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Acropolis Temporarily Closed Due to Heat Wave; 15 States with Over 90 Million People Under Heat Alerts; Interview with "The Heat Will Kill You First" Author and Rolling Stone Contributing Editor Jeff Goodell; Republican Candidates Woo Evangelicals in Iowa; $72M Raised for Biden-Harris Campaign; Since Initiating Reelection Campaign, Biden Raised $72M in First Quarter; Aspartame Identified as Possible Cancer Cause by W.H.O. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired July 14, 2023 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: Temperature there could peak at nearly 108 degrees in Athens by midday. Here in the United States, it's not just the temperatures that's scaring everyone, and should be, it's how long so many cities and regions in the United States are under these wild temperatures and heat indexes.

Joining me for more on this is the contributing editor for "Rolling Stone" magazine, Jeff Goodell. He's the author of -- also the author of the book "The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet" which released Monday. Jeff, thank you so much for coming in. As I mentioned, 90 million people facing heat alerts today across a slew of states, more than a dozen states. We all know, of course, how it feels in the heat. We all know, of course, it is summertime. But you explored in your book what extreme heat really does to the world around us. What is the role of heat, first and foremost, in the climate crisis?

JEFF GOODELL, AUTHOR, "THE HEAT WILL KILL YOU FIRST" AND CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, ROLLING STONE: Well, you know, heat is the fundamental primary driver of the climate crisis. Our world is getting hotter because we are continuing to burn the fossil fuels which puts the CO2 into the atmosphere which traps heat, which is what is bringing on this extreme heat. We are, not only, making it hotter but we're also changing the, sort of, dynamics of the climate system. So, we're seeing these extreme heat waves that last longer and longer and, kind of, pop up in unexpected places.

BOLDUAN: You're exactly right. I found really interesting in reading more about the work that you put in and the research in putting together your book. About what you learned from doctors and scientists and engineers. About also what the heat does to the human body, and also to the animals and organisms all around us.

GOODELL: Yes, you know -- I mean, heat is -- you know, we -- everything, in our world evolved in a relatively narrow temperature range, what scientists called the Goldilocks Zone, which is not too hot, not too cold, whether its human beings or polar bears or butterflies or pine trees. And when it gets too hot, our -- our bodies have a very difficult time coping. We human beings, we can, you know, we can handle changes and heat, but if it happens too fast and too extreme, we get into trouble.

BOLDUAN: For the book, you travelled all over the world, the Pacific northwest, Antarctica, India. Spoke to, also, not just the scientists, but regular folks living with climate change and living in this climate crisis, and looking at it through this lens of what heat is doing to our Earth. What are the stories that sticks out to you most, and is there a common thread?

GOODELL: Well, the stories that stick out to me most are, for example, a story of a family who went for a hike in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. They were husband and wife and a one-year-old child and their dog. And it was a summer day, and they knew it was going to be hot, and they thought they understood heat, and they had water with them. And nevertheless, they ended up dying of heat stroke on the trail that afternoon.

And what I've learned is that we radically misunderstand that risk of extreme heat. We think that heat means a good day to go to the pool or go to the beach. And we don't understand how dangerous it is. We don't understand the difference between wet heat and dry heat. And we don't understand the importance of taking precautions like getting out of heat, getting into the shade, cooling off at night. Basically, how to manage heat.

BOLDUAN: You've also said that one of the things that we need to do now is change the way that we build cities and rethink the way we live. We have seen that and we've heard that conversation with many of the aspects of the climate crisis in terms of how water drains, how rivers flow. It's the question of how -- we need to start -- until we can -- until -- unless and until we can change how we live, it is how we need to rethink where we live and how we build. With all of this doom and gloom, do you actually see real opportunity here?

GOODELL: I think -- I see a lot of opportunity. You know, I don't feel like doom and gloom. I feel like we are in an emergency situation. We need to grasp the seriousness and scale of what we're facing. But we have opportunities to do amazing things and build cities, for example, in new ways. I mean, a simple example is just, sort of, more green space and urban trees.

Thinking differently about how we build buildings so we're not so dependent upon air conditioner. Thinking about how we build housing projects and things that allow people to, sort of, survive in these extreme temperatures and aren't dependent upon keeping the air conditioner cranked up. I mean, I think it's a real opportunity for change and for building a better, healthier world.

BOLDUAN: Getting through these next days and weeks of extreme heat is one thing, but it's also an opportunity to talk about the long term here. It's great to have you on. Thank you

Sara.

[10:35:00]

SARA SIDNER, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: It's the old adage where there's a will, there's a way.

All right. Some Republican presidential candidates trying to get some traction in a crowded field. Their focus in Iowa today, evangelical voters. Can they convince that voting bloc that they are better for the country than frontrunner Donald Trump, that's ahead.

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[10:40:00]

BOLDUAN: Happening right now, 2024 presidential candidates are courting evangelical voters in Iowa. evangelical voters, of course, have long been a crucial voting bloc in the state that helps kick off the Republican primary cycle. The Family Leadership Summit is really just the beginning of months of intense campaigning there.

Let's get to CNN's Jessica Dean. She's on the trail at the summit in Des Moines. Jessica, notably not coming to the event is Former President Trump. How are the other candidates then looking to maximize on this opportunity?

JESSICA DEAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're certainly looking to use this as a chance to break out with this critical -- as you mentioned, this critical voting bloc here in Iowa. And they're hoping to really maximize this as they introduce themselves, continue to really show their stories and their selves to these voters that will make such a key difference in January when these caucuses happen.

Now, you mentioned, President Trump not here, he is coming back to the state next week. But so many of the other candidates are here and many sticking around over the weekend as they really try to make the most of all of this. It also comes on the heels of the former president attacking Iowa's Governor, Kim Reynolds, who is very popular among Republicans within her state and who is going to sign a six-week abortion bill, very similar to what Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, one of Trump's rivals, signed in Florida earlier this year.

So, that's kind of the dynamics that are at play here. We saw so many in the field including and notably DeSantis coming to her defense, Kate. And this is a key state for him. As the second -- as the person in second place, he is really hoping to make some moves here in Iowa, Kate. This state is really going to be absolutely critical if he hopes to win the nomination. So, we'll hear from all of them today and see how they sell themselves to these voters. Kate.

BOLDUAN: That will be very interesting to see how they distinguish themselves amongst each other. Their message to voters, this is all really just getting underway behind Jessica right now. It's great to see you, Jessica. Thank you. We will be checking back in with you.

I want to get over to CNN's Jeremy Diamond though at the White House, because on the -- Jeremy, we now have some new fundraising numbers just put out from President Biden's election team?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kate. And this is the first sign that we are seeing of how President Biden stacks up in terms of fundraising as he heads into this reelection battle. The president's campaign announcing that he and the Democratic National Committee jointly have raised $72 million for his reelection effort. This is his first quarter of fundraising since he launched his reelection campaign in April.

And it is a showing that is certainly going to help quell some concerns from donors who have been concerned about the president's fundraising strength. But that being said, it is certainly not a record-breaking fundraising hall. It falls short of what President Barack Obama raised in 2011 in his first quarter of fundraising after launching his reelection campaign. That number was $86 million. And we should note, of course, that since then, the contributions limits have increased. So, donors can actually contribute more today than they could back then.

That being said, the president's reelection campaign now has $77 million in cash on-hand, which is a significant war chest. That being said, the president's campaign is skeletal so far, they haven't opened a headquarters yet. But they are ramping up and this is going to help them do that. One last note, they are talking about grass roots donation, 97 percent of donations under $200, and the average contribution, Kate, was $39. Back to you.

BOLDUAN: All right. Important to keep track of all of this. This come being put out by the -- by Biden's reelection team, we'll continue to track it. It's good to see you, Jeremy. Thank you.

Sara.

SIDNER: We are about a month away from the first Republican presidential debate, and it's still not clear which candidates will be on that stage. One thing Republican National Committee Chair, Ronna McDaniel, has made clear though is any GOP hopeful must agree, to back the eventual nominee. McDaniel defended the so-called loyalty pledge with our Chris Wallace.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR, WHO'S TALKING TO CHRIS WALLACE?: Are you standing firm on this? If you want to participate in the Republican presidential debates, you have to sign this loyalty pledge?

RONNA MCDANIEL, RNC CHAIR: It's the "Beat Biden Pledge". And what we're saying -- and the debate committee has met for over two years, people from Alaska to Illinois to Tennessee is, if you're going to stand on the Republican Committee Debate stage, you should be able to support the nominee and beat Biden.

WALLACE: Are you saying, even Donald Trump?

MCDANIEL: Everybody has to sign the "Beat Biden Pledge". Everybody. It's across the board. The rules aren't changing. We've been very vocal with them.

WALLACE: If the frontrunner who, at this point, as far ahead of the rest of the field decides to skip the debates, isn't that going to really cut into the credibility and the importance of these debates?

MCDANIEL: I think these debates are critical. I hope he joins the debate stage. I think he'll be on the debate stage. I know his consultants. Some of them are saying just skip it. I think, any time we can get in front of the American people is good for our party and good for our candidates.

WALLACE: And what if he skips it?

MCDANIEL: Then he skips it, that's his choice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[10:45:00]

SIDNER: Chris Wallace is with us now. Look who's talking with Chris, well, I am this morning. Let me ask you what else you heard from her because there is this issue of, like, Chris Christie, he's made it into the debates. He's gotten all the things done that he's supposed to get done but he said, he's not going to stand up for Donald Trump if he is the nominee.

WALLACE: Yes. Now, he is -- didn't -- and I had to ask the chair, McDaniel, specifically about that. Christie has indicated that he would sign the pledge, but as he put it, I'll take it as seriously as Donald Trump did in 2016. Interestingly enough, McDaniel said, it's not just what you put your name on, we're also going to assess your intent. If you're openly saying, yes, I'll sign the pledge but I don't believe it. I think that's a possibility that may -- might not let you on the debate stage.

This was really job one in our interview for Ronna McDaniel. She feels very strongly about this. She thinks that the Republican Party needs to be united. They saw what happened in the 2022 midterms where a lot of independents didn't vote for Republicans, and some Republicans didn't vote for Republicans. And they, basically, want to say, you go on that debate stage whether you're Donald Trump or Chris Christie or whomever in this huge field, you pledged to support the eventual winner. Now, they can't put you in jail if you decide sometime in '24 not to do it, but they want you to really show that you're serious about supporting whoever the eventual nominee is.

SIDNER: McDaniel has made comments questioning the validity of the 2020 election. Is she still doing that?

WALLACE: I asked her about it, and it's interesting. I said, are you -- when did you stop being an election denier? Because she was very much questioning the fairness of the 2020 election and the immediate aftermath. Interestingly enough, and we have quite a go around about this, she says, Biden is the president. I said, well, yes, we know he is. He's in the Oval Office. She said, he won. I said, yes, but did he win fair square? Is it legitimate? And she wouldn't say that. She wouldn't go that far.

And I think, you know, what she said is, he won, but I'm not going to say that there were no problems with his selection, and that it was a fair election. I think part of our problem is, look, Donald Trump, the -- you know, the big frontrunner for this nomination refuses to say that Biden won the election fairly. A majority of the Republicans, if you believe the polls, Republican voters refused to say it. So, it's kind of hard for the Republican chairwoman to say, yes, I think it was a fair election, no complaints about it.

Having said that, Sara, she made it very clear, she really does not want the '24 campaign, whoever the nominee is, to be about relitigating 2020. She wants it to be about, what she says, are the vulnerabilities in Joe Biden's record as hat -- and what people's daily lives are in 2023 and '24.

SIDNER: Chris Wallace, that was a really interesting conversation. Thank you so much for that. You can watch more of Chris' interview with the RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, and actress Goldie Hawn as well when "Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?" airs tonight at 10:00 p.m. right here on CNN.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Coming up, artificial sweeteners and a connection to cancer long feared. But now, for the first time, the World Health Organization is declaring a widely used artificial sweetener could possibly cause cancer. But experts are saying, you shouldn't have to ditch some of your favorite foods and drinks quite yet. The details ahead.

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[10:50:00]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN. The world's news network.

BOLDUAN: It is one of the most widely used artificial sweeteners on the planet. Now, a committee for the World Health Organization says, aspartame should be categorized as possibly carcinogenic to humans. So, this is a sweetener found in thousands of products, like diet soda. But the Food and Drug Administration and other organizations have many times determined aspartame to be safe.

So, what is the disconnect and what should everyone do? CNN's Meg Tirrell is looking into this for us. She joins us now. Meg, what are you hearing? Should people start changing how much aspartame they consume?

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kate. Actually, the WHO itself that they're not making any recommendations to change the daily safe limit for aspartame. And as you said, this is a sweetener that's found in thousands of different products, from diet sodas to table top sweeteners, breakfast cereals, chewing gum, even some medicines like cough syrup or chewable vitamins. And so, what the WHO is saying, they've taken a look at this. And their Director of the Department of Nutrition and Safety Doctor, Francesco Branca, he says, "While safety is not a major concern the dosas which are commonly used, potential effects have been described that need to be investigated by more and better studies. Essentially, the studies that they have been relying on here, they say, are problematic and actually proving a cancer link.

And what they're really trying to do is spur better research by making this classification. But just to provide some context, they're essentially putting this in the third category of four in terms of risk for cancer. Other things in that category include aloe vera, occupational exposure to dry cleaning, gasoline engine exhaust, and traditional Asian pickled vegetables. And so, to compare that with the highest risk of cancer, that things like cigarettes, asbestos, and even a few years ago, they put hot dogs in that category. So, this is nowhere near the cigarette level of potential cancer risk here.

And in terms of the daily suggestive limits for aspartame, if you look at what the WHO recommends, the average person in the United States weighing 180 pounds would have to drink about 33 cans of diet soda per day at the, you know, level of aspartame in these sodas the industry tells us about in order to hit that limit, Kate.

[10:55:00]

So, not particularly something for everybody to worry about.

BOLDUAN: And the context that you offered up in that list of what else was in the category of that level of carcinogenic threat is eye- opening. I had no idea about aloe vera. I don't -- that is --

TIRRELL: Me neither.

BOLDUAN: Yes, that was wild.

TIRRELL: That is -- only in that same category of possibly. So, not even something to really worry about too much.

BOLDUAN: Exactly, possibly. Thank you, Meg.

Sara.

SIDNER: It hasn't happened for more than half a century that actors and writers are on the picket lines. They are shutting down the entertainment industry. The enormous impact, and the role that artificial intelligence is playing in the fight.

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