Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

At least 80 People Killed in Maui Wildfires; Judge Sets Rules for Handling Evidence in Trump Case; Qatar Played Go-Between as Iran Prisoner Deal Worked Out; Special Counsel Named to Investigate Hunter Biden; Ukraine Weighs Evacuation of Kids in Kupiansk Area; Top GOP Candidates Flock to Iowa State Fair. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired August 12, 2023 - 11:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:38]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me from Washington, D.C. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we begin this morning with the apocalyptic destruction in Hawaii, the deadliest natural disaster in state history. At least 80 people are dead. And thousands more displaced from the wildfires.

And now, rescue crews are bringing in cadaver dogs to help search what is left of burned buildings. Devastation from Lahaina fire costing an estimated $5.5 billion in Maui County.

One lawmaker tells CNN the state underestimated the threat of wildfires and failed to plan for communication issues with the emergency alert system. Governor Josh Green has ordered a comprehensive review of the state's response.

All of this developing as we are seeing more videos of harrowing escapes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got to walk somewhere over there by the beach.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) And you will burn. You'll burn.

(EXPLETIVE DELETED)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is going to --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Not like this. Not like this. Not like this. (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. God, God. (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: God. (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. I mean that family did eventually make it to an evacuation shelter, after taking refuge on rocks, by the ocean.

Let's go now to CNN's Mike Valerio who is on Maui. Mike, what is the latest that you're hearing from officials on how to proceed from here?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Fredericka, good morning.

You know, we are standing right in the middle of a shutdown Honoapiilani (ph) highway. This is where scores of motorists, as we zoom in to the darkness here, have been waiting overnight, sleeping in their cars, trucks, SUVs, for hours to get back into Lahaina.

This is the main way in and out of the disaster zone that was opened briefly yesterday but shut down when it was opened from noon to 4:00 p.m.

What did you -- have you been waiting here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've been here since 4:00 yesterday afternoon. All these vehicles have been waiting. We have been -- there's people sleeping. This is not safe. Whatever they're doing -- yes, I'm one of them.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And all we're doing -- what we're doing is trying to go get supplies and come back. And they should escort us back because we've got families. We've got kids. We've got (EXPLETIVE DELETED) going on and this is inadequate management.

I have been in plenty (EXPLETIVE DELETED) disaster zones and this is (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

VALERIO: Ma'am, we will catch up with you later.

So Fredricka, just one, again, of the scores of people who are here, the plan -- what so many people waiting for, is for this entry point right over here to come back open, 6:00 a.m. Local time, so just in about an hour. This is what everybody is waiting for to check to see what is left of their homes.

And on that front, we have new video that came in from the National Guard, and you see dozens and dozens of troops, going through the wreckage of what is left.

We've noticed in some of the frames that troops have started to spray paint exes on what is left of, you know, concrete, wooden structures, to mark that the interiors of buildings have been searched.

But you know, Fredricka, as we started the broadcast a couple of minutes ago, you noted the latest figures that we have from the Pacific Disaster Center and from FEMA, the first real projected total of what it could cost to rebuild Lahaina and the surrounding areas -- $5.52 billion. 2,207 structures damaged or destroyed. 4,500 people is the potential number of citizens here across Maui who will need to be sheltered.

I would say, you know, it is certainly fair to characterize the mood here as one of extreme anxiety.

[11:04:44]

VALERIO: And to that note, you know, we also have some video in the control room of just before sunset yesterday, there was another brush fire that started off, that sparked north of Lahaina, and it caused an evacuation order. Thankfully we were able to report that it is 100 percent contained.

But Fredricka, it broke out near a center that was scheduled to distribute free fuel to people who were running out of gas, who are living in their cars right now. And because of that brush fire, just north of the disaster zone, that give-away that was scheduled for today is shut down. There are no plans to reopen it.

So again, a lot of uncertainty. We're going to keep you posted. We will be here for the next several hours, but we are hoping to get so many of these cars and families back into Lahaina, where it is safe, just to see what is left, so they can decide to do, or can decide what they can do next in the days ahead, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes, lots of uncertainty, lots of frustration, exhibited by the woman that approached you there.

Mike Valerio, I know you're anxious to talk with her again and see what the rest of her and others' experiences have been like.

Thank you so much. We'll check back with you.

All right. Joining me right now is Ilihia Gionson, with the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Ilihia, so good to see you again sadly under these kinds of circumstances. You and I spoke last December during the Mauna Loa eruption.

And we have just seen and heard from the woman who approached our reporter, Mike Valerio, a lot of frustration, you know. And there's still so much more uncertainty, understandably because of these circumstances.

But what are you hearing from people you know on Maui? And what are the frustrations that they've been expressing to you?

ILIHIA GIONSON, HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY: Well, thanks for that, Fredricka. Good to talk to you again, and unfortunately, under these circumstances.

You know, there's lots of frustration. A lot of that frustration is the difficulty in communication. And when you lose power, when you lose connectivity, cell phone connectivity, over such a large area, there's always going to be a thirst for information.

And so it's really difficult to be patient in times like this, but lots of people are working really hard to help those in get out if they need to, and to make sure that whatever area is opened up can be done safely.

WHITFIELD: What have you heard specifically perhaps from people, friends, loved ones, colleagues that are on Maui, and what they've been experiencing?

GIONSON: You know, it's difficult to hear a lot of on the ground observations. We see bits and pieces here and there. Our focus at the Hawaii Tourism Authority has been helping visitors get out.

And the reason for that focus, you know, in our case, the reason for our assignment to that mission is to alleviate the pressure on the community, alleviate the pressure on residents, alleviate the traffic, so that attention and resources can be focused on where it needs to be -- on helping the residents recover.

WHITFIELD: Now, you're joining us from Oahu, right? The island of Oahu, right?

GIONSON: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Where Honolulu is. And so you are also just a wealth of knowledge of the cultural and historical significance of all of the islands.

I remember when we last spoke in December, you just so eloquently helped express to people, you know, so much that is sacred there in Hawaii.

Now for this town of Lahaina, so much loss to these wildfires -- homes, businesses, but it is a place of so much historical significance. A place of burial for Hawaiian kings, royalty.

Talk to me about the unimaginable devastation and the impact on the history there, and the stories of many generations.

GIONSON: Sure, you know, many have characterized Lahaina in the coverage of these fires as a tourist mecca, or a tourist destination. It's certainly attracted the interest and love of many, many people.

But as you said, there's a deep history. Lahaina is a former capital of the Hawaiian kingdom for about 50 years. The capital of Maui's leaders long before that. The former, the royal compound, Moku'ula (ph) surrounded by wetlands, Mokuhano (ph) home to some of the very powerful spirits of Maui.

[11:09:59]

GIONSON: And it's important to recall all of that, and it is also important to keep first and foremost in mind what the families of the area are going through. Because it is really in the families and in the hearts of the komoaina (ph), the residents of those places that those kinds of stories, those kinds of histories live.

And so our hearts, our prayers, all of our lo is with those families who have lost loved ones, who have lost their homes, who have lost businesses, livelihoods, lifestyles. It is just devastating.

WHITFIELD: It is devastating. For those who have survived it, there is that push and pull, right, of leaving, because there is so much destruction, but then it is very difficult for many to leave because they feel like they're abandoning, you know, places they know, that they cherish.

So what has that been like as far as you know, in terms of in Honolulu, there is emergency assistant centers, there are, you know, planes that have been landing empty, to help get people out.

But talk to me about how it is perhaps very difficult to get some people to relocate, even though they have lost everything, or people who want to go see what might remain. Talk to me about that struggle that you're seeing in people there.

GIONSON: It's absolutely difficult. And we heard it in the resident who was talking to Mike. We saw Mike when he first landed in Hawaii, he came to the Hawaii Convention Center first. We talked to him then, but there is so much emotion. And I understand it, I do. People want to go and they want to see. It is a challenge to move that many people through an area that's been devastated the way that Lahaina has.

I mean officials are asking for patience. I understand that is something that is in short supply. It's -- when you have something that devastating, there's lots of unknowns.

You know, we think about electrical wires around. We think about some of the hazardous materials that, you know, people keep their homes. But when the homes are destroyed, what happens to all of that. So lots of unknowns and safety is always going to be important.

WHITFIELD: Very frustrating. Of course, it's hard to find the right answers for all of the predicaments, problems, and challenges.

Ilihia Gionson, thank you so much for being with us again. Appreciate it.

GIONSON: Mahala nui.

WHITFIELD: Mahala.

And for more information on how you can help Hawaii wildfire victims go to CNN.com/impact or text HAWAII to 707070, to donate.

All right to Washington now where a U.S. district judge has issued a protective order barring the former president from publicly disclosing any sensitive information about the election interference case.

CNN's Jessica Schneider has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: The case against Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. Is moving rapidly, and the judge in this case is really being firm on what Trump and his legal team can and cannot disclose about this case to the public.

So Judge Tanya Chutkan, she issued a protective order, and it lays out that Trump and his team cannot disclose any sensitive information given to them during this discovery process. So that includes material about the grand jury or search warrants.

And she also issued several warnings to Trump. She noted that even though he's running a political campaign, he still has to, in her words, yield to the administration of justice.

And she said, if that means that his political speech has to be somewhat limited, then that is how it is going to be. And she said she is going to be carefully scrutinizing statements from Trump and his team. She says anything that can be interpreted to be intimidating to witnesses or prejudicial to potential jurors, it can really threaten the whole process in this case.

So under all of these terms, prosecutors said they are prepared to begin handing over material immediately. That includes 11.6 million pages of documents. It includes hundreds of recordings of witness interviews which Trump, of course, will be prohibited from disclosing publicly.

And now, we will see how quickly this case will go to trial. The prosecution has already said they want it to start January 2nd. Trump's legal team has to propose their start date sometime next week. They will likely propose it after the election in 2024.

But really, at the rate Judge Chutkan is moving, she might want to move closer to the prosecution's proposed January 2024 date. So we will see.

Jessica Schneider, CNN -- Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[11:14:56]

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's talk more about all of this with former federal prosecutor and Robert Mueller's former special assistant at the Department of Justice, Michael Zeldin. He is also the host of "That Said with Michael Zeldin" podcast.

Good to see you, Michael.

So Trump is a criminal defendant and therefore, the court has a right to limit his speech, if he intimidates or harasses witnesses. So what happens if Trump completely ignores the judge's order?

MICHAEL ZELDIN, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Ultimately, the death sentence for him is that he'll be -- his probation, you know, while out on bail here, will be revoked, and there will be a step back, meaning he will be jailed. That is the ultimate weapon that the judge has.

I think though, that she will keep calling them back in and giving them warnings, and imposing gag orders and other intermediary steps.

But ultimately, Trump's liberty is in his own hands. If he elects to continue to flaunt the rules that the judge sets in place, she has the authority to step him back. And we just saw that happen in another case recently.

WHITFIELD: Right. We did indeed. And there was no hesitation in that. Judge Chutkan in this case, at one point, called Trump's political campaign, you know, his day job. So how seriously will the campaign be considered in the context of a trial? I mean we know a date has been set. But we also note there is always wiggle room with that. How will the campaign trail impact the ultimate selection of trial dates?

ZELDIN: According to the judge, not at all. That she is determined to keep politics out of this. And his day job, if you will, running for president, is not her concern. Her concern is the orderly administration of justice, and she is going to adhere to a trial schedule that is consistent with the way in which trials are ordinarily held in the District of Columbia federal courts.

And what she said to Trump's lawyers, which was maybe the ultimate threat, is she said if you keep it up, I'll be forced to move the trial date up closer, rather than further away.

You know, their strategy is delay, delay, delay. Her (INAUDIBLE) is if you keep it up, we're going to have a trial earlier. So, you know, take your choice.

WHITFIELD: So a judge has the discretion to do that, essentially use it, you know, as a threat or leverage that this court is taking this very seriously, this case or any case.

ZELDIN: Exactly. Yes, exactly. What she is saying is I want to make sure we have witnesses protected and we have an honest jury pool here, and one that is not tainted. And if your constant harangues on social media interfere with that, I will no choice but to move this up closer to limit the impact of witness interference or jury tampering.

WHITFIELD: All right. Stick around, Michael Zeldin. We've got more to talk about straight ahead.

Also still to come, shuttle diplomacy. How U.S. and Iranian diplomats worked in separate hotels in Doha, as Qatar officials delayed -- relayed messages back and forth to reach a deal to free four Americans detained in Iran.

Plus, the U.S. attorney general announcing a special counsel in the investigation into Hunter Biden. The stunning twist coming with prosecutors and defense attorneys at an impasse in the case, making it more likely the president's son is heading to trial.

Stay with us.

[11:18:31]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back.

A diplomat from Qatar acted as a key go-between for the deal between the U.S. and Iran that saw four Americans released from an Iranian prison. A U.S. official tells CNN that over the course of more than two years neither side ever directly spoke to the other.

The four Americans remain under house arrest but have all been released from the notorious Evin prison. Three of the four have been identified.

In exchange for their return, the United States will eventually release some $6 billion of Iranian funds that had been frozen. Several Iranian prisoners will also be released from U.S. detention.

CNN national security correspondent Kylie Atwood has been working on this reporting and she is in Washington here this morning to give us more.

So Kylie, what are some of the new details that we're learning?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Listen Fredricka, it was shuttle diplomacy between two separate hotels in Doha, Qatar that developed this deal to release these Americans who were imprisoned in Iran with the American delegation at one hotel and the Iranian delegation at a separate one.

They could see the hotel that the other side was at through the window, but they couldn't talk to one another. The U.S. and Iran don't have formal diplomatic relations, so it was actually Qatari officials that were shuttling back and forth, bringing messages, often texting the U.S. side to let them know logistical updates. Hey, we'll be back in an hour, we'll be back in two hours.

That is this was all figured out and it wasn't really until six months ago that the overall broad contours of the deal began to crystallize. And of course, you laid out what those contours are with the $6 billion dollars that are Iranian funds being moved from South Korea to Qatar over the course of the next few weeks. And also there is expectation that there are Iranians who are imprisoned in the U.S. that are going to be released.

But it was really just days before these four Americans who were imprisoned in Iran were actually released and put under house arrest that U.S. officials realized that their plan was going to actually begin to go into motion here.

And I think it's important to note that there's still a lot of way to go. The U.S. officials are wary, because you know, there is the expectation, according to sources familiar with these negotiations, that there are elements within the Iranian system that don't want this to happen.

[11:24:58]

ATWOOD: And the complexities of what they have laid out here makes this really challenging. Particularly because it's going to happen over the course of the next few weeks to get these Americans home.

But we have heard from U.S. officials who are involved in these negotiations, who are hopeful. The Secretary of State saying that he believes that this is the beginning of the end to this nightmare for these Americans.

WHITFIELD: So house arrest for now. The hope is temporary, before actually making it back to U.S. soil?

ATWOOD: That's right. And so the expectation is hopefully some time in September, according to sources familiar with these negotiations if all turns out well, that these Americans will be back in the U.S. with their families.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kylie Atwood, thank you so much at the State Department. Appreciate it.

Let's get more analysis now on this deal. With me now is Trita Parsi. He is the executive vice president at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and author of the book "Losing An Enemy".

So good to see you. So what did you think of this deal?

TRITA PARSI, EVP, QUINCY INSTITUTE FOR RESPONSIBLE STATECRAFT: Hi Fred.

WHITFIELD: Are you encouraged by it?

PARSI: Certainly encouraged by it. These Americans deserve to come home. They should never have been imprisoned in the first place. They have essentially been hostages.

And it has been nerve-wracking, because these negotiations, as you report, say that has been going on for more than two years. And they have been close several times before. They have never been this close however.

Yet because of this delay of their release, there is reason to be cautious because as your report stated, there are elements in Iran that certainly would like to sabotage this, in the past have been successful in doing so and there are also many, many critics here in Washington and in the United States who would like to stop this as well.

So there's problems and complications on both sides for this to be completely finalized and see these Americans come back home and reunite with their families.

WHITFIELD: So it's still very fragile because of that interim period, this house arrest and like you mentioned, that there are some elements that really in Iran that don't want this to happen. So what should be the stature of Americans or the State Department?

How do they proceed with some confidence of this deal, yet at the same time, some reticence that it is a complete done deal?

PARSI: I think the Biden administration is doing the right thing right now. I think you're going to see a degree of the estimation in other areas as well to maximize the likelihood that this deal will be finalized and that these Americans can come home.

And at the same time be very cautious, because nothing is done until they're setting foot on American soil.

WHITFIELD: And then let's talk a little bit more about the deal that we know. This money, it won't go to directly to Iran, but to a third party, and to be used for humanitarian aid, how important is it to have those conditions in place?

PARSI: I think (INAUDIBLE) for the Biden administration, this is absolutely critical. Because the critics will make the argument that Biden is giving money to the Iranians, which is not the case. This is Iranian money.

But even just releasing it, they want to go that extra length to make sure that that money can only be used for medicine and food items.

And the way that the deal is structured, it is really impossible for the Iranians to use it for anything else but that. so opposing this as some people have done, is to me is a bit curious, because it essentially means we either want the Americans to stay and rot in the prison or you actually want to see the Iranian people starve.

And it is difficult to take that position and at the same time claim that one is on the side of the protesters who have been fighting so courageously for the last year for their freedoms and for their liberties as well. You can't do that and at the same time want to starve them.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Yes. I understand what you're saying. So I wonder, what does this -- does this deal demonstrate anything about whether sanctions against Iran are working?

PARSI: I think more than anything else, it is showing that diplomacy is needed in order to actually get breakthroughs. The only time we have seen the United States successfully change a core Iranian security policy has been through the JCPOA which was preceded by more than two and a half years of very, very intense diplomacy.

Sanctions is part of the mix. It is part of the leverage. But if you want to use it as leverage, you actually have to be willing to lift it, and some of the critics of this deal have always been against lifting the sanctions, which then eliminates them as the bargaining card in the negotiations.

So in order to actually be able to make use of it, you have to offer to lift those sanctions. In this specific instance, all we're talking about is unfreezing of Iranian assets. It is no sanctions that are actually being lifted.

WHITFIELD: Trita Parsi, thank you so much for being with us.

PARSI: Thank you for having me.

[11:29:54]

WHITFIELD: All right. Straight ahead, U.S. Attorney general Merrick Garland has named a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden after plea talks with the Justice Department fell apart. What it means for the investigation and why some Republican lawmakers are upset by this decision, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has once again appointed a special counsel to oversee another high profile case. This time, it's the Hunter Biden investigation. Garland has now elevated David Weiss to special counsel status.

Weiss has been leading the years-long probe of President Biden's son. And he recently requested that he be given special counsel designation after plea talks with Hunter Biden's lawyers to resolve tax and gun charges fell apart.

[11:34:53]

WHITFIELD: CNN's Marshall Cohen is joining us right now. Marshall, walk us through how this came about and where this investigation might go from here.

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey Fred, it's a whole new ball game now for this investigation with David Weiss becoming a special counsel.

Merrick Garland, the attorney general, made the announcement yesterday at a news conference. He did not take any questions and he did not really give a robust explanation for why this was happening now in the process.

What was happening outside of that press conference maybe was providing the answer. In a court filing, David Weiss and his team disclosed to the judge that is overseeing this case that pre- negotiations have collapsed and that they now believe a trial is appropriate.

That's remarkable, Fred. A trial against the son of the sitting president of the United States and that incredibly unprecedented situation and the high stakes attached to it appears to be one of the leading reason why that David Weiss believes that special counsel designation was appropriate at this time.

So it looks like they may be heading to a trial. This was going to be revolved in a plea deal with misdemeanors and probably no jail time. But at this point, Fred, all bets are off. And we'll see how this goes.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Lots of uncertainty still. All right. Marshall Cohen, thanks so much.

All right. Former federal prosecutor Michael Weiss -- sorry about that. Michael Zeldin -- I'm thinking about this Weiss case. He's back with me right now, to discuss the developments.

Michael so, you know, now the special counsel Weiss has been investigating Hunter Biden since the beginning of 2019, after being appointed U.S. attorney for Delaware by then President Trump.

So what is the significance of Weiss now given special counsel status?

ZELDIN: Well, it does a couple of things. One is it insulates him a little bit more from the allegation that this is being weaponized -- DOJ, headed by Merrick Garland, blah-blah-blah.

It also helps him in his attempts to hold back the congressional enquirers who have wanted him to testify on the Hill, and have questioned whether or not he has the authority to do the whole investigation. You have the IRS whistleblower who is accusing him of bad faith.

So all of these are the types of extraordinary circumstances that the special counsel regulations contemplate. And I think Merrick Garland did the safe thing in elevating him from U.S. attorney in charge of this investigation to special counsel in charge of this investigation.

WHITFIELD: So you see it as both a legal strategy and a political strategy?

ZELDIN: Yes, I think so. I think the special counsel regulations say when there are extraordinary circumstances and the public interest is best served by the appointment of a special counsel, one shall be appointed.

And I think that as Marshall said, when Merrick Garland looked at this and said well, these are pretty extraordinary circumstances. The prosecution of the president's son and the public interest being, you know, called into question because of Republican attacks from the Hill, and the IRS whistle-blower, the safer thing is to appoint Weiss as a special counsel to take all those issues off the table.

WHITFIELD: Ok. So now, you know, it does look like it is headed toward trial, but again, anything could happen. You know, this plea deal fell apart. Still unknown publicly why it failed.

We know the judge expressed concerns that investigations were not complete. So how will that misstep, you know, impact how the special counsel moves forward, widen the scope of probes, or even how Hunter Biden's attorneys might prepare?

ZELDIN: Yes. So it seems as if where the breakdown was, was the view of whether or not the tax and gun charges for which Hunter Biden was prepared to plead guilty would end everything. The prosecutor said no, no, there's still the Foreign Agent

Registration Act, FARA, as it is known, aspect of the investigation. That is still ongoing.

The defense attorney said we thought that was off the table once we pleaded guilty. The prosecutor says no you're mistaken. The plea breaks down and it seems as if now that FARA part of the investigation, is what is going to be the biggest problem for Hunter Biden going forward.

How do they deal with this allegation that he improperly received funds from Iran, from China, from everywhere else in the world that they've accused him of receiving funds from. And we'll see how it plays out.

WHITFIELD: Can you have a fair trial after you have attempted to plead on some of those charges and now a trial might involve those same charges again?

[11:39:57]

ZELDIN: It's a great question. In this case, what's interesting is when the plea gets revoked, and they have to bring criminal charges, what would have been a plea in Delaware is now going to be a criminal trial in either the District of Columbia or California. So you've got a whole new jury pool to consider.

So yes, it always looks funny when you say I was going to plead guilty, but then I'm not going to and I want to go to trial. But I think the jurors will be instructed about that and you have to put that aside and they'll move forward with the trial if that is what happens.

I still think there will be a plea agreement but we'll have to see.

WHITFIELD: All right. Michael Zeldin, thanks so much.

ZELDIN: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right.

Coming up, a major military scandal in Ukraine. President Zelenskyy dismissed officials in charge of all regional military recruitment centers amid widespread corruption while Russian shelling continues on the eastern front.

We'll go live to Ukraine next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:50:00]

WHITFIELD: All right.

Traffic is once again flowing across the Crimean Bridge after three Ukrainian missiles were shot down. That's according to a Russian- backed official.

Meantime, Ukrainian authorities are discussing a possible mandatory evacuation of children in Kupiansk, in the Kharkiv region as Russia intensifies its shelling.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is in Dnipro, Ukraine. Nick, what is the latest?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, remarkable scenes at the Kerch bridge which is perhaps the only non- dependent part of ways from accessing the annexed part of Ukraine, the Crimean Peninsula from the Russian mainland.

It has been under attack before in October and July. It appears that's happened again now and the scenes that Russian holidaymakers on the beach there would have seen are extraordinary amounts of smoke around that billion dollar infrastructure.

This appears to have been released by the Russians deliberately to obscure that bridge, perhaps to make it harder for any inbound missiles or drones to hit the bridge. Or perhaps even to obscure any damage, if indeed that had occurred.

Russian officials suggesting that this was two possibly three, missiles aimed at that bridge and adapted (ph) as 200 anti-aircraft missile.

Look, in all these things, it is hard to tell in the hours immediately afterwards, quite what the truth of the matter is.

Explosions were reported there by some onlookers. Hard to tell exactly what the damage was, if any indeed occurred. And as you say, traffic appears to have resumed.

But it is another reminder of Ukraine's increased reach, ability to hit infrastructure, that is some ways I think quite dear to Vladimir Putin. He's visited that bridge on multiple occasions. It cost him an absolutely fortune and a reminder too of the Ukraine's ability to project power so much further toward Russia than we saw at the start of the war.

But you mentioned too, the evacuation of Kupiansk, shocking reminders, to be honest, in the last 24 hours of how vulnerable children are in this conflict from Russian indiscriminate attacks.

We saw two missiles landing near a children's playground in Zaporizhzhia at a hotel yesterday. Now it is the turn of children in Kupiansk, that city under significant Russian bombardment as Russia appears, tries to change the narrative on the front line and distract Ukrainian troops to slow its advance.

Kupiansk near the city Kharkiv. Now the suggestion they're going to have to get the 500 or so children out as quickly as they can. They are close on the front line, they've had to come back to that city after liberation last year, now, likely on the move again, Fredricka? WHITFIELD: Very volatile. All right. Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so

much.

And a moment of normality in Ukrainian city of Odessa? The area's beaches have been reopened for the first time since the Russian invasion. You can see people are seriously taking advantage of that moment. Odessa once thrived with busy holiday resorts but has been a site of relentless shelling almost since the war began. And authorities say the beach will still be closed to swimmers during air- raid alerts. But for now, some respite.

All right. Still to come, Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis possibly crossing paths at the Iowa state fair? We'll take you to Des Moines, next.

[11:48:17]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It's politics deep fried and on a stick. Top GOP presidential candidates are stumping at the Iowa state fair this weekend just weeks before the first Republican debate.

Former president Trump, the current frontrunner, is set to speak there this afternoon.

CNN'S senior national correspondent Kyung Lah is at the fair and joining me right. So Kyang, set the stage for us. But more importantly, what's for

lunch? You have shared all the culinary delights with us all week long.

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I will spare you me eating another pork chop on camera for right now.

WHITFIELD: Oh yes.

LAH: We are truly in the thick of it when it comes to what's going to be happening politically here at the Iowa state fair. I want to give you a live look of what's happening right now.

We have Florida governor Ron DeSantis sitting down with Iowa's governor, a popular governor, Kim Reynolds, a Republican, who has really given stage to some of the Republican candidates here in Iowa doing what she is calling Fair Side Chat, talking about their various talking points and going over their vision for the Republican Party.

But ass DeSantis is sitting there speaking with Governor Reynolds, up above we can hear a plane flying. That plane is pulling a banner. That banner says, if you can take a look, it says "Be Likable Ron".

So someone, we don't know who, is paying for this, but taking a dig at Ron DeSantis, foreshadowing Donald Trump's arrival. He is expected here a little later this afternoon. It's unclear if these two will have any sort of facetime or they'll brush by each other. This is a very large state fair, so that may not happen. What we're seeing throughout the day as well, a number of Republican

candidates are also coming here, trying to get the fried food in, make connections with voters. We have seen Vivek Ramaswamy, as well as Nikki Haley here talking with the governor and talking with voters, Fred.

[11:54:48]

WHITFIELD: Yes. The place is huge. And in fact, Kyang tell us about this moment involving candidate Vivek Ramaswamy earlier.

LAH: You know, yes, this is a lighthearted event in some ways. It's also unpredictable and unscripted but here at the Iowa State Fair and I want you to listen to what Vivek Ramaswamy did after he was done with his fair side chat.

(RAPPING)

LAH: he is someone who was rapping through college, AND you know, really taking the reins of "Lose Yourself" by Eminem. And he just started to, you know, karaoke. I can tell you as something who did try to karaoke this in a (INAUDIBLE) club is very difficult.

So Fredricka, a moment here for Vivek Ramaswamy.

WHITFIELD: A moment indeed, hey. It looked like he nailed that moment. And it looks like he was showing some personality there in that moment.

It's all about the moments at the Iowa state fair.

Kyung Lah, thank you so much.

All right. And this quick programming note, what it's really like in the post pandemic restaurant world.

The Food Network's Bobby Flay joining "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER" to see how the industry is adapting. Don't miss the new episode tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. Eastern only on CNN.

We'll be right back.

[11:56:25]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)