Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Waves of Storms Sweep the Midwest & East; at Least 224 Dead in Colombia Earthquake, Hundred More Injured; U.N. Forecasts Growing Need for Food Assistance After Earthquake; New Test for Progressive Dems in Wisconsin and Minnesota; Crowded GOP Filed in Race to Replace Late Senator Lindsey Graham; Doctors Push Back on Trump Order Calling for Fewer Childhood Vaccines; Former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman Released From Detention in Russia. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired August 11, 2026 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: -- Now we can officially classify this as a derecho, which is a widespread severe windstorm lasting for over 250 miles, producing winds in excess of 75 miles per hour.

And there's some impressive satellite imagery coming out of this area. Gravity waves because of the explosive growth, lots of lightning. The wind has been responsible for knocking out the power for over 900,000 customers across the Midwest. And just like a traffic jam here, we have got storm after storm after storm lining up one after another, creating our severe wind gusts threat and the threat for flash flooding as these storms move over the same areas. Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": All right, serious stuff. We know you're keeping an eye on that, Derek. Thank you.

A new hour of "CNN News Central" starts right now.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Hoping for signs of life, CNN teams on the ground in Colombia as rescuers dig through the rubble for potential survivors of a devastating earthquake.

Plus, it's primary day in the U.S., a big test for Democrats and President Trump as voters at the polls in six states, including South Carolina, where Republicans are deciding who should replace the late Senator, Lindsey Graham on the ballot this November.

And a muggy and miserable July, new data showing July was the hottest month in the U.S. in recorded history. We'll look at how climate change could lead to more sweltering summers as we follow these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to "CNN News Central."

We begin this hour with the intense rescue mission underway in Colombia after the strongest earthquake to hit that country in more than a decade. CNN teams are on the ground right there as professional search and teams -- search teams and volunteers work hand in hand to find survivors. Here's what we know so far. At least 224 people have been confirmed dead. Hundreds more are injured after entire buildings came crumbling down. And now, there's a race against time to find any survivors who may still be trapped. In the midst of this tragedy, though, there are signs of hope like this one.

Just a short time ago, the Bogota Fire Department shared video of a dramatic rescue. A 34-year-old man was freed from rubble after being buried under a mound of debris. Joining us now to discuss is Richard Emblin.

He's the Director and Founding Partner of The City Paper Bogota. Richard, thank you so much for being with us. Walk us through the current emergency response and where things stand.

RICHARD EMBLIN, DIRECTOR & FOUNDING PARTNER, THE CITY PAPER BOGOTA: Well, right now, the death toll has leveled off temporarily at 224. There are still 200 persons missing and 1,300 persons injured. Now, Bogota has dispatched over 80 emergency search and rescue teams, first responders and medical professionals specialized in different areas of health care, to try to provide the utmost support to the most vulnerable and those who are currently injured.

Now, the emergency response, most of the highway and the infrastructures are operating, airports somewhat sketchy in the city of Cali and Pereira. However, the government has also dispatched its entire cabinet to the different cities of the coffee region and Valle del Cauca. So there was a presence right there of the ministers, the interior minister, the vice president, the minister of housing, the minister of health.

So there's quite a large contingent right now of the government in each zone to oversee the emergency rescue operations. Now, this has been now more than 24 hours since the earthquake struck early in the morning on Monday. And we are seeing that over the last 24 hours, a lot of -- a lot of solidarity and civic engagement in the rescue operations.

So as far as the immediate response has been very consolidated, there is a lot of many Bogotanos and people across Colombia, Medellin, are donating, are making huge donations of water, canned goods, medicines, blankets and essential supplies for those who last night were out on the street and during a very cold and desperate night.

SANCHEZ: You mentioned donations of medicine. Yesterday, when you were with us, you'd mentioned that there would be an immense need for blood, especially for the large numbers of those injured. I wonder how hospitals are dealing with this surge and whether it's testing their capabilities.

EMBLIN: Well, President Abelardo de la Espriella, who really has not even completed a first week in office, he ordered that all injured persons who could not have access to adequate medical health be transported to the Colombian capital here in Bogota. So Medellin is actually taking a lot of -- a large brunt of the injured who were in the Department of Choco and those in Cali who cannot be attended to are being transported right now to Bogota.

[14:05:00]

However, we have seen that the Colombian Medical Association has informed that as many medical professionals from Bogota can actually be on the ground in these hard-hit cities, especially in the Coffee Triangle, to give immediate assistance from the most basic to complex surgeries.

So, it's been, I think, today we're seeing quite a high level of hope that the government is standing by the Colombian people. We also expect that maybe the death numbers to stabilize tragically above the 200 mark and not go much higher. And that many of these missing persons will be recovered or unfortunately will just be added to the death toll, which would be significantly tragic. But at least now, we know that the numbers are reflecting an accurate measure of the magnitude of this disaster.

SANCHEZ: Yeah. How great is the concern, Richard, that there may be more buildings that potentially could fall apart and crumble? Because many of them, structurally, though they may on the exterior appear sound, we're hearing about 70 plus aftershocks. Is there a widespread concern that there may be more buildings still to fall?

EMBLIN: Absolutely. And I think this is a very key question, Boris, because what you see on the exterior doesn't necessarily reflect the building code or the building infrastructure. So, I think the problem now will be having to find adequate shelter or living accommodations to so many thousands of peoples scattered across this large and rugged, fractured terrain.

The Colombian government has already sent out building inspectors, but even if there's one fissure in your building in Cali, it would essentially make the entire complex or skyscraper unworkable or uninhabitable. So this is, I think, going to be a really big challenge over the next week, is how to get people into adequate shelters.

I think Colombians overall will be very solidarious and open up their homes. There will be schools and shelters where people will be able to spend the night, churches, community centers. However, that does not replace the fact that your building could be on the verge of collapse.

And this is going to be unfortunate. One of the realities of this post-earthquake scenario that where do you accommodate in the short term thousands of families? We're talking about almost 60 buildings alone in Pereira that have suffered structural damage. Now, a lot of the housing in the more impoverished regions of Colombia in the Department of Choco are made of basic materials, wood, bamboo.

So, those have fared relatively well. However, that does not mean that by any means possible that they don't also require protection and state intervention. So, I think this is what we're looking at now. Those are going to be the really big challenges ahead this week for Colombia as we try to allocate decent and livable accommodation to so many thousands impacted by this quake. SANCHEZ: Richard Emblin, thank you so much for your analysis from Bogota. I just want to let our viewers know, these are live images we've been watching in Pereira where you see large crowds gathered. They've been trying to move rubble there for hours now, trying to get out of the way over indications that there may have been someone still alive underneath one of the buildings nearby.

We've seen an intermittent movement not only of debris, but then also calls for silence and then recently a call for evacuation as heavier equipment was brought in to move some of this rubble. We'll of course keep an eye on this situation.

CNN's David Culver is nearby, updating us with the very latest. We'll bring it to you as we get it. Brianna?

KEILAR: It is primary day in six states and right now, a recent hot streak for Socialist Democrats or those aligned with the DSA is being put to the test in Wisconsin. Meantime in Minnesota, voters there are the next voices up in what has been a bitter summer battle between progressives and more moderate members of the party. And in South Carolina, Republicans are deciding who should replace the late Senator, Lindsey Graham's name on the ballot this November. President Trump has thrown his support behind Graham's sister Darline Graham who's serving out the final months of Graham's term.

CNN's Dianne Gallagher is live for us in Columbia, South Carolina with more. Dianne, what's the latest where you are?

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Well, Brianna, the voters are voting here in South Carolina. The democratic process is underway. Now, look, South Carolina rules require a candidate to get at least 50 percent of the vote before -- for them to actually win or it goes to a runoff.

[14:10:00]

So, we have 10 candidates on the ballot in this particular race. About half of them are considered potential contenders here, including the late Senator Graham's little sister, Senator Darline Graham, who was appointed to fill the remainder of his term. Congressman Russell Fry and Ralph Norman, former Governor Mark Sanford, and businessman Mark Lynch, who lost to Lindsey Graham in the June primary.

Now ,you mentioned President Trump throwing his support behind Senator Graham, which was honestly unexpected for a lot of Republicans here in South Carolina. I spoke with many heavyweights within the party who said that they thought it was going to go to someone else, potentially even Congressman Fry.

And we had seen much of this play out on the campaign trail, as each of these candidates has attempted to show they are aligned with Trump, even though they did not get his endorsement. We spoke with voters today who had a variety of reasons for telling us they chose the candidate that they did today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ROSA BOLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA VOTER: She has a layperson attitude that's not totally political, but yet she represents a political family who she has had some strong influence from.

EMILYN YUND, SOUTH CAROLINA VOTER: I just didn't feel like enough weight was given to those issues in her answers and answering in media interviews and those types of things. So I had some remaining questions about her as a candidate that I didn't feel I had with other candidates like Russell Fry or even Ralph Norman.

WEND SWEIGART, SOUTH CAROLINA VOTER: I think somebody in that position has to have a mind of their own and not every other word was, I support President Trump, and everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GALLAGHER: Now, President Trump sort of weighs heavily over this entire special primary here and in part, it is because this is seen as another test of his endorsement. He hasn't had the best track record here in South Carolina, Brianna, if you think back to earlier this summer in the gubernatorial race where his endorsed candidate ended up losing in the runoff. It became apparent that was going to happen and the president did a last-minute dual endorsement of both candidates in that runoff race.

Again, the expectation is because there are so many people running in this, that this too will likely go to a runoff that's already scheduled for two weeks from now. In fact, the SCGOP has a debate scheduled for next week for those top-two vote getters.

KEILAR: All right, we'll be looking toward that. Dianne, thank you so much for that report from South Carolina. And tune in tonight for live coverage as polls will close and votes will be counted. "Election Night in America" begins at 7 p.m. Eastern here on CNN and also on the CNN app.

Still to come, President Trump calling for a dramatic shift away from established childhood vaccines guidelines, raising concerns about their safety. So what do parents need to know before their next doctor's appointment?

Plus, a former U.S. Marine who's been detained in Russia has been freed amid severe concerns about his health. Ahead, our first glimpse of him since his release. We'll have that and much more coming up on "CNN News Central."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:18:05]

KEILAR: Medical groups are pushing back after President Trump signed an executive order aimed at overhauling U.S. vaccine policy. The president wants to reduce the number of recommended childhood vaccines from 18 to 11, and his order also calls for breaking up the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, or the MMR vaccine, as it's commonly called, into separate doses and requires further study of the ingredients in vaccines like aluminum.

SANCHEZ: But medical experts are warning that changing what's in vaccines means that you have to do new studies, which are costly and could also take years to complete. And as kids are heading back to school, many parents are left with new questions about how many shots their kids should get and when.

We're joined now by Infectious Disease Expert at the University of Maryland, Dr. Wilbur Chen. Dr. Chen, thanks so much for being with us.

We want to go through a number of claims made by the president and his advisers. First, here is the president actually praising the polio vaccine and others as amazing, but then also saying there are questions about others. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Nothing bad can happen from what we're doing. Nothing bad can happen. It's possible it doesn't work. I don't think that's much of a possibility, frankly. We're going to learn a lot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Is it possible that something bad can happen from these changes? How much do you expect the administration also to learn?

DR. WILBUR CHEN, INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND: Well, the routine childhood vaccination schedule has been in existence for many, many years, and we have a long record for safety and effectiveness.

So I think that there's always room for improvement, but I do not know if we need to make a large change to decrease the number of vaccines.

KEILAR: And the president also, Dr. Chen, baselessly suggested, which he's done before, that MMR, the vaccine, is unsafe. Let's listen to part of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think I heard you say that the MMR vaccine --

TRUMP: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The measles, mumps and rubella is quite lethal.

[14:20:00]

Is there any evidence of that? Because --

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: No, what I've heard is that there are some people that say it is that way. And I say, well, let's say there's a five percent chance of it. Let's split it up. In fact, they've said how safe it seems to be. But I've heard when you put them together, they can be explosive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Can you fact check that for us?

CHEN: Yeah, we've had multiple studies demonstrating that these MMR measles vaccines containing -- are very safe and effective. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal published a study of 2.5 million children showing no increased risks of autism or other safety concerns with the first dose of MMR vaccine.

SANCHEZ: I want to ask you something about something that Stephen Miller said, a White House aide. He claimed that millions and millions of parents feel pressured into taking their newborn babies to get six or seven shots at once. Then being told that having a fever for a few days or not eating for a week or so is totally normal. Here's more from Miller.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN MILLER, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF: Nobody has studied it. Nobody's looked at it. Nobody's thought about it. The pressure from the pharmaceutical industry and from aspects of the medical industry to pump your kids full of shots days after birth with no understanding of long-term consequences has been a medical travesty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Is it fair to say there's no understanding of long-term consequences? How much has this been studied?

CHEN: Yeah, I think it's unfair to say that we don't have years or decades worth of data that suggests that these vaccines, again, are safe and highly effective. We're seeing right now trends for lower vaccination rates in children, meanwhile seeing resurgence of measles.

The past two years, we had the highest rates of hospitalizations and deaths with influenza. So I think that, again, there's plenty of evidence that these vaccines are highly effective and safe.

KEILAR: And Dr. Chen, President Trump hinted at a link between autism and vaccines, which has long been disproven. And there's a lot of science on this, right? It's been studied a lot. Studies show no connection.

Secretary Kennedy talked about increased instances of autism in America. He claimed that one of the talking points of what he called the industry is that autism was just being noticed more, and he called that an absurdity. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: We were just noticing it more. We would notice it in older groups, but we're not. We're only noticing it in kids who were born around 1989 or after. The older generations are not seeing those increases. So something happened in the mid-'90s that changed our children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: What do you say to his line of reasoning there?

CHEN: Yeah, I think that we're just more sensitive to this entity called autism, and we know that it's a spectrum now. It's much better defined. There is, meanwhile, a large body of scientific studies that fail to show any link of autism with vaccination. So there are no studies that have definitively linked autism with any vaccine.

SANCHEZ: Dr. Wilbur Chen, thanks so much for sharing your expertise. Appreciate your time.

CHEN: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Still to come, a major update on the release of an American held in Russia. Robert Gilman now on his way back home to the United States. That story next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:28:33]

SANCHEZ: This just into CNN. We're getting a new look at the Marine Corps veteran who was released from Russian detention just hours ago. President Trump and Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, have both posted this photo of Robert Gilman as he travels back on the plane to the United States. You see him on the far left, covered by the American flag. His release follows serious concerns about his health. Gilman's condition was recently described as near death. We understand that he is now en route to a U.S. military hospital for treatment after more than four years in detention.

CNN's Jennifer Hansler has more from the State Department. So Jennifer, what more are you learning?

JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER & WRITER, NATIONAL SECURITY: Well, Boris, we are learning that Gilman is at least speaking, which is a seemingly good sign amid those severe concerns about his health in Russia. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he had spoken with Gilman and Gilman had said that he want "a great cheese burger" when he lands back in the United States.

I'm also learning from a source that he is verbal. But it seems he is not out of the woods yet, of course, when it comes to his health. What we could in that photo is he looks incredibly gaunt. The source told me that he is non-ambulatory which means he can't necessarily walk or stand on his own, and his advocate is saying it is too soon for a long-term prognosis on his health.

Now, our understanding is he was released on humanitarian grounds from Russian detention today amid those concerns for his health and allegations that he was tortured both physically and psychologically while he was in Russian detention for more than four years.

Trump indicated he had spoken with President Vladimir Putin about the case and that Putin agreed to release him --

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)