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Appeals Court Rules Trump Administration Tariffs Unconstitutional; Controversial Florida Detention Center Dubbed Alligator Alcatraz Could Be Shut Down; Migrant Deported From U.S. To Mexico Speaks About His Experience Being Arrested By Federal Agents In Connecticut; Therapist Discusses Trauma Children May Suffer After Surviving School Shooting; U.S. Air Force To Give Military Funeral Honors To Capitol Rioter Ashli Babbitt; Former CDC Deputy Director Interviewed On Recent Resignations Of Numerous CDC Officials Over Trump Administration Vaccine Policies; New York City May End Iconic Horse Drawn Carriage Rides In Central Park. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired August 30, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Across a 160,000 square foot screen, more than 120l,000 tickets up have already been sold. The experience is complete with the wind, smells and scents, and seats that make you feel like you are a part of the story.

Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we begin with a big defeat for President Trump's aggressive trade policy. A federal appeals court ruling Friday that Trump's sweeping tariffs are illegal, saying the president went too far when he used emergency powers to impose import taxes on nearly every country.

CNN's Betsy Klein joins us now from the White House. Betsy, good to see you again. How is the White House responding?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: Well, Fredricka, we saw President Trump exert his executive powers and take steps to really transform the global economic world order and also reimagine U.S. alliances with those tariff policies in the first months of his administration. All of that has led to so much economic uncertainty. And for now, it appears that that uncertainty will continue and have real impacts for Americans.

And at issue in this case was whether the president unlawfully used his emergency powers when he enacted those tariffs earlier this year. A federal appeals court ruling on Friday that these tariffs did overstep that power. This court says that the power to enact taxes, including tariffs, lies with the congressional authority. This is something that is specific to the legislative branch of government.

Now, it's very important to note as well that these tariffs are still in effect. The court says that this order will not go into effect until October. That, of course, gives the Trump administration some time to file an appeal. They will almost certainly take this to the Supreme Court.

And tariffs are really a cornerstone of President Trump's economic agenda. For now, this is really a major blow to that. And they are starting to react, top Trump officials lambasting this decision. We had also heard from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who said prior to this ruling that suspending tariffs would, quote, "lead to dangerous diplomatic embarrassment." After the ruling, we heard from Attorney General Pamela Bondi who said that the move undermines the U.S. on the world stage.

But we also got a hint of how they plan to respond from President Trump reacting to this ruling in a post to social media. He says, quote, "All tariffs are still in effect. Today, a highly partisan appeals court incorrectly said that our tariffs should be removed. But they know the United States of America will win in the end. If these tariffs ever went away, it would be a total disaster for the country." The president goes on to say that now, with the help of the United States Supreme Court, we will use them to the benefit of our nation. But certainly a major setback for the president's economic agenda with major questions about some of those negotiations with other countries on trade going forward. And this, all signs point to the fact that this will likely become a brewing battle at the Supreme Court, Fredricka.

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

All right, Florida taxpayers could be on the hook for the $218 million spent to build the detention center that has been dubbed Alligator Alcatraz. The facility may soon be completely empty as a judge this week upheld her decision ordering operations to wind down indefinitely. The remote detention center, built on an abandoned airstrip in the Everglades, has been plagued by reports of unsanitary conditions and detainees being, you know, disconnected with communications with their attorneys. CNN correspondent Rafael Romo is joining me now with more details on all this. So what are you learning?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR: So that was one of the first questions that surfaced, Fred, right. Where is the money coming from? And ultimately who pays for it? And when the migrant detention center was built two months ago, Florida state officials said it would have capacity for 3,000 detainees. At one point, it held almost 1,000. But now the Associated Press is reporting that last week it held only 300 to 350 detainees, citing U.S. Representative Maxwell Frost from Florida, who said he was told this figure while touring the tent facility.

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction nine days ago, halting further expansion due to environmental reasons. And then, in a message to a Florida rabbi a day later, Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie said that, quote, "We are probably going to be down to zero individuals within a few days. "The correspondence was about chaplaincy services, but the official's message sent as an email appears to confirm the migrant detention center is about to be emptied out.

[14:05:01]

An immigrants' rights advocate welcomed the news, saying a tent facility in the Florida Everglades in the middle of the summer during hurricane season should never have been built in the first place.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS KENNEDY, POLICY ANALYST, FLORIDA IMMIGRATION COALITION: It's come to sort of symbolize the excesses and cruelty of Trump era immigration policy. Remember, this was a state run, extrajudicial site that was operating under no legal authority or contract from the federal government where people were denied due process and even an appearance before an immigration judge or court.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: As we have reported in the past, the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil and immigrants' rights groups sued the Trump administration and state officials, claiming lack of access to legal counsel and violations of due process. But Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier told FOX Business on Thursday that the effort to use his state to help the Trump administration deport migrants is still ongoing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES UTHMEIER, FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL: The facility is still operating. Obviously, there's a lot of deportations that are ongoing taking people out of the facility. The judge has said no more new people can go in, but we disagree with that order. We believe we're right on the law, and we've appealed it to the 11th circuit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Florida taxpayers may lose hundreds of millions of dollars. in the end shutting down the facility endorsed by President Trump last month will cost the state anywhere between $15 million and $20 million. According to an analysis of court filings by the A.P. and the Florida Division of Emergency Management may lose most of the value of the $218 million it has spent making the airport suitable for a detention center. Again, many questions here for taxpayers. All that money spent, and in the end, it only really functioned the way it was supposed to for a couple of months. And we don't know what's going to happen in the next few weeks when there's still these legal battles still going on.

WHITFIELD: Or even where many of those detainees, people will go.

ROMO: That's right.

WHITFIELD: All right, Rafael Romo, thanks so much.

All right, officials in Washington are speaking out after Border Patrol arrested two crew workers who were helping firefighters battle the state's biggest wildfire. The Bear Gulch fire has been burning since July 6th and was only 13 percent contained as of Thursday in Washington state. The workers were near the scene of the fire when Customs and Border Protection showed up to verify the I.D.s of all the personnel. DHS says the men arrested were in the U.S. illegally, a claim disputed by their attorneys. Governor Bob Ferguson said he is, quote, "deeply concerned" end quote, about the arrests, and Democratic Senate -- Democratic Senator, rather, Patty Murray, slammed the move, saying in a statement "Trump has wrongfully detained everyone from lawful green card holders to American citizens. No one should assume this was necessary or appropriate," end quote.

A migrant who was deported from the U.S. to Mexico is speaking to CNN about his experience being arrested by federal agents in Connecticut. It was captured in a video that went viral. CNN's Maria Santana has the story. And a warning, you may find some of the images disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

You can't do that. You can't do that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't do that! You can't do that!

MARIA SANTANA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Forty-two-year-old Leonel Chavez captured his own arrest in Norwalk, Connecticut. He says he was driving to work with his brother Ricardo on the morning of August 15th when federal immigration agents surrounded his truck, demanding they get out. He says the agents gave no explanation before they smashed his window, cut his seatbelt, and shocked him with a taser.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you looking for?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of the car.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why?

SANTANA: Speaking from Mexico, Leonel shows us the scars left by the taser. But, he says, the wounds run much deeper.

LEONEL CHAVEZ, MIGRANT DEPORTED TO MEXICO: I was scared because I scared. But after they pulled me out, and, like, I say, the seatbelt is still in place and he caught the seatbelt and just pulled me up.

SANTANA (voice-over): After being detained for about a week in a Massachusetts detention center, he was deported, forced to leave behind his family and the life he built in the United States.

CHAVEZ: I don't feel home, like, because all my life is in the U.S. I miss my kids. I miss my wife, my church, my community.

SANTANA (voice-over): Leonel says he was just 17 years old when he moved to the U.S. He started his own masonry business, married an American citizen, and has three U.S.-born children. He says he has worked with an attorney over the years to file for legal status but was never able to get his papers.

SANTANA: I could see in one video how proud you were when your daughter graduated college.

[14:10:00]

What is it like being away from your children and your wife and knowing that you may not be part of more big moments like that?

CHAVEZ: It's sad. It's sad because my son is graduating this year, and my daughter too, for high school and my son for college. But after that, I live and everything has changed.

SANTANA (voice-over): Leonel says his brother, who had been in the U.S. since 2008, was also deported. In images shot by a passerby, Ricardo can be seen running from an agent, who shocks him several times after he falls to the ground. With his face bloodied, Ricardo is then handcuffed.

That video of his brother's arrest has drawn questions from officials in Connecticut. Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, went further, calling it a possible human rights violation.

But in a statement to CNN, the Department of Homeland Security said their agents followed protocol and used only the minimum force necessary. They also called Leonel an illegal immigrant with a long criminal record. Court documents show Leonel has several decades-old misdemeanor convictions, mistakes he says were made in his youth.

CHAVEZ: But that's in my past, like my teenage years, you know. After maybe 25, I do everything right and try to be a better person.

SANTANA (voice-over): He now longs for the day he is reunited with his family in the only place he's ever called home.

CHAVEZ: I love America, I love USA because I got all my family there, all my, like I say, all my friends, families, church. Sooner or later, I'll be back. But I got to do the right thing, you know, legal, straight, everything, so I can start a new life.

SANTANA (voice-over): Maria Santana, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Coming up after the break, the CDC is facing unprecedented upheaval. Senior leaders have either resigned or been dismissed, hundreds of staff have been laid off, and a deadly shooting at the agency's Atlanta headquarters has deepened the crisis.

Plus, Minneapolis is grieving after children were shot and killed while praying at school. We'll speak with a licensed therapist about the path to healing after such a horrific tragedy, especially for children.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAYSON SINGH, ANNUNCIATION SCHOOL SHOOTING SURVIVOR: Well, at first I just thought it was one balloon pop. But then it just kept on going down the line. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Down the line of the windows?

SINGH: Down the line of the windows, yes. And then it just hit me that.

I just saw other people ducking under, and I was like, well, I'll duck under, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:17:24]

WHITFIELD: All right, as more parents across the country get ready to send their kids back to school after the Labor Day holiday weekend, the tragic loss of two young children killed during a school shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday is reigniting the fear many parents have in sending their kids to school. And now some parents are even starting to do drills with their children at home to teach them how to react to these situations.

But how do parents prepare to help their children process the grief the day after a mass shooting in Minneapolis. Twelve-year-old Greyson Singh, a seventh grader at Annunciation Catholic School where the shooting took place, spoke to CNN about what he experienced. And I do want to warn you, this account may be hard to hear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAYSON SINGH, ANNUNCIATION SCHOOL SHOOTING SURVIVOR: I just, I tried putting my hands over the ears, but I could still hear screams of others and bullets. And I was just sitting there looking at the teacher under the pew next to us. And I'm just, I'm just happy he didn't go to the basement, because in the basement, there are preschoolers and the basement. And I'm just glad he didn't go to the basement first, because that would have been way bigger disaster if he went in the basement first.

So on the way out, I saw the kids that were injured sitting in front of the like, there's a saint, and it says annunciation church, and they're sitting right in front of that. And one of the people, like, just there's just a big hole in her forehead. And I was -- I didn't know what was happening. And I just ran out. I was holding on to my friends. I was hugging my friends. When I got down there, I sat there. I was just so antsy. And then I finally saw my sister, and it was like a sigh of relief because she was OK. She was fine.

Just looking around, seeing all the little kids with like, the kids with blond hair and the girls with hair, you could just see other peoples blood in their hair.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Joining us now to discuss is Jody Baumstein, a licensed therapist with Children's Health Care of Atlanta. Jody, great to hear. His description is just amazing. He really puts you there. And what goes through your mind as you hear what little 12-year-old Grayson, you know, what he went through and how he is recollecting every detail?

[14:20:06]

And it seems as though he will be faced with that kind of trauma for a lifetime, potentially.

JODY BAUMSTEIN, LICENSED THERAPIST, CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA: Right. And that's the thing about trauma is it's not short term. It's going to have an impact. And a lot of times with kids, they don't have the language to be able to tell us, so it's going to come out in their behavior. And on the surface it might seem like a child is being defiant, they're not listening to you. But it might be that they have intrusive thoughts and they're replaying this stuff in their minds. So it's really important that we get curious and try to think about what are they communicating to me through their behavior that they cant say through their words.

WHITFIELD: I mean, even Grayson, I mean, he was expressing some remorse for what his peers and classmates went through, and, you know, relief in seeing his little sister. What can parents or caretakers do, how do you respond to your children when they are verbal like that, but perhaps there can't completely describe what they're thinking and feeling and you know, what is haunting them, what's still perplexing to them, all of that?

BAUMSTEIN: Yes, so it is important that we talk about it. A lot of times we don't want to engage in the conversation because we're worried we're going to put thoughts into their heads or we're going to make it worse. But it's really important that we start this conversation so they don't feel alone in it.

The other thing we do want to actually help them with is name those feelings in whatever way makes sense to them, because when we name it, it starts to make it a little more manageable.

And here's the really important thing -- we need to normalize and validate their feelings, because kids are going to have a range, like you talked about. There might be guilt that comes with surviving. And often ill hear people say, you know, why should I be grateful because of x, y, and z. But that's actually the first step in minimizing our feelings. And when we do that, we're resisting them. And whatever we resist is going to persist. And it's going to go on for a lot longer. So what we want to help kids with is it's normal and OK that you feel that way. There's nothing wrong with you. OK.

WHITFIELD: We've talked to you so many times following tragedies or crises and how families should navigate it, including back in 2022, you talked about how parents and caregivers can try to help little kids processing their feelings in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting. And here we are having the same conversation about something, you know, sadly, very similar. So, you know, knowing all of this, that there could potentially be yet another mass shooting, another tragedy that that parents and families have to navigate, I mean, what do you say to them even preemptively? I mean, sadly, you know, sad to say, preemptively, you know, with some certainty that it's going to happen again.

BAUMSTEIN: Yes. I think similarly to what we were just talking about, as adults, we need the same permission to feel what we feel. And across the board, no matter who I'm working with, whatever age, a big part of human suffering is that we don't just let ourselves feel what we feel. We're always coming in with, well, I shouldn't feel that or this person has it worse. And that actually is what causes so much of our suffering.

The pain in life is going to happen. We're going to have sometimes horrific experiences. But what makes it worse is that added shame. I shouldn't feel this. Something's wrong with me. And if we can remove that layer, it doesn't mean the other part is easy, but it makes it easier to deal with. And that starts to allow us to heal and process. But I think that's the biggest thing, honestly, Fred is just saying this is hard. And we don't have to have an answer for it right now. Right now, we can just feel it.

WHITFIELD: What about for first responders? I recall hearing one of the responding officers talking about, you know, look, a lot of us have kids and, you know, who are that same age group. And they responded to that tragic shooting, they couldn't help but think about their kids and how close to home, you know, an impactful this is this, this trauma that they have to live with, too. What is your advice to them?

BAUMSTEIN: Well, I think, first of all, it's understanding trauma, because a lot of people have this just misunderstanding about what it looks like. And the reality is you don't have to directly experience something. You could come in after. You could just hear about it and you could have a traumatic response. So know the warning signs, know that it can take a lot of different forms.

For some people, they might just get really busy after a traumatic experience, throw themselves into work because they don't want to think about it. But that's actually a classic symptom of trauma. It's avoidance. And so really paying attention to how are you coping.

[14:25:03]

The other thing I would say is we have resources. You don't have to figure this out on your own. Call a licensed professional. We don't wait when something is physical with kids. We take them to get a consult with a doctor. The same should be true with mental health. Most clinicians will do a 15-minute free consult on the phone. You've got nothing to lose. And there's also 988, which is a great resource for people to be aware of. That number is staffed 24/7 with licensed professionals who can help you if there's suicidality or any mental health crisis.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jody Baumstein, we'll leave it there. Thank you so much.

BAUMSTEIN: You're welcome. WHITFIELD: And well be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:30:08]

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back.

The U.S. Air Force will now give military funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt, the Air Force veteran and Capitol rioter who was shot and killed while trying to climb through a broken window on January 6th. She was breaching a sensitive area that members of Congress were evacuating. The Capitol police officer who shot her was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing. CNN's Zach Cohen has details.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Ashli Babbitt obviously still remains a very polarizing figure. An Air Force veteran and pro- Trump rioter, Babbitt was shot and killed by a police officer on January 6th, 2021, after breaching the U.S. Capitol. The officer was cleared of wrongdoing, but the controversy around Babbitt's death continues as the U.S. Air Force is now approving a request from her family that she received military funeral honors.

This reverses a decision made during the Biden administration to deny the same request. The undersecretary for the Air Force now saying in a letter to Babbitt's family that they reviewed the circumstances of Ashli's death and is now, quote, "persuaded that the previous determination was incorrect."

Now it remains unclear what persuaded the Air Force to change this decision, but the undersecretary also invited Babbitt's family to the Pentagon to personally offer their condolences.

Now, military honors typically include a uniform detail at the funeral, the playing of taps, and the folding and presentation of the American flag. Now, this decision also comes after the Trump administration agreed to pay Babbitt's family $5 million as part of a wrongful death settlement.

Zachary Cohen, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: And sweeping changes at the CDC. Hundreds of jobs cut and top leaders forced out or resigning. We'll hear from a former senior official about what these changes could mean for the health care of millions of Americans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What makes CDC great are the people that make CDC up, the scientists, everyone that makes this a family. And it's a family that defends our country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's get the politics out of public health.

(CHEERING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's get back to the objectivity and let the science lead us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:36:59]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. Today we're hearing newly released 911 audio from the August 8th shooting at the CDC in Atlanta. In the eight- minute call, a distraught man describes what he is seeing as gunfire goes off in the background.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You probably taking fire at this point.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's shooting, he's shooting at the officer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's shooting at the officer. Give me one second. Give me one moment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Officers trying to get to safety. I can't see if he's hit or not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is the officer hit?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Officer's hit. Officer's down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The caller stays on the line under heavy fire, relaying details to the dispatcher. The attack took the life of DeKalb County police officer David Rose.

And adding to the anxiety at the agency, a series of high profile resignations, including its recently confirmed director. And now there's a new face leading the nation's premier public health agency. Jim O'Neill, who served as the deputy secretary at Health and Human Services, has now been sworn in as the CDC's new acting director. O'Neill's appointment comes after days of turmoil and disagreements within the agency over the Trump administration's vaccine policy.

I want to discuss now with Dr. Howard Zucker. He is the former deputy director for global health at the CDC. Dr. Zucker, good to see you.

DR. HOWARD ZUCKER, FORMER CDC DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR GLOBAL HEALTH: It's good to see you, too. Thank you very much for inviting me on.

WHITFIELD: So what's your reaction to all that has been taking place at the CDC, including this week at your agency, including the ouster of Dr. Susan Monarez?

ZUCKER: Well, I am very concerned about what's happening, not just at the CDC, but in public health in general. But CDC is sort of the face of. Public health for our country in many ways for the world. And my big concern is that not only are we allowing politics to take over science, but we are also creating an agency where people are becoming very demoralized. And these are the experts. These are the experts in the world in their field. And I don't want to see those people leave, more people leave, people have left already, more people leave because they're going to take away the institutional memory. And that affects all Americans.

WHITFIELD: You said so many of the people there feeling demoralized. And is this kind of, you know, insult to injury with the new head of the CDC being a former Silicon Valley executive who lacks medical or scientific training?

ZUCKER: Well, I think that there's a lot of challenges here. One is, obviously you want someone to be leading the agency with a medical background. I happen to know the new acting director because I worked with him when I was at HHS about 20 years ago, and at that point in time, he did listen to the scientists when we were working together.

[14:40:03]

I hope he continues to listen to scientists and that the data that they have in order to move things forward. But it's very important within the entire agency to make sure that the data is provided to the leaders in the organization and the leaders in the organization hear it and base their decisions on science.

WHITFIELD: Are you concerned that the CDC mission is going to be reframed?

ZUCKER: Well I am very concerned. In fact, I had a conversation with Kevin Griffiths a while back. He was the head of communications at the CDC. He left in April. So I had him on my podcast "Docology", which is designed to address all the confusion that's out there. And he had said at that point he was worried that fantasy was going to take over from fact, and that we need to be make decisions based on fact. And that was not where we're headed right now. So I am very concerned about that, both for the United States, but for the world in general.

WHITFIELD: And officials under HHS Secretary Kennedy have already now limited eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines. What, in your view, might be the potential impact here?

ZUCKER: So I think there's a lot of confusion in America right now about can I get my shot? Will my shot be covered? Who should get that shot, not only for the COVID vaccine, but for other vaccines as well? Children get a hepatitis b vaccine, babies, I should say, when they're born, get a hepatitis b vaccine. They are RSV vaccines. There are many other immunizations that that children and adults get. And everyone's wondering what to do.

I think we need to make sure there's more clarity out there and that we remove all of this confusion and this misinformation. And I think it's also important that we don't sow the seeds of doubt about vaccines. We know vaccines work. It's been proven over and over again. And all of these myths, I should say, about vaccines causing autism have been shown to be false. And anyone who keeps sowing those myths are only causing a detriment to the American public.

WHITFIELD: What are your recommendations, if any, to Americans who are concerned about access to vaccines, guidance on what they should be doing right now as we head into the, you know, cooler the fall and the winter months?

ZUCKER: Sure. I'm concerned about this, obviously, not just COVID, but flu, flu, vaccines, what's going to be available. So most importantly, you should always speak with your doctor, because they know your particular medical conditions, and your doctor will be able to recommend that you get a shot. Then the question is, where do you get it? Some states are not allowing people to get it at the -- I shouldn't say the states. Some pharmacies are not allowing people to get it there because there's been some questions whether they will provide those vaccines. So that's not all in the states.

But it is very important to speak with your doctor and say, how can I get this shot? Can you give me this shot? If you can't, where do I go to get it? Because that is what's going to be of concern come now, September, October, and the months ahead. And the same with the COVID vaccine. So vaccines are so important, and I think it's very critical that we make sure nothing happens to the vaccine supply in America.

WHITFIELD: Dr. Howard Zucker, thank you so much.

ZUCKER: Thank you for having me. And I hope we continue to push public health forward in the correct way based on science.

WHITFIELD: So incredibly important. Appreciate it.

All right, coming up in just minutes, the iconic horse drawn carriages of Central Park may be heading for their final chapter. We'll look at the mounting pressure to end a 167-year-old tradition.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:48:40]

WHITFIELD: All right, we could see a record-breaking travel numbers this Labor Day weekend as millions of Americans are hitting the roads and airports. The TSA says it's expecting to screen more than 17 million passengers through Wednesday. And that would be an all-time high for the holiday period. Despite highway traffic, there's some there's some good news for travelers. Gas prices have not been this low on Labor Day since 2020. And as for the weather, meteorologist Chris Warren has the latest forecast.

CHRIS WARREN, METEOROLOGIST: Most areas of this holiday weekend are looking pretty good and feeling pretty nice as well. Some exceptions, the green shows us where there's going to be rain. The rain coming in the form of thunderstorms, possible flood threat for the day, thunderstorms in the southern plains and around the Gulf coast. Otherwise, this cold front is going to make it feel pretty nice, with highs into the mid-70s for both Boston and New York.

Cooler than normal temperatures with us this weekend through the holiday weekend. Now, still summertime, late summer, and temperatures are warm, but not as warm as they could be. So your average this time of year, what you would expect in Atlanta, 87, we're talking mid 80s through the weekend. Below 90 in Orlando on Sunday and again on Monday, going to be in the 80s. New Orleans also in the 80s for daytime highs.

[14:50:05]

For the northeast, plenty of 70s in Boston, New York, even Washington, D.C. not getting back up to 80 until on Monday. The possibility, the chance that there could be some of these showers that lead to some flooding, it's going to be the areas in green, a little bit more likely in the yellow.

So hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend and stay safe and enjoy these slightly cooler than average temperatures.

WHITFIELD: We shall try. Thank you so much, Chris Warren.

All right, visitors heading to New York City looking to enjoy that weather may also enjoy a ride in the iconic horse drawn carriages this holiday weekend. But the Central Park fixture may soon become a thing of the past. CNN's Leigh Waldman joins us now with more details. What's going on, Leigh?

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, the topic of banning these carriage horses has been a politically contentious battle for years now, really ramping up over this last decade. Historically, it was about the animal rights issue itself. But after two instances in May where these horses broke free from their drivers and were loose in Central Park, the conservancy is now adding it's voice to the mix, saying it's time to ban this practice altogether. And just a warning, some of the images you're about to see are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, hey. Good morning, good morning.

WALDMAN: It's a familiar sound in Central Park, the carriage horses and their drivers welcoming tourists and locals into the heart of the city.

CHRISTINA HANSEN, CARRIAGE HORSE DRIVER, CHIEF STOP STEWARD TWU LOCAL 100: I think it's a misconception that, you know, oh, we're just a holdover from when everybody had horses. You know, this is something that's always been special.

WALDMAN: For more than a decade, Christina Hansen has been a carriage horse driver in New York City. She also sees herself as an advocate for the working animals that are under a new wave of scrutiny. HANSEN: If the conservancy has sort of taken sides with the animal

rights activists, because their timing was clearly designed to help push this carriage, horse ban bill that we've got.

WALDMAN: The nonprofit that maintains New York City's iconic green space, the Central Park Conservancy, is pushing for a ban on the carriage horses, but not for animal rights reasons.

BETSY SMITH, PRESIDENT, CEO CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY: The horse carriages have been an ongoing issue, and really it was a couple of safety issues in May that really brought it again to the fore.

WALDMAN: In her letter to the mayor's office, Betsy Smith described two instances in May where carriage horses broke loose from their handlers, writing, "The risk to public safety can no longer be responsibly overlooked."

SMITH: We have 40 million people use the park. Things like that are very, very unsustainable and worrisome to people.

WALDMAN: The conservancy also points to damaged infrastructure from the horse carriages and sanitation issues from what's left behind by the animals. It's the first time the Central Park conservancy is adding its voice to the fight over the decades old tradition.

SMITH: There is something iconic about the horses in the park. We feel sympathetic to that. But actually trumping that is our feeling that we have to manage the park to make it safe for everyone. And these issues really together made it really the point.

WALDMAN: Ultimately, it's not up to the conservancy or the carriage horse union. The decision on whether or not to keep horses strolling through Central Park lies with the mayor and the city council.

ROBERT HOLDEN, NEW YORK CITY COUNCILMAN, DISTRICT 30: You can't think of a worse place to be for a horse than on the busy streets of Manhattan.

WALDMAN: Councilman Robert Holden introduced a new piece of legislation hoping to ban the practice by next June. For him, it's an issue of animal safety.

HOLDEN: Day in and day out, they are pulling carriages, and they're suffering. And that's why you see horses drop.

WALDMAN: His bill, Rider's law, is named after a horse that collapsed in Hell's Kitchen in 2022 and was later euthanized. Earlier this month, another horse collapsed and died on the street after working in New York City for less than two months. Drivers like Hansen say these issues are isolated, that their horses are cared for and have strict safety regulations.

HANSEN: It's my hope that this is an opportunity for the city council, for New Yorkers or whatever, to remember, like, what we're actually all about here and what kind of protections that we have.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WALDMAN: And Holden says that he would like to see these animals replaced with electric carriages instead. But the union represents these drivers say that their animals pose no risk to public safety, instead pointing at the electric scooters and bikes that we see coming through Central Park. They say they pose a greater risk to pedestrians who frequent this park.

We asked Mayor Eric Adams office where they stand on this issue. They said it's something that they're looking at for the safety of the animals and also for the safety of the people. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right, Leigh Waldman in Central Park, thanks so much.

Coming up, grab your lucky charms because $1 billion is on the line for tonight's Powerball lottery drawing. What you need to know before buying a ticket.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, do you have a little news fatigue? "Have I Got News for You" could be the cure you need. The comedy quiz show returns next week, and you can catch that new season on September 6th at 9:00 p.m. right here on CNN.

And you could become Americas next billionaire this weekend. The Powerball jackpot has soared to a staggering $1 billion ahead of tonight's drawing. And that makes it the sixth largest in the game's history. No one has hit the big prize since May.