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Four Bodies Pulled From River In Oklahoma May Be Men Reported Missing; Prosecutors Say Teenager Accused Of Killing Five People In Mass Shooting In Raleigh, North Carolina, To Be Tried As Adult; Georgia Democratic Incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock And Republican Challenger Herschel Walker Have Only Debate Before Midterm Election; Polling Shows Close Races In Midterm Elections To Determine Which Party Controls House And Senate; President Biden Travels To Western States To Campaign For Democratic Candidates In Midterm Elections; Hispanic Voters Significantly Shifting To Republican Party In Recent Polls; Construction Nearly Complete On New Migrant Relief Center In New York; Ukrainian Forces Begin Counteroffensive In Southern Ukraine To Take Kherson Territory From Russian Occupying Forces. Aired 2-3p ET.

Aired October 15, 2022 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:45]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin with a grim discovery in Oklahoma. Last night four bodies were pulled from a river in a town about 35 miles south of Tulsa. And this comes after four men, all close friends, went missing in that town Sunday evening after reportedly going for a bike ride. Police are not saying whether the bodies pulled from the river last night are these missing men. CNN's Camila Bernal joining me right now. Camila?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred. So we are waiting for the medical examiner's office to identify the bodies. This is the medical examiner's office in Tulsa. And we are told by authorities it that is a difficult process because these bodies were in the water for a long period of time.

Now we know the autopsies began at around 8:30 in the morning, but it is unclear if they are going to get to all of these four bodies by end of day because of how difficult this process is going to be.

Now, we do know that someone was near the river, saw something suspicious, and called police. When police officers went out there, they were able to find and recover these bodies. They're treating it as two different investigations. They say one is the investigation of the bodies that were recovered. And according to the police chief, he believes there is foul play involved in that case.

The case of the missing men is also being handled separately, and it's unclear what happened here. But as mentioned, we know that there were four friends. They're all between the ages of 29 and 32. They were hanging out on Sunday night. And it's unclear what happened or where they went or what they did.

But there is cellphone data, because at least two of them had their phones with them. And so police followed the cellphone data. It took them to two different junkyards. And when they searched those areas, they were not able to find either the men or the bodies.

The river, though, is about five miles from the closest junkyard. And so this was not an area that police offices were planning on searching when it came to the case of these four missing men. Of course, whether it's one case or two cases, there are still so many questions as to what happened here.

Where did these men go? What happened to them? Why were they in the river, if it is them? Was it one person, multiple people who were also involved in all of this? So many questions. But of course, the first one being, is this all connected? And we are waiting for police to connect the dots, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Camila Bernal, thank you so much. Let us know when you learn something.

This investigation is intensifying by the minute. In fact, last hour I spoke with the official in charge of all of it, Okmulgee Chief of Police Joe Prentice about the recovered remains and what he thinks all of this might mean.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: Is the medical examiner's office able to convey to you the condition of the bodies?

CHIEF JOE PRENTICE, OKMULGEE, OKLAHOMA, POLICE DEPARTMENT: I can tell you that all four bodies were submerged in water for what appears to be an extended period of time, And therefore identification will be a little bit of a challenge. And the medical examiner is using scientific methods to make those identifications. And they will do them on a case-by-case basis.

WHITFIELD: Are you able to go as far as submerged? Are we talking about drowning victims, or does it appear there was any other trauma on the bodies before being sub merged?

PRENTICE: Cause and matter of death will have to come from the medical examiner's office. They were submerged. I can't speculate what the cause or manner of death was

WHITFIELD: What is the focus of the investigation right now?

PRENTICE: Well, currently I would have to character it as two separate investigations. We still are investigating the case of the missing men. And now we have a secondary investigation based on these bodies that are found because we can't say with certainty that they're connected. But we carry on with both simultaneously.

[14:05:01] WHITFIELD: So, can you take us back in that they were out for a bike ride. What can you tell us about the last time they were together or what the expectation was about their activity? What was happening?

PRENTICE: Based on our investigation and information we've received, they left a residence on the west side of Okmulgee together early evening on Sunday the 9th. And I don't know what their intentions were, but we were able to track their cellphones to a local salvage yar, and then the cellphones were left at that salvage and went to another.

WHITFIELD: OK. And then our reporter there was talking about the cellphone activity is a different location from the river. So is there any explanation thus far about the salvage location that you said that the phone activity was? What's the proximity to where the bodies -- and again, you haven't identified them to be that of the bikers -- but what's the proximity between those spaces?

PRENTICE: One salvage yard, the first one they visited, is approximately five miles from the river. The other is, rough estimate, 10 to 12 miles away.

WHITFIELD: And we also understand the bicycles have not been found? Or have they?

PRENTICE: No. We have not recovered any bicycles.

WHITFIELD: Do you have any instinct as to what may have happened here? What is this the result of?

PRENTICE: I don't want to speculate at this point. And anything that -- any idea I throw out there would be speculation.

WHITFIELD: You do suspect foul play, correct?

PRENTICE: Well, in which case?

WHITFIELD: In the case of these missing men.

PRENTICE: I can't say that definitively because I don't know that the four bodies that we recovered are those men. I do suspect foul play in the discovery of the four bodies, what led to them being there.

WHITFIELD: OK. And when do you expect to get a report from the medical examiner? Because I understand that so much of the connecting of the dots is predicated on that information.

PRENTICE: Yes, ma'am. I was told this morning that the first autopsy began about 8:30 this morning, and they were going to work through as many of them as they could and might not get to all of them today. So I would say late today or tomorrow sometime.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, that was Okmulgee Chief of Police Joe Prentice speaking to me last hour. Prosecutors in Raleigh, North Carolina say they intend to charge a 15-

year-old suspect in Thursday's mass shooting as an adult. The attack left five people dead and at least two others injured. Disturbing new 911 calls are offering new details about how the shooting may have unfolded. Let's bring in CNN's Nadia Romero with more on this.

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fred, it is so hard to talk about yet another mass shooting. And we want to always make sure we remember the victims involved. So I want to introduce you to two of them, the first being Sue Karnatz. Her husband wrote a really moving tribute about her on social media.

And we learned from that post that she was an avid marathon runner. She was even in Boston in 2013 running that marathon when the Boston Marathon bombing happened. She survived that and continued to run. She leaves behind now three small boys.

We also have another victim. We've heard from her sister, Mary Marshal. We were told back in 2014 she graduated from culinary arts degree and she was one of a few students who was able to study abroad in a specialized program in France to really protect her craft.

Her sister tells us that she was supposed to get married this coming week. And her sister is demanding action now from lawmakers because of all of the mass shootings we've had over and over and over again.

As we turn now to talk about the suspect in this case, we know that the suspect is a minor who is yet to be charged. And I want you to hear a 911 call from someone who believes they saw the suspect on the day of the shooting. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, it's a white kid is running around here with a shotgun. He shot somebody.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You said it's a white male?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where is he at right now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He ran back into the woods.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: And there were several 911 calls that came in of people who were very upset either seeing victims bleeding in the neighborhood or believing that they have seen the suspect, Fred. Because the suspect is only 15 years old, so he is still a juvenile, underage, even though he will likely be charged as an adult, we at CNN don't name that person.

[14:10:05]

So you may see things on social media, but we will not be naming him until that time.

WHITFIELD: Keep us posted. Nadia Romero, thank you so much.

Still ahead, with the midterm elections just weeks away, Georgia's Senate candidates faced off in a lively debate. We'll have the details.

Plus, a look at why some Hispanic communities in places like Texas could be a major test for Republicans this election.

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WHITFIELD: A key Senate race in Georgia could decide who controls the Senate. The candidates met in a heated debate last night, Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock facing off against Republican Herschel Walker. The showdown comes after weeks of bombshell allegations leveled at the former football star. CNN's Eva McKend was there last night and has more on the contentious debate.

[14:15:00]

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Well, as expected, both sides claiming victory this morning. Senator Warnock spending much of the debate playing up his bipartisan work in Congress, while Walker worked overtime to try to tie Warnock to President Biden. Here's our recap.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MCKEND: Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker are in a contentious Georgia Senate race with U.S. Senate control at stake.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is time to get under way.

MCKEND: The Georgia candidates debated Friday night. Walker, running on a family values platform currently involved in a scandal over allegedly pressuring the mother of one of his children to get an abortion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A week before this debate, a former girlfriend made public accusations saying you paid for an abortion and that you encouraged her to have another. In an ABC News interview this week, you said that the accusations are, quote, all lies. For the voters watching don't, can you explain the circumstances surrounding these claims? You have 60 seconds.

HERSCHEL WALKER, (R-GA) U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: Well, as I said, that's a lie. And what most, I put it in a book. One thing about my life is I've been very transparent. Not like the senator. He's hid things. But at the same time, I said that's a lie. And on abortion, I'm a Christian. I believe in life. And I tell people this, Georgia is a state that respects life, and I'll be a senator that protects life. And I said that was a lie, and I'm not backing down.

SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-GA): The patient's room is too narrow and small and cramped a space for a woman, her doctor, and the United States government. We are witnessing right now what happens when politicians, most of them men, pile into patient's rooms. You get what you're seeing right now.

(LAUGHTER)

WARNOCK: And the women of Georgia. The women of Georgia deserve a senator who will stand with them. I trust women more than I trust politicians.

WALKER: I heard about him. I heard he's a neat talker. But did he not mention that there is a baby in that room as well?

(APPLAUSE)

WALKER: And also, did he not mention that he is asking the taxpayer to pay for it. So he's brining the government back into the room.

MCKEND: CNN has not independently verified the allegations about Walker.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Herschel, please say a few words.

MCKEND: Walker was given the opportunity to distance himself from the former president on election denial.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did President Biden defeat former President Donald Trump in 2020?

WALKER: President Biden won, and Senator Warnock won. That's the reason I decided to run, because we need a change in Washington. We need leaders that's going to stand up to foreign leaders. We need people that's going to stand up for people in Georgia.

MCKEND: On Friday, both candidates said they would accept the results of this election. Walker was also asked about crime and took the opportunity to make a string of claims about Senator Warnock, accusing Warnock of not supporting the police, who gave this rebuttal.

WARNOCK: We will see time and time again tonight, as we have already seen, that my opponent has a problem with the truth.

(APPLAUSE)

WARNOCK: And just because he said something doesn't mean it's true. I have supported our police officers. I've called them and I've prayed with their families.

You can support police officers, as I've done, through the Cops program, through the Invest to Protect program, while at the same time holding police officers, like all professions, accountable. One thing I have not done, I have never pretended to be a police officer.

(LAUGHTER)

WARNOCK: And I've never -- I've never threatened a shoot-out with the police.

WALKER: And now I have to respond to that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are moving on, gentlemen.

WALKER: No, no, no, I have to respond to that. And you know what is funny? I am with many police officers, and at the same time --

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Walker, Mr. Walker --

WALKER: No, no, no, no. When he said problem with the truth. When he said problem with the truth, the truth is --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Walker, excuse me, Mr. Walker, please, out of respect, I need to let you know, Mr. Walker, you are very well aware of the rules tonight.

WALKER: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you have a prop.

WALKER: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is not allowed, sir.

MCKEND: Early voting starts Monday in Georgia.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

MCKEND (on camera): Herschel Walker wrapping up a quick rally here this morning in Savannah. I got to speak with some of his supporters. I asked them what they thought of the debate. They told me they were actually a bit nervous going into it, that Senator Warnock is just a lot more polished. But they thought that Walker defied expectations and held his own. Fred?

WHITFIELD: Eva McKend in Savannah, thank you so much.

All right, let's talk more about all this. With me now to talk about the Senate race in Georgia and beyond, Philip Bump, national reporter for the "Washington Post". Philip, good to see you.

PHILIP BUMP, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Hello.

WHITFIELD: All right, so from that debate last night, did you see anything that might potentially change the race?

BUMP: Yes. Honestly, I don't think we have seen a lot over the course of the past month that seems as though it's shaping up to change the race. We haven't seen much movement in polling, for example. These revelations emerged last week, these reports about Herschel Walker don't seem to have done much to affect polling.

[14:20:04] And I think that what you heard there from the reporting about people who were attending that rally, that Walker appears to have defied expectations, his camp was very, very deliberate about saying, look, he's never done this before. We don't expect him to do very well.

And he did do better than that, which is exactly why they said that he wasn't going to do very well. And I think that probably helped him as well. So yes, I don't necessarily think that what happened last night is going to change the trajectory.

WHITFIELD: In your "Washington Post" column, you say most of the results of this year's midterm elections will be determined by members of the two largest political parties and by the independents who consistently vote with those parties.

But you also say that may not be the case in a purple state like Georgia. And I'm quoting now from your article, "In a few places, in a few races, the results will be determined by something else, voters who split their ballots between the parties, electing a Democrat to one office and a Republican to another."

So does that kind of underscore the conundrum that a lot of voters feel in Georgia, that they may not necessarily be married to the party but they prefer particular candidates?

BUMP: Well, I think in particular when you have a race that is as close as the Senate race in Georgia appears to be between Warnock and Walker, you have Democrats overwhelmingly supporting Warnock.

You have Republicans overwhelmingly supporting Walker, although less enthusiastically with reports in the last couple polls. But what you have is polling showing that Brian Kemp, the incumbent governor, is doing very well in that race, that he has a much wider margin over his opponent Stacey Abrams than does Warnock or Walker who are essentially tied.

And that means that there are Kemp/Warnock voters. There are people who are voting for the Republican for governor and the Democrat for Senator. And the question is the result in the Senate race really will come down to, how many voters are there like that?

If in the end Herschel Walker manages to secure all of the Republicans and all the Republican-leaning independents, then it's done and he'll probably win simply by virtue of the fact that so many people are coming out to vote for Brian Kemp, which gives us a good sign where people are intending to cast their votes.

WHITFIELD: Yes, because you mention in your article, you say in some places, you underscore in some places, particularly in some places Georgia, because in some districts you have to choose either a Republican, Democrat, or independent ballot. And so it might be the case, or maybe you tell me, will it be the case that in some cases people will simply refrain from voting for a candidate because they don't like them, but they have a Republican, Democratic, or Independent ballot? BUMP: Yes, this is the real question, I think, for Walker's camp,

particularly with the news that came out last week, is, are there people who are going to go to the polls and vote for Brian Kemp for governor but not vote for Herschel Walker for senator because they don't think he can do the job or because they have concerns. This happens.

Always in every election, the top of the ticket is the person that attracts the most attention. But that's, I think, what the Walker camp is concerned about. I think yesterday the fact that they have managed to weather this so far suggests that they are not in any particularly worse position than they were a couple of weeks ago, which is probably as good as they were going to get.

WHITFIELD: OK, so I wonder if there are any indications or polls showing that similar ticket splitting could impact other midterm races. Are there others that you believe might have a very similar journey to Georgia's?

BUMP: One of the things that is unique about Georgia, remember, is the fact that there are two incumbents from opposite parties. Warnock hasn't been in office very long. He was only elected at the beginning of 2021, but that there is a Democrat senator already and a Republican governor, that's unusual. We do see that in Arizona, for example. But the incumbent there, Doug Ducey, isn't running for reelection.

We see a very close gubernatorial race, but that may be a place where come out. I don't suspect there are going to be as many people because of the candidates involved, but it's possible that people come out and vote for Kari Lake, the rightwing Republican there, and for Mark Kelly, the Democratic Senate candidate. They may be the case. But I think Georgia is a pretty unique set of circumstances for this cycle.

WHITFIELD: Philip Bump, good to see you. Thanks so much.

BUMP: Thank you, ma'am.

WHITFIELD: In the battle for control of Congress, a shift in one key Democratic area could prove pivotal in more than a dozen Senate and House races, including three in south Texas where historically Democrats have dominated among Latino voters. Recently elections and polling indicate that Latinos, who make up a fifth of all registered voters in key battleground states, are now leaning Republican. Our Boris Sanchez has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Running in Texas's 15th district, Republican Monica De La Cruz is an entrepreneur, a mother of two, and a former Democrat.

MONICA DE LA CRUZ, (R) CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE, TEXAS: The Democrat party has abandoned us and taken us for granted.

[14:24:56] SANCHEZ: Part of a trio of Republican Latinas on the ballot in south Texas, an area that's overwhelmingly Hispanic, De La Cruz is poised to redefine the region's political tradition alongside Cassy Garcia, a former Ted Cruz outreach director, and Congressman Mayra Flores, the first Republican elected to Congress from the Rio Grande Valley in more than a century. The triple threat, as the GOP calls them, signaling a potential political realignment as Donald Trump made gains with Latinos in 2020.

DE LA CRUZ: My abuelita was Democratic.

SANCHEZ: De La Cruz was won over and inspired to start her new career in politics after attending her first Trump rally.

DE LA CRUZ: He didn't have a political background. He was a businessman. And his business policies, again, they made sense for people. He stood up against the establishment, and he put forth policies that worked for American families.

SANCHEZ: Pro-tax cuts, pro-border wall, and opposed to abortion rights, policies that persuaded Rodolfo Sanchez-Rendon, whose restaurant, Teresita's Kitchen, has struggled because of inflation. He says he now pays three times for what he used to for a box of eggs, while faulting Democrats for undervaluing faith, family, and small business.

And Democrats aren't doing that?

RODOLFO SANCHEZ-RENDON: They aren't doing that.

SANCHEZ: Why?

SANCHEZ-RENDON: Well, I'm not seeing it. I don't know why, but they're not.

SANCHEZ: Independent contractor Edgar (ph) Gallegos (ph) says it boils down to results over rhetoric.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll take a mean tweet right about now over what we've got now, yes.

(MUSIC)

SANCHEZ: Another former Democrat, Giancarlo Sopo, led Trump's Hispanic advertising in 2020.

GIANCARLO SOPO, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: So what people have to understand is that Hispanic Americans have blue collar working class values. Who is America's blue collar billionaire? Donald Trump.

SANCHEZ: Pointing to trends over the last decade that show Latinos experiencing gains when it comes to incomes, home purchases, and starting new businesses, Sopo says that many Latino voters view Trump aspirationally.

SOPO: Donald Trump to them is the first Hispanic president because he shares those blue collar values.

SANCHEZ: You, I imagine, don't agree with that?

MICHELLE VALLEJO, (D) CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE, TEXAS: No, I do not.

SANCHEZ: Michelle Vallejo is the Democrat running in Texas 15. She is also an entrepreneur, operating the Pulga Los Portales flea market her parents founded some 25 years ago. Like her opponent, Vallejo is also a political newcomer, challenging an establishment she says has too long ignored the community's needs. But she's a progressive, pitching voters on guaranteeing abortion rights, expanding Medicaid and Medicare, and raising the minimum wage.

VALLEJO: And I'm looking forward to hopefully earning their support and their vote, even if they do support and adore Trump, because I'm fighting for all of our families here in south Texas, whether they're Republican, independent, or people who have never felt engaged by the political system before.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much to Boris Sanchez for that report.

Still ahead, construction is under way for a migrant center on New York's Randall's Island as the city continues to grapple with an influx of asylum seekers. We'll go live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:32:01]

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Construction is nearly complete on a new migrant relief center in New York as the city grapples with a constant flow of asylum seekers. Officials say more than 19,000 migrants have been processed in the past few months. CNN's Gloria Pazmino is live on Randall's island where tent-like shelters are being built. Gloria, what exactly is being set up right now?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fred, and this is what the city is having to resort to in order to house some of the thousands of migrants that have been coming through the city in the last couple of months, 19,400 people have been processed through the shelter system in the last couple of months. And, as you said, they have been building these tent structures, which you can see behind me, over the last several days.

We were here earlier this week. The frames of these tents were going up. Now we were riding around the island earlier today, and we could see that the tents are really close to being completed. The structure is up. And inside of them, you can actually see they have begun to lay out cots and beds and pillows and blankets that will be given to migrants who are in need of shelter.

We also saw dozens of mobile bathrooms, showers, and laundry units. All of these facilities is part of what the city has had to set up here in an effort to respond to what is very much a crisis of people that have been coming into the city over the last several months.

Now, the mayor has said that the federal government needs to step up and provide some more help to the city that is dealing with this influx of people because the city is at capacity at the shelter system. There's thousands of people that are in need of resources, legal help, health care providers. And so the city is really in a tight spot here, having to provide for them, trying to set them up with resources.

And we can also report that the city is now hoping to open up the center here behind me at the end of this month.

[14:35:04]

This place has capacity for 500 single adults. And the goal is to only keep them here a couple of days while they get set up with a more permanent shelter option or while the city helps them to get to wherever they intend to go to, whether that's another part of the city or even other states.

In addition to that, there is also the influx of families that have been coming into the city. And to that end, the city is opening up a hotel in midtown that is going to operate as a resource center, house those families, 200 of them, and help them get on their way, whether it's to connect them to resources here in the city or connect them to other places where they are trying to get to.

But right now, the city really working to meet that deadline of trying to get this place up and running by the end of this month so that they can do something about the influx of migrants that continues to come into the city.

WHITFIELD: A lot of work to do. Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much. Sorry, I was coughing in your ear. Thank you.

Coming up, Ukraine's military advancing in southern Ukraine, forcing Russians to fall back in what is a crucial battle for the port city of Kherson. The latest when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:40:26]

WHITFIELD: Ukrainian fighters have now begun a counteroffensive in southern Ukraine. Russian officials saying there has been active fighting with Ukrainian forces as they try to reclaim territory in the Kherson region. It comes as the nearby city of Zaporizhzhia was reportedly struck by Russian missiles and drone attacks today. Russia has also begun evacuating civilians from the area, and the fighting intensifies.

Let's bring in CNN contributor Jill Dougherty. She is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and a former CNN Moscow bureau chief. Jill, so good to see you. So Russia says it has dug in and won't give up the Kherson region. But are we also seeing the new normal where Ukraine fights to reclaim territory and then puts Russia on its heels?

JILL DOUGHERTY, FORMER CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: It sure looks that way. It's really significant that that counteroffensive that began a few weeks ago by the Ukrainians is really continuing. And the more news that comes out, it appears Russia is falling back or being pushed back by the Ukrainians, and the Ukrainians are picking up more territory.

President Putin appeared at a news conference and answered some questions. And I read that this morning in Russian. And it was interesting because a lot of Russian media gave him softball questions, as you can imagine. But there were a couple of pretty decent questions.

And he was very careful in the way he answered them, saying he has no regrets about the war, and Russia does not intend to destroy Ukraine, things that he is really defensive about. And then especially about the partial mobilization, if you want to talk about that, because that was interesting, too.

WHITFIELD: Russia has apparently been attacking with these so-called kamikaze drones and using missiles not designed for this kind of warfare. So is Russia just running out of some of its more sophisticated military hardware, it's taking a more radical approach?

DOUGHERTY: That does appear to be the case. Military experts do believe that they are depleting their sources, their supplies of weapons. And they had to turn to the Iranians for the drones. They have also gotten some weaponry from the North Koreans. This is not a good sign. Russia's military was supposed to be a very potent force with all sorts of supplies.

And although you hear this on TV with the propaganda channels saying we've got plenty of everything, in the field, it appears they do not, and it's having a real effect on how they are doing. That is why they are very nervous about the air defense that NATO, the United States, several other countries are providing to the Ukrainians.

WHITFIELD: In fact, the Biden administration said this week that it will supply another $725 million in military aid, including ammunition for this special rocket system which is lighter and can launch multiple rockets. But it says it needs even higher end gear. After more than $18 billion in military aid, how -- how is it that Ukraine is in this position of still needing more?

DOUGHERTY: Well, I think if you look at what they're asking for, Fredricka, it's really to defend against the air attack by the Russians. And looking big picture, the Russians on the ground, their ground game is actually now apparently very weak.

So what do they turn to? They turn to saturation bombing and air attacks with drones, et cetera. So the big question for the Ukrainians right now is, how do you protect against that? And that's why this big accent on air defense weapons, and that appears to be what they're asking for now. WHITFIELD: All right, and so, Jill, NATO says any tactical nuclear

attack by Russia in Ukraine would trigger them to make a, quote, physical response. Here is how Vladimir Putin reacted to that this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Bringing some NATO troops into direct contact, into direct clash with the Russian army, is a very dangerous step that could lead to a global catastrophe.

[14:45:02]

I hope that those who talk about this will have enough common sense not to take such dangerous steps.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So what's the line for Putin between saber rattling and seriously considering a nuclear option?

DOUGHERTY: Well, there he is really referring to boots on the ground. And that, as far as we know, isn't going to happen by NATO or the United States. But when you get to the nuclear weapon, that's when Putin has really been showing his sword and threatening. But he is not threatening big nuclear weapons that would be strategic and can go over the ocean, et cetera. What he is talking about are very small, sometimes extremely small tactical weapons that could be used in the field.

Now, Russia continues to kind of try to have it both ways. We don't intend to use nuclear weapons. However, you have the implied threats by President Putin. So I think what he's trying to do is essentially frighten the west, frighten NATO, make them give up on helping Ukraine. And it is apparently not going to work.

WHITFIELD: Jill Dougherty, good to see you. Thanks so much.

DOUGHERTY: Sure.

WHITFIELD: Coming up, President Biden hitting the campaign trail out west in the final stretch before the midterm elections. We'll go live to Portland next where the president is set to speak at any moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:50:54]

WHITFIELD: All right, this just in. We're learning basketball legend Dikembe Mutombo is receiving treatment for a brain tumor. The NBA released a statement on behalf of him and his family, saying that this 56-year-old is receiving the best care possible from a collaborative team of specialists in Atlanta and is in great spirits as he begins treatment. Mutombo was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015,

playing 18 professional seasons across six different teams. His family is asking for privacy at this time to focus on his care. Of course, we are hoping for a most successful treatment for Dikembe Mutombo.

President Joe Biden is trying to build momentum for Democratic candidates out west, hitting the campaign trail in the final stretch before the midterm elections. Biden even joining volunteers, making phone calls to voters on behalf of Democratic candidates in Oregon, as you see right there.

CNN White House correspondent Arlette Saenz is covering the president who is in Portland right now. So Arlette, the president is set to speak very soon, right?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he is, Fred. President Biden will be taking the stage any minute now here in Portland, Oregon, as the president has really been traveling to these Democratic strongholds over the course of the past four days, essentially going to places where he believes he and his policies will be helpful to Democratic candidates.

So the president is ending his four day swing that started in Colorado, then went on to California, and now is here in Portland, Oregon, where he is campaigning in part for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek.

This is a much tighter than expected race as she is competing against the Republican Christine Drazan, and then also Democrat turned independent Betsy Johnson. Democrats are concerned that Johnson might siphon off some votes from Kotek heading into those elections just three days away.

This is a state that President Biden won by 16 points, and he is hoping that his presence will help energize and motivate voters, essentially with that October 18th registration deadline quickly approaching. Notably, while the president has been out west, he has skipped two states with hotly contested Senate races, that is in both Nevada and in Arizona.

The White House has been very careful and aware of trying to not nationalize some of those races and the president's approval rating sits at around 44 percent, and some of his policies remain popular, but the president may not necessarily be popular with all voters.

Later in the week, next week, I should say, President Biden will be campaigning in Pittsburgh and also in Philadelphia with that Senate race there. Today he is expected to focus on protecting Medicare and Social Security as he is hoping those are issues that will resonate with voters here in Oregon.

WHITFIELD: Arlette Saenz, thanks so much, with the president there in Portland, Oregon.

Before we go, a quick programming note. This week on "Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?" the mayor of Flavor Town, Guy Fieri, and T.V. sports producer, legend Dick Ebersol, and actor George Clooney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: I think sometimes actors get too much credit for things. And I can prove it to you, because, for instance, it is script and director. That's all it is. It really is. I was hailed as the worst Batman in the history of time. Fair enough. I was. The next film I did was "Out of Sight" which was probably the best reviewed film I've ever done. And I'm good in it because the film is good.

CHRIS WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR AND DIRECTOR: Is that one of the reasons, though, that you went into directing early on, because if the acting thing doesn't work out, I've got another skill set here?

CLOONEY: I started by producing and writing and then directing because I thought, I don't want to worry about what some casting director thinks about how I'm aging. He looks pretty old. Don't put him in this thing. I knew that would come.

But also, when you're acting in a film, you're basically one of the paints. And when you're directing the film, you're the painter. You get to pick and choose. And it's infinitely more exciting. And I've succeeded wildly, and I have failed terribly at that as well.

[14:55:00]

I've never learned anything from succeeding, ever. I've learned a lot from failing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Great lessons for all of us. And that's tomorrow, 7:00 eastern, right here on CNN.

Thanks so much for joining me today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The CNN Newsroom continues with Jim Acosta right now.

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