CNN announced on Tuesday it will hold a live, seven-hour “climate crisis” town hall featuring ten of the Democrats seeking the 2020 presidential nomination on Wednesday.
Each candidate, included because they have qualified for the Democratic National Committee-sanctioned September debate, will be given 40 minutes to address questions posed by CNN moderators and members of the audience, according to CNN.
CNN staff will interview each of the candidates during the town hall. The network provided a schedule on each candidate’s appearance:
- Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro will be interviewed by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer at 5 p.m. ET
- Businessman Andrew Yang, who will also be interviewed by Blitzer, will come on at 5:40 p.m.
- California Sen. Kamala Harris will be interviewed by CNN’s Erin Burnett at 6:20 p.m.
- Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who will also be interviewed by Burnett, will appear at 7 p.m.
- Former Vice President Joe Biden will be interviewed by CNN’s Anderson Cooper at 8 p.m.
- Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who will also be interviewed by Cooper, will be on at 8:40 p.m.
- Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren will be interviewed by CNN’s Chris Cuomo at 9:20 p.m.
- South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who will also be interviewed by Cuomo at 10 p.m.
- Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke will appear with CNN’s Don Lemon at 10:40 p.m.
- New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker will also be interviewed by Lemon and will come on at 11:20 p.m.
The news outlet said a poll it conducted in April revealed that 96 percent of Democrats want “aggressive action” on climate change.
CNN goes on to credit the United Nations with accurate information about climate change and the catastrophic effects it will cause if not addressed.
“Global warming would have several devastating consequences,” CNN reported. “It would cause coastal cities to disappear under water, leaving hundreds of millions of people displaced and forced to migrate to dry areas. Some plants and animals would face extinction, and drought would result in lower crop yields.”
CNN already announced that the town hall audience “will be drawn from Democratic and independent voters and stakeholders interested in the issue and no public tickets will be available.”
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