CNN.com - Transcripts (2024)

[04:00:00]

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: In the remaining months of this year's presidential campaign, Dhoni will continue to investigate and report on the misinformation he's seeing in politics on both sides. Thanks for watching The Whole Story. I'll see you next Sunday.

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on the campaign trail backs a plan already proposed by Former President Donald Trump. Details on what her campaign is promising to reveal in the days ahead.

Widespread condemnation aimed at Israel over its deadly strike on a school in Gaza. How the White House is responding while still trying to work towards a ceasefire.

And Taylor Swift's tour is set to hit London after that foiled terror plot in Vienna, but U.K. authorities and Swift fans alike say they're prepared.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: We begin here in the U.S. as Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris wraps up a tour of battleground states. She and her vice-presidential pick were in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the focus was on service employees who make up such a large part of the city's workforce. Eva McKend reports on what she's promising, and why it may sound a little familiar.

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EVA MCKEND, CNN U.S. NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: At a worker focused rally in Las Vegas, Vice President Harris pledging her support for eliminating taxes on tips for hospitality and service workers. It was the first time that she has made such a pledge and also notable because this is a policy Former President Donald Trump also supports and has been campaigning on for weeks.

Harris really aiming to go after the support of workers in this critical battleground state. She received the support of the culinary union and their 60,000 members. This message seemed tailor-made for them.

KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: And it is my promise to everyone here when I am president, we will continue our fight for working families of America, including to raise the minimum wage, eliminate taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers.

MCKEND: The vice president will hold a fundraiser in San Francisco Sunday, and then next week she will roll out her economic policy vision where she says she will address inflation and how to bring costs down.

Eva McKend, CNN, Las Vegas, Nevada.

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BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, Harris' campaign is clarifying an earlier comment made by her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Spokesperson says Walz, quote, misspoke in a 2018 video where he's heard talking about carrying assault weapons in war, giving the impression that he served in a war zone. Now, Walz's comments has been severely criticized by Republicans. Vice Presidential Nominee J. D. Vance has accused Walz of being dishonest about his record, but the Harris campaign says, quote, Governor Walz would never insult or undermine any American's service to this country. Walz served in the Minnesota Army National Guard for 24 years before retiring to run for Congress. He was never deployed to a combat zone as part of his service.

A new poll by the New York Times and Siena College shows a tight presidential race overall with no clear leader, but that poll shows Harris leading Donald Trump by four points in the crucial states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Now, that's a significant improvement for the Democratic ticket, as earlier polls showed Trump leading President Biden in those states.

Here's CNN's Harry Enten showing how another poll is closely aligning with what we're seeing in these fresh New York Times/Siena College numbers.

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HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: You know that I like to see confirmation of an individual poll. So, there were Ipsos polls that were conducted in these same states. And I want you to look, this is an aggregate of courts across Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. You go back to June, what'd you see? You saw Trump, on average, up by two points, very similar to what we saw in the New York Times/Siena College Poll. Look at where we are now, the August margin between Harris and Trump. And look at what we see here. We see Harris up by two points. Again, no clear leader, but that four-point movement, very similar to what we saw in The New York Times/Siena College Poll. And this is what we're seeing across the polling data.

It's not just one poll. It's not just one pollster. It's across pollsters. It's across polls. And of course, in these great like battleground states, they're going to be so important. We're seeing this four-point move with instead of seeing a small Republican lead we're seeing a small Democratic Party lead, and in this particular case, a small Kamala Harris lead over Donald Trump, the reverse of what we were just seeing just two months ago.

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BRUNHUBER: The Trump campaign says it's been hacked. In a statement, the campaign blamed foreign sources hostile to the United States trying to interfere in the presidential election. They pointed to a report released on Friday by Microsoft alleging that Iranian operatives had ramped up attempts to influence and monitor the election. The claim comes after Politico reported that it had received internal Trump campaign documents from an anonymous e-mail account. The White House strongly condemns any attempt at foreign interference in American elections.

There are new calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, one day after Gaza officials said an Israeli strike on a school killed at least 93 Palestinians. Now, CNN can't confirm that number, but global reaction has come quickly. Turkey says the strike was a crime against humanity. Britain's foreign secretary says he's appalled by the attack. The European Union's vice president says, quote, there's no justification for these massacres.

Israel says the school housed a Hamas command-and-control center and that a top Islamic jihad commander was likely at the school. A weapons expert tells CNN that based on parts of an explosive device found at the scene, at least one U.S.-made bomb was used in the attack.

Now to CNN's Kevin Liptack with more on the White House's Concerned reaction to these Israeli strikes.

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KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: The White House is voicing serious consternation at this Israeli airstrike in Gaza, saying it makes more urgent the necessity for the ceasefire and hostage deal to bring peace to Gaza. A White House National Security Council spokesman saying in a statement, we are deeply concerned about reports of civilian casualties in Gaza following a strike by the Israel Defense Forces on a compound that included a school. The spokesman goes on to say, we are in touch with our Israeli counterparts who have said they targeted senior Hamas officials, and we are asking for further details.

A U.S. official familiar with the matter tells me that Israel has informed the White House that it used smaller munitions in the strike in an attempt to limit civilian casualties. And the spokesman from the White House does acknowledge in this statement that Hamas has a history of using these types of facilities to operate and gather within. But it does say that Israel must take measures to minimize civilian harm.

Of course, that has been the message coming from the White House and from President Biden going back several months. It's far from clear that is having any influence on Israel's conduct in this war. That has caused deep tensions between President Biden and the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

So, far, President Biden has not limited arms sales to Israel. What his intention has been and what his strategy has been is to press both of these sides to come to the table and renew these negotiations to try and come up with a ceasefire that would be paired with the release of hostages in Gaza.

He did release a statement last week with the leaders of Qatar and Egypt calling on all sides to come back to the negotiating table next week on August 15th and renew these discussions. Now that President Biden is no longer running for president, this has been an overarching objective of the remainder of his term.

And in fact, we did hear the new Democratic standard bearer, Vice President Kamala Harris, discussed this today. Listen to what she said.

HARRIS: Far too many civilians who have been killed. I mean, Israel has a right to go after the terrorists that are Hamas. But, as I have said many, many times, they also have, I believe, an important responsibility to avoid civilian casualties.

We need a hostage deal, and we need a ceasefire. And, I can't stress that strongly enough. It needs to get done. The deal needs to get done, and it needs to get done now.

LIPTAK: Now, in President Biden's view and Vice President Harris' view, this ceasefire and hostage deal with lower tensions, not only in Gaza, but across the entire region. And of course, this is now setting up a very important week for these discussions. We are told that American officials will be traveling to the region to make preliminary discussions ahead of these talks on Thursday.

The White House, in its statement on this Israeli airstrike in Gaza, said that it only underscored the urgency of a ceasefire and hostage deal, which they say they will continue to work tirelessly to achieve.

Kevin Liptak, CNN, Washington.

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BRUNHUBER: Hundreds gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday demanding a deal to release all the hostages held in Gaza, and protesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

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Among the demonstrators were families of hostages calling for an end to their 10-month ordeal. One of those is the family of Itay Chen. He was an IDF soldier who was killed on October 7th. His father, Ruby Chen, has been calling to bring home all the hostages, whether living or dead, including his son's remains. Here's what he told Wolf Blitzer about the attack on the school in Gaza and the ceasefire deal.

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RUBY CHEN, FATHER OF ITAY CHEN: We are optimistic because we have no other choice. But we are positive that this is the time, this is the window of opportunity, because of the political window both in the United States and in Israel, to get this done. And we need everybody, everybody focused to get this deal done. And I would even urge the prime minister of Israel that claims he is the best negotiator. He knows how to get a deal done. He knows how to stand for what is correct for the State of Israel.

I would urge him, Mr. Netanyahu, please get on a plane this Thursday. We see the prime minister of Qatar involved directly in these talks. I would urge him, get on a plane. We will be very thankful to see you negotiate and bring our loved ones back home after 10 months of this agony.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: So, you want Netanyahu personally to go to either Cairo or Doha, Qatar and negotiate on behalf of Israel?

CHEN: He is the prime minister. He was responsible for what happened on October 7th, and he claims that he knows to do the best negotiation possible. Show up. Do your thing. Bring our loved ones back home. It's about time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Journalist Elliott Gotkine joins us live from London with more on the strike and reaction. So, Elliott, Prime Minister Netanyahu has been fairly deaf to international pressure so far. Does anything change in the wake of this attack on the school and the condemnation that's followed?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: The short answer, Kim, is no, I don't think it is going to make much difference. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been steadfast over the last, what, 10 months of fighting that Israel won't be deterred from its war objectives, which are to destroy Hamas' military and governance capabilities, to get the hostages, the living ones and the dead ones, back in Israel, around 115 of them still, about a third of whom are believed to be dead, and also to prevent the Gaza Strip from posing a threat to Israel in the future.

So, in that respect I don't think that this strike is going to change anything. That said, perhaps with a nod to some of the international condemnation that has come about as a result of this strike, Israel has pursued a kind of three-pronged strategy here of explaining, naming, and blaming. It has put out three statements. You don't normally get three statements from the IDF on one particular strike. Three statements explaining how it used precision munitions, small munitions and that there was aerial surveillance and intelligence to try to minimize the number of civilian casualties. It took the unusual, though not unprecedented step of very swiftly naming 19 of the two dozen militants it says it killed in that strike. And then among them, it clarified later, they believe was likely to be a senior commander from Islamic jihad.

And then finally, is the blaming. Blaming Hamas for using schools and other buildings where civilians are sheltering as a base to store weapons, to launch terrorist attacks, and to use them as command-and- control centers.

So, with those three prongs, as I say, perhaps with the not to some of the international condemnation, Israel trying to get its version of events out there. Of course, the other thing, and Kevin was alluding to this, is what impact this may have on ceasefire talks, which is set to resume on Thursday.

So, first of all, important to note that Hamas is has yet to issue a statement saying if it will or if it will not attend those talks. The other thing, of course, is, look, this strike isn't going to help those negotiations, but I think we also need to bear in mind that they've been talking on and off for the best part of nine months since the last one and only ceasefire came to an end, and they haven't managed to achieve any breakthroughs.

There is an added sense of urgency this time around because there's a slim hope, slim chance that perhaps a ceasefire deal could forestall an Iranian and/or attack by Iran or one of its proxies such as Hezbollah on Israel in retaliation for the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander and also the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week. But that is a very slim hope. And certainly, Iran and Hezbollah have been adamant that there will be a retaliation and Israel still very much expecting that to do so.

The war of words thus far is the only thing that has been escalating, but a retaliation of some sort from Iran and/or Hezbollah, its other proxies, is still very much expected any day now. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Thanks so much for the update. Elliott Gotkine, appreciate that. All right. Still to come, Russian forces are trying to fend off Ukrainian troops as Kyiv continues its cross-border incursion. We'll get a live report just ahead.

Plus, investigators are now looking for the cause after the tragic plane crash in Brazil that left 62 dead. But it may take time. We'll have the latest on that coming up next.

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[04:15:00]

BRUNHUBER: Russian officials are urging evacuations to speed up in the Kursk region after Ukraine launched an incursion days ago. More than 76,000 people have already been evacuated amid the fighting, according to Russian media, and nearly 60 temporary shelters have been set up across eight regions of Russia. A source says Ukraine also struck an airfield in Russia's Lipetsk region on Friday, destroying an ammunition depot with more than 700 guided bombs. These satellite images were taken before and after the strike.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's emergency service says a Russian air attack on Kyiv overnight killed a father and his four-year-old son. At least three others were wounded, including a 13-year-old girl.

[04:20:00]

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is slamming Ukraine's incursion into Russia, saying it's escalating the tension. Belarus is now bolstering its forces at the border with Ukraine, claiming it took down several Ukrainian drones that crossed Belarusian airspace on Friday. Lukashenko believes they were attack drones and is calling the incident a provocation.

All right. Joining us now is CNN's Clare Sebastian in London. So, Clare, clearly Moscow is still on the back foot after this Ukrainian incursion. What's the latest?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kim. I think the situation now is that the race really is on for Russia to stop Ukraine from advancing any further or in fact digging in where it's already managed to advance.

Now, Russia has put out multiple claims and videos that it's managed to destroy or push back Russian military equipment, including a claim this morning that it managed to hit a convoy it said of Ukrainian equipment and troops. We haven't been able to verify that, and Ukraine hasn't talked about that. But certainly, that is the image they are trying to project.

But the evacuations that you talked about, some 76,000 of them, according to state media, the acting governor of the Kursk region also urging authorities to speed up those evacuations in one specific district on Saturday. That speaks to those ongoing hostilities. He has said this morning that they have managed to stabilize the situation in that district. But it certainly does give the sense that this is continuing. It could also portend of a bigger Russian operation to come to try to push Ukraine out.

Of course, the question now that they've managed to pull off this sort of blindside, this operational surprise in advancing across the border is how long can they stay there? Russia is clearly trying to amass its forces to push them out.

Now, Ukraine, for the first few days of this, we're now in day six, didn't say anything at all. They are now publicly acknowledging this is happening. Take a listen to President Zelenskyy on Saturday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Today, I received several reports from Commander in Chief Syrskyi regarding the front lines and our actions to push the war onto the aggressor's territory. I'm grateful to every unit of defense forces ensuring that. Ukraine is proving that it can indeed restore justice and ensure the necessary pressure on the aggressor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: You know, in a different part of the speech, he also seemed to acknowledge the risk that Ukraine is taking here. He said, we leave no part of the front unattended.

There has been criticism from some observers that given the situation that Russia has been inching forward particularly on the eastern front of Ukraine facing shortages of manpower and still in some areas, equipment shouldn't perhaps have moved these forces to essentially open a new front inside of Russia. I think, look, time will tell the lasting impact of this, whether or not they've managed to send a message to the Russian people that this is actually war and how effectively they've managed to pull Russian forces away from other areas.

BRUNHUBER: Clare Sebastian in London. I appreciate that. Thank you. A search for answers is underway in Brazil after the devastating plane crash outside of Sao Paulo on Friday. The cause is still unknown, but investigators have started pulling data from the aircraft's two black boxes. The preliminary report could take 30 days.

An official says the bodies of 50 of the 62 victims have been recovered from the crash site. The other 12 were at the back of the plane, which suffered the most damage. Social media videos captured the aircraft spiraling out of the sky before slamming into a residential area. Here's one witness.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I heard a very strange noise from a plane. Then I went outside and saw the plane crash into an apartment very close to my home. Black smoke appeared soon after the crash. I was scared because the crash site was so close to my home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Journalist Stefano Pozzebon has more.

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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The plane plummeted to its demise in a matter of moments. But for those who witnessed the tragic crash outside Sao Paulo, the images will last forever.

I don't know how long it will take before I can sleep again. I'm still in shock, says Gertrude Pereira (ph). She filmed the fiery blaze from her own front yard. Brazil has declared three days of national mourning as rescue workers tirelessly comb through the wreckage to recover the bodies.

RODRIGO SANFURGO, FEDERAL POLICE SUPERINTENDENT: I can say that we are working here now since yesterday. We have a hundred police officers working here.

POZZEBON (voice-over): Sixty-two people have died on Flight 2283, but only a handful of bodies have been identified. Among the victims, a mother of three, a pharmacist traveling to visit her family, teachers at a local university, and the crew of the plane. Brazilian authorities saying they recovered two black boxes that could help clarify what really happened. The cause of the accident, still a mystery. But in such a tragedy, there is also relief for those who felt it could have turned out much worse.

[04:25:00]

The pilot was a real hero. He managed to crash in an open field without causing damage on the ground. Had he crashed two seconds before, we would be dead.

A community and a nation looking at the sky, still waiting for an answer.

Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Vinhedo, Brazil.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: With the U.S. presidential election less than three months away, officials in several states are focused on keeping non-citizens from voting, even though U.S. law already makes that illegal. Well, that story just ahead, please stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

I want to give you an update on our top story. Now, the race for the White House. Former President Donald Trump is accusing Vice President Kamala Harris of stealing a page out of his playbook. That's after she said she supports eliminating taxes on tips for hospitality workers. Trump proposed that policy change back in June.

Now, Harris' pledge came during a campaign rally in Las Vegas, where the hospitality industry is the backbone of the economy. The proposal is among the first notable policies offered by Harris since she replaced President Joe Biden as the Democratic standard bearer.

Trump's running mate, J. D. Vance, claims the Democrats are still skirting the issues and campaigning on personalities instead. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. JD VANCE (R-OH), REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: So, I think that what it is two people, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, who aren't comfortable in their own skin because they aren't comfortable with their policy positions for the American people.

And so, they're name calling instead of actually telling the American people how they're going to make their lives better, I think that's weird, Dana, but, look, they can call me whatever they want to.

[04:30:00]

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: They have done both. They have both policies and they are trying to define that as well. I want to --

VANCE: Dana, if you -- no, no. If you go to Kamala Harris' campaign page right now, they still don't have a policy.

BASH: Well, let's talk about policy versus --

VANCE: Policy positions about what they're going to do. I think that's really insulting to Americans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And you can watch Dana's full interview with J. D. Vance on State of the Union, that starts at 9:00 a.m. here on the U.S. East Coast, 2:00 p.m. in London, 9:00 p.m. in Hong Kong right here, of course, on CNN.

Well, obviously, it's illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections here in the U.S., but in Georgia, the Republican dominated state election board wants to post citizens only signs outside voting booths. Now, it's part of a larger conservative push in the U.S. CNN's Rafael Romo reports.

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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Voters in the United States are already obligated to prove that they are citizens before registering to vote. Registered voters in Georgia also must show a valid photo ID before casting a ballot in every election.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a motion and a second.

ROMO (voice-over): Now, the Georgia State Election Board this week voted in favor of encouraging election officials to post signs outside polling places for the November 5th general election that would clearly say U.S. citizens only. The proposal was introduced by Republican board member Janice Johnston during a meeting on Wednesday.

JANICE JOHNSTON, REPUBLICAN MEMBER, GEORGIA BOARD OF ELECTIONS: This is the sign.

ROMO (voice-over): Johnston says the purpose behind the signs is reminding people that it is illegal for non-citizens to vote. JOHNSTON: Anything to help non-citizens from unwittingly violating election law.

ROMO (voice-over): Sara Tindall Ghazal, the only Democrat on the five-member board, said, the move is unnecessary because, quote, there's absolutely no evidence that this is happening in numbers that would make a difference.

SARA TINDALL GHAZAL, DEMOCRATIC MEMBER, GEORGIA BOARD OF ELECTIONS: I do not want my name associated with perpetuating disinformation that undermines confidence in our electoral process. The myth is that these people are registering and voting in large numbers.

ROMO (voice-over): Board member Janelle King, a Republican, said that the board is not trying to prevent any U.S. citizen from voting. On the contrary, she said, the whole idea is to encourage citizens to vote.

JANELLE KING, REPUBLICAN MEMBER, GEORGIA BOARD OF ELECTIONS: That's what this is about. It's about abiding by the law.

ROMO (voice-over): And there may also be a strong political reason for the U.S. citizens only signs. Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly made outlandish claims about Democrats seeking to add undocumented immigrants to the voter rolls.

During a rally earlier this month in Atlanta, the former president specifically mentioned the three Republican members of the board by name.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Three members, Janice Johnston, Rick Jeffries, and Janelle King, three people are all pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency, and victory.

ROMO: And Georgia is hardly alone when it comes to this issue. Voters in eight states will soon decide whether to change their constitutions to explicitly ban voting by non-citizens. The growing citizen only voting movement marries two issues Republicans hope will motivate their base this fall, unfounded claims about election fraud and illegal immigration.

Rafael Romo, CNN Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Police in Ferguson Missouri say an officer is fighting for his life after being assaulted during protests marking 10 years since Michael Brown's death. Brown was shot and killed in 2014 by a police officer causing protests during the Black Lives Matter movement. Police say the protests on Friday were mostly peaceful until a group of people pushed down a fence by the police station. That's when Officer Travis Brown was knocked over and hit his head, causing a severe brain injury. Officials say several protesters were arrested, including the man accused of charging at Officer Brown. London police are on high alert as they prepare for the arrival of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. Officials say they're equipped to handle all scenarios after the discovery of a terror plot forced the cancellation of Swift's concerts in Vienna. Despite last week's scare, Swifties say they're feeling positive about the London gig.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER (voice-over): The shows will go on, but British police say they're on high alert for Taylor Swift's scheduled concert dates at London's Wembley Stadium. So, far, police say the foiled terror attack targeting the pop star's shows in Vienna won't derail the London events. U.K. Swifties are both relieved and cautious.

LORELEI PETCU, PRESIDENT, UCL TAYLOR SWIFT SOCIETY: We did consider selling our tickets, but I think we took a few hours. We calmed down. We saw what the statements were that were being put out, and I think we're now feeling good about going again.

BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Heartbroken fans in Vienna endured the crushing cancellations of all three of Swift's performances there, after authorities say they uncovered an ISIS inspired plot to attack concertgoers with knives and explosive devices. But the U.K.'s Metropolitan Police say Wembley Stadium routinely hosts such high- profile events.

[04:35:00]

And when the Eras Tour returns to the U.K. this week, policing across the country has already been stepped up because of violent far-right riots and anti-immigrant violence that has broken out in many U.K. cities after three girls were killed during a Taylor Swift themed dance class.

No venue wants a repeat of past security failures like the security bombing in 2017 that killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.

EAMONN FORDE, MUSIC BUSINESS WRITER: I think the live industry will be taking these kinds of things incredibly seriously and they will have measures in place, or will certainly be putting measures in place to ensure that audiences, people working at the venue are incredibly safe.

BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Many concert goers at Sziget, one of the biggest music festivals in Europe taking place in Budapest this weekend, say they're aware of the foil attack at the Taylor Swift concert, and it's a concern, but they try not to dwell on it.

AICHA FGAIER, FESTIVAL GOER FROM THE NETHERLANDS: Sometimes it is on my mind, like if you're in a big crowd and you're like, OK, if something happens right now, what would you do? But in general, I just kind of try and live in the moment.

BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Even Taylor Swift said in 2019 she carries an emergency kit with bandages for gunshot and stabbing wounds after previous attacks at music shows. The new reality of concert going. It's not just about singing along or what bracelets to trade, but what to do in case the worst happens.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER (on camera): And Taylor Swift will perform five shows at Wembley Stadium. The first kicks off this Thursday, August 15th.

Anti-racism protests spread across the U.K. Saturday. One protest was just outside the London headquarters of the right-wing Reform Party, where immigration was a hot button issue during last month's election. Anti-racism protesters outnumbered anti-immigration protesters on Saturday.

Last weekend, protests turned into riots targeting Muslims and migrants after online posts falsely identified the suspected killer of three young girls as an Islamist migrant.

On Saturday, a massive crowd of anti-racist protesters gathered outside a mosque in London. Many waved Palestinian flags along with signs that read no to hatred.

On Sunday, one of the young Southport stabbing victims, nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, will be laid to rest in a private funeral.

All right. Still ahead, we'll go live to Paris with a recap of Saturday's men's basketball final with the U.S. once again proving its dream team status. Stay with us.

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[04:40:00]

BRUNHUBER: Medal mania at the final full day of events at the Paris Games. 39 gold medals were awarded on Saturday with China squeezing past the U.S. to reclaim the lead with the most gold medals. Team USA has 122 medals overall right now, putting it far ahead of the pack. There's still a chance for the U.S. to come out on top in the gold rush. 13 more golds will be awarded before today's closing ceremony, including the women's marathon, when just moments ago, the Netherlands, Sifan Hassan, clinched the gold and set a new Olympic record. Ethiopia took home the silver and Kenya the bronze medal.

The women's basketball gold medal game might induce deja vu, a repeat of the men's final. Team USA will face host nation France, and the U.S. and Italy will vie for gold in women's basketball.

All right. Let's go live now to Paris. And CNN World Sport Anchor Amanda Davies with some breaking news. And bad news for American gymnast Jordan Chiles. What more can you tell us?

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes, I'm afraid I'm not able to start Sunday off on a more positive note. Having had a week as a Paris 2024 medal winner, a really tough end to the Games for Jordan Chiles as the International Olympic Committee have confirmed the U.S. gymnast will be stripped of her bronze medal from the floor competition. It's going to be reallocated to Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu. We're talking about that event that gave us that iconic podium photo with Simone Biles, Chiles, and Rebeca Andrade of Brazil, the first all-black Olympic gymnastics podium.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on Saturday that the inquiry Chiles filed in the moments after her routine questioning the difficulty level scoring came too late after the deadline. Chiles initially finished fifth with Romania's Barbosu in third. But after petitioning her score, Chiles was awarded additional marks that then saw her edge out Barbosu for the bronze, much to the outrage of the Romanian delegation. They then lodged their own complaint to CAS and CAS have ruled in Romania's favor. The International Olympic Committee saying Barbosu is returned to the bronze medal position.

There was though a real buzz on the streets here in Paris last night around the men's basketball final, the one the script writers had been wanting. The stars were out in force on and off the court and the game more than lived up to the hype as host France took on what might be one of the most talented U.S. teams ever assembled in the quest for gold.

20-year-old Victor Wembanyama more than holding his own against some of the all-time greats. The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year scoring 26 points, keeping his team in it all the way to the very last. But in the end, the new dream team of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and co. proved just too strong. And it was Curry whose late game heroics have made him a full-time NBA champion. He added to his legend scoring 25 points and hitting a couple of three pointers in the closing minutes that all but sealed the gold for the USA. A first for Steph, third for LeBron, and a record fourth gold medal for KD.

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STEPH CURRY, TEAM USA, WON FIRST OLYMPIC GOLD: It's everything I imagined and more just the excitement of doing it with, you know, the guys in our locker room, we all signed up for this mission to continue the USA basketball dominance. Obviously, understanding it's going to be a really tough task with some great teams that we're going to have to face and, you know, there's a sense of relief at the end, but it's more like a sense of accomplishment, obviously, knowing what we were able to do.

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DAVIES: Well, the U.S. women's basketball team will try to make it a double gold against France. They're eighth straight later on Sunday when their final takes place. It would also mean they join the women's football team atop the podium, something that felt like an impossibility a year ago after that early exit from the Women's World Cup.

This was the one I was lucky enough to attend last night. In a matter of weeks, Emma Hayes has really injected a new life into the setup, bringing her winning ways from Chelsea in England to the U.S. as they beat Brazil for a third time in the Olympic final, although it did leave legendary Marta still all smiles with silver but without a major tournament title as she retires from international competition after an incredible sixth Olympic Games.

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On the final night of action on the purple track at the Stade de France, a purple patch for the USA's 4x400 relay teams taking gold in both the men's and women's races and setting records along the way. Look at that distance. It's now more than 30 years since the women didn't capture gold in this event. They finished an incredible four seconds faster than the Dutch in silver. The men's event was closer, but they did it and in Olympic record time. So, the third straight games that both U.S. 4x400 teams have won golds.

Now, the end of another Olympic Games is often the moment that brings to an end the sporting careers of many of the athletes that we've seen in action over the last couple of weeks. The time to call it a day, one of those, two-time world champion Ukrainian wrestler Zhan Beleniuk, after silver in Rio in 2016, gold in Tokyo in 2021. He took Greco-Roman bronze here in Paris. Then symbolically placed his shoes in the center of the mat to signal the end.

But that is only half the story, Zhan also a Ukrainian member of parliament and his country now two and a half years into the war against Russia. And I'm delighted to say Zhan is with us now with his medal around his neck. Congratulations on another Olympic medal. But we're standing here in Paris waking up on another morning with news of more air strikes overnight in Kyiv, which I know it is where you live. How does that impact how you view your medal and what's been taking place here in Paris?

ZHAN BELENIUK, MEN'S WRESTLING BRONZE MEDALIST AND UKRAINIAN MP AND OLYMPIC WRESTLER: Yes, thank you for your questions It's difficult for us, for any athletes from Ukraine, this period of time for our land, for our motherland. So, first of all, we here concentrate to show a good results for our country and use this platform to share information about current situation in Ukraine because, you know, when we have here a celebration of Olympic movements, of sports in general, the same time Russia kills our people every day, from day to day. And for us, it's a common situation when we wake up and understood that Russia killed somebody this night.

So, we ask the supporting from our allies, we ask to supporting for our partners because, you know, Russia is a big country with huge resources. But we fight for our land. We are fighting for our values and our rights for living a normal life. That's why we need the support from our allies.

DAVIES: How have you been able to focus on your career and competing with the world's best athletes with what is going on at home?

BELENIUK: Oh, it's a difficult situation because, for example, my kind of sport, wrestling, we have some facilities in Ukraine when we can spend time and have a good preparation. But another facilities, what was destroyed by Russia, for example, swimming pools and something else, our girls and guys spend their time abroad because we finally don't have any opportunity to prepare in our country now. So, this is a big problem. And first of all, a problem with facilities. Second problem is mental health of our athletes who can understand and feeling the safety by yourself, by your relatives, safety of your friends, for example. And you should, every time, thinking about this, and you should, for example, stop your training process and go to shelters when you hear a siren, for example.

It's too tough mentally. But we know that our soldiers, our brave nation's soldiers, protect our land in difficult situation and we know that we can say something. We should do our job. We should going to the Olympic games and should retranslate this information and help our country and get a medals for our country.

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DAVIES: And you are not only an Olympian and an athlete, you are a member of parliament. You said to me you've taken holiday to be here as an Olympian. You go back to your day job --

BELENIUK: Yes.

DAVIES: -- on Monday, tomorrow.

BELENIUK: Yes.

DAVIES: What is the priority for you in that role?

BELENIUK: Supporting our athletes because my responsibility is youth and sport policy in Ukraine. So, we create laws in this sphere. We help our athletes to grow up, to develop their skills, to fix their problems. And now, in this time, you know, when a lot of relocated person, a lot of refugees, a young population unfortunately spends their time mostly abroad. And you know, we can lose our future generation, someone who will be -- who should be on the next Olympic Games, for example. So, it's a big problem and dangerous problem for us in this case. So -- but, you know, it's our reality.

DAVIES: Zhan, thank you so much for your time. I know over 500 sporting venues and facilities have been destroyed over the course of the invasion, and approaching 500 athletes and coaches have also been killed as well. So, we are with you.

BELENIUK: Thank you.

DAVIES: Sending lots of love --

BELENIUK: Thank you for your supporting. Yes.

DAVIES: -- and support. Yes. A medal that means more than most. And all the Ukrainian athletes who I've spoken to over the last couple of weeks, Kim, it is about sending a much bigger message than what is just happening in the sporting sphere.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Incredible that he could still achieve sporting excellence in the larger context of the war there. Such an inspiring story. Appreciate you bringing that to us. Amanda Davies in Paris, thanks so much. And we will be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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BRUNHUBER: Sweltering temperatures in Spain didn't stop people from strolling the streets of Madrid this weekend. Have a look. Residents and tourists look for ways to stay cool on one of the hottest days of the year. It hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius in the Spanish capital Saturday. Spain's meteorological agency is warning another heat wave looms.

Well, a new animal artwork by Banksy appeared on a billboard in London early Saturday, making it the sixth piece to show up in a single week. The Black Cat attracted photographers and onlookers, but they were soon disappointed when three men arrived to take down the billboard for safety reasons. Now, other works popped up during the week, including two pelicans feeding at a fish and chip shop.

Well, that wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment. Please do stay with us.

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