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U.K. Media: Prime Minister Will Delay Lifting Final England Covid Rules; U.S. and Russia President Prepare for Face-to-Face Talks; U.S. President and First Lady Meet Queen in Windsor; Mass Shooting in the U.S. this Weekend; Arizona Wildfires Prompts Evacuations; Novak Djokovic Wins French Open in Thrilling Fashion; U.S. Airline Seeing Uptick in Unruly Passengers. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired June 14, 2021 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Vaccinations do their jobs, then we shouldn't really have a problem. But deaths are a lagging indicator and so we won't really know whether or not there is going to be a spike in deaths to follow the spike in new cases for the next week or two or perhaps even longer than that. So that's the real big test.

And I just want to show you an illustration of how quickly this Delta variant is spreading. This was done by the Sanger Institute. You can see the map on the left-hand side of your screen. The darker the color there, the higher proportion of cases are the Delta variant and the graph on the bottom right-hand side shows you just how sharp that spike is. That last word, according to the British Health Secretary, that 91 percent of all new cases being found in the U.K. are that Delta variant. So it is beyond dominant in this country.

Government scientists say it spreads 64 percent more easily but here is the real concern, Rosemary, and that the efficacy of vaccines, especially just the first dose is reduced when up against that variant. So if you just had one dose, normally it would be 50 percent efficacy. Now down to 33 percent. A smaller decrease for fully vaccinated people but still nonetheless, something for health officials here to be concerned about -- Rosemary.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Absolutely understandable. Scott McLean joining us live from London, many thanks.

Well Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin agree relations between their countries are at a low point. But there may be a chance to ease some tensions when the two leaders meet this week. More on that next.

Plus, the U.S. president and first lady get a bit of royal pomp and circumstance. We will head to Windsor for a look at their visit with Britain's Queen Elizabeth.

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[04:35:00] CHURCH: In Switzerland preparations are underway for the much anticipated summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting will take place in an 18th century villa overlooking Lake Geneva. No major breakthroughs are expected but Mr. Biden spent much of his down time at the G7 preparing for the meeting. CNN's Phil Mattingly is traveling with the president in Brussels and has more on what to expect.

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PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden may have landed in Brussels with a win at his back in the wake of what U.S. officials believe was a positive G7 meeting. And that was some degree that was by design. They understand the dynamics and stakes heading into a meeting later this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin. And they wanted to show as much as they possibly could, unity on the front from western democracies.

Obviously, the G7 heading into a NATO summit, as well. Trying to roll into the meeting with a kind full show of force that they will. But that doesn't mean that that meeting is becoming any less difficult or complicated for President Biden. And when you talk to U.S. officials, they have made clear there are no expectations of big breakthroughs or dynamic outcomes, perhaps. But what they want is small incremental steps that perhaps could better a relationship with Russia for both the president and Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledges that a low point, at least over the course of the last several decades. Now the president was asked about his view of what he was expecting in that meeting with President Putin during a press conference before he left the United Kingdom. This is how he framed things.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's about making myself very clear what the conditions are to get a better relationship are with Russia. We're not looking for conflict. We are looking to resolve those actions which we think are inconsistent with international law. There's no guarantee you can change a person's behavior in his country. Autocrats have enormous power and they don't have to answer to a public.

MATTINGLY: Now you heard those kind of a realistic perspective on things. Understanding or perhaps researching and recognizing history. Over the course of the last several administrations they thought there were several actions they could take that can perhaps change the calculations of President Putin. Many of those fell far short. And I think when you talk to Biden administration officials, they understand that.

Yet they are willing to go into the meeting with kind of a mix. A mix of red lines, to some degree, making clear where President Biden will lay out if red lines -- certain red lines are crossed. What the repercussions would be from the U.S. side, but also incentives, perhaps to better the relationship. Areas the U.S. believes that they could work productively with Russia. And I think that's kind of a sweet spot the U.S. officials are hoping they can hit. Not necessarily any big breakthrough. I think they recognize that's certainly nowhere near a possibility at this point in time. But what they want is stability. What they do what is some level of a

productive relationship. Understanding that Russia is certainly a power on the world stage. Russia is certainly a country that the president needs to have a relationship one sort or another and what they want more than anything else going into the meeting, is to lay out where they stand but also to see where there are areas the two countries can work together.

Now keep in mind, there will not a joint press conference when the meeting is over, you won't see a repeat of Helsinki, with President -- then President Trump and President Putin. President Biden making very clear he will have a solo press conference. President Putin will have his own press conference, and that's by design. U.S. officials do not want them to be viewed on the same level. Do not want them to be going back and forth for some level. They want to lay out their version of event and how they believe the meeting went.

Again, by design, understanding perhaps what they've seen in the past is not something they want to repeat. But what they want behind closed door is some recognition or at least some understanding of where this relationship can go next. And if perhaps they can possibly be at a better place.

Phil Mattingly, CNN, Brussels.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Well, the president and first lady Jill Biden capped their stay in the U.K. with a visit to Queen Elizabeth's private residence at Windsor Castle. It marks the first time the Queen has hosted a world leader since the death of her husband Prince Philip in April.

So let's go now to CNN's Max Foster. He joins us live from Windsor. Good to see you, Max. So President Biden and Queen Elizabeth appear to have hit it off, unlike the previous U.S. president. What all is being said about their meeting?

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there were no gaffs, it went very smoothly. It was good weather -- which we don't always have here in the U.K. So I think it's been seen as absolute triumph. We saw the president inspecting the guard up at the castle, and that was a real honor. Many of those guards who in combat are working with U.S. troops.

[04:40:00]

And then they went inside for tea and we had a photograph of that -- a photograph should, no doubly should appear on mantle pieces in Washington at some point too. Normally these conversations stay very private. As you know, Rosemary, that is convention. But actually, President Biden treated us into an insight into what they discussed during their meeting. It wasn't just the weather or some sort of superficial conversation. It was high politics, as he revealed at the airport on the way out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She wanted to know what the two leaders and I am about to meet with, Mr. Putin. And wanted to know about Xi Jinping. We had a long talk. And she was very generous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER (on camera): So the Queen doing what she does best really, giving a huge welcome, a formal -- quite informal actually on her standards this one, but rolling out the red carpet for a dignitary to come in and have a, you know, an honest discussion with the head of state, she's been head of state since the 1950s. So above all the politics of the G7 ahead of the Putin meeting, I think it was the fun bit for the Bidens. They both seemed to enjoy it.

CHURCH: Absolutely, it all went very smoothly, as you said. Max Foster joining us from outside Windsor Castle, many thanks as always.

Well America's gun violence epidemic only seems to be getting worse. After a wave of mass shootings across the U.S. this weekend. A look at the staggering new statistics. That's next.

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CHURCH: Police here in Atlanta have arrested two suspects in connection with a shooting at a popular shopping mall. One victim, a mall security guard, is hospitalized in series condition. Police have not released any details about a motive.

It's part of a surge of gun violence across America. Just this weekend, at least nine people were killed and 47 others wounded in eight mass shootings in six states. That is according to data compiled by CNN and the Gun Violence Archive.

[04:45:02]

There have been more mass shootings in the first six months of this year than the same period for two previous years. The U.S. has reported at least 270 mass shootings in 2021. About 40 percent higher than at this point last year, and about 65 percent higher than at this point in 2019. CNN defines a mass shooting as four more or more people shot excluding the shooter.

And we are learning about a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico with a potential to develop and we're monitoring the situation out West as hot, dry conditions fuel wildfires. One fire in Arizona has already destroyed at least one building and forced evacuations. And for more, we want to bring in meteorologist Pedram Javaheri. Good to see you Pedram. So what is latest on these wildfires?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Incredible pattern shaping up here, Rosemary. As you noted, we've got extreme drought, extreme heat and very, very dry conditions in recent months here that set the stage for erratic fire weather behavior. And you notice the numbers here, to date so far in the first six months of 2021, the interagency there for fire center across the United States reporting 27,000 wildfires across the U.S. That is about 4,000 higher than where it should be on average for the date.

But you'll notice the amount of land consumed. It's slightly lower than where we should be for this time of year. Of course, fire weather season over the next several months and you notice that is happened here over the last several days, the dome of high pressure beginning to develop and we do expect the excessive heat to be able to dominate the Western U.S.

And we're talking about the potential here for the warmest weather ever observed in the states of Nevada and the state of Arizona. Now all-time record temperatures in jeopardy. 125 for the state of Nevada is in jeopardy, which is the hottest that that state has ever seen. 128, a possibility in the state of Arizona. Hottest that state has seen. And you notice over 275 record high temperatures possible through Friday. So this is an incredibly heat wave developing for anyone's standards, especially considering that summer doesn't start for another week.

Notice this seven-day forecast temps approaching 120 degrees in Phoenix, Arizona. And what the National Weather Service highlights are the overnight low temperatures failing to drop below 90 degrees. We often talk about it, the overnight hours, really when your body is able to kind of recover from that excessive heat if you spend any amount of time outdoors. And when you don't have those temperatures cooling off beyond the 90 degree range, that is what makes this really dangerous territory. And Rosemary, the hottest Las Vegas has ever been in recorded history is 117. You'll notice a couple of attempts here to get close to that for this upcoming week. So an incredible heat wave for the western U.S.

CHURCH: Just extraordinary. Pedram, thank you so much for keeping a close eye on that. Appreciate it.

Well coming up, Novak Djokovic rallies from two sets down to win the French Open Sunday. Why this title puts him in a class of his own.

[04:50:00]

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CHURCH: Novak Djokovic rallies to win a thriller in the French Open. The Euro 2020 football tournament is in full swing. While the NBA playoffs heat up. Coy Wire has all of that and more in our minute in sports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORTS: Hello, I'm Coy Wire. Novak Djokovic has done it again. The world number one from Serbia winning the French Open on Sunday. Meaning he's now the first male player in modern era to win all four major tournaments twice. He needs one more grand slam singles title to tie Federer and Nadal for most of all time.

England off to a winning start at the Euro. Raheem Sterling scoring the only goal of the game as the three Lions take down Croatia in a rematch of the World Cup Semifinal in 2018. Netherlands, Ukraine a five-goal thriller. Ukraine was down 2-0 early,

but the 85th minute of the most exciting game of the tournament so far. Denzel Dumfries heading the Dutch ahead for a 3-2 win over you Ukraine.

NBA now Chris Paul, Devin Booker combining for 71 points to lead Phoenix to a series sweep of Denver, winning four games to none. The Suns advance to the Western Conference finals where they'll face either the Jazz or Clippers.

More bad news for Brooklyn and the Eastern Conference semifinals against Milwaukee. Kyrie Irving rolling his ankle, leaving the game. Did not return. The Bucks win 107-96 to even their series with the Nets. Rosemary, back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Thanks for that.

Well a frightening up in trend is taking off in the U.S. as Americans begin flying again. Airlines are seeing a big uptick in unruly passengers. CNN's Polo Sandoval explains.

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's shaping up to be a rough summer this the skies. A Friday Atlantic-bound Delta Airlines flight became the latest to be interrupted by an unruly passenger. That problem passenger was one of the airlines own flight attendants flighting off duty at the time, according to a Delta spokesman. Witnesses on board reported he commandeered the aircraft's intercom and told them to prepare to use their oxygen masks, triggering a clash between him, the crew and some of his fellow passengers. One witness told CNN he feared the worst during the very intense encounter.

BENJAMIN CURLEE, PASSENGER: People behind me were saying, oh, that's really bad. I mean, that only happens when the plane goes down. I prayed that God would protect my family in case I was gone.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): On Thursday night, a separate Delta flight from L.A. to New York was also diverted after what was described by the airline as a customer issue on board.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop this plane.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): On June 4th, a third Delta flight, this one from L.A. to Nashville, was forced to make an emergency landing, after a passenger tried breaching the cockpit door, according to authorities.

And Delta is not alone. The crews from American and Southwest Airlines have been among those recently to belligerent passengers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are going to sue you.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): And in at least on case, physical abuse from troublesome travelers. In May, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration said he's worried, as these kinds of air-rage incidents seem to be repeating themselves.

[04:55:00]

STEVE DICKSON, ADMINISTRATOR, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION: This dangerous behavior can distract, disrupt, and threaten crew member safety functions. And as a former airline captain, it's extremely concerning to me.

SANDOVAL: A spokesperson for the agency said that it's received at least 2,900 reports of unruly behavior by passengers this year, 2,200 of them have been related to non-compliance with the federal mandate requiring masks on public transportation, planes included. The spike in bad onboard behavior prompted the FAA to extend a zero-tolerance policy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you serious?

SANDOVAL (voice-over): A spokesperson says enforcement action has been started in over three dozen cases already. The question now, will it get even more unfriendly in the skies with the busy summer travel season on the horizon?

SANDOVAL: Well just how busy is it going to get this travel season? The U.S. Travel Association estimating that at least 77 percent of Americans will take at least one trip this summer. That number is up from about 29 percent in 2020. Now specifically when it comes to air travel, the same estimate showing that we could likely see a 44 percent increase in air travel this year over last.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Unbelievable. Well, there is a new top dog at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. Meet Wasabi, the Pekingese, this year's best in show. The 3-year-old pooch took home awards on Sunday for best in breed and best in the toy dog group. And this year's competition was held outside for the first time in more than 100 years because of the pandemic. Wasabi's breeder says the pup will celebrate with a filet mignon for taking the top prize. Well done.

Thanks for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Be sure to connect with me any time on Twitter @rosemaryCNN. "EARLY START" is up next. You're watching CNN. Have yourself a wonderful day.

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