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Benny Gantz Resigns From Israeli War Cabinet; Israel Rescues Four Hostages In Raid That Gaza Officials Say Killed 270 Plus; Trump Holds First Campaign Rally Since Felony Conviction; Southern Baptists Poised To Ban Churches With Female Pastors; Stores Equipping Workers With Body Cameras To Deter Shoplifters; Swimsuit Color Can Help Save Your Child's Life. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired June 09, 2024 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:44]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we begin with breaking news in the Middle East. Just moments ago, a possible disruption in Israel strategy in Gaza. Leading minister in Israel's war cabinet, Benny Gantz announces that he is leaving his position.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENNY GANTZ, MEMBER, ISRAELI WAR CABINET (through translator): We leave the government, the emergency government with heavy heart but complete heart.

We stand together for the campaign for Israel, for generations in order to get real victory. We are going to go elections. And at the end of it, we'll have a government that will have the confidence of the people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Gantz is the chief opposition leader to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He joined Israel's emergency war cabinet in the days after the October 7th attacks.

But Gantz had been a frequent critic of the prime minister, repeatedly calling on Netanyahu to agree to cease fire terms to bring hostages home. Gantz's departure comes days after Netanyahu -- Netanyahu rather, failed to meet Gantz's ultimatum, which was calling for a post-war plan in Gaza by June 8 yesterday.

We're also learning new details about Saturday's rescue operation of four Israeli hostages from Hamas. There were significant casualties. The Gaza ministry of health says the raid led to the deadliest day in Gaza in the last six months, killing over 270 people and leaving hundreds more injured. Israel disputes that number, saying the casualties were under 100. CNN has a team of correspondents around the world covering all of

these developments.

Let's first go to CNN's Paula Hancocks live for us in Tel Aviv.

Paula, so Benny Gantz, he had vowed to withdraw from the war cabinet, but has been facing pressure in recent days to remain in place. What more are you hearing about his decision-making?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Fred, he said that it was with a heavy heart that he was deciding to leave the emergency government, saying that it was necessary. Calling on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call new elections, saying that Netanyahu could not lead Israel to victory, saying that Israel needed a leader that puts hostages above politics.

Now he has been very critical of Netanyahu in recent months. He gave this ultimatum last month and said that he wanted certain conditions to be met, that they needed to be met for the state of Israel, saying that there needed to be a deal to release the hostages.

He is a strong supporter of the proposal on the table at the moment to bring hostages back and to bring a ceasefire in Gaza. We're still waiting -- the U.S. officials and Israeli officials say waiting for an official response from Hamas when it comes to that deal.

But he said that also needs to be this strategy for the day after the war ends in Gaza. And this is something that Netanyahu has been particularly vague on over recent months.

And he said he wants to see tens of thousands of residents being able to move back to their homes in the north of Israel and so there needs to be a calm with Hezbollah along that border.

Now, none of these conditions have been met and Gantz saying that it is necessary for him to step away with his party.

Now, what this means immediately, it doesn't mean that Netanyahu's coalition government collapses. He does still have a majority, even without Gantz, but it is a very slim majority at this point.

What it means is that he is more isolated now the Israeli prime minister, when it comes both to domestic and international considerations.

[14:05:00]

HANCOCKS: Gantz was really seen as a counterweight to the more far- right elements of his emergency government, of his coalition government.

And he was also a key figure because he was a member of the emergency war cabinet. There were just three of them really, the main members. And now a third of that cabinet has walked away.

So of course it does raise questions about the decisions when it comes to the war on Gaza. Who will be influencing those decisions now? Will the far-right elements of this coalition government have a stronger voice?

So Gantz has decided he cannot be part of this emergency government anymore. He has pulled back and he is calling on Netanyahu to go ahead with new elections, something Netanyahu has resisted saying this is not the time, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right.

Paula, thank you so much.

Let's go to Priscilla Alvarez in Wilmington, Delaware, where the president will soon be arriving after his overseas trip in France.

So Priscilla is the White House saying anything at this juncture about Gantz's departure?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: We have not yet received a formal response from the White House about this, but we do know that the concern among U.S. officials about Gantz leaving the government was that he could jeopardize the efforts that are underway to secure a hostage deal.

Of course, if you're part of those discussions and U.S. officials privately had urged him not to depart the government making the case behind the scenes that it could impact those talks while again, being careful not to tell him what to do.

And of course -- of course, Benny Gantz had visited Washington in march. He met with Vice President Kamala Harris and national security adviser Jake Sullivan to talk about the day-after planning and the ongoing talks of revolving around the release of the hostages, as well as a ceasefire in Gaza.

Now come -- going up to today, one of the questions that was top of mind was whether President Biden outlining that hostage release proposal would reverse his decision.

If you recall, a couple of weeks ago, the president publicly stating what the deal was, the three phases that included the release of all hostages in exchange. Again, for that temporary ceasefire, potentially a permanent ceasefire and then the reconstruction of Gaza. But now we know that that did not -- Benny Gantz deciding to depart the government.

Now, as you mentioned, President Biden is on his way back from France right now. He's expected to return to Wilmington later this evening, but up to now, the White House has not yet commented on this departure.

WHITFIELD: All right.

Priscilla Alvarez, thank you so much. And Paula Hancocks at the top, thank you.

All right. Let's discuss all of this further now with a former editor in chief of "The Jerusalem Post, Avi Maior. Avi, great to see you.

So what kind of impact do you think? Benny Gantz's departure might make on the Israeli Defense Forces' strategy.

AVI MAYER, FORMER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "THE JERUSALEM TIMES": Well Fredricka, I'm not sure it's change much in a material way in terms of the IDF strategy. I do have to think that it will have significant impact on the prime minister's legitimacy, both domestically and internationally as your correspondent said.

The presence of Benny Gantz in the war cabinet had granted the cabinet that legitimacy, given it the sense of representing a national consensus. His departure makes that go away.

And I think it is certainly likely as your correspondent said, that the influence of the far-right ministers in Netanyahu's government will be much more pronounced at this point, which of course will impact its legitimacy both domestically and around the world.

WHITFIELD: And you heard are Paula Hancocks report there that there was concern that with Benny Gantz's departure that might impact hostage negotiations.

And if you agree with that, to what extent?

MAYER: I think that's right. Benny Gantz was one of the main proponents of the proposal that's currently on the table.

We understand it is the Israeli proposal as put forward by Prime Minister Netanyahu, endorsed by the Americans, promoted around the world. We're apparently waiting bidding for Hamas to endorse it but there are members of the prime minister's government who are staunchly opposed to it.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, two right-wing ministers have declared their public opposition to it and have threatened to bolt the government and essentially bring it down if it is advanced.

And so it is likely at this point that the Prime Minister will struggle to get it through his cabinet, which makes its eventual implementation that less likely.

WHITFIELD: And before Gantz's announcement moments ago, Prime Minister Netanyahu pleaded out loud for him to stay on. This is yesterday when Gantz had a scheduled press conference. It was delayed, of course, until today likely as a result of the rescue of the four hostages.

Even though Netanyahu publicly pleaded for him to stay on, what do you believe Netanyahu's biggest concerns might be as a result of Gantz's departure?

[14:10:00]

MAYER: Look, the prime minister has been pulled in both directions throughout this war. On the one hand, he has the right-wing members of his coalition who

have been pushing him to continue the war at any cost. And he suggested that in fact there are -- there are prices that are too high to pay for the release of those hostages.

On the other hand, he's had Benny Gantz sort of pulling him the other direction saying it's time to develop an end game to figure out what the day after is supposed to look like and bring this war to a close.

He now has that counterbalance disappearing. And so he finds himself in a bit of a bind. He, I think will be drawn in a natural political sense to perhaps accommodate the right-wing members of his coalition.

But we know that that will be deeply unpopular both within Israel and amongst Israel's closest allies, chief among them, the United States.

WHITFIELD: Netanyahu and Gantz publicly disagreed on quite a few things. And then most recently, Gantz offered this ultimatum. Have some sort of post-war Gaza plan reveal at by, the date was yesterday, 8 of June. That didn't come.

And with this resignation, does this elicit sort of a conveyance of a weakness that Netanyahu has or a lack of the long-term plan.

MAYER: Well look, it's been a primary criticism of the prime minister for quite some time that there isn't a clear sense of strategy here and we don't really understand what the endgame is or what the day after is supposed to look like.

That well, I think now be in stark relief in light of Benny Gantz's resignation. And I think Benny Gantz is right in saying that the primary priority right now for the vast majority of Israelis is the return of those hostages.

Now I wouldn't say there would be at any cost. You have to figure out what that cost ought to be. But it seems as though that is the general thrust of the public sentiment at this time.

And I think it would behoove the prime minister to see that and act accordingly.

WHITFIELD: The U.S. national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, you know, said yesterday's rescue of the four hostages was great news but that securing a hostage negotiation plan would still be optimal.

Do you see yesterday's rescue, which came with more than 270 civilian deaths according to the Palestinian health and hospital officials as impacting any ongoing efforts for it, even a ceasefire.

MAYER: Well first of all, we have to take those casualty figures with a grain of salt. We know that Hamas has consistently lied about the number of casualties and the makeup of combatants and non-combatants amongst the numbers it does give out. But I do think that eventually the national secretary adviser is right. I don't know if this has a material impact on whether or not we need to reach a long-term deal, an arrangement that would see the release of the remaining hostages and some period of calm in Gaza.

I think the majority of Israelis have come around to believing that that is indeed the case that we need to reach some kind of a deal. The question is whether Hamas will play ball.

WHITFIELD: All right.

We'll leave it there for now. Avi Mayer, thank you so much. We covered a lot of ground there. Appreciate it.

MAYER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Still to come more on the Israeli hostage rescue operation and how the Biden administration is walking a fine line on supporting Israel and showing empathy and concern over the growing Palestinian death toll.

That and much more coming up.

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[14:17:55]

WHITFIELD: Israel's rescue of four hostages held by Hamas in Gaza on Saturday appears to have come at a high price for those in the refugee camp. Gaza authorities claimed 274 people were killed and another 700 were injured in the operation.

CNN has no way of verifying casualty numbers reported by Palestinian officials in Gaza. The IDF has disputed the Gaza report, saying it estimates the number of casualties was under 100.

And today, President Biden's national security adviser declined to say if the U.S. was comfortable with the way the operation was conducted, but called for a diplomatic solution to end the war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE SULLIVAN, WH NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The exact number we don't know, but innocent people were killed and that is heartbreaking. That is tragic.

The president himself has said in recent days that the Palestinian people are going through sheer hell in this conflict because Hamas is operating in a way that puts them in the cross-fire.

But there is only one answer to stop that from happening going forward and that is a ceasefire and hostage deal that ends the military operations, brings the hostages home and puts us in a position to give the Palestinians an opportunity for a better future for their people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Vice President Harris also reacted to the hostage rescue at a Democratic dinner in Detroit. Harris said last night, and she said in part, "Thankfully four of those hostages were reunited with their families tonight," but added, "we mourn all the innocent lives that have been lost in Gaza, including those tragically killed today."

I'm joined now by Mark McKinnon. He is a former adviser to George W. Bush and John McCain. He is also the co-creator of Showtime's, "The Circus".

Mark, great to see you.

MARK MCKINNON, FORMER ADVIER TO GEORGE W. BUSH AND JOHN MCCAIN: Hi, Fredricka. How are you?

WHITFIELD: I'm doing great.

So, you know, the Biden-Harris administration especially in recent weeks, has really been trying to kind of walk that fine line on supporting Israel and also, you know, empathize with the civilian casualties in -- among the Palestinian population.

[14:20:00]

How would you assess this messaging from the administration on this very difficult issue?

MCKINNON: Well, very difficult is exactly right. Incredibly complicated, incredibly sensitive.

I do -- I can't imagine a more nuanced and appropriate response than what the Biden administration has been doing. I think that this is the sort of thing that the administration actually does really well, given the vice -- given the president's long history of international relations.

And I think his foreign policy team with Jake Sullivan and Tony Blinken, and others is first rate.

And as somebody who has worked with Republican administrations, its hard for me to imagine George W. Bush or Ronald Reagan or George H.W. Bush responding really much differently than how Biden has responded.

Now, I can imagine Donald Trump responding in a way that's less humanitarian, but -- but not in traditional Republican orthodoxy.

I think that they've done, I mean I simply can't imagine a response that would be much different than what they've done and it's unclear, you know, how this hostage rescue will impact the ceasefire-hostage talks. But the Biden administration is pushing hard for a deal and with the growing friction between Biden and Netanyahu, do you see a deal happening or has it been made that much more difficult, especially with the departure now of the, you know, cabinet minister Benny Gantz today.

MCKINNON: Yes. I mean, the internal politics of Israel is very complicated, but clearly that's not a good development in terms of a resolution for the plan because it gives more power and leverage to the more right-wing members of the cabinet. So I think that's problematic. On the other hand, I think the deal is on the table endorsed by the

United States it seems to me from almost any perspective as that perfectly logical and reasonable and only deal that can produce a positive outcome of this.

So I think the Biden administration is in just the right place on the deal and where it is. And again, I'm not sure what they could do any differently than what they've done.

WHITFIELD: And today Mark, Biden wrapped up his five-day overseas trip to France with a visit to an American World War I cemetery in Paris. There he once again warned against isolationism and stressed the importance of alliances such as NATO.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And the idea that we were able to avoid being engaged in major battles in Europe is just not realistic.

That's why it's so important that we continue to have alliances. We continue to be (INAUDIBLE) with alliances, continue to keep NATO strong, continue to do what we've been able to do for the last -- since the end of World War II.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So Biden didn't mention Trump's name, but he is clearly drawing distinctions between himself and his Republican challenger, who has been very critical of NATO and threatening about actually, you know, departing from the NATO alliance.

So do you think the U.S./NATO alliance will be a big issue for voters in this year's presidential race with just five months to go. And listening to this theme from the sitting president on his position of NATO and the importance of alliances.

MCKINNON: Well, it should be because this is a place where there was a marked difference between Biden and Trump. I mean, Biden is, you know, is supporting a traditional alliance approach, which the Normandy visit reminded us of and you know, looking at the past as a prism toward looking to the future.

And its particularly relevant right now given the situation for Ukraine about how our nominees form the two parties would handle this differently. And it's pretty clearly, how differently they would handle it.

Donald Trump has made very clear he doesn't care much for NATO, he doesn't care much for alliances. And again, that's so contrary to (AUDIO GAP), you know, historical knowledge of Republican orthodoxy on these things.

But Trump's notion is you know, America First basically translates into good luck, yes, you're on your own because we're not going to be there when you need us.

WHITFIELD: All right.

Mark McKinnon, we'll leave it there for now. Great to see you this Sunday thank you.

MCKINNON: Thanks, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: At any minute now, former president Donald Trump is set to take the stage in Las Vegas for his first campaign rally since his felony conviction.

And we're just now learning that Trump will also have his pre- sentencing interview for that hush money case tomorrow with a probation officer.

[14:25:00]

WHITFIELD: The sentencing for his 34 felony counts is scheduled to take place next month in New York.

CNN's Alayna Treene is covering this rally in Las Vegas for us. But Alayna, you know, what more can you tell us about Trump's pre- sentencing interview tomorrow scheduled with a probation officer.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Well, the interview is going to be virtual we're told. And as you mentioned, it's a pre- sentencing probation interview.

There will be a probation officer, excuse me, present during that interview. It's going to take place at Mar-a-Lago and look, this is pretty standard for his sentencing and they had expected this. Now Donald Trump's defense attorney Todd Blanche, is expected to sit with Donald Trump as well for this interview.

And this all comes ahead of the Trump team which is expected to submit its pre-sentencing report and recommendations for his own sentencing on June 13.

And you mentioned Fred that Donald Trump's sentencing is currently scheduled to take place next month on July 11. That's just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July and so, I know that there's been some discussions still behind the scene from Donald Trump's team about whether or not they want to try to shift that day. But look, as we look ahead to his rally today here in Las Vegas, I know from my conversations with the Trump campaign that they really want to look beyond his trial. They want to leave his weeks' long trial in the past and start focusing again on his general election campaign.

And that means talking about the issues they think will matter to voters, including immigration, crime, the economy, all issues his team tells me that will be very heavily focused on here and Nevada.

But at the same time, I will say we just heard from Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, of course, a fierce defender of Donald Trump's. She used her time on the stage before Donald Trump arrives to rail against his conviction. She called it BS -- she used the full term. I'm not going to curse here for you.

But that received chance of BS from the crowd and she talked about how they will try to do something about it. And that really comes after days of hearing from Donald Trump and his allies of these this rhetoric around retribution and wanting to seek revenge on their political opponents.

Donald Trump himself has insinuated that he may try to prosecute his political opponents if he's elected. So I think that will be a key theme of his speech today as well, even as his team is trying to get him to really focus back on the general election campaign and the issues they think that voters will turn out in November for, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right.

Alayna Treene, how hot is it. Yesterday we talked about the heat and all kinds of precautions being made there in Las Vegas for people for this rally. How is that turning out right now?

TREENE: It is pretty hot here, Fred. It's, you know -- it shows the forecast. Temperatures are going to be above 100 degrees. I've already seen at least one person need medical attention and so its very warm here.

And you know, Donald Trump's team has been taking precautions for that. They've added a ton of fans to be misting people. They have 38,000 water bottles we're told for guests.

And really all of this comes after on Thursday, Donald Trump spoke in Phoenix, Arizona. 11 people were translated (ph) to the hospital for heat-related illness. And I'll tell you, Fred, that event was indoors. Those are just people who were waiting outside to get in.

As you can see behind me, this event is going to be outdoors the entire time. Now we are a little lucky. There are some cloud coverage here today, but it's going to be very hot and I know we're all paying very close attention to the potentially dangerous conditions that could come with this. Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right.

And my producer -- ok. Thank you, Alayna and my producer whispered to me, its 94 degrees Fahrenheit, but sometimes it's not always the actual temperature, but it's the feels like temperature that sometimes can be pretty threatening.

All right. Try to stay cool, Alayna Treene. Thank you so much.

All right. Up next Southern Baptist Church leader is poised to ban churches with any women pastors. Hundreds of congregations could be expelled but some are urging them to reconsider.

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[14:33:24]

WHITFIELD: The Southern Baptist Convention is poised to make a controversial policy shift. Members of the convention will vote this week on whether to ban all churches with female pastors. The measure received overwhelming approval in a preliminary vote last year.

The proposed ban could impact hundreds of congregations, including former President Jimmy Carter's hometown church in Plains, Georgia. They appointed their first female pastor last month.

Joining me right now is CNN's Rafael Romo.

Rafael, how much support does this measure have now?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It seems, Fred, like they have way more than enough to be able to pass it. But we'll see in the next few days, and given that a preliminary measure to ban churches with any women pastors received overwhelming approval last year. It seems likely churches that fall in that category have their days number than the Southern Baptist Convention. The SBC is holding its annual meeting Tuesday and Wednesday in Indianapolis. During the meeting, representatives are expected to vote on whether to amend the denomination's constitution to essentially ban churches with any female pastors.

And, Fred, they're not only talking about head pastors, but any woman pastor in ministry. Based on our previous reporting, if the amendment is approved -- approved and enforced, it would affect hundreds of congregations. It would also have a disproportionate impact on predominantly Black churches.

One of the proponents of the amendment is Mike Law, head pastor at Arlington Baptist Church in Virginia, right outside the capital. Part of the reason why he says the denominations should not allow women to serve as pastors is because in his opinion, this could become a slippery slope.

[14:35:04]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PASTOR MIKE LAW, ARLINGTON BAPTIST CHURCH: Southern Baptists are facing a decisive moment concerning gender roles and the pastoral office. Here's the trajectory of doing nothing. Soon, Southern Baptist churches will start openly supporting homosexual clergy, same- sex marriage, and eventually transgenderism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: We have also heard from First Baptist Church of Alexandria, one of the churches that may be affected since Kim Eskridge, its pastor for women and children, is a woman.

In a statement, the church said the following: This action was in stark contrast to the longstanding ideal that SBC churches were autonomous, would remain resolute in recognizing God's calling to ministry for both men and women. For nearly 100 years, women have had a prominent role in ministry and positions of authority at FBCA.

And even -- even without a formal amendment, Fred, its executive committee has begun telling churches with women pastors that they're out. That included one of its largest Saddleback Church of California, other churches with women pastors like elevation church a North Carolina megachurch in First Baptist of Richmond, Virginia, decided to quit on their own. These last two had close SBC ties from the convention's founding.

And listen to this, Fred, even Maranatha Baptist Church, former President Jimmy Carter's church, may be kicked out of the SBC. The church in rural Georgia last month named its first woman pastor. She delivered her first sermon, Fred, first Sunday of the month, which is exactly a week ago. So that church maybe out as well.

WHITFIELD: And so when might these a decision be rendered here before they discover whether this exclusionary because it isn't exclusionary approach would be successful or popular.

ROMO: Yeah, it's happening between Tuesday and Wednesday. And again, based on what we saw last year, apparently, it has way more than enough votes to pass. So it's going to be interesting to see how they enforce it and how quickly they act.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much. Rafael Romo. Appreciate it.

All right. When we come back tackling retail theft. Some retailers are equipping employees with police-like body cameras. But will they stop shoplifters?

Stay with us.

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[14:42:01]

WHITFIELD: All right. The increase of retail theft is an issue that stores continued to battle. Smash and grab videos like those showing a swarm of thieves ripping high-end handbags or close right off the shelves are right out of the cases. Employees often pretty helpless to stop it.

So, store theft is so bad in certain places across the country that retailer T.J.Maxx says, it will start equipping some store employees with body cameras. I'd like to bring in now, Dr. Alex Piquero to discuss this. He's a member of the Council on Criminal Justice, an independent think tank.

Good to see you, Doctor.

DR. ALEX PIQUERO, FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS: Good afternoon, Fredricka. A pleasure to be with you.

WHITFIELD: All right. So what are the risks and rewards of employees wearing bodycam? PIQUERO: So I think there are two risks. The first one is if they get

too close into an altercation with someone, someone could be upset that they're being filmed. A second risk is, what are the legal ramifications of this? Where in the store they able to take people? What about a dressing room? What about near a bathroom? All of those kinds of things are legal issues that need attention.

I think some of the rewards are possible in the sense that the cameras might be able to see more eyes throughout different parts of the store that then fixed cameras could, but you have to weigh those risks and rewards and you've got to be very careful how these things rolled out.

WHITFIELD: Okay, so we mentioned T.J.Maxx is one of those retailers that might be considering it at or soon employing at. I mean, what is it going to take? What does a store half to assess before it makes the decision about making the investment, A, of bodycam video and then finding out or exploring the legalities of whether it can ask all of its or any of its employees to actually do this? Carry this out?

PIQUERO: Well, the government assess that it really is a problem. And that's the first thing. You know, there's a perception out there that retail debt does out-of-control. However, we don't have really good national data on retail theft to understand if it is actually a true trend.

That said, stores are operating under the assumption that this might give them more deterrence and might make people feel safer. Now, the question is, is it worth the cost? And that's a bottom line because so much got to pay for that. Does that get transmitted to the consumer? You and I would both worry about that.

WHITFIELD: Right. And then there's the issue of what is the objective because wearing a bodycam video -- I mean, is that going to be a deterrent for people who come in? We've seen in certain smashing grabs. I mean, they're wearing masks. You can't really identify who they are.

Okay. You've now got added documentation of it happening. But how is it going to be an instrument and actually prosecuting? Well, your local police departments be able to use that or district attorneys office in trying to prosecute? I mean, how do you get answers to all those things?

PIQUERO: Yeah. So several questions there, but it will start with the first with respect to would-be offenders. Look, they already know their cameras in the store.

[14:45:00]

So, people who are not deterred, well, they're going to go in and do what they want. The question is, can you get the people who are on the fence? Or think twice, maybe they are thinking on getting something and they go what I see something with the camera on it, back off.

So that's that somewhat determinable population. Now, with respect to who owns the camera footage, that's really interesting. Now, at that time, T.J.Maxx in this particular example, Fredricka, would own the footage. But however, your Ring camera or my Ring camera I own that footage. So the key is they have to work in partnership with law enforcement and again, this is where the technology is just flying so much faster than the law. So they got to really be careful about this.

WHITFIELD: OK, so then quickly are you a fan of this tool? Are you an advocate of stores using this?

PIQUERO: So my sense is it's not going to deter the problem the way some people will think that it's going to deter the problem. I mean, we've seen the videos, Fredricka, you and I have. People going to do what they do.

Now, the question is, can you get some people who are on the fence? Maybe yes. But to me, I wonder about the cost. These are millions and millions of dollars.

You're talking about the equipment. You're talking about training. You're talking about archiving in the cloud, cloud space. All of those things, that's not $1, $2. That's thousands and thousands of dollars.

WHITFIELD: All right.

PIQUERO: So, I'm not sure, I'm really like.

WHITFIELD: Okay. All right. Dr. Alice Piquero, great to talk to you. I mean, it's always fascinating, is it not, to just look at that video, no matter how many times you see it, it's just jaw dropping and remarkable that, that is playing out in real life.

All right. Thank you so much.

PIQUERO: Pleasure.

WHITFIELD: All right. Here's a very valuable, important question to be asking. Could your kids' swimsuits potentially save their lives this summer? Why experts are saying the color that you choose could make a big difference in their safety. That's next right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:51:27]

WHITFIELD: All right. Here's some questions for you because, you know, it elicits a lot. The color of your child's swimsuit, do you think like that's a fashion choice or might it actually help keep them safe at the pool or beach had even save their life?

Well, water safety experts say certain colors are easier to see in water than others, and that reduce the risk of drowning.

Here to tell us more about all this, CNN health reporter, Jacqueline Howard. This is really important because, yeah, the beginning of the summer,

you've got a lot of choices out there, but don't just make the fashion choice. This is about health and safety.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Right, exactly.

And it might make sense, but it's something that most people don't think about. So what water experts say is that bright neon colors, something like, like in this color scheme. This is the most visible under the water. You want to avoid light blues or even white swimsuits like this is a children's swimsuit --

WHITFIELD: It blends right in. And while it's cute --

HOWARD: I know.

WHITFIELD: -- you have to think about what the kid looks like in the water in the bottom of the pool even.

HOWARD: Exactly.

And these are findings from a company called Alive Solutions. They tested different swimsuit colors under the water. We should have a chart here showing the different colors.

And on the far right, you see there was a white swimsuit under the water. It basically disappeared.

WHITFIELD: You did not see it. Oh, my gosh.

HOWARD: Oh, my gosh.

WHITFIELD: Exactly. And I spoke with a spokesperson for the American Lifeguard Association about this. His name is Wyatt Werneth.

And he said lifeguards have long known that certain swimsuit colors are more visible underwater. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WYATT WERNETH, AMERICAN LIFEGUARD ASSOCIATION: It's very important to make sure that you dress your child in a bright-colored, something that stands out to me in the water. Don't want colors that blend in with the ocean or pool that you're in or even black, like kids on the black line, you can't see you want them. You will be able to see them especially like just out of a crowd.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD: Yeah. So, Fred, obviously --

WHITFIELD: It's important.

HOWARD: Yeah, this is just one step that you can take. There are so many other water safety tips out there, but it's something that we often don't think about. WHITFIELD: Right. What are some of the other things that parents perhaps do need to be thinking about.

HOWARD: Right. So, of course, enroll your child in swim lessons, definitely make sure they're wearing their lifejacket when it's appropriate. Make sure your pool is enclosed. So someone doesn't accidentally fall in the pool. Learn CPR in case there is an emergency where you have to step in.

And we know that sadly, drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4. So this is an important public health issue.

WHITFIELD: And even with all this education, the number is still very high as it pertains to drowning deaths.

HOWARD: Exactly, yes. According to the CDC, in the most recent years between 2020 and 2022, 4,500 people died a year due to drowning and that number is higher than what we've seen in previous years.

WHITFIELD: Oh, try to get your kids to learn how to swim or at least the values of water safety for the entire family, as soon as you can.

All right. Jacqueline Howard, great to see you. Thanks so much.

All right. Coming up, in a blow to Prime Minister Netanyahu, key Israeli Minister Benny Gantz resigns from the country's war cabinet. And what it could mean for how Israel handled the war in Gaza.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:59:19]

WHITFIELD: On a new episode of 'THE WHOLE STORY", we explore how drag performances have become an important part of celebrating pride month, as many states across the country impose anti-drag laws. "THE WHOLE STORY" looks at the rich history of drag performance in America.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Female impersonator clubs across the country, including one in New York called Club 82 became all the rage during the 1950s and '60s.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The people who came to the 82 Club were everyday people. Your mom and dad may have come to the 82 Club, but also it was packed with celebrities, Judy Garland, Milton Berle, Elizabeth Taylor, and Richard Burton, Errol Flynn. Salvador Dali, the surrealist, loved drag in the 82 Club.