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Weekend Early Start
Opponents of Same-Sex Marriage File Emergency Motion With Supreme Court; Temperatures Soar; Joe Lefeged of Indianapolis Colts Facing Weapons Charges; Protests in Cities Across Egypt; The Murder Case Against Aaron Hernandez
Aired June 30, 2013 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: Just as same-sex couples in California are celebrating their right to marry, opponents are launching a new fight, calling foul over a federal appeals court.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: And it's been one year since President Morsi came to power in Egypt, but today, massive protests will call for him to step down.
KOSIK: And it's the question that scientists have been asking for generations, is there other life out there? New evidence suggests that we may have some company in the universe.
Good morning, I'm Alison Kosik.
MALVEAUX: And I'm Suzanne Malveaux. It is 6:00 and this is NEW DAY SUNDAY. Welcome. Good to see you as well.
KOSIK: Nice to see you. Good morning.
We begin this morning out west, where an unrelenting heat wave may have claimed its first victim. On Saturday, authorities found a man in his 80s dead in his Las Vegas home. He died from cardiac arrest. His home did not have air conditioning.
MALVEAUX: Meantime, temperatures continue to soar. Phoenix saw a one-day record of 119 degrees, that was on Saturday. And in Death Valley, the mercury hit a whopping 127. That is where we find CNN's Tory Dunnan. Tory.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TORY DUNNAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's called Death Valley for a reason. The sun beats down on a barren landscape. Tourists from around the world come to see it.
UM: We come from Switzerland.
DUNNAN: And to feel it.
UF: Very hot and thirsty.
DUNNAN: With an extreme heat wave bringing soaring temps, the draw is irresistible for some. These two are hitting the pavement, literally.
Why do this?
Um: Because we're crazy. We love the heat.
Um: Well, it's a novelty thing, you know. To say we were out in the heat when it was 125 to 130, run two or three miles, then we're finished.
DUNNAN: Death Valley local Mike Wood is used to the heat, but when his shoes start melting, it's time to pay attention.
Tell me about these shoes.
MIKE WOOD, DEATH VALLEY RESIDENT: My nasty shoes? Well, the ground temperatures here can approach a couple hundred degrees, so you're talking about pretty much boiling the shoes. So, everything that kind of holds the shoes together kind of comes apart.
DUNNAN: This is the exact spot where nearly a century ago the world record was taken for a temperature of 134 degrees. With this heat wave, they're expecting temperatures close to 130 degrees. So, rangers come out to this spot, the official weather station. They take a look at these thermometers. And yes, this is for history, but it's also a little bit more important.
JAY SNOW, DEATH VALLEY PARK RANGER: Heat can hurt. And if I don't take the right temperature, then we may tell them, oh, it's cool enough to go out and hike the sand dunes or it's cool enough to go hike Golden Canyon. It is not.
DUNNAN: Ranger Jay Snow's checks and balances.
SNOW: Let me check the water temperature.
DUNNAN: At this unassuming little post is a part of Death Valley.
SNOW: When we say the temperature was recorded four foot off the ground back in, there it is.
DUNNAN: Was that the box from 1913?
SNOW: I have no idea, but it looks like it's from 1913.
DUNNAN: There's a bit of a debate over where the highest temperatures are read. Some say it's right here at the Badwater Basin, which is the lowest point of elevation in the U.S., at 282 feet below sea level. Tory Dunnan, CNN, Death Valley, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK: How long is this heat wave going to last?
MALVEAUX: How hot has it been, 112, 115-degree weather? KOSIK: I used to live in Texas and I think maybe we got a little over 100, and that was just the sweltering. And then I lived in Florida where it gets into the 90s and it feels worse. I'm hearing, Alexandra, that that's more of a dry heat? But still, are we going to get any relief?
ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: No. No relief, that's for sure. You know, here in Atlanta last summer it was 107 degrees, but you know, this has been like an atmospheric blast furnace, and the problem is there is really not a lot of movement with this area of high pressure. So here's the scenario. Watch what happens. In essence, this area of high pressure is retrograding, which is moving west, so the sinking and compression of air, and thus this heating to 110s, we are going to see this straight through the week. It doesn't look until Friday we get out of the 110s and into about 109-degree territory. So, it's the southwest, but it's not only actually the desert southwest. Places like Salt Lake City yesterday had a record of 105 and they should be at 94. Right now at this hour, 95 degrees in Las Vegas. And I want to show you what we're going to see today, 116. So, a record yesterday. We'll see a record today. And look, right until Thursday, still 112. Las Vegas on the average should be at 103, so this is well above it. 97 right now in Phoenix. Average for you is 107. And look it, record yesterday and we'll certainly see records, 109 by Thursday. So, that's the first day we get out of the 110 category. Salt Lake City, not to leave you out, because it's not again just the desert southwest. Average 109, 105 yesterday with the record, and until Tuesday, 103. But until Friday, guys, that's when Salt Lake City gets to 96. So, this really intense heat is just here to stay.
(CROSSTALK)
KOSIK: 96 is like relief temperature. Finally, a break!
MALVEAUX: They have a lot of sneakers melting on the pavement there. Not to mention the eggs. They fry eggs, too.
KOSIK: Of course. I love to watch that.
MALVEAUX: Alexandra, thank you so much.
KOSIK: All right. From extreme heat to severe floods, look at this. Damage caused by several days of heavy rain in upstate New York. Authorities this morning are searching for a woman who went missing in the village of Ft. Plain. Powerful storms have swollen rivers and inundated places that haven't flooded in 50 years. Today's forecast calls for more rain, but officials say they think the worst is over.
The Supreme Court could find itself once again intervening in the fight over same-sex marriage in California.
MALVEAUX: Opponents have filed an emergency motion asking the justices to stop them. Now, their issue is with the federal appeals court, which gave the go-ahead for same-sex marriages to resume in California. They say the decision was handed down too soon. CNN's Dan Simon has more.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Alison and Suzanne, we are in San Francisco's city hall, where lots of people have taken advantage of their newfound freedom and have gotten married. You can see some of the people in line waiting for their marriage license.
In the meantime, this battle is not over. We know that Proposition 8 supporters have gone to the Supreme Court, filed an emergency application basically get the ban put in place. Their quibble is with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals here in San Francisco, saying that they lifted their ban too early. Typically you get 25 days. They waited just a couple of days. This is a quote from the attorney for the Prop 8 supporters. It says, quote, "our clients have not been given the time that they are due and were promised so that they can make their next decision in the legal process. The more than 7 million Californians that voted to enact Proposition 8 deserve nothing short of the full respect and due process our judicial system provides." So, that is the quote from the Proposition 8 side. Meantime, I want to introduce you to a couple that just got married. How are you guys doing? Hey, congratulations. What are your names?
UM: Greg.
UM: Rob.
SIMON: OK. Greg, let me ask you, first of all, what's it like to be here with all these people getting married, just kind of explain the atmosphere.
UM: Well, it's like, it's a huge celebration. It's fantastic. We're here celebrating our love, celebrating mankind. You know, it's wonderful. This is about love, this is union, and I think if they see it, more people, that will change. Yes.
SIMON: Well, congratulations. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us.
Um: Thank you.
SIMON: So, Alison and Suzanne, this is the scene. You can see people still waiting in line trying to get their marriage licenses. The city of San Francisco opening their doors over the weekend to allow people to come and exercise their new freedom. We'll send it back to you.
MALVEAUX: All right, thank you, Dan.
Right now it is unclear whether or not the high court might consider that emergency application, so we'll have to see.
KOSIK: All right. CNN has learned Vice President Joe Biden is reaching out to Ecuador over NSA leaker Edward Snowden.
MALVEAUX: Listen to what Ecuador's president said, this was just a few days ago. He vowed he would not be bullied into rejecting Snowden's asylum request. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. RAFEL CORREA, ECUADOR (through translator): In the face of threats, insolence and arrogance of certain U.S. sectors which are pressurized to remove the preferential tariffs because of the Snowden case, Ecuador tells the world we unilaterally and irrevocably denounce the preferential tariffs. Our dignity has no price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Ecuador's president, however, sounding a lot less defiant. CNN's Matthew Chance is in Ecuador with more on that and what Biden is looking to do.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's been confirmed that U.S. vice president, Joe Biden, has called the Ecuadorian leader, Rafael Correa, asking him not to grant political asylum to fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden. U.S. officials are not confirming the exact details of what was discussed, but in his weekly television broadcast, President Correa said Vice President Biden made what he said was a very polite phone call on Friday, and that he had responded by explaining to him the Ecuadorian position and pledging to consult with Washington if Snowden ever arrives here. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CORREA: We can't even proceed with the request because Mr. Snowden is not in Ecuadorian territory, and whenever he makes it to Ecuadorian soil, if he makes it, we will have to proceed with that request. Of course, the first ones who we would ask an opinion to would be the United States, as we did with the Assange case with England. We are going to listen to everyone, but we will have to make a decision based on our sovereignty. We will take into account what this country, the United States, has to say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE: Well, President Correa also acknowledged the potentially damaging economic consequences for what he called an extremely vulnerable Ecuador in confronting the United States over Snowden. "We have to act with responsibility and respect towards the U.S.," he said, "but also with respect for the truth." Matthew Chance, CNN, Quito, Ecuador.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And this weekend, former President Jimmy Carter's hosting a human rights conference, this is at the Carter Center. In an exclusive interview, he opened up about what he thinks about Edward Snowden and the government's secret surveillance programs. Here's what he said when I asked him if he thought that Snowden was a traitor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JIMMY CARTER, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I think he's obviously violated the laws of America, for which he's responsible, but I think that the invasion of human rights and American privacy has gone too far, and I think that the secrecy that has been surrounding this invasion of privacy has been excessive, so I think that the bringing of it to the public notice has probably been in the long term beneficial.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: President Carter also told me he thinks that the American people deserve to know what their government is doing. And the former president is hosting human rights activists and religious leaders around the world. This is at the Human Rights Defenders Initiative forum this weekend.
KOSIK: President Obama is wrapping up his visit to South Africa, where he says his thoughts have been with the ailing Nelson Mandela. He and first lady Michelle Obama attended a state dinner last night. Later today, President Obama and his family will visit Robben Island. That's where Mandela was imprisoned for years during apartheid. Mr. Obama says it's a privilege and honor to bring his daughters there to see history. He met with Mandela's family yesterday and spoke with Mr. Mandela's wife by phone. She has been keeping vigil by Mandela's hospital bedside.
MALVEAUX: And just ahead on NEW DAY SUNDAY, another football player facing weapons charges, this time a member of the Indianapolis Colts. We're going to have more on that story and the NFL's troubled relationship with guns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Another NFL player facing gun charges this morning. This time, it is Joe Lefeged of the Indianapolis Colts. Police say Lefeged and another man fled from a Washington traffic stop. That happened early Saturday. They were caught, almost caught immediately following a foot chase. Officials say they found a .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol inside the car. Lefeged and his passenger are now facing several gun charges, including having an unregistered firearm and presence of a firearm in a motor vehicle.
KOSIK: Joe Lefeged's arrest may seem like a familiar headline, NFL player caught with a gun. Our Jason Carroll has been looking into that connection. Jason?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Alison, there have been documentaries on the issue, columnists have written about it, it's been debated in and out of sports circles. What is really the gun culture within the NFL?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: Aaron Hernandez is the latest NFL player caught up in a gun-related crime, but certainly not the first. December 2012, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher shoots his girlfriend, then takes his own life. The incident put NBC's sportscaster Bob Costas squarely at the center of the gun debate.
BOB COSTAS, NBC: It's infinitely more likely that something bad will happen if you're armed than that something good will happen.
CARROLL: 2009, former New York Giant Plaxico Burress serves jail time after pleading guilty to a weapons charge.
Um: There's a media amplification factor here. When a player like Plaxico Burress shoots himself in the leg, it gets in the newspaper and on television for days, and it doesn't do that for a regular person.
CARROLL: How many players in the NFL actually own firearms? Statistics are anecdotal. The league doesn't keep numbers, but players and sports analysts we spoke to estimate the number near 60 percent, compared to roughly 45 percent of the general population, according to the National Rifle Association.
THOMAS JONES, FORMER NFL RUNNING BACK: You could say there's a gun culture in any, you know, group of people, you know. I mean, there could be a gun culture at, you know, people who work at CNN.
CARROLL: Former NFL running back Thomas Jones says he and many other former and current players legally own guns for protection.
JONES: Unfortunately, people will try to take advantage of you in any way they possibly can. Like I said, I'm not a gun advocate, but I'm a life advocate, I will say that.
CARROLL: Jones points to the incident involving Washington Redskins star safety Sean Taylor. In 2007, intruders shot and killed Taylor in his Miami home.
CHRIS JOHNSON, BALTIMORE RAVENS: If he would have had any type of protection in his home, he could have pretty much defended himself.
CARROLL: Chris Johnson is a Baltimore Ravens cornerback. Gun violence has touched him personally. His sister killed by gunfire; her boyfriend charged with her murder.
JOHNSON: I took the extra step to go get my concealed handgun, because the way the world is starting to turn, a lot of people, you know, are using guns for the wrong reasons.
CARROLL: The union representing NFL players set up a gun safety course, knowing a sizable number in the ranks own guns. Players like Cleveland Browns safety T.J. Ward says he does not own a gun. When he was 17, he lost a friend and high school teammate, Terrence Kelly (ph), to gun violence.
(on camera): Have you ever had a conversation with another player about guns?
T.J. WARD, CLEVELAND BROWNS SAFETY: Yes. There's been plenty of conversations.
CARROLL (voice-over): Ward says gun ownership in the NFL may go beyond the need for protection.
WARD: I mean, if you're trained to live a certain way your whole life, that training's not going to stop people that have grown up in a certain environment or a bad environment, you know. You have the same friends, you have the same people you hang out with, and it's hard to teach (ph) someone that you've known or a group of people you've known your whole life just because you're in the NFL now.
CARROLL: Even to this day, Ward's mother still worries.
LANETTA WARD, T.J. WARD'S MOTHER: Every day it concerns me. I mean, I know my son doesn't have weapons, but again, it's not him, it's the other people that carry the weapons.
CARROLL: It should be noted that an overwhelming majority of those who do own guns in the NFL do so without ever having a run-in with the law. The NFL commissioner declined our request for an interview for this story, but a spokesman did say when it comes to any crimes, gun-related or not, committed by NFL players, he said the average arrest rate for NFL players is consistently lower than the general population. Alison?
KOSIK: Jason Carroll, thanks.
MALVEAUX: Losing your job never a good thing, but imagine getting fired on national television. Well, that's what one golfer did to her caddie over the weekend. Just wait until you hear who she replaced him with.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Nice. Good news, hockey fans. NHL's draft kicks off later today. It could even make some history.
KOSIK: A young hockey star named Seth Jones could become the first African-American player to ever go No. 1. Joe Carter is here with this morning's bleacher report. Good morning.
JOE CARTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, guys. Yes, Seth, he is an absolute standout on the ice, and it's not just his race that makes him unique, it's also his sporting pedigree. Seth's dad is Popeye Jones. NBA fans may remember him. He played in the league for 11 years during the '90s. So, you'd think all three of the sons would gravitate towards basketball. Nope, they all went to hockey, and they all excelled at that sport, including Seth Jones, and he's the middle son. And draft experts are saying this guy is poised to become the next big thing in professional hockey. And the word is that if he goes today No. 1 in the draft, he will be the first black player to do so in sports history.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SETH JONES, TOP HOCKEY PROSPECT: I do see why it's in every article, you know, it's history. And it will be the first time, you know, if I do, that an African-American will be drafted first overall. POPEYE JONES, SETH'S DAD: It's basically a white sport. To do that, to be the first black to do that would be awesome. And I think that he understands that, you know, he has a responsibility, to try to get, you know, other African-American kids involved in hockey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARTER: Hey, day one of the Tour de France gave us more than just cycling. Look at that. A team bus got stuck underneath the finish line sign. Now, here's a kicker, the riders were actually pedaling towards this finish line when the bus got stuck. They were about 12 miles back. So, race organizers scrambled. They were thinking, OK, let's move the finish line back about two miles, but then someone got smart, figured out how to move the bus in time. Basically, they deflated the front two tires. That made the bus low enough to remove it, wedge it out. But a strange and certainly embarrassing moment for that bus driver.
Professional golfer Jessica Korda did the unthinkable yesterday. After nine holes at the Women's U.S. Open, she fired her caddie! Now, it's not clear what the two were arguing about, but whatever it was made Jessica mad enough to fire him mid-round. But wait, the story gets a little bit better, because then Jessica decided to turn to her boyfriend, who was in the crowd watching her, and said, grab the bag, let's go. And you know what? The switch seemed to work, because after shooting 5 over on the front nine, she shot 1 under on the back nine. Not bad, guys.
KOSIK: It's so bizarre, isn't it? Did they actually have like a cat fight there or was it very, very brief?
CARTER: They were arguing for quite a bit on the first front nine, and then all of a sudden, he was gone.
MALVEAUX: Joe, I guess the boyfriend is now the caddie? Right, is that how it all works out in the end? All right, thanks, Joe.
KOSIK: On the first anniversary of Egypt's president's rise to power, as we look at live pictures of Tahrir Square, thousands of people already packing the streets. Now some are calling for a new revolution. That report coming up straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: Bottom of the hour now. Welcome back. I'm Alison Kosik.
MALVEAUX: I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Here are five things you need to know this morning. Number one, heat wave out West might have claimed its first victim. On Saturday, authorities found a man in his 80s dead in his home. This is in Las Vegas. He died from cardiac arrest. His home did not have air conditioning. Meantime, temperatures continue to soar. Phoenix saw a one-day record, 119 degrees on Saturday. And in Death Valley, the mercury hit a whopping 127.
KOSIK: Number two, hundreds of people gathering on Saturday to mourn the death of Odin Lloyd. He's the semi-professional football player who was found shot dead near the home of Aaron Hernandez. Hernandez has now been charged in his murder. Prosecutors say Hernandez shot Lloyd because he was talking to the wrong people outside a nightclub.
MALVEAUX: Number three, the One Fund Boston sending out its first payments to victims of the Boston bombings today. 232 individuals will split the $61 million raised in the wake of the attack. Payments are divided by injuries with the most money going to the families of the three people who died. They will receive nearly $2.2 million each.
KOSIK: Four Vanderbilt University football players dismissed from the team and suspended from school over an alleged sex crime that took place at a campus dormitory. The investigation is ongoing and both the school and police have declined to release further details about the incident.
MALVEAUX: Number five, a high-ranking Somali militant that the U.S. wanted dead has been killed. The State Department had put a $5 million bounty on Ibrahim al Afghani. He was wanted for terrorism. Now, a spokesperson for the group Al-Shabaab says Afghani and another top leader were killed June, 28th, during a fight among rival factions. Al Shabaab is aligned with al Qaeda.
KOSIK: Now, to Egypt where thousands of protesters have packed Tahrir square on Mohamed Morsi's first anniversary as president. The scene in Cairo resembles the anti-government protest two years ago that toppled the Mubarak regime. Some protests this week have been violent. Several people already have died.
MALVEAUX: Others were loud and passionate with pro-government supporters on one side, and on the other side, people demanding that the democratically elected president step down. We want to bring in our Ben Wedeman in Tahrir Square. Ben, what does it look like so far this morning?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, by Cairo standards, it's relatively early, it's just 12:30 in the afternoon. Behind me, several thousand people in Tahrir Square. These are the anti-Morsi people. And in another part of town, there's a large demonstration in support of Mohamed Morsi, and we're expecting large numbers of protesters outside the Ittihadiya Palace, which is the normal home of the Egyptian president, but we understand that Mohamed Morsi is not there now. Now, today is Sunday, it's the beginning of the work week in Cairo, but I can see in the streets below, there are very few people out. Many businesses are closed today out of fear of what could happen.
What's interesting, though, compared to back two and a half years ago when the uprising took place that ousted President Hosni Mubarak, is you don't have the same element of fear. In January 2011, people did not know how the government would react to these protests. Now people have been empowered, the opponents of Mohamed Morsi feel that they can bring out large numbers in the street. There are our expectations that there could be violent confrontations today between the two sides, but not part of the equation is the Egyptian police, the Muslim brotherhood, the group to which Mohamed Morsi belongs, does not trust the police, and the police have said they will not protect the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood here in Cairo. In fact, over the last few days, four offices of the Brotherhood in Egypt have been torched. So, it's not quite clear where the police are going to come down in all of this. So, lots of uncertainty today here in Cairo.
KOSIK: Ben, is there an element of fear at this point with U.S. diplomats there?
WEDEMAN: Well, the U.S. embassy has already told staff that there is a voluntary departure program, so if they want to leave, they can leave. It's the summer, so many dependents aren't here anyway. And as you know, the U.S. embassy is just a few steps away from Tahrir Square, but cement barricades have been set up around the embassy. Obviously, the embassy is on a higher state of alert than it normally would be. It normally would be opened. Today it is closed. But the expectations are really the focus of these protests are on President Mohamed Morsi, not on the role of the United States in this current uproar, even though many people, many of the opponents of Mohamed Morsi have been critical of the United States, which they believe has been supportive of the elected government of Mohamed Morsi.
KOSIK: Ben Wedeman, thank you.
MALVEAUX: Nelson Mandela spent 18 years in prison on Robben Island for challenging Apartheid. Well, today, President Obama will go there to honor the man he calls a personal hero. Find out who he's bringing with him. That's up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Nelson Mandela's fragile health has overshadowed President Obama's trip to South Africa. We want to go to CNN's Nkepile Mabuse in Pretoria, South Africa for the latest on Nelson Mandela's condition.
NKEPILE MABUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Suzanne, Nelson Mandela still live, critically ill in this hospital behind me. He's been here for a little over three weeks now, and in that time, Suzanne, we've seen South Africans almost on an emotional roller coaster ride. At one point, you know, they were led to believe that Mr. Mandela may be getting better. And then the presidency released a statement that he was critically ill. The president himself canceled a foreign trip making many people start to conclude that the end was very, very near.
And in that time, we've seen hundreds of South Africans come here, almost to deposit those mixed emotions in the form of tributes. At the moment as I speak to you, the Salvation Army is performing here outside the hospital with members who are black and some members who are white. And of course, that is part of Nelson Mandela's legacy, his fight for racial harmony here in South Africa. We've also seen members of the ruling party's former ministry wing, MK, which Nelson Mandela helped form, come here to pay tribute. Ordinary South Africans bringing flowers, bringing messages, et cetera. And of course, because President Barack Obama is here, every single moment that President Obama has gotten, he has paid tribute to Nelson Mandela, a man he credits for sparking his political awakening, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Nkepile, what is the scene actually outside of the hospital where he is being treated?
MABUSE: You know, the orchestra has just been playing here. There are people walking up and down, ordinary South Africans bringing messages of hope, bringing flowers, some praying. We've seen church leaders come here and pray for Mr. Mandela. You know, there are many people here in South Africa for a very long time refrained from talking about the end for Nelson Mandela, but you almost see at this time in South Africa that people are starting to let go of the leader that they've revered for so many years. He's 94 years old and gravely ill. He's due to turn 95 next month. And many South Africans just wishing that he'll have a peaceful transition, that he's not in any pain here at this hospital and is continuing to pray for support for his family, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right. We wish him well. Nkepile Mabuse, thank you.
KOSIK: While crowds have gathered outside of the hospital where Mandela is being treated, they also have gathered outside the home where Mandela lived after he was released from prison. CNN's Nadia Bilchik tells us more about the place Mandela holds close to his heart. Nadia?
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Alison, over the last couple of weeks, we've all been concerned about the health of Nelson Mandela, the political icon who transformed one country, and in so doing, impacted the world.
On Friday, Winnie Mandela gave a press conference outside Mandela house. This was the first house she shared with her former husband.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINNIE MANDELA: This is the first house Madiba (inaudible) and we lived for years and years until he was -and, you know, of course, the rest is history.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BILCHIK: That small home is where Mandela lived after his release from prison, and it's now a historical landmark. I recently had a chance to visit with two of Mandela's granddaughters. Every year, thousands of people flock from around the world to visit the museum, to look at pictures from Mandela's younger years, making his most famous speeches, and to see the tiny bedroom where an icon of peace spent so many thoughtful nights.
Mandela has said that it was this house he thought of in prison and that this home held a special place in his heart. I'm a native South African and have met Mandela several times, but I must say, there is something so poignant about walking into this house, the place Nelson Mandela called his first true home. Alison?
KOSIK: Nadia Bilchik, thank you.
MALVEAUX: We could see one of the most memorable moments of President Obama's tour of South Africa this morning. It's just in a few hours he and his family are going to visit Robben Island. That is where Nelson Mandela spent nearly two decades in a stark jail sell. I want to go to CNN White House correspondent Brianna Keilar in Cape Town, South Africa. And Brianna, tell us about Robben Island. This is a place that is full -- chock-full of history. It is very significant for Nelson Mandela, but also this is a place, too, where President Obama has been before and he is taking the first family with him.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Suzanne. President Obama has been to Robben Island before. He's paid the visit, taken sort of this trip to pay respects, in a way, to Nelson Mandela, as so many people do, because Robben Island has become this symbol of the perseverance of so many political prisoners like Nelson Mandela. He spent 17 of the 28 years that he was imprisoned at various times on Robben Island, and his cell is preserved there. So, President Obama had previously gone and talked about really how much it moved him to go and see this cell, which was the symbol of just, really, just what tough circumstances Nelson Mandela weathered.
Now, Michelle Obama and their daughters, while they've come to South Africa, actually somewhat recently, they visited with Nelson Mandela, but didn't go to Robben Island. So, President Obama has talked about on this trip how it really means something for him to be able to take his family. Some of the interesting, I think, things that we'll see today, Suzanne, is that they will be given a tour of Robben Island by a former political prisoner. An 84-year-old named Ahmed Kathrada -- oh pardon me, I should say, 83-years old. And this is on Robben Island. This happens a lot, where a lot of the tour guides are people who can really speak to just how tough of an existence it was and what they weathered in what has become this historic place, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: I was fortunate enough to visit Robben Island just last year, and it really is quite incredible that the tour guides themselves will tell you about their stories and their stories knowing personally Nelson Mandela. I imagine that's pretty touching there. And the president's also going to give a speech at the University of Cape Town. What are we anticipating? What do we think the message is going to be?
KEILAR: Well, I think this -- well, this is really the key speech of his trip at the University of Cape Town here. And he'll be talking about some of the overarching messages that we've seen him touch upon as he's been in Senegal and we expect him to reiterate when he heads to Tanzania for the last leg of his trip. Really, sort of setting the stage for what he sees the new relationship between the U.S. and Africa being. It will be sort of him saying we believe that there should be trade, not aid, because he's been emphasizing an economic message of trying to really get U.S. trade and investment in Africa going. He said, you know, Africa doesn't need to be -- pardon me, doesn't' need to be a charity case, it doesn't need to be dependent. We want Africa to be a partner. So, I think we're going to hear some of that, but we're also going to see a real emphasis on youth, and we've seen this so much throughout this trip. He'll also today be visiting a youth HIV/AIDS center and he'll be talking to young people, sort of saying that they really need to get engaged and it's a very young population here in Africa, so I think he's really trying, in a way, to kind of influence them and get them young, if you will, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right, Brianna. It looks like a beautiful day there in Cape Town. Thank you very much, Brianna.
Next hour, we're going to hear what former president Jimmy Carter had to say about Mandela's legacy in my exclusive interview with him.
KOSIK: And here's a question for you on this Sunday morning. Are we closer to finding life in space? Scientists say they've found three planets orbiting one sun that could support alien life. The amazing details ahead on "NEW DAY SUNDAY."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: Welcome back. Time to get ready for the week ahead. Come with me, we'll go through the week. On Monday, it's going to be a big day. The George Zimmerman trial resumes. Prosecutors are going to continue presenting their case against the neighborhood watch volunteer charged with shooting Trayvon Martin. Of course, you can watch all live coverage right here on CNN and our sister network HLN. Also on Monday, the student loan rates -- student loan rates are set to double to 6.8 percent. And if you ask Senate Democrats, they say the hike would hit about 7 million new student loans. Thursday, happy Fourth of July. Happy Independence Day. Enjoy the holiday. Have fun grilling. On Saturday, the New England Patriots is offering a free jersey swap for fans who bought the jersey of murder suspect Aaron Hernandez at their shop. So, all weekend on Saturday -- or actually, Saturday and Sunday, fans can actually trade in their number 81 jerseys for any other Patriot player.
Also on Saturday, a big sports day, it's the women's final at Wimbledon. Serena Williams is still the overwhelming favorite, but after early exits from top-ranked players like Maria Sharapova, there are big opportunities for the unknown players to contend as well. Sunday, time for the men. Men's final at Wimbledon kicking off. No American men are left in the tournament, and with stars like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer out, many are wondering if an unknown could take it all.
Thursday might be a national holiday, but that won't stop the people's business. CNN's political editor Paul Steinhauser has a look at the week ahead in politics. Hi, Paul.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Hey, good morning, Alison. Members of Congress may be bombarded about immigration this week from their constituents as they head back to their home states and districts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: The bill as amended is passed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: The Senate Thursday passed a sweeping immigration reform bill, but the measure faces an uncertain future in the House when Congress comes back in a week.
Delaware makes news tomorrow as it becomes the 11th state, plus the District of Columbia, to allow same-sex marriages.
Texas Governor Rick Perry calls the state lawmakers back into special session this week to once again try to pass a controversial bill that would ban nearly all abortions after 20 weeks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. RICK PERRY (R ), TEXAS: I have announced that I am bringing lawmakers back to Austin, Texas, to finish their business.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: Last week the bill died after a filibuster by a Democratic state senator, which grabbed national headlines. Alison?
KOSIK: CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser, thanks.
MALVEAUX: Ahead in our next hour of "NEW DAY," police believe they are making progress in the case against former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez. We're going to follow up the investigation into the crime scene as well to the arrest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: OK, so, here's something for you to ponder as you drink your morning coffee, are we alone in the universe? Thanks to an amazing discovery, we may be closer to answering the age-old question.
MALVEAUX: Oh, I hope we're not alone. Scientists have found three planets called Super Earths that could potentially support life. One big problem, they're 22 light years away. That's right. CNN's Tom Foreman explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As of today, we believe we are on the only inhabitable planet in our solar system, but that doesn't necessarily mean that we are alone in the universe, because scientists have been looking way out there, about 22 light years away to this Constellation Scorpius, where they have found a star that they say is being circled by not one, not two, but three planets that could possibly support life. It's called Gliese 667, and if we could zoom across space and time, and go there to take a peek, they say it would look something like this. Really quite an extraordinary view. You see that little crescent way over there? That would be one of our neighboring planets circling around with us, and of course, we would have three different suns. They call this a Super Earth, each of these three planets, because it would be four to eight times as big as our Earth in terms of mass. The surface of these is considered to be almost all rock, but a lot of it is covered with water, and they are tidally locked, what that means is that the sunny side always faces the sun and the dark side always faces away. This is incredibly rare to find three planets like this all together, because over the years, the scientists have looked up through the cosmos, they have discovered about 900 planets, and only about 12 of them believed to be inhabitable or possibly able to support some kind of life. Three of those found actually earlier this year.
So, we have to keep looking to see if there's more like this, but with so many stars out there that are like our own, our Sun, the belief is there could be many more to find.
MALVEAUX: Good stuff. Thank you, Tom Foreman.
KOSIK: And thanks for starting your morning with us. We've got much more ahead on "NEW DAY SUNDAY."
MALVEAUX: Which starts right now.
KOSIK: Good morning. I'm Alison Kosik.
MALVEAUX: I'm Suzanne Malveaux. It's 7:00 on the East Coast, 4:00 on the West. Thanks for starting your morning with us.
KOSIK: And today is the one-year anniversary since Mohamed Morsi became President in Egypt, and thousands of protesters are packing the streets demanding him to step down. The scene in Cairo resembles the antigovernment protests two years ago that toppled the Mubarak regime. Some protests have been violent. Several people are already dead.
MALVEAUX: Others are loud and passionate with pro-government supporters on one side. On the other side, people demanding that President Morsi be impeached.
CNN's Reza Sayah, he's at the presidential palace. We've got Ben Wedeman in Tahrir Square.
Ben, what does it look like today? Do we think it's going to get violent?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, that's the expectation. And the media here in Egypt has been stoking the idea that things are going to get out of control.
Now, the opponents of President Mohamed Morsi are saying this is going to be the second revolution, the continuation of the revolution that began on the 25th of January 2011, but there are many things that are different. You have President Mohamed Morsi who was elected fair and square in an election a year ago, the first free and unfettered election in Egypt for a president in the country's very long history.
Now, his supporters will say he was elected fair and square, and therefore, he should be entitled to carry out his mandate. He does have quite a lot of challenges. The country he took over a year ago, the economy was in free fall, there was extreme instability following the revolution, and he's been grappling with trying to run a state, a government, a bureaucracy that in many ways remains loyal to the old regime.
At the same time, many Egyptians will tell you that there are long gas lines, regular power cuts, there's no law and order, the economy is in free fall, and they feel that President Mohamed Morsi has simply failed. They don't want to impeach him. They want him to go right now without any of the window dressing of constitutionality. They are calling for him to step down immediately.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Ben.
Let's check in with Reza Sayah at the presidential palace.
Reza, what's going on there?
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: All you have to do, Alison, is step outside here where we are and you can feel the build- up, you can feel something's coming. We're not sure what that's going to be, what the outcome is going to be and what it's going to mean for the future of this young democracy and the Arab spring, for that matter, but the anticipation is building.
This is going to be one of the focal points, the presidential palace where mass demonstrations are scheduled in the coming hours. I'm going to briefly step outside of the shot to show you what things look like at this hour. We're going to zoom in, and to your left is the presidential palace. What you see is a few hundred protesters who have gathered, some have set up tents. And you also see a very lengthy, concrete barrier in front of the palace that's designed to be a buffer zone between the protesters and the palace.
What you don't see is security guards, and that apparently means that if protesters at some point wanted to get at the palace, they probably will be able to if nothing changes. This mass demonstration is part of a campaign that started with a petition drive three months ago. Organizers of that petition drive claim that they've gathered 22 million signatures calling for new elections, calling for President Morsi to leave. Essentially, they're saying more people want you out than they want you in.
The concern is a short drive away from here are the supporters of President Morsi, and that sets the stage for a potential showdown, where you have on one side the president, his Islamist supporters, on the other side, the liberals, the moderates who want him out right now. And all eyes on Cairo to see what happens today.
MALVEAUX: All right. Absolutely. Reza Sayah, Ben Wedeman, thank you. I used to live in Cairo, and to see Tahrir Square, I know it well, that is jam-packed with people. That is really going to be heating up.
KOSIK: We'll keep -- we'll keep track of it, definitely.
OK, Vice President Joe Biden making an appeal to Ecuador. He wants Ecuador to reject NSA leaker Edward Snowden's request for asylum. Biden personally telephoned Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, who called the conversation cordial and polite. Correa said the U.S. will be the first he consults the minute Snowden steps on Ecuadorian soil.
So far, there's been no side of them. It is thought he might still be at an airport lounge in Moscow.
MALVEAUX: And now to the murder investigation. This is against former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez. He and two other men are in jail this morning, charged in connection with the death of Odin Lloyd. He was found shot to death near Hernandez's home.
Well, investigators think Lloyd may have known something about a 2012 double homicide.
KOSIK: A police source tells CNN a silver SUV owned by Hernandez has been impounded in connection to those murders. Our national correspondent, Deb Feyerick, joins us live this morning from North Attleboro, Massachusetts.
Good morning, Deb.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alison. Good morning, Suzanne.
The real big question that investigators have right now is was the death of Odin Lloyd somehow connected to that double homicide, the drive-by shooting that they're now looking into the possibility whether Aaron Hernandez may have been involved.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: It stops just before the road ends.
(voice-over): The murder took place down this road just off a busy street that many in the area used as a shortcut.
(on camera): If you draw a straight line in this direction, it's less than a quarter of a mile from where we are here to his home, just if you draw a straight line. Obviously, you would have to circle around and use the road.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Without a doubt, less than a quarter of a mile.
FEYERICK (voice-over): Jay has lived in this area for 25 years. He knows a lot of people and asked we not use his last name. He showed us the surveillance cameras at this corner gas station, which prosecutors say spotted the NFL player's rented silver Nissan around 3:20 a.m. Monday morning, seconds after it turned off I-95.
Prosecutors say Hernandez and two friends had driven 64 miles roundtrip to Dorchester to pick up Odin Lloyd.
They turned down this road through an industrial park and businesses monitored by surveillance cameras.
(on camera): So, at this point, he knows -- he's getting nervous.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd say right about here is where he got the text.
FEYERICK (voice-over): Right about here, he sends a final text to his sister, at 3:23 a.m., telling her he's with NFL, his nickname for Hernandez. "Just so you know," he texted.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And right here is where they said --
FEYERICK (on camera): When he fell.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They shot two more times, hit him in both sides of his chest.
FEYERICK (voice-over): Jay says he saw the crime scene shortly after it had been processed and the yellow tape taken down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right here, the blue tarp was right here. The red tarp was over there. And you can see, it's hard to see now because --
FEYERICK (on camera): You can see sort of an outline.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct. And it was rectangular in shape, leading one to believe that the body was this way.
FEYERICK: When you look at the outline of the body, I mean, clearly -- or when you look at the outline around here, clearly, it would be the size of a human.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct.
FEYERICK (voice-over): The car drove into the pit at 3:23, according to prosecutors. Cameras show the car leaving about four minutes later at 3:27 a.m.
(on camera): So, this is where Odin Lloyd had his final moments.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's correct.
FEYERICK: And according to the prosecutors, he was shot --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Execution style. FEYERICK (voice-over): The official timeline shows it took two minutes for Hernandez and his friends to get home. Odin Lloyd was not with them. Almost immediately, the surveillance cameras inside his home were disabled, the same cameras that caught Hernandez allegedly holding a .45-caliber Glock before he set out to meet Odin Lloyd. Hernandez has pleaded not guilty. His lawyer says the evidence is all circumstantial.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: Odin Lloyd was buried yesterday. As for Aaron Hernandez's two friends -- well, so far, they have not been charged in connection with the death of Odin Lloyd -- Alison, Suzanne.
KOSIK: Deb, let me ask you this. Have prosecutors said yet what they think the motive is in this case?
FEYERICK: One of the theories that they're working on is that perhaps Odin Lloyd knew something about the drive-by shooting that killed two men, and perhaps, Aaron Hernandez's involvement in that. But what we know is that the two men had been at a nightclub on Friday. Apparently, Odin Lloyd was seen talking to somebody, and that really angered Hernandez, who said, who began to say that he couldn't trust anyone, he couldn't trust anyone.
So, whether there was an increasing paranoia on the part of Aaron Hernandez, whether, in fact, Odin Lloyd, who happened to be dating Hernandez's fiancee's sister knew too much, unclear right now. All that under investigation, Alison.
MALVEAUX: Fascinating trail. Deb Feyerick in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, thank you very much. Appreciate it.
KOSIK: To the southwest now where an unrelenting heat wave may have claimed its first victim. On Saturday, authorities found a man in his 80s dead in his Las Vegas home. He died from cardiac arrest. His home didn't have any air conditioning.
MALVEAUX: Meantime, temperatures continue to soar. Phoenix saw a one day record of 119 degrees on Saturday. And in Death Valley, the mercury hit a whopping 127.
How long is the heat wave going to last?
We want to go to our meteorologist, Alexandra Steele, in our severe weather center.
This is amazing when you look at these temperatures, pretty historic.
ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is absolutely. And they're not only records for the day or the month, but this is some rarefied air, some very rare territory. So, we'll talk about how close some of these temperatures are to the highest they have ever been. So, here's synoptically the setup. Essentially, it's an atmosphere blast furnace. The high pressure is in control in the Southwest. It's sitting overhead, it's stagnant.
The air is compressing and heating. And what happens, essentially, instead of kind of moving eastward and shifting the pattern and allowing for a break, it's what we call retrograding. This high is moving westward, allowing for even more days of this.
So, the problem, temperatures are exorbitantly high. They're not dropping down below 90s at night. And it's going to last through at least July 4th, which is Thursday, and in some cases not get out of the 110 category until possibly next Saturday.
So, here are the records you were just talking about. In Vegas, 115. But the all-time record, only happened twice there, is only two degrees shy of that. Phoenix, 119, the all-time record there hit in 1990 is 122. So, we're not far off. Today, 116. You can see the average here is only 103. So, well above that.
And even into Thursday here in Las Vegas, we're going to see temperatures still in the 110s. They don't get down to about 109 until two days after that, through the weekend. Phoenix, you can see 116, 109 by Thursday. So, they get down then, but still, temperatures well above average. They should be at 107.
Salt Lake City, too. So, it's not just the desert southwest, it's in the Intermountain West as well, 89 Salt Lake's average, 105 yesterday and it's a record. So it's there as well.
KOSIK: So, there is a little relief, even when the sun goes down, the heat is still oppressive.
STEELE: That's right. Right now in Phoenix and Vegas, the temperatures are between 95 and 96. So that's really where it's dangerous, during the nighttime hours, no heat relief, staying well above the 90s overnight.
KOSIK: OK, thank you.
MALVEAUX: Can you imagine?
KOSIK: No.
MALVEAUX: Just unbelievable, that kind of heat.
This week, 40 million Americans can leave their home for a summer vacation. We're going to tell you how to avoid the headaches of the summer travel season and maybe even save a little bit of money as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: Welcome back.
It's official, student loan rates are set to double tomorrow after Congress failed to reach a deal. So, that means interest is going to go from 3.4 percent up to 6.8 percent. Now, there is going to be another chance to bring those rates back down, but not until Congress gets back from its week-long July 4th vacation, and good news for those who have those loans. If Congress is able to come up with a deal, it would be retroactive.
The Fourth of July is just days away, and it's the busiest holiday of the summer travel season, which means you may be hitting the road with more than 40 million Americans, and that could cause a real big headache.
So, joining us with some tips and ways to save cash is travel expert Mark Murphy. He's in New York. And he's also the author of "Travel Unscripted."
Good morning to you, Mark.
MARK MURPHY, AUTHOR, "TRAVEL UNSCRIPTED": Good morning, Alison.
KOSIK: Let's go ahead and start with all of the travel coming up this week. What can people do to avoid, you know, all the traffic and all the craziness that comes along with it?
MURPHY: Should I say stay home?
KOSIK: I think so.
MURPHY: Absolutely not. Absolutely not.
What you want to do is get on the road early. Do not travel on July 3rd, if you can avoid it, and don't come home on July 7th, because those are the two busiest days of this holiday weekend, and this is the biggest holiday of the summer travel season. So I would suggest you do that, if at all possible.
KOSIK: OK.
So, Mark, people are going to be traveling, you know, all throughout the summer. What is the best way that we can find some great deals?
MURPHY: All right. So, number one, you'll want to avoid traffic. So, if you're going to be traveling by car, I would suggest an app called WAZE, W-A-Z-E. Download that. That is a crowd source app that basically uses GPS to tell you what is ahead of you and reroutes you around potential problems, traffic jams, et cetera.
Another great app is called Gas Buddy. Gas Buddy will tell you, once again, crowd source, where people around you are finding the best gas deals. It's almost like having a million friends out there that are telling you where to drive, where to buy gas, et cetera. And of course, if you're literally in a town and you need a hotel room at last minute, there is another app called hotel tonight, and that can find you cheap, last-minute hotel deals.
My best travel tip is always talk to a travel agent and get out in front and plan a trip, especially if you're going to go anyplace for any period of time.
KOSIK: OK, what about flights? Every time I go to book a flight, it seems like the cost goes up and up and up. Is there any way to actually save money on flights if you're looking to travel over the summer? Because we are in the summertime now.
MURPHY: Well, one of the ways is to look at connections, because of all the airline mergers, there's fewer direct and nonstop flights and there's lots of different combinations, so I would look at connections. I would also look if you're traveling internationally at something called consolidator tickets. They're sold through travel agents. They're deeply discounted tickets that you can get, especially in business and first-class when doing a long-haul flight. Those are two great travel tips for airline travel.
KOSIK: OK, so I know a lot of us are going to be hitting the roads with our kids. Any tips there?
MURPHY: Well, sure. I mean, there's lots of ways to travel with your kids. One of the ways is to find hotels that have the kids eat free type of programs. Some of the properties, especially the resort properties, have basically built-in daycare, so the parents get a break. So, check out those.
I would look to get the destinations like the Caribbean and Mexico and check out their all-inclusive products. Mexico is a great value right now, especially if you're traveling as a family, because you don't have to clean up, you don't have to cook, you don't have to take care of the kids all day. They've got people that will do that for you.
So, from a kids' standpoint, that's a great way to go.
KOSIK: OK, got to talk about cruises before I let you go, because, you know, cruise nightmares have been all the rage in the news headlines. Are they a good idea or a bad idea?
MURPHY: I love cruises. And you know what? A lot of people I know love cruises. Twenty million people cruised last year. Very few had a problem.
And what they have on board are kids programs, so again, if the kids are three years and up, most cruise lines can handle that with daycare. If they're three months and above, cruise lines like Disney are built for that. So, they'll take care of the infants as well.
One of the things about cruising that can save you a ton of money is airfare. There's a thing called home port cruising. I'm based in New York right now and you've got a ton of ships going out of Bayonne, out of New York City. You can get on the new NCL, Norwegian Cruise Line Breakaway, which just did its inaugural this summer, and you save on airfare. You literally drive to the port and get on the boat and you're on vacation as you're looking at the skyline of New York City.
KOSIK: That's definitely an idea I can live with. Mark Murphy, thanks so much for your time. MURPHY: You're welcome.
MALVEAUX: The next stop on President Obama's tour of South Africa could be the most emotional one yet of his visit there. He is bringing his daughters with him and he says it's an honor and a privilege. Details, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: President Obama and his family are heading today to the island prison where Nelson Mandela was banished and jailed for decades for challenging apartheid. They are expected to tour Robben Island next hour. President Obama has been to Robben Island before in 2006, but this is the first time he's going to be there with his daughters, Malia and Sasha.
The president says it's an honor and a privilege. Their tour guide will be a former inmate. Mr. Obama is wrapping up his trip to South Africa as 94-year-old Mandela remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition.
MALVEAUX: And this weekend, former President Jimmy Carter is hosting a human rights conference at the Carter Center here in Atlanta. I got an exclusive interview with him, and he said that Nelson Mandela's legacy is going to be like those of other great civil rights champions.
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT: Nelson will be in the same category with Martin Luther King Jr. and maybe even Mahatma Gandhi as one of the most inspirational leaders of all time. He came out of prison after being abused for over half his life. He never expressed any condemnation of his oppressors. He worked within the democratic system that was evolving in South Africa, primarily because of his influence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The former President Carter also told me that he met Mandela right after his release from prison from Robben Island. And Carter is hosting the human rights activists as well as religious leaders from around the world for the human rights defenders initiative forum this weekend.
KOSIK: Here's the temperature for you, 127 degrees. Can you imagine that kind of heat? Some people lived through it on Saturday and we're going to tell you where. But first, let's check in with Dr. Sanjay Gupta for a look at what's ahead on "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D." at 7:30 Eastern time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The FDA is cracking down on counterfeit medicines. You especially have to be careful if you're ordering these online. So, I'll tell you what to look for.
Also, a great story, immigrants trained as doctors, forced to work construction, flip burgers instead of seeing patients. I know immigration's a hot topic, but we're going to look for a win-win solution here.
We've got that and much more coming up at the bottom of the hour.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: The heat wave out West, they have claimed its first victim. On Saturday, authorities in Las Vegas found a man in his 80s dead in a home that didn't have any air conditioning.
MALVEAUX: Meantime, Phoenix saw a one-day record of 119 degrees, and in Death Valley, it was 127.
We want to go to our meteorologist, Alexandra Steele, in the weather center.
Alexandra, that is like oppressive heat there.
STEELE: Oh, absolutely! All right, so, there you said it, Phoenix, 119, the record for the day, the record for the month, but not the all-time record of the highest temperature ever hit, three degrees shy of that.
Vegas yesterday 119, 115, you can see just two degrees off of the highest temperature that they have ever hit. And one of the problems, not only are these temperatures getting to such exorbitant levels, it's touring the nighttime. Right now, it's still in the morning. It's 96 in Phoenix.
Right now, in Las Vegas, it's 93 degrees. And temperatures at nighttime aren't dropping below 90s.
And here's the problem, too. This heat wave is really going to last straight through into the fourth of July on Thursday and then even maybe a day or two after that, staying in the 110 category.
So, Las Vegas today, 116 degrees. The average there only 107. So, temperatures outlandishly high and will continue to be so.
Also in Salt Lake City, guys, the Intermountain West, Alison, also, seeing 105 yesterday, and they should be in the upper 80s and 90s.
KOSIK: Oh, it's really hard, Alexandra, to really enjoy any kind of summer when it's that oppressive, you know?
STEELE: Absolutely.
KOSIK: All right. Thanks, Alexandra Steele. We'll see you back here at the top of the hour, 8:00 Eastern.
MALVEAUX: And "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D." starts right now.
