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Families And Community Members Gather To Demand Answers On School Massacre; Family Of Jayland Walker Call For Peaceful Demonstrations; Steve Bannon Makes A U-Turn On Testifying Before January 6th Committee; Evacuations Underway As Fire Threatens Yosemite's Sacred Sequoias; Biden To Meet With Saudi Crown Prince This Week; Pregnant Woman Will Go To Court To Fight HOV Lane Ticket; Texas Politics Impacted By Shooting And Roe Decision. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired July 10, 2022 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:02]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: All right. Thanks to Christina for that report.

Your next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

I'm Pamela Brown in Washington. The top stories we're watching this Sunday.

Evacuations are underway as fire threatens Yosemite's sacred sequoias. Also ahead tonight. A scare for passengers on a Spirit Airlines flight after its brakes catch fire as it lands. Plus, a pregnant woman in Texas says her baby counts as a passenger as she fights a ticket she got for driving in an HOV lane. She's going to join me live for her first TV interview.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

I'm Pamela Brown in Washington. You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. Thanks for joining us on this Sunday.

Well, people in the town shattered by senseless gun violence they want answers and they could get them soon. I'm talking about Uvalde, Texas, where a shooter killed 19 kids and two teachers at an elementary school in May. The state committee investigating the massacre tells CNN that a preliminary report could be released within the next 10 days.

And this news comes as the people of Uvalde, Texas, are gathering right now and marching and demanding their police officials be held accountable.

Nadia Romero joins me now.

So, Nadia, the chairman of the committee is pushing for the report to include the critical 77 minutes of hallway surveillance video of the attack. What can you tell us?

NADIA ROMERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Pamela, it's hard to believe we're still talking about this. The shooting that happened on May 24th. But here we are still with that video in limbo. So we know that the chairman of this special committee, this investigative committee wants this video to be released with the preliminary report. So does the department of public safety. But the DPS is saying it's Uvalde district attorney who is blocking its release.

Both the DPS and lawmakers believe that releasing this video could provide clarity about the police response. And that law enforcement response is still under much debate, criticism and controversy right now.

You're taking a live look as families and community members gather to remember those who were killed on that day inside Robb Elementary. They will start at the elementary school, and then make their way through to the downtown plaza. They are demanding answers. They want to know what happened in those 77 minutes. They want that video released. And they want accountability for all of those deaths.

I want you to hear the passionate pleas from a grandfather and a mother who lost their loved ones in that shooting. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I lost my granddaughter. And like I said before, those of you that got daughters and are next to your daughters, please give them a hug for me because I can't hug my granddaughter again. Not ever again.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never would I ever have always dreamed. believed that I would have lost my 10-year-old daughter who had a dream to go to a university to gun violence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: The emotions still very raw. Many of those families say they just can't heal unless they get their questions answered. That mother who you just heard from went on to say that school begins for so many kids in their community and across the country, and that this isn't over. Many of them are demanding more action in the state of Texas and federally to have more gun control, stricter laws on access to guns.

And they want to remind everyone what happened in Uvalde, and to keep those victims' names alive. Because unfortunately, we've had other mass shootings since then, Pamela. Tomorrow, though, they could hear some answers to those questions because the Uvalde County sheriff is expected to testify in front of that state committee -- Pamela.

BROWN: All right. Nadia Romero, thank you.

In Akron, Ohio, this weekend, the attorney for Jayland Walker's family is asking residents to engage in peaceful and nonviolent demonstrations. Akron Police released body cam video last week. (INAUDIBLE) officers fired dozens of shots killing the unarmed 25- year-old at the end of a high-speed chase. Jayland Walker will be buried this week as the family continues to demand justice and more information. Polo Sandoval has the latest for us -- Polo.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Pamela. Well, starting this week, Akron Police officials saying that they will begin offering daily press briefings. The goal, they say, is to continue to keep the public up to speed after we have seen these regularly-occurring demonstration in the city of Akron since the death of Jayland Walker.

You'll recall he's a 25-year- old who was shot and killed by eight Akron police officers about two weeks ago. The shooting that was captured on police body camera video, it has been scrutinized not just by the Walker family but also members of the public. Protesters have been calling on accountability when it comes to the actions of those police officers.

At the same time, we have also seen mainly peaceful demonstrations on a few occasions, leave to some violent clashes on the streets of Akron. Now what the police chief has described as threats against his police officers.

[19:05:05]

Over the weekend APD police chief Steve Mylett writing, "We have received death threats with officers' information being posted. We've got news from the FBI about violent extremists coming to our city and posing as resident demonstrators in order to perpetuate violence. These are not excuses," he writes, "but the reality of what are Akron police officers and our community are currently facing."

Akron's mayor also adding that he understands the concerns coming from some demonstrators about how some police officers have responded to these protests on a couple of occasions. He says that he does echo many of those concerns from members of the public and promises to try to de-escalate tensions between the police and members of the community, but at the same time, also continues to plead for peace.

And that's what we've heard echoed from the Walker family while still calling on accountability when it comes to the officers' actions. Now as for the Walker family, they are preparing to lay their son to rest with a funeral planned on Wednesday, which is also when the city of Akron is declaring an official day of mourning -- Pamela.

BROWN: Polo Sandoval, thank you.

Well, one of the most influential and controversial advisers in Donald Trump's orbit now says he is willing to testify before the January 6th Committee. Bannon could offer unique insights on conversations with Trump about the efforts to overthrow the legitimate election of Joe Biden.

CNN's Marshall Cohen explains.

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Pam. Steve Bannon, who is one of Donald Trump's staunchest and most controversial allies, he now says he's willing to testify to the January 6th Select Committee. He made this announcement in a letter to the panel after months of stonewalling. He was subpoenaed last year but refused to sit for a deposition and refused to turn over any documents.

He claimed he couldn't do that because of executive privilege, but the Justice Department wasn't buying it because executive privilege only applies to people who are actually serving in the executive branch unlike Bannon who left in 2017. So the DOJ charged him in November with two counts of contempt of Congress. His criminal trial is supposed to begin next week.

His offer to the committee about potentially testifying, it could be an attempt to undermine the prosecution's case. Bannon said he'd like to testify at a public hearing, but some committee members have already indicated that they strongly prefer that he come in for a private deposition, just like everyone else.

So there's no guarantee that this is actually going to happen. Clearly they need to talk, negotiate. Some legal experts are skeptical of Bannon's motivations with this trial fast-approaching.

So, Pam, we should find out in the next few days how this is all going to happen, how this is all going to break down. The trial begins in a week -- Pamela.

BROWN: All right. Thanks, Marshall.

When you get a chance, check out Marshall's minute by minute account of the January 6th riot on CNN.com.

Coming up next on this Sunday, the moment a passenger plane's landing gear catches fire soon after touching down at Atlanta International.

Also ahead for you tonight, sources telling CNN that former Governor Bill Richardson is set to fly to Moscow to try and secure the release of two imprisoned Americans.

And Terry Strada, representing the families of the 9/11 victims, reacts to the president's controversial trip to Saudi Arabia this week. She joins us live.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:12:33]

BROWN: Passengers on a Spirit Airlines jet got a fright this morning when the brakes caught fire after it touched down in Atlanta. Scottie Nelms who was on board at the time told CNN everything was smooth right up until the landing when he heard a weird noise coming from the left side and then saw flames out of the window. Airport officials say fire crews quickly deployed to put out that blaze before the plane was then towed to the gate. We are pleased to report that no one was injured.

And a wildfire is ripping through one of the most popular tourist spots in the U.S., Yosemite National Park. In the last 24 hours, California's Washburn wildfire has doubled in size. Nearly 1600 acres have burned so far. People have evacuated a southern section of the park in the neighboring community. And flames are threatening the park's famous Mariposa Grove, where more than 500 majestic sequoia trees have been growing for thousands of years.

And we have just learned officials there that no giant sequoias in the grove have suffered significant damage so far. We certainly hope it stays that way.

While firefighters who worked to extinguish a growing number of fires across the West, just one unauthorized drone is all it takes to bring those efforts to a standstill.

CNN's Stephanie Elam has the exclusive story on a first-of-its-kind program in California to get drones out of the danger zone.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just one rogue drone.

CAPT. DAVID LAUB, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: It makes our aircraft divert or land.

ELAM: Is all it takes to ground a firefight from the sky.

LAUB: It's in mandatory stop operations when we see drones operating in our emergency locations. We don't know what the operators going to do so the potential damage to our helicopters or our fixed wing is extensive.

ELAM: Let alone the danger to firefighters on the ground. Yet while unauthorized drones can stop aircraft from dropping crucial water or fire retardant on a blaze, that blaze churns on.

LAUB: It continues to burn, it continues to get bigger, it threatens people's homes, property, the environment.

ELAM: But Los Angeles County Fire is now going on the offensive, partnering with the FBI in a first-of-its-kind drone deterrent program that can hone-in on offending drones in seconds.

JAMES PEACO III, WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION COORDINATOR, FBI: When the detection equipment finds a drone and identifies that operator's location, we can very rapidly get that information to a ground intercept team who can then go make contact with that drone operator.

[19:15:01]

LAUB: I set this up so that I would be notified if a drone crosses within the location, and it is very accurate. Speed, direction, elevation, where he took off from, and where he's standing.

ELAM (on-camera): What happens when they do get to whoever's operating the drone?

PEACO: The first thing we do is order them to bring the drone back, explain to him that there's a wildfire and flying that drone during a wildland fire is actually a federal felony. We break the violators into three categories, clueless, careless, and criminal. And if it's just clueless or careless, we'll either issue a citation or even just warn them off and tell them not to do it. The overwhelming majority of people are happy to comply.

CAPT. MICHAEL NARDONE, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: Oh, it's been a great game changer.

ELAM (voice-over): Los Angeles County Fire also deploys its own drones to battle structure fires and wildland blazes.

NARDONE: They can get a bird's eye view.

ELAM: Helping first responders scout fires and target hotspots.

NARDONE: We can do a 360-degree lap around the entire fire and really pinpoint where the fire is without having to put firefighters in harm's way.

ELAM: Optimally from 50 to 200 feet away, watching this demonstration for CNN, as the drones' high-definition camera detects the temperature of the fire and any people nearby.

NARDONE: I can switch from regular video screen to infrared screen so you can see where the hotspots are in the building. So we can see pretty much anything and everything we'd like to see.

ELAM: Putting eyes in the sky where they need them and keeping them away from places where they shouldn't be.

Stephanie Elam, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: And now I want to bring in Nick Watt, live for us in Mariposa, California.

Nick, what is the scene like there? I see smoke behind you.

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. This is the Washburn Fire, which doubled in size, more than doubled in size in just the space of 24 hours. Now, the real issue here, are 500 ancient sequoia trees in a place called Mariposa Grove. These 2,000 plus-year- old trees are potentially in danger. So right now there are about 360 firefighters on the ground. Hotshot cruise. There are also airdropped as they try to suppress this fire and make sure that it does not damage the trees.

We're told that right now the flames are within a mile or two of Mariposa Grove. No actual damage to any of the trees yet. And there is I suppose an air of cautious optimism. What they've been doing to try and protect these trees is they have been basically spraying them down. There's a kind of sprinkler system that they've set up around Grizzly Giant, which is one of the biggest of these trees. 209 feet high. So what they're try to do is obviously wet the bark and also increase

the humidity around the tree in the hopes that that keeps it safe because of course the issues here, it's not just the flames, it is embers. The embers can rise and fly, you know, a mile or two and sparked more hotspots and potentially endanger these trees. So that's what they're trying to do right now, is keep the trees as humid, as wet as possible, and keep the flames as far away as they can. They're digging trenches, fire lines, to try and protect the trees.

Now the issue, it is very hot here right now. And it's going to continue to be hot over the next few days. So that's their concern. What might be -- sorry, one other thing that's the concern is the terrain. It is steep. It is wooded. It is very difficult for fire crews to operate in this kind of environment, and it also means -- it's also the kind of environment that fire spreads quickly, and there's also a lot of dead trees around here that are, of course, fuel.

Things in their favor, over the past few years, they have been clearing the fuel, the vegetation around these famed old sequoias to try and keep them safe, and also, something else that might help them, there are burn scars from previous fires. So once the fire reaches those burn scars, the hope is that it will slow down, and these trees will be safe -- Pamela.

BROWN: All right. Thanks so much, Nick Watt.

And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. President Joe Biden is defending his plans to travel to Saudi Arabia this week and he is scheduled to meet with the man he once refused to speak to, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. A live report up n ext.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:23:57]

BROWN: President Biden heads to the Mideast this week and his trip will include a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. That is a reversal for Biden who earlier refused to even speak to MBS because of alleged human rights abuses. Here's Biden during the campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREA MITCHELL, DEBATE MODERATOR: President Trump has not punished senior Saudi leaders. Would you?

JOE BIDEN, THEN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes. We were going to in fact make them pay the price and make them, in fact, the pariah that they are. There's very little social redeeming value of the -- in the present government in Saudi Arabia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: CNN White House correspondent Jeremy Diamond is traveling with the president this weekend. So, Jeremy, the president made clear in his op-ed that he feels he

needs this relationship as the U.S. president, whether he wants it or not.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. President Biden acknowledging right off the bat in this op-ed that there are many people who may not want him to go to Saudi Arabia or don't feel it's appropriate. But he also says that, listen, his job as president is to make sure the U.S. is strong and secure, and that that sometimes requires the kind of direct diplomacy that he's going to be engaging in this week.

[19:25:01]

Of course, the issue with that is, as you just played, it's President Biden who said that he wanted to make Saudi Arabia a pariah. It was his decision, ultimately, to release the CIA report that outed Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince, as having ordered the murder of the journalist, Jammal Khashoggi.

But the president is defending his decision, and saying this, quote, "My aim was to reorient but not rupture relations with a country that's been a strategic partner for 80 years. My aim will be to strengthen a strategic partnership going forward that's based on mutual interest and responsibilities while also holding true to fundamental American values." That's the president writing in an op-ed in the "The Washington Post."

And look, President Biden will be meeting not only with Saudi Arabia, with the king, as well as the crown prince will be in that meeting, he'll also be meeting with the other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council so broader regional stability is at issue here. And also, of course, the president will be looking for some help as it relates to oil prices in the wake of the war in Ukraine.

So that is a fundamental backdrop to all of this. The president will also be visiting Israel, as well as the Palestinian territories, and while he's there, President Biden is going to try and take steps to bring Israel and Saudi Arabia closer. A small symbol of that is the direct flight that he'll be taking to Saudi Arabia after Israel, the first time for a U.S. president -- Pam.

BROWN: All right, Jeremy Diamond, thank you so much.

And a coalition of families and survivors of 9/11 is urging President Biden to hold Saudi Arabia accountable during his visit to the kingdom. After the White House formally announced the trip, Terry Strada, whose husband died in the terrorist attack, released a statement that said, quote, "President Biden must do what past presidents have not, to demand transparency from Saudi Arabia and accountability for those who supported al Qaeda and the hijackers who murdered our loved ones."

Terry Strada joins us live now.

Hi, Terry. Thank you for joining us. So we're coming up on 21 years since the September 11th attack when you lost your husband that day, your son was just 4 days old. You mentioned in that statement, you want President Biden to demand transparency and accountability during his visit. What does that look like to you?

TERRY STRADA, NATIONAL CHAIR, 9/11 FAMILIES UNITED: Well, that looks like the president having an honest conversation with the crown prince, doing something that no president has ever done before him, and that is have an honest conversation about the role that the kingdom played in carrying out the 9/11 attacks because there is overwhelming evidence that supports the kingdom's agents provided the support network for the hijackers to carry out those attacks.

But the moral, legal and diplomatic case for bringing up the 9/11 accountability with the crown prince goes way beyond bad actors doing bad things. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the world knows, was the epicenter of terrorism financing leading up to the attacks, and declassified documents show that the kingdom's state-funded charities, their billionaires, Saudi elites and the Saudi banks, all gave the massive support needed for al Qaeda and for the terrorist attacks to take place on this country.

So it's the president's obligation to insist that the Saudi state now takes responsibility for the attacks, as well as the kingdom's responsibility to have their institutions and citizens take responsibility. Nothing will be accepted less than that from this president on this trip, from the 9/11 community and the American people deserve nothing less than that.

BROWN: Yes. Here's what John Kirby from the White House told CNN when he was asked specifically whether the president would be raising your concerns during the visit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: He continues to do everything he can to support the families of the victims of 9/11. He knows what a devastating grief that they still endure, and he will not shy away from representing them and their concerns.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So he seemed to be signaling the president would address your concern, but in the president's op-ed yesterday, the president did not mention anything about confronting the Saudis on 9/11. Have you received any assurances from the White House?

STRADA: No, I have not. And you know, it's very disappointing to read that op-ed today and see that 9/11 was left out of it, but that doesn't mean that possibly, you know, they're going to -- they're holding it maybe closer to the vest, I don't know. But we know that we've been insisting that it be the very first thing, it has to be prioritized. Everything else can fall behind having this honest conversation because our national security depends on a full account of what happened on September 11th. The terrorism financing network that was so complex that the kingdom

set up to finance al Qaeda, we have no reason to believe that that has been dismantled until they have this honest conversation, and the crown prince, if he wants to stand on the world stage, on the global stage and show that he is, you know, a responsible actor.

[19:30:03]

Well, this is the first step in doing that. Own up and take responsibility.

BROWN: Terry Strada, thank you so much for joining us.

STRADA: All right, thank you.

BROWN: Well, a pregnant woman is fighting a ticket she got for driving in the High Occupancy Vehicle lane. Her argument, her unborn child is the passenger.

She is going to join us live, coming up along with CNN legal analyst, Loni Coombs to examine this new wrinkle in the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe versus Wade.

I can't wait for this interview coming up. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Well, there's no doubt that the overturning of Roe v. Wade is going to create a host of unexpected dilemmas. In fact, it already has.

If law support the belief that life begins at conception, what happens to unwanted frozen embryos? Can pregnant women claim child support for a fetus? Will people with certain immune disorders be denied a vital drug because the same drug can be used to terminate a pregnancy?

While we wait for the inevitable legal skirmishes to erupt, "The Dallas Morning News" reports there is already a case headed to Court -- Traffic Court that is -- the defendant is Brandy Bottone, and she joins us now for her very first network interview.

[19:05:16]

BROWN: Also back with us, CNN legal analyst, Loni Coombs.

All right, I want to make it clear that Loni is not representing Brandy in any matter, but we want to Loni to be here to talk about the legal implications of this.

Brandy to you first, you were pulled over on June 29th while driving in the HOV lane. What happened next?

BRANDY BOTTONE, PREGNANT WOMAN GIVEN HOV TICKET ARGUES FETUS IS PASSENGER: So there is a split on the interstate up there, and you can go east or west, and I have to go east to go back down to 75 and they had, I guess, an HOV checkpoint, and I had no clue what was going on. I got up on top, slammed on my brakes, and I thought they were may be looking for someone or there was a car wreck. Never in my wildest dreams, it was an HOV checkpoint.

I got pulled over, and the officer said, "Okay, well, you're in an HOV lane." And I said, "Yes." And he said, "Great. Where's your -- is there somebody else in the car?" And looking around? I said, "Well, yes, there is." And he said, "Well, where?" As he is peeking in the car, and I pointed in my stomach, I was like, "Well, right here." And he said, "Well, it is two bodies outside of a body. So that doesn't count."

And so I just kind of was in shock. And I was like, "Well, in light of everything that's happened, and I'm not trying to make a huge political stance here, but do you understand that this is a baby?" And he kind of just brushed me off and asked me to go to the other officer to get my citation and talk to that officer, and he said a similar thing, and he said, "Ma'am, this is what you're getting cited for. And honestly, if you go and fight this, I'm sure it'll get dropped."

Which then, of course, that kind of boiled my blood that not only did I get dismissed, I didn't have a conversation about it, but I also now just wasted my time, and I'm going to have to waste my time, July 20th paying a ticket that I feel that I shouldn't have gotten.

BROWN: As you're planning to welcome a baby into the world, which I know is a very hectic time in a mother's life. So I have to ask you this, Brandy, prior to this incident, did you support a woman's right to choose or were you happy to see the Supreme Court overturn Roe?

BOTTONE: Well, I mean, that's not really why I made the stance that I did. I feel, I guess if there's a pro-woman movement that I would love to be part of that. And so that's -- it just didn't make sense to me why two different laws were not speaking the correct way.

BROWN: Let's talk about that, good thing we have Loni here to dissect the laws.

So Loni, the officer from the Dallas County Sheriff's Department, as we heard, told her that the law states HOV users must have at least one passenger in the vehicle and those passengers must be "outside the body."

Now we checked, the State's Penal Code recognizes a fetus as a person. It appears there is no language in the State Transportation Code that recognizes a fetus as a person. So what do you think will happen here?

LONI COOMBS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: So -- and this is a really interesting legal question. And Brandy, kudos to you for your quick and creative thinking when you got caught there in the HOV lane.

But here's the issue, in the Texas Transportation Code, it's very clear, to qualify to be in an HOV lane, you either have to be a motorcyclist or a vehicle occupied by two or more people.

Now, as far as my research as well, Pamela, I did not see anything else that said that the second person had to be in a passenger seat, or the second person couldn't be in your womb. It is just two people.

Now, you combine what that with the Texas Penal Code, which says very clearly, a fetus is a person. Well, then to me, that means there were two people in your car when you're in the HOV lane.

So it's really going to come down to the Judge that you appear in front of when you argued for your ticket and because the law is vague in the Transportation Code, the Judge could really go either way in his own discretion.

But even if the judge doesn't rule in your favor, there's already a Texas State Representative, who is vowing that he is going to submit legislation that will clarify the Transportation Code that will say specifically that a fetus does qualify as a person for driving in the HOV lane.

BROWN: So it's interesting, too, because we found this case in California, it was dating back to 1987: A pregnant woman was pulled over, ticketed in the HOV lane. She pursued it and eventually won.

So do you think Brandy is going to have a successful outcome here? It sounds like you think she'll likely win the case.

[19:40:10]

BROWN: I know, it depends on who she goes before. It sounds like she has a strong case, though, Loni?

COOMBS: Well, I think so. Now, in this California case, the woman said that, you know, her case was called at the end of the day, it was just her and the Judge and the staff in the Courtroom and the Judge was kind of laughing when she laid out her case and he just ruled in the interest of justice, he would dismiss it. Meaning he was just doing it in his own discretion. He wasn't really saying what the law said, one way or the other.

I do think Brandy has a good argument, however, because it's such a hot button topic right now, with, you know, post-Roe, it's not clear exactly how the Judge will rule.

He might not want to set precedents in this area, because obviously, there's going to be a lot of issues besides just whether you can drive in the HOV lane or not. They are going to pop up because if we're talking about a fetus being a person, there's a lot of other rights that attach to being a person that will be litigated in the Courts, such as, does my fetus qualify for a tax deduction? Does my fetus qualify for citizenship? Does my fetus qualify for child support?

These are all issues that are going to be raised and probably litigated in the Courts.

BROWN: I want to get final thoughts to you, Brandy, I mean, have you retained legal counsel? And what is the reaction been like? I mean, now that this story has gone viral, what has it been like for you?

BOTTONE: Yes, I do have an attorney and we're working on our case and then with the outpour of strangers and supporters and family and friends, it's been surreal.

I have people from New Zealand, which baffles my mind that they heard about a small story that I didn't even know if it was going to get picked up and supporting me, and women from both sides of the parties, holding hands together and just kind of speaking in unity.

And I personally haven't seen a lot of banter back and forth about it and it is just -- it's really nice to see.

BROWN: That's so nice that that also you could do something to bring people from both sides of the party on this very controversial issue together and unity, as you say.

Well, Brandy, keep us posted on how things go with you. What a story. Wow. And best of luck with the birth of your baby coming up soon.

BOTTONE: Oh, thank you.

BROWN: You're 34 weeks along.

BOTTONE: Very soon.

BROWN: And Loni, thank you. Okay.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:46:54]

BROWN: The Uvalde school shooting and the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe versus Wade is having an impact on politics in Texas.

CNN's senior data reporter, Harry Enten, joins us now to run the numbers.

Hi, Harry.

So we see the polls tightening in the Texas Governor's race. Right?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN POLITICS SENIOR WRITER AND ANALYST: We absolutely do. You know, we'll take a look at what's happened over the last few months.

You know, post-Uvalde shooting, look, Greg Abbott, the governor there is still ahead. He's up by six points, but compare that to the polling average beforehand where Abbott was up by 13 points. I don't think this is much of a surprise given that better O'Rourke is certainly running on tighter gun control. Right?

We saw him interrupting that press conference earlier on the year. We know he was marching in Uvalde today. So he is trying to basically focus in on this issue because he believes it's a weak point for Abbott and the polls suggests and may in fact is.

BROWN: So tell us more about how Texans feel about gun control? ENTEN: Yes. This to me was interesting, because I'm always looking at trend lines, right? And so should gun laws be more strict or less strict with no change?

Back in February of 2022, what the University of Texas poll found was, in fact, a plurality thought the gun laws in that State should have be less strict or be no change. But look now, after the shooting and Uvalde, what do we see? Now, the majority of voters in that State do in fact believe that gun laws should be more strict and there is -- I think, that is again, a data point that suggests that Beto O'Rourke is on the right track running on tighter gun control, stricter gun control and I think that's part of the reason why we saw the polls and see the polls tightening in the State of Texas for the gubernatorial race later this year.

BROWN: And similarly, you're seeing a trend on the generic ballot after Roe was overturned, right?

ENTEN: Yes, so this is nationally, right? And what do we see? You know, if you look at the choice for Congress, the generic congressional ballot, essentially, has you know, "Will you vote for the generic Republican or generic Democrat in your district?" No names are assigned to it.

Look, Republicans are still ahead on that ballot measure just like they're ahead in Texas. But that lead is now just a point over the Democrats. Compare that to pre-Roe getting overturned. What did we see? We saw Republicans up by three points.

So again, we see politics in motion here. People reacting to what they're seeing on the ground. Republicans still have the advantage heading into the midterm elections, but it's a tighter race than what we saw prior to the Supreme Court decision.

BROWN: So, what's the trend on abortion nationally?

ENTEN: Yes. So you know, part of the reason why you're seeing that trend right now is because, you know, the clear majority of voters disapprove of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Right?

So what we see right now is 57 percent in a recent Pew Research Center poll said that in fact, they disapproved of the Court overturning Roe v. Wade, but I should note that that's actually a smaller percentage than back in 2019. But still, the majority clearly didn't want Roe v. Wade to be overturned.

BROWN: And yet the Republicans are still ahead nationally and in Texas. Why is that?

ENTEN: Yes, so I'm going to take two slides here and we'll give you an eye idea of what it is because look at the most important and urgent issue among voters nationally and voters in Texas and that's the biggest problem facing the State of Texas, and voters nationally, 33 percent say inflation is the top issue. It's not in fact, Roe v. Wade.

[19:50:14] ENTEN: Voters in Texas do not say gun control is the most important issue. It's in fact, what's going on at the US-Mexico border at 29 percent. And if we flip forward a slide, what we'll see is that, in fact, who do the voters trust in this particular issue? Look at this. On inflation, they trust -- Republicans voters nationally -- trust Republicans by 19 points over the Democrats and in the border situation, voters in Texas, they trust Greg Abbott over Beto O'Rourke by 15 points.

So it's not really much of a surprise that although the races have tightened, the Republicans are still ahead both nationally in the race for Congress and in the State of Texas in that gubernatorial race.

BROWN: All right, Harry Enten, great to see you. Thanks so much.

ENTEN: The pleasure is all mine.

BROWN: And be sure to check out Harry's podcast, "Margins of Error." You can find it on your favorite podcast app or at cnn.com/audio.

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BROWN: W. Kamau Bell is back asking the tough questions about our country's most challenging issues. In the all-new season of "United Shades of America," Kamau takes us on a journey around the country tackling everything from critical race theory to the Native American Land Back Movement. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When people say critical race theory today, what they're talking about is a boogeyman that has been created by people who want to vilify, besmirch, demonize any sort of thinking that they perceive as progressive thinking about race.

KIMBERLE W. CRENSHAW, PROFESSOR, COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL: So the very fact that this time last year, very few people had heard a critical race theory, but suddenly overnight, critical race theory is that thing that you have to come out and protect your children against.

It's a great boogeyman, and we think we can make it run and so far, they've been right.

W. KAMAU BELL, CNN HOST, "UNITED SHADES OF AMERICA": Yes, every now and again, certain forces in this country come up with a new boogeyman that is a thing that they use to say "Your America is being taken away."

CRENSHAW: Yes. If you actually follow the money, you'll see tens of millions of dollars had been spent to create critical race theory as the boogeyman.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BROWN: Joining me now is the host of "United Shades of America," W. Kamau Bell. He is also the coauthor of the new book, "Do the Work: An Anti-Racist Activity Book" coming out July 19th.

Hi, Kamau.

So you are diving right in with this first episode. You tackle two concepts that have been really distorted in the political conversation recently, woke and critical race theory. What inspired that?

BELL: I think I heard them banding about in ways that I did not recognize or understand. So you know, this was not an episode I was excited to do, I just felt like, "Ugh. I have to do this. I think I'm the guy who does this." So that's why we did it.

BROWN: Felt like it was your duty.

BELL: My sworn duty.

BROWN: Let's talk about it. What did you find out? Your sworn duty. I get it. It's like, you know, taking medicine when you have to, right?

So what did you find out about what people think these terms mean versus what these terms actually mean? And like, where this term originated, and how it got to where it is now when it comes to woke?

BELL: Well, in the clip that you played, first of all, that was a Professor Kimberle Crenshaw, who was in the room when they invented the idea of critical race theory when they conceived of it, and so she doesn't recognize when people throw it around as it is -- if your child was in elementary school learning about critical race theory, congratulations, your child is a genius, because it is only taught in like Law Schools, generally.

So and then with woke, all woke is, is just along with a lot of other Black slang. It's a way that Black people have communicate to each other, that America is a dangerous place, keep your top eye open, let me pull your coat, stay up. It just means pay attention. That's all woke means.

But then, forces on the right and forces in the media turned those things into things that we, as Black people do not recognize. And one way to scare many Americans is to connect it to Black people.

BROWN: So where do you see the country heading on these issues? What is the path going forward?

BELL: You know, I think that if we don't really solve -- if we allow the forces on the right to demonize teaching accurate history to our children, to our school children, then we're lost. We're done.

So I think those of us who know that we want our kids to learn accurate history and school, we have to stand up and fight right now. We have to be clear about that. We can't assume that it's going to be okay even if our kids go to the kind of school where they are being taught accurate history. We have to fight for all the kids. BROWN: All right, give us a sneak peek. What else are you talking about this season?

BELL: A lot of the things you've been talking about today on your show.

BROWN: Did I take it all away from you? Yes?

BELL: No. No. You're funny. I'm funnier than you. I mean, no offense.

BROWN: Fair enough. All right, W. Kamau Bell --

BELL: But no, we have an episode about wildfires --

BROWN: Oh go ahead.

BELL: California wildfires, but you done with that earlier.

BROWN: Yes, we have been talking about that. We're about to talk about it next hour.

W. Kamau Bell, always great to see you. Thanks so much. I'm really looking forward to seeing these episodes.

Don't miss "United Shades of America" with W. Kamau Bell tonight at 10:00 on CNN.

Your next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

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