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Thousands Under Evacuation Orders As California Line Fire Explodes In Size; Miami Dolphins Star Tyreek Hill Detained By Police Before Game; Manhunt Underway For Kentucky Interstate Suspect. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired September 08, 2024 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:04]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: All right, hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield and we begin this hour with the explosive wildfire burning in Southern California. Officials say the Line Fire is threatening tens of thousands of buildings and homes in parts of San Bernardino County, forcing residents to evacuate.

The fire burning is so intense that it grew 14 times bigger over a 30- hour window this weekend. CNN national correspondent, Camila Bernal joins us live now from San Bernardino County.

Camila, tell us what you're seeing and how they're able to battle this blaze.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred. So right now, the priority is protecting the homes in this area. We are near the Running Springs Mountain community. It is an area that is already under an evacuation order, so people had been told to leave.

So the proof that you see here behind me, what they're doing is structure protection. They're waiting to see where this fire is going to come from and what I was told is, you see those hoses is behind the trucks. Well, those are the hoses that they wrap around the homes. So right now what they're saying is they have not lost any homes and they want that to continue to be the case because the problem with this fire is that there are many factors working against the firefighters.

There are about 600 personnel on the ground and they've asked for more people, but the weather conditions are really not helping this area. We've had triple-digit temperatures for the last couple of days and look, the overnight temperatures are about 80 degrees or so, they are in the 80s, so there is no break, so that's difficult for firefighters.

The terrain is very dry because there hasn't been a fire in this area in a while, and so that also adds to the problem. And then there are thunderstorms expected in this area.

So yes, the rain could be very beneficial for firefighters, but also, you have the lightning, that can start a new fire and then you have the wind moving that fire around into unpredictable areas where firefighters do not even know where it is going to go, so that also makes it very difficult.

It is a mountain terrain. We are talking about a national forest. And so it is steep, it is hard to access. You either have to fly firefighters into some of these areas or they have to walk in, so again another factor that makes it extremely difficult for these firefighters.

Yesterday, they had trouble getting some of the aircraft up in the air because of the conditions.

As we arrived here today, we did start to see some of the aircraft flying around, assessing the area, so they're starting that air attack today as well again, so they're very hopeful that they will be able to make some progress, but it has been at zero percent containment since this fire started on Thursday.

So it again, just requires around the clock work from these firefighters who are giving it their all and, you know, trying to protect the homes and the people in this area, about 5,000 in total are under those evacuation orders.

So, again, people just being told to be ready to go at a moment's notice -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Camila Bernal in San Bernardino county. Thank you so much.

As the fire spreads, it is burning so intensely that it is also creating its own weather system over San Bernardino County. These erratic pyro-cumulus clouds can cause unpredictable winds even lightning and rain. They are one of the many challenges facing firefighters as they work to contain the flames.

Joining me right now to discuss is Cal Fire Battalion Chief Brent Pascua.

Chief, good to see you.

So what are the priorities right now?

BRENT PASCUA, CAL FIRE BATTALION CHIEF: For right now, the priorities are protecting these homes on this mountain side. Firefighters have been successful so far, even with the unpredictability of this fire and we intend to keep it that way.

We are ready to stand and fight.

WHITFIELD: So are their evacuations right now?

PASCUA: Yes. That's correct. There is a small mountain community up here that are under evacuation orders. That means that the residents have all left, and so now, the firefighters can get in there and defend their homes.

WHITFIELD: And then what are the challenges? You mentioned, it as a priority to try and protect some of these structures, but obviously this is a fast-moving fire. It is very intense, it is dangerous. What are among the many challenges for your crews?

PASCUA: Right. Besides all of those factors, the unpredictability. With thunderstorms, it brings downburst that can spread the fire in any different direction that we are not planning on. It also could bring dry lightning and start new fires, so we just have to be ready.

WHITFIELD: Is there a perimeter of concern? While you may have conducted evacuations for the most immediate threat right now, we are talking about many mountainous communities in that general vicinity. How do you prepare people? What do people need to be thinking about while these conditions change constantly?

PASCUA: That's a great question. Normally, on a normal fire, we do have an area of concern. On this fire, all the areas are of concern because of that unpredictability.

[15:05:08]

So we have to make sure we have crews on all sides of the fire, ready to stand their ground.

WHITFIELD: All right, all the best in your continued efforts and of course, be safe. Thank you so much, Battalion Chief Brent Pascua.

All right, we are also following other breaking news this hour. Dramatic developments before the start of today's NFL action. One of the top wide receivers in the league, only a block away from the stadium was pulled over by police and ended up on the ground with hands behind his back.

Video shows officers putting Miami Dolphins, Tyreek Hill on the ground in handcuffs just steps away from Hard Rock Stadium. He was driving there ahead of today's game for the team's home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Dolphins front office says Hill was pulled over for a reported traffic incident. CNN's Don Riddell is here with more.

Do we know anything more about what this traffic incident was? And does it seem that how things ended up are commensurate with the type of stop?

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT HOST: That's a very good question. That's what everybody wants to know. No, we don't know other than it seems to have been a minor traffic violation. His agent says that he was charged with a moving violation, essentially, a ticket offense. We don't believe that he was actually arrested and he was released shortly after these pretty shocking scenes, I think many people would agree.

The team, the Miami Dolphins have confirmed that he was briefly detained. They said that some of his teammates who are passing by actually witnessed the incident and they stopped by to offer their support in the situation.

Drew Rosenhaus is Tyreek Hill's agent. He spoke to ESPN just before the game, and this is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DREW ROSENHAUS, TYREEK HILL'S AGENT: Apparently, he got a ticket for moving violation entering the stadium. How things escalated into the situation that they had him in handcuffs and being held on the ground with police is mind-boggling to me.

I am deeply concerned by that, very troubled. We will be looking into it. We will be investigating this. We will look out for Tyreek.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIDDELL: Rosenhaus said multiple times during that interview that he thought the actions of the police were completely unnecessary. You heard him use the phrase "mind-boggling" during that clip.

In a separate interview with CBS, he said that Tyreek Hill was very emotional. He said their concern kind of in that moment was just getting to the stadium and allowing him to focus on the game. Of course, he has a job to do, but he said that afterwards they absolutely want to focus on what exactly happened to make sure that his client, Tyreek Hill, wasn't mistreated.

He said and he was physically okay, but he was rattled and mentally distraught.

Miami-Dade Police Department has issued a statement. This is what their director, Stephanie Daniels had to say: "We are aware of the recent detainment of Tyreek Hill by Miami-Dade Police Department officers. I have requested an immediate review of all details surrounding the incident and we are also reviewing available body camera footage. We will provide updates as further information becomes available and they might also be looking at some of the footage we've seen taken by passersby, much of it is now on the internet and everybody is commenting on that.

There is one clip that we haven't been able to clear from broadcast, but it does seem to show a police officer kicking Tyreek Hill, while he is being detained by his colleagues.

WHITFIELD: So, while we are hearing this common language of detained -- temporarily detained -- are we hearing anything about the citation, the ticket, what the -- anything more about what the violation was? What provoked the stop?

RIDDELL: We don't know. A moving violation.

Tyreek Hill himself hasn't spoken. It will be interesting to see if he comments after the game and the game is going on as we speak at the moment. He has actually made five catches in this game against Jacksonville. But the Dolphins are losing by 10 points at the moment, so it is not going his way or their way, but I think on the opening weekend of the NFL season, which is always such a big deal and something that all the fans are so excited about, I think the biggest headline has been written face down on the pavement outside the stadium in Miami.

WHITFIELD: This is something that a lot of fans saw, if not for the videotape shot by a lot of the fans there, we might not even know about this at this juncture, even though police say they're going to be releasing their bodycam footage.

This also harkens back to earlier in the year, golfer, Scottie Scheffler being detained also, and actually arrested while he was heading to his match.

RIDDELL: It's incredible, isn't it?

WHITFIELD: We don't say match in golf, do we?

RIDDELL: Miami-Dade for the record, yes, the police --

WHITFIELD: His game.

RIDDELL: I don't think they said they would release the footage.

WHITFIELD: Right.

RIDDELL: They said they would be reviewing the footage. We will see. There is a difference, right?

WHITFIELD: Yes, there is.

[15:10:01]

RIDDELL: Yes, I mean, this does remind us all of what happened to Scottie Scheffler, who is another American athlete, the world number one golfer, who was making his way into the golf course for the PGA Championship back in May when he was detained in the early hours of the morning by the police officers.

Scheffler at the time said it was a misunderstanding, but he was taken to the police station. He was booked, he was jailed. We saw the photograph of him in the orange jumpsuit. He was hit with four charges, one of which was a felony.

Now, all of that was subsequently he dropped and Scheffler actually went on to have the best season on tour since Tiger Woods, so it didn't seem to affect him in the long run. But I spoke to him last weekend because he was here in Atlanta winning again and he just kind of laughs about that incident in Louisville.

He said, I don't really know what to say about it anymore. It was just a surreal experience in the middle of an incredible season for him.

Some have pointed out that there is a difference between these two situations. Sure, Scheffler was taken to the police station, booked and he spent an hour or so in jail. He was not shoved to the ground, face down, handcuffed behind his back. There is a difference in how the two men were actually treated, and I am sure that is something we are going to be hearing a lot about after this day. WHITFIELD: Right. Right. It is only being brought up because we are talking about two world-class famous athletes and an encounter with police, but certainly the circumstance is different and what we are seeing is very different as well.

All right, Don Riddell, thank you so much. Appreciate that.

All right, still ahead, a manhunt underway in Kentucky. Authorities are searching for a suspect after someone opened fire at vehicles on Interstate 75. We have the latest on the investigation.

And new details about a warning to Georgia's Apalachee High School in the minutes leading up to the deadly shooting spree.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:16:27]

WHITFIELD: All right, breaking news right now in Kentucky. An intense manhunt is happening in rural Laurel County after police say a gunman shot five people along Interstate 75 last night. They are looking for this man, Joseph Couch, who they describe as armed and dangerous.

This afternoon, police revealed they found his car and the suspected weapon used in the shooting spree, an AR-15. Police are urging people to stay inside, remain vigilant as the manhunt continues.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino is monitoring the latest developments. Gloria, authorities just wrapped up another press conference. What did they say?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred.

The most significant development we have just learned in the last hour is that Joseph Couch has now been officially named as a suspect in this incident. That's from the Laurel County Sheriff's Office. They said that they are making that determination based on the fact that they recovered a vehicle that is registered to him and an additional piece of information that they did not go into detail of in the last press conference, but they did say they now believe they have enough information to say the man on your screen is believed to be the suspect behind this incident.

Now, this is a very rural area of Laurel County, not far from the city of London in Kentucky and that is making the search extremely difficult. We are talking about forest terrain, a lot of trees, very difficult to see and to move around and that's making this search complicated.

One thing we did learn in the last hour, Fred, is that the terrain that they are currently searching in is pretty much just trees and forest and an open area, not a whole lot of residential, not a whole lot of businesses, and that is a good thing for these law enforcement officers who are of course, worried, not just about capturing the suspect, but also so making sure that everyone remains safe.

Take a listen to the Sheriff's Office speaking about just how difficult this operation is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GILBERT ACCIARDO, PAO, LAUREL COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: The area, it is all remote. If he planned this, it is so remote. That's probably one of the most remote exits along I-75. It is all wooded. There is one business, there are no residences. He couldn't have picked an area that is any more remote and difficult for us to try to locate him, and that's what we want to do.

We want to safely -- we don't want our guys to get hurt. We don't want any more of the public to be hurt and we want to take him into custody safely, and it is a big task.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Now, the Sheriff's Office believe they have the area contained and they believe that he is still in this area, but there are of course, leaving the possibility open that he may be elsewhere. So they are also sending a message to the community to remain aware, to remain vigilant, aware of your surroundings in the event that he has actually managed to get out of this area that they've cordoned and then they are looking at right now.

They are using helicopters, drones, K-9s. Fred, for the first time, also hearing the Sheriff's Office there describing some of the injuries that were sustained. Five people were shot and although we do not have any fatalities in this incident, the sheriff did say that the injuries that were sustained were significant. People were shot in the face, a woman shot across her chest. He said that these are injuries that people are going to be living with for the rest of their lives.

[15:20:04]

So while its very good that no one was killed, of course, it is an extremely unfortunate and tragic event for the people that were injured -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes, real trauma has been to sustained.

All right, Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much.

All right, turning now to the latest in the Georgia high school shooting. The family of the 14-year-old suspect confirms to CNN the boy's mother called to warn a school counselor just before her son allegedly went on a shooting rampage that killed two of his classmates and two teachers.

Marcee Gray broke her silence yesterday, telling "The Washington Post" says that she is so sorry for what she calls the absolutely horrific shooting.

CNN's Rafael Romo has been in Winder, Georgia following this developing story.

Rafael, the teen suspect's mother calling the school about a "extreme emergency." What more are you learning?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. Yes.

First of all, yes. Colt Gray's mother called the school counselor prior to the shooting with a warning as the 14-year-old's aunt told CNN on Saturday, Marcee Gray described an unspecified extreme emergency involving her son, Colt, during a Wednesday morning call to the school sometime before the shooting began.

This was initially reported by "The Washington Post," as you said, and later confirmed by CNN with Gray's sister, Annie Brown.

And the timing here is crucial, Fred, because according to "The Post," a 10-minute call was placed from Marcee Gray's phone to the school at 9:50 AM on Wednesday, as we have previously reported, police were notified of the shooting around 10:20 that morning meeting about 30 minutes later.

We are currently trying to corroborate this information with several agencies involved in the investigation, but I can tell you that Barrow County Sheriff, Jud Smith, previously said he had no knowledge of any call to the school prior to the shooting -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And then Rafael, are we hearing anything more about what prompted that call that she says she made?

ROMO: Yes, that's a very good question, Fred.

Well, Charles Polhamus, Colt Gray's grandfather has confirmed to CNN that he was standing near his daughter at his home in Fitzgerald, Georgia Wednesday morning when she received an alarming and apologetic text from her son, Colt Gray, the text said, "I'm sorry, mom." And this was first reported by "The New York Post" and then confirmed by CNN earlier today.

After getting the text, the mother may the 10-minute phone call to the school before beginning a 200-mile drive from Fitzgerald to here in Winder, but by the time she arrived, the tragic shooting had already happened. So very, very tragic indeed. And a lot of people hear that we have seen arrive at this impromptu memorial behind me, very, very sad as you can imagine -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: So incredibly sad. Thank you so much, Rafael Romo.

All right, just one day after the US accused Russia of paying American content creators to push election misinformation, Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to troll the presidential race with a curious endorsement. More on that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Two days before the presidential debate and misinformation remains one of the biggest concerns for this year's election. Once again, Russian election interference is front and center one day after the US Justice Department accused the Kremlin of funding right-wing sociopolitical influencers Russian President Vladimir Putin personally weighed in on the race.

CNN's Brian Todd has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Vladimir Putin responded to a US crackdown on alleged Russian election interference with more election interference. The Russian president claims his preferred candidate was Joe Biden, but --

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): He was removed from the race, and he recommended all his supporters to endorse Miss Harris. Well, that is what we will do, too. We will support her. And also, she laughs so expressively and infectiously that it means she's doing well.

TODD (voice over): Putin's comment drew a sharp rebuke from the White House.

JOHN KIRBY, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER: Mr. Putin ought to stop talking about our elections, period. We would greatly appreciate it if Mr. Putin would, A, stop talking about our election, and, B, stop interfering in it.

TODD (voice over): Former President Donald Trump also quickly jumped in, posting on Truth Social: "President Putin would much rather see Comrade Kamala Harris in office, as he strongly said."

Could Putin be using reverse psychology in publicly supporting Kamala Harris?

BRET SCHAFER, ALLIANCE FOR SECURING DEMOCRACY: Do I think he prefers a candidate? Do I think he prefers Trump? Probably.

But what he really prefers is for us to be more at each other's throats. So he's playing us against each other, which is what he's done for years.

TODD (voice over): This comes as CNN learns the identity of a Tennessee-based company that the Justice Department says was funded by Russian operatives as part of a Kremlin-backed campaign to influence this year's US presidential election.

A US official briefed on the matter tells CNN that company is Tenet Media. Prosecutors say Tenet Media, with Russian money, hired right- wing social media personalities to fuel Russian narratives.

Among those stars, content creators Benny Johnson, Tim Pool, and Dave Rubin. Combined, those three have about six million subscribers on YouTube alone. Pool once interviewed Donald Trump on his podcast. Benny Johnson interviewed Eric Trump.

Tim Pool's show, "Timcast," features opinions that the Kremlin might want to see broadcast as widely as possible.

[15:30:10] TIM POOL, HOST, "TIMCAST": Ukraine is the enemy of this country. Ukraine is our enemy.

TODD (voice over): All three of those stars say they were deceived in this scheme, that they are victims, that they created their own content without input from anyone.

BETH SANNER, FORMER DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: I do think that these people do have responsibility at least to understand who is paying them.

TODD (voice over): In 2016 and 2020, officials say, the Russian election meddling campaign against the US involved hacking and releasing e-mails to embarrass politicians and establishing dummy accounts to spread disinformation. How much has that campaign evolved since then?

SCHAFER: It's evolved significantly. But that's why the Tenet thing was so sophisticated and smart, is they found real Americans, Americans who are influential, who have massive audiences, and they were trying to manipulate that platform.

TODD (on camera): Analyst, Brett Schafer says one of his biggest worries going forward is that whatever election meddling activity the Russians have been doing that the US has caught, that they could be doing 10 times more of it that hasn't been caught. He likens it to trying to catch drug smuggling across the southern border.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE).

WHITFIELD: All right, Tuesday's presidential debate is also expected to have its fair share of misinformation and falsehoods as both contenders make their case to voters.

My next guest believes the candidates should be factchecked live during the debate. Angie Drobnic Holan, is the International Fact- Checking Network director for Poynter.

Angie, great to see you.

ANGIE DROBNIC HOLAN, INTERNATIONAL FACT-CHECKING NETWORK DIRECTOR, POYNTER: Thanks so much for having me. It is great to be here.

WHITFIELD: Thank you. So it is believed that this will be very similar format. The candidates can neither take the time to factcheck one another, but the moderators are not as compelled to do so. What are the dangers you see here?

HOLAN: Well, it is difficult to factcheck a live debate. The stakes are very high. The journalists who moderate are trying to cover a lot of material, the candidates want to get their talking points out, but it is possible what moderators can do is they can insist on real answers to the questions and this is a subtle form of factchecking. They can also help the candidates factcheck each other by standing back or letting them respond to each other and then finally, they can do quick corrections, especially about the most important issues. I would argue issues about the integrity of elections or important public health issues.

If something is said, that is just factually very wrong, the moderators can quickly correct them and move along.

WHITFIELD: Do you think that because each candidate has such valuable time, two minutes, in some cases to respond, that they are less likely to take the time to try to factcheck their opponent because it takes away from their opportunity to offer clarity on their position?

HOLAN: It really depends. I've been watching presidential debates very closely for a long time and the candidates come in with different agendas. Sometimes they want to promote their own positive outlook. Other times, it is really important to them to highlight where their opponent is inconsistent or wrong.

So I am going to be very interested to see how Donald Trump and Kamala Harris talk about themselves first and then secondly, how they contrast with their opponent. And the moderators here, I write this in an essay on poynter.org. They are the ones who are supposed to be serving the public. So they have this important role in setting the terms of the debate and not just saying "thank you, thank you" because if people are just tuning into the debate and I do believe were going to have a lot of swing voters, a lot of people who don't normally follow politics watch this debate, they don't necessarily know what is right and wrong about these candidates like long tested messages.

WHITFIELD: And of course, a lot of those viewers can always count on, there is going to be a lot of analysis afterwards, or even factchecking that will take place after the candidates have been on the debate stage.

So I am wondering, in addition to that, do you see that there are tools that you recommend viewers, voters, listeners can rely on in order to navigate all the information that they are going to hear on that debate stage?

HOLAN: Yes. We need a lot of media literacy among the public at moments like this. What I would encourage people to do. I know not everyone is tuning in for the facts, they want to see the personalities of the candidate. They want to see if they can fill out their character, so watch the debate with that open mind.

But then afterwards, I really would encourage every voter to do a little homework, research on any issues that caught your attention, turn to news sources that provide their sources, that have a good corrections policy. We are talking about high quality journalism that really cares whether the information is authoritative or accurate. That's what we need to really understand these important public policy issues.

[15:35:15] WHITFIELD: All right, Angie Drobnic Holan. Thank you so much. Great talking to you.

HOLAN: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right, the man who tried to push Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro out of power in July's election has fled the country to seek asylum in Spain. More on that, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:40:14]

WHITFIELD: All right, new today, Ukraine and Russia trading air attacks as both sides fight to gain ground on their border regions.

Ukraine says a Russian strike in Sumi killed at least two people and injured four others, including two children. Officials claimed they were able to shoot down more than a dozen Russian attack drones and three missiles. In Russia, a Ukrainian strike in the southwest, Belgorod area injured three people.

Tomorrow, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken travels to London. He is expected to meet with top British officials this week to discuss the war in Ukraine and other critical global issues.

And today, Venezuela's opposition leader landed in Spain, fleeing his country after a disputed presidential election.

Edmundo Gonzalez landed in Madrid today to seek asylum after an arrest warrant accused the candidate of crimes related to July's vote. Many western leaders criticized the crackdown against the opposition movement since discovering polls showed Gonzalez to be the winner.

The country has been in a state of crisis since those tallies, which sparked deadly protests this summer. Journalist, Stefano Pozzebon is joining me now live from neighboring Colombia.

So Stefano, the lawyer for Edmundo Gonzalez is speaking. What is he saying?

STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Yes. Well, Jose Vicente Haro, the lawyer of Edmundo Gonzalez spoke with CNN Espanol in Caracas a couple of hours ago, and I think he tried to put the man ahead of the political leader saying that it was a matter of life and death and this perhaps, Fredricka can work as a stark reminder of the conditions of doing politics in Venezuela, 2,400 people have been detained since that controversial presidential election at the end of July.

But this is what Jose Vicente Haro told us a couple of hours ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSE VICENTE HARO, ATTORNEY FOR EDMUNDO GONZALEZ (through translator): Put yourself in his skin, in his mindset and the situation he was facing with real fears for his life and that of his family at that moment. The bare survival instinct prevailed over everything else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POZZEBON: It was sheer survival instinct, that's what he said that because he really felt that his client could be at risk of death after just by standing up to the authoritarian government of Nicolas Maduro, and that is why Edmundo Gonzalez took the decision, he said late on Friday night, to leave country, go to Spain where one of his daughters is already living with two of his grandchildren and claimed political asylum.

We understand that him and his wife are going through the proceedings today and tomorrow, and perhaps we can hear more about them in the upcoming days -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So then what happens now with the disputed election results and is his seeking a political asylum temporary? Is it his hope to return to the country as possibly the leader?

POZZEBON: That's the main question hanging over the crisis in Venezuela, what happens next? The political leader of the opposition, Maria Corina Machado, who as a reminder was barred from running in the election in July, and that's why she selected Edmundo Gonzalez as her surrogate, well, she presented a statement on X earlier today showing defiance and claiming now that Edmundo Gonzalez will be sworn in as the new president of Venezuela come January 10th, which is when the president officially takes office.

Now, how can they force a transition and a change where nothing that they have tried over the last five weeks seems to be working. It is a reminder that there have been in thousands and thousands of people taking to the streets demanding the transition, showing the results of electoral tallies, that the opposition say they have collected and that gave Edmundo Gonzalez the victory in that election. None of that has been able to even open a small fringe within the coalition of Maduro.

So, now it really looks like the options of the opposition are very, very limited -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Stefano Pozzebon in Colombia, thank you so much.

All right, a new government spending fight is brewing on Capitol Hill. New details on the plan lawmakers are working on behind the scenes to avoid another government shutdown.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:49:17]

WHITFIELD: All right, members of Congress are set to return to Capitol Hill tomorrow and the clock will start ticking on another funding battle to avoid a looming government shutdown.

When lawmakers gavel in, they'll have just 13 days in session to find a path forward before federal agencies run out of money on September 30th and with two months before the election, both sides appear to be digging in.

CNN's Sunlen Serfaty is joining us right now. Sunlen, good to see you. So set the stage for what is at stake this week when lawmakers return to Congress?

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred, after a long summer recess, Congress will be back this weekend right off the bat. They face this huge task: How to keep the government funded and open?

Now, sources on both of the aisle tell CNN that there is absolutely no desire, especially in an election year especially so close to the election to shut down the government.

[15:50:10]

But they have a lot of work to do, and that work in essence starts this week when they come back to Washington.

Now still not settled is the length of the continuing resolution and that's a stop gap measure that they would have to sign into law to fund the government. Democrats, they want something short term. They want -- they are looking into December to fund the government by, that would push it immediately after the election.

But Republicans, they're pushing for something a little longer. They want to push it into spring to keep the government funded into March of next year. That in essence benefits Speaker of the House Mike Johnson because that would happen right after his leadership races in the beginning of the year.

So both sides are pushing for their particular timeline here. Of course, they also have to agree on spending levels to fund the government, and there is also this separate small battle brewing that could boil over about this non-citizen voting measure.

Now, this is a controversial measure that House Republicans want to include in this haggling over the government funding. It is notably already illegal for noncitizens to vote, but this legislation would require proof of citizenship to vote. So a lot here, Fred, a lot, they have to get through.

Notably, they have to get this done by October 1, and that is only 13 days in session to settle it all.

WHITFIELD: All right, a lot to get done in little time. Sunlen Serfaty, thanks so much.

All right, thousands forced to flee in Southern California as the Line Fire explodes in size swallowing thousands of acres in just hours. We will join our team tracking the latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:56:26]

WHITFIELD: All right, we know that voters want to hear Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump delve into their policies covering a range of things from the economy to immigration, women's reproductive rights.

My next guest is hoping the candidates are challenged on their positions concerning something else that impacts Black Americans in disproportionate ways, police involved shootings.

Debbie Hines is a former Baltimore prosecutor and Maryland assistant attorney general. She wrote an opinion piece in "The Baltimore Sun" titled "Democrats must do more to confront police brutality."

Great to see you, Debbie. Your title says Democrats, but is this only a challenge to that party in your view?

DEBBIE HINES, FORMER BALTIMORE PROSECUTOR AND MARYLAND ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: No, it is really a challenge to both parties. I think we possibly know where Donald Trump stands with regards to police and brutality and reining in the police in some meaningful way such as the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act. But the title is geared at this point to the Democrats because it was Kamala Harris that made me think of it when she gave her acceptance speech during the DNC Convention and she said she he wanted freedom. That was her theme, that was always her first thing that she wanted. She talked about, We, the People, and those are her focuses.

And so when I think of those two themes of freedom, what freedom means for me, in this instance, is that many Black and Brown people would be free from police brutality and killings by the police, because Kamala Harris did support -- and this is why it is leaning into the Democrats -- she did support three years ago, very strongly, very forcefully the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act and in that act, had it been past which it was not, it would have eliminated qualified immunity, which is a key the issue that is a great concern to me as a criminal justice advocate.

Because qualified immunity, it is a fancy word, but what it basically means is that shields the police from any liability, any civil liability, I am not talking about criminal, but it shields them primarily from any civil liability. So, it means that when people are harmed, not necessary killed with civil rights violations, brutality, and even killings that they cannot seek justice in the civil arena against the perpetrator, which would be the police officers. It completely denies them that.

So when we hear about cases where we will hear that there are settlements of millions and millions of dollars that have been given to families and those who are deceased or had been still living, but have been harmed by way of police brutality by the police, not one penny, not one single cent is paid by the police due to qualified immunity, and therefore, the money that is being paid in those instances is being paid by We, the People. It is being paid by taxpayer money.

So I wanted to delve into it because this really is not a Black person's problem, a Brown person's problem, it is basically an American problem that we need to address. So what I would hope is that either in the debates or in an interview with let's just say both, with Kamala Harris and with Donald Trump that the question would be asked about what do they intend or what are their policies will with police brutality and killings of Black people and Black and Brown people because in this country, numbers are important.

I was not a statistician, but I've learned to realize that numbers are important. And in this country, more than a thousand people are killed each and every year by the police, and if you break down those numbers, what that means is every seven hours, someone is killed by the police in this country, and the only way we can really deal with that issue right now in some meaningful way is to pass the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act, which would eliminate qualified immunity.

WHITFIELD: And you get real personal in this op-ed that you wrote in "The Baltimore Sun" that you wrote that you really can empathize with the fear that Sonya Massey in Illinois may have had before police shot and killed her in her own home. In your case, you called police after finding your mom peacefully passed away at her home in 2006 and you say your sadness was misinterpreted, and you ended up fearing for your own life.

HINES: Exactly. I called the police because I never encountered that situation before and I didn't know what to do and I was just so by a hospice organization to call the police. Okay. And so I called the police and when they got there, they told me that they would have to take my mother to the morgue as opposed to what I thought would be the funeral home.

I didn't understand it. I watch "Law and Order" and I am thinking she doesn't need to be in a morgue having been killed or anything, but at the end of the day, I started crying uncontrollably. I couldn't stop crying.

And what the police officer said and I am very still traumatized today every time someone gets killed because I remember his stern voice saying to me, if I didn't stop, meaning crying, he would have to arrest me.

So yes, every time I hear about a Sonya Massey, a Breonna Taylor, Botham Jean, someone that gets killed in their own home or in the home of a loved one that they are at, it relates me back to the racial trauma that I experienced each and every time from what I went through and the experience of police officers in my mom's home, the home that I grew up in, that she lived in for over 40 years. That's one of the reasons why.

So yes, just like whatever credentials I have, I still have reason as a Black woman to fear the police and fear for my life in certain instances involving the police.

WHITFIELD: Yes, your experience as a former Baltimore prosecutor at that.

All right, Debbie Hines, thank you so much.

HINES: Thank you, Fredricka.

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