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American Nurse And Her Child Kidnapped In Haiti; Russia Says Ukraine Behind Drone Attack That Hit Moscow Shopping Center; Putin Pledges 30 New Warships This Year; Brittney Griner Takes Mental Health Break From WNBA Team; Biden Ally Sen. Chris Coons Dismisses Democratic Primary Threats As "Weak". Aired 2-3p ET

Aired July 30, 2023 - 14:00   ET

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

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[14:00:48]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and we begin with this breaking news. A bomb blast rips through a political convention in Pakistan. Police say it was a suicide bomber. So far, as many as 40 people are dead and more than 100 injured.

Joining us right now on the phone is CNN's Sophia Saifi in Islamabad. Sophia, what do we know?

SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN CORRESPONDENT BASED IN ISLAMABAD: Fredricka, we know that this attack took place during a convention of the JUIF, which is an Islamist party in Pakistan. It happened in the north of Pakistan, quite close to the Afghan border, actually. And this isn't something that has had a claim of responsibility yet. The police have told us that this was a suicide attack, that the suicide bomber had about 10 kilograms of explosives on him and he went quite close to the stage where he detonated his explosives.

We do know that the death toll is now up to 44. The number of injured is about 123, with more than 17 people in critical condition. So, yes, it happened a couple of hours ago in the late afternoon here in Pakistan.

It is leading up to election season. We're expecting general elections to take place in Pakistan towards the end of October. So there is this sense of high security when it comes to political conventions in the country. These are political party workers who are gathered in this area of the northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. There has been an increase in militancy in the north of the country. There were about 80 people who died in the city of Peshawar back in January.

There was an attack, similarly on the police back in February in the city of Karachi. The Pakistani government has often blamed the Afghan Taliban next door, enabling Afghanistan for being behind, for harboring these militants.

We still don't have a claim of responsibility, so there is a heightened sense of security across the country and a sense of unease as to what was behind and who was behind this attack. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: And Sophia, when you say this was a convention or a political gathering, does it mean that people who are running for office are at that event? Is it strictly voters? Who makes up the audience and those on stage?

SAIFI: Right, so the people who were in this audience were mostly workers. They were meeting for the convention by the JUIF in the lead up to the general election. There were local party workers from the district of Bajaur in that province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. We haven't been able to confirmed this yet, but we do know that a senior party worker of that region has also been killed in this blast.

So there has always been, when it comes to Pakistan, a sense of unease in the lead up to elections. There is, of course, a very important visit. By the Chinese vice premier to Pakistan. And there was already a public holiday that was announced in the capital city of Islamabad for Monday. So there's already been a sense of heightened security in the country, and that will lead in to the new week ahead here in Pakistan. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right, Sophia Saifi, thank you so much for that information. Bring us more as you get it there in Pakistan.

All right, an American nurse and her child have been kidnapped in Haiti. Alix Dorsainvil was reportedly abducted Thursday morning while serving in their community ministry. The two were taken from the organization's campus near Port-au-Prince according to El Roi's Haiti website. Dorsainvil is married to the Director of the Christian Humanitarian aid group. I want to bring in now CNN National Correspondent Athena Jones for the very latest. What you're learning on this, Athena? What more do we know about the two people who allegedly have been abducted and the circumstances?

[14:05:00]

ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. This, is frightening news. We know that U.S. authorities are aware of the abductions, of course, and they're working with Haitian authorities and U.S. intergovernmental agencies to try to get this resolved. But this happened on Thursday morning on the campus of El Roi. This is a Christian humanitarian group. The campus is near Port-au-Prince. This mother, Alix Dorsainvil, and her child taken from that location.

We have a statement from El Roi. That is the community she worked for. "Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family. Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering, as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus." That's the statement from El Roi.

This is a woman who was originally from New Hampshire, and, as you said, she moved to Haiti on the invitation of her husband to work for this organization. The U.S. State Department put out a statement saying, the U.S. Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. Citizens overseas. But, Fredricka, it's important to note the context of all of this. This kidnapping comes at a time when there has already been growing concerns about the deteriorating security situation in Haiti, gang violence, instability.

Just last week, on Thursday, non-emergency personnel were ordered to depart the country. That was an order by the U.S. State Department saying you must leave immediately because of the deteriorating situation. Even before that announcement, people who were living and working in that embassy had to live, work, travel under severe restrictions because of concerns about security there.

We know that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been working and talking about this and saying that there has been a push to put in place an international or multinational force to try to help bring stability to Haiti. But this kidnapping comes really at a very scary, dangerous time there. Fred.

WHITFIELD: Right, very tenuous moments. All right, keep us posted as you learn more. Thank you so much. Athena Jones.

Let's talk more about this from the perspective of Mr. Rubin. He is a National Security Expert and a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs. And is it Joel Rubin?

JOEL RUBIN, FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: It is, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: OK, just want to make sure I get that pronunciation right. All right. Good to see you. So can you explain what you believe leave might be happening behind the scenes in trying to find this mother and child?

RUBIN: Yeah, Fredricka, the way it's laid out is very appropriate, the way that your story has been describing it. Right now, behind the scenes, American personnel are at a lower level of presence on the ground in Haiti. So that's a bit of a hindrance. But there are contacts directly with the security services in Haiti.

And so what's happening right now is that the State Department, through its bureau that handles international law as well as the Justice Department and others who have been engaged for many years in dealing with these kinds of scenarios, they're reaching out to their Haitian counterparts.

Remember, about a year ago, we had roughly 20 missionaries kidnapped as well. And at that time, the Justice Department, the FBI got involved through diplomatic contacts, through the State Department orchestrating that, but to try to work with their counterparts in the security services in Haiti to find the missing Americans. So that's likely what's happening right now.

WHITFIELD: So the U.S. State Department, you know, on Thursday updated its travel advisory to its highest level, warning people not to travel to Haiti due to prevalent kidnappings crimes, civil arrest there. There are a few other countries neighboring who also have very elevated warnings. So in a case like that, whether people are traveling, planning to embark on traveling to a country like Haiti or Americans already there. What does this mean for the kinds of resources that would be devoted to Americans who get in trouble in areas where the travel warning is very high?

RUBIN: Well, in those cases, really, the guidance is to not go. The guidance is to stay as far away as possible from those dangerous sites. There's no guarantee of American safety when an American is in the country. What we saw, even from the official response from the State Department, is that there is work to help find the individuals, but nobody can assume that they go to a country and that they have a protective bubble around them. They just don't.

And Haiti, in the bigger picture, is a country that's still in a significant amount of security chaos. The gang violence is rising. That's why we saw the departure of many of our diplomats last week. And in addition, the U.N., United Nations just has renewed its political mandate, and it's going to need to come up with a report, and it will likely deliver that in mid-August on how to address security in the country.

So it's an ongoing challenge, and this challenge has not dissipated. And so for Americans to travel there, they're really running their own personal, direct risk, and it's really not advisable to go.

[14:10:08]

WHITFIELD: And then among the challenges for, say, the State Department is now trying to figure out who may be responsible for this alleged abduction, what's being demanded, how the State Department would either acquiesce to those demands or make some other decisions. Give us an idea of the levels of discussions or movement that is happening as it pertains to any or all of those elements.

RUBIN: Yeah, first and foremost, they have to, through the good offices of the security services in Haiti, identify the actual culprits, identify who has done this kidnapping, ensure that that is what it was, and then to identify who they are and make contact. And that's a very delicate process.

A year ago, it took some time, and then contact was made. Oftentimes these kinds of situations are ones where there's a ransom requested or required. A year ago, again, those detained, the missionaries, they escaped, they broke free. So that was a different scenario, roughly 20 people. But they're going to have to make contact and then start to engage and figure out exactly what happened.

You know, chaos has been happening in Haitian politics as well. It's worth noting, a couple of years ago, the assassination of the President, that was organized in Florida by Haitian American. And so there's a state of real internal turmoil. So finding our allies there, the people with whom we work, the security services, and ensuring that they are getting the right information, that's the critical first step as it then gets into the State Department and the other agencies who work on this and how to address it.

WHITFIELD: For the ministry or missionary groups that are in country there in Haiti, what is the communication like with those groups already in country when you have, you know, a level four, a high level of risk like this, is the State Department in a position where it's telling people to leave, or is it operated at your own risk? What is the dialogue?

RUBIN: Yeah, it's really heartbreaking just to think about this as well, because these are missionaries going there to do the Lord's work, to do work that they believe and are committed to in these communities. And I sort served overseas as a Peace Corps volunteer. And when one goes overseas, they are inherently choosing to put themselves in communities that may have different modes of communication, different engagements.

And in this case, the organizations, they have to be in touch with the State Department, they have to be in touch with the embassy. It's certain that they have that level of contact, but in many ways, that's as far as it goes. And then as more information comes out about the individuals and if they are kidnapped and where they are, then that will get elevated organizationally. But for now, it's trying to share what they can gather from their own sources as well. And it's quite likely they have a lot of contacts on the ground in communities who are able to help them as well understand what's happened. And then they should share that with the authorities, with the Haitian authorities, and with the State Department, so those officials can build out a better picture about the actual scenario of what's taken place.

WHITFIELD: All right. We're all hoping for the best possible outcome. Joel Rubin, thank you for your time and expertise. Appreciate it.

RUBIN: Thanks, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, coming up, Russia says Ukraine was behind a dramatic drone attack in Moscow that was caught on video. And we'll go live to Ukraine to get more on how the counter offensive there is intensifying.

And basketball Star Brittney Griner is taking a break to focus on her mental health. Details on how long she could be away from the game straight ahead.

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[14:17:55]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. Russia says Ukraine is behind drone attacks that targeted Moscow earlier today, one of which hit a shopping center and was caught on video.

Russia's Defense Ministry says three other drones were intercepted. It was the second reported attack on the Russian capital in a week. And it comes as fighting intensifies in parts of Ukraine as its forces press ahead with a counteroffensive. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, is in southeastern Ukraine.

Nick, what more are we learning about this attack? NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT:

Yeah, increasingly, people in the Russian capital, Moscow, civilians experiencing what Ukrainians have been experiencing for nearly the last 18 months now, and that is attacks, it seems, hitting Moscow city, predominantly a civilian area. You saw there some of the footage of the impacts. Russian officials saying three drones involved, two taken out by electronic jamming. Another one appears to have been intercepted.

They say no injuries and no indeed fire as a result. But again, a psychological reminder of Russians who try simply in the capital to pretend there isn't a war, those who haven't lost many of the possible, hundreds of thousands of Russians who died or being wounded in this war.

And as I say, at the same time in Ukraine, in Sumy, in the north of the country, 20 injured and two dead in a Russian missile barrage hitting that area as well. And indeed, here, too, in the last 24 hours, two killed in Zaporizhzhia City by Russian strikes as well.

So a taste of what Ukrainians have been experiencing nightly for those inside of Moscow. And this simply adds, I think, to Vladimir Putin failing to bring a swift conclusion to this invasion of choice. At the start, they thought this might be a matter of days, but clearly now the capital are in ways that possibly were thought unimaginable just as little as six months ago.

[14:20:01]

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying that this is a sign of the war, is gradually returning to Russian territory and warning those in Ukraine that we'll continue perhaps to see Russia's attacks on critical energy infrastructure here pick up, particularly in the winter months ahead.

He also touted some elements of progress on Ukraine's front lines towards Bakhmut in the east, and officials, too, have been touting slow advances here in the south. Essentially the key focus of the counter offensive here.

Also, two key Russian railway supply lines between Crimea and here, hit by a missile strike, it seems, overnight. So this increasingly, I would say, less rare attack on Moscow, part of Ukraine projecting its growing military power, and it's trying to prosecute a counter offensive here as well. But still, this taking a lot longer, perhaps than many had thought it might do in the west and ultimately this summer, where Ukraine needs to produce results, essentially because of the growing talk -- of peace talks we're hearing. Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, it's getting the attention of many. Nick Paton Walsh, in Ukraine. Thank you so much.

Let's get more analysis now with Jill Dougherty, a CNN Contributor and an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University. Good to see you, Jill.

So one Ukrainian Air Force official says the drone attacks were meant to get the attention of ordinary Russians. And based on the video that we just saw and the voices we heard it certainly seems to be working. What is this likely to provoke, however?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: You know, Fred, I think this is an important one because even though the Russians would say, well, we knocked them down, we took them out of commission, those drones or at least the remnants, hit an area that is really symbolic, that's part of downtown Moscow, right in downtown, it's called City in Russian. The same word. And it is skyscrapers. It's the business center. It's kind of like Putin's capitalist Wall Street for Putin's, so-called capitalism. And so hitting that is in line with what's been happening by the Ukrainian attacks, which is hitting places that are symbolic, that go to the heart of the system that Putin has and even remember. They hit the Kremlin, they hit some areas outside of Moscow where the rich people live, the elites. And this is all on purpose. They may not militarily, really do a whole lot, but symbolically, they're important.

WHITFIELD: Meantime, Vladimir Putin gave a Navy Day speech this weekend and promised another 30 ships would be delivered this year. Are these public appearances by Vladimir Putin kind of taking on bigger significance for him as this war drags on?

DOUGHERTY: Oh, definitely. I mean, the message every day is unity, that the Russian people have to unite. And I think it's important, Fred, even though, you know, it's a while ahead, in March of 2024, there is a presidential election in Russia. And guess who is running? President Putin. And essentially against nobody.

So this is all -- we have to look at this not only, I think, in terms of the international significance, the messages that Russia and Putin are trying to send to the world, but also domestically. So he is very much running for president. And these appearances, which are now constant, are really all part of that present him as a very strong leader, uniting the Russian people.

WHITFIELD: Wow. So that symbolism is big on all sides, it seems, right now. And that includes even the Wagner Mercenary Chief, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, who was seen in St. Petersburg last week. And at that same event, you know, Vladimir Putin. There, and of course, some African nation leaders. So what's the significance of that messaging and that imagery?

DOUGHERTY: You know, it's a little more complicated, but essentially you would have to ask yourself, this guy was leading a mutiny against the government of Russia, especially against the military of Russia, just a few weeks ago, marching on Moscow, and he is stopped in his tracks. He's sent and his men are sent to Belarus supposedly. And then all of a sudden, there he is, the person who Putin said, "he stabbed Russia in the back." All of a sudden, he's in St. Petersburg, not far from President Putin meeting with some African leaders, although he was in jeans and a golf shirt, I must add.

But I think seriously, it is very obvious that the Kremlin, and especially President Putin, still need Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group. Now, as far talking with people who are in the know on this, I do believe that his empire, really, you know, media, military disinformation, et cetera, is being dismantled.

[14:25:08]

But in the meantime, he's the guy who pulled Wagner together and these companies that he ran and may still be running. So the Russian government cannot exist and have foreign policy without these minions who will do its bidding behind the scenes and with deniability. So I think that's why he is probably still alive and certainly in St. Petersburg. It's counterintuitive. It's a little weird, but I think that's why.

WHITFIELD: It's fascinating. Jill Dougherty, thank you so much.

Still to come, WNBA Superstar Brittney Griner is stepping away from playing to focus on her mental health. When she could come back on the court, next.

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[14:30:21]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back.

WNBA superstar Brittney Griner will step away from her team and competition for at least two games in order to focus on her mental health. The Phoenix Mercury did not put out a timeline on when she might return. But says Griner has their full support.

The 32-year-old spent nearly 300 days in a Russian prison before being released last December. She leads the Phoenix Mercury in scoring, rebounds, and blocks, and was named to her ninth all-star game just last week.

CNN sports analyst, Christine Brennan, joining me right now.

Christine, so great to see. I mean, given everything that she's been through, I mean, how does this hit you?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Fredricka, in many ways it's no surprise, even though of course it's tough news. How much more can one human being go through. And yet, she's dealing with it in the best way possible, staying home while her team is on the road in Chicago and Indianapolis. Then, the Mercury come back for four games. So, my sense is she will come back to the team when they're back in Phoenix, at the end of this week, all the way through for a full week.

And -- but it's tough, it's tough. I mean, as you mentioned, from February all the way to death number almost 300 days in prison in Russia. I mean, that alone is just unbelievable. We've lived it. We know what she went through in a cage. And the trial at 6 foot 9, 2- time Olympic gold medalist, I mean, you know, that just awful, awful, enduring hardships of something that is unimaginable to most of us.

And then coming back, and having a few months off and immediately being the center of attention, in many ways that's good. But as she is now on display with her teammates, everyone's watching and cheering for her. And again, the public eye, the scrutiny, is extraordinary and completely opposite of what she lived through for 10 months.

So, I think it's understandable. And let's hope she can, you know, take a break and get the help she needs. And be able to come back, recharge, and refreshed for what is again a very public role.

WHITFIELD: Right, I mean, agreed. And remember, it wasn't a few months -- but a few months ago when I told you how excited was. I bought tickets for the Mercury-Atlanta Dream game. It was just this past Tuesday. I attended that and brought my kids to it, my husband. It was a sold out crowd. It was electric, thrilling, all of that to see Griner and all the ladies.

I mean, she came out strong, you know, 3 pointers, doubles as the leading scorer. I mean, she looked so relaxed and at ease throughout all of it. She smiled a lot. You know, she really did look great. And the audience loved her, we loved her.

But I couldn't help but think throughout what's really, what is this really like for her after, you know, 10 months in a Russian jail. I mean, she in that audience, on that court, make it seem like it's also normal. But you do have to wonder what has this transition been like for her.

BRENNAN: Absolutely, Fred. The private struggles and demands and just going through what she's gone through. Remember, too, it was not even two months ago when she was going through the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and there was a guy who was harassing her, and taunting her verbally. The WNBA started to deal with that, said they got to obviously not her travel through airports because not only is she recognizable anyway, but because she's 6 foot 9, you really cannot miss Brittney Griner. She's become so famous.

And so, there is this guy, awful person who's yelling at her. There's that and we know that there's been criticism. We know that people are angry, some people, that there was a prisoner exchange. So, everything is on top of the shoulders of this 32-year-old woman, this superhuman on the court. But we all know no one is superhuman, especially going through what she's gone through.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. And, you know, through it all she's made her detainment and released front and center by way of her continued commitment to, you know, the campaign bring our families home. How hard do you believe, you know, it might it be for her to kind of straddle these experiences? You know, she wants to get back to her life as she knew it, but at the same time, it wasn't that long ago, you know, that she was dealing with one of the biggest obstacles of her life.

But then she also wants to advocate for so many other Americans who are still being detained.

[14:35:04]

That's a tough thing to straddle.

BRENNAN: It is. And that's a lot on our plate, a lot on her shoulders. We've seen her be hero on the court and off the court. And the fact that she's fighting for those who were left behind is incredible, and admirable, her teammates and everything she does.

But oh my goodness, 32 years old who really wants to just play basketball, and this -- the weight of the world on her shoulders. And I think that's what we're seeing here, because sports is taking us to this important national conversation, Fred, we talked about it whether it's Naomi Osaka, Michael Phelps, Simone Biles. You know, this is -- it's important to have this conversation and Brittney Griner, it's good that she's taking a break.

Let's hope that she can take, you know, the time and come back strong. And if not, take more time because I think that the public demands on this woman have been extraordinary as she does have a very private life. And she's allowed to have that life and to work out these things in private.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. Well, we're pulling for her and hoping the best for her, really, very few people can identify with what it is that she is going through.

All right. Christine Brennan, thank you so much. Great to see.

All right.

BRENNAN: You, too, Fred. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Coming up, cleanup is underway today after a violent storm swept through the D.C. area. The severe weather fueled by the extreme heat sitting over the Northeast now. How long the conditions are expected to last, straight ahead.

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[14:40:38]

WHITFIELD: A horrific story out of California where police say a man stabbed a woman to death and then posted her final moments on Facebook.

CNN national correspondent Camila Bernal joining me now with more on this.

Camila, tell us more.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred, this really is a very difficult story to hear. According to the San Mateo Police Department, this man filmed the last moments of this woman's life and put them on Facebook. What police are saying is that on Wednesday, they actually received a call from the Nye County sheriff's department in Nevada. And they told them that they received a call from a woman that said look I watch someone get stabbed on Facebook.

And she was able to give them his name and his phone number and so, all of that information was transferred over to the San Mateo police department. Once they were able to match a name and phone number, they were able to find this apartment complex, but it was a large apartment complex. So, police officers had to go door to door trying to find either the victim or the suspect in this case.

It took them three hours to go apartment by apartment until they finally found this woman who had been stabbed to death. The man was nowhere to be found. It took them about two hours to actually locate him. And they found them in San Jose, California, so nearby but in another city.

And he was immediately arrested. Police say they do know each other. So, there is some connection but they haven't yet determined what the motive here was. But again, they're pointing to the fact that he took this video and posted it on Facebook.

We did reach out to Meta to see exactly why this video was posted, how long it was on the Internet. We haven't heard back from the company. We also know that this man was arraigned on Friday, and he was assigned a public defender.

We have not been able to reach that public defender. But there's still so many questions. And it is just unbelievable that he was able to post this on Facebook for people to watch her last moments -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yeah, unbelievable that it happened, period. Camila Bernal, thank you so much.

All right. Still ahead, millions of Americans are on alert as a relentless heat wave continues to scorch much of the U.S. We'll look at when there might be a cooldown.

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[14:47:23]

WHITFIELD: CNN has learned that Representative Dean Phillips, a Minnesota Democrat, is considering challenging Joe Biden in next year's primary. Phillips has been critical of Biden, saying that he should not run for a second term due to his age. Phillips at 54 is 26 years younger than the president.

Senator Chris Coons, a close Biden ally, dismissed the primary challenge from Phillips this morning, pointing to Biden's accomplishments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): Just look at the endorsements President Biden is getting earlier in the cycle, more broadly than ever before. Look, we've had contestant primaries with sitting presidents. You've never seen a sitting president half as weak a field of potential opponents, Marianne Williamson, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as he has now. And the endorsement President Biden has earned from the building trades, from climate activists, from reproductive rights activists, the base of the Democratic Party as broadly as I've ever seen it in my life is endorsing President Biden, because of what he's gotten done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's White House correspondent, Arlette Saenz, is joining us right now. Arlette, Biden has a big polling lead in the Democratic primary, any signs of concerns?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, President Biden's advisers and allies like Senator Chris Coons ultimately don't believe that any of these Democratic challenges will actually be viable enough to take on President Biden on the Democratic primary. But that certainly may not stop some people from entering that primary. As you mentioned, Congressman Dean Phillips of Minnesota has been quite vocal about the fact that he doesn't believe that President Biden should run for reelection in part due to his age. He's now toying around with the idea of possibly entering the race as a challenger to the president.

Now, it's unclear whether Phillips actually take any of those steps to try and formally get into the race. But it does come as you take a look at the polls, where President Biden is vastly ahead of those that are currently challenging him in the field, like Robert F. Kennedy, and Marianne Williamson. And something that the president also has is the full backing of the Democratic National Committee.

The committee and his campaign are working hand in hand in all of their efforts when it comes to advertisements, fundraising as well. And so far, we haven't seen any inkling or suggestion that there would be any Democratic primary debates. Now, this all comes though as there've been questions about the enthusiasm that President Biden will have in this race. When he entered the race it was only about half the Democrats who said that they did want him to run for reelection.

The president and his team believe that he has an argument to make, believe as a case make especially as they've been pushing these Bidenomics messaging in recent wakes. They believe that the progress that's been made in the administration will ultimately counter some of the factions that people might have for instance about the president's age.

So, we'll closely watching whether there are any challengers who might enter into the race. But the Biden team ultimately believes that they will win that primary, and then they have to face off in that general election against a Republican candidate. And there have been polls that have shown that there is some pessimism amongst Americans overall about the president's time in office, about his handling on issues including the economy. And so, these are headwinds of the president will be facing as he heads into 2024.

WHITFIELD: All right. Arlette Saenz, thank you so much.

A quick programming note to tell you about. A brand-new episode of "THE WHOLE STORY" is breaking down the criminal investigation of Donald Trump in Georgia. You can catch the whole story with Anderson Cooper tonight at 8:00 p.m., right here on CNN. We'll be right back.

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[14:55:07]

WHITFIELD: Cleanup is underway today in Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia after violent storms barreled through the area last night. One man was killed in Virginia when a tree fell on his home. Power was knocked out for tens of thousands of people. Strong winds tearing roofs off, buildings, and damaging cars.

And it's not just severe storms, extreme heat continues to batter the entire country making it difficult for cities to keep up with the electricity demands.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR RON NIRENBERG, SAN ANTONIO: We continue to set records every week with respect to electric -- electricity demand. Our emergency calls for heat exhaustion, heat illness are up 50 percent since last year, which itself was a record breaker. So, it's a dangerous heat wave that we're experiencing with an unrelenting day after day heat exposure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Isabel Rosales joining me now from Atlanta. How are people cooling, how hot is it?

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred. It's nearly 90 degrees out here in Atlanta.

The city of Atlanta, and other major cities across the U.S. have opened up cooling centers to blast AC, hand out water to help people beat the heat. Right now, I'm standing at the belt line. We know well in Atlanta. It's a 22-mile walkable, bike-able, scootering trail. And this is where folks congregate in Atlanta.

We're seeing that despite the heat, folks are out here getting their steps in. And whether you're on the belt line, whether you're in Atlanta, or somewhere else, a good rule of thumb here to follow is to stay indoors during peak hours where the heat is the hottest. That's between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. I also want to show you something else. I borrow this infrared thermometer for my producer Chris Hue (ph). He uses to bake pizza.

But right now, we're going to see how hot the pavement is baking up. Let's get down a bit here, I'm going to get a rating. So, it's 90 degrees outside. But this pavement is nearly 120 degrees. That's he blasting right back at you. And for folks walking their dogs, obviously, it's painful for their paws. So, probably a good idea to be careful of what time you are going outside.

We spoke to several people here on the belt line as to how they're handling the heat, watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JILLIAN, FROM NEW YORK: It's warm, it's fine. I think you can adapt to it if you keep working through it. KEEGAN BECKER, FROM SOUTH AFRICA: If you're not used to heat and stuff

like this, I would suggest you don't necessarily come out and experience it because it is a lot. This heat's not much for me, clearly, long sleeves in the summer like this. I will say for dogs and stuff we have, she's got booties, she got her water, and everything like that. So, you have to make sure you have the stuff for your dogs and stuff.

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ROSALES: And right now, more than 80 million people across more than ten states are under heat alert across the Southern Plains and the Southeast. But good news here, some relief is on the way, especially for the Southwest, relief from the record setting temperatures, although they're seeing extremely hot temps.

Phoenix on Saturday topped over 110 degrees for the 30th day in a row, also marking the 17th day so far this year of temperatures above 115 degrees. That streak is expected to end on Monday.

And quick here, Fred, along with the good news, some bad news there is another heat wave coming according to the Weather Prediction Center. That's expected to be here early next week across the south and the gulf coast. Temperatures reaching as high as 150 degrees, Fred. So, we're not over.

WHITFIELD: We're not out of it. Yet I do like the idea of the booties that the one dog owner was talking about because pets that because if you just did a reading and that pavements more than 120 degrees, imagine what it's doing. We know it's burning people in some cities. We've seen lots of reports of that imagine, what's it doing to our pets.

All right. Isabel Rosales, thank you so much.

All right. There is a bit of a cooldown on the way. CNN meteorologist Britley Ritz joining me now to tell us who and where that's going to happen.

BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah. Well, right now, it's occurring across the Northeast and back through parts of the Midwest, and the Great Lakes, and Ohio valley. That cold front which unfortunately brought severe weather yesterday, but it did do some good.

Afternoon highs in Chicago today were in the 70s, same for Boston. Many of us right about where we should be in the low to mid 80s and upper 70s, but the southwest, still dealing with a brutal for now. Just as you heard Isabel say, give it a day and it will be a bit better, closer to normal.

Places like Phoenix hit 111 degrees today, still adding to the days above 110. And here we are Monday and Tuesday finally getting to cool down. But it doesn't last long, we ran it back, up we had those monsoonal rains set in over the next two days, which helps but the sun shines.