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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Make It Hot, Hot, Hot!; White House Vague About Russian Visit Plans; Nelson Mandela Turns 95; A-Rod Returns to Yankees Lineup

Aired July 18, 2013 - 05:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With electrical grid struggling to support the soaring demand for air-conditioning, some people are being warned to conserve in whatever way they can. In Baltimore, a power outage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just suffer it out. It's all I can do.

FOREMAN: In a suburban county outside of Washington, D.C., the failure of a massive water line worried hundreds of thousands of customers and prompted mandatory usage restrictions while utility crews rushed to repairs. And in the capital itself, roofers saw the thermometer closing in on 120 degrees, but the breaks long and workdays short.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But at least we do have a lot. We stay right here that we can -- right out in the direct sunlight.

FOREMAN: At a nearby food truck, the customers rushed up and away with only the heat hanging around.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a warm weather person, but this is extreme.

FOREMAN: Still, the heat wave rolls on. Out in California, low humidity and high temperatures are complicating efforts to battle a wildfire that's already taken several homes. And in Iowa, even Francine Lines' air conditioner could not cope.

FRANCINE LINES, HOMEOWNER: I could hear it running outside, but I could not feel any cool air coming in. So, I cranked open the window and looked and it was -- I can see the line was all frosted up.

FOREMAN: Cooler temperatures are expected by the weekend, and some folks have their own plans to beat the heat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to take a nice, cold shower later.

FOREMAN: But for now, the dog days of summer are running hot.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Whenever it gets this hot, we warn you, don't leave your kids or your pets in the car. Temperatures can rise fast. Really fast. If you don't believe us, watch this from meteorologist, Jacob Wycoff. He locked himself in a hot car for 30 minutes. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've now hit the 20-minute mark. The temperature hovering right around 120 degrees. So, since I've started in 20 minutes, it's gone up almost 30 degrees. Yes. Thirty degrees. I'm starting to get pretty miserable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Sweat. It's actually a good thing. It's when you stop sweating, that there's a problem. By the end, Wycoff says he was struggling, but if it saves one life, he says it's worth it.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. Why would he do that, I mean, but it's a good demonstration, right? It shows how quickly that you can do it. Just without throwing out thermometer.

ROMANS: You know, the thing is that, in many of the demonstration -- people leave a child in a car, you know --

LEMON: A pet, right.

ROMANS: -- or a pet, sometimes, they don't mean to. They forget, you know? It's not that they think, oh, it's only going to be five or ten minutes. They honestly sometimes forget that it is so, so dangerous.

LEMON: Yes. And Indra Petersons can tell us. She's live in Central Park right now. When are we going to get some relief?

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. It's going to be awhile. We're still talking about until this weekend. And you know, we're talking about ten minutes we just showed that video. Ten minutes go from 80 degrees in a vehicle to 100. Well, currently, this is the coolest time of the day, really. The sun is just about to come up, and it's 82 degrees.

So, imagine that, by the peak summer hours here in the afternoon, we're talking about it, feeling like already a 105 in many areas, and that's going to be our starting point. So, the danger here is incredibly high. I want to show you right now where the map looks like or what it looks like on the map. How many states are dealing with the heat? I mean, pretty much every state in entire content (ph) U.S. had a temperature of 90 degrees or above yesterday, excluding New Mexico.

So, we are not alone in the heat here in the northeast. Of course, the difference is the dry heat versus all of the humidity that we're dealing with. So much moisture. Seventy percent humidity in the morning, by the afternoon, even as high as 30, 40, 50 percent in some location. Now, take a look at the map here. You can actually see that the threat extends even further than it did yesterday, and especially Hartford, Connecticut. We're really keeping an eye on them as well as Philadelphia. A 105. That's the heat index expect on those areas, but still 100 degrees, very dangerous situation extending really all the way from New England down through D.C. And now, this is spreading farther west today than it did yesterday. So, now even farther west than Minnesota. Today, we're going include the Dakotas into these warning areas.

So, that's the danger. It's going to last for some time. Four days already in New York and Philly. Even D.C. at three. We're continuing this up into the weekend. The big thing everybody wants to know is when are we going to see that relief. With the cold front, you can actually see it sliding down from Canada. So, that's going to bring us cooler temperatures.

Remember, you have a cold front with high humidity. We're talking about that severe weather threat. It looks like it's already going to be starting today from right about Duluth and northern portions of the northeast. Eventually, it will kind of push into the northeast by the weekend. So, yes, still hot. And you can tell, you know, it's tough out here even in the early morning hours. Then, we got another day of this ahead of us.

ROMANS: All right. Thanks, Indra.

LEMON: All right. Thank you very much. You know, heat, dry air, and wind are stoking a wildfire outside Palm Springs that just keeps growing. The wind has pushed it away from the desert and towards resort areas in the mountains. Around 6,000 people are under evacuation orders. Firefighters haven't been able to slow the blaze down. It's only around 15 percent contained.

ROMANS: OK. Such a sad story. Three days after he died of a drug and alcohol overdose in a Vancouver hotel room, TMZ says "Glee" actor, Cory Monteith's body has been cremated following a private ceremony with his mother and his girlfriend, Lea Michelle. But not there, his father, who tells the website he was devastated he didn't get a chance to say goodbye.

Joe Monteith had been estranged from his son for years, but they reconnected in 2009. Meantime, "Glee's" producers say the show will go on. They're working now to figure out a way to write Monteith's character out of the series.

LEMON: So sad.

ROMANS: Really is.

LEMON: Police in New Orleans say they have a confession in a shocking murder case. The body of a six-year-old was found Tuesday in a trash bin near the apartment where she lived. She'd been stabbed to death. And now, her 20-year-old cousin by marriage has been arrested for murder. Police say he's also a suspect in an unrelated child rape case.

ROMANS: Penn State may be close to paying some victims of former football coach, Jerry Sandusky. "The Wall Street Journal" says the university has reached deals to settle about 25 claims filed since the sex abuse scandal broke. A $60 million settlement fund would cover the cost. One lawyer says the settlement includes a confidentiality clause and that victims must agree not to file any more lawsuits over this case. The disgraced former coach serving a 30-year prison sentence.

LEMON: A controversial set of new abortion restrictions are set to become law today in Texas. Governor Rick Perry will sign the measures less than a week after they were given final approval by lawmakers. Under the restrictions, most abortions after 20 weeks will be banned, and the procedure will have to take place in a surgical center. Opponents say that will effectively shut down dozens of clinics.

ROMANS: Could Edward Snowden's long stay in a Moscow airport be coming to an end? His lawyer says the NSA leaker is likely to leave the airports transit zone in the next few days to finish up some paperwork for his formal asylum request. He has asked Russia to let him stay in that country for now as he awaits safe passage to Latin- America where he would like to go.

LEMON: And as Snowden situation has a potential to scuttle (ph) part of President Obama's planned trip to Russia this September. He was set to meet with Vladimir Putin, head of an international summit, but, with at least one senator saying, the U.S. should skip next year's Olympics in Sochi. The White House is being vague about its plans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president intends to go to Russia in September.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).

CARNEY: I just have nothing else to say on it.

(CROSSTALK)

CARNEY: That's for you to decide.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: It is possible the president could just attend the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg and not meet with President Putin in Moscow beforehand.

ROMANS: Interesting. All of that, I don't know, cooperation after the Boston bombings on the two suspects and their Russian roots and ties and then suddenly the Edward Snowden issue doesn't seem -- cooperation between those two government.

All right. The government really may know where you are at all times. The ACLU says police departments are actively collecting license plate numbers using powerful cameras that can instantly check your car against national lists. Some departments have been -- have even built databases that can track your movements, the ACLU says. At least one local police official says you really shouldn't have any expectations of privacy when driving on a public street.

LEMON: I did not know that you just got married just a short time ago, and this is one way, I guess, to get rid of your wedding bouquet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: All right. That's not Christine Romans. That is newlywed, Natasha Johnson, as a human sling shot. I guess, that would be the groom right there. During a wedding at a resort in Utah, she had a thought about a couple ways to make her special day extra special. She was originally planning to ride a mechanical bull, but her mother said no. So, she and her hubby talked about doing this.

You're looking at right there. She was worried about it ruining her dress and only said yes the night before her husband, by the way, took a ride himself with a toss to toss the garter belt. You know, that looks like a lot of fun, I have to say, doesn't it?

ROMANS: I give them a lot of credit for trying something different. And about the dress, you know, look, if you're going to wear it once.

LEMON: What is mama boo was her name?

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: I don't know. That looks --

(LAUGHTER)

ROMANS: Our pop culture, it doesn't --

(CROSSTALK)

ROMANS: All right. Coming up, Nelson Mandela, is he on the mend? The former South African leader in the hospital for weeks now. What his family is now saying about his recovery?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Nelson Mandela is marking his 95th birthday today. Still in a Pretoria Hospital. But his family says the former South African president has made remarkable progress and could be released soon. His daughter tells Britain Sky News, the anti-apartheid activist is watching television and communicating with his eyes and his hands. And Mandela has been in the hospital for more than a month battling a lung infection.

ROMANS: This picture of a daredevil. A photographer in Hawaii on top of a lava flow, aha. His shoes and tripod on fire. It's getting a lot of attention online, but is the viral image real? Kawika Singson (ph) says it is, just not how you might think. Lava didn't ignite the fire. The photographer admits using accelerant to start the flames then had a friend to take the shot. He said he just thought it would be a cool Facebook photo.

LEMON: OK. So -- get it (ph). All right. Let's take a look at what's coming up on "NEW DAY." Kind of. I kind of get it.

ROMANS: Chris Cuomo and Kate Bolduan join us now. Good morning, you guys.

LEMON: Good morning.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Don, you put the mic on the jacket, right? You don't put the mic on the tie, right?

LEMON: I put the mic on the jacket, because it can ruin the tie.

CUOMO: It ruins the tie. And also, look how my tie sits.

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: It's like the fat daddy tie I have.

LEMON: It's too low.

(CROSSTALK)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These are the important things, though, we must figure out in the morning.

LEMON: Do you do the tuck into the pants?

CUOMO: No, no. I went to military school, Don Lemon. My tie is always appropriate and non-choking length.

(LAUGHTER)

CUOMO: Can't choke me with my tie. That's what they teach you --

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: Enough about me and the vagaries of my microphone. Good morning to you both. This morning, we are expecting to hear from Trayvon Martin's parents, how they're handling the acquittal of a man who killed their son.

We're also going to get the reaction of their attorney, Darrell Parks. Also, stand-your-ground became a big part of the discussion. A part of that trial. But also, much bigger now without it. There are protests going on. There's another case we're going to look at today where someone is in jail for 20 years who's denied stand-your-ground. So, we're going to look at all with that.

BOLDUAN: There are many states across the country that have similar laws on the books. Yes.

Another story we're going to talk about today. A "NEW DAY" exclusive. Remember the congressman right there who was caught, quote/unquote "tweeting with a stunning swimsuit model?" Everyone said, oh, scandal. This is during the "State of the Union. Well, he said and she did as well, that they were related, that she was his daughter, but is that really the case? We will bring you the paternity test results right here on "NEW DAY."

CUOMO: To be completely clear, the swimsuit model was the women on the right and the congressman on the left.

BOLDUAN: I know. I was vague. I apologize.

CUOMO: Just in case the pictures did not tell the story.

Then, actor, Rob Lowe comes by. Very intelligent guy, speaks about what's going on in his life professionally. He's got a great documentary he's working on. He gives insight into what happened to Cory Monteith because of his past with addiction, his sobriety. The idea of how to make a comeback --

BOLDUAN: Yes, that was --

CUOMO: Talking about politics with Spitzer and Weiner. He was really great. But mainly, the conversation, Don Lemon, was how the two women on the team just find Rob Lowe superior to the man in the middle, currently.

BOLDUAN: This is a made up situation. He has been talking about this for days now.

LEMON: It's too bad he's not good looking, that guy.

(LAUGHTER)

BOLDUAN: I prefer to interview unattractive people.

LEMON: What do you said, that he was better looking than Chris Cuomo?

BOLDUAN: No, I said that.

CUOMO: My mother said that.

(LAUGHTER)

CUOMO: Everybody says that.

BOLDUAN: It's actually factual. It's not an opinion.

LEMON: With the congressman and the model, we need to get a picture of Rob Lowe and Chris Cuomo up.

CUOMO: I'm the congressman in that picture.

LEMON: Let's do a survey. Let's do a survey. (LAUGHTER)

CUOMO: I'm the congressman, Don.

ROMANS: We will let the people decide.

CUOMO: Christine, all I say in this interview with Rob Low, this is what you hear --

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: I see glare. There's only one attractive man allowed on this set.

(LAUGHTER)

CUOMO: I studied him for minutes looking for an imperfection and I found none.

(LAUGHTER)

CUOMO: Hi, Rob.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

ROMANS: I cannot wait to see that. All right, guys. We will tune in. Thank you.

CUOMO: See you soon.

ROMANS: Coming up, Alex Rodriguez back in the game. We now know when the Yankee slugger will return to the field. We're going to tell you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: The start of the college football season right around the corner. The SEC is holding their annual media day this week, and all everyone wants to talk about is Heisman trophy winner, Johnny Manziel.

ROMANS: Yes. Andy Scholes joins us for more in this morning's "Bleacher Report." Good morning.

ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: hey, good morning, guys. After becoming the first freshman to ever win the Heisman, Johnny football has been living it up. He's been seen court sided NBA games, golfing at Pebble Beach, and making the rounds on the late night talk shows. And no matter what Johnny seems to do, he seems to gets criticized for it.

Over the weekend, he was sent home from the Manning passing camp or what was rumored to be have a hangover. He (ph) says he wasn't hung over, he just slept too long. And yesterday, the quarterback said he's beginning to understand why everyone always wants to see him fail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To big guys, the most hated around the league. You look at Lebron. He's like the best player in the NBA. You just go from league to league. There are guys like that. So, maybe I'm thinking (INAUDIBLE) I'm OK with it. You got to be doing something right, but people would hate you like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Get ready, Yankees' fans. Alex Rodriguez is returning to the lineup on Monday. A-Rod announced his return day during a radio interview yesterday. He's been rehabbing from off season hip surgery in the minors for the last two weeks. Aaron has struggled at the plate, but he says he's ready to return to the big leagues.

Tiger Woods and Nike have agreed on a new contract that should keep the world's number golfer with the company for the foreseeable future. Tiger's current contract that reportedly pays him more than $20 million a year is set to expire at the end of this year. Tiger tees off later this morning at the Open Championship in Scottland. He's looking to win his first major since 2008.

All right. In the what's hot section of BleacherReport.com, you'll find one of the better executed alley-oops in backyard pool history. How much fun does that look? Seven kids involved before it finally goes down. Look at that backyard. A trampoline, a slide and a pool. I don't know if a kid needs anymore and what to do in the summer.

LEMON: A kid? How about an adult?

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: All right. Thanks, Andy.

ROMANS: We're going to be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Welcome back. Four minutes before the hour right now. We'll take a look at some of CNN's top trending stories this morning. The spotlight today will be on some of television's best and brightest as the primetime Emmy Awards or Emmy nominations are set to be announced.

Among this year's favorites, drama is striking back, which is likely also be acting up for honors for star Bryan Cranston and Perennial winner, "Modern Family" could get a lot of mentions in the comedy category, but a few online only shows could be a spoiler. Critics in the Netflix series, "House of Cards" and "Arrested Development" may find themselves be on the nominations. ROMANS: And that will be very interesting. All right. San Diego, again, the center of the geek world. The annual comicon is bringing thousands of fan boys and girls to that Southern California City for the annual celebration for the movies, TVs, videogames, and yes, comics. Stars of the "X-Files," Dexter, and South Park, of course, are all part of the panel discussions.

LEMON: Who knew Charlie Sheen is now a grandpa. The TV star's 28- year-old daughter, Cassandra, welcomed her first child on Wednesday. A daughter named Luna -- and she tells TMZ, it was a wondrous day. His granddaughter is barely younger than his four other children all under the age of 10. He has twin four-year-old boys with the third wife, Brooke Mueller.

ROMANS: All right. That's it for EARLY START. That's actually the nicest story we've had about Charlie Sheen in a long time.

(LAUGHTER)

ROMANS: It's an upbeat, wondrous story about Charlie Sheen. Chris Cuomo and Kate Bolduan, take it away from here. Hi, guys.

BOLDUAN: See, anything is possible. Anything is possible. I think that's the moral of the story today. Thanks, guys.

LEMON: Have a great day. Have a great show.

BOLDUAN: Thank you.

CUOMO: You take good news where you find it. It's almost at the top of the hour and you know what that means here on "NEW DAY," it's time for the top news.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last summer was rough. This summer is rough. It's just like getting hotter and hotter.

CUOMO: Boiling point. The epic heat turns deadly. Much of the country sweltering. Relief still days away. Overnight, a fast moving wildfire causes thousands to evacuate in the west. We're tracking it all.

BOLDUAN: Controversy. Boston and the country erupt in anger over this "Rolling Stone" magazine cover featuring the alleged Boston bomber. Stores are pulling the issue. We have the latest.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A-Rod speaks. The star ball player under investigation for allegedly juicing. His legacy and $100 million contract in danger. He goes one-on-one with CNN. Will he win this fight?

CUOMO: Your "NEW DAY" starts right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is "NEW DAY" with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan, and Michaela Pereira. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: Good morning, everybody. Welcome to "NEW DAY." It's Thursday, July 18th, six o'clock in the east. I'm Chris Cuomo.

BOLDUAN: Good morning, everyone. I'm Kate Bolduan. We're joined by news anchor, Michaela Pereira. Lots coming up this show.

Trayvon Martin's parents breaking their silence this morning, speaking out for the very first time since their son's killer was acquitted. We'll bring you what they have to say about the controversial verdict and the protests that followed. Plus, the question remains, will they sue George Zimmerman?

CUOMO: Maybe, just maybe, Congress or at least the Senate is about to do their job for the college bound. Lawmakers are now one step closer to a deal to reduce rates on loans and cap them. A lot still needs to be decided. So, we'll give you the latest and keep the pressure up this morning.

PEREIRA: And later in the show, we've got a "NEW DAY" exclusive. Remember the story, Congressman Steve Cohen busted caught tweeting a bikini model during the "State of the Union" address, well he then revealed that the model was actually his long lost daughter. Well, we here at "NEW DAY" have been following the story quite closely.

There have been some questions as to whether he really is her father. We worked with the pair to find out the real answer and that is coming up.

CUOMO: First, this morning, 130 million Americans now consumed by heat that won't quit. Take a look at the hot map. You can see 47 states have temperatures above 90 degrees. And guess what, the worst is yet to come. Temperatures approaching 100 degrees for the next two days throughout the Midwest and northeast.

Meteorologist, Indra Petersons, baking (ph) in the Big Apple outside in Central Park this morning. Good morning, Indra. How hot and how long? Those are the questions.

PETERSONS: Absolutely. I mean, we're talking about heat indices that could feel like 105, and this is the fifth day of the heat wave here in New York. I mean, it's just unrelenting even in these early morning hours. The sun is not even up, and the temperature is still in the 80s. And it's really affecting a huge chunk of the country.