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Blinken Visits China on Mission to Mend Ties; Biden Holds Campaign Rally in Philadelphia at Event Organized by AFL-CIO and Other Unions; Ukraine: Russian Ammunition Depot Struck; Pontiff to Lead Angelus Prayer After Surgery; Asylum Seekers in Texas Misled About Jobs, Flown to California on Private Charter Jets; Cleanup Underway After Tornado Kills Three; Researchers Create Human Embryo-like Structures. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired June 18, 2023 - 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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[05:00:30]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Ahead on CNN Newsroom. China and the U.S. working to improve relations that haven't been this bad in a long time. We're live in Hong Kong with a look at how a trip by the American Secretary of State might change that.

Plus.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, (D) U.S. PRESIDENT: I'm looking forward to this campaign. I want you to know why. Because you've got a story to tell. We've got a story to tell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: President Biden in his element as he officially kicks off his reelection bid. We'll look at the message he brought to a battleground state. And scientists make a groundbreaking advance when it comes to synthetic human embryos. We'll discuss the ethical concerns that come with this new creation.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: We begin this hour in Beijing, where the U.S. Secretary of State is on a diplomatic mission to mend fractured ties with China. Anthony Blinken has been meeting with the country's foreign minister for talks on a range of issues which were expected to include Taiwan and other security concerns.

U.S. Officials say Blinken's main goal reestablish lines of communication with senior military leaders in order to avoid a potential conflict. High level talks have been disrupted in recent months, but President Biden says they can get back on track. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I'm hoping that over the next several months I'll be meeting with Xi again. And talking about legitimate differences we have, but also how those areas we can get along.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: CNN's Anna Coren is following developments from Hong Kong, and she joins us now with more. So Anna, take us through what we're expecting from this meeting?

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this meeting, Kim, has now been going for more than two and a half hours. The U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken there with his delegation meeting with China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his delegation.

The last conversation those two men had was a few days ago. And it was a rather testy conversation in which the Chinese Foreign Minister said to show respect. That's what the United States needs to do, show respect to China and to also stay out of China's internal affairs.

So obviously they have a lot to discuss, but really the aim of this is to reopen dialogue. We just received a tweet a short time ago from a spokesperson from China's Foreign Affairs Ministry. Let me read it to you. This is from Hua Chunying. She says, hope this meeting can steer China-U.S. relations back to what the two presidents agreed upon in Bali. She of course, is referring to the Summit in Bali, the G20 in November of last year, where the two presidents, they met for more than three hours and basically discussed the importance of continuing the conversation.

And that was meant to be Antony Blinken traveling to Beijing back in February. But then of course, there was the Chinese spy balloon that flew over U.S. airspace. So that was postponed abruptly. So as I say, Kim, this is about reestablishing ties, reestablishing relations, and hoping that this may lead to the Treasury Secretary, the Commerce Secretary for the United States visiting China, and then of course, maybe Biden and Xi meeting in the next few months. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right, so beyond establishing communications, Antony Blinken said that he intends to raise, "our very real concerns on a range of issues." So what is on that long list?

COREN: Top of the agenda, I would have to say, is military to military communication. We've seen some near misses in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait between naval ships and fighter jets, between the two countries.

Now, an accident happens, we know that that could very quickly turn into an armed confrontation. That is something both countries want to avoid. So that is establishing communications between the military. Taiwan is obviously going to be top of the agenda, as is the war in Ukraine. We know that the United States has told China not to sell weapons to the Russia. You also have the case of a number of detained Americans in China that

no doubt Antony Blinken will be lobbying for their release. And then, of course, you have the opioid crisis. Many of the precursors of fentanyl are made in China.

[05:05:00]

So China, you know, they are -- U.S. Is asking China to crack down on that. China, it has its list of grievances. Hopefully, a lot of this can be thrashed out, you know, just to perhaps establish the bottom line. But the hope is, Kim, that communications will continue into the future, can only be a good thing.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Thanks so much. Anna Coren in Hong Kong, appreciate it.

Now, earlier, I spoke with John Burns, an Emeritus Professor at the University of Hong Kong, and I asked him if the U.S. and China still have low expectations for Blinken's diplomatic trip. Here he is.

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JOHN POND BURNS, EMERITUS PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG: The militaries have not been speaking to each other since Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. Low because they continue to test each other's red lines, I would say on Taiwan, the South China Sea, the balloon going over the U.S. And let's remember that the U.S. is in Asia as a legacy of World War II in the Cold War. This is 70 years the U.S. has been in Japan, in Korea, and now in other parts of Asia. And this is something that China perceives now as a threat. So I think distrust is high and expectations are low on both sides.

BRUNHUBER: Well, Antony Blinken is the first top U.S. diplomat to visit Beijing since Mike Pompeo in 2018. So how different will this meeting be, considering everything that's happened?

BURNS: I think it's different in the sense that I think the stakes are high here in this visit because neither side wants a hot war, and both sides have common interests beyond that. So here is a chance for the two sides to reengage to a certain extent. And I expect this to happen. So if something like this happens, I would say this would be the best-case scenario.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Joe Biden's presidential reelection campaign is officially underway.

A large crowd of union members was on hand in Philadelphia for his first rally since announcing his candidacy. Biden warned that the economic progress of his first term could be undone if Republicans win the White House. Here he is.

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BIDEN: Let me tell you something, if Republicans come after what I've done, when they come back to try to get rid of all these clean energy investments and they try to stop the plan on infrastructure, when they try to do these things, guess what? They're coming for your jobs. They're coming for your jobs.

They're coming for your future. They're coming for the future we're building for your kids and your grandkids.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: CNN's Priscilla Alvarez was at the rally and has our report.

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PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Biden kicked off his reelection campaign in Philadelphia on Saturday, where he spoke to a union rally. In his remarks to about 2000 union members, President Biden ticked through a number of issues that have resonated with this movement, including low unemployment rates, adding jobs, investments in clean energy and manufacturing. The crowd was revved up over the course of his remarks, providing enthusiasm and expressing their support for the President. And it has already been clear through their endorsements that they stand behind him.

The AFL-CIO had already he endorsed the President and that is their earliest endorsement of a presidential candidate. President Biden talked about that during his remarks, writing his things, but also making clear that these unions are critical to his campaign moving forward. It is a group that President Biden has relied on before when it comes to his political ambitions. And one that he hopes will mobilize voters going into 2024. And that's important not only nationwide, but also in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania. It's a state where the President has political ties and personal ties, both of which he was trying to capitalize on during his remarks on Saturday as his campaign really kicks into gear in earnest. Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, Philadelphia.

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BRUNHUBER: Well, in this polarized political environment, even visiting a construction site is a chance to campaign, especially when it's in a key swing state. Have a look, while in Pennsylvania, Biden got a firsthand look at the damage as well as the temporary structure workers are building at the site of that highway collapse in Philadelphia. The President mentioned the highway's importance to transportation and commerce throughout the region.

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BIDEN: I know how important this stretch of highway is not just to Philly, but to the entire Northeast Corridor and to my home state. Over 150,000 vehicles travel on it every day, including 14,000 -- 14,000 trucks. It's critical. It's critical to our economy and it's critical to our quality of life. We're going to continue to do everything we can within our power to get this back open as quickly and easily as possible. (END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:10:15]

BRUNHUBER: The state hired a contractor to backfill the gap in the roadway. This will get traffic flowing again until a permanent reconstruction is finished. CNN's Polo Sandoval has the story.

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Governor of the State of Pennsylvania, the repairs to the badly damaged section of Interstate 95 seem to be moving right along. Governor Josh Shapiro appearing alongside President Biden at a campaign event on Saturday. During that event, the Governor said that the damaged section of Interstate 95 will reopen in the next two weeks.

The Governor also praising efforts from union workers, some of them actually present at that Biden event over the weekend as they updated folks on the repair efforts. Listen in.

JOSH SHAPIRO, PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR: There's something special happening in our community. People coming together. Now, don't get me wrong, I know that motorists are hurting and business owners are hurting. But right now this community is coming together and lifting up those workers and making sure that they know we are supporting them.

SANDOVAL: Hard to believe it was just last weekend that tanker truck was involved in a deadly accident directly under that portion of the Interstate. The fire causing that damage to the overpass. The demolition portion of the project, we're told that wrapped up on Thursday. So now it's full speed ahead with repairs, according to officials, a state disaster declaration. It's really what's allowed authorities to not only dip into some federal funds, but also to go around the red tape that's typically necessary for projects of this scope.

And it's certainly a very busy road, one of the busiest in the region. Roughly 160,000 vehicles that are carried through that portion of the Interstate in Philadelphia every day. Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Nikki Haley won't have her husband by her side as she campaigns for the Republican nomination in the coming months. Michael Haley, a major with the South Carolina national guard, is deploying to Africa as part of the U.S. Africa command and probably won't be back until next year. The Canada called Saturday's deployment ceremony a moment of pride shared by all military families. This isn't the first deployment the Haleys have been through. Major Haley served in Afghanistan a decade ago when his wife was governor of South Carolina.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took his presidential campaign to Nevada on Saturday, another key state that any serious candidate must try to win. Speaking at a Republican event near Lake Tahoe, the Republican told voters what he thinks is wrong with the country and how to fix it. Here he is.

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RON DESANTIS, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think what we're going to see in this election coming up is America's got to make a decision because we need to restore sanity in this country. We need to restore a sense of normalcy to our communities. We need to make sure our institutions have integrity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: One recent poll shows DeSantis with about 23% support among Republican voters, compared to more than 60% who say they favor Trump.

All right, just ahead, Pope Francis will lead the Angeles prayer today after being discharged from the hospital. We'll head to Rome for the details.

Plus, Russia tries to stage a pushback on the ground as Ukraine claims success from the air. We'll have the latest from the Ukrainian front lines.

And later in the hour, WNBA Star Brittney Griner meeting those who helped secure her released from a Russian jail. CNN's Sports Coy Wire breaks down the special reunion. That's coming up. Please stay with us.

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[05:17:55]

BRUNHUBER: You're looking at live pictures of St. Peter's Square. Next hour, Pope Francis will lead the weekly Angeles prayer at St. Peter's basilica. Just two days after he was discharged from hospital. The 86- year-old was at Rome's Gemelli hospital for more than a week, where he was recovering from abdominal surgery.

So for more, let's go to CNN's Barbie Nadeau, live in Rome. So, Barbie, I imagine lots of folks there excited to see the Pope, especially after everything he's been through?

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: That's right. You know, what a difference a week makes. One week ago, he was too weak to stand at the balcony of the Gemelli Hospital to give his Sunday Angeles and blessing of the crowds, even though some people had gathered there. This Sunday, we're expecting him to look of the window. Give his Angeles prayer, make a few comments, he often does on Sunday about world events and bless the crowd.

Now, you know, Pope Francis, 86 years old, underwent a three-hour surgery, you know, just 12 days ago. And he's recovered. That's really a remarkable, you know, inspirational thing for so many Catholics and non-Catholics alike. But we're not seeing him back to his usual activity. He will not be holding his Wednesday audience this Wednesday. That's something that takes two, three hours. It's kind of out in the sunshine, in the elements we're not seeing that's been canceled for this week.

And, you know, we expect him to rest a little bit. He's got two big trips coming up in August, the first part of August, he'll be going to Portugal for a World Youth Day. The last part of the month. He's expected to go to Mongolia for a big trip. So he's going to be resting. His doctors don't want him to keep his pace as he's been keeping it. They want him to rest and get stronger. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right, thanks so much, Barbie Nadeau in Rome. Appreciate it.

Ukraine says Russia is trying to push back against its ongoing counter offensive. Officials say Russian ground forces went on the attack across eastern and northeastern Ukraine on Saturday, support by dozens of airstrikes.

Ukrainian commanders say their troops held the line. And just a couple of hours ago, Ukraine's Air Force announced a successful strike in the occupied part of Kherson Region.

[05:20:04]

So, for more on all that, Scott McLean, joins us from London. So, Scott, first, what's the latest on Russia pushing back against Ukraine's offensive?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah it is very clear, Kim, that this is not going to be a walk in the park for the Ukrainians to take back territory. They are very much getting pushback from the Ukrainians. Any kind of thoughts or dreams of a lightning could advance is simply not realistic, not materializing. Because, of course, the Russians continue to launch their own attacks, as we've seen. As you mentioned, they have been concentrated, at least in the past day or so, in the northeast and the eastern part of the front line, and in particular, the heavily disputed and symbolically important town of Bakhmut. This is a town that was captured by the Russians not long ago but only after months and months of extremely heavy and extremely deadly fighting there.

Either way, this is very clearly going to be a grinding effort for the Ukrainians to take back territory meter by meter. The Ukrainians say that, look there were some three dozen Russian airstrikes over the past 24 hours or so and they say among those was one missile that killed two civilians who were actually delivering medicine and food to local people in the Kharkiv Region. They also say that yesterday they had nine of their own strikes on Russian territory. So clearly the Ukrainians are obviously not going away either.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, that's right and then just word we're getting now about another successful strike by Ukraine. What more can you tell us about that?

MCLEAN: Yeah, so this is in the occupied Kherson region and the Ukrainians say that they hit a pretty significant ammunition depot. How significant? We don't know. But the area that this was in is just north of the Crimean peninsula. It's called Henichesk. The specific village is called Rykove. And the Russians have actually acknowledged that there was a strike there.

In fact, the Russians say they don't acknowledge that it was an ammunition depot, but they say that a strike on that town they believe came from a Storm Shadow long-range missile which has been provided by the United King. The Ukrainians have only said that this ammunition depot was hit. This is an area that the Ukrainians have targeted before because they believe it's being used by the Russians as a sort of storage and logistics center because it has pretty good rail links in the area as well.

The Russians also say that there were seven HIMARS attacks coming into that region. They say that five of them were struck down. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right. Thanks so much. Scott McLean, appreciate it.

A high-level delegation of Ugandan government officials has visited the school where dozens of people died in a horrific massacre. It was attacked on Friday by Islamist rebels believed to be from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. Ugandan military said it was in hot pursuit of the attackers. That didn't stop residents and elected officials from criticizing their handling of border security.

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FLORENCE KABUGHO, UGANDAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: If they are telling us their borders are secured, security is tight. I want the security to tell us where they were when these killers came to kill our people. Should we say they are rebels that came to kill our people? Is this security within Uganda?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, the death toll from Friday's attack has risen to at least 41. Some victims were as young as 13. Injured survivors were taken to local hospitals.

Well, a close call for a passenger ferry in the Philippines. 120 people were rescued after the MV Esperanza Star caught fire while at sea early Sunday morning. The Philippine Coast guard says the ship was traveling between the islands of Siquijor and Bohol. The coast guard also says no one was injured and the fire has been put out. Rescue ships will stay on the scene as a precaution.

All right, coming up here on CNN Newsroom, some asylum seekers in the U.S. are being offered jobs and housing only to be flown across the country with nothing to show for it. We'll hear their stories.

Plus, we hear from a young survivor of a deadly tornado in Texas. And look at what's next for the devastated community. Stay with us.

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[05:28:51]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Some asylum seekers are arriving in the United States after harrowing journeys from south and Central America, only to be whisked away on another trip, one they didn't bargain for. CNN's Camila Bernal, spoke to some of them and tells us their stories.

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CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Walking the streets of Sacramento is a dream come true for this 31-year-old migrant, but the first time she set foot in the California capital, she felt confused, angry and betrayed.

Unfulfilled promises, says the migrant, who asked not to be identified for legal reasons. It was in a shelter in El Paso, Texas, where she says, two men approached her with the offer of a lifetime. A paid trip on a jet to California and the promise of a job and housing.

(On camera): She said they offered her a job, so she was happy and signed.

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(Voice-over): This after she spent two months traveling from her native Colombia to the U.S.-Mexico border. She describes the difficulties of the jungle, the train, starving, sleeping on the street, begging for money.

(On camera): She is emotional and says it's the worst because you feel like you are at your lowest.

(Voice-over): The offer in the end was too good to be true. But it was made to a total of 36 migrants who traveled on two separate charter flights.

When we got here, we didn't have a job nor a house, nor direction in life, said this 34-year-old Venezuelan migrant who was part of the first flight. The migrants are at the center of a political battle over immigration policy, with Republican governors like Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida sending thousands of migrants from Texas to Democratic led cities.

We didn't come here for political reasons. We came here for work.

But he says he wants people to understand their suffering and their desire to work.

She says, they're human beings with feelings and families.

Camila Bernal, CNN, Sacramento, California.

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BRUNHUBER: Cleanup is underway in northern Texas days after a tornado killed three people and destroyed hundreds of homes. The Governor has signed a new disaster declaration for several more counties in the area that summons more state resources to help in the rebuilding process.

The tornado that struck this town was rated an EF3 and had peak winds of 140 mph. It was on the ground for only about 11 minutes, but the governor says the storm left behind some of the worst damage he's ever seen. Here he is.

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GREG ABBOTT, TEXAS GOVERNOR: I've seen more tornadoes than I can count. I've never seen the level of decimation to a town as I've seen today. Well, the people in this area have gone through over the past couple of days. There's nothing short of horrific.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: CNN's Isabel Rosales spoke to some of the people who lived through that tornado.

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ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I spoke with so many people in this community over the past couple of days, and not one of them heard a siren. Now, we know from the city manager that's because the siren system failed due to a lack of electricity. Those that did know whom I spoke with, that there was danger coming. That's because they had weather applications on their phones that alerted them.

I want to show you now what's happening here on the ground, and that's really cleanup mode. Heavy machinery coming here and clearing out all of these destroyed homes and businesses. They'll need to clear this out before they can rebuild.

And also, look up there, these guys up there, crews working on those power lines, getting electricity back into this town. That is going to be a big part of the cleanup effort as well, and rebuilding effort.

Now, I spoke with Alexa Lugo, an 11-year-old little girl who rode out the storm in a mobile home, praying in that moment, as the windows were shattering, that her family would make it out safe. Her family did. But at a nearby mobile home, 11-year-old Matthew Ramirez did not.

ALEXA LUGO, TORNADO SURVIVOR: He's very funny. He was very funny. We would always joke around and he would always be playing with his friends, playing soccer. He loves soccer. Yeah. And I just remember, like him -- like we'd be in class, like sometimes he would come in class and he would just be laughing for no reason. And he would make his friends laugh. I mean, it was funny.

ROSALES: And Ramirez, at 11 years old, is the youngest victim to this tornado. We did also hear from the Ochiltree General Hospital, who said that they treated 160 people related to this tornado, injuries related to this tornado, and a hospital that only has 25 beds. So really a remarkable effort by the medical staff. Isabel Rosales, CNN Perryton, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: At least eleven people are dead and 20 others are missing after a cyclone swamped southern Brazil on Friday with torrential rains, helicopters searching for victims flew over wrecked residential areas and floods.

One hard hit town got almost 30 rain in a single day. More than 2300 people in the region were seeking shelter after the storm. Authorities issued a warning against possible landslides.

And in Spain, record-breaking drought is taking its toll. Lack of rain has driven flamingos away from a famous saltwater lagoon. Normally, thousands of the birds flock annually to Spain's southern wetlands to hatch their chicks. But only a few dozen of these pink birds can be seen there on Saturday.

And in Central Spain, the ruins of Bathhouse are reemerging as water levels drop in a reservoir east of Madrid. This year, Spain has experienced its hottest and second driest spring on record. Higher than average temperatures are expected to continue throughout the summer.

[05:35:12]

Off the coast of Florida, a huge haul of cocaine. The U.S. Coast Guard says one of its crews has seized more than 14,000 pounds of cocaine in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. That's more than 400 kilograms. Street value is estimated at almost $200 million. While suspected smugglers were arrested.

Researchers announced a startling breakthrough, the creation of synthetic embryolike structures. I'll talk to a leader in the field of biomedical ethics about the troubling issues raised by this leap forward in the science. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Researchers in the U.S. and the U.K. say they've made a leap forward. They've created synthetic human embryo-like structures from stem cells that are more advanced than any similar structures made so far.

Now, what they created doesn't have a beating heart or even a brain, but they raise troubling legal and ethical questions. Scientists say these embryo models could someday improve our understanding of genetic diseases or what causes miscarriages. The embryolike structures are confined to test tubes. Implanting them in a womb would be illegal.

For more on this, I'm joined by David Magnus, the Director of the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics. Thank you so much for being here with us.

So researchers are generally not allowed to grow human embryos for more than 14 days. So from an ethical point of view, what's the difference between growing a human embryo and growing a human embryo model?

DAVID MAGNUS, DIRECTOR. STANFORD CENTER FOR BIOMEDICAL ETHICS: Yeah, so that's actually a tough question to answer, and in a way, we don't really know the answer yet. Scientists are trying to find ways of better understanding the process of development and the current 14-day limits that are mostly self-imposed by the research community, although there are some regulations that impose those limits as well, in some jurisdictions, make it hard to really fully study development.

And so there are these efforts to try and create these embryolike structures. This is the first one that's gone much past the blastocyst stage in the last year or two. There were some induced blastomeres things that were able to get actually out to not quite as far as this, but that were not created from embryonic stem cells.

And all of these are trying to create things that they think will avoid those problems. The challenge is, we don't really know what to call these things or how to think about these things from either an ethical or regulatory point of view.

Insofar as they can't turn into humans. They probably are morally not fully morally -- they don't have the full moral status that embryos do if they don't have the ability to develop ever into humans. And then the question also becomes from a regulatory point of view how do the regulations see them. But the downside is the more they can't develop the less they are like embryos the less valuable they are from a research point of view.

BRUNHUBER: But if you take this process to its natural conclusion I mean the fear is that we might end up with engineered babies. And though even though most scientists might adhere to those either the laws in the U.S. or to international ethical standards the demand is such that bad actors would eventually be able to take advantage of the technology?

MAGNUS: Well, I think there is certainly a worry about what happens if it turns out these embryolike things can turn into viable embryos. And it actually raises a host of troubling ethical issues because some folks believe that the key to understanding moral status has to do with the potential to develop into a human being.

And if this turns out to be something that can be done successfully with induced pluripotent stem cells, not just with embryonic stem cells then it would mean that every cell has the potential to turn into a viable human being.

And what that does to arguments around potential is anyone's guess. But it will mean a lot of rethinking about a lot of the current ethical debate and where lines are on.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, the problem is, as you outlined, critics say that these models right now are just sort of a mass of relatively disorganized cells. And even those who are involved in this research they say those models don't really replicate what real human embryos are. So, do the benefits outweigh the potential harm here? MAGNUS: Well, right now I think the risks are low. I think the moral

status is low. But as people called out even a couple of years ago when the eyeblasts (ph) were created, we need to really start changing the regulations and start thinking a little bit more broadly about how we capture and think about these kinds of new types of entities that are being created so that we have a systematic framework for asking questions about how organized are they? How much developmental capacity do they have? Because the pressure to really get better and better models really hinges on making them as much like embryos as possible.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah.

MAGNUS: The more they're like, the more valuable they are from a research point of view, and at the same time, the more likely they are to run afoul of ethical and regulatory considerations.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, I mean, it's such a zone of moral and legal ambiguity. So I guess do you believe that stricter controls and explicit laws are necessary then, to prevent abuse?

MAGNUS: I do think that we will need to have reconsideration of some of the current regulations and laws that exist. And in the U.S. unlike the U.K., where they have the human fertilization embryo authorities, they have a central regulatory body governing this realm. We don't have that in the U.S.

[05:45:10]

And so it's right now Helter Skelter across the states and different states are going to have to rewrite some of their regulations and their limitations based on this and other states won't. So it's going to really vary state by state.

But I do think the most important thing is that we start having those conversations now while the research is still in a preliminary stage. While we can say pretty clearly that these structures, whatever they are, they do not rise to the level of full embryos and don't have the capacity to turn into human beings and so lack that moral status and concern at the current time.

So the time to really sort out where we draw those lines and what the oversight should look like is now while this research is still ongoing, but before it's across those boundaries where you have to start to make really tough calls.

BRUNHUBER: Such a fascinating but fraught topic. I really appreciate your expertise on this. David Magnus, thanks so much.

MAGNUS: No problem.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Coming up here on CNN Newsroom, round three of the U.S. Open golf tournament had many wincing during the 18th hole for the leader of the tournament. CNN Sports Coy Wire joins me to explain the up and down day for Rickie Fowler. Here he is.

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[05:50:42]

BRUNHUBER: Well, two Americans are trying to win their first career major. They're tied for the lead at the U.S. Open in Los Angeles heading into the final round Sunday. But it's far from a done deal for either guys. So with me now, CNN Sports Coy Wire, setting up to be a grandstand finale here.

COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yeah, it was moving day, as it's known, as on Saturday, some great action to that. There were some record setting, scores the first couple of days, but now the Los Angeles country club is starting to show. That typical U.S. Open drama.

The shot of the day from Saturday come from last year's runner up in world number one, Scottie Scheffler. He was six back of the lead on the 17th. Not anymore, 197 yards out, Kim, Scheffler holding out for Eagle. Oh, my goodness. He followed that up with a birdie on 18. And all of a sudden, the 2021 Masters champ is right in it just three back heading into Sunday's action.

There is a tie for the lead. Two guys seeking their first major title. Southern California kid, Rickie Fowler set the two-day scoring record and he drains a 69-foot putt here on 13 for birdie. That put him at 11 under. But he did come back down to earth. He finished with a bogey on 18 for an even par on the day. And that left the door open for Wyndham Clark. Watch the club spin here. That's when you know it was a good shot. Unchartered territory for the 29-year-old from Denver. In six career major appearances, Clark has missed the cut four times and never finished better than 75th. But he sinks the birdie there on 18th to take a share of the lead headed into Sunday.

Keep an eye on Rory McIlroy, though. He's just one shot back as he tries to snag his first major in almost a decade.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RORY MCILROY, 4-TIME MAJOR CHAMPION: It's been such a long time since I've done it. I -- you know, I'm going out there to try to execute a game plan, and I feel like over the last three days, I've executed that game plan really, really well. You know, I just need to do that for one more day.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER, 2021 MASTERS CHAMPION: You're nervous whether or not you're leading or chasing. You know, I want to win the golf tournament, and it doesn't matter what tournament it is. I'm showing up, and I want to play good and I want to win.

RICKIE FOWLER, SEEKING 1ST CAREER MAJOR WIN: I would say this week, this is the best I felt, all year, and definitely in a long time. I'm not scared to fail. I've dealt with that. So we're just going to go have fun, continue to try and execute, leave it all out there, and see where we stand on 18.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WIRE: All right, a special moment after the Phoenix Mercury's game in Washington, D.C. This weekend, WNBA Star Brittney Griner meeting with national security officials who helped secure her release from a Russian prison last December. The meet and greet with U.S. State Department and National Security Council members also included other families of wrongfully detained Americans.

The iconic Las Vegas strip shutting down for the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights and 200,000 of their closest friends. Vegas winning in just their 6th Season. That's faster than any NHL expansion team ever. The celebration in Las Vegas went exactly how you think it might go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM KARLSSON, VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS CENTER: And I know you have been here day (bleep) one.

MARK STONE, VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS CAPTAIN: This is an incredible day for me, my teammates. I don't know. I'm trying not to tear up here. Sorry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: Give that that man of beer, Captain Mark Stone. And he, you know, got emotional there.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah.

WIRE: Despite that alcohol that was flowing all around.

BRUNHUBER: I love you guys.

WIRE: I know. But you as a Canadian, know that no one parties quite like the NHL players.

BRUNHUBER: Well, and I have to say, even though that is a new American franchise, like, more than half of those players are actually Canadians. So in a way, we won that.

WIRE: Exactly right.

BRUNHUBER: Championship, right?

WIRE: And you heard them get that A in there. You know, that's what gives it away. Kind of like, when sometimes when you say about, we hear the aboot.

BRUNHUBER: Aboot.

WIRE: A little bit.

BRUNHUBER: Trying to get rid of it, but it just -- you can't.

WIRE: Yeah.

BRUNHUBER: It stays there. Listen, thank you so much.

WIRE: My pleasure.

BRUNHUBER: Appreciate it, Coy Wire, thanks so much.

[05:55:00]

And before we go, I just want to share you -- share something with you. A Maryland man discovered persistence pays off when it comes to the lottery. After playing the same losing combination to numbers year after year for a decade, he bet $4 and finally won $50,000 from the bonus match five game. The winner is a retired printing press operator who's remaining anonymous, and he says he'll use some of the winnings to pay bills and save the rest.

All right, that wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Happy Father's Day for all the dads out there. You can follow me on Twitter at @kimbrunhuber. For viewers in North America, CNN This Morning is next. For the rest of the world it's Global Connections.