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Hundreds Of Thousands Without Power As Temps Soar In Louisiana; GOP-Led States Rush To Tighten Abortion After Texas Decision; FAA Investigating After Branson's Spaceflight Veered Off Course. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired September 03, 2021 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

MITCH LANDRIEU (D), FORMER NEW ORLEANS MAYOR: And on top of that we have COVID. So, I mean, we're underneath it, there's no question about it.

And as difficult as it is, you see acts of heroism which are incredible. But although we're much better prepared than we have been, the levees held, lots of stuff happened, you can see that, you know, poor people, people who have a difficult time, in regular time struggle more, especially after this devastation. You're going to see an incredible amount of loss.

I know that when President Biden hits the ground today, this will be familiar territory with -- for him because he came down after Katrina. He was here too after the BP oil spill. And of course, Cedric Richmond, who he is appointed to lead this effort was actually the congressman for the district that primarily got hurt. So I know that he's going to feel the pain of all the folks that are down here.

But what you see is people who are just really in tremendous distress. And right now the most important thing, Jim, electricity, gas, water, food, put them in any order that you want. But power really is the king. They can get the power back on quickly and get gas in people's cars. Everybody will start standing up together.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: OK. On the good side, some of the lessons from Katrina helped here. Levees for instance, built, reinforced after Katrina, they held homes built to new post Katrina standards. We were talking to someone from Lafourche County yesterday, who made that point. They survived the storm. What did the state learn from Katrina that helped save lives this time?

LANDRIEU: Well, two things. First of all, from 9/11, through Katrina, what we learned during those things was there was no command and control, no interoperability, and the ability for first responders to communicate and not a whole lot of coordination on the federal, state, and local level. All of those things were learned. And I think even in the most difficult times people would agree that the elected officials on the federal level, the state level, the local level, were talking more clearly, they were communicating more clearly. The emergency operation centers when working in a more coordinated fashion, the National Guard got to the ground.

Also the infrastructure investments were well worth it, the levee system, health, all of those things are fine. But man, when a storm puts 170 mile an hour wind on your back and pushes you down, it is really hard to dig out. So now one of the things that we're seeing that we have not corrected is the electrical grid in this country, which should not take this long to get back up. You also see the inability for us to put fuel in people's hands so that they can actually stand themselves back up. And the fortification of our hard assets like sewer and water systems, which is part of the President's infrastructure plan. But this storm could not have made that idea more prescient than anything that we've ever seen.

SCIUTTO: We're getting that from a lot of local leaders, each of them kind of ticking off what pieces of infrastructure they need fix now. We see behind you there World Central Kitchen. You're working with Chef Jose Andres, that's his not for profit feeding people there.

LANDRIEU: Yes.

SCIUTTO: You know, whenever I see people lining up for food, it's just -- it's such a demonstration to me about the deep need post storm. How many folks are in need right now just of a meal?

LANDRIEU: Well, first of all Chef has been down here. He and I and his entire team of people who will unbelievable volunteers, we have chefs from New Orleans, cooked and then served 50,000 meals. When you get out there you see the devastation. But Jim, let me say this to you. And this has been true by Katrina. In the darkest moments, where people are in most need and it is really terrible, there are a million people who I think at least at this point, don't have power, everybody's trying to clean this stuff out. They need food. So feeding people is absolutely necessary to give them the fuel to help themselves.

But it is also unbelievable. And it's always true that people who you would never expected come out of nowhere to help each other and the kindness that people are showing each other, the latitude that they've given, the grace, the patience, and the kindness, it just really breaks you down to your knees, which is why I have like 100 percent confidence that we always come out of it.

However, this level of distress is not something that we need to be repeating every week in the United States of America. So these infrastructure improvements being prepared, knowing what's coming our way, because this isn't the first storm, it's not going to be the last time not the first terrorist attack, not the last one.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

LANDRIEU: Not the first energy failure, a wildfire. I mean, folks, we got to get it together. We got to get prepared. We have to get stronger. We have to get better. And then we have to respond more quickly. And we need to reach out to each other and lift us up. And that's what I'm hoping the President is going to speak to today when he comes and I'm pretty sure that he will. SCIUTTO: Yes, that severe need is something that's become such a familiar story in this country from so many particularly natural disasters like this one. Mitch Landrieu we appreciate the work.

LANDRIEU: Well, it doesn't have to be the same soup just reheated over and over again. Let's get out of the soup.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

LANDRIEU: And let's get into the kitchen.

SCIUTTO: I hear you. I hear you. Well, we appreciate the work you're doing in the kitchen now down there as well for people in need --

LANDRIEU: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: -- just have a meal right now. Thanks very much.

LANDRIEU: Thanks, Jim. See you later. God bless you all.

[09:34:46]

SCIUTTO: Well, Republican governors are now moving quickly to tighten abortion laws in their states after the Supreme Court refused to block a remarkably restrictive new law in Texas, others following Texas's lead here. What this means for women around the country, next.

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SCIUTTO: Well, right now several more states are rushing to tighten their own abortion laws. This after the Supreme Court formerly denied a request to block a Texas law, which banned most abortions after just six weeks of pregnancy, which is for many women even though they're pregnant. In Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says he is considering following the steps of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem says her office will immediately review the Texas law and laws in her own state to quote, make sure we have the strongest pro life laws on the books.

[09:40:13]

CNN Supreme Court reporter Ariane de Vogue joins me now. Ariane, I'm confused. I imagine many people watching are confused because there is the decision Roe v. Wade 50 some odd years ago, still on the books as precedent here, which guarantees a woman's right to abortion, up to I think 20 weeks. And yet this Texas law was able to go forward. And now women in Texas basically cannot get an abortion. Explain the loophole the Texas law used here to manage that.

ARIANE DE VOGUE, CNN SUPREME COURT REPORTER: Right. So this law was uniquely crafted to make it really hard to challenge. And here's why, under normal circumstances, as we've seen in past years, clinics could challenge a state that passed a law hostile to Roe v. Wade, they could seek to challenge the state officials in court. But what made the Texas law different is that state officials can't enforce the law. Instead, any private individual can bring up civil lawsuits in civil court if they think somebody is assisting, aiding, or abetting.

So, for instance, a relative, someone who paid for the abortion, an Uber driver who drove the person to the clinic, so that's why the law is different because the clinics can't -- they couldn't sue the state officials and when it went to the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court allowed it to go into effect.

And therefore, in Texas right now, for all purposes, Roe is the dead letter, yet, it's still on the books. And that's why the lawsuit is so unusual. And that's why you saw such stinging dissents from the Supreme Court when that order went out.

SCIUTTO: Right, even among the Chief Justice John Roberts. But let me ask you, then, if I'm a state legislator in any state, couldn't I use the same loophole to challenge a whole host of what are otherwise constitutional rights and sneak it by the Supreme Court?

DE VOGUE: Well, that's what this -- that's why this door has been opened. And it's interesting. I talked a couple of days ago to somebody who was instrumental in this particular law thinking about it, and now hopes that other states will pass it. And it can't just be cut and paste it, right? Because they'll look specifically at the state law, state laws that say who can bring suits.

And more cynically, they'll also look at the judiciary, who makes up the state Supreme Court. Is the federal appeals court as conservative as it is in Texas? But that's what this has done. It's opened the door so that more -- so that similar legislation can be drawn up in the other states. And as you said, it has gotten people thinking, well, if this can happen in the realm of abortion, can it happen in the realm of Second Amendment?

So all this is kind of brand new, and taking people by storm. And it's all because of this very unique law and the way it was crafted and the legal strategy behind it.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Well, it's interesting, reading John Roberts' dissent here. I mean, he saw through it, right? And in fact, he criticized his conservative colleagues for buying it. Ariane de Vogue, always good to have you on to help us understand these things.

DE VOGUE: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Here to discuss the effects of this is Amy Hagstrom Miller. She is the CEO and founder of Whole Woman's Health, which is an independent abortion provider with clinics in five states, including Texas. Good morning. Thanks so much for taking the time this morning.

AMY HAGSTROM MILLER, FOUNDER & CEO, WHOLE WOMAN'S HEALTH: Good morning. Thank you for having me.

SCIUTTO: So, today in Texas, basically, abortion is illegal for women. I mean, that's a fact, the second most populous state in the country. Now you have governors, Republican governors in Florida, South Dakota, saying, hey, we might follow their lead. And I wonder as you look at that, are we headed towards a situation where the U.S. will soon be divided, regardless of Roe v. Wade, between states that have abortion rights and states that simply don't?

MILLER: You know, unfortunately, pregnant people's lives are being used for political football here. This law doesn't do anything to prevent the need for abortion. We still have our clinics open. Abortion is legal actually on the books. But we are having to turn away the majority of people who need safe abortion care in Texas right now, because most people don't find out they're pregnant, like you said, until at least six weeks into the pregnancy.

And Texas already has an onerous regulatory scheme that makes it very difficult for people to even schedule an appointment in the first place.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

MILLER: And so I'm not surprised that other states are copycatting what happens in Texas. That's what our opposition the Antiabortion Movement has been doing for decades. And unfortunately, real lives are being impacted here. And that to me is the most important thing.

SCIUTTO: So I wonder what you're telling your patients now as you turn them away, where do you tell them to go? What do you tell them to do?

[09:45:04]

MILLER: So our staff are remarkable at counseling people, giving people compassionate support and doing all we can to support maintaining their dignity. If somebody is early enough in the pregnancy, we are getting them scheduled as soon as possible to go ahead and take care of them and provide their abortion in Texas. If they end up being about seven weeks or more into the pregnancy, we're helping people make decisions for their lives about what's next. Some people can travel out of state.

SCIUTTO: What does that mean? Yes. Traveling out of state.

MILLER: I mean some people can travel out of state. Some people -- the majority of people can't, most of our patients or parents already, they're juggling jobs and childcare and education for their kids, just like the rest of us are and making really difficult decisions about parenting and family stuff during a pandemic.

So many people are going to be forced to carry a pregnancy against their will. Some folks may take matters into their own hands and try to manage their abortion themselves on their own, which people have honestly done for centuries. And so we're just trying to help people figure out the best choices for them and support them with compassion.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you now because I'm sure many women watching are wondering, OK, what can be done? What can be done now? The White House said yesterday, they're getting the Justice Department to look into it. But lawyers say, frankly, short of legislation, which there don't appeared to be the votes for codifying Roe v. Wade, there's not much, if anything that the administration can do. So what do you want to see done? Or are your hands in effect tied here? MILLER: Our legal options for litigation are far from over. And so we have other avenues we will pursue. I think it's important for everybody out in the world who wants to do something to either donate to support the abortion funds, that are going to be helping people access safe abortion, and to also talk about abortion through a positive framework, talk about how access to safe abortion makes our communities healthier, how it's necessary, how it might have benefited your life or somebody that you love.

Also, the Women's Health Protection Act is really critical at this point. Speaker Pelosi is going to introduce it on the floor of the House. We have the votes to get this forward and to get this moving ahead. And we need to seize this opportunity to protect people in all states. Not only Texas, so our rights are accessible and real.

SCIUTTO: Amy Hagstrom Miller thanks so much for joining us.

MILLER: Thank you so much for covering this.

SCIUTTO: We'll just minutes from now President Biden is set to speak on what was a disappointing, very disappointing August jobs report. We're going to bring you those remarks live.

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[09:52:14]

SCIUTTO: The FAA is now investigating billionaire Richard Branson's flight to the edge of space and is grounded, his company Virgin Galactic, the reason the FAA says the rocket powered jet veered off course during its descent back in July. That means for now, they can't fly anymore missions like this one. CNN space and defense correspondent Kristin Fisher joins me now. Kristin, what was the safety issue with this flight? I mean, because what strikes me is it wasn't just unsafe for the crew, but also for the area around it.

KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: Right. So think of it, if you're a commercial pilot or a private pilot and you fly outside of your FAA designated airspace, you get in trouble? Well, that's exactly what's happening to Virgin Galactic right about now. And this problem started, as spaceship two was climbing up to the edge of space, warning lights went off in the cockpit. And those two pilots on board were really faced with this split second decision, do you either abort the mission, which would have meant that your founder Richard Branson, who's in the passenger seat would not become the first billionaire to make it to the edge of space, Jeff Bezos would have likely to beat them.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

FISHER: Or do you try to take over controls and change the trajectory? And that's what those two pilots ultimately decided to do. It meant that they went outside the FAA designated airspace for about a minute and 40 seconds as it glided down. But, you know, in the end, nobody was hurt. According to Virgin Galactic, they say nobody on the ground could have been hurt. No other aircrafts could have been hurt. They say that, you know, they're going to comply with this FAA investigation. But the fact is, they went out of their FAA --

SCIUTTO: Yes.

FISHER: -- designated airspace, the FAA says you're grounded.

SCIUTTO: And the reason they have those designated airspace is, right, so if there is an accident, you don't endanger other people. So it's --

FISHER: Exactly.

SCIUTTO: -- material. This is not the first safety issue with Virgin Galactic. I mean it raises questions. I mean, internally, these questions were raised about safety protocols there.

FISHER: Yes, I mean, it really kind of started in 2014, when there was a test pilot that was killed in the desert of New Mexico, another pilot on the same spacecraft seriously injured. Virgin Galactic made some changes, made it a little more difficult for an accident like that to happen again. But since then, they've flown about four test flights. Two of them have had some minor safety issues. No one was hurt, but enough to where some people within the country reportedly were raising some concerns.

And so now you have former test pilots for Virgin Galactic speaking out on Twitter, saying they're concerned about the company's culture. And this is also concerning because Virgin Galactic literally on the cusp of sending its first paying customers in the space later this month or next month.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Well, they're grounded, ain't going to happen at least for now.

FISHER: Very true.

SCIUTTO: Kristin Fisher thanks very much.

FISHER: Thanks.

[09:54:53]

SCIUTTO: Well, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, he will speak soon as the death toll climbs following those devastating storms in the northeast, people drowning in their own homes. We're going to be on top of the latest news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: A good Friday morning to you. I'm Jim Sciutto. It is a very busy Friday. Moments from now President Biden set to speak from the White House on that August jobs report. Those numbers, a huge disappointment, the economy adding just 235,000 jobs that missed projections by nearly half a million. We're going to bring you those remarks by the President live when they happen.

[10:00:00] And as soon as the President is done speaking, he will hop on a plane to visit the hurricane damaged parts of Louisiana.