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White House Planning To Send National Guard To Chicago; Democrats Losing On Party Registration On Swing States; Israel Retaliates with Missile Strikes On Yemen; Ukraine Celebrates Independence Day, President Zelenskyy Vows To Continue Fighting. Fed Chief Fuels Hopes For A Rate Cut; China Shows Power; U.S. Open Gets Underway. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired August 24, 2025 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: You're in the "CNN Newsroom." I'm Jessica Dean in Los Angeles today. A new CNN reporting telling that officials tell us the Trump administration has been making plans for weeks now to send National Guard troops into Chicago. This all comes as President Trump says he wants to send federal troops into more cities, calling this a crackdown on crime.

National Guard troops, of course, already patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C. Polls show an overwhelming majority of people who live there in Washington are strongly opposed to that. Today, Chicago's mayor says he will fight in court if troops are deployed to his city.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRANDON JOHNSON, MAYOR OF CHICAGO: You know, there are some political differences certainly that we do have in Chicago, but I think in this regard we're all very clear that the Trump administration is clearly in violation of the Constitution. And it's pretty straightforward for us. You either support the Constitution or you do not. Those are the only two positions that you can take. And again, whether it's legal actions as well as the community as a whole coming together to push back in a very dramatic way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: We're going to talk more about that in detail in just a few moments. But as the Democrats are trying to message against the Trump administration on that issue and a host of others, there are signs the midterms could be more of an uphill battle than conventional wisdom might suggest. CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten runs the numbers on why things are looking bleak in the search for new Democratic voters.

LARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Hey Jessica, happy Sunday. Look, the Democratic brand right now has about the appeal with the American voter as the Cracker Barrel rebrand has with the American consumers. Bad, bad, bad. What are you doing? Oh my goodness gracious. What are we talking about here in terms of big party registration changes in the key swing states? Let's look at the key four swing states that in fact do keep track of registration by party.

Look, the Republican Party is in their best position at this point in the cycle since at least 2005 in all four of these key battleground states. We go out to the southwest, Arizona. How about Nevada? Republicans haven't done this well since 2005. Oh my goodness gracious, at this point in the cycle. North Carolina, I couldn't find a point at which Republicans were doing better at this point in the cycle. It's at least this century. It probably goes way back in the last century.

And Pennsylvania, very similar. Republicans doing better at this point than at any point, at any point this century, at least as far as I could find. Now, what types of gains are we talking about here for the Republican Party? Well, let's compare it to this point during the first Trump administration all the way back in 2017. Look at this. The Republican Party gains in party registration compared to this point back in 2017 during the Trump first administration in Arizona. You got a Republican gain of three points.

Okay, how about Nevada? Up the hill we go, even though we're sticking in the Southwest, a gain of six points. How about, again, we come to the East Coast, North Carolina, a gain of eight points for the Republicans. And in the Keystone State, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, again, we're talking about a gain of eight points. My goodness gracious, for Republicans, they are converting old former Democrats to their side of the ledger, as well as picking up new voters, registering new voters, and it absolutely paid off for them back in the 2024 election.

Now, of course, Donald Trump has been president since January. Are there any bright spots for Democrats? Have they picked up any ground since January 1 in terms of party registration? Uh-uh, not in these key swing states, these four key swing states. What are we talking about? Party registration margin gain since January 1, 2025. Which parties gain in Arizona? The GOP. How about Nevada? The GOP. North Carolina? The GOP. How about in Pennsylvania? We'll make it four for four, the GOP.

The bottom line is this, Jessica Dean, when it comes to party registration, Republicans have made massive gains compared to eight years ago. They are in their best position in these key -- four swing states dating back at least 20 years. You have to go back at least 20 years, at least in the case of Nevada, longer in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. So Republicans looking pretty gosh darn good, at least when it comes to party registration. And we'll see what happens down the road. But at this point, as I said at the beginning, the Democratic brand is in about as good a position as the Cracker Barrel rebrand. It is bad, bad, bad for the Democrats. Back to you.

[17:05:01]

DEAN: All right, Harry Enten with those numbers there. So let's bring in the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, Larry Sabato. He's also the co-author of "Campaign of Chaos, Trump, Biden, Harris, and the 2024 American Election." Larry, good to see you on this Sunday. Let's start first with what Harry was talking about there. Republican registration way up in those major swing states. What does that tell you as we look toward the midterms?

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Well, it's hard to paint it as good news for Democrats. Obviously, it isn't. I do want to say, though, 20 states are not included, 20 states, including mine in Virginia, do not register by party. And some of them, like Virginia, have moved in the opposite direction. They're voting more Democratic. And that really is the difference between registration figures and the voting results, election results.

Often, party registrations are lagging indicators. And the other important thing to remember is that while Republicans have definitely gained in those 30 states relative to the Democrats, both Republicans and Democrats are in the 20s in terms of their percentage of the electorate. What's nearly 50 percent? Independents and a small slice that identify with Libertarians or Greens or have no party affiliation at all.

So, the voters that actually matter more than ever are independents. And there, Democrats have done much better. Though, again, I'm not going to change the basic thesis here. Democrats have a lot of work to do, and they have not done well at all, even since Trump took the presidency again.

DEAN: And so, look, as we were saying, Democrats facing their lowest approval ratings in decades. Republicans, as you note, while they were seeing their registration go up, they, you know, amongst independents, still have some work to do as we look to the midterms. When you zero in on these independent voters that you're talking about that will be so key, that always are, but certainly will be in these midterms, what do you think they're looking for right now?

SABATO: Well, they tend to be even more focused on the economy than do party registrants for Democrats and Republicans. So they're looking for economic improvements. They want the prices brought down, as they were promised, and other pieces of the economy to get better. That's good news potentially for Democrats, depending on what happens between now and the midterms.

But if you've noticed the pattern in public opinion polls, and you have to look across all the polls, not just focus on one or two or three that please you, you can see that independents have actually broken pretty substantially against Trump. They're the main reason why his job approval is now in the low to mid-40s. He hasn't been over 50, really, since the very beginning of his presidency.

That is the best signal of what is likely to happen in the midterm elections, job approval for the incumbent president. A lot of time to change but things aren't as bad for Democrats as some are portraying. They're not good either. As I said, they got a lot of work to do, but you can't focus too much on the bad.

DEAN: Well, and look, we have seen this when President Trump is on the ballot. There are a lot of people who vote in those elections who just don't vote in other elections when he's not on the ballot.

SABATO: Absolutely. And of course, he won't be on the ballot in 2026. He actually, I assume he won't be on the ballot in 2028 either, but with Trump, you never know. But if he's not on the ballot, you're going to have probably several million, more than several million people who would vote otherwise were Trump on the ballot. They come out to vote for Trump and incidentally, they vote for the other Republicans.

Well, if they're not drawn out by Trump to the ballot, obviously, those are votes Republicans may need to keep the Senate and the House of Representatives.

DEAN: I also want to ask you about our other lead story tonight, which is President Trump potentially deploying these National Guard troops to additional cities. Our new reporting that the administration's been planning for weeks now to send them into Chicago. This has been very unpopular with Washington, D.C. residents, a blue city. Chicago, of course, a blue city. What is your sense of this issue as it's clear this is going to expand?

SABATO: If you go state by state, you find that the central city, the big city in most states is heavily Democratic. D.C., for example, Trump can hit 10 percent. It's worth marking on the calendar. So what about everybody around D.C.? Well, they may have a different view. And in Chicago, that's certainly true. Chicago is a big blue Democratic city.

[17:09:57]

But if you go into the rural areas, even in a democratic state like Illinois, you will find they're primarily Republican and you're going to have a lot of the cheering.

I'm going to believe this is broad based and more permanent when I see Trump taking those troops and sending them into red states even after he's sending them into blue cities in the red states. They might not be as in favor of this once they have it in their own state if he ever does it. Why would he change? He's getting great publicity out of this in D.C. that affects his base positively.

He'll probably get good press out of Chicago though he can't do as much in Chicago as he's done in D.C. because D.C. is essentially a federal province (sp), Chicago is not.

DEAN: Yeah. Well, yeah, and that will make this different. And we'll have to see how that shakes out if they end up do. You know, the mayor there has said he's going to file a lawsuit if that happens. Larry Sabato, always good to see you. Thanks so much.

SABATO: Thank you, Jessica.

DEAN: Still to come, a weak jobs market. Has the Federal Reserve opening the door to the possibility of a cut in interest rates? It's something the president has wanted for months now, but it's not quite a done deal. We'll explore that.

Plus, Israel hitting Yemen with deadly new airstrikes in an effort to defang Houthi rebels who continue to attack Israel. And Vice President J.D. Vance and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy both

sounding optimistic about ending the war in Ukraine, but peace talks are appearing to lose some steam. We'll have that and more ahead in the "CNN Newsroom."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:15:00]

DEAN: Israel says it struck the Houthis in Yemen after the rebel group fired a new type of missile on Israel. The Israeli military saying it hit a military site where Yemen's presidential palace is located plus three additional targets. Yemen's ministry of health says at least four people were killed and 67 injured in those strikes. CNN's Oren Liebermann is reporting now from Israel. Oren?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Israel carried out a series of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Sunday evening, including what appears to be the first time they hit the presidential palace. The Israeli military also says it carried out strikes on two power plants in Yemen, in the Houthi-held capital of Sana'a, as well as the fuel supply for those power plants.

Israel says this is in response to a ballistic missile that came over on Friday that for the first time appears to have had a cluster warhead that is multiple munitions carried on one missile designed to spread out the damage, make it more difficult to intercept. An Israeli military official says it appears to be the first time the Houthis have fired this type of ballistic missile at Israel.

There have also been other ballistic missiles and drones that the Houthis have launched. Many of those are intercepted, but Israel sees it as an attack on Israel itself and has vowed to respond to those. And that's what we saw with towers of smoke and fire rising out of the capital of Sana'a as a result of the Israeli strikes. Israel warning there will be more such strikes if the Houthi attacks continue. And they have, for the most part, unabated at a fairly steady pace over the course of the last weeks and months.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military carrying out a series of punishing strikes in Gaza City in what appear to be the first phases of the operation the Security Cabinet had approved just a couple of weeks ago. The Israeli military is already operating in Zeitoun, on the outskirts of Gaza City, with reports it's also operating in Jabalia.

Meanwhile, we see the video from those strikes, and CNN has spoken with Palestinians, some of whom have already made the decision to flee ahead of specific evacuation orders, others who say they refuse to leave. They either refuse to be displaced again by Israeli evacuation orders, or they refuse to leave their homes ahead of what Israel essentially says will be a forced evacuation of the city to go after what they see as one of Hamas' last remaining strongholds there.

The Israeli defense minister had warned just days ago that Israel would open the gates of hell if Hamas didn't free the hostages there. That may be the beginning of what we're seeing here. Oren Liebermann, CNN, in Jerusalem.

DEAN: Oren, thank you. Ukraine is stepping up its attacks on Russia's oil refineries, and it appears to be a successful strategy so far. The latest attack targeting a site near St. Petersburg setting off a massive fire, according to video geolocated by CNN. And according to a CNN tally, Ukrainian drones have struck at least 10 key Russian energy facilities this month alone. Those attacks have sent gasoline prices inside Russia to record highs.

And in Ukraine, President Zelensky pledging his country will not lose its war with Russia. He delivered that message at Ukraine's Independence Day ceremony in Kyiv. And he was joined by U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg, to whom he awarded the Order of Merit. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also in attendance there.

The celebrations come as Russia and Ukraine continue to exchange those strikes, and a Zelensky-Putin summit remains up in the air. Here's CNN's Nada Bashir.

NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: While marking Ukraine's 34th Independence Day, U.S. President Donald Trump has sent a letter of support praising the nation's courage and saying the United States believes in its future as an independent state. The letter was shared on X by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who thanked Trump for his message, with Keith Kellogg, the Trump administration's Russia- Ukraine envoy in attendance for Kyiv's Independence Day ceremony on Sunday. Zelenskyy, meanwhile, also delivered his own address to Ukraine, reiterating his determination to triumph against Russia.

[17:20:01]

In recent weeks, Ukraine has ramped up its attacks on Russia, particularly when it comes to Russia's energy infrastructure. According to a CNN tally of attacks, Ukrainian drones have struck at least 10 key Russian energy facilities this month alone. And while reports have emerged that the Pentagon has for months been blocking Ukraine's use of U.S.-made long-range army tactical missile systems to strike inside Russia, President Zelenskyy said Sunday that he has not yet discussed the use of such weapons with the U.S. and that Ukraine is currently using domestically produced long-range weapons.

Efforts to secure a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, meanwhile, appear to have stalled once again, with the Kremlin pouring cold water on the possibility of a meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy in the near future. However, speaking to NBC, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance indicated some degree of optimism, saying that Russia has made significant concessions and that the U.S. will keep on pushing for a diplomatic solution. Nada Bashir, CNN, in London.

DEAN: We are joined now by CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger. He's also a White House and national security correspondent for "The New York Times." David, nice to see you on this Sunday. We just heard from Nada there. President Zelenskyy, denying there's an issue around the use of long range weapons. We've previously reported on this new Pentagon policy that's allowing the U.S. to divert arms shipments. How would you assess the impacts of weapons supply at this point in the war for Ukraine?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, at this point, Jessica, what's (inaudible) pending largely on their own weapons and mostly their own drones. And they've gotten to be more accurate. They've built drones that can carry a larger charge. And you saw that in your reporting just now about the strikes on the Russian energy facilities. Those are beginning to really take a toll on the Russians.

But the overall sense I get, eight days after we all left Anchorage for that summit meeting between President Putin and President Trump, is that if anything, this negotiation is going backwards now. Just think about it. The president gave up on a ceasefire. The president said that the Russians were willing to have a peacekeeping force, a Western peacekeeping force inside Ukraine.

They now say they don't want NATO countries to be there, and Russia has to be part of any security solution. There appear to be no real negotiations going on. So Putin got a lot of what he wanted, which is buying time.

DEAN: And President Trump, in a letter to Zelenskyy, said the U.S., quote, "supports a negotiated settlement that safeguards Ukraine's sovereignty." I know you reported this week on what security guarantees could look like. What did you find in your reporting?

SANGER: Well, a security guarantee is a really interesting thing because it's kind of a vague statement. It's not clear, you know. If you get invaded, does that mean the country that's guaranteeing your security is going to write a strong letter? Or are they going to supply you with weapons? Or are they going to send in ground troops to help you fight the invader?

So, in 1994, when Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons, it got a security guarantee, and it was from Britain, the United States, and from Russia. And they said, we will guarantee your security. Well, of course, Russia then took Crimea, took part of the Donbas, invaded the whole country. And the response, even in the Biden time, was to give them weapons, but not to give them troops.

So this time, President Zelensky is trying to be a lot more specific. but it's not clear what kind of force the Europeans imagine on the ground. A full-scale peacekeeping force would take tens of thousands of people. A tripwire force that would just be there to provide some resistance would probably be thousands. Some kind of monitoring force might just be a few hundred, but wouldn't provide much of a deterrent. We don't know what this looks like.

DEAN: And that, I think, is the key takeaway. We don't know what this looks like. Looks like Ukraine doesn't know what this looks like. And so as we have all of that going on and Putin now, as you know, gets more time to kind of stall this out, we saw many foreign leaders sending messages of support to Zelenskyy as Ukraine marked its 34 years of independence.

How do you think Putin is viewing this moment now as they are marking their independence, all of these foreign leaders, Mark Carney there with him, and yet Putin still continuing on, not facing any sanctions yet?

[17:25:06]

DEAN: Well, the independence part, I think the most heartening thing we saw from that letter from President Trump is he said he envisions an independent Ukraine. And presumably that means one that is not under Russian influence. But he didn't say anything about what its borders would look like. And of course, the Ukrainians are worried that they'll be forced into giving away territory that would set the Russians up for a later invasion.

The Europeans have come together pretty strongly. I think you saw that in the meeting in Washington. I think the one they're worried about at this point is President Trump, whether or not he is just trying to push Ukraine to a deal that would swap land for some kind of security guarantee. And we don't know what a real peace agreement would look like. And I'm not sure that President Putin's really interested in one right now.

DEAN: Before we go, I do want to ask you about the Middle East as well. We have our new reporting from Oren Liebermann today talking about Israel striking Yemen's Houthis. We have seen back and forth, of course, between the Houthis and Israel as you know, since before October 7th, but certainly since October 7th. As a piece of this wider puzzle of what's going on there in the Middle East, how do you think this fits into that larger puzzle?

SANGER: You know, the Houthis, Jessica, are the one group that managed to sort of survive the past six months, eight months and the Israelis have not completely eliminated Hamas, but they've certainly decapitated most of its leadership and put it on the run. You saw what happened to Hezbollah last fall. That was -- began with the walkie- talkies and the pagers going off, but -- then the killing of their leader. Then the attack on Iran earlier this year, early this summer, which did a fair bit of damage.

But the Houthis have just managed to hold on. And it's the United States that actually was doing much of the attacking against them because of concern about the shipping. It could well turn out that that is sort of the next big flare up area because at this point, the Israelis have pretty well completed their work on the other three.

DEAN: And also, too, look, the U.S. was striking to make sure that they could be protected there in the sea and to make sure that the Houthis weren't, you know, striking U.S. interests. What is the U.S. piece of that?

SANGER: Well, the U.S. has been doing this to keep the shipping open. And so far, you know, the Houthis have been --

(TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES)

-- the kinds of attacks on shipping that we were seeing earlier in the year. But you could easily see the U.S. getting right back into that now because if the Houthis step up, they're probably going to step up on the shipping as well as the direct attacks on Israel. And they have been sending missiles right and near Israel's main airport. So, they've got a fair bit of impressive long range strike.

DEAN: All right, David Sanger, always good to see you. Thanks so much.

SANGER: Great to see you. Have a good weekend.

DEAN: You too. Well, hold on to your wallet. The sting of President Trump's tariffs about to get worse. Are there any bright spots on the economic horizon? We're going to take a look here in the "CNN Newsroom."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:29:59]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's okay. You can check on your retirement savings after the DOW clocked a record high for the first time this year during Friday's powerful rally.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(APPLAUSE)

DEAN: The DOW rallying more than 800 points. The interesting reason, though, why stocks jumped when FED Chief Jerome Powell started talking about the risks of weakness in the job market. Now, on its own, that's usually not great news. But on Wall Street, it's a sign the Federal Reserve is likely more willing to consider a rate cut when it meets next in September.

So, let's take a closer look at all of this and the root of the problem, the job market starting to slow down. Joining us now is Natasha Sarin, president and co-founder of Yale's Budget Lab and a professor at Yale Law School. Natasha, good to have you here. Thanks for being with us. So, let's start first with this job market slowing. How concerning is that, and there's that issue on its own, and then how it plays into the larger economy?

NATASHA SARIN, PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER OF YALE'S BUDGET LAB, PROFESSOR AT YALE SCHOOL: So, it's pretty concerning in that what we know from the most recent set of data is that it looks like over the course of the last few months, the labor market has really been slowing quite significantly.

And we know that based on downward revisions for the months of -- for last two months of May and June and also the recent July data just tells us that hiring specifically has really slowed down over the course of the last many months.

And we know on the flip side that we're also seeing a ton of uncertainty in the market as a result of the fact that it's really difficult to kind of guess and anticipate where this trade war is ultimately going to land. And so, kind of unsurprisingly, you're seeing businesses pull back and retreat as they try and anticipate what direction the economy is likely to go.

[17:35:03]

And you're seeing the same thing in the growth numbers for the overall economy which are trending much lower than was anticipated last fall.

DEAN: Hmm. And so, the president has said that -- that he believes these massive tariffs on imported goods are being paid by foreign countries, oversees businesses. We know that evidence is showing that American companies and consumers are all starting to price on these.

So, the costs are going up, but it is happening gradually and at kind of a lower rate. So, a lot of people haven't really noticed yet or aren't feeling it in a -- in a huge way. But some experts predict that there could be that noticeable difference by the end of the year or sometime into 2026. What do you think?

SARIN: Well, you're starting to, in fact, see retailers say exactly that, Jessica. If you look at the Walmart or the targets of the world, they're saying, we've been trying to not pass through these price increases to our consumers, but we're hitting a point where that's just no longer going to be possible.

And that's kind of consistent with the work that my colleagues and I at the Yale Budget Lab have been tracking these tariffs in live time and their likely effect on the economy. And what we know is today, we are seeing an effective tariff rate in the economy of around 18%. When President Trump took office, that effective tariff rate was about 2.5%.

So, there just isn't room for these retailers to be able to eat price increases that are that significant of a tax on their imports. And, in fact, what we anticipate and what we expect based on our data is that consumers are going to see a price increase on basically everything that they buy that totals around $2,400 per average household.

So, we expect these increases to be pretty significant. But to your point, they've been somewhat slow to be realized in part because what a lot of people did in anticipation of these tariffs was try to pull forward a lot of inventory so they would be able to stock their shelves with stuff they got into the country at lower tariff rates and be able to sell those goods first but, obviously, that can't go on forever.

DEAN: And so, then taking it back to kind of where we started, which was this incredible stock rally that we saw on Friday and Wall Street doing quite well amidst all of these, again, I think anticipating that potentially, all of this means that the FED might cut those interest rates in September. So, kind of connect those dots for everyone, how that all works together.

SARIN: The Federal Reserve has a dual mandate. So, it has to respond to what's happening with respect to inflation and what's happening with respect to the labor market.

And the challenging thing for the Federal Reserve at this moment is if you look at data like ours or other people who are modeling the impact of these tariffs, they're the most inflationary policies we've seen in our lifetime. So, tariff rates are going up very significantly, and that's going to lead to price increases that we're starting to see in the economy.

On the flip side, you have a labor market that is slowing down and economic growth that is slowing down also as a result of those same trade policies. And so, what you saw on Friday was that the Federal Reserve is sort of indicating in the strongest terms that they have to date that it's possible that they're going to start to cut rates as early as their next meeting.

And I think the market, it's hard to exactly understand why the market goes up sometimes and goes down other times. And as a finance professor, I can tell you that predicting the direction of the market is a bit of a fool's errand.

But I think what the market is reacting to is it's reacting to the fact that you're starting to see one of those signals play out with respect to the likely decision that the Federal Reserve is going to be making over the course of the next many months as it tries to balance its concerns about labor markets cooling.

DEAN: All right. Natasha, thanks for being here. We appreciate it.

SARIN: Thanks so much for having me.

DEAN: Uh-hmm. It is a rehearsal like no other. Tanks, drones, tens of thousands of Chinese troops. We're going to take you to preparations for China's latest show of power.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: For weeks, Chinese troops have filled the streets of Beijing, preparing for a massive military parade to be held in the capital next week. The drill will be part of an elaborate celebration marking 80 years since the end of World War II, and the parade will give local residents and the entire world a chance to see China's growing military might on full display. CNN's Marc Stewart has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNKNOWN (voice-over): (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

MARC STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A synchronized show of strength in China. Soldiers march in formation late into the night. A dress rehearsal for a massive military parade, less than two weeks away for the entire world to see, celebrating 80 years since World War II ended. STEWART: What kind of message do you think this parade will send to the world from China?

LI HONGMEI, BEIJING TOURIST (through translator): I believe that this military parade will have a big international influence, especially in showcasing our military might. It's going to be a great event.

STEWART (voice-over): There's excitement here among the locals, a rare chance to get up close to these war machines. And this mysterious sight, warheads wrapped like gifts until the big reveal.

[17:45:00]

Fighter jets soar in the sky as the world's largest military is set to show off its latest additions, including drones and hypersonic weapons.

A point of pride as China faces constant tension with the U.S. and its allies over its claims to the South China Sea and Taiwan.

STEWART: We're driving here along Tiananmen Square. The seats are now empty. But this is where we will see Chinese officials and world leaders, including Russia's Vladimir Putin. And the parade will extend here along Chang'an Avenue for miles.

STEWART (voice-over): The 70-minute parade is a chance for Chinese President Xi Jinping to show off in front of world leaders, as he did during the victory parade 10 years ago. Parades like this eclipse similar events in the United States. The bold display comes as China asserts itself as a strong superpower.

MR. XIAO, BEIJING RESIDENT (through translator): Now, China is acting more outward-looking and more assertive. I think this is in line with China's current strength.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: China, first row --

STEWART (voice-over): Strength now tested by the U.S. trade war and a shaky domestic economy. This show of muscle aims to bring feelings of stability to the billion-plus people who live here and sending a message to the world, China is a force.

Mark Stewart, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: All right. Marc, thank you. Flushing Meadows, New York is flush with fans and a returning legend as the U.S. Open gets underway one day early. You're in the CNN newsroom.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) DEAN: The U.S. Open tennis tournament already in full swing for the first time. The final grand slam tennis tournament of the year kicking off on a Sunday, not the traditional Monday. And one of the best women's tennis players ever will return to the hard court in New York. Patrick Snell joins us now. Patrick, Venus Williams is back. What more can we look forward to?

PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Hi, Jessica. Still feels -- still feels kind of strange the U.S. Open starting on a Sunday in terms of the main draw but, yeah, new reality. I tell you what, Venus Williams -- this is such a cool story -- such an iconic figure from the sport, wonderful moment for her and her family and all her fans as well. There's going to be massive scrutiny and attention on her when she takes to the court on Monday evening.

She's a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion of this sport. And at age 45, she's back competing at Flushing Meadows. She actually got a wildcard entry into this year's tournament.

Williams, of course, the name, such a sign, synonymous with success, the iconic name, the older sister, of course, of 23-time major winner Serena, became the oldest player to win a WTA singles match since 2004 when Venus beat Peyton Stearns. That was at last month's Washington Open after a 16-month absence from competitive tennis.

She did play, I will say, in last week's redesigned mixed doubles tournament, but this is going to be the first time she has actually played in the U.S. Open singles main draw since 2023.

She has been such an inspiring trailblazer, hasn't she? Both on and off the court over the recent decades. She's starting up on Arthur Ashe Stadium against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic. Let's hear now from Venus ahead of her eagerly awaited return to action.

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VENUS WILLIAMS, TENNIS PLAYER: I want to be my best. And that's the expectation I have for myself, to get the best out of me. And that's all any player can ask for. I haven't played as much as the other players. So, it's a different challenge when that -- when you're dealing with that. So, I'm just trying to, like, have fun, stay relaxed, and be my personal best.

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SNELL: I can't wait to see her in action. Now, on Sunday, an important win for the 2021 champ, Emma Raducanu. She powered her way past the Japanese qualifier, Ena Shibahara. The Brit getting the job done in straights, dropping just three games in the process.

This is significant. Why? Because it's Emma's first win at the U.S. Open since her breakthrough major triumph. It took her just 62 minutes to seal the win, her quickest Grand Slam main draw victory of her career. And Jessica, on Tuesday, Coco Gauff starting her campaign against Australian player Ajla Tomljanovic as well.

So much to look forward to at the U.S. Open, which is already up and running. Back to you.

DEAN: Oh, I love that tennis tournament. It's really, really fun. All right, Patrick Snell, thanks so much.

Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans, a new CNN Original, "New Orleans: Soul of a City," "Rebirth of the Superdome" explores the role of the Superdome.

The home of the beloved New Orleans Saints temporarily housed those seeking refuge from the storm and football during the city's recovery in the years following Katrina.

As New Orleans residents began to rebuild their city, the Saints journey toward the Super Bowl offered a beacon of hope on the city's road to recovery.

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UNKNOWN: When you talk about football in the south, that's the heart and the heartbeat of that land.

UNKNOWN: We could be enemies on one day, but on Sundays, we're all rooting for one team.

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UNKNOWN: There's no way to talk about New Orleans without the Saints. The Superdome and the team are really right at the center of the city.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): After Katrina, football became this narrative of renewal.

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DEAN: Be sure to tune in "New Orleans: Soul of a City," "Rebirth of the Superdome," premieres tonight at 9 Eastern and Pacific, only here on CNN.

CNN also has new reporting on the Trump administration's plans to send the National Guard into Chicago for what he calls a crackdown on crime. We've got details on that when we come back.

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