Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Illinois Man Working To Deliver Ambulances To Ukraine; Extreme Weather Putting U.S. National Parks At Risk; Protests Rock The Streets Of Sri Lanka's Capital; NASA Set To Unveil Deepest View Of Universe Yet; Source: Cipollone Provided Great Deal Of New Information; Prosecutors: At Least One Oath Keeper Brought Explosives To D.C. Area; Father Of Parade Shooting Suspect Sponsored Gun Permit For Son. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired July 09, 2022 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:00]

JAMES SMITH, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, PATAGONIA: LIFE ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD: Because this is a skill that's passed down from generation to generation. And we've filled with a scientist who's been watching these whales, these killer whales for 30 years, and she's seen the grandmothers teaching this extraordinary hunting technique to their grandchildren, and on and on and on.

So, I think I want viewers to see wildlife in a different light, but also ultimately, I think, to care about Patagonia because even though it's extraordinarily wild and beautiful, one of the last great pristine wilderness is on earth. It's under threat. You know, there are climate change, there's pollution, there's overfishing, there's salmon farming, there's all these different threats and we kind of need to care and cherish these last wild basis more than ever.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Oh my gosh, in total agreement. That is really beautiful. I cannot wait to watch. I will be at the edge of my seat the whole time, top to bottom, through every piece. All right, James Smith, pleasure talking to you. Thank you so much.

And be sure to tune in to the all-new CNN Original Series, Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World premieres tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. only on CNN.

All right. Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. We're following major new developments in the Capitol riot investigation. The panel just got key testimony from one of the most important witnesses yet former White House Counsel Pat Cipollone testified before the committee for more than seven hours on Friday. And a source tells Cipollone or says rather that Cipollone provided a great deal of new information.

And we also are learning of chilling new details of alleged plans by members of the Oath Keepers to prepare for violence in Washington on January 6th. A new Justice Department filing says at least one member of the far-right extremist group transported explosives to the D.C. area. And another member had a death list that included the name of a Georgia election official and their family member. For more on these stunning new allegations, let's bring in Marshall Cohen. Marshall, what more are you learning about this filing which is just jaw dropping?

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's shocking. You mentioned some of the wildest parts. But the crazy thing is there's so much more to share. This was a long filing with all kinds of crazy, devastating details. Our colleagues, Hannah Rabinowitz and Holmes Lybrand went through it last night. Let me tell you, talking about training for ambush tactics, training for unconventional warfare.

These groups are accused of springing into action after the 2020 election was called for Joe Biden, in doing this kind of training, stockpiling these weapons, ammunition, grenades, guns, and as you said, even explosives that are allegedly were part of the plot to come into Washington, D.C. One of the members of this far right group, the Oath Keepers, even said to a friend, "Tell me who to shoot first and I'm all in."

This is all part of the sedition case against this group. This is probably the most important case in the January 6 investigation because it includes those critical seditious conspiracy charges. It's a very hard thing to prove as a prosecutor, but it is a serious crime. That means not just trying to interfere with the electoral vote counting, not just trying to disrupt things in Washington or come trespass on the Capitol steps.

The allegation here, Fredricka, is that these militants planned to violently disrupt the transfer of power. They've all pleaded not guilty. They're fighting the charges. But this is just the Justice Department putting some more meat on the bones as they try to bolster their case and say, no, no, no, this was serious. There were real weapons involved. There were real plans for violence. And that's where it stands so far, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And Marshall, what do we know about Pat Cipollone's seven- plus hours of testimony before the panel yesterday?

COHEN: That was also a big one and seven hours, you can only imagine how much talking was happening behind closed doors. But the good news, it was videotaped, and the committee has already teased the likelihood, the strong likelihood that they will be sharing clips from that deposition, perhaps as soon as Tuesday. That's the next public hearing from the January 6 committee and that hearing actually coincidentally is going to be featuring all about the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys, these right-wing extremist groups.

Cipollone is important because he was at the White House for some real make or break moments for our democracy. Instances where Trump thought about declaring martial law or where Donald Trump was thinking about sending in the military to seize the voting machines in battleground states that he lost. You can bet that the committee asked him all about that. It's not yet clear to us how far he was willing to go, how much he was willing to divulge. As a senior White House lawyer, the top White House lawyer, his conversations can be tied up in some executive privilege or attorney-client privilege things like that. [13:05:10]

COHEN: But the committee members have said it was fruitful. They were pleased with his testimony. One of them said to our colleague Wolf Blitzer last night that they thought Cipollone was honest and forthcoming, so they may have more stuff to share. Again, Fred, we'll all be watching on Tuesday.

WHITFIELD: We will indeed. All right. Marshall Cohen, thank you so much. Let's talk more about all of this with Renato Mariotti. He is a former federal prosecutor and the host of the podcast on The Topic with Renato Mariotti. All right, Renato. Good to see you. So, let's start with Pat Cipollone. He testified before the panel more than seven hours yesterday that would indicate that he was cooperative and didn't plead the fifth.

We heard that from one of the members of Congress who said he was, you know, consistent as well. So, how significant is it that he would endure that length of questioning?

RENATO MARIOTTI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, it tells me, Fred that he provided a lot of useful information to the committee, which is not a surprise. All the testimony we've heard so far suggests that he is right in the thick of things, was talking to everyone, seeing everyone there. And it suggests to me that there's a lot of information he provided that either corroborated other witnesses or helped fill in the blanks, so very significant.

WHITFIELD: So, we don't know exactly what he said, you know, in detail, but committee member Zoe Lofgren told CNN that Cipollone did not contradict other witnesses. How important is that? And is that phraseology?

MARIOTTI: Well, I think what it suggests to me is that their witnesses are corroborating one another, which is important. Always, you can expect that if, for example, there's a subsequent criminal case, that the defense is going to try to suggest that witnesses are lying. We've already seen Republicans do that to Miss Hutchinson, for example. And the fact that his testimony, Mr. Cipollone's testimony corroborated other witnesses.

Suggest the witnesses that the committee has found all back each other up. And I think that strengthens all and corroborate all their testimony.

WHITFIELD: On Tuesday, the January 6 committee is also planning to hold another hearing, this time to focus on connections between far- right groups like the Oath Keepers and the White House, as you just heard from Marshall, the Justice Department just released new court documents alleging that the group prepared and trained for violence on January 6. I mean, I mean, this is going to be an incredible convergence of detail now.

What we're going to hear in that hearing, and what we have heard about, you know, some of the details that have been filed now by the Department of Justice. MARIOTTI: I think that's right. It's -- one thing that is interesting is I think, seeing how potentially these stories converge with one another, you know, we did hear in our last hearing, for example, that Mr. Giuliani was in conversations with disgust, I think the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. It'll be interesting to see the committee work to bring together these different stories, right? We have Clark and Eastman, the crow, and I'll call the crooked lawyers.

You have obviously what Donald Trump was doing that day, giving a speech trying to, you know, fire up the bad crowd that was gathered before they marched in the Capitol. And then of course, we have the attack of the Capitol in the work of the Proud Boys that Oath Keepers.

WHITFIELD: Yes. All right. Let's shift gears now to that horrific shooting in Highland Park, Illinois. Seven people killed. The injury of dozens more. And I know this one hits close to home for you living in that area, knowing people who lost family members. So, on a personal level, you know, how difficult has this been for you and everyone you know?

MARIOTTI: Well, it is very difficult. What folks may not know if you're watching this, and you're not from the Chicago area is Highland Park is a wonderful atelic suburb that is, you know, pretty far away from the city of Chicago and is the sort of place that doesn't really experience violence like this. It's actually also predominantly Jewish community. So, my wife has a lot of -- who's Jewish has a lot of her friends and we have a lot of close family friends there.

And I will say that even for the people who were not physically harmed, there's a scarring that's there that you can't see. Because for a lot of them, they were -- they were running for their lives, running in fear, afraid that they were next, worried that this may have been an attack, for example on them because of their origin or their faith. So, I think there's just still a lot of fear and concern in that community that remains and won't go away for quite some time.

[13:00:04]

WHITFIELD: Yes. Understandably. So, now let's talk about the legal fallout for this. You know, we know the suspect had a troubled past and also threatened to kill his family with a knife. No charges were ever filed at that time and his father later sponsored his application for a gun despite, you know, a spattering of very alarming behavior and incidents with his family. Take a listen to the dad's explanation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT CRIMO, JR., FATHER OF ROBERT CRIMO III: I filled out the consent form to follow my son to go through the process. They do background checks, whatever that entails."

WHITFIELD: So, could the dad face any kind of legal trouble for helping his son get those weapons despite what many would describe as still red flags even within the family?

MARIOTTI: I have no personal knowledge. But my expectation would be that the state of victims would be filing wrongful death actions against the father, if folks at home aren't familiar with that. You could think for example, O.J. Simpson and he ultimately faced those suits. Those are civil suits. Where the estate of the deceased individual holds the killer responsible and his family in this case responsible.

I think that there's an argument there. He actually signed a form saying that he would be liable for the actions of the minor. Obviously, the murderer here was not a minor when he committed that mass shooting. However, I do think that there would be an argument that that he is still responsible. So I expect a lot of litigation about that in the months to come.

WHITFIELD: All right. Renato Marriotti, a thank you so much. And our comfort to you and your family there in Highland Park.

All right. Still ahead. As the war in Ukraine rages on, dozens of American families are finding ways to help including one major effort to send ambulances and medical supplies into Ukraine. That's next.

Plus, the U.S. Senate returns to Capitol Hill this week for the first time since the U.S. Supreme Court seismic ruling on Roe versus Wade and the deadly mass shooting in Illinois. How this will shape their plans, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:16:22]

WHITFIELD: All right. Right now for the third week and -- weekend rather in a row, abortion rights protesters are rallying in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. They've just reached the White House after a marching a couple of blocks from where they had been gathering. And now they're staging a sit in right outside of the White House risking arrest. CNN's Brian Todd is there. Brian, describe what's happening.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the energy was building all day. And now this crowd has gathered here, as you mentioned in front of the White House, as you mentioned, risking arrest. We did hear protest leaders tell the crowd as they got to Lafayette Park here that if they wanted to risk arrest, that they could go past the Pennsylvania Avenue marker right here which is the curb right here and go right to the fence.

And as our photojournalist John Angle (ph) is going to show you a lot of them have gone right to the fence. And if you can take a look there, if John can train his lens in there, but with an elevated view, here you can see a lot of them have pressed against the fence and have put up these signature green scarves and signs. Now what we're told by organizers is, this is kind of an interesting origin of these -- of these green scarves and signs.

They go back to the days of the white scarves that the mothers in Argentina brandish in the 70s, to call attention in the early 80s, to call attention to their missing relatives, victims of that regime there. So, that -- that's kind of the origin of these green scarves and signs. But anyway, as far as the risk of arrest, the police have not moved in here, they may be just wanting to see how this goes as far as whether this stays peaceful or not.

So far, it has been very, very peaceful. And you don't see them doing more than just kind of pressing up a little bit against the fence and putting their scarves and signs tying them to the fence there, right there at the base of the White House. So, that's the scene here. The crowd getting a little bit more impassioned, Fredricka. And again, they're -- they prepared these people to get arrested.

They've actually briefed the crowd and what to do, if there are arrests made. But again, the police, you know, they've dealt with this many, many times before here in Washington, they seem determined to kind of wait this out and just see how it plays out here. You know, a lot of anger, a lot of frustration among these protesters. They've talked to us about a lot of different themes and a lot of different points of frustration that they voiced here after the Roe versus Wade law has been overturned.

They're really concerned about the freedom of reproductive rights, but also that this -- that what a lot of them have told us is that overturning Roe, they believe is just the first step that the court has indicated. They have hinted very strongly that they could go after other reproductive rights of plan B pills, IUDs, things like that. That's a big concern here for these protesters, as they crowd here in front of the White House.

And again, a lot of them not too pleased with the Biden administration. They don't believe the Biden team has been aggressive enough in, you know, just countering the Roe ruling and going against it. So, that's part of the frustration here. They want to voice the President Biden even though he's not in town this weekend, that frustration with his leadership in the Democrats. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. The tension building and the volume escalating as well. Thank you so much. Brian Todd there right outside the White House, in the nation's capital.

All right. So that fight over reproductive rights is expected to take center stage as the U.S. Senate returns to Washington next week after a two-week recess. CNN's Daniella Diaz has more from Washington. Daniella, abortions, it's not the only hot topic on Capitol Hill. The mass shootings in Highland Park, Illinois is also in the minds of many lawmakers. So, what is this scheduling looking like?

DANIELLA DIAZ, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: That's right, Fred. Look, the Senate is coming back from a two-week recess, they were in their home states.

[13:20:01]

DIAZ: They come back this week where the filibuster will again be renewed that conversation about whether the Senate will change the rules so that instead of passing legislation which 60 votes to break the filibuster, possibly could do it along Democratic party lines which is 50 votes. So, we expect Democrats to continue to discuss that, of course, progressives want moderates to change their minds on this issue.

Remember, Senate -- Senator Joe Manchin and Senator Kyrsten Sinema put out statements these past two weeks where they again said they do not support changing Senate rules and changing the filibuster and ending the filibuster. But we do expect that to be renewed issue this week in the wake of that Supreme Court ruling that struck down a Roe v. Wade. Also Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is working on a tax and energy bill with Senator Joe Manchin.

He torpedoed the Build Back Better plan. Now they're trying to see what they can do to try to pass this legislation along party lines. So that is what we expect to see in the Senate this week when they come back. Fred?

WHITFIELD: OK. And then the House will have a series of votes this week on abortion rights. What can you tell us about that?

DIAZ: That's right, Fred. The house is moving forward. Remember, it's a Democratic majority. They're moving forward on a series of bills to reaffirm abortion rights to try to codify Roe v. Wade and try to provide a pass legislation to provide women the right to travel for an abortion. So, they're going to vote on those bills. This week they're also going to debate a bill that would create an Amber alert style system to allow law enforcement to alert the public of nearby active shooters.

That is, of course after that horrific shooting in Highland Park. The goal here being that they want to show voters that they are listening. A lot of voters are upset after this shooting took place on the 4th of July, of course after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, and they are going to move on these bills. But Fred, I really want to emphasize that is likely that these bills will go -- it's very likely that these bills will go nowhere in the Senate because of course that we return to that issue, the filibuster, they do not have the Republican votes to advance this legislation.

And of course, they won't put it on the floor for a vote. So, of course, the House can work on these bills, pass these bills, but will go nowhere in the Senate. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right. Daniella Diaz, thank you so much. We've got so much more straight ahead in the newsroom. Stay with us

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:26:53]

WHITFIELD: A Ukrainian official says Russia launched six missile strikes on residential areas of the city of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine earlier today. And in Kharkiv at least four civilians were hospitalized including one child as Russian missiles struck a residential area of that city according to military officials in Ukraine. New video shows extensive damage to an apartment block on the city's outskirts. Russia -- Russian forces rather have intensified their attacks in the area in recent weeks. And it comes just as the U.S. announced close to a billion dollars in additional assistance for Ukraine with both military and humanitarian packages on the way. And as the war in Ukraine rages on, and Illinois man is finding a way to help. Delivering ambulances to Ukraine to help with a critical shortage. CNN Diane Gallagher has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At a warehouse just outside the city limits of Chicago the answers to the question, how can I help or being prepared for a 5000--mile journey to Ukraine. It's a journey that Chris Manson has just completed.

As devastating images from the first week in the Russian invasion of Ukraine flooded screens. Like most Americans, Manson says he simply watched in horror. That is until his seven-year-old daughter asked a life changing question repeatedly. How can we help?

CHRIS MANSON, AMBULANCE DONOR TO UKRAINE: I want to be able to tell my daughter I'm got to try to do something. So kind of got this crazy idea to go ahead and, you know, we said woof, we -- maybe -- I'm sure truly need ambulances, they see they're getting blown up.

GALLAGHER: According to Ukrainian officials as the war rages on, ambulances are in short supply with entire fleets stuck in territory currently occupied by Russian forces and hundreds of others destroyed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The pattern here is that health workers and hospitals themselves appear to be being deliberately targeted.

GALLAGHER: For Manson who works in Government relations at a Catholic Health System in Peoria, Illinois. Getting the first ambulance was surprisingly as simple as making a call to a local provider.

MANSON: And the first words out of his mouth were, well, do you need gas or diesel? He didn't hesitate.

GALLAGHER: Getting it to Ukraine was another question. But Ellen Lopatkina, Ukrainian-American logistics specialist who also runs this warehouse, now full of donations, had the answers.

ELLEN LOPATKINA, BUSINESS OWNER, NORTIA LOGISTICS INC.: Now a lot of moving parts were in motion at that time. And it so happened that we were able to get the first few on the plane. And once the first one came in, and we successfully delivered that to Ukraine. The next one came in and the next one.

GALLAGHER: Getting them to Europe by air or sea, Manson, a man who previously had no connection to Ukraine has now twice visited the country behind the wheel of a Midwestern American Ambulance.

YEVEGENIY DROBOT, DEPUTY CONSUL GENERAL OF UKRAINE IN CHICAGO: It was a simple gesture of like, how can -- how I can help.

GALLAGHER: So far, Manson says he's rounded up a dozen donated ambulances.

MANSON: Fire departments in Iowa. You have hospitals in Ohio. You've got private ambulance companies in North Dakota and Minnesota, you know, El Paso, Illinois.

GALLAGHER (voice-over): The ones Manson gets are usually older but they still run well. Each one is packed with desperately needed medical equipment and basic supplies.

OLGA MAHUTIAK, UKRAINIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA, ILLINOIS CHAPTER: They have ventilators. They have cardiac monitors. And also, they're always stocked with wound care supplies.

GALLAGHER: And often include messages from the donors to the Ukraine people.

YEVEGENIY DROBOT, DEPUTY CONSUL GENERAL OF UKRAINE IN CHICAGO: An ambulance, oh, like, it is a great ambulance guy and then it is an ambulance guy.

GALLAGHER: According to Ukraine officials, some 3 percent of all of the ambulances donated to the country from all around the world have come from Chris Manson's efforts.

MANSON: As long as there's a need, we'll continue to keep supporting and working to get them and to get them over there and, you know, god willing the war ends soon.

GALLAGHER: Dianne Gallagher, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, still ahead, climate change is threatening one of America's greatest treasures, our national parks. More on that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:35:15]

WHITFIELD: A massive fire in downtown Nantucket, Massachusetts, has destroyed a 17th century era hotel. "The Nantucket Currant" reports that that fire officials battled the blaze at the Veranda House, which spread to a neighboring residence.

It's not yet known whether there are any injuries from the fire. And the cause is still under investigation.

The fire department tells "The Currant" they believe all staff and guests were able to evacuate. CNN has yet to receive a response from local officials.

The consequences of the climate crisis are plaguing the country's national parks. Scientists believe that the climate crisis is forever changing the nation's most-prized parks.

CNN's Rene Marsh has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEANNA MITCHELL, SUPERINTENDENT, HARRIET TUBMAN UNDERGROUND RAILROAD NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK: The land is disappearing before our eyes.

RENE MARSH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Maryland's eastern shores in the crosshairs of climate change-induced sea level rise. And so is the rich history preserved at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park.

(on camera): We are wearing these nets because so much water here. It's standing water.

MITCHELL: Yes.

MARSH: The mosquitoes are really bad.

MITCHELL: The mosquitoes are bad. So this is almost like a requirement during the summer.

If Harriet Tubman were living right now, she would recognize this landscape but she would be shocked at how quickly it's disappearing.

MARSH (voice-over): As water from the Chesapeake Bay encroaches, University of Maryland scientists project large portions of the national park will be underwater by the year 2050 if planet warming emissions are not drastically curbed.

Rising tides threaten sites like this cemetery for freed black people in Tubman's community.

PETER GOODWIN, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF MAYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: Over time, these very low-lying areas that were a part of the important trails that allowed people to escape at that time will be lost in some places.

MARSH: More than 70 percent of national parks in the continental U.S. are at high risk from the effects of climate change, from sea level rise and flooding to extreme temperatures, drought and wildfires.

Historic flooding at Yellowstone National Park last month forced it to shut down for more than a week.

At California's Sequoia National Park, home of the world's largest trees, wildfires have burned large swaths of the giant sequoia growths.

Wildfires and extreme heat have forced California's Yosemite National Park to close several times in recent years.

Meanwhile, Glacier National Park in Montana is rapidly losing its namesake feature.

This is the Grinnell Glacier in 1910 versus 2021. STEPHANIE KODISH, NATIONAL PARKS CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION: These are places that tell critical stories of our history and people and culture. And these places are not going to be able to withstand these repeat assaults.

MARSH: More frequent, more intense natural disasters will drastically transform national park landscapes. And there's the economic loss.

KODISH: In 2021 alone, our national parks saw over 297 million visitors. They generated over $42.5 billion.

MARSH: Back on Maryland's eastern shore, the National Park Service says it has teamed up with the Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association to fight the growing impacts of climate change.

(on camera): It is high tide and water is flowing over the banks here at the Jefferson Memorial, in part, because the water level has risen a foot since the memorial was built some 75 years ago.

And this issue of climate change in national parks, it is on the radar for some members of Congress. Just this week, members visited Yosemite National Park to see firsthand how climate change is impacting these national parks.

And these members of Congress are going to use that information to essentially figure out the best way to spend federal dollars to make these national parks more resilient.

Rene Marsh, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, let's talk more about all of this with Heather Hansman. She's an environmental columnist for "Outside" magazine and author of the book "Down River, Into the Future of Water in the West."

Heather, good to see you.

So as Rene just reported, Congress is working to make our parks more resilient. Is it too late?

HEATHER HANSMAN, ENVIRONMENTAL COLUMNIST, "OUTSIDE" MAGAZINE & AUTHOR: I think too late is kind ever a scary way of framing it up. But I think it is really crucial to think about this right now.

Like I think in all of the places that she's talking about glaciers at the national park, we're seeing these really catastrophic changes to the eco-systems that support us.

So I think that if we think about it as too late, it sends us down some scary worm holes. But I think we need to think about adjusting the systems.

[13:40:07]

WHITFIELD: OK. So let's be optimistic. It is not too late.

Then what are you hoping their discussions can help promote? What are the changes that we, as taxpayers, as visitors to these beautiful parks, can advocate for?

HANSMAN: Sure. I think that is a really good question.

One of the things that I'm thinking a lot about these days is the Colorado River basin and particularly Lake Mead and Powell, which are the two reservoirs of the country both sitting at about a quarter and a third full.

They've been hitting these really low levels here, which I think if you've been paying attention to water in the last -- it is not surprising but it still feels really shocking and scary.

And in the last month, the Interior Department, which is the federal agency that manages those assets in states that get water from the basin, to combat their water use by almost a quarter and overall in the basin.

So we're seeing these really big structural changes to how we think about water use and water management.

And I think, as taxpayers, as people who use water and as humans, because we all need water, I think we have to be having these conversations and talking to our lawmakers.

And talking to our local, our city water managers, our state level representatives about smartly working within the boundaries of the resources that we have.

WHITFIELD: So we're seeing critical natural resources, like Lake Mead, Lake Powell, rapidly plummeting. And just this week, the Great Salt Lake in Utah dropped to the lowest level on record for the second time in less than a year.

So, what are the potential implications for this kind of stress on these water resources?

HANSMAN: Sure. I think the great filmmakers are showing an example because it is not necessarily the water source. It is -- a really fragile eco-system.

And as it dries up and the water evaporates, it is releasing all these pollutants and heavy metals and minerals in the air. So it is having big impact on air quality and toxic air pollution in the area. So water is not just one source we're thinking about.

What we drink and what our lakes look like -- (INAUDIBLE) -- what we breathe, to what we see in our neighborhoods, to our food system and where we get our energy, so you could say that cascading -- (INAUDIBLE).

It is not just what does the lake looks like. It is this whole big interconnected system. WHITFIELD: So in climate news coverage, we keep hearing words like

"critical, extreme, historic, record," yet things keep seemingly getting worse or more critical.

Do you think Americans are becoming desensitized? Do you think they have a real grasp of just how dangerous and dire things are?

HANSMAN: Yes, I think that gets back to your first question, are we at critical levels. And I think it is really hard.

I think that is kind of one of the problems with the thinking about these large-scale climate issues and environmental issues is that they're really hard to wrap their hands around until it is too late and until there's wildfire in your neighborhood or until there's flooding and until the water runs out.

And I think that we're almost, really overwhelmed and burdened out by all of the bad news everywhere. And I think that, yes, it is a hard load to sit with.

And, in the way I think about it now, what could I do, where does my water come from, what could I think about in a small -- (INAUDIBLE) -- if I get too far down the worm hole, I get so overwhelmed. It is tackling it in small pieces.

WHITFIELD: It is a lot.

All right. Yes. We do appreciate you taking it down and so people can take it in small pieces and see.

Just cumulatively, yes, It is a lot. But everyone has to find a way to do some small part to make some sort of a difference or impact.

Heather Hansman, thank you so much.

HANSMAN: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: And this quick programming note. "UNITED SHADES OF AMERICA" with W. Kamau Bell is back with lucky season number seven.

Kamau travels from Appalachia to Hawaii to understand the unique challenges that they face in all of these communities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

W. KAMAU BELL, CNN HOST, "UNITED SHADES OF AMERICA": Right now, there's arguments about should we teach kids a more accurate theory of America.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Critical Race Theory?

BELL: What did you say?

(CROSSTALK)

BELL: Here we go. Race theory. (CROSSTALK)

BELL: Critical Race Theory. What are your thoughts on that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We could teach it without having an opinion.

BELL: Would it be OK if a teacher says I think slavery was bad? Is that OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. No.

BELL: No?

(LAUGHTER)

[13:45:01]

BELL: What about being Nazi is not good?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nothing is bad.

BELL: Nothing's bad?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

BELL (voice-over): And if the latter is how you heard about it first, I'm not surprised you're confused. Which is why I grind my teeth when I sleep.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's all manipulation and manufacturing a crisis.

BELL (on camera): Who is manufacturing it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Democrats. It is always the race card. I get so sick of it.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need to teach the kids to compete. I mean, the Chinese probably know more about America's history than we do.

BELL: So we should teach better American history here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, yes --

BELL: Like the history of America --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: America -

BELL: -- slavery, genocide of Native Americans.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, no.

BELL: Not that stuff?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, not the whole thing. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, "UNITED SHADES OF AMERICA" premiering tomorrow night, 10:00 p.m. right here on CNN.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:50:30]

WHITFIELD: All right. Anger boiling over today. Protesters set fire to the residence of Sri Lanka's prime minister in a show of defiance.

Citizens are in an uproar over an economic mismanagement that led to shortages of food, fuel, and medicine. And now the country's president and prime minister says that they are willing to step down.

CNN's Vedika Sud has more on this breaking story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Months of anger and protests over Sri Lanka's worst economic crisis, culminating into this:

(SHOUTING)

SUD: Unprecedented scenes outside the home of Sri Lanka's embattled president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

More than 100,000 demonstrators converged in Colombo on Saturday morning.

(CHANTING)

SUD: Chants of "Gota, go home," a slogan now synonymous with the anti- government sentiment. Rebels berating to the heart of Sri Lanka's capital.

SISIRA KUMARA, PROTESTER (through translation): We must chase them. They must go. It is time for us to think of the country. We left everything and came for the sake of the people. We're on the road.

(SHOUTING)

SUD: Police fired teargas to control the crowds but the sheer volume of people was far too large for authorities to push back.

(SHOUTING)

SUD: They soon broke police barriers and stormed into the president's house, hanging banners from the balcony and cooling off in the pool.

(SHOUTING) SUD: But security sources say the president had already been moved out.

Home to some 22 million people, Sri Lanka is witnessing its worst financial crisis in seven decades. A severe foreign exchange crunch has brought the country to its knees.

There were serpentine queues for fuel, which is now limited to only essential services. And power cuts have been relentless.

Analysts say the current crisis is a result of poor economic decisions over the years by Rajapaksa and his government.

(SHOUTING)

SUD: And now people have had enough. They want change and accountable from those who plunged their nation into this dark crisis.

Vedika Sud, CNN, New Delhi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And get ready to see the universe like we've never seen it before. This test image taken by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is showing stunning detail from light-years away.

And in just a few days, the telescope will reveal the deepest images of our universe that have ever been taken.

CNN's Rachel Crane (sic) has a look at this major moment for mankind.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And liftoff.

(CROSSTALK)

KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE & DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Six months after the most powerful telescope ever made launched into space --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Control --

FISHER: -- the team inside the Webb space telescope's flight control room is preparing to reveal what astronomers all over the world have been waiting for, for decades, the telescope's first full-color images.

Which are expected to be light-years more impressive than the test images released last month. And will include the deepest image of our universe that's ever been taken.

KEN SEMBACH, DIRECTOR, SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE: Our view of the universe is definitely going to change on July 12th.

FISHER: Ken Sembach runs the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, home to Webb's Mission Control.

And he predicts the day that Webb's first images are released will be on par with the day that Galileo became the first person to ever point a telescope to the sky.

SEMBACH: There will be the universe we knew from before Webb and the universe we know after Webb. I really mean that. I think our perspective will change.

FISHER: NASA says some of the images released on July 12th still need to be taken. Others have already been captured and are being kept secret.

But NASA's leadership has gotten a sneak peek.

PAM MELROY, NASA DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR: What I have seen just moved me, as a scientist, as an engineer, and as a human being.

THOMAS ZURBUCHEN, NASA ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR: A sense of -- frankly, I got emotional.

FISHER: But getting emotional about the telescope is something Lee Feinberg has learned to bury after working on Webb for more than two decades.

The telescope's most recent brush with death took place just a few weeks ago when a micrometeoroid struck one of the telescope's massive golden mirrors, which are critical for its operation.

[13:55:07]

KEN FEINBERG, WEBB'S OPTICAL TELESCOPE ELEMENT MANAGER: Earlier in my career, it would have been a punch in the gut. But what I've learned from working on big projects like this, things are never as bad as they first seem or never as good as they first seem.

FISHER: He was right. The telescope survived the strike.

And NASA is now on the verge of handing this $10 billion telescope over to the scientists, whose research proposals have been selected for the first year of observations.

FEINBERG: It is doing as well as we could have ever hoped if not better. And so I think the scientists are going to be extremely happy. And we're going to be excited to see what comes out of it.

FISHER: Kristin Fisher, CNN, Baltimore.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, still ahead, the U.S. is still struggling to get baby formula onto the shelves. The latest on the crisis and the administration's response, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)