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Manhunt In Massachusetts For Wife Of Slain Police Officer; U.S. Vows To Escalate Trade War With Canada After Talks Fall Apart; Duane Davis Speaks Out In Court; Mold Infections More Pervasive Than Previously Thought Following Rain; The Fight Over Flock System; Grand Prix Racing Takes Over D.C. Streets For America's 250th; "Widow's Bay" Star Matthew Rhys Nominated For Two Emmys This Year. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired August 22, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:02]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we begin this hour with a manhunt in Massachusetts for the wife of an off-duty police officer who was killed in their home. Authorities in Worcester, Massachusetts, have been searching for Karen Solomon since her husband, Police Officer Kurt Solomon, was found dead on Tuesday. They released surveillance video of Karen Solomon walking on a street wearing shorts, T-Shirt and flip-flops there.

She is the co-founder of a group that helps police officers and their families deal with mental health issues.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino is following all of this.

Gloria, what do we know?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And that's right, Fred. And this search is now going on for at least four days. That's when police in Worcester, Massachusetts, say they got an early morning call to a home in Worcester, where they found the police officer, Kurt Salomon, deceased inside the home. Since then, they have issued an arrest warrant for Karen Solomon, who, according to records, was married to Kurt Solomon, as I said, a police officer in Worcester, Massachusetts.

And what you're seeing here is the most recent video surveillance that police have released showing Karen. This was shortly after police received that call in the early morning hours to the house. This is believed to be the last images that police have of Karen Solomon. As you can see there she is dressed in shorts, a T-shirt and flip-flops. Police have put out this image as they continue the search for her.

Now here's what else we know. Police have issued an arrest warrant. They have charged Solomon with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury. We should note that she has not been accused of any other crime in relation to the death of her husband. But in listening to police officials, they did say that Police Officer Kurt Solomon was found inside his home, that he had suffered injuries from a sharp object, and they were not able to go into any more details as they continue this investigation.

Now, another very important and interesting part of this story, Fred, is that Solomon, Karen Solomon, is actually part of a group, a nonprofit organization that focuses on helping first responders who are struggling with mental illness. And needing help as part of their job, their duty. She's an advocate for police officer and first responder mental health. She is a published author, has written and spoken about this issue. And so she appears at least to be known in the law enforcement community there in Worcester, Massachusetts.

I should also tell you, you were just seeing video of police officer in the area searching local beaches and recreational areas, which right now remain closed to the public as they continue this search -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. All so unsettling. All right. Gloria Pazmino, thank you.

All right. Just hours after talks fell apart at midnight, the U.S. is vowing to escalate a trade war with Canada. Starting today a 50 percent tariff on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods is in effect. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says his country will match those tariffs dollar for dollar starting after Labor Day. For the past week, President Trump and Carney, along with top trade negotiators from both countries, were in talks aimed at avoiding this. But now both sides are blaming each other for the talks breaking down.

CNN's Julia Benbrook is joining us now from the White House.

Julia, what more can you tell us?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know that President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, as well as top trade officials from both countries, had been in direct contact throughout the week. That was after Trump had placed this three-day delay on the tariffs. Both sides had expressed optimism that they were going to be able to come to an agreement by that deadline.

In fact, just hours before everything fell through, Trump said that things were moving along with Canada, that the United States and Canada should be able to come to an agreement here. But there is now that 50 percent tariff on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. And Canada has vowed to match that rate dollar for dollar starting on September 8th. Both sides looking to place blame on the other. And both saying that last-minute changes really led to the unraveling of this potential agreement.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamison Greer said that Canada had walked back some things and created some new demands. He also said during an interview with FOX News earlier today, he said that there were not any plans to restart these talks at the moment. Take a listen.

[15:05:07]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JAMISON GREER, U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE: It's hard to say. We don't have new talks planned with the Canadians. We're moving forward with measures that respond to Canadian retaliation. Remember, as President Trump has introduced a trade policy to reshore American production and protect American jobs, two countries have retaliated against the United States, the People's Republic of China and Canada.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: For his part, Carney said that the United States failed to meet Canada's objectives, and he said that some last-minute changes brought into question the reliability of any sort of a deal. And he said that included some calls for Canada to limit its trade with other countries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: In recent days, the United States proposed new terms that were uneconomic, unfair and undermine the net benefits for Canada and called into question the reliability of any deal. In short, they asked too much and they offered too little.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: So these new tariffs that are now in place are somewhat limited in scope. But this really seems to reignite this trade war, adding to the tension that has already been there. Trump has not spoken out since Carney said that he would match those tariffs dollar for dollar. We have reached out to the White House for more information.

WHITFIELD: All right, Julia Benbrook, let us know when you know. Thank you.

All right. And President Trump is praising the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to temporarily allow construction of his White House ballroom project to proceed as the court considers whether construction can continue indefinitely. The president spoke at a rally in South Carolina last night about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The military has wanted this done for 100 years, and presidents have wanted it done for 150 years. So I just want to thank the Supreme Court and the chief justice. And we have a ruling that it's proceed. When they say proceed, I think that's a good thing. That's a good thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The president says the ballroom and the planned bunker below it are vital for national security.

All right. Drama in the courtroom in the Tupac Shakur murder trial.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DUANE DAVIS, DEFENDANT: MALE: This stuff is wrong.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've heard it's going on both ways, that there's --

DAVIS: They are wrong.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That there's concerns both ways.

DAVIS: They're wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The situation that led to the defendant speaking out like that. Also, A.I. powered cameras are supposed to help police catch criminals. But some people say they've gone too far. The backlash is growing with people destroying these cameras in cities across the country.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:12:30]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. The trial of the man accused of setting up the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur has wrapped up its first week of testimony. Duane Davis shocked the court yesterday by speaking out for the first time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: They came, (INAUDIBLE). They broke in my house, vandalized my house, vandalized my wife's car, you know what I'm saying? Because they keep giving out our evidence. Now, they gave out my sister address. This stuff is wrong.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've heard its going on both ways.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Davis says his family is getting threatened and harassed after his address and phone numbers were presented as part of the prosecution's exhibit. Prosecutors dismissed those claims. Davis faces one count of murder in Las Vegas for his alleged involvement in Shakur's fatal shooting.

CNN's Josh Campbell has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Week one of the trial of the man accused of taking part in the murder of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur is complete, and the star witness so far the defendant's own words.

Duane Davis has pleaded not guilty to allegations that he helped orchestrate Shakur's killing. In a 2008 police interview, prosecutors played for the jury, Davis claimed the shooting of Shakur and rap producer Suge Knight near the Las Vegas Strip nearly 30 years ago was done out of retribution.

Davis said his nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, had been beaten up earlier that night by Shakur's entourage. Hours later, Davis, Baby Lane and two others spotted Shakur and Knight driving, and pulled up alongside.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You did a U-turn, so then he pulled alongside of it, you guys were in the car, so you hand the gun to the backseat?

DAVIS: Yes, I gave it to Dre, and Dre was like, no, no, and Lane is like, dude.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Lane starts blasting, you say Suge looks over, he sees you.

DAVIS: Yes. I see a bullet going Suge's head, I thought he was dead. I thought he was dead. He must have scrapped him or something in the head or something.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So Tupac is trying to jump in the backseat, and what's Suge doing? Just ducking?

DAVIS: Ducking, yes. He couldn't really duck because he was too big, you know?

CAMPBELL: A Las Vegas medical examiner testified about the wounds Shakur received.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He died of gunshot wounds of chest and abdomen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And do you have an opinion as to the manner of death?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And what is that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Homicide.

CAMPBELL: The jury also viewed video clips from a 2018 documentary entitled "Death Row Chronicles."

[15:15:03]

Davis was interviewed for the show and provided a moment-by-moment explanation of how the shooting happened while a recreated dramatization was displayed on screen.

DAVIS: When we pulled up, I was in the front seat. Happened to see my friend Suge.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You said the shots came from the back. Big Dre, Orlando. Who shot Tupac?

DAVIS: I keep it for the code of the streets. It just came from the back seat, bro.

CAMPBELL: In his police interview, Davis also claimed that disgraced rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs offered a $1 million bounty to have Shakur and Knight killed. Allegations that Combs has repeatedly denied. He has not been charged in connection with this case. Now despite past comments by Davis describing his role in the shooting, he and his attorney now claim he made it all up, and was merely trying to make money off of his stories.

Of course, a major question that will decide his fate, which version of the story will the jury ultimately believe? The trial is expected to last several more weeks. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, Josh Campbell, thank you so much for that.

All right. Let's talk further with Court TV anchor Julia Jenae.

This is a fascinating case for so many reasons. But let's begin with, I mean, Davis, actually, you know, challenging, I guess, the prosecution by talking to the judge and saying, wait a minute, this is too much. You know, my personal information, my family's information is out there. This seems unusual. Maybe not a, you know, go to the bench kind of conversation, but for a defendant to speak out like this, this is unusual. Yes?

JULIA JENAE, COURT TV ANCHOR: Sure. He has an attorney. And so usually a defendant is going to allow their attorney to make comments like that, to let the judge know. You know, there have been moments in this trial already that have been unscripted. We had Bob James on the stand earlier this week, who kind of went off script telling the attorneys to treat him as a hostile witness. And this felt similar in the sense that Duane Davis has gripes with how things are being handled and --

WHITFIELD: Who might this influence, though? Could it influence the direction of the prosecution or even the defense as it reveals something impactful at all?

JENAE: It could be it terms of what's being released to the public. There are times when people will come forward during a trial and say, hey, my e-mail address is on that exhibit. I don't want it on there because people are contacting me and the court will address that, and then the prosecution will blur that out. But addresses are public record. And so I don't know how far he can get with accusing the prosecution here, but the judge may weigh in. But I think if there are threats, then that's something where law enforcement needs to get involved.

WHITFIELD: The judge is caught kind of in audio, weighing in to a degree, saying it's on both sides. It almost sounds as though the judge was interpreting this complaint in the wrong way? I mean, what do we mean on both sides?

JENAE: Honestly, not sure exactly what Duane Davis is even meaning by what the prosecution is revealing, what addresses are out there. Maybe he can't say. We know he is very a self-proclaimed family man. He cares a lot about his family, his kids, grandkids. And so this seemed to be something that was very important to him. I think it also could let us know that even if his attorney is saying, I'll handle this for you, he's someone that wants to tell his story. Does that mean we're going to hear from him in this trial on the stand?

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. OK. So now 30 years, but the list of eyewitnesses that could be called that also includes like a, you know, Sean Combs, I mean, he's incarcerated right now. Is there a problem with the witness list or the viability of people who may or may not be called?

JENAE: Well, someone who's already said that they don't plan to say anything even if they are called to the stand is Suge Knight. We're hearing his name over and over again. He was there in the car. The jurors are hearing everything about him, but he has said if he's called to the stand likely anticipate he may be because he's on the witness list, he said he's not going to get involved. And we kind of heard a preview.

WHITFIELD: But if you're subpoenaed, what does that mean if you just say no? I mean, he is also serving time right now.

JENAE: Sure.

WHITFIELD: But I don't know if it would be like a, you know, via, you know, Zoom-type of thing, you know, remotely testimony. But if you refuse ?

JENAE: They could bring him in. We've seen inmates on the stand. They can transport him. They can put him there on the stand. If he refuses to say anything they could hold him in contempt of court. What is that going to mean to him if he already is incarcerated? Is that really going to be a threat to him? We don't know. And would prosecutors want to bring on someone or even the defense, who's going to refuse to say anything? Is it going to be helpful? We don't know.

WHITFIELD: Something else that's rather unusual, right? In Nevada, jurors are allowed to submit written questions for witnesses to answer while on the stand. What's the impact?

JENAE: That has been fascinating, right? And it's not every jurisdiction that does that. Some judges allow jurors to get involved. They first preview the questions to make sure they're not too outlandish, and then they ask it to the witness on the stand. And what stood out to me about what has come out from these jurors so far is they've been questioning these proffers, the interviews with federal officials where Keffe D believed he had some sort of immunity. But yet here we are seeing it as evidence against him.

[15:20:01]

These jurors have asked a lot of questions. They want to know, why didn't it get used earlier? Why wasn't it corroborated right away? Why didn't it come back --

WHITFIELD: They've asked really good questions, haven't they?

JENAE: They have. They are very intuitive. They are paying attention to the details in this trial. And it's really revealing for us to see what they are saying. I'm curious if they're going to ask questions more about Sean "Diddy" Combs because the Friday of trial, that was when they heard his name more than any other day of trial.

WHITFIELD: Oh. my gosh, what else do you expect in the coming weeks?

JENAE: We expect, I think we mentioned it, Suge Knight to take the stand at some point. More people to be testifying about some of the interviews that Keffe Davis gave over the years leading up to this, and also whether or not he's going to testify. He has indicated that he wants to. But will it be good for a case where his defense attorney has essentially told this jury he's a liar? You can't believe what he's saying. And the prosecution is doing this unusual thing of having to bolster his credibility.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Fascinating. All right. Julia Jenae, we'll continue to watch, as will you, and we'll keep calling you for further interpretations. Thank you. Good to see you.

JENAE: Thank you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll bring you the top moments of the Tupac murder trial, along with analysis on CNN and HLN. Our coverage resumes Monday at noon, and you can stream it all on the CNN All Access at CNN.com/watch. We're also streaming on Amazon Prime and HLN, so you can catch it in so many different places.

All right. Coming up, the water may be gone, but the danger from flooding still a concern. The unseen risks that some people are facing and the major health problems that it might cause.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:25:57]

WHITFIELD: All right. Right now, millions across the Mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley are facing potential flood threats as the southwest deals with more potentially record breaking heat.

CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: More than 50 million people have the potential for severe thunderstorms as this very powerful cold front continues to push down to the south. We've already had some active showers and thunderstorms this morning that continues throughout the remainder of the evening hours tonight. You can see by about 10:00 p.m. tonight you've got that line starting to spread into Virginia, Pennsylvania, upstate New York, Maryland, and Delaware.

But you also have some storms back down here across the southern tier of the U.S., Mississippi, Arkansas, into Louisiana, and some storms that could end up bringing some pretty large hail over in eastern Colorado. That was -- all of those sections of storms are going to continue through the overnight hours and even into early Sunday. So do keep that in mind that they are expected to continue, unlike some that typically in the summertime would fall apart during the overnight hours. That's not going to be the case for many of these.

Sunday afternoon we also start to see more of them fire back up again across areas of the northeast. So it's going to be two days in a row for some of these areas. You also have the potential for flooding right here along the Atlantic coast, especially for portions of North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland, because they've had multiple days' worth of rain. So now adding even more rain is really just going to compound it since the ground is already saturated.

Across the southern tier of the U.S. the big concern here is the heat. You've got a lot of heat alerts out for places like Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, but also into the desert southwest. And for some of these areas, it's a prolonged heat wave. Take a look at Dallas, for example. The average this time of year is 95. Even when we get a slight dip of a cool down next Thursday, it's still going to be about five degrees above where they normally would be this time of year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Allison Chinchar, thank you so much.

All right. Residents across the Midwest are cleaning up after flood waters inundated the region a week ago. Indiana was especially hit hard in Noblesville. The White River crested at a new record level, 24 feet. A total of seven people died in that state. And even after the water recedes, homes and businesses are left to deal with potentially toxic mold left behind by the water. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control warns that mold related diseases may be pervasive, more pervasive than previously thought.

With us now is Dr. William Kumprey. He is an associate chief medical officer of emergency medicine in Neenah, Wisconsin.

Doctor, great to see you. So how much do people need to worry about disease or infections from mold and other elements after flooding?

DR. WILLIAM KUMPREY, ASSOCIATE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE, THEDACARE: Well, I think the main thing is that when the water levels recede and the rain stops, the threat hasn't gone away. So initially, from an emergency medicine perspective, you know, we worry first about drowning, drowning and trauma, but then secondarily, it's that cleanup phase.

You know, we worry about heat related illness during the cleanup. We worry about carbon monoxide exposure. People are running generators if they've lost power. We -- you know, and then we also see contaminated wounds, electrical hazards in the house. And then after that, you know, up to weeks later, we can see increased gastrointestinal illness, skin infections, and then mold and respiratory problems, certainly in people that are high risk groups. WHITFIELD: So what do people need to look out for or what kind of

symptoms do they need to be alerted about?

KUMPREY: Yes, I think first and foremost, make sure that the environment is safe before you go back into your house. So if there's standing water, if you don't know where the electrical or gas shut offs are, don't go kind of running into your house. Don't use a flame. There could be gases, but if you know it's safe and you're going in, it's really just kind of assessing the situation and you have mold damage or not. Is there, you know, is there standing water?

So if it's safe, you start out with fans, dehumidifiers, remove the existing water, I mean, you look at things.

[15:30:03]

And if there's stuff that's hard, you know, like glass, tile, things like that, you can just clean it with a detergent. We don't use bleach anymore for that so just detergent and soap. If something is porous, like carpeting, matting, drywall, mattresses, and if you can't get it completely dry within 20 to -- 24 to 48 hours, it's likely going to have mold and you just need to throw it out. And then for home cleanup, if there's an area that's a DIY project, you know, if it's three by three, roughly 10 square feet, you can try taking care of it yourself.

If it's bigger than that, you know, if you've got multiple walls, rooms, ceilings, HVAC, some bigger concerns or two or three days out the basement or the house still smells musty, that's when you contact an expert.

WHITFIELD: So mold isn't the only thing. What are some of the other concerns that you think people need to be watching out for?

KUMPREY: Well, I mean, if any of your food was exposed to, you know, flood water, I would immediately just throw that out unless it's in a sealed container. So that's a big one. And then, you know, a lot of people, like I said, are running generators. So if everyone in the family is getting sick, getting headaches, getting dizzy, getting nauseous, you know, get out of the house, have it tested and make sure that there's not a carbon monoxide issue.

Other than that, you know, just from mold cleanup. And just kids playing in flood water, flood water is not just rainwater. It's full of pesticides, fuels, farm runoff, animal waste, toxins, sharp debris, very dangerous. And then minor wounds can turn into significant wounds. So, you know, if someone is experiencing, you know, an infection or a redness or rash that's spreading rapidly, or if they have fevers from a GI illness standpoint, because we see a lot of those.

There was one study in the Midwest where GI illness, the preceding weeks went up 30 percent in the emergency department. So if you're experiencing that, if it's mild, you know, self-limited, usually give it a few days and hydrate. But if it's profuse, if it's just, you know, nonstop vomiting or you can't tolerate fluids, or if you're immunocompromised, you know, have some underlying medical condition, then then seek help.

WHITFIELD: Wow. So much to look out for.

Dr. William Kumprey, thank you so much for your time. Appreciate it.

KUMPREY: My pleasure.

WHITFIELD: Straight ahead, protests and vandalism in dozens of states. Why many are protesting against A.I. powered surveillance cameras.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:37:08]

WHITFIELD: The public safety platform Flock recently introduced new security controls, and it comes as the company faces growing scrutiny and accusations of police misuse of their surveillance camera technology. Even as law enforcement defends the technology as an effective policing tool, opposition to Flock is growing.

CNN's Meena Duerson sat down with one masked activist called no mark to understand what's driving the growing backlash.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MEENA DUERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So we're in downtown Minneapolis where hundreds of people have come out to protest against Flock.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Flock cameras, bro. I hate those things.

DUERSON: They're protesting what they say is surveillance that they didn't sign up for.

(CHANTING)

DUERSON: One of the biggest faces of this protest called himself NoMark. He says he's a masked vigilante who's saving the country from Flock.

(Voice-over): Flock license plate cameras use A.I. to track vehicles. Police contract with the company using its national database to find stolen cars and missing people. But dozens of officers are now accused of misusing the data, like a cop, investigators say, searched for his ex 717 times. In videos that have gotten millions of views, NoMark destroys the cameras, making him a hero to a growing following angry over surveillance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I took down a Flock camera in honor of you.

NOMARK, ANTI-FLOCK ACTIVIST: Yes, actually? Look at that.

DUERSON: Oh, wow, someone got this one.

NOMARK: Someone beat me to it.

It seemed like, you know, every like week I would see a new article about how these cameras are being misused, how they're being used to stalk people.

DUERSON: When you hear law enforcement talk about all the uses, you know, for these cameras, what's your reaction?

NOMARK: Flock cameras haven't been here forever. Crimes, they can solve crimes without them. But I think for every crime that these cameras solve, there's 10 issues with them.

DUERSON: What do to you makes these cameras different? Because there's surveillance cameras everywhere.

NOMARK: They can look up exactly where you've been. It stores your information. Like if they put in your license plate, they can have it. You know, this person is right here, right now.

DUERSON: Do you feel like it's too much information?

NOMARK: I think it's way too much information. I think it's way too powerful, especially, you know, you don't even need a warrant to search it. You can look up anyone, even if they're, you know, suspected of a crime or not.

DUERSON: Flock is one of a handful of companies that make ALPRs, which is an automated license plate reader. And they work by capturing when your vehicle goes past them, the license plate, but also any markings on the vehicle that are distinguishing. Flock says they have over 120,000 cameras across 49 states.

(Voice-over): Anger against Flock has now reached a fever pitch. We found its cameras have been vandalized in more than 33 states. Earlier this month in Winona, Minnesota, police announced that every single Flock camera in town had been stolen.

[15:40:01]

This is one of the eight cameras that Winona Police say were cut down by vandals.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) the Flock camera.

DUERSON: Did you get that? This guy just drove by and shouted, (EXPLETIVE DELETED) the Flock cameras. That seems like basically the sentiment that led to these getting chopped down in the middle of the night.

JEROME CHRISTENSON, WINONA, MN CITY COUNCIL MEMBER: Yes, that's the post. You bet you.

DUERSON: So somebody just cut this off?

CHRISTENSON: Uh-huh. Just got up here and --

DUERSON (voice-over): Jerome Christensen is on the city council here in Winona.

What do you think should happen?

CHRISTENSON: I'd put them back right where they were. I think that they provide a useful tool for our local police catching the bad guy.

DUERSON: Do you think that these are legitimate concerns that people are having?

CHRISTENSON: Of course they are. A.I. is creeping into our everyday lives. We're on the edge of the profoundly unfamiliar.

DUERSON (voice-over): Nearly two weeks after the cameras were stolen, Winona Police announced they would not be replaced.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, so I had prepared to talk about the horrors of Flock cameras and surveillance, et cetera. I'm now going to say thank you to all of you. While I don't like rewarding bad behavior, I'm glad to see the Flock cameras gone.

CHRISTENSON: For the moment, we're not going to rush out and buy new cameras and put them up and make a big deal out of it. Just let it settle down. It'll go away.

DUERSON: Do you think people are going to forget about this?

CHRISTENSON: Oh yes, yes, yes, as soon as the football season starts. If the Vikings start winning, nobody in Winona's going to pay a whole hell of a lot of attention.

DUERSON (voice-over): Last week, Flock announced changes to address criticisms, shortening the time the company stores data and adding safeguards to flag inappropriate lookups. In an interview with CNN, CEO Garrett Langley apologized to those who felt they'd been victimized by the technology.

GARRETT LANGLEY, FOUNDER AND CEO, FLOCK: I'm sorry that the system has failed you. I'm sorry that you no longer trust the police department that's job is to protect you.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Does Flock take accountability?

LANGLEY: I think the whole -- the whole industry does. You know, we have an obligation to make everyone feel safe.

DUERSON (voice-over): But the backlash shows no sign of slowing down. Anti-Flock activists behind the page DeFlock say they've tracked over 100 cities who've stopped using the cameras. Politicians on both sides of the aisle are now calling for the cameras to be regulated or even banned.

Do you think that there is a movement towards this kind of vigilante justice? Do you think it's a dangerous way to go?

NOMARK: I think a lot of people feel that the system is not working right now, so people are starting to take it into their own hands. I mean, I wish people didn't have to do that. You know, I wish the system just worked. I think it is a little dangerous. I think it's a little scary that people do this, but I mean, I do think it's nice to see people fight back.

DUERSON (voice-over): Meena Duerson, CNN, Minneapolis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Still to come, start your engines. For the first time ever Indy cars will race on the streets of Washington, D.C..

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:47:46]

WHITFIELD: Preliminary races are now underway in the Freedom 250 Grand Prix on the city streets of Washington, D.C.. IndyCar drivers getting the feel of the racetrack are speeding past some of America's most historic landmarks. The main event comes tomorrow a 250-mile race commemorating America's 250th birthday. The White House says President Trump will take a ceremonial lap around the track in the Beast and drop the green flag for the big race, marking one of the final events hosted by Freedom 250, a Trump-backed group tasked with marking 250 years of American independence with a series of events like the Great American State Fair on the National Mall and the UFC White House event.

CNN's Brian Todd is near the track, and he's joining us right now. It's kind of quiet right now. They're taking a little break.

Brian, what are you seeing and hearing -- and new headphones?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, Fredricka, I don't have the headphones on because there's no racing going on right this moment.

WHITFIELD: OK.

TODD: We just had it a minute ago and it was really exciting. It's been a great day of racing and we haven't even hit the main event. You described it the main event is tomorrow, 1:00 Eastern Time at the main race of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix. But just to kind of set the scene here to show you how exciting and really surreal this all is, take a look. We're at the starting and finish line. This is where the green and checkered flags are being dropped.

And look at the backdrop. The U.S. Capitol in the backdrop. We never thought we would really see something like this. An open wheel IndyCar race in the nation's capital with the Capitol in the background. You've got the monuments as part of the course, some of the most iconic museums in the world as part of this course.

Now, just a few minutes ago, I mentioned some of these preliminary races. They just had the IROC race, IROC standing for International Race of Champions. That was a very popular series in the '70s, '80s, '90s and early 2000s. They discontinued it, but they are reviving it for special events like this. Just a few minutes ago, we saw that race. That's when eight drivers all drive the same make and model of vehicle.

They drove a Pontiac Firebird, each of them, and NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon won that race. We saw it just a few minutes ago. We filmed it as he came across with the checkered flag, so that was really exciting.

[15:50:01]

We've also had practice sessions here where some of the main open wheel IndyCar racers were taking their turns around the track just to get the feel of the track. And we've had some other -- we're going to have qualifying at 5:00 Eastern. That's the qualifying race that's going to determine pole position for the main race tomorrow. But we've also talked to a lot of fans who are really excited to be here, including Brad and Kristin Haun from Knoxville, Tennessee.

Here's what they had to say about their experience first time at an IndyCar race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: What's your impression of this? First time here?

BRAD HAUN, VISITING D.C. FOR INDYCAR RACE: Impressive. Blown away. Speechless.

TODD: Well, in what way? What really strikes out?

HAUN: Just the sound, I love it, the speed, the crowd, everything about it.

KRISTIN HAUN, VISITING D.C. FOR INDYCAR RACE: Getting away from work and getting to get to experience this kind of once in a lifetime event for us has been great. Wanting to get out and have those experiences and coming here very worth it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: So Kristin and Brad were among maybe about 100,000 people here today. They expect about 100,000 each day. They were among the multitude of people who got in for free. You can get free tickets to get in here, but you had to win it from a lottery. And those were already sold out earlier in the spring. So this has been a very popular sell.

For those high rollers who are accessing some of the suites here. That's right here. This is right by the starting-finish line here. These suites cost about $200,000 to $250,000 apiece. Those were sold out as well.

So, Fredricka, this is a very, very popular event. As you mentioned, President Trump is going to be here tomorrow. He is going to wave the green flag. But before that, he's going to take a ceremonial lap around the course. And I can tell you, it's just -- it's a fascinating course. It's seven turns. It is about 1.7 miles long. A lot of tight turns. It's a real challenge for the drivers. So we're going to see how they navigate this tomorrow.

WHITFIELD: OK. So, Brian, since you don't have headphones on, hopefully you can hear me. OK, so popular event, are we talking a lot of people who come from out of town for this event, or do you have a lot of, you know, Washingtonians there, too?

TODD: It's a pretty good mix, but the most of the people we've talked to have been from out of town. We talked to Brad and Kristin. They came all the way from Knoxville, Tennessee. I talked to some people from Alabama, from southern Virginia. So people are traveling here from far away. One gentleman I talked to came up here from Lynchburg, Virginia, to see this day. He's going to go back to Lynchburg and then back here tomorrow.

Lynchburg is about three and a half to four hour drive. He is a dedicated fan. So a lot of people from out of town are here. And it's just really exciting. And you can get -- now this is a place where the crowds can't come, but in a lot of places you can get right up by the fence and get almost this close to the racetrack. So some of the access here is just really great.

WHITFIELD: All right. Brian Todd, with a front row seat of it all. Thank you so much.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:57:44]

WHITFIELD: Emmy nominee Matthew Rhys is having a big year. In a new interview with CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister, "The Widow's Bay" star details a standout moment during an audition for "The Americans."

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: So Matthew Rhys is really having a moment. He is a double nominee heading into the Emmys for both of his starring roles on Netflix's "The Beast in Me" and also "Widow's Bay," which is on Apple TV. Now he actually won his first Emmy Award a few years back for his starring role in "The Americans."

I spoke to him about how he landed that role, and he told me a funny story about his audition with his now real-life partner, Keri Russell. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW RHYS, ACTOR: These bizarre planets aligning led me to that moment. Then I auditioned three times for it and here I am. Here I am.

WAGMEISTER: When you auditioned, were you testing with Keri?

RHYS: I was, yes.

WAGMEISTER: And what do you remember about that?

RHYS: She had to -- so there was a scene where she had to slap me in the face.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KERI RUSSELL, ACTRESS: What would you tell them, Philip?

RHYS: The truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RHYS: And the director, Gavin O'Connor went, unbeknownst to me, like, really hit him as hard as you can. And I don't know if it's true or not, but Gavin O'Connor said, he goes, well, you know, one of the reasons you got the part was how well you took that slap. But because I wasn't expecting to be hit, it was like -- it only sank in seconds after, you know, my ears stop ringing. So it wasn't as if I'm -- and I'm not, there was no tough guy element to that slap. It was just the shock kind of just kept me motionless for a moment that they thought it was, oh.

WAGMEISTER: Have you had words with her about that now?

RHYS: Almost daily. But more questioning of what was the look of glee in her face when she, you know, clocked me like there was no tomorrow.

WAGMEISTER: She knew what was coming. That's why.

RHYS: She knew what was coming. She came from her soul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WAGMEISTER: So this will be the ultimate date night for Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell at the Emmys next month because not only is he nominated, as I said, for two awards in two different shows, but she is also nominated for her starring role in Netflix's "The Diplomat."

Now, this conversation with Matthew Rhys was wide ranging. We didn't just talk about the Emmys, we spoke about his entire career coming up as an actor, and he was very funny. He has that dry sense of humor but he also got quite emotional and vulnerable talking about some of the tough times and some of the auditions that he lost out on.

Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. I like the mix.

All right. Elizabeth Wagmeister, thank you so much.

And you can catch this and other episodes of "COMING UP" on the CNN app.

Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. "THE ARENA SATURDAY" starts right now.