Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Military Flight Transporting Baby Formula To U.S. Amid Dire Shortage; Biden Signs $40 Billion Ukraine Aid Package In South Korea; President Zelenskyy Condemns Strike On Cultural Center; Trump's Election Lies Loom Over Likely GOP Primaries; Hungary's Authoritarian Leader Lauds Tucker Carlson At CPAC; Oklahoma Passes Bill Banning Abortions After "Fertilization"; Over 35 Million People Under Heat Advisories. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired May 21, 2022 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:12]

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

American service members jump into action as the baby formula shortage grows more urgent by the hour. Tomorrow the first U.S. Military flight carrying 132 pallets of baby formula is set to fly from Germany to Indianapolis using military aircraft. And a situation like this is unusual and speaks to the nature of the crisis. A staff sergeant telling his crew, quote, "This is important, we are literally saving babies."

The formula can't get here soon enough, desperate families search through store shelves, coming up empty, some have already turned to hospitals to help feed their children. That includes four babies in South Carolina who could not tolerate other formulas when their usual products sold out. In some cases hoarding is contributing to the problem. One Massachusetts mother confronted another shopper whose cart was overflowing with baby formula.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at this. Look at all this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I need it for my baby.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at the shelves. You don't think I need it for my baby, too? This is the whole reason why there's a formula shortage. You take all the formula off the shelf and buy it all once?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You come after me, I don't know get this one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That doesn't matter. I'm saying this is the whole reason why there's a formula shortage. You come and you buy all the formula at once and there's kids who need formula today who won't be able to get it because you just bought it to stock up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: We all got to work together on this, folks.

CNN's Elizabeth Cohen joins me now from Ramstein Air Base in Germany where these formula flights will depart.

Elizabeth, tell us what you're seeing there.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Jim, today I've been watching service members at Ramstein Air Force base put together these pallets. 1.5 million eight-ounce bottles of formula headed to Indiana also arriving tomorrow.

Now talking to the service members they're really touched by the work that they're doing. They say they ship things and people all the time. That's what they do. But they said this feels different. They're sending infant formula back to babies in their home country, back to the United States and they said this feels very different. They really feel like they're helping babies back in their own country.

Now let's take a look at the product that's being shipped back. You can see it says Nestle here. And here it says Alfamino. This is a hypoallergenic formula because a lot of children who have allergies have been having trouble getting the formula they need. Nestle of course is a Swiss company.

Now there's a bit of bittersweetness here. It's sweet that these service members are able to do this and that this formula is on their way to American families. The bitter part is how did we get in this situation? How did we get in the situation where Europe needs to be helping America feed its own babies. There will be many, many questions about this in the days and weeks and months to come.

And to be clear-eyed about this, 1.5 million bottles, it is a lot but there are millions of babies in the United States. This will not turn things around when it arrives in Indiana. It's one of many steps that's being taken but parents aren't going to see full shelves tomorrow or the next day or the next day. This shortage could go on for a while. Hopefully it'll get better soon but it won't be turned around for many weeks to come. -- Jim

ACOSTA: All right, we've got to get those flights into warp speed here.

Elizabeth Cohen, thank you very much.

And today there was also a flight with an urgent delivery from Washington to Seoul. It was carrying the bill Congress just passed for more Ukraine aide so that President Biden could sign it today in South Korea. The package allocates another $40 billion in military and humanitarian support. It comes at a crucial time for Ukraine when Russia has unleashed yet another horrific missile attack and has claimed victory in Mariupol.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is in Seoul, South Korea for us and Melissa Bell is on the ground in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv.

Jeremy, Biden's first trip to Asia as president, that's huge, that's big news, but understandably much of the world is still focused on Ukraine and there was an urgent delivery for the president that sums things up. But what are you hearing from the president today?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Jim. Much of the world has been focused on the war in Ukraine and so has the president's attention over the last several months. But that is part of the reason why on this trip President Biden has really sought to show allies in the region that he is just as committed to this region, just as committed to completing that longstanding attempt to pivot to Asia within foreign policy.

We've heard President Biden outline his approach to North Korean denuclearization, talking about shoring up these alliances with South Korea, with Japan, where he's heading next. He has also announced that he intends to step up and scale up those military exercises with South Korea. That's a big change from former President Trump.

[15:05:03]

But even amid all of this, we know that President Biden is still addressing that conflict in Ukraine and he addressed it in a couple of ways. He talked about it first on his first day here in the context of supply chain disruptions and then again on Friday. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Putin's war against Ukraine isn't just a matter for Europe. It's an attack on democracy and the core international principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. And the Republic of Korea and the United States are standing together, part of a global response with our allies and partners around the world, to condemn Russia's flagrant violations of international law and to hold Russia accountable and to support the people of Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: And as you said, Jim, while President Biden was here in South Korea, that bill passed Congress overwhelming bipartisan majorities in the House and the Senate with just 11 Republicans voting against that $40 billion of aid. That bill was actually flown over here to South Korea by a government official who was already scheduled to fly to the region.

President Biden signing that piece of legislation because he doesn't want that aid to have any stops as it continues to flow to Ukraine -- Jim.

ACOSTA: All right, Jeremy Diamond.

And Melissa, let me turn to you, major developments on the ground in Ukraine including an apparent surrender at the Mariupol steel plant after weeks of keeping an eye on all of that. And new Russian missile strikes on a cultural center? Tell us the latest, what's going on -- Melissa. MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Those pictures, Jim, coming out of

Lozova, which is a town to the south of Kharkiv where that cultural center was bombed really quite devastatingly impressive, and that is something President Zelenskyy has spoken to saying it was an act of sheer stupidity, taking on a cultural center highly symbolic of course.

But that part of the country is where so much of the fighting has been concentrated over the course of the last few days as Russian forces try and push their advantage along those lines where they're trying to consolidate one part of the territory and Ukrainians are providing that stiff resistance. That's where you're seeing a lot of the fighting.

We're also seeing further to the south the tails coming out from those refugees fleeing through Kherson. You know, one of the problems we have here is that we can cover what's happening on the Ukrainian side of the line, Jim. It's much harder to get a picture of what is happening in those parts of Ukraine that are tonight in Russian hands.

That it is those tales of forced disappearances, of arbitrary detentions, of food being in short supply, of lack of medical supplies, that is coming from the mouths of those refugees coming across that border, trying to get out of Kherson, often being shelled even as they try and do so.

I think one last interesting fact overnight, a missile strike to the west of Kyiv here in a town -- the town of Malyn. It was a railway station that was targeted. That is where the arm shipments come through. And even as President Biden was signing that bill over in South Korea there was a missile strike overnight on one of those railway stations through which these weapons come, the ones that are being provided to Ukraine by the West, by the United States, by other NATO allies, and that Russia has said it is going to try and target.

And I think it's an important reminder of just how important those weapons have been to Ukraine's successful attempts so far to try and push back the Russian invasion as far as they can -- Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. Jeremy Diamond and Melissa Bell, I mean, you know, interest when it comes to how the world is paying attention to Ukraine, it may ebb and flow on a daily basis but just looking at that video you were just showing us a few moments ago of that cultural center being struck, it's just -- there it is again, just to show our viewers. It's just devastating. The destruction that is just being unleashed on this country day in and day out.

Melissa and Jeremy, thank you very much.

Joining me now is Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group and author of the new book "The Power of Crisis: How Three Threats and Our Response Will Change the World."

Ian, thank you so much for joining us. You actually put this book to press four days after Russia invaded Ukraine. But you believe that this increasingly looks like what you call a Goldilocks crisis. Explain that for us.

You know, when you look at the video we were just showing a few moments ago, that cultural center being bombed, it's just unimaginable what the Ukrainians are going through on a daily basis.

But we're so grateful to have you on, Ian, to talk about this book and all of these crises that are shaping what we're seeing on the world stage today. What do you mean by that, a Goldilocks crisis?

IAN BREMMER, PRESIDENT, EURASIA GROUP: Well, Jim, it's obviously not a Goldilocks crisis for the Ukrainians in Mariupol, the 400,000-person strong city that's been destroyed. It's not a Goldilocks crisis for the six million Ukrainians that are now forcible refugees living across Europe.

[15:10:02]

But what's clear is that NATO had been eroding. It was adrift, it was mission-less. The United States believed that, the French president believed that. You know, this is Europe post-Brexit. And, you know, the most important thing is that Putin believed it. He really thought, like in 2008, like in 2014, that if he upped the ante again and rolled into Kyiv, and removed Zelenskyy from government that there'd be no effective response from the West. He was wrong.

This is the worst misjudgment by a major leader on the global stage since the Soviet Union collapsed. And frankly, that has provided an enormous opportunity not only for the Ukrainians to fight courageously and show that they can and should be a part of the European Union but also has allowed NATO to get stronger to focus on defense in a way that the Europeans have refused to for decades. Have allowed Finland and Sweden now to join and they will at the end of this month. It'll be approved in the Madrid Summit.

Perhaps most importantly in the United States, I mean, even Democrats and Republicans agree that they hate Putin more than they hate each other. When I was watching the Nancy Pelosi-led delegation to Kyiv a couple of weeks ago and then the Mitch McConnell-led delegation to Kyiv a week ago, and their speaking points were virtually identical.

This proves to me one thing that Americans can agree upon, there's a real threat to democracy, a real threat to rule of law, and the Americans and our allies around the world, even our allies in Asia who President Biden is meeting with as we speak are not going to stand for it. I call that a Goldilocks crisis.

ACOSTA: Well, I mean, it is certainly a silver lining in all of this. We're seeing NATO come together in ways that we just -- I mean, we would not have imagined a year ago. And I mean, look at what's happening now. Finland and Sweden talking about joining the alliance. It is remarkable. You're right about that.

Let's talk about, you know, whether or not, you know, there is cause to be had, concern to be had about whether or not Vladimir Putin is going to stand for Sweden and Finland to do something like this, to join NATO. Is that something that the United States should be worried about?

That this is a provocation, and, of course, you know, obviously, you know, we want to play into Putin's hands here by suggesting that, you know, Sweden and Finland can't do this. But I have to imagine it's going to be interpreted as a provocation and there is a risk involved in all of that.

BREMMER: Well, let's be clear that the provocation was 190,000 Russian troops that rolled into Ukraine, an independent sovereign country, and Putin lied directly to the head of the United States, to the heads of state in Europe, saying no, it was a training exercise, they were not going to invade. It's a provocation that's not coming from NATO.

But I take your point. And, of course, Western leaders need to understand that these things will be perceived as escalations by Putin. But let's also remember, Jim, that when Finland and Sweden were first talking about the fact that they would be interested in joining NATO two plus months ago what you heard from Russia was there will be military consequences, we're going to raise our nuclear forces on higher alert.

I mean, it was truly this kind of bluster and escalation. And yet over the last couple of weeks what we've heard from the Kremlin has been moving the goal post. Well, it's no big deal, says the Russian foreign minister. They're small countries. We didn't mean if they join NATO, we mean if there's NATO infrastructure and bases put on their territory, which the Finnish government has already said they have no intention of doing.

So, I mean, what this looks like is the Russian's bluff being called. And it kind of makes you wish that the invasions of 2008 into Georgia and 2014 into Ukraine were seen as sufficient crises that the West would have responded to the Russians then and of course the precise fact is it wasn't. It was too small, we couldn't be bothered, we had other things on our plate. And so Putin thought he could get away with more and more and more.

ACOSTA: Let's talk about the global economy because that has the potential to destabilize things as well in ways that we can't really imagine at this point. And while Americans pay more for gas, food, rent, seemingly everything else, the stock market is flashing warning signs that we haven't seen in quite some time. The Dow is on its longest weekly losing streak in nearly a century. The S&P 500 for the first time it's falling into bear market territory.

I mean, there's not a whole lot of good news on that front. And this is I think having an effect on Joe Biden's standing as president. A new poll of polls shows President Biden's approval rating at 40 percent. You know, Democrats worry that the economy is just going to sink them come the midterms in November. Is there anything that you think that Joe Biden has, the president has in his utility belt to head that off?

[15:15:00]

BREMMER: Well, he's got Roe vs. Wade, which of course the Republicans had a much easier time running against than they're going to have taking accountability for it. And I think that makes the Senate closer in the midterms. But, I mean, in a generic congressional poll, the Democrats are running some three points behind the Republicans right. It looks like a wave election.

And you're absolutely right that Biden has been consistently less popular than any president in recent memory except for Trump. And for someone as moderate and balanced as Biden, that is an absolute bad piece of news.

Now, look, when I say that this is a Goldilocks crisis, let's be clear. It's a crisis. And the fact is that the inflation that was already running hot on the back of the pandemic and the sudden whiplash in massive destruction and then massive expansion of consumer demand on top of all the supply chain challenges and then on top of that we've got zero COVID in China that is not working, shutting down major ports, shutting down Shanghai, the biggest city.

And now you have Russia versus Ukraine, and it's not just the disruptions directly caused from the bombing in Ukraine which is a major grain producer and fertilizer producer, it's also the mining by the Ukrainians of the Black Sea and of course it is the blockade of Odessa by the Russian ships.

There are -- there's a significant effort to negotiate between the two sides that Turkey and the United Nations are engaged in right now to maybe try to get that food and that fertilizer out. But I mean, it's going to take months at a minimum and until then, who's going to pay the cost? Consumers all over the world. So no, we don't have good news in terms of inflation and supply chain in the foreseeable future, Jim.

ACOSTA: Yes. And so many of these problems, Ian, are interconnected. It's going to take a lot more than, you know, the time that we have to sort all of this out.

But, Ian Bremmer, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it. Again, he's the author of the book "The Power of Crisis." Be sure to check that out.

Ian, hope to have you back soon. Thanks so much. We appreciate it.

And coming up, they're still counting votes in Pennsylvania. The latest on a primary race that could have huge implications for the balance of power here in Washington.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:21:19]

ACOSTA: Pennsylvania's Senate GOP primary is still too close to call unless you're Donald Trump. He wants his candidate Mehmet Oz to take a page out of his own failed playbook and simply declare victory, even though the race will like head to a recount with Oz just barely leading rival David McCormick. You can see how close it is there on the screen. Trump jumping at the opportunity, though, to create new fraud

fantasies in Pennsylvania, while his old fantasies are still very much alive in Georgia. In today's upcoming or in Tuesday's upcoming primary there, the former president has two candidates running on the big lie ticket, challenging incumbents who refused to back his push to overturn the state's 2020 election results.

Governor Brian Kemp is pulling ahead of former senator David Perdue, and Georgia's secretary of state Brad Raffensperger faces challenger Congress Jody Hice.

And joining me now is former Republican congressman from Illinois and host of the "White Flag" podcast, Joe Walsh, and former Republican congressman from Pennsylvania and CNN political commentator Charlie Dent.

Gentlemen, thanks very much for coming on. This is going to be a great discussion here. Let me start with you, Congressman Walsh. You know, for all of this talk about, you know, will the Trump-backed candidate win or will that candidate not win, I mean, shouldn't the bigger story, and I think I've seen you talking about this, tweeting about this. Shouldn't the bigger story be that Republican candidates are actively running as election deniers.

You know, Trump may have had a shaky week depending on, you know, which horse he had in which race, but Trumpism did just fine. It feels like the horse race is a distraction.

JOE WALSH (R), FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: Completely, Jim. And great point. And I get so frustrated with every primary night this year, did Trump do well or did Trump not do well? And what does that mean for Trump's hold on the party? That's all a bunch of bull. None of that matters.

Look, here's what matters, Jim. Every Republican that's won a primary this year and every Republican that will win a primary this year, is a huge bow down in front of prostrate yourself in front of Donald Trump kind of a Republican. It doesn't matter who he endorses, they all -- all the candidates love and support him.

I think the media gets so -- and I understand, Jim, there are so many Republicans who want Trump's hold on the party to disappear. But they're too cowardly to publicly stand against him and make Trump's hold on the party disappear. But no, Trump so far has had a great primary season and it will continue throughout.

ACOSTA: And Congressman Dent, the Republican candidate for governor in Pennsylvania, I mean, to me this, you know, for all the talk about Madison Cawthorn, you know, to me the story of the week is Doug Mastriano. He is a known election denier who actually attended the Stop the Steal rally on January 6th. He was pictured up on the Capitol ground that day. He's openly talked about how he plans to handle the 2024 election. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DOUG MASTRIANO (R), CANDIDATE FOR PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR: As governor, I get to appointment the secretary of state, and I have a voting reform minded individual who's been traveling the nation in those voting reform extremely well. That individual has agreed to be my secretary of state. I'm going to have of course a team around that individual that's really good on voting reform.

As governor I get to decertify any or all machines in the states. And obviously I have my eyes on several counties that have machines that I believe are compromised.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And Charlie, you're from Pennsylvania. They're going to have a boat load of electoral votes up for grabs in 2024. Help us understand what's at stake here.

[15:25:01]

I mean, how wild is it to you that Doug Mastriano is the going to be the GOP's candidate for governor there given everything that he's done and said up until this point?

CHARLIE DENT, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, Doug Mastriano's nomination as the GOP candidate for governor is a complete and total catastrophe for Republicans in Pennsylvania. They know it.

And Jim, your audience may not know this, Doug Mastriano is a state senator. He was thrown out of the Senate GOP caucus last year. He's not welcome in there. He -- this man is extreme. What you pointed out about his election denial and he will have -- should he become governor, I don't believe he will. But should he become governor, he would have the ability to appoint the secretary of state who can do all kinds of terrible things.

He is, you know, also talking about abortions, no exceptions I think almost under any circumstances I believe. I mean, this man is extreme. Josh Shapiro, the Democratic candidate, actually ran ads in the primary more or less kind of pumping up Mastriano. Do we really want somebody like this? He's so pro-Trump. And he did. Really that helped Mastriano, but I do think that Mastriano will not become the governor. I hope he doesn't and I think there will be massively factions within the Republican Party in Pennsylvania.

And I believe that the whole state committee, the Republican state committee in Pennsylvania has got to take stock. I mean, this is the absolute outcome none of them wanted. They did nothing to condition this field until five days before the election, trying to get over 10 candidates, Republican candidates running trying to get some of them out to have one alternative instead of seven or eight.

So this is a catastrophe, Mastriano, but that's the bad news. The good news is I don't think he'll ever become governor.

ACOSTA: And Joe, let me ask you this. I have to get your reaction. I can see you shaking your head about Mastriano. But I want to get -- I'll let you chime in on that. Go ahead and chime in on this Mastriano business.

WALSH: No, and again I love and respect my friend and former colleague Charlie Dent. But look, among Republicans, Mastriano is not extreme at all. If you call Mastriano extreme, you've got to call Donald Trump extreme. Trump is an insurrectionist. The leader of the Republican Party is an insurrectionist. Mastriano is also an insurrectionist. So if Mastriano is extreme, Trump is extreme.

But, Jim, sadly for people like Charlie Dent and myself, they're not extreme because the Republican Party base has been radicalized and they're with people like Mastriano and Trump.

ACOSTA: And Joe, let me get your reaction to what happened at CPAC this week, not here in Washington but over in Hungary, yes, in Hungary, where they heard from anti-immigrant, authoritarian leader Viktor Orban. Some of the sessions were entitled Western civilization under attack and the father is a man, the mother is a woman. This is the kind of stuff that was going on. And during his speech Orban also said what America needs more of is Tucker Carlson. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. VIKTOR ORBAN, HUNGARY (through translator): Of course the Grand Old Party has associates in the media. Associated media. But they do not compete for the dominance of the liberal press. Only my friend Tucker Carlson places himself on the line without wavering. His new program is the most watched. What does it mean? It means that programs like his should run day and night, as you say, 24/7.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: So Orban is plugging Tucker Carlson at this dictator palooza over in Hungary, Joe.

WALSH: Well, and Jim, here's the deal. Outside of Donald Trump, nobody channels the Republican Party voter better than Tucker Carlson right now. Again, this is sad because it is a party that has given up on democracy. They no longer believe in it and they want an authoritarian. They want a Putin, they want an Orban, they want a Trump or a DeSantis here who acts like an authoritarian. So this is exactly where today's Republican Party is, and it should scare the hell out of every American.

ACOSTA: And Charlie, this is weird, isn't it? To have CPAC holding a conference in Hungary where there's an authoritarian leader, you know, talking about Tucker, I mean, what world are we in? This is the "Twilight Zone."

DENT: Well, yes, I think -- let's be honest, Jim. Some of those CPAC conventions in recent years have become freak shows, clown shows. The fact that they're going to Hungary to celebrate an illiberal leader, if you want to call him that, is really quite shameful.

I mean, one of the great challenges from my view of the Republican Party is that we have lost this international flare that we have had for years, that we were the party that stood up to autocrats. [15:30:00]

And we believed strongly in the transatlantic relationship and NATO. And we believed in things about -- at least on foreign policy.

And the fact that we are celebrating people like Orban and Tucker Carlson, who celebrate Vladimir Putin, at least up until the invasion, runs counter to everything I was brought up as not only an American but also a Republican.

Going to Hungary to celebrate Orban. Again, it's almost in the twilight zone. It makes absolutely no sense. We should be celebrating leaders who embrace democratic values and principles, free press, independent judiciary, free elections, not these folks that are backsliding.

And I think Joe Walsh is correct when he says that there are elements within the Republican Party, sadly, who favor that type of failed leadership.

So we have a lot of work to do to reconstruct the Republican Party right now.

ACOSTA: Yes.

All right, well, gentlemen, thank you very much.

I just want our viewers to take note. Two former Republican congressmen here talking about these important subjects and what's happening in the GOP. It's remarkable to see what's happening.

Charlie Dent, Joe Walsh, thanks to both of you.

WALSH: Thanks, Jim.

ACOSTA: We really appreciate it. Thanks for the time.

Coming up, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's hometown archbishop denying her holy communion because of her position on abortion.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:35:49]

ACOSTA: As if the issue of abortion could not get any more politically charged, the conservative archbishop of San Francisco said he is refusing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi the sacrament of holy communion.

Quoting from his letter to her, quote, "You are not to be admitted to holy communion until such time as you publicly repudiate your advocacy for the legitimacy of abortion and confess and relieve absolution of this grave sin and the sacrament of penance."

No comment yet from Speaker Pelosi's office. Last year, the Vatican warned U.S. bishops against a move to deny communion to President Biden, who is also a Catholic and supports abortion rights. Pope Francis saying at the time, quote, "I never refused the Eucharist to anyone."

Oklahoma is about to have one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. Republican Governor Kevin Stitt is expected to sign the bill that prohibits abortion not at six weeks or 15 weeks but from the moment of fertilization.

CNN's Lucy Kafanov has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GOV. KEVIN STITT (R-OK): We believe life begins at conception and we're going to protect life in Oklahoma.

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Republican Governor Kevin Stitt not mincing his words, making good on his promise to make Oklahoma the most anti-abortion state in the country.

Oklahoma lawmakers passing a bill on Thursday that would ban abortions at fertilization, making it one of the nation's most far-reaching abortion prohibitions.

Adding to a growing number of Republican-leaning states advancing strict measures in anticipation of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

WENDI STEARMAN (R-OK), STATE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE: This bill does not preclude any other programs seeking to help women and children in difficult times. What this bill does is protect life.

KAFANOV: The bill sparked immediate pushback from state Democrats.

STATE REP. CYNDI MUNSON (D-OK): People will die. Women will die because they cannot access a procedure that they need to save their own life. And it will be on our conscience.

KAFANOV: Vice President Kamala Harris calling it the latest in a series of blatant attacks on women by extremist legislators, while on Thursday offering a grim preview of a post-Roe America.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It represents a threat not just to women but all Americans. At its core, this is about our future at a nation. About whether we live in a country where the government can interfere in personal decisions.

KAFANOV: Oklahoma's bill would ban abortions at any stage of pregnancy, unless it was a result of rape, sexual assault or incest, but only if those crimes had been reported to law enforcement.

While there are exceptions for medical emergencies, it effectively prohibits almost all abortions in the state.

It relies on private citizens for enforcement, allowing them to sue any individual who knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion, including paying for or reimbursing the costs of an abortion through insurance or otherwise. RABIA MUQADDAM, SENIOR STAFF ATTORNEY, CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS: This law was designed to bring frivolous and harassing lawsuits. It's basically an all-access pass to the courthouse to bring a lawsuit against somebody for something that you think may be taking place.

KAFANOV: The bill now heads to Governor Stitt's desk, who has promised to sign any legislation that limits abortion.

Just last month, he signed a bill modeled after a Texas legislation that prohibits abortions as early as six weeks, before many women even know they're pregnant. The measure does allow for exceptions in medical emergencies.

STITT: Other states can do things differently but we're going to stand for life in the state of Oklahoma.

KAFANOV (on camera): Here in rural Oklahoma, women are already severely limited in terms of their options of access to abortion. There are only four clinics in this entire state that offer abortion services. Two of them stopped provided abortions.

Once Governor Stitt signs this near-total ban into law, this near- total abortion ban, it goes into effect immediately. And that's when the other two clinics will cease providing abortions, leaving women with no options in the state.

Lucy Kafanov, CNN, Boise City, Oklahoma.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Now to a homecoming more than two years in the making. Tomorrow, CNN will air an exclusive interview with Trevor Reed, the former Marine freed last month after being locked up in Russia for almost three years.

Here's a preview of his interview with our Jake Tapper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST, "THE LEAD": Have you been able to fully grasp you're free?

ANNOUNCER: A CNN exclusive.

TAPPER: You went to a party in August of 2019.

[15:40:02]

TREVOR REED, FORMER U.S. MARINE FREED FROM RUSSIA: The next morning, I woke up in a police station.

ANNOUNCER: Former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed talks with Jake Tapper about his 985 days in Russian hands.

REED: They have absolutely no value for human life.

ANNOUNCER: How it came to an end.

REED: They were never going to break. Maybe I would have died but they never would have broken me.

ANNOUNCER: "FINALLY HOME, THE TREVOR REED INTERVIEW," tomorrow at 8:00.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:45:02]

ACOSTA: At least two people are dead and 44 others are injured after a powerful tornado touched down in northern Michigan. We just learned that a tornado was rated an EF-3 with maximum winds of 140 miles per hour based on the preliminary data coming in so far.

The storm tore through homes, businesses and an R.V. park in Gaylord leaving debris and devastation in the wake. Thousands are still in the dark.

Look at this video here. It's just extraordinary. This video was taken by a resident who said he heard the tornado warning and went outside to see the tornado barreling toward his home.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared a state of emergency to aide in the recovery efforts.

We're one week from Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer. But some Americans are feeling the heat already. Over 35 million people across the northeast are feeling extreme heat this weekend. We're feeling it in Washington, the nation's capital, right now.

Record-high temperatures from Delaware to New Hampshire. And half of the U.S. will see temperatures at or above 90 degrees.

CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar joins me now.

Allison, it's early for it to be this hot. We're here in Washington and, my goodness, it's above 90 degrees this time of year. It's wild.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It feels more like --

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: What can you tell us?

CHINCHAR: It feels more like it should be July rather than the end of May.

That's the thing you have to keep in mind it's about acclimation. When it's early like this, peoples' bodies don't have time to adjust, which is why you see people suffer from heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses a lot quicker now because they haven't had time to adapt. It's a lot of states we're talking about here. You have potential

records stretching from Texas up to New Hampshire, whether that's today or even tomorrow. A total of 60 locations looking at record- breaking highs.

You have heat advisories in effect starting from northern Delaware up into New Hampshire. The thing here, it's not just the temperature. It's also mixed in with the humidity as well.

So the Washington, D.C., temperature right now is 91 but it feels more like it's 95 when you factor in the humidity. Same with Philadelphia. And 93 is the temp but it feels like it's 97. Again, taking into account both.

I wish I could say I had better news of what the summer was yet to come. Unfortunately, when you look at the long-term outlook by NOAA, this is what we're looking at.

The northeast, which is already starting off very warm, likely to continue the trend as we go through the rest of the summer.

This is the outlook, June, July, August. So the three main months of summer, the vast majority of the entire lower 48 is expecting warmer than average conditions.

Looking out west, you're combining that heat also with dryer conditions and that's a big concern when you talk about the areas dealing with not only drought but the wildfires out west.

Those are two components you don't want to mix together when you're trying to combat those fires.

ACOSTA: No question.

I know the kids are at home right now saying the pool is not open yet, the neighborhood pool is not open yet. When it's this hot, that is not fair. A lot of very concerning weather out west to keep our eyes on, you're right.

Allison Chinchar, thank you so much.

The comeback continues. Tiger Woods makes the cut to play in another major tournament. And he just finished a historic performance, but maybe it's not the kind of history he was hoping for.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[15:50:50]

CARLTON MCCOY, HOST, "NOMAD": This is beautiful, huh?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Love your tats.

MCCOY: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Love, love, love.

MCCOY: I study tattoos everywhere I go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everywhere you go?

MCCOY: Yes. Like, why?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MCCOY: So I want to leave a very old, fully tattooed corpse.

(LAUGHTER)

MCCOY: That's the goal.

(CROSSTALK)

MCCOY: And I'm bald so I've got more territory.

(LAUGHTER)

MCCOY: I've been invited to a weekly gathering of friends.

This looks incredible.

I know this seems very basic but I love fried calamari. I always have.

Ghanaians helping to shape the future of the city and country. Each and every one doing their part to build a better Ghana.

The thing I've always appreciated about Ghana is the fact that so many like intelligent, talented people stays here. Why do you think that is?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a beautiful place.

I think also family and friends.

MCCOY: Sure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I think we have the strong Ghana solidarity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: A brand new "NOMAD," with Carlton McCoy, airs tomorrow night at 10:00 right here on CNN.

Today is proving to be a rough one for Tiger Woods at the PGA champion. The 15-time major champion had his best-ever score at the tournament with a nine over par, 79, in today's third round. It's been an up-and-down weekend for the 46-year-old golf legend. Woods did well Friday making the cut for the tournament's second round

after he struggled in round one. On Thursday, he shot four over par and appeared in pain at various times.

He's still recovering from the serious leg injuries he suffered from a car accident last year. Hang in there, Tiger.

This week's "CNN Hero" is passing on the joy of do-it-yourself to her entire community.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to talk about putting the sheeting on the roof today.

NORA EL-KHOURI SPENCER, CNN HERO: Our students learn a little bit of everything. Basics like safety, tools and materials, construction math. And then we go into hands-on stuff, carpentry, electrical, plumbing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One-twenty-six and three quarters

EL-KHOURI SPENCER: So our program is solving two problems at once, training women for living-wage paying jobs in the construction trades.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is where it gets fun.

(LAUGHTER)

[15:55:03]

EL-KHOURI SPENCER: And we're also helping older adults age in place. That's really a win-win, when you get to watch something come together that you built.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does that look like that's going to work for you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Great.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is awesome.

EL-KHOURI SPENCER: There's just such a feeling of accomplishment.

If we don't see women out there doing this, other women, they'll never see this as an opportunity. If you can't see it, you can't be it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And to see Nora's team in action and get the full story, go to CNNheroeoes.com. While you're there, nominate someone you know to be a "CNN Hero."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)