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Connect the World
Harris, Trump Trade Accusations In Last Week Of Race; Backlash Over Puerto Rico Joke In Important Swing State; Health Ministry: Northern Gaza Airstrike Kills At Least 93; Authorities Identify Suspect Vehicle Tied To Ballot Box Fires; Bezos Defends Washington Post Not Endorsing A Candidate; North Korean Soldiers Being Taught Basic Russian; Israel Bans U.N. Agency Delivering Aid To Palestinians. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired October 29, 2024 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:01]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: That's absolutely right. Look, there's a real balancing act for sort of the global business elite, if you
want to call them that, and policy leaders in 2024. How to navigate what are unsettling times in terms of geopolitics and economics, with what are,
I would argue, these unprecedented times in terms of rapid technological advancements which are transforming industries, disrupting our old ways of
doing things and driving a new era of innovation.
And many of the discussions that I've had here in Riyadh are very focused on how these business leaders, these global titans from the financial
world, navigate these uncertain times and the U.S. election and wars both here and in Europe, here being the wider Middle East and in Europe, very
much at the heart of that.
Lots of talk about how things look very different, Erica, from what, two years ago when we were living in a very high inflation environment. That's
come down. Two years ago was the beginning of the Russian war on Ukraine and only a year ago, of course, we saw the beginning of the conflict. So
some of the picture is slightly better with regard inflation and interest rates. Some of it's still very, very complicated with regard to these
conflicts.
But at the heart of many of these discussions, as I say, is the forthcoming U.S. election. What kind of U.S. economic policy and political sort of
dynamics are we likely to see post this election and going forward? And that really is certainly at the forefront of so many people's conversations
here in Riyadh.
Erica?
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Absolutely, as we're waiting to see, because it is such a stark difference when you look at the two candidates here in the
U.S. in terms of their view and where they see America's place in the world and where they see America engaging with allies and others, of course. So
we are all waiting globally at this point as we are in this final week until Election Day.
Becky, we'll continue to check in with you throughout the hour.
Speaking of the election here in the U.S., Kamala Harris preparing to deliver what her team has called her closing argument to voters today. It
is looked at as what could be in many ways the most important speech of her campaign in this final week.
She is set to speak at the Ellipse in Washington later today. That is the same park where Donald Trump addressed his supporters on January 6th, 2021,
just before the insurrection, the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Harris' advisers say her goal here is to drive home the point that a
victory for her would turn the page on which she sees as Trump's divisiveness. Harris herself previewing a bit of that message just a short
time ago in a radio interview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS (D), U.S. VICE PRESIDENT & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: There is going to be a new president on January 20th of next year, and it's
either going to be Donald Trump or it's going to be me. And I would ask people to imagine the Oval Office. People have seen it on TV. You know what
it looks like. It's either going to be Donald Trump sitting behind that desk writing out his enemies list of who he's going to seek revenge and
retribution on, or it's going to be me working on behalf of the American people, as I always have done, working on my to-do list to see through
these policies that are about homeownership, lifting up our small businesses, lifting up families with children, and lifting up the discourse
in a way that it is not about trashing people all the time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: And joining me now to discuss, CNN Senior Politics Reporter Stephen Collinson and CNN Senior White House Reporter Kevin Liptak.
That -- that phrasing, that framing, I should say, certainly becoming a well-heard refrain for the Vice President in these final days, comparing
what she says would be the -- you know, the list of grievances and enemies versus her to-do list.
Kevin, when we look at this speech later today, the National Park Service just saying that they actually increased the permit number for 20,000 to
40,000 people, the police chief in Washington saying they expect perhaps as many as 50,000 people. They want to see those numbers, right? But they also
really want to set up, Kevin, a split screen in many ways.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, very much. And I was just down on the Ellipse, Erica, and I can tell you, security is very
tight, so they are expecting an enormous crowd, one of a size that we probably haven't seen in that space since Donald Trump spoke there almost
four years ago on January 6th.
And I think when we all heard that she would be speaking from the Ellipse in this closing argument speech, we got the sense that this was going to be
a speech focused on democracy, focused on Trump's threat to the republic. What we're hearing from advisors is that, that is not necessarily going to
be the centerpiece of the speech. The words that they're using to describe this address are hopeful, optimistic, not necessarily the themes that you
think of when you're trying to draw a contrast with someone you have openly called a fascist. And I think that does speak to the balance that they're
trying to strike in this closing week of the campaign.
[10:05:22]
Certainly, they want to draw attention to the contrast, that contrast that you were talking about with Becky, between a leader like Donald Trump, who
brought chaos to the White House, who brought chaos to foreign policy, who brought chaos to certain types of domestic policy, and what she says would
be a more steady hand on the wheel. And that is the other reason, I think, that they chose the Ellipse.
You can see the White House in the background. It's only about 500 yards between where she'll be speaking and the Oval Office. And they very much
want voters to be able to visualize what kind of president she would be. And so, to that effect, she will be talking about the economy, some of her
plans for the economy, about reproductive rights, about all of these issues that they believe that voters care very much about in the lead-up to the
election. And the goal is very much to convince what they call these conflicted voters that she's the candidate for them.
These are voters who might not necessarily like what they've been hearing from Donald Trump over the last several weeks, but aren't necessarily sold
on Kamala Harris, who want to know more about her plans, who want to know more just about who she is and what kind of president she would be. They
really do view this as one of the final moments to make that argument to those voters in those seven battleground states before Election Day.
HILL: And as we wait to see, you know, exactly what is part of that speech, who shows up, there's also -- we're also waiting on the former president,
who is set to address reporters in just about a half an hour. And there is a lot of pushback -- a live look there at Mar-a-Lago. There's a lot of
pushback, of course, on the comments that were made ahead of his speech on Sunday night at this big rally at Madison Square Garden.
And as we -- as we look at that, is there a sense yet of just how much the fallout from those comments, specifically the comments about Puerto Rico
being a floating island of garbage made by a so-called comedian at the start of that rally. Do we have a sense yet of just what the fallout has
been in the last couple of days from those comments?
LIPTAK: Well, I think, you know, when you talk to the Harris advisers, they have been very intent on trying to highlight those comments, particularly
among the Puerto Rican community in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. They've been trying to get the video of those remarks in front of those
voters. I think it's probably too early to tell whether or not it has swayed any votes in particular among the Latino community.
I think probably the better question is whether it has convinced voters who are otherwise going to sit out this election, who didn't necessarily feel
like they had a stake in this contest, to actually register and to go to the voting stations and to actually cast their vote for Kamala Harris. And
certainly the hope among Harris advisers is that this would move the needle.
And certainly this speech that Kamala Harris is delivering tonight, it's been in the works for weeks. They didn't time it around the former
president's remarks at Madison Square Garden, but her advisers really do view that speech that he gave as the perfect counterpoint to what she will
be speaking about tonight. And I don't think it would be a surprise if she necessarily raised those comments, at least obscurely in that speech that
she's trying to make as she tries to drive home this question of contrast with her and the former president.
HILL: And there is this, you know, Stephen Collinson bringing you in on the conversation here. As you noted, and I'm going to quote you here, I think I
have your piece in front of me, talking about this, how extreme this closing argument in many ways was from Donald Trump on Sunday night.
The fact that we are still talking about these comments from one of his opening acts, essentially, on Sunday night, the campaign quickly distanced
itself, saying that those comments about Puerto Rico don't reflect, I'm paraphrasing here right, but do not reflect the feelings of either the
candidate or the campaign.
But you still have a number of people, including the archbishop of San Juan saying, we need more. We need a personal apology from Donald Trump himself.
There is a push from the head of the Republican Party in Puerto Rico, right, for a little bit more here. Is there a sense that there will be more
of a commentary, more of an apology from Donald Trump for those comments, which really did strike a nerve across the board?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICAL SENIOR REPORTER: I can't remember the last time that Donald Trump apologized for anything. He certainly has a history
of disavowing people who cause him political headaches. So I guess that's a possibility. But what the campaign has effectively done here is commit the
cardinal sin of any presidential campaign in the final days.
And that is to hand the opposition something that they can use to drive the conversation that highlights the perceived strength of Harris, who is
offering calmer, more traditional leadership and plays up the things that Harris would like to criticize about Trump, about the chaos that swirls
around him. All the people who he brings with him in the wider, great, make America great again orbit.
[10:10:27]
So they have a political problem in their hands. And in some ways, even apologizing for it would prolong the story by a couple of days. Trump
actually, very interestingly, will be, and this was prearranged, holding a rally tonight in Allentown, Pennsylvania, which has a huge concentration of
Puerto Rican voters.
You know, the election in Pennsylvania is probably going to be decided by tens of thousands of votes in a massively important swing state. This could
do him real damage if those voters decide that what happened to that rally is representative of Trump's project as a whole. And you have to say that
during his presidency and during hurricane relief, he didn't do a great deal for Puerto Rico either. So this is fertile ground for the Democrats.
HILL: Yeah, it's tough to forget the throwing of the paper towels. Stephen and Kevin, appreciate it. Thank you both.
Of course, as you see those live pictures from Mar-a-Lago on your screen, we are waiting for that moment to begin with the former president. So we'll
bring that to you as it happens. But thank you both.
In the meantime, as the fallout continues here and the cleanup or non- cleanup, interesting to note some of the comments from Donald Trump's running mate, Republican vice presidential candidate, Senator J.D. Vance,
was asked about those controversial comments made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe on Sunday night when he did refer to Puerto Rico as a, quote,
"floating island of garbage." And here is how he reacted when asked about those comments. These are comments he made to supporters in Wisconsin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE (R-OH) VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I haven't seen the joke. You know, maybe -- maybe it's a stupid racist joke, as you said. Maybe it's
not. I haven't seen it. I'm not going to comment on the specifics of the joke. But I think that we have to stop getting so offended at every little
thing in the United States of America. I'm just -- I'm so over it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Tough to believe if you're part of the campaign, you hadn't seen those comments.
Meantime, here's CNN's Danny Freeman joining us from the swing state of Pennsylvania with further reaction to those comments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Vice President Harris's campaign wasted little time Monday morning.
EDDIE MORAN, READING, PENNSYLVANIA MAYOR: They did us a favor. They woke up. They woke up. They woke us up. They woke us up.
FREEMAN: Assembling a host of Puerto Rican surrogates in Philadelphia.
QUETCY LOZADA, PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL MEMBER: I hope that people are as angry and they turn that anger into -- into vote.
FREEMAN: Pennsylvania has more than 480,000 residents of Puerto Rican descent, according to 2022 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That's the
most out of any of the battleground states. And the Philadelphia metro area is among the top regions with Puerto Ricans outside of New York and
Florida.
Philadelphia City Council member and Harris supporter Quetcy Lozada knew she had to speak up after last night.
LOZADA: I think that what folks don't -- don't realize is that Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans get angry. We turn into action very quickly.
FREEMAN: Around Philly's largely Puerto Rican Fairhill neighborhood, voters we spoke with had heard the comments.
JOSE VEGA, PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRAT (through translator): He doesn't know what he's talking about. Puerto Rico is a beautiful island.
FREEMAN (voice-over): 32-year-old Christian Hernandez is voting for the first time this year for Vice President Harris. The Trump rally remarks
only solidified his vote.
(On camera): Do you think Puerto Ricans heard those words from last night?
CHRISTIAN HERNANDEZ, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: Yeah, for sure. A lot of Puerto Ricans, they're mad and disappointed.
FREEMAN (voice-over): Marcos Pagan didn't like the comments at all.
(On camera): When you hear stuff like Puerto Rico is a floating island of garbage, what goes through your mind?
MARCOS PAGAN, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: To be honest, I feel disrespected because he doesn't know what we go through. You know, we've been through a lot.
FREEMAN (voice-over): But Marcos still is not sure who he's voting for.
(On camera): When you hear comments like that, does that change your perspective about who you might vote for?
PAGAN: No.
FREEMAN: That's not enough.
PAGAN: I've already seen it to believe it. You know, everybody actually found the words.
FREEMAN (voice-over): Fernando Santiago already cast his vote for former President Donald Trump, but now he and his whole family are mad about last
night's remarks.
(On camera): What did you think about him calling Puerto Rico a floating island of trash?
FERNANDO SANTIAGO, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: That's messed up because that's my island, you know? I don't want people talking like that, you know? That's
not right.
VEGA (through translator): I think he's not going to go far because of this lack of respect towards Puerto Ricans.
[10:15:03]
FREEMAN (on camera): Now, we did reach out to the Trump campaign here in Pennsylvania for comment for this story. They just pointed us to the
statement they released back on Sunday evening, saying this joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.
I will note, though, former President Trump is expected to be in the city of Allentown on Tuesday. Allentown has an enormous Latino population,
specifically an enormous Puerto Rican population. So we'll see if the former president addresses this controversy then.
Danny Freeman, CNN, Philadelphia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Still to come on Connect the World, more than 90 people killed in a single strike, including many children, as Israel presses on with its
offensive in northern Gaza.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Medical workers watching people, quote, "die before our eyes." Chilling words from a hospital in northern Gaza after a new Israeli
airstrike earlier today. A warning that this video that we are about to show you is disturbing, so I will just pause before I do so.
Gaza officials say the strike hit a building where displaced people were sheltering, killing at least 93, and that includes, we are told, 25
children.
Also told at the Kamal Adwan Hospital. It was raided by the Israeli military last week. There are only two doctors left. Supplies are now
desperately low, and wounded people are pouring in, quote, around the clock.
We'll see who knows Matthew Chance covering this story, reporting from Jerusalem today.
What is the very latest that we know about why this strike now? What were the targets? And what's the fallout?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a good question. And so far, Becky, there's been no explanation from the Israeli
military that I've seen about why they struck this building and in an attack which appears to have caused such a heavy loss of human life, 93
people killed, including 25 children. That's to the Palestinian health ministry officials who are sort of doing the body count, as it were, at
this point. There's also mass grave, mass burials taking place in a nearby marketplace as well.
But look, I mean, this is an area, Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, which, along with the Jabalia refugee camp, has been the subject for the past
several weeks, the focus of an Israeli military operation, which they say is intended to prevent a resurgence of Hamas militants in the area.
The area has already, on two separate occasions, been cleared, been declared sort of free of Hamas by the Israeli military. But now they're
back. And that means that tens of thousands of local residents have been evacuated or forcibly sort of ordered out of their homes or what's left of
them in this devastated region.
[10:20:12]
While the Israeli military carry out attacks sort of at will against what they have said are, you know, positions where Hamas militants have been
firing at Israeli soldiers or command and control centers, which is kind of often what the Israelis say is the reason they've attacked a particular
location.
And, of course, the Israelis accuse Hamas of sheltering, of hiding, of using the civilian population as human shields as well. But none of this is
of any consolation to the dozens of people and the many other hundreds of people whose family members, whose loved ones have been killed in these
weeks now of devastating Israeli military strikes in that northern part of the Gaza Strip, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yeah. Matthew, thank you.
Well, Hezbollah says it has elected a new leader. Naim Qassem will now run the militant group that is backed by Iran, of course. His predecessor,
Hassan Nasrallah, killed by Israeli military forces last month. The 71- year-old is a co-founder of Hezbollah. And in a statement, the militant group says Qassem was elected to take up the position due to what it calls
his adherence to the principles and goals of Hezbollah. Read into that what you will. The group has lost much of its leadership as a result of targeted
Israeli assassinations.
We are here in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. And as we have been discussing, the conflict is part of what is the global reality right now, that decision
makers who are gathered here at the FII are acknowledging. And I want to turn our focus back on FII at this point, an event where conflict and
political uncertainty are baked into all of the conversations.
We are a week out from what may be one of the most pivotal elections, of course, in American history, with billions of dollars spent on both the
Trump and Harris campaigns. Rampant misinformation and disinformation and global conflict and economic concerns. World and business leaders have been
watching the ebbs and flows of the election season closely, looking for an indication of who could be the next president.
Well, while in 2016, my next guest said a Trump presidency was a surprise for the world. Eight years on, he believes Trump is likely to win the
election. With me now in Riyadh from the Future Investment Initiative Conference is S4 Capital's Executive Chairman, Founder of WPP, Sir Martin
Sorrell.
MARTIN SORRELL, S4 CAPITAL EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN: Good to be with you, Becky.
ANDERSON: And it's good to be with you today, marks just a week away.
SORRELL: I don't know whether the Puerto Rican, the comic --
ANDERSON: Right.
SORRELL: -- so-called comic that made the comment about Puerto Ricans, I don't know whether that changes the calculus. But I think generally,
certainly when I was in California before coming here and listening to people here, that the general view, I think, is that Trump has the edge.
But it depends actually on probably the female vote and whether the female vote is very strong, particularly on the Roe v. Wade abortion Supreme Court
decision.
ANDERSON: You say, you know, on balance, it seems certainly to those that you are talking to, and there's a lot of people who are having discussions
here about, you know, what happens next in the U.S. And why is it that they believe that Trump has the edge? We're talking about the edge as far as who
will win. Are we also talking about who should win? Does he have an edge with regard the economy and his trade policy, for example, that certainly
the Democrats are pulling apart?
SORRELL: You know, it's the economy, stupid, remember that comment by George Bush. And I think what Trump has done, his campaign actually has
been incredibly disciplined in terms of focusing on the economy and in focusing on immigration and the wall and -- and all the attendant thing. I
mean, the -- the gaffe and the big gaffe on Puerto Rico by that comedian in the warm up for the Madison Square Garden rally may turn things a little
bit. We'll have to see how it pans out on Election Day.
But his focus on the economy and on immigration, I think those are the two keys. Americans don't tend to worry too much about foreign policy. In fact,
it's probably the reverse. In a sense, they look at these foreign conflicts and say, you know, what is -- what is Ukraine got to do with us? The Middle
East probably is closer down because of the Jewish community, but --
[10:25:06]
ANDERSON: And also the Arab American community.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: I mean, it could be -- it could be a real pivot point this time.
SORRELL: Well, we'll see. But it's interesting to see what Arab Americans are doing. And they seem to be, you know, if anything, a number of them are
voting for -- voting for Trump. So we'll see how that pans out.
But I think the essential issues are around the economy and immigration and the Trump campaign actually in terms of their spending and they have
smaller amounts of money and the amount of money that Harris has managed to write. The vice president has managed to raise particularly after she
started to the campaign. Her campaign have been very considerable, but --
ANDERSON: Over a billion dollars.
SORRELL: Yeah.
ANDERSON: It's very remarkable. But we all down --
SORRELL: Well, I remember the Obama campaign, the first campaign. I remember Blue State Digital raised, I think, a billion dollars for the
first Obama campaign. It was slightly less out of small donations. So it's not unknown to raise it, but it's in a very short period of time.
ANDERSON: That money now being --
SORRELL: Funneled.
ANDERSON: -- being funneled into key swing states.
SORRELL: Yes.
ANDERSON: -- and key advertising markets or media markets around those states. I have been surprised just how impactful perhaps those traditional
advertising spots are still.
(CROSSTALK)
SORRELL: Well, it's traditional spots and digital spots.
ANDERSON: Right.
SORRELL: I mean, the digital -- I mean, if you look at the digital economy, it's now 70% of worldwide spending. And in most major markets, including
the U.S., it is the dominant form of media and it's the dominant form of media that younger people in particular form their opinions and get their
news. Much maybe to the chagrin of CNN and others, but that's a fact of life, so.
ANDERSON: We're in the business of linear digital stream news. Call it what you will, we're on it.
SORRELL: The rise of TikTok, whether good or bad, whether it will continue or not in America, we'll see what the Supreme Court says is really
important.
ANDERSON: From a global perspective, what would a return of Donald Trump mean, do you believe?
SORRELL: Well, I actually think the American business community, not many of them like to come out publicly. I mean, it's not just owners of
newspapers who don't want to say who they want to nominate. But I think the American business community, you know, if you ask a group of business
leaders in America, what is the biggest issue they worry about? Regulation is top. It's not about geopolitics --
ANDERSON: In front of taxes.
SORRELL: Yes. It's not about taxes. It's not about climate change. It's not about other things. It's about regulation. And if you think about it --
ANDERSON: What he going to do -- yeah, what he going to do with regulation?
SORRELL: If think about it -- I mean, he will be his basic stance is lower tax and lower regulation. He's already talking about lowering corporation
tax, talking about getting tax, talking about non-doms. I mean, Americans abroad not paying tax on their income, you know, which -- which was a very,
very subtle and intelligent move, I think, actually, to cap to capture votes. So he stands -- he stands for lower regulation. He stands for lower
tax.
Now, it's more nuanced than that, because in the tech area, you know, he has taken a stand against some of those major platforms. Maybe that was
behind the decision of Jeff Bezos decision not to nominate anybody in "The Washington Post."
So we'll see -- we'll see how it pans out. But I think basically what it means for the North American economy, it's not bad news. For the rest of
the world, you know, we'll be waking up each morning. Maybe it'll be Truth Social rather than X. But we'll be able to be much more volatile.
The Chinese, from what I understand, would probably prefer to have Kamala Harris in the White House because she'd be more predictable. I mean, Trump
is highly unpredictable. He is a dealmaker. So all this stuff around tariffs, all this stuff around taxes, this may be all the stuff around
Ukraine and the Middle East may be, you know, the preparatory work for negotiation.
ANDERSON: Well, he certainly -- he certainly says he can do these deals. Let's wait and see if he is to win this election. We are a week out. It is
still neck and neck, very close. Call it what you will. We are not at the finish line.
SORRELL: It's 50-50 on the polls.
ANDERSON: It's 50-50. It's always good to have you. Thank you.
SORRELL: Thanks very much indeed.
ANDERSON: Still to come. These are live pictures from Mar-a-Lago in Florida, where we are waiting for Donald Trump to speak. We'll be back
there after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:32:14]
HILL: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD. Half past the hour now. I'm Erica Hill in New York.
We are keeping a close eye on Mar-a-Lago, where Donald Trump is expected to speak any minute, really. We are also following a number of different
developments when it comes to the election here in the United States, including a series of ballot box fires in the Northwest.
Authorities say they've now identified a suspect vehicle. You see it in the photo here. That vehicle was seen leaving the scene of a fire on Monday at
the ballot box in Portland, Oregon. Officials believe the vehicle may also be tied to two fires in nearby Vancouver, Washington.
One of those fires destroyed hundreds of ballots in Washington state, seen as Natasha Chen is following this story. So there is a suspect vehicle. Any
closer to finding the person associated with that vehicle, Natasha?
NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Not yet, Erica. Authorities did put out that image that you were showing. It's a dark or black 2001 to 2004
Volvo S60 that they saw by one of the ballot drop boxes.
Now, to recap, we have two incidents from Monday and one incident from earlier in October that they believe are linked. And, of course, hundreds
of ballots have been destroyed. One of the ballot drop box locations in Portland, however, the fire suppressants were able to protect more than 400
ballots there, so only three ballots in that box were destroyed.
This is, of course, very concerning for any voter who dropped off their ballot, thinking that that was going to be their vote, that it would be
counted. Officials locally want to make sure people still feel confident in that process, so they said if you have any concerns, you can reach out to
them. And for those particular three ballots that were destroyed at that one box, they are actually contacting those voters using the information on
the envelope that they can see to make sure that there are replacements for those three voters.
These fires come after the FBI and Department of Homeland Security recently issued a bulletin that CNN obtained talking about election-related
grievances and their concerns about such grievances like belief in voter fraud that could spur and motivate domestic extremists to engage in
violence in the weeks leading up to and after this November election.
Specifically, they talked about in that bulletin publicly accessible locations like ballot drop boxes as being, quote, "attractive targets." So
federal authorities have had their eye on this potential issue for a while, and local authorities now are dealing with the consequences. They have also
been very vigilant about this, ramping up, you know, surveillance of the drop boxes and having law enforcement really partner with them to monitor
these drop boxes 24/7.
Erica?
[10:35:00]
HILL: Have officials done anything in Washington? So I know that in -- as I understand it, the drop boxes in Oregon, they actually had some sort of
fire retardant within that -- within that structure, and that's why so only three of those ballots apparently were damaged, and as you noted, officials
in Oregon reaching out. But when it comes to Washington, it looks like the damage there was much more extensive. Is there any way to know whose ballot
was in there, or is this really just up to the voter to come forward?
CHEN: I think that the officials -- local officials, are still definitely working that out, Erica. That is definitely concerning, and they're asking
voters who might have dropped off a ballot, between certain hours over the weekend, to please contact them. Yes, you're talking about these fire
suppressants. They are actually utilized in the ballot drop boxes in both Clark County, where Vancouver, Washington, is, and Multnomah County, where
Portland is.
This is actually a pretty popular thing to have in drop boxes in both Washington state and Oregon, because these two states are largely vote-by-
mail. I used to be a local reporter in Seattle, so I knew that everybody would drop their ballots off or mail them in. There were very few polling
places to speak of, and if you're using an example of Seattle or Portland, both those counties where those huge populations are, those election
officials told me that less than 1% of voters actually vote in person at a polling place.
So you can imagine, most everyone drops these off, and so they're very used to having to secure these. They're bolted into the ground. A lot of them
are made by the same company, Vote Armor. So there are a lot of protective features to these drop boxes. Of course, authorities are very concerned
about what more could potentially happen around this election, Erica.
HILL: Yeah, it really is. Natasha, appreciate it. Thank you.
CHEN: Thanks.
HILL: Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos now defending his decision that the newspaper would not endorse a presidential candidate. In a rare op-ed from
Bezos published Monday night, he writes, in part, "Presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election. What they
actually do is create a perception of bias and non-independence. Ending them is a principled decision, and it's the right one."
Well, the decision itself has outraged journalists across the country, as well as scores of "Post" readers. CNN Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter has
a closer look at this choice and why the choice, so close to an election, is really hitting a nerve.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: He wrote this tonight because tens of thousands, possibly even hundreds of thousands of subscribers have
bailed on the "Post" in the past few days. Even more might do it in the days to come out of a fear that he's capitulating to Donald Trump, that
he's giving in to Trump.
Bezos is saying that's not the case. He's doing this as a principled decision, but he's doing it on the eve of an election. And that's really
the issue at the heart of this. He acknowledges maybe he had some poor timing, maybe he should have announced this earlier, but he's doing it
because he wants to win back people's trust over time.
In the short term, though, he's lost a lot of his audience's trust. There's hard pressure, a quid pro quo, a deal with Trump, and then there's a form
of soft pressure. And the real concern I'm hearing from "Post" reporters, from editors, from columnists, is that there's a form of soft pressure
being applied here.
The author of "On Tyranny," Timothy Snyder, has talked for years about the idea of obeying in advance, that in democracies that are sliding toward
autocracies, people try to obey in advance, that wealthy businessmen, the media leaders, the powerful people, start to give in to the aspiring
authoritarian whims in advance. And that's exactly the concern that exists here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: I want to get you up to speed on some of the other stories on our radar at this hour. Two new lawsuits filed against Sean "Diddy" Combs by
two anonymous accusers who claimed they were minors when they were sexually assaulted by the music star. Combs is denying these new claims. More than
two dozen suits so far have been filed against him. He is currently, of course, in custody, awaiting trial for sex trafficking and other crimes.
Some leaders in the Roman Catholic Church are not adequately reporting clerical sexual abuse. That is the finding of a new papal commission
charged with looking into child abuse cases, which found a, quote, "troubling lack of reporting structures and services for victims."
Typhoon Kong-rey is rapidly intensifying as it heads for southern Taiwan, packing powerful winds. The typhoon expected to bring dangerously high
waves to the coastline and dump heavy rain on the capital of Taipei.
Meantime, North Korean soldiers may be headed to the front lines in Ukraine to fight for Russia after being taught some basic Russian commands. That's
according to South Korean lawmakers who said the commands they're being taught include fire and imposition. However, the language barrier is
reportedly still a major challenge, and so it's unclear whether they'll be able to bridge that divide.
CNN's Mike Valerio now has more on these latest developments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, South Korea's spy agency just revealed some striking details about North Korean troops in Russia. They
are training to fight in the war against Ukraine, and that is according to NATO, the United States and South Korea. But lawmakers who were briefed by
South Korea's National Intelligence Service here in Seoul say that North Korea may be trying to hide from its own people that these deployments to
Russia are actually happening.
[10:40:08]
So, let's take you through what we know. We have two lawmakers briefed by South Korea's spy agency, the NIS, and the NIS says that North Korean
families of these soldiers are being told the troops went to a, quote, "military exercise," not to Russia, not to Ukraine. The lawmakers add news
of these troops going to Russia has spread within North Korea despite the regime's effort to contain the truth, and they say there is some, quote,
"unrest" among North Korean residents and soldiers about why they're making this sacrifice for another country.
That certainly would be remarkable, considering North Korea tolerates virtually no dissent against the regime of Kim Jong Un. We also heard from
South Korea's president on this subject today. Listen to what he said.
YOON SUK YEOL, SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT (through translator): This illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a significant
security threat to the international community and could pose a serious risk to our national security.
VALERIO: So, what he means by that, North Korean troops potentially threatening South Korean security, analysts tell us that North Korean
troops could potentially come back home with more knowledge about modern warfare than ever before.
The secretary general of NATO has also said that North Korean troops are already in Russia's Kursk region, that is where Ukraine has had a foothold
in Russian territory since August. The Pentagon is also saying that it assesses there are about 10,000 North Korean troops who have been deployed
to train in Russia. Pyongyang and Moscow have neither explicitly confirmed nor denied these troop deployments.
Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Still ahead here on Connect the World, live pictures we have for you here from Mar-a-Lago in Florida. We are waiting on Donald Trump to speak
amid this growing fallout from the controversial comments made at his rally in New York Sunday night. Stay with us for that.
A quick break here. We'll see you on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: I want to bring you up to speed now with the latest on that massive strike in northern Gaza. We are learning that people are now digging with
their hands, trying to reach anyone who may be trapped in the rubble there. Authorities say 93 people were killed when Israel bombed a building where
displaced families were sheltering. 25 of those victims were told are children.
Israel launching a new offensive in the region, of course, earlier this month. It says it is trying to prevent a comeback by Hamas.
Contact between Israel and the U.N. refugee agency that provides supports to millions of Palestinian refugees is set to end in three months. On
Monday, the Israeli Knesset voted to ban the agency known as UNRWA, which has been operating for nearly 80 years. The move is expected to have a
devastating impact in Gaza and the West Bank.
UNRWA serves more than 2 million Palestinians. The agency providing emergency humanitarian assistance, which includes, of course, food, water,
health care, education as well. The head of UNRWA says Israel's decision will just deepen the suffering of Palestinians who are already living
through, quote, "sheer hell."
[10:45:11]
Here's CNN's Paula Hancocks with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The condemnation has been swift. It has also been widespread. In particular, among Western nations, after Israel
passed two bills, effectively making it difficult, if not impossible, for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, to operate in Gaza.
Now, they won't be allowed to operate within three months in Israel itself, but it comes at a time when more than 2 million are desperately relying on
this U.N. agency in Gaza for food, for water, for shelter. We've heard from seven foreign ministers from Western nations, including Australia, Canada,
and the United Kingdom, asking Israel to halt this legislation.
We're also hearing from the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, saying that it could have implications under U.S. law and U.S. policy. The State
Department is asking Israel to postpone this legislation.
MATTHEW MILLER, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: UNRWA plays a critical, important role in delivering humanitarian assistance to civilians that need
it in Gaza. There's nobody that can replace them right now in the middle of the crisis.
HANCOCKS: Humanitarian aid groups on the ground in Gaza also say that UNRWA is irreplaceable. The fact that they have been operating for so long in the
area, they have the infrastructure which cannot be replicated.
SAM ROSE, SENIOR DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF UNRWA AFFAIRS IN GAZA: We're the organization that knows the situation on the ground. We're bringing fuel in
for the entire operation. We're coordinating everything through our buildings. We are the coordination structure, and we are the lifeblood of
the humanitarian operation here. And it simply isn't possible to hand that over. That's in the immediate humanitarian phase.
But as we look to the future, this is a question of education for over 300,000 boys and girls who previously would go to UNRWA schools. We run a
network of primary health clinics in Gaza. No other organization provides health care and education, and no other organization is equipped to do it.
It's as simple as that.
HANCOCKS: Israel has long opposed this agency. It also accuses a small number of its employees of being part of the October 7th attacks. After a
U.N. investigation, nine members of the U.N. agency were fired.
Paula Hancocks, CNN Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Thanks to Paula for that report. Stay with us. As you can see, we are still waiting for Donald Trump to make his way there out to the
microphones. We're going to take a short break as we wait for that. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: As part of her swing through the key battleground states, Kamal Harris and running mate Tim Walz are set to hold a rare joint rally in
Phoenix, Arizona on Thursday. The Democratic nominee is really looking to pick up some critical support in that state, and specifically from Latinos,
who are 20% of Arizona voters, or at least were 20% in 2020.
CNN's Chief National Correspondent John King has a closer look at the campaign's get-out-the-vote effort in that state.
[10:50:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Knock, knock.
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Crunch time in the battlegrounds.
MEG: Nice to meet you. My name's Meg. I'm with LUCHA, Living United for a Change in Arizona.
KING: One handout promotes the Arizona ballot initiative expanding abortion rights. The other promotes Kamala Harris and Democratic candidates for the
Senate and the House.
MEG: Do you think that your voice has power in this election?
KING: LUCHA canvassers are at 600,000 door knocks and counting. They encourage early voting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know where your polling location is?
KING: Many of the targeted homes are Latinos who are registered but don't always vote.
(On camera): What's the most common question you get at a door knock about the Vice President?
CLAUDIO RODRIGEUZ, ARIZONA VOTER: The most common question we get at a door knock is, why Kamala? Why Kamala? And my answer to that is, like, first,
she's not a felon. One, she's a strong woman. And as a Latino man, we like strong women. And we don't like weak men.
KING: Claudio Rodriguez volunteers for LUCHA and also runs a community farm and food bank. He is upbeat about Harris' chances here, says encouraging
younger voters to turn out is one big need in this final week.
RODRIGEUZ: You do get the folks who are, like, kind of, like, feel hopeless, but then you got to bring them back in. You get folks who say,
like, voting doesn't matter, my vote doesn't matter. And to my response to that is, like, whether you believe it matters or not, it still exists. And
so why not participate in it, put your voice in there, your little two cents?
KING: Tucson is in deep blue Pima County. Biden's giant 2020 edge here was critical to winning the state by just 10,000 votes.
TAMARA VARGA, ARIZONA VOTER: Mickey is one of our biggest sellers.
KING (voice-over): Tamara Varga is a lifelong Republican who came to Tucson 30 years ago from San Diego. She thought she lived in a blue pocket of a
red state.
(On camera): Did it surprise you in 2020, when Biden won Arizona?
VARGA: Absolutely surprised me. I was not expecting that.
KING (voice-over): Varga owns two candy shops and two food trucks so she can provide jobs for individuals with special needs, including her sons.
She says housing and other costs of living are up. Her gut says Trump is stronger this time.
VARGA: I feel that Trump's ahead, but I felt that way in 2020 as well. So it's hard to say, you know. I feel that I have had more friends that are
open to Trump and are flipping to a Trump vote.
KING: And the local friends who are doing that, do they set a reason?
VARGA: The border and the economy. Yes, people are having a hard time putting food on their table and gas in their cars, and it's really
affecting them. So I think that they now think about their vote and how it will affect their household.
KING (on camera): There's no doubt voter anxiety over the cost of living and the immigration issue gives the former president a chance to flip
Arizona back to red and win its 11 electoral votes. But Trump's rhetoric and that of his allies sometimes lands wrong and offends two critical
voting groups here, moderates in the fast-growing suburbs and Latino voters.
John King, CNN, Phoenix.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: The Los Angeles Dodgers are one win away from becoming World Series champions facing the New York Yankees in New York on Monday night for Game
3. Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman tied a record with this home run in his fifth straight World Series game, giving L.A. a 2-0 lead early in
the game. They went on to win Game 3, 4-2. Afterward, Freeman giving credit to the Dodgers pitchers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FREDDIE FREEMAN, LOS ANGELES DODGERS FIRST BASEMAN: This is what you got to do. You got to pitch in October, and we've been doing that.
DAVE ROBERTS, L.A. DODGERS MANAGER: We have got to stay focused, stay urgent. I think offensively, to be quite honest, we left a lot of runs out
there tonight, still found a way to win a ball game, and there's just got to be urgency. I just don't want to let these guys up for air.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Game 4 is tonight right here in New York. If the Dodgers win, this will be their 8th World Series title.
Staying in the world of sports, Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony celebrating the game's brightest star, Spanish football sweeping the best player
categories, Manchester City and Spain's midfielder Rodri winning his first trophy.
He played, of course, a crucial role in Man City's record fourth consecutive Premier League title this year and Spain's Euro 2024
championship in July. Barcelona and Spain stars taking home a second consecutive award as well.
And before we leave you this hour, how about a little bit of fun? London hosting a massive interactive game of Tetris to celebrate the 40th
anniversary of the popular puzzle. Tetris was created in 1984. It's remained a global phenomenon. Billions of games are played online every
year. The event itself at Outernet with a large LED screen. It's an entertainment venue. You see it there. Organizers say this was one of the
biggest multiplayer Tetris games ever held.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEXANDRA PAYNE, DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE CONTENT, OUTERNET: So using an application which you can access by QR codes and you can come and scan them
in the space, it launches a web-based app on your phone which you can then control and move the pieces in real time directly on the screen.
[10:55:13]
So you can play by yourself, you can play with your friends and family, strangers in the space as well. And just like with any Tetris game, the
object is to try and build your lines, move your tetrominoes down.
AUGUS BOWER, GAME PARTICIPANT: Really good. It's fun, isn't it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
BOWER: Yeah, it's really fun. The graphics are unbelievable here. So it makes it really easy to play. It's quite exciting to watch as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Very cool. I still love Tetris myself. I'm with you.
That's going to do it for CONNECT THE WORLD on this Tuesday. Just a reminder, we are still waiting to hear from Donald Trump, set to speak at
Mar-a-Lago in this final week of the campaign here in the United States. We're going to bring you that speech as it happens.
A short break here though. Stay with us. You're watching CNN. Newsroom is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
