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IDF: "A Number Of Bodies" Located In Gaza; Ukraine Officials In U.S. Sought Long-Range Use Of Weapons In Russia; Harris Slams Trump On Arlington National Cemetery Visit; Trump Flip Flops On Florida Abortion Amendment; Trump, Special Counsel At Odds On How To Move Forward With Election Subversion Case In D.C.; Surgeon General Warning: Pace Of Life Unhealthy For Families; Clark's Career-High 21 Points Lift Indiana Fever Over Chicago. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired August 31, 2024 - 17:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:01:23]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: You are in the CNN and NEWSROOM. I'm Jessica Dean in New York.

And we begin with breaking news from the Middle East where the Israeli Defense Forces say they have located, quote, "a number of bodies" during combat in the Gaza Strip.

CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson is joining us now live from Jerusalem with the latest on this. And Nic, reminding everyone details right now very scant but what are you learning.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. And I have to say as well, this is unusual for the IDF to put out this sort of statement to say that they've located bodies during a combat operation.

They don't normally sort of comment on things as actually happening and unfolding and that's what they say precisely happening at the moment.

They're saying that they are working to extract and identify the bodies in this ongoing operation and they're asking for people to refrain from speculation, which appears to perhaps indicate that they are referencing rumors that are a circulating in Israeli media that it is possible that what the IDF has found as the bodies of hostages.

That's not what the IDF is saying. They're saying something else.

But I think to try to put this into context for everyone. This is not usual for the IDF to make this sort of a statement. And we will find out in the coming hours precisely more about this combat operation, more about the bodies, more about the retrieval and identification process.

But at the moment, the whereabouts of the hostages is such a heartbreaking issue for further families who are some of them are protesting in Tel Aviv tonight, blocking streets.

They're absolutely feeling that the government is letting them down, calling on Prime Minister Netanyahu to make that deal. Police say, by the way, those protests in Tel Aviv where there was a big security presence, but an agreed protest, parade and route. The police say that they have arrested three people at that protest.

The passion and feeling is really strong. The hurt and the heartache for the families of the hostages is massive. The pain of the country is huge as it waits to find out information. So it's in this very super sensitive arena that the IDF is making this statement tonight, not to mention the fact that hostage negotiations are ongoing.

That is dividing the country, that is dividing Prime Minister Netanyahu's cabinet. His defense minister just a couple of days ago and during a cabinet meeting, actually accusing the prime minister of micro-managing the negotiations and not -- and essentially not doing the smart thing.

The divisions are big. But let's wait and find out what we hear later this night from the IDF, from this ongoing operation, this ongoing combat operation in Gaza.

DEAN: Yes. And as it unfolds right now, such important context from you Nic Robertson. Thank you so much, live in Jerusalem.

Let's turn now to CNN global affairs analyst Mark Esper, who served as defense secretary during the Trump administration. He also serves on the board or, as a strategic advisor, for a handful of aerospace and defense-related companies.

[17:04:46]

DEAN: Secretary Esper, thanks for being here with us. I just want to start kind of where Nic started, which is that this is rare for the IDF to put out this sort of statement as it's happening right now. They say they are working to identify these bodies. They are working to get them back.

What does -- what does that say to you that that sort of statement was put out by the IDF?

MARK ESPER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, good afternoon, Jessica. No, Nic is correct. It is very unusual and my speculation it's just that is that the hunch of the IDF is that these may well indeed be hostages.

You know, we know that there are at this time estimated to be 107 or 108 hostages still being kept by Hamas. The Israelis don't differentiate between those who are alive and those who are dead.

But the belief is that 40 of those 107, 108 are dead. And so their bodies are somewhere under the control of Hamas. So the question would be, are these some of those bodies or are those others?

And I think this is a very difficult time that I'm sure for the Israeli people and the families to get this news. Because now everybody is on the edge of their seats wondering are these hostages, how many know -- you know, we have no sense of number.

And so I think we're going to have to sit tight and see how this plays out over the coming hours.

DEAN: Right. We are hoping to learn more in the coming hours because we just don't know a lot, except that they have found these bodies in Gaza.

Let me ask you, how you think that this -- this turn could impact the ceasefire and the hostage talks that are currently under negotiation.

ESPER: Well, you know, Hamas uses these hostages, both dead and alive, as leverage as tokens to give away to get back to Israel. We know under the tentative agreement, the first six-week phase of the plan, Israel would -- for Israel for every hostage did they would get back -- get back. It would give up so many Palestinians, 10, 15, 20. The number is unclear right now.

And so as Israel recovers these bodies, both them alive, and we know just the other day an Arab-Israeli was found in one of the tunnels. It takes away their leverage.

That said Jessica, I still believe that there's a lot of distance, too much distance between Israel and Hamas on the issue. As Nic, I think and others have reported earlier, the big issue right now it seems to be who will retain control or will IDF have a presence at the Philadelphi corridor, which is the southern boundary of Gaza along Egypt. And it's the main trafficking route by which Hamas brings in arms and ammunition and building materials. So I assume Bibi Netanyahu does not want to allow Hamas to get access again.

They want Israelis to control that so they can cut off the flow of arms and ammunition coming into Hamas mostly from Iran, by the way. And so that future warfare, a future October 7, can be prevented.

These are two challenges the Israel faces, is do you continue the war to defeat Hamas? And I'm reluctant to use that word. It requires definition or do you place the fate of the Israeli hostages before that?

And this is what Israelis are wrestling with right now, although the most recent polling suggests that two-thirds of Israelis want to see the hostages returned.

DEAN: Yes. And as Nic was saying, they are protesting in the streets of Tel Aviv tonight as they have for many, many Saturdays now.

Ok. Secretary Mark Esper, standby. We have another significant story that we're following and we want to come back to you for more analysis. So we'll come right back to you.

ESPER: Sure.

DEAN: In the meantime, top Ukrainian officials were at the Pentagon this week trying to get permission to use powerful weapons to beat back Russia. They asked the U.S. to lift its restrictions on long- range use of weapons on Russian territory.

And this, of course, coming after weeks of Ukraine successfully advancing into Russia.

Joining us now, CNN's Frederik Pleitgen, who's in Kyiv. And Fred, tell us about this meeting at the Pentagon and what transpired.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, one of the things that the Ukrainians told CNN that they did is they asked the U.S. for permission to use some of those longer distance weapons that the U.S. has supplied to the Ukrainians like for instance, those ATACM surface-to-surface missiles to strike deeper into Russian territory.

Now if we walk back a step, right now the Ukrainians are already using those types of weapons, but they can only strike occupied areas of Ukraine where there are Russian forces and some of the really close border areas between Russia and Ukraine, but not any deeper into Russian territory.

Now Ukrainian say it's absolutely key for them to be allowed to do that on the one hand, to relieve some of the pressure that's coming, for instance, from the Russian forces, but also from their missile attacks on Ukrainian communities near the border areas, but also further back from the border areas as well.

And of course, also to help their frontline troops who are trying to advance there deeper into Russia, but also who, of course, are trying to defend Ukrainian territory in the east of the country.

And the real key to all of this from what we're hearing from Ukrainian officials is the fact that the Russians are now able to use their own air force much more efficiently than they have in the past.

[17:09:51]

PLEITGEN: They've managed to manufacture guidance kits for some pretty heavy bombs that they're dropping on Ukrainian frontline troops, dropping on Ukrainian cities like for instance Kharkiv and some of the other areas near the border as well.

And the Ukrainians say they want to use these longer distance weapons to try and hit some of the airfields to try and hit some of the fuel depots, but also some of the communications nodes as well to try and relieve some of the pressure.

Now we know that the Ukrainians have put forward a list of targets inside Russia they want to hit. But apparently, or at least from what the Ukrainians are saying so far they've not gotten an answer from the U.S. about whether those restrictions are going to be lifted or possibly eased, Jessica.

DEAN: And you mentioned Kharkiv and the major strikes. There were major strikes today. Walk us through those and the latest on what's happening there specifically.

PLEITGEN: Yes. There certainly were and that really goes back to exactly the same point about the Russian air force now being used a lot more -- in a lot more prolific way and a lot more effectively than they were in the past.

The Russians themselves have come out and put out video showing their forces -- their air force bombing, they say, Ukrainian troops that were trying to advance into Russian territory, further into the Kursk area of Russia.

However, the Ukrainian say that yesterday the city of Kharkiv was strike -- a massive strike that took place there killing several people damaging some 20 apartments with just one very large bomb.

And today there were strikes in the Sumy region which also borders Russia, and in the Kharkiv region as well, were one town was hit there and that bomb attack killed two people.

And they are, again the Ukrainians are saying that the Russians used what is called a Fab-500 bomb, which is a 500 kilogram or a thousand- pound bomb. So half a ton of explosives that is in that.

Two people were killed in that attack. And the Ukrainians are saying, if they want to at least prevent some of those attacks from happening, they're going to have to be able to attack the airfields that those bombers are taking off from.

Still a pretty difficult thing to do. But the Ukrainians say that is absolutely essential if they not only want to turn the tide in this war, but also, of course, just stop the Russians in some of the areas that they are advancing in, Jessica.

DEAN: All right. Fred Pleitgen for us, live in Kyiv. Thank you so much for that reporting.

I want to turn back to former Defense secretary Mark Esper. He's still with us.

Secretary Esper. Thanks for hanging around.

I just -- I want to start with what Fred was just talking about there. That the Ukrainians think it is essential for them to be able to use these long-range missiles to go inside of Russia for them to stop Russia. Do you agree with them?

ESPER: Absolutely. Jessica, we should not be tying a hand behind the Ukrainians' back. Look, I think President Biden deserves credit for bringing the allies together two-and-a-half years ago, and for providing U.S. arms and ammunition and support.

But I think he's going to be faulted by his by historians for not providing the Ukrainians what they needed when they needed it. For example, M1 tanks, F-16s, ATACMs, Patriots. I mean, the list goes on and on and on where deliveries the consideration there lasted months. And now of course, is part of that process. We've put restrictions on the items that they eventually got. ATACMs is the most prominent one right now. We have yet to discuss really, but I'm sure there are restrictions being placed on the use of F-16s.

So look, Russia has been pummeling all parts of Ukraine now for two- and-a-half years. We've got to allow the Ukrainians to fight back, not just counterfire, which has been loosened up by the administration, but to strike deep.

Now look, the administration say, the anonymous officials well, you know, the Russians have moved back their aircrafts. There's really nothing to hit.

That is not true. The Institute for the Study of Warfare, who is an authoritative source on this has identified over 240 targets that are immovable, depots, weapons storage areas, fuel dumps. You name it, all these things could be destroyed, attacked in a way that would really hinder the Russian military effort.

So I think we should allow the Ukrainians to strike any non-strategic -- that means non-nuclear -- military target and allow them to take the fight further to the Russians because there's going to be a major inflection points coming up here with the U.S. election and what may happen after that.

The Ukrainians ability to sustain this fight both economically, militarily and through manpower. And so we have to give them the freedom to do what they need to do to save their country.

DEAN: And secretary, before I let you go, I did want to get your take on this controversy at Arlington National Cemetery that involved former President Trump. The Army issuing this rare rebuke, defending the employee who tried to get Trump campaign staffers to stop taking pictures in Section 60. That's the sacred part of the cemetery where those recently killed are buried.

I'm just curious what your take is on all of this.

ESPER: Yes, I spoke about this the other day. It's look -- Arlington is sacred ground. It's hallowed ground of our veterans, going back to the civil war.

[17:14:46]

ESPTER: You know, I of course, attended my share of services there. And when I was Army secretary, I was the de facto custodian of Arlington. So it's a very special place.

I think everybody needs just to respect its rules, its policies, and make sure it's never used for partisan political activities. And so the dispute seems to be ongoing. The Army has wanted to close it out if it continues to fester.

Look, the easiest way is for whatever videos out there to be released, reports to be released to clear the air. But I think everybody agrees that it should be treated with the utmost respect, held to the highest standards of dignity and respect and that everybody should do so.

DEAN: All right. Secretary Mark Esper, thank you so much.

ESPER: Thank you, Jessica.

DEAN: Still to come, Vice President Kamala Harris going after former President Trump over what happened at Arlington National Cemetery. We'll talk more about it.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

[17:15:40]

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DEAN: Vice President Kamala Harris is slamming former President Donald Trump for his controversial visit to Arlington National Cemetery earlier this week. Harris releasing a statement earlier today saying in part Trump quote, "disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt".

And that quote, "It is my belief that someone who cannot meet this simple sacred duty should never again stand behind the seal of the president of the United States of America.

Joining us now CNN political analyst and national political reporter for Axios, Alex Thompson and Shelby Talcott, reporter for Semafor.

Great to have both of you with us on this Saturday afternoon.

This was the first time the vice president has directly addressed this particular controversy. Alex what's your reaction to her statement? Why do you -- what do you make of the timing? It took a little bit for this response to come out?

ALEX THOMPSON, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, AXIOS: Well, the vice president wants to keep this issue alive because it is obscuring what should have been a political slam dunk for Donald Trump.

The fact is that there were 13 -- the families of the 13 soldiers that were killed at Abbey Gate three years ago, many of those families have now endorsed Donald Trump, one of the most effecting images of the RNC in July were those families endorsing Donald Trump.

All those families where there at Arlington Cemetery earlier this week. Many of them have endorsed Donald Trump. And the thing is that this should have been the way -- like the message going into the week.

Instead because they wanted a social media video to spread on TikTok and Instagram. Now, this is the discussion we're having because they had an altercation with the staff at Arlington by going beyond the original place where you're seeing right now to the gravestones.

DEAN: And Shelby, I want to talk about another issue that's really come to the forefront this week, abortion. Republicans and the former president, when we go back to the RNC, and I feel like we've been living in dog years this summer with political news.

But not that long ago at the RNC, it seemed like the former president and Republicans, were going to maybe be able to just kind of get through this election with the abortion issue kind of over here to the side, and they could focus on other issues that Americans were really concerned about.

And now for a host of reasons, but chief among them with Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket, she's obviously been their chief messenger on reproductive rights, that issue has been dragged right back to the forefront.

And then we see former President Trump this week flip-flopping on what he wants to do when it comes to this Florida measure on the six-week abortion ban. So I'm curious how you're seeing that evolve and how do you think that that will it -- will it continue to be a more pertinent issue as we head into the fall?

SHELBY TALCOTT, REPORTER, SEMAFOR: Well, certainly the dynamics of the presidential race have changed with Harris at the top of the ticket. As you said, Democrats have realized that this is a topic that she can speak on uniquely in a way that Joe Biden probably couldn't.

At the same time, we saw just a few weeks ago, Donald Trump tell reporters that he believed the issue of abortion had been sort of set aside. It was done and dusted.

And I think that's a little bit of political wish-casting on behalf of, you know, that's what they want ideally. But it is a fact that historically over the past few years, abortion has been a topic that voters are going out to vote for, specifically.

Democrats realize that it has been troublesome for Republicans throughout the last few years, ever since Roe v Wade was overturned. And it's probably going to be an issue come November, no matter, you know -- despite what Donald Trump wants to happen.

DEAN: And Alex, Trump really tried to play both sides of the abortion debate this week. We saw it unfold in real-time day to day. I want to play some clips of his changing reactions to questions.

This is about how he'd vote on that amendment that's on the ballot in Florida that would overturn the state's six-week abortion ban.

Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, CURRENT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think the six weeks is too short. It has to be more time and so that's -- and I've told them that I want more weeks.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So you'll vote in favor of the amendment?

TRUMP: I'm voting that -- I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you voting yes or no on Amendment 4 in Florida?

TRUMP: So I think six weeks you need more time. Six weeks, I've disagreed with that right from the early primaries. When I heard about it, I disagreed with it.

[17:24:52]

TRUMP: At the same time, the Democrats are radical because the nine months is just a ridiculous situation where you can do an abortion in the ninth month. And, you know, some of the states like Minnesota and other states have it where you can actually execute the baby after birth. And all of that stuff is unacceptable.

So I'll be voting no for that reason.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: And again, if anyone murdered a live child that's a crime. But Alex -- or Shelby, I'm sorry to you, what do you -- why the back-and- forth for Trump here.

TALCOTT: Well, I think it's pretty simple, right? The anti-abortion activists throughout this whole campaign cycle have been pressuring Donald Trump to remain steadfastly anti-abortion. And throughout this entire cycle, he's sort of made comments hinting that he's moving more towards a moderate position.

And it's gotten to the point, I think where this race has changed so much that Donald Trump is realized in a way that he didn't maybe six months ago, he might need those votes.

In a way, you know, six months ago, he was up in the race. He was performing well against Joe Biden. He could afford to frustrate these voters.

Now, do I think that him flip-flopping on various issues as he continues to do so, will ultimately frustrate anti-abortion activists to the point where they don't vote against him. I'm not convinced, but it's clearly something that he's thinking about.

DEAN: And Alex, what are your thoughts on this? And then also too, him saying that he wants the government to pay for IVF.

THOMPSON: I mean, Donald Trump has been on every single side of this issue ever since that decision at Dobbs to overturn Roe v Wade has gone. And that's because he sees it as a political threat.

The fact of the matter is that reporters, including myself and probably including Shelby have been asking Donald Trump what does he think about this Florida referendum? And they have basically said no comment, no comment, no comment.

The reason that they have started trying to come out now and trying to split the difference here, which was basically we're going to vote against the amendment, but we also don't think six weeks is right is because Kamala Harris has changed this race with regards especially to abortion rights, in particular, because you are seeing polls with an historic gender gap.

And Kamala Harris, even before now was the administration's chief spokesperson with regards to abortion rights. And so you cannot take that context out of Donald Trump finally starting to engage in these discussions, in these questions that he was not previously willing to do.

DEAN: All right. Alex Thompson and Shelby Talcott, thank you so much to both of you. I appreciate it.

And former president Donald Trump and special counsel Jack Smith had some very different views on how the election subversion case should move forward. What both sides reveal in their filings late last night. That's next.

[17:27:52]

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[17:32:18]

DEAN: Former President Donald Trump and Special Counsel Jack Smith are at odds over how the election subversion case in Washington, D.C., should move forward.

In a Friday night filing, both sides offering different differing views. But it appears neither side is rushing to go to trial before Election Day.

Smith not offering firm dates and instead leaving it up to the judge in the case. The new filings, setting the stage for a showdown during a hearing set for next week.

CNN's Holmes Lybrand is joining us now.

And, Holmes, what more can you tell us about this most recent court filing?

HOLMES LYBRAND, CNN REPORTER: That's right, Jessica. It's quite interesting. So Trump, in this court filing filed late last night, he's really laid out dates and very specific timelines of how he sees the case moving forward, with motions to dismiss coming up with arguments over the indictment, and how it charges Trump.

Now, Special Counsel Jack Smith took a very different approach. He instead says, actually, I think we can do this parallel. We can handle these issues kind of at the same time. But he's not offering firm dates. Instead, he's putting on the onus on the judge, Tanya Chutkan, to make those determinations.

It's a pretty different stance from what we've seen from the special counsel before, but it's still this more expedited version of going forward than Trump's. And we know that this hearing next week, as you mentioned, this judge really likes to go fast. I've talked to many, many attorneys that have worked with her and she likes to go quickly.

You'll remember that this trial was actually originally scheduled in March earlier this year. So we will get to see next week how this is going to play out. Both sides are going to come to D.C. to discuss this with Chutkan. And, hopefully, we'll get more insight into how she is viewing the case.

DEAN: And Trump's team has also signaled they intend to file motions to challenge the legality of Jack Smith's appointment. What more do you know about that?

LYBRAND: That's right. So if you'll remember, this is actually the very thing that got his classified documents case, the case against Trump, thrown out, this argument that actually the special counsel, Jack Smith, he was not congressionally-approved, His funding is not approved by Congress.

And so we expect Trump to make those same arguments that, one, he won his victory in Florida and in the D.C. case as well.

DEAN: All right, Holmes Lybrand for us, thank you so much for that reporting. We appreciate it.

Coming up, ask a lot of parents and you'll likely hear the same thing, being a parent isn't easy. It can often feel overwhelming. And now the surgeon general says Congress and companies need to step up to help America's parents. We'll talk more about this.

[17:34:56]

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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DEAN: A warning from the surgeon general this week about parenting in the U.S. Dr. Vivek Murthy says the, quote, "dizzying pace of modern life is contributing to stress that our culture needs to address."

In this 2023 survey, 33 percent of parents reported feeling high levels of stress. That's far more than adults without children.

Parenting experts, Kristin Gallant and Deena Margolin, are joining us now. And they run the parenting Web site, Big Little Feelings.

[17:40:03]

Great to have both of you here.

And something that I think affects so many parents out there, just feeling overwhelmed, stressed, like they're not doing anything right, even though they're trying very hard.

Kristin, the surgeon general says the combined demands of working parenting are culprits here. It's what he thinks is a public health concern. What are you hearing and what do you see in your line of work?

KRISTIN GALLANT, CO-FOUNDER, BIG LITTLE FEELINGS: You know we're seeing that people are not surprised. We're seeing that people are validated.

The U.S. is one of the worst countries for parental leave and infant mortality rate. And not to mention then, once you get out of that very unique postpartum period, we're talking hey, long-term.

So we're talking parents are going into offices and there's absolutely no policies for sick kids or time off, people are working 23 jobs, let alone medically complex needs.

What we're seeing is an alarming amount of burnout. And by far, the biggest word we're seeing is "drowning." Drowning and no one is coming to help us.

DEAN: Yes, that is a hard, hard feeling.

Deena, why does it feel this way today? Do you think it always felt this way for parents? Is there something specific to contemporary life in 2024 that is making it harder?

DEENA MARGOLIN, CO-FOUNDER, BIG LITTLE FEELINGS: I think we're facing unique challenges. I think that, you know, when you talk to many, many parents, many are just financially under so much stress that both parents have to work at this time.

Not only working one job, but we're seeing many families working multiple jobs just to keep up with everything. And then juggling that work-life balance. They're just drowning under the pressure to keep up with it all.

DEAN: And so, Kristin, what kind of -- what could change? What are some things that could be done to help ease this for parents out there who are probably sitting here hearing you and they're nodding their heads?

GALLANT: Yes. I think --I think what we're seeing in a resounding I don't want to be to cross here, but almost all of the (INAUDIBLE) that we would receive from parents, three million parents want.

(CROSSTALK)

GALLANT: And that says where there like, yes, I think at an absolute bare minimum, it is incredibly easy to be offering paid paternal. Paternal, paternal, paternal paid leave.

We see other countries who are flourishing, who have happy parents, they have happy children. And this is the bare minimum that we can do.

One in four women are returning to the workforce within two weeks of giving birth, two weeks. We are setting up women we're absolute failure. And then that leads to postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression that we've all been through the early years.

They are missing the early years with their children due to their mental health status. And they're missing it due to meeting to work a bunch of jobs.

So I think that the very first place that we can start is not only subsidized childcare, once we get to the childbearing years where we're going and heading to work. But really at a bare minimum, can we get some, please, some parental leave?

MARGOLIN: And affordable childcare. I completely agree. And on top of that, we need better workplace environments for our parents. We need flexibility and schedules.

We need to be able to accommodate sick days where we have to go take care of our children. Parents right now are using up their vacation days to take care of their kids.

DEAN: And the culture of comparison, this online culture that the surgeon general says is fostering an unhealthy environment is contributing to this.

I want to play a clip on what he said here on CNN earlier this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. VIVEK MURTHY, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: This intensified culture of comparison that we're all living that's really a potentiated and fed by social media and the online environment.

Where parents are looking around them and comparing themselves to sometimes hundreds of other parents, some of whom may know, some of whom they don't know.

But they often come away feeling worse about them and thinking they're falling short as parents.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: And, Kristin, I'll start with you on your thoughts there.

And then, Deena, I'll give you the last word.

But, Kristin, this has to be -- look, 30 years ago, they didn't have Instagram or fill in the blank for whatever you're using to look at what everyone else is doing.

GALLANT: Absolutely. I think that there's a very valid point here. And it's also a slippery slope. Because I also heard the surgeon general say last year that loneliness is more detrimental to our health and is an epidemic than smoking 14 cigarettes a day.

And so I think that social media and all of the people who are on there who started out with a really a great intention. And I've seen that in audiences (ph) where they don't -- we don't have a village. We don't have to run right down the street. We don't have neighbors, so we actually can support each other.

You actually sometimes can see women and moms who look like you and are not perfect and are not doing all the right things and that can be really beneficial.

[17:45:00]

But there is also this other side that I agree with is toxic ,where you're seeing parents and moms and they have low outs and they are getting paid in revenue with perfect little cut-out shaped food and activities and sports activities.

And you can't afford the sports activities, by the way. But if you don't keep up, then you feel like you're a terrible parent.

So I do think that social media can really bring us all together since we are all desperately lonely. And it could perhaps regulate in a different way so that we don't have the comparison culture.

DEAN: Yes.

And, Deena, what's your advice before we go?

MARGOLIN: Exactly? It's easy to accidentally fall into the comparison trap. But it's important to remember that social media really is oftentimes a highlight reel. We're not seeing behind the scenes.

Every family is working on something, struggling with something, and we're just not quite seeing it.

DEAN: Always remember that, right?

All right, Kristin Gallant and Deena Margolin, thanks so much for giving a voice to so many parents out there who are feeling this way. We really appreciate it.

We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:50:46]

DEAN: Today is a big day for college football as week one kicks into high gear.

And number one, Georgia, making a statement in their season opener. The Bulldogs steamrolling number 14, Clemson, with a dominant 34 to three victory.

And the excitement continuing with another blockbuster game with number 19, Miami, facing off against Florida in a classic and state rivalry to get the season started.

Joining us now to break it all down, CNN sports analyst, Christine Brennan.

Christine, always great to see you.

This is the first season with the newly expanded playoffs making every game count a little bit more. What's your reaction to what we've seen so far today?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: You know, so many Americans, Jessica, are just thrilled with the day like this because the games are going. And but it's kind of what everyone's been waiting for.

I mean, we've got great sports throughout the year. But college football and then the NFL soon. But, yes, Georgia winning its 40th onsecutive regular season game, it looks like Georgia is back beating its rival, Clemson, easily.

You know, some of the names I'm going to mention now, Ohio State is playing right now and winning. Penn State is playing right now and winning. Miami is beating Florida as we speak. And Texas was winning big.

And so what do we have in common there? Those are the blue bloods, right? These are the teams that we talk about year in and year-out.

And so as much as there can be upsets, and there have been and there will continue to be, it's those traditional programs with the hundreds of thousands, millions of followers who, right now, are playing very, very well as the season, of course, is literally just kicking off.

DEAN: Those fans are really, really excited.

I also want to ask you about Caitlin Clark's game last night in Chicago. You we're there. She scored a career-high 31 points to lead the Indiana Fever past the Chicago Sky.

I know you've been covering her. What stood out to you about her performance. And I think you have a book coming out soon as well?

BRENNAN: That's right. Well, I have not written a word yet. Thank you for asking.

But, yes, I'm doing a book for Scribner on Caitlin Clark, this incredible phenomenon of seeing this young woman, this female athlete being so popular in our nation.

I don't know that we've ever had a woman athlete get this much attention for this long. And I think it's safe to say, more than the '99 women's World Cup, even Billie Jean King beating Bobby Riggs, which was huge back in 1973.

The attention and focus on this young woman as she keeps playing better. As you said, 31 points, her best performance so far in her young career. And she had 12 assists.

And what she is doing is not only scoring but passing the ball and is really breaking records, not just rookie records, Jessica, but records for in the WNBA in terms of points and assists, reaching certain markers as the season goes on. And already has the most assists ever in a game, not just rookies, but

the entire season, the entire history of the WNBA with 19 earlier this year.

So she's playing with confidence. Her team is on fire. Indiana's five and one.

And, yes, the book will come out next -- probably June, July. But it is a look at Title IX, 52 years of Title IX. And a look at when we give our daughters and our nieces and those granddaughters that full path to Title IX, the opportunity to play sports and be considered equal in sports. Look at the result.

And Caitlin Clark is not only looking like, potentially, she will be the rookie of the year in the WNBA. She may well get votes for most valuable player. That's how well she's playing now.

DEAN: It is incredible. And incredible to watch her keep leveling up to match the environment that she's in. It's really remarkable.

Christine Brennan, great to see you. Thanks so much.

BRENNAN: Thank you, Jessica.

DEAN: Since 2021, a record number of unaccompanied migrant children, nearly 500,000 of them, have traveled to the United States. Many fleeing violence and extreme poverty.

But even after harrowing journeys to get here to the U.S., their challenges continue.

This week's "CNN Hero" is an immigration lawyer who saw the many physical, social and educational needs these vulnerable children have. And decided to go well beyond her free legal representation to meet them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The cartels started asking for money. They were telling my family that we're going to kidnap me and my sister. My mother chose to just leave everything.

[17:55:03]

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL (through translation): They killed my aunt. They tried to take my mom's and aunt's house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The trip lasted like a month.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I came alone.

RACHEL RUTTER, CNN HERO: One the children arrive here in the U.S. and they've already been through so much trauma, it can be jarring when they arrive here and realize that it's really just beginning. These kids are not coming here to ruin the United States or take our jobs or commit crimes. They're coming here to be safe and to take care of their families.

They want to study, they want to work, they want to achieve something here in the U.S. And they are some of the hardest working, kindest and most resilient kids.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: To see Rachel's impactful work in action, you can go to CNNheroes.com.

We'll be right back.

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