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Texas Republicans Approve New Congressional Maps; Lyle Menendez Denied Parole A Day After Erik's Bid Was Rejected; Trump Administration Threatening To Deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia; Trump Gives Putin Another Deadline In Hopes Of Ending War; U.S.-Venezuela Escalate Military Tensions; Trump Calls For Getting Rid Of Mail-In Ballots For Elections; FAA Warns Of More Lithium Battery Fires On Planes; NTSB Investigating New York Tour Bus Crash That Killed Five. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired August 23, 2025 - 17:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:00:21]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jessica Dean in Los Angeles.

And new tonight, the battle over redistricting heating up even more as a Texas bill designed to give Republicans five additional congressional seats in the state is now headed for the governor's desk after state lawmakers passed that legislation in the wee hours of the morning. Of course, this comes after some congressional Democrats there left the state and came back.

Texas is the first state to approve redrawing its map ahead of next year's midterm elections. It is a move that has lawmakers in other states now looking to do the same.

Let's bring in CNN correspondent Arlette Saenz, who joins us now with the latest from Texas, Arlette.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Texas Senate gave its final stamp of approval on a redistricting bill that could reshape the landscape for the 2026 midterm elections. The bill passed the State Senate in the early morning hours of Saturday and now will head to Texas Governor Greg Abbott for his signature.

He's expected to sign it early next week. But really, this represents a major victory for President Trump and the Republican Party as they are trying to pick up an additional five U.S. House seats here in Texas.

And Republicans have been very blunt about why they are pushing these redistricting plans. Take a listen to State Senator Phil King, a Republican, on the Senate floor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL KING (R-TX), STATE SENATOR: I'm convinced that if Texas does not take this action, that there is an extreme risk that that Republican majority will be lost. And if it does. The next. Two years after the midterms. They will be nothing but inquisitions and impeachments and humiliation for our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Texas Democrats who had fled the state to try to block this bill for two weeks, had no other legislative options left to prevent this from being passed.

Now, Democrats are turning their attention to the courts, hoping that the court system will step in to block these maps from going into effect.

But already this map, even before it was passed and signed into law, it's already impacting the 2026 midterms here in Texas.

There's Congressman Lloyd Doggett, who represents a district right here in Austin. He announced that he would not seek reelection. If the courts do not block these maps. That part of that is because a congressman from a district just south of here, Greg Casar, said that he would now run in Doggett's district after his own district is essentially eliminated to become a more GOP-leaning district.

So there's a lot of big questions going forward for Democrats about how they are going to handle this, whether they will continue to seek a reelection in their districts, or perhaps decide to retire.

But at this moment, this really represents a major victory for President Donald Trump, who has also vowed to push other states to consider their own redistricting options as well.

Arlette Saenz, CNN -- Austin, Texas.

DEAN: Arlette, thank you.

Here in California, a parole board is denying parole for Lyle Menendez one day after his brother's request for parole was also rejected. Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted of murdering their parents back in 1989 and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

That was reduced to a chance for parole earlier this year, and their fight for release is not over yet.

Let's bring in Julia Vargas Jones, who has been following this story. Julia, take us through these developments.

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this was a devastating blow for both brothers on Thursday and then again on Friday, Jessica. And even for some other members of the Menendez family who say, look they have paid for their crimes already. Let us put all of this behind us.

And even more difficult after this year-long battle for an early release that brought the case back into the national and, I should say, international spotlight. But on Friday, a parole commissioner telling Lyle that he was, despite

being, quote, a model inmate in many ways, there were still many issues they couldn't overlook. One of them was lying, breaking the rules, a concern that was also brought up during his brother Erik's hearing on Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONES: Erik and Lyle Menendez pleading their case in front of a parole board for the first time in more than 30 years. The brothers, now in their 50s, were 18 and 21 years old when they brutally murdered their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home.

[17:04:46]

JONES: They claim they feared for their lives and that their father had physically and sexually abused them for years.

Prosecutors maintained they were eyeing their parents' fortune instead, and they were sentenced to life without parole. But in May, a judge resentenced the brothers with the possibility of parole.

The case and its sensational trial captured the attention of the world in the 1990s, and again more recently, when a Netflix series and several documentaries were made about the case.

A central point of Erik's hearing on Thursday was whether he took responsibility for his crimes. Asked by Parole Commissioner Robert Barton, is there any part of this which you believe was self-defense? Erik replied no.

Still, Erik described their father as cruel and domineering and said the killings came after a week of escalating tensions and confrontations with their parents over the abuse.

After nearly ten hours of proceedings and testimony, Erik Menendez was denied parole by a California board that decided he still poses a risk to public safety.

Lyle, who has a slightly lower number of prison violations, faced the board on Friday. Asked whether the killings had been planned, Lyle said, quote, "there was zero planning" and that the decision to buy guns had been, quote, "somewhat impulsive" and for "emotional protection" and also "the biggest mistake".

Despite the California Parole Board's decisions, it is Governor Gavin Newsom who will ultimately have the final say on the brothers' fates.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JONES: And Jessica, the parole board's decision could still be looked into. They have 120 days for an internal review. After that, it's Governor Gavin Newsom, then he has 30 days to decide if he will intervene or not in this case.

DEAN: And Julia, what's the next step for these two brothers? JONES: Well look, Newsom will weigh, of course, his options if he will intervene or not. After that, Lyle actually could ask for parole again in as early as 18 months. For Erik, that will be in three years, Jessica.

DEAN: All right. Julia Vargas Jones with the very latest. Thank you so much.

We're also learning tonight the Trump administration may try to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a prison in Uganda in a matter of days. The Maryland father, who had been wrongfully deported to El Salvador earlier this year, reunited with his family yesterday after being released from criminal custody.

As Abrego Garcia embraced his loved ones, a notice was sent to his attorney from the Department of Homeland Security, alerting them of a possible deportation to Uganda within 72 hours.

CNN's Rafael Romo picks it up there for us. And Rafael, this has been quite a long, winding road. Where does it go from here?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a long, winding road -- that's a great way to describe it, Jessica.

Well, let me tell you, one of the attorneys for the Salvadoran national is blasting the Trump administration's intention to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia, calling it retaliation.

The reaction came after CNN learned that the Department of Homeland Security may try to deport the Maryland father of three to Uganda, a landlocked country in east Africa nearly 8,300. miles away from El Salvador, his native country in Central America.

This is according to an email sent by a DHS official to his lawyers on Friday only minutes, Jessica, after Abrego Garcia was released from a county jail in Tennessee. The message reads in part, "Let this email serve as notice that DHS may remove your client, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to Uganda no earlier than 72 from now, absent weekends."

We reached out to one of Kilmar Abrego Garcia attorneys earlier today for reaction to the notice. In a statement, Simon Sandoval Moshenberg the following. "The government's decision to send Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda makes it painfully clear that they are using the immigration system to punish him for exercising his constitutional rights. There is a perfectly reasonable option available, Costa Rica, where he and his family can visit him easily. But instead they're attempting to send him halfway across the world to a country with documented human rights abuses and where he does not even speak the language. This is not justice," he said. "It is retaliation."

On Friday afternoon, we witnessed the moment when Kilmar Abrego Garcia walked out of the Putnam County jail in Cookeville, Tennessee surrounded by five men. He later posed for pictures with his wife and three children, two of them holding flowers, before making his first public statement in his native Spanish.

This is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA, RELEASED FROM CUSTODY (through translator): Today has been a very special day because, thank God, I've seen my family again after more than 160 days. And I'd like to thank everyone who has been supporting me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[17:09:46]

ROMO: And Jessica, reacting to his release on X, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blasted what she called activist liberal judges who have in her words, "obstructed law enforcement" from removing what she described as the worst criminal illegal aliens from the United States.

By ordering this monster loose on America's streets, this judge has shown a complete disregard for the safety of the American people." She said, "We will not stop fighting until this Salvadoran man faces justice and is out of our country."

He's been scheduled to appear for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement interview on Monday, Jessica.

DEAN: All right. Rafael, thank you so much for that.

And still ahead here, President Trump setting another deadline for Russia as he hopes to secure a peace deal with Ukraine's President Zelenskyy.

Plus, Ukraine ramping up attacks on Russia with one specific goal -- targeting its oil refineries. Why it hopes this could turn the Russian people against the Kremlin and its war efforts.

[17:10:42]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: President Trump says he's giving Russian President Vladimir Putin, quote, a couple of weeks. Trump extending the deadline, giving Putin even more time before facing any consequences such as sanctions, urging him to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you saying there's a real possibility then that you do nothing if Putin doesn't come to the table for a ceasefire?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'll see whose fault it is. If there are reasons why, I'll understand that.

I know exactly what I'm doing. We're going to see whether or not they have a meeting. That will be interesting to see. And if they don't, why didn't they have a meeting? Because I told them to have a meeting. But I'll know in two weeks what -- what I'm going to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: We're joined now by CNN contributor and former CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty. Jill, always good to see you. Thanks for being here.

We have heard these deadlines from Trump before. I think you and I have talked about these deadlines from Trump before and what they might mean, and if he'll actually enforce them.

Where we stand now, do you see any chance for progress in the next weeks as he pushes off these consequences?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: So far not. I mean, you're right. We've heard two weeks on many different subjects and really nothing has happened. I don't think it really means two weeks. It's a way of pushing it off.

And the only thing that I did find kind of interesting in that soundbite right after that, he ended with the idea of what can he do? What are the options? And he said there could be, you know, more sanctions and tariffs or simply walk away.

And that's pretty overt. I mean, I think that there's a level of frustration that he can't get these two countries and leaders to agree. Although you have to say that it's pretty clear that Ukraine has agreed to meet with Vladimir Putin. It's Vladimir Putin who hasn't agreed to meet with Zelenskyy.

And we're hearing, you know, positive noises now from Mr. Putin saying that he's seeking, in essence, kind of a reset with the United States. He said now that Trump is back in office, he sees, quote, "the light at the end of the tunnel". And that he's doing everything to end the war. But, of course, he's not.

So this is kind of where we are. I mean, we can get into some of the specific issues, which would be, of course, security and territory.

DEAN: Yes. And so I do want to get into those. I first though want you to as we're thinking about this, take us inside Putin's mind, how he might be thinking about a potential meeting with Zelenskyy, if that's even something he may be considering.

DOUGHERTY: Well, so far, he definitely does not want to do this. And one of the main reasons is that that would put Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, on the level with the president of Russia.

That's something untenable for Vladimir Putin. He considers Zelenskyy an illegitimate -- he calls him an illegitimate president of an illegitimate country. So just on that alone, it would not be something he'd want to do.

It doesn't mean that he necessarily wouldn't. But the Kremlin is now saying, you know, if you have leaders meeting, you have to have it well prepared. And actually, that is true. You really do need a lot of these niggling

details worked out. And they're very serious details. That hasn't been done. There is some progress with the Europeans defining some things about security. But essentially, you know, all the details are so far missing.

So Putin would say, why should I even sit down with Zelenskyy if we don't know what we're discussing?

DEAN: Yes. And meantime, Zelenskyy talking about these security guarantees, says that a plan for that will be ready, in his words, in the coming days. We know he wants something similar to NATO's Article Five, an attack against one is an attack against all. How might that work?

DOUGHERTY: Well, nobody knows. And that's another one of the problems. Now, that said, the Europeans what are now being called the "coalition of the willing", they have been meeting pretty frantically to try to put some meat on the bones to define what is that guarantee that President Trump has been saying, you know, NATO-like Article Five-like guarantees.

[17:19:46]

DOUGHERTY: And they do seem to be making some progress in defining for themselves, for Europe, what this would look like. You know, where would observers be? Where would they be stationed? How would they act? What are the rules of engagement?

But the big sticking point, you have to say is, what about the Americans? I mean, can they trust Donald Trump to actually provide when it comes down to it a backup for Europe or even before that, could they provide intelligence or, you know, weapons or training or what? And until the Europeans are really confident that they know what the United States is going to be doing, there is a big question mark.

And Jessica, also, I should add, we've got this other thing that the Russians are saying, which is what about our security? Of course, that seems kind of ludicrous at this point because it's really Ukraine's security that we're talking about. But the Russians are bringing up that point. So there's still a lot of questions in that.

DEAN: Yes, that's really interesting.

We also have this new reporting from CNN tonight about the success of Ukraine's attacks on Russian energy sites that's pushing up gas prices to record highs in Russia. How would you assess this in terms of a potential threat for Putin and what he's again, trying to do and convince people to follow along with that?

DOUGHERTY: You know, I think it's a very interesting moment because, you know, this is summer and Russians go on vacation in the summer. Now, most of them are not going abroad because they can't at this point, but they are traveling within Russia. And gas prices at the pump are going up. And they notice that because of these attacks by the Ukrainians. So there are two factors. Gas prices are going up which people don't

like. And even though the government says, well, accidents at the refineries, a lot of Russians know it's due to Ukrainians' drone attacks on the refineries.

And, you know, I think also just that that idea that Ukraine can hit the Russian motherland is something that's really affecting Russians.

Now, we don't know, you know, what ultimately they do with that information. You know, we don't see any indication at this point that people are rising up against Putin. But it undermines some of the narrative that don't worry, you know, war is going fine. Russia is winning. Everything is fine.

But at home it isn't. And all of these, you know, I call them kind of consumer issues and then the war hitting closer to home, I have to I have to think are having an effect.

DEAN: All right. Jill Dougherty, always good to see you. Thanks for your time.

DOUGHERTY: Thank you.

DEAN: And tonight were also following rising tensions between the U.S. and a powerful South American country, Venezuela. A huge show of force happening now as America deploys three Navy-guided missile destroyers to Venezuela in what the Trump administration is calling an effort to thwart drug cartels.

CNN's Patrick Oppmann has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A major show of force in South America. At least three U.S. Navy destroyers, attack aircraft, amphibious landing vehicles, and more than 4,000 Marines.

The Trump administration says it's meant to crack down on drug smuggling from the region to the U.S. and intimidate Venezuela's embattled leader, Nicolas Maduro, who has responded by calling up more than 4 million militiamen to defend against any possible U.S. aggression.

The White House alleges Maduro is the head of a shadowy cocaine trafficking empire known as El Cartel De Los Soles, a criminal organization secretly operated by Venezuela's military. This month, the administration doubled the reward for Maduro's capture to $50 million.

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela. It is a narco terror cartel and Maduro, it is the view of this administration, is not a legitimate president. He is a fugitive head of this cartel who has been indicted in the United States for trafficking drugs into the country. OPPMANN: Now, U.S. Navy ships approaching Venezuela are putting Maduro

on notice. The deployment may just be a show of force, but one that Venezuela's leader vows to resist. Maduro denies the drug smuggling accusations and says his government will fight until the last bullet.

NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We must defend Venezuela because they want to turn us into slaves of supremacists due to the racist contempt they have for us.

OPPMANN: Maduro, who counts Russia and Iran as allies, say he's mobilizing his military and militia across the country to ensure any U.S. action would be drawn out and bloody.

MADURO: No empire is going to set foot on the sacred soil of Venezuela.

[17:24:44]

OPPMANN: Despite the saber rattling on both sides, it's clear the U.S. forces deployed would not be sufficient for regime change, says a former U.S. official who has studied what an invasion of Venezuela would look like.

FRANK MORA, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES: We're talking about 200,000 -- 250,000 troops because it's not just a question of bringing the regime down. That would not be that difficult.

The invasion becomes an occupation, and that gets very complicated because how do you maintain social order in a country where the government has collapsed?

OPPMANN: This is not the first time the U.S. has vowed to oust Maduro. In 2019 during the first Trump administration, a U.S.-backed uprising of dissident Venezuelan soldiers led to fighting in the streets of the capital, Caracas between pro and anti-government forces.

But that would-be coup failed. And Maduro emerged with a tighter grip on power and even more defiant of U.S. attempts to end his rule.

Patrick Oppmann, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: Patrick, thank you.

And this week, President Trump posted he wants to get rid of mail-in voting. But you might be surprised at how beneficial it was for him in 2024. Harry Enten is going to run the numbers. That's next.

[17:25:55]

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[17:30:19] DEAN: This week, President Trump was again, repeating false claims about elections on social media, while also saying he is leading a movement to end the use of mail-in ballots and voting machines.

Trump inaccurately said states have run elections the way the president tells them to.

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten is joining us now to run the numbers on all of this. So, Harry, let's start first after 2020, the GOP actually made an attempt to do better among voters who cast a ballot by mail. And how did that shake out in 2024?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: It shake out quite well for him. Honestly, I don't know what Donald Trump is doing, because take a look at the numbers that we have here for you. The bottom line is that Donald Trump won in 2024 because of his improvement with mail-in voters.

What are we talking about? He improved his margin by, get this, nine points. He actually did worse, Jessica. He did worse with in-person voting. Get this, he lost ground by five points among them.

The bottom line is, Trump actually loses, loses in 2024 without the improvement with mail-in voters. That is the case. That is the bottom line. Without the bump from mail-in voters, he loses. And so, you see this right here, the mail-in vote going up by nine points. I don't know what Donald Trump is doing, because the bottom line is the Republican efforts for 2024 worked out quite well and worked out to Donald Trump's advantage, and he was able to win.

DEAN: Yes. And so, to that point, I think you're just getting at this. Would Trump have done better or worse with higher turnout in 2024?

ENTEN: Yes. Would he have done higher or worse in 2024? This, I think, gives the game away. Look at this. If, in fact, it was universal voting, right? If, let's say, all eligible citizens came out to vote in 2024. Get this. Donald Trump's margin actually would have gone up by one to three points.

I went back through the record books, Jessica Dean, and I spoke of my dear -- one of my dear pollster friends. We could not think or find another example in which a Republican candidate for president would have, in fact, done better with universal voting. Donald Trump was the first that I could find on record. So, what Donald Trump should be trying to do is actually get as many people that turn out and vote not try and limit it, because all of a sudden, the Trump and now Republican coalition relies a lot more on younger voters, voters of color, and voters with lower education levels.

And of course, they are less likely to turn out than, say, older voters, voters of higher education levels and white voters as well. And so, universal voting actually helps Donald Trump. He should be trying to get souls to the polls, because the bottom line is he does better the higher the turnout goes, as we saw at the mail-in voting, obviously in 2024, and what we see right here, in terms of all citizens voting, all the post-election analysis that I looked at actually showed that Donald Trump would have done better the more voters turn out.

DEAN: And OK. So, back to mail-in voting. You found that before Trump, the GOP, really benefited from that in a big way. What did you find?

ENTEN: Yes, OK. So, you know, I was bred -- born and raised and bred on the 2000 election, and I can remember that back in 2000, there was a real effort from the Republican Party to, in fact, get out absentee mail-in voting. And Jeb Bush even said it. He said, vote from the comfort of your home. Of course. Jeb Bush being the governor of Florida at the time, the brother of the Republican candidate George W. Bush.

And get this, George W. Bush only won in Florida, and therefore, the election because of mail-in voting. He won that vote by about 125,000. Al Gore actually won in-person voting by a little bit less than that. And, of course, it was the closest election in American history. He won it by about 124,000 voters.

So, the bottom line is, there's nothing inherent about the idea that mail-in votes are going to lean democratic. You can, in fact, make them lean more Republican. George Bush benefited tremendously. He changed this election, changed the direction of this country, because there was such an effort from Republicans to mail -- to get mail in voters.

Had they not actually gotten that, Al Gore would have been the president, we would have been dealing with a much better history. I honestly think that Donald Trump could learn a lesson from that.

And the bottom line, again, being he should try and get more and more voters to turn out, because more so than any point in history, higher turnout benefits, Republicans like Donald Trump.

DEAN: Yes. That seems to be the big takeaway here. OK. Lastly, I'm told, you have a surprise, and when this happens, I truly never know what's coming our way.

ENTEN: OK. You don't know what's coming your way. But what I will say is, is I have it here, nothing on the slide.

DEAN: Oh!

ENTEN: Oh! Oh! And I actually even have a Playbill for you with your cover on it. You can see it right here. You can see it, and we have it here a little bit bigger. But Happy Birthday, Jessica. I believe I'm a day late. But still, I think this is a pretty gosh darn awesome gift. Your own Playbill cover with your show on the -- on the program.

[17:35:00]

That's like -- it's frameable, Harry. That is like, an amazing gift. I don't -- I don't -- I know you did a story on Playbills, but I know you have your ways. You've got New York City wired. So, only you could might make that happen.

ENTEN: That's exactly right. My childhood friend Mr. Alexander Franklin Bursch, of course, is high up in the Echelon at Playbill. His father actually runs the whole gosh darn thing. So, I have my connections. And therefore, I was able to hook up my dear friend Jessica Dean with a nice little souvenir for her birthday.

DEAN: That is amazing. I will treasure that.

All right. Harry, thank you to you. Thank you to them. That's very special. Wow, with friends like these, you know --

(CROSSTALK)

ENTEN: Happy birthday.

DEAN: Thanks.

ENTEN: Yes.

DEAN: All right. Harry Enten, always good to see you. I really appreciate that.

ENTEN: See you.

DEAN: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:40:20]

DEAN: This coming week, thousands of Americans will take the skies to kick off the Labor Day holiday, and the FDA is warning flyers. They are seeing more dangerous fires on planes that involve lithium-ion batteries. CNN's Pete Muntean takes a look at what items you may want to leave at home instead of packing in your suitcase.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Test after test shows what happens when lithium-ion batteries ignite in flight, creating a crisis thousands of feet up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): United 2664 declaring an emergency, we have a laptop on fire on the aircraft, we need to return.

MUNTEAN (voice over): New data says the batteries malfunction on flights twice a week. The worst cases, erupting in flames and filling passenger cabins with smoke.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was terrified. I didn't know what was happening.

MUNTEAN (voice over): The problem, batteries are the standard source of power for phones, laptops, vapes, and external power banks used to recharge other electronics. Here at its massive research center in New Jersey, the Federal Aviation Administration is about to show us what happens when a lithium battery heats up uncontrollably until it burns, called a thermal runaway. ROBERT OCHS, MECHANICAL ENGINEER, FIRE SAFETY TEAM, FAA TECHNICAL CENTER: It will get warmer and warmer and warmer until the battery -- the structure of the battery itself fails.

MUNTEAN: It sounds to me like you are describing an explosion.

OCHS: It -- they -- there can be explosions as well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll let it heat up.

MUNTEAN (voice over): For our test, a power bank fitted with special heating tape has been placed into an airline seat back pocket, and if the safety glasses, protective window, and firefighter are any indication, the team here is ready for this to be big.

Wow. Took me by surprise.

But this is not your average fire. The FAA demonstrates using the fire extinguisher available to flight attendants, and the fire reignites. The FAA says water is key to cooling the thermal runaway and stopping the flames.

It seems kind of counterintuitive to put water on something electronic.

OCHS: It does, and most people think that. But at this point, the device has failed. It's not -- it's no longer an electronic device now.

MUNTEAN: Now, I want you to imagine what would happen if you were sitting in this seat. They say this test on the grand scheme of tests that they do here was pretty violent when that battery exploded. You could see all the embers that really blew back and it nearly hit the Plexiglas window, the safety window that we were standing at about 20 feet away.

MUNTEAN (voice over): Earlier this year, a suspected external battery pack fire on the ground left this Air Busan flight barely recognizable, and injured 27 people.

The latest federal data shows external battery packs are the top cause of incidents, and the FAA has banned them from checked baggage, where they are harder to extinguish.

But safety organization, U.L. Standards and Engagement says two in five passengers still check them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know that this is a solvable problem, and first and foremost, it is about passenger awareness and education.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: All right. Pete Muntean, thanks so much. Still to come. New details into a deadly crash involving a New York bus carrying dozens of tourists. Plus, President Trump ramping up his law enforcement crackdown in the nation's capital with the help of Republican governors.

Why critics say the president's plan to target more cities could further divide the nation. Here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:48:22]

DEAN: Multiple injuries from a second bus crash in as many days, this one carrying a junior high school football team in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. That's near Pittsburgh. Of the 25 people on that bus, 21 were taken to area hospitals this morning.

A local police chief says it's unclear how severe the injuries are, adding the investigation continues. CNN affiliate WTAE, reports the bus was carrying players and coaches for the Aliquippa Junior High School football team.

Also, a new development today, an investigation underway into Friday's tour bus crash that happened in West, Western New York. It killed five passengers and injured dozens more. The bus overturned along Interstate 90, about 40 miles east of Niagara Falls.

Officials say the driver got distracted and lost control of the bus, over correcting before rolling over with the bus ending up in a ditch on the side of the Interstate. That bus was carrying 52 passengers, a lot of them tourists from China and the Philippines. NTSB investigators releasing some new information in a news conference today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM CHAPMAN, BOARD MENBER, NTSB: We had an opportunity to look at the bus today. The bus does appear to us it's in bad shape, but it does appear to us that the bus was equipped with seat belts. So, part of our investigation will be to determine the extent to which seat belts were being used, and the extent to which the lack of seat belt use may have been a factor in some of the passengers being ejected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: CNN's Leigh Waldman is reporting from Buffalo just outside the hospital where the injured were taken,

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dozens of people are still being treated at least four regional hospitals here in western New York, following a tour bus rollover crash just outside of Pembroke on I-90 on Friday.

[17:50:06]

What we know right now is several of those patients have been discharged from the Erie County Medical Center, we're outside of right now. Several people still being treated inside by medical teams here.

We've heard from first responders that that bus was traveling at full speed. The driver became distracted, lost control, causing that bus to roll over and crash. Several people were ejected or trapped underneath that bus at the time. Take a listen to the moments after the crash.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have a tour bus with 52 passengers, mostly foreign-speaking. we have people ejected and people possibly under the bus at this point.

DR. SAMUEL CLOUD, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, ERIE COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER: This is probably the most trauma patients we've had from one incident in my career here in Buffalo.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over 25 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALDMAN: First responders describing this scene as volatile, not only because of the scale of the crash itself, but because many of the people on board that bus did not speak English. They had to wait for translators to come and assist them in helping out those people there.

We know that, that bus has been taken off of the throw away to open it back up to traffic going both directions. Right now, it's at a New York State Police barracks, outside of that crash site as this investigation continues. Investigators ruling out driver impairment, ruling out mechanical issues with the bus itself. They are trying to determine what caused that driver to become distracted in the first place.

In Buffalo. Leigh Waldman, CNN.

DEAN: All right. Leigh, thank you for that.

In an all-new episode of "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER", Nick Watt goes inside the world of a 24-year-old professional gambler, whose winning strategy looks more Wall Street than Vegas. Here is a preview of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Isaac is in New York prepping with his data and modeling guru Kanzi Yee, before the Australian Open in tennis starts.

ISAAC ROSE-BERMAN, PROFESSIONAL GAMBLER: We got 450, on Caesars, plus 625 on DraftKings.

JEFF BENSON, OPERATIONS DIRECTOR, CIRCA SPORTSBOOK: Set aside an amount you're comfortable losing. I would suggest, you know, having multiple apps or sports books at your disposal.

WATT: Why?

BENSON: Because you want to ultimately get the best price.

WATT (voice over): Compare the odds offered by different books and look for mistakes.

ROSE-BERMAN: We are saying the odds should be 5-1, and they are giving us 6-1.

Fonseca, this is his first major tournament. He is been playing very well, so, potentially even more likely that he's going to start off hot and then fizzle as the match goes on.

WATT (voice over): Fast forward, the tournament has started.

ROSE-BERMAN: The Australian Open is pretty tough because it's in the middle of the night, so, we're up all night, every night.

JARED, ISAAC's BUDDY: It's a weirdly tight game.

WATT (voice over): With his buddy, Jared, who works in finance by day.

ROSE-BERMAN: Markets are markets, right? Like they all function in relatively similar ways, whether it's sports or stocks or real estate.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: An all-new episode of "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER: SPORTS BETTING: AMERICA'S BIG GAMBLE". One whole hour, one whole story airs tomorrow at 10:00 P.M. Eastern Pacific. It's only here on CNN.

30 years ago, a veteran in Florida began sharing vegetables from his gardens with his neighbors. Now, his food bank serves thousands of families a year. And at 96 years old, he is still going strong. And this week's "CNN HEROES" salutes Bill Brown, known to his community as Mr. Bill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.

BILL BROWN, VETERAN, FLORIDA: Hello, Jordan, how are you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm OK. How are you today?

BROWN: I'm fine.

STACEY KILE, OPERATIONS MANAGER AND ADVOCATE: Absolutely, everybody loves Mr. Bill.

BROWN: Things OK at your house?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are doing OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think people in this community without Mr. Bill on The Children's Table would be hungry. He just started sharing out of the goodness of his heart.

BROWN: I didn't plan on starting The Children's Table. It reached the point that we were serving so many people that I felt that it had to have an identity and a name. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have a good day.

BROWN: All right. God bless you.

I'm Bill Brown. They call me, Mr. Bill. I'm 96 years old.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.

KILE: He just means so much to the entire community.

BROWN: You want to go to debate?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anytime.

KILE: We are in Levy County, Florida, and our small food bank actually covers 10 different counties.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.

KILE: When it's a $10 suggested donation, no one is turned away. In that donation, there is about $100 to $150 retail and food.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have a great day. At this point in the year, we have served 1.5 million meals.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: May you have a blessed day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You too.

CHERYL TWOMBLY, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES: Levy County is a very rural community. We have high poverty rates. We don't have public transportation, and so they've developed a model to where they take food out to these communities and people can come to that local spot. He is always used that model of no child should ever go to bed hungry, and that neighbors should always help neighbors.

[17:55:04]

BROWN: Helping is contagious. I've been doing this for 30 years.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my gosh, you do look good for 96.

BROWN: Too busy to lay down and die.

TWOMBLY: I've watched him work harder in his retirement than most people do during their careers.

BROWN: And I might have started it, but the community has step forward.

We are family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good job guys.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: And to learn about Mr. Bill and the Children's Table, you can go to CNNHEROES.COM.

Still to come, the FBI breathes new life into a 2020 investigation on President Trump's former national security and national security adviser John Bolton. We're going to talk to former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe on what he thinks may be at work here, how he thinks this might play out. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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