Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Senate Holds Rare Sunday Session On Day 40 Of Shutdown; Delays, Cancellations Plague Airports; USDA Orders States To Stop Issuing Full SNAP Benefits; Top BBC Leaders Resign Over Edit Of Trump January 6th Speech; No Seat Is Off The Table In Battle For Senate Says Kirsten Gillibrand; Kilauea Erupts Inside Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired November 09, 2025 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:30]

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

All right. The longest U.S. government shutdown in history is now in its 40th day. And frustration and anxiety are mounting for millions of Americans. At airports across the country this weekend, thousands of flights were canceled or delayed because of the shutdown, and it's expected to get much worse. The situation is also growing more desperate and chaotic for 42 million Americans who rely on food stamps to get their groceries.

The USDA is now ordering all states to stop issuing full SNAP benefits and undo any benefits sent for the month of November. It's all adding to the hardships for hundreds of thousands of families who are also not receiving paychecks because of federal furloughs. And as American misery rises and the pressure builds to end the government shutdown, the U.S. Senate is holding a rare Sunday session and vowing to continue meeting until the government reopens.

We've got a team of correspondents covering all of these angles. Let's begin our coverage on Capitol Hill, where the Senate is in session right now in hopes of ending the shutdown potentially.

Arlette Saenz is there. Any signs of progress?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, the Senate could be on a major breakthrough to try to end the government shutdown. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said that he wants to hold a vote later this evening on a plan to reopen the government. Just a first procedural vote that then would take many more days to actually get the government open if that vote does pass.

But a key item to watch in the coming hours, Senate Democrats are set to huddle together at 5:00 p.m., just as there are some details of a potential deal beginning to emerge. Now what Thune is hoping to do is bring up a vote on a procedural vote on the House-backed bill. But then the contours of the deal relate to what they would amend on that bill and what some Senate Republicans and some Democrats have spoken about is extending government funding until the end of January on top of passing three appropriations bills for three different areas.

That's the military, the legislative branch and agriculture. And then offering Democrats a commitment to hold a vote on the expiring Obamacare subsidies. But that commitment is only on having a vote. It's not a guaranteed outcome that Senate Republicans would get on board with such a plan. And that has really been at the heart of the Senate Democrats' demands and frustrations in recent weeks. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Friday had presented a counteroffer to Republicans saying that they would reopen the government if they commit to extending those expiring Obamacare subsidies for one year. But that is something Republicans have said is a nonstarter.

So Republicans are hoping to get enough Democrats on board with the deal that's been coming together over the course of the afternoon. But right now, it's still unclear whether they will, in fact, get those eight Democrats on board with their plan as this government shutdown is currently in its 40th day.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my. All right, Arlette Saenz, keep us posted. Thanks so much.

All right. And now some live images right now of the Philadelphia International Airport. Doesn't look like a whole lot of activity in the air on takeoffs and landing. Travel disruptions are intensifying with the shutdown dragging on. Delta Airlines reports that 14 percent of today's scheduled flights were canceled, with 19 percent delayed today. It's part of more than 2,000 cancellations today nationwide.

The FAA last week ordered airlines to a 4 percent reduction in domestic flights at 40 of the busiest airports. This morning, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he expects travel ahead of the holidays to be reduced to a trickle.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN DUFFY, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: You're going to see air travel be reduced to a trickle. We have a number of people who want to get home for the holidays, they want to see their family, they want to celebrate this great American holiday. Listen, many of them are not going to be able to get on an airplane because they are not going to be that many flights that fly if this thing doesn't open back up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN is covering the impact at airports at both Newark and Atlanta airports. Let's begin with CNN correspondent Leigh Waldman in Newark.

So, how's that board looking right now?

[16:05:01]

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, we keep watching this board and the flights that are listed as on time get changed to delayed and canceled. It's really unfortunate for people who are trying to get back to work tomorrow, trying to get back to school tomorrow. They plan and plan, and then they get to the airport and things change rather quickly for them.

We've seen hundreds of flights getting delayed or canceled just from the Newark airport here. And it's a few different issues that are at play here. We know that there's the FAA mandated flight reduction. We know that there's staffing shortages at the air traffic control center and TRACON centers that manage this airspace, but also some bad weather in other parts of the country. So all of this coming together for a perfect storm. Yesterday, we were just surprised at how many people were patient with the airport staff that were here, but that patience today is wearing very thin.

We've seen passengers angrily talking to people when a woman who works at the airport told me that a man said he wanted to slap someone because he was so upset about his flight being canceled. And now people are starting to get worried about what the next few weeks look like, especially when it comes to that holiday travel. Take a listen to what one passenger Jimmy had to tell us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY MO, QUESTIONING THANKSGIVING TRAVEL: It's a 35-hour drive so unfortunately this this is our only option. So it's either this or nothing. And I fly back. So I go on Tuesday and I fly back on Black Friday. So if it's delayed, you know, one or two days, you know, I'm going to have to question, is it unfortunately worth it?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALDMAN: Another passenger we talked to, he -- we asked him about his Thanksgiving travel. His flight today was delayed more than an hour. He said he'll drive from New Jersey here down to Georgia to go visit family rather than risking the flight. And unfortunately, things are going to continue on into Monday and the rest of the week as more flights are expected to be canceled -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness, people are having to make a whole lot of adjustments and it is not fun right now. All right, Leigh Waldman, thanks so much.

All right. Let's go to Rafael Romo who is in Atlanta, at the world's busiest airport.

Are people making big adjustments there, too?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, for sure, Fred. A lot of people making very big changes and some of them that have had their flights canceled having to stay here overnight. And let me tell you, Fred, after canceling 380 mainline and regional flights on Saturday out of 4200 scheduled flights, Delta Airlines issued an operations update earlier today, saying an additional 470 flights have been canceled today.

Since then, FlightAware has updated that number to 504. That's, you were mentioning this at the beginning, 14 percent of the airlines scheduled flights for today. In an operations update, Delta said the following and here I quote, "Including the impact of additional pressure late Saturday affecting Delta's Sunday operational startup, there are more than 320 Delta mainline and 150 Delta connection cancellations on November 9th as of 12:00 p.m. Eastern, with more expected. Canceling a flight is always the last resort after all options have been exhausted."

The stories we're hearing here at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Fred, from travelers really paint a picture of how challenging it's becoming for people to get to their destinations. Earlier, I spoke with a business woman who told us she was traveling to Dallas to implement the payroll system that 7,000 employees depend on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLE SCOTT-HUGHES, TRAVELER: I'm concerned that my flight may be canceled, so I've been doing a check in every 15 minutes just to make sure, because I'm traveling for business. So it's really important that I make it to my destination.

BILL GRILL, TRAVELER: I think that we need to get our stuff together here. Cancellations, I think the airlines should pay some money to pay these guys so we don't have to cancel flights. I don't think it's one side or the other. I think we just need to get together and figure this out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Sit down and start talking. That's the message from a lot of people here to Capitol Hill. And at this hour, Fred, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport continues to lead the list compiled by FlightAware for the highest number of delays and cancellations by airport, followed by Chicago O'Hare and Newark Liberty. There have been 470 delays and cancellations at this airport so far today -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Those numbers are huge. OK, I know a lot of folks are very frustrated. All right. Rafael Romo, understandably too, thank you so much.

All right. Now to the breaking news on the shutdown's effect on SNAP benefits. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is ordering states to stop issuing full food stamp benefits and issue partial ones instead. A directive obtained by CNN says states must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full November benefits after a U.S. Supreme Court justice temporarily blocked a lower court ruling that required those payments.

[16:10:01]

All of this is adding to the uncertainty and confusion surrounding the food aid that one in eight Americans relies on.

CNN's Kevin Liptak is joining us now from Florida, where the president just wrapped up a weekend visit there. So bring us up to speed on what we know about this new SNAP directive from the USDA. KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and it is

really the latest curveball for those 42 million Americans who rely on these programs to get their groceries every month. And it is kind of the new turn in this ongoing legal battle, which at its heart is about whether the administration can or indeed must pay full benefits using emergency reserve funding. And what the administration is saying today is that any state who put out full SNAP benefits before the Supreme Court put a pause on them must now immediately undo those benefits and instead proceed with partial payments, which amount to about 65 percent of the monthly allotment.

And just to rewind a little bit here, several states had sued the administration, saying that they were obligated to use those emergency funds to pay full SNAP benefits, and a federal judge ordered the administration to do just that. And several states rushed to get those payments out the door, including New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Oregon. Now, the administration appealed that decision and asked for an emergency pause issued by the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court did that on Friday evening.

Now, what the administration is saying is that states who rushed that money out the door must essentially kind of remedy the situation. And the Agriculture Department, which administers these programs, wrote in a memo that states must, quote, "immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025." And they also spell out some consequences that these states may face, saying that it might include cancellation of the federal share of state administration costs, as well as holding states liable for over issuances.

And so you really see how all of these memos are throwing the participants in these programs in all manner of flux. You've heard outcry from Democrats, including the governor of Maryland, who is calling this, quote, "intentional chaos," Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And the president has also been talking about, you know, Kevin, sending health care money to Americans instead of to insurance companies. What is that plan all about?

LIPTAK: Yes, and this is something of a new proposal from the president on almost day 40 of this shutdown. And remember, the crux of the Democrats' arguments here is an extension of those Obamacare subsidies and what the president is now suggesting is that instead of extending those subsidies, that payments are issued directly to the American people, which is kind of upending what it was at the core of these shutdown negotiations.

Whether or not this is an actual concrete plan, I think is an open question. You heard, for example, the Republican Senator Rick Scott, saying that he was drafting this into a law. But what we heard from the Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent earlier today was somewhat different. Listen to how he put it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT BESSENT, TREASURY SECRETARY: We don't have a formal proposal. But, you know, what I have noticed over time is that the Democrats give all these bills the Orwellian names, the Affordable Care Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and we end up with just the opposite. You know, the Affordable Care Act has become unaffordable and the Inflation Reduction Act set off the greatest inflation in 50 years.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: Well, I'm a little confused because the president had been posting about that overnight and into this morning. But you're not proposing that to the Senate right now?

BESSENT: We're not proposing it to the Senate right now. No.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Then why is the president posting about it?

BESSENT: George, you know, the president is posting about it. But again, we have got to get the government reopened before, you know, we do this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: Now, remember, Fredricka, Republicans have spent the better part of the last 15 years trying to repeal Obamacare. So far they haven't been successful, but it still seems evident that the president and many of his Republican colleagues in the Senate appear intent on still making some major changes to that law.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kevin Liptak, thanks so much.

All right. Still to come, Republicans and Democrats have a lot to learn from the election results. We'll look ahead to next year's midterms and see how they could potentially reshape the power on Capitol Hill. And next, a major shakeup in leadership at the BBC following a scandal over the editing of a speech of President Trump in a network documentary there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:19:27]

WHITFIELD: We've got breaking news just coming into CNN. A huge media shakeup this hour as two top leaders of British television network BBC say they are resigning after allegations the broadcast made a misleading edit of a speech by President Trump.

I want to go straight to CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter.

Brian, what happened?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: It seems like every media story relates back to Trump in some ways, and this one is no different. A dramatic shakeup at the top of the BBC. No word yet on who will replace Tim Davie or Deborah Turness, but they had both decided to step down, to resign as a result of days of scrutiny and bad press in the U.K. over this edit.

[19:20:09]

So let me show you the president's Truth Social post from a few minutes ago, and then put it into context. The president writing that, "The top people at the BBC, including Tim Davie, the boss, are quitting/fired because they were caught doctoring my very good perfect speech of January 6th." He says thank you to the Telegraph newspaper for exposing those corrupt journalists.

Reality check here. Of course, there's no indication that these individuals were fired. My sense is that Davie was resigning on his own accord, even though the BBC board wanted him to stay. And furthermore, he refers to these corrupt journalists who were trying to step on the scales of an election. In reality, this was a documentary film produced by an outside production company that was aired on the BBC in October of 2024.

It was actually a pretty thoughtful, nuanced documentary with lots of voices of Trump voters, but it did splice together two different parts of Trump's January 6th speech in a way that was misleading. Notably, I'm not sure many people or anybody noticed the edit at the time. This was not a controversy last year. It didn't seem to get anybody's attention. It was only in the last week when the conservative Telegraph newspaper wrote about it, that this became a firestorm.

WHITFIELD: So what is now the reaction from inside the BBC?

STELTER: Certainly some shock from staffers about twin resignations and also a lot of people sharing a comment from BBC Radio Four host Nick Robinson. He spoke for many people, both inside and outside the BBC when he wrote this, actually said this on the radio and wrote this on X yesterday. He said, "There is a genuine concern about editorial standards and mistakes, but there is also a set of political campaign by people who want to destroy the BBC." He said both things are happening at the same time.

And that's the important context here. Conservative politicians in the U.K. have been trying to take down the BBC for quite some time. They're trying to change the license fee structure there. And this story played right into those views. There's also been near daily disputes about BBC's coverage of the Israeli war in Gaza, about Palestinians. Near daily dramas involving the BBC. And I think for someone like Tim Davie, who had been running the organization for five years, he was just ready for a break.

So his resignation coming in that backdrop. Yes, a misleading edit of a film from one year ago, but also near daily disputes of all sorts of different directions. And bottom line, the BBC trying to be apolitical, claiming to be impartial, seeking to report the truth, making a mistake, in this case involving January 6th, but more importantly, the BBC operates apolitically and in an environment that is incredibly politically charged.

I would argue it's a near impossible task for whoever runs the organization.

WHITFIELD: My goodness, that is indeed a big whole shakeup. All right, Brian Stelter, thanks so much.

All right. A plan launched for Blue Origin's new Glenn rocket in Cape Canaveral has now been scrubbed. Blue Origin specifically cites too much cloud cover. The rockets that was scheduled to be launched today is a massive 28 stories tall and will carry satellites for NASA's Escapade mission to mars. This was supposed to be the second test flight for this new rocket.

All right, straight ahead, more wedding guests realize before they say, here comes the bride, they have to get ready to say, here comes the credit card bills. The new effort to fight the rising costs of attending weddings.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:27:58]

WHITFIELD: All right. Democrats started this election season in the doldrums with a daunting map to overcome in their quest for the Senate majority. That path is still very narrow, but Democrats now see an opening bolstered by Tuesday's election victories. Despite landing big recruits in key races, messy primaries could derail their ambitions.

CNN's Manu Raju spoke exclusively with the chief of the Democrats' Senate campaign arm, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who says control of the chamber is definitely in play.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So Tuesday's election results, what do you think that means for your party's ability to take back the Senate?

SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D-NY), CHAIR, DEMOCRATS SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE: I think Tuesday election results were huge repudiation of Trump's policies, his policies that have cut health care for millions of people, policies that have raised costs on groceries, housing, affordability across the board. And our candidates spoke about a very different approach about how to get those costs down. And voters were supportive.

It shows a growing backlash against Republicans and Trump's policies. And I think it's a wave that is growing for Democratic candidates.

RAJU: You guys obviously have a very difficult map. What is the likelihood of getting back in the majority?

GILLIBRAND: I think there is no seat that's off the table right now. I think this growing backlash is fueling a lot of really formidable candidates to take on incumbents and open seats across the country.

RAJU: What about, you know, you also have several messy primaries. Maine, one of them, you also have Michigan. Texas is emerging as one. Does that concern you as you look at the majority?

GILLIBRAND: No. The most important thing is to have a strong candidate who understands their state, who understands the difficulties people are facing because they can't afford health care and they can't afford food and they can't afford housing. And the candidates that can speak to those conditions and understand their states, they're going to win. They're the ones who will deliver these seats. And that's what we saw on Tuesday.

You saw it in the governor's races. You saw it in small elections across the country. The people that were able to talk about affordability and talk about it authentically are the candidates that voters supported.

[16:30:10]

RAJU: Bernie Sanders said that he believes that what happened on Tuesday was really an emboldening of the left flank of the party. Do you see that the people that he is endorsing, like a (inaudible) or other people who are in that mold, that they are the ones who may be more formidable come next November?

GILLIBRAND: I think what the election results show us is that the candidates that focused on the issues that voters care about, access to healthcare, affordability of costs, whether it's healthcare costs or food and housing, those candidates broke through and those candidates are all across the spectrum. You look at the win in Virginia, you look at the win in New Jersey, those candidates ran more moderate campaigns, but they ran it on affordability. And so I think, again, if candidates understand what voters are going through, that is the secret sauce for success.

RAJU: Are you worried about the new mayor of your state -- of your city, Zohran Mamdani?

GILLIBRAND: Not at all. I called him to congratulate him. He ran his campaign on affordability, which again, is the issue of the moment, and it's a backlash against Trump. Trump's policies are rising prices for everybody.

RAJU: But Republicans are going to try to tie Mamdani to Democrats, that's not an issue for you?

GILLIBRAND: I don't think so because at the end of the day, he's talking about affordability and that's what all our candidates across the country have talked about in this last election. The through line is an understanding of what voters are going through and being able to articulate that effectively, and that's why we had wins across the board. We won everywhere -- red, purple, blue, across the board.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. CNN's Manu Raju, thank you so much. All right. Up next, a look at how the government shutdown is causing anxiety for many of our veterans, including more than a million who depend on SNAP benefits.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:36:15]

WHITFIELD: As the nation prepares to honor its veterans this Tuesday, the ongoing government shutdown's effects on the nation's military is growing. The Associated Press is reporting some Veterans Day ceremonies across the country have been scaled back or even canceled. And active-duty service members who have so far been paid during the shutdown could be on the verge of missing their first paycheck in less than a week, if funding is not restored.

Let's discuss more now with Veterans Advocate, Chris Lovell. He helps vets get the federal services they need. Chris, great to see you. So, help us understand what kind of impact this shutdown is having, not just on active-duty service members, but also on vets.

CHRIS LOVELL, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, LOVELL GOVERNMENT SERVICES: Hi, Fredricka. Yeah, thanks for the question. I think veterans are not like anyone else. I mean, we're -- we are -- well, we are like everyone else. We have anxiety, right? We worry about things sometimes just like people worry about things at work in a normal vocation. But I think as the shutdown continues, there are some definite effects on veterans in terms of the services that are provided and in terms of, when you're talking SNAP benefits, there are some, over one million veterans that rely on SNAP benefits, in addition to other benefits that the VA offers. And so, yeah, I think there's an uptick in anxiety. I think anyone would have that.

WHITFIELD: I mean, give me some more specifics if you don't mind. Because this shutdown does affect service members, particularly who have been diagnosed with PTSD and other service related injuries and are really counting on some regularity with their services and treatments. So, how is this shutdown impacting them?

LOVELL: I think from our perspective, we're a service disabled veteran in small business that works with over 260 different companies to bring the best in healthcare, world-class healthcare to the Veterans Administration. We connect industry with the VA. And the good news for the VA during the shutdown is it's considered an essential organization, so funding for medical care is not affected. But there is a backlog and I saw Secretary Doug Collins mention it briefly a few days ago, that in terms of some of these outreach programs for like vocation rehabilitation, for transitioning veterans from the service to school or a vocational training job, there's a backlog now.

We think it may be up to 10,000 veterans that are going to wait for this care. And so, the transition itself is a little bit of a -- it's daunting. It's a little, cause them anxiety, but for veterans to suffer with anxiety and PTSD, of course, it's going to amplify that two-fold.

WHITFIELD: So, what kind of resources might be available to veterans, active-duty service members who might be encountering a new kind of struggle right now?

LOVELL: Sure. So there are so many different programs available to veterans, the first thing is if a veteran is in crisis, the one thing that's not been affected is the 24/7 care for the veteran's crisis line. So any veteran, anytime, if you're struggling with a mental health crisis, you can call 9-8-8 and select one and you're going to speak to a live person, a VA staffer who is going to help you through whatever mental health crisis you're going through.

You can also start a confidential text by going to the VA mental crisis health website. And then you can also text 838-255. But the biggest thing for veterans, what we recommend they do is talk to their primary care or another veteran or family member and let them know where you are and what you're feeling and what you need help with.

[16:40:00]

I think the biggest thing, your veterans are humble. They don't want to tell anyone that they're having a -- they're struggling with mental health. And so, the biggest thing is we just encourage them, it's OK to reach out. It's OK to say you're struggling, you need some help.

WHITFIELD: I wonder if you have a message or two to lawmakers on Capitol Hill who -- some of whom are working this weekend trying to work out some resolution to this U.S. government shutdown. Do you want them to be mindful of anything in particular?

LOVELL: Yes, Fredricka, I thought about this before this spot and I thought wouldn't it be great if every Representative and every Senator had to serve in the military at one point? Because the military training just kind of forces you to think about other people first. It's just kind of part of ingrained in whatever service you're in, it's going to -- you're going to be thinking about other people first.

And I think all political, whatever side of the aisle you're on, the inability to kind of come to a resolution and pass this Continuing Resolution or a budget is affecting people. And a lot of veterans are affected by it. And I just, I think from a veteran's perspective, we just wish they would come together and get it done, so that we can move on to take care of ourselves in the way that -- and the benefits that we've earned.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, we appreciate your advice here. We appreciate your service and all the services that you are extending to our active service members and vets. Chris Lovell, thank you so much.

LOVELL: Thanks, Fredricka. Thanks for having me on.

WHITFIELD: Up next, it seems everyone is having to tighten the belt on spending, and that includes cutting back perhaps on the kind of big bucks that usually finance fancy weddings. Can you still have fancy, but on a smaller budget? We're going to discuss.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:46:32]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. Right now on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Senate is currently in recess until six o'clock tonight. But there are new signs apparently of some progress. Several Senate Democrats are signaling a willingness to vote to reopen the government if they secure some final key concessions from the White House. That's according to a person involved in the talks. And we'll continue to keep a close eye and bring you any developments as they happen. All right. And with so many Americans trying to cut down on spending and really being forced to do so, one area coming under scrutiny these days is the cost of weddings. That's two million ceremonies take place in the U.S. every year, but getting your guests to the big day can also bring some anxiety. And now, the government shutdown creating chaos for air travel. One bride tells CNN that she spent the day before her wedding, watching her guests' travel plans unravel, and add to this accommodations, attire, plus gifts and the price to attend the big day. Well, it's all adding up.

So, what are wedding guests to do? Joining me right now to discuss, Christine Hargrove, Assistant Director at the Love & Money Center at the University of Georgia. So great to see you.

CHRISTINE HARGROVE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, LOVE & MONEY CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: OK, so people envision their weddings, they want everyone to be there, whether it's a destination wedding or right there in their hometown, but it's really, really costly and everyone's trying to tighten their belt. So I guess, what are the newest recommendations on how you have a beautifully elegant wedding, but then you're not breaking everybody's bank?

HARGROVE: I think that you hit the nail on the head about it doesn't have to be fancy to be elegant. And so, for the couple getting married, for them to decide how do they want to feel on their big day, what are the main things that they want to focus on? So sometimes that's the music, sometimes that's the ceremony or the flowers, but you don't have to do everything to the highest level. Just do a few things well and work on having your guests feel included.

So a lot of the -- I do a lot of premarital counseling at the Love & Money Center and I've worked with a lot of couples, and I'm seeing more and more of an emphasis on taking time to spend time with their guests and maybe do an afternoon reception instead of a sit down, black tie. So that gives them the opportunity to kind of float from table to table and say hello, maybe leave a note.

(LAUGH)

WHITFIELD: That's nice.

HARGROVE: Focus on certain areas and don't allow yourself to feel the pressure to take every single opportunity to spend money like the linen napkins versus --

WHITFIELD: Right.

HARGROVE: -- the fancy paper.

WHITFIELD: People go Bridezilla, right? I don't know what the name is for the dudes, the grooms. Do they go Groomzilla? Some people really get caught up --

HARGROVE: Yeah. WHITFIELD: And the next thing you know, the bills are really mounting and sometimes they kind of forget about what this is all about. But if you're a guest, I mean, it costs money to get there, to pay for your hotel and you love your loved one or your friend, but sometimes it kind of hurts to get the bill after the fact. So how do you, as the bride and groom, be mindful of what you're asking your guests to undertake? I mean, is there a way to say, OK, I'm going to give you some options here?

HARGROVE: Yeah, so there are. So first have multiple different hotel blocks reserved at different price points. So, it takes a little extra time.

WHITFIELD: OK.

[16:50:00]

HARGROVE: But it's absolutely worth it. And what that tells your guests is we are expecting that many guests will have different needs, different wishes, but I think the impact on having options for your different guests and being willing to talk to them ahead of time, so specific to like bridesmaids, groomsmen, if you're going to ask somebody to be part of your wedding, give them an idea of how much that might cost because --

WHITFIELD: Do you also kind of throw in some bucks for them too?

HARGROVE: You can, you can.

WHITFIELD: You know, I've added incentive.

HARGROVE: I've seen it go different ways. And if you can cover part of the cost, if that can be part of how you contribute to helping people show up, I think --

WHITFIELD: Or maybe paying for their hotel. I mean, I don't know --

HARGROVE: You can pay for the hotel.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: You can overstepping, I'm trying to think.

HARGROVE: -- helping people organize --

WHITFIELD: -- of things you are trying to incentivize, right?

HARGROVE: -- so that they can travel .together So if you know that people are coming in from the same place and they're going to be in the flights at the same time, like letting them know each other that hey, somebody else is coming in around the same time, if you all want to Uber.

WHITFIELD: So now, what about the whole destination wedding stuff? Because that's really expensive for a lot of guests, no matter what. Or maybe it's the time of year, sometimes people are planning their weddings and perhaps they have to be a little bit more considerate of what it is going to require of their guests.

HARGROVE: Right. I think for many brides and grooms, if you're going to plan a destination wedding, part of it is not taking it personally if people can't travel to the destination wedding. It's not necessarily meant about you or about whether they want to support you and love you, it's -- they may not have enough PTO.

WHITFIELD: Yeah.

HARGROVE: They may not have the ability to take everybody or find a sitter back home.

WHITFIELD: Right. So then, you as the guest who have that kind of predicament, do you just flat out let the bride and groom know, look, I wish I could be there, but for reasons X, Y, Z, childcare or I can't afford it, et cetera.

HARGROVE: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: Do you do that or do you just find a different way to, I guess --

HARGROVE: I think it's easier to just --

WHITFIELD: -- gently exit.

HARGROVE: -- say it plain. I think, but you can say it, you can say like this is a constraint for us right now, we are really focus on, we want to show up for you, we love you, we want to support you. And I think that if you are in that situation, sometimes sending the right gift that really communicates like we are with you, we are thinking about you, can be key. So my example was, on my wedding day --

WHITFIELD: Yeah.

HARGROVE: -- all of my bridesmaids' zippers malfunctioned --

(LAUGH)

HARGROVE: -- at the venue --

WHITFIELD: What?

HARGROVE: -- as they were getting dressed. All of them.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh.

HARGROVE: I have no idea how it happened.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Was it a crime? Was there a reason? OK, seems to --

(CROSSTALK)

HARGROVE: Something happened. (LAUGH)

WHITFIELD: OK.

HARGROVE: Somebody had a sewing kit because someone had given us a sewing kit for like a wedding emergency kit --

WHITFIELD: Wow.

HARGROVE: -- because they couldn't be at the wedding. And that came in so handy. So, all of the bridesmaids got sewn into the dresses.

(LAUGH)

WHITFIELD: Oh, that's cute.

HARGROVE: And we absolutely needed that.

WHITFIELD: That made for a really cute moment actually, very memorable.

HARGROVE: It was wonderful. Yeah.

WHITFIELD: Oh gosh. Well, we are wishing the best on all the nuptials out there that are being planned, but especially now, I guess folks had to be a lot more mindful about the stresses that it might be putting on your guests or family members and all that. So, great tips that you've given us today.

HARGROVE: Well, thank you --

WHITFIELD: Christine Hargrove --

HARGROVE: -- for having me.

WHITFIELD: Thank you so much.

HARGROVE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:57:27]

WHITFIELD: Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: So we're going to have a good game. Things are going along very well, our country is doing well. The Democrats have to open it up. Thank you very much, everybody.

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, very short and sweet. We'll have to rerec (ph) and see the other things that he may have said before we took him to air. But, he is imploring the Democrats to reopen the government. We know the U.S. Senate is working this weekend and we here reportedly, they may have something to vote on later on this evening, but they are expected to continue to stay in session until at least six o'clock.

All right, here are some extraordinary pictures out of Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano putting on quite a show right there. Lava has been erupting throughout the weekend in this spectacular faction. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, these eruptions have been a frequent occurrence for nearly a year now. And at times, lava fountains have shot up as high as the Empire State Building. Extraordinary, Kilauea sits inside Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park, which remains closed because of the U.S. government shutdown.

All right, speaking of volcanoes, from bread baked in an Icelandic volcano to Tokyo's renowned Japanese milk bread, join Tony for a special back-to-back episode finale of the CNN Original Series, "Tony Shalhoub Breaking Bread."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY SHALHOUB, CNN HOST OF "TONY SHALHOUB BREAKING BREAD": Love that sound. I'm 44 floors above the wild streets of Tokyo, the biggest city in the world. And I'm busy with one of my favorite pastimes. I find ironing is -- it's kind of therapeutic and there's that level of instant gratification. You know, you're just -- you see a piece of clothing, it's -- it looks one way, it feels one way, and then instantly you're transforming it. You've got to love that.

So much care and precision goes into everything here in Japan. There's this instinct to perfect, to refine, to elevate. They even have a word for it, "Kaizen," the art of constant incremental improvements. And honestly, I feel that monk-like discipline running through my own veins. Oh, damn, that feels good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(LAUGH)

WHITFIELD: OK, if you say so, ironing not my thing, no one (ph) enjoy it. But I like the bread part.