Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Tropical Storm Ian Strengthens With Florida In Crosshairs; Interview With Naples, Florida Mayor Teresa Heitmann; Lavrov Accuses The West Of Trying To Destroy Russia In U.N. Speech; Remote Parts Of Russia Stunned By Putin's Forced Conscription; Nation's Balance Of Power At Stake In November Elections; Tight Races Across The Country Ahead Of November Elections; Trump Again Teases Run In 2024; Trump In Secret Court Fight To Stop Aides From Sharing Information About 1/6 With Grand Jury; Multiple Overdoses Prompt L.A. Schools to Supply Narcan. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired September 24, 2022 - 17:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:00:18]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This could end up becoming a major hurricane in just the next two to three days. If you live in Florida, go ahead and start preparing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can't wait until the last minute.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This looks like a big one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hurricane Fiona is now a post tropical cyclone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've had hurricanes here in Nova Scotia and Maritime Canada before but this one is pretty bad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This race is arguably the best chance Democrats have of taking up a senate seat in 2022 and this has also gotten very personal.

JOHN FETTERMAN (D), PENNSYLVANIA SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: Dr. Oz never stops reminding that I had a stroke. There's at least one person in this audience right now that's filming me hoping that I mess up some words.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Russian men being wrenched away to fight. Terrified. Loved ones being sent to kill or be killed in Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: I'm Pamela Brown in Washington. You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Well, what had been a sleepy Atlantic hurricane season is now roaring to life and millions of Americans are right in the path. This is Tropical Storm Ian churning across the warm, energizing waters of the Caribbean.

It's expected to strengthen to a hurricane before slamming into Florida next week. And if forecast models are accurate, it will be the first major hurricane to hit the state in four years.

Floridians are heeding the warnings. They're stocking up on water, fuel and supplies. And this afternoon Florida's governor expanded a state of emergency to blanket the entire state.

He says conditions are, quote, "projected to constitute a major disaster".

Just minutes ago the National Hurricane Center issued its latest update. Let's go straight to the CNN Weather Center where CNN's Britley Ritz is tracking Ian. So what have we learned so far here Britley?

BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. The latest advisory, not much has changed other than Key West is now just outside of the cone, still an uncertain center with this storm which plays a role in where Ian may potentially make landfall.

A lot of convection, though, around several centers as it strengthens. Moving west at 60 miles per hour with max sustained winds at the center of 45 miles per hour. Expected to rapidly intensify as it moves into more conducive areas where the waters are warmer and there's less wind shear.

So we have a major hurricane expected by Tuesday afternoon weakening just before landfall. That's the current forecast but, of course, that can still change. There's a lot of uncertainty with this.

By Wednesday afternoon, 2:00 we've got winds of 130 miles per hour. Making landfall sometime Thursday afternoon, slightly weakening. Regardless we're dealing with a strong hurricane with winds of over 100 miles per hour.

Landfall still uncertain, between Panama City, back down into let's say just north of Key West in southwest Florida. That's the latest advisory.

Want to show you this, because this shows the models shifting. This is yesterday's run. The westerly shift over 150 miles from today. So there's that westerly shift showing a lot of the model runs pulling right into the panhandle of Florida.

So again, 150-mile shift, that just shows you how hard it is to get a grasp on landfall. The American model, GFS, Friday afternoon early evening making landfall somewhere on the Florida panhandle.

Back over to the European, Thursday early morning, somewhere on the west coast at this point looking like Tampa. Again, the trough that's digging further south plays a big role on the track of this system.

Regardless we know the winds are going to pick up, we're dealing with storm surge and a lot of heavy rain. With that model run, the American showing less rainfall, the trough that digs further south holds the European and brings more rainfall. Tampa north into central Florida -- north central Florida where we're talking about rainfall amounts nearing a foot, Pamela.

BROWN: Wow. And it was really interesting to see what you showed with the models shifting just over the last day. What will the hurricane center be looking for in the hours and the days ahead?

RITZ: Well, we're going to be looking at rainfall amounts increasing. We're looking at tropical storm-force winds as early as Tuesday for parts of Florida. And of course, the storm surge going to be one of the bigger issues.

[17:04:59]

BROWN: All right, Britley Ritz, I know you're going to be busy. Thanks so much for that.

And for more on Florida's scramble to prepare, let's check in with CNN's Carlos Suarez.

CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Pamela, Saturday afternoon, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expanded a state of emergency from 24 counties to the entire state of Florida.

The Florida national guard has been called up and is on standby. Exactly where they go will depend on where Ian makes landfall. Emergency officials throughout Florida are urging folks to get their hurricane supplies this weekend.

This morning in the Florida keys officials there held off on an evacuation order, parts of the lower and middle keys are still rebuilding following Hurricane Irma which hit in 2017. The storm was a category 4 hurricane.

So, Pamela, there is still plenty of time for Florida residents to prepare and adjust accordingly.

BROWN: All right. Carlos Suarez, thanks so much for that.

And for those in the projected path of Hurricane Ian, the possible dangers are obvious. Hurricane-force winds, storm surge and flooding.

Teresa Heitmann is the mayor of Naples, that's in southwest Florida. And the mayor joins us right now. So there are newest models that we are seeing show the path shifting westward. I'm sure you won't lower your guard regardless. What is your city doing to prepare, Mayor?

MAYOR TERESA HEITMANN, NAPLES COUNTY, FLORIDA: Well, the city staff is very well trained and Whey have worked on our storm drains and our (INAUDIBLE) to make sure they're clear and so I have every bit of confidence that they are experienced in hurricanes and prepared.

We're educating our new visitors and older residents of Naples and having people not to panic but just to be prepared, being prepared and making sure that they get their supplies and their water and maybe their canned foods, not forgetting they might need a manual can opener, flashlights, making sure that they have their pet plans, their evacuation facilities in place and also the evacuation routes if it comes to that.

You know, we experience this kind of adrenaline before a storm and the path could change and any time, but we want our citizens to be ready. They can go to the city of Naples Web site, that's naplesgov.com to sign up for Code Red and also detailed information of what they can do to be prepared for the storm and making sure that they take their important documents and also any other pictures or memorabilia they might be wanting to take with them.

The most important thing is we want them to be prepared and ready to go and safe in a location that's best for them.

BROWN: Yes, preparation is key. Bottom line is, Florida has not been hit with a major hurricane in four years. Do you feel like people there are taking this threat seriously, that they're taking the steps now that they need to prepare?

HEITMANN: Yes, this is the calm before the storm. I've seen lines at the gas stations and the natural gas propane. They're taking it serious and I encourage those that are not to do -- to always take a storm serious because you can never estimate where that storm might turn.

And we need to be prepared. And if it's not coming directly for us, it might have strong winds, which you need to protect yourself with plants and anything outside of your home that can become a flying saucer and also just making sure that you have the particular items that you need to survive this storm.

BROWN: Your city is a favored destination for retirees. Curious, how does that impact preparing and possible evacuations later?

HEITMANN: Well, we have awesome staff. We have awesome community, we're out to help anyone who might need assistance. Again, you can go to our city Web site for that and I know our local businesses are helping with sandbags for those that need it in case we have that storm surge, which always can happen even if we're not hit by the storm but most importantly if we are, we do get (INAUDIBLE).

BROWN: All right, Mayor Heitmann, best of luck to you. We appreciate your time.

Meanwhile, Fiona is no longer a hurricane but is lashing Canada's Atlantic Coast. It could be one of the strongest storms to ever hit Canada.

The premier of Nova Scotia where coastal homes have slid into the sea says 75 percent of the province is now without power.

Nearly a week after Fiona raked across Puerto Rico, 59 percent of the island's residents still have no electricity. That was as of last night. And despite widespread damage, safe running water has been restored to most of the country. [17:09:59]

BROWN: Up next for you on this Saturday night, arrests in Moscow. Police crack down on protesters fed up with Putin's War in Ukraine and especially his plan to mobilize hundreds of thousands more Russians for possible deployment.

Plus, a CNN exclusive. Team Trump's secret effort to stop the grand jury investigating him from gaining access to his inner circle.

And then later, a little good news for a change, more people are surviving cancer than ever before. We're going to tell you why coming up. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Well, today was Russia's turn at the podium during the U.N. General assembly and it was foreign minister Sergey Lavrov who fired back on behalf of Moscow. He says the U.S. and other critics of Russia's invasion of Ukraine are trying to, quote, "destroy his country".

[17:15:00]

BROWN: And just a reminder for you, it was Russia that launched this unprovoked war.

Lavrov also spoke out against sanctions imposed on Russia and said Washington was trying to declare itself a, quote, "envoy of God on earth".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Washington is trying to turn the entire world into its own backyard and the way of doing this is through unlawful unilateral sanctions.

The cynicism here is obvious because these restrictions hit civilians. They prevent them from getting access to basic goods including medication, vaccines and food.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Lavrov also slammed what he calls Russophobia in the west and defended the ongoing referendums, quote, "referendums" we should say, and for occupied parts of Ukraine right now.

Well, a monitoring group says nearly 1,500 protesters have been detained across Russia since the Kremlin announced its partial mobilization on Wednesday. Russians were told only those with military experience would be among the 300,000 being called up.

But some of those who just got drafted say they have never served. And as CNN's Matthew Chance reports, certain Russians in certain areas could bear the brunt of this forced conscription.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In the darkness, Russian men being wrenched away to fight. These are heartbreaking scene from Dagestan in southern Russia where wives and mothers hoping for a last glimpse of loved ones are wailing in despair.

The Kremlin says this is just a partial mobilization, but rights activists tell CNN ethnic minorities in remote regions of Russia are being disproportionately called up, one way perhaps of hiding the impact.

Across the entire country, though, an eruption of anger at Putin's forced mobilizations are seeing distraught protesters risking jail, even direct conscription into the ranks to speak out. People here are simply terrified of loved ones being sent to kill or be killed in Ukraine.

"I've got two kids of conscription age," says this professor in Moscow. "I brought them up alone and don't want to lose them," she cried.

"And for what," asks her friend. "Just so they can kill the sons of other mothers," she answers.

There are growing concerns too the Kremlin is violating its own pledge that only reservists with military experience will be called up.

But men like Artyung (ph) the coal miner in Siberia who recorded himself on the military bus taking him away insists he's never served. He was officially summoned like many other workers to join up during his shift.

"I just didn't know what to do," he says.

And thousands of Russian men of fighting age and are now desperate to avoid that fight. Cramming into trains like this one to neighboring Kazakhstan or driving to the nearest border crossing. Cheap flights have quickly sold out.

"Everyone is on the run from Russia," this man's voice says amid endless cars now making for the exits -- escaping the trauma of being sent to Putin's war.

Matthew Chance, CNN -- London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: And two Americans held captive by Russian separatists in Ukraine for three months, well, they are now back in the United States. Alexander Drueke and Andy Huynh were freed as a part of larger prisoner exchange brokered in part by Saudi Arabia. Now both are from Alabama and went to fight with Ukrainian forces earlier this year. Their families say the two men are in good health.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DIANNA SHAW, ALEXANDER DRUEKE'S AUNT: We could feel everyone's positive wishes and their prayers. It just really was uplifting to us. It's been a great effort of coordination of countries, of parties, of people. My sister likes to joke, we have bipartisan support, but it's true. It was amazing how people came together to support us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And the two families also say despite being captured neither man regrets going over to help the Ukrainians in their fight.

[17:19:58]

BROWN: Well, you are in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Saturday, six weeks until election day in America. And up next, we're going to take a closer look at the senate battle in a key swing state. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Welcome back, everybody. Taking a live look here, Washington, D.C., it is 70 degrees, 5:24 p.m. Eastern time on this Saturday, September 24th. We're glad you chose to spend some of your time with us on this Saturday night.

[17:24:50]

BROWN: Well, there are 45 days until Americans vote in the midterm elections and we know that history strongly favors the party that isn't holding the presidency.

But will 2022 be different? Consider the battle over abortion rights reignited by the Supreme Court in May when it overturned Roe v Wade. Recent polling from Marquette Law School shows 68 percent of U.S. adults believe that abortion should be legal in most or all cases with 32 percent saying it should be illegal in most or all cases.

So how much will this issue drive Democrats and Independents? Joe Biden's approval rating is (INAUDIBLE) up 3, now at 43 percent up from just 36 percent back in early August.

That's another factor that has some pundits scaling back earlier predictions of a Republican tidal wave. And in the House where all 435 seats are up for grabs, the Democrats' current majority is razor thin and it is a toss-up who takes the speaker's gavel when the dust settles.

Over in the Senate 35 of 100 seats are on the ballot, 14 currently held by Democrats, 21 held by the GOP.

And across the country, 36 states will be electing or re-electing their governors, Republicans currently hold 20 of those seats, Democrats hold 16.

But let's dig in a little deeper on Pennsylvania currently seeing one of the most contentious Senate races in the country. Blue collar Democrat John Fetterman vying against TV doctor, Mehmet Oz. CNN's Dan Merica is right there in the Keystone State following it all. So Dan, John Fetterman is ramping up his campaigning efforts after suffering that stroke back in May and now holding another rally. Tell us about it.

DAN MERICA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he had two rallies today and it really highlights the kind of challenge he has here in the commonwealth. He had one here in Philadelphia county in the sea of red and a little bit of blue in Pennsylvania. This is the bluest dot on the map. 81 percent went for Biden in 2020 and in the zip code he was in, 96 percent went for Biden in 2020 and then traveled a little bit north to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Northampton County, a county that went actually Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020.

So one of those kind of pivot counties. That really emphasizes hoe he has to both turn out the base, that's the Philadelphia event was about it was about and keep voters engaged in places like Northampton so they continue to turn out for Democrats like they did for Joe Biden.

you mention, abortion is the issue motivating most Democratic voters right now. We heard that line in Philadelphia then. And take a listen to how John Fetterman spoke about abortion in Philadelphia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FETTERMAN: Dr. Oz might be a joke. Might be a joke. But it's not funny. It's not funny because that is on the ballot here in Pennsylvania right now. I fought for Philadelphia and I'm going to fight for abortion rights here in Pennsylvania. And in America.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MERICA: Now Pam it's worth noting that this was not just his message in Philadelphia. He also mentioned something very similar in Northampton County and that really gets at how motivating this issue is for not just Democrats but Independents and leaning republicans as well.

BROWN: Yes. and as we mentioned, these were his first formal rallies since suffering that stroke and he didn't shy away from talking about the fact that he had had this stroke. How is he progressing?

MERICA: I mean honestly, this is his first formal rally in Philadelphia since that stroke in may and I'll be honest with you, he took about two months off and there were some rough moments when he came back onto the trail.

There were a few times that he would drop words. He admitted at the rally today that he has just he has some auditory issue, some speech issues where he smooshes words together or drops a word or he drops a phrase or something to that effect and we have reporting that after the stroke he went to actually a fund-raiser here and there were some attendees who were kind of struck by the auditory issues and the speech issues that he had.

I've covered him throughout this entire year. It does seem to be getting better. He seems to be progressing and is speaking for longer times on the stump as well but this has been an issue in this campaign.

Dr. Oz over, you know, over the summer he was on the defensive, the Fetterman campaign was attacking him for living in New Jersey until very recently moving to Pennsylvania to run for senate. That has been the primary attack that they have lobbed against him kind of casting him as this outsider in the commonwealth.

The Oz campaign has responded by really going after his health, at times in a somewhat mocking tone. They've released -- Oz released his letter from his doctor this week, kind of touting his health, pushing on Fetterman to release more information about his own health.

That has really kind of ramped up the personal attacks in this campaign and that speaks to how critical this race is, not just here in the commonwealth but also as you mentioned for control of the senate.

BROWN: Huge implications there. Dan Merica, thanks so much.

[17:24:48]

BROWN: Joining me with more on Pennsylvania and other key races, CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein, senior editor for "The Atlantic".

Ron, I know you love this stuff, right?

[17:30:00]

I mean, this is what you love to look at these cases as we get closer to the midterms.

Let's talk about what Dan laid out. The latest polling showing, although John Fetterman has a slight edge, it's within the margin of error.

What will make the difference in this race?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Pennsylvania is a margin of error state, Pam. It's one of those states at the tipping point of American politics that are very close and have just enormous influence in deciding which direction the country goes.

Look, for Democrats, Pennsylvania is their principal insurance policy, by which I mean it is their best chance to pick up a seat now held by Republicans and thus offset any losses of their own seats to preserve their 50/50 Senate majority.

When the year started, Republicans were optimistic about contesting as many as six Democratic Senate seats, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, New Hampshire and maybe even Colorado and Washington if things went really well.

Well, that's fallen. That's squeezed down to probably having full opportunities only in two of those six, Nevada and Georgia.

And Pennsylvania is the best chance Democrats have. As I said, if they lose one of those -- one of the seats they hold themselves at this point Pennsylvania is their best chance to offset it.

They also are very close in Wisconsin. And they are polling surprisingly well in Ohio and North Carolina, although those states, in the end, are usually tough for Democrats.

BROWN: Well, you mentioned Georgia. We've got quite the Senate match- up there between Raphael Warnock and University of Georgia football star, Herschel Walker, on the GOP side.

I'm curious to get your thoughts on this. Walker is trying this new tactic by lowering expectations about his own abilities. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERSCHEL WALKER, (R), U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE FOR GEORGIA: Talking to the voters, talking to you. You told me I got to prepare so I'm preparing.

And I'm just this country boy. I'm not that smart and he's that preacher, nice man, wear these nice suits, and showing up to embarrass me at the debate October 14th. I'll show up and I'll do my best.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Do you think that's a smart move?

BROWNSTEIN: You know, it may be the only move.

Look, Georgia is really interesting because, as I say, when the year started Republicans are really optimistic they had a chance at four Democratic incumbents.

Two of those races, New Hampshire and Arizona, look, much tougher, Republicans nominated, very far-right candidates are having trouble raising money. And those haven't come together. Nevada on the board and Georgia.

It is obviously a very closely balanced state. Biden won by only 10,000, 11,000 votes and his approval rating has declined significantly.

There does seem to be an overall tilt if you look at polling in all of the statewide races. But the personal contrast between Warnock and Walker has been so one-sided.

I mean, you know, Walker really has had trouble I think crossing the threshold for many voters of appearing to be a qualified nominee who could carry out the job of being a Senator.

The main reason he is still in this race is because our congressional races, as you know, are becoming more parliamentary, less about the individuals, and more about which side you want to control the Senate. So I think he is trying to downplay those expectations.

But in the end, when the two of them do get on the debate stage, that is going to be the moment of maximum vulnerability, I think, for Walker raising the question of whether he's really up to this job.

And there may be a lot of white-collar, suburban voters who feel good about voting for Kemp potentially and then voting for Warnock.

So I think this is a very tough race in the end for Republicans although it's likely to stay close.

And it leaves, again, Republicans with a plausible but pretty narrow path to taking the Senate majority, which is a very different way than we started out this year, you know, six, eight months ago.

BROWN: Yes.

I want to get your take on something else here, Ron. Donald Trump held another rally last night in North Carolina. Let's listen to what he had to say and then talk about it on the other end.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But the good news is now we're leading Biden by a lot. And we're leading all of these Republicans by numbers that they've never even seen before, record numbers.

And we may just have to do it again, right? We may have to do it again.

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And then he went on to denounce Democrats as, quote, "dirty rotten cheaters."

What do you think? Is he running?

BROWNSTEIN: I think he's running, yes. But I also think that his increased visibility has helped Democrats change the fundamental frame of this election.

Midterm elections traditionally are a referendum on the party in power and how things are going in the country. One Republican pollster said to me earlier this year, people step outside and if it's raining, they take it out on the president's party.

That was where we were in March and April and May, where people were saying the Democrats weren't doing well and Republicans were talking about a big red wave.

Well, the frame -- the fundamental frame has changed over the summer. It has become not only a focus on what Democrats have done but what Republicans would do if returned to power. [17:35:04]

And that's largely because of the abortion decision but also because of the increased vulnerability -- visibility, excuse me, of Donald Trump.

I said to someone the other day it's almost as if the catchphrase for this election could be your money or your rights.

Because, on the one hand, polls show that a majority of voters do not believe Biden and Democrats are managing the economy effectively.

On the other hand, there's an equal concern that the Trump-era Republican Party is a threat to your rights, your values and democracy itself.

And while more visibility for Trump certainly helps with that rural, you know, unreliable voter that he's a master at turning out, clearly, it has helped Democrats close the enthusiasm gap they faced four, five months ago.

BROWN: Yes, we didn't even get to do a deeper dive on how the abortion issue is playing into all this. But the good news is, Ron, you'll be back at 7:00 Eastern so we'll chat then.

Thanks so much.

BROWNSTEIN: All right. See you later, Pam.

BROWN: And still to come for us, a CNN exclusive. How team Trump is secretly blocking -- working to block a federal grand jury from trying to do its job. We're going to have details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:40:19]

BROWN: Well, CNN has learned of a secret court battle being waged by former President Donald Trump's lawyers. Sources say Trump's attorneys are fighting to keep close allies from testifying before a federal grand jury investigating his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

So let's bring in CNN's Marshall Cohen.

What more can you tell us about this court battle, Marshall?

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Hey, Pam. This is a great scoop from our colleagues, Katelyn Polantz, Evan Perez and Zach Cohen, who are really getting into the January 6th criminal investigation, the grand jury based here in D.C. that is sort of leading this investigation with the DOJ.

We have learned about a new court battle. On one side, you've got the Justice Department, federal prosecutors that are seeking testimony from top aides in the Trump White House. On the other side of this fight, Trump's lawyers that are trying to

block that testimony. They're claiming privilege, attorney/client privilege, executive privilege, which is their right to do.

But in this situation, they're trying to prevent information from making its way to the grand jury, which, of course, the grand jury is the group of citizens who decide if an indictment is handed up or not.

So they're trying to restrict the information from people that were right there in the Trump White House, key players.

It will be up to a judge to weigh the two sides and see if they want to clear the way to knock down some of this privilege and open the door for more testimony to the grand jury.

BROWN: So which witnesses to Trump could come into play here?

COHEN: We're not sure because these proceedings are secret. By law, all this stuff related to the grand jury has to be secret.

But these court battles going on between the Justice Department and the Trump team, they've had some hearings on this. We wouldn't be able to go in and watch, even if we knew when and where.

But we can put some pieces of the puzzle together because some Trump aides have already gone to the grand jury and some of them have already invoked privilege, which is precisely what the Justice Department wants to overcome.

Folks like Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel, his deputy, Patrick Philbin, key members of Vice President Pence's team, like Marc Short, Greg Jacob.

They've testified already. They answered a bunch of questions. They wouldn't answer others.

And that's what the fight is all about, because, Pam, they were in the room with Trump for key moments during that transition, which is the heart of this investigation.

BROWN: Yes, these are key witnesses for DOJ. All right, we'll continue to cover this.

Thanks so much, Marshall Cohen.

And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Saturday. Up next, more people are surviving cancer than ever before. We're going to tell you why after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:47:28]

BROWN: Well, we have inspiring news to share on the cancer front. Survival rates for cancer patients are on the rise. Better prevention and better treatment are saving millions of lives. And with more than 18 million cancer survivors in the U.S., a brighter future seems to be in reach.

CNN's Elizabeth Cohen breaks down the numbers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Pam, some encouraging news about cancer prevention and treatment. There are now more cancer survivors in the United States than ever before because of better prevention and better treatment.

Let's take a look at some numbers from the American Association of Cancer Research. In 1971, there were three million cancer survivors in the U.S. Now more than 18 million cancer survivors.

And if you look at the cancer death rate, there's been a 32 percent reduction just between 1991 and 2019. That amounts to 3.5 million lives saved.

President Biden, who lost a son to cancer, recently announced a cancer moonshot. His goal is to get cancer rates down 50 percent in the next 25 years.

Let's take a look at how he plans to do that. Invest more money in research and bring it to patients and communities. Also more research on environmental exposures.

Close the cancer screening gap because, right now ,there are inequities in the United States in that area. Also decrease the impact of preventable cancers. For example, get more people to quit smoking and support patients and caregivers.

The reduction documented in the new report is both because of prevention and also better therapies, for example, targeted therapies and immunotherapy -- Pam?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: All right, Elizabeth Cohen, thanks so much.

Well, in the next several weeks, every K through 12 school in the Los Angeles Unified District should be equipped with Naloxone, known as Narcan.

This measure is coming after L.A. police reported multiple overdoses among local high school students, including one death last week.

Natasha Chen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The lots will be distributed to all the high schools in the L.A. Unified School District within the next two weeks and will be distribute to all others K through 12 schools in the district later on as supplies come in.

And this comes after a 15-year-old student died and another student was hospitalized having overdosed in a high school bathroom earlier this month.

There are currently enough doses of Naloxone for all high schools in the district. And it's being provided for free by the L.A. County Department of Public Health.

District staff, like nurses, wellness center providers and volunteers, are already trained to administer Naloxone. And the district will work on developing training and education for the school community.

[17:50:06]

The superintendent said, quote, "We have an urgent crisis on hands. Research shows that the availability of Naloxone, along the overdose education, is effective at decreasing overdoses and deaths will save lives.

After the death of a student this month, L.A. Unified has also implemented a safety task force, peer-to-peer counseling and educational programming to help inform the school community.

Back to you.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

BROWN: All right, thanks, Natasha.

In Iran, anti-government protesters are gaining steam there with nearly every major city seeing scenes like this, fed up residents on the streets, demanding change from the Islamic regime. We're going to tell you about it, up next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:55:31]

BROWN: In Iran, outrage is growing more than a week after the death of a 22-year-old woman. Mahsa Amini, arrested by the country's Morality Police, a notorious unit which enforces head scarf laws.

Protesters set fire to a statue of a clergymen considered the ideological father of the Islamic Revolution. They shouted, "death to the supreme leader."

Video obtained by CNN from the pro-reform outlet, Iran Wire, shows mass defiance in Tehran.

And Iranian authorities claim Mahsa Amini died of a heart attack. U.N. experts point to reports suggesting she was tortured.

New pictures today show Molotov cocktails lobbed at police. A state- backed news agency says at least 1,200 people have been arrested and dozens are reportedly dead. But no one outside of Iran's government can confirm the exact number.

Now to a chilling storying right here at home. For over a decade, a mysterious stalker terrorized Actress Eva LaRue of "CSI" fame. He threatened rape, torture and death. LaRue's family was also targeted.

Stopping the danger wasn't as simple as a Hollywood script. But CNN's Jean Casarez talked to LaRue and the FBI to learn about the scientific breakthrough that cracked the case.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For 12 years, Eva LaRue was stalked by a man who threatened to kidnap, rape, kill, and then dismember her and her young daughter.

He sent detailed letters threatening explicit sexual violence, signed, Freddy Krueger, a fictional serial killer.

EVA LARUE, ACTRESS, STALKED OVER 12 YEARS: Hellish, nightmarish, deviant, perverse, sick letters.

CASAREZ: The FBI shared the letters with us.

(on camera): So from one of them, he specifically said, "My main mission in life is to stalk you, rape you, and to terrify you. I want to make your life so miserable that you can't stand it."

(voice-over): Approximately 49 letters in all.

LARUE: So every time he would find us, we would move.

CASAREZ (voice-over): You sold our house?

LARUE: Sold my house. Yes, sold my house.

(MUSIC)

CASAREZ (voice-over): When the letters began, Eva LaRue played a DNA investigator on "CSI Miami."

LARUE: This is what I do.

CASAREZ: But in real life, she was depending on investigators to save her.

There was evidence.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When the defendant licked the letters on the envelope, he left traces of DNA.

CASAREZ: But the perpetrators DNA didn't match any database.

LARUE: So we are playing the fact that we have this technology and we catch everybody. But in real life, the technology had not been invented yet.

CASAREZ: Then the science of genetic genealogy emerged. Investigators granted CNN an exclusive interview about the procedure first used on the state level in California to identify the Golden State serial killer.

STEVE BUSCH, FORMER FBI SPECIAL AGENT/CEO, INDAGO SOLUTIONS: We used it as an investigative tool to reverse engineer family trees and figure out who he was.

CASAREZ: Investigators compared DNA on the stalker's letters with DNA in public databases, like those where consumers trace family connects and ancestry, consenting their DNA could be used by law enforcement.

STEVE KRAMER, FORMER FBI ATTORNEY/PRESIDENT, INDAGO SOLUTIONS: We built family trees and identified a common ancestor between the matches and your suspect.

And then you build down until you find the person that had the right age, lived in the right location, and maybe matched the physical description of the suspect at the time.

CASAREZ (on camera): And you knew that the letters were coming from Ohio?

BUSCH: The letters were all postmarked.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Meanwhile, the stalker was becoming even more threatening, now targeting LaRue's daughter at her school.

KRAMER: Now he's tracking down the high school that the victim goes to, the 17-year-old girl, and calling that school.

AMY WHITMAN, FBI SPECIAL AGENT, VIOLENT CRIMES/MAJOR OFFENDERS: So this is a recording from a voice message left at the high school.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello. I want to leave a message for Kaya Callahan. This is the man who is going to rape her, molest her, and kill her.

CASAREZ: The investigation had ramped up. They had a suspect. His real name, James David Rogers.

WHITMAN: So, when this last recorded call came in, we hit the gas pedal as quickly as we could.

CASAREZ: Agents took a public tour of the suspect's workplace at a nursing care and assisted living facility. They saw the type of item they would need for a DNA comparison.

BUSCH: It was actually an Arby's cup and straw that they watched him dispose of some trash into a trash receptacle. They were able to pull that trash.

[17:59:59]

And we took the DNA off of the straw, the Arby's straw, to compare to the DNA on the letters. And it was a one-to-one match. It was a 100 percent match.

CASAREZ: Rogers was arrested in an early morning FBI raid at his home last November.