Return to Transcripts main page

New Day Saturday

DOJ Took 11 Sets Of Classified Documents For Mar-a-Lago; Dem's Economic Bill Heads To Biden's Desk For Signing After House Passage; Witnesses Recount Being Shown Photos of Crash Victims; Restaurants Struggling with High Inflation, Supply Chain Woes. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired August 13, 2022 - 06:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:00:27]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Buenos dias. Good morning, and welcome to your New Day. I'm Boris Sanchez.

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Amara Walker. New details on that FBI search of former President Trump's home. What we're learning from the now unsealed warrant including what was removed from Trump's home and the potential crimes being investigated.

SANCHEZ: Plus, a big victory for President Biden as Congress passes his $750 billion health care and climate bill. The immediate impact you're going to feel when Biden signs up next week.

WALKER: And author Salman Rushdie attacked on stage and airlifted to the hospital. What we know about his condition this morning.

SANCHEZ: And disturbing new testimony in Vanessa Bryant's lawsuit against L.A. County. Allegations that gruesome photos of Kobe Bryant's body were shared at a cocktail party. New Day starts right now.

SANCHEZ: We are thrilled that you're starting your weekend with us. It's Saturday, August 13th. Good morning, Amara.

WALKER: Good morning. I'm thrilled to see you. It feels like it's been a while. How you been?

SANCHEZ: Yes, it has. I've been good. I've been good, you know, no complaints. We begin this morning with details on what led the FBI to execute this unprecedented search warrant on former President Trump's home. According to court documents unsealed Friday, investigators removed 11 sets of classified documents from Mar-a-Lago, including some material that was marked as "top secret SCI". That stands for Sensitive Compartmented Information. It's one of the highest levels of government classification. Those documents are only supposed to be viewed at a secure government location.

WALKER: Yes, the unsealed search warrant also identifies three potential crimes, potential being the key word here, that Justice Department is investigating. Violations of the Espionage Act, obstruction of justice and criminal handling of government records. We should note that no charges have been filed so far in the investigation.

And in addition to those classified documents, FBI agents removed more than 20 boxes and materials from Mar-a-Lago as well as binders of photos and at least one handwritten note. CNN Senior Crime and Justice Reporter Katelyn Polantz with more.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: On Friday, a federal court in Florida really seven pages of documents that represent that unprecedented search and seizure that took place at Mar-a-Lago, the home of President -- former President Donald Trump in South Florida. So what we learned from these records is that there were 33 different boxes or items carried out of Mar-a-Lago that become evidence in this ongoing criminal probe into the handling of federal records. That includes a leather-bound box of documents with various classified top secret, Specialized Compartmented Information.

So that's a label in the classification system, the highest type of secrecy level that you can have in the federal government, TS/SCI. There also are secret documents, top secret documents, confidential documents, all taken out of Mar-a-Lago by the FBI when they conducted that search.

We also know from these documents that were released that there are three different criminal statutes that are being investigated here, that investigators believe there would be evidence of these crimes that they would find if they conducted this search if and when they conducted the search. That includes the Espionage Act, the mishandling of records pertaining to the national defense. So the type of forms, documents, papers that could be very harmful to the United States if they got into the wrong hands.

Also, there is the obstruction of federal investigations, obstruction of justice that is being investigated, a very serious felony. There is also a criminal statute over records, maintenance of records, the concealment of records that prohibits removing them or hurting them in some way, destroying them. All of this is being investigated.

No one at this point has been charged in this and the documents didn't identify who is even under investigation here. But there is a clear statement being made by the search, by these documents of the search warrant that is showing that there was a search for presidential records and also national defense secrets being conducted at Mar-a- Lago on Monday and that search was fruitful.

At the end of the day, we did get a statement from Donald Trump saying that all they had to do was ask, all the Feds needed to do was ask for this and we would have returned it to them.

[06:05:10]

But that clearly has not been the case given that in the history of this investigation. So far, we know that the National Archives was asking for the return of these. They had been subpoenaed. And then finally, it prompted the search that took place on Monday. Katelyn Polantz, CNN, Washington.

WALKER: Katelyn, thank you for that. And in the wake of the Mar-a-Lago search Monday, FBI Director Christopher Wray says his department is remaining vigilant due to growing security concerns. According to law enforcement sources, the FBI is investigating an unprecedented number of threats against Bureau property and personnel, including agents with direct involvement in the Mar-a-Lago search.

Just yesterday, the names of the two agents who signed the search warrant paperwork, were circulating online in an apparent leak prior to the official unsealing which redacted those names, which means that they were crossed out. Still, the FBI has not commented on any specific threats against Bureau employees.

SANCHEZ: Let's dig deeper on this story now with CNN Political Analyst and Historian Julian Seltzer, and former Federal Prosecutor Michael Zeldin. Gentlemen, thanks for being with us this early Saturday morning. Michael, first to you, three different federal crimes that DOJ is looking at, help us understand exactly what they entail and what legal consequences Trump could face.

MICHAEL ZELDIN, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Sure. there are three statutes, each of which involve in some way, concealing, altering, or destroying documents. And one of them involves doing so in an effort to obstruct an investigation, other one is sort of mishandling that is, you have it, you know it, and you were grossly negligent in your handling, and you've failed to notify the government that you had it. And the other one is a straight concealment.

Each of the statutes carries its own prison term. One is three years, one is 10 years, and one is 20 years. One of them also carries a disqualification from holding future office, if convicted. In addition to those three statutes, as Katelyn indicated, they also had an authority to seize evidence that were -- that was acquired as presidential records. So the Presidential Records Retention Act also was deemed to have been possibly violated, and that they were authorized to receive the evidence pursuant to that as well.

SANCHEZ: Julian, I want to ask you about the political implications of that. But I wanted to dig deeper with Michael for just a moment because of the potential violation of the Espionage Act. That's a wide-ranging statute, right? That doesn't necessarily mean this investigation is about spying.

ZELDIN: Correct. It's a broad statute with a lot of different aspects of it. In this aspect, it's really the mishandling, the alteration, the concealment of documents as to which the President -- the former President did not have an entitlement to retain. It's interesting to note that in this warrant, it says that the warrant is signed on August the 5th, and that the execution of the warrant will be on August the 19th. And that the notice of the search is not to be made for fear that the documents may be tampered with, or handled, you know, improperly by the possessor of them, Trump.

So at the very outset of the issuance of this war, they were concerned that possible concealment or destruction. And so, it really speaks to a concern that they had, that the President really was not cooperating, and that he was obstructing their inquiry, and that his notion that if they had only asked, I would have given them, is fanciful.

SANCHEZ: Julian, I want to get your perspective on something Michael mentioned, and that is that a conviction on one of these counts could bar the former president from running for office again, and that is something that his supporters have said, is the cause of all of these. They're pointing at that and saying Democrats just don't want him to run again. The DOJ is being politicized. What do you make of that argument?

JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: There's no evidence to support it. It's a predictable argument. Every time the former president has been under investigation, he and his supporters tried to turn the investigation to their advantage. They attack the investigators. They argue that there's political motivation.

But as Michael went through what we know, there's a lot of basis for what the FBI is searching for. So politically, the question is what happens to the former president in terms of the law?

[06:10:01]

What happens to the former president in terms of how Republicans think of him as a candidate in 2024? And, ultimately, is there a way that Republicans somehow capitalize on this, once again, painting the former president, as someone who's under siege, who the establishment is out to get, as opposed to someone who's in pretty serious legal jeopardy.

SANCHEZ: And the former president is fundraising off of what you just outlined, making the case that he's only being persecuted because the Democrats want to keep his base, you know, under wraps or suppressed, it's the victimization thing. How well do you think that works among Trump supporters?

ZELIZER: That's worked very well in the past. This is not just been one line of argument that we've heard from Trump. It's actually been pretty central. You can go back to 2016, when he won the election, and still argued that it was rigged against him. And so, this has been an argument a lot of his supporters find very appealing.

He's very effective at spreading this kind of message. He's quick. He even can turn this into a fundraising opportunity right away. And many of his supporters see him not as a former president, but as someone who is constantly under siege. That said, you know, the severity of some of the potential charges that Michael has outlined, might make this different. And secondly, the institutions are pushing back.

Attorney General Garland usually very quiet reluctant to step out front has responded pretty quickly to what the former president was charging and is trying to counteract that line of argument as the National Archives is done with accusations that the former president made about Obama. SANCHEZ: And Michael, the former president has come out and said that he declassified these documents, that they shouldn't be considered sensitive because he was able to make them public and therefore, they lose that sensitivity. How does that actually work? Let's say he's being honest about that. Does that bar him from legal liability?

ZELDIN: No. So it's complicated. He has wild president, the authority to declassify documents. He really can wave a wand and declassified most things, not stuff related to atomic energy or nuclear authorities that he cannot do unilaterally. But mostly, he has the authority to declassify things unilaterally.

Normally, there's a process and there's an office that keeps track of that stuff. But technically speaking, he can waive this one. Of course, once he leaves the office, and he's no longer president, the next president can reclassify with the same swoop of a wand. So that's why they have processes to make sure we know what's classified and how they should be handled.

But it's important to know too, that these statutes that we've been talking about, do not rest on the requirement that the documents be classified. It's just that they are documents that are in your possession that have an interest either in national security or otherwise, the historians like Julian who want to see them. So this classification, declassification argument is a bit of a red herring, because the statutes don't require that the documents be classified for a person to violate the statutes.

SANCHEZ: Gentlemen, Michael Zeldin, Julian Zelizer, we have to leave the conversation there. Appreciate your time, as always.

ZELDIN: Thank you.

WALKER: Fascinating conversation. Thanks for that.

Well, the Democrats major economic health care and climate bill is headed to President Biden's desk for his signature after Congress passed it along party lines yesterday. The $750 billion package represents the largest climate investment in U.S. history, makes big changes to health policy and reduces the federal deficit.

CNN Congressional Reporter Daniella Diaz joining us now. Good morning, Daniella. So how significant is this moment for Democrats? And I guess more importantly, will it have an impact?

DANIELLA DIAZ, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Amara, we cannot understate how significant this is for President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party. They've been working toward this since President Joe Biden entered the White House. This has been what they wanted a social safety net package that had health care provisions, climate provisions, and yesterday the House was able to pass that along party lines.

Now, Amara, what is in this bill? Well, it would reduce the deficit and be paid for by new taxes, including a 15 percent minimum tax on large corporations and a 1 percent tax on stock buybacks. It would also boost the Internal Revenue Service's ability to collect taxes and it also has health care provisions such as giving Medicare the power to negotiate for prescription, certain prescription drugs. And it also extends Affordable Care Act subsidies.

[06:15:15]

And probably most notable, Amara, is that it would be the largest climate investment in U.S. history. And analysis says that it would reduce U.S. carbon emissions by up to 40 percent by 2030. Very, very notable, Amara, that the Democratic Party was able to pass this along party lines.

Now, they had every single Democratic House member support this bill and every Republican voted against it, same in the Senate when it passed last weekend. President -- or excuse me, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi really celebrated this when she was a -- had a ceremony yesterday, an enrollment ceremony for this legislation. Take a listen to what she said about this bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: This is like historic because every member in the House and every member in the Senate, Democratic member in the House, Democratic member in the Senate, voted for this legislation. To lower prescription drug costs, to lower health care costs, to reduce the deficit and pay for it, to lower inflation, to save the planet. And every single Republican in the House and in the Senate, voted against it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ: Amara, we're really going to hear the next couple of weeks. The next couple of months ahead of the 2022 midterms, Democrats taking a victory lap on this. They, of course, want to campaign, convince voters they can continue to do this if they can keep their majorities in the House and in the Senate. And they really consider this probably the biggest victory of the Biden administration. Amara?

WALKER: And the Democrats running for reelection, quite relieved that they can point to something tangible during the midterms. Thank you so much, Daniella Diaz.

SANCHEZ: Still ahead, the shocking stabbing of an acclaimed author targeted for more than 30 years. Salman Rushdie is on a ventilator after undergoing hours of surgery. The latest on his condition and what we know about the suspect.

Plus, water samples in New York revealing the polio virus may be circulating in the nation's most populous city. Why health officials fear it could be more widespread than previously thought.

And Kobe Bryant's widow walking out of the courtroom after disturbing testimony from witnesses about crash scene photos allegedly circulated by law enforcement. The latest on that trial when New Day returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [06:21:47]

WALKER: Renowned author Salman Rushdie is on a ventilator and unable to speak after being stabbed onstage during an event in New York yesterday.

SANCHEZ: The author's agent telling the New York Times the news is not good. Salman will likely lose one eye. The nerves in his arm were severed. His liver was damaged and stabbed. CNN's Shimon Prokupecz has the very latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Famed author Salman Rushdie was scheduled to speak at a lecture series at the Chautauqua Institution, when witnesses say a man jumped onto the stage just as the event was getting underway and began punching and stabbing Rushdie. One witness tells CNN she counted roughly seven to 10 stabbing motions before fleeing for her own safety.

Rushdie suffered stab wounds to the neck and abdomen according to New York State Police. And was airlifted to an area hospital.

GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D), NEW YORK: It was a state police officer who stood up and saved his life, protected him as well as the monitor -- the moderator who was attacked as well.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): The suspect was quickly taken into custody. New York State Police identified him as 24-year-old Hadi Matar.

JOYCE LUSSIER, WITNESS TO ATTACK: There was a lot of screaming and crying in that scene. People were rushing from the audience up on the stage.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): The 75-year-old author was born in Mumbai and later moved to the U.K. Rushdie is accustomed to living under threat. His controversial fourth novel, "The Satanic Verses," published in 1988, sparked public demonstrations all over the world. Some Muslims consider the book sacrilegious.

In 1989, the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa of religious decree on Rushdie calling for his death. Rushdie lived under British protection for nearly 10 years before the Iranian government announced it would no longer enforce the fatwa. Rushdie wrote a memoir about that era of his life called Joseph Anton, the name he used while in hiding. He has been outspoken over the years about living through that time.

SALMAN RUSHDIE, AUTHOR, "THE SATANIC VERSES": Best way that I can -- what I can do to fight this is to show that, you know, in the way that a child shows a bully in the playground, I ain't scared of you. And the best thing I can do is to go on being the best writer I can be and to lead as open a professional and personal life as I can. And that's it's just a way of saying that there may be this danger and it's a terrible thing and it's an ugly thing and we need to fight it and we need to defeat it. But we don't have to hide under the bed. (END VIDEOTAPE)

PROKUPECZ: And the FBI is now part of this investigation as investigators try to figure out motive here, learn more about the suspect in this. Also the suspect left behind some electronics, investigators say, any backpack that they were trying to get access to. They were waiting for a search warrant.

But ultimately, what investigators here now are trying to figure out is exactly what the motivation was, who this individual is, and was this part of some bigger plot to kill him. Boris, Amara?

[06:25:07]

WALKER: Shimon, thank you.

New York City officials, health officials say polio is likely spreading in the city after finding samples of the virus in the wastewater. The discovery comes after one person in upstate New York was recently diagnosed with polio, a case the CDC is calling just the very, very tip of the iceberg.

SANCHEZ: Keep in mind, 90 percent of people who contract polio exhibit no symptoms, but the virus can cause meningitis and that then leads to paralysis. New York's mayor is urging unvaccinated residents to get the polio shot saying his city is facing a trio of dangerous diseases.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS (D), NEW YORK: We are dealing with a trifecta. COVID is still very much here. Polio, we have identified polio in our sewage. And we're still dealing with the monkeypox crisis. We're coordinating and we are addressing the threats as they come before us and we're prepared to deal with them and with the assistance of Washington, D.C.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Mayor Adams has mentioned the monkeypox issue and the outbreak in New York City and other cities is forcing federal officials to authorize a plan that's intended to stretch vaccine supply. This would allow healthcare workers to use a lower dose of the vaccine that's administered in a different way.

WALKER: Yes, but that strategy is causing concern with the vaccines manufacturer. CNN's Jacqueline Howard breaks this down for us.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Boris and Amara, first, here's a breakdown of the nation's monkeypox vaccine strategy. The FDA has authorized administering the monkeypox vaccine using a technique called an intradermal injection. Now, some vaccines can be administered into the muscle and that's called an intramuscular injection, or they can be administered into the fatty layer below the skin. That's called a subcutaneous injection. And that's the way the monkeypox vaccine has been injected during this outbreak. But with the new FDA authorization, the vaccine now also can be administered in between the skin layers or intradermally. And intradermal injections can involve smaller doses than what's used with subcutaneous or intramuscular injections. So with the monkey pox vaccine, the FDA says a fifth of a dose can be administered intradermally. And it sees that as a way to stretch the nation's vaccine supply.

But there are some concerns about this, especially since intradermal injections require special technique and care. Here's how New York City's Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan describes it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ASHWIN VASAN, COMMISSIONER, NYC DEPT. OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE: It requires real thoughtfulness with respect to the technical issues around it, the safety issues around it, the feasibility, the training and staffing needed to dose, the vaccine reliably, the storage conditions, all the supply chain management issues around it. So those are all real things, which we're wrestling with as we speak and trying to figure out the best way to potentially roll this out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD: Dr. Vasan was speaking with the Washington Post in that clip and we heard him say that New York is really wrestling with this. But in the meantime, on the federal level, the FDA stands by this strategy as a way to make the most of the nation's vaccine supply at this time. Amara, Boris, back to you.

WALKER: All right, thanks so much, Jacqueline.

Coming up, disturbing and emotional testimony as witnesses take the stand and recount being shown gruesome photos of that helicopter crash that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter and seven others. We're going to have the latest on the trial next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[6:33:06]

SANCHEZ: There was really emotional testimony this week and Vanessa Bryant's lawsuit against Los Angeles County. At one point the wife of NBA legend Kobe Bryant walked out of court in tears. While witnesses were recounting being shown photos of her husband's corpse.

WALKER: Bryant is suing L.A. County for damages for emotional distress and mental anguish claiming photos taken at the scene of the fatal helicopter crash that killed her husband, her daughter and seven others were inappropriately shared including at an awards gala and a bar. CNN's Natasha Chen with the latest from the trial.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Boris and Amara on Friday the jury heard from one of the whistleblowers and one of the deputies accused of taking and sharing unauthorized close ups of crash victims including Kobe and Gianna Bryant on January 26, 2020. We'd previously heard from a whistleblower who saw a deputy sharing these grisly photos at a bar, but on Friday, we heard whistleblower Luella Weireter explain how a Los Angeles County firefighter was showing photos of human remains from the crash at an awards gala.

Weireter wired or happens to be the cousin of one of the victims in the crash. So she was particularly emotional and recounting how the group of people were huddled around the phone looking at the alleged gruesome photos. She said one of the firefighters eventually walked away from the huddle jokingly saying I can't believe I just looked at Kobe's burnt up body and now I'm about to eat.

As Weireter cried on the stand. Vanessa Bryant was also visibly emotional. I saw her with her head in her hands rocking slightly forward and back trying to hide her face as she cried. She was not in the room at all for afternoon testimony of Doug Johnson, one of the first sheriff's deputies to have climbed the treacherous hillside to reach the crash theme. He says he took about 25 site photos at the request of another deputy to share with command staff 1200 feet below so they could form a strategic response. He said about a third of his photos were of human remains and he remembers taking pictures of body parts, people missing a head, missing arms or legs, organs lying in the open.

[06:35:12]

He said he had texted these to the deputy who requested them, and also airdrop them to a firefighter that to this day has still not been identified. So the county's argument that the photos are contained is disputed by Vanessa Bryan's team who argues there could be more photos out there that we don't know of. Still, Deputy Johnson said that he was unaware of any policy that would have prevented him from taking these photos and sharing them with other first responders. He said, "I know I didn't do anything wrong." He said he doesn't regret his actions that day. Boris and Amara, back to you.

WALKER: Just so many disturbing elements. Natasha, thank you.

So let's discuss this trial with CNN Legal Analyst and Criminal Defense Attorney Joey Jackson. Joey, it's always great to see you. So Joey, Vanessa, Bryan is suing for damages for emotional distress and mental anguish and listen as a human being, I can't imagine anyone disagreeing that this mother and wife has endured even more anguish on top of what she has been dealing with knowing that these graphic photos were passed around at a bar in one instance, what do you make of the testimony so far?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yeah, Amara good morning to you. Certainly compelling, certainly emotional and certainly disturbing. And I'm really surprised that the matter did move forward to trial prior to the trial, even beginning a judge had set the case down for mediation. Mediation is a forum where in both parties indicate what their differences are in an effort to bridge the gap and resolve the case, the county taking the matter to trial, under the theory that listen, you know, what were being sued over instances where the file, these photos have not been widely disseminated. We've taken efforts in order to stop anything that, you know, really occurred in terms of distribution on the internet. And why are we here. That's perplexing to me.

And as much as to your point earlier, you know, who can imagine an instance like this, where remains are taken, and then they're talked about in cocktail party, you know, cocktail parties in front of a bartender, et cetera in such a callous way when they shouldn't have been -- an issue came up when they should have been taken in the first instance. And certainly whether they should be distributed in this fashion.

So I make of it -- what I make of it is, you know, I think it could have been resolved in a way that would protect the, you know, integrity of Vanessa Bryan and her family in addition to the others who died. And it really is surprising that they move forward to a jury trial in this instance, it has to decide this.

WALKER: Yeah, just awful that she has to sit there and listen to just the graphic and gruesome details of you know, what was in those photos. Natasha Chen, in her report mentioned, the LA County Sheriff's deputy Doug Johnson, and how, you know, he said that he was instructed to take these photos. And this was about forming a response since you know, this crash happened on the steep hillside. But he also airdropped photos to a firefighter. Could any of these firefighters or law enforcement deputies be held individually liable in such a civil case?

JACKSON: Well, here's what's happening here. The first thing relating to your question about Mr. Johnson, Officer Johnson, there were issues with respect to whether he was directed at all in fact, he was confronted on the cross examination, that, in essence, he should not have taken the photos, he was not instructed to take him take the photos. And in fact, it wasn't 25 it was 100. Now, it's not of course, a surprise that there will be inconsistencies raised in any trial. So that's the first instance.

The second issue with respect to your question about airdropping an individual liability. Should he have then taken those steps? Number one, should steps have been taken to contain the photos he took? Number two, was an airdrop appropriate? Number three, should they have been sent to these firefighters? Number four, and with regard to the individual liability, did they disseminate them at all? It seems that this trial is about the actions of the employees of the county, that the people who acted within the scope of the employment of the county act in a responsible way? And did the county take appropriate and enough steps right and really in having this or having any policy regarding this in the first place? So there's a lot really to unpack, but at the end of the day, I think it falls upon the county to answer and respond to what their employees did or did not do that was appropriate, lawful and really responsible.

WALKER: Yeah. Was it appropriate? Was irrelevant to the investigation. Lots of questions to answer there. Joey Jackson, always great to have you. I appreciate it. Thanks.

SANCHEZ: Still heard, Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman returning to the campaign trail for the first time since having a stroke. We'll tell you what he said and how he plans the rest of the race.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:44:28]

SANCHEZ: The Pennsylvania Democrat running for the Senate is back on the campaign trail three months after suffering a stroke.

WALKER: John Fetterman is running against Republican nominee and former TV host Mehmet Oz in a Senate race to succeed retiring GOP senator Pat Toomey. CNN's Eva McKend was at last night's event that marked Fettermans' return to campaigning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Pennsylvania's Democratic candidate for Senate John Fetterman returned to the campaign trail Friday in Erie to a packed crowd just three months after suffering a stroke and though he hasn't been visible in the state for weeks it hasn't dulled his momentum at all. He thanked his supporters and his wife Gisele.

[06:45:12]

LT. GOV. JOHN FETTERMAN (D) PENNSYLVANIA SENATE CANDIDATE: Three months ago, my life could have ended. So truth but I'm so grateful to be here tonight as well.

I was on my way to another event, and Gisele so recognized that I'm having a stroke. And let me just tell me right now in front of everyone, Gisele saved my life.

MCKEND: Fetterman's returned to the campaign trail marks a significant development in this race between Fetterman and Trump endorsed Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz. Oz already inviting Fetterman to participate in five debates now something Fetterman often says is that he'll visit every county for every vote. That is something he reiterated on Friday. Boris, Amara?

SANCHEZ: Eva McKend, thank you so much for that. We have a quick programming note for you. It's been nearly one year since the United States withdrew from Afghanistan. And tomorrow morning, Fareed Zakaria is going to take a look back in a GPS Special. He's sitting down with the former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to ask him why he left the country during that turbulent time. The fall of Kabul one year later airs tomorrow at 10 a.m. right here on CNN.

WALKER: All right, coming up first, it was COVID, now it's high prices. Next, how inflation is hitting the restaurant industry hard as businesses across the country try to recover

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:50:58]

WALKER: More than two years after initial COVID lockdowns, forest restaurants closures across the country, the industry is still struggling to recover.

SANCHEZ: Yeah, restaurants that survived the worst of the pandemic are now facing high inflation and problems in the supply chain. Here's CNNs Karen Kaifa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAREN KAIFA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Opening the doors of Martin's Cocina Y Cantina in Inglewood, California last September felt like a victory for Christian Martin's family.

CHRISTIAN MARTIN, OWNER, MARTIN'S COCINA Y CANTINA: First was the COVID and then having to deal with all those obstacles and then you know having to still pay your rent still pay more still do all those things employees. And so you thought that was kind of the end of it. Like if you got out of that you're going to survive.

KAIFA: But even for a family who opened the first of their five restaurants during the Great Recession, Martin says the current challenges are unprecedented.

MARTIN: If you want to put attractive pricing out there. But it's challenging to do that when you turn around and you've seen the invoices come in.

KAIFA: Customer satisfying their pent up dining demand this summer face a new landscape. Maybe a longer wait time, maybe some menu items unavailable and probably a bigger tap.

JENN CROVATO, HEAD CHEF, 1310 KITCHEN & BAR: This is what we need to do to stay in business and stay afloat.

KAIFA: Jenn Crovato reopened 1310 Kitchen and Bar in Washington D.C. last summer after 13 months closed for COVID-19. Since then, supply issues and inflation have posed one big challenge.

CROVATO: I just take things off the menu, things that we haven't been able to get or can't get in. Sometimes I have to compromise on what we can get in.

KAIFA: It's like the pressures consumers feel in their own grocery shopping on a greater scale. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that in the last 12 months, grocery prices soared 13.1% everything from eggs to chicken to fruits and vegetables. Restaurant prices showed a 7.6% increase in the same period as owners try to keep diners coming in. Labor is another cost and challenge.

CROVATO: The cooks seem to be the hardest to find. Management seems to be the hardest to find the rates I'm paying back in the house starting $4 more an hour than initially than pre-pandemic times. I'm happy to pay them more. They deserve more. But it has to be reflected, you know, in our costs.

KAIFA: Overall inflation showed some easing last month and gas prices have also fallen off record highs. Still cautious consumers and high prices make a tough recipe for restaurants that have already weathered so much. In Washington. I'm Karen Kaifa.

SANCHEZ: Quarterback Deshaun Watson booed in his first game as a member of the Cleveland Browns it comes after his first public apology to dozens of women who accused him of sexual misconduct. Your sports update just minutes away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:58:25]

WALKER: For the first time Cleveland Brown counter back Deshaun Watson, apologized to the dozens of women who have accused him of sexual misconduct.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DESHAUN WATSON, CLEVELAND BROWNS QUARTERBACK: I want to say that I'm truly sorry to all the women that I've impacted in the situation. My decisions that I made in and my life that put me in this position. You know, I would definitely like to have that. But I want to continue to move forward and grow and learn and show that. You know I am a true person of character and I'm going to keep pushing forward.

WALKER, Last week, the NFL announced that it would appeal a six game suspension handed down by an independent judge for violating the league's personal conduct policy. Watson settled 23 of the civil cases against him and has denied any wrongdoing.

Pre-season games do not count towards suspension so Watson was back on the field last night for the first time since the 2020 season, he was greeted with booze and struggled in his debut completing just one of his five passes for seven yards and a 24 to 13 win over the Jaguars.

One of baseball's brightest young stars has been suspended 80 games after testing positive for a performance enhancing substance. Padres' shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. apologized they he accidentally took a medication to treat ringworm that contained the banned steroid. The 23 year old all-star has been -- had been out all season because of a wrist injury. He was expected to return to the team next week.

Meantime, there is no stopping Yankee slugger Aaron judge he hit his majorly Leading 46 Home run against the Red Sox last night, clearing the green monster an out of Fenway Park judge is on pace to hit 60s.