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Fed Chair Lays Out The "Unfortunate Costs Of Reducing Inflation"; Britney Spears Talks About 13-Year Conservatorship; Judge Denies Request From GA Governor Kemp To Quash Subpoenas; Anniversary Of "Tragic Mistake" U.S. Drone Strike That Killed Afghan Civilians; Serena Williams Takes Center Stage At U.S. Open. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired August 29, 2022 - 10:30   ET

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

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: CNN Business Correspondent, Rahel Solomon joins us now. I mean, this is building on that op-ed she wrote a few weeks ago where she said, basically, you know, mitigating inflation, the near term is not worth a whole bunch of layoffs, et cetera, that would come with a recession. And it was striking to hear Jerome Powell on Friday, say like there is real pain for households ahead beyond inflation.

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I think his tone his language, his messaging was striking to your point. He actually address this concern that Warren makes in those comments on Friday morning, essentially saying that the inflation that we're experiencing here in the U.S. is partially supply-driven, as she pointed out.

But it's also demand driven and the interest rate hikes only work to combat the demand side, but that there is no room for complacency here. And essentially, the only other way to get through to the other side of the equation -- of inflation, rather, is these higher interest rates.

And so according to the Fed, the Feds point of view is that there's no other way to get to lower inflation, but these higher interest rates and ultimately that should help the greater public in terms of lower prices.

HARLOW: We'll watch what happens at their next decision. Thank you very much, Rahel.

SOLOMON: Few weeks.

HARLOW: So next for us, Britney Spears is talking more about the allegations of abuse during her 13 year conservatorship. Up next, you'll hear what else she said in a now deleted video that was posted online this weekend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:36:09]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: In a now deleted 22-minute audio clip posted on YouTube and Twitter this weekend Britney Spears accused both her mother and father of abuse during her 13 year legal conservatorship. Here's just part of that recording.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRITNEY SPEARS: I'm sharing this because I want people to know I'm only human. I do feel victimized after these experiences. And how can I mend this if I don't talk about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: HLN entertainment reporter Melissa Knowles is following all of it. What else did she say? And do we know any more about her decision to speak out now?

MELISSA KNOWLES, HLN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Jim and Poppy. So the first thing you want to talk about is the fact that Brittany released this 22-minute audio, which is now private, on her YouTube. She's also scrubbed her Instagram, so you can't even find that right now.

And the clip has been deleted from Twitter, but not before. Of course, some of us have been able to hear that. And it's a lot like what she talked about after the conservatorship ended during that testimony that she gave.

Remember, that was a 13 year court ordered conservatorship that her father Jamie was in charge of and once that ended in November of 2021, Britney really just started talking and revealing more and more, being more candid about what she went through. Here's a little part of the clip also that you may not have heard yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

B. SPEARS: If you're a weird, introvert, odd-ball like me, who feels alone a lot of the time and you needed to hear a story like this today so you don't feel alone, know this: my life has been far from easy and you're not alone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KNOWLES: As I said Brittany is really candid in this clip, very vulnerable, talking about the trauma that she experienced. And she hasn't really opened up this way before at least unedited and we are able to hear the pain in her voice, hear the sadness, the trauma that she has experienced, but she talks about working on herself in this clip.

Additionally, we are now hearing from her mom. There was an Instagram post from her mom talking about how she still supports her daughter. Poppy?

SCIUTTO: Oh, Melissa Knowles, thanks so much. I thought we were going to get that clip. But thanks for the update on all this as the story will continue to follow. You'll remember, it has been one year since the U.S. abruptly pulled out of Afghanistan. After the break, I'm going to be joined by Elliot Ackerman. He's a retired Marine Corps Captain about the challenge of bringing Afghan refugees to the states and what folks left behind face in that country now?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:43:29]

HARLOW: All right, this just in, a judge has just denied the Georgia Governor request -- Brian Kemp's request to quash a subpoena to testify before that Fulton County grand jury. He has agreed though to delay the testimony.

SCIUTTO: Yeah. That's key. CNN Correspondent Nick Valencia is in Atlanta with more. Delay, Nick, until after the upcoming election?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, not until after the November '22 election and that's when Governor Kemp will have to appear before this special purpose grand jury, a judge denying his motion to quash his appearance before that grand jury.

And here's what Judge Robert McBurney in Fulton County had to say as part of his ruling saying, "The governor is in the midst of a reelection campaign and this criminal grand jury investigation should not be used by the district attorney, the governor's opponent or the governor himself to influence the outcome of the election.

He went on to say, "The governor must honor the subpoena as have the secretary of state, the Attorney General and many other agents of the state in these criminal proceedings, sovereign immunity wards off civil actions, not criminal ones."

And what the judge means by that is when we were in court last week, we heard Kemp's attorneys argue that the governor is beyond the reach of this investigation because he's protected by executive privilege and sovereign immunity as the sitting governor saying really that this special purpose grand jury had no jurisdiction to request him to appear in front of them for questioning.

A judge obviously disagreeing though there is a caveat Jim and Poppy. Judge McBurney noted that the governor's questioning will have limits but again, that won't come until after his November election where he's facing a tough primary or tougher challenge between Governor Brian Kemp and Democrat Stacey Abrams, so big news for the investigations this morning.

[10:46:07]

HARLOW: No question. Nick Valencia, thank you very, very much.

VALENCIA: You bet.

SCIUTTO: We also have some other news, just in to CNN, this regarding former President Trump's request for a so called Special Master to review those documents. CNN's Kara Scannell joins us now. Kara, what's the latest?

KARA SCANNELL, CNN REPORTER: Well, we just saw filing from the Justice Department come into the docket in this case today, just department updating the judge saying that they have already completed their review and that they have found a limited set of materials from these documents collected at Mar-a-Lago that could contain material related to attorney client privilege.

So justice department saying that they've already done this review. They're in the process of adjudicating any potential disputes over whether any of these materials do contain attorney client privilege that's being done by the filter team.

They review this before any of the materials goes to the investigative team. So DOJ saying that they've already done this process, they've identified just a limited set of materials, and that they have completed this review.

Now that Trump has asked for a special master to come in and do an independent review of these materials himself. The judges set a hearing for that on Thursday. But we're getting this update from DOJ that they're saying that they have already done this review that they've discovered just a limited set of materials in their process of adjudicating any potential attorney client materials. Jim, Poppy.

SCIUTTO: Yeah. We'll see if that DOJ review satisfies the judge who's considering this additional request for a special master. I know you'll be on top of it. Kara Scannell, thanks so much.

It has been one year since the U.S. abruptly pulled all of its forces out of Afghanistan. After the break, I'm going to speak with Elliot Ackerman. He's a retired Marine Corps captain. He's going to talk about the challenge of bringing Afghan refugees to the states and what those folks left behind face in Afghanistan today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:51:01]

SCIUTTO: It was one year ago today that the U.S. authorized a botched drone strike in the final days of U.S. forces presence in Afghanistan. Authorities initially claimed that strike in Kabul had killed an ISISK operative planning an imminent attack on U.S. forces. But later the U.S. military revealed it had made a, "tragic mistake." Strike in fact killed 10 Afghan civilians, including seven children.

The man they had been tracking was actually in the application process for a special immigrant visa to bring his family to the U.S. In the last year, the State Department has accepted roughly 80,000 Afghan refugees, but many more including many eligible for those SIVs still waiting, in fact, most of them.

Joining me now is Elliot Ackerman, a retired Marine Corps Captain, Purple Heart recipient, who served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, also former CIA Case Officer, author of a new book entitled, "The fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan." Elliot, it's good to have you on, you have so much experience there. I wonder if you could describe the Afghanistan, the U.S. left behind? What is life like for Afghans today, particularly outside the capital Kabul?

ELLIOT ACKERMAN, U.S. MARINE CORPS CAPTAIN (RET.): Well, life in Afghanistan today under Taliban rule is I mean, frankly, extremely challenging. Afghanistan is on track for a 30% reduction in GDP. There are food shortage crisis, to say nothing of what life is like right now for women in Afghanistan, under the Taliban regime. So it's pretty bleak.

SCIUTTO: Is it a failed state? I mean, we're talking about a country now that also there are warnings about becoming a haven again, for terrorists?

ACKERMAN: Well, I think we've seen it already has become a haven for terrorists. A number of weeks ago, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda was in Kabul and killed.

So, you know, any hopes that the United States had, that the Taliban would be in some way chastened after 20 years of war and would no longer provide sanctuary to terrorists, I think, has been disproven. So you know, right now, unfortunately, Afghanistan under the Taliban has turned into a bit of a black hole. And we as the United States don't have much agency there.

SCIUTTO: The -- as you know, the vast majority of those eligible for an SIV, as it's known folks who served with the U.S. during the occupation, have not yet been able to get out of the country. I've been in touch with the family in that category. I'm sure you have been as well. John Kirby, of the NSC told me this weekend that the U.S. remains committed to getting us allies out. And I wonder, do you believe that commitment?

ACKERMAN: Well, I don't know what that commitment means. If we don't have the capacity as a country to get people out of Afghanistan. We have no embassy in Afghanistan. And again, there's no U.S. footprint there.

But the thing that, you know, we can do as Americans for our Afghan partners and allies is, as you mentioned, at the top of the segment, the 80,000 have come to the United States, they currently do not have the capacity to work because they are here under humanitarian parole, and their status is uncertain going forward.

So there's legislation, the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would allow them to green cards and put them on the pathway to work in this country, and eventually become citizens. And you know, and these people who, you know, who interpreters and others who fought alongside us, I mean, they might not be American citizens. But they're American heroes. And we still have the opportunity in this country to do right by them. So the Afghan Adjustment Act is critically important.

SCIUTTO: Many of those heroes, as you described them, remain back in that country and under severe threat, some of them in hiding because of threats from the Taliban early on in this veterans groups, we're doing yeoman's work getting them out sometimes, you know, on planes over the border in the middle of the night, that sort of thing. Are they still able to do so?

ACKERMAN: Well, It's become much more difficult, you know, a year ago as Kabul was falling, there was a, you know, a massive crowd sourced evacuation underway and in which veterans groups and others were pulling people out through the airports that remained open.

The challenge now is there are no airports that remain open. And now the Taliban is firmly controlled. Many of our one time allies are in hiding and a fear for their life. So there are some who are smuggling themselves over the border, but it's few and far between.

[10:55:29]

SCIUTTO: As you know, there was an agreement negotiated by the prior administration to withdraw from Afghanistan under Trump. But Biden was president when he ordered this this withdrawal here and finally took those troops out. I wonder, who do you hold responsible for the situation on the ground in Afghanistan today? And for those allies left behind?

ACKERMAN: Well, you know, we're talking about a 20 year war that spanned four different presidencies of two different parties. So I think there's plenty of blame to go around when we look at the strategic endgame. And I don't think you can place it solely on Biden soldiers -- shoulders or on Trump's shoulders.

But I think the most important thing is to say what can we do right now. And I think the two things that we can do is try to keep faith with our allies. We're still trying to get out of the country, and do right by the Afghans who have come to the United States with measures like the Afghan adjustment.

SCIUTTO: Elliot Ackerman, Marine Veteran, also author of the new book, "The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan," a story of all this and what can be done. Thanks so much for joining us this morning.

ACKERMAN: Thanks for having me.

HARLOW: All right. Tonight, Serena Williams take center stage at the U.S. Open in New York, our Sports Anchor Andy Scholes joins us. So could this could this be her last match of a remarkable career?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: I mean, it certainly could, Poppy. You know, it could be the last time we see Serena play in a singles match in her career. And you know what, for one thing's for sure, it's going to be an amazing scene tonight.

Arthur Ashe Stadium, sellout crowd under those lights there in Flushing Meadows, Serena is going to be taking on Danka Kovinic, the 80th ranked player in the world. Serena has never lost in the first round of the U.S. Open. A lot of people certainly hoping she can make a miracle run and a record tying 24th Grand Slam title. But no matter what happens, everyone's really soaking in these final Serena moments including her peers, who grew up idolizing her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NAOMI OSAKA, 4-TIME GRAND SLAM CHAMPION: She changed the sport so much. She's introduced people that have never heard of tennis into the sport and I think I'm a product of what she's done.

COCO GAUFF, WORLD NO. 12 PLAYER: A lot of times being a woman and in the world of black women in the world, you kind of settle for less and I feel like Serena just taught me that from watching her she never settled for less. I don't -- I can't think of a moment in her career, in her life that she settled for less.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: And now Serena will also get the chance to play with her sister Venus again, the two getting a wildcard in the doubles draw. It's going to be the first time they're playing together since 2018. And Poppy, so no matter what happens tonight, Serena is going to play with Venus later in the week that doubles start on Wednesday, that match could be Wednesday or Thursday so it'd be pretty cool to see them playing together once again.

HARLOW: I told my husband I really want to go to the U.S. Open tonight and he just laughed because, you know, sold out.

SCHOLES: Yeah, it's certainly -- our ticket gone by.

HARLOW: I know. Andy, before you go, the NFL's returned obviously is coupled with some really significant headlines this morning.

SCHOLES: Yeah, scary incident in D.C. last night, Poppy. According to Metro Police Washington commanders running back Brian Robinson was shot multiple times in his lower extremity shortly before 6 p.m. They don't know if it was a carjacking attempt or just an armed robbery. Robinson was taken to a nearby hospital.

Commander say his injuries are non-life threatening, head coach Ron Rivera tweeting that he visited Robertson in the hospital and the rookie appreciate all the love and support he's been getting and he says he'll be back soon to doing what he does best.

Police have identified two potential suspects and recovered a firearm a short distance from where the incident occurred. Robinson was a third round pick by the commander's this season after five seasons at Alabama.

Now the bills meanwhile releasing rookie punter Matt Araiza over the weekend. Araiza and two of his former San Diego State teammates were named in a civil lawsuit accusing them of raping a 17-year-old at a Halloween party last year.

Bills General Manager Brandon Bean, it said the team first learned about situation last month but we're still trying to gather the facts. Araiza is saying in a statement before he was released. The facts of the incident are not what they are portrayed in the lawsuit or in the press.

I look forward to quickly setting the record straight. No criminal charges, Poppy, have been filed against Araiza but San Diego's district attorney's office says they are still reviewing that case.

HARLOW: Andy, we appreciate all of those updates. Thank you very much. And thanks to all of you for joining us today. We'll see you back here tomorrow morning. I'm Poppy Harlow.

SCIUTTO: We will indeed. We'll be watching for that launch or any news on it in the coming days. I'm Jim Sciutto. Erica Hill continues our coverage right now.