570+ Dead, 2,500 Missing in Nepal-China Flood

25:58It's titled Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times, How to Reclaim Your Power, Fight for Freedom, and Reimagine Democracy. Percy. So aside from voting, what's the top way you can advise people to reclaim their power? Absolutely. The first thing is to actually believe and know that you do have power. Right now, so many anti-democratic movements, people in the White House, the president himself, want people to believe that they have no power, that what they're doing just is going to be the way that it goes and that there's nothing that people in communities across this country can do to change it.

26:35And that could not be further from the truth. People in this country do have power, and there are such a range of ways that we can engage. But the first thing we have to do is we have to stop believing that we don't have power. And so the book goes through a series of steps, starting from shifting that mindset, continuing to get things correct and accurate information as opposed to all of the noise and chaos that's being thrown at us, and then moves into very practical ways that people can take action from things that are a short-time commitment to things that require a longer-term commitment.

27:07So the Trump administration just appealed a judge's order temporarily blocking the U.S. Postal Service from carrying out the president's mail-in voting overhaul. You say it's clear the Supreme Court decision last week was not the final word. So what do you think will come of this appeal? Right. So this time last week, everyone was very concerned that the Supreme Court had at least paused or stayed, what we call it, an earlier court order. We were trying to let everybody know all the Supreme Court said was it was a little too early to sue, but that they were not saying that what President Trump could do was lawful.

27:45You saw that happen this week, where a federal court has all again blocked the U.S. Postal Service from implementing these regulations. The Constitution could not be more clear. The president does not have a role with elections in this country. That's not what people who threw off a king 250 years ago, that's not how they organized government. Our elections are products of the people, people in communities administer elections. And so I do think that you'll continue to see the League of Women Voters, the states, the challengers in these matters, I think you'll continue to see them prevail in court because there's just no constitutional authority ready for what is trying to do the pro service.

28:27us. All right, Skye Perryman, thank you. Up next, a CNN investigation into an extreme roller coaster at Six Flags. Thrill seekers who wrote it later needed emergency brain surgery.

28:45International lead thrill seekers braved a world-famous Six Flags roller coaster, then they were rushed to the hospital for emergency brain surgery. CNN's Kyung La investigates the severe and dangerous injuries allegedly tied to a popular ride that is now closed to the public.

29:06Six Flags calls this their cutting edge, break all the rules roller coaster. But these two riders never imagined minutes after getting off the ride this summer, they would end up in the same hospital the very same week with similar brain hemorrhages. And they're not the only riders who say they've been hurt. A CNN investigation finds more than a dozen people who rode the X2 roller coaster at California's Six Flags Magic Mountain suffered serious injuries and hospitalizations over nearly two decades, including a 22-year-old who died. And the latest cases happened just weeks ago. It was seconds.

29:47You go in as yourself, and then when you come back, You're a medical emergency. This was from a roller coaster. Exactly. Pam Gillen was at Magic Mountain with her daughter, Camille, celebrating her 16th birthday on July 5th. They boarded X2. We got off the cart and we saw our mom. She looked lifeless. Not a thought behind her eyes, nothing. I was talking to her. Mom, mommy, please wake up. Mommy, mommy, it's okay. We're here. She had a brain bleed. My mom had a really bad brain blade. An ambulance rushed Pam from Six Flags to the hospital, where surgeons discovered what's called an acute subdural hematoma with brain compression.

30:33Surgeons cut her skull open to relieve the pressure on her brain. I was shocked. I was just, this is not okay. It wasn't okay for me to see my mom like that. It's like, it's my mom. How large is the incision? It's pretty long. While Pam Gillen fought in this hospital bed, X2 kept running. 25-year-old Naomi Greer Wilkinson had no idea what had just happened. Six days after Pam's injury, Naomi got on the X2 roller coaster. She collapsed after she got off the ride. What had happened to her brain? The jarring had damaged part of her brain. and it had begun to bleed. She was rushed to the same hospital.

31:26Joshua Wilkinson and Artemis Greer are Naomi's parents. I do remember one of the surgeons storming through the ER and yelling, how many is it this month? They've got to shut that ride down. He was furious. This is Naomi. And just like Pam Gillen, she had emergency brain surgery. They sat us down and said, she is at the end of life. And I just, I didn't have any thoughts. I was totally blank. We leaned over her and said, Naomi. And she fluttered her eyelid. We looked at each other like she's in there, like she's there. Naomi, a healthy, vibrant young woman who loves cats and the arts, remains in the hospital with an uncertain future.

32:23Naomi should have never, ever in a million years even had the option to get on that ride. It's absolutely insane. Why do they leave it open? Revenue. There's no other explanation. Six Flags says what makes X2 different from other roller coasters is this. The seats spin 360 degrees forwards and backwards independently around the track. Riders plummet 200 feet at speeds up to 76 miles per hour with two so-called raven turns or half loops that turn into sheer drops. Doctors who treated both Naomi and Pam say the severe brain injuries were the result of a traumatic, rapid acceleration-deceleration event experienced while on the X2 ride.

33:16Court cases alleging serious brain injuries from X2 date back years. Christopher Hawley died after riding the X2 four years ago. A coroner's report found he died of blunt head trauma during a park ride accident. Six Flags didn't answer CNN's questions, but the company's court filings have stated the ride went through daily inspections and a normal rider using the ride as instructed would not have traumatic brain injury. It's greed that keeps this thing going. Lawyer Christopher Ballone represents both Naomi and Pam's families. No ride should ever be dangerous enough for anyone that they're coming off of it with severe intracranial bleeding.

34:00More than 3 million people visit Magic Mountain each year. But on this day, we find X2 is temporarily closed. Six Flags tells us it hasn't run since shortly after Naomi Greer Wilkinson was hurt. You're looking at a very long road. It could be six months. It could be two years. It could be five years. I don't know. This is the hardest thing a human being could go through. I'm going to go towards Brian. I remember everyone so excited that I could walk. I have headaches every day, fatigue. After doing simple things, I won't be 100 % because it's brain damage. Sometimes I just feel really down because I'm not me anymore.

34:51Multiple lawsuits we've seen have settled before going to trial. That includes a wrongful death suit of 22-year-old Christopher Hawley. We reached out to California's Occupational Safety and Health Division because it oversees amusement park operations. It did not respond to our questions about X2's history and did not say how it was allowed to reopen. Biana? It's terrifying. Kyung-La, thank you. Ahead, some of the remarkable stories of Dolly Parton and her acts of kindness. Next, how I call to Ireland. one musician initially thought was too good to be true.

35:35Tomorrow, the Grand Ole Opry will honor the late, great Dolly Parton, who died this week after a short battle with cancer. The Opry will live-stream musical performances. And another great tribute, an Irish musician who collaborated with Dolly. She spoke with my colleague Phil Mattingly and even played a song in Dolly Parton's honor. The late Dolly Parton's iconic blonde wigs may have hidden her roots, but she never hid her Irish roots. She collaborated with Irish musicians throughout her career and in 2020 spoke about the direct connection between her Appalachian music and her Irish music. We speak the same language.

36:14You know, they appreciate and know, you know, what it's like to live hard and to be brought up poor. And it's just built in my, I call it my Smoky Mountain DNA. But it's from those old songs brought over from Ireland and England. And my mother used to sing those. And there's a place in me that just goes there when I sing those songs. Joining me now is Mireille Nguyeny. She is the lead vocalist and fiddler of the legendary Irish folk band Alton. She's here to share her memories of working with Dolly Parton. And Alton has an American tour this fall. They will be performing a song in honor of Dolly Parton.

36:52Marietta, I really appreciate your time. Just to start with, how did you fall into Dolly Parton's musical orbit? And what was it like collaborating with her? Well, I don't know how she heard about us, but I think Bill Whelan of Riverdance fame had a connection there. And it was Steve Buckingham, her producer, that co-produced the albums with her, came to see us one day and said, would you like to record with Dolly Parton? And we thought it was a joke because we thought the world of her as a singer and we thought he was having us on. But eventually we got to Dollywood in 1994 and we recorded the Heart Songs live album with her in Dollywood.

37:39and it was just a joy. What a lady. There's a song you worked on together that Dolly Parton specifically asked to be in the Gaelic language. Tell us what that meant to you. Oh well you know the Gaelic language is I'm passionate about. It's my first language and it really is the psyche of what Ireland's all about. You know this is how we got the best even Hiberno English writers Joyce and Yeats and all of these people were inspired by the way the Gaelic language is so poetic and I think she just liked the sound of it she she made a joke about it we're speaking in tongues she said but she actually insisted that I would sing in my native language and I did that three times with her we recorded three times with Dolly twice on her own albums Little Sparrow in LA as well in 1999.

38:36And then she offered to sing with me on one of Altham, my band on Altham's album. And she sang The Pretty Young Girl, which was a song in Gaelic and Cállín Dja Sóg. And she loved the air. And, you know, she was such an integral musician, just a wonderful, wonderful, had great passion for real music. And because we just play traditional Irish music, we don't do anything fancy. But I think she just tuned into what we were doing and we are so grateful to have had that small time with her. I have been told that there may be a fiddle near you or with you. I was wondering if there was something you might want to play for Dolly in her honour.

39:28Well, I was going to play something fast because, you know, we have to celebrate life. And, you know, we all have losses and she's had many losses. But, you know, it's the celebration of Dolly. And I think her life was just wonderful. She touched us all and she touched us with a joyous way. So I'm going to play a good tune, fast tune for you now called The Humours of Whiskey. so

40:46Eww. What an absolute treat. And also, what a wonderful way of celebrating a woman. And there have been so many stories and so many perspectives shared throughout the last couple of days. And the celebration part and the appreciation has been such a wonderful thing to see and hear. Maureen Nwini, I really, I can't appreciate enough your time, your perspective. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Welcome to The Lead. I'm Bianna Golodryga in for Jake Tapper. This hour today marks six months since the U.S. launched its war on Iran. It appears there is still no end in sight. The White House admits negotiations are stalled, the Strait of Hormuz is not fully back open, and Americans are still struggling with higher prices.

41:35So what is the Trump administration's plan here? Also, tension in Texas. The Lone Star State is home to one of the most talked-about Senate races of the midterms, and it could be one of the few contests that decides which party controls the chamber. So why are both parties being rocked by infighting with just two months to go? And a CNN exclusive in our faith lead tonight. This temple is the spiritual epicenter for Mormons. For more than 100 years, it's been closed to outsiders. But now for a short time, it's open to the public and we're taking you inside.

42:16The lead tonight, the U.S. and Iran war hits the six-month mark, moving far past President Trump's original six-week estimate as his goals keep on shifting. The White House said this week negotiations with Iran are stalled right now, while Iranian officials met with the Qatari foreign minister about mediation. Iran's foreign minister posting putting diplomacy back on track isn't impossible, it hinges on U.S. understanding of one simple fact, pressure doesn't work. The leaders discussed Iran's demands for the U.S. ahead of potentially reopening the Strait of Wormuz. CENTCOM announcing last night that the U.S.

42:55military cleared the key waterway of all Iranian mines, a major milestone for the economic side of the war. CNN's Kristen Holmes is at the White House. Kristen, this week saw the launch of Economic D-Day. What is the White House saying now on the six-month mark. Well, it's six months and there is absolutely no end in sight. In fact, President Trump, every time he's asked about it, says he's in no rush to try to come to a deal. This is what President Trump said about the state of play at the six-month mark. We don't want to speak to them. We're not looking to meet or anything. The strait is open.

43:30We're taking a lot of boats. Millions and millions of barrels of oil are coming out of the strait every day. Other countries recognize that. Every once in a while, they shoot some, you know, and they put some shots at, you know, we totally cleared the strait of, we have the best minesweepers in the world. So yes, the Strait of Hormuz is open, but ships are not coming through at the same speed and capacity that they were before this war was launched. And we've seen a complete shift in strategy here. Before it was take them out militarily, bomb them and hit them as hard as you possibly can. Now they have moved on to this economic strategy, as you noted, economic D-Day, which is a strangulation of the economic prospects in Iran.

44:15It's unclear how long that will take to work. If you talk to U.S. officials, they do believe this is their best pathway forward, but they also admit that this could take months and months to actually be fruitful in any way. And if they're trying to get the Iranians to the negotiating table, at least as of now, the Iranians aren't biting. Now, President Trump hasn't really walked away from this language. This was just an excursion. In fact, they kind of have parsed through the span of this six months saying that the whole thing wasn't a war, that there were ceasefires, that the military operations have stopped.

44:50But for the American people, and for all intents and purposes, the United States is still at war with Iran. Now, it does seem that by trying to get away from military operations and focus more on this economic strangulation, that they are trying to put the Iran war at arms distance from this administration, particularly heading into these midterms. But the big question, of course, is going to be when are the American people going to start seeing any kind of a change when it comes to affordability? Prices are up. There is significant evidence that a lot of this, particularly at the pump, is due to the war in Iran.

45:23And it doesn't seem as though this is going to change anytime soon. So this idea that they have all the time in the world, there are a lot of Americans who would disagree with that. Kristen Holmes at the White House for us, thank you. Kathy Roth-Ducay joins me now. She is the founder and CEO of Blue Star Families. Kathy, good to see you. So more than 50 ,000 troops have been deployed to support this war. What are your main concerns that you're hearing about from their families now? AMNA NAWAZ, Over 50 ,000 troops, all services coast to coast. And what we're hearing from the families is that they're very proud of their service members and the excellence of their work.

46:01But war is a big strain, not only on the service members, but for the people who are at home. And they're feeling that strain. They're needing the support at the same time that they're proud to to execute their missions. AMNA NAWAZ, We, of course, are proud and grateful for their service always. A Thai official says that the USS Abraham Lincoln will dock in Thailand next week after what's been an almost record-breaking deployment at sea. And as you know, there have been reports of deteriorating mental health conditions, a lack of supplies on board the ship. How troubling have stories like that been for the military family members whose loved ones are deployed in this conflict?

46:40War is very hard, and it has second - and third-order effects. This is one of the reasons it's so important for us to support the people and their families who go through it, because it's not surprising that these kinds of challenges will happen. It doesn't minimize it either. It's been a long haul for the people on the ship, same as the Ford. And then when they come home, it's going to be a long haul, because for many of them, they'll be changing to a new duty station in less than two months. Coming home from deployment, reuniting from their families, having to get a move underway. Then the next group goes.

47:11So as the war continues for six months and longer, we're seeing short-fused deployments continue, new troops having to be deployed again. What this means is challenges on the home front, and we need more support in the communities where people live. And you know this firsthand. Your husband, I believe, is a retired U.S. Marine deployed four times. You've lived this. So what resources are most needed during a time like this that you want families to know are out there? Blue Star Families has a lot of resources for our members, but we also ask the local communities to help, too. What happens on a deployment, particularly a short-fuse one like this, is spouses leave their jobs.

47:53So now you have food insecurity, and sometimes putting food on the table is a little more challenging. People are far from family and friends, so they need that support from the community. Blue Star Families has a Do Your Part campaign. We have ways for everyday Americans to get involved. Blue Star Families has a resource hub as well. And so we have food insecurity support and fellowship because people need that community to lift them up while they're feeling under strain. So what are some of the resources and the support for military families that you're hearing are needed most right now? We're getting a lot of requests for our Nourish the Service program.

48:28Gas is very high. When people are often having to work fewer hours, they'll leave their jobs. Food insecurity is a big problem. or a Nourish the Service program. We're getting requests for help with things like gas cards. People maybe want to bring their kids to some of the morale events we have, but they can't afford to get there. So that's another request. And we have mentorship programs to help people get through these challenging times. So there's many ways that families can be supported here. And when people find support in their community, they're able to keep going with a lifestyle that's very challenging.

49:02That's part of national security, too. We are thinking of these families, and we are grateful for their service to this country. Kathy Roth-Ducay, that goes for you as well. Thank you. Thank you. Well, each month here on The Lead, we mark the tragedy that struck in the opening hours of the war when a U.S. missile hit an elementary school in Manab, Iran, killing 168 children and 14 adults, according to Iranian state media. Now, six months later, no U.S. official has taken public responsibility for that strike. Here with me now is the BBC's Nawal Al-Maghaffi. So, Nawal, you have been working on this story for six months now.

49:41You visited the site of the school last month with a teacher who survived the strike. So tell us, what was it like there? And what did she and other survivors you met tell you about that day back in February? I mean, like you said, we had been following the story for months. I'd read every piece that has come out, every investigation, OSINT analysis has been done from afar. And also just everything that the Iranian authorities had put out. You know, this was their case to the world, this attack that happened on the first day of the war, killing 120 children. But it's only when you go there, when you meet the mothers, you see the facilities, you walk through the classrooms and you see the students' school bags, their desks, that you really kind of get a sense of the scale of this attack.

50:32I mean, like you said, I met the teacher, Amina Nadimi, who has taught first grade for the last six years. And she was in the same time. She told me they heard the war broke out. The head teacher started telling the teachers to make calls to the parents to pick up their children. Some of those parents made it in time. They picked up their children and some of them were on their way when the strikes hit the school. She tells us about how the classroom fell into itself, how she pulled out some of the students that survived from her classroom, but also how she had to walk through the bodies of many others.

51:12You know, dozens of them were killed. And when you go around Minab, when you drive around the city, it is a city that is in mourning. This attack not only shook Minab, but it shook the entire country. You see these children's faces, their pictures plastered everywhere, all over Tehran, all over Minab, on the trains, everywhere. And it's a constant reminder by the authorities that no matter where you stand in this conflict, this is what the human cost looks like. And it's definitely had an effect on people, even those who welcomed the U.S.-Israeli intervention in the first days of the war. Yeah, and the regime may itself be cynically or selectively focusing on the humanitarian loss here, given that they themselves are responsible for the murder of tens of thousands.

52:06But when it comes to these victims in particular, you can't deny the pain that still exists in this community. You talked to a mother who told you about going to the school to try to find her daughter after that strike. I'm going to play what she told you, and we want to warn our viewers. It is quite distressing.

52:54Nawal, what else did you see and hear from those family members still grieving? I mean, Bianca, I can't even begin to tell you how difficult it was to be in that cemetery. There was row after row of children's graves side by side. I mean, you saw siblings sitting beside the graves of their brothers and sisters that were killed far too young. And speaking to Satayesh's mother, she told me about her 11-year-old daughter. She told me about how she wanted to become a doctor. I mean, I'm a mother myself. And so it was incredibly heartbreaking to hear about how she dropped off her daughter to school, as many of us do, and then ended up going back to what was a pile of rubble.

53:43She was only able to find her daughter days later. She was identified by her socks. And without even understanding what she was saying, because she was speaking to me in Farsi and I don't speak Farsi, you know, I could really feel her pain. And she wasn't the only one. But besides her, many others, other parents, teachers mourning their colleagues. The headteacher was also killed. It was absolutely devastating. Her mother's anguish is universal. Did you say she identified her by her socks? Yeah, by her cream socks. Nawal Al-Maghaffi from the BBC, thank you. Thank you for bringing us a sample of your very important work.

54:26Thank you for having me. Well, the number of missing people soaring in the aftermath of the Nepal flash floods, more than 2 ,500 now unaccounted for, with more storms possible in the region. We'll get an update on the recovery efforts from our teams on the ground. That's next. Plus, a new chapter in President Trump's fight to curb birthright tourism will explain what opponents of the move are now asking a judge to do.

55:00And our world lead rescue teams in Nepal and China continue searching for survivors of the devastating floods. At least 2 ,500 people are missing and more than 500 have been killed. CNN teams witnessed devastated neighborhoods and the anguish of families as they wait for news or learned the worst news. CNN's Hanako Montgomery reports. It looks as though people are getting off holding some kind of luggage. We can't tell if these people are survivors or whether these are people of loved ones who are trying to find any remaining survivors. Look, another helicopter up in the sky there. At this Nepali army barracks in Trishuli, helicopter after helicopter ferries people out of some of the hardest hit areas.

55:49This survivor walked off showing no obvious signs of injury. He told us he'd spent days trapped on the mountain, convinced he'd die of hunger, waiting desperately for help. There was no food or water with me. It was all swept away and there was nothing I could do. I thought that my life was over and that I would not be able to see my family again. Across the disaster zone, there are other extraordinary tales of survival. Rescuers pulled over 100 people from tunnels inside a hydroelectric power plant in Rasuwa. Some emerged so completely caked in mud, it looked like a second skin. But as the hours tick by, this rescue effort is now racing against time.

56:40The critical 72-hour window for finding survivors will soon run out. And here outside the army barracks, hope gives way to anguish.

56:52With power lines down and communications cut, many families still have no way of knowing whether their loved ones are alive. So they come here in search of answers. These are all relatives of people still missing. And because they can't get in contact with them, They've come here to the army barracks to give their contact information, their names, trying to see if the people that the army are finding are the same people as their loved ones. After scanning this list with hundreds of names, there's little left to do but wait and cling to the hope that their families will soon make it home. Hanukkah Montgomery, CNN, Nepal.

57:30Thanks to Hanukkah Montgomery for that report. Well, a sacred temple closed to outsiders for more than a century is about to host a public open house. CNN got an exclusive preview, and we're taking you inside. That's next.

57:51In our faith lead, typically closed to outsiders, the epicenter of the Mormon church is opening its doors to everyone. Following a major renovation, the church will allow public tours of its Salt Lake Temple. And yes, non-Mormons are welcome. In a CNN exclusive, Nick Watt gives us a rare glimpse of the temple and a religion many view as cloistered. For roughly 17 million devotees worldwide, this is the holiest of holies, where sacred covenants are made with God. For the past 133 years, unless you were in good standing with the church, you were not allowed to walk into the temple. I'm not in good standing with any church.

58:39So why am I allowed now? Well, because they are opening this temple up for the world to see. This used to be in the historic temple. Why are you letting us in? We want the world to see the joy and happiness that comes in a greater understanding of the blessings that our Heavenly Father has in store for us. Why now? Well, as you can see, the temple is being renovated. We've been allowed to take a peek. We've got a sort of modern-day Michelangelo situation. We do, yeah. There are a few rules for the construction workers on this massive multi-year project. In the contract with the general contract, it says no vulgar language, no loud music.

59:23It's part of the level of decorum we expect, right? So these are the dressing rooms where church members change into their all-white attire before going into the temple. Now, all of this construction is new, made to look old. Look, if you take a look at that chandelier, that is modeled on a chandelier from a catalog from the time that the old temple was built. Construction on the Salt Lake Temple began in 1853. Oh, how construction technology has changed. We're under the temple. So the stone walls of the temple are right above us here. Nearly 200 million pounds of temple now resting on 98 earthquake-proofing base isolators.

1:00:07How much movement does this give you? Five feet in any direction. And so the idea here for you is to make sure that this temple survives long after we're all gone. That's right. Yeah. Well into the future. After the Lord comes, we want this temple to be in service. They call themselves Latter-day Saints because they believe that second coming is not too far away. Is this sort of God's mission for you is to strengthen this? I mean, or am I barking up the wrong tree there? Not at all. I believe I've been prepared by God to be on this project. The salt-lit temple you see outside is... When the remodel is finished, there will be a window when you too can visit.

1:00:50See inside where the faithful are wed or sealed. A husband and a wife, a man and a woman, kneel across an altar with their hounds interlocked, and they're sealed, not just for time, but for time and eternity. And you'll be able to see the baptistry. This is a railing for the baptistry, bronze with a... Around the font, okay. I think it's bronze with a brass finish, probably. We, from the outside, we definitely do feel that there's something secretive and maybe stuff going on that we just don't know about. I like to say sacred, not secret. Sacred, not secret. Yeah. Short of converting, on temple grounds, there is this brand new visitor center with a scale model of the temple.

1:01:33And there are replica temple rooms that will remain open for all to see. This is the replica baptistry. And so here people are wearing all white. They're wearing a sort of white jumpsuit. They come in and they're fully submerged. Yes. We want to help you feel comfortable about what we're doing. This is the first full-time... First full-time temple open house in a visitor center. Yeah. Is there a gift shop? No. That's so cool. Our thanks to Nick Watt for that report. Well, a judge could rule as soon as Monday on President Trump's latest request to curb birthright citizenship. But after losing a similar case before the U.S.

1:02:17Supreme Court, does the president have a better chance in this case? That's next.

1:02:27In our law and justice lead right now in the United States, immigrant families are anxiously awaiting a judge's ruling on President Trump's renewed effort to curb birthright citizenship. After the Supreme Court shot down Trump's initial order this summer, he narrowed it to just babies of parents who are, quote, an alien enemy, work for a foreign government, or engaging in birth tourism. Joining me now is Republican from Florida, Congressman Carlos Jimenez. Congressman, thank you for joining us. So a judge today seemed skeptical about whether Trump's new order is lawful. You yourself are an immigrant, and you told CBS earlier this summer that you support curbing birth tourism.

1:03:05But do you think the administration is taking it too far with denying citizenship to a baby because one of their parents works for a foreign government? Well, unless they're a diplomat, if they're a diplomat, I think that that's in the Constitution that says that you're not a U.S. citizen, even if you're born here, because you're not under the jurisdiction of the United States. Outside of that, if you're born here and you fall under the jurisdiction of the United States, I think the Supreme Court got it right and said that you are, you're granted citizenship. And I know a lot of people don't like that, but, you know, I'm a constructionist as far as the Constitution is concerned.

1:03:43I may not like the interpretation, but if I don't like the interpretation, the way to fix it is by changing the Constitution. And so, you know, I support what the Supreme Court and their findings were in that case. Now, as far as birth tourism is concerned, the way that we need to curb birth tourism is by curbing birth tourism, maybe not allowing, you know, women that are, you know, in an advanced stage of pregnancy to come into the United States to avert that. That's probably very legal. But if in fact you do come to the United States and you do have a baby and it's born in the United States and it's under jurisdiction in the United States, then that individual, that child, will be a citizen of the United States as far as I'm concerned.

1:04:26That's the way I look at the Constitution. So how do you then enforce it when you're specifically giving the example of a pregnant woman? Should a pregnant woman coming to this country have to disclose when they apply for a visa or buy a ticket what stage in their pregnancy they are? Yeah, if they are coming here to visit the United States, all right, we can certainly deny them entry based on that because there is a high probability that you will have, you know, you could have your baby here in the United States and then they'll be granted citizenship. And that's not the intent. All right. And so remember when this the Constitution, with that, with that the 14th Amendment was passed, it would take months to get here.

1:05:08OK, you'd have to get on a ship. OK. And so that issue wasn't a problem. Now it takes hours to get here. And so, yeah, maybe I believe that Congress needs to pass some laws to restrict that, to make sure that there isn't birthright tourism. And if you do that, then you don't have the problem. But if somebody is born here, then they are a citizen of the United States. I'm not familiar with the law, but as you just noted, it would require an act of Congress, right, to enact such a law. Because as of now, I don't know that it is legal for a woman to be denied entry if she presents to be, let's say, seven months pregnant.

1:05:44Well, I'm not sure that the president doesn't have that power. I think what he's trying to do is to say that if you came here for birth tourism and you have a baby here, then that that baby is not is not a citizen of the United States. I don't believe that's that that's that's true. I don't think the Supreme Court is going to abide by that. Do I believe that the president may have the power to deny entry into the United States to somebody who may be pregnant and have the possibility of having a baby in the United States? I'm not sure he doesn't have that right. And so that's a different question than I think that's being debated right now.

1:06:19All right. I want to switch gears with you. On Thursday, Department of Homeland Security announced that the Coast Guard seized over 7 ,000 pounds of cocaine from a drug smuggling boat off the coast of Puerto Rico, arrested five people, and then blew up the boat. There are key differences here between the Coast Guard's handling of this and the president's Operation Southern Spear, which, remind our viewers, killed more than 220 people, ultimately released all survivors, and the U.S. military never published photos of the drugs on the so-called narco-terrorist boats. Is the Coast Guard, in your view, more effective at these types of operations?

1:06:58Frankly, no, because they can only catch so many people. It's a huge ocean. We only have limited resources, and we know that 80%, 90 % of these boats are going to get through. I think that the actions that the president took, remember, you're talking about drugs that are the carriers for fentanyl that killed about 500 ,000 people. These are active combatants that were engaged in killing of American lives. And so I had absolutely no problem in these narco-terrorists being engaged in the ocean, As long as we had credible proof that they were transporting deadly drugs into the United States, I had no problem with that.

1:07:38The fact that the Coast Guard can also do it, great, but the Coast Guard is not going to be able to succeed in that fight. There's too many boats and too few Coast Guard vessels to interdict what we need to interdict. And remember that at least 500 ,000 Americans were killed by these drugs laced with fentanyl. So you believe there was credible proof from Operation Southern Spear last year. You were satisfied with how that was conducted? Yeah, I do. Yeah, I do because I had some classified briefings and it satisfied my curiosity and my questions. And so, yeah, I supported that operation. Congressman, quickly, final 20 seconds here.

1:08:19Your home state of Florida early this month saw a Democratic socialist and Florida State Representative Angie Nixon pull off an upset of the Democratic primary. How worried are Republicans about the enthusiastic support of her, at least among Democrats? She got less than 50 percent of the vote of Democrats. I don't know how enthusiastic they are. And remember, Democrats only make up maybe less than 30 percent of the electorate here in the state of Florida. So maybe 15 percent actually voted for her. She's going to have a tough road. A Democratic Socialist is not going to be looked at very kindly here in Florida, especially in South Florida, where you have millions of people that have fled the kind of stuff or the kind of policies, the socialism and the communism that this candidate seems to support.

1:09:08So I don't think that the Democrats should be looking at her as having much hope of getting elected in November. Republican Congressman Carlos Jimenez of Florida, thank you for taking the time. Have a good weekend. You too. Well, President Trump honoring the astronauts of Artemis II today down at Johnson Space Center. But that isn't the only reason the president ventured to Texas. Bring you more up next.

1:09:41I will sign an executive order to begin the process of creating a new national academy. It's called the U.S. Space Academy. That's a big deal.

1:09:54It's President Trump today in my hometown and my home state of Houston, Texas, announcing the creation of the U.S. Space Academy. He also awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, well-deserved, to the Artemis II crew. Trump was also in the Lone Star State to help boost the embattled Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton. Polls continue to show a tight race between Paxton and Democrat James Tallarico, yet neither one is getting a boost from specific members of their own party. So the panel joins me now. Joe, let me start with you. There we saw that John Cornyn said to the Texas Tribune, quote, I'm raising money to help in places like New Hampshire and Michigan and Alaska and some of these other states where I think we've got close races.

1:10:43Paxton's a poor campaigner. He's lazy and doesn't raise money. and he basically is not offering a very compelling case for his own election. So clearly not an endorsement. But what do you make of his remarks? Well, tell us how you really feel, Senator, right? I mean, look, he obviously has some sour grapes. No one likes to be a incumbent, a multi-term incumbent, and get defeated by someone who you don't particularly like. That said, he is the exception, not the norm in the Republican Party. You have 20 elected senators now fundraising for Pakistan. You have the president himself doing a campaign fundraiser.

1:11:17and the campaign stopped. So the party is united behind our candidate. And, you know, I have to think back, even though this race is tidying, I have to think back to names like Rick Noriega and Ron Kirk, I think, as a Texan. You might remember them. I mean, 1990s, 2000s, we've heard stories about how Texas is going to turn blue this time. This is the moment. And we're seeing that same pattern play out again. I think Democrats are a little too excited about this race. I think it'll go the way Texas races have gone before. Abbott is up seven points on Hinojosa. So, you know, there is momentum for Republicans in this state.

1:11:50I'm not holding my breath on Texas turning blue here, but you know that Ken Paxton is not very popular among many Texans in his own state. Max, let's talk about Tallarico here, because in terms of support from Jasmine Crockett, take a listen to what she said to our Laura Coates last night. Will you campaign with him? I will be campaigning down ballot. I think that making sure that people that maybe are getting overshadowed because it seems like it's only about one big race. I'm really invested in a number of candidates that I didn't get to do anything for because I was running my own Senate race.

1:12:30Candidates that I really do believe can make a difference no matter what happens. Ultimately, at the top of the ticket, we've got to have wins. OK, Tallarico is a talented candidate here. and Paxton, as we noted, is not very popular. He's been impeached by his own party in the state. Is Crockett wrong here? Is she being petty? Because every endorsement helps at this point. Sure. I'm not sure how much it matters. She's going through the stages of grief that come after you lose an election. I've lost more elections than my dear friend, Joe, so I can speak to it with more expertise. But, you know, what does, I think, matter here is if she is speaking to a larger trend, then he has an issue.

1:13:16If she is merely expressing her own opinion, it's not a huge issue. Not even as it relates to the black vote in Texas? If it relates to the black vote in Texas, it is an issue, right? If what she is identifying or hinting at is that he has a challenge in that community, then it's an issue. Well, I'm just saying without her endorsement, I'm just wondering how that would be perceived. I'm not saying they vote as a monolith, but still, it would help. I would imagine. There's no doubt that it would be a net positive. She's an extraordinary messenger. But what I read from that, right, when she's doing an interview like that, is that she is speaking to an issue on the ground.

1:13:55If there is an issue on the ground, it should be something that the campaign should be, that should be their top priority. If there's not an issue on the ground, and if she is just upset, sad from her loss, and it's not easy to lose, then it's not nearly as big of an issue. Okay, so let's go from Texas to Iowa. There's a Senate race there between Democrat Josh Turek and Republican Ashley Hinson. Turek is trying to show that he can work with Republicans. Take a listen to this recent campaign ad. I-35, one of the busiest highways in the country. It connects Iowa to the southern border and the broken immigration system that both parties have failed to fix.

1:14:33I'm Josh Turek, and in the U.S. Senate, I'll work with anyone to fix it, including President Trump. To secure the border, stop the flow of drugs into Iowa. So is that smart politics? Could some Republicans or perhaps independents give him a shot? Look, it is smart, and he has to pick up Republicans. This is a state with 184 ,000 Republican enrollment advantage, so he has to get outside of the Democratic comfort zone. I think that's why we saw in recent days him telling Kamala Harris, no, please don't campaign with me. That's more evidence that the national brand of the Democratic Party is not what's going to win in some of the swing states where they're most competitive.

1:15:14Why are you laughing? Yeah, why are you laughing, Max? Because we see so many Republicans saying, please Donald Trump, don't campaign with me. I scrubbed the internet for where Hakeem Jeffries has been campaigning. He only campaigned in one swing state district, in PA7, all summer long. So I think the National Democratic Party does have a messaging issue when it comes to these specific swing states. Turek is doing the right thing by kind of trying to pick up Republicans. First of all. Okay, go ahead. No, I was just saying the proof is in the pudding here. You are not seeing any commercials in which Republicans are running a race against Hakeem Jeffries.

1:15:50And believe me, they would love to. What you are seeing, though, is Donald Trump's numbers are in the gutter. Why is he in the gutter? Because your party has all the power. The economy is horrible. Gases through the roof. We're in another forever war. That's your fault or your friend's fault. And that's why they're going to lose the elections. Simple as that, my friend. You can talk about the Democratic brand all you want. We have a national ticket in 2024 that's still out there campaigning with candidates in swing states. That's my point. My point is that the people who the Democratic Party put forward as their leaders in 2024 are still toxic to the American people.

1:16:24That was a long time ago. Both of you had a hair in 2021. Democratic candidates and swing states essentially have to abandon the left wing of their party and the moderate wing of their party in order to be competitive. Quickly, how big of a problem is the tariff war now with China as it relates to Maine and Susan Collins? She's distanced herself. She's been quite critical of this. Does it hurt her ultimately in the race? I think you meant Canada. Of Canada, yes. But look, this is sort of the brinkmanship that Trump has done. And, you know, we've seen things like the pausing of the beef tariffs in the last possible second.

1:16:57I think this is more of a play on Trump. It won't long-term affect Susan Collins because I don't think they actually happen. Okay. We'll see. We'll have you back, guys. Thank you. Appreciate it. Up next, Hollywood knows drama. And this November, the biggest storyline isn't a streaming service. It's a city hall. That's next. That was a friendly tap, right?

1:17:23From devastating wildfires to entertainment productions leaving Los Angeles, Hollywood's struggles are taking center stage in the city's mayor's race, with many industry workers struggling to stay afloat. CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister looks at how Hollywood's future is now a political fault line. I've got news, California. Baywatch is back. The announcement was buzzy. Tax incentives lured the iconic Baywatch reboot. back to its original home on the Southern California coast. Best job in the world. Best job in the world. But a symbol of L.A.'s resurgence in Hollywood production became a hot topic on the mayoral debate stage.

1:18:04That's what happened in Baywatch. City and county weren't talking to each other. When Baywatch began production on L.A.'s famed Venice Beach, it was met with another L.A. icon, red tape. No overnight parking. No driving on the beach. No fires on the beach. We're a lifeguard show, the Baywatch co-creator told Variety. What do you mean we can't drive a truck on the beach? We're at the historic Venice Lifeguard Tower. Mayor Karen Bass and county leaders scrambled to avoid election season embarrassment, easing restrictions and keeping Baywatch from leaving the city. But the fiasco became a symbol of the difficulties of shooting in Hollywood's own backyard.

1:18:45It drives me crazy, you know. Doug Ellen created another iconic L.A. show, Entourage. And this city has collapsed in the last five years. There is no f***ing denying it. He's been a vocal critic of Bass and her progressive challenger, Nithya Raman, and a supporter of former reality star Spencer Pratt, who lost in the primary but won over a large group of frustrated Hollywood creatives. How many people in your circles were secretly supporting Spencer Pratt? A lot. But they were too scared to say it. A lot. and big people. Many of them live in and around the Palisades, devastated by the LA fires in 2025, and concerned about homelessness that has become a citywide issue.

1:19:27I don't think people should be walking down the street terrified that somebody on drugs is going to come after them. And I don't think that's insensitive to anybody. I think that that is just common sense. And just to be clear, I don't like Trump. I didn't vote for him. And when you see people who just go, well, Spencer Pratt, he's Trump, he's this, he's that. It's very, very frustrating and you can't really get your voice heard. With Pratt out of the race, where do those votes go? Bass is the establishment Democrat. Rahman, who's on the LA City Council, is a Democratic Socialist. Her husband is a writer and producer who worked on Modern Family and 30 Rock.

1:20:01Bold-faced names have pledged support. I'm supporting Nithya Rahman in this race. From Chelsea Handler and Mindy Kaling to Adam Scott, Tina Fey, and Natalie Portman. Karen Bass is that person. Bass has more legacy supporters like Samuel L. Jackson, Jane Fonda and Magic Johnson. Along with the handling of the fires, crime is also an issue as high end home break ins have surged in L.A. Hitting stars like Entourage's Kevin Connolly, Nicole Kidman and Brad Pitt. I find it to be a very scary time right now. Your house was broken into. I was sitting in my car and I got a ring alert that there's someone on my balcony.

1:20:38When I turn it on and I see two guys kicking the doors to my house, it's a very unsettling feeling. And when you have a three-year-old, my house has never felt the same. Bass, though, points to overall reductions in crime. Crime, especially homicide, is at a 60-year low. Rahman is the more liberal of the mayoral candidates, but says she's not afraid to pivot from Democratic socialists when needed. I supported Measure ULA, the mansion tax. and just a few months ago I stood up and said, I don't think it's working in the way that it was intended. Where Pratt voters land just might tip the scales in the November election.

1:21:15Ellen says he'll reluctantly choose the incumbent. So I will go in and I'll, you know, close my eyes and go, Karen Bass, I hope you do better this time. What else can I do? Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN, Los Angeles. Thanks to Elizabeth Wagmeister for that report. And coming up Sunday on State of the Union, White House Borders are Tom Holman and Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna. That's Sunday at 9 a.m. and noon Eastern here on CNN. If you ever miss an episode of The Lead, you can watch the show on the CNN app. Erin Burnett Outfront starts now.

1:21:55Go inside the sports moments that brought us together and made history. From the underdogs to the rivalries and the miracles. It sends chills down your spine. It's what sport was all about. The new CNN original series, Decades in Sports. Now streaming on the CNN app.