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President Biden Speaks After Touring Hurricane Damage in Florida; Interview With New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham About Bill Richardson's Death; Trump, 11 Co-Defendants Plead Not Guilty In Fulton County; "Margaritaville" Singer Jimmy Buffett Dead At 76; CNN Goes Inside Drone Operator Training In Ukraine; Gen Z Influencers Work To Curb Gun Violence Using Social Media. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired September 02, 2023 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:00]

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's not to mention the National Guard, the state National Guard is here that's waiting as well. We've served millions of meals, thousands of tarps, blankets and cots. And from the moment the storm hit, federal search and rescue teams help people whose homes were surrounded by water.

And now the storm has passed. And you're dealing with what's left in its wake and we're not going anywhere, the federal government. We're here to help the state as long as it takes. FEMA and the Small Business Administration are here to help residents whose homes and businesses are destroyed or damaged. And you can determine whether you're qualified and how to get help if you haven't been contacted already by going to DisasterAssistance.gov, and register for assistance. If you have any damage, go to DisasterAssistance.gov to register for assistance.

Earlier this week I visited the FEMA headquarters in Washington to thank the emergency responding personnel for working 24/7 here in Florida and throughout the southeast, and in Maui in Hawaii. I want to reiterate that appreciation today. I also convened my entire Cabinet as part of a whole government response. And that response is to increase the number and intensity of the extreme weather events and be aware we're going to be using all the resources available in the government to do it.

Nobody can deny the impact of climate crisis. Nobody intelligent can deny the impact of the climate crisis anymore. Just look around, around the nation and the world for that matter, historic floods, intense droughts, extreme heat, deadly wildfires that have caused serious damage like you have never seen before. Just since being president, in 2 1/2 years I have flown over more land burned to the ground as a consequence of wildfires, and occupied the entire land of the state of Maryland. From down in New Mexico and Alabama over to Montana and around, it's been devastating.

Folks, when I took office I directed my team to raise our game and how to lead and coordinate our response to the national disasters. I met people here today that are and when they need our help the most, there is a reason why we've done it. Just look around this community and any other community that have been followed me to it. Folks, to not only meet people where they are when they need help the most but to build back, to build back stronger and more resilient. Just like I directed my entire Cabinet to do in Maui to help devastated communities recover and rebuild there as it was before.

You know, these crises are affecting more and more Americans and every American rightly expects FEMA to show up when they are needed and to help in a disaster. So I am calling on the United States Congress, Democrats and Republicans, to ensure the funding is there to deal with the immediate crises as well as our long-term commitments to the safety and security of the American people.

I am here today to deliver a clear message to the people of Florida and throughout the southeast. As I told your governor, if there's anything your state needs, I am ready to mobilize that support, anything they need related to these storms. Your nation has your back and we will be with you until the job is done.

Before I conclude, because I am about to head back north, I want to say a word to the people of Jacksonville, Florida, on a different subject. You're still reeling from the shooting rampage near Edward Waters University HBCU last weekend. A terrorist act driven by racial hatred and animus. Our hearts are with you, those of you who are affected and all your families. A terrorist act, as I said, driven by hatred and animus.

And ladies and gentlemen, let me say this clearly. Hate will not prevail in America. Hate will not prevail in America. Racism will not prevail in America. Domestic terrorism will not prevail in America. Let me make it real clear, silence on this issue, both public and private -- in the private sector, silence is complicity.

[16:05:01]

We must not, we will not remain silent. I'll have much more to say on that later but I did want to mention it while I was here.

Ladies and gentlemen, you saw firsthand and the rest of the nation got to see it. These are good people. Good people who have been devastated and need help. Imagine yourself in this position. Imagine you being in this position. Imagine you being a family that a tree that is about a hundred -- more than 100 feet, a gigantic tree coming close to taking out your daughter's bedroom and taking out your daughter in the process.

You know, this is tough stuff. But again, people know we're with them. They'll get through this. Just knowing we're not going to forget. And we will not forget.

Thank you, all, so very much. I'll take a few questions. Yes, ma'am.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE) seemed like politics is getting in the way of your joint response to this crisis?

BIDEN: Well, no, I am not disappointed. He may have had other reasons because -- but he did help us plan this. He sat with FEMA and decided where we should go, where the least disruption. And I am very pleased, the guy who -- we don't agree very much at all. Distinguished former governor and senior senator. He came to talk about to me and to you all about how incredible -- what an incredible job the federal government was doing. And I found that reassuring. And so I think we can pull all this together. I really do.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You said in March that you would go to East Palestine, Ohio, you came here. How come you've never gone to East Palestine yet?

BIDEN: Well, I haven't had the occasion to go to East Palestine. There's a lot going on here. And I just haven't been able to break. I was thinking I would go to East Palestine this week but I was reminded I've got to go literally around the world. I'm going from Washington to India, to Vietnam to -- and so it's going to be a while. But we're making sure that East Palestine has what they need materially in order to deal with their problems. Yes?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. President, are you confident that there will be enough money to deal with this disaster and the other disasters that have happened and will continue to happen around the country?

BIDEN: The answer is, I'm confident because I can't imagine Congress saying we're not going to help. There are going to be fights about things that don't relate to this, trying to connect this to other money or not. You know, but I think we'll get through it. I just can't imagine people saying no, they're not going to help.

Well, ladies and gentlemen -- I'm sorry. (INAUDIBLE) to take the questions now.

Mr. Mayor, I apologize. I apologize. The podium is yours, Mr. Mayor.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: And that was President Biden speaking to people in Florida there, in Live Oak, Florida, after surveying the damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia. You saw the first lady was there with him as well, as well as the FEMA administrator.

Earlier in the day he was speaking to some first responders and other storm survivors in that part of the state of Florida with Senator Rick Scott. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is not meeting with President Biden there during this trip. The president was talking about that a few moments ago in his remarks saying that he has been in frequent touch with Governor DeSantis but the president went on to say that he was heartened by the fact that he did get some praise -- the federal government got some praise from Senator Scott earlier on the day.

You also heard the president say, just a few moments ago, a few words about what took place in Jacksonville, Florida, that hate-filled mass shooting that took place at the Dollar General in Jacksonville about a week ago this time. And the president at one point saying in his remarks just a few moments hate will not prevail in America. Racism will not prevail in America the president went on to say. We're going to stay on top of the president's visit in Florida. We'll

bring any new developments to you. But in the meantime we want to go to our other top story.

Longtime public servant Bill Richardson has passed away at the age of 75. He served as the governor of New Mexico, represented the state in Congress, and was energy secretary under President Clinton. It was in the diplomatic arena, though, that Richardson left his biggest mark and gaining widespread attention for brokering the release of Americans held captive abroad, including basketball star Brittney Griner. And New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham joins us now on the phone.

[16:10:02]

Governor, thanks so much for being with us. I mean, Governor Richardson had such a big and lasting legacy. What stands out to you? What will you remember most about your colleague?

GOV. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM (D), NEW MEXICO (via phone): That's a tough question, Jim. It's a tough day. You know, while we were colleague, he was also my boss. I never felt like he wasn't my friend. And particularly now. I think there's a lot of people around the globe and right here who are going to really miss his sage advice. He was voracious about knowing everything that was going on, engaging productively and positively.

We can talk about a legacy. It's knowing that you always had someone who is going to support you, right, to meet whatever your goal or issue was. And I've already spoken about the economic impacts he's had here and educational investments. And I'm reaping incredible benefits from his vision in commercial safe travel and in film and media, and early childhood. But I'm going to tell you that when you've got a really tough problem to solve, which is why he's such an effective negotiator, you know, release (INAUDIBLE) hostages, but also in brokering the old -- that stop conflict. He can navigate.

ACOSTA: Exactly. And Governor, I mean, we're showing some images now. I mean, Bill Richardson became kind of an international statesman in his work in freeing hostages, people who were wrongfully detained around the world. I have to assume because of that work his presence loomed large over the state of New Mexico. But can you talk, for a few moments, about his legacy in freeing hostages around the world? People like Brittney Griner. That's going to leave a huge gaping hole in the diplomatic community I would think with the passing of the Bill Richardson.

LUJAN GRISHAM: No question. As the sitting governor I can tell you right now people aren't calling me to do these negotiations and to engage in this kind of diplomacy. So it's a huge hole in that work. It's a huge hole in foreign policy expertise. But it's also a source of great pride that a New Mexico, you know, he's our diplomat, former governor, former congressman, ambassador to the United Nations, energy secretary. We have two of the five national labs. You know, in a place where poverty is still very much present, Richardson is an iconic presence for young New Mexicans who aspire to be anything and everything. And that was also true with the presidential bid.

ACOSTA: I was just about to say, the fact that he was a Latino who ran for president, that also is going to be part of his legacy as well.

LUJAN GRISHAM: It is. And, you know, I didn't get to talk to him. I just left him a message two days ago asking him to travel with me to the border and to engage in some thoughtful economic effort and plan but also to talk about any number of issues that need to be addressed at the border. And he is the kind of, you know, former governor and expert that in my day-to-day work is still very influential and incredibly helpful. And I literally just reached out. So he was present in the beneficial work everywhere and anywhere every single day. And he is absolutely going to be missed.

All our phones are blowing up. People are, you know, reeling and incredulous because, like I said, he's working from the small stuff making sure that businesses are getting what they need and little tiny rural communities. He's helping me, he was helping me navigate some of the FEMA issues because he's had to do that before. And it's really shocking news. And I do want everyone to make sure they keep his family and Barbara, as a widow myself, who woke up one morning and lost a husband, it is a terrible, shocking circumstance, with no notice, no preparation, and she's going to need our very best and all of our love and attention.

ACOSTA: Well, our condolences go to the Richardson family.

And Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, thank you very much for your time, we appreciate it, helping us remember not just a giant in the New Mexican politics but also on the diplomatic stage around the world.

[16:15:03]

Governor, thanks so much for your time. We appreciate it.

LUJAN GRISHAM: Thanks for having me.

ACOSTA: Thank you, Governor.

Also tributes are pouring in for Jimmy Buffett. The legendary Margaritaville singer who died yesterday at the age of 76. He was also an outspoken environmentalist as he explained in an interview with Anderson Cooper in 2010 after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: You were saying this is the beach where you spent your misspent youth.

JIMMY BUFFET, MUSICIAN: Yes. Yes.

COOPER: What's it like seeing tar balls? I mean I think these are tar balls.

BUFFET: It's depressing as hell, you know? It reminds me in the old days when tankers would come by and discharge their bilges. You'd see this kind of stuff., you know. But not to this degree, you know. And then you look out there and then the ocean was pretty clean. But, you know, it's just -- yes, it is depressing to see this. I try to go, you know, who's going to clean this up and how is it going to -- now that's here, where does it go, you know?

And then you start asking those questions, and how can I help there? Who's it doing and what can I do to help them?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:20:12]

ACOSTA: One dozen and counting. It's been a busy week in the Georgia election subversion case. Former President Donald Trump and 11 of his co-defendants have entered not guilty pleas. And we've learned Trump's trial, we've seen both online and on TV, assuming it stays in Fulton County, the presiding judge there says all hearings and trials in his courtroom can be livestreamed and televised. That also applies to Trump's co-defendants.

And any day we could see a key ruling on Mark Meadows, Trump's former White House chief of staff. Meadows is asking to have his charges moved from Georgia to federal court.

Let's start breaking this down. Here with me is Renato Mariotti. He's a former federal prosecutor and co-host of the podcast "It's Complicated," and Shan Wu, a defense attorney and former federal prosecutor.

Gentlemen, thanks for sharing your Saturday with us.

Shan, let me go with you first. In Georgia, these criminal defendants, they can waive their right to an arraignment hearing, and entering a not guilty plea through court paperwork. We saw Trump doing that. Anyone who has not taken that step by this coming Wednesday apparently will be arraigned in person in Fulton County.

Do we expect these co-defendants to follow the lead of the former president? Could it be a mixed bag? What do you think?

SHAN WU, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I would think they would want to follow the lead of the former president. In this kind of situation there is nothing to be gained for them by having to go in person. And it's just much easier, probably less costly for them not to show up in person and do it remotely. So I'll expect they'll do that, unless they're some having problem lining up counsel or there is a fight over the bail issue, something like that.

ACOSTA: And Renato, the presiding judge in the Fulton County case has ruled that all these proceedings can be televised and livestreamed. What did you make of that? How might that impact this case?

RENATO MARIOTTI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: I think it's going to have a much bigger impact than people think, Jim. You know, think back to the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial. That was a case in which there was not only an intense amount of public conversation but there were social media memes and a lot of stereotypes that got reinforced.

I would expect this trial -- let's say there's a trial of Donald Trump and it goes forward, I think it's going to be a circus and a spectacle. And it's going to have an impact on our politics and our culture.

ACOSTA: Yes, Shan, let me just bounce that one off of you as well. I mean, does this have the potential of becoming kind of like an OJ Simpson style case? And I don't mean that in a glib kind of way because I remember when the verdict came out in the O.J. Simpson case. And it was very much, it captured a nation that was sort of divided on whether or not OJ was guilty on matters of race.

And we are such a divided country right now politically speaking. I mean, I could just see, you know, the networks wanting to have one camera in one room over here with Trump supporters and one camera over here in another room with people who are Trump critics, and having two completely different responses to the verdict and so on. Might we see, because the case will be televised, that those kinds of dynamics play out?

WU: It's such an interesting comparison to the OJ case because in many ways, that divide that we saw in that case over race, in particular, the kind of division now is so much more hardwired into the country that it's easy to say, have a room of Trump supporters, room of non- Trump supporters. I don't think the trial itself, the verdict, is going to cause much difference just like the polling for, you know, who's going to be the nominee.

But during the trial itself, you might see a lot more turmoil and controversy. I do think one of the problems in OJ, easy to criticize people decades later, it was a management issue for both the prosecution and the judge. And I think in that case, the television cameras hurt the progress. That trial took way too long. We were saying --

ACOSTA: No, it took forever. I remember that.

WU: It took forever. Yes. We're saying initially we would have finished that trial in two weeks. I don't think you'll see that here. Everyone is more sophisticated. The judge should be experienced and the prosecution is very experienced, too.

ACOSTA: Well, and there are these other cases and other co-defendants to deal with, Renato, like Kenneth Chesebro, the architect, the alleged architect of the fake elector plot. He's asking the judge to sever his trial from the other defendants. What is the benefit of that? Do you think he's going to be successful? It sounds like he might be successful in having that happen. We might see a case -- a trial pretty soon here like in October or something. I mean, that's coming up fast.

MARIOTTI: Yes, Jim, technically speaking that was an excellent move by his lawyers to ask for a speedy trial. I mean, there's a lot of benefits to him. You know, obviously part of it was a gamble to see if they could potentially catch the district attorney unprepared. It doesn't appear that that's the case. But one thing is just having a trial much earlier and severing him from the other defendants is a benefit.

For one thing, if there is a trial of 19 defendants, he could get lost in the shuffle. You're going to have jurors just selecting guilty for everybody and not really paying attention to, you know, defendant number 17 or 16 on their list.

[16:25:08]

And separately, you know, you can expect a lot of these people like Donald Trump are going to point the finger at the lawyers and say, hey, the lawyers like Kenneth Chesebro said this is a fantastic idea, I relied on them. Even though there's no advice of counsel defense under Georgia law, you can certainly, you know, suggest that that played into their own intent. Now Chesebro can come out in front, you know, have a narrative of his own.

And separately I think there's another issue which is, you know, I think, you know, the district attorney has to consider, does she want to use -- show all of her cards early in the trial when the big fish is still coming later? So I think, you know, his attorneys have put him in a position where he has an opportunity to potentially, you know, forced her to make some difficult decisions, which is what the defense wants to do.

ACOSTA: All right. Shan Wu, Renato Mariotti, thanks, gentlemen, very much for your time. We appreciate it. Great discussion.

In the meantime, today the music industry is mourning Jimmy Buffett, who died at the age of 76. In 2016 I had the privilege of meeting him in Cuba. There we are right there during former President Barack Obama's trip there in 2016. We remember the "Margaritaville" legend ahead, it's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:30:34]

ACOSTA: The music legend, who took listeners to "Margaritaville" and served up cheeseburgers in paradise, has passed away. Singer/songwriter, Jimmy Buffett, was 76 years old.

The announcement of his death came on his web page overnight saying, "Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs."

Back in May, Buffett was hospitalized and forced to postpone part of the tour. At the time, there was no word on why and no cause of death has been released.

Buffett was known for his breezy hits and barefoot performances, all explaining life as a beach bum. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Waiting for that last shaker of salt.

CNN's Patrick Oppmann joins us now from Havana, Cuba, which is a perfect place to talk about Jimmy Buffett.

Patrick, you posted on Instagram this morning that you are very lucky to have this unique friendship that somehow spanned decades.

Jimmy felt a special bond with Cuba. There is a picture of you with the legend right there.

Let's begin with that. Your relation to Buffett, his bond with Cuba, tell us about it.

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I came here for the first time with Jimmy Buffett in 1998 for Pope John Paul's historic visit. I was a college kid. I was pinching myself that I got to translate and be his guide at the time.

He did some CNN interviews. I got my foot in the door with CNN. And many years later, I stayed in touch with him, amazingly enough.

I came back here and was a correspondent. And he would start calling me up and saying, oh, there is my man in Havana. There was a lot of news as you remember. You were coming here back then, Jim.

Jimmy Buffett was just a constant presence. I used to joke it is because we have the best Internet in town.

But he really had a deep love for Cuba, Cubans and the music here. He didn't like the idea of governments telling him where he could go and who he could play music with.

Sometimes he snuck here and sometimes he came here more legally. He always dreamed of coming to Cuba and had a connection to this place and really felt it in his blood.

ACOSTA: It was about his dad, too. His father had a connection there. His family had a connection there.

OPPMANN: Very much so. His father spent his first birthday on a sailing boat in Havana right behind me, the Havana harbor. That is the basis of "Havana Daydreaming."

So Jimmy Buffett dreamed of a Cuba that was more prosperous, where Americans like him could come back and forth more easily. He loved this country.

There are parrot heads around the world. There are some here in Cuba as well. He would come and play in people's backyards here. He was not famous and he loved that that people did not know him. He could go jam with amazing people, musicians, and just soak up the music.

Every time he would come down, he would let me know and we would hang out. He loved to play concerts for the U.S. embassy staff here. And for the Marines who guard the embassy.

So every time he would come down, he would say to me, hey, Patrick, let me know who is in charge of the embassy. We will go over to their house, we'll go to the number two's house, we will go to where the Marines live and we'll play a concert with them.

He would not do it to get credit or make a big deal about it. You would be there with these 20-something-year-old Marines. Their jobs were dangerous.

I was hearing from some today, this was the best part of their service, not just in Cuba but ever. They were hanging out with the music legend playing guitar in the backyard.

And the thing that struck me, Jim, is Marines were singing songs older than they are and they knew all the words. They just loved it.

It really talked to me about how much his music was able to span the generations and connect with people years after he wrote his songs.

And it was a way for him to give back to U.S. diplomats and servicemembers working overseas. He didn't do it in a big showy way. He did it just to say, thanks, guys. For them, it was a big deal.

[16:34:59]

ACOSTA: Yes. I mean, that was a great thing about Jimmy Buffett. You know, it was something we could sing along with, you know, our baby boomer parents and grandparents and so on.

The words were so easy to pick up on, cheeseburger in paradise, Margaritaville, son of a sailor. I mean, strangers in attitudes and strangers in latitudes. I mean, so many great songs, so many great lines.

Tell us about the last time you talked to Jimmy Buffett. What was that like?

OPPMANN: He called me, as he always did, out of the blue. How's my man in Havana. This was in the spring. He said he was planning another trip here that he never got to take.

And then it was very special. He was in Key West to play a concert that night and he asked me to go down to the coast where you can pick up the radio station from Key West and to listen to his concert, which we did with some friends.

I do not know at the time it would be the last concert I would ever hear from Jimmy Buffett. We will be raising a glass to him tonight in Cuba, as people will people around the world and toasting him.

Because he was a special man. He was just like you would expect him to be. He did not have a big ego. He loved adventure.

(CROSSTALK)

OPPMANN: He was a storyteller. The stories he told, in his music.

And he was a good friend. I consider myself incredibly lucky. And to have that call and to tell him, hey, I'm having a concert, see if you can pick up the signal. And there were certain spots in Havana where you can pick up the radio signal. And it was a great show.

And he entertained so many people over the years.

ACOSTA: Yes.

OPPMANN: It brought so much joy to many people, including here in Cuba.

ACOSTA: Yes, when I met him down in 2016 down in Havana, he could not have been a nicer guy. So laid back.

Also, just as friendly as could be. He did not come across as someone who was like this music legend, you can get near him because his people are all around him.

I just walked right up to him and I said, listen, my mom is a huge Jimmy Buffet fan. I have to get a picture with you so I can convince her that I met Jimmy Buffett.

And I brought one of her albums right here. I have it right here.

Jimmy Buffett, you had to be there. You're right, Patrick, they'll be toasting him in Havana tonight but also in Key West and all around the Caribbean.

All of Jimmy Buffet's haunts, there are going to be old guys at bars crying in their beers and their Margaritas later on tonight. But for a good reason because he was such a legend.

Patrick Oppmann, thanks very much for your time. We appreciate it.

OPPMANN: Thank you.

ACOSTA: Great to see you, Patrick.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:41:51]

ACOSTA: Ukraine's counteroffensive is pushing closer towards Russian territory. That is according to President Zelenskyy, who earlier, despite reports to the contrary, quote, "Ukraine is on the move."

Ukrainian forces now saying they have penetrated the first line of Russian strongholds in the south, sharing drone video of Russia's infamous anti-tank trenches south of Zaporizhzhia, known as Dragon Teeth. And a Ukrainian army vehicle forcing through them earlier this week.

This, as Russia claims it stopped a third Ukrainian drone attack on the bridge connecting Crimea to the Russian mainland.

And one of tools Ukraine is using more and more in its modern warfare against Russia is drones, including recent attacks on cities inside Russia.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour takes us inside the training to become a drone operator.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice-over): Any support is welcome in Ukraine, especially if it appears blessed by Jesus, say these drone students, set up in an abandoned church, working on their simulators and convinced their cause is just.

YULIA, UKRAINIAN DRONE PILOT: We do whatever we can now to resist, because Russians want to kill all of us. This is genocide.

AMANPOUR: Next door in the construct and repair class, Yulia solders and tweaks and teaches. This part is fairly simple and fun, she says.

(on camera): And did you study engineering? What are you in normal life?

YULIA: A writer and a film director.

AMANPOUR: You're a writer and a film director?

YULIA: Yes.

AMANPOUR: And now, you're a drone operator?

YULIA: Yes.

AMANPOUR (voice-over): We're not allowed to disclose the location where Yulia and the others put theory into practice.

(on camera): Here in this innocuous looking field with a rudimentary obstacle course, this could almost be child's play but with deadly results, of course.

These are all civilian drones that the Ukrainians are repurposing for their current war effort. They can be bought off store shelves.

But this signifies a turning point in the conduct of modern warfare.

(voice-over): A $500 drone that's been weaponized can take out vehicles and weapon systems worth millions.

Software engineer, Lyuba Shipovich, started the Victory Drones initiative. LYUBA SHIPOVICH, CO-FOUNDER, VICTORY DRONES: The most advantage, it's one of the most cost-effective weapon. And it's also a weapon and it could be used as reconnaissance.

For reconnaissance purpose, if you see the enemy, you can hit enemy, you can hide like your soldiers. So, it's --

(CROSSTALK)

AMANPOUR (on camera): But the enemy can see you.

SHIPOVICH: Yes. If you don't use security measurements.

AMANPOUR (voice-over): Like hiding or disguising their signals, because the Russians are adapting fast.

She says they're mostly crowd funded and have deals with the Ukrainian military to train frontline troops, tens of thousands so far in what's become indispensable strategy.

That was just practice dropping a water bottle full of sand.

[16:44:59]

But just a few days ago, the group says one of their former trainees took out this Russian tank on the eastern front. They can also wipe out artillery positions and troop carriers.

(on camera): How long did it take you to learn to fly?

(voice-over): Many of these citizen soldiers are women busting stubborn myths.

And Yulia, of course, agrees. In fact, she assembles the drones her husband flies too.

(on camera): And a lot of women have taken up this fight?

YULIA: Yes. We are all people and we're fighting for our existence.

AMANPOUR: These, of course, are repurposed civilian drones. But the bigger military drones are being used now increasingly to attack inside Russia as we have seen this week.

The Ukrainian Defense Intelligence chief said the idea is to tie up Russian resources and take the fight into, as he puts it, the territory of the enemy.

I also spoke to Ukraine's foreign minister and he tells me any criticism from armchair warriors and thinktank experts about the pace of this counteroffensive is unfair.

He said it's like spitting in the eyes of our soldiers, who are literally sacrificing their lives, of course, to defend every inch, and to try to liberate more territory.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: All right, Christiane Amanpour, thank you very much.

Still ahead, being SNUG. Inside the social media movement trying to curb gun violence. We'll talk about that next.

You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:50:52]

ACOSTA: A group of young online influencers want to change the gun culture they grew up in. These Gen Z influencers are now taking to social media in a coordinated campaign to try to curb the use of guns.

Here's CNN's Polo Sandoval with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The next time you're scrolling through a social media stream of cooking content and how-to tutorials, you may be encouraged --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What if you could just be SNUG?

SANDOVAL: -- to be SNUG.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Choosing to be SNUG. Safer not using guns, means protecting yourself and others.

SANDOVAL: It's no coincidence that the acronym also spells guns backward.

SNUG is a social media gun violence prevention campaign, driven by Gen Z content creators.

It's organized by Project Unloaded, which is tackling the epidemic of gun violence one post at a time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's be clear. This is not a political thing. It's a safety thing. OK?

SANDOVAL: Pop culture and trendy topics --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get ready with me while I share why we're safer not using guns.

SANDOVAL: -- are combined with gun violence statistics to target the same demo that's become increasingly victimized by gun-related homicides and suicides.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Leading cause of death for kids and teens in the U.S. is gun violence. NINA VINIK, FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PROJECT UNLOADED: The SNUG campaign is aimed at teens between 13 and 17, before they've made up their minds when it comes to guns.

SANDOVAL: Nina Vinik is Project Unloaded's founder and executive director.

VINIK: We are completely sidestepping the polarized partisan debate that we've all seen play out over and over again on this issue. And that's why we're talking to teenagers. They can't even vote yet.

SANDOVAL: Though the campaign tries, it's impossible to steer clear of Second Amendment politics.

There is the occasional pushback and criticism in the comments. But overall, says Vinik, young users have been receptive to a message that simply owning a firearm may not make someone safer.

She leans on several sources getting that point across.

VINIK: We're not trying to take away anyone's guns. We're not trying to interfere with conversations that might be happening inside families.

We're really just trying to make sure that young people have the information they need.

ESTELLA STRUCK, CONTENT CREATOR: These are the only guns I choose to have.

SANDOVAL: Estella Struck is a 22-year-old New York City content creator.

(on camera): How do you cut through the means, the humor videos, and to actually try to get this important message to young people?

STRUCK: It's about portraying the information in a way that is digestible to the viewer and comes across as authentic.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): No doubt, some young influencers have a far reach.

Just look at the turnout for what was supposed to be a social media influencer's product giveaway in New York City last month. The crowds spiraled into an out-of-control mob.

But that same power can be harnessed for what Struck calls a greeter good.

STRUCK: Influencers are not bad. They actually have so much power to create genuine change in the world.

SANDOVAL: A change that may start young and online.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Polo, thanks for that.

In the meantime, meet the secret network of pilots and volunteers helping women access legal abortion procedures in a world without Roe versus Wade on a new episode of "THE WHOLE STORY" with Anderson Cooper.

Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If the doctors that are doing this work are burned out, get tired, worn out, that's one another way in which the whole ecosystem around abortion care can get worse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once we get higher, should smooth out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Please go ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Runway 14 left clear, takeoff. Have a good flight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bumpy day. I knew it was going to be some, but it's more than I even expected.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These short trips back in either place are the worst.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I commute from Ohio to Illinois every weekend. We anticipated a lot of worsening of access for patients, particularly in the Midwest, until a group of us from those states banded together to help set up this clinic.

[16:55:08]

As areas become more and more legally complicated around pregnancy termination, we're seeing fewer and fewer people work in this part of healthcare. And in this region, the number is abysmal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Make sure to tune in to a brand-new episode of "THE WHOLE STORY" with Anderson Cooper tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. right here on CNN.

Still ahead, Trump's election subversion case is ramping up in Fulton County, Georgia. And the cameras will be there. Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger will join me live to discuss right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. That's next.

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