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CNN This Morning
Up To 100,000 Expected At Memorial Honoring Charlie Kirk; Shooting At New Hampshire Country Club Leaves One Dead, Two Injured; Pres. Trump Pressures Bondi To Go After Political Rivals; CA Governor Bans Federal Law Enforcement From Wearing Masks; Russia Launched Hundreds Of Drones And Missiles Across Ukraine; Zelenskyy To Talk Future Security Guarantees With Trump; NYT: Justice Dept. Closed Probe Into Trump's Border Czar For Accepting Bag Of Cash; Trump Denies Government Pressured ABC To Suspend Kimmel; ICE Detains Parents On Son's 10th Birthday; White House Says TikTok Deal "100 Percent Done"; U.S. Will Control Algorithm in TikTok's Operations. Aired 7-8a ET
Aired September 21, 2025 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:00:22]
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN HOST: Good morning and welcome back to CNN This Morning. It is Sunday, September 21st. I'm Danny Freeman in for Victor Blackwell.
We are just hours away from the funeral of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the memorial that is, President Trump, and as many as 100,000 people are expected to attend. The enormous security challenges law enforcement are facing in keeping this high-profile event safe and secure.
Plus, chaos at a New Hampshire country club after gunfire erupts. One person is dead, several others are hurt, as guests at a wedding ran for their lives. We'll tell you what we're learning today about a suspect and the investigation.
Plus, it's one of the most popular apps in the country, and we could be just days away from TikTok being U.S. owned. The new information just out from the White House about a deal that would affect half of all Americans.
We begin here with tens of thousands of people expected to gather later today in Arizona to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The event is expected to begin at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University during a campus event just 11 days ago.
Now his memorial will feature a lineup of speakers from the highest levels of the U.S. government, including President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We'll be going out to a service on Sunday. I'll be leaving with some of the people in this room just to celebrate Charlie and all that he's done. So incredible. Never seen anything like it.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
FREEMAN: Now security will be tight. The event will have the same level of security as the Super Bowl and the Boston Marathon. Police say the crowd could exceed 100,000 people.
CNN's Marybel Gonzalez joins me now from Glendale, Arizona. Marybel, it seems like it's very busy there even at this early hour.
MARYBEL GONZALEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Danny, it is 4:00 a.m. here. And as you can see, there's just a lot of traffic behind us. This traffic is specific to this event right outside of the State Farm Stadium. So we are expecting a huge turnout. In fact, we've been here for several hours and we've seen people already lining up, waiting to get into the stadium itself.
Now, Kirk had a huge following. And we're told from Turning Point USA, that is the organization he founded when he was a teenager, that interest in the organization has only increased following Kirk's assassination. They tell us there's been high school and college campuses that are requesting to open up chapters in their respective institutions.
Now, in addition to this huge turnout, we're also expecting a long list of high profile elected officials and also influencers. These are politicians, including President -- Vice President JD Vance and the President himself. Now, Kirk was a close ally to the President. He was a frequent visitor to the White House.
And in fact, it was the President who first announced that Kirk had been shot. Then he later announced that he had been killed in a following interview with a media outlet. He also was -- also announced that the suspect in connection to Kirk's killing had been apprehended, had been detained.
So, yes, a big turnout today, high insecurity because of the attendance of these high level officials. And as you mentioned, Danny, the designation given to this event is akin to the Kentucky Derby and the Super Bowl.
FREEMAN: Marybel Gonzalez, thank you so much. And again, just incredible seeing the amount of people out there already at this hour of the morning. Appreciate your time.
All right, we now turn to breaking news out of New Hampshire this morning. Police have arrested a man they say shot and killed one person and injured two others at a country club. One witness who was attending a wedding said the wedding party was on the dance floor when they heard gunshots coming from the club's restaurants in the next room, causing people to run and hide.
CNN's Leigh Waldman is live for us in Nashville with the latest. Leigh, what have you learned? LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Danny, it was a joyous evening for this couple, their friends, their family, who were gathered to see them get married at the Sky Meadow Country Club that's just behind us here. All of that changing in just a moment. They were at the reception. People were on the dance floor.
They started to hear what sounded like balloons popping, and then they realized it was actually a shooter in the restaurant who then made his way through that reception. Take a listen to what one witness had to say about the chaos that unfolded.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
TOM BARTELSON, WITNESS: At first, I didn't realize it was gunshots. It sounded like balloons because, you know, we're at a festivity thinking, maybe somebody popped a balloon. But then you look around, we didn't have balloons.
The children are safe and free Palestine. That's what it was.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you heard that?
BARTELSON: That's what I heard.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
[07:05:08]
WALDMAN: Now, authorities were asked about what the gunmen allegedly said, free Palestine, save the children. They said they're still investigating. They can't say if that's true or not just yet. They haven't unveiled any kind of motive.
Let's walk you through what we know this morning. A 23-year-old man, Hunter Nadeau, has been arrested. He's facing a second-degree murder charge. We know one man was killed, 59-year-old Robert Steven DeCesare. Two other people were hurt in this gunfire.
At this point, authorities don't know if there's any connection between the man who was killed and the man who pulled the trigger. We did hear from other witnesses. They said a man actually hit the gunman over the head with a chair, hoping to stop the killing, stop the shooting. That's when the gunman made his way through that wedding reception, terrifying everyone who was inside, people running, fleeing, hiding under tables, trying to get away from this gunman.
They said that he used profane gestures towards some of those wedding guests. They were all scared. The DJ at that wedding also speaking, talking about these instances of gun violence in places that you'd least expect, like a wedding at a country club, saying, this is a lottery in America, Danny, that you do not want to win.
At this point, we are hearing from authorities that say this gunman could face additional charges in addition to that second-degree murder charge. He is expected to be in court tomorrow.
FREEMAN: Just so scary. Appreciate your reporting so much, Leigh. Thank you very much.
All right, to this now, President Donald Trump is putting more pressure on Attorney General Pam Bondi to target his political foes. In a social media post Saturday, he took aim at former FBI Director James Comey, Senator Adam Schiff, and New York Attorney General Letitia James, saying, quote, "they're all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done." The administration is pressing others to criminally charge James in a mortgage fraud investigation.
Now, President Trump elaborated in person last night, saying he wants quick action.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
TRUMP: I just want people to act. They have to act. And we want to act fast. You know, they were ruthless and vicious. I was impeached twice. I was indicted five times. It turned out to be a fake deal. And we have to act fast, one way or the other, one way or the other.
They're guilty. They're not guilty. We have to act fast. If they're not guilty, that's fine. If they are guilty or if they should be charged, they should be judged. And we have to do it now.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
FREEMAN: The President said in another post later he does have confidence in Bondi, though, calling her careful and smart.
And California Governor Gavin Newsom's press office is under fire this morning after a social media post about Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was perceived by some Republicans as a threat. Now, the post read, quote, "Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today. You're welcome, America."
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli called on the Secret Service to investigate the post and perform a, quote, "full threat assessment." Later, Newsom's press office said the post was referring to immigration legislation that the governor was signing into law that day, which includes a ban on federal law enforcement wearing masks.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D), CALIFORNIA: I'll be signing a bill, the first in the nation saying enough to ICE unmask. What are you afraid of? What are you afraid of?
(APPLAUSE)
NEWSOM: What are you afraid of?
(APPLAUSE)
NEWSOM: You're going to go out and you're going to do enforcement. Provide an I.D. Tell us which agency you represent. Provide us basic information that all local law enforcement is required to provide.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
FREEMAN: All right. Coming up in just a moment, Russia carries out a massive aerial assault on Ukraine just days ahead of a key gathering of global leaders. And we're learning President Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
Plus, Jimmy Kimmel and his staff left in limbo. We'll tell you what sources are telling us about the late night show's future as Kimmel meets with ABC execs.
And are changes going to come to your TikTok algorithm? We'll tell you what we know about the TikTok deal and how it could affect your For You Page.
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[07:14:09]
FREEMAN: Ukraine's air defense system fought off another massive aerial attack on the country this weekend. Russia's military fired missiles and launched hundreds of drones across Ukraine, killing several people and injuring dozens more. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says three people were killed and dozens more were injured.
Ukraine's air force released this video right here. It shows the Ukrainian defense system shooting down some of the drones leveled at the country. The ramped up attacks come as Zelenskyy revealed he'll be meeting with President Trump at the U.N. General Assembly this week.
For more on this, let's get right over to CNN Correspondent Clare Sebastian. Clare, what more can you tell us about these latest strikes?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Danny. This, I think, now presents two critical issues, right? Number one is that these overnight attacks involving missiles and drones are escalating. That massive attack that we saw Friday into Saturday was the sixth time since the Alaska summit that Russia has launched an attack involving more than 500 drones on Ukraine. And this time there were missiles as well.
[07:15:05]
There's footage that you can see there of a missile hitting what had turned out to be an apartment block in Dnipro, Ukraine's fourth largest city. So there's that. And now there's the issue, because, of course, we did see overnight into Saturday that Poland and allies did deploy again fighter jets to protect Polish airspace. We haven't heard of any incursions this time, but certainly tensions are running very high.
NATO and European allies grappling with the very real risk as these attacks escalate of this conflict spreading. So I think that certainly is the backdrop as we go into this critical week of talks in the United States, Danny. FREEMAN: Clare, can you tell us a little bit more about what Zelenskyy is hoping to achieve when he meets with President Trump at the U.N. General Assembly?
SEBASTIAN: Yes, I think it will be important -- an important opportunity. This will be the second meeting since that Alaska summit in mid-August, the first being just several days after that. But, of course, a lot has changed. So I think, look, Zelenskyy has spent 3.5 years making the argument that Putin will not stop at Ukraine.
And I think he'll be able to make that even more forcefully and to push for a clear position, as he put it in an interview last week from Trump, on sanctions, on getting tough on Russia and on future post-war security guarantees for Ukraine, without which he says he cannot sign an eventual peace deal. So he will be looking to do that, while, of course, all the while keeping up this picture of unity.
He's worked very hard to repair the relationship with Trump after that Oval Office spat in February. And while we've seen his rhetoric get a little tougher and reveal more frustration in recent weeks, he certainly will be wanting to keep up the positive relationship that he has with the U.S. President.
FREEMAN: Very, very consequential week to come.
Clare Sebastian, thank you so much. Appreciate you.
For more on this, let's bring in CNN Political and National Security Analyst and White House and National Security Correspondent for The New York Times, David Sanger. David, good morning. Good to see you.
Let's start here. Just lay it out for us. What are the stakes here for Zelenskyy as we head into the U.N. General Assembly?
DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL & NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Danny, it was pretty clear that President Zelenskyy thought that the Anchorage meeting, which was now more than five weeks ago, was pretty empty. And as you heard from Clare's report, all the evidence suggests, in fact, it was useless, right? I mean, President Trump came out of that saying, we don't necessarily need a ceasefire.
They're not lasting. We need a full peace agreement. So we're going to have meetings between Putin and Zelenskyy, and then Putin, Zelenskyy, and the President himself. None of that has happened.
The war has escalated. And what's more, the Russians have now done two separate incidents that have moved into NATO territory, one in Poland, one in Estonia. So it's clear that this is going backwards. And the President who said, oh, in two weeks, we'll know -- well, that was more than three weeks ago -- has not yet moved on the sanctions, and in fact, has done a few things that I think, if anything, might slow those down.
FREEMAN: Well, I mean, it's just remarkable, David, because again, you noted it's been more than a month since the Anchorage meeting, the Alaska meeting. It's been about the same time since there was that show of force with all of the NATO leaders at the White House, right?
And yet, like you said, seemingly, not only nothing has changed, but things have gotten worse in some respects. But from your perspective, do you think President Trump is actually losing patience with Putin at this point?
SANGER: Losing patience? Yes. Willing to do anything about it? Not certain about that.
He's made a very reasonable case that Europe should be cutting off all gas purchases from Russia. It's not a new issue, and they've been weaning themselves of it. They should have done that faster. He's right on that point.
But you don't get a sense of a connected NATO-wide movement led by the United States to work out concerted action. Instead, the United States is sort of hanging back here saying, we'll sell arms to Europe, and Europe can then give it to the Ukrainians. That's happening now.
But, you know, it was interesting the other day when he was in Britain and meeting Prime Minister Starmer. At the press conference, Prime Minister Starmer said, the only thing that works is heavy pressure on Putin led by the President, and that has not happened.
FREEMAN: Can you just -- listen, again, we've seen so many attempts from so many NATO leaders trying to persuade President Trump to be tougher on Putin, whether it be from sanctions or a ceasefire, all these different things. Are we going to see some of these European leaders ramp that up to a level this coming week in New York?
SANGER: I suspect so, because Starmer was pretty direct with the President standing right there at, Chartwell (ph), you know, Winston Churchill's old residence, now the sort of weekend residence of the Prime Minister.
[07:20:08]
And I think you're going to hear this from many other European leaders along the way. But, you know, the President, there's something about Russia that makes the President hesitate to act. And some of this is understandable caution. Russia is still a nuclear power.
And I think pushing the warnings to NATO was a way for Putin to say to President Trump, let's not make this a bigger war, because he recognizes that's one of his biggest concerns about it. On the other hand, there's no restraint on Putin right now. And Zelenskyy, I think, senses that.
Zelenskyy's forces have done a pretty good job. We thought after a summer of renewed fighting, the Russians would be in a better situation than they are right now. But clearly, there's an effort to go intimidate NATO, and that's what these flights are about.
FREEMAN: David, do you think that we may see during the U.N. General Assembly, perhaps Russia continue to literally push European boundaries, or perhaps keep these attacks on Ukraine going on? SANGER: I think the attacks will keep going on, whether the NATO boundaries will or not. I mean, the world could look a little bit different right now, had the Estonians decided the other day when the Russian manned jets had flown for 12 minutes over their territory to try to engage and take out one of those jets. That would suddenly have put NATO in a really tough spot in direct conflict with the Russians.
And, you know, sooner or later, if this kind of provocation happens, we're going to have some kind of incident that will prompt a crisis. And that crisis will force President Trump, I suspect, to think about which side they want to take, or whether he just wants to sort of back away and say, not my problem.
We didn't hear very much from the President about the Poland incursion, other than to say maybe it was a mistake. And I don't think we've heard anything about the Estonian one.
FREEMAN: Yes, certainly a lot more questions about those airspace violations. But again, I appreciate David, you being here ahead of such a high stakes week to come. Appreciate your time.
SANGER: You know, it'll be a fascinating week in New York.
FREEMAN: Yes, well said.
OK. This morning, we're learning the Justice Department investigated President Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, for allegedly accepting $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents last year, that's according to the New York Times. Now, the Justice Department shut down the bribery probe after President Trump's re-election, citing lack of evidence and Homan's status as a private citizen at the time.
FBI and DOJ officials say the case was fully reviewed and found no criminal wrongdoing. The White House calls it a blatantly political investigation. Homan, at this point, has not responded to these reports.
All right, coming up, protesters clash with police as federal agents broaden their immigration arrests in Chicago. Coming up, what we know about a couple detained by immigration officers on their son's 10th birthday.
Plus, quote, "I think Jimmy Kimmel is terrible." That's President Donald Trump bashing the late night host and claims his administration had nothing to do with Kimmel suspension. Stay with us.
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[07:28:03]
FREEMAN: New this morning, President Donald Trump is pushing back against claims that the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show was a direct result of his administration pressuring ABC. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you or anybody from your administration pressure ABC to suspend Jimmy Kimmel?
TRUMP: No, not at all. I think Jimmy Kimmel's terrible. You know what suspended him? His talent. You know what else is really what -- take a look at this guy, his rating. That's what got Jimmy Kimmel out. He was terrible.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
FREEMAN: While Kimmel's show still remains in limbo, CNN has learned, though, that the staff will be paid through the next week. ABC's parent company, Disney, quote, "indefinitely paused the show over a controversy surrounding Kimmel's comments about Charlie Kirk's suspected killer." The decision came just hours after the Trump- appointed FCC chair publicly pressured the company to punish Kimmel.
CNN's Tom Foreman has more.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JIMMY KIMMEL, JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! HOST: Many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The takedown of Jimmy Kimmel started with the nation's biggest name in local TV. Nexstar Media owns or partners with more than 200 stations, many of them ABC affiliates. It has a $6.2 billion expansion up for approval by the Federal Communications Commission, and reason to listen when the FCC head suggests stations everywhere could risk their licenses for putting Kimmel on the public airwaves.
BRENDAN CARR, FCC CHAIRMAN: These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or, you know, there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.
FOREMAN (voice-over): In short order, Nexstar declared Kimmel's comments offensive and insensitive and yanked his show. All just business? Hard to say. OpenSecrets found Nexstar CEO Perry Sook has donated to both political parties, but much more often to Republicans.
The corporation has a more balanced donation profile. Yet a few years ago, the company's NewsNation channel drew complaints from some staffers who said management was pushing them to favor the political right. Still, Sook recently said there is no thumb on the scales.
[07:30:12]
PERRY SOOK, NEXSTART CEO: I do not dictate content. No one in the organization dictates any content. We work together on group projects, but no one's handed a script and said, here, read this, and it goes across all of the markets in which we operate.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Smaller than Nexstar, but still a powerhouse, Sinclair Television, with a long-standing conservative bent, preempted Kimmel's show and called on him to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family and make a meaningful personal donation to that family and to the conservative action group co-founded by Kirk.
It all seems to have been too much for ABC, owned by Disney, which turned the lights out indefinitely on Kimmel's show with little comment, and too much for some critics as well.
ANNA GOMEZ, CNN COMMISSIONER: And what you're seeing here is this administration is increasingly using the weight of government power to suppress lawful expression, not because it glorifies violence or breaks the law, but because it challenges those in power and reflects views they oppose.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FREEMAN: All right. Tom Foreman, thank you for that reporting. To this now, immigration arrests are on the rise in the Chicago area. Included in those numbers is a couple detained by ICE agents on their son's 10th birthday. Part of the whole ordeal was caught on camera. CNN's Maria Santana talked to the family's lawyer about what will happen next.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARIA SANTANA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): A family celebration shattered by heartache and tears. A teen can be heard comforting her little brother and sister as they witnessed their parents being taken away by federal immigration agents last Sunday on the boy's 10th birthday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just need somebody to talk to me, OK?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Listen, I just need somebody to talk to me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's OK. We're OK.
SANTANA (voice-over): Mexican immigrants Constantina Ramirez and Moises Enciso have lived in Cicero, a suburb of Chicago, for more than 15 years.
Their attorney says they were driving down this street with their eldest son, heading to his university, before meeting the rest of the family at church.
SHELBY VCELKA, FAMILY LAWYER: So, they accidentally did a U-turn on a side street that they were not supposed to be on, and then the -- they got pulled over.
SANTANA (voice-over): Their 22-year-old son, who is awaiting approval for DACA, was also detained, but later released, their lawyer said.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't answer questions. We know what you're doing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please. If you tell me this instant, we'll let him go. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're not -- we don't answer questions. I'm sorry.
SANTANA (voice-over): After getting a frantic call from her mother, the 19-year-old ran to the scene, where she repeatedly refused to answer the agent's questions.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't answer questions until our lawyers -- that's it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm trying (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did already.
SANTANA (voice-over): At the family's request, we are not naming the children to protect their identities.
VCELKA: I think her reaction comes with being in a mixed-status family. You learn from a young age how to watch out for either ICE presence or you learn your rights.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How can --
SANTANA: How are the kids doing after what happened?
VCELKA: You know, they're really resilient, smart kids, but you can tell that the event has been incredibly traumatic for them. As you know, the oldest son was detained along with his parents.
SANTANA: And the younger kids are how old?
VCELKA: They are 12 and 10.
SANTANA: And they were born in this country?
VCELKA: Yes.
SANTANA (voice-over): In a statement requesting their parents' release, the elder son described the ordeal as a bad dream. He said, the house feels dark. Their seats at the dinner table are empty now.
A review of court records found no criminal history for either parent. They are now being held in separate detention centers in Kentucky and Michigan. In a statement to CNN, the Department of Homeland Security said that Ramirez and Enciso entered the U.S. illegally and will remain in custody pending removal proceedings.
VCELKA: The entire exchange was heartbreaking to me. Now she has responsibility for her two younger siblings and these cars. She doesn't know where her parents are going. It broke my heart.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's OK. It's OK.
SANTANA (voice-over): Maria Santana, CNN, Chicago UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's fine. It's fine. It's fine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FREEMAN: It's fine. Maria Santana, thank you so much for that report. All right. Coming up, the White House says a TikTok deal is, quote, "100 percent done." Coming up ahead, what we know about the fate of the app and how this sale could affect its algorithm. Stay with us.
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[07:35:00]
FREEMAN: The White House says a deal to avoid a TikTok ban is coming in the next, quote, "coming days, and the U.S. will control the algorithm for the app's 170 million American users and hold six of the seven TikTok board seats as part of the potential deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We're moving along. We have great American patriots that are buying it, very, very substantial people, people that love our country, and they're very smart technologically, and they will not let anything bad happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FREEMAN: Now, you might remember last year, Congress banned the app unless it found a non-Chinese owner because of fears that China would have access to U.S. data.
[07:40:00]
With me now is William Akoto, an assistant professor at American University. Thank you so much for joining us this morning. Tell us, can you just, I guess as a primer, who owns TikTok right now, and what else do we know about this potential deal?
WILLIAM AKOTO, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, FOREIGN POLICY AND GLOBAL SECURITY, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: Well, thank you for having me. TikTok right now is owned by ByteDance. It's a Chinese-based company. They're running TikTok here in the U.S. via a subsidiary.
What we know about the deal, not so much, but any deal that will be announced in the coming days, at least to me, should have the basic provision that U.S. user data be stored and processed here in the U.S. That is the sort of absolute minimum, and that seems fairly uncontroversial. The hard part is the algorithm.
And in that regard, there are really sort of three options. Option one is just a complete transfer to the U.S. team. So, here, this is sort of the cleanest option in terms of security and control, but it's also the hardest because China treats the algorithm as proprietary technology, and so, will likely block any sort of direct and full transfer. In fact, that has been one of the sticking points of the deal so far. Option two is for the U.S. team to essentially start afresh and create their own sort of algorithm to run the U.S. version of TikTok. That option avoids the legal fight, but it is also very slow, and it risks sort of driving users away because TikTok will just not have the same look and feel as it does now.
Option three is the licensing deal, right, which is where it seems they are heading. So, with the licensing deal, the U.S. team simply sort of buys a license to use the recommendation algorithm, much like you would buy a license to run any software, but here with a special provision that they can review and test and block any updates to the algorithm.
FREEMAN: Professor, can you go back for a second, though? I'm just curious. Can you explain why it is perhaps uncontroversial, but why it is such a sticking point to store the data here in the States?
AKOTO: I mean, storing the data here is what we would like to see, right? Currently, if the data is stored overseas, there's the risk that it could sort of be passed on to the Chinese government, and then it might potentially be misused, right? One of the things with TikTok is that it collects a huge amount of data on its users, but to be fair, that is not unique to TikTok.
A lot of other social media platforms also collect a tremendous amount of data on their users, and so the fear is that with that data, it could be used to build a very good sort of profile of who the users are, and then that could then be misused either to coerce the users or to blackmail particular users into doing things, and so that has been one of the sort of concerns. And so, the ideal is to have U.S. data localized here within the U.S.
FREEMAN: Professor, I want you to take a listen quickly to what White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said about this subject on Fox. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There will be seven seats on the board that controls the app in the United States, and six of those seats will be Americans, and the data and privacy will be led by one of America's greatest tech companies, Oracle, and the algorithm will also be controlled by America as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FREEMAN: Professor, what do you think? Is that enough to satisfy people who are concerned about national security?
AKOTO: Well, it sounds like the key thing, again, to remember is that so long as we can have full control over the user data, I think that has been one of the key things, so it sounds like that is one of the provisions of the deal, that user data is installed here. And then, also, gives the U.S. team a significant control over the algorithm as well.
FREEMAN: Got you.
AKOTO: And so, in that sense, that also sounds to be at least a step in the right direction. But all of that, regardless of how the deal gets structured and who has control where, it can only reduce the risk. It cannot eliminate it entirely.
[07:45:00]
Remember there are sort of other issues that go beyond TikTok, one of which again is the amount of data that these platforms have on their users. And so, going forward at some point, lawmakers need to really sort of lay down clear guidelines as to how much data these platforms can collect on their users in the first place, how long this data for, who has access to them, et cetera.
FREEMAN: Professor William Akoto, thank you so much for breaking that all down for us, really do appreciate your time this morning.
AKOTO: You're welcome.
FREEMAN: All right. To this now, during this time of divisiveness and division, there are two men in South Carolina, one black and one white, who decided to reach across the racial divide and take a deep dive into their shared history. Here's a preview of a special from CNN's Sarah Seidner called "The Simrill's: A Family in Black and White."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: So, the name of this church is?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Allison Creek Presbyterian Church. It was founded in 1854, right before the Civil War.
SIDNER: Wow. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Simrill family were among the founders. Allison Creek was the home church for black and white Simrills during slavery in the early days of reconstruction.
SIDNER: So, both slaves and slave owners would come together to church. Now, they didn't actually come together.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
SIDNER: And the reason why I am where I am, which is up here on a balcony, is because this is where the slaves had to be, right? It makes me really sad. Like, it's heavy being up here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FREEMAN: An all-new episode of The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, "The Simrill's: A Family in Black and White", airs tonight at 10 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN.
All right. Coming up, from big dumper to home-run king. The Mariners' Cal Raleigh continuing his historic season by setting a new record. We have more details right ahead.
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[07:50:00]
FREEMAN: This morning, parts of the southwest U.S. are facing new threats of flooding. This comes as cleanup from recent flooding and mudslides is still underway there. CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is with me now with those details. Allison, what are you learning?
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. So, again, they got a little bit of a break on Saturday, which was great for any folks that needed to clean up from all of the mess from Thursday and Friday. But we're now expected to see even additional rain on top of what we've already had. So, hopefully, again, a lot of this has been cleaned up before we get that next round of rain.
You can see some of those showers here just on that last loop, again, just starting to slide into portions of Southern California. As we head into the later morning hours, it's expected to continue to push eastward and northward. And again, by the time we get to late Sunday, especially into Monday, it also even spreads into places like Arizona, Nevada, and even into Utah.
Now, the key thing about this is, this is going to be hit or miss. You're going to have some areas that get absolutely nothing out of this and some others that get two inches in a very short period of time. So, there is the potential here for some flooding, but it's expected to be very isolated in nature. So, really anywhere in this green shaded area has the potential for flooding as we go through the rest of the day today, and some of that may even linger into Monday.
But it's not the only area we have the potential for flooding. All of this area you see highlighted here, and especially in the yellow, this is portions of Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma City, also looking at the potential for heavy rain, but for a different reason. The one in the southwest was going to be a lot of rain in a short period of time. This is actually going to be decent amounts of rain, but spread out over multiple days.
So, you've got multiple waves that are going to be riding into a lot of these states. You can already see some of those heavy blobs on the radar. That will just continue, not just for the remainder of the day today, but also as we head into Monday and Tuesday of this week.
FREEMAN: All right. Count my blessings. We're staying dry in Atlanta for at least a moment. Allison Chinchar, thanks so much.
All right. To sports now. The Indiana Hoosiers grabbed a statement win last night, dominating Illinois with a lopsided 63-10 victory. This marks the Hoosiers' first win against a top 10 foe in five years. Who else to break it down? Let's see it. It's Coy Wire here with the details. Hey, Coy.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: They're a basketball school though, right? Indiana. FREEMAN: And so they say.
WIRE: What's going on? This is the biggest surprise of the day, perhaps. The Indiana Hoosiers, they didn't just beat number nine, Illinois. They annihilated them. Just the second time the two schools met as ranked teams, the Hoosiers did it all. D'Angelo Ponce blocking a punt, scooping it and scoring it all himself. Look at that crowd. Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza completing 21 of 23 passes. Five touchdowns. But Indiana was all about the ground and pound. Rushing for 312 yards, Illinois rushed for just two. 19 Indiana embarrasses number nine Illinois, 63-10.
Another jaw-dropper overlooked Syracuse, upsetting Clemson in Death Valley. Steve Angeli to Justice Ross Simmons for a dynamic first touchdown. And then before Clemson even knew what hit them, they got hit with a surprise onside kick. And the Cuse never looked back. Angeli did leave the game with injury, hope he's OK. But the Orange shocking the Tigers 34-21 as 17 and a half point underdogs. Syracuse coach Fran Brown said, I don't care about what Vegas said. It's just taking over Syracuse's Brown is 13-4 as a head coach. Clemson falls to 1-3.
[07:55:00]
Now, we talk a lot about quarterbacks, receivers, running backs, scoring touchdowns. How about some smash mouth defense, baby? Number 11, Oklahoma's defense was a devastating force. A school single game record, 10 sacks against number 22 Auburn, including Gracen Halton there and then R Mason Thomas for the safety. Two sacks coming in the final two minutes to put a nail in the coffin. As soon went 24-17, improving to 4-0, Auburn's now 3-1.
Top 20 matchup, Texas Tech facing Utah. Listen to broadcaster Joel Klatt doubting Tech kicker Stone Harrington's 58-yard attempt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take that, Joel Klatt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow, what a kick. How about that? Harrington's long was 47, like you said.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take that, Joel Klatt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow, what a kick. How about that? Harrington's long was 47, like you said.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: Oh, the legendary Gus Johnson calling out Joel Klatt. Stone Garrington's stone cold. Red Raiders go on to win 34-10.
Now, from the grid iron to the diamond, we have to see this. Mariners in Houston, and we get history. From Big Dumper, Cal Raleigh, his 57th home run of the season, moves them past Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. for the single season franchise record. Mariners win 6-4 as their ceiling shattering catcher keeps etching his name in the record book. Most homers by a switch hitter, by a catcher, and now most in Mariners' history. Incredible stuff by Cal Raleigh there.
Big NFL slate, your undefeated Eagles. Facing undefeated Rams.
FREEMAN: Can't wait.
WIRE: Yes, in the prime time. The winless Chiefs and winless Giants going at it.
FREEMAN: Can't wait. A lot to look forward to. Coy Wire, thank you. And thank you for joining us for CNN This Morning Weekend. Inside Politics Sunday with Manu Raju coming up next.
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