Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Dual Rulings on Abortion Pill; Vice President Kamala Harris Meets with Expelled Tennessee Dems; Violence Escalates in Middle East; U.S. Investigates Leak of Classified Documents. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired April 08, 2023 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[02:00:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Welcome to all of our viewers watching here in the United States and around the world. I'm Laila Harrak.
Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, America's latest abortion battleground heating up. Access to the country's most common abortion drug now in legal limbo after back-to-back court rulings that directly contradict one another. . The U.S. vice president making a surprise visit to Nashville, Tennessee, throwing her support behind two lawmakers ousted from the statehouse for protesting gun violence.
And how climate change could be shaking up America's favorite pastime. A new study finds hotter air could mean more home runs. The details with the study's lead author.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Laila Harrak.
HARRAK: The fate of access to medication abortion drugs in the United States is up in the air after two conflicting court rulings. They both center around mifepristone, a medication abortion pill.
A federal judge in Texas ruled to suspend its use while a federal judge in Washington state ruled it had to be kept available in more than a dozen Democratic led states. The Justice Department and a drug manufacturer have already filed appeals against the Texas ruling. . Attorney general Merrick Garland issued a statement, saying, quote, "Today's decision overturns the FDA's expert judgment rendered over two decades ago that mifepristone is safe and effective. The department will continue to defend the FDA's decision.
Well, the two decisions are the most significant abortion ruling since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer. As Ariane de Vogue reports, these new cases are likely to reach the nation's top court as well.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARIANE DE VOGUE, CNN SUPREME COURT CORRESPONDENT: Two opposing rulings came down within minutes of each other. They both had to do with the FDA approval back in 2000 of a key medication abortion drug.
In the first ruling, a judge out of Texas, he withdrew the government's approval of this drug. He said that the government had not done enough to take into account the risks associated with the drug.
But here's what's important: he put his ruling on hold for a week so that it can be appealed. The Department of Justice all along has said that this lawsuit that was brought by opponents of abortion was unprecedented, mostly because this drug has been approved for so long.
In a second case that came down minutes later, a different federal district court judge came up with the opposite opinion. In this case, liberal states told the judge that they thought that the FDA wasn't doing enough to ease access to this medication abortion drug.
So the judge in that case, who was an Obama nominee, gave them a partial win and said that the drugs actually had to stay on the market. So two opposite rulings in circumstances like this. The issue is going to be resolved in an appellate court.
It will first probably go to the appeals court but then it's likely to return in very short order back to the Supreme Court -- Ariane de Vogue, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: Vice President Kamala Harris made a last minute trip to Nashville, Tennessee, on Friday, a day after two Black Democratic state lawmakers were expelled for protesting for gun reform while on the statehouse floor.
Harris met with Justin Jones and Justin Pearson in a move that many say shows just how much focus the Biden administration --
[02:05:00]
HARRAK: -- is putting on this issue and gun control more broadly.
Well, this all comes after a shooting at a Nashville elementary school killed at least six people, including three 9 year olds. President Biden weighed in on Jones' and Pearson's expulsions earlier this week, calling them, quote, "shocking, undemocratic and without precedent."
A third lawmaker involved in the protest, Gloria Johnson, who is white, was threatened with expulsion but spared. In a passionate speech, Harris renewed calls for a ban on assault style weapons and targeted the politics behind expelling those lawmakers. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It wasn't about the three of these leaders; it was about who they were representing. It's about whose voices they were channeling. Understand that.
And is that not what a democracy allows?
A democracy says you don't silence the people. You do not stifle the people. You don't turn off their microphones when they are speaking about being the voice of life and liberty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: CNN's Ryan Young has the latest now from Nashville.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LISA LEVINE, NASHVILLE VOTER: It's sad and pathetic to think that our democracy can be taken away from a voter.
RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Today, two Tennessee districts are without representation. Voters like Lisa Levine are furious.
LEVINE: I was trying to look into whether filing a taxpayer suit and making it class action against these folks that stole my vote and took my representative away from me.
YOUNG: Community up in arms over the expulsion of two Democrat representatives from the Republican-led state house on Thursday. Expelled because they took to the floor last week with a bullhorn standing up for gun reform after the school shooting in Nashville, where six people were killed, three of them children.
The three representatives accused of violating decorum and procedure rules for their actions.
STATE REP. GLORIA JOHNSON (D-TN): We are still three, Tennessee three.
YOUNG: Gloria Johnson, a White woman, was the only one to survive the expulsion. Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, who are Black, did not but they determined not to give up.
STATE REP. JUSTIN JONES (D-TN): I'll continue to speak up for district 52 and for Tennesseans who are demanding change.
YOUNG: Their constituents frustrated that expelling these Democrats was more important to Republican lawmakers than gun reform in their state, less than two weeks after another school massacre.
MORGAN BROCK, CONSTITUENT, DISTRICT 52: We need change so badly and these people are willing to give it -- willing to represent our perspective and willing to change things over a little girl who I will have to send one day to school.
And yes, I'm so optimistic that if these people are given the right platform, they actually can make change. So this is disappointing. PHILLIP FERNANDO SHADE, CONSTITUENT AND VIETNAM VET: We are going to take these guns off our streets and save our children. We're losing too many of them, too many of them.
YOUNG: But so called Tennessee Three are intending to continue their fight.
JOHNSON: We need their voices in the legislature and I'll do everything I can to help them get back.
YOUNG: On Monday, the local legislative body, the metro council in Nashville, will meet to discuss Jones' fate and start the process of possibly reappointing the lawmaker.
There's a lot of focus on the state capital. Monday, there will be more protest plans. There will be actions that will be put in place to try to get the two members back into office, Pearson and Jones.
But there's a lot of questions how the state moves forward, especially when it comes to decorum rules and how they will move forward as a body in terms of a conversation when you have a super majority Republican -- Ryan Young, Nashville, Tennessee.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: Israeli authorities have mobilized reserve units after reporting two deadly terror attacks on Friday. The latest acts of violence in a week of heightened tensions. In Tel Aviv police say a car hit a crowd of tourists before flipping over on a beach front walkway.
An Italian citizen was killed and seven other people were wounded. Police killed the driver.
Earlier Friday, a separate shooting attack in the West Bank left two British Israeli sisters dead and their mother seriously wounded. Those attacks happened after Israel struck Palestinian militant targets in Gaza and southern Lebanon. Let's get more now from CNN's Salma Abdelaziz in Jerusalem.
Salma, what is the situation right now?
Any sign of deescalation?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Israeli military says it is on high alert because of, quote, "very volatile times." There's been three days of spiraling violence that have drawn in rocket fire from southern Lebanon.
Rocket fire also coming from Gaza, raising fears really, of a wider conflict, potentially. And yesterday twin terror attacks that left three people dead. Take a look at how the day unfolded.
[02:10:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Tensions high in the Middle East. Israeli authorities say two separate terror attacks, occurring just hours apart, claimed lives. A driver hit pedestrians along Tel Aviv's popular promenade, killing one and wounding several others.
In response, Netanyahu ordered Israeli police to call up all border reserve units. And in the West Bank two Israeli British sisters were killed and their mother seriously wounded in a shooting. Hamas praised the deadly attack in recent days.
A major escalation across the region has raised fears of a wider conflict. This is the latest catalyst. Israeli police twice stormed Al-Aqsa mosque Wednesday. Overnight footage showed the dramatic raid. Israeli forces hitting worshippers with rifle butts and batons.
Israeli police say they entered the mosque after hundreds of rioters barricaded themselves inside and that their officers were attacked with stones and fireworks. Palestinians in the wider Muslim world see the raid on the mosque as a provocation, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan.
Condemnation quickly poured in, as well as rockets from two directions. Southern Lebanon and Gaza, fueling tensions, Palestinian fears that the status quo that governs the Noble Sanctuary, known as Temple Mount to Jews, could change under the most right wing government in Israeli history.
There have been calls by Jewish extremist groups to slaughter goats at the mosque compound during Passover. And in January an inflammatory visit by Israel's far right, national security minister Ben-Gvir drew international condemnation.
He is convicted of supporting terrorism and inciting anti Arab racism. Prime minister Netanyahu has insisted his government is not seeking to change rules at the holy site.
On Friday, tens of thousands gathered at the steps of Al-Aqsa mosque after a peaceful prayer service. Banners read, Al-Aqsa is a red line. Another said, do not test our patience.
The U.S., U.N. and other members of the international community have called for restraint and calm. But with two weeks of Ramadan left and the Passover holiday underway, it remains a sensitive time in a deeply sensitive place.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ABDELAZIZ: We do have more information on that late-night terror attack as well as Israeli police say in Tel Aviv. We understand that the one person killed was an Italian national. All of the victims were tourists. Several of them remain in hospital.
The attacker, Israeli police say, drove that vehicle over the bike lane in that very busy promenade right along the beachfront in Tel Aviv. But what's so concerning here in this region, Laila, is that all of the hallmarks, all of the factors that have really poured in and set fuel to the fire of this latest escalation remain in place.
It's still Ramadan a few days now from the last 10 days of that holy month, when there will be more overnight prayers at Al-Aqsa mosque. It is still Passover, of course, a period of celebration and now potentially of mourning in Tel Aviv. Of course, the real fears and concerns that this continues to escalate.
HARRAK: Salma Abdelaziz, reporting from Jerusalem, thank you so much.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: Let's discuss this now further with Fawaz Gerges. He's a professor of international relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He's also the author of the book, "Making the Arab World."
Fawaz, a very warm welcome. Let me ask your view on what we've seen in the past days.
FAWAZ GERGES, DIR. MIDDLE EAST CENTER, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: Well, I mean, I think what we need to understand is that, the police. Israeli police raids, on the Al-Aqsa mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, was really the trigger for the current escalation in Israel, in Gaza, and also between Lebanon and Israel.
In videos, as you know, videos have Israeli police beating Palestinian worshippers in Jerusalem's most holiest place. That was met really with widespread anger, not just in Palestine but throughout the Arab and Muslim world.
It led to rockets fired from Gaza and from Lebanon. But I think what we need to understand, the context here -- and your reporter mentioned this -- this is really one of the most extreme governments in Israel's history.
Its actions in the past few weeks have basically endangered peace at home. Millions of Israelis have protested against this extreme government. And also it threatens peace with its neighbors, not just the Palestinians but wider neighbors in the region.
HARRAK: Let's talk about the wider region.
[02:15:00]
HARRAK: Because in terms of regional fallout, the fear of spillover that could, you know, see potentially Lebanon dragged into hostilities.
What would that mean for Lebanon?
And have those concerns for now gone away?
GERGES: Well, I mean, let me make one point very clear. I don't think Hezbollah in Lebanon or even Netanyahu wants all-out war. Both sides do not really want war. But the region itself is a tinderbox. It really takes a spark to ignite a big fire. And the extremist
elements within the Netanyahu coalition don't really appreciate how dangerous the situation is. You and I and your audience have heard about the raids on Al-Aqsa mosque.
But we need to understand what's happening in the wider occupied Palestinian Territories in the past, you know, 2-3 years: 90 Palestinians have been killed in the past -- this year so far, according to Human Rights.
Of course, 16 Israelis have also been killed. More illegal Israeli settlements are being built on Palestinian Territories. Palestinians feel hopeless. They're being oppressed. Their land is being stolen. There is no political horizon.
And that's why more and more Palestinians are taking action into their own hands. You mentioned the terrorist attacks in the past few days in Tel Aviv and also in other areas. These are lone wolf attacks by Palestinians, desperate (INAUDIBLE).
The Palestinian Authority is more -- does not really exist except on paper. What I'm trying to say -- and I'm not exaggerating -- without a political horizon, without a settlement that ends Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, without a Palestinian state, where is the Biden administration?
Where is the United States?
Where the international community?
You have a vacuum now and in this vacuum, the wider point, is that any spark could really trigger all-out war.
Does the Biden administration want all-out war now, given the fact that we have Russia's war in the Ukraine and the escalation with China in the past few months?
HARRAK: Fawaz, in a few words, if you can, what role do you see the administration playing in the near future?
GERGES: Well, I think at the end of the day, we need international diplomatic intervention. Despite the good intentions of the Biden administration, it has not really basically taken any major steps to begin a political process, a political horizon.
And Netanyahu, all he cares about is his own wellbeing. He does not really want to be -- want to go to court and face the charges in court. So he has made a devil's pact with some of the most extreme elements in Israel itself.
And now what Netanyahu wants to do is to face -- to save face. He does not really want all-out war. He wants to retaliate, preserve, basically deters (ph) with the Palestinians and with Hezbollah.
But again without international diplomatic intervention, without beginning a process, a political process, that leads to the end of Israeli occupation and allowing Palestinian self-determination, political horizon, otherwise, you and I will be talking about the same thing two years from now, four years from now, five years from now.
A political settlement that allows the Palestinians to have a state of their own and allows Israel to live in peace with itself and its neighbors, that's the only way out. I hope that the international community begins to think seriously about really doing something about the stalemate that exists between Israel and Palestine.
HARRAK: Fawaz, thank you so much for joining us.
GERGES: Thanks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: U.S. military secrets on Ukraine, apparently out in the open. Still ahead, U.S. agencies scramble to find out how some classified documents on Ukraine apparently ended up online.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:20:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HARRAK: Some U.S. military secrets about Ukraine were apparently posted online for anyone to see, included in what appears to be classified documents that started showing up on social media at least a month ago.
The U.S. Justice Department is now investigating how they leaked out. And as Natasha Bertrand reports, there are many key questions still unanswered.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The Pentagon says it is investigating reports of social media posts that appeared to show classified information about U.S. and NATO assessments of Ukraine's military capabilities.
Now it is unclear how these documents appeared online, how long they have been online and, crucially, when the U.S. actually became aware of these documents that have been circulating on Twitter and Telegram.
But we are told from sources that these documents do appear to be largely authentic. They are part of a daily slide deck that is created by Pentagon officials to brief senior officials on the situation in Ukraine.
But there's an important caveat to that, which is that officials say that at least some of these documents appear to have been doctored. One of those documents shows that it has been doctored to show that the Russian casualty rate is actually far lower than the U.S. has actually assessed it to be.
And that suggests to U.S. officials that someone with an incentive to convey that the Russian killed in action rate is far lower than what the U.S. has assessed it to be actually doctored that document.
So there are a lot of -- there are a lot of -- there's a lot of caution being expressed here by U.S. officials when -- with regard to how the U.S. and the public writ large to treat these documents. But look, the Pentagon and U.S. officials are fairly very concerned as a whole --
[02:25:00]
BERTRAND: -- about the fact that documents that do appear to have legitimately classified information about Ukrainian training and equipment appear -- have appeared online just ahead of a very crucial Ukrainian counter offensive.
Now the Ukrainians are projecting calm about the situation with a senior Ukrainian official in the president's office saying that they believe that this is just part of a Russian disinformation operation. And that the leaked documents do not actually show anything particularly sensitive about Ukraine's military plans.
But the Pentagon taking a really close look at this and it remains to be seen what comes out of their review -- Natasha Bertrand, CNN, at the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: Ukrainian artillery is fighting to keep Russian troops at bay as they press ahead with their offensive in the east.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK (voice-over): Ukraine says Russia launched more than 40 attacks across the eastern front lines in the past 24 hours. Officials say Russian forces are still trying to take full control of Bakhmut.
The Ukrainian general staff says their forces are still fending off Russian assaults. But British military intelligence says Russians have regained some momentum in Bakhmut and they've likely reached the city's center.
We'll now take you to a region considered one of Ukraine's success stories in the war. Russian troops were pushed out of the northeastern Kharkiv region last fall, which marked a major victory for Ukraine. Well, now Ukrainian troops there are playing defense and waiting for their next move. CNN's Ben Wedeman reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Zhenya prepares his 50 caliber machine gun, he didn't fire this time but he needs to be always on alert. Russian forces are nearby. This position on the northern edge of the Kharkiv region hasn't seen much action of late but the men here have seen plenty elsewhere.
In January, Zhenya was in a front line foxhole in Donbas.
From early in the morning they would shell us with artillery and right afterwards their infantry would try to take our positions, he recalls, you could see them.
Much of the area south of here saw vicious combat. Last September, Ukrainian forces routed the Russians for much of the Kharkiv region. Before retreating, they toppled this Soviet era communications tower, scorched Earth their tactic of choice.
This position man by the 209th battalion of Ukrainian armies 113th brigade is holding steady, defense not offense is the order of the day.
Oleksi was a nuclear physicist before picking up a gun.
OLEKSI, UKRAINIAN ARMY: We have enough ammunition. We have enough weapon and different armor, equipment. But in small for defense, weapons for the counter attack, it will be better because we sooner free our land.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): The weapons they have are hardly the latest. The troops showed us a Swedish made recoilless rocket launcher dating back to 1978. They defend their position with other decades old methods.
WEDEMAN: Beyond this razor wire just on the other side are landmines. Fortunately, this area is relatively quiet.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): Which is a welcome respite for these battle scarred troops.
It was a nightmare how Yevgeny describes the battle in the dead of winter and Donbas all remember it for the rest of my life.
Fifty-two-year-old Vitali served with Russians in the Soviet Army. This war has severed old ties. We ate from the same pot, he says, reminiscing of his days as a young recruit. That was then, this is now after so many battles they prepare for the next -- Ben Wedeman, CNN, in the northern Kharkiv region.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: More than 30 Ukrainian children are back home after their alleged illegal deportation by Russia. They crossed the border on Friday after spending months in Russia and occupied Crimea, according to humanitarian group Save Ukraine.
It says some of the children were released after their mothers went to Russia to track them down. Those women also had the power of attorney to bring back the rest of the children.
Ukraine says more than 16,000 children have been illegally deported by Russia, which led to an international arrest warrant against president Vladimir Putin. Russia denies any wrongdoing. And Ukraine was top of the agenda for Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping
during the French leader-s three-day visit to China.
[02:30:00]
HARRAK: It's now wrapped up with president Xi, saying it's in nobody's interest for the war in Ukraine to drag on. XI says a political solution is the only correct path out of the conflict and that China is willing to play a constructive role.
The two leaders touched on a range of issues as well as Ukraine, from economic and security cooperation to climate change.
Chinese military exercises now encircling Taiwan with warships and aircraft. It's a visible sign of Beijing's anger over the Taiwanese president recently visiting the United States. We will bring you the latest from Taipei.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HARRAK: China's military has announced it has begun three days of exercises in and around the Taiwan Strait and to the north, south and east of the island. Taiwan says at least eight Chinese ships and 42 aircraft have been detected over the strait with 29 of those warplanes flying into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone.
[02:35:00]
HARRAK: This follows the Taiwanese leader's 10 day trip to Central America and the U.S., which Beijing denounced as a provocation. A short time ago. Taiwan's president met with a delegation of U.S. lawmakers who are visiting to oversee some U.S. weapons sales to the island. Here is part of her message to them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TSAI ING-WEN, TAIWANESE PRESIDENT (through translator): In recent years, we have faced continued authoritarian expansionism. Cooperation among democracies has become even more important.
I would like to reiterate that the people of Taiwan love democracy, seek peace and are keen to fulfill their responsibilities in the international community. We will continue to work with the U.S. and other likeminded countries to jointly defend the values of freedom and democracy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: CNN's Will Ripley is in Taipei and has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's not entirely unexpected that, just after Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen arrived back from the United States and Central America, that 10 day diplomatic trip, which included that transit stop in California and that meeting with the U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which infuriated China, that this would be happening.
The PLA Eastern Theater Command announcing United Sharp Sword, these military drills starting on Saturday, saying they're going to end on Monday, of combat ready patrols and exercises in and around the Taiwan Strait, to the north, south and east of Taiwan, both the sea and the airspace, as planned, the PLA says.
They put on a quote, saying that, "This is a serious warning against the Taiwan separatist forces' collusion with external forces," a reference to the U.S., "and a necessary move to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Dozens of PLA warplanes were also spotted in and around Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone beginning on Saturday morning. Now Taiwan's defense ministry of course they have -- they're monitoring this. They're on high alert if you will. But their statement seems to downplay the significance of this Sharp Sword exercise by China.
This is what the statement reads, in part, "In recent years, the Chinese Communist Party has continued to send aircraft and ships to harass the region, which has threatened the regional situation.
"It even used President Tsai's visit and transit to the United States as an excuse to conduct military exercises, which has seriously damaged regional peace, stability and security."
So here in Taipei, this act, that they believe is an attempt to intimidate them, they say will not cause Taiwan to react in a way that will escalate this situation. It seems to be China, you know, doing all of this, angry about President Tsai's transit through the United States.
Meanwhile President Tsai didn't even mention the military drills when she made comments on Saturday because she's meeting with yet another bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers, including some of the men and women in Congress who will be making a decision about whether to sell Taiwan even more defensive weapons to defend against a potential Chinese invasion -- Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: North Korea claims to have tested a new type of underwater drone, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. That's according to state media on Saturday. The drone was reportedly tested earlier this week, cruising in waters off the country's east coast for more than 70 hours.
State media says the drone successfully detonated its test warhead underwater on Thursday. Well, this is the second time in weeks Pyongyang claims it has tested a nuclear capable drone. And it comes just days after the U.S., South Korea and Japan held
joint anti submarine drills in the region.
Still ahead, the climate crisis could drastically reshape Major League Baseball. I'll speak with the author of a new study, which looked into global warming's impact on the sport.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:40:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HARRAK: New research suggests the climate crisis could reshape a touchstone of American culture: baseball. A new study published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society found that more than 500 home runs since 2010 can be linked to global warming.
And if temperatures continue to rise, then climate change could end up driving hundreds of more home runs season in the coming decades.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: Joining me now, Christopher Callahan is the lead author of the report. He's a PhD candidate in climate science at Dartmouth College.
Christopher, so good to have you with us. Very interesting study; players hitting too many home runs. So many theories already why this is happening. But you and your colleagues decided to research it.
What did you find?
CHRISTOPHER CALLAHAN, DARTMOUTH COLLEGE: We found that climate change increases home runs. The short version is that, when the air is warmer, it's less dense, which means there's less air resistance for balls to encounter as they fly through the air.
And so, as temperatures warm, balls are going to fly farther. This effect is relatively small at present but could get stronger as we continue to admit greenhouse gas emissions.
HARRAK: And can you explain how you were able to rule out all the other potential factors maybe at play and focus in on the influence of temperature?
CALLAHAN: Absolutely. We did two different things. The first is that we used data on over 100,000 baseball games, going back 60 years, on temperature and home runs and all those games.
And we were able to control for the factors like ballpark elevation, the distance of the fences and these other factors that also might affect the likelihood of a home run.
The second component was to use climate models. So these computer simulations of the climate that allow us to distinguish between human caused climate change and natural variations in the Earth's temperature.
[02:45:00]
CALLAHAN: And so we can specifically attribute home runs to human caused climate change.
HARRAK: Now what happens if temperatures continue to rise?
CALLAHAN: We believe that, if continued, temperatures continue to rise and everything else remains relatively stable, there will be more home runs because the air is less dense because it's warmer.
Now many other things might change. Parks might be built with domes over them or other adaptations might occur. But if these adaptations don't occur, we will definitely see potentially hundreds more home runs per year.
HARRAK: And why is this bad for baseball?
I mean, we don't think too many dunks as being bad for basketball.
CALLAHAN: It depends on your opinion. Some people love home runs and the more the better. And if that is how people think about it, I have no problem with that.
Personally I find that there has been a trend toward many home runs, often at the expense of other plays in baseball, which can, in my opinion, lead to it being a little bit less interesting. But that's just one fan's perspective.
HARRAK: And so what can be done?
What are some of your recommendations?
CALLAHAN: The short version is that we have to cut our greenhouse gas emissions. That's the conclusion of every climate study and it's the conclusion of this one as well.
But in addition to that, MLB could take steps, like putting domes over stadiums, moving day games to night games, so they take them from the hottest part of the day into the evening, when temperatures are a little bit milder.
I could also imagine changes to the baseball that would allow it to fly just a little bit less far to compensate for this effect.
HARRAK: And do you know if other major American sports face the same challenge?
CALLAHAN: I haven't studied other major American sports. But I certainly expect any sport that relies on balls flying through the air to face this challenge -- so football, golf, potentially cricket might all experience similar effects.
HARRAK: And do you know if the MLB is aware of your findings?
Have they responded?
CALLAHAN: I haven't heard from them directly. But I'd be interested to hear what they say, now that folks have been talking about it today.
HARRAK: Absolutely.
Now what do you think, what role do you think the MLB can play to inspire people, to persuade people to engage in climate action, commit to sustainability?
Because, as you know, sport can be such a force for good.
CALLAHAN: Absolutely. I mean in the short term, it obviously would be great for the MLB to take a leading role in calling for sustainability. Our study in particular, I think, highlights that pervasive ways that climate change will affect every aspect of our lives.
It's not just hurricanes and heat waves. It's the influence of it on our leisure activities and the things we do for fun. So I think highlighting the role of climate change in this context may help drive it home for some people.
HARRAK: Now, Christopher, you are a baseball aficionado. Next time someone hits a home run record, should there be an asterisk next to it?
CALLAHAN: I don't want to commit to anything at the moment. I know Aaron Judge hit a lot of home runs last year and I don't want any angry Yankees fans coming after me, of course.
But you know, I think, as we move into the future, I do think that records set 50 or 75 years from now will need to be considered in the context of climate change.
HARRAK: Christopher Callahan, thank you so much, greatly appreciate you.
CALLAHAN: Thank you for having me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: Severe weather brought golf's Masters tournament to a crashing halt on Friday as five time champ Tiger Woods fought to qualify to play four full rounds. All that just ahead.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:50:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HARRAK: A Good Friday prayer service there at St. Peter's Basilica. Pope Francis remained seated after arriving in a wheelchair. But he was forced to miss the traditional Way of the Cross procession at Rome's Colosseum due to cold weather.
He is expected to lead Saturday's Easter vigil service. The pontiff has been struggling with his health. The 86 year old was released from a Rome hospital last Saturday after a bout of bronchitis.
(SPORTS)
[02:55:00]
(SPORTS)
HARRAK: Finally an outer space discovery that a scientist said was pure serendipity. He was looking at a Hubble telescope image when he spotted this little streak of light, something he'd never seen before.
The result: a possible runaway black hole that is leaving a trail of new stars. NASA says it's barreling through intergalactic space so fast, if it were in our solar system, it would reach the moon from the Earth in just 14 minutes.
That wraps up this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Laila Harrak. Do stay with us. We'll be back with more news in just a moment.
