Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

New York Times: FEMA Did Not Answer Thousands Of Texas Flood Survivor Calls; Sources: FEMA's Response To Texas Flood Slowed By Noem's Cost Controls; Kerrville Flooding Victims Share Their Stories; Trump Announces 30 Percent Tariffs On E.U., Mexico Starting August 1; Judge Blocks Indiscriminate Immigration Stops In Los Angeles-Area; Preliminary Report Shows Fuel Supply To Engine Was Cut; 2024 Hero Of The Year Helping Pet Owners In Addiction Recovery. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired July 12, 2025 - 17:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:01:04]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jessica Dean in New York.

The acting head of FEMA making his first visit to Kerrville, Texas a day after the devastating floods that left 129 people dead, even as crews continue to search for the more than 150 people still missing.

Central Texas now facing new threats of flash flooding tonight. There is also new reporting today from the New York Times that says documents reveal FEMA did not answer thousands of calls from flood survivors. They report the agency struggled to answer calls in a timely manner because it had fired hundreds of contractors at call centers.

The Times also noting, FEMA faced similar challenges after Hurricane Helene and Milton hit the South in 2024. It says the data shows the agency did not answer nearly half of the 500,000 plus incoming calls over the course of a week.

Let's bring in Julia Vargas Jones. She is live in Kerrville, Texas.

Julia, multiple FEMA officials say they were taken aback by the agency's relatively limited response immediately after the disaster, as we noted, the acting director was there today. What more did he have to say?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN NEWSOURCE CORRESPONDENT: Well, I tried, Jessica, to get some more clarification from him, because as of now, we just have a statement from DHS that was sent to the New York Times, saying that this was a swift response, but we did not get an answer.

And what's interesting about this reporting from the New York Times is that it details how the response went down day by day. As those contracts expired on July 5th, the rate of response goes down on the second day, and then, even further down on the third day. We're down to 13 -- 15 percent, pardon me, of response for those people who are calling to get assistance -- filling out that paperwork.

And now, we're here at this FEMA Center. This is where people have to come if they want one-on-one assistance from FEMA. But you know, as this continued, CNN reporting from earlier in the week had that it took longer than 72 hours for the DHS to deploy those search and rescue teams to the ground here. And then, today, we heard from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem that this will be the new normal for this administration to respond to disasters going forward. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTI NOEM, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Some of what you saw for our response in Texas is going to be a lot of how President Trump envisions what FEMA would look like into the future. We did things in Texas for response, very different than Joe Biden. In fact, we were immediately on the ground as soon as the flooding hit. We deployed our Coast Guard, we had helicopters and airframe that were deployed, and swift water rescue teams out of Customs and Border Protection --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: And Jessica, despite that, governor of Texas, Greg Abbott praised of FEMA's response to the disaster in Texas, saying that it was swift and effective.

DEAN: And also, Julia, what more are we learning about this area where the camp mystic buildings were located. And there is new -- some new information there?

JONES: Yes, there is Jessica. It's interesting because this is a part of an analysis that goes back to 2011. These are flood zone maps, and I think we have the map that we can show to our viewers.

Basically in 2011, this whole area where Camp Mystic was located in Hunt, Texas, was designated as a Special Flood Hazard Area. That means that would have to be required to have flood insurance and face tighter regulations on any future construction projects. But there were appeals to FEMA to that. And then, two years later, in 2013, they got -- were granted an exception. That meant that a lot of those cabins that were close to the to the Guadalupe River, they were in the one percent chance of flooding each year. OK?

And then, the newer constructions, Jessica, and this is heartbreaking. They were inside those regulatory flood ways. Those are the areas that are even more dangerous. They are the areas that flood first. And this all, according to these federal maps, OK?

[17:05:03]

These cabins (PH) had been around for decades. We know that this is a 99-year-old camp, but those exceptions, they kept on happening until 2019, even with the newer construction of the camp. So, these records are showing that, basically, 15 structures were removed and were given an exemption, and then, another 15 structures about seven years later in 2019. Now, we do know that the owner of that camp had, for years, warned of disasters -- the disasters could happen in that area, and had called, Jessica, for sirens to be installed, and had asked local officials to work with him. We also know that local officials here had presented to FEMA a report back in October where they said that something like this tragedy -- of these proportions could happen this year.

DEAN: All right. Julia Vargas Jones, there in Kerrville. Thank you very much for that updated reporting.

And joining us now, Deanne Criswell, who ran FEMA under President Biden's administration.

Deanne, thanks so much for joining us this afternoon. I know a lot of people have, frankly, a lot of questions about FEMA, what it -- what it should be doing, what it could be doing. I want to start first with what Julia was just talking about. This new reporting that says FEMA repeatedly granted appeals to remove camp mystic buildings from that 1000year flood map, and that decision really spanned several administrations, happening as early as 2013.

Can you walk us through why FEMA would have granted those appeals?

DEANNE CRISWELL, FORMER ADMINISTRATOR, FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY: So, the flood maps that FEMA produces are regulatory in nature, and they are designed to demonstrate a snapshot in time to figure out exactly where the highest risk area is. They don't take into account future flooding or future conditions, they really only look at historic conditions to set what those special flood hazard areas are, as well as what the insurance requirements will be.

I don't know specifically on why those buildings would have been removed. I would have had to work with my team to better understand that. But it's important to know it's all done in partnership with the local community, and FEMA only comes in to help us improve or redo the flood maps when the local community or the state asks FEMA to come in and help them update what the current flood maps are. Every jurisdiction is going to be different. You would have to get with somebody at FEMA to understand the very specifics of that particular case.

DEAN: And why they would want to do -- why -- FEMA would want to do it, but also why the camp would want to do it. Right?

CRISWELL: Absolutely. I mean, I think that there might be a difference between temporary facilities versus homes that people live in all the time. I don't know which one of these facilities, these buildings, which category they came in. Again, every jurisdiction, every community, has very unique needs and circumstances. FEMA partners with them to understand, you know, their requests, and they work through with their flood mapping to make sure that we're giving them the best information to make their own decisions.

DEAN: I also want to ask you about some new reporting that CNN has about FEMA response to the disaster being slowed down by this bureaucratic obstacle that according to multiple sources, this new rule that the Secretary Kristi Noem has to personally sign off on every contract and grant over $100,000 before any funds can be released.

From your time at FEMA, what was your experience in responding to a crisis like this? And if a rule like that is in place, what does that mean for a response?

CRISWELL: One of the things that makes FEMA successful is its ability to be agile. And during my time, my team would have known that I would have expected them to lean forward, begin moving resources as soon as we started to learn how bad this flooding was. FEMA can, or has in the past, been able to move resources even ahead of a presidential disaster declaration, just to get them closer. But they can't put them to work until the declaration is made and the state asks for them.

But we also have other resources. You know, I listened to the clip and Secretary Noem, talking about the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard did an amazing job that they have the statutory authority to respond without a declaration. They do that in every disaster. This was no different than this one. The only thing that was different is we didn't have, or FEMA didn't have the ability to move resources in, in anticipation of what the potential could be. They lost a few days in being able to get those resources in place.

DEAN: Yes, and we know Texas also requested this aerial imagery from FEMA to aid in the search and rescue operations. Our reporting indicates that was also delayed as they awaited the secretary's approval there. But how important is that sort of imagery to have? How critical to get it as quickly as possible when you are actively searching for people?

CRISWELL: Yes, it's my understanding that Texas had requested the aerial imagery. FEMA has contracts, right? To be able to get this imagery and to be able to provide some level of analysis and give that to the state or the local jurisdiction.

[17:10:07]

And what that can do is really help them, one, understand, really, the scope and magnitude of what this incident looks like. But they can also use it, and the search and rescue teams can use it to help identify where they think people might be, based on the imagery, because they will do it over time. Right? And so, I'm not an imagery specialist, but it's really critical data to make informed decisions, to help not just in the response and life-saving but also as they go into the recovery mode.

So, that kind of data we continue to use more and more so we can make smarter decisions.

DEAN: And as you -- look, you have the unique perspective of having sat in the seat as the head of FEMA during a number of natural disasters. And I'm just curious, from your personal experience, just having watched this play out this horrific disaster. What have been, kind of, the thoughts you've had? What have you been, kind of what stood out to you? CRISWELL: Well, first off, my heart just breaks for everybody in this community. I have been to too many of these types of incidents, talking to local responders, talking to local citizens, hearing their stories of survival, their stories of loss. And I think, you know, a couple of things that stand out is you need to have that leader of the agency on the ground hearing their stories very early on, so, they can be making the best decisions to move resources in and help these communities. But I think the other thing that really stands out to me is we're having a lot of conversation about how response needs to be different.

Jessica, during my time as the administrator, a state director, never complained about response to me. What they complain about is recovery. And so, we are spending a lot of time talking about how to change response, when I would say it's not broken. Others could have different opinions, and I accept that.

But recovery is where there definitely needs to be some change, and I'm hopeful that with the FEMA review council, they will come back with some really solid recommendations on how they can be better partners with the state and the local jurisdictions as they recover. There is definitely things and room for improvement in there. Some things that work well, but definitely room for improvement in that recovery phase.

DEAN: Yes. That's so interesting you say that. Because the other thing I wanted to ask you about was this New York Times reporting about these call centers that may -- that have missed thousands of calls from flood survivors. A FEMA spokesperson said, "When a natural disaster strikes, phone calls surge, wait times can subsequently increase. Despite the expected influx, FEMA's disaster call center responded to every caller swiftly and efficiently, ensuring no one was left without assistance."

But there were, to your point, real concerns that people weren't getting their phone calls answered in that recovery moment. Is that one of those things that could be better handled?

CRISWELL: Well, the call centers have to have a surge capability, because they don't get this large number of calls all the time, and that statement is not untrue, right? Calls come in, they surge, and the very first few days after a declaration is the peak.

But they have systems in place to help absorb some of those calls, and one of those is contracts that they can activate to make sure that they can surge people in. But they also use other federal agencies like the IRS or census. I'm not sure if they were called in to help surge the call centers to be able to take many of those calls.

We did see delays during Hurricane Helene in the call center, but we also had a much larger population of people that were impacted. We had six states that were affected by Hurricane Helene. In that, you know, not to diminish the fact that there is less people there, and they need to have their calls answered. But if FEMA doesn't have the ability to surge their staffing the way that they have in the past, then, they are going to have continued delays. And I just want to add one other thing to that. One of the other tools that FEMA has is they had Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams. These are groups of individuals that can go into the community and register them through an iPad, and walk them through it. The last I heard is that FEMA was no longer going to be doing that service, and they were going to make people come to disaster recovery centers.

What I would always do is we wanted to bring government to the people. We didn't want to have to make people come to the government, but now, it appears that they are going to have to come to the government. And even because we know the call centers get busy, that was just another tool to make sure everybody is reached and everybody has an opportunity.

DEAN: All right. Deanne Criswell, thank you so much. We really appreciate it.

CALDWELL: Thank you, Jessica.

DEAN: And now, one week after the deadly flooding in Texas, we are hearing from survivors who are trying to cope with the absolutely horrifying memories from that day. CNN's Gustavo Valdez takes us to a local Kerrville bar, where people discuss what they witnessed as the flood waters raged along the Guadalupe River.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUSTAVO VALDES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Howdy's Bar and Chill in Kerrville, Texas.

[17:15:01]

It's a place to dine and unwind after a long day.

BOB CANALES, OWNER, HOWDY'S BAR AND CHILL IN KERRVILLE, TEXAS: Sort of, one of the last Texas honky tonks in this part of the country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you so much.

VALDES (voice over): Bob Canales is the owner who says he reopened the bar to offer a gathering spot to residents after the tragic floods.

CANALES: It's real important to us to have a friend showing up and enjoying some normal times. A lot of the older folks, they don't use Facebook. This is their social media.

VALDES (voice over): Here, hugs replace smiley face.

The bar sits in front of the Guadalupe River, where Canales and his wife also run an R.V. park that was devastated by the rushing water. Many campers could not escape the fury of the current.

Canales says he almost died trying to rescue a father, carrying two children to safety.

CANALES: So, I stepped off the sidewalk and was swept away about 30 yards down, down the other end of the park, where we have a retaining wall, and fortunately, at the water level, I was able to get back up on that wall.

VALDES (voice over): In time to see the man and his children disappear under the rumbling water. From his regular spot, he tries to make sense of the events of that night.

CANALES: The constant sounds of the people screaming for help and knowing you really couldn't help them, but you still had to try. So, that sort of -- has worked on me, the last few days.

VALDES (voice over): The tragedy also hit closer to home. One of his part time employees died when he caught an artery on a broken window as he was getting his family out of their house.

LARRY STEWART, RESIDENT, KERRVILLE, TEXAS: We're in here today because we want to help them get back on their feet.

VALDES (voice over): Larry Stewart is one of the bar's regular. He says supporting local businesses is his way to help the community.

STEWART: And at my age, 76, it's kind of tough for me to be a volunteer out there over this rough terrain.

HEATHER HARDING, WAITRESS, HOWDY'S: I mean, it's looking like clean up wise, it's looking better, but --

VALDES: Catherine (PH) Harding has worked in how these for only three months. She knows a good bartender is also a good listener.

HARDING: So, I'm trying to keep the vibe going in here and keep it -- keep their spirits up. And for me, after shift, yes, it's gotten to me a little bit, but then I just think of all the people who are helping and --

VALDES (voice over): Like Scott Sneider, who came from Austin.

SCOTT SNEIDER, RECOVERY WORKER, KERRVILLE, TEXAS: And it's really how I was raised. Is just finding a helping hand here, fellow person as much as you can. And if you're a willing mind and able body, why not.

VALDES (voice over): The cracking sound of the pool balls, country music in the jukebox, and the laughter of friends, old and new, help drown the sorrows the locals know will stay with them for a while.

STEWART: I'm going to have some heartache and tears along the way, but we'll get through it.

CANALES: Like they always say, you know, courage is being scared to death, but you saddle up anyway. And that's famous John Wayne phrase, and that's sort of a mantra that we use around here. So, I think, we'll be here Fourth of July next year, and then many after.

VALDES (voice over): Gustavo Valdes, CNN, Kerrville, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE) DEAN: Still ahead this hour in the CNN NEWSROOM, President Trump announcing more tariffs. This time, against two of the United States largest trading partners. How could it potentially impact you?

Plus, Putin undeterred, as Russia, launches one of its largest aerial attacks yet on Ukraine. As President Trump teases major action on Moscow.

And investigators say they now have an idea about what caused last month's deadly Air India crash, going to live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:23:16]

DEAN: President Trump today announcing Mexico and the European Union will soon face higher tariffs. The new rate of 30 percent is expected to take effect August 1st. But Trump is threatening to make the rate even higher if retaliatory tariffs are enacted.

CNN's Betsy Klein is joining us now. Betsy, this is just the latest on the tariff threats from the president. There has been a tremendous amount of back and forth on the and forth on this front all week long. What more do you know about these specifically?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER AND WRITER: Well, President Trump launched a global trade war back in April. That is why we are here. It rocked markets. It really reshaped the global economic order with those tariffs, and after a few weeks, he issued that 90-day pause to allow his team some more time to craft bespoke trade negotiations.

Those have, with two exceptions, really proven elusive, so far, failed to materialize. But that pause, the 90-day pause, ended this week. The president extending that deadline to August 1st, as he started to issue a series of letters to other world leaders setting new tariff rates. And today, earlier today, he issued those letters to the European Union and to Canada, setting those tariff rates at 30 percent.

And these are two of the United States biggest trading partners. I just want to take you by the numbers. U.S.-Mexico trade totaled $840 billion in 2024. Last year, U.S.-European Union trade was close to $1 trillion. That's $370 billion in U.S. exports to the E.U., and $606 billion in imports from the E.U. just last year.

But setting that new tariff rate of 30 percent, the president said in that letter to Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum, this morning that he believed, in his view, Mexico wasn't doing enough to secure the border.

[17:25:03]

He also encouraged Mexican companies to move their manufacturing here to the United States. And following that letter, a top Mexican economic official said that the 30 percent tariff marked, "unfair treatment," and they did not agree, but plan to continue negotiating. The same from European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, she said they are ready to continue working toward an agreement by that August 1st deadline.

But we also heard a very pointed statement moments ago from one of the president's top negotiators, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. He says, "The United Kingdom trade team smartly secured an early deal." He went on to say, "Let this be a lesson to other countries, earnest, good faith negotiations can produce powerful results that benefit both sides of the table."

But Jessica, all of this contributing to so much mounting uncertainty for investors, consumers and businesses heading into that August 1st deadline.

DEAN: And Betsy, I want to ask you about something else on a different front. President Trump is also teased he'll have what he calls a major statement on Russia, Monday. Do we have any indication about what that might be?

KLEIN: Not exactly. But the president's rhetoric toward Russia and Putin specifically, has really transformed over the past couple of weeks. His mounting frustration as Russia continues to barrage Ukraine with strikes. The president told NBC, "I'm disappointed in Russia," and there was going to be a major statement on Monday. The president asked about that on Friday for more details. Said, you'll be seeing things happening, but didn't provide more information.

DEAN: All right. Betsy Klein, thanks so much for that update.

And despite that planned announcement from President Trump, Ukrainian officials say Russia has launched its second largest aerial assault since the full-scale invasion in 2022, killing at least two people, wounding more than a dozen.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying Russia launched 26 cruise missiles and nearly 600 drones in this overnight attack against Ukraine's western city of Lviv. CNN's Nada Bashir gives us a closer look at this massive strike.

NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL REPORTER: Well, overnight Saturday, Russia carried out its second largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the beginning of its invasion. According to Ukrainian officials, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said some 26 cruise missiles and nearly 600 drones were used in the attack, though most of those drones and more than 20 missiles are said to have been neutralized.

There were, however, hits on civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings, leaving at least two dead and several others injured. According to Ukrainian officials. This latest round of attacks came shortly after the president confirmed that U.S. military supplies to the country, had resumed. With U.S. President Donald Trump, saying Thursday that he had struck a deal with NATO for the U.S. to send weapons to Ukraine through the alliance, including U.S.- made Patriot air defense systems.

And NATO spokesperson confirmed in a statement on Friday that as part of the alliance's continued support for Ukraine, NATO had procured air defense and ammunition from the U.S. The announcement comes ahead of a planned visit to Ukraine by Trump's Russia-Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg next week. And as Trump hints at a major statement to be made on Russia on Monday.

While no specifics were offered, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio did meet with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Thursday, relaying Trump's "disappointment and frustration" in a conversation he described as frank.

Russia, meanwhile, is said to have offered a new and different approach to peace. But the Russian foreign minister has also made his way to North Korea, where he, on Saturday, met with the country's leader, Kim Jong-un. North Korea has, of course, provided assistance to Russia in its military offensive in Ukraine, and concerns are mounting that Pyongyang may be pulled deeper into this conflict. Nada Bashir, CNN, in London.

DEAN: Nada, thank you for that.

Up next, the Department of Homeland Security reacts after a federal judge orders ICE to stop sweeping immigration raids in Southern California. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:33:37]

DEAN: A new ruling prohibits Homeland Security agents in the Los Angeles area from arresting people without probable cause.

The federal judges order stops the agency from carrying out "roving patrols". And a separate ruling, it blocks DHS from denying detainees access to legal counsel.

In recent weeks, the Trump administration's immigration crackdown has focused on democratic strongholds. On Thursday, 200 migrants were arrested during a two immigration operations near Los Angeles. That's according to ICE. These latest arrests prompting intense clashes between law enforcement and demonstrators.

CNN's Julia Benbrook is joining us now. Julia, obviously, the White House, has a lot to say about this new ruling as well.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jessica. And after weeks of chaotic immigration raids, both in public and at workplaces across southern California, which, as you pointed out, that area has become a flash point when it comes to this issue, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit, requiring federal authorities to find reasonable suspicion before making immigration arrest in California Central District, which includes Los Angeles.

That judge found that the Department of Homeland Security had made some stops and arrests without probable cause and ordered the department to stop detaining individuals based solely on race, occupation, or spoken language.

[17:35:04]

In a recent interview that aired on Fox News, Tom Homan, the president's border czar, detailed how ICE agents and border patrol determine who to target. Take a listen.

TOM HOMAN, UNITED STATES BORDER CZAR: People need to understand, ICE officers, and Border Patrol, they don't need probable cause to walk up somebody, briefly detain, and question them. They just need to tally the circumstances. Right? They just got through the observation, you know, get a typical articulable facts based on the location, the occupation, their physical appearance, their actions. Like a uniform board station walks up to them, at, for instance, a Home Depot.

And they got all these articulable facts, plus the person walks away or runs away. You know, agents are trained. What they need to detain somebody temporarily and question them. It's not probable cause, it's reasonable suspicion. We're trained on that.

BENBROOK: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem held a press conference just a little while ago, and during that, she criticized the judge's order, and also vowed to ramp-up deportations, in part, due to a boost in funding that her department will see from Trump's so-called One Big, Beautiful Bill that recently passed on the Hill.

We also got a statement from a White House spokesperson that I want to pull up part of that for you now, where they said, "No federal judge has the authority to dictate immigration policy. That authority rests with Congress and the president. Enforcement operations require careful planning and execution, skills far beyond the purview or jurisdiction of any judge. We expect this gross overstep of judicial authority to be corrected on appeal."

So, they are making it clear that they plan to take more steps with this. Jessica.

DEAN: Julia Benbrook, thank you so much for that reporting.

And still to come, investigators answer a key question about what caused last month's deadly Air India plane crash that killed 260 people. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:41:40]

DEAN: Aviation investigators are now answering a big question about what caused that deadly Air India crash last month. A new preliminary report reveals the engine's fuel cut-off switches flipped shortly after takeoff.

Now, the investigators don't speculate as to whether the controls were flipped by a person or in another way, but they do say it happened once the plane reached an airspeed of 180 knots, and that the switches flipped one after another almost simultaneously.

There is also this. A line in the report reading, "In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other," why he cut off -- why he did the cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so. Shortly, after that exchange, the fuel switches were reversed, but not quickly enough to save that flight.

260 people were killed on board that plane. There was one sole survivor. Joining us now, Mary Schiavo, former inspector general of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Mary, thanks so much for being here with us. As we hear this information, we -- I think, lay people like myself, start to think, where are these fuel cut-off switches in the cockpit? Are they near something else that maybe that one of those pilots thought they were reaching for?

MARY SCHIAVO, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Well, these fuel cut-off switches are right below the throttles. And you look at the big picture of the cockpit, the throttles are very prominent. They are the white handles in what's called the center console. And that's the place between the pilots. If you put out your left or right hand, the center console would be down kind of near your lap.

Now, so, and the fuel cut-off switches are right below that throttle, they are protected with guards, with the safety locks that have to be unlocked, and then, this throttle is pulled up and put into gear, not the throttle, the fuel cut-off is kind of pulled and put into gear. Other things are located on the panel in front of the pilots, like the flaps. And so, it would not be reasonable to assume they mistake -- they mistook the flap lever for these fuel cut-off switches.

DEAN: Yes. And I'm thinking, like, could a cuff have gotten stuck or something, but it sounds like you said, you're saying it takes a lot more than just accidentally bumping it to switch this off.

SCHIAVO: That's right. And there are metal guards on the sides of each of these switches, in addition to the locks that are on them before you can operate them. However -- there is always a however in aviation. The Federal Aviation Administration in the United States now, India doesn't have to follow the FAA, but they did issue some warnings on malfunctioning fuel control locks on other models of Boeing aircraft, and another airplane all upon airways, had a situation way back in 2019 where the fuel control was shut off by the aircraft if it was coming into land. So, there are many reasons this could happen.

DEAN: That makes sense. Indian authorities have ordered an inspection of Air India's entire Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet. Do you know is Boeing saying anything about, to your point, the mechanical function of this particular plane?

SCHIAVO: No, Boeing isn't saying anything. And Boeing can't really say anything right now, because the rules of the international aviation air crash investigations require parties to the investigation. So, that would be Boeing, that would be the airline, that would be the airport, that would be government officials.

They are supposed to provide information only to the investigators while the investigation is going on.

[17:45:05]

And actually, for example, U.S. NTSB, which is the counterpart to the investigators in India, in other accidents as they work, if people have spoken out and released information outside of the investigation, they have been criticized and, in some cases sanctioned. So, Boeing isn't saying anything, and I wouldn't expect them to be saying anything.

DEAN: Can you tell from the video where the plane may have reached that air speed of 180 knots?

Yes, you actually can, but not because of any air speed indicator. So, they are really critical air speeds when you're taking off. You know, they are -- they are called V1, V2, VR, where you rotate, the plane lifts up. And these speeds on this plane, they range from 153 to 162. And so, at 155 is where they lift off. And so, 180 was really shortly after that. In the video, you can see the airplane -- sorry, I'll use my hand, but you can see the plane lifting off like this, and then it levels. And right there, when it levels off, is where this thrust was throttled back, where the fuel control switches must have been or the fuel control must have been affected.

And you can see, it level-off, and that would never happen. Pilots would never do that on takeoff, because, you know, if you don't have an overrun area or a clear space in front of you, people could die, and they did.

DEAN: Yes. I know, it's just awful to watch that video again. Mary Schiavo, thank you so much. We really appreciate it.

SCHIAVO: Thank you.

DEAN: And still to come, new details about the state department's plan to fire more than 1300 employees. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:51:23]

DEAN: "CNN HEROES" is back celebrating outstanding and innovative acts of courage and the people making them happen. And to kick off its 19th year, we caught up with the 2024 CNN Hero of the Year Stephen Knight. He and his nonprofit are changing lives by fostering pets while their owners focus on addiction recovery. And his life saving mission has now spread from Texas to the rest of the world. Here is a look back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAURA COATES, CNN CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: And the 2024 CNN Hero of the Year is Stephen Knight.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Stephen Knight.

STEPHEN KNIGHT, 2024 CNN HERO OF THE YEAR: When Anderson and Laura announced it, I just -- I got emotional.

To be able to help others and have a purpose now, I'm so overwhelmed.

I feel like I kind of just crowned like a Miss America. We'll call it Mr. America or Mr. Universe, because it's been a global thing.

I've had opportunities to talk about, dogs matter, from Dubai to Australia. We had 150 percent increase of applications. We were able to bring on two more recovery coaches. It introduced us to the Elevate Prize Foundation. We became part of their family, changing the world with these leaders.

Thank you for talking about that.

It's perfect timing, we are looking to scale up.

DR. KWANE STEWART, 2023 CNN HERO OF THE YEAR: It's no secret I was rooting for you.

KNIGHT: Dr Kwane from the year before me, our missions are so complimentary. We're in the beginning stages of claiming a Project Street Vet in Dallas, and Dogs Matter in L.A.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi guys. How cute are you.

KNIGHT: The other thing is more recognition. We got treatment centers in Texas said, hey, we'll take dogs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bye, Jack.

KNIGHT: Lot of those dogs, all they need is a second chance, just like, I was given.

One of my favorite programs that we have now is called the BARK Dorm, where these kids that are serving time have an opportunity to work with one of our dogs, and it's really been life changing for some of the kids.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It motivated me to be best.

KNIGHT: OK. Yes, that's what it's all about.

Dogs Matter, we're in our 10th year. We've saved thousands and thousands of lives. It's been incredible.

You're celebrating, you're sober.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a night and day difference. This is the picture of sobriety.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very few people in this world have inspired me the way that Stephen did.

KNIGHT: And Nicolle (PH)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's awesome. I love it.

KNIGHT: Yes, yes.

To be able to know that this little program that I did my backyard 10 years ago is now being considered worldwide, and people are going, I need this. We need this. That's the best thing ever, it's just like, what a privilege and an honor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: Next week, we're going to introduce you to the first 2025 CNN Hero. For more uplifting stories, or to nominate someone you think needs to be a CNN hero, you can go to CNNHEROES.COM.

Still to come this evening, new reporting about how federal regulators repeatedly granted appeals to remove dozens of Camp Mystics buildings from a critical flood designation. We'll explore how the camp was then allowed to expand inside that flood zone.

Here, then -- you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:59:06]

DEAN: And tomorrow night, CNN takes you behind the scenes of the concert that was literally heard around the world in 1985. Some of the biggest rock stars on the planet coming together to fight famine in Africa. This is the new CNN original series about "LIVE AID".

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIDGE URE, ULTRAVOX: If we wrote a song and donated to song royalties, hopefully raising 100,000 pounds. That was realistic.

BOB GELDOF, CO-FOUNDER, BAND AID TRUST: So, the business side of Bob thought, OK, so, we write a Christmas song. Get it out before Christmas. That's where money gets made in record sales.

I lived in Chelsea, and as I walked up the Kings Road, I saw Gary Kemp, who is the main writer and lead guitarist in Spandau Ballet, spending his first flush of pop star money, I guess. And I banged on the window.

GARY KEMP, LEAD GUITARIST AND PRINCIPAL SONGWRITER, SPANDAU BALLET: He comes running in.

[18:00:01]

And, you know, his presence is huge. He takes over. He sort of banged his head on a chandelier or something. And then, he said this report was, you know, and in Ethiopia, or and the famine is huge, and it's out of control, and it broke my heart, and it broke Paula's heart.