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chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, who is facing calls to resign after a new book claims that milley took steps to limit the former president from taking possible dangerous military actions after he lost the november election and after the january 6th riot. i'm going to discuss with former defense secretary william cohen in just a moment. we're also going to take a look at a new cnn poll showing a majority of americans believe that our democracy is under attack. and a temporary fence going up all around the capitol tonight ahead of saturday's right-wing rally in support of the january 6th rioters. but first the president's big show of support for general milley. let's discuss now with william cohen, the former defense secretary. secretary cohen, thank you for joining us. good evening to you. president biden has great confidence in general milley in the face of calls for his resignation, even court-martial. but some republicans, because milley called together top military leaders to go over the process for launching nuclear weapons, telling them not to take orders from anyone unless

he was involved. did milley overstep his authority in that moment? >> well, don, first we have to wait for the book to be published so that everyone can read it including myself. i've known bob woodward for a very long time, since watergate days, and i know he is very factual in his approach to getting information and gather in fashions most journalists can't comprehend but he's very, very thorough. but i still want to wait to see exactly what happened. i think it's really important that everyone, the american people, and the world understand that we live under civilian control, that the military is under civilian control. so it's important that the american people be satisfied that general milley acted appropriately, and we never want to send a signal to our allies abroad who have democracies to make sure we send them a signal that the military operates under the aegis and authority of the president of the united states in civilian control.

having said that, i have looked at what has been reported about what general milley said, and i think he was right to be concerned. when i was at the pentagon reporters used to ask me what is it that keeps you awake at night, and i would say it's the threat of a nuclear exchange between russia or china that takes place by either intent or miscalculation. so it's right for the chairman of the joint chiefs to be concerned about the state of mind of the president of the united states. you and i have discussed this on multiple occasions. i have felt from the very beginning that donald trump was unfit, mentally and by way of competence, to be serving as commander in chief. everything that he did while in office only confirmed that for me. and what he's still continuing to do to this day, undermine, divide, cause disruption in the normal political process. so i think that chairman milley was right to be concerned.

he was right to say we've got to stay in touch with our counterparts. when i first went to the pentagon in 1997, the first thing i recommended with respect to china is we set up a hotline. we did not have a hotline with the pentagon and our counterparts in china. it took ten years. it wasn't until 27, until the chinese agreed to have a hotline. and that was put in in order to make sure that they not miscalculate nor we miscalculate about what our intentions are. we certainly know what our capabilities are. so i think it was important to be in touch with allies and potential adversaries around the world. so i don't rule, you know, that to be in any way a criticism of general milley. so did he overstep his bounds by suggesting that he was in any way curbing the authority of the president of the united states? i haven't seen evidence of that. i'll wait to hear what he testifies to on capitol hill. so far the president seems very

confident he did exactly what was necessary under an extraordinary situation where you had -- >> i want to get to something else before we run out of time here. i want to talk about the new revelation about vice president pence looking for ways to help trump right up until the end, even calling the former vice president, dan quayle, who's the only living republican vice president now, to find a way to do it, right? this is what the authors write. they said, "over and over pence asked if there was anything that he could do. mike, you have no flexibility on this. none, zero. forget it. put it away, quayle told him. pence pressed again. you don't know the position i'm in, he said according tonight authors. i do know the position you're in, quayle responded. i also know that what the law is -- know what the law is. you listen to the parliamentarian. that's all you do. you have no power." now, had there been even a hedge by the vp quayle it could have been catastrophic for this country. but you have dan quayle saying no, you have to do what's right,

you've got to do what the parliamentarian tells you. >> you know, that's what republican conservatives used to look like. dan quayle. dan coats, also from indiana. dick lugar, another republican from indiana. that's what the senate used to look like. today it doesn't bear any resemblance to those three members. today you have simply sycophants for the most part reinforcing the kind of mentality that donald trump has represented to the world, one of division along racial lines, on ethnic lines, on cultural lines. he's divided our country, and that's the reason why so many people feel our democracy is hanging by a thread. because we have people in public office today who are fearful of donald trump. and bob woodward's book summed it up in three words. one is fear. they fear him. number two, they tapped into the rage that he's stimulating. and number three, we're all in peril as a result of what he has

done. so the american people are right to be concerned about it. and we'd better wake up now because it can happen here. we came very close to having it happen here, where there was an overturning of the electoral process. and that would have undermine our democracy for years to come if we ever to recover it. >> secretary cohen, thank you so much. >> pleasure. >> president biden meeting at the white house today with senators joe manchin and kyrsten sinema, two democrats standing in the way of the $3.5 trillion spending plan. a lot to discuss with representative ayana pressley, a massachusetts democrat. representative, thank you. good evening to you. >> good evening. >> president biden taking a direct role, trying to get senators manchin and sinema on board for the $3.5 trillion bill. but they both have said that the top line number is way too high. will progressives bend on the price tag, or have progressives bent too much already in your view? >> that was already a compromise.

and for every compromise we consider we are doing a disservice to the people who have delivered a majority to us and a mandate for us to act with urgency and with boldness. myself and other progressives have been calling on president biden to use the full weight of his presidency to lean on these numbers. i'm glad he's doing that. we should be doing that both to advance a bold reconciliation bill, to invest in care, to invest in housing, to invest in climate, to invest in home and community-based services for the elderly and the disabled. but i argue that we should also be doing that to abolish the filibuster. >> you said you have been asking him to use the full weight of the presidency to influence -- have more influence on these issues. but do you think that him getting involved directly helps or do you worry that his first instinct is to compromise on things you see as essential? >> no, i think he's doing the right thing to use the full weight of his presidency. and the people expect no less and deserve no less. again, they have given us --

they have delivered a house, a senate, and a white house with a decisive majority and a mandate. i know there are some who fear that if we are too bold that we risk the majority. but i would argue that by playing small that that is what will risk the majority. the ultimate persuasion tool is impact. that is the best case that we can make to the people. and they don't care about antiquated washington procedures or process. they care about impact. and might i also add when it comes to manchin and sinema let the record reflect who the real obstructionists are. i think progressives are often maligned and vilified for, you know, sitting at -- for our advancing, seeking to advance bold progressive policies which are the people's policies, which are in fact the president's agenda. and so please do pay attention to the facts and who the real obstructionists are because progressives are at the table

and we are doing the work of making these investments to meet the moment and make those critical investments in human infrastructure like climate, like housing, and like the care economy. >> i want to put up some polling cnn has. it's a new poll. 56% of americans feel democracy is under attack. 76% of republicans think that biden didn't win enough votes to be president. 51% say it is likely elected officials will successfully overturn the results of a future election because of their party -- because their party didn't win. what does that say about where we are as a country right now? >> well, what it says to me is it's just my experience that the eroded trust and the deficit of hope that people are living with and the ways in which government has contributed to that is exactly why we have to be bold in this moment. the way that we restore people's

faith in government is to address their hardship, to alleviate their suffering, to make these investments to ensure that we have a just, equitable, and robust recovery, but also that we are charting a more just and equitable path forward and that we are delivering on the mandate that was given to us. don, being in the majority, having the house, the senate and the white house must be more than a talking point. and we see with the extremism of this supreme court, whether they're talking about housing rights, voting rights or reproductive freedom, they are not on the side of the people. and that is exactly why it's imperative that congress act. >> yeah. speaking of extremism, we have this pro-insurrectionist rally come on september 18th, congresswoman. fencing going up as we speak to protect the capitol and lawmakers. you were there on january 6th when mobs attacked. do you feel secure now? are you nervous about potential domestic terrorists attacking there or elsewhere in this

country, as a matter of fact? >> well, i'm not nervous because we've been living with the threat of white supremacy for a long time. unfortunately, it took loss of life and trauma and injury and quite literally a mob coming to the steps of the capitol, insurrection, seeking to interrupt the peaceful transfer of power for many to understand the threat that white supremacy is to every american life. and to our democracy as well as the cousin of white supremacy, which is systemic and structural ra racism, which we need to be actively working to dismantle. and that's what i'm focused on. whether you're talking about canceling student debt or repealing high or codifying roe v. wade or growing black home ownership or addressing police brutality. ultimately this is the moment for us to legislate equity, healing and justice. in the same way we have legislated hurt and harm. and that's disproportionately been a burden borne by

low-income and communities of color. >> we have new information about the white supremacist arrested monday near the dnc with a 21-inch machete and a large hunting knife with a 7.5-inch blade. court documents reveal craighead told police, why are you all pulling me over when there are brown people hurting white people? investigators say he may be delusional. but it tells you exactly where the immediate threat is coming from, especially when it comes to terrorism in this country. >> and i would just say one of the greatest determinates would be consequences for those who were perpetuators of this big lie, who were co-conspirators and who aided and abetted in this insurrection. and all must be held accountable including those who are still serving in the corridors of congress. >> representative pressley, thank you so much. i appreciate it. be safe. >> thank you. the fda meeting friday to

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small study shows that booster -- that the booster doses of moderna's vaccine increase immunity safely. so do you think booster shots are in our future or not? are they good or not? what's going on here? >> well, don, we're seeing a bit of a food fight playing out publicly within the fda right now. so today two departing leaders of the office that will be reviewing the administration's plan to administer boosters to the public, doctors marian gruber and phillip kraus co-authored a paper in the british journal "lancet" in which they argued against boosters. so they are publicly showing their disagreement with the administration's plan. this is what we know. we know that if you are immunocompromised you are much less likely to have a durable benefit from just two shots and you should get a booster, you

are approved to get a booster right now. then there's the issue of what to do with the rest of the population who may have been vaccinated several months ago, let's say more than six months ago. who should be getting a booster now? israeli data suggests that if you're over the age of about 60 you're at high risk of -- higher risk of having a serious complication from a breakthrough infection and you should be getting a booster. the israelis have data to show that boosting that population significantly reduces the risk of serious illness. then the final question is how about everyone else? if you're younger and healthy and you've been vaccinated several months ago, do you need a booster? that's yet to be determined. and this is what the fda committee will talk about. my guess is they're going to authorize boosters for people over the age let's say of 60 years old who've been vaccinated more than six months ago and also probably authorize booster

shots for frontline health care workers who in many parts of the united states are very actively engaged in the care of people with covid-19 now. and health care workers, mind you, have been vaccinated, some of them seven to eight months ago, and they may have significantly waning immunity. >> ana, let's turn to the poll now. take a listen first and then we'll talk. >> when the president of the united states is losing patience, he's losing patience with ph.d.s. they are one of the largest section of people that aren't getting the shot. medical workers as well as african-americans. because only 4 of 10 have gotten the shot. why doesn't the president call out african-americans who put him in office and yell at them to get the shot? >> okay. so we like to do facts first here. okay? he claims that only 4 in 10 african-americans got the shot. this is according to the pew research center. there's also an nbc poll that has similar findings here.

so the pew poll finds that 7 in 10 african-americans got the shot, almost exactly the same as white americans, where 72% have gotten the shot. the nbc poll i don't have up but it's like 70% of african-americans as opposed to 60-some percent of white americans. what are these baseless claims about, ana? >> i think the truth is that african-americans and hispanics got a slow start. and look, you can't blame our communities for getting a slow start. okay? there's a lot of experiments, there's a lot of historical baggage that we are carrying. so i think that for a large portion of hispanics and african-americans they said okay, let's see what happens with the white people, let's see what happens with the rich white people. if they don't grow horns and they don't grow tails week, going to get them. and we are seeing that that is happening. the amount of hispanics that are getting it has increased by double digits.

african-americans it's been a dramatic increase as well. in the last several months. and credit is due to churches, to community centers, to community leaders, to all sorts of people, spokespeople, doctors in those communities who have reached out and gone into the community and tried to convince people to do this. and also, don, let's remember there was no access for poor black and brown people in january and february when the donors -- you know, when donors of political leaders were getting the vaccines and when rich donors to hospitals and philanthropies were getting the vaccines. poor black and brown people, poor people in america did not have access to the vaccines. so that also is part of why we got a slow start. >> so i want to -- yeah. and then as we continue, also limited access. right?

more limited than other population ppz so listen, dr. reiner, i want to dig into these polling numbers more and look at the breakdown by religion. the least vaccinated group in america are white evangelicals with only 57% saying they received at least one shot. equally -- equal only to the uninsured. at this point are mandates a way forward to get people to vaccinate? because clearly there are plenty of groups who aren't doing it on their own. >> yes. in fact, we've seen in recent months -- if you look at the military, for instance, since the military instituted mandates about three weeks ago, the percent of the u.s. service people who have become vaccinated has risen from about 71% to over 80%. so mandates do work. and they'll work in the private sector. they'll work all around the country. look, there is a hardcore group of people who just won't get

vaccinated. most recent polling suggests that number actually has decreased to maybe 15%. but for everyone else all kinds of initiatives will help. mandates will force some people to get vaccinated. patient education continues to move people toward vaccination. and then sadly seeing people in your community, seeing your relatives and friends die or be hospitalized with very serious long-term consequences convinces people to get vaccinated. i think that's why we're seeing increased rates of vaccination in some parts of the south because some parts of the south have really been just crushed by this fourth wave of this virus. but i do think mandates will help and i think we'll see that as the next several weeks go by. >> you're right. we are seeing increased vaccinations in the south among all populations but especially among black and brown people in the south, which is where it is most important right now. thank you both.

i appreciate it. conservative pundits and radio hosts who have railed against vaccines often facing their own battle with covid. and now we're learning of another who has died from the virus. so does my oral-b my hygienist personalizes my cleaning. so does my oral-b oral-b delivers the wow of a professional clean feel every day. - [narrator] as you get ready for what's next, custom gear from custom ink can help make the most of these moments. we've developed new tools to make it easy for you. custom ink has hundreds of products to help you feel connected. upload your logo or start your design today at customink.com

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we are learning that conservative radio host bob enyart, who was outspoken against the covid vaccines, died last week from the virus. he is one of several

anti-vaccination conservative hosts to succumb to covid. more tonight from cnn's chief media correspondent brian stelter. >> we will worship together. we will have congregational singing. and we can do that without the government interfering. >> reporter: this was denver pastor and radio host bob enyart last october, after suing colorado over mask mandates and capacity limits in state churches. >> we were so thankful that a federal court would recognize our god-given right to worship. >> reporter: now his fans are praying for his family. enyart died last week after contracting covid-19. his show is on hiatus. and this kind of thing keeps happening. the "washington post" counted four conservative talk show hosts who died after battles with covid over the summer. enyart would count as the fifth. >> i'm not taking it.

come on. are you kidding me? mr. anti-vaxx. jeepers. >> that was long-time florida radio host mark bernier on his show last december after his co-host asked him if he would get the pfizer vaccine. bernier referred to him as mr. anti-vaxx. and he died from covid last month. >> hi, everybody. i'm jim young. >> reporter: back in february christian radio broadcaster jimmy deyoung espoused anti-vaxx ideas. >> could this be another form of government control of the people? >> yes, it will be a measure of control. >> reporter: according to the chat nooan deyoung contracted covid last month and died from it after eight days in the hospital. the most prominent example was phil valentine, a popular tennessee host who dismissed the need to get vaccines. but when he wound up in the hospital, he had regrets, saying he wanted to be pro vaccine when he was back at work. valentine died last month. >> and good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. >> reporter: in florida radio

host dick farrell mocked the vaccinated, asking on facebook, why take a vax promoted by people who lied to you all along about masks, where the virus came from, and the death toll? but when he got sick he had a change of heart as well, encouraging a friend to get the shot according to the post. he also died last month. trusted right-wing media figures succumbing to the virus and leaving a sad digital trail. >> so i have a message. never comply. pause. never comply. covid. >> reporter: veronica lofty, an outspoken qanon supporter, often posted online denouncing covid restrictions. >> i have never once worn a mask. >> reporter: once hospitalized with covid she complained that the hospital wouldn't treat her with i'ver mektin. her fans started to call the hospital and that's when prominent qanon influencer attorney lin wood also got

involved. >> if you do not release her you're going to be guilty of murder. >> reporter: but the fda and cdc strongly recommend against that drug for preventing or treating the virus. and while staunch anti-vaxxers like dick farrell eventually realized their mistake, it was a realization that came too late. >> he said you need to get the shot, and he told me he wished he had. >> reporter: and now the facebook and instagram pages for these deceased men and women are full of debate and controversy mirroring america's divide. you see, some people saying rest in peace, i'm so sorry, while others ridicule these individuals for denying the dangers of covid. what is impossible to know is whether the listeners of these radio shows are actually changing their minds now, now that the hosts are no longer with us, don. >> thank you, brian. i appreciate that. one pennsylvania school district now in the spotlight for banning books that deal with race and our country's history.

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(music) ♪ i think to myself ♪ ♪ what a wonderful world ♪

(music) ♪ i think to myself ♪ ♪ what a wonderful world ♪ tonight a battle is under way in york, pennsylvania over the school district's banning certain books and other resources that deal with race, racism and american history. the ban was put in place nearly a year ago but it's students who are now returning to the classroom who are demanding answers. here's cnn's evan mcmorris

santoro. >> do you think the adults who banned these books have read these books? >> definitely not. >> absolutely not. >> because i don't think our moral compass could let you ban books that say equality and loving each other. >> reporter: these teenagers in york, pennsylvania are standing up to the latest example of controversy surrounding history and race that is affecting a growing number of america's public schools. >> they cannot just silence our voices -- >> reporter: last fall the all-white school board of the central york school district unanimously banned a list of educational resources. >> that resource list which has a lot of bad ideas and some books i would definitely not want in our district -- >> i do not feel it's balanced and i think it's divisive. >> reporter: that list includes a children's book about rosa parks, malala yousafzai's autobriefr, cnn's sesame street town hall on racism. >> racism? what's that? >> reporter: and much, much more. >> this is "hidden figures." the movie was --

>> reporter: like from the movie. >> yeah. >> reporter: a kids' version of the book from the movie. >> yeah. >> reporter: it's frustrating for the students. >> this is a board that after hearing their students' concerns about diversity in the district, hearing my struggles with race being an indian american and consistently feeling like i didn't belong, after all those conversations for weeks on end they still pursued this book ban. i want to learn genuine history. i don't want to learn a whitewashed version. i want to hear all of it it. i don't want everyone to be worried about how we feel because no one was worried about how bipoc members of the community felt. >> reporter: the ban caused school librarians to pull books from selves and is causing real fear among educators. >> i have to now with this resource ban think twice about whether or not i should or could use a james baldwin quote as an opening for my class. >> there are teachers looking over their shoulders, wondering if someone's going to be at their door, darkening their

door, that you said something or you mentioned something or you used something that you were not supposed to. >> reporter: the fact that all the banned materials are by or about people of color is just a coincidence, according to the school board president. concerns were based on the content of the resources, not the author or topic, she said in a statement. she and the rest of the school board refused to speak on camera. she says it's not a ban, the materials are frozen while the board vets them. but the process is still ongoing after nearly a year. that suits some parents in this 82% white district just fine. >> i don't want my daughter growing up feeling guilty because she's white. >> reporter: that sentiment is spreading. at least 27 states have passed or are considering policies strictly defining what students are allowed to learn about race. one expert says the york ban is something new. >> this seems pretty egregious. i mean, i can see how certain trainings or workshops that some

parents take exception to seem really outside of what a history class can be expected to do. but the kind of texts that are being banned here make me feel that there is now just sort of an allergy to anything that mentions race or racism. >> reporter: this is about more than a book or a movie or even a curriculum, some veteran teachers say. in york they worry it's a war on their profession. >> i am not an enemy of the state. >> that's right. >> i am here to take care of your babies when they walk into my classroom. and there are some i'm looking up at but they're still babies. >> boy, oh boy. evan mcmorris santoro joins me now. this is ridiculous. it's outrageous. thank you for that piece. it's really great reporting. this seems really broad. what was the issue with cnn's sesame street town hall on race? >> well, don, that's the question those students in the piece were asking, parents are asking, teachers are asking, and i asked several times while i was in york. but the board refuses to talk about the specific things they

don't like with things like elmo asking about race or a rosa parks biography or the 2017 academy award-winning best documentary feature. people who are watching this watch this issue nationally say this york situation could present a new front in this battle in which anything that centers non-white people, their experiences, their lies, their history could be suspect. and they say that's a very, very scary thing to think about. don? >> yeah, let's remember, as they say, there's no systemic racism. that was sarcasm, evan, by the way. thank you, sir. i appreciate the reporting. so this battle over books in pennsylvania is the latest flash-point in schools, right? but are all these fights more about the adults than the kids? . a fast walker. thanks, gary. and for unexpected heartburn... frank is a fan of pepcid. it works in minutes.

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do you struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep? qunol sleep formula combines 5 key nutrients that can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up refreshed. the brand i trust is qunol. we've been talking about the hysteria over what students might be learning about race in school having real consequences. a school board in pennsylvania banning dozens of books and media that talk about race in america. so joining me now to discuss, cnn political commentators ashley allison and scott jennings. good evening to you. scott, we love having you on to talk about these issues involving race. maybe just for your facial expressions. i don't know. >> these are valuable conversations. i'm glad you have these panels. you're brave enough to have them and i think we ought to have them. >> thank you very much. and i agree with you.

ashley, i want to ask you about schools again becoming the ideological battlegrounds whether it's over masks or bogeymen of critical race theory. how much is this really about the parents instead of the kids caught in the middle right here? >> well, i was reflecting on the segment and one of the people said they're teaching really bad things like slavery and discrimination. yes, there are terrible things that we should not have done and yet we need to teach our kids about the history because if you do not know your history you are destined to repeat it. but unfortunately, we now see parents or adults who are preventing having the full truth being taught. i used to be a school teacher. and i don't actually think it's teachers who don't want to be -- teach the full truth. it is the administrators that are putting some constraints on them. as a teacher you have an obligation and a responsibility to teach verbs, nouns, the

revolutionary war and the civil war. you cannot pick and choose the facts that you want to teach. you also have obligation to teach students critical thinking skills. and it is very clear that the students in york and all around the country are saying i smell b.s. and i'm not buying it and i want a full, complete story of this country and i will use my critical thinking skills to discern what is good policy and bad policy and it's the adults that are not leading and we're relying on young people yet again to save us from poor leadership of adults that should not be in the positions they are in. >> so scott, listen, we're talking about sesame street, rosa parks book. this isn't controversial stuff. it's enlightening. the right and the fox propaganda network love to attack safe spaces and cancel culture. they're all about pushing back against censorship. isn't this being -- this school board being hypocritical here? isn't this about censoring and canceling books? >> well, i read the list of

materials that was on the banned list and i found a lot of variants there. the sesame street episode, the biography about rosa parks seems to be far different kind of material than the book "white fragility," which i can't even begin to imagine why that's in a public school. so there's some stuff on there that seems perfectly reasonable to have in a school and some stuff that, you know, i'm not necessarily a fan of being part of a school curriculum nor would i think most parents would be. if they are concerned about their kids being sent into a school and being told because you were born white in america you are inherently lotten and race exist we're going to fix it. so it strikes me there is a middle ground here and the middle ground is number one, banning materials is not a good idea. i read in the cnn story that we just posted a couple of hours ago that not only were they taken out of the curriculum but they were pulled off the library shelves. it strikes me that all materials could live in a library and if students wanted to access materials and use them for book reports and things that should be perfectly fine. it also strikes me that there's

a huge difference between, you know, some of the things that were banned and others that were banned that maybe ought to be re-reviewed. i'm sympathetic to parents who are worried about what their kids are learn. i'm also sympathetic to the students who rightly have their radar, their antenna up when they hear things are being taken out of libraries. having something available in a library doesn't mean it has to be in a curriculum but it also means that students can get access to it if they want it. so perhaps there's a way forward here that satisfies most people's concerns. >> look, ashley, i mean -- >> but -- >> go on. go on. >> no teacher is teaching someone just because they are white that they are bad. they are teaching history. and we cannot omit who were perpetrators and enabled slavery and some of the oppressive policies that we had. it is history. i never said one person was better than another person. but we cannot run away from the facts. and so it is a weak argument to just say like because i read

something that makes me feel uncomfortable i'm going to assume that the teacher is saying that my student is bad or that i am bad. no, it's the facts. and if you don't like the facts then let's not ever repeat an oppressive policy like slavery or discrimination or voter suppression or not giving a woman a right to choose. but that's not what -- that's not the argument. they just want to ban all of history because they're afraid of having tough conversations. >> look, i have to say i am a big fan of james baldwin. and "the fire next time" was controversial when it was written and now it is part of curriculums all across the country. and people laud the work. we'll continue this conversation. i've got to go. thanks for watching, everyone. before we go i want to tell you about our special champions for change series happening all next week on cnn. stories that spotlight everyday people who may not always make headlines but still inspire others. you have to see mine. here's a quick preview. >> join your favorite cnn

anchors for a special week. >> immigrants enrich our country and they're proving it it. >> sharing stories of changemakers. >> this is one of the most devastating and yet preventable issues of our day. >> he helps the defenseless learn to defend themselves. >> theater teaches courage, confidence, trust. >> she saw in me and every day she sets out to fulfill that. >> he is using scuba diving for a better environment. >> she is a trailblazing black woman. >> preserving the ocean for our children. >> empowering women for financial independence. >> no one should drown because they don't know how to swim. >> very good. >> small steps can lead to a big impact. >> we help kids in school and beyond. >> she's a champion. >> for change. >> change. >> change. >> change. >> "champions for change." all next week on cnn. ol spray.

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skecurity is on high alert s u.s. capitol goes back up before a pro trump rally. students fight back against a book ban. and spacex launches its first all-tourist crew into orbit. welcome to all of you watching us here in the united states, canada and around the world. i'm kim brunhuber. this is "cnn newsroom"