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Hard-Hit North Carolina City in Crisis Amid Post-Apocalyptic Storm Damage; Israel Warns Next Stage of Hezbollah War Will Start Soon; Judge Strikes Down Georgia Ban on Most Abortions. Time Running Out To Avoid Crippling U.S. Port Strike; Former President Jimmy Carter Turning 100 Tomorrow. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired September 30, 2024 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, water and destruction as far as the eye can see after western North Carolina was hammered by Helene. We'll talk to the FEMA administrator on the ground in Asheville amid apocalyptic conditions as the storm death toll across the southeast is rising.

Also tonight, Israel warns it's heading into what it's calling the next stage of its war against Hezbollah, as a limited ground invasion of Lebanon may, repeat, may be imminent. CNN is near Israel's northern border, where a closed military zone, as declared by Israel, has been declared.

Plus, breaking news, a Georgia judge just struck down a state law banning abortions beyond six weeks into pregnancy. Stand by for details on this major ruling and what happens next.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer and you're in The Situation Room.

We begin with the devastation from one of the deadliest storms to hit the U.S. in decades. At least 128 people have been killed from Helene's onslaught in the southeast. That toll almost certain to climb dramatically with some 600 people missing or unaccounted for.

CNN's Isabel Rosales has more for us from the storm ravaged city of Asheville, North Carolina.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Lines of cars in Asheville, North Carolina, waiting.

LEXI LINDSEY, ASHEVILLE RESIDENT: It's just rough. It's hard to see in the city like this.

ROSALES (voice over): Some families tell CNN they've run out of drinking water in the hard-hit western area of the state. And without electricity, their food is rotting. Gary O'Dell is sharing everything he's got his home with his daughter who lost it all to the catastrophic floods and even life-saving oxygen tanks with his neighbor.

GARY O'DELL, SHARING OXYGEN TANKS WITH NEIGHBOR: My next door neighbor ran out of oxygen. He's worse shape than I am. That's my problem. I've got lung cancer now too. And you don't -- you know, you don't realize, you know, oxygen is very important.

ROSALES: Nonprofits teaming up to serve 2,000 residents in the first four hours.

MICHELLE COLEMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ASHEVILLE DREAM CENTER: How are you guys doing?

ROSALES: This is one of the first semi-trucks full of desperately needed supplies to arrive in Asheville.

COLEMAN: This is the most devastating thing I've ever seen in our whole city. I think that the loss of life, the fact that if you don't have cash, you can't get anything. We've gone to stores, water's out, ice is out. People slept overnight at gas stations. Like I feel like we've never seen this before.

ROSALES: Alejandra Fuerte forced to walk to get help. She needs baby diapers for her grandchild.

We're not doing well, said Alejandra. It made me so heartbroken to see everything so destroyed.

Outside of Asheville, it's even more waiting. Hours, just for gas, at the few pumps that are still running. CNN flew by helicopter with a nonprofit surveying inaccessible towns. Heavy trees and downed power lines are blocking major roadways, hampering the delivery of badly needed supplies. An overturned semi-truck lain upside down in the river and numerous landslides, all spotted from above.

Black Mountain City Manager Josh Harrold says it could take years to get over this devastation.

JOSH HARROLD, BLACK MOUNTAIN CITY MANAGER: It's catastrophic. Black Mountain may never look the same again. It's just total destruction.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And Isabel Rosales is joining us now live from Asheville, North Carolina. Isabel, you've been on the ground in Asheville since Helene actually hit. What's the biggest need that you're seeing right now?

ROSALES (on camera): Wolf, everything. They need everything, basic stuff, baby formula, food, water. They're running out of this stuff. They've been out of electricity for days now. Their food is rotting. And it is so hard to get to some of these people up in the mountaintops that they're actually flying. I could hear helicopters going all the time, either trying to rescue people that are trapped or trying to give them supply so they can just hold on.

[18:05:03]

I've actually also ventured today for the first time, been able to venture outside of Asheville. Oh, and you see right here, Wolf, you can see the FEMA vehicles. This is Lake Lure, where we've seen so many first responders going in there, still going through all of this debris because this is still an active search and rescue. There are people that are still so unaccounted for, Wolf. And this is as far out as they're letting us go through the police line right here.

It's going to take a long time for these communities to recover. We've heard from so many, including the governor, days, weeks, months, if not years, including the mayor of a nearby town over here who said that 50 percent of his neighbors all lost their homes, Wolf, all lost their homes.

This is going to take a while. Yes, it's so heartbreaking. They need everything. You make a good point.

Isabel Rosales in North Carolina for us, thank you very much.

I want to go to the White House right now. That's where President Biden just announced his plan to visit the disaster zone in North Carolina.

CNN's Kayla Tausche has more on that for us. Kayla, tell us, first of all, what the president is saying about his trip and the impact of Hurricane Helene.

KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the president just announced those plans today at the White House when he was receiving a briefing by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, as well as the leader of FEMA, Deanne Criswell. And he said that he's going to be first visiting a command center in Raleigh and then taking an aerial tour from there, basically the only way that it's possible to see the brunt of the damage in that state, especially in some of those harder hit areas. He says he'll also travel to Georgia and Florida. When it's safe and when conditions allow him to do so.

But President Biden also fielded some questions from reporters, and one of them -- in response to one of them, he gave an especially colorful and at times frustrated response when he was asked to respond to comments by former President Donald Trump today that he and some of the Democratic leaders are, in Trump's words, ignoring other parts of their states and not sending the type of response that is needed.

And here's how Biden responded to that question. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Donald Trump has accused both of you of ignoring the decisions --

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: He is lying. Let me get this straight. He's lying. And the governor told him he was lying. The governor told me he's lying. I've spoken to the governor, I've spent time with him, and he told me he's lying. I don't know why he does this.

And the reason I get so angry about it, I don't care about what he says about me. If I care what he communicates to the people that are in need, he implies that we're not doing everything possible. We are. We are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAUSCHE: Biden there in the Oval Office with his Homeland Security adviser also asked whether this storm was the result of climate change, to which Biden said, absolutely, unequivocally, yes. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, Kayla, thank you very much, Kayla Tausche reporting.

Joining us now, the FEMA administrator, Deanne Criswell, she's on the ground in Asheville, North Carolina, as well. Deanne, thanks so much for joining us.

The Asheville mayor says her city needs, quote, emergency relief right now. What are you seeing on the ground there as you survey the damage?

DEANNE CRISWELL, ADMINISTRATOR, FEMA: Wolf, I had an opportunity to join Governor Cooper today to do an aerial tour of some of the areas that were impacted and talk to people on the ground to understand even what they're hearing from neighbors or not hearing and what their biggest concerns are. Wolf, we've had resources in here since before the storm made landfall, even in Florida. And we know that there's still great need. We know that there's a lot of power that's out. We know that the water systems are down and we have been moving commodities in partnership with the state and moving them out into the communities, but we know there's areas we haven't gotten to yet.

And so we'll continue to get that information of the places that still need critical equipment, critical food and water. We're going to continue to move that into those areas.

BLITZER: At least 128 people, we're now told, have died across six states as a result of the Helene. The White House Homeland Security adviser, Liz Sherwood Randall, says that number could rise to as many as 600. What is your sense of the horrific impact of this storm, and do you agree with Liz Sherwood Randall?

CRISWELL: So, this storm has been historic. I mean, it went across destruction in six different states. And here in North Carolina, it has been catastrophic. There is a number of people unaccounted for here in North Carolina. We know that a number of those are probably due to loss of communications. But we do believe that that death in here will be probably still continue to rise, which is why we're bringing in additional search and rescue to get out into those communities that we haven't been able to reach yet. And it's just devastating across all six states, high numbers of loss of life in every state that has been impacted by Hurricane Helene.

[18:10:02] BLITZER: Some families are telling CNN, Deanne, that still -- that they still don't know whether their loved ones have survived the storm. What is your message to these very desperate families? I think sometimes that is so hard and one of the hardest things for families when they just don't know yet. And we know a lot of it is because the communications are down.

CRISWELL: The best thing that they can do right now is if they have not called 211 to let officials here in North Carolina know that their families haven't been able to be connected with them yet. That gives us that information, so we can start to focus our efforts of where the unaccounted are and see if we can find anybody that still needs rescuing.

BLITZER: As you know, Deanne, hundreds of roads remain closed in the southeast as a result of Hurricane Helene. How much is this hampering FEMA's ability to actually go ahead and deliver these badly needed supplies?

CRISWELL: You know, the road closures are certainly a hindrance, right, because we want to be able to get in close to these communities that have been impacted. But we have a large amount of aerial assets that have been here since before the storm. We're bringing additional in to complement what already the state has in place. They have been flying here all day. I've been hearing them all day as I've been here. I've been able to see them as I was flying around today, other resources that are out putting those supplies, trying to reach the people that have been impacted.

I know the Department of Transportation just requested additional resources that are coming in from Florida to help them clear these roads. We're going to continue to listen to what their needs are, bring in additional federal assets and help open these roads so we can reach these communities, because we know that there's still so many people that have been isolated as a result of the storm's path.

BLITZER: Quickly, before I let you go, Deanne, do you want to comment at all on what Trump is saying that the Biden administration is not really helping Republican areas of North Carolina?

CRISWELL: So, Wolf, I was in Florida earlier this week, and then I went to Georgia to assess the impacts in both of those states. I have been in contact with all of the governors in the six states that were impacted. We have had resources on the ground since before the storm hit in Florida, in Georgia, as well as North Carolina, in Tennessee, North Carolina, and now Virginia even. Virginia has been experiencing impacts. It's just completely false. We have had so many resources on the ground before. We have over 3,000 federal resources across all of the different states right now, and we are continuing to send more.

And we are also grateful to what FEMA, your team is doing, to help these people who are desperate right now. The FEMA administrator, Deanne Criswell, thanks so much for joining us.

CRISWELL: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: And to our viewers, for more information about how you can help Hurricane Helene victims, go to cnn.com/impact.

And just ahead, the breaking news out of Georgia right now, where a judge just struck down the state's abortion ban.

Also coming up, a live report from Israel's northern border on apparent incursion into Lebanon.

Stay with us. You're in The Situation Room.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:15:00]

BLITZER: In the Middle East this hour, there are growing signs right now that Israel could launch a ground offensive into Lebanon at any time.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is joining us live from Northern Israel, right near the border with Lebanon. Jeremy, what are you seeing and what are you hearing?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we're less than two miles away from the Lebanese border, and we have consistently and frequently tonight been hearing the sound of artillery firing into Southern Lebanon for the first time over the course of this conflict. And what that indicates to us, of course, is that this could be the preparations for an imminent ground offensive by the Israeli military into Southern Lebanon.

That would be consistent with how many of these modern militaries work. You pummel the area with artillery and then you send in those infantry troops, as well as armored vehicles on the ground. We have also seen as the Israeli military tonight has closed off an area very near to the border, declaring it a closed military zone. That's very similar to what we saw ahead of Israel's ground offensive into the Gaza Strip, of course, at the -- towards the end of last year.

And in addition to that, as we were driving up here, Wolf, we saw on the side of the highway about 100 tanks and armored personnel carriers, military vehicles prepared for the possibility of that ground offensive. All of this, Wolf, as we are learning tonight that the Israeli security cabinet has indeed now approved the, quote, next phase of its war against Hezbollah. We know that earlier today, the Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, he made very clear that Israel will employ all of its capabilities in this fight against Hezbollah, including, of course, the use of ground forces.

BLITZER: All right. Jeremy Diamond, stay safe in northern Israel over there. We'll be in touch. Thank you very much.

Joining us now, the former U.S. deputy secretary of state, Wendy Sherman. Wendy, thanks very much for joining us. As you know, President Biden had a rather stark warning for Israel today. I want you and our viewers to watch this exchange. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REPORTER: Israel may be now launching a limited operation into Lebanon. Are you aware of that? Are you comfortable with their plan?

BIDEN: I'm more aware than you might know, and I'm comfortable with them stopping. We should have a ceasefire now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Wendy, why do you think Prime Minister Netanyahu, maybe he's listening, but not necessarily paying much attention to what the president of the United States is saying? Has the U.S. lost the ability to influence a key ally in the region?

WENDY SHERMAN, FORMER DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE: We'll, Wolf, every sovereign state has the option to make its own decisions, of course, I don't think the United States has lost all of its influence with Israel.

[18:20:02]

Indeed, what I expect will happen here, at least this phase will be limited incursions into the south to get rid of infrastructure, so Hezbollah cannot recreate that space, so that the some 70,000 Israeli citizens will be able to move back home and feel secure in living along the border.

BLITZER: So, I think the administration has had an impact. I think we have let the Israelis know that if they did a full-scale invasion, they might succeed of course, but it might also create more support for Hezbollah among Lebanese citizens who would indeed be impacted by such an invasion.

SHERMAN: These are very tough decisions. I'm glad that President Biden, Vice President Harris are really leading the way here because it's a time for steadiness and clarity and clear-eyed and understanding that we will defend Israel. Its long-term security, however, it will be dependent on the creation of a Palestinian state so that Palestinians feel their own security, have dignity. That really is the only way to ensure long-term security for Israel.

BLITZER: Yes, that's certainly what President Biden and Vice President Harris keep saying. A two-state solution is desperately needed as quickly as possible.

Is there any guarantee, Wendy, that Israel can prevent a limited ground incursion into Lebanon from spiraling into a much broader regional war?

SHERMAN: Well, that's certainly the concern that we have, that it not spiral into a larger war. And indeed, Iran, who is the backer of Hezbollah, Hezbollah's most effective proxy to try to wipe out the existence of Israel, and we certainly support Israel's right to defend itself in every single way, Iran's in a difficult position because they want to re engage with their new president, indeed the vice president is Javad Zarif, whom you know well, Wolf, who was the architect of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with then Secretary John Kerry. I was part of that, and Abbas Araghchi, who's now the foreign minister, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, who's the vice foreign minister, deputy foreign minister, were my counterparts in that negotiation.

They want to re engage. They want to get rid of some of the sanctions to improve the Iranian economy. So, right now, Iran is leaving it to Hezbollah to do the fighting. Hopefully, Israel will prevail in this limited space to get Israeli citizens back. And the last thing I want to make sure that your listeners remember is October 7th is one week away, the anniversary of Hamas' brutal invasion of Israel, and there's still 101 hostages 97 from that horrible invasion by Hamas. That's coming a week from today during the high holidays for Jews around the world. Quite a moment when the hostage families aren't on the frontline of the news, but this invasion of Lebanon may well be.

BLITZER: Yes. Wendy Sherman, thanks very much for that update. I appreciate it very, very much.

Coming up, how Hurricane Helene is already impacting the race for the White House, what both candidates are now saying about the catastrophic storm and the federal response.

Plus, Donald Trump turns up his personal attacks on Kamala Harris, calling her, and I'm quoting him now, mentally impaired. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:25:00]

BLITZER: As the Southeast here in the United States cleans up from Hurricane Helene, the impacts of the catastrophic storm are being felt out there on the campaign trail as well.

Our correspondents are tracking the race for the White House from every angle. First, let's go to CNN's Eva McKend. She's covering the Harris campaign for us. Eva, how is the vice president, first of all, responding to this crisis?

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we know that she's receiving regular briefings. The vice president gave brief remarks today at FEMA headquarters, where she described the destruction as heartbreaking. She acknowledged the loss of life, the loss of homes, those without power, and pledged the full support of the federal government.

Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We will do everything in our power to help communities respond and recover.

I plan to be on the ground as soon as possible, but as soon as possible without disrupting any emergency response operations, because that must be the highest priority.

To everyone who has been impacted by this storm and to all of those of you who are rightly feeling overwhelmed by the destruction and the loss, our nation is with you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: And this comes at a time when the campaign has had to pivot. She was planning to stay longer on the West Coast for more campaign events, but she came back to Washington early to be able to address the impact of this weather event. We know that she's been in conversation with many of the governors, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.

And she did reiterate her plans as you heard to visit the impacted areas as soon as possible. But the key is she doesn't want to disrupt emergency response operations.

And then lastly, Wolf, she also spoke about the importance of rising to the moment of this crisis, I took that to mean that she wants to keep politics out of this.

BLITZER: Good, important point indeed. Eva McKend, thank you very much.

I want to go to CNN's Kristen Holmes right now. She's got more on Donald Trump's stop at a hard-hit city in Georgia today.

[18:30:02]

Kristen, Trump went after President Biden while he was there.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. His campaign's saying that this wasn't a political trip, but Donald Trump has been making this storm and the aftermath incredibly political. For days, he has been blaming Kamala Harris, blaming Joe Biden, saying that he's the one going to the ground while they are not. Of course, I do want to point out what Eva just said there, talking about those resources, this is a common occurrence for sitting presidents and even sitting vice presidents, they often wait to go into a disaster zone, so none of those resources will be diverted to them. That should be going to help with search and rescue or rebuilding.

But, again, Donald Trump making this very political. At one point, he even on Truth Social tried to say, and we still have no evidence of this, that the federal government was not helping Republicans or Republican areas. He said that the federal government, particularly the Biden administration, was leaving people to drown.

And then today, during his remarks, he seemed to imply that Governor Kemp, the Republican governor in Georgia, was having a hard time getting in touch with Joe Biden, something the governor himself seem to dispel here. Take a listen to what Donald Trump said and then what Kemp said about his relationship or his conversations with Joe Biden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: The governor is doing a very good job. He's having a hard time getting the president on the phone. I guess they're not being responsive. The federal government is not being responsive.

GOV. BRIAN KEMP (R-GA): The president just called me yesterday afternoon. I missed him and called him right back. And he just said, hey, what do you need? And I told him, you know, we got what we need. We'll work through the federal process. He offered that if there's other things we need just to call him directly, which I appreciate that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And of course, as we've been reporting, President Biden has now said he will be traveling to North Carolina. Donald Trump is expected to be in North Carolina on Friday. Unclear if he's going to be doing anything regarding the damage and what we have seen on the ground there. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. Kristen Holmes and Eva McKend, both of you, thank you very much.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is lobbing personal insults at Kamala Harris and calling into question her mental fitness. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Joe Biden became mentally impaired, Kamala was born that way.

Crooked Joe Biden became mentally impaired, sad. But lying Kamala Harris, honestly, I believe she was born that way. There's something wrong with Kamala, and I just don't know what it is, but there is definitely something missing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right. Let's discuss what's going on. Democratic strategist James Carville is joining us. James, thanks so much for joining us. What do you make, first of all, of these rather disparaging comments from the former president?

JAMES CARVILLE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, maybe I'll go to Washington, North Carolina, and bring some paper towels and throw them at people, if you remember his response to the Puerto Rico hurricane. And all of this is so classless and so expected, it doesn't even -- I used to get mad at this kind of stuff. I'm no longer getting mad. What else can he say? He gets contradicted by the Republican governor of Georgia. This is just expected. I mean, I think the guy is really diminished. And, by the way, if the vice president was born that way, why did she beat him 100 to nothing in a debate? He can't be very smart if she was born impaired and wipe the floor with him at the ABC debate.

So, I think at some point we're just going to have to start taking these pitches and letting them go by, because I don't think they're particularly effective.

BLITZER: In our CNN poll of polls, the latest one, Kamala Harris has a slight lead over Trump, 50 to 47 percent, but she lags behind Biden's performance with many key parts of the 2020 Democratic coalition. So, how big of a problem, potentially, is this for Kamala Harris?

CARVILLE: I would rather answer it this way. It's a big opportunity because she has some upward movement to get as people get to know her better. People know President Biden very well. They've formed very definitive judgments about him. And I think the vice president is still a work in progress. But the good news, she's got five weeks to go to do that.

So, I actually kind of find this mildly encouraging. If she's three points ahead and she's still pretty unknown, that tells me that there's room to grow here.

BLITZER: But is five weeks too short a time?

CARVILLE: Well, it's the time you got. The weather is too short and too long. The one thing, we're going to go to post, I guess it's November 5th, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. And you know, Harold Wilson and Harold MacMillan, one of the British Harold, said in politics a week is a year, so I guess maybe we got five years, Wolf.

BLITZER: We shall see. You know, the vice presidential candidates, Governor Tim Walz and Senator J.D. Vance, will have their big debate tomorrow night. Given that Trump and Harris will only have one debate, at least so far, does that raise the stakes for this contest tomorrow night?

[18:35:07]

CARVILLE: Well, maybe slightly. And, by the way, I would point out, as we all know, it's Vice President Harris who wants to have another debate. It's Trump who's chickening out. He's scared of her. And I think he feels superior if he's behind a microphone and he can't be questioned or attacked by Vice President Harris. He's not a very manly candidate, I don't think. But, you know, I'll be watching tomorrow night. I think it'll be interesting. Generally, if history's any guide, it won't be determinative very much, but I think Governor Walz will do just fine. I have every confidence he'll be fine.

BLITZER: You have a truly wonderful new documentary premiering on CNN this coming Saturday. I want to play a little clip from it. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: James knew his generation's ambivalence. He knew how people felt who had served and who had decided not to serve. He looked at the letter in a totally different way than anyone else. That's so James to see opportunity at a moment when everybody else sees death. BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Carville recommended that we turn into it, that we deal with it.

REPORTER: Why did the Pentagon, in your opinion, release the letter?

CARVILLE: I think that it is -- why do you think they -- well, let's try a case of rocket science. Here's an article in The Wall Street Journal on Friday, and here's a story that looks like it might be going away. And somebody says, aha, look, we have something that can kick this story an extra day.

My job was to convey to the press and the public that we are tough (BLEEP) people that know what they're doing, because that was really part of what I was selling.

But you have to ask -- are you going to let me answer the question or are you going to interrupt me, okay?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That defiance ended up sending a bigger signal that lasted throughout the whole campaign. If you've got a big problem, confront it. Don't hide it.

CLINTON: Carville's approach is just as relevant, perhaps more relevant today than it was in 1992. You turn into the fire, you don't turn away from it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: A lot of memories. You bring back a lot of memories in this documentary. As you remember, you and I met when I came down to Little Rock in 1992 to cover the Bill Clinton campaign.

Applying that approach that we just heard to tomorrow night's debate, how does Tim Walz turn into the fire?

CARVILLE: Well, I think he's going to have several opportunities, but I do think that the big challenge that J.D. Vance is going to have is how does he talk about abortion. He's got an entire record, he's got statements, and I would be stunned if they don't hit him with the childless cat lady thing, which, Wolf, you and I have been around a long time, since 1992, I think that's 32 years. I've never seen a comment by a national party candidate as sticky as J.D. Vance's childless cat lady thing. So, I think he's going to be trying to catch a lot of knives on this issue.

And if I could just correct you slightly on one thing, I think it airs next Sunday, not Saturday, on CNN, but just as just a slight observation.

BLITZER: Well, it's now airing Saturday, just to be precise. James Carville, thank you very much.

CARVILLE: Oh, it is. Okay.

BLITZER: It's news for you, but we'll be watching. There you see, Saturday night, 7:00 P.M., Carville. Winning is Everything, Stupid. That's the name of the documentary, Winning is Everything, Stupid. It premieres this coming Saturday night, 7:00 P.M. Eastern. We'll all be watching it right here on CNN. Thank you, James. We appreciate it very much.

And just ahead, breaking news out of Georgia, where a judge has just struck down the state's abortion ban. We have details on the ruling, and we'll share them with you right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

BLITZER: There's breaking news we're following right now. A judge in Georgia has just struck down the state's very restrictive abortion law, which effectively bans the procedure after six weeks.

Let's bring in CNN's Nick Valencia and Attorney Amy Lee Copeland. Nick, first to you. Tell our viewers what this means.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this judge's ruling basically opens the door for the procedure to happen up to 22 weeks of pregnancy. This judge, Robert McBurney, he said that abortions must now be regulated, as they were back in 2019, prior to the passage of the controversial heartbeat bill. And it was back in 2019 that Georgia lawmakers passed what was then thought to be one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the country, outlawing the procedure at six weeks or prior to the time most women realized that they were pregnant.

It was incidentally Judge Robert McBurney that banned that law, even though it was signed into law by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. And then 2022 happened with the Supreme Court throwing out Roe v. Wade, overturning the national right to an abortion that effectively put the decision about the constitutionality of the heartbeat bill back into the courtroom of Robert McBurney, who made the ruling today.

And this is what he's saying, Wolf, in part of that ruling, saying, quote, liberty in Georgia includes in its meaning, in its protections, and in its bundle of rights, the power of a woman to control her own body, to decide what happens to it and to it, and to reject state interference with her health care choices.

Coincidentally, this ruling comes as Vice President Kamala Harris has made access to abortion a key campaign issue in the state. And if you remember, recently, Pro Publica reported that at least two black women have died in the state as a result of not having access to legal abortions.

And just very quickly here, Wolf, minutes before coming on air, we got a response from the attorney general here in the state. They're saying here that they believe that the LIFE Act is fully constitutional and they will immediately appeal the lower court's decision.

[18:45:05]

Wolf? BLITZER: Which raises the question, Amy Lee, how would an appeal unfold from here, there has -- this all has to be rather confusing for women and medical providers.

AMY LEE COPELAND, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It is, Wolf.

So, this act is pretty old. It was enacted January the 1st of 2020. The Judge McBurney initially said, listen, this was voided at inception because of Roe. Dobbs came out, the Supreme Court of Georgia says, you know, we didn't decide the merits of this case. We need did you to tell us what's going on.

So, Judge McBurney, he comes back with an opinion that said, look, Georgia's right to privacy is much broader than anything in the federal constitution. It's been something that's been around since at least 195. And it's typically been called the right to be left alone.

So what is going to happen now is that Judge McBurney does return the abortion law to the pre-2020 abortion law and this attorney general will appeal. Undoubtedly, the Georgia Supreme Court will stay. Judge McBurney's order might be plunged back into the January 1, 2020 Life Act, which has the six-week ban in it. So --

BLITZER: Which raises more questions.

Nick, what more can you tell us about the implications of this so soon, coming so soon before election day?

VALENCIA: Well, look, you know, we're about two weeks away from early voting. October 15 is early voting here and less than 40 days away from the election, I think Judge McBurney would reject that this is in any way politicization of the issue, but it's clear that it's become a very big campaign issue, especially for the candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris.

You know, she's campaigned on this issue but said that if she is elected here, that that well the access to abortions will be a lot easier for the women here in this state -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Nick Valencia and Amy Lee Copeland, thanks very much for the analysis.

Coming up, an impending strike that could lead to shortages of food, liquor, cars, furniture, and a whole lot more.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:51:17]

BLITZER: Right now, time is quickly running out to avoid a strike by U.S. port workers that threatens to be the most disruptive labor walkout in this country in decades.

CNN's Brian Todd is working the story for us. Brian, consumers will feel the impact if, if the strike happens just

after midnight.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Wolf.

Experts say the impact would not be felt tomorrow, but would start to be felt in a couple of weeks if this strike goes forth. One economist says, if the strike last two weeks or longer, it could be early next year before containers and ships would be processed at those ports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): Longshoremen at the port of Baltimore prepared to stand their ground and possibly lose money doing it.

ALONZO KEY, LONGSHOREMAN, PORT OF BALTIMORE: Once we exhaust our savings, I mean, we don't know what the next move is going to be.

TODD: The clock is winding down on a potentially damaging port strike in the U.S. By midnight Eastern Time tonight, thousands of port workers in Baltimore and at about three dozen other facilities along the East Coast and Gulf Coast are set to walk off the job.

GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D), NEW YORK: The stakes are very high. The potential for disruption is significant.

TODD: A strike, which would be the first at those ports in almost 50 years, could disrupt the flow of almost half the goods that come into the U.S. That could lead to shortages, then higher prices.

What's going to be in short supply?

MATTHEW SHAY, CEO & PRESIDENT, NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION: Perishables. Obviously, we can't -- we can't bring those in, in advance. So anything that's in the produce categories that comes in, banana has been talked about a lot, cherries and other fruits that come in from South America and other places. That will be impacted right away with any stoppage.

TODD: European beer, wine, liquor could be affected as we head into the holidays, furniture, household goods, clothing, cars, and auto parts could also be in shorter supply and then get more expensive.

But officials and retail analysts say, we should not rush to stores and stockpile goods like many did during the COVID pandemic.

SHAY: We don't want to panic, you retailers and their partners in the shipping business and other importers have done everything they can to mitigate any disruption. So they've tried to bring things in. They've got inventory already here on the east coast and near the population centers, they've got inventory rerouted to the West Coast. It will come over by rail.

TODD: The workers from the International Longshoremen's Association feel like they've fallen way behind other sectors in wages. PROF. HARRY KATZ, CORNELL SCHOOL OF INDUSTRIAL AND LABOR RELATIONS: The workers are asking for more wages and also are concerned about the introduction of new technology which may replace Senate and some of them.

TODD: The industry led by the United States Maritime Alliance says it's offered a fair wage increase and accuses the port workers union of negotiating in bad faith. President Biden has the power to force workers to stay on the job, but has said he won't use it.

This potential stoppage comes on the heels of accessible strikes by the United Auto Workers Union and UPS employees. Workers at Boeing have been on strike for more than two weeks.

KATZ: It's a mixed picture. Overall, workers are doing and your news are doing a better because the economy is better, but they're not always winning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (on camera): Now, what sectors will not be damaged by a port strike: passenger ships wont be effective, and oil tankers and other ships carrying liquefied natural gas usually go to other facilities that will not be affected by a strike -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Brian Todd reporting for us -- Brian, thank you very much.

And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:59:08]

BLITZER: Tomorrow, former President Jimmy Carter is turning 100 years old. Carter is the longest living former U.S. president.

Back in 2019, I had a chance to sit down with President Carter at his home in Plains, Georgia, and we spoke about the humanitarian work he devoted his life to after the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: When you look out, your commitment to human rights, to democracy, to health around the world, to freedom around the world, when you see what's going on around the world, what do you think?

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, I just have a wish that our whole country could be that way. You know, be a champion of peace and human rights environmental, quality and alleviating the suffering of other people, either the kind of things that I dream about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: We want to send, of course, all of our best wishes to President Carter and his family. Happy birthday, Mr. President. Also finally tonight, some sad news. NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo has died from brain cancer at the age of 58. Mutombo was renowned for his defensive prowess and loved by fans for his signature finger wag after blocking a shot. Off the court, Mutombo was a devoted humanitarian especially for causes in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was such a nice guy. I got to meet him.

May he rest in peace, and may his memory be a blessing.

I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM. Thanks for watching.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.