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Search Intensifies for Missing Princeton Student; Number of Respiratory Illnesses in Children Surging Across U.S.; Biden Touts Infrastructure Spending in Pennsylvania. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired October 20, 2022 - 13:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:30:19]

ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: The search for a missing Princeton University student is intensifying. Right now, police are using blood hounds to trace the scent of Misrach Ewunetie from her dorm room to a nearby lake. That's according to a law enforcement source.

There are serious questions about who last saw the 20-year-old and when. Some things are just not adding up.

CNN national correspondent, Brynn Gingras, is there in Princeton, New Jersey and just spoke with Misrach's brother.

Brynn, let's start with what we know about her last whereabouts.

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Ana, they don't know much. They have a knot in their stomachs. They're not getting answers.

We've been watching family members, friends passing out flyers across the campus. Her family members distraught, frightened. They don't have the answers.

To reiterate that information that we learned from John Miller, a source close to the investigation, telling him that investigators are focusing the search right now on a lake area that's about five miles from where I'm standing right now.

That's after bloodhounds traced a scent of this 20-year-old junior at Princeton from that dorm room where she was last seen early Friday morning to that lake area.

At this point, the investigators are still trying to ask the question, is foul play a part of the investigation? It's not clear just yet.

But as I talk to the brother of Misrach, he basically said the family's trying to put together their own sort of timeline of what possibly happened.

They know on Thursday night she volunteered at one of Princeton University's eating clubs. She was there until early morning Friday. Her suite mate saw her brushing her teeth, getting ready in the early morning hours Friday assuming she was going to bed.

By Saturday, the family hadn't heard from her, which they thought was a little weird, but they knew she was busy with work, handing in a research paper.

The last they communicated with her was the middle of last week. They didn't think much of it. The texts were going through.

But Sunday, the texts stopped. She missed a very important meeting that was scheduled for her citizenship.

And then by Sunday, they alerted authorities to do a wellness check. And on Monday, the university sent out an alert saying she is missing. That's why the investigation stands at where it is.

But the family is just distraught. They say it's so uncharacteristic of her. She wouldn't just disappear like this.

I want you to hear from the brother.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIVERSE EWUNETIE, BROTHER OF MISSING PRINCETON STUDENT: She was excited when she got there because, with our background, we're very -- my family is not well to do. We come from a low-income family.

And my parents, everything they did, they did for us, they did for her. Like, you know, my dad sees her like more in his eye, she's his everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRAS: The family's so proud she was at Princeton University. They came here from all across the country to help in the search.

They say, Ana, they're at a loss because they're not getting much information from investigators. They're kind of kept in the dark, as they say, and they're trying to get anyone who will help to help them.

One thing, quickly, Ana, I asked her brother, how was she feeling the last time you guys talked to her? He said she was excited. She was handing in a research paper. But she had a job offer. She was getting excited to actually be a part of. She wasn't even set to graduate until 2024.

So that's how they're choosing to think of her right now. But again, no answers for them. It's so unsettling to see them trying to search for anything to give them clues as to where she might be.

CABRERA: Brynn Gingras, reporting. Thank you.

Meanwhile, a Massachusetts woman has now been charged with assault and battery for unleashing a swarm of bees on sheriff's deputies. You heard that right. Bees.

According to officers, the woman pulled up outside a home where deputies were serving an eviction, parked her SUV, and immediately started opening the lids of beehives she was towing.

They say she smashed the lid and flipped the hive over to agitate the bees and make them more aggressive.

At one point, she allegedly put on a beekeeper's suit and carried a tower of bees near the homeowner's front door. It's unclear even how she's connected to the home where the eviction was being served.

Closing arguments are underway right now in Kevin Spacey's sexual battery trial. Spacey faces battery charges stemming from allegations made by Actor Anthony Rapp, who claims, in 1986, Spacey invited him back to his home and assaulted him.

Rapp said he was 14 at the time. Spacey has denied the allegations. The jury is expected to deliberations later today after closing arguments wrap up.

[13:34:59]

A disturbing drug bust at the Los Angeles Airport to share with you now. Authorities seized about 12,000 suspected fentanyl pills yesterday. TSA screeners discovered them in popular candy boxes.

As you know, fentanyl is deadly. It's a synthetic opioid, 50 times more potent than heroin. A single pill can be deadly.

Police say the suspect ran off but has been identified and the search is on.

New concerns about a rare brain-eating amoeba after a child died. Officials say the child may have been infected at Lake Mead in Arizona. They have not released the name or age of the child, but said he was under the age of 18.

The CDC says these infections are rare but are almost always fatal. To protect yourself, experts recommend avoiding jumping or diving into warm fresh water and holding or clipping your nose shut when swimming.

OK, parents, heads up. Serious respiratory illnesses in kids are surging right now. And hospitals across the country tell us they are overwhelmed.

Connecticut's Children's Hospital has so many patients now they're meeting with Health Department officials and the National Guard to discuss putting a mobile field hospital on the front line.

CNN medical reporter, Jacqueline Howard, is joining us now.

Jacqueline, why is this happening and what do parents need to know?

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Ana, we're seeing this come back of flu, RSV, and other respiratory illnesses. As to why this is happening. We have to think back to the early days of COVID. We were all social distancing. We were masking for the past two to three years. That not only prevented the spread of COVID-19 but it also prevented

the spread of other respiratory viruses like flu and RSV. Because of that, we haven't seen much circulation of the viruses until now. We haven't really had a robust immunity.

Now we're seeing what some experts call an immunity gap where we're seeing a resurgence of these viruses but community levels of immunity are still somewhat low, especially among children, especially among babies born in the past two to three years.

That's why we're seeing so many cases and we're seeing some hospitals overwhelmed.

Most of the children in many hospitals do have infections with RSV. What we know about RSV, symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, wheezing.

And it's important, if your children have any of these symptoms, still to get them tested for flu or COVID. Because, as we know, these symptoms are very similar to other respiratory viruses.

As for caring for a sick child, of course, fever reducers, pain relievers can help. Make sure they stay hydrated. Talk to your pediatrician. And most infections go away on their own in a week or two.

But for some of the youngest children, infants, they might need hospital care for some time, which could add to hospitals feeling overwhelmed -- Ana?

CABRERA: RSV, you're talking about flu cases also surging early this year. What about COVID? And have people been getting their booster shots?

HOWARD: The uptake of boosters, of course, health officials are still encouraging many people to get their boosters if they haven't already, get that updated vaccine.

But we are seeing COVID case levels leveling off in some places and even declining in some places. And of course, hospitalizations are declining. The decline in hospitalizations is a sign the vaccines are working.

Officials are paying close attention to this graph you see on the screen, even though COVID cases appear to be leveling off. We are keeping an eye on Omicron subvariants. BA.5 is still dominant, as you see there in yellow. But we are seeing other variants, BA.4.6 as well.

And of course, officials are worried about some of these variants kind of running up in the winter. So they are keeping a close eye on that -- Ana?

CABRERA: Jacqueline Howard, thank you so much.

Speaking of winter, the experts' prediction for how rough it could be this year is in. Guys, get ready to freeze. At least a big chunk of the U.S.

Forecasters say conditions will be colder and wetter all the way from the Pacific Northwest to the Great Lakes. Perfect combination for snow, bad combination for your electric and gas bill, especially with energy prices increasing.

If you're in the south or northeast, you may catch a break. There's as much as a 40 percent chance that temps in city like Boston, Philadelphia and New York will be above normal.

In the southwest and Great Plains, you're in for more dry weather. The ongoing droughts there are expected to continue, unfortunately, increasing the risk for wildfires.

The housing market also going cold. The National Association of Realtors today reporting that home sales fell nearly 24 percent last month compared to the previous year, marking the eighth-straight month of falling sales, the longest slump since the subprime mortgage disaster of 2007.

[13:40:06]

Of course, rising mortgage rates are playing a huge part in this. The 30-year fixed mortgage now at nearly 7 percent. Last year, it was less than half of that.

Let's head live to Pittsburgh now where President Biden is about to tout infrastructure spending. Stay with us.

(MUSIC)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hello, Pittsburgh.

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: Please, sit down and have a seat.

Since you don't have a coat on, this is going to be painfully short. I'm not going to keep it too long.

Great. Thanks for the introduction. I appreciate it, Greg.

You know, thanks to the elected officials here today, Governor Wolf, one of the best governors I ever served with in my life.

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: One of my best buddies from Scranton, as we say, Bobby Casey.

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: I know his dad and mom are still around.

And Representative Doyle --

(AUDIO PROBLEM) BIDEN: How about this one? Is this one working?

(CROSSTALK)

BIDEN: Well, I'll tell you what. I knew he'd come here and do this.

(LAUGHTER)

BIDEN: No, I'm joking. Can we -- there you go. All right.

Lieutenant Governor -- I was saying something nice about you. That's why it went out.

I'm saying we're going to try like the devil to keep you -- not keep you -- for not having to decide to leave. I wish you didn't.

And, John, thank you very much for running. I really do appreciate it.

And, Sele (ph), you're going to be a great

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: -- a great lady in the Senate.

As I said before, America is the only country in the world that comes out of a crisis stronger than they went into the crisis.

That's the story I want to tell here briefly. Just nine months ago, January 28th, 2022, I was about to leave the White House on my way to Mill 19 here in Pittsburgh to talk about the resurgence of American manufacturing. We created 700,000 manufacturing jobs since then.

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: Before I left Washington, I got word about what happened earlier in that day. At 6:45 on a snowy day, the bridge behind me collapsed 100 feet straight down in Fern Hollow. Five cars and a bus were crossing the bring at the time. Several people were injured.

But by the grace of god, the school was delayed that day because of snow and it was just before rush hour, so there was less traffic than usual. It had been a -- had it been a normal day, it would have been much, much worse.

I decided still to come to Pittsburgh. I came straight here from the airport. When I arrived, Merritt Gainey (ph), who's not here right now, was here.

Bobby and Conor and John Fetterman are all here, along with the responders. You all told me about the emergency workers who pulled the survivors to safety. They were heroes that day and a complete catastrophe was avoided.

But it never should have come to this. For too long, we talked about building the best economy in the world and the best infrastructure in the world. We talked about asserting America's leadership. We talked about the best and safest roads, airports, and so much more.

But now, now, we didn't do what we were finally getting to it. We were getting it done. We finally decided.

And instead of being ranked number 13 in the world, 13 in the world, the United States, 13 in the world in infrastructure, we should be ranked number one.

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: So instead, instead of Infrastructure Week, which is a punch line for four years under my predecessor, it's infrastructure decade, a headline on my watch.

[13:45:06]

What I hope you remember, as Congress here today, I signed into law a once-in-a-generation investment in roads, highways, bridges, roads, ports, airports, and so much more. Over one trillion, 200 billion dollars.

It's called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. And it's the most significant investment in American infrastructure, roads, bridges, et cetera, than Eisenhower's Interstate Highway System.

Pennsylvania alone has been already received $5.2 billion just this year for hundreds of projects across the commonwealth. That's just announced another $2.5 billion to fix and upgrade Pennsylvania's roads and bridges. And there will be billions more for other projects.

Let me tell you why this matters. When I was here in January, I told the governor that we'd help rebuild this bridge behind us as fast as we possibly could.

That day, the governor moved and signed an emergency order that let us move separate federal funding as quickly as possible to the project.

The reason we could do that is because I just signed into infrastructure law a few months earlier. But had we waited for that money, it would have taken longer.

The governor knew he could count on the new law to fund other projects and ensure the projects he already started for infrastructure in the state would not be slowed down in the process.

The result, Pennsylvania's been able to repair Fern Hollow Bridge in less than a year. And by Christmas, god willing, we'll be walking -- I'm coming back to walk over this sucker.

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: Although my staff said to me, do you realize how many times you've been to Pittsburgh? I said no. They said 19.

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: I said don't tell them it's Scranton. Don't tell them it's Scranton. Any way.

It's been done in record time. Normally, you'd be looking at two to five years to build a bridge like this. Literally. And the total project cost $25 million. Fully paid for by the federal government.

By the way, in the process of that, not a single penny of that money has cost anyone make under 400 grand in the nation to pay an penny more in taxes. And by the way, in the process, we also cut the deficit in this process nationally by $1 trillion, $400 billion just this year.

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: So, Gov, it wouldn't have happened without you, Gov. No, it wouldn't have happened. That's not hyperbole. That's a fact. You're working so hard to get it done. I want to thank you.

This really matters. Folks in the neighborhood rely on this bridge and the walking path underneath, to get to work, to get their kids to school and run errands, to stay connect to other areas like Squirrel Hill and the waterfront.

Below the bridge, the big park is going to be fixed up when this is done to be better than it was. Hiking paths, new seating areas.

This bridge was built initially in 1901. It was rebuilt in 1970. None of the guys behind me know that. None of them were here, I don't think.

The fact of the matter is now it's a modern bridge in the 21st century, four lanes for vehicle traffic, a path for cyclists and pedestrians.

This project, this project has supported over 100 jobs, good paying construction union jobs.

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: Laborers, carpenters, cement masons, so many more.

The contractor delivering this project, by the way, has been a company that's been owned by the same family for four generations, a union company since 1930s, that built our roads and bridges, built it during the New Deal, during Eisenhower's Interstate Highway System and now the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

This is one bridge that also tells a broader story. There are nearly 45,000 -- say it again, 45,000 bridges across this country in poor condition.

In Pennsylvania alone, there are 3,100 bridges, 7,500 miles of highway in poor condition.

As I was talking to your person, Gov, also, we'll get the railroad going too. I'm a rail guy. Anyway. Pittsburgh is a city of bridges, but too many of them are in poor condition like this bridge behind me before it collapsed. With the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we're doing something about it.

This is just one of 2,400 bridges across the country that are being repaired just this year because of the law.

[13:50:01]

For example, the Allegheny County worked under way to repair the bridges of the boulevard and the allies.

Not just bridges though. Just outside of Pittsburgh, we're investing $850 million to replace and expand a 100-year-old Montgomery lochs and dam that's critical to the nation's economy.

That investment is going to increase the capacity of this system, the loch, at over 50 percent at a critical choke point of the river.

That means we're going to be able to move an addition 14,000 barges every year, saving the equivalent of having to have one million hauls on tractor trailers to get the same material to where it has to go.

These savings are going to allow the lochs to be more efficient and more 10 billion tons of goods, like coal, petroleum and steel. As a consequence, we're lowering the cost of transporting these materials.

But just as important, just as important, we're going to reduce emissions that come from the trucks and trains hauling it over -- reduce by 3.5 million tons of CO2 a year, three point -- cutting pollution. Don't forget that.

So I think I'm not sure how we're going to do this, but I couldn't say no. We get the money for the project done, I think we should call it Casey's Loch. I don't know.

But, Bobby, you have been for a Scranton guy to worry about the lochs. Anyway.

In the Hill district of Pittsburgh, we're providing funding to revitalize the area by making sidewalks and streets safer for pedestrians and drivers and helping communities that suffered for decades for lack of investment.

And thanks to the law, Pennsylvania is going to get $170 million over five years to build out the electric charging stations that are going to be available to all the electric vehicles on the road.

And that's just what we need because half of the new car sales in America are going to be electric by the end of this decade.

My administration has recently approved Pennsylvania's plan so the funds are available now. So the IEBW can start constructing these facilities.

We're putting $20 million into new 7,000 square foot terminal at the Pittsburgh airport to include upgrades to the screening security screening, baggage check system, so it's easier, more efficient to catch your flight.

No one knows better than the people of Pittsburgh that there are thousands of uncapped orphan wells, oil and gas wells, spewing methane into the air. These abandoned mines scattered throughout this area.

It's a legacy left behind by the mining, oil and gas companies. When the wells and fields went dry, the companies left. They left it for the people of Pennsylvania to clean it up. Guess what, we're going to clean it up.

Now, my Department of Interior is sending Pennsylvania close to -- Conor, I know you worked on this -- close to $350 million this year to cap the wells and reclaim the abandoned mine lands and polluted water, creating good paying jobs in the process for the folks in the same communities that dug the wells in the first place.

In addition, we're investing at least $100 million in Pennsylvania to get high speed Internet across the state. In every part of the state. Urban, suburban, and rural.

And no one is going to be left behind. And 21 percent of Pennsylvania families don't have home Internet connections. But never again should a parent have to drive their kid to a McDonald's parking lot and sit there to connect to the McDonald's Internet to do their homework. Not a joke. You saw it happening.

In addition, there are over 150,000 lead service lines carrying water to homes and schools in Pennsylvania. And over 7,000 in Pittsburgh. This impacts children's brain development. For real. It's a hazard to their health.

We can't have this in Pennsylvania. We can't have this anywhere in America.

Now, Pennsylvania is going to get $87 million to replace these lead pipes because every child in this country should have access to clean, safe drinking water.

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: And by the way, these projects are going to create good paying, mostly union jobs. That's because I made sure the overwhelming majority of the funds in the infrastructure law are subject to the prevailing wage requirements.

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: I said when I ran, we're going to build the country from the bottom up and the middle out. When the middle does well, the wealthy do very well.

[13:55:00]

So those laws are about more than rebuilding infrastructure. It's about rebuilding the middle class, something Johns talks a lot about.

Let me tell you, I'm a proud Delawarean, but Pennsylvania is my native state. It's in my heart. I can't tell how you much it means to me to be part of rebuilding this beautiful state.

My grandfather would really be proud of me right now. I'm not joking, he would. By the way, he's an all-American football player in Santa Clara.

You know, I started my campaign for president here in Pittsburgh, because there's no better place to talk about rebuilding the backbone of America, the middle class.

After I accepted my party's nomination, Pittsburgh was my first major stop. And insuring my envision for better America with better pay and dignity for working people. People who built this country.

My dad used to say, everybody, everybody should be treated with dignity no matter where they're from.

Because here's what I know. For most of the last century, we led the world by a significant margin because we invested in our people, we invested in ourselves, we invested in our land. But along the way, we stopped doing that. But not anymore. We're back on track.

When you see these projects in your neighborhoods, the cranes going up, shovels in the ground, I want you to feel the way I feel. Pride, pride in what we can do. When we work together. That's what I mean when I say we're building a better America.

And folks, let's get something straight. We managed to get some Republicans to vote for this, 13 in the House and 19 in the Senate. And I'm truly grateful for them. I mean it sincerely. But a whole lot more voted against it. But are taking credit for it now.

You know, you may have seen the news report on CNN describing Republicans who voted the infrastructure law after attacking me and Democrats for passing what they called Socialism. Socialism.

Well, now they're quietly and privately sending me letters. Not a joke. My administration, asking for money. Asking for that money. Talking about how important the project in their district are and for America.

I have got to say, I was surprised to see there's so many Socialists in the Republican caucus.

But look, and I mean it sincerely, even if they voted against it, I promise when I ran I would be president for all the American people, everyone. We're building a better America together even in districts where congressmen voted against this. They're going to get the money.

And one last thing. This is all being done without raising anyone's taxes a penny if you made less than $400,000. And we did it while cutting the deficit in half this year. In half.

Let me close with this. It's been a rough four or five years in this country for a lot of families. It's still tough.

But the bright spots were America reasserting itself, like here. Where the best workers in the world are hard at work building a future, a better future for everybody.

We're proving our best days are ahead of us, not behind us. We just have to keep it going. And we know we can. I have never been more optimistic about America's future than I am today. And I really mean that.

Just remember, we have to remember who we are. We are the United States of America. There's nothing beyond our capacity if we work together. This is an example of it.

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: So God bless you all. And may God protect our troops. And thank you for what you have done, particularly all the workers here.

(APPLAUSE)

(MUSIC)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: All right, that's President Biden there in Pittsburgh after -- President Biden in Pittsburgh, after some remarks on infrastructure investment there in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.

Of course, the lieutenant governor, John Fetterman, who is running for Senate there, was in attendance. And was mentioned there.

Let's bring in MJ Lee, who is, of course, covering the president.

MJ, this was not the big campaign rally one would expect in such a crucial race, just 19 days out from the midterms.

MJ LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: He kicked off his remarks as you saw by recalling how, some nine months ago, he was scheduled to visit Pittsburgh, and just hours before he left the White House, he got word that this bridge just right behind us where I'm standing had collapsed.

[13:59:51]

And he said, you know, thankfully, nobody was killed. But it was such a reminder that the country has crumbling bridges and highway systems and railroad systems. And he said, quote, "It never should have come to this."

Of course, a big part of this speech was the president touting the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.