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CNN NEWSROOM

Heat Wave; New CDC School Guidance; Texas Pushes Voting Restrictions; Could Trump's Election Claims Lead to More Violence?; Capitol Police Face Funding Crunch. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired July 9, 2021 - 15:00   ET

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


[15:01:45]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Top of the hour. Good to be with you. I'm Victor Blackwell.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: And I'm Alisyn Camerota.

Six months after the January 6 attack, the fencing around the U.S. Capitol is about to come down. But there are still big questions of how to protect that building and lawmakers against new threats of violence.

BLACKWELL: CNN has learned that Capitol security forces are now facing some severe money problems, with the House and the Senate no closer to reaching agreements on funding packages for the department.

CNN's Ryan Nobles is on Capitol Hill.

Ryan, what can you tell us?

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Victor and Alisyn, you're right.

There is a real concern now by the different security forces that are charged with protecting the Capitol that they're going to run out of money as soon as the beginning of August, in particular, the National Guard sounding the alarm bells today with a long list of funding projects that they're just going to have to put on hold if they don't get the funding they need by August 1.

Among them, they could cancel their August and September training drills. They could be forced to ground the National Air Guard fleet for eight days, the cancellation of 2,000 functional and operational schools for soldiers, and the deferring or curtailing of critical maintenance projects.

Now, that's just the National Guard. The Capitol Police is also very concerned about their funding issues. Their operational costs have only -- have skyrocketed since what happened here on January 6, with overtime and furloughs and things along those lines. And they also are worried that they could run out of money by the end

of August. At issue here is a supplemental security funding package that's already been passed by the House of almost $2 billion that right now is stalled in the United States Senate.

Of course, when the Senate and House get back next week, they have a lot of work to do on a number of different projects. And this security supplemental is part of that process. And, right now, they are at odds as to how to move forward.

Now, this all comes against the backdrop of the last remaining temporary security structure that was put up after January 6 coming down this weekend. And that's this fence right here behind me that you see that wraps around Capitol Square.

This is scheduled this week to start being brought out sometime today. They're going to be working through the weekend. And when lawmakers return here on Monday, that fence is going to be completely gone.

Now, that comes as a relief to many people that come here to Washington, D.C., tourists that come to this area. It allows the free flow of public traffic through the Capitol Square. But it's also making people nervous about what the security holes that still exist when that fence go.

So, there's still a lot of anxiety here. Even though there's progress moving past what happened here on January 6, there's still a lot of work that needs to be done -- Victor and Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: OK, Ryan Nobles, thank you.

Now to a stark warning from the Department of Justice. In a new filing released today, officials say that Donald Trump's delusional claims that he will be reinstated as president as soon as next month could lead to more political violence by his supporters.

BLACKWELL: CNN's Evan Perez is digging into this filing.

Evan, what else does it tell us?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor, this is a claim that the president has been making, as you know, and it's having some real consequences for some of his supporters. In this case, it's against -- a case against Alex Harkrider, who is facing charges for the January 6 riot at the Capitol.

[15:05:01]

And the Justice Department in a court filing says the following: "The former president -- former President Trump continues to make false claims about the election, insinuate that he may be reinstated in the near future as president without another election, and minimize the violent attack on the Capitol."

Prosecutors said this in the court filing. And what this means, we don't know yet from the judge. The judge has not ruled on this -- the request that the -- that Harkrider has made, because he wants to get rid of his GPS monitor. He's wearing an ankle bracelet as a condition of his release from jail while he awaits trial.

And what this means right now is that he's still paying for this ankle monitor. He says he can't afford it. But the Justice Department is opposing that request because, again, it's citing that this danger that there could be violence because of the president's actions, the president's comments.

BLACKWELL: All right, Evan Perez there for us, thank you so much.

And some conservatives will be together this weekend at the CPAC Conference in Dallas, so you can expect to hear a lot of people telling and selling the big lie. The event features speeches from the former president himself, his son Don Jr. and other conservative stars like South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.

A lot of the CPAC seminars are aimed at amplifying the false claims about election fraud, with titles -- get these -- Detecting Threats to Election Integrity, How to Collect Evidence of Fraud, and Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child: The Future of American Elections.

CAMEROTA: What does that even mean?

BLACKWELL: Who knows?

CAMEROTA: Well, just a few hours south of Dallas at the Texas state capitol, the first committee meetings will start tomorrow as Texas Republicans tried to push restrictive voting bills through a special session of the state legislature.

So our next guest is leading some of the protests against that voting bill.

Kimiya Factory is president of the Black Freedom Factory.

Kimiya, great to have you here.

What can you do? I mean, it sounds as though the governor and the state Republicans are going to get this done. As you know, Democrats in Texas broke quorum by walking out the last time this came up. But they can only do that so many times. And it sounds like the majority wants these restrictive voting measures.

So what can you do?

KIMIYA FACTORY, PRESIDENT, BLACK FREEDOM FACTORY: Well, Black Freedom Factory is going to continue to amplify the voices of organizations on the ground in Austin that have been fighting this fight, Texas Freedom Network MOVE Texas, Texas Rising, Black Voters Matter, Planned Parenthood South Texas.

All of these orgs are working hard to make sure that we know what this bill means. But, more importantly, Governor Abbott's principles and priorities just aren't straight. Aside from the governor changing and putting out the agenda in less than 48 hours of the start of this special session, he isn't focusing on what Texans need right now.

For example, the power grid failing during the recent winter months, as a result, killing hundreds of people across the state, or the Delta variant, multiple variants of COVID-19 spreading throughout Texas. If he was keen on helping Texas, these would be his top priorities, not silencing and suppressing black voters about our history in this country, which we know a lot about.

BLACKWELL: So, Kimiya, we let's talk about the difference between the bills they're discussing now and what Democrats were able to block during the regular session.

What they're discussing now no longer has a limitation start time of Sunday voting, no provision making it easier to overturn the elections. And it removes the criminalization of filing a provisional ballot by someone who unknowingly is ineligible to vote.

Are those wins for advocates like yourself?

FACTORY: No, it is not a win.

At the end of the day, this entire bill's goal is to suppress votes. We need to be improving voter accessibility and our voter registration process. Texas is one of the most difficult states in the nation to get registered to vote and to maintain being registered to vote.

So what does that mean? Sure, this is a step in the right direction, if the removal of the two provisions happen. But, at this point in history, we need to run towards broader, more sustainable methods of voting empowerment and turning out to the polls.

We can't lose sight of the fact that there was no documented evidence of widespread voter fraud in Texas. Even the Republican secretary of state has said so. There is no reason for this bill, other than to suppress votes and help Republicans cling to power in Texas.

We're tired of seeing this happen.

CAMEROTA: President Biden is going to be speaking about this on Tuesday. Vice President Harris had this as one of her projects that he -- she has been tasked with.

What can they do to stop what we're seeing spreading across the country? I mean, at least 17 states have already enacted more restrictive voting measures.

FACTORY: Well, what they can do is tap into the networks, grassroot networks across the country with their boots on the ground, like Black Freedom Factory, MOVE Texas, and Black Voters Matter, and National Fund that are working to empower and uplift the voices of organizations that are on the ground doing the work.

[15:10:11]

What they can do is extend their privilege of the White House and all of the office privileges that they have and help us in amplifying our voices, such as CNN is doing right now by having me as a guest. I really appreciate it.

CAMEROTA: Do you get discouraged, Kimiya?

FACTORY: I do.

Being a black woman in America is a discouraging experience to have. But the fight is something that our ancestors fought. And it's something -- it's a baton that we have the privilege of continuing to pass. This fight is a marathon. It is not a sprint.

And with this kind of momentum, we know that change is on the horizon. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said that he saw a promised land. And civil rights activists today see that same promised land. The mountain to get there is a bit steep, but it's not impossible to climb.

CAMEROTA: Kimiya Factory, thanks for talking to us. Obviously, we will talk to you throughout all of your activism and efforts on this.

FACTORY: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

CAMEROTA: Still ahead, the CDC puts out new guidance for how to reopen schools this fall.

BLACKWELL: Plus, a reminder of the real dangers of failing to get a vaccine. You're going to meet a woman who lost her brother to COVID months after he was eligible for the vaccine.

And we are live in Lake Mead, Nevada, where temperatures will be above 115 degrees this weekend. The extreme heat is putting a strain on power and, as you would expect, water supplies.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:16:37]

BLACKWELL: We have got some new details just in the CNN about an outbreak of COVID in Central Oklahoma that infected 47 people with the Delta variant.

The CDC now says that a gymnastics facility was the link between the people who tested positive. Most of them were not vaccinated, including two people who had to be hospitalized. The CDC has not named the facility, but CNN has asked the state Health Department for more information.

CAMEROTA: First lady Jill Biden has been on a tour of the Southern states, trying to convince people -- she's trying to convince people to get vaccinated and to avoid those kinds of outbreaks.

So she was at a stop in Savannah, Georgia. That's where just 37 percent of the population is fully vaccinated. And she recalled an encounter she had with one woman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JILL BIDEN, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: And she said: "Jill, I want to thank you for what you're doing, what your husband and you are doing for getting people vaccinated."

She said: "Four, four of my family members have died from COVID."

And I said: "What's your name?"

And she said: "My name is Jackie."

And I said, "Jackie, my God."

And she started to cry. And she said: "You know what I did, Jill?"

And I said: "What did you do, Jackie?"

She said: "I went out and I personally made sure to get over 140 people vaccinated myself."

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: One of the states with the lowest vaccination rates in the country is Wyoming. Only 35 percent of the population there is fully vaccinated.

And that's where 68-year-old Ross Bagne lived. Ross was eligible for the vaccine in early February, but did not get it. He died June 4, after spending more than three weeks in intensive care terribly sick with COVID.

Ross Bagne's sister, Karen McKnight, joins us now.

Karen, we're so sorry for your -- the loss of your brother. We appreciate talking to you.

I was just reading about your brother. He was 68 years old. He ran his own small business. You say he was a very bright guy. So, why do you think he didn't get vaccinated?

KAREN MCKNIGHT, SISTER OF COVID VICTIM: I just think, based on my communication with him, he had sent me an e-mail in mid-March that he was really, really sick. He'd never been so sick. He'd been feeling dizzy, and not remembering things.

And I said: "Ross, that sounds like COVID. And maybe you ought to get tested."

And he hasn't probably been to the -- he hadn't probably been to the doctor for years. And when I talked to his neighbor, she said: "I tried to get him to get a vaccine. And he said, 'I rarely go out. So I'm probably -- I don't think I will get the COVID." That's how he stated it.

And I know he had his neighbors that he visited with, people -- he loved to have food delivered to his door. So, somehow, in those minimal encounters, he caught the virus. CAMEROTA: You know, I think that that's interesting to hear that he

just hadn't been to the doctor in years. We all know folks like that who don't like going to the doctor, who may not even know who their primary care physician is.

[15:20:06]

I understand that. Certainly, there's a generation of men, I think, who are reluctant to go to the doctor. But do you think that he was aware of how bad COVID was in Wyoming, where he was? I know that you had said to him, you need to get tested. And he didn't even know where to go to get tested.

MCKNIGHT: Exactly. Exactly right.

So, I think it was -- because he talked about, well, when he was sick, that maybe he got the COVID. And I did say, you can go get checked. And the -- he didn't know where to go. And I said, well, look on the Internet. The area I live in, it was plastered all over the place where we could go get tested, where we could go get vaccines.

And, yes, he didn't know. And I said, well, check with your insurance. He's on -- he was on Medicare. And then he described how sick he was. And I think, at some point, he was just so weak and so sick that he didn't take action.

CAMEROTA: And I know that, when you got the call from the hospital that he was in intensive care, you and your other brother raced there to Wyoming.

And you had an interesting experience, because once you got to Cheyenne, Wyoming, you and your other brother were wearing masks. And how were people responding to you there?

MCKNIGHT: It was crazy.

I live in a city that's 90 percent vaccinated. And my brother is in a high-vaccine vaccinated area too. And what happened is, in the hotel room, some guy came up to him and said: "You think that mask is going to protect you?" and just kind of like accosted him. We were, like, totally taken aback.

And then, of course, we were being really careful because we were going to the hospital, and we had to wear the mask and the shield and the whole thing. And we were driving, and we had our masks on in the car. And somebody driving by -- I think they were driving by. I can't remember exactly, but they flipped us off.

And we just thought, this is crazy, because the masks are going to protect you. They have probably saved hundreds of thousands of lives. And we knew that it was a low vaccination rate because it was increasing at the highest rate at that time in the country.

So we were being careful because we thought -- felt that there was a lot of COVID around. And my brother has been especially careful because his wife has autoimmune problems. And he certainly didn't want to -- even though we're both vaccinated, he didn't want to carry anything home to her.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

I mean, and, by the way, that's -- it's your prerogative to wear your mask. And you were in your own car and people are driving by and flipping you off. What is it their business? I mean, that is a remarkable story.

And so when your brother first got sick and e-mailed you and let you know how sick he was mid-March, that's exactly the same time that the governor of Wyoming, Governor Gordon, had basically removed the mask mandate, said, we don't need a mask mandate in the state anymore.

What do you -- though I do believe he did encourage people to get vaccinated. What do you wish that public health officials had done for your brothers? Would there have been any way for this not to have happened, for him not to have died? Could somebody have gotten through to him?

MCKNIGHT: I really believe, if the messaging in his state had been more clear, if they'd said, like in my state, wear masks, wear masks, wear masks, get vaccinated, I truly don't believe he'd be dead today.

CAMEROTA: Karen McKnight, thank you for sharing your story and your brother's story. We really appreciate talking to you. We're sorry for your loss.

MCKNIGHT: Thank you so much.

CAMEROTA: Next: The extreme heat that is gripping the country, it's already to blame for nearly 200 deaths across the U.S. That's just a staggering number.

BLACKWELL: That's remarkable.

CAMEROTA: Now the National Weather Center is issuing its highest level of heat risk warning for some parts of the country.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:29:12]

CAMEROTA: Relentless heat continues to grip the Western United States.

More than 30 million people are under heat alerts.

BLACKWELL: Take a look at this, the expected high temperatures this weekend.

And focus in on California, Arizona, Nevada, Death Valley up to 126 degrees. The death toll from last week's record-breaking heat in the Pacific Northwest is now close to 200.

CAMEROTA: Oh, my gosh.

One power grid operator in California is asking people to conserve energy to avoid rolling blackouts.

CNN national correspondent Camila Bernal is in Lake Mead, Nevada.

So, what's the situation there?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Alisyn, and Victor.

So, first of all, it's about 111 degrees at the moment, and the worst is still yet to come. And so the problem is that this severe drought just gets even worse.

First, let's talk about the power here at Lake Mead.