Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

First Military Shipment Of Baby Formula Arrives In The U.S. Amid Dire Shortage; Interview With Former Senator Al Franken About Abortion Issues And The Midterm Elections; Pennsylvania Senate Candidate John Fetterman Released From Hospital After Stroke; Brian Kemp Poised To Defeat Trump-Backed Perdue In Georgia Governor's Race; Trevor Reed Released From Prison; Taliban Tells Women To Cover Faces. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired May 22, 2022 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:01:08]

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

And we begin with a small sign of relief from the baby formula crisis that is gripping the nation. Today a U.S. Military flight carrying more than 70,000 pounds of baby formula arrived in Indianapolis from Europe, but you won't see it on store shelves here in the U.S.

A White House official says this first shipment is heading straight to doctors, hospitals, home health care facilities and pharmacies in areas that need it the most.

This means for many parents who have been desperately searching for weeks now to find formula they'll have to keep searching.

CNN's Polo Sandoval is in Plainfield, Indiana, where the shipment arrived just hours ago.

Polo, what more can you tell us about this formula, where it's going, how many toddlers it's expected to feed?

And I guess there are going to be some parents out there who are disappointed that this formula is not going directly to a store near them.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And that's important, too, Jim, is you can find out where this is not going which is to your neighborhood grocery store, but the Biden administration saying that that is being done intentionally as those roughly 35 tons of prescription baby formula that was unloaded from that plane that you see behind me here in Indianapolis is specifically meant to address the needs of some of the most -- some of the children that are most vulnerable medically.

That is children that may have an intolerance for the protein found in cow's milk and so that's why the formula that was basically flown into the United States earlier today that will be going straight to hospitals and also various health care facilities according to officials that were on the ground here. So it's a very specific need. But nonetheless it is a big drop in the bucket.

Again, you're looking at 35 tons of this baby formula powder that will be basically now distributed throughout the country and much of that, it was all flown here by the U.S. Air Force.

This was manufactured in Zurich, driven into Germany just over the weekend, and then flown here to the United States by the U.S. Air Force's 521st Air Borne or rather Air Mobility Operations wing.

And when you're about to hear from -- as you're about to hear from the staff sergeant that actually participated in the unloading of all of this product this is personal for her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STAFF SGT. MEGHAN LEI KALISEK, WING MOBILITY, SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE: I can't tell you the amount of family members that I have personally that are affected and the community of people that I work with.

So we are just so fortunate to be able to be a part of this, to be here to help out. You know, usually we're in the war fight. You know, we're over in Afghanistan, Ukraine, things like that.

So being able to be here and actually help out our fellow man, you know, or people is such an amazing opportunity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: So, again, today's shipment is meant to address a specific need.

The question that remains, Jim, what about the broader need for the rest of the parents out there that have still been struggling to track down this formula?

I actually had an opportunity to speak to the acting head of FedEx, which is a big partner in the distribution of this, and he told me that they are in the early planning stages of what will likely be the next flight as part of this operation that's been led by the Biden administration.

Also another load of baby formula coming from Europe here to the United States.

FedEx telling me they hope that that will be the more generally used formula, that that will hopefully signal the beginning of the end and some abatement of this crisis.

ACOSTA: All right. Hopefully some light there at the end of the tunnel for a lot of parents who have been waiting for this.

Polo Sandoval, thank you very much.

In the meantime, the governor of Oklahoma is expected to sign the nation's strictest abortion bill this week. The legislation bans abortions from the moment of fertilization --

that's right, you heard that right, fertilization -- and relies on lawsuits from private citizens to enforce it.

Exceptions for rape and incest will only be made if a crime has been reported.

Oklahoma is among a pack of Republican-led states rushing to pass laws to restrict or ban abortion altogether after a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion indicated Roe vs. Wade is about to be overturned.

And joining me now to talk about this is former Democratic senator from Minnesota and host of the "Al Franken Podcast," Al Franken.

[16:05:03]

You can also catch him in the "Only Former Senator Currently on Tour" tour with full details at AlFranken.com.

Senator, thanks so much for being with us. We appreciate it. You have said you saw this coming all along in terms of what's happening with the abortion issue.

Despite what all of these conservative justices, justices like Brett Kavanaugh said during their confirmation hearings about Roe being settled law.

We've talked about this on this program repeatedly that it does seem as though some of these justices were not being straight with the American people during their confirmation hearings.

AL FRANKEN (D), FORMER U.S. SENATOR: Yes, it would have been nice for Kavanaugh to have been followed up with, well, what you just said doesn't mean anything.

You know, you can very well vote to overturn Roe, can't you? And then he would have had to say, yes, I guess. And the same is true -- I mean, if you look at Alito, he said this was egregiously wrong, the decision.

Well, if you believe that, to say that it's precedent is a little disingenuous and we've seen pretty much all the Republican justices do exactly that same thing.

And look, I was not a lawyer but I played one in a sketch on "SNL" and I knew that settled law could be unsettled by the Supreme Court.

ACOSTA: Absolutely. And that's what we're seeing now.

FRANKEN: So I wouldn't have been fooled like Susan Collins basically.

ACOSTA: Yes. And, I mean, the recent polling shows that despite this abortion battle, Republicans in Congress have the advantage in the midterms in terms of taking over the majority at least in the House.

What can Democrats do, do you think, to sharpen their message to get fired up for November?

Do you think the abortion decision, once it comes down if Roe vs. Wade is indeed overturned in the coming weeks, that that might be a part of it? What are your thoughts on that?

FRANKEN: I think it will. I think it's going to really dawn on Americans that what they're facing is a choice.

There are some headwinds against the Democrats, but ultimately this comes up to a choice between a party that takes away this right from women, a party that believes the election was stolen.

We've seen that in who was elected for the nomination, Mastriano for governor in Pennsylvania, who is going to appoint, if he's elected, a Republican secretary of state.

They're also going to see a party that believes in white superiority and we believe, Democrats believe, that diversity is our strength.

And remember, you're going to be seeing next month in Congress, in the House, these hearings on January 6th. And, look, I just had Steve Schmidt on my podcast.

We just dropped that today, and he's basically saying, look, either this president kind of rallied people up and didn't understand that they were going to go into the House and do what they did or he didn't.

It's either A or it's B, and I think it's B. And I think the American people are going to see that it's B. He spent three hours doing nothing.

But the Republican Party, the National Republican Party, thinks that that's democracy -- that's legitimate political democracy at action. It isn't.

ACOSTA: But, Senator, I guess --

FRANKEN: So I think that's the choice.

ACOSTA: And that leads me to my question, though. You know, are Democrats, you know, showing enough urgency on this? Do you get the sense that they're showing enough urgency on this?

FRANKEN: Well, yes, and you're seeing a lot of great candidates. You saw John Fetterman in Pennsylvania, Cheri Beasley in North Carolina.

I believe that we are going to be picking up Senate seats. I think Val Demings in Florida, Tim Ryan in Ohio. I believe we have a pickup in Wisconsin.

We have some other seats to hold but, yes, the Democrats I talked to have a sense of urgency.

ACOSTA: The reason why I ask is I'm sure you see the polls, and I know poll questions can be nauseating but President Biden stands at about 40 percent.

[16:10:01]

He stands at about 40 percent approval rating right now and former presidential adviser David Gergen who is on CNN all the time, I know you probably saw these comments recently from him, he said it's time for Biden, some of these older political leaders to step aside, pass the torch, let new leaders emerge.

Maybe younger folks like yourself, Senator Franken. But what are your thoughts on that? Slightly younger. What do you think?

FRANKEN: A lot younger. Look, first of all, I don't think David Gergen is saying, like, you know, Biden should say today that (INAUDIBLE) I think that's up to Biden.

I think what's up to Americans is that this is a choice. And it's a choice between what we're seeing from the Republican Party, which is captured by Trump.

And this is a party that believes the election was stolen against all evidence. This is a party that believes there is a great replacement theory that -- we're a party that believes diversity is the strength of our nation.

People are -- when it comes down to people are going to be making a choice. And yes, they may not be completely.

There are some head winds, there's inflation, but ultimately it comes down to a choice and I like that choice.

ACOSTA: Earlier this year you said it would be tempting to run for office again. You know, it's been four years since you left.

Have you made any decisions on that if President Biden was somehow not, you know, in the picture for 2024?

I know he says he's running again. I mean, would you think about running for president? Is that something you've thought about?

FRANKEN: I've not really given that a lot of thought. What I'm doing right now is -- I'm on my tour.

ACOSTA: Maybe a little thought?

FRANKEN: It's the "Only Former U.S. Senator Currently on Tour" tour, and I am also working to get Democrats elected in Congress and in the Senate, and I have my podcast which I'd like to promote over and over again. "Al Franken Podcast" and do that whenever I'm on TV.

ACOSTA: You're doing a bang-up job of that.

FRANKEN: Well, thank you.

ACOSTA: But what about getting --

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: No. I mean, seriously, getting back into public office, is that something that you still think about?

FRANKEN: Look, I love being in the Senate, and I really -- I will wait until after this next election to even give it another thought, but I did love serving in the Senate. I do miss it and I have been considering that, yes.

ACOSTA: And I won't push you too hard here. But I don't think you actually answered my question about running for president, but we'll maybe take that up another time. But --

FRANKEN: Oh, no, I'm not going to run for president. How is that?

ACOSTA: OK. That's a good one. That's a good one.

FRANKEN: Is that enough?

ACOSTA: That is enough. But let me ask you about this. We had to try, though. We had to try. If I left that hanging, you know.

FRANKEN: Yes. That's your job.

ACOSTA: That is. Now we have to move on to "SNL" here because last night I'm sure you saw this, and you were one of the original writers and performers on "Saturday Night Live."

Last night we saw longtime cast members say good-bye including Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, who has just been a legend on that show.

And she opened up last night's season finale with her long-running close encounter skit. Let's watch that and talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATE MCKINNON, COMEDIAN: I get dumped on board the bottom of the ship and I see my old pal, it's a little gray alien with the big dumb eyes, and it hits me, Colleen, this might be the most stable relationship you've ever had.

I get onboard and the gray aliens, God bless them, they're already standing in line waiting to bat my knockers around. So I think, what the hell, play the hits, right?

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

MCKINNON: Well, Earth, I love you. Thanks for letting me stay a while. Live from New York, it's Saturday Night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Such a great moment. And I have to ask you, Al, where does Kate McKinnon rank on your list? I mean, she's going to go down as one of the all-time greats on that show, I have to think.

[16:15:02]

FRANKEN: Absolutely. Number seven. No, there's no -- there's so many great people. Look, these four all made great contributions over the years.

And that will leave a number of others who will be able to be on more and this is how the show has worked throughout the years. And they will emerge as stars as well. That's how the show works.

ACOSTA: Absolutely. I mean, I think Chloe Fineman is one of these up- and-coming stars on "SNL." They have a lot of talented cast members there.

And, Senator Franken, we really appreciate your time this afternoon. Thanks for coming on. We appreciate it. Be sure to check out "The Al Franken Podcast" which Al Franken did promote quite a bit during this segment which we appreciate.

(LAUGHTER)

FRANKEN: Thanks for bringing that up again, Jim.

ACOSTA: There you go. And there'll be information there about his comedy tour that he's doing at AlFranken.com.

Al, thank you very much. Senator, thank you very much for your time. We appreciate it.

FRANKEN: Thanks. Very well done.

ACOSTA: All right. Good to see you, sir.

Coming up, days after he suffered a stroke, we have an update on Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman. He is doing better. Plus a homecoming more than two years in the making.

Former governor and ambassador Bill Richardson joins us live. He'll be coming up shortly on the journey to bring former Marine Trevor Reed home back here to the United States after 985 days in Russia plus a sneak of Reed's interview, his exclusive interview with Jake Tapper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Have you been able to fully grasp that you're free?

ANNOUNCER: A CNN exclusive.

TAPPER: You went to a party in August 2019.

TREVOR REED, FORMER U.S. MARINE IMPRISONED IN RUSSIA: And 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 of human life.

ANNOUNCER: How it came to an end.

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

ANNOUNCER: "Finally Home: The Trevor Reed Interview," tonight at 8:00.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:21:15]

ACOSTA: John Fetterman is now out of the hospital and back home. The Pennsylvania Senate Democratic nominee suffered a stroke nine days ago.

Fetterman's wife Gisele posted this video of him leaving the hospital today. And CNN's Melanie Zanona joins me now from Pennsylvania.

Melanie, Fetterman actually won his party's primary while he was in surgery. It's remarkable how he's recovered and seems to be on the mend. What's the latest?

MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, certainly not the victory night party that Fetterman imagined.

He checked himself into the hospital here in Lancaster on the way to a campaign event on May 13. It was there that he learned that he suffered a stroke.

On Tuesday he watched the results roll in from his hospital bed. That same day he underwent a three-hour surgery to have a defibrillator implanted.

But Fetterman says he is on the mend and that his doctors told him he suffered no cognitive damage. Let me read you part of the statement that he released today.

He said, "I am feeling great but per my doctor's orders and Gisele's orders I'm going to continue to rest and recover. I'm going to take the time I need now to rest and get to 100 percent so I can go full speed soon and flip this seat blue."

So Fetterman expressing a lot of optimism here that he'll be able to hit the campaign trail in the not-so-distant future.

ACOSTA: All right, Melanie, thank you very much. Glad to hear he's doing OK. We appreciate it.

And Georgia is seeing record early voting turnout ahead of its primary on Tuesday. The state has several high-profile contests. But a marquee event is the one for governor.

Recent polling puts incumbent Governor Brian Kemp way ahead of Trump- backed challenger David Perdue to be the Republican nominee.

Perdue's campaign seems to have lost a lot of steam ending with no ads on the air in its final days.

CNN's Eva McKend joins me now from Atlanta.

Eva, you know, Trump threw his support behind David Perdue. It doesn't seem to be working. You know, I guess this was maybe not totally unexpected but, I guess, what's been your read on all of this?

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, Trump has not given up on Perdue quite yet. He will hold his second tele-rally for Perdue tomorrow essentially calling on Republican voters in the final hour to come out big for Perdue on Tuesday but it might be too little too late.

The incumbent governor Brian Kemp, polling suggests, he will in fact be victorious on Tuesday.

And here's why. He is popular among conservatives here. He has a Republican-controlled state legislature that has allowed him to deliver on a number of conservative policy priorities.

Perdue has focused intensely on the election lie, that the 2020 election was somehow rigged or stolen and that Kemp could have done more as governor to help Trump essentially cheat.

And while Republican voters value the Trump endorsement this focus on the election lie just isn't enough, it seems, to bring them to support Perdue in a big way.

Governor Kemp on the campaign trail this weekend already shifting focus for the general election campaigning with former and current Republican governors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. BRIAN KEMP (R), GEORGIA: I think Stacey Abrams is a great unifier. I believe every Republican in Georgia will be unified after Tuesday. We've been through test primaries before in our state.

So (INAUDIBLE) people have differences of opinion on who they want their nominee to be. But I can guarantee you Republicans in Georgia know I will be a lot better governor than Stacey Abrams and people in the middle now know that, too.

DAVID PERDUE (R), CANDIDATE FOR GEORGIA GOVERNOR: He has divided our party. He allowed them to steal the election. He denied it. He is now covering it up and he's suppressing evidence. And that's why he cannot win in November.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: So you hear Perdue focusing on Kemp while Governor Kemp is already focusing on Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams.

[16:25:04]

Abrams not out on the trail this weekend. She is running uncontested -- Jim.

ACOSTA: All right, Eva McKend. It's quite something to hear David Perdue attack Brian Kemp in that fashion because it's that kind of language that, you know, a lot of political strategists think turned off Republican voters when David Perdue lost that race, you know, back in early 2021. A fascinating race.

All right, Eva McKend, thank you very much.

It is a Trump-backed candidate versus a Pence-backed candidate incumbent in Georgia. Which one will take on the Democrat in November?

Plus could Herschel Walker be heading to Capitol Hill? Join CNN for live coverage. It all gets started Tuesday night at 7:00.

[16:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Bloodstained walls, sleepless nights and no hope for any escape after more than two years imprisoned in Russia.

Former U.S. Marine, Trevor Reed, is free and sharing the disturbing details about his time in captivity. Here is what he told CNN's Jake Tapper in an exclusive interview for a CNN special airing tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: What was the worst conditions that you -- that you had, that you experienced during that time?

TREVOR REED, FORMER U.S. MARINE: The psychiatric treatment facility. I was in there with seven other prisoners in the south. They all had severe, serious psychological health issues.

Most of them -- so over 50 percent of them in that cell were in there for murder or, like, multiple murders, sexual assault and murder, just really disturbed individuals.

And inside of that cell, you know, that was not a good place. There's blood all over the walls there where prisoners had killed themselves or killed other prisoners or attempted to do that. The toilet's just a hole in the floor and there's, you know, crap everywhere, all over the floor, on the walls. There's people in there also that walk around that look like zombies.

TAPPER: Were you afraid for your life?

REED: I mean, I did not sleep there for a couple of days, so I was too worried about, you know, who was in the cell with me to actually sleep.

TAPPER: You thought they might kill you? REED: Yes. I thought that was a possibility.

(END VIDETAPE)

ACOSTA: Russian officials have defended the conditions Reed was kept in as satisfactory or in line with Russian law. Reed was released last month as part of a prisoner swap for a convicted Russian drug trafficker.

One of the people who made the deal happen, one of the key people who made that deal happen, is with me now. Bill Richardson, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Ambassador, great to have you on. Once again, thanks so much for being with us.

The day before Putin launched his Ukraine invasion, you made a secret visit to Moscow to negotiate for Reed's release. Why do you think the Russians left the door open for those talks, even as they were about to launch this war?

BILL RICHARDSON, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: Well, the Russians got something in return. Yaroshenko, a prisoner that had been in -- a drug pilot who had been in a U.S. prison for about a dozen years. We had worked on this case.

But what we were able to propose was basically for Yaroshenko, Trevor Reed. And the Russians, I think, were trying to send a message that despite these huge differences on Ukraine, on nuclear weapons, on so many issues, that on a humanitarian issue that was also important to Russia and to Putin that they were ready to deal.

So, this is good news for Brittney Griner, the basketball player. And there's also Paul Whelan, another Marine who's not as glamorous as Brittney Griner, but he's just as important. Who's been in Russia prison for four years now, so we can't forget him.

ACOSTA: Yes. And speaking of those cases, are you involved in those cases? Any hope? Any light at the end of the tunnel there on those fronts?

RICHARDSON: Well, yes. Yes, we're involved. My foundation, which just works for families, for hostage families like Trevor Reed's families. We don't charge anything. We don't work for the government either. We cooperate with the government, with the U.S. government. But they're doing their thing and we're doing our thing on these two cases. Hopefully something will happen soon.

I'm an optimist but I think the fact that Trevor Reed got out through a swap -- and I commend the president for doing the swap. Because, generally, it's not U.S. policy to do prisoner swaps because there's a feeling that if there's a prisoner swap, hostile countries will keep taking American prisoners in an exchange for a prisoner from their country in the U.S. But it's not always the case.

But I think the president made the right decision. We got the best part of the deal, Trevor Reed, an American Marine, who has had tuberculosis. Who had some of these terrible conditions. Who is now home and that's good.

And it was the role of his family and the press that also should deserve credit, bringing light to these hostages that we have in Iran and North Korea and Venezuela, in the Middle East, in Africa, everywhere.

That this is -- there are about 40 American hostages. We should make everything possible, do everything possible to bring them home, including prisoner swaps.

[16:35:00]

RICHARDSON: But it's a case-by-case basis, Jim.

ACOSTA: And just to button that up, on Brittney Griner, do you view her as a hostage?

RICHARDSON: Yes. Yes. She is wrongfully detained, officially determined by our government. I don't know the circumstances. But I think possibly some of that in her suitcase, that was planted.

I don't know. But she should come home. We've talked to her family. We've talked to a lot of people concerned about her. It's huge around the country. People want her home. But we want to --

ACOSTA: Absolutely.

RICHARDSON: -- not forget Paul Whelan, a Marine who's been there, too. So, we've got this dual effort. The government's doing their thing, our government, and they're playing it well.

And we're doing the same thing, my foundation. So, hopefully, we'll get some good news.

ACOSTA: And I want to get your thoughts on what President Biden said about any potential talks with North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-Un. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: With regard to whether I would meet with the leader of North Korea, that would depend on whether he was sincere and whether he was serious.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: In those years of Trump, Kim talks -- Kim Jong-Un talks, didn't seem to change North Korea's pattern of brinksmanship. I attended those summits.

They were splashy for Donald Trump, but they didn't really get anywhere, it seems, with Kim Jong-Un. And we're still here bracing for a missile test during President Biden's Asia visit.

What do you think it's going to take to change the calculus, when it comes to the North Koreans? RICHARDSON: Well, I've dealt with them for many years. I've been there

eight times. This is typical North Korea. They try to provoke us with missile tests.

They've had about a dozen. They want to be on center stage. They're not right now because of Russia and Ukraine.

I think the president handled this well. Understated rhetoric wise. He didn't call him a rocket man. He basically said, you know, I'm ready to talk if it's serious. Offered them COVID vaccines.

I think there's a huge outbreak there. And I think the international community -- because these are human beings that need help, need vaccines, need tests, and somehow that's not happening.

I know the North Koreans are refusing contact and refusing vaccines, but there should be an international effort to help the North Korean people with vaccines, but I think the president handled the visit well.

New government in South Korea, hard-line government. Work with them, Japan, our allies. I think he struck the right tone.

ACOSTA: All right. Well, former Governor and ambassador, Bill Richardson, thank you very much for being with us. Always good to have you on. Appreciate your time.

RICHARDSON: Thanks, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. And be sure to tune in for the CNN exclusive, "FINALLY HOME," the Trevor Reed interview that airs tonight at 8:00 right here on CNN.

Coming up, meet the Afghan women who must decide between covering their faces or losing their on-air jobs.

[16:38:11]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: The Taliban are now telling Afghan women, who appear on T.V., to cover their faces. This follows the Taliban's decree earlier this month that women must wear head-to-toe clothing and cover their faces while out in public.

Today, in a show of solidarity with their female colleagues, a group of men at the private Afghan T.V. channel, Tolo News, posted a picture with their faces covered.

But as CNN's Christiane Amanpour reports, there is real concern about how much longer women will be allowed to even appear on Afghan T.V.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): For the past five months, Khatera Amodi has been anchoring the morning news on Tolo T.V., but this might be the last time she can show her face on air.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE.)

AMANPOUR: The morning editorial meeting starts with worried discussion about mandatory masking. The station director, Khpolwak Sapai, says he'd even consider just shutting down and leaving.

But then, he thought female staff who want to carry on anchoring with a mask can, while those who don't will get other jobs behind the scenes.

KHPOLWAK SAPAI, DIRECTOR, TOLO NEWS: We will leave the last decision to them. They will make their own decision.

AMANPOUR: And it's a tough decision for these women who brave the new Taliban regime to stay on the air, who already adjusted their head scarves to hide their hair and who now fear a steep slide back to the middle ages. Khatera says she's so stressed she couldn't even present her program properly.

KHATERA AMOD, CORRESPONDENT, TOLO NEWS (translator): It's not clear. Even if we appear with the burqa, maybe they will say that women's voices will be forbidden. They want women to be removed from the screen. They are afraid of an educated woman.

AMANPOUR: Across town, the Taliban government spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahed, was attending a meeting with local journalists to mark a slightly delayed world press freedom day. We stopped him on the way in.

(on camera): You have said they have to wear a facemask, if they're on television, women. Why?

(voice-over): It's advisory from the ministry, he says.

AMANPOUR: But what does that mean? Is it compulsory? If it is said, they should wear it. It will be implemented as it is in our religion, too, says Mujahed.

[16:45:00]

AMANPOUR: It is good if it's implemented.

(on camera): Afghan women are afraid that this is the beginning of your efforts to erase them from the work space. They're afraid that if they wear the mask, the next thing you will say is their voice cannot be heard publicly. What is your response to that?

(voice-over): Like during COVID, he says, masks were mandatory. Woman would only be wearing hijab or masks and they will continue their work. He seems to say that if women wear this, they can go to work. But the dress code edicts, like saying female university students, must now wear black, not colored head scarves, is an escalating war of nerves and everyone fears where this will lead.

Back at Tolo News, these female anchors are distraught. What should we do, cries Tahmina (ph)? We don't know. We were ready to fight to the last to perform our work, but they don't allow us. We women have been taken hostage, says Hela (ph). Women can't get themselves educated or work. Like me, who's worked onscreen for years and couldn't leave Afghanistan. Due to the fear of the Taliban, I can't go onscreen again.

Since the Taliban takeover, the station has employed even more women than before because they need a safe space. And as for the actual journalism, Tolo News is Afghanistan's independent news channel. But Director Sapai says they'll all quit, the day the Taliban pressures them to tailor their coverage or lie to a public that's come to trust the truth they've been delivering over 20 years. He saved the station so far, recruiting a whole new staff after most employees fled the Taliban's arrival.

SAPAI: And from management level, I've stood alone. And I was considered -- I was only thinking that how to keep the screen alive. Not to go dark.

AMANPOUR: The challenge now is keeping it from going dark. Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Kabul, Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Coming up, an incredible rescue 500 feet in the air. How first responders swooped in to help a man trapped on the edge of a cliff.

[16:47:27]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Right now, an urgent manhunt in New York City for the person witnesses say shot and killed a man on the subway this morning. New York police held a press conference, moments ago, and said the suspect and the victim had no interaction before the fatal shooting. Nobody else was hurt. The NYPD are looking at surveillance video and asking the public for help identifying and finding the killer.

A death-defying rescue from a sheer cliff in California. It's all caught on camera. Take a look at this. This is wild. This is what a real superhero looks like. Police paramedic lowered from a helicopter rescuing a man stuck on the side of a cliff, get this, hundreds of feet above the Pacific Ocean. Grabbing the man from the air was the only way to safely get him to some kind of a surface where he can be in safe hands.

No word on how he got there or what he was doing. The important thing is he is safe. So, please, let's be careful out there, folks. The authorities can't always pull off a rescue like that. My goodness, that is just incredible.

On tonight's brand-new episode of "NOMAD" with Carlton McCoy, Carlton travels to Ghana, West Africa. Beautiful country, experiencing a renaissance in food, fashion, music and art. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CARLTON MCCOY, CNN HOST, "NOMAD": We're at Heavy Do, a casual lunch spot or chop house found all over Ghana. There are two specialties at this chop house. First up, palm nut soup. The fruit of the palm is boiled, then crushed with turkey berry. Then, smoked Tilapia is added to finish the stew. The second is ground nut soup. Beef branson (ph) palm oil cooked down with a broth and fused with peanuts. A classic in Ghana and it's awesome.

(on camera): So, this is the palm nut you said?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MCCOY: This is beautiful.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MCCOY: It's nutty but not in the way like a peanut is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Exactly.

MCCOY: Do you know what I mean? It's more savory, almost like a Brazil nut is like -- is sort of like mild and starchy and oily.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Yes.

MCCOY: And what are these starches? I'm, like, trying to learn every single one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, we have a lot of different starches. This one is fufu.

MCCOY (voice-over): Fufu is a West African mainstay. Boiled Cassava and plantains are pounded over and over and over again until a silky, smooth dough with a surprisingly familiar texture.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: A brand-new episode of "NOMAD" with Carlton McCoy airs tonight at 10:00 p.m. right here on CNN.

The high cost of home renovations led this week's CNN hero to discover the joy of doing projects herself. Eventually, she realized that teaching these skills to other women could help her entire community.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

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

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our students learn a little bit of everything. The 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.

So, our program is actually solving two problems at once. [16:55:01]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are training women for a living wage, paying jobs in the construction trades.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is where it gets fun.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we're also helping older adults, age and place. That's really a win-win. And you get to watch something come together that you built.

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

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Great.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is awesome.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 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 VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Go to CNNheroes.com right now to nominate someone you know to be a CNN hero.

[16:55:46]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)