is as well. and cnn politics reporter to koppen. former business partner, manafort, rick gates maybe called this week. he is considered a star witness. in exchange for his guilty plea. what is to be expected from him? >> yes, that's right, fred. i mean, in many ways, this is sort of what everyone has been waiting for the trial to build up to. he was the man who is sort of on the inside so to speak on all of these different pieces of the puzzle that have been being put together by this testimony from, you know, from accountants, from the various sort of external factors in manafort's world. but this is the man who was, you know, supposedly according to prosecutors side by side with manafort as much as this went down and may be the one to testify, you know, exactly what he was thinking and doing and intending, which is so important when you're building this criminal case. you know, he also is sort of the connection to trump world. that we haven't seen as much. >> and that's what has to be what people wonder. >> right. >> is it going to -- this kind of dialogue or examination of rick gates strictly on the bank,
you know, fraud charges similar to what the accountant testified or might there be some surprise questions as it relates to dealings within the campaign as campaign manager. >> that's the big question. we haven't heard a lot of trump at all during the trial. in fact, it has been almost exclusively about manafort's livish lifestyle and the various ways they say he defrauded the bank. that is the big question on everyone's lips. this obviously is connected with the special counsel's investigation with mueller. everyone's wondering, is there going to be a tempt to tie this back to the campaign or are they going to stick solely to what manafort was up to sort of on his own? >> we know prosecutors do plan to show evidence that manafort's lawyer, you know, said that rick gates was not involved with certain bank records, potentially undercutting the defense's theory that gates was calling the shots. so this is really an issue of credibility, is it not? credibility for manafort, credibility for rick gates. even credibility, you know, for donald trump, simply because these were people in his orbit.
>> absolutely. that's the ongoing story with this investigation. where different sides are challenging the credibility of each player. and manafort is a very important part of the trump campaign. and what we're learning from the trial is who he was before the campaign, the kind of money he was making. and also his desperation some ways for money right at the time that he joined world of trump. so this is very crucial to the overall investigation in many ways. challenging the credibility of those who are attacking him so to speak is very important. >> and, michael, while this case thus far, the way it's been rolled out, be very embarrassing for manafort, you know, delving into the amount of money he made, how he spent it, his fashion sense and all that, but incriminating? >> well, i think we have two trials going on here. part one is the fraudulent tax
returns when manafort was flush with money. then part two is the bank fraud when the ukrainian money dries up and he has no way to support his lavish lifestyle so he starts defrauding -- >> doctoring files. >> we've seen good evidence from accountants and others about each of those components. we'll get from rick gates the conspiracy they engaged in. there are some nuggets here for manafort's lawyers to try to pin this all on gates. but i think overwhelmingly so far the evidence supports manafort knowingly engaging in tax fraud, failing to file reports and falsifying returns and then deceiving banks in order to obtain loans. >> all that is bad, but is that the pinnacle or is this the avenue, part of the journey in which to get somewhere even bigger? >> well, i think that the hope of course for any prosecutor that tries a case of this sort is to obtain a conviction. whether once a conviction is obtained they can say to
foreign autocrats. are we talking about the indictment of people surrounding donald trump in his orbit? >> well, that's arguably one of the most interesting things about this case. as a lot of the people that ended up with the trump campaign very early on are not the type of people who are usually on the sort of front lines of politics today. many of them had been doing things in washington for years that were sort of escaping notice. they sort of hitched their wagon to trump. and then he won. and all of a sudden there was a level of scrutiny on many of these people that they were perhaps not necessarily anticipating. it is calling into question how much of this is happening in washington more broadly. there's so much money that flows in washington. there's so many people who sort of manage one campaign successfully and then move on to other things, lose that scrutiny, and so there's a lot of people watching this trial intently to see, you know, are there going to be consequences that go far beyond these individuals who got caught up in the trump circle and more broadly move on to washington. >> julian, should the president
be nervous about this? because reportedly some of his aides are expressing he has been relatively nervous about this trial. >> well, sure, if you're under this kind of investigation as the president of the united states for this long and with so many players now being swept up in it, it would be irrational not to be nervous. with someone like mueller looking into what you did and what you're doing, this is the natural state of a presidency being investigated. but don't forget, he will try to turn this to his advantage. he will go to the rally. he will say this is fake. he will say this is the victim. and by extension, so are his supporters. he will try to use this as his political advantage. in some respects for him, it's worked. the question is does the investigation blow up that strategy at some point or does that not happen? >> do you believe a verdict or could this be a build-up to more? >> if there is a conviction, it
takes the wind out of the sails of the president's political rallying of this is a witch hunt and there is no there there. if, however, he doesn't get a conviction, then i think it feeds right into the narrative the president has been articulating on the campaign trial and that will be devastating in some respects for the prosecutors. there's another trial coming i in d.c. same actor, paul manafort, and it will start all over again in september. >> thanks so much, julian, michael zelden, appreciate you all, thank you. president trump sends a new letter to kim jong-un. meanwhile, there's evidence that north korea's nuclear and missile programs have not stopped. we'll explain next. later, investigators are sifting through hundreds of tips in the search for missing college student, 20-year-old molly tie tibbett s.
a 50% chance isn't good enough when it comes to your kid's nutrition. 1 out of 2 kids don't get enough calcium, vitamin d, and potassium. make sure your kid isn't one of them. one simple way? 3 servings of real milk a day. serve real milk at mealtime. just for a shot. with neulasta onpro patients get their dayr back to be with family, or just to sleep in. strong chemo can put you at risk of serious infection. in a key study neulasta reduced the risk of infection from 17% to 1%, a 94% decrease.
neulasta onpro is designed to deliver neulasta the day after chemo and is used by most patients today. neulasta is for certain cancer patients receiving strong chemotherapy. do not take neulasta if you're allergic to it or neupogen (filgrastim). an incomplete dose could increase infection risk. ruptured spleen, sometimes fatal as well as serious lung problems allergic reactions, kidney injuries and capillary leak syndrome have occurred. report abdominal or shoulder tip pain, trouble breathing or allergic reactions to your doctor right away. in patients with sickle cell disorders, serious, sometimes fatal crises can occur. the most common side effect is bone and muscle ache. ask your doctor about neulasta onpro. pay no more than $25 per dose with copay card. with tough food, your dentures may slip and fall. new fixodent ultra-max hold gives you the strongest hold ever
to lock your dentures. so now you can eat tough food without worry. fixodent and forget it. you wouldn't accept an incomplete job from any one else. why accept it from your allergy pills? flonase sensimist relieves all your worst symptoms, including nasal congestion, which most pills don't. and all from a gentle mist you can barely feel. flonase sensimist.
all right, welcome back. let's get some new developments now with north korea. there was a very brief meeting between u.s. secretary of state mike pompeo and his north korean counterpart. they were both at a conference in singapore. the two spoke briefly, shook hands and then later pompeo passed along a letter from president trump. president trump actually received a letter from his own, of his own rather from the north korean leader kim jong-un earlier in the week. global affairs correspondent elise labbott is with me now. the interaction in singapore really not that spontaneous. >> right, he didn't hand it off, one of his guys did after they shook hands. it was so brief, you missed it. >> i did. >> you know, look, these letters are just pleasantries between president trump and kim jong-un. now letters have to be exchanged every time there's a north
korean -- >> documenting any kind of interaction. >> no. >> no, this is about reaffirming the commitments that i made that i'm not implementing. this is, you know, pleasantries that are being exchanged. the u.s. wants to see actions. the u.s. wants to see the north koreans agree to a date for talks. for denuclearization. for steps that they're taking. and the u.s. can't get the north koreans to sit down. you heard -- >> that meeting in singapore between the two leaders was initially about? or was that just a break bread moment? >> it was a break bread moment. the secretary said we should talk and the north korean foreign minister said yes, we should. so the north -- the u.s. wants to have a time line and, you know, specific steps that the north koreans are taking and that's just not happening. secretary pompeo said earlier this week that north korea is going to be setting the pace of this denuclearization.
it's certainly not happening as fast enough as president trump -- >> this is kind of the shuttle diplomacy. secretary of state is going to be that conduit perhaps to help keep some kind of dialogue going or try to nail down some sort of commitment to bring credence to what the president said after the meeting which is denuclearize and mission accomplished. >> well, it's good to have this dialogue, but i think what's frustrating u.s. officials is, it's actually going in the opposite direction. you saw this u.n. report on friday that said north korea is trying -- still trying to procure parts and things to keep its nuclear program going. and it also is evading sanctions. and some of these countries are also, you know, helping north korea bust sanctions as well. yes, the tenor and the tone is much better than it was a year ago with all this fire and fury, but in actuallity, we're not seeing any steps on the ground, and it's quite frustrating for
u.s. officials that thought, you know, certainly president trump who had hoped that this -- things were going to be in a new era. i think the mood is darkening a bit. >> all right, elise, thank you. the national rifle association may be facing major financial trouble. we'll explain why the group says it might have to shut down some of its media operations. healthier pet in 28 days. purina one. natural ingredients, plus vitamins and minerals in powerful combinations. for radiant coats, sparkling eyes, and vibrant energy. purina one. 28 days. one visibly healthy pet. we can'twhy?y here! flat toilet paper! i'll never get clean!
way ahead of you. charmin ultra strong. it cleans better. it's four times stronger and you can use less. enjoy the go with charmin. i knew at that exact moment ... i'm beating this. my main focus was to find a team of doctors. it's not just picking a surgeon, it's picking the care team and feeling secure in where you are. visit cancercenter.com/breast ♪ it is such a good time to dance ♪ ♪ it is such a good time to [ laughing ] ♪ scoobidoo doobidoo ♪ scoobidoo doobidoo [ goose honking ] ♪ [ laughing ] a bad day on the road still beats a good one off it. ♪ progressive helps keep you out there. ♪ if you have moderate to thsevere rheumatoid arthritis,
month after month, the clock is ticking on irreversible joint damage. ongoing pain and stiffness are signs of joint erosion. humira can help stop the clock. prescribed for 15 years, humira targets and blocks a source of inflammation that contributes to joint pain and irreversible damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. help stop the clock on further irreversible joint damage. talk to your rheumatologist. right here. right now. humira.
feel like 50? how can i share new plans virtually? how can i download an e-file? virtual tours? zip-file? really big files? in seconds, not minutes... just like that. like everything... the answer is simple. i'll do what i've always done... dream more, dream faster, and above all... now, i'll dream gig. now more businesses, in more places, can afford to dream gig. comcast, building america's largest gig-speed network. a book that you're ready to share with the world? get published now, call for your free publisher kit today! all right, welcome back. the national rifle association says it's having serious financial problems. according to a court filing, the
nra says it could soon be, quote, unable to exist or pursue its advocacy mission. end quote. all because of a legal battle in new york. cnn's palo sandoval is following the story for us. what can you tell us? >> let's remember how we got here. governor cuomo and the nra has constantly crashed on the issue of gun control. in may, this constant disagreement ended up in federal court with a civil suit. the nra sued governor cuomo and also a state insurance regulating agency, accusing them of black listing this gun lobby group and members, keeping them from securing various banking services and also insurance policies as well. late last month, that lawsuit presented by the nra was why the nra claiming that they are beginning to feel the financial effects, again, according to the group, of being so-called black listed, inlewdi including tens
millions of dollar. the lawsuit claims they could potentially be unable to exist as a nonprofit as well. this week, a response from governor cuomo and also the state of new york or at least that agency saying they had investigated the illegal sale of insurance policies that were marketed as -- or at least through the nra and also they're moving to have this lawsuit dismissed, calling it a distraction, fred. >> so what's the response coming from governor cuomo? >> we saw a response from the governor on twitter just yesterday. a short but powerful tweet. if i could have put the nra out of business, i would have done it 20 years ago. i'll see you in court. the governor standing by his defense as the nra and its attorneys continue to keep both him and the state regulating agency in their sights. this very lengthy and pretty dramatic litigation.
>> polo sandoval, thanks. president trump tweeting that jeff sessions should stop the russia investigation. was that an attempt to obstruct justice? it depends on who you ask. who legal experts are joining us next. ♪ this is a story about mail and packages. and it's also a story about people. people who rely on us every day to deliver their dreams they're handing us more than mail they're handing us their business and while we make more e-commerce deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country, we never forget... that your business is our business the united states postal service. priority: you ♪
do not take ozempic® if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to ozempic®. stop taking ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, itching, rash, or trouble breathing. serious side effects may happen, including pancreatitis. tell your doctor if you have diabetic retinopathy or vision changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase the risk for low blood sugar. common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and constipation. some side effects can lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. i discovered the potential with ozempic®. ♪ oh! oh! oh! ozempic®! ♪ (vo) ask your healthcare provider if ozempic® is right for you. you're smart,eat you already knew that. but it's also great for finding the perfect used car. you'll see what a fair price is and you can connect with a truecar certified dealer. now you're even smarter. this is truecar.
happy anniversary dinner, darlin'. can this much love be cleaned by a little bit of dawn ultra? oh yeah one bottle has the grease cleaning power of three bottles of this other liquid. a drop of dawn and grease is gone. special counsel robert mueller is looking at president trump's twitter history as part of his investigation. regardless, the president hasn't slowed down his social media tirades including this week's tweet where he says this is a terrible situation, and attorney general jeff sessions should stop this rigged witch hunt
right now before it continues to stain our country any further. bob mueller is totally conflicted and has 17 angry democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to usa. all right, pretty blunt. but is this obstruction? joining me right now, avery friedman and civil rights attorney and law professor in cleveland. and richard sherman, new york criminal attorney and law professor, joining us from las vegas. let me begin with you, the white house and the president's attorney rudy giuliani quickly pouncing on this, saying it's merely the president's opinion. but when the opinion knls from the president, is it also an order? >> this is an unhinged individual who's feeling the pressure of a very professional criminal investigation. closing in around him. if you like titles and you practice federal law, there's no doubt in my mind whether or not he can be indicted or not, he is
the target in this investigation. he is and he knows it. it's getting closer and closer. we've been told by sean spicer and by sarah huckabee and other people in the administration his tweets are pronouncements by the president. they are official statements, official statements, and, fred, they go to his state of mind. any one tweet in particular may not in and of itself be a crime. when you look at it, when you look at hi directing and telling sessions to stop the investigation, stop the investigation, fred, that is -- when the president tells someone you should stop the investigation, forget about the fact that sessions can't do it. you got to focus. when the president tells someone they should do someone, that's a direction. that's how comey took it. that's how sessions is taking it. we don't need the carnival
barker giuliani and other people to interpret for us what the president says. we can understand his words. >> why do you, avery, disagree that that kind of overt expression of opinion is not obstruction, it is not an order? why do you say this is far more complicated? >> i think it's much more nuanced than that. there's no order. i understand how one might interpret it. but legally speaking, it is a reflection of intent, fredricka. that's what's so important. you follow the tweets along here. you have a sense especially on the question, the legal question, of obstruction. and you look back to may 11th, 2017, when the president tells lester holts at nbc i got rid of comey because of the russia investigation, not because of what rosenstein says. so you put it in context.
the tweet to jeff sessions who, as a matter of regulation and ethics, fredricka, was obligated to recuse himself, there's nothing he can do. the investigation is going to proceed. the tweets are evidence of intent to obstruct. and that's why -- >> very good, avery, you agree. >> you are both saying the same thing. while jeff sessions has recused himself and the president is directing, you know, he's speaking his opinion and, you know, he's directing his sentiment to jeff sessions, it really is rosenstein who would have the power to end the investigation. is it kind of an error on the president's or was this intentional, so this doesn't appear to be obstruction. even though he's directing it at jeff sessions? >> you would think by now someone would have educated this man in the hierarchy, in how the procedure goes, and that
sessions is not capable of ending the investigation. you're right, it's clearly the sentiment of this man. because let's face it, he's the target. he's the one they're looking for. so sure, if he's so innocent, why would you want the investigation over with? if he's so innocent, no collusion, no collusion. by the way, collusion equals conspiracy, fred. 18 usc-371. is conspiracy. >> that's correct. >> giuliani, it's not in the federal court. collusion, it's conspiracy. >> so then avery, if you are bob mueller and you're reading this latest tweet in concert with all the other tweets, what is this equipping you with if you are bob mueller in terms of whether this is direct, it's by mistake or it's intentional that the president is trying to stand in the way of an ongoing investigation? >> i think there's no question that the tweets -- remember, there were two of them.
number one, he's asking jeff sessions to end it. well, that's not going to happen. secondly, listen to this, which is astonishing to me. he starts talking about the manafort trial and this is about manafort's behavior before he had any involvement with the trump campaign and he calls it a hoax. what he's trying to do, poison the jury across the bridge from where you are in alexandria? goodness gracious. the tweets i think are just impulsive reactions. i think the lawyers, the real lawyer, in the white house are maddened by what is going on, but i think, frankly, he's going to do what he wants to do and every time he tweets, he hands mueller on a silver platter more evidence of potential collusion but certainly obstruction. >> it's more than just impulsive reactions. it's coming from the president of the united states. it's not coming from some low-life person, it's the president who's saying these things, fred.
it's out of control. he can't keep his mouth shut. i'd like to have a dollar for every lawyer and every person who told him don't tweet, don't tweet, you're making it worse for yourself. he's unhinged. this man is unhinged. something has to be done quickly here. unhinged. >> we'll see. >> we'll leave it right there. richard freeman, avery herman, good to see you guys. always have me laughing too. make us smarter but they also have us laughing. for two weeks, there's been in sign of 20-year-old college student mollie tibbetts. we'll have the latest on the search. we have got a problem. a few problems actually. we've got aging roadways, aging power grids, ...aging everything. we also have the age-old problem of bias in the workplace. really... never heard of it. the question is... who's going to fix all of this? an actor? probably not. but you know who can solve it? business. because solving big problems is what business does best. so let's take on the wage gap, the opportunity gap, the achievement gap. whatever the problem,
business can help. and i know who can help them do it. ♪ ♪ can world-renowned artist red hong yi use the chase mobile app® to pay practically anyone, at any bank? ♪ ♪ yes. but this isn't for just anyone. chase. make more of what's yours. ♪ lean on me, when you're not strong ♪ ♪ and i'll be your friend ♪ ♪ i'll help you carry on ♪ ♪ lean on me.
-tell me about that dental procedure again! -i can still taste it in my mouth! -progressive helps keep you out there. -i can still taste it in my mouth! booking a flight doesn't have to be expensive. just go to priceline. it's the best place to book a flight a few days before my trip and still save up to 40%. just tap and go... for the best savings on flights, go to priceline. i we worked with pg&eof to save energy because wenie. wanted to help the school. they would put these signs on the door to let the teacher know
you didn't cut off the light. the teachers, they would call us the energy patrol. so they would be like, here they come, turn off your lights! those three young ladies were teaching the whole school about energy efficiency. we actually saved $50,000. and that's just one school, two semesters, three girls. together, we're building a better california.
welcome back. the reward for missing iowa college student has reached $220,000. hundreds of tips have poured in. volunteers have spent days searching for mollie tibbetts but still no sign of the 20-year-old who went missing july 18th. cnn's christi paul went to iowa. she spoke with mollie's family and boyfriend who are maintaining the theory that mollie is still alive. >> reporter: fine, smart, a writer. sadly, we can now add the word missing. >> it's just small town, small town iowa. this doesn't happen here. >> reporter: here is brooklyn, iowa. a small sleepy town enveloped by rows of cornfields and stocked with people who all know each other and have become the
foundation of a family. >> it's a missing person, my sister actually -- >> reporter: just trying to hold it together. as they fight to bring molly home. >> when we're together, it's absolutely fine. it's when you're alone and you talk to molly by yourself. >> reporter: talked about how she can feel mollie's presence, she feels her sitting on her shoulder. do you have that same sense? >> we all do. when you're alone, you talk to mollie. you know why we're fighting. she's out there. we feel it. >> reporter: do you ever feel like you hear back from her? >> yes. i did this morning. but i don't want to talk about it. >> reporter: on july 18th, mollie was dlrop of off at her boyfriend's house to dog sit while he was out of town. no one has seen her since. but they say they used to see her all the time. >> she'd come down the road and if i was over there working, you know, in my flowers i'd, you
know -- she'd just wave and say hi and off she'd go. because that's the house right down there. >> where her boyfriend lives. >> right down there. that white house. it's just like this girl -- >> now i pay attention to what they have on. you know, she's got a headband. she's talking on her phone. >> color of her shoes. color of her shorts. before, we never would pay any attention. you know, we'd just glance and wave. >> reporter: they were some of the first volunteers who searched for mollie. >> we walked cornfields, searching. we didn't turn up anything. >> reporter: we wanted to find her so bad. then we were afraid to find her. i mean, you know. >> well, if we found her, we was praying she was just tied up. we wasn't thinking of the worst. >> reporter: her boyfriend dalton has a hard time being in his house now.
>> i don't go to my room anymore because that was, you know, our shared space. i don't do that. i've been sleeping on the couch since she went missing. >> reporter: he's had to deal with the view t with the scrutiny of people wondering if he had something to do with. >> i don't care what they think so long as, you know, if they quit thinking that, you know, the guy that did it is standing right here just keep your eyes pale e peeled for anything you see. any suspicious activity. >> reporter: who is hurting? this entire community. especially mollie's mom and dad. >> every day, i feel mollie's pressance with me, you know, sometimes i just feel her sitting on my shoulder. >> just hang in there, pie, just hang in there, we're fighting like hell. we've got a great law enforcement team. the community's all behind you. media's helping. the whole country's in love with you, pie. we'll find you.
>> reporter: where does pie come from? >> we call her pie. i've call heard pie since she was a baby. >> reporter: mollie's dad says it's not too late to do the right thing. if you have any information about molly, please call the local sheriff. fred, back to you. >> all right, thanks so much, christi, everyone's praying for her safe return. the young girl who went missing from her tour group at reagan airport right outside of d.c. here. around surveillance show the 12-year-old chinese girl leaving the airport without force with an unidentified woman. the girl was located in queen, new york, safe and in the custody of her parents. details about what happened have yet to be released. and police have not said whether an abduction actually occurred. all right, the tsa might stop screening at more than is00 airports along with other significant security cuts. what it might mean for air
safety next in the cnn newsroom. this weekend on cnn, when a comedian passes away, the impact is personal. but why? find out what creates that connection and why it's always too soon to lose the laughter. history of comedy gone too soon tomorrow at 10:00. healthier pet in 28 days. purina one. natural ingredients, plus vitamins and minerals in powerful combinations. for radiant coats, sparkling eyes, and vibrant energy. purina one. 28 days. one visibly healthy pet. i do. check out the new united explorer card. saving on this! saving on this! saving in here. rewarded!
learn more at theexplorercard.com happy anniversary dinner, darlin'. can this much love be cleaned by a little bit of dawn ultra? oh yeah one bottle has the grease cleaning power of three bottles of this other liquid. a drop of dawn and grease is gone. if you have moderate to thsevere rheumatoid arthritis, month after month, the clock is ticking on irreversible joint damage. ongoing pain and stiffness
are signs of joint erosion. humira can help stop the clock. prescribed for 15 years, humira targets and blocks a source of inflammation that contributes to joint pain and irreversible damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. help stop the clock on further irreversible joint damage. talk to your rheumatologist. right here. right now. humira. it's softer than ever. charmin ultra soft is softer than ever so it's harder to resist. okay, this is getting a little weird
enjoy the go with charmin i'm a small business, but i have... big dreams... and big plans. so how do i make the efforts of 8 employees... feel like 50? how can i share new plans virtually? how can i download an e-file? virtual tours? zip-file?
really big files? in seconds, not minutes... just like that. like everything... the answer is simple. i'll do what i've always done... dream more, dream faster, and above all... now, i'll dream gig. now more businesses, in more places, can afford to dream gig. comcast, building america's largest gig-speed network. all right, welcome back. cutting back on federal air marshals and eliminating security at small airports across the country. well, cnn has learned those are just two of the ideas the tsa is looking into to save money, and
security experts are sounding the alarm. cnn's renee marsh has more details in this exclusive report. >> reporter: a new internal tsa document cnn exclusively obtained shows the proposal to eliminate screening at more than 150 small to medium-size airports is just one of several cost-saving measures the agency is discussing. a senior tsa employee tells cnn the agency is looking at cuts that could save more than $300 million in 2020. one cut? reducing the number of air marshals, eliminating screening at small airports, staffing cuts at tsa headquarters, and changes to benefits are also being discussed. tsa did not comment. a former official with department of homeland security under obama is concerned. >> ending security at certain airports, ending or flatlining the air marshal service are
actually inconsistent because if you're going to decrease security at certain airports, what you would want to do is increase the presence of air marshals or other security features just in case. >> reporter: cnn revealed the most controversial cut, eliminating screening at small airports like this one in redding, california, where bryant garrett is the manager. >> since i as the airport don't want to take on that, either the liability nor the cost, and i'm quite certain the airlines don't want to take that on. so, if tsa backs out, there's a void and i don't know who would fill it. >> ladies and gentlemen, we are the police. remain calm. >> reporter: air marshals are the last line of defense, armed agents aboard planes to prevent hijackings. critics have questioned its effectiveness but the tsa has defended the program as a deterrent. agencies discuss where they can trim all the time, but the big question that congress and likely the american public is asking and would like explained is whether these cuts are being considered because the threat
and risks to aviation has changed or is this just an indication that the agency is under extreme pressure to cut costs. rene marsh, cnn, washington. the tsa has not responded to requests for comment, but joining me right now is paul, a former tsa official who worked at jfk airport in new york. good to see you. what's your opinion of these, at least, two of the headline potential cuts that we know of? >> good afternoon, fred. one thing we know about the tsa since its inception in 2001 is that it really had two focused goals. one was to be really effective at security, and the other was to facilitate the free movement of people through the transportation. what we see here is a vacate of one of those critical mission goals, and we're not only reducing layers of security, we're removing them. this is concerning for the traveling public, and i find a
hard time how they go forward with this, with overall support. >> so, let's break down a couple of them, one being, you know, eliminating or cutting back of tsa checkpoints at smaller airports. you worked at jfk. how concerned would you be if still working at jfk or otherwise that at a large airport, you know passengers are connecting, some coming from smaller airports if there was no, t no, tno tsa screenings like we're seeing today. >> this appears to be a multiyear strategy where the tsa is saying we don't have an unlimited amount of money anymore as we move further away from 9/11 so we have to find money in certain areas. if you remove screening and the cost of doing business at the smaller airports, which would represent the category 4 airports, you would be able to then put those assets, human assets, which are tsa officers and management, as well as screening equipment, to the higher-risk airports so i think they're making a risk -- i think
they're making a poor risk judgment here that we understand that there's low risk at the smaller category 4 airports, but we have to project forward and say what would the risk be if we removed the screening. so again, it's concerning, and i really think they're going to rethink this. >> and another big one that is under consideration, not having as many air marshals poised to be on airplanes. what are your thoughts on that? >> i know i'm going to have a controversial statement here, fred, but the only way to get the money to continue to fund front line screening officers and management is cutting the federal air marshal service. they've already cut it, probably, 20% since its high at one point. it's the only area they got to go really where they can get a lot of money to front -- to really push it to the to the front line officers on screening checkpoints. >> and still unclear just how seriously the tsa is considering these cuts, but some members of congress are seriously worried,
just as you have expressed, a top democrat on the house homeland security committee, bonnie watson coleman actually said this. quoting now, the intelligence is very clear that the threat to our transportation systems remain real, so i am baffled by this administration's endless efforts to cut funding in this area. and this, along with just earlier this week, you know, court challenges now on the release of instructions for any kind of homemade or plastic guns that would be able to, you know, evade the kind of security that we're seeing at the airport. so what do you say about the timing of all of this? >> i don't think the timing for this would be good at any point. we know that there is consistent threats against aviation. it continues to be front line, headline news for terrorist organizations, and we can't just forget where we came from, and when we look at just the imagination and that was one of the 9/11 commissions' recommendations that we kind of
failed in this imagination, how could we not imagine trouble at smaller airports and these aren't small planes, fred. they seat up to 60 passengers. it's not a small two-seater plane. and we have to have imagination when we look forward to say, what are the potential consequences and are we reigniting attacks by giving terrorists or those who want ill intent on the u.s., are we giving them another stage and a platform like we did pre-9/11. >> how do you answer the question, why now? >> money. i think it's really looking at budgeting and money and risk, so when you put all of that together, lower risk airports, higher risk airports, let's start moving money and resources towards higher risk airports. >> paul schmick, thanks so much for your time. appreciate it. so much more straight ahead in the "newsroom" and it all in the "newsroom" and it all starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

Related Keywords

Paul Manafort , Rick Gates , Cnn , Fred , Politics , Plea , Yes , Reporter , Business Partner , Star Witness , Exchange , Koppen , Trial , All , Man , Everyone , Sort , Accountants , Testimony , Ways , Puzzle , Pieces , One , Prosecutors , World , Side , Factors , Intending , People , Case , Babank Anp Bank , Kind , Dialogue , Connection , We Haven T , Examination , Trump , Campaign , Big Question , Lot , Campaign Manager , Fraud , Fact , Questions , Accountant , Investigation , Robert Mueller , Lifestyle , Lips , Livish , Evidence , What Manafort , Lawyer , Plan , Back , Bank Records , Donald Trump , Defense , Credibility , Theory , Orbit , Issue , Shots , Part , Story , Trump Campaign , Sides , Player , Learning , Save Money , Desperation , World Of Trump , Way , Michael Zelden , Lets Face It , Tax Returns , Trials , Amount , Fashion Sense , Delving , Incriminating , Two , Bank Fraud , Ukraine , Doctoring Files , Conspiracy , Lawyers , Others , Each , Components , Nuggets , Order , Pinnacle , Reports , Banks , Tax Fraud , Returns , Loans , Falsifying , Conviction , Course , Journey , Somewhere , Prosecutor , Avenue , Hope , Things , Indictment , Type , Foreign Autocrats , Scrutiny , Washington , Notice , Level , Many , Lines , Wagon , One Campaign , President , Julian Selzer , Individuals , Consequences , Trial Intently , Trump Circle , Us , Aides , Players , Rally , Someone , State , Presidency , Advantage , Being , Dont Forget , Respects , Victim , Supporters , Extension , Point , Strategy , Build Up , Verdict , Witch Hunt , If , Rallying , Wind , Sails , Narrative , Actor , Thanks , Campaign Trial , Dc , Letter , North Korea , Kim Jong Un , Programs , Missile , Tips , Search , Hundreds , Investigators , College Student , Molly Tie , Sifting , Tibbetts A , 20 , Kid , Chance , Calcium , Potassium , Kids , Vitamin D , 2 , 50 , 1 , Isnt One Of Them , Servings , Milk , Mealtime , 3 , Neulasta Onpro , Dayr Back , Shot , Risk , Neulasta , Family , Infection , Study , Chemo , Decrease , 94 , 17 , Patients , Dose , Infection Risk , Chemotherapy , Cancer Patients , Neupogen , Reactions , Spain , Doctor , Shoulder , Lung Problems , Trouble Breathing , Spleen , Crises , Kidney Injuries , Tip , Sickle Cell Disorders , Capillary Leak Syndrome , Side Effect , Bone , Card , Muscle Ache , 25 , 5 , Fixodent Ultra Max , Food , Dentures , Hold , Worry , Symptoms , Flonase Sensimist , Wouldn T , Allergy Pills , Job , Else , Mist , Pills Don T , Right , Meeting , Mike Pompeo , Counterpart , Developments , Conference , Hands , Briefly , Own , Singapore , Elise Labbott , Guys , Interaction , Affairs , Pleasantries , Letters , Commitments , Actions , Steps , Denuclearization , Can T , Talks , Bread , North , Leaders , Secretary , Foreign Minister , Pace , Koreans , Time Line , Help , Shuttle Diplomacy , Conduit , Officials , Commitment , Credence , Mission , Program , Direction , Report , Some , Countries , Sanctions , Procure Parts , Un , Ground , Tenor , Fury , Tone , Fire , Factuallity , Bust Sanctions , Bit , National Rifle Association , Thought , Elise , Mood , Group , Pet , Trouble , Vitamins , Minerals , Ingredients , Purina One , Media Operations , 28 , Energy , Coats , Eyes , Combinations , We Can Twhy , Toilet Paper , Go , Team , Times , Doctors , Focus , Charmin Ultra Strong , Four , Care Team , Surgeon , Scoobidoo , Doobidoo Scoobidoo , Goose Honking , Road , Rheumatoid Arthritis , Progressive , Humira , Clock , Source , Damage , Signs , Ticking , Targets , Inflammation , Stiffness , Erosion , 15 , Infections , Nervous System Problems , Have , Joint Pain , Cancers , Blood , Liver , Ability , Tuberculosis , Lymphoma , Areas , Him Don T , Tb , Heart Failure , Treatment , Sores , Hepatitis B , Rheumatologist , Plans , Everything , Answer , Zip File , Files , Tours , E File , Dream More , Dream Faster , Gig , Businesses , Comcast , Places , Building America , Book , Publisher , Kit , Problems , Court Filing , New York , Quote , Battle , Advocacy Mission , End Quote , Palo Sandoval , Cuomo , Governor Cuomo , Disagreement , May , Federal Court , Suit , Gun Control , Members , Lawsuit , Black , State Insurance Regulating Agency , Policies , Gun Lobby Group , Banking Services , Insurance , Effects , Tens Millions Of Dollar , Inlewdi , The Agency , Response , Sale , Nonprofit , Distraction , Insurance Policies , Tweet , Twitter , Governor , Nra Out Of Business , Court , State Regulating Agency , Attorneys , Sights , Litigation , Justice , Jeff Sessions , Russia , Trump Tweeting , It , Attempt , Experts , Next , Mail , Packages , Country , Business , Anyone , United States Postal Service , Priority , E Commerce Deliveries , Stop Taking Ozempic , Swelling , Stomach Pain , Lump , Family History , Neck , Medullary Thyroid Cancer , Endocrine Neoplasia Syndrome , Side Effects , Blood Sugar , Breathing , Insulin , Vision , Itching , Rash , Pancreatitis , Sulfonylurea , Diabetic Retinopathy , Potential , Diarrhea , Vo , Kidney Problems , Constipation , Nausea , Vomiting , Dehydration , Healthcare Provider , Truecar , Price , Car , Certified , Love , Bottle , Drop , Bottles , Grease Cleaning Power , Grease , Liquid , Dawn Ultra , Darlin , Dinner , Three , History , Dont Tweet , Social Media , Hasn T , Situation , Attorney General , Democrats , Obstruction , Work , Disgrace , White House , Rudy Giuliani , Law Professor , Rights , Attorney , Criminal Attorney , Avery Friedman , Richard Sherman , Cleveland , Las Vegas , Opinion , Individual , Knls , Quickly Pouncing On This , Mind , Pressure , Criminal Investigation , Law , Closing , Titles , No Doubt , Tweets , Target , Administration , Pronouncements , Sarah Huckabee , Sean Spicer , Statements , Particular , Crime , State Of Mind , Hi Directing , Sessions , Words , Expression , Slavery , Carnival Barker Giuliani , Fredricka Whitfield , Question , Intent , Sense , Reflection , Rosenstein , Comey , May 11th , Lester Holts , Nbc , 11 , May 11th 2017 , 2017 , Context , Regulation , Nothing , Matter , Ethics , Who , Thing , Directing , Sentiment , Power , Error , Flight Doesn T , Procedure , Hierarchy , Collusion , His Conspiracy , Fred 18 Usc 371 , 371 , 18 , Concert , Equipping , Mistake , Terms , Involvement , Behavior , Number One , Bridge , Jury , Hoax , Alexandria , Goodness Gracious , Platter , Person , President Of The United States , Something , Out Of Control , Dollar , Mouth Shut , Unhinged , Richard Freeman , Avery Herman , Student Mollie Tibbetts , Problem , Sign , Workplace , Aging Roadways , Latest , Power Grids , Bias , Opportunity Gap , Achievement Gap , Wage Gap , The Chase , Red Hong Yi , Use , More , Isn T , Lean On Me , Friend , Mouth , Flight , Place , Trip , Priceline , 40 , Flights , Savings , School , Wanted , Wenie , Door , Pg Eof , Teachers , Light , Teacher , Lights , Energy Efficiency , Semesters , Energy Patrol , Ladies , 0000 , 50000 , Girls , Volunteers , California , Reward , Iowa College Student , 220000 , 20000 , Christi Paul , Boyfriend , Iowa , July 18th , Word , Writer , Smart , Sarah Westwood , Other , Town , Cornfields , Rows , Small Town , Brooklyn , Molly , Molly Home , Foundation , Presence , House , No One , Flowers , Dlrop , Girl , Attention , Color , Headband , Phone , Shoes , Shorts , Anything , Wave , Worst , Boyfriend Dalton , Shared Space , Room , Couch , View , Care , Guy , Pie , Community , Pressance , Activity , Mom And Dad , Helping , Law Enforcement Team , Media , Dad , Information , Baby , Back To You , Tour Group , Reagan Airport , Sheriff , Safe Return , Christi , Airport , Details , Woman , Force , Parents , Queen , Custody , Chinese , 12 , Tno Tsa , Airports , Screening , Police , Security Cuts , Abduction , Comedian , Impact , Air Safety , Cnn Newsroom , Comedy , Laughter , 00 , 10 , Saving , Explorer Card , Ultra Soft , Small Business , Employees , Efforts , Big Dreams , 8 , Security , Ideas , Federal Air Marshals , Renee Marsh , Security Experts , Alarm , Document , Proposal , Cuts , Employee , Measures , Senior , 150 , Air Marshals , Cut , Number , Changes , Staffing Cuts , Benefits , Tsa Headquarters , 300 Million , 2020 , 00 Million , Official , Air Marshal , Flatlining , Ending , Department Of Homeland Security , Obama , Cost , Manager , Airport Don T , Airlines , Bryant Garrett , Liability , Redding , Tsa Backs Out , Planes , Agents , Line , Void , Critics , Ladies And Gentlemen , Hijackings , Agencies , Congress , Effectiveness , Public , American , Deterrent , Threat , Aviation , Risks , Indication , Costs , Requests , Paul Schmick , Comment , Headline , Jfk Airport , Goals , Inception , Movement , 2001 , Traveling Public , Transportation , Emission Goals , Layers , Support , Let , Checkpoints , Couple , Passengers , Doing Business , Screenings , It No , 9 11 , Officers , Management , Human Assets , Screening Equipment , 4 , Judgment , Big One , Airplanes , Statement , Consideration , Thoughts , Front Line , Area , Screening Checkpoints , Front , Intelligence , Transportation Systems , Democrat , House Homeland Security Committee , Bonnie Watson Coleman , Funding , Instructions , Release , Timing , Threats , Guns , Imagination , Commissions , Recommendations , Terrorist Organizations , Headline News , Plane , Seat , Arent Small Planes , 60 , Stage , Terrorists , Attacks , Platform , Risk Airports , Resources , Together , Budgeting , Newsroom , Captions , Vitac ,