Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Sports Writer Grant Wahl Dies While Covering Quarter Finals; Brittney Griner Freed From Russia; CDC Reports Spike Of Flu Cases In Week After Thanksgiving; Federal Judge Declines DOJ Request To Hold Trump In Contempt; Kari Lake Files Suit Challenging Certification Of Arizona Election; NASA's Historic Artemis I Mission Set To Return To Earth; Major Winter Storm In The Western U.S.; Solar Startup Creating Extreme Heat And Saving It For A Rainy Day. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired December 10, 2022 - 11:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:21]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we begin this hour with a shocking development at the Qatar World Cup. Renowned sports writer Grant Wahl has died. The circumstances of his death still unclear, but we do know that he was covering the tournament as he had 11 times before when he collapsed in the press area of the Argentina/Netherlands match.

Wahl was given immediate treatment on site. Then transferred to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. Wahl championed soccer as a sport in the U.S. for decades through his writing, but was also a fierce critic of Qatar's hosting of the World Cup and its government's human rights record.

Wahl's passing provoking a strong reaction from the sports world . The U.S. State Department says it's in close communication with Wahl's family.

CNN's Patrick Snell is here with more on this now.

So Patrick, you know, so many unanswered questions, at the same time Wahl really was a fixture in American soccer for so long. I mean, what kind of impact did he make on the sport's journalism world?

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: It was huge. It was very, very substantial. And of course, first and foremost, our condolences to the entire family.

You know, I met him a number of times over the years, Fred. He was always so generous with his time. I remember once ahead of the MLS Cup in 2009 in Seattle we were both waiting in line to interview an icon of the sport really, David Beckham. And even then there was time, there was -- you know, time and thought given to his questions. He was kind. He was caring. And a real pioneer, I think, for the sport -- a voice -- the voice of

football really for not just the North America, but the whole Concacaf region as a whole.

His reputation was global as well. Huge respect from journalistic peers right across the world. You mentioned the stature in the sport. 11 World Cups, six men's, five women's. And of course, I think back to just a few weeks ago, front and center once again in a groundbreaking way at the Qatar World Cup, a powerful way as well. He takes that stance.

He wore the rainbow T-shirt, that in support of the LGBTQ rights. Initially actually refused entry to a World Cup game before later being released, detained for 25 minutes and then receiving an apology afterwards. Impactful and a great legacy.

WHITFIELD: And you mentioned, I mean he really was a giant in the sports writing world. Not just in football, soccer, but other sports as well.

I mean I love the sentiment that I read about Lebron James, you know, who said, over the years he really watched everything that he would write because he was one of the first people to interview him as a teenager.

SNELL: Yes. And you know, what greater accolade could there be when you get that kind of response from one of sports' all-time greats?

But look, reaction coming in as well. We will get to Lebron James actually. But this reaction from the president of FIFA himself. Gianni Infantino, "Only some days ago, Grant was recognized by FIFA, his contribution to reporting on eight consecutive FIFA World Cups, and his career also included attendance at several FIFA women's World Cups -- as we noted earlier -- as well as a host of other international sporting events. His love for football was immense and his reporting will be missed by all who follow the global game."

And you mentioned, Fred -- you mentioned Lebron James, too. Grant Wahl profiling him when he was a teen back in high school. This was Sports Illustrated back in 2002. James, a high school athlete.

This reaction from Lebron. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEBRON JAMES, LOS ANGELES LAKERS: He was always pretty cool to be around. He spent a lot of time in my hometown of Akron covering me over the course of time before that shoe came out, or before that cover story came out.

I've always kind of watched from a distance. You know, even when I moved up in the ranks and became a professional. He kind of went to a different sport and things of that nature over the years.

Any time his name will come up, I'll always think back to me as a teenager and having Grant in our building down there (INAUDIBLE). So it's a tragic loss as an incident. And unfortunate, you know, to

lose someone as great as he was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNELL: As great as he was. Those words speak volumes. Now this is a heavy --

WHITFIELD: That was the cover.

SNELL: -- right. Right there. Look at that. This really is, Fred. You know, many of us knew Grant. We knew him, we have huge, huge respect for him. This a very heavy, somber day for a lot of us who knew him over the years, you know.

[11:04:47}

WHITFIELD: Yes. And he is the husband of another familiar face here on CNN. I never had the pleasure of knowing Grant Wahl but have interviewed his wife, who joined CNN many times, Celine Gounder with her expertise on COVID. So of course, our hearts go out to the entire family.

SNELL: Very much with the family -- yes. Condolences, yes. This very day, as I said, heavy and somber. It is difficult coming to work focusing on this, really was.

WHITFIELD: Thank you so much, Patrick Snell for helping to create a fuller picture of this great journalist who has now passed while in Qatar.

All right. The U.S. State Department says it is in close contact with the Wahl family. CNN's international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson with more on that.

So Nic, I mean, as perplexing as it is, and very troubling, what are you hearing if anything, by the Qatar government?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, the State Department says that they are talking with the Qatari government to work expeditiously as much as they can to fulfill the wishes of Grant Wahl's family.

I think for his family and friends and loved ones there may be some solace in knowing that because the United States has such a strong diplomatic relationship with Qatar, of course, Qatar was really instrumental in helping the United States during the evacuation of Kabul, summer last year, has been a strong and remains a strong ally of the United States that that sort of level of cooperation and conversation goes on routinely every day.

So in this particular instance, as tragic and difficult as it is for his family, the State Department will have the connections, will have the understanding to work with his family.

And for the Qataris, as well, this isn't the first foreign national who came to the World Cup and, unfortunately, died under terrible personal circumstances as it would appear. A Welsh football fan from the U.K. died a couple of weeks ago, went to the same hospital.

So the Qataris, unfortunately, do have some experience in this realm.

But, you know, the State Department's message is very clear. They are really saddened by the loss and send condolences to his family and they say they are at the forefront of working with the Qataris to get them to help as quickly as possible.

WHITFIELD: So, Nic, a couple of questions on that. Are there similarities in the circumstances of those deaths? And then can you flesh out a little bit more as to, you know, what were the symptoms, what led up to the collapse of, you know, of Grant Wahl?

ROBERTSON: It's not clear at the moment all the precise medical details, precisely what happened last night. The Welsh fan was 62 years old and he is understood to have died of a heart attack.

Grant Wahl, on the other hand, over the past couple of days said that he'd been feeling unwell. An unwellness that he said was sort of familiar with working in a high-stress, long hours environment, the eighth World Cup that he had covered. He'd covered three female World Cups, as well as the men's World Cup. And he was experienced with that.

And he had told colleagues it was a matter of, you know, pressing through. But he'd said that this was a level different and he was feeling worse and had gone to medical facility available to him, had been given some antibiotics. He had a couple of days rest over the past couple of days and had felt a little better. Sadly, sadly, it seems that his health deteriorated further rapidly.

WHITFIELD: Yes. It's stunning, this 48-year-old man. All right. Thank you so much, Nic Robertson, appreciate it.

And of course, join us again when you learn anything more.

All right. Brittney Griner is waking up in the United States this morning for the first time in nearly ten months. The WNBA superstar is in Texas undergoing a routine medical evaluation at San Antonio's Brooke Army Medical Center.

Griner was freed on Thursday in a prisoner swap with Russia. In exchange for Griner, Vladimir Putin secured the release of notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout -- Bout rather, who is now back in Moscow.

CNN's Rosa Flores is live for us in San Antonio with the latest on Griner's return. What are you hearing about how she is feeling today and what is she enduring?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Fred, good morning.

As you mentioned, Brittney Griner is waking up here in San Antonio at Brooke Army Medical Center, that's the facility that you see behind me. And she is undergoing a medical evaluation, which is routine. Now, the U.S. government will also offer her reintegration and other

services, but it's really up to her. It's going to be up to Brittney Griner and her family to decide just how many of those services that Brittney Griner will actually receive.

And last we heard, she and her family have still not made that decision, but that will determine how long Brittney Griner will stay here in San Antonio, Texas.

[11:09:54]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NED PRICE, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: We are absolutely gratified that Brittney Griner is back on American soil.

FLORES: Welcome news today on Griner's return.

We can confirm Brittney Griner arrived at Joint Base San Antonio. Brittney Griner now in her home state after nearly ten months in a Russian prison most recently, serving her nine-year sentence in a Russian penal colony.

President Joe Biden's National Security Council spokesperson saying she appears to be in good health.

JOHN KIRBY, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: She was being incredibly gracious and kind and humble on the flight, very, very appreciative of the effort to get her home.

FLORES: Griner is now undergoing a medical evaluation before being reunited with her wife Cherelle and the rest of her family. A senior Biden administration official saying that the negotiations to bring Griner home were separate from any talks about Ukraine.

The deal came together about one week ago after the U.S. offered to swap convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for both Griner and Paul Whelan. Whelan was detained in Russia in 2018, convicted on espionage charges and sentenced to 16 years in prison, a charge he denies. The Russians rejected that proposal.

KIRBY: It was either make this exchange, get one back and the only one that they were willing to trade was Brittney.

FLORES: The inner workings of the controversial prisoner swap were discussed only among a tight group of U.S. officials.

PRICE: These are not decisions that we take lightly. We study all the angles. We do all of the analysis. But at the end of the day, we have a responsibility to Americans.

FLORES: President Biden didn't sign the commutation papers for Bout until Griner was on the ground in Abu Dhabi, in sight of a U.S. delegation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin saying the Russian Federal Security Service took charge of the swap, adding there is a possibility for further negotiations, raising hopes that Paul Whelan could be the next American freed.

PRICE: We are committed to seeing to it that Paul Whelan will have the same fate.

FLORES: For now Griner's family, friends and teammates say they are just happy to have her home.

CATHY ENGELBERT, WNBA COMMISSIONER: Brittney really deserved to be home. She was wrongfully detained and we're happy that she is reuniting with her family.

VINCE KOZAR, PRESIDENT, PHOENIX MERCURY: We're incredibly gratified and thankful she is back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: We are also learning more about the conditions that Brittney Griner endured in prison. According to her Russian attorney, this attorney says that Brittney Griner had been transferred to a prison where women were forced to sew uniforms. But Brittney Griner was too tall for the work tables, her hands were too big for the sewing machines and so she was forced to carry fabric all day long.

And Fred, one more thing, the attorney also saying that Brittney Griner, to prepare for the winter, cut her iconic hair about two weeks ago just to make it easier on herself, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Wow. It's going to be really extraordinary to hear her account when she is ready to talk.

Rosa Flores, thank you so much.

All right. Still ahead, a triple-demic spiking right here in the U.S., concerns are mounting as hospitals nationwide are much more full now than when tracking began for the pandemic in 2020. Now some are pushing for a return to indoor masking.

Plus, more than 10 million people are under winter storm alerts this morning as a major storm pushes its way across the U.S. That forecast straight ahead.

[11:13:25]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. New numbers show a dramatic surge in flu cases in the week right after Thanksgiving. The CDC says more than a third of the hospitalizations and deaths this flu season occurred in just the last week. About 80 percent of beds are in use nationwide.

But it isn't just flu that is pushing many hospitals around the country to the brink. It's a triple threat, including COVID and RSV infections. And now New York City and the CDC are encouraging people to once again put their masks on when they are in crowds. Brynn Gingras is on the story for us. Brynn, what are New York

officials specifically saying?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes Fred. Listen, they are saying this a complex challenge for those three reasons that you just brought out there-- the flu, COVID-19 spread and RSV. And so yes, they are encouraging people, not a mandate, but saying you know and what? It's an advisory.

Put your mask on if you are feeling sick, if you're going to be in a crowded area, if you are indoors. Also if you are immune-compromised. 65 years and older or if you have children at home and you know, they are, obviously, very susceptible to getting these germs. They want to keep those hospitalizations down.

Another thing they are saying is make sure you are up to date on all your vaccines. Not just the flu vaccine, but also COVID-19 boosters as well.

And it's not just New York as you just mentioned. This is happening all across the country, the spread of these three viruses. It's raising hospitalizations. And you mentioned those 80 percent of hospital beds full. Well, 6 percent Fred, are for COVID-19, a majority of those are for the flu.

According to the CDC, for every 100,000 people, 26 hospitalizations are occurring for the flu. That is the highest number that they have seen in more than a decade.

So they are, you know, CDC, health officials they are all saying to take these necessary precautions because they're seeing those numbers go up past Thanksgiving and now we are heading into the end of year celebrations with Christmas and Hanukkah and others as well as the New Year's and they don't want to see the numbers continue to go up.

WHITFIELD: Right. But the potential, obviously, is there.

All right. Brynn Gingras, thanks so much. appreciate that.

All right. NASA's historic Artemis mission is coming to a close. Tomorrow the unmanned spacecraft will make its return after going further into space than any spacecraft before.

We'll discuss with renowned astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson straight ahead.

[11:19:59]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: And this just in to CNN. The White House is reacting to the death of sports journalist Grant Wahl who died while covering the World Cup in Qatar.

Let's get to CNN White House correspondent Arlette Saenz. So Arlette, what is being said there? ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well Fred, the White

House is offering condolences to the family of Grant Wahl and also detailing some of the contacts that they have had with the family and also Qatari officials.

[11:24:52]

SAENZ: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tweeted just moments ago saying quote, "Grant Wahl was an inspiration to many. Our thoughts are with his wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, and all those who loved him. State Department officials are in touch with Grant's family and with senior officials in the government of Qatar to ensure his family gets the support they need."

The statement really mirrors what we heard from the State Department last night when they said that they were in close communication with the family and also talking to officials in Qatar.

Now, it's also worth noting that Dr. Celine Gounder, the wife of Grant Wahl, has very close ties to this White House. She served on the coronavirus advisory board for then president-elect Biden during the transition period.

So certainly here at the White House many thoughts are with the family of Grant Wahl as they are waiting to learn more about his death.

WHITFIELD: All right. Terribly sad. Arlette Saenz, thanks so much. Keep us posted.

All right, sources tell CNN that a federal judge declined a DOJ request to hold former President Trump in contempt of court during a closed door hearing on Friday, instead, urging the parties to work out the matter themselves.

And this comes after the Justice Department asked the judge to hold Trump in contempt for failing to comply with a subpoena tied to records marked classified.

This is the latest clash in the ongoing criminal investigation into Trump's handling of federal records after leaving the White House.

Joining me right now to talk further Michael Zeldin, a former federal prosecutor, and host of "That Said With Michael Zeldin" podcast. Good to see you, Michael.

So explain what this means, that a judge won't rule on this, but instead, you know, tell the Department of Justice to go back, possibly even impose a penalty themselves.

MICHAEL ZELDIN, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: What the Justice Department asked the judge was to essentially hold the Trump Organization, Trump and the people around him, in contempt for not complying with the Presidential Records Act, that which requires all of these presidential records to be given back to the government.

It appears as if the judge has said not yet. You guys try to work it out one more time, see if we can reach a compromise or a negotiated solution to this problem. If you can't, come back and we'll talk.

So I think that really what we have here is an effort by the judge to say, you adults should be able to work this out. If you turn out not to be adults, come back and see me.

WHITFIELD: All right. So the "not yet" does mean that the judge still could potentially rule on this later if they just simply can't work it out?

ZELDIN: That would be my guess. You know, we don't know what happened in the courtroom because it's under seal, it's a grand jury proceeding. But you try to read the tea leaves and you try see what it is that each party is trying to do, Fred, and that's my best guess.

WHITFIELD: Ok. This is a grand jury proceeding. Would there be any circumstances in which this kind of conversation would be made public or that there would be access to it by journalists? Because instead a lot of the information has come by way of sources.

ZELDIN: Yes. Not yet. This is an active grand jury investigation. And there is a rule, rule 6(e), which governs this, and it says it shall be secret. The judge I guess has the authority to disclose it if she thought it wouldn't compromise the investigation. But generally speaking, grand jury information only comes to the public via leaks.

WHITFIELD: Ok. So the January 6th House Select Committee is expected to make a decision on criminal referrals during a virtual meeting tomorrow. And CNN has reported that the committee is considering criminal referrals for the former President Donald Trump, as well as for former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, right-wing lawyer John Eastman, former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and Trump's former lawyer Rudy Giuliani. So what does this group of names tell you?

ZELDIN: Well, this is the inner circle of people who were closest to Trump in the run-up to the January 6th events and on January 6th. And they have all refused to cooperate. Many of them asserting privileges that really don't exist, that the courts have rejected routinely.

And this obstruction of the investigation is probably the basis for the referral. I don't know if they are going to make a referral on the underlying conspiracy to interfere with an orderly transfer of power, but certainly on obstruction of their investigation. I think they have a solid basis for making that referral.

WHITFIELD: All right. And now I want to ask you something as it pertains to the Arizona gubernatorial race which was decided. The Republican gubernatorial candidate who was defeated, Kari Lake, has now filed a lawsuit attempting to challenge the certification of Arizona's 2022 election. Lake is also a 2020 election denier. What are the prospects of this kind of challenge?

[11:29:51]

ZELDIN: Well, they filed a 70-page lawsuit which is filled with unsubstantiated facts similar to the types of unsubstantiated lawsuits we saw by Giuliani and others in the 2020 election. All of those lawsuits failed, and most courts have now been sanctioning the lawyers for filing those frivolous lawsuits. I expect the same result here.

WHITFIELD: All right. Michael Zeldin, good to see you. Thanks so much.

ZELDIN: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And this quick programming note. A large part of Los Angeles' houseless, homeless people suffer from mental illness. Hear from those on the street and the families trying to save them in an all new "THIS IS LIFE WITH LISA LING".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LISA LING, CNN HOST: Deputy Matson (ph) gets to work.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have been calling all last week and it's all been no, no, no, no, no. So we got tired of the no's.

LING: Taylor has agreed to leave the encampment. But this there is so much complexity involved. They can't get a bed for him in Orange County where he's from until they get his insurance switched over. So they have found a motel room for him until he can go into a detox facility.

But this is the kind of thing that these sheriff's deputies are dealing with. This is what it takes when you are trying to get one person off the streets.

What kinds of services are going to be available to him when he leaves here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So once he is at the program, they are able to assist him with his needs, his mental health, his drug issues.

LING: What compelled you to decided today was the day that you want to leave?

TAYLOR: You know, my dad has been trying really hard to get me help. I don't want anything to --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The new episode airs tomorrow night at 10:00 right here on CNN.

And we'll be right back.

[11:31:42]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. NASA's historic Artemis 1 mission is set to splashdown up the coast of Baja, California when it returns to earth tomorrow. The uncrewed spacecraft took a 25-day trip around the moon as a test run for future flights with astronauts onboard. The Orion capsule flew about 80 miles above the moon's surface as it

passed by.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium and he is also the author of the new book "Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives On Civilization". I cannot keep up with how many books you have. Extraordinary.

NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON, DIRECTOR, HAYDEN PLANETARIUM: Well, the universe is vast. And so there is a lot of occasions to talk about what's going on up there.

WHITFIELD: There is a lot to say about it, right? Ok. Well, welcome back, cuz -- as I like to call you since you've reminded me that our dads are running buddies. So that is the coolest thing on earth and beyond.

So let's talk about something else that's out of this world. Artemis 1 basically, you know, did a slingshot around the moon. Is that a good way of putting it?

TYSON: Well, it orbited. So slingshot in the traditional use of that term is a one-time pass and then you keep going.

WHITFIELD: Right. So boomerang?

TYSON: Yes. So here, it went out and spent most of these past three weeks, four weeks, orbiting the moon, and then coming back. And so tomorrow, Sunday, it's expected to splashdown in the Pacific. And so we're all eagerly anticipating that.

WHITFIELD: Wow. So what should we look for?

TYSON: Yes. So a couple of things to consider. Typically, when the press talks about the re-entry where you have this fiery -- yes, in that image we are seeing the last few seconds where it hits the water at about 20 miles an hour with the parachutes.

But before that happens it's quite dramatic as it re-enters earth's atmosphere. And there are heat shields that dissipate the heat. So think this through. It is coming to earth back from the moon at 7 miles per second. This is a very high speed. And then it slows down to 20 miles an hour.

So that energy has to go somewhere. And so it burns off. There is a heat shield that is a blade of heat shields. So one layer gets hot and then it evaporates away, then the next layer is ready to absorb more energy.

You just keep doing this until the thing slows down enough so it can land safely in the ocean. Otherwise, it would be like a meteor coming down, it would make a crater and everybody would die.

WHITFIELD: Right. And how is it that the direction is -- I mean near precise, that it will hit water? That's the expectation.

TYSON: es. It's called rocket science.

WHITFIELD: Way over my head.

TYSON: That's right.

No, it's rocket science. Plus, just to be clear, there are certain adjustments they can make on its way back. There is always some reserve fuel and little sort of pulse rockets that they can invoke.

And when it enters the atmosphere, consider this. In the early stages, there aren't many molecules, but it's enough to slow it down a little bit and then drops to a lower elevation where there is even more molecules where it drops lower, where there is even more molecules. So it's an exponential drop back down into the atmosphere.

And that enables you to decide with pretty good precision where it's going to plunk down.

Plus, the Pacific Ocean is huge. So they are trying to bring it closer to land so that it's not such a big journey to go out and fish the thing out of the ocean. But we're getting better at that.

And there is an uncertainty ellipse that extends along the path as it re-enters. So there is more uncertainty in that direction than north/south.

[11:39:49]

TYSON: But otherwise, yes. I'm told there might be some weather concerns, they might have to adjust the location of where it lands. Again, you use these little adjusters, these little rocket adjusters, to control the precise place where it lands.

WHITFIELD: And of course this venture is -- or the hope is this venture is a prelude to sending astronauts back to the moon. Why is it so important to reach for that again?

TYSON: I mean, I can be lofty in my reply and why don't I try that? I'll say that we are living in a cave and some people want to look outside the cave. But the elders, the wise elders say we have cave problems first. We must solve the cave problems first before you go outside the cave.

That's what people sound like to me if they say, you know, why are we going into space when we have problems here on earth? That's sort of what it sounds like to me.

Second, space has unlimited resources. Oh, my gosh. You know, we are fighting over access to rare earth metals here on earth. There are asteroids out there where they are common, just as an example.

So I like to think of space as our backyard and not assign destinations one after another. Just explore the whole thing -- the moon, Mars, asteroids, comets -- the whole kit and especially the caboodle.

WHITFIELD: And it's a big backyard. Why not play in it, is what I'm hearing from you.

TYSON: Yes.

WHITFIELD: You've got to play in the backyard.

All right. So you talked about also this space race, that it's happening right now between the U.S. and China. So where are we in this race? How do you assess it?

TYSON: Yes. So dare I say that's kind of why I think we are going to the moon now, because why didn't we do it 10 years ago, 20, 30 years ago? And China has been in ascendance over all these decades.

And everything they said they were going to do, they did. They became the third spacefaring nation to send astronauts into space after Russia -- Soviet Union, then United States, and then China. So they are making good on every promise. And one of them was they are going to send astronauts to the moon.

So then we don't really say it publicly. We say it's time to go to the moon and but really I think we're feeling this competitive flame under our butt and that's what's sending us there, really. That's my read of politics and history.

WHITFIELD: I like the parallel, the flame under the butt and then the flame that we are going to see tomorrow, too.

TYSON: Yes. Just a quick thing to add --

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Yes.

TYSON: -- in case people don't know, that Artemis is the -- Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo. And so this was NASA's sort of step into the woke-verse where we are going to send a whole other generation of people to the moon which will include women and people of color and the rest of what represents humanity here on earth, and especially even in the United States, of course. So that's one step there.

The third Artemis mission, Artemis III, is going to take humans and land on the moon near the south pole. There are craters there that are deep and dark where the sun never shines because the crater walls prevent it. We call that a cold trap.

We think that's gathering water molecules, which could a stash of waters if we ever set up colonies there and they need a water supply. So there is a lot of thinking going in to the future missions of our presence on the moon.

WHITFIELD: Fantastic. Always fun. Always a pleasure. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, thank you so much and for helping to remind us that our playground, our backyard is really big.

TYSON: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Good to see you. Until next time.

All right. Extreme snowfall is on the radar for California as millions nationwide brace for a winter storm. The latest forecast next.

[11:43:47]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A major winter storm is moving across the western United States expected to bring heavy coastal rain and mountain snow to the Pacific Northwest and California.

Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is in the CNN Weather Center. So Allison, what do the next few days look like?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A lot of the same, more rain and more snow. The storm is just going to be shifting directions, but eventually this system as a whole will make its way from coast to coast.

But we being in the western portion of the country. You have got some rain showers across Seattle stretching down to Portland and also some very heavy rain across northern and central California and also the snow. Some of that snow in California is coming down at rates of 3 inches per hour, which is going to lead to significant total accumulations.

It's why we have a lot of these winter weather alerts not only for the west but you're also starting to see them pop into the central U.S. because that's where this system is going to be going.

In total, in the next 24 hours we expect this storm to continue to shift a little bit farther south bringing more of that heavy rain down to southern California before it finally progresses eastward.

In total, the Sierras are likely going to pick up the highest snowfall amounts, up around 3 to 5 feet. The coastal regions of California likely 3 to 5 inches of rain.

Then the system itself begins to make its way across the U.S., getting into the central region of the country by Monday and Tuesday. The concern there, Fred, is we may have a potential blizzard for areas of the northern plains and severe storms, including tornados in the south.

[11:50:01]

WHITFIELD: WHITFIELD: All right. Bracing for a lot. Thank you so much, Allison Chinchar.

All right. In this week's "Mission Ahead", a solar start-up is on a mission to harness massive amounts of power from the sun.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JON SARLIN, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: In California's Mojave Desert, renewable energy company Heliogen is working to harness concentrated sunlight for more than just powering your home.

Using artificial intelligence, these mirrors can produce the extremely high temperatures needed to make things like concrete, steel, and green hydrogen.

So behind you are these mirrors reflecting light. What are they doing?

BILL GROSS, FOUNDER AND CEO, HELIOGEN: We're taking a field of mirrors, each one of them being moved precisely by computer algorithms to reflect the sunlight to a single spot up on the tower behind us.

At that single spot, we're achieving temperatures that are almost a third the temperature of the surface of the sun.

SARLIN: It's the algorithm that separates Heliogen from other concentrated solar power ventures. Heliogen doesn't need complex mirrors, instead they use cameras and computing power to align their mirrors to reflect sunlight onto a refinery tower. And all of that heat is directed and stored in big thermos-like containers.

GROSS: So the energy continues after the sun goes down or even on cloudy days. Because we have continuous electricity, we can make hydrogen. Hydrogen is a miracle substance. It's the most common element on earth.

SARLIN: Ironically most hydrogen is made using fossil fuels which has limited its production. What Heliogen is doing is making the process of creating a clean fuel clean.

GROSS: So the question now is if we can do it, we can do it in a lab. But can we do it on scale? We are doing it at scale. That's what you're looking at here.

SARLIN: At scale.

GROSS: At scale. This is a scale technology. The sun is a resource that no one owns. It gives us 10,000 times more energy than the whole of humanity needs and is available for everybody. So the innovation can happen everywhere.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[11:52:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right.

Welcome back.

A river of lava flowing from the world's largest volcano in Hawaii have stopped just shy of a major highway. But for some it's not quite close enough.

CNN's David Culver introduces us to the lava junkie.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Seemingly photogenic from every angle, there is a striking beauty to Mauna Loa's eruption, especially as captured by photographer C.J. Kale.

C.J. KALE, PHOTOGRAPHER: Volcano is different every single day. Every single time you go it's always different.

CULVER: C.J. driving us to his picture-perfect spot at 4:00 in the morning. The best view he believes, the rising sun greeting the glowing lava. Many hours of sleep sacrificed for just a few minutes of perfect lighting, weather permitting.

KALE: That is -- that is super thick.

CULVER: We step out into the cold rain hoping it will burn off. As we wait, C.J. admits to us he's a particular kind of thrill seeker.

KALE: A lava junkie. You know, kind of the term out here we all call ourselves lava junkie. It's kind of our fix, we go on out. It's what gives us our excitement. It's what gives us our adrenaline for the day.

CULVER: This lava junkie has even gone swimming with it, catching these fiery waves in 2018's Kilauea eruption.

Is there a range of lava junkie though, those who get a little bit too close and too extreme.

KALE: My group of friends is definitely the far outer limits of that range. I wouldn't recommend pushing it far for everybody.

CULVER: But some are still pushing it.

Well, good morning.

If you caught our live report Monday for CNN "THIS MORNING", you might have noticed this person head lamp on returning from a trek to the lava's edge. Officials have repeatedly warned folks of the dangers getting that close to the flow. Not to mention it's trespassing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, you can live caged up and have a pretty boring life or you can go see for yourself and take the chance.

CULVER: Curtis and Sherry Grumbles, perhaps rookie lava junkies, hiked five hours round trip over unstable lava rock out to the edge of the flow. They recorded this video about 50 yards from the crawling lava.

Then there are those going to the source of the lava, the expert lava junkies, if you will. USGS scientists in protective gear collecting samples of the lava and bringing them here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And so we put them in the drying oven.

CULVER: The University of Hawaii at Hilo is helping run the Rapid Response Lab for the Mauna Loa eruption. We got a rare look inside. These samples collected soon as the lava started spewing.

PROF CHERYL GANSECKI, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII, HILO: It was thrown up in the air and landed and they scooped it up while it was still molten and quenched it. And if you look at it, you'll see it's very, very bubbly, soft. You can break it in your hand.

CULVER: Researchers here quickly churning out data to help the USGS chart where the lava flow might be heading, especially as it's inching closer to crossing Saddle Road, a major highway connecting the east and west of the Big Island. They warn the slower pace is deceptive at times.

[11:59:52]

GANSECKI: It might just look like a big wall of hot rock and it doesn't look like it's moving much, but they can surge where all of a sudden the front breaks off and lava comes spewing out.

CULVER: Dangerous perhaps, but for C.J. Kale, an eruption is never destructive.

At what point does it become destruction?