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Trump In Ohio For Rally To Support J.D. Vance; Video Shows Bird Strike That Brought Down Navy Jet Last Year; Actress Soleil Moon Frye Recounts Visit With Ukrainian Refugees; New Jersey Bear Closes Door On Command; Aired 8-9p ET

Aired September 17, 2022 - 20:00   ET

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

[20:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, AMS METEOROLOGIST: But it will start to make more of a right-hand turn to the north, steering it away from the U.S. mainland.

However, I will caution, it's still likely to incur some rip currents and push a lot of high surf up along the east coast of Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: And the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN EDITOR-AT-LARGE: This is amongst the most powerful of images we've seen so far.

And the grandchildren. This is not a state occasion, this is saying good-bye to their grandmother.

ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT These 50 migrants have been transferred voluntarily to Joint Base Cape Cod. They're going to have access to, of course, food, shelter, medical care, legal services, as well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are here today to tell Governor DeSantis that he has to stop using our pain, our suffering, and our desperation for his political gain.

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Biden's first-ever face-to- face meetings with the families of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan since they were detained in Russia.

SEN. JIM RISCH (R-ID): I would have done it sooner. Still need to deal with the families and explain there are limited things that you can do when you have this kind of a situation going on.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BROWN: I'm Pamela Brown in Washington. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(MUSIC)

BROWN: A kingdom celebrates the life of its queen. A family mourns the loss of its matriarch. The queen's eight grandchildren came together to hold vigil as she lies in state.

Outside Westminster Hall, tens of thousands of mourners gather to pay their respects. The line stretching for miles, and the wait at times surpassing an astonishing 24 hours.

President Biden and the first lady arrived in London not long ago. They will be among heads of state from around the world to attend the queen's funeral on Monday.

And a short time ago, we learned that the queen consort, Camilla, will pay tribute to the queen in a televised message tomorrow with black- and-white film capturing the public's love for her even decades ago.

CNN's Max Foster has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A steady tide of mourners pouring into the ancient Westminster Hall. It looks and feels like a pilgrimage.

After hours waiting in line, a personal moment of thanks to the queen.

(CROSSTALK)

FOSTER: King Charles III with his son, Prince William, met them outside to the delight of those waiting.

PRINCE WILLIAM, PRINCE OF WALES: It means an awful lot that you are here.

FOSTER: They had queued for hours and came from across the United Kingdom and the world.

(CROSSTALK)

FOSTER: Security was tight.

(CROSSTALK)

FOSTER: There was a phones-down rule as well. A royal source told CNN it was so people can enjoy the moment with their new King.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shake hands. Enjoy your stay. Make the much of it.

FOSTER: The queen's youngest son, Prince Edward, also approach the crowds alongside his wife, the Countess of Wessex. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seventy years on the throne. She's such a loved lady, that it's just the right thing to do. I think, I saw a lot of people in the line there who are feeling, lots of different nations and colors and everything here. It's just lovely.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is good morale. It is a good day. Everyone is feeling really positive. It's a lovely atmosphere.

FOSTER: The king also made time to thank emergency responders ahead of the state funeral, which police say will be their largest ever operation.

Global leaders continue to descend on London for the big Monday event, paying tributes and signing condolences at Lancaster House.

JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: She was our queen for almost half of our country's existence, who came of age under her reign.

FOSTER: They also lined up in Westminster Hall, paying their respects. And some even sharing a meal with the king and other royals at Buckingham Palace.

And then a somber vigil for the queen from her grandchildren that she helped bring up.

Prince William and Harry, both in ceremonial uniform. Harry, under special dispensation by the King, adorned with medals presented by the Queen to mark her many jubilees, and also his military service.

The brothers bow their heads at opposite sides of the coffin.

Their cousins, Eugenie and Beatrice, Zara and Peter, as well as the youngest, Lady Louise, and 14-year-old Viscount Severn, stood firm facing the crowds, a show of unity for the nation in mourning.

[20:05:11]

(BANGING)

FOSTER: In the words of Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, "a collective loss for a matriarch, a beloved Queen, and a beloved grandmother."

Max Foster, CNN, Westminster, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: Let's continue our coverage in London with CNN's Anna Stewart.

Anna, it is 1:00 a.m. there. It is cold there, as well. I see you wearing a jacket. Thanks for staying with us.

Throughout the day, you've been there talking to people waiting in line for hours. What are they telling you?

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: It is my pleasure to be here. I am actually wearing a double coat because, you're right, it has gotten chilly.

Looking at the live government tracker for this queue, it runs 15 hours start to finish. The people here are only a couple of miles through the route. They've been queued for three to four hours.

How's everyone feeling?

UM: Good. Yourself?

STEWART: Very well. Cold.

UM: Now, it's not cold yet.

(CROSSTALK)

STEWART: Not cold?

Essentially, you will find -- I'm afraid they're going quite fast at this stage or I would stop more people, it's pretty cold.

They're pretty stoic. The feeling all through the day and the last few days that they have been doing there queue is they're really happy to be joining it, even if it stretches to 24 hours, even if it is cold.

They like sharing memories of the queen. And ultimately, their goal is to pay their final respects. And they are running out of time, given the state funeral is on Monday -- Pamela?

BROWN: Yes. When do you expect them to shut down the line, given the fact that it is on Monday?

STEWART: Well, it's kind of anyone's guess at the moment. So 6:30 a.m. on Monday is when Westminster Hall will close to the public.

Right now, the queue is about 15 hours, so you would imagine sometime tomorrow afternoon. But really the queue seems to stretch and shorten every couple of hours. It's really anyone's guess.

At this stage, it is last chance. And people have decided, as they saw David Beckham yesterday. And today, King Charles and Prince William showing up.

I think people have been drawn by the star-studded people that you might get to see in the que and also, you might see at the vigil. I think it's over now.

But seeing the grandchildren, seeing Prince William and Prince Harry surround the coffin would have been the most incredible surprise to so many of the people that were lucky enough to be entering Westminster Hall at that time.

It is a very special moment for the British public. I've been amazed at how helpful the crowds here are, how kind they are to each other.

You'll see actually a lot of them are wearing blankets. The marshals have been giving them out. Clearly, they are a bit worried about the temperatures.

But everyone, no matter how far they have walked, no matter what age they are, no matter whether they have kids -- I've seen people with walking sticks -- they seem happy to be here. So it's a great atmosphere.

BROWN: Even the guy in the T-shirt that walked by you seemed happy. And it's really cold out there. That tells you something.

All right. Anna Stewart, thanks again for staying up late for us. We appreciate it.

CNN will have live coverage of the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II beginning Monday at 5:00 a.m.

The migrant relocations are now a war of words and threats with people caught in the middle.

The Department of Homeland Security took aim today saying Texas, Arizona and Florida governors are using the migrants as props and putting them in danger.

And attorneys representing more than 30 migrants flown to Massachusetts want the state U.S. attorney and attorney general to open criminal investigations.

Meanwhile, Ron DeSantis said the recent migrants' flights are just the beginning, and he will spend every penny of Florida's $12 million relocation budget to fund more flights to northeast cities.

CNN's Athena Jones has more -- Athena?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONES: Hi, Pamela. New York City has seen an unprecedented number of new arrivals, almost 12,000 in recent weeks. About 8,500 are being housed in the city's shelter system.

But now Mayor Eric Adams, in an exclusive interview with WCBS, a local affiliate, saying the city is considering housing some of these migrants at least temporarily on cruise ships.

This is something they don't know if they can do it but they're going to look into it because they need options.

He also said the city anticipates adding 38 additional emergency shelters to the already 23 emergency shelters that have been propped up to deal with this influx of migrants.

Now there's a welcome center that's been opened the last few weeks here in New York City. It's being housed out of the American Red Cross headquarters.

And there these migrants can get access to legal services, to health screenings, COVID vaccines, and the like.

[20:09:58]

Meanwhile in Martha's Vineyard, those 50 migrants arrived on Wednesday unannounced, with no coordination. They have now been transferred to Joint Base Cape Cod.

That's operating as an emergency shelter. And there, they will also get similar wrap-around services, access to mental health counseling, legal services, crisis counseling, health care, food, clothing, and the like.

Civil rights attorneys, who are helping those migrants on Martha's Vineyard, say one of their biggest concerns after interviewing dozens of them is the lack of coordination and sort of the difficult position this has put these people in.

Listen to what one of those attorneys had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED HUMAN RIGHTS ATTORNEY: They were lied to again and again and fraudulently induced aboard the planes. They were told there was a surprise present for them and that there would be jobs and housing awaiting for them when they arrived.

This was obviously a sadistic lie. Not only did those responsible for this stunt know that there was no housing and no employment awaiting the migrants, they also very intentionally chose not to call ahead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: And that lawyer went on to say that some of the migrants they spoke with have hearings -- they're meant to appear in immigration proceedings as early as Monday, but in places that are thousands of miles away from Massachusetts. So San Antonio, Texas, where these planes originated, or Tacoma, Washington.

Now to be clear, something that we have to remind everyone, these migrants are not here unauthorized. They're not illegal aliens. They are asylum seekers who have been processed by federal immigration authorities, and they're awaiting court dates.

Under law, those folks waiting for a determination of whether they can have asylum. They are not here unlawfully.

We know this is a potent political issue for these red state governors. It's really getting the attention that they want and riling up their base.

We know the Republican base cares a great deal about the issue of immigration -- Pamela?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: All right. Thanks so much for that.

The weather this weekend is bringing both hope and fear to crews battling California's massive wildfires.

The Mosquito Fire, north of Sacramento, has scorched nearly 72,000 acres since igniting more than a week ago. And high winds in the forecast may spread it further.

But there's hope in the weather, as well. Some rain is coming.

CNN's Camila Bernal joins us now from Los Angeles.

Camila, we have more now from Los Angeles. The Mosquito Fire is now California's biggest wildfire of the year.

How much are fire officials counting on this coming rainstorm to give them that much-needed help?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's much needed water, Pam. Officials saying that they believe they're going to make significant progress, thanks to the rain.

But there's a pause sometime before that rain, and it is going to be very windy. We're talking wind speeds that can get to 25 to 35 miles per hour.

And that's concerning because winds that are so fast can spread those flames very quickly. Not only do they spread the flames quickly, they also pick up embers and spread them.

That causes spot fires. And those spot fires create even more work for these firefighters that are already working around the clock.

Unfortunately, the fire has already burned more than 71,000 acres. We're waiting for assessment teams to hear about how many of those homes or structures have been destroyed. So we are expecting a number from Cal Fire.

But we know that some of the evacuation orders are being lifted, in part. thanks to that rain. Officials telling people to be vigilant and to pay attention because they may be able to return to their homes.

Now this may slow the spread but, later on in the week, we are expecting higher temperatures. So this could continue over the long term -- Pam?

BROWN: All right Camila Bernal, thank you.

The Biden administration makes clear to the families of two Americans detained in Russia, getting them home is a priority. Can Congress help free Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan?

Hear more from my interview with the ranking Republican on the Senate foreign relations committee up next.

Plus, we are seven weeks away from the midterms. So what did we learn in the primary season? CNN's Chris Cillizza will join us.

[20:14:04] And stunning video just released showing the dramatic moments before a military pilot and his trainer are forced to eject as their jet crashes into a Texas neighborhood. What brought down their plane, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: President Biden is making a promise to families of detained Americans overseas.

Talking with the families of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan at the White House on Friday, Mr. Biden pledged his continued commitment to working through all available avenues to bring their loved ones home safely from Russia.

Arlette Saenz has the details from Washington.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Pamela, the families of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan were pushing for a meeting with President Biden for months, and they finally got those face-to-face sit-downs with the president in the Oval Office on Friday evening.

The White House this afternoon released new photos of those meetings, which the president held separately.

One with Elizabeth Whelan, sister of Paul Whelan, an American detained in Russia for more than three years, and another meeting with the wife of WNBA star, Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia since February.

The national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, also was on hand for both of those meetings.

The White House has said that those meetings offered the president a chance to try to show his commitment to these families that he is doing everything he can to try to get their loved ones home.

Now shortly after her meeting with the president, Cherelle Griner spoke with our colleague, Abby Phillip, and said, that while the meeting didn't result in the news she had been hoping to hear, it, quote, "allowed me to have confidence in what he's doing right now."

Elizabeth Whelan also released a statement today in which she said the meetings show at that White House is, quote, "fully engaged and using the tools at their disposal to try to get their loved ones back to the U.S."

[20:19:59]

But simply put, these meetings did not have the results of exactly what they were hoping for which is Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan to return to the United States.

Now the U.S. has offered a proposal to Russia that includes swapping a convicted arms dealer for those two Americans. So far, the White House has said that Russia has not provided a serious counteroffer to their proposal.

A senior administration official says while there has been some movement in these discussions, there really hasn't been any big breakthrough to ultimately get these Americans home.

So for the time being, the White House is trying to show their commitment, offer assurances to their families that they're doing everything they can to get their loved ones home as they are hoping that that might happen soon -- Pamela?

BROWN: All right. Arlette Saenz, thank you.

I sat down with Senator Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Here's what he said about whether the Biden administration can actually keep its promise to bring Griner and Whelan home from Russia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RISCH: I would have done it sooner. I think others would have done it sooner. But it was his choice.

And obviously, those families need attention, there's no question about it. And we continue to urge the administration to do all it can.

BROWN: You sit on the Foreign Relations Committee on the Senate. What more can be done to help these Americans?

RISCH: Particularly, in the place we're in right now, where we are head-to-head with Russia over Ukraine -- we aren't the only one, of course. Our 29 other NATO partners are in the same position. That makes it very difficult to do these kinds of things. It's going the other direction.

You know, there were 700 American companies doing business in Russia when this started. That's down to virtually zero now. Everyone has pulled out. The trade is -- has dropped way off.

It's going to be difficult, there's no question about it. On the other hand, you still need to deal with the families and explain to them that, you know, there are limited things that you can do when you have this kind of situation going on.

BROWN: Do you see any scenario where they're not brought back to the U.S.?

RISCH: Well, I guess it's all a matter of time. In most instances, we do get the people back, but that's not always the case. So -- but the calendar's a different ball game.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And Griner has been sentenced to nine years after pleading guilty to carrying vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage. Whelan has been imprisoned in Russia for more than three years after being convicted on espionage charges that he denies.

You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. And tonight, an Ohio Senate candidate gets mocked by his Democratic rival for rallying on the night of an Ohio State football game.

CNN's Chris Cillizza is here to weigh in on that and more as we count down to the midterms just 52 days away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:27:29]

BROWN: Well, primary season is officially over, and election deniers handpicked by former President Donald Trump dominated a lot of Republican races.

Twenty-two nominees for governor, 11 nominees for secretary of state, and 19 nominees for the Senate either rejected or cast doubt on the 2020 election results.

CNN politics reporter and editor-at-large, Chris Cillizza, says that might not be the greatest news for Republicans on Election Day coming up. He joins us now to break it all down.

All right. So the New Hampshire primary was a bit of a curious one. A month ago, you had the now-Republican nominee for the Senate being a diehard election denier, telling everyone that Trump was robbed. Now he's singing a very different tune.

CHRIS CILLIZZA, CNN POLITICS REPORTER & CNN EDITOR-AT-LARGE: It's remarkable.

BROWN: It's shameless.

CILLIZZA: It really is -- that's a good word for it.

August 14th, there was a Republican primary debate in New Hampshire. Bolduc, the nominee who you referenced, says out and out, I believe Donald Trump won this election. No equivocation, no nothing.

Then Don Bolduc nominee, he wins the nomination on Tuesday -- I think we have sound. Let's play what he said after he became the Republican nominee roughly one month later.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON BOLDUC (R), U.S. SENATE NOMINEE FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE: I signed a letter with 120 other generals and admirals saying that Trump won the election and, dammit, I stand by my words.

(CHEERING)

(APPLAUSE)

BOLDUC: I have come to the conclusion -- I and want to be definitive on this -- the election was not stolen. Was there fraud? Yes. President Biden is the legitimate president of this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CILLIZZA: So the remarkable thing is what he said in the longer clip is he said, "I conducted my own independent investigation, and I've just now reached the conclusion."

Which very conveniently happened after he won the Republican primary, that in fact Joe Biden did win.

This is a position that we've seen other Republicans make. Blake Masters in Arizona is one example.

So sort of trying to walk back some of the positions that they took in a primary. But we haven't seen it this quickly after taking the position, Pam.

I think it speaks to the challenge Republican candidates, they have to be in the election denial camp to win Republican primaries, but then in general elections, that position doesn't fly.

BROWN: Yes.

CILLIZZA: So they're having to really in Bolduc's case having to change on the run.

BROWN: Right.

[20:29:58]

CILLIZZA: And anyone who watches those two sound bytes can say that doesn't really fly.

BROWN: Yes. They don't have enough time before the midterms to like slowly start to pivot away there it because --

CILLIZZA: Ease away from their past position.

BROWN: Right. Because they only have a couple of months in the case of New Hampshire.

All right. So I want to talk about this New York Times poll that came out this week and it confirmed a democratic surge over the last few months. Let's take a look at this year. From July to September, Democrats saying the country is on the right track. Have gone from 27 percent to 50 percent. Democrats who say they approve of Biden's job performance has gone up from 70 percent now to 83 percent. What do you think this is?

CILLIZZA: A couple of things. One, I think Biden has gotten some wins. He was sort of constantly, you know, the inflation was up, gas prices were up. Those are things people feel, right? When they go to the store, if things cost more, they feel that. If they go fill up the gas tank and it's $75, they feel that. That's gone away a little bit. I think. BROWN: But hold on though, but inflation. I mean, gas prices have gone down, but inflation is still.

CILLIZZA: Is still high, but it we're not seeing surge, surge, surge. I think the other thing is Donald Trump has reemerged. Donald Trump has become a factor in the election again. I think anytime Donald Trump rears his head, that's good for Joe Biden. Donald Trump is not popular, particularly among the general electorate. So I think that helps.

BROWN: All right. Let's talk about Donald Trump because he is in Ohio to campaign for his candidate there, J.D. Vance. Trump won Ohio in 2016 and 2020. But this year's Senate race is close. Vance leads by just four points over Tim Ryan. Could this be a sign that Trump's power among Republicans is diminishing? How should we read into this?

CILLIZZA: The fact that we're talking about Ohio 50. I'm trying to remember what it was, 52 days before the election. The fact that we're talking about Ohio speaks to the fact that the electorate isn't as tilted toward Republicans as I think we might have thought it might be.

Ohio was a swing state. I remember when I first started covering this in 2000. If you said what's the swing state in the election, people would say Ohio, nationally. It's tilted more towards Republicans of late. Donald Trump carried it twice, has a Republican governor, most of the elected officials in the state at the statewide level of Republicans.

This is not a state where a Democrat, in a midterm election year, the first term midterm of a Democratic president. This is not a state where a Democratic congressman should be within shouting distance. Why is he? I think that J.D. Vance has been a pretty weak candidate and people know him from Hillbilly Elegy, bestseller. Look, I have a book coming out in next year. I'd love for my book to be a bestseller. I don't begrudge him that.

But as a candidate, he hasn't been as sort of a boy I think as Republicans had hoped. This is one of the candidates that Donald Trump endorsed. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania has won, Herschel Walker in Georgia has one. We have seen those candidates struggle somewhat on the campaign trail. So I think he's let Tim Ryan into the race. The question is, now that it's close, does it stay close?

And, you know, Republicans, Mitch McConnell's leadership, PAC is spending over $20 million in Ohio. That's money he didn't want to have to spend their money. It's money he wants to spend in a place like Georgia, you know, in other offensive opportunities, Colorado, maybe where Michael Bennet is up for reelection.

So it shouldn't be close. On the numbers on this year, it shouldn't be close. The fact that it is speaks to -- Tim Ryan is a pretty good candidate. J.D. Vance has struggled as a candidate and I think the political environment is not as tilted towards Republicans as we might have thought it was three months ago. BROWN: I want to ask you about this, because J.D. Vance has been mocked by his opponent, Tim Ryan, for holding the rally tonight opposite in Ohio State football game. I mean, do attacks like this really work or are they just silly?

CILLIZZA: So -- well, as a child of the South you know how -- you know how big football is? So I --

BROWN: Basketball where I'm from. Football is big too, but really basketball.

CILLIZZA: Kentucky's good this year?

BROWN: Yes. We were (INAUDIBLE)

CILLIZZA: Well, here's what I think. A one-off attack like this doesn't necessarily work. He draws a little bit of attention. And, yes, you know, holding a rally the same night as an Ohio State football game. But it can work if it feels like it's a piece of a broader argument. What Tim Ryan is trying to say is J.D. Vance isn't really from here. J.D. Vance doesn't get us, right? J.D. he said Silicon Valley J.D. Vance. He doesn't get who we are, what we care about, we Ohioans, and that's what LSU football.

So it can work as part of that broader package. I don't think a lot of voters are going into the ballot box in November and say, well, they did have that Trump rally the night of the OSU-Toledo game, you know, I --

BROWN: Right.

CILLIZZA: -- don't think that decides it. But people vote for candidates they feel identify with them, whether it's identify with their hopes, their fears, their dreams. If you are out of touch or seen as out of touch as inauthentic, that can be bad in the campaign. So that's what Tim Ryan's going for. Whether it works or not, we'll see. You know, I think J.D. Vance's bet is probably it's worth getting the attention and the Republican base rallying that Donald Trump coming into the state does for him, because it is a Republican tilting state. So if you have a Republican, popular Republican President, which Donald Trump still isn't the Republican base, it's probably worth the hit he takes.

[20:35:25]

BROWN: He'll probably do it. I'm probably going to get a hit for this. It's worth it. It's calculation you have to make.

All right. Chris Cillizza, thanks for coming in on a Saturday night.

CILLIZZA: Always a pleasure.

BROWN: Great to have you with us. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Still ahead. BROWN: Have you seen this shocking new video showing what led to a military jet crash last year. Why birds can pose such a big risk to pilots? Up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:40:00]

BROWN: Turning to this developing story now. Three people are dead after a midair collision in Colorado. The accident happened in Boulder County and federal investigators said there were two separate crash sites. Authorities have not yet identified the three people who died in that crash.

Meanwhile, just amazing video recently coming in to CNN showing what caused the crash of a military jet a year ago. Look at this. The U.S. Navy training jet was supposed to land at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, instead, a bird flew into that aircraft and caused a crash in a Lake Worth, Texas neighborhood that hospitalized the pilot instructor and the student.

CNN aviation expert, Peter Goelz joins us now. I mean that video, Peter. Do jet pilots train for bird strikes? This isn't the first time we've heard about something like this happening.

PETER GOELZ, CNN AVIATION EXPERT: Well, unfortunately, bird strikes are fairly common. But this was extraordinary video that was -- since it was a military plane, it was on a training flight. It really showed just how precise the decision making has to be.

I mean, these pilots had less than 30 seconds to make life or death decisions. And they did what they could to save the aircraft and then ejected at the very last minute, but the video is just extraordinary.

BROWN: OK. I want to go back to what you said at the beginning that this -- these kinds of things happen fairly often. That -- that's pretty scary. That -- when I hear that, I feel, you know, like wait, what?

GOELZ: Well, it does happen fairly regularly, you know, when we all remember Captain Sullenberger --

BROWN: Of course, yes.

GOELZ: -- extraordinary landing. And that's -- and he flew into a flock of Canada geese that knocked out both his engines, you know. And it happens regularly. Engines are designed to ingest birds up to a certain size and still keep flying. Luckily, pilots are well trained to be able to shut that if it's a two engine plane, to shut the engine down and get the plane back on the ground.

In this case, you had, you know, a high performance trainer coming in. They were on final. They're less than four miles out, less than a thousand feet, a very vulnerable part of the flight. And all of a sudden they lost their shingle engine. I mean, it was a challenging situation. BROWN: Yes, challenging to say the least. But I understand why part of it had to be beeped out. I can't imagine what they were saying as that bird was flying into the engine. So I want to talk really quickly about this midair collision that involved a fixed wing, single-engine plane and a home built aircraft. How do things like that happen? I mean, do these small planes have the equipment? That those pilots if another plane is close?

GOELZ: Yes, they're pretty sparsely equipped. And for those kinds of aircraft, the rule is see and avoid. You know, keep your eyes peeled, particularly when you're near traffic patterns and avoid all other flights.

And in this case, you have a -- the Cessna is an overwing plane. The sport aircraft was an underwing plane. We don't know yet from radar tracks how they impacted, but they might have been in their blind spot. And that has happened on a number of occasions in which -- because of the design of the aircraft, and the way they come together, the pilots just couldn't see each other.

And, you know, these sport aircrafts are wonderful planes. But there'll also be questions raised about who was flying and how much experience they had in both planes.

[20:45:04]

BROWN: All right. Peter Goelz, nice to see you. Thank you.

GOELZ: Good seeing you. Thank you

BROWN: And I'd like to take a moment now to remember a longtime member of the CNN family that we lost this week. Page Pate was a trusted legal voice on our network, who shared his expertise with us time and time again. He provided CNN and our viewers valuable insight and perspective into some of the nation's most high-profile legal cases.

In a statement, his law firm said, though he was a formidable and sometimes intimidating attorney in the courtroom, Page had an easy smile and earnest laugh and a great sense of humor. He was guided by his faith and his creator but he had an open heart and an open mind to all.

Our thoughts are with his wife Elizabeth and their two sons, Chatham and Asher. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:50:31]

BROWN: Child actor, Soleil Moon Frye, has long since turned her Punky Brewster T.V. sitcom fame into an adult life of activism, aimed at making the world a better place. Her latest effort, Ukrainians running from Russia's war on their country.

CNN's Chloe Melas spoke with a former actress about her recent trip to a Ukrainian refugee camp. Chloe. CHLOE MELAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Pamela, Soleil spent one week with Ukrainian refugees in Poland and listened to their stories of how they escaped with just the clothes on their backs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEIL MOON FRYE, CORE BOARD MEMBER: The courage of these families and the heart of these people and the face of such adversity is just incredible. And I dream about them every night. I think about their faces and these beautiful children. You have 8-year-old, 12-year-old, 14-year-old in this -- in this beautiful family who has nothing, except for each other and the clothes on their back.

I was able to visit with over 400 families in western Ukraine that are refugees and IDPs. And the stories are gut-wrenching everything from children who had been living in a gymnasium for five months to these incredible families who I met who had just come over 12 hours earlier, three children, clothes on their back, school teacher, kindergarten teacher who had to leave because of the threats to the nuclear power plant in her neighborhood.

Met another woman on the train and her beautiful story. Her home had been missilesd, it was no longer there. They had to evacuate. One of the most heart-wrenching parts of this was not only to see these beautiful children, both of their sons were 14 years old. And they were stripped searched. And the army was claiming that they were over 14 years old. So these boys are stripped searched naked. And these mothers just pulling their sons away saying, no, they're only 14 years old. And they were the fortunate ones that were able to get their sons out. There are so many people that have not been able to get their families out.

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MELAS: But she also crossed the border into western Ukraine and spoke to people who aren't ready to say goodbye to the country that they love or can't because they have elderly relatives to care for. Some not wanting to go because their husbands must stay and fight.

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FRYE: Some of these families who I came to love so much, their parents are elderly. They can't be that far away from them. There has been strong fighting. They don't want to be that far away from them. So they are -- they're in a -- they're in a position in which they are there with your heart and soul to stay in the country that they love in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MELAS: Pamela, Soleil says with winter months coming, the people of Ukraine need help now more than ever to improve their current living situations, and that they are in need of critical resources like food and water and a safe place to live.

BROWN: All Right cool. Chloe Melas, thank you. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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BROWN: Be honest, what would you do if a bear entered your home? Jeanne Moos can tell us.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Knock, knock. Who's there? Close the door you little stinker. There are a lot of little and big stinkers living in the woods around Susan Kehoe's Vernon, New Jersey home, but only one of them does this.

SUSAN KEHOE, NEW JERSEY RESIDENT: Close the door sweetie.

MOOS: A bear polite enough to wipe his feet. And more than that --

KEHOE: Close the door. Close the door. Good boy.

MOOS: How did you do that?

KEHOE: Well, I'm into the bear did it. Good boy. Close it. Close it. Oh, what a good boy.

MOOS: Susan says she didn't train the bear. She just urged him to close it after he nudged open the door she'd left ajar one day.

KEHOE: That guy is pretty damn smart.

MOOS: She says he's done it maybe two dozen times.

How come you're so relaxed? You're so chill.

KEHOE: Because I know Bears.

MOOS: Susan has been a bear activist for years, fighting against the hunting of bears. She says this female hanging out in her hammock once left three cubs on her porch.

KEHOE: They drop their cubs. Well, they know they're safe here for me to babysit.

MOOS: As for the doorknob puller, she warns folks not to try this at home.

So does that have a name?

KEHOE: Mr. Doorman.

MOOS: Susan says the gash on his head may have been from a fight with another male or maybe he ran into a door. Whatever. With a voice like honey, she calls it hon.

KEHOE: No, no, no, Hon. The door.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN.

KEHOE: Good boy, Good. All the way, Hon. All the way.

MOOS: New York.

KEHOE: Good boy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty starts now.

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