Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Third Day Of Protests Across The U.S. After Roe v. Wade Overturned; Explosions Rock Kyiv As War In Ukraine Looms Over G7 Summit; Pfizer: Tweaked COVID Vaccine Boosts Omicron Protection. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired June 26, 2022 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:00]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone.

Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday from New York. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

A historic ruling in the US Supreme Court triggering a third day of passionate protests across the country.

Right now, a new round of demonstrations at the steps of the US Supreme Court, Justices on Friday overturning Roe v. Wade, saying there is no constitutional right to an abortion. Protesters not backing down after a right held for nearly 50 years, now taken away.

And in New York, activists with Planned Parenthood leading today's Pride March, a sense of urgency there amid fears the ruling could roll back other Civil Rights decisions including same sex marriage.

Some 26 states have either already banned or are making plans to ban or severely restrict abortion, while some others are vowing to protect the rights of women.

CNN has reporters covering the developments from coast to coast. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty is at the US Supreme Court where protesters are back for a third day.

Sunlen, what are they saying?

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, emotions here outside the Supreme Court are running very high. I want to let you know we just witnessed a very tense moment.

We are on the outside of the main protest here, and as you can see, there is a small group of people protesting who are in support of the Supreme Court's decision and what we're seeing is really conversations, passionate conversations taking place. Both sides arguing.

And in fact, there was a larger group out here, getting in an argument a few minutes ago, at one point, someone swiped a megaphone from the other crowd and they were given a verbal warning from the DC Metropolitan Police who moved in some other police forces just to protect this area over here.

But I want to give you a sense of the broader flavor, certainly, as these sorts of conversations are playing out, not only here, but deeper into this crowd. This is a crowd of a couple hundred strong and we do see some counter protesters, some protesters who are out here, kneeling and praying over here, and certainly some other protesters talking to them. I think overall, things have been very respectful here.

I did speak to one man who traveled here from North Carolina with his wife, he is in support of the decision and here is what he told me moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Personal opinion is, I'm happy with it, but one of the reasons is it now gives each individual state the right to decide for itself, what it wants its law to be regarding abortion, which is true about numerous other things and no one complains about it.

For example, speed limits. There is no one complaining about the speed limit that has been different in one state.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: You know, that certainly was one opinion, but I should say the minority of people who we have talked to out here today, the majority of the people out here are protesting against the decision. They have been leading chants saying "My body, my voice," certainly these people want to have their voices heard in opposition to that landmark ruling that came down on Friday -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Sunlen.

CNN's Camila Bernal is in Los Angeles where more demonstrations are planned there. California is one of a handful of states vowing to protect a woman's right to choose.

What's going on?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred.

So the protest here is expected to start in about an hour, so this will be the third day of protests here in Los Angeles and the message that I'm consistently hearing from these protesters is that they stand with the women in other states that will not have access to abortions.

California, as you mentioned, is just one of a number of states where governors and legislators are saying "We will fight back" and what they're doing is anything they can to expand access and even money for abortions, donations, and then they're even going a step further and saying they're going to do everything they can to protect women in other states that will likely come to say, California, Washington State, Minnesota in search of an abortion.

Governor Jay Inslee of Washington State saying that his state is a sanctuary state. He announced an executive order where he is directing State Police not to comply with the extradition efforts from other states in these cases.

He also called for legislation to codify the right to an abortion into State Law in Washington State and he promised a million dollar down payment to start subsidizing reproductive healthcare networks, and then he said resources such as personnel, medical equipment will need to be amped up.

There are similar efforts also happening in Minnesota for example, Governor Tim Walz announcing these protections for women in other states and especially all of this coming after the only abortion clinic in North Dakota announced they would move their services to Minnesota.

Here is what the Governor had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN): We will use all legal authority of this office to decline to extradite people who are charged under other State's Laws that criminalize providing, seeking, or obtaining reproductive healthcare services.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:05:10]

BERNAL: And of course, California also saying they will protect women from other states and saying they will try to stop civil action started in another state against a woman that comes to California seeking an abortion.

So all of these states sort of coming together in the offensive trying to do anything they can to sort of counter what is happening in what happened at the Supreme Court -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Camila Bernal in Los Angeles. Thanks so much.

Polo Sandoval is at New York's Pride March. Polo, abortion rights getting a lot of attention there today, right?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The spectators, the crowds, they are back again to celebrate New York City Pride. But as you point out, though, Fred, there is another element of protest that is mixed in this year's parade.

And of course, we're talking about Planned Parenthood invited to basically lead the parade earlier this morning. It is largely symbolic and everybody here obviously celebrating that move, feeling that it is basically echoing the frustrations and the anger that they have felt for two days now since that blockbuster Supreme Court ruling was handed down.

I have to tell you though, Fred, as we get ready for another wave as participants pass us here, what's heavy on the mind is that separate opinion from Justice Clarence Thomas expressing that it may be time to revisit previous rulings, not only including contraception, but also same sex marriage. That is clearly on the minds of so many people here as you're about to hear.

As one young lady pointed out, that opinion even though the conservative majority said that it will not be -- Friday's ruling will not affect those previous rulings -- but many people here calling that not just jarring, but terrifying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he's really gunning for people who are different and things that that he is afraid of, and things that a lot of other people are afraid of.

It gives us power, it gives us strength to fight back. And I mean, the fact that he, you know, point out those names, I mean, we know what he's gunning for so we're going to be fighting right back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They promise under oath, no. They lie to you under oath. They lie to this community. They lie to my community as a woman.

I know I'm safe in New York because it's in our State's Constitution. But it's not just about us, it is about everyone in all 50 states.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And we need to be clear, remember, the conservative majority also weighed in on Justice Thomas's opinion say that that ruling on Friday, it is not supposed to have any effect on those previous rulings, but those words are doing very little to calm any concerns here on the streets of New York City, but they still feel that this will now hopefully lead to New York City officials for the codifying those aspects of the law.

And certainly, Fred, that side opinion from Justice Thomas, I would not be surprised if we are now on track for another politically charged conversation.

WHITFIELD: All right, Polo, Sunlen, and Camila, thanks to all of you. Appreciate it.

So for many Americans, there has been an outpouring of anger and disbelief as more than two dozen states have indicated they could ban or restrict abortion.

CNN's Nadia Romero has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Abortion bans are illegitimate. Forced motherhood is illegitimate.

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): From Washington, DC to Los Angeles and in between, abortion rights protesters continue to voice their anguish following the ruling by the US Supreme Court to eliminate the Federal constitutional right to an abortion.

LAINE PEHTA, PROTESTER: I'm angry. I'm fired up. The fight is not over. People did this fight 50 years ago. I guess, it's our turn to take the fight up again. It may take us 50 years, but we'll get back.

ROMERO (voice over): Smaller gatherings of people celebrating the ruling are also taking place.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Millions of lives will be saved by this decision.

ROMERO (voice over): In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a pedestrian was injured by a truck while trying to legally cross the street in front of the Federal Courthouse during Friday evening's protest in the city, according to Cedar Rapids Police.

ALEXIS RUSSELL, WITNESSED TRUCK INCIDENT: I look over. I see people trying to push the truck back and I just instantly got mad and ran over, tried to stop the truck.

ROMERO (voice over): Video of the incident shows a truck appearing to push through a group of protesters, with one person falling to the ground after making contact with the vehicle.

In Providence, Rhode Island, State Democratic Senate candidate, Jennifer Rourke was punched in the face by an off-duty police officer and GOP opponent at an abortion rights rally at the Statehouse on Friday night, Rourke told CNN in a statement.

The incident, which was caught on video shows what appears to be Rourke stepping into an altercation at the protest, and almost immediately afterwards getting punched in the face by Jeann Lugo. Lugo turned himself into the Rhode Island State Police on Saturday, Erik Yanyar, lieutenant for the Rhode Island State Police told CNN.

CNN reached out to the Providence Fraternal Order of Police to inquire about the possible legal representation for Lugo, but did not hear back Saturday night.

In Phoenix, law enforcement used teargas late Friday to disperse the crowd of abortion rights supporters after they repeatedly pounded on the glass doors of the State Senate Building.

[15:10:09]

ROMERO (voice over): Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesperson, Bart Graves told CNN.

In Eugene, Oregon, 10 people were arrested on Friday night during the demonstration dubbed "A Night of Rage" in response to the ruling according to a release from Eugene Police.

Greenville, South Carolina, at least six people were arrested Saturday at a protest that was attended by hundreds of people in downtown according to a news release by the Greenville Police Department. Video taken by Emily Porter shows the moment police detained several demonstrators in downtown Greenville at the rally.

A video shared with CNN shows police detaining several people and forcing a man to the ground. And officers also seen yelling at protesters to get back, although another officer tells protesters who were jeering the police, "We are not on either side."

In Washington, DC, US Capitol Police arrested two people on Saturday afternoon for the destruction of property after they were accused of "throwing paint over the fence by the US Supreme Court." USCP tweeted.

Large protests have also been held in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, and in New York City, many demonstrators gathered in Washington Square Park to protest the ruling even though New York State Law will remain in place to protect abortion rights.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, Nadia Romero, thanks for that report.

So for more now on all that is happening, I want to bring in Gloria Browne-Marshall. She is a Constitutional Law Professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and author of the book, "The Voting Rights War."

Professor, welcome. Good to see you again.

So the consequences of this US Supreme Court ruling has been swift. I mean, two days after the overturning of a nearly 50-year-old right, are you processing this any differently?

GLORIA BROWNE-MARSHALL, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW PROFESSOR, JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE: I probably am.

And one of the things that I'm looking at is the fact that this was a generationally-long strategy that started the day after Roe and has continued up to this point and it has used violence, as well as bias laws in order to get what they wanted starting with the state gubernatorial races up to the Senate, this has been a long road for them.

And I have to add this as well, they use these strategies and Civil Rights as a structure for their strategy to undermine Roe versus Wade.

So my concern is that we have a rogue Court and Chief Justice Roberts has a rogue Court on his hands, and they're not going to stop with abortion rights. They're going to plow into affirmative action, same sex marriage, and create a United States based on the 1940s because this is a nationalist agenda, a nationalist agenda that Donald Trump was -- it was, I guess, he is the most visible leader of, but that mindset of nationalism is percolating right below the surface in this country.

WHITFIELD: Well, then that brings me to this because you and I spoke Friday and you said this movement to overturn Roe v. Wade is fueled by a number of things, like you just spelled out, including a fear of the Black and Browning of America. And then listen to what an Illinois Representative said just last

night at a Trump rally, spelling out why she believes overturning Roe v. Wade is a victory. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARY MILLER (R-IL): President Trump, on behalf of all the MAGA patriots in America, I want to thank you for the historic victory for White life in the Supreme Court yesterday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So that comment has gotten a lot of traction and criticism on social media. Her spokesperson told various news outlets that Miller meant to say "right to life," not "white life." I mean, slip of the tongue or not, explain why you say this is a real catalyst against abortion rights.

BROWNE-MARSHALL: I mean, this is something I've been saying for many years. The Nationalist Movement is a movement that comes and goes in this country and we have statutes from the 1800s to early 1900s, again and again, when the White population begins to dip, the fear is they will not be in the majority and therefore not be empowered.

By the year 2045, the US Census has said this, that this country is going to be majority people of color. That is something that has fueled a lot of what drove White voters to the polls. They might not say it outright, and she was clear in what she was saying.

When you saw these White domestic terrorists, you know, marching through the campus in Charlottesville and other places, this replacement theory that they have, what are you talking about? Replacing White people, especially White men, with people of color, or Jews?

This is what this is about at its core. The idea that the White population is dipping. They're not having as many babies and I'm going to say something else, Fredricka, and as I said before, they don't care about the fact that this will mean Brown and Black babies will be born, because we have under education of Brown and Black children.

[15:15:18]

BROWNE-MARSHALL: We have underemployment of Brown and Black adults. We have (AUDIO GAP) healthcare -- all of those things then continue to undermine the population growth of those Brown and Black babies into adulthood, and therefore giving rise to more of these White adults who will stay in power, even if it's an apartheid system in which they're the minority, but then have the power of the majority.

WHITFIELD: Let's talk about another concern that has been elevated as a result of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. We've seen you know, several progressive Members of Congress, including Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez flatly say out, you know, that the Supreme Court Justices who said during their confirmation hearings, that Roe was settled law, that there was precedent, only to turn around and overturn that ruling.

It's her view and that of so many others who have spoken out who say that those Justices should face impeachment. Can Justices be impeached for the contradiction of what they said and how they ruled?

BROWNE-MARSHALL: Well, it could be pointed out they had a change of heart. We've had Justices, one member of the US Supreme Court began as a member of the Ku Klux Klan and then became a liberal Justice.

So you have justices who do have a change in their legal mindset and their sense of what law should be where the country should go and their interpretation of it. Unfortunately, from Justice Alito, through Kavanaugh, off course, and Amy Coney Barrett, who actually said very little during her confirmation hearing, they lied.

And they knew that they were part of this conspiracy to undercut Roe and same sex marriage and so many other rights that we consider fundamental, because they would not have been chosen in the first place.

Part of the listing, that vetting from the Federalist Society we all complained about in the legal world, was the fact that Donald Trump asked for those people who would undermine Roe versus Wade and those are the people who were on the list and those were the names put forward in the first place.

WHITFIELD: Right. It's been widely reported that on that Federalist Society list, that was the criteria and those names came from that.

Professor Gloria Browne-Marshall, good to talk to you again. Thank you so much.

BROWNE-MARSHALL: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, still ahead, a series of Russian missiles strike the capital of Ukraine today, just as world leaders are meeting in Europe for a set of critical meetings with Russia's war front and center.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:21:57]

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back.

Explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv earlier today. Ukrainian officials say at least one person was killed and five were wounded when missiles hit a residential apartment block.

A seven-year-old girl and her mother were among the injured. The attack happened just as the G7 Summit got underway in the German Alps.

And just moments ago, world leaders gathered for another group photo following their dinner. President Biden is joining world leaders as they grapple with the crisis in Ukraine and a turbulent global economy. The President spoke earlier and had a clear message for his G7

counterparts. They must show unity against Russia and President Vladimir Putin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have to stay together as Putin has been counting on from the beginning and somehow NATO would and the G7 would splinter, but we haven't, and we're not going to.

So we can't let this aggression take the form it has and get away with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: White House correspondent, M.J. Lee is covering the G7 for us.

So, are we seeing real unity among the G7 leaders?

M.J. LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: So far, yes, Fred. And that, of course is a major goal of this G7 Summit is for the US and its G7 allies to show this united front against the Russia aggression that we continue to see in Ukraine, and the focus today that we saw on the first day of the Summit, was these leaders are rolling out this major global initiatives related to infrastructure, which the US has pledged that it would spend some $200 billion over the course of five years on everything from developing vaccines, to fighting climate change, to clean energy initiatives.

And that last point is so critical, particularly if you think about the fact that the war in Ukraine has had the effect of driving up energy prices that for consumers has meant higher gas prices. And that, of course, is a big problem for President Biden back at home.

We heard him talking about this issue and the effect that the war has had on energy prices all across the country earlier today. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: The entire world is feeling the impact of Russia's brutal war in Ukraine and on our energy markets. We need worldwide effort to invest in transformative clean energy projects to ensure that critical infrastructure is resilient to changing climate.

When democracies demonstrate what we can do, all that we have to offer, I have no doubt that we will win the competition every time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: And Fred, of course, domestic issues always follow a President around even when he is traveling abroad.

Just a few minutes ago, reporters with the President asked him whether the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, whether that had come up at all during today's Summit and he said, no, that is not a topic that came up in any shape or form, just another reminder that Ukraine, of course, is the major and looming topic over this Summit -- Fred.

[15:25:10]

WHITFIELD: All right, M.J. Lee, thank you so much.

And now to Kyiv, Ukraine where CNN's Salma Abdelaziz has more on the missile strike that hit an apartment block today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER (voice over): An attack that rattled Ukraine's capital. In the early hours of Sunday morning, multiple Russian missiles hit a residential area. A nine-storey apartment block was struck, leaving families trapped under the rubble.

Dozens of rescue workers scramble to pull survivors out of the ruins using cranes to reach the still smoldering top floor.

Natalia Nikita (ph) now watched in horror as first responders tried to rescue her daughter-in-law.

(NATALIA NIKITA speaking in foreign language.)

ABDELAZIZ (voice over): "Losing loved ones is the worst fate," she said. "We do not deserve this."

This video from emergency services shows the harrowing rescue after a nearly five-hour ordeal, Katarina (ph) was pulled out injured, but alive.

ABDELAZIZ (on camera): This horrific attack is going to shake up things. For weeks now, the capital has been relatively secure, relatively quiet. This is absolutely going to shatter that semblance of safety.

ABDELAZIZ (voice over): Several other residents were wounded, including Katarina's seven-year-old daughter who was cut by fragments as she slept. At least one person was killed, police said.

The backyard of a nearby kindergarten was also struck, leaving shrapnel where children play.

On the scene, the Mayor of Kyiv expressed outrage.

VITALI KLITSCHKO, MAYOR, KYIV, UKRAINE: This is a senseless war and we have to do everything to stop this war because thousands and thousands of unguilty people, civilians die.

ABDELAZIZ (voice over): There are a number of military facilities in the area, officials say, but the victims here clearly innocents.

The airstrikes happening as G7 leaders gathered for a major Summit in Germany, a possible message from President Putin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ (on camera): Now Fredricka, all across the country, Russia is stepping up its attacks. Kharkiv the second largest city has been shelled recently quite heavily all along those frontlines in the East. Ukrainian forces are on the back foot as Russia increases its aggression trying to take more and more territory.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops say they're outmanned and outgunned. President Zelenskyy is set to address the G7 and you can be sure he is going to bring up the civilian losses, and you can be sure he is going to plead for more help.

WHITFIELD: All right, Salma Abdelaziz, thank you so much, in Kyiv.

All right, still ahead, the US Supreme Court's split decision to overturn Roe v. Wade shows just how divided the Court is. What does that division mean for the High Court going forward? We'll discuss after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:32:22]

WHITFIELD: All right, the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and nearly 50 years of precedent not only stunned the nation, but once again show just how divided the Court and the nation are.

CNN's Supreme Court reporter Ariane de Vogue joining us right now. So Ariane, I mean, the Court has on occasion overturned longstanding precedent before, but rarely in such a seminal case like this.

What does this mean for the Court moving forward?

ARIANE DE VOGUE, CNN SUPREME COURT REPORTER: Oh, Fred, it means that the Court really reflects the fact that there are two different Americas. Look at abortion, for example, the liberals on the Court, they see that as a fundamental right, they see that women need that protection in those red states. They are never going to allow abortion, and they say that it unfairly impacts poor women.

The conservatives on the other side, they say that there is nothing in the Constitution about abortion. They say that this issue belongs to the states, to the political branches, and that if people are unhappy with it, they have to go to the ballot box.

But they really look at this as separation of powers. And they say you can't read this into the Constitution when it's not there. And as far as going forward, it means right now that nearly half the states will or will soon bar abortion. It won't be legal in nearly half the states -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: So, this will ultimately be a defining ruling for the Chief Justice John Roberts and his Court. The Chief Justice wanted the Justices to uphold the Mississippi abortion law, but not overturn Roe, so is this a sign that he has lost the grip on the Court?

DE VOGUE: He sure is. The Chief Justice here, he did not want to go as fast and as far as the conservatives on this issue. Other areas, he is still with them, but here, he didn't want to do that.

He said, look, all we have to do here is allow this Mississippi law and we don't have to get to the Federal right abortion. We don't have to get to Roe v. Wade and we saw it at oral arguments.

If you're looking at it, here he was, trying to control the Court and he planted this middle ground position and he was looking for somebody anybody to join with him to say something that would show that they agreed with him and that he could have the lead here.

Instead, the Conservatives left him behind. They don't care about his incremental approach here. They wanted to go ahead and go all the way here and the Chief Justice found himself alone.

WHITFIELD: All right, now, let's talk about fairly new, Justice Kavanaugh. He has come under criticism for this ruling after some senators say they were misled by his testimony during the confirmation. How might this ruling impact future confirmation hearings?

[15:35:06]

DE VOGUE: Fred, I have covered so many confirmation hearings and abortion always comes up and the nominee always says, "Well, I can't talk about that." And then they're asked about that doctrine called stare decisis. That's legalese for Judges leaving precedent alone in order to build stability in the Court and they always say during these arguments that yes, they believe in stare decisis, but it is really a ridiculous routine because any nominee, particularly if they're a Lower Court Judge, of course, they're bound by Supreme Court precedent, of course, they're going to say, "Yes, I believe in stare decisis."

But once they're a Supreme Court Justice, they don't have to follow that anymore and that is what we're seeing here. And it was interesting to see because remember how controversial Brett Kavanaugh's hearings were, and he really needed the vote of Susan Collins, that Republican, and she said one of the reasons that she voted for him is that she felt like he had convinced her that he wasn't going to overturn precedent.

Well, then he did, and you saw her anger in the last couple of days and other people. They feel like they were misled by Kavanaugh, but in fact, it's sort of a ridiculous way to look at these hearings. And I'll tell you, it's going to change confirmation hearings forever.

WHITFIELD: All right, Senator Collins has said that she felt her trust has been abused. She spoke out twice about this since the ruling on Friday.

All right, thank you so much, Ariane de Vogue.

DE VOGUE: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, coming up: The FDA Vaccine Advisory Committee is scheduled to vote on an omicron component for COVID-19 booster vaccines while doctors are sounding the alarm about what's being called COVID rebound. We'll have the latest on the pandemic, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:41:19]

WHITFIELD: All right, Pfizer says tweaked COVID-19 vaccines boosts protection against omicron, while current COVID vaccines continue to provide protection against severe disease and death, their effectiveness dropped when the omicron variant emerged.

Pfizer's announcement comes days before FDA vaccine advisers are scheduled to vote on updated COVID boosters for the fall.

I want to bring in now Dr. Anand Swaminathan, for more discussion on this. He's an emergency medicine physician joining me now.

Good to see you, Doctor.

So what considerations will the panel be making?

DR. ANAND SWAMINATHAN, EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN: They usually make considerations about the basic safety, which we kind of know already based on what we've seen over the last couple of years with these vaccines, and then it is really going to be a matter of efficacy, and that's what we really need to know about is how effective are these not against the original omicron that we saw in December in January, but on the newer sub variants that are really emerging, so BA.4 and BA.5, and how effective this is going to be against that.

I think this is good news that we're seeing a more specific booster, but I'm not sure how effective it's going to be against those other sub variants, and that's the data that we really need to know before we start pushing people in that direction.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. Okay. And then there's this new phrase that we're hearing "COVID rebound." What is that?

SWAMINATHAN: Well, I think what we're seeing is people who take Paxlovid and they get better than when they stop that Paxlovid, when the prescription finishes, they're actually having a return of symptoms that is actually causing a longer course.

It's pretty uncommon. We're talking about one to two percent of people that are seeing that, and we haven't seen any cases of anyone who takes Paxlovid, gets better, then gets sick again, and get sick and get severe sickness or gets hospitalized.

So I don't think it's a huge thing for us to overreact about at this point, but I do think we have to understand how we should be getting people out of isolation once they test positive, whether they take Paxlovid or not, because of this issue of Paxlovid suppresses the virus, but you may still have it. So you may be asymptomatic, but still spreading after the five days of that medication, or even after five days of having COVID.

So we have to be really on top of that and we should be -- we should have been embracing for a long time a test to return. Once you're asymptomatic, you take a rapid test, rapid test negative, you're able to return. If that rapid test is positive, you stay in isolation and if you're working with people or you're in contact with people who are immunosuppressed, maybe two rapid tests back-to-back to really know that you are safe to return. That's really what we should be embracing to break that isolation once you have a case of COVID.

WHITFIELD: Wow. That's incredible.

All right, and then the CDC says that one in five people in the US live in a county with high community level spread and recommend indoor masking. As we look ahead to the fall, should residents prepare for a return to stricter mask guidance?

SWAMINATHAN: I think so. The problem is whether people are really going to embrace it or not. I'll tell you, Fred, I haven't gone away from indoor masking in public spaces.

WHITFIELD: Me either.

SWAMINATHAN: Because not just my fear of getting it from someone else, but it's also I don't want to give it to somebody, maybe I'm asymptomatic and I'm spreading and I don't want to give it to someone. I want people to feel secure in those public spaces.

And I think the way to do it is by continuing to mask indoors. I went to a concert last night with my son and some friends. We all wore masks the entire time and I feel that that gives that extra level of safety while cases are surging.

WHITFIELD: Yes. I still do the same. I, every now and then get the stink eye for it, but that's okay. I've got a hard shell. I can handle it. It's all for safety.

SWAMINATHAN: It's okay. You're protecting everyone around you.

WHITFIELD: Right. Everybody, and me, too.

All right, thank you so much, Dr. Anand Swaminathan. Good to see you. Thank you

[15:45:10]

WHITFIELD: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The House on Friday passed a bipartisan resolution calling on Russia to immediately release WNBA star Brittney Griner. She has been held in Russia since February on drug smuggling accusations and is officially classified by the US State Department as wrongfully detained.

CNN Sports analyst, Christine Brennan joining me right now.

Christine, a Russian Court extended to her detention through at least July 2nd. They keep doing this.

So this House Resolution, might it make any kind of difference?

[15:50:10]

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Probably not, Fredricka. I know you and I and many, many others hope it would. I hope to be wrong on that. But so far nothing really has had much of a difference and that is clearly a problem.

I mean, it's four months now, four months that she has been detained.

WHITFIELD: It's extraordinary.

BRENNAN: Right. And it was, you know, it was February, the Olympics, Fred, look at how far every day and every week that goes by. It is infuriating. It's terrible.

I'm glad we're talking about it to keep it in in the news. I'm on top of it. I know you are, and let's hope that the continued effort journalistically, and whatever political pressure that could be there, let's hope that that can make a difference.

WHITFIELD: Yes. I really worry about her, just like everybody does, I cannot imagine what her state of mind is right now, physically, what kind of condition she might be in as an elite athlete, and just this -- just stopping her world and her family, too. It's heartbreaking.

So Christine --

BRENNAN: Yes, I think --

WHITFIELD: Yes, go ahead.

BRENNAN: I was just going to say, her wife, even talked about having, you know, the simple act of placing a phone call.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

BRENNAN: And it was missed signals, you know, a few days ago, and that the embassy and others have said they were going to rectify that and clear that up. But think about that? Just that opportunity to talk on the phone and that has been so difficult.

WHITFIELD: Yes, that was horrible.

Okay, let me, too, talk to you about this new film on legendary tennis player, Arthur Ashe, who not only excelled as an athlete who was a Black man in a predominantly White sport, he changed the way the world viewed social issues.

And now the new CNN film, "Citizen Ashe" looks at the impact that he had both on and off the court. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He had evolved from someone who was analytical to someone who became more and more about direct action.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you get in South Africa feeling that you could change things just by playing tennis?

ARTHUR ASHE, PROFESSIONAL TENNIS PLAYER: I am not presumptuous enough to think I can change anything per se.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He want Black South Africans to see a free black man and the possibilities that a free Black man could live.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So Christine, help, you know put Ashe's success into context for us and how his prowess as an athlete also allowed him to realize the power he had as an athlete on the global stage of a social consciousness.

BRENNAN: Absolutely, Fred. You know, he was a superstar and a Black man in a lily White Country Club sport, and he knew that, so he had to be careful in this -- the documentary speaks about this. He found his voice and he became much more of an advocate in the late 60s as the nation was exploding and the Civil Rights movement, of course, the murder of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. That's when he started to find his voice.

He had to be careful before that. You know, to tread softly and just let that racket do the talking and it sure did. He won three of the four Grand Slam titles.

I remember his 1975 Wimbledon victory, extraordinary to see a Black man on the court winning -- grace, class, dignity -- you know, he didn't even make it, unfortunately to 50 years old, he died at 49 and it was due to AIDS because of a blood transfusion.

WHITFIELD: Blood transfusion.

BRENNAN: Right, he had a bad heart, and so because of a blood transfusion, he caught HIV and then died of AIDS in 1993. As I said, just still 49 years old. What could have been -- he would be turning 79 in a couple of weeks.

And to think, Fred, of the way he would have mentored Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James, so many others, Tiger Woods -- the force he could have continued to be and the sounding board for athletes Black and White, men and women, it would have been extraordinary, what the world missed, not just sports, but the world missed by not having Arthur Ashe for all these years.

WHITFIELD: So true. And of course, we're all looking forward to this documentary because, you know, as much as we know about Arthur Ashe, there are so many other layers about him that will be brought to our attention this evening in a really enlightening documentary.

Christine Brennan, so good to see you. Thank you so much.

So be sure to tune in to the all-new CNN film "Citizen Ashe" premiering tonight at 9:00 PM right here on CNN.

[15:55:08]

WHITFIELD: And thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The CNN NEWSROOM continues with Jim Acosta right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington. It is Day Three in America after the end of Roe versus Wade.

[16:00:00]