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GOP's Santos Tries To Walk Back Claims Of Jewish Heritage; Woman Saves Severely Frostbitten Man From Buffalo Blizzard; Buffalo Braces For Possible Flooding As Temps Rise; "Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over" Premieres New Year's Day At 9P. Aired 3:30-4p ET
Aired December 28, 2022 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:30:00]
SARA SIDNER, CNN HOST: Republican Congressman-elect George Santos is vowing to take his seat in the House next week. Why is that a thing? It's despite growing outcry, mostly from Democrats after he admitted to a long list of falsehoods, and what he calls embellishments. That's another word for lies on his resume. Santos also continues to walk back previous claims about his Jewish heritage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE SANTOS (R) NEW YORK CONGRESSMEN-ELECT: My heritage is Jewish. I've always identified as Jewish. I was raised a practicing Catholic. I think I've gone through this. Even -- not being raised a practicing Jew, I've joked with friends in circles, even with -- in the campaign I say, guys, I'm Jew-ish. Remember I was raised Catholic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: I was raised a practicing Catholic, but I've always considered myself Jewish. OK. Joining me now is Nassau County's Executive Bruce Blakeman. And maybe you can make sense of this. You are a Jewish Republican representing Nassau County. What do you make of what he calls embellishments?
BRUCE BLAKEMAN, NASSAU COUNTY, NY EXECUTIVE: Well clearly, I'm a little concerned that so many of the things that he represented himself to be have turned out to be completely untrue. The fact that he says that he's Jewish doesn't trouble me nearly as much as he said that his parents were Holocaust survivors.
To trivialize the Holocaust is a serious thing and I think he really owes an apology to the Jewish people, especially those who come from families that had the atrocities hoisted upon them from the Holocaust. So, the fact that he considers himself Jewish is ridiculous, but more importantly, the fact that he would say something that would trivialize the Holocaust, that's more tragic.
SIDNER: That is a really fair point, and I think for people who have been following this story, that was something that actually stood out to me as well. Do you think he was trying to somehow profit off of that idea, or I mean, what is the reason? Can you come up with one, knowing that you didn't do this. But he's the one who has been telling all these lies. But what was he
trying to do by saying something like that about, you know, his grandparents and then himself when it comes to faith and also all the lies about his resume, his background in business?
[15:35:00]
BLAKEMAN: Well, I think it's clear that George Santos has emotional issues, and I think he needs to address those issues with a health care professional. Because what he did was not normal, and you know, while I was very angry with him when he first announced that those were lies, the fact of the matter is I feel sad for him now, and I think he needs help. And I think he needs to address those emotional issues because as I said, a normal person wouldn't do that.
SIDNER: Can he be effective? Because he says he's going to continue on with where the voters put him in Congress.
BLAKEMAN: Well, you know, we don't have recall elections in New York. What I think needs to be done is I think there needs to be an investigation by the ethics committee in the House of Representatives, and they have to determine whether or not he violated any laws, or whether he violated any moral regulations that the House of Representatives have.
So, I think that we need to see an investigation as to whether or not his financial issues are in order because he certainly made embellishments or lies about that. So, I think it's important that they do their investigation, and that we see what the facts are concerning some of the other things he said.
SIDNER: You said that you don't have recalls there, but what are you hearing from constituents in Nassau County? Are they talking to you about this? I mean, it has to be embarrassing at the very least.
BLAKEMAN: Well, I think everybody's talking about it, but I think the more important thing is -- is George Santos embarrassed? Does he feel shame at what he did? Because if he doesn't, then I think that we have a real problem going forward.
I think basically he has to understand that what he did was wrong, and that he violated a trust with the people in his Congressional district, and throughout Nassau County and the state of New York for that matter, and the nation. So, I think that we first have to determine whether or not he has the remorse and understands the gravity of what he did.
SIDNER: Just a yes or no here, quickly if you don't mind. Do you think he should resign?
BLAKEMAN: No, I think that there needs to be an investigation first, and then we'll make that determination. He was elected, and I don't think that we should overturn elections without a proper investigation and looking at the results and the evidence and then making a determination, but certainly, it raises many, many questions.
SIDNER: Bruce Blakeman, one of the few Republicans speaking out on this. Thank you so much for joining us.
BLAKEMAN: Thank you so much.
SIDNER: Social media app TikTok is now banned from official devices managed by the U.S. House of Representatives. Anyone who has installed the app on their House mobile device is asked to remove the software. That's according to a notice provided to CNN.
It calls TikTok a, quote, high risk to users due to a number of security risks. Today, the governor of Kansas also banned the app on all state-owned devices. TikTok is soon expected to be banned from all federal devices.
When we come back. The woman who saved an older man with disabilities from freezing to death during the Buffalo storm. She speaks to CNN.
And ahead, the head of the premiere of our new CNN film "DON'T MAKE ME OVER," we take a closer look at Grammy award-winning icon Dionne Warwick's career. Here's a quick preview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dionne Warwick, one of the great female singers of all-time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dionne was the first African American woman to win a Grammy in the pop category.
DIONNE WARWICK, SINGER: The music I was singing there's nothing like anything that any of them were singing. The legacy in my family, music. Pure and simple. Music.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "DIONNE WARWICK: DON'T MAKE ME OVER." Premieres New Year's Day at 9:00 on CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[15:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SIDNER: Today in snow-covered western New York, the National Guard is going door to door conducting wellness checks on people who lost power during the deadly winter storm. Erie County officials say the death toll from the blizzard now stands at 34 people, including two men and one woman who have yet to be identified.
The driving ban in Buffalo remains in place as workers -- and you see them working hard there -- are attempting to clear the snow and ice from the roads. 65 percent of all city streets have at least one lane open for cars to get through at this point.
Amid the fierce storm, people stepped up to help their neighbors in so many ways. But one man owes his life to a woman who heard him screaming for help on Christmas Eve. Sha'Kyra Aughtry saw Joey White, an elderly man with developmental disabilities apparently lost and disoriented and showing signs of frostbite.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHA'KYRA AUGHTRY, RESCUED MAN WITH FROSTBITE DURING BLIZZARD: I don't want to be on no list. I don't care about nothing else. This man is not about to die over here at 111. You all need to get this man some help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: She brought him inside, cut a bag off of his hands and used a blow-dryer to get the ice off of him.
[15:45:00]
They eventually made it to the hospital, and Joey is now being treated for fourth degree frostbite. Joey's sister, Yvonne, spoke to CNN today along with Sha'Kyra. Here's their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
YVONNE WHITE, HER BROTHER SUFFERED SEVERE FROSTBITE IN BLIZZARD: Honestly, I'm sure he would have perished. Like I told Joey, we gained a family. I told Joey, we gained a family. I'm looking at my sister.
I'm - I'm looking at my sister. I'm looking at Trent, who's my brother. And now I'm thrilled because I have three nephews. And that's -- that's how I feel because this woman just -- just what she did, above and beyond, for a stranger. What she did is just heartwarming and it makes me cry. I mean both of us were crying for two days.
AUGHTRY: Paying it forward. How I was raised. My family, you know, always taught me, you know, to have compassion. And that's what I did. It was, you know, I just had to jump in.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIDNER: Sha'Kyra Aughtry you are a hero. Yvonne says you can send her brother a get well card if you wish care of the Erie County Medical Center.
Tom Sater joins us from the CNN Weather Center with the latest on the potential rapid melt in Buffalo. And I know that can only mean one thing -- flooding.
TOM SATER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Sara, and you know, weatherwise, that's one of the hardest things to try to forecast and predict. A massive flash event where everything melts.
We do know that the National Weather Service in Buffalo and many other areas will put out advisories and statements for stream flooding. But they don't put out advisories for basement flooding, for business flooding. So, this is a wait and see kind of thing.
Look at all these cities in the U.S. right now are all above freezing, with an exception of Minot at 25 degrees. The average high in Buffalo was 34. They're going to see temperatures are 20 degrees warmer than that. Look at all the snow, they're above freezing in Minneapolis.
Now out West, it's getting bad. Now we need the snow but wait until I tell you what's happening in the week ahead. Now last year at this time in Buffalo, they had 9.3 inches on the ground -- they're up to 100. They are six feet above average. There's no doubt there's going to be some problems with the flooding.
Now this is Watertown. This looks pretty good, and they're saying, well, watch your sewer drains, right. Keep them from getting iced up. How can you even find them if they can't find the automobiles? After the plowing, you've drifts 6 or 7 feet high. So, there is definitely going to be some flooding.
We've got rain in the forecast. I mean that just aids in the melting and of course, accelerates it -- it's up to 54 in the seven-day forecast. So, this massive warmup across all of the Eastern U.S., it does come with rain from the Tennessee Valley to the south.
But out West, sara, here we go. Not only are we going to see one system that's already moved in. We've got another one coming in later on tonight and tomorrow. Another one on Saturday into Sunday. Another one next week. Measuring the snow by the feet.
The winds have been so strong that we have had category 1 and category 2 winds with this. So again, it's going to be one day after another. The massive rainfall, the flooding, and the mountain snow. It's going to be endless for days. That's the next story.
SIDNER: Tom, all I can say is the weather is tripping and it's not your fault. I appreciate you coming on.
SATER: It is.
SIDNER: The Miami Dolphins confirm their star quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in their latest game. What this may mean for his future, coming up next.
[15:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SIDNER: Legendary vocal artist Dionne Warwick has brought us countless hits over the decades. Now, the new CNN film, "DIONNE WARWICK: DON'T MAKE ME OVER" tells the intimate stories behind the singer's rise to global superstardom. Our Victor Blackwell has a closer look at how she did it all, while breaking through racial barriers and shining a spotlight on really important social issues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIONNE WARWICK, SINGER: The moment I wake up, before I put on my makeup, I say a little prayer for you ...
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dionne Warwick is a global music superstar.
WARWICK: Do you know the way to San Jose, I've been away for a long time ...
BLACKWELL (voice-over): But her impact extends far beyond music. Warwick's singing career start starting at her grandfather's church in New Jersey. Her talent and drive propelled her from the church choir to the most famous stages around the world.
WARWICK: This girl's in love with you ...
BLACKWELL (voice-over): But when she started touring in the South, Warwick encountered a level of bigotry that she had not seen growing up in the North. Her response was clear --
WARWICK: Blacks run were on this side. Whites were on this side. The stage was straight ahead, and I remember Sam saying, Dionne, do not turn your back on the white folk. First thing I did when I went out there, I walked straight to the band and turned my back and played to the ones that looked like me.
BLACKWELL: When the HIV/AIDS crisis struck in the 80s, Warwick was clear to act.
WARWICK: And I never thought I'd feel this way ...
WARWICK: I became very, very vocal and very public with the AIDS issue, based on the fact that we're losing so many people.
WARWICK: That I do believe in love ...
WARWICK: Something better be done.
WARWICK: Keep smiling, keep shining ...
ELTON JOHN, SINGER: Dionne was definitely a hero of mine and a hero to a lot of people. She was really the first person in the music business to actually speak up about it.
WARWICK: My role as ambassador of health.
[15:55:00]
BLACKWELL (voice-over): Her efforts prompted then-President Ronald Reagan to name her the U.S. ambassador of health to advocate for AIDS awareness and research around the world. Today, Warwick continues to make an impact through her colorful Twitter commentary. Collaborations with young artists.
CHANCE THE RAPPER, ALBUM NOTHING'S IMPOSSIBLE: Now go break a leg and break the bank and make a honest, living
WARWICK: Nothing's impossible if you believe
BLACKWELL (voice-over): Pop culture presence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dionne, why are you perfect?
WARWICK: Darling, I'm not perfect. I'm just very, very good. BLACKWELL (voice-over): And ongoing charity work. And at 82, she
continues to share her legendary music with audiences around the world.
WARWICK: Keep smiling, keep shining ...
BLACKWELL: Victor Blackwell, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIDNER: I mean, a lot of us call her auntie, even though, you know, she's technically not. Be sure to tune in to the all-new CNN film, "DIONNE WARWICK, DON'T MAKE ME OVER" premieres New Year's Day at 9:00 p.m. -- I know I'll be watching -- only on CNN.
"THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER" starts after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
