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Northeast And South Reeling As Flooding Slows Recovery; White House May Have To Scale Back Booster Rollout Plan; Texas Judge Restraining Order Against Anti-Abortion Group; Arbery Family Applauds Charges Against Former Prosecutor; Biden To Travel To New York, New Jersey To Survey Damage From Ida; Louisiana Nursing Home Under Investigation For Resident Deaths. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired September 04, 2021 - 11:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:14]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin with millions of Americans still reeling from the impacts of Hurricane Ida. Hundreds of thousands without power. At least 50 people dead in the northeast. And many more facing flood warnings yet again today.

In Cranford, New Jersey stunning video showing water rushing into a home right there after plowing through the basement wall. And in nearby Passaic, New Jersey the search is reportedly suspended after two college students still missing were swept into a storm drain. Their car can be seen right here atop the railing above a storm drain.

Across Louisiana, the situation becoming increasingly desperate as temperatures soar and food and fuel run short. In Jefferson Parish a man was shot and killed while waiting in line at a gas station.

CNN has team coverage on the ground as the clean-up continues. We'll check in with Adrienne Broaddus in New Orleans in a moment.

But first, Evan McMorris-Santoro in Paterson, New Jersey. So Evan, what is the situation there?

EVAN MCMORRIS-SANTORO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Fred, I want to talk to you about how this storm is still going on in places like Paterson, New Jersey.

Take a look at this river over here. This is the Passaic River. Flood stage is 7 feet. Early this morning, the National Weather Service said it was at 9 feet. You can see how high that water is. That's still going on. Obviously, it's not as bad as it was on Wednesday night.

And I want to take you through what this town has been going through. With me, I have fire chief Brian McDermott and I have Mayor Andre Sayegh.

CHIEF BRIAN MCDERMOTT, PATERSON CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT: Yes. So we get the call. Actually myself and Mayor Sayegh were at the fire headquarters. We jumped into my truck. We took off down here.

We heard Rescue 2, which the truck right behind me here. They took off, got to the site, and found this gentleman.

I could show you right over here. Come on with me.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Yes. Yes, do.

MCDERMOTT: Watch that hole. We don't need another one. We don't need another come on.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Wait, wait. Well actually, let's stay here by the hole. So the guy was under there.

MCDERMOTT: So we got on the riverbank. We got the guy who was down over there. As you look from the side, you can see that the water was up. And he was trapped.

So now, we come back over here, we try to keep in communication with him. Watch your foot. We went right down over here. We tried cutting this up to see if we can make more communication, but that extension joint was packed full of stuff.

We were shouting to him from an extension joint right through the side here. Our Rescue company 2. You see a little gap there. So there was no way. We had to actually pull one of our rescuers up from trying to go underneath this bridge. And he was backed up by a whole mess of rat's nest, we call it -- full of debris and all the flood debris that was coming down.

So we pulled him back and we said, there is no way he's going back there because if he did, he's dead.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Yes.

MCDERMOTT: So we got -- I'll tell you what, heroic. Pulled him back. And then we said, let's just get this going. We actually had Deputy Chief McCombs (ph) here, who at that point was back to firefighter mode, drove the rescue truck here to us with our heavy rescue tools.

We're part of a regional effort called the Metro Urban Strike Team. You saw our strike team where we have jackhammers, diamond saws, core drills -- all that stuff. So we dropped the spy here and we hoped that he was right down here, we kind of estimated because we never saw him.

So we popped a hole right down here with our core drill. We got our video camera on a pole. It has a two-way speaker and we started talking to the guy. And amazingly, he was alive. We were just shocked.

Now you look, that water's receded a lot. That water was just under the hole about a foot. MCMORRIS-SANTORO: This is like a real race against time, right?

Because the water is coming up, and you're trying to drill down to get the person out. About how long did it take for this whole operation to go down?

MCDERMOTT: So this was about 45 minutes for them. Once we got here, we get the core drill, it takes about 35 -- 45 minutes. And if you look right down here, you have all this heavy rebar, right.

So not only did we have to jackhammer around the rebar, then we had to cut the rebar, then we have jackhammer more, cut the rebar, jackhammer more.

Then in the bottom there is this corrugated queue decking (ph) that we call it, that captures this to steel. We had to get that, spread it with our the extrication (ph) spreaders.

Then we got down to the gentleman, popped him right out of the hole, took him to the ambulance and off he went.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: And is he fine now?

MCDERMOTT: And he's doing good. He's released from the hospital. And I'll tell you what, if not for the work of our guys, Captain Tom Dyke (ph) and his boys from Rescue 2 and a group effort from all my staff, he is absolutely 100 percent dead.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: That's what happened to these flash floods, right? That water happens so fast. You guys have to come and get people out of them pulling, drilling a hole in ground and pulling people out of a bridge.

MCDERMOTT: Yes.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: That quickly.

[11:04:59]

MCDERMOTT: All while the storm is raging and the winds are raging and we're handling a third-alarm fire. The ambulance strapped (ph) with people. 150 people calling for help. And we're only 8.4 square miles. That's a lot going on.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Right. So a town that was really on Wednesday night really pretty hurt and going through a lot.

Mayor, just very quickly, now how are things now in town?

MAYOR ANDRE SAYEGH, PATERSON, NEW JERSEY: Evan, as if a once-in-a- century virus wasn't enough, we get a once-in-a-century storm.

So we have rescued about 300 people to date. And I want to thank our first responders. We've had countless vehicles that were abandoned, almost a hundred of them.

We established an emergency shelter under the auspices of the American Red Cross. There were about 30 families there.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Are people still in there? Are they doing better.

SAYEGH: Yes. There are people there.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Ok. So Fred, as you can see, just amazing heroics to get people out. And ongoing efforts to keep them safe here in New Jersey, as Ida is still a part of the story here.

WHITFIELD: I mean, incredible, Evan. The chief describing with such detail exactly what happened. I wonder if you can shout out at him real quick, just to give us an idea, how much time elapsed between when they noticed the man who needed to be rescued and then being able to jackhammer that hole and actually pull him to safety? Was that a matter of within minutes or hours with that rescue mission?

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Let me ask. Fredricka Whitfield, anchor, wants to know, how long did it take, like was it minutes, hours, between the time that you heard the man needed help and getting him out of the ground.

MCDERMOTT: Less than an hour.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: That's incredible, right? I mean this is -- the amount of effort it takes to make that happen.

MCDERMOTT: Absolutely. It was a great team effort. And there was not one person that did nothing. And all the while we're pulling people, making rescues right down the street and coming back. And it was crazy.

But everybody worked together to save this gentleman. And it was just -- it was a remarkable effort.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Got it.

WHITFIELD: Incredible.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Yes. This is just what people have been dealing with all over this area, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Ok. Well, hats off to the chief, his team, the mayor there. I mean that man was very unlucky but then, in a strange way, he became very lucky that that was the team who helped rescue him.

Thank you so much, Evan McMorris-Santoro. Appreciate that.

All right. Desperation turned deadly in Louisiana. Police say a man was killed in a shooting over a spot in a gas line.

CNN's Adrienne Broaddus joins us now from New Orleans. So Adrienne, what more are you learning about the circumstances of this shooting?

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Fredricka, we can tell you that happened less than 10 miles from where we are right now. and I'll tell you more about that in a moment.

But first, take a look at this line. The lines here have been long. People waited in line for nearly five hours. And one of the employees here tells me, they've been so busy, the generators broke. Not one, not two, but three of them. And that's what led to the delay in opening the doors here today.

There's also a load of ice being delivered right now at this hour. If we pan over, you can see it. Those bags are going to sell two for $5. And that ice is a hot commodity.

It's what people have been craving here in New Orleans. The ice is how they remain cool because keep in mind, Fredricka, and to those of you watching and listening, there's still no power in some parts of this city. And across the state, more than 700,000 people are still without electricity.

And tensions are rising. Less than 10 miles from where we are right now, police say a man was shot and killed who was trying to get gasoline.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF JOSEPH LOPINTO, JEFFERSON PARISH, LOUISIANA: It's unbelievable that people can't act like adults in this situation.

Ladies and gentlemen, the services are here. We don't have enough gas pumps. We don't have enough gas being delivered to the state. We don't have enough generators on.

The lines are long. Everybody is out of control. But for somebody to lose their life over getting gas is absolutely ridiculous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROADDUS: That's just one example of desperation. Meanwhile, back here in New Orleans, you will also notice that people are standing in line with their gas cans. They're over there communicating with the employee at this hour.

Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh, Adrienne. So a lot of folks are standing there with gas cans. Yesterday, I cannot forget the interviews that you did with a couple of folks. One gentleman who was holding his young -- you know, maybe it was a toddler, maybe about eight months or something like that -- talking about how he was --

BROADDUS: Three months. Three months?

WHITFIELD: -- yes, how he was -- three months? Oh, my gosh. It just broke my heart because he was staying in the car, turning on the car occasionally in order to have air-conditioning because they have no place to go.

So the majority of people who were standing in line trying to get those cans of gas, is it to -- is it for their cars, to try and stay cool? Do people have generators? What's happening?

BROADDUS: So it's a couple of things, Fred. Some people have generators, and they're using that fuel to keep going, quite literally. They will use the fuel for their generators.

[11:09:57]

BROADDUS: If they walked here and their car at home is out of gas, they will fill up their cars.

And you see or you may be able to hear, there's a little bit of commotion over there. One of the problems that the employees ran into yesterday is they ran out of regular unleaded gasoline.

And as you can imagine, some people may not want to pay or may not have the means to pay the price for the premium gasoline. So that's just another added layer of stress.

People have been trying to find creative ways to cool off. And right now, the car has been the best option, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And then any notice about whether trailers, you know, part of federal emergency response are coming, or whether people are having access to shelters? I mean, something? This cannot be normal for very long, for people to stay cool in their cars.

BROADDUS: You know what, Fred, that's a great question. And we've been telling people as they pull up for gasoline, because some folks don't know. Across the city, there are eight cooling stations.

You can go there. They're providing meals. They have safe shelter. You can plug in, charge your cell phones or laptops, whatever you need.

And on site at these eight sites, there are FEMA representatives. They are taking people step by step who may need some assistance. They're helping them get through that process online.

And another thing I do want to share with you all, the number of deaths across the state has risen. The health department sent out an official notice saying that number is now 10.

And yesterday, this was the headline on the local papers. It says four nursing home evacuees die. That number has now jumped to five. And the paper here in town has been delayed because of COVID, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. Ok.

So you also have to underscore, another big barrier is communication. Of course, people don't have access to the Internet, their computers. So perhaps they don't even know about those cooling stations. Somehow the word has to get out.

Adrienne, thank you so much for doing your part. Appreciate that.

All right. So, many of those impacted by Ida are pleading for basic necessities to get back into their homes, start rebuilding if they can.

Here's what the president of one hard-hit parish told CNN that he needs from state and federal agencies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIRK LEPINE, PRESIDENT, PLAQUEMINES PARISH, LOUISIANA: If we get electricity, we get the fuel, we get the water and ice, we will rebuild later. We just want to get into our homes so we can clean those homes or get back on our feet.

The people down here are so resilient. So just help us get started. We'll do the rest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wow. Brad Kieserman is the vice president head for disaster operations and logistics for the American Red Cross. Brad, so good to see you.

I mean this is a colossal event. It is so widespread. The need is so great. How do you even begin?

BRAD KIESERMAN, VP OF DISASTER OPERATIONS AND LOGISTICS, AMERICAN RED CROSS: Well Fred, I think we're going to see more and more like this. I mean, if you think about it, look back to Katrina in 2005. We had events like this happening about six times a year.

And now, in this year of Ida, we have major disasters happening like this about 20 times a year.

So the number of these events has nearly tripled since 2005. And there's no question, that's climate change. Red Cross volunteers are coming from all over the country. The support in Louisiana, in Mississippi, New Jersey, Virginia, Pennsylvania, across the entire swath that Ida has really devastated. And let's not forget, the wildfires in California and recent devastating floods in Tennessee.

So it's all about food, shelter, and emergency supplies. And like you said, getting the word out to people about where they can get assistance by getting into communities.

WHITFIELD: And how do you do that? Because I mean you just heard from our reporter in New Orleans there. I mean, a lot of folks are -- you know, they're cut off from communication. They don't know about the cooling stations. And perhaps people don't even know about how you have set up shelter, American Red Cross had set up shelter -- places where food is being distributed.

So how do you get to people to convey this?

KIESERMAN: You know, we always say you have got to meet survivors where they are. So that means getting into a Red Cross emergency response vehicle and driving to St. John, the Baptist. Driving down to Terrebonne. Driving into Lafourche and you just got to drive around and stop and talk to people and give them a pamphlet and say, look, you can go to any of these ten sites.

And really then it is about being able to distribute out of the back of that truck to give them food or emergency supplies because they may not be able to get to those sites yet.

WHITFIELD: Ok. So Brad, the American Red Cross, you all are doing yeoman's the work, but you know, still there are more than 700,000 customers in Louisiana without power. Frustration clearly is mounting for so many. In fact, take a listen to this.

[11:14:50]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICIA CARTER, KENNER, LOUISIANA RESIDENT: Nothing whatsoever. You don't even see a FEMA truck come down. We thought y'all was FEMA. You know, because some kind of assistance should be out. I mean, what did we had to do, get 10 feet of water to get help?

MYRA CASTRO, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: I had to sleep in the car. My kids are hot. We're hungry. We're going to die in here. Where is FEMA? Where is the Red Cross? We need help now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: I mean The frustration is palpable there. So many lessons were learned from Katrina. I mean who can forget the images of all those trailers that were underwater, you know, that were not mobilized in time.

So what are the answers for the frustrations we just heard? I mean, yes, you all are on the ground, but people are either not seeing enough of the American Red Cross, and they're clearly saying they're not seeing FEMA. Where are they? In what form?

KIESERMAN: Sure. I think first of all -- first of all, I have to tell you, I'm on the phone with my colleagues from FEMA, the state of Louisiana, other volunteer organizations. The sense of urgency with which we are all approaching this issue, I can't really understate it. We are passionate about making sure that assistance gets to everyone who needs it.

And yet, as you see, it just takes time sometimes. There's sometimes access issues. But I will tell you this, we're not leaving any moment open. We're not going to lose any time. And we are just -- we are rushing, hastening to make sure that we can get to everyone who has need, especially with so many without power, so many without access to food and water.

So we're going to work with the state and the parishes, our federal partners, to make sure we get where the need is most.

WHITFIELD: Do you feel like there are obstacles that you can express? I mean we're talking about five days. And when you're in your car trying to stay cool, you've run out of money in which to pay for the gas in order to keep your car cool. You've got kids in the car. You're hungry and all that.

I mean it's just not enough to hear that there are obstacles. So what can people count on? What can they look for?

KIESERMAN: So I think over the next several days, you're going to slowly see power coming back. And that's going to make a monumental difference. You heard that parish president say.

I think the other thing, you're going to see more and more Red Cross vehicles. There's over 70 Red Cross emergency response vehicles in Louisiana right now. They're going to be delivering thousands and thousands of meals.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has just opened up an 800,000 box meal program that are being distributed at sites around Louisiana. We're supporting that through distribution, as well.

And I would encourage people, there are shelters right now in over a dozen parishes. If you can get there, go there. You can charge your phone. You can get some food, get some information, get some water. Just take a seat and relax.

So there's help. And there will be more help. And I think people can count on the fact that more help is coming from every, every entity.

WHITFIELD: A lot of people who need some serious help right now. I mean these is desperate, desperate times.

Brad Kieserman, thanks so much for your time, at the Red Cross.

KIESERMAN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Appreciate it. And all the best as you try to reach out to as many people as you can.

KIESERMAN: Thanks, Fred. We'll be there.

WHITFIELD: All right.

All right. This reminder, there are plenty of ways that perhaps you can help the victims of Hurricane Ida. For more information, go to CNN.com/impact.

Also ahead, booster shot confusion. Why the Biden administration's September 20th rollout plan may be scaled back.

Plus, a former district attorney facing criminal charges in the Ahmaud Arbery case. How she allegedly tried to help the murder suspects.

[11:18:20]

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WHITFIELD: All right. CNN has learned the White House may have to scale back its rollout plan for coronavirus booster shots set for later on this month. One source telling CNN that only the Pfizer booster vaccines may be ready in that time frame. But it could take a few weeks longer to move forward with Moderna's shots because the FDA needed more data on that company's doses.

Joining us right now, Dr. Mike Saag. He is a professor of infectious disasters and the dean of Global Health at the University of Alabama- Birmingham. Always good to see you, Dr. Saag.

So does it sound to you that maybe the White House got ahead of the science here, or I mean, wouldn't there be some lead advice before the White House gets ahead of a third booster shot and all that?

DR. MIKE SAAG, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM: Well, Fred, we're in the fog of war. We take information as it comes to us and then make judgments. And then the White House, I'm sure, wants to stay ahead of things.

But the obligation of the FDA is to make sure that whatever is recommended for the general public is safe. And that it is effective. So they have data apparently right now enough on Pfizer to recommend what dose of the booster should be used and when it should be -- the timing of when it should be used.

For Moderna, remember, Moderna has about three-fold more antigen, more product per shot. The question then is, after you've had two shots of Moderna, at that higher dose, do you need the full three times higher dose, or should you use a little bit less? What's the safety of that?

So those are the data that they're waiting for. And it's understandable. You know, one of the things that I think folks need to keep in mind is that the urgency, the speed with which you got the vaccines was really important for saving lives. But it did not allow us to look in the long term, for obvious reasons.

And now, we're having to sort of figure this out as we go. So I'd give them a little slack. I'd say, ok, let's do it right. Take a little bit more time if we need it.

W1; Dr. Fauci made the case for boosters this week by citing a study from Israel, which found a third dose greatly reduces the risk of infection and severe illnesses. Do you expect that we will likely see similar results when the data is studied here?

[11:24:56]

DR. SAAG: Yes, I do. I think we're going to end up having a booster in the next month or two or three. And then we'll probably, depending on how this epidemic rolls out, we'll probably need additional shots.

We get a flu shot every year. For certain other diseases, like Hepatitis B, we're able to take three shots in six months apart from the second shot, and that's what we do.

But I think for this disease, we're probably going to be in the series of boosters one after the other, some timing apart maybe -- maybe 8 months, maybe a year in the long run. But that's where we're headed.

WHITFIELD: All right.

Let's talk about college football. It returns this weekend, including your team. And there will be plenty of stadiums that will be jam packed. You know, some schools are requiring proof of vaccines or masks for fans. But then there are others who, you know, are kind of letting things happen as they happen. What are your concerns?

DR. SAAG: Well, it's a little bit of a natural experiment. Look, everybody is tired of coronavirus. I'm tired of it for sure. And everyone wants to get back to normal.

Last year's football season, for example, was terribly disrupted. It moved forward, but it was not normal. So people want to get back to normal.

Unfortunately, the virus doesn't -- the virus we're dealing with right now, the delta, it is more infectious. When you breathe it in, it's got like Velcro on the top of it and sticks to your airways, more likely to cause infection.

Cramming a lot of people into a closed space, even if it is outdoors, is a risk.

WHITFIELD: Yes. I'm so sorry. I have lots more questions but our signal is just too erratic right now. So we're going to appreciate what we did get from you thus far.

DR. SAAG: Ok.

WHITFIELD: Dr. Mike Saag, thank you so much. We'll see you again. Appreciate it.

All right. Up next, a battle over a near abortion ban in Texas. President Biden speaking out as a judge issues a temporary restraining order against an anti-abortion group.

[11:26:51]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A Texas judge has issued a temporary restraining order against the state's largest anti-abortion group. The order blocks Texas Right to Life from suing Planned Parenthood under the state's strict new abortion law.

The law allows private citizens to bring civil suits against anyone who assists a pregnant person seeking an abortion in violation of the law. It also bans abortions after as early as six weeks into pregnancy. That's before many women even know that they are pregnant.

Jasmine Wright joining us now from Wilmington, Delaware, where the president is spending the weekend. So Jasmine, President Biden is now under pressure from abortion rights activists and advocates, rather, to interfere federally. How is he responding?

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well Fred, President Biden did not mince his words when he reacted to the Texas state law yesterday. He called it almost un-American. And the president has been using increasingly strong language to denounce this bill over the last few days.

Now, I will note that this comes as his administration is facing major and multiple crises -- from the hurricane to Afghanistan, potentially one on the economy.

And so White House officials know that they can not falter in any of their response because it could bring on more questions about their competency.

So on Friday, President Biden really took aim at one of the provisions that incentivizes civilians to basically take action against people who would help women find abortion providers. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The most pernicious thing the Texas law, it sort of creates a vigilante system. It just seems -- I know this sounds ridiculous -- almost un-American.

I must tell you, I am not certain. I was told that there are possibilities within the existing law to have the Justice Department look and see whether are there things that can be done that can limit the independent action of individuals in enforcing a state law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WRIGHT: So Fred, President Biden not only tasked the Justice Department to take a look at it but also the Health and Human Services Department to do so, as well. In addition to, as White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday, moving forward to push Congress to turn Roe v Wade actually into law.

But we know that any bill of this kind would likely require 60 votes, something that Democrats just do not have in congress because of their slim majority, which begs the question of bringing back the filibuster and whether or not to get rid of it. Something that President Biden himself has not fully endorsed.

And it's something that multiple Democratic senators say that we're not crossing that line either.

So it remains to be seen where among this hierarchy of crises, Fred, that protecting the women's right to choose actually falls on the list of to-dos for the White House. But President Biden has vowed to do something, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jasmine Wright in Delaware, thanks so much.

All right. Coming up, a former prosecutor charged with mishandling a murder case. Ahmaud Arbery's family speaking out after the investigation takes a wild turn.

[11:34:45] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Ahmaud Arbery's parents feel one step closer to justice today after the original prosecutor assigned to the case was indicted by a grand jury for her handling of the investigation.

Former district attorney Jackie Johnson is charged with violating her oath and obstructing a police officer. She's accused of showing favor to the suspects and standing in the way of justice by stopping police from making an arrest on the day of the shooting.

Arbery, a black man, was chased down by three white men and shot while he was jogging in February of 2020. The suspects were not arrested for more than two months.

[11:39:59]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCUS ARBERY SR. AHMAUD ARBERY'S FATHER: You swear an oath to serve and to protect all people. My son lay on the ground dying in that hot sun, probably about 90 degrees.

And nobody helped him. He was still breathing, 14 minutes. Breathing, no help. You ask him did he needs water. These are the kind of people we have in our law system?

We don't need them people. They've got to go. We have to get people in there that are going to serve all people, do everybody right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: I mean so disturbing on so many levels. Joining me right now to discuss Michael Zeldin, former federal prosecutor and special assistant to the Justice Department. He's also the host of the podcast, "That Said with Michael Zeldin".

Michael, always good to see you.

So help us understand. How serious and unusual is it that a prosecutor would face these charges?

MICHAEL ZELDIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, Fred, it's very unusual that prosecutors get caught and then charged with their cover-ups and complicity with essentially vigilantism, which is what we saw in this case.

This case had all the markings of felony murder, which is what these individuals were ultimately charged with, and the district attorney failed to act and, in fact, impeded the investigation and the arrests of these individuals. Finally, justice comes in the form of this arrest and charge of this district attorney.

WHITFIELD: Boy, I heard what you just said. I mean it is unusual to get caught. I mean that speaks volumes, too. So the former district attorney, Jackie Johnson has repeatedly defended her actions and has denied any wrongdoing. So what kind of penalty is she potentially facing?

Are we talking about jail time? Being disbarred? I mean, what? What should make her nervous about this?

ZELDIN: She's charged with two counts. One is obstruction of justice, which is a misdemeanor and carries about a year. The other one is violating her oath, that is, not treating people with the type of integrity and impartiality that her oath demands. That charge carries about a five year penalty. So she, in theory, on paper, carries a prison sentence of up to about six years.

And of course, if she's convicted of a crime of moral turpitude such as this, she will lose her license to practice law. So she's got very serious charges and very serious consequences if found guilty.

WHITFIELD: All right. Another name in the indictment, George Barnhill. He is the current Wake Cross judicial circuit district attorney and took over the case after Johnson recused herself. Barnhill eventually recused himself after it was revealed that he had a family connection to one of the suspects.

Now Barnhill does not face any charges at the moment, but could he be in trouble, as well?

ZELDIN: Well, he could be in trouble, I would think, not necessarily from a criminal law standpoint like Johnson, but perhaps from a bar license standpoint because he failed to disclose his prior connection with the person, McMichael, the defendant, now in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. He failed to disclose that. So he acted duplicitously in this case and that's the sort of stuff that organizations should look at, when you misrepresent facts and you fail to uphold your oath.

So you know, if I were in bar counsel's office, I would be taking a hard look at this guy's license, yes.

WHITFIELD: So these indictments and then even, you know, the charge of former, you know, prosecutor, does this change the direction, the tone, or even the potential brevity of getting to the bottom of this case?

ZELDIN: Well, these charges are sort of independent of the state and federal charges brought against the three men who are accused of having murdered Ahmaud Arbery.

So that will proceed on the state criminal charges and the federal criminal charges, the hate crime charges that the federal government brought against these three men. That will sit independent of Johnson's trial for obstructing that case.

Justice in this case would probably be a conviction of the federal and the state murder charges and the finding that this DA obstructed or attempted to obstruct that investigation. And all four of the individuals charged in this case should be found guilty. And justice will prevail if they're all sentenced to some form of incarceration.

WHITFIELD: All right. Michael Zeldin, thank you so much.

I mean, it's just palpable the pain that the Arbery family must be feeling.

ZELDIN: Absolutely.

[11:44:52]

WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you so much.

And as we head to break, a programming note.

A classroom of second graders, a president, and a moment that forever unites them. 20 years later, find out what happened to the kids in "THE 9/11 CLASSROOM". That's tomorrow night at 10:00.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. This news just in from the White House. President Biden will travel to Manville, New Jersey and Queens, New York on Tuesday to survey storm damage from Hurricane Ida, which led to widespread flooding across the northeast. Biden spent the day yesterday seeing the damage from Ida across much of Louisiana.

And in that state of Louisiana, outrage is growing. Officials there are launching a full investigation after several nursing home residents died.

[11:50:02]

WHITFIELD: The state's attorney general says hundreds were evacuated to a warehouse before Hurricane Ida struck and now they want to know why.

CNN's Brian Todd has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): wheelchairs and hospital curtains scatter the site of this remote warehouse where five nursing home residents died.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a nightmare. It's a nightmare.

TODD: Local leaders now looking for answers for what went wrong.

ROBBY MILLER, PRESIDENT, TANGIPAHOA PARISH, LOUISIANA: That nursing home owner should be held accountable. As far as an investigation, we understand there is one.

TODD: The warehouse in Independence, Louisiana served as a temporary evacuation facility for more than 800 patients from seven area nursing homes. The conditions inside were appalling. MILLER: The crowding, mattresses on floors instead of beds. Port-a-

potties instead of bathrooms and probably not enough of them. Just -- it was just things that none of us would want our family members to have to go through.

TODD: And according to one patient who was inside, insects were crawling all over the mattresses. The Independence police chief says the facility was prepared for a certain number of residents, but the number nearly tripled quickly.

CHIEF FRANK EDWARDS III, INDEPENDENCE, LOUISIANA POLICE: I believe that the corporate management planned for 350. They, for whatever reason, sent in 850. And where they failed was in not proactively seeking to move those patients to an appropriate facility.

TODD: Renata DeRosa's 84-year-old mother made it out, but she suffered for several days with a 103-degree fever.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I could tell she was very upset but at least I know she was alive. And if we would have known it would have been a place like this, I would have took her with me.

TODD: With no power, generators required to provide patients oxygen failed and the heat was oppressive. The state says the Health Department tried to intervene Tuesday when they heard about the deteriorating conditions.

GOV. JOHN BEL EDWARDS (D-LA): LDH inspectors visited the site and I will tell you were expelled from the property and prevented from conducting a full assessment.

TODD: CNN obtained property records showing Bob Dean owns all seven of the nursing homes, plus the warehouse. Dean has a history of poor disaster management.

A local investigation from nola.com found he made a similar plan to evacuate residents to a warehouse during Hurricane George in 1998.

MILLER: I would hope that his license for nursing homes is revoked. It would be the outcome that he doesn't get to do this again.

TODD: The governor committed to a full investigation, a promise relatives will not let them forget.

SABRINA COX, AUNT IN NURSING HOME: Why didn't you contact anybody for help? Let somebody know what was going on? Contact one person.

People shouldn't be treated like that. You should be held accountable.

TODD: We reached out several times to Bob Dean, the owner of the nursing homes and this warehouse facility for comment and any explanation for what happened here.

He didn't respond to us, but he did tell CNN affiliate WVUE, quote, "We did really good with taking care of people."

Brian Todd, CNN -- Independence, Louisiana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[11:53:08]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: As heat waves become more common, one company is using technology and nature to cut your air conditioning bill. Here's today's mission ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL CRANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Air conditioners and electric fans account for 10 percent of all global electricity consumption. As the planet warms, the demand for this type of cooling is expected to triple by 2050.

ELI GOLDSTEIN, CEO/CO-FOUNDER, SKYCOOL SYSTEMS, INC.: The more electricity we use for cooling, the more challenging it is to operate and provide electricity reliably.

CRANE: That's why the company SkyCool wants to make existing cooling systems run more efficiently by taking advantage of a natural phenomenon called radiative cooling.

Almost all objects give off heat in the form of infrared radiation, cooling down in the process. But some objects radiate so well, they become cooler than the air around it, like these frosted blades of grass, a phenomenon only observed at night and out of the sun.

So SkyCool designed a new material with radiative cooling properties that work 24 hours a day. Its hundreds of tiny optical layers emit a specific wavelength of radiation to maximize cooling. But it's also highly reflective, staying cool even under direct sunlight.

GOLDSTEIN: That combination of properties has never been found in nature.

CRANE (on camera): Are they actually physically cool to the touch?

GOLDSTEIN: Yes.

CRANE: Yes. They're much cooler than what I would expect. I mean it's a hot day and that's cool to the touch.

GOLDSTEIN: Yes.

CRANE (voice over): The panels work by chilling water running through pipes embedded behind them. Then that cold water flows into a building's cooling system, helping to chill refrigerant liquid, which eases the workload for the condenser. The less your condenser runs, the less you pay in an energy bill.

This grocery store in Stockton, California saw a notable difference after SkyCool installed panels on its roof despite an increase in electricity rates.

[11:59:50]

JESUS VALENZUELA, GROCERY STORE OWNER: We've saved on average about $3,000 a month.

CRANE: As SkyCool grows with additional retail installations, the company hopes its panels can someday be put on the roofs of homes.

GOLDSTEIN: You can see using this on the roofs of uninsulated buildings in Asia or Africa or India where it's expected to be billions of air-conditioners coming online in the next 30 years.