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GOP-Led Tennessee House Expels Two Black Democrats Over Gun Reform Protest; DOJ Looks Into Leaked Classified Intelligence Documents; Interview With Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY); Biden Administration Vows To Fight For Abortion Rights; ProPublica: Justice Clarence Thomas Accepted Luxury Trips Paid For By GOP Megadonor; Hospitals Shut Maternity Units, Forcing Mothers-To-Be To Travel; Jeremy Renner's Road To Recovery. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired April 08, 2023 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:01:02]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

The 1960s had the Chicago Eight, today Nashville the Tennessee Three. The state lawmakers, all Democrats, were targeted by Republicans for leading a loud but peaceful protest on the House floor in that legislature. They were demanding gun reform after the Nashville school shooting that left six people including three 9-year-old children dead.

The two expelled lawmakers Justin Pearson and Justin Jones are black, Gloria Johnson who is white kept her seat by just one vote. That fact has only added to the anger in Tennessee and across the country.

CNN correspondent Isabel Rosales joins us with more details.

It seems like there's already a path potentially to return both of these lawmakers to their seats. So what happens next?

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim. It is very much within the realm of reality here that these expelled lawmakers are appointed back into their seats this week, so we're keeping a very close eye on Nashville and Memphis. Over at Nashville Metro City Council, they are holding a special meeting come Monday where they're anticipating nominating and then appointing Representative Justin Jones.

One barrier that might come in the way here is a rule, a rule within council that prohibits somebody from being nominated and appointed within the same day. But if they passed that rule and move forward beyond that rule, it is possible that within an hour Jones is not only nominated but then heads on over to the state capitol back to his normal seat.

Similarly over in Memphis, Mikell Lowry, the chairman of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners, says that they will not address Pearson's situation before Wednesday, their normally scheduled meeting, then they will call for a quorum to schedule a special meeting. In Tennessee, we are certainly seeing a political tensions rising.

Hendrell Remus, the chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party. he says that Democratic-controlled Shelby County, Memphis, Pearson's district, they are facing political retribution due to the idea of reappointing Pearson. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HENDRELL REMUS, TENNESSEE DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN: Political retribution from this Republican supermajority is something that we're worried about every single day. I'm concerned, especially with accounts coming out of Memphis, that there are threats by this supermajority to withhold funding for projects that they have in the works for city and county government. This Republican supermajority is government overreach at its all-time high.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: Well, there's been a big question, Jim, circulating on social media. What's the stop Republican lawmakers from just expelling them again. Well, the answer to that is a state constitution that prohibits House members from being expelled again, almost like a double jeopardy for the same behavior.

Meanwhile, we do have a statement from the Tennessee House Republican Caucus that say if Jones and Pearson are reelected, they hope that, quote, "They will act as a thousands who have come before them, with respect for our institution, their fellow colleagues and the seat that they hold" -- Jim.

All right All right. Isabel Rosales, thank you very much.

The Department of Justice has a very sensitive new investigation on its hands. The department now looking into leaks of classified U.S. Military documents that were shared on social media. Some of the materials were marked top secret. That's the highest level of classification.

And CNN's Kylie Atwood has the latest.

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's right. The Department of Justice has opened an investigation now into this apparent trove of classified documents that have appeared on social media sites in recent weeks, and these documents cover a wide range of topics. The U.S. support for Ukraine, South Korean officials' concerns about providing ammunition to the U.S. that could be given to Ukraine for use in the Ukraine war. They also have to do with U.S. allies, including Israel.

[19:05:03]

Now we don't know the source of these leaks right now. We also don't know, we can't independently verify, that these documents haven't been altered, but the first trove of documents that caught attention earlier this week had to do with the U.S. support for Ukraine. And U.S. officials did confirm that those documents appeared to be authentic.

Now in addition to the Department of Justice opened this investigation, we know that the Pentagon says that they are looking into the matter. It's pretty surreal to look at these documents because they are essentially photos of crumpled up pieces of paper that have classified markings on them. Some have top secret classification markings at the highest level of classification. Some have the markings of the office at the Pentagon that advises President Biden.

So this has caused great alarm among U.S. officials, particularly at the Pentagon -- Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. Kylie Atwood, at the State Department for us, thank you very much.

China has launched military exercises that run around Taiwan today after the president of the self-governing island met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other U.S. lawmakers. China considers Taiwan its own territory and views the meeting as an act of defiance. Taiwan says it has detected more than 70 Chinese warplanes and nine military vessels crossing the Taiwan Strait today. China says the exercises should be viewed as a warning.

And joining us now to talk about this Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres of New York.

Congressman, thanks so much for giving us your time this evening. You were part of a bipartisan delegation that met with Taiwan's president this week. What do you think? How do you view China launching these military drills in retaliation? They seem to be saying, please view this as a reaction to what has taken place over the last week.

REP. RITCHIE TORRES (D-NY): Well, since the 1970s, there have been a series of policies, the one China policy, the Taiwan Relations Act, the three communiques, the six assurances. The combination of all those policies has brought decades of stability in the Taiwan Strait and the United States remains committed to preserving those policies. Whereas China is increasingly moving away from those policies. And China has displayed the kind of bullying and belligerence toward Taiwan that Russia had shown toward Ukraine, and that is unacceptable. That's a violation of the very policies to which China has agreed for decades.

ACOSTA: And Congressman, let's talk about the tensions rising in Tennessee, where the Republican controlled legislature expelled two black lawmakers while falling short of the votes needed to oust a white colleague. What was your reaction to that?

TORRES: The expulsion of the two black Tennessee legislators represents the expulsion of democracy, it represents the expulsion of free expression. The Republican Party claims to be the party of free speech, the party against, quote, "political correctness and wokeness." And yet here you have Tennessee Republicans expelling two black Democrats for expressing their opinion, for exercising their First Amendment rights. You know, we live in a strange political world. If you're a

Republican, like George Santos who systematically defraud and deceives his constituents, then the Republican Party will protect you from expulsion. But if you're two black Democrats who speak out against gun violence in the wake of a mass shooting then the Republican Party is going to punish you with expulsion. And there's something profoundly wrong with this picture.

ACOSTA: And let me ask you about these two rulings that came out in the last 24 hours regarding the use of abortion medication. It puts the issue of women's rights back into the national spotlight. As you know, a conservative judge in Texas, a federal judge ruled against the use of a medication abortion pill.

What can Congress do about this? Is there anything that can be done about it? It seems like it's so deadlocked up on Capitol Hill these days. If this makes it all the way to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court strikes this down, and women are no longer able to seek out this medication, that is again another rolling back of abortion rights in this country.

TORRES: Look, what the Republicans in control of the House Congress is gridlocked, you know, these medication abortions represent half of all abortions in America. And the Texas decision to strike down FDA approval will not only affect abortion access in states where abortion is prohibited it will affect abortion access in states like New York where abortion is permitted.

So this is a particularly dangerous and outrageous decision because it represents a universal restriction of abortion in America, and no federal judge has the expertise to second guess the medical judgments of the FDA. Judge Kacsmaryk abused his power because he's essentially substituting his own politics for medicine.

[19:10:06]

ACOSTA: And will this galvanize Democrats heading into the 2024 election year? It seems we were just talking about this with our data reporter Harry Enten in the last hour. Election after election after election since the Dobbs decision, this has really is really motivated Democratic voters.

TORRES: Look, we are galvanized, you know, especially with the reversal of Roe versus Wade. We saw what we're supposed to be a red wave reduced to nothing more than a red trickle. We saw record turnout among Democrats, and there's a real threat to reproductive rights here. I mean, the fact that a right-wing judge would remove a drug from the market that has had FDA approval for two decades over the objections of the FDA, I mean, that is just a level of right-wing judicial activism that we've rarely seen before. And we cannot take that threat lightly, and it will galvanize Democrats into action.

ACOSTA: And you're in New York there. There was some big news, it may feel like it was a long time ago, but it was only four or five days ago, former President Donald Trump was indicted in a Manhattan courtroom. As the dust is starting to settle here, from what we all saw take place on Tuesday, are you standing behind the Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg in this prosecution? Do you view this as any kind of prosecutorial overreach as a lot of Republicans on the other side of the aisle in Congress are alleging?

TORRES: My view is that we should allow the legal process to play out. The decision to indict Donald Trump was not made by politicians. It was made by a grand jury of his peers. And the concerted effort by House Republicans to systematically harass and intimidate a district attorney, that to me is profoundly unethical and it should be illegal.

You know, the indictment of Donald Trump sends a powerful message to the rest of the world that we in the United States were governed not by the rule of men, but by the rule of law, and that no one, not even a former president, is above the law.

ACOSTA: And did you see the former president's comments about the judge handling this case and the judge's family? What was your reaction to that?

TORRES: Look, the president has -- the former President Donald Trump has no shame. I mean, first he was attempting to incite violence in the lead-up to his indictment. And now he's attempting to personally attack a judge. It's unacceptable. But I think we learned from January 6th that Donald Trump has no regard for our democracy and he's willing to burn everything down, including our legal system in the service of his own self-preservation.

ACOSTA: All right, Congressman Ritchie Torres, thanks so much for your time this weekend. All the best to you and Happy Easter. Thanks so much.

TORRES: Absolutely.

ACOSTA: All right. Still ahead, two rulings, two very different paths for the future of access to abortion pills in the United States. We'll discuss what happens next legally and politically, plus a rare defensive statement from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, explaining why he didn't disclose luxury trips paid for by a major GOP donor. Could he face any consequences for that?

And later, Jeremy Renner, the actor on his recovery from a snowplow accident that nearly killed him. One of his doctors says life and death came down to a matter of mere millimeters.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:17:34]

ACOSTA: Two rival rulings in two separate states are fueling even further uncertainty over a woman's right to choose. In Texas a federal judge has ruled that the FDA's more than two-decade-old approval of the drug mifepristone should be halted. This is one of the most trusted and widely used drugs for medication abortions. The court did pause the ruling for one week so that an appeal, which is already underway, can be filed. President Biden and Vice President Harris are vowing to fight this move to protect women and their health.

And in Washington state a federal judge is protecting access to that very same medication across 17 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia.

CNN's Arlette Saenz is at the White House for us.

Arlette, what's the administration's next move?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, the Biden ministrations was bracing for this ruling from that federal judge in Texas with officials meeting for quite some time about the possibility that this ruling would actually turn out the way that it did. Ultimately what the president has bowed is that they will be fighting as every step of the way against this ruling, and that started last night when the Justice Department quickly filed its appeal in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Now President Biden slammed to this decision warning of the national implications it will have, saying in a statement, quote, "This does not just affect women in Texas. If it stands, it would prevent women in every state from accessing the medication, regardless of whether abortion is legal in a state." He added, "It is the next big step toward the national ban on abortion that Republican elected officials have vowed to make law in America."

The president also warned of the repercussions this could have for other drugs that have been approved by the FDA. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk down in Texas suspended the FDA approval of mifepristone, a drug that was approved by the FDA back in 2000 and has been used for the past 22 years. He argued that the approval process was flawed. Now the president warned that a ruling like this could put other FDA approved drugs in jeopardy, saying that they would be liable to potential political and ideological attacks.

So the White House will certainly be watching this appeals process as it moved through the courts. And many experts are predicting that it will end up at the Supreme Court. For the time being the Biden administration's options may be limited, but they have said they would be looking into the tools they can use to respond.

[19:20:01]

ACOSTA: All right. Arlette Saenz, thank you very much.

And joining me now, Molly Jong-Fast. She's a special correspondent for "Vanity Fair," host of "The Fast Politics" podcast.

Molly, here's what Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer had to say reacting to the Texas ruling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): This is an awful, extreme and unprecedented decision. Let's be clear. This is about the Republicans' goal of a nationwide abortion ban. We all know that the MAGA extreme wing of the Republican Party has always been for a nationwide ban. But now all the rest of them follow and do nothing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Molly, I mean, we were talking about this with Harry Enten in the last hour. If you look at all of these recent elections, when abortion has come into play as an issue, Democrats have, I mean, they've just been smashing successes pretty much every step of the way because of this. Why is the Republican Party not navigating this to their advantage a little bit better?

MOLLY JONG-FAST, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, VANITY FAIR: You know, when they lay down with this very ideological base, they decided to embrace these evangelicals and so you have all -- you know, you have this judge in Texas, in Amarillo, Texas, is a Trump appointed judge. He's a Trump judge. And he's very ideological, very anti-choice, has always been loudly anti-choice.

And so this sort of very ideological wing of the party that is anti- choice and not very thoughtful about winning elections has sort of taken over and there's no -- you know, Republicans cannot free themselves from this, and we saw that this week with the Trump, you know, the Trump case. You know, he raised a ton of money. It helped him. The loser in that was DeSantis.

ACOSTA: And Vice President Kamala Harris says this sets a dangerous precedent. And as Arlette was saying just a few moments ago, there's not a whole lot that they really could do administratively. This is going to wind its way through the courts up to the Supreme Court. But it sounds, as though, Molly, that the Supreme Court is going to find itself smack dab in the middle of deciding on perhaps the most divisive, hot button issue in this country, and perhaps once again roll back, reproductive rights for women in this country.

JONG-FAST: I mean, it's very likely. This is a 6-3 court. It's very ideological. The three Trumpy justices are super conservative. They have been in a hurry to remake the country and its very conservative image. And it's certainly possible that we see a ban. I mean, I think they're right. You know, they're almost at the end of their session, so they would have to do it on the shadow docket, just like they did with SB-8 in Texas last year, and they are not opposed to doing really explosive and, you know, huge things on the shadow docket.

But it's certainly going to look really bad. And if they take it up next year, right before an election, they certainly can do that. It's a losing issue for Republicans, and you have to wonder if maybe these three Trumpy justices are smart enough to know how much this is going to hurt their party.

ACOSTA: And there's this new reporting that as early as next week, I mean, just a few days from now, Florida Republicans are pushing to approve a far-reaching ban on most abortions in that state after six weeks of pregnancy. How politically risky is this for Governor Ron DeSantis, who likes to wade into these cultural war issues as he's mulling this presidential bid?

JONG-FAST: Yes, I mean, they, you know, you know you can tell abortion is a loser for Republicans because today almost all the Republicans were silent. You know, they know this is not popular. They know that the more they take away women's rights, the more the culture of realizes how women are supposed to have them. I mean, I think that this is going to be really bad for DeSantis and I think DeSantis knows it.

I mean, DeSantis didn't do this until, you know, he sort of was pushed to. I also think like this is again they're trying to court this evangelical base that is the base of the Republican Party. But the problem is that base is really out of line with the rest of us who just want, you know, sort of normal stuff. And I think that's going to be a real problem for Republicans, and it's been a problem in the last three elections. You know, it turns out to win the base, you have to be so MAGA, but then you're too MAGA to win the general.

ACOSTA: And it also backfires in places like Wisconsin, where we saw that Supreme Court election there. But, Molly, what can Democrats do in the meantime, do you think? I mean it sounds as though they have to sort of ride this out, wait for it to get to the Supreme Court, and if there's another decision against abortion rights campaign on this and the upcoming elections, I mean, is that basically it?

JONG-FAST: Well, you're seeing in some states some Democratic governors stockpile pills. You saw Pritzker saying that he's going to ignore it. I mean, look, this is a moment where dissent is patriotic, right?

[19:25:02]

We know abortion pills are safe. We know this is not true that this judge, you know, has sort of made this case out of nothing, and it's baloney. We know this. So we know that this is a moment where the law is changing in a way that is unjust and unfair. And so I do think these Democratic governors do have a leg to stand on, and they should challenge it, and they should keep selling the pills, and they should protect the people who use them.

I mean, look if Republican governors are going to embrace this kind of lawlessness then Democratic governors absolutely should embrace the things that were legal five minutes ago, so I think there's a real opportunity here for Democrats to do the right thing and for governors to protect women.

And look, we're already seeing the bad results of taking away a woman's right to choose, and I hope that we will see people stand up for women and for doctors, and you know, for science.

ACOSTA: All right. Molly Jong-Fast, great to see you. Thanks so much.

Still ahead, luxury trips sometimes on a super yacht, sometimes on a private jet. What a new report alleges about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his ties to a GOP mega donor. One of the journalists who uncovered this joins us next.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:30:25]

ACOSTA: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is defending his decision to not report travel worth hundreds of thousands possibly millions of dollars over the past 20 years. The expensive and lavish trips were all paid for by the same billionaire, Harlan Crow who is a massive donor to the Republican Party.

The story came to light this week in a piece by ProPublica, a nonprofit news organization. Here is part of that report: "A public servant who has a salary of $285,000.00, Thomas has vacation on Crow's super yacht around the globe. He flies on Crow's Bombardier Global 5000 jet. He has gone with Crow to the Bohemian Grove, the exclusive California all-male retreat and to Crow's sprawling ranch in East Texas, and Thomas typically spends about a week every summer at Crow's private resort in the Adirondacks."

And Josh Kaplan is one of three reporters who worked on that groundbreaking piece.

Josh, great to have you on.

I guess first of all, just out of my own curiosity, reporter-to- report, I'm just wondering how you pieced all this information together. Maybe you can lay that out for us.

JOSH KAPLAN, REPORTER, PROPUBLICA: A lot of phone calls, first and foremost. I mean, we talked to dozens of people from the staff on the billionaire's super yacht to members of the Bohemian Grove, to an Indonesian scuba diving instructor. And then we also got records that we obtained from sources and through the Freedom of Information Act, and we put all the pieces together.

ACOSTA: Yes, you did.

And Justice Thomas says he was not required to report those trips. As you've seen in the statement, he writes: "Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends who did not have business before the Court was not reportable. I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and I've always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines. These guidelines are now being changed as the Committee announced new guidance. And it is my intent, of course, to follow this guidance in the future."

Josh, what do you make of all that? You write that an ethics official told one Trump administration official that he should reimburse Crow for similar travel, but we don't have the same standards for the Supreme Court, I guess, is that correct?

KAPLAN: Yes, and no. So, you know, what Clarence Thomas appears to be referring to there is the Ethics and Government Act. It is a law that was passed after Watergate that by law, requires many government officials, including Supreme Court Justices to disclose most gifts they receive to the public.

And so after Justice Thomas released the statement the day after our story published, we went to seven ethics law experts, including former lawyers, former ethics lawyers for the White House, and for Congress and we asked them about it. We asked him about the law, and all of them said that Clarence Thomas, the law clearly required that things like private jet trips be disclosed, and that if Thomas is arguing, otherwise, he is incorrect.

Now, to your broader point. You know, I think one thing that is important to note is that there are very, very few restrictions on what gifts Justices can accept. They have to disclose most gifts, but there is no world in which it was against ethics law for him to go on a super yacht around the world and fly in a private chat, even if it could have cost half a million dollars, and that is a really stark contrast to the other branches of government.

ACOSTA: Yes, and Clarence Thomas has said that he prefers being around "normal and regular people." Let's take a look at this clip from the 2020 documentary "Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLARENCE THOMAS, US SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: I prefer the RV parks, I prefer the Walmart parking lots to the beaches and things like that.

There is something normal to me about it. I've come from regular stock, and I prefer that. I prefer being around that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Josh, it seems that Justice Thomas likes to put out an image of him riding around in an RV and going on sort of regular down-to- earth type vacations, but it sounds as though that flies in the face of what you uncovered in your reporting, that he really likes to go on these sort of ritzy trips.

[19:35:10]

KAPLAN: I mean, I can't speak to which he prefers, the Walmart parking lots or the yacht vacations, but we did find though that he has been going on -- he has been taking luxury lavish travel virtually every year from this billionaire for over 20 years.

So, I mean, the scale of gifts he has been receiving of luxury travel, you know, has no known precedent in the modern history of the Supreme Court.

ACOSTA: And has he -- I mean, did you have any luck getting in touch with the Justice during the course of this reporting? Or Harlan Crow for that matter?

KAPLAN: So we asked Justice Thomas detailed questions for our story, laying out what we had found and planned to report and followed up with him repeatedly. He did not respond, although, after we published, he released the statement as you see. We did also ask detailed questions to Harlan Crow and he gave us a statement, in which he said that, you know, Justice Thomas is a dear friend, and he acknowledged that he had extended Thomas hospitality over the years, but said that Thomas never asked for any of it, and that it was no different from what he has extended to his many other dear friends.

ACOSTA: All right, very interesting. I wonder who else has been on the yacht?

Josh Kaplan, thank you very much for your time. We appreciate it. Great reporting.

KAPLAN: Thanks so much for having me.

ACOSTA: Thanks again.

All right, still had, the stunning number of maternity hospitals closing across America and forcing expectant mothers to hit the road for critical care.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEANDRA WRIGHT, BONNER GENERAL PATIENT: Even us, existing patients will have to find other services. It just really is surreal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:41:13]

ACOSTA: There is a new reality for expecting mothers: Giving birth could be more dangerous based on where you live.

New study information says the highest rates of life-threatening complications during pregnancy or birth are in Washington DC, California, Nevada, New Jersey, and New York. On top of that, hospitals are shutting down their maternity wards across the country.

As CNN's Elizabeth Cohen reports, abortion laws appear to be playing a big role.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Jim, delivering babies is one of the most important things that a hospital can do, but now, many hospitals are saying they're not going to do it anymore.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN (voice over): Bonner County, Idaho: Picture perfect, idyllic, a great place to ski or swim or fish, but not a great place to have a baby.

WRIGHT: I just found out a couple of weeks ago via Facebook that my local hospital is shutting down their OB unit.

COHEN (voice over): Leandra Wright has six children and now, she is five months pregnant with her seventh. Ten minutes away is Bonner General Hospital where they've been delivering babies for more than 70 years, but next month, they'll stop.

That means when Leandra's new baby is born this summer, she'll have to do this 40-mile drive all the way to Coeur d'Alene; on a good day, it will take 45 minutes.

WRIGHT: It is frustrating and worrisome.

COHEN (voice over): Leandra has a history of fast labors. Her son Noah was born on the way to the hospital.

WRIGHT: My fifth child was born on the side of the highway.

COHEN (voice over): New moms in Bonner County aren't alone.

Since 2011, two hundred and seventeen hospitals in the US have closed their Labor and Delivery Departments. In the past year alone, hospitals across the country have stopped delivering babies. Money is one reason.

The American Hospital Association points out that almost half of US births are paid for by Medicaid, which has low reimbursement rates. Employer-sponsored insurance pays about $15,000.00 for a delivery and Medicaid pays about $6,500.00.

Bonner General says one reason for shuttering their Obstetrics Unit is because they won't have enough providers certified in neonatal resuscitations and abortion laws appear to be playing a role, too. A hospital press release says: "Due to Idaho's legal and political climate, highly respected, talented physicians are leaving. The Idaho Legislature continues to introduce and pass bills that criminalize physicians for medical care nationally recognized as the standard of care.

While Bonner didn't specifically name abortion, the State does have one of the strictest antiabortion laws in the country, banning the procedure almost completely, with only a few exceptions.

Next month, Leandra's obstetrician will stop seeing her.

WRIGHT: Even, us, existing patients will have to find other services. It just really is surreal that it is something I have to worry about.

COHEN (voice over): She needs to find another obstetrician and then figure out what she can do to avoid giving birth on the long road to the hospital.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN (on camera): Some parts of the United States have such low access to obstetrical care that the March of Dimes calls them maternity deserts and they say more than two million women of childbearing-age live in maternity deserts in the United States -- Jim.

ACOSTA: All right, Elizabeth Cohen, thank you very much for that very important report. Still ahead, actor, Renner speaks out about what it was like to survive a snow plow accident that nearly killed him. Remember this? It was just unbelievable he survived.

One of the doctors who treated him tells CNN it is amazing he made it through.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. CHRISTOPHER VINCENT, CHIROPRACTIC SPORTS PHYSICIAN: It's incredible and purely a miracle that he survived first of all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:49:25]

ACOSTA: One of the doctors treating actor, Jeremy Renner, says he is recovering quickly. He suffered extensive injuries, but it was close to being much worse than that. His wounds were just millimeters away from hitting a vital organ or major nerves.

CNN's Chloe Melas joins us now.

Chloe, this is just extraordinary. I remember when this happened, and we were doing stuff on it at the time and I just thought I can't believe he wasn't killed in all of this, but he is recovering now.

CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Yes, and you know in this extensive interview with Diane Sawyer, Jim, they actually talk to some of the neighbors that live near Jeremy Renner's home in Nevada who were first on the scene.

[19:50:08]

MELAS: One of them saying that he thinks that Jeremy actually died for a few seconds. So these were some serious injuries and CNN's Alisyn Camerota actually spoke to one of the doctors who you actually see in the special who is currently treating Jeremy. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VINCENT: Yes, so the first the first miracle was that he actually survived the accident. And then the second miracle is, you know, when you look at all the injuries, they're really perfectly placed, preserving a lot of the joint spaces, but you know, preserving -- his liver was a little lacerated by his 12th rib, puncturing the liver, and his lungs collapsed. But other than that, no other vital organs were damaged.

His spinal cord was preserved, and his brain, I mean, the Cat ran all the way over his face and skull and would have, you know, crushed his brain, but he is neurologically intact.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MELAS: So remember, Jeremy in this interview with Diane Sawyer, you know, he says that he was trying to save his nephew's life when he kind of leaned out of the cab of the Snowcat, 14,000 pounds, he lost his footing, and it literally rolled on top of him.

Jim, I just want to talk to you a little bit more about Jeremy's injuries: Eight broken ribs in 14 places, a broken eye socket. Jeremy said, at one point he could like see his eyes sticking out of the socket, broken knee, a collapsed lung and as we heard, his liver pierced from a rib bone, but that is just some of the injuries.

So yes, it is a miracle that he is alive and just 10 weeks later, already walking with the help of a walker.

ACOSTA: Wow. Yes. And you just alluded to something I had read that he could see his one of his eyeballs with his other eye. Like that's how badly he was crushed in this accident. Unbelievable stuff.

And he gave this first interview since the snowplow accident to Diane Sawyer. What more did he -- what more did he say?

MELAS: Look, I mean, it was so eye opening to hear him speak about what it was like that day because there were so many questions as to what exactly happened and he really laid it all out there, Jim. Take a listen to a little bit of that interview with Diane Sawyer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMY RENNER, ACTOR: If I was there on my own, that would have been a horrible way to die. It felt like someone took the wind out of you. Too many things are going on in the body to feel pain, it is everything, so I guess, if your soul could have pain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MELAS: Oh, they interviewed his family members and his sister and his mother and they were all crying and they're sitting around the kitchen table. If you haven't seen the interview, you all have got to watch it.

Diane Sawyer, she is such a great interviewer and it was just so great to just hear what he went through in his own words and he looks like he's going to come back, Hawkeye, stronger than ever -- Jim.

ACOSTA: All right, well, we wish him the best. Chloe Melas, thank you so much.

And we'll be right back

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:57:39]

ACOSTA: A pair of pups with a long-distance love have left some people feeling jealous of their connection. Their FaceTime videos have become famous on social media after their owners had to move apart because of work.

CNN's Jeanne Moos has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): When was the last time someone was this excited to see you after a separation? Meet Rollo and Sadie.

Watch them meet after being apart and check out their faces when they FaceTime. This is the video that had viewers howling. Sadie, a Huskie and German Shepherd cross and Rollo, a Rottweiler Shepherd mix met during the pandemic when their owners moved into different apartments in the same house in the Canadian City of Edmonton.

KEYLA MCTEER, SADIE'S OWNER: Sadie has never really been the biggest fan of other dogs, but when she met Rollo, she whined and cried and laid down on her back like she just met the love of her life.

CAITLIN BANKS, ROLLO'S OWNER: Every time they see each other, he goes insane.

MOOS (voice over): But then Rollo's owner moved three hours away for a job opportunity.

BANKS: We do FaceTime every Thursday night so the dogs can see each other.

MOOS (voice over): The whining, the howling. Their reunions are joyous and their owners are also best friends. They say there is a chance they will all move back under the same roof but until then --

MCTEER: That's your buddy, isn't it? Yes. That's your buddy.

MOOS (voice over): During your remote interview, it was more sound than sight that set them off, he began looking for her, headed for the window.

Rollo and Sadie are the "Romeo and Juliet" of dogs --

(CLIP FROM "ROMEO AND JULIET.")

MOOS: For never was a story of more whoa than this of Sadie and her Rollo.

Parting may be such sweet sorrow, but reunions are a ball.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: A round of ap-paws for that story.

That's the news. Reporting from Washington, I'll see you tomorrow.

Thanks so much for joining us. Have a good night. [20:00:19]