regulation is making sure our adversaries play by the rules. that's difficult when thefacing challenges on their own. that's quite different than the challenge we experience. >> it's a fascinating read. you also talk about the good thing that it can do. thank you, congratulations. >> thank you. and "cnn this morning" continues right now. good morning. five things to know. in just hours, attorney general merrick garland will testify publicly in front toys for tots house judiciary committee. what we learned is he plans to tell lawmakers accusing him of weaponizing the justice department. continue days away from a potential government shutdown and in fighting in the republican party is threatening hopes for any teal. all iowa on the federal reserve. officials set to decide whether to keep the pause or raise

interest rates. they will also release a fresh set of economic projections. and an exclusive interview, the five americans freed this week and the $6 billion in unfrozen assets part of the deal. and striking writers and the heads of hollywood studios back to the negotiating table today hoping to iron out a new contract after four months without a deal. this hour of "cnn this morning" starts now. the u.s. government will run out of money september 30th. what day is today? >> the 20th. that's not a lot of time. >> ten days. only ten days from now. >> that is unless congress can get its act together and pass a bill at least on the stopgap side of things. infighting among house republicans has stalled the process. >> this is not conservative

republicanism. this is stupidity. the idea that we are going to shut the government down when we don't control the senate, don't control the white house, it's a clown show. >> i offered to help, but it's a decision of the leader. if leaders want to lead or not. >> i don't know whether we will have the votes or not. i have lot of conservative friends who like to beat their chest and thump around going, oh, this isn't pure enough. >> joining us is republican congressman from california, a member of the house appropriations and budget committee. certainly the dead lline is approaching. you are not considered a firebrand, not considered a show horse type on capitol hill. as you look at things behind the scenes, is there going to be a shutdown in ten days? >> well, we hope not. obviously, there is a lot of us working behind the scenes to find a way to make this get through. but as you all saw yesterday,

there was about five members that voted against their party and sadly we are closer to that day. >> to that point, you said something this week where you were talking about the appropriations process, the committee and the work they have done. basically made the point they are not even willing to support a defense appropriations bill. that's supposed to be the easy one. and to that point, did you ever think you'd be in a place where republicans wouldn't be able to coalesce behind a republican defense spending bill? >> no. this one is a totally new one for us. obviously, it's frustrating for all of us. >> i think a lot of frustration has filtered out. a lot behind closed doors. certainly some publicly. congressman mike lawler has been very clear about his -- i want to play -- you heard it earlier. i want to play something else he said. >> this is not conservative republicanism. this is stupidity. the idea that we are going to

shut the government down when we don't control the senate, don't control the white house, these people can't define a win. they don't know how to take yes for an answer. it's a clown show. you keep running lunatics, you will be in this position. >> you're not known to be as fiery in how you describe your colleagues, but to that point, do you agree? is his assessment kind of spot on in the reality now? >> the reality is some members will probably never ever get to a yes. we went into that knowing that. but we have to go through the motions, try to pass the bills. and, obviously, they keep talking about continuing to move appropriations bills. but the same people saying that are the ones voting against the rule to bring the appropriations billings to the floor. if we can't move approach probations bills to the floor we have no other option. as the day gets closer, we will have to start working across the aisle and find folks willing to support any sort of funding mechanism so we don't hurt our

military, don't hurt the american people, and i think that's got a lot of us really, really frustrated right now. >> there has been some reporting from my colleagues that there have been discussions between republicans and democrats about whether or not to coalesce or if there is a pathway to coalesce now before going through the six or seven more motions you would need to go through to get to that point. are you a part of those conversations? do you think that would work? >> i believe it could work. it depends on what's on the table. obviously, we are at $33 trillion in debt right now and spending is a big deal for a lot of us at home and something we want to try to be as responsible as we can on. again, when you can't get tows five remaining five out of the 200 and 17 that voted yesterday, five of them voted against us, voted against our military and it's kind of left us in a position where we will have to start negotiating earlier with the other side than expected.

>> are you concerned about speaker mccarthy's job at this point? you supported him. >> so, obviously, i am a big supporter of the speaker. i think he has done a great job. i don't believe anyone could have done better. what's asked of him is not attainable. no matter what he does, there will be criticism. the problem is there is such a small majority, they are in a position they can play the types of games you see yesterday. dropping pieces of the legislation on the bathroom countertop. these are childish games and the reality is we have to govern. and for republicans to be successful and to get our priorities forward, funding the military, making sure we are responsible with taxpayer dollars, doing everything that we promised, we have to pass bills. voting no is not how our do that. >> one more before i let you go. you have won races, lost races, all your races have been tough with a lot of spending on both sides, outside, on your campaign. you have supported the

impeachment inquiry, the launch of the impeachment inquiry. are you concerned about what that will do to you politically given kind of the race -- the races you tend to end up in? >> to no matter what i do i am going to get attacked. worrying about what attacks will come from the left or right, the reality is i can't focus on that. the races that i have run and won and lost, i mean, obviously, they are frustrating, they are hard to go through, but as i have proven before, i am not afraid to make tough decisions even against my own party. obviously, what we see going on in the white house and the situations with this are extremely concerning and i think the reality is i think the american people have to have trust in their elected leadership and this might be apartment of the process to getting to that point where we can actually trust our leadership and right now joe biden is the one under the spotlight and i think deservedly so. >> i think you guys are under the spotlight, too, for the next ten days as well. appreciate your time. thank you. >> thank you. >> there is a clock honmonitori

them under the spotlight. house republicans are getting their chance to question attorney general -- >> i know you do. >> america gare land on live television. that will happen in two hours from now. garland will testify before the house judiciary committee. we are expecting him to forcefully rebuke his republican critic who accused him of weaponizing and politicizing the justice department. cnn has obtained excerpts of what the attorney general say in his opening remarks. he will tell the committee that the justice department's, quote, job is not to take orders from the president, from congress or anyone else about who or what to criminally investigate. melanie is live on capitol hill. we have been talking all morning about the fact that, i mean, to put this out there, you often get, you know, prepared remarks. but to put these sentences out there now is sort of a prebut al to what he knows is coming. >> oh, yeah, absolutely.

we are expecting a very forceful defense of the doj and its independence and that is because garland is going to be facing some of his toughest republican critics on that committee. some of them have called to im peefrp merrick garland. some threatening to defund the agency. it is a crucial moment for garland and the doj. i want to lead a little bit more of what he is expected to say when goes before the committee today. as the president said and i reaffirm here today, i am not the president's lawyer. i will also add i am not congress' prosecutor. justice department works for the american people. our job is to follow the facts and the law wherever they lead and that is what we do. now, garland is not expected to say much, if anything, about the ongoing criminal investigations into joe biden's son hunter biden or into former president donald trump because those are active investigations. that is likely going to infuriate some republicans on the panel.

they want to grill garland especially about the hunter biden criminal case. that has become central to their impeachment inquiry into president biden. some of the questions they want to know about the appointment of david weiss as special counsel, the now defunct plea deal, and they also are going to ask him about this testimony from these irs whistleblowers who have claimed that the doj mishandled and politicized that case. we are expecting a lot of heat and potentially a lot of fireworks later today. >> you had the line of the day yesterday. they may be in the same galaxy, but not on the same planet. >> yeah. >> fair enough. thanks for the reporting. pennsylvania's governor, josh shaprio, made it easier for people to vote. he will join us to explain why and respond to republican critics who don't like how he did it. that's ahead. or the whole cr. plus, they're free. really? healthier is getetting a flu shot on your schedule.

cvs. healthier happens together. whenever you're hungrgry, there's a deal on the subway app. buy one footlong, get one 50% off in the subway app today. now that's deal worth celebrating. man, what are you doing?! get it before it's gone on theubway app. ♪ [it's the final game, folks. this one wins the series.] struck out with e cheap seats? important things aren't worth compromising. at farmers, we offer both quality insurance and great savings. (crowd cheers) here, take mine. (farmers mnemonic) okay everyone, our mission is to provide complete balanced nutrition for strength and energy. woo hoo! ensure, complete balanced nutrition with 27 vitamins and minerals. and ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. ♪ ♪

my brain. so i choose new neuriva ultra. unlike some others, it supports 7 brain health indicators, including mental alertness from one serving. to help keep me sharp. try new neuriva ultra. think bigger. ♪ we're not writers, but we help you shape your financial story. ♪ we're not an airline, but our network connects global businesses across nearly 160 markets. ♪ we're not a startup, but our innovation labs use new technologies to help keep your information secure. ♪ we're not architects, but we help build stronger communities. ♪ we're not just any bank. we are citi. ♪

♪ neither snowcapped mountains, nor puddles of water, nor unexpected detours with a 20 foot drainage pipe, can stop the ruggedly capable telluride x-pro from getting you to your dinner reservation on time. ♪ okay! ♪

vo voting rights. pennsylvania's governor announced his state will automatically registered eligible voters when they get a state-issued i.d. or driver's license. few are likely to play as sift pivotal a role in the next presidential election as pennsylvania. joining us is pennsylvania's governor josh shapiro. governor, appreciate your time. kind of want to dig in on the implementation of all this in a minute. one of the primary criticisms we heard yesterday when this was announced from republicans in state legislature was why didn't you go through them? why didn't you go through a legislative process, why move forward on your own? what's your response to that?

>> let's be clear about something. i have been very open during my campaign and my time as governor about my belief we should be an automatic voter registration state. we worked on the process. i'm well within my legal authority. and we put out a process that is secure and safe. it goes through our dmv process, which already includes safeguards to ensure that the person registering to vote is eligible to vote. this is an important way to expand voter participation, which i think, in turn, strengthens our democracy. i am firmly on the side of promoting and protecting our democracy. if those want to make it harder for people to vote, they have to account to that. i am well within my legal authority. >> this is good for our democracy. good for voter participation. >> you mentioned what the dmv -- or what checks there are, right, from the dmv, et cetera.

could you please respond directly to stephen miller, former donald trump aide, who tweeted this. i can promise he you there will be no citizenship verification. i want to give you a chance to respond directly to that. >> yeah. look, i am not going to respond to stephen miller. that guy is a dope who can't tell the truth -- >> i am not asking you -- what he raises because i think he raises the question others may raise:but just to the substance of what he said. >> right. well, he doesn't raise any substance. here is the actual substance. when you go to get a driver's license, when you go to renew your driver's license, you have to bring identifying documents in order to be able to secure that driver's license. the same documents that are required in order to be able to register to vote. we are relying on a system that already has safeguards built into it to allow someone to be automatically registered to vote. if you choose not to register to

vote, if you want to opt out, that's perfectly fine. we think we need to make it easier for eligible voters to participate in our democracy. that's what our system does here. i went to court more than 40 times to defeat people like stephen miller and others who tried to thwart the will of the people in pennsylvania who made up ridiculous claims after the 2020 election. and i waon every single time in court and defended the will of the people in pennsylvania, defended the right to vote. here in pennsylvania we val you're our freedom, we val you're our democracy and voting is central to that. now it's easier for elgiable voters to have -- >> that's important for people to hear from you, all the checks that are there. >> it brings up something i have been thinking about. when you saw the response to this and from who was responding, the experience you had back in 2020, and, obviously, running in 2022, the

concern that this just gives -- feeds kind of new threads for the same people who questioned the results in 2020, now they can say, hey, look, he this did it unilaterally, this is to kind of, i don't know, get votes to rig the election -- >> listen -- >> stipulating -- >> don't be -- >> gauge how you operate as governor. it is a reality of the time we live in as the response in the last 24 hours has shown. >> phil, respectfully, i think you are just giving their lies too much oxygen. here is what i know happened in pennsylvania. not only did i defeat them in court 40 times, not only did we prove that many of their lawyers lied in court and their licenses were stripped away from them because they lied, including rudy giuliani, i put together a coalition of democrats, republicans and independents in the 2022 election who said no to extremism, no to lies, and

elected me the governor because they wanted me to be able to ensure the continuation of free and fair, safe and secure elections here in the commonwealth. this builds on that work we have done. voter participation is central to our democracy. those who are standing up trying to make it harder for people to vote, that's anti-democratic. that's anti-freedom. that is not we do things in the commonwealth of pennsylvania. >> i want to turn the issue to the ongoing strike that could get bigger, the uaw striking against all three big automakers. we just had senator chris murphy on who said we, as democrats, should all stand with all the demands he essentially said of the automakers. one is you know, governor, a four-day workweek, right. electric vehicles, a.i., technology should make some of this work faster to accomplish. i thought chris christie's response to that was notable and i want your reaction. here it is. >> i think it's going to wind up turning americans off.

everybody would love to be able to get paid for when they don't work, but in this instance that's not what it should be. >> bernie sanders, though, says, you know, if the bosses are going to benefit from the better technology, the workers should, too. more time at home with their families. what do you think? >> i stand the striking uaw workers. they deserve to share in the record profits that the executives are taking home. i think what we have seen is just a greater gap between what the executives are making in companies and what the workers who are putting the product and the services out in the field are earning. we need to shrink that gap. i stand with the uaw striking workers. they deserve better than what they are getting or at least what i have read has been proposed on the table for them. so i stand with them. and i am hopeful that the two sides will continue to have meaningful dialogue, that that

gap will close and going forward uaw workers will be able to share in these record profits. >> governor josh shapiro of pennsylvania, laid a lot of things out in your campaign, delivering on those things on several fronts over the course of your first number of months in office. we appreciate your time, sir. thank you. >> thank you. coming up, fareed zakaria's exclusive interview with iran's president. how he responded to the release of five american prisoners and the $6 billion unfrozen as part of that deal next. babbliling creek in the background.] [minimalist piano enteters, plas throughout.] (dad) we gotot our subaru forester wilderness [heavy sound of water coming from waterfall.] [heaeavy sound of water stops abruptly.] to discocover all of the places that make usus feel something more. [heavy sound of water from waterfall re-enters.] (vo) subaru is the national park foundation's largest corporate donor, helping expand access for all. oh booking.com, ♪ i'm going to somewhere, anywhere. ♪

♪ a beach hou, a treehouse, ♪ ♪ honestly i don't care find the perfect vacation rental for u booking.com, booking. yeah. mac and cheese lovers rejoice. dive into the melty gooey goodness of bob evans mac and cheese. tender macaroni smothered in real cheese. ready in just minutes with the delicious taste, bob evans is known for. bring home the warm, gooey goodness of mac and cheese today. [coughing] when caroline has a cough she takes robitussin. so, she can have those one on ones again.

hey jim! hey! can we talk about your yoga breaks? sure. get fast, powerful cough relief with robitussin, and find your voice. ♪ robitussin ♪

our fareed zakaria salt down with iranian president ebrahim raisi on the sidelines of the united nations general assembly. here is part of that interview. >> let me start by asking you about this prisoner release that took place. i know relations between your government and the united states are still very strained, but does this deal mean that you are able to work with the united

states government on issues of mutual interest? >> translator: in the name of the creator. the most compassionate, the most merciful, praise be to god the sovereign of the world and many blessings. the issue of exchange of prisoners that is at the core of your question, we did something that was prompted by humanitarian motives, and those individuals who were in prison in the united states whom up to the point that we were informed our information indicated that they were unjustly imprisoned. but the folks who were in imprisoned in iran, they had committed crimes and their complaints had gone through the legal system and they were

condemned, and there was an opportunity for this exchange to take place, and this exchange was, as i said, prompted by purely humanitarian motives, and i do think that accomplishment was something that led to the happiness of the families of the prisoners, as well as having been able to show the true face of our humanitarian motives and efforts. >> as you know, the u.s. government says that the people in iran were unjustly arrested and imprisoned, but there was also a piece of this deal, which was the release of several billion dollars of money, which has been earmarked to be used only for humanitarian reasons. it has been monitored from

qatar. will iran abide by that part of the agreement and use that money only for humanitarian reasons? >> translator: well, you see, these funds belong to the people of iran. up to no now, they were unjustly and unfairly blocked. these were funds belonging to the iranian nation. naturally, when these funds come back, they will have to be spent towards the needs that address -- towards objectives that conaddress the needs of th iranian people. and we will certainly keep to the core of our belief that the objective is to spend those funds to respond to the needs of the iranian people. >> quite an interview. certainly the timing couldn't be better. fareed zakaria joins us now. good morning. could we start on the last point there? that has been point of the most

criticism of this deal, the money that is now freed up, iran's money, for it to use. what did you make of his answer? was it clear to you? >> i think he was trying as hard as possible to kind of assert iran's sovereignty and its ability to do whatever he wanted with it. i think if the clip had run longer, at the end of it he says, of course, we always honor our agreements. so there was a kind of, you know, an indirect way of saying that they would, in fact, keep to the deal. the deal is very tightly structured. the money goes drip by drip. and if they do not satisfy the, you know, the monitors that it's being spent on humanitarian issues, the money stops flowing. so i think -- i think they have no option but to follow the agreement. >> fareed, it's been striking the last several days. u.s. officials so quick and

unequivocal to say this does not change anything about the broader relationship between the two countries. it's essentially non-existent at this point. after this conversation, do you think that's accurate? >> i do think it's accurate. it was a very tough interview in the sense that i certainly asked what i thought were difficult questions, but he responded very bluntly about what he sees as america's hedgemon iic designs the middle east. it had a lot of the fire and brimstone of the old iranian hard-liners. raisi came to power afternoon the iran deal collapsed when trump pulled out of it. in the election, the more moderate wing of the party, of the regime that had come to

power and negotiated the deal was discredited and the hard linesers -- raisi always opposed the iran nuclear deal. it's those people who were empowered by trump pulling out of the deal. turns out they are pretty handcuff hard-liners. >> fareed, i can't wait to see the rest of the interview. sunday morning, 10:00 a.m. afternoon here. today's meeting between president biden and prime minister netanyahu on the sidelines of unga that in the context of this "new york times" reporting about a potential mutual defense agreement between saudi and the united states. talking about him, he is formed the extreme government in israel history, speaking to biden, considering forging a complex partnership with saudi arabia. there are benefits and risks for the united states. can you lay out those benefits and risks?

>> sure. look, the benefits are clear. the united states would be able to broker something that actually diffuses one of the central points of tension in the middle east. and that is the rivalry and the hostility between israel and the arab states. if saudi arabia normalizes, it is, you know, really the -- at this point the leading arab state in the world. it is the richest arab state in the world. it is the custodian of the two great holy sites of islam. for all those reasons, it would be a huge symbolic deal and would also be, in many practical ways, a big deal because saudi arabia is vast and if trade between saudi arabia and israel started to boom, that completely changes the dynamic of what's going on in the middle east. so it also puts saudi arabia in the camp along with the uae and qatar and israel as a kind of

anti-iranian bloc in the middle east. the dangers of this, the united states would be committing self to the defense of a country that is not a liberal democracy, that is not in europe or asia, which it regards as its two principal areas of interest and influence and for for the last 25 years has been unregarded a as unstabld, troubled part of the world where the united states is actually trying to withdraw its military presence. if you remember, obama began the pivot to asia, but the truth is, almost all administrations for the last four have been trying this pivot to asia, and it puts the united states more deeply and commits it more deeply. and i think what tom friedmann was saying, if you are going to do something like that, make sure you are getting something big. and he points out the issue that still remains completely

unrevolved and bibi shows no desire to revolve, the palestinian issue. 5, 6 million living without a country, without a vote, what are your intentions on that issue and their argument is bibi netanyahu because he is catering to an extreme coalition has no intention for moving for any kind of resolution other than continued occupation. >> and the way he ends it suggesting what biden say to netanyahu, quote, bibi, you are out of focus for the american people. quote, who are you now? it's fascinating and gets to the crux you have it. thank you, fareed. congrats on the interview. large crowd gathering in staten island protesting new york's handling of the migrant crisis. ten people were arrested. details ahead. also coming up, a look at where things stand with the republican presidential primary. voters from new hampshire. >> i don't think a politician

would understand what i do for work unless they come on the boat with me. >> did you make an offer to come on the boat? >> no. i have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. thanks to skyrizi i'm playing with clearer skin. 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% earer skin at 4 month and skyrizi is just 4 doses a year after 2 starter des. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower abili to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine, or plan to. with skyrizi, nothing on my skin means everything! ♪ nothing is everything ♪

ask your dermatologist about skyrizi. learn how abbvie could help you save. ♪ hit it ♪ ♪ it takes two to make a thing go right ♪ ♪ it takes two to make it outta sight ♪ ♪ it takes two to make a thing go right ♪ ♪ it takes two to make it outta sight ♪ ♪ one, two, get loose now ♪ ♪ it takes two to make a... ♪ ♪ it takes two to make a... ♪ ♪ it takes two to make a... ♪ ♪ it takes two to make a... ♪ ♪ it takes two to make a... ♪ ♪ it takes two to make a... ♪ stay two nights and get 5k bonus points.

book direct at bestwestern.com.

new this morning, several protesters were taken into police custody on staten island for blocking a bus carrying migrants seeking asylum in new york the nypd arrested ten. >> one for assault and nine others a summons for disorderly conduct. new york city mayor eric adams addressed the incident saying they were banging on buses and spewing hateful words towards ethnic groups. >> and i say to those who believe they are going to use violence by throwing bottles at police officers and migrants, we are not accepting that. that's the message we sent on staten island and throughout the city. we managing these crisis, but we are not going to deal with violence. >> new york city, as you know, has become an epicenter of the migrant crisis since the spring of last year. the number of asylum seekers coming to the city surpassed 100,000. the adams administration projected that will cost the

city up to $12 billion in the next couple of years as people line up in search of housing and other services. earlier this month mayor adams says it could, quote, destroy new york city. happening today, donald trump is headlining two campaign events in iowa. voters there and in new hampshire are still very much undecided weighing their options. in a few months, the new hampshire primary, first in the nation, will be a crucial test of former president trump's comeback and proving ground for the general election. john king joins us now. it is true or was true that they actually let you out into the wild in your new fancy position and the bear is loose. what are you learning now as you're on the ground in new hampshire? >> it's fascinating. good morning to you. remember, it was new hampshire where donald trump got his first win in 2016. and the rest is literally history. that was the hostile takeover the republican party. what's different when you go to new hampshire is there no doubt trump leads in the first primary

state. he is not the new guy anymore and things are a little diff different. >> heading out in the moonlight. andrew often spends 80 hours a week on the water. sometimes more. it is grueling work. and it shakpes his politics. >> i'm republican. you know, they are more for the working man. >> reporter: fishing boats have filled this harbor 400 years. a proud but struggling industry. a blue collar craft where the workers feel ignored by the regulators who set the rules and by the politics who want to line the coast with wind turbines. >> that's going to completely destroy our fishing industry. >> reporter: so your political decisions are based on? >> my livelihood. >> reporter: the men we met along these tox are not climate deniers. the water is warmer. the storms wilder. the fish different. they say that the people deciding what to do about it don't ask those who live it every day. >> i don't think a politician

would understand what i do for work unless they come on the boat with me. >> reporter: have you ever made them an offer? >> no. >> reporter: distrust and disaffection are easy to find here. >> the working class, fishermen, all of us, we are struggling in this economy. >> reporter: anger, a traditional politician's -- drew him to trump in 2016. he sees a new insurgence in the 2024 presidential field. >> i am extremely likely to vote for robert kennedy. >> reporter: why? >> he is willing to state we should not blindly trust corporations or our government and i think he staunchly believes in caring or four environment. >> reporter: he says many republican-leaning friends feel the same way. >> my crewmate sent me his interview with joe rogan and i started listening to him and i found many things about him pretty impressive. >> reporter: two things to know about me.

i have love craftbeer and i obs about political math. how choices could impact not only the primary, but the vote here next november. stanley shares raymond's disgust with politics as usual, 2016. clinton/trump. >> i wanted neither. i didn't vote for either of them. >> reporter: third-party? >> third-party. >> reporter: gary johnson, i assume? 2020, biden/trump. >> neither. third-party. >> reporter: what if you get biden-trump again? >> probably not vote. >> reporter: his father was a vietnam veteran. his brewery in an old fire station and signs of service are everywhere. he wants to believe, but he can't right now. >> we need to get the old out and bring new in and reinvigorate what, hopefully, is a better united states. >> reporter: he would never vote trump, so you could argue his sitting out the primary helps

the former president. pete's change of hurt hurts trump. >> national security is the number one thing that any president would need to take precedence over everything else. you don't have an economy if you don't have a country. >> reporter: newcomer trump won him over in 2016. >> he was a pretty smart guy and i met him personally. >> reporter: but he says trump 2024 is not trump 2016. >> he is not focusing on the issues going forward. he seems to be focussing on the issues. past. i am done with the past. >> reporter: nikki haley is burdette's choice this time. still signs of trump's new hampshire advantage are easy to find. >> pro donald trump. from what i see, grass roots, on the ground -- >> reporter: natalia adds a caveat worth keeping an eye on. >> i don't think he is as strong as 2016. people argue with me about that and get mad that i'm saying this. i will be honest and say, no, i

don't see it. >> reporter: andrew agrees. >> then compared to now, same, different, less, more? >> i think less now. >> reporter: because? >> all the legal cases. yeah, get back to -- >> reporter: like in 2016 though, he sees trump as the best catch in another crowded gop field. >> donald trump as of right now. i will keep it open so that i can make an educated decision. trump first. desantis second. >> reporter: he may have to catch the second gop debate offshore on satellite tv. but fishing season will be on winter break when the primary is held early next year. >> you know, part of your wiz i hadry on the magic wall, you have been there so many times, you can describe kind of what it's actually like. how has new hampshire changed in your, i don't know, dozens upon dozens of times you have been there compared to now. >> the dynamic in the republican race first, new hampshire is likely to be compared in the general election as well.

as you know, sometimes four votes matter. trump is in the lead. in question. the insurgency is not his. he is the establishment. it's his party. the crowded field like in 2016 helps trump. you sense even talking to trump voters there are vulnerabilities, some have doubts, but nobusuke impressed them now and if they look around no one republican has taken charge. that's the dynamic in the republican race. trump benefits from the big field and split among the haley and ramaswamy and desantis. the bigger question, i have been doing this 35 years, is the disaffection. the blah. people just feel like that guy -- stanley, vietnam veteran, the guy wants to vote. he is just disgusted by. that's sad. that part is sad. can somebody come along get the people to come back to the process? do they see a stake in national politics. he votes in local elections. don't get me wrong. the national dynamic, it's not a

war, but they feel blah about it. >> noted craft beer enthusiast out in the field, john king, thank you. >> it was good. not for breakfast, but it was good. >> appreciate it, buddy. striking workers and heads of hollywood studios will be back at the negotiating table today. television and movie productions have been halted now for more than four months. >> taraji p. henson is here to talk about that. that's coming up next. she is in studio. stay with us. ms define me... emerge as you. with tremfya®, most people saw 90% clearerr skin at 4 months... ...and thehe majority stayed clearer, at 5 years. serious alallergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risisk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. emerge as you. emerge tremfyant®. ask you doctor about tremfya®. ah morning.

the golden hour of cold and flu symptoms. i'm feeling better. cough? congestion? all in one and done with new mucinex kickstart. ah! hated that. headache? better. ah! fever? body pain? better now. aaaaah! new mucinex kickstart gives all in one and done relief with a morning jolt of instant cooling sensation. it's not cold and flu season. it's comeback season. ♪ we're not writers, but we help you shape your financial story. ♪ we're not an airline, but our network connects global businesses across nearly 160 markets. ♪ we're not a startup, but our innovation labs use new technologies to help keep your information secure. ♪ we're not architects, but we help build stronger communities. ♪ we're not just any bank. we are citi. ♪ what do we always say, son?

liberty mutual customizes your car insurance... so you only pay for what you need. that's my boy. ♪ stay off the freeways! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ oh, oh, oh...i'll be the judge of that. oh, that's nice... oh!! searchable, verified reviews. that's better than the ham, and i've never said that. booking.com booking.yeah subway's now slicing their deli meats fresh.

that's why they're proferred ,by this pro who won the superbowl twice. and this pro with the perfect slice. and if we profer it, we know america will too. what about spaniards? and i guess spain. my brain. so i choose new neuriva ultra. unlike some others, it supports 7 brain health indicators, including mental alertness from one serving. to help keep me sharp. try new neuriva ultra. think bigger. expected to resume today between the union representing striking continue picketing outside studio offices until a deal is reached. >> our next guest is no stranger

to the big screen. watch. >> within these walls, who makes the rules? >> you, sir. you are the boss. you just have to act like one. >> i would do anything for you. and i did. and you lie, and you cheat on me. >> i'm so sorry. i'm sorry. i have something i've got to say. what are you doing? >> i've been given a gift. i can hear men's thoughts. right now because of my gift, james, i know you are not worthy of my friend, mari. >> don't we all wish we had that gift? we are joined this morning by actress and producer traji p. henson, she is with us now. good morning. >> good morning. >> it's great to have you. >> thanks for having me. >> i can't wait to ask you about your life's work that's so impactful but you're here, we have to ask you about the strike.

four months you're back at the table. it's financially crippling to many actors that haven't had all the success you have had and producers. what's going to happen here? >> hopefully we come to an agreement because people just want what they deserve. you know, a wage where they can survive in this economy. we're artists, you know, we're vulnerable and we give so much breath and life to the world and all we're asking is for a ways that people can take care of their families and their likeness to be protected. that's not -- it's not uncommon, it's not -- we're not asking for the world. you know, and i feel for actors who haven't seen the success that i have and a lot of my friends because we're fine during the strike, but we're striking as a whole because we are a family, you know and if one artist is struggling we are all struggling. >> you mentioned the issue of likeness. the industry is going through --

our industry as well -- some rapid changes right now on artificial intelligence, which has been a central issue in these talks and in the demands from the writers and the actors. what concerns you? kind of big picture as you look into that as an issue as an actress? >> well, as an actress it's the likeness, it's my likeness. i want to control that. i don't want industry -- you know, studios to be able to use my likeness in perpetuity, even after i'm gone. like i still have family theis here that could benefit from the work that i've done and i don't want it to go to artificial intelligence. that's weird to me. i don't think society is ready for that just yet. and there are good aspects of artificial intelligence but you just have to figure out what that is. >> let's turn to why you're here. >> yes. >> and that is what you have launched, this initiative she

cares wellness pods, these are hbcu campuses. before you talk about that, this has been your fight for years, here is you testifying before congress in 2019 on mental health. >> we and the african american community, we don't deal with mental health issues. we don't even talk about it. we've been taught to pray our problems away. i need the person sitting opposite from me when i go seek help for my mental to be culturally competent and if you are not culturally competent how can i trust you with my deepest secrets and with my vulnerability? >> you have called this your life's work, not acting, this fight. >> yeah. because as people and as humans we are here to service each other, and for me it was always about how can i affect as many people on the planet while i'm alive as possible?

how can i do that in a positive way? and for years i thought it was through acting, you know, maybe i will change a life with this character or maybe not, you know, but the work that i'm doing now with the foundation, this is real work that is really saving lives. >> the idea and then the delivery on wellness pods at hbcus, the availability and the kind of you can see it is so critically important on the destigmatization side of things. how did you get to this point? >> at our foundation we like to meet people where they are in their mental health journey. some people are advanced, you know, they have therapists, they've been going for years, they have tools, this he know how to work out their issues, a lot of people, especially underserved communities, they are new to the notion of seeking help. you heard me say in the black community we don't -- we've never been told to talk about or be vulnerable. that was a weakness for us, you

know. so this is new. this whole notion of talking about needing help and getting help in that manner is very new to the african american community. like i said, it's about meeting people where they are. some people -- it's very stig stigmatized. i had someone ask me yesterday what would you say to a person who is trying to seek therapy for the first time and they may feel uncomfortable? i said the great thing and the blessing that came out of the pandemic was start with a zoom with a therapist. you are in the comfort of your own home, you know. that's a great way to start. that's a good tippee toe into getting your mental wellness. we try to meet people where they are and we make it warm and welcoming. when people think about therapy they think of a sterile room and it's all white and it's, you know, daunting to some people. so with these pods it's very

welcoming. you don't have to seek a therapist right away. you can just convene and talk about mental wellness. maybe sometimes it's somebody's first conversation ever about the subject matter but it's in a warm, safe place. you don't have to do yoga, it can be african dance. it's just ways to -- because what's happening is we don't have enough therapists. >> right. >> so we're trying to teach or mr. a module where people can -- they have tools that they can get to right away to work out issues. and it may not involve -- it may just be community for some people. a lot of people are isolating, suffering in silence and we just want to break that up because you are never alone. you are never alone. everybody has a cross to bear. >> good for you. thank you for doing this work. >> thank you. and kate spade, i can't say enough, the best part of ner we have found in them and it's been very organic and we're family now. >> such an important issue. we appreciate you coming in. you saw the pods on the screen. use them. traji p. henson, thank you.

>> thank you so much. "cnn news central" starts right after this break. a breaks? sure. get t fast, powerful cough relief with robitussin, and find your voice. ♪ robitussin ♪ oh, oh, oh...i'll be the e judge of that. oh, that's nice... oh!! that's better thathe ham, and i've never said that booking.com