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At Least 30 Injured In L.A. After Vehicle Plows Into Crowd; Trump Sues Wall Street Journal For $20B Over Epstein Report; DOJ Asks Judge To Release Grand Jury Testimony In Epstein Case; Heavy Rains Threaten Flash Flooding For Millions Across Much Of U.S.; Steve Miller Band Cancels Summer Tour Due To Weather; Change Amplified: Live Music And The Climate Crisis. Trump, Allies Target Fed Renovations As Opening To Fire Powell, Astronomer CEO Placed On Leave After Coldplay Concert Video; WNBA All-Star Weekend Kicks Off. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired July 19, 2025 - 12:00   ET

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

[12:00:00]

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN ANCHOR: -- it is still in our hands to combat poverty and inequality. A fitting tribute to the man who understood that ordinary people willing to stand up for what's right can spark real change.

That's all we have time for. And don't forget, you can find all of our shows online as podcasts at CNN.com/audio and on all other major platforms. I'm Christiane Amanpour in London. Thank you for watching and see you again next week.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

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

And we begin this hour with breaking news out of East Hollywood where at least 30 people are injured after a vehicle drove into a crowd early this morning. The Los Angeles Fire Department says seven of those injured are in critical condition outside a music venue on West Santa Monica Boulevard. Officials say they responded to a chaotic scene.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

CAPT. ADAM VANGERPEN, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPT.: There was a vehicle who had drove through the people that were waiting in line. They drove through a taco stand, through a valet podium, and then through the crowd of people that were waiting to go inside.

So it was a very chaotic scene, but, you know, there was bystanders were helping each other out. A lot of trauma injuries associated with being struck by a vehicle.

(END VIDEOCLIP) WHITFIELD: CNN Correspondent Julia Vargas Jones is following the latest from the scene there. Julia, what are you hearing?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, we're just piecing together what happened here. This behind me is a very popular and quite busy and what I've been told by neighbors here, a rowdy, loud club venue that is often crowded. So you often see those kinds of crowds on weekend nights here in Los Angeles.

We're piecing together just what happened in the moments that led up to, and then what happened after that driver drove past the taco truck that was behind me a valet stand, and then into that crowd. He was then, according to video that CNN has reviewed, pulled out of his vehicle. And we're just hearing more details from the police department here. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

JEFFREY LEE, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPT.: The driver of that vehicle was pulled out and a physical altercation ensued. Bystanders were physically assaulting him. During that altercation, somebody produced a firearm and shot that driver of the vehicle. The driver was transported to a local hospital in unknown condition. The shooter in this situation is still outstanding and we consider him armed and dangerous.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

VARGAS JONES: And Fred, obviously, authorities are still here on the scene, although the venue behind me has been closed and it's a little bit of back to normal in Los Angeles this morning. But Mayor Karen Bass has put out a statement where she said, this is not only a heartbreaking tragedy, and she was thinking the more than 100 LAFD and LAPD personnel who responded to this scene. They said that this was a joint operation for their response.

She said, "The hearts of Angelenos are with all the victims impacted this morning -- a full investigation to what happened is underway." I can't stress enough, you know, this is East Hollywood. It is not a neighborhood that is used to this kind of activity.

But we do have reporting from CNN's John Miller. There is no indication beyond just this impaired state of this driver that there was any criminal intent or any kind of tie to terrorism at this point. Although the authorities here are still investigating to figure out the motive and exactly what happened that led to this horrible tragedy here.

WHITFIELD: Yes. All right, thank you so much. Julia Vargas Jones, we'll check back with you.

All right, now to major new developments in the expanding saga surrounding convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. President Trump has now filed a stunning new lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal. Trump is seeking as much as $20 billion from the newspaper and the company's media mogul owner, Rupert Murdoch. The lawsuit is in response to the journal's story saying President Trump gave a birthday letter, an allude drawing of a woman to Jeffrey Epstein back in 2003. The president denies he wrote it and some of his key Republican allies are rallying around him.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: The president and I talked about that ridiculous allegation this morning. He said it's patently absurd. He's never drawn such a picture. He's never thought of drawing such a picture.

And he said, did you see the language of this bogus supposed communication or card or something I supposedly sent to Epstein? He said, I don't talk like that. I don't think like that. They're literally making things up. And he's so frustrated by it.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

WHITFIELD: The lawsuit was filed just within hours of the Department of Justice moving to release grand jury testimony in the Epstein case, at least making a request to the judge.

[12:05:06]

The Trump administration faced blowback from supporters after releasing a memo stating that there was no evidence Epstein kept a client list. Some lawmakers are now demanding more information be released.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

REP. MELANIE STANSBURY (D), NEW MEXICO: You guys are so weak that you won't even vote to release the files.

REP. RO KHANNA (D), CALIFORNIA: Mr. Speaker, the American people, Republicans, Independents, Democrats want the Epstein files released.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Betsy Klein is at the White House now and joining us. So bring us up to speed on these latest developments, including President Trump's new comments on the case today.

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER AND WRITER: Well, President Trump is trying to go on the offense here as he's making good on his threat to sue the Wall Street Journal, its publisher and its reporters, who published a story this week that detail a note bearing President Trump's name and a drawing of a naked woman that was sent to Jeffrey Epstein as part of a birthday celebration back in 2003.

The president, of course, saying that that letter is fake. But a spokesperson for Dow Jones, the Wall Street Journal's publisher, telling CNN in a statement, quote, "We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit." Of course, it's been almost two weeks since the FBI and Department of Justice released that memo that concluded that Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide and that there was no so-called client list. Since then, MAGA World is in revolt, demanding transparency, access to additional documents and information, and essentially pitting the president against the movement that he created.

Pressure was intensifying. The president downplaying this controversy, saying it was sorted but not interesting. That Wall Street Journal story just ratcheting up the scrutiny on the president and raising questions about how close he and Epstein were and how much he knew about Epstein's proclivities. The president also announcing this week that he was asking Attorney General Pamela Bondi to unseal pertinent testimony related to Jeffrey Epstein.

And as you mentioned, Fredricka, the government filed that in federal court on Friday. This could be a lengthy process. And if that request is granted, that testimony would represent just a small fraction of the overall body of evidence against Epstein in this case.

And one of the reasons that this just isn't going away is because President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, other top officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino, spent so much significant time promoting the conspiracy theories around Jeffrey Epstein, hitting the podcast circuit, as well as on the campaign trail.

So it shouldn't be a surprise that the president's most ardent supporters are frustrated by this. The president appearing to acknowledge that in a post to social media this morning, he wrote, quote, "I have asked the Justice Department to release all grand jury testimony with respect to Jeffrey Epstein, subject only to Court Approval. With that being said, and even if the court gave its full and unwavering approval, nothing will be good enough for the troublemakers and radical left lunatics making the request. It will always be more, more, more."

We will have to see, Fredricka, if the president is indeed right about that.

WHITFIELD: All right, Betsy Klein at the White House, thanks so much.

All right, joining me right now to talk more about these developments is former Florida Judge, Jeffrey Swartz. He's also a professor at the Thomas Cooley Law School in Tampa. Judge, always great to see you.

JEFFREY SWARTZ, FORMER FLORIDA JUDGE: Always great to see you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: So Trump is now suing the Wall Street Journal. Is the president potentially opening himself up to even more scrutiny with potential discovery, et cetera, by doing so?

SWARTZ: You got the point. The legal strategy here and the political strategy are both pretty awful. The legal strategy is he's left himself open to being deposed. That's the Paula Jones-Clinton case. He has to give this deposition. He's going to be the first person that I think that Mr. Rupert -- Mr. Murdoch is going to want to depose.

So I don't know why he's doing this. He's going to have -- you're going to see discovery with Mr. Murdoch. You're going to see discovery probably with Ghislaine Maxwell. You're going to see discovery from all the people who sent those letters. All of those things are now going to be exposed and it's not going to stop. It's going to keep going. If he wants this to go away, filing a lawsuit was the wrong strategy.

WHITFIELD: Because there are going to be deadlines to meet with that now filed lawsuit. Certain things that have to be submitted by both sides. How much worse would it be if suddenly the president upon -- and he's been a very litigious person so he kind of knows how it goes.

SWARTZ: Yes.

WHITFIELD: But how much worse would he be making it if he were to suddenly withdraw that lawsuit because he would discover that the discovery might be worse?

[12:10:13]

SWARTZ: I don't know how he can do that. I will say that this is going to get worse. I've looked at the complaint. It's pretty bare bones as much as it doesn't look that way. He's meeting the Sullivan requirements, but the bottom line -- and it'll beat a motion to dismiss.

Once that happens, the discovery process will start and he's in the Southern District of Florida. This -- unless he ends up with alien cannon again, this is going to be rapid fire discovery. The judges in the Southern District of Florida are no nonsense and they are going to move forward. And I haven't found out who's got the case yet, but I suspect whoever it is, is going to call an immediate, once there's an answer to the complaint filed and it will be filed rather rapidly.

Once that's done, there's going to be a pre-trial conference and that judge is going to set deadlines and there is going to be no excuse, even for his deposition saying he's too busy to give a depo. That was the excuse that Clinton used and that didn't help him either. So I don't know what they're thinking. I don't know why they're doing this. But this legally and now politically, this is a big mistake for him.

WHITFIELD: All right. And now the other end of the Epstein case with the attorney general being given the go ahead by the president to release pertinent information, the grand jury testimony is what she's now requesting from the judge. The grand jury testimony would be representative of how much of the Epstein file?

SWARTZ: Very little compared to the -- we're talking about -- as I heard this morning, we're talking about 3 gigabytes of information. That's like 200 novels worth of information and documents that are sitting there waiting to be seen by a lot of people. The grand jury testimony, especially with Pam Bondi handling it, will be picked and chosen to avoid certain things that may be embarrassing to Mr. Trump and as a result of which it's a nothing burger. WHITFIELD: So --

SWARTZ: Grand jury testimony really doesn't do anything.

WHITFIELD: So as the judge then decides, you know, whether to entertain this request, might the judge also have questions or actually provoke other ideas such as, not only do we need consent of the alleged victims, you know, in order to release this, but if it really is an issue of public interest, can the judge, you know, use his own discretion and say, how about we also entertain releasing these other items?

SWARTZ: I don't know if he's -- if the judge would do that since the motion is very narrow and requesting only certain information. He may say the grand jury testimony will only mislead the public, not help the public understand what happened here. I think you need to expand your request. Your request at this point, based upon the victim's request that it not be disclosed is denied. Come back to me at another time with a better motion and that very well could happen.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. All right, very fascinating.

And that's why we called upon you and your expertise. Judge Jeff Swartz, always great to see you. Thank you.

SWARTZ: Great to see you too, Fred. Have a great day.

WHITFIELD: You too.

All right, still ahead, millions across the U.S. at risk for dangerous flash flooding this weekend as the onslaught of severe weather this summer prompts a band to pull the plug on its North American tour.

Plus, flames spewing out of this Delta planes engine forcing an emergency landing. The terrifying moment caught on camera.

And we're learning more about those two colleagues caught on the kiss cam right there. Embarrassing moment. It all happened at a Coldplay concert. How the company they work for is responding.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:18:38]

WHITFIELD: All right, Virginia joins several states across the country with more than 15 million people facing the threat of dangerous flash flooding this weekend as the summer of flooding continues. This is Russell County in Southwestern Virginia where roads were washed out. Heavy rain caused flooding in front of the post office in Dante. A sheriff's captain there called the situation pretty dire.

And overnight, Virginia's governor urged residents to avoid driving as first responders work to clear fallen trees from roads. And like what we saw overnight in Virginia, heavy rain is also now threatening to bring flash flooding to millions of people across much of the U.S.

CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar reports nearly every region of the country faces some threat this weekend.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The threat for excessive rainfall is not a small one today. In fact, 42 states have at least a small portion of them under that threat. And some of these states like Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland are entirely covered for that potential threat today.

Now, one thing to note is we've already had a lot of these storms ongoing throughout the day. They're going to continue into the evening, not only in the Midwest, but also across portions of the mid- Atlantic. Even Sunday morning, still looking at some very heavy rainfall across states like Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. States that have already had a lot of rain the last few days are going to continue to see more.

[12:20:08]

In addition to the potential for flooding, we also have a risk for severe thunderstorms. Now, the main threat is going to be damaging winds, but we can't rule out the potential for some small hail or even an isolated tornado, especially in the yellow-shaded areas that you see here.

Now, overall, most of these areas likely to pick up maybe up to 2 inches of rain. But right here where you see the orange and red color, not out of the question that some of those spots could pick up 4, 5, or even 6 inches of rain total by the time we get through the next few days.

Now, if it feels like it's been raining a lot and there have been a lot of flooding-related events, it's not just you thinking that. In fact, take a look at this map. Just since July 1st, all of the states you see highlighted here in red, 44 of them, have come together to produce over 1,200 flooding reports. So, yes, it has seemed like a lot of flooding reports because there have been a lot of flooding reports.

And unfortunately, we are likely to continue to get some flooding reports. Not just for the remainder of the day today, but as we finish out the rest of the weekend as well.

WHITFIELD: All right, Allison Chinchar, thanks so much.

All right, deadly flash floods in Texas, ravaging storms in the Northeast, sweltering heat waves, and all of this, the past month -- the past month, rather, has brought a disastrous onslaught of extreme weather, impacting every aspect of our lives, even music. On Wednesday, the Steve Miller Band, an iconic rock star and band, who has been performing since the 60s, canceled his band's long-awaited 31-concert North American tour.

In an Instagram post, Miller shared that, I'm quoting now, "The combination of extreme heat, unpredictable flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, and massive forest fires make these risks for you, our audience, the band, the crew, unacceptable. You can blame it on the weather. The tour is canceled." CNN's Chief Climate Correspondent, Bill Weir, is joining us right now. I mean, Bill, that is saying a lot that weather is forcing the Steve Miller Band to stop and the tour before it even gets underway.

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: And you know what? He has taken a beating online from skeptics who say, actually, it was ticket sales that made this decision, and don't blame the weather on that. But this is a very real concern, especially in the outdoor festival industry --

WHITFIELD: Yes. It's dangerous.

WEIR: -- bother (ph) everything. The festival (ph) in Tennessee, for the second time in the last four years, was canceled because of flooding there. They haven't announced dates for next year. That's an ominous sign. A bunch of smaller festivals have canceled this summer, and the insurance rates, like you may not believe Steve Miller or may not believe in climate change, but insurance companies do, and they increased prices for promoters becoming prohibited.

WHITFIELD: OK. All those incredible points, and maybe that will silence some of the critics. I mean, you know, of course, people want to see their favorite artists, but if the artist is saying, I don't want to put your lives in jeopardy, then, you know, that's a pretty respectful thing.

So some of the biggest --

WEIR: Sure.

WHITFIELD: -- names in music are using their platforms in a variety of ways, especially to take on climate change, right? I mean, you've made that discovery by talking to a lot of artists for your new episode of The Whole Story. How are they using their star power to help fight the climate crisis?

WEIR: Well, it's fascinating, Fred. I went back, you know, it's sort of like the way a lyric or a lick will influence music through time. You go back to Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, artists who had a conscience and tried to give voice to the voiceless out there. Well, now the climate crisis is the biggest on the minds of many of these young music fans.

So I talked to everybody from Bonnie Raitt to Jack Johnson on his farm in Hawaii, and Billie Eilish, one of the biggest pop stars in the world who came from a home that cared about energy use and waste, and then she brought her values into a music industry and discovered it was so wasteful. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

WEIR (voice-over): Billie Eilish immediately set out to bend the industry around her values. Haters and big oil companies began.

BILLIE EILISH, SINGER/SONGWRITER: Yes, it was funny. That video really went kind of viral in the kind of, oh my God, she's satanic world, which was really funny to me because I was like, no, no, you guys, this is a metaphor for climate change. I'm a bird falling into a thing of oil. That's kind of the whole point.

I have been trying to change the way that the industry has been running for a really long time. So for like food, backstage, all of my catering is vegan. Yes, we have like refillable water stations. We don't sell like plastic water bottles. And I have like a no idling policy for all the trucks, you know, to save all those fossil fuels.

WEIR: Yes, and save your lungs and a lot of your fans.

EILISH: Save your lungs and save all the things, yes. But, yes, it's really amazing.

WEIR: So it's leading by example, sort of.

[12:25:04]

WEIR (voice-over): As someone who attended the first Lollapaloozas and Coachellas and Bonnaroos --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll be (INAUDIBLE).

WEIR (voice-over): -- I can testify that the influence of Billie and others like her is catching on.

WEIR: You can now get a concert t-shirt in exchange for filling a plastic bag with recyclables. I talked to one guy, said it took him 45 minutes because the place is too clean. We've reached a point where it is cool to refill your own water bottle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Refill the water to keep you hydrated.

WEIR: We didn't plan that at all. I have never met her.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WEIR: There's a battery power stage at Lollapalooza this year. Thanks to Billie Eilish making that demand. Coldplay is the other one of the greenest bands. They're making headlines for a different reason this week.

WHITFIELD: I was going to say.

WEIR: But they got kinetic dance floors that turns crowd energy into electricity. So many other innovations that they're trying to just lead by example.

WHITFIELD: Well, Bill, that was just an example of you have friends everywhere.

WEIR: There's a lot of friends, friends of the earth. I just get to talk to them.

WHITFIELD: Oh, it's lovely. Well, we love what you're doing. And of course, this is a beautiful eye-opening hour that we look forward to as well.

Bill Weir, thanks so much. The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper airs tomorrow night at 8:00, only on CNN.

All right, coming up, Fed Chair Jerome Powell responding to attacks from the Trump administration over renovations at the Federal Reserve. Are the complaints a pretext for firing him?

And we're continuing to follow the breaking news out of Los Angeles. Dozens of people injured after a car drove into a crowd outside of a nightclub.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:31:13]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Controversy over a renovation project reveals the crumbling relationship between President Trump and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Plans to upgrade the Fed's Washington headquarters will cost $2.5 billion. The Trump administration calls the work, quote, an ostentatious overhaul and has even suggested maybe it's against the law. Chairman Powell says, I'm quoting now, we have taken great care to ensure the project is carefully overseen since it was first approved by the board in 2017, end quote.

CNN's Brian Todd takes a closer look into the building controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sitting on a coveted property alongside Washington's National Mall, two stately marble facaded buildings now ringed by construction fencing, covered in scaffolding, so called blue skin waterproof coverings on the windows. The two buildings, headquarters of the Federal Reserve and their costly renovation are President Trump's latest weapon in his war against Fed Chairman Jerome Powell.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I mean, it's possible there's fraud involved with the 2.5, $2.7 billion renovation. This is a renovation.

TODD (voice-over): The President indicating that while it' likely he'll fire Powell, it could still happen if fraud is involved in the $2.5 billion renovation, a project that's been hammered on by the President and his allies for weeks.

TRUMP: The one thing I didn't see him is a guy that needed a palace to live in. I think when you spend $2.5 billion on really a renovation, I think it's pretty disgraceful.

TODD (voice-over): Of course, Powell doesn't live in the building, but that hasn't stopped Trump from tying him to the renovation, the cost of which has shot up in recent years from $1.9 billion to 2.5 billion do. The Fed says the buildings had to be upgraded because their electrical grids, plumbing, HVAC, and fire detection systems were antiquated. The buildings were constructed almost 100 years ago. There have been claims that the renovation would include expenditures for lavish items like rooftop gardens, water features, and VIP elevators.

SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): It sends the wrong message to spend public money on luxury upgrades that feel more like they belong in the palace of Versailles than a public institution.

TODD (voice-over): But Powell and the Fed say those features were either not in the plans or were scaled back.

JEROME POWELL, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: Some of those are just flatly misleading, the idea of elevators, you know, it's the same elevator. It's been there since the building was built. So that's a mischaracterization. And some of those are no longer in the plans.

TODD (voice-over): The Fed says the cost overruns are really due to things like the cost of removing more asbestos than anticipated, soil contamination and inflation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the building is just a sideshow. It's an excuse to make life miserable for Jay Powell because President Trump, who, of course appointed him, doesn't like what he's doing.

TODD (voice-over): What Powell is doing is not moving aggressively enough for Trump's liking to lower interest rates.

TRUMP: He's a knucklehead. He should have cut interest rates a long time ago.

TODD (voice-over): Powell has resisted rate cuts out of concerns that Trump's tariffs could spark more inflation. But Trump and his allies continued their relentless pressure on Powell. Trump's budget director, Russell Vought, sending a recent letter to Powell saying the President was extremely troubled by his management of the Fed, including his, quote, ostentatious overhaul of the headquarters.

TODD: Now, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN, Jerome Powell has asked the Fed's inspector general to conduct an additional review of this renovation. Powell has only 10 months left in his term unless Trump can find cause to remove him sooner. Analyst David Wessel says he doesn't think the controversy over this project would stand up in court as a credible cause for removing Powell.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, let's dig deeper now. Joining us to discuss is Bloomberg reporter, Amara Omeokwe. She covers Federal Reserve and U.S. economy. Amara, great to see you. Thank you.

[12:35:00]

AMARA OMEOKWE, BUSINESS REPORTER, BLOOMBERG: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: All right, so renovations were initially slated in 2019 for $1.9 billion, but costs have risen to 2.5 billion, covering two buildings that haven't been renovated since 1930s. We just learned that, you know, in Brian's piece. So is there a strong feeling within the Fed that this is the lever to fire Fed Chair Jerome Power?

OMEOKWE: Well, I think the Fed feels pretty confident that this is not a lever that the president will be able to use to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell. They have said that what Chair Powell said about the renovations during congressional testimony last month was truthful. And they have really tried to explain why the cost of the project have risen over the last couple of years and the reason why they have included some of the features that they have in this renovation.

So the Fed has really taken a diplomatic approach to -- to this issue. They put a new Frequently Asked Questions page on their website to try and explain to people what's going on with this renovation. But when you talk to legal scholars and people who watch the Fed closely, they say they don't think that this issue will rise to the level of cause, which is what -- which is sort of the legal standard that the President has to meet if you were to try to remove Chair Powell from the Fed's board.

WHITFIELD: So as for the construction, what more do we know about what is being renovated? We heard asbestos removal among the many things since it hasn't been really touched since, you know, the 1930s. But is there are also some sort of, you know, cross check on, you know, how these funds are paying for certain things if it seems to be exorbitant or simply on par, especially since, you know, supplies have gone up considerably after the years of COVID.

OMEOKWE: Well, this is something that President Trump and his allies are going to be scrutinizing very closely. They have really been talking about this a lot in recent weeks. And you hear administration officials talking about going to do a site visit over at the renovation project to see what's going on there. And they're really asking a lot of questions about this. As your reporter said, in that package, the Fed has also -- Chair Powell has also asked the Fed's own inspector general to take a fresh look at this project.

The inspector general has done that before, but Chair Powell asked him to kind of revisit it. So there is a lot of scrutiny on this. But again, I think the Fed feels confident that -- that there's -- there is no wrongdoing that's going to be found. As we've been talking about, this project has been going on for several years, the Fed consulted with several different boards and agencies about this as they were approving these plans, coming up with these plans. They feel that they're on pretty good footing here.

WHITFIELD: I've driven by those marble buildings, and most people who have seen. I mean, it's a huge, colossal construction site that I think few people in the area have seen on -- on that scale in a very, very long time. So what is the director office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought, you know, going to see if he does indeed tour the site?

OMEOKWE: I mean, I haven't been there. I don't know what's actually going on, like, inside the buildings. Of course, if you're by the Fed or if you're along the National Mall or along Constitution Avenue there, it is very obvious that it is a huge construction project, a huge crane there. But I think to put this in context, like, this is part of the administration's pressure campaign on Chair Powell.

All of this is within the context of the fact that the administration really wants the Fed to lower interest rates. The Fed has not lowered interest rates so far this year. They've been on hold this whole year. And they have a meeting later this month, and policymakers have signaled that they're not going to lower interest rates again.

And so this is all part of a campaign to put pressure on Chair Powell because the administration really wants to see interest rates come down.

WHITFIELD: And -- and if, you know, Trump were to move forward again on this hypothetical. And we only press on it because it really kind of is the driving, you know, force behind the criticism coming from the Trump administration. If he were to move forward and fire Powell and even, you know, if he were to cite these renovations, what would it do to the markets? What kind of effect, you know, consequences would come as a result of doing that? His job is up next year, May. But if the President were to, you know, expedite things, what are the consequences?

OMEOKWE: Yes, to be clear. Yes, to be clear, President Trump has said that he is not planning on firing Chair Powell, but he continues to discuss it, right? So it is a question worth asking. If President Trump were to move to fire Chair Powell, it would be an unprecedented move, and it would really have -- they would likely have very severe consequences for both the economy here in the U.S. and around the globe.

One of the reasons why the U.S. economy is viewed as a stable and safe place to invest is because we have a Fed that is independent. We have a Fed that investors believe will take whatever steps are necessary to control inflation and support employment in this country, even if those steps are politically inconvenient or politically unpopular.

And so if people were to start to question whether the Fed's independence was under threat, then that would have a lot of implications likely for the U.S. dollar, for U.S. Treasuries and for stock. So it would be an unprecedented move with a lot of consequences. And as you mentioned, this question is also relevant because Chair Powell's term is up next May.

[12:40:12]

And so there's a lot of speculation about who he will pick to succeed Chair Powell and whether that person, you know, in this decades long tradition of protecting Fed independence.

WHITFIELD: All right, Amara Omeokwe, great to talk to you. Thank you so much.

OMEOKWE: Thank you. WHITFIELD: All right, who can forget it was the kiss scene around the world, that one right there. And the duck seen around the world too. We've got the latest fallout from a kiss cam moment that has a tech company CEO now being put on leave.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:45:18]

WHITFIELD: All right, frightening moments on a Delta flight this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, look at that. Whoa.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Yes, an engine fire forced that Boeing 767 to return to the Los Angeles airport shortly after takeoff on Thursday. The FAA says it was headed to Atlanta. The plane landed safely back at LAX. No word yet on the cause of that fire.

And the CEO of tech company, Astronomer, has been placed on leave after a moment at a Coldplay concert put him in the big spotlight. Andy Byron was caught with a fellow executive during a kiss cam moment there. But as soon as they were -- they realized that they were on camera, as you saw right there, they pulled apart. It appears things got a little uncomfortable with the CEO ducking for cover.

It's sparking some light hearted moments as well out there as some Major League Baseball mascots, including the Philly Fanatic, are having a little fun with it there. CNN's Polo Sandoval takes us through the viral story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What was caught on a Coldplay kiss cam is playing on repeat around the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in Foreign Language).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Caught out --

CHRIS MARTIN, COLDPLAY FRONTMAN: Oh, look at these two.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- in a moment these lovers won't ever forget.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking in Foreign Language).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in Foreign Language).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody on the Internet's talking about it.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): You've no doubt seen that moment captured on a Jumbotron during Coldplay's concert near Boston earlier this week. A man and a woman embrace, but quickly and awkwardly separate once they realize they're on camera at a sold out 60,000-seat stadium. The band's frontman, Chris Martin offered a theory that's fueled speculation and scandal online.

MARTIN: Oh, look at these two. Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): He is Andy Byron, CEO of New York based tech company, Astronomer. She is Kristen Cabot, head of human resources, according to Astronomer's website.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What would H.R. say? Oh, hang on, she is H.R.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): Neither Byron nor Cabot have publicly addressed their surprise concert cameo. The company's Friday statement reads in part, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability. The board of directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been watching it. It's on like every feed of my Instagram, of my Facebook. It's crazy.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): The viral moment continues to give way to parodies and comical reenactments.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's embarrassing, you know, it's like nobody's got a private life anymore.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): And if it's merch you're after, Rolling Stone are reoffering a lampooning list of what to wear to totally blend in at a Coldplay concert with products including novelty disguise glasses and a camo tee.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The thing is, like, he shouldn't don it. And that's -- that's it.

SANDOVAL: What about you? What did you think of it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you're going to do something bad, do it well.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[12:48:28]

WHITFIELD: OK. All right, coming up, a stunning start to the WNBA's All-Star Weekend, despite a notable absence by Fever star, Caitlin Clark.

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WHITFIELD: All right, WNBA All-Star Weekend has begun and it's off to an exciting start even without one of its star attractions. CNN's Coy Wire has more. COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Hi Fredricka. The hometown Indianapolis crowd would have been bummed to Miss Caitlin Clark missing the three- point competition due to injury, but they still got quite the show at the WNBA All-Star Friday night.

The Liberty having double the fun in the skills Challenge. Natasha Cloud blistering ahead with some bounce passes through a big old prop. And how about this for distraction? Draining three pointers over some swinging lightsabers, Cloud capturing the 2025 Skills Challenge title, edging out the Storm's Erica Wheeler with just 1.1 seconds to spare in the final round.

And the Liberty sharpshooter Sabrina Ionescu became just the second player ever to win the WNBA three-point contest multiple times. Ionescu with a phenomenal final round, scoring 30 points, hitting 11 consecutive threes at one point, Ionescu said she's giving away her $62,000 winnings, including half to Mystics rookie three point shooter Sonia Citron. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SABRINA IONESCU, NEW YORK LIBERTY GUARD: I told Sonia that I would give her half if I won when were sitting on the bench as being like the only rookie and, you know, she was nervous and I was nervous for her, like, you know, and so I obviously have to hold up my end of the bargain. So half is going to go to her. I got to text her and let her know that I'm going to give her half of it. Just for participating like that takes a lot of courage to be able to do that as a rookie and -- and what she did and I was really proud of her. And then the other half will go to my foundation to continue to be able to give back in communities that mean a lot to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:55:00]

WIRE: How awesome is that? Sabrina is a woman of her word. She's giving back through her SI20 foundation and she's an absolute baller. You can see along with the others All Stars in the All Star Game. That's tonight at 8:30 Eastern. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: I love it. Indeed. She is amazing. All right, Coy Wire, appreciate it.

All right, straight ahead, back to our breaking news. Dozens of people injured after a car drove into a crowd outside a Los Angeles nightclub, details next.

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