Return to Transcripts main page
NEWS STREAM
North Korea Invites Journalists For Nuclear Site Dismantling; Summit In Limbo; Hawaii Volcano; Scaling The Summit. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired May 23, 2018 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN NEWS STREAM SHOW HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to "News Stream."
A summit in limbo, Donald Trump casts even more doubt on the planned summit between the U.S. and North Korea.
Zuckerberg in Paris, the Facebook CEO prepares to meet Emanuel Macron after an awkward grilling at the European Parliament.
And the never-ending volcanic nightmare, Kilauea unleashes another explosion sending ash thousands of meters into the air.
OK, we're going to have all those stories in just a moment. But first, the U.S. embassy in China has issued a health warning after a U.S. government
employee reported abnormal symptoms that indicated a mild traumatic brain injury. Matt Rivers is live for us in Beijing and he joins us now live.
Matt, exactly what happened? What prompted this alert?
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, this is kind of an odd one, Kristie. So, it was just a couple of hours ago that all U.S. citizens who are
registered on the e-mail listserv that is operated by the American embassy here in Beijing, we got a health alert basically saying -- I can read you
part of it, that a U.S. government employee in China recently reported subtle and vague, but abnormal sensations of sound and pressure.
The U.S. government is taking these reports seriously and has informed its official staff in China. We do not currently know what caused the reported
symptoms. And then we called the embassy here in Beijing and we got a little bit of further information that it was from late 2017 through April
2018 of this year that a government employee assigned to Guangzhou, which is that big city in southern China, reported feeling the symptoms.
Just one employee and it was last week that the embassy learned that after that individual went back to the United States for clinical evaluations, he
was diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury. So that prompted us to think, well, does this have anything to -- any connection of sort to what
we saw happen in Cuba?
We did get a U.S. diplomatic official who told CNN that the State Department is looking into whether this is sonic attack similar to what
happened in Cuba. And you'll remember, Kristie, that it was last year that several dozen diplomats and their family members in Cuba experienced
similar symptoms to what we're saying here. And so I think that's what prompted the State Department here to send out this notification to
Americans in China out of an abundance of caution.
Yes, it is only one isolated case at this point. They are not accusing the Chinese government of anything at this point. They have notified the
Chinese authorities. They say that they are responding, but at this point it's a suspicious case that does have similarities to what we have seen
elsewhere.
LU STOUT: Yeah, an isolated case but a curious case that's just begging for more clarity. We appreciate your reporting on this. Matt Rivers in
Beijing. Thank you.
Now, the complex U.S.-North Korean summit is on even shakier ground now after President Donald Trump says that the talks might not happen on the
scheduled date. He says the two sides can't seem to agree on parameters for denuclearization. Even a meeting with South Korea's president Moon Jae-in
did not seem to ease the worries in the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's a chance that it will work out. There's a chance. There's a very substantial chance that it
won't work out. That doesn't mean it won't work out over a period of time, but it may not work out for June 12th.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Mr. Trump also appeared to be getting mixed messages with this statement, suggesting that he may be flexible on the idea of total
denuclearization.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: All in one would be nice, I can tell you. I'm not going to go beyond that. It would certainly be better if it were all in one. Does it he
to be? I don't think I want to totally commit myself, but all in one would be a lot better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Okay, let's get the latest view from Seoul. Ivan Watson joins us now from the South Korean capital. Ivan, Trump is casting doubt of his
upcoming meeting between him and Kim Jong-un. Is this just diplomatic political posturing or is reality setting in here?
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So hard for us to tell. There's clearly some kind of diplomatic dance under way because it
was just last Wednesday that the North Koreans said hey, we may not go to this Singapore summit because we're angry about U.S.-South Korean joint
aerial defense drills and now we hear this message from President Trump.
It's worth noting that while he said there was a substantial chance that the summit might not happen as originally planned, he also dangled these
kinds of incentives to North Korea again for why it should give up its nuclear arsenal.
[08:05:01] He suggested that there would be security guarantees. Here's the U.S. president promising to keep Kim Jong-un safe -- keep the North Korean
dictator safe, and also dangling the promise of some economic prosperity for all of North Korea in the future. So, he's not backing out just yet. He
seems to be trying to keep the door open.
Meanwhi1e, the South Korean president has been saying that that it's possible that the dialogue that North and South Korea had been enjoying up
until last week that was suddenly put on hold by the North Koreans over their criticism of South Korea and those joint air defense drills that
maybe that'll get better after Friday, after May 25th when the annual joint air defense drills end. But we'll really just have to wait and see,
Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yes, wait and see, door still kind of open for talks. Donald Trump also said something else pretty interesting. He blamed China and he
blamed Xi Jinping for Kim Jong-un's change of heart also.
WATSON: Yeah, it is not the first time he's done that. But let's take a listen to the latest version of this accusation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: President Xi is a world-class poker player. There was a different attitude by the North Korean folks when -- after that meeting. All of a
sudden it was reported that he was in China a second time. The first time everybody knew about. The second time was like a surprise. And I think
things changed after that meeting. So, I can't say that I'm happy about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: This isn't the first time that President Trump has made this allegation. Basically, he's referring to Kim Jong-un's second only known
trip outside of North Korea since assuming the top leadership position there. And that was a visit done in secret to the Chinese port city of
Dalian where he met a second time in two months with Xi Jinping. And President Trump has several times now alleged that after that second
meeting, suddenly North Korea's tone changed and became much less cooperative.
Hard for us to tell at this point and certainly we were not witnesses to the closed door discussions between Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un. But it's
also a change in tone from President Trump who of course had been applauding and thanking China for helping tighten the economic news around
North Korea in past months as part of what the Trump administration calls its maximum pressure campaign.
And now, suddenly suggesting that China is acting like a spoiler here and putting the entire summit in jeopardy. We haven't really gotten a response
from China to this somewhat serious accusation, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Very much so. I mean, varying accusations, change of tone. Ivan Watson, live in Seoul for us interpreting it all for us. Thank you so much
Ivan. Take care.
The fate of this meeting, still unclear for now, but the White House at least has this commemorative coin to look at for some optimism around the
talks. However, some found the design a bit distasteful. As you see, one side of the coin has Kim Jong-un's face on it along with his official North
Korean title, supreme leader Kim Jong-un.
U.S. senator Chuck Schumer tweeted that Mr. Kim is a brutal dictator and should not be on the coin. He suggested the peace house (ph) should be more
appropriate. The White House says the coin was not created or approved by its staff. It was actually made by a joint military unit known as the White
House Communications Agency.
Meanwhile, President Trump is downplaying optimism over China trade talks. The president said he is not satisfied. There is no deal yet, that, despite
his own administration indicating the two nations have reached a tentative agreement. But Mr. Trump did make one concession on Tuesday saying that he
is reconsidering U.S. sanctions against Chinese tech giant ZTE as a favor to President Xi Jinping.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: There is no deal. We will see what happens. We are discussing deals, we're discussing various deals. As far as ZTE is concerned, the
president asked me to look into it and I am doing that. An don't forget for the ones who'd say, oh gee, maybe Trump is getting little bit easy. ZTE, we
closed it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: And you remember it happened just last month. The U.S. blocked ZTE from buying parts from American companies over national security
concerns. Meanwhile, China announced that it's cutting tariffs on imported cars giving a potential boost to foreign automakers in the world's largest
market. The Chinese finance ministry says that beginning July 1st, import duties on passenger vehicles will drop from 25 percent to 15 percent. U.S.
President Trump has criticized China in the past for its tariffs being far higher than the U.S.
[08:10:00] Mr. Trump has been on a twitter tirade over the past couple of hours over his unproven claims about a so-called spy in his campaign. In
one tweet, the president declared that spygate could be one of the biggest political scandals in history. It all comes as CNN is learning new details
about his potential interview with the special counsel. Kaitlan Collins has the latest from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: If they had spies in my campaign that would be a disgrace for this country. That would be one of the biggest insults that anyone has ever seen
and it would be very illegal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Trump continuing to push the idea that a spy was placed into his campaign
without producing any evidence to back up his claim. U.S. officials telling CNN his assertion isn't true. Still, Mr. Trump tweeting, he was only there
to spy for political reasons and to help crooked Hillary win, just like they did to Bernie Sanders who got duped.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (I) VERMONT: To the best of my knowledge, the FBI did its best to keep their investigation quiet during the election. So if there
was a political effort to undermine any candidate, me, Trump, anybody else, they would have said, -- they would have leaked something. That is not what
happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS (voice-over): The confidential source reportedly spoke with at least three advisors to the Trump campaign in 2016 as part of the
investigation into Russia's efforts to undermine the U.S. election.
(BEGIUN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: Was there anything unusual about your conversations with this guys?
CARTER PAGE, FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISOR: I never found anything unusual whatsoever. He is someone who is, you know, a long-term -- someone who had
been in part of the establishment in republican politics.
COOPER: Right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS (voice-over): President Trump also repeating his unproven claim that the confidential source was paid a massive amount of money.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Based on what I read in the newspapers and on what you reported, some person got paid a lot of money. That's not a normal situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS (voice-over): It's unclear what article is the president is referring to. The "Washington Post" reports that since 2012, the source had
contracts with the Defense Department through a Pentagon think tank for research in the social sciences and humanities. The Justice Department has
asked the Inspector General to look into the president's concerns about the source, but still the president declining to offer support for the deputy
attorney general Tuesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have confidence in Rod Rosenstein?
TRUMP: What's your next question, please?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a reporter for the --
TRUMP: No, excuse me. I have the president of South Korea here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TRUMP: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have a question --
TRUMPO: He does not want to hear these questions if you don't mind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS (voice-over): The White House announcing that multiple high ranking Justice Department officials will share highly classified
information about the Russia probe with two Republican congressman tomorrow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D), CALIFORNIA: It's inconceivable that the White House could expect that they can brief only Republicans on anything related to
the Russia investigation. That can't happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS (voice-over): The public effort to undermine the Russia investigation coming as CNN learns that the president's legal team is
trying to narrow the scope of a possible interview with the special counsel to Russia related matters that occurred before the election. Multiple
sources telling CNN Trump's lawyers are looking for a way to limit questions related to his presidency, especially questions about obstruction
of justice.
Now, Kristie, it's important to keep in mind here that all of the account we are getting from the negotiations between the special counsel and the
president's legal team are coming from the president's legal team specifically his newest lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. So we do not have a comment
from Mueller yet. It's unclear if he's willing to limit the questions that he wants to ask the president to ones related to Russia matters before the
campaign. So, important to keep all of that in mind here.
As for the president today, he's departing the White House here shortly to go to New York for an immigration roundtable before hosting a fund-raiser
later on tonight, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Kaitlan Collins there. You're watching "News Stream."
But up nest, he failed to impress European lawmakers but Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has another chance with Emanuel Macron. We get the latest on
this upcoming meeting with the French president.
[08:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: We're coming to you live from Hong Kong. Welcome back. This is "News Stream." Mark Zuckerberg is meeting French president Emanuel Macron
this Wednesday. The Facebook CEO has arrived in Paris from major tech conference and the pair, they will hold talks in the coming hours. This
follows his appearance in front of E.U. lawmakers in Brussels on Tuesday. Zuckerberg apologized for Facebook's handling of fake news, foreign
interference, privacy issues and promised to do better in the future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK ZUCKERBERG, CEO, FACEBOOK: It's become clear over the last couple of years that we haven't done enough to prevent these tools from being used
for harm as well. And that goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections, and developers misusing people's information. We didn't take a
broad enough view of our responsibility and that was a mistake and I'm sorry for it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: But some politicians, they were less than impressed and said that because of the format of the meeting they didn't have enough time to
get the answers th
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZUCKERBERG: I'll make sure that we follow up with each of you afterwards to make sure that your specific questions get addressed and we're going to
have someone come to do a full hearing soon to answer more of the technical questions as well. So thank you again for inviting me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Zuckerberg, I think there was one question raised by (inaudible) and we tell that's linked to my question, and that's the
separation of different services. And I think it's a very important question in this round, the market power of Facebook and the question if
you cross use for example data between Facebook and WhatsApp. So, it would be good if you say at least one word to that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you allow users to escape targeted advertising? I mean, I asked you six yes or no questions, I got not a single answer. And
of course, well, you asked for this format, well, for a reason.
ZUCKERBERG: OK. I'll make sure we followup and get you answers to those.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: It was a tough crowd in Brussels there. Now let's go live to Paris ahead of Zuckerberg's meeting with President Macron. CNN's Melissa
Bell joins us live. Melissa, thank you for joining us. As you heard just then, mark Zuckerberg, he got quite an earful from lawmakers -- E.U.
lawmakers on Tuesday. Is he going to have a far friendlier meeting when he sits down with Emanuel Macron?
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, absolutely. Emanuel Macron is receiving him first of all, Kristie, to continue that conversation about
the question of data protection and all those dangers that we have been hearing so much about from the tech giants. Because as you know, on Friday,
the E.U. will bring into force probably the most extreme, the most severe form of data protection legislation that the world has seen. Updating it
all from 1995 at the very internet's infancy to bring it up to speed, making Europe wide.
And it's going to allow for all kinds of rights that will be given to citizens, not just in the E.U. but elsewhere since the laws will allow
those regulations to apply to people on other countries as well and to be far broader than simply what happens within the E.U. And it will allow
people for instance to have a right to being forgotten, to have their data erased. It will protect how data is collected to begin with, Kristie. It's
going to severely change the way that these companies can operate.
So Emanuel Macron is very much going to continue that conversation with Mark Zuckerberg, but not only -- he's also meeting the heads of Microsoft
and IBM and Uber. Indeed, there'll be 50 companies gathered at the Elysee this afternoon to hear from him. He's going to be talking about how that
legislation is going to affect the tech giants. But definitely as you suggest, Kristie, trying to sell France as what he believes as a new,
better form, better proposition ready for tech start-ups especially the smaller ones to come and invest in France.
[08:20:10] Perhaps even over other E.U. countries. This is very much Emanuel Macron's pitch. He is going to speak them, the tech giants that is,
in their own language without the help of a translator and that is fairly new. And he's going to be trying to convince them and the smaller techs
that would be watching closely what goes on here and that they themselves will be meeting tomorrow for another tech conference of the fact that
France is now open for business and very much open for business for tech companies, start-ups and so on. That is what Emanuel Macron is trying to
present, but it's a message about the E.U. laws and about French potential, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yes. As you point out, E.U. regulators are tough. The E.U. is very suspicious about the power and reach of Facebook and they're doing
something about that. As you also pointed out, we know Emanuel Macron is very tech friendly, start-up friendly. If Zuckerberg's meeting with Macron
goes well, could it help change Zuckerberg's reputation, Facebook reputation and across Europe?
BELL: Well, I think that's right. I think both men have an interest in this coming out in a particular way as the world watches on. It is also
about Facebook rehabilitating its image, if you will, worldwide. And I think what was so interesting about yesterday's session, although it kind
have been very pleasant form him, it only lasted 22 minutes that was part of what you were hearing in those clips. There was a fair amount of
frustration in the part of (inaudible) who really wanted to able to get at him.
You saw a different sort of question than what you've seen on Capitol Hill just a few weeks ago. These were (inaudible) who happen to understand
really how the internet worked and were specific questions and often felt they didn't get the answers that they wanted. And the charges that they
were leveling against him, Kristie, were beyond the idea that he wasn't simply answering the questions as well as they would have liked.
But one of them actually accused him of making it impossible for sovereign countries to govern themselves given the breadth and the depth of his
technology and all of them urging him at last really, to stop apologizing and start making changes.
LU STOUT: Melissa Bell, live in Paris ahead the big meeting. Thank you.
Now, staying in France, officials in Paris are warning Donald Trump's decision to walk away from the Iran nuclear deal will have serious
consequences. Now, the French foreign minister says that the sanctions being directed at Tehran will weaken President Rouhani and strengthen the
country's hard liners. On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened to crush Iran with sanctions. And Iranian military commander has
reportedly responded by saying Mr. Pompeo will get punched in the mouth.
A disturbing new report out says that fighters from a Rohingya armed group are behind the massacre of scores of Hindus in Rakhine State last year.
Amnesty International claims as many as 99 Hindu men, women and children were killed by the rebels that reporters based on dozens of interviews,
photos and forensic analysis. Eight women and children from the village survived including this woman shown in the photo from Amnesty.
They provided witness statements saying that people were robbed, bound, and blindfolded before being executed. Amnesty International says the killings
happened on the same day Rohingya militants attacked dozens of police posts and an Army base in the region and provoked a military crackdown that
eventually drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingya civilians into Bangladesh.
The government of Myanmar has welcomed the Amnesty report. It says it also has, quote, credible evidence of more terrorist attacks by the rebel group.
But Amnesty International says the Myanmar government needs to allow access to Rakhine State for a proper investigation to the violence from all sides.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIRANA HASSAN, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: It was in the (inaudible) in Bangladesh that we actually started to interview a number of women from the
Hindu community who had told us about violations which have been perpetrated against them by what they believe was the Arakan Rohingya
Salvation Army, which is an armed group of the Rohingya.
The particular massacre that we have recently documented actually took place back around the 25th and 26th of August as the beginning of the
conflicts. But this is a conflict that has erupted as a result of longstanding issues. There has been systematic discrimination of the
Rohingya population in Myanmar and there's been excessive use of force and widespread and systematic violations committed by the Myanmar Armed Forces
for many years now against the Rohingya population.
The violence that has plagued northern Rakhine State since August 2017 is some of the most serious violence that we have seen in the country in
recent years. And what is required is a full investigation for the government to give access to independent human rights investigators and the
U.N. to be able to carry out a thorough investigation. And most importantly, there needs to be accountability.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: And that was Tirana Hassan from Amnesty there.
A Pakistani exchange student who was killed in a school shooting in Texas last week has been buried in her home city of Karachi.
[08:25:06] Seventeen year-old Shabika Sheikh was among 10 people killed in the attack at Santa Fe high school. Hundreds of people attended her funeral
including local politicians. Mourners said that Shabika should have been better protected.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a message for the people of America. Stop this (BLEEP). Make them safe, not for the sake, of my kid or my niece, but the
sake of your own kid. What are you doing?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Eight students and two teachers were killed in the attack.
As officials try to keep the upcoming Trump-Kim summit on track, foreign journalists are in North Korea to witness the dismantling of its nuclear
test site. We will hear from our CNN team there. Plus, sights and sounds from the Kiluea volcanic eruption. We're going to get up close and personal
with the monster that continues to destroy homes, highways and property in the U.S. state of Hawaii.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching "News Stream" and these are the world's headlines.
The U.S embassy in China is issuing a health warning after a U.S. government employee complained of unusual symptoms and was diagnosed with a
mid traumatic brain injury. The State Department doesn't know what caused the injury but is taking the incident seriously. U.S. Officials note that
the Chinesr government is also investigating and taking appropriate measures.
The U.S. president is downplaying optimism over China trade talks despite his own administration indicating that the two nations have reached a
tentative agreement. And just minutes ago, Mr. Trump tweeted this, quote, the deal is moving along nicely, but in the end we'll probably have to use
a different structure. And that this will be too hard to get done and to verify results after completion, unquote.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is preparing to meet French President Emanuel Macron in Paris. This follows his appearance in front of E.U. lawmakers on
Tuesday. He apologized for Facebook's failings and several politicians accused him of dodging their questions.
The U.S.-North Korea summit seems to be running into trouble with both sides casting doubt on whether it's actually going to take place in three
weeks' time. President Trump says that there is a substantial chance it won't work out, suggesting that there may not be enough time for the two
sides to come to an agreement on parameters for the meeting.
In spite of the growing nervousness about the Trump-Kim summit, North Korea does appear to be going ahead with one of the promises it made about
denuclearizing.
[08:30:00] The dismantling of its nuclear test site. Several foreign journalists including our own CNN team traveled from Beijing to Wonsan,
North Korea and are set to make the long journey to the Punggye-ri test site. Here's Will Ripley.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: After more than 24 hours of waiting at this luxury resort for senior North Korean military officials
where our movements have essentially been restricted to these well- manicured gardens, we are now being told that our trip to the North Korean nuclear site at Punggye-ri is likely a go.
A plane carrying South Korean journalists arrived here in Wonsan. They are last minute addition to this trip. They initially have been denied visas.
There is also that rhetoric out of Washington, words from John Bolton comparing North Korea to Libya that really angered the North Koreans, joint
military drills in South Korea, also escalating tensions here in the Peninsula, and even President Trump saying there is a chance the summit
with the North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un may not happen on June 12.
But the North Koreans appear to be moving forward with this trip for a small group of foreign journalists to travel to the nuclear site of
Punggye-ri. It is a very long journey deep into the mountains of North Korea. We are expecting an 11-hour train ride, at least four hours by bus,
and then another hour-long hike to get to the site.
We might be out of communication for a while, but when we come back, we should have some extraordinary images to show from a place that no foreign
journalist had even been allowed to visit before.
I am Will Ripley, CNN, Wonsan, North Korea.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: And as the team flew into North Korea on Koryo Air, that's the country's national airline, they got to sample the meal that's kind of
earned a cult following around the world. A CNN photojournalist posted this on Instagram, the infamous Koryo burger.
All passengers get one on their flight to North Korea. It is reportedly served cold with a piece of lettuce or shredded cabbage. Always on top of a
doily. It seems to be a love it or hate it kind of thing. Mostly a hate it thing. Our colleague says it was actually tasty. He in fact devoured it.
Now, on Hawaii's big island, Mount Kilauea is still spewing toxic gas and shanks of lava.
You are in fact looking at live pictures on your screen. The fire breathing monster exploded again on Tuesday. The lava flow is threatening a
geothermal power plant. Officials are trying to prevent possible explosions by filling underground wells with cold water.
Now, let's bring in CNN's Scott McLean on the ground in Hawaii. Scott, thanks once again for joining us. Incredible footage there. We have been
seeing these exploding lava bombs, these rushing rivers of lava. What are you seeing right now?
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kristie. So, some of these fissures, they continue to flare up. Other fissures, well, they are calming
down. The big fear that you mentioned there is that geothermal power plant, the Puna Geothermal Venture. Now, there are 11 of these geothermal wells
that have been essentially poured cold water down into to neutralize them.
But officials were having issues with just one of them. They day that they believe it has now been plugged and that there is no immediate danger.
Furthermore, they are saying that the lava which is slowly encroaching on to the outskirts of the property is still about two to three kilometers
away from that area. So at least for the time being, officials are saying there is nothing to worry about for the people who live in that area.
LU STOUT: They may say nothing to worry about, they are trying to plug up these fissures, slow lava, et cetera, but toxic gas has also been released.
What impact is that having on the people there on the island?
MCLEAN: Yeah, you're absolutely right, Kristie. So, we're talking about this sulfur dioxide. It's the main gas that is coming out of these
fissures. We are talking about it coming out at a rate of three times what it was just a couple of days ago.
There is also another gas hazard called blaze. It is lava haze. It is what happens when lava -- hot lava hits the ocean water. It creates this really
nasty mix of gases, hydrochloric acid, steam and tiny fragments of glass as well.
And so obviously officials are trying to keep people away from both of those gases, not to mention the fact that near the summit of Kilauea, which
is about 30 kilometers away from where we are here, the risk there is ash cloud because there continues to be these smaller explosions happening
there that send this big ash plumes into the sky. Obviously air quality is a big, big, big concern for the people who live over there.
LU STOUT: Absolutely. Scott, I see that you have moved your reporting position. You're now on safer ground. To you and the crew there on the big
island, do stay safe and thank you for your reporting. Take care.
Now, We have seen how powerful this volcano is above ground, but what's happening below the earth surface that is fueling this natural disaster?
Now, I'm joined now by a volcanologist, Erik Klemetti.
[08:35:00] He joins me live. Erik, thank you so much for joining us here on CNN. We know that eruptions there on the big island of Hawaii had been
taking place for what, three weeks now. How much longer is this going to go on?
ERIK KLEMETTI, VOLCANOLOGIST: I think that's the question that everybody has. Unfortunately that's the question that's hardest to answer, because as
long as you have new magma coming up from the source, which is about maybe hundred kilometers beneath the volcano, the eruption is going to go on.
We have watched things like earthquakes and how much parts of the volcano might be inflating to see if magma is coming in. But there isn't really a
good stopwatch or calendar to say how long it might happen other than looking at past eruptions, and say past eruptions at Kilauea like this may
be lasted sort of a few months, if not longer, so that's maybe the time scale we're looking at.
LU STOUT: Wow. As we're looking at these live pictures of the very active volcano there in Hawaii, we learn that over the weekend, the USGS issued a
warning for something called laze or lava haze, this dense toxic cloud that is created when the hot lava hit the ocean. And this releases, you know,
tiny shards of volcanic glass. This sounds pretty dangerous. How dangerous is it?
KLEMETTI: It's the sort of thing that you look at these lava flows hitting the ocean and there's this big -- what look like steam plumes. A lot of it
is just steam. But the lava is hot. It is about 1,100 to 1,200 degrees C. And it hits the water and it instantly cools into tiny little fragments,
into these glass shards, which is more or less volcanic ash.
And you breath that in along with the acid that is being produced from reactions when the ocean water evaporates and it can overpower somebody --
the respiratory system really rapidly because you are getting these tiny little glass shards in your lungs and acid in your lungs.
So you want to stay away from where the lava is entering the ocean. Otherwise, you can get overwhelmed by those plumes really quickly.
LU STOUT: Absolutely. We're airing right now earlier footage of the lava flow, and it looks like it's slow moving, but we have also seen additional
footage of rushing rivers of lava. We can see that it can move pretty fast. Why is that? Why is that happening as well?
KLEMETTI: Well, lava can move -- it's based on how sticky it's going to be. One of the things that controls how sticky it is is going to be how hot
it is when it erupts.
So one of the things that Hawaiian volcano territory scientists have been talking about is that we might be seeing hotter lava erupting and that's
going to be lava that is going to move faster and move easier than some of the earlier stuff that might have been cooler and it would be stickier and
move a little slower.
So, we might be seeing a gradual change to something a little more hotter coming out of the ground, thus making these rivers of lava that seem to
move pretty fast.
LU STOUT: Yeah. Over the weekend, officials there on the island, they reported the first injury due to the eruption, a broken leg caused by
flying lava splatter. Given the threat that this volcano poses whether it's like the toxic lava haze or the fast-moving lava, do you think that number
-- the number of injuries will definitely rise?
KLEMETTI: Well, I think right now -- one thing we can fall back on is the fact that the USGS scientists and the local emergency management people
have done a really good job of getting the people out of the way when they need to.
So as long as people are offering the right amount of respect to the eruption and staying away from places like the ocean entry. And, you know,
I understand people trying to save their homes but there really isn't much you can do to save your home in the face of a lava flow. One would hope
that the number of injuries stays low.
LU STOUT: Yeah. Erik Klemetti, volcanologist, joining me live from Bourneville (ph), Ohio, thank you so much for joining us here on the
program. We're going to pause for a quick break, but leave you with some live pictures of that spectacular sight, Mount Kilauea as it continues to
erupt, creating more deadly dangers. You're watching "News Stream." We'll be back right after this.
[08:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Mt. Everest. It is both majestic and treacherous. Now, the challenge of conquering the world's highest peak is a holy grail for many
climbers and one Chinese climber, Xia Boyu, had a tougher challenge than most. He is the first double amputee to scale Everest from the Nepali side.
And here is his story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT (voice over): It has taken nearly a lifetime of illness and setbacks. But now 69-year-old Xia Boyu has successfully summited the
highest peak in the world and broken the record doing it.
XIA BOYU, CHINESE MOUNTAIN CLIMBER (through translator): It's been a dream of mine for almost 40 years. In the past, it was thwarted by weather such
as earthquakes and avalanches and difficulties from nature. This time, after 40 years, Mt. Everest finally accepted me.
LU STOUT (voice over): Xia first tried to climb Everest in 1975 when he was in his 20s, but he got frostbite and after illness had to have both his
legs amputated. He says using prosthetics adds another level of difficulty.
BOYU (through translator): Whatever you're standing on, what kinds of roads you walk on, whether it's flat or bumpy, that you not get any
sensations. You have to learn to feel it day to day to find the feeling.
And because the prosthetics cannot be adjusted to the angles of going uphill and downhill, it is different. So you have to utilize the strength
of your whole body to maintain balance. So I have to have one-third more physical strength than normal people.
LU STOUT (voice over): Xia attempted Everest in 2014, 2015, and 2016. On that last attempt, he got within 100 meters of the 8,850 meter peak. But a
blizzard kept him from his goal. Last year, the Nepali government banned the disabled and blind from climbing, but the Supreme Court lifted the ban
to review it, and Xia was able to try again this year. And with the help of a team including a veteran Nepalese mountaineer, he made it.
BOYU (through translator): I have learned from my journey to the top that you should advance bravely no matter what harsh conditions you face. You
never give up on your ambition. You have to overcome these difficulties so that you can move forward so that you can get the payoff and accomplish
your goal.
LU STOUT (voice over): Xia Boyu has realized his dream. He is now the first double amputee to reach the top of Mt. Everest from the Nepali side.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: An incredible achievement. And that is "News Stream." I'm Kristie Lu Stout. But don't go anywhere. "World Sport" with Christina
Macfarlane is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)
END
