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Heat Alert and Severe Storm Threats Across the United States; Mass Shooting in Baltimore Holiday Block Party; Israel Launches Military Operation in Jenin; Major Security Forces Deployed All Across France to Stop the Protests; Texas Sends Migrants to Los Angeles; Janet Yellen to Visit China; President Biden Going to Europe; Russian Forces Advancing in Ukraine; Shooting Victim's Grandmother Calls For End To Violence; Dozens Injured When SUV Crashes Into Bar; DeSantis Campaign Slams Trump For LGBTQ Support. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired July 03, 2023 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead on "CNN Newsroom," holiday heat waves. Tens of millions of Americans face sweltering heat as they prepare for their 4th of July festivities.

A new Israeli military operation in the West Bank leaves multiple people dead and dozens injured. We are live in Tel Aviv.

And extending the olive branch, another U.S. cabinet member will travel to Beijing hoping to repair tattered relations with China. But recent comments from her boss may complicate things. We will have more in a live report from Hong Kong.

Good to have you with us. And we begin in the U.S. where more than 30 million Americans are under heat warnings as they prepare for the Independence Day holiday. Forecasters say close to 30 daily high temperatures could be tied or broken this week and millions of Americans could see temperatures climb to more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the southeast, those states include North Carolina and Virginia with cities such as Raleigh and Virginia Beach potentially logging temperatures of more than 105 degrees. Southwestern states are under more excessive alerts with California's Death Valley set to top 125 degrees Fahrenheit, and Phoenix 115.

Meantime, conditions are improving in Chicago after heavy rain triggered flash flooding on Sunday. The rising waters stranded people in their cars and temporarily shut down major highways. The National Weather Service says it was Chicago's heaviest rain event in more than 40 years.

And millions of people are under severe storm threats throughout the eastern U.S. on Monday, from Mississippi to Massachusetts. Gusty winds and damaging hail are the main concerns.

Well, tragically, gun violence is once again overshadowing another holiday weekend here in the United States. Police in Baltimore are investigating a mass shooting that erupted Saturday night at a block party. At least two people were killed, 28 others injured. Most of the victims were teenagers, some as young as 13.

Police believe there are multiple shooters. The city's mayor says it's a cowardly act of violence and is asking the community for help in finding those responsible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRANDON SCOTT, MAYOR OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND: We are asking again that anyone that knows anything about this mass shooting, and that is what I want to call it, it's a mass shooting. We want this shooting to be treated to just as it happened in rural America. We want everyone to come forward and say, treat this as if it was your daughter, your son, your brother, your cousin that was out here shot at this event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Just past the halfway point of 2023 and to the gun violence epidemic in the U.S. Shows no signs of slowing down. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there has been at least 338 reported mass shootings already this year. That's defined as four or more people injured or killed, not including the shooter. The research group counts more than 21,000 gun violence deaths this year, which also includes suicides, and more than 18,000 people injured.

Well, tensions are flaring once again in the West Bank as Israel stages what it's calling a counter terrorism operation in Jenin and its adjacent refugee camp. Unverified video appears to show explosions and witnesses have reported ongoing gunfire. The Palestinian health ministry says at least three people have been killed and 25 others injured.

The Israel Defense Forces says that it was striking terrorist infrastructure including a camp command center, it said that militants were using as a base. And this comes less than two weeks after an IDF raid into Jenin turned into a deadly firefight.

I want to go to CNN's Elliott Gotkine now who joins us live from Tel Aviv.

[02:05:01]

So, Elliott, what more are you learning about Israel's lethal strike on Jenin in the West Bank?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Rosemary, this operation is still ongoing. It began about 8 hours ago with a UAV or drone airstrike on this command and control center that you referred to in your introduction. Israel saying that it wasn't just a command and control center, it was also an observation center and also used as a kind of refuge for militants after carrying out attacks. They would flee to back -- to Jenin and take refuge in this building as well.

Israel saying that it belongs to the Jenin Brigade which is affiliated with Islamic jihad. Now, you mentioned the casualty figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel saying that it has actually killed seven militants, both with drones and also in exchanges of fire as well.

And Israel referring to this refugee camp in Jenin as a hornet's nest and saying that one of its other intentions, as well as destroying this command center, as well as seizing weapons and munitions and to prevent future attacks is also, in its words, to remove the safe haven mentality that Jenin had in the minds of militants so that they don't feel that it is a safe place or secure place to run back to after carrying out attacks or to use as a base from which to carry out attacks.

Israel saying there were 50 shooting attacks against Israelis last year that emanated from Jenin and that 25 Israelis were killed last year from militants in Jenin, adding that 19 of those militants fled back to Jenin after carrying out attacks. As I said, this is an ongoing operation. Israel saying that it's using a battalion's worth of troops, that's around about 500 troops in Israel, as well as I said, UAVs and drone air strikes.

There are no signs of helicopter gunships that we know of so far that have been used to scale (ph) the week for the first time in something like two decades. So, this very extensive operation, much bigger than ones that we have seen in the past and is still ongoing. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Elliott Gotkine joining us live from Tel Aviv with that report. Appreciate it. I want to turn now to France where unrest has eased, but tensions linger after days of violent protests. That unrest sparked by Tuesday's fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old of Algerian descent.

Some 45,000 security forces remained deployed across the country as officials braced for any further flare-ups of violence. And in the coming hours, French President Emmanuel Macron is set to meet with the presidents of France's lower and upper houses after huddling with his top ministers Sunday and urging them to restore order. The shooting victim's grandmother is also calling for calm.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

NADIA, GRANDMOTHER OF SHOOTING VICTIM (through translation): I blame the policeman who killed my grandson. I'm the grandmother, I blame the policeman who killed my grandson. That's all I want. The police, they are here, fortunately, they are here and the people who are breaking things I tell them, stop, stop. They use Nahel's death as a pretext. Now, they must stop.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Nic Robertson is following developments and has more now from the streets of the French capital. NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: In the center of

Paris, again, another night, bracing for possible violence. Police are in numbers on the Champs-Elysees. Eight hundred and seventy-one fires set Saturday night, compared to Friday night, 2,500 or so, the night before, 3,900 or so. The numbers are trending down. If Saturday night was a pivot, Sunday night is going to be a real test if that violence trends down.

The center of Paris is Champs-Elysees, looking down there, there still a lot of tourists out, the sun is setting, people still enjoying the evening. There are riot cops on the streets there, but not the buzz that there was, the activity that there was at the same time on Saturday. Over here, a few more police officers here. They're getting around the city in the small saloon vehicles. That's how they're racing around to try to stay on top of any potential protests.

And just looking around down here, just as it's falling dark, you can see the police officers with their motorbikes. And those were the high-speed officers. Saturday night, there are police officers riding their motorbikes, riot officers sitting (inaudible) passenger, keeping moving, moving in groups of 20, keeping moving and staying on top of the rioters. And that's what we're hearing from the government right now.

Still keeping the same number of officers on the street, 45,000 police in Gendarme, saying that they will have swift justice for any perpetrators of violence, and try to stay on top and quash any outbreaks of violence.

[02:09:53]

Meanwhile, Nahel's grandmother, the young boy who is tragically shot and killed on Tuesday, his grandmother appealing for peace and calm. Nic Robertson, CNN, Paris.

CHURCH: We are learning more about the dozens of migrants that

We are learning more about the dozens of migrants that were sent to Los Angeles from Texas over the weekend. It was the second busload of migrants to the city in the past few weeks. Republican governors have been sending asylum seekers to Democratic led states. CNN's Camila Bernal has more.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These are 41 migrants that, I'm told, are tired, but have the sense of relief to be here in Los Angeles. Of the 41, 11 in the group were children, and these are people coming from a number of different countries including Cuba, Belize, Colombia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and others. And a lot of these people, I'm told, knew that they were coming to Los Angeles.

A lot of them having sponsors or family members here in Los Angeles and also have immigration court dates here in the Los Angeles area. What I am being told by officials in L.A. is that they were not formally notified that this bus was coming, but they were able to get confirmation from the city of Brownsville. So, what the non-profits and the faith-based groups are saying is that

this time around, the process was a lot smoother. They knew what they were expecting. And what they're saying is that they will continue to help these migrants, welcome them with open arms and treat them with dignity. Here is Angelica Salas with (inaudible).

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: I talked to a couple of young men who have been walking for months themselves. And so, this is the first time after arriving in Brownsville, getting on a bus, finally that they actually get a chance to sit and rest. And now they are here in the United States. So, what we're doing is just making sure that the individuals understand also their legal situation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL: Now, we know Republican governors have been transporting migrants to Democratic-led cities. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas has already said he's bussed more than 23,000 migrants. We have reached out to his office and have not heard back. But in the past, he has used this to criticize the federal government for their efforts and their work at the border. Officials here in Los Angeles say that this is a political stunt, and again, say they will welcome these migrants with open arms. Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.

CHURCH: July promises to be a busy month for Joe Biden. The U.S. President will embark on a three-nation trip, which will include a NATO summit. We will have details just ahead.

Plus, Mr. Biden's treasury secretary is set to visit China as Washington tries to stabilize its relations with Beijing. We'll go live to Hong Kong for a preview of Janet Yellen's trip. Back in just a moment.

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[02:15:00]

CHURCH: Welcome, back everyone. Janet Yellen is the latest high- ranking U.S. official to work on repairing strained U.S. ties with China. The U.S. Treasury Secretary is scheduled to travel there later this week, but things could be a bit awkward. At a political fund- raiser last month, her boss, U.S. President Joe Biden, compared China's leader, Xi Jinping, to dictators. Joining me now is CNN's Anna Coren. Good to see you, Anna. So, what is the latest on developments around Janet Yellen's planned visit to Beijing given the current tensions between the two countries?

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Beijing has clearly moved on from those comments from Joe Biden. But look, this trip is very encouraging. You know, we knew it was on the cards that the U.S. Treasury Secretary was planning to go to Beijing. But it comes just two weeks after Antony Blinken's successful visit there where he helped to reestablish, you know, dialogue at a time when relations were at an all-time low. Janet Yellen, as you say, Rosemary, will be heading to Beijing later

this week. We don't know her exact itinerary, but we understand she plans to meet with her Chinese counterpart and other high-ranking officials for what we hear will be constructive and frank conversations. But like what Blinken's trip last month, officials say they are not expecting any significant breakthroughs. She is also not expected to meet with the Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Yellen has long signaled the Biden administration's desire to improve communications with the Chinese and really, you know, lower the temperature between the world's two largest economies, which as we know, are deeply entwined. Back in April while giving testimony before Congress, she stressed the importance of maintaining ties with China and said that decoupling would be a big mistake.

And then last month, at the Paris Finance Summit, on stage with the Chinese premier Li Keqiang, she said, and let me read to you what she said. "As the world's two largest economies, we also have a responsibility to work together on global issues. It is something the world expects of us."

Now, Yellen's trip comes at a time of also heightened uncertainty for the global economy. China is struggling to reboot its economy post COVID, following a slew of poor economic data, while the U.S. is trying to contain inflation and avoid going into recession. You know, global challenges in mutual areas of concern will no doubt be on the agenda, but so too will be the airing of grievances. So, lots to discuss, Rosemary, on her three-day trip to Beijing.

CHURCH: Yeah, most definitely. Anna Coren joining us live from Hong Kong, many thanks as always.

Well, U.S. President Joe Biden will be traveling overseas next week on a three-nation trip. First, he will meet with the British prime minister and also King Charles in the U.K. Then Mr. Biden's next two stops will be of vital importance as he meets with NATO allies at two different summits. CNN White House reporter Priscilla Alvarez explains.

[02:20:00]

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: The White House announced on Sunday that President Biden will be visiting three countries next week, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, and Finland. Now, the president will start his trip in the United Kingdom where he is set to meet King Charles III who was recently coronated as well as the British Prime Minister who visited the White House here last month.

Now, those high stakes meetings will later be continued for the president at the NATO summit where there is sure going to be discussion over Ukraine and the war that is ongoing there, particularly after the counteroffensive that has been launched and those internal tensions in Russia, all of that looming over this summit.

Now, President Biden has repeatedly talked about the strength of the NATO alliance, also saying that it has never, quote, "been more united." But in all these discussions, the ongoing debate will be looming over all of it, over how and when Ukraine may become part of that alliance.

Now, after that summit, President Biden will then go to Finland where he will conclude his three-country trip. Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, the White House.

CHURCH: Ukraine is reporting heavy fighting along the entire eastern front with Russian forces attacking in several directions and making some advances. But Ukrainian officials say their forces are having partial success south of Bakhmut. They posted this video showing what appears to be a strike on a Russian tank in the region.

And Ukraine says it's gradually advancing along the southern front lines around Berdiansk and Melitopol. And Clare Sebastian joins me now live from London. Good morning to you, Clare. So, what's the latest on these Russian advances made in eastern Ukraine?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Rosemary, none of these are game-changing moves, it's worth pointing out when we look at this counteroffensive and Russia's efforts to sort of hold it off. But this shows really the hard slog that we're seeing across hundreds of miles of frontline.

The Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister rather saying on Sunday that Russia has been attacking in some towns to the south of a town called Svatove. The Svatove-Kreminna line in the Luhansk region has been the sight of heavy fighting. This is an area that Russia took control over in the early months of the war, and Ukraine has been trying to take back with, as yet, no real success.

So, Russia has been making some small advances there, but Ukraine says it continues to make smaller advances, as you say, around the flanks of Bakhmut. It hasn't gotten into the city itself yet. And of course, in the south, around those key ports, you say of Melitopol and Berdiansk. Those areas consistent with what we assumed to be the goal of cutting Russia's land bridge between the Donbas and Crimea.

Separately, after a 12-day break, we now see the second overnight aerial assault on Ukraine by Russia in as many days, the air force saying that 17 Shahed attack drones were launched (inaudible) the country, of which they shot down 13. They say the rest did not hit their target. The armed forces are saying that there were also 12 Cruise and air defense missiles that were fired at Ukraine at which three shot down. We don't have any information as of yet on the impact of the others, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And Clare, what more are you learning about Dimitry Medvedev's comment on Russia being threatened by Ukraine potentially joining NATO?

SEBASTIAN: Yeah, these comments coming in an article published in a pro Kremlin newspaper, Rossiskaya Gazeta, just 10 days out from a NATO summit that we now know is, of course, on Russia's doorstep in Lithuania and will be attended by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and of course the U.S. president, Joe Biden.

So, Medvedev who of course, has become increasingly strident, intensely nationalist in his rhetoric since the beginning of the war. This is no exception, but really, voicing what we already knew, that this war is being partially fought over NATO expansion. He said that our goal is simple, to eliminate the threat of Ukraine's membership in NATO. Though he denied that this was about holding back NATO as a whole, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right, our thanks to Clare Sebastian joining us live from London. And still to come, it is peak tourist season in France as violent protests that have spread across the country. We hear from holiday makers who were there. That's next.

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[02:25:00]

CHURCH: Officials in France say 157 people were detained overnight in a much calmer night following days of unrest. The violent protests first broke out after Tuesday's fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old who is of Algerian descent. About 45,000 security forces remain deployed across the country as officials brace for any further violence.

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to meet with the leaders of the upper and lower houses of parliament in the hours ahead. On Sunday, he met with his top ministers and urged them to restore order. For more on this, I'm joined now from Paris by Christian Mouhanna, a professor of sociology of law and policing at France's National Center for Scientific Research. Thank you so much for being with us.

CHRISTIAN MOUHANNA, PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY OF LAW AND POLICING, CNRS: Hi.

CHURCH: So, even as tensions eased Sunday, tens of thousands of security forces remain deployed across the country. What should President Macron be doing right now to try and restore calm and trust in the nation's police force after this tragic shooting of a 17-year- old boy of Algerian descent?

MOUHANNA: Yes, the problem for him is that on the one hand, he has to improve the relationship between the population of these poor areas, especially the youngsters that participate to riots. And on the other hand, he has to -- he has in front of him a lot of politicians and police unions who are not in favor to be too lenient, they say, with these youngsters.

We have a high pressure, you know, from some police unions who want that this repression be very strong and as are waiting for sanctions, and they are not ready to cooperate to build better relationship with the youngsters.

CHURCH: And as they try to find a way to restore calm, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says that he doesn't expect France to become unstable, but he is watching the unrest with concern. [02:30:00]

How worried should the European Union be about these protests? And the underlying issue, of course that triggered this violence in France?

MOUHANNA: Yes. There's a -- it's a very high, it's a very big problem. The problem is that we have to sing on policies to rebuild a whole new way of policing friends. So, the problem is that President Macron in different issues was always sending the police force to answer to the demonstration and know perhaps we have -- we are in no limit of -- we have reached a limit of this kind of policy because many protesters in many fields, we have had the yellow jackets and pensions, demonstrations and so on.

Perhaps we have to sink in a better way to work in our institution and perhaps the political organization of France has to be -- to be rebuilt also.

CHURCH: But how does France gets to the point where a police officer shoots a 17-year-old boy?

MOUHANNA: The problem is that we have ads -- of course, we have a long tradition of bad relationship between police and the youngster in these poor areas. But the last big problem was afterwards, friend attacks the terrorist attacks in France during the year 2015. And after and many police officer were killed in some local actions or local attacks, and they were asking for more power to defend themselves and to protect the populations they said.

And -- but the problem is that say, use these new rights, these new laws were passed to answer to that demand to the user to -- against normal, small, criminals or people in -- were not respecting the rules. And that's the beginning of the of the -- of the story. And we have more and more people were shooted by police officer because they are in their car and not stopping at fire also, things like that.

CHURCH: Yes. It is a rather tragic and extreme outcome for not stopping a vehicle. Is it not? Professor Christian Mouhanna, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it. Thank you.

Well, the violent protests have impacted the country's vital tourism industry. Hotels have seen cancellations and retailers have been vandalized. Even so some tourists in the heart of Paris are not let the turmoil affect their plans. CNN's Michael Holmes reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Peak tourist season in France. For many visitors, the sights of fiery and at times violent protests around the country over the fatal shooting of a teenager by police might make them worry about their itinerary. But protesters have largely left the most famed attractions in Paris alone, though some were dispersed from the Place de la Concorde on Friday.

This couple from the U.S. said they knew about the protests but didn't change their plans.

DEROL, AMERICAN TOURIST: It's unfortunate what happened but --

MIRIAM, AMERICAN TOURIST: We decide still to come.

DEROL: We have to continue --

(CROSSTALK)

MIRIAM: We had confidence in Macron.

DEROL: We have confidence in my -- the French countrymen to take care of the situation.

HOLMES: Another tourist from Chicago says her trip is still going as planned. But the anger on the streets here remind her of problems back home.

JACQUELINE BAUGHMEND, AMERICAN TOURIST: So far, we haven't seen like the writing and the cars on fire and such. But we also had that in the United States back in 2021 with George Floyd. So, we live in Chicago and there was a lot of that there. So, we've already experienced it.

HOLMES: Many places that cater to tourist site they are worried not only about security, but about the economic impact of the protests.

Juan To (ph), a bus driver says he feels bad for the tourists who have come for a vacation that says it's also hard on the people who are just trying to work. The country's main association for hospitality workers says many of its hotel members have seen an increase in the number of cancellations of reservations. The French Retail Federation is also calling for more police to stop stores being vandalized.

But for the most part central Paris has been unscathed with some exceptions like when police say protesters looted stores on the Rue de Rivoli and damage to shopping mall. There was also increased security along the Champs-Elysees with police carrying out spot checks in the area.

[02:35:09]

In the port city of Marseille where some of the country's worst violence happened, a bus carrying Chinese tourists was attacked during a protest, causing minor injuries to some passengers. China's Consulate General has lodged an official complaint and called on the French authorities to keep their citizens and property safe.

Back in the French capital, some tourists say they're unfazed by it all and making the best of their trip. It is after all, still Paris.

CLAIRE, BRITISH TOURIST: We checked out the news, we think it's absolutely fine. There's so many things going on in the world. If you listened to everything you'd never travel.

HOLMES: Michael Holmes, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: June was a big month for stocks. In fact, the S&P 500 rallied for the first half of this year. But what can we expect in the second half? CNN Chief Business Correspondent Christine Romans has details.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: The stock market has shown resilience after that awful 2022 as we wrap up the first half of the year for Wall Street here. The NASDAQ is up nearly 30 percent so far this year. That's the best first half since 1983. Wall Street also got some encouraging news on the inflation front. The feds preferred inflation gauge cooled last month, hitting its lowest level in more than two years.

And the U.S. economy also grew faster than estimates. Expanding at an annual pace of two percent in the first quarter. The job market is still resilient with unemployment claims recording the biggest drop in 20 months despite all this optimistic news. Inflation is still above the Fed's two percent target. And Jerome Powell reiterated the Central Bank's rate hike campaign is set to resume after a pause in early June.

Keep in mind it's a short week on Wall Street for the holiday. U.S. markets are closed Tuesday for July 4th.

[02:40:04]

After reopening we'll get the minutes from the Fed's June meeting. Jobless claims and a critical June jobs report.

CHURCH: An afternoon at a small town bar in New England turned to horror on Sunday. Dozens of people were injured when an SUV crashed into the Looney Bin Bar and Grill in Laconia, New Hampshire. And police say the car was involved in an accident with another vehicle when it careened into the car. 14 people were taken to the hospital. None of the injuries are said to be life threatening. So far, no word on any charges.

And thank you so much for joining us this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. For our international viewers World Sport is up next. And for our viewers here in the United States and in Canada, I will be back with more CNN NEWSROOM after short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:31]

CHURCH: Welcome back to our viewers in North America. I'm Rosemary Church. Good to have you with us.

Well, after seeing President Joe Biden's student debt forgiveness plan struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, the White House is looking for ways to move forward on the issue. Now the Biden administration will try to provide debt relief by using existing authorities granted by federal law. Looking ahead to 2024, Democrats are hoping this issue as well as other recent rulings will help boost turnout for their voters. Similar to how the Supreme Court's abortion ruling helped them in the 2022 midterms.

Let's bring in Ron Brownstein. A CNN senior political analyst and senior editor with The Atlantic. Always good to have you with us.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So before closing out its term last week, the Supreme Court delivered three landmark rulings dominated by the court's conservative supermajority blocking the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness plan, limiting LGBTQ protections by ruling in favor of religious objections over anti-discrimination laws and rejecting affirmative action in college admissions.

Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg judge says this decision will chip away at LGBTQ+ rights. What is the likely political fallout from this specific ruling do you think?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know, I don't think any of these rulings will have the immediate political impact. That last year's decision ending the constitutional right to abortion did. That was an absolute earthquake in American politics whose implications are still reverberating and will likely be very important in 2024. But these rulings continue the pattern that we have seen as the supermajority has come into place of making decisions that will be enormously consequential on the fabric of American life.

And that consistently reflect the values, the priorities, and even the grievances of the coalition that behind the Republicans who nominated them, and for the most part, confirm them. We are seeing a significant change in the law that is really potentially just beginning, given that the youngest members of this majority are only in their early 70s. So, the oldest members, excuse me, are in their early 70s.

It could be another decade, where the U.S. is living under the decisions made by this majority, absent some big health issue and it is very clear the direction that is heading.

CHURCH: Do you think the Biden administration would need to consider the expansion of the Supreme Court as a consequence of that when you consider the ramifications of decisions like this?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Joe Biden is not the president who is going to do that, you know, Joe Biden's roots are in a very different era of American politics, you know, elected to the Senate in 1972. And someone who kind of -- is more of an institutionalist. I think there will be more discussion of that among Democrats as the years go by. But I think what's actually more likely than expanding the court is serious discussion about term limits on the court.

Eighteen-year term limits. Once they were fully -- once that idea was put in place, once it was fully implemented, every president would get two appointments in their -- in their four years, at least. They we guarantee that. And it's an idea that started among conservatives. I mean, originally, it was conservative law professors who began talking about it. I think you're going to hear more discussion of that in the years ahead.

I think on the court expansion, there's a -- there's a fear that it would just set off in an endless cycle of escalation. All of that, though, either, you know, any of those alternative is still years away. And what we are seeing now is consistently this court ruling in a way that reflects the priorities and grievances as I said, of that Republican coalition, and often ruling against not only the preferences but the intrinsic identity of younger generations who are more likely than any generation in American history to be racially diverse, to be secular to identify as LGBTQ.

They are systematically seeing their priorities rolled over by this court majority.

CHURCH: And Ron, President Biden received a lot of support from young voters when he initially proposed that plan to forgive some student debt. But now of course, the Supreme Court has struck that down.

[02:50:01]

So, Biden's now offering a new path for student debt relief, but will it work and how important is it?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. I feel like this is a dual-edged sword. I mean, Biden has never been that personally popular with young people. His approval rating among them is quite low, many significant majority of them will say in polls, I think he is too old to be president. And I think that this decision by the court which I think as -- will be the most politically consequential of those that they lay down over the past week, is very much as I said, a dual-edged sword for Biden.

On the one hand, he can point to it and say, look, I tried to do this for you. And Republicans blocked it. On the other hand, he's already facing a kind of skepticism among younger people about whether he's really making enough progress on the things they care about. And this becomes another potentially promise that he could not deliver. They are trying to find a fallback position of using the Higher Education Act of 1965 to forgive debt.

There were Democrats like Elizabeth Warren who from the beginning thought that was a better option than the authority that he used. It takes a while on a regulatory manner, but I'm -- I suspect that before the election in 2024, they will be back with another plan to relieve debt, and that you will see Republicans again go to court and this will be something the Supreme Court will decide in 2025 if the -- if the Democrats still hold the White House.

CHURCH: All right. Ron Brownstein, always appreciate your analysis. Many thanks.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me. CHURCH: Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign has shared a video slamming former President Donald Trump for his previous support of the LGBTQ community. The video is being widely condemned as homophobic. And it is the latest attack in a growing feud between the GOP's top 2024 contenders. Kristen Holmes explains how donors and supporters feel about the video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: When I'm talking to donors, they think that this was a weird play. They're not entirely sure why they decided to release this video. And another group that is very important actually released a statement. That's the Log Cabin Republicans. They call themselves the largest Republican group that advocates for LGBT. And this is what they said.

They said, conservatives understand that we need to protect our kids, preserve women's sports, safeguard women's spaces and strengthen parental rights. But Ron DeSantis' extreme rhetoric has just ventured into homophobic territory. They also said that this was divisive. And so, it's interesting to see this group, this huge group stepping forward here when they haven't in the past, when you've heard so many of these candidates coming out, they're talking about woke ideology, trying to campaign against teaching gender ideology. This clearly crossed a line for a lot of people.

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CHURCH: The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of any wealthy nation. The situation is particularly dire for black women.

Now, doulas who are essentially birthing coaches are trying to change all that. CNN's Amara Walker introduces us to one doula named Zania Mathis who is on a mission to save lives.

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ZANIA MATHIS, BIRTH AND POSTPARTURM DOULA: I've seen a mom code and a mom's contractions completely stop.

AMARA WALKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Zania Mathis has seen a lot of close calls in her four years as a birth doula. It was her own traumatic experience that allowed her to choose this path.

WALKER: Why are you a doula?

MATHIS: The maternal death rate, my own experience with delivering my twins.

WALKER (voiceover): Mathis didn't want another parent to have the birth experience she did or worse, become a statistic. The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income countries with black mothers faring the worst. Black women are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

WALKER: Do you hope to help bring down the black maternal death rate?

MATHIS: I think I'm doing it. Just one client at a time.

WALKER (voiceover): Doulas are trained birth workers. They provide physical, educational and emotional support for their clients before, during and after child birth.

Doulas like Mathis are working to address concerns specific to black mothers to be.

Her client Kilgo Ray (ph) is due to deliver her seventh child, but this will be her first time using a doula.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have learned so much from her. I just feel like a whole new mother.

WALKER (voiceover): While labor and delivery are thought to be the most dangerous time of pregnancy, studies show it is after mother and baby come home when most deaths occur.

Mathis says black doulas like her know how to advocate for their black clients.

WALKER: Do you feel safer from complications or even potentially death by having a doula and also a black doula who understands the quality of care that a woman of color could get?

[02:55:03]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.

MATHIS: We have been looked at we have a higher pain threshold. We've been looked at as dramatic.

WALKER (voiceover): Mathis knows from personal experience, racial stereotypes about black women can lead to their pleas for medical help being discounted or ignored.

MATHIS: It is preventable. It is systemic racism. A lot of these deaths do not have to occur.

WALKER (voiceover): And she's not alone in trying to get these numbers down.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome to the 2023 Doula Expo.

LATHAM THOMAS, FOUNDER OF MAMA GLOW: We really want people to move away from this fear and want people to feel that birth is joyful and transcendent, because it is.

WALKER (voiceover): The Mama Glow Doula Expo is trying to tackle the black maternal health care crisis and improve access to care, access that includes eliminating the cost for hiring a doula.

THOMAS: You don't have to qualify financially. You don't have to have a certain insurance type. There is no barrier of entry. WALKER (voiceover): Mama Glow and beauty company Carol's Daughter teamed up to combat high black maternal mortality rates with their love-delivered program. It expands access to doula services by providing grants to black families.

LISA PRICE, FOUNDER, CAROL'S DAUGHTER: If you have a doula, and you're going through the process of having a child, you now have this person who is there to teach you how to advocate for yourself.

WALKER (voiceover): Potentially saving more lives, and making child birth a more joyful experience.

MATHIS: In the black community, we're told we don't need a doula. It is looked at as something that inspires as luxury goals. Look at the numbers. Look at the data. We need doulas more than any other race.

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CHURCH: CNN's Amare Walker with that report. And thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. I will be back with more CNN NEWSROOM in just a moment. Just stay with us.

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