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Judge to Decide on Whether to Block President Trump from Deploying National Guard Troops to Portland, Oregon; Multiagency Federal Operation in Chicago Using Blackhawk Helicopter, Military Vehicles, and Heavy Weaponry Leads to Arrest of 37 People; Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker Announces Trump Administration Plans to Federalize 300 Illinois National Guard Members; Israel Forms Delegation to Lead Ceasefire Talks Under President Trump's 20-Point Peace Plan in Gaza; Trump Administration Tariffs Adversely Affecting Halloween Oriented Businesses; FEMA Halting Hundreds of Millions of Dollars in Emergency Preparedness Grants Until States Recount their Populations and Exclude Migrants Deported by Trump Administration; Two Teenagers Killed in Hit and Run While Riding E-Bikes in Cranford, New Jersey. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired October 04, 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: -- New York City. Here's a preview.
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TONY SHALHOUB: Look at that beautiful thing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the beauty of lamination.
SHALHOUB: It looks like some kind of beautiful geological strata of rock or something.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right, right.
SHALHOUB: Shall we? Oh, mama.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at the flakiness.
SHALHOUB: Buttery and warm and soft, spicy. You know, it's heating up as I'm eating it, in a good way, in the best possible way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But that's the scotch bonnet.
And then in the curry, there's also a bit of cayenne. So there's definitely layers of heat.
SHALHOUB: Do I have food all over my face.
(LAUGHTER)
SHALHOUB: We're changing the name of the show to the crumb catcher. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a crumb catcher.
SHALHOUB: OK.
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WHITFIELD: To me he's always Monk. But hey, you want to tune in to the new CNN original series, "Tony Shalhoub Breaking Bread." It premieres tomorrow night, 9:00 p.m. eastern and pacific only on CNN.
Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
And we're standing by right now for a judge's decision on whether to block President Trump from deploying National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon. Today, a federal judge who was nominated by Trump is expected to decide whether to grant a temporary restraining order stopping the president from sending the National Guard to protect what he describes as a, I'm quoting now, "war-ravaged Portland." The administration is citing weekslong demonstrations outside the Portland ICE facility as justification for the deployment. But the state says the order is illegal and has called the presidents portrayal of the city, quoting again, "wildly hyperbolic", end quote.
CNN's Julia Vargas Jones is joining us right now. Julia, bring us up to speed on where things stand.
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we are still waiting to hear, Fred, from this federal judge, as you mentioned, Trump appointed, any minute now. But what we do know is that the governor of Oregon, Tina Kotek, called this a breaking of a promise from President Trump. Before this lawsuit was filed, they were in communications. And then she said Trump went silent and instead chose to federalize the troops to Oregon, about 200 of them.
We've seen this play out before here in California. And we saw a federal judge siding with the federal government. So it's -- we're very much looking forward to see how this plays out.
On Wednesday, President Trump said that the troops are already in place in Oregon. We haven't quite seen that yet. And then all of this has escalated, Fred, in the past few days, as Thursday night a conservative influencer was arrested in these protests in Portland. Nick Sortor was arrested in what police called a fight. Two other people were arrested at the same time.
But then the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt talked about this during her briefing on Friday. She said that the video of the arrest and of those protests were disturbing, that this was leftwing anarchy. And she added that there would be consequences, that the president had then directed a team to review what kind of aid, federal aid could be cut to Portland, and that it would be a surge of federal resources to Portland immediately.
A few hours later, then we heard from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. She was in Chicago at the time at another ICE facility, and she also addressed the arrest of this same influencer. Take a listen.
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KRISTI NOEM, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: You've got a presence in Portland that is Antifa affiliated. And so that is a situation where you have known professionals, targeted violence, that want to tear down America, and will apparently attack anyone, even journalists that are just trying to report the truth of what's happening on the streets.
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JONES: Of course, Fred, this is more than just about protecting federal buildings. It is also about the president seeing an opportunity, sources are telling CNN, to enact his crackdown on crime. And of course, Portland has been a target of the president for many years now. But even if this judge allows the troops to be deployed to Portland or perhaps other parts of Oregon, it is important to note that, as of Friday, those troops still were receiving training, and it is unclear when this training would end and when they would actually be seen on the streets of Portland.
WHITFIELD: All right, Julia Vargas Jones, keep us posted. Thanks so much.
So Portland is one of multiple cities the Trump administration has already deployed troops to, or plans to send. An immigration crackdown in Chicago is now sparking growing protests, arrests, and tension. CNN's Rafael Romo is joining us right now. What are you learning about what's happening there?
[14:05:03]
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR: Well, we were talking about how this is not just one city, right? It's this region across the country. And Los Angeles was first, but the Trump administration didn't stop there, sending federal agents to Chicago, Portland, Memphis, and Washington, D.C. It's part of what the White House calls a crackdown to address immigration and crime and restore order.
A multi-agency crime fighting force descended on Memphis, Tennessee, with more than 200 federally deputized officers, a law enforcement that, in the words of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, have been unleashed. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the city on Wednesday.
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PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Politicians spend a lot of time second guessing you, second guessing the impossible decisions that you have to make that they will never understand. It's part of what we're trying to do at the department for our troops, overseas or in combat and elsewhere, is we're not here to second guess you. We're here to have your back, to unleash you to do your job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday on X the taskforce had made 93 arrests during the week. In Chicago tensions boiled over on Friday when protesters clashed with federal agents during a protest outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center for migrants in Broadview, just outside of Chicago while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino were seen on the ICE facility's roof. At least 18 people were arrested at the site where protesters had gathered for several weeks in a row to protest the Trump administration crackdown on immigration.
At a Democratic Party fundraiser here in Atlanta last night, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker denounced ICE actions in his state over the last few weeks.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
GOV. J.B. PRITZKER, (D) ILLINOIS: In the past few weeks in Chicago, ICE has detained multiple U.S. citizens because they were black or brown. They shot gas pellets into the car of a journalist who had done nothing except drive past an ICE facility to observe what was going on. They raided an apartment complex in the middle of the night and perp-walked a group of young children out of the building with their hands zip-tied behind them, separating them from their parents.
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ROMO: About this last incident, this morning on her X account, Secretary Noem published the following video with the caption, "Chicago, we're here for you."
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ROMO: The video shows a multiagency operation conducted Tuesday in Chicago that led to the arrest of 37 people by federal agents using a Blackhawk helicopter, military vehicles, and heavy weapons. According to DHS, more than 1,000 undocumented immigrants have been arrested since early September as part of what officials call Operation Midway Blitz. As you can imagine, Fred, a lot of people very nervous in Chicago.
WHITFIELD: All right, Rafael Romo, thanks so much.
All right, joining me right now to talk more about the developments in Chicago is Bill Conway. He is an alderman for the city of Chicago. Alderman Conway, great to see you. Thanks so much for being with us. So let's get started with this immigration crackdown underway in your city. What's your reaction? What are you hearing from folks who live in this city? What is this doing to you all?
BILL CONWAY JR., CHICAGO ALDERMAN: Yes, we're seeing a lot of things that are very disturbing. We are seeing rubber pellets being shot at peaceful protesters. We are seeing teargas deployed in residential neighborhoods. I myself have downtown Chicago as part of my district. We have ICE agents dressed in camouflage walking around with long guns. It is pretty disturbing to see and, frankly, seems un-American.
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WHITFIELD: We had some interviews from people who live in Chicago that aired on our network, people who said they were watching children who were crying and seeing either their parents or loved ones paraded out. And even they, too, according to the people who witnessed it, felt like the children were being subjugated to, being made to feel like they were criminals or that they had done something terribly wrong. I mean, what are you hearing from people about what they're expecting city leadership to do, if they feel like, you know, the administration, the Trump administration is -- if this is just a prelude to something else?
CONWAY: Well, I think people are afraid based on what we've seen, you know, in terms of, you know, pretty flagrant violations of First Amendment rights at the Broadview facility as well as what seems like an unnecessary show of force by ICE agents.
[14:10:02]
You know, you see these warrantless detentions that have been very disturbing.
WHITFIELD: We've heard the governor, you know, who has said openly, you know, that seeing National Guard troops or seeing federal reinforcements in the city is unnecessary. It's over the top. You heard from Governor Pritzker earlier who was addressing Democrats in Atlanta. Is there a feeling of powerlessness as it pertains to city leadership or even the governor when the president of the United States is still saying, you know, that Chicago is next, or when you hear Homeland Security Secretary Noem say we are here for you.
CONWAY: Well, it's not quite clear what's going to happen here. You know, the president just did announce, seemingly, that National Guard troops are going to be sent here. We don't really know what their mission is going to be. If it's going to be like ICE agents in terms of rubber pellets and teargas, that is not something I think that will make us -- will make us safer.
And as someone that was deployed myself in the military, what doesn't quite make sense is I remember being on deployment in 2018, and when the government was shut down, we didn't get paid. So starting a new deployment, I don't really quite see how that's possible. But I am very much concerned about the politicization of the military in this.
WHITFIELD: And I know you can't speak for everyone else, but given that you did serve and you know what it is to be in uniform, I'm wondering if you can, kind of, channel what many of them might be feeling about how troops are being used, military personnel, federal law enforcement members might -- how they're being utilized in this mission or campaign by the administration, what might they be feeling?
CONWAY: Well, I mean, it's hard to say. I think as someone that was deployed to Qatar and Afghanistan and then Germany during COVID, you know, it was you really want to feel like you're doing the best for the country. And when you see some of the things that we've seen in Washington, D.C., where they're putting kind of mulch down in the National Mall, or clashing with American citizens, I think as someone that was -- speaking for me, if I had been sent to do that, that would be something it would be personally disturbing to me.
WHITFIELD: And then I understand one of your fellow aldermen, Jessie Fuentes, was briefly handcuffed while visiting a hospital by two men. The video of that was very disturbing to many. And the people who were carrying out the detainment, in some cases identified themselves as ICE, and also, you see, masked, in at least one of the people that you see in this video right now. And I guess the sense of aggression being used. What are your thoughts about what transpired here, why, wnd what potentially is next in your view?
CONWAY: Well, speaking of the video, I was I was I was pretty proud of my friend Alderwoman Fuentes, how she handled that. She was calmly asking questions of the agents about whether they had a judicial warrant. And she was detained as a result. And I think that that really showed -- gives an idea of what's been the overbearing nature of what's been happening here by ICE folks.
WHITFIELD: Yes. And you and you see her in the video trying to ask questions, and as anyone understandably would do. But then somehow it quickly escalated into something else.
I wonder now, too, all of this very serious, and it is evoking a lot of emotions from people in all corners. But I wonder if I can also ask you about an interesting encounter, right, involving Pope Leo. We all know his ties to Chicago. And here is a picture of the two of you. You want to tell me what happened here during, was it your visit there to the Vatican in August?
CONWAY: Well, my friend Robert Blackwell, who owns a franchise called Killerspin, regarding ping pong, was invited to give a ping pong table to Pope Leo. My friend brought me, and as a result, I brought that, the framed city resolution we did honoring Pope Leo. And it was kind of amazing. You see, the Pope doing prayers in Latin and Italian in a very papal way. And then when he came over to say hello to us, it was pretty clear that you were talking to Father Bob from the southside. I'm sure a lot of your viewers think I have a thick midwestern accent. I can assure you the Pope's is just as thick.
So it was a very nice thing to see. And you could really feel the kindness and spirituality of his heart. And, you know, we're proud here in Chicago that the Pope is Chicagoan and hope and believe that he will really open up the church to those who perhaps have been disenfranchised in some way from the Catholic Church.
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WHITFIELD: Well, we know he loves all things Chicago, but I wonder, what about those ping pong skills? What do you know about his ping pong playing skills?
CONWAY: Well, I'll tell you what. He picked up one of the paddles, and he was kind of hitting the ball up. And this was being broadcast in front of Saint Peters. And people were cheering. And it was pretty clear he was a good time -- he was having a good time. He was also describing the lead up to this as a "tennista." I'm going to guess in Italian that means he's a tennis player. So there is certainly some familiarity with racket sports.
WHITFIELD: The multitalented Pope Leo. All right, Alderman Bill Conway, thank you so much for joining us today from Chicago.
CONWAY: Thanks for having me, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, straight ahead, after almost two years of war, Israel and Hamas signal a willingness to move forward on a U.S. peace plan, which includes the release of the remaining hostages. A live report from Israel next.
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[14:20:38]
WHITFIELD: Israel has formed a delegation to lead ceasefire talks under President Trump's 20-point peace plan, according to Israeli sources familiar with the planning. The move comes after both Israel and Hamas indicated that they are willing to move forward with the hostage and ceasefire deal, and key negotiators are headed to the region.
CNN Jerusalem bureau chief Oren Liebermann is joining me right now. Oren, were learning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just delivered a televised speech. What was said?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: He did. It was actually quite a short statement, effectively. It was only three or four minutes long. And he basically tried to sell what's unfolding now and what will unfold in the negotiations as nothing short of a major accomplishment, and said Israel is on the cusp of this major accomplishment, but it's still not done yet. He effectively promised the country of Israel that potentially, in the coming days, and perhaps before the end of the holiday of Sukkot, which is going on now, Israel could see all of the hostages released from Gaza. That's 48 living and deceased, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
In exchange, and this is kind of where he puts down his own red line for negotiations, Netanyahu said that Israel would not withdraw it's military from the territory it has seized within Gaza. Israel controls 75 percent or more of the territory, and Netanyahu said that in exchange for the release of the hostages, Israel will not withdraw its forces, at least not in any major way. So he is effectively laying down his own red line for negotiations and saying Israel will continue to hold and occupy this territory.
He also says it was military pressure that brought it to this phase in the first stage. He says Hamas will release all of the hostages. Israel will hold its territory. Again, he pointed that out several times. And then he said in the second stage of the ceasefire proposal laid out by President Donald Trump, Hamas will be disarmed. And he says that will happen either diplomatically or militarily. He called it the easy way or the hard way.
He says that he will not allow these negotiations to go on, and that Trump agrees with him, the negotiations have to happen within days, and that Trump will not allow these negotiations to be dragged out by Hamas. Netanyahu is trying to push this process forward to wrap it up effectively with the release of the hostages or the end of negotiations and the resumption of the war, it seems, as quickly as possible within a matter of days.
In terms of what we're seeing on the streets, it is a Saturday night, and we are seeing a massive protest that's going on right now in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. There is one big sign there that says "It's now or never." So you can see the call from a large majority of Israeli society to get this over the line, and for Israel to do what it takes, for Netanyahu to do what it takes to seal this deal that would bring home the remaining hostages and end the war.
WHITFIELD: Wow. And we can see tighter shots of that aerial view, and that is a significant turnout there in Hostage Square. Oren Liebermann, thank you so much.
All right, still to come, the impacts from the U.S. government shutdown will deepen the longer that it lasts. We'll discuss how it could delay a federal response during a national emergency.
And the Trump administration's tariff policy is about to hit American families preparing to celebrate Halloween. Why higher prices could cut into the haul for trick or treaters.
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[14:28:34]
WHITFIELD: All right, the countdown to Halloween may be getting spooky for your wallet. The Trump administration's tariffs are having a terrifying effect on Halloween prices. According to the National Retail Federation, spending this year on Halloween costumes, decorations, candy, and greeting cards could top a record $13 billion. CNN's Natasha Chen spoke with retailers who say customers will see higher prices and less variety.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do have a kid one right up here.
NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For Halloween, Reyna Hernandez's six-year-old, wants to dress as Carl from "The Walking Dead."
REYNA HERNANDEZ, SHOPPING FOR A HALLOWEEN COSTUME: It's just ridiculous. We cannot even afford this at all.
CHEN (voice-over): This hat would work as part of her son's costume, but it costs $30 alone.
HERNANDEZ: I'd rather just do it ahead of time, little by little, you know, paycheck from paycheck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The show is starting.
CHEN (voice-over): The Halloween and Costume Association says roughly 90 percent of Halloween products contain at least one component made overseas, most often in China. Because of tariffs imposed on most Chinese imports, suppliers and retailers say this Halloween's products will cost a little more and you'll see less variety.
CHRIS ZEPHRO, PRESIDENT, TRICK OR TREAT STUDIOS: We're all kind of on edge, but we're trying to stay positive.
CHEN (voice-over): Chris Zephro's business, Trick or Treat Studios, designs and produces all things scary and fun.
ZEPHRO: Horror is not necessarily Halloween. It's really a lifestyle.
[14:30:00]
CHEN (voice-over): But the real-life horror flick for him has been the overnight jump in costs this year. In April, President Trump increased tariffs on most Chinese goods to a whopping 145 percent. That made a lot of people cancel production orders right then and there. Then in May, when tariffs on Chinese goods fell to 30 percent, some production in China resumed. But the stoppage had already caused a delay or shortage of items for the season. All told, Zephro's tariff bill --
ZEPHRO: Upwards of almost $800,000.
CHEN (voice-over): -- meant he had to lay off 15 employees.
ZEPHRO: It was one of the worst days of my life.
CHEN: There's a trickle effect. Importers like Trick or Treat Studios, who design and supply costumes, props and masks, are paying an extra 30 percent for everything coming in from China, which they then have to share with their retail customers.
Like Phantom Halloween, who then sells the products to customers. And the owner here is also making a tough decision about how much of the extra cost to absorb and how much to pass on.
RYAN GOLDMAN, OWNER, PHANTOM HALLOWEEN: The majority of kids' costumes have probably gone up $3 to $4. The majority of adult costumes have probably gone up $5 to $8.
CHEN (voice-over): Ryan Goldman's family started Phantom Halloween stores in the 1980s.
GOLDMAN: The idea is to hold as many prices as we can.
CHEN (voice-over): Some items made in Mexico, Vietnam, India or the U.K. won't see a price hike. But anything involving plastics or textiles is predominantly made in China.
GOLDMAN: I'm not that political, so we just are dealing with the aftermath of it. The aftermath isn't pretty.
CHEN (voice-over): But Zephro is clear about who's responsible.
ZEPHRO: I would love to have a conversation, closed doors, with Trump, because if you really want manufacturing to come back here, you have to look at why manufacturing left and start there.
CHEN (voice-over): Policies and regulations, he says, that have made manufacturing in the U.S. extremely difficult and inefficient. For now, both he and Goldman have stopped bringing in items made too expensive due to tariffs.
CHEN: If it's $150 more for you, how much more is that for the customer?
GOLDMAN: At least $300. And that's the reason why he didn't get reordered this year.
CHEN (voice-over): And there are certain products, like one-sixth scale action figures, that Zephro won't even produce.
ZEPHRO: No one's going to spend $400 for an action figure.
CHEN (voice-over): The only ones available in his warehouse came in before tariffs.
CHEN: So what you have here is it?
ZEPHRO: That's it, until maybe the midterms.
(LAUGHTER)
CHEN: A White House spokesperson responded to my request for comment, saying, quote, "Real prosperity is good jobs and thriving communities for everyday Americans, not cheap Chinese imports." He also says President Trump pledged to use tariffs to level the playing field and address fentanyl smuggling.
Now, the most in-demand costume this year, K-Pop demon hunters characters. And because that's a recent phenomenon, it's going to require a quick turnaround to produce those outfits. The owner of Phantom Halloween told me the cost of that turnaround time, plus flying it in, and the tariffs on top of that, it will cost parents about $70 or $80 bucks for those costumes.
Natasha Chen CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
[14:37:54]
WHITFIELD: All right, in this breaking news out of Illinois, where Governor J.B. Pritzker announced that the Trump administration plans to federalize 300 Illinois National Guard members. Governor Pritzker is calling it an, I'm quoting now, "outrageous and un-American," end quote, move. He says he is refusing to activate the troops himself, insisting there is no need for military presence in his state. This comes following remarks by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about deploying forces to Chicago.
Federal funds that could help your community prepare for a disaster now on pause. FEMA is halting hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency preparedness grants, ordering states to recount their populations and exclude migrants deported in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. CNN's Gabe Cohen is here to explain why this is being done and how this could impact communities across the country.
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GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a program that sends out more than $300 million each year to help states and communities prepare for disasters. It funds emergency management staff, trainings, equipment, public education, a whole range of things.
And yet this week, abruptly, states started getting these notices from FEMA saying that they cannot touch that money until they go back and provide an updated tally of their state populations. And they have to factor in recent deportations. And until the Department of Homeland Security decides that those counts are accurate, states are not going to be able to access those funds.
Now, typically, FEMA uses U.S. census data to determine state populations, and officials inside FEMA told me that instructing states to go back and recount those populations is unprecedented. And there is a lot of concerns that this is just another way for the Trump administration to block states from accessing the funds that they were previously promised.
And I will note that these notices started going out this week just hours after a federal judge had blocked the Trump administration from permanently rerouting hundreds of millions of dollars of very similar Homeland Security grants away from a dozen blue states who had sued over this issue.
[14:40:09]
Now, DHS has defended its new rule, telling me in a statement, quote, "Recent population shifts, including deportations of illegal aliens, create a need for updated data to ensure equitable distribution. This requirement applies to all states and is unrelated to recent federal court rulings."
But right now, states are worried. They cannot figure out how the administration will decide whether these counts are accurate. And for months now, they have already faced countless funding pauses and delays and rule changes to some of these grant programs. This one just the latest added to the list. An organization that represents emergency managers across the country voiced that concern, telling me, quote, "These funds are the backbone of local emergency management programs. Without timely access, communities face gaps in readiness that could slow response to disasters and emergencies when every minute counts. Gabe Cohen, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, I want to discuss now with former FEMA press secretary Jeremy Edwards. Jeremy, great to see you. What's your reaction to this move by the Trump administration?
JEREMY EDWARDS, FORMER FEMA PRESS SECRETARY: Great seeing you as well. I think it just follows a larger pattern of this administration taking away the resources that FEMA uses to help communities prepare. You know, before they decide to put these disaster grants on pause, they've slowed down the disaster assistance aid process. Weve seen states' major disaster declaration requests languish. We've seen states that didn't vote for Trump get their disaster requests denied. We've seen the president himself brag about giving disaster assistance to states that voted for him. And we've also seen this administration fire 2,000 of the 6,000 permanent workforce at FEMA.
So, you know, I am shocked that they're kind of taking away more money for states to be prepared before disasters, especially during the middle of hurricane season. But given their track record, I'm not very surprised.
WHITFIELD: FEMA normally has used census data, right, to count populations. And now we're hearing the administration tasking states to count populations themselves, saying they must submit a population certification. And the methodology used in the count, why do you suppose they are, you know, putting the onus on states?
EDWARDS: I mean, you'd have to ask them that question. I think, me personally, that they just don't know what they're doing. You know, we know that a census that we do here across the United States is a very long process. I actually worked at the Department of Commerce when they were getting ready for the most recent one. And it is a long process that requires a lot of due diligence, a lot of research, and a lot of technical skills.
And just to all of a sudden put that on the states is pretty ridiculous. And also, knowing how long a census takes, you know, how long is it going to take the states to then perform these kinds of tallies? Will the administration accept them? And then again, it's just going to further delay money that these states require and rely on to prepare for disasters. It doesn't make any sense.
WHITFIELD: Do you suppose this is kind of provoking a sense of panic for emergency preparedness in states, that the administration will say were going to halt this funding, grants, all of that is at a full stop right now. What do you suppose the reaction is? What are those discussions involving first responders about how they prepare for things they don't know that are around the corner?
EDWARDS: I think that this just adds to the uncertainty around disaster response that people have been dealing with since this administration took over. Donald Trump came into office saying that he was going to get rid of FEMA and put that responsibility on the states. But then you fast forward to an event like Texas. Texas is a very capable state. They requested disaster assistance within 24 hours. It was delayed, albeit, from this administration's bureaucratic red tape they put in place. But it underscored the fact that states still need it.
But again, this kind of back and forth on their policies, we're getting rid of FEMA. No we're not. We're going to approve you getting these disaster preparedness grants. Oh, wait. No, you need to recount the state tallies. It is just another symptom that this administration either doesn't know what they're doing, or they are deliberately trying to hamper FEMA's ability to respond to these disasters.
WHITFIELD: All right, former FEMA press secretary Jeremy Edwards, thank you so much. Great to see you.
EDWARDS: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right, straight ahead, a heartbroken community mourns the loss of two teenagers killed while riding e-bikes, while investigators try to determine if it was an accident or not.
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[14:49:42]
WHITFIELD: A shaken community is mourning the deaths of two teenage best friends who were killed in a hit and run accident. Maria Niotis and Isabella Rose Salas, both 17, riding an e-bike in Cranford, New Jersey, which is just south of New York City, when they were struck by an SUV.
[14:50:02]
Now, another teenager from a neighboring town has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Hundreds of people came together at a vigil earlier in the week to remember the teenagers' lives. Among them was a neighbor of one of the girls who shared an emotional moment that she had while speaking with one of the girl's brother.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY CAMPBELL, LIVES NEXT DOOR TO ONE OF THE VICTIMS: Beautiful young girl, very good student, very friendly, always helping the parents out. She's got a brother, and beautiful young boy. Beautiful. I hugged him last night and I said, there's no words I can say to make this any easier for you. And all he said was, they killed my sister. And what do you say?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: CNN's Leigh Waldman is joining me right now. I mean, this is tragically, and the families of these two girls, they are certain that this was no accident?
LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, it's heartbreaking what happened to this community. The family and friends of these two 17- year-old girls, Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, feel that this was no accident at all. They were hit and killed not far away from where they lived in Cranford, New Jersey. And now we're learning that another 17- year-old is arrested, and as a result of their death, facing those first degree murder charges.
Now, the union county prosecutor's office is not releasing his name because he is still a minor in this case. But more than a dozen traffic tickets were issued on September 29th, the day of this fatal hit and run crash, and they identify 17-year-old Vincent Battiloro as the person who were given those tickets. They include exceeding the speed limit by 45 to 49 miles per hour, leaving the scene of an accident involving an injury, and failing to report an accident. The date and time of the location of this hit and run, reported by the prosecutor's office, they line up with these tickets. And the vehicle described in these tickets also matches what the prosecutor's office description of the car that they were looking for.
Now, today, there is a visitation for Isabella Salas. She was an avid singer. She was involved in her local food pantry, according to her obituary posted online. And Maria Niotis, who was laid to rest earlier this week, she was killed alongside her. Listen to what Niotis's mother had to say here.
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FOULI NIOTIS, MARIA NIOTIS'S MOTHER: I will miss you every single day for the rest of my life. I will picture your smile, hear your laugh in my heart, and carry your dreams in my hand. You wanted to make the world more beautiful. And my darling, you did just by being in it.
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WALDMAN: Now, obviously, this community is heartbroken and torn apart by what is happening involving these teens here. There's still a flurry of questions about the boy who was arrested, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. And then is there anything more you can reveal about this 17-year-old under arrest?
WALDMAN: Well, in another heartbreaking twist here, it appears this boy is related to the police chief of a nearby town. That police chief actually making a statement online saying, quote, "While social media has made it known the accused is related to me, he is not my son and not a member of my immediate family." He says that he is condemning the actions of the accused and fully supporting and demanding that the consequences be upheld in a court of law. That police chief, Chris Battiloro, also shared that one of the victims, Isabella Salas, was his neighbor. He described her as a beautiful and charismatic young lady.
WHITFIELD: So sad. All right, Leigh Waldman, thank you.
Moments ago, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced the Trump administration intends to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard, quote, "in the coming hours," end quote. Details next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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WHITFIELD: All right, America often compared to a melting pot. But in New Orleans, it's a pot of gumbo. A new CNN original series, "New Orleans Soul of a City," premieres next Sunday. The first episode looks at the cultures that created New Orleans' cuisine. Here's a preview.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When people talk about creole cuisine, on a really basic level, we're talking about traditional New Orleans food. We're trying to differentiate it from Cajun food, which is a rural expression.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Creole is a mixture of many cultures. It's new world culture. It began with the Portuguese word "crioulo." However, when we talk about creolization or we talk about creole culture, we have to remember that the creolization didn't actually begin in the United States. It began in Africa.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't overstate the contributions that enslaved Africans made to the creation of New Orleans cuisine. You know, that contribution has been understated. In fact, "understated" is probably too mild a word. It's been ignored.
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WHITFIELD: Oh, the cuisine is so amazing. Tune in to see the first episode of "New Orleans Soul of a City." That's tonight, 10:00, only on CNN.
All right, and this news just in to CNN. Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez has been injured in Indianapolis where he was scheduled to work as an analyst on FOX Sports broadcast of the Indianapolis Colts game against the Las Vegas Raiders tomorrow.
