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Ukraine Anticipate Escalation from Russia; NATO Will Bridge Turkey's Gap with Sweden and Finland; Recession is Inevitable; Emmanuel Macron Lost His Majority; Colombia Elects Leftist President. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired June 20, 2022 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and around the world. You are watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

Just ahead, this could be an historic week for Ukraine. The European Council is set to make a decision on whether the country becomes a candidate to join the E.U. We'll speak to a member of the Ukrainian parliament about what's at stake.

Also, high inflation, gas prices rising and the cost of food is also going. The White House warns of a recession in the United States, but says it's not inevitable. We'll have a look at how the global markets are reacting.

And uncharted territory, how the elections in Colombia and France have rattled the political status quo.

UNKNOWN: Live from CNN center, this is CNN Newsroom with Lynda Kinkade

KINKADE: We begin in Ukraine where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is warning that Russia could once again step-up attacks as European Union leaders consider whether to back Ukraine's bid to join the block. It comes as fierce fighting continues in the eastern city of Severodonetsk, critical to Russia's push to take control of the wider Donbas region.

But we are also seeing more Russian strikes further the west. This was the scene in the town near Dnipro where officials say at least one person was killed when a fuel tank exploded a missile strike on an oil depot.

And this video from Ukrainian officials appears to show the aftermath of shelling in Sumy north of Kharkiv. And yet, amid a war that's devastated much of the country, Ukraine's president is keeping an eye on the future. One he hopes will include E.U. membership.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): A truly historic week begins a week when we will hear the answer from the European Union on the candidate status for Ukraine. We already have a positive decision from the European Commission, and at the end of the new week, there will be a response from the European Council. I think it is obvious to everyone, that since 1991 there have been few such fateful decisions for Ukraine as we expect now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, joining me now from Kyiv is Ukrainian Member of Parliament, Kira Rudik. Good to have you with us.

KIRA RUDIK, MEMBER, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT: Hello, thank you so much for having me.

KINKADE: So, the European Commission has recommended candidate status for Ukraine which is one step closer to becoming a member of the European Union. In practical terms, what does that mean for Ukraine?

RUDIK: It means that, at some point, we will become a member of European Union and that there is a trust of all European countries in that we are democratic, progressive country. That with certain adjustment can become a member of the European Union. It is very important for the investors. It's very important for the world community that is looking at Ukraine's future. But most of all, it is extremely important for Ukrainian people.

You know, in practice, there could be time and years in between candidacy and actual membership. But right now, after 100 of days of war it is an extremely uplifting sign for Ukrainian people, for Ukrainian soldiers that the main point that we are fighting our European future can become one step closer.

One of the reasons that Putin attacked our country is that we have written in the Ukrainian Constitution that we want to join NATO and we want to join the E.U., this is our aim. And right now, we will be one step closer to achieving this game. And, for people who are fighting at the front and who know that it could be a long, long battle, it is such a good sign saying that our efforts are appreciative. That it is enough of what we are doing to receive this support and prove from European countries, saying, yes guys, you are good enough. You will join, you will become European Union at some point.

[03:04:57]

KINKADE: President Zelenskyy fears that Russia might escalate attacks as a result of this bid to join the E.U. Do you think they'll be great a backlash from Russia should that happen?

RUDIK: Yes. We are absolutely sure. We are sure that the amount of attacks will increase for two reasons. First, com -- Putin commented on the European Union and European summit decisions on Ukraine saying, well, I don't really care, which basically means, I don't care and there would be a backlash. And second, it's because they already after the decision was announced

we already see that the amount of rockets and the amount of efforts from the Russian side have increased. So, this will be both uplifting but also very complicated week for us and we are getting ready.

KINKADE: Boise, the chief of NATO and the British prime minister have warned that this was in Ukraine might drag on for years. What's your view of that assessment? And is Ukraine prepared for that?

RUDIK: I think right now everybody is in the process of acknowledging that this war is not a sprint. It is a marathon. And if we are talking about six packages of sanctions that are supposed to hit Russia hard, it will only start working at the end of this year, and it's only six- package of sanctions. There would need to be more packages of different sanctions.

So, we do understand that this war can be long shut and that it could last for years. Yes. And what we need is for all our allies to understand that as well and be strategically prepared to help fight this war like for a long time. This is both emotionally hard but it is also hard to strategically understand that in a year we might be in a situation where we would still need heavy weapons the same amount if not bigger than right now. And that we will still need amount of financial support, and we will still need to be a country that can only fight when it's supported by its allies.

So, I'm talking to my colleagues in different countries, members of parliament, leaders of the government and they are all in the process of understanding, acknowledging and planning for it. So, I hope that towards the end of summer, every single country that is supporting Ukraine would know how it will continue supporting us for another year or so because this war is taking a longer time to wait.

I want to make sure that everybody understands that we are not intended to lose any of our territories. And we are going to fight for every single inch of Ukrainian land. This is our aim. This is our goal. And when we are talking to our allies about the length of the war, we -- we are talking about taking those territories that we lost right now, back.

KINKADE: And I have to ask you, Kira, what more can be done to end this war sooner? What efforts are being made, if any, to resume peace talks?

RUDIK: So, the main question about peace talks is who or which organization would be the one that would be security guarantor that Putin will keep his word. As of right now, there is no leader of the world. There is no organization in the world that would step ahead and say, we are going to be going guarantors that on the second day after the peace talks are concluded, Putin will not break his word. There is none.

In this matter the peace talks are useless. Before we were having them because we needed to release our people from the Azovstal and other occupied territories. Right now, they exchange process is going, it's going hard but it does not require high level peace talks. So, in this matter, what more can be done is the package sanctions so

Putin will see that the dependence of the west on his energy resources will end. Second, the amount of heavy weapons that we are receiving needs to increase dramatically. Because once we start winning there will be an upper hand on the discussions with Putin if there will be any.

But third of course, we need to make sure that Ukraine can sustain economically because right now it's extremely hard with the war going on so Putin wouldn't feel that we are weakening out.

[03:10:02]

KINKADE: Ukrainian lawmaker Kira Rudik, we appreciate your time. Thank you so much for joining us.

RUDIK: Thank you, and glory to Ukraine.

Well, new video has emerged showing the moment Russian forces seized control of an eastern Ukrainian city last month. This bodycam video from a Russian soldier appeared on social media on Sunday. It shows troops entering Lyman in Ukraine's Donetsk region on May 25th. They moved past destroyed buildings and empty streets before entering a local government building.

The Russian soldiers make their way up to the roof where they wave their victory flag. Well Ukraine confirmed days later that the city had been taken by Russian forces. Lyman is roughly 60 kilometers -- kilometers west of Severodonetsk, a strategically important Ukrainian city.

Well, Russia's war is prompting an historic shift in European security. NATO is set to host a meeting in the coming hours on its expansion. Last month, Sweden and Finland set aside decades of neutrality and formally applied to join NATO. But Turkey, which is already a member, has raise security concerns about the other two countries, accusing them of harboring Kurdish terrorist groups.

Well, CNN's Nina dos Santos joins us now with more on the story from London. Good to see you, Nina. So, these delegations from Finland and Sweden are meeting to discuss Turkey's objections. What can we expect?

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, given the nature of the people to be attending these talks that are taking place in Brussels at NATO headquarters earlier today -- later on today, it's unlikely that we're going to see a huge amount of deadlock because they're not sending the top ranked diplomats, if you like.

But either way, though, Lynda, it is a sign that hopefully there is going to be some acknowledgment from Ankara's point of view that they would say of them being able to express these grievances they have of security concerns that they say that these two Nordic nations would mean if they were admitted into the alliance.

And on the other side, it's also an indication of the growing frustration in the capitals of both Finland and also Sweden at Turkey's ability to continue to be very vocal about blocking their plans to join the military alliance.

Remember that they say there's a big summit taking place at the end of June and it's believed that if this deadlock cannot be broken between now and then, well the membership plans for both Sweden and Finland could get kicked into the long grass and they could perhaps even be held up for another year.

What is Turkey's beef with this issue? Well, Turkey has a couple of things that it wants to discuss with these countries. Remember, that Sweden in particular, more than Finland is home to one of the world's largest Kurdish diasporas. And Turkey says that it has concerns about people who are of Kurdish origin who live inside places like Sweden that they want to discuss with the governments of those countries.

They have extradition requests for a number of Swedish citizens who have Kurdish origin. That's a very thorny subject inside Sweden. But they are also concerned, they say about perceptions of Swedish governmental support for Kurdish separatists operating in northern Syria that they say are linked to other bigger, broader band groups.

So, it's a very complex subject and essentially what it does is it pits the support for the Swedish Kurdish course in particular up against Ankara and it's crucial to see whether any deadlock can be broken over the next couple of weeks ahead of that key NATO summit of the 29 of June. Lynda?

KINKADE: All right, Nina dos Santos for us in London, thanks very much.

DOS SANTOS: Thanks.

KINKADE: Well, this just in moments ago. Josep Borrell is the European Union's foreign policy chief speaking at a meeting of E.U. foreign minister. Hear how he described the blockade of Ukrainian ports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEP BORRELL, E.U. FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF: There are millions of tons of wheat remain blocked in Ukraine while the rest of the globe people are suffering hunger. This isn't a real war crime so I cannot imagine that this will last much longer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: And we will have more on this in the hours ahead. Well, White House officials are trying to soften the blow of mounting inflation and signs of a possible recession. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said while the first half of the year may have been tough for the economy, the coming months will be better.

CNN's Arlette Saenz reports.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The White House is trying to express optimism for the prospects of the economy while also acknowledging the economic pain that so many Americans are feeling as they continue to see rising prices. Top cabinet officials and economic officials on Sunday reiterated the president's point that he does not believe a recession is inevitable in this country. Even that some economists predict one could be looming.

[03:15:02]

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said that the Biden administration is working to try to alleviate those high prices. But also acknowledge this could be a very tough summer for American drivers as gas prices continue to rise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER GRANHOLM, U.S. SECRETARY OF ENERGY: The president is really focused on preventing these inflationary increases to the extend it can. Inflation obviously is happening globally. A recession is not inevitable. The president really wants to have a steady and stable recovery. But of course, one of the biggest pieces of these inflationary increases that we're seeing is the price of fuel.

We know this is going to be a tough summer because the driving season just started. And we know that there will be continued upward a pull- on demand.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: The White House says they are evaluating all options to try to lower prices when it comes to gas and also food. And one of those areas that is under discussion is the possibility of putting a pause on the gas tax. Energy Secretary, Granholm said that that is being considered at this moment. But it could be difficult to go down that route.

In fact, gas tax pays for so many road and infrastructure projects. Additionally, the White House has talked about issuing gas rebate cards to Americans. But a White House official cautioned that it's unlikely such a program would go into effect because it would be difficult to administer, and also difficult to keep tabs on whether consumers were actually using that money specifically for gas.

Now later this week energy Secretary Granholm will be holding a meeting where she's invited the top executives from seven oil refining companies to try to discuss ways to lower gas prices as the administration is trying to show that they are using every level at their disposal to try to lower those prices for American consumers.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, traveling with the president in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

KINKADE: Meantime, countries around the world are trying to tame inflation ahead of an economic downturn. European markets just open, let's take a look at how they're faring. we can see pretty flat, slightly mixed. And in the Asian markets pretty similar. You can see the hang Seng slightly up and the Nikkei slightly down.

We are going to stay with CNN for more on the global economy later this hour.

But still ahead, French voters deliver disappointing results for President Macron's centrist coalition. We'll go live to Paris for a report on French parliamentary elections.

Plus, Colombians have spoken in a tight presidential vote. And they want to see change. A look at what the president-elect plans to do over the next four years and see how world leaders are reacting.

[03:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back. French President Emmanuel Macron's centrist coalition has lost its absolute majority in the national assembly. It will still be the largest block but fell short of the 289 seats needed in the final round of elections on Sunday.

Leftist assembly member Jean-Luc Melenchon is set to leave the main opposition block, the New Ecological and Social People's Union, which has 131 seats. Marine Le Pen's far right National Rally Party came in third. But with 89 seats, that is its best performance ever. More than half of French voters, 53 percent did not vote in the election.

For more, let's go to CNN's Nada Bashir who joins us from Paris. Nada, it really is quite incredible just how low voter turnout was. Overall, a very disappointing result for the president.

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely, Lynda. These results have really dealt a significant blow to French President Emmanuel Macron. A week ago, he was reiterating his call for a strong majority warning that nothing could be worth in adding this order to the French government, and now of course, his centrists on some coalition has lost its absolute majority in the lower House of Parliament.

In contrast, as you mentioned there, we've seen significant gains by that nearly formed left wing alliance led by Jean-Luc Melenchon. He spoke last night saying that the results were totally unexpected, and of course, Marine Le Pen's far right National Rally Party making those historic gains.

Now we haven't heard from Macron just yet, but a government minister did speak to CNN affiliate BFM TV last night, characterizing the results as a disappointing first place for Emmanuel Macron. We also heard from the prime minister who've warned that these results could certainly throw French politics into turmoil. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELISABETH BORNE, PRIME MINISTER OF FRANCE (through translator): The situation is unprecedented. Never before has a national assembly experienced such a configuration under the 5th republic. The situation constitutes of this for our country given the challenges that we face both nationally and internationally. Beginning tomorrow, we will work to build a majority for action. There is no alternative.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR: Now these results have marked a significant shift in the balance of power for Macron's second term in office, and it will place a limit on his capacity to deliver on his domestic policy priority. We are talking about areas such as raising the retirement age, overhauling the state welfare system and even furthering E.U. integration.

So, that has really limited his hand on that front. Macron will now have to focus on making more compromises in the national assembly, or indeed, looking for new allies on that front.

Although it has to be said that we have already heard from the leader of the conservative Republican Party in France, he's already ruled out the possibility of joining an alliance with Macron. So, this will certainly be a difficult week of deliberation for the French president, and certainly, a lot of uncertainty ahead for the French government. Lynda?

KINKADE: Yes, very unusual results. And certainly, challenges ahead for him. All right, Nada Bashir in Paris, our thanks to you.

[03:24:56]

Well, Colombia's president-elect, says he wants a great national agreement to end the violence plaguing the Latin American country. Gustavo Petro will become the first leftist president of Colombia after capturing a slim margin with more than 50 percent of the vote on Sunday. He campaigned to end the violence associated with the drug trade, as well as make social justice and the environment top priorities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GUSTAVO PETRO, COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT-ELECT (through translator): The government that will begin on August 7th is a government of life. It's a government that wants to build Colombia as a global power of life. If we want to synthesize in three sentences what that consists of, I would say, first in peace, second in social justice, third in environmental justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well journalist Stefano Pozzebon is in Bogota with more on this historic win.

STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: History was made here in Colombia this Sunday with the election of Gustavo Petro as the first left-wing president in this country's history. People just behind my back and in the square are Petro supporters who are celebrating this historic achievement as if they won, perhaps the World Cup.

It's the first time in the history of this country that Colombia voted so decisively to the left. It's an election that opens a new chapter in the relationship between Colombia and Washington. Gustavo Petro told CNN that he intends to open a new political dialogue with Joe Biden centered around the issues of protecting the Amazon, phasing out fossil fuels, and ending the war on drugs.

He also told us however that he intends to renegotiate a free trade agreement between Colombia and Washington, and that he wants Colombia out of NATO. It's a historic achievement not just for Colombia's left, but also for the Afro-Colombian population.

Francia Marquez, Petro's vice president candidate has become the first Afro-Colombian citizen person of African descent who hold executive power in the history of this country and a remarkable turnaround for millions.

From Bogota, this is Stefano Pozzebon, CNN.

KINKADE: Well, reaction to Petro's win is pouring in. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, quote, "We look forward working to Gustavo Petro to further strengthen the U.S.-Colombia relationship and move our nations towards a better future.

Mexico's president tweeted, Gustavo Petro's victory is historic. Colombia's conservatives have always been tenacious and tough. And the writer Jose Maria Vargas Vila wrote that dictators of his country dipped their daggers in holy water before killing.

And Cuba's president tweeted I express my deepest congratulations to Gustavo Petro, his elections as president of Colombia in a historic popular victory. We reiterate the willingness to advance in the development of bilateral relations for the well-being of our people.

Well still to come, the White House says not to worry about the U.S. economy. After the break, Washington's latest attempts to soothe America's growing economic fears.

[03:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back. U.S. stock markets are coming off of volatile trading week and you won't see any improvement until Tuesday. They closed Monday for the Juneteenth federal holiday.

But around the rest the world, markets are responding to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's comments about a recession not being inevitable in the states. You can see the European markets all slightly up. And in the Asian markets, you can see that the Nikkei and the Shanghai down, the Hang Seng slightly up right now.

CNN's Clare Sebastian joins me from London with more. And Clare, I want to start with these comments from U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen who said a recession in the U.S. is not inevitable. What needs to happen to ensure we don't see a recession now?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's a tricky one, Lynda. What needs to happen is that the fed needs to hit a sweet spot, essentially, between bringing down inflation, which is at a 40-year high in the U.S. and isn't peaking based on the latest numbers and maintaining a strong labor market. The labor market is extremely strong in the United States.

Right, now what the markets are worried about is that the fed won't be able to do that, that in aggressively bringing down inflation, they will sort of accidentally tip the U.S. economy into recession. We are expected to hear from Jerome Powell later this week. He's going to be testifying on Capitol Hill.

But meanwhile, have a little listen to what Janet Yellen had to say about what she thinks needs to be done to avoid a recession.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANET YELLEN, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF TREASURY: I expect the economy to slow. It's been growing at a very rate as the economy -- as the labor market has recovered and we have reached full employment. It's natural now that we expect a transition to steady and stable growth, but I don't think a recession is at all inevitable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: She went on to say, Lynda, that it would be a mixture of skill and luck to avoid a recession. Skill because, you know, the fed is dealing with not only inflation but inflation expectations, which is a critical part of this. As people expect inflation to be higher, then they will, you know, businesses will raise prices. They might even raise wages. That is difficult to reverse.

Luck because a big part of this is outside the fed's control. Energy price is driven higher by the war in Ukraine. Partly, that has sent gas prices to a record in the United States.

So I think that's why she talks about that and why the communication challenge that the fed faces is so critical. They have to be seen to be doing this aggressively and credibly in the eyes not only of the markets but of the general public as well.

KINKADE: Yeah, exactly. And Clare, I want to ask you also about Germany because it relies heavily on Russian energy. But it has announced that it is going to limit its use of gas and at the same time ramp up production at its oil and coal power stations.

SEBASTIAN: Yeah, a significant move from Germany. The backdrop to this is that last week, Russia reduced the flow of gas through the Nord Stream pipeline, a critical artery bringing gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea by about 60%.

Now, this put under a lot of strain. Germany has already emergency plans to try to reduce its reliance on Russian gas and oil at the same time refilling its storage at a rapid rate to avoid any shortages this winter.

This led the economy minister and also the vice chancellor to announce a couple measures. One, that they be firing up coal plants to reduce the alliance on gas, he said, for a transitional period. This is, of course, a big deal for him.

[03:34:59]

SEBASTIAN: He's part of the Green Party. He described this as bitter because, of course, it could set back Germany's climate goal. And the other part is to incentify businesses to use less gas. It's been clear all along that in order for Europe and in particular Germany to do without Russian gas, it would to be a double sort of whammy of reducing, finding oil (ph) supply, and of course, reducing demand.

KINKADE: Some big challenges going forward. Clare Sebastian for us in London, thank you so much.

Americans still want to go on vacation this summer despite high travel costs, but they're dealing with fly disruptions, keeping them on the ground. Airlines cancelled more than 900 flights on Sunday alone. More than 3,000 flights have been cancelled or delayed since Friday.

But officials with the Transportation Security Administration say they haven't seen airports this crowded since the Thanksgiving holiday last year.

The next hearing of the January 6 Committee is set for Tuesday and will focus on Donald Trump's efforts to pressure state officials to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

Georgia election officials, Brad Raffensperger and Gabe Sterling, will testify. The committee will examine the now infamous phone call where Trump pushed Raffensperger to find the votes to help him win the state. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (voice-over): So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have because we won the state.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Trump mounted a similar pressure campaign against Rusty Bowers, Arizona's Republican House speaker. Bowers will also testify Tuesday. The committee will also examine Trump's involvement in a scheme to submit fake slates of electors. Here's Congressman Adam Schiff, a member of the panel with more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): We will show evidence of the president's involvement in the scheme. We will also, again, show evidence about what his own lawyers came to think about the scheme. And we'll show courageous state officials who stood up and said they wouldn't go along with his plan to either call legislators back in the session or decertify the results for Joe Biden.

The system held because a lot of state and local elections officials upheld their oath to the Constitution. A lot of them are Republicans as well as Democrats.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Calls are getting louder for criminal charges against former President Trump and others involved in that attempt to overturn the election. But as law professor Jessica Levinson explains, the exclusive testimony doesn't always translate to a slam dunk case in the court of law.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSICA LEVINSON, PROFESSOR OF LAW, LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL: I don't think there is an easy path to a prosecution when we are talking about the former president, even though the evidence is, many people including myself would say, very clear that the president did attempt to thwart the peaceful transfer of power.

Even though he did try and undermine the outcome of this election and invalidate a valid election, that doesn't mean it's a slam dunk case in court of law.

So the goals for the hearing here, I think, again, it's to speak to the American people, to speak to the voters, to try and explain to them that there was and continues to be in some ways an existential threat to our Constitution, to our system of government. It's also to speak to the prosecutors and I think try and put some pressure on them to move forward.

Now, what would we be looking at? We have to look not at bad behavior or moral behaviour. We have to look at specific provisions of the federal criminal code. Things like obstruction of a government proceeding, which would be the counting of electoral votes. Things like to fraud in the U.S. government by trying to thwart that counting of Electoral College votes.

And so we are looking at crimes, we're looking at frauds. When you look at what the Department of Justice would have to prove, it's a specific provision of the code or specific provisions and proof beyond a reasonable doubt. That's a very different standard than the committee faces.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Nations around the world are dealing with extreme heat waves. We're going to get the latest from the CNN Weather Center when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom." I'm Lynda Kinkade. Thanks for joining us.

Millions of people across India and Bangladesh are stranded due to monsoon flooding. Rains and landslides have killed dozens of people. CNN's Vedika Sud has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Trudging through flooded streets with whatever they can carry, authorities say millions of people in Bangladesh and Northeast India have been affected by some of the worst flooding in the region in nearly two decades.

This man says, our house got flooded with waist-level water, there is no way we can stay in the house, we are asking the government for relief and help.

An official in Bangladesh's Ministry of Disaster Management says homes in two of the worst affected areas, the districts of Sylhet and Sunamganj, are 80 to 90% underwater.

Highways look more like rivers, the rushing water times too fast and deep for people travelling in smaller vehicles.

There are so many people marooned by the floods. Both India and Bangladesh have activated their militaries to help rescue them. Soldiers are using speed boats and rafts to access submerged areas and ferry the stranded to dry land.

Many areas that are cut off are without power, and there is desperate need for food and drinking water. Transportation using anything other than a boat is difficult. Flights have been suspended for three days at Bangladesh's Osmani International Airport. Railways are deluged. And some hospitals are inundated with water, like this one. Its ambulance is parked outside with water up to the tires.

Dozens of people have died, some by lightning strikes and landslides in Bangladesh, others from perilous conditions brought on by the floodwaters. Officials say the situation could deteriorate even further with more rain in the forecast.

Vedika Sud, CNN, New Delhi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: India and Bangladesh are not the only nations dealing with extreme weather. Joining us now is CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri. Good to see you, Pedram. So we've been having such incredibly hot weather here in the U.S. and is expected to get hotter this week, right?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's continuing. Yes, potentially hotter than what we saw even last week. We will touch on that here momentarily.

[03:45:00]

JAVAHERI: I want to break down exactly how things have played out, start you off with the extreme weather across portions of the Indian subcontinent on to areas just off towards the east where the town of Cherrapunji, India, well known here in the meteorological community for one of the wettest locations on earth, picked up upwards of 970 plus millimetres of rainfall.

That is about 40 inches of rainfall coming down in the span of one day, so essentially a year's worth of London rainfall and some in a matter of one day to kind of give you a sense of scale of what happened here.

The amount of rainfall in three days is also staggering. That's roughly 100 inches coming down in three days. The elements here are always in place in the monsoon that is kind of a double-edged sword, right?

You get the monsoonal rainfall that is very necessary here. It supports hundreds of millions of people across this entire region when it comes to tapping in moisture and, of course, supporting their livelihood. But too much of it, of course, quickly goes downhill, and that's precisely how things have been in that region.

Now across the United States, tremendous heat. Upwards of another 100 plus record temperature is possible spanning across the eastern half of the United States. The last couple of days, and this is what Lynda was talking about, we've seen plenty of heat, records all over the place falling by the wayside. Some of these records have been standing since the 1800s, 100-degree readings before summer even officially gets underway.

Notice across portions of the northern tier of the U.S, it is nine million Americans underneath the risk here for another round of excessive heat impacting parts of at least seven states. The temperature is running as much as 20 degrees above seasonal averages.

In Chicago, the century mark expected by Tuesday afternoon is 82, normal for this time of year. Again, it gets very dangerous very quickly, Lynda, when you're having multiple days of excessive heat with very little break in between here. That's been a concern for a lot of people.

KINKADE: Whew, going to be hot. Pedram Javaheri, thanks so much.

JAVAHERI: Thanks, Lynda.

KINKADE: Series of "Mission Ahead" introduces you to the innovators tackling the world's biggest challenges. This week, we're looking at bold missions in science and technology to change the way we move.

CNN's Rachel Crane exposed a quiet EV revolution taking place on the shores of Stockholm.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL CRANE, CNN INNOVATION AND SPACE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the island suburbs of Stockholm, one start-up is making waves in the boating industry by making almost no wakes at all.

GUSTAV HASSELSKOG, FOUNDER AND CEO, CANDELA (voice-over): Since we don't make any wakes, we can run the boats much faster. CRANE (voice-over): The man at the helm is Gustav Hasselskog, the 50- year-old drove gas-powered boat for decade, clocking up a serious carbon footprint in the process.

HASSELSKOG: I realized that that boat consumes like 50 times more fuel than our car.

CRANE (voice-over): It's why in 2014, he decided to build a greener boat and founded his start-up Candela.

HASSELSKOG (voice-over): I didn't have any track record as an entrepreneur. I didn't have any track record as anyone working with boats before.

CRANE (voice-over): He did have masters in mechanical engineering, though, and had learned about a century-old technique, giving boats wings known as hydrofoils. A pair of computer-controlled hydrofoils lifts the boat out of the water and makes micro adjustments over 100 times a second. This creates a smooth ride and top speed of about 55 kilometers per hour, Hasselskog says. The electric engine releases no emissions and no noise, so it's better for marine life, too.

(On camera) Candela has been called the Tesla of the seas. You know, they sort of revolutionize the industry of electric vehicles. Do you see Candela as having potentially the same kind of impact in the boating industry?

HASSELSKOG: We have found a lot of inspiration in Tesla, I think, but when I started Candela, the hottest type of electric car you had at the time was (INAUDIBLE), and what Tesla did was to also add a lot of style to electric cars.

CRANE (voice-over): Candela isn't the only start-up looking to emulate Tesla's success on the water. X Shore, a Swedish start-up, and Arc Boat created by former SpaceX employees, are both developing high- end battery powered boats, while GM's Pure Watercraft is making electric boats as well as outboard motors to install on existing vessels.

However, leisure boats alone won't move the needle on ocean transport emissions, experts say.

ELISE GEORGEFF, RESEARCHER, THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL ON CLEAN TRANSPORTATION: Ships emit about one billion tons of carbon dioxide each year. When we talk about global shipping, the three largest producers are going to be the container ships, the bulk cargo, and then the tankers. Personal craft is usually the smallest.

CRANE (voice-over): For Hasselskog, recreational boats are only the start. He's now developing city ferries. Stockholm will try out Candela's 30-seat model for commuter routes in 2023, he says. Because the boat doesn't create a wake, it can go faster through city waterways, Hasselskog says.

[03:50:01] CRANE (voice-over): He hopes this bonus will get more people on board with the mission of greener boating and leave a cleaner future for shipping in their wake.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Rachel Crane reporting there. Well, the U.S. marks a new federal holiday and some of the biggest names in music and entertainment come out to celebrate. We will show you how Juneteenth is being commemorated across American when we come back.

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KINKADE: Welcome back. Celebrations took place across the U.S. this weekend to commemorate Juneteenth, the holiday marking the end of slavery in the U.S.

On Sunday, CNN hosted a special live concert, "Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom," at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Some of the biggest names in music and entertainment came together to celebrate freedom for African-Americans. Juneteenth honors the day the last slaves in Galveston, Texas learned that they were free after an order by newly-arrived U.S. soldiers. It was June 19th, 1865.

[03:54:56]

KINKADE: The U.S. Civil War had been over for months and the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued more than two years earlier. Last year, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill officially recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

Twenty-seven-year-old Englishman Matt's Fitzpatrick won the U.S. Open on Sunday. It was a thrilling final round of championship golf, which came down to the last hole (ph).

After Fitzpatrick sank his final shot, American Will Zalatoris had a chance to force a playoff. His birdie attempt in the last hole barely missed, giving Fitzpatrick the win. He spoke to CNN's Don Riddell after the final round.

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MATT FITZPATRICK, 2022 U.S. OPEN WINNER: It was incredible. You know, I thought about what potentially could feel like and it felt like that and more. You know, it's just like a big relief. You finished the tournament and you've won, and you realized that you've achieved one of your lifelong goals. And yeah, just the emotion kind of floods in. Yeah, it's just such a special day for me.

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KINKADE: That is the first major golf victory and the first PGA tour event victory of Fitzpatrick's career. He also matched a feat only accomplished by the legendary Jack Nicklaus. He won both the U.S. Amateur competition and the U.S. Open on the same course. Incredible. In Southern Ukraine, Odessa's Opera and Ballet Theatre reopened to the public on Friday for the first time since Russia's invasion began. The Odessa National Opera (INAUDIBLE) were on bill for the reopening. The concert opened with the performance of the national anthem. All performances are being dedicated to the Ukrainian military. The opera house says it's thanks to the troops. The public can go to shows and artists can share their creativity.

Thanks so much for watching. I appreciate your company. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Have a wonderful day. "CNN Newsroom" with my colleague Isa Soares is up next.

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