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New Day Saturday
Fiona Makes Landfall In Canada; Florida Braces For Possible Hurricane; Trump's Legal Troubles; Woman Detained For Wearing Scarf "Improperly" Died; Ukraine Civilians Endure Constant Shelling In Bakhmut. Aired 7-8a ET
Aired September 24, 2022 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[07:00:00]
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BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Buenos dias, and welcome to your NEW DAY. I'm Boris Sanchez.
AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, Boris. I'm Amara Walker. Right now, we are tracking two major storms: Fiona, hitting Canada's coast right now bringing with a dangerous wind, heavy rain, and a potential storm surge.
SANCHEZ: Plus, a bit further south. Preparations underway in Florida as Tropical Storm Ian strengthens in the Caribbean. Officials now warning residents they could get hit with a serious hurricane early next week. We've got your latest forecast.
WALKER: And a CNN exclusive: Former President Donald Trump wages a secret battle to prevent a federal grand jury from getting information from his inner circle. What the high stake's legal dispute can mean for Trump's legal troubles.
SANCHEZ: And the countdown is on. 45 days to go until midterms. House Republicans rallying around Kevin McCarthy as he lays out his blueprint for a political win. The latest on the GOP's midterm strategy next.
WALKER: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Saturday, September 24th. A little more than 30 days away from Halloween. I'm so excited, Boris. You know no idea.
SANCHEZ: And you have a costume picked out yet?
WALKER: I do. I'll be a Mirabel from "Encanto." Do you know "Encanto?"
SANCHEZ: Oh, yes, of course. My nephew and nieces love it. I still haven't picked out a costume, but I have a little bit of time.
WALKER: Yes, I think you do. I'm just getting a head start on it because I love that holiday.
SANCHEZ: I do too. We'll chat about that more probably during the breaks. But we've gotten no shortage of news this morning and no shortage of storms apparently either watching two major storms. First, Hurricane Fiona now a post tropical cyclone that's making landfall in Eastern Canada as we speak. And then, hurricane warnings are in place as damaging winds and heavy rain pound the region. In Nova Scotia, more than 300,000 customers are right now without power.
WALKER: And this drone video shows the storm's destructive force. You can see it churning the waves with heavy winds. This is in the Atlantic Ocean. Officials warning, Fiona could be Canada's Hurricane Sandy.
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BRIAN BUTTON, PORT AUX BASQUES MAYOR: We've kind of right up until about 11:30 p.m. last night. We were still making calls to residents just to try to give some heads up that you need to be up, you need to be watching what's going on, and you need to be ready to move at a moment's notice, if you don't already move right then.
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WALKER: Meanwhile, a state of emergency has been declared in Florida as Tropical Storm Ian gained strength in the Caribbean. Ian is expected to strengthen to hurricane status as it makes its way to Western Cuba by Monday afternoon.
SANCHEZ: And CNN's Allison Chinchar and Carlos Suarez join us now. Allison, starting with you, Tropical Storm Ian is getting stronger. What is it that you're seeing in the forecast right now in that part of the Caribbean Sea?
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's a good question. And the forecast calls for even more strengthening over the next several days, which is concerning for a lot of the island nations that are in the path of this particular storm. Right now, sustained winds are 45 miles per hour gusting up to 60. We have Tropical Storm watches in effect for Jamaica, but hurricane watch is in effect for the Cayman Islands.
And the reason for that is we anticipate that storm is going to move through very warm waters over the next two days allowing that storm to intensify up to a Category One strength by the time it crosses over the Cayman Islands. From there, further intensification is expected to take place up around a Category Two by the time it makes its way up towards Cuba. And then once it heads into the Gulf of Mexico, it is not out of the question this could turn into a major hurricane before making that right hand turn back towards Florida.
Now, at this point, everything from Apalachicola all the way down to Key West is in the cone, and it is fair game at this point for this particular storm. But there is some uncertainty with the models. The blue dot here, this is the European model, much faster making landfall in the early portion of the day Wednesday, in areas of South Florida, the American model that red dot a little bit slower, more likely on Thursday and more likely up around the Big Bend region of Florida.
So, again, you still got a little bit of some uncertainty there with both of those storms, part of that has to do with this upper level this trough here, that can determine exactly where that storm ultimately goes. But it's only one of two storms that we're keeping an eye on. We're also looking at post Tropical Storm Fiona's. Still sustained winds of 90 miles per hour, so don't let that post tropical name for you. This is still a very significant storm making its way through these areas.
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Look at some of these numbers coming in Beaver Island, 94 miles per hour. Sydney, Nova Scotia looking at 88 miles per hour. Even Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island topping out at 70 miles per hour and those could still get a little bit higher as we go through the next several hours. Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, still looking at that 80 to 90-mile per hour gusts range. Halifax up around 60 to 70. Then, the storm moves into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Amara and Boris, and begins to make its way up towards Quebec as well as Newfoundland and Labrador.
WALKER: I'm glad you said don't let that word post-tropical cyclone fool you because it doesn't mean that it's over with and that it has passed. Allison, thank you. Let's bring in Carlos Suarez now. And Carlos, we are seeing our first images of damage from Canada. What do we say?
CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Amara and Boris, good morning. We're getting our first look at some of the damage out on Prince Edward Island as what's left of Fiona made its way into that country again. As you guys said this morning, some 376,000 people are without power in Nova Scotia. That storm weakened to a Category Two after having really been a Category Four through much of its projection.
The forecasters in Canada said that they were expecting anywhere between six to eight feet storm surge and that they were also calling for two-months-worth of rain with the storm making its way across the eastern part of Canada. The shelters there, they opened earlier this week and the area there was really getting ready for the significant rainfall that was going to come with this storm.
Again, some of the damage that we're getting a look at from Prince Edward Island just shows some homes there without electricity. We looked at a, there's a gas station also that was pretty, that suffered some kind of damage. Fiona has not been the, has not only set its sights on Eastern Canada. As we know, it's already battered Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, as well as Turks and Caicos. In Puerto Rico, nearly two-thirds of the island is still without power at this hour, a week after the storm made landfall there.
Puerto Rico's governor has come under a great deal of criticism the last couple of days because of his overall optimism. He had been saying that he expected the power to get back on online relatively fast, and again, nearly 60 percent of the island is without power. The governor there says that they're trying to make a good amount of progress on that front, but things have been a lot slower than they expected. At least, five people have been, five people have died associated with the storm, as it makes its way into Eastern Canada. Amara and Boris.
SANCHEZ: A frustrating situation for the people of Puerto Rico. Carlos, let's talk Tropical Storm Ian. It's gaining strength expected to hit Florida potentially as a Category Three hurricane. As you, Amara, and I well know, Floridians usually yawn at Category Three storms. They don't get up off the couch unless it's like a Category Four or Five. Walk us through the preparations there.
SUAREZ: Yes, so officials down in Monroe County, which are the, the Florida Keys, right? So, we're talking about, you know, Islamorada Key West. They're going to be making a decision later this afternoon on whether or not to start any evacuations. The storm really is several days out. And so, officials their sense is that they still have a little bit of time. But as you mentioned, Boris, folks in South Florida, we're used to this kind of weather and so right now they're just waiting on word about just where the storm might ultimately end up going.
WALKER: But look, it's concerning because Allison mentioned, right? I mean, the waters are very warm. And obviously we know that's what fuels the strength of these hurricanes. Allison Chinchar and Carlos Suarez, thank you very much. So, CNN has learned details of a secret court battle being waged by Former President Donald Trump's attorneys. They are fighting to keep a federal grand jury from getting information from Trump's inner circle about his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
SANCHEZ: Three attorneys representing Donald Trump appeared at the D.C. federal courthouse on Thursday. This is apparently the most aggressive effort yet by Trump to assert executive and attorney client privileges. It's an attempt to keep some witnesses from providing information in criminal investigations of events surrounding January 6th.
And look, it's been a week of widening legal challenges for Donald Trump. So, let's discuss with Defense Attorney and Former Federal Prosecutor Shan Wu. Shan, always great to have you. I know it's bright and early. We appreciate you being with us. This new CNN reporting about the secret court battle over attorney-client privilege. Obviously, it's a secret court battle. We don't have all the details. But given what we've seen previously in this effort by the former president to exert these kinds of privileges, in this case, trying to keep aids from sharing information about efforts to overturn the 2020 election, what do you make of that?
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SHAN WU, DEFENSE ATTORNEY AND FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, I think Trump's legal team has a much more difficult battle here with the grand jury for a couple of reasons, Boris. First, the precedent that does exist dating back to the Nixon era, does speak about the fact that a criminal grand jury would tend to Trump, no pun intended, any of the executive privilege issues. The also important distinction for us all to remember is that the January 6th Committee did not fight very hard about executive privilege in vocations. One of the reasons for that is executive privilege is a privilege held
by the executive branch and is exactly meant to fend off these kinds of outside inquiries about confidential advice being given to the president. But this is, of course, an investigation, a criminal one, being conducted by the executive branch itself. And so, that's another weak point for Trump's lawyers trying to assert the executive privilege against the executive branch.
SANCHEZ: Now, the case related to the documents that were seized from Mar-a-Lago, an appeals court handing the Department of Justice a victory this week, basically, allowing it to look at the documents that were marked as classified. Does the former president have any recourse to delay that now?
WU: He does, he can continue to seek further appeals. I suppose he could ask what they call en banc the full 11th Circuit to consider that. And then, of course, he could ask the Supreme Court to stay the 11th Circuit's decision and take on the case itself. So, we'll have to watch to see whether he does that or not. I mean, given his pattern, it seems like he would try that.
SANCHEZ: Yes, I also wanted to ask your thoughts about the New York A.G. filing, a civil lawsuit against Donald Trump members of his family. That was one of the big legal headlines this week for the former president. In response, some are accusing Letitia James of pursuing this suit for partisan reasons, including the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal, how much of her decision do you think had to do with politics?
WU: Honestly, I don't think very much of it has to do with politics, we should remember that the New York A.G.'s office, with A.G.s before her has gone after the Trump business, for example, their non-profit organization, different business, but also the Trump family. And also, the sheer volume of evidence that she's put forth in this complaint really takes away from any notion that it's just a partisan act, because things like inflating the square footage of his penthouse to 30,000 feet, which would make it the biggest department ever in New York City from 10,000. Things like that, I mean, you can't just put off as being political spin. So, I think that, in and of itself, speaks to the fact that it is evidence-based rather than being partisan-based.
SANCHEZ: And the January 6th Committee, lastly, they announced they're going to return next week with a new hearing. Pretty soon, they're going to issue a congressional report with all evidence, their full findings, potentially new evidence, too. Are you expecting that they will recommend criminal charges against Donald Trump?
WU: I suspect they will make criminal referrals. Again, looking at the volume of evidence that they have produced and the kinds of lines of questioning, it does seem like there's a lot of evidence for potential criminal charges. So, I would guess that they would make a referral.
SANCHEZ: Yes. Shan Wu, we got to leave the conversation there. Important to remember the former president is expected to announce that he's going to run again in 2024. So, we'll see how all of his legal troubles play into that. Thanks again, Shan.
WU: Thank you.
WALKER: All right. Still to come this morning, Russia raises the stakes as four occupied areas of Ukraine are voting and what many are calling a sham referendum. Some residents even saying they're being forced to vote, how this could impact the ongoing war.
Plus, overnight, Iranian state media claiming the death toll and the ongoing protests across the country has risen to 35 as the international community pushes for an investigation, at least a thorough and fair one into the death of Mahsa Amini.
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And later, a rise in overdoses that Los Angeles Public Schools has the district taking action. Now, look at the plan to make Naloxone available to the entire school system.
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SANCHEZ: New this morning, almost three dozen people have been killed in recent protests in Iran. That's according to state media as CNN has not yet been able to independently verify that report.
WALKER: So, these protests stem from the death of a 22-year-old woman taken into custody by the morality police. Let's get the latest now from CNN Correspondent Jomana Karadsheh. And Jomana, I mean, for context, these protests, the size and scope of them are unprecedented. But what's really stuck out to me is the boldness of these girls and women who are just facing off with police, Jomana.
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Amara, I mean, arguably, we've not seen anything like this on this scale in Iran before. As you mentioned, these protests about a week ago were sparked by the death of 22-year-old, Mahsa Amini, while, on the custody of morality police. We saw protesters calling for justice and accountability, but it snowballed into much more than that. You've seen young men and women, new generation of Iranians taking to the streets calling for rights and freedoms they've never known, and those acts of defiance just remarkable, seeing women taking off their headscarves, burning their headscarves cutting their hair in public. And we've even seen more daring calls for regime change in the country.
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A video that really struck me came out last night from the city of Mashhad, that is the birthplace of Iran Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, where you see a protester setting fire to a statue of a man who is considered to be one of the symbols of the Islamic revolution, just really unthinkable scenes that we are seeing right now, something that was unimaginable in the Islamic Republic. You know, Amara and Boris, over the past week or so speaking to Iranians outside the country, watching what's been going on in their homeland. They were holding on to the hope that this could be the beginning of something, beginning of change, a turning point for the country. But right now, they are very, very concerned about the crackdown. They're seeing the signs that we've seen in the past where the government has unleashed brutal force to suppress these calls for change.
You know, as you mentioned, there are dozens killed according to estimates, we can't verify the numbers ourselves. We've had it from state media, we've had it from Amnesty International, and other human rights groups, but very difficult to verify the numbers from outside the country. But according to Amnesty International, security forces have been deliberately opening fire, live rounds, directly out protesters.
And there's a lot of worry that we are going to see that crackdown intensify with the signs we've seen in the past with security, with the government using words describing protesters as rioters calling what's going on as a foreign conspiracy by the enemies of Iran. So, everyone is really watching very carefully, especially as we've heard the army saying it is ready to deploy to deal with these protests. Amara and Boris.
WALKER: Ominous warning, indeed, and just remarkable pictures, and we'll be watching very closely regarding how much more the Islamic Republic continues to crack down. Jomana Karadsheh, thank you very much.
So, new this morning, a Kremlin official says that the Russian government could move rapidly to formally annex occupied areas of eastern Ukraine, where an illegal referendum voting, is already underway.
SANCHEZ: The west have called the referendums a sham and President Biden has vowed severe economic costs on Russia should Vladimir Putin move forward with claiming these Ukrainian territories as Russian. CNN International Security Editor Nick Payton Walsh is live for us in Ukraine. And Nick, watching the way that these referendums are being carried out, they're essentially going door to door with armed patrols, and people are voting right in front of these Russian military officials. Hard to imagine that, that's not influencing them.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Yes, look, I mean, don't kid yourself. There's no choice or democracy or role here. And the mere fact that armed guards are following around ballot boxes going door to door, just give us some evidence of that one figure we got from officials, I should say in the so-called separatist areas that nets People's Republic, that's essentially an area occupied by the Russian military on off since 2014.
They said that nearly 19,000 people voted on the (INAUDIBLE) People's Republic yesterday, 550 in the territory itself, and 18,000 in Russia. That gives you an idea really how open they seem to be about how this is really quite a referendum in this occupied areas at all. And we saw yesterday quite what it's like for ordinary Ukrainians on the receiving end, not of Russia's sham votes, but of their artillery.
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WALSH (voice-over): As Russia forces a fake choice and a sham vote on occupied Ukrainians, elsewhere, Igor and Zeena, make the daily deadly choice of their own -- they must brave the shelling to go and get food.
They've heard of Russia stage referendums here in Bakhmut, but Moscow makes itself felt here with artillery, rather than imposing a ballot, likely having entered the city's east. Streets in a strange quiet, as if in the eye of a storm when nobody is in control. They will still have to fight their way in, a sign of how things are changing fast here. Ukrainian forces have blown the bridge in the middle of the city in the last day or so. Russian forces getting close.
The people left ask us not to fill me outside of shelters as the Russians will target them, and they've already gone underground as much as they can. Saying some of these things are taken from buildings that have been bombed and brought to here. A lot of people want the back of their head filmed, possibly because concern but in the days ahead, there may be under Russian control.
[07:25:05]
He tells me perhaps 20,000 people are still hiding out here, but there's no real way to know. The choice Russia imposes on Ukrainians here is spending nights underground and scurrying between shelter. Days of hot words from Putin haven't cooled Ukraine's advancement. The threat of nuclear annihilation carry slightly less horror here on the road to liberate (INAUDIBLE), where it looks like the apocalypse has already come back by radiation. 10 days ago, Russia was kicked out of here after heavy fighting. Even the Russian Orthodox Church has collapsed. The devastation seems to almost spur them on.
Announcements in Moscow about partial mobilization haven't really changed the dynamic here. Of an army, that feels it's moving forward. They've heard about Russia's mobilization and nuclear bombast here too.
"It'll have a role," he says. "But you need to train and supply people, so it won't make much difference as you've destroyed most of their armor."
"There's nothing worse than nuclear war," another says. "But you must understand these decisions aren't taken by one person. And we see in Russia, not everyone supports these moves."
This liberated road is where Donetsk region begins, Ukraine already taking back the places Putin made central to his goals. Where fake ballot boxes and absurd claims of official Russian sovereignty cannot change, who owns and who scarred the land.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALSH: So, it seems by the middle of this coming week, we will have results from this referendum. We already know what they're going to say and likely Russia quickly acknowledging these areas as part of Russian sovereign territory, absurd, obviously.
Will it change the dynamic on the battlefield? Will Russia do other things because of this? Will they reach deeper into their arsenal? We don't know. And that's frankly, the only unanswered question in all of this. Ukraine is still moving forwards. Back to you.
SANCHEZ: And ultimately, how will the West respond? Nick Payton Walsh reporting live from Ukraine. Thank you so much, Nick. So, the Federal Reserve is raising interest rates again, and many worry that another rate hike is soon on the way. What all of that means for your wallet, next.
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WALKER: The selloff continues on Wall Street. Stocks fell sharply Friday amid growing fears that more rate hikes from the Federal Reserve will land the U.S. in a recession. The Dow ended the week below the 30,000 mark. Closing down nearly 500 points in its lowest level since November 2020.
Here with me now is CNN global economic analyst Rana Foroohar.
WALKER: Hi there, Rana. I feel like I've been bracing myself for weeks now. Obviously, this aggressive move by the Fed was expected. What does this all mean for the regular folk, in terms of, you know, if you're -- if you're thinking of buying a home, what does this mean for your credit cards, interest rates? What does this mean for car loans? How does this impact us?
RANA FOROOHAR, CNN GLOBAL ECONOMIC ANALYST: Well, there is no getting around the fact that there is going to be pain. And in fact, Jay Powell said that. He said, I wish there was a way to get inflation under control without average people having to take pain. But we are going to have to take some pain.
You know, if you're buying anything on credit, it's getting more expensive. Home credit rates are the highest we've seen in decades now. You know, this rate hike that we've just seen as the fastest since the 1980s.
So, we're in a new era. You know, now, it's going to impact some areas more than others. Credit card debt, get it down, get it off, if you can, that's going up.
Car loans also expensive. Home prices are interesting, because as rates go up, and it costs more to borrow, somebody's prices of homes come down. So, there is -- there is sort of an interesting interplay there.
Of course, you have to have the money to buy the house to begin with. Then if you have to borrow it and pay more, that costs more. So, for sure, we are at the end of an era of cheap money, and it's going to take some time getting used to.
WALKER: OK. And Rana, Econ 101 for me, please. You know, my vein is very -- my brain is very basic when it comes to this stuff. So, I mean, so -- FOROOHAR: Totally, mine in the morning.
WALKER: Well, I'm sure it's much better and focus than mine is.
So, why do you have to hurt the economy to help it in the long run?
FOROOHAR: It's a great question. You know, part of the problem, and many of us, including myself, have been writing about this and talking about it for years now. When you wait too long to raise interest rates, sometimes you have to raise them quickly, harshly. And I think that that's where we are now.
You know, if you look back, we've had 15 years really, since the financial crisis of extremely low interest rates, lots of money being pumped into the economy, I would have liked to have seen rates raised, you know, maybe even in 2010-2011, way back when.
The idea would be give yourself a little more breathing room so that then if there's pain, you can lower them again. Now, we're in a situation where inflation is fighting. And you really have to raise them because nobody wants, you know, the high double digit inflation. I mean, that that's the worst possible world.
So, this is the situation if Fed is in -- is in right now. They know that they may bring on a recession by doing this, but they don't have a lot else that they can do.
WALKER: So, how close are we to a recession, in your opinion?
FOROOHAR: Well, it's interesting. I think it's possible to come this year. But I'll tell you, we are still in this country doing a lot better than most other countries overseas.
[07:35:04]
I actually just came from a work trip to Europe and I was amazed at how cheap everything felt. Because the dollar is so strong, the dollar is at record levels.
WALKER: Right.
FOROOHAR: Europe is having the third worst year since World War II in its economy. A lot of Asian countries that have their currencies paid to the dollar are panicking because suddenly their debt gets really expensive, and you know, they're in danger of defaulting going bankrupt.
So, yes, we may get a recession here. The rest of the world is, in many cases, already in recession.
WALKER: And I guess the upside to it is if you are traveling right to Europe to -- or to the U.K., you know, we are seeing almost one to one rates when it comes to the dollar.
FOROOHAR: Yes.
WALKER: So, that's, at least, a little bit of good news. Rana Foroohar, appreciate you. Thank you very much.
FOROOHAR: Thank you.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: House Republican leaders have laid out their plan for America, just 45 days before the midterm elections. And hopes of retaking the majority in Congress. We have a closer look at their plan and the Biden administration's response, next.
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[07:40:48]
SANCHEZ: House Republicans this week unveiling their legislative agenda, aiming to sway voters ahead of the midterm elections. They're calling it a commitment to America.
WALKER: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy says it is a new direction to help Republicans take the country back. But President Biden is blasting the plan.
SANCHEZ: Let's take you to Capitol Hill now. And CNN reporter Melanie Zanona who joins us live.
Melanie, critics say to the plan falls short on specifics. President Biden calling it thin.
MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Yes, that's right. It does read more like a policy wish list than it does an actual legislative proposal. But this agenda does include the themes that Republicans think are going to be the most animating to voters in the upcoming midterm elections. Including inflation, crime, and the border.
And noticeably, GOP leaders decided not to roll out this agenda in D.C., they decided to travel to a key battleground state to outline their vision for power.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
It's my honor to introduce my good friend, the next Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy.
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): (INAUDIBLE)
ZANONA (voice-over): Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy has a plan to win the House Majority. And with it, the coveted Speaker's gavel. Flanked by members of his own party, including some of the most controversial members, McCarthy unveiled an official agenda on Friday, a picture of unity from a sheet metal plant in the Pittsburgh suburbs. All this, just weeks before the November elections.
MCCARTHY: So, you know what? We've created a commitment to America.
ZANONA: Absent from the scene, Red Hats and Donald Trump gear, typically staples of Republican events.
MCCARTHY: There are some policies that President Trump had that worked very well. Securing the border. We've watched economic policies has gone through. But this isn't about an individual, this is about the nation.
ZANONA: McCarthy pushing the former president's MAGA policies, but never mentioning Trump by name. As Republican leaders laid out their pitch to solve some of the nation's most pressing issues, including inflation.
REP. ELISE STEFANIK (R-NY): It's a direct results of the failed policies of one party, Democrat rule in Washington. And there is a better way?
ZANONA: Border security.
REP. STEVE SCALISE (R-LA): You know, we would like to know how many people have come across our border illegally. Don't you want to know that answer?
ZANONA: School policies.
MCCARTHY: As we should ensure, women only compete in women's sports.
ZANONA: And a pledge to investigate what they call abuses by the Biden administration.
REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): House Republicans are committed to exposing and holding accountable those in our government who have come after we, the people.
ZANONA: McCarthy, hoping the agenda will not only put his party back in power, but also bring together the moderate and conservative wings of the GOP.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you look at the pillars of this, there's nothing in here that's objectionable, whether you're conservative or moderate, or anything in between.
REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): I think we do need to continue to pound out the details.
ZANONA: Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Trump ally.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you.
ZANONA: And one time McCarthy critic, offering high praise for the leader's approach. But saying there is still room to push further to the right.
GREENE: You know, I don't step away from controversy or disagreements within my conference. I actually lean into them, because I truly believe iron sharpens iron.
ZANONA: President Joe Biden wasting no time pushing back. Attacking Republicans as extreme and arguing their plan isn't serious.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Kevin McCarthy went to Pennsylvania and unveiled on what he calls, a Commitment to America. That's a --that's a thin series of policy goals with little or no detail.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZANONA: Now, one topic that was not discussed at the rollout was abortion. That is an issue that Republicans have struggled to talk about. They've tried to run away from the issue ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned this summer.
And in fact, the policy platform only makes one passing a reference to the issue saying, Republicans will protect the lives of unborn children and their mothers. But GOP leaders have not yet said which abortion bills, if any, they would put on the floor if they win the House majority. Amara, Boris?
WALKER: Again, by contrast, of course, that is abortion, is the issue that the Democrats are focusing on.
Melanie Zanona, appreciate you. Thank you very much.
And Arizona Superior Court, ruling late last night that a 1901 ban on nearly all abortions can be enforced now that Roe is no longer standing in the way.
[07:45:08]
What this now means for women and their doctors? Next.
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SANCHEZ: Leading our top stories this morning, an Arizona superior court judge ruling that a ban on nearly all abortions in that state can be enforced.
The judge lifting a post Roe vs. Wade injunction on a 1901 ban that was in effect before Arizona even became a state.
WALKER: The law bars abortions in all cases, except when it is necessary to save a mother's life and carries this sentence of two to five years for abortion providers.
The judge's decision will likely be appealed, but for now, the issue setting the stage for a showdown between pro-choice and pro-life voters in the states' U.S. Senate and governor races this fall.
[07:50:07]
Authorities in Colorado have released body camera footage, showing a police vehicle with a suspect inside getting hit by a train.
Road rage suspect, Yareni Rios-Gonzalez has been hospitalized with multiple injuries but is expected to survive.
We do want to warn you the video is quite graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: On real. The officer who left the cruiser on the tracks has been placed on administrative leave. The case has been referred to the Weld County District Attorney. So far, though, no charges have been filed. We'll stay tuned for that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Public Schools in Los Angeles will soon be given a drug that's used to temporarily reverse the effects of opioid drug overdoses.
WALKER: Yes, this comes after la police reported multiple overdoses among local high school students, including one who died, and another who was hospitalized.
CNN's Natasha Chen has more now from Los Angeles.
NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Amara and Boris, naloxone will be distributed to all the high schools in the L.A. Unified School District within the next two weeks. And will be distributed to all other K-12 schools in the district later on as supplies come in.
This comes after a 15-year-old student died and another student was hospitalized, having overdosed in a high school bathroom earlier this month.
CHEN (voice-over): There are currently enough doses of naloxone for all high schools in the district, and it's being provided for free by the L.A. County Department of Public Health.
District staff like nurses, wellness center providers, and volunteers are already trained to administer naloxone, and the district will work on developing training and education for the school community.
The superintendent, Alberto Carvalho said, "We have an urgent crisis on our hands." Research shows that the availability of naloxone along with overdose education is effective at decreasing overdose and deaths and will save lives.
After the death of the student this month, L.A. Unified has also implemented a safety taskforce, peer-to-peer counselling, and educational programming to help inform the school community.
Amara and Boris?
WALKER: And Natasha, thank you.
And still to come, we are keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Ian, as it strengthens in the Caribbean and tracks toward Florida. We're going to have the latest forecast ahead.
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[07:57:13] SANCHEZ: Over the last several decades, Media Titan Rupert Murdoch has built one of the largest media empires in history.
WALKER: And through exclusive reporting, the new CNN original series, "THE MURDOCHS: EMPIRE OF INFLUENCE", reveals how one family's ambitions are shaping business, media, and politics around the globe.
Our Athena Jones has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rupert Murdoch --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rupert Murdoch.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rupert Murdoch.
ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rupert Murdoch, patriarch of arguably the most influential media family in the world. A billionaire businessman who has already transformed America's political and media landscape, and who could shape the next presidential election.
JIM RUTENBERG, WRITER AT LARGE, NEW YORK TIMES: There really hadn't been this kind of media political power in American history.
JONES: Over seven decades, the news corporation chairman built an empire, amassing unrivalled power on three continents.
Supporting conservative politicians and policies from Margaret Thatcher --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is newspapers had backed him. And she, in turn, backed him.
JONES: And Ronald Reagan to Boris Johnson, and Brexit.
Through properties like the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, and particularly, Fox News, the media Titan plays a major role in Republican politics.
RUTENBERG: We used to talk about the Republican National Committee. Now, we talk about Fox News.
JONES: But as potential GOP contenders eye the White House, how will Murdoch and his holdings approached 2024, especially, former President Donald Trump? The Journal and Post editorial pages provide some clues.
KARL ROVE, CONTRIBUTOR, FOX NEWS CHANNEL: That a lot of the former president's problems are of his own creation, you can --
JONES: And on Fox --
RUTENBERG: When Rupert Murdoch got on board with Trump, we saw a diminishment of critical voices in its commentator ranks, in its analyst ranks. Now, we are seeing commentators and even some hosts who have been very critical of Trump.
JONES: Murdoch has criticized Trump's hyper focus on the 2020 election. Saying, conservatives must play a forceful role in political debate.
RUPERT MURDOCH, BUSINESSMAN, MEDIA PROPRIETOR, AND INVESTOR: And that will not happen if President Trump stays focused on the past.
JONES: He was not an early supporter of Trump. Eventually, coming around as Trump's popularity with Fox viewers grew.
MURDOCH: My friend, Donald J. Trump.
JONES: The Fox's, fawning, uncritical coverage, help the real estate mogul build a large and loyal following that is dominated the GOP.
TRUMP: Sean Hannity, come on up. Sean Hannity.
JONES: That support on full display in 2018, when one of the network's most prominent hosts joined the campaign rally with Trump.
Fox later calling his appearance a distraction. This time around --
RUTENBERG: Rupert Murdoch is moving back to where he was, or has moved back to where he was in 2016, where he is -- Trump will get no free ride and his son, Lachlan is right there with his father. They are going to make it hard on him.
[08:00:01]
JONES: And it is the next in line, Murdoch's elder son, now, co chairman of News Corp, whom many will be watching.
RUTENBERG: 2024 will be the first full open Republican election where Lachlan Murdoch is as important, if not more important than his father.
