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Federal Immigration Enforcement Begins In Charlotte; Texas National Guard To Return Home From Chicago; House Set To Vote This Week On Bill To Release Epstein Files; President Trump Pulls Support For GOP Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene; Pacific Storm Brings Heavy Rain To Southern California; Trump Suggests He's Made A Decision On Venezuela Military Operations; Trump Issues New Pardons For January 6 Rioters; Texas State Trooper "Sent Home" After Altercation With South Carolina Wide Receiver Nyck Harbor. Trump Aims To Strengthen Relationship With Saudi Crown Prince; Smithsonian National Zoo Opens To Public After Shutdown; Atlanta Court Orders Restoration Of Historic Black Cemetery; Commanders Vs. Dolphins: NFL Heads To Spain; "Prime Minister" Premieres Tonight At 9P ET/PT; Hillary Cohen: Saving Meals From Movie Sets. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired November 16, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:39]

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. It is Sunday, November 16th. Welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. I'm Danny Freeman in for Victor Blackwell. And here's what's new this morning.

First up controversy on day one. Charlotte is the latest city to see a surge in immigration enforcement. And we have new video of a tense arrest as fear for residents leads some businesses in the city to close.

Plus, we're expecting a vote this week in Congress on releasing files related to Jeffrey Epstein. And the lead up is, to say the least, getting ugly. President Trump is keeping up his attacks on Marjorie Taylor Greene, and she says it's leading to threats. Will more Republicans join her in backing and breaking, I should say, from the president? We'll talk with a reporter keeping close tabs on members of Congress.

And U.S. military drills with Trinidad and Tobago begin today. It's as Donald Trump says, he's, quote, "sort of" made up his mind on carrying out strikes in nearby Venezuela. We have a report from Caracas on how that country's leader is responding.

And take a look at this flag on the play. An altercation between a Texas state trooper and a college football player is caught on camera. We have details on what exactly happened right after.

We begin here this morning. Federal officials confirmed Saturday that the immigration crackdown in Charlotte, North Carolina, has begun. ICE agents were seen making multiple arrests throughout the city. Charlotte's mayor pro tem told CNN the actions by federal officials are causing, quote, "fear and anxiety to run rampant throughout the city."

Now, video into CNN shows the moment immigration officers smashed the window of a resident's truck and forced the man who said he was an American citizen, from his vehicle. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: Stunning video there. CNN's Gloria Pazmino takes a closer look at this incident.

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Danny. For the last few days, local officials in Charlotte had been preparing for the possibility that federal immigration authorities would show up in Charlotte and the other North Carolina areas to enforce immigration in very similar ways that we have seen it across other parts of the country, including L.A. and Chicago and Washington, D.C.

And on Saturday, we started getting reports from local community members who reported sightings of federal immigration officers, people being taken into custody, immigration officers patrolling areas of Latino businesses. All of that was reported, and we did confirm from federal officials that there is, in fact, an operation now underway.

This is what the -- assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin, at the Department of Homeland Security, told us in a statement. In part, she said, quote, "We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed."

Now, Danny, I want to show you a video that we were able to track down on Saturday. You're looking at the inside of a vehicle. This is video taken by Willy Wender Aceituno Medina, and he's sitting inside his vehicle. And as you can see, he's surrounded by federal officials who are asking him to open the door. And then one of the officers moves in and smashes the window.

Now, I spoke to Medina shortly after that interaction, and he told me that he was in that parking lot and was approached by another group of officers who allowed him to present his I.D. because he is a U.S. citizen. He said that he had a fine interaction with that group of officers. Then he walked back towards his car, got into his vehicle, and was approached by a different set of officers who asked him to identify himself and to open the door.

And it was during that interaction that Medina said he wasn't going to open the door, and he was trying to say to them that he had already identified himself and that he was U.S. citizen. And that's when the officer moved in, smashed the window.

[06:05:00]

You can see they break the window. They move in. They take him into custody, arrest him. I spoke to Medina, who told me that he was put inside of a vehicle along with other people who had been detained. During this whole time, you can hear in the video that Medina is trying to tell them, I am a U.S. citizen. And he told me that while he was in the vehicle, he kept telling them that he had his papers in the back of his pocket, in his back pocket, and that they should just take a look.

After he continued to plead with them, the officer finally checked Medina's wallet and was able to confirm that he had a real I.D. and that he was a U.S. citizen. And at that point, they simply stopped the vehicle, took the handcuffs off, and let him out of the car. Medina said that he had been driven away a significant distance from the area where he was first taken into custody, and was told that he simply needed to walk back or risk being arrested again.

Now, Medina told me that he felt like things would be OK because he's here legally, but obviously he was still subjected to this interaction despite his status. He said that it scared him for his family members and his friends who are undocumented. And he told us that in the last 24 hours or so, the community has essentially gone into hiding.

We've also heard from local business owners who are shutting down their restaurants, their nightclubs and their stores heading into the weekend as a precautionary measure, saying that they do not want to expose themselves or the community that they serve. So, we're hearing a lot of reaction from the local community there, fearing as this immigration enforcement operation gets underway -- Danny.

FREEMAN: Just a wild story there. Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much for that reporting.

Also new this morning, a source tells CNN the Texas National Guard will soon leave Chicago and return home. Now, the Trump administration ordered 200 Texas troops to the city more than a month ago. Their stated mission was to protect immigration agents, while instead they've been waiting at training bases after a federal judge ruled there was no justification to bring in the military. The administration tried to justify the troop deployment by framing demonstrations in Chicago as violent protests carried out by domestic terrorists.

Turning now to Capitol Hill, who will bend the knee and who will break with the president? Well, we should find out this week when Republican leaders in the House plan to hold a vote to force the release of the Epstein files.

Now, this issue has driven a firm wedge between President Trump and one of his closest allies, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. It's gotten so contentious, the president has resorted to calling her a lunatic while announcing he's pulling his support of her.

Meanwhile, Greene says the president is going too far. She posted on social media yesterday, quote, "I am now being contacted by private security firms with warnings for my safety as a hot bed of threats against me are being fueled and egged on by the most powerful man in the world."

Now, here's the president's take on the once loyal MAGA firebrand.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't know what happened to Marjorie. She's a nice woman, but I don't know what happened. She's lost her way. I think when somebody like Marjorie goes over and starts making statements like that, it shows she doesn't know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: All right. For more on the upcoming House vote and the divide its creating within the Republican Party, let's bring in Meredith Lee Hill. She's a senior reporter at Politico. Meredith, thank you so much for waking up early this morning to talk about really a wild way to end the week.

So, let's start here. Do you expect to see more fireworks between the president and potentially other Republican members of Congress ahead of this vote?

MEREDITH LEE HILL, SENIOR CONGRESS REPORTER, POLITICO: Think it was notable to see the president brush back Marjorie Taylor Greene in such a public way for her comments, not only as a warning to her, but effectively as a warning to other House Republicans, dozens, scores that we've talked to that are planning to vote for, this bill to disclose the Epstein files this coming week.

Really, the president is working pretty hard to effectively hold back that jailbreak and make sure that there's not a large contingent of House Republicans that break with him.

FREEMAN: All right. But help me understand this. I mean, it seems at this point that there is a real chance of at least this passing the House. How many Republicans do we think might break with the president to try and vote to release these files?

HILL: I think that's a great question. There's as many as a couple dozen, likely at least 50 at this point. The Republicans are effectively keeping track of. The real concern is for President Trump is that if there's even more than that, potentially as many as 100 House Republicans. Some Republicans predict could break with the president, which would be an overwhelming vote and something that he's effectively trying to keep back and -- in these warnings this weekend.

[06:10:03]

FREEMAN: Yes. And it seemed that once the pressure campaign did not work on Congresswoman Boebert and now, apparently, Marjorie Taylor Greene as well, that it's not surprising, perhaps, that we see more. I'm curious, though, from your perspective -- OK, if it may pass the House, do we have any sense of what might happen if then it gets to the Senate? HILL: I think in the Senate, it is a real uncertain fate right now. I think Majority Leader John Thune has effectively said he has no interest in bringing this up at this point. It's likely Republicans expected at this point that it just dies in the Senate. But Democrats are ready to make this a pressure point in the chamber.

They will try to force votes on it. They're obviously not in the majority, but they will try to hammer Republicans on this in trying to force a vote, trying to force amendment votes in the weeks and months to come. And there are, you know, even Senate Republicans who are very uncomfortable with never holding a vote or effectively trying to dismiss this. They would rather just hold a vote and get it done with. And we'll see what happens.

FREEMAN: I'm curious, Meredith, with respect to here, to go back for a moment, what do you make of this very, very public breakup between the president and Marjorie Taylor Greene? Not just because, again, these two such big supporters of one another, but also now that tweet saying that she might need security because of this back and forth.

HILL: Yes, I think what we've seen from Marjorie Taylor Greene is a very rare break with the president over what effectively is months now, and she -- there's a lot of different, reasons about why she might have broken with the president. Obviously, he discouraged her from running for Senate, and that wasn't anything that was, you know, taken well in her camp.

But certainly, this is something that's been building for a long time. And one of the things that the president's allies do say about Marjorie Taylor Greene is that she really has a pulse on kind of the America first, the MAGA agenda. And she really can see the topics and the pressure points that voters are looking at, that they're thinking about ahead of the midterms. And she really has her pulse on that.

And I think one interesting thing is that the president is trying to reassert himself now. He will never run again for reelection, but he's trying to reassert himself as, you know, knowing better about what voters want. Pushing Marjorie Taylor Greene to the side, especially as she helped, Thomas Massie, one of the president's real foils on Capitol Hill --

FREEMAN: Right.

HILL: -- notch this discharge petition and force this Epstein vote.

FREEMAN: Meredith, I have one last question for you, because, you know, everything happens so quickly in D.C. these days. Last week -- rather two weeks ago, we were talking about Democrats having momentum after those special elections or those elections, I should say, in New Jersey and Virginia and New York. Then last week, we were talking about Democrats losing the momentum because they caved on the shutdown.

Now, this week, it seems that they have now taken the upper hand, potentially with this Epstein vote. I mean, do the Democrats have juice, I guess, going into this week? HILL: Well, they certainly have something to push Republicans back on. I think that's one thing that GOP leaders in the House, in particular, they have not worked a full week in eight weeks since the shutdown began. So, this is the first full week they're going to be back.

They have a huge agenda. They've got lots to do. And this is effectively -- this Epstein vote was forced and it's something that they're going to have to deal with right away. Obviously not the messaging that they want to be talking about. They want to be talking about the tax cuts and everything else that they've been working on. But this obviously is something that Democrats are pushing for a recorded vote on and are really looking to hammer Republicans on in the coming days.

FREEMAN: A remarkable fall on Capitol Hill. Meredith Lee Hill of Politico, thank you so much for joining us this morning and breaking it all down for us. Appreciate it.

All right. And I'll note, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene will join CNN's Dana Bash this morning on "STATE OF THE UNION." It is her first on camera interview since she and Trump had this falling out. So, be sure to tune in for that conversation and much more beginning at 9:00 eastern this morning right here on CNN.

Switching gears now, more than a month's worth of rain has fallen in parts of southern California, causing floods in some counties. Now, the storm has already left behind debris and evacuation orders are in effect until this morning for parts of the Palisades, Hurst and Sunset burn scar areas. Now here's how one lawmaker describes the situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. BRAD SHERMAN (D-CA): We've got hundreds of people evacuated. Many thousands who have been told to stand by with an evacuation warning. So far, I haven't seen huge figures as to the cost of the damage, and I haven't been aware of any deaths in our area.

[06:15:10]

But this is just the beginning, and we've got more rain coming in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREEMAN: All right. CNN's Allison Chinchar has more on the severe weather affecting the state. Allison, great to see you as always. But, man, southern California getting socked.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, that is the case. And actually, we've got rain on both coasts. We've got some rain and some snow showers on the east, but the stronger rain, the heavier showers are certainly going to be on the west coast.

You can see this line of showers right through here, just south of Sacramento and San Francisco. This is what's going to kind of swirl back and impact again. Portions of central and southern California yet again, not really much of a break in between. We've had some flash flood warnings off and on throughout the overnight hours around Los Angeles. The concern here are those burn scar areas, the areas where we previously had wildfires that are very susceptible to mudslides and debris flows as this heavy rain moves in.

Now, the rainfall risk for today extends from southern Oregon all the way down through the entire California coast. The target point, however, is really going to be right through here, basically between Monterey and San Luis Obispo. This is where we anticipate some of that really heavy rain just kind of being funneled in to the central portion of the state.

So, you can see early on through much of the morning and the afternoon hours, the focus is really going to be much of northern California. That's when this next wave begins to move through. But then during the overnight and into Monday, that's when we start to see it begin to spread farther down to the south. So back to L.A., back to San Diego.

You also start to see it spreading into Nevada as well, pushing into the day on Monday. That's why Monday you do also still have the potential for that very heavy rain with the target point on Monday yet again being back to Los Angeles, back to Santa Barbara, even though the rain itself won't be that high, it's the cumulative effect.

FREEMAN: Yes, definitely. Well said. Well, I hope folks stay safe out there as this rain continues, at least for the moment. Allison Chinchar, thanks so much as always.

All right. Coming up in just a moment, President Trump weighs military strikes inside Venezuela. The country's president held a rally with a message for the U.S. and President Trump. We'll hear from him coming up next.

Plus, a Texas state trooper was sent home and relieved of his game day duties after this altercation right here with a player at the Texas A&M football game while there.

Meanwhile, the pandas are back. My favorite story of the weekend. The end of the government shutdown signaled the reopening of the National Zoo. We'll take you there a little later on CNN this morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:22:14]

FREEMAN: Venezuela is on edge this morning after President Trump suggested he made up his mind on U.S. military operations in Venezuela. Now, the mounting show of force by U.S. warships and 15,000 troops sent to the region as Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro criticizing the role of Trinidad and Tobago for hosting U.S. military drills off their coast. In a rally Saturday, Maduro also asked the American people to call for peace and even swayed to John Lennon's "Imagine" with the supporters.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

FREEMAN: CNN's Stefano Pozzebon has more from Caracas.

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: The Venezuelan leader, Nicolas Maduro, has said that more than 4 million Venezuelans have taken an oath to defend the country in case of an attack from the United States. On Saturday, several top officials from Maduro's government were seen across different cities in Venezuela and participating in ceremonies where allegedly regular people were pronouncing the oath.

Now, CNN cannot independently verify these figures. However, they show that the government and Maduro personally are taking the possibility and the risk of a U.S. attack on Venezuelan soil very, very seriously. This is happening as the U.S. Department of Defense has announced that U.S. forces will join the military of Trinidad and Tobago, which is an island just a few miles from the coast of Venezuela in military drills starting on Sunday. And Maduro had also words for that event.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELA (through translator): These are intended to be threatening to Venezuela, which does not allow itself to be threatened by anyone. They say they will do this from Monday to Thursday. The people of Trinidad and Tobago will see whether they continue to allow their waters and land to be used to seriously threaten the peace of the Caribbean.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POZZEBON: Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has said on Air Force One that he has almost made up his mind on what to do with Venezuela across. Last week, several sources in the White House told CNN that the president had been briefed across military plans to take direct action in the country.

Maduro told CNN on Thursday that he was still hoping for peace to prevail in this confrontation with the government of the U.S. However, the announcement on Saturday showed that tensions are still destined to escalate.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon in Caracas.

FREEMAN: All right. Let's check in on some other headlines we're tracking this morning. President Donald Trump has issued two new pardons related to the January 6th, 2021 riot.

[06:25:03]

Dan Wilson got a second pardon. He had remained behind bars after Trump's sweeping inauguration day pardons because of a separate conviction for illegally possessing firearms. Trump also pardoned Suzanne Kaye. She had been sentenced to prison for threatening to shoot FBI agents trying to question her about her presence in Washington on January 6th.

And to this now, a Texas state trooper was sent home after having a run in with South Carolina player Nyck Harbor during Saturday's game against Texas A&M. Many on social media were very upset about the incident, including NBA superstar Lebron James, who called for the trooper to be suspended.

The Texas Department of Public Safety released a statement saying they're aware of the incident and will be further looking into the matter. Saudi Arabia's crown prince is heading to the U.S. while he and President Donald Trump will discuss the Abraham Accords, but it's actually what's not on the agenda that's looming large over the meeting. That's coming up after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:30:27]

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN ANCHOR: This Tuesday, President Trump says he'll be meeting with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Trump says he'll discuss the Abraham Accords with the country's de facto leader.

The historic agreement in 2020 established diplomatic relations between several Arab nations and Israel. Trump said he hopes Saudi Arabia will join them. But notably this will be the first time White House -- rather I should say this will be the first White House visit for the Crown Prince since the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

CNN international correspondent Salma Abdelaziz is in London. Salma, tell us how much does Khashoggi's death still loom over this visit?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): There will be almost no signs of a rupture on Tuesday I imagine. So just put your head ready for all the trappings of a state visit, really there's going to be a huge welcome ceremony with military bands. There's going to be a bilateral meeting of course in the Oval Office and a black-tie dinner with some of America's most powerful executives. President Trump will absolutely be pulling all the stops to impress his guest of honor Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

So, what's on the agenda? What's on the table as you said. Right at the top is President Trump's Ambition to reach a political settlement in the Middle East. He believes a cornerstone of that is the Abraham Accords. He's going to push the crown prince to normalize ties with Israel something that had been derailed of course because of the conflict after October 7th. But in response the expectation is that Saudi Arabia is also going to want to see a pathway to Palestinian statehood. That puts a question mark over the Gaza ceasefire, something also that President Trump will be pushing for Saudi Arabia's assistance and help on. He needs these Middle Eastern powers to step in if that ceasefire is to remain in place.

The second issue on the table is going to be money, money, money. Now President Trump had his first state visit of his second term to Saudi Arabia and just before that visit Saudi Arabia pledged $600 billion in investment in the United States. So, there's going to be an expectation that they're going to break down what those numbers mean.

Now we do expect that there will be some paperwork signed specifically defense cooperation agreement. Now that's going to fall short of President Trump's larger ambition again of the Abraham Accords. So, it'll be about what the pathway forward is with those relationships between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia when it comes to those normalization agreements.

But again, no signs of a rupture are expected on Tuesday, just a red- carpet rollout for someone President Trump sees as a close friend and ally.

FREEMAN: Yes. All eyes on the White House looking forward.

Salma Abdelaziz, always good to see you. Thank you so much for that report. Appreciate it.

All right to this now, my favorite story of the weekend. They're back, they're cuter than ever. Now that the government shutdown is over, the giant panda cam is back online at the Smithsonian National Zoo.

Look at him right there. The return of Qing Bao and Bao Li could not come soon enough for visitors. We have more now from CNN's Julia Benbrook.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Smithsonian Institute is the world's largest museum complex. It includes 11 museums along the National Mall and others in the area like the fan favorite the National Zoo.

Now these museums receive federal funding. So, when the government shutdown started, they were able to keep the gates open for a little while using funds from previous years. But have been closed for weeks now. And as I spoke with visitors today as the zoo finally reopened, some just said they got lucky. They didn't realize it had been closed that long. Others had been counting down the days.

LINDSEY TEPIESKY, ARINGTON VIRGINIA: We've been just patiently waiting right for the right time.

ISAAC TEPIESKY, ARINGTON VIRGINIA: I wouldn't say patiently, but yes, we have been waiting.

We plan to go everywhere in the zoo except for the birdies of it. We don't like the birds. But everywhere and see everything stay at the pandas for three hours. And yes.

L. TEPIESKY: Maybe get some hot chocolate. Hot chocolate and what else? More shopping.

I. TEPIESKY: Merch.

L. TEPIESKY: Yes, and merch.

BENBROOK: And you can tell by that merch the hat he selected there that the panda exhibit is no doubt a highlight. The panda cam is also back up and running at this time.

Now on Friday, the National Air and Space Museum opened up and CNN spoke with the director Christopher Browne who said that they were eager to get people back. They welcomed over a thousand visitors in the first 30 minutes.

Take a listen.

CHRISTOPHER BROWNE, DIRECTOR, SMITHSONIAN'S NATIONAL AIR & SPACE MUSUEM: We found out pretty much when the American public found out when the continuing resolution was passed and that was our signal that we could reopen and here we are today, we've greeted over a thousand people already and we're only 30 minutes to our -- into our reopening.

[06:35:06]

This is why we're here. It's to serve the American public and our visitors and showcase the collection, their collection, the largest aerospace collection in the world.

And so when we're closed, we're not doing our job. So, it means everything to be reopened.

BENBROOK: So here's what opened on Friday, the National Museum of American History, the National Air and Space Museum, and the Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center. On Saturday, the National Zoo, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Museum of African Art, the Museum of Asian Art, and the Museum of Natural History.

Not everything is open yet to visitors and they're opening things on a rolling basis until Monday. So, you're still going to want to check the website to make sure the facility you're looking for is open.

At the National Zoo, Julia Benbrook, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREEMAN: Love that from Julia. And get that kid Isaac more merch. Love it.

All right. Coming up, for years, an historic cemetery was lost to nature. Neglect turned it into a forest. But now there's a plan to restore it.

We'll tell you about the legal victory that helped save it, Coming up next.

Plus, the NFL is headed across the pond, but to Spain this time. Commanders vs. Dolphins. We'll tell you why Washington has so much to prove on the road, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:40:58]

FREEMAN: A decades old piece of black history nearly vanished. But after a long legal battle, the future of Piney Grove Cemetery has now been secure.

Two sisters fought to preserve it after they said it had been neglected for decades.

CNN's Rafael Romo is here with the story.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): Danny, good morning. It was a nearly two-year legal battle over the preservation of a historic black cemetery located in the city of Atlanta that dates to the 1820s where some enslaved people and their descendants were buried.

Rhonda Jackson, who is 68 years old and her 73-year-old sister Audrey Collins were the original plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the homeowners association that owns the land the cemetery is on, alleging the HOA had neglected to maintain it. The sisters have several family members buried at the Piney Grove Cemetery, including their grandfather.

In a summary judgment, a Fulton County Superior Court judge ruled the Bluffs at Lenox Homeowners Association, which owns the one-acre plot of land where the cemetery is located, is responsible not only for its restoration but also the ongoing maintenance.

In a statement to CNN, an attorney for the homeowners association said the following. Bluffs at Lenox has always taken special care to respect the historic cemetery next to the homes in the community. The court order provides guidance to Bluffs at Lenox about how to continue doing that while also protecting the important rights of the homeowners. Bluffs at Lenox will comply with the terms of the order.

Audrey Collins, one of the sisters, says this legal victory is not only about her family and her loved ones but the families of all the roughly 300 people buried there and the heritage and contributions of the African-American community in Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AUDREY COLLINS, PLAINTIFF: We'd like, first of all, for it to look like a cemetery and not a forest. You know, we would like to be able to visit our loved ones.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO (on-camera): Collins pointed out that there are sunken graves and broken headstones and that she would like to have all that fixed.

Her sister Rhonda Jackson said they are now working a five-year plan to restore and maintain the cemetery.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RHONDA JACKSON, PLAINTIFF: We're planning on removing the downed trees, number one. And then we've got a five-year plan to try to replace the canopy gap that was lost. That's why we've got all these invasive plants growing because the trees are not there to protect the cemetery.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMO (on-camera): Wright Mitchell, President and CEO of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, said the cemetery is one of the last tangible links connecting African-Americans to their ancestors and the thriving communities that were displaced over several decades.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WRIGHT MITCHELL, PRESIDENT & CEO, GEORGIA TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION: It's a win not just for the families of those connected to Piney Grove Cemetery but for everyone who believes in preserving Georgia's history and honoring those who came before us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO (on-camera): The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation had included Piney Grove Cemetery on their 2024 list of the 10 places in peril in the state of Georgia.

Danny, now back to you.

FREEMAN: Rafael Romo, great story. Thank you so much for that reporting.

All right, switching gears now. The NFL back in Europe, but this time in Spain, the newest country to host a regular game season for the NFL, the Washington Commanders versus the Miami Dolphins.

And no matter who wins, it'll be a big deal because the Commanders have not won yet overseas, and the Dolphins lost their last four international games. And fans, I promise you, are pumped.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been in Spain for 34 years, and I was born in Miami. So when they said the Miami's coming to Spain, I was the first one to get tickets. I'm a passionate Miami Dolphin fan, and I have a huge tattoo right here of the Dolphins.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREEMAN: Oh, man, I love that so much.

CNN's Pau Mosquera joins us now from Madrid.

Pao, it looks packed over there. It looks so exciting. Tell us, what's it like?

PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): Absolutely, Danny, because we are a few hours already from the game starting, but you can see here behind me how the fans are already gathering in front of the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. And actually, they are in line because they are being allowed in.

[06:45:06]

And something that surprised me, Danny, this time is that around the stadium, they have set some crowd barriers which normally we don't see them when a Champions League match or La Liga match takes place inside of the stadium. So, it seems like this time the security that it's being deployed it's an important one. From the city council they tell us that they have deployed around 425 office policers to ensure the public security of this event.

And I can tell you that there's already a lot of excitement here all around, all these fans both from the Washington Commanders and the Miami Dolphins, they're also looking forward to enjoying the first time that the NFL gets here in Spain. I mean during this year we have seen games in other European cities like Dublin, London, Berlin but this is the first time that the American football is landing here in Spain. And this is quite an opportunity to enjoy such a special sport.

And actually, we can also say Danny that inside of the stadium the fans are going to enjoy quite a show because during the halftime we're going to see DJ Bizarrap and the Puerto Rican singer and composer Daddy Yankee. But besides some music there's also going to be other kinds of show.

Have a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With four deck of cards. Yes --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, our partners.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes and -- and you have to tell me stop for example.

MOSQUERA: OK. Stop.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One more time.

MOSQUERA: Wait again. Stop, like here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK I'm going to take one card and put there.

MOSQUERA: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go again, say stop.

MOSQUERA: Stop.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you sure?

MOSQUERA: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good I will check this card and I'll put it here. Howdy partner (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell me stop.

MOSQUERA: Stop.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, over here.

MOSQUERA: Here we have another car and here we have the last one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop with any card.

MOSQUERA: And stop.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here, OK. So, one more card there.

MOSQUERA: So here we have four cards.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, free election and take a look.

MOSQUERA: One, two, three.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Voila.

MOSQUERA: Welcome the NFL.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOSQUERA (on-camera): So you see, besides music, we're also going to have some magic. And the city council estimates that here inside the stadium around 83,000 people are going to enjoy this big show, Danny.

FREEMAN: I love that. That is so fun. I just so hope that the Commanders and the Dolphins provide some magic on the field, because sometimes these international games they don't always show up. So hopefully it's going to be a great game out there.

Pau Mosquera in Madrid, thanks so much for that reporting this morning. Appreciate you.

All right, from the Hollywood sets to the streets of Los Angeles, how CNN Hero nominee is turning leftover meals into hope for thousands. We have her inspiring mission coming up after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:52:06]

FREEMAN: Tonight, we'll take an intimate look into the political career and life of New Zealand's former Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, in the new CNN film, "PRIME MINISTER." Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACINDA ARDERN, FMR PRIME MINISTER OF NEW ZEALAND: Thank you everyone for always supporting me, even though I curse your name when this thing comes to me.

Neve, when she sees me pick this up, says, bye, bye, see you tomorrow.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just wondered if you wanted to take the opportunity of reflecting back on that first term as a Prime Minister.

ARDERN: I don't even know how to sum it up. Everything about it was unexpected. It amazes me that the things that you campaign on can sometimes become the most irrelevant thing that you'll be doing. Everything can be dwarfed by these enormous moments in time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: "PRIME MINISTER" premieres tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on CNN and tomorrow on the CNN app. It's going to be a good one.

All right, also, voting is underway for the 2025 CNN Hero of the Year, and we are reintroducing each of our top five heroes.

Hollywood productions may look seamless, but behind the scenes, hundreds of people work to make it happen, often fueled by gourmet meals provided on set.

Well, assistant director Hillary Cohen was always disturbed that leftover food ended up in the trash, so she took action. And the result is now helping people in need.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Action!

HILLARY COHEN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Working on a film set, it's this whole team of people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cut.

COHEN: A props department, a costume department, an electric department, and a lot of people that need to be fed.

There's just so much food that's available. Steak and salad. So much good food. Every day. When lunch was over, they would just throw it out. It doesn't make any sense.

I really was always told, we can't donate the food. It's too hard. If someone gets sick, it's a liability.

As an assistant director, I was the logistical planner of a set. This is just the logistical problem. I think it's so easy to solve.

Every Day Action picks food up from film sets, corporate events, grocery stores, to deliver the food to those in need.

(CROSSTALK)

COHEN: Nice to meet you.

We're the GrubHub. We take it from point A to point B. At the beginning, it was just me and Sam, one of my co-assistant directors in the heart of COVID. We have this big cooler from Walmart. Thermal bags, just picking food up.

I always like to see what the fancy meal is of the day.

Film and TV set, that's like our bread and butter. All you have to do is give us a call sheet, sign liability over, and the food's ours.

[06:55:06]

STEPHEN FAUST, EXECUTIVE CHEF: For decades, it broke my heart to throw food away, so we're happy to do it. It's just like clockwork. They show up.

COHEN: Hi, it's so good to see you.

FAUST: We pass off the food, and we're all set.

COHEN: We pay production assistants and background artists, and then they drive the food from place to place.

FAUST: Salad, tuna fish.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There you go (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

COHEN: So, it started with encampments.

Would you like some free food?

Then it's food pantries, non-profits, anyone that's struggling with food insecurities.

Here's three meals, and I'm going to get you some sides too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, thank you.

COHEN: Giving someone that's hungry food is the best thing one can do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you so much.

COHEN: Of course.

And that's about 80,000 meals a year that we save from landfills. I feel like my skill set is like called to do this. Now more than ever, we have to help each other.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREEMAN: Just incredible stuff there. You can go to CNN.COM/HEROES right now to vote for Hillary for CNN Hero of the Year or any of your favorite top five heroes.

Such an amazing, amazing program. All right, we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)