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DOJ Planning To Sue Texas Over Floating Barrier; Pregnant Migrants Say Texas National Guard Members Denied Them Water; Leading A.I. Companies Commit To Safety Measures; Judge Sets May 2024 Trial Date For Classified Docs Case; U.S. Dominates Vietnam As Quest For 3- Peat Begins; Megan Rapinoe Reaches Milestone, Becoming 14th Player To Reach 200 Caps; Chris Eubanks On Wimbledon, Newfound Fame, And Being Back In Atlanta; Jamie Foxx Addresses Health Scare. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired July 22, 2023 - 13:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:00:09]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. And we begin this hour with outrage along the southern border. The Justice Department telling Texas it plans to take legal action against the state for deploying these floating barriers along the Rio Grande. Under Operation Lone Star, the inflatable buoys are part of Governor Greg Abbott's efforts to curb illegal border crossings.

And the DOJ threat comes after Mexico send its own note to the U.S. with concerns that the buoys violate treaties and impedes waterflow.

CNN White House reporter Kevin Liptak joining us live now from outside the White House. Kevin, what more are you learning?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, this is really an escalation between the administration of Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the Biden administration over this hot button political issue of immigration. The Justice Department threatening to sue Texas for those floating barriers that have been placed in the Rio Grande to prevent migrants from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Justice Department, writing in this letter, the state of Texas his actions violate federal law, raise humanitarian concerns, prevents -- presents serious risks to public safety and the environment and may interfere with the federal government's ability to carry out its official duties. And then this letter, the Justice Department cites a clause in existing law that bars preventing navigation of U.S. waters.

And so, this is such an important issue. And it's important -- it's separate from an ongoing Justice Department assessment of the broader treatment of migrants that's happening in Texas, including these disturbing scenes of razor wire being placed in the river. Scenes of migrants being pushed back over the river. Certainly, inside the White House, inside the administration. There's been growing concern about the scenes that are unfolding there in Texas. And ongoing discussions about how the administration should respond and take action and that is what you're seeing in this letter. Now for his part, Governor Abbott says that he has the sovereign authority to defend our border under U.S. Constitution and the Texas Constitution. Really remaining firm in his stance here, the Justice Department has given Texas until Monday afternoon to respond but making very clear that they are prepared to take this to court, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Kevin, more than 80 democratic U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to President Joe Biden Friday urging him to investigate Governor Abbott's -- I'm quoting now, "dangerous and cruel actions" on the southern border. And what were some of those concerns?

LIPTAK: Well, certainly, these Democratic members of Congress, including a large number of the Texas delegation are writing to President Biden urging him to take legal action because certainly they do view what's happening down on the border there as something of a humanitarian crisis. And of course, President Biden is sort of caught in the middle here, as he has been on this issue of immigration for so long.

From Democrats of particularly liberal Democrats who want President Biden to adopt a more welcoming policy to migrants and from conservatives who want President Biden to do more to prevent the flows of migrants that you've been seeing. So certainly, this will be a potent political issue but these democrats making clear that they do want him to do more, Frederika.

WHITFIELD: OK. Kevin Liptak at the White House. Thanks so much. All right. CNN has learned that some disturbing allegations of mistreatment at the U.S.-Mexico border are quite broad. Two pregnant migrants tell us that Texas National Guard members denied them water when they asked for it while they were trying to turn themselves into authorities. CNN's Rosa Flores has more.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I talked to two migrant women they were both pregnant and they both say that Texas National Guard soldiers denied them water. Let me show you around while I tell you their story. We're on the banks of the Rio Grande and the state of Texas has deployed several layers of border barrier. There are two sets of concertina wire, and then the buoys in the middle of the river.

These women say that they encountered Texas National Guard members, where you see the concertina wire right by the river. And they say that they asked for water and that the soldiers denied them water. One of them said that they were told that it was not their responsibility.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: They deny you water? She says that the Texas National Guard first denied her water and then afterwards they did give them water but it was one bottle of water for two to three people.

(END VIDEO CLIP) FLORES: The second woman says that the second time that she asked for

water, the Texas National Guard members showed her handcuffs. And I want to go back to the river because the woman says that the Texas National Guard members asked him to keep on walking on the water.

[13:05:06]

Well, later she says that law enforcement in airboats started circling them on the water and the wake kept on knocking them over. Eventually, they were provided water she said. Now, the Texas National Guard has not responded to our requests for comment regarding those specific allegations. But overall, the Texas National Guard has denied allegations that they were given any orders not to give migrants water.

Now, the stories of these women come after a Texas State Trooper blew the whistle saying that there is the inhumane treatment of migrants here on the border.

Rosa Flores, CNN Eagle Pass.

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's talk further about all of this with Democratic congressman from Texas, Vicente Gonzalez. Congressman Gonzalez, good to see you. So -- I mean, these are -- these are very disturbing, you know, allegations. So, when you hear about reports like this, what -- what's your reaction?

REP. VICENTE GONZALEZ (D-TX): Absolutely. And, you know, I want to begin by saying I was one of the most staunchest opponents of lifting Title 42. And some of the changes that have gone along the border. But I have to say, we -- undocumented illegal migration through the border right now has gone down by 70 percent. So, around my border area, it's pretty quiet and unremarkable.

These are grandstanding ideas that our governor has decided to display to the United States. They don't make sense. They're inhumane. It's abusing women and children and elderly in 110-degree weather that have already struggled to get to that place. And I'm against irregular immigration of any type, but humanitarian. Our humanitarian obligations should continue as Americans. I can tell you, a lot of Texans along the border are really disappointed with what we've seen recently.

WHITFIELD: We know the explanation is, you know, the buoys and the razor wire is to keep people from crossing. But in your view, a given the consequences of such and the reports that we're hearing with the cuts and, you know, threatening, you know, people's lives in terms of drowning possibilities. What do you believe the objective has been?

GONZALEZ: Yes. Well, it's been abusive, it hasn't been helpful. It's inhumane. When you see humans come into the border with scars and cuts on their body by something that only one governor in the entire country has decided to do. It's really shameful. And I think that there's other ways to address the irregular migration along our border in an ethical, humane way. And certainly, our governor has not done that. WHITFIELD: Governor Greg Abbott did take to Twitter on Friday, in defense of Operation Lone Star saying Texas has sovereign authority to defend the border. In your view, how far does that authority reach?

GONZALEZ: There's a point where the state's jurisdiction ends and the Federal jurisdiction begins, and certainly along the border in the middle of the river, defending our borders have always been a federal jurisdiction. And we've always worked well with our state partners. This is the first time and this is why there's complaints within his own department. These are -- these are state -- Texas State Troopers that are -- that are contradicting the government's will and the governor's will and saying this is inhumane, and you're making us do something that we don't agree with.

WHITFIELD: In a significant element, the U.S. Justice Department says it's now working with Homeland Security and other agencies to assess what they're calling these troubling reports. Does this suggest to you, you know, an escalation toward, you know, action directly from the administration? What really can it do in terms of threatening -- to penalize the Texas governor or these actions?

GONZALEZ: Well, there's a lot of different ways they can do it. But hopefully, in the next few days, you'll see our governor and our state officials come to their senses and do what's appropriate along the border and act humane and be good partners with the federal government and federal agencies that are down here. But if we don't see that, I think you're going to see legal action in federal courts in Washington, D.C. and it's going to be really shameful.

WHITFIELD: What are you hearing from your constituents about this?

GONZALEZ: Well, my constituents just want to keep our border safe, first of all, and keep trade and commerce and tourism crossing the border safely. But they don't like these eyesores that they see that have been displayed by just really one person in our state government. And the buoys that are out there that are creating just, you know, they're an eyesore and they're creating irregular flow of waters and it's clearly a danger to mankind.

WHITFIELD: Congressman Vicente Gonzales, thank you so much for being with us today.

GONZALEZ: Thank you.

[13:10:03]

WHITFIELD: Still ahead. Leading artificial intelligence companies commit to outside testing of new systems and to clearly label A.I.- generated content. But are these voluntary commitments enough or are more comprehensive regulations needed? I'll discuss with -- discuss all of that with Congressman Adriano Espaillat after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. President Biden is urging Americans to stay cleareyed and vigilant about the risk of artificial intelligence. That warning comes as top tech companies including Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft say they will voluntarily commit to measures to make A.I. systems and products safer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These commitments are real and are concrete. They're going to help fulfill -- industry fulfill its fundamental obligation to Americans to develop safe, secure and trustworthy technologies that benefit society and uphold our values and our shared values.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[13:15:11]

WHITFIELD: To talk about all of this, Democratic Congressman Adriano Espaillat is with me from New York. Good to see you, Congressman.

REP. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT (D-NY): Thank you, Fredricka. Thank you for having me again.

WHITFIELD: So what kind of assurances do you have with these voluntary commitments? Is it enough?

ESPAILLAT: Well, we're happy that the Biden administration has said now that they secure the voluntary commitments for these major companies to ensure that the A.I. products are safe before the release, and that, in fact, there may be some third-party oversight. But obviously, that's not enough, Fredricka. For that reason, I've introduced a candidate's voice fraud prohibition act will -- which will ensure that voice is that develop to trick voters or to this -- to be deceptive in their core.

And I think it's important that we begin to govern and regulate A.I. They themselves, the leaders of these companies have asked government Congress to really develop a framework of regulation. And this is a first step, I'm sure, in a series of proposals that will be coming forward.

WHITFIELD: And while you've introduced this bill, you know, to regulate A.I., you are concerned about the voice fraud. I mean, can that come soon enough, you know, because already this A.I. machine, you know, is on its way and anyone who may be able to use it, to imitate the voices of any of the candidates is probably already underway. How do you stop that train in other words?

ESPAILLAT: Well, as we approach the electoral calendar, I think it is important that we fast track this legislation that it will govern the electricity in a very balanced and effective way so that voters are not tricked, that they're not caught out by these deceptive voices. In addition to that, I think that there's other initiatives that must come into play. We feel that that there must be a regional strategy to A.I. in the Americans that include African-Americans, Latinos, indigenous communities that are not reflected in the algorithm formulas that impact the A.I. So, there's so much work to be done. Really, it should be a package of legislation that will govern A.I. altogether. And the industry leaders have asked for that. They have expressed to us how dire and important this is for us to move forward. So, we have to act quickly. And hopefully we'll get this in place before the next election.

WHITFIELD: And what would your proposal, you know, do or what would it implore?

ESPAILLAT: Well, it will ban any voice advertisement that is generated to do people to be deceptive. They will have to have a disclaimer. Obviously, it doesn't apply to satire or comedy or things of that nature. It applies really to a political campaign. People understand that already. I mean, this is a simple one. And I think a good entry level one, because people understand that voices could be used to trick voters.

And we've seen already practices by some of the Republican operatives to do that. So, it's begun, as you said earlier, began already. We're heading into this year to the campaign season, and we should have some framework to govern their -- the way they do business and how do they comport themselves. So, this is important, so that people are not thrown in a sea of deception by these companies.

WHITFIELD: Yes. It's very concerning by all. I mean, the President is particularly concerned too. He said on Friday that we'll see more technology change in the next few years. More than any of us, you know, have ever seen in the last 50 years. So do you -- have you worked with the White House to collaborate on some of these guardrails that you're hoping to get in place? And of course, that you'd love to get in place in time for the election season, but you know, it may be too late for that since the election season is already underway. How has the White House perhaps either consulted, collaborated with?

ESPAILLAT: Well, as you can see they're very concerned about it and that's why the President came out. And they have the White House has to be meeting with the 77 leading companies that are themselves voluntarily asking us, begging us, fix this, regulate us because this could be very dangerous for America and the world.

[13:20:05]

And we run this piece of legislation and other pieces that I'm working on with the White House and with the folks though, the lawyers, the counsel, the legal counsels in Congress to ensure that it complies with all elements of the law, including free speech.

WHITFIELD: OK. I want to pivot now to the situation on the on the southern border. The Department of Justice, you know, says it is assessing these troubling reports about the treatment of migrants by the Texas National Guard everywhere from, you know, the buoys that have been put in the Rio Grande to the razor wire to reports of denying of migrants' water. What is your response to these reports, and to the DOJ looking into it?

ESPAILLAT: Any domain is -- the governor is creating a human rights crisis down there. I've been down there myself and know how rough the terrain is. And to deny kids, women and seniors, water with 110, 114- degree weather is inhumane. I think maybe the United Nations should take a look at what he's doing because this is really unprecedented. And I think it speaks very clearly about their intent, which is to hurt people, as opposed to help.

WHITFIELD: We'll leave it there. Congressman Adriano Espaillat, good to see you. Thank you so much.

ESPAILLAT: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Coming up. A date has been set for the highly anticipated trial of Donald Trump's classified documents case, right in the middle of the 2024 campaign. The impact that could have on the election cycle next.

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[13:25:53]

WHITFIELD: All right. New today, CNN has learned that special counsel Jack Smith's team has contacted Georgia Governor Brian Kemp over former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Much of which focused on Georgia and Kemp personally. Marshall Cohen is following this for us from Washington, D.C. Marshall, what do you know?

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Hey, Fred. New reporting today coming in from our colleague Kaitlin Collins that the Special Counsel Jack Smith has reached out to the sitting governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, a Republican. It is not clear exactly if he's going to come in for a grand jury appearance or an FBI interview. This is the full extent of what we know that the contact has been made.

Kemp's office is declining further comment on that front. But I will point out that Kemp did testify last year in a separate investigation being led by the district attorney down in Atlanta. So, he is apparently willing to testify under some conditions that may be coming in the future. Now, why would Jack Smith want to talk to Brian Kemp? The simple answer is that Donald Trump repeatedly in 2020, both in private and in public tried to pressure Kemp to get Kemp to help him overturn the results in Georgia.

Joe Biden won by about 11,000 votes, but Donald Trump wanted Kemp to interfere with the vote counting. He wanted Kemp to help him get fake electors involved to overturn those results. He wanted Brian Kemp to block certification of those results. All of these matters are of keen interest to the special counsel who of course, is potentially nearing criminal charges in the investigation of those efforts to interfere with the 2020 election. Undermine the results. All of those events that led to January 6. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: And Marshall, I mean, this is the latest development in this election interference probe. You know, do we know if the Special Counsel is any closer to issuing what would be a third indictment against the former president? COHEN: We think we are very close. That's basically where things stand today. Last week, the Special Counsel sent what's known as a target letter to Donald Trump, notifying him that he is in fact the target of this investigation, and that there are several criminal statutes that might come into play and might be applied against the president.

Fred, that's a huge deal. People forget sometimes that when this insurrection occurred in 2021, it was no sure thing that the Justice Department would actually go all the way up the food chain and investigate Donald Trump. But clearly, they are doing just that. So, the target letter told Donald Trump that he can come to Washington and appear before the grand jury here, if he wants to tell his side of the story.

He declined to do that which was probably a very smart move. And what that means is now it's up to Jack Smith, if it is his intention to seek an indictment, he can come to the grand jury at any time of his choosing. They're expected to come back in the next few days. So this could happen very soon.

WHITFIELD: All right, Marshall Cohen. We'll leave it there for now.

Let's talk further about this with former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti. Renato, good to see you. So, I mean, this news about the special counsel's office contacting now the Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. What do you read into that?

RENATO MARIOTTI, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, it sure looks like the charges against Donald Trump. And I think it's fair to say we know those are coming based on the news that a target letter has been issued to him by Jack Smith, are going to include the, you know, his attempts to pressure state officials in Georgia to overturn the result there. And so, you know, there have been some reports about for example, deprivation under color of law, people have been wondering what, you know, potential charge that could be.

I think that has to relate to these attempts to overturn, you know, pressure the state government's overturn the election there. And potentially to certify false slates of electors.

[13:30:05]

So I think, interesting -- I mean, I think it shows why we haven't gotten news of an indictment yet this week. It looks like Jack Smith still has some loose ends to run down.

WHITFIELD: OK. Something we did get toward the end of this week was we've got a trial date now in the classified documents case. That is for May of next year.

And just a reminder, there's the Manhattan D.A. hush money case. That trial is in January, right?

I mean, this is a lot coming. It all happens to be in the middle of the election cycle. Was that taken into consideration at all? Or does it matter? MARIOTTI: Absolutely. Absolutely, Fed. I think that window is really the only time -- if you look at the election season next year, it's really the only time that the judge could have set a trial without interfering with the election.

I think that's the earliest, given that there's the Manhattan trial earlier in the year. You can't have the same defendant in two courtrooms halfway across the country at the same time.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

MARIOTTI: I think she was trying to balance that. She didn't want it in the middle of the Republican convention or in the middle of -- or six days before the election, that sort of thing.

I will say, Fred, that is not set in stone. I wouldn't be surprised if that date moves further, given the Trump team's attempts to delay.

WHITFIELD: Do you think the chances of delaying it further would be difficult? Because already there were proposed December of this year and then the Trump team asked for even longer.

So now they kind of got their wish. It's May of next year. If this is the date, all predicated on the defense asking for more time, that can't work again, could it? We need even more time?

MARIOTTI: It could. It sure could. You know, Fred, when the defense asks for more time in a criminal case, they're kind of running downhill. Usually, the defense gets its way. Usually, the defense is able to delay these cases for years.

Really the question is, is this the sort of judge who's going to put the brakes on that and hold the defense's feet to the fire? I don't see Aileen Cannon as that judge. Maybe that will happen but I wouldn't bet my life on it.

And there are more tools that the defense has in a case like this, given the classified documents involved. That adds its own set of delays and complications.

WHITFIELD: There's a lot going on. It's understandable if people are getting lost in all of these cases, possible cases, trial dates, et cetera.

You have the Manhattan D.A. hush money case in January. We're talking about the Mar-a-Lago documents trial now set. Then you also now have possible indictments or the case of the attempts of overthrowing the election January 6th.

How are Trump's attorneys keeping all this together? Clearly, he has different teams. And clearly, he has a lot of attorneys who have left the scene also. But how is that further complicating things for the defendant?

MARIOTTI: Great question. That's a great question, Fred. Because there's even more than you've mentioned. He's got civil trials. He's got the E. Jean Carroll thing going on.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: I forgot to mention that one.

(CROSSTALK)

MARIOTTI: You've got Fani Willis. She is hanging in the wings in Georgia. There's a lot going on. I would say that I actually think this is a very difficult challenge for Trump's legal team.

There's almost a multi-plugging of facts. In other words, to use Fani Willis as an example, she can be focused like a laser, her and her team, on how to prove their case in Fulton County.

But Trump's lawyers, when they're defending that case, have to consider whether their statements or actions are going to impact the case in Manhattan or either of these cases that Jack Smith is bringing or some of the other civil cases.

So they're really trying to fight a war on multiple fronts. It's always challenging for the defense to do that. I think their job is getting harder and harder.

WHITFIELD: All right. Renato Mariotti, always great to see you.

(CROSSTALK)

MARIOTTI: Thank you. Likewise.

WHITFIELD: Still to come, it was a dream start for the U.S. in the FIFA women's World Cup as they chase an unprecedented third consecutive title. We'll have details.

Plus --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS EUBANKS, PRO TENNIS PLAYER: When I was traveling to the Open in Wimbledon, I think I said it would be cool to play here, but I don't think I actually thought that I would.

WHITFIELD: That makes it even sweeter.

EUBANKS: Yes, so much sweeter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[13:34:40]

WHITFIELD: More of my conversation with American breakout tennis player and star, Chris Eubanks. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The 2023 women's World Cup is in full swing. Clearly, no opening day jitters for Team USA as they went onto defeat tournament debutant Vietnam 3-0.

The win kicks off the team's campaign for a historic third straight title. Next, the U.S. will face the Netherlands in a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final.

Joining us is CNN sports analyst and sports columnist for "USA Today," Christine Brennan.

Christine, great to see you.

OK, pretty strong start for Team USA. Is there room for improvement? What's going up against the Netherlands going to be like?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Fredricka, yes and yes. Good start for the U.S. And plenty of room for improvement.

For those who watched -- I'm sure many around the country did -- it was 3-0, as you said, beating Vietnam, their first chance to play in the women's World Cup, which is another sign of equality with FIFA going up to 32 teams.

That's wonderful. And that's great to see. But Vietnam really was no match for the United States.

[13:39:57]

In some ways, it could have been 10-0 or 12-0. The U.S. had so many shots on goal, 16 in the first half alone. A lot of them obviously misfiring. The goalkeeper for Vietnam played very well.

And Vietnam was basically just collapsing back and playing defense. They never took a shot on goal. They never took a shot, an official shot.

So it was a good start for the U.S. I know people are thinking, wait a minute, 3-0, shouldn't it have been much more? It was good.

The young stars rose to the surface. Sophia Smith and others. That's exactly what the U.S. wanted to do for that first game.

WHITFIELD: Do you see the team -- though you have a lot of young players. Do you see they are poised for a potential third consecutive World Cup championship?

BRENNAN: They certainly are. Poised, they are. They are getting a perfect position to win. However, there are so many other countries, especially, Fred, from Europe.

The Germans have already -- have been there and done that at the World Cup. They're excellent.

France, England had a scare and only beat Haiti 1-0. But England won the Euro 2022 last year, the European championship, so they've had some injuries.

On and on it goes. Portugal is not going to be easy for the U.S. You mentioned the Netherlands. Obviously, they're not going to be easy.

Nothing is easy anymore, in large part, because so many people were looking up to the U.S. for all of these -- for a generation or two.

And the 99ers and Mia Ham and Brandi Chastain and the role models they were. They were like Johnny Appleseeds, in many ways, sowing the seeds around the world for the sport. And that means, of course, now everyone has caught up.

WHITFIELD: I like that, Johnny Appleseed. That's cute.

So Megan Rapinoe reached a milestone, becoming the 14th player to reach 200 caps for Team USA. This is her final tournament. We've talked about it the last couple of weeks. She announced she'll retire at the end of this season.

This is an end of an era, in a way. She's a very unique player. She has made such an impact not just on the sport, but beyond the pitch.

BRENNAN: Absolutely. She said when she was practicing, she'd have to leave and get in a cab or car and head to a lawyer's office for depositions in that well-known fight with U.S. Soccer for equal pay.

Megan Rapinoe fighting for herself and her teammates and women soccer players around the world. She won that fight.

When President Trump went after her when she was wearing the red, white and blue for the U.S. in France four years ago at that World Cup. Have we ever seen an athlete from the U.S. being attacked by a U.S. president while she's representing the country on foreign soil?

Guess what? Megan Rapinoe not only played great, the U.S. won, but she was the star, the winner of the MVP award and leading scorer in the tournament.

She's 38. It's time, but what a way to go out. She did play a little bit last night, was a little rusty. But I have a sense we'll see some goals from Megan Rapinoe moving forward.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And I like the dash of blue that she's sporting now. Usually, it's pink or violet and now she's gone blue. It's cool, nonetheless.

Christine Brennan, thanks so much.

I'm also going to talk to somebody that you've been following, too, this Chris Eubanks. He is so fascinating on the court and off the court.

Thank you so much, Christine. Stick around and watch this.

Chris Eubanks is now ranked 31 after his heart-stopping Wimbledon run, including his marathon quarterfinals match.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he has been playing since the age of 2. He's been in tournaments since 7. And he credits lots of mentors that he calls big brothers and other

tennis stars whose names you may know for helping to pave the way.

I caught up with Eubanks court side. He is the main draw for the Atlanta Open next week.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Playing since 2. Here in Atlanta is where it all began. So who's been your inspiration? Where did you play? What did you envision? How did you get bitten by that bug?

EUBANKS: I started tennis at age 2. I had an older brother already involved in tennis when I came along. It was just easy to bring me out to the tennis court. I started running around the tennis courts. My dad put a racket in my hand and it just kind of went from there.

My brother went on off to college. Then it was me and my dad doing tennis every day. Over time, my dad did a really good job surrounding me and himself with people who knew more about tennis than he did.

Once he got to a certain point, he said, all right, let's reach to -- I had an older cousin who played tennis at Michigan state who came and worked with me for a while.

[13:44:52]

There were other tennis players in the city of Atlanta who excelled in juniors, excelled in college and excelled in professional. Jamir Jenkins (ph) and Donald Young being two guys who were like mentors that kind of paved the way for me.

And once I got to a certain age, my dad threw me into their world. He allowed --Jamir (ph) was off to college. But he allowed me the opportunity to train every day.

I used to actually work in his parent's after-school program with the kids in order to -- as kind of repayment for being able to practice with him. I started there at about 15 and practiced with Donald all the way through college.

He's like a big brother to me. I think at that time, when I started, he was somewhere around maybe 70 in the world. He eventually got up to around 40.

And allowed me the opportunity to travel with him as a practice partner when I was in high school. That's an opportunity that a lot of tennis players don't get a chance to do.

So we went all over Europe. I went to the U.S. Open with him. I went to Wimbledon with him. It was a really cool overall experience of seeing high-level tennis like that consistently. I think it paid massive dividends when it became my time to play professionally.

I give Donald a lot of credit and a lot of thanks. Jamir (ph) was also a big, huge influence. I got a chance to practice with Serena Williams through him. He's always been around.

Those are probably the two big ones in the city of Atlanta. Outside of that, so many other tennis players have paved the way, Arthur Ashe, James Blake. Roger Federer was like my idol. The guy that, still to this day, I go and watch. Serena and Venus, obviously.

There's too many to try to name them all. Those are the ones that I have to hit. If I left some people out, I apologize.

WHITFIELD: They know where your heart is.

(LAUGHTER)

What a wonderful orbit. It really speaks to exposure and opportunity.

EUBANKS: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: You, as a high school kid, got a chance to go to Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, all of these incredible grand slams. Did you -- had you already envisioned that not only am I going to be here watching it but I am going to be center court?

EUBANKS: Probably not.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Really?

EUBANKS: No. I went as a practice partner. I always said I wanted to be a pro tennis player. That's what I dreamed about. I didn't really know how realistic it was.

I think I began to really assert myself as one of the best players in college tennis. That's when I started to believe a little bit more that maybe I could do it.

Then, this tournament in 2017 I think showed that I could. I ended up getting a wildcard in and I beat two guys and advanced to the quarterfinals. I think that was kind of the first sign that, hey, maybe I can do this.

But, no, when I was traveling with Donald to the Open and Wimbledon, I said it would be cool to be able to play here, but I don't think I actually thought that I would.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

EUBANKS: Which it's a pretty -- pretty --

WHITFIELD: That makes it even sweeter.

EUBANKS: Yes, so much sweeter.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So, sudden recognition is a welcome surprise for Eubanks. Next hour, from practice partner at the U.S. Open and Wimbledon when

he was younger, you just him say, to main draw at the U.S. Open next month in New York. More of my conversation with the phenom.

All right, still to come, Jamie Foxx speaking out for the first time since he was hospitalized in April for an undisclosed medical condition. His message to fans, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:52:42]

WHITFIELD: Actor Jamie Foxx is speaking out for the first time since being hospitalized in April for an unknown medical complication.

In a video posted to Instagram overnight, the actor addressed rumors that he was blind or paralyzed, but didn't reveal exactly what happened. He also credited his daughter and sister for saving his life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE FOXX, ACTOR: I know a lot of people were waiting, you know, or wanting to hear updates. But to be honest with you, I just didn't want you to see me like that, man.

I want you to see me laughing, having a good time, partying, cracking a joke, doing a movie, television show. I didn't want you to see me with tubes running out of me and trying to figure out if -- if I was going to make it through.

I went to hell and back and my road to recovery had some potholes as well. But I'm coming back and I'm able to work. So I want to thank the people that let me work.

And I just want to say that I love everybody and I love all of the love that I got.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: We're so glad he's on the road to recover -- continuing on the road to recovery.

Foxx was initially hospitalized in Atlanta where he was filming a movie. He later received treatment at a Chicago rehabilitation facility that specializes in care for patients with physical impairments, brain or spinal injuries.

The new CNN original series "SEE IT LOUD, THE HISTORY OF BLACK TELEVISION," celebrates the creators of programs and projects appreciating black talent. This week we take a look at dramatic television.

Here is a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "New York Undercover" premiered in 1994, two years after the uprisings that followed the not-guilty verdict in the Rodney King beating case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "New York Undercover" was so groundbreaking because it was one of the first shows ever to have two lead actors who were of color as detectives fighting crime. And you didn't see that all the time.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: FBI, FBI!

[13:55:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We represented hip hop. We were young, black and Latino. We were two detectives that were from the streets that decided that they wanted to be on the right side of the law and protect their community.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Get the gun out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "New York Undercover" was the antithesis of the must-see TV.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And be sure to tune in to an all-new episode of the CNN original series, "SEE IT LOUD, THE HISTORY OF BLACK TELEVISION." It airs tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:02]

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

We begin this hour with stunning revelations in the Gilgo Beach serial killings.