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Manhunt for Escaped Convicted Murderer Intensifies; Search For Survivors After Powerful Quake In Morocco; Interview With Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) About Biden's Vietnam Trip And The Georgia Election Interference Case; Rudy Giuliani Fights Georgia Charges; Giuliani Fights Georgia Charges Claiming Deficiencies; Michigan State Suspends Head Football Coach Amid Probe Into Reported Sexual Harassment Accusations; US Lawmakers Alarmed Over China Buying Up Lands. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired September 10, 2023 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:00]

PAULA REID, CNN HOST: It shows he is now clean shaven with a change of clothes aside from his prison pants. And this van that he stole last night from a dairy has been found. It was abandoned in a field behind a barn. In an afternoon news conference, Pennsylvania State Police confirmed that officers are authorized to use deadly force if they encounter Cavalcante and he does not immediately surrender.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. COL. GEORGE BIVENS, PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE: He is somebody that comes from a background where he has endured some hardship and there's no doubt he is willing to endure some hardship now. His choice is to go to prison for the rest of his life. He chooses not to do that, unfortunately, that is not the -- what's going to prevail in the long run.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: CNN's Polo Sandoval joins us now from West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Polo, the entire country watching this manhunt. What are you learning today?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, when we heard from Pennsylvania State Police at this firehouse turned command center, they also described the developments that we played overnight as a, quote, "minor setback," though when you really look at the state of this investigation right now and how much ground that investigators now have to cover, that could be an understatement, especially if you retrace the steps of 34-year-old Danelo Cavalcante.

Investigators believe that sometime last night, he managed to actually escape that perimeter that authorities had been searching and made his way on to a dairy farm, which is where he, according to investigators, managed to steal a dairy van. The keys were left in it, according to authorities. He then went on a drive, about 22, 23 miles north of that dairy farm, eventually making his way to the house of a former colleague of his, that house near Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.

That's where that ring camera video is from showing him wearing a hoodie. And Paula, when you look at that video, he looks in fairly good spirits, especially when you consider that this is somebody who has been on the run for well over a week and a half. Eventually, though, throughout the night, he begins -- he resumes his drive, in this case heading west. And that is where authorities say he literally ran out of gas.

So that's where the big search is concentrated right now. I want you to hear from Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens, as he addressed some criticism and many questions right now about how this man was able to slip past hundreds of law enforcement personnel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIVENS: So you do the best you can with any given circumstance. It's no different when it's a wooded search. It's no different when there are challenges with every one of them. And so we do the very best that we can. Our people did a great job. And I applaud them. I wish that he had not been able to slip through there. But that does happen sometimes. And that's why we don't simply rest on our laurels and say, OK, we're going to take one approach.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: We know that the sister of Cavalcante is currently in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. That's according to what we learned today during that press conference so we couldn't -- they couldn't say exactly why. We can tell you, though, Paula, that authorities right now, they're trying to cut off any potential support, reaching out to any associates of his.

And lastly, one of the biggest concerns right now for investigators is with every day, Cavalcante grows more desperate. So a huge worry for authorities tonight, as we begin day 12, tomorrow, of this search, is that we could see a potential carjacking in play. Back to you.

REID: Yes. Polo, it's a great point. Not just a concern for authorities but also for the residents of Chester County and the surrounding counties in Pennsylvania.

Polo, thank you so much for that report.

Joining me now is CNN senior law enforcement analyst, Andrew McCabe, former deputy director of the FBI, and CNN senior law enforcement analyst Charles Ramsey. He's a former Washington, D.C. police chief and the former police commissioner for Philadelphia.

All right. Chief Ramsey, Cavalcante has been on the run for 11 days. He was spotted 20 miles outside the area that they were focused on searching. Are you surprised by these developments?

CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, it's certainly a setback for the effort to try to arrest him. I mean, they had him contained in an area. He was able to slip through. He was able to get access to a truck so he had transportation. And he was able to shave and he was able to change clothes. So it is a setback. There's no question about that. But these things are difficult.

I mean, it's not like television, where everything, kind of, you know, turns out OK at the end. You know, they're still on it. They're still after him. But he needs money. He needs transportation. He needs food. The longer he's out there, the more desperate he becomes. And of course I heard a reporter mention the possibility of carjacking or whatever. But he does need transportation. He's going to have to find a way to get out of this immediate area. And he's a desperate man.

[19:05:04]

REID: And Andrew, on that issue of desperation, police say the suspect is looking for support. It appears that he's reached out to some associates. They don't appear to be responding. So does that desperation make him more dangerous?

ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, certainly it does, Paula. Now that he's, kind of, out of the woods in Chester County and moving, you know, in places pretty far from there, it's really no telling where he's going to turn up next. We know that last night he showed up at actually two former associates' residents, the first one where he was caught on the doorbell camera. And then a second location where he knocked on the door in Phoenixville, and the person who was inside the residence called a friend who came over and reported it to the police.

So he is looking for the things he needs. As the chief said, he needs money. He needs access to transportation. He could probably use a communications device of some sort, at least to be able to track the news media coverage of his manhunt and possibly reach out to other associates. He managed to go about, you know, 20, 10, another 13 or so miles west before he ran out of gas in that van. So you can expect that having made some progress with a stolen vehicle, he will probably try to get his hands on another one.

When he decides -- when he gets desperate enough to interact with a person who has a car to try to take that from them, either at, you know, knife point or out of threat or something like that, that's when things could get really dangerous.

REID: And Ramsey, this afternoon, the Pennsylvania State Police confirmed its officers are authorized to use deadly force if they encounter Cavalcante and he doesn't surrender immediately. Do you think that this will have a peaceful end?

RAMSEY: Well, first of all, you have to be very careful how you communicate that sort of thing if you're a police chief. Obviously this is a dangerous individual. But quite frankly, we arrest very dangerous people all the time and don't always have to resort to lethal force. That is always an option. If the circumstances presents itself where that is necessary in order to, you know, end the situation. But only if it's absolutely necessary.

You're under threat of death, of great bodily harm, or another person is. So, you just have to be a little careful about that. Police are well trained. They know the circumstances under which you can use lethal force. So I would just be a little careful if I were running this thing about how I communicated that to the officers.

REID: And, Andrew, clearly he's gotten his hand on new clothes. He appears to be eating. He also stole a car. How big of a concern is that that he's going to be able to get his hands on weapons?

MCCABE: Well, you know, it could happen very easily, Paula. We know that he's gone into residences in search for the basic support that he needs in terms of clothes and food and things like that. It's not a big leap, if you've broken your way into someone's house and you're in their kitchen looking for food, it's not hard to find a carving knife or a pair of scissors or something like that. So he could very easily arm himself pretty quickly.

And we know that he has killed two people in the past with a bladed -- with an edge weapon. So, you know, it's -- he doesn't have to get his hands on an AR-15 to become lethally dangerous to the people he interacts with.

REID: Chief Charles Ramsey and Andrew McCabe, thank you.

And a stunning toll. More than 2100 people are dead after an earthquake in Morocco. Rescuers are now scrambling to find people who may still be alive under the rubble, as survivors sleep outside. What kind of help is most needed there now? Plus, the new legal challenge filed by Rudy Giuliani against the charges he's facing in Georgia.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:13:15]

REID: A critical search and rescue operation is underway in Morocco after a powerful earthquake hit on Friday. Officials report more than 2100 deaths and even more injuries. Remote villages in the Atlas Mountains near the epicenter are in ruins. Access to the area is proving difficult, with tons of rubble blocking key rail and roadways.

Teams from the French aid group, Doctors Without Borders or MSF, are in the hard-hit area. The U.S. executive director of that organization Avril Benoit joins us now.

MSF posted some photos on Friday from teams on the ground in Morocco. What's the latest you're hearing from your staff on the ground?

AVRIL BENOIT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: We have deployed three teams to do assessments on the ground. And the teams are typically composed of a doctor, a few senior nurses, and specialists in logistics, so how to move supplies from here to there and to assess also the stability of some of the structures where you might want to continue to do medical facilities.

And what our teams have reported from Amizmiz, for example, which is one of the villages in the High Atlas that was most affected by the earthquake, is that a local clinic had some medical staff who were receiving wounded non-stop. And they have been working 36 hours straight at the moment that our team arrived. What we're trying to do then is to see, OK, they've got lacerations, they got broken bones. You've got cranial injuries.

You also know that when people are pulled out of the rubble, they may have sustained more severe injuries, for example, crush syndrome, where your limbs are basically compressed so much that it risks all the circulation.

[19:15:07]

You can have infections that are deadly. And so there's always this very tense situation where you try to save the limb, but sometimes it ends up with amputation. So the more severe cases have been moved by ambulance and transported, as they are taken out of the rubble, to referral hospitals in Marrakech. So that is good so far. But what our teams reported on the ground is that the Moroccan medical staff at this clinic were exhausted.

They were using the supplies that they already had on hand and were beginning to run low. And so our goal is to assess, how can we help them, make that offer to the government in a formal way, which is required in Morocco, and then hope that the Moroccan government, the emergency commission, the authorities that are now taking care of how to wrangle all this aid offer will give us the green light to be able to deploy more substantially, whether it's earthquake, specialized logistic staff, medical staff who know what to do in situations like this. Whatever they need, essentially from that medical humanitarian perspective, we are there with our offer.

REID: Avril Benoit, thank you so much.

BENOIT: Thank you.

And learn how you can help victims of the Morocco earthquake at CNN.com/impact, or you can text Morocco to 707070 to donate.

As he faces mounting legal bills, Rudy Giuliani is out with a new challenge to the charges he's facing in Georgia. One of the attorneys representing him in the Fulton County case joins us live next.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:21:16]

REID: Right now President Biden is in Vietnam, as he continues his high-stakes trip through the Indo-Pacific. This morning, Biden took part in a ceremony when he arrived in Hanoi, showcasing the United States' stronger ties with its former foe. It's part of an effort both countries hope will build stability in a region growing increasingly concerned about China's rising influence. The president later spoke with reporters where he was pressed by CNN

on whether he was putting U.S. interests above Vietnam's poor human rights record.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Are you putting U.S. strategic interests above human rights here in Vietnam?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't put anything above human rights, and I've raised it with every person I've met with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: Joining us now to discuss is Democratic Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren of California.

Thank you so much for being with us. We know you serve as the co-chair of the Congressional Vietnam Caucus. You and other lawmakers recently sent a letter to the president urging him to address Vietnam's human rights abuses. What do you make of that answer he just gave?

REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D-CA): Well, it sounds like he has raised that issue, and I'm pleased that one of the prisoners of conscience that I adopted, as we all do, has been released when Bac Truyen has been released. But we provided President Biden with a long list of prisoners of conscience who we hope that he can get released.

The human rights record of the communists in Vietnam is terrible and getting worse. So we -- I'm pleased that he said he's raised these issues. Let's hope we get some progress on it.

REID: I want to turn now to Georgia. Earlier this week, the special grand jury's report and its recommendations, they were unredacted, and one of the biggest surprises were the fact that the special grand jury recommended charges against Senator Lindsey Graham and two former senators. Was it surprising to you that the district attorney did not pursue charges against any of those current or former lawmakers?

LOFGREN: Well, obviously I didn't know about that until you did. But it shows that the district attorney was very careful in her decision making on who to prosecute. Obviously the grand jury felt that these two former senators and current senator had violated the law. And certainly Mr. Graham tried to assert that his activities were within his duties as a senator. That was rejected by the courts. He was not acting in the course of his duty as a senator.

That's why he didn't get the protection of the Speech and Debate Clause. So I just assume that it has to do with the weight of the evidence that was available to the district attorney. And I'm glad that she used the discretion that she did in deciding who to indict and who to leave behind.

REID: And former White House official Peter Navarro, he was a senior Trump official, he was convicted this week for defying a subpoena issued by your committee. What was your reaction to that? He's now, of course, the second Trump adviser, the first, Steve Bannon, to be convicted for this exact crime, contempt of Congress.

LOFGREN: Well, it was the right decision, and I felt a sense of relief that finally he's been called to account. The committee had questions for him as well as Mr. Bannon. There are things that they knew about this.

[19:25:02]

I mean, certainly Mr. Navarro was very much up to his neck in the spinning of the lies about the election. And of course he and Mr. Bannon were working together. I'm sure you remember that Bannon, the day before January 6th, had this presentation that this is going to be very different than you think. You know, what connection did he have with the White House? Was it through Navarro? Was it through Meadows who also refused to talk to us?

There were things the committee could not get, although I think in the end we were able to present a clear picture of the conspiracy that the ex-president led to overturn the election.

REID: Do you think these convictions send a message to people who don't want to cooperate with congressional investigations?

LOFGREN: Well, I think they should. I mean, first, a committee has to be within their jurisdiction. And our committee was. And as a matter of fact, we were sued over that. It was litigated. And the courts decided that these subpoenas were pursuing things that were properly within the jurisdiction of the committee. At that point, there's really no excuse. This is not a suggestion. It's a requirement.

And Mr. Navarro could have come in if he felt that he was in criminal jeopardy. He could have pled the fifth, as others did. But he has been saying, no, he did nothing wrong. He went on various media tours talking about what he knew. But he just defied the subpoena. And you can't do that. And I think others that are thinking about that should think again because he will, I'm sure, spend some time in custody. And he should.

REID: Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, thank you.

LOFGREN: Thank you.

REID: On Friday, Rudy Giuliani filed a new legal challenge to his Georgia indictment. Former Trump attorney claims there are deficiencies in the indictment and has asked for it to be quashed, or to set a hearing on the matter.

So joining us now to discuss, one of his attorneys, David Wolfe.

You are one of the authors of the Giuliani filing. I want to start with a different story from Friday, which is this idea of moving cases to federal court. Giuliani has previously said on his podcast that he would like to try to move his case to federal court late Friday. We learned that a judge had rejected Mark Meadows' attempts to move his case to federal court. He's going to appeal.

But given the Meadows decision, do you still intend to try to remove your client's case to federal court?

DAVID WOLFE, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: There's no deadline for a removal. And I'm interested in the detail in Judge Jones' opinion. Of course there will be an appeal of that opinion. But at this point, no, I don't plan on doing that. I'm in the process of waiting on the discovery and trying to establish whether or not allegations in the indictment were properly brought.

REID: And so you're an expert in motions. And on Friday, you filed this motion on behalf of Giuliani challenging the indictment. In layman's terms, what are you arguing about this case?

WOLFE: Well, if you've read the indictment, and, you know, it's 98 pages and some people think you just read that in 30 or 40 minutes. It took me three or four days to really read it, understand it, and see what's alleged. And there is no specificity in the indictment. There's no nexus between a lot of the acts, predicate acts, overt acts, and racketeering activity that necessarily connect the individual defendants to what they say was criminal.

REID: And going forth, we know at least two defendants are scheduled to go to trial on October 23rd. Would you be ready to take your client to trial on October 23rd? Because we know it's an outstanding issue as to whether this trial is going to be divided into subgroups.

WOLFE: Well, the two people that are scheduled to go to trial have demanded statutory speedy trials, and they've been granted that right. Their cases are set for trial. None of the other people are set for trial that day. There was a scheduling order done for the two people who did move to sever and have the speedy trial. We don't have a scheduling order yet. We're anticipating that at the end of the next week.

And certainly we can't begin to prepare for trial until we've received the discovery. On the indictment itself, there were only two witnesses listed, and they were investigators for the district attorney's office, while at a hearing they said that there were going to be 150 witnesses. So, no, I couldn't be ready. And I wouldn't try to put Mayor Giuliani in jeopardy without being prepared to move forward.

[19:30:07]

REID: One of the interesting things from that unredacted special grand jury report that came out last week was the names of three Trump advisers -- Cleta Mitchell, Boris Epshteyn, and Mike Flynn, who the special grand jury recommended be charged, but she did not charge them.

Are you concerned that any of them may have cooperated in any way against your client?

WOLFE: Well, if that's the case, then we'll find out about that. But you know, the fact that a grand jury has indicted these people, there's nothing grand about a grand jury. The only people that presented evidence in the grand jury were Miss Willis' group and they presented it the way they wanted to present it through hearsay and there was nobody there to cross examine, our challenge, like we have done to this indictment the allegations that were made.

It's just more people and those people don't understand the sophisticated specifics that need to be played in order to properly indict somebody.

You can indict a ham sandwich, the whole speech is for killing the pig, and at the end of the day, that they've been indicted means nothing as to the strength of the state's case.

REID: I want to ask you about a dinner that the former president hosted for your client on Thursday, in an effort to help them pay down $5 million in legal bills. In addition to being at this dinner, they also had a lunch, they were at a rally. Our sources tell us the two men are quite close, but your client is barred from discussing this case with other defendants, which would include former President Trump.

So how do you ensure that your client is not discussing this case with his longtime friend, former President Trump?

WOLFE: Well, he said that he wouldn't. The court directed that he shouldn't, and the direction is that you shouldn't talk to co- defendants about the case.

I wasn't invited to the dinner. And you know, who went, what they did, and where the money goes, that's up to them. I'm defending Mayor Giuliani and I'm challenging the indictment that is poorly drafted and that is not going to be able to sustain the demurrers and challenges that we've made to it.

REID: And lastly, we know that Giuliani has had difficulty finding lawyers because of his legal debt. How did you come to represent the former mayor? Did he reach out to you?

WOLFE: Well, of course, they reached out to me and there were recommendations made by other lawyers here in Georgia who know the nature of my work. You know, I've been doing this 42 years. I think Atticus Finch was a senior when I was a freshman in law school. So I've been around the block and I am good at what I do.

REID: That was a good line. Are you getting paid for your work?

WOLFE: Well, of course, I'm getting paid for my work, you know, I'm flying this aircraft and what I'm writing is a passenger on an aircraft. I've never had the pilot come back and say, hey, by the way, who paid for your tickets? I'm doing my work. I've been paid to do my work. And it's going to cause some problems for the state to respond to it.

REID: I love your analogies. You brought up flying, I just want a last follow up question. Your client owes $5 million in legal fees. I've spoken with multiple lawyers who are owed upwards of a million dollars. Your client flew a private -- in a private jet down to his arraignment. Do you know who paid for that transportation?

WOLFE: I just told him he had to be here, that he got here. It was all that I was concerned about, private or commercial.

You know, I wish the folks in the media would focus on this indictment because it's not properly drafted, and there are going to be some problems timing wise when the case is attempted to be presented.

We look forward to litigating and how people get here, I don't know, I really don't care just as long as they show up on time.

REID: David Wolfe, thank you. We will be right back.

WOLFE: Now, I'll take it --

REID: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:38:34]

REID: We are following breaking news. One of the highest paid coaches in college football is off the job for now.

Michigan State head coach, Mel Tucker has been suspended from the program without pay amid an ongoing investigation that started back in December. This follows an explosive report from "USA Today" that was published last night.

According to that report, a woman who is a rape survivor and victims advocate is accusing Tucker of sexual misconduct. CNN has not independently verified these allegations. University officials say a formal hearing will take place next month.

Joining us now, CNN World Sports anchor, Don Riddell and CNN sports analyst, Christine Brennan. She is also a "USA Today" columnist.

All right, Don, what more do we know?

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT HOST: Hi, Paula. This investigation began back in December and it comes on the heels of a report published Saturday evening in "USA Today." And according to the report, Tucker is alleged to have engaged in sexual misconduct while on a phone call with Brenda Tracy. She was raped in 1998 and has since begun an advocacy group to help other victims. CNN has not independently verified the details of the "USA Today" report.

Tracy served as Michigan State's honorary captain for last year's spring football game. Tucker who is in his fourth year as the Spartans head coach told Title 9 investigators: "Miss Tracy's distortion of our mutually consensual and intimate relationship into allegations of sexual exploitation has really affected me."

[19:40:14]

He went on, "I'm not proud of my judgment and I'm having difficulty forgiving myself for getting into this situation, but I did not engage in misconduct by any definition." Michigan State's interim president says an investigative report was

submitted in July, and a formal hearing will take place in the week of October the 5th. Secondary coach, Harlon Barnett will take Tucker's place on an interim basis.

CNN has reached out to Tracy and her attorney on Sunday, we've not heard back. We've also reached out to Tucker's agent following the announcement of his suspension, but we have also not heard back.

REID: Wow, Christine, what is your reaction to how Michigan State is handling this incredibly sensitive situation?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Paula, as you know, and Don, of course has just detailed what we know so far. As we all know, Michigan State was the epicenter of what is the worst sexual assault scandal in Olympic history, and also one of the worst, if not the worst in US history, and that is of course, the Larry Nasser story and the hundreds of gymnasts and Michigan State athletes who were sexually assaulted, the horrors of Larry Nasser over many, many years and Michigan State for up to two decades turned a blind eye to that absolutely disgusting and horrible scandal.

So the fact that Michigan State has acted quicker than that is a good thing. Although, it would be hard to act any slower than what Michigan State did while many, many children were being raped and sexually assaulted by the team doctor.

So, it is good that they have acted now and they have suspended Tucker. But one wonders what would have happened if my colleague, Kenny Jacoby had not reported the story that he did and broken that news. Would Michigan State have allowed Tucker to keep coaching? And why didn't they suspend him sooner when they started to get the information, which the athletic director said he knew in December?

So, lots of questions still for Michigan State and its leadership.

REID: And we will continue to follow this story. Don Riddell, Christine Brennan, thank you.

And still ahead, China is buying American farms left and right and lawmakers are alarmed why the food on your table is just one of their concerns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DAN NEWHOUSE (R-WA): This is something we've kind of woken up to and thought we should do something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:47:10]

REID: Deep in the American heartland, China is buying up large swaths of American farms. It has become a cause of concern for some US lawmakers are now sounding the alarm over what the Communist Party plans to do.

CNN's David Culver reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Just a couple of hours into our drive from Seattle, we start to see the markings of American pride, Stars and Stripes lining the highways of rural Washington State. This is part of the agricultural backbone that keeps us fed.

But as we look closer here, we find what might be for America is in some cases, non-American.

NEWHOUSE: This is something we've kind of woken up to and thought we should do something.

CULVER (voice over): Dan Newhouse splits his time between Sunnyside Washington working as a hops farmer and the other Washington where he serves on Congress's recently created Select Committee on the CCP.

CULVER (on camera): I think a lot of folks Congressman would look at where we are and say, how does that relate to the committee that focuses on the Chinese Communist Party?

NEWHOUSE: I think there's a huge connection. We've seen a tremendous increase in the number of acres for instance, being purchased by Chinese businesses. The increase in the investments has grown by a factor of 10 over the last decade.

CULVER (voice over): A sharp rise he worries will continue.

NEWHOUSE: But the one thing that people need to understand is China is not an ally, they are an adversary.

CULVER (voice over): Lawmakers on both sides fear that with control of US farmland, China could manipulate US food supply, surveil sensitive military sites, or even steal valuable intellectual property. China's Foreign Ministry says the US is playing off of unwarranted national security fears to discriminate.

We drive about an hour from Sunnyside to see how close the business ties to China are?

CULVER (on camera): You're about to see the sign. It's called Syngenta. This is a seed and pesticides manufacturer. It's one of the largest in the world.

Let me show you something else. As you look from the outside here, nothing about this suggests that it is foreign owned. In fact you can even see that right there, there is an American flag that's flying.

CULVER (voice over): Syngenta is headquartered in Switzerland, but owned by ChemChina, which is 100 percent Chinese state controlled and designated last year by the Defense Department as a military company.

The chairman of its parent company, a former government official and member of the Chinese Communist Party.

Syngenta is operating here legally, and neither it, nor its parent company has been accused of wrongdoing. In a statement to CNN they stressed that Syngenta has approximately 4,400 US employees in 43 states and all its activities are conducted on fields and farms in the US to benefit American farmers.

[19:50:02]

Newhouse is sponsoring a House bill that would heavily vet and restrict future investment from Chinese entities. A similar effort passed the Senate in July and more than two dozen states have either passed or proposed their own restrictions on foreign ownership of land.

KEVIN KNIGHT, OWNER, KNIGHT ORCHARDS: They were all family. Now, there are no families left.

CULVER (voice over): The restrictions on certain foreign investment could mean fewer options for family farms facing increased financial pressures and needing to sell.

CULVER (on camera): Would you be hesitant in selling to any sort of foreign group that's coming in even if it was a Chinese own company?

KNIGHT: I wouldn't like it, but money is money. If they're the only check that you've got, what are you going to do?

CULVER (voice over): The legislation could also have wider consequences.

CULVER (on camera): One of the biggest counter arguments is oh, that's going to lead to xenophobia, right? That's going to create a prejudice -- to that you say.

NEWHOUSE: I think we can make that distinction between the Chinese people in the Chinese Communist Party. And we're not looking at trying to create an anti-Chinese sentiment in our country. We're just trying to be smart about how we respond to the Communist Chinese.

CULVER (on camera): After our report first aired, a spokesperson for Syngenta sent a statement reading in part: "No one from China has ever directed any Syngenta executives to buy, lease, or otherwise engage in land acquisitions in the United States."

They also pushed back on any claim or concern that they've not been fully vetted, adding: "Syngenta continues to adhere to all government laws, regulations, and reviews for any land additions to the Syngenta portfolio."

We then asked to hear from them on camera, but for now, they've declined.

David Culver CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE) REID: Great reporting from David.

Now can football ever be safe? A sneak peek at the CNN Special is next. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:56:05]

REID: America's most watched sport is back. Week one of the NFL wraps up tomorrow, and for all the big plays we see, each week also comes with worries. -- worries about the violent hits and the possibility of a career ending injury.

CNN Sports anchor, Coy Wire spent eight seasons in the NFL and in tonight's "The Whole Story" with Anderson Cooper, he tackles the question, can football be safe?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: I remember coming through the tunnel here in Buffalo. It was a culmination of all those life moments and all those recollections of all the sacrifices you made. It was magical.

I played six seasons in Buffalo and they were some of the best years of my life.

My sixth year in the league, I was playing linebacker for the Bills, and we were playing the Jacksonville Jaguars. And this huge man put his huge helmet right on top of mine and I felt my arm going numb, and I would eventually need a titanium plate and four screws put in my neck and I thought my career was over.

I think about the hits that I've taken, the injuries I've had and I worry about my future and I lose my keys and I'm wondering is that because I had too many hits in the head. Everyone loses their keys.

Football is always going to be a violent game and it is not for everybody. But I think we'd be foolish if we didn't do our best to make the game as safe as it could possibly be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: Coy Wire joins us now.

Coy, after that injury you mentioned in the preview, you returned to the NFL for three more seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. Do you still worry though about the long-term health issues from playing this game that I know you love so much?

WIRE: Every day, Paula. The knee, the ankle, hand, the spinal surgeries, that plate and titanium plate and four screws on my neck. I feel it every day.

If I lose my keys I wonder, did I get hit too many times? You know, Paula, I pray that I'll still be able to run and jump and play with my wife and two young daughters many years to come.

Given that, I wouldn't trade the time I spent pursuing the career for which I had great passion. We each walk the path we've chosen, right?

And football was my dream. The rewards have far outweighed the risks. The lessons I learned made me who I am and it brought me here with you, here we are talking about this documentary airing moments from now that highlights the continued fight to make America's most popular game safer for the pros, but also most importantly, the young kids who love the game all across the country.

REID: That's right, because a big part of your motivation for this documentary was to learn more about the risks for kids who play the sport. So what did you learn?

WIRE: Yes. Football is not for everyone. This is not tennis, basketball, or soccer. This is a brutal sport. So parent concerns are completely justified.

I am saying that what the NFL is doing is vital because they set the tone and the tempo for what happens at the collegiate, high school, and youth levels. All 50 states now, Paula, have concussion protocols following the NFL's lead, and I would urge parents all across the country to make sure your coaches and your schools are being vigilant about having the best equipment, having those protocols in place to keep your kids safe.

And you could play flag football, too, at the youth level, which we highlight in this documentary as well.

WHITFIELD: Your girls looked a little young, but would you let your own kids play eventually?

WIRE: I absolutely would. I think my two-year-old daughter, Ruby is going to be a beast of a linebacker, but all our reporting shows the game is safer today than it's ever been, and it's going to likely continue to get safer if trends continue.

Paula, it's almost game time so it's time to buckle up, you know. It's time to buckle up and get ready to play some ball. Our documentary starting now. Let's go.

REID: I love that, and anyone who is with a toddler needs to live wearing a helmet.

All right, Coy Wire, thank you so much.

The all-new episode of "The Whole Story" with Anderson Cooper is next, right here on CNN.

I'm Paula Reid. Have a great night.