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Sports Writer Grant Wahl Dies While Covering Quarterfinals; Morocco Upsets Portugal 1-0, Advances To Semifinals; Sen. Sinema Leaves Democratic Party, Registers As An Independent; Moment Of Silence Today For Slain College Students; Police Look For Car Spotted Near Scene On Night Of Killings; Rep. Joe Patterson (R-CA) Is Interviewed About CA Bill Aims To Address Rapid Rise In Fentanyl Deaths Among Youth; Harry And Meghan Take On Tabloids In First Part Of Docuseries. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired December 10, 2022 - 12:00   ET

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

[11:59:55]

CHERYL GANSECKI, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII: So, they might just look like a big wall of hot rock. And it doesn't look like it's moving much, but they can really -- they can surge where something is eliciting the front brakes off and lava comes to spewing out.

DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Dangerous, perhaps. But for C.J. Kale, an eruption is never destructive.

C.J. KALE, PHOTOGRAPHER: At what point did it become destruction? When we put a house in the way, you can't do that.

I lost property during the 2018 eruption. I have many friends that lost properties. My mom lost the house down (INAUDIBLE). We don't view it as loss, we view it as borrowed time.

CULVER: Speaking of time, sun is up, and our view still this.Does it feel like a wash out when you -- when you get to this point, and suddenly there is nothing -- I mean, do you feel disappointment?

KALE: You know, it's all part of the journey. If every single time we pulled up it was absolutely amazing. It wouldn't be as special as it is on the days that it is amazing.

CULVER: David Culver, CNN, Hawaii.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST (on camera): Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Heartbreak at the Qatar World Cup. Acclaimed sports journalist Grant Wahl, dying suddenly, while covering the soccer tournament. Circumstances of his passing remain unclear at this moment. Witnesses say he collapsed in the press area of the Argentina-Netherlands quarterfinals match.

Wahl was one of the preeminent voices for soccer in the U.S., covering the sport for decades. His death triggering a response from U.S. sports figures, from soccer and beyond.

The U.S. state department is now working with Wahl's family during this very difficult time.

CNN's Amanda Davis and Nic Robertson joining us right now.

So, Amanda, you first. This is not the kind of news anyone expected to be covering for this World Cup. What are you learning?

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORT ANCHOR (on camera): Yes. Not at all, Fredricka. And I have to say it's really strange standing here outside the Al-Bayt Stadium with England against France.

The fourth quarter final set to kick off in just a couple of hours. Time thinking it was just 24 hours ago that Grant Wahl walked across the concourse at the Lusail Stadium with a couple of his European football colleagues, excited to attend that Argentina-Netherlands match.

And there really is utter shock, disbelief, people trying to comprehend really. I was there in that media tribune last night. It's a huge, huge area.

And I have to say, myself and a large number of my colleagues enjoyed the game went home and it was only when we woke up this morning that we learned the tragic news.

And what we understand, Grant had been very open over the last couple of weeks talking about the fact he wasn't feeling well. He was suffering some chest pains and chest tightness. He wasn't alone in that. There's a number of bugs that have been going around here at The World Cup.

He took himself to a medical center, he was given some antibiotics, what -- for what he understood to be treatment for bronchitis.

But then, as the match went into extra time yesterday, as you mentioned, he collapsed in the stands. He was treated by medical professionals for 20 to 25 minutes, and then, taken to hospital here in Doha where sadly, it was announced in the early hours of this morning, he had passed away at the age of 49.

And in true Grant fashion though, for somebody who loved football or soccer -- I feel I should be calling it soccer in tribute for two grand over the next 24 hours or so.

He was at this game enjoying every second of this match. His final tweets on social media talking about the late, late free kick from the Netherlands that took the game into extra time.

And those trying to take some comfort from the fact that he passed on doing what he loved best, a little bit earlier on. We got the thoughts of his podcast co-host Chris Whittyngham about the facts he was there, as a member of the U.S. soccer contingent writing about Argentina.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHRIS WITTYNGHAM, CO-HOST, FUTBOL WITH GRANT WAHL (via telephone): Actually spent a year in Argentina in the 90s around the time that the USP Argentina and the Copa America. And he told me a story about how he wore American colors in Buenos Aires that evening, and was nearly, you know, beaten up by some locals because he dared to celebrate an American victory in Argentina.

But he loved that country and would have loved seeing them get through to the World Cup semifinal today, and we would have loved talking about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIES: Yes, it is Argentina who have gone through. But Grant is somebody who not only blazed the trail for U.S. soccer when it wasn't a trendy thing to do. He used football, he saw the power of football to highlight like so many issues in society for women, for members of the LGBTQ Plus community, which he was doing just in Doha, couple of weeks ago.

[12:05:05]

A true giant of journalism and sporting journalism. And it leaves a huge, huge hole.

WHITFIELD: It does, indeed, Amanda.

And Nic, I mean, this is a difficult time, you know, for Wahl's family, for the entire soccer and sports communities. So, how is the U.S. State Department helping in all of this?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, the message is the message of everyone, isn't it, to his family, and that is one of condolences and sadness at the loss. But they are doing what they can, and this is exactly where diplomats around the world play a big role.

At times like this, at times of family's crisis, where loved ones need to get -- need to get that -- their family member back home. Need to get the medical support, the medical understanding, the details of what happened, clearly, so, they can have a clearer picture of what happened, and this is what the state department is doing now.

We know that they are reaching out and connecting with Qatari officials to urge them to do everything that they can expeditiously to meet the family's wishes.

Now, the United States has a really strong diplomatic relationship with Qatar. United States has a big military base there.

When United States was trying to evacuate people from Afghanistan, somewhere before, those Qatar, stepped up, helped out massively there.

So, the good news for the family, and what is an absolutely tragic time for them, is that the diplomatic relations are good and that the help should be forthcoming, and that they should help them get the answers, they want the clarity, they want -- and bring -- ultimately, bring Grant back home. And that's what the state departments working towards with a Qatar is right now.

WHITFIELD: And Amanda, as hard as this is, the quarterfinals, you know, continue. What's happening on the pitch today?

DAVIES: You know, Fredricka, actually, just thinking about it brought a smile to my face, because we've just had exactly one of those stories that Grant would have loved to have covered. And that is Morocco beating Portugal to become the first African team into the semifinals of a World Cup in history.

They've become everybody's second favorite team really here at the tournament. The Moroccans have traveled in the 10s of 1000s. Extra flights being put on from Morocco here to Qatar over the last 24 hours for this moment.

And they had said, please don't write us off. Yes, we're further in this tournament than we have ever come before. But we now believe we can go on and win this tournament. And they have taken a huge, huge step forward to defying the odds once again.

So, Walid Regragui's Morocco into the semifinal of a World Cup at the expense of Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal. Ronaldo in tears on the pitch, as we saw Neymar for Brazil after their shortcut exit yesterday.

And that of course, just one half of that semifinal, the other half will be decided here in a couple of hours from now as defending champions France take on England.

WHITFIELD: All right, extraordinary happenings there and Qatar. Thanks to both of you, Amanda Davis and Nic Robertson. Appreciate it.

All right. Now, to a major shake-up in Washington. Arizona senator, Kyrsten Sinema announcing that she is leaving the Democratic Party and becoming an Independent.

This announcement comes just days after Senate Democrats gained a clear 51 to 49 majority in the U.S. Senate. CNN's Jessica Dean has more on what this means for the balance of power.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Friday brought a bombshell for Senate Democrats.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. KYRSTEN SINEMA (I-AZ): I have registered as an Arizona Independent.

DEAN: Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema, a moderate who wielded enormous power in the evenly split Senate of the last two years, telling CNN's Jake Tapper, she has left the Democratic Party and is now an Independent.

SINEMA: I just not worried about folks who may not like this approach. What I am worry about is continuing to do what's right for my state.

DEAN: Following her announcement, Sinema talked with reporters at an Arizona food bank on Friday, saying she is not focused on reelection, but on her constituents. Her term is up in 2024.

SINEMA: Today's announcement is a reflection of my values. And I think the values of most Arizonans who are tired of a political system that pulls people to the edges and really doesn't reflect who we are as the people.

DEAN: Sinema gave the White House and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer advanced warning of her announcement.

On Friday, Schumer said in a statement sentiment will keep her committee assignments, adding --

[12:10:01]

"I believe she's a good and effective senator. And I'm looking forward to a productive session in the new Democratic majority Senate. We will maintain our new majority on committees, exercise our subpoena power, and be able to clear nominees without discharge votes."

Fellow Senate Democrats and the White House echoing that sentiment saying cinemas decision won't change much.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): If she were to say, no, I'm going over Republican, I am not voting with them anymore. That's a whole different thing. That is nowhere near what she said.

And she has tended not to go to the caucus meeting, something she said. And so, I'm not like telling something out of school, except for rare moments where she is advocating for something she cares about. And that's not going to change either.

DEAN: Practically, Democrats will maintain their Senate Majority with three Independents now. Plenty of Democrats have sharply criticized the move though.

Arizona Representative Ruben Gallego, a potential challenger to Sinema, should she run again in 2024, blasted the move in a statement saying, "Unfortunately, Senator Sinema is once again putting our own interests ahead of getting things done for Arizonans."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN (on camera): In the end, this won't do much to change the day to day operations here in the Senate. The Democrats will still have a lot of the power that they get with that 51 seat majority. She will, of course, be keeping her committee seats. So, that does a lot to allow the Democrats to use that subpoena power to move nominees through the committee's a lot faster than they have been able to previously.

What this does bring about a lot of questions around is what happens in 2024? If Sinema decides to run for reelection, will she run as an Independent? Will Democrats field another candidate against her? Those are the big questions that will come into focus in the coming years.

Jessica Dean, CNN, Capitol Hill.

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's talk some more about all of this. Joining me right now is Nathan Gonzales, editor and publisher of Inside Elections.

And Ronald Hasson -- Hansen, sorry, and national political reporter for The Arizona Republic. Good to see both of you.

So, Ronald, you first. So, how is this news being received in Arizona?

RONALD HANSEN, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC: You know, I think with a lot of understandable anger on the left among Democrats, but probably if people are thinking through it even further, there is also some relief that they don't have to pretend anymore that this can work. This is a situation that has really been antagonistic and unpleasant for a lot of Democrats. They don't have to even go through that any further.

WHITFIELD: So, what do you mean? You say, Arizonans, particularly, democratic Arizonans have been skeptical about, you know, her allegiance or where she stands in the party?

HANSEN: Yes, I think on the -- on the Democratic left in Arizona for years now, they have really kind of viewed her with a good deal of antagonism and frustration, a sense that she has not been accessible enough. She has tried to work as an Independent in the Senate. She has often communicated with Republicans and, you know, just carried herself in a way that is not the way that many of the Democratic activists, the people in the party base have wanted to see.

This is not a sudden development. This has been percolating for years.

WHITFIELD: And so, Nathan, is your feeling that maybe this didn't come as much of a surprise to the Democratic caucus, because there are so many instances, right, in which she didn't caucus with them. She didn't seem to join them. She seemed to be on a real enigma leading up to so many talks about various legislation.

NATHAN GONZALES, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST (on camera): Yes. Well, when you know the -- when you know what happened now, you sort of put together some of the pieces differently before.

But she is kind of without a political home. I mean, part of this is, you know, I think that how Arizona is an emerging swing state. But also, she was going to face a competitive primary and another Congressman Greg Stanton released a hypothetical Democratic primary poll for 2024. This showed him leading cinema 58 to 17 in a Democratic primary.

I think this is, you know, she was looking for a path forward and realize that running as a Democrat wasn't going to work. That doesn't mean that running as an Independent is going to be any easier, it's just a more different -- it's a different and complicated race. And Republicans. They -- I think Republicans like Sinema, because she kind of makes it difficult for Democrats, but they don't necessarily want to embrace her.

I mean, she voted to impeach Trump. She's voted for all of Biden's judicial nominees. So, she is really searching for political home right now.

WHITFIELD: So, Ronald, does this better cement her position come reelection 2024?

HANSEN: I don't think so at all. I think that the '24 race is now thrown completely into the air. A couple things to think about. Number one, is Democrats really have to sort out who they will even nominate. The party's practice in high profile races like governor and senate in recent cycles has been to essentially get behind one person and avoid a difficult primary.

[12:15:03]

That's what the party would like to do. Whether that can actually happen with Greg Stanton and Ruben Gallego, potentially others is another matter altogether.

On the Republican side, they will feel like this is an opportunity for them, but they still have yet to show that they can nominate someone who is going to be seen as respectable and electable, moving forward.

If they go the Kari Lake route in '24, it would, again, pose problems. I think that's part of the calculus for the Sinema camp.

But running as an Independent, you're essentially, you know, hitching your wagon to a slice of the electorate that bats below its way, and really already has some pre conceived ideas about which way they lean in the first place. It really throws the race into a muddle.

WHITFIELD: So, Nathan, Senator Sinema dismissed Jake Tapper's questions, you know, about the political impact of her decision, as things only people in Washington seem to care about. Do you agree with that?

GONZALES: Well, no, anytime someone says it's not political, it's absolutely political. I don't believe that United States senators make decisions that aren't political.

I mean, when you just look at the evolution of Sinema, I'm old enough to remember when she ran for Congress, and she and Republicans were portraying her as a, you know, a lefty, progressive Green Party candidate, you know. And now, she's shifted all the way to where she is now.

And so, I think that Sinema is actually a smart politician, she's sort of realized how she can both get attention and do what's right for her constituencies.

And right now, it means shifting away from the Democratic Party and looking for a different way to survive, potentially, as an Independent.

WHITFIELD: And Ronald, how have people there interpreted her, and, you know, her political history, you know, her movement on Capitol Hill, given that when she entered politics, she was a Green Party activist, you know, in the early 2000s. Then, was a liberal state legislator who fought for LGBTQ rights, fought against controversial immigration- related laws in Arizona.

Is there a way in which Arizonans kind of label her or have they figured out, you know, from where she comes when she makes a decision or lobbies for issues?

HANSEN: You know, I think one thing that she has tried to do is really hold on to the mantle of John McCain. She has repeatedly cited him as the kind of political role model that she wants to emulate, and noting his independent kind of do what's best for Arizona attitude.

I think, there has been a willingness among Arizona voters to go with that. Certainly, in 2018, it seemed to be the kind of rhetoric that impressed a lot of the Independents who she won to help win that race in 2018.

And for Democrats, there was always a willingness. They knew she wasn't a perfect Democrat, but she did enough and seemed electable. It was the kind of deal that everybody was OK with. This latest iteration of Senator Sinema is something that she's going to have to take to the market a new.

WHITFIELD: All right. Ronald Hansen, Nathan Gonzales, we'll leave it right there for now. I know we'll be talking about it again, though, very soon. Thank you.

GONZALES: Thanks, Fred.

HANSEN: Great. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Still ahead, a new lead in the investigation into the murders of four Idaho college students. Police were searching for a car scene at the site of the killings, and a person believed to be inside of it. Those details next.

Plus, after an alarming number of youth overdoses, California officials are considering requiring Narcan in public schools. I'll talk with a state official behind the push straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:22:54]

WHITFIELD: All right, just a few minutes from now, there will be a moment of silence at the University of Idaho Winter Commencement for four students killed last month.

And police are now saying that they are looking for at least one person who was inside a white sedan, like the one that you see right here, spotted near the crime scene around the time the students were brutally stabbed to death.

Camila Bernal is in Idaho for us right now. So, Camila, what's the latest?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Hey, Fred.

So, we know police getting a lot of new tips, which of course, is what they want in this case. It's unclear if any of these tips are actually helpful. But they say they're reviewing all of these tips.

Actually, so many tips that the local police department had to change their strategy. And now, it's the FBI call center that's actually reviewing all of these tips.

They say, look, the whole process is likely going to take a little longer, but they're asking for patience, because they say any one of these tips could be key in solving this investigation.

Now, again, what they're looking for and what they're focused on is this white Hyundai Elantra that was made between 2011 and 2013. They say that car was near the house near the crime scene almost a month ago, when these students were stabbed multiple times while they were sleeping.

Now, as you mentioned, it is graduation weekend. And still so many families, so many students that are here are worried, they are frustrated, because initially, authorities said look, there is no threat to this community.

Then, they walked all of that back and said, actually, because we don't have anyone arrested, people need to be extra careful.

And for graduation weekend, police this morning releasing a statement, saying people need to be vigilant, need to walk in groups, need to make sure that their friends and families know where they're going.

So, there's still a lot of fear and a lot of frustration in this community, even as it is a weekend to celebrate.

And a lot of the students that are not graduating right now are worried and scared to come back next year.

[12:25:01]

A lot of them just wanting to stay home and take classes online. Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Camila Bernal in Idaho. Thanks so much.

Coming up, California public schools may soon require -- be required rather, to carry an overdose reversal treatment.

Next, I'll talk with a state official who's behind the push to make Narcan available after a spate of student overdoses.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:59:55]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. A new proposal in the California State Assembly hopes to fight a growing fentanyl problem among children.

The bill which is gaining bipartisan support would require schools to carry doses of the emergency drug Narcan, which can counteract the effects of the deadly opioid fentanyl. The State Health Department says over 220 teenagers overdosed on the drug in 2021 alone. California superintendent calls fentanyl overdoses the fastest growing cause of death among young people in the state.

Joining us right now one of the sponsors of the bill, California State Assembly member Joe Patterson. So good to see you, Mr. Patterson. So why is this the right solution, in your view, to address this growing health problem?

REP. JOE PATTERSON (R-CA), STATE ASSEMBLY: Well, frankly, I don't think we have very many parents who even know about this and how this can come about. But I've seen a growing number of people in my community that have been impacted by this drug and it's all across the state and all across the nation, it's time to do something about it.

WHITFIELD: So if your bill does pass, Narcan would be available on more than 10,000 a K through 12 campuses across your state, right? And so I would imagine that's going to be very costly. This as California faces a budget deficit, how will this be paid for?

PATTERSON: You know, honestly, it's really not that expensive. A dose of Narcan is about $22. And to arm every campus with it in California, you're talking about $1.3 million. But a school district in, you know, just a normal sized school district, it's only a couple $1,000. And that's a very, very small price. That's budget deaths. That's what we call budget deaths in California.

WHITFIELD: So you think it will be affordable, every school district or school would be able to, would be equipped to have it?

PATTERSON: Yes, I mean, with 300, nearly a $300 billion budget, this is really a nominal cost for our schools. So I'm not really worried about the cost to be honest with you, I'm more concerned about the lives. And I'm pretty sure, actually a lot of school districts are already doing it. So they've already seen, hey, the value -- really doesn't cost that much. Let's go ahead and do it on our own. But there are a lot of schools in California that don't have it. And that creates somewhat of an inequitable experience for kids who don't have access to it.

WHITFIELD: So fentanyl related deaths have risen exponentially in California over the last few years. And in your view, why has there been such a dramatic increase?

PATTERSON: Well, a lot of it is frankly the access to it and coming into our country, you know. And I think, also, in addition, just recently, there were 150,000 pills that came into this country, and they were seized, and that's great. Law enforcement is doing everything that they can do. But those two men were released without bail. And, you know, who knows where they're at now, but just the access and how easy it is to produce this drug, there's just too much access and too much availability out there.

WHITFIELD: California superintendent put out a statement recently about the crisis, say I'm quoting now, this is also a critical moment to intervene and help youth and families who are struggling with substance abuse disorders and those who are using drugs to cope with trauma, loss, or mental illness. So do you have any plans to help address, you know, the, the front end of this, the why there is so much youth --use among young people, which ultimately might take their lives?

PATTERSON: Yes, in fact, this is only one of several measures that I'm going to introduce on fentanyl. But in my own local community, there's a program called one pill can kill placer. And it was unfortunately came out of the -- of some families who've been impacted by this including one of my neighbors, Zach Didier. So we also must invest in education. There are other pieces of legislation that do that, but I'm a father of four myself. And I would know nothing about this drug if it wasn't for a tragedy that we had in our own community. And so I think just the education and getting the word out, and what's going on is half the battle, and I'm committed to doing that as well.

WHITFIELD: So clearly, this is, you know, very personal for you. And I wonder on a national level, do you feel like, you know, the FDA is taking steps to, you know, make some prescription drugs, like Narcan, you know, more readily available?

PATTERSON: Yes. You know, there's currently a backlog but one thing that I've seen that has been pretty amazing on the federal government side is that in a lot of these cases, that are happening in California is actually the federal government will step in, and prosecute the traffickers of this. And so I think the federal government is fully committed to also helping, you know, this, and, you know, this problem and everywhere in the country it's not just California, we have issues all over the country with this and I know that they're committed to it as well.

[12:35:07]

WHITFIELD: All right, Joe Paterson, thanks so much for your time. Appreciate it.

PATTERSON: Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: All right the first few episodes of the highly anticipated Netflix docu -- docu series rather, Harry and Meghan, well, it's out, what the couple is revealing about the palace and the reaction from the U.K., next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Someone just paid an astronomical amount of money for some old bones, but not just any bones. This was a 200 pound T-Rex skull Dubbed Maximus. It was discovered in South Dakota a couple of years ago and it's about 76 million years old. And today it's sold in a Sotheby's auction for little over 6 million bucks. The auction house was expecting to fetch up to 20 million so somebody got a deal.

[12:40:08]

All right, for the first time ever, U.S. currency will bear the signatures of two women, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and U.S. treasurer Lynn Malerba. Both were at the Fort Worth Bureau of Engraving and Printing to do the honors, as you see right there. Yellen is the country's first female treasury secretary. Malerba is the first Native American to have her signature on U.S. currency. Yellen says she spent some, quote, quality time practicing her signature just to get it right. The new $1 and $5 bills will go into circulation next month. That's quite the honor.

All right, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle take on Britain's tabloid media in the first three episodes of their new Netflix docu series. And Harry specifically compared Meghan's experience to that of his mother, Diana.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: As far as a lot of the family were concerned, everything that she was being put through, they've been put through as well. So it was almost like a rite of passage. And some of the members of families like, right, but my wife had to go through that. So why should your girlfriend be treated any differently? Why should you get special treatment? Why should she be protected? And I said the difference here is the race element.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: As CNN's Anna Stewart reports, the response so far in Britain has been mixed.

ANNA STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well the first installment of Harry and Meghan's documentary series didn't necessarily cause the shock or the drama that was expected. Prince Harry accused the royal family unconscious bias when it comes to race. He said they didn't do enough to support Meghan. But frankly, that was nothing new.

So it came as little surprise this one an official visit to the newly titled city of Wrexham in Wales. The King gave no comment on the Netflix series. He went about his engagements as planned, meeting Hollywood stars and to new owners of Wrexham Football Club Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Of course it's possible the palace will break their no comment tradition next week if new and serious allegations are made or specific family members are mentioned.

The other target of Harry and Meghan's anger was the media and not just the tabloids, all the paparazzi that actually accredited members of the palaces royal rotor, the traveling press pool that covers royal engagements. Prince Harry called the press pack of correspondence quote, an extended PR arm of the royal family.

However, newspaper headlines Friday focused more on what was perceived as. And I think we've got it in the telegraph here, a direct hit on the late Queen's legacy. And "The Daily Mail" went for something similar saying, palace anger at assault on the Queen's legacy, and much attention of this given to the treatment of the Commonwealth in this series which one guest described as a privileged club or formerly colonized nations.

Now from speaking to people about the series, it appears minds haven't really been changed. Those supportive of team Sussex still are, those horrified by their actions are frankly more horrified. And there actually may be a growing camp of people just fed up with a coverage altogether. That was actually well exemplified by the front page of the mirror, stop the royal circus, which talks about how there's also a cost of living crisis that people perhaps are more focused on.

Well, it's not ending anytime soon. There are three more episodes to come next week and Prince Harry's memoir titled "Spare" early next year. Anna Stewart, CNN, London.

[12:43:31]

WHITFIELD: All right, coming up, two women are suing Apple claiming their exes use the company's AirTagged devices to stalk them. We'll discuss next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Tech giant, Apple, being hit with a lawsuit this week from women who say the company's AirTag devices made it easier for them to be stalked and harassed. The women alleged their previous romantic partners used the AirTags to track their whereabouts potentially putting their lives at risk. Joining me right now is Mark Rasch.

He is a lawyer and a cyber and privacy expert. Mark, so good to see you. Oh, also, with your credentials here, you're also a former Justice Department prosecutor for cybercrimes, can't leave that out. Good to see you. So first, you know, the women claim that AirTags made it possible for their ex partners to stalk them. So what is the main purpose of these devices?

MARK RASCH, CYBER & PRIVACY EXPERT: So the AirTag is a small device about this size. This is an AirTag holder that you can use to track your bicycle, your car, your purse, you know, you put it in there. And then if that device is stolen, you can track where it is, also finding lost keys, finding a lost wallet, that kind of stuff, so it's very useful for that type of thing.

WHITFIELD: So what is being alleged as to how these AirTags were used to track these women?

RASCH: So what was alleged is that the these women's ex-boyfriends or in one case ex-husband, took an AirTag not belonging to the woman and put it in the car or put it in one case, put it in the backpack belong to the daughter and then was able to use that AirTag to track where the device was, the car was, and therefore where their ex-spouse or ex-girlfriend was. And it is a very common thing for people to use these kinds of devices to try to track people that they want to follow. [12:50:08]

WHITFIELD: OK. And Apple has not commented specifically on this case. But earlier this year, Apple added more safeguards to the AirTag to cut down on unwanted a tracking and that includes alerting people sooner and louder if the small Bluetooth tracker is suspected to be tracking someone. In announcing those changes, Apple released a statement and it read in part here it is, we've become aware that individuals can receive unwanted tracking alerts for benign reasons such as when borrowing someone's keys with an AirTag attached or when traveling in a car with a family members air pods left inside.

We also have seen reports of bad actors attempting to misuse AirTags for malicious or criminal purposes. We condemn in the strongest possible terms, any malicious use of our products, end quote. So is that enough to protect Apple from this lawsuit?

RASCH: Probably not, because one of the things is that you're going to look at whether or not Apple could have done more and can do more to prevent the use of these devices for this kind of cyber stalking. And so there's a number of claims in the lawsuit. One is product liability. This is a known or anticipated misuse of their product. The second one is violation of California privacy laws. The other one is deceptive trade practices, that this is an unfair invasion of the privacy of these women.

Now Apple does do a number of things to as you said, to prevent this from happening. One is if you have an Apple device like an iPhone, and you're traveling with it, and there's somebody's air -- a tracker, an AirTag in your car or on your person that you didn't put there, it will give you a notification on your phone saying, hey, there's some unknown AirTag traveling with you assuming that you've updated the operating system of your phone. But that won't work if you have an Android phone.

WHITFIELD: OK, so then why and how should a company be held responsible for someone using what is supposed to be a tool with intended use elsewhere but perhaps might misuse that tool, why should they be held accountable, meaning the company or manufacturer?

RASCH: So under standard, sure, and it's not really an easy -- it's an easy question with a difficult answer, because it's not clear when a manufacturer or product is liable for the misuse of that product. And typically, what courts will look at is the question of whether or not the misuse of the product is an anticipated misuse. So is this kind of thing that you could reasonably anticipate that people would do with your product or service?

WHITFIELD: OK, and even if it may be difficult to answer that why a company should be held accountable for those who would, of course want to hold a manufacturer or company accountable for the misuse of their tool or device? Maybe the question is how, how would they be held responsible?

RASCH: Well, it's under a product liability theory. The idea is if you have a product and introduce it into the stream of commerce, you get the benefit of the sales from people using it properly. But there's a risk of misuse. And in those kinds of cases, the manufacturer of the product can be held liable for any anticipated misuse of the product. But in this case, the product is doing what it's supposed to do.

It's tracking where the AirTag is. And in fact, if you made that impossible, then the AirTag wouldn't be useful. If I have one, for example, in my bicycle, if someone steals my bike, I can track where the bike is. But it did have to alert that person, hey, the bike that you just stole has an AirTag in it, then it defeats the utility of the AirTag because that person will just take the AirTag out, remove it, throw it away, and I can't track the bicycle. So you have to do this balance.

WHITFIELD: All right, Mark Rasch, thank you so much.

RASCH: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. In just a few hours, football's best rivalry gets underway. The Army Navy game kicks off in Philadelphia. We'll go there live straight ahead.

But first, this quick programming note, tomorrow, join Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa to celebrate real heroes and find out who will be the 2022 CNN Hero of the Year, CNN Heroes, an all-star tribute beginning at 8:00 p.m.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tomorrow it's the time of year to be inspired. And honor some of humanity's best.

CARIE BROECKER, PEACE OF MIND DOG RESCUE: We have found homes for almost 3,000 dogs.

TYRIQUE GLASGOW, YOUNG CHANCES FOUNDATION: Our community mass center used to be the community drug house.

[12:55:06]

BOBBY WILSON, METRO ATLANTA URBAN FARM: I want my grandchildren to have it better than what I have it today.

RICHARD CASPER, CREATIVE: It has always wanted to serve other people.

TERESA GRAY, MOBILE MEDICS INTERNATIONAL: Human suffering has no borders. People are people and love is love.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Join Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa live as they present the 2022 Hero of the Year.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Join me --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- in honoring --

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: CNN Hero of the Year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: CNN Heroes an all-star tribute tomorrow at 8:00.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)