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ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT

K-File: Capitol Rioter Joined GOP Members of Congress on Border Trip this Week, Sat in Audience for Trump Interview; Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA) Discusses About Anthony Aguero's Involvement on Capitol Riot and Served as Translator in the U.S.-Mexico Border Trip for the Republicans; North Miami Beach Orders Evacuation of Condo Deemed Unsafe; Delta Variant Spreads in Rural Areas: "A Different Monster". Aired 7-8p ET

Aired July 2, 2021 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:00]

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Again, this is specifically related to what happened in Surfside and now out of concern because it's structurally ...

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: And that's the building right behind you, right?

FLORES: That is. That's the building right there, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. We'll watch it together with you. That's very, very disturbing information. They're checking a lot of buildings in that area.

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

Erin Burnett OUTFRONT starts right now.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next, the Capitol rioter who bragged about going inside the Capitol on the day of the insurrection shows up at the southern border with Republican lawmakers. Those details coming tonight from CNN's KFILE. This as Kevin McCarthy won't commit to naming any Republicans to the special committee investigating the insurrection.

Plus, a blow to the defund the police movement a Judge orders the City of Minneapolis to hire more police officers despite calls to cut the police force in the wake of George Floyd's death.

And the billionaire's race to space, Richard Branson now set to beat Jeff Bezos on a space voyage. Is Branson ready for the historic trip now nine days away? He is my guest tonight. Let's go OUTFRONT.

Good evening, everyone. I'm Poppy Harlow in tonight for Erin Burnett.

OUTFRONT this evening, campaigning with a rioter. CNN's KFILE is uncovering new pictures and video of Capitol rioter, Anthony Aguero, traveling with a group of House Republicans to the U.S.-Mexico border this week, a trip scheduled to coincide with former President Trump's trip to the border. Aguero had almost unfettered access to interview these lawmakers for his own YouTube channel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY AGUERO, CONVERVATIVE LIVESTREAMER & ALLY OF REP. GREENE: Congressman, a real quick question.

This is a lady that I just was speaking to right now, guys.

That was Congresswoman Boebert that I was just speaking to.

This is Congressman Clyde (ph). How are you doing, Mr. Clyde?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Not only did he speak with many of the lawmakers, he even drove one of them in his truck and later he appeared behind former President Trump at a town hall on Fox. Aguero's actions on January 6th are well-documented even though he has not been charged in connection with the insurrection, he was unapologetic about his actions there that day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AGUERO: We were all there. It was not antifa. It was not BLM. It was Trump supporters that did that yesterday. I'm the first to admit it. Being one myself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: CNN's KFILE has done a lot of reporting on Aguero. He's a close ally of Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The Congresswoman had some strong praise for him in the past.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): I told you my friend, Anthony Aguero, he's so, so amazing.

My friend, Anthony, he's dear, dear friend. I love him so much. He's one of the greatest guys I know. Anthony is my great, great friend. He's one of my best friends. I am telling all of you support this man. Support him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Aguero's trip with the Republicans this week came on the same day that the House was voting on a select committee to investigate the January 6th insurrection. The Republicans on that trip chose to be there instead of voting in-person on this committee. It is a committee with five open Republican seats that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has yet to fill.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has already filled the remaining eight seats with seven Democrats and one Republican, Congresswoman Liz Cheney. But McCarthy has still not named one Republican to the committee and CNN's reporting tonight that many Republicans from all corners of the conference want nothing to do with this investigation. An investigation McCarthy has tried to block at every turn.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): I don't think a select committee is the proper way to go.

It seems like she wants to do something political instead of get to the truth.

I'm sure it'll be political.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: CNN is learning tonight that now McCarthy could soon find himself holed into the investigation called to testify along with Republicans who pushed Trump's lie that the election was stolen. Our Manu Raju begins with us tonight live OUTFRONT on Capitol Hill.

Manu, what are you hearing about the Democrats' game plan and who else they may want to testify?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're going to start by hearing testimony from Capitol Police officers about their experiences on that day. And then they want to move into looking at the failures from law enforcement, from the intelligence community and talk to all those professionals about exactly what went wrong and also get into the root causes of the insurrection.

And that's what could bring in these Republican members of Congress, people who work to try to overturn the election, people who discussed their strategy with the White House in the run up to January 6th. And people who are talking with Donald Trump on January 6 itself.

Kevin McCarthy had that infamous phone call with Donald Trump on January 6th, which has been publicly revealed. I asked McCarthy last week whether he'd be willing to testify before the select committee about it. He said he's willing to talk to anybody about that, so that will be put to the test and also others including Greg Pence.

[19:05:00]

He's the brother of the former Vice President Mike Pence. Pence, of course, was targeted by the insurrectionists on that day. Greg Pence was with his brother. There could be questions about what happened at that point. Also, Tommy Tuberville is the Alabama Republican senator. Someone who fielded a phone call from the president after Pence had been ushered out into safety and eventually hung up on Donald Trump saying he essentially had to go.

There could be questions that they decided to pursue that way. And in talking to Democrats, what they're saying is they want to get the full picture of what happened. They don't want to close any doors. If that leads to trying to seek testimony from these Republican members of Congress, they will.

And on the flip side, though, Poppy, Republicans are signaling that they may try to do something different. Once Kevin McCarthy names his picks, perhaps they could try to go after Nancy Pelosi and argue that she did not do enough to secure the Capitol that day. That's a proposition that Democrats are already rejecting.

So, you're seeing here, Poppy, a partisan fight already breaking out here about this investigation, which is yet to get off the ground, but you can see where this could be headed in the weeks ahead, Poppy.

HARLOW: Certainly, at the expense of answers, straight answers for the American people. Manu Raju, thanks very much.

OUTFRONT now Democratic Congresswoman Elaine Luria. She is on the newly formed select committee on the insurrection. She's also retired Navy Commander.

Good evening, Congresswoman. And before we get to the select committee, I'd like to get your response to that video that shows Anthony Aguero accompanying several of your Republican House colleagues on that trip this week to the border at time serving as their translator. He was not just part of the January 6th riot, he entered the grounds of the capitol, he cheered it on and later attacked those who condemned the riot. It's almost hard to believe.

REP. ELAINE LURIA (D-VA): Poppy, it is. I was not aware of this video before. I'm just seeing it now, but it's very concerning, and I think this is part of why we're having this Select Committee. We need to get to the bottom of this. We need to understand everyone all of the influences that led to the events of January 6th.

The causes and really the goal of this is to create a comprehensive and unbiased report that gets to the bottom of the facts and prevent something like this from happening again.

HARLOW: You just heard our Manu Raju reporting that your January 6th committee is strongly considering calling multiple Republican members of Congress to testify. Potential witnesses would include Kevin McCarthy, the Minority Leader Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, Congressman Mike Brooks, Mike Pence's brother, that's Congressman Greg Pence and Sen. Tommy Tuberville. I wonder who else you have questions for?

LURIA: Well, what I'd say is it's early. We just formed this committee. We're still waiting for an additional five members to be named by Leader McCarthy. And what I would say is that nothing and no one is off the table. We need to get to the bottom of the facts. We will investigate and where the evidence leads us we will call the appropriate witnesses and collect the appropriate information in order to conduct a thorough investigation.

HARLOW: I misspoke by the way, it's Congressman Mo Brooks, not Mike Brooks just to set the record straight. Continuing on this topic, though, Kevin McCarthy has not even committed at least as of this evening to even naming Republicans to the committee. Many of your Republican colleagues have said that they want no part of this committee for all different reasons. Do you think that this committee can fulfill its mission without Republican members? LURIA: Well, we do have Republican members. I'll note that Liz Cheney

...

HARLOW: Without more - more than Liz Cheney, fair point.

LURIA: Yes. Look, we went to extensive lengths to try to establish a nonpartisan commission outside of Congress, that passed the House, that passed the Senate but not with enough votes to overcome the 60 vote threshold. And the goal was never to make this partisan. I mean, we're looking at this like the 9/11 commission.

HARLOW: Right.

LURIA: There are a lot of things that went wrong. There are a lot of breakdowns in our systems, procedures, our intelligence community, getting that to the right people, protecting the capitol and really why did a violent insurrection happen that attempted to stop the proceedings of the U.S. government and the certification of the election results. And that's the reason that we're doing this.

And I personally served for 20 years in uniform. I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution and protect against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And how did we get to a place like this? I echo the comments of my colleague, Liz Cheney, this is above partisanship. This is about protecting our democracy. We have very important work to do here and in no way do I view this as partisan, and I fully expect that Leader McCarthy should appoint those additional members so that we can get to work and find the answers that people need.

HARLOW: So clearly, you think it's important to have more Republican representation on the committee than just let Liz Cheney is what I'm hearing you say. Before you go, Congresswoman, you've got Republicans who oppose this committee saying it's all politics. I want your reaction to this exchange I had last night on this show with Mike Shields. He's now a paid consultant for McCarthy. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE SHIELDS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: If the Democrats want to run on '22 about January 6th, which affects no one's lives in this country every day ...

HARLOW: What?

SHIELDS: ... Republicans are going to run on securing the border.

HARLOW: Wait, wait, wait, hold on. January 6th affects no one's lives in this country?

[19:10:06]

SHIELDS: This commission is not going to affect people's lives.

HARLOW: Is that what you ...

SHIELDS: No, of course not. HARLOW: How could it not having answer to an ongoing threat ...

SHIELDS: It's not going to put people to work. It's going to help them with their taxes.

HARLOW: ... an ongoing threat. Mike, an ongoing threat, a life or death threat according to DHS.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: What's your reaction to him saying January 6th affects no one's lives?

LURIA: I think you exhibited an appropriate amount of outrage. I think I would have done the same. This certainly affects our lives. It affects the stability of our democracy. And to have an event where a mob of thousands of people overrun the U.S. Capitol to stop the proceedings of our government certainly affects all of our lives. The democracy on which this country is founded is fundamental to all of those other elements that he was talking about that matter to people. We have to function as a government and a nation and I would stand to disagree.

I think this is incredibly important for the American people to understand what happened why and to prevent it from happening again.

HARLOW: Yes. And as I should have mentioned last night, Officer Fanone, Officer Dunn, countless officers and the mother of the late Officer Brian Sicknick as well. Congresswoman Luria, thank you.

LURIA: Thank you.

HARLOW: OUTFRONT next, President Biden echoing Ronald Reagan, as today he touts the jobs report. Is it a little too soon for a victory lap?

Plus, Minneapolis reversing course. The city ordered to hire more police after earlier calls to shift resources away from the city's police department. The woman who has been leading this charge is my guest tonight.

And breaking news, the death toll from the Florida condominium collapse climbing this evening as residents of a building not far away are now evacuating. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:15:17]

HARLOW: New tonight, President Biden with a bit of his own Ronald Reagan moment while hailing the latest jobs report. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As we get prepared to celebrate Independence Day, today's job news brought us something else to celebrate. The last time the economy grew at this rate was in 1984, and Ronald

Reagan was telling us it's 'morning in America'. Well, it's getting close to afternoon here. The sun is coming out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Well, Biden's comments came after the Labor Department announced 850,000 new jobs created in June, more than economists expected and the strongest month for job gains since last August. Biden says numbers like that and the economy now projected to grow 7.4 percent this year shows his American rescue plan is working.

OUTFRONT tonight, Mary Daly, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Mary, good evening.

MARY DALY, PRESIDENT & CEO, FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF SAN FRANCISCO: Thank you for having me. Nice to be here. Good evening.

HARLOW: You just heard the President very happy and echoing Ronald Reagan, but the economy is still down, 6.8 million jobs before the pandemic, is it time for a victory lap?

DALY: Well, it's time to celebrate. We should celebrate good news and we can string together a series of victories. And when we do that, we'll do the job fully and completely. So the good news is, yes, let's celebrate this nice jobs report. We need it and let's recognize the hard work we need to do ahead.

I was just doing a simple tabulation. If we grow at this rate on a monthly basis, it's about 570,000 per month jobs added. If you average over the last three months, it would take us until the end of '22 to fully regain all the jobs we lost, a shift from the pandemic. So we have ways to go.

HARLOW: Yes. Yes. We certainly do. One thing that struck me so much in this jobs report this morning, Mary, is the number of unemployed Americans who left their jobs voluntarily. It was 942,000 last month. That's up 164,000 from the month prior. The highest we've seen since November of 2016. I wonder if you read this as a sign of workers feeling empowered, and believing they have more options now, more choice than just any job.

DALY: The workers do have more choices. Employers are opening jobs. They're saying there's lots of opportunity here. And this is really good. This is part of what makes a dynamic and very healthy economy is that workers look for jobs that fit their needs and their desires, their career aspirations, what fits their lives. And employers get workers who they might not have had before as those job openings appear and they can go out and search. And this makes better matches. It just makes our economy healthier.

So I see this as good news and it is sometimes hard to see your employee leaving. But there are many other workers. We have, as you mentioned, over almost 7 million workers who need jobs. And so there are plenty of workers out there who can take these positions. HARLOW: So to this debate over why there is a labor shortage in some

sectors, a big one. This working paper by you guys got a lot of attention and it found that just one in seven potential workers would decline a job offer because they were getting that extra $300 in federal unemployment benefits a week. Many Republican-led states have eliminated that benefit to try to stop the labor shortage and it's something that Tom Sopit, who's a California restaurant owner on OUTFRONT has pointed out in terms of impacting his hiring. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM SOPIT, OWNER, EMPLOYEES ONLY: I think it's part of the problem. Definitely the additional $300 that people are getting right now on top of the $400, that's more than minimum wage. So they essentially could just sit at home and make more money than they were before, especially for the lower wage positions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: I don't think anyone can really say it's just that. There are so many factors here, childcare or lack of it being one of them for sure. But do you see an economic benefit to continuing this boosted federal unemployment past September or is it not needed then?

DALY: Well, that will be for our legislative folks to decide on. But here's what I see we were all trying to do. We have this tremendous shock of the pandemic. We need to build a bridge over the pandemic so that Americans can remain as whole as possible and reengage when the economy is ready to return to activity.

The economy's ready, so we've got the bridge to where it needs to be and they'll start to roll off in September. Jobs are plentiful, people are out there searching for work. And when schools reopen and people can find the childcare they need and vaccination rates continue to go up so people feel safer, I'm very confident that the fall is going to bring us some resolution in this job market.

[19:20:03]

We're going to have more workers coming in.

So I think the key thing is we've got to get from here to the fall to really get through these transitions and then I'm really optimistic. I mean, Americans want to work. You can see this in the 850,000 job number today. Americans want to work and they're getting ready to re enter as we emerge from this pandemic.

HARLOW: Let me ask you one final thing, because you told nearly a year ago The Atlantic this, there are two outcomes I worry about the most, persistent job losses and persistent business failures. As I said, at the top, yes, we're still down 6.8 million jobs pre-pandemic. But you've got this Harvard-based economic tracker that says there are 44 percent fewer small businesses today open compared to 2020. And this brings me to what has been the core of part of your mission and what drives you is inequality. How unequal is this recovery going to prove to be?

DALY: Well, our job as Americans is to make sure that it doesn't end up unequal. The pandemic, there's no doubt, was a tale of two pandemics. For those of us who could work from home, we were pretty good in many cases. For those of us who worked in travel and hospitality, not very good at all.

So the tale of two pandemics can't be a recovery of two pandemics. We really need to bring every American up to the finish line and get through this. That's how we will judge ourselves in terms of whether we succeeded. And today's jobs market report just says we're on our way.

HARLOW: Let's hope so. Mary Daly, President and CEO of the San Francisco Federal Reserve, thank you.

DALY: Thank you.

HARLOW: OUTFRONT next, a year ago, the City of Minneapolis city council there pledged to disband, defund the police department. Tonight, a judge ruling the department has to hire more police officers as the city faces a spike in crime.

Plus, breaking news out of Surfside, Florida where the death toll is sadly rising and officials are evacuating another condominium over fears it might not be safe.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:25:59]

HARLOW: Tonight, a District Court Judge ordering the City of Minneapolis to hire more police officers after a group of residents sued the city last August pointing to the high levels of crime. This comes after the Minneapolis city council had moved to overhaul the police force following George Floyd's murder. Our Omar Jimenez is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Defund.

CROWD: MPD.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT(voice over): They were rallying cries of protests after the death of George Floyd, shifting resources from police elsewhere. Now in Minneapolis, a court order is reinforcing the opposite. Saying the city must raise the number of officers it has and ensure that they fund the police force of at least point 0.0017 employees per resident, which translates to roughly 730 officers by the now order deadline of June 30, 2022. Up more than 30 officers from the current total and accelerating an effort already underway by the city.

Eight Minneapolis residents filed the petition and were represented by the center-right nonprofit law firm the Upper Midwest Law Center.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG SEATON, PRESIDENT, UPPER MIDWEST LAW CENTER: This is, of course, in Minneapolis where the defunding movement started. If we are successful as this court order indicates we should be, we're hopeful that will inspire people around the country to take similar steps.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ(voice over): The petition was initially filed in August 2020, because these residents said they no longer felt safe amid a rise in violent crime and believed lack of police was the reason. In January 2019, there were 910 sworn officers according to data released by the city. By May 2021, the number had dropped over 20 percent to under 700. The pandemic, protest and morale playing roles.

Even still strategies over how much to invest in police have been divided at times with calls from the Minneapolis city council and more to dismantle the structure of the department in favor of a more encompassing Public Safety Department. Multiple attempts have failed, but at least one of those proposals is now likely to end up on the November ballot for a vote after a successful review by the city attorney's office.

But not everyone feels that's the right approach amid a five-year high in violent crime, even some community groups.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ(on camera): You don't think police should be defunded, they should be reformed.

PASTOR IAN D. BETHEL, UNITY COMMUNITY MEDIATION TEAM - NEW BEGINNINGS BAPTIST MINISTRY: What we're going to do and what we are doing is to make sure we have proper law enforcement in a black community, in our brown communities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ(voice over): The Mayor of Minneapolis couldn't comment on the new court order, but his office said, "His support for recruiting more community-minded officers to uphold his and Chief Arradondo's vision for MPD is reflected in every one of his budget proposals, and the Mayor will continue working to increase officer staffing levels."

One of his latest public safety proposal says, "The MPD will replenish its ranks by bringing on two more recruit classes by the end of this year, so that the department will have over 700 officers by the end of next year." But the order pushes that timeline forward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEATON: More police is definitely the answer, part of the answer. A requirement for any answer really.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ(on camera): It's an answer alone, though, that some still question with the city attorney's office clearing the way for that issue to be on the November ballot. One of the stipulations in that decision would be to eliminate the requirement of 0.0017 police employees per resident. With that said, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo has said in the past, large reductions in police staff make them as a department one dimensional, which as you can imagine, is a complicating factor when it comes to trying to reform, Poppy.

HARLOW: Yes. Of course, it is. Omar, thank you for this and for all your reporting in Minneapolis throughout.

Let me bring in now Sondra Samuels, a leading voice in this suit to get more officers on the streets of Minneapolis. She is President and CEO of the Northside Achievement Zone, a nonprofit working in some of the most underserved communities there.

This is a huge win for you, Sondra, that's for sure. I wonder what it means for the city, for the neighborhoods you live and work in and also is it just about more Police or is it beyond that?

[19:30:02]

SONDRA SAMUELS, PRESIDENT & CEO, NORTHSIDE ACHIEVEMENT ZONE: Yes. Thank you. Thank you, Poppy. So great to be back with you.

Yes, Poppy, this is a win for not just me and my neighbors, the Minneapolis eight we're called who brought this suit last year. But it's a win for the children in the community. It's a win for our elderly, all of our neighbors and we call neighbors our naynays, by the way.

And it's for our black businesses that have said, we cannot thrive, we're going out of business because we can't keep customers and employees safe, and it's for our economy. There are corporations downtown wondering if they will return after this pandemic because they can't keep their customers and employees safe.

So this is a win for all of us and it's really about a relationship with our city and that's what the charter is that said we have to have a minimum amount of police officers to keep us safe. It's not, Poppy, about more police. It's about a balanced approach to a healthy and safe community.

HARLOW: So, Sondra, after George Floyd's murder in Minneapolis, Democrat controlled Minneapolis City Council, you well know, moved to defund and dismantle the police force. And defunding police is a progressive rallying cry. Listen to some prominent Democrats making the case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ILHAN OMAR (D-MN): The Minneapolis police department is rotten to the root. And so when we dismantle it, we get rid of that cancer.

JAMAAL BOWMAN (D-NY): Defund the police does not mean abolish the police. It means a dramatic reduction in the number of police in the poor communities and particularly, our poor black and brown communities.

REP. CORI BUSH (D-MO): I understand people don't like the slogan. I get that. But I don't like death. I don't like black death. I don't like to see my people die at the hands of police and nothing is happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: But you say, Sondra, this judge's ruling does not conflict with calls for accountability from the police or with the Black Lives Matter movement. Why?

SAMUELS: Well, no, not at all, Poppy. You know, we're not against anybody and I can understand the emotionality of saying let's get rid of the police. When you watch the killing of George Floyd and there are so many killings, Breonna Taylor, you know, Philando Castile. Of course, I am a black woman with a black husband and black cousins, you know, and children and we have to have radical reform.

And the movement was started because of the egregious murder of too many unarmed black and brown people. We said Black Lives Matter. What we're saying is if black lives matter, they have to matter even when we're killed by community violence and whenever there is a reduction in policing, whenever we vilify every police officer as if they are all Chauvin, we have a demoralized and diminished force.

That -- all they're militarized, that's what the chief was talking about, and we had -- the people who are hurt most are the very people Black Lives Matter and the people that you just held up want to protect and those are African-Americans.

In Minneapolis, Poppy, we make up about 20 percent of the city but of all the gunshot victims this year, we make up 83 percent.

HARLOW: It's a stunning statistic and I'm glad you pointed it out. It needs to be highlighted. Look, let's just end on the children of Minneapolis.

SAMUELS: Yes, yeah.

HARLOW: I want our viewers to see three children who were shot in Minneapolis in April and May of this year. This is 6-year-old Aniah Allen (ph) who died in May after she was shot and killed, sitting in the back of her family's car eating McDonald's. And then there's 9- year-old Trinity Ottison Smith (ph) shot and killed in May while playing on a trampoline with her friend. And David Garrett Jr. (ph), a 10 year old, shot in the head in April riding home with his parents. You told the "Minneapolis Star Tribune" today, if there were more police, they would still be alive. But you heard in Omar's piece, this will add about 30 more police officers to the force.

So, isn't it even beyond just more police when it comes to saving our kids?

SAMUELS: Yes, it is, Poppy, and it's hard for me to hear that yet again, because this is my neighborhood. The Trinity was right down the block for my house. Aniah (ph), 6 year old, eating happy meal in the back of her car. Yeah, it's not about more police, Poppy. It is about we're at a coalition of black and white neighbors and what we want is again, a healthy and safe community.

And if we, the adults of the community cannot keep our children safe, Poppy, then who are we? And ours is a both/and approach and we're saying yes, we demand radical transformation of the police force and accountability. We want justice. We demand it.

And we want social and economic support that underpin violence in any community and we need a sufficient number of police for a city our size to keep our babies alive.

[19:35:04]

HARLOW: Sondra Samuels, clearly speaking for those children, as well, who don't have a voice in this.

SAMUELS: Right.

HARLOW: Thank you. Thank you.

SAMUELS: Thank you, Poppy.

HARLOW: Wow.

OUTFRONT next, breaking news, another condominium building in Florida being evacuated this hour because there are fears it's not safe as crews in Surfside make a heartbreaking discovery, a 7-year-old daughter of a Miami firefighter.

Also, this ahead, Richard Branson may beat Jeff Bezos in space. Richard Branson is my guest tonight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Breaking news, residents in a North Miami condominium building are being told tonight to evacuate immediately after their building was deemed unsafe. And nearby, in Surfside, Florida, the total number of confirmed dead and the catastrophic collapse there now stands at 22 after four more victims were found over the past day. One of them is 7-year-old daughter of a Miami firefighter.

Our Brian Todd is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, the Miami-Dade County mayor signed an emergency order to demolished building, citing public safety.

MAYOR DANIELLA LEVINE CAVA, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY MAYOR, FLORIDA: This was not a decision we made lightly, and I know how difficult this is for the families who escaped the building and who have lost their homes and their belongings. The building poses a threat to public health and safety, and bring it down as quickly as possible is critical to protect our community.

TODD: While the timeline has not been set yet, two more victims were recovered today. And last night, a heartbreaking discovery, a 7-year- old daughter of a Miami City firefighter found in the rubble. The father was not part of that rescue, but he was called over by his fellow rescuers his daughter's remains were found.

CAVA: Every night since his last Wednesday has been immensely difficult for everybody, and particularly for the families that have been impacted. But last night was uniquely different. It was truly different, and more difficult for our first responders.

TODD: New information showing the Champlain South condo board knew of severe concrete deterioration months before the collapse. In October 2020 letter, an engineering firm hired by the building highlighted the pool structure as a problem area. They stated, full restoration repair work could not be performed in part because it could destabilize the surrounding concrete, and because the pool was to remain in service. Meanwhile the similar high-rise on the next block is getting further inspection.

MAYOR CHARLES BURKETT, SURFSIDE, FLORIDA: Our building officials, in conjunction with our experts, are now getting ready to X-ray columns and do a deep dive into the structure.

ALLYN KILSHEIMER, STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: So, if it is not disturbed.

TODD: Structural engineer Allyn Kilsheimer says it's not clear if the standing structure of the Champlain South Tower is an imminent danger of collapse, or if there could be other slabs or other debris falling. Still the possibility of that, and the fact that some of the rubble has shifted, is worrisome.

Should it be demolished?

KILSHEIMER: Bottom line is there is the emotional issue, and there's the structural issue, right? Okay. Most probably, this portion of the building that you see. That portion of the building, most probably, should be taken down.

TODD: Kilsheimer has been hired by the town of Surfside to investigate this collapse and assess the safety of other nearby buildings. A key safety concern, a large column and a big concrete slab that are hanging from the open decimated facade.

KILSHEIMER: You know, the hanging debris is kind of unstable. TODD: Another big worry, Elsa, the storm that may be a hurricane when

it approaches this area and may hit this area.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R), FLORIDA: This area could see tropical form -- tropical storm force winds.

KILSHEIMER: The first thing I'd worry about if it's 40-mile an hour winds is debris getting blown off of this building.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: And we have another traumatic and troublesome development tonight to report. As Poppy alluded to a moment, a condominium in North Miami Beach, the Crestview Towers condominium, just south of here in North Miami Beach, has been deemed to be unsafe. It is ordered to be evacuated and shut down. That according to an order from the North Miami Beach city manager tonight, Poppy.

So, clearly an illustration of how this region is on edge with these buildings, and again, a quick look. You see rescuers down there on the pile. They've been there all day. About 30 people on that pile at a time, Poppy.

HARLOW: Wow, just incredible heroes working day and night.

Brian Todd, thank you for your reporting.

OUTFRONT next, it is Branson versus Bezos in the race to space. Next, Richard Branson will be here about his historic trip.

Plus, ahead, it has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country and now, it is in the midst of a third COVID wave.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Arkansas. Everybody around here have their belief systems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:47:33]

HARLOW: Tonight, the billionaire space race. Virgin Galactic announcing its founder Richard Branson now flying to space on July 11th, that is just nine days before Amazon's Jeff Bezos makes his inaugural space voyage. Branson's about to realize a dream 17 years in the making.

Here is what he told me eight years ago at the Virgin Galactic space port then in the Mojave Desert.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: What is your ultimate dream for this? RICHARD BRANSON, VIRGIN GALACTIC FOUNDER: It will start with giving

people a taste of space. Then we'll send people into orbit and start building hotels in space --

HARLOW: Really? In our lifetime?

BRANSON: In your lifetime, definitely. Hopefully in my lifetime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Maybe now in his lifetime.

Sir Richard Branson joins me tonight.

Richard, it is happening. It's happening. And look, this is just the fourth trip to space for Virgin Galactic. And I remember being out there with you and you said to me, Poppy, unless you risk something, the world stands still. Are you nervous?

BRANSON: I'm not nervous. I'm incredibly excited. I'm 17 years trying not to get excited until I had that call yesterday from our chief technical officer saying, we have ticked every box. You know, we're ready for you to go.

I'm just going to enjoy the fact that, you know, I'm representing these wonderful people -- 800 magnificent engineers and scientists and rocket engineers who build this incredible spaceship and will share the experience and a wonderful team.

HARLOW: Look, we all know you're known for being adventurous, for making a splash, so you're driving an amphibious car across the English Channel while wearing a tuxedo and there was the time when you rappelled from a building while drinking champagne. And we remember when you launched Virgin cola by driving a tank through Times Square.

You have insisted it's not a competition. But when it comes down to it, Richard, is there any part of you that wants to beat Jeff Bezos to space?

BRANSON: Look, honestly, we've spent -- both of us have spent nearly 20 years building our space lines, and we're both going to go in the same month, and, you know, whether I go a few days before him or a few days after him, honestly, it doesn't matter to either of us.

[19:50:09]

What we want to do is do something extraordinary and we're both doing something extraordinary in the same month and opening up space hopefully for thousands of people in the years to come.

HARLOW: All right. That wasn't a no, but I'll take your answer. But I do want your response to Bezo's Blue Origin responding to your announcement of this statement, a little bit of a jab. They say: We wish him a great and safe flight, but they're not flying above the Karman line and it's a very different experience. So, they're basically suggesting you're not technically going into

outer space because you're not flying above the Karman line, which distinguishes between our stratosphere and outer space.

But I will note, the FAA and the Air Force put that line at 50 miles, which Virgin Galactic does cross.

Do you care to respond this evening?

BRANSON: And NASA.

HARLOW: There you go.

BRANSON: Everybody -- everybody who has been up there, on American soil, have gotten their astronaut wings, because when you -- when you go above 50 miles, you're obviously in space because you are -- you're floating in space. That is one of the wonderful things that I am looking forward to.

If -- so, I hadn't seen that note from Blue Origin, but, you know, I won't respond.

All right. I think we could. Anyway, I won't respond.

HARLOW: You sure you don't want -- are you sure?

BRANSON: Well -- I think we've managed to keep a very gentlemanly approach --

HARLOW: Fair.

BRANSON: -- to each other for 20 years. And I will let them say -- say what they want to say, and I'd rather not respond.

HARLOW: Good example for our children.

OK. Richard, I remember being there in the Mojave, and I was with some of the people that had already reserved tickets with virgin galactic. You have 600 plus reservations, which they sell for $200,000, and $250,000 each. These are some of the people that I have met, that held their seats all the way back in 2013. They were quite excited then.

But, you know, this is still so out of reach for the average American. And I remember when I was talking to you in 2017, I was pregnant with my son, Luca, and you said, Poppy, he'll go into space in his lifetime, along with thousands of others.

Well, we wanted to show you Luca now. Here he is. Here is Luca.

BRANSON: Congratulations.

HARLOW: Without $200, 000.

Really, when are normal folks going to be able to go to space? When is this no longer going to be for the 1 percent? BRANSON: Let me talk to you the day after I go to space because I've

got quite an exciting announcement to make their, because ordinary people should be able to go into space, and people who couldn't otherwise afford to go into space. And that's one of the reasons why we started this in the first place.

But, as far as our actual space line is concerned, the way we can get the prices down is to show a great success, and that's what we plan to do, next Sunday. Then, we can build more and more spaceships, and in time, get the price down and down. So, hopefully, your son, one day, will be able to go to space.

HARLOW: Hopefully.

All right. Well, Richard, I think you booked yourself on a show for July 12th. So, I will see you then. Good luck, Godspeed, be safe. Thank you.

BRANSON: Cheers.

HARLOW: Cheers.

OUTFRONT next. It's a different monster, that's the warning to die from a health official who is seeing more and more people hospitalized because of the Delta variant, ahead.

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[19:57:18]

HARLOW: The delta coronavirus variant is spreading fast, making it harder for the U.S. to ever reach herd immunity, according to an HHS official. It's a big worry ahead of the July 4th weekend, and beyond.

Here is Miguel Marquez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VICTORIA WILLIS, WAS HOSPITALIZED WIOTH COVID-19 WHILE PREGNANT: This is Lincoln.

DONOVAN WILLIAMS, VICTORIA'S HUSBAND: Lincoln Reed Willis.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Born six weeks premature.

Oh my goodness.

His mom 28-year-old Victoria, she's otherwise healthy and works as an ICU nurse. She says she didn't want to get vaccinated, then got COVID- 19.

V. WILLIS: Once I got it, it obviously took a turn for the worst and ended up in the ER. Then I ended up in the ICU and I ended up delivering him in the ICU. MARQUEZ: Despite CDC assurances that pregnant women after consultation

with their doctors are safe to get vaccinated, despite ample evidence that the virus is a danger for pregnant mothers and possibly their children. Neither Victoria nor her husband Donovan who have three kids chose to get vaccinated for COVID-19.

D. WILLIS: I know that I should get vaccinated, I've always known that. But I guess it's one of them irrational things of you hear everybody -- you know, this is Arkansas, everybody around here have their belief systems.

MARQUEZ: The state of Arkansas now in its third surge of COVID-19 infections, say health officials. It has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. Only about 34 percent of all Arkansans are fully vaccinated.

DR. JENNIFER DILLAHA, ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, MEDICAL DIRECTOR FOR IMMUNIZATIONS: We are seeing widespread COVID-19 in our state. And it's hitting the rural areas that were not previously hit in earlier surges.

MARQUEZ: Those growing cases in rural areas clear on this map from Johns Hopkins University, the bigger the circle, the bigger the outbreak. The highly transmissible Delta variant now spreading through the state.

DR. CAM PATTERSON, CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES: We're seeing over 85 percent now of samples that are the delta variant. And keep in mind, we only had our first delta variant identified May 1st here in the state.

MARQUEZ: Little Rock's University of Arkansas for medical sciences hospital reopened its COVID-19 unit this week and is planning to expand it in the weeks ahead.

PATTERSON: There's no doubt in my mind that our patients now are sicker, they're coming in more acutely ill. They're requiring more intensive care to manage their infections. It's a different monster than it was a year ago.

MARQUEZ: COVID-19 and its new variants still very much a threat.

V. WILLIS: If I would have known, then I would have definitely got it while I was pregnant to keep from having to deliver him at 33 weeks.

MARQUEZ: The Willises hope to take Lincoln home in the next couple of weeks. They also plan to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Little Rock.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Thanks so much for joining us.

"AC360' is now.