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High-Stakes Democratic Debate Now Hours Away on CNN; Warren and Sanders to Face Off for the First Time Tonight; Trump Stokes Racial Divisions Ahead of CNN Debates; Democrats Could Detail Plans to Combat Climate Change; Americans Accused of Killing Italian Police Officer; U.S. Rapper on Trial in Sweden Says He Acted in Self-Defense; Hong Kong Protesters Surround Police Station; Hong Kong Reported Suicides Linked to Political Crisis; U.S. Democrats' Facial Reactions Speak Volumes. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired July 30, 2019 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00] LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST: The 2020 Democratic candidates set to face off in just a few hours, live in Detroit, Michigan, ahead of round one
of the CNN debates. What could be a game changing night for the U.S. Presidential race.
Also ahead, we're learning new details for investigators about the case against two American teenagers suspected of killing an Italian police
officer.
Hong Kong protesters test new tactics, targeting rush hour commuters on Tuesday morning.
Hello and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Lynda Kinkade, live from CNN world headquarters here in Atlanta. Good to have you with us.
Well we are just hours away now from what could be one of the most important nights in determining who will get the chance to take on Donald
Trump in 2020. CNN is hosting the second Democratic Presidential debate in Detroit, Michigan. And there are so many candidates that we have broken it
up into two rounds. With a field this crowded, it is critical to have a standout moment. And the stakes could not be higher as some contenders'
political survival could be on the line.
These ten candidates will take the stage tonight. The big matchup could be between Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, though others will be closely
watched as well, including Beto O'Rourke. We're going to talk about all of that and much more.
Our Athena Jones is at the debate venue and joins us now live. Athena, good to see you. I want you to first give us a sense of what we can expect
when it comes to Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Because this is the first time, we have seen them side by side on a debate stage and they're
friends, right?
ATHENA JONES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Lynda, they are friends. Both of them have made a point of saying that they're friends.
And Bernie Sanders recently was asked what should people expect of their matchup tonight. And he said intelligence. We know that neither one of
them is signaling that they want to go after the other in an aggressive fashion, but it's also important for them to explain to voters --
especially this liberal voting block that they are both appealing to -- why those voters should choose them, choose one candidate over the other.
I should mention that when it comes to Warren and Sanders, Warren has been steadily on the rise. Sanders has been going in the opposite direction,
including in the latest Quinnipiac poll, where we saw Elizabeth Warren second behind Joe Biden at about 15 percent of the vote. Sanders sinking
down to 11 percent. And so, it's going to be important for each of them to be able to distinguish themselves from each other. And we know that even
if they don't necessarily want to kind of have a negative or a clash, we know that the moderators are going to be looking to draw the distinctions,
to draw the contrast between them. And so, that's something we'll certainly be watching and they'll be in the center of the stage.
One more thing I should mention, Lynda, is that they're going to be flanked by moderates, Pete Buttigieg, Beto O'Rourke and a bunch of other moderates
on the stage. Folks who agree with some of the critics within the Democratic Party who are saying that the party is drifting too far to the
left. Those folks are going to want to argue that they have more pragmatic, more realistic, less costly policy proposals that won't scare
people when it comes to being too liberal. So those are things we're looking for tonight.
KINKADE: And of course, let's talk about where you are. You're in Detroit, Michigan. We're seeing a lot of gentrification going on in that
city. I was there just a few weeks ago. But this particular state is crucial when it comes to politics and what happened in 2016. Talk to us
about that.
JONES: Absolutely. This is one of the states that was supposed to be part of the blue wall that was going to make sure that Hillary Clinton won the
White House. Of course, that did not happen. President Trump won this state by around 10,000 votes. That is not a lot of votes. We're talking
about less than half a percentage point. So it was very, very close here. And Democrats -- but one of the reasons the Democratic National Committee
chose Detroit to have this debate is because of the centrality of Michigan to this next race.
We know that the state is a rust belt state. They have issues with manufacturing. We know that General Motors is planning to close a plant in
Warren, Michigan near here. So that's sort of heading in the wrong direction in terms of manufacturing. But Democrats are going to want to
focus on Michigan and on the kinds of voters that voted perhaps twice for President Obama and then switched to Trump. And so, we're likely to hear
them stress economic issues, kitchen table issues, healthcare. They want to make sure they don't just talk about things like "Medicare for All", but
also talk about the kinds of things that are keeping folks awake at night.
And we've heard from Democrats, you know, operatives, folks like Rahm Emanuel. He was President Obama's first chief of staff, longtime
Democratic operative. And he's kind of put out a warning to the Democratic field.
[11:05:00] Saying we don't want to see what we saw in Miami where there were a lot of policies that were pretty on the extreme left. The kind of
things that can scare people. Don't talk so much about taking away people's private health insurance. Talk about what voters in Green Bay,
Wisconsin or Grand Rapids, Michigan want to hear about. The concerns they have, have more to do with their bottom line, paying for their health care,
that sort of thing -- Lynda.
KINKADE: Athena Jones, in Detroit Michigan staying across it all for us. Thank you so much. We'll speak to you soon.
We're going to stay on this story. Because I want to talk about what to watch for tonight. We are joined by CNN's senior political analyst, David
Gergen, a former adviser to four U.S. Presidents, and CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers. Good to have you with us, gentlemen. I really
appreciate your time today. I'm going to start first with you, David Gergen. Because we have heard over though last few days President Trump
appearing to go on his strategy of divide and polarize, especially when it comes to racism. Who do you think could tackle that best tonight?
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I'm sorry, I am having a hard time with the line, I couldn't understand your question. Perhaps you could
talk to Bakari while we get it straightened out.
KINKADE: Absolutely, David, will work that out for you. Did you hear me, Bakari?
BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, sure. So I think that, you know, tonight what you're going to have is a stage that lacks the
diversity of Wednesday night. But each candidate from Pete Buttigieg to Beto O'Rourke are going to have to tackle these issues. I expect them all
to do it well, but you're going to have a variety of opinions. You're going to have a wide swathe of individuals who will have to deal with this
looming issue.
Because Donald Trump is not attempting to lift anyone up. He is not thinking that unification is a strategy to win this election. Instead,
he's trying to be as divisive as possible. And so, all of the candidates are going to have to lay forth a vision of what they want the country to
be. And I think that they're going to have to put forth a message of unification, whereas Donald Trump wants to divide the country.
KINKADE: We have a poll out that is a Fox News poll. They didn't really cover much to do with the results of this poll, but we have the results,
and it found that almost 60 percent of people who were asked whether the President respects minorities said that he does not. Almost 60 percent
says he doesn't respect racial minorities. And when you look at the answers from nonwhites, that jumped up to almost 73 percent. Who do you
think -- I want to go to David on this question now. Who do you think is going to handle that best when it comes to taking on Trump, and do you
think from the President's perspective, is this his way to distract from the real issues?
SELLERS: She was asking, is this going to distract from issues and who do you think is going to handle his racial tone the best?
GERGEN: I do think once again Donald Trump is trying to be a disrupter in the Democratic Party process. He wants to call attention to himself. But
he's also trying to drive the conversation on the stage and have the Democrats less able to deal with issues of the future. Whether it be
health care or you know, whether we see problems at our borders and that sort of thing. You know, so I think this is a bit of mischief on his part.
He seems to be inevitably drawn to it.
But I don't think if you look at it -- Bakari may have a sense of this as well -- if you look at it this is not working for Trump. You know, Joe
Biden has actually strengthened his lead over Trump in recent days, despite Biden's stumbling in the first debates. He's opened up at least a ten-
point lead over Trump in the national polls. And state by state it is looking better for Biden. Places like Michigan where we are now, and a
critical state, it's looking better for Biden.
So you know, these appeals to racism while they work with some parts of the base, there is evidence that some women who otherwise would support Trump
because of the economy, some women are peeling away because they're so horrified by this racist division and polarization.
KINKADE: You made an interesting point about Joe Biden. Because he didn't do well at the last debate. And it led many to question whether it's his
time to move on. And I want to direct this question to Bakari. If you can talk to us about this divide, this generational divide, between -- even
tonight, we'll see Elizabeth Warren, a Harvard professor against a millennial, the likes of Buttigieg, a Harvard student. How do you think
that age gap is going to play out?
SELLERS: Well I don't think that the candidates explicitly will make a comment about race, not explicitly. But what they will do is try to get
those images of a Bernie Sanders in a split screen with a Pete Buttigieg or a Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren in a split screen with Beto O'Rourke.
[11:10:05] Those are some of the things that you will see tonight. And it's a very interesting topic that you raise when you're having a
discussion about age. "The New York Times" and Jonathan Martin just wrote a piece about it. But there is a bit of context that a lot of Americans
and a lot of viewers around the world just saw Bob Mueller's performance this week. Bob Mueller is 74 years old. Two years younger than Joe Biden,
and Bob Mueller looked as if he was 74 years old. And so, Joe Biden has to be very cautious but very crisp as well. And so will Bernie Sanders and
Elizabeth Warren.
I think that this is more philosophical within the party than generational. But I do think all of 20 or 30 or 40 people who are running for President -
- I had lost count -- have to do a good job of energizing the base which includes young people.
GERGEN: Yes, let me add to that. It does seem to me that this is a big, big debate for Joe Biden. He is probably the central player in the next
two nights. Because if he has another stumbling night as he did, if he's as hesitant as the first debate, as unfocused as he was, he was slow on the
up take, that could be very, very damaging for him. On the other hand, if he bounces back tonight, if he's crisp as Bakari says. If he gets to the
point and is responding well to their questions, he can erase a lot of the bad feelings that came out of the first debate.
We saw that back a long time ago when President Reagan was running for re- election and was not quite into his 70s. He had a first debate with Democratic opponent Walter Mondale, stumbled, looked like he was out of it.
Immediately there were big questions about is he getting senile. Is he too old to stay in office. And he came back out in the second debate, said I
was overstuffed with facts that first time. But more importantly he used humor to deflate the concerns. And he was very effective at it. Mondale,
as soon as he heard the joke that Reagan said, he knew it was over right then.
KINKADE: Absolutely. These debates over the next two nights certainly will weed out the weak. Half them won't make it to the next round in
September. David Gergen and Bakari Sellers, so good to have you. Apologies for the technical problems, but thanks for your time.
SELLERS: It's live TV. Thank you so much.
GERGEN: Thank you.
KINKADE: It is indeed.
Well many Democratic candidates have made climate change one of the key issues of their campaigns. But what exactly are their plans for combatting
it? CNN's Bill Weir takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL WEIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Every leading Democrat for president agrees --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a simple question, what is the biggest threat to - - what is -- who is the geopolitical threat to the United States?
WEIR: To save life as we know it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Senator Warren?
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Climate change.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
Senator Booker?
SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Nuclear proliferation and climate change.
WEIR: America must join her allies to fight World War C.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, first of all, I don't even call it climate change, it's a climate crisis.
WEIR: All of them say the U.S. should rejoin the Paris Accords, but few have detailed exactly how they would stop humanity from cooking itself on
fossil fuel. Less than half the field has put out a comprehensive climate plan and most of those are thin. But the first came from Beto O'Rourke.
BETO O'ROURKE (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are announcing the most ambitious climate plan in the history of the United States.
WEIR: To run against Ted Cruz for Senate last year, he took individual donations from oil and gas executive, but he swore off their money this
time and now vows to spend $5 trillion to get America off of oil and gas. He favors essentially outlawing carbon pollution by 2050, while others like
Kirsten Gillibrand prefer a carbon tax. She'd have polluters pay a stiff $52 for each ton burned and would use the money on a national energy
transition.
SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We want to use innovation, entrepreneurialism and new technologies for wind, solar,
geothermal, hydropower, biofuels.
WEIR: But Pete Buttigieg and John Delany would pass carbon tax money directly to you.
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The greatest challenges we face in the future will be over technology, intellectual property, clean energy, a
warming planet.
WEIR: Joe Biden caught grief from climate hawks for floating a middle ground approach. And while his $1.7 trillion plan is vague, he has Obama's
green legacy to run on.
Elizabeth Warren is in for $2 trillion and wants to start the fight by forcing corporations to report exactly how much damage they're doing to the
planet and then use that data to keep lobbyists and lawmakers honest.
WARREN: It's 25 years of corruption in Washington that we're paying for now.
WEIR: Cory Booker is a rare fan of nuclear energy. And like fellow Senator Kamala Harris often emphasizes environmental justice for those poor
communities already being hit the hardest.
[11:15:00] But the most detailed plan by far comes from Jay Inslee.
GOV. JAY INSLEE (D-WA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Other candidates might put it on their to-do list, but that just does not cut it.
WEIR: The Washington governor would spend $9 trillion, create a GI bill for displaced miners and frackers, and force every new car to be 100
percent zero emission by 2030. To him, everything on the president's desk, from the economy, to health, to national defense, is a climate issue.
INSLEE: We can't, you know, tell China to solve the problem if we refuse to. We need to inspire them to act, and the rest of the world, and not
give them an excuse for inaction.
WEIR: Bernie Sanders has yet to release a detailed climate plan, surprising given his decades old passion for the topic. He is a leading
proponent of the "Green New Deal," also a plan big on ambition, short on specifics.
But the young activists behind this call to arms are short on patience. The Sunrise Movement wants America off oil and gas 15 years faster than
Beto or Inslee and the rest.
For this generation, it's great that the grown-ups on the stage are finally talking about their planet. But if the threat is as bad as they say, the
ideas and urgency are just too little too late.
Bill Weir, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well don't miss the debates. They will be live on CNN. Coverage beginning at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time in the United States. You can see
encore presentations at 7:00 a.m. London time, 2:00 p.m. in Hong Kong Wednesday and Thursday. That's only on CNN.
Still to come here at CONNECT THE WORLD. Italy, mourning a slain police officer. Officials reveal new details about the Americans charged with his
killing.
And an assault case that's gotten worldwide attention gets under way in Sweden. The prosecutors vowing to use the defendant's phone messages
against him. We have that story when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: You're watching CNN and this is CONNECT THE WORLD. I am Lynda Kinkade. Welcome back.
Italian prosecutors are revealing disturbance new details in the killing of a police officer in Rome. Officials say the knife seen here was brought
into Italy from the United States. It was used to stab officer Mario Rega 11 times Friday morning after he returned to duty from his honeymoon. The
35-year-old was not carrying his weapon at the time.
Two teenage American tourists have been charged with the crime. Police say officers were investigating the teens after they stole a backpack during a
botched drug deal.
[11:20:02] Well the new CCTV footage, you can see the teens running with that bag. One of the teenagers said he didn't realize Rega was a police
officer and that the stabbing was in self-defense. Well the funeral for the slain officer was Monday, in the same church where he'd been recently
married. CNN's Isa Soares has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This church in the small town of Somma Vesuviana, filled with tears and grief as mourners
pay tribute to officer Mario Cerciello Rega of the carabinieri, Italy's police force.
He was stabbed to death Friday in Rome while trying to arrest two American teenagers, allegedly after a botched drug deal. Police murders are rare in
Italy, and on the official website, Italy's carabinieri told this tragedy by the numbers. Rega had just turned 35. He had been married for 43 days
and was stabbed 11 times for 100 euros and small quantity of drugs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): He was a person that was always, always, always available. Everyone could count on him. Everyone in the
neighborhood knew that they could count on him. He would never try to cut corners. He was very altruistic.
SOARES: Prosecutors have identified the two suspects as 18-year-old, Gabriel Christian Natale-Hjorth and a 19-year-old, Finnegan Lee Elder.
Both from San Francisco.
Court documents allege that both men admit to being involved in the scuffle but have given conflicting accounts. Elder has allegedly admitted to the
killing. They were arrested at this hotel where they were staying. The investigation has taken a turn. As officials are also trying to determine
why one of the suspects was blindfolded and who leaked this photo to the press. The court appointed lawyer for Elder refused to comment in detail
about his client.
FRANCESCO CODINI, LAWYER FOR ELDER (through translator): He exercised his right not to answer questions obviously. Upset surely. But let me say
that given the circumstances, it does not seem appropriate to continue with the interview because a policeman died and therefore out of respect,
especially for his family, I would end the interview here.
SOARES: Authorities say the tragedy started when the two Americans attempted to buy drugs. After realizing they were duped and sold crushed
aspirin, the two looked for the dealer and allegedly stole his backpack who then called police. Rega who had just returned to duty from his honeymoon,
arrived with his partner. A scuffle ensued, and Rega was stabbed repeatedly. Authorities also say he was stabbed with a
seven-inch knife that Elder had brought from the United States.
Anger over the crime has turned to sorrow, striking a raw nerve for many. Italy's interior minister, Matteo Salvini, honors Rega, remembering him as
a hero, a boy with all his life ahead. He said the two will face justice and if convicted should get a life sentence.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Such a tragedy for that young police officer. Our Isa Soares joins us now. And you're following the investigation, Isa, and we're
learning more about the timeline and also about this military knife that was brought into Italy by one of the teenage boys.
SOARES: Yes, and we've seen today -- we heard from the prosecutor, and we have seen the knife. It is a seven-inch knife, almost like a military
style knife. You can see it there. According to one of the boys, he said he brought it from the United States. He had been traveling through
Europe. Now Elder was the one who confessed to killing the police officer, the carabinieri. He confessed, because he said he was doing it in self-
defense. But he said that he used the knife in self-defense.
And this knife we know from the prosecutors today, Lynda, was hidden in the hotel room behind a tile -- under a ceiling tile. This is what we heard
from prosecutors today. Prosecutors also saying that they tied the two boys to CCTV as they were running to the hotel. So now saying they have
more than enough proof that shows they were the ones involved in the crime. But, Lynda, I have to say, lots of questions still remained unanswered.
Very confusing pictures and some of the images that we have seen that the Italian media have been showing them running with rucksack, the stolen
rucksack. But lots of confusing images and details we're getting.
One question remains is, the police officer that was killed 11 times, why didn't he have a gun? We know from prosecutors that he was just coming to
the end of his duty, the end of his day. It was almost ending. But why didn't he have a gun? And also, we've heard from the two Americans who've
actually said that when approached by the carabinieri, by the police officer, they did not know they were police officers.
[11:25:05] So lots of conflicting tales we're hearing. Finally, we are also hearing from Italian police that now the two boys are turning on each
other -- Lynda.
KINKADE: All right, Isa Soares there. Certainly a lot of questions still to be answered there and conflicting reports. Good to have you on the
case. Thank you.
Well, the trial of rapper ASAP Rocky got under way with a not guilty plea today in Sweden, the case of course garnering international attention with
U.S. President Trump voicing support for the rap star. ASAP Rocky is accused of assault in a June street brawl. Prosecutors opened their case
saying text messages from the rapper's entourage and videos of the attack will help prove him guilty. Our Nina dos Santos is following the trial and
joins us now. Nina, firstly, take us through the messages that they are going to use in this case and what happened today?
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Basically a lot of this hinges upon video evidence and there are many, many, many clips here. Some clips that
were taken and emerged online of the rapper ASAP Rocky as well. But also there was a series of text message exchanges between friends of ASAP
Rocky's entourage who were with him at the time too who stand accused of similar charge of assault, serious assault. Those text messages according
to the prosecutor appeared to make reference to the fact some video material may well have been edited.
And so these are the lines of discussion we're hearing between the prosecution and defense. They've also submitted CCTV imagery coming from
one of the restaurants nearby where you can see ASAP Rocky's security guard, his bodyguard entering into the altercation with this individual who
claims he was the victim of the alleged assault. Let's just remind viewers what happened. It was June 30th when ASAP Rocky whose real name is Rocky
Mayers, 30-year-old famous rapper, and two members of the entourage, one of whom was his security guard, claimed they were set upon by this 19-year-old
Afghan, Mustafa Jafari, who had recently moved to Sweden.
ASAP Rocky's defense team have said that yes, he did attack this individual and throw him across the street, but he was only doing so in self-defense
because they claim his security guard had already had an altercation with this 19-year-old and been left bloodied and bruised as a result, and
Mayers, ASAP Rocky apparently believed they were going to be attacked again. ASAP Rocky's mother was also in court, she addressed the media when
she was going in, saying this has become a nightmare.
One of the interesting things that I want to point out is that Donald Trump apparently sent his own U.S. hostage negotiator who was present in court to
try to get these individuals back. We know over the last three, four weeks that Donald Trump has made representations on their behalf to the Prime
Minister of Sweden who has promised not to intervene in Swedish justice -- Lynda.
KINKADE: Yes, it is interesting to see the U.S. President taking such an interest in this case. Nina dos Santos, thanks so much.
Well, still here at CONNECT THE WORLD, Hong Kong protesters targeting rush hour commuters leaving many of them with nowhere to go. That story after
the break.
[11:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: You're watching CNN. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Welcome back.
In Hong Kong, tensions are ramping up once again on the same day that hundreds of protesters disrupted the city's peak hour commute. Right now,
protesters are surrounding a police station where dozens were arrested on Sunday during the violent clashes, 44 have been people charged with
rioting. Meanwhile huge crowds clogged underground demonstrations as demonstrators blocked carriage doors to stop trains from leaving earlier in
the day. Two subway lines had to be suspended, while others were delayed. Anti-government activists accuse the city's transportation system of
colluding with police to suppress the protest movement.
Well, the protests are taking a toll on the mental health of some people in Hong Kong. Crisis hot lines report increase in calls and some suspected
suicides have been linked to protests. Our Anna Coren met a woman mourning her best friend and urging anyone who is troubled to seek help.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the peacefulness of a park, a sanctuary from bustling Hong Kong, Yong Pui-tung
sits on a bench looking through mementos.
(on camera): What a beautiful photo.
YONG PUI-TUNG, LOST FRIEND TO SUICIE: Happy, her boyfriend. Smiled a lot.
COREN (voice-over): She's referring to Mak, her best friend of 15 years whose identity we're concealing to protect privacy of her family.
(on camera): And she made that for you?
PUI-TUNG: Yes, she made it. She was very artistic. She also made this necklace. I also put this on during the memorial.
COREN (voice-over): Twenty-eight-year-old Mak took her life earlier this month. It's the fourth suspected suicide that local media has linked to
the Hong Kong protests against the government's controversial extradition bill. Yong says her best friend was extremely upset about what was
happening in her city, and like so many others was on the streets protesting. She didn't notice any changes in her friend's behavior. Mak's
sunny demeanor a constant in their daily conversations.
Mak sent a message to Yong after the 1st of July protests. That would be their last contact. Two days later, Mak took her own life.
PUI-TUNG: She's a person who is afraid of pain, so it's even more difficult for me to imagine.
COREN: On her bed, Mak left several notes, one calling for a revolution in Hong Kong, another was addressed to Yong.
PUI-TUNG: And it feels much better, every time when I talk to you, sorry, I can't listen and I can't record any voice message anymore.
COREN (on camera): Yes.
PUI-TUNG: That's her final words for me.
COREN: Thousands turned out for Mak's memorial, the photos she had taken during the protest on display for all to see. Some people here knew Mak.
Many didn't. But collectively they are all grieving. They have come to this memorial tonight to honor her memory, and desperately hope that her
death will be the last.
(voice-over): It's a concern shared by health professionals. Since the protest intensified in June, one social welfare organization says they've
seen a dramatic rise in the number of calls to their crisis intervention hot line.
CLARENCE TSANG CHIN-KWOK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SAMARITAN BEFRIENDERS HONG KONG: For young people, most of them are feeling hopeless. They said that
there were no way out, they didn't see the future.
COREN: After the high-profile death of the first suspected suicide victim, a 35-year-old man, both sides have sounded the alarm. One pro-democracy
lawmaker who has become a hero of the protest movement is pleading for people not to take their lives. He ran to the scene when the first
protester died and doesn't want this to happen again.
[11:35:00] ROY KWONG, HONG KONG PRO-DEMOCRACY LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR (through translator): We don't want this to be contagious. We must
protect them. We don't want to lose any more family members.
COREN: The acute fear is the risk of copycat acts. The government, health experts and volunteers have mobilized, offering support through help lines
and forums. Psychologists say suicides can have several triggers. And warn against glorifying those who have died. They have this advice for
people worried about family or friends.
IP KIM-CHING, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Talk to them. Try to listen what they're worried about and try to comfort them. And if real serious, they
should bring them to console some professional.
COREN: For Yong, who is suffering, she is appealing for everyone to look out for one another.
PUI-TUNG: We should all talk more to our friends. We really need every single one's strength, yes, to fight.
COREN: Walking around this local neighborhood taking photos was something Yong and Mak enjoyed doing together. For now, she navigates these streets
without the friend she calls her soulmate.
PUI-TUNG: I don't think it's possible to find somebody to replace her, that's never possible, that's never going to happen. So how to face that
emptiness in my heart, I think it will be a lifelong lesson for me.
COREN: Anna Coren, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: If you or anyone you know is being impacted by the issues raised in this report, the International Association for Suicide Prevention as
well as Befrienders Worldwide can provide contact information for crisis centers around the world.
Let's get you up to speed on some other stories we are following on our radar right now, 57 inmates killed during a brutal prison riot in Brazil.
Officials say 16 inmates were decapitated. Most of the others died from smoke inhalation when part of the prison caught on fire. The riot
reportedly started when one group of prisoners stormed an area controlled by a rival faction.
Four children are among the 14 people killed in a strike on a market in northern Yemen, 26 people were also wounded. All the victims are said to
be civilians. Both sides in Yemen's civil war blame the other for the attack.
Donald Trump's Senior Adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner is on a tour of the Middle East this week. His following up on a conference in Bahrain
last month that economic pushed incentives for Palestinians as part the U.S. peace plan. His stops will include Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and
the UAE.
Coming up, you've heard of speed skating, speed eating and probably speed dating. But how about speed planting? One country putting in nearly
10,000 new trees a second for 12 hours straight. We're going to show you where next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. The Democrats hoping to win back the White House in 2020 are getting ready to face off in a second round of debates. Among
other things, they'll have to face the facts, the music, and the critics.
[11:40:00] And as Jeanne Moos explains their facial expressions will be critical.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sometimes the faces debate candidates make are debatable, and who better to dissect them
than the guy who wrote the book -- actually several books on facial decoding. Dan Hill has some advice for the Dems based on their previous
performance, what not to do.
DAN HILL, FACIAL DECODING EXPERT (via Skype): Glare and stare, be full of grimaces. You have to come across as someone who's going to occupy the
White House, not burn the place down.
MOOS: He points the finger at Bernie Sanders. Oh, yes, you, Bernie.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Nothing will change.
MOOS (on camera): President George W. Bush once looked so cranky during a debate that the Democrats turned it into a negative ad. Called it faces of
frustration.
(voice-over): OK, not too annoyed but not too smiley either.
HILL: The biggest thing you shouldn't do is big cheesy grins just like this.
MOOS: It may look like pleasant smiling to us.
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Immigrants, they do not diminish America, they are America.
MOOS: But Hill says it took away from Amy Klobuchar's gravitas who compared it to Walter Mondale, smiling too much when Reagan joked about not
exploiting --
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- my opponent's youth and inexperience.
MOOS: Joe Biden has plenty of experience, but our facial decoder cited hesitation.
HILL: During hesitation, the mouth would fall open a little bit.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You did not raise your hand. Did you raise your hand?
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, I did.
MOOS: Kamala Harris got props for unusual use of sadness.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And that little girl was me.
HILL: You really can't attack someone who is showing sadness, you're going to look like a heel. So Biden had no place to go emotionally.
MOOS: Then there was that face not physically present on the Democratic debate stage, but ever present. Our facial expert says it is not so much
the funny faces President Trump makes but his signature expression. Chin pushed up, a sign of disgust and sadness.
HILL: Donald Trump shows the largest percentage of sadness of any President we ever had.
MOOS: So sad it makes you want to rub your eyes and blink -- Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: No smiling. We'll be watching those faces closely, the debates will be live on CNN. Coverage beginning 8:00 p.m. Eastern time in the
United States. But you can see encore presentations at 7:00 a.m. London time, 2:00 p.m. in Hong Kong, Wednesday and Thursday right here on CNN.
PARTING SHOTS tonight. At times, the challenge of dealing with climate change can feel overwhelming. That Ethiopia is striking it at its roots
quite literally. In just 12 hours, more than 350 million trees were planted as part of a reforestation campaign led by the country's Prime
Minister. Millions of Ethiopians from across the country came together, took part in the initiative in an effort to combat climate change. And
they're not stopping there. The country hopes to plant a total of 4 billion trees during the rainy season. Absolutely remarkable. Great
effort there.
I'm Lynda Kinkade. That was CONNECT THE WORLD. Thanks so much for joining us. WORLD SPORT with Alex Thomas is up next. Don't go anywhere.
[11:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)
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