Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

At Least 21 Dead, 40 Missing in Devastating Tennessee Floods; 33 Million in Northeast Under Flood Alerts Following Henri; Kathy Hochul to be Sworn In as NY Governor at Midnight But Cuomo Not Leaving Without Fight; AZ's Election "Audit" Report Due Today to GOP State Senators; House Democrats Head for Showdown over Biden Economic Agenda; U.S. Base in Germany Nears Capacity as 7,000-Plus Evacuees Pour In; Biden Speaks After FDA Approves Pfizer Vaccine. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired August 23, 2021 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00]

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Nick Valencia is in Waverly, Tennessee. It's ground zero.

And it's just heartbreaking there, Nick. What more do we know at this hour?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Erica, even the surrounding areas were impacted by this. It was last night that we tried to get into where we are right now, and we came across roads that were impassable, washed-out bridges.

You can tell by the force, you know, these scenes left behind, the force the water came through.

This brick housing complex lower-income housing was probably one of the hardest-hit areas, according to local eyewitnesses. It's where residents, they just didn't have enough time.

They expected a storm system but not as much rain as they got.

We understand that residents tried to get to the top of the roofs but some people got swept away.

I want to show you, what caused -- really compounded the problem here. Behind this housing complex, there's a creek that runs through this town of Waverly.

Effectively, it acted like a levy. There's a bridge that was dammed up by a lot of the debris. I want to be careful here with the downed power lines.

But there's a bridge that acted sort of like a levy, a bridge that was dammed up by the debris. Once that busted, it acted just as a tidal wave of water that came through town.

You see the creek is a lot lower. It normally does have water in it, but this was devastating. People's belongings are everywhere here. We've seen clothes in trees.

And we've seen a lot of family members coming here looking for their missing loved ones, including the family of a 15-year-old reported middling over the weekend.

She was with her sisters, according to her sister. They were riding on a piece of broken furniture. Once that hit a tree, it busted. She couldn't hold on and was taken under.

Now her family, along with the search and rescue, looking for her and 40 others unaccounted for.

We'll walk around and talk about.

That number was in the 20s over the weekend. But once cell phone service got restored in the area, there was a deluge of calls into local authorities reporting missing loved ones. So that is really the focus today.

We've seen here this area, which is, again, the hardest hit, has been marked safe. The buildings have been marked as empty. In fact, we've seen insurance adjusters come through here looking to assess the damage.

But there's a lot of work that's going to be done in the days and weeks to come.

This area, 17 inches of water in the span of 24 hours. They got a third of their yearly total in a day -- Erica?

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: It is just incredible to think about it.

Nick, appreciate it. Thank you.

Meantime, in the northeast, Henri may not be a tropical depression, but it does not mean the worst is over. Thirty-three million people are under flood alerts now.

Meteorologist, Derek Van Dam, is in Newport, Rhode Island, where more than 42,000 people are without power.

Derek, as we look at the threats now, what is the threat across New England for the rest of today and perhaps even a little bit into tomorrow?

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, Erica, we're talking about heavy rain in Tennessee. Now we also have heavy rain moving across New England from the remnants of Henri.

With climate change and our warming planet, heavy rain events are becoming 40 percent more likely to occur across some American cities just by the end of the century. Warmer air, ability to hold more water, the potential to unleash more

frequent flood events.

Here's an update of what I'm seeing with the latest out of Hartsfield, Connecticut. This is an area --- Hartford, Connecticut, excuse me.

This is an area with two to four inches of rain yesterday from Tropical Storm Henri's arrival.

Then the storm moved back over the same region and now they have a flash flood warning. So an additional one to two inches of rain. That means localized flash flooding can occur.

You know how quickly this stuff can wrap up. So you've got to be aware, if you're located in Hartford, Connecticut, that a flashflood warning is in effect for the next hour and 15 minutes,, a product of the remnants of Tropical Storm Henri.

Back to you -- Erica?

HILL: Derek Van Dam, with the latest from Newport. Derek, thank you.

Hours from now, New York will have its first female governor. Governor Andrew Cuomo's decade-long-run in office ending over a sexual harassment scandal.

[13:33:57]

Plus, do you even need to see the report to know what's in it? The Arizona election "audit" -- that's audit in quotation marks -- fueled by the Big Lie. Should you expect nothing less when that report is handed over today?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:39:00]

HILL: There are just hours left in Andrew Cuomo's decade-long tenure as governor of New York. Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will be sworn in as the state's first female governor at midnight.

Governor Cuomo delivered his farewell speech, making it clear he's not leaving without a fight against the sexual harassment allegations against him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): The attorney general's report was designed to be a political firecracker on an explosive topic. And it worked. There was a political and media stampede. But the truth will out in time. Of that, I am confident.

Kathy Hochul will become governor. And I believe she'll step up to the challenge. We all wish her success.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HILL: Now Hochul tells CNN she will hold her administration to a very high ethical standard and will have a zero tolerance for inappropriate behavior.

In Arizona today, the company that conducted a sham audit of the more than two million ballots cast in Maricopa County last November is expected to deliver its findings.

[13:40:05]

Now those findings will be handed over to the Republican State Senators who ordered the review.

Experts from both parties have been sounding the alarm for months, noting the so-called audit and report have "zero credibility." The firm has "no auditing experience. It's leader has founded "wild election fraud, conspiracy theories."

Joining us now is Ben Ginsberg. He's a CNN legal analyst. He was an election lawyer for the George W. Bush and Mitt Romney presidential campaigns and to Republican committees on Capitol Hill.

Always good to see you.

This report we're expecting has no credibility. It will not change the outcome in Arizona, we know.

But there are very real concerns about the broader impact it could have on elections moving forward. What are you concerned about?

BEN GINSBERG, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I'm mostly concerned that there will be wild allegations that will be taken by the 30 percent of the population that doesn't agree with the election results, and the evidence, such as it may exist, won't get thoroughly examined.

I think it's an important moment, because to have any shred of credibility, this document has to provide evidence.

Every other time the Trump world has tried to provide evidence of fraud, it's fallen apart. Whether it was Michael Lindell's show in South Dakota or the report done by the Republican Senators in Michigan, it's all fallen apart.

HILL: That's one thing we're watching today.

I also want to get your take on the restrictive election reform bill in Texas. Now that some Democrats have returned to the State House, the legislature has a forum, they'll move forward with the bill, which appears aimed at restricting Democratic voters.

Put this in perspective, if you could. Why is this important to voters outside of the Lone Star State? What's the broader impact from that?

GINSBERG: The broader impact is that there are provisions of this bill that have copied elsewhere. They will have a serious deleterious effect on the credibility of elections. In other words, there are provisions in this Texas bill that make it

harder for people to vote. And that's one bucket of provisions.

But there are also provisions that punish election officials, for example, for helping voters to vote, that that's somehow outside the bounds.

There are provisions that could allow judges to easily overturn an election result without the standard of proof that's now required. That can have a deleterious effect in that people, in the long term, will not accept election results as being valid.

We're on sort of a downward spiral on credibility in public faith and credibility in elections. The Texas bill will contribute to that. That's the real problem that I think we're facing.

HILL: Ben Ginsberg, always good to have you with us. Thank you.

GINSBERG: Thanks, Erica.

HILL: Turning now to a potential showdown on Capitol Hill that has Democratic infighting over infrastructure front and center.

The House expected to vote this week on a budget resolution, already approved by the Senate.

But a group of nine moderate Democrats is threatening to block it. They want the House to first pass a separate but smaller infrastructure package that has bipartisan support.

Their argument? Take a win and move forward.

Writing in an op ed, quote, "You don't hold up a major priority of the country and millions of jobs as some form of leverage. The infrastructure bill is not a political football."

CNN congressional correspondent, Ryan Nobles, is on Capitol Hill.

Ryan, this really does highlight I think the divisions in the Democratic Party. And it doesn't seem like there's a lot of give on either side at the moment.

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, more than anything, what it reflects is how tight the margins are both in the House and Senate in that a relatively small group of House members could potentially upend this entire process.

And take with it both the important infrastructure, that bipartisan infrastructure package, $1 trillion in spending on roads and bridges, and also that much bigger $3.5 trillion human infrastructure package that has been a key priority for the Biden administration.

And you take a look at some of the stuff in the infrastructure bill, you're talking $110 billion for roads, $7.5 billion for things like electric cars, all along those lines. That has both Republican and Democratic support. But what they've been clear about on Capitol Hill is that most

Democrats aren't going to support this smaller infrastructure bill if they don't also get that companion $3.5 trillion human infrastructure plan.

That has, among other things, funding for childcare, universal pre-K, a number of important initiatives that a lot of Democrats say they ran on.

As a result, we have somewhat of a showdown here in the House of Representatives this week, Erica. These House moderate Democrats saying they're not voting for the $3.5 trillion package.

This isn't the final step in that process. Just the resolution that's forming the negotiations around that $2.5 trillion package if they don't get a vote on this bipartisan plan.

[13:45:08]

Now, the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she's not bucking. She's going to move these two pieces along on what she's calling a dual track.

They're going to have kind of a family meeting on this later tonight, Erica, at 5:30. They're going to get in a room, both virtually and some in person,, where they're going to try to hash out their differences.

But this is going to be a key vote tomorrow. Because if they're unable to get the vote on the budget resolution, that potentially puts all the spending in serious limbo.

And as we said before, one of the most important priorities of President Joe Biden and his administration -- Erica?

HILL: Yes. People watching very closely.

Ryan Nobles, on Capitol Hill for us. Thank you.

Getting out of Afghanistan is just the first obstacle for those evacuees. So what happens after they get to their first stop? We're live at an Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:50:55]

HILL: A U.S. base in Germany is nearing full capacity as thousands of Afghan Evacuees arrive from Kabul. Ramstein Air Base is one of America's largest military installations overseas.

The influx at this point is so large, extra facilities are actually being built as we speak.

Now CNN's Atika Shubert is there.

Atika, some 7,000 evacuees are already there. What's next for them?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they've had 36 military flights -- those huge C-17s that can carry anywhere between 70 to 400 people -- landing here in the next few days. That's why that number has swelled.

What's supposed to happen is that, in the next 48 or 72 hours after landing, evacuees will be processed, have their visas checked, look for any U.S. citizens, and then they'll be flown to the United States.

But the reality that is not happening very quickly. In fact, as of this morning, only one flight has left for the U.S. And that was a military flight of just 60 people.

So -- excuse me, 7,000 in, 60 out. It is very slow progress.

And as you can imagine, people inside are getting very frustrated at the wait. So, they're hoping to move this along faster with commercial carriers.

There's a Delta Airlines, two of them, in fact, on the tarmac in the base. But so far, we haven't seen any of those commercial flights taking off -- Erica?

HILL: Wow.

There's a story that's getting a lot of attention because we could all use a little bit of good news.

One of the flights that landed had an extra passenger, as I understand it, when they got to Germany. Can you talk to us a little bit more about that incredible delivery?

SHUBERT: Yes, there's such a mix of emotions on the base. Amid the frustration and amid the relief of people to escape the Taliban, there's at least one family that is celebrating a new birth.

If you can imagine going into labor in midair and then landing here. And the doctor on the ground, the nurse, actually, labor and delivery nurse, rushed in to try and deliver this baby and it was a pretty incredible scene.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHUBERT (voice-over): An image of hope amid the chaos, a baby girl born in the cargo bay of a U.S. Air Force C-17 carrying Afghan evacuees.

As the plane landed at Ramstein Air Base, the 86th medical group rushed in to safely deliver her.

UNIDENTIFIED LABOR & DELIVERY NURSE: So, when I evaluated the patient, we were past the point of no return. That baby was going to be delivered before we could possibly transfer her to another facility. So, we were just opening our emergency equipment.

SHUBERT (on camera): What was the moment when you realized, we're going to be OK?

UNIDENTIFIED LABOR & DELIVERY NURSE: When the baby came out screaming and we were able to put her directly on mom's chest and get her breast-feeding right away, I was like, OK, we're good here.

SHUBERT: Ramstein Air Base in Germany has become the latest hub for evacuation flights out of Afghanistan.

CNN filmed as some of the first flights arrived. More than 6,000 have been evacuated here with 17 flights landing in 24 hours, air base official say, and more to come.

Here, there is safety, basic shelter, food, and water, but it is only a temporary measure. Many here do not know where they will go next or how.

But for the moment, there's relief and reason to celebrate new life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SHUBERT: So, you can see a lot of people here needed to hear that good news. The baby and mother are now safe at a local hospital.

And just as an interesting side note, everybody was waiting to see what would happen with this baby on the flight. All of the passengers were still crammed into that plane.

And the pilot, getting a little overexcited, said, it's a boy. He announced it to everyone on the plane. The nurse had to correct him and say, no, it's a girl.

(LAUGHTER)

SHUBERT: And he made that announcement, too, to the plane.

HILL: It is good news all around, right?

Atika Shubert, that's great. Thank you so much.

Thanks to all of you for joining me at this hour. We'll see tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.

President Biden set to speak at any moment on the heels of this big news, full FDA approval from the FDA for Pfizer's vaccine. We are standing by waiting for that.

[13:55:02]

The news continues next with Alisyn and Victor.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today --

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Here is President Biden speaking on vaccines. Let's listen in.

BIDEN: -- in our nation's fight against COVID, the Food and Drug Administration, the FDA, announced it has fully concluded -- its now -- a thorough independent scientific review.

After a strict process, the FDA has reaffirmed its findings that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective. And the FDA has given its full and final approval.

So, let me say this loudly and clearly. If you have -- if you are one of the millions of Americans who have said that they will not get the shot until it has full and final approval of the FDA, it is now happened.

The moment you've been waiting for is here. It's time for you to go get your vaccination. Get it today. Today.

It's an important moment in our fight against the pandemic.

You know, I want to thank the acting commissioner, Janet Woodcock, and the entire team at the FDA for their hard work.

Dr. Woodcock is a true professional. She's a career scientist who's served under Republican presidents and Democratic presidents. She's ensured that the team followed the science above all.

They've looked at the mountains of clinical data, clinical trial data, and the safety and efficiency data, and concluded without question the vaccine was safe and effective for emergency use in December.

That same thing, we got those shots in arms at the time, 350 million in the United States, and billions across the world.

They kept poring over this data. The FDA approval is the gold standard. And as I just said, now it has been granted.

Those who have been waiting for full approval should go get your shot now. The vaccination is free, easy, safe, and effective.

And it's convenient. For 90 percent of Americans, there's a vaccination site less than five miles from your home, and you can get the shot without an appointment.

So, please, get your shot today. There's no time to waste.

The Delta variant is dangerous and spreading. Causing a pandemic of the unvaccinated. That's the pandemic we have, the unvaccinated.

[13:59:57]

And while we are starting to see initial signs that cases may be declining in a few places, nationwide cases are still rising, especially among the unvaccinated.