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Hawaii Death Toll Rising; Hawaii Wildfires Deemed Deadliest US Fire in Over a Century; Interview with Maui Resident Clint Hansen; Trump Election Case to be Heard by Grand Jury This Week; White House Refuses to Respond to Inquiries About Hunter Biden's Special Counsel; Ukraine Reportedly Targets Crimean Bridge; Zelenskyy Crackdown on Corruption; Russia's War on Ukraine; Missiles Fired by Ukraine Were Shot Down Over Kerch Bridge; Analysts: Russia Making Its Version of Iranian Drones; Migrant Crisis in New York; For 32 Weeks in a Row, Israelis Protest on Judicial Overhaul; Residents of Lahaina Get First Glimpse of Wildfire Aftermath; 6 People Dead After Migrant Boat Capsizes in the English Channel; U.S. Migrant Crisis; 2024 U.S. Presidential Race; Republican Presidential Hopefuls Appear at Iowa State Fair; Rare Deal to Release American Detainees in Iran; Women's World Cup; Space Race to Explore the Moon's South Pole. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired August 13, 2023 - 04:00   ET

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

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[04:00:00]

LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world. I'm Laila Harrak.

Hawaii copes with the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. We'll speak with one Maui resident about what life on the island has become.

Donald Trump's legal troubles in the state of Georgia could be coming to a head. We'll tell you the message from the prosecutor to certain witnesses. And how the White House is responding after a special counsel is appointed to look into President Biden's son, Hunter, and why some Republicans say they're still not satisfied with the investigation.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN center, this is "CNN Newsroom with Laila Harrak."

HARRAK: We begin in Hawaii where days after wildfires decimated parts of Maui, the death toll is rising. Authorities have now confirmed 89 deaths, making the fires the deadliest in the United States in more than a century. And that number is expected to climb even more in the coming days as crews sift through the devastation caused by the fires. Governor Josh Green says, the area has suffered some $6 billion in losses, with some 2,200 structures damaged or destroyed, vast majority of them residential.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GOV. JOSH GREEN (D-HI): This is the largest natural disaster we've ever experienced. It's going to also be a natural disaster that's going to take an incredible amount of time to recover from. So, in the next few days as we characterize how many people we've lost and how many people are coming into our community, please understand that we come at this like an ohana, because it's going to be, in the short- term, heartbreaking, in the long-term, people are going to need mental health care services, and the very long term we'll rebuild together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Hawaiians are already taking it on themselves to answer the call for help with groups from nearby islands working together to bring in much needed relief and supplies to Lahaina by boat. While many residents of Lahaina are growing frustrated, officials say, they know people want to get back to where they live but in many places it's just not safe.

CNN's Mike Valerio shows us the long lines of those wanting to see what's left of their homes and what they're dealing with.

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MIKE VALERIO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is the next chapter of recovery here in Lahaina. This is the main road that goes into the decimated town, it's about a 20-minute drive as this utility workers go past us. As we zoom in, this is the main checkpoint. It has been off limits up until yesterday around noon. That is when this roadway, the Honoapiilani Highway, reopened to traffic then shut down after too many people were going into restricted areas of the ruins.

So, as we work over this way, you can see that the line to get in goes on and on behind us, more than a mile. So, people now are waiting to see if they're able to get in and what police are telling drivers at that checkpoint, they can only get in if they are residents or tourists who were staying at hotels within the disaster zone. We spoke to motorists before dawn. Listen to what they told us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got out here by 11:00, made it all the way to the other side. I was done by 3:00 picking up all the supplies I got. And then got to here and I've been here since 3:00 in the afternoon.

VALERIO: You've been here since 3:00.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we -- nobody -- none of has moved. My worker sits up there, two trucks. My other -- I got three other co-workers down there, they're back there, they've been here the whole time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's either laughter or tears, you know. So, when I talk to all of the people in our business that have been affected, and we had -- about 14 people lost their houses. And so, we're just trying to do the most good we can, but it's really frustrating when you can't.

VALERIO: Now, we do have updated figures and projections from the federal government, 2,207 structures damaged or destroyed by this fire. 4,500 people could be the number of people who live here who will need shelter in the near and long term. So, again, the next chapter begins with getting back to the neighborhood and towns -- town, I should say, that people have loved and called home for decades, but it is uncertain when so many people will make it in to see what exactly has survived.

Mike Valerio, CNN, Maui.

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[04:05:00]

HARRAK: Well, joining me now from Kihei, Hawaii, is Clint Hansen. He's a resident of Maui. Clint, how are you? How is your family since you last spoke with my colleague Jake Tapper on Thursday? Have you been able to reconnect with friends that were missing at the time?

CLINT HANSEN, MAUI RESIDENT: Yes. All my family is fortunate to be safe. We were here on the south side. Most of my friends have been accounted for at this point. Most harrowing which is Mike Cecino (ph), I actually did an interview with him today and talked to him about his experience, and it has been nothing short of a miracle that he survived, along with several dogs that he was taking care of.

And it was much, much faster than I thought. I thought it took several hours for the town to burn, but they saw the flames right around 3:30. And by the time he got out -- he turned back around, got his family, headed out and the town was already engulfed flames. They were down by the ocean at 4:00, trapped in traffic because they got bottlenecked. And the town was already almost completely on fire at that time. So, in less than 30 minutes the town was nearly completely engulfed.

He was next to a van. They ran out from it and went over the wall as flames were coming over the top of the building. There were propane canisters all over a party truck and they were exploding. And he said it wasn't like, you know, one bomb, it was like a sustained explosion for several hours as flames blowtorched over the top of them. And afterwards he showed me some of the videos of everybody, and they were all just completely covered in soot. Their eyes swollen shut black from everything that had been coming through to them.

Most of my paint ball friends over on the west side lost everything. I happen to also own the field -- the paint ball field out there and it's been tough. We will definitely rebuild so long as we're given the ability to. People are worried that the state is going to take their land and their homes away, which is very reminiscent of historical past issues and cultural issues. And we're hoping for opportunities to make Lahaina better than it was before.

We're really happy to see many of our friends be reunited. We were scouring shelter lists. And then we were at Hitter's Paradise and they were our baseball friends, they had never had to go to a shelter. They had been with friends over on central Maui. So, we're really happy about that.

I was out there surveying the land with my drone, which is that's what I've been doing throughout the process and how everybody knows me because I've been keeping track of where the fires are and how they've been progressing. And so, many people want to go out there. And it's really bad to have every resource overwhelmed with too many individuals not seeking to help, but just check on things. So, I took my drone and I surveyed all of Lahaina. And right now, people are going on and looking at their damage and checking their homes to see if they're there in order to alleviate the congestion.

This seems to be a problem with a breakdown in communication. There was no 9-1-1 available. Electricity was out. Social media was down. People didn't get any kind of text communication that the fire had even started. And I hear stories of people outside of their apartment buildings, you know, apartment buildings that didn't even burn, which there's very, very few buildings that didn't burn. But all the buildings nearby them (ph), they're sitting in small areas where there wasn't fire engulfing everything. Watching other building that may fall over, succumb to asphyxiation and dying, having to crawl for shelter.

Right now, most people have lost everything in that area. There's very few people. And the ones that have something, they're going to go home to what? Their neighbors are gone. Maui is a community of its people. And most of the people I'm talking to have to go. They're just going to have to go to the mainland. Find somewhere else because their resources are already spread thin here for housing. Our county doesn't have enough people to process the permits as it is before this fire.

So, we're trying to seek resolution for other options as opposed to having to go through a permitting process. Maybe an insurance bond to protect the owners. It's just a quagmire and we don't know how to quite recover. But we're very grateful for everybody's donations and thank you for those -- all the donations to Maui United Way and friends of Children's Justice Center.

[04:10:00]

It's meant a lot to Maui's people and the individual donations, too.

HARRAK: Clint, it's just so heartbreaking and thank you so much for sharing some of those harrowing experiences with us. And we're so happy that you and your family and your friends are OK considering the circumstances and we wish you all the best.

HANSEN: Thank you so much. Aloha.

HARRAK: Well, for more information on how to help those impacted by the Hawaii wildfires please go to cnn.com/impact.

We are seeing the clearest indication yet that a prosecutor in Georgia is moving forward with her case against Former U.S. President Trump. CNN's Marshall Cohen has details.

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MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: It looks like all systems are go for the Fulton County district attorney to present her case to a grand jury early this week in her investigation of Former President Donald Trump and his attempts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia.

CNN previously reported that this was expected in in the coming days, but we now know that some of the witnesses who were subpoenaed to testify were told specifically to show up on Tuesday, and that means that the proceedings may begin Monday going into Tuesday. One of those witnesses is an independent journalist named George Chiti (ph) who witnessed some of the fake pro-Trump electors meeting at the statehouse in Atlanta in December 2020.

And another key figure who will head to the grand jury on Tuesday is Former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan. Here's what he told our colleague Fredricka Whitfield on Saturday.

GEOFF DUNCAN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR AND FOMER GEORGIA LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: I did just receive notification to appear on Tuesday morning at the Fulton County grand jury. And I certainly will be there to do my part in recounting the facts. I have no expectations as to the questions and I'll certainly answer whatever questions put in front of me. And certainly, don't want to go any deeper than that to, you know, jeopardize or compromise the investigation. But, look, the -- for me, this is a story that is important for Republicans to hear, Americans to hear. Let's hear the whole truth and nothing but the truth about Donald Trump's action in the surrounding cast of characters around him.

COHEN: Duncan who was now a CNN Contributor is a Republican, and he was in office when Trump tried to pressure Georgia state officials to flip the results and overturn the will of the voters. Fulton County district attorney, Fani Willis, an elected Democrat launched a criminal investigation in 2021. The probe has steadily expanded overtime. She is scrutinizing Trump's attempts to interfere with the vote counting and the election certification. She's also looking at the fake elector scheme, as well as efforts by Trump supporters to breach an election system in rural Coffee County.

State prosecutors are expected to give that one or two-day presentation to the grand jury this week. CNN has previously reported that Fani Willis is eyeing conspiracy and racketeering charges known as Rico, and is expected to pursue indictments against, perhaps, more than a dozen defendants. Trump has already been indicted federally on charges stemming from his attempts to subvert the 2020 election and disenfranchise voters. He pleaded not guilty and he has claimed that the probe in Atlanta is just another witch hunt.

Marshall Cohen, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Well, as Former President Trump deals with the investigation in Georgia, the current president, Joe Biden is facing pressure over a different probe, this one involving his son, Hunter. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez explains how the White House is reacting to that case.

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PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: The White House is maintaining its no comment strategy after Attorney General Garland announced that the U.S. attorney leading the Hunter Biden probe would be special counsel. Now, that is consistent with the strategy the White House has taken before over various Justice Department actions.

And in a statement to CNN, White House Spokesperson Ian Sams said the following when asked about the latest announcement. Saying, "We will refer you to DOJ or to Hunter Biden's personal representatives." Now, the White House did not receive a heads up ahead of the attorney general announcing that there would be a Hunter Biden special counsel, that too was consisted with other Justice Department actions.

But of course, this is a case that the Bidens were hoping to put behind them and close that chapter after that expected plea deal that fell apart. But now, they are going to face a continued criticism from Republicans as these legal proceedings unfold. Republicans on Capitol Hill have flirted with a potential impeachment inquiry into Biden. When asked about that, the White House has said that that is baseless and a stunt.

But it is all to say that the White House continues to face fierce criticism from Republicans over the Hunter Biden probe even in -- on the heels of this announcement by the attorney general.

[04:15:00]

The president, for his part, has not weighed in on this publicly, but previously has said that he and the first lady, Jill Biden, love and support their son.

Priscilla Alvarez, CNN at the White House.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Ukrainian missiles reportedly go after a strategic Russian supply line. Still ahead, Russia air defenses get busy as Ukrainians, apparently, targets the Crimean Bridge again.

Plus, a Ukrainian activist reacts to a new crackdown on corruption and military recruitments. You'll hear why she believes the move is important to average Ukrainians.

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HARRAK: Russia says, it shot down a Ukrainian drone in the Belgrade region for the second day in a row. The drone was reportedly intercepted, Sunday morning, without causing damage or casualties. That happened a day after reported Ukrainian missile attack on the strategic Crimean Bridge. This video appears to show Russian air defenses at work before they shot down three missiles, according to Russian appointed officials.

[04:20:00]

Moscow says, the attack didn't cause any new damage.

Meanwhile, British researchers say Russia has acquired the know how to make Ukrainian military drones. They say Moscow has started making its own version of the drones and will likely be able to go ahead with their mass production.

Let's get you more on these developments. Clare Sebastian joins us now live from London. Good morning, Clare. What more do we know about the missile attack on the Crimean Bridge?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Laila, good morning. We know that the Russian military defense is saying that this happened in two stages, a couple of hours apart in the early afternoon of Saturday. The pro-Russian head of Crimea saying that involved, as you say, three missiles, modified air defense missiles. He says -- they're saying, no damage, but of course, it's difficult to tell because it seems that some kind of smoke screen, we're hearing, was, sort of, put up over the bridge which could obscure any damage. But as of yet it doesn't seem that there has been.

Now, obviously the Crimean Bridge is of huge significance. It's not only the only physical link between Russia and occupied Crimea, but also a major, sort of, military supplier even though the Russian ministry of foreign affairs is claiming that this was an attack, they say, on a piece of purely civilian infrastructure, that does not bear out. I think it's also got huge symbolic value for Russia. A way of legitimizing the annexation of Crimea and this current ongoing by, sort of, being able to show this physical link between Russia and Crimea.

So, for Ukraine which hasn't said anything about these latest missile attacks, has claimed responsibility for attacking the bridge in the past. This is a way of, sort of, showing that this bridge is now in play. That they see it as a legitimate target, that rubicon has been crossed. And also, that the bridge is, itself, is illegitimate because, of course, according to international law, Russia's annexation of Crimea was illegal. So, I think it's part of a messaging strategy from Ukraine as well.

HARRAK: And Clare, what do you make of these reports that Russia has started producing its own version of Iranian military drones? How much of a game changer would that be?

SEBASTIAN: So, look, we know that Russia certainly has been looking for ways to increase its pipeline of these drones. Iran has been providing them even though they decline doing that during the war. The U.S. has reported that Iran was helping Russia build a factory of -- for building these drones on Russian soil. So, this will take that one step further to actually a Russian version -- a modified version of the Shahed drone.

I think it's significant because it shows just how much Russia needs to replace them. They are, in many ways, disposable on the battlefield. It shows that there would be an -- there's an ongoing strategy, really, of using drones, not only for reconnaissance but also attack, trying to find holes in Ukrainian air defense. But also, if you're setting up factors, if you're standing up new production lines, that signals that Russia is in this for the long haul, willing to really invest in this war, and of course, that is not good news going forward for Ukraine.

HARRAK: Clare Sebastian in London, thank you so much for your continued coverage.

And Ukraine is stepping up its crackdown on suspected corruption in military recruitments on Friday. President Zelenskyy fired all heads of regional recruitment centers across the board. Mr. Zelenskyy accused of them of using their jobs for profiteering while the country is at war. One anti-corruption activist says the move was not only about the suspects but also about average Ukrainians. This is what she told me about an hour ago when I asked her how important it is for Mr. Zelenskyy to clamp down on corruption.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TETIANA SHEVCHUK, HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, ANTI-CORRUPTION ACTION CENTER: Corruption is perceived as treason by many Ukrainians, especially in the war time. So, any allegations of corruption, they are coming as dismoral for people and there is a huge outrage for each and every news of instance of corruption. That's why for President Zelenskyy, it's very important to fight corruption just to get their system to work properly but also to show the people that the government is doing their job.

HARRAK: Now, this has been a very public announcement by the president dismissing everyone. Does this mean that everyone was guilty of corruption, all conscription offices had problems, or is this more meant as a message domestically and to Ukraine's western backers? I mean, what has been the reaction so far?

SHEVCHUK: So, we are talking about dismissal around 20 officers, the head of military recruitment centers. That's why it's very important to understand that not everyone is accused of corruption but so many of them.

[04:25:00]

And because of their inefficiency of these military centers, there was a need to show people that the government is on top of the problem. They're -- we should understand that the system is inheritance of their old Soviet resonance (ph) system, and we didn't have enough time to do their reform. Their reform only started several months before the invasion and there -- and the problems were piling up. And there was a lot of bureaucracy and corruption allegations on many levels. Therefore Putin, veterans, and wounded soldiers is also a sign that the system is changing and it will be better in upcoming months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Protesters in Israel have staged more rallies against the government's planned judicial overhaul. In Tel Aviv thousands of people showed up on Saturday for the 32nd weekend in a row. Demonstrators say, they want to keep up the pressure on the ruling coalition, fearing their package of judicial reforms will weaken the courts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the 32nd Saturday night here. And I'm here because I believe more than Netanyahu and his government are doing to my country, to his country, to our country is dangerous. I think our democracy is in stank (ph). And I'm trying to watch and keep my parents' country, they built the country and I'm trying to keep this country for my daughter as well and for myself as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: While last month, the government passed the first major bill of the overhaul plan but the Supreme Court has said it would hear challenges to it this September.

And when we come back, the death toll in Hawaii wildfires continues to grow. We'll have the latest.

Plus, New York says it's out of options for dealing with an influx of immigrants. We'll tell you why some migrants are being told to leave the shelters. That story and more coming up.

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[04:30:00]

HARRAK: Days after wildfires decimated parts of Maui, the death toll is still rising. Just moments ago, we learned authorities have now confirmed 93 deaths, and that number is expected to climb even more in the coming days. The fires are the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century. Many residents of Lahaina are growing frustrated. And officials say, they know people want to get back to where they live but in many places it's just not safe. State officials say, they understand.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GOV. SYLVIA LUKE, (D) HAWAII: I know individuals are very frustrated and people want to get back to the -- their homes. You know, there have been structures that have not been -- that have not been destroyed and individuals want to go back. And so, we're deferring to the counties to determine what access could be open.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: While for those who have made it back home, what they found has been difficult to bear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY LA PUENTE, LAHAINA RESIDENT: This would be like the front door right here. Starbuck tumbler. Sturdy. It takes a toll on you emotionally, mentally, and then, of course, physically. All that damage up there got the fire department working hard. Just life in general, how quickly it can just go like that, literally in a blink of an eye. I don't mean to say it this way but it's literally like watching one of them cooking shows and all of a sudden you see a quick flame. That's how quickly things got out of control.

JORDAN CHEE, LAHAINA RESIDENT: This is a front foyer and there was a stair that run up to three bedrooms. I was panicking because my sons were still here. I didn't know if they had gotten out. And I lost communication with them and finally they came out. It was just mad chaos. I don't know if they were given enough notice. You saw the fire, basically, you just had to run. It's very sad in this island. The island is gone. It doesn't exist anymore. This whole town is concerned.

FREDDY CAMACHO, LAHAINA RESIDENT: A girl that I ran into yesterday, had a brand-new car. The car's -- that's probably part of her car right there. To be honest, I don't know if it's ever going to be livable again. I don't know if -- I mean, what's all this is like. It looks still smoldering. It's toxic. Hazardous. I don't know. So, I don't know if it could be months. It could never happen. I don't know. So, I'm not even sure what I'm going to do yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Now at least six people have died after a boat carrying dozens of migrants capsized in the English Channel. French officials say, rescue teams pulled nearly 60 people from the water, two remain unaccounted for. It's another tragedy in one of the world's busiest waterways. Human traffickers routinely send small, overcrowded boats from France to the U.K. The ship that sank was just one of dozens that were launched from France on Saturday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN-PIERRE FINOT, FRENCH NATIONAL SEA RESCUE SOCIETY (through translator): They were in trouble. There was the problem of seasickness, and then also the boats were quite simply overloaded. They overloaded the boats so the boats can no longer move forward. The last boat where we intervened was too full.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: While British authorities are hoping to stop the dangerous crossings but haven't made much progress. On Thursday alone, more than 750 people were detected crossing the channel to the U.K. And nearly 16,000 have made the treacherous journey just this year. French officials say, the U.K. needs to do more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATACHA BOUCHART, CALAIS, FRANCE MAYOR (through translator): Today, we must impose or threaten somehow so that the British would radically change their ways of welcoming refugees, or that they change their working methods. In any case, they could at least have the decency to open a reception facility on the other side of the border.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: While officials in New York say they're out of options in dealing with the migrant crisis there. The city's nearly 200 shelters are overwhelmed. CNN's Polo Sandoval gives a rare look inside the system struggling to cope.

[04:35:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. TED LONG, SVP, NYC HEALTH AND HOSPITALS: As we've seen the numbers of asylum seekers at the border go down, we've seen our numbers in New York City take the opposite direction and go up.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Senior city officials faced a grilling this week from city council members who were told that hundreds of adult asylum seekers have been issued 60 days' notice to leave city shelters. Part of a policy Mayor Eric Adams announced. It requires migrants without children who have been in city shelters for a significant amount of time to find other means of housing.

ERIC ADAMS, NEW YORK MAYOR: We will work to help those who are needing to move out of shelter and take their next steps forward.

DIANA AYALA, NYC COUNCIL MEMBER: It almost feels like we're sacrificing one group of people because we have a high responsibility to children and, you know, and families.

SANDOVAL (voiceover): New York city officials insist they are completely out of options, and say all you have to do is look inside any of the city's nearly 200 shelters.

Like this one in a building next to New York's JFK air cargo terminals that normally serves as a postal facility. Now, it's serving as a temporary home for some 750 male asylum seekers. The space typically dedicated to sorting mail during the holidays now a massive dormitory. The parking lot, bathrooms and showers. The loading dock, a makeshift prayer room.

ZACH ISCOL, COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK CITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Initially, a lot of folks coming here were from Venezuela. We know, and a lot of these places have 12, 14, 15 different languages spoken.

SANDOVAL (voiceover): Zach Iscol is New York City's emergency management commissioner.

ISCOL: Every day, we have about 500 people for -- 300 to 500 people that we're looking for room for. Looking for place for. We can't open up sites fast enough.

So, as you can see this is sort of the layout here.

SANDOVAL (voiceover): He offered CNN this rare look inside one of the city's nearly 200 sites currently being used to house about 60,000 migrants and counting. This particular site serves as a so-called respite center, originally designed to meet short term and basic housing needs, but not anymore warns the commissioner.

ISCOL: We modeled this after the emergency storm shelters we've set- up for coastal storms. Those are designed just to house people for, generally, 48 to 72 hours. We now have folks that are staying in these facilities for much longer, upwards of, you know, a month, a month and a half.

SANDOVAL (voiceover): Iscol admits the facility is not ideal for long term housing, but with the options running out, residents are making do. Some skip the laundry mat and air dry their clothes. Then there's this makeshift barber shop on the main floor. Only room for one client at a time.

But none of this is sustainable, according to Iscol and his fellow city officials. Finding migrant families private shelter space is a whole other challenge. Yet the city's primary intake center in Manhattan, we met Zoryelis Mistaje where she waits to be assigned long-term housing for her family.

We don't know where they'll place us, says the Venezuelan mother.

Like many of the nearly 100,000 asylum seekers who have arrived in New York since last spring, the only guarantee is uncertainty.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: The Biden administration is asking Congress to approve a temporary program to help house migrant families. The White House is asking for $2.2 billion for border management operations, including shelter and services for migrants. If approved, some funds would be used to set up new facilities for families. President Biden ended the controversial practice of family detention when he came into office.

Homeland security officials say, the new housing program is not family detention. They say, the money will allow officials to fund temporary housing facilities and services to manage families through the immigration process quickly and facilitate their removal for those who do not have a legal basis to stay.

Republican presidential hopefuls are making their cases to voters at the Iowa State Fair. The current front-runners Former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are hoping to prop up their campaigns, all while making digs at each other. Jeff Zeleny tells us what they're saying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The Iowa State Fair on Saturday was a playground for presidential candidates including, of course, Former President Trump who arrived here in Des Moines at the very time it was being learned that the Georgia grand jury will continue their investigation and interview some witnesses next week.

Of course, the former president, defiant about that role in the Georgia election back in 2020 when he is accused of trying to meddle in that election. Now, he said he defended that phone call he made to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, calling it a perfectly fine call as he arrived here at the fair. He also talked about his front- runner status in this race. Of course, he is leading the race at the moment, five months before the Iowa caucuses open the 2024 campaign, but he said he's taking nothing for granted.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND U.S REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So, we'll be back. We are not taking any chances. We're wat up in the polls in Iowa and all over the country. We're up by over 50 points, that's a lot.

[04:40:00]

But we don't want to take any chances. We'll be back. We love you very much.

ZELENY: And Trump only stayed at the fair for just a couple of hours. But his rival stayed for far longer. Greeting many voters, making their case to them why they should be the alternative. Now, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had his children and family in tow, riding the bumper cars, taking some turns playing games. He also was talking about his leading rival Donald Trump and about his refusal to sign that debate pledge.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT CANDIDATE: You don't take your ball and go home. It's not just about you. You got to be willing to stand up and support the team. I think every candidate should agree to support the nominee, 100 percent.

ZELENY: And Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and former U.N. ambassador in the Trump administration also spending considerable time here at the Iowa State Fair as she has been doing for months, holding town meetings across the state. She is calling for a new generational leaders, and she said it's time for the party to move on.

NIKKI HALEY, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT CANDIDATE: Don't complain about what happens in a general election if you don't play in this caucus. It matters. It matters.

ZELENY: So, it's five months to go before the Iowa caucuses open the 2024 campaign right here. The challenge, of course, is on for many of these candidates to make their case to voters. Many will get a chance to do so at that Republican presidential debate, now less than two weeks away in Milwaukee. Some, of course, will not make the debate stage, making it even more challenging to appeal for voters.

But one thing is clear, talking to many voters over the last several days here in Iowa, yes, many support Donald Trump. Many are still fans of his, but many also are questioning these indictments and simply if he can win a general election. One thing that's clear, the next phase of this campaign will be an aggressive one and many candidates have an opening they'll try and walk through.

Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Des Moines.

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HARRAK: Coming up on "CNN Newsroom," several Americans who have spent years in Iran's most notorious prison could soon be returning home. Inside the deal that could make that dream a reality, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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HARRAK: Five Americans who have spent years in Iran's notorious Evin Prison have now been released on house arrest. It's the first part of a deal between the U.S. and Iran that has been years in the making. Sources say, if all goes well, the Americans will soon be on their way home, and $6 billion maybe on the line. Kylie Atwood has the details.

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KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was shuttle diplomacy between two separate hotels in Doha, Qatar, that yielded the outlines to this deal that we saw begin to play out earlier this week. The American delegation at one hotel in Doha, they could see outside their window the hotel where the Iranian delegation was located.

And it was Qatari officials that were shuttling back and forth that's because the Iranians and the Americans don't have formal diplomatic relations. They weren't carrying out face-to-face negotiations. The Qataris were bringing messages back and forth, often texting logistical updates the Americans as to when they'd be back at the hotel according to U.S. officials familiar with these negotiations.

And that official said that it was about six months ago that the general contours of this deal began to crystallize. And, of course, key elements of the deal, according to sources that we have talked to, who are familiar with these negotiations are that, of course, these four Americans, first of all, were released from Iranian prison earlier this week, under house arrest now in Iran. There's also a fifth American who is already placed under house arrest.

And then the expectation is that in the coming weeks, there's $6 billion of Iranian funds that are in a restricted account in South Korea, going to be transferred to a restricted account in Qatar, making it a little bit easier for Iranians to access those funds to limitations. On the fact that they could only use those funds for humanitarian goods. And then the Iranians are saying that there's also a prisoner swap aspect of this deal.

And you talked to officials familiar with these negotiations, they're still wary that this is all going to work because of how complicated this plan actually is. But the secretary of state striking an optimistic tone earlier this week, saying he believes this is the beginning of the end of this nightmare for these Americans who have been imprisoned in Iran.

Kylie Atwood, CNN, the State Department.

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HARRAK: Four countries are in a race to explore the south pole of the moon. We'll tell you what's there and why they want to be first.

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HARRAK: After three weeks of thrills and surprises, the Women's World Cup has come down to its final four teams. England booked the last spot in the semifinals on Saturday after edging out a spirited Colombian team. That South American site took an early one-nil lead but England would storm back with two straight goals, enough to secure the victory.

Earlier, Australia also triumphed in their match against France. It took a marathon penalty shootout. But the co-host scored the winning goal on the 20th kick. And with that, the Australians are heading to their first semifinals in team history. They will face England on Wednesday after Spain take on Sweden in the first round of the semis.

Well, he's known as Mr. W by his students. And now, Atlanta brave fan -- Braves fans are doing their homework about pitcher Allan Winans. He tossed seven shutout innings in the Braves, 21 to 3 win against the former, the New York Mets. The Braves say, Winans supplements his minor league salary in the off season by working as a substitute teacher. This was his first win and just his second appearance in the big leagues.

Now, several countries are in a new space race to explore the moon's south pole, often considered dark and mysterious. But thought to have something very important. Russia's mission had been delayed because of its invasion of Ukraine but now appears to be on track, and it's not alone.

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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEWS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): The race is on to explore the far reaches of the moon. Russia launching its first lunar landing in 47 years with the hopes of beating out the competition and becoming the first country to make a soft landing on the south pole of the moon. If successful, the Luna 25 mission would be an astronomical comeback for Russia, reclaiming some of the glory from the Soviet era space heyday. And putting it at the forefront of a new push by several countries to explore the deep craters of the shadowy part of the moon that's believed to contain water ice.

ASIF SIDDIQI, FORDHAM UNIVERSITY: Russia's aspirations towards the moon are mixed up in a lot of different things. I think, first and foremost, it's an expression of national power on the global stage. Sure, not many people would be paying attention to this, but the right people would be paying attention to this that, oh, Russia's back in the game.

HOLMES (voiceover): The liftoff was delayed for nearly two years, partially because of the backlash over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with the European space agency pulling key camera equipment from the project. And even though Luna 25 is now aloft, it's not alone in its endeavors. The Indian spacecraft, Chandrayaan-3, is already in lunar orbit, eyeing a similar soft-landing spot on the moon on August 23, two days after Russia's ambitious target landing date. But both missions will have to avoid the fate of the Chandrayaan-2 in 2019 which crash landed on the moon's surface.

[04:55:00]

Earlier this week, the crew of NASA's Artemis 2 mission inspected the Orion spacecraft that is set to orbit the moon with astronauts onboard late next year. Artemis 3 will follow with plans to land a crewed spacecraft on the lunar south pole, but NASA says this mission could be changed or delayed if a landing system created by SpaceX isn't ready on time.

China also says, it plans to land astronauts on the moon by the end of the decade, something NASA says is worrying if they get to the moon's south pole first and claim it as their territory.

BILL NELSON, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: So, naturally I don't want China to get to the south pole first with humans and then say, this is ours. Stay out.

HOLMES (voiceover): Both the U.S. and China in collaboration with Russia have advanced plans to build bases on the moon and finding water ice which could be used to make fuel, oxygen and drinking water will be important to sustain those sites and the long-term ambitions of several space agencies.

Michael Holmes, CNN.

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HARRAK: Finally, one of nature's most stunning light displays peaks this weekend. The Perseid meteor shower will be easy to see with only 10 percent of a crescent moon illuminated. The northern hemisphere is the best place for viewing and a few hours before dawn is the best time. NASA says, you can see more than 50 meteors an hour streak across the sky.

I'm Laila Harrak, I'll be back with more "CNN Newsroom" after a short break. Stick around.

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