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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Trump Adviser Steve Bannon for Contempt of Congress for Not Complying with Congressional Subpoena; Atlanta Sees Largest Cost of Living Increase in U.S.; Prices Continue to Rise across U.S. Economy; CEO Discusses How Supply Chain Issues Affecting Commodity Prices. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired November 13, 2021 - 10:00   ET

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

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[10:00:00]

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. It is Saturday, November 13th. I'm Amara Walker in for Christi Paul.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Good to see you, Amara, I'm Boris Sanchez. You are live in the CNN Newsroom. Thanks so much for joining us.

WALKER: Up first, a federal grand jury indicted Trump ally and adviser Steve Bannon for contempt of Congress. The charges stem from Bannon's refusal to comply with the subpoena from the committee investigating the January 6th insurrection. Committee members say Bannon's indictment should send a message to other potential witnesses not to defy congressional subpoenas. The panel wants to know about Bannon's role in leadup to the Capitol riot and about his presence in the so- called war room at a D.C. hotel as the attack was unfolding.

SANCHEZ: And a series of statements that Bannon made before the insurrection, committee members pointing to Bannon's comments on his podcast the day before the riot where he offered a preview of things to come.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE BANNON, FORMER ADVISER TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: All hell is going to break loose tomorrow. Just understand this, all hell is going to break loose tomorrow. It's not going to happen like you think it's going to happen. It's going to be quite extraordinarily different. All I can say is strap in. The war room, a posse, you have made this happen, and tomorrow it's game day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Steve Bannon is expected to turn himself in and appear in court Monday. For more on his indictment, let's bring in CNN's Zachary Cohen.

WALKER: He is part of the team that broke the story. So, Zach, tell us more about the charges that Bannon is now facing. ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Simply put, Bannon

learned yesterday that he could face jail time related to his decision to defy a congressional subpoena related to the committee's investigation into January 6th. We were in the courtroom when the indictment was handed down on two counts related to contempt of Congress, one regarding Bannon's refusal to hand over documents that the committee has called for, and the second, his refusal to appear for a congressional deposition.

Now, we have a long road to go before there's any sort of decision made on this indictment and whether there's ultimately a conviction. But in the short term, the congressional committee is calling this a victory. They believe this will help them exponentially in compelling other witnesses who may not want to talk to them to do so.

SANCHEZ: And Zach, we want to, for a moment, put the focus on some separate legal battles that the former president was having. He scored two legal victories on different lawsuits. What can you tell us about those?

COHEN: Absolutely. The first involves a lawsuit, a former apprentice participant named Summer Zervos, she had sued Trump for defamation back in 2017 related to Trump saying that he did not sexual assault her, denying allegations that she had raised against him. She's dropping the claim now, and Trump will not have to sit for deposition in that case. The second involves a lawsuit filed by his former personal attorney, Michael Cohen. Michael Cohen was seeking payment for his legal services. It looks like he won't be getting those now.

WALKER: This is obviously just the beginning of these legal drama that is going to continue to play out. Zachary Cohen, appreciate you. Thanks.

SANCHEZ: Thanks, Zach.

So, let's dig deeper on Steve Bannon's indictment with former federal prosecutor Shan Wu. Shan, always great to see you and always appreciate your perspective. This indictment revealed some new details about specifically what the committee wants from Steve Bannon, documents and communications that fall into at least 17 different categories. Help us understand what role the criminal case might have in the committee's fight to get that information.

SHAN WU, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, the most important part, as we discussed already, is that it sends a message to other witnesses that there's accountability, that being subpoenaed by the United States Congress means something. And many people were impatient, worried the Justice Department would take a pass on this or delay it for too long, and they have stood up now and done the right thing to prosecute it. It is really an open and shut case, Boris, because he is a no-show personally and he's a no-show in those documents. And that's what the contempt prosecution is focused on. They are not a wing of the select committee trying to get documents, they are focus, as appropriately they should be, on the criminal violation.

SANCHEZ: And if at that point, Steve Bannon, with this indictment still doesn't turn over the necessary evidence, the documents, is there anything else the committee or others can do?

[10:05:05]

WU: Not really. He can go to jail. He can be convicted, go to prison for up to one year on each of the counts, he can be fined. They can't just magically force him to produce the documents. Typically, people facing criminal conviction and jail time would choose to cooperate at that point, I would think, but he may not.

Now, there is the possibility that they could have considered of actually executing a search warrant. Sometimes law enforcement, prosecutors, prosecutors, if you're worried that evidence will be destroyed or lost, you can seek to secure it that way. We probably would have heard about that if that already happened. If it hasn't happened yet, it would be very aggressive for them to do that. I don't think that the Attorney General Garland would want to be that aggressive. It is arguably outside the scope of the criminal referral, and they could be concerned that DOJ, that that would look too partisan, as though they were being a wing of the select committee.

SANCHEZ: And Shan, at the same time, the former president is drawing out a legal battle in federal appeals court over the issue of executive privilege. You've said that prosecutors don't need to get into the civil issue of executive privilege in the case against Bannon. He wasn't a White House official when everything post 2020 election was going on. Would there be any reason to be invoked, perhaps in defense of Steve Bannon?

WU: Yes, absolutely. I think we can 100 percent expect that it will be invoked as his defense. I think prosecutors need to really try and focus in their case on this is not a battle over executive privilege. Bannon's team may, for example, argue that they should delay, stay the criminal case until all that resolves itself, possibly all the way up to the Supreme Court. So prosecutors need to push hard not to let that happen. They have to say, look, here's the subpoena, here's his no show. That's the case. If he wants to invoke the privilege defense, they can't stop him from doing that, but it's their job to not let that delay the criminal trial.

SANCHEZ: I imagine watching his defense attorneys argue that something he said on a podcast is covered by executive privilege, right? So let's say the committee also refers former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to the Justice Department after he refused to show up for his deposition this week. Will prosecutors start fresh in choosing whether to also indict Meadows, or will the Bannon case ultimately inform that decision?

WU: Probably the Bannon case informs it for this reason. Behind the scenes, the Justice Department has probably done a lot of studying of the issue. As we've all heard, it is very rare to prosecute criminally contempt of Congress. I think it hasn't been done in some 30 years. So they would have looked at the legal landscape at this point so they won't have to be reinventing the wheel on this. Now, every case is different, and they will need to consider the facts of Meadows having actually been in the White House and the executive branch at that time. But I think the basic foundation of whether it's a solid, legitimate charge to bring, I think that's already been done.

SANCHEZ: Shan Wu, as always, appreciate your perspective. Thank you so much, sir.

WU: Good to see you.

SANCHEZ: Of course.

Still coming up, surging prices and supply chain chaos, we'll tell you who is getting hit hardest, and how inflation could impact your holidays.

WALKER: And after years of dealing with toxic water and long-term health impacts, some justice for those impacted by the crisis in Flint, Michigan. Later this hour, we talk to the city's mayor.

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[10:12:54]

WALKER: From the gas station to the grocery store, Americans are struggling with rising prices and historic inflation.

SANCHEZ: The price of gas, rent, food, used and new cars all up. And consumer sentiment is down to a 10-year low. Rising prices have left one in four people feeling their standard of living dropped. CNN's Nadia Romero joins us now live from Atlanta. And Nadia, Atlanta specifically is one of the areas where prices have seen some of the biggest spikes.

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Boris and Amara. Usually that title belongs to New York City or San Francisco whenever we talk about a cost of living increase. But this time around it's Atlanta with the nation's highest inflation rate. And so we talked to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta on why, why here. And they said 30 percent of that consumer price index is related to housing. And there's been quite a housing boom in Atlanta with more people moving here, an economic boom. New companies and companies that are already here that are expanding, but there's low supply, more demand. And that means an increase in housing prices.

And also, we look at energy prices, up 28 percent year to date here in Atlanta, and that relates to gas prices. So just to give you an idea, right now the price of one gallon of unleaded gas in Atlanta is about $3.28. But this time last year, it was just under $2. Quite a change. But the biggest, the highest increase that we're seeing in gas prices the most expensive in the country, that belongs to California, $3.66 per gallon of unleaded. And they're just one penny shy of its all-time record, not a record anyone wants to break.

So some economists say the gas prices we are seeing, they could fall just as quickly as we have seen them climb. But other goods that have gone up in prices, foods and other commodities, those items could take more time to sort out because of our supply chain issues. And that's why the Georgia Governor Brian Kemp was at the Port of Savannah just yesterday. He says a new mega rail system will ease the supply chain backlog, but he is placing the blame squarely on the Biden administration for the inflation problem. Take a listen.

[10:15:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. BRIAN KEMP, (R) GEORGIA: Look, there's another whole other problem with inflation. You need to ask somebody at the White House about that. Because everybody I'm talking to, they're worried about gas, they're worried about groceries and everything else that you're buying. And this is unsustainable. And they're wanting to spend more money out there. So people have got to get realistic with real economics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: So President Biden was asked about the inflation rate and just the cost of everything seeming to go up, and the president says this is a sign that more needs to be done to repair the economy. And a CNN poll released just this week shows about a third of Americans say that the economy is the most pressing issue facing the country. Boris?

SANCHEZ: Nadia Romero, thank you so much.

WALKER: So look, it's not just Atlanta or the U.S. dealing with these economic issues. It's a global thing, struggling to recover from the pandemic, and after months, still not running at full capacity. Thousands of U.S. companies that rely on cheap raw materials, overseas manufacturing, and shipping, are trapped in the current supply chain crisis. Every day, we are seeing cargo ships stuck at sea, and packed crates waiting to be unloaded. Just take a look. As of yesterday, there were 83, look at that, 83 container ships idling in the waters off the port of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California.

And I can tell you having grown up there, this is a sight that I have never seen before. You can actually see it when you're along the beach. And it's pretty astounding.

My next guest is the chief executive of Whom Home. His name is Jonathan Bass, and he says he's had to remove about 70 percent of his company's products from retailers' websites because he just doesn't have inventory. Good morning to you, Jonathan. I can't imagine how frustrating that must be, especially with Christmas just a few weeks away. How are you dealing with this mess?

JONATHAN BASS, WHOM HOME CEO: Very difficultly. Every morning we wake up and we're not sure which bat is going to hit us on which side of the head.

WALKER: I'm sorry to hear that. Let's start with what is actually going on here, because it sounds like we're dealing with this rapid rebound that many weren't expecting from the pandemic, and it sounds like businesses should be booming because there is this huge demand, but the workforce and supply chain just can't keep up, is that correct?

BASS: No. The beginning of this issue started back in 2020 when, sorry, in 2000, that we entered the WTO, and we shifted supply chain from quota system to a single source system. And our dependency on one region of the world has put us now in a position that whatever we end up needing, whether it is a single screw that can stop your whole factory from producing to fabric for our furniture is required from a single source country. And it really is our retailers that are setting the rules of engagement on this national security issue.

WALKER: So how much is this costing you?

BASS: Well, container right now is about $25,000. And you get about 20 sofas into a container. So just that freight rate plus the tariff is about another $1,300 a sofa.

WALKER: So tell me what it's like for you day to day, because you were quoted in Bloomberg saying there's no stability now, it's not a normal time in the business world, and you were mentioning it's like every day you're getting hit in the head with a bat. How are you planning, are you looking ahead to next quarter or next year?

BASS: So, we moved supply chain into North America trying to source all our raw materials from the U.S., Mexico, and Canada in an effort to actually ease our dependency on a single source. The problem is there are no factories supplying raw materials, and banks don't want to lend to entrepreneurs who want to open a factory. They would rather lend to an entrepreneur that wants to open an app.

WALKER: So how widespread is this problem for businesses like you or just anyone who relies on customers to purchase from them?

BASS: It's across the board. I have been seeing supply chain shortages for months, empty shelves all across the country when I have been visiting towns and visiting customers. The issue is that the retailers just don't want to pivot supply chain.

[10:20:02]

And until they lean in and really want to get supply chain moved, you won't have that. With one customer alone accounting for over 60 percent of the food sold in America, that particular customer, unless they decide to lean into north America, no one can do it.

WALKER: So what can your customers expect for Christmas? Do you think we're going to see a lot of people not getting gifts on time in general?

BASS: Well, if customers come to Whom Home, we're guaranteeing that you'll have a six-week ship time because we're North American made. And our only dependency is on these little raw materials, whether it's a screw or a nail or fabric coming in from Asia, and all those we're working very hard to cross source domestically and get rid of our dependency on an Asian supply chain.

WALKER: I think you raise a really good point there. I think a lot of people are realizing just how much our economy depends on a lot of manufacturing overseas. Jonathan Bass, appreciate you joining us this morning. Thank you. Good luck to you. BASS: Thank you for having me.

WALKER: And we'll be right back.

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[10:25:37]

A portion of this transcript has been removed.

SANCHEZ: In honor of Veterans Day, the White House this week announced it's taking new steps to help former service members who were exposed to environmental hazards while on duty, things like burn pits. The Biden administration is hoping to learn more about health effects of these exposures and provide better access to health services and benefits to veterans who may have been affected. And this is a personal issue for the president. He said that he thinks burn pits in Iraq might have played a role in the death of his son Beau who died of brain cancer.

With us this morning, someone who is too familiar with this, Marine Corps veteran Kate Hendricks Thomas. She's a behavioral medicine researcher at George Mason University. And Kate, thank you for joining us this morning. You experienced burn pits while serving in Iraq. What was that like?

KATE HENDRICKS THOMAS, BEHAVIOR MEDICINE RESEARCHER, GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY: Well, the biggest memory that I have is the regular cleanings that we performed of these stand-alone air conditioning units that we had in buildings. And when we cleaned out the filters, they would be full of black particulate matter, and just chunks of gross stuff. And we would laugh amongst ourselves about oh, wow, this is what we're breathing in, that can't be good. But we were 25 and invincible at the time. So we weren't really concerned.

SANCHEZ: And Kate, you were diagnosed with breast cancer after your service, despite having no family history with that illness. It was actually during an annual exam about 10 years ago that a nurse told you that based on where you were stationed, they were seeing a lot of veteran women with breast cancer. I am wondering what went through your mind during the diagnosis, and then in the three years it took to get your benefits claim approved.

THOMAS: Well, initially when she referred me for a mammogram, I thought that I didn't need it. I actually skipped the first appointment because I was so busy. And when I went to my appointment and they scheduled me for follow on and eventually diagnosed me with terminal breast cancer, I was in shock. And I would say I was in shock for a period of time. I was just very surprised by the entire experience.

And I immediately applied for benefits at the V.A. because my oncologist wrote a letter and said we have done next generation sequencing, we've done genetic testing, and there's no way that she should have this advanced case of breast cancer were it not the result of an exposure. So I figured with my oncologist being willing to write a letter like that, V.A. benefits would be forthcoming. I didn't realize I would have a three-year fight ahead of me, with numerous appeals and numerous additional pieces of information. It was very difficult to get my cancer labeled service connected.

SANCHEZ: That must be incredibly frustrating, especially because of the sacrifices and the service that you've made for the nation. Help us understand the importance of the steps that the White House has taken to get veterans like you access to care they need, and what else needs to be done.

THOMAS: Well, I think we need a list of presumptive conditions attached to any bill that moves forward. There needs to be a list of conditions that are very likely result of military exposures. And right now, those lists don't exist for post 9/11 veterans who were exposed to the burn pits. So I would say we need presumptive conditions.

And then we need to be expanding the conversation. I will give you an example. Senator Boozman's office has put forward the Service Act. And what it would do is lower the age of mammogram screening for women that have been deployed. So a woman that's been deployed comes home at 26 or 27 and is going to be referred for a mammogram. So if I had gotten my mammogram earlier, they might have caught my cancer earlier before it was terminal. But that would have required me getting a mammogram probably in my late 20s. So talking about these incidence rates, and talking about how at risk veterans are for exposure related conditions is an important step, because it increases awareness among both the medical community and the veteran community that we need to be screening and conducting preventive care.

[10:35:09]

SANCHEZ: Kate, we appreciate you taking time to share that message. We honor your strength and bravery, not only serving overseas, but also in your current mission. Kate Hendricks Thomas, thank you so much.

THOMAS: Thank you for having me.

SANCHEZ: Of course.

Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.

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[10:40:04]

SANCHEZ: The death toll from the crowd surge at Houston's Astroworld Festival has climbed to nine. Twenty-two-year-old Bharti Shahani died on Wednesday after spending days in the hospital fighting for her life. Dozens of lawsuits have already been filed against Travis Scott, the festival organizers, and others involved with the event, while many questions remain unanswered about who should be held accountable.

All of this comes as the funeral for one of the victims, 16-year-old Brianna Rodriguez, is being held this morning. CNN's Natasha Chen is live from Houston following the story for us. And Natasha, we are learning some new details coming from the fire department about the timeline of what happened that night. What can you tell us?

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Boris, what the timeline really shows us is that the chaos began more than 12 hours before these nine fatalities that we're talking about.

And before we get into the details of that, I want to share with you just what's happening behind us. A lot of people are lined up outside this memorial service for a 16-year-old, Brianna Rodriguez. She was one of those nine people killed at this event. And I did speak with a friend of hers from high school who was with her that night. He said they were with a group of friends attending a concert. And he held onto her in those final moments. He said the last thing she said was "I can't breathe."

And that's one of the examples of crushing details, horrific details we're hearing from survivors of Astroworld. And going into the timeline that you referenced that given to us by Houston Fire Department, I want to show you some full screens here of an example of some of the things that they logged throughout the day. Starting at 8:15 a.m. in the morning when a lieutenant requested riot equipment. And you can tell within that hour, there were already people breaching the main gate, the secondary checkpoint. There were already medical requests for four individuals.

Then the venue gates opened at 10:00 a.m. Moving on, you see that through the 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. hour, participants kept breaching different checkpoints, and that by about 4:00 p.m., the third party medics had reported 54 patients treated since the beginning of the event. It only gets worse from there. With 26,000 scanned through security by 5:00, but 3,000 to 5,000 reported not scanned.

Then you're moving on into the 7:00, 9:00 hours. You see there at 9:28 p.m., the quote, "This is when it all got real." And Houston police reporting multiple people passed out at the front of the stage. And then finally 9:32 p.m., the report of an unconscious female in the crowd. At 9:35, at least five 911 calls of people who were unconscious. And we know that at least nine people have died now. We know of a nine-year-old boy who is still in the hospital fighting for his life.

If we have time, I just want to show one clip of what a survivor said this week about what those moments were like.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DISHON ISSAC, SURVIVOR: I spent 20 minutes on the ground, and there was a girl next to me who is for sure dead. I'll never forget the look of terror on people's faces. That's the thing that sticks with me the most. I remember there was a girl at one point who was holding my hand. I didn't know this girl whatever. But she held my hand, I held her hand as long as I could, until I eventually I lost her in the crowd.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHEN: A lot of stories like that of people trying to hold onto each other and do the best they could in really terrible, terrible circumstances. Boris and Amara?

SANCHEZ: It's difficult to listen to painful accounts of what happened that night. Natasha Chen, thank you so much for that report.

WALKER: This week, a federal judge gave the final approval for a $600 million settlement for people exposed to water contaminated with lead in Flint, Michigan. You may recall, the city declared a state of emergency in 2015 after the EPA found dangerous levels of lead which can affect the heart, kidneys, the brain and the nerves, in the water. But many in Flint are concerned the nine figure sum isn't enough given how many people will have to split the money.

Joining me now is Flint Mayor Sheldon Neely. Appreciate you joining us this morning. I would like to start with the criticism from Flint community leaders and others who say the settlement, while yes, it's significant, it doesn't go far enough. We know a big chunk of is going to go to those who were children during the water crisis, and then another chunk of money going to the attorneys. What do you say to those who are not happy with the settlement?

MAYOR SHELDON NEELY, FLINT, MICHIGAN: Well, the settlement, there's never enough money, no amount of money is enough to be able to compensate families that have been negatively impacted. So I agree with that assessment.

[10:45:05]

But there are still three more big, large defendants in this case that has not been adjudicated yet, the EPA being one of those cases. And so I wanted to say the judge's ruling starts the pathway to create the first final steps of trying to resolve this issue for the monetary resolve for these cases. But to those individuals, yes, I would agree as Flint resident here myself, I would also agree the city of Flint is a defendant in the case, but there are three more large defendants in this case. So there could possibly be more on the monetized side of this.

WALKER: Mayor Neely, I have to say that last night I was doing research on this story, and I was just refreshing the details of what had happened in 2015. And my jaw once again dropped to the floor. And you also have people who are suffering from permanent health problems as a result of this water crisis. You're talking behavioral disorders, hearing problems, growth development. We know that lead exposure can lead to these problems. Have you spoken with these families recently? And what's your message to them who are facing possibly a lifetime of expensive medical bills?

NEELY: Well, my messaging is yes, we have to be able to stay committed to those that have been negatively impacted through this crisis as a municipality, also as a state and a federal government, putting aside money to make sure that we can offset anything moving forward for any health crisis they may have for the children and/or adults. And so this was a tragedy, nonetheless, we can't minimize what has happened in the city of Flint. But what we can do is move forward and try to make sure that we compensate those families accordingly, and also make sure that they have the necessary resources available to them and their families to be able to try to help mitigate some of those health challenges.

WALKER: And mayor, if you could talk about how you feel? Are you confident that those who were responsible or negligent in the water crisis will be brought to justice? I think nine former state officials were charged with crimes, including the former governor, Rick Snyder.

NEELY: I'm not confident that we will get to the final resolve to get justice for those families that they deserve. But definitely those individuals have been charged, we want to make sure that they're prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for those that had some level of responsibility for this tragedy that happened in this community.

Flint is a resilient community, nonetheless. And so this judge's ruling gets us moving in the right direction to try to get the monetized settlement moving. Three larger defendants are still remaining in this case. So there are dollars and cents that still could come to aid to residents here in the city of Flint. And on the criminal side, the attorney general of the state of Michigan has made it known that they're going to try to prosecute these individuals to the fullest extent of the law.

Here on the municipal level, we're trying to be able to reestablish a level of competence in government for our residents here as we try to remediate the lead problem. We see this happening across the state of Michigan and across the country. And with the American Rescue Plan dollars, I think the president is online to try to make sure that this never happens to another community in the United States. But moreover, poorer black communities across our country have a big challenge. You talk about environmental justice or environmental injustice as we saw here in the case inside the city of Flint. But we're working very hard to be able to support these families here with all the necessary resources we have to bring to bear.

WALKER: We wish you all the best and thank you for joining us this morning, Mayor Sheldon Neely. Thank you.

NEELY: Thank you, and God bless.

WALKER: And there's more ahead on Newsroom. But first, we go to Miami, where a pair of young entrepreneurs have turned their love of socks into a do-good mission in today's "Start Small, Think Big."

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are You Kidding Socks is a kid entrepreneurial company where me and my brother both design the best socks ever.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am Sebastian, I'm 13 years old.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I'm Brandon, and I'm 15 years old. And we are the founders of Are You Kidding Socks. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our company got started when I was about five years old, when I had this huge passion for socks. I just loved having my socks all the way up so people could be like, oh, wow, look at those socks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We started small. We got an idea. We just got paper and pencils, and we just took off from there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Basically, what I'm doing, I am making an ocean sock. I'm putting sharks and the fish.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While we're thinking about a sock design, we think about what people like and what also we like. My and my brother have a drawing contest, because we're brothers. We always compete on everything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We partnered with a bunch of charities, local charities and national charities, because we want to help give back to the community.

[10:50:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you make the sock with a different charity, people can learn what it means. We made breast cancer socks, and their logo is a pink ribbon. For autism, the puzzle piece.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our company has donated over $300,000 in charitable contributions, and it just makes us really proud. We're doing great things for our community.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to help people because my mom used to tell me, you want to help people, because you never know if one day you're going to need help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope our company has a big impact on the world. We just want to help everyone. Making people happy makes me happy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[10:55:05]

SANCHEZ: We wanted to leave you with some uplifting news for the rest of your day. The CNN family growing a little bit over the last few days, specifically by six pounds and five ounces. World, meet Eliot Bradley Gray.

WALKER: So sweet. CNN correspondent Kristen Holmes and producer Noah Gray welcomed baby Eliot early Thursday morning after 28 hours of labor, wow. Both baby and mom are happy and healthy, expected to head home in just a few hours. Though according to anonymous sources, Papa Noah is terrified. Yes, join the club.

(LAUGHTER)

WALKER: Thanks so much for being with us this morning.

SANCHEZ: Still much ahead in the next hour of the CNN Newsroom. Stay tuned.

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