Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Biden Returning To White House Early To Consult With National Security Team Over Middle East; Hezbollah And Israel Exchange Attacks Along Lebanon's Border; Biden Administration Finalizes Rule To Close "Gun Show Loophole"; Bodycam Video Shows Chaos As Officers Approached Dexter Reed; Advocates Mobilize In Arizona After Near-Total Abortion Ban; Inside Chicago's Effort To Stop Smash-and-Grab Robberies. Aired 1-2p ET
Aired April 13, 2024 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[13:00:05]
KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: And you can see one of the astronomers that we profiled there, Dan Milisavljevic, really getting kind of choked up as he walked into Webb's mission control for the very first time.
You know, so much has been said about the telescope itself, the hardware and, of course, it's a -- it's an engineering marvel. So much has been said and seen about these amazing images that the Webb Telescope has captured.
But what we wanted to do with this show is really capture the scientists and their stories who get to use this telescope. Because it's up to them to come up with the questions that the telescope is then going to help them try to answer. And as we said, Omar, these are questions that really cut to the core of who we are, and what this all means. Omar?
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN HOST: All right, Kristen Fisher. Thank you. And all new episode of "THE WHOLE STORY" with Anderson Cooper, airs tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, only on CNN.
New hour of NEWSROOM, let's go.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN "BREAKING NEWS".
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: All right, everyone. Thanks for joining me. I'm Omar Jimenez, in for Fredricka Whitfield.
We're going to begin with "BREAKING NEWS".
President Biden is returning to the White House from Delaware today to consult with his national security team about the intensifying situation in the Middle East. Now, sources say the U.S. expects Iran to carry out a direct attack on Israel in the coming days, in retaliation for the killing of senior Iranian military officials in Syria last week.
Also new today, Iranian authorities have seized a container ship near the Strait of Hormuz. The ship which Tehran links to Israel has been directed toward Iran.
And overnight, Israel and Iran backed militant group, Hezbollah, exchanged attacks across the border with Southern Lebanon. A lot of factors to keep an eye on here.
We have Jennifer Hansler in Washington, Jeremy Diamond in Jerusalem, and Ben Wedeman is in Beirut, Lebanon for us. I want to start with you, Jennifer. What do we know about the president's return to the White House today?
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT REPORTER: Well, Omar, this is one of the clearest signals yet that the U.S. expect something to happen imminently.
We see the president returning from her home with where he was supposed to be spending the weekend back to D.C. to meet with his national security team and be linked up for whenever this potential attack by Iran happens.
The president said yesterday he expected it sooner than later. He also warned the Iranians do not do this.
Take a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How imminent do you think the attack on Israel is from Iran, Mr. President?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't want to get into secure information, but my expectation is sooner than later.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President, what is your message to Iran in this moment?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President --
BIDEN: Don't.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANSLER: We know that this message has also been conveyed privately to Iran. There has been an exchange of messages behind the scene between the two countries, each warning each other not to get involved here. We have also seen this flurry of diplomatic activity behind the scenes.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken with a number of counterparts, basically anyone he thinks has any sort of sway over Iran to also warn them against escalation we've seen both Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaking with the Israeli defense minister over the past several days to re-emphasize the U.S. support for Israel in case of any attack there.
So, the alert is very high here for a potential explosion of the situation, Omar.
JIMENEZ: And, of course, Israel has been the direct target here of this potential retaliation. And Jeremy, how is Israel preparing for a possible attack here?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there have been a flurry of meetings between Israeli officials themselves, consultations with American officials, and also, Israeli forces, certainly on high alert this evening, Omar, we heard yesterday from Israel's top general, Herzi Halevi, who said that Israeli forces are prepared to defend and respond to any scenario, including an attack by Iran.
Today, the Israeli military spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari, saying that Iran will, "Bear the consequences for choosing to escalate." That comes, as I'm told that Israeli officials are preparing for a potential Iranian attack on Israeli facilities inside of Israel.
That, of course, is what is now being viewed as one of the more likely scenarios, but it is one of several scenarios that are being considered in terms of whether or not Iran will attack directly using its forces or whether it will carry out this attack using a numerous proxies forces that it has in the region.
Certainly, the type of attack that Iran carries out and where it is directed what the target is, will certainly determine what comes next and whether or not that will be a significant Israeli response, perhaps one that could come on Iranian soil if indeed this Iranian response comes on Israeli soil. So, a lot to be determined, but certainly this is a very tense moment in the region.
JIMENEZ: And all of this just highlights the multiple fronts that Israel is fighting here.
[13:05:00]
It's not just the Israel-Hamas war, there have also been back and forth with Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon.
Obviously, this potential Iranian retaliation is in response to a strike in Syria. I want to bring in Ben Wedeman who is just at the Lebanon Israel border. What did you see there?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Omar, what we saw is that there is no part of the Middle East, where the tensions between Iran and Israel are played out more dramatically than in Southern Lebanon, along the line that separates Israel and Lebanon. And certainly, what we saw is evidence that, that is one of the most tense and dangerous corners of the Middle East.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WEDEMAN (voice over): We're on patrol with Spanish U.N. peacekeepers in a land on the edge, the southernmost part of Lebanon. Racked by six months of strike and counter strike between Hezbollah and Israel. On the brink, perhaps of even worse.
We drive along the Blue Line, the unofficial frontier between two countries in a technical state of war for more than 75 years.
A concrete wall topped by mesh is all that separates the two. More than 300 people, fighters and civilians have been killed here since October. Communities on both sides, perilously close to the border, says Lieutenant Colonel Juan Garcia Martinez.
LT. COL. JUAN GARCIA MARTIMNEZ, SPANISH CONTINGENT, INIFIL: Because (INAUDIBLE) is in a very bad position. Is in the front, close to the blue line. And you can read from many position the idea.
WEDEMAN (voice over): Hezbollah is a close ally of Iran, which is threatening to retaliate against Israel for its bombing of Tehran's constantly in Damascus, raising the specter that the war in Gaza could spread across the region.
WEDEMAN: When you speak to ordinary people, here, observers, analysts, diplomats, they all seem to agree that war between Hezbollah and Israel is not a matter of if, it's only a question of when.
WEDEMAN (voice over): Around 90,000 people have fled the south since October. Others remain. Many of them, Syrian workers tending farms in these fertile valleys.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So --
WEDEMAN (voice over): The Spanish peacekeeper's base is right on the border. And in the line of fires is Captain Hector Alonso.
CAPT. HECTOR ALONSO, SPANISH CONTINGENT, UNIFIL: So, technically, we have the Israel on the south. North, we have Lebanon, right? So, as I said, we have -- we have seen some single fires on a strengthened area. We seen the strikes on the -- on this area, which is called Bastara (PH).
WEDEMAN (voice over): Just a few 100 yards away across a minefield sits an Israeli military position, no visible movement there. The temporary calm, highly deceptive. Friday afternoon, the Israeli military released video of a strike on what it claimed was a military building belonging to Hezbollah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WEDEMAN (on camera): And what we have seen today is there have been more strikes and counter strikes, by our count, 70 Israeli airstrikes on targets along the line that separates Lebanon and Israel, as well as eight strikes from Hezbollah upon Israeli positions.
Now, even though people here are very worried about the possibility of an expansion of the war to include Lebanon, what we've heard from officials very close to Hezbollah, is that the response to the Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus will come from Iran and not from its allies or proxies around the region.
Omar?
JIMENEZ: It's a critical reporting and a factor to keep an eye on as we, of course, wait any potential retaliation. Ben Wedeman, Jennifer Hansler, Jeremy Diamond, thank you all.
Still to come, new polling numbers shows the presidential race here in the United States is in a near even split between Biden and Trump.
[13:09:27]
We're going to take you live to a key battleground state. Next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JIMENEZ: We may still have six months ago until the November election. But already, Pennsylvania is a major focus of the 2024 presidential race. Today, Donald Trump is visiting the Keystone State. Next week, President Biden will make multiple campaign stops in what is considered a critical swing state for both candidates.
I'm going to tell you what you've already been hearing. A new poll from the New York Times and Siena College shows the race is a toss-up at this point. Again, months ago, the national poll as Joe Biden at 45 percent, Donald Trump at 46 percent. But this is an improvement for Biden who trailed by five points in the same poll in February.
Joining us now is Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis. He's a Democrat serving his first term. Lieutenant Governor, thank you for joining us. Now, look, President Biden is going to be in your state this week on an economic tour. Inflation still a top concern for voters and polls. And it shows many of them are skeptical of Biden's handling of the economy, despite what any numbers may say.
[13:15:04]
So, what does the president need to do to convince voters he's earned the right to lead the country and the economy for another four years?
LT. GOV. AUSTIN DAVIS (D), PENNSYLVANIA: Well, thank you so much, Omar for having me. You know, polls are just a snapshot in time. And being from Pennsylvania, we know that this election is going to be close.
And so, what we knew need to do is execute from now until election day, making sure we are talking about President Biden and Vice President Harris's record on delivering for the American people.
And I believe now that the contrast is clear that it's going to be President Biden against former President Trump. People are just starting to tune into this race. So, I'm confident by election day President Biden is going to get reelected. That's what I think really the only poll that matters. JIMENEZ: Yes. And a lot can happen and is scheduled to happen between now and election day.
I want to pivot over to guns, as well, because it's another big issue that could play a big role in the 2024 election. This week, the Biden administration took an important step in an attempt to close the so- called gun show loophole. It gives Americans access to firearms at gun shows, and on the Internet without background check. Those gun shows do now.
How much of an impact do you believe this is actually going to have on reducing gun violence, or at the very least, an improper circulation of guns?
DAVIS: Yes. Now, this is -- and hugely personal issue for me. It's the reason I got involved in public service. I believe this will have a significant impact, as well as all of the actions that President Biden has taken from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was the first piece of common-sense gun reform legislation that was passed at the federal level in decades.
To the creation of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention that's headed up by Vice President Harris. I think it's going to be a comprehensive approach to reduce gun violence in our communities. But this is a significant step forward to making sure that we keep guns out of the hands of folks who shouldn't have them.
JIMENEZ: Yes. And look, this is -- this is a step, and it really is, as far as, as far as we know that this move by the Biden administration is a tweak to what the definition of in the business of selling guns actually is.
So, it may encourage others to, you know, to take some extra steps before they actually engage in the sales of guns. So, we will see. It's going to take about 30 days to go into effect.
The Biden administration also put this new rule out ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting, the gunman in that massacre, used the gun show loophole to purchase weapons.
And again, this doesn't eliminate all private seller sales. So, could there still be a loophole around, again, this action that we're expecting to go into place in a few weeks?
DAVIS: No, you know, I don't believe so. But there is always -- there are always things that need to be tightened with the absence of a House of Representatives that's willing to take on this issue. To make the community safer. President Biden is doing everything he can in his power to make sure that folks feel safe and are safe in their communities.
And Governor Shapiro and I here in Pennsylvania, are being strong partners to take on gun violence and make sure our communities are safe, because at the end of the day, right now, we know is the number one cause of death for young people in America is guns. Not cancer, not car accidents, not -- its guns. And President Biden and vice president Harris have been leading on this issue. And I believe America is going to be safer as a result of this rule change.
JIMENEZ: Yes. And we will -- we will see once it goes into effect how much of an impact it actually has. But as you mentioned, it does appear to be a significant step. We will see.
Lt. Governor Austin Davis, thanks for being with us.
DAVIS: Thank you for having me.
JIMENEZ: Of course.
All right, when we come back, President Biden is cutting short his weekend and returning to the White House from Delaware. What he will do as fears grow over retaliatory attack from Iran or its proxy forces in the Middle East? We'll talk about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:23:25]
JIMENEZ: I'm going to go back to our top story and the rising tensions in the Middle East. CNN's Jennifer Hansler is in Washington now on new information on Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Jennifer, what do you know?
HANSLER: Well, Omar, we learned that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke today with his Israeli counterpart. By my count, this is the fourth time the two have spoken since that Israeli strike on an Iranian facility in Damascus at the beginning of April.
Today, according to a readout from the Pentagon, the two of them discuss urgent regional threats, and the secretary of defense reiterated that the U.S. will support Iran that their support is ironclad there.
Now, all of this is set against the backdrop of what we expect could be an imminent strike -- potential strike by Iran against Israel. We see the president returning early from his trip to Rehoboth. He was supposed to be spending the whole weekend there.
Now, he is returning to Washington later today to meet with his national security team. Of course, that team does include Secretary Austin, as well as Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Blinken has also spoken with the Israeli defense minister in recent days. So, there is a lot of concern. Everyone is on high alert about the regional tensions going on. And the potential for this situation to absolutely explode. Omar.
Jennifer Hansler, thank you. And thank you for staying on top of it. We've had you on a bunch. When you get your new updates, always come back. I want to get some more analysis with Suzanne Maloney. She is the vice president and director of foreign policy at the Brookings Institute. So, what do you see as Iran strategy right now? Are they going to draw out this situation? Or move ahead quickly with plans for an attack on an Israeli target as they have threatened?
SUZANNE MALONEY, VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF FOREIGN POLICY, THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTE: Thanks, Omar.
[13:25:00]
I think we have to take seriously the warnings that we've heard from the U.S. and other governments. We've seen a number of embassies send their dependent personnel home, or essentially closed the doors. We've seen a number of airlines actually shut down service to or around Iran.
And I think that speaks to serious reason to believe that the Iranians are poised to retaliate in a significant way.
JIMENEZ: Yes. Now look, do you think Iran or one of its proxies is likely to attack a U.S. asset in the Middle East or anywhere else? Because, of course, they have said that because of U.S. support of Israel, that that the United States is tied into any potential response as well.
MALONEY: I am less confident that the Iranians will strike out directly at the United States in the immediate term.
JIMENEZ: Yes.
MALONEY: I think that's always a risk, because, of course, they consider us an adversary, and there is a very long history of Iran hitting American targets, including over the course of the past six plus months since the war in Gaza erupted.
JIMENEZ: Yes. So, I guess one of the major concerns here is, look, I don't have to tell you, there are a lot of different conflicts playing out in a related but separate fashion, even just with Israel. They have been going back and forth with Hezbollah and southern Lebanon, they, of course, have the war with Hamas.
Iran, this is now a much more direct potential threat from the State of Iran, after the strike in in Syria of military officials. Where is a likely flashpoint for this, to potentially become a wider conflict? Have we already seen it?
MALONEY: Well, I think the conflict has been widening in a steady way since October 7th. As you noted, we've seen a number of back-and-forth attacks between Israel and Hezbollah over the course of the past six months. We've seen proxies related to Iran in Iraq and Syria, who have struck Israel and struck American positions in the region.
And of course, the Houthis have been quite active. The Houthi rebels in Yemen, in terms of attacking civilian maritime traffic in the Red Sea. So, the conflict is already wider. But we haven't yet reached the stage of an all-out war involving multiple state parties.
And I think, this weekend, really does represent a significant risk of moving to a new threshold for this conflict. If Iran and Israel escalate to an extent that we have a direct conflict between the two, the United States will inevitably be pulled in.
JIMENEZ: Yes. And look, while we are watching the potential risks militarily, diplomatically between many of these countries involved, for example, the price of oil has been rising on the back of these rising tensions. Are there are other aspects of life in these countries or beyond that could constitute wider fallout from a potentially escalating conflict?
MALONEY: I think the real concern right now is what happens over the course of the next 48 hours or so that seems to be the most intense period of risk and the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said that Israel will be punished for the attack that killed Mohammad Reza Zahedi and six to other senior members of the Revolutionary Guard Corps in a strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
That is considered Iranian soil and the Iranians are promising to strike back on Israeli soil. That would be a really an unprecedented step for Iran to strike Israel proper. It has, in fact, been linked to terrorist attacks on Israeli targets all around the world, including diplomatic facilities in Argentina. But striking Israel proper from Iran, or directly attributable to Iran is really a new threshold for this conflict.
JIMENEZ: Yes, yes. Suzanne Maloney, really appreciate the perspective, as you mentioned, a critical 48 hours ahead. I really appreciate you being here.
MALONEY: Thanks so much.
JIMENEZ: Of course.
Just ahead, we got new details on the deadly shooting of 26-year-old Dexter Reed during a traffic stop in Chicago. I'm going to discuss it with the chief administrator for the Chicago civilian office of police accountability that's investigating what happened.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:33:47]
JIMENEZ: New details are emerging in a deadly Chicago police shooting days after body camera video was released.
Now that police video is sparking a lot of outrage on many sides after investigators said officers fired 96 shots at 26-year-old Dexter Reed during a traffic stop, 96 shots in 41 seconds after Dexter Reed fired first.
Here's some of that video.
And a warning. Some of what you're about to see, you may find disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER: Open the door now. Open the door now. Open the door now.
(GUNFIRE)
UNIDENTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER: Shots fired! Shots fired!
(GUNFIRE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: Those shots ended up going on to continue. As I mentioned, an estimated 96 shots, according to preliminary investigation, which also shows Reed shot first as plainclothes officers approached his SUV for that traffic stop back on March 21st.
Now, Chicago's police superintendent says he still needs to hear his officers' side of the story and will withhold comment until then.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY SNELLING, SUPERINTENDENT, CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT: It's important that we understand that when we have something out there that needs to be investigated, let's investigate it. If we find something that we have proven is wrongdoing, let's take action and let's hold people accountable. But let's not litigate this before we even have all of the facts.
[13:35:11]
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: Now Reed's family told me he had been feeling increasingly paranoid last year and felt people were out to get him and that he wanted to have a gun to protect himself. A gun was recovered from the car.
And last year, he was arrested, in part, for not having a valid license for the gun. Unclear if it was the same one.
But also within this is a family who's in mourning. Here's what his sister told me earlier this week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PORSCHA BANKS, SISTER OF DEXTER REED: We're listening to the police talking about shots fired. I mean, I can hear all the shots on the scanner. I got to hear so many shots, so many shots, so many shots.
But didn't know that it was my brother. So I didn't know until later on that night that those shots that I heard and then the ambulances going to the shots was my brother. I was the most heartbreaking thing that I could have ever felt in my life. (END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: Joining us now is Andrea Kersten. She's the chief administrator for Chicago's Civilian Office of Police Accountability.
Thanks for being here.
OK. So Dexter Reed was pulled over. Plenty of people are pulled over and it doesn't end in gunfire. But here, Dexter Reed ended up shooting at the officers first, hitting one of them. They shot back.
For a lot of people, that's an open-and-closed case. Explain, what exactly is it that you're investigating here?
ANDREA KERSTEN, CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR, CHICAGO'S CIVILIAN OFFICE OF POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY: So in each and every police shooting, our agency, COPA, is tasked with doing a complete review of everything that is involved in and leading up to a use of deadly force by Chicago police officers.
And I want to stress that these investigations occur each and every time a Chicago police officer uses deadly force against a member of the public where someone is stuck.
In this particular instance, as in all instances, COPA conducts the administrative review, which means we are examining Chicago Police Department's policies and training to determine whether office complied with those standards.
CPD policies, relative to the use of deadly force, require officers make sure that their actions are objectively reasonable, necessary, and proportional throughout the incident.
And with all police shootings, we are examining the totality of circumstances. So not just one fact or one factor in any given set of information, but the totality of circumstances, which, under CPD policy, includes both the subject, which, in this case, would be Dexter Reed's actions, as well as officers' actions prior to the use of force.
JIMENEZ: Yes. And look, based on your preliminary report that you've put out so far, Reed was initially pulled over, reportedly, for not wearing a seat belt. Though, I know that you've raised some doubts about that behind the scenes.
I want you to take a listen to the Chicago police superintendent when he was asked about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SNELLING: Now I'm not saying that that couldn't be true. But I can't comment on that and I will not comment on that because those officers have not been interviewed. And without an interview of the officers, all of the evidence has -- is not complete.
So those who are putting that information out into the media are doing so irresponsibly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: Now, look, the pullover, at least from our reporting, did come from you all's preliminary findings of the incident. But where are you getting that information from? Have you -- have you had a chance to interview the officers here?
KERSTEN: I want to speak again more generally about process. In each and every police shooting, COPA's investigation begins in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
In all incidents, including this, COPA responds to the scene of the police shooting. And there are a couple of key factors that take place upon receiving information about a shooting and the beginning of our investigation.
First and foremost, COPA has to work closely with members of the Chicago Police Department and their Detective Division, specifically, the Incident Response Team, to make sure that the flow of information about the nature and circumstances surrounding the entire -- entire incident is complete.
And so in all police shootings, the officers involved on scene, when able, are interviewed by members, high-ranking members of the Chicago Police Department.
And when officers are not able to be interviewed by -- on-scene by CPD members, sometimes those interviews take place later on in the process. That's the preliminary information about what led to an encounter that may have turned into a police shooting in all incidents, right?
And then further down the road, once you move past a preliminary investigation and those initially known facts, yes, officers under our authority are compelled, required to come in and be interviewed by COPA.
When they come in for those interviews, they have their FLP, their union attorney and a union representative with them. And those interviews function a lot -- look more like depositions where we have an opportunity, with all of the evidence now in hand, to go point by point through each and every moment.
[13:40:00]
But preliminary information is really important to release to the public, particularly accompanying a video release and one of this magnitude.
And preliminary investigations in all police shootings also include the interviews of officers on scene by high-ranking CPD members.
JIMENEZ: And so just -- just to be clear on that, at this point, that information has come from preliminarily from an interview that may have happened been on scene that night, but not so much in the interview where they would be compelled to sit with COPA?
KERSTEN: Correct.
JIMENEZ: OK, now, I - also, as part of this, you know, you wrote a letter to the Chicago police superintendent back in early April where you -- you were -- you actually did call that reasoning into question for the initially reported pullover.
Saying, "COPA is uncertain how the officers could have seen this seat belt violation, given their location relative to" -- it's redacted -- but Dexter Reed's "vehicle and the tint on Reed's vehicle windows."
Is it fair to say that, at this point, Reed being pulled over in that manner that he was for something else other than a seat belt violation?
KERSTEN: Now, at this time, we've put out all of the preliminarily available information that we have and can put out.
So all I can really assure the public is that, again, the totality of the circumstances, including officers' actions and Dexter Reed's actions that lead to this use of deadly force and led to this fatal shooting and an officer being shot are all of what we will be examining as our investigation continues.
JIMENEZ: And the last thing before we go, because we have to go quickly, I do want to give you a chance to respond since you were implicated by the police superintendent there, who implied that putting out some of this preliminary information with the release here was irresponsible in regard to the seat belt violation.
Do you have any response to that?
KERSTEN: No. We really understand at COPA that transparency around these issues is of critical importance to the public. Transparency, however, really needs to work the same way every time in order for it to be meaningful.
And COPA has a long history of complying with the city's video-release policy in all of these police shootings dating back to 2016.
And the way in which we craft our public statements surrounding these issues is knowing that we have to -- we have to find that balance between making sure the public is informed, but also preserving and maintaining the integrity of our investigations.
And we have a long and proven track record of doing just that.
JIMENEZ: Andrea Kersten, really appreciate you taking the time. I know it's been a busy week. Appreciate your perspective.
KERSTEN: Thank you for having me.
JIMENEZ: All right. Thank you.
Everyone, we'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:47:18]
JIMENEZ: Protests are expected in Arizona this weekend after the State Supreme Court revived a Civil War-era law banning nearly all abortions.
And the court ruled Tuesday, the state must adhere to a law made when Arizona was only a territory where it bans all post -- all procedures except those necessary to save a pregnant person's life.
Now officials are scrambling to address what this means for patients and their providers.
CNN national correspondent, Camila Bernal, has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBIN WILLIAMS, VOLUNTEER: Signature and print your first, last name.
I've tried to do it once or twice a week. Right now, I'm doing four because we're pushing.
CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Energized --
WILLIAMS: A signature on this one
BERNAL: -- and motivated --
WILLIAMS: Thank you, guys, for all showing up.
BERNAL: -- after the Arizona Supreme Court revived a Civil War-era law that would ban nearly all abortions in the state.
WILLIAMS: The important thing is you're signing it.
BERNAL: These volunteers are trying to collect as many signatures as they can to qualify for a November 2024 ballot measure that would enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution.
Robin Williams has been here before.
WILLIAMS: I did it in the '70s back in the bible Belt.
BERNAL (on camera): How do you feel to have done it in the '70s and to be doing it again in 2024?
WILLIAMS: For us to keep sliding backwards is insane.
BERNAL (voice-over): Arizona for Abortion Access, the group leading the effort, has seen a massive surge in donations, about 1,000 new volunteers and many more signatures.
Joanna Sweatt, a Marine veteran, has already signed. This is personal for her. JOANNA SWEATT, MARINE VETERAN & MOTHER: I've had to access abortion
services twice in my life. As soon as Roe v. Wade fell, it just was like, what is happening, right?
We're answering that call. We're going to get the signatures and we're going to get women out to vote in Arizona.
BERNAL: They need just under 384,000 signatures to guarantee placement on the ballot. They say they have those and now have a new goal of 800,000 as insurance against likely challenges from abortion opponents, like the It Goes Too Far campaign.
JOANNA DE LA CRUZ, "IT GOES TOO FAR" CAMPAIGN: We've had our eyes on November all along.
BERNAL: The group says they have also seen an increase in people wanting to join and is asking Arizonans not to sign or to remove their signatures.
DE LA CRUZ: The consequences could be pretty serious for girls and women's health and being a constitutional amendment, it would be almost impossible possible to fix or update as problems arose.
BERNAL: Meanwhile, providers are in limbo. If it's enforced, the near total ban carries a prison sentence of two to five years for them.
DR. DESHAWN TAYLOR, PRESIDENT, DESERT STAR INSTITUTE FOR FAMILY PLANNING: It's infuriating. I didn't go to medical school to go to jail. The idea that my livelihood but my freedom could be at stake for providing health care is something that is just unconscionable.
[13:49:59]
DeShawn Taylor has been an abortion provider for 23 years. She supports the ballot measure but believes the fight for abortion access will go far beyond the November election.
TAYLOR: After that ballot initiative passes, they'll need to be legislation and litigation.
BERNAL: For now, she's worried about her staff and her patients.
TAYLOR: We will provide abortion services until they're no longer legal.
Resources that Joanna says were crucial for her, her family and her military career, and the reason she is on the front lines today.
SWEATT: This is going to be a daily fight. This is not a pack that we can take off. it's something that when we wake up, we have to think about. And as a part of for our daily work schedule
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERNAL: And that's a sentiment that I've heard from people in different parts of the state. These advocates have until July to collect as many signatures as possible.
But they do acknowledge that maybe even half of them could be disqualified or not accepted. Despite that, they do believe they can get this on the ballot in November and then will shift those efforts to really focus on that election.
They say that even though this is a battleground state, a very difficult state to maybe get this passed, they do believe they can do this -- Omar?
JIMENEZ: Yes. Camila Bernal, thank you so much for being there and being on that story. It's a great piece.
Coming up, an exclusive look inside Chicago's efforts to crack down on so-called smash-and-grab burglaries. We'll explain it, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:56:03]
JIMENEZ: Lawmakers across the country are passing stiffer penalties for smash-and-grab robberies. You may have seen videos of them. And criminals are often overwhelming store employees and basically just walking away way with stolen merchandise.
CNN law enforcement correspondent, Whitney Wild, got an exclusive look inside Chicago police's -- Chicago law enforcements' new efforts to stop this type of organized crime.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The crimes are casual and brazen. Video shared exclusively with CNN by the Illinois Cook County Sheriff's Office shows, in less than a minute, a group of people calmly walk into a beauty supply store, clear shelves of high-end products, throw them into trash bags, and stroll out the door as casually as they entered.
Law enforcement calls cases like this organized retail theft when groups band together to steal a high volume of products and then resell them.
Nationwide, industry experts say it's a multi-billion-dollar problem.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, no.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seriously. Get out.
WILD: Video shows the crimes are almost always quick. Some cases turn violent.
In January, a Chicago police officer and suspect were shot after police responded to a smash-and-grab.
UNIDENTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER: Do not kick up. Do not get tight. Stay loose. It's just another day, another job. WILD (voice-over): Task forces like this one in Cook County, Illinois, home to Chicago, are trying to stop the problem.
(SHOUTING)
WILD: CNN got exclusive access to the Cook County Sheriff's Organized Retail Crime Task Force. This search warrant yielded two felony arrests --
UNIDENTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER: Do you have a gun on you?
WILD: -- and hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen goods from what police say was a crime ring spanning the Midwest.
During the search, police found stolen products ranging from dog leashes to toothpaste to supplements.
WILD (on camera): What struck me was that they actually seem to have security seals.
LT. MICHAEL WARE, COOK COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Yes. Still, luckily for us, we got them at the day where they were unable to clean the seals.
WILD (voice-over): Police say the operation targeted five locations, the total haul --
(on camera): Have you ever seen a search warrant yield this much product?
TOM DART, SHERIFF, COOK COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: No. No, not even close.
WILD (voice-over): -- almost $500,000.
DART: To get something in one operation, this is a lot. And I think this would be a lot for any police department anywhere in the country.
WILD: Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart created the team in 2023. High- profile smash-and-grabs in the city have attracted national attention.
Dart, a former prosecutor, says, in the past, law enforcement didn't prioritize theft and penalties have been too low.
DART: I mean, you'd literally have to be an idiot to think that if you're charged with a misdemeanor, that's going to have any consequence whatsoever.
WILD: A 2022 law stiffened the penalty for organized retail theft in Illinois. Coast to coast, officials are proposing similar measures.
Governor Kathy Hochul proposed beefed up penalties for retail theft and $45 million to fight the problem.
GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): And as governor, I'm not going to stand by and watch brazen thieves wreak havoc in their shops. WILD: California Governor Gavin Newsom is spreading $267 million among law enforcement agencies and, in January, proposed felony charges and longer sentences for certain cases.
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): We've taken this very seriously. We've been very proactive, not just here in Southern California, but throughout the state.
WILD: Dart says often the stolen goods are sold online.
DART: We believe this group here is all from Amazon.
WILD (on camera): This looks so legitimate.
DART: Oh, my God, yes. I mean, there's nothing in here that would lead you to believe this is not on the up and up. Nothing.
WILD (voice-over): Dart says he worries organized retail crime shows no signs of slowing down.
DART: This is very large. Unfortunately, I think this is sort of the tip of the iceberg.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
JIMENEZ: All right, everyone, thanks for joining me. I'm Omar Jimenez, in for Fredricka Whitfield.
We're going to start with breaking news. President Biden is returning to the White House from Delaware a day early to consult with his national security team about the intensifying situation in the Middle East. Now a meeting that will include Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
[13:59:59]
And sources say the U.S. expects Iran to carry out a direct attack on Israel in the coming days in retaliation for the killing of senior Iranian military officials in Syria last week.
