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Early Start with Rahel Solomon
China Marks End Of WWII With Massive Military Parade; Trump On Plan To Send Troops To Chicago: "We're Going In"; Texas Man Charged With Murder In Shooting Of 11-Year-Old. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired September 03, 2025 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:30:00]
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PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Others like Yudierquis Reyes can't bear to be separated from the family they left behind.
YUDIERQUIS REYES, DEPORTED TO CUBA WITHOUT CHILD: (Speaking foreign language).
OPPMAN (voiceover): "If I don't get her back, I am going," she says. "I hope Cuba doesn't ask for me back. No country. They will have to let me go. Whatever amount of time I have to be locked up, I will be."
For some there is simply nothing more that they can lose. And even as the Trump administration ramps up deportations from the U.S. many of these Cuban deportees say they will find a way to return.
Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havanna.
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BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: A clash of extreme temperatures will soon hit the northern U.S. Several areas will see record-setting cooler weather this week. At the same time a heat wave will leave other parts of the country sweltering in triple-digit temps.
CNN meteorologist Chris Warren explains.
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CHRIS WARREN, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Watching a few areas across the country where there could be some showers and some thunderstorms but temperatures really still -- well, a lot of people are talking about whether it's the fall-like feel in the East and much cooler temperatures in the Midwest, or the sizzling heat across a lot of the West Coast, including the Pacific Northwest. The Inland Empire here, Spokane to Pendleton, the tri-state, Yakama, into that dangerous heat category -- record heat as well.
So we're going to be quite toasty in the Pacific Northwest. Even Seattle with temperatures in the lower 80s. You say hey, that might have -- might not seem too warm but for Seattle your average is 75. You're getting up there. When you're getting to that lower to mid-80s in Seattle it starts to feel pretty warm.
But in Spokane you're about 20 degrees warmer than average. Average this time of year is 79. You're going to be close to 100 the next couple of days.
And then here comes a cooldown throughout a lot of the Great Lakes region and throughout the Midwest. You can see that green there and then the blue. The blue showing us where we're going to see cooler than average. These dots are showing us where we are going to see some record cool temperatures for afternoon highs.
As far as the lows go, overnight temperatures dropping down even into the 40s in some spots here on Thursday, including the Twin Cities and in parts of Iowa. There's that green really showing the cool air getting all the way down into parts of the Central Plains with temperatures well below average for this time of year. So we're going to stay below average for a while. That's how things are looking.
Also keeping an eye on what's happening in the Atlantic. We're getting to the peak of hurricane season and there is something to watch. Still several days to watch this but we absolutely will be keeping an eye on it because this is the time of year we can see things develop and develop in a hurry.
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ABEL: All right, Chris. Thank you.
Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is back to its spectacular show shooting lava from its summit crater. You're seeing live images of it right now -- the peak. It's been erupting on and off since late last year and scientists think they're all part of the same eruption.
Earlier in the day a rising whirlwind of ash and lava was caught on camera. Look at this. The flow has been contained within the crater and hasn't threatened any structures.
This is one of the world's most active volcanoes, and beautiful too.
Well, a fast-moving fire has burned down homes and scorched thousands of acres in a historic California Gold Rush town. Officials say the fire quickly grew to more than six square miles or that's 16 square kilometers on Tuesday and was uncontained as of Tuesday night.
The fire forced the evacuation of the Chinese camp town in Tuolumne County where Chinese miners settled around 1850. Officials say the blaze known as the 6-5 Fire was caused by lightning.
North Korea's reclusive leader is in Beijing for China's military parade. We will tell you who Kim Jong Un has ben spending time with after the break.
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[05:38:48] ABEL: China is marking 80 years since the end of World War II in Asia with a huge military parade. It featured hypersonic weapons and nuclear-capable bombers, and the latest in drone technology. Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un to Beijing for the occasion. Their growing alliance is an attempt to reverse decades of U.S. superpower dominance.
CNN's Mike Valerio is following all of these developments for us from Seoul, and there is a lot of developments here -- a lot of firsts.
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Brian. I mean, that could be the understatement of the evening -- evening here -- and we really think that it is perhaps the war in Ukraine, Brian, that brought us to this spot where we are today.
Long story short, Putin and Kim get so much closer -- closer than ever because of Russia's reliance on North Korea for ammo and troops to help prosecute its war effort. But China, in this moment, sees that Pyongyang needs to be as close in its orbit as it close to Moscow as well, which is a very long story short way of bringing us to this moment of this personal invitation that Xi Jinping, the leader of China, gave to -- gave to Kim.
[05:40:10]
And it is essentially conveying through this whole parade -- the video that we've been showing all day here on CNN -- that Kim is not afraid to challenge the U.S.-based world order with Xi and with Putin. And by having Kim Jong Un so close to Xi Jinping in this tableau right there it's showing that Kim is an integral part of that force that's hoping to challenge the U.S. and Western-based world order.
It's striking because this was not exactly a foregone conclusion. We can just go back to the recent history of 2006 when the Russian delegation to the United Nations voted in favor of U.N. Resolution 1718, which slapped punishing sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear program. It also voted in 2009 to do very much of the same.
China was supposed to have a year of friendship with North Korea last year as well, but we didn't see any kind of visit between Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un going to their respective capitals. For his part, Vladimir Putin did visit Pyongyang.
So certainly remarkable to see North Korea stronger than ever and all three of these leaders standing shoulder-to-shoulder as essentially brothers in arms and how this affects what the U.S. president is hoping to do moving forward to try to re-engage Kim Jong Un. It's going to be a tough sell, Brian, for Kim to not only meet with Donald Trump but to potentially have any kind of concessions when it comes his nuclear program because what incentive does he have to make concessions when he has the backing that we see today from Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin?
So what we see today could have far-reaching consequences to the American side of the equation trying to re-engage North Korea. But definitely an historic day of North Korea trying to project an image of being more powerful on the international stage than ever, Brian.
ABEL: And we know that those images have certainly caught the attention of the United States.
Mike Valerio --
VALERIO: Yeah.
ABEL: -- in Seoul for us. Mike, good to see you. Thank you, buddy.
President Trump is setting up a fight with the governor of Illinois as he prepares to send federal troops to Chicago.
And it started as a childish prank, but it ended in tragedy. Police have charged a man with murder in the shooting death of an 11-year-old boy. Those details just ahead.
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[05:47:05]
ABEL: Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Brian Abel. Here are some stories we are watching today.
Survivors of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell will speak out in Washington today amid calls for greater transparency on the Epstein investigation. The U.S. House Oversight Committee released more than 30,000 pages of documents yesterday, but Democrats argue nearly all of it was already public.
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife will head to Minneapolis in the coming hours to pay their respects to families affected by the shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church. Two children were killed and more than 20 others wounded when a shooter opened fire during morning mass. Vance's office says the couple will hold private meetings with the families as well.
The Powerball jackpot has jumped to a staggering $1.3 billion after there were no big winners in Monday night's drawing. It is the fifth- largest prize in game history. And your next chance to win big is today, which will be the 41st drawing since that jackpot was last won back in May.
President Trump says he is going ahead with his plan to send National Guard troops into Chicago. City, county, and state leaders all say they're against it, but as John Lawrence reports, the president is determined to go ahead with it anyway.
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JOHN LAWRENCE, CNN REPORTER (voiceover): It's official.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, we're going in. I didn't say when we're going in. When you lose -- look, I have an obligation. This isn't a political thing. Uh, I have an obligation. LAWRENCE (voiceover): After days of speculation, the Trump administration confirms its plan to send armed military personnel to the Windy City.
TRUMP: Chicago is a hellhole right now.
LAWRENCE (voiceover): Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says the Land of Lincoln will go to court to fight against the deployment.
GOV. JB PRITZKER, (D) ILLINOIS: The President of the United States likes to go on television and beg me to call and ask him for troops. I find this extraordinarily strange as Chicago does not want troops on our streets.
LAWRENCE (voiceover): At least 58 people were shot in Chicago this Labor Day weekend, according to the city's police department.
MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON, (D) CHICAGO: Here is the truth. Donald Trump is the last person in America who cares about families on the south and west side of Chicago.
LAWRENCE (voiceover): The Chicago mayor's Office of Violence Reduction says shootings, including fatalities, are on a downward trend thus far this year.
ANDREW CHESNEY, (R) ILLINOIS STATE SENATOR: They believe it's acceptable to go from an unacceptable level of crime to an unacceptable level of crime and call that a win.
LAWRENCE (voiceover): As for Chicago residents --
CEDRIC HAWKINS, ANTI-GUN VIOLENCE MEDIATOR, CHICAGO CRED: Sending a National Guard, I believe that it will put us in a situation where the whole city of Chicago will be right back where we started.
LAWRENCE (voiceover): I'm John Lawrence reporting.
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ABEL: Now, federal troops have already been deployed in Washington, D.C. On Tuesday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser issued an order calling on city officials to work alongside federal law enforcement even after the Trump administration's order expires later this month.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania's governor says his state is making preparations in case the president sends the National Guard to Philadelphia.
Well, rapper Cardi B has been found not liable in a civil assault case involving a 2018 incident at a California medical office. Cardi B was sued by one of the building's former security guards who claimed the rapper physically attacked her.
Trial coverage went viral over the past week as Cardi B herself took the stand in her defense with moments like this racking up the views.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you call her fat?
CARDI B, RAPPER: No. I was calling her a (bleep).
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ABEL: Cardi B says there was no physical altercation since she was pregnant at the time.
Outside the courthouse the Grammy-winning artist had a warning to anybody else wanting to take advantage of a celebrity by thinking they'd settle.
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CARDI B: I did not touch that woman. I did not touch that girl. I didn't lay my hands on that girl. The next person to try to do a frivolous lawsuit against me, I'm going to countersue and I'm going to make you pay because this is not OK. I think people have, like, this misinterpretations of celebrities. Like, it's all well, we can ask for this and they're going to settle. You don't work at home, and you don't work all day, and you don't work for your money to give out your money.
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ABEL: Emani Ellis, who claims she was attacked by the rapper, says her team did all they could.
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EMANI ELLIS, SUED CARDI B FOR ASSAULT: It's about accountability. I had my day in court. I showed up. I held my -- I held my head high. And I can walk away and say that I showed up and she had to look me in the eye, and I had to look her in the eye, and we did our best.
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ABEL: An attorney for Ellis says his client does plan to appeal the verdict.
A man in Texas is charged with murder after police say he shot an 11- year-old boy in the back. The boy and a friend were playing late-night pranks in their neighborhood, ringing doorbells and then running away when they ended on the suspect's doorstep.
CNN's Marybel Gonzalez has more details.
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MARYBEL GONZALEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): A ding dong ditch prank in Houston, Texas turned deadly. GEORGE SKINNER, NEIGHBOR: There is no way you can mistaken that kid was somebody grown or to do you any harm. And that's what hurts so bad.
GONZALEZ (voiceover): Neighbors stunned by the death of 11-year-old Julian Guzman. Police say the boy and his friends were playing at a house down the street from their homes just before 11:00 p.m. Saturday. The game involves ringing a doorbell or knocking on someone's door, then running. A witness described Guzman running away when he was shot.
The alleged gunman, 42-year-old Gonzalo Leon Jr., was taken into custody and charged with murder.
JUDGE: Sir, you are accused of the first-degree felony offense of murder.
GONZALEZ (voiceover): He is expected to head back to court on Wednesday when a judge could decide whether he should be allowed to be released on bond.
JUDGE: And make sure you get to court tomorrow morning.
GONZALEZ (voiceover): The Harris County district attorney says they will be requesting a million-dollar bond for the suspect. He also explained that a legal principle allowing individuals to use force to defend their home, family, or yourself should not apply to this case.
SEAN TEARE, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS: The Castle Doctrine does not apply in any way, shape or form to an 11-year-old boy running down the street. This little boy was shot in the back. He had no weapon on him.
GONZALEZ (voiceover): The D.A. calling the deadly incident "cold- blooded murder."
TEARE: He was playing pranks on the neighbors, and it cost him his life.
GONZALEZ (voiceover): I'm Marybel Gonzalez reporting.
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ABEL: In a ruling that's been closely watched across California's Silicon Valley, a U.S. federal court judge has ruled that Google will not be required to sell off its Chrome browser or Android. That decision came in a landmark antitrust case that found the tech giant was operating an illegal online search monopoly.
But the company will be barred from entering into or maintaining exclusive contracts related to the distribution of its services, like Chrome, Google Assistant, and its Gemini app.
A quarterfinal match goes four sets at the U.S. Open. Find out who is advancing to take on Carlos Alcaraz ahead.
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[05:58:55]
ABEL: The last American in the men's draw is out of the U.S. Open as Serbian star Novak Djokovic marches on yet again. Djokovic sparred with four-seed Taylor Fritz and a raucous home crowd. You can hear them there. He defeated Fritz in four sets advancing to a record- equally 14th U.S. Open semifinal.
Djokovic is gunning for a record 25th grand slam, but he has got a formidable obstacle in his way. He'll face Spanish superstar Carlos Alcaraz for a place in the final.
Sweden has new list of its most prized cultural heritage. Among the 100 works, brands, and ideas are Pippi Longstocking, IKEA, and the Nobel Peace Prize. The list has been criticized by some as being far too narrow. All the items must be at least 50 years old, which is why you might be seeing that pop group Abba is missing. It's -- they are one of the country's most famous cultural exports, but they did not make the cut, at least not yet.
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And "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" is adding five new cast members ahead of season 51. The new hires -- they do include some familiar faces from social media, like Veronika Slowikowska and Kam Patterson. Jeremy Culhane has also made a name for himself on TikTok and in a string of streaming TV series.
The "SNL" audience will recognize Ben Marshall for his role in the viral "Please don't destroy" videos. And then finally, Tommy Brennan, who is known for his stand-up comedy, joins the coast.
The new season debuts next month.
Thank you so much for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm Brian Abel in Washington, D.C. "CNN THIS MORNING WITH AUDIE CORNISH" starts right now.
