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Journalist Grant Wahl Dies While Covering World Cup; Americans Celebrate Brittney Griner's Return To The U.S.; Kyrsten Sinema Leaves Democratic Party; Ukraine To Receive More Anti-Drone Equipment; Global Condemnation For Execution Of Iranian Protester Mohsen Shekari; U.S. Faces Tripledemic Of RSV, Flu And COVID-19; Lava Junkies Get Closer To Mauna Loa. Aired 5-6a ET
Aired December 10, 2022 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber.
Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, shock and heartbreak in the sporting world, as American journalist Grant Wahl has died covering the World Cup in Doha. We are live with the latest.
And Arizona's Kyrsten Sinema is no longer a Democrat, announcing her exit from the party.
In the U.S., the flu, COVID and RSV are surging. I'll talk to a doctor who tells us how worried we should be.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: Prominent American sports writer Grant Wahl died covering the World Cup tournament. He collapsed during Friday's match between Argentina and the Netherlands.
World Cup organizers say he fell ill in the press area and received immediate medical treatment that continued while he was taken to the hospital.
U.S. Soccer said it is remembering Wahl for his insightful coverage and commitment to human rights. Last month, Wahl showed support to the LGBTQ community by wearing a rainbow shirt to a match but he was stopped by Qatari guards before he could enter the stadium. Here's what he said a day later.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRANT WAHL, SPORTS JOURNALIST: Yes, I arrived at the stadium. I was checking in through security but security didn't let me through. They said that I had to take off my shirt. I told them I wouldn't. They detained me for about 30 minutes.
They forcibly took my phone, would not give it back, really angrily tried to get me to take my shirt off and wouldn't. So, finally, eventually, a commander of security came down after about 30 minutes and they let me through wearing my shirt and they apologized. FIFA apologized.
FIFA has made it clear that there should be no problem with anyone wearing rainbow gear of any kind at this World Cup but it's clear that the Qatari regime has other ideas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: FIFA released a statement, saying his love for football was immense and reporting will be missed by all who follow the global game. More now from CNN's Darren Lewis in Doha.
Darren, it's hard to overstate how important he was, such a respected sports journalist around the world. Look let's talk about the man himself. You knew him.
What was he like?
DARREN LEWIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, Kim, our thoughts are absolutely with his wife and all of his loved ones, because this is a real shock. We can find the words, Kim, to describe and articulate so many things.
But nothing prepares you for the loss of a colleague and a respected part of the journalistic fraternity.
That's what Grant was. He was a wonderful man. He was kind. He was generous. He was fearless, as we have been seeing from his comments, describing what happened when he wore that T-shirt to show his answer and determination to fight for the LGBTQ community.
And he was somebody who had compassion. There was a lot of bewilderment and tears today but a lot of shock as well.
BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. He was as much an activist as a journalist. And not just for sport but for social issues as well.
LEWIS: Yes. He appreciated the platform that he had, the respect he was able to command. You were talking about the response of FIFA to the T-shirt incident. It summed him up.
He was a man able to get answers from the highest levels. He was a man who spoke truth to power. He was somebody who fought for migrant workers, human rights.
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LEWIS: He fought for the cause of U.S. soccer but also all the things that surrounded it. But as far as he was concerned, it wasn't just about what happened on the pitch. He was as much an advocate for ensuring that people could operate in
safety, in a culture of mutual respect. And right up until the last, as it were, he was somebody who was prepared to stand on his principles.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Such a huge voice for social issues but also for soccer here in this country, helping to grow it in this country. Really appreciate your thoughts on Grant Wahl, Darren Lewis in Doha.
More on this developing story later in the show.
WNBA Brittany Griner stepped off a plane in Texas and was taken to an Army medical center to get checked out. She had been imprisoned the last 10 months on a drug charge but was said to be in good spirits.
She had been laboring at a Russian penal colony where women inmates make uniforms. Attorneys said she cut off her dreadlocks two weeks ago to better prepare for the extreme cold. Here's Kylie Atwood.
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KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the moment basketball superstar Brittney Griner stepped back on U.S. soil for the first time in nearly 10 months.
Leaving early morning in San Antonio, Texas, and taken to Brooke Army Medical Center, the same facility where Trevor Reed was treated after his release from Russia earlier this year.
The Defense Department will offer what is known as post-isolation support activities. Griner was said to be in good spirits on the journey back to the U.S. despite being held in difficult conditions of a Russian penal colony.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She's on the ground.
CHERELLE GRINER, BRITTNEY'S WIFE: Stop it.
BIDEN: Yes, she's on the ground.
ATWOOD (voice-over): The White House releasing this new video of Griner's wife and President Biden moments after the prisoner exchange in Abu Dhabi.
GRINER: It's such a good day.
ATWOOD (voice-over): WNBA coaches and players celebrate the release of one of their own.
VANESSA NYGAARD, PHOENIX MERCURY HEAD COACH: I think it is really a testament to their hard work, their energy, their commitment to keeping BG's name in the news.
ATWOOD (voice-over): But the Biden administration is also playing defense.
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): It's made us weaker --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
MCCARTHY: -- it's made Putin stronger and it's made Americans more vulnerable.
ATWOOD (voice-over): Amid criticism of the deal privately from DOJ officials and publicly from Republican lawmakers. That deal release notorious arms trafficker Viktor Bout, who is senior defense official says, could go right back to arms trafficking. Some fear he could help funnel weapons into the Ukraine battlefield.
ADM. JOHN KIRBY (RET.), COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: Nobody is doing backflips that Mr. Bout is back on the streets here.
I think it speaks to our understanding of our ability to defend our national interest that the president was able to make this deal.
ATWOOD (voice-over): And though the administration was not able to free fellow U.S. citizen Paul Whelan from Russian detention in exchange, a senior administration official says the U.S. is now considering new offers to Russia that could help bring Whelan home.
PAUL WHELAN, AMERICAN IMPRISONED IN RUSSIA: I don't understand why I'm still sitting here.
ATWOOD (voice-over): And despite extremely strained relations between the U.S. and Russia over Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, Putin not taking further exchanges off the table.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): This is the result of negotiations and the search for compromises. In this case, compromises were found. We do not refuse to continue this work in the future.
ATWOOD: Now the question is what will it take from the United States for Russia to agree to another prisoner swap to get out Paul Whelan?
That is the question that remains. And U.S. officials grew frustrated in recent months because Russia kept demanding something from the United States that they couldn't deliver on.
They wanted a Russian who is serving a life sentence in Germany because of murder to be released. That's something U.S. officials said they simply couldn't do.
So the question going forward is do the Russians effectively and productively engage in future discussions with U.S. officials? -- Kylie Atwood, CNN, the State Department.
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BRUNHUBER: And Paul Whelan's family said they are more determined than ever to fight for his release. His sister appeared on CNN earlier. Here she is. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH WHELAN, PAUL'S SISTER: It's been very difficult for my family to hear, my brother discussed as if his only value is what we would have to give up for him. I do know that I will be bearing down much more, with much more pressure on the people that I have been working with, because I don't want to see this happen again.
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BRUNHUBER: His brother, David, said the Biden administration made the right call in making the swap for Griner.
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DAVID WHELAN, PAUL'S BROTHER: I think the White House is showing leadership and I think some people aren't able to cope with displays of leadership. They made a decisive action. It brought an American home.
I think that is what any American should expect the U.S. president to do. So from that perspective, I think that things have worked out the way they should.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: He added he's hopeful that efforts to gain his brother's release will soon gain more traction.
A U.S. federal judge has declined to hold former president, Donald Trump, in contempt of court, for failing to turn over classified records. But the Justice Department is concerned that Trump might still have more classified material in his possession. Katelyn Polantz has more on what this means for the investigation.
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KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: There was a long hearing on Friday, under seal, over Donald Trump and a subpoena that he and his team have been sitting with for months now.
Two years after he left the presidency, this hearing on the table today was whether or not Donald Trump would be held in contempt for not fulfilling that subpoena from back in May.
And our reporting from Kristen Holmes and Sara Murray, federal judge Beryl Howell (ph) didn't hold Donald Trump in contempt today. We also understand Trump's side and the Justice Department were urged to try and find a resolution.
This does not mean the end of the investigation, led by Jack Smith. It's not clear if this is the end of the dispute in court. We don't know much else because more than 12 members of the media and news organizations, national press, and a lawyer we were using to represent all of us, we tried to get into this hearing.
We were asking the court for transparency, to be heard, to potentially open it up to the public. We know about the existence of the subpoena and the Justice Department's many months of being dissatisfied with it.
But that was not going to be the case today. The media did not get to witness this hearing. And the attorneys left through some back hallways after about 90 minutes -- CNN, Kaitlan Polantz, Washington.
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BRUNHUBER: A shakeup for Democrats just days after expanding their majority. Kyrsten Sinema has left the party in favor of becoming an independent. The move is not expected to change the balance of power. Jessica Dean reports.
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JESSICA DEAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Friday brought a bombshell for Senate Democrats.
SEN. KYRSTEN SINEMA (I-AZ): I've registered as an Arizona independent.
DEAN: Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema, a moderate who wielded enormous power in the evenly split, Senate over the last two years, telling CNN's Jake Tapper she has left the Democratic Party and is now an independent.
SINEMA: I'm just not worried about folks who may not like this approach. What I am worried about is continuing to do what's right for my state.
DEAN: Following her announcement, Sinema talked with reporters at an Arizona food bank on Friday saying she's not focused on re-election but on her constituents. Her term is up in 2024.
SINEMA: Today's announcement is a reflection of any values and I think the values of most Arizonians who are tired of a political system that pulls people to the edges and really doesn't reflect who we are as a people.
DEAN: Sinema gave the White House and Chuck Schumer advance warning of her announcement.
On Friday, Schumer said in a statement Sinema will keep her committee assignments adding, quote, "I believe she's a good and effective senator and I'm looking forward to a productive session in the new Democratic majority Senate.
"We will maintain our new majority on committees, exercise our subpoena power and be able to clear nominees without discharge votes."
Fellow Senate Democrats and the White House echoing that sentiment, saying Sinema's decision won't change much. SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): If she were to is a no, I am not voting with them anymore, that's a different thing. That is nowhere near what she said and she has tended not to go to the caucus meeting, something she said.
So I'm not, like, telling something out of school, except for rare moments where she's advocating for something she cares about. And that's not going to change either.
DEAN: Practically, Democrats will maintain their Senate majority with three independents now. Plenty of Democrats have sharply criticized the move, though.
Arizona representative Ruben Gallego, a potential challenger to Sinema should she run again in 2024, blasted the move in a statement saying, quote, "Unfortunately, Senator Sinema is, once again, putting her own interests ahead of getting things done for Arizonans."
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DEAN: In the end, this won't do much to change the day-to-day operations here, in the Senate, the Democrats will still have a lot of the power that they get, with that 51 seat majority that she will, of course, be keeping her committee seat.
So that does a lot to allow the Democrats to use that subpoena power to move nominees through the committees a lot faster than they have been able to, previously. What this does bring about a lot of questions around is what happens in 2024 if Kyrsten Sinema decides to run for reelection.
Will she run as an independent?
Will Democrats run against her?
Those are the questions that will come into focus in the coming years -- Jessica Dean, CNN, Capitol Hill.
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BRUNHUBER: Ukraine may get a better fighting chance of drones from Russia.
Plus, protesters return to the streets across Iran, making their voices heard despite the execution of a demonstrator one day earlier. That story and more after the break. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Ukraine will get a boost for its defenses against Iranian drones wreaking havoc on its energy system.
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BRUNHUBER: On Friday, a new batch of U.S. military aid worth $275 million will included technology to fight drones like these, which Russia has been using to pummel Ukraine's energy infrastructure. After the announcement, President Zelenskyy thanked the U.S. for what he called its unwavering support.
We are getting word of new Russian artillery strikes in southern Ukraine.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Ukrainian officials said four people were injured in the Nikopol district overnight. Ukraine also says Russian troops made an unprecedented push on Bakhmut to the east.
And Russia's president is taking new saber rattling to a new level. He said Russia might abandon its commitment on not using nuclear measures in a first strike. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): There are no such factors today. They are not visible. As I told you, 300,000 were called up as part of the mobilization. Let me repeat once again, 150,000 are in the grouping. Of those, a little more than half are in combat units.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: CNN's Clare Sebastian joins us now from London.
So, Clare, take us through the latest on those strikes in the south.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kim. The Ukrainian military administration near the city of Nikopol, as you pointed out, overnight, four people injured.
Really focused on civilian installations, a kindergarten, power lines. That is not the only area in the south, though. We are hearing reports of damage and shelling in Odessa. The energy company is reporting power lines were hit. Several installations destroyed.
And in Kherson, the power outages are affecting parts of the newly liberated city. And continued shelling in Bakhmut. So continuing fighting on two fronts, in the south and in the east.
And serious damage, according to President Zelenskyy in the town of Bakhmut. He said the city is pretty much destroyed.
BRUNHUBER: Clare, to Russia's president, again, making provocative comments about the use of nuclear weapons. Take us through what he said.
SEBASTIAN: Yes. The nuclear rhetoric it's been the hallmark of this conflict so far. It seemed to escalate in the autumn, when Ukraine's counter offensive started to put Russia on the back foot.
It seemed to be when their fortunes on the battlefield waned, then things escalated. On Wednesday, we heard from Putin how the threat of nuclear war had escalated. He skirted around the issue of a first, Russia being open to a first strike. Listen to what he said on Friday.
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VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): In the West, there is a theory, even a practiced military strategy of a preventative strike. We don't. In our strategy, there is a response to a strike, there are no secrets here.
What is a response to a strike?
It is a response to a strike aimed at us, our response. We talk about the preemptive disarming strike; maybe we should adopt that practice of our American partners, their ideas of keeping themselves safe. We are thinking about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: It was deliberate and pointed. It should be noted that while Russian nuclear doctrine describes them as a last resort, it allows them to be used in retaliation for a conflict involving conventional weapons, if that is deemed to be an existential threat to Russian territory.
That is something to bear in mind. The context that came to this is that Putin is headed toward the end of the year with very little in terms of gains, with an economy declining, a rising level of depression at home. I think he wants to leverage his power, even if only by using these threats.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Not surprising but still troubling. Thanks so much. Clare Sebastian, appreciate it.
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BRUNHUBER: Tributes pouring in, remembering the life and legacy of Grant Wahl.
And mourners in Iran gathered Friday at the grave of a demonstrator, put to death by authorities.
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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
The World Cup community is in shock after American sports journalist Grant Wahl died while covering the games in Qatar. He fell ill in the press area and received immediate medical treatment, which continued as he was taken to hospital.
Soccer's governing body in the United States said it was heartbroken to learn of the tragedy. It is remembering Wahl for his insightful and entertaining coverage of the game.
The co-host of his podcast offered similar praise in an interview with CNN. Here he is.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CHRIS WITTYNGHAM, CO-HOST, "FUTBOL WITH GRANT WAHL": I actually spent a year in Argentina in the '90s around the Copa America. He told me a story about how he wore American colors in Buenos Aires that evening and was nearly, you know, beaten up by some locals because he dared to celebrate an American victory in Argentina.
But he loved that country and would have loved seeing them get through the World Cup semifinal today.
The last text I sent to him was an unanswered one, "When are we going to talk about this?"
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WITTYNGHAM: Yes. It's impossible to fathom a man so young, who offered, as your previous guests mentioned, so much to the footballing world, to the advancement of human rights, to noble, genuinely noble causes, to have heard of his passing.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: And FIFA's president is sending his thoughts to Wahl's loved ones. In a statement, Gianni Infantino said, "we express our sincerest condolences to wife, Celine, his family and friends at this most difficult time."
The football community in the U.S. is also expressing heartbreak over Grant Wahl's sudden passing. Dan Garber, the commissioner of Major League Soccer, said he was a kind and caring person who had an immeasurable passion for soccer and dedication to journalism.
The National Women's Soccer League is praising his integrity and thoughtfulness.
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BRUNHUBER: We'll have more on the story in the hours ahead.
Condemnation rolls in from around the world over the execution of an Iranian protester. But inside Iran, protesters refuse to stay quiet.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): In Tehran, the streets rang out with the familiar chant of "death to the dictator." Mourners gathered at the grave of the man who was hanged after being sentenced to death on Thursday; 11 other have been sentenced to death. More executions could take place in the coming days.
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BRUNHUBER: CNN's Melissa Bell has details. We just want to warn you some of the images may be disturbing.
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MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The reaction to the news that Mohsen Shekari had been hanged. The howl of a relative as he became the first protester to be executed in Iran in the three months of demonstrations.
Just 75 days later, he was executed. The first protester hanged likely not the last, tens more face death sentences.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why the Iranian authorities choose him as the first victim, I think it has got to do with the fact that we didn't know so much about him that his name wasn't so known.
BELL: It was the deaths in the custody of the morality police of 22- year-old Mahsa Amini that set off the wave of discontent that has only widened and deepened, posing the greatest challenge to Iran's regime since the 1979 Islamic revolution swept the mullahs and their strict Islamic interpretation to power.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then Mahsa was a young girl who just normal young girl but also a Kurdish girl. So in so many aspects it patched, Iranians who have been treated as second class citizens.
BELL: Across Iran this week, a strike called by the protesters and on Wednesday, known as student day in Iran protests at several universities.
Inside Tehran University, Iran's president blamed the United States for what he described as riots. Outside the protesters chants echoed in the grounds.
Tehran's response to the popular anger has been predictably violent. Already human rights groups say 458 protesters have died, many more now face the death penalty.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Death penalty is the strongest instrument of breaking fear. It's more than shooting people on the streets.
BELL: Death to the dictator chanted protesters on Thursday night for now at least unbound by Tehran's campaign of fear -- Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: Flu cases are surging in the U.S. After the break, we will talk to an expert about the triple threat in the U.S. from influenza, respiratory viruses and COVID. Stay with us.
Also ahead, to Hawaii to meet the lava junkies, who like to get up close and personal with molten rock, noxious fumes and maybe take some pictures.
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BRUNHUBER: The U.S. is facing a triple threat as the holiday season gets underway in earnest from influenza, RSV and COVID-19. The first week of December saw the highest COVID-19 death toll in two months. Children's hospitals have been especially hard hit by cases of RSV.
The U.S. has far more flu cases than it normally does this time of year. Jacqueline Howard has the details.
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JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH CORRESPONDENT: Flu activity remains high across the country right now. And here are the latest numbers.
So far due to the flu, at least 13 million people have been sick, 120,000 hospitalized. More than 7,000 deaths from flu have been reported. And 21 of those reported deaths have been in children.
According to the CDC, all but seven states are experiencing high or very high levels of respiratory virus activity right now.
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HOWARD: In New York City, health officials issued an advisory, saying everyone should wear masks indoors in public, even if you have gotten your flu shot or had flu before. And other prevention measures, like washing hands frequently, staying home when sick and, of course, getting up to date on your vaccinations. Back to you.
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BRUNHUBER: Dr. Stephen Parodi is associate executive director of the Permanente Medical Group. He joins me now from San Francisco.
Thank you so much, Doctor, for joining us. You help oversee millions of patients in California. Give me a sense of how busy your hospital emergency rooms are right now.
DR. STEPHEN PARODI, ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PERMANENTE MEDICAL GROUP: I'm going to tell you, this is the busiest we have ever been.
And I can't believe --
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BRUNHUBER: Including during the COVID pandemic?
PARODI: That includes the COVID pandemic. It includes the Omicron surge. So literally, we have hospitals that are busting at the seams. We are at census in northern California of 3,500. Just to put that in perspective, normally we run about 3,000. This tridemic of RSV, COVID, flu at the same time is pushing the hospitals to our limits.
BRUNHUBER: I understand some hospitals have had to -- had patients sharing rooms and so on.
How do you cope with the huge influx?
PARODI: A lot of advance planning; we actually literally hired thousands of nurses in the wake of the COVID pandemic. On top of that, we had already done a lot of planning around additional beds. As you referenced, using hallways if necessary.
We have opened up tents again just like we did with the prior surges. So we've been able to handle the current surge but my concern is we are going to see more. Flu has literally gone up about a month earlier in the United States and in California compared to what we normally see. We are predicting more over the coming months of December and January.
BRUNHUBER: Why is that?
These respiratory viruses, we know; it happens at this time of year every year, flu and RSV particularly. Now you are adding in the extra factor of COVID.
But why is the flu and RSV so bad right now?
PARODI: I think what's changed, Kim, is our behavior. The last couple years, we were masking up, isolating. Society has opened up the last several months. A lot of the viruses we were exposed to, flu and RSV, are back. We are getting exposed. A lot of us weren't as exposed so didn't have as much immunity from the prior years. So we are just seeing increased activity.
There's one other fine point I want to make here, Kim. We have a lot less people getting vaccinated. I have got to make a plea to everyone out there. It's time to get the flu vaccine. It is not too late. We're lagging in our numbers. Whether it's children, pregnant women and all other adults, you have to go out and get a flu vaccine.
BRUNHUBER: You just mentioned children. What is scary for so many parents I talk to is how many young children are in hospital as well.
Is that what you are seeing?
PARODI: Yes. It's been surprising to see the amount of our pediatric hospitals being literally full. And that includes our neonatal as well as pediatric intensive care units.
We have been on calls with our state colleagues, as well as other hospital colleagues, to manage the census across the entire state. So it's really requiring that level of coordination to make sure we can get everyone the care they need.
BRUNHUBER: For people out there, they are hearing about hospitals being full, patients having to go into hallways. They may not want to go into hospital. Maybe you can give people a sense, because you're an infectious disease specialist as well.
When should patients go to the hospital and when can they take care of themselves do you think?
PARODI: Certainly what we want people to do is seek care when they need it. There are a lot of online resources. If you're looking for information, going to the CDC website, health care workers' website.
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PARODI: And if you're having problems, make that phone call early. But the symptoms that should drive you to go into an emergency room, if you're feeling short of breath, having trouble with a cough, fever that's not controlled with over the counter remedies, like Tylenol.
You should seek care in your emergency rooms. The thing that I have got to say, though, Kim, is prevention is key here. Avoiding congregate settings, washing hands, covering your cough. Don't go to school, don't go to work if you're sick.
And assess your own individual risk when it comes to mask wearing. If you're in a higher risk category, think about wearing the mask if you are going outdoors.
BRUNHUBER: Essential advice for everyone watching out there. Thank you so much. Really appreciate it.
PARODI: Thank you so much.
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BRUNHUBER: According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the main flow from the Mauna Loa volcano has stalled, short of reaching a major highway on the Big Island. CNN's David Culver introduces us to some lava junkies.
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DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 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: Volcanoes are different every single day, every single time you go. It's always different.
CULVER (voice-over): C.J. is 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: Yes, that it is super thick.
CULVER (voice-over): 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 junkies. It's kind of our fix. We go on out -- it gives us our excitement. It gives us our adrenaline for the day.
CULVER (voice-over): This lava junkie has even gone swimming with it, catching these fiery waves in 2018's Kilauea eruption.
CULVER: Is there a range of lava junkie mode, those who get a little bit too close, too extreme?
KALE: My group of friends is definitely the far outer limits of that range.
I would not recommend pushing it far for everyone.
CULVER (voice-over): But some are still pushing it.
Well, good morning, Don.
If you got our live report Monday for "CNN THIS MORNING," you might have noticed this person, headlamp on, returning from a trip to the lava's edge. Officials have repeatedly warned folks of the dangers of getting that close to the flow, not to mention it is 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.
Curtis and Sheri (ph) 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.
There were 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: So we put them into the drying oven.
CULVER (voice-over): 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 were collected since the lava started spewing.
CHERYL GANSECKI, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII/HILO: It was thrown up in the air. It landed and they scooped it up while it was still molten and clenched it. If you look at it, you will see it is very, very bubbly, soft; you can break it in your hands. CULVER (voice-over): Researchers here quickly turning out data to
help the USGS chart where the lava flow might be heading, especially as it inches closer to crossing Saddle Road, a major highway connecting the east and west of the Big Island. They warned that the slower pace is deceptive at times.
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 really surge, (INAUDIBLE) the brakes off and lava comes spewing out.
CULVER (voice-over): Dangerous, perhaps. But for C.J. Kale, an eruption is never destructive.
CULVER: At what point does it become destruction?
When we put a house in the way?
You can't do that.
KALE: I lost property during the 2018 eruption. I have many friends who lost properties. My mom lost a house. We don't view it as lost. We view it as borrowed time.
CULVER (voice-over): Speaking of time, the sun is up. Our view is still this.
[05:50:00]
CULVER: Does it feel like a washout when you get to this point and there is nothing?
Is there disappointment?
KALE: It's all part of the journey. If every single time we have pulled up, it's absolutely amazing. It would not be as special as it is on the days it is amazing.
CULVER (voice-over): David Culver, CNN, Hawaii.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Still ahead this hour, stunning upsets, comebacks and nail-biting highlights as the first semifinal matchup is now set in Qatar. Stay with us.
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[05:55:00]
BRUNHUBER: Before we go, someone just paid an arm and a leg for a skull. This 200 pound Tyrannosaurus rex skull, named Maximum, fetched more than $6 million at Sotheby's. It was less than the $20 million pre-bidding estimate.
Maximus was dug up in South Dakota recently and is 76 million years old. Sotheby's said it's the only T. rex skull to ever come to auction as a stand-alone piece.
That wraps up this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. Follow me on Twitter. For viewers in North America, "CNN THIS MORNING" is next. For the rest of the world, it's "CONNECTING AFRICA."
