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Trump Proposes Triumphal Arch As Military Complex; Germany's Far-Right Win Adds Pressure On Chancellor Merz; Maine Democrats Face Fierce Competition In Race With Senator Susan Collins; Airlines Cutting Cheaper Flights Due To Rising Jet Fuel Prices; Gender-based Killings; Georgia Trash Lab; The Mother Road. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired September 20, 2026 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:02:02]
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
We're following new developments on President Trump's plans to remake the nation's capital in his image. Today, he announced plans to also use his proposed Triumphal arch as a military complex. Trump wants to build the 250-foot-tall structure across from Arlington National Cemetery.
In a social media post today he says the arch could be used to also store military ammunition and drones with snipers on the roof and plaza areas. The president also says there will be no facility like it in the world.
CNN's Julia Benbrook is joining us right now.
Julia, what more can you tell us about this new plan?
JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's still unclear how President Donald Trump's new vision for this Triumphal arch could impact the approval process. It was not included in the design concepts that went to the key federal agencies that oversee major changes to architecture and design in the nation's capital.
Trump now says that his 250-foot arch would double as a top grade military complex. He announced this change to his plans on social media just hours ago, and he said that the arch would, quote, "house store and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus snipers on both the roof and plaza areas, and additionally have and hold large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage."
He added that there will be no facility like this anywhere in the world. Our team has learned that that announcement caught some working on the project, working alongside the administration on the project off guard, and this arch was already a part of controversy. Its planned location is at a traffic circle. It is near the bridge that connects Washington, D.C. and Virginia, and a group of veterans are suing because they argue that that large structure in that location would block the view from Arlington National Cemetery to the Lincoln Memorial. This is just the latest one of the examples of Trump trying to rework
Washington to his liking. You see his stamp being placed on a lot of different things in this area. And it's also not the first time that he has added a military element to something as kind of a way to justify a new structure. He has done this as well with the plans for the White House ballroom, which he says will go where the East Wing once sat. He has now tied that project to an underground military complex.
We have reached out to the White House for more details on this, and exactly how it would work -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Julia Benbrook, thank you so much.
All right. Voting is now over in Germany, with early exit polls showing the far-right party, the Alternative for Germany or AfD posting significant victories.
[16:05:03]
Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz is calling the results a disaster and they could determine whether he stays in power.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports from Berlin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz finds himself in a precarious situation after a weak showing by his Christian Democratic Union, the CDU, in two key German state elections. One of them right here in the German capital in Berlin, the other one in the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Now, of course, there has been some discussion about the political future of the German chancellor, but he has come out and shown himself in a fighting mood and said he wants to continue what he calls his reform agenda.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRIEDRICH MERZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): Germany is capable of reform. I would even go so far as to say that these reforms are the antidote to the authoritarian poison that, together with the fascination for authoritarianism, is penetrating ever deeper into our society. What must be done now requires courage, steadfastness and patience. I will demonstrate these qualities as chairman of the CDU and above all as chancellor of our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Now here in the German capital in Berlin, it seems as though the Christian Democratic Union has been unseated by the left-wing Die Linke, who could very well put forward the new mayor here in the German capital, which is also, by the way, a governorship in the German state. Now in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the
right wing AfD, the Alternative for Germany, has a very strong showing there. I was able to speak to the chairwoman of the AfD, Alice Weidel, and she very clearly called on Friedrich Merz to resign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: How badly damaged is Friedrich Merz as a chancellor?
ALICE WEIDEL, GERMANY'S AFD PARTY CO-LEADER (through translator): He is strongly damaged. I believe the CDU cannot continue with Friedrich Merz with a weak chancellor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: All this is a bad news for German chancellor Friedrich Merz keeps piling up. There has been a lot of discussions about his political future here in this country. Nevertheless, this past week, other governors from his political parties backed Friedrich Merz and said that they do not want a change of chancellor here in Germany.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, in Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, Fred, thank you so much.
Coming up, a high stakes Senate showdown that could help determine control of Congress. Why Democrats see an opening to defeat Susan Collins in Maine. But the Republican senator is confident her performance will pave her path to reelection.
From trash to tech, how some college students are turning discarded plastic into phone chargers and other useful products.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:12:28]
WHITFIELD: Democrats in Maine see a prime opportunity to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins as part of President Trump's unpopularity in the state. But the GOP incumbent has overcome a tough political landscape before leaving Democrats wary that she could prevail again and defeat the party's nominee Troy Jackson.
CNN's Manu Raju caught up with both candidates to learn more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the home of the Boston Red Sox Minor League team, a popular place to be on a Wednesday night. I've spoken to a lot of Democratic voters who, frankly, understand how hard it is to beat Susan Collins. She is someone who has been able to withstand the national environment in cycle after cycle after cycle.
Do you think that she could do that again this time?
MIKE CONNOLLY, MAINE VOTER: Oh, she could, absolutely. Because the last time, it was thought that we had a chance, Democrats, to take the seat and we did not. So it's going to be a close race.
RAJU (voice-over): 2020 is haunting Maine Democrats. That's when President Trump lost Maine by nine points while Collins won reelection to a fifth term by nearly the same margin, something she's done in other tough cycles for Republicans. This time, Collins is the lone incumbent Republican running in a state President Donald Trump lost, meaning flipping the seat is once again central to Democrats' path back to the majority.
The national environment is bad for the GOP. Susan Collins is still within striking distance. Does that give you any pause?
TROY JACKSON (D), MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE: Oh, sure it does. I mean, you know, I mean, she's a U.S. senator. She's the chair of Appropriations. She's been there a long time. She has a lot of contacts. But, I mean, I think in the end, you know, just two short years ago, you know, Trump, you know, won the presidency. And now, two years later, people know that everything he was saying was bullshit. And she's helped him with all those things.
RAJU (voice-over): With no clear leader in the race, a new CNN poll has this warning sign for Collins. Roughly two-thirds of likely Maine voters disapprove of Trump's job performance, and almost half say their vote for Senate would be to oppose the president.
JACKSON: I actually see, you know, people around the state coming out like I've never seen before. And it's not about me. It's about her.
RAJU: Troy Jackson trying to nationalize this race and make it all about Susan Collins and the fact that if she were to win this race, that the Republicans very likely could hang on to the Senate majority. The problem, that's been tried before and it hasn't worked.
[16:15:01]
Is your vote more about voting against Susan Collins more than anything else?
PEGGIE BROWN, MAINE VOTER: Yes. I'm totally annoyed and frustrated and angry.
RAJU (voice-over): I caught up with Collins during her bus tour at a stop in the GOP stronghold of Newport, Maine, as she greeted voters in a hunting supply store, fire station.
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME): I love helping our first responders.
RAJU (voice-over): And dairy bar.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For me, I think Susan Collins is better just because she's right here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She brought a lot of business to Maine.
RAJU (voice-over): Collins relying on her influence, years of deal cutting with Democrats, and chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
A majority of voters, likely voters in this poll, have an unfavorable view of you. And Trump's numbers are really underwater here. I'm wondering if how problematic that might be in a difficult midterm environment.
COLLINS: Well, as you may recall, in 2020, the polls all showed me losing. And I ended up winning by nine points in a state that Joe Biden carried by nine points. So I really don't follow the polls. What I look to is the reaction on the ground. And no matter where I've been in the state of Maine, the reaction has been terrific.
RAJU: So you don't think this is worse than the 2020 environment here right now?
COLLINS: I'm saying that I go by the reaction that I get on the ground. I've participated in six or seven parades, for example, country fairs, community lunches. And the reaction has been very good. That doesn't mean that this isn't a tough race. And obviously the Canadian tariffs are a huge issue in Maine because our economy is so intertwined with Canada. But I've been able to make some progress there as well.
RAJU: Are you worried, though, that that issue, the Canadian tariffs, could cost you this race?
COLLINS: I don't believe that the Canadian tariff issue is going to decide the race, even though I'm very unhappy, as are my constituents, with Canada being treated as if it were like China.
RAJU (voice-over): The president's trade war on Canada hammering some of Maine's signature industries, upsetting undecided voters like this one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It concerns me because we get a lot of stuff from overseas and even from Canada.
RAJU (voice-over): Collins says she lobbied administration officials to win an exemption on tariffs for road salt and concrete, both with a direct impact on Maine communities.
COLLINS: Now, obviously, I'd like to see more, but that's a good start.
RAJU (voice-over): Jackson mocking that response.
JACKSON: Thank you for the road salt. I agree. And I would just think that someone that is the most powerful senator in the United States Senate would be able to do more than get us road salt back.
RAJU: Do you think that will be a decisive issue in November?
JACKSON: I do. I do, I mean, well, look, I mean, people are suffering.
RAJU (voice-over): After losing a primary bid for governor, Jackson emerged as the Democratic nominee eight weeks ago after Graham Platner dropped out of the race following a swirl of controversy, including an allegation of rape that he has denied. Still, the episode remains a focus of Republican attacks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jackson is like Graham Platner, but worse.
RAJU (voice-over): And continues to roil Democrats.
JASON CURRY, MAINE NEA DIRECTOR: I know there are people who feel that the division hasn't quite healed yet.
RAJU (voice-over): A logger from the same northern Maine county as Collins, Jackson's political journey has seen him go from running as a Republican in 2000 to joining the Democratic Party in 2004, ultimately rising to State Senate president.
And now you're pretty progressive. What -- how did you change?
JACKSON: Well, I was always progressive. When I got to Augusta and got on the labor committee, I saw the real difference between Republicans and Democrats. And that's when I switched to be a Democrat.
RAJU: Would you consider yourself part of the Democratic Socialist wing?
JACKSON: I don't really consider myself anything. I'm upset a lot at the Democratic Party. What I know is I fight for working class people.
RAJU (voice-over): And in a 2010 questionnaire revealed by CNN's K- FILE, agreeing that abortion should never be legal.
When you had an anti-abortion position, pretty hard line. How did you shift? Why did you shift on abortion?
JACKSON: Well, I mean, I listen to a lot of people over time, listen to a lot of healthcare professionals, women and stuff like that. I might have made some votes that I'm not proud of now.
RAJU (voice-over): While Collins repeatedly has broken with Trump, including to convict him during his January 6th impeachment trial, it's her pivotal vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court that could haunt her. Collins, who supports abortion rights, will be on the ballot for the first time since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Dobbs decision that Kavanaugh voted for and that roughly two- thirds of Mainers feel negatively about.
So when you look back at your vote, was it a mistake to put him on the court?
[16:20:01]
COLLINS: You can never ask a judicial nominee how he or she is going to vote on any case. What Justice Kavanaugh said to me is he considered Roe v. Wade to be settled law. I assumed that that meant that he would not overturn it, but he -- I would not ask nor could he tell me appropriately of what his decision would be.
I would note that I am the only Republican senator to have voted for the three liberal women on the court. And I make the decisions based on the qualifications of the individual. And that is what I did with Brett Kavanaugh.
RAJU: And you won't say if it's a mistake or not to put Kavanaugh on the court?
COLLINS: I believe that Kavanaugh was qualified to be on the Supreme Court. Do I like his decision on Roe v. Wade? It's obvious that I didn't, Manu.
RAJU (voice-over): Jackson himself is trying to keep his distance from his own party, saying it's time to boot Chuck Schumer as Democratic leader.
Why do you want him out, Schumer?
JACKSON: I just think the party needs a shakeup.
RAJU (voice-over): But Schumer's outside group is spending enormous sums to elect Jackson as GOP groups seek to define a man still unknown to many with Republicans poised to pour in north of $135 million, including with attacks like these.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Troy Jackson is just another dirty politician.
JACKSON: It's about things that don't matter to Mainers. What they care about is the fact that they can't afford their health insurance.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Manu Raju, thank you so much.
Coming up, airlines are issuing a major new warning, saying soaring jet fuel prices are forcing them to cut flights. What it could mean for your holiday travel.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:26:18]
WHITFIELD: No relief in sight for Americans at the pump. Here are the latest numbers from AAA. A gallon of regular gas is up nearly $0.20 from last week to $4.48. Diesel prices jumped $0.30 in a week, putting even more pressure on the nation's trucking and transportation industry, hitting $6.50 a gallon.
This, as President Trump downplays the soaring prices, saying they're just a small price to pay for the Iran war. But this morning, White House economist Kevin Hassett put it this way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KEVIN HASSETT, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL OF THE UNITED STATES: We've been bringing oil through the straits. It's up to a billion barrels of oil have come through the straits with naval escorts to try to keep the price as low as it can possibly be, given the disruption. And so, you know, President Trump will decide when enough is enough. But I can say that the U.S. government has done everything we can to make the price effect way smaller than people expected.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Though skyrocketing fuel prices are now prompting several airline executives to announce plans to cut less profitable flights from their schedules in the coming months.
CNN's senior reporter Matt Egan has more.
MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is something that virtually all airlines are expected to do as they scramble for ways to cope with the surging cost of jet fuel. So this week, executives from United, American and Southwest, they told Wall Street investors that, yes, they plan to scrap some of their cheaper, less profitable flights in the final months of the year.
Now the airlines did not say specifically which flights will get canceled, but experts say it's likely to be those cheaper, less profitable, less popular flights, think the ones that are preferred by bargain hunters, early in the morning, late at night, maybe on a Saturday. These flights, some of them might have made economic sense for the airlines back when jet fuel was cheap, but they just don't anymore.
The big problem is the fact that jet fuel has just skyrocketed in price. Back in late February, just before the war with Iran started, jet fuel cost an average of less than $2.50 a gallon. Now it's above $4.50 a gallon so the highest level since early May. And this is a big issue for airlines because fuel, it's their number two cost, second only to the cost of labor. In fact, if you zoom in, you just look at the big four airlines, United, American, Delta and Southwest.
During the second quarter, they spent a combined $80 million more on jet fuel every single day. Yes, $80 million more per day on jet fuel. The other problem for those of us trying to get a cheap flight is the fact that Spirit does not exist anymore. The discount carrier it suspended operations back in May. Now Spirit was already on life support, but it had reached a critical deal with creditors to emerge from bankruptcy, and that deal it collapsed after jet fuel skyrocketed in price.
That matters because it means there's even fewer options available for budget travelers. No wonder we've seen such a significant increase in the cost of airlines for travelers. The August inflation report showed that airfare has surged by 23 percent year over year. That's more than six times the overall rate of inflation. So bottom line, this is just one more example of how the war in the Middle East is making life here in the U.S. even more expensive. Back to you.
WHITFIELD: All right, Matt Egan, thanks so much.
All right. Still ahead, a deeply disturbing crisis is unfolding in South Africa tonight, where a terrifying string of killings has left women in Johannesburg living in absolute fear.
A new reporting on this sudden spike in gender-based violence and the growing national outrage over why more isn't being done to stop it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: In South Africa, a string of killings is terrifying women in Johannesburg.
[16:34:56]
WHITFIELD: Over the past two months, police have found the bodies of nine murdered women in an area just east of the country's biggest city. The latest body was discovered this past Thursday and is stoking fears in a country already facing extreme levels of violence against women.
CNN's Eleni Giokos has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She went for a run and her daughter never saw her again. On the ninth of September, Elizabeth Tsontso Moselakgomo went for a run in Johannesburg, leaving her eight-year-old daughter behind. When she didn't return home, her daughter alerted family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's my running friend. We've been running for about two years together. Now, she's gone missing.
GIOKOS: Only to discover her mother was dead. Elizabeth is one of nine women that have been killed in South Africa in this area of Johannesburg. Her disappearance went viral and it prompted an outpouring of fear, grief and anger, in a country where gender-based violence is five times higher than the global average.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (translated): (INAUDIBLE) becoming unbearable. We can't eat. We can't do anything because we're scared.
GIOKOS: It also prompted police to look deeper into other cases in the area. Police say that most of the women are in their 20s and 30s. They were sexually assaulted and some with stab wounds. The first victim was a 38-year-old woman found on July 15th. She was stripped naked and bound with cable ties.
In the weeks that followed, more and more women were found murdered. And now, many women, most of them survivors of gender-based violence, are saying enough is enough. They've taken to the streets demanding justice. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When we were gathered here today, I asked some people to raise their hands if they ever felt unsafe on a run, or if they'd ever changed their route because they thought that somebody might be following them. And almost everybody's hands went up.
GIOKOS: So, what about protecting women now? Police say that they've locked down the area of Kempton Park, which essentially means more police presence on the ground as they investigate whether it's a serial killer that's behind these murders.
South African police are also offering a reward of $25,000 for information that may lead to any arrest. Police say that women should take precautions, but this message has angered many, saying why should women change the way they live so they can stay alive?
These killings are unfolding in a country with a staggering rate of violence against women. Between the months of April and June, 569 women were murdered in South Africa, according to crime statistics. And the United Nations says that 15 (?) women are killed daily in South Africa. In 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared gender-based violence a national disaster, putting together summits as well as a council to tackle femicide.
But many activists say that this has made very little difference, and the system is still failing women. In a statement, President Ramaphosa says that law enforcement is working urgently to bring the perpetrators to justice.
For women in South Africa, these tragedies are more than a story contained to one part of Johannesburg. It's part of their everyday reality.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Eleni Giokos, thank you so much for that report.
Straight ahead, in the next hour, drones, snipers and a 250-foot arch across from Arlington National Cemetery. President Trump's stunning new plan to reshape the Capitol.
[16:38:38]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, what if that plastic bottle that you toss out today could actually become a new, usable product in just a matter of minutes? That's the idea behind Georgia Tech's new trash lab. Researchers there say a lot of what people put into recycling bins often end up in landfills.
The school is now home to the first miniTrashpresso operating in North America. It may sound like a coffee machine, but it actually takes discarded plastic, smashes it, kind of remodels it into items like some of what you're seeing, sunglasses or even phone chargers.
Joining me right now is the director of the Georgia Tech Trash Lab, Tim Trent. Tim, what a great idea. We all produce way too much trash. So, this is kind of a new way of repurposing stuff that we all think is recyclable. But then, as I just mentioned, some of this stuff ends up in the landfill.
So, how does it work? How did you, I guess, collect trash that's on campus and then repurpose it into some of the stuff we have right here on the table?
TIM TRENT, DIRECTOR, GEORGIA TECH TRASH LAB: Yes, absolutely. A lot of what we've been doing has been just walking around sort of collecting the things that you normally see that you might look at and say, oh, I'm going to recycle that. Whether it's a milk jug, a plastic bag, a water bottle, anything like that that we can grab together and bring into our system.
And from that, we sort of take it all. We're taking things, in particular that campus isn't really good at recycling. So, number five plastics that's just --
WHITFIELD: That's going to be really popular on campus.
TRENT: Yes, for the things like takeaway. This is also what's used in a lot of the lab materials that we have that hold, sort of, the things that are used for other science on campus.
[16:45:00]
TRENT: We can take all of this, and without even shredding it down, just taking it sort of as it is. We can put it into a machine that just presses down with a ton of force.
WHITFIELD: So, you're not melting the plastic from, say, the milk jug to the water bottle to the food container. People might envision you're going to melt the plastic down. Reshape it into something. You're saying you're actually crushing it with a machine.
TRENT: That's right. A more traditional recycling process does rely on that melting. But that releases some of the chemicals that are stored up, which makes it a little bit environmentally, you know, just to be around, kind of difficult. And it also means that you can't combine plastics together.
On the other hand, we're sort of taking the natural, earth approach, using a ton of pressure to push things together and create things. You know, if you take a shopping bag from Dollar General, pushing it together and making a charger case like this.
WHITFIELD: So, you're compressing it. And then, somehow, you get the battery or a battery charger, that kind of component, put it in there. And your hope is these items can actually be used in some fashion. Maybe sold or people can somehow obtain this kind of phone charger from you?
TRENT: Yes, absolutely. One of the things that we were recently talking about is the idea of converting beach cleanup trash into something that could be used. And so, again, if we think about something like a shovels or something that you could hold in your hand and scoop stuff like a bowl, you're turning plastic into sandcastles. And that sounds like a really cool idea.
WHITFIELD: It does. So, what kind of impact do you think you're going to be able to make to try to recycle some of these very, you know, ordinary items that are going to be found on any college campus or any neighborhood? And then, turn it into something like this that will be useful, so that we're kind of alleviating more stuff going into our trash landfills.
TRENT: Yes. I think one of the big things, obviously, you know, we're going to be able to reclaim some amount of this stuff and just prevent (?) it. Even, you know, a lot of people may be familiar with 3-D printing and sort of the waste that comes from it. And just getting that stuff out of the landfills, so that the big piles we're creating don't get quite as big.
But, on top of that, one of the partners that we have at Miniwiz, who helped develop the miniTrashpresso, who created this technology and everything, he describes it as a magic trick.
And really, that's sort of a lot of what we're trying to do is get people into the room. Get people excited about trash. And, sort of, a lot of the impact comes from that idea of not just what are we taking out, but what can we gain?
WHITFIELD: So, what stage are you in now? I mean, there was the idea. You're actually executing the idea, collecting some of the trash from campus. And I imagine now all the students are involved in all levels of that from suddenly looking at, you know, extra water bottles a little differently. But then, what is your hope to go from this experiment, shall we say it is an experiment, to then what?
TRENT: Well, we are very early stage. So, this equipment just started operating in the very beginning of September so the lab is very new. We're hoping to grow and expand our presence. And even go beyond just plastics recycling into things like textiles and other things that, again, we don't have a good way necessarily always to reuse. And, instead, bring those in and just start growing and growing the number of things that we can do.
WHITFIELD: So, you're hoping to create, sort of, this circular economy. Help people understand what that means.
TRENT: So, the idea of the circular economy is this idea that you're very considerate not only of what happens, sort of, when you start selling something, but what happens after you're done with it.
And so, even if you have a product like one of these chargers here, when you're done with it, do you just throw it in the trash? Do you just get rid of it? Well, with these, we can actually take them apart and use all of the individual components, again, back in the same system. And then, turn it into something completely new, even if it's not a charger again.
And so, that idea of being really intentional about both our start points and our end points. Sort of connecting back together like a circular economy and being able to create new things.
WHITFIELD: So, you've got the phone chargers. You've got a -- you know, some shades here. And then, you've got the shovel. Are you able to share -- and even this type of phone charger? No.
TRENT: This one --
WHITFIELD: Oh, I see. It's connected to it. OK.
TRENT: -- this one is (INAUDIBLE) symbol. Yes.
WHITFIELD: There you go. So, then, are you able to share what are some of the other ideas or how are -- you know, what are some of the other, I guess, new manufactured items from this compressed plastic are you hoping to venture toward?
TRENT: Yes. Right now, we're on campus just making the charging cases and the plate bowl combination. But, moving forward, we'd really like to do things like architectural things.
We're partnering with one of our School of Architecture professors to create a big pavilion, as an art piece on campus. We're looking at all sorts of things that we could do, maybe to help with, again, emergency management shelters and stuff like that.
You know, just all sorts of different things. Again, anything we can sort of add back into that cycle --
WHITFIELD: Yes.
TRENT: -- and keep getting value.
WHITFIELD: Well, it's got to be really exciting to be part of that solution. Tell me how exciting it is for the students.
[16:50:00]
WHITFIELD: What have they expressed, in terms of, you know, their hopes, aspirations of, you know, the new frontier?
TRENT: Oh, the level of excitement at Georgia Tech has been incredible. It's something that we sort of knew going in, that this was something students were excited about. But we've had tons of classes, again, just in these few short weeks coming through.
I even had one student come to me and say, I had an idea for what my thesis project was going to be. And then, I heard about this equipment, and I changed my entire project.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh.
TRENT: And so, we really have a lot of --
WHITFIELD: Exciting.
TRENT: -- just excitement of the various things we might be able to pull together.
WHITFIELD: Tim Trent, fantastic, of the Georgia Institute of Technology here in Atlanta. Congratulations. All the best to you and all the students --
TRENT: Thank you very much.
WHITFIELD: -- on this incredible new venture. Appreciate it.
TRENT: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right. Coming up, a trip much closer to home is straight ahead. CNN takes you on a drive down America's most famous highway as Route 66 turns 100.
[16:50:54]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: This year marks the 100th anniversary for the legendary Route 66. The highway that came to symbolize the American dream, adventure and opportunity.
So, what better year to take an epic road trip, driving through history? Well, CNN's Richard Quest did just that in an R.V. He and his team spent nine days traveling through eight states along Route 66, from Chicago all the way to Santa Monica -- Richard.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. It was 100 years ago, the centenary of Route 66, when people traveled from Chicago all the way out west by the Ford Model T. Our trusty R.V., which we called Bertha, took the 2,448 miles from the beginning to the end of The Mother Road.
And what became very clear very quickly. Route 66 is not about getting from A to B. It's about the places you see and the people you meet along the way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Very, very cool. I mean, an interesting, different, weird. It's called the leaning tower of Texas. It's leaning off the ground. Yay. Goodbye.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Route 66 and roadside oddities go hand in hand. How about this one? The world's largest flip flop. Not a claim, I am aware, that is heavily challenged.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Please tell me I'm not sitting in a bathtub in a random town along Route 66, on a boiling hot summer's day.
(END VIDEO CLIP) QUEST: This is the true definition of somewhat weird and somehow wonderful.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: How are you deciding in the million and one places to stop which ones to stop in?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Usually, whenever we can meet people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
QUEST: Oh, the secret of it all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just getting to experience the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: So, those roadside oddities are important because often they're simply the product of someone's imagination. Why are they there? Simply wonderment and joy.
And the core question, why not? Fredricka, we could all probably use quite a little more, why not, in our lives. Route 66, absolutely part of America's journey.
WHITFIELD: Oh, so fun. And thank goodness for Bertha leading the way.
All right, you can see more of Richard Quest's R.V. ride along THE MOTHER ROAD on CNN.com. Key word, Route 66.
All right. They hide under cars, slip behind buildings, and often go unnoticed in plain sight. Tens of millions of stray and feral cats live across the country, facing hunger and illness. This week's CNN Hero is working hard to break that cycle. Here is her story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAINA SPAGIS, CO-FOUNDER AND VICE PRESIDENT, CATS OF SAN BERNARDINO: If you aren't looking for cats, you might not see them. But as soon as you do, you see them everywhere. And they're in such great need, especially in low-income areas like San Bernardino.
Today, we're trying to catch three orange kitties, and we're trying to get them in for TNR tomorrow.
Cats of San Bernardino is a nonprofit cat rescue. Some of our main focuses are TNR, which is the process of trapping a cat.
All right, mamas.
Getting them spayed and neutered, vaccinating and then returning them back to where we got them. This helps curb the population of cats that are being born to suffer on the streets.
Come on big guy. We also do colony feedings, where we care for 14 different colonies every single day, providing food, water, and medical care to them.
Can I see them?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, of course. We just found her, I believe, out in our dugout.
SPAGIS: We find a friendly kitty, or they're sick or injured.
She got an upper respiratory infection for sure.
We take them into our rescue. We get them the treatment they need. Our rescue, which is based out of our home, has our isolation medical room (?).
It's time for your medicine.
Which is our garage. Which has been outfitted fully as a medical ward.
20.5 ounces. You're a big boy. You're the biggest. Good job, bud.
And then, we also have what we call the healthy kitty club (?), which is a bedroom in our home.
[17:00:00]
SPAGIS: This is where the healthy, adoptable kitties come to hang out until they're ready to be adopted. We have two catios that are connected to that room.
Although work never ends, it's a work that we love. So, I love having them close by.
