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More Than 12,000 Migrants Living Under Bridge At U.S.-Mexico Border; Interview With Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas About Migrants Crowding In Del Rio, Texas; Pilots Rescued After Navy Jet Crashes In Texas; The CIA Warned The Military Seconds Before A Missile Strike That Children Were Possibly Present In Kabul. Aired 4- 5p ET

Aired September 19, 2021 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:08]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

We begin with the crisis at the border. CNN learning the Department of Homeland Security will ask the Pentagon for help in Del Rio, Texas, where nearly 13,000 migrants are gathered under a bridge sleeping in dirt and makeshift camps.

This is brand new drone footage just into CNN of the crowds waiting for a chance to be processed by U.S. Border Patrol. It is stunning footage. Del Rio's mayor says he fears it could take weeks to process such a massive crowd. And there are worries all those people living in such close quarters could trigger a public health emergency. We're in a pandemic, after all.

DHS is already ramping up flights to send migrants home. And for so many of those migrants, home, we should mention, is Haiti, a country still suffering after a major earthquake and the assassination of their president. In a moment I'll speak to the secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas.

But first let's go to CNN's Rosa Flores who is at the scene in Del Rio, Texas.

Rosa, show us what these migrants and Border Patrol agents are up against right now. We have some of that stunning drone footage that's just come into CNN. It just -- it breaks your heart to see what's happening down there.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a humanitarian crisis, Jim. Let's look at that video again because that really tells the story. This video taken by a drone pilot, Gerry Simmons. And you can see from the air that there is a camp that's set up right next to the International Bridge where more than 12,400 migrants are still waiting to be processed by the U.S. government.

If you look closely, you'll see some of these tents are made out of plastic. Others are huts made from grass and trees. Now, from talking to some sources that have been able to be down there, they say that it's still very overcrowded, big concern of course is public health. There's just a lot of people that are in a very small area.

The top cop from Border Patrol talking to us earlier today saying that there is going to be about 3,000 people moved out in the next 24 hours or so. That's their goal to be moving about 3,000 people at a time. They didn't have an exact timeline as to when all of these individuals will be processed. They do say that in the past two days they've moved more than 3,300.

Now one of the biggest questions of course is why Del Rio, why now? I asked that question to the chief. Here's what he said. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: One of the questions that everybody's asking is why Del Rio, why now? We've seen these types of surges in the Rio Grande Valley, for example. But why Del Rio, why now? What is your intelligence tell you?

CHIEF RAUL ORTIZ, U.S. BORDER PATROL: Haitians and folks from western Africa, traditionally cross in the Del Rio sector area because they have known individuals previously who have crossed in this area. They say the community across the border in Acuna is relatively safe. And so traditionally it's because of word-of-mouth.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Now, the chief also says that they do believe it's word-of- mouth, but if there is a criminal element involved, they will be investigating, Jim. And I should add that the mayor here from Del Rio has been calling for all of these resources to arrive. He says that they finally are here -- Jim.

ACOSTA: And, Rosa, very quickly, it looks like by looking at this drone footage that some of these folks who are down there, some of these migrants, that they've been there for some time. They've had the time to build some of these shacks with these thatched roofs and so on. It looks like they've been there for a while.

FLORES: You know, they have. The number of migrants started growing last week, and they grew very, very rapidly. I took an aerial tour with Texas Department of DPS last Thursday, and I could tell you the images did not look like the images that you're looking at right now. Those tents had just started going up. I could only see but a few tents. Now you see that there is a grown camp there.

From talking to some of the migrants that have been under that bridge, they do say that it's very hot, it's extremely hot conditions. Apparently there's an economy down there, Jim. They're buying plates of food from Mexico that are brought in from the river literally. The Haitians that I talked to tell me that there are Haitians who go to Mexico, cross the river and sell plates of food for $5.

That's how some of these people are being fed. So there's a lot going on there. According to U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz, they are expecting to be moving at least 3,000 people a day, or that's the goal in the next 24 hours. So hopefully those numbers will diminish. But again the latest numbers that we have, 12,400 migrants still under this bridge -- Jim.

[16:05:02]

ACOSTA: That is wild. OK, such a sad situation down there. Rosa Flores, thank you so much for that.

And joining me now is the secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas.

Mr. Secretary, thank you so much for joining us. We just heard Rosa's report there. More than 12,000 people are now living under that bridge or in the area of that bridge. Rosa was just saying a few moments ago that it looks like many of them have arrived suddenly and erected what she described as something like an economy, a community that's going on down there, where people are being fed and being sold food and so on. One migrant family told our Rosa Flores they slept in the dirt for two days with their 4-year-old son. They had to tell the boy that they were camping so at 4 years old he wouldn't worry.

Mr. Secretary, those are the stories we're hearing about. Are we witnessing, in your view, a humanitarian crisis right now at that point of the southern border?

ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Jim, thank you very much for having me on the show. We certainly are experiencing a challenging situation. But we are surging resources, and we have a multiprong approach to this. We have, for example, worked with the American Red Cross to bring in supplies and much-needed resources to the population. We have worked with the World Central Kitchen to bring in meals for them. We've surged approximately 600 agents so that we can gain complete control of the individuals there.

We are moving people, as has been noted, very rapidly to other processing centers to ensure their safety and security. We moved over 3,000 people in the last day and a half. We intend to move 3,000 people today. And, of course, we are increasing the frequency in size of the repatriation flights. We have sent a very clear message early on in light of the fact that we are in the midst of a pandemic that the border is not open, and people should not take the perilous journey here. We are returning people to other countries.

ACOSTA: But, Mr. Secretary, they have made the journey, they're there. You've called on the Department of Defense for help in handling the situation in Del Rio. I know you want to call it a challenge and not a crisis, but it seems like when you call on the Pentagon that it's more of a crisis than a challenge. What are you asking for? How fast do you expect that help to come from the Department of Defense?

MAYORKAS: Well, this is all part of an all-of-government effort. Not only are we obtaining resources from the Department of Defense, but we've actually brought in personnel from the Department of Health and Human Services to address the medical needs of anyone who needs that type of attention.

This is the approach of a good government that not only do we rely on the resources and capabilities of the Department of Homeland Security, but we look across the federal government and in partnership with civil society to see what resources and capabilities we can bring to bear to meet the challenge, and that is indeed what we are doing here.

ACOSTA: And you're ramping up these deportation flights as a deterrent. But in a letter last week, more than 50 Democratic lawmakers urged the administration to please stop, noting that Haiti is a country that was just ravaged by an earthquake, has food insecurity, just saw its president assassinated. As we know, many of these migrants there are from Haiti.

They've come from South America and so on but they're originally from Haiti. Does that bother you that you're flying migrants back to that kind of instability, that you're going to return them to a country that's in shambles, in many cases?

MAYORKAS: So what we did is we studied the conditions in Haiti, as is our responsibility to do. And we looked at issuing temporary protected status for those Haitian nationals who were already resident in the United States. We decided to issue temporary protected status or TPS, as it is commonly known, effective July 29th of this year.

We waited to see what instability was created as a result of the assassination. We looked at those country conditions and we decided that that was the operative date, and the date that addressed the humanitarian considerations in Haiti. We are very mindful of the devastation that occurred as a result of the earthquake. That devastation is rather geographically limited, as distinguished from the tragic earthquake that hit Haiti on January 10th of 2010.

[16:10:01]

So we have watched very carefully the conditions in Haiti, and we made a decision that temporary protected status was appropriate and that it should be extended to people who are resident here in the United States as of July 29th. And we made it very, very clear that people arriving after that date would in fact be repatriated, that is indeed what we are doing.

ACOSTA: And how can you be assured that when they go back, that they're not dealing with very difficult conditions, much more difficult than what they're dealing with right now? Why not allow them to come into the country?

MAYORKAS: So let me take both those questions, Jim. First of all, we're working very closely with the government of Haiti to ensure that the individuals' return is effected as accomplished as safely and humanely as possible. We are working with the Department of State to assist in that regard, and we're dedicating resources in Haiti for the humane receipt of individuals, the humane return of individuals.

We are in the midst of a pandemic. We have been exercising this Centers for Disease Controls Title 42 authority for quite some time now. It is a public health authority, not only to protect the American public, not only to protect the communities along the border, but also to protect the migrants themselves. ACOSTA: And are any of these migrants being vaccinated to guard

against the coronavirus, to make sure you don't have large, you know, community spread? I guess you could call it community spread there along the border there at Del Rio because there are thousands of people there. Are any of these folks being vaccinated? And might they be vaccinated before they go to Haiti?

MAYORKAS: So we are not vaccinating them at this time. What we have done as part of the surge of resources is dedicate the Department of Health and Human Services personnel to the location to address the medical needs of these individuals. And as I referenced earlier, we're also bringing in resources from the American Red Cross.

This is really an extraordinary effort, and we will work through this in very, very quick order. We are executing our multipronged plan.

ACOSTA: And have you briefed the president on what's happening at Del Rio? And is it time for the president to go down to the border and take a look for himself?

MAYORKAS: So, we have in fact briefed the president. I have been personally in touch with members in the White House on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, multiple times every single day. And I will be traveling to the border myself.

ACOSTA: You'll be traveling to the border. And I just want to make that clear I didn't mishear you. You said you have not briefed the president on this? Has he been briefed do you know on the situation?

MAYORKAS: No. As a matter of fact, just to be clear, the president has indeed been briefed. He's been briefed multiple times. We are extraordinarily vigilant in addressing this situation, and we will address it successfully. It is challenging. It is heartbreaking. But we are addressing it.

ACOSTA: Are you getting any cooperation out of Mexico? How are they assisting you in this?

MAYORKAS: So we certainly have been in very close touch with Mexico. A number of us have been speaking with our counterparts in Mexico. This is a partnership, and we are seeing, in fact, the flow of individuals stopped, and we're grateful for Mexico's partnership in this regard.

ACOSTA: I want to switch to domestic extremism. There have been a lot of concern about the potential for violence involving a rally at the Capitol yesterday in support of the jailed January 6th insurrectionists, those accused insurrectionists. We saw a massive police presence. And everything ended up pretty much peacefully. But are you still monitoring any credible threats of violence related to January 6th?

MAYORKAS: So, right now, Jim, we are not seeing any more specific credible threats arising from the January 6th insurrection. We really handled yesterday's potential admirably in partnership with our state and local officials. We disseminated information broadly to the law enforcement community as well as to the nonprofit community. We were ready for yesterday should anything materialize.

And, fortunately, it did not. And I think that's a product of the great cooperation and efforts we made. Domestic violent extremism remains the most prominent terrorist-related threat to the homeland.

[16:15:04]

And we are very vigilant in learning of the threat streams and pushing out information to our state, local, tribal, territorial partners so everyone is equipped should the threat materialize.

ACOSTA: And, Mr. Secretary, you still have a former president who is continuing to stir up trouble, throwing his support behind the protest yesterday. He was saying hearts and minds are with these protesters yesterday. He is continuing to spread the big lie about the election. Isn't he making your life more difficult? Isn't he making it more difficult for the Department of Homeland Security to crack down on domestic extremism?

MAYORKAS: Jim, words matter. The words of leaders matter a lot. His words, the dissemination of a false narrative, is unhelpful and counterproductive, and it is in fact something that our adversaries exploit.

ACOSTA: And I want to ask you about refugees from Afghanistan. You have said that you expect more than 50,000 to resettle in the United States amid great risk from the Taliban. But here was the reaction from Republican Montana Congressman Matt Rosendale when he learned that 75 refugees would be resettled in his state.

He said, "I have advocated that we should try and settle these individuals in other countries around Afghanistan that shared their values and culture, especially if we cannot ensure proper vetting. As elected officials it's our duty to protect the citizens we represent and I will not allow this administration to compromise the safety of Montanans." What do you say to him?

MAYORKAS: I say a number of things. First of all, our screening and vetting is multilayered. It involves agencies in the intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism areas across the federal government. This is what we do. As a government we screen and vet individuals seeking refuge in the United States, number one. Number two, the voices that overwhelm his voice are the voices of unity and pride in accepting vulnerable Afghans.

This is who we are as a country. We stand up for the people who stood up for us. We are providing refuge to individuals who assisted us in combat in Afghanistan. We are providing refuge to vulnerable women, journalists, young kids. This is one of our greatest traditions as a country. We have committed relief to those individuals, and we are delivering it. And we are delivering it while securing the safety of the American public.

ACOSTA: And, Mr. Secretary, I have to ask you, though, you talk about this American tradition of welcoming refugees, welcoming people in need. We're welcoming Afghans, but we're sending Haitians back. Is there a contradiction there?

MAYORKAS: Not at all. Those two processes are quite different. We are bringing in Afghan nationals by air after they have been screened and vetted. That is a safe, orderly, and humane process. That is quite different than irregular migration, illegal entry in between ports of entry in a time of pandemic when we have been quite clear, explicit, for months now that that is not the way to reach the United States. And it will not succeed.

ACOSTA: I want to ask you about some of this anti-immigrant nativist language that we're hearing on television. Here's just one infamous example.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TUCKER CARLSON, FOX NEWS HOST: I know that the left and all the little gatekeepers on Twitter become literally hysterical if you use the term replacement, if you suggest that the Democratic Party is trying to replace the current electorate, the voters now casting ballots, with new people, more obedient voters from the third world. But they become hysterical because that's what's happening actually. Let's just say it. That's true. Every time they import a new voter, I become disenfranchised as a current voter.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Mr. Secretary, you're an immigrant yourself. Your family had to flee Cuba. My father is a Cuban refugee. Just to put that out there. When you hear folks like Tucker Carlson use that kind of rhetoric, what do you say to those voices out there who claim that immigrants are being brought into this country, that refugees are being brought into this country to replace other Americans to try to tilt the electoral map, for example, as one of the accusations that they make? What do you make of that kind of rhetoric?

MAYORKAS: Jim, what I say is a Cuban immigrant son is one of the leading journalists in the United States of America.

[16:20:03]

A Cuban immigrant is a secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. We're a nation of laws and we're a nation of immigrants. And that rhetoric will be overwhelmed by people who understand and execute our values and principles as a country.

ACOSTA: All right, Mr. Secretary, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, thank you very much for your time. We appreciate it. Good talking to you, sir.

MAYORKAS: Thank you, Jim.

ACOSTA: Have a good afternoon.

And we're following a developing story, military jet crashes in a Texas neighborhood, damaging homes. What we're learning about the pilots who managed to escape. We'll get a live report, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: A miraculous rescue in Texas. Two military pilots are alive after ejecting from their jet just seconds before it crashed into a Texas neighborhood.

CNN's Camila Bernal is following this for us.

[16:25:02]

Camila, what are you learning? This is dramatic stuff.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really is. So, Jim, this was a military training mission, and we know that this military training jet took off from Corpus Christi International Airport and then crashed in this residential area in Lake Worth, Texas. This is in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It happened just before 11:00 in the morning. And thankfully these two pilots as you mentioned are alive. But they are in the hospital.

We know that onboard was an instructor and a student. We are being told that the instructor, he is in stable condition. It's unclear what condition the student is in, but he is alive and receiving treatment. Thankfully these two pilots were able to use those ejection seats, they were able to use their parachutes. But unfortunately, one of those parachutes was caught in the powerlines in this neighborhood. The other pilot, he was able to land in the neighborhood.

This is a military town, an area that knows a lot of these incidents and a lot of these military members, even the chief of police saying he understood exactly what these pilots were going through and how difficult this day must be for them. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF J.T. MANOUSHAGIAN, LAKE WORTH POLICE DEPARTMENT: I am not a pilot but I am a veteran along with Chief Arthur and many of the others in the room. And I would imagine that for a pilot this is the day that you dread, that you hope never comes. And so for them and their families who've experienced that worst day, we just want them to know and their families to know that our thoughts and prayers are with them.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL: Now the chief also saying that this could have been a lot worse. We know that at least six homes were damaged. But just three of them had substantial damage. And it's not because the plane crashed directly into the homes. In fact, that jet crashed in the backyard area of those homes. But the debris and the wings, that's what caused the damage. We know that some of the homes are also left without power. And they needed to clean all that up before restoring the power.

But I do want to point out on other thing. The military has these designated areas that they call these potential crash zones. And the crash happening right in the middle of two of these potential crash zones. So it doesn't normally happen. It is uncommon, but it is not entirely unexpected -- Jim.

ACOSTA: All right, Camila Bernal, thank you very much.

Coming up, a strange new twist in the case of missing woman Gabby Petito. The main person of interest her fiance is also missing. And police are desperately trying to find him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: The FBI and police are continuing their search across a vast 25,000-acre Florida nature reserve today looking for one man, Brian Laundrie. They are hoping that finding him will also help them locate his missing fiance, Gabby Petito.

Petito's family reported her missing after she and Laundrie went on a road trip out West, documenting much of it online, and only Laundrie returned home. Since coming back, he has refused to speak with police and has been named a person of interest in the case.

CNN's Leyla Santiago joins me now from port -- North Port, Florida. Leyla, where do things stand right now? Are there any signs of Mr. Laundrie?

LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, the search continues. I just checked in with some folks that are inside. And they say they are continuing to work to search for Laundrie.

So, let me paint the picture, as to what we have seen as we've been here today. This is a wildlife reserve, 25,000 acres that they are combing through to try to find Laundrie. We have seen ATVs that come out with quite a bit of mud, indicating that they are not staying on an established path here.

We've seen K-9 units. We've seen a helicopter circling above. And they are here because, as the North Port police tweeted this morning, that they are looking for any sort of clue that Mr. Laundrie may be here, because this is where they say the family sent him.

It has been quite the timeline of events. But let's take you back to Friday, when police heard from the attorney and the family of Brian Laundrie, saying that the last time they knew of his whereabouts was Tuesday. And that Tuesday, he had a hiking bag and was heading here to this wildlife reserve to hike, perhaps, for the day.

So, you can see folks have been coming and going, and this is why police are here. But while they are here, five mile as way from his home, go about 2,000 miles away, and there's a whole 'nother search there. And that is for 22-year-old Gabby Petito. She is -- and the -- they are searching for her in the Grand Teton National Park near a campground there because that is where she was last reported being. So, there are now two searches in two states for two separate people after this couple went on this road trip but only he came back.

ACOSTA: Such a strange case. All right, Leyla Santiago, thank you very much for that report. We appreciate it.

Coming up, a warning that came seconds too late. What we're learning about the moments before a botched U.S. drone strike that killed 10 innocent people in Kabul. The former defense secretary, Leon Panetta, joins me live with reaction.

Plus, mass shootings, gun violence, and the NRA's role in U.S. law. What's the cost of the war on gun control? A CNN film, "The Price of Freedom" airs tonight at 9:00 p.m. on CNN.

[16:35:01]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: It's been three weeks since a U.S. drone strike killed 10 innocent people in Kabul, Afghanistan, and the questions over how it happened are mounting. We now know, seconds before the missile hit, the CIA warned the military that civilians, including children, were likely near the target vehicle. We also know the wrong car was targeted, and now seven children and three adults including an Afghan aid worker are dead.

[16:40:00]

ACOSTA: I'm joined now by someone with very unique insight into this as he led both the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency. Former Defense secretary and former CIA director, Leon Panetta. Mr. Secretary, thanks for joining us.

You know how both of these organizations operate. How they work together. How they're supposed to work together in this post-911 world. What does this tragedy tell you? Bad intelligence, miscommunication, this age-old problem of agencies not working well enough together? What do you think?

LEON PANETTA, FORMER U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, Jim, a drone strike is a weapon of war, and it has to be exercised with a great deal of care, in terms of the targeting. The approach that we used, when it came to drone strikes, was not only to have surveillance in the air, but also to have intelligence on the ground, to make sure that we have the right target.

And, also, to make sure that children, innocent children and women, are not in the shot. Obviously, that was not done here. And I understand they were worried about some kind of car bomb occurring soon after 35 Marines had been killed, but that's no excuse for not exercising care when it comes to pulling the trigger.

ACOSTA: Right. And how is it that one agency sees civilians and possibly kids at the target vehicle, but the other people carrying out the strike, apparently, didn't see them? How is that possible? PANETTA: Well, it is possible, depending on the shot that you'd have

from surveillance and what it's following. If the surveillance target is solely on the vehicle itself, it isn't going to take in the larger picture.

And that's why it's very important, if you're going to do these kinds of shots accurately, to have intelligence on the ground to confirm the target that you're after. Unfortunately, that didn't happen here, and they paid the price. I hope they learned the lessons of what it means to fire on these targets and to be damn sure you know what you're firing at.

ACOSTA: Right. And, ultimately, who's to blame here? Does there need to be some kind of measure of accountability, firings, resignations? You've led agencies in these kinds of situations. What typically happens after something like this?

PANETTA: Well, normally you would have an investigation. And you should have an investigation here, because of the innocent lives that were lost. An investigation that will determine exactly what kind of information they had. An investigation that will determine whether or not they were warned that they might have the wrong targets that they're firing at. An investigation that would determine who gave the final order to fire.

There is somebody somewhere that has the ultimate responsibility to say fire. And that -- we have to ask that individual why the order was given, in light of the facts that are coming out.

ACOSTA: And should this spur some changes to how the U.S. conducts drone strikes, this issue of over-the-horizon capabilities?

PANETTA: Well, I think it's important to always learn the lessons from these kinds of mistakes that are made. Because, look, I think a vital part of counterterrorism operations is the ability to have good intelligence, obviously on the targets. To be able to deliver, whether you're going to bring special forces in by helicopter to rappel down and go after the target or whether you're going to use a drone to take a shot. You've got to be able to have very accurate intelligence on the targets you're firing at.

I hope they'll take the time to look at the steps that are necessary here. CIA generally relied a great deal more on intelligence on the ground than the military does. And I think the military, if it's going to use drone capability, I think is going to have to improve the quality of their intelligence as to the targets they're firing.

ACOSTA: And I just spoke to Secretary Mayorkas a few moments ago about the situation in Del Rio, Texas, where more than 12,000 migrants are living under a bridge. He stopped short of calling it a crisis. But when you call up the Pentagon for help with logistics, is -- aren't we approaching the definition of a crisis?

[16:50:00]

PANETTA: I think -- I think any time you have 12,000 people, men, women, and children, living under a bridge, that is by definition a crisis. And I think we have to do everything necessary to respond to that crisis, using whatever resources we can bring to bear. But there is no question there is a human tragedy unfolding at that site.

ACOSTA: And the White House -- I mean, it seems to me that they better get a handle on this and get a handle on it quickly. This has the potential to -- as you know, Mr. Secretary, having been in government for a very long time, this can spiral out of control very quickly and get ugly fast.

PANETTA: Well, if we haven't learned anything over the last few months, it's that you cannot -- you cannot assume that things are going to go fine. You've always got to assume that contingencies can go bad. And then, you're better prepared to respond to those contingencies.

You've got a situation here that is bad and that can get worse very quickly. I think it demands full attention, in order to make sure that human lives are not put at risk.

ACOSTA: All right, former Defense secretary, Leon Panetta, thanks so much for your expertise this afternoon. We appreciate it, as always.

PANETTA: Good to be with you, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right, good to be with you.

And a mobile app, created years ago to provide realtime alerts about incidents in Kabul, Afghanistan, has taken on new importance following the Taliban takeover. CNN's Rachel Crane has this story on this week's "Mission Ahead."

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

RACHEL CRANE, CNN INNOVATION AND SPACE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Since the Taliban took control of Kabul, residents of the city have been anxious to get information that can help keep them safe. Many have turned to Ehtesab, an Afghan-created app that provides near realtime safety information.

SARA WAHEDI, FOUNDER, EHTESAB (via Skype): This app was not meant to respond to the fall of a country.

CRANE: Sara Wahidi is the founder of Ehtesab, which roughly translates to accountability. Wahidi started the project while living in Kabul in 2018, after she survived a suicide bombing.

WAHEDI: And I was really confused by the fact that there was no realtime verified information of what was going on in the city, especially a city which is consistently reeling with instability. And it just kind of sparked light bulbs in my head about what if we were able to create a platform which kept citizens informed, engaged, and, at the same time, officials made accountable?

CRANE: Today, Wahedi's team consists of roughly 20 people who verify reports and locations of things like explosions, power outages, checkpoints, and dishonest gas prices, among other need-to-know information. That information then gets mapped out in the app.

WAHEDI: We try to mitigate as much anxiety in day-to-day Kabul life, as best as we can in the current situation.

CRANE: Since the Taliban took control of Kabul, Wahedi says her team has seen a surge in downloads. And while the instability the Taliban have caused makes verifying reports harder for her team, they continue to keep Ehtesab updated.

WAHEDI: We have taken the situation at hand and done the best that we can with it. And the team doesn't want to stop. I've told them many times, this is your app. You take responsibility of it. And they said that until we can and until they shut down the Internet, we're going to keep doing this. And that's what we've been doing.

CRANE: Rachel Crane, CNN, New York.

[16:48:44]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Comedian Chris Rock revealing he's tested positive for COVID- 19. He posted on Twitter, hey, guys, I just found out I have COVID. Trust me, you don't want this. Get vaccinated. Rock was vaccinated earlier this year and was pro-vaccine, even before then, explaining it this way to CBS' Gayle King.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS ROCK, COMEDIAN: I'm going to put it this way. Do I take Tylenol when I get a headache? Do I know what's in Tylenol? I don't know what's in Tylenol, Gayle. I just know my headache's gone. Do I know what's in a Big Mac, Gayle? No, I just know it's delicious.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: He's right. I mean, that's how it works. And we hope he gets better.

In the meantime, if you thought last year's Emmisy, Emmy's I should say, looked a little too much like a giant Zoom call, get ready. T.V.'s biggest night is about to return with a live audience and a big opening number. The ceremony hosted by Cedric, the entertainer, will take place inside a tent, outside an L.A. theatre. Attendees must be fully vaccinated and provide proof that they're COVID negative.

Ted Lasso has all the momentum in the comedy category. It's a great show. Love Jason Sudeikis. He's also been nominated in the Best Actor category. On the drama side, "The Crown" could take the Emmy. In all, it has 24 nominations. Real-life drama could factor into the ceremony with the death of Michael K. Williams who became a star in "The Wire." This year, he's nominated for another nuanced performance, though Emmy voters were cast before his death.

Coming up, the booster confusion. An FDA panel rejects boosters for the general public, but says yes for a small group. So, what's next for the rollout? Dr. Sanjay Gupta is standing by. We'll talk to him soon.

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ACOSTA: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I am Jim Acosta in Washington. More support is needed to control the crisis at the U.S. border.

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ACOSTA: CNN learning the Department of Homeland Security will ask the Pentagon for help.