Transcripts For CNNW CNN Newsroom With Fredricka Whitfield 2

Couple of them, up around that category 5 threshold. The noaa flight measuring 159 miles per hour, and the air force flight measuring around 166 miles per hour. They will continue to take measurements of this storm to really get a better idea of what the Current Conditions are, and we then use those measurements to get a better idea of where the storm is going to go from there. This is the brand new track that just came out at the top of the hour. Again, we still maintain a very strong storm as it crosses over the bahamas and makes its way toward florida. At this point, technically we are not looking at perhaps a landfall, except maybe on the extreme eastern coast of florida, and then it begins to turn off to the north and head up towards states like georgia, South Carolina, north carolina, but all of those areas need to pay very close attention to this storm because it is continuing to intensify. The eye of the storm is about 15 nautical miles wide. Its a very large, very impressive eye for a storm that to a certain extent, fred has nothing in the way to really weaken this storm. The bahamas really arent much. They dont have the high enough elevation to break the storm down. Theres very little shear, and very warm Ocean Temperatures here. So the question ultimately becomes does this end up getting into a category 5 storm before it makes its approach towards the bahamas, which will likely start to see some of those outer bands as early as tonight. Well check back with you, allison. Thank you so much. So floridas space coast is preparing for whatever dorian just might bring. Cnns nick valencia is there for us on cocoa beach. Nick, mandatory evacuations are set to get underway tomorrow morning for certain parts of the Central Florida coast. You know, but given this storm is still so unpredictable, how are people responding . Reporter yeah, sure, there is a lot of uncertainty, but that hasnt stopped preparations. We wanted to first show you the beach here. This is a holiday weekend, fredricka. Youd think thered be a lot more people on the beach here in cocoa beach. Some families have just shown up. We want to show you fresh video we shot last hour, Jerry Simonson went hup in the air with our drone. It shows how empty the beach is on this holiday weekend. You mentioned those mandatory evacuations. We heard from the Brevard County Sheriffs Office they are doing mandatory evacuations in this county. It includes where we are. It included our hotel as well as far south as merritt island. Those evacuations expected to get underway at 8 00 a. M. Tomorrow. Were not seeing the panic or the fear we heard earlier this week. We thought landfall might be sunday morning, it seems farther north. Officials stressing to residents do not let your guard down. They want you to proceed that this storm is going to make a direct here in florida. Officials want everyone to be prepared. Fred. Nick valencia, thank you so much. Well check back with you throughout the morning and afternoon. While florida may be spared a direct hit, lifethreatening storm surge and devastating Hurricane Force winds are expected to batter the coast. Joining me now from fema headquarters senator rick scott. Senator, thanks so much for being with me. You have been through quite a few of these storms before, as governor of florida. What is your message to residents of florida right now . First off, im here at fema. Youve got your federal agencies all working here, working with state and local efforts to make sure people are informed, and then wherever the storm hits theyre ready. So dont take the middle of this path saying thats where its going to hit. Look at that whole cone of uncertainty, and take this seriously because not only is there unbelievable wind. Weve got were going to get a lot of rain, and weve got this storm surge. I remember in michael, it was very difficult for people to understand that nine foot of storm surge is deadly, and so we dont know where the storms going to go for sure. Everybodys got to take this seriously along the coast. In fact, a lot of people will receive this or look at the latest hurricane forecast, see that it bends, you know, turns upward, doesnt appear to, you know based on the current models that florida would take a direct hit, and when folks heard the governor say you need to have seven days supplies of water, gas, et cetera, is it your concern that many people will ease up on that because of the latest tracking . I wouldnt ease up. You can download the fema app. Theyll give you a lot of information about what you should be ready for and the shelters, evacuation orders, things like that. I would take this very seriously. Look, we always hope for the best, but think about it. If you waits and this thing turns due west, are you going to have time to get to a shelter . Are you going to have time to evacuate . Are you going to have time to get to the store . Its going to be a very difficult time then. As it comes along up close to florida, so i think we all have to take this very seriously. Who are you most concerned about . Well, i mean, look, weve got a lot of new residents, about 400,000 people move to florida a year. Weve got a lot of tourists that come down. I tell people is follow the news. Follow the news, follow evacuation orders. The local sheriffs take this very seriously. When they say you should evacuate, evacuate. When the governor says you should have seven days of water, seven days of food, you ought to do it. So dont so just listen and take this seriously. But the people have never been through it before, or heres the other thing, people said oh, ive been through a category 2 or a category 3, but they might not have been through nine foot of storm surge. We lost lives in michael because of that. And of course you have a lot of tourists, its a holiday weekend, for those who had already embarked on their trips for the big labor day weekend. What about among the most vulnerable, particularly those who are, you know, the elderly or perhaps people who are in medical facilities, how do you anticipate assistance for them . They may not be in a position of mobility like the general populous. First off, if youre in a nursing home or if youre in assisted living, you eight to make sure that that facility has a generator. I got that law passed while i was governor. Make sure thats happened, and then make dont just sit there and be complacent about it. Ask, ask, ask, and say why arent we evacuating. If this thing is getting close, lets go and under the ourselves in a safer position. We open up shelters all across the state for those with special needs, but you ought to know where those are early so you dont wait until the last minute. We also have shelters in florida for pets. Know where those are. You can download the fema app and theyll tell you these things. The president is going to be at camp david this weekend. Apparently he is scheduled to also attend a hurricane briefing at fema headquarters, which is where you are. That will take place tomorrow. What will be, you know, your conversations . What kind of conversations will you have or perhaps have you already had with the president given your experience with tropical storms and hurricanes in florida . Well, he was very helpful in the storms we had while i was governor. He declared emergencies early. He made sure fema was ready. I mean, and this week ive talked to fema a variety of times. Ive talked to hud. Ive talked to ag, ive talked to most of the cabinet members, and theyre making sure that the federal government is going to do their part. But it starts with you as an individual doing your part and then local efforts, state efforts and then federal efforts. Everybodys got to do this together. Im going to continue to talk to the president about all of this. I know hes very concerned. He canceled his trip. Im also going to the red cross a little bit later. Theyre gearing up to open up the shelters around the state. Im sure theyre doing the same thing in georgia and the carolinas. All right. Senator rick scott. Thank you so much. Were hoping for the best for all of you in florida and along the South Carolina and now georgia coast as well. Thanks. More breaking news now, incredible images coming out of hong kong this morning. Youre looking at fires in the streets as prodemocracy protesters clash with police, tear gas and Water Cannons were deployed after protesters through petrol bombs into police barricades. Cnns Paula Hancocks is live for nus hong ko us in hong kong. In some cases police sprayed the protesters with water dyed blue. We hear volume behind you. Whats going on . Reporter well, thats right, fredricka. I mean, that particular area has now been cleared out by police, and there were a number of arrests that we saw. But this is a movement that once it calms down in one area, it pops up in another area. Police are really trying to chase their own tails trying to find out where the next protest is going to be. We know this particular area is where there have been some protesters, many of them have dispersed at this point. There is a lot of bystanders. They just want to get home. There is definite anger as well. We have seen, fredricka, the level of violence just since sunday and now again this saturday night and afternoon is increasing. Just a few weeks ago when the water cannon was even out or seep on the streets, then that would concern protesters. But they are becoming hardened to things like that. They are becoming hardened to the tear gas, and we are now seeing for that reason the violence increasing. They are throwing petrol bombs. We have seen that a number of times. They have been digging up parts of the pavement, the sidewalk just a bit further down. There was a big gap in the sidewalk and all the bricks that had been used to throw at the police. So this protest has been going now for 13 weekends. This is the 13th consecutive weekend. It is showing no signs of letting up. Protesters want their demands to be considered by the chief executive of hong kong, carrie lam. It appears that she is not in the mood to consider any of them, even the one which many critics would suggest would be the easiest to give, which is the complete withdrawal of that controversial extradition bill. The entire reason these protests started in the first place. But at this point the protesters say that they are not going to end this. They are not going to give up until they get some give and take from authorities here in hong kong. They are concerned that democracy is being whittled away here, that the one country, two systems is being whittled away by by beijing. There are some who support china, who believe that these protests shouldnt be going ahead. It is a very polarizing issue in this city. So paula, whats going to be the indicator that, you know, these protests are helping to lead to any kind of resolution . I mean, what is the signal that perhaps these demonstrators would be looking for . Reporter well, i think at the beginning what they would have been happy with is the withdrawal, the full withdrawal of this extradition bill, and there was also a report on friday from reuters saying that carrie lam had suggested to the Central Government in beijing, that if they fully withdrew that could diffuse the situation. According to reuters we have calls in to authorities on all sides to find out if this is accurate. They believe that beijing said no, do not give in to any of these demands from the protesters. But i think weve moved beyond that now. One of the main calls that these protesters are asking for is an independent inquiry into police activity, many protesters think theyve used excessive force. The police say they havent. Mmhmm, all right, its taken many, you know, shapes and forms in terms of the demands coming from demonstrators in 13 weeks now, and it only seems to be intensifying. Paula hancocks, thank you so much. Well get back to you to find out whats going on in your vicinity right now. Still ahead, President Trump says he forgives his longtime personal aide for her conversations with journalists that got her fired. She said she was drinking a little bit and she was with reporters, and everything she said was off the record. That still doesnt really cover for it, mention add couped a co things about my children. New this morning, the president s tweets suggest not all may be forgiven or forgot n forgotten. Wireless is full of awards. Number one in Overall Network performance. 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The president saying im quoting now, while Madeline Westerhout has a confidentially agreement, shes a very good person and i dont think there would ever be reason to use it. She called me yesterday to apologize, had a bad night. I fully understood and forgave her. I love tiffany, doing great. So the president is referring to and denying a politico article that said he didnt the president didnt like having his photo taken with his daughter tiffany because of her weight. Jeremy diamond is cnns White House Reporter and David Swerdlick is the assistant editor at the Washington Post and a cnn political commentator. She was considered a personal gate keeper, worked closely with the president. Apparently she spoke about both tiffany and ivanka, and that was the line crossed . Yes, it appears that that was the case, at least according to that politico report. What we do know is that madeline westerhaut reportedly discussed the trump family and intimate details about them in this off the record gathering with reporters. So she was served for two and a half years as the president s executive assistant and personal secretary. That was obviously viewed as crossing a line, and her status as a gate keeper to the president is also why we now see the president talking about confidentiality agreements and whether or not madeline westerhaut may have signed one herself. We know that she was sitting outside of the oval office for two and a half years. She was surely privy to a number of sensitive discussions, whether its about the president s family or about goings on at the white house, and definitely privy to the president s moods day in and day out, and so what we see here is the president on the one hand suggesting that he has forgiven westerhaut trying to curry favor with her perhaps so she doesnt go on to bad mouth him in the future, but also issuing a fairly thinly veiled threat here when he references other lawsuits he has carried out against individuals with confidentiality agreements. That doesnt really seem to smack of forgiveness, particularly after the president forced westerhaut to resign. So david, thinly veiled or, you know, pretty blatant . I mean the president makes reference to a confidential agreement, a, i mean, is this an agreement that may be typical when working for the Trump Organization . But is that fairly unusual when youre talking about a confidentiality agreement for a job in Public Service at the white house . Good morning, fred, i think its unusual for a white house aide, its not unusual in the trump era in any Trump Organization including the trump white house. You have a couple of things going on here. The New York Times yesterday reported that it was not thought that Madeline Westerhout had a confidential agreement and that she may be in talks to write a book. Im sure that is part of what prompted the president to come out and tweet that perhaps she did have a confidentiality agreement. It is sort of a shot across the bow, and as you say, its not that thinly veiled, certainly suggesting to his former personal aide that, look, you know, were going to come after you legally, if you talk if you write a book, if you go on camera. On the other hand, this is the kind of role where you would think that the president or any elected official could expect that confidential, fred. Shes not a policy aide. She was a personal assistant. And then jeremy, what more can you reveal to us about this off the record dinner with reporters . I mean, thats thats peculiar. Look, white house aides frequently do have off the record conversations, off the record social gatherings with reporters. Its a way that reporters can get a little bit more insight into the thinking of an administration, but also simply sometimes t