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7,000+ Nurses At Two Major New York City Hospitals Go On Strike; Biden In Mexico After Seeing No Migrants During Border Visit To Texas; White House Does Not Anticipate Progress On Migrants During Summit; Texas Man Accused Of Kidnapping, Assaulting Woman He Met On Bumble; Flooding And High Winds Slam Storm-Battered California. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired January 09, 2023 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: What do you know about -- end this evening -- what do you know about the traveling nurses who have brought in, how many, and if the patients will have enough nurses to support and care for them?

DR. FRAN CARTWRIGHT, CHIEF NURSING OFFICER, THE MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL: Thank you, yes. So, I'll first just -- I just want to also comment before we talk about what the staffing is here.

That, you know, at 1:00 a.m. this morning, our NYSNA executive team walked out on negotiations, rejecting the financial packet of the 19.1 over the life of the contract, and also rejected the governor's call to lift this strike notice so that we could work with arbitrators. And we received the strike notice ten days ago, and at that point we started to look at all of our specialties across all of our patient populations so that we could plan appropriately.

So today we have nurses. We have agency nurses as well as other clinical staff that are working to support our nurses to practice at full scope as well as nonclinical staff. So, we are providing safe care to our patients.

We are keeping our E.D. open for emergency cases, and those that come into our E.D. will be the vulnerable, the sickest of the sick and we do have the staffing to take care of them as well as in our O.R. to take care of emergency cases. We are diverting. We are transferring patients to other sites. We look forward to our NYSNA executive team agreeing to come back to the table, and we will enthusiastically meet them there when they do.

BLACKWELL: So, one of the major concerns is not just the pay which has been discussed. At Montefiore we know they're getting back to negotiations there. But the staffing shortages as we've heard from the previous nurse and from you as well. Why is it so difficult right now to staff these hospitals? We know that some have left during the pandemic, but nursing schools are seeing students come in. Why do you think that there is this challenge now? Four of the major strikes we saw in 2021 were focused on just this. CARTWRIGHT Yes, so we're in a work force crisis because of this

pandemic in the nation, and it's across -- and it's especially in our academic medical centers and it will take some time to be able to strengthen the bench. What we are also disappointed, I must say, is that we submitted to our NYSNA executive team, a very robust staffing enforcement plan.

We had been working on this. We've met more than 40 times -- more than 35 times, I'm sorry, since the negotiations started in early September, and we've been breaking apart pieces of this staffing enforcement, agreeing on a lot of the items in it, but needing to finish some critical elements of that.

We were waiting for our NYSNA executive team to send us back that document with their edits when they walked -- when they walked off last night. So why is it difficult? It's as you said, post-pandemic, a lot of our experienced nurses who were anticipated retirement decided to retire.

Some even ten years early. Others went into becoming travelers. Others decided to go back to their community and work in community jobs. And to still other decided that they wanted to leave nursing and leave health care.

So, we are working to develop innovative models of care to support our nurses, to practice at full scope that so we can fill all of our positions, and we agreed that our grids are very strong across the hospitals once we fill those positions, but we need to fill them. That's correct.

BLACKWELL: All right, Fran Cartwright, chief nursing officer there at Mt. Sinai hospital, thank you.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: OK, the details for this next story are chilling for anyone who's using an online dating app. What a Texas man is accused of doing to a woman he met on Bumble. That's next.

[15:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: We're learning about Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro has just been admitted to a Florida hospital in connection to a stabbing injury suffered several years ago.

Back in Brazil roughly 1,500 rioters are under arrest. They stormed government buildings in the Brazilian capital Sunday over false claims that Bolsonaro did not lose his election bid.

CAMEROTA: The man who defeated Bolsonaro, newly inaugurated president, Lula da Silva rushed back to the capital to see the damage and convene his cabinet.

So, the White House is tamping down expectations for President Biden's meeting with his Mexican counterpart. National security adviser Jake Sullivan says there will not be a new agreement on Mexico accepting more migrants expelled from the U.S.

[15:40:00]

Joining us now to talk about this and more from Mexico City is John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council. Admiral, great to see you.

JOHN KIRBY, NSC COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: Thanks. Good to be with you, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Let's talk about President Biden's visit to the border town of El Paso. I know that he went for the first time in his administration to see the crisis with his own eyes. He also -- there were no migrants basically at the migrant respite center that he went to visit. There were no migrants there when he was there. An administration official has said that was purely coincidental. Had the president planned to meet with or talk to migrants?

KIRBY: His focus on this particular trip to El Paso, as you said, is his first one, was to spend as much time as possible with federal, state, and local authorities . The people that are actually trying to handle the migration issues at the border and handle the migrants themselves, including faith leaders.

He really wanted to spend his time and attention with those who were right on the ground working with these migrants so he could get a better sense of the challenges that they're facing, the resources they need, the capabilities that are required. That was really the whole focus of the visit.

CAMEROTA: Congressman Tony Gonzalez is confused about why he was not a part of this visit. This is his district, El Paso, and he says that he basically could have provided a lot of insight. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TONY GONZALEZ (R-TX): Seven months ago, I hosted the president in Uvalde and I asked him to visit on the border. He looked me in the eye and he said, Tony, yes. Seven months later when I tried to be part of this El Paso visit -- which I represent El Paso. I represent nearly 50 percent of the southern border.

The White House told me I wasn't able to be part of it. I'm not this crazy extremist Republican. I'm jumping up and down, pushing against my party when I think it's right, looking for ways to solve problems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Admiral, what about that? Why not just take help from wherever the president and get it on this issue?

KIRBY: Oh, there were members of Congress as a part of the delegation with the president. He has also had a chance to be escorted by the mayor of El Paso. Of course, Governor Abbott from Texas greeted him upon arrival. They were able to share a few words. And the president as I said in my

first answer, Alisyn, really wanted to take a comprehensive look here at those that are involved with this doing the best they could. And he wanted to make sure that he understood the challenges that they're facing and the capabilities that they need.

CAMEROTA: Doesn't sound like Governor Abbott thinks that the president is taking the most effective approach. He wrote a letter to him saying that the border -- the visit today is 10 billion too late and two years too late.

KIRBY: Yes, Look, The governor's made clear in his concerns and his perspectives. I'll let him and his staff speak for that. The president felt it was important to view for himself the situation down there in El Paso and get a chance, again, to spend time with the customs and border patrol agents that are doing so much work down there, to talk about the resources that they need, as well as faith leaders and other nongovernmental organizations which ahead of time, he had plenty of time to spend with them.

And I think he comes away from this visit and it will inform his discussions here in Mexico City, quite frankly, that he comes away from that with a keener perspective of what the challenges are.

CAMEROTA: Let's quickly talk about that, because he's in Mexico right now, meeting with the president. What specifically will President Biden ask of the president of Mexico in order to stop the flow of drugs and people across the border?

KIRBY: There's no doubt that migration will be a top issue of discussion here over the next 24, 36 hours. Clearly that's on everybody's mind here in the hemisphere. I don't want to get ahead of the president or what he'll be able to speak to at the end of the meeting. He'll have a chance to talk publicly about that tomorrow, so I'm going to leave that for him.

But clearly, they're going to be talking about ways both in terms of improving capabilities at the border, and we're grateful for the additional commitment that Mexico has made for -- to take another 30,000 illegal immigrants and keep them in Mexico after they have attempted to cross that border. And we'll let Mexico speak to what additional commitments they might or might not be willing to make.

But it's also going to be a key opportunity, Alisyn, to talk about getting at the root causes of migration. We are going through a historic level of migration in this hemisphere. Many, many -- Millions of them are on the move for various reasons, whether it's corruption and crime at home, food insecurity, political instability, and there doesn't seem to be a let up to that.

And so, we've got to make sure that regionally we're taking a comprehensive look at what the root causes are. That's one thing Vice President Harris has been so focused on, and I think that that will be a key part of the discussion tomorrow as well.

[15:45:00] CAMEROTA: Admiral let's also talk about what's happening in Brazil. So, as you know, there was this riot on the capital there. It was basically a copycat horror movie that we've seen here in the U.S., of course, two years ago.

Former President Bolsonaro who lost is now in Florida. We've just gotten the word that he has been admitted to the hospital for injuries that he sustained two years ago. Obviously, the U.S. will not force him to leave the country while he's having some sort of medical crisis, but after that, would President Biden consider expelling Bolsonaro?

KIRBY: I really don't want to get ahead of where we are right now or speculate about future outcomes. We're not in a position to verify his whereabouts or his physical condition right now other than to say that, you know, we certainly have every indication that he remains here in the United States and appropriately so, and in terms of -- in terms of, you know, visas. But again, I can't speak with specific regards to his visa situation or what that might look like going forward.

CAMEROTA: OK, Admiral John Kirby, thank you. We appreciate your time.

KIRBY: My pleasure.

BLACKWELL: The severe weather in California just will not let up. 100- mile wind gusts and now the risks of significant flooding and mud slides. We'll talk you there, next.

[15:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: An accused man in Texas is free on bond today after being charged with kidnapping and assaulting a woman, he met on the dating app, Bumble. A 21-year-old woman says that Zachary Mills drove her to his apartment, held her captive, no food, no water, for five days and when she refused to sexual advances, she claims that he punched her, attacked her with a screwdriver for days before she was finally able to escaped.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is following this story from Dallas. This is terrifying, first. What more have you learned about what happened and the suspect?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the details of what we know so far have been outlined in court documents related to the arrest of 21-year-old Zachary Mills. And in those documents, investigators say that all of this started on December 24th, Christmas Eve, when the victim connected with 21-year-old Zachary Mills on the dating app, Bumble.

He went to her apartment, picked her up then brought her back to his place where she told investigators he immediately tried to have sexual intercourse. She denied those attempts and then from there, it became violent. As you mentioned, several days of this man allegedly striking her.

Even using a screwdriver point. Investigators say that when she was found that there were bruisers around her eyes, all over her body as well, as cuts to her neck and nose as well. And then it was on five days later, December 29th that according to these court documents, Mills left his apartment to go visit his dad and that's when the victim was able to escape.

Mills' attorney says that people should not rush to judgment in the case. That they should let all the facts play out and hear his side of the story in all of this. But regardless, he's expected back in court in early March. He's out free on bond on a $50,000 bond.

Bumble says they are shocked and saddened to hear about this horrible crime and they also go on to say they have a dedicated team of law enforcement that is available to answer questions and to work with law enforcement agencies investigating this matter.

CAMEROTA: How awful. Ed Lavandera, thank you very much.

All right, he may finally have the gravel but tonight, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has a fresh battle to win. More on that ahead.

[15:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Right now, flooding and hurricane force wind gusts are slamming California -- almost the entire state -- 34 million people are under flood watches.

CAMEROTA: Officials also warned of mudslides and possible tornadoes. The extreme weather prompted President Biden to approve an emergency declaration for California. CNN's Camila Bernal joins us now from Felton Grove, south of San Francisco. So, Camila, we know major flooding has already been reported where you are. What are you seeing around you?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, everybody cleaning up. Trying to put the mud out of their homes. As you can see here, everyone is going through the same situation. And neighbors here telling me, look, it's going to take days, maybe even weeks to get this all cleaned up. Officials saying that the river next to this neighborhood rose about a foot in just 15 minutes.

This is how high the water came. And I want to talk to one of the residents in this area, Rachel Oliveira. She's been here for 20 years and is now cleaning up after this. Tell us what it was like this morning.

RACHEL OLIVEIRA, FLOOD VICTIM: I woke up at 4:00 a.m. with the 911 reverse call and it just came so fast, just like the last one. You could just see the water coming, there's no stopping it. And luckily, we got all of our vehicles out, our animals are safe, we're safe and it's just clean up now. BERNAL: And you told me that the hard part about it is doing it time

and time again because these storms are coming so quickly and with short time in between. What has that been like for you?

OLIVEIRA: Stressful. You felt deflated. It's hard. It's devastating. You work so hard to have something and to have it just be devastated time and time again, it's hard.

BERNAL: Are you worried about tomorrow? Officials say it may rain again. You know, what is in the future?

OLIVEIRA: Probably flooding again and more clean up. Yes, this is in the 20 years, we've never had back-to-back flooding like this so it's pretty devastating.

BERNAL: Thank you so much for sharing your story with us.

Alisyn and Victor, as you can see, it's not easy and it's not coming to an end anytime soon.

CAMEROTA: Just so much pain there that she's has there. How devastate it is to everything that you've worked for in your house be washed away.

[16:00:03]

BLACKWELL: And no break between the storms. One comes and then another and now she said, Camila, potentially one more on the way. Camila Bernal for us there in Felton Grove. Thank you.

CAMEROTA: We feel for all the people out there who are dealing with that.

And "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.