Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Florida Storm Affects Air Travel; Mandy Lemmermen is Interviewed about Dixie County Storm Preparations; Suspect Charged in UNC Shooting; House Demands Informer on Special Counsel's Appointment. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired August 29, 2023 - 09:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:31:48]

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back.

Hurricane Idalia has already prompted two airport closures ahead of the busy Labor Day travel weekend. Tampa International suspended all operations earlier today. And the St. Pete Clearwater Airport, which is located in a mandatory evacuation zone, well, they say they will shut down at 3:00 p.m. Eastern. And the number of flight cancellations growing ahead of Idalia's expected arrival tomorrow.

Want to bring in CNN aviation correspondent Pete Muntean. He is in Washington.

So, Pete, what types of disruptions are you expecting?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're only seeing the start right now, Rahel. The FAA is monitoring this. Held a press conference -- held a teleconference just a bit ago. Has another one scheduled for 6:00 p.m. because this could be a nationwide impact.

Just checked Flight Aware. The numbers are going up by the moment. About 650 plus delays, 450 plus cancellations. Most of those focused on flights to and from Tampa, which made a preemptive strike to close the airport at 12:01 a.m. this morning.

John Tiliacos, the executive vice president of operations there, held a press conference earlier and he says that the big concern is not only flooding and the storm surge, the airport is relatively close to Tampa Bay, but also projectiles. That things on the ramp could get blown around. And they simply want to get airplanes relocated out of there. The concern is not only the workers, there are about 10,000 that work in the airport there, but also the passengers. He says he's aware that they are going to take this on the chin, but it's the right thing to do.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN TILIACOS, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, AIRPORT OPERATIONS, TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: Impacting people's travel plans is not something we take lightly. And suspending flight operations is the last resort for our team here at in TPA. But safety is paramount, and we have to ensure that we're protecting our employees and airport infrastructure that could be damaged by wind or water.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: The hope from the airport is that they will be able to assess the damage as early as tomorrow and potentially reopen sometime on Thursday. But it just depends on how poorly the conditions are on the ramp, on the runway, on the roads, getting into and out of the airport. The good news here is even though the airport is closed, airlines are adding flights. United Airlines is adding flights out of Sarasota, also out of Orlando.

The airlines are also doing a lot here to try and protect passengers. Pretty much every major airline has made it so that you can wave cancellation fees or change fees, which is a good thing, especially for folks changing their vacation plans. Also for folks trying to get out of town. We're on the precipice of the big Labor Day travel rush. This could not really come at a worse time, Rahel.

SOLOMON: Yes, it's a great point.

Pete Muntean, we'll keep watching it. We know you will as well.

Pete Muntean, thank you.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Keep in mind, there are some 5 million people on the east coast of Florida right now that are under hurricane warnings and at least 22 Florida counties that have issued some level of evacuation orders ahead of Hurricane Idalia.

SOLOMON: Yes.

Joining us live to discuss now is Mandy Lemmermen. She is the public information officer with Dixie County Emergency Services. So, Dixie County is located in the northwest part of the state, in the big bend region, and has issued a mandatory evacuation.

[09:35:04]

Mandy, we appreciate the time this morning. Good morning.

You know, we heard from Governor DeSantis about 30 minutes ago and he talked about big bend specifically. He said, you know, that area hasn't really had a hurricane strike in this area in a long time. These coastal areas have not been through this before. What are you most concerned about?

MANDY LEMMERMEN, PIO, DIXIE COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES: Yes, absolutely. Our last incident was back in 2016 with Hermine where - that was the last time we really, in our coastal area, seen some storm surge, but nothing of this magnitude. And back then we had some major destruction to, not only homes, but, you know, commercial businesses as well. And we are a very, you know, small community that relies heavily on our coastal communities with their shrimp -- shrimping and crabbing and fishing and our - and our timber. So, if the track stays the same and we see the storm surge that they're predicting, it will be very devastating for - four our little county, and also the surrounding counties around us.

SANCHEZ: So, Mandy, what do you need residents to know right now? What's your message to them?

LEMMERMEN Absolutely need them to, you know, pay attention and don't take this lightly. You know, we had a lot of people slowly starting to move into Dixie County over the past couple year, which we love. But for those that may not have been through something like this before, definitely listen to your neighbors that has lived in Florida, has been through hurricanes and can give the best advice on what they seen in this area with how storm surge happens, especially with the high tides.

And we did just order that mandatory evacuation earlier this morning for all those residents that meet that classification in that order. And we just want everybody to really get to a shelter or evacuate out of the county to - you know, another state or with family that's got a, you know, a strong, are solidified site-built home, definitely not in the mobile home or camper, something like that.

SOLOMON: Mandy, we hear the warnings to evacuate, but for those who choose not to, what should they be doing?

LEMMERMEN: Yes, absolutely. So our -- the Dixie County Sheriff Office, along with Florida Highway Patrol, just started going out knocking door to door this morning on those coastal communities and they're giving them the evacuation order and talking to them about where the shelters is and stuff. And if they choose to stay, they are actually writing down their names and their address and how many people is in the homes that was here in operations center, when, you know, the storm passes and we go out to start, you know, doing preliminary searches and initial pushes into the communities, we kind of get an idea of how many people we may be looking at that did want to stay.

And the important message for those that do stay is to get to higher ground, especially if you're in that predicted storm surge. Please tie down any loose propane tanks, lawn chairs, anything like that that could float away or cause hazards for any emergency service personnel that might be going in after the storm, you know, our utilities companies, all that, anything that could harm them or another citizen, please just secure that the best you can and get to higher ground.

SANCHEZ: Mandy, one reason we hear over and over from residents as to why they don't evacuate actually has to do with their pets. They're afraid of leaving them behind or not being able to care for them if they evacuate. What advice do you have to folks that are on the fence about evacuating and have to consider their pets?

LEMMERMEN: No, absolutely. And we have pets of our own that, you know, we absolutely love to death. And we do have shelters in our tri-county area that they can go to. We don't personally have one here in Dixie County, unfortunately, but our neighboring counties in Levy and Taylor County both a step down as - and also Alachua County, which is the Gainesville area, they're more than welcome to take their pets there. There's contact numbers on each of them websites for that county of what they need to bring to that pet friendly shelter to have their animal accepted. So -- and it's tough because a lot of people, a lot of the older communities look at them, you know, as the child now. So we definitely, for those if - if they are hesitant about that, we just strongly recommend that they call one of the pet friendly shelters and definitely go ahead and get moved in to either Taylor or Levy County or even Alachua if they want to drive that, you know, a little further.

SOLOMON: Yes. A lot of difficult decisions for so many people.

Mandy Lemmermen, we appreciate your time. Thank you.

SANCHEZ: We have plenty of news to get to this morning, including a suspect who's in custody after yesterday's deadly shooting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Some key pieces of the investigation are missing. We'll tell you what police are looking for in just a few moments.

And a scary moment last night at a baseball game.

[09:40:01]

Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. knocked to the ground by some overzealous fans. This was on the field during a game against the Rockies. How all of this unfolded when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOLOMON: Welcome back.

And this just in to CNN.

North Carolina officials tell CNN that the suspect in the UNC Chapel Hill shooting has been charged with first-degree murder. Monday's attack sent the university into lockdown for several hours and also prompted officials to cancel classes through today.

I want to bring in CNN's Nick Valencia joining us now.

So, Nick, what are you learning about the suspect?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a state official who's been briefed by law enforcement tells me that the suspect has been identified as a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina who's named Tailei Qi.

[09:45:06]

He was actually the person in the photo who was the person of interest. That photo being circulated during this incident as it was unfolding. It's worth noting that police have not officially named this suspect,

but just a short time ago, as you mentioned, Rahel, a booing report from the Orange County Sheriff's Office shows that Qi has been charged with first-degree murder, as well as having a gun on education property.

And the initial calls in to University of North Carolina Police came in at about 1:00 p.m. of shots fired on campus. And Qi was eventually taken into custody, but not until after the campus was put into lockdown. He was handcuffed about an hour and a half after those initial calls.

An absolutely terrifying moment there for those university students who had just started their second week on campus. And when this incident was all said and done, one faculty member was shot and killed. At a press conference yesterday, the police chief for UNC, as well as the chancellor, spoke about the tragic loss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF BRIAN JAMES, UNC POLICE: We really do want to know the why in this case and what led to it.

KEVIN GUSKIEWICZ, CHANCELLOR, UNC-CHAPEL HILL: So many of you are feeling uncertain about your safety right now. And, again, we have very good protocols in place. There's nothing more important on our campus than the safety and well-being of our community members. And certainly our nearly 30,000 students are at the top of that list, alongside our faculty and staff.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: The shooting happened near the bell tower, which if you're familiar with UNC, it's basically the heart of campus. And as you heard there from there of the person who was taken into custody and was charged this morning with first degree murder. Still too early to tell the motive. And also, Rahel, they're still looking for the weapon used in the attack. This story is still developing.

Rahel.

SOLOMON: Absolutely.

Nick Valencia, thank you for the update.

VALENCIA: You bet.

SOLOMON: Boris.

SANCHEZ: There is new video released by Russian state media giving a rare look at life inside prison for wrongfully detained American Paul Whelan. We'll talk to a member of Congress about it.

And, speaking of Congress, House Republican leaders say they want answers about the appointment of a special counsel in the Hunter Biden investigation. What they're asking for, when we come back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:51:18]

SANCHEZ: The chairmen of three powerful Republican-led House committees are demanding more information about how David Weiss, the U.S. attorney, was named special counsel, overseeing the Hunter Biden investigations. In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, the House Judiciary, Oversight, and Ways and Means Committees expressed concerns about Weiss' appointment, which came several years into the Hunter Biden investigation. Now, you'll recall the plea deal worked out in June on gun and tax charges fell apart, and a trial now appears likely.

Let's take you now live to Capitol Hill with CNN's Melanie Zanona.

So, Melanie, the big concern raised in these letters is whether Weiss is going to have full autonomy to pursue this investigation as he sees fit.

MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Yes, that's exactly right, Boris. Republicans have already had their sights set on David Weiss, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney who has been overseeing the Hunter Biden criminal probe. But now they are stepping up their scrutiny of his appointment to be special counsel in the case.

Yesterday, a trio of GOP chairmen sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and they raised concern that this appointment perhaps means that Weiss did not have full charging authority all along. And they also suggested that the DOJ has given Hunter Biden special treatment throughout this investigation, which has spanned multiple years, including starting under the Trump administration.

Now, both Garland and Weiss have denied allegations that Weiss did not have full charging authority in the case. That was something that IRS whistleblowers testified to Congress earlier this year.

And, remember, Weiss only asked to be named special counsel after the DOJ plea deal with Hunter Biden fell apart and now it looks like it looks like it's going to trial.

And, at the time, Merrick Garland said he granted that request because of the, quote, "extraordinary circumstances" surrounding this case. But these chairmen say that explanation is not sufficient enough for them. So, they are requesting a slew of documents and information related to the appointment of David Weiss as special counsel. And they also want to see a memo outlining the scope of the special counsel investigation into Hunter Biden.

So, we should also note here that Merrick Garland, already scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee September 20th. He has a September 11th deadline to respond to this request for information and documents. So, no doubt Republicans are going to be keeping this Hunter Biden probe front and center in the weeks and months ahead.

Boris. SANCHEZ: Yes, no question he's going to be asked about that during his testimony.

Melanie Zanona, live from Capitol Hill, thanks so much.

Rahel.

SOLOMON: All right, Boris, after the break we will take you back out live to Clearwater, Florida, as Hurricane Idalia is strengthening and approaching the coast. Our special live coverage continues after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:58:23]

SANCHEZ: Hurricane Idalia now a category one but getting stronger as it barrels toward Florida's coast. Forecasters are warning the storm could become extremely dangerous as officials warn those in its path to hunker down or leave.

SOLOMON: And in Georgia, Donald Trump's former chief of staff taking a chance and taking the stand. How his testimony could upend the case against his former boss.

I'm Rahel Solomon, with Boris Sanchez, in for John, Sara and Kate. And this is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SANCHEZ: Hurricane Idalia is getting stronger this hour as it moves through warm gulf waters right to Florida's gulf coast. Idalia is expected to make landfall tomorrow morning potentially as a category three hurricane. Only two other category three hurricanes on record have made landfall in the area of the current projected path. One of them in 1950. The other in 1896.

Idalia is forecasted to have life-threatening storm surge, up to 12 feet in some parts. Florida's governor just suspended all tolls in the state and is urging people in certain areas to get out now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): If this storm hits at high tide, storm surge could reach eight to 12 feet in some areas. And so that would be life- threatening storm surge.

You run from the water and you hide from the wind. If you're there in that storm surge, you're putting your life in jeopardy when it gets to be that high.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[10:00:05]

SANCHEZ: At least 22 Florida counties have issued evacuations.