or four sides, depending on how it's set up, either eliminating or -- or vastly narrowing the field of fire for a sniper, where we -- as we saw in Pennsylvania, in that attempt at assassination. So, they've been layering this, yes.

WHITFIELD: Is this the kind of thing that perhaps should be happening anyway? I mean, that it comes now after an assassination attempt, it seems like, I mean, you think of like the popemobile, you know, you think of this kind of reinforcement of protection around important people, whenever they're in public, is -- is this kind of a hindsight moment?

MILLER: When you look at that glass and you see how thick it is, how large it is, and then, you calculate how heavy it is. This is no small feat. That means that these glass panels and the supports that hold them have to be moved by aircraft to these locations, and the Secret Service doesn't have planes, so that means they have to get the U.S. Air Force, or another branch of the military that flies C-17s, something that can carry that weight, you know, to go from place to place.

That's a lot of logistics on a campaign that's going to have a lot of stops. So, what they've ended up doing is pre-positioning this glass regionally in hubs where they have to make sure that, you know, it's guarded and secure, and then, moving it, perhaps by truck, to those locations, so that they kind of lower the logistical need for aircraft.

But, it just shows for the kind of protection a president gets, for a former president or a candidate for president, that they are bringing the Donald Trump security package pretty close back to all the bells and whistles it would have had when he was president, very close to what Vice President Harris has on the campaign trail as well. That's a lot of stretch on resources. WHITFIELD: Yeah. So, it also means that it will. It could consequently put some limitations on the choices of where these rallies or appearances would take place, just because of the logistics that you just mentioned. John Miller, thanks so much.

MILLER: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: We're learning more about the five suspects, authorities have now charged in connection with the death of actor Matthew Perry, the 54-year-old Friends' Star, died in October at the age of 54 last year. He was found in a hot tub at his home and died from acute effects of the drug ketamine in his system and drowning.

The defendants include two doctors, Perry's personal live-in assistant as well as a personal -- person authorities are referred to as the ketamine queen. Three of them have reached plea agreements.

[08:45:00]

They are accused to conspiring to supply the actor with the powerful sedative that killed him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTIN ESTRADA, U.S. ATTORNEY: These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr. Perry, but they did it anyways. In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Stephanie Elam joining me now live from Los Angeles with more on all this. Stephanie, I mean, what more have we learned about how investigators were able to piece all of this together?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. They took their time to go through this, right, Fred, because Matthew Perry died at the end of October last year, and what they said that they uncovered was just this underground network where they were selling ketamine and taking advantage of a man who was very much in the throes of relapsing, according to the U.S. Attorney, in the fall of 2023, he was going through ketamine infusion therapy, according to people who knew him.

And then, within that, became addicted again, and then, was starting to look to find the drugs any way he could. So, let me break it down, excuse me, a little bit here how this happened. Starting off with the Dr. Salvador Plasencia, because he was arraigned yesterday, I can tell you that they are now looking to have his trial start in October.

He entered a plea of not guilty for all the charges that he was listed, but the U.S. Attorney alleges that he conspired, along with the other doctor, Mark Chavez, who has already entered a plea of -- a guilty plea in this case, to get the ketamine, which they were then giving to the live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who was then injecting Matthew Perry with us, even though he had no medical training, including they allege on the day that Matthew Perry died, and was found in that hot tub by the assistant.

So, they're alleging that's how this was working. They're also saying that there was another person named Eric Fleming who was with the getting the drugs from the ketamine queen, and also getting those drugs to him and just gouging the prices and really putting this man's life in danger, and ultimately, this is why he lost his life they say.

WHITFIELD: Wow. I mean, that's an extraordinary, you know, alleged operation. Stephanie Elam, thanks so much. Our life as a doctor in India is already a grueling job. Now, medical workers say their safety is at stake and they want changes. We'll tell you about an incident that sparked the protests.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Thousands of Indian doctors are off the job and on the street protesting the rape and murder of a trainee medic.

[08:50:00]

It happened in West Bengal state. The doctors and their supporters are demanding better protection for healthcare workers. CNN's Mike Valerio has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a protest pledge and roar anger emanating across India, doctors gathering by the thousands after a young trainee medic working taxing hours at a state- run hospital was raped and murdered, brutally killed where she was simply trying to save lives.

From Kolkata to Delhi, doctors demands are simple, new immediate protections written into law for medical staff in the world's most populous country. Many say, they've spent years fearing for their safety, hospital security often failing them, if and when patients families take out their rage on overworked medical professionals.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is just one victim, but all of us know, there are so many victims like her who go unnamed, whose story we never hear.

VALERIO (voice-over): Then, there's the need to end widespread violence against women, well-documented tragedies shaking India for years. The notorious gang rape of a 22-year-old on a Delhi bus in 2012 is far from forgotten. The 2012 victim was dubbed Nirbhaya, the recent victim in Kolkata, Abhaya, both meaning fearless.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is such a heinous crime that all of the India should be ashamed.

VALERIO (voice-over): At the center of the movement, protesters demand justice for the 31-year-old Kolkata trainee medic. Police arrested one man under suspicion of rape and murder. He's described as a volunteer at the hospital where the woman worked.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- vandalized. It's horrible. It is horrible.

VALERIO (voice-over): Anger also flared, with more than a dozen people arrested for destroying parts of the hospital where the murder happened. Protesters say, the intention was to destroy evidence. There's also deep frustration over early perceived problems with the local police's handling of the case. It's now in the hands of India's National Central Bureau of Investigation.

BILLWADAL BHATTACHARYYA, ADVOCATE REPRESENTING VICTIM: We're rather thankful and grateful to the Honorable Court that the CBI has been now handed over the investigation.

VALERIO (voice-over): Heightening the urgency of protests continuing into the weekend, police in Northern India confirmed another rape and murder of a 33-year-old paramedic. Thousands of doctors now with a solemn vow to stop performing elective procedures, taking to the streets until they see meaningful change. Mike Valerio, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And still to come, say hello to Hong Kong's newest additions. Oh my gosh, a pair of giant panda twins. Not so giant right there, a look at the historic moment straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

All right. It's become a Friday tradition. More pandemonium. This time in Hong Kong, welcoming its newest additions, a pair of panda twins, these little ones, I mean really little ones, are the first giant panda cubs to be born in Hong Kong, and the first cubs for their mother. It was a challenging road leading to this historic moment. Here's CNN's Marc Stewart.

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The birth of these two pandas, twins, is described as rare because giant pandas have a tough time reproducing as they age. Let me show you some pictures of the cubs, a male and a female, they are pink and palm-sized, and are said to be fragile, receiving round-the-clock intensive care.

[08:55:00]

The female, in particular, needs time to stabilize because she has a lower body temperature, weaker cries, and is eating less food, according to a statement from Hong Kong's Ocean Park.

As far as the mother of these cubs, Ying Ying, she delivered the cubs early Thursday morning, the eve of her 19th birthday. But consider this, in human years, that's equivalent to 57 years old. She's the oldest known first-time panda mother. It wasn't easy. She suffered a series of miscarriages in the past, and the five-month pregnancy wasn't easy.

Efforts were underway for years for Ying Ying and her partner Le Le to mate. The bears were gifted to the city in 2007 by the Chinese government. The cubs are the first giant pandas born in Hong Kong. And if you're curious to see the pandas for yourself, it will be a few months before they are on display, as they need to get stronger. Marc Stewart, CNN, Beijing.

WHITFIELD: Congratulations to the mama. All right. Thank you so much for joining me here in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Connect the World with Becky Anderson is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)