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Biden To Mark Inflation Reduction Act Anniversary As He Struggles To Sell "Bidenomics" To American People; North Korea Now Confirms U.S. Soldier Is In The Country; Arkansas: AP African-American Studies Pilot Program Won't Count Toward Graduation. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired August 16, 2023 - 13:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Today marks one year since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. And about an hour from now, he's going to highlight that anniversary with a big event at the White House as he struggles to sell his economic agenda, dubbed Bidenomics, to the American people.

The sweeping $750 billion climate and health care legislation has supported more than 270 new clean energy projects across the country. Those were expected to create some 86,000 new jobs, according to a new study from Bank of America.

The rate of inflation is down from 8.5 percent last July to 3.2 percent last month. And hiring still very strong. The unemployment rate near historic lows at 3.5 percent.

And yet, according to the latest CNN polling, just 37 percent of Americans approve of President Biden's handling of the economy and even fewer approve of his handling of inflation.

CNN business and politics correspondent, Vanessa Yurkevich, joins us now with more.

But first, let's go to the White House with CNN White House correspondent, Arlette Saenz, who's at the White House anticipating this event from President Biden.

What should we expect to hear, Arlette?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Boris, the White House is really engaged in this full court press to try to sell and educate the public on the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act.

In the weeks leading up to this one-year anniversary event today, the president and other officials from the administration have been traveling around the country trying to promote some of the benefits.

Things like jobs created due to clean energy manufacturing investments, highlighting the impact that it has on things like health care and insulin costs. But it comes at a time when many American voters appear to be

skeptical or simply unaware of what exactly this Inflation Reduction Act entails.

Recent polling found that seven in 10 Americans either had heard little or nothing at all about this piece of legislation one year after the president had signed it into law.

Additionally, you've seen President Biden's own approval rating sitting at about 37 percent when it pertains to his handling of the economy. And this really speaks to one of the challenges the White House is facing.

The White House is arguing that pieces of legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, like the infrastructure law, that it will take time for people to see the benefits of that and feel that at their kitchen tables at home.

Take a listen to Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

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KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: These are long-term investments which Americans are going to start to see.

Polling won't tell the whole entire story. That's why we are going to continue to tell that story.

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SAENZ: We've seen over the course of the summer the White House really shift toward this Bidenomics messaging, trying to highlight improvements in the economy, trying to highlight some of these pieces of legislation the president has signed into law, how exactly those are impacting people.

Of course, this will be one of the challenges for the president heading into the 2024 election at a time when the economy and inflation are still top of mind for so many voters.

SANCHEZ: Vanessa, inflation overall might be on a downward trend, but for some Americans, spending on certain goods is still painful.

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS & POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Inflation cooling but still not enough. Just to give you the numbers of how this is impacting everyday Americans, in the month of July, last month, Americans spent $709 more on the same goods and services as they did two years ago.

So still feeling that inflationary -- those inflationary prices. A lot of that, though, because of the high cost of shelter or rent.

So the Inflation Reduction Act is really designed to combat a lot of this. And there are certain things that we are seeing already since this took effect a year ago. As Arlette mentioned, a big thing that a lot of Americans wanted to

see was a cap on insulin prices, especially under Medicare. So there's a $35 cap on insulin.

We also have seen job creation already, 45,000 or so E.V. jobs created in the last six months. And 170,000 jobs created across 44 states.

And then in terms of household savings, potentially, $1,800 in household savings if Americans decide to modernize their energy within their home. Obviously, that is an investment in itself.

But you know, as you heard from the press secretary there, this is a long-term investment.

[13:34:57]

And the White House saying that they are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in trying to create jobs, in trying to bring down the cost of everyday prices for Americans.

But that's going to be over a decade, right? We're just in the beginning. That's a decades-long work.

So Americans still really struggling to try to get a hold of these prices which are still too high.

SANCHEZ: Vanessa Yurkevich, Arlette Saenz, thanks so much.

We'll keep a close eye on this birthday party for the Inflation Reduction Act at the White House coming up in the next hour.

Jim?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: For the first time, North Korea confirms it is holding U.S. soldier, Travis King. Ahead, why they claim he crossed into their country intentionally.

And Arkansas is now following in Florida's footsteps. The state says that teaching A.P. African-American studies may now be unlawful, leaving students and schools in limbo. We're going to speak to a teacher from that state, just ahead.

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SANCHEZ: Now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour.

Illinois has become the first state in the nation to pass a law protecting child influencers, defined as kids under 16 years old who are featured in video blogs.

Their parents now must put a portion of earnings from social media content into a blocked trust fund for the child. The percentage of earnings allocated is based on how heavily the kid is featured. The new law takes effect in July. Meantime, in California, a 166-year-old luxury retailer warns that

this may be their last year in operation. The owner of Gump's San Francisco took out a paid add in the "San Francisco Chronicle" to blast city and state leaders.

For what he calls their destructive Covid policies advising people to abandon their offices and allowing the homeless to occupy sidewalks, openly use illegal drugs and harass the public.

The complaints echo those of several retailers that have recently signaled plans to exit San Francisco.

And then there's this.

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SANCHEZ: Shouts of relief. That's the moment four Australian surfers and two Indonesian crew members were found on their surfboards after being lost at sea for 38 hours.

The group went missing after their boat was hit by a storm off a remote Indonesian island. A third Indonesian national is still missing.

Jim?

SCIUTTO: A happy end to that story.

For the first time, North Korea is now confirming publicly that a U.S. soldier is in that country. Army Private Travis King was dressed in civilian clothes on a private tour of the Demilitarized Zone when he crossed into North Korea just about a month ago.

North Korean state media says King was seeking refuge from mistreatment and racial discrimination in the U.S. Army.

CNN's Oren Liebermann is at the Pentagon.

And, Oren, of course, North Korea never reluctant to claim a propaganda victory if it suits them. I wonder what the Pentagon's reaction is to all of this.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: This certainly seems to be a possibility when it comes to this report coming from North Korean state media.

As you rightly point out, the first public acknowledgment of Private Travis King's presence there coming from Pyongyang.

And I think it's safe to say that defense officials here view the report coming from North Korean state media with a healthy measure of skepticism. A U.S. defense official told us, after the report came out, that they

could not verify the alleged claims. Instead, the defense official said the focus of the U.S. remains on bringing Travis King home.

In terms of what was in this report, North Korean state media claims that King had confessed that he illegally intruded into North Korea from a tour in the Joint Security Area there on the border there, the DMZ.

And that he, quote, "harbored ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army."

So it seems there that, at least according to North Korean state media, that King had confessed to running over, that he was trying to escape the U.S. Army.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Travis King's family responded by saying, "Ms. Gates" -- that is, King's mother -- "is aware of today's "report" -- quotes -- from KCNA. DPRK authorities, North Korean authorities are responsible for Travis' well-being."

And she continues to appeal to them to treat him humanely. She's a mom worried about her son and would be grateful for a phone call from him.

This, Jim, as we reported just a couple weeks ago that the U.S. is still trying to figure out whether to label King a prisoner of war. That would at least, in theory, give him extra protections under the Geneva Conventions.

But the U.S. hasn't taken that step yet, partially because at least U.S. officials have said King crossed into North Korea, quote, "willfully."

SCIUTTO: Has there been any progress on securing his release, or is it too early to say at this point?

LIEBERMANN: Nothing substantial at this point. Too early to say. There has been limited communication between United Nations command in South Korea and North Korean authorities, but this hasn't been substantial.

Even the State Department acknowledged this wasn't substantive dialogue. Essentially, North Korea just acknowledging that they have received the outreach.

But in terms of bringing King home, that doesn't seem to be very much closer at this point -- Jim?

SCIUTTO: Oren Liebermann, at the Pentagon, thanks so much.

Boris?

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SANCHEZ: It was a state at the center of some dark moments in the civil rights movement, specifically over the issue of education. But Arkansas officials say that students enrolled in an A.P. African- American course will now not be able to earn credit toward graduation. We'll explain why, next.

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SANCHEZ: In states where Republican leaders are trying to influence what's taught in black history education, some educators and students are fighting back.

This is Florida today. There was a march to the Miami-Dade school board to protest curriculum changes. The changes include the rejection by Governor Ron DeSantis of an A.P. African-American studies course.

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We're also watching in Arkansas as state education officials say that students enrolled in that course will not be able to receive credit that counts toward graduation.

One of the impacted schools is Central High School in Little Rock. It was there, in 1957, that nine black students enrolled at the school after a ruling that desegregated public schools.

They faced an angry white mob and the state's National Guard as they tried going in on their first day. They had to be escorted in weeks later. An important moment in American history.

Let's expand the discussion over what's happening in Arkansas with the president of the Arkansas Education Association, April Reisma.

April, thanks so much for joining us this afternoon.

You implied in a statement that this move and specifically the timing of it is part of a pattern designed to marginalize students. What do you think is behind it?

APRIL REISMA, PRESIDENT, ARKANSAS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: Well, there's definitely a movement going through the states. And I don't want it to happen here in Arkansas.

What's happened in Florida scares us here. It's of grave concern to all of our members and, quite frankly, to the students here in Arkansas who were signed up to take this course.

There were four courses slated to begin on Monday. And to hear about it being canceled for credit on Friday is disheartening and just pulls the rug right out from under those kids.

SANCHEZ: What is it that you think the people behind this movement, as you describe it, are fearful that kids might learn because of this course?

REISMA: The truth. Could that be it? I don't think that we need to take any of that away from our students. They need to learn from the past. If we learn from our past, we can make our future stronger.

SANCHEZ: So, April, the communications director for the governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said in a post online that there is another African-American history class that students can receive credit for. She implied that this other class isn't based on opinion and indoctrination.

I'm wondering what your response to that is. What's the difference between the two courses?

REISMA: Well, let's take a look at what an A.P. course really is. It's based on primary and secondary sources. That's not opinion. Those are facts. Facts about history.

And when it's a strenuous class like an A.P. course that's accepted by colleges as credit, it cannot be based on opinion. And so I'm not sure what kind of opinion they're looking at for that, but it's definitely very far away from opinion-based for sure.

Now, at the University of Arkansas, along with 200 other colleges and universities, are accepting this A.P. course.

For them to realize that it is based on fact is simply just outstanding evidence to me that it should be accepted for college credit and high school graduation credit right here in Arkansas and, quite frankly, any state in this union.

SANCHEZ: That's such an important distinction that you made, that colleges even within the state are accepting it as credit.

I do want to ask you about Central High School. I know that some 100 students had enrolled in the course there this year. Obviously, this decision carries an added significance given the history there.

REISMA: Definitely. And the kids came out this morning and they were on TV and they spoke about it themselves.

That's who it's affecting. It's affecting the future of America. It's affecting these young students that were looking forward to learning the truth, to enriching their education, to preparing for their future. And it's just sad that it's being taken away from them.

It is our sincere hope that the department thinks twice about this and goes ahead and considers it eligible for college credit and high school graduation credit.

SANCHEZ: What options do those students have that were enrolled in this course and now we're finding out -- or the Friday before school started on Monday are finding out they're not going to get credit for it?

REISMA: Right. So that's what the school districts are looking into right now. As far as it's concerned right now, it's being considered for local credit.

And the University of Arkansas has come out in a statement saying that they will still accept it.

But the students will have to pay for the exam fee at the end of the year, which is $90, which is normally covered by the Department of Education.

And let me tell you, the citizens, the voters here in the state of Arkansas have been coming out in droves with money, willing to pay for these kids to take the exam.

And I think that that should be information enough for them to understand how important this is to everyone here in this state, to students, to their parents, to the teachers, to the voters, who will remember this in November.

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And I'm just so excited about all of those folks coming together and wanting to take those folks coming together and wanting to take care of the fees for these kids, but they should not have to.

Let's not -- let's not do that to the students. Let's not take this away from them.

SANCHEZ: It appears the response may not have been what these lawmakers were anticipating.

April Reisma, thank you so much for sharing your perspective with us.

REISMA: Thank you so much for allowing me to come on here as a representative of the Arkansas Education Association. I appreciate your opportunity to do so.

SANCHEZ: Of course.

Jim?

SCIUTTO: Waiting on Trump. The Fulton County sheriff says the jail is open and ready for the former president to turn himself in.

The current president is set to speak on the one-year anniversary of one of his key legislative achievements, the Inflation Reduction Act, as it's known. Voters, however, do not seem so impressed. And that's despite a strong U.S. economy.

All this ahead on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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