Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Capitol Police Prepare for Rightwing Rally Planned to Support January 6th Insurrectionists; Rally in Support of January 6th Insurrections to Take Place While Congress is in Recess; FDA Panel Does Not Recommend Booster Vaccine Shot for All Adults; Analysts Say Unvaccinated Continue to Drive Up COVID-19 Infection and Hospitalization Rates; Thousands of Immigrants Gathering at U.S.- Mexico Border Causing Humanitarian Crisis As Many Sleep Without Shelter. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired September 18, 2021 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Happening now in the Newsroom --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The American public and the members of Congress have an expectation that we protect the Capitol, and I'm confident with the plan we have in place.

SANCHEZ: U.S. Capitol police on high alert ahead of a far-right rally today in support of the January 6thth insurrection.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do have a unanimous 18 out of 18 who voted yes.

SANCHEZ: FDA vaccine advisers voting to recommend COVID booster shots to those 65 and older and those at risk for severe illness. The next steps in the process and why it changes the White House's initial plans.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you ever seen anything like this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing. This far exceeds anything we've ever seen down here.

SANCHEZ: Thousands of migrants arriving at the southern borders. We'll take you to the border where officials are overwhelmed.

Plus, mysterious deaths, drugs, and insurance scheme -- the tragic and twisted saga surrounding a prominent South Carolina attorney who police say hired a hitman on himself.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are really proud to share this experience with everyone. We know how fortunate we are to be up here. SANCHEZ: And the all-civilian crew of the SpaceX Inspiration4 flight set to splash down this evening. What this means for the future of space tourism.

Newsroom starts right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to your Saturday. It is September 18th. We are so grateful for your company. I'm Christi Paul.

SANCHEZ: Good morning, Christi. I'm Boris Sanchez. Great to be with you. You are live in the CNN Newsroom.

And Christi, D.C. feels a little bit different this morning. We're just hours away from what's expected to be a pro-insurrectionist rally in the nation's capital. Hundreds of people set to descend on Washington for the Justice for J6 event. Organizers say the rally is meant to show support for the rioters who were arrested for storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6thth.

PAUL: So take a look at this. There's barriers and fencing surrounding the Capitol Building this morning, and Department of Homeland Security is warning there is the potential for violence. Now the man who organized the rally, a former Donald Trump campaign staffer, claims the event will feature, quote, a largely peaceful crowd. Law enforcement is on high alert though.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF THOMAS MANGER, U.S. CAPITOL POLICE: We would be foolish not to take seriously the intelligence that we have at our disposal. How credible it is, how likely it is, people can make those judgments, but the fact of the matter is that we are hearing some chatter that I think would be responsible for us to plan the way we've been planning and put the precautions in place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: CNN's Shimon Prokupecz following all of this for us. He's there in D.C. Shimon, talk to us about what you're seeing right now, because we are about two hours from this starting, as we understand it.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So certainly, you can see and feel the police presence. We can take a look. We know they are very concerned over what could potentially happen here. And you can see that deflected in the presence of police officers here and even outside of here, coming over here when we just got over here a little while ago. Even outside of this there are a lot of police officers, heavily armed vehicles parked on the perimeter.

And then you have these dump trucks here that they're going to use if they need to move into some kind of position, perhaps to block people from going to certain areas. And there are police everywhere here. There are police inside the area where the rally is expected to take place. There are some folks setting up a monitor here. Those are some of the organizers. And then there are officers inside here.

And on the other side, there are Capitol police officers and other police officers that are dressed in these reflective vests to indicate, obviously, they want the rally, the people, the protesters, the people here that are part of the rally, to see them. They do not want them past that fence, because that is where -- and then you see here more police officers here on bikes.

Everywhere you go at this point around here, you're going to see police officers. They are ready. You can just feel it. You can see it, that they are really just worried about what could potentially happen here.

[10:05:01]

And so we'll see what happens. Hopefully, obviously, it will be peaceful. But the police are ready. We're about two hours away from the start of this rally. The police say they expect maybe about 700 people to attend. They're not sure how many people are going to attend. But certainly, we can get to a point here where there could be more police officers here than some of the rally goers. There are hundreds and hundreds of police officers here, police officers from outside this jurisdiction, obviously working with federal authorities and other officials really just to keep this safe why.

The fencing is all the way on the other side by the Capitol, so let's say if someone breaches these gates here, if they were to jump over it, it is a police line, they could potentially get arrested. And if they try to breach the Capitol, obviously that's where there is more additional fencing. As we know, there's been fencing all around the Capitol. So they think they have it pretty secure. And as the day goes on, we're certainly going to see more police officers here. There are people, the police officers outside of here. So we'll see. About two hours away or so, and we'll see how things go.

PAUL: You stay safe there, Shimon. We certainly hope that it is calm and collected there today. There's no doubt that officers are there because they remember what it was like January 6thth and what they went through.

SANCHEZ: Yes. And hopefully the image of them there now sends a deterrent to anyone who may try something. We have a view from outside Capitol Hill. Let's get a look inside the building. Let's bring in CNN congressional correspondent Ryan Nobles. He has been following all of the latest developments. Ryan, lawmakers obviously on recess, so who's going to be inside the Capitol today?

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Me, Boris.

(LAUGHTER)

NOBLES: Not to sound flippant. I'm one of the only people inside this building right now, inside the Capitol Complex at all. It is in many ways a ghost town. The House and Senate are not in session, so basically the only human beings that are inside the Capitol complex this weekend are reporters like me and police officers. There are very few if any staff members, which is pretty typical for a Saturday.

And again, I don't mean to be flip about this, but it's an important point to make about the distinctions between what we're going to see here today and what was happening on January 6th, right. On January 6th the House and Senate were convening to certify the presidential election. That was something the former president, then President Donald Trump was obviously trying to undermine and spread a lot of disinformation about.

A lot of those protesters that were here in Washington on January 6th came into the Capitol with a specific purpose, they wanted to interrupt that democratic process. There is no legislating happening here today, and I think that's a big part of the reason why Capitol police feel confident that there isn't going to be any sort of a breach of the Capitol here today.

They are, without a doubt, taking all the necessary precautions. In order to get into the billing today, you need a specific credential. You are not allowed to escort people without credentials into the building, which you would normally be able to do on a weekend. And of course, as Shimon mentioned, that fencing that wraps all the way around the Capitol building is up and in place and it would make it so much more difficult for someone to breach the Capitol than they did on January 6th.

And I think another important point to make about the preparations and kind of this massive show of force that we're seeing here this weekend is that Capitol police are essentially viewing this as a training exercise. The Capitol police chief Tom Manger told us during a press conference yesterday that they need to practice this new security posture that they have, and that's part of the reason that you're seeing this overwhelming show of force here this weekend. Yes, they're paying attention to that intelligence, but more than anything, they want to make sure that they can ramp this up in short order, which they have been able to do over the past 48 hours.

PAUL: All right, Ryan Nobles, we so appreciate it as we hear the echo in the chamber because you are alone.

(LAUGHTER)

PAUL: Thank you so much. Take good care.

Let's talk to CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem here. She is former assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Juliette, it is always so good to have you with us. So the National Guard is on standby --

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Is it actually?

PAUL: Yes, it is.

KAYYEM: I'm always on with bad news. I was thinking it's going to be a long day, so hopefully there won't be any bad news.

PAUL: Exactly. Exactly. And we do love it when you're here because you help us walk us through the part of it that we don't understand.

KAYYEM: OK.

PAUL: But you just are getting me to my first question here. You're hoping that it's going to be calm. The organizer says there will be, and I'm quoting him, a largely peaceful crowd. So it makes it sound like there could be pockets of parts that won't be peaceful. But if this is -- if this ends up to be calm and collected and there's no issue at the end of the day, some people will say, you know what, this is all hype. You call it a success. Expound on that for us.

[10:10:00]

KAYYEM: Yes. So here's where we are and for our viewers to see the sort of cat-and-mouse that's going on now. We are in this thing called the preparedness paradox, which is once public safety got word that this was potentially a real rally, remember, it is in support of the insurrectionists, so I don't really view it as there's a difference between being in support of the insurrectionists and being in support of insurrection. You saw over the last month a serious focus on preparedness planning, whether it's the Capitol police, surrounding police, the political sort of pushback that you saw from Pelosi, the intelligence briefings, the National Guard, and the media attention, all of it focused on, you know what, we're not going to stand by this time. We are looking, right? We see what's going on this time.

That likely had an impact on the success of this rally, because a lot of these rallies sort of lure the curious, right, people who may support Donald Trump or the insurrectionists but aren't necessarily violent. And so that is a success. The muted rally, and it's hard to tell which came first, is likely a response to this overwhelming show of force. So I don't love it. Obviously, we love to live in a world where there isn't a organized insurrectionist element, but I do like what I am seeing so far both in terms of the intelligence that's coming out, and then of course, the show of force which is hopefully going to make a peaceful day today.

PAUL: So let's talk about that intelligence. The DHS, where you used to work, just to remind viewers, warned that the potential for violence is there. This was in an unclassified briefing. What sort of intel would lead them to actually publicly announce a warning like that?

KAYYEM: Some of it is just history. Fool me once shame on me, fool me twice shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me, which his we know what the animating forces of this group. It is violence or the threat of violence to undermine democratic elections. So already you have the whiff of violence. So the Department of Homeland Security was right to say, look, this is an element which is animated by violence. This is not a sort of your normal group.

We're also worried about 49 other states and territories. It's not just the Capitol. We know how to secure the Capitol. And then, just a reminder, it only takes one person. I was glad to see the reporting on the garbage trucks. Those are intended to stop vehicular homicide. So what you want is you want to be able to move trucks around so that if you're starting to be concerned about vehicles around the area, you can stop them from touching or getting to passengers, as we saw in Virginia a couple years ago.

So you're seeing a sort of, as Ryan was saying, some of it, is this a test, right? We're just working out the systems. But some of it is we weren't born yesterday. We know exactly what this group intends.

PAUL: So real quickly, yesterday the former president Donald Trump came out and defended the January 6th rioters. And this is at the crux of the rally today. These people that will be there today are there to support the rioters from January 6th. How potent is former President Trump, do you think, and his support of the January 6th rioters to what we might see today? Does it validate? Do they feel like it gives them some sort of validation to be there?

KAYYEM: Yes, absolutely. So this is sort of his flirtation, his come hither he uses to say these people are just good people in support of other good people. They are hearing exactly what they want to hear and exactly what he intends, which is the insurrection was justified. I was denied my second term. And any election in which a GOP member doesn't win is inherently invalid.

This is where the GOP is right now. And we shouldn't be shy about calling them on it, that the threat of violence animates every election in which a GOP member does not win at this stage. We saw it in California. We're going to see it in the lead-up to 2022. So once again, I don't like it, but what I like is that you see a calling out of it before they have an ability to organize. Trump being de- platformed helps in muting some of that radicalization, but he is the most popular person in the GOP, and until they push back and realize that Trump is never satisfied. This is the -- the GOP has to realize something. He is never satisfied. You have to feed him until they realize that he's just a guy in Florida with -- who can't get on Twitter. That is the way that the GOP should treat him.

PAUL: OK, Juliette Kayyem, it is always a pleasure to see you.

KAYYEM: It is. It is. It is always a pleasure to see you, thank you. And I'll see you in a few hours, hopefully fingers crossed.

PAUL: Juliette, thank you. Take good care.

KAYYEM: Thanks.

[10:15:00]

SANCHEZ: The latest on the COVID front still ahead. An FDA panel not recommending a booster vaccine shot for all adults. Is this a setback for the White House? That story still ahead.

PAUL: Also, three days in space, and it's already time to come home. These four space tourists are expected to splash down tonight. There's a lot you might know about them. We're going to talk about their mission ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PAUL: It's 19 minutes past the hour right now. And new data released by the CDC shows Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is slightly more effective than Pfizer's in terms of keeping people out of the hospital. Moderna's vaccine has been found to provide 93 percent of protection. Pfizer's provides 88 percent, and the Johnson and Johnson shot has about 71 percent protection.

SANCHEZ: This data is coming as the FDA advisory committee recommends that COVID-19 booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine be applied to people 65 and older, and for those that have high risk. The U.S. has yet come close to herd immunity though. Only about 54 percent of the country at this point is fully vaccinated.

PAUL: Hospitals across the country are also overwhelmed still with patients who are sick with COVID-19, and the majority of them are unvaccinated people. CNN national correspondent Nadia Romero has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know that there may be differing opinions --

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: After a long day of sometimes contentious debate, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration on Friday rejected Pfizer's request to add a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine to everyone 16 and older.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dr. Lee, yes. Dr. McKenneth (ph), yes.

ROMERO: Instead voting to recommend emergency use authorization of a booster for people 65 and older and those at high risk.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do have a unanimous 18 out of 18 who voted yes.

ROMERO: Regardless of today's outcome, one public health expert says the booster debate is just a distraction to the real problem -- the unvaccinated.

DR. ALI KHAN, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH: And 2,000 people dying a day currently, still about 100,000 people hospitalized. So the focus should be on the 67 million people who have not been vaccinated. They're the ones driving this pandemic, not those who have already been fully vaccinated.

ROMERO: The Biden administration doubling down on its plan to mandate vaccinations for employees of large businesses and federal workers.

JEFF ZIENTS, WHITE HOUSE COVID-19 RESPONSE COORDINATOR: That means more Americans getting back to work. It means safer schools and healthier families.

ROMERO: COVID in the classrooms now putting our nation's children at risk as school districts face outbreaks, sending kids back to remote learning. One metro Atlanta school district becomes the first in Georgia to mandate all teachers and staff must get vaccinated, with just a few exemptions to the rule. And with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp using his power to try to limit mask and vaccine mandates, some speculate the district could face lawsuits.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no reason to sue them. For what? It's to protect yourself and the kids, so there's no reason to sue. Look for something else. You can find another job you got to get vaccinated, so what are you going to do?

ROMERO: In Texas, state leaders hoping iconic Big Tex welcoming back a nuisance of normalcy after the state fair was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. Now Big Tex and the fair back this year.

SUZANNE BRENNAN FIRSTENBERG, ARTIST: I was outraged at the devaluation of the lives of the elderly and lives of color.

ROMERO: The toll of the pandemic is front and center at an art installation in Washington, D.C., commemorating the Americans who died due to COVID-19.

ARCHIE THE MESSENGER, POET: Sometimes our loved ones leave us quickly like a thief in the night.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

ROMERO (on camera): So health care wok workers would be included in that high risk category since they're been on the front lines of this pandemic since it began. But the World Health Organization argues that wealthier nations like the U.S. should not, should refrain from giving that booster shot until more countries around the world have access to the vaccine. Boris?

SANCHEZ: Nadia Romero reporting from Atlanta, thank you so much.

Let's bring in Dr. William Schaffner to join our conversation. He's an infectious diseases professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Schaffner, always appreciate having you on and getting your insight and expertise. Notably, you told my colleague Jake Tapper yesterday that you were surprised by that initial rejection of the emergency use authorization for boosters for Americans 16 and older. I'm curious to get your reaction now. Are you surprised but what this FDA advisory board did?

DR. WILLIAM SCHAFFNER, PROFESSOR, DIVISION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AT VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER: The FDA, Boris, came back in the interval and then authorized the vaccine for everybody 65 and older. They did make a more conservative decision than I anticipated, but this is an example of science being out there, and goodhearted, well- intentioned, smart people debating how to turn that science into public policy. And we saw it being made. Now it goes to the CDC committee, and it looks to me on the basis of early discussions from the CDC committee that the FDA and the CDC committee seem to be pretty much on the same page.

SANCHEZ: Yes, and Doctor, I'm glad you mentioned that this process of science playing out in the public eye, because science, as you well know, can be a messy process, and it could be confusing for folks watching at home. So for the average person who took the Pfizer vaccine or perhaps has taken one of the other vaccines and isn't sure what this means for them, how would counsel them? Do you think that they might need to talk to their doctor about getting booster shots, or is it better to be patient at this point?

SCHAFFNER: Both of those things are good ideas, Boris. Be patient. Speak to your doctor, and let's wait just a little bit because the CDC's advisory committee comes together Wednesday and Thursday, and after that meeting we'll hear the formal recommendations about who should get first in line to get these boosters.

[10:25:05]

SANCHEZ: And I'm curious, from a public perception standpoint, the White House moved father with this set date of September 20 for a rollout of boosters, obviously pending FDA and CDC approval, but given just the massive about of information and misinformation that is out there, was it a mistake to set a date for the rollout of boosters instead of just waiting for the science?

SCHAFFNER: The cart got a little bit before the horse, but this is all -- it's going to happen in the same week. So I think things will smooth themselves out very, very quickly, and then once the recommendations are made, we need to really get them out there, communicate them to the general public as clearly as possible so everybody knows when is their turn to get a booster.

SANCHEZ: So the boosters that the FDA is looking were specifically for the Pfizer vaccine. Moderna is now also applying for emergency use authorization of a booster for its vaccine. Is it possible we might see the FDA approach this differently for that vaccine versus the Pfizer vaccine?

SCHAFFNER: This is a very independent and critical committee that advises the food and drug administration. I think they would like to have it pretty uniform, but of course things can change from one time to another. So flexibility is a virtue, right? And we need to all be flexible. As circumstances change, we'll get new recommendations. But this time I would anticipate that things will be pretty much the same.

SANCHEZ: And Doctor, quickly, I want to ask you about vaccination rates. There's almost 26 percent of eligible Americans that have not gotten a single COVID vaccine dose. There's also been a 29 percent drop since last month in the number of people getting their first shots each day. The Biden administration is hoping that these mandates that have been out there are going to be a step in the right direction. Will that be enough to bridge the gap? Is there more that can be done?

SCHAFFNER: There's always more that can be done, and clearly, Boris, I'm glad you brought it up, because while we're trying to figure out who should get the third dose, there are so many people who still haven't received the first. In addition to these mandates, I keep saying local leadership is terribly important. The business community, where are you? Why aren't you telling everyone in your community to get vaccinated? Religious leaders, everyone in your congregation should be vaccinated as well as local political leaders encouraging everyone to come forward and get vaccinated. It's the right thing to do for themselves and their entire community.

SANCHEZ: No question about that. Dr. William Schaffner, thank you so much for the time. Appreciate you.

SCHAFFNER: Thanks, Boris.

PAUL: So listen. What you are going to see here is something that a lot of people along the border say they have never seen before. Look at that, crowds of migrants gathering there at the southern border. Some of them are going to find themselves on government booked flights out of the country. We are live from the Texas border next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:32:45]

PAUL: Listen, we are collectively together here watching a humanitarian disaster reveal itself us on the U.S. southern border this morning. Take a look at some of the pictures here we're getting in. Tens of thousands of migrants living, look at that, under that bridge in squalid conditions. This is at the border town of Del Rio, Texas. They're waiting to be processed but immigration agents, but the mayor of Del Rio says that could take weeks.

SANCHEZ: And again, these conditions are far from sanitary. While they wait, many of the migrants have been sleeping on the ground next to piles of garbage. The Border Patrol is sending more supplies to the area as we speak.

Let's get to CNN correspondent Rosa Flores. She joins us live from Del Rio, Texas. Rosa, bring us up to speed. What is the latest on the situation there?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: About the pictures you were just talking about, it is really heartbreaking, Christi and Boris, to see these images because this is the gate of America right now on the southern border. But the latest is that DHS is ramping up expulsion flights to Haiti to try to deter Haitians from coming here to Del Rio. This is according to a CBP official telling this to my colleague Priscilla Alvarez. DHS had already told CNN that on Wednesday at least one flight had already left, and now they're saying that these flights are going to be ramped up. But as you mentioned, these pictures are heart breaking. Officials say that they're overwhelmed, that federal agents are overwhelmed. They want the humanitarian crisis to end.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sky condition clear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Helicopter 116 taking off from the north ramp.

FLORES: All of these people just crossed?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

FLORES: This is hundreds of people. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not hundreds. It's thousands.

FLORES: This stretch of the U.S. southern border is raising eyebrows.

Have you ever seen anything like this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing. It far exceeds anything we've ever seen down here.

FLORES: Migrants, mostly Haitians, say officials, crossing the Rio Grande into Del Rio, Texas, from Mexico.

We can see at least three different spots where migrants are crossing over into the United States.

[10:35:04]

Men, women, children flocking to the area under the international bridge that connects Texas to Mexico where more than 12,000 migrants are waiting to get processed by federal authorities according to the Del Rio mayor.

This couple from Venezuela says they spent two days under the bridge with their four-year-old son sleeping in the dirt.

On the dirt, you were sleeping on the dirt.

They say they're fleeing political persecution, and break down crying describing the toughest part of being under the bridge.

She is explaining that she would tell her son that the family was camping so that he didn't worry.

MAYOR BRUNO LOZANO, (D) DEL RIO, TEXAS: This is setting the nuclear bomb alarm that this is no longer sustainable, acceptable.

FLORES: The local mayor, a Democrat, pleading for the Biden administration to boost resources, saying that at the current rate it will take two weeks to process these migrants. And signs they are having to settle in are visible from the air. A makeshift camp is going up, and the mayor says at least one woman has given birth. Most of the migrants will be expelled or placed in removal proceedings, say federal authorities, who also say more resources are coming, and that it's already providing water, towels, and portable toilets.

Buses like this one with dozens of people are dropped off at this migrant shelter every day. This group is asked if they're vaccinated against COVID. About half the adults raise their hands. Some holding proof they got the shots. All this as the Department of Homeland Security faces a series of challenges, including more than 200,000 migrant encounters last month. The abrupt resignation of two top DHS officials, the Afghan resettlement effort, and how sudden spike of migrants in Del Rio.

SHERIFF JOE FRANK MARTINEZ, VAL VERDE COUNTY, TEXAS: These people are desperate, they're determined, and they're determined to get here. FLORES: As a humanitarian crisis unfolding at the southern border of

the United States.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

FLORES (on camera): I just got off the phone with city officials here who say that there are more than 14,000 migrants right now under the bridge in Del Rio waiting to get processed by U.S. immigration authorities. Yesterday Customs and Border Protection announcing that they were going to close this international bridge. So right now this bridge is closed to traffic, and traffic is rerouted to Eagle Pass, Texas, that's about 57 miles south.

And Christi and Victor, they say that -- I'm sorry, Christi and Boris, sorry, my friend -- according to Customs and Border Protection, they say that this is because of the safety and security of this area. They're trying to make sure that they do what they can to make sure that the safety and security of not just the migrants, but this nation is taken care as they're trying to figure out what to do with this humanitarian crisis.

PAUL: Oh my gosh, 14,000. Did I hear that right, 14,000, Rosa?

FLORES: You're absolutely right. And this is happening just yards from where I am. We can't get any closer. The border wall is actually what you see behind me. We can't get any closer, but that is exactly what city officials are telling us, more than 14,000 people are under a bridge on the southern border of the United States. There's a camp that has been set up. The materials for this camp, it's literally whatever people get the hands on. We've seen people using bamboo. And this is what I was able to see from the air. Bamboo, branches, blankets, pieces of plastic, whatever they can to make sure that they can cover themselves from the sun, Christi and Boris. It is so hot here.

PAUL: I can imagine.

FLORES: It's unbearable to think that these women, these children, many of them pregnant, we have seen many pregnant women are in this heat. We have also seen ambulances come in and out of the gate that you see behind me, with literally Border Patrol bringing people out and putting them in an ambulance and sending them to the hospital. We don't know the details of course, but all of this is happening at the gates of the United States right now, and officials here in the city are asking the federal government to do something to make sure that this is under control.

PAUL: Wow.

SANCHEZ: There should be no question -- there should be no question from the White House or DHS, this is a crisis and it needs to be addressed.

PAUL: Rosa Flores, great reporting. thank you so much for bringing us the latest. We'll be right back. First, be sure to catch CNN's Champions for Shange series. It's all

next week. You're going to see stories that spotlight everyday people who haven't necessarily made headlines, but they certainly inspire others to do so. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[10:40:00]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Join your favorite CNN anchors for a special week.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Immigrants enrich our country, and they're proving it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sharing stories of change makers.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: This is one of the most devastating and yet preventable issues of our day.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: He helps the defenseless learn to defend themselves.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Theater teaches courage, confidence, trust.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She saw a need, and every day she sets out to fulfill that need.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is using scuba diving for a better environment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is a trailblazing black woman.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Preserving the ocean for our children.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Empowering women for financial independence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one should drown because they don't know how to swim.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Small steps can lead to a big impact.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are hope can help kids in school and beyond.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is a champion.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is a champion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For change.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Change.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Change.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Change.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Champions for Change, all next week on CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:32]

PAUL: So the man at the center of a bizarre South Carolina family murder mystery is out of jail on a $20,000 bond. Prominent attorney Alex Murdaugh is charged with insurance fraud and filing a false police report.

SANCHEZ: He also admitted to arranging a hit on himself so that his son could collect millions in life insurance.

CNN's Martin Savidge walks us through a complicated timeline.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It has been an incredible week of developments in the Alex Murdaugh case. We now know, of course, that him getting shot in the head was not someone trying to kill him, at least not in the way of a murder. It was an insurance scheme that was orchestrated by Alex Murdaugh. According to his attorneys, he hired a hitman to shoot him in the head. The idea was that Alex Murdaugh would be dead, his problems would be over, and his son could collect on a $10 million life insurance policy. But it all went wrong when, of course, Alex Murdaugh didn't die and so many questions were being asked.

This week he was arrested on charges of insurance fraud as well as others. He went before a judge, and he received a $20,000 personal recognizance bond.

Then the other big development, which is an investigation now being opened into the death of Gloria Satterfield. She was the longtime housekeep for the Murdaughs, and in 2018 she suffered a trip and fall and she died. The coroner now has some serious questions, saying that on her death certificate it says natural causes. A trip and fall is not a natural cause. And her family has many questions, too, because they filed the lawsuit and they were supposed to receive a financial settlement, but they say they've hardly received anything. So this raises a recurring them with Alex Murdaugh, and that is where did the money go?

Meanwhile, Murdaugh himself is back into a drug rehabilitation program, and investigators are back on the cases that surround him.

Martin Savidge, CNN, Hampton, South Carolina.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:51:53] PAUL: Three days in orbit, the SpaceX rocket carrying four passengers, all none of whom are astronauts, by the way, is returning to earth tonight. Imagination4 made history on Wednesday night when it blasted into space with a crew of space tourists.

So there's a man who is very familiar with space travel, former astronaut Chris Hadfield. He is the retired commander of the International Space Station. He is with us now. Chris, it is so good to see you. You're also an adviser to SpaceX, I want to make sure our viewers know that. So you tweeted this. You tweeted "Congratulations to the world's four newest astronauts. Well done, to safely get them there at SpaceX." So is what we're witnessing there the newest form of space travel just for us regular people?

CHRIS HADFIELD, FORMER COMMANDER OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION: I think, Christi, the real big difference here is just how simple this space flight has been. When I was a kid, it was impossible. Then we slowly learned how, and I flew the space shuttle twice with my crew. It really took a huge amount of crew training just to be able to safely do it. The big difference here is that technology has gotten so good that these four people who are not professional astronauts can safely fly in space for three days and return. It opens up a lot of opportunity.

PAUL: So there is no certified astronaut on board with them, is that correct? They are solo?

HADFIELD: No there is no certified -- they're all astronauts because they have been orbiting the world, but they're not professional astronauts. It's sort of like if you're an aviator and you get on an airline, you've got your pilots up front. There are not pilot up front on this spaceship. It is completely automated. The crew can just take care of emergency procedures, so they only needed minimal training. To me that's a really critical, big next step in space, access for everybody.

PAUL: So how common do you think this could become? And do you have a timeline?

HADFIELD: There are people living on the space station. Some Chinese people came back from space yesterday. We are headed to start settling the moon. This is just a demonstration of how good the technology is, how simple it is now. And with simplicity and better technology, the safety goes up so the price comes down. And that's really important. And SpaceX is working on a vehicle down in Texas that will drop the cost significantly even more. It is still expensive, but it's way cheaper than it used to be.

PAUL: Do you have a figure you can share with us?

HADFIELD: No. No. They didn't even announce the cost of this. One person paid for this. So it used to take an entire nation to pay for a space trip.

PAUL: Sure, very good point, very good point. Chris Hadfield, thank you so much for sharing with us. It's good to see you. HADFIELD: Nice to see you, and safe landings today. Splashdown.

PAUL: Absolutely, yes. Splashdown, yes, we wish that, too. Thanks, Chris.

And thank you so much for sharing your morning with us. We hope you make good memories today.

[14:54:50]

SANCHEZ: And we appreciate you joining us. Don't go anywhere. CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield is up next. Have a great Saturday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Happening right now in the Newsroom, on high alert, hundreds of officers and National Guard members are in position as supporter of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6th and the Trump's big lie return to the scene of the crime, demanding, quote, justice for those arrested in that riot.