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New Day Sunday

FBI Releases Declassified Document On 9/11 Investigation; U.S. Marks 20 Years Since 9/11 Attacks With Tributes And Tears; Vice President Harris and Former President Bush Lead Services At Pennsylvania Memorial; Biden Honors 9/11 Victims, Defends Afghanistan Withdrawal; Former President Bush Alludes To Capitol Rioters When Condemning Violent Extremists At 9/11 Memorial; Twenty-six States Have Fully Vaccinated At Least Half Of All Residents; More Schools Shift To Remote Learning After Surge In Cases; Biden Implements Vaccine Mandates To Blunt COVID Surge. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired September 12, 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]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to your NEW DAY. I'm Boris Sanchez.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Christi Paul. The FBI releases the first newly classified document on its investigation in the September 11th terror attacks. What we're learning now about who may have helped at least two of the hijackers.

SANCHEZ: Plus, the U.S. Capitol police is recommending disciplinary action in six cases against its own officers following the January 6th attack on the Capitol. What we know about those cases and the concerns surrounding another rally planned for this week.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got double, at least double the requests for assistance since S.B. 8 has passed.

PAUL: Abortion rights advocates in Texas are going door-to-door to help women afraid to seek out their help following a restrictive new law banning abortions after six weeks. Why they say this new law endangers women.

LEELEY PIRTLE, UGA STUDENT: This is my first game. I get it to go on campus. Like, I'm so excited.

SANCHEZ: Plus, fans are back in the stands. How colleges and the NFL are handling the kickoff of a new season amid the pandemic.

PAUL: Well, welcome to Sunday. It is the 12th of September. We are so grateful to have your company. Hi, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Hey. Good morning, Christi. Thrilled that you are with us.

And we start with the declassification of this new FBI document. It's part of the investigation into the September 11th terror attacks 20 years after the horrific events of that day. And this document details the investigation into whether a Saudi official and a suspected Saudi intelligence officer provided support for two of the 9/11 hijackers. PAUL: This is the first of several documents, we should point out, that are expected to be released under an executive order signed by President Biden. Family members of those killed on 9/11 have demanded the information be made public.

CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson with us live from Kabul, Afghanistan. What do we know about this document and what stands out to you, Nic?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, the families are saying that they think that there is a trove of useful information while they, you know, are disappointed that so much of it is redacted. They feel that this gives new evidence of Saudi government involvement. And, of course, that was always part of the mystery here.

Omar al Bayoumi, who was suspected by the FBI of being a Saudi agent, of working for the Saudi government, of funneling money for the Saudi government for two of the suspects, Nawaf al Hazmi, Khalid al Mihdhar, who were aboard the flight that flew into the Pentagon. They had traveled to Los Angeles from Asia. They were not speaking English very well. Bayoumi befriended them and helped them. And according to the FBI in this newly released document, helped them with translation, travel, assistance, lodging and financing.

Now, the Saudi government all along has insisted Bayoumi was not an agent of theirs. He wasn't working for the government. He wasn't involved for them.

On Wednesday this week the Saudi embassy in D.C. said that they welcome this new released report with adding further clarifications. We haven't heard yet back from Saudi sources now this document is published precisely what they think about it and what they think about how this moves the case forward. But certainly, this huge pressure that has come from the families to have more information that could allow them to get financial or other redress from the Saudi government is going to be the key part of the focus.

Bayoumi's role and these details from the FBI, despite much redaction, lend more information to and credibility to the understanding that he did have connections with the Saudi government. Again, still not entirely clear the precise nature.

PAUL: OK. Nic Robertson, so appreciate it. Thank you.

SANCHEZ: So the release of these documents come as communities across the country paused yesterday to honor the nearly 3,000 people killed in the 9/11 terror attacks.

PAUL: Here's CNN's Polo Sandoval.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At dawn the unfurling of a flag over the sight of the Pentagon hit by a jetliner 20 years ago signaled the beginning of a day of tributes. It's one of three sites where Americans gathered in somber remembrance, honoring each one of the 2,977 people killed in the terrorist attacks on September 11th.

[06:05:09]

At the footprints where the Twin Towers proudly stood over Lower Manhattan President Biden and the first lady were joined by the Obamas and a sea of 9/11 families to memorialize those lost two decades ago. At 8:46 a.m. the first of six moments of silence marking the instant the first hijacked airliner struck the North Tower. Mike Low's daughter Sara was a flight attendant on that plane.

MIKE LOW, LOST DAUGHTER SARA ON 9/11: As we recite the names of those we lost, my memory goes back to that terrible day when it felt like an evil specter had descended on our world. But it was also a time when many people acted above and beyond the ordinary.

SANDOVAL: The tributes continued throughout the morning with the nation pausing five more times. The moment each Twin Tower fell, when the Pentagon was attacked and the moment United Flight 93 crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is truly an honor to be with all of you at this field of honor.

SANDOVAL: Along with Vice President Kamala Harris, President George W. Bush who served as commander in chief in 2001 helped lead a memorial at that site.

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The 33 passengers and seven crew of Flight 93 could have been any group of citizens selected by fate. In a sense, they stood in for us all. The terrorists soon discovered that a random group of Americans is an exceptional group of people.

SANDOVAL: And at the Pentagon, General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, honored the victims of the attacks and the service members who died at the subsequent war in Afghanistan.

GENERAL MARK MILLEY, CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS: Never forget those who were murdered by terrorists. Never forget those who rushed to save their lives and gave theirs in exchange. Never forget the sons and daughters, the brothers and sisters, and the mothers and fathers who gave their tomorrows for our todays.

SANDOVAL: The sky over Lower Manhattan lights up again with the annual tribute and light. It's a reminder of the nation's resilience and an iconic symbol honoring those killed and the nation's unbreakable spirit.

Polo Sandoval, CNN New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Polo, thank you. Now, the anniversary of the September 11th terror attack comes just two weeks after the last U.S. troops left Afghanistan and President Biden is defending his handling of that withdrawal even as he had to pay -- chose, of course, to pay tribute to the people who died on 9/11.

SANCHEZ: CNN White House reporter Jasmine Wright joins us now live from Wilmington, Delaware. She is traveling with the president.

Jasmine, Biden is trying to move beyond Afghanistan but he is still facing questions and criticism. How he is responding?

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right, Boris. The president made the case yesterday once again that the U.S. was in that war for too long.

Look, the White House had intended for its message on September 11th to focus on the lives lost. But, again, instead those questions about the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal really followed the president. Now, he went to the trio of memorial sites as we just heard from Polo starting in New York, going to Pennsylvania, and then ending in Pentagon right outside of D.C., really trying to focus the message on their calls for unity and their calls to focus on the threats of the future.

But while visiting the fire department, that was first on the scene of that United 93 crash in that rural field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, President Biden once again had to defend his decision. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Seventy percent of the American people think it was time to get out of Afghanistan spending all of that money. But the flip of it is, they didn't like the way we got out. But it's hard to explain to anybody how else could you get out.

For example, if we were in Tajikistan we pulled up a C-130 and said, "We are going to let, you know, anybody who was involved with being sympathetic to us to get on the plane," you would have people hanging in the wheel well. Come on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WRIGHT: But the fact is, Boris and Christi, is that those images that President Biden just described, people falling from wheel wells, that's exactly what you saw at the Kabul airport during this exit.

And now Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also defended the administration yesterday when talking to our own Wolf Blitzer. He made the case that, yes, it would be more difficult to basically assess the threat and monitor the threat in Afghanistan now that they were no longer boots on the ground but not impossible.

But really to wrap this up -- remember this is an administration that has spent the last two weeks since that exit trying to focus on domestic issues. We saw President Biden turning the focus to his infrastructure package, to that 3.5 social spending package, $3.5 trillion social spending package.

[06:10:07] To him mandating new things, trying to get past the pandemic. And so if yesterday was meant to be a bookend on Afghanistan there is no doubt that there are certainly still questions about the administration's exit. Boris, Christi.

PAUL: Jasmine Wright, we appreciate it. Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Thanks, Jasmine.

So, obviously, the Taliban is now back in power in Afghanistan but the key question that remains is whether the country is going to once again become a haven for terrorists.

PAUL: Yes and we heard Jasmine there reference Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. CNN's Wolf Blitzer talked to him and asked him two questions. One, is the U.S. safer? And two, what was accomplished in the country's longest war? Here is how the secretary responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LLOYD AUSTIN, DEFENSE SECRETARY: First of all, we went there to go after the people who attacked America and to hold them accountable. We held bin Laden accountable. We significantly degraded the al Qaeda network. And I would point to you the fact that no one has attacked the United States and especially from that region in 20 years. That's not an accident.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Is the United States safer today than it was 20 years ago?

AUSTIN: Wolf, I think if you -- if you look at the fact that our capabilities are greatly increased from what we had 20 years ago, if you look at the fact that the way that we operate in the inner agency is far beyond what we would have ever imagined 20 years ago, I think we are safer all together. Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: And as Jasmine alluded to a moment ago, Secretary Austin says that even though the United States no longer has a presence in Afghanistan that -- quote -- "we have a robust capability in the region."

Still ahead, U.S. Capitol police announcing disciplinary action for some officers who were working on January 6th for actions like improper sharing of information. What that means and the latest in their internal investigation next.

PAUL: Also, new CDC data quantifies the risk of staying unvaccinated such as how much more likely are you to be hospitalized with COVID-19 if you have not been. That's still ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:16:48] SANCHEZ: Eight months after rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol officials are recommending disciplinary action in six cases against Capitol police officers after internal investigations into what happened on January 6th.

PAUL: Now six officers were suspended with pay. Twenty-nine others were placed under investigation back in February for their actions during the insurrection.

Here's CNN's Daniella Diaz joining us from Capitol Hill now. Daniella, good to see you this morning. So detail what we know about these cases.

DANIELLA DIAZ, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Well, we know that Capitol investigators have recommended disciplinary action against six police officers for what they did during the January 6th riot at the Capitol.

Look, this is what this investigation determined. It found that three officers were singled out for unbecoming conduct. One officer for failure to comply with directives. One officer for improper remarks. And one officer for improper dissemination of information.

The Capitol police released the statement yesterday, late last night. And, you know, they didn't actually include any details about who these officers were and any details about the recommended disciplinary action that is identified by the police -- Capitol police, excuse me. But they also said there would be no criminal charges filed as the U.S. attorney's office did not find sufficient evidence to do so.

So, look, this investigation was actually conducted by the Office of Professional Responsibility and as you all said it covers 38 investigations but investigators weren't able to identify 12 of those officers involved in these cases. And Capitol police also said that one investigation into an identified official who was -- quote -- "accused of unsatisfactory performance in conduct unbecoming" still remains open.

Now, if you all remember, you know, there is countless videos of -- that reveal what some of these officers did during the Capitol attack. You know, some of these officers, of course, defended -- most of these officers defended the Capitol. But some of these videos reveal that these officers, you know, were aiding some of the Capitol rioters and also being lenient with them. But it's unclear who these officers were and none of these names were released.

But Capitol police still defended most of Capitol police officers' actions that day. They said in their statement last night that, "The Capitol police is committed to accountability when officers fail to meet standards governed by the U.S. Capitol Police policies and the congressional community's expectations." And they said that these six violations should not diminish the heroic efforts of these officers that day.

So, bottom line is we got some insight into what the Capitol police is doing to recommend disciplinary actions against these officers who did not aid in defending the Capitol that day. Boris, Christi. SANCHEZ: Yes. Still a lot of questions to answer regarding these investigations and still a lot of footage out there, Daniella, that has not yet been reviewed by investigators. Daniella Diaz, reporting live from Capitol Hill. Thank you.

PAUL: Thanks, Daniella.

So yesterday former President George W. Bush alluded to the Capitol Hill riots in fact when he was condemning violent extremism.

SANCHEZ: Yes. President Bush was speaking from Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the crash site of Flight 93.

[06:20:02]

The former commander in chief called on Americans to confront domestic extremists comparing them to violent extremists in other countries. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home. But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit and it is our continuing duty to confront them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Notably, one of the Capitol rioters who threatened to kill Speaker Nancy Pelosi has since pled guilty.

PAUL: Yes. Cleveland Meredith Jr. drove from Colorado to Washington with two guns and 2,500 rounds of ammunition. In text messages he threatened to kill Speaker Pelosi on live TV. The charge carries a maximum potential prison term of five years. Prosecutors say they will ask for as much as just two, but a CNN analysis has found about 10 percent of the defendants charged in connection with the deadly riot have reached plea agreements at this point.

So up next, college football, it's back and have you noticed the packed stadiums? A lot of schools are not mandating those masks or vaccines. We have a doctor weighing in. Stay close.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:25:36]

SANCHEZ: New this morning 26 states across the country have fully vaccinated more than half their population, but it's still the unvaccinated COVID-19 patients that are putting a major strain on the nation's hospitals.

PAUL: The CDC data shows people who are not vaccinated were 10 times more likely to be hospitalized from coronavirus than people still gathering regardless of vaccination status many times without masks. In fact, over the weekend football stadiums across the country were packed with thousands of fans. Unlikely -- unlike last season, we should point out. Many are foregoing COVID-19 restrictions. CNN's Nadia Romero has more for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The NFL kicking off its season this week. And if there is an outbreak among unvaccinated players, teams may have to forfeit a game.

College football is back on the campus of the University of Georgia. UGA is run by a board of regents that won't allow masks or vaccine mandates.

PAIGE GRAHAM, UGA STUDENT: I wear my mask all the time in class and everything. But a lot of my teachers, like, are requesting that we do but they can't really enforce it. So it's on and off. It really depends on the class.

ROMERO (on camera): In the heart of SEC country it almost feels like 2019. No COVID protocols really at all. No masks or vaccine mandates. It's up to the fans to decide how they want to deal with the pandemic. And some students tell me they don't want to talk about COVID at all.

PIRTLE: Most of my friends and I like we don't want to talk about it. We're like done with the COVID talk. We're ready to be over with this.

ROMERO (voice-over): LSU remains the only SEC school to require negative COVID-19 tests or vaccine to watch a game in its stadium.

The battle continues in Florida between some school districts fighting to enforce mask mandates against the governor's orders.

ALBERTO CARVALHO, SUPERINTENDENT, MIAMI-DADE COUNTRY PUBLIC SCHOOLS: The long-term benefit of doing the right thing absolutely outweighs the short-term fear of the consequences, particularly when we're talking about salaries. And the administration has taken proactive measures that should that be the case, those funds can be replenished.

ROMERO: In Kentucky --

BILLY KOUCH, COVID-19 PATIENT: I've been here so long I want to go home. But I can't go home because I can't breathe still.

ROMERO: Unvaccinated Billy Kouch fights COVID-19 as the state's general assembly overrode the governor's partial veto. That means no school mask mandates.

GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D-KY): I do believe that endangers kids. My hope is that every superintendent will make the right decision. We'll put the safety of our kids above politics. That's what I was trying to do.

ROMERO: On Monday at least seven K-12 schools in the Atlanta area back to remote learning after a spike in COVID cases. But it's not just humans in danger. At the Atlanta zoo some gorillas have tested positive for traces of the virus. Nadia Romero, CNN Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Thanks to Nadia for that report. Let's bring in primary care physician and public health specialist Dr. Saju Mathew. Dr. Mathew, always great to have you on. Appreciate your expertise.

DR. SAJU MATHEW, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Good morning.

SANCHEZ: What do you think when you see all those young people and fans packing football stadiums? As was noted in the report a lot of these schools not requiring vaccines. What comes to your mind?

MATHEW: You know, I'll tell you what, Boris. We've seen this happen over and over again and I can't imagine that when this virus is raging as it is right now -- let's remember compared to last year post Labor Day, our viral counts are much higher. We have over 1,000 people dying every day.

Now look at this, Boris. Here's my laminated CDC vaccination card. I have used it one time when I went to Paris two months ago. I should be using this card like a driver's license to get into sports stadiums, to get into restaurants. That's what they are doing in Paris, using a QR code.

And plus, as President Biden mentioned, yes, mandatory vaccines may be difficult in private organizations but at the same time we are not also mandating masking. So lots of different issues come to my mind. But the most important thing with those stadiums filled with a lot of people is give it a couple of weeks so many people will fall sick. And unfortunately, a good number of them could potentially die as well.

SANCHEZ: So, Dr. Mathew, I wanted to ask you about what you noted regarding President Biden.

[06:30:00]

A few days ago, he announced that he'd institute new vaccine rules, vaccine and testing mandates for companies with over 100 employees. That's on top of requiring vaccinations for federal workers and members of the military. I'm sure you've seen on social media people calling the President a dictator over these moves. What do you say to those who argue this is a step toward authoritarianism?

MATTHEW: I would -- I would say that enough is enough, Boris. I'm tired of seeing 30 and 40-year-old young men dying and leaving their wives and kids behind. You know, the whole mandating vaccines is the only option moving forward.

I remember talking to you about this, you know, two or three months ago, and people were rolling their eyes at me on social media and Twitter saying, what do you mean we should be mandating vaccines? We've tried everything else, Boris. We've tried to bribe. We've tried to give incentives to people as employees. Nothing has worked. And the only way moving forward is to mandate vaccines. Regarding the

100 employees or more, I know it'd be difficult if you're not a federal employee to mandate vaccines. But we should be mandating masks as well, because if you're walking around without a mask, and you test positive on Friday, you've potentially exposed a lot of employees.

SANCHEZ: Yes. And on Twitter, Doctor, you said that you think the FAA should require commercial airline passengers to also show proof of vaccination make the case. What impact would that have on COVID case rates?

MATTHEW: I think it would have a significant impact. Let's think about this for a second, Boris. Even during some of the biggest surges in the U.S., we've had millions of people traveling. That sector of America continues to flourish, if you will. People are traveling regardless of whether. The surges are high or low.

So, if you've got a captive audience, why can't we mandate vaccines, so the travel becomes even safer. And remember, it's not air travel as much as being in crowded spaces and tight spaces. So, I think President Biden needs to look into his authority over FAA.

What about also requiring pilots, flight attendants, and also the TSA employees that are basically amongst so many millions of people at the airport? So, I definitely think that would be one way to get the vaccination rate up high very quickly.

SANCHEZ: We have to leave the conversation there. Dr. Saju Matthew, thank you so much for the time.

MATTHEWS: Yes, thanks, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Of course. Across the country, many hospitals have been forced to ration care. And now, some are asking whether medical professionals should give priority to vaccinated patients leaving the unvaccinated as a low priority. Next hour, we're going to pose that question to an expert on medical ethics.

Also, up next, since Texas abortion restriction law went into place, women are now looking for other options. We hear from some of the providers trying to help.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:35:00]

PAUL: Good morning to you. 37 minutes past the hour. And Planned Parenthood South Texas which operates three out of the four facilities providing abortion care in San Antonio, has temporarily stopped offering the procedure due to Texas's new restrictive abortion law.

SANCHEZ: Yes, that law bans abortions after six weeks, and it creates penalties for anyone in Texas who helps a person obtain one. CNN's Dianne Gallagher is in San Antonio with a look at the people affected by this new law.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In the nation's seventh- largest city, Makayla Montoya has been busy doing doorstep drop-offs. She says demand this week is up for family planning packages with contraceptives, Plan B pills, and pregnancy tests. The hard part she says is finding a way to help the surgeon pregnant people reaching out to her organization in need of abortions that are no longer legal in the Lone Star State.

MAKAYLA MONTOYA, FOUNDER, BUCKLE BUNNIES FUND: I mean, it's desperation. We got double, at least double the request for assistance since S.B.8 has passed.

GALLAGHER: Now, as of September 1, Senate Bill 8 effectively bans all abortions at around six weeks before many people even know that they're pregnant, including in cases of rape and incest. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to block it from going into effect. It's enforced not by state officials or criminal charges, but by private citizens and power to file civil suits with a minimum $10,000 payout against anyone who assists a pregnant person seeking an abortion in violation of the law. That could be doctors or any staff member at an abortion clinic.

Three of the four abortion facilities in San Antonio have temporarily stopped providing the procedure for anyone and say that they're seeing an uptick in fake calls for help.

JEFFREY HONS, CEO, PLANNED PARENTHOOD SOUTH TEXAS: When someone gets on the phone with some script from a right-wing organization trying to trip us up so that they'll get us to admit something that we're not doing so that they can sue us.

GALLAGHER: The final days of August were like nothing Planned Parenthood South Texas CEO Jeffrey Hons had ever seen.

HONS: We had days where staff were working 12 and 13 hour days. We had days where we saw more than -- provided abortion care to more than 100 people in one day.

GALLAGHER: But it's not just providers at risk. Lawsuits could be filed against a patient's family friends, a rideshare driver, even people like Montoya and Kimiya Factory who advocates for and assist sexual assault survivors.

[06:40:12]

KIMIYA FACTORY, CO-FOUNDER, #CHANGERAPECULTURE: I'm afraid that organizers like me will be targeted for simply believing in the future of the autonomy of our bodies and our minds and our spirits.

GALLAGHER: Now, advocates are reticent to discuss specifics for fear of triggering lawsuits, but say that they are finding ways around the law. So, I sit here fearlessly saying that I will continue to advocate for the rights of sexual assault survivors. The strategy right now seems to be getting people in need of an abortion out of state, though it could mean an expensive flight or an eight to 10-hour drive to a clinic with a long waiting list now due to the Texas law.

HONS: Do you think you could get to Albuquerque? Do you want to be connected with an abortion provider in Denver?

MONTOYA: A lot of abortion clinics also in other states are helping us in the way that they can. Some of them are even paying for clients procedures in full, offering assistance with lodging and travels.

GALLAGHER: But even with financial assistance, this solution is impossible for everyone, especially people who are undocumented. And though anti-abortion activists outside Planned Parenthood are celebrating the law, claiming it will save lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am super excited. This is a great step.

GALLAGHER: Advocate says to CNN that unless the courts step in soon, they fear the opposite.

FACTORY: When we talk about survivors who feel like they have nowhere to go, we're talking about suicide, we're talking about choices that are incentivized by violent laws.

HONS: Healthcare providers need to be ready that some of these women then may show up on their doorsteps needing emergency help. And the governor and the lieutenant governor and everyone who voted for this, you have created this. And when those things happen, this is on you, gentlemen.

GALLAGHER: Is that a real fear you guys have?

HONS: I think about it regularly.

GALLAGHER: Dianne Gallagher, CNN, San Antonio, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Now, cloud computing company Salesforce has announced it will assist its employees and their families with relocating if they want to leave Texas due to the state's new abortion law.

SANCHEZ: Yes. This is coming from a slack message Friday that was obtained by CNBC. The company says it stands with women at Salesforce and everywhere, although the statement didn't actually take a direct position on the Texas law. Salesforce has 16 locations in the United States, including one in Dallas.

PAUL: So, stay with us. It was a non-traditional September 11 for the non-traditional former president. How Donald Trump started by paying tribute at a New York Police precinct and ended with a pay-per-view casino boxing match.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:45:00]

SANCHEZ: While Americans honored the victims of the September 11 attacks, former President Donald Trump used the somber day to attack President Biden. Biden and former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton attended the main ceremony at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan.

PAUL: Meanwhile, former President Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney joined vice president Harris in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Now, former President Trump was in New York yesterday. He didn't take part in the services at Ground Zero. He visited a police precinct, and while there, took aim at President Biden over the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

CNN's Chief Media Correspondent Brian Stelter is with us now. I think what is so stark here, Brian, is that we heard from former President George W. Bush, from President Biden, talking specifically about unity. And then here is former President Trump.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: And I think some of the Americans who want to see unity, who want to see all the former presidents together on a solemn day, some of them want to pretend the Trump presidency never happened. So, they might have been just fine seeing him out of the picture.

Meanwhile, Trump derives all of his power from being an outsider. So, the message that he was communicating yesterday was that he is not a part of the President's club. And he's actually portraying himself more as a president in exile, you know, someone who is often the side waiting to take power back.

And even when he was speaking with police and fire officials who were taking pictures with him yesterday, he was talking about the election. He was reacting to people who were saying it was rigged. So, this never-ending big life story is something that didn't even get a break during the 9/11 ceremonies yesterday.

And then, of course, you know, last night he's out in Florida. He's doing an emcee kind of job providing color commentary during a boxing match. This was on pay per view. You know, it created outrage among some liberals in the days leading up to 9/11.

But then it was mostly unnoticed last night. It didn't actually get a lot of attention on social media. Trump's commentary was pretty boring and vague, according to critics who actually watched. So, it's this really, you know, strange moment we're in.

I was talking with students at Georgetown this week where I'm starting a fellowship. And I said to them, I feel like we're in the eye of a hurricane, the Trump hurricane. It can be kind of calm right now. You might forget that anything is going on.

You might even see the sunlight. But the hurricane is still raging. Trump is still out there claiming he won, claiming the elections going to be decertified. And we're not through this storm yet.

And in some ways, I think his handling of the 9/11 anniversary attacking Biden, not going to the official events, having a boxing match at night, it just reaffirms that we're still in the middle of some kind of political storm. [06:50:27]

PAUL: It is so strange. Brian Stelter, we are so grateful for you. Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Thanks, Brian. Don't miss more of this conversation later today. Brian is going to be hosting "RELIABLE SOURCES." It starts at 11:00 a.m. right here on CNN.

Up next, worries of significant flooding along the Gulf Coast, including areas still recovering from Hurricane Ida. We have the latest forecast on the tropical disturbance that's right now churning through the Gulf.

PAUL: You know, every year, cervical cancer kills more than 300,000 women. In developing parts of the world, preventative care is extremely difficult to find, as you can imagine. So, this week, CNN Hero, Dr. Patricia Gordon, left her Beverly Hills practice to bring that life-saving care to the people who need it most.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Free cervical cancer screening. Screen and treat for free of charge.

DR. PATRICIA GORDON, FOUNDER, CURECERVICALCANCER: There are 350,000 women dying a painful undignified death globally, and it's almost 100 percent preventable.

So, this is everything you need to screen and treat a patient.

We bring in these big suitcases. We teach local health care professionals the see and treat technique.

At the end of the week of training, we pack up that suitcase and give it to the nurses that are going back to their clinics. Within the day, we can literally save 20, 30 lives depending on the number of women we screen.

That there are 8000 women who are alive and well and able to provide for their families is honestly the most rewarding thing that I could have ever imagined in my life. I think I'm the luckiest doctor that ever lived

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: And the world is lucky to have her, right? Go to cnnheroes.com. You can learn more about Dr. Gordon's full story there. And thank her for doing so. Stay close.

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[06:55:00]

PAUL: Well, the Gulf Coast is still recovering after being battered by Hurricane Ida. New flooding is of concern right now. It could be on the way because there's a tropical disturbance developing in the Gulf of Mexico. And that could impact the United States as early as today.

SANCHEZ: Meteorologist Allison Chinchar joins us now live from the CNN Weather Center to let us know what we can expect. Allison, what are you seeing?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. So, we're really starting to see that the tropical wave take hold right now sitting right in the Bay of Campeche. But what we really expected to do is begin to strengthen, really become a little bit better organized here, which means in the next 24 hours, this could become our next named storm which would be Nicolas on the list.

Now, one thing to keep a close eye on is exactly where this goes, the track. If it takes a little bit more of a westerly track, it's just simply not going to have enough time to strengthen before it makes landfall. However, if it takes one of these more easterly tracks heading more towards Houston, for example, it's going to sit over the very warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico a little bit longer, allowing it to strengthen and intensify into a much stronger Tropical Storm over the next couple of days.

But regardless of whether this gets named or not, the amount of moisture that's going to be associated with this storm is tremendous. I cannot emphasize enough how much rain is expected to fall between New Orleans all the way down to Brownsville, Texas over the next several days. It will begin today. You're going to slowly start to see wave after wave continue through the evening hours tonight and into the next couple of days.

Just through Tuesday, look at all of the heavy rain right there along the coastline. See this pink color here? This is in excess of 10 inches of rain just through Tuesday. The concern is it's going to keep raining Wednesday, Thursday, and even Friday of the upcoming week. That's why you have excessive flood outlooks not only for today but also tomorrow. And you start to see those flood outlooks begin to expand into more communities. They'll likely expand even more as we go into Tuesday and Wednesday of the upcoming week.

Another thing too to note is this is only one tropical system that we're keeping an eye on right now. Look at all of these different waves. There's no one but five different ones, Christi and Boris, that we're keeping an eye on out there. Nicholas is the next name on the list, followed by Odette, and Peter.

Keep in mind too when we talk about the season, we're pretty far into the list already. Peak season was actually Friday, so just two days ago. But that doesn't mean the season ends. We're already at 13 named storms, Christi and Boris. 14 is what you average in an entire season. We may hit that mark later today if Nicholas gets named.

PAUL: Wow. All right, Allison Chinchar, we appreciate it. Thank you. The next hour of your NEW DAY starts right now.

Good morning to you. Welcome to your NEW DAY on this Sunday. I'm Christi Paul. SANCHEZ: Good morning, Christi, I'm Boris Sanchez. The FBI releasing the first newly declassified document on its investigation into the September 11 terrorist attacks. What we're learning about who may have been involved and who may have helped to have the hijackers.