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New Day Saturday

President Trump: We Want A Very Friendly Transition, But We Don't Want To Be Cheated; Sources: Trump Intends To Nominate Amy Coney Barrett To Supreme Court; Fauci: Vaccinations Could Start In November Or December; Third Night Of Protests In Louisville Over Lack Of Charges In Breonna Taylor's Death. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired September 26, 2020 - 07:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:00:21]

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Beautiful blue skies. Some clouds there at the Capitol this morning. Want to wish you a good morning on this Saturday. Yes, you're waking up on the weekend. You probably know that because I'm sure you didn't set your alarm. Which is nice on a Saturday. It is September 26th. I'm Christi Paul.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Martin Savidge, in for Victor Blackwell. Morning to you, Christi.

PAUL: You too. Good to have you here, Marty. So, we're talking about the president, because he is betting, the Supreme Court may have a role to play in deciding the presidential election. And with voting already starting, he's actively trying to chip away at confidence that it's going to be fair. He's putting out misinformation about mail-in ballots and claims that he may be cheated.

SAVIDGE: This morning, there are also calls for justice and transparency over the handling of the Breonna Taylor case. There was another night of protests in Louisville, Kentucky and across the country, after no officers were charged for killing her.

And as COVID-19 continues impacting our everyday lives, Dr. Anthony Fauci, again, reminds us that vaccinations could start in November or December, but any return to pre pandemic routines, well, that's going to take a while.

PAUL: So, let's start with Sarah Westwood. She's live now at the White House. The president we know Sarah is saying, quote, the only way he will lose the election is if the election is rigged, unquote. What else did he say last night and good morning.

SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Good morning, Christi. And, yes, the president, they are suggesting to supporters that the only way they should trust the results of the election is if they reflect a win for him. And the other scenario, ahead of that, the President is casting doubt on the integrity of the election again last night, providing no evidence for that claim. But it comes after a week in which the President stirred considerable controversy when he refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power in the event that he does lose in November. And even though those comments drew criticism from Republican allies on Capitol Hill and across the aisle, President doubled down on that more as the week went on.

And then last night, he suggested at a rally in Newport News, Virginia that he would be open to a friendly transfer of power, but only if he felt he wasn't cheated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's the only way we're going to lose is if there's mischief, mischief, and it'll have to be on a big scale, so be careful. And we do want a very friendly transition, but we don't want to be cheated and be stupid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WESTWOOD: Now Trump last night peddled a number of debunked theories about mail-in voting. There is no evidence that widespread fraud could come as a result of mail-in voting. But the President, this week, also seized on disclosure from the Department of Justice that it had opened an investigation into nine improperly discarded ballots in Pennsylvania, some of which had indeed been filled out for Trump.

But that discloser from the DOJ did draw allegations of politicization because they publicize details of an ongoing investigation, and those details violated the principles of ballot secrecy, which are normally taken pretty seriously.

Now, the White House attempted something of a cleanup, if you could call it that this week by saying the President would accept the results of a free and fair election. Again, the president here is trying to say that he should be the one to decide what is free and fair. And he suggested, at his rally last night and throughout the week, that mail-in voting could mean there's no way that it's fair in his eyes. And in an appearance in Atlanta yesterday, the president jokes about clinging to power beyond two terms.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: So, let's say, well we'd be president in 10 years only? We only if we add a couple of terms and know this, now, we have a story. There's your breaking news. I told you he's a dictator. We've been -- he will not give up power.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WESTWOOD: Now later today, the president, here at the White House, will announce his pick to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court, that's a significant announcement for a lot of reasons, but one of them is because the President acknowledged this week that the results of the election if contested could end up before the Supreme Court. And if that happens, and if this nominee is confirmed successfully before election day, then a third of the justices on the bench will have been appointed by Trump, Martin and Christi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: All right. Sarah Westwood, starting us off from the White House this morning, thank you.

All right. Let's discuss the legal implications of a contested election with Page Pate, he's a criminal defense and constitutional attorney. Morning to you, Page.

PAGE PATE, CONSTITUTIONAL ATTORNEY: Good morning, Martin.

SAVIDGE: So, you say quote, I am no alarmist, but I really feel that there was a hurricane approaching and we're nowhere near prepared for the damage, that is alarming. And I'm wondering, what's your biggest concern right now?

[07:05:58]

PATE: Well, Martin, I think it's clear that we have a problem. President who is not going to accept the results of this election if he loses, I mean, he said as much. The only way we lose is if it's rigged and I'm not going to accept the result of an unfair election.

So, what is happening now for the Trump administration to challenge the results of the election? Well, one, he's casting doubt on the veracity of mail-in voting. Of course, there's nothing to support that. But he's already sowing the seeds of doubt and discourse to suggest if the result changes after election night, while mail-in voting is still being counted, he's going to challenge that.

And the law sets very specific timelines, deadlines for when these votes have to be counted and when electors have to report that to Congress. Remember, the American people don't elect the president, they vote for president, but the electors elect the president. And if there's any controversy about who those electors are from a particular state, we could be in serious trouble.

SAVIDGE: So, there's about a 75-day period, I think it is roughly from when the election is held to when the next president, or perhaps the one that's still here, gets sworn in again. And a lot can happen in that time, as you sort of allude to there with the Electoral College.

PATE: Right.

SAVIDGE: The Constitution sort of sets up the framework of a contested election and what happens. But it seems to presume that everybody will follow the rules, and that's the problem here. We don't necessarily know that.

PATE: That's exactly right. The Constitution does not guarantee a fair and friendly transition of power. It presupposes that that's going to happen. It sets the deadlines, it says the procedure, but the Constitution, and in our past the American public, we have always assumed that the President would do what's in the best interest of the country.

And I think for the first time, we have a clear sign that that may not happen in this case. And if this election comes down to a couple of states, and voting, counting of the votes is still going on after election day, we know that Trump is going to challenge that. We know that that's going to end up in court.

And if we have a result from a Supreme Court that many people don't have confidence, and if we have a new nominee who's rushed in before the election, I see nothing but potential problems with that scenario.

SAVIDGE: All right. I'm glad you brought that up, because Democrats say that they will insist that Trump's Supreme Court nominee commit to sitting out legal challenges to election results and setting aside whether she'd actually agree to that.

You know, is there a legitimate case to be made that his nominee -- if she's confirmed, she'd recuse herself. And I asked that because the Supreme Court is supposed to interpret the constitution not apply their own, perhaps political beliefs.

PATE: That's right. Well, a lot of people think that the Supreme Court did issue a political decision in 2000 in the Bush v. Gore situation, but here, it would be so much worse, because we probably would not be talking about a recount. We would be talking about the initial counting of the votes and seeding of electors.

No, there is no legal basis for an incoming Supreme Court justice to recuse herself before a case involving this election comes to the court for political reasons. She may agree to do that, but there's nothing in the constitution or the law that requires it.

So, we have heard the President say, I want to put somebody on that court so that I have a majority in the event, and I think he said it profitably, will end up in the Supreme Court. What a crazy thing for an incumbent president to say before the election, that the election is going to end up in the Supreme Court. There's so many balls in the air right now, the potential for a problem. It's real. It's very real.

SAVIDGE: Do you see this being worse than it was in 2000?

PATE: Very different. And, yes, potentially much worse. Number one, we had two candidates in that race that even though they were contesting the results, and the recount in Florida, at the end of the day, Vice President Gore accepted defeat, and he conceded immediately after the court decision.

Does anyone who's watching this believe that President Trump is going to concede this election at any point? I mean, he may leave office, but I never see him agreeing that an election where he lost was fair and inadequate. So, I don't see it happening the way it did in 2000.

Again, if it's a close race, if it's a landslide, probably not a big problem. But if it comes down to a couple of states, and we're still counting after election day, watch out.

SAVIDGE: Page Pate, thank you very much. Good to talk to you.

PATE: Thank you, Martin.

PAUL: We have new details on the Pennsylvania ballot incident President Trump repeatedly used to renew his -- and they are baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. In a statement was their county officials say the issue regarding nine military ballots was caused by a quote temporary seasonal independent contractor who incorrectly discarded the ballots into the office trash and Pennsylvania officials called it an error.

That was realized three days later and investigation was opened at that time and the contractor was removed from service and informed not to return. If they say this is proof that the system of checks and balances set forth in Pennsylvania elections works.

[07:10:16]

SAVIDGE: Sources tell CNN that President Trump intends to nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett, that is for the Supreme Court that will happen, we believe, it's going to be this afternoon.

PAUL: It was less than 40 days now to the November election; the nomination kicks off and unprecedented scramble to confirm her.

CNN's Jessica Schneider takes a look at the potential nominee.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): People who know 48- year-old Amy Coney Barrett say her family is their number one priority, and she made sure they were front and center at her 2017 confirmation hearing for the Seventh Circuit.

AMY CONEY BARRETT, AMERICAN LAWYER: We have our oldest three daughters with us today.

SCHNEIDER: Barrett proudly showcased all seven of her children, including Vivian and John, who she and her husband, Jessie, adopted from Haiti.

BARRETT: Vivian is our miracle. Vivian joined our family. She was born in Haiti and she came home when she was 14 months old. She weighed 11 pounds, and she was so weak. We were told that she might never walk normally or speak. Today, Vivian has a track star and I assure you she has no trouble talking.

SCHNEIDER: The youngest child, Benjamin, has Down syndrome.

BARRETT: Benjamin has special needs and that presents unique challenges for all of us. But I think all you need to know about Benjamin's place in the family is summed up by the fact that the other children unreservedly identify him as their favorite sibling. SCHNEIDER: Barrett's large family is just two children shy of matching the late Justice Antonin Scalia's. Barrett clerked for the staunchly conservative justice right out of law school and has marveled at his intensity.

BARRETT: It was intimidating working for him. You know, when he called you in his office, you had to be prepared to just go to the mat and talk about whatever it was, and he was always five steps ahead of you.

CARTER SNEAD, NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY LAW PROFESSOR: One of my friends put it this way. He said, Judge Barrett is the kind of person and the kind of judge that you would want to be the judge in a case if you didn't know which side you were going to be on.

SCHNEIDER: Carter Snead is part of Barrett's close-knit group of friends in South Bend, Indiana. He also has an adopted child and bonded with the Barrett family when it came to kids and cooking.

SNEAD: She and her family host extraordinary parties for Mardi Gras. She's from New Orleans, so she cooks Creole cuisine and makes jambalaya and red beans and rice and crawfish etouffee.

SCHNEIDER: One issue that has come up before for Judge Barrett, how she balances her faith and the law.

BARRETT: If you're asking whether I take my faith seriously and I'm a faithful Catholic, I am, although I would stress that my personal church affiliation or my religious belief would not bear in the discharge of my duties as a judge.

SCHNEIDER: Senator Dianne Feinstein drew criticism from conservatives with her sharp questions about Barrett's religion in 2017.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D-CA): You have a long history of believing that your religious beliefs should prevail. The dogma lives loudly within you.

SCHNEIDER: As Barrett emerged as the front runner this week, her association with a multi-denominational Christian group called People of Praise began drawing attention. The group's Board of Governors is all male, and has referred to women as handmaids in the past, a term that has since been dropped by the group.

A spokesman for People of Praise tell CNN, Christian leadership in no way involves superiority or domination among spouses, but "We have chosen to rely on male leadership at the highest level of our community based on our desire to be a family of families. We follow the New Testament teaching that the husband is the head of the family, and we have patterned our community on this New Testament approach to family life."

Putting aside Barrett's potential past or present membership, Judge Barrett has made clear she leaves her religion out of her judicial opinions.

BARRETT: It's never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge's personal convictions, whether they derive from faith or anywhere else on the law.

SCHNEIDER: Jessica Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: And still ahead, there was a race of course for a coronavirus vaccine, but what about options for treatment?

PAUL: And take a look at what was happening flashbangs in Louisville, Kentucky here, as protesters peacefully demand justice for Breonna Taylor.

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[07:15:23]

SAVIDGE: Now to a confrontation in Logan, Ohio where a woman was tased and arrested for trespassing. She allegedly refused to wear a facemask at a middle school football game.

PAUL: It's state and school policy for spectators to wear a face covering while watching a game. But we want to show you here part of what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SCREAMING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God. He just tased her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They tased her. Wow. (BLEEP) Wow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's unreal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Alisha Kitts was reportedly asked to put a mask on multiple times. She said she has asthma and refused to do so.

SAVIDGE: Kids was charged with criminal trespassing and then released at the scene.

PAUL: So that's just one of the incidents that happened as of late.

I want to bring in an epidemiologist and CNN political contributor Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. Thank you so much for being with us. We appreciate it. We know in that case, it's interesting because she has asthma and because of that she would be more susceptible as far as we know, what science has told us up to this point, but then you think, OK, maybe a mask does interfere with her ability to breathe because of that. Is that the case, Dr. El-Sayed?

ABDUL EL-SAYED, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well, people know their bodies a lot better than I might. The fact of the matter is, though, is the bigger picture of the setback and is, why are we using force in this circumstance? And I believe deeply in mass policy and I believe that we need to bring our empathy to having that conversation.

[07:20:01]

I don't think it's appropriate to bring in force to this discussion. And I think we've got to rethink the entire conversation we're having together. I do think that this debate, unfortunately, driven by the both sides-ism of the Trump administration and his acolytes has turned this into yet another political football.

I do think when we talk about mass policy of what we need to bring forward is an empathy to say, look, this is what's best for you and best for all of us. We're doing this together, so we can get through this situation. And it's always hard to watch as someone gets -- potentially deadly force used against them for something like this. And so, I don't condone that, I don't think any of us should.

PAUL: Yes, no doubt. I do want to get to something that Dr. Fauci said this week about vaccinations that they could start as soon as November or December, return to normalcy, as we know it, pre-COVID would take a little longer, he says, but is that a realistic timeline, in your opinion?

EL-SAYED: Well, we have yet to see where the results are. Of course, Dr. Fauci is a lot closer to those results at the NIH than any of us are. But I will say this, even after we kick off the first set and the first round of vaccinations, there's going to be a much longer tail, we just don't have enough of any of these made to vaccinate everyone all at once.

Plus, the logistics of that are really huge, you've got to get that vaccination out to 50 states, most of the vaccines that we're talking about require two to -- two doses of the vaccine rather than just one. And so, it's going to be a while before we get to that herd immunity.

And the thing that people have to understand is, once you get vaccinated, that's great. That's good for you. But for -- in order for this vaccine to be effective against the overall transmission of COVID-19, we've got to work up to that herd immunity, which will require 70 to 90 percent of people to get vaccinated.

PAUL: And when you throw out that figure, it brings me to my next question, a recent poll showed that six in 10 Americans will not take that vaccination. Does that concern you that that the public seems to have such trepidations about what whatever it might be?

Whether it's the efficacy of the vaccine, whether they are concerned about vaccines themselves, but being the medical community has said the key to fighting this is vaccines, you now, how six and 10 people who say, I'm not going to do it.

EL-SAYED: Yes, that is really distressing. And that should be distressing to all of us.

And what it speaks to is the fact that this has been another political football in this entire conversation that should not have been politicized in the first place. And people are responding to this process and saying, well, I don't know that I want to take a vaccine, that is a product of a political process rather than a scientific one.

And so, what matters here is that we have to put the science forward. And we need to have independent verification from the scientific community of the safety and efficacy of any vaccine that comes out, so that people feel reassured that this is the product of a scientific process, rather than a political one.

PAUL: So, when we talk about vaccines, let's also talk about treatments. Because we have said, if there is some sort of treatment that keeps us from getting too ill to have to go to the hospital, or that keeps us alive, as opposed to the 200,000 plus deaths that we've seen thus far. We think that that would make a difference, obviously, in getting life back to normal as well, knowing that there is a treatment out there, such as with the flu.

Take a look at some of the potential treatments that are out there a couple from Eli Lilly, Regeneron, Roche, and a steroid there. Which of those look most promising to you? And do you think if vaccine is not the answer treatment is?

EL-SAYED: Well, I'll start first, right? These are two different answers to COVID-19. If we want our lives to return back to some semblance of normal, we really are going to have to either enact real public health interventions like contact tracing or testing or have a vaccine in place.

Treatments are really critical to make sure that if people are infected by COVID -- by the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, that they're not getting extremely ill. And most of these new treatments are focused on early coronavirus with symptoms that are light rather than the kind of heavy symptoms that leave someone in the hospital. And that's good news.

And they come in a couple of different forms, right? There are some that sort of beat down the body's immune response so that your body doesn't go over in overdrive, hurting you while trying to kill the virus. Some of them are our antibody cocktails that actually neutralize the virus itself.

And there are a couple that are approaching phase three into phase three, in fact, and so we'll want to watch with that. All of them have different side effect profiles. That's the unfortunate circumstance of having to get sick and getting a treatment that they have side effect profiles, but it's always good to have more medications in the armament.

PAUL: No doubt. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed always Good to have you with us, sir. Thank you.

[07:25:02]

EL-SAYED: Thank you for having me.

PAUL: Absolutely.

And every Saturday, we're highlighting cities across the U.S. with resources to help those of you who really need it right now. Grab your phone or a pen and a piece of paper, and you can write this information down. We hope that it helps you or somebody that you know.

First of all, let's go to Illinois this morning. The Lakeview Pantry serves thousands of people in Chicago through various food, mental wellness, social service programs. Their online market is a monthly food service for anyone in the city. So, you can choose the groceries that you want and then pick up at one of their three locations. Registration is required. I want to point out. No proof of income is needed, but you must wear a mask to receive their services.

Now the Indiana, 211. It's a free confidential service that helps Hoosiers across the Indiana. Find the local resources they need, including food and clothing and medical and unemployment.

In Indianapolis, the Gleaners Community Cupboard provides food to hunger relief partners in the area and throughout the rest of the state as well.

And then in Iowa, if you're not able to pay rent, the Iowa Finance Authority has rent assistance availability for tenants who've lost income because of COVID-19. For eligibility requirements, you can go ahead and call the number that you see there on your screen. I'll try to tweet all of this information out for you as well.

But as always, we recommend calling these places before you go to confirm hours and requirements. Just want to make sure that you know those resources are out there and you can use them if they're available to you and if you're in that area.

SAVIDGE: Thanks, Christi.

The President doubling down on potentially refusing to accept election results. How his latest comments are undermining America's credibility abroad?

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[07:30:55]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: That's the only way we're going to lose, is if there's mischief. And we do want a very friendly transition. But we don't want to be cheated and be stupid, and say, oh, let's transit. Well, we'll go and we'll do a transition. And we know that there were thousands and thousands of ballots that made the difference through cheating. We're not going to stand for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: That was the president of the United States last night. Once again, casting doubt on whether he will accept the election results. Our next guest says the president is using the same authoritarian tactics that his own administration criticizes other countries for using. Let's bring in CNN national security analyst and senior advisor at the Biden Institute, Samantha Vinograd. Morning to you Saman. Sam, I'm sorry.

SAMANTHA VINOGRAD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Good morning.

SAVIDGE: OK. This is exactly the same sort of tactics that the United States -- not just this administration but previous administrations has criticized other leaders in other nations for doing, right?

VINOGRAD: Well, at this point, President Trump seemingly has more in common with Maduro than he does with Markle. The Trump administration, previous administrations have not just condemned leaders for engaging in the kind of behavior that Trump is currently crowdsourcing.

We've actually sanctioned them in countries like Belarus, Venezuela, Congo, and elsewhere. Presidents have historically imposed really serious punishment on leaders that do things like manipulate votes and abuse state power to ensure the outcome of elections.

Even if Trump doesn't follow through on these threats, they have an immediate impact on the national security of the United States. Every time, Trump engages in a domestic disinformation attack, remember who it helps? It helps Vladimir Putin. This is prime content for Russia to use to spread the narrative that the U.S. democracy is in decay. And furthermore, we used to champion democracy overseas. We used to engage in significant democracy promotion efforts. And that was largely based on what we practiced back home, we had credibility on these issues.

Trump is directly undercutting his own team's ability to promote democracy overseas, while he degrades it here at home. We have to practice what we preach.

SAVIDGE: What do you think that foreign intelligence assessments of the United States would look like right now?

VINOGRAD: Well, if this was happening anywhere but the United States, election observers would be in route. If you think about what our allies are assessing with respect to United States, there has to be a risk assessment that democracy is seriously under pressure in the United States.

I would imagine that foreign intelligence assessments by democracies overseas include indicators that democracy is really falling down in the United States when it comes to press freedom, attacks on peaceful protesters, the peaceful transfer of power, and just the fundamental democratic processes that so many of us took for granted.

Now, the foreign intelligence assessments in Russia are probably pretty rosy, because again, the primary objective for Putin at this time is to undermine U.S. democracy.

SAVIDGE: Several GOP leaders intervened earlier this week, promising that there would be orderly transition of power. Do you buy it?

VINOGRAD: Well, a lot of the times, GOP officials say one thing and do another. But the fact to the matter is that it's not entirely up to them. We have something called the 20th Amendment.

In the United States, states will first certify whether elections in their states are legitimate, and they will then send the results of those elections -- the electoral votes for -- to Congress for certification eventual documentation.

If GOP officials at the president's behest subjectively decide that elections weren't free or fair in particular states, they can sue, they can engage in litigation. But if there is not a clear winner determined by January 20th, the 20th -- the 20th Amendment goes into effect.

[07:35:03]

VINOGRAD: At that point, the Speaker of the House becomes acting president and certain processes, then kick, kick into gear with respect to the House voting to elect the next president.

SAVIDGE: Yes. I mean, there is so much more we could talk about, but we'll have at least a little more time before the election. But it's still so troubling.

VINOGRAD: Yes.

SAVIDGE: Samantha Vinograd, thanks very much for joining us this morning.

VINOGRAD: Thank you.

PAUL: Breonna Taylor's mother, says she has no faith in the U.S. legal system after a grand jury chose not to charge officers involved in her daughter's death. Protests continue around the country and they did so last night. We're going to bring you the latest from Louisville. Stay close.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:40:16]

PAUL: Well, police in Louisville made 23 arrests during a third night of protest over the shooting of Breonna Taylor.

While the protests were mostly peaceful, leading up to the city's 9:00 p.m. curfew there, police threw out flashbangs when a group refused to move onto the sidewalk.

SAVIDGE: Demonstrators also marched in places like Los Angeles and Boston last night. In Atlanta, nearly 200 demonstrators marched at the state capitol, demanding the elimination of no-knock warrants in Georgia.

Breonna Taylor was killed in March after three plainclothes police officers broke down her door, searching for her ex-boyfriend who was not there. On Wednesday, a grand jury decided not to directly charge any officers in Taylor's death. PAUL: And Breonna Taylor's family now is demanding transcripts of the grand jury proceedings. They say they want to see exactly what Kentucky's attorney general showed the grand jury.

CNN's Crime and Justice Reporter, Shimon Prokupecz has been covering this story from Louisville.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN'S CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Another night of protests here in Louisville, and protesters have gathered here behind me now at this church where they come after the curfew hours because it is here where they can avoid being arrested. Police allowing them to remain on the property.

Now, earlier in the day, there was a brief confrontation between protesters and police at an internship section. That as protesters approached intersections, police had lined up, and then, within a moment after they say the crowd would not get out of the street and onto the sidewalk, they fired flashbangs.

Then, that there was a brief confrontation between the protesters and police. Eventually, everyone left. Police say they made a few arrests, and then the crowd left.

Shimon Procupecz, CNN, Louisville, Kentucky.

PAUL: Next hour we're speaking to Tiffany Crutcher. Her twin brother was killed by police back in 2016. She's also the vice president of Sisters of the Movement. It's an organization that's demanding federal police reform. So, do stay close for that.

SAVIDGE: From freedom rights to sit-ins, to protest, to policy, John Lewis left behind a legacy of social justice activism that plays out across this country every day.

Up next, we'll have a preview of the new CNN film, "GOOD TROUBLE".

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: "FOOD AS FUEL" is brought to you by noon. Noom is based in psychology, for lasting health and weight loss results.

SAVIDGE: You're --

PAUL: So, we're spending more time at home which means -- I don't know about you, you're snacking a little more? Well, in today's "FOOD AS FUEL", CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard, shows us how we can better manage that constant temptation.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: We all have cravings, and with spending more time at home, those cravings can hit big when you want a snack. So, here are some healthy ways to indulge.

When you have a sweet tooth, snack on berries and yogurt or whip up a smoothie. This one has sweet potato, cauliflower rice, and almond butter. It's packed with protein, fiber, and healthy fats that will help you feel full longer. Add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla instead of sugar.

Craving something crunchy? Replace potato chips with avocado on crunchy toast or whole-grain crackers. It's great as a spread or sliced with seasoning.

[0745:08]

HOWARD: Or try some crispy bell peppers or roasted Brussels sprouts. Now, Brussels sprouts are high in fiber, vitamin k, and c. And when you want a salty snack, make it spicy instead. Go for spicy hummus and veggies, or add some spice to bok choy with red pepper flakes. Bok choy is a good source of fiber and contains vitamins a, c, and k.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Well, think about these numbers. Thousands of protests, 45 arrests, 33 years in Congress. The new CNN film, "JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE", tells the story of the civil rights giant who made good trouble to bring great change to America.

SAVIDGE: CNN's Victor Blackwell, looks back on the life of the iconic congressman, and at how his legacy is playing out around the country today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN LEWIS, FORMER CONGRESSMAN OF GEORGIA: Get in trouble, what I call good trouble, necessary trouble.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: John Lewis lived by that motto. For decades, in the fight for civil and voting rights, and as a member of Congress for 17 terms. It started in his hometown of Troy, Alabama. He hated the discrimination in the segregated South of the 1940s and 50s.

LEWIS: And I would ask my mother, my father, my grandparents, and my great-grandparents, why? They would say, boy, that's the way it is. Don't get in the way, don't get in trouble.

BLACKWELL: But he did get into good trouble. And early, Lewis was 19 years old when he was part of the first lunch counter sit-in that led to the desegregation of downtown Nashville.

LEWIS: There was a moving feeling within me that I was sitting there demanding a God-given right. And in spite of all of this, I had to keep loving the people who denied me service.

BLACKWELL: He demanded those rights as the youngest Speaker at the march on Washington.

LEWIS: We must say, wake up America! Wake up! For we cannot stop, and we will not and cannot be patient.

[07:50:00]

BLACKWELL: And at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, during a march for voting rights where he and hundreds of other protesters were beaten and trampled. In 1986, he was elected to Congress to represent Georgia's fifth district, which includes Atlanta. And for more than 30 years, Lewis continued the fight for voting rights and more: the humane treatment of the undocumented.

LEWIS: There cannot be any peace in America until these young children return to their parents.

BLACKWELL: LGBTQ rights and the rights of children to be safe in schools.

LEWIS: Do your job. Bring common sense gun control legislation to a vote. We need it, and we need it now.

To the leadership of the United States Congress and all the (INAUDIBLE) parties --

BLACKWELL: And he pushed for the creation of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Lewis died in July from pancreatic cancer. At his funeral, the breadth and depth of his impact was clear. Three presidents spoke. So, did Tybre Faw, just 12 years old. He called Lewis his hero and friend. He was invited to read Lewis's favorite poem, Invictus.

And just a few weeks ago, a 15-year-old student invoked the congressman after she posted a picture of her crowded high school during the coronavirus pandemic.

HANNAH WATTERS, STUDENT, GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL: I'd like to say that this is some good and necessary trouble.

LEWIS: When you see something that is not right, not fair --

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

LEWIS: Not just -- say something, do something! Do something! Get in trouble!

BLACKWELL: Victor Blackwell, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: And that all-new CNN film, "JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE", premieres Sunday, tomorrow, 9:00 p.m. right here on CNN. You won't want to miss it.

SAVIDGE: Wildfires, they are still raging, uncontained out west, and are set to worsen yet again. Allison Chinchar is at the weather center, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:56:40]

SAVIDGE: Last week, I was out in Oregon, covering the wildfires burning out there.

PAUL: Yes.

SAVIDGE: And the amazing thing about them is not just their number, but the sheer size of the fires. And firefighters out west are still battling more than two dozen raging wildfires.

PAUL: Yes, and I can't imagine what you saw, but we're being told things are expected to get even worse. Nearly 100,000 Californians, Marty, could lose power this weekend. They're expecting more strong winds, potentially record-breaking heat, and that obviously creates extreme fire conditions in the region.

So, we want to bring in meteorologist Allison Chinchar. She's in the CNN Weather Center. She's been looking very closely at this. Help us understand, Allison, the specific areas that are under threat right now.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, I wish I could tell you it was a very small area, Christi, but it's really not. It's going to start in one area and then spread pretty much throughout the entire western half of the country.

And again, the other thing is this is going to be a prolonged event and that's going to be a big concern for the firefighters as well. Right now, even before this next heatwave begins and dry stretch begins, we have about 75 large active fires, at least that. And that doesn't even include the small fires, these are just the large ones.

And notice, they're already spread out amongst several different states here. But the key thing is, Martin even mentioned this. Now, when you look at the 10-year average, the total number of U.S. fires is about 44,000. Our 10-year average is about 46.

So, while we are below the overall number of fires, what that doesn't tell you is the size of the fires. Because the size of the individual fires have been much larger. So, when you take that into account, the total area burned is much larger than the 10-year average by over a million acres. And again, it just goes to show you how large these fires have been.

For some more perspective, this is a list of California's 10 largest wildfires in history. Five of them, denoted here in black have been this year. Specifically, in September of this year. So, the fires themselves have been much larger this year compared to others.

Now, we add in the forecast which does not bode well. You'll start to see a lot of these areas here in orange. This is an elevated fire risk. That is going to start to spread and become more widespread over the next several days. Really over much of the next week as the winds begin to pick up, conditions start to get very dry, and those temperatures go up.

That's a concern because again, over 73 percent of the west is already under drought conditions. And for many of these areas, that number is likely going to go up. We talked about the heat because that doesn't just impact the fires, it impacts the firefighters. Because it makes those conditions in which they're fighting those blazes very difficult for them.

So, take for example, Redding going from 90 today, back into the triple digits once we get to next week. Same thing for Sacramento and Bakersfield. Again, those temperatures really starting to warm up.

And what this story doesn't tell, is that they're going to stay that way for very prolonged periods of time. At least a week in some areas, maybe as much as two weeks where they're dealing with these very dry conditions, and very hot temperatures.

Even Medford, again, 73 today. Not too bad there. But they'll be back in the mid-90s by Monday, and likely going to stay in those extreme above-average temperatures for much of next week. Guys?

SAVIDGE: Well, Allison Chinchar, thank you very much for that update.

PAUL: Allison, thank you. And do stay close, the next hour of NEW DAY starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: That's the only way we're going to lose, is if there's mischief. We do want a very friendly transition, but we don't want to be cheated.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to keep hearing this, unless Trump, actually wins the election.