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Heavy Rainfall Continues To Hit Texas After New Threat Of High Waters; California Farmworker Dies From Injuries After ICE Raid; Netanyahu: Hamas Blocking Ceasefire Deal For Gaza; Trump Defends Bondi Amid MAGA Fallout Over Handling Of Epstein Case; Soon: European Champs PSG To Face Chelsea In Final; Official: Historic Canyon Lodge Destroyed By Wildfire; Texas Congressman Calls For Accountability After Texas Floods; Trump's Agenda Bill Introduces Caps For Loan Borrowers; Marking One Year Since Assassination Attempt On Trump. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired July 13, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:37]

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

And we begin this hour with breaking news.

Parts of Central Texas under a flash flood emergency right now just a week after devastating flooding ravaged parts of the state. Heavy rain and rapidly rising rivers are impacting many of the same areas.

The weather also forcing ground search operations to be suspended in Kerrville due to ongoing danger there.

The Guadalupe River near Hunt, Texas is expected to reach over 14 feet this afternoon. Kerrville and places downriver will feel the impacts sometime after that.

Let's bring in now CNN correspondent Julia Vargas Jones, who is live for us there in Kerrville, Texas.

So Julia, we have this new reporting about FEMA's response to the disaster, all coupled with more bad weather there. What more can you tell us?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred.

This new reporting has to do with how long it took FEMA to get here on the ground. 72 hours after those floods began is when those teams were able to deploy. And that, in essence, has to do with a new rule by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem where she has to personally approve expenses that go above $100,000.

This is according to four different sources inside the agency telling CNN that they were basically stripped of their agency to actually take actions to help mitigate this disaster. But today, Kristi Noem pushing back on that reporting. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTI NOEM, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: You know, those claims have -- are absolutely false. Within just an hour or two after the flooding, we had resources from the Department of Homeland Security there, helping those individuals in Texas.

It was a heartbreaking scene, and I think it's been well covered about what the Coast Guard did, how they were deployed immediately and helped rescue so many individuals from those flood waters.

And we had border patrol down there with their tactical teams, and FEMA was there just within a few hours as well.

So those claims are false. They're from people who won't put their name behind those claims. And those call centers were fully staffed and responsive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: And those call centers she's referencing there, Fred, it also goes back to the reporting that we had from "The New York Times" that said that as the contracts with call centers expired, the rates for those calls coming in from survivors of the disasters here in Kerrville went unanswered.

So in the first day of that disaster, there were still people working under those contracts and as they expired on the third day, the rate of response went down to 15 percent. Again, going back to those new rules by Kristi Noem, where she has to personally approve those expenses above $100,000.

Despite all of that, there has been praise from the governor here in Texas that the response from FEMA has been swift and effective. And yesterday we also asked the new head of FEMA about this reporting, and we did not get an answer.

Now today, Fred, what we are looking at is these halt in operations. I just heard from one of the commanders of the operations here that's saying that because the safety of those search and rescue teams is their priority, they will have to wait out this rain to get back out there and look for those who are still missing, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Julia Vargas Jones, keep us posted. Thanks so much.

All right. Let's turn now to CNN meteorologist Chris Warren with the latest on the flash flooding and what we can expect later in the week.

CHRIS WARREN, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Fredricka, overnight and throughout the day today there has been enough rain to bring some of these rivers back up to flood stage. And that does include in Kerr County.

Now going forward, what we're expecting is still to see some showers, but the heaviest of rain will be moving. So it will be transient, not necessarily staying over some of the same areas.

The future radar has been showing that and through the overnight hours tonight and into tomorrow, there will be some showers.

[14:04:45]

WARREN: The threat is not going to be as great as it was today, but some of these isolated showers, if they end up bringing enough rain too fast, there could be, once again, some localized flooding with near Kerr County. Some of the forecasts showing by tomorrow night, a few showers.

But again, not anticipating it to set up and linger too long with rainfall totals generally in that two to four-inch range. And what you would need would be more. In this 4 to 6, maybe six plus range in a short period of time to get more of the flooding.

But localized problems can't be ruled out. And that is the rainfall risk here. It's on the lower end, but there is a color on this map. High is rare, but this just shows that this is a possibility with a little bit of green showing up on the map.

And then another chance, Fredricka, for showers on Tuesday, and then a considerable drying trend for the rest of the week.

WHITFIELD: All right. Chris Warren, thanks so much.

All right. Now to California where a farm worker who fell from a greenhouse roof during a chaotic ICE raid on a legal cannabis farm has died from his injuries. Jaime Alanis is the first person known to die during the Trump administrations crackdown on undocumented migrants.

His family says Alanis worked at the farm for ten years and was their only financial provider. Family members, along with hospital and government sources, say Alanis may have been running from ICE agents during a raid on Thursday when he fell about 30 feet from the greenhouse roof and broke his neck.

President Trump's border czar Tom Homan commented on the incident this morning on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HOMAN, TRUMP BORDER CZAR: It's sad. It's unfortunate. He was in ICE custody and ICE did not have hands on this person. But it's always unfortunate when there's deaths.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CNN's Julia Benbrook is joining us right now.

Julia, I mean, this death comes as a federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop indiscriminate immigration raids in southern California. So what more is the administration either going to say or do? JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the administration is

promising to fight that order. The order came from a federal judge on Friday, granted a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit that would require federal authorities to find reasonable suspicion before making immigration arrests in Californias central district specifically which includes Los Angeles.

And that area, of course, has become a key area of focus as through these last few weeks, we've seen chaotic immigration raids, both in public and at work places.

The judge ruled that the Department of Homeland Security must find reasonable suspicion outside of apparent race or ethnicity, spoken language or accent, presence at a particular location or the type of work that someone does.

In that interview on CNN earlier today, the president's border czar, Tom Homan, said that there are a variety of factors considered before detaining someone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOMAN: Every officer has to, you know, bring articulable facts to raise reasonable suspicion. And then they can briefly detain.

I don't know how she knows that, but I don't think any federal judge can dictate immigration policy. That's a matter for Congress and for the president.

The administration is never going to go against the judge's order. We'll litigate it. We'll win it.

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: Ok.

HOMAN: Then we'll get back to doing what we're doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Now Homan said that while each officer, each situation is different, that ICE officers do receive Fourth Amendment training every six months. And

are reminded what authorities they have when it comes to arrests, detentions and questioning.

Now the judge's order is, of course, a legal setback for the Trump administration's large-scale immigration operations. But as you heard from Homan, they are planning to appeal it, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Julia Benbrook, thanks so much.

All right. Still ahead, children reportedly killed while collecting water in Gaza as ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas hit a major sticking point.

Plus, major changes to student loan repayment plans in this country coming for more than 7 million people. What borrowers need to know. And the MAGA faithful speaking out over the Trump administration's

handling of the Epstein files as President Trump comes to the defense of his U.S. attorney general.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think people are going to be quiet about it until they really do it. But who knows if we'll ever know the true story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:09:20]

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WHITFIELD: A big setback today in the ongoing cease fire talks between Israel and Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Hamas has rejected the latest ceasefire plan put forth by the U.S., and he denied accusations by Hamas that he is to blame for no agreement being reached by continuing to add new conditions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We accepted the deal, the Witkoff deal. And even later, the version that the mediators proposed to us. We accepted that too.

Hamas rejected it. And what does it want? It wants to stay in Gaza. It wants us to leave so it can rearm and attack us again and again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: One of the biggest sticking points that has stalled the negotiations in Qatar, the question of whether Israel could redeploy troops to Gaza at the beginning of a 60-day ceasefire.

[14:14:52]

WHITFIELD: As a ceasefire remains out of reach, Israel is pushing forward with its military campaign. The latest airstrike coming today at a water distribution point in central Gaza.

We obtained video of that scene, and a warning to some viewers, you might find these images distressing.

Gaza health officials say ten people, including several children, were killed as they tried to collect water. And they add, nearly 140 bodies have been brought to hospitals in Gaza in the last 24 hours.

I want to discuss this now with Arwa Damon, the founder and president of International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance. She's also a former CNN senior international correspondent. Arwa, great to see you.

I do feel like, Arwa, you know, every time we talk, we ask, how dire are things in Gaza? And each time it's at a new low. How would you characterize it now?

ARWA DAMON, FOUNDER/PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR AID, RELIEF AND ASSISTANCE: It's utterly dystopian. I mean, just to give you an example. So we run a primary care medical clinic in Gaza City. And a few days ago a mother showed up absolutely hysterical because she was running out of baby powder for her children.

And baby milk powder is one of the things that Israel has been restricting. And so the team went to the house and she is a young mother of two newborn twins. They were born in January.

And she pulled open their diapers. I have never seen a diaper rash that red, that horrendous. Because the baby's diapers were soaked and they have diarrhea. Keep in mind, diarrhea is the number one killer of children under the age of five.

And while we were there, one of our team members found out that it was one of the older children's birthdays that were coming up. And do you know what this little boy asked for?

He didn't ask for a cake. He didn't ask for chocolate or candy. He asked for bread. He was craving bread.

You look at the spread of, you know, communicable diseases that are just being caused by the sheer crush of people living on top of each other.

According to one human rights monitor, Euro-Med, they basically are estimating that right now there's so little room in Gaza for the Palestinian population there, that they're all in a space that is smaller than a cell at Guantanamo Bay.

And because of the proximity, because of the lack of hygiene kits, because of the lack of soap, because of the lack of clean water and access to clean water, you have the spread of diseases like meningitis, like scabies, you know, other forms of illnesses that are also potentially very lethal, especially to children.

And so you have this ongoing situation in Gaza that completely and totally defies any form of logic or any form of what can even really resemble a humanitarian response, because we as humanitarian organizations, our capacity to operate has been completely crippled by Israel.

WHITFIELD: I mean, that is just unbelievably horrible. And in today's strike on that water distribution center where there were several children killed, the Israeli military is acknowledging that an airstrike targeting an Islamic jihad terrorist had gone wrong. And the munition fell dozens of meters from the target.

I mean, what are people to think?

DAMON: Honestly, people in Gaza who I'm talking to don't even know what to think anymore. And many of them will just say that they are too tired, too hungry, and too despondent to even begin to think.

You'll also remember that a few days ago, there was a strike that was outside of a clinic that was providing nutritional supplements.

And the thing is, Fredericka, look, I've been around the military often enough to know that, you know, operatives follow their targets very, very closely. And there's a very precise decision that is made at the point where you decide to actually deploy the bomb.

And for example, the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan, I've been in their operation rooms and they will watch and follow, generally speaking, of course, a target to ensure that when they actually launch the strike, that target is as far away from civilians as possible.

But what Israel does is quite the contrary. There is specific A.I., known as Lavender and an add on to it that's known as where's Daddy that actually tracks that target either to their home or to a densely- populated location.

And so we're seeing this death toll just continuing to rise every single day, now very close to 58,000 people killed. And that's just what's actually been confirmed.

[14:19:49]

WHITFIELD: And Arwa, when was the last time you and your group were able to get supplies or assistance into Gaza?

DAMON: During -- during the ceasefire, what we are able to do right now -- so basically we have a lot of mental health and psychosocial activities for children. So those luckily do not necessarily require outside supplies so we're able to continue and maintain that.

We do have our two medical clinics. We were, about two months ago, able to purchase some medicines for that and source some medicines for that inside Gaza. And we were also able to, you know, a month and a half ago, get our hands on some diapers, but you're buying them for ridiculously expensive prices.

And then there are a couple of greenhouses that are still in areas that people are able to access. So every once in a while, fresh vegetables do crop up on the market.

But just to give you an example, we did a fresh vegetable distribution six months ago. So we were giving families enough to last them for roughly two days.

That cost $80. That same parcel right now costs roughly $120.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And it's not like anybody has any source of income or work that's allowing them to accumulate more funds.

All right. Arwa Damon, thank you so much. All the best in your continued efforts to help people.

And we'll be right back.

[14:21:12]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. President Trump is making a public appearance today with his U.S. Attorney General, Pam Bondi, a clear show of support in the face of what could be described as a MAGA revolt over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

CNN's senior White House reporter Betsy Klein is joining us right now from New Jersey, where the president is spending the weekend. Betsy, the president and Bondi are attending the FIFA Club World Cup final today. What more can you tell us about all of that?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, we are essentially witnessing a loyalty test between President Trump and the MAGA movement that he created.

The Justice Department and FBI released a memo on Jeffrey Epstein that concluded Epstein died by suicide, and that there was no evidence of that so-called client list of powerful men. That was, of course, directly at odds with the conspiracy theories pushed by the president and some of his top lieutenants.

So after years of big promises to the president's base, MAGA world is in revolt, pitting some of Trump's closest allies against each other, which we continued to see this very weekend at this Turning Point U.S.A. Summit.

And that infighting between the DOJ and the FBO came to a head on Wednesday at this explosive meeting where FBI director Kash Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino, were confronted about whether they were behind a story that said the FBI wanted more information on Epstein released but was ultimately stymied by the Department of Justice.

Now after that meeting, Bongino told people he was considering resigning and he did not come to work on Friday. His status in the administration remains uncertain.

Patel, for his part, posted to social media on Saturday that he would continue to serve in the Trump administration.

Attorney General Pamed Bondi, meanwhile, has really borne the brunt of the frustration from the president's MAGA supporters. But Trump is now clearly trying to reign in this infighting, saying in a post to social media yesterday, quote, "They're all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a fantastic job. We're on one team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening."

The president also issuing a directive to Kash Patel, who he says, quote, must be focused on investigating voter fraud, political corruption, ActBlue, the rigged and stolen election of 2020, and arresting thugs and criminals instead of spending month after month looking at nothing but the same radical left inspired documents on Jeffrey Epstein."

Now, the president went on to say, "Let Pam Bondi do her job. She's great." And privately, we've learned that Trump has also doubled down on his support for Bondi. Members of the president's inner circle have reached out to some of her most vocal critics to essentially ask them to cool it and her job is safe for now, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Betsy Klein in New Jersey, thanks so much.

And in fact, we're just about a half an hour away from that kickoff of the FIFA Club World Cup final with the Premier League Giants Chelsea taking on European champs Paris Saint-Germain.

And after a month's worth of competition all across the country, it all comes down to one last game, which is where CNN World Sport anchor Patrick Snell is at MetLife Stadium, just outside of New York there, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

So Patrick, I could feel the anticipation. A lot of people behind you.

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Oh yes. Absolutely, it is building up here, Fred. We're going to get over 80,000 fans inside this massive sporting arena. It's huge.

The fans here are arriving now in their thousands as we get ever closer to kickoff. Fans of Paris Saint-Germain, the recently crowned European champions and English Premier League giants Chelsea.

Paris Saint-Germain certainly the favorites. They're winning everything in sight right now including the European Cup or the Champions League as its now called for their first time in their history recently, when they thrashed Inter Milan five-nil.

They're now trying to become global club champions. Earlier in the week, we caught up with PSG at a training session and we focused in on Desiree Doue, a really talented youngster who likely is going to have an impact at some point in this final. He scored twice in the Champions League final.

[14:29:53]

SNELL: Take a listen to what he had to say about that life changing moment for him.

[14:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DESIRE DOUE, PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN MIDFIELDER: That's unbelievable. But I try to stay the same, the same guy, the same children. You know, I'm living my dream, actually, and I'm really happy to play in Paris Saint-Germain. Now we have a final to play on Sunday, and we just want to win.

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: What's the best part about being in this incredible team?

DOUE: Yeah, there is a crazy mentality in this team. We always want to win, always want to improve. Everybody wants to be the best on the field. And that's helped me a lot to improve myself.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SNELL: Yeah, he's a remarkable young man, Fred. You can't totally discount Chelsea. I certainly wouldn't do that. They have been coming along quite nicely. They've won 13 out of their last 15 in all comps. And they're also trying to win this tournament for a second time, having triumphed back in 2021. That said, I am going for PSG to win this one.

Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Okay. Very exciting. We'll all be on the edge of our seats.

Patrick Snell, thank you so much.

All right. Still ahead, how camps across the country are stepping up safety protocols in the wake of the devastating floods in Texas.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. This just in to CNN, a fast-moving wildfire has burned down a historic lodge on the Grand Canyon's North Rim. The Bravo Dragon Fire, one of two fires burning near the national park, destroyed the visitor center, a gas station, a wastewater treatment plant, an administrative building, and some employee housing. The historic building is the only lodging inside the park at the North Rim.

This morning on CNN, Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales called for accountability after the floods in Texas claimed more than 120 lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TONY GONZALES (R-TX): One of my takeaways when President Trump visited was he brought up accountability. He brought up the fact that he was -- he was willing to listen and hear out and figure out, you know, what is the way forward. You know, how can we -- if there is something indeed that we can do to be more -- more on the front end of any tragedy like this? Is there technology? Like what can we do in order to prevent this from happening again? To me, that is a level of accountability that we need to have going forward. We can't just allow girls to drown in the middle of the night. We have to make sure we protect everyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Dozens of campers and staff members died in the floods. And in the week that followed, camp directors across the country are stepping up their safety protocols in the wake of the tragedy at Camp Mystic. Camp directors are trying to reassure parents who now wonder, is it safe to send my kids to camp?

CNN's Gloria Pazmino is following this for us.

And, Gloria, what are you learning?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Fred, you know, I've been speaking to camp directors over the past few days, as well as parents, and one thing is very clear that camp directors and people who are in the camp industry have always had safety at the very forefront of their minds.

This is not something that started after this terrible tragedy in Texas, but in fact something that the industry thinks about constantly. And now, as you mentioned, we are at the very height of camp season right now. Many families are either dropping their children off, picking them up, or children are looking forward to going off to camp in the next coming weeks of summer.

And so, this is something that a lot of families are concerned about. I learned a lot yesterday about what some camps have been doing in recent months in order to increase their safety, not just in response to what happened in Texas, but just as a general practice of always making sure that safety is their top priority.

I want you to take a listen to two camp directors, including one who represents a large association of camps around the entire country, who told me that camp directors at this moment are all talking to each other to make sure that their protocols and safety responses are in place.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREGG HUNTER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, CHRISTIAN CAMP ASSOCIATION: There are a couple of other things that I've heard about this year. That are new, and I think reassuring for parents. One camp in Minnesota said that of their 100 plus staff, that each one is equipped with CB radios that are turned on 24/7. They're not dependent. This camp is not dependent on cell coverage or electricity for communication during emergency use. He also said that senior staff have NOAA weather radios and lightning strike detectors, even in their offices or some in their homes.

ROGER DUNN, DIRECTOR, COLDSTREAM CHRISTIAN GROUP: So one change that we made our camp geographically and our footprint of camp is pretty close together. So, in the past we have not had walkie-talkies in the cabins at night with the campers and with the staff. But we made the change to put walkie-talkies. We actually ordered some more, got enough where we could have them with every staff member.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: So that last camp director you heard from there actually made a change in response to the Texas floods, talking about increasing the amount of walkie talkies that his staff has on hand.

Another thing I heard over and over, Fred, all of these camp directors encourage parents to ask questions if they're feeling uneasy, if they're wondering what the safety protocols are to ask questions and ask the camps to give them their response and safety procedures. It will help them feel better about the fact that these camps are prepared, and it's something that camp directors and people who are in this industry are constantly thinking about.

[14:40:01]

WHITFIELD: Yeah, lots of questions. A lot of parents are asking. And that's offering some reassurance for sure.

All right. Gloria Pazmino, appreciate it.

All right. Coming up, if you're a student loan borrower, major changes are coming on how you both pay and track your loans, while my next guest calls this a hot mess for borrowers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In just three weeks, more than 7 million student loan borrowers will start accruing interest on their loans again.

[14:45:06]

The change impacts borrowers on the SAVE Plan, a Biden era repayment plan that caps monthly bills based on your income. The Department of Education has stalled payment counts for some borrowers on income- driven repayment plans, as the Trump administration continues to roll back Biden's student loan forgiveness policies.

Joining us right now is personal finance columnist at "The Washington Post" and author of "what to do with your money when crisis hits: a survival guide", Michelle Singletary.

Great to see you.

MICHELLE SINGLETARY, AUTHOR, "WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR MONEY WHEN CRISIS HITS: A SURVIVAL GUIDE": Good to see you as well.

WHITFIELD: I know a lot of families and college students are really depressed over all this, but let's try and break it down. Based on your expertise on all this. So right now, if you are one of the 7 million people using the SAVE income driven repayment plan, you may no longer be able to see your loan payment progress and interest will resume on August 1st.

So this is pretty problematic, isn't it?

SINGLETARY: Yeah. So, the pause or the tracking has to do with loan forgiveness. So how long it takes before you make all these payments and then your loan is forgiven. So there's been some issues with that system. The Biden administration put in a tracker. The Trump administration stopped it because of all the court cases. And now the new rules involving how long it would take for you to get loan forgiveness.

And on the other side, you know, lots of loan forgiveness was happening under the Biden administration. The SAVE program, which I thought was a great program, is now is probably, you know, it's gone. And so, people are going to be back into payment status. And so, if you have not already contacted your loan servicer, you most

certainly should. If you moved, you need to let them know that. So, if you had been enjoying that pause and or that break from that payment, that break is ending and you need to get in contact with your loan servicer as soon as possible so you know how much you have to pay going forward.

WHITFIELD: And there are more changes, right, to come with Trump's so- called "Big, Beautiful Bill". What can borrowers expect and when?

SINGLETARY: Yeah, I don't call it that. I call it the big bubbling bill. But okay, because there's a lot of -- there's a lot of problems with it, especially for people who are not earning a lot of money.

I like some things, believe it or not, in the bill or the law. Now, for example, you know, people won't be able to borrow as much, undergraduates and their parents, but the major changes is to the payment plan. So there's sort of a new standard payment, which will give people some people longer to pay the loans, which means their monthly payments will be lower. But you're going to pay more in interest.

So, it might give you some breathing room on the short term. But you've got to look at that. What's going to cost you anywhere from 15? You'll be able to take 15 to, in some cases, 25 years to pay off under the standard plan. And then there's a new income-based payment plan that could be more affordable. Some.

And for -- and for others, not. So, there's a lot of changes and people are going to be probably unhappy or happy with their payments, both short term and long term. And for parents. And I have long advocated the problem with parents borrowing so much. So that's the part of this that I think is going to be okay for some people, because they won't be able to borrow as much. And I've dealt with a lot of students and parents who have borrowed way too much for college. And this is -- this part of that legislation or the law now will limit that.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. So, you like that they can't borrow as much. But you know, that doesn't take care of the fact that -- I mean just college is expensive. So, I mean some campuses need to address trying to bring down tuition so that people don't have to take out as much. But that's another segment, another time.

So, for students who are starting, you know, in the fall, will, you know, new changes affect their ability to get a loan. A lot of folks said yes to certain campuses in the spring, thinking they can count on, you know, some loans. And now, things might change.

SINGLETARY: So, for them, it will be the same. It will be the old rule. A lot of these take effect in 2026, but it should be a wake-up call. If your kid is heading off to the fall, you know, you're not going to be able to borrow as much as you could in the past.

And so, you know, it's still not too late to rethink that situation. If you had signed up for a school that is going to cost you six figures, undergraduate, you really need to think about that because you're not going to be able to borrow.

Now, some private lenders might step in, but those loans are going to be more expensive. And so, if I was a parent right now, I'd be looking and thinking maybe that other choice that had maybe some, you know, more -- you know, I talked to a parent, for example, his kid almost got a free ride and he wanted to go to a different school that cost more.

[14:50:01]

I would be talking to that kid.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: They got that free ride?

SINGLETARY: That's right. Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Okay. Well, it continues to be a rather bumpy road on the way to college and through it. All the best to everybody out there on that.

Okay. Michelle Singletary, thank you so much.

SINGLETARY: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Nearly 40 years ago Queen, U2, Elton John, The Who and Madonna performed at a landmark music event to raise money for famine relief in Africa. See how the legendary concert came together and how the movement continued in the new CNN original series "LIVE AID: WHEN ROCK 'N' ROLL TOOK ON THE WORLD". That's tonight, 9:00, right here on CNN.

All right. Coming up, one year after the bullet, the bandage, and right there, the fist. How Trump's near assassination became a rallying cry and redefined the 2024 race.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:55:40]

WHITFIELD: All right. Today marks one year since the assassination attempt on President Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Now, a new Senate report reveals major security failures by the U.S. Secret Service before the gunshots rang out and calls for more severe disciplinary action.

Alayna Treene was in the crowd that fateful day and shares her memories one year later.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: A year ago today, I watched as an attempted assassin opened fire on then candidate Donald Trump. And the scene was -- it was chaotic. There was so much fear. You could hear people screaming. It was so unclear in the moment if, one, Donald Trump was safe. That

was one of the first questions I, of course, had.

SECRET SERVICE AGENT: Sir, I got you, sir.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let me get my shoes on.

SECRET SERVICE AGENT: Hold that in your head.

TREENE: But also, you know how that was going to impact the rest of the campaign and the president's ambitions of becoming president yet again. And the answer to both of those questions was yes, you know, the campaign completely changed after that day in Butler. I would argue it's actually the most defining, pivotal moment of the entire general -- general election campaign, and the days that followed that following week was the most important week of the entire 2024 year.

I mean, less than 48 hours after the shooting had happened, you saw Donald Trump announce then-Senator J.D. Vance was going to be his vice presidential running mate just three days after that, Donald Trump triumphantly took the stage in Milwaukee at the Republican national convention. He was wearing a bandage on his ear, something that has really become a symbol after that bullet had -- had hit his ear and he talked about Butler and really went into detail about how he felt like he was changed because of that day.

Days after that, then the former president, then President Joe Biden, announced that he was withdrawing from the race, all of that really creating an entirely new dynamic that had not existed in the campaign thus far. Now, I've actually talked with some people, including one White House official who's currently serving in Trump's second administration, but he was also an adviser on the campaign in 2024 to Donald Trump as well.

And he told me that after Butler, it became so much more personal, the campaign, not only for his team but for the president himself, that the sense that if someone was going to try to do this was going to try and attempt to assassinate Donald Trump, the election became so much bigger and that they were going to be even more dug in on ensuring that he won in November.

And one thing that really strikes me still a year later is how that powerful image of Donald Trump, you know, he raised his fist in the air. He had blood on his cheek. His clothing was rumpled, and he screamed, "Fight, fight, fight!" That image is one that has really become a symbol in the MAGA movement, but also a symbol of strength and defiance for the president himself. It's currently hanging in both the east and west wings of the White House, and it's also something that is still hung up at many of the presidents private events, one that he looks back on often.

And I think, you know, something that was really interesting about that photo as well. In the weeks after Butler, I caught up with a lot of, of course, the president's closest allies and some of his team. And they told me that that was all Trump. He decided in that moment that he needed to project this potent image to show that he wasn't weak, that he wasn't vulnerable, despite what that attempted assassin had tried to do. And I do really think it speaks to Trump's mindset.

Another important thing I think as well is particularly after what had happened on that fateful Saturday, July 13th, 2024 --

SECRET SERVICE AGENT: Are you ready? On you.

SECRET SERVICE AGENT: Move up. Move!

SECRET SERVICE AGENT: Got you sir, I got you, sir.

TRUMP: Let me get my shoes on.

TREENE: The president felt like there was divine intervention at play. He felt that God really had a hand in saving his life. And it's not just something that he felt in the immediate aftermath of what happened in Butler, but it's something he still talks about. I know privately, and you heard him as well at his inauguration, in his address.

TRUMP: In a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassins bullet ripped through my ear but I felt then and believe even more so now, that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.

(APPLAUSE)