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Demolition To Remove Portion Of Key Bridge Pushed Back To Monday; Star Witness Michael Cohen Set To Take Stand Tomorrow In Trump Case; Israel Launches New Attacks In Gaza Ahead Of Potential Rafah Invasion; Pomona College Moves Graduation 30 Miles Away Amid Protests; Trump's Fiery Immigration Rhetoric; FAA Reauthorization Bill Heads To House; Biden Signs One-Week FAA Extension; Opportunities For People With Autism; Champions For Change. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired May 12, 2024 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:01:25]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me on this Mother's Day. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we begin this hour in Baltimore where crews are preparing to demolish a portion of the Francis Scott Key Bridge tomorrow using precision explosives. You're looking at live pictures out of Maryland right now.

Coast Guard officials say a series of small blasts will break apart massive chunks of the bridge from atop the DALI cargo ship, which became trapped after striking a pillar six weeks ago. Officials recovered the body of the sixth and final victim Tuesday and now efforts to free the ship can begin.

CNN national correspondent, Gloria Pazmino, is joining me live from Baltimore with more on all this -- Gloria.

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fred. Well, listen, in the last 30 minutes or so, we learned that today's operation has now been postponed until tomorrow. We were hoping, we were expecting that this was going to take place today, but because of the weather here in Baltimore, the Unified Command has decided to once again postpone that operation hopefully until tomorrow around 5:00.

Now, we spoke with a representative with the U.S. Coast Guard who was explaining to us just how meticulous of an operation this is and why everything has to be absolutely perfect, including the weather in order for the operation to go successfully. Listen to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK AMEEN, PIO, KEY BRIDGE RESPONSE, USCG: So there was some inclement weather in the area today. There are a few lightning strikes. Whenever there's a lightning strike in the area that pushes the clock back and so that clock just kept getting pushed back and pushed back. And so, ultimately, we arrived at the decision to postpone until tomorrow. A very dynamic situation that we're dealing with here with the Key

Bridge response. It's important to note that we will absolutely not sacrifice safety for speed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GLORIA: So that last part is key, Fred, right? They are not going to sacrifice safety and that's because this is a pretty complicated operation. I want to just give you an idea of what we are expecting to see here tomorrow if this controlled explosion and demolition can actually take place.

We have an animation that was put together by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard, giving us sort of an idea of what is going to happen. They have been looking at the structure for several days. They have gone in and made precision cuts in specific areas of the bridge that is now draped atop the DALI, right? That's what happened. This massive portion of the bridge fell on top of the bridge. They -- of the ship, I should say.

They went in, they made these precision cuts. They have put chargers in those cuts and when those chargers are wired, that's where the controlled explosion is going to happen.

One thing that's important to note here, Fred, is that this is not going to be like a big explosion like you see in a movie. This is a very controlled and careful operation. It's going to look like small fireworks or puffs of smoke. Then the thrust of the bridge is going to fall into the water. The salvage operation will be able to come in and remove pieces of that bridge, and this is also that the ship can eventually be moved.

Here in Baltimore, very much, you know, people still here grappling with the situation. We're standing right in front of a memorial that has taken shape here over the last several weeks, paying homage and paying memory to those six workers who were killed during this incident.

[16:05:03]

So, you really get a sense that even as this very precise operation is trying to get underway, people here are still remembering those who were lost.

And of course, remembering that the recovery ahead is still a long ways away until the bridge is removed and eventually a new bridge might be rebuilt -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Gloria Pazmino in Baltimore. Thank you so much.

Former President Donald Trump's hush money trial is preparing for the star witness to finally take the stand. Tomorrow, Trump's former fixer and attorney, Michael Cohen, is expected to testify. Cohen's testimony is seen as key for the prosecution's case and could signal the final stages of this historic trial. He will testify to his role in negotiating the alleged hush money

payment to adult film star, Stormy Daniels, on Trump's behalf, and how his former boss reimbursed him. It follows a week of blockbuster contentious and at times graphic testimony from Daniels.

CNN's Zach Cohen joining us now.

Zach, set the stage for what we might expect tomorrow.

ZACH COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Fred. Michael Cohen is prepared to deliver testimony connecting Donald Trump to that $130,000 hush money payment made to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. And the reason he's such an important witness for the prosecution in this case is because he can speak and is the only witness who can speak directly to -- with the two core parts of the case against Donald Trump and his alleged involvement both into the decision to pay Stormy Daniels and his alleged involvement to reimburse Michael Cohen after the fact once he won the White House in 2016.

Now, look, Cohen is expected to act as a narrator of sorts, walking the jury through some of these key meetings that have come up already in other witness testimony, one of them is this initial meeting where Cohen -- AMI Chief Executive David Pecker, who was also testified and on Donald Trump, allegedly discussed this decision to make a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels in order to keep her quiet in the lead up to the 2016 election. The other part of this is a meeting that happened in February 2017 in the Oval Office where Trump allegedly agreed to how Michael Cohen would ultimately be reimbursed for fronting the money to pay Stormy Daniels.

Now, jurors have already heard a lot about Michael Cohen from other witnesses, and it's frankly been largely unflattering. They've called him and painted a picture of an attorney who was aggressive, one who was really unpredictable. But at the same time, other witnesses have made clear, including Hope Hicks, one of Trump's closest White House aides that she doubts Michael Cohen would do anything like this without Donald Trump's approval or knowing.

So ultimately, we're going to have to see what happens when Michael Cohen takes the stand. You can bet that Donald Trump's defense attorneys will continue to try to undercut his credibility to try to point to the fact that he's a convicted liar and they'll try to essentially say that he was acting on his own accord when he made this payment to Daniels.

The prosecution has tried to basically prepare the jury for that potential. They've no -- it's no secret that they've acknowledged that he's a complicated witness, but they've tried to sort of mitigate that by introducing documents, including texts and e-mails just in the last few days that they say supports what Michael Cohen will testify to when he takes the stand. So ultimately, we're going to have to see, but the issue of credibility here for Michael Cohen could determine whether or not Donald Trump is convicted or not.

WHITFIELD: All right. Zach Cohen, thanks so much. All right. Let's talk more about the trial and expectations. Gene

Rossi is a former federal prosecutor and a former U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Gene, great to see you.

GENE ROSSI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Happy Mother's Day.

WHITFIELD: Thank you. All right. So how important will it be or maybe even challenging will it be for prosecutors to get more information from Cohen more than what the public has already heard from him in television interviews, or even in his testimony on Capitol Hill?

ROSSI: Well, here's where the rubber meets the road. I'm sure the prosecutors have met with Mr. Cohen probably 10 to 15 times in preparation for his testimony. And I want to stress this, we don't know what he has provided to the prosecutors that is in addition to what he said publicly either at other hearings, other trials, or debriefings. But I have to say this, if Michael Cohen does poorly and does not connect the false invoices to the alleged catch-and-kill and effort to affect the election, then Donald Trump will be acquitted or there will be a hung jury.

It's as simple as that. But if he does reasonably well in spite of his words and his credibility challenges, if he does reasonably well and provide some color, some editorial corroboration as to why they did the false invoices, then the prosecutors in closing will have a case to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Donald Trump is guilty of the crime. They have to connect those false, I call them, the souffle invoices.

They have to connect the souffle to the alleged attempt to influence the election or to commit tax fraud.

[16:10:08]

WHITFIELD: And those invoices or any other kind of documentation, wouldn't the defense attorneys already know about it? Wouldn't they have already seen it from, say, discovery or can they be surprised by new documentation or invoices during trial, during testimony?

ROSSI: Well, Fredricka, I don't think there are any new documents that they're going to provide. But I will say this, when a witness is meeting with the prosecutor and provides inculpatory evidence against the defendant, the prosecutor doesn't have a duty to turn that over or disclose it. But if there's evidence said that goes to their credibility, yes. So, we don't know exactly what he has said, Mr. Cohen, in all of his debriefings.

He may be coming out with stuff that we have never heard of, conversations that we didn't know about. So that's where the challenge will be for cross-examination. If the defense attorneys hear of something that they never heard about, then that's what they call recent fabrication and his credibility may take some hits if it's very important information that wasn't disclosed earlier. WHITFIELD: So tomorrow, prosecutors will get their first stab. So in

their direct, will it be their focus to try to anticipate, you know, what that cross-examination is going to be like, try to undermine the defense attorneys' likely questions or even approach to, you know, poking holes in the testimony, ruin it or I should say ruining, but trying to destroy the credibility of Michael Cohen?

Might that be part of the strategy so that cross-examination does not have the fireworks that usually cross-examination has?

ROSSI: You just adopted the Rossi rule, okay? When I had witnesses like Michael Cohen, I had witnesses that were 10 times worse, frankly. When I had witnesses like that and I was the prosecutor, you hit the nail on the head, I would try to defuse the cross by bringing out on direct their problems, their lives, their hiccups, their inconsistencies.

So that when cross-examination starts, the jury has already heard it and I build credibility with the jury because I'm not trying to hide anything about this witness. I had a witness that had 10 fraud convictions including perjury, it was a murder trial, my defendant killed 35 people. Did the jury believe that key witness? Yes. I brought it out on direct so that on cross, it sort of a nothingburger.

WHITFIELD: OK. So if Michael Cohen is indeed the last, you know, witness to take the stand, maybe it's this week where they wrap it all up, that means closing statements are coming. If you're on the team of the prosecution or even the team of the defense, have you already written, have you already planned what your closing is going to be now?

ROSSI: Absolutely. Not every word. And I didn't --

WHITFIELD: Well, like the framework.

ROSSI: I don't usually read my closings.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

ROSSI: But the framework. What I did after -- when I had a long trial at the end of each day or even after a witness, I would have a notepad of key points that I want to bring out or possible use in closing. So if I had a four- or six-week trial, I already had the bullet points for my closing. So the answer is the framework is probably already there.

WHITFIELD: Do you expect at this juncture and this is just kind of your, you know, I guess, guess? Do you think the prosecution has the better framework or do you believe at this point the defense likely has the better framework to convince, persuade, get the jurors on board?

ROSSI: I think, frankly, that right now, it's like the Kentucky Derby. The horse for the government is a little bit ahead. But if Michael Cohen doesn't do reasonably well, then Trump has a chance for an acquittal or a hung jury. But right now, this race, I would put the prosecution a little bit ahead. But to cross that finish line, they need to have Michael Cohen connect the dots between those invoices and what they were trying to do with the catch and kill.

They have to connect those two events. If they don't do that thoroughly, then the government is going to have a tough time in closing.

WHITFIELD: Yes, critical to the entire case.

ROSSI: It is.

WHITFIELD: All right. Gene Rossi, what a pleasure. Thank you so much.

ROSSI: Happy Mother's Day.

WHITFIELD: And thank you.

All right. Still to come, Israel launches new attacks in Gaza as top U.S. officials continue to warn against an invasion of Rafah. We have the very latest.

[16:15:09]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Israel launches new attacks in Gaza as top U.S. officials continue to warn against an invasion of Rafah. We have the very latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. New today the Biden administration is taking new measures to prevent Israel's possible invasion of Rafah. Earlier today, National Security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke with his Israeli counterpart about potential alternatives to a full ground operation.

[16:20:03]

It comes as Israel launched new attacks against Hamas across Gaza, targeting militants in Northern and Central Gaza.

WHITFIELD: Israel launches new attacks in Gaza as top U.S. officials continue to warn against an invasion of Rafah. We have the very latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. New today the Biden administration is taking new measures to prevent Israel's possible invasion of Rafah. Earlier today, National Security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke with his Israeli counterpart about potential alternatives to a full ground operation.

[16:20:03]

It comes as Israel launched new attacks against Hamas across Gaza, targeting militants in Northern and Central Gaza.

CNN's Paula Hancocks and Kevin Liptak are tracking these new developments for us.

So, Paula, you first. Evacuations are already underway in Rafah as Israel looks to expand its operations there. So, what is the latest beyond that?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, at this point we've got figures from both the Israeli military and the U.N. teams on the ground who believed that about 300,000 people have evacuated so far from Rafah itself. And then moving mostly to an area along the coast, Al-Mawasi, and this is an area that UNRWA, the U.N. team there has said is inhumane and is not fit for human habitation at this point because it is already overcrowded and they do not have the humanitarian support to be able to look after those that are now moving.

And according to the head of UNRWA, he also said that most of those who are now in Rafah have already been moved at least once a month by the Israeli military or by the fighting since October 7th. So a desperate situation, they call it inhumane displacement. But it does appear to be continuing. These orders are continuing to be given. And one of the main issues is getting humanitarian aid to those who are moving.

Bear in mind, many of these aid agencies based themselves in Rafah itself, as it was the area the military of Israel had said that everybody should move to because it was a safer area over recent months. The Rafah crossing, we understand, is closed. Egypt doesn't want to coordinate with Israel, which has taken over that crossing, because they say they are citing security concerns. Once you get inside the Gaza Strip, it is very difficult and very dangerous to try and distribute that aid.

Now, we've heard from Israel also saying that they have opened one new crossing in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, and they say some 200,000 liters of fuel, for example, has been taken into the Gaza Strip over recent days. Something the U.N. on the ground says is a tiny fraction of what is actually needed. They are worried they are going to run out very soon of food and water.

And as you mentioned there, Fred, as well, it's worth pointing out, it's not just happening in Rafah at this point, the fighting. We know that the Israeli military is now fighting Hamas in Jabalia. This is in the northern part of Gaza. This is an area that Israel had already said that they had cleared, that they were in control of, but they are now worried that Hamas is moving back to that area.

They're trying to regroup and re-establish themselves away from other areas and it really just speaks to how difficult this situation is on the ground at this point. So, for Israel, who says it is trying to destroy Hamas and just how unlikely it is that they would be able to do that completely.

WHITFIELD: OK. And Kevin, National Security adviser, Jake Sullivan, he spoke with Israeli officials today. What more are you learning about that discussion?

KEVIN LIPTAK: CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And I think this is a significant phone call, because it is the first one announced between the White House and the government of Israel since President Biden delivered that ultimatum on CNN last week that he would halt shipments of certain weapons if Israel is to launch a ground offensive into Rafah.

The White House says that Jake Sullivan raised the president's concerns with his Israeli counterpart in that phone call. They discussed alternatives to a ground invasion of Rafah. And according to the White House, the Israeli national security adviser confirms that Israel is taking American concerns into account. But at the end of the day, these concerns are not new. President Biden and top officials have been raising them for months all the way back to February when President Biden first raised them with the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has not shown any willingness to hold off on Rafah. He says that that's essential to eliminate Hamas. That is completely at odds with what we've heard from American officials this morning, including the Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said that a Rafah offensive could result in a Hamas insurgency. Listen to a little bit more of what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: President has been clear for some time that we couldn't and would not support a major military operation in Rafah. Now, at the same time, we share Israel's objective in making sure that Hamas cannot govern Gaza anymore, that it'd be demilitarized, that Israel get its leaders. We continue to support that, but there's a better way of achieving that than going headlong into Rafah.

That's what we're talking about with Israel now. We have a better way of doing it. We're engaged in conversations with them about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[16:25:01]

LIPTAK: Now, Blinken also said this morning that the U.S. believes Israel has killed more civilians than Hamas members as part of its war. He also said that the U.S. hasn't seen a plan from Israel about what would happen in Gaza when this war ends. So taken together, this is some of the toughest language that we've seen from the U.S. government towards Israel since this conflict began.

Of course, this is causing waves in the Middle East. It's also causing waves in Washington. You have heard Republicans across the spectrum criticized President Biden for his decision at aid. Democrats have also -- some Democrats at least have been critical. On one side saying that the U.S. isn't supporting Israel on its mission. And on the other side saying that this decision should have come sooner. So certainly it all adds up to a very important moment in this conflict. WHITFIELD: All right, Kevin Liptack, Paula Hancocks, thanks to both of

you.

Southern California's Pomona College moved today's graduation ceremony 30 miles away to Los Angeles. The change was made in response to this, pro-Palestinian encampment set-up on the stage where the college's graduation was supposed to take place. Officials at Pomona College apologized for the last-minute change and reassured graduates additional safety measures will be in place for the ceremony in L.A.

Let's bring in CNN national correspondent Camila Bernal who is joining us with more on this. So several of these students, you know, they already didn't have a traditional graduation ceremony four years ago because of COVID restrictions. And now their college graduations were impacted in a very different way. Tell us more about the reaction.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred, just a lot of frustration from students and from parents. You know, in this case, it means having to drive 30 miles, changing plans, because as you mentioned in that specific area where they were supposed to graduate, there is now a pro-Palestinian encampment. So instead of being at Pomona College, this graduation is going to take place at the Shrine Auditorium.

That's what you're seeing here behind me and there are already security measures in place. There is a metal barrier outside of the auditorium and you are seeing additional security guards that are already here. You have to have a ticket to be allowed inside of the auditorium. And you mentioned the school, yes, they apologized and said that they would provide transportation for students that needed to come here.

But nonetheless, many of these students are not happy about this change. Take a listen to what one student said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN GINSBERG, POMONA COLLEGE STUDENT: I think it's sad and I think it's a really bad way to end your college career. And I think it's showing exactly where Pomona is headed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL: Now, some universities like USC and Columbia, they decided to cancel that big traditional ceremony altogether, citing safety concerns, and because of these protests. Today, for example, we saw Duke University at their commencement about 30 students walked out when they announced the speaker, Jerry Seinfeld, and these students walked out.

It appears there are no other disruptions later on. He was able to deliver the address. But those are the kind of disruptions that many were trying to avoid. You saw it at UC Berkeley this weekend when students were chanting and protesting and they also walked out of the commencement that was briefly paused because of this protest. And at the University of Virginia Commonwealth, they also had to briefly stop as the governor began his address and these protesters then walked out.

So, again, you're seeing these disruptions all over the country. We're tracking it. The rest of the events that we were tracking this begin appeared to have gone on as planned, but yes, there is a lot of frustration for these students who say they did not have a traditional graduation back in high school because of the pandemic and are saying they're not having a tradition graduation again this time because of the protests -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Camila Bernal, thanks so much.

All right, straight ahead, mass deportations and bringing back travel bans. How Donald Trump plans to crack down on immigration if he wins a second term, next.

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[16:30:00]

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WHITFIELD: All right. Immigration is one of Donald Trump's key campaign issues and something he brings up repeatedly at his rallies. Behind his fiery hardline rhetoric are very real policy decisions being developed. CNN's Phil Mattingly has more on Trump's plans if he gets a second term, including an immediate wide-scale crackdown on immigration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't know if you call them people. In some cases, they're not people, in my opinion.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The predictable and according to critics justified frenzy over rhetoric like that from former President Trump has obscured a crucial reality, beneath Trump's bombast sits an expansive and largely unprecedented swath of immigration policy.

It's an agenda that marks a dramatic shift from Trump's 2016 candidacy, which was driven by similarly dark rhetoric, but little in the form of tangible planning.

TRUMP: They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists.

MATTINGLY (VOICE-OVER): Where the red meat for the base is actually underpinned by a flurry of actions Trump and his advisers say they can launch without Congress as soon as day one of a second term.

Trump's ambitions are expansive, according to campaign officials and key outside advisers.

[16:35:00] STEPHEN MILLER, FORMER SENIOR TRUMP AND PRESIDENT, AMERICA FIRST LEGAL: It's a feat similar current size and scale to the other great American projects that have been undertaken. For example, the Transcontinental Railroad or digging the Panama Canal.

MATTINGLY (VOICE-OVER): And the plans, many of them tethered to decades-old statutes are neither subtle nor secret, mass arrests, detention, and deportation, plans to reshape the agencies responsible for the border and re-implement and then expand on that first term, immigration agenda.

Stephen Miller is credited as the architect of the most extreme policies from Trump's time in the Oval Office. He's working closely with the former president to draft their plans for a potential second term.

MILLER: And I'll be blunt, conservatives will need to have the stomach for it.

MATTINGLY (VOICE-OVER): Yet it's Trump's rhetoric --

TRUMP: That it's going to be a bloodbath for the country. That'll be the least of it.

MATTINGLY (VOICE-OVER): -- and the record of the first term plans many rejected by the courts and Congress has had the effect of overshadowing a very different moment, one of which Trump would re- enter the West Wing with policies ready to deploy, surrounded by advisers committed to doing just that.

Miller is not a part of the official campaign, but is widely expected to serve as Trump's point person on the issue. On its face, it's a simplistic two-point plan.

MILLER: The simple part is seal the border, deport all the illegals.

MATTINGLY (VOICE-OVER): But their plans are actually far from modest.

MILLER: It's a series of interlocking domestic and foreign policies to accomplish this goal.

MATTINGLY (VOICE-OVER): One Democratic lawmaker told CNN, the widely held view of Miller among critics is that he's, quote, the most dangerous person in Trump's inner circle. Why? Because he has an encyclopedic knowledge of how things actually work, the lawmaker said.

Now, unlike the early stages of Trump's first term, Miller is far from alone. A constellation of well-funded outside groups have formed with the aim of turning Trump's desires into tangible policy. One of those groups is housed in the conservative Heritage Foundation.

And while it's not officially tied to the campaign, and at times has gotten crosswise with Trump's political advisers, their detailed policy playbook sets a marker for the goals of Trump's allies. Project 2025, as it's called, echoes many of Trump's key talking points the details, logistics for detaining and deporting millions of suspected illegal immigrants.

TRUMP: We'll carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.

MATTINGLY (VOICE-OVER): The border wall, of course, features as a centerpiece.

TRUMP: We will seal it up and we will expand the wall.

MATTINGLY (VOICE-OVER): As the other policies familiar from Trump's first term.

TRUMP: I will immediately reinstate and expand the wildly successful Trump travel ban.

MATTINGLY (VOICE-OVER): To curb the legal immigration into the country, Project 2025 proposes limiting visa admissions, carrying out workplace raids, minimizing refugee admissions, and raising the bar for asylum seekers fleeing unsafe conditions. It's an agenda as ambitious as it is unapologetically radical.

MILLER: It will be an all of nation, all of government, state, local, and federal effort.

MATTINGLY (VOICE-OVER): One that includes the U.S. military.

MILLER: You deputize the National Guard to carry out immigration enforcement, and then you also deploy the military to the southern border.

MATTINGLY (VOICE-OVER): Campaign rhetoric is especially from Trump is often dismissed as little more than words. This time on this issue, advisers emphasize, it is different.

MILLER: If you're going to be successful as a conservative you have to learn to be loathed by the right people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Phil Mattingly, thank you so much.

All right. Straight ahead, the clock is ticking in the House, the U.S. House, on passing a new FAA reauthorization bill aimed to keep the tarmac and skies safer. What it means for passengers coming up.

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[16:40:00]

WHITFIELD: The U.S. House of Representatives is on the clock and they've got until Friday to pass a bill to fund the Federal Aviation Administration and pay for more air traffic controllers and safety procedures. CNN's Melanie Zanona has more from Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Congress is on track to pass a key federal aviation bill this week, but they haven't quite landed the plane yet.

After being stalled in the Senate for weeks, the bill finally did pass on Thursday in a big bipartisan vote, and now it will head to the House, where it is expected to pass this week. But one of the main sticking points that had really been holding things up was this provision to add more flight slots to Ronald Reagan National Airport here in Washington, D.C.

That was something that lawmakers from D.C., Virginia, and Maryland had really pushed back on, warning that it could overwhelm an already overwhelmed system and warning it could lead to even more flight delays and cancellations. So, they had tried to strip that language out, and ultimately, they were not successful.

Now, other than that provision, most of the other provisions in the bill are non-controversial and really designed to improve safety. I want to read you some of the provisions in the bill. This bill would increase the number of air traffic controllers, provide more safety inspectors at manufacturing facilities, and require the FAA to use new technology designed to prevent collisions between planes on runways.

Now, the initial deadline to get this done was on May 10th, but the Senate also did pass on Thursday a one-week extension to give the House more time to act. So, now, they have this -- until this upcoming Friday, which is May 17th to get this done. And again, we are expecting that to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And, Melanie Zanona, thank you so much.

All right. All this week we're bringing you stories of men and women driving extraordinary innovations and changing the way we do business. Well, none of them are famous, but each one is what we call a "Champion for Change."

[16:45:00]

Today, a father sets out to reshape the workplace to give his son with autism and others on the spectrum, a place to shine professionally.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN D'ERI, RISING TIDE CAR WASH FOUNDER: The creation of Rising Tide --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey guys, how's it going today?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good.

J. D'ERI: -- it was love and duty.

The mission of Rising Tide is to empower people with autism and related disabilities through gainful employment in the car wash industry.

THOMAS D'ERI, RISING TIDE CAR WASH CO-FOUNDER: Andrew is my younger brother and Andrew has autism.

J. D'ERI: Andrew's diagnosis came when he was about two and a half to three years old.

T. D'ERI: As he got a little older, it became obvious that in order for Andrew to live a full adult life, we'd have to take action.

J. D'ERI: We call it the cliff with autism where the school system stops for them.

T. D'ERI: What up, buddy?

ANDREW D'ERI, RISING TIDE CAR WASH ASSOCIATE: Nothing, Tom.

J. D'ERI: There are no services. There is no way to the future. So, you start to say to yourself, what's going to happen when I'm gone? I was sitting in a car wash one day, and I said, Andrew can do that. So, I decided I would create a business to help Andrew where he could work. He needed community, be surrounded by people like him.

T. D'ERI: This truly is a family business. So, Andrew gets up. He makes his lunch and he's ready to go to work.

J. D'ERI: Andrew has a life. He has an identity.

A. D'ERI: Life at Rising Tide was amazing for me.

J. D'ERI: My role at this point is adviser. Thomas is the innovation. He can come to me with anything, I can give him advice.

T. D'ERI: About 80 percent of our staff is on the autism spectrum. The first thing that we do is try to look at the workplace through our employees' eyes. We designed a paddle. Now, instead of having a lot of difficult social interactions, we have a smooth process for both our team and our customers. We clarify the workplace for our team members through a variety of systems and we try to embed training into the workplace wherever we can.

If a team member forgets how to do something, they can quickly scan a QR code, review the training, and get back to work. We use color codes as much as possible too.

TYLER KALPAKOFF, RISING TIDE CAR WASH ASSOCIATE: Welcome to Rising Tide Car Wash.

Here, I feel like I've just been able to learn more and grow as a person and as a professional.

BREYANA MATHIS, RISING TIDE CAR WASH ASSOCIATE: I want to be a manager. My new goal is to travel by saving money.

SHAUN PAULL, RISING TIDE CAR WASH SUPERVISOR: It is an accepting place. It's like a proof that people with autism can lead. And you can't just, you know, judge it just by one certain aspect of autism because everybody with autism is different.

T. D'ERI: By designing systems that work really well for our team, it's allowed us to scale effectively to our three locations, washing over half a million cars a year. We've had over 100 team members move on to all sorts of industries, hospitality, retail to maintenance and auto body repair. Our team members are incredibly talented, but this world has not been designed for them.

My hope is that they find the confidence that they can do the things they want to do in this world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Amazing. Be sure to tune in Saturday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern for the "Champions for Change" one-hour special right here on CNN. And we'll be right back.

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[16:50:00]

WHITFIELD: Happy Mother's Day, and thanks for joining me today. I'm Fredericka Whitfield. Jessica Dean is up next in "The Newsroom."

But before we go, we hope you showered your mom, your wife or partner, sister or daughter, who is a mom with lots of heart. But nothing upstages other gestures of appreciation like a hug, a kiss, eye contact, meaningful conversation, and those three beautiful words, I love you.

So, from my fabulous team here at CNN, many of whom are moms, putting love into our commitment to do our best every weekend, we are wishing you moms out there and our moms a beautiful day. And thank you. Thank you on behalf of all of our team members, whose mothers and mom figures you have been seeing in this tribute. We are grateful for these amazing women who have guided us, inspired us, shaped us. Thanks to all the moms out there. We love you.

[16:55:00]

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[17:00:00]