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Kenosha Police Union Defends Officers In Jacob Blake Shooting; Obama Counsels A Small Group Of NBA Players Amid Boycotts; "Black Panther" Star Dies At 43 Of Colon Cancer; One-Year-Old Boy Is Youngest COVID Victim To Die In Georgia; Hurricane Laura Has Now Claimed At Least 13 Lives; Hurricane Katrina Made Landfall 15 Years Ago; New Tape Of Trump's Sister. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired August 29, 2020 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:00:12]
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: (AUDIO GAP) died at just 43 years old. A look back at this real life superhero.
Plus, before NBA players decided to return to the court, they had a conversation with a familiar voice. Details on the role President Barack Obama played in the talks.
And President Trump travels to the Gulf Coast today as Texas and Louisiana work to recover from a devastating storm. We'll take you there live.
Hello, everyone. Thanks so much for joining me.
I'm Bianna Golodryga in for Fredricka Whitfield.
And we begin this hour with new details in the police shooting of Jacob Blake. A conflicting account of what happened that evening. The Kenosha Police Association has now released its own version of events that led up to Blake being shot in the back seven times.
In this video taken by a witness, Blake can be seen walking back to his car and police guns are drawn. The police union says Blake had a knife in his possession and was combative with officers. But that account is being disputed by Blake's family.
CNN's Shimon Prokupecz is in Kenosha, Wisconsin this morning with the latest. And Shimon, what else is the police union there saying about all this new information?
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So remember, the police union obviously defending this officer. IN the middle of this investigation they decided that they needed to speak up because they felt that there was inaccurate information.
And part of it is because investigators have not been talking about this, have released very limited information. So they felt the need -- that they needed to come out and give their version of events. And as you said, this knife is becoming the key part of this investigation. The investigators said they did find a knife and that when they spoke to Jacob Blake that Jacob Blake admitted that he had this knife. They found the knife in the car.
The key in all of this is what transpired as Mr. Blake is getting into the car with his back to officers and then that one officer firing seven times into his back. That is the key part. Was there any threat there? That is still very unclear because no one is really talking about that part.
The other thing that developed here yesterday was that Jacob Blake had been shackled in his bed, handcuffed in his bed, paralyzed. And the family was really upset over this. And then yesterday those shackles were removed. And the father last night, Jacob Blake's father, reacted to all of this new information with Anderson Cooper last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACOB BLAKE, SR., FATHER OF JACOB BLAKE: The minute they set a bond for my son, we paid the bond. And they squashed the warrant. So, what was the point in demoralizing my son?
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: I heard you talk at the march on Washington today. And one of the things you said, you talked about two systems of justice in this country. Can you just talk a little bit --
BLAKE SR.: Two systems.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Can you talk a little bit more about that?
BLAKE SR.: I can talk about it if you have your TV show, you saw the white boy that's 17 that killed two people, shot the man's arm off, the third man, walked past the police. They gave him some water and a high five.
Well, they gave my son seven bullets to the back for a so-called knife that nobody ever saw. Who actually witnessed (ph) -- saw the knife in the car?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PROKUPECZ: And Bianna there, you see the knife is becoming the central -- playing such a big importance now in this investigation.
Today here in Kenosha, another march is planned. The family says they're going to gather, of course, continuing to demand justice. We'll see. We'll see if there's any new information as time goes on here from investigators who perhaps could be days. They have UP TO 30 days, the investigators, to finalize their report on this and then they have to submit it to the district attorney who then decides whether or not these officers should face charges.
GOLODRYGA: But as you said, Shimon, the big question is if there was this new revelatory information, why was the police union waiting so long to reveal it? I know you'll be staying on this story for us later this morning. Thank you so much, Shimon Prokupecz.
And for the first time, President Trump is addressing the shooting of Jacob Blake. The president did not talk about the shooting during the Republican National Convention last week, but he was asked about it following a rally in New Hampshire last night. Here is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm looking into it very strongly. I'll be getting reports. And I'll certainly let you know pretty soon. But I'll be -- it was not a good sight. I didn't like the sight of it certainly. And I think most people would agree with that.
But we'll be getting reports in very soon. And we'll report back then.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:04:56]
GOLODRYGA: And after that statement, Kenosha's mayor told our Don Lemon that the president should stay out of any issues dealing with this and let the Wisconsin investigators do their job.
Well, the NBA playoffs are set to resume this afternoon after players opted to sit out games in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Former president Barack Obama stepping in to advise a group of players on their protests. The group including Lebron James and Chris Paul.
CNN correspondent Coy Wire joins me now with the latest.
Very interesting to bring in Barack Obama. He's a big basketball supporter and a fan of the NBA and obviously a crucial voice here. Players really described it as a way to refocus an emotional week for them, Coy. Tell us more.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: No doubt about it. Good to see you, Bianna.
When games resume this afternoon, it will be with a more specific plan for using the game as a platform to fight racial inequality. Now before the season even restarted, many NBA players had concerns about leaving their families and communities, being isolated during such tumultuous times.
Those feelings became overwhelming following the shooting of Jacob Blake and subsequent fallout in Wisconsin. Oklahoma City Thunders superstar Chris Paul fought through tears describing the strain that players are feeling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS PAUL, NBA PLAYER: Because guys are tired. I mean tired. And when I say tired, we're not physically tired. We're just tired of seeing the same thing over and over again. And everybody just expect us to be ok just because we get paid great money.
You know, we're human. We have real feelings and I'm glad that we got a chance to get in the room together to talk with one another and not just cross paths and say good luck in your game today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: Now, here is a look at some of the newly-agreed upon action points by the players and team owners. They include working with local elections officials to convert as many arenas as possible into COVID- safe polling places for the upcoming November elections.
Now, the WNBA returned last night after a two-day stoppage. L.A. Sparks guard Chiney Ogwumike telling CNN this morning that this week was all about the players taking control. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHINEY OGWUMIKE, WNBA PLAYER: The message was to show that our bodies are not just here for your entertainment when it's convenient. Our bodies need to be valued equally when we leave the arena and when our jerseys are off and you may not know who we are. It shouldn't be any different.
It was a collective decision to put pressure on the system for accountability by using our platform of playing in that one moment, in that one or two days, you know, our bodies being out there or lack thereof to remind the public of these realities that we are experiencing in real time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: And Bianna the amplified cries for social justice the past several days echoing well beyond the court from Steelers coach Mike Tomlin's impassioned speech to MLB's tributes to baseball legend and civil rights activist Jackie Robinson to Naomi Osaka returning to the court with a Black Lives Matter shirt.
Bianna, athletes across the sports landscape unified in the fight for social justice. It's been an historic week in sports.
GOLODRYGA: That's so true. We have never seen anything like this in modern history in sports collectively all the sports leagues stepping up and obviously they will continue their fight here and sending their message.
Coy Wire, thank you so much.
Well, joining me now to discuss is Rashawn Ray, a sociology professor at the University of Maryland and a fellow at the Brookings Institutions. He researches racial and social inequality with the focus on interactions between police officers and the communities they serve.
Thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate you having us here for such an important conversation.
So, how influential do you think professional athletes can be in really bringing around social change?
RASHAWN RAY, SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND: Well, thank you for having me on the show. I mean obviously just based on this segment, they carry a lot of weight. They have the ability to influence policymakers. They have the ability to influence people to get out to vote. And they have the ability to draw attention to an issue.
Now, what they are doing is coming together to figure out what they need to do moving forward as it relates to policy demands.
GOLODRYGA: Well, many have asked, what are the tangible next steps that athletes can take? I like that you say you quote Jay-Z in saying that you have a blueprint for that. So let's get to this blueprint you've put together.
One -- four specific actions you believe players should push for to drive real change is calling for an end of qualified immunity which often prevents police officers from facing civil culpability for misconduct. How significant would this be?
RAY: Look, I studied policing for about a decade. And one thing I know is that they oftentimes lack accountability with the communities that they serve. Ending qualified immunity would do something about that, in particularly what we need to have is for taxpayer money to shift away from paying for these civil settlements and put that onus on to police department insurance policies and also officer malpractice insurance.
This will then lead to them having a level of accountability to have some culpability for the actions that they have because the bottom line is this, black people are 3.5 times more likely than whites to be killed by police when they're not attacking or have a weapon.
[11:10:00]
RAY: And that's what these players are saying is that once they leave those arenas, once they leave the fields, they're black and brown men and they oftentimes have experiences that are deleterious when they interact with police.
GOLODRYGA: And these players, professional athletes, bring a lot of taxpayer dollars into the system as well. So you could see the influence that would have if this were actually implemented.
You also say that players should push to fund research, aimed at improving police/community relations. Can athletes play a significant role in bridging this divide between police officers and the communities they serve? Many athletes and notable professionals have also had interactions with police officers.
RAY: I mean, most definitely. So what we need is evidence-based practice. At the lab for Applied Social Science Research at the University of Maryland, that's what we aim to do. We have a virtual reality and decision-making lab where we bring police officers in. We help them to understand their biases. We help them to make better decisions.
And then we also get them with community members to talk through social interactions. So that what happened to Jacob Blake and others is something that we can hopefully get past so that when players are trying to go purchase a property, when they're trying to go to Walgreen's or something from a store that those type of incidents don't happen where they'll end up being tased by a police officer or end up being shot and killed.
GOLODRYGA: It's hard to square what's transpired over the past four years if you think about Colin Kaepernick taking the knee and the heat that he received from the NFL and from owners and from fans and from obviously some politicians as well. And you fast forward to today.
And I wonder what you make of the NBA itself, really being a progressive entity in supporting these player's actions and how significant that is and the message that it sends to fans and Americans all over.
RAY: I mean it's hugely significant. It's NBA and the sports world saying we want to see a better world. That we not only want to protect our players when they're on the court or the field but once they leave the confines of where they work.
When we talk about Colin Kaepernick, we noted the NFL has issued an apology. But see, apologies ring hallow without action. And what needs to happen is Colin Kaepernick needs to be brought back in the fold not just as a consultant but also as a player.
GOLODRYGA: I would be remiss not to end this segment by talking about what we began the show with and that is the tragic death of actor Chadwick Boseman at such a young age. People across the country really paying tribute to him.
It was quite a shock. I know I was surprised reading this last night. This was a private battle that he had with colon cancer.
You also had a visceral reaction to this being a father. You took to Twitter. Tell us about your response and the role that he played for Americans and African-Americans in particular.
RAY: I mean, it's just heart breaking. I mean, I first think that he's only three years older than me. People need to go get their colons checked. People need to go to the doctor. that's the first thing, particularly men.
The second thing I think about is I have an eight and nine-year-old, two boys, two black boys. I think about what Black Panther meant to them. And so what I did was before they got on their games and started talking to their friends, we sat down and had a reset.
We talked about Chadwick Boseman's life. We talked about health. We talked about the importance of health for black men. I then showed them clips from his roles. Not only a recent commencement speech he gave at Howard University which is the HBCU where he graduated from. But the roles when he played Thurgood Marshall, when he played Jackie Robinson. When he also played James Brown.
And then we -- I mean, yes. And then we talked about these particular people and their role in history. So what parents can do where they're struggling with what to say, just let Chadwick lead you. Just listen to what he said and watch the clips and have a history lesson, an American history lesson with your kids on today.
That's the legacy that Chadwick would want us to lead him.
GOLODRYGA: I'm touched by that exchange you had with your sons, Rashawn Ray, clearly proving that you're not only a fantastic professor but a fantastic father. Thank you so much for joining us. Really appreciate.
RAY: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: We'll have more on the life and legacy of Chadwick Boseman in a moment.
But first some tributes out of Hollywood. Halle Berry writes, "Here's to an incredible man with immeasurable talent who leaned into life regardless of his personal battles. You never truly know what the people around you might be going through. Treat them with kindness and cherish every minute you have together. Rest in peace, Chadwick Boseman."
We'll be right back.
[11:14:32]
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHADWICK BOSEMAN, ACTOR: Wakanda forever.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Seven movies and four years, all while privately battling stage 4 colon cancer. This morning fans are reacting in utter awe and disbelief to the tragic passing of "Black Panther" star and award- winning actor, Chadwick Boseman. He was only 43 years old.
Boseman who famously played T'challa in the Marvel films is also known for portraying iconic African-American figures like Thurgood Marshall, James Brown and Jackie Robinson.
Moments ago former president Barack Obama reacted to news of Boseman's passing saying quote, "Chadwick came to the White House to work with kids when he was playing Jackie Robinson. You could tell right way that he was blessed to be young, gifted and black and to use that power to give them heroes to look up to, to do it all while in pain. What a use of his years."
And joining me now to discuss Boseman's illustrious career and legacy is Sam Rubin, entertainment reporter for KTLA, our affiliate station in Los Angeles.
Sam, I wish I had you on for more uplifting news to talk about. This has been a shock for so many fans. You actually interviewed Boseman a number of times. What's your reaction to his passing? And if you could describe the impact that he leaves behind.
[11:19:58]
SAM RUBIN, ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER, KTLA: Well, Bianna, it's an extraordinary impact. What a legacy. What a filmography.
And when you consider how few years he actually spent in front of the camera, what extraordinarily productive years. And the thing about him -- there's a cliche Hollywood phrase that talent tells. And never has there been a better example. This was a man of deep extraordinary talent. And you saw it every time he was on the screen.
These are -- you know, a lot of performances are often, particularly now, personality-based. Robert Downey Jr. Is sort of doing Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. Chadwick Boseman was T'challa -- Completely and utterly. So there was no projection of his own personality.
He inhabited these characters. He became Jackie Robinson. You saw the pain of Jackie Robinson. These are indelible performances and people are reacting this way not because of what you write about Chadwick Boseman in "People Magazine". It's because of how he delivered on the screen. The way he moved people with his performances.
So it's obviously the shock of his untimely and early passing but primarily it's the caliber and quality of the work that he did.
GOLODRYGA: And again, at such a young age, at the age of 43, he'd had been battling colon cancer for four years. And in those four years, he's made seven movies. I mean how hard is that -- just give us an idea how hard is that for any actor to do while healthy, not to mention while battling Stage 4 cancer.
RUBIN: I don't think people can necessarily appreciate just the physical amount of hours one spends on a set. Typical major motion picture 12, 14-hour day. It is physically arduous.
And of course, I think we all think of the glamorous aspects of being a movie star. But when you're actually making the movie and particularly when you're putting every bit of your being into these performances, the fact that he was going through what has now been described as both chemotherapy and various surgeries is absolutely extraordinary.
And it only speaks to and deeply underlines how incredibly talented -- you had to draw on this reservoir of talent to be able to be so good on screen and go through all of this off screen. It's astounding. It's amazing. GOLODRYGA: That's right. And as we know so many actors go through not
only mental transformations to prepare for a role but physical as well. And I know you've interviewed him many times. But I wanted to read an excerpt from an interview that he conducted with the "Huff Post" because it really speaks to this. Obviously no one knowing what he had been going through personally.
But here is the question. You came off of one Black Panther project, did Marshall then made another Black Panther movie. Did you bulk up, slim down and then bulk up again. And he nods his head looking exhausted. Right, yes, yes, yes.
The reporter says, you've been through the ringer. Boseman responds, "Oh, you don't even know. You have no idea. One day I'll live to tell the story." That just gives me chills reading it again. I've been reading that over and over throughout the morning.
But to be able to go through what he did and still deliver the kind of performances and acknowledge all of the fans. I mean he really seemed to fill the shoes of the significance that he played in being such an inspiration and role model for so many fans.
RUBIN: Well, I tell you what, I think that all stems from the work. In other words, if you're a Marvel person, easily acknowledge that Black Panther was far and away the best Marvel movie and his singular performance, the best of any of the superheroes. And then as Jackie Robinson, as James Brown, as Thurgood Marshall.
So I think people are inspired and moved by him. And all these good works that he did off camera were done quietly. He goes to St. Jude's Hospital here. He goes to the White House to meet with kids here. Things like that. It was never "call the paparazzi and make a big deal out of it".
So he lived I think this relatively quiet life off camera. Obviously nobody was aware of what he was going through. And then, you know, I think he saved the power, both for the big screen and the power in his extraordinary good works that have obviously affected so many people. I think over the next few days we'll be hearing more of these kind of private stories.
Here is what he said to my kid. Here's the speech that he made. There's a remarkable clip that's floating around on the Internet now where "The Tonight Show" Jimmy Fallon, they have people talking -- you've seen it likely --
GOLODRYGA: Yes.
RUBIN: -- They have people talking to the poster of, you know, T'challa and then he walks out. It's great. It also gives you goose bumps. He was really loved and he's loved because of what he did professionally, because of the work. It's a big loss. It's a huge loss.
GOLODRYGA: And by the way, you can tell he loved those moments interacting with the fans as much as the fans loved interacting with him. A huge loss -- he leaves behind an incredible body of work, especially for someone to pass it. Such a young age, a real life superhero for so many people.
[11:24:58]
GOLODRYGA: May his memory be a blessing and, of course, we're thinking of his family today.
Sam Rubin, thank you so much for bringing us your stories. We appreciate it.
RUBIN: Sure.
GOLODRYGA: Well, still ahead, back to school backlash. Some teachers in Georgia resigning during the coronavirus pandemic. Why they say administrators are putting lives at risk.
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GOLODRYGA: A one-year-old boy is now the youngest coronavirus victim to die in Georgia. According to public health officials, the infant had serious medical conditions.
[11:29:51]
GOLODRYGA: For more on this tragic passing, let's bring in Natasha Chen. Natasha, great to see you. What more do we know about this infant and how unusual is this specific case?
NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bianna, the public health communications director in that county in Cobb County just outside of Atlanta, told me that because of privacy concerns there's not a whole lot more that they can share except that this was a one- year-old African-American boy, as you said, with serious medical conditions. But they did determine that his death was due to complications of COVID-19.
You asked about how rare this is. Well, I looked on the state's public health Web site that lists all of the COVID deaths by age. Of course, this is the youngest we've had in the state of Georgia. There was also a seven-year-old who died of COVID and five teenagers who also died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
If you're looking at the cases across the state, though, I think we have a graphic to show you here, there have been 900 cases of infants getting COVID-19 who are not yet one-year-old and then between those who are one to four, you've had 3,000 cases and of course, this one death that we just reported.
The cases among children and how dangerous it is for them has been a serious conversation happening among educators as a lot of these school districts have brought kids back into classrooms for face-to- face instruction. Some of them still choosing to go virtual or some hybrid combination.
And in talking to the largest school system in Georgia just yesterday, Gwinnett County, they told me that 34 teachers out of their 12,000 across the district did resign this semester due to COVID reasons and I talked to a couple of those teachers who resigned just a few weeks ago, talking about how they're forced to work in the school buildings even when teaching virtual classes and that presents a problem for their children, their own children and childcare.
Here is what one of them said about her resignation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHLEY NEWMAN, FORMER GWINNETT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER: For them to see my resignation as just another number when I've contribute so much of my time and energy to making Gwinnett as great as they really want to be, it is very difficult to feel like my contributions are going unknown or unrecognized.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHEN: And Cobb County, another district told me that they have not seen an increase in teacher resignations this year. Of course, these districts tell me that sometimes teachers resign at the beginning of school years for various reasons. Of course, this year Bianna, is unlike any other. So we're continuing to track that situation.
GOLODRYGA: That is absolutely true. And obviously this is not an easy decision for these teachers to make. So many of them so passionate about their work.
Natasha Chen, thank you so much.
Well, let's bring in Dr. Carlos del Rio, executive associate dean at Emory University School of Medicine. Doctor, thanks for joining us this morning.
Let's start with the beginning of that conversation and reports of the death of a one-year-old. You know, death among young children has been extremely rare, but they are not immune from complications. So what should parents with young children take away when they hear about this one-year-old dying in Georgia from COVID-19?
DR. CARLOS DEL RIO, EXECUTIVE ASSOCIATE DEAN, EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Well, first of all, Bianna, I think that we need to remember that every death that has happened is a tragedy. It's a loss of a human life. And I, you know, send all my thoughts to the parents of that kid
The reality is that this infection is going to also impact children. Children can get infected. They're less likely to have complications but they're not immune from complications. We know about the multiorgan inflammatory syndrome that can occur in children, it can put them in a hospital. We also know about the occasional, not very frequent, but the occasional death.
So I think as parents one thing we need to do is first of all we need to be sure that the kids don't get infected. This kid got infected in the home probably. So as parents we need to protect ourselves because if we don't get infected, the kids under, you know, under give that are not going to school, are not going out will prevent them from getting infected.
And those kids that are going to school, we need to do everything possible to work with the schools to ensure that masking, social distancing and other measures are implemented in the school so the kids don't get infected.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And that partnership between parents and school officials is so crucial here to make sure that kids do stay safe.
Let me switch gears to a larger topic now about infection because four people involved with the Republican Convention meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina have now tested positive for COVID. We saw a lot of people at the RNC events not wearing masks, including the speeches of the president and first lady.
And then last night at a Trump rally in New Hampshire again we saw no social distancing and few masks and the crowd booed when they were asked to wear masks. As if we live in two different universes here.
[11:34:53]
GOLODRYGA: Do you worry about what kind of message these images are sending to Americans as the country is really grappling with one of the worst cases in the world?
DR. DEL RIO: Well, not only the worst case. We are the worst country in the world in the sense of how we are affected by this pandemic. We are 4 percent of the world population and we're, you know, now at 6 million cases, you know. That's a fourth of, you know, of the world number of cases, 25 percent, 30 percent of the cases are in this country.
And I'm really concerned. And frankly, quite disappointed that masks have been politicized. Masks are about protecting others. And I think we all want to take care of ourselves. We all want to take care of others. I don't know why there has been this politicization of wearing masks.
But the reality is if you're going to be with a lot of people or you're going to be out, if you're going to be with other individuals, I would urge you to wear a mask. I think it's a sign of respect. It's a sign of caring for others and it's a sign really wanting to prevent you from getting infected.
I wear a mask to save you because I care for you. And you wear a mask because you care for me. And I think as a society we should encourage that.
GOLODRYGA: Absolutely. It is not a big ask. And it's something that every American should do politics aside. Dr. Carlos del Rio, thank you so much. We appreciate it.
Still ahead, homes destroyed and streets submerged. Major challenges after Hurricane Laura. We'll talk live with the retired army lieutenant general who oversaw Hurricane Katrina recovery operations.
But first, disinformation, lies and CNN FILM is presenting "AFTER TRUTH" a film that looks at how fake news is used as a weapon against democracy. "AFTER TRUTH", that's tonight at 10:00 p.m. on CNN.
[11:36:39]
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GOLODRYGA: Hurricane Laura has now claimed at least 13 lives, according to officials. The storm hit near Lake Charles, Louisiana as a strong Category 4 storm destroying buildings and flooding homes.
More than half a million are still without power after the storm snapped power lines and crumpled cell phone towers. But stories of heroism are also beginning to emerge. As the storm raged, some staff at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital stayed behind with newborn babies who were too sick to move. That same hospital is now evacuating remaining patients because of a lack of water in the city. President Trump is expected to tour the area later today.
Russel Honore joins me now from Baton Rouge. He is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general who gained national recognition when he oversaw recovery operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He is also author of the book "Leadership in the New Normal".
Thank you so much for joining us. Really appreciate it. And we're going to get to that 15-year anniversary today of Hurricane Katrina. Seems like just yesterday in a few minutes.
But let's talk but let's talk about what we're seeing on the ground now. We're seeing buildings destroyed, grocery stores damaged, homes flooded, out of power. What is the number one priority now on the ground?
LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE, U.S. ARMY (RET): Ma'am, that's going to be search and rescue and the safety of the crews on the ground. Every building there, every house, every structure will have to be entered. We do a two-phase search.
You go knock. And then if you can't go in, then you come back and go into that house to make sure every structure is cleared and there's no one in there that needs to be rescued. And to identify anybody that didn't make it out.
GOLODRYGA: So 13 --
HONORE: Search and rescue --
(CROSSTALK)
GOLODRYGA: Search and rescue. And as we mentioned, 13 deaths officially. And it has now been two days since the storm hit. Do you expect that we could see more fatalities during the search and rescue operation? HONORE: I would be pretty sure now with the amount of search and
rescue teams they have from FEMA and the Louisiana National Guard that there may be switching over to starting recovery. I have not seen that announced on the news, but we have a big space. It's just not Cameron and (INAUDIBLE) it's all the way through Allen Parish (ph).
So everything up there that homes that were destroyed will have to be entered. So, this may go on longer than anticipated. And on top of that, we have a chemical spill that occurred across the river and the fire is burning as of this morning.
GOLODRYGA: So a lot for the cleanup and rescue crews to be doing over the course of the next few days. President Trump is on his way to tour the area as well as we speak. What do we need to hear from him? What does that community need to hear and see from him on the ground?
HONORE: Well, we hope he start off by not giving another political speech. We hope he come and give the people hope and encourage the first responders who have all left their families. The volunteers that have come from all over the country. And that he will make a commitment to really do what he promised three years ago, which is to quickly rebuild after Harvey, Irma and Maria and that has not been done. None of those homes have been rebuilt yet.
And here we are in the middle of another Hurricane here Laura, in the middle of chemical corridor, create a lot of jobs, create a lot of stuff the world needs and that town needs to be rebuilt.
But if they're like what he did for Harvey, Irma and Maria, three years from now these houses won't be rebuild. So I hope he goes back and uses what he call some of that Trump speed and change the way we rebuild homes after hurricanes. Because the system we have now is absolute failure.
GOLODRYGA: Well, he has a lot of supporters down there that are desperate to hear from him. So let's hope that rings true what you said we need to hear.
[11:44:48]
GOLODRYGA: You know, today marks 15 years since Hurricane Katrina made landfall. I remember you; the whole world remembers you and the leadership role you took on to salvage as much as could be and to lead us through that terrible time. What do you remember about that time that still stays with you after all these years?
And now that we're the middle of a pandemic, have we learned more about how to recover quicker and prepare for these massive hurricanes and storms that we're just seeing now, seeing more and more of?
HONORE: I'll never forget the riot from Biloxi, Mississippi and seeing highway 90 just crumbled up by the storm. That's the first damage I could see beside all the homes in Mississippi coast had been destroyed.
And then flying into the city and seeing about 80 percent of the city under water. That was a sight to behold. And you could only imagine the pain and suffering. And then we landed at the Superdome and upon landing I looked out and looked in the eyes of about 50,000 people waiting to be evacuated. I'll never forget that scene.
GOLODRYGA: And have we learned from that experience? Are we in a better place now?
HONORE: We're in a better place. For instance, we brought about 20,000 federal troops in 20 ships plus 40,000 National Guard in the multi- state thing we call Katrina Arena. The good news this year, (INAUDIBLE) Louisiana National Guard was in Iraq. They were patrolling the Iran arch (ph) in Iraq.
This year for Hurricane Laura they're home. And boy have they made a difference. They know the local people. This is where they live. They made a seamless transition from evacuating people to search and rescue. That National Guard being home has made a big difference in responding to this hurricane.
And the response from FEMA has been a lot better. A lot of prepositioning of search and rescue teams on site ready to go. So we've made a lot of good things happen.
GOLODRYGA: Well, you've been part of that road to making good things happen. We hope you continue to speak out and help lead us through these devastating disasters throughout the country.
Thank you so much, General Russel Honore, we appreciate your time.
HONORE: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: And this year marks the 100th anniversary of women getting the right to vote in the U.S. Our series "Represented" celebrates the suffragette spirit by spotlighting modern activists in action.
CNN's Brooke Baldwin introduces us to a woman whose simple phrase "MeToo" started a global movement against sexual violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TARANA BURKE, ACTIVIST: Transwomen, disabled women, women of color, black women, people who are generally pushed to the margins in every other area are also at the forefront of the people experiencing sexual violence.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tarana Burke promoted the phrase "MeToo" in 2006 as a declaration of unity, bringing attention to sexual violence and harassment endured by marginalized women.
BURKE: It was inspired by my life, by being a black girl survivor who did not have a pathway to the healing process.
BALDWIN: In 2017 actress Alyssa Milano tweeted about Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein's widespread harassment and urged women to share their own stories of abuse with Burke's #metoo.
You had 12 million people in one day who came forward to say this thing has affected my life.
BALDWIN: The movement was a reckoning for a number of high profile men and it led to new pushes for stronger victim's rights. But Burke points out there's still a lot of work to do.
BURKE: You cannot simply legislate for progress. If we don't have a cultural shift in this country, those laws and policies won't make a difference.
CROWD: Stop the violence.
BURKE: We believe you unnamed survivors.
CROWD: Yes.
BURKE: And we care.
This is a people's movement. It's a survivor's movement for anybody who has experienced sexual violence.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: And for more information, visit CNN.com/represented.
[11:49:04]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Last night, Mary Trump, the president's niece, released new recordings between herself and the president's sister, Maryanne Trump Barry. One of those secret recordings include conversations about the president's children. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARYANNE TRUMP BARRY, SISTER OF DONALD TRUMP: When -- when that damn Ivanka puts this picture of the Madonna and child on Instagram, when the big news of the day was -- children are being ripped from their families. I couldn't blame -- I never heard of Samantha Bee, I couldn't blame what she said.
Meanwhile Eric's become the moron publicly. Ivanka gives a (EXPLETIVE DELETED). She's all about her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, she's a mini Donald.
M. TRUMP: She's a mini-Donald. But yet, he's besotted with her. He always has been. She's always been his favorite.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Wow. A lot to unpack there.
Mary Trump joined Anderson Cooper last night. And here is what she said about one of those clips regarding Donald Trump's faith.
[11:54:53]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S NIECE: You know, it's sort of amazing that anybody took the claims that he was charitable seriously or that he was particularly a person of faith.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: CNN has reached out to the White House and Maryanne Trump Barry for comment. We have not heard back.
And we will be back. And coming up --
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:59:57]
GOLODRYGA: Hello. Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Bianna Golodryga, in for Fredricka Whitfield.
Well, new conflicting details are emerging in the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
