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Government Shutdown Grows More Likely Amid House GOP Chaos; Hollywood Writers And Studios Could Reach Deal Today; NASA Returns Asteroid Sample From Space; Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Arrives In Djibouti; France To End Military Presence In Niger By End Of 2023; Former President Jimmy Carter And His Wife, Rosalynn, Visit Georgia Peanut Festival; Democratic Lawmakers Divided On Calls For Menendez To Resign; El Paso Opens New Shelter Amid Migrant Surge At Border; Mayor Of El Paso, Texas Says The City Is At A Breaking Point; Mexico President Requests Meeting With Biden; Making Dreams Come True For Young Adults Battling Cancer; Powerball Jackpot Grows To $785 Million. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired September 24, 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]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Seen anything like that before. I'm In. Watch as 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 p.m. right here on CNN.

All right, hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we begin with growing pressure on U.S. Congress to avoid a crippling U.S. 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 House Speaker Kevin McCarthy doesn't have the votes to pass a stop-gap funding bill and House Republicans are engaged in open warfare over who is to blame for the stalemate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE 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 am not here to hold the government hostage. I'm here to hold Kevin McCarthy to his word.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

So, Priscilla, what is the White House strategy to deal with a possible shutdown?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: They have to prepare for the very real possibility that there could be a government shutdown a week from now and that means having the Office of Management and Budget formally notify all agencies that they need to review their plans. And that includes again for each of these federal agencies looking at who would be furloughed, who would be considered essential and having to pay, and what activities and services may be disrupted if this shutdown does happen.

Now that is a process that began on Friday. It will be ongoing throughout the course of the week. But President Biden making it clear at an event Saturday evening that it is incumbent on Republicans to avoid this because any shutdown would cause great disruption. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let's be clear. If the government shuts down, that means members of Congress, members of the U.S. Military are going to have to continue to work and not get paid. A government shutdown could impact everything from food safety to cancer research to Head Start programs for children.

Funding the government is one of those basic responsibilities of Congress. And it's time for Republicans to start doing the job America elected them to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ: Now as you heard there, there are very real world implications of a government shutdown. White House officials have been warning, for example, of disruptions to air travel as well as the toll that this could take on the economy. But Republicans said on Saturday that they are trying to lay out a path forward and they tried to project some confidence that they could reach a deal this upcoming week.

But the reality is, as you heard earlier, that they are just not on the same page yet. And the clock is ticking. With a short amount of time the White House is very much preparing and bracing for a potential government shutdown -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Priscilla Alvarez, at the White House, thanks so much.

With me now to talk more about this is Lindsey McPherson. She is a congressional reporter for "The Messenger," and Mica Soellner is a congressional reporter for "Punchbowl News."

Good to see both of you, ladies.

All right, Lindsey, you first. I mean, do you see any scenario in which, you know, a government shutdown is avoided?

LINDSEY MCPHERSON, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, THE MESSENGER: There is one scenario in which that can happen and that is Kevin McCarthy does something he's been unwilling to do so far and that's work with Democrats to pass a short-term funding extension. If he does that there will be enough votes between both the Democrats and the centrist Republicans, the middle of his conference, to pass a short-term funding bill but he's so far been unwilling to work with Democrats who wants to find a solution within the House Republican conference.

And as you've said they don't have the votes to do that. So it is possible unless he is willing to change his tune and work with Democrats there will be a shutdown.

WHITFIELD: And then, Mica, I mean, this whole episode has really underscored the divide between moderate and hard-lined Republicans in the House. I mean, take a listen to some of the back-and-forth attacks from just this past week alone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE LAWLER (R-NY): These people can't define a win. They don't know how to take yes for an answer. It is a clown show.

GAETZ: We've got some of these moderate Republicans who want to go and join up with the Democrats. They will be signing their own political death warrant.

REP. STEVE WOMACK (R-AR): Got a handful of people that are holding the rest of the conference, the majority of our conference kind of hostage right now.

[16:05:04]

REP. DAN BISHOP (R-NC): It gets harder each time there is another failure by leadership to do what they should do.

REP. TONY GONZALES (R-TX): They say Congress is broken. I think today's vote showed just how broken we are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, Mica, are House Republicans, you know, prepared to take the blame for a shutdown and the possible fallout that comes with it?

MICA SOELLNER, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, PUNCHBOWL NEWS: Yes. House Republicans are definitely going to deflect any blame of a government shutdown. They're going to blame it on the Biden administration. They're going to blame it on Senate Democrats. But they're definitely going to -- and they might even, some of them might even blame it on Speaker McCarthy for not being able to unify his conference.

But they're definitely going to deflect despite the fact that the only people holding up the issues going on right now are a handful of House Republicans that are really kind of far away from the rest of what their colleagues are saying. Nobody wants a government shutdown. Speaker McCarthy has been clear on that. But it's really about maybe five or six members not, you know, really are not that concerned or even saying that, you know, they don't really care that the government is shutting down in coming days.

WHITFIELD: So, Lindsey, while Kevin McCarthy, I mean, he doesn't want a government shutdown as Mica was saying but he also wants to keep his job as the speaker. So can he have both?

MCPHERSON: No. That's the thing. I wrote a story for "The Messenger" today just explaining he has to choose. It is a no-win choice for him whether he allows a shutdown or he wants to keep his job. He has to choose. Working with Democrats will almost certainly lead to a vote on a motion to vacate. That doesn't mean he would be gone for the speakership. There are also scenarios where they have that vote and he can stay in power. But it's going to lead to either a vote to oust him or a shutdown. He has to choose which unideal scenario he is willing to accept.

WHITFIELD: So, Mica, how much are, you know, Republicans thinking long term scenario? You know, if there is a government shutdown or Kevin McCarthy loses his speakership, you know, should they be worried that this kind of chaos is going to cost them the House in the 2024 election?

SOELLNER: I think a lot of House Republicans are certainly worried about the repercussions this is going to have next year especially kind of given the top of the ticket already has Donald Trump who, you know, has his own legal problems so the parties are already facing a lot of issues going into a very critical election year. We're seeing a lot of frustration among moderate pragmatic Republicans.

Kind of these majority makers who are being more vocal about the influence that the right plank has been having. So we're going to see how this plays out especially if it looks like, you know, the party is not unified. That's a really big problem for House Republicans right now.

WHITFIELD: And Lindsey, you already said at the top that, you know, a solution is a short-term funding, you know, solution. So you think that is going to happen? Or do you think a shutdown is imminent?

MCPHERSON: Well, certainly the Senate has been working or is working on a plan that they hope to move next week, short-term funding solution that would potentially attach Ukraine aid, disaster aid to a clean extension of current government funding levels. It will take them all week to move that, though, procedurally. Rand Paul has said he is not going to expedite the process so they're going to kind of run up to the end of the week working through that in the Senate.

And then I think the big question is if they can get it to the House and they should be able to is how McCarthy responds. Abd as we said, you know, he has a no win choice here and I can't say for sure how he will respond. So it's hard to predict. But there could be a shutdown. WHITFIELD: And then, Mica, how do you think it may play out, you know,

as we see the GOP on the campaign trail and then this week in the upcoming debate, you know, without Trump at the debate do you see that all of this kind of coincides?

SOELLNER: Yes, definitely. And I think this week is going to be a huge test for Speaker McCarthy, as much as this Congress has been. But we're going to continue to see these scenarios play out just with having a narrow majority and kind of top influence that members of House Freedom Caucus and House conservatives have had in trying to really get, you know, the agenda that they want kind of through the House and beyond. So, you know, we're really going to see what happens this week.

WHITFIELD: All right. A busy week, a bumpy week indeed.

Mica Soellner, Lindsey McPherson, thanks to both of you ladies. Appreciate it.

MCPHERSON: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. We're also watching for developments in the Hollywood writers' strike. After four days of marathon negotiations, writers and studios could reach a deal as early as today. It is a glimmer of hope for an end to a strike that has dragged on for nearly five months and impacted the production of scores of television shows and movies. CNN's parent company Warner Brothers Discovery is a part of the negotiations with the union.

CNN's Camila Bernal joining me from Los Angeles. Any new word, Camila?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Nope. We're still waiting, Fred. And this is sort of the game. Wait around and see what's going to come out. What we're waiting for is the WGA because what we're hearing from sources on the studio side is that they gave them a best and final offer so we know they're still at the negotiating table. This is now the fifth day of these marathon sessions where they stay all day behind closed doors negotiating.

What's different about the weekend is that you didn't see studio heads in the room. But sources close to them did say that they were still engaged in this process.

[16:10:08]

Now the skepticism comes from the fact that we're basically only hearing from the studios. So there are writers, producers, and people in the industry who are still waiting and want to hear directly from the WGA. Here is one of those writers.

(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: So people want to see what comes out of these negotiations because what happens here is that even after they reach a deal, which could be as soon as today, the members, which is about 11,000 of them, they have to ratify the agreement and then even furthermore even if they do come to an agreement and the members ratify it, you have to wait for the writers because they are on strike as well. So that could likely take a while before things here in Hollywood go back to normal.

And look, people do want to go back to work. A lot of people are suffering. This is 145 days of no work. And so a lot of people are ready to go back to work. This has been very difficult economically. The economic impact is estimated to be about $5 billion. And it's not just Hollywood. There are so many industries, so many people, it's a sort of domino effect. You're seeing hotels, restaurants, anybody that sort of interacts with this industry is suffering because there is no work.

And so people are struggling to put food on the table which is why a deal gives them a lot of hope but again they're still a bit skeptical and are waiting to hear from the WGA -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes. All right. There have been tough days for a lot of people.

Camila Bernal, thanks so much.

BERNAL: Yes.

WHITFIELD: All right, still to come, a rare cosmic gift. A NASA spacecraft flew by earth today and then delivered a sample collected from an asteroid. What NASA scientists hope to learn from that sample, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:16:18]

WHITFIELD: An out of this world scientific sample, seven years in the making.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Touchdown. I repeat. Media, the (INAUDIBLE) has touched down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: For the first time in U.S. history NASA is returning an asteroid sample from space.

CNN's space and defense correspondent Kristin Fisher has more on this remarkable mission. KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, the

OSIRIS-REx spacecraft left earth back in 2016. Since then it has traveled more than four billion miles to the asteroid Bennu and back before finally releasing a capsule over the United States on Sunday morning. And you know, inside this capsule was about half a pound worth of rocks and dust and soil from the surface of the asteroid itself.

And this is really the first time that NASA has ever done anything like this. This capsule entered the earth's atmosphere traveling at about 27,000 miles per hour. It hit temperatures of about 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit before finally landing in the Utah desert at just about 11 miles per hour, thanks to some pretty big parachutes, which helped slow the landing. From there, recovery crews that had been training for years for this very moment swarmed the capsule.

They were able to check it out and make sure it was still intact. It was. They were able to make sure it was not -- the battery was not leaking any toxic fumes. It was not. So from there they were able to safely transport it to a clean room. And from there, it's going to be going on to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where it will be opened and revealed to the public in about two weeks.

And that is where scientists are going to be spending the next few years, really looking into what exactly this sample has returned. And this is the sample from the asteroid Bennu. It's a very ancient asteroid from the beginning of the time around when the solar system was formed. And so scientists are hoping to gain some insight into if this is the kind of asteroid that could have perhaps seeded planet earth with the elements that were needed for life, things like water and carbon.

There is a belief that it was these types of asteroid that upon impacting earth were able to seed it with those elements, give it the elements that were needed to create life here. So scientists are going to be looking into that. They're also going to be looking at the planetary defense side of things because there is a very, very small chance that this asteroid could hit earth in about 150 years from now. It's a small chance but it is a chance and so NASA wants to study as much about it as possible -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: So fascinating. All right, Kristin Fisher, thank you so much.

All right, coming up, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on a diplomatic tour in Africa. We'll tell you what he and key allies are hoping to accomplish, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:23:42]

WHITFIELD: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived today in the African country of Djibouti, the first stop of a three-nation tour on the continent. This morning Austin was welcomed with a red carpet ceremony followed by a meeting with the country's leadership at the presidential palace.

CNN's Natasha Bertran is on the ground for us in Djibouti.

So, Natasha, what does Secretary Austin hope to accomplish at these meetings?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, these meetings have really been focused on strengthening the partnership that the U.S. has with these East African countries especially when it comes to counterterrorism efforts. Al-Shabab, which is a terrorist group has --

WHITFIELD: Natasha, we just lost her audio. So sorry for that. We'll try to re-establish that a little bit later on if we're able to.

All right, we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:28:46]

WHITFIELD: All right. We're going to try this again. Hopefully we have a better signal now. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is on a three-African nation tour. Our Natasha Bertrand is traveling with him at first stop Djibouti.

So, Natasha, what is the goal?

BERTRAND: Yes, Fred, so this trip is really about counterterrorism efforts. The U.S. Military presence on the continent of Africa, that is really what it's all about is fighting those terrorist groups particularly Al-Shabab in Eastern Africa where Secretary of Defense Austin has been the last day and will continue on to Kenya tomorrow to meet with U.S. troops who are in the country as well as of course to speak with Kenyan defense leaders about their progress in fighting Al- Shabab.

He had a series of meetings here in Djibouti today with Djiboutian president and also Djiboutian defense leaders. Also focused on the terrorism aspect here. And importantly he met with the president of Somalia which has been fighting a very challenging fight against Al- Shabab and of course where there are also U.S. troops in the country. So that is really the key theme here but it's also about broader stability on the continent.

Obviously a number of countries across the region have fallen in this series of coups and attempted coups in recent months and years. And so the message that Austin really wants to drive home here is we will be your partner, the U.S. will be your partner as long as you practice good governance and as long as there's stability and democracy, and that is really the key theme that he is trying to drive home here, Fred.

[16:30:15]

WHITFIELD: And then, Natasha, France has also announced now that it will end its military presence in Niger by the end of the year. How does that affect the U.S. and its allies?

BERTRAND: Well, Fred, we have yet to get a direct response on this from the secretary of defense. Expect to hear more on this likely tomorrow or he will at least be asked about it because it is a very important move that the French have made here and something that really raises questions about the future of the U.S. military presence in Niger.

The U.S. still has about 1,100 troops in the country, which if you recall, it did fall to an attempted coup earlier this year, and military junta leaders now control the country. So, France has made the decision amid much resentment in Niger to French forces being there to withdraw by the end of the year. They were very important partners for the U.S. there. The U.S. for now saying that they are still not going to be changing their force posture.

But of course, it remains to be seen if they are exploring other options and if they can feasibly stay there having a key partner essentially be thrown out of the country. It's a very important base for the Americans in terms of flying drones and reconnaissance to kind of monitor terrorist threats in the region. So, the U.S. probably not going to be very eager to leave there. In fact, we were told that they have been looking for ways to stay even with those military junta leaders in power having overthrown the democratically elected president, Fred. So, we'll have to see how this all plays out.

WHITFIELD: All right. Natasha Bertrand, thanks so much.

All right. Back in this country, Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, made a surprise appearance at his hometown Peanut Festival in Plains, Georgia. They were spotted riding through the event in this SUV right there just one week before Carter's 99th birthday. The 39th president has been under hospice care since February. And the two, well, they have been married for 77 years. The longest married presidential couple.

All right. There is growing criticism today from top Democrats for New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez who is facing federal corruption charges.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): These are, in fact, indictments that have to be proven under the rule of law. The person who is accused is entitled to the presumption of innocence and it's the responsibility of the government to prove that case.

REP. JOSH GOTTHEIMER (D-NJ): I've called on him given the gravity of charges to step aside, as I said. And, you know, I think, right now, given how we've got elections coming up, there's a lot of distractions, obviously, giving the senator time to defend himself, I think what's best is that he step aside and --

REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D-SC): I'm leaving that up to the Democrats in New Jersey. They have a democratic governor.

KRISTEN WELKER, NBC NEWS CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT AND SATURDAY TODAY CO-ANCHOR: But you're a Democrat, Congressman.

CLYBURN: Yes.

WELKER: Doesn't this cast a cloud potentially over your party at a critical moment? Should he step down?

CLYBURN: I don't think so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Menendez and his wife are accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, including gold bars, cash, home mortgage payments and a luxury have vehicle in exchange for the senator's influence. Today, Senator Menendez was supposed to co-host a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration in his New Jersey hometown with actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, but the event was suddenly postponed.

CNN's Polo Sandoval is joining us right now. Polo, what is Menendez saying about these charges and these most recent calls to step down?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, overall, he remains reluctant to step down. There is certainly the growing criticism that you mentioned a while ago, but also those growing calls, some of which we heard right now. And Frank Pallone, the New Jersey Democrat now representative, now has become really just the latest to call for the resignation of the New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez. Specifically, what we heard from Pallone saying that though Menendez should have his day in court, that he still does not know exactly how he can adequately serve given those allegations that came to light.

He is just the latest out of House Democrats to actually call for this, not on the list is Rob Menendez, which is Menendez's own son who represents New Jersey's 8th Congressional District. He maintains that he still has "unwavering confidence in his father." But the list of those who do not is certainly long and actually grew even longer today when we heard from more elected officials during those Sunday morning programs, including one Democratic member of the House of Representatives from New York who fears that all of this could potentially affect her chamber as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): I do believe that it is in the best interests for Senator Menendez to resign in this moment. As you mentioned, consistency matters. It shouldn't matter whether it's a Republican or a Democrat. The details in this indictment are extremely serious. They involve the nature of not just his but all of our seats in Congress.

[16:35:00]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think he should resign?

REP. MIKE TURNER (R-OH): Absolutely. I think that -- you know, everyone has been calling for his resignation. I think that the body of allegations are certainly of the kind that it makes it very difficult for him to do his job.

SEN. MARK KELLY (D-AZ): He stepped down from being chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, that's a serious step. I think Senator Menendez has going to have to think long and hard about the cloud that's going to hang over his service in the United States Senate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And not everybody is actually echoing these calls. You played a short portion of Senator Dick Durbin's remarks here or at least his comments. He is the number two Democrat in the upper chamber. And he essentially punted, not just to Menendez but also his constituents, saying that they should have the last say in terms of whether or not he steps down, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And in the wake of this indictment, a Democratic congressman from New Jersey has already announced that he will run against Senator Menendez. What can you tell us about that?

SANDOVAL: Yes. His name is Andy Kim. He served since 2019. And it didn't take long for him to take to social media to announce his plans to run against Senator Menendez. So, certainly, it is likely that he will not be alone. Kim may seem familiar. He certainly made headlines when he was photographed after the January 6th insurrection, cleaning up debris after those crowds stormed the capitol. Fred.

WHITFIELD: Very memorable. All right.

SANDOVAL: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Polo Sandoval, thank you so much.

SANDOVAL: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Still ahead, the mayor of El Paso, Texas says the city is at a breaking point. The city is opening overflow shelters as it braces for a surge of migrants while Mexico agrees to deport migrants before they even reach the U.S. southern border. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:41:14]

WHITFIELD: All right. Now, to the unprecedented surge in migration that is devastating the U.S./Mexican border. Today, Mexican president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, announcing that he wants to meet with President Biden in Washington this November to discuss the recent wave in migration, drugs, and firearms trafficking. This coming days after Mexican officials met with U.S. Customs and Border officials to agree on preventing migrants from using the railway system to reach the border.

Officials in El Paso, Texas say the situation is reaching a breaking point. Right now, the city is processing more than 2,000 migrants per day. CNN's National Correspondent Rafael Romo is here with me now. So, Rafael, so much to unpack here. What more are you learning about the authorities' response to the growing crisis?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, there are so many immigrants arriving at the U.S. border cities that local officials are having to resort to desperate measures. For example, and you were talking about it, El Paso had to open an overflow shelter for 400 people, but that may not be enough considering that local officials there say about 2,000 migrants are arriving to the city daily, the city of nearly 700,000 people, Fred.

Mayor Oscar Leeser says the city has only so many resources. And right now, they're stretched to the limit, or in his words, a breaking point. The mayor expressed his concerns only a day after Mexico made an agreement with the United States to deport migrants from its border cities to their home countries. Mexican officials also agreed to take a total of 15 actions to deter migrants from taking the perilous trek north, including negotiating with origin countries like Venezuela, Brazil, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Cuba, allowing U.S. Border Patrol agents to expel migrants to Cuidad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, submitting a daily report of the number of migrants on cargo trains in Mexico traveling north and establishing checkpoints on railroads and highways.

These actions, Fred, can't come soon enough for border leaders like Leeser. This is how he described the situation his city is facing right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR OSCAR LEESER, EL PASO, TEXAS: The City of El Paso only has so many resources and we have come to what we look at a breaking point right now. And so, we have to look at different resources. One of the things that we are doing is we're prepared for the unknown.

We have a broken immigration system. And this is a system that we have to work within. And until it's fixed, you know, we seem to be doing the same thing over and over again, they keep sending us money, we keep trying to find shelter and we try -- make sure people are off the street, make sure our community is safe, make sure they're safe, but the end of the day, the immigration system has not changed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And this is happening at the border, Fred. It appears the Mexican president is willing to work with the White House. Alicia Barcena, Mexico's top diplomat set up the U.N. Friday that the Mexican president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, wants to meet with President Biden in November in Washington to discuss migration, drugs, and firearms trafficking. Barcena also said that Mexico is currently dealing with its own migration challenges, including the daily arrival of, listen to this, Fred, about 6,000 migrants to its southern border. Now, back to you.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Incredible. All right. Rafael Romo, thank you so much. All right. This week's "CNN Hero" watched as her teenage son, Nik, lost his battle to cancer. The one bright spot during his treatment was his make-a-wish trip to Hawaii. When Nik found out that kids can age out of make-a-wish, he was devastated. The night before he passed away, he asked his mom to make sure older kids can still get their wish. So, this mom has dedicated her life to granting once in a lifetime experiences to young adult cancer fighters ages 18-24. For her, it is all about bringing a little joy. Meet Kelli Ritschel Boehle.

[16:45:00]

KELLI RITSCHEL BOEHLE: Lamp is in place. We all ready? Guess what, Annie (ph)? Come on out here if you can.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My gosh.

BOEHLE: Congratulations. Surprise.

When I get to see somebody saying, my wish was granted --

You are going to go to Hawaii.

-- sometimes there's tears, sometimes there's joy, there's hoots and hollers.

Did we surprise you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You really did. Oh, my gosh.

BOEHLE: But for me, it's Nik smiling down and saying, thank you, mom. Thank you, mom.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My health has been getting worse. So, this is just everything to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Man, that is so sweet. To learn more about Kelli's work and watch as one young woman gets her wish to go to a Taylor Swift concert, go to cnnheroes.com.

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[16:50:43]

WHITFIELD: All right. Coach Prime's perfect start at Colorado comes to a decisive end. The Buffalos were blown out by the Oregon Ducks yesterday. Coach Deion Sanders calling it a good old-fashioned butt kicking. CNN Sports Anchor Andy Scholes has more.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, Fredricka, Coach Prime and the Buffalos, you know, had used other teams' words as motivation and it worked great the first three weeks, but that did not deter Oregon head coach Dan Lanning. Listen to his pregame speech to his team before yesterday's game. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN LANNING, OREGON HEAD COACH: The Cinderella story is over, man, right? They're fighting for clicks, we're fighting for wins. There's a difference, right? There's a difference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: They said playing for wins, not clicks. Now, the Oregon Ducks also making a statement, smashing a primetime clock, but the Ducks' head came off as he was doing it, he just scampered back into the tunnel, which was rather funny.

But Colorado not much to smile about in this one. Deion's son, Sheduer Sanders, sacked seven times on the day. Oregon up 35 to nothing at halftime. They would win easily 42 to six. Here was Coach Prime afterwards when asked adding about Lanning's clicks comments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEION SANDERS, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO HEAD COACH: I don't say stuff just to say it for a click, you know, on contrary to what somebody say. But, yes, I keep receipts. But I'm serious, I analyze and understand what we're up against and what we have and what we need. One thing that I could can say honestly and candidly, you better get me right now. This is the worst we're going to be. You better get me right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Elsewhere, there's a much closer game between sixth ranked Ohio State and ninth ranked Notre Dame, 15 seconds to go. Buckeyes needing a touchdown, facing third and 19. And Kyle McCord delivers, finding Emeka Egbuka for the first down. Buckeyes get down to the goal line. And Chip Trayanum going to punched in with just a second to go.

But get this, Notre Dame only had 10 players on the field for the last two plays of that drive. Hard to make a stop with one less guy. Buckeyes win 17 to 14. And Coach Ryan Day was all fired up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN DAY, OHIO STATE HEAD COACH: We're proud to be from Ohio. And it's always been Ohio against the world. It will continue to be Ohio against the world. But I'll tell you what, I love those kids and we've got a tough team.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Elsewhere, we had one of the best catches you'll ever see in the Florida Charlotte game. Gators' Ricky Pearsall hauling in a one- handed catch, somehow managing to hold on to that ball after taking a big hit from the defensive back. Thankfully, he popped up. He was fine. Getting props from his teammates. 25th ranked Gators, they squeaked out a win in that one, 22 to seven. And finally, we had some history in the lower levels of college football. Check out number 10 in red, that's Haley van Voorhis lining up at safety for division three Shenandoah University in Virginia yesterday. She's believed to be the first woman to play college football in a position other than a kicker. Haley making the most of that opportunity as well, registering a pressure and knocking down the QB in her team's win.

So, Fredricka, congrats to Haley there, making some history.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Go, Haley. All right, Andy, thank you so much.

All right. Here's another chance to grab the -- maybe the lucky ticket. The Powerball jackpot is now $785 million after no one won Saturday's drawing. The next drawing is Monday. And if Monday's drawing has one grand prize winner, that person would -- could choose to take the whole jackpot in payment over 29 years or take a lump sum of an estimated $367 million. Good luck.

All right. For the past year CNN's Donie O'Sullivan has been investigating a group which some call a cult that believes President John F. Kennedy and his son, John F. Kennedy Jr., are alive and in hiding. This Sunday on "The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper," O'Sullivan takes us on a journey across the country to meet the believers, their frustrated families and confront their QAnon conspiracist leader. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL PROTZMAN, QANON CONSPIRACIST LEADER: The assassination date right over here. Go add it up, 11/22/1963. 11 plus 22 plus 19 plus 63, 115. We're at war 115.

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What is the significance of 115?

PROTZMAN: You'll find out. You'll find out, 174.

O'SULLIVAN: What's my number?

PROTZMAN: Trust the plan, 174.

O'SULLIVAN: What's my number?

[16:55:00]

PROTZMAN: My number --

O'SULLIVAN: Yes.

PROTZMAN: -- is 174, but it's also 218. But I got to go.

O'SULLIVAN: Why is it that people like you so much? Are you a con man?

PROTZMAN: No.

O'SULLIVAN: Are you? Are you taking these women for a ride, literally? PROTZMAN: No. They're taking me for a ride.

O'SULLIVAN: You're bankrupt, right?

PROTZMAN: I make them my -- I'm not bankrupt and they know it. See you later.

O'SULLIVAN: How you make --

So, what do you make of that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I saw a few things in there. One was what I call thought-terminating cliches.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A, B, C, D.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He just kept saying, you'll find out, you'll find out, you'll find out. And that's the kind of thing that there's no real answer to, there's no explanation needed. You can just repeat these things and there's no way to kind of prove or disprove, you'll find out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: OK. Donie O'Sullivan is with us now. Wow. That was really perplexing. So, how did this encounter with Michael Protzman happen by the way?

O'SULLIVAN: Hey, Fred. Yes. We met Michael Protzman last year in Dallas actually, that was (INAUDIBLE) just outside a hotel, quite close to the Grassy Knoll, Dealey Plaza where, of course, President Kennedy was assassinated almost 60 years ago.

And the reason he was in Dallas and his followers were in Dallas was because part of this cult -- you know, some people call it a cult, this set of beliefs, is that somehow President Kennedy or maybe his son JFK Jr. didn't actually die and that they are working with Trump in some kind of way to kind of save America.

Obviously, it's, you know, an insane conspiracy theory. It's crazy. But he was able to, you know, convince a lot of people to show up in Dallas. And not only just that, you know, some people stayed with him. Some family members, had loved ones who went and essentially and lived in Dallas for months, waiting, supposedly for the return of JFK.

WHITFIELD: So, how did he get to be, you know, a leader of so many and what's with the whole numbers jumble stuff?

O'SULLIVAN: Yes. So, what you hear there, the numbers he's talking about is gematria, which is pretty simple A equals 1, Z equals 26. But again, using in this group, he was able to use gematria in a kind of way to, you know, tell followers that there was something to it, you know what I mean? So, if the name of one person's equals the same number as somebody else, that there are connections there.

And look, obviously it's, you know, irrational and really what we wanted to do in this documentary was kind of get beyond, you know, the conspiracy theories itself and really speak to the family members, people who have loved ones, who have gone down this rabbit hole and have gotten stuck with this group.

WHITFIELD: You even talked to -- you know, among the family members, you actually spoke with Protzman' mom. And what is she thinking?

O'SULLIVAN: That's right. Hopefully, people will tune at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific tonight to see the interview because, you know, really, we all thought, as we were going into this and had watched this closely that Michael Protzman, the man you see there in that video, he was the cult leader, as such.

And obviously, family -- people who have loved ones who are following him had very strong feelings about him, you know, a dislike of him, of course, understandably. But incredibly, Michael's mom -- Michael Protzman's mom, Colleen, agreed to sit down with us. And she told a story how Michael himself had actually gone down his own rabbit hole of conspiracy years ago. Kind of went down the Alex Jones, Sandy Hook, 9/11 type conspiracy theories.

Eventually, to the point, you know, where he lost his family, he lost his business, he lost his home. And, you know, that's what we really wanted to show here is that, of course, this stuff is pretty crazy. It's pretty wacky when you see it.

But, look, you know, not all these people are quacks. You know, a lot of them have come from good homes. They had families, businesses, functioning members of society, but then something clicked one day and they got pulled into this. You know, I think oftentimes we -- you know, it's easy to laugh, I guess, at QAnon and try to dismiss it as something, you know, crazy, but really it is still having an impact on so many American families.

WHITFIELD: Indeed. We'll be watching. Donie O'Sullivan, thanks so much.

O'SULLIVAN: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: A whole new episode of "The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper," that's tonight, one whole story, one whole hour, tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific only on CNN.

All right. Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The "CNN Newsroom" continues with Jim Acosta right now.