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New Day Sunday

Gang Abducts 17 American Missionaries Near Haitian Capital; Former President Clinton To Be Discharged From California Hospital; January 6 Panel This Week On Bannon Contempt Charges; McAuliffe, Youngkin Court Latino Voters In Close Governor's Race; Deal Reached To Avert Strike For 60,000 Film And TV Workers; Singer Grace Gaustad Releases Short Film, Album On Mental Health. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired October 17, 2021 - 07:00   ET

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

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): And even Nabisco has put candy corn in limited edition Oreos.

[07:00:08]

And before you say this candy corn brat is the worst, at least taste the bratwurst.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's delicious.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I ate the whole brat, the whole thing. I wanted another one.

MOOS: -- New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm going to leave that to him.

The look on your face.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: You just need to water that down with something strong like vodka or gasoline or something. So disgusting.

PAUL: I know. With that, go ahead and grab your coffee and breakfast, and your new hour of NEW DAY starts right now.

And good morning to you. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is good to have you here.

I'm Christi Paul.

SANCHEZ: And I'm Boris Sanchez.

We are following a developing story out of Haiti where 17 American missionaries, some of them kids, have been kidnapped. What we're learning about how this happened.

PAUL: Also, the House set to make moves to hold Steve Bannon in criminal contempt for defying that subpoena from the committee investigating the insurrection. How this is expected to play out in the coming days.

SANCHEZ: Plus, a race to the finish. The Virginia governor's race narrowing to within the margin of error. Why Latino voters could make the difference and how both parties are trying to attract them.

PAUL: Also, the show will go on. The 11th hour deal that will keep thousands of film workers on set avoiding a costly and show-stopping strike.

(MUSIC)

PAUL: Welcome to your Sunday, October 17th. We are always so grateful to have your company.

SANCHEZ: Good morning, Christi. Great to see you.

PAUL: You too.

So, we want to begin this morning to let you know about the kidnapping of 17 American missionaries in Haiti. This happened just north of the capital city of Port-au-Prince.

SANCHEZ: A source with the Haitian security force tells CNN the group was abducted by gang members. According to "The Washington Post", the missionaries are affiliated with an Ohio organization called Christian aid ministries.

CNN's Matt Rivers joins us now.

Matt, you've spent a lot of time in Haiti over the past few months. We know that gang violence has been a problem. What are your sources there telling you?

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. You know, this is just an extension of what we have seen since the beginning of 2021, with the number of kidnappings on the rise.

In terms of this particular case, though, this is striking. There is no doubt about it, 17 American missionaries, according to our source, in the Haitian security forces. We were on the phone with him late into the evening yesterday, and he cautioned this is very much an ongoing situation, but the latest information that he has at least at this point, 14 adults and three children who were actually a part of this group that were abducted as well, they had been in the country doing missionary work. They had, as a group, gone to visit an orphanage.

And what I can tell you is a dangerous part of Port-au-Prince, and as they were leaving that part of the city going to another part, a small village north of Port-au-Prince, that according to our source, is where they were abducted by gang members.

Again, this is very much an ongoing situation, but according to the "Washington Post," they did report that one of the missionaries that was abducted actually sent a message to a WhatsApp group as the group was being taken and wrote, "Please pray for us we are being held hostage. They kidnapped our driver. Pray, pray, pray. We don't know where they are taking us."

And, you know, that missionary didn't know where they were being taken. We don't either at this point. Very much an ongoing situation. But like I alluded to at the beginning, since the beginning of 2021, the number of kidnappings in Haiti, largely for ransom, people looking for a payout, has skyrocketed.

A nonprofit group that tracks these things in Port-au-Prince said that before this particular or latest kidnapping happened, at least 628 kidnappings since the beginning of the year, that number has gone up by 300 percent since July alone, 29 of those kidnappings were foreigners. Obviously, that number now higher.

But when you see the difference between foreigners and Haitians you can see that ordinary Haitians largely bearing the brunt of this situation. What this will serve to do with this incredible number of Americans reportedly kidnapped now, will bring more light, though, and should bring more light to a horrific security situation in Haiti after what has been a brutal year for that country.

SANCHEZ: And we are awaiting comments from the state department and the White House on their situation. No doubt we will hear from them within the coming hours.

Matt Rivers, thank you so much.

We want to bring you a quick update on the health of former President Bill Clinton. He's expected to be released from a California hospital at some point this morning.

PAUL: Yeah, for five days, doctors have been treating the 75-year-old former commander in chief for a common, but potentially serious blood infection.

Here's Natasha Chen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Former President Bill Clinton is expected to be discharged from the hospital on Sunday after having spent five nights here at UC Irvine Medical Center for a urinary tract infection that seeped into the bloodstream. He checked in here initially on Tuesday when he started feeling extremely fatigued. He was here in southern California for a private event for his foundation.

On Saturday evening, his spokesperson released a statement on Twitter saying in part, he is in great spirits and has been spending time with family, catching up with friends and watching college football. He's deeply grateful for the excellent care he continues to receive and thankful to the many well wishers who have sent kind words to him and his family. He's looking forward to getting home very soon. And among those well wishers, we're told from a source familiar with

the situation, telling our colleague Jamie Gangel, is that he's received phone calls on Saturday from Vice President Kamala Harris, former President George W. Bush, and his own vice President Al Gore. He also spoke to President Biden on Friday. Doctors and staff say that he's been able to get up and walk around and, in fact, according to this source telling Jamie Gangel, the staff had to tell him to slow down.

We've also seen Secretary Hillary Clinton and daughter Chelsea Clinton visiting him on Saturday, spending some time here in the hospital. Again, he has been staying this long because of the IV antibiotics treatment which can take three to five days to complete and doctors and staff say it's very important to have that completed before he gets back on a plane to go home.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Natasha Chen, we appreciate it. Thank you.

So, let's get to the politics right now, the subpoena showdown on Capitol Hill specifically. The committee investigating the January 6th insurrection is planning to vote this week on criminal contempt charges against Trump loyalist Steve Bannon.

SANCHEZ: Bannon is refusing to comply with a subpoena from the committee. He claims he can't testify or provide documents because former President Trump is covered by executive privilege. Legal experts dispute that claim.

Let's get to CNN congressional reporter Daniella Diaz.

Daniella, how are we expecting this to play out this week?

DANIELLA DIAZ, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Well, that's exactly right about the committee, guys. The committee is going to move forward with holding Steve Bannon, you know, a Trump ally and former White House aide, in criminal contempt for his refusal comply with the committee's investigation of January 6th the Capitol attack that happened on January 6th.

Bannon was scheduled for a deposition last Thursday but he didn't show. As a result, Bannon's lawyer actually wrote to the committee and said his client would not provide any testimony or documents until the committee reached an agreement with former President Donald Trump over executive privilege or a court weighed in on the matter of him weighing in on what's going on with the committee.

Now, all of this, of course, is despite the fact that he actually was not working at the White House or for President Donald Trump at the time of the attack on January 6th. So what happens next?

Well, the committee is set to meet on Tuesday for a business meeting. Once the committee votes on holding Bannon in criminal contempt, then it will go to the entire House of Representatives before being referred to the Department of Justice for them to act on this. The Justice Department will then make its own determinations for prosecuting.

But, look, any individual who is found liable for contempt of Congress has been guilty of a crime that may result in a fine between 1 to 12 months of imprisonment. I must stress here, guys, that this process is rarely invoked and rarely leads to jail time.

And this process is incredibly unique. You know, the last time someone was held in criminal contempt was during the Reagan administration. Really what's happening here is this committee that's investigating the January 6th capitol attack, is trying to send a message to any witnesses, any people that they call to help with the investigation, if they refuse to help, they're going to take the necessary steps to have them participate. So, Bannon not participating will lead obviously to his criminal contempt and this process we're talking about.

So, bottom line here is, this is a warning shot to any person that's not going to participate in this investigation that Congress and Democratic leaders are taking very seriously -- Christi and Boris.

PAUL: All right. Let me ask you, Daniella, about House lawmakers, they're coming back this week and there are some significant items on their to-do list. They're still divided, particularly Democrats, over President Biden's economic plans.

Do we know how they plan to strategize to salvage that agenda?

DIAZ: Well, Christi, if the strategy is to publicly debate what's going on with the economic bill, that's exactly what's happening. On Friday, Senator Bernie Sanders, you know, an independent senator liberal senator, he wrote an op-ed touting this $3.5 trillion economic bill, that was the original price tag that was decided for this bill that would expand the nation ease social safety net.

[07:10:17]

He wrote in an op-ed in the biggest newspaper in Joe Manchin's home state of West Virginia, trying to convince his constituents to support it. Now, Manchin didn't like this. He actually issued a very intense statement on Friday to Sanders, you know, rebuking the fact that he wrote this op-ed in his paper.

But the thing is, these debates are now happening publicly. Moderates and progressives are divided about the top line number for this economic bill. Separately, progressives are holding up a bipartisan infrastructure bill in the House that already passed the Senate, so it only needs to go to the House before it goes to Joe Biden's desk. The bottom line here is, the new self-imposed deadline is October 31st for it to pass both of these bills and these debates are happening publicly.

So, the administration is working hard to try to figure out how they can reach that deadline -- Christi and Boris. SANCHEZ: And with Senator Manchin's response to Senator Sanders

calling him an out-of-stater saying he's not going to listen to a socialist gives you an idea these two sides remain far apart.

Daniella Diaz from Capitol Hill, thank you so much.

We're following some news in Houston where a manhunt is under way right now for someone who ambushed three deputies outside of a bar early Saturday morning.

PAUL: Yeah, one deputy who we are now learning just returned from paternity leave was shot and killed. Two others were wounded in the attack.

Here's CNN's Jean Casarez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At a Houston sports bar in the parking lot, deputies were called to that parking lot because of something that was going on. They believed it was a robbery.

They thought they had the person that was responsible. They were in the midst of arresting the person. The person was on the ground. They were right there.

And, all of a sudden, we are told, that someone came from around the car with an AR-15 assault rifle and began shooting at the deputies. One was shot in the back. The other shot, who has succumbed to the injuries, and then another deputy came out because of hearing what was happening and was shot in the leg with multiple leg fractures.

We do know the identities of these officers, we want to show you all of them. First of all, Kareem Atkins, he was 30 years old, he had just got back from paternity leave. He leaves a wife and a 2-month-old baby.

Darryl Garrett, he is 28 years old. He was shot in the back. He is now in the intensive care unit.

And finally, Juqaim Barthen, 26 years old, he has been a member of the force since 2019.

Now these officers, they worked together, they knew each other, they were buddies, we are told. I want you to listen to how the Constable Mark Herman talks about what one was told just before he was wheeled into surgery.

CONSTABLE MARK HERMAN, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS: He found out laying bleeding out on a gurney that his buddy he had just been with, was deceased, and -- but I can tell you all three of them, they worked the same area, they're good friends, they -- it's just a complete tragedy is what it is.

CASAREZ: The criminal investigation continues. The deputy that did succumb to his injuries his body is at the Harris County Medical examiner's office.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Jean Casarez, thank you so much.

Now, the fatal ambush and this is what's striking, it happened just hours before President Biden honored law enforcement who have died in the line of duty.

The site of the insurrection became a place of reflection. Take a look at this. The president paying tribute to the Houston deputies during the Annual National Memorial Service for fallen police, saying, quote, in part we mourn the fallen and pray for the wounded.

SANCHEZ: He also commemorated the officers who protected the capitol during the insurrection. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Particularly appropriate today, is here nine months ago, your brothers and sisters thwarted an unconstitutional and fundamentally un-American attack on our nation's values and our votes. But because of you, democracy survived.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Biden noted more officers have died from the pandemic than on the job and urged them to get vaccinated to avoid more preventable tragedies.

And speaking of the pandemic, there is some good news this morning in the fight against COVID-19. The U.S. has now fully vaccinated nearly 57 percent of its total population, but, of course, health and government officials are still pushing to ramp up those numbers.

PAUL: Well, now, the FDA set to authorize a second dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine.

[07:15:01]

But the director of the National Institutes of Health says don't rush out the door for your booster just yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. FRANCIS COLLINS, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: You know, if the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna had not been so utterly amazingly effective, 95 percent, then Johnson & Johnson would look like a hero with their one dose, but I guess our standards are being set awfully high here by the other vaccines.

There was data that suggested that if you are going to get a booster for J&J, maybe getting a Moderna or Pfizer booster would actually have some advantages in terms of giving you an even stronger immune response. Don't run out, anybody, who got J&J. I would wait another week right now and see what CDC's advisory committee does with this next week. By maybe a week from today, I will tell my grandkids what I think they ought to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: You know, a lot of eyeballs are on the holiday season because we're edging towards it and getting new guidance from the CDC now. Health experts say masks and outdoor gatherings are the best way to make holiday gatherings safe this year and the biggest advice, anyone who can get vaccinated should do so.

Any time you hear La Nina when it comes to weather, you know that means a lot of instability, so we think. So, we'll find out what that means long-term drought conditions could get even worse, we understand, if you're in the west. We'll bring you the latest ahead this hour.

SANCHEZ: Please, the Virginia's governor's race heating up in its final weeks. We'll tell you why both candidates are investing heavily in trying to get Latino voters on their side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:47]

PAUL: Good to have you with us. 20 minutes past the hour.

And, you know, voters have already begun casting ballots to choose Virginia's next governor, Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin.

Now, every vote counts as recent polls show a close race here could tell us more about the future of political trends.

SANCHEZ: With the margin between the two in the single digits, both candidates are trying to win over a growing part of Virginia's population, Latino voters. I got a chance to meet with some at a campaign stop and here's their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TERRY MCAULIFFE (D-VA), NOMINEE FOR GOVERNOR: We got Peru, Nicaragua --

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a hotly contested Virginia governor's race, retail politics means shopping for cafe at Todos supermarket.

Mingling with dozens of workers and customers and the owner, Carlos Castro.

MCAULIFFE: You guys voted yet?

SANCHEZ: Democrat Terry McAuliffe going to great lengths to court Latino voters amid signs of a potential shift in the reliably Democratic leaning demographic.

MCAULIFFE: It's critical that I get the Hispanic vote out here. SANCHEZ: With Latinos making up roughly 11 percent of the commonwealth's population, Democrats see Virginia as a test.

MCAULIFFE: They are sick of Trump. They don't want to go back and they don't want a Trump wannabe coming into this governorship.

SANCHEZ: Though President Biden won nearly two-thirds of Latinos nationwide in 2020, former President Trump outperformed expectations leading Republicans to substantial gains across the country, including in Virginia where he gained six points among Latino voters.

ANA CASTRO, VIRGINIA VOTER (through translator): You sometimes make changes, right, when you see certain promises are not being kept?

SANCHEZ: While the McAuliffe campaign is going after his Republican opponent, Glenn Youngkin for emulating Trump, to some voters, that is the appeal.

Raul Velasco says he's worried about illegal immigration and crime.

RAUL VELASCO, VIRGINIA VOTER: It might seem wrong, but if they said Youngkin is one of Trump, I'm 100 percent with him.

GLENN YOUNGKIN (R-VA), NOMINEE FOR GOVERNOR: Let us come together to celebrate the mark that Hispanic and Latino Virginians have left on our state.

SANCHEZ: Eager to replicate Trump's success, Glenn Youngkin visited Todos grocery store last month and has held more than 20 outreach events targeting Latino voters. His campaign also investing in Spanish language advertising and social media.

DANIEL P. CORTEZ, LATINOS FOR YOUNGKIN CO-CHAIR: The Youngkin campaign's outreach program is remarkable.

SANCHEZ: An effort that's impressed Daniel P. Cortez, a politically independent Vietnam vet who voted for McAuliffe in 2013 but voted Trump in 2020 and now is the co-chair of Latinos for Youngkin.

CORTEZ: This is not about race. I'm tired of dealing with racial politics, in the previous election and this election. Voters are tired. They're going to vote their pocketbooks.

POLITICAL AD (translated): Let's vote early for Democrat Terry McAuliffe for governor.

SANCHEZ: Democrats have increased their own outreach launching a six- figure Spanish language media campaign on television, radio and online, along with dozens of community events, attempting to sway the undecided, like Carlos Castro.

CARLOS CASTRO, OWNER, TODOS SUPERMARKET (through translator): I think there's no better place than the United States, definitely.

SANCHEZ: Fleeing a civil war in El Salvador, the formerly undocumented immigrant hid in the shadows for years. He now employs hundreds of workers at multiple locations and says that his values align better with the Republican, but he says extremist rhetoric and discrimination toward immigrants like him have turned him away.

CASTRO: Then lately, after having all this bad treatment from all the Republican establishments, a lot of us have been forced to support that candidates that shows, you know, that they care about the community and fortunately, it's been the Democratic Party lately.

SANCHEZ: Other voters say what matters most to them is what comes after the outreach events wrap, once election day has passed.

LUZ HERNANDEZ, VIRGINIA VOTER (through translator): Whether Republican or Democrats, they tend to forget about us a bit. We want them to remember who Latinos are and now, we have contributed to this nation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: We have two CNN political commentators here to discuss all things Virginia.

[07:25:04]

We start with Democratic strategist Maria Cardona and Republican strategist Alice Stewart is with us as well.

Maria, let's start with you. I thought what the chair of Latinos for Youngkin said about his decision making in recent elections was really interesting. He voted for McAuliffe in 2013, he said he was offended by Ken Cuccinelli, the Republican candidate at the time, some of his anti-immigrant policies, last fall, he chose Trump. He was voting his pocketbook.

He said, he's sick of racial politics. I've spoken to a number of Democrats, including some former elected officials that lost in 2020, they say they're concerned that Democrats rely too heavily on racial identity to court voters.

Why do you think there's been this uptick in support for Republicans among Latinos?

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think there's a couple things going on there, Boris, and one of them is exactly what many Latinos have known for a long time and that is that Latinos are not a base vote for the Democratic Party. Latinos do focus primarily on pocketbook issues, on the economy, on what it is that the candidates are offering so that they and their families can reach, can have success, and get the American dream, which is why we all come to this country in the first place.

What I am seeing, though, Boris, is a couple different things here. The Terry McAuliffe campaign is actually running that kind of campaign. They are not taking Latino voters for granted and focusing on those pocketbook issues. When Terry was governor the last time around, there was a record number of Latino businesses that were launched, Latina businesses as well, huge economic boom for Latinos. He is making sure that that is front and center. But at the same time, you do have younger Latinos, Boris, that are

worried about not necessarily the racial issues, but what Carlos Castro was talking about, the owner of Todos groceries, about what turned him off in terms of Donald Trump and the Republicans and that is the otherizing of Latinos, the focus on discrimination, focus on making sure we did not feel welcomed in this country.

And that is a big difference in terms of what Latinos are looking for. Economic opportunity, but also a welcome mat for immigrants, Latinos who come here to make major contributions to this great country.

SANCHEZ: And, Alice, I think what Carlos said is something that we should discuss because his values, he told me, his values align better with the Republican Party, many Latinos are socially conservative, but he talks about mistreatment from Republicans. There's no question that part of former president Trump's success in solidifying and growing his movement was to demonize people like Carlos, who came into this country illegally, capitalized on xenophobia and his stranglehold over Republicans remains apparent.

So, how does your party keep the base energized and viability into the future and demographically the country is looking and sounding a lot more like Carlos?

ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Right. And I think what you did in that story, Boris, you did a fantastic job of getting a good cross-section of Latinos in the state of Virginia where I live, and to Carlos' point, it's really important that this is not about race, this is about policy.

And I've met Glenn Youngkin. He certainly espouses the policies of former president Trump, but his personality is diametrically different. And the focus of his campaign is on the issues that are important to Latinos and everyday working Virginias, jobs, pocketbook issues, public safety and education. And he has been traveling the state driving that message home and I think that is critical.

It's important to remember, Boris and Maria, you both know, Terry McAuliffe has been around the commonwealth for many years. He has 95 percent name ID in the state of Virginia, and he has barely broken the 50 percent threshold in polling since he has been running for this race.

And right now, with the Real Clear Politics average at 2.2 percent in favor of McAuliffe within with the margin of error, this is going to be a very tight race. You did a great job of showing them out on the campaign trail, connecting with these voters and talking about the issues and we've had Youngkin as you've said more than 20 outreach events to Latinos.

The key is to continue the ground game, speaking to them, getting out the votes and convincing Latinos and all people of Virginia that their candidate has the right policies that are important to them and get this talk off of personalities and focus on the policies. Because if you want to talk about personalities, McAuliffe is similar to Joe Biden and with all we have going on with the economy and the crisis at the border and Afghanistan and the supply chain issues, that's not a ticket you want to be very closely aligned with these days.

CARDONA: You know, but it's interesting that Alice says that when Joe Biden is actually going to go campaign with Terry McAuliffe and Glenn Youngkin is trying to keep Donald Trump at an arm's length.

[07:30:10]

And that I think you see the difference in these two candidates, where Youngkin understands how dangerous Donald Trump is and he's trying to have it both ways. Terry McAuliffe is trying to tie Glenn Youngkin to Donald Trump because, why? They are tied at the hip.

I listened to many radio shows on conservative media where Glenn Youngkin is enthusiastic about Donald Trump's five endorsements, and he says that such a huge reason of why he's running in Virginia has everything to do with what Donald Trump stands for, but yet he's trying to keep him at an arm's length. He can't have it both ways.

SANCHEZ: Maria, we are just about out of time, but I want to give Alice a chance to quickly respond.

STEWART: I think Youngkin has made it quite clear that he is espousing the policies and not the personality, and one thing that is extremely important to point out is, he has acknowledged Joe Biden as the duly elected president, he has accepted the 2020 election results, and he does have confidence in the election process, and he's encouraging people in Virginia to go out and vote for him and his policies over what we currently have in terms of the Democratic Party policies because I think this is going to be a bellwether race and this is a really good opportunity for conservatives to come out and let their voice be heard.

SANCHEZ: All eyes will be on this election. It could be a bellwether of what comes in 2022.

Maria Cardona and Alice Stewart, thank you both very much for joining us this morning.

CARDONA: Gracias, Boris.

STEWART: Thank you, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Of course. Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:35:45]

PAUL: Well, a major strike on Hollywood TV and film production has been averted, but this happened just hours before a midnight deadline. A tentative deal was reached between the producers union and a union representing roughly 60,000 behind-the-scenes workers.

SANCHEZ: And joining us now is CNN chief media correspondent and the host of "RELIABLE SOURCES," Brian Stelter.

Good morning, Brian. The Hollywood ending, as one union president put it, what were the two sides able to agree on?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: That's right. This was down to the wire, and this strike would have stopped virtually all Hollywood production, every TV show, every movie, because this union represents the below the line workers, the crew, the workers that build the sets and make the shows possible.

IATSE is the name of the union and the workers overwhelmingly voted to approve a strike, to allow a strike, earlier this month. That gave the union more power in its negotiations with the studios. It showed that the workers were serious, they were ready to walk off the job starting Sunday night, starting Monday morning. So with about 24 hours to go the strike has been averted.

And as you mentioned, here's what the head of the union says. He says, "It is a Hollywood ending. Our members stood firm, that we went toe to toe with some of the most richest, the powerful tech and entertainment companies in the world, and now we've reached an agreement that meets our needs."

So what is that agreement? Well, among other things, the tentative agreement that involves improved wages and working conditions for streaming production, which of course are more and more common. It also includes some retroactive wage increases, some other increased improvements to daily working conditions.

And what's the big story here beyond Hollywood? The big story is what the homepage of CNN.com says this morning, that the U.S. has not seen worker anger like this in decades. Coming out of the pandemic, some workers quitting their jobs, others demanding better working conditions, and workers have more leverage right now than they have had in years or arguably decades.

So whether we see that through a union organizing or we see that through people quitting and finding other work, we are seeing a rebalancing of the relationship between employee and employer and we saw that play out this weekend in Hollywood.

SANCHEZ: And maybe it means a third season of "The Morning Show," Brian.

STELTER: You're talking about the show I helped produce for Apple.

PAUL: Yes.

STELTER: You know, we'll see if there's a third season, but I do want to give you a little tease. OK? Can I give you a tease?

PAUL: Please.

SANCHEZ: Go for it.

STELTER: I have a cameo coming up, a cameo coming up with Reese Witherspoon.

SANCHEZ: All right. STELTER: So if you're not tired of seeing me on CNN, you can see me on

"The Morning Show."

PAUL: OK. We're going to be looking for that.

SANCHEZ: We will look for that. Brian Stelter, thank you so much.

You can catch more of Brian on "RELIABLE SOURCES" as well later this morning.

Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:43:02]

SANCHEZ: For the second winter in a row, La Nina is back and it's very concerning for a lot of Western states.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar with us now.

What does it mean for the weather here in the U.S., Allison?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Right. Yes, so just Thursday of this past week the National Weather Service NOAA upgrading us to a La Nina advisory. We have been under watched and really all this does is it just emphasizes that our confidence that not only is La Nina occurring now but that it's likely going to continue through the winter.

So the question is, what does that mean? Well, here's traditionally the conditions that we get when we have a La Nina winter. The main focus really being across the southern tier which tends to be warmer than average and drier than average. While that's not necessarily a problem for the southeast which has had a lot of moisture the last six months, it is a problem for the southwest.

Really when you look at the West as a whole, 92 percent of the Western states are in some level of a drought and over 50 percent of them are in what we would call extreme drought, especially across areas of the southwestern portion of the country. California specifically, it's not just the drought, but the impacts it has on the water. When you look at a lot of the reservoirs that are out there, a lot of these are looking at incredibly low levels.

San Luis only about 10 percent of its current capacity. Even Fine Plat, only 20 percent. Normally this time of year they would be at about 58 percent of capacity. Now when we look at the forecast of what is expected over the next couple of months, this is a look at October through December.

Again, you can see a lot of those drier than average conditions are anticipated, Christy, and that's a concern especially for any of those already ongoing wildfires in the region.

PAUL: Allison Chinchar, thank you for the head's up. We appreciate it.

SANCHEZ: Thanks.

PAUL: Be sure to catch an all-new episode of the CNN Original Series "Diana."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH EMANUEL, DRESS DESIGNER: You could hear the people outside and the crowds.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody was waiting for the famous carriage coming. With Diana and her father, Earl Spencer, going to St. Paul's.

[07:45:05]

EMANUEL: Then you hear the click-cloppers as, you know, the carriage rolls up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Leaving Clarance House in the glass coach, her father beside her, Lady Diana Spencer.

EMANUEL: Her father was quite a big man. There was a lot of Diana and the dress and her father in that tiny carriage. A bit of a challenge getting her in there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The world gets its first full glimpse of the fairytale princess.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I remember hearing the director in my ear saying to the cameraman who was in the point position to get that shot as she came out of the carriage.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: You can watch tonight's new episode of the CNN Original Series "Diana." It's tonight at 9:00 p.m.

We'll be right back.

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[07:50:34]

PAUL: Nineteen-year-old singer and songwriter Grace Gaustad has thousands of followers on Instagram. Millions of music streams online. But before fame she struggled with depression and anxiety after being by bullied by classmates in high school. So for her debut album she's also released a short film recreating both the traumatic experiences of her past and the healing journey that got her through all of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE GAUSTAD, SINGER AND SONGWRITER: That 75th Cafe, the place where every ounce of my dignity was stolen, the place where I learned to hate myself, the place where I learned to hate others. It's also the place where I learned that everyone, even the worst people, are human.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Singer Grace Gaustad is with us now.

Grace, it's so good to see you. Congratulations on your debut album here "BLKBX: Wht r u Hding?" is what it's called. I know this is happening on World Mental Health Day. What made you want to share your own experience with mental health?

GAUSTAD: What made me want to share my own experience with mental health is really, you know, I think it's so hard to be a teenager in today's society, and I think that as much as I can do to help the next generation have an easier time than I did, you know, that's really what I want to use my voice and my platform for. I knew that I didn't just want to put out an album, I wanted to put out a project that I feel could actually make a difference in the world.

PAUL: So, it takes a lot of strength, I mean, it takes a lot of gumption to be as vulnerable as you're allowing yourself to be publicly. Help us understand what you went through.

GAUSTAD: I went through a lot of bullying in school about a lot of different things, and I explore all of these topics in "BLKBX: Wht r u Hding?" I went through body dysmorphia, anxiety, depression, a learning disability, sort of coming to terms with my sexuality, you know, a lot of things that I feel a lot of kids go through today. And, you know, bullying, unfortunately, is very prevalent in today's sort of school system and society, and it can really affect, you know, people long term, it certainly affected me.

But I'm really grateful for the experiences I did have because it allowed me to create a project like "BLKBX " and sort of turn something that was rather painful into something beautiful.

PAUL: And what have you heard from people about this? Because I know that when somebody, particularly if you're younger, teenager, or, you know, early 20s, you see somebody going through something that you're going through now or that you have been through, it is so strengthening. You must be getting some sort of feedback from people.

GAUSTAD: The feedback has probably been the most rewarding part of the entire project. You know, I get countless messages on a day-to-day basis about, you know, teens sharing, you know, their own coming-out story because of the song "Red" or, you know, people sharing how they were able to sort of overcome their fear of therapy through "93 Days." And it's just amazing to see, you know, the music really doing something good.

And it's been an incredible way for me to connect with fans on a much deeper and more personal level. And it's just amazing, you know, I'm fascinated by human beings and our entire existence, so it's great to see, you know, the project have positive impact. PAUL: It's so nice to hear you talk about therapy because it can have

a negative connotation to it. I love therapy personally. I've been there, I've done it. Is that part of your hope is to make sure that people figure out a way to get the help that they need that oftentimes has to come from somebody else, and it's a professional?

GAUSTAD: Absolutely. You know, I think therapy's a really important part of anybody's healing journey. But, you know, I totally understand that therapy's not always available to everyone. So part of, you know, my mission with the BLKBX.org, which his sort of our social give back section of "BLKBX: Wht r u Hding?"

I paired up with a professional therapist Jaz Robbins who walks through 12 of the topics discussed in "BLKBX," you know, that anxiety, depression, sexuality, et cetera. And on the Web site she provides sort of free guidance for, you know, teens, adults, anyone who's really searching for it, and it's really easy to access, and that's something that I wish I had when I was younger.

[07:55:05]

So I wanted to make sure that was something I included in this project for, you know, anyone who may be struggling.

PAUL: I love how strong you are and how brave you are and how talented you are.

Grace Gausted, thank you for everything you're doing. We wish you the very best.

GAUSTAD: Thank you so, so much. I'm happy to be here today.

PAUL: We are happy to have you. Take good care of yourself. We're cheering you on.

GAUSTAD: All right. Thank you.

PAUL: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Obviously just did that a little while ago, yesterday. She is a pretty extraordinary woman. Really, really awesome to see what she's doing for other people there. So we want to wish you the very best this morning as well. We hope you make good memories.

SANCHEZ: And thank you so much for joining us. Christi, always great to be with you. Don't go anywhere because "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY" is up next. Phil Mattingly in the chair this weekend. Take care.

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