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McCarthy Sworn In As House Speaker On The 15th Ballot; McCarthy Gives Credit To Trump After Victory: "He Was All in"; Police: Six- Year-Old In Custody After Shooting Teacher In Classroom. Aired 1-2p ET
Aired January 07, 2023 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[13:00:00]
NATHANIEL MEYERSOHN, CNN BUSINESS CONSUMER REPORTER: is where you have your own code, and you have to type in a code to pick it up. Wow. So much for the convenience but at the same time you want what you paid for you want your order.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Nathaniel Myerson, thank you so much and happy New Year.
All right. Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. Happy New Year. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. All right. It's official after a grueling 15 rounds of voting the House of Representatives has a new speaker
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): The gentleman from the great state of California, and the next Speaker of the 100 and 18th Congress, Kevin McCarthy.
WHITFIELD (voice over): Newly elected Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy grabbing the gavel there after four days of voting. The longest speaker contest in 164 years. But despite the sometimes- contentious days of negotiations with a narrow faction of his conference, republicans in the end rallied around McCarthy and his vision for America.
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): I'll may make this promise. I'll never give up for you, the American people. And I will never give up on keeping our commitment to America. Our nation is worth fighting for. Our rights are worth fighting for. Our dreams are worth fighting for. Our future is worth fighting for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: CNN's Eva McKend is live for us on Capitol Hill. So, Eva, you know, how did McCarthy eventually get those votes that he needed?
EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Well, Fred, by convincing those holdouts, those never-Kevin lawmakers, ultimately to vote present. That isn't a ringing endorsement of Kevin McCarthy. But what it did was lowered the threshold that he needed to ultimately secure the speakership. But it was a grueling process. He also made some key concessions. So, now the House Freedom Caucus members that cause McCarthy so much trouble this week, they're going to have a key seat at the table when it comes to serving on the powerful House Rules Committee.
And now only one member will be required to trigger a vote to potentially oust the speaker. And then something else they secured, actually something that both rank and file democrats and republicans lament, and that is there isn't enough time to rebuild. He has really committed to that's critical 72 hours to read over bills, but it was -- it was a long slog. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCARTHY: Don't judge us on how we start, watch how we finish. And I think by having the disruption now really built the trust with one another and learned how to work together. What we're going to have to find in our mindset is that we have to front load, that we have to think about and work on the bills with a microcosm of the conference before we even start writing it. And that's really what we learned here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKEND: So, you hear McCarthy here, basically trying to characterize this week as part of the democratic process. That is something that you've heard republicans say all week that this really all was good but democrats argued that this was nothing short of chaotic, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Yes. I mean, especially when, you know, it's understandable that there was a lot of drama, cajoling, arm twisting and all that. But then when you actually see a member of congress lunging for another, that's a whole different matter. What is at the root of that?
MCKEND: Yes. You know, it's appeared that Mike Rogers of Alabama apparently reached his boiling point, he got really frustrated. This was during the 14th vote when he lunged at Matt Gaetz. Matt Gaetz was in the position where he was the only person left and he voted present, and McCarthy could not secure the victory as expected during the 14th try. Now ultimately, McCarthy was successful during the 15th. Try. But that really, I think, illustrated the deep divisions within the republican conference.
A vast majority of Republicans supported McCarthy from the outset, but they all had to be in it to win it essentially together throughout this week.
WHITFIELD: All right. Eva McKend, so much more to watch. We know. Thank you. All right. Earlier today I spoke with a newly sworn in freshman Congresswoman Monica Dela Cruz about this historic speaker vote and all that she witnessed the multiple rounds of ballots that had to be taken before McCarthy got the gavel. And this is what she said about the whole experience.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. MONICA DELA CRUZ (R-TX): We live in a democracy This is not a Cuba or China where there's a dictatorship. In fact, this is a democracy where we can have open discussion, praise God and just discuss what's on our mind finally come to consensus and move forward.
[13:05:05]
And you saw democracy play out over the last week and come to consensus in the wee hours of the morning. And now we're ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work.
WHITFIELD: So, was it consensus or was it arm twisting? I mean, how do you describe what you witnessed?
DELA CRUZ: Well, look, we have to compromise and hear each other's thoughts and concerns, and then come together with that. This is not a dictatorship, where one person gets to decide everything for the entire conference. So, I'm glad that there was robust conversation. I'm glad that there was difference of thought. That's what America is all about. Coming together with different thoughts and backgrounds, and ideas of what works for the 118th Congress. So, we saw it play out just as it should.
WHITFIELD: And you were on board with House Speaker McCarthy, but clearly, you had to have heard a lot of conversations, you had to have witnessed what seemed like a lot of anxiety and angst. And a lot of persuasion is taking place. Did any of what you experienced color or prepare you for what's ahead or perhaps even was it just overall an eye-opening experience for you? Are you ready for this?
DELA CRUZ: I'm a small business owner. And so, I come from an area that you have to have a thoughtfulness in coming to conclusion. And I think that is what happened yesterday. You know, of course, I'm now inside the game and see the different personalities, the different thought processes and what should and should not happen. I like -- I was in the front row of this. And so, I believe that yesterday was eye opening.
And I'm glad we were finally able to elect a speaker together and move forward. Because really, that's what the country wants, they want change. They don't want 4000-page bills where we don't have time to read it. They want to change in this process. And I think we saw that actually happen yesterday, and I'm excited about getting started on Monday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. Congresswoman Dela Cruz there. So, let's talk more about this. I want to bring in CNN political analyst Julian Zelizer. He's also the coauthor of the new book Myth America: Historians Take on the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past. Julian, good to see you and Happy New Year.
JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Happy New Year. Great (INAUDIBLE) WHITFIELD: All right. So, the 15th vote was the charm. So, will this
be looked at as a discussion as the newly-elected congresswoman put it, you know, that led to a thoughtful conclusion?
ZELIZER: No, I think it'll be seen as more chaotic and indicative of some of the challenges the republicans are going to face. And by extension, the House of Representatives will face in dealing with big issues, there was a lot of tension. This was very delayed, and in the process of selecting a speaker, the speaker was weakened. So, I see and hear how it's being spun. But I don't think even many republicans think that's what this process really was.
WHITFIELD: You say weakened, and McCarthy himself said, this exemplified a unity.
ZELIZER: Yes. Obviously, that is what he's going to say. And he wants to present this as a victory. But look, A, you saw the Take No Prisoners mentality of a large number of republicans, and that will not go away. B, in the process of negotiating with them. He already gave them everything they wanted. They will remember that next battle, like raising the debt ceiling. And finally, the concessions weaken the speakership, make it easier, for example, to remove the speaker.
So, by putting all those three together, this is a speakership that is much weaker than it had been when Nancy Pelosi was sitting in the chair.
WHITFIELD: Perhaps also fascinating was Speaker McCarthy was very quick to praise former President Trump for his influence. And finally, you know, leading the ending this republican stalemate. And this is what he said, in fact.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCARTHY: But I do want to especially thank President Trump. I don't think he should -- anybody should doubt his influence. He was with me from the beginning. Somebody wrote the doubt is what he was there. And he was all in. He would call me and he would call others. And he really was -- I was just talking to him tonight. Helping get those final votes. What he's really saying, really for the party in the country that we have to come together. We have to focus on the economy, we got to focus to make our border secure.
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We got to do so much work to do and he was a great influence to make that all happen. So, thank you, President Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: So that was striking, wasn't it? Especially when you're talking about this taking place just, you know, minutes -- a few minutes after the second anniversary of the insurrection. And, you know, the former president being blamed largely for helping to influence those events. And that now you have the house speaker who would praise the former president and not praise him as former president, but praise him as President Trump. How did you assess this?
ZELIZER: Speaker McCarthy is someone before he was speaker, now as speaker who fears Trump. I think at some level, he sees Trump as an incredibly influential member in the party. But there is an irony, the former president was trying to influence the republicans for several days now and was unsuccessful. At the very end, the argument is he was able to influence Congressman Gaetz.
Although I think the concessions that Kevin McCarthy made were much more important than the calls that the former president did. So, this is about his continued fear and efforts to placate Trump. I don't think it reflects Trump's influence in the last few days.
WHITFIELD: You wrote an op-ed for a cnn.com saying, I'm quoting now, "a significant part of Trump's influence was his nihilistic attitude of political combat, he helped to spur a younger, more extreme cohort to step up and demand power. It seems these burn- down-the-house conservatives will do almost anything in pursuit of victory and believe, like Trump, that chaos, instability and hyper divisiveness have great political value.
And now some of these Trump loyalists might be close to concluding that they no longer need him, or at the very least, they no longer need to follow his every move." So, you feel like they are using him, is that what I'm interpreting there?
ZELIZER: Or they're using them or they're inspired by his approach to politics, and they're willing to go further, they now have different agendas. And I think it's a natural process we often see where the rebel starts to lose control of the other rebels. The allies, the younger generation. And I think in some ways that might be where we are. And part of the former president's challenge will be to regain influence and control over them as he tries to run again for 2024.
But some of them might look elsewhere, and he taught them more than anyone else. Do what you have to do to secure power. And don't be loyal, if loyalty is going to get in the way of that objective.
WHITFIELD: In many ways, this new wave of republicans is taking a page right out of a former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has played book. I mean, you wrote a whole book about how Gingrich changed the game in Washington. Connect the dots for us. How did his influence play a role this week?
ZELIZER: Look, Gingrich introduced the style of Smash Mouth partisanship. Take no prisoners, no guardrails, use every process, use every word to try to advance yourself and your party. And I think the current generation has gone much further than the former speaker ever would have imagined. But he was really an origin point for this new style of political combat. And as I watched this play out, I could see Gingrich's image in my head all the time, even though he was calling for McCarthy to win.
What they were doing was greatly influenced by what he put on the table back in the 1980s and 90s.
WELKER: All fascinating. Julian Zelizer. Great to see you. Have a great new year. We'll see you again soon.
ZELIZER: Thanks for having me.
WHITFIELD: All right. Right now, an investigation is underway after police say a six-year-old boy shot a teacher at an elementary school in Newport News, Virginia. And according to authorities, a student and teacher were involved in alter -- in an altercation when the six-year- old who had the firearm fired a single round hitting the teacher. CNN's Gloria Pazmino is following the story for us. Gloria, what are you learning?
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NEWSOURCE NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A disturbing incident without a doubt, Fred. This happened yesterday afternoon shortly after 2:00 at Richneck Elementary in Newport News, Virginia. We have learned that teacher was in critical condition when she was transported to the hospital yesterday. We learned from the police chief there that this was apparently an altercation between both the teacher and the student.
He then proceeded to fire that single shot injuring his teacher and the shooter was contained to the inside of that classroom. Now, that's a first-grade classroom, Fred.
[13:15:07]
And I should mention that although the shooting was contained to this area, it also means that the rest of the school was not affected by it. It went into lockdown and eventually parents and students were able to reunite. I want to hear -- I want to play for you a little bit of sound from local officials describing the events yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF STEVE DREW, NEWPORT NEWS POLICE: We have been in contact with our commonwealth attorney and some other entities to help us best get services to this -- to this young man.
DR. GEORGE PARKER III, NEWPORT NEWS PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT: And I'm in shock and I'm disheartening and I really feel that we need to educate our children, and we need to keep them safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAZMINO: So, a lot more questions still unanswered exactly about how the six-year-old first grader got his hands on a firearm, why he brought it to school and exactly what this altercation was that transpired and led to the shooting. I do want to put up a message from the school principal which we received a short time ago. I should mention that the school will be closed both on Monday and Tuesday.
And the Principal Briana Foster said, my heart is aching for our school community. The tragic event that occurred on Friday impacts all of us deeply. My thoughts and prayers remain with our teacher who was seriously injured and our students and our staff who are dealing with the after effects of this tragedy. I should also mention, Fred, that the school district has made several resources available both for teachers and for parents and for students who went through this traumatic event yesterday to be able to get some help. You can certainly imagine the distress that everyone must be feeling they will have to eventually go back into school and the district wants to make sure that they're getting the help that they need.
WHITFIELD: So important. All right. Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much.
Still ahead. Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin breathing on his own and speaking to family physicians and teammates, only days after his on-field cardiac arrest. We'll bring you the latest.
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[13:21:22]
WHITFIELD: All right. The Buffalo Bills and the NFL will feature tributes for Damar Hamlin during this weekend's games, which kickoff very shortly from now. And this comes as the Bill's safety continues to make a remarkable recovery after suffering a cardiac arrest on the field during Monday's game. Hamlin is now breathing on his own after having a breathing tube removed late Thursday.
The 24-year-old surprised his teammates in Buffalo yesterday FaceTiming them on a phone from his hospital bed in Cincinnati. And we've got a team of reporters covering these developments for us. Coy Wire is in Buffalo and Adrienne Broaddus is in Cincinnati outside the hospital where Hamlin continues to recovery, so -- recover. So, Adrienne, to you first. What are doctors saying?
ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good afternoon to you, Fred. Well, the Damar Hamlin will have an incredible testimony. The milestones that we've seen this week doctor say, go back to what happened on the football field Monday night. They're crediting that quick medical response by the team's medical team that was at Damar site within seconds. And you hear folks blowing the horn behind us.
I do want to tell you what's happening off camera. There's what I like to call the get-well-soon corner. People have been coming all morning, dropping off balloons, writing messages of hope and healing for Damar and still continuing to wish him a speedy recovery. But doctors say that recovery will take some significant time saying Damar still has a long road ahead. But I do want to go back and let our viewers hear some audio CNN obtained.
It kind of shows what happened leading up to the moments before the ambulance arrived on the football field Monday night. Listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead and go over to the cot I don't like how he went down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to need everybody, all call, all call. We need everybody.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come bring anybody, need (INAUDIBLE) everybody.
Bring the cot with the medics, all of you and get wheeled out here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Field medic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead for field medic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead.
I need another medic in the back please.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You need a medic in the back of the bus?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Affirmative. We are right outside the gate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm on my way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROADDUS: Physicians here caring for Damar also saying the outcome could have been different if the medical response was longer. Back to you, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Oh, and it's incredible. They knew what to do. And they did it so calmly and work together so succinctly. We know that that made all the difference in the world. So Coy, to where you are, you're at Buffalo Bills Stadium. This is your forever home as a longtime player with the Bills, you're part of the Buffalo, you know, community. Talk to me about this face to face -- this FaceTime call that Hamlin had with his team and what that meant to everybody.
COY WIRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it was a powerful moment because these players, they witnessed something that led them to the decision to make the unprecedented decision to stop playing in the middle of an NFL game. Because of player health, because of their mental health. This was devastating to see one of their own down on the field suffering from cardiac arrest. The fear, the worry, the doubts, and here they were finally, finally getting a glimmer of hope from their teammate Damar Hamlin. Yesterday was a really good day.
[13:25:01]
Here's a head coach Sean McDermott with details on that uplifting video call with Damar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN MCDERMOT, BUFFALO BILLS HEAD COACH: The thing that makes me laugh is, is he did this to the guys, you know, right away and he flexed -- he flexed -- he flexed arm I guess and he's just got some staple things that they know him for and that he does and he made the heart -- the heart symbol probably more than anything and then he gave them a thumbs up. So -- and then somewhere in the midst of that and it was a little bit hard to hear but he -- as you'd imagine he said -- he said I love you, boys. And of course, I think that got the guys.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: That for you Fred. Lot of love, lot of lifted spirits going around here and across the football world. Damar's childhood friend Miles Sanders star running back for the Philadelphia Eagles. He shared a bit of a FaceTime interaction that he had with Damar. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MILES SANDERS, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES RUNNING BACK: I told him, I said, you know you're most famous person in the world right now. He said -- he said not for the right reason. But I'm like, you're blessed bro. You don't know how blessed you are. Honestly, I would love to, you know, reach out to the medical people whoever was there on site to help my boy because they don't -- man, the whole world was scared but his family and his friends, man, I was terrified, brother. I came -- I came close to where I still don't know what to say I'm just -- I'm just happy (INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: As Miles said, your famous, bro. Damar Hamlin's story continues to bring the world together, bringing out the best in humanity, his chasing EMS Foundation, GoFundMe page, which set out to raise a humble $2,500 is now over $8 million, Fred. Speaks volumes about people.
WHITFIELD: It really just say a lot. I mean, there's just been so many moments that just, you know, bring tears of joy. I mean, you know, after, you know, tears of worry and sadness all through the week, and just even seeing that, these childhood friends and they're both in the NFL and that, you know, and they are still, you know, rooting for each other. And just to hear him speak so eloquently and so dearly about his friend.
I mean, it's just sweet. There have been so many moments, including your many moments, and I'm not going to take you there again. But really, it's been such a powerful week on so many levels and to see this kind of camaraderie and this brotherhood. This this whole football family, it's been really, really beautiful to watch. Coy Wire, thank you so much. Adrienne Broaddus, thank you so much.
Of course, we all continue to pray for Hamlin's recovery. So, since Hamlin's terrifying injury, the city of Buffalo has been filled with tributes to the player. Buffalo is a city with a long history of devoted support to their team through good times and very tough times. We get more now from CNN's Miguel Marquez.
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MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The world famous Niagara Falls, bathed in bills, blue. Signs of support everywhere for Buffalo Bills, safety Damar Hamlin. KEN ROESCH, LIFEFTIME BILLS FAN: I've never cried in a football game never cried. It's my first time that I've ever cried in a football game.
MARQUEZ: In this town, the Bills, a way of life.
LYDIA DOMINICK, FOUNDER, BUFFALO GIVES: When he does recover. I think it will be such an incredible reminder of how resilient the city is.
MARQUEZ (on camera): Buffalo was tough.
DOMINICK: Buffalo is really tough, and will continue to be even when it hurts.
MARQUEZ: But this is hard.
DOMINICK: This is hard. This is hard.
MARQUEZ (voice over): At the bill's high marks stadium.
PASTOR PETER JANKOWSKI, LIFE CHURCH BUFFALO: We speak the name of Jesus over Damar.
MARQUEZ: A prayer group attending some of the Bill's most hardcore fans. The Bills Mafia.
JANKOWSKI: And we speak the name of Jesus over the Bills Mafia and the Buffalo community that is just reeling from another incident that has caused us to fall to our knees and cry out, God we need you.
MARQUEZ: Helping lead those prayers. Jill Kelly, why for the beloved former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly.
MARQUEZ (on camera): Family is one word that keeps coming up as I speak to people about what they -- what they felt the shock of seeing what they saw.
JILL KELLY, WIFE OF RETIRED BUFFALO BILLS QUARTERBACK JIM KELLY: When you felt like it was your own brother. I mean, especially coming from a football family and coming from the Bills' family. We were broken and Jim was a wreck and it's -- it is family and Damar is family to us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wide open to midfield and lowers the shoulder.
MARQUEZ (voice over): A shocking injury on the field piled on top of a rough year for the Queen City.
Last May 10 black shoppers killed at a top supermarket by a self- described white supremacist. And just last month, at least 42 people killed in and around Buffalo in a storm unlike anything this city that no snow has ever seen.
[13:30:05]
JILLIAN HANESWORTH, BUFFALO'S POET LAUREATE & BILLS FAN: The year we've had here, you know, it's just been one thing after another after another.
We really have proven ourselves to each other. Regardless of what community I'm from, if something happens to you, I'm going to show up.
And that's how we feel about our team, too. They show up when things happen in the city. We are a family.
MARQUEZ: At Denny's south, next to the Bills stadium, Darlene Zlotek, a server and bartender here for eight years, she says watching Hamlin collapse was personal.
(on camera): How hard was it to see what happened?
DARLENE ZLOTEK, DENNY'S EMPLOYEE & BILLS FAN: Very hard. Very hard. Very heartbreaking. Being a Bills fan as long as I have been, the Bills aren't just a team here in Buffalo. Everybody here that -- considers them absolutely family.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): Miguel Marquez, CNN, Buffalo, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: That's so evident.
All right. Coming up, British media outlets are publishing excerpts of "Spare," Prince Harry's new memoir, days before its official release. And some are criticizing his account of his military service in Afghanistan. That's next.
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[13:35:23]
WHITFIELD: Happy birthday to Jeremy Renner, celebrating his 52nd birthday today with a message of gratitude to his medical care team as he continues to recover from injuries he suffered in a snowplow accident on New Year's Day.
The actor posted this picture to Instagram showing him in a hospital bed surrounded by medical professionals.
He wrote, "Thank you, renowned medical ICU team for beginning this journey."
Renner's publicist says the star was clearing snow from a private driveway near his Nevada home when the accident happened. He has since had two surgeries and remains in intensive care.
The new memoir by Britain's Prince Harry, "Spare," won't be released until Tuesday, but a number of bombshell revelations reported by the British press have leaked copies and they've already stunned royal watchers.
CNN's Max Foster has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Leaked copies of Harry's memoir, "Spare," didn't fail to shock. The tabloids had a field day, from his scuffle with Prince William to pleading with Charles not to marry Camilla.
"The Daily Mail" called Harry "the prince of pettiness." "The Sun" claimed he was "throwing his own family under a bus for millions of dollars."
For Harry, the negative reaction would have been predictable. Since the tabloids first exposed his relationship with Meghan, he's been at war with the papers.
PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: I had no idea the British pressure to bigoted. I didn't see what I now see.
(GUNFIRE)
FOSTER: For the latest revelation, his claim that he killed 25 insurgents and viewed video of these missions as a soldier in Afghanistan has created a backlash amongst some of his former comrades.
"The Telegraph" newspaper picked up this quote by Harry. "it seemed to me essential not to be afraid of that number. So my number is 25. It doesn't fill me with satisfaction but nor does it embarrass me."
He says he viewed these targets as "chess pieces" rather than people.
(GUNFIRE)
COL. RICHARD KEMP, RETIRED, BRITISH ARMY COMMANDER IN AFGHANISTAN: The description you gave of British military training of training their soldiers to treat the enemy like, not human beings, like chess pieces to be swept aside.
I think that was not only wrong but also gives ammunition to jihadists who want to carry out attacks, who want to radicalize people and recruit for their cause.
FOSTER: Harry served in the British army for 10 years and completed two tours in Afghanistan and has previously said he did kill insurgents.
The Taliban he once fought against are now in power, and they've criticized his comments.
"Mr. Harry, the ones you killed were not chess pieces. They were humans. They had families who were waiting for their return," a senior official said.
From the serious to the salacious, Harry also describes losing his virginity in the book, behind a pub to an older woman at the age of 17.
And we learn he asked for a driver to re-create the journey his mother, Princess Diana, took through the tunnel twice in Paris where she died. That's according to an excerpt in "People" magazine.
By his own admission, he may be oversharing. But that's what makes this book so remarkable. Royals never overshare. They barely say anything about their private lives at all.
(on camera): And there are more revelations to come. Two big interviews this weekend, another on Monday, all part of the buildup to the official book launch on Tuesday.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Max Foster, thanks so much.
[13:39:08]
All right, still ahead, more than 15 million people under flood alerts in California. A series of storms will bring lots of rain, gusting winds and mounting snow to much of the state. The latest forecast next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: This weekend, the west coast is gearing up to be battered again. More than 15 million people across the state are under flood alerts as heavy rainfall and storms are expected to hit the area.
CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is live for us in the CNN Weather Center.
So, Allison, tell us what's on the way.
ALLISON CHINCHAR, AMS METEOROLOGIST: A lot. In fact, multiple storms are expected to push in across this area in the next seven days. And we are anticipating a level five, that's the highest level possible. Atmospheric river then to impact areas of central California.
But, again, it's one of many that will be making its way through the region.
It's not just California. Oregon and Washington are also getting rain into the area today. But we'll see a lot of that begin to shift southward in the coming days.
For today, the focus for flooding is going to be in this area just north of San Francisco where we have a moderate risk for excessive rain fall.
But the yellow area still indicates a slight risk because part of it is not only the new rain coming today but all the rain that has fallen in the last 10 to 12 days.
Looking at the forecast, you have this first wave pushing in through the day today, especially into the overnight hours. And we get a little bit of a break during the main part of the day Sunday.
But by Sunday night, the secondary system begins to push back in. So there's really not much of a break in between. And that doesn't really allow a lot of these areas to dry out in between waves.
Overall, when we look at the next several days, you're talking widespread rainfall of four to six inches. The snowfall even higher amounts here. The Sierra is likely getting snowfall up in the one to three feet range.
[13:45:01]
This is why you have winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings in effect.
If you have any travel between Reno and Sacramento, maybe try to pick a different day here or work around some other timelines. Likely to have some road closures, not to mention, at times, travel is going to be near impossible across some of these areas.
Not just a one-day thing. We have the potential for flooding on Sunday as well as Monday, Fred. So this is going to really be a multiday event across the state of California.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. Well, I've done the drive between Sacramento and Reno, the passes. You don't want to mess around. So if you stay away, people, stay away.
All right. Allison Chinchar, thank you so much.
All right. Coming up, some major pharmacy chains are planning to distribute abortion pills, but they won't be available in every state. Details on that straight ahead.
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[13:50:18]
WHITFIELD: Some major pharmacy chains are planning to distribute abortion pills after the FDA made a change to its rules.
This week, the FDA said pharmacies that become certified to dispense the pills can do so directly to patients who have a prescription from a certified prescriber.
CNN's Dr. Tara Narula has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. TARA NARULA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Recent changes by the FDA may increase access to abortion. Previously, patients had to go in person to a clinic, hospital, or doctor's office to obtain the medications.
Over the course of the pandemic, restrictions eased a bit so they could have a telehealth visit or receive the medications by mail from a certified pharmacy.
Now they will be able to visit any brick-and-mortar pharmacy that is certified. Many medical groups have advocated for this for years.
Mifepristone is the first of a two-drug regimen which works by blocking progesterone, a hormone needed to sustain pregnancy. It can be given as late as the tenth week of a pregnancy.
Twenty-four to 48 hours later, the patient can take a second pill which causes uterine con contraction and tissue expulsion.
People will still need a prescription, but many more doctors may be willing to prescribe this now that they don't need to stock the drugs in their office.
We will have to wait and see how many pharmacies become certified, but certainly this is a big step to expanding access.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Dr. Tara Narula, thank you so much.
All right. The political chaos in the U.S. House of Representatives, well, it had some members munching popcorn as if they were enjoying the movies. Straight ahead, our Jeanne Moos has her take on the turmoil.
But first, one of New York City's oldest music stores is tuning up an electric stock of instruments. Have a look and listen in today's "START SMALL, THINK BIG."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
JEFF SLATNICK, OWNER, MUSIC INN: There was a need in New York City to have a place where all the different cultures that came here found they could be understood. Their musicians could be understood.
Music Inn is a music store that's been here since 1958. They're the source to provide instruments from everywhere.
They are categorized by the upstairs being all string instruments of every type. Downstairs is just every kind of percussion instrument.
The oldest instrument in this store is probably 1,000 years old if not more. From Japan it's called the wagon.
Somebody hired us to make a solid body electric Tambora. A Tambora is an Indian drone instrument that requires gluing together pieces of wood into the shape and then actually cutting them into this stonelike three-dimensional shape.
(MUSIC)
SLATNICK: There are customer who's buy things and then there are customers who are looking to find some respite from the outside world. So we have a lot of people who come in and jam.
Everybody who ever comes here, it makes it special.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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[13:58:01]
WHITFIELD: The drama in Washington, D.C., over the House speaker election is not really a laughing matter. But leave it to our Jeanne Moos to find some of the whacky moments from the speaker race fiasco.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Focus the binoculars, pop the popcorn. The speakership fiasco has careened from extremely rowdy --
(SHOUTING)
MOOS: -- to extremely sleep inducing.
Baby, wake up.
(GAVELING)
MOOS: Democrats chanted their House leader's name like it was a football game --
CONGRESSMEN: Hakeem, Hakeem, Hakeem.
MOOS: -- while Republican Representative Kat Cammack made accusations that had Democrats saying "what?"
REP. KAT CAMMACK (R-FL): They want us to fight each. That much has been made clear by the popcorn and blankets and alcohol that has come in over there.
(SHOUTING)
MOOS: OK, it's true.
CAMMACK: The House is not in order.
MOOS: But no alcohol was being ordered as vote after vote ended with the same words.
CHERYL JOHNSON, HOUSE CLERK: A speaker has not been elected.
MOOS: Kevin McCarthy probably did not appreciate the select-all images with speakers joke.
Democratic Representative Jimmy Gomez was wearing his four-month-old son as he voted for Hakeem Jeffries.
HOUSE CHIEF CLERK: Jeffries.
MOOS: AOC gave the baby a congratulatory belly rub
Between speeches, members were shooting off their mouths and their fingers, gesticulating madly. It left viewers trying to lip read.
And when AOC chatted with arch enemy Republicans, it inspired nonsensical bad lip readings.
UNIDENTIFIED CONGRESSMAN: Have you heard of the Pied Piper? My dream Pied Piper had toilet paper. One sheet of the cheap kind.
MOOS: Democrats groaned when Matt Gaetz voted for a certain ex- president for speaker of the House.
[13:59:59]
REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): Donald John Trump.
MOOS: Even hard-core Republicans could not keep a straight face.
And check out the face of the newly elected congressman who got caught in a web of lies about himself -- George Santos.
