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Building Collapses In Surfside, Florida, Leaves 159 Missing And Four Dead; Search And Rescue Efforts For Missing In Florida Building Collapse Continue; Fire Underneath Rubble At Building Collapse Impeding Search Efforts; Justice Department Sues State Of Georgia Over New Restrictive Voting Law; Interview With Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA) And Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX). Aired 2-3p ET

Aired June 26, 2021 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: That's right, Fred. And the search and rescue is become more and more complex. Rescue teams are fighting through fires, which are really complicating efforts to find survivors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR DANIELLA LEVINE CAVA, MIAMI-DADA COUNTY, FLORIDA: We're facing very incredible difficulties with this fire. The fire has been going on for a while. It's a very deep fire. It's extremely difficult to locate the source of the fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Also, the community here in Surfside is facing new concerns about this condo's sister building. It's nearly identical and it's located just a block away. The mayor here in Surfside told me a few hours ago that that building should be evacuated until a structural investigation can be completed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR CHARLES BURKETT, SURFSIDE, FLORIDA: It has the same name, had the same developer. It probably had the same materials. It probably had the same plans. And people are asking me, is the building safe? And I can't tell them it is safe. I can't tell them that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: The families affected by this, Fred, are not only wondering about the conditions of their loved ones, but also whether this could have been prevented. And we're getting new details today that shine a light on the condition of the building before it collapsed, actually dating back to 2018.

A structural field survey that was conducted of the condo warned of cracking in some of the columns that were in the pool deck. An engineer arguing that major repairs were going to be needed, repairs that were apparently going to begin before the unthinkable happened, as we take a look at these images of rescue crews literally standing atop 11 stories of what used to be homes.

We have a full team on the ground right now as the search for survivors continues. Let's go ahead and start with CNN's Randi Kaye. She's not far from where the rescue efforts are unfolding right now. Randi, bring us up to speed. What is the latest on this effort?

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Boris. Yes, still they're having real problems with this very deep burning fire that the mayor referred to earlier. It is spreading laterally, and they're having a very hard time reaching it and putting it out. They're trying to isolate it because it is hampering their search and rescue efforts.

They're using infrared technology. They're using foam. They're using water. Just trying to get that fire out so they can continue with trying to find survivors in that rubble. Smoke certainly an issue. It was an issue out here all day yesterday for those of us on the ground, and it continues to be an issue today.

They are still trying to build this trench. They're working on a trench and working through a trench using heavy equipment to get their teams in there and try and isolate themselves away from that fire and also still work to put the fire out but continue those search and rescue efforts. No more victims have been found. Still, four dead, 159 still unaccounted for.

You mentioned that 2018 structural field survey report. That's getting a lot of attention because it cited this structural damage to a concrete slab below the pool deck and cracking and crumbling in the parking garage. We know that those rescue teams were spending quite a bit of time in the parking garage searching for survivors. There was abundant cracking of various degrees throughout the area, in the parking garage, the beams and the walls, sizable cracks in the entrance drive ramp as well.

And the report noted that although the damage is minor, it says most of the concrete deterioration needs to be repaired in a timely fashion. Many of the previous garage concrete repairs, the report said, were failing. And finally, waterproofing below the pool deck was failing as well, and that was causing major structural damage. So that is certainly getting a lot of attention. The Surfside mayor today saying that it's unclear what steps the building was taking to address those cracks.

But you mentioned also this sister building. It really is the mirror image of the tower that collapsed. It's the north tower that we're talking about. It was by the same developer, as the mayor said. It was the same materials. It was built around the same time. So he is calling for this evacuation of that so they can do a full structural investigation, if you will, of that building and make sure that it's sound, since it is certainly a concern, Boris.

SANCHEZ: An incredibly frustrating time, not just for rescue crews trying to find the source of that fire, but also for the families that have been waiting for answers. Randi Kaye, thank you so much for that update. Let's focus on the stories of those who are looking for loved ones

right now. Ryan Young is over at the community center here in Surfside where families have been eagerly anticipating any word on what might have happened to their loved ones. They are hoping for a miracle, for any sign of life. Ryan, what are you hearing from families that you're speaking to?

[14:04:58]

RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Boris, you know people are hoping for that miracle, but you can see the ramifications from this disaster just down the street. It smolders all the way out, as people have long looks on their faces as they look for any sort of information. They stop you, they ask you, has anything changed? They're really frustrated with the fact the numbers haven't changed in the last few hours.

But I'm going to tell you, this community is not only in shock at these centers where they're looking for any signs of hope. It's around these centers as well, because this is a community that obviously can look down the street and see the plume of smoke. They even gave us a warning last night about the fact that some of those plumes of smoke that are blowing through this community may be toxic, so you can understand why people are upset.

We happened upon a church service last night that had people very emotional in terms of what was going on in this community. Take a listen to some of the sounds last night as the pastor was trying to address some of the pain in this community.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is well, it is well with my soul.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Boris, as you know, this is probably less than a half a mile from that site. I was talking to people who were quite emotional, some of them did not want to go on camera because they were worried about their loved ones. In fact, they were there looking for some sort of solace, some sort of peace. They want more information from, obviously, those who are leaders in the community. They understand a lot is being done to recover their loved ones, but they want to see more action.

And the heavy equipment was passing by this church service as we were standing there, so we could see the work being done. Listen to the pastor as he talked to us about what he was trying to do and the peace that he was trying to provide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EZEQUIEL FATTORE, PASTOR, CASA CHURCH: We believe in the power of prayer, that we can put our soul connected to God in these moments. So we're praying to God to give us the right words to talk to the people, the right words to call the people to do something. Yesterday night was really tough and difficult to sleep. We love this place. We're here all the time. These are families and people that we love. So, I don't know. That's why we say, OK, what can we do? And I feel like if we can help the ones that are helping, at least we're doing something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Just like I did, so you understand this is a multicultural melting pot in this area, so you see that as you stand here and talk to people. You see the amount of hard work that people have tried to put into bringing some of the supplies here that they think people may need.

But at the end of the day, the information, the thing that would make people feel so much better is more information coming from that site, and of course, with it being such a long process, you can see that desperation right now. We've had several people say they would love to go down there and dig.

That's obviously something they can't do. But right now, people are still holding on to hope. You can see the outpouring in terms of people trying to provide them some sort of solace, but it's just not there right now. Boris?

SANCHEZ: Ryan, so important that you captured that contrast, because you know this area well. We're both from Miami, and we know that this is a jovial, vibrant, as you noted, multicultural community. And to see this tragedy happening, it's painful, but that vibrance, that energy comes through in seeing so many heroes step forward to lend a helping hand. Ryan Young, thank you so much.

YOUNG: Absolutely.

SANCHEZ: On that note, about lending a helping hand and offering support, as family members desperately wait for news on their missing loved ones, volunteers actually set up a memorial nearby just steps away with photos of those missing. The site attracting large crowds. People who have dropped off flowers, donations, and are offering prayers and a space to reflect on the staggering pain that these families must be dealing with.

With us right now is Leo Soto. He's one of the volunteers from a local church who helped to set up that memorial. You knew -- you know someone who's involved in this accident, Nikki (ph).

LEO SOTO, SET UP MEMORIAL FOR PEOPLE MISSING IN CONDO COLLAPSE: Yes.

SANCHEZ: Tell us what motivated you to start the memorial and what you want the public to know about your friend.

SOTO: The motivation was desperation, in all honesty. I felt I would wake up in the middle of the night and I would have these nightmares and dreams, and I would just think of all the people that were suffering. And after seeing the video of the initial collapse, you notice how the middle section comes down first, and that section on the right stays there for about 10 to 15 seconds.

And all I could think of was, what were those families thinking for the last 10 seconds? If they were woken up by the sound of the first collapse, what were they thinking? Were they able to hug their loved one? Were they able to tell them I love you? Were they able to recognize, this is the moment that -- that, maybe this is the last moment of our lives?

In terms of Nikki (ph), she's a beautiful person. She was just about to get married. She just had her bachelorette party, a person that filled the room with happiness every time she walked in. And she was just about to get married to her fiance, Luis (ph), who was an amazing person that also did the same thing.

[14:10:05]

SANCHEZ: Leo, I have to ask you about faith, because for many people here, it's the only thing they have at this point, seeing the devastation just a few hundred feet away from where we are right now. What message, what words did you -- let me rephrase. What did you think about when you were putting this memorial together? What did you want to express to the folks that are waiting to hear about their loved ones?

SOTO: Well, I wanted to express a community. Miami gets sometimes a little bit of a bad reputation for people being a little too transient or not smiling all the time. But when it comes to it, people in Miami, they have a lot of passion, they love very hard, and they also experience pain very hard. So what I'm experiencing here, it's been very moving.

I've seen a lot of people go up to the memorial, shed tears. I've hugged a lot of people. So it's been very moving to have a place where the community can come together apart from everything that has to do with the government and trying to find answers and just have a place where they can have a spiritual connection with somebody else that's also suffering with them.

SANCHEZ: Have you been able to communicate with Nikki's (ph) family? How are they doing?

SOTO: I know they're doing -- it's obviously not a good point right now. They still have hope. Everybody has hope. It's happened before where survivors have been pulled out of rubble even weeks after the initial collapse. So there's always hope, and I do believe that we have the best rescue team I think in the world, maybe. So if someone were to make a miracle happen, I think it would be the Miami rescue team.

SANCHEZ: What do you want people to know about this community?

SOTO: It's just a strong community. Events like this, sadly, they happen, but how we come out after that is what matters. And I think just from being here the last few days, just seeing how everybody has really come together, everybody's walking around, passing out food, passing out drinks, whatever they can do to just help the community begin to heal, because there's a lot of unknowns, a lot of uncertainty about what happened behind us there, but what we do know is that we have to move forward with the process of healing as a community.

SANCHEZ: So important. What words would you offer to folks watching at home, maybe encouragement for them to help if they could?

SOTO: Well, there's a great organization that was started here by the Miami sports teams, Miami Heat, the Miami Marlins. It's the Support Surfside Foundation, and that's SupportSurfside.org. If you go there, you can make donations and those donations go directly to the families impacted. And obviously it's going to be a lot of families impacted, so the more help we can get, the better.

SANCHEZ: Absolutely. Leo Soto, we appreciate you talking to us and you setting up that memorial that allows people a place to vent and reflect on the devastation that we're all experiencing. Thank you so much.

SOTO: It's the least I could do.

SANCHEZ: Of course.

Stay with CNN. Just ahead, we're going to take you into a meeting between officials and families where emotions boiled over.

And of course, for more information on how you can help the victims of the Surfside building collapse, you can go to CNN.com/Impact. We have a list of charities there you can donate to that have been vetted so you know that your dollars will go to where they are needed most.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:17:17]

SANCHEZ: As of right now, this remains a waiting game in Surfside, Florida, anxious anticipation, excruciating as hours go by, but the families of those still missing in this condo collapse are anticipating answers.

Nick Valencia joins us now in Surfside. Nick, you've been talking to a lot of these folks that have been waiting to hear whether their loved ones might make it out of this disaster. So many of them -- so many of us praying for a miracle. What are they sharing with you?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boris, this has been the ultimate test of faith for so many who have friends or family among the unaccounted for and still missing. And as these hours tick by with no signs of life under those piles of debris here, that collapsed building, that hope has started to turn into desperation, and in some cases, as you're about to hear, outrage.

I did reach out to Abigail (ph) Pereira (ph), who has three friends, including a six-year-old little girl who she says is among the missing. She didn't want to talk because she's too emotional, but she did want to share this video from inside the briefing room. It is, in one word, contentious.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a mother. I don't know the best way to go about this. But it's impossible that in four days nobody has emerged, dead or alive. Please don't tell me about the two people. I know about it. It's not enough. Imagine if your children were in there.

You're going to leave here and you're going to take a nice picture. And I know you're doing everything you can, but it's not enough. You gave us a promise, and you're not fulfilling it, and you can fulfill it. It's not important when my daughter is dying.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't use a mic because I'm an Orthodox Jew and it's Shabbat. I understand the grief. I speak as a daughter, I speak as a sister. These people are trying to help us. It's not them against us, and the more we can keep that in mind, it's going to enable them to try to help us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: Emotions are clearly high, and earlier, I spoke to a spokeswoman for the Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue who says that she hears the frustrations. She understands, during normal routine calls they get criticized for arriving in just a couple of minutes.

So when you put into the situation here that we're dealing with, the gravity of all those unaccounted for, you can imagine just how high emotions are here. She says they, too, the first responders, are praying for a miracle, and they are doing all they can. Their efforts, though, right now, are coming up empty. Boris?

SANCHEZ: It is the effort of those rescue crews and their experience in the past that inspires us and gives us hope that we will see a miracle.

[14:20:03]

Nick Valencia, thank you so much for that.

Fred, it's just hard to really put yourself in the shoes of someone in this situation as officials continue to urge for patience. We're now way beyond 60 hours since this took place, and yet there are no signs of life. And the process has to be painstakingly slow to ensure the safety of not only the rescue crews but also anyone that may still be trapped inside fighting for their lives.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Right. And no matter what word you convey, really, bottom line is, these loved ones just want their family, friends, loved ones back. All right, Boris, thank you so much. We'll check back with you. We'll continue to watch the scene there in Surfside, Florida.

Next, to Washington, where a battle is brewing between the Justice Department and the state of Georgia over voting rights. Two members of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus will be joining me live next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:25:26]

WHITFIELD: All right, the U.S. Justice Department is suing Georgia over its new voting legislation critics say restrict voting rights.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MERRICK GARLAND, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Our complaint alleges that recent changes to Georgia's election laws were enacted with the purpose of denying or abridging the right of black Georgians to vote on account of their race or color in violation of Section Two of the Voting Rights Act.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The Georgia law was enacted after the 2020 election. It's in step with Republican led legislatures nationwide trying to narrow voting access in the wake of President Donald Trump's election defeat. The Justice Department also said it is putting together a task force to look into the rise of threats against election officials.

Joining us live is Representative Nikema Williams, she's a Democrat from Georgia, a former state representative who now holds the seat held by John Lewis before his passing, and also Congressman Marc Veasey is a Democrat from Texas and the House Assistant Whip. They are both co-chairs of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus. Good to see both of you.

And meantime, we are watching the scene from Surfside, Florida, and I do want to ask you about that in a moment. But first, let's talk about voting rights efforts here and this lawsuit by the DOJ. Congresswoman Williams, your hopes for this lawsuit?

REP. NIKEMA WILLIAMS (D-GA): I was pleased to hear that the DOJ was intervening in this law in Georgia because that is their job, to be the people's attorney. They literally represent Americans across this country to protect their civil rights. So -- but I also know that that doesn't abdicate us as members of Congress and our responsibility and our duty to make policies to ensure that everyone in this country, regardless of where they live, have their access to the ballot protected. We should have standardized processes, and right now that's not happening.

So we still have work to do as members of Congress, and that's what we are focusing on in the Voting Rights Caucus is making sure that we get H.R. 1, the For the People Act, and the voting rights act passed, because we need these protections so everyone has their access to the ballot.

WHITFIELD: So Congressman Veasey, this lawsuit from the DOJ does come after Republicans blocked H.R. 1, the For the People Voting Rights bill. Does this lawsuit, in your view, this effort, come from the legislative defeat? REP. MARC VEASEY (D-TX): Well, you know, first of all, I'm glad that

the DOJ has intervened in Georgia. And Fredricka, I would ask you to also watch Texas. You may be aware that the governor has called a special session in Texas for July 8th, and they're going to go in and they're going to try to pass this discriminatory voting law in our state as well.

And so, if we don't put an end to this now, you're going to see these laws continue to proliferate all over the country, and they're aimed at making it harder for black and Hispanics to vote. And so I want to echo what my colleague, Nikema Williams has said, co-chair of the Voting Rights Caucus. We absolutely have to pass H.R. 1.

We have to pass H.R. 4, particularly for those of us in the south, H.R. 4 is going to be huge because it puts preclearance back into play, because this is very serious. This is not some sort of a game or just some sort of a partisan exercise. We're talking about trying to purposely and be overly prescriptive so that you can disenfranchise black voters in America. And it's just unjust.

WHITFIELD: And so, Congressman Veasey, while Georgia is first in terms of facing a lawsuit from the DOJ, do you see that Texas is also on the horizon for the DOJ?

VEASEY: I hope that the DOJ is watching Texas closely. Nothing good is going to come out of this special session, nothing good at all. I was in the state legislature as well. I spent eight years there, and a lot of the rhetoric that you hear from Republican state legislators about all of the voter fraud that takes place in black and Hispanic neighborhoods, they would say these things very openly and very candidly.

Laws saying that you can use your phone to record people while they're voting so you can get voter fraud on camera, and wanting judges -- judges that are elected in primaries, which is how you get elected in a lot of these Texas counties these days, they want these Republican judges that are elected in these primaries to decide whether or not close elections should be overturned.

[14:30:12]

It's just, it's insane what's happening here. And so I would ask Kristen Clarke and everyone else over at DOJ to continue to watch what's happening here in the lone star state because they are really trying to push the envelope without us having preclearance and the protection of the Voting Rights Act and also with us not being able to pass H.R. 1. It's why we have to keep pushing to make sure we get boat of those passed.

WHITFIELD: Congresswoman Williams, not long after the Department of Justice announced its lawsuit against Georgia, the Georgia governor, Brian Kemp, had this reaction. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. BRIAN KEMP, (R) GEORGIA: They are coming for you next. They are coming for your state, your ballgame, your election laws, your business, and your way of life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, congresswoman, what do you believe Governor Kemp means when he says, threatening your way of life?

WILLIAMS: Fredricka, I grew up in Alabama, and this gives me reminiscence of all of the stories that I learned in my Alabama history books of the segregationists of the south who drew their line in the sand because they didn't want people who looked like me to have access to the ballot, to have rights in this country.

So Brian Kemp, history is not going to be favorable upon him. The people will continue to show up and make sure that their voices are heard, and we'll be right there with them every step of the way to make sure we're securing their right to vote.

WHITFIELD: At the same time, while Governor Kemp received a lot of criticism from then President Trump and many of his supporters, do you believe that the way he is digging in his heels in support of this new legislation in impacting potentially the next election, that he will win support as he is now up for reelection?

WILLIAMS: He is absolutely trying to gain favor from former President Donald Trump, but Fredricka, it's appalling that we have a governor in our state who is supposed to be representing all of the people, sitting here trying to restrict the right to the ballot.

I know that as a black woman in the south I wouldn't even have the right to vote in this country if it were not for the federal government. so we're going to continue to move forward. And Brian Kemp's days are numbered as governor, and I'm looking forward to having real leadership in my state.

WHITFIELD: Congressman Veasey, I wonder if I could switch gears as the search and rescue efforts continue in south Florida, even though the fire chief said they have yet to find any kind of, you know, sign of life there. What are your thoughts on what's taking place there right now, and what potentially could happen next in terms of building inspections, as the Miami officials are saying any building over 40 years will get a new once over, particularly after what's taken place there?

VEASEY: Yes. Obviously, what happened is horrific. When I saw the news first on your network, I couldn't believe it that a building in America would collapse like that. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families. It's absolutely terrible. And not long ago, we had an incident in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where a bridge collapsed, and people perished over the water.

And so what I would say is that we need to take this seriously. Obviously, these buildings need to be inspected. And we need to get this infrastructure bill passed, because there are other structures like this, not just apartment buildings but bridges and other pieces of very critical infrastructure that moves thousands of people a day, and we need to make sure that this is -- that these -- that this infrastructure is safe for America. It's serious, and we don't ever want anything like that to happen again.

And it shouldn't happen in our country. We have the best engineers. We have the best inspectors. But we need to give our states and local governments the money that they need in order to make sure that these can last for generations.

WHITFIELD: Congresswoman Williams, what are your views on what will soon be the citywide inspections of buildings 40 years and older that are five levels and up there in south Florida, particularly in the Miami-Dade area?

WILLIAMS: I've been watching the coverage, and it's horrific. And my prayers go out to the families of people who are still missing and they don't even know if they're going to be reconnected with their loved ones.

We have a responsibility as leaders in this country to make sure that we are -- if we have the opportunity to move an infrastructure package, that we're looking at things like this. Congressman Veasey couldn't be more factual when he talks about the crumbling bridges and infrastructure in our country that are leaving so many Americans vulnerable to issues like this.

[14:35:05]

So we have to do our job as members of Congress and move forward bold and visionary policies that are truly going to look out for all people, and that means things like infrastructure.

WHITFIELD: Members of Congress, Nikema Williams, Marc Veasey, thanks to both of you, appreciate it. Be well.

VEASEY: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Coming up, at least 159 people remain missing after that condominium collapsed, including a 65-year-old beloved grandmother. Her children spoke with our Boris Sanchez a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH SPIEGEL, MOTHER, JUDY SPIEGEL, IS MISSING: I just want my mom back.

RACHEL SPIEGEL, MOTHER, JUDY SPIEGEL, IS MISSING: I know.

J. SPIEGEL: And we're praying as much as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:40:00]

SANCHEZ: Since the unthinkable happened on Thursday morning, we've been working to bring you the stories of those whose families still remain missing. And earlier today, I spoke to a pair of siblings whose mother is still unaccounted for in the rubble here just steps away in Surfside. Judy Spiegel's children told us about her earlier today. Here's what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RACHEL SPIEGEL, MOTHER, JUDY SPIEGEL, IS MISSING: My mom is just the best person in the world. She is so caring and loving. She, like, loves my kids. And, obviously, I'm dealing with my own stuff, but I also have to worry about my daughter. I have two daughters, but one's too little to really know and understand. The picture that we just saw was scarlet with my mom.

But my daughter keeps asking. We told her last night that my mom is missing and we can't find her. And she told me that, well, she's really good at playing hide-and-seek, so she's probably hiding in her house. Can I go with there with you? I know where she hides.

And I said, we have a lot of people helping. We told her that I've been on the news. We're doing everything that we can. But my husband told me that, she asked again today, have they found grandma? Has mommy found grandma?

JOSH SPIEGEL, MOTHER, JUDY SPIEGEL, IS MISSING: I'm scared to death. I just want my mom back.

R. SPIEGEL: I know.

J. SPIEGEL: And we're praying as much as possible. We just want more people to help. So if there's anyone else that can help, that's all that we want. We love my mom. She's the most amazing person in the world. And we would literally do anything, because we know that she would do anything for us.

R. SPIEGEL: My dad was in town for Father's Day. Josh's birthday was Father's Day. We were all celebrating and happy. And my dad left Monday morning. And they were supposed to go to New York. They have this trip coming up. It's days away.

Like, I don't really understand it. Like, my heart breaks for my dad, but at the same time, I'm just so thankful that he wasn't there too, because obviously, the thought of losing my mom, who's my rock and my best friend, and everything, is the most awful thing. But I don't really know if I would be standing if I lost the two.

It breaks my heart if something could have been prevented, and I'm just killing myself that I didn't say, on Wednesday night, mom, sleep over at my house.

SANCHEZ: How would you have known?

R. SPIEGEL: Obviously I didn't know. But if I could go back in time, and I was on the phone with my mom Wednesday night, and she often sleeps at my house -- I just don't know why, on that day -- she was coming to my house Thursday because I usually have ballet at my house for the kids. It breaks my heart. SANCHEZ: Rachel and Josh, we pray for you, and our hearts go out to

you, to your kids, to your dad. If there's anything that we can do to help facilitate this process in any way, please let us know. We're going to keep trying to get you answers and keep up.

R. SPIEGEL: Keep saying my mom's name. Keep believing. Keep praying. That's all we're doing.

SANCHEZ: Judy Spiegel.

R. SPIEGEL: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Thank you, Rachel and Josh, we appreciate it.

J. SPIEGEL: Thank you.

R. SPIEGEL: thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Rachel and Josh have not gotten an update on Judy's status, just like the families of the other 158 people that remain unaccounted for.

We also want to share this with you. CNN spoke with a local rabbi who recounted one of the tragic stories touching his synagogue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RABBI ZALMAN LIPSKER, SHUL OF BAL HARBOUR: The one that's really touching me the most is this family came for a funeral of a dear friend of theirs, and multiple family members were staying in that building. They have apartments there. And they're now missing seven or eight family members.

I've never seen the strength of a mother that herself went through her own miraculous recovery from a devastating disease, and she's completely distraught that her daughter came for a funeral for someone, a dear friend, and she was there because, she said to me, her daughter is the only one that could bring solace to others. So that story has continuously resonates with me, because I'm just blown away by her faith, by her strength. Even through her breaking down, I think that's her strength.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:48:56]

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Romance novelist Jackie Collins who died in 2015 remains one of the most successful authors of all time. But her best story may be the one that she never got a chance to tell -- her own. And now the new CNN film "Lady Boss, The Jackie Collins Story" explores the personal life of the 1980s icon. Here's a preview. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She knew that I was gay, so of course her eyes lit up when she found out I was a lesbian. She always wanted to know about my personal life. Was I in a relationship, was I dating.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Susan preferred women. For the last three years she had been having a very satisfying affair with a producer's wife, sexy, carpet-haired Paige (ph) Wheeler (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was in one relationship where I had a girlfriend in Palm Springs, and I would come back and she would want explicit details about what I had done.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were naked and playing games.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who I had seen, what did they look like.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You show me yours, I'll show you mine.

[14:50:02]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She wanted sort of the outer layer so that she could create the inner details, was sort of the sense I got.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Joining me right now, Laura Lizer. She was Jackie Collins' business manager and close friend. So, oh my gosh, is that what it was like to be her friend? You had to kiss and tell?

LAURA LIZER, BUSINESS MANAGER FOR JACKIE COLLINS: Well, obviously as business manager, I couldn't kiss and tell. But in this documentary she is kissing and telling, because it's her own words.

WHITFIELD: Extraordinary words. I mean, people were riveted, what a page-turner, one back after the next. So why did you want to be involved in this project, helping to tell Jackie's story through this film?

LIZER: Most documentaries are told by friends and family, and it's their opinion. But Jackie, since she was a little girl, she kept these diaries and saved them, which was a surprise to everybody, that she had saved them all. So this documentary is in her words. This is her story.

She's telling it from what she wrote in her diaries. And so from my standpoint, that meant a lot to me, because I think that's something that she would approve. She did talk about doing an autobiography before she passed away. So I think this is something that she would have done, or it's the way she would have wanted it done.

WHITFIELD: I feel like the pictures of her tell the story too. What a glamorous, confident, sexy public persona that she really conveyed there, happily. And you know you are a big author when it's your name that is more prominent than the actual title of the book, and you see that in all of her books. So what was she like in private? Was it very similar to how she was publicly?

LIZER: Totally. Totally. What you saw publicly is what she was privately. This is someone who she loved to have fun, she loved her friends, she loved her family. She loved to go out and party. A lot of that was research, of course. But she -- we used to play charades all the time. And she was just exactly what you see. And how she came off in her interviews, that's how she was.

WHITFIELD: What you see is what you get. Laura Lizer, thank you so much. Of course, we're all looking forward to "Lady Boss, The Jackie Collins Story" that's premiering tomorrow night at 9:00 right here on CNN.

We've got more news in just a moment. But first, today's "The Human Factor."

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ANDY DURAN, FOUNDER, CHUB ROLLZ: I love skating. I just feel very free to be in my body and to be myself on a skateboard. When I was skating before, it was in the late 90s and early 2000s. I was a fat kid growing up. During the pandemic I really wanted to get back into skating. There was not really information online for fat skateboarders. Not only could I not find pads and gear in my size, but I also had difficulty with just seeing any other folks like me, which felt alienating.

We started putting our own videos up, and then we're immediately hit with fat-phobia, comments about our body size. I wanted to have a space where we could all come together and not be judged. The Chub Rollz started as a space for fat, plus-sized, chubby skaters to have a safe place to learn together and skate together.

We have our monthly physical event. I help to show people how to stand on a skateboard, how to gain their balance, how to ride, and what kind of information they may need for getting the right gear.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Being around a bunch of people who look similar to me really makes it feel more comfortable to learn.

DURAN: A lot of times when there's plus size groups, they tend to be focused on weight loss. And the reality is that not everybody who is fat is actually looking to change that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:54:08]

WHITFIELD: It continues to be a race against time in south Florida right now. Families desperate for news, rescuers working around clock, and an entire community demanding answers.

Take a look at the front page of "The Miami Herald" today. It's chilling, and it says it all, "Heartbreak." We all are prayerfully watching and waiting, hoping for some good news.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Thanks to my colleague Boris Sanchez in Florida. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. CNN Newsroom continues right now with Jim Acosta and Wolf Blitzer, next.

Before I go, I want to leave you with these images of the missing posted on a fence in Surfside, Florida.