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New Day Saturday

Alex Baldwin Fires Prop Gun on Set, Killing Cinematographer; FDA: Benefits of Pfizer's Vaccine Outweigh Risks for Kids; Questions Remain After Brian Laundrie's Death Confirmed; Biden Reveals Details of Talks on Social Spending Plan; Aired 6-7a ET

Aired October 23, 2021 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:00]

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CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning and welcome to your NEW DAY. I'm Christi Paul.

RYAN NOBLES, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Ryan Nobles in this morning for Boris Sanchez. And there are new details in that deadly prop gun shooting involving actor Alec Baldwin. What we're learning about how this entire accident played out.

PAUL: And the FDA says the Pfizer vaccine's benefit outweighs its risks in children. The impact that could have -- that could have ahead of the FDA meeting considered emergency use authorization for that vaccine for children.

NOBLES: And unanswered questions that surround the death of Brian Laundrie and what Laundrie's family knew the night he disappeared.

PAUL: Also, the World Series is nearly set after the Astros beat the Red Sox last night. We're going to take you inside the celebration after their big win.

We are so grateful to have your company on this Saturday, October 23rd. Thank you for waking up. Ryan, good to see you.

NOBLES: Christi, thank you so much for having me. I know Boris runs a tight ship here, so I'll try and stay and keep with you all morning long.

PAUL: You are -- you are going to be just fine. If you can get up at, you know, 1:30 in the morning, you're good, you're good. All right. Let's talk about one of the things we're all talking about this morning, these new details in the investigation of that deadly shooting on Alec Baldwin's movie set.

According to a search warrant filed in Santa Fe, New Mexico -- in Santa Fe County, I should say, New Mexico, an assistant director on the set of the movie "Rust" handed Baldwin a prop firearm and yelled, "Cold gun," meaning that it was safe to use. That happened moments before the actor fired and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. NOBLES: Yes. The court documents reveal that assistant director David Halls handed Baldwin one of the three prop guns, but that Halls had no idea that live rounds were in the gun. Plus, we're hearing about safety concerns prior to the shooting. The "Los Angeles Times" is reporting that several crew members quit the production days before due to concerns over gun safety procedures not being followed. CNN's Lucy Kafanov has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT (Voice over): Actor Alec Baldwin says he's fully cooperating in the investigation into the fatal shooting on the set of the movie "Rust."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bonanza Creek Ranch, we've had two people accidently shot.

KAFANOV (Voice over): Officials say they're still in the initial stages of their investigation into what led to the fatal incident when Baldwin discharged prop weapon on set. Director Joel Souza rushed by ambulance to a local hospital with injuries. The film's director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, was pronounced dead after being transported via helicopter to the hospital. Police continue to interview witnesses and are looking into what type of projectile was fired from a prop gun, commonly used on movie sets that aren't without their own risks.

JOSEPH FISHER, PROP MASTER ON MOVIE SETS: Prop weapons do have a dangerous factor to them even though they're a lot safer than using a live firearm on set.

KAFANOV (Voice over): Forty-two-year-old Hutchins, who posted on Instagram from the New Mexico location only days ago, lived in Los Angeles with her husband and son and was credited in the production of dozens of film, TV and video titles. Today, Baldwin tweeting from the account he shares with his wife, "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins. I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family."

These tragic accidents on movie sets have happened before. Actor Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, was killed in 1993 on the set of the movie "The Crow" when a fragment of a dummy bullet became lodged in a prop gun which fatally wounded Lee in the abdomen. Shannon Lee posting on her brother's verified Twitter account, "Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on 'Rust.' No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period."

(END VIDEO TAPE)

KAFANOV: Christi, Ryan, good morning. We're told that a search warrant has been issued for the Bonanza Creek Ranch where the shooting took place. The sheriffs say they'll be combing the property throughout the weekend looking for clues. They don't expect to update the public before Monday. This as investigators try to piece together how this tragedy could have taken place. Christi, Ryan, back to you.

PAUL: Thank you so much. We appreciate it. Now the question is could there be potential legal fallout following this tragic shooting? We're going to discuss that with our legal analyst Joey Jackson. It's coming up at 40 minutes past the hour here.

[06:05:00]

So turning now to the coronavirus, there's a new report from the FDA finding the benefits of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the risks specifically to children ages 5 to 11.

NOBLES: Yes. And while cases have been trending downward recently, this last week alone, about 131,000 children were diagnosed with COVID-19 and more than 637 children have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Health experts continue to stress that vaccinations are the key to controlling the spread of COVID-19, but the number of Americans getting a booster shot continues to outpace those looking to get their first shot and only 57 percent of the U.S. population right now is fully vaccinated.

PAUL: Yes. And the FDA is debating, next week, whether to approve the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. If approved, vaccinations could begin in early November and the first children to receive their shots could be fully protected by Christmas. Here's CNN's Nadia Romero.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One, two, three, poke.

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (Voice over): Friday, Pfizer releasing new data that shows its COVID-19 vaccine is about 90 percent effective against symptomatic COVID in children ages 5 to 11. Right now, the vaccine is only approved for people 16 and older.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We want to make sure that we outreach to the parents with trusted messengers. Particularly some of the most trusted messengers are the family pediatrician who most parents have a good deal of confidence in and we're trying to get people to realize it is for the benefit of the children as well as for the entire family unit to get the child vaccinated. The vaccinations and the vaccines in question are highly, highly effective and safe:

ROMERO (Voice over): Tuesday, an FDA advisory committee is scheduled to meet to discuss whether to recommend authorization for the Pfizer vaccine for kids 5 to 11. One FDA vaccine adviser makes this promise.

DR. PAUL OFFIT, MEMBER, FDA VACCINES ADVISORY COMMITTEE: And then we will consider it. I mean, I can promise you that when we have this discussion, that if we do end up recommending this vaccine, we would only do it if we would give it to our own children.

ROMERO (Voice over): Now, more guidance for expectant and new mothers. The director of the CDC urging eligible pregnant and nursing women to get vaccinated and get the booster shot too.

ROCHELLE WALENSKY, DIRECTOR, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: You should get vaccinated if you are pregnant. If you are eligible for a boost and you're pregnant, you should also get your boost during that period of time and I would say for nursing as well.

ROMERO (Voice over): Despite overwhelming scientific evidence of the effectiveness of vaccines, fears over the vaccine and its side effects still persist. about 100 out of about 13 million people who got the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine developed a rare neurological syndrome, including Anthony Flint. While the FDA has not established that the vaccine can cause the syndrome, it noted an increase in reports of the condition.

ANTHONY FLINT, DEVELOPED GUILLAIN-BARRE SYNDROME AFTER JOHNSON & JOHNSON SHOT: Yes. I really wrestled with it because, you know, this could easily freak people out, but you've got to come back and look at the numbers and just how rare it is. It's 0.00008 percent chance of getting Guillain-Barre syndrome and GBS is triggered by other things too, not just vaccines. I think it reflects a rise in autoimmune disorders. So talking about all of this and how our bodies work in the context of the vaccine I think is really important.

ROMERO (Voice over): Friday, Kaiser Permanente researchers released a new study showing people who received a COVID-19 vaccine were less likely to die from any cause compared to unvaccinated people. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy doubling down on the Biden administration's vaccine mandate for federal workers.

DR. VIVEK MURTHY, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: Ultimately make sure we get through this pandemic and protect people from the scourge of COVID-19. The vaccine really is the best way to do that.

ROMERO (Voice over): Nadia Romero, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

NOBLES: Thank you, Nadia. Let's talk more about this. Dr. Trey Robinson joins us now on all things COVID. He's an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Emory University. Dr. Robinson, thanks so much for being here. I am a father of four children all under the age of 11, so I'm very interested in the FDA's vaccine advisers' meeting on Tuesday as to whether or not to recommend authorizing the Pfizer vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11.

Almost 43 percent of Americans remain unvaccinated. Tell me how significant it would be if we were -- if this vaccine were allowed for the younger age group. Would it help curb the pandemic?

DR. ELIJAH "TREY" ROBINSON III, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE, EMORY UNIVERSITY: Yes, I think it would be a huge impact to curbing the pandemic. I think it would be a significant thing for the United States and so I'm looking forward to see what the FDA does. I'm hoping for a win.

NOBLES: So let's talk a little bit about the FDA saying last night that the benefits of Pfizer's vaccine for kids outweigh the risks. Obviously all parents, myself included are, you know, concerned about what potentially could be a side effect to the COVID vaccine.

[06:10:07]

What would you tell someone like me? I'm not hesitant; right? You know, I'm ready to sign my kids up as soon as the FDA approves this, but if someone is hesitant, what would you tell them about giving their kids the shot?

ROBINSON: Yes. So you have to think about the benefits and the risks; right? There's many benefits from getting the vaccine. One, not getting COVID. The risk of getting the vaccine are very, very minimal. Statistically, as you've heard, 0.00-less-than-like-8 percent of getting any type of rare reaction. Now, the other thing you have to think about is actually getting COVID-19 the infection which we know and we have seen the aftermath of that, the deaths, the side effects. So the benefits definitely outweigh the risks.

NOBLES: I mean, some of the detractors, particularly for children being vaccinated, would say that COVID has not had the same impact on children that it's had as adults, but you'd argue that the benefits still outweigh the risks, that there is still a risk for COVID when it comes to young people.

ROBINSON: That is correct. Young people can still contract COVID-19 infection. Now, the numbers show that young people are more able to survive it, but they are still able to contract COVID-19 and they are still dying from it. So the benefits still outweigh the risks.

NOBLES: All right. Let's talk now about boosters. About 70 million Americans are now eligible to get a booster shot. Of course Dr. Anthony Fauci thinks that within weeks or months, the age group for people eligible to get a third Pfizer or Moderna duce will be -- dose will be lowered. There's been some experts that have expressed a little hesitancy about giving boosters to such a wide group since the vaccines are so effective against this severe disease.

What's your take on boosters? If someone's eligible, should they take advantage of it?

ROBINSON: Yes, I actually agree. I know there's a lot of hesitancy in the boosters, but the boosters have shown to proven to be more -- to improve your immune system against the COVID-19 infection. I, for one, have already received my booster vaccine as a healthcare worker. I would totally agree with getting the booster vaccines for people who are eligible.

NOBLES: All right. Let's talk about your TikTok. It's getting a lot of attention. You know, you use -- you use that platform to push back on some of the vaccine misinformation that's floating around on the internet. We're going to play a little clip of this. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEO CLIP) NOBLES: I feel like we should have you on a bigger screen and force you to dance at 6:12 in the morning on national TV, but we're not going to do that. Explain to me why you decided to use TikTok as a platform.

ROBINSON: Yes. You know, so I would definitely say I was inspired by my patients. I've had several young patients, some my age, some younger, who actually acquired COVID-19 and just was -- just did not have all the information regarding COVID-19. They were -- there were a lot of myths, there was a lot of misinformation. So why not use an application, an app, like TikTok where many young users are on it. As you've seen, there have been many viral dances on TikTok. So why not use that?

So during the beginning of this year, I used that app, I learned some of the dances and I started tackling a lot of the misinformation that I heard while working in the emergency department.

NOBLES: Wow. And so what's your TikTok handle if somebody wants to follow?

ROBINSON: Yes. It is BruthaMD, B-R-U-T-H-A-M-D.

NOBLES: All right. Not just a doctor, but also a dancer and helping spread the word about COVID and the ways to fight it. Dr. Trey Robinson, thank you so much for getting up early with us. We appreciate it.

ROBINSON: I thank you for having me.

NOBLES: All right. And there are many unanswered questions following the discovery of remains found to be Brian Laundrie in Florida, mainly what did his family know? This as their attorney adds more confusion to the puzzling timeline of Gabby Petito's death and disappearance.

PAUL: And President Biden's working through the weekend to shore up support for his sweeping domestic agenda. As Speaker Pelosi says, she hopes for a vote next week. The final sticking points they're hoping to work out. Stay close.

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[06:15:00]

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NOBLES: And this morning, there are still questions on how the fiancee of Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie, died. Experts say the notebook found near his remains may shed some light on the circumstances of his disappearance and the violent death of Petito.

PAUL: Now, it comes as the family attorney says Laundrie's parents knew he was, quote, "grieving" when he left their home and headed to that nature preserve last month even though that was six days before Petito's body was found. Here's CNN's Leyla Santiago.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (Voice over): So many unanswered questions following the news of Brian Laundrie's death. Today, his parents receiving flower deliveries at their home while their lawyer has been speaking out on their behalf.

STEVEN BERTOLINO, LAUNDRIE'S ATTORNEY: Yesterday was, you know, very hard on them, as I'm sure everybody can imagine.

SANTIAGO (Voice over): While the FBI confirms the skeletal remains found in the Carlton Reserve were Brian Laundrie's, the family's attorney says the family had discussed the possibility of suicide.

BERTOLINO: You know, we've had that conversation between the three of us, Chris, Roberta and myself, several times. You know, we just do not know. Of course knowing his mental state when he walked out the door, it was always a concern.

SANTIAGO (Voice over): These new details raising more questions about what the family knew the night Brian disappeared.

BERTOLINO: Brian had been extremely upset. Chris and Roberta were very concerned about him. They expressed that to me, that when he walked out the door that evening, they wish they could have stopped him, they wish they could have, you know, prevented him from going out.

[06:20:01]

But he was intent on leaving and Chris said to me, you know, in hindsight, I know I couldn't stop him.

SANTIAGO (Voice over): Why Brian was extremely upset their attorney wouldn't say, but this was six days before Gabby's body was found at a campsite in Wyoming.

BERTOLINO: I've been quite clear on this from the very beginning. When it comes to the FBI, we have absolutely nothing to say with respect to the Gabby Petito incident. With respect to Brian, you know, we've been cooperating from day one and, you know, those are two different -- from a legal perspective, those are two different scenarios.

SANTIAGO (Voice over): Along with Brian's remains, police say a backpack, a notebook and clothing belonging to him were also found nearby.

BRIAN LAUNDRIE, PERSON OF INTEREST IN DEATH OF GABBY PETITO: So we are ...

SANTIAGO (Voice over): But whether they'll provide any answers about what happened to his fiancee, Gabby Petito, is still unknown. The notebook a possible key to so many unanswered questions as to what happened to Brian and Gabby, but finding those clues could take time.

JOSH TAYLOR, SPOKESMAN, NORTH PORT POLICE: That will need to be processed. We want to make sure that that's handled as carefully as possible. You only get one shot at these types of items to hurry up and, you know, rifle through that. Potentially damaging it, you know, would not be helpful.

SANTIAGO (Voice over): As for how Brian Laundrie died, that remains an unanswered question.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Were there any weapons found?

TAYLOR: I can't get into that information.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

SANTIAGO: And we've learned the remains found here at this reserve belonging to Brian Laundrie have now been sent to a forensic anthropologist, investigators trying to get to the bottom of the manner and cause of death. Christi, Ryan.

NOBLES: Leyla Santiago, thank you. And as the Gabby Petito case unfolds, many families of missing black men are pleading for more accountability. The mother of Jelani Day buried her son this week, but she says she won't be able to rest until her son's death is no longer a mystery. The 25-year-old Illinois graduate student went missing in August. His body was found about a week later, but he was not identified until nearly a month after he was reported missing. The cause of death is still unknown. Carmen Bolden is urging the FBI to get involved in the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARMEN BOLDEN DAY, JELANI DAY'S MOTHER: I need answers. I don't know why I lowered Jelani into that ground or what happened to him to cause him to be -- for me to have to lower him to the ground. So now I need answers. I need answers because the police departments that were involved in searching for my son and looking for my son and finding answers for my son failed me. They failed my child.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES: The FBI field offices declined to answer whether it will answer the request to handle the investigation, citing a Department of Justice policy that prevents it from commenting on active investigations.

Democrats, meanwhile, are inching closer to a deal on President Biden's domestic agenda. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is hopeful there will be a vote this coming week, but divisions within the party could still stand in the way.

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[06:25:00]

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PAUL: Twenty-seven minutes past the hour. We're glad to have you with us. President Biden is working the phones this weekend as Democrats inch closer to a possible deal on his massive social spending plan. Now, we know the president did shed some light on talks with moderate and progressive Democrats as well as major sticking points. This happened during a CNN town hall where he told the audience he's optimistic Democrats will reach an agreement despite some of these drawn out negotiations we've seen.

NOBLES: CNN White House reporter Kevin Liptak joins us. He is with the president in Wilmington, Delaware. Kevin, it did seem like congressional leaders were a bit more optimistic than they'd been this week. Walk us through the latest on what's in and what's out of the Biden plan.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, Ryan. They may be optimistic, but they are starting to make some very hard choices about what ends up in this sweeping social agenda bill that the president is pressing and that includes the president himself and you really have seen him start to pivot this week, to telling Democrats in private and then in public in that town hall what he wants in this bill and where he sees things that can be cut.

And, for example, on education, the president has long said he wanted to extend the years of when the government offers free education to Americans, but he told Democrats he was more focused on the front-end, universal pre-kindergarten, than on the back-end and that means that his long-promised plan to offer tuition-free community college doesn't appear to be in this bill.

Now, there are other areas that he's looking to trim down. For example, on paid leave, the president said that's down to four weeks instead of the 12 weeks that he would have wanted. On Medicare expansion, this is a big priority for the Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders who wants to include dental, vision and hearing in Medicare. That's no longer the case. It seems like that's still under negotiation. The president says an option might be to include a voucher for dental in that plan.

There's the question of how to pay for all of this. The president said that Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona doesn't support any tax hikes on corporations or individuals. They're still working on how to include that. An option now being raised is a tax on billionaires. And on climate, the president said he's working with Senator Joe Manchin to reallocate some of the $150 billion that's in a clean energy program that doesn't include -- that's not included in this final bill and looking to put it in other areas.

Now, one of the striking things in this town hall was just how explicit the president was in laying out who is for what and where he's finding these snags. Listen to what he said first on that paid leave issue.

[06:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: How much time off would parents actually get under your proposal, because at one point, you talked about 12 weeks, now there's reports sits down, said maybe 4 weeks.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes, it is down to 4 weeks. And the reason it's down to 4 weeks, they can't get 12 weeks.

COOPER: One of the other things that Democrats were looking to do is to expand Medicare to include dental vision and hearing as well. Given all the negotiations that are going on, will all three of those still be covered?

BIDEN: That's a reach. Mr. Manchin and one other person has indicated they will not support free community college.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: Now Democrats had set in formal deadline for yesterday on some kind of framework on this bill yesterday, came and went without that framework. There are some harder deadlines coming up next week. There's the Virginia governor's race, that's in two weeks, but coming up most imminently is the president's departure for Europe on Thursday. The president has told Democrats in private, that if he shows up to these meetings, the G20 and the climate summit in Scotland empty-handed, it will be a ding on the America's prestige abroad.

NOBLES: All right, Kevin Liptak, also that surface transportation funding also set to run out next week, so a number of deadlines. Kevin Liptak, thank you so much for that update.

PAUL: So, let's talk all things politics with CNN political commentator Errol Louis who so graciously wakes up very early in the morning to talk to us. Errol, it's good to see you. Let's kind of jump off where Kevin was talking about, what is in front of the president right now. And one of the things we've heard a lot about, we really can't talk about this agenda without mentioning Senator Kyrsten Sinema of course. She's a 45-year-old first term senator, I want to point out.

Representative Ro Khanna of California said about her yesterday, literally, he said this, quote, "literally, one senator is holding up the will of the entire Democratic Party now." President Biden has referred to her as quote, "smart as the devil". But in Thursday's town hall, he did reveal that she's not going to raise a single penny of taxes on corporations or on the wealthy, and that's part of what is happening here. Democrats are talking about it publicly, Errol, are they talking to her privately?

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: They are, indeed, Christi, and good morning. The reality is, Kyrsten Sinema, the senator has some local problems that are starting to emerge. It's one thing of Ro Khanna says something about you, it's one thing if people are chasing you even into the ladies room in Washington D.C. It's quite another win, a group like the AARP of Arizona says, hey, we can't even get a meeting with our own senator to talk about the vision and dental and prescription drugs when it comes to senior citizens. That starts to get into a political zone where I think even Senator Sinema is going to have to maybe change her tactics a little bit.

She's under enormous pressure from all sides -- again, from the outside, from the national level. She's in discussion with the White House and with the president personally. But there are some local factors and there's talk about challenging her in a primary. I mean, that's how upset people are about her ability at this point to stop an entire presidential agenda which doesn't just come from the White House, but has been building for decades now within the Democratic base.

PAUL: All right, I want to talk about voting rights, and a scenario that is getting a little bit of traction now, still kind of flying under the radar though at the end of the day. Alyssa Farah, she's a former Trump White House communications director, says there is a concerted effort by Trump world, as she refers to it, to try to get loyalists in secretary of state positions in states such as Texas, such as Georgia, so they will have a better avenue to basically block elections or to, you know, change the outcome of elections. Here is what she said along with Joe Walsh, former Republican presidential candidate yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE WALSH, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is what we all should be focused on. In every state, they're trying to rig how and who, who counts the vote, how it's counted and whether it's certified or not. This is scary. It's a party, Brianna, that is anti-democracy, period.

ALYSSA FARAH, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Well, and I would say this, you wouldn't need to do this if you thought you were running a winning presidential candidate. And this gets back to the broader point of Donald Trump lost. He could not get enough people to support him, 74 million people versus Biden's 81 million people. Why don't we just run a Republican presidential candidate who can actually get elected and actually win. So, we're not having to set up these faux challenges all over the country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[06:35:00]

PAUL: Is infrastructure overshadowing this, is there something we should be paying more attention to as they said, because at the end of the day, this does come down to voting rights, and everybody, regardless of what side you sit on, wants to go to the polls and know, listen, the vote, the box I just checked is going to be counted.

LOUIS: Yes, it is certainly something to be concerned about. And I think the right way to handle it is what we're doing this morning, Christi, which is to talk about it, to alert people because this plays out almost exclusively at the local level to a certain extent at the state level. But you know, there are -- you know, 3,000, 5,000 local county organizations and individuals that have to be sorted out, and the different rules are in a possibly complicated mess. You know, you are not going to figure this out from Washington or from New York. What we have to do is alert people that they should keep an eye on it.

This has been, you know, a very strained and stressful year starting with the murderous attack on January 6 earlier this year, we're not out of the woods yet, we have to look and see and make sure that people understand that there is a concerted attempt to distort and to a certain extent destroy our democracy as we've known it. Admirably, I think our institutions have held up, the courts held up, the military did what it was supposed to do, voters and the general public have come out. Congress is trying to do its job as long as we all adhere to what we know works for democracy, these kind of efforts to maybe cede some local election bureaus with people who are not loyal to the constitution, and who want to destroy and distort our democracy.

They'll be -- they'll be detected, they'll be deterred and ultimately they'll be defeated. I mean, and this is how we do it, it takes all of us, it's an ugly kind of a process, but it's an ugly attempt to try and turn losers into winners. And make no mistake, that's what this is about.

PAUL: Errol Louis, always appreciate your insights, sir, thank you for being here.

LOUIS: Thank you.

PAUL: Of course. And we're learning more by the way about what exactly happened on the New Mexico movie set after a deadly prop gun accident involving actor Alec Baldwin. What kind of legal ramifications could there be here? We have more on that ahead, stay close.

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[06:40:00]

PAUL: Forty one minutes past the hour. We have some new details for you this morning regarding the investigation of that tragic death of a cinematographer on the set of Alec Baldwin's latest movie. According to the "Los Angeles Times" and other media outlets, several members of the film's crew quit before that shooting happened. And that was in part, they say because they were concerned that gun safety procedures were not being followed. Criminal defense attorney and CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson with us now. Joey, good morning to you.

I want to ask you about this specifically, and before we get to it, I do want to say, "Rust" movie productions LLC has released a statement saying this, "though we were not made aware of any official complaints concerning weapons or prop safety on set, we will be conducting an internal review of our procedures whiles production is shut down, continuing to cooperate", they say, "to Santa Fe authorities in their investigation. They're also offering mental health services to the cast and the crew." How does the action from these crew members shape the case? Does it amplify charges or lay them out potential?

JOEY JACKSON, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes, you know -- yes, Christi, great question, good morning to you, good to be with you. You know, I don't see charges emanating from this. I see other things happening. Of course, authorities there will investigate as they have to determine what if anything may have happened of a criminal variety. I think the second thing is, is to that statement, there will be that internal review with regard to the production company. And I think quite frankly, the industry will take a look at itself and what it does in relation to making movies and I think maybe a fourth step, I think you may see some legislative efforts or at least legislative evaluation. But all that it really does with respect to the movie crew having left is that it informs us as to how this company conducted business. Now, that may lead to some civil type of liability with regard to, you know, what had happened here, and whether or not, you know, monetarily, the company may be on a hook. But I just don't see it rising particularly for Alec Baldwin at this point to any level of a crime.

I mean, we all, Christi, rely upon others with respect to what we do every day, right? We operate as a team and we work in any type of environment. And I expect that if somebody does something that rely reasonably upon what they do, I think that's what he did here, and I'm sure feels miserable as a result.

PAUL: Yes, it is just -- it's sad all the way around. I want to ask you about Brian Laundrie now that a body has been found, determined to be him. A forensic pathologist told Wolf Blitzer late yesterday that something stood out to her about this, that she said normal protocol at crime scenes don't allow for families or other people to be in attendance. What do you make about the fact that they were present at the crime scene and are they vulnerable as far as you can tell to this point to any potential legal action?

[06:45:00]

JACKSON: So, Christi, I think that, that is an open question at this point. And I think the police and authorities will do as they have, which is really to vet everything about the parents what they knew, when they knew it? Were there any misrepresentations? Did they in fact give Brian Laundrie a head-start initially? Did they assist him or aid him in anyway? What the understanding that he was evading authorities. So, we'll see how that pans out. On the issue of them being at the crime scene, I mean, you know, it really is quite curious that you have the preeminent law enforcement agency in the world.

The FBI, technology, resources, manpower, they can't find anything but the family does. And I think that will be closely evaluated also with regard to whether that was planted or anything else. It is really curious and I think everyone is really skeptical of that because everyone out there searching, but the parents are the ones that find the belongings. It could be problematic and we'll see whether or not as the investigation continues, they have any exposure criminally or otherwise.

PAUL: All right, Joey Jackson, we're always so grateful for you and your expertise. Thank you, sir.

JACKSON: Thank you, Christi.

NOBLES: And for the third time in five years, the Houston Astros will return to the World Series after pushing out the Red Sox last night. Who will they play? The matchup could be decided tonight. But first, this year marks the 15th anniversary of CNN's Heroes, and we're checking in with many of our past honorees. Razia Jan was recognized as a top 10 CNN Hero in 2012 for courageously educating girls in her native Afghanistan. Now, with the Taliban in control, her life's work is at risk. CNN's Anderson Cooper has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAZIA JAN, FOUNDER, RAZIA'S RAY OF HOPE FOUNDATION: Which country in the world would fall in 11 days. It took 20 years for a woman to stand and be recognized and to see that it was awful.

COOPER: Under the Taliban's all male government, women have already lost ground. While they're still permitted at some universities and segregated classes, girls cannot attend secondary schools until so- called security concerns are resolved.

JAN: Eight, nine --

COOPER: Yes, girls grade 6 and younger are still in school for now. Razia says she's determined to build on that.

JAN: I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see these girls in the court yard playing, and also in a classroom and trying to learn. It's just amazing. I have a great support of the community, and the girls, they want to learn. That gives me hope. Maybe it won't be the same, but we can do something to educate these girls because I'm not going to give in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES: And to find out more about Razia, go to cnnheroes.com.

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[06:50:00]

NOBLES: The Houston Astros are headed to the World Series for the third time in the last five years.

PAUL: Yes, Carolyn Manno has this morning's "BLEACHER REPORT", good morning, Carolyn.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you both. You know, a few days ago, the Astros were in big trouble, down two games to one against the Red Sox, but this group has managed to block out the noise, and there has been plenty of that for Houston. Rookie pitcher Luis Garcia clamping down on Boston's hitters in game six last night. It took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, the Astros were just as dominant at the plate.

Yordan Alvarez going four for four, ending up just a home run shy of hitting four this cycle. The 24-year-old slugger's performance earning him ALCS MVP honors. Kyle Tucker's three-run shot in the bottom of the eighth put the game firmly out of reach. The Astros shut out Boston 5- 0. Manager Dusty Baker returning to the World Series nearly 20 years after taking the 2002 Giants. So, the Braves can advance to the Fall class with a win against the Dodgers tonight to meet them there after dropping to the last three. Atlanta has a pair of games at home now to try to stave off L.A. game six set for just after 8:00 Eastern on our sister channel "TBS", so tune in for that.

Meantime, this week's difference maker is seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, the sports first and only black world champion telling our Coy Wire that he's focused on creating diversity within his industry, but also beyond it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: You were always the smallest one growing up, bullied in school at times. How did you persevere through those moments.

LEWIS HAMILTON, FORMULA 1 DRIVER: When I was in the racing track and parents would say that you're not good enough or you know, parents would shout weird names at my dad or at me, particularly kids would do that. And so I would go out there and just beat them. And it's a good feeling when you do that, because that's -- you hit them where it hurts, you know.

WIRE: Incredible champion on the track, but also off of it. Champion for change.

HAMILTON: Thank you.

WIRE: What is the mission off Mission 44?

HAMILTON: The mission of Mission 44 is create change, to create opportunities for under privileged kids, create more diversity within my industry.

[06:55:00]

Only 1 percent of the 40,000 people in the industry in the U.K. alone are from black backgrounds. Got to change the pipeline, got to create -- get more eyes, get more encouragement for these young kids to get into stem subjects. So, they realize that there are so many great avenues that engineering can lead to. I was a part of a system that failed me in school. Like the young Afro-Caribbean kids in the U.K., two and a half times more likely to be expelled. And I was one of those. And it was actually for something that I never actually did. But the headmaster was --

WIRE: You got blamed?

HAMILTON: Yes. And so there were lots of kids out there, and so we're working on trying to put in place a system that protects those that are at risk and takes care of those that do experience it. Even here in the states --

WIRE: Yes, absolutely --

HAMILTON: You know, even if you look at just my industry within the states, it's -- you're seeing what Bubba is doing, and I don't even know if he knows how great he is in being -- but when you're the only one of color in a room or in an industry, you notice it and you wonder why?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: Hamilton and NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace both making an impact off the track in the fight for racial equality. Hamilton races tomorrow in Austin, Texas, at the U.S. Grand Prix, I know a lot of Formula 1 fans excited for that.

NOBLES: All right, Carolyn, thank you so much and we'll be right back.

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