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One World with Zain Asher
Energetic Night Two Of DNC As Obamas Take Center Stage; Trump And Vance Campaign Together In North Carolina; Iran: Response To Israel Must Be "Carefully" Calibrated; UNRWA Director Describes Humanitarian Situation In Gaza; Four More Bodies Found IN Wednesday Search; Issue Of Reproductive Freedom Electrified DNC's Second Night; Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Divorcing After Two Years; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired August 21, 2024 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:28]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. It is his moment in the coming hours, Governor Tim Walz will officially accept the nomination to be Kamala
Harris' running mate.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: ONE WORLD starts right now.
Star-studded, night two of the Democratic National Convention was full of surprises. We'll show you the moment that everyone is still talking about.
ASHER: Also ahead of shocking moment from former President Donald Trump, his kind, yes, I said, kind, words for the Obamas.
GOLODRYGA: And an urgent search is underway. Brand-new details on the yacht rescue mission in the Mediterranean.
ASHER: And later, maybe, just maybe, it was actually sadly too good to be true. J. Lo and Ben Affleck have officially started their divorce
proceedings.
(MUSIC)
GOLODRYGA: All right. Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. You are watching ONE WORLD.
One month ago, few people outside the state of Minnesota had even heard of Governor Tim Walz at all. Tonight, he introduces himself to the world.
GOLODRYGA: That's right. We'll meet the coach.
ASHER: Tonight.
GOLODRYGA: Kamala Harris' pick provide his president delivers the most important address of his career by far tonight as a featured speaker at the
Democratic National Convention.
Several other big-name Democrats are scheduled to speak, including Pete Buttigieg, Nancy Pelosi, and former President Bill Clinton.
ASHER: Yes. Day two of the convention featured rather a pair of political rock stars. You may have heard of them. Barack and Michelle Obama wowed the
crowd with rousing speeches that spoke about the power of hope and the corporation.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. They called on Democrats to put in the hard work to win the election and had a few notable jabs at Donald Trump too.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us.
See, his limited narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hard work and highly educated successful people who happen
to be black.
Who's going to tell him that the job he's currently seeking might just be one of those black jobs?
It's his same old time.
Going small is petty, it's unhealthy, and quite frankly, it's un- presidential.
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT FOR THE UNITED STATES: There's the childish nicknames, the crazy conspiracy theories. This weird obsession with crowd
sizes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHS)
GOLODRYGA: Who saw that coming? Honestly.
ASHER: The black jobs comment though, that I think that had a lot of people in his stir. So obviously Obama moved his hands in that way.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Two of them should take their show on the road.
ASHER: The Obamas and Kamala Harris have been friends for decades. She campaigned for him when he first ran for president and he returned the
favor when she was a relatively unknown prosecutor running for California Attorney General.
Barack Obama showed his enthusiasm for Harris from the very start of his speech.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
B. OBAMA: I don't know about you, but I'm feeling fired up.
(CROWD CHEERING)
I am feeling ready to go.
Even if -- even if I am the only person stupid enough to speak after Michelle Obama.
I am feeling hopeful. Because this convention has always been pretty good to kids with funny names who believe in a country where anything is
possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: There's a lot of anticipation hearing from the Obamas yesterday. And boy, they didn't disappoint, right? They came prepared.
ASHER: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: Now earlier in the evening, Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, took center stage. It was his job to humanize Kamala Harris, which he did by
talking about how they fell in love and her connection to his children.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUG EMHOFF, KAMALA HARRIS' HUSBAND: Those of you who belong to blended families know that they can be a little complicated.
But as soon as our kids started calling her Momala, I knew we'd be OK.
[12:05:00]
Ella calls us a three-headed parenting machine. Kamala and Kirsten, thank you both.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The evening began with the roll call of states to officially nominate Harris. And often, by the way, usually monotonous affair that the
Democrats really turned it into -- take a look. Take a look at what it was last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Bianna is with me the studio.
GOLODRYGA: We were all (INAUDIBLE) last night.
ASHER: Bopping along, as usual. Hip-hop star Lil Jon, helping the state of Georgia cast its votes for Kamala Harris, who of course won the roll call.
GOLODRYGA: We could just play this the whole hour.
ASHER: I know.
GOLODRYGA: With more on what happened last night.
ASHER: You know what I think, I think the camera should switch to you to show them bop -- you bopping along for Lil Jon.
GOLODRYGA: Let's not embarrass me any more than I already am.
Let's bring in CNN senior White House reporter, Kevin Liptak. I'm serious, Kevin. We could just devote this whole hour to that roll call. I don't know
what happened to me. My 12-year-old was looking me like I was insane. I was dancing. Couldn't wait to hear what the next song was to each state.
ASHER: So are you, Kevin. Be honest. You are two, Kevin.
GOLODRYGA: I want that playlist. That was phenomenal.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. And in the room, it was something incredible to see. Like, the delegates were so into it. And you
kind of never knew what was going to come next. It didn't -- it never really reached the level that it reached when it hit Little Jon.
But when they were going through the states, you're like, you're trying to think, well, who's from that state? Who's from that state? Who might just
like pop out of the rafters and cast the vote for Nebraska or wherever?
No one else did it, but it was like such a different kind of way of doing it. And I think the Democrats are certainly trying to look to shake up a
convention that can sometimes feel a little state, a little boring. This one hasn't felt boring at all.
And certainly last night when the Obamas walked into this room, it was like such a different moment. The crowd erupted in applause.
No one draws a reaction like the two Obamas do at these conventions. It was such a different thing. You know, ordinarily, people are walking around.
They're chitter-chattering. No one was chitter-chattering during Michelle Obama's speech.
And it was such a remarkable speech. And so much of her power has derived from the fact that you don't hear her speaking very often, particularly in
a political setting. So every word that she has to say to this crowd, they hang on it. And every message that she has for Democrats, they take to
heart.
And it's -- I was thinking, Joe Biden has made Donald Trump into a threat to democracy. He talks about him ripping up the Constitution being a
dictator.
Michelle Obama and President Obama have taken such a different approach. They think the best way to take him down is essentially by mocking him, by,
you know, talking about his masculine proportions, talking about his insistence on crowd size.
Michelle Obama, in particular, I think, well, has a way of speaking about Donald Trump that comes from such a personal place.
And she has talked before about never being able to forgive Donald Trump for the birther controversy, which she thought put her family at risk.
And she was able to testify that -- to that from the convention stage last night in a way that no other Democrat is able to.
Certainly her speech embraced the idea of hope, acknowledged the idea of hope surrounding Kamala Harris' candidacy. But I don't think the main
takeaway from either of these people's speech was hope. It was one sort of caution of saying to the Democrats, this race is far from one.
And in Michelle Obama's words, go out and do something. And I think that is kind of a pervading sense over this convention this week, is that sure she
is writing this swell of momentum into November.
But, you know, at the end of the day, when this convention ends, it's when the hard part will begin. And that is very much the message that both
Obamas were trying to deliver last night.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. President Obama, at one point, even saying don't boo at the mention of Donald Trump's name. Go out and vote. And we've heard that from
him as a warning for Americans and Democrats in the past.
But quite a transition for the first lady, the former first lady. No more of the when they go low, we go high. This was a different tone.
LIPTAK: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: Kevin, I was trying to figure out which state you were from originally. The best I could find is that you went to college in Virginia.
And Virginia really missed out --
LIPTAK: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: -- and made a mistake by not having you come out as their -- as their star.
LIPTAK: Yes. Oh, I have -- I have no -- I have no real connection to Virginia. I'm a Californian, which is great to watch.
GOLODRYGA: Oh, there you go.
ASHER: That was Tupac, wasn't it?
LIPTAK: Yes. Yes. They had such a prominent role.
And it's -- actually, I love this race because we haven't had a president from California, the state's -- the country's most populous state in 40
years. You know, it's the heart of the entertainment industry, technology. I mean, it's such an important state.
It's -- you know, a Californian should have a prominent role, whether it's Kamala Harris or anyone else, but it's time. It's California's time, I
think.
[12:10:03]
GOLODRYGA: Kevin Liptak, ever the objective reporter for us. Thank you so much.
ASHER: Kevin, thank you.
All right. In just about an hour or so, Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, will appear together in a key battleground state of North
Carolina. They're talking national security as part of their counter programming tour, aimed at stealing the spotlight from the Democratic
Convention.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Not an easy task, after both Barack and Michelle Obama speeches took a few jobs at the former president, as we just noted.
Trump tell CNN, however, there are no hard feelings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S.L PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I like him. I think he's a nice gentleman, but he was very, very weak on
trade. But I happen to like him. I respect him and I respect his wife.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: There's something I never thought that I would hear.
Alayna Treene live for us there from Washington. She's joining us.
So when you think about the Democratic National Convention, especially last night, I mean, there was so much hope, there was so much enthusiasm. And,
obviously, the Obama's message, there was a lot of warning against possible return to the White House by Donald Trump.
But there was certainly this idea that hope is making a comeback. Just walk us through what sort of counterprogramming Trump and Vance are running.
Because following that, following the sort of positive energy we saw last night is going to be tough to follow. Take us through it.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Yes. I also -- I'd be curious to see if Donald Trump at all addresses what the Obama said last night. That clip that you
played was actually before they had given their speeches.
GOLODRYGA: Oh.
TREENE: A remarkable turn of events though, I will say. I mean, honestly, we have never really heard Donald Trump say that about Barack Obama. It's a
far cry from what he used to say about him when he would try to undermine his legacy, argue that he was responsible for the problems that Donald
Trump faced while in office.
And, of course, Donald Trump was one of the biggest promoters of the birther conspiracy and essentially claimed that Barack Obama was not
necessarily eligible to be president, which we know is just completely false.
So saying that he respects him and he likes him, very different from the Donald Trump that I know and I have covered for many years. So we'll see if
he changes his tune today.
But look, what Donald Trump and his team are trying to do this week is a full blitz of counterprogramming.
Now, they recognize that they can't really compete with these high-profile stars, like the Obamas, like when you hear from Doug Emhoff. You're going
to hear from Walz tonight.
You know, they recognize that they don't want to go up head to head at the same time. That's why you're actually seeing Donald Trump do these events
earlier in the day. He normally likes to schedule his rallies and his speeches for around 7:00 P.M. or at some point in the evening when he knows
it's primetime. That is not the case this week.
They recognize that they are competing for media oxygen, but they don't want to compete with the most high-profile stars at the convention.
But today, as you mentioned, Donald Trump, as well as J.D. Vance, in just a couple hours, are going to be speaking in Asheboro, North Carolina.
This is a very important state. It's actually fascinating because this is his third visit to North Carolina since Biden ended his campaign.
And typically, it's not a state that goes for Democrats, it's pretty Republican. And the last person was Barack Obama, who actually was able to
win the state 16 years ago. But it was very close in 2020 with Biden losing it by just 74,000 votes. So he is making a very hard push for this state.
And you've seen him this entire week hitting all of the key battleground states that his team recognizes that they need on Monday. He was in
Pennsylvania yesterday. He was in a suburb of Detroit in Michigan today, as we mentioned, North Carolina.
Tomorrow, he'll be speaking about immigration at the border. And then Friday he'll be in Nevada, as well as Arizona again.
And so they are really trying to use this week to have Donald Trump focus on the key issues that they think are important and try to draw some sort
of contrast with Harris, despite it being such a democratic heavy week in the media.
Zain, Bianna.
ASHER: So I'm glad you brought up -- I'm glad you brought up North Carolina because that is, of course, where Kamala Harris had her big economic
speech.
And it is a state that Democrats are now viewing as basically in play. So that is also why Donald Trump and Vance are visiting that state, as well.
Alayna Treene live for us there. Thank you so much.
All right. Russian troops are pressing on with their offensive in Ukraine, as they try to stop Ukraine's advance through the Kursk Region.
Russia's defense ministry says its troops have captured the town of Niu- York. It's a strategically key logistics hub in Eastern Ukraine.
GOLODRYGA: Ukraine's offensive, along Russia's border area rolls on. And the country's military chief says that they have advanced more than 28
kilometers.
This is video of its drones taking out vehicles and bridges in the Kursk Region.
[12:15:01]
Some in Ukraine believe the offensive is going to take a while.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OLEKSANDR VIKTOROVYCH, UKRAINIAN SOLDIER'S BROTHER (through translator): I don't want to jinx it, but I believe we'll be there for a long time.
On the other hand, we all need to understand that any kind of offensive operation, no matter how well it's planned, means losses. Our best soldiers
are risking their lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Ukraine on Friday. It's going to be his first trip to the region since Moscow's
invasion of Ukraine.
All right. Turning to the Middle East. We have been hearing from Iran, as the region and the world brace for an expected response over the recent
killing of a top Hamas political leader.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. In a statement to CNN, Iran's permanent mission to the UN says that it wants to avoid adversely impacting a possible Gaza ceasefire
deal, and its response to Israel needs to be, quote, carefully calibrated.
Now, keep in mind, Israel has neither confirmed or denied any role in the killing of Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran.
ASHER: And Iran's latest statement comes one day after its foreign ministry said any ceasefire deal was unrelated to its plans to respond to Haniyeh's
killing.
GOLODRYGA: The Iranian parliament, meantime, has voted to approve the cabinet nominees proposed by the new president.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen joins us now live from Tehran. And part of the conflict here internally within Iran is the new president not wanting to start his
new administration out of the gate, perhaps launching a regional war. Talk about what happened today.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You know, Bianna, we're actually inside the Iranian parliament throughout the better
part of the day as these nominations were being confirmed. And they were being talked about by the parliamentarians there. And you're absolutely
right. Of course, the current turmoil in the Middle East is definitely one thing that is on everybody's mind there.
I think one of the things that we heard from Masoud Pezeshkian, he held a short speech in parliament today, is he said that there needed to be unity
between the factions inside Iranian parliament, of course, inside Iranian politics. There is, of course, big divisions here between the moderates and
the hardliners.
And, of course, also right now, you do have this turmoil that's going on in the Middle East that really sets the tone for the Pezeshkian administration
as it takes office.
And I think one of the things that you mentioned is really interesting to see how the Iranians are now saying that any sort of retaliation against
Israel could take a lot of time. They also don't want to adversely affect any sort of ceasefire that could take place in Gaza.
At the same time, when you speak to officials, they also believe that any retaliation needs to be tough.
I was able to talk to the former head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. And he said just that. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHSEN REZAEE, SECRETARY OF THE EXPEDIENCY DISCERNMENT COUNCIL OF IRAN (through translator): The occupying power of Jerusalem is a regime that
will continue its evil acts if it does not receive a harsh response.
Also, the United States and Europe have not been able to control this regime.
PLEITGEN: How does Iran find the right measure to prevent this from turning into a bigger war in the region?
REZAEE (through translator): We have investigated a possible repercussions. And we will not let Netanyahu, who is sinking in a swamp, save him himself.
The Iranian actions will be very calculated ones.
PLEITGEN: The United States has threatened Iran, though, with what they call cataclysmic consequences if Iran strikes Israel. What's your reaction
to that?
REZAEE (through translator): The US is highly vulnerable to Iran. The commanders of the U.S. military are aware of Iran's capabilities.
Therefore, they will avoid taking action against Iran.
On the other hand, the U.S. is facing problems regarding their own defense coasts.
There has to be a ceasefire in Gaza soon. The United States and Israel should not repeat their mistakes. If in the first weeks of the Gaza War,
the United States has stopped Israel and Netanyahu, the war will not extend.
So the main element of the extension of the war are the U.S. and Israel. The more this war extends, the more the United States will be damaged.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: It's something similar that we've heard from other Iranian officials as well, Bianna, in the past, is they believe that a ceasefire is
absolutely necessary in Gaza. They certainly aren't optimistic that one will materialize anytime soon, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And they aren't the only ones that aren't as optimistic today. Definitely not as optimistic as regional partners were just a few
days ago.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen, thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: Well, America's top diplomat is ending his latest Middle East trip without a Gaza ceasefire and a hostage release deal, as we just noted.
ASHER: Right. Antony Blinken visited Egypt, Qatar, and Israel to push a bridging proposal aimed at narrowing the gaps between Hamas and Israel.
Blinken says Israel agreed to the proposal, despite reports that Prime Minister Netanyahu had cast out on a key sticking point.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONY BLINKEN, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: The United States does not accept any long-term occupation of Gaza by Israel.
[12:20:05]
More specifically, the agreement is very clear on the schedule and the locations of IDF withdrawals from Gaza. And Israel has agreed to that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: This, as Israel keeps up its strikes on Gaza. In just the last few minutes, we learned from local rescue workers that an Israeli airstrike
on a school killed at least two people. The Israeli military says that they struck a Hamas command center.
We also have graphic images to show you of Tuesday's operations. We want to warn you that the images you're about to see are disturbing.
ASHER: Yes. Officials in Gaza said Tuesday that 50 people had been killed across the enclave in the past 24 hours.
Let's talk more about the situation on the ground in Gaza. Scott Anderson is the director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza and the Deputy Humanitarian
Coordinator. He joins us now live from Gaza.
Scott, thank you so much for being with us.
You know, over the past couple of weeks, we've spoken a lot about ceasefire negotiations and various proposals and what the sticking points are, and
whether Hamas is serious about a deal, and why they're not at the table, and then whether Netanyahu is serious about a deal.
But you have to remember that there are real people and real lives stuck in the center of this, especially when you consider the fact that many of the
safe zones that people are being told to evacuate to are now full.
Just walk us through what is happening on the ground, Scott.
SCOTT ANDERSON, DIRECTOR OF UNRWA AFFAIRS IN GAZA AND THE DEPUTY HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR: (INAUDIBLE)
ASHER: So sorry to interrupt you. Scott, I'm so sorry to interrupt you. We are having a little bit of trouble with your audio. We can't hear you
properly.
So what we're going to do is we're going to take a quick break. And then hopefully we're going to come back on the other side. And our team will
have a moment to fix what's happening and then we'll interview you again if that's OK with you.
All right. We're going to take a quick break and we'll see you in a couple of minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. As mediators work tirelessly to try to hammer out a ceasefire proposal, let's talk a little bit more again about the situation
on the ground in Gaza.
Let's bring back in Scott Anderson, who is the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza. And also Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator. He is joining us from Gaza.
[12:25:05]
So, Scott, we tried to speak before the break. We were having trouble, obviously. We completely understand that getting a stable internet
connection in Gaza is, of course, not always easy.
But I was asking you about the fact that a lot of the safe zones that people are told to evacuate to in Gaza are full. And we've talked a lot in
this program about the fact that there really aren't any safe places in Gaza right now, especially now that some of the safe zones are full.
Just walk us through what is happening on the ground.
ANDERSON: I think you've heard an appreciated that what we're seeing is continued evacuation for people. There were more evacuation orders that
were given today that had over (INAUDIBLE) people on the move. And there's just really no space left for them to move to.
At this point, I think there's 11 percent of Gaza that's not under some form of evacuation order.
And in the (INAUDIBLE) area, which is not far from where I'm speaking to you, we think that there's 30 to 34,000 people per square kilometer. It's
incredibly densely populated. It's very difficult for people to move around. It's difficult for people to find space. And this is, you know, the
climate is hot. It could summer here. There's no way for people to get cool.
And what we're seeing is continued kinetic activity that's, you know, very sadly resulting in the deaths of people across various parts of Gaza.
GOLODRYGA: Scott, you bring a unique perspective to this role. Having served in the U.S. military for 21 years stationed around the world,
including in Afghanistan, this is, I believe, the fourth conflict between Israel and Gaza that you've witnessed. By far, you say this is the worst.
Can you just explain to us what exactly you're seeing there that would characterize this situation as the worst that you've seen in your career?
Is it because of how small, how dense the space is, the area, the lack of resources, as you've just explained, for those civilians trying to flee to
go to?
ANDERSON: I think it's a little bit of all that. And this, you know, unfortunately, for people in the region, this is the fourth time that I've
been here. First time was in 2009.
And when I was here in 2014, during the conflict, we had just under 300,000 people displaced, which we never thought it could be worse than that.
Our schools at that point were bursting. But now, the current scenario that started after the horrific events of October 7th, we have basically all of
Gaza displaced.
So it's two million people. We haven't been able to get aid in at the scale needed. Everybody is not getting their basic necessities met every day.
We think for August, we're going to underserve the -- a million people aren't going to get enough food that they should get in August. That's half
the population. The hospital network does not function. So it's really as bad as I've seen anywhere in the world.
And then, you know, lastly, on top of that, there's hostages from Israel that are kept here in Gaza. So it's completely an unknown scenario.
When you drive around Gaza, it looks very much like a science fiction movie set. And when you talk to people in Gaza, you know, the one thing they ask
for is a ceasefire, first and foremost, because they want this to stop.
But then they always ask, where can I go that it's safe for my family? And the sad answer is nowhere. There's nowhere that's safe for them, for their
children right now in Gaza.
ASHER: Yes. And the -- and the fact that most, if not all of Gaza's population has been displaced, not just once, but multiple times over the
past 10 months. I mean, you can't even get tense for people.
Just in terms of healthcare, I think a lot of people are concerned about the prospect of infectious diseases. I mean, obviously, you know, just
access to safe, clean water. The water supply is inadequate. There's virtually no sanitation. You know, there's fear about an outbreak. Some
people are talking about polio, among others.
Just talk to us about the state of healthcare and sanitation on the ground.
ANDERSON: I mean, it's really quite awful. The state of sanitation in particular.
As I -- as I move around Gaza, you see piles of garbage everywhere. There's streets that have sewage just flowing down them. And it's just not
something that we can fix, unfortunately.
There's not enough places to take the garbage. And it's very disheartening when you see children looking through garbage, trying to find something
they can sell or something they can eat.
And that just exacerbates what's a very fragile health environment for people. You mentioned polio, which is correct. Polio has been detected
here. We're in the process now of planning to do immunizations for all children under 10 in Gaza. That's over 600,000 children that need to be
immunized. They need two rounds for this to be effective. And we have to reach 90 percent of the population.
[12:30:08]
And normally, when you do polio campaigns, you go door to door and you make sure you have good coverage. You do everybody all at once.
But given the complex environment that we're working in, we're not going to be able to go door to door. So we're trying to figure out how to do that
and how to make sure we get all the children protected from this horrible disease.
But in addition to polio, unfortunately, we've seen hepatitis A and including some of the international aid workers that are here, certainly
watery, diarrhea, upper respiratory disease and skin disease, because there's not enough cleaning supplies in Gaza, just soap which is a very
basic thing that we all take for granted that people unfortunately don't have access to right now.
And that could help prevent a lot of things, including the skin disease, including some of these other diseases that are inside the community. I
mean, we're all taught you wash your hands multiple times a day and that's the safest way to keep yourself healthy.
So the -- and the hospital networks aren't functioning at the level you would expect. They don't have a lot of equipment. There's not one MRI
machine left in Gaza that functions at this moment.
And after (INADUIBLE) loads in early May when the operation started there, we basically stopped doing medevacs.
So it's a very difficult environment medically for people. It's very unsafe environment. And as I said earlier, we unfortunately continue to see
attacks that takes the lives of people who are really just trying to find safety for themselves and for their families.
GOLODRYGA: And there really is a lack of civil authority there as well. Obviously, this is an enclave that was run by Hamas.
And now, Scott, as you describe what is an unprecedented situation, you have people suffering their, children going through garbage, looking for
something that they can sell or even eat, concerns about diseases and water supply. And then you mentioned the hostages that are being held there as
well.
When you hear reports that once again, it looks like these ceasefire hostage deal talks are at yet another impasse. I'm just wondering, what is
your message to all of those actors involved here? Both parties and all of those trying to facilitate a deal?
ANDERSON: I would say that every day that a deal is not made, it impacts people here on the ground. It impacts families, mothers, fathers, children,
keeps the hostages from going home to their families.
It's been well over 10 months now. It's time for this to end. It's time for the hostages to go home. It's time for people in Gaza to finally have peace
and begin rebuilding their lives.
There's been enough violence, enough bloodshed. It's time to find common ground for a ceasefire so we all can hopefully move forward and begin
rebuilding Gaza, which is going to take a very long time.
ASHER: All right. Scott Anderson, live for us there. Thank you so much.
We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:35:47]
GOLODRYGA: We are following developments in the luxury yacht rescue operation off the coast of Sicily.
A short time ago, four more bodies were found in the yacht.
ASHER: Yes. Officials are saying that 22 people were on board when the yacht was hit by a tornado on Monday and sank.
CNN's Barbie Nadeau joins us now from Sicily. Barbie, what more do we know at this hour?
BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Yes. You know, the divers have gone back out. We witnessed four body bags being brought on shore.
You know, it was very ceremonial. The Italian fire brigade and then various officials stood there, you know, in solemn kind of -- is aligned there, as
they were bringing these bodies to shore.
These situations are always grim. But if there can be some sort of good news, it's that they're working towards closure.
The fact that they found the bodies is a very big step in the right direction. This is day three that they've been searching. They can only be
down there 10, 12 minutes at a time. And they've been searching. They were concerned they couldn't get into the vessel, but obviously they have.
Now they're out there again. We aren't sure if they found any other bodies. Two people remain missing. Five confirmed dead, 15 survivors.
ASHER: And just in terms of what the divers here are up against, Barbie, you know, as I read it earlier in the week, they could only sort of --
because of the depth of where this yacht is, they could only really search for 10 minutes at a time before having to come back up.
Just to explain to us the challenges here.
NADEAU: Well, we know in the first day that these divers went down, they were able to get into sort of the control room or the bridge area of the
ship. And there they were met with what they described as electrical cables.
What you have is a lot of debris. When the boat went down, everything that was loose is now floating around in part of the whole debris field there.
And so they -- what they knew or what they assumed were that the people who were missing were sleeping in one of the -- or some of the six suites that
are deep in the bottom of this very large, you know, luxury yacht. It's not a small boat by any means. So it's been very difficult.
Then they were met with this obstacle in terms of how to access it, because the main access points would have been on the bottom of the, you know,
against the seabed. So they've had to figure out how to get inside.
You know, there was talk about cutting it open and doing things like that. We don't have those details yet. We surely will get those in the coming
days, but that's what they're up against.
ASHER: All right. Barbie Latza Nadeau live for us there. Thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: Well, even before Barack and Michelle Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention in Chicago Tuesday night, freedom,
especially reproductive freedom, was fueling cheers throughout the hall.
ASHER: Yes. Democrats attacked the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, over his stance when it comes to abortion. And some Americans got a
chance to tell their own stories, including Kate Cox, who was forced to leave her home state to seek an emergency abortion.
Take a listen to what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATE COX, TEXAS MOTHER: I'm Kate Cox, and I love being a mom. I have two beautiful children, and my husband and I have always wanted a third.
But when I got pregnant, doctors told us our baby would never survive. And if I didn't get an abortion, it would put a future pregnancy at risk.
[12:40:04]
But Trump didn't care. And because of his abortion bans, I had to flee my home. There's nothing pro-family about abortion bans. There's nothing pro-
life about letting women suffer and even die.
(CROWD CHEERING)
Today, because I found a way to access abortion care, I am pregnant again.
(CROWD CHEERING)
And my baby is due in January, just in time to see Kamala Harris sworn in as President of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Really good news there from Kate Cox who really suffered so much --
ASHER: Right, right.
GOLODRYGA: -- in finding out that she was able to get pregnant after all.
Well, time now for The Exchange. And a closer look at how support for reproductive rights could help Kamala Harris find solidarity with a key
voting group. And that is college-educated white women.
For more insight, we're joined by Tia Mitchell, Washington correspondent for the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution," who is at the Democratic National
Convention.
Tia, welcome to the program. Thanks so much for joining us.
It's interesting because you look at the split screen and look at the profile that will be given to reproductive rights and rights for abortion
access at the DNC versus what we saw was a much more muted approach at the RNC on this specific issue, because the former president himself is at odds
with many in his own party who are pushing for a federal ban.
He's now siding with the Supreme Court, leaving it with the states on that issue, the Arizona Supreme Court, just yesterday, cleared the way for
voters to decide on constitutional rights in this year's election, joining a number of states that will also be doing that.
Talk about the significance that now especially a Harris-Walz ticket will be devoting to this issue alone, and hoping to galvanize the party and
women voters.
TIA MITCHELL, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION: Yes. Well, I think it's two-fold. Number is just the policy platform of
Democrats have been pro-rights, pro-access to abortion. That's something that has been a contrast between Democrats and Republicans for decades.
But the second part of that is that now Democrats see that since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, abortion access has helped boost Democrats in
the polls repeatedly in the past couple of years.
So now, it's also a practical issue for Democrats that they know when abortion is on the ballot, not only does abortion access tend to win, but
other Democrats on the simultaneous ballots tend to do better. It doesn't guarantee the Democrats will win, but it's something that could be a boost.
So I think that's why, especially tonight, but as you've mentioned throughout this Democratic Convention, there has been a focus on not just
talking about access to abortion, but hearing from people who can give first-person accounts as to why this access matters.
ASHER: And, Tia, when you think about the Trump's record when it comes to women just focusing on the other side temporarily, obviously back in 2016,
we had the grabbed them by the whatever comments. There's the fact that he was found liable of sexual abuse when it came to the E. Jean Carroll case.
There's obviously, as we've just talked about, stacking the Supreme Court with three conservative justices.
And then, obviously, what that meant for abortion rights. But on top of that, more recently, J.D. Vance's childless cat lady comments trying to
sort of push this idea that women who don't have kids are somehow less valuable in society.
Just explain to us how the Republicans essentially turn around their messaging to women with just 70 days, 70 plus days out until the election
on November 5th.
MITCHELL: Yes. I think it's going to be hard, number one, because Republicans have been inconsistent. Even Donald Trump, he's talked about
not supporting a federal abortion ban, but he's also celebrated the fact that he appointed the Supreme Court justices that voted to overturn Roe v.
Wade and gave the court the majority to do so. So there's inconsistency there. There's not a message.
And when they do have a message, it's often on the side that does not poll well. You know, the side of Republicans in Congress, for example, pushing a
federal abortion ban after 12 weeks or so, that doesn't poll well. So you have Republicans not having a winning message or a consistent message.
But the other thing is, and you mentioned this, J.D. Vance, his remarks about women continue not only just, you know, they come across as
problematic, but they come across as this very limited view of what consists of a family and what families should look like.
[12:45:08]
Even the fight he's had this week with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. And, of course, Beshear has talked about abortion rights. He said it helped him
win a second term.
And when he was criticizing J.D. Vance for criticizing women who want to have access after rape or incest, he said shame on him. What if he had to
go through something like that?
And J.D. Vance interpreted that as Beshear wishing rape on him because he - - it's not like he's able to interpret that as a man, even when your partner goes through something, you absorb some of that.
And because it's just an interesting worldview that J.D. Vance isn't even thinking about the effect rape or incest could have on men who know someone
who has to go through that. He's only thinking of Beshear saying it had to happen directly to him, not someone in his orbit.
And I just think that's just more indicative of his very limited view of some of these issues.
GOLODRYGA: And very combative at well, just doubling down sort of on his old talking points.
I do have to say one of the most powerful speeches that we heard this week, thus far, was from a rape and incest survivor, who says that she was raped
and abused repeatedly by her stepfather. And what were the words she said? There's nothing beautiful about a child having to give birth to her
parents' child. And that was really a stunning and powerful moment.
Also Kamala Harris making history, visiting an abortion clinic as well earlier this year.
Tia Mitchell, Washington correspondent at the "Atlantic Journal- Constitution," thank you so much.
ASHER: Thank you, Tia.
MITCHELL: Thank you.
ASHER: All right. For the fourth time --
GOLODRYGA: Wow.
ASHER: -- Jennifer Lopez is getting a divorce. Coming up, why she and soon to be ex-husband, Ben Affleck, are calling it quits.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: There is an old song called "Breaking Up is Hard to Do." That is, unless you are Jennifer Lopez.
GOLODRYGA: Interestingly, it was not played at the roll call last night.
The singer actress has filed for divorce from Ben Affleck, in case anyone hasn't heard at this point.
[12:50:01]
Now this one lasted just two years. The couple first met on a movie set in 2002, had a brief engagement, and then rekindled their relationship in
2021.
ASHER: CNN's Lisa France joins us live now with the story.
So Lisa, I mean, I was just -- we -- Bianna and I were debating this, this morning. It was almost the most beautiful celebrity love story. I mean,
this idea. And I'm such a romantic, by the way.
This idea that this young couple falls in love, you know, 20 years ago, they couldn't be together. I'm really into it, but keep looking at me like
I'm nuts, which she does all the time. That's totally fine.
But they couldn't be together for whatever reason. And then they end up married to other people, and then they come back together 20 years later.
And it -- you know, if you can think of a more beautiful celebrity love story, let's hear it. Because it was almost so good, but wasn't meant to be
clearly, right?
LISA FRANCE, CNN REPORTER: Almost wasn't enough, unfortunately. Well, because, especially because she filed for divorce on the second anniversary
of their wedding in his palatial estate here in Georgia. And so that really felt like she was trying to send a message, right? Because she strolled
into a courthouse, apparently herself, and filed.
And, you know, everybody is like really pulling for them. I felt like a lot of people were being hopeless romantic, like you are. And heavy emphasis on
the word hopeless, though, because it appears that they were not able to keep it together.
You know, which begs the question, what really was it about them now that they thought, even though we weren't able to make it down the aisle, then
we're such different people now that we are really going to be able to get married and hold it together. That -- by the way, that's an -- that answer
we may never know.
But what we do know is that they met more than 20 years ago, as you pointed out on the film, Gigli, which let's not even talk about Gigli, because
that's a whole another story.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. There's a warning sign in and of itself.
FRANCE: Exactly. And they get engaged. He presents her with this beautiful pink 6.1 carat diamond ring that everybody oohed and awed over it. But then
months later, they didn't even make it down the aisle. They ended up breaking up.
So when they reunited and got back together, everybody thought, oh, this is wonderful.
And interestingly enough, I interviewed Ben Affleck. He came into the office and he talked to me during a time when she was still engaged to Alex
Rodriguez. And in the middle of the interview, he just starts talking about how amazing Jennifer Lopez is. And she's so talented and she doesn't get
enough credit for what she does for women of color in this industry.
And I thought, OK, I didn't ask you that, sir. But that was interesting.
ASHER: Are you serious?
FRANCE: Yes, that totally happened.
ASHER: Lisa is.
FRANCE: That completely happened. And then when she ended up getting back with him, I thought, oh.
And then we find out, via the documentary, that all those years, they were still in contact, so.
GOLODRYGA: Was he still married to Jennifer Garner at that time?
FRANCE: He was not still married to Jennifer Garner when I --
GOLODRYGA: OK.
FRANCE: -- interviewed him. But she was with Alex Rodriguez at the time when he told me that.
ASHER: You know what? You have all the -- I never hear gossip. You have all the gossip.
FRANCE: Call me.
GOLODRYGA: Hang out with us. Hang out with us.
ASHER: I never hear gossip. Oh, thank you, Lisa. Thank you for --
(LAUGHS)
GOLODRYGA: We'll be right back. I'll console Zain now. She's still heartbroken.
ASHER: Bye, Lisa. We'll be right back.
GOLODRYGA: We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:55:48]
ASHER: All right. Before we go, we've got one more key moment from the Democratic National Convention last night to show you from someone you
might recognize.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: See, I'm not the only one. CNN's very own commentator, Van Jones, is getting down with Lil Jon at the DNC rocking some dad moves. Go,
Van. Go, Van.
ASHER: He is into it. Wow. All right. That does it. It's been quite an hour.
GOLODRYGA: I'm sorry, guys. We're just (INAUDIBLE) with her. Oh, dancing moves here. I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thanks so much for watching. "AMANPOUR"
is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:00]
END
