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Tensions Spike Between House GOP As Shutdown Deadline Nears; Hollywood Writers And Studios Could Reach Deal Today; Cassidy Hutchinson Defends Herself In TV Interview. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired September 24, 2023 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:56]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and we begin this hour with growing pressure on Capitol Hill to avoid a crippling government shutdown this week.

Time is running out. Lawmakers now have just six days to pass a spending bill to fund the government. Federal agencies have already started the formal process of preparing for a shutdown, and if that happens, millions of federal workers could have their paychecks withheld until a deal is reached.

But with the clock ticking, it is clear how Speaker Kevin McCarthy doesn't have the votes to pass a stopgap funding bill and House Republicans are engaged in open warfare over who is to blame for the stalemate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MICHAEL TURNER (R-OH): The holdouts keep saying to Kevin McCarthy, don't bring bipartisan bills to the floor. We don't want you to use Democrat votes to try to avert a shutdown. But they're using Democrat votes to try to cause a shutdown, and these individuals, these Republican holdouts are voting with Nancy Pelosi.

REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): We should have separate single subject spending bills. Kevin McCarthy promised that in January. He is in breach of that promise. So I'm not here to hold the government hostage, I'm here to hold Kevin McCarthy to his word.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, CNN's Priscilla Alvarez joining us right now from the White House.

Priscilla, I mean, what is the Biden administration saying about this possible shutdown?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: They're saying that it could cause disruptions if this were to happen and they're saying it is incumbent on Republicans to avoid it and to pass that short-term spending bill. Now, we heard from President Biden last night at an event where he had

said himself that it is Republicans that need to get this done and that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy needs to stand by the deal that the to cut earlier this year over the debt ceiling, which was also down to the wire.

And this morning, we heard from Transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, about the very real impact that this could have for Americans as well. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE BUTTIGIEG, US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: A shutdown would mean servicemembers wouldn't get paid; coming back to transportation, the air traffic controllers who would be working in the towers, they wouldn't get paid. They're under enough stress as it is doing that job without having to come into work with the added stress of not receiving a paycheck.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ: White House officials underscoring all of that saying disruptions to air travel and economic implications are all possible if this shutdown were to happen. And as you mentioned, Fred, the Office of Management and Budget is already telling agencies that they need to prepare, they need to look at their plans and review them if this were to happen, because what agencies need to sort out is who gets furloughed, who is essential and has to work without pay, and also what activities and services that the government provides will have to be halted.

So all of that work is underway now, as the clock is ticking. And the reality is, there is still division within the Republican conference. You played those sound bites earlier, they are still not on the same page, which makes this all the more difficult in a very short amount of time, and that means that the administration has to prepare for the very real possibility that this shutdown happens a week from now.

WHITFIELD: All right, Priscilla Alvarez, from the White House. Thank you so much.

Let's talk further with Ron Brownstein about this shutdown and more. He is a CNN senior political analyst and a senior editor for "The Atlantic."

Ron, great to see you. And you know, I mean, first rhetorical question. You heard Congressman Matt Gaetz, he says it's about promises, but you know, promises to the party versus promises to the people? I mean, that's what it all will boil down to, and if the government shutdown does happen, who will get the blame and how might it impact potentially the upcoming election?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, first, there is no question they can pass a continuing resolution if they were willing to do so to keep the government open on a bipartisan basis, and you know, the subject of this -- shutting it down is performance art, because eventually the agreement, whatever agreement that is finally reached to reopen the government, whenever that happens, if there is a shutdown will have to go through a Democratic Senate and a Democratic president.

So the idea that they are simply going to draft on a blank piece of paper something that would make Matt Gaetz happy is never going to happen.

[15:05:10]

You know, the question is whether there is a portion of the Republican conference that will simply demand before there is some final agreement that they break the glass window and shut down the government.

And I have felt ever since McCarthy avoided the debt default, which would have been a truly catastrophic roll of the dice with the global economy, that it was almost inevitable that he was going to have to shut down the government, at least for a while, because there's a portion of his conference that feels they have to show they are using every possible tool available, no matter how destructive or disruptive to fight the agenda of the left, and that the cost of avoiding default, would probably be a government shutdown for at least a while in the end.

WHITFIELD: And this all highlights how perhaps worried or concerned Kevin McCarthy is about his speakership.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Look, I mean, he has operated -- you know, some people have said, you know, he's kind of Speaker in name only. I mean, Republicans have suffered remarkable defeats on procedural votes this week, that's something that rarely, rarely happens. The majority party occasionally lose substantives votes on the floor, of the so-called rule that allows for debate.

You know, the majority party is not supposed to lose those votes. It happens very rarely. The right has gone out of their way to humiliate McCarthy.

And look, I mean, McCarthy's strategy from the beginning, since he has been speaker has been in the end to give his critics on the right most, if not almost all of what they want, and to believe that in the end, the members from the more competitive districts, the 18 Republicans from districts that Biden carried, the additional dozen or so in districts that Trump narrowly carried, they will fall in line in the end.

And by and large, that's what happened. That's what has happened on a whole series of issues, including this impeachment inquiry.

So it's not illogical for the right to think that McCarthy is going to fold again, it is just the consequences of his folding keep going up.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Also this week, the Republican presidential candidates, they're going to hold their second debate, and without Trump, again. The head of the RNC talked about that this morning. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONNA MCDANIEL, CHAIRWOMAN, RNC: You know, I want him to attend a debate and he knows that, everybody knows, I think the other candidates also want him to attend a debate.

I hope that before January that he comes to a debate and participates in that process, but everybody is doing their own strategy.

So the RNC's role is to create a fair, transparent process and everyone can play their strategy as candidates as how they think they're best going to garner that nomination.

BILL HEMMER, FOX NEWS CHANNEL ANCHOR: Okay, so nothing -- nothing locked in right now with the former president?

MCDANIEL: No.

HEMMER: Okay.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Okay, so without the former president, you know, who among the candidate stands to be elevated the most?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes, I mean, the charitable explanation for what we saw in the first debate was the candidates used that time to introduce themselves to voters nationwide. None of them are known that well. The uncharitable explanation is that they by and large, repeated the mistake of the Republicans in 2016 and avoided going after Trump directly, and instead focused on each other, trying to emerge as the last person standing in the event that some catastrophic and unpredictable event knocks him from his lead.

That strategy didn't work in 2016, and the evidence is pretty clear that it is not working in 2024. You know, you could look at that first debate and say that Nikki Haley did the best at kind of elevating herself out of that pack. You know, there's some evidence of her moving and advancing in the polls in all three of the early states, particularly New Hampshire, and South Carolina.

But like, you know, you're talking about a drawing at the margins of this race. The overriding fact is that Donald Trump is polling at 55 or 60 percent, and none of them really made a dent in that.

So who is second, 45 points behind Trump is somewhat of, you know, a thin victory. If that's all you're going to achieve. Clearly, in the second debate, they have to be there to make more of a case against Trump and put more pressure on him to show up and defend himself.

Why would he feel any need to come to the second debate after how little the candidates tried to make him pay for not being at the first debate?

WHITFIELD: Right. And after all, he does have a few court cases that he's got to deal with. So you know, he would be asked about it or there would be some probative moments and why would he dare want to be on record as talking about it on that kind of stage?

So he is going to be doing something, right, while this debate is happening. He is planning to give a speech in Detroit, speaking to the strikers in the automotive industry, so might he kind of grab some of the attention in in that manner?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. I mean, let's look at what's happening. One is that that speech is the best indication of the failure of the Republican candidates' strategy at the first debate. He is basically ignoring them. He is acting as if the race is over before a single vote has been cast.

[15:10:10]

And that he can try to position himself for a general election. You see the same thing with some of his comments about the six-week abortion ban.

Looking at it on its own terms, in terms of a potential of a general election, you know, Trump is out there aggressively and unequivocally making the case of the transition to the EV, electric vehicles from the internal combustion engine is going to destroy the American auto industry, it will destroy jobs in Michigan. He has been making that argument really for a year now in speeches and videos.

And you know, whereas Biden is trying to make the case and has evidence from $500 billion in private investment that has been tied to his Big 3 domestic bills that this can be a job creator, the transition to a more green economy, but the rubber as it were is meeting the road in this UAW strike because UAW fears that the auto companies are shifting more to that EV production in non-union right to work states like Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Carolinas.

And so Biden really needs a positive outcome of this UAW strike to rebut the arguments that Trump is making and will continue to make to UAW workers across those critical Rust Belt states.

WHITFIELD: All right, consequential week on so many levels. Ron Brownstein, great to see you. Thank you so much.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: All right now to Hollywood where after four days of marathon negotiations, the striking writers and studios could reach a deal as early as today. It's a glimmer of hope for an end to a strike that has dragged on for nearly five months now and impacted the production of scores of television shows and movies.

CNN's parent company, Warner Bros Discovery is a part of the negotiations with the union.

CNN's Camila Bernal, joining me now from Los Angeles. Camila, hopeful are people? CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Look, people are hopeful,

but also a little bit skeptical because what they're doing now is waiting for the Writers' Guild, waiting to see if they're going to make any sort of announcement because sources close to the studios have said that the studios offered a best and final offer.

So, they are still at the negotiating table today, but everyone really on pins and needles waiting for the WGA to decide what's going to happen here moving forward.

There are people here who say look, we want to return to work, we're ready to go back, but they also say that they're willing to continue this strike for as long as it takes because they want to work through the demands.

They say they specifically want higher wages when it comes to streaming and those residuals. They're also very focused on artificial intelligence.

And so all of these writers that I've talked to have said, look, we want our demands to be met. We want the studios to listen to our demands, and one of them saying, we want to be able to put food on the table. We want to be able to save for our future. So these are the kinds of things that they're focused on. And there is a lot of skepticism in terms of what they're hearing from the studios.

So again, they're just waiting to hear from the WGA. Here is one writer and producer who was out on the picket lines today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID SLACK, TV WRITER AND PRODUCER: Until you hear it from the WGA, you have to take all that with a grain of salt. The studios have put out so many misleading things and just outright easily disprovable lies.

So I think the statement of making a best, last and final offer is a last attempt to try to save face and make it look like they got tough with us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL: Now the deal could come as soon as today, but if that deal is made public, then the members, which is about 11,000 writers, they have to ratify this deal.

And furthermore, we have to wait for the actors to essentially get to a deal as well, because them being on strike means that a lot of the productions and what's going on here in Los Angeles is not really going to go back to normal until SAG AFTRA also does those negotiations and comes to a deal.

But this may speed up that process because of the pressure of the writers having gotten to a deal, but of course we'll have to wait and see if that's the case and it could be as soon as today -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Camila Bernal in Los Angeles, thank you so much.

All right, still to come, Cassidy Hutchinson, the woman at the center of damning testimony in the January 6 investigation, now breaking her silence. Why she says she almost had a change of heart and her choice words for Donald Trump, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:18:40]

WHITFIELD: Former Trump White House aide, Cassidy Hutchinson who delivered bombshell congressional testimony to the January 6 investigators is now defending herself in her first television interview since that testimony.

Her is some of what Hutchinson told CBS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CASSIDY HUTCHINSON, FORMER WHITE HOUSE AIDE: What would I have to gain by coming forward? It would have been easier for me to continue being complicit and to stay in the comfortable zone of I had some sense of security, a semblance of security. I knew people that I could easily reach out to for jobs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: In her testimony last year, Hutchinson said that Trump was aware of the potential for violence on January 6, but forged ahead with his attempts to rile up his supporters.

CNN's Katelyn Polantz is with now.

So Katelyn, what else did Hutchinson say about her testimony and her life.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE SENIOR REPORTER: And her life, too.

Well, Fredricka, she is reflecting quite a bit on what has she has chosen to do, since she testified to the House. She is standing behind what she said under oath, the stories that she told about Donald Trump and others in the White House even on January 6, things that were perceived as quite damning for the former president.

[15:20:02]

And she also is talking about how difficult this was, that she was friends with people in the Trump White House and that she had through the support of a round of attorneys, not the first attorneys who represented her, but attorneys she eventually had who ushered her through the congressional testimony process that she had their support and now is still of the belief that she did the right thing.

Here is a little bit more of what she said on CBS this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUTCHINSON: I felt torn a lot of the time because I knew what I knew and I wanted to come forward with what I knew, but at the same time, I didn't want to feel like I was betraying them.

I heard the door click open, and I turned around and I looked at my attorneys, "I can't do this." And I started to walk and he gently pushed my shoulders and he said, "You can do this," and then we walked out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POLANTZ: So one of the things that Cassidy Hutchinson is still standing by is a story that she told on Capitol Hill under oath that she heard through aides about Donald Trump, lunging at the steering wheel wanting to go to the Capitol on January 6. There are others that have questioned that story, people who have tried to undermine her.

And she has reiterated that, you know, she took the stand. She was fearing for her safety at the time that she went under oath, testified publicly on Capitol Hill. But she recounted what she recalled and that is what she did those days. Obviously, this is all going to be in her book as well.

And so, we are listening for other things that may be happening with her and we don't know exactly where she stands, Fredricka, on what she said to criminal investigators if she becomes a witness in those cases against Donald Trump, both in Fulton County, Georgia or in Washington, DC in federal court.

WHITFIELD: But she did comment on the idea of the former president running for the White House again, didn't she?

POLANTZ: She did indeed. So Cassidy Hutchinson, she was remember, as someone who was very up close in seeing what President Donald Trump was doing whenever she was serving in that White House. She was a top aide to Mark Meadows, his chief-of-staff at the end of the presidency.

This is what she said about Donald Trump running in 2024 for president again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUTCHINSON: I would like to make clear, I would not back the former president of the United States. He is dangerous for the country.

He is willing, and has shown time and time again willingness to proliferate lies to vulnerable American people, so he could stay in power.

To me, that is the most un-American thing that you can do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POLANTZ: So Fredricka, the next thing that we know is that she's going to continue talking with this book coming out and we do expect her to be sitting down with Jake Tapper on Tuesday.

WHITFIELD: All right, Katelyn Polantz, thank you so much.

And of course, you don't want to miss Tuesday, that interview with Jake Tapper and Cassidy Hutchinson at 4:00 PM Eastern Time on "The Lead."

All right still ahead, Russia unleashes more deadly strikes in Ukraine, but encounters resistance from Ukrainian forces protecting a key village. We will take you to the region next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:27:30]

WHITFIELD: Ukrainian officials say a barrage of Russian attacks today has left two people dead and at least nine others injured in the city of Kherson. They say one of the bombs hit civilian infrastructures.

Ukraine is also releasing more footage from the battle for Andriivka near the city of Bakhmut. The village was recaptured by Ukrainian forces almost 10 days ago. CNN's Fred Pleitgen in is in Ukraine.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Fredricka.

Well, there certainly has been a lot of shuffling going on, a lot of it taking place in areas that are close to the frontlines or close to Russian territory. You have for instance, near Kherson, which is in the south. Two people were killed there and several people were injured. The Ukrainians saying some pretty heavy shelling coming from the Russian side.

Also in the Zaporizhzhia region, one person was killed, and that of course is significant because the Zaporizhzhia area, that's the place where the Ukrainians are currently conducting their main counteroffensive, trying to break some of those Russian defense lines, and the Ukrainians confirming that they have broken they say through one of those defense lines. Of course, they want to continue to build on those gains. They do say that they are able to fortify their positions there.

The same, pretty much happening in the East. If we look around the town of Bakhmut, south of there, the Ukrainians of course, in the past couple of days have said that they took two pretty important villages from the Russians and they also say now, they've been able to fortify those positions and further beat the Russians back -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Fred Pleitgen in Ukraine, thank you.

All right, still ahead, a good grade for sexual banter? A letter of recommendation for a nude photo? Those are just some of the allegations a former Coast Guard professor is facing. What a CNN exclusive investigation uncovered next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [15:33:17]

WHITFIELD: All right, the US Senate has launched an inquiry into the Coast Guard's handling of secret years long investigation exposed by CNN.

Our Pamela Brown has done several reports on the investigation dubbed Operation Fouled Anchor. Well today, Pamela has another CNN exclusive.

A college president is taking leave of absence after CNN started asking questions about his past at the US Coast Guard Academy where he was accused of exchanging hundreds of sexually suggestive text messages with a student more than a decade ago.

Here's Pamela Brown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST AND CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Retired Captain Glenn Sulmasy has had a long career that includes being a lawyer, a provost, a captain in the Coast Guard. Now, he is the president of Nichols College and said he wants to turn it into the business college of choice for women.

But a CNN investigation found Sulmasy allegedly sent lewd or suggestive text messages to at least two of his students more than a decade ago when he was a professor at the Coast Guard Academy.

MELISSA MCCAFFERTY, RETIRED COAST GUARD LIEUTENANT: Yes, he operates with complete impunity. He is untouchable.

BROWN (voice over): Melissa McCafferty, a former Coast Guard cadet, said when she texted Sulmasy after graduation asking for a letter of recommendation for law school, Sulmasy said this.

MCCAFFERTY: Only if you send me pictures will I write you a letter of recommendation.

It doesn't take an idiot to figure out that he was insinuating nudes. He then followed up with -- and I will never forget this -- "I've always loved that tattoo on your left foot."

BROWN (voice over): To another female student, Sulmasy exchanged more than 1,600 text messages, most of which were sexual or flirtatious. According to this internal Coast Guard document obtained by CNN, "an alleged offer to give high grades to the cadet in exchange for sexual banter."

[15:35:10]

Listen to what he wrote. "Do u luv turning me on? U really looked great and the nails were very hot. Ur very precious. I adore u. I really do want u. I am a good boy. No final for the goddess."

Coast Guard attorneys learned about the texts years later after Sulmasy had retired from service. Yet, they were so concerned they wrote this 2016 prosecution memo recommending two court martial charges against Sulmasy, including willful dereliction of duty and conduct unbecoming an officer.

The document states the cadet, who was 20 years younger than Sulmasy, denied any sexual contact occurred and appears to have been a willing participant.

Sulmasy's attorney saying to CNN, that means "texts between them were entirely consensual between two of-age adults." Yet, the memo's conclusion was "...prosecution appears to be the only proper course of action." Charges were never filed.

MCCAFFERTY: He would get away with all sorts of inappropriate behavior.

BROWN (voice over): McCafferty says her interaction with Sulmasy went beyond text messages. She says Sulmasy harassed her, making sexual comments to her or about her.

MCCAFFERTY: He made countless comments towards me about my body to my boyfriend, to me to a classroom. He made comments about how I looked in a suit, in a pencil skirt and heels.

BROWN (on camera): Did you feel like the power differential between the role you had as a cadet and the role he had as a captain impacted how he was treated?

MCCAFFERTY: Oh, absolutely. I brought it up to multiple people and they told me that he was too powerful and that they could do nothing about it.

BROWN (voice over): Sulmasy retired from the Coast Guard in 2015 --

GLENN SULMASY, RETIRED COAST GUARD CAPTAIN: My name is Glenn Sulmasy.

BROWN (voice over): -- and became an administrator at Bryant University in Rhode Island.

The memo warned Sulmasy would have access to students for the rest of his career and if no action was taken, the Coast Guard would be accused of sweeping the case under the rug. Yet, that's what the Coast Guard did.

It's another example of the agency internally expressing concern about sexual misconduct, but ultimately failing to act.

In June, CNN uncovered a damning investigation that had been kept secret for years. It showed academy leaders bury dozens of cases of sexual assault.

ADM. LINDA FAGAN, 27TH COMMANDANT OF THE COAST GUARD: I, again, apologize to each victim, survivor, their loved ones.

BROWN (voice over): As for Melissa McCafferty, she says the culture in the Coast Guard has been one of silencing victims.

MCCAFFERTY: The message was very loud and clear. It was to keep your head down and shut up, and that's what I did and I regret it.

BROWN (voice over): Sulmasy's attorney told CNN: "Any allegation made by Ms. McCafferty that Mr. Sulmasy harassed her is categorically false."

BROWN (on camera): After CNN reached out for comment, Nichols College told us that it has launched a third-party investigation into the allegations. Sulmasy, for his part, voluntarily took a leave of absence.

The Coast Guard told CNN in a statement that it is also referring Melissa's allegations to its investigative service. CNN has learned that investigation has already begun.

Pamela Brown, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, still ahead, the federal government considers forgiveness for unpaid medical bills. What that could mean for your pockets and your credit score, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:43:04]

WHITFIELD: The Biden administration is working to remove unpaid medical bills from credit reports for millions of Americans. If the proposed rule is finalized next year, the borrowers would only be evaluated on non-medical information when applying for a loan.

Joining me right now is CNN senior writer Tami Luhby.

So Tami, great to see you. Why is this so good for consumers potentially?

TAMI LUHBY, CNN SENIOR WRITER: Well, unpaid medical bills are a huge headache for people. As you know, many Americans and our viewers know, roughly 20 percent of Americans have reported having unpaid medical debt according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. They estimate that that people have racked up $88 billion of medical debt on credit reports, but the number can actually be a lot higher.

So this proposal, if it happens, would affect a lot of people.

WHITFIELD: So I guess, I never thought about it until now that having that kind of medical debt does impact your credit score, your credit rating, to what degree?

LUHBY: I mean, any debt, but particularly -- you know, I should say any debt including medical debt does affect your credit score. You know, if you're applying for a loan, it can affect you if you're trying to buy a home, get a mortgage, even rent an apartment, get a car loan, get a loan to start a small business, so this can really affect people's finances. And as vice president Kamala Harris said when they announced this last

week, it can also be a big issue for wealth building and medical debt can often affect more often people of color, low income people. So it is an issue that affects the current generation, as well as future generations.

WHITFIELD: Okay, yes, sometimes you hear good debt, bad debt, but then just the way you spelled it out, this isn't good debt. This isn't considered you know, an asset that you're paying on like say your mortgage.

So what other actions have been taken to help people out when their medical debt is so high before now?

[15:45:09]

LUHBY: Well, medical debt is often generally considered not a good predictor of future ability to pay bills, and it is also something people don't have as much control over. If you get sick, or you get into an accident, you're going to have to go to a hospital or go to a doctor, and you don't have as much control over it and even the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said that these bills can often be error written.

I'm sure many of us have spent -- I just did this recently -- many have spent a lot of time on the phone to either hospitals, doctors, or insurance companies trying to work out errors in their bills.

WHITFIELD: It takes forever.

LUHBY: And so a lot of the times, yes, you don't owe the actual money. Sometimes, you just pay it to get rid of the headache, sometimes you can't afford to do that. So the bills and the debt may not always be right.

So last year, the three largest credit reporting agencies TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax took three steps, and those together would actually remove about 70 percent of people's medical debt from credit reports. They're going to -- they actually had continued to list medical debt that had been paid off, so they're not going to do that anymore.

They are not going to put it on the credit report for a year as opposed to six months to give people more opportunity to work out any problems between the insurance companies and the providers, and they are also not going to include debt that's less than $500.00 on credit reports.

So all of this should help people improve their scores.

WHITFIELD: Yes, sounds like big potential relief.

All right, Tami Luhby, thank you so much.

LUHBY: Thank you. WHITFIELD: All right, still ahead, one of a kind. Soccer superstar,

Megan Rapinoe plays her final match leaving behind a remarkable legacy. Sports anchor, Don Riddell joins me to talk about it, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:51:03]

WHITFIELD: We are now just hours away from soccer superstar, Megan Rapinoe's final match with the US Women's National Team against South Africa. The two-time World Cup winner and a Olympic gold medalist reflected on her career yesterday and addressed the criticism that she has received for kneeling on the field in protest against racial injustice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEGAN RAPINOE, SOCCER PLAYER: This is my life. This is my career and I get to do with it what I want to do with it and we get to express ourselves the way that we want to express ourselves.

And I think, you know, the team not only has a right to do that, but has earned that right to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Always bold, joining me right now, CNN Sports anchor and correspondent, Don Riddell.

I mean, she has always been unafraid, you know, fearless on the field and off. I mean, she has always been outspoken. That is part of her legacy, isn't it?

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT HOST AND CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, defiantly graceful, I think is perhaps how I would describe her, and her legacy, I mean, it's all of it. But we can talk about what she achieved on the field, which, on its own, makes her one of the all- time greats. A phenomenal international career.

You mentioned the two World Cups, the Olympics, more than 200 caps. So today will be 203, sixty-three international goals, 73 assists, just an absolutely phenomenal career. In 2019, which is pretty recent, only four years ago, that was the pinnacle for her not only winning a second World Cup title, but doing it where they were under so much pressure to do so because of the fight they were all involved in for equality within US soccer. So they really felt as though they had to go out and win.

Rapinoe was the leader of that team. She incurred the wrath of President Donald Trump at the time. So I mean, you remember when all of that was going on, that was when we got that iconic photo where she kind of stood there with her arms kind of outstretched, you know, which broke the internet.

So this is what she's achieved on the field, but when you look at what she's achieved off the field, this is why she has such a huge legacy. She's described herself as a walking protest, just the sight of her,

you kind of know exactly what she stands for. And she's just done so much in that regard and that is why her legacy is so big.

WHITFIELD: So what do we think might be next for her?

RIDDELL: So the international career will be over in a few hours. Her playing career maybe has another few weeks to go. You know, she still plays for the OL Reign in the NWSL, but that will be over soon.

But she's just getting started with the advocacy, right, and everything she stands for. She's in a power couple with Sue Byrd, who is an WNBA -- that legend.

WHITFIELD: I love they are on the cover of "Elle Decor."

RIDDELL: Yes, they've set up a production company together called A Touch More, which is going to be focusing on telling stories of queer and people of color.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

RIDDELL: And so, I mean, it's just so exciting to imagine what her future is going to be. She's not afraid, as you say.

WHITFIELD: Unafraid. Fearless.

RIDDELL: And she has an absolutely massive platform.

WHITFIELD: Yes, what a career.

RIDDELL: And you know, she said when she was kind of playing football, it was never just about the football for her. She quickly realized early in her career that she could use her sport to do a whole lot more, which she has.

WHITFIELD: Oh, she has empowered so many, so many.

RIDDELL: Yes.

WHITFIELD: I mean, young women, girls, and beyond. Really, she's touched a lot of lives just with her bravery and her candor.

RIDDELL: Yes. People who are marginalized, people who don't have a voice.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

RIDDELL: She represents all of them.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Fantastic. All right. Well, we praise her all.

Don Riddell, so good to see you.

RIDDELL: All right, you're welcome.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much.

All right, experts say the best way to stop a wildfire is to catch it before it spreads, and now California Fire officials say they've got a new tool to help them do just that -- artificial intelligence.

Cal Fire and the University of California at San Diego have teamed up and are using a massive network of cameras across the state and AI to spot those fires early and it seems to be working.

CNN's Stephanie Elam takes a closer look at this remarkable technology.

[15:55:04]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In California where wildfires are a constant threat, firefighters want every advantage they can get on a blaze before it becomes an inferno.

SCOTT SLUMPFF, CAL FIRE BATTALION CHIEF: While I was asleep in bed, my phone dinged.

ELAM (voice over): Cal Fire's Scott Slumpff got that leg up while testing new technology in July, when he got a text message with a link to this. Video of a fire that started in the middle of the night, deep in the California wilderness.

SLUMPFF: The dispatch center there was not aware of the fire.

ELAM (voice over): But something else was, artificial intelligence. Cal Fire in partnership with UC San Diego's ALERT California Program and its network of more than 1,000 cameras across the state is using the technology to recognize a fire early on.

STAFF CHIEF PHILIP SELEGUE, FIRE INTELLIGENCE, CAL FIRE: The next morning that fire would`ve been a fire of significance.

ELAM (voice over): Instead, firefighters were dispatched immediately knocking the blaze down before it did major damage.

SELEGUE: So the fires that you don`t hear about in the news is the greatest success of this.

ELAM (on camera): These cameras are the new eyes for firefighters. These two positioned more than 5,000 feet above sea level can see across this massive Southern California valley. And they're really adding precision to the spotting of wildfires compared to more traditional ways like this lookout station where I`m standing.

With this new AI technology, they can often spot wildfires more quickly than the human eye can.

ELAM (voice over): Here is how it works. Look at this image. Could you spot a fire? Probably not. But notice that red box on the right side, that is where artificial intelligence has detected a faint column of smoke.

BRIAN NORTON, FIRE LIAISON, ALERT CALIFORNIA: There is nothing on that horizon and then something appeared on that horizon that wasn't there before. It could be smoke. The camera will pick that up and go, that does not look normal.

SELEGUE: We've had multiple successes of fires at night that had gone undetected that we were able to suppress before a 911 phone call had even come in to the command centers.

ELAM (voice over): The pilot program works so well that Cal Fire recently expanded it to all 21 of its dispatch centers where an official will validate the imagery to make sure it is not just dust or clouds.

SELEGUE: Our goal as an agency is to keep 95 percent of our fires at 10 acres or less. So this tool increases our ability to ensure that we are keeping those fires small.

ELAM (voice over): And the AI is constantly learning, each time a human confirms or corrects what it detects, the technology adapts.

ELAM (on camera): Do you think that it is making a difference and how you're able to protect the population?

SLUMPFF: Absolutely.

ELAM (voice over): This technology won`t replace people, Cal Fire says.

SLUMPFF: Nothing can take the place of the boots on the ground.

ELAM (voice over): But can help first responders stop fires before they explode.

SLUMPFF: In my opinion, save lives and property.

ELAM (voice over): Stephanie Elam, CNN, Riverside County, California

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right on to Florida now where a 200-mile joy ride ended with a high-risk traffic stop and a major surprise.

Deputies say they were stunned to find a 10-year-old boy and his 11- year-old sister hop out of a stolen white sedan near Gainesville as they surrounded it, and you can see the siblings with their hands up in one of these images, there you go. That one right there.

Well, the Sheriff's Office says the pair stole their mother's car after she confiscated their electronic devices. The mom drove three hours from her Northport home to pick them up.

Police say mom didn't pursue criminal charges, so the kiddos are not behind bars, but they are in big trouble with mom.

And on a new episode of "Jose Andres and Family in Spain." He and his daughters explore the beautiful city of Barcelona. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But we're not done yet. They've got dessert for us, and of course it's something extraordinary.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A secret table in a secret room.

JOSE ANDRES, CHEF: In the basement.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Inside the table our hidden boxes filled with all kinds of goodies and sweet treats.

ANDRES: Called cotton candy flowers. Rose petals with raspberry marshmallows, pine nut cookies, chocolate bonbons, raspberry shortbreads called polvorones, and almond meringue stuffed with tart Japanese yuzu paste. Ecstasy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am in awe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is art.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Carlota, this is immersive art.

ANDRES: This table is really alive. I've seen crazy things in my life, crazy amazing things. You think that you saw everything? And I'm amazed that here once again, I'm above surprised of how creative, but more important how good everything is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Okay, I've never seen anything like that before. I'm in.

Watch as a Chef Jose Andres takes his daughters on a culinary adventure through his Spanish homeland.

"Jose Andres and Family in Spain" premieres tonight at 9:00 PM right here on CNN.