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NYT: FEMA Didn't Answer Thousands Of TX Flood Survivor Calls; FEMA Removed Dozens Of Camp Mystic Buildings From 100-Year Flood Map Before Expansion, Records Show; Texas Faces New Flash Flood Risk This Weekend; Fed Agents, Protesters Clash In Standoff At CA Cannabis Farms; Judge Orders Trump Administration To Stop Immigration Arrests Without Probable Cause In Southern California; Sources: Deputy FBI Director Bongino Considering Resigning Amid Major Clash Over Epstein Memo Release; Lawmakers Tour Florida's New Controversial Migrant Detention Facility Dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz"; Palestinian Health Ministry: American Man Beaten To Death By Israeli Settlers In Occupied West Bank. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), Is Interviewed About Trump Escalates Tariff Threats Amid Rising Economic Uncertainty; Mud, Mess, And Dealing With FEMA For Disaster Relief; Iga Swiatek Wins Her First Wimbledon Singles Title. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired July 12, 2023 - 12:00   ET

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

[12:00:00]

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN ANCHOR: -- and so many of the lives that depended on it. Be sure to tune in and watch how the movement continued, "Live Aid: When Rock 'N' Roll Took On The World," premieres Sunday at 9:00 p.m. only on CNN.

That's all we have time for now. Don't forget, you can find all of our shows online as podcasts at CNN.com/audio and on all other major platforms.

I'm Christiane Amanpour in London. Thank you for watching and see you again next week.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we begin with breaking news on the aftermath of the deadly floods that devastated central Texas. As residents work to put their lives back together, there's new reporting from the New York Times that says documents reveal FEMA did not answer thousands of calls from flood survivors. They report that the agency struggled to answer calls in a timely manner because it had fired hundreds of contractors at their call centers.

The Times quoting a response to their reporting from a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security which oversees FEMA, quoting here now, "When a natural disaster strikes, phone calls surge, and wait times can subsequently increase despite this expected influx, FEMA's disaster call center responded to every caller swiftly and efficiently, ensuring no one was left without assistance," end quote. The New York Times also noting that FEMA faced similar challenges in the days and weeks after Hurricane Helene and Milton hit the South. It says the data shows the agency did not answer nearly half the 500,000 plus incoming calls. The reporting comes as hundreds turned out last night in Kerrville, Texas, to honor the people killed and those still missing.

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WHITFIELD: CNN's Julia Vargas Jones joining us from outside the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center, a setup in Kerrville, Texas. Julia, what more can you tell us?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred, this is where those residents affected by the floods can come to apply for some of the benefits and help from FEMA that would not be covered for by their insurance. They also can be connected to some of these local institutions, organizations that have popped up.

You know, we've seen hundreds of volunteers come together here to help their neighbors, but there's still a lot of questions and a lot of feelings about FEMA here in Kerrville, where people said that it took too long, that there are questions about how long really it took for that help to be rolled out. And echoing the reporting from the New York Times, Fred, there, where we also had, you know, 72 hours before those teams were cleared to get here on the ground, and residents have felt that.

We also learned that Kerr County officials had warned in a document to FEMA back in October of the possibility of a disaster like this one, and requested specifically that system be implemented, like sirens, for example, something that did not have and was not implemented and that could have saved hundreds of lives. This was a 200-plus page document submitted months before this tragedy, warning of exactly what could have happened.

WHITFIELD: And we're also learning that FEMA removed dozens of Camp Mystic buildings from the 100-year flood map before expansions -- the expansion, rather. Tell us about that.

VARGAS JONES: Yes. So in a previous map of this flood zone here in 2011, special flood hazard areas is what it's called, OK, the Camp Mystic, all of its buildings and structures were included in this. This dates back to 2011. That would have meant that the camp would have had to have flood insurance, and would also be subject to more strict regulations of what it could and it could not do.

But then there was an appeal in 2013. 15 different buildings were removed from that flood zone map. And then years later, in 2019, they removed another 15 structures. This is both from the original 99-year- old camp, Fred, as well as new structures built in a lake nearby. So old structures, new structures, some of them were in what is called here, and I'm quoting, "flash flood alley." Now, this could have been to not have to pay for those flood insurance. They might not even have been eligible for flood insurance there. But it just paints a picture of just how dangerous this place was, and how subject they were to the elements in this spot.

[12:05:13]

It's -- it is striking that all of this documentation we're now uncovering that where people knew and tried to warn authorities of what could have happened both, you know, from this flood area map, as well as these other documents and covered by the New York Times. All of this just shows you how people were already concerned about what could have happened. Yes.

WHITFIELD: Yes, striking indeed.

Julia Vargas Jones, thanks so much. We'll check back with you.

All right, the last thing Texas Hill Country needs this weekend is more rain, but a series of new storms could bring more flash flooding. Meteorologist Chris Warren is here with bad news.

CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it certainly is a possibility, Fredricka, that there could be more flash flooding as early as today or tonight. It's not a guarantee, but it certainly is a possibility and something that you need to be thinking about, especially before you go to bed tonight, having a way to get those alerts extremely important.

So here, San Angelo over to Midland, including Kerrville, excessive rainfall risk for today. You're in that two out of four scale here. Moisture's in place, area of low pressure and the high helping to direct some of that, essentially, fuel for these storms, that moisture coming off of the Gulf into Texas.

Now, these are the flood alerts. Flood watches. Remember, watches. We're watching for warnings. So if there is a warning, you take action. Make sure you have a way to be woken up by your warnings as well.

Check your device. Make sure you have the ability to get the emergency alerts on your phone. Just make sure everything is clicked on. There is a flash flood warning right now, which does include Tulsa. Warnings, again, means you need to take action.

Here's a look at what's happening right now. Showers and thunderstorms, and you see the flashing. That's the lightning. That's where there's the more intense rain showers associated with that. Lightning's kind of a clue. They're getting these big vertical clouds. They're dropping a lot of water as well. Seeing that in Oklahoma.

This is now the future radar. This shows us what the radar could look like through time. This is a high resolution, rapid refresh model. It's a model run every hour, and so it will fluctuate and change in the hours to come. But if this were to be spot on exactly right, probably not, but it gives you an idea, a flavor of the atmosphere, this would not be a good scenario at all for Kerrville and San Angelo.

But again, make sure you have a way to get the alerts. This is not locked in, but it is a possibility of how this could happen and unfold tonight. And then again tomorrow, more showers and more storms. But notice, it's pretty, you know, set to a region, if you will. It's not the entire state.

So everybody in here has a chance for it, but it's not a guarantee for everybody. Just a big heads up. So the forecast does show kind of pockets here and there of the heavier rainfall. And at this point, the orange indicating 4 to 6 inches, maybe more. And if that happens, if that were to fall in a short period of time, that would potentially lead to some flash flooding.

And then again, tomorrow, that risk is with us again here, big part of Central Texas. And again, this does include the Hill Country.

Now, after tomorrow, Fredricka, conditions will be drying out, and temperature's actually a little bit cooler than average as well for the daytime high. So today, tonight, have a way to get alerts, and then again tomorrow, we'll be watching it.

WHITFIELD: Last week, we were talking about how that flooding was really a consequence of those two merging systems, tropical storm systems. It's not like that again, but it seems to be, you know, a very rainy season.

WARREN: Well, yes, and it's wet now too, right? So if things have been running high, it's wet. So it's not going to take a whole lot to weather already --

WHITFIELD: Right.

WARREN: -- flood-prone areas. So just if a storm sets up and hangs out for a while, not a good scenario.

WHITFIELD: All right, very good. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.

All right, in California now, the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration continues to spark heated confrontations. A warning, this video may be disturbing to some. New video out of San Francisco shows protesters clashing with ICE officers trying to stop an alleged deportation outside an immigration court.

At one point, a vehicle reportedly driven by ICE agents drives through the crowd, right as you just saw, in a van with protesters hanging by the hood and falling off as the vehicle accelerates down the street. I mean, unbelievable sight to see. One person reportedly suffered a minor injury.

And then in Southern California, intense standoffs have also unfolded this week as protesters clashed with federal immigration agents carrying out raids at legal marijuana farms near Los Angeles on Thursday. The FBI is now offering a $50,000 reward to help find a man who appeared to fire a gun at ICE officers. You see right there in the highlight there. Agents fired tear gas into the crowd as well.

Then, in another video, protesters can be seen throwing rocks at an immigration enforcement van as it drives away with its windows smashed.

[12:10:05]

The two raids ended with ICE agents arresting almost 200 migrants at the legal marijuana farm. That's according to the Department of Homeland Security. The United Farm Workers Union says multiple workers were critically injured during those raids.

In the aftermath of those chaotic raids, the Trump administration's immigration crackdown has suffered a bit of a setback. A federal judge is now ordering the federal government to stop immigration arrests without probable cause in Southern California. The judge granted a temporary restraining order late Friday requiring federal authorities to find reasonable suspicion to make immigration arrests in California's Central District.

CNN's Julia Benbrook is joining us right now with more on this. Julia, good to see you. So what more can you tell us about this ruling and how the Trump administration is reacting?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, after weeks of those chaotic immigration raids, both in public and at workplaces across Southern California, this judge has granted a temporary restraining order requiring federal authorities to find reasonable suspicion before making immigration arrests in California's Central District, which includes Los Angeles.

The federal judge found that the Department of Homeland Security had been making stops and arrests without probable cause and ordered the department to stop detaining individuals based solely on race, spoken language, or occupation. Now, in an interview with Fox News, just a recent interview with Fox News just a couple of days ago, Tom Homan, the president's border czar, described how ICE agents and Border Patrol decide who to target. Take a listen.

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TOM HOMAN, WHITE HOUSE BORDER CZAR: People need to understand, ICE officers and Border Patrol, they don't need probable cause to walk up to somebody, briefly detain them and question them. They just need this to tally the circumstances, right? They just got through their observation, you know, get articulable facts based on the location, the occupation, their physical appearance, their actions, like a uniformed border patrol walks up to them at, for instance, a Home Depot.

And they got all these articulable facts, plus the person walks away or runs away. You know, the agents are trained. What they need to detain somebody temporarily and question them. It's not probable cause, it's reasonable suspicion. We're trained on that.

(END VIDEOCLIP) BENBROOK: And all of these recent developments, that ruling from the judge, as well as what you detailed in those raids before you came to me, really putting this region, a big spotlight on this region. It's become an epicenter of these large-scale immigration operations. And we do expect to get an update on border security actions from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in just a couple of hours.

She has a press conference scheduled. And here's how the department is describing those expected remarks. They said that she will focus on exposing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens arrested by the department. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right, Julia Benbrook, thank you so much for that.

All right, still ahead, a major clash within the Trump administration over the handling of the Epstein files. Now, sources tell CNN the FBI's second-in-command is considering stepping down.

Plus, what caused the Air India crash that killed nearly 250 people? A new report is revealing a possible cause.

And as questions swirl about FEMA's response in Texas, residents in North Carolina still recovering from Hurricane Helene tell us about the difference in federal help before and after President Trump took office.

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[12:18:27]

WHITFIELD: A major clash within the Department of Justice over the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Multiple sources tell CNN the number two top official at the FBI, Dan Bongino, is considering resigning after a tense confrontation with the U.S. Attorney General, Pam Bondi, over the handling of the Epstein case.

CNN's Evan Perez is here with the latest.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino didn't show up to work on Friday and he's told people he's considering resigning, an indication of the internal discord that has been brewing among top officials of the Justice Department and the FBI over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

Bongino and Attorney General Pam Bondi got into a heated confrontation in recent days over news media leaks that showed FBI officials disagreed with Bondi's handling of the issue. Bongino denied that he was behind the leaks.

On Monday, the Justice Department released an unsigned memo that confirmed that Epstein wasn't murdered in prison in 2019 where he was awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges. The memo also said that there was no so-called client list and that the department wouldn't release additional documents.

The reaction from Trump supporters has been angry, even though Trump himself has said he thinks that the matter is closed. Prominent pro- Trump media figures, including Laura Loomer, have called for Bondi to be fired. And on Friday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche pushed back on Loomer, saying that the FBI and justice officials worked together on that Monday memo and that there's no daylight among the officials on this issue.

[12:20:03]

Blanche is right that Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel all agreed on the wording of Monday's memo. But behind the scenes, we're told by sources that FBI officials and justice officials have been at odds for months about the handling of the Epstein files review. The White House is standing by Bondi and officials are hoping that Bongino cools off over the weekend and comes back to work on Monday.

Evan Perez, CNN, Washington.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks, Evan.

At this hour, Florida lawmakers and some members of Congress are touring a controversial new immigration detention center in Florida. The facility has been dubbed Alligator Alcatraz since it is located deep in the marshy wetlands of the Everglades, surrounded by dangerous wildlife.

CNN's Rafael Romo is with us now. So tell us more about this tour, what's going to happen. And of course, we know there has been growing controversy.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred, and still an open question whether they're going to be able to actually get access to that facility. And you may remember that a group of five Democratic Florida legislators tried to tour the facility dubbed Alligator Alcatraz by the Trump administration and Florida officials and were denied entry.

At that time on July 3rd, General Counsel from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the agency running the facility, cited a safety concern for the denial without offering specific details, according to one of those legislators. Today, another group of legislators traveled to the facility hoping to gain access.

They were scheduled to go into the facility starting at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time. Earlier this month, the legislators said in a statement that, by law, they have full access to inspect any state-operated facility at their pleasure. They called the denial a blatant abuse of power and an attempt to conceal human rights violations from the public eye.

This is what Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz had to say before trying to access the site earlier today.

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REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D), FLORIDA: They should not put humans in cages in the middle of swampland in the Everglades. It's outrageous, it's inhumane, it's unlawful. (END VIDEOCLIP)

ROMO: And Fred, earlier this week, I spoke with a Guatemalan woman whose husband is detained at Alligator Alcatraz. Among other things, she told me her husband is enduring mosquitoes, unbearable heat and humidity, insufficient washing facilities, hard beds, and bad food. She also told me her husband was only able to take one shower in a six-day period and that he has not had access to an attorney so far.

In a statement published on X, the Department of Homeland Security said that "ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens. All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with lawyers and their family members."

In addition to the current heat and humidity inside the tents and the abundance of mosquitoes, immigrant rights groups also worry about the opening of a migrant detention center in the middle of hurricane season, which as you know, it started last month.

WHITFIELD: June 1, that's right. And do we know anything about what their evacuation plan or emergency plan would be if there were a tropical storm or hurricane threatening that area?

ROMO: Yes, that's a very important question, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

ROMO: And actually, one of the congressmen that went to the facility today, he said that one of his main focus was asking that because it is a two-lane road that connects this facility to any civilized population. And so if there's an emergency, if there's a big storm, how are you going to evacuate 3,000 people potentially from there to a place that is safe, especially as we said before, in the middle of hurricane season?

WHITFIELD: Right, very delicate balance.

All right, Rafael Romo, keep us posted. Thank you so much.

ROMO: Of course.

WHITFIELD: All right, coming up, a preliminary report revealing a potential cause of the deadly Air India crash that killed 260 people. And an American citizen beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. His family now calling on the U.S. to investigate.

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[12:28:43]

WHITFIELD: A Palestinian-American man is dead after he was reportedly killed by Israelis in the West Bank on Friday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. 23-year-old Sayfollah Musallet of Florida was assaulted and beaten to death on Friday when Israeli settlers attacked the village of Sinjil. The State Department says it is aware of an American being killed in the attack, but declined to provide a name. Musallet's family is demanding an investigation.

And CNN is learning new details about what caused that Air India crash that killed 260 people one month ago. A preliminary report reveals a fuel cutoff switch caused the aircraft to fall from the sky just moments after takeoff. Was it pilot error or a chip malfunction?

CNN's Richard Quest has more.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE: The report is 15 pages long and is called preliminary, but it's pretty definitive about what took place in the cockpit. Apparently, barely a minute after the plane took off, the fuel cutoff switches were moved from run to cut, thus starving the engines of fuel. You can see from the video of the plane as it starts to climb and then suddenly loses altitude until it crashes into buildings next to the airport.

[12:30:09]

Why did the pilots cut the fuel? That's the question that no one knows. One of the pilots does say to the other, why did you cut off? And the other pilot says, I didn't cut it, I didn't do so. And then both switches are put back on to run. But it's too late. By then the engines have spooled down and they can't reignite in time to create lift.

We may never really know the reason why one of the pilots did switch off the fuel. What we do know is that the switches were moved in both directions and that that was the cause of the crash. Was it deliberate or by accident? The positioning of the switch in the cockpit is specifically designed so you can't knock it by accident.

The way it operates, you pull it out, lift it over and let it go. It's not automatic, it has to be done manually. So the entire way this operation took place suggests first one switch, then the other, then this dialogue between the pilots and then they reverse, they switch the engines back on again. As I say, we may never know why that took place.

Richard Quest, CNN, Bordeaux.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: That is very perplexing. All right. Thank you, Richard.

Still ahead, President Trump threatening new tariffs yet again, this time on Mexico and the European Union.

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[12:36:26]

WHITFIELD: Starting next month, President Trump says he's slapping new tariffs on 30 percent -- of 30 percent, rather, on Mexico and the European Union. Today, Trump unveiled the new rates in letters to the E.U. and Mexico, renewing uncertainty about how this trade war could impact the economy. Let's discuss now with Democratic Congressman Brad Schneider of Illinois. He's a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. Congressman, great to see you this Saturday.

REP. BRAD SCHNEIDER (D-IL): Good to be here.

WHITFIELD: All right, so what's your reaction to this news and on a weekend?

SCHNEIDER: Well, specifically, it's a weekend, so you're not going to see a reaction in the stock market, but we know a few things. Number one, tariffs are a tax on the American consumer, and there's a place for tariffs. Tariffs should be used when you're punishing bad actors, protecting specific national interests. But the President is using tariffs in this on again, off again, unpredictable, quite literally, unhelpful way that is only driving more uncertainty, more instability within the American stock market, with the American consumers and American companies really hurting American small businesses.

WHITFIELD: I mean and it seems like it's every other week, or if not every week, you know, there is something about the tariff policies coming out, a new country being imposed with tariffs, and as you mentioned, tariffs might serve as punishment. But in this case, are you starting to see that it's the U.S. economy as a whole that's being used almost like a weapon?

SCHNEIDER: Well, he is weaponizing the American economy, but the -- the -- people who are going to be hurt the most are -- are the American people, American consumers. He's using it, you know, his threats against Brazil, a 50 percent tariff if they don't end their trial against Jair Bolsonaro. Well, that's internal Brazilian politics. The American economy should not be used as a weapon there.

His threats against our -- our closest trading partners in Mexico and Canada, raising the cost of housing, the cost of food, the cost of automobiles, everything that Americans depend upon, and the markets we count on to be able to export to, he's putting those at risk and really hurting the -- the hopes for Americans to provide for their families.

WHITFIELD: You mentioned it's putting real stresses on the small businesses as well. You've been back home in your district, you've been talking to constituents, including some of those small business owners. And -- and what are they saying, if not about the tariffs, but also about the passage of the President's budget bill? What are people bracing for?

SCHNEIDER: Well, you have to separate the two. So with tariffs, it's -- it's the uncertainty, it's the unpredictability, makes it impossible to make decisions. And I met with a company in my district, Learning Resources, that's been leading the charge fighting these tariffs, actually taking the President and the administration to court. But they have not just postponed decisions, they've canceled investments, in particular -- in particular to expand a -- their facilities here in the area, in our district. That's a multi-million dollar hit to our economy. On the Obama -- the big beautiful bill, or what really is a big bad bill for America, what we are seeing is an impact. I met with some healthcare providers, we're bracing for the worst. People are worried about losing their healthcare. It's a trillion dollar hit to -- to Medicaid. But it's the uncertainty created by this.

No one wants to see the economy shrink. We want to make sure it's growing. But the way to do that is for Democrats and Republicans to work together to provide an environment that is stable, predictable, and allowing our business leaders to make the decisions they need to invest in the future, to introduce new products, to build new plants, to hire more people, and really to grow our economy.

[12:40:11]

WHITFIELD: And also, before I let you go, you are on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and I want to ask you about the peace talks between Israel and Hamas. An Egyptian official with direct knowledge of the negotiations says talks are not moving anywhere because Israel is adding more demands. So how likely do you think it is that any kind of deal, ceasefire, gets done?

SCHNEIDER: Well, first, that's contrary to what we're hearing from both Americans and Israelis. Israel agreed to a proposal more than a week ago, waiting for a response from Hamas. We need to bring this war to an end. We need to get back onto a path of peace.

Hamas started this war October 7th of '23 to stop the progress being made between the Saudis and the Israelis, to hopefully bring in, on their part, to bring in Iran and the Ring of Fire to attack Israel. More than a year and a half, almost two years later, Hamas has only led to devastation for the Palestinian people. The Ring of Fire has been diminished, certainly not defeated, but we need to find a way for peace.

I chair the Arab Emirates Caucus. I was in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and UAE during the war between Iran and Israel, that 12 days of fighting. They're committed to a future of peace and prosperity for their people. We need to find a way to bring Israelis, Palestinians, Jews and Arabs together to find a new path forward, one that's built on the Abraham Accords and a vision for peace.

WHITFIELD: Congressman Brad Schneider, great to see you. Thank you so much. Have a great weekend. We'll be right back.

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[12:46:20]

WHITFIELD: Our hearts continue to go out to the countless victims of the devastating floods in Texas. CNN chief national correspondent, John King, takes us into Marshall, North Carolina, where a small community, just 800 people, still working through the aftermath of terrible floods of their own.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KOREY HAMPTON, NORTH CAROLINA VOTER: You hear that sound? It's the sound of excitement.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Korey Hampton's office, her source of income and of joy. But seeing the French Broad River is much more complicated now. The floodwaters nine months ago changed everything.

HAMPTON: We pulled people out of second story windows in a river that just the day before had been calmer even than it is today. Yes, I mean, I watched the whole houses from down this river.

KING (voice-over): Hampton and her husband, Mitch, run French Broad Adventures, but they also volunteer for the local raft rescue team. Days of exhausting rescues after the flooding, then weeks of worse.

HAMPTON: Doing recovery work, and what that means is --

KING: Looking for bodies.

HAMPTON: Yes. It -- it painted the river in a new light for me, right? Normally, we're taking tourists out. For that amount of time, I was here doing -- we were all here doing gruesome work. I still see piles, and I wonder if there's somebody in it. I still smell smells and think I should go look at that pile. And I -- it's hard to -- it's hard to kind of switch back to the like, oh everything's fun, no big deal.

KING (voice-over): Tiny Hot Springs flooded when debris turned this bridge into a dam. Most of downtown is still a mess. Hot Springs Mayor Abby Norton puts the build back at 40 percent.

MAYOR ABBY NORTON, HOT SPRINGS, NORTH CAROLINA: What I thought Washington would do, would be to immediately come in and -- and either fix everything or supply the funds for us to fix everything, but that's not how it works.

KING (voice-over): Mayor Norton says she voted third party for president, just weeks after the flood.

KING: Is there a Biden difference or a Trump difference in what you have experienced?

NORTON: First of all, I'm not a politician. I never have been. But it has been better under the Trump administration than it was under Biden, my opinion.

KING: Is that because they're more receptive and responsive?

NORTON: Yes.

KING: Or is it because, you know, Biden was president when -- when it was hell or?

NORTON: Things are getting done faster. They're more -- they are more responsive. We're getting a lot more help than we did. KING (voice-over): But the mayor is quick to say things still take too long, like waiting for federal help to rebuild the town offices. Now, troubled when she hears the president talk of big FEMA changes.

NORTON: FEMA doesn't need to be eliminated. It just, the processes need to be easier, more user friendly. No, I don't think it needs to be eliminated at all.

KING: Or shifted to the states or?

NORTON: No.

KING (voice-over): The postcard views bring the tourists here, the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Atlantic Ocean is nearly 500 miles away. So when Josh Copus saw the rain and the winds, his first thought was the old Marshall Jail he converted into a hotel might need some sandbags.

[12:49:57]

JOSH COPUS, NORTH CAROLINA VOTER: At 9 o'clock. The water went over the railroad tracks, which hadn't happened since '77. In an hour, there was four feet of water in the town. And you could just immediately know that this was a different kind of event. And I sat at the courthouse, which is the highest point in downtown and watched it all happen for about two hours.

KING: This is that spot Josh is talking about the steps of the Madison County Courthouse in Marshall, North Carolina. Just imagine that. That's your hotel. That's your restaurant. That's your life's work. That's your savings spent renovating that building. And you had to come up here because the water's coming up over the bridge and it's creeping towards your business. You're watching this horror unfold. And then you realize I can't even stay here because here comes the water. I got to go.

Did you think you were done?

COPUS: In that moment? One hundred percent. We were alone. There was no cell phone service. You know, I didn't even talk to my mom for days. And when you're in that space and you're looking at the destruction, it feels like you are done.

KING (voice-over): Day after day, shoveling mud with a brief break to vote.

COPUS: I remember standing in a line. This woman, you know, from our community was like, I heard they FEMA condemned Marshall. And I was like, I just came from there. No, we're coming back. And she was like, I saw it on the Internet. I mean, that stuff is hard, but it's the world we live in.

KING (voice-over): But it is different here. No one shoveling mud asked anyone who they were voting for. No one celebrating the hotel's reopening is here to debate national politics. And lost on no one is the sparkling backdrop for dinner and music on the patio, the same river that changed everything.

COPUS: It's not like everyone's walking around with a blue hat or a red hat. It's just we're just people down here. And some of the beauty of the flood was like how it really taught us that, again, we have more in common than we have that separates us. We're all Appalachian Americans, like that's something that we all connect with. So regardless of your political affiliation, like our culture unifies us.

KING (voice-over): John King, CNN, Marshall, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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[12:57:12]

WHITFIELD: All right, a little sports news now. Actually, big sports news. Iga Swiatek defeated American player Amanda Anisimova in the Wimbledon final. It was an unprecedented 6-0, 6-0 victory. This marks the first time in the open era that a women's player has won the final without giving up a game. And the first time overall since 1911. You can see the victory right there for her.

Joining us right now is former CNN World Sport anchor, Candy Reid. Candy, great to see you. Ouch, that was -- that was quite the match to watch, wasn't it? I mean, it was -- it was tough. And I mean, so --

CANDY REID, FORMER CNN WORLD SPORTS ANCHOR: Hi, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I don't know, you know, how we break this one down, but we'll try. I mean, Swiatek's, you know, first Wimbledon title. Congrats to her.

REID: Yes.

WHITFIELD: I mean, this has been a major for her after not winning a single title all season, even though she's a fierce player and gives her opponents a run for their money every time. So was it her tough, kind of in-the-zone strategy or more so seizing on the unforced errors of her opponent?

REID: Well, you could put it both ways, can't you? I think Iga Swiatek, Fredricka, and it's lovely to be on, has won now six major titles from six finals. So she is clutch in these situations. And you could almost tell when they were walking through the tunnel, which is iconic, that Amanda Anisimova was feeling the nerves. She looked a little bit like a deer in headlines when she walked down to center court and everyone started clapping. Of course, she was trying to be the third straight American to win a major title.

Madison Keys won in Australia. Then Coco Gauff took Roland-Garros. Amanda Anisimova had beaten Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

REID: She was primed and ready in the first ever Grand Slam final. And then it all went horribly wrong. But on the other side, you've got to give full credit to the poll. She has been a world number one for over 100 weeks, in fact the seventh most in history. On the ladies side, she is some player. She got to the final of Bad Homburg, the warm up tournament for Wimbledon. She's just been superb at Wimbledon over the last couple of.

It's been hot, really, really hot in Great Britain. We were all sweating. There's no air conditioning here, and the ball is bouncing higher, which is good news for Swiatek because she likes to take the ball early. She likes to stay quite close, as it turns out, on the grass to the baseline. She was taking time away from her opponent. Love and love. It was painful. But she's the Wimbledon champion.

WHITFIELD: I mean, she is indeed. And you're right, that tunnel, you know, watching them come into the tunnel, I mean, that is just such an iconic, amazing moment. And I thought I saw Amanda. I thought. I wasn't sure if it was because it was hot and she was wiping away the sweat already or if it was a tear, where she was kind of in awe of walking onto center court, like, wow, I got here. Because it is historic that she got here. She was, what, at 23, the youngest American to be in the finals since Serena back in 2004.

[13:00:03]

But Amanda also, you know, is the latest now among high profile athletes, right to share publicly, you know, that kind of I need to take a beat and take care of my mental health. She shared that publicly. That is very heroic. You know, what is this saying about the pressure, managing pressure over training or competing and finding a winning strategy to stay mentally fit?

REID: Well, it's so tough. You're right. She took a mental health break in 2023. Said she was feeling, starting to feel bad in 2022. And a year later, she said, I just need to call it a break. She went back to college, took about eight months off, became an artist. Her artwork is just terrific. It's amazing that someone could be so talented in so many different facets.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

REID: She came back. She's playing better than ever. For a long time, she's had a lot of attention as being spoken as a major champion. She's got a huge game. I'm sure if she's not too disappointed by this terrible result --

WHITFIELD: Yes.

REID: -- that there will better things to come. But it shows you that you can step away and play at the very top of the game. The pressure on tennis players is just relentless. I played up into, you know, top 500 standard in doubles, top 750 in singles, and it was hard work. You're traveling all the time. You're never at home. You lose more than you win. It's really tough. So full credit to her. But unfortunately, the Wimbledon dream turned into a bit of a nightmare for Anisimova. WHITFIELD: Yeah. Well, hopefully Amanda still feels good. I mean, we're still rooting her on. You never know what's next. At the same time, Iga, I mean, yes, she's -- she's killer. Candy Reid, great to see you. Thank you so much. Appreciate you.

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