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Fulton County DA May Announce Charges in Trump; Idaho Mother Convicted of Killing Her Children to be Sentenced this Week; Serial Killer Rex Heuermann Back in Court Tuesday; Trump Expecting to be Indicted Twice; WNBA Star Brittney Griner Focusing on Her Mental Health; Nearly Every State Neglecting Access to Maternal Mental Health Care; Interview with Reproductive Psychiatrist and Reproductive Psychiatrist and Counseling Founder and President Dr. Kristin Lasseter; Migrants Weighing on Risks of Floating Barriers; California Officer Reunited with Homeless Boy. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired July 30, 2023 - 08:00   ET

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

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[08:00:42]

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. It is Sunday, July 30th. Hope you've had your coffee and you're ready to conquer the day. I'm Amara Walker.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Erica Hill, in this morning for Victor Blackwell. Good to have all of you with us.

Nice to be with you this morning, Amara.

Here's a closer look of what we'll be watching for you this Sunday morning. Following developments -- developing stories out of Haiti, where an American woman and her child have been kidnapped. We'll have a closer look at what we know about the case and the efforts to rescue them.

WALKER: Former President Donald Trump rallied supporters in Pennsylvania last night, once again attacking the special counsel, even as he faces a threat of another indictment.

Plus, what former Vice President Mike Pence is saying about his chances of making the first GOP primary debate.

HILL: Brittney Griner making her return to basketball earlier this year after she spent, of course, months behind bars in Russia. But now, we are learning she's stepping away from the game. We'll tell you why.

WALKER: We are following a developing story this morning out of Haiti, where an American nurse and her child have been kidnapped.

HILL: The Christian humanitarian group that she was working with says the mother and child were taken near Port-au-Prince on Thursday. The State Department has urged Americans to leave Haiti because of the violence and unrest there. CNN correspondent Paula Newton has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So the charity El Roi did, in fact, confirm the abduction and the details are quite disturbing. This was a nurse in Haiti, working for the charity El Roi. She was abducted along with her child and this was actually on what they call as the campus of this charity close to Port-au-Prince.

Now, they announced this abduction on their website for El Roi. And in a statement, they say that Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family. Alix works tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus.

Now, U.S. officials say that they are aware of this abduction in a statement to CNN, also said that the State Department and our embassy and consulates abroad have no greater priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas. It is interesting here that the U.S. had already asked for all Americans to leave Haiti. They made that call again on Thursday, on the day that this nurse and her child were abducted.

But also, they made it seem as if it was much more urgent for Americans to leave. And that is because they also evacuated non- emergency personnel that worked for the U.S. government there from Haiti.

Now, this is unfortunately a state of terror that so many Haitians live in day after day. Many people are released sometimes for no reason, sometimes for ransom, but clearly, this is a dangerous situation for this family, the charity at this hour saying that they are asking for everybody's prayers and they are also asking for privacy. Erica? Amara?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Appreciate it. Thank you.

Former President Donald Trump says that it is likely that he'll be indicted two more times. The imminent threat of additional criminal charges not bothering the Republican front-runner, it seems.

WALKER: Appearing in Erie, Pennsylvania, yesterday, the former president was defiant about the legal peril hanging over him, and he claimed it was because he was a threat to President Biden's re- election.

CNN's Alayna Treene has more.

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ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Good morning, Erica and Amara. Like with all of Donald Trump's rallies, there is a big crowd and a

lot of energy here in Erie, Pennsylvania. But one thing that I did find interesting was that the venue was not entirely full. That's not typical for Donald Trump's rallies. There were many people there last night, of course, but there were also many empty seats.

But Donald Trump took the stage around 6:00 p.m. and he gave a pretty typical 2024 stump speech. He went through his 2024 agenda items. He also went through his highlight reel of his time in office. And he also spent a lot of time criticizing President Joe Biden.

And one thing that I want to point to is, he called on Republicans and made an appeal to them to do more to investigate Democrats and the Biden family, specifically.

[08:05:02]

He also argued that they need to do more with the information that they've already gathered through the committee's investigations and said any Republican who doesn't go forward with that should be primaried.

But he also spent a good chunk of his rally speech talking about his own legal troubles. He railed against special counsel Jack Smith. He criticized the Department of Justice. And he argued that the charges that he is facing amount to election interference. And that is a well- worn playbook that we've seen him use time and time again. And he was very defiant during his speech, but I also know from talking with his allies and many of his advisers that privately, he is very frustrated by the mounting indictments that he faces.

But the rhetoric that he used on stage, on Saturday, is working really well with his supporters. My colleague, Kate Sullivan and I spoke to some of the rally attendees as they were filing into the venue on Saturday. And they kind of used the same rhetoric that Donald Trump did, which is that they think that he's a target of political persecution and that more attention should be paid to President Biden and his family.

And so, I think you're going to continue to see Donald Trump moving forward with his very aggressive campaign schedule and using the same rhetoric that he used on Saturday night.

Alayna Treene, CNN, Erie, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALKER: Alayna Treene, thank you.

Trump's former number two is having a hard time winning over Republican voters.

HILL: Yeah. Several candidates at this point appear to have met the polling can fund-raising criteria to make the first Republican primary debate stage next month, but not former President Mike Pence.

CNN's Kyung Lah reports on his efforts to court voters.

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KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Erica and Amara.

Former Vice President Mike Pence continues to campaign through the state of Iowa, going county to county on an effort to win voters over one at a time. It is slow and steady, says Pence. And he says in that slow and steady pace, he still is a little short of qualifying for the August debate. Take a listen.

MIKE PENCE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think we're, maybe, a couple of weeks away yet, based on pace things coming in, because our focus is on the campaign, to be honest with you, you know, the criteria of 40,000 voters being added to the requirement of being at a certain place in the polls is somewhat new. We accept that criteria. We're confident that we'll get there.

LAH: Pence' campaign in Nevada, Iowa, talking to first responders about public safety at the community level. He did not directly go after Donald Trump, his former running mate. When asked about the attack delivered by Will Hurd on a Iowa stage, the former vice president said he always believe that Trump was going to run for re- election, he intended to right from the start. So he didn't buy that line of attack saying that Trump was running to stay out of prison.

And herein lies the difficulty of being a candidate like Mike Pence, when you speak to caucusgoers here in Iowa, they will widely tell you that they dismiss any new federal charges.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People see through this as a political trial. It's just political by nature, and their supporting in the polling just supports the fact that they see this as a politically driven trial.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think that Trump is undermining, I think the acts that he's being accused of will play out in court. I think they're doing a level fishing expedition, looking at all sorts of avenues of his life and they're digging for things that are going to stick and things they're going to come up with. I think the Republicans are starting to catch up and looking at the Biden family corruption.

LAH: The former vice president plans on spending his Sunday in Iowa, campaigning more for those one on one voters -- Erica, Amara.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Kyung, appreciate the reporting. Thank you.

A violent storm that swept through the D.C. area on Saturday left quite the debris behind, ripping trees from the roots, knocking out power across the metro area. Take a look here. We have some time lapse video, which shows you the storm as it rolls in through the region. So, this time lapse video was taken over a 30-minute period. Fire and rescue crews received triple the number of calls that they

normally get for the storm. Most of those due to downed trees and wires. We've also learned at least two people were injured when a try landed on a car. This is according to local EMS.

WALKER: Swift water rescue boats were out patrolling the Potomac River when they came across a boat taking on water. According to our affiliate, WTOP, at least 13 boaters had to be rescued from the Maryland side of the Potomac after getting caught in the squall. This severe weather was all fueled by the extreme heat sitting over the Northeast, then brought a cooldown with it.

Today, much of the East Coast will see a dip in the temperature.

[08:10:00]

We're joined now by CNN meteorologist, Britley Ritz.

Finally some relief for some people.

BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah. Much needed. And you're right, it's that cold front that weasels its way on down. And it is much needed. It's so nice, and you'll be able to get out and about today, and it won't be as -- it may feel cooler because temperatures are all relative, and when you're dropping nearly 20 degrees in a matter of just 24 hours, yeah, you're definitely going to notice it.

Chicago, I mean, your high is in the 70s today. Same for us in Boston at 76 degrees. Now, we're still pretty warm today across the Southwest. That heat dome hasn't shifted eastward, but you're noticing that trend over the next 24 hours, so you'll see our temperature drop a bit. Phoenix will add to our streak of days where we've been 110 plus, 31 likely today with 111 degrees.

But here we are, only topping out around average in the upcoming days. The chance for thunderstorms on Monday, taking us back to around 106 to 107 degrees, which is where we should be this time of year. Of course, the rain stops, the sun comes back out, we're back up to 115 by next Saturday in Phoenix. So, it's not over yet.

The southeast where this heat dome begins to move in. That heat dome meaning warm, moist, ocean air getting trapped under this ridge of high pressure. And we wind up in the triple digits, in places like Little Rock and Monroe, Louisiana, and New Orleans hitting 100 degrees on Monday, about 5 to 7 degrees where we should be. That's actual temperature.

Then we end up with dew points. The measurement of moisture near the surface. 70-plus, you wind up with temperatures feeling like we're at 112 in Little Rock. New Orleans, it will feel like 107. Jacksonville, it will feel like 108 degrees.

Please make time to just sit indoors and put in all the AC and just stay cool. Limit your time outdoors. No more than ten minutes in this kind of heat -- Amara, Erica.

HILL: All right. Good advice, and stay hydrated, right?

Britley, appreciate it. Thank you.

Israeli protesters taking to the streets yet again as the showdown looms over a controversial judicial reform law that passed the Knesset despite six months of protest.

WALKER: Yeah, the Supreme Court will hear appeals against the law in September and protesters, they're not giving up.

CNN senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen has the latest on the demonstrations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it seems almost like a protesters have been jolted and the protests themselves almost supercharged by the events that happened here in Israel this week. Of course, the Knesset waving through that first bill of the planned judicial overhaul by the Netanyahu government. And then, of course, the Supreme Court saying that it wasn't going to deal with the case until September.

One of the things that people have been looking for is how many people would actually take to the streets. But if you look around, you can see there are tens of thousands. We see that signature wave of Israeli flags, one of the main symbols here of the protests against the judicial overhaul. We manage to speak to some of the protesters who are here and here's what they have to say.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We feel that the government will be in the court, and not in the government.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wherever I think the government is not taking care of us, the citizens, the only thing we can do is come here. This is our duty and the only thing we can do as citizens, come here every week for almost seven months. The law that passed this week, maybe they thought that we would be tired, but we're here to show we're not tired. We're just beginning.

PLEITGEN: Now, there are a lot of things that folks here are extremely angry about, of course, one of the things, just the fact that the Knesset still waved through that first law, that judicial overhaul. And then, of course, the Supreme Court itself decided not to hear the case until September.

But I think one of the things that also makes a lot of people very angry is the way that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has conducted himself in this. One of the things that many people tell us about is they're extremely angry, for instance, at the way he conducted himself in that interview that he gave to our own Wolf Blitzer, where seemingly Netanyahu would not commit to abiding by the Supreme Court verdict, if the Israeli Supreme Court decides to shoot down that first law that was passed on Monday.

So a lot of people here want to bring that anger to the street. They say that they feel they need to keep the pressure up on the government. They know the Supreme Court is going to deal with this law in September. We're going to wait and see what happens then. But they do say until then, they are going to keep coming out and voicing their anger.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALKER: Fred, thank you.

And coming up, Ukraine launches another drone strike in Moscow. We're going to have the latest as the country is ramping up its counteroffensive against Russia.

HILL: Plus, a troubling new report shows the majority of states are failing, failing big time when it comes to maternal mental health. We're going to speak to an expert about what's behind this problem and what actually can be done.

Plus, five years ago, he was living on the streets. Now, a California teen is reuniting with the officer who helped him to turn his life around.

[08:15:03]

And we've got their heart-warming story and reunion, just ahead.

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HILL: Russia says Ukraine targeted Moscow with more drone attacks today. The Russian defense ministry says that three drones were intercepted and that a business and shopping center were actually hit.

WALKER: Let's bring in CNN chief international security correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh, live for us from Zaporizhzhia.

What more do we know about these drone strikes and what kind of impact, at least on the morale and the support of the Russian people since we're seeing this war come to ordinary citizens.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, look, it's got to be having an impact, particularly given how Russians were told this could take a matter of days. Now in the second year, the Moscow city, upscale financial area where the elite live, glass buildings there, the high towers frankly hit when two drones were taken out, Russian officials say by electronic warfare, and another shot down, extraordinary scenes in the heart of Moscow.

[08:20:06]

Yet, again, remember, the Kremlin was hit with a drone attack just a matter of months ago. But for Ukrainian citizens, that is daily life, frankly. In Sumy to the north of Ukraine, 20 people injured, two killed by another Russian barrage there. And indeed, where I'm standing here in Zaporizhzhia, two dead in the last 24 hours from a similar barrage.

Putin in Moscow, meeting African leaders who proposed a peace plan, essentially saying I can't talk cease-fire with Ukraine's counteroffensive raging. You got to bear in mind, the cease-fire, which concretized Russian gains.

But on the front lines, the conditions that Russia has forced upon people who are forced to fight utterly shocking. We spoke to some Russian prisoners recruited by the Russian minister of defense to serve, it seems, as cannon fodder at what they endured at the hands of their own commanders.

Here's what they've had to say. The names have been changed for people's safety.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Russia is often cruelest to its own. The bleakest fate, prisoners recruited by the ministry of defense basically as cannon fodder. These so-called Storm-Z battalions surrendering here have death rates hard to fathom.

Here are two rare stories. One of them incredible survival, and another of a young and quick death, told to CNN a great risk from inside Russia.

Ex-con Sergei barely made it back, now he works two jobs and can't sleep because his ears still ring form shell shock.

We first talked when he's been shot for the second time, but he was still back injured. From 600 prisoners recruited with him in October, he says only 170 are alive, and only two of them without injury. Sent again and again in waves to attack Ukrainian positions.

SERGEI, RUSSIAN CONVICT (through translator): I remember most clearly the last of the nine concussions I had. We attacked. RPGs, drones flew at us, our commander yells on the radio, I don't care, go ahead, don't come back until you take this position.

Two of us found a small hole and dived in there. A drone threw a grenade at us and it landed in the 30 centimeter gap between us, my friend was covered with shrapnel all over. Yet, I was untouched somehow. But I lost my sight for five hours.

WALSH: He only stayed in hospital that time and got home as doctors made him an orderly. He has nightmares that he is told to be first out of the trench again. But daily life in the trench was a nightmare, too, of frostbite, hunger and thirst.

SERGEI (through translator): Sometimes we didn't eat for several days. We didn't drink for several days. It was a four-kilometer walk to water. And thank God it was winter. We were drinking the snow.

WALSH (translated): If a person didn't want to fight, what happened? SERGEI (through translator): Sometimes the commander reset people. He zeroed them out, killed them. I only saw it once, a fight with a man who stole and killed his own people.

I didn't see who of the four people around him shot. But when he tried to escape, a bullet hit him in the back of the head. I saw the head wound. They carried him away.

WALSH: For some, it never got that far. Andriy (ph) was 20 when he was jailed on drug offenses, and 23 when he was sent from prison to the front. This training was fleeting. His mother Yulia said he had yet to grow into a man still kidding about.

RUSSIAN CONVICT (translated): Really, it's a sea, sun and sand here, sunburn, then the wind chaps your face, and (EXPLETIVE DELETED), it rains.

WALSH: Like with many prison recruits, he just disappeared.

But it was on May the 9th, victory day in Russia, when presidential pomp in Moscow marked the Nazis' defeat. Andriy called her the night before to say his unit would attack at dawn.

YULIA, MOTHER OF RUSSIAN PRISONER (translated): We were arguing. It is horrible to say, but I already thought of him like he was dead. He left knowing everything. Every day I told him no, no, no.

And he didn't listen to me. When he said, "We're going to storm," I wrote him, "Run, forest, run".

WALSH: We think these ruins are near where he died, up to 60 others, Yulia heard, died in the same assault that day. Yulia got nothing, no body, just a letter from the military saying Andriy had died the very day he left jail.

YULIA (translated): The hardest part was that I was afraid he would kill someone. Because I can live with my son as a drug addict, but with my son as a murderer, it was difficult for me to accept it.

[08:25:02]

WALSH: The horror Russia inflicts on Ukraine, it seems, matched nearly by that done at home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALSH (on camera): I have to say, even now, we're close to 18 months of this war, it's still incredible to hear testimony of what exactly Russia forces its own to endure, and that gives you a snapshot really of what morale must be light in the heat of summer, in trenches without water, food, and with Ukraine's increased bombardment pressing down. Good news, perhaps, for Ukraine, who urgently want to see a breakthrough on the front lines here in the south.

Back to you.

HILL: Yeah, horrifically cruel.

Really important reporting, Nick. Appreciate it, as always. Thank you.

Still to come here, preparing for possible charges. We'll take a closer look at the new precautions authorities in Georgia are taking, as former President Trump and his allies could be indicted for efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in that state.

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WALKER: Welcome back, everyone, to CNN THIS MORNING.

Here are five things to watch this week.

Former President Trump and his lawyers are preparing for what's expected to be a second federal indictment from special counsel Jack Smith's team related to Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

[08:30:00]

That indictment could come at any moment. We're watching also for the potential -- for potentially state charges against Trump. Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney, Fani Willis, may announce charges against Trump in August for his efforts to interfere with Georgia's elections. We'll have more on that in just a moment.

Lori Vallow Daybell, the Idaho mother convicted of killing her children and conspiring to kill her husband's first wife is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow. She is facing life in prison.

Rex Heuermann, the accused Gilgo Beach serial killer will be back in court Tuesday. He's been in jail ever since he pleaded not guilty to six murder charges earlier this month.

And the U.S. women's national soccer team will be back in action this week. They'll take on Portugal, Tuesday. But you'll have to be up pretty early to watch, not that early for me, we're used to it here. Kickoff is at 3:00 a.m. eastern time.

And we'll get a snapshot at the health of the economy, Friday, when the July jobs report is released. Last month's jobs report showed a cooling in the labor market and fell below economists' expectations.

Erica.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Former President Trump says he does expect to be indicted at least two more times. One of those indictments could come in the coming days or even weeks. CNN's Sara Murray reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Barricades are already going up around the Fulton County courthouse in Atlanta. And on Monday, we'll be officially in the window for when Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis may announce charges as to anyone who may face an indictment as for the first ruling investigation into efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

We've also seen a last-ditch attempt by Donald Trump's attorneys to try to have her disqualified from the case, try to have evidence from the case thrown out. A judge has set a hearing in that on August 10th, which is smack dab in the middle of that indictment window. Now, we still think we're probably weeks rather than days from any potential indictment. And look, this has been a big investigation, and one that some critics believe should have moved faster. Take a look at a preview of our deep dive into what happened in Georgia coming this weekend.

MURRAY (voiceover): We're more than two years past the pressure campaigns. The harassment of public and private citizens. The coordinating of fake electorates. The breach of election equipment. And we still don't know, will Trump and his allies face charges here in Georgia? And if so, will there be convictions?

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They rigged the presidential election in 2020, and we're not going to allow them to rig the presidential election of 2024.

MURRAY: Do voters deserve an answer to this question before Donald Trump became, you know, an announced candidate again?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I don't think there's any question about that. I mean -- so, from a national perspective, no question about it. From a local perspective here, no question about it.

MURRAY: You saw Former President Trump lie to the American people. You saw him gin up this outrage. Is it a remedy if he's charged with a crime in Georgia?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they indict him and they can't convict him, it will be an exoneration. Is that better or is that worse? I don't know.

MURRAY: Now, this special will really give you an idea of how sprawling the investigation in Georgia actually is. Everything from Trump Attorney Rudy Giuliani's false statements in front of Georgia lawmakers to try to persuade them to upend the election results to a former publicist for Kanye West who tried to pressure allegedly a Georgia election worker into admitting that she participated in an election fraud that she didn't participate in. All that and more is coming up Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. eastern on our deep dive, "What Happened in Georgia?" on "The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Sarah, thank. Really looking forward to that reporting tonight.

Still to come this morning, an alarming new report shows nearly every state is dropping the ball and badly when it comes to maternal mental healthcare. And experts say it could get worse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) [08:35:00]

HILL: WNBA star, Brittney Griner, is stepping away from her team to focus on her mental health. She won't be with the Phoenix Mercury for at least the next few road games, the first of which is later today. The Mercury will then play at home on Thursday. The team isn't putting a timeline though on when Griner may return. She, of course, spent nearly 300 days in a Russian prison before being released last December. She was also harassed not long ago at an airport. The team says, Griner has their full support.

WALKER: According to a new report, nearly every state in the U.S. is failing mothers who need access to mental health care. And experts warn it could go -- get worse as more state -- states restrict or ban abortions. The report shows all but 10 states got a D or F on maternal mental health. The highest grade was a B minus. Only one state got that grade, California. The report card by the policy center for the maternal health looked at three points. Providers and programs, screenings and screening reimbursement, and insurance coverage and payment.

Dr. Kristin Lasseter is a reproductive psychiatrist and specializes in maternal mental health. She's joining me now. Dr. Lasseter, really appreciate your time. This is such an important conversation, one that is probably not being had enough. I'm sure you're not surprised, because I'm not, knowing very well the state of maternal death rates in our country. It is shameful. So, now we're talking about maternal mental health, it's an abysmal report. What's your reaction to it?

[08:40:00]

DR. KRISTIN LASSETER, REPRODUCTIVE PSYCHIATRIST AND FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, REPRODUCTIVE PSYCHIATRIST AND COUNSELING: I'm really happy that people are talking about it. Over 20 percent of deaths postpartum are due to maternal mental health issues, and we need to be having more conversations and education around it.

WALKER: I mean, I feel like there are some simple steps that states can take, right? Just to make sure that mom is OK, and then of course, you need the coverage part of that when it comes to insurance. What do you think needs to be done to improve access?

DR. LASSETER: Definitely every single medical provider who comes in contact with a woman in her pregnancy or postpartum needs to be screening for mental illness in that time. That would catch so many people who have this disorder, which is one of the major problems is that we're not catching these people. The other issue is the access to mental healthcare and the access to mental healthcare providers who actually have treatment and training in treating these mental health disorders.

WALKER: Let's take a look at this chart, because I noticed some things that really stood out to me. And it shows the states and the grade they earned on the study, and also shows their laws on abortion access, right? So, the states in red, they have all banned or severely restricted abortion access. And all of those states made a D or lower. That obviously can't be a coincidence. So, what is the connection between lack of abortion access or being denied abortion and mental health?

DR. LASSETER: So, if you have a pregnancy that is unwanted or you have a pregnancy that is, you know, the baby is not going to be able to survive after they're born, that is a lot of pressure and turmoil on the woman to carry that pregnancy. And we see that people who are pregnant with pregnancy complications are at much higher risk for developing mental health disorders. So, you add in the mix of them not being able to make the decision and having to carry the pregnancy, that creates a much higher risk of mental health disorders.

And the reason why this is so important to treat and to address is that mental illness and pregnancy and postpartum has huge risks to a developing baby and to a baby who's a newborn. We've seen that increases their risk for having developmental disorders, it increases their risk for behavioral disorders, and it increases the risk in the child having mental health disorders later on in life. So, by not addressing these issues and making them worse, we are continuing this cycle of mental illness for our future generations.

WALKER: So, educate us, just list the symptoms that spouses and family members should be on the lookout for, not just the mother because she is taking care of everyone else but the herself. And what steps can and should be taken if that mother is seeing symptoms of postpartum depression and how she can go about finding coverage for mental health.

DR. LASSETER: So, the common symptoms are feeling really down or even really anxious most of the day. So, a lot of times, family members will notice that the mom is just not herself. Maybe she's having crying spells, having trouble sleeping, falling asleep and staying asleep when the baby's asleep at night. Having a lot of feelings of worthlessness and excessive guilt.

A lot of times these moms will feel like they're a huge burden to their family, so they'll have thoughts that their family would be better off without them. They'll have thoughts of death or harming themselves. And a lot of difficulty bonding or feeling attached to their baby.

One of the ways to get help is talking to an OB/GYN or a therapist or mental health provider. And unfortunately, that comes at the issue of a lot of our providers are not trained on how to manage and deal with these mental health disorders. But reaching out to somebody who has contact with the mom is helpful. There's a great organization called Postpartum Support International that helps connect moms with different resources in their state.

WALKER: Yes, and you know, it's also so important to talk to your friends as well, right? Because they can also help, you know, pinpoint, you know -- hey, I've been through the same issues and maybe you need to talk to your OB/GYN, or here's a resource for, you know, for mental health.

[08:45:00] And I know you've talked to some patients who have pointed to social media where they look on social media and it looks like all the moms that they know just have it perfectly together, and that's just not the reality. So, let's be real about what we moms are going through after having our babies. Dr. Kristin Lasseter, thank you for this very important conversation. We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN, the world's news network.

HILL: Some migrant families are determined to make their way across the U.S. border and they're doing them in search of a better life.

WALKER: Yes, but large buoys and razor wife installed along the Rio Grande are making it more challenging for them to travel safely. CNN's Rafael Romo has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voiceover): A mother and her young daughter attempt to cross the Rio Grande in broad daylight. Orange buoys, four feet in diameter and anchored to the river bed as well as concertina wire stopped them at the Eagle Pass border in Texas.

[08:50:00]

A migrant family from Venezuela says they have been in Piedras Negras on the Mexican side of the border gauging the risk of trying to cross the river with young children in tow.

What we have seen is that people have gotten hurt with the razor wire, he says. Adding that they're thinking twice before taking any risk.

But his wife says the family fled Venezuela for reasons that are much more compelling than floating barriers, including crime, extortion, and living under a dictatorship. Others say, barriers or not, returning home is not an option.

This migrant father traveling with his wife and young son says, the buoys and razor wire are indeed going to make it more difficult to cross. But their mission, he says, remains unchanged. Making it to the United States, barriers or not.

GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R-TX): This is what they look like, up close.

ROMO (voiceover): Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced last month, a plan to deploy the floating barriers on the Rio Grande to deter migrant crossings.

ABBOTT: We're securing the border at the border. What these buoys will allow us to do is to prevent people from even getting to the border.

ROMO (voiceover): Mexico's top diplomat blasted the barriers, claiming they violate two international treaties. And more than 80 more Democratic members of the U.S. Congress signed a letter urging President Joe Biden to challenge their installation in court. The Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit on Monday to try to force Texas to remove the floating barriers on the Rio Grande and then file the motion seeking a preliminary injunction, Wednesday, in an attempt to put the case on a fast track. The response from Governor Abbott, Texas will see you in court.

ROMO: The mayor of Piedras Negras, the border city on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande, told CNN that in recent weeks, anywhere from 600 to 700 migrants arrived there daily, only about a third as compared to last year, although the number of minors traveling with their families has recently increased in a noticeable way. Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

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HILL: Rafael, thank you for that.

Just ahead here, a heartwarming reunion after an officer goes beyond the call to help a homeless teen. You'll hear their remarkable story, next.

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[08:55:00]

HILL: Tonight on "See It Loud: The History of Black Television," CNN explores how reality TV, talk shows, and competition series are amongst the leading forms of television showcasing black culture and talent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When social unrest and the truth of what ails us as a country impacted network executives to say enough of the false narrative of cops always being the hero.

ERNIE SUGGS, JOURNALIST, THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION: So, you have these incidents, good and bad in reality TV and on scripted television, where real-life events are seeping into what we're seeing on television, and giving us a different way to consume what's happening in the streets.

CROWD: Don't shoot.

CROWD: (INAUDIBLE).

CROWD: Don't shoot.

CROWD: (INAUDIBLE).

CROWD: Don't shoot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: "See It Loud" airs tonight on CNN at 9:00 p.m.

WALKER: In today's "Beyond the Call," five years ago, a California police officer helped a homeless boy get off the streets.

HILL: Well, that boy is, of course, now a man and headed off to college. CNN's Camila Bernal has more on the meeting that changed both of their lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): A typical 17- year-old and a typical summer workout. But five years ago, Alex Nazario's life was anything but.

ALEX NAZARIO, PREVIOUSLY HOMELESS: I knew I was homeless. I knew I didn't have shoes or a shelter or a place to call home.

BERNAL (voiceover): Something that the Starbucks employees in Escondido noticed.

OFFICER JOHN LARSON, ESCONDIDO POLICE DEPARTMENT: They informed me that there's a young boy that would hang out at the store until they closed. And then they noticed that he would go across the street and would be alone at the jack in the box.

BERNAL (voiceover): Then, Officer John Larson found Alex alone.

LARSON: I just put myself out with dispatch and went to go contact him and just started chatting with him. Told him he wasn't in trouble.

BERNAL (voiceover): A conversation that both would remember for years to come.

LARSON: What's up, bud?

NAZARIO: Hi.

BERNAL (voiceover): Officer Larson knew Alex needed help.

LARSON: You know, all times are tough, hard --

BERNAL (voiceover): He dropped him off with child welfare services but confidentiality rules prevented him from keeping in touch.

LARSON: Once he was out of my hands, I called multiple times, different months, just to see if I got lucky and got -- slipped through the cracks.

BERNAL (voiceover): But Officer Larson never gave up.

LARSON: How's the family?

NAZARIO: Family's doing good right now.

BERNAL (voiceover): Last December, another member of the police department found Alex and gave Officer Larson the good news. LARSON: I like, started tear up. Oh, my God, I can't believe it.

BERNAL (voiceover): After five years, the two met for lunch for another unforgettable conversation.

NAZARIO: It felt pretty surreal, since I didn't expect, like, Officer Larson's try to find me.

BERNAL (voiceover): And not only did he find him --

LARSON: When I met you, you were already in middle school, right?

BERNAL (voiceover): He attended Alex's high school graduation, a barbecue with his foster family, and promised a forever friendship.

NAZARIO: As I grew older, I realized that Officer Larson took the best course for my future. I love him more now.

BERNAL (voiceover): The admiration is mutual.

LARSON: It almost feels like my career is complete.

BERNAL (voiceover): Alex wants to be a graphic designer.

LARSON: You took a bad situation and you turned it into everything positive.

BERNAL (voiceover): He says that thanks to Officer Larson and others, he has the physical and mental strength to overcome challenges and pursue his dreams.

LARSON: Stronger than me. He made all these decisions on his own to succeed.

[09:00:00]