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January 6 Hearings; Russia's War on Ukraine; Summit of the Americas; U.K. Deporting Asylum Seekers to Rwanda; Revolutionary Cancer Treatment; Triple-Digit Temps across the U.S. Next Week. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired June 11, 2022 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here, in Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber live at CNN headquarters in Atlanta.
Coming up, former president Trump's response to his daughter's testimony to the January 6 committee on the Capitol insurrection. What comes next.
Russia's destroying high-rises with the bodies of the deceased still inside. A grim picture paired with fears that Moscow has the revenue to continue war for a long time. We'll have to see and a live report from Kyiv.
And the American medic on the front line of that war. Find out why she bought a one-way ticket to Ukraine.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: There is a growing sense of urgency among some members of Congress ahead of Monday's second hearing on the January 6th insurrection. The select committee has planned six more hearings this month to present its preliminary findings.
They say that their investigation shows a grim portrait of Trump as the central figure behind the failed coup. Committee members insist they'll prove the riot was the culmination of an elaborate plan By Trump to overturn the election.
Since the first hearing on Thursday, Trump and his supporters have been pushing back hard against the panel's emerging narrative. More on that from CNN's Jessica Schneider.
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JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, the impact being felt from the first hearing of the January 6 committee as they set the stage for what's to come.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a breach, so be careful.
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Some Republicans are working to discredit the findings. While the former president is reacting to this stunning allegation.
REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): Aware of the rioters' chants to hang Mike Pence, the President responded with this sentiment, quote, "maybe our supporters have the right idea." Mike Pence, quote, "deserves it."
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Today, Trump responding, "I never said or even thought of saying, 'Hang Mike Pence.' This is either a made-up story by somebody looking to become a star or fake news."
The committee's first hearing focused on Trump's central role encouraging the rioters and his month-long efforts to discredit the election. Leading to what the committee called an attempted coup.
REP. BENNIE THOMPSON (D-MS): Donald Trump was at the center of this conspiracy. And ultimately, Donald Trump, the president of the United States, spurred a mob of domestic enemies of the Constitution to march down the Capitol and subvert American democracy.
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): The committee is making its case with a parade of Trump administration officials and family members who have given depositions over the past year. Former attorney general Bill Barr spoke forcefully about how he told Trump the election was clean. And the president's daughter agreed.
WILLIAM BARR, FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL: I made it clear I did not agree with the idea of saying the election was stolen and putting out this stuff which I told the president was bullshit. And you know, I didn't want to be a part of it. And that's one of the reasons that went into me deciding to leave when I did.
IVANKA TRUMP, SENIOR ADVISOR TO DONALD TRUMP: I respect attorney general Barr. So I accepted what he was saying.
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): But today Trump is downplaying his daughter's involvement, writing on his truth social platform, "Ivanka Trump was not involved in looking at or studying election results. She had long since checked out and was, in my opinion, only trying to be respectful to Bill Barr and his position as attorney general. He sucked."
And one Republican has denied he asked for a pardon from the president after Vice Chair Cheney said this.
CHENEY: Representative Perry contacted the White House in the weeks after January 6 to seek a presidential pardon. Multiple other Republican congress men also sought presidential pardons for their roles in attempting to overturn the 2020 election.
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Congressman Perry tweeting, "The notion that I ever sought a presidential pardon for myself or other members of Congress is an absolute shameless and soulless lie." And President Biden weighing in on the hearings, saying the future of democracy is at stake.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's important to American people understand what truly happened and to understand that the same forces that led January 6 remain at work today.
SCHNEIDER: The committee has laid out a road map for what is ahead. There are three hearings next week, starting Monday. Those will focus on Trump's months-long effort to spread false information about the election, even though he and his advisers were told repeatedly that Trump had lost.
Plus, the former FOX News political editor, who was fired weeks after the election, after he called Arizona for Biden, he says he will be a witness on Monday --
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SCHNEIDER: -- Jessica Schneider, CNN, Washington.
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BRUNHUBER: Most American consumers know the price of just about everything is skyrocketing. The forecast isn't good. On Friday, it was reported the highest rate of inflation in 40 years had reached 8.6 percent.
Soaring prices for fuel and food mean many Americans are struggling more than ever just to buy basic necessities. President Biden put a big part of the blame on Russia's war in Ukraine. Here he is.
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BIDEN: Make no mistake about it. I understand inflation is a real challenge to American families. Today's inflation report confirmed what Americans already know: Putin's price hike is hitting America hard.
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BRUNHUBER: Of course, inflation is a global problem. Other press the world are closely monitoring the situation in the U.S. Both India and the U.K. are reporting inflation at 7.8 percent. Across the Eurozone, it's a 8.1 percent. In Turkey, it is a staggering 73.5 percent.
All this points to the risk of a global recession, as people are forced to cut back on their normal consumer spending.
U.S. markets fell after the release of that report, showing higher than expected consumer price increases. The Dow closed down 880 points, 2.7 percent. The S&P fell nearly 3 percent. Investors are concerned that inflation data will force the Federal Reserve to be more aggressive about rate hikes when it meets next week.
All right, shifting now to the war in Ukraine. That country's military intelligence says Russia's resources can keep the war going for another year. Moscow will likely try to pause the fighting at some time to get sanctions lifted. After that, invasion would resume.
Meanwhile, in Mariupol, the city's mayor says Russia isn't even trying to give proper burials to civilians killed during its bombardment of the city. He says Russian forces have torn down 1,300 high-rise apartment buildings, even though there were dozens of bodies buried under each.
The mayor says those remains are now being dumped in a landfill, along with rubble from the buildings.
And Ukraine is condemning what it calls a sham trial of three foreign fighters who fought in its military. They've been sentenced to death in a pro-Russian separatist region, considering them mercenaries. But Ukraine says they are legitimate military members protected by the Geneva Convention. Salma Abdelaziz joins us live from Kyiv.
We've been focused on the ground war but there's increasing concern over this situation at sea, concerns about the maritime blockade, pushing millions into hunger.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Kim. The international community, Ukraine and its allies, say that this is something that Russia is essentially holding hostage, that they're using food as a weapon.
Let me explain how that is taking place. If you look at the gains that Russian forces have made over the course of this war, over the course of the last few weeks, a lot of them are concentrated on the southeast of Ukraine.
Along this coast, along the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, it's from those ports, of course, before this conflict, that Ukraine exported 90 percent of its grain. This is a country that is a breadbasket for the world. It provides that much needed grain to Africa and other countries.
Again, it is through those ports, that they no longer have access to, that they are able to export this grain.
So what Ukraine is saying is that Russia is, essentially, putting its warships in the Black Sea, preventing Ukrainians from being able to export grain from places like Odessa, meaning, this all-important grain is not reaching the markets it needs to reach in the Middle East and in Africa.
That could push, the United Nations estimates, 49 million people, into famine or famine-like conditions. You can imagine that that could also trigger conflicts, trigger unrest in other places.
There was negotiations last week to try and unblock this in Ankara. There was no resolution found.
We heard yesterday from a German official, saying that this is now being used as a weapon by Russia. Of course, Russia, for its, part disagrees. It is that Ukraine needs
to demine the waters. And then they will allow these grain exports to go through. But it is not just about the blockade; it is about how Russia itself is starting to use in these occupied territories.
In Melitopol a couple of days ago, Russian officials say that they were exporting Ukrainian grain in these occupied territories, selling them to the Middle East. We also know that they were bombing a major grain export facility in Mykolaiv.
So this is how the domino effect of this conflict began. I know your earlier segment about inflation, you can imagine, with this conflict, continuing to grind on.
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ABDELAZIZ: You mentioned those comments that Ukrainian officials saying that Russia can continue with this pace for a year. As it continues to grind on, those are the fears. Those are the concerns, that the domino effect could lead to unrest and hunger in other places.
BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. All right. Thanks so much, Salma. Appreciate it.
In the next hour, Ukraine's president is set to give a virtual address in Asia's premier security conference in Singapore. The U.S. Defense Secretary is there to bolster ties in Southeast Asia as Washington grows concerned over a more aggressive China.
Lloyd Austin gave a speech and warned Beijing's dangerous actions undermine the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region. Japan's prime minister also expressed concern over Beijing's ties to Russia.
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FUMIO KISHIDA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I, myself, have a strong sense that the crisis in Ukraine may be East Asia tomorrow.
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BRUNHUBER: Kishida also unveiling a plan to boost Japan's role in diplomacy and security throughout the region.
Ukraine is getting some help on the front lines from foreign volunteers, who joined its armed forces. CNN got a rare interview with a female paramedic from the United States, who says that helping Ukraine was simply the right thing to do. Nick Paton Walsh reports.
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BABY DOC, PARAMEDIC: I don't know how long ago. I bought it a one-way ticket here. NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (voice-over): Baby Doc -- not her real name -- is from Utah and says she is one of a handful of women serving in Ukraine's foreign legion.
DOC: I saw it on the news. I wasn't doing much at home. Just working two jobs, pretty boring.
How's it been?
Honestly, like something out of a movie, like a James Bond film or something.
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WALSH (voice-over): She calls it an opportunity, but strong emotions fueled her coming.
DOC: This is a human thing. You can't sit back and watch. It's like sitting and watching someone kicking a dog for no reason, kicking a dog in the head, it's crying. You don't stop it, it's -- I feel like it's a human thing.
WALSH (voice-over): Aged just 21 and trained as a paramedic, she's in a unit of many Americans and Germans; where about a quarter, she says, have actual military experience. But that hasn't held them back.
DOC: About two weeks ago was the first time I saw combat. I had my big medibag on. Everybody had all the gear. It was raining. It was miserable. We were climbing a 45-degree hill on the road. And then, out of nowhere, just this huge cluster bomb, like 30 yards behind me. Everybody -- the blast wave threw me into the treeline.
WALSH (voice-over): She could see one of their soldiers, she said, lying in the road.
DOC: I got up and I started running. While running, I got there. Then the second barrage went off. So the speeds are coming to us here. So second cluster bombs started going off.
And so, we managed to pull him into the tree line, while the cluster bomb was going off. By the time we got to him, he had already passed away. It is very tough. It followed like, that could have been me.
WALSH (voice-over): That loss of a Dutch soldier, one of many horrors that have reduced her faith in her God, she says.
DOC: I would have to say less, a little bit less. Before, I hadn't really seen what another human could do to another human for no reason. It has kind of shaken me a little bit to think that He would allow this or just let it happen, you know?
It's --
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DOC: -- shaken a little bit. WALSH: Dreams?
DOC: No dreams, actually. I haven't dreamt since I got here.
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WALSH: -- going back to the U.S. after this?
DOC: I'm going to have to play artillery in the background to go to sleep, I don't know.
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DOC: It's definitely going to be very different.
WALSH (voice-over): Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, near Kharkiv, Ukraine.
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BRUNHUBER: McDonald's famous golden arches are officially gone in Russia. We're now getting our first look at the logo for the new Russian fast-food restaurant that will be replacing them. It supposedly two fries and a burger, forming an M.
The new name hasn't been announced yet. But 15 locations will open on Sunday around Moscow to coincide with Russia Day. McDonald's left Russia over the war in Ukraine and sold all of its businesses there.
Sunday's relaunch will kick off in Moscow's Pushkin Square, where McDonald's first opened in Russia in 1990.
Coming up here ion CNN NEWSROOM, the 9th Summit of the Americas is now in the history books. Find out who didn't get invited and what other leaders had to say about it.
Plus, after nearly two years in iswalla (ph) will export crude oil to Europe but no cash will be paid. We'll tell you how the deal works when we come back. Stay with us.
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BIDEN: The Department of Homeland Security is leading the first of its kind campaign to disrupt human smuggling in the region. If you prey on desperate and vulnerable migrants for profit, we are coming for you. We are coming after you.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: A warning for human traffickers from the U.S. President Joe Biden there. He made that statement at the Summit of the Americas, where immigration was one of the top agenda items. But even as the meeting was taking place, a caravan of thousands of migrants was moving through Mexico on their way to the southern U.S. border.
Now the summit wrapped on Friday but during a fund-raiser later in Los Angeles, the U.S. first lady was critical of the coverage that the U.S. President received during the meeting. Jill Biden called a recent "The New York Times" article on the events "unfair."
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BRUNHUBER: But the Biden administration's decision not to invite three autocratic nations didn't sit well with many Latin American leaders, with several of them boycotting the event over the perceived snub. As CNN's Patrick Oppmann reports, that overshadowed most of the summit.
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PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Summit of the Americas is now concluded, and it remains to be seen whether any of the proclamations about working together more closely on migration and trying to attract greater investment to the region will really pan out.
The U.S. had hoped through the summit to reassert itself in the region. But very, very quickly, very, very early on, even before the summit began, the U.S.' efforts were overshadowed by the controversy over who was invited to the summit and who was choosing not to attend the summit.
The U.S., which is the host of this particular summit in Los Angeles, said that Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela were not going to be invited because those countries are, quote, "dictatorships."
But there was a lot of backlash from another country, most notably, Mexico, a close U.S. ally and neighbor. The president of Mexico Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said that he would not be attending because of these countries being excluded.
Instead, would send a high-level delegation but that they would be there, essentially, under duress because he felt that all countries in the region should be invited. A number of other leaders chose not to attend, either because of the invitation controversy or because of the case of El Salvador and Guatemala.
They felt their countries are being -- their internal affairs are met with by the United States and that they just did not want to go to the summit and be involved in the summit that very clearly the U.S. was setting the agenda at the summit.
So even though the Biden administration said that this was a moral choice, that they were excluding these three countries because of their human rights records, going forward, it is unclear whether that will hold. So many countries, even the ones that attended like Argentina and
Chile, spoke out against the exclusion of Cuba and Nicaragua and Venezuela. And future summits will not be held in the U.S. It'll likely be much more difficult for any future U.S. administrations to exclude these countries -- Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.
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BRUNHUBER: Venezuela will soon export crude oil to Europe in exchange for debt relief, according to two sources. The U.S. authorized the deal, a move showing a change in American policy. The U.S. sanctioned Venezuela's state-owned oil company in 2910 for its role in propping up the regime of authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro. Journalist Stefano Pozzebon has the latest from Caracas.
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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Venezuela is on the verge of resuming oil exports to Europe for the first time in more than two years, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the situation.
The sources in Caracas who confirmed the news to CNN under the condition of anonymous due to the confidential nature of this deal, told us that two major European oil companies have been given authorization by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to resume the oil exports from Venezuela into Europe in exchange for debt relief.
That debt relief detail is key. As we understand, neither the Venezuelan government nor the state oil company will receive any cash in exchange for the oil. They will instead pay with existing debt owed to these companies. The sources are telling us.
CNN has reached out to these two companies and we're still waiting for comment. But one of the sources told us that the resumption of the export should take place in just a matter of weeks.
This is happening as the Biden administration, as well as other governments around the world, are trying whatever they can to lower the price of gasoline at the pump, which has increased to record level as a consequence of the war in Ukraine -- for CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Caracas.
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BRUNHUBER: Search teams in Brazil have found what appear to be human remains near the area where a British journalist and a Brazilian indigenous affairs expert went missing last weekend.
Police have already found blood on a boat belonging to a suspect. They say they will see if those pieces of evidence match. Officials say Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira were in a remote part of the Amazon known for illegal mining and drug trafficking routes.
They were there to research a book project on conservation efforts in the region but had reportedly received death threats just days before. As soon as next week, the United Kingdom could begin deporting
refugees to Rwanda.
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BRUNHUBER: A number of groups had filed a legal challenge to stop the plan. But Friday, London's high court denied that request. Prime minister Boris Johnson's government hopes to dissuade people from crossing the English Channel into the U.K.
But the plan is coming under massive backlash from human rights experts. It's still under judicial review.
I'm Kim Brunhuber. The news continues after the short break. For our international viewers, "AFRICAN VOICES: CHANGEMAKERS" is next.
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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back, you are watching CNN NEWSROOM.
The U.S. Capitol will be buzzing on Monday as a bipartisan panel reconvenes and uncovers more of what they have found about the January 6th insurrection. They have planned six more hearings this month to present preliminary findings.
It paints a damning portrait of Donald Trump as the central figure behind the failed coup. The committee chairman offered this historical context on the former president.
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REP. BENNIE THOMPSON (D), CHAIR, U.S. HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE ON JANUARY 6 ATTACK: In the time of the Civil War, President Lincoln was faced with a similar situation. And he rallied the country rather than divide the country.
And said, "If I lose, we will cooperate with the winner."
Donald Trump is the only president in the history of the United States not to cooperate in the peaceful transition of power.
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BRUNHUBER: On Friday, the U.S. government reported inflation has hit 8.6 percent, the highest it has been in 40 years. Prices on just about everything have been climbing since President Biden took office. Many household incomes are being squeezed by costs for necessities like fuel and food.
As more people cut back on spending, it's raising fears the slowdown will trigger recession. The U.S. will hold critical midterm elections in November that determines the control of Congress. Both economic issues and the information learned in the January 6th hearings could impact the vote.
We are joined by Natasha Lindstaedt, professor of government at University of Essex.
Thanks so much for being here with us. We don't know what effect the January 6th testimony will have in the court of public opinion or in an actual court of law. Democrats are hoping that it will galvanize their voters.
How influential will it be?
NATASHA LINDSTAEDT, UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX: It should be incredibly influential. As we have heard, this is the only president in history that has tried to stage a coup, that incited a bloody insurrection. This is just unfathomable. It should be the most important issue of the election. We are seeing democracy at stake.
We have Republicans going after voting rights and infringing on people's, you know, the ease with which people can vote, gerrymandering districts. There's really important issues that are critical to democracy at stake.
Instead, what I think we will see is this will play to the Democrats. They will be watching. You know, about 20 million people watched. I think the evidence presented will be convincing to them, to people that would already vote for other Democrats.
And I don't think it's going to move the meter much for anyone else. I think that people are really focused on the economy. You have 75 percent of the country thinking that the economy is not looking good, that the country is not moving in the right direction.
And we see a majority of voters have listed the economy as the most important issue in the election and specifically inflation. And they see inflation as more important than other issues like unemployment or economic growth. That's a problem for the Democrats.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, I mean, Republicans are saying the whole January 6th thing is a distraction from the real issues, which they say are inflation. It's worth, you know, reminding people that, you know, that in the '70s, inflation was high and it was growing. But people were still able to focus on Watergate.
LINDSTAEDT: Right, exactly. You had really high viewership for Watergate. And it was something that captivated the nation. And also you had a different Republican Party at that point.
The Republicans, under Watergate, were willing to criticize Nixon and were not transfixed by him. Instead, you have representatives under Trump, who knew he was spewing lies about the election. They knew this.
We have Bill Barr who even stated this and said it was ridiculous. We have Trump's own daughter, Ivanka, agreeing with Bill Barr on this. We have Sean Hannity from FOX News, he knew that the election hoax idea was also ridiculous.
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LINDSTAEDT: But then he decided to go on FOX News and spew all the lies again and again. So we have a very different nation than we did in the Watergate years. We have different facts that people are consuming.
That makes it really difficult to convey the importance of what took place in the American public, when more than half -- well, I should say, you had about 60 percent of Americans that believe the election was fair. And then you had the other big Trump base that did not.
BRUNHUBER: I'm wondering then, on the Republican side, we saw, as you said, Bill Barr saying this was BS, we had Donald Trump's daughter saying that, you know, there was no -- that he lost the election, and they are distancing themselves from this.
You think given that, you know, for Republicans seeking office right now, they have been very aligned with the Big Lie, will they start to distance themselves from this?
Or do you think the MAGA world will just double down on all of it, despite what is coming out from the committee?
LINDSTAEDT: I mean, it's a really important question. And we have seen that some Trump candidates have not done well. But I think that's because they themselves as candidates have messed things up for themselves.
But other candidates who have aligned themselves with Trump in very, very strong Republican districts have done well. So I think we see Trump is still in charge of the party and people continue to lean toward him.
And you also have representatives mimicking his behavior, acting more divisive, refusing to engage in bipartisan activity. So I think the impact of Trump and the damage that he has done is tremendous because we have incredibly divisive, polarized politics, where people are mimicking a very autocratic like leader because they see it as their best path to victory.
And very few are distancing themselves from him officially. Look at the way Liz Cheney has been treated, she's been completely ostracized from the party for standing up for democracy and what is right.
BRUNHUBER: Well, listen, we look forward to following along with this. Really appreciate your expertise, Natasha Lindstaedt, thank you so much.
LINDSTAEDT: Thanks for having me.
(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: All right, still ahead, a small but promising immunotherapy trial has some researchers buzzing that it may have helped a dozen patients in their fight against cancer. That's after the break. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: International air travelers soon won't have to show a COVID test before entering the United States, in effect Sunday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is no longer necessary based on the science and data.
The travel industry argued against the requirement for months, arguing that it was damaging the economy. The CDC will reassess the decision in 90 days.
Twelve out of 12 rectal cancer patients in one trial saw their tumors disappear, thanks to a promising therapy from researchers at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. They received an immunotherapy drug, it does not kill cancer cells but helps the immune system to find and attack them.
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BRUNHUBER: For more on, this I want to bring in Dr. Vlad Simianu, the medical director for colon and rectal disorders at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.
Thank you for being here with us. Many of the headlines on these used words like "seismic," "ground breaking." Now you know better than I do sometimes the media have a tendency to overhype medical studies.
But the results did seem quite extraordinary; apparently when the results were announced, there were gasps and tears at the conference where it was presented.
How significant is it?
DR. VLAD SIMIANU, VIRGINIA MASON FRANCISCAN HEALTH: These results are exciting, definitely exciting. Rectal cancer, compared to colon cancer, is more aggressive and more likely to recur.
And so having a new tool in the tool box is important. Rectal cancer is commonly treated with a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. And this new -- these new results are encouraging for this group of patients.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, I mean, you say new; how new is this type of therapy exactly? SIMIANU: Yes, so, for those who may not know, this is called a check point inhibitor. It's part of a group of drugs we collectively call immune therapy. It's a set of medicines that revs up your body's immune system.
So it does not kill cancer directly but it teaches your own body to fight off your own cancer. And it's been a class of drugs that we have used for melanoma and a host of other cancers.
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SIMIANU: And recently we used it for colon and rectal cancers with a unique set of genetic mutations with good results.
BRUNHUBER: That set of genetic mutations, that was an abnormality called mismatch repair deficiency, right?
Does this sort of therapy have any implications for people who might have different types of cancer tumors but the same deficiency?
SIMIANU: Yes, we think that as many as one in four patients with rectal cancer have some sort of genetic predisposition for their cancer, mismatch repair or otherwise. So we have increasingly started to test patients for this, so much that we recommend that anyone who is under 50 with a new cancer gets genetically screened.
So this is a new tool in our tool box for these patients.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. And just to underline the stunning affect here. I mean, 100 percent of the patients in this small study saw their cancer, you know, basically go down.
How unusual is it in these types of studies?
SIMIANU: Yes, I think we were all really excited to see that. I think doctors, when they see a study of a dozen patients with good results, we are cautiously optimistic.
But previously to this, using that combination of chemotherapy and radiation, you know, we could reach this kind of result but only in half or two-thirds of patients. So this is really encouraging.
BRUNHUBER: I want to just, before we go look at the big picture here, President Biden this year reignited his so-called cancer moon shot with the aim of reducing cancer death rates by 50 percent over the next 25 years.
His original cancer moon shot in 2016 was largely viewed as having mixed success at best. Pharmaceutical companies benefited but the cancer rate did not go down as they hoped.
Any reason this moon shot will be different?
SIMIANU: Well, look, the last few years have been challenging for everyone, let alone cancer patients, who've had a hard time getting into the health care system to get screened and treated for colon cancer.
I think, you know, being reinvigorated for cancer, seeing that cancer treatment can be personalized and tailored to your individual case with drugs like this, I think is encouraging.
BRUNHUBER: Listen, it's always great to do a good news story on this subject. Thank you very much for your expertise, Dr. Vlad Simianu, really appreciate it.
SIMIANU: My pleasure.
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BRUNHUBER: Parts of the U.S. are bracing for record breaking hot weather. We will go to the CNN Weather Center for details ahead. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: A dangerous heat wave is affecting millions of people across the American Southwest from California to Texas. Temperatures in several states are reaching the triple digits this weekend. Dozens of cities could break daily records over the next few days. Joining me is Derek Van Dam.
Where are the cities of most concern here?
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: OK, so, right now, it's southern California into the desert southwest. But we are talking about Houston, Memphis, Nashville; you are in Atlanta as well, you will next, the heat wave will build eastward.
About 70 percent of the lower 48 will see temperatures of 90 or higher next week. And over 15 percent of the U.S. population, roughly 45 million people, will reach triple digit heat, 100 degrees or higher.
It's dangerous heat, we need to take it seriously. One of the leading killers in natural disasters, weather related disasters across the U.S. Here's the heat advisories, excessive heat advisories, heat warnings much of southern Nevada and California.
We have seen the mercury in the thermometer climb in Texas. Look at the people here, trying cool themselves in the midday heat. By the way, temperatures reached the triple digits in many locations. You factor in the humidity level, it can feel like 105-110 degrees on your skin.
You can see even Colorado with triple digit heat record breaking territory. From today, right through the middle of next week, we have the potential to break over 140 record high temperatures. Notice how that has spread eastward, we have been covering the story
for several days. You can see in the temperature trend map, Bakersfield, Death Valley and Palm Springs see the excessive heat. And look how it cools down in to Monday.
It's because the heat goes to Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama. These are the areas that will be impacted by what is called a heat dome. It's basically a heat trapping mechanism, an area of high pressure that does not allow the radiation from the sun to evaporate and radiate back in the atmosphere.
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VAN DAM: So you don't get the cooling and cooling does not happen at night. It's why it's dangerous, it does not allow the body to regulate itself when it's nighttime.
In Houston we will top 100 today and tomorrow and then the heat shifts eastward as I have mentioned. Look at Atlanta, 95 on Monday and Tuesday. Kim, we both live here in Atlanta. We don't want to see temperatures like this because, you know what?
The humidity is so tough. They don't call it Hotlanta for no reason.
BRUNHUBER: But I'm the only one loving the heat, coming from Canada, I love every degree. So I will take advantage of it now. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
I'm Kim Brunhuber. Stay with us, I will be back in a moment as CNN NEWSROOM, continues.
