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Four Separate Criminal Cases Complicate Trump's Trial Dates; 7 Injured In Shooting That Halted Boston Parade; Kremlin Denies Involvement In Plane Crash Presumed To Have Killed Wagner Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin; Russia Recovers Bodies, Flight Recorders From Plane Crash; Renowned Ukrainian Pilot "Juice" Among 3 Dead In Plane Crash; Mayor: "Multiple Fatalities" In Jacksonville Shooting; "The Price Is Right" Host Bob Barker Dies at 99; Franklin Strengthens To Category 1 Hurricane In Atlantic Ocean; More Than 90 Million Under Heat Alerts Across The South. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired August 26, 2023 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:31]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

We begin with the post-mugshot world for former President Donald Trump. That world includes what is shaping up to be a busy and complicated courtroom calendar for Trump as well as his co-defendants in the Georgia election subversion case. But for the former president, there is more where that came from. He is now facing four separate criminal trials after his historic surrender to the Fulton County Jail on Thursday.

District Attorney Fani Willis is proposing an October 23rd trial date. It would be the earliest case to go to court. The federal election interference case could happen in January of 2024. The hush-money case in Manhattan in March and the Mar-a-Lago classified documents trial possibly in May, not to mention a civil trial on the same day as the Iowa caucuses.

A judge presiding over the Georgia case approved the October date for Kenneth Chesebro, an architect of the fake electors scheme. And now Sidney Powell is requesting a speedy trial. This could get even messier given Trump's history of trying to delay proceedings against him.

Joining me now in studio defense attorney and former federal prosecutor Shan Wu.

Shan, your thoughts on -- we just laid out there how the calendar is getting really complicated, and you're starting to see these co- defendants look out for themselves to some extent. Some wanted a speedy trial. Some want the case moved to federal court. How is this going to get sorted out?

SHAN WU, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, the problem for the prosecution isn't that they're not ready for the case, and they're ready for the speedy trial motions, too. They can go fast. The problem is this critical mass of defendants is going to start to split and go in different directions. That's good for the defense. They don't want to be all sitting there in one mass being treated as the single entity there.

So even the speedy trial motion ironically ends up becoming a delay issue because if someone gets that granted, they're going to go first. And then others are going to want to sever, they don't want to go at the same time. So it all starts to kind of discombobulate that way.

The speedy trial motion for the ones that go first is very helpful for the defense because they get to preview the case, get to analyze the strengths and the weaknesses of how strong the prosecution's case is going to be. So all of this not unexpected, but will definitely result in more delay.

ACOSTA: And, I mean, how is this going to affect Trump's own trial date if these co-defendants are scattering off in different directions? I mean, it sounds chaotic, but that's the legal process to some extent.

WU: Absolutely.

ACOSTA: It's going to happen, especially with a case this big.

WU: Exactly. Yes. And the more defense you have, the more chaotic it becomes. Trump is going to want to go last.

ACOSTA: Right.

WU: So he's going to want all these folks to go out test the waters. He will eventually I'm sure also move to remove the case to federal court, too. But he's going to see how these other things shake out first.

ACOSTA: And how does a speedy trial law work down in Georgia?

WU: Well, it works the same way it does anywhere else which is there's a statutory time period. Pretty much if the defendant invokes it, the judge is going to grant it. The date may slip a little bit for legitimate reasons, but it's a good tactic by the defense because it says it can push the prosecution back on its heels saying, OK, let's go. Counting on the fact that maybe they're not ready. These folks are probably ready to go.

ACOSTA: Yes. And while the Georgia case is unfolding, the special counsel election interference case is set to hold a hearing on Monday regarding Mark Meadows, his efforts to move the Fulton County case against him to federal court, if I have all that correct. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has been subpoenaed to testify. What do you expect to happen?

WU: Meadows has at least a credible argument because he was chief of staff at the time. The important thing I think to remember for our viewers is that removal is not a defense, it just takes the same case, puts it in federal court. Same prosecution, same charges, same theory. It will cause some delay which, again, is part of the tactic. I think the problem for Meadows is the same problem he has in the

prosecution. He can say I'll just be the chief of staff arranging phone calls. The problem is, you're outside the orbit of what you normally would do legally as the chief of staff. Arranging a call for the president to pressure Raffensperger, being part of these ideas for fake electors, that's outside the scope of what his authority is. And that's what the problem is going to be for him.

ACOSTA: Right. I mean, that is not in the -- I don't think that's outlined in the duties of the White House chief of staff.

WU: Right.

ACOSTA: Pressure various states to help boss get re-elected.

WU: Yes. That's not in the job description.

ACOSTA: But it -- is it going to depend on what the judge -- I mean, what the judge's philosophy is here? I mean, why wouldn't the judge just simply say what you just said, sorry, these are not really outlined in your duties as a federal official?

[16:05:09]

WU: I don't think it will be up to the judge's philosophy. But that's why it's going to be a hearing with people testifying about it.

ACOSTA: Yes.

WU: So the judge wants to do a little bit of fact finding here to help make that decision. The rules kind of easy, which is if Meadows was really just acting as chief of staff, he's a federal officer then, so he should be in federal court. But that's the conundrum for the judge is he has to figure out whether or not it really fits in that box or not.

ACOSTA: And let's talk about this. You wrote an op-ed arguing that Trump should already be disqualified for running for offense, citing the 14th Amendment's disqualification clause for aiding the nation's enemies. Last week we talked to two renowned legal scholars about this, Judge Luttig and Professor Laurence Tribe. It sounds like you're on the same page.

There's a report from "The Boston Globe" that just came out that says that the New Hampshire secretary of state is now going to seek some legal advice on whether Trump is disqualified from that first-in-the- nation primary after receiving several letters on this. I suppose there are constituents at home who are watching the news coverage and seeing this debate play out. I suspect this is going to happen in several other states.

What do you think is going to happen?

WU: I think what's going to happen is, of course, it's going to start the litigation which -- you know, it's the only way that it can happen is to be litigated, and it will probably go all the way up to the Supreme Court. One of these cases will, or it will be consolidated into one. And I think the legal theory is very sound.

It's really going to be a question of whether there's the political will in the states to do this, and ultimately there is going to be a question of what the Supreme Court's political will is about how they want to rule on this situation. But one of the problems, like you and I were discussing before the show, is it's coming so late.

ACOSTA: Right.

WU: That it makes it seem much more political. And of course there's really little time to do it in.

ACOSTA: Right. I mean, that is one of the questions is that, you know, my goodness, if only we had started having this conversation back in 2021, for goodness sakes, right after January 6th or maybe shortly after January 6th, that might have been a good time to start having that question. Why did it take so long for this conversation to get going, do you think?

WU: That's hard to answer.

ACOSTA: That's a hard one.

WU: I think --

ACOSTA: Another question that could be asked of Merrick Garland, too, and the Justice Department.

WU: Yes. Exactly. Although I think the answer to that is a little bit easier. I think here, you know, it hasn't been used very much, so it took time for it to percolate up and for legal scholars to really start thinking about it and debating it. And also to Trump's advantage, so much else has been going on in terms of the investigations. In DOJ's defense they did have a few hundred of the lower-level people they prosecuted first. So it's really the pace that has been hard for this to percolate on time.

ACOSTA: All right, Shan Wu, we'll have to see how that one plays out. But it sound like this is happening in New Hampshire and down in Florida. And I suspect this is going to be popping up in other states around the country.

Shan, as always, thank you very much.

Coming up, a weekend of violence with shootings at two sporting events and a mass shooting in Boston. The details ahead. Plus, he challenged Putin, and now he's presumed dead. The latest on what the U.S. believes brought down the plane believed to have mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin on board.

And later, this is what it's like to fly inside a tropical storm. Have you seen this video? It's just extraordinary. The story behind this incredible video is just ahead.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:12:35]

ACOSTA: Despite four different indictments in four jurisdictions and a mug shot seen around the world it appears former President Donald Trump's stranglehold on the Republican Party is as strong as ever. The latest polling out of Iowa shows Trump has more than twice the support of his nearest competitor among likely caucus-goers. However, just over half say they are not locked into their choice and could be persuaded to support someone else.

Joining me now is former Democratic congressman from Ohio Tim Ryan.

Congressman, great to see you. Thanks for taking the time. Donald Trump won Ohio by eight points in 2016 and 2020. I think that's right. He's had a pretty solid lock on your state I guess for almost eight years now. Do you think that these legal issues are having any impact there, or is it the same phenomenon that we're seeing in other states, among Republicans it's just not moving the needle much?

TIM RYAN (D), FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM OHIO: Yes. I think it's going to be probably very similar. In the primary he'll continue to have a lock with deniers. You know, just from the debate the other night, everybody wearing a red tie and a blue jacket. You know, like Trump, they're all in line, they're all raising their hand to support him again.

But in Ohio, Jim, midwestern values. I mean, this dude has been indicted four times this year, right. One time it's like, OK, maybe there was some conspiracy. Two, eh. Three, four, I mean, people in Ohio are not going to go for that. And Biden's policies are hitting home here. And I think really helping us reindustrialize. So I think it would be a tough race for Trump in Ohio.

ACOSTA: Interesting. And let's talk about President Biden. He weighed in on Trump's mug shot like everybody else, everybody had a reaction, so did the president. Let's listen to this. I'll talk to you about it on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Have you seen Donald Trump's mug shot yet?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. President? Are you worried at all about --

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I did see it on television.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What did you think?

BIDEN: Handsome guy. Wonderful guy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Yes, Congressman, what do you -- I mean, I see you laughing there. So I guess you enjoyed his response. But, you know, one of the things that the White House has been doing, the president has been doing, as you can tell, they've been avoiding the subject, trying to stay clear of the subject. They've made it clear they don't want to sound as if they're trying to tip the scales or anything like that when it comes to the legal process.

[16:15:02]

But from a political standpoint, would you like to see the president get a bit more engaged and talk about this more?

RYAN: Well, I do think he needs to come out I think firm and soon just to kind of let the American people know just how wrong this is. This is not normal. A former -- nobody getting indicted four times in one year from four separate jurisdictions. That is not normal behavior for anybody, let alone a former president. And I thought Chris Christie captured that, that that is beneath the office of president -- the presidency.

And so I would like to see him come out and just be firm, and again, you know, to me, like there are certain standards, January 6th, the whole nine yards, I think you'd be firm, and then let it go. And then for the rest of the campaign he can just refer back to the statement that he makes. But I think -- I thought that was funny. And, you know, I don't think we need to, you know, be in the gutter.

But we do need to frame this up to say this is unacceptable behavior. This is a guy who tried to steal. You know, we coach and teach our kids flag football and soccer and baseball, you can't steal. You can't cheat. And the president tried to do both, and our president now, President Biden, should say something about that and be very, very clear and firm about it.

ACOSTA: And Congressman, last month you launched a new pro-democracy group called We the People. The purpose to create a community for those exhausted by the current political discourse and climate. I mean, that sounds like almost everybody in America right now. Given the tensions in today's political landscape, what can this group accomplish to turn the tide? Everybody is at each other's throats.

And I -- it's difficult to see how people are going to get out of these respective corners, especially when, you know, there are lots of folks out there who are really just being inundated with a lot of disinformation. How do you combat all that?

RYAN: Well, I don't think you can combat it. I think you provide an alternative, and that's a home that we want to create with We the People. Don't get me wrong, we're going to be very hostile and aggressive towards the anti-Democratic forces, Trump, anybody who's raising their hand to support somebody who pushed the insurrection, tried to steal the election. We'll be hostile towards them and we've got some great videos at WethePeople250.us, that can go look at some of our content which is really a lot of fun.

But we want to highlight the good things that people are doing in the country. It gets no oxygen today. You know, whether it's MDMA healing veterans or mindfulness in schools or food is medicine and regenerative agriculture, you know, those kind of things that are really building community, and in places like Flint, Michigan, or places, you know, all over the country where good things are happening. And those people don't get any, you know, cheering. No one's cheering them on. And We the People, we're going to cheer them on, we're going to amplify their stories.

We're going to have great, compelling video content highlighting them. And then we want to build an organization around them and help them advocate for whatever it is that they're doing. The new ideas, what's America look like, We the People is going to -- we'll highlight those things, we'll amplify them, we'll celebrate them as we move to the 250th anniversary of this country.

We're pretty lucky we made it this far. We've had a lot of ups and downs along the road. But we want to make sure that the next version of America is better than what we're talking about, you know, previously in this interview or the last four, five, or six years. We can do better than this. And if you're exhausted, you can come to We the People, you can be part of the community. And we're going to celebrate the greatness in America. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

ACOSTA: And speaking of trying to get oxygen for things, what do you think the White House could do more, and the president do more to communicate his economic record? You were just saying a few moments ago that that needs to -- that message needs to get out. Are they doing an adequate job over there? I don't want to put you in a position where you're critiquing them, but you do hear this commonly from Midwesterners on your side of the aisle that that record is not getting communicated enough, the message is not getting through. Is there something to that, do you think?

RYAN: Yes, I mean, that's -- yes, there is. I mean, it's not a news flash that the successes have not penetrated the consciousness of the average voter. The low information voter. That's what campaigns are for. So the president needs to run a very aggressive, you know, vigorous campaign where he's highlighting the -- you know, you don't have to like Joe Biden, but there is absolutely no question that he has led the reindustrialization of the United States of America, period, end of story.

[16:20:06]

I screamed about it for 20 years in Congress. It is happening. And it's happening because of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Infrastructure Bill, and the CHIPS Act. And here in Ohio as we started this conversation, we are benefiting from all of those. We have electric vehicle, you know, factories popping up, battery factories popping up. We have the reindustrialization of chip manufacturing. Intel is going to do probably tens of billions of dollars in investment to start making chips here. We have natural gas power plants.

All of this can be directly connected. Brent Spence Bridge, all of the infrastructure projects, all of these can be A to B to C to D from the policies that we pushed in Washington, D.C., in the last couple of years to jobs, good paying, union construction jobs, union manufacturing jobs here in Ohio because of those policies. And that message has got to get out. That's what campaigns are for.

But there's, I think, a lot to brag about over the last couple of years compared to, you know, the red tie gang that wants to go back to January 6th and thinks that was a great day in America. I think it's a clear contrast, and I think a vigorous campaign can highlight that.

ACOSTA: And do you want to run for office again? You served in Congress for 20 years, ran for president, Senate. Is there another campaign left in you?

RYAN: Maybe one day, Jim, but honestly no time soon. I'm really enjoying my time with my family. I'm coaching flag football. I'm able to hang out with the family a lot more. We're having a great time. It's nice to be out. And it's much more relaxing. And, you know, you don't have to talk politics all the time. You can kind of be a normal citizen. And I'm really enjoying that.

But I do want to meet my obligation as a citizen, and that's why we started We the People, and we're going to, you know, try to do everything we can to make this country a better place four our kids and grandkids. I hope every citizen steps up. But no politics for a while.

ACOSTA: All right. Former Congressman Tim Ryan, thanks very much. Appreciate it.

RYAN: Thank you.

ACOSTA: And now to more evidence of how few places are insulated from America's gun violence epidemic. Not even high school football games under the Friday night lights. Take a look at this. Oklahoma police say one person was killed after gunfire broke out during a game last night in the town of Choctaw. Watch as the shots rang out creating panic on the field.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is going on?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Police say three people were shot during an argument on the visitors' side of the field. A 16-year-old boy was killed. According to police two guns and eight rounds of ammunition were recovered. No arrests have been made.

In Chicago, police say two fans were injured by bullets at the White Sox game last night. It's unclear what exactly happened. What we know is both victims are women. One was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to her leg. According to officials, the second woman was grazed in the abdomen but was -- but she refused medical treatment. Police are now investigating whether the shots were fired from inside or outside the ballpark. The game continued, but a post-game concert was canceled.

In northeastern Maryland, four people including a 17-year-old were killed in a shooting at an apartment. Deputies were called to the building just after 11:00 a.m. yesterday after a report of an active shooter. Police believe the gunman is among the dead. But they say they have yet to establish a motive.

And new developments involving a mass shooting in Boston. Police say at least seven people were injured near a parade celebrating the city's Annual Caribbean Carnival. Two people are under arrest, and Boston Police are asking witnesses for any evidence, video evidence, as they begin their investigation.

CNN's Polo Sandoval joins us now.

Polo, what's the latest?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Jim. Good evening. So Boston's mayor described this evidence -- this event as vibrant and a treasured one, but it very quickly was interrupted violently when those shots rang out earlier this morning in the 7:00 a.m. hour there in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, just south of downtown.

That's where, as you point out, that's where that festival, that yearly festival is going on. 50 years now was supposed to be taking place. Draws in many, many families that were lining the streets there for what was one of a couple of parades that are part of that weekend carnival here. And at one point, those shots are fired. Seven people according to police suffered nonlife-threatening injuries. They did detain at least two suspects and seized several weapons, according to investigators.

Now authorities are very quick to also point out or at least to separate this incident to the festival itself. And according to what we've heard from the police commissioner, they say they have a working theory about a possible motive. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COMMISSIONER MICHAEL COX, BOSTON POLICE: This morning's shooting is not related to the parade that occurred. This incident happened on the outskirts of it. You know, very early in the investigation, but it seems to potentially be maybe two groups having some type of altercation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[16:25:12]

SANDOVAL: That parade was stopped because of the sheer size of the crime scene. We're told it's significantly large and investigators had to process it there. And they are now calling on the public for assistance to try to find any sort of surveillance video or cell phone video, really any witness account that may help them piece together this incident. But if there's anything good to report is that the parade, at least the event itself, it actually was allowed to continue to proceed today. And obviously that parade that we talked about a little while ago, that did have to stop because of the investigation -- Jim.

ACOSTA: And, Polo, why were city officials quick to point out that this shooting was not related to the parade?

SANDOVAL: Because what we've seen in the past, this would not be the first violent incident that has taken place either at or near this particular festival. We do know that at least one person died in the series of shootings back in 2015. And then in 2021 there was a young man that was simply watching the parade, according to the district attorney in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, when an individual that he did not know walked up to him and then stabbed him in the neck killing him.

So as a result, what we have seen is Boston PD really sort of boost their numbers at this event to make sure that people feel safe, to reassure them. And that's really the tone that they tried to strike today as they were offering an update, again trying to sort of separate this incident that took place this morning from the parade itself. But what is for certain, it obviously is tragic that this event that usually draws so many families from the Boston area, at least did pause this way, albeit temporarily.

ACOSTA: All right. Polo Sandoval. Thank you so much.

We are following breaking news out of Jacksonville, Florida, right now. The mayor confirming multiple fatalities in a shooting there. We will bring you the very latest in just a few minutes.

Stay with us. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:31:07]

ACOSTA: Russian investigators say they have recovered 10 bodies and the flight data recorders from the plane crash believed to have killed Wagner boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his condolences to Prigozhin's family. And the Kremlin still vehemently denies any involvement in the crash.

Meanwhile, there's a growing memorial to Prigozhin in St. Petersburg, Russia. Take a look that. Flowers, flags, pictures, and even a symbolic sledgehammer were placed at the makeshift site.

Let's bring in retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman. He is the former European Affairs director for the National Security Council.

Colonel Vindman, great to see you, as always. Thanks for joining us.

The Pentagon said that Prigozhin was likely killed in the crash. I guess you always have -- with the Russians, you always have to have a bit of skepticism.

And U.S. and Western officials tell CNN they believe it was deliberate, but they say there's no indication a missile was launched. Lots of speculation. What's your take on things so far?

LT. COL. ALEXANDER VINDMAN, (RETIRED) & FORMER EUROPEAN AFFAIRS DIRECTOR, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: Frankly, the means of Prigozhin's murder are less relevant than the culprit or the mastermind behind it, which is Vladimir Putin.

Yes, there are different theories. Initially it was air defense missile shot him down. Now supposedly a bomb on the plane.

I mean, it really doesn't make a difference. The bottom line is that he was murdered by Putin to settle a score, to strengthen Putin's own hand, his own leadership in government, at least for the short term. That's probably true.

And the results of this may actually have some positive effects on the war. It frees Putin up from criticism, it silences the voices of naturalist actors that have been criticizing Putin for not doing enough, and may free his hand, give him freedom to maneuver to look for other options.

Maybe that may mean testing the Waters for some peace negotiations, especially as the rest of the Ukrainian counteroffensive is likely to go relatively well and put a huge amount of pressure on Putin.

So I think Putin is the murderer, that's clear.

ACOSTA: Yes. And, Colonel, let's delve into that just a little bit more.

Because Prigozhin, he was -- I mean, he was very much the guy who was essentially saying the Russian military wasn't being brutal enough, that they weren't going far enough, that if he had his way, the war would be prosecuted differently and so on.

Is that essentially what you're saying in a weird and twisted way, this may give Putin some flexibility to negotiate his way out of this, get out of this situation that he's gotten himself in?

VINDMAN: Well, Putin -- correction, Prigozhin and other Russia hawks, folks have been calling for a full mobilization, much more resources to be applied to this war.

Other critics, like Igor Girkin, the lieutenant colonel in the Russian Intelligence Service, who is responsible for the conduct of Russia's war starting in 2014, has also been imprisoned.

Surovikin, this general that was in charge of the successful defense of south Ukraine, he has been fired from his position as head of the aerospace forces, as well as overall in charge of the war.

These are hawks. There frankly aren't that many doves in the system. But the hawks have been quite vocal criticizing Putin for not doing enough.

Suppressing these individuals, warning off other critics going after Putin, going after the Ministry of Defense and the general staff for the conduct of the war, has now become increasingly dangerous.

That means that he, Putin, has some additional flexibility. Am I particularly hopeful? Not really. Putin, on his own accord, would not change his tact and look to impress the war.

But the fact is that he's likely to have additional reversals with the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

[16:35:01]

And that pressure, the horns of the dilemma, having to mobilize hundreds of thousands more Russian troops, may actually necessitate looking at other options.

And without this right-wing criticism, he may have a little more bandwidth or more appetite for peace negotiations. I think that's quite possible as we get into late fall.

ACOSTA: That's fascinating.

I want to ask you about this well-known Ukrainian pilot known as Juice, who was killed along with two other pilots in a collision between Ukrainian aircraft on Friday night.

If we have that photo available, that would be great.

I did talk to him just last year when he came to the U.S. I knew Juice. I talked to him last year when he came to the U.S. to push for fighter jets and advanced air defense systems.

Here's a bit of that conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUICE, UKRAINIAN FIGHTER PILOT: Our need is to defend our cities against this threat. Unfortunately, Russians are taking not only military objects but also civilian infrastructure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Yes, Colonel Vindman, what are your thoughts on the loss of a fighter pilot like Juice in that country? There were two others who were among the dead in that crash. They think it was a training accident.

And what does this say about this need to ramp up the F-16 training and get that capacity going for the Ukrainians?

VINDMAN: Sure, I had the honor to meet Juice also, actually, not too far away from the capitol when he was in the U.S. advocating for additional air defense and F-16s and Western air power.

Really excellent spokesperson for his country. Very skilled pilot. Had the kind of swagger that pilots, fighter pilots have.

And it's a loss not just because he was an excellent spokesman but that he was one of the best-known, possibly one of the best fighter pilots that the Ukrainians had.

I think this was likely an accident. So F-16s on that count maybe don't mean that much.

What it does mean is saving the lives of many, many more Ukrainian pilots that will be able to effectively employ advanced aircraft against Russian air defense systems, against Russian aircraft.

And employ those aircraft to advance the military aims, destroy Russian forces, provide close air support.

One other thing I want to mention on the topic of Prigozhin.

You know, in the same breath that we witnessed brutality of Putin, we also had a debate in which the entirety of the Republican establishment and, frankly, the frontrunner, Donald Trump, continue to believe that there is a way to negotiate through appeasement, through capitulation with Vladimir Putin, that this is the way to separate Russia from China.

It is a pattern --

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: We've seen that from Ramaswamy, right?

VINDMAN: It is -- it is shockingly -- shockingly naive to believe that's true.

I think it's actually more than that. It's cynical. It's supposed to be a bumper sticker. But in reality, it is just an absurd notion that you could negotiate with Vladimir Putin from a position of weakness.

What prevents him from making whatever gains he gets from these guys, these Republicans that are appeasers, and then going on and strengthening his hand and his cooperation with China? Nothing.

I think the only thing we could do is really continue to support Ukraine, arm Ukraine, make sure they're successful on the battlefield.

And that, with all the internal pressure in Russia, including the fact that the war's going quite badly, Putin freeing up bandwidth by eliminating his right-wing criticism, that may be enough to start to work around to negotiations.

That's where we should be doing -- pressing harder, not letting our foot off the gas.

ACOSTA: All right. Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, always great to talk to you. Thank you so much for those insights. Really appreciate it.

In the meantime, we do have breaking news to tell you about here at CNN. There are multiple fatalities from a shooting in Jacksonville, Florida, according to the mayor.

Let's get more to CNN's Isabel Rosales.

Isabel, what more are you learning?

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jim, so very limited details at this time. But we know directly from Mayor Donna Deegan, the mayor of Jacksonville, that there are "multiple fatalities." That is a direct quote.

She also told our affiliate, WJXT, that the shooter barricaded himself inside of a Dollar General on this road that you're seeing right now.

This is a very active scene. You can see multiple police officers. We've also seen equipment belonging to the SWAT team on there. This is happening in the Grand Park area.

Now, Jim, it is not clear at this time whether the victims were shot inside or outside of that Dollar General store.

We have been told here at CNN by the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue that their department is, quote, "on standby" to treat any victims.

[16:40:03]

We also did get information from a local historically black university, Edward Waters University, less than a mile away, on that same road as the Dollar General.

They have put out a campus safety alert, saying that preliminary reports indicate that there are no students, faculty, or staff members involved in this shooting.

I do want to also note to you, Jim, that while there's no known connection, today, August 26th, is the five-year anniversary of a different shooting, a mass shooting that occurred in the same city of Jacksonville.

This happened at a video game tournament in 2018 where two people were killed and 10 others were injured.

So obviously, you can see that officers there have surrounded that area. They've put up tape. They're controlling the traffic going in and out as they work to figure out the situation and the next steps to take.

We have been told, I have personally confirmed with the press liaison of the city of Jacksonville, that there will be another press conference shortly from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office -- Jim?

ACOSTA: All right, Isabel Rosales, we'll keep an eye on that.

We'll bring the press conference to you when we have those details.

And of course, we are following other shootings that took place in Chicago, in Maryland, in Boston, and in Oklahoma. It is yet another busy weekend of mass shootings in America that we'll be reporting on this program throughout the evening. Stay with us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:45:35]

ACOSTA: Bob Barker, the longtime host of "The Price Is Right," has died at the age of 99. He was a fixture in millions of Americans' homes for more than 35 years.

CNN's Stephanie Elam takes a look back at his amazing life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Bob Barker!

(APPLAUSE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When it comes to game show hosts --

(CROSSTALK)

ELAM: -- Bob Barker was one of the most beloved.

(APPLAUSE)

(LAUGHTER)

ELAM: For 35 years, he was the man with the mic and the money on "The Price Is Right."

(APPLAUSE)

BOB BARKER, FORMER "THE PRICE IS RIGHT" GAME SHOW HOST: All right.

ELAM: Barker described his own winning television career as unexpected.

He spent much of his childhood on an Indian reservation in South Dakota. His family part of the Sioux tribe.

World War II military service brought Barker to new places.

BARKER: I had never been up in an airplane, and I had never seen the ocean. And I had not thought about landing an airplane on a carrier.

ELAM: After the war, Barker landed radio jobs and married his high school sweetheart before breaking into television.

(BUZZER)

BARKER: It's time to play "Truth or Consequences."

(CHEERING)

ELAM: Barker's run on the comedic game show lasted 18 years.

BARKER: That's beautiful!

ELAM: His smooth hosting style got noticed by game show producer, Mark Goodson.

BARKER: He saw me working on "Truth or Consequences," and he liked my work. And he told me that he would like to have me do "The New Price is Right," they called it.

He said two -

(CHEERING)

ELAM: The mix of savvy shopper guessing games and big prizes have made "The Price Is Right" America's longest-running game show, and Barker its most memorable ringleader.

BARKER: Being on that stage, reaching out and gathering those folks in and making this thing work, getting up, build them up as quickly as possible to a pitch that is just fun, fun, fun.

ELAM: Off stage, Barker faced some battles. In 1981, he lost his wife of 36 years to lung cancer.

BARKER: She was Mrs. Bob Barker. And to me she always has been and always will be.

(CHEERING)

ELAM: He faced struggles of his own, including a stroke and a sexual harassment case brought by a female employee of "The Price Is Right." It was eventually dismissed but tarnished Barker's silver image for a time.

Through it all, he remained focused on his work and philanthropic efforts, signing off each show with this tag line --

(CHEERING)

(APPLAUSE)

BARKER: Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered.

ELAM: Barker was a tireless advocate for animal wellbeing, donating millions toward animal rescue and rights groups.

BARKER: If I'm remembered at all in the years to come, they'll refer to me as that old man who was always talking about spay and neuter.

(LAUGHTER)

ELAM: Barker spent his career giving away money but reflected on his own good fortune in retirement.

BARKER: I'm blessed. I had the opportunity to have fun and --

(APPLAUSE)

BARKER: -- just look forward to going to work for half a century.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: The great Bob Barker.

Stephanie Elam, thanks so much for that report.

Coming up, incredible video from inside a tropical storm. Have you seen the video? That is real stuff right there, taken by brave hurricane hunters in the Air Force Reserve. We'll have that in just a few moments.

[16:49:03]

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: We want to show you the scene out of Florida. We're continuing to monitor breaking news there. There are multiple fatalities from a shooting in Jacksonville, according to the mayor there.

The mayor also told CNN affiliate, WJXT, that the shooter barricaded himself inside of a Dollar General store.

There will be a press conference happening shortly, we're told by authorities. We will bring that to you live when it happens. So stay tuned for that as we continue to follow the breaking news out of Jacksonville.

In the meantime, turning now to several dangerous storms we are monitoring in the Atlantic right now. Tropical Storm Franklin became a hurricane today.

And if you've ever wondered what it's like to be inside a tropical storm, take a look at this. Look at this incredible video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(WIND NOISE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Brave members of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, part of the Air Force Reserve, took that incredible video. They fly frequently into storms to gather data to improve forecasts. Just remarkable footage there.

Hurricane Franklin isn't the only weather threat.

CNN's Allison Chinchar has the latest forecast -- Allison?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's right, Jim. Franklin is now a category 1 hurricane, sustained winds around 75 miles per hour.

The track is going to continue off to the north and west, and expected to become a major hurricane, according to the Hurricane Center, by early Monday morning.

Then, by Tuesday, we will start to see it shift away from the United States, heading back toward Bermuda, and then gradually weakening as it pushes into some colder waters.

[16:55:07]

It's not the only system we are watching in the Atlantic. A lot going on here. The other area of concern is this system just to east of the Yucatan Peninsula. A high chance of becoming a tropical system in the next 36 to 48 hours.

Right now, a disorganized cluster of thunderstorms, but it is expected to move into more favorable environment over the weekend and eventually making its way up toward Florida once we get to Tuesday and Wednesday of the upcoming week.

Now the other big story across the U.S. right now is the heat. You've got a lot of excessive heat warnings across the southern tier of the U.S.

And some new ones starting to pop up cross the southwest. That's where we anticipate seeing temperatures really rise the next several days.

Palm Springs going from a high of 114 on Sunday, up to 117 on Monday. Phoenix, 113 on Sunday, up to 115 both Monday and Tuesday. Even Sacramento looking at temperatures about five to 10 degrees above average.

A lot of those areas not really getting much relief from the heat until mid to end of the upcoming week.

We're also going to see some relief, but once we get through the weekend across the southern tier.

Take Houston, for example, topping out today at 104. Getting even warmer by Sunday, topping out at 107. Finally starting to see that drop off by Monday.

Similar for New Orleans. Again, still two more days of triple-digit temperatures before we finally start to see that dropping back into the mid-90s. But even then, it's still going to be about five degrees above normal on Monday.

But at least that trend is going to push down. So, Jim, again, there is light at the end of the tunnel after the weekend.

ACOSTA: All right. Allison Chinchar, thanks very much.

Stay cool, stay safe, everybody, with all the weather that's taking place this weekend.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)