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Democratic Nominees Celebrates Victories; U.S. Hits Iran-Backed Groups in Deir Ezzor; Ukraine Celebrates with Caution; Rep. Carolyn Maloney Lose Her Bid in Congress; Roe v. Wade Major Factor in Midterm Elections; Russian Official Killed in Ukraine; Biden Administration to Announce Loan Forgiveness; Texas Inundated with Heavy Flooding. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired August 24, 2022 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. You are watching CNN Newsroom. And I'm Rosemary Church.

One of the most powerful Democrats in the U.S. Congress won't be heading back to Capitol Hill next year, a redrawn New York congressional map created a contentious matchup between incumbents Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney.

And CNN projects Nadler will prevail. He is the chair of the House judiciary committee. She heads up the House oversight committee. Here's part of Nadler's victory speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JERROLD NADLER (D-NY): This district does not belong to me or to my opponents for that matter, it belongs only to the voters of this district, the New Yorkers who get up every day and busy themselves with building a better fairer city.

Those new Yorkers get to choose who best represents the people and values of this city. And you know what? I think the voters made themselves clear tonight.

(CROWD CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, now to Florida where CNN projects Val Demings will win the Democratic Senate primary to take on incumbent Republican Marco Rubio. She is the former police chief of Orlando and has served in the House since 2017. CNN projects Charlie Crist will win the Democratic governor's primary. He will take on incumbent Republican Ron DeSantis in November. Crist was elected governor in 2006 when he was a Republican. He's been serving in the U.S. House since 2017.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. CHARLIE CRIST (D-FL): Make no mistake about it because this guy wants to be president of the United States of America and everybody knows it. However, when we defeat him on November 8th, that show is over.

(CROWD CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Also in Florida, former U.S. President Donald Trump's new lawsuit stemming from the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago is getting pushback from a federal judge. That judge said a Friday deadline for Trump's lawyers to clarify their request for a special master to review evidence seized by the FBI.

It comes as we are learning about a letter from the National Archives to Trump's legal team, it confirms more than 700 pages marked classified and special access were recovered from Mar-a-Lago by the archives team in January.

According to the letter, Archives officials shared the documents with the intelligence community back in May. So, an assessment could be done on potential damage over how team Trump handled the classified materials.

Well, joining me now from Los Angeles, host of the Mo Kelly show, political commentator Mo Kelly himself, and from Washington, former Republican Congressman now CNN political commentator Charlie Dent.

Welcome back to you both.

MO' KELLY, HOST, THE MO' KELLY SHOW: Thank you.

CHARLIE DENT, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Hi, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, Mo Kelly, what message does Jerry Nadler's defeat a fellow veteran Democrat Carolyn Maloney send to the Democrats do you think?

KELLY: I think it sends the message to the Democrats that Jerry Nadler is obviously not going anywhere that he's still politically viable, if not electable, he's in a relatively safe district. So, his congressional career will continue.

I think it remains to be seen whether his future will be in concert with what the Democrats as a party want. I know that the party wants to change its leadership and how it's being viewed by younger voters. But Jerry Nadler at least tonight has a celebration to have.

CHURCH: And Charlie, last hour you said Democrat Charlie Crist won't have much of a chance when he goes up against GOP incumbent Governor Ron DeSantis in their battle coming up in November for the midterm. So, how do you expect that fight to play out, particularly for those disenchanted Republicans living in Florida who can't buy into the move so swiftly to the right? DENT: Well, I said previously that DeSantis has an advantage here. Look, if this is still Florida, it's a -- it's still a competitive state. And so, if I were Charlie Crist, I guess my advice would be, is to reach out to those swing voters on whatever issues are most relevant.

[03:04:57]

I suspect the abortion issue may actually help Charlie Crist try to pick off at least I'll say suburban Republican women, you know, whoever many there are left in Florida try to -- try to drive a wedge there. And anywhere else he can and find those Republicans who are dis -- you know, he can identify Republican voters who are very dissatisfied with the former president, former President Trump and make appeals to them.

So, he is going to have to run hard to the center, very hard to the center and not do much base modification in order to be competitive in that election against Ron DeSantis. Again, Ron DeSantis has a lot of money and he's going to drive his message. He's looking potentially at a presidential race in 2024. And I suspect Ron DeSantis will not tack his heart to the center. He's much more effective at playing based politics. And I suspect that's where he's going to stay.

CHURCH: And Mo Kelly, what's your advice to Charlie Crist?

KELLY: I would advise Charlie Crist to stay with the issues relative to Floridians. Ron DeSantis obviously is talking to the rest of the nation, not necessarily Floridians when he is talking about anti-woke and all the things which speak to, I would say the Republican base.

But Charlie Crist, if he can make it clear that he is for Floridians, he's going to be there for Floridians, I think that message has more of an anchor than what Ron DeSantis is doing who's obviously looking on beyond the governor's mansion at this point.

CHURCH: And Charlie, Democratic Congresswoman Val Demings will now challenge incumbent GOP Senator Marco Rubio who's already putting out negative ads about her. What are Ding's chances, do you think in that race?

DENT: Same as the governor's race in that, again, I have to give Rubio the advantage just because Florida has been trending more Republican in recent years, still competitive, but Republican, Democrats have had difficulty winning statewide races. Rubio is a formidable figure, but you know, to be fair, Val Demings, you know, is a strong, attractive candidate, you know, who has a compelling story. She's got a law enforcement background.

And again, she's going to have to play hard to the center as well if she hopes to be competitive. But again, it's -- this is an uphill climb in Florida for the Democrats, but again, you know, but they have to focus on those issues that are motivating Democratic voters.

Again, the abortion issue not that you ever like to talk about it. But it seems to be motivating a lot of Democratic voters. That's one area. And again, going back to those disaffected Republicans and independents who, you know, are unhappy with the direction Republican Party have to make those appeals.

And you have to do that by again, playing to the center of the state, set us, you know, more centrist voters not to one's base. So that's, again, my advice, same advice to Demings I would give to Charlie Crist for (Inaudible).

CHURCH: And Mo, even if Demings doesn't win, will she give Rubio a run for his money? He's obviously a little nervous getting those ads out even before she actually won.

KELLY: Yes, I think that she will be a much more competitive and compelling candidate than anybody else in the state of Florida. Obviously, who's running for a statewide election. And I think Val Demings is one of the better candidates offered by the Democratic Party.

We know that she was on the short list for vice president. So, we know that Val Demings has a future not only within politics generally, but Florida specifically. And sometimes it takes voters a little bit longer to figure out how much they like you. And it may not be right now for Val Demings, but it may be later for Val Demings.

CHURCH: And Charlie, I do want to turn now to the ongoing investigation into highly classified documents found at the Florida home of Donald Trump. How damaging, do you think this investigation and others that are currently underway have been for Trump? I mean, has it helped or hindered him, do you think?

DENT: Well, from a legal perspective, this is a, I would have to think it's a nightmare for Donald Trump. He's clearly trying to monetize this most recent scandal with a classified material. He's raising money off it and, you know, portraying himself as the victim.

Of course, you know, when you combine the case with the Mar-a-Lago search of his residence, along with the investigation into Georgia and election meddling there and his problems in New York state with his business. I mean, he's got very serious problems.

And again, you know, but Donald Trump has been remarkably resilient and somewhat Teflon. And you know, he doesn't seem to be as affected as he should be. I mean, I never thought in my wildest dreams that a former president of the United States who absconded apparently, with classified material could try to turn that into a political asset.

And then his earth while Republican primary opponents in 2024 are more or less backing him up. I mean, there was a time when you would try to draw that contrast, you say, you draw a contrast, not defend, your likely political opponent.

So, you know, but again, legally I think Donald Trump's got real problems, you know, politically he seems to see some advantage, at least in terms of winning a Republican primary.

[22:10:03] I mean, it helps him in a primary. I can't imagine any of these things are going to help him in a general election against the Democrat, but he might be able to clear the field a bit in the 2024 primary as a result of all these, these scandals and investigations.

CHURCH: And Mo, final word to you. A recent NBC News poll showed that the majority of Americans want all these investigations of Donald Trump to continue. So, what impact do you think they will have on the midterms?

KELLY: I think if anything, the more that Donald Trump becomes a central figure in the discussion politically, it helps the Democrats. It reminds Democrats why they came out in 2020. And if the specter of Donald Trump running in 2024 may be an issue for them, that's something Democrats can run on for Donald Trump. It helps him financially. It helps him politically. He can use this to be his part of his latest agreed politics, but I don't think it helps him legally.

CHURCH: All right. Mo Kelly, Charlie Dent, many thanks to you both for joining our panel. We appreciate it.

DENT: Thanks, Rosemary.

KELLY: Thank you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Well, the U.S. military says it carried out precision air strikes on Iran-backed groups in Syria. President Joe Biden ordered the strikes in Deir Ezzor on bunkers used by groups tied to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. U.S. Central Command says no one was killed.

And CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is following developments from London. She joins us now live. Good to see you, Salama. So, what were you learning about this?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: So, Rosemary, these strikes are reta -- retaliatory, rather, according to the U.S. military, they say that they carried out a series of precision air strikes in Deir Ezzor, in the province in Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria. They say they were hitting a series of bunkers that were being used to store ammunition and being used as well by an Iranian backed group. A militia group on the ground operating in Syria, backed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

And they were able to hit nine bunkers, according to the United States. They say the intention of these strikes was not to kill any personnel. The intention was, again, to destroy these bunkers and to degrade capabilities, Iran's capabilities on the grounds in Syria.

And I said this is retaliatory and that's because on August 15th, so just over a week ago, a U.S. space, a ton of space, this is right along the Syria-Iraq border in an area called the green village. That base on August 15th a place where U.S. personnel are as well as their allies, the Syrian defense forces that base on August 15th was hit with a series of rocket attacks and drone attacks. There were no injuries, no damage in that August 15th attack. But that was the motivation behind yesterday's attack here for the

U.S. military. They say they're trying to defend U.S. personnel on the ground, ensure that Iran can't carry out attacks again like the one we saw on August 15th.

Now it's very important actor here. We haven't heard of -- haven't heard from yet and that is of course, Iran. We're waiting to see what Tehran says about this, but of course, Iran has had a longstanding role in the Syrian civil war on the ground. So, you can expect that there could potentially be a response there.

And in the meanwhile, you also have something that's happening very far from the battlefield here, Rosemary, and that is the Iran nuclear deal. There's been months of negotiations now to try to revive that nuclear deal taking place in Vienna. So that's the other question, is will this impact these negotiations, will this impact Iran's motivation to come to the table to try to revive this deal.

So, you see a very fine balancing act here on the ground. Again, in Syria, very complex battlefield where the United States is trying to strike again, these bunkers, nine bunkers being struck without they say, killing any personnel on the ground, killing any people on the ground, sending a message to Iran that it's not acceptable, that it will respond to attacks like the one on August 15th without escalating that situation on the ground.

And in the meanwhile, of course, trying to keep those backdoor talks to revive the Iran nuclear deal on the ground. We will wait to find out if we hear anything from Tehran on this, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Salma Abdelaziz, bringing us that live update from London, many thanks.

Well, still to come, the war, many thought would be over in days is now into its sixth month with no end in sight. We look back at some of the key moments in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That's next.

[03:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: It is Independence Day in Ukraine, but this year the holiday comes with a sense of dread but also defiance. Security has been increased across the country amid warnings that Russia could launch major strikes on civilian and government targets. Ukrainian officials are also urging people to take extra precautions and pay attention to air raid sirens.

The national holiday also coming exactly six months since Russia's invasion when Moscow's hopes for a swift victory collapse in the face of stiff Ukrainian resistance.

On Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine will continue to fight promising to retake all Russian occupied territory, including Crimea which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014. Well, in the hours ahead, the U.S. is expected to announce its largest ever security package for Ukraine worth around $3 billion. A U.S. official tells CNN it will include Western air defense systems as well as stockpiles of ammunition. It also earmarks money for training and maintenance.

[03:20:00]

Ukraine's president says foreign support is critical for his country to stay in the fight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): We need to be clearly aware that as soon as the world becomes tired of this war that's going to be great threat to the whole world and threat of annihilating Ukraine. So, we are grateful to, for any kind of assistance. We need more offers. That's true.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Even after months of senseless destruction and bloodshed Vladimir Putin's end game in Ukraine remains unclear. And the Ukrainian's resolve is as strong as ever.

CNN Isa Soares looks back on the major events in the conflict so far, and a warning, her report contains graphic images.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Devastating explosions across Ukraine's major cities. This was the moment Russia lit up Ukraine's skies. And unwarranted invasion that only moments earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin called a special military operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Whoever tries to interfere with us and even more so to create threats through our country, our people should know that Russia's response will be immediate and will lead to such consequences that you have never experienced in your history.

SOARES: The Kremlin's immediate goal to surround Kyiv and liquidate the Ukrainian leadership. Later that same day Russian special forces took an air base just outside the capital. CNN was there as it all unfolded.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And within the past few seconds, just before you came to us, they were engaged in a fire fight, presumably with the Ukrainian military which says it is staging a counter offensive.

SOARES: The predictions of some western analysts that it would be all over in three days seemed on target. They weren't. Within 48 hours, Ukrainian special forces rendered the air base inoperable. The first in a series of setbacks. Russia's shock and all was suddenly surprisingly muted by Ukrainian resistance, symbolized by a defiant President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, telling CNN from a bunker in Kyiv that the Russian invasion was about far more than Ukraine.

ZELENSKYY (through translator): It's very important for people in the United States to understand that despite the fact that the war is taking place in Ukraine, it's essentially for values in life for democracy, for freedom. Therefore, this war is for all the world.

SOARES: As he spoke, millions of Ukrainians were fleeing westwards to Poland, fearful of a Russian blitzkrieg, the fastest growing refugee crisis in generations according to the United Nations. As Russia pressed on, families were torn apart as the men stayed on to fight. Their future uncertain.

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, this is goodbye temporarily?

SOARES: Those who stayed behind bunkered underground. The Metro filled with the elderly under vulnerable, all terrified of the unknown.

UNKNOWN (through translator): I'm asking though they're afraid. They're very nervous.

SOARES: President Zelenskyy appeal to the west for help.

ZELENSKYY: You are the leader of the nation, of your great nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world.

SOARES: By March 10th, Russia was heading towards the capital, but not everything was going according to their plan. One column of Russian vehicles 40 miles long sat north of the capital exposed to Ukrainian mobile units with anti-tank missiles and drones. Suddenly, Russia found itself bogged down suffering heavy loss.

But it wasn't until they were forced to pull back that the true human devastation was seen. Evidence of torture, executions, mass graves exposed. Russian troops had committed human rights violations, atrocities, war crimes. The entire town became a crime scene.

UNKNOWN: For us the best motivation is justice.

SOARES: By the spring, the Russian focus shifted to the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions, the original goal of Putin's special operation. Russia's goals in the east have come at the price of immense civilian suffering. The city of Mariupol was battered and bombed for two months. Local officials estimated 20,000 people were killed, far more fled.

Soldiers at the city's Azovstal's steel complex became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance pounded from sea, land, and air but for weeks refusing to surrender. Gradually, remorselessly, Russian forces edged forward in the Donbas, but they've taken immense casualties,

[03:25:04] By Pentagon estimates more than 70,000 Western officials tell CNN the Russians are struggling to make up losses of men and munitions. And with new longer range and accurate weapons from the west and its partners, Ukraine has begun taking the battle to the enemy, especially in the south.

The consequences of this war reaching far beyond it, as the wider world sees skyrocketing food prices. And Europe so dependent on Russian gas is looking towards a grim winter. The prospect of peace still so far away.

Isa Soares, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Well, another three U.S. states have queued up contentious showdowns in the general election. The big takeaways from Tuesday's primaries and why a long serving Democrat's time in Congress has come to a dramatic end.

[03:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: One of New York's longest serving House Democrats has lost her bid for reelection. It was a battle Carolyn Maloney never wanted, and it was a battle she lost to fellow incumbent Jerry Nadler in New York's 12th district. Each of the Democratic titans chaired powerful committees, but they were forced into an upper Manhattan clash due to redistricting.

In Florida, Representative Val Demings has won the Democratic Senate primary by a landslide. The former Orlando police chief will face incumbent Republican Senator Marco Rubio in the midterms. And Florida has also chosen House Democrat Charlie Crist to take on Republican incumbent Governor Ron DeSantis come November.

Democrats are eager to slow down DeSantis ahead of his rumored presidential bid in 2024.

And CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein who is a senior editor at the Atlantic is back with us. Good to have you back with us.

BROWNSTEIN: Hi, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, let's just look at what the big takeaways were from Tuesday's primaries. What do you think?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, for me, the biggest takeaway was the special election to fill a congressional seat in the Hudson River Valley in New York. It was a district that Joe Biden won narrowly in 2020 after Donald Trump had won it narrowly in 2016. Republicans were widely expected to win, but the Democrat focused on abortion rights and won the seat by a bigger margin than apparently than Joe Biden did in 2020. Now, that doesn't by itself mean that Republicans have all the Republican advantages have been erased for the 2022 election, but it coincides or reinforces what we saw in special elections over the last few weeks in Minnesota, in Nebraska, even in Alaska where Democrats are performing much better than you would expect.

If we were going to see a wave year of the magnitude of the Republican gains in '94, 2010, 2014, or the Democratic gains in 2018, it suggests that in particular, the decision by the Supreme Court overturning the right to abortion, the 50-year right to abortion has changed the playing field in a way that has created more opportunities for Democrats to at least be competitive than appeared possible six or eight months ago.

CHURCH: And, Ron, one of the races that the country will be watching very closely in November is the one that pits incumbent Florida Governor Ron DeSantis up against Democrat Charlie Crist.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

CHURCH: And another Florida race, Democrat Val Demings up against incumbent GOP Senator Marco Rubio in November. What chance do these two Democrats have up against well-funded, entrenched, Republicans?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, Florida is a state that clearly has shifted its political center of gravity in the last few years. I mean, it really was a photo finished state for most of the beginning years of the 21st century. Of course, famously in 22 -- the year 2000 when George W. Bush won it by about 500 votes.

Very close Senate and governors' races repeatedly in 2010 and 2014, even in 2018 when Ron DeSantis was elected for the first time. But since then, in the Trump era, it is a state that is moved toward the Republicans. And Democrats begin both of these races for governor and Senate has decided underdogs.

I would say they probably have a better chance, though still an outside chance in the Senate race because of the factors that we were just talking about, which is abortion, gun control, and concerns about Trump's reemergence and what he means for the future of American democracy. All of those things have awakened the Democratic base, given them more of a fighting chance in November.

And that has Val Demings on kind of the outside tier of races that people are watching. But there's no question that Florida has become as acquired a more reddish tint than it had four, six, eight years ago.

CHURCH: And what message do you think is being sent to the Democratic Party with Jerry Nadler's win over fellow veteran Democrat Carolyn Maloney?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know, that this was a race that was mostly that that was driven by redistricting, Carolyn Maloney representing the east side of New York, Manhattan, Jerry Nadler, representing the west side of Manhattan. And then, you know, there's more than a park in between them. They're very different places culturally.

[03:34:58]

I don't see a big ideological differentiation between them. Nadler was a somewhat more disciplined politician than Maloney who got in trouble for suggesting that, for example, that Biden wouldn't run.

But to me, the bigger story is that you had these two roughly 75-year- old Democrats who were born before the Korean war squeezing out the third candidate in the race, which is a New York University law professor who ran against Carolyn Maloney last time, who was literally half their age at 38.

And to me, it kind of embodies the challenge that Democrats have as they have become a party more and more dependent on the votes of these two giant younger generations of Americans born since 1980, the millennials and generation Z, best educated generations, most secular generations, most diverse generations in American history.

And yet, the party leadership remains overwhelmingly concentrated, among, you know, leaders in their 70s, Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi. They really do have to figure out a way to create more space to represent the core of their voting base in the people who are upsetting the direction for the party.

CHURCH: Yes. An important point and on both sides really of the political spectrum.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

CHURCH: And Ron, as all this plays out, so too does Donald Trump's attempt to get ahead of the FBI search of his Florida home. Now Trump's new lawsuit is getting pushed back from a federal judge who has set a Friday deadline for Trump lawyers to clarify their request for a special master to review the seized evidence. What impact do you think this, and of course other Trump investigations will likely have on the midterms?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, first, I mean, you're seeing even as Trump's legal troubles are mounting, his hold on the Republican Party, as we've talked about, is tightening with victories for Trump aligned election deniers in multiple primaries this summer for governor, Senate, secretary of state.

I think we're learning through this episode on the classified materials, both the Trump feels even more unconstrained in terms of his willingness to run roughshod over traditional boundaries of presidential authority. And Republicans in Congress are even less likely to challenge him than they were during his first term.

And the fact that so many Republicans went out so fast with blanket defenses of Trump and blanket condemnations of the Justice Department and the FBI before they could possibly have known any of the facts in the case is a pretty revealing, and perhaps ominous sign of how they would treat a second Trump term. But I would look at all of these issues and in particular, all of the revelations about January 6 along with the gun issue post the Uvalde massacre, and especially the abortion issue post the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe V. Wade in June as the three critical factors that have kind of narrowed the enthusiasm gap between Republicans and Democrats.

We have even more pause to swing voters and change the landscape. I mean, it has not eliminated all the advantages that Republicans have had have in the midterm, low approval ratings for Joe Biden, high inflation numbers, the historical precedent of the president's party losing seats.

But there's no question the battlefield has changed as we've seen in these special elections, as we've seen in a lot of polling and Senate and governor races and Trump's visibility and vulnerabilities are a big reason why.

CHURCH: All right. Ron Brownstein, always a pleasure to get your analysis. Many thanks.

BROWNSTEIN: Thank you.

CHURCH: Still to come, Americans struggling with student loan debt may get some good news. Details of what the Biden administration is expected to announce. That's next.

[03:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: This just in to CNN. A pro-Russian official in Ukraine has been killed in a car bombing. That is according to Russian backed authorities in the Zaporizhzhia region. They say a district head Ivan Sushko was killed after an explosive device was planted under the seat of his car.

Well, after months of deliberations, the Biden administration is expected to make an announcement later today, canceling up to $10,000 in student loan debt per borrower under certain conditions. Sources tells CNN the president spoke with Senators Elizabeth Warren and Raphael Warnock on Tuesday to discuss details.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond has the story.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, after months of deliberations, President Biden on Wednesday is set to announce his decision on student loan forgiveness. This is something that's been hotly debated inside the administration for months now. And according to multiple sources familiar with the plan, this is what the contours of President Biden's announcement appear to be.

Again, the final decision hasn't yet officially been made at this hour, but it does appear that the president is expected to forgive $10,000 of student debt per borrower for individuals making less than $125,000 per year. There are also discussions of additional loan forgiveness for specific groups like Pell grant recipients. Those are some of the most financially in need individuals.

And then the White House is also leaning towards a final short-term extension of that student loan repayment moratorium, which has been in place since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. A final short- term extension is also expected along with this decision.

[03:45:04]

Now, President Biden's decision here, it's certainly going to draw him some praise for those who have been calling for this kind of student loan forgiveness for a long time now, but it's also going to draw him some criticism from different sides within his party as well.

Some Democratic leaning economists are saying that forgiving $10,000 of student loan per borrower is going to add to the deficit, and that it's also going to increase inflation. But on the left, there are some saying that $10,000 just simply isn't going far enough.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, the White House.

CHURCH: And still to come, heavy rain is moving on from Texas, but the recovery from extreme flooding is only just beginning.

[03:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: The governor of Texas has signed a disaster declaration for almost two dozen counties affected by severe storms and flooding. The extreme rainfall in Dallas is some of the worst the city has ever seen catching many people off guard.

As CNN's Ed Lavandera reports.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dallas Fort Worth area residents used to face extreme drought conditions were left stunned by heavy rainfall that flooded streets, homes and local businesses on Monday.

UNKNOWN: The current is so strong going past my house. You -- you it'll wash you away.

LAVANDERA: As the downpour continued, creeks overflowed.

UNKNOWN: I've been here 13 years and this is by far, by far, the worst is ever flooded.

LAVANDERA: Water levels rose so quickly cars stalled and drivers were trapped on flooded highways. The Dallas police chief says 28 patrol cars were damaged in the deluge of rain.

MAYOR ERIC JOHNSON, DALLAS, TEXAS: We got hit pretty hard and we got hit in a historic way. The sky opened up and soon after our streets closed down.

LAVANDERA: The Texas governor signed a disaster declaration today for 23 counties across the state. GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R-TX): What happened yesterday is the second worst

rainstorm and flooding in Dallas since 1932.

LAVANDERA: The flash floods are now subsiding after more than nine inches of rain in some areas, but the damage assessment is just beginning.

JOHNSON: This was the first time in 90 years that we've had this much rain in a 24-hour period. City parks that looked more like lakes, and these impacts are going to be felt all over and throughout our economy.

LAVANDERA: The latest toll, more than a hundred homes flooded. A 60- year-old woman died when her car was presumably swept away by flood waters, according to local authorities. The storm that started a chain of travel disruptions across the country is now heading towards Louisiana and Mississippi.

TOM SATER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: This monster of a rainmaker continues to slide eastward, and it continues to set records. Freeport, Louisiana reporting their second wettest August day in history. And the records go back 150 years. Flood warnings, flash flood warnings could be issued for cities such as New Orleans, Jackson, Mississippi and points eastward.

LAVANDERA: Texas Governor Greg Abbott is facing questions about how he's managing the state's climate change issues and extreme heat drought, tornadoes, and now floods.

ABBOTT: We are dealing with more extreme weather patterns. We're constantly looking at what extreme weather may lead to, whether it be power demand, extreme heat, extreme cold, heavy water or even drought.

LAVANDERA: Even after this record rainfall, the governor deliberately avoided calling these weather patterns the effect of climate change.

ABBOTT: The sun is coming out. This is Texas.

LAVANDERA: Some isolated areas of Dallas received as much as 15 inches of rain in 24 hours. This comes after months of drought, weeks and weeks of extreme heat. The entire experience causes weather whiplash.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.

CHURCH: And our meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us now with more. Good to see you, Pedram. So where is all that heavy rainfall headed?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, just to the south and also our areas to the Southeast of this region. So that is the concern with heavy rainfall still in store for some of these areas, Rosemary. And notice, just in the past 24 or so hours, the same region already been very hard hit. Not necessarily in Dallas, but into Mississippi, portions of Arkansas, parts of Louisiana, two and a half to about four inches of rains have come down just in a span of 24 hours. And the same system responsible for that mess, still drawing southerly

flow. So, moisture is being tapped into from the Gulf, the frontal boundaries still in place there. It kins of oscillates back and forth between eastern Texas and portions of Arkansas and Louisiana, and Mississippi as well.

And that is precisely where all the actions been in the past 24 hours, kind of moving out of eastern Texas into Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. And notice the forecast. Notice the current perspective here with radar imagery, thunderstorms certainly abound Jackson, Mississippi this morning, portions of central Mississippi in line here with some flood alerts, even flood warnings, meaning flooding is imminent or occurring this morning across this region of central Mississippi.

Again, the concern is with about three million Americans underneath this risk for flooding that additional thunderstorms will bring heavy rainfall once again throughout the morning hours. One of the areas to watch carefully for a dawn to see some thunderstorms really develop from as far west as to San Antonio as far north as Austin, and as far east as Houston, that's the area of concern for thunderstorms to develop yet again and again.

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They will continue to build farther towards the east where nothing maybe three to five inches possible in a few of these isolated spots. So, anything on top of what has already come down is going to lead to flash flooding. And notice, the heaviest pockets expected near Jackson southward near New Orleans, and as far east across portions of the Florida Panhandle as well, getting some strong storms.

Now, this is the concern here for the highest risk for excessive rainfall includes portions of Louisiana on into Mississippi as well. And then you'll notice, the other story we've been following is what's been happening around the western United States.

Of course, we've touched on the excessive heat, portions of the Pacific Northwest, Seattle included even up towards the Canadian border there near British Columbia, temperatures pushing up into the 80s and 90s. So, we've got the wet weather in place around the south, the heat, historic heat, potentially in store across parts of the northwest, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Pedram Javaheri, many thanks. I appreciate it. Take care. And thank you for spending part of your day with me. I'm Rosemary Church. CNN Newsroom continues with Max Foster, next.

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