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Harris Accepts CNN Debate Invitation For October 23, Again Challenging Trump To Another Showdown; MLK III Reacts To Trump's Comparison Of MLK Jr. And Mark Robinson; Trump Heads To NC After Bombshell CNN Report On GOP Gov. Nominee; Georgia Election Board Requires Ballots To Be Hand-Counter; Push In 13 States To Boost Latino Turnout On Election Day; Biden Hosts International Leaders At Summit In Delaware; Israel & Hezbollah Exchange Fire Across Lebanon Border; 2 Colleges In Springfield To Resume In-Person Learning Monday; Coast Guard Inquiry Hears Details About Doomed OceanGate Voyage. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired September 21, 2024 - 13:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:01:14]

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

All right, we begin this hour with our breaking news. Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted an invitation from CNN to debate former President Trump on October 23rd. This would be their second meeting on a public debate stage and would take place in the final few weeks of the campaign.

After initially rejecting a second debate with Harris following his September 10th showdown -- with her in Philadelphia last week, Trump suggested he might be open to another debate, saying, I'm quoting him, "Maybe if I got in the right mood," end quote.

The CNN debate would mirror the June debate between Biden and Trump with a similar format, in which Trump, and this time Harris, would field moderators' questions for 90 minutes without a live studio audience, and it would take place at the network's studios in Atlanta.

We've got a team of correspondents and analysts joining us to break it all down. Let's get to Brian Stelter, our chief media analyst, in a moment. But first, let's begin with Steve Contorno at a Trump rally in North Carolina. So, Steve, any word whether Trump has heard that Harris has accepted CNN's invitation and if he's willing to follow suit?

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Well, right now, Fred, we have confirmation that Trump's campaign did receive our invitation to debate just like the Harris campaign did and we are still waiting to see if he accepts. We are monitoring his Truth Social minute by minute. He will address this crowd behind me in about an hour, so we'll see if he perhaps make some news when he gets on this stage. He has gone back and forth over whether or not he wants to have another debate. At first, he said that he would accept multiple debates with Vice President Harris immediately. After that debate, though, he said there won't be a third debate. And then a week later, he has another appearance where he said that, you know, if I was in the right mood, but we don't know what that means exactly for him.

So we will be watching closely to see whether or not Donald Trump makes some news today and announces whether or not he will be participating in our debate. Right now, though, we have not heard from the campaign.

WHITFIELD: OK. And then, Steve, there's the other big thing kind of happening in North Carolina with the current lieutenant governor and CNN's reporting about his behavior or language, you know, used on a website and he has responded by saying, you know, none of it's true.

Well, Trump and Mark Robinson, you know, happen to have been, you know, quite familiar with one another on the campaign trail. Sometimes Trump and -- well, Trump definitely endorsing him and sometimes Robinson appearing at Trump. What is the likelihood of the two of them coming together today?

CONTORNO: We're told by his campaign that there's zero likelihood that he will be here. He is not invited to today's event. Now, look, this is an open event. There's general admission. He could certainly potentially walk through the gates and come in here. So we'll be keeping our eyes open for that.

But this is someone that Donald Trump has supported quite vocally in the past. In fact, he has been over the top in some of his praise of Mark Robinson. Take a listen to what he said when the two appeared at an event together in North Carolina earlier this year.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: This is Martin Luther King on steroids. I think you're better than Martin Luther King. I think you are Martin Luther King times two.

One of the great stars of the party, one of the great stars in politics, Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CONTORNO: Fred, we've been listening to the pre-programming here, where a bunch of Republicans have been taking the stage to encourage people to vote for Donald Trump.

[13:05:00]

Notably, they have not mentioned Mark Robinson. They said they've been saying they support -- they suggest people who support Republicans up and down the GOP ticket.

WHITFIELD: All right, Steve Contorno, keep us posted as you are there in position just when that rally gets underway.

All right, Brian Stelter, let's bring you in. Good to see you, Brian. Welcome back --

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: -- on the weekends with me. So, what --

STELTER: Yes.

WHITFIELD: -- how do you assess this? I mean, Harris and her campaign have said yes to CNN's invitation. And saying this publicly, and first, I'd say that's a big nudge, challenge, I mean, kind of goading Trump into, you know, are you willing to do this too?

STELTER: Yes, absolutely right. CNN says in a statement that the network believes this would be good for the country, for voters to have another debate. And I think we can all agree that that is the case. Think about the two debates we've seen so far this year. Both were hugely successful in terms of informing the American people.

We learned a lot about Biden and Trump in June, and we learned a lot about Trump and Harris just a few weeks ago. So, here now we look forward to the next few weeks. The only debate currently scheduled is the vice presidential debate. That's between Walz and J.D. Vance, Tim Walz and J.D. Vance, October 1st.

We knew the Harris campaign didn't want to debate again until the VP debate. But I think here's the interesting thing, Fred, is the VP debate really going to be the last word? It probably shouldn't be the last word. Historically, it never has been. Historically, there's been a VP debate and then another presidential debate.

So I think that might be the logic or the calculus that does that play here. I think that might be the logic or the calculus that does that play here as CNN formally proposes this debate and as Harris accepts it. Furthermore, Jen O'Malley Dillon, the Harris campaign chair, as she said in a statement a few minutes ago, it would be unprecedented in modern history for there to just be one general election debate between the two candidates.

She said Trump should have no problem participating because, quote, "it's the same format and setup" --

WHITFIELD: Yes.

STELTER: -- as the CNN debate he attended in June.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. And even with this truncated, you know, political season now with these two --

STELTER: Yes.

WHITFIELD: -- you know, yes, it would be a remarkable. But then, what will it say, Brian, if the former president says no? STELTER: We remember his all-caps post on Truth Social saying, there will not be a third debate. We also know that we can't take him at his word, historically, given that he has often changed his mind about many topics, from policies to whether he'll debate again. I personally, Fred, have believed all along that the former president will find it irresistible to reach 60, 70, 80 million viewers.

President Trump, more than anyone else, knows the power of television ratings. He cared deeply about that even decades ago on The Apprentice. He still cares deeply today about television ratings. And he knows that both of the debates he's been in this year have been huge smash successes.

So my gut as a TV guy has been that he will eventually agree to a debate because he wants to reach that huge audience in the final weeks before election day. CNN -- you know, so the CNN offers out there and I suspect we will hear Trump say something about it on the rally stage this afternoon. You know, whether he goes -- whether it's scripted or not --

WHITFIELD: I have that feeling too.

STELTER: -- I'd be surprised to acknowledge it in some way, right, Fred?

WHITFIELD: Yes. It would be very unusual. I feel like, you know, the form is there, he is going to, you know, use it, manipulate it as he wants to, and this seems like an opportunity. I can even -- I can almost envision him kind of asking the audience, what do you think? You think I should do it?

So, we'll see.

STELTER: Exactly.

WHITFIELD: Brian Stelter, I think we've gotten to know them all very well.

All right, thank you so much. Appreciate it. Steve Contorno as well, thank you.

All right, with me now, Senior Staff Editor for the New York Times Opinion Section, David Swerdlick. OK, so your reaction, David, to this. Harris says yes to CNN's invitation for an October 23rd debate. And now we are awaiting a response from Trump. He's at a rally in Wilmington, Delaware. What do you think he's considering? And do you think he'll accept?

DAVID SWERDLICK, SENIOR STAFF EDITOR, NEW YORK TIMES OPINION: Good afternoon, Fred. Yes. So for Harris, look, there's a contracted campaign. She's only been out there for a few months. So it makes sense that she wants another opportunity to talk to 60, 70, 80 million people at the same time. In terms of Trump, because as you and Brian were just saying, she laid down the gauntlet first, it'll be hard for him to turn it down and not seem like he's shying away from it. And he, too, would like that opportunity to talk to millions of people. So I don't expect that there will be a problem actually getting this thing off the ground. I think that there's opportunity for Harris, but also peril, right? She already won the first debate handily. She passed that threshold test of beating a former president one on one.

Now you have to assume that Trump's staff is going to make him buckle down and prepare much better. I don't think this will be as easy for Harris this time.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. OK, preparation though.

[13:10:01]

And Trump, usually not the words you put together and he prides himself on being spontaneous and kind of in the moment and reading the room. Again, there will be no audience, you know, in this room if indeed he agrees to the same terms that she did. But at the same time, what's the incentive for him, you know, from Trump's point of view, to change his style, to do anything differently?

Because remember, he walked away saying that she said she wanted another debate. To him, translation was, I need a rematch.

SWERDLICK: Right. Former President Trump had to spin it as if he did well, but he didn't. I think the consensus was that Harris was better prepared. She did a good job. Look, I've been on air enough times with you, Fred, to know that you anchors like people to answer the questions they're asked.

Harris was smart. When she didn't like a question, she answered the question she wanted to answer. Trump, on the other hand, stayed on topics that didn't favor him. He knows whether he'll admit it or not that he did poorly. And so now I think what's in it for him to answer your original question is to show that he can be at least as good, if not better than Vice President Harris.

Ultimately, though, let's remind ourselves and your viewers, the goal is to win the election. There's no trophy for debating. This isn't the debate society. The goal is to debate in a way that wins you the election.

WHITFIELD: All right. OK. All right. So, meantime, Trump is in Wilmington, North Carolina. You know, we'll see if he says anything to, you know, his supporters at this rally about this debate, whether he asked them for their opinion, et cetera.

But the other thing that is likely to happen is, you know, people are waiting and watching to see if the state's Republican gubernatorial candidate, Mark Robinson, who posted, you know, sexist, racist, lewd comments on a porn website would show up anywhere, you know, in that arena. I mean, he denies the posts were from him. He did not drop out of the race by the state deadline.

North Carolina is a vital win state. What kind of acknowledgement do you think there might be from Trump on the matter of this Lieutenant Governor?

SWERDLICK: Fred, no idea what acknowledgement there will be, but I would say that if the Trump campaign doesn't want Robinson at today's event in Wilmington, then it would be insane for Robinson to show up. At this point, the one thing he's still got is that he hasn't gone out of his way to irritate former President Trump. If he were to do that, if that's the case, then you can imagine him really cooking himself politically, even beyond what's already happened.

Let's remember about the dynamics here where I am in North Carolina. It's neck and neck between Trump and Harris. That was the case before this story. That's the case after it's less than a point difference between them in the polling averages.

In terms of the governor's race, there was already a wide margin. Attorney General Josh Stein, the Democrat, was already up by high single digits. Before this story, he's up by high single digits now. So this does -- it's a disaster for the Robinson campaign, but this really doesn't fundamentally change the race here in this state.

WHITFIELD: So, you know, Trump, you know, he did appear with Robinson a few times, even calling him Martin Luther King Jr.

SWERDLICK: Yes.

WHITFIELD: You know, in fact, Martin Luther King III talked to our Wolf Blitzer yesterday and responded this way.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

MARTIN LUTHER KING III, SON OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.: I don't even know exactly what that means, but it does not mean anything positive. The fact that these things have been attributed to what this person stood for. And it certainly has nothing to do with what my father and his team and others have stood for about decency, about justice, about creating the kind of nation that where all people are treated, are treated fairly.

And it's not fortunate again, but maybe not surprising. We've seen this kind of behavior from the former president many times.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

WHITFIELD: So David, you know, Trump seems to be able to endure, if not capitalize, you know, on his convictions, allegations, other cases in which he's been found liable. So will Trump supporters stay with Robinson in North Carolina like they are staying with Trump?

SWERDLICK: Right. I think hardcore Trump supporters, hardcore people on the political right will stick with Robinson. But, again, you've already got that margin where the Democrat in this case is well, like running a disciplined campaign and his way ahead.

Let's remember in North Carolina, the last 30 years, even though this is a red state or a purplish red state, it's not a deep red state. We've had four Democratic governors, including the incumbent is a Democratic governor, even though Trump has won the last two presidential elections here.

And remember, Obama won North Carolina in 2008. It's not a deep, deep red state. Last point on Trump and MLK, just quickly, Fred, look, as MLK III said in that clip you played, you go by issue by issue. Mark Robinson obviously does not match up with Martin Luther King Jr.

[13:15:09]

But more to the point about what Trump said when he endorsed Mark Robinson is that it calls back to years ago, you know, when he called out of the blue. Oh, Frederick Douglass, I hear he's doing really good things or I'm paraphrasing, but fool (ph), something like that.

You know, he's sort of playing himself when he just reaches for a famous or revered black name to compare to someone who is just a garden variety, statewide politician. And I don't think that plays well, even with people who are inclined to vote for him.

WHITFIELD: All right, David Swerdlick, always great talking to you. Thank you so much. And sharing a chuckle here and there as well.

All right, coming up, all ballots must now be hand counted in Georgia. That new rule coming from the state's GOP Majority Election Board. What it could mean on Election Day.

Plus, Israel and Hezbollah are exchanging fire across Lebanon's border. We'll have a live report from Lebanon for the latest on the intensifying attacks.

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[13:20:52]

WHITFIELD: All right, 45 days before election day, and despite strong bipartisan objections, Georgia's Republican Majority Election Board has passed a controversial new rule. The board will now require counties to hand count ballots cast after the polls close this November. But critics say not only could the move delay the results of the presidential race, it likely will be legally challenged.

More now from CNN's Sara Murray.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TRUMP: Three people are all pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency, and victory. They're fighting.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Those three Republicans on the Georgia State Election Board, who Donald Trump praised at a campaign rally last month, charging ahead with a controversial new rule about hand counting ballots.

JANELLE KING (R), GEORGIA STATE ELECTION BOARD MEMBER: So this leaves us in a very difficult position. Do we maintain the status quo because it's easier, or do we make a few adjustments so that we can be better? MURRAY (voice-over): But it's not better for many bipartisan election officials across the state who begged the board to pause on new rules ahead of November.

MILTON KIDD, ELECTIONS DIRECTOR FOR DOUGLAS COUNTY, GEORGIA: The idea that you're not going to listen to the individuals that are charged with conducting elections is absurd to me.

MURRAY (voice-over): State officials from Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to Attorney General Chris Carr issued sharp warnings, saying several of the dozen rules the board is considering may run afoul of the law.

BRAD RAFFENSPERGER (R), GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE: We're too close to the election. In fact, we're really just three weeks before we start early voting. And it's just too late in the cycle.

MURRAY (voice-over): The new rule doesn't help determine a winner. Rather, it requires a hand count of the number of ballots at polling places on election day, and then comparing the number of ballots cast with the number recorded by voting machines. Critics say it's a recipe for chaos.

KRISTIN NABERS, GEORGIA STATE DIRECTOR, ALL VOTING IS LOCAL: If I were to hand this stack of paper to three random people in this room, especially at the end of a long voting day and ask them to arrive at the same total number, do we think that's feasible? People doing a hand count are going to make mistakes, which can then be exploited to spread lies.

MURRAY (voice-over): Raffensperger says the change could delay reporting results on election day.

RAFFENSPERGER: You start breaking up the ballot boxes after you close the precinct, you won't be getting those election day votes until maybe 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock, or 4 o'clock in the morning. And we just don't believe that's healthy for, you know, the Republic, and we don't think it's healthy for people of Georgia.

MURRAY (voice-over): The three Trump-backed Republicans passed the rule anyway.

JOHN FERVIER, CHAIRMAN, GEORGIA STATE ELECTION BOARD: The motion passes 3 to 2.

MURRAY (voice-over): Even steamrolling the independent chairman of the five-member board.

FERVIER: If this board votes to implement this rule, I think that we put ourselves in legal jeopardy.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

MURRAY (on-camera): And this new rule is almost certainly going to face legal challenges. And to that end, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger put out a statement after the meeting saying Attorney General Chris Carr has stated that these rules would not withstand a legal challenge and I have worked every day to strengthen Georgia's election law to ensure our elections remain safe, secure, and free. So it's just a question at this point of where these legal challenges are going to come from.

Sara Murray, CNN, Washington.

WHITFIELD: And a programming note, tomorrow morning on Fareed Zakaria GPS, just a few weeks before the November election, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gives Fareed her take on everything from Middle East tensions to the state of the presidential race. This interview airs tomorrow morning, 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

And coming up, President Biden is hosting the leaders of Australia, India and Japan in his home state. We'll discuss the most pressing item at the top of their agenda and unpack how it could help define President Biden's legacy.

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[13:28:43]

WHITFIELD: All right, in a presidential race where every vote counts, unlike any other time before, there are concerted efforts to make sure that everyone has the opportunity and the access to vote. The nonprofit group known as the Hispanic Federation is investing more than $1.7 million dollars getting Latinos, and particularly registered ahead of election day.

Frankie Miranda joins us now to discuss. He's the CEO and president of the Hispanic Federation. So great to see you.

FRANKIE MIRANDA, CEO & PRESIDENT, HISPANIC FEDERATION: Thank you so much for having me. And Happy Hispanic Heritage Month.

WHITFIELD: Oh, that's fantastic. I love that. Happy Hispanic Heritage Month. I'm on board.

All right, so talk to me about this effort to make sure that everyone understands what it takes to register to vote, to get access to vote, to have a plan to get ready for Election Day.

MIRANDA: Well, let me start by saying that there is an incredible enthusiasm among our community about this election. We did a poll and 73 percent of Latinos intend to vote in this election. And this is particularly, the enthusiasm is particularly high among women, Latinas, young Latinas and Spanish speaking voters.

So we're making sure that everybody has the tools to understand the right, how to register to vote and also what they need to get out to vote.

[13:30:10]

We know that there are many different laws that are being passed in different -- different states. The Hispanic Federation has sued twice the state of Florida because of some of these laws.

But we want to make sure that in 13 states every Latino has the opportunity to cast their vote. And those who are eligible to vote, to register and get out and vote.

WHITFIELD: And so The Hispanic Federation, you know, is going to be contacting, what, 2.7 million Latino voters across those 13 states that you mentioned, you know, to try to increase election turnout.

So exactly what will it entail? You know, how do you go about spreading the word? I mean, is it, you know, door to door? Or is it via social media? I mean, what are all the means in which you're trying to do this?

MIRANDA: We're using everything in the toolbox. Our community wants to be spoken to, wants the culturally competent, linguistically competent approach.

We're door knocking. We are distributing information. We're registering people to vote with canvassers. We are texting, calling, making every single effort in Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, Connecticut, Illinois and Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, California.

Everywhere that we can go and get Latinos, we want to make sure that they know that they are important. There's 36 million Latinos that are eligible to vote. And we want to continue increasing, as it has been happening in the past elections, the number of Latinos that vote in each presidential election.

WHITFIELD: So The Hispanic Federation, I mean, is speaking to Latino canvassers and voters regularly. What are some of the big issues that they want to hear from the candidates? What are you learning from them?

Or perhaps maybe they're sharing with you what their worries are concerns are about the whole electoral process?

MIRANDA: Well, for us, our community is pocketbook issues. It's about the economy, about affordable housing, it's about jobs. And 60 percent of them in our poll said that those are the top issues that they want the campaign to talk to them about.

It is not surprising because our community was disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. And these were the essential workers that allow us, many of us to stay home and be healthy.

But those are also the people that have being a little bit more delayed in the incredible recovery that the country has been having.

So we want to make sure that the candidates understand that this is about pocketbook issues and not be completely spreading misinformation in our community and exploiting generational trauma on our communities.

This is not about noun-verb Communism. This is not as responsible way to engage our community. And we cannot be in this -- both ends of the stick. We cannot be the problem of our country but, at the same time, the community that is working so hard to contribute to our economy.

WHITFIELD: And then I wonder, for you, you've probably learned, right, that Kamala Harris has agreed to a debate here on CNN for October 23rd. We're still waiting to hear whether Trump will agree to meet her on the debate stage again.

And I wonder, you know, from Latino voters, what are you hearing from them about the kinds of questions they feel, either of these candidates, still need to answer?

MIRANDA: I feel that both candidates really need to address our community in a culturally competent way. Latinos in New York, Florida, Texas, California, even in Georgia, wants to hear about their issues in their area.

There are overarching issues in our community. But you cannot just assume that you're just going to just go ahead and do this.

However, what we see is that, in our poll, we see that Kamala Harris, V.P. Harris is coming out with a lot of the traits that people in our community want to see in a precedent.

And we also see, right now, that there's a great opportunity for us, as a non-profit, non-partisan organization, to be able to access segments of our community, especially young voters, that before were not really interested in engaging in a civic engagement education conversation. And now they are excited.

So this is a great moment for the candidates and their campaigns, all over the ballot, all up and down the ballot, to really pay attention to our community.

We see that, in many of the polls, they don't include data from our community. And that's what we're trying to do, making sure that Latinos, Latinas and Latino individuals, are the ones, the road to the White House, and they need to pay attention to us.

WHITFIELD: All right, just 45 days to go -- hard to believe, isn't it -- until Election Day.

Frankie Miranda, thank you so much.

MIRANDA: Thank you for having me.

[13:34:59]

WHITFIELD: Israel and Hezbollah are exchanging fire again today. We'll go live to London next for the latest after a week of intensifying attacks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, right, now, President Biden is hosting the leaders of Australia, India and Japan in his home state of Delaware. Biden wants to cement the Quad Alliance, making a final diplomatic

push to counterbalance Chinas influence and hoping his efforts will outlast his presidency.

[13:40:03]

CNN White House correspondent, Arlette Saenz, is there.

Arlette, this is a unique venue, in addition to the fact that it's a unique gathering.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it really is, Fred. And President Biden is gathering the leaders of Australia, India and Japan here in his home state of Delaware, really trying to put a final imprint on this alliance that has been central to his strategy in the Indo-Pacific.

The president is hosting each of the leaders at his home for a personal meeting. He is currently sitting down right now with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi before having them gathered here at Archway Academy a bit later this afternoon.

This is actually where President Biden went to high school himself. So he's trying to put these personal touches on this summit.

Now, it comes at a time when the presidents really trying to burnish his foreign policy legacy in these final months that he is in office.

One thing that is expected to be high on the agenda for these leaders today is discussions about China, and also, they're aggressive moves within the South China Sea.

Now, White House officials contends that this alliance, this summit is not focused on any one country. But the issue of China is expected to come up throughout.

We are also expecting the four leaders to make some significant announcements in the Indo-Pacific region. That will include the first ever Coast Guard missions with all four countries.

The U.S. will actually host that first mission, inviting the members of the Coast Guard from the other countries on board for a period of time. Those types of missions will rotate as a case-by-case basis.

They also will be making new announcements on trying to ramp up and preposition resources to respond in humanitarian and disaster relief operations.

And then there's a very personal element of this for President Biden being announced today. The four leaders will announce a new collaboration called the Quad Cancer Moonshot.

The Cancer Moonshot is a domestic initiative they have here at home that Biden actually started back when he was vice president to try to eradicate cancer around the world. The president and these other three leaders will be teaming up, making some new announcements to try to lower cervical cancer rates within the Indo-Pacific.

So that is just one of the elements being announced today. A very personal element for President Biden himself.

But really this is just another instance where the president is trying to map out his final months in office, map out how he can continue to make a forum in policy imprint even as he is preparing to hand off to the next administration.

WHITFIELD: All right, Arlette Saenz, there in Delaware, appreciate it.

All right, new this hour, Israel and Hezbollah is exchanging fire across Lebanon's border. Israel says it's putting out fires after about 90 projectiles were fired from southern Lebanon. In return, Israel says it struck about 180 targets across southern Lebanon earlier today.

CNN senior international correspondent, Ben Wedeman, is in Beirut for us.

Tell us about how intense things are getting there.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, so far today, it seems to be one of the intent -- most intense days of strikes and counterstrikes going back to October of last year.

According to the official Lebanese news agency, within this space of just one hour, between 1:30 and 2:30 in the afternoon, local time, there we're 111 Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon and also in eastern Lebanon.

And as we speak, we understand there is another wave of Israeli airstrikes focused on the south, also very intense.

Now, as you said, the Israeli said that they have targeted 180 Hezbollah sites. And that was before this latest.

Hezbollah, for its part, says it has made 11 strikes on Israeli targets so far today.

Now, Beirut is still reeling from yesterday's Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs where, according to the ministry of health, at least 37 people we're killed, including three women -- three children, seven women, in addition to 16 members of his Hezbollah.

One of them, of course, Ebrahim Aqil, a senior Hezbollah military commander, whose funeral will be held tomorrow.

Today, we attended the funeral -- funerals for three of those Hezbollah fighters.

There are many other people we spoke who conceded that this has been a very difficult and very painful week for the people of Beirut, particularly in these southern suburbs of Beirut, where Hezbollah is concentrated.

But of course, we're talking also about the pager attacks, the walkie- talkie attacks. So far, 70 people have been killed in Lebanon so far this week, thousands of others have been injured -- Fredricka?

[13:45:08]

WHITFIELD: All right, Ben Wedeman, in Beirut, thank you so much.

Coming up, in this country, Springfield, Ohio, remains on high alert following bomb threats that shut down multiple schools. After the break, we'll discuss security measures being put into place to enable college students to also return to campus.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:50:03]

WHITFIELD: All right, two colleges in Springfield, Ohio, are resuming in-person classes next week after threats of violence shut down several schools across the city.

Those threats came after former President Trump and his vice- presidential running mate began pushing unfounded claims that immigrants in the city were stealing and eating pets.

The colleges will be beefing up security.

CNN's Rafael Romo joining me now with more on this.

The schools feel rather confident that it's safe for their kids to go back to school. Bomb threats are no more?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. They've done a lot of work in talking to law enforcement agencies. And they feel confident that they can go back as of Monday.

But listen to this, Fred. As of Friday, the city of Springfield has received more than 35 threats of violence, including bomb threats stemming from false statements made by former President Donald Trump during the September 10th debate.

This is according to Springfield Mayor Rob Rue. Those threats have prompted evacuations of elementary schools and supermarkets, lockdowns of hospitals, and transition to remote learning at several local colleges.

Now, as you said, Fred, two of those colleges have announced that they plan to resume in-person learning this coming Monday after classes were held remotely as law enforcement investigated threats to their campuses.

Clark State College closed its campuses and moved to virtual learning last week. Wittenberg University canceled in-person classes since Monday after receiving two emails last weekend, including one containing a bomb threat. As you can imagine, the levels of fear and anxiety are very high,

especially in the Haitian immigrant community. As one of its leaders told us this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VILES DORSAINVIL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HAITIAN COMMUNITY HELP & SUPPORT CENTER: The anxiety and the fear are still around, especially with the bomb threats. And then that they are not legitimate. But anyway, they are bomb threats. People are still concerned for their lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Meanwhile, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue is trying to do everything he can to keep the city moving forward.

On Friday, he visited Springfield High School to offer support and encouragement to students, teachers and staff as he prepares for what could be a visit from former President Donald Trump in the near future.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ROB RUE, SPRINGFIELD, OHIO: If a presidential candidate was going to come and bring a message of coming together, trying to work through problems, talk about the real concerns that why we're in the middle of this debate, immigration concerns and immigration reform, that would be great.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And you've got to take a look at this. The cat at the center of this crisis is alive and well. A CNN producer took these pictures of Miss Sassy Friday. Yes, that's -- that's her name.

(LAUGHTER)

ROMO: That's in Springfield. The cat's owner, Anna Kilgore, gained national attention earlier this week following a "Wall Street Journal" story saying Kilgore had filed a police report in August stating that her pet might have been taken by her Haitian neighbors.

That cat was discovered safe a few days later. It's not only safe, but quite healthy actually.

WHITFIELD: Miss Sassy looks like she's doing well.

Now, what about the relationship now between Miss Sassy's owner and her Haitian neighbors, who she accused of being responsible for her cat being eaten?

ROMO: At least with some of them, that's probably going to be beyond repair. Because you have to think about just that single decision that she made --

WHITFIELD: Yes. ROMO: -- the repercussions it's had, not only in Springfield and Ohio, but nationally.

And then when you think about the fact that there's a possibility that former President Trump is considering going, and what the mayor is saying is that, please, if you come, don't fan the flames.

But it's just very --

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Just his arrival might fan the flames. But I know a lot of officials are saying stay away.

ROMO: Right.

WHITFIELD: I mean, that's the recommendation.

ROMO: Yes, well, that's right. That's what officials --

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: So they can get back to some kind of normalcy.

All right, Rafael Romo, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

[13:54:01]

All right, we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Four days of hearings into last year's deadly Titan submersible implosion concluded this week, raising multiple safety incidents that happened over the years.

The incident claimed the lives of all five people on board as they took part in an expedition to the "Titanic."

CNN's Jason Carroll has more on the unsettling details that have emerged from the Coast Guard inquiry into what happened to Titan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Troubling details emerging about a test of the Titan submersible just days before it ultimately imploded.

STEPHEN ROSS, FORMER OCEANGATE SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR: The pilot crashed into the rear bulkhead. The rest of the passengers tumbled about. One passenger was hanging upside down.

CARROLL: The revelations coming during a week of stunning testimony and harsh criticism before the U.S. Coast Guard's Marine Board of Investigation hearing. DAVID LOCHRIDGE, FORMER OCEANGATE MARINE OPERATIONS DIRECTOR: There was a big push to get this done. A lot of steps along the way were missed.

CARROLL: Marine Operations Director David Lochridge was one of a number of former employees testifying about safety issues that had been flagged.

LOCHRIDGE: The whole idea behind the company was to make money not science. There was very little in the way of science.

[13:59:51]

CARROLL: The proceeding is part of an effort to determine what caused Titan's catastrophic implosion last year on June 18th, and who, if anyone, was at fault and should be held accountable.

For the first time, the Coast Guard revealed never-before-seen video of Titan's wreckage on the ocean floor.