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Russel Honore Recommends Capitol Police Increases; COVID Relief Bill Will Send Billions to Public Schools; Live Coverage of Derek Chauvin Trial. Aired 10:30-11a ET
Aired April 05, 2021 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:30:00]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Capitol Police officers cannot meet the mission? His answer was definitive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSSEL HONORE, LED SECURITY REVIEW AFTER JANUARY 6 INSURRECTION: We made the recommendation that they need to get the funding to recruit and hire 233 officers that are short. We made the recommendation to hire another additional 800 officers. Those recommendations today are something (ph) Congress should take action. But I would not go as far as he has, that they (ph) cannot meet the mission, that's BS.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: CNN congressional correspondent Jessica Dean, she is on Capitol Hill.
So these recommendations -- and they are expansive -- are now in the hands of Congress. We're talking about close to a thousand more Capitol Police officers, security not just in the Capitol but in home districts, but also a retractable but permanent fencing arrangement around the Capitol. Where does this stand on the Hill?
JESSICA DEAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, right. Jim, you're talking about some $2 billion and what those recommendations would add up to. And right now, there have been discussions about it. We have heard from some Republicans that they're pushing back on that number, that it doesn't need to be that expansive, that expensive. Though they do agree with parts of it.
As with anything up here on Capitol Hill, you need bipartisan action on this to get something done. And so that is the big question, can they find some middle ground to act, to put some of these things into place to make sure that this Capitol Complex and also the people who work in it and by it are as safe as possible.
Now, as far as the horrible incident that happened on Friday, you see the checkpoint here behind me, where that all went down on Friday. It's pretty much back to normal, but we have seen flowers, kind of a memorial, pop up here for Officer Billy Evans. There are some flowers just over to my left here that people have dropped off over the weekend, as they really honor his sacrifice and celebrate his life after what happened on Friday.
But the question remains, what happens moving forward? That is the big question here. We have heard from a lot of lawmakers that they want to strike a balance between transparency, between openness, which is what Capitol Hill is known for, that constituents can come and see their elected congressmembers and their senators here, that they can walk the halls. How do you maintain that but also acknowledge that this has become a soft target, that this is a target and that it needs to be secured?
Of course, I'm looking here to my right as well, National Guard members remain here and they are at the checkpoints, when I walked in this morning, they were right there, backing up Capitol Police.
And it was interesting to hear from that union president over the weekend, Jim and Poppy, not only what he said about the mission but that they are working double overtime here, Capitol Police officers, that some of them are looking around to go to other agencies. This is a very difficult job. They're making the argument they need more resources to do it well -- Jim and Poppy.
SCIUTTO: And one of the other recommendations from Honore in his review is a permanent National Guard quick reaction force -- or QRF, as it's known -- to be on hand going forward. Jessica Dean, good to have you there on the Hill.
DEAN: Yes.
SCIUTTO: Well, a blame game is now playing out in Georgia, this after the Major League Baseball's decision to pull its All-Star Game out of the state in direct protest of the state's new restrictive voting law.
POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: Republican Governor Brian Kemp is now blaming who he calls partisan activists and, quote, "cancel culture." Dianne Gallagher joins us now.
Look, this blame game has only intensified after Major League Baseball made a bold move to pull out the All-Star Game. I think a big question now is, what are other companies going to do given it's already law now in Georgia?
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think you hit the nail on the head there, Poppy. A lot of activists had said they would have appreciated some of this movement before the bill was signed into law, because they think that these companies could have used their influence and their money that they bring to the state to help change the bill before it became law.
But of course, that is now the past. And we're looking at the reaction of these companies that are based in Georgia, as well as Major League Baseball pulling the All-Star Game out of the state of Georgia because of the law.
And, look, the governor, Brian Kemp, has staunchly defended this law, and even accused these companies of maybe not knowing what they're talking about, simply bowing to pressure after there really wasn't anything that they could do.
He has continued to blame, though, not necessarily just the companies, but President Biden and his former gubernatorial rival Stacey Abrams, who of course now is a voting rights activist and head up Fair Fight, which nationally sort of leads this voting rights campaign across the country, but specifically in Georgia.
Here's what Brian Kemp said, and then I want you to hear what Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms had to say afterward.
[10:35:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. BRIAN KEMP (R-GA): Major League Baseball put the wishes of Stacey Abrams and Joe Biden ahead of the economic wellbeing of hardworking Georgians who were counting on the All-Star Game for a paycheck.
MAYOR KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS (D), ATLANTA, GEORGIA: I can't say that I like it, but I certainly understand it. And it is really probably the first of many boycotts of our state to come, and the consequences of this bill are significant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: Yes, I can't say that I like it but I understand it, is what we're hearing from a lot of Democratic elected officials out of Georgia, who obviously are also looking at the money that the state is going to lose.
Jim, Poppy, one more thing, Coca-Cola provided free products to state lawmakers there, some of the Republican state lawmakers said, Coke, take your products out. Because Coke has also come out against this law.
Coca-Cola said, you know what, we're going to continue focusing on what we can do, including federal legislation when it comes to voting rights.
SCIUTTO: Yes. Well, Dianna Gallagher, it's good to have you following this because they seem to be happening every other day.
HARLOW: Yes, thank you, Dianne.
Minutes from now, a second week of testimony begins in the murder trial of ex-police officer Derek Chauvin. We'll bring that to you, here.
SCIUTTO: Plus, new international travel guidelines could be on the horizon in Europe. We're going to be live in London, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARLOW: Well, because of the COVID relief bill, schools will get about $130 billion in relief funds. Educators say that will go a long way in getting students back into the classroom full-time.
SCIUTTO: Yes. It's for things like ventilation, for spacing, so on, all that you need to get kids in the classroom more safely. But it doesn't stop there. CNN's Evan McMorris-Santoro reports on how one school district is investing its stimulus money in its kids.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EBONY JOHNSON, CHIEF LEARNING OFFICER, TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS: We've always wanted to make this happen, so let's make it happen.
EVAN MCMORRIS-SANTORO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As another challenging school year is coming to an end, educators across the country like Tulsa Public Schools' chief learning officer Ebony Johnson, are dreaming about the future.
JOHNSON: We've been through so much as a country through the pandemic. And so to be able to get these dollars, it's exciting because we get to dream. So let's go.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO (voice-over): Federal money is coming into districts within the next 60 days. Tulsa Superintendent Deborah Gist says it will help get schools back to where they were pre-pandemic, and possibly make them better than they were.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO: You have more tools available to you now than you have had maybe in a long time.
DEBORAH GIST, SUPERINTENDENT, TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Yes.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO: So what does that mean?
GIST: So for us, you know, in Oklahoma, we do not invest adequately in public education. So this investment will allow us to not only provide direct services to our children and families, but it's also going to help us to grow and expand.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO (voice-over): The $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, approved by Congress last month, sets aside $129 billion for education. Those dollars flow from Washington across the country, and end in states where they're dispersed to school districts like the one in Tulsa.
District leaders divide it between all their schools, so some of it will land here, at Monroe Demonstration Academy Middle School.
LAURA GRISHAM, MS SPEECH AND DEBATE TEACHER: Being able to now be back in person with the social distancing, with masks, with desk shields has been amazing to watch kids really just get back into the groove of things.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO (voice-over): Tulsa leaders expect their school system to get around $128 million from the American Rescue Plan Act over the next three years.
That money is earmarked to not only get classrooms open, but for summer enrichment programs, after-school child care, even a graduation bootcamp, free to all students.
JOHNSON: Graduation is priority, and you still need one or two credits left to graduate, and we need to help you get there.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO (voice-over): Back at Monroe, Interim Principal Rob Kaiser is excited about what this new money can do.
ROB KAISER, INTERIM PRINCIPAL, MONROE DEMONSTRATION ACADEMY: Every student will be able to enroll in a summer camp if they'd like.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Do you get the feeling that students are excited about going to school all summer?
KAISER: I do, I do. And I think it's changing the narrative behind what school is. This is going to be a time where kids are going to come in and we're going to get some academics done in the morning, and then we're going to have some opportunities for kids to really explore their interests, be around their friends, to be kids.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO (voice-over): Nicholas Lopez, an eighth grader, is looking forward to graduation and starting high school. He says the newly funded programs at Monroe could have a big impact on students like him.
NICHOLAS LOPEZ, 8TH GRADE STUDENT: I hope it actually does go according to plan. I'd like it to happen. Like, it's going to get us back to the -- the way we were before the pandemic. I don't know if I'm saying that right.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO (voice-over): School administrators are now poised to execute their plan.
GIST: It's our responsibility as educators at the school level to ensure that we are excellent stewards of these taxpayer dollars.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO (voice-over): And to ensure this funding can make a lasting impact beyond the short term.
GRISHAM: I'm a teacher, right? So I'm more on the frontlines of this than understanding exactly how the budget is being lined out, and you know, knowing what dollars are going where. That stuff can't happen without the stimulus money, and we're really excited.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO (voice-over): Evan McMorris-Santoro, CNN, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Well, lots of parents and kids certainly waiting.
Overseas today, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is going to lay out a plan to restart international travel, and for so-called vaccine passports to do so. The government hopes to test the program at live events in the coming weeks.
HARLOW: Let's go to our colleague in London, our colleague Salma Abdelaziz. Good morning, good afternoon to you. There's a lot already of pushback on this idea and this conversation about vaccine passports, and the plan isn't even out yet.
[10:45:06]
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely, Poppy and Jim. And it's very interesting because we're watching Europe sort of going through another wave of COVID, and the U.K. is really leading the charge on this. What happens when you get to the other side of the mountain of coronavirus?
So the prime minster, today making this big announcement, announcing that international travel should be able to resume for May 17th, but there's going to be a traffic light system for all countries. And then, quite crucially, how do you resume concerts, big conferences, huge events, sports events? How do you do that?
Well, the prime minister's plan is what they're calling a COVID status certification. You've just described it as a vaccine passport, that's essentially what it is, a document that has a few basic facts: have you taken the vaccine, have you had a recent negative result, and do you have natural immunity.
And they want to test this out, they're going to pilot it with a few events across the U.K., including a huge soccer event at Wembley Stadium, a comedy night in Liverpool and a few other events.
But, yes, controversy, dozens of M.P.s have signed an open letter saying that this is going to be divisive, that it's going to be discriminatory, there's concerns about civil liberties, about people's personal health who cannot take the vaccine.
This is something the government promised up and down they are not going to do, we're not going to do vaccine passports. But now they're saying the reality is much different, this is the way to open up the country domestically. But the prime minister could be facing some really tough opposition in parliament to get these measures across -- Poppy and Jim.
HARLOW: OK, Salma, thank you for the reporting, live in London for us.
Well, hundreds of homes have been evacuated in Florida. Why? Because a toxic wastewater reservoir -- look how huge that is -- is in real danger of collapsing. We'll take you there, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Welcome back. The trial, just resuming in the case of Derek Chauvin, the killing of George Floyd, the alleged killing of George Floyd. This is the first witness being sworn in. Let's listen in.
[10:50:07]
PETER CAHILL, HENNEPIN COUNTY JUDGE: -- do that, but --
BRADFORD WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Sure.
CAHILL: -- as a doctor, I can tell you I've had both my shots, if that helps. But we'd like you to state your full name, spelling each of your names.
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Sure. So Dr. Bradford Wankhede Langenfeld, B-R- A-D-F-O-R-D, W-A-N-K-H-E-D-E, L-A-N-G-E-N-F-E-L-D.
CAHILL: Mr. Blackwell?
JERRY BLACKWELL, PROSECUTING ATTORNEY: And we can just call you Dr. Langenfeld?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: That's fine.
BLACKWELL: Good. Dr. Langenfeld, did you provide emergency care to the body, to George Floyd after he was taken to Hennepin County on the evening of May 25th?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: I did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sorry, judge, (INAUDIBLE).
BLACKWELL: Just by way of introduction, are you the physician who officially pronounced him dead that night?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: That is correct, yes.
BLACKWELL: Were you one of the physicians who tried to save his life?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Objection, (INAUDIBLE).
CAHILL (?): Leading (ph), sustained.
BLACKWELL: Did you administer care to George Floyd on May 25th, 2020?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Yes.
BLACKWELL: What were you trying to do?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: We were trying to resuscitate Mr. Floyd.
BLACKWELL: To save his life?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Correct.
BLACKWELL: So why don't we learn a little bit about your background, Dr. Langenfeld. Where are you currently employed?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Currently I am working at Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital. It's up in Grand Rapids, in Minnesota. It's my primary practice. And I also work in Waconia, Minnesota, at Ridgeview Medical Center.
BLACKWELL: And Waconia's in Carver County, here?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: That's correct.
BLACKWELL: Grand Rapids is several hours driving away from here.
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: That's correct.
BLACKWELL: Why Grand Rapids?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: I was born there, it's my hometown.
BLACKWELL: It's also the hometown of Judy Garland, isn't it?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: It is, yes.
BLACKWELL: Are you licensed in emergency medicine?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: I have a Minnesota state medical license, and I practice emergency medicine.
BLACKWELL: Would you tell the ladies and gentlemen of the jury what is emergency medicine as a practice for a doctor?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: It's a very broad practice, but primarily involves taking care of patients suffering from critical ailments.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Oh, sure. Critical ailments such as strokes, heart attacks, car accidents, other emergencies such as that, but also less emergent (ph) conditions, sore throats, urinary tract infections, things like that.
BLACKWELL: When were you first licensed?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: May of 2020.
BLACKWELL: Would you tell the ladies and gentlemen of the jury a little bit about your educational background?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: So I attended medical school at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and then residency training at Hennepin County Medical Center.
BLACKWELL: And when did you finish your residency, then?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Last summer.
BLACKWELL: Have you ever had any occasion to testify in a court before?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: No, I have not.
BLACKWELL: This is the first time?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: That's correct.
BLACKWELL: Let's go to Monday, May 25th, 2020, last year, Memorial Day. Do you recall whether you were working that evening?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: I was, yes.
BLACKWELL: Where were you?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: I was in the emergency department.
BLACKWELL: At the Hennepin County Medical Center?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: That's correct.
BLACKWELL: And what was your position or title there?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: I was one of the senior residents who are (ph) involved with direct patient care, including both critical care and overseeing some of the junior residents.
BLACKWELL: Do you recall what time your shift began and ended?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: It began at about 1:00 p.m. that day and ended at approximately 11:00 p.m.
BLACKWELL: And as senior resident, what was your role?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: My role was primarily direct patient care. I work underneath attending physicians as a resident.
BLACKWELL: Did you also oversee any other residents?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Yes.
BLACKWELL: Which residents would you have overseen?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: More junior residents earlier in their residency training.
BLACKWELL: Now, in terms of any -- was care administered to George Floyd on May 25th by yourself?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Yes.
BLACKWELL: Yes. Who was the person primarily responsible, then, for George Floyd's care in the Hennepin County Medical Center Emergency Department?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: I provided the majority of direct patient care under supervision of Dr. Ashley Strobel, who was my attending physician at the time.
[10:55:05]
BLACKWELL: Were you the primary decision-maker?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: I was.
BLACKWELL: Were you the person responsible for much of the direct patient care?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Yes.
BLACKWELL: When Mr. Floyd's body, when Mr. Floyd was brought in, would you describe it as an emergency situation?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Yes, absolutely.
BLACKWELL: What was his condition in terms of his cardiac condition?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: He was in cardiac arrest.
BLACKWELL: And does cardiac arrest mean that he had had a heart attack, or what does that mean?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Not --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Leading (ph).
CAHILL: Overruled.
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Not necessarily.
BLACKWELL: What does cardiac arrest technically mean?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Cardiac arrest is defined as sudden cessation of blood flow to all the tissues of the body when the heart stops pumping, typically as evidenced by absence of a carotid pulse.
BLACKWELL: So in laypeople's terms, if we were to say cardiac arrest means the heart stopped, would that be accurate?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: That's -- yes.
BLACKWELL: What was your immediate objective when Mr. Floyd comes in and he's in cardiac arrest? What were you immediately trying to do?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Find a way to get the heart to pump on its own again. The primary goal in cases such as this is to achieve ROSC, which means return of spontaneous circulation. And part of that process involves trying to identify the cause of the arrest, to see if there's any reversible causes. And continuing CPR and other life- saving measures.
BLACKWELL: And time is of the essence?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Yes.
BLACKWELL: How did you first learn that Mr. Floyd was being transported to the emergency department at Hennepin County Medical Center?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: I received a -- we call it a Zipit page, basically an EMS notification. BLACKWELL: Now, first tell us what EMS is.
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Emergency medical services.
BLACKWELL: And a Zipit, is it essentially a text-type message or what would you -- how would you describe a Zipit?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: It's sort of like an encrypted text.
BLACKWELL: What time did the Zipit come in?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: I don't recall exactly, maybe around 8:50 p.m.
BLACKWELL: What information was provided to you for his care or treatment by Zipit?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: The information was that it was a 30-year-old unidentified male who was in cardiac arrest. And that's as much as I can recall at this time, yes.
BLACKWELL: Do you recall whether any information was given to you as to what may have happened to him ahead of time, before he got there, to explain the cardiac arrest?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Not at the time, not before he got there.
BLACKWELL: Did you know at the time he arrived that the patient was in fact George Floyd?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: I did not.
BLACKWELL: So you learned that at some point later, that it was George Floyd?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Yes.
BLACKWELL: Did you also know at the time that there was a video or any videos that depicted what had happened to Mr. Floyd before he was transported to the Hennepin County Medical Center on May 25th?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Object, your honor.
CAHILL: Grounds?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Irrelevant (INAUDIBLE).
CAHILL: Overruled.
BLACKWELL: You can answer, were you aware of the existence of any videos as to what may have happened before he arrived at Hennepin County Medical Center on May 25th?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: No.
BLACKWELL: Now, did you subsequently learn about videos?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Yes.
BLACKWELL: Were you able to evaluate your assessments about George Floyd in light of the videos?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Yes.
BLACKWELL: We'll talk about those a little bit later.
So when you received this Zipit, what did you do in response to it?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: We prepared a bay in our stabilization room, which is essentially a large room with a lot of critical care resources. We sort of prepped a team and got ready to take care of the patient when he arrived.
BLACKWELL: Do you recall roughly what time Mr. Floyd would have arrived in the emergency room?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Approximately 8:55 p.m.
BLACKWELL: And when he arrived, then, was -- had CPR been started?
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Yes.
BLACKWELL: Any mechanical devices or other things being used to help to stabilize him?
[11:00:01]
WANKHEDE LANGENFELD: Yes, there was a LUCAS CPR device, which is basically a mechanical device that sits across the body with
