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Trade Talks between U.S. and Canada to Avoid New Tariffs Fall Apart; President Trump Campaigns for South Carolina Republican Senate Candidate Darline Graham; Navy Considering Changing Name of Carrier from after World War Two African American Hero Doris Miller to after President Trump; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Draws Controversy over Arrest of Five-Year-Old and His Father in Texas; IndyCar Drivers to Compete in Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C.; Mayor of Gary, Indiana, Interviewed on Continuing Power Outages for City's Residents after Major Storm; Defense Rests in Trial of Former Nurse and Mother Lindsay Clancy Accused of Murdering Her Three Children; New York Firefighter Saves Woman from Drowning in Her Car during Flood. Aired 2-3p ET.

Aired August 22, 2026 - 14:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:31]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Name switch. The U.S. Navy is considering renaming an aircraft carrier that was supposed to honor a black war hero, potentially changing it to honor President Trump. CNN has new reaction today from the sailor's family.

Plus, still waiting. Tens of thousands of residents of Gary, Indiana, remain without power nearly two weeks after deadly storms hit the area. The mayor joins us live.

And later, start your engines. Street racing comes to the nation's capital this weekend as 25 IndyCars are set to zip through D.C. streets, pushing speeds of up to 180 miles an hour. We'll take you to the track.

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

All right, today, the U.S. is vowing to escalate a newly reignited trade war with Canada after talks fell apart at the last minute Friday night. Starting today, a 50 percent tariff on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods is in effect. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says they'll match those tariffs dollar for dollar starting on September 8th. For the past week, President Trump and Carney, along with top trade negotiators from both countries, were in talks aimed at avoiding this. But now both sides are blaming each other for the talks breaking down.

CNN's Julia Benbrook joins us now from the White House. Julia, what more can you tell us about this trade war standoff?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, as well as other top trade officials from both countries, had been in direct contact throughout the week after Trump had placed a three-day delay on the tariffs. And both sides had expressed optimism they would be able to come to an agreement before that new deadline.

In fact, just hours before this all fell through, Trump said that things were moving along with Canada and that the United States and Canada should be able to strike a deal here. There is now, though, a 50 percent tariff on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, and Canada has vowed to match that rate dollar for dollar starting on September 8th.

Both sides looking to place blame on the other. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said this. He said that there were new demands and walk backs of other commitments by Canada which upended a careful balance that was struck in recent days. He also said during an interview with FOX News earlier today that there are not plans at this moment to restart these talks. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIESON GREER, U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE: It's hard to say. We don't have new talks planned with the Canadians. We're moving forward with measures that respond to Canadian retaliation. Remember, as President Trump has introduced a trade policy to reshore American production and protect American jobs, two countries have retaliated against the United States, the People's Republic of China and Canada.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Carney is presenting a similar argument here. He says that the United States failed to meet Canada's objectives. He also said that last minute changes by the United States called into question the reliability of any sort of a deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: In recent days, the United States proposed new terms that were uneconomic, unfair, and undermined the net benefits for Canada, and called into question the reliability of any deal. In short, they asked too much and they offered too little.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Now, Trump has not yet directly responded to Carney's promise to match the tariff rate dollar for dollar. We have reached out to the White House for more information. Now, these new tariffs are somewhat limited in scope, but this escalation could pose a much bigger issue as this trade war just seems to have reignited. Fred?

WHITFIELD: Indeed. All right, Julia Benbrooke at the White House, thank you so much.

All right, President Trump in South Carolina last night fortifying his support of Senator Darline Graham. This despite her rocky debate appearance earlier in the week when she said national security is, quote, "not my thing." Trump appeared at a rally in Myrtle Beach for the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who is running against Congressman Ralph Norman to be the Republican Senate candidate in November.

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[14:05:00]

DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENT: I want to say hello to a very special person that's with us tonight, Darline.

(CHEERING)

TRUMP: Because Darline is somebody I've known for a long time. I asked her to do this. I said, Darline, you got to do it.

What I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I'm on the ballot. Just come and vote. It's so important.

SEN. DARLINE GRAHAM, (R-SC): Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you for your endorsement. It has meant the world to me. Thank you for your support. Thank you for coming to South Carolina. This is MAGA country, right? Yes.

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: With control of Congress on the line, some candidates the president has endorsed have failed to win their primaries. We'll find out if Graham can pull out a win when South Carolina voters cast their ballots in this special Republican primary runoff on Tuesday.

All right, in 2020, the U.S. Navy took a historic step when it announced an aircraft carrier would be named to honor a black war hero. The carrier is currently under construction and was set to be named after Doris Miller. He was a mess attendant who, with no training, manned an anti-aircraft gun and helped save his wounded commanding officer during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was later awarded the Navy Cross for his actions, becoming the first black American to receive the decoration. Well, here's what President Trump said about that back in 2020.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENT: Last month, the Navy announced that the next American aircraft carrier will bear the proud name of USS Doris Miller. That's pretty good.

(APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: They won't give me that honor. That's a big boat. That's a big ship. All right, one day, maybe.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: Well, when is that one day? Is it near? Sources are now telling CNN the Navy is working on renaming the ship potentially with President Trump's name. CNN's Haley Britzky explains.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

HALEY BRITZKY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The USS Doris Miller was officially named during the first Trump administration in 2020, but sources are saying the Navy is now looking to rename a different warship after Miller instead. Miller was famously portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr. in the 2001 film "Pearl Harbor." The carrier would mark the first time an aircraft carrier was named both in honor of an enlisted sailor and an African American.

It's unclear why the Navy is looking to rename the ship, though there are those who believe aircraft carriers should only be named after presidents, major Navy battles, or notable senior ranking officers. Sources say acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao and his office are working to update the official guidance for how these ships can be named and who specifically they can be named after to include presidents.

And two sources told CNN that there has been internal conversation about potentially naming the carrier after President Donald Trump, though that has not yet been decided.

Miller was the first African American to receive the Navy Cross, and sources tell us that the Navy has submitted him to receive the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military medal for valor, though the final decision on that lies with congress and the president.

Asked about this story, a Pentagon official said they had nothing to announce at this time.

Haley Britzky, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: Earlier today, Miller's great nephew and a former secretary of the Navy spoke with CNN and questioned why the future USS Doris Miller would no longer bear the World War Two hero's name.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS BLEDSOE, GREAT NEPHEW OF DORIS MILLER: For someone who has done so much for our country and did the above-and-beyond moment, it's one that would rock a lot of our society. We've had calls from people local, national, and international about this potential change, and we've had a lot of support. And I know this means a lot, not only to the family but to others. Doris's story speaks to the hearts of Americans. Doris's story speaks to the heart of humans. And with that in mind, it's important to make sure that we can continue moving forward with the naming of the ship after him.

CARLOS DEL TORO, FORMER NAVY SECRETARY: I just don't think its that necessary. I mean, he already has an entire, accordingly, an entire class of battleships that are to be named after him, the Trump class of battleships. So I don't see the emergent need to name an aircraft carrier now while he's still a sitting president. It's never done before, and it really isn't necessary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Doris "Dorie" Miller was killed in action in 1943 when his ship was hit by a torpedo fired by a Japanese submarine.

All right, coming up, a five-year-old boy is seen crying and holding his handcuffed father as federal immigration agents take them both into custody. The latest on this controversial detention.

Plus --

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[14:10:01]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When she thought about harming the children, when she had the thoughts about that, she was aware in those moments beforehand that that was wrong or against the law and that she could be punished.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A rebuttal witness for the prosecution testifies on Lindsay Clancy's mindset before she killed her young children. What to expect in the days ahead in this triple murder trial as the defense rests its case.

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[14:15:10]

WHITFIELD: The tearful arrest of a five-year-old and his father by ICE this week is being compared to the viral arrest of Liam Conejo Ramos in Minneapolis back in January. You'll recall he was the little boy who was wearing that memorable blue hat. Well, in this recent case, Liam Tadeo and his father were on their way to a soccer match in Austin, Texas, Sunday when immigration officials detained them both. Footage from the incident sparked outrage as many criticized the arrest of a young boy.

CNN national correspondent Rafael Romo is here with more details on this. So what are you learning about this case? What precipitated the arrest? Where do things stand?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR: Yes, there are so many questions, right? And what we know is that this video has gone viral, and many people are asking questions about the way they were detained. And Fred, a spokesperson for the family told CNN the father and son, who are both undocumented, said they were on their way to a soccer match in Austin, Texas, when they were pulled over.

In a video that has gone to, you know, different lengths of how people are watching this, the five-year-old boy, identified by his family as Liam Tadeo, appears to be crying as he tried to hold the hand of his handcuffed father being escorted to an unmarked vehicle. According to family spokesperson Zaira Garcia, Liam was getting ready to start kindergarten this week in Austin. She also said that both the father, Victor Martinez Nieto, and his son are undocumented immigrants from Mexico and remain in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention.

The case is drawing comparisons with the case you mentioned, another detention that also impacted a five-year-old boy in suburban Minneapolis in January. Liam Conejo Ramos was wearing a blue knit bunny hat when a masked federal agent held the handle of the boy's Spiderman backpack before he and his father were transported on a plane to the Dilley detention center in Texas, the same facility where the other boy is now held.

In an interview with CNN affiliate Univision, the mother of the boy detained with his father Sunday in Austin and who asked not to be identified, said she remembered that Minneapolis case after her own son was detained. Univision happened to be at her home when she spoke with her son, who remains at the Dilley detention center.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I love you so much and I miss you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I love you so much and I miss you so much, my love. Don't despair, my love, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you so, so much, my love.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And Texas Representative Greg Casar, a Democrat, spoke about Liam's case in a video posted on his Facebook account.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. GREG CASAR, (D-TX): His name, just like the name of the little boy from Minnesota, is Liam, and Liam should be starting kindergarten this week, but instead he's sitting in a trailer prison right now in Dilley, Texas. I'm calling for the immediate release of Liam, the immediate release of all of these kids, and for the closure of the Dilley trailer prison.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said that Victor Martinez Nieto, whom it called an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested last Sunday during a vehicle stop in Austin, Texas, and had illegally entered the country around March 2022 near Laredo, Texas. The statement goes on to say that "On November 15th, 2025, ICE arrested Martinez Nieto in Hutto, Texas. He accepted voluntary departure and was removed from the country on February 12th, 2026. Martinez Nieto illegally reentered the country at an unknown time and place after being removed. Martinez Nieto and his son will remain together in ICE custody pending removal."

DHS also said that the Dilley detention center is retrofitted for families and that children held there have access to teachers, classrooms, and books. And that's probably because there's been a lot of questions as to whether this facility is actually equipped to handle families.

WHITFIELD: Right. It's a very difficult situation, difficult to watch. All right, thank you so much, Rafael Romo. Appreciate it.

All right, still to come, the nation's capital revving up for this weekend's Freedom 250 IndyCar race. But the high-speed event is also raising concerns and creating major traffic headaches.

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[10:24:00]

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Preliminary races are now underway around the National Mall in D.C. IndyCar drivers speeding past some of Americas most historic landmarks for practice rounds and qualifiers on the converted track today before tomorrow's main event, a 250 mile race commemorating Americas 250th birthday.

The freedom 250 Grand Prix is one of the final events hosted by Freedom 250, a Trump backed group tasked with marking 250 years of American independence with a series of events like the Great American State Fair this summer and the UFC White House event.

Well, CNN's Brian Todd is near the track, really right alongside it. You can take a couple steps and you'll be on the track. Brian, you're joining us now. What are you hearing and what are you seeing from people there?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of excitement here, Fredricka. Just to establish this first and foremost, I got to wear these headsets or else I'm not going to be able to hear you because this is what you call a hot track. That means there's racing going on.

[14:25:03]

This is a practice race here for the main race tomorrow. These cars have been at this during this practice for about an hour-and-a-half now. We're right by turn four, which goes from Constitution Avenue there to Seventh Street here. And as I'm broadcasting for you in this live shot, you're going to be seeing some of these IndyCars just flying by as a blur.

And I've got to tell you, it's not only exciting being here, but it's almost surreal. Were here in the downtown mall. My colleagues and I have covered so many things down here, other events. Nothing is like this. To see the downtown National Mall converted to a race track is nothing short of surreal and very, very exciting.

Let's just take a walk over here. My photojournalist, Jonathan Obeirne and I are just going to show you the scene over here. Lots of people pressing against the fence. This is one of those venues where you can get very close to the racetrack and enjoy it from up close. Some of the other venues, not so much. You've got a grandstand over there to the right, and some of the suites over here to the left.

And I'm going to talk to some first-time race goers. Karen Miller is a first-time racegoer for IndyCar. Youve been to a NASCAR race. Karen is from Chesapeake, Virginia. OK, Karen, just tell us what it's like. This is kind of surreal, isn't it?

KAREN MILLER, VISITING FROM CHESAPEAKE, VIRGINIA: This is electric. It's amazing. It was easy to get to. The metro was amazing to ride in. Easy to get through the gates. I'm a new fan.

TODD: You've been to NASCAR. What do you like better? How does this compare to NASCAR?

MILLER: I like this better. This is more electric. It's faster. And just the environment is just amazing.

TODD: Do you think you'll move around a little bit and kind of go to the different venues? And you're going to be here tomorrow for the main race. Have fun. Karen, thanks for talking to us.

MILLER: They need to do it more often.

TODD: Hopefully they will.

A.J. Woodson is from Auburn, Alabama. Your first time at an IndyCar race, too. I want to get your impressions. But just you talked about how you love coming to D.C. What's it like with this going on here? It's kind of strange, right?

A.J. WOODSON, VISITING FROM AUBURN, ALABAMA: Yes. It's been interesting to see how they've set it up across the city, and honestly how loud these race cars get. But I love coming to the nation's capital and visiting the museum. So it's been fun.

TODD: And so you're going to rove around, and, you know, well, what strikes out at you the most? To me, it's the speed and the noise. What strikes out at you?

WOODSON: Yes, honestly, I would agree. The speed and the noise. Yes.

TODD: Have fun, A.J.

You guys, thanks for talking to us. Enjoy yourselves.

And I'm going to show you a couple of other features. Guys, take a look at this. This is the National Gallery of Art. The officials here told us that they had to do a vibration study to basically calibrate how much the paintings and the other artwork are going to vibrate during this race and take measures to protect their collection. That's part of the collection that they have to protect. Look at that. They boarded up that sculpture there, and they've fenced around and boarded some of the other sculptures that are outside the National Gallery of Art. So that's what the museums are doing to kind of prepare for all of this. And we are told that the museums are going to be open during all this, but you have to have the race tickets to get to the museums.

Also quickly, Fredricka, we just got word President Trump is going to be here tomorrow. He's going to take a ceremonial lap around the course. Then he's going to drop the green flag from his seat. So that will be part of the excitement.

WHITFIELD: Yes, lots of excitement over these two days. Thank you so much, Brian Todd. We'll check back with you in the next hour as well.

All right, joining us right now is Doug Boles, the president of IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hello to you, Doug. All right, you've got a historic venue. You know, D.C. turns into a 1.7- mile track with longnose race cars hugging those tight turns and whizzing by historic landmarks at 185 miles an hour. So should this be compared to, say, like a Formula One Monaco racetrack known to have kind of wicked hairpin turns as well?

DOUG BOLES, PRESIDENT, INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY: Well, this is sort of the same idea, right? You're racing in the streets of an amazing city, in fact, maybe the most amazing city in the world here in Washington, D.C. We don't have the tight turns that they have at Monaco. Our turns are 90-degree corners, not quite as tight, so a little bit higher speeds than you might see at Monaco. A little bit wider as well. One of the things that we designed in the racetrack to make sure that we don't have those really, really tight corners that create so many incidents.

WHITFIELD: Yes. So this will be longer in distance, however, than a typical Indy road race is what I understand. Here you have 250 miles in honor of Americas birthday. So, I mean, this takes some serious stamina for the drivers as well. So tell me about what their experience will be like.

BOLES: Yes. As you noted, this will be the longest street race that our drivers have ever run in the history of the IndyCar series, which dates all the way back to June of 1905. We sort of are America's racing series if you think about when we were born.

And our cars don't have power steering, so it will be a physical challenge for drivers over those 250 miles and those quick corners. The lap times here are a little bit under a minute. So we're looking at somewhere in the two-and-a-half to three-hour range for this race. So at the end of the day, a lot of the physical training that our drivers do, those that are in the best shape are going to be the ones that are probably going to be towards the front when we head for the checkered flag later in that race.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. And now what about for the spectators?

[14:30:00]

What do you expect among the 140,000 spectators expected each day? What are they going to be experiencing, smelling, seeing? Give me an idea of what their senses are going to be going through.

BOLES: You know, obviously, the IndyCars have some noise, so they're definitely going to hear the sound of the IndyCars and what's going on with them. So that's really, really cool.

But just really a fair-like atmosphere. There's all kinds of activities in the infield, big video board so you can keep up with the racing. But the most important thing for me is the fact that we're in the nation's capital and we get a chance to celebrate our great country and 250 years. The Washington Monument behind me has some Indiana limestone in it, so we got that connection. And then on the other end of the racetrack, the nation's capital. I mean, it's just, if you haven't been to Washington, D.C., I want people to come here. I worked here early in my career. I love the city. The city means so much. And for us to bring the IndyCar brand here, it's really special for us.

WHITFIELD: It is gorgeous. And so with that kind of connection, you know, you talk about the stone and that kind of commonality with Indianapolis, do you see this kind of race potentially as maybe a regular? Again, we're celebrating 250 years this year, but is this a prelude to something, you know, more later?

BOLES: Well, our intent all along has been to have this as a one-off race to really celebrate the 250th anniversary, or the 250th anniversary of our country. The mayor here, Mayor Bowser, has been fantastic to work with. Her whole team has been fantastic to work with. Just the communication, every time she gets a chance to talk, she says she wants us to come back.

So we want to get through this one. Let's celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country, and then we'll sit back and take a look at it. But right now, the plan is just to be here for this one year and make this something we all remember.

WHITFIELD: Well, I know that the mayor got a chance to be kind of like a, you know, a guest on a preliminary ride. So I guess she's hooked as well as are a lot of folks who are out there now enjoying the race. All right, Doug Boles, president of IndyCar, thank you so much.

BOLES: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: All right, coming up, the frustration is growing in Gary, Indiana, where some residents have now spent more than a week without power. Well ask Gary's mayor what is being done about that and why some residents say they're not seeing enough action.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:36:23]

WHITFIELD: Happening right now, frustration and exhaustion in northern Indiana. Almost 30,000 homes and businesses face another day without power after storms swept through the area nearly two weeks ago. Officials said at least seven people died. People in Gary, Indiana, have been enduring outages all week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No lights, no wi-fi, can't charge a phone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Full restoration of power is not expected until early next week.

Eddie Melton is mayor of Gary and he's with us right now. Thank you so much, Mr. Mayor, for being with us. So tens of thousands of customers still without power in your city. You know, you've got relatively mild temperatures in the 70s outside, but people need power for, you know, more than air conditioning. They need lights, powering their cell phones, perhaps even their electric ovens and stoves, medical devices. So how are they coping?

MAYOR EDDIE MELTON, GARY INDIANA: Well, folks are extremely frustrated and, and fearful. We're doing the best we can in my administration to give them the comfort knowing that were going to apply as much pressure as possible on the utility company to restore power as soon as possible. Ninety-nine mile-an-hour winds that ripped through northern Indiana, 99 miles that hit the hardest in the city of Gary with trees, have destroyed homes, cars, you name it. And 38,000 customers of NIPSCO has been without power. Gary is a 60,000 population city.

WHITFIELD: Yes. It's understandable why the power got knocked out given the conditions that you just, you know, helped express. But then people want to know, why is it taking so long in order to get the power back up? I know you said you've applied pressure, but what has been the response? What do you think is really at issue Even after applying pressure as to why power is not back on?

MELTON: Well, the question is, in terms of the city of 50 square miles, Gary is probably the largest geographic area throughout NIPSCO's footprint from a city's perspective. And we believe that we didn't have enough electrical linemen on the ground, vegetation crews on the ground to address this issue.

Right now, we requested as of yesterday more linemen, and we're starting to see that come in now. So right now we have about 430 electrical linemen, another 200 to 300 vegetation crews helping to detangle the trees out of the electrical lines so power can be restored. It's going to take time. I understand that. I get it. But it has to take the manpower with boots on the ground to get the job done.

WHITFIELD: Earlier today, our Victor Blackwell, my colleague, spoke with a Gary resident and asked her if she had a question for you. And this is what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHATIYA HARDIN, GARY, INDIANA, RESIDENT: With the donations that are being given to the city moving forward, how can you hold NIPSCO, or what, what are you going to do to hold NIPSCO more accountable for this type of issue? Are you guys going to start cutting down the trees so that they're not hovering over the utility lines and poles? Can you start to maybe aim towards the sanitary part of it with the sewage lines and making sure that they're properly cleaned like they used to do, cleaning the sewage lines, making sure that the trash is not building up so that we don't have flooding issues.

[14:40:00]

And again, the trees that's towering over the poles and the courts and everything for the electrical lines, that should be maintained properly so that we don't have these issues when the storms do come.

So moving forward, how are you going to hold them accountable?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Really, really powerful, you know, graphic questions there. What are the answers?

MELTON: Absolutely. Absolutely. There are several I want to address.

Number one, the lines that she talked about are stormwater lines. So during this 99 mile-an-hour windstorm, there was torrential rain. And a lot of the drainage that got clogged up with some debris and things of that nature in certain streets. So that is accurate in terms of some of that debris that given captured with the drains had to be cleared. And that's something that Gary sanitary district definitely addressed.

The donation aspect, we have an account set up with the Legacy Foundation. That's Lake County's community foundation right here in northwest Indiana. So the city is not directly receiving any donations. However, we are using those funds to help people replace their weather heads that's on their homes. But a lot of folks don't realize, even if your neighborhood starts to get power, the weather head is the responsibility of the homeowners. We are funding ourselves through the donations and the help of folks around the country to start their work as soon as possible.

I just signed an executive order to waive the building permit fees and the process and allow us to get licensed electrical contractors and contractors to start their process with folks.

In terms of holding them accountable, we've already started that process. Next week, I'll be issuing a list of demands to NIPSCO to ensure a couple of things takes place. Number one, that they do a moratorium on any disconnect notice or disconnections for the customers in Gary and northwest Indiana to ensure that the customers that's been impacted, they won't have to worry about paying past due bills or be worried about disconnecting their utilities in that timeframe while they're rebounding from the storm.

Number two, we want to make sure that there's a credit that goes on individuals' bills during this timeframe of the storm. This is something that we're going to have to demand to the company, that they don't have to do it, but it's something that the people need. And we're going to put this before, and it's my hope that the other mayors will join me in that effort. WHITFIELD: And mayor, do you feel like your city, the residents

there, are being dismissed or even neglected, whether it be by NIPSCO or the state or even county authorities?

MELTON: Well, in the beginning it felt that way. And I'll tell you why. When NIPSCO started displaying the numbers of the power restoration, and when you look and you don't see the city of Gary on that list, it makes you feel like you're overlooked. And that's something that we have to demand that they start showing the estimated restoration times of the city of Gary specifically, not our surrounding communities, but the city of Gary.

So for several days we didn't know the number of how many outages and how many people were getting turned on and how long it was going to take. And you see other communities getting activated. And when you don't see yours, it becomes extremely frustrating.

WHITFIELD: I hope, and everyone hopes that power is restored very quickly. Gary, Indiana, Mayor Eddie Melton, thank you so much for joining us today. All the best.

MELTON: Thank you for having me. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Coming up, the defense has rested in the Lindsay Clancy trial. The case now moves closer to the jury, with prosecutors pushing back on the defense claim that extreme mental illness left Clancy not criminally responsible for killing her three children.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:48:19]

WHITFIELD: After four weeks of testimony, Lindsay Clancy's defense team rested its case on Friday. While the Massachusetts mother admits to killing her three small children in 2023, the defense argues that she's not criminally responsible because she experienced postpartum psychosis. Prosecutors are expected to continue presenting rebuttal witnesses on Monday before both sides deliver closing arguments.

CNN's Sherrell Hubbard has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

SHERRELL HUBBARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After 18 days of testimony from both sides in the triple murder trial of former nurse and mother Lindsay Clancy, the defense rests. Before resting, the defense called 10 witnesses to testify about her mental health. A forensic psychiatrist, the defense's final witness, testified Friday that Clancy was, quote, "frankly, psychotic" at the time of the killings.

DR. PHILLIP RESNICK, FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIST: It was almost like she was a puppet and someone else was pulling the strings.

HUBBARD: Clancy doesn't deny killing her three young children in 2023, but her attorney argues Clancy should not be held criminally responsible because of mental illness. This week, the defense has called several witnesses to the stand in an attempt to focus on her mental health struggles, including immediately after the killings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She had bipolar disorder with postpartum psychosis. In addition, she was unable to conform her behaviors to the rule of law.

HUBBARD: After the defense rested on Friday, prosecutors presented rebuttal witnesses. Prosecutors have painted the crime as premeditated. The D.A.'s office alleges Clancy was not in a state of psychosis and instead killed her children, quote, "deliberately and meticulously."

[14:50:00]

DR. AVRAM MACK, PSYCHIATRIST: As I understand the deaths, they were done methodically, one by one, in a way that was organized. Similarly, her attempt at suicide was organized and thoughtful, in a sense.

HUBBARD: Lindsay Clancy has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and faces life in prison if convicted.

I'm Sherrell Hubbard, reporting.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: Sherrell Hubbard, thank you so much.

All right, new details are emerging in the death of actress Hayden Panettiere with now the Drug Enforcement Administration joining the investigation. That's according to "The New York Times" and ABC News. The 36-year old was found unresponsive in a South Carolina apartment Sunday. Her boyfriend told TMZ that he administered Narcan to Panettiere before first responders arrived. The one-time child star spoke openly about navigating addiction and postpartum depression as an adult. An official cause of death is still pending results of further testing.

Eight people are dead after a chartered plane crashed near a military airstrip in Alaska. Federal aviation and military officials say the plane was chartered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Cessna aircraft took off from an airport in Anchorage Thursday and went down near its destination in the western part of the state. The National Weather Service noted foggy conditions and low visibility on that day Two pilots, two members of the Army Corps of Engineers, and four contractors were aboard the plane. Their names have not yet been released. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

All right, coming up next hour, an off-duty police officer is dead, and police are now searching for his wife. She's considered armed and dangerous and has her own connection to law enforcement.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:56:52]

WHITFIELD: All right, today, more flooding is threatening the mid- Atlantic after Friday's storms that spun tornadoes and brought heavy rains. In parts of New York City, the rain even poured into subways this week. The city has seen its share of flooding this year, at times putting many lives at risk.

Back in May, as flash floods swept through the New York City area, one woman found herself trapped with no escape. That is, until she says, her angel appeared on the roof of her car. One firefighter went beyond the call of duty to save her.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

CARMEN PINTO, FLOOD SURVIVOR: OK, so it's this. It's right here, where this white van is. And this is where the water was.

The car was fully submerged. So like, it was like the water was up to here. Within seconds, the waters just rose.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On the afternoon of May 20th, Carmen Pinto, a high school principal, found herself in traffic during one of the most severe flash floods New York has faced.

PINTO: It just started coming through the doors, and then it just picked up my car. Then my car just kind of floated and then it shut off. That's when the panic really set in.

I heard all the people around me telling me to open the window. I was screaming like, I can't because the car had completely shut down. I kind of given up. I thought, this is it. It was just my head above water. Next thing I know, here's my angel.

TRAVIS LANGAN, FDNY: I see that there's like this huge lake and there was six cars like trapped underwater.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A New York City firefighter with Ladder 123 in Crown Heights, Travis Langan, was driving home after a long day at work.

LANGAN: As I started walking through the water, it was about chest- deep. My heart started racing, and I saw how high the water was. I could only -- there was maybe like two inches left of a car that was exposed, you know? Her face was up against her sunroof and the water was up to her chin. So that's why I started looking for something to try to break the window. But there was nothing. So I just hopped on her roof.

PINTO: He just started pounding away.

LANGAN: I just started planting, just started punching. I guess I just saw black and I just, I didn't want this lady to die.

PINTO: When you think about punching something, but punching glass, you know, is supposed to be like, shatterproof.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His hand now bleeding, he kept pounding.

LANGAN: I took about seven punches to get a hole.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From that hole. He tore the rest of the glass away.

PINTO: And I remember him saying, you're going to be OK. It was the first time that I felt like, OK, I may actually survive this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Langan says he reacted on instinct and training. The father of three is a former Marine. From his time in the first battalion, sixth Marines, and 12 years as a firefighter, he knew what to do.

PINTO: I just go back to thinking of like he could have just gone home.

LANGAN: They always instill that in our head, you know, always take care of your brothers. Don't ever leave nobody behind. I would hope it's more common than not. Not everybody is a first responder, but you know, you don't have to be a first responder to be a good person.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

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

And we begin this hour with a manhunt in Massachusetts for the wife of an off-duty police officer --