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California Residents Trapped After Heavy Snowfall, Worry About Supplies; Residents Worry About Future As Concerns Over Toxins Mount; Pentagon Announces New Round Of Military Aid To Ukraine; Iran's Foreign Minister Speaks With CNN's Christiane Amanpour; Jim Jordan Touts Gov't Whistleblowers Who Face Credibility Questions. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired March 04, 2023 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:59:44]
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST (on camera): Hello, again. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
And we begin this hour with severe storms, wreaking havoc across the country, leaving a deadly awake of destruction. The death toll rising this morning.
At least 12 people killed as powerful storms brought tornadoes, hail and heavy rain to much of the south.
Intense winds tearing trees out of the ground and ripping homes apart in several states. More than 20 million people are now under high wind alert in the mid-Atlantic, northeast, and western U.S.
CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar is watching all of this.
Allison, I mean, it is just nonstop.
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST (on camera): It is. And it's been quite a difference of the two -- the same system, because yesterday the main focus was the severe storms.
Today, the main focus ends up being the snow and the wind component. Right now, you can still see we've got some pretty heavy bands of snowfall across Maine, areas of New Hampshire, and even Massachusetts.
But really across New York, we're finally starting to see things subside at this point. But that's OK, a lot of these areas have already picked up a foot or more of snow, which is crazy to think about.
But it's the snow combined with the wind, that's what's triggering very poor visibility, making travel very difficult. Even in the areas you don't have the snow, this wind could end up triggering more trees coming down, and an increase of power outages. And we already have plenty of those across that region.
But now, we move from the East Coast to the West Coast. That's where our very next system is beginning to take shape. As of right now, we're starting to see already some rain and snow showers across areas of Washington State, Oregon, as well as Northern California.
But that's going to not only spread south into Central California, but it's also going to spread inland. So, a lot of those Intermountain West states are also going to start to pick up some pretty considerable amounts of snow.
Maybe not necessarily today for those regions, but certainly over the next 48 hours. That's why you've got the winter weather advisories and the winter storm warnings for several western states.
Here is a look going forward. Again, you can really see it's going to be several different waves of rain and snow that come in for these areas.
So, it's not just going to be one and done, especially across northern California and areas of Oregon, where you're really going to see some significant amounts of snowfall.
The highest amounts are really going to be here across the Sierras, where we're talking feet of snow measured one to even as much as five feet of snow.
And you have to keep in mind this is on top of the snow, they already got earlier this week.
So, you're going to be talking about significantly difficult travel conditions up and down the Sierras there. Even coastal regions, we're talking one to three inches of rain. And if you get that in a short period of time, that's where we start to have concerns with flooding and mudslides.
But the overall portion of this is good news, we still would like to have at least a little bit more rain for the drought. But we've made huge improvements.
Take a look. This is back from December 27th. So, just a couple months ago, you had pretty decent amounts of exceptional and extreme drought across the state.
Now, you fast forward to the current drought monitor. And you have zero percent of the state in the top two categories, and only a quarter of the state in the severe category.
So, we've made significant improvements. And not just in California, when you look at the rest of the western states, really significant improvements across many of these areas.
But yes, being able, Fred, to add even some additional rain on top of what they've already had is not just good for the groundwater. It's also really significant for the reservoirs in this area as well.
WHITFIELD: Yes, they have been in dire need of any kind of moisture and precipitation. All right. Thank you so much, Allison Chinchar. Appreciate that.
So, families in California are still trying to dig out after being buried under several feet of snow. Some still trapped and worried about supplies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM LACKEY, ASSEMBLYMAN, SAN BERNARDINO AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: You hear a lot of frustration, quite honestly. And you can -- you can sympathize with them. And just imagine the enormity of challenge that's associated with feeling very cold and feeling very trapped.
And unless you prepared for being isolated for a period of time, it's a very, very difficult set of circumstances and you think help is on the way and you wait for a couple of days and help is not arrived.
And so, it's a very frustrating set of circumstances.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Yes, all of it. So hard to believe.
CNN's Camila Bernal spoke with some of those people who are still trapped as they tried to navigate this very dangerous situation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEREK HAYES, STRANDED IN SNOW: At first, it was really frustrating. But now it's to the point where we're somewhat scared.
CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Derek Hayes trapped in the mountains of Southern California after an epic winter storm.
HAYES: There is nowhere to put the snow, there is no way to walk around. It's, you know, it's up to my neck in a lot of places. You take a step, you sink all the way down.
You have to crawl yourself back out of the snow to try to get on top of it even look around.
BERNAL: Derek, just one of many who are stranded.
HANNAH WHITEOAK, STRANDED IN SNOW: It's pretty unfathomable.
BERNAL: The only thing they can do is wait for help.
CHARLENE BERMUDEZ, STRANDED IN SNOW: It's just crazy. There is no way to get out anywhere.
BERNAL: Their concerns: food, heat, medical emergencies or medicine, and food for their pets, just to name a few.
The San Bernardino Mountains do get plenty of snow in winter, but the past few weeks have been unprecedented.
[12:05:02]
With the National Weather Service, issuing its first ever blizzard warning.
ROMAN DURAN, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL: Our main concern right now is to try to get the infrastructure up the mountain, to be able to clear some of these roadways, so that we can essentially get, you know, the people that live up there back to their houses, and the people that are stuck up there back down.
BERNAL: Emergency crews so far, carrying out roughly 100 rescues. (INAUDIBLE)
Governor Gavin Newsom, also declaring a state of emergency for San Bernardino County and 12 others, activating the National Guard. Resident say lives are in danger.
BERMUDEZ: It we're actually going to be getting a neighbor out of his house. He's a cancer patient who is elderly, and he has a doctor's appointment that he's going to try and get to.
BERNAL: Some have been shoveling nonstop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To get the truck for that fourth time.
BERNAL: But not all are able to do so.
WHITEOAK: It's one of the roughest, roughest experiences and -- that you sort of go into survival mode. And you just could keep pushing through.
You know, I feel incredibly bad for anyone that hasn't got that physical presence.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERNAL: And authorities apologizing for the time it's taking to help people who are stuck in their homes up in the mountain. They say they are expecting progress over the next couple of days. They do have members of the National Guard who are up there, with firefighters trying to clear the roads. That is their priority, but again, they say it could take about a week before people can come and go from this mountain.
Camila Bernal, CNN, San Bernardino, California.
WHITFIELD: Meantime, it's been a month since the fiery train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
WHITFIELD (voice over): And concerns over the long-term impact of potential toxic chemical exposure aren't limited to the folks who live there.
As CNN's Miguel Marquez reports, residents across the state line are worry that chemicals may have seeped into the ecosystem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVE ANDERSON, OWNER, ECHO VALLEY FARM: Come out girls. Come out girls. Come out girls.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Dave Anderson raises grass fed beef 4 miles downwind of East Palestine, Ohio. After the derailment, fire, and venting of toxic chemicals, this is what drifted over his Echo Valley Farm.
ANDERSON: As far as the smoke, you could probably see 100 yards, you know it was dark.
MARQUEZ (on camera): And what did you experienced?
ANDERSON: Burning eyes, burning throat, burning mouth.
MARQUEZ (voice over): The cloud from the toxic spill settled on his pastures and ponds. The question he now cannot answer, are the cattle he's raised for years, OK for human consumption?
ANDERSON: Customers buy grass fed beef directly from a farmer. They care about their food.
MARQUEZ: They want to know what they're getting is top notch.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: They want to know what they're getting, and healthy for them.
MARQUEZ: He has now sued Norfolk Southern. He also wants testing. A process a way to certify his livestock is safe.
ANDERSON: The lawsuit is about peace of mind to start with.
MARQUEZ: Right.
ANDERSON: And information to make decisions.
MARQUEZ: Solid information here, tough to come by. Officials have established a 2-mile zone around the derailment site as a priority. Because Anderson's farm is farther away despite being directly in the path of the plume from the toxic spill, he is yet received little support and no answers from Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection, DEP.
MARQUEZ (on camera): What will assuage your concerns?
ANDERSON: Like star? Like, testing, but there has been no testing.
MARQUEZ: None.
ANDERSON: None. So --
(CROSSTALK)
MARQUEZ: DEP has not been out here at all.
ANDERSON: DEP came yesterday for the first time -- four weeks after the event. A little more than four weeks after the event.
MARQUEZ: They -- do they test? They take samples?
ANDERSON: They did not. They were investigating whether they should be active in this area outside of the 2-mile ring.
MARQUEZ (voice over): The crash occurred just feet from the Pennsylvania border. The winds typically blow east toward Pennsylvania. The state is going house to house, testing soil and water in areas closest to the derailment.
What did you see that night?
SAMUEL WEGNER, RESIDENT, DARLINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA: Standing at the end of the driveway, I saw a huge plumes of smoke. I saw flames above the treetops, well over 100 feet in the air, and it was terrifying.
MARQUEZ: Samuel Wegner and his wife Joyce (PH) had their fourth child, Jackson Hayes, a week ago. He says the state's response has been too slow and lacking in information to know whether his town of Darlington, Pennsylvania is still a safe place to raise a family.
Have you tested your well or that hasn't been tested.
WEGNER: It was tested today, and we were told it will be another three weeks until we get results.
MARQUEZ: Wegner, who works in landscaping says they evacuated for four days. But moving permanently isn't an option.
How tough was it to come back to this house, knowing that you bring a newborn here?
WEGNER: I feel like I possibly regret the decision every day. But, here, we live paycheck to paycheck. We live within our means and we don't have the financial luxury to pack up and move. We just -- it's scary.
[12:10:08]
MARQUEZ: The CDC is now conducting a health survey in and around East Palestine, trying to determine the long-term effects on human health. While air and water testing is occurring daily, answers about long term health won't come quickly.
CAPT. JILL SHUGART, UNITED STATES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE: We are hoping in the next couple of weeks to be able to have collected all of the information that we need. And then, those results will be available in the coming months.
MARQUEZ: For Pennsylvania residents and business owners, downwind of the toxic fire, answers can't come soon enough.
MARQUEZ (on camera): But you are losing business because people aren't sure it's safe to eat your food?
J.C. SUMMERS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, DARLINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA: Yes, I think so. I lost the wedding over that. I have catering job.
They just -- they don't know. I mean, I don't think there's anything wrong with anything, but I don't know either.
MARQUEZ: It must hurt.
SUMMERS: Yes, it sucks. I'm sorry, I don't know how to put it. It's just the uncertainty.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARQUEZ (on camera): So, look, Pennsylvania officials push back pretty hard on the notion that not enough is being done to help people in the area.
They say that they have tested nearly every private well within a 2- mile radius of the derailments. They have a soil sampling program that they are about to get underway. They've worked with -- of state veterinarians and animal welfare experts to ensure that farmers know best practices for this situation.
They've opened up a health clinic in Darlington, in that area that anyone is -- can use -- 200 people or more have already used it at this point, and they're -- and they're welcoming more to come.
They said that everything, all the test results for all the water, all the soil, everything, and all information can be found both online or in person. Back to you.
WHITFIELD: All right. Miguel Marquez, thanks so much.
Still ahead, President Biden and the German Chancellor reiterated their support for Ukraine and vowed to impose costs on Russia for its aggression, as the Pentagon announces a new security assistance package.
Plus, the International Atomic Energy Agency, is again, raising concerns about the safety of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:16:20]
WHITFIELD: Right now, to the war in Ukraine, where Russian forces say they have the city of Bakhmut, all but surrounded. Intense fighting continues on the outskirts of the city. But Ukraine's military says its fighters are still in control and there has been no mass withdrawal of troops.
To help Ukrainian forces, President Biden announced that U.S. is committing another $400 million military aid package for Ukraine.
In all, the U.S. has committed more than $32 billion to Ukraine since the start of the war more than a year ago.
CNN's Priscilla Alvarez joins us now from Wilmington, Delaware, where the president is spending the weekend. Priscilla, what do we know about this new aid package?
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER (on camera): Well, this is essentially more ammunition and support equipment. And it actually marks the 33rd drawdown of U.S. inventories for Ukraine.
So, what is it include? It's a mix of artillery rounds, demolition munitions, equipment for obstacle clearing, as well as vehicle repair equipment.
So, all of this as part of that security assistance that the U.S. has been providing to Ukraine, as it remains a top priority in this second year of war.
In fact, just yesterday, President Biden met with German Chancellor Scholz, where the two of them discussed Ukraine. Administration officials just ahead of that meeting had said the two were expected to talk about coordination with Ukraine.
Now, recall, Scholz has been a crisis leader in Europe as this war has unfolded. He's also been a critical partner to the United States. So, two of them, as you see there talking at length yesterday about Ukraine and the continued support for the country as it launches into that second year.
And, of course, as there are concerns about another Russian offensive on Ukraine. And as intelligence suggests that China is considering providing lethal aid to Russia. So, that meeting happening against the backdrop of all of that.
And, as you know, Fred, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has said there shouldn't be no delay in getting assistance to the country. He's also asked for F-16 fighter jets. When it comes to that, President Biden has said he's ruling it out for now, but in the interim, the Pentagon continuing to provide that assistance with this latest $400 million package. Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Priscilla Alvarez, thanks so much.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is again raising concerns about the safety of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
WHITFIELD (voice over): It has been one year since Russian forces seized control of the Ukrainian nuclear site. And the head of the IAEA says the plant is facing persistent security risks.
CNN's Clare Sebastian reports on why experts say this could be a disaster in the making.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A year into its occupation of this Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Russia is making changes.
Satellite images showing the dry storage area where spent nuclear fuel is kept after being cooled. First, in August last year. Then, at the end of February, what it looks like a wall or structure has appeared.
Russia's Atomic Energy Company, Rosatom, tells state media, it's building a shield to protect against Ukrainian artillery strikes.
A local Russian-backed official posted this in December, calling it a protective dome.
PETRO KOTIN, PRESIDENT OF ENERGOATOM: It's all illegal. Doing anything without license because it could impact nuclear and radiation safety.
SEBASTIAN: The head of Ukraine's atomic energy company, Energoatom says it's all part of a deteriorating situation at Zaporizhzhia that he is powerless to stop.
SEBASTIAN (on camera): What is the biggest risk right now when it comes to safety in the plant?
[12:20:04]
KOTIN: Yes, biggest risk is that we do not know what is in their hands at the moment. You can expect they can do anything, so they can continue shelling on the plant, for example.
SEBASTIAN (voice over): Energoatom says Russia which forcibly took over the plant last March, damaging several buildings in the process continues to use it as a de facto military base.
Video surfaced last summer of military trucks in one of the turbine buildings next to a reactor.
Last month and Energoatom accused Russia of bringing hundreds of newly mobilized troops to the site before deploying them to the east.
Rosatom's own press service for the power plant denied there is any heavy military equipment on site, but noted that Russia's National Guard troops, Putin's domestic security force are guarding the plant.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very worried about Zaporizhzhia, I'm very worried.
SEBASTIAN: Energoatom says the plant has been cut off from the electricity grid five times in total, leaving diesel generators the last line of defense before catastrophe.
Fighting has also come to close.
The IAEA reports shelling hit a building housing fresh nuclear fuel in September and a reactor building in November.
Energoatom now estimates 4-1/2 thousand Ukrainian staff are left at the plant, out of 11,000 before the war.
NICK TOMKINSON, SENIOR PARTNER, GLOBAL NUCLEAR SECURITY PARTNERS: That reduction of the number of people is going to have a significant impact on their ability to maintain and function sort of systems. Whether or not that security system, safety systems, radiation monitoring --
SEBASTIAN: Nuclear expert Nick Tomkinson says he is working with the Ukrainian government to try to deploy radiation mapping systems at Zaporizhzhia and other the nuclear sites.
TOMKINSON: One of the concerns could be that things could go missing from Zaporizhzhia, particularly, some of the fuel. I'm not worried about mistake. What I'd be worried about was -- is an active decision to do something.
SEBASTIAN (voice over): Ukraine's nuclear power company, though, is worried about a slow-motion mistake. Poor maintenance, leading to the degradation of the equipment on the site, including the reactors themselves currently all in various states of shut down.
KOTIN: It is going to the stage nobody knows if we will be able to operate it again. And this is just a matter of time.
SEBASTIAN: The Russian side says strict radiation safety standards are being observed. Hardly a constellation when 20 percent of Ukraine's electricity supply remains hostage to this war.
Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And the daughter of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is sending a message to Vladimir Putin about her father and the war in Ukraine.
Navalny is serving a nine-year prison sentence on fraud charges that are considered to be made up. CNN's Erin Burnett, spoke with his daughter in an exclusive CNN interview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): So, what do you say to -- I mean, and I understand we're not that saying this, and that that's going to listen to it to a reasonable argument. But what do you say to Putin?
DASHA NAVALNAYA, DAUGHTER OF ALEXEI NAVALNY: I say, I have a couple of things to say to him. That he should stop this incredibly unnecessary and terrible invasion of Ukraine. That he should release my father and all of Russia's political prisoners, who are just fighting for a better democratic, more prosperous country.
And that until those two primary goals among others are met, we will not stop fighting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The CNN film, "NAVALNY", follows Alexei Navalny, through his political rise, attempted assassination, and search to uncover the truth. It airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Coming up in an exclusive interview, Iran's foreign minister defends his government's brutal crackdown on protesters and Iran's relationship with Russia.
That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:28:30]
WHITFIELD: Welcome back. The U.S. State Department this week impose sanctions on a number of companies for their involvement in Iranian oil exports.
The U.S. is targeting those exports following Tehran's brutal crackdown on Iranian protesters.
In an exclusive interview, CNN's Christiane Amanpour speaks with Iran's foreign minister about the protests, the war in Ukraine, and the nuclear agreement.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (on camera): When you say the Islamic Republic of Iran respects human rights, one female protester says that she was detained inside a Revolutionary Guard facility for more than a month and raped by three different men. She went to a cleric, a mullah, afterwards because she was having suicidal thoughts. She was so upset. CNN spoke with that cleric.
Is that acceptable? Is it acceptable for a woman, whatever she's done, to be arrested and raped? And there are many, many, many reports of sexual abuse in this situation against women and men.
HOSSEIN AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translation): Firstly, in the peaceful demonstrations in the fall, no one was arrested.
AMANPOUR: So, you're just denying that?
AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN (through translation): However, in those protests that had become violent, some individuals, some of whom had entered Iran from the outside and were using firearms and killing the police, were arrested.
You do know that the Supreme Leader actually issued an amnesty and all those who were imprisoned were released, with the exception of those who had killed someone, all being sued.
[12:30:03]
Regarding the Iranian woman that you mentioned, I cannot confirm it. There have been so many such baseless claims made on social media and in media.
AMANPOUR: OK, these are not baseless and they weren't on the Internet. It's CNN spoke to a cleric, a religious person inside your country, and got this story.
AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN (through translation): We have seen some of CNN's reports that are targeted and false.
AMANPOUR: That's not true. We report the facts, and we report the truth. And that's why you're sitting here with me, Mr. Foreign Minister. Can we move on? I want to ask you, you have a wife, you may have sisters, do you have daughters? I want to know what you think about peaceful protests for change in the way women are able to live their lives in Iran, the peaceful act of removing a scarf, what do they say to the women in your family? What did they say to you?
AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN (through translator): First of all, I would like to say that Iran, we have the strongest democracy, especially compared to many other countries. There are standards and rules and regulations in every country. And the women have an important role in Iran. And they gained to that role after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.
Today, the outside networks, they are turning the issue of hijab and headscarf into a political crisis. Women in Iran, then the framework of rules and regulations enjoy extraordinary freedoms.
AMANPOUR: See, thing is I kind of know about this. So I also know that at the beginning of the revolution, there was no hedgehog mandate. Those who wanted to wear a hijab in a charter could, those who didn't want, who didn't. Only several months or maybe a year after, did the Ayatollah say, no, all you women have to go into the hijab.
So again, I'm trying to find out what you and what the government is going to do, because even, even Ayatollah Khomeini recently has said, women who do not wear hijab are not a religious, they are not violating religion. Some other people have said that we've heard from the former speaker of parliament, Mr. Larijani, who at the beginning said, do we really need to make all this chaos over a hijab?
So I want to know whether you accept it because it's also traditional women, older women who've gone in the streets, it's men, it's young. It's very different than previous protests. Do you accept that women can have peaceful demonstrations for change and for their own rights? Do they have the rights? You say that it's the most developed democracy? Do women have the right peacefully?
AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN (through translator): Unfortunately, in such issues, their approach is one of double standards. Let me ask you a question.
AMANPOUR: But I'm actually quoting your own leaders.
AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN: Just a moment, please. Just a moment.
AMANPOUR: I don't want to get into a discussion. I'm asking you a question.
AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN (through translator): I want to ask you a question before answering your question. Let's see where all this started. An Iranian girl called Mahsa Amini, she passed away. AMANPOUR: Because she manhandled by the morality police.
AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN: Just a moment, please. Just a moment, please.
(through translator): Yes, a young girl, Mahsa Amini passed away. They turned her into a symbol in order to change the system in Iran, in the name of defending women's freedom. My question is this, Ms. Shireen Abu Akleh who was a colleague of yours and as a journalist, she's a lady. She's a Christian. And in broad daylight, she was murdered by the Israeli regime, who defended her?
AMANPOUR: Oh, Mr. Foreign Minister, the whole world, everybody defended her, and everybody condemned her death. Everybody condemned it.
AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN (through translator): What was the result of that?
AMANPOUR: I'm not getting into an international --
AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN (through translator): Why didn't they allow the issue to be raised in the Security Council?
AMANPOUR: Everybody condemned her death, Mr. Foreign Minister. I'm literally just asking you whether any Iran, you believe women have the right to peacefully protest. And by the way, as you know, better than I do, sometimes the morality police are out being aggressive. And sometimes the authorities say, just take it easy, all right.
And what do we see, since this presidency, we have seen a crackdown on women and their dress and their rights. Why? Why does any regime need to prove itself on the back of women's rights, their own bodily space, why?
AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN (through translator): My request to you, look, you're supposed to interview me, but you're actually having a confrontation with me.
AMANPOUR: This is one last question then I need to move on. I'm trying to get an answer.
AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN (through translator): And this is not the way to conduct an interview.
AMANPOUR: I just wanted an answer that's all.
AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN (through translator): Women in Iran have all the necessary required freedoms within the framework of the law. Do you ask other countries, do you ask the other countries who are in our region but are allies of the United States the same kinds of questions that you're asking me about the women's hijab?
[12:35:10]
The issue in Iran at the moment is not that of hijab. What has hijab got to do with the MBK terrorists, ask them? What is this hijab they are wearing? (END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And this is just a portion of the interview. There's more. And if you want to see the full interview, Christiane full interview with Iran's foreign minister, you can go to CNN.com/Amanpour.
All right, still to come. Congressman Jim Jordan says dozens of whistleblowers have come forward with stories about how the federal government is targeting people with conservative political views. Some Democrats are raising questions about their credibility, details straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan has touted the allegations of what he claims are dozens of whistleblowers who he says have evidence that the federal government has targeted people with conservative political views but Democrats are raising questions about the legitimacy of these whistleblowers and the relevance of their testimony. CNN's Annie Grayer joining us with her reporting now. Annie, so three whistleblowers, right, have come in for interviews with the Committee so far. What have you learned about those interviews?
[12:40:25]
ANNIE GRAYER, CNN REPORTER: So Fredricka, the legitimacy of these whistleblowers is really being called into question. One whistleblower Steve Friend who I spoke to was suspended from the FBI because he objected to using a SWAT team to arrest an individual who was at the Capitol on January 6th. Friend has filed claims with official government entities and had those claims rejected.
Another whistleblower George Hill was retired from the FBI, and doesn't appear to have firsthand knowledge of the claims that he was making in his interview. And the third whistleblower, Garrett O'Boyle, was suspended from the FBI but wouldn't provide Democrats with any of the paperwork or supporting evidence for why he was suspended. So I've learned all of this from weeks of talking to sources and even getting exclusive look at the transcripts of these interviews.
WHITFIELD: So now, what does this mean for Jordan's investigations?
GRAYER: It's a great question. Jim Jordan has largely based his claims that the FBI is weaponized against conservatives on what he's learned from these whistleblower interviews. And these first three interviews are the first time that Democrats are actually being able to ask these whistleblowers questions and learn for the first time.
And what they've said is they have a number of questions about the legitimacy and relevancy of these whistleblowers testimony. Now, Jordan says he has a number of other whistleblowers that he'd like to bring in. He hasn't shared that information with Democrats yet. No other whistleblower interviews appear to be scheduled that we know of.
So what we can expect going forward is whistleblowers are going to continue to be a partisan flashpoint between Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill.
WHITFIELD: All right, Annie Grayer, thanks so much. Sorry, I need to drink some water. I'm losing my voice right now.
All right, straight ahead, the rise and fall of HQ Trivia, a new CNN film explores how the live game show app became an overnight sensation and crashed just as fast.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:46:57]
WHITFIELD: All right, so now I got a cough drop in my mouth so bear with me here. So before Wordle or Spelling Bee everyone with a mobile device was playing HQ Trivia. So now the new CNN film "Glitch: The Rise and Fall of HQ Trivia" reveals the crazy story behind the revolutionary game show app that went viral and then crashed and burned in record time. Here's a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is HQ. I'm Scott, the host.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: HQ Trivia was everywhere.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You could actually win real money.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It just got so popular. The app is not ready to work.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it crashed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that's when the cracks started showing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rus and Colin were polar opposites.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a jealousy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It leads to chaos.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right, joining us right now is Salima Koroma. She's the director of "Glitch." Salima, I must have been living under a rock because I don't remember HQ at all. But I cannot wait to see this hour, this story that you were telling. So tell us you know what, what attracted you to this story? Were you a big HQ player or what?
SALIMA KOROMA, DIRECTOR, "GLITCH: THE RISE AND FALL OF HQ TRIVIA": This is so funny, because I always say the same thing when I was approached about the story. I'd never heard of HQ. And I'm like, was I living under a rock. Don't I have friends wanted to play me.
Right. So HQ Trivia it was the slide game show on your phone where you answer 12 questions that progressively got harder. And if you answered them all, you could win money, you know, thousands of dollars sometimes. And every day, hundreds of thousands of people sort of stopped and played this at work, their co-workers.
And it was this huge phenomenon, the number one game in America. But what was interesting to me is why that the same crash and burn, that's what was interesting to me.
WHITFIELD: Yes, and I pulled a few people in our studio. And, you know, some folks here were playing it so they know what they were, you know, what you're talking about. So it's also quite hard to kind of overstate how quickly this app went viral. For those who didn't know about it. They were hooked. You know, everyone seems to be, you know, into it. But what happened that it seemed to either spiral out of control or disappear or, you know, vanish, poof, what happened?
KOROMA: Yes, so this, the idea was that we wanted to revolutionize television, partly by going back to like the appointment T.V., sort of like you gather around the television with your family, and do the one thing together. And then also, you get to be a contestant yourself, right? You're at home, you watched Jeopardy. And sometimes you're saying the answers. It'd be nice to sort of be a contestant and this offered that.
But in addition to a ton of technical issues, because remember, it's a really quick, quick rise. And the tech wasn't ready, right? But there's also for me, this interesting relationship between this these two brilliant founders of HQ, these guys who also founded vine, and how as their relationship was crumbling, so to did the app.
[12:50:02]
WHITFIELD: So a struggle for power?
KOROMA: Yes, it's a little bit of a struggle for power. And we go into that in the film. And it's really kind of interesting.
WHITFIELD: OK. And I can tell you not want to give too much away, this is what we call, you know, a massive tease. But in the trailer, I did hear words like, I mean I think somebody lost their life, you know, or a life was on the line, millions of dollars at stake. So can you connect the dots a little bit for us without giving away the whole story?
KOROMA: So HQ Trivia represents the hype and excitement of these founders becoming rock stars. And then they have this failure, this big, massive, quick failure, millions of dollars in valuation that they have to live up to just down the drain. And it's kind of a microcosm of what's happened in tech in the last decade. This sort of like, I don't know, bad culture that, I don't know if it's a bad culture.
But you know, we're always sort of looking for the next thing. You said it earlier, you said Wordle, step, right. Wordle and we're, you know, all of these things. We're looking for it so it's, you know, I think what's interesting is, yes, the tech world is the next best thing. But so are we as the audience and what role do we have to play.
WHITFIELD: OK, it's fascinating. OK, you did an awesome job teasing it because I'm hooked. I want to see that hour and everybody else wants to as well. Salima Koroma, thank you so much. We'll all be watching "Glitch." And that's a good title too. The premiere of Glitch: The Rise and Fall H -- did you -- are you behind that the name of it too, "Glitch"?
KOROMA: You know, you had a few names. We can talk about that another time. We had a few names, and that was one of them.
WHITFIELD: All right, that one sticks. It's good. All right "Glitch: The Rise and Fall of TV Trivia." All right, it's tomorrow 9:00 p.m. on CNN. So good to talk to you Salima, thank you.
All right, still ahead, nearly 60 years after grueling -- a grueling fire fight -- several grueling fire fights in Vietnam, retired U.S. Army Colonel Paris Davis finally awarded the Medal of Honor by President Joe Biden. It's a remarkable story of heroism, next.
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[12:56:51]
WHITFIELD: It's an honor decades in the making. Yesterday, President Biden awarded the Medal of Honor to retired U.S. Army Colonel Paris Davis for his heroism during the Vietnam War. Davis was shot multiple times during a grueling nearly 19-hour fire fight, but he continued to engage the enemy and pull American soldiers to safety. CNN's Oren Liebermann has his story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The early morning patrol behind enemy lines on June 18th, 1965 fell apart quickly. Captain Paris Davis and his men were leading a team of inexperienced South Vietnamese when they came under waves of attack.
COL. PARIS DAVIS (RET.), MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT: There was a place on that battlefield. There were so many bodies you couldn't see the grass.
LIEBERMANN (on camera): What kept you going in that fight?
DAVIS: Others. I'll tell you, I only remember the first couple of times I got shot that day.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Davis was in that fight for 19 hours.
DAVIS: The Viet Cong really had a good terrain just like we did, we were right across from --
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): He later recounted that battle on the Phil Donahue show, we called in artillery fire, fought the enemy and rescue three of his fellow soldiers, including this man, Billy Waugh.
DAVIS: I went out there and tried to pull him out but he was in a lot of muck and I couldn't get him out and he was tied up in some vines, and he got shot again. I got hit right here on the arm. LIEBERMANN (voice-over): By the time Ron Deis arrived overhead and a small observation airplane. He says it looked like all hell had broken loose. Deis was shot down, then picked up the story in bits and pieces from one of his men back at camp.
RON DEIS, SERVED WITH DAVIS: He told me that he thought Captain Davis should receive the Medal of Honor for the heroism that he exhibited that day.
LIEBERMANN (on camera): He said this back then?
DEIS: He told me that evening.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Davis did receive an award for that day, the Silver Star. But to the men who saw him in combat, it wasn't enough. Fifty-eight years later, that recognition finally happened.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This Mr. Secretary may be the most consequential day since I've been President.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Paris Davis, one of the first black Special Forces officers received the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for valor. He never liked being called a hero, but there is no denying it now.
BIDEN: This year, we celebrate the 75th anniversary of our first fully integrated armed forces and named Paris Davis will still stand alongside the nation's pioneering heroes.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Davis says to receive the Medal of Honor is nothing short of a dream.
DAVIS: It's my day to say thank you to all America for allowing me to be in the military, I'm serious about it, no BS, allowed me to serve the country. The country has been pretty damn good to me.
LIEBERMANN (on camera): Davis harbor no ill will at all, but he hadn't received the Medal of Honor earlier. In fact, he stayed in the military for 20 more years after the day that would make him famous and ultimately earned him the Medal of Honor. He rose to become a colonel and commanded the 10th Special Forces Group before he retired in 1985.
Oren Liebermann, CNN, at the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[13:00:02]
WHITFIELD: Hello again and thank you so much for joining me this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
