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Judge To Schedule Hearing In Discovery Dispute; Trump Team Bracing For Indictment In Georgia; Dozens Arrested Over Alleged Child Sex Abuse; Interview with International Rescue Committee and Niger IRC Country Director Paolo Cernuschi; Sanctions and Conflict Could Devastate Niger; Aid Groups Call for Unimpeded Humanitarian Work in Niger; Zoom Requiring its Workers in the Office Twice a Week; Montgomery Police Issue Warrants After Massive Brawl on Alabama Riverfront Dock; More than 11,000 L.A. City Workers Plans Strike on Tuesday. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired August 08, 2023 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE PETE CAHILL, MINNESOTA 4TH DISTRICT COURT: Judgment have some responsibility, unless preaching.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: He is now an added nearly five years, of course, as the judge nodded to there. There's been more than three years since Floyd's murder that sparked worldwide protest over police brutality. Thanks so much for joining us. The news continues right here on CNN.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM. Pushing back. Donald Trump's legal team says a protective order proposed by the special counsel would infringe on his first amendment rights. We will look at whether that has any legal merit.

Severe weather across the U.S. ripping off roofs, taking downed power lines and disrupting more than 10,000 flights. And details on the plot Ukraine says it foil to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Well, the judge in Donald Trump's elections subversion case appears ready to move forward quickly. She is looking to schedule a hearing this week on how to handle evidence and what Trump can say publicly about the case. Prosecutors and defense attorneys are facing a 3:00 p.m. Eastern deadline, 13 hours from now to come up with options.

The Justice Department wants restrictions on Trump fearing he could disclose sensitive information or intimidate potential witnesses. But the former president's attorneys say that would infringe on his first amendment rights. Special Counsel Jack Smith has charged Trump with four felony counts, including obstruction and conspiracy for his plot to overturn the 2020 election.

He's accused in a scheme to advance fake electors and pressuring state officials and former Vice President Mike Pence. Well, special counsel prosecutors are looking more closely at Rudy Giuliani's efforts to subvert the 2020 election. They interviewed a key ally on Monday. Meanwhile, another Trump indictment could be coming any day now. CNN's Paula Reid has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): In Washington, CNN reporting exclusively that former New York Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik talked to Special Counsel investigators.

TIM PARLATORE, ATTORNEY FOR BERNIE KERIK: It was mostly about you know all the efforts in between the election and January 6 of what the Giuliani team is doing.

REID: The meeting is the first known investigative step since the special counsel's office filed charges against former President Trump last week. Kerik's attorney Tim Parlatore saying he doesn't think Trump's former lawyer Rudy Giuliani will be indicted.

PARLATORE: No, not a chance.

REID: Also, Trump's lawyers arguing in a new court filing that they shouldn't be restricted from talking publicly about some evidence in the election interference probe.

JOHN LAURO, ATTORNEY FOR DONALD TRUMP: The press and the American people in a campaign season have a right to know what the evidence is in this case.

REID: While so called protective orders aren't unusual. Prosecutors say it's especially important in this case, because of Trump's public statements and how they could have a chilling effect like this recent social media post that read, if you go after me, I'm coming after you. Trump also lashing out specifically at his former vice president who could become a witness at trial, calling him delusional and not a very good person. Pence saying he would testify if asked.

MIKE PENCE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: People can be confident. We'll will obey the law, we'll respond to the call of the law if it comes and will just tell the truth.

REID: Trump even attacking Jack Smith at a fundraiser in South Carolina just days after his second arrest and arraignment in federal court on a case brought by the Special Counsel.

DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Jack Smith. He's a deranged human being. REID: Trump's legal team testing out their defense in the court of public opinion, including arguing that what Trump did was covered by the First Amendment.

LAURO: There was no fraudulent conspiracy. That's part of the reality of the defense. Biden said in November 2022 that he wanted to see President Trump prosecuted and taken out of this race.

REID: But these defenses were quickly rebutted by some of Trumps former top allies. Former Attorney General Bill Barr drawing a line between speech and conspiracy.

BILL BARR, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: He can say whatever he wants. He can even lie but that does not protect you from entering into a conspiracy or conspiracies involves speech.

[02:05:04]

REID: The Trump team also bracing for a fourth indictment in his many months this time coming out of Fulton County, Georgia.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I think that we can expect it.

REID: Where the former Lieutenant Governor just got subpoenaed in that grand jury investigation. And District Attorney Fani Willis is getting ready to announce possible charges against Trump for his actions in Georgia around the 2020 election.

FANI WILLIS,

FANI WILLIS, FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA DISTRICT ATTORNEY: I took an oath and that the oath requires that I follow the law, that if someone broke the law in Fulton County, Georgia, that I have a duty to prosecute. And that's exactly what I plan to do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID: CNN observing additional security for Judge Tanya Chutkan. She's the judge overseeing the Trump prosecution related to January 6 here in Washington, D.C. She is also the judge who will rule on that protective order. And it's unclear when she will make that decision. Paul Reid, CNN, Washington.

CHURCH: Jessica Levinson is a professor of law at Loyola Law School and she's also host of the Passing Judgment podcast. Good to have you with us.

JESSICA LEVINSON, PROFESSOR OF LAW, LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL: Good to be here.

CHURCH: So, in a new court filing Monday, Donald Trump's legal team accused Special Counsel prosecutors of a politically motivated campaign to restrict the former president's first amendment rights. His team pushing back in response to that protective order, limiting what he can say by arguing that Trump's ability to share information on the January 6 case is covered by his First Amendment rights for free speech.

What is your legal response to that argument?

LEVINSON: My legal response to that is that that's more of a political argument than a legal argument. There are protective orders, they are a thing that exists, they are not exceedingly rare and they happen in the District of Columbia where this case will be tried. And it doesn't mean that somebody's first amendment rights are infringed upon. As we all know, the First Amendment does provide robust protection for speech and particularly for political speech.

And the former president is a current political candidate. But when it comes to being a defendant in a criminal case, it does not infringe on those rights to say there are certain other compelling reasons why we don't want this case as the Department of Justice said, tried in the court of public opinion. Why we don't want the former president and his legal team to share certain information.

And I think frankly, this is part of a concerted effort for the Trump team to say that the judge and the Department of Justice are simply trying to chill him, trying to gag him, but essentially create a gag order.

CHURCH: And Jessica, this new filing from the Trump team came in response to the Special Counsel trying to protect the government's evidence after some social media posts, specifically, one of Trump threatening he would go after those who come after him. But his lawyers say the former President was talking about political enemies, not the judge, or the special counsel. But protective orders are unusual, aren't they? So how necessary is this order for this particular case given what we know?

LEVINSON: I think in this case, it makes a lot of sense for the reasons that you just laid out, which is the former president has posted and he has posted on social media, some things that I think absolutely can be understood by a reasonable person as being threatening. And in my view, some of those posts seem like he's almost daring a judge to implement a protective order so he can say, this judge is against me. It's not just the Department of Justice is against me.

It's also the judge here. So, I think there is a utility for the former president, even though he says I don't want the protective order. There's a political utility for him if it actually is implemented, because then he can give speeches and he can say, I would tell you so much more. I would tell you why this case is a political witch hunt. But the judge who's against me, she's prevented me from doing so.

CHURCH: So, on that very point, how do you expect the judge to respond to this argument from the Trump team pushing back against these strict evidence rules?

LEVINSON: So, I think in this case, that judge will find it, of course, it's difficult to predict, but the judge will find that there are good reasons for at least a limited protective order in this case. And this is a judge who has already ruled in some cases dealing with January 6 defendants and she has been one of the more aggressive judges in terms of sentencing of January 6 defendants who takes the events of that day very seriously.

This is also a judge who has previously ruled against the former president when it came to a claim of executive privilege in a different case.

[02:10:02]

And so, I don't think this is a judge that is going to be frightened. I don't think this is a judge who will fall for political arguments masquerading as legal arguments.

CHURCH: And Jessica, all this comes as a fourth, Trump indictment looms this time in Georgia. But as his legal woes intensify, his political support increases, and he has said himself, all he needs is a fourth indictment to win the 2024 election. But where does all this leave Trump's legal peril, even if it helps his political fortunes?

LEVINSON: Well, if the former president does again become president, then that gives him an enormous amount of leverage, at least with respect to the federal cases. If he does become president and if we are facing a situation where he's been convicted on -- in either of the federal cases, he could, I believe, either pardon himself or at least try to. He could also if those cases have not been completed, try and direct his attorney general whoever that person is to try and dismiss the cases.

Now a judge would still have to agree. But that's a long way of saying that I think the former president's best defense is to try and run out the clock to try and push all of these cases as far down on the electoral calendar as he possibly can.

CHURCH: Jessica Levinson, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your legal analysis. Appreciate it.

LEVINSON: Thank you.

CHURCH: Severe thunderstorms are rolling across much of the eastern United States. On Monday alone, nearly 600 storms were reported with strong winds and heavy rains causing damage across the country. This was the scene in Tennessee after storms came through Knoxville ripping roofs off homes and scattering debris around this apartment complex. Storms and at least one tornado in the state of Indiana uprooted trees and destroyed buildings.

And police say a man in Alabama died after being struck by lightning in a parking lot. At one point on Monday, more than one million people in the U.S. were without power. And right now, more than 600,000 customers across 10 states are still without power. Thousands of flights were impacted as ground stops were put into effect at several major U.S. airports. According to flightaware.com, more than 8400 were delayed and more than 1700 flights canceled on Monday.

And CNN Meteorologist Chad Myers takes a look at what the weather is looking like on Tuesday.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Another round of severe weather later on this afternoon. Although not nearly what we had on Monday. Some storms across the deep south also a few in the High Plains there parts of Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado. Storms roll across the deep south in the afternoon. Another batch of storms will be for your Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

But for the most part, this is just going to be kind of a rainmaker to the northeast and some gusty winds. That's all we're really going to see here. We're not going to see a million people without power. There's the rainfall potential here across parts of New England, it's all because the ground up here is still saturated. Saturated from the weeks and weeks and weeks of rain. We had over the past few. And so, it just hasn't had a chance to dry out.

Like down here that has just dried out the country cut in half where the southern part way in excess of normal and then the northern part very, very pleasant. About 79 in Omaha, 83 in Denver. Can't argue with anything like that. But then down here where the deep south kind of meets the Gulf of Mexico. That's where temperatures are going to be high. Humidities will be high and we're five to 10 degrees above normal for the next three.

Same story back out here. Closer to normal in some spots, but even for Sacramento on up to 90, Bakersfield 99 for later on today. And for Death Valley, only 112. And in fact, that's four degrees below normal. Have a great day.

CHURCH: Well, nearly 100 people have been arrested in the U.S. and Australia in connection with an alleged child sex abuse ring. Australian Federal Police shared these images showing what they say computers from the suspects. Investigators say their joint operation has led to dozens of indictments and convictions. It comes two years after two FBI agents were shot and killed while executing a search warrant for a computer programmer suspected of having child pornography.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HELEN SCHNEIDER, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE COMMANDER: We would consider this a very significant outcome in terms of the fact that the ACE was able to coordinate across Australia. This outcome with our state and territory partners. And it really demonstrates I think the commitment and connection we have across the country and how we can connect in internationally.

[02:15:00]

We see it as a significant outcome and I think that this outcome should definitely serve as a warning to those who are preying on our most vulnerable that we are looking for you, we will find you and we will arrest you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Authorities say the suspects ran a highly complex peer to peer network with child abuse material being shared on the dark web.

Coming up next. Ukraine says it's foiled a plot to allegedly assassinate President Zelenskyy. The details and who's in custody now in a live report just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Ukrainian officials says at least seven people have been killed after Russian missiles struck residential areas in the Donetsk region. It happened on Monday in the eastern city of Pokrovsk, at least 67 others have been injured. Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs said police officers, rescuers and two children were among those hurt.

Meantime, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is warning that Russia may be left without vessels if it continues to attack Ukrainian ports. His comments come just days after Ukrainian see drones hit both a Russian tanker and a warship.

And Ukraine Security Service says a woman is now in custody in connection to an alleged plot to his assassinate President Zelenskyy. Ukrainian security officials published a blurred image that they say shows the informants for Russia.

[02:20:09]

Officials say she is from the southern Ukrainian region of Mykolaiv. And CNN's Clare Sebastian joins us now from London with the latest. Good morning to you, Clare. So, what more are you learning about this alleged plot to assassinate President Zelenskyy?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Rosemary. Look, it's no secret that President Zelenskyy has been and likely still is a Russian target. Remember, at the beginning of the conflict, the U.S. tried to evacuate him and he said, no, I don't need a ride. I need ammo. And he is of course traveling around the country more and more, which of course increases the risk.

I think it's interesting to look at the timing of this, though, and why we've had the amount of detail that we've had from the Ukrainian Security Services. This is of course, a critical point in the conflict, things are moving very slowly along the front lines. And the security services say that in addition to trying to find information on President Zelenskyy's itinerary during his recent trip to Mykolaiv, the suspected Russian informant was also looking for information on electronic warfare systems, Ukrainian ammunition stores, and things like that.

All of that could have a major impact on the frontlines for the Ukrainian. So perhaps by doing this in this way, by releasing that image of what they say the suspect that blurred image, they also release screenshots they say of text messages between the alleged informants and, you know, presumably her Russian handlers also threatening her with 12 years in prison. Perhaps all of that is to create a deterrent, more of a deterrent at this critical time in the conflict.

I think as well, you noted that Ukraine is making increasing threats as being more bold in terms of its attacks on the Black Sea bridges linking Crimea, with mainland Ukraine. Attacks with inside Russian territory, perhaps that does put President Zelenskyy a greater risk of retaliation and perhaps that's why we see the security services coming out so openly with it -- with this information at this point. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Clare Sebastian joining us live from London. Still to come. From food shortages to inflation. People in Nigeria are daunted by the impact of sanctions and conflict in their country. How humanitarian groups are trying to help.

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[02:26:53]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. A senior U.S. official has met with the military junta in Nigeria to push for a diplomatic resolution to the country's coup. The Acting Deputy Secretary of State says they had a frank conversation but made no progress in restoring constitutional order. Those talks happened on the same day the Nigerian coup leaders mesh with other officials from Mali and Burkina Faso.

Mali reaffirmed its support for Niger amid warnings of potential military intervention from the regional bloc ECOWAS. The Nigerian junta says it has deployed additional troops in the capital to prepare for any possible confrontation. This Thursday, ECOWAS is expected to hold a meeting to discuss what to do next. CNN's NS Larry Madowo reports.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There appears to be a showdown looming between Niger's military junta and the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, over the future for the country. When they meet at this extraordinary summit on Thursday, ECOWAS leaders have to decide whether they go ahead with the threat of a military intervention, or they will explore other diplomatic or political solutions.

In Niger, the military junta has been talking in apocalyptic terms about an impending attack from a foreign power. Closing the airspace, bringing military units to the Capitol in the army, and also trying to show that they have public support. Listen to some of these supporters of their military.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If ECOWAS forces decide to attack our country before reaching the presidential palace, they will have to walk over our bodies, spill our blood, and we'll do it with pride.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It's France that's behind this ECOWAS force that wants to attack us. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I think that everywhere in the world, they see that the people were mobilized, they're going to have to crush us all to reach the presidential palace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: Because of the huge anti French sentiment in the country, there are many people who feel that even this threat of military intervention by ECOWAS is really France pulling the strings there. It's going to be pointed out that pro-democracy voices, people who support President Bazoum appears to have disappeared almost completely from the national discourse in Niger partly because the military has tightly controlled the narrative there.

The U.S. State Department says it's been in direct contact with the military junta there and told them to step aside, even though they've shown no signs of listening to any of the International voices so far.

Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.

CHURCH: Joining me now is Paolo Cernuschi. The International Rescue Committee's Country Director in Niger. Appreciate you being with us.

PAOLO CERNUSCHI, COUNTRY DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE IN NIGER: Thanks for having me. Good morning.

CHURCH: Good morning to you too. And as the political uncertainty continues in Niger, in the wake of this military coup, humanitarian NGOs are warning that further instability and sanctions in the country could make living conditions there for the most vulnerable even worse and hamper the humanitarian response.

[02:30:08]

So, how bad was the humanitarian situation in Niger before this political crisis and how bad could it get for many women and children particularly?

PAOLO CERNUSCHI, INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE AND IRC COUNTRY DIRECTOR, NIGER: The situation in Niger was one we already had over 4 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The country hosts about 600,000 between refugees and internally displaced persons, fleeing crisis and conflict in the region.

And so, it's already a fragile situation. So, the concern very much is that any further instability would undermine the capacity of humanitarian organizations like the IRC to continue providing the type of critical lifesaving support that is necessary in a context like Niger.

Some of the impacts we are potentially starting to see or we can predict limitations on access to some basic supplies, cash shortages, increase in prices and those can all have cascading effects on already vulnerable populations.

CHURCH: Right. And of course, your organization, along with other humanitarian groups have asked to continue your aid work unimpeded. How have your field officers been impacted by this political uncertainty so far? Have they been able to continue their services and their clinics?

KIRSCH (on camera): Yes. I think IRC and many other humanitarian organizations we have continued most our lifesaving activities in the last week or so. IRC alone, last week, we managed to do distribution of cash to 800 households who have recently been displaced. So, we still are managing to work, but obviously the concern is if and the situation further deteriorates, that could undermine the capacity of us to continue doing so in a way that assists those communities.

CHURCH: Of course. I totally understand that concern, particularly now that we learned that Niger's airspace has been closed. So, what will that mean for many humanitarian organizations, including your own, waiting for medical and food supplies, and how long do you expect the airspace to remain closed?

CERNUSCHI: The effects on -- of prolonged closure of airspace and borders really could have a long-term impact that's hard to precisely predict, but certainly, the risk of disruption of those supply chains, shortages of basic necessities and of humanitarian supplies will affect our capacity to deliver.

We -- most organizations do have stocks for -- of humanitarian supplies like nutrition, supplements already in country. We have our contingency stocks, but those will eventually run out. And if a prolonged closure of borders of air spaces without humanitarian exemption persists, then our capacity to continue to deliver those lifesaving interventions could be undermined.

CHURCH: And how --

CERNUSCHI: As for how long it's going to -- sorry. Go ahead.

CHURCH: And have you received any assurances at all from the military junta that you can continue as is, that you can continue offering these services unimpeded? Have you received that guarantee?

CERNUSCHI: For the time we have had, no official contact or engagement. Leadership has been -- new leadership has been nominated in the various regions where we operate. Formal engagement has not yet happened. So, we are still operating as normal based on our existing programing and implementation strategies.

CHURCH: And so, you continue to assess how viable it is to stay in Niger. What do you look for in those sorts of situations?

CERNUSCHI: As an organization that's mission mandate really is to work in areas of crisis and conflict, I think IRC is here to stay. What we will certainly need to ensure is that our teams can operate on the ground safely and can deliver humanitarian assistance in full respect of humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law of -- be sure we can do it independently, respect neutrality and making sure that assistance can get to those most vulnerable.

CHURCH: And we certainly salute you for your good work. Paolo Cernuschi, thank so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

CERNUSCHI: Thank you.

CHURCH: And "CNN Newsroom" continues after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:35:00]

CHURCH: Oh, the irony that is Zoom, the video communications company became a household name during the pandemic. Helping to enable the work from home revolution. But now, even Zoom is requiring its workers to start returning to the office.

As you would expect, not everyone is ready to ditch their couch for a commute. So, Zoom is trying what it calls a structured hybrid approach. Meaning, employees who live near an office need to go in just two days a week. I'll take that. Google, Amazon and other tech companies have also implemented similar policies.

Well, India is one step closer to joining an elite space club. An Indian spacecraft entered lunar orbit over the weekend and moved closer to the moon's surface. It's part of a series of steps leading up to a planned soft landing on the moon, near its South Pole on August 23rd. This is India's second attempt to do so after a previous effort failed in 2019. If successful, India will become the fourth country to make a controlled landing on the moon after United States, the former Soviet Union and China.

[02:40:00]

An Iraqi passenger flight was delayed by more than one hour after a bear escaped from a crate in the plane's cargo. Authorities say the animal was being transported on an Iraqi Airways flight from Baghdad to Dubai and somehow escaped the crate.

The airline says that the bear was eventually sedated by a specialized team in Dubai and taken off the plane. It's not clear why the bear was being flown to Dubai nor is there any update on its well-being. Iraqi Airways has apologized to passengers for the incident.

I'm Rosemary Church. For our international viewers "World Sport" is up next, and for our viewers here in the United States and Canada, I will be back with more "CNN Newsroom" in just a moment. Do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:00]

CHURCH: Welcome back to viewers here in North America. I'm Rosemary Church.

Well, police in the U.S. State of Alabama have issued arrest warrants for four people connected to a large brawl that broke out on the dock over the weekend. It's unclear what caused the fight but police say more warrants may follow as they review the footage. CNN's Ryan Young breaks down what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): An altercation on a Montgomery Alabama boat dock over the weekend between a group of white voters and a black employee escalated into a massive brawl that resulted in multiple arrest warrants. Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed is calling for justice to be served for attacking a man who was doing his job.

MAYOR STEVEN REED, MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA: It's an unfortunate incident. And it's something that we are investigating right now. We'll continue to go through that process before we take any additional steps.

YOUNG (voiceover): It all began when the black employee was trying to clear the dock space for the riverside crews, the Harriette II (ph) normal docks. The cruiser was about to return to shore and needed its space to dock.

LAUREN SPIVEY, WITNESS: You know, just doing his job. And for some reason they didn't like it. They didn't want to move the boat, and he decided to get physical him.

YOUNG (voiceover): You can see in the video, the black employee on the dock arguing with one of the men from the pontoon boat, and then another shirtless white man charging at the employee and hitting him in the face. Soon after that, you can see several others join in on the attack of the dock employee.

In some of the video, which has gone viral, with millions of views, people on the boat can be heard yelling for someone to go help the employee.

And at one point, you can see a young man who has jumped off the boat, swimming ashore to help the man who was being attacked.

SPIVEY: The boat got closer. The guys and the crew members and everybody got off and that's when it happened. That's the reason why when they got off the boat, they came right to that smaller boat.

YOUNG (voiceover): And that's when more fighting ensues, turning into an all-out brawl that included several people getting hit over the head with a folding chair. Soon after, officers started trying to take control, handcuffing people in the fight.

SPIVEY: You know, they were the antagonists of the whole situation. Arrest them, because unfortunately, when things happen, people of color are the first to put -- be put in handcuff.

YOUNG (voiceover): Many questions remain about the melee that appeared to be very much split across racial lines.

REED: We are fully engaged and we are doing all of our due diligence to find out exactly what took place.

YOUNG: Yes. We've learned from police that there are four warrants that have been issues. And we're told that there will be a Tuesday news conference, that will be around 2:00 Eastern. We should learn more from police and city officials about this. But I can tell you, it has really captivated the internet and people are paying attention to what the next steps are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: For the first time in more than 40 years, Los Angeles City workers are going on strike. The 11,000 public sector employees walking off the job Tuesday, include those working in sanitation and transportation. The main LAX Airport and Port of Los Angeles could be affected. The workers union voted to strike for 24 hours after accusing city management of "repeated labor law violations" and of refusing to participate in a fair bargaining process. But the L.A. mayor says that the city has been bargaining in good faith.

Elsewhere in Los Angeles, the Hollywood actors and writers strike has slammed the brakes on the entertainment industry, and the union representing thousands of hotel workers has also staged a series of rolling strikes.

Well, farther north in Oakland, California, robberies, burglaries and assaults surged in July compared to the same month last year. The California Highway Patrol is now being deployed to help fight crime and protect the city's more than 400,000 residents. That's after a local branch of the civil rights organization, the NAACP, called on city leaders to declare a state of emergency over Oakland's rampant crime.

CNN's Kyung Lah has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTIN COOK, MOVING OUT OF CLEVELAND: I love Oakland. It's very hard for me and my son, especially my son.

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): So, Kristen Cook is leaving Oakland, California.

COOK: Be careful.

LAH (voiceover): After living here her entire life.

COOK: I can't take it anymore. I got to the point I was so scared to leave my house.

[02:50:00]

LAH (voiceover): Cook blames brazen assaults and robberies in broad daylight, break-ins and home invasions across the city, as Oakland sees a surge in reported violent crimes this year compared to last. While homicides are down, robberies burglaries and rape are all up by double digits percentages. Everyone we talked to says that it doesn't matter your race, your income, everyone seems to be a target, including carjackings, like this one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

COOK: Now, they are carjacking people at stop signs. And my son is about to start driving. The fact that I am being pushed out because I emotionally can't take it anymore is horrible.

LAH (voiceover): But Toni Bird is staying. She lives with a locked front gate and five security cameras. Bird says Oakland police recommended steel braces for residential doors and air horns.

TONI BIRD, OAKLAND RESIDENT: The idea is that if you set it off, your neighbor would hear it, set theirs off and more people are alert that there's danger.

LAH (voiceover): Her neighbor across the street, 60-year-old retiree David Schneider was shot to death in June, trimming his front tree during the day. He died as Bird and other neighbors tried to save him.

BIRD: I'm not looking for the perfect safe place. I'm looking for a place where the elderly and women with children aren't targeted. I think we can all agree that that needs to change. And so, I feel like it will change and that is why I'm staying.

TROY WELCH, OWNER, LAUREL ACE HARDWARE: Found everything you're looking for OK?

LAH (voiceover): But staying open gets tougher every day for Troy Welch, owner of Laurel Ace Hardware.

WELCH: There's about six of them that comes in.

LAH (voiceover): Welch's store was robbed just hours before we met him.

WELCH: They went through our cash registers. And this is at my office. You can see they're going in, they tried to take a sledgehammer to it. Tried to lift it and he's going to figure out, they're not getting into that safe.

LAH (voiceover): Welch says he loses 10 percent of his merchandise to theft. So, calm in this year, he leaves his registers empty and open, tired of replacing them.

WELCH: It's more brazen, sometimes more violent, I think than what it used to be.

LAH: How long does it take for police to arrive?

WELCH: Forty-five minutes.

LAH: Forty-five minutes. Is that typical?

WELCH: That's probably fast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to know --

LAH (voiceover): Frustration has spilled over in community meetings. Anger often directed that leadership, like the newly elected district attorney who has been on the job just seven months.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's unreal.

DARREN WHITE, OAKLAND NAACP: Hey, I'm a black man, born and raised in Oakland. When I walk out the house every day, I want to be safe. So, if that call for some whoever commits the crime to be prosecuted, so be it. But we want it to be fair and just.

LAH (voiceover): Darren White is with the NAACP Oakland branch, which pend an open letter to their city, blaming failed leadership, the defund the police movement and anti-police rhetoric for creating a hay day for Oakland criminals.

WHITE: We are not trying to say, you know, mass incarcerations and arrest everyone. We want the people that are out here committing these violent crimes arrested and charged.

LAH: Do we need more cops on the street?

WHITE: Yes, we do need more police -- every community needs police.

LAH (voiceover): Flanked by partners in the city, Oakland's interim police chief, Darren Allison, says that Oakland is taking a comprehensive approach to fighting crime.

LAH: They all say that the crime feels different now. Why is that?

INTERIM CHIEF DARREN ALLISON, OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT: So, I think because it is pervasive, not just localized, or even may have (INAUDIBLE) seen maybe gang group violence, I think the feeling has become that it's everywhere.

LAH (voiceover): From cops to crime prevention, funded for 712 officers, Allison says he has 715 on staff.

ALLISON: So, what you're seeing is changes in bail, changes in sentencing.

LAH: Are you saying you need tougher punishment on the backend?

ALLISON: It's everything. It's not just enforcement and punishment, I think accountability comes in many forms.

LAH: Now, in a statement, Oakland's mayor tells us that it is a top priority of her office to reduce gun violence. So, similar to what you heard from the police chief, it is not just all about enforcement from her office's perspective, that it is about a sustained multipronged approach to crime, investigating, prevention as well as looking at the root causes of crime.

And we also heard from the Alameda County district attorney's office, she did not go on camera with us, but instead, directly took on the NAACP, saying that she was "disappointed in what they said." That she felt it was a false narrative and that she would expect more from the NAACP.

Kyung lah, CNN, Los Angeles.

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CHURCH: SpaceX is celebrating its second successful mission in as many days. The company launched 15 Starlink internet satellites just a few hours ago, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Its Falcon 9 first stage rocket came back to earth and landed on a drone ship. About 10 minutes later, SpaceX launched 22 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Sunday night.

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And finally, the filmmaker behind what many consider the most famous car chase in movie history, "The French Connection" director, William Friedkin, has died.

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CHURCH: Among Friedkin's many critics during his long career was "The Exorcist" and "To Live and Die in L.A." His death was announced by his wife, former Paramount pictures CEO Sherry Lansing. Friedkin won the 1972 Academy Award for best director for "The French Connection." Director William Friedkin dead at the age of 87.

And thanks so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. I will be back with more "CNN Newsroom" in just a moment.

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