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Donald Trump Calls A.I. Concerns A "Hoax" Amid Race Against China; Houthis Attack Saudi Arabia As Gulf-Iran Talks Postponed; "Widow's Bay" Leads With Wins At Prime-Time Ceremony; El Nino Has Leveled Up to Super Status; Supreme Court Rejects Trump's Plan to Limit Mail-in Voting; Gaza Documentary by Israeli Filmmakers Sparks Uproar in Israel; Israeli Strikes Hammer Southern Lebanon; 129 People Missing Days After Indonesian Ferry Capsizes; Celine Dion Set to Take Stage Again Near Paris Wednesday. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired September 15, 2026 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:32]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, the Houthis make territorial gains in Yemen after a major offensive. We will talk to an expert about the stunning renewal of the conflict.

Questions about A.I. dominated Capitol Hill as lawmakers debate regulation, citing China as a security concern.

And the 2026 Emmys have come to a close. We will hear from some of your favorite stars.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. And we begin this hour with U.S. President Donald Trump calling the surge in A.I. safety concerns a hoax. He insists the bigger issue is preventing China from outpacing the U.S. Now, this comes after the CEO of one of the leading A.I. developers, Anthropic, called for an industry-wide slowdown, more regulation, and global cooperation, all in an effort to stop out-of- control and dangerous A.I. models from being developed. Several major competitors, including Elon Musk and OpenAI's Sam Altman have also voiced their support for more safety measures. CNN's Kristen Holmes has more on President Trump's attempts to dismiss A.I. risks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Despite the growing concerns from not only everyday Americans but from tech leaders in general about this lack of regulations on A.I. and what it could lead to. President Trump and many in his administration are downplaying those concerns. Actually, President Trump spending most of the day fixated on this

idea, calling these concerns a hoax, saying that anything that is done in regulatory would slow down the progress, and really doubling down on this message. Whoever wins A.I. wins, and he is very clearly referring to the race and this kind of technology with China, and this belief that America has to stay on pace with China, especially not lag behind.

One of the things he posted at one point was there is a sick conspiracy going on against A.I. and data centers, and the only one that is happy about it is China.

Again, a growing political concern across the spectrum here. Now, Vice President Vance was also asked about this, and here's what he said:

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, it's something that we're concerned by, but we want to make sure that we actually regulate smartly, and we're thoughtful about the risk here. So, there are obviously risks to A.I. There are some benefits to A.I. I have to say, just personally, I feel a little bit weird about the fact that you have so many frontier A.I. tech companies kind of coming to the government and begging the government to regulate them. It feels a little bit to me like a bit of a Trojan horse. So, I think we just have to be careful about this.

HOLMES: So, you can hear a little bit more of threading the needle there from Vance. This idea that you have to be careful with it, that it's clearly a growing concern. It's something to look into. But what we're hearing from Republicans is that the White House needs to address this. That they believe that right now A.I. is running out of control, and there is again a growing political issue for Republicans, particularly because they are the ones who control Congress, who control the White House, and the growing concern is that this needs to at least be addressed in a serious way. Right now, again, President Trump seems to be trying to write this off as a hoax.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Lawmakers on Capitol Hill face the challenge of finding a bipartisan solution to tackle A.I. safety risks. Senate Majority Leader John Thune says there should be guardrails to ensure A.I. safety, but prefers the government use a light touch so the U.S. can remain competitive with China. House Speaker Mike Johnson also put an emphasis on the A.I. race against Beijing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): We have to be very careful about this, as I've explained, and many people have explained. We have to maintain our edge over China. We do not want to jump in the reflex of legislative bodies. This is cover things up with red tape and in hyperregulation. If you do that, then you lose your edge, and that is a national security concern for the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:05:04]

CHURCH: Senator Bernie Sanders argues that President Trump should attempt to reach an agreement with China for both nations to slow A.I. development.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris also urged the White House to pursue an international treaty to address the technology.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry agreed that all parties should collaborate to promote A.I. that is open, inclusive, and beneficial to all. But he warned the spread of threat narratives and malicious competition will only interfere with progress on global A.I. governance.

Now this comes as Chinese state media refer to the Anthropic CEO's warning as, "Something out of a Cold War playbook to target and contain Chinese progress in the technology."

Well, joining me now to discuss live from San Francisco is tech analyst and founder of Tech Buzz China, Rui Ma. Good to have you with us.

RUI MA, FOUNDER, TECH BUZZ CHINA: Hi, thanks for having me.

CHURCH: Of course. So, U.S. President Donald Trump rejects these warnings from A.I. executives, calling them a hoax, and says he's focused on beating China in the A.I. race. China hit back, calling that malicious competition, and rejects U.S. suggestions that it poses an A.I. risk. But does Beijing think that A.I. needs to be reined in and regulated?

MA: Yes, absolutely. So actually, the Cyber Space Administration, the CAC, forgot exactly what it stands for, but basically the government, the government body that regulates cybersecurity and the internet just came out with the framework on A.I. It's a third version. The first version was from 2024, and it very explicitly states all these risks that it sees in terms of A.I., and you know, it includes anything from harms to minors to misinformation. You know, sort of the most conventional and maybe superficial harms from A.I., but also includes this loss of control, autonomous agents.

You know, running out of human control, having access, and you know, having access to dangerous capable capabilities, and very much becoming a national security risk.

So, all those are very, you know, deliberately listed, and I think very much we've seen it notch up from year to year. Like I said, it's now the third version, and I don't really see any difference really between how China and U.S. sees A.I. risks for the most part, except for the most extreme scenarios, where there are some people in Silicon Valley who might believe, you know, A.I. becomes almost like a godlike power and sentient.

Aside from that, really, I think the U.S. and China sees very much the same risks.

CHURCH: Interesting, because while A.I. offers many benefits, of course, a former Anthropic researcher recently offered a pretty stark warning that A.I. could one day become so powerful it could kill us all, perhaps by the end of the decade. And as we mentioned, A.I. executives worry about the risks too, and that's why they're calling for regulation to rein in the pace of A.I. advancements due to ethical, societal, and existential concerns. Does China think A.I. could become an existential threat?

MA: So, no one has put forth such a number-the 10 percent you know, risk extinction of humanity-and so it's not in those terms. But the potential of A.I., especially in the hands of malicious actors, to cause significant harm is very much being discussed and on the table.

And also, just as a reminder, actually, you know, obviously there are many bodies in the government working on A.I. policy, but specifically for the you know foreign ministry department, the person they have working on A.I. coordination is actually the same person working on nuclear disarmament. So, and that has been the case for the past couple of years.

So, I think very much China sees A.I. as a, you know, force to be reckoned with and a you know a systemic risk factor that major powers really need to get together and manage.

CHURCH: And meantime, the former chief of Google China and A.I. pioneer and investor Kai-Fu Lee says that China will win the A.I. race for reach. How do China's A.I. advancements compare to those being made in America? Who's winning the race right now?

MA: I think America is clearly winning the race right now in terms of frontier model capabilities, it's widely agreed that American you know labs just what we've seen is released because obviously they might have models in house that are even more powerful.

But based on what's released, China is still consistently about three to six months behind the frontier. America leads in compute by something like nine times in terms of funds raised, which will hopefully buy more compute this year alone, you know, the top model labs in America has raised over 200 billion. China is about a 10th of that, so it's increasing. But you know, the gap is still there.

[02:10:28]

CHURCH: And just very quickly, President Trump and China's President Xi are set to meet at the White House on September 24th. How likely is it that they'll discuss this issue, this issue, and perhaps look for a way to reach a global agreement on A.I., or is that highly unlikely?

MA: I think -- I think many people are hoping that there could be a very productive conversation, but you know, based on development so far, it's also likely that it's just going to be more of a resetting of the conversation and tone versus something very, you know, productive or specific.

CHURCH: Rui Ma, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

MA: Thank you.

CHURCH: Of course. Well, this just in, the Gates Foundation is pledging to spend at least $1 billion to expand access to artificial intelligence. Over the next two years, investments will focus on training A.I. models across different cultural contexts and languages. The move aims to reach communities and professions that have not previously benefited from the latest technological advancements.

The escalating conflict in and around the Red Sea is raising concerns that the fighting could spread and further threaten global oil supplies. Video released by the Houthi military shows armed fighters celebrating in Mocha, a port city they claim to have captured last week. The Iran-backed rebels say they fired dozens of missiles and drones at a military airbase in southern Saudi Arabia on Monday. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen says at least 13 civilians were wounded in the attacks. The latest fighting marks the most significant escalation in Yemen in years, and comes as talks between Iran and Gulf countries remain stalled.

Well, joining me now is Elisabeth Kendall, Middle East specialist and president of Girton College at the University of Cambridge. Good to have you with us.

ELISABETH KENDALL, MIDDLE EAST SPECIALIST: Thank you.

CHURCH: So, how much of a threat do Yemen's Houthis pose, and how is it possible that they're managing to escalate this conflict and assert themselves militarily and politically, putting Saudi Arabia under considerable pressure as the U.S. war rages on with Iran?

KENDALL: Yes, that's a great question. The Houthis are not a new problem for us and for Yemen and for the region. They have been at war now for gosh over 20 years, on and off since 2004, when they first entered a civil war with the Yemeni government, and that's really important because it shows that they are battle-hardened, they're experienced, they're confident, they feel like they've won the most recent civil war in Yemen, which ran from 2014. And for them, essentially, war has become a way of life.

Now, by contrast, the anti-Houthi forces are just that-they are united by being against the Houthis. They're not united by being pro- government or pro the Presidential Leadership Council inside Yemen, and that's important because they're really difficult to gel together. You've got all these disparate pieces: separatists, giants, brigades, warlords, tribal militias, et cetera. They're not behaving like a national army, and this has really helped the Houthis advance in this lightning way that we see now, such that they're all along the Red Sea coast, and that's a big threat for us.

CHURCH: Yes. So, how do the Saudis stop the impact the Houthis are having on the oil supply, particularly after the Saudi East-West pipeline was hit by a drone attack on September 10th, causing considerable damage and impacting oil supplies and, of course, prices while the Houthis tighten their grip on Red Sea shipping? KENDALL: Well, the Houthis are such experienced actors that the Saudis don't have that many great options. Let's not forget they've been in a war with the Houthis now since 2015 when they entered it, and the Houthis have been bombed from the air by not just the Saudi-led coalition but also by Israel, by the United Kingdom, and most recently in a very concerted effort by the United States, and that hasn't worked either.

[02:15:02]

So, really, the options open to the Houthis are a mixture of trying to reach some kind of accommodation with the Houthis. You can't change geography, after all, but without making it look like violence pays. So, I would expect more kinetic action, more military action, alongside an attempt to perhaps enter some kind of process, some kind of talks.

Ultimately, that's going to have to involve Iran, who are the sponsors, if not in direct command and control of the Houthis.

CHURCH: And how significant is it that the Houthis have essentially seized the Bab al-Mandeb Strait? And how did they do that with apparently little resistance from Saudi Arabia?

KENDALL: It's very significant because the Bab al-Mandeb Strait is the gateway from the Gulf of Aden and ultimately from the Indian Ocean into the Red Sea. That's really important for the oil flows that had started to come out in much larger amounts from Saudi Arabia down through the Bab al-Mandeb, trying to circumvent the Hormuz route.

So, what we're now seeing is that we have the Straits on the eastern side of the Arabian Peninsula, the Strait of Hormuz, pretty much locked down at the same time that on the western side of the Arabian Peninsula, the Bab al-Mandeb looks now to be under Houthi control. That is a chokehold, and it gives the Houthis a stepping stone to extend their reach southwards towards the Gulf of Aden and towards the Indian Ocean, and also northwards, they have now the reach -- they had the reach before, but now they've proven themselves that they could, in fact, also reach the Suez Canal. So, this could actually get a whole lot worse.

CHURCH: Elisabeth Kendall, thanks for joining us and sharing your analysis and perspective with us. Appreciate it.

KENDALL: You're welcome.

CHURCH: Well, a new report from the Pentagon's official watchdog reveals details about how much damage has been done by the Iran War and marks the first formal accounting of U.S. losses since the conflict began. The report finds that Iranian strikes have damaged or destroyed hundreds of U.S. facilities in the region and caused missile shortages. It also found that U.S. diplomatic facilities suffered about $184 million in damages. Sources tell CNN that changes to the military's Middle East footprint may become permanent when the war eventually concludes. U.S. President Donald Trump says Russia and Ukraine have reached an

agreement. According to him, both countries will stop targeting each other's energy infrastructure. Ukraine has targeted Russia's oil refining capacity for months, which has triggered widespread supply shortages. Russian forces have also taken aim at Ukraine's energy production. Here's what the president -- what President Trump had to say about the strikes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The problem I have with Ukraine and Russia is that, you know, a lot of the diesel comes, diesel comes, and that's the one where there's a big up comes from Russia, and the Russia plants are being hit by Ukraine. And I've asked President Zelenskyy not to hit the diesel plants, refineries.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it potentially that because that's what's driving it up?

TRUMP: The diesel is being driven up by the fact that it's having a hard time coming out of Russia, and that's a case that hurts the world, we've got to stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the deal isn't done just yet. He called it a strong proposal and said an agreement would only come if the U.S. and other allies are, "Ready to ensure that Russia genuinely refrains from striking Ukrainian infrastructure."

Well, there's much more to come here on CNN NEWSROOM, including the biggest night in television. We will bring you the biggest moments from this year's Emmy Awards. That's after a short break. Stay with us.

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[02:23:46]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, it was a night of must-see moments at the 78th Emmy Awards. Actor Mariska Hargitay was the first woman to host the show in 15 years. Apple TV's "Widow's Bay" was the night's big winner, taking home 14 trophies, the most of any show nominated. Other notable winners include Noah Wyle, who won his second Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a drama series for his role on "The Pitt." The show is produced in part by CNN's parent company and was the most nominated show of the night. It took home two awards, including Best Drama. Here's what Wyle told CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NOAH WYLE, ACTOR, "THE PITT": It's one thing to make The "Godfather;" it's another thing to make "Godfather II" afterwards, and to come back in a sophomore attempt, and have the bar that we set in the first season be what we were trying to maintain, and or maybe even surpass. It's incredibly gratifying coming back and feeling like we did it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And in one of the night's historic moments, Jean Smart won her fifth trophy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for "Hacks." Smart is now the first woman to win an Emmy for every season of a series. The fifth and final season of "Hacks" debuted earlier this year. CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister has more on the ceremony from Los Angeles.

[02:25:09]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I'm backstage at the Primetime Emmy Awards, where it was a big night for "Widow's Bay," "The Pitt," and "DTF St. Louis," topping the three major categories of the night. But the biggest winner was "Widow's Bay," walking away with the most trophies from the Emmys, winning in Best Comedy and also winning for many of its stars: Matthew Rhys, Stephen Root, and Kate O'Flynn. Now, Matthew Rhys was one of the history- making actors tonight at the Emmys, he becomes the first actor to win for two leading roles in the same year. He won for "Widow's Bay" and also for Netflix's "The Beast in Me."

Now, another history maker, Jean Smart, who won for the fifth and final season of "Hacks," she became the first woman in Emmy history to win for every single season of a series.

Now, Allison Janney, she was a surprise winner, of course, well deserved. But even she herself was shocked. I spoke to her backstage after she won for her role in "The Diplomat," and she told me that she did not think at all that she was going to win. This became her eighth Emmy. Now she is tied for the most acting Emmys, along with other actresses like Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and also Jean Smart.

Now, Mariska Hargitay was the host of the night. She had a ton of outfit changes. You could tell that she had a ton of fun, and of course, she had to bring some of her famous friends along. Of course, she's probably the most famous fan of the Knicks these days, and Jalen Brunson made an appearance as well as her friend Taylor Swift.

Now, Taylor was not actually here, but she had pre-taped a fun skit that was in the theme of "Law and Order: SVU" Mariska Hargitay show. But Taylor Swift was actually a little busy at her husband Travis Kelce's game. The Chiefs had their first game of the season tonight, so she was a little busy. It was a great night here at the Emmys. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: All right. Still to come here on CNN NEWSROOM, an already strong El Nino has now reached super status. Here, why forecasters believe it could become one of the most powerful climate events on record. Back with that, and more in just a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:31:45]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": Welcome back, everyone. El Nino has now reached super status driven by warm waters in the Pacific Ocean. The natural climate cycle has been rapidly strengthening in recent months and forecasters warn it could soon become the strongest El Nino on record.

CNN Meteorologist, Derek Van Dam has details.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Our very strong El Nino has officially arrived, also known as a super El Nino in some of your closer friends' circles, not in official term. But it's good to separate the difference there.

What is El Nino? Remember, it's the warming of the waters across the equatorial Pacific. We know that El Nino was actually declared in June. But it's this breakneck speed at which it is strengthening. The water temperatures are rising well above average across that region and measuring that gives us an idea of how this might impact planetary extreme weather events.

We're talking droughts, floods, hurricane development across the central Pacific and throughout the Atlantic. More on that in just a second. Where are we now? We're right about there. We're at two degrees, which puts us into that very strong category according to NOAA. And when we compare that to the other record territory events, we're talking 1982, 1997, and 2015.

It is the speed at which we are seeing that current El Nino event skyrocketing. Now, we see into the future that this could be a record- breaking event. We're having a 75 percent, that is a three in four chance of seeing the strongest El Nino event on record.

So comparing side by side, this is this year's El Nino compared to previous record events. There's '97. There's 1982, 2015. What's different here is that, currently, we have several decades of climate change that is baked into the equation as well.

So what does El Nino do to the worldwide weather patterns? Well, it changes this air circulation, so much so that different parts of the world receive sinking air. Some parts of the world receive rising air. And that helps force different types of precipitation and temperatures.

Across the United States here into the winter when we see the peak of El Nino, we should see a warmer and wetter pattern across the southern tier of the U.S. But we're already seeing the fingerprints of our strong El Nino. Remember we've had three near misses of hurricanes near the Hawaiian Islands.

And then what about this into the Atlantic Basin? We have yet to see a hurricane officially form throughout this hurricane season. That is incredible. Every day we go forward, we are breaking a new record with that.

OK. So what about planetary impacts? Well, it's drying things out across Indonesia. We're seeing vast amounts of wildfire in the peatlands there. Here as we look forward into the winter months when we peak with El Nino, you could see the warm official forecast from the Climate Prediction Center, and of course, the very active weather pattern with our jet stream here located across the south. Back to you.

CHURCH: Thanks for that. Well, the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected President Trump's controversial plan to limit mail-in voting.

[02:35:00]

With the ruling coming just 50 days ahead of the midterm elections, a majority of the justices blocked the procedure that would have allowed the U.S. Postal Service to withhold potentially millions of mail ballots. CNN's Joan Biskupic has more details now from Washington.

JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN CHIEF SUPREME COURT ANALYST: The Supreme Court late Monday said President Donald Trump could not enforce his controversial plan to regulate mail-in ballots. State officials and the lower court judges who had blocked the plan earlier said it would cause chaos and disenfranchise millions of voters ahead of the November 3rd midterms.

The proposed regulations date to a March order signed by President Trump, who has long claimed fraud in mail-in voting. There is no evidence of that. The Postal Service rules were only finalized in August. The new regulations would have required states to give the Postal Service the names of eligible voters, and the Postal Service would deliver ballots only that were in special envelopes with tracking barcodes.

State and local officials had already begun mailing out ballots in some places. They warned that if the regulations went into effect, they would have to scrap those materials and then redesign and resubmit mail-in ballot envelopes to the Postal Service for approval.

So the regulations looked unworkable as well as likely unlawful. The Constitution gives states authority over elections. The justices' one- paragraph order was not signed. It said simply that the Trump administration was unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge to a lower court injunction that had blocked the plan. Only two justices dissented, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas.

In a statement by Alito, they asserted that the Postal Service has broad authority to regulate mail that would likely cover this situation. At one point, Alito referred to the state challenger's, quote, "Hail Mary pass," unquote, in the litigation. But the challenger's arguments, in fact, had won over the court majority.

Joan Biskupic, Washington.

CHURCH: A Department of Homeland Security report is detailing disturbing conditions found at Florida's Alligator Alcatraz. The report describes how some immigrants were held in small metal cages at the now shuttered detention facility from several minutes to nearly two hours.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has more details.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A new Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report reveals disturbing conditions at Alligator Alcatraz. That was a facility that was quickly erected in Florida last year and then closed in June of this year.

Now, this was a visit that the inspectors took in January, where they found cramped conditions among detainees, as well as lack of access to clean water, among other concerns. But perhaps most revealing was the small metal enclosures that they observed while on their visit. Those enclosures, according to facility staff, were used as, quote, "calming areas." They also said that some detainees chose to be in those enclosures.

Now, again, there were enclosures, according to this report, that were indoors, as well as at least two that were outdoors, according to the I.G. What was stunning, however, about this observation, they say, is that it is a practice unlike any they have seen before.

Now, quoting here from one part of the report, where they say the use of such restrictive spaces is highly unconventional and does not align with standards for humane treatment. Now, we asked the state of Florida about this report as well, because they, according the Department of Homeland Security, were charged with daily operations of the facility. And they said, quote, "The left wing media wants to focus on a confinement area for violent criminal aliens who have proven they cannot remain peaceful while awaiting deportation. While it adheres to all federal standards for criminal confinement, we'd make it even smaller if we could."

Now, I will note that it is the Inspector General that highlighted these small metal enclosures in its report and it also noted concerns about what standards Florida was complying with in holding ICE detainees and trying, and rather the inspectors trying to track down what exactly they were using to base the standards of living on in this Alligator Alcatraz facility. Now, again, this was a visit that took place in January of this year. The facility has since closed.

The Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, had said previously that the facility was only meant to be temporary, but these concerns add to those that had already been expressed by Democratic lawmakers, detainees, and family members about what detainees experienced while they were held at this facility.

Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, Washington.

[02:40:00]

CHURCH: And we have much more coming up here on "CNN Newsroom," including why Israel's prime minister is slamming a Gaza documentary that received a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. We'll take a look. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:00]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Fears of a renewed Israeli military campaign are mounting in Lebanon after a new wave of attacks. Lebanese officials say Israeli strikes killed at least 13 people, including six children and a medic in southern Lebanon.

The strikes on that town came without an online evacuation warning from the Israeli military. Monday's attack marked one of the deadliest days of Israeli bombardment in recent weeks, despite both countries signing a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement in June.

A documentary examining the Israeli military's alleged targeting of Palestinian civilians in Gaza is sparking political uproar in Israel. The film takes its title from the term for expected collateral casualties and is built around interviews with Israeli military officers. Here's what Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I've heard it and it's shocking. You know, we are fighting global anti- Semitic incitement and when it comes from within us, it is intolerable. Now, two Israeli directors portraying the idea as war criminals receive applause at the Venice festival.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: "NAZA" received a 25-minute standing ovation and won the Venice film festival's special jury prize, but the Israeli military chief is calling it an attack on the state of Israel.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond breaks down what's in the film.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's certainly not been well received here in Israel where they have faced a backlash of epic proportions from the general public, from a number of Israeli ministers. You referenced Israel's culture minister who called this action treasonous and called for their citizenship to be revoked.

It's important to look at why there is such a backlash here in Israel. Obviously, first of all, it doesn't make Israel look good because the central premise of this documentary is the notion that Israel tolerated, accepted, allowed for, whatever term you want to use, for the killing of large numbers of Palestinian civilians in Gaza in order to kill a much smaller number of Palestinian militants.

It goes after this notion of "NAZA" which is an Israeli military term used to talk about collateral damage, basically the number of civilians that would be killed in a given Israeli strike. I do have a short clip from the documentary to show you. This is one of the Israeli soldiers who testified, gave an interview anonymously to this film, describing the targeting system that they used and how they would determine the number of civilians that might be killed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This is the (inaudible).

This is a man of the neighborhood. I got a full map of every building in Gaza. I can click on a house and see how many people will be hurt when I bomb it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): You have this for all of Gaza, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yes. You see it like this, Apartment Six, Floor Five. Ahmed and his family will die. It shows how many kids he has, his wife. Some strikes killed 20, 30, over 300 people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: And that soldier is one of 24 Israeli soldiers who were interviewed as part of this film, all of them actively involved in the war in Gaza, many of them intelligence officers who were involved in these targeting decisions.

That same soldier describes another incident when he's asked what the maximum number of civilians was that was allowed to be killed in one of these strikes. He said that number was 500 civilians approved to be killed in a single strike that was targeting one Palestinian militant in the Gaza Strip.

Now, the Israeli military for its part has it categorically rejects these allegations, reiterating that it takes steps in Gaza to minimize harm to civilians. We've also just learned that the Israeli military's chief of staff held a meeting about it today, calling all of this deliberate distortions of reality, and he called for investigations into the film and any of the soldiers who may have spoken to the filmmakers as his course of action going forward.

CHURCH: Pro-Palestinian comments by rapper Macklemore have led to a concert controversy after he was dropped as an opening act from Ed Sheeran's cross-country stadium tour. Here's what Macklemore said on stage earlier this month.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MACKLEMORE, RAPPER: I wanted to stand up here on stages and stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart. Free Palestine.

[02:50:00]

I want those words to be loud and clear so the people from Gaza all the way to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten them.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Those comments came under criticism including from the Anti- Defamation League. Macklemore now says New England Patriots owner, Robert Kraft forcing Ed Sheeran to drop him saying, quote, "Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum, if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues."

Kraft confirmed he banned Macklemore from Gillette Stadium outside Boston over his Free Palestine comments. Kraft says Macklemore had a, quote, "broader history of anti-Semitic rhetoric" and added this, quote, "Too many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate."

All right, we turn now to Indonesia where rescuers are racing to find 129 people who went missing after a ferry capsized in the Java Sea killing at least six people. Officials plan to divers if weather conditions improve. Our Mike Valerio has more details.

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MIKE VALERIO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Upside down in the middle of the Java Sea, this is what rescuers found after an Indonesian ferry carrying more than 240 people overturned in rough seas. Search boats nearby looking for more than a hundred people missing.

FAISAL, SURVIVOR: After the ship listed, people panicked and ran to the upper deck. Eventually, the ship capsized, turning upside down, and there were 14 of us at that time.

VALERIO (voice-over): The ferry named the 'Virgo Transport 8' carried passengers and crew on an overnight trip from Surabaya to Banjarmasin when it hit bad weather, officials said.

VALERIO: The captain reported waves reaching three meters or nearly 10 feet high before sending a distress signal, saying that the ferry had started to tilt, then all contact was lost.

AHMAD SAUDI, SURVIVOR: The women staying in the economy class cabins likely did not survive as the ship tilted rapidly and there were no alarms or announcements.

VALERIO (voice-over): On shore, hundreds of families waiting for word.

PUTRI HERMAN, FAMILY OF MISSING PASSENGER: Our last contact was 5 p.m. in the afternoon yesterday. He was already at sea by then. He said the signal wasn't very good. It kept going down. Then after that, there was no more contact. We couldn't reach him. He said the weather was bad.

VALERIO (voice-over): More than a hundred people have survived. Now, rescuers are racing against time with Navy ships, helicopters and other boats searching the waters around the ferry. Mike Valerio, CNN.

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CHURCH: Coming up here on "CNN Newsroom," tears, karaoke and hotel stakeouts. How Celine Dion fans are reacting to the superstar's return to the stage following a six-year hiatus.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Celine Dion is having a moment. The Canadian superstar will be back on stage near Paris on Wednesday after kicking off her sold-out residency on Saturday.

CNN's Melissa Bell was at the initial show of the series, Dion's first full concert in six years, and has this report.

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MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Celine Dion fever has hit Paris hard. Ahead of the Canadian superstar's first concert in six years, a giant karaoke was organized over the weekend, full of the songs that the French know by heart.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For me, it's like it's all what Paris is about, just gathering people in open spaces and having a moment together, singing together.

BELL (voice-over): The hotel that will serve as Celine's base throughout her 26-concert residency has turned into a place of daily worship for her fans.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): It's not every day that we get to see Celine Dion up close like this, so this is amazing.

BELL (voice-over): With more than 200 million records sold, Celine Dion is the biggest-selling Canadian artist of all times and in the French-speaking world, an icon. But a rare neurological disorder had forced her to cancel her last tour.

BELL: Which is why her first performance here on Saturday night was so keenly awaited. I was lucky enough to be inside and the emotion was unbelievable. It was a performance full of energy with that tremendous voice of hers, but she could feel at the end of her first song, the emotion of the crowd and she then started crying, really struggling for a moment to regain her composure. And for that moment, there really wasn't a dry eye in the house.

BELL (voice-over): It's expected that overall, Celine fever could bring as much as $1 billion of revenue to the French economy. Nine million fans joined a lottery for access to tickets and all of her shows were sold out in a matter of hours. And for those fans who didn't get a ticket, there are still those daily hopes outside her hotel for a glimpse, a smile, and even a kiss from the star who has finally returned to them.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: She is amazing. Thank you so much for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. "CNN Newsroom" with Polo Sandoval is next, after a short break. Do stay with us.

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