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Surgeon General Declares Gun Violence A Public Health Crisis; Key Stock Index Off To Best Ever Start To An Election Year; U.S. Home Prices See New Record Highs In May; Judge In Hush Money Case Partially Lifts Trump Gag Order; "Violent Earth" With Liev Schrieber New Episode Airs Sunday At 9PM ET/PT. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired June 25, 2024 - 13:30   ET

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

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[13:30:56]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: A first-of-its-kind advisory issued today from the surgeon general. He's declaring gun violence and urgent public health crisis.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: This is, of course, the nation's top doctor, Vivek Murthy, who is now warning that gun violence is so pervasive that it demands the collective commitment of the nation to stop it. That's how he puts it.

Here he is, earlier, talking to CNN's John Berman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VIVEK MURTHY, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: Over the last decade or two, this problem has been worsening. And we have now reached the point where gun violence is the leading cause of death among kids and teens, the leading cause of death.

That is something that we should never take as the new normal. There's nothing normal about that.

But I also want people to understand through this advisory that impact of gun violence is far more far reaching than we may think. Six in 10 Americans are worried about a loved one being shot. Half of our kids are worried about a shooting in their school.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And joining us now is Dr. Joseph Sakran. He is a trauma surgeon, a shooting survivor, and also the chief medical officer for Brady United Against Gun Violence.

Doctor, what do you make about this advisory?

DR. JOSEPH SAKRAN, TRAUMA SURGEON & CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, BRADY UNITED AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE: Yes. Thanks so much for having me.

Look, this advisory by the surgeon general declaring gun violence a public health crisis is historic and something that, frankly, health care professionals and the gun violence prevention community have been calling on for many years.

I think what it does is that it underscores the urgent need to address the devastating impact of gun violence on communities across the nation. As we just heard in your clip from the surgeon general, the leading cause of death in children and adolescents is gun violence.

Think about that. It's not motor vehicle crashes. It's not cancer. It's not poisonings. It's gun-related injury. And so we have a responsibility to declare this a public health crisis, which many of us have been calling on.

SANCHEZ: Doctor, in 2020, more than 48,000 people died from firearms. That includes homicides, suicides, and unintentional deaths, as well. Connect the dots for us, how this advisory might help bring down those numbers.

SAKRAN: Yes. So as you point out, we continue to see devastating numbers both in those killed and nonfatal injuries. When you think about this advisory, right, it's another step in the right direction.

And it does a couple of important things. It acknowledges the severity, right? It recognizes that gun violence is a major threat to the health and safety of the public akin to other crises like smoking, drug use, infectious diseases.

It also emphasizes the need for rigorous data collection and research to better understand root causes and the impact on communities.

It allows policymakers to call for the development and implementation of evidence-based programs and solutions that will allow us to reduce these gun-related injuries.

And it raises public awareness about this issue, encouraging communities to engage in discussions and take collective action to address this crisis.

KEILAR: So firearm violence, as you mentioned, became the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in 2020. It is so concerning.

I think this is something that when parents talk amongst themselves, they find themselves discussing this constantly because polls back that up as well, how concerned they are about this.

And then last week, you had the Supreme Court deciding that a bump stock ban is unconstitutional.

Do you see a way out of this in a big way, in not just a marginal kind of tinkering-around-the-edges kind of way? What is that?

SARKAN: Yes, Brianna, it's such an important point. And I just want to stress that, you know, as a trauma surgeon and survivor, right, someone who's working at Johns Hopkins in east Baltimore, seeing these injuries and deaths on a daily basis. [13:35:01]

These are not just numbers and statistics, right? These are moms and dads, their brothers and sisters. And the impact is not just on the patients that we're seeing, but on the families and the communities.

I think what we have to realize is that tackling this public health problem requires more than one solution. There is no one solution that's going to solve this.

It's going to require, really, a multifaceted approach that cuts across different sectors and allows us to really come together to provide the type of comprehensive solution that's required to make communities safer.

And I think we sometimes forget the fact that, as Americans, we have a lot more in common than we have that divides us.

And that includes responsible gun owners, who, in fact, you know, are onboard for the majority of common-sense gun legislation and programs that will help us ensure that our children are not being gunned down on our streets.

SANCHEZ: Doctor, you mentioned a comprehensive approach to try to reduce the number of gun deaths. I'm wondering what can be done to improve access to mental health care and how that factors into this multifaceted issue?

SARKAN: Yes. I mean, look, that's, of course, a critical point.

And when you think about, you know, all the different angles, and specifically around mental health care, we know that when you look at the bipartisan Safe Communities Act that President Biden signed, it was the first legislation in nearly 30 years.

And part of that legislation included an investment of $140 million, right, in primary health care workforce that was supporting, right, clinicians to be able to better care for patients with mental and behavioral health issues, right?

That is just one example of many things that have been done by the administration, but also by health systems to try to really tackle this from the different angles, right?

And that's the -- that's the key. If you're talking about, for example, suicide or unintentional injuries or violence within cities, all of those different components have gun-related injury may require a variety of solutions, right, to ensure that we're providing the best medical treatment, which is prevention.

SANCHEZ: Dr. Joseph Sakran, thank you so much for sharing your perspective with us. We appreciate it.

SAKRAN: Thanks so much for having me, Boris and Brianna.

SANCHEZ: Of course. Still to come, the U.S. stock market is on a historic run in this election year. And the rare matchup of two incumbents in November could have something to do with that. We'll explain.

Plus, China's lunar module returning with a souvenir. Ahead, new details on the first-ever samples retrieved from the far side of the moon.

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[13:42:21]

KEILAR: Thirty-one. That's how many times the S&P 500 has surpassed its own records since January. It's like having a new all-time high about every four trading days.

SANCHEZ: That is really impressive. And all these records add up to the best election year ever for the S&P stock index, which should be good news for the Biden administration, right?

CNN's Matt Egan joins us now.

Matt, why exactly is this happening?

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Boris and Brianna, you know, last year was a blockbuster year for the stock market, too. And 2024 off to a great start.

We're not quite halfway done with a year, but the S&P 500 is already up nearly 15 percent. Goldman Sachs says that is the best start to an election year on record.

And listen, this is really good news for millions of Americans, right? Everyone who's got money in the market, other directly owning stocks or indirectly in their 401K plans, in their college savings plans.

And history shows that election years tend to be good ones for the stock market, especially when the incumbent is running for reelection, which is what we have this year.

This is also the first time since 1892 were both major party candidates have previous presidential experience. So maybe that is helping the market a little bit. Because remember, investors like stability.

But listen, there's a lot of other factors out there that have nothing to do with the election. There's the AI boom that has catapulted Nvidia and other tech stocks it's affected. Corporate profits have never been higher.

Inflation has come down significantly without that long-feared recession. And Wall Street is still holding out hopes for interest rate cuts later this year. You put it all together and it's been a very impressive start.

I think, if anything, though, you've got to ask whether or not investors are paying enough attention to election risks, right? I mean, poll after poll shows this is going to be a very close election. And again, investors don't like uncertainty.

And some experts are concerned about an election that is so close that it's contested. That could cause uncertainty and social unrest.

So it's also possible, Boris and Brianna, that investors just haven't started paying attention to the election yet. That should change very soon though, of course, especially with the Thursday presidential election -- debate here on CNN.

KEILAR: I think it will.

SANCHEZ: They should watch that, yes.

KEILAR: Yes, there's going to be a lot of people paying attention to that.

OK, home prices, Matt, are also reaching record highs.

EGAN: That's right, Brianna, home prices just continued to smash records. New numbers out today show that, nationally, home prices increased by 6 percent year over year in April.

[13:44:57]

And we continue to see a situation where, despite high borrowing costs, home prices go up and up. There's just not enough supply out there to keep up with all that demand.

Some cities are seeing even bigger price jumps. We've seen a jump of 10 percent for San Diego, 9 percent for New York and Chicago.

And listen, this just continues to be a divide between haves and have nots, right? If you own your home, this is good news because it's boosting your net worth.

But we know a lot of people are on the outside looking in. They want to buy, but they can't, not what these prices -- Boris and Brianna?

SANCHEZ: Matt Egan, thanks so much for the update. Appreciate it.

EGAN: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Now, to some of the other headlines that were watching this hour.

For the second night in a row, North Korea is sending balloons, apparently, full of filth to South Korea. It's not yet clear just how many arrived, but South Korean officials say some 350 were detected the night before.

Since May, Pyongyang has set up more than 1,000 waste balloons in response to South Korean activists flying propaganda that's been critical of Leader Kim Jong-Un's regime. KEILAR: And China's lunar module is back on earth with the first-ever samples from the far side of the moon, also known as the dark side of the moon.

The probe is expected to have returned and with up to two kilograms of moon dust and rocks. And Chinese researchers will get first dibs at analyzing the material before it's made available to others.

China's hailing the mission as another landmark achievement for the country.

And in Baltimore, ultra-marathon, open-water swimmer, Katie Humphrey, is making a 24-mile swim from the Chesapeake Bay bridge to Baltimore's inner harbor.

This is a swim that she's doing trying to bring attention to decades- long cleanup efforts to make the Baltimore harbor safe and swimmable. Pretty amazing.

How far do you think you could swim --

SANCHEZ: Oh, I have no idea.

KEILAR: -- in the Chesapeake?

SANCHEZ: Yes, never.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: I might dip my toes. That's it.

KEILAR: That's about it.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: Stay with us. We'll be right back.

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[13:51:22]

KEILAR: We are following breaking news. The judge in the criminal hush money trial of former President Donald Trump has partially lifted the gag order.

SANCHEZ: CNN's Brynn Gingras joins us now.

So, Brynn, walk us through what parts were lifted and what parts remain intact?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Brianna and bars. Remember this is a gag order that was put in place ahead of the criminal trial here in New York back in April. It's one that the former president violated 10 times during that criminal trial. Well, now there's a little bit more leeway coming from the judge here

in New York, Juan Merchan. He's essentially now saying that Trump is able to talk about the witnesses who testified in that trial.

That is something that he could not talk about, certainly during that trial. Remember, he was railing and wanting to rail against Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, other witnesses that actually took the stand in his trial. So that is now allowed.

However, the judge did say that, look, this is still ongoing. He has not been sentenced yet. That sentencing is set for July 11th. And so there are still going to be restrictions in place.

Donald Trump cannot talk about the prosecutors in this case. He cannot mention any of the jurors' names, if they know of any. He can talk generally about the jurors in the trial, but not mention any names.

So there are still some restrictions in this case to protect the identities, protect -- protect the people who are part of this a criminal trial ahead of that sentencing set for July 11th.

But certainly, this gives the former president a little bit more leeway, especially as he's headed into our debate coming up in just a couple of days -- guys?

KEILAR: Yes, certainly.

Brynn, thank you so much. We'll be looking to see what that brings.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

KEILAR: If anything.

SANCHEZ: Yes. Expect the unexpected Thursday night right here on CNN at 9:00 p.m., as if we haven't promoted it enough.

KEILAR: Yes. It's going to be a big night though.

SANCHEZ: Yes, yes.

KEILAR: So I think it's worth a listen.

SANCHEZ: Yes. So every year, from June to November, it's a time that folks, millions of folks, brace for hurricane season.

KEILAR: That's right. This week's episode of the CNN original series "VIOLENT EARTH" spotlights the worst hurricanes in recent history and what they left behind.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We knew is going to be rough but I wasn't expecting all this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The house is flooded. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, our house flooded. It just started going

deeper and deeper. And by the time, we were walking out, we were mid- thigh.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): Those who have lived through a hurricane that has undergone rapid intensification are often shocked by its speed and strength.

Rapid intensification is when a storm's maximum-sustained wind speed increases by 35 miles per hour in 24 hours or less. And it could be a significant part of the 2024 hurricane season, with both record warm ocean temperatures and a developing La Nina.

ROBBIE BERG, METEOROLOGIST, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: It means essentially that one day you could look at a storm, it could be a tropical storm, maybe a category one hurricane. Then you wake up the next morning and it's up to category four or five.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The strongest hurricanes that have ever hit the United States, the high-end category four or a category five were all been tropical storms or less three days before landfall.

MYERS: One example of dramatic rapid intensification, Hurricane Ian, in 2022, which took more than 100 lives across Florida and the southeast.

(SHOUTING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been here since 1965 and this is the worst hurricane that I've ever been through.

BERG: I was working a midnight shift. When I got on shift, it was a category one or two hurricane. By the end of the shift, we had the aircraft in there and it had exploded up to category four.

MYERS (on camera): There's going to be some huge waves with this.

I was working in the morning shift that day and clearly saw the storm intensify overnight. I also warned of a slightly shifting track to the right of the center of that cone. The time to evacuate was quickly closing. And I knew this was going to be bad.

BERG: We tell people don't just check the forecast on one day and wait a whole another 24 hours to check it again. You really do have to stay up to date when you live in a hurricane-prone area.

[13:55:10]

MYERS (voice-over): And 2024 has the potential to be a devastating hurricane season. NOAA has issued an above-normal Atlantic hurricane forecast, with up to 25 named storms, eight to 13 potential hurricanes and four to seven of those becoming major hurricanes.

(on camera): Now is the time to prepare for all the tropical hazards, from storm surge to wind damage, to inland freshwater flooding. All hazards will be in play this year with flooding possible hundreds of miles from the coast, far away from any landfall.

Chad Myers, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: A new episode of "VIOLENT EARTH" with Liev Schreiber will air on Sunday night 9:00 p.m. right here on CNN.

And still to come, sources telling CNN that prosecutors are urging the Justice Department to file criminal charges against Boeing for safety issues having to do with its 737 Max airplanes. But DOJ officials have not made a final decision on this.

So we're going to talk with a Boeing whistleblower to get his reaction to all of this, ahead.

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