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Two Dead, 28 Injured During Baltimore Block Party; More Than 700 Detained In Fifth Night Of Violence Protests In France; Russia Launches Drone Attack On Ukrainian Capital; U.S. Army's Air Defense Units Strained By Global Threats; Second Bus Of Migrants Arrives In L.A.; President Biden To Meet King Charles During U.K. Visit; Supreme Court Strikes Down Biden's Student Debt Forgiveness Program; Conservative Majority Dominates The High Court; Lab-Grown Chicken Debuts In San Francisco Restaurant. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired July 02, 2023 - 16:00:00   ET

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

[16:01:37]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. Good afternoon. And thank you so much for joining me. I'm Boris Sanchez in for Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin with a horrific mass shooting in Baltimore. Officials there just gave a public update on the investigation a short time ago. In all, 30 people were shot at a neighborhood block party, two of those victims dying from their wounds. Police say they believe there were multiple shooters following a fight that was sparked at the block party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR BRANDON M. SCOTT (D), BALTIMORE: This is about people who cowardly decide to come to a celebration and shoot it up. Let's call this what it is. Let's not make this into some political dog whistle. The reality is that I can stay here today and tell you that homicides in Baltimore down 20 percent, but who cares today? Because 30 people were shot and two are dead.

The reality is we're going to work hard every day to make sure that we're reducing violence in Baltimore, regardless of who is pulling the trigger, regardless of where they come from, regardless they're from Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Kalamazoo, Michigan. If they're in Baltimore committing crimes, we are going to be seeking them out and trying to stop them. But we have to always be reminded, when you're talking about incidents like this, that these are individuals who made their choice to pull that trigger but that choice was given to them because of the access to illegal guns.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: CNN's Gloria Pazmino is live for us in Baltimore not far from where all of this unfolded.

Gloria, an impassioned plea for help from the public, from the mayor, Brandon M. Scott. He also spoke about accountability at every level. GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Boris. He

said that this is not just a Baltimore problem. He said that this is about gun violence all across the nation, access to guns, people who buy them illegally, and people who the mayor says are bringing them into Maryland illegally. He is calling on the community to step up. He said that this community specifically has made a significant improvement in recent years, and for that reason he says this community needs to come forward and share any information they might have about what happened here.

As you said, Boris, this was a massive block party here last night and it was supposed to be a celebration like so many happening across our country right now. It's the holiday weekend, people are having a block party, they're having a cookout. This one ended in tragedy last night. And it is actually sort of a small miracle, more people weren't killed. We learned from the police they confirmed 28 people were shot in that shooting last night.

They've already looked at people who may have fallen or injured themselves in the process, but they said today 28 people actually sustained gunshot wounds, 14 people are below the age of 18, really reflecting what this community is made up of here. This is families, small children that were gathered to celebrate the holiday.

Another important piece of information, Boris, police officials confirming to us that they now believe this was multiple shooters. They said at least two people, perhaps more, were shooting into the crowd. They also said that they are reviewing video evidence, and that's where they are encouraging the public to come forward because they say there is videos that have been posted to social media where you can see that there's a person who has a gun.

[16:05:14]

So the mayor and local elected officials here are asking people to come forward, share that information for the safety of this community -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: And we should also point out there are nine people still in the hospital, not out of the woods just yet.

Gloria Pazmino, from Baltimore, keep us updated with the latest there.

There is another mass shooting overnight to tell you about, this one in Wichita, Kansas. Police say that seven people were shot and wounded inside a night club. Two others were hurt when they were trampled trying to escape. Officials say a quick police response likely prevented more violence and saved lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF JOE SULLIVAN, WICHITA POLICE DEPARTMENT: If it hadn't been for their professional response, this would have been a much more serious incident and I have no doubt there would have been loss of life. And as we continue into this holiday weekend, again, alcohol and firearms do not mix. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Police say they've detained one person for questioning but they've not publicly identified any suspects.

We want to pivot now to some of the severe weather affecting much of the country this 4th of July holiday weekend. Flash flooding in Chicago today leaving several cars underwater, temporarily shutting down part of I-55 this afternoon. Heavy rain in the area causing delays for a Chicago Cubs game and a NASCAR event that was planned in the city.

Millions more are at risk of severe weather today, including damaging hail and tornadoes, and you see it in those yellow spots at the center of the map. There's also dangerous heat heading to the west and southwest, especially that Gulf area.

Meteorologist Allison Chinchar has been following all of this from the CNN Weather Center.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's right, Boris. Over 100 million people are under the threat for severe weather for today across two separate areas. However, the threats remain the same. We're talking damaging winds, the potential for some hail, and we cannot rule out the possibility for some tornadoes.

We're talking cities like Nashville, Louisville, stretching over to Washington, D.C., and even down towards Atlanta. There's also the potential for some flooding because a lot of these areas had rain yesterday and now we're getting it all over again, especially portions of the Midwest and the mid-Atlantic. But even areas of the southeast are still likely to pick up some additional rain showers today.

And then all of this begins to shift a little bit farther eastward for tomorrow. So still dealing with some areas of rain across the northeast, the mid-Atlantic and down to the southeast, but we also have a separate area here across the Midwest for Monday but the threats themselves remain the same. Still talking damaging winds and hail to be the main threat. Another concern going forward is actually going to be the heat, not just for today, but really over the next several days in two different areas of the country.

One across the southeast where we have heat advisories in effect and some excessive heat warnings out to the west. This is where temperatures could exceed the 110s or even possibly get into the 120s, especially across Death Valley. Temperatures here are expected to continue to rise into Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, even stretching as far north as Oregon and Washington where we do have the potential to break some records.

In fact, Boris, over 30 cities have the potential to break some records, not just maybe today and tomorrow but well into Tuesday and Wednesday of the upcoming week as well.

SANCHEZ: Important to stay hydrated and stay in the shade.

Allison Chinchar, thank you so much.

Thousands of hotel workers today in Southern California went on strike after their labor contract expired. The walkout leaves 65 major hotels relying on management staff and non-union employees to fill in during a very busy holiday weekend. Workers in Los Angeles and Orange County are pushing for higher wages as many say they are priced out of the cities where they work. A spokesperson for the union tells CNN they intend to remain on strike for however long it takes.

Still to come this afternoon on the CNN NEWSROOM, the mayor of a Paris suburb says someone tried to assassinate his family. It comes amid days of unrest in France over a police shooting. We're going to take you there for a live report next.

And another bus carrying dozens of migrants, including 11 children, arriving in Los Angeles from Texas, the second time in recent weeks. What we know about this incidents coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:13:40]

SANCHEZ: Officials in France are bracing for the possibility of another night of violent protests. Officials say around 45,000 police officers will be kept in place across the country following another night of violence.

France has been gripped by violent demonstrations following the police shooting death of a 17-year-old during a traffic stop. The boy's grandmother today appealing for the violence to stop.

CNN's Nic Robertson is in Paris for us.

So, Nic, are officials expecting as many demonstrators to be out tonight?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: They're preparing for it. It does feel at the moment as if it's a little calmer than last night. We're on the Champs-Elysees, that main shopping thoroughfare in the center of Paris. And as you can see there are quite a lot of police vehicles lined up at the side of the road, but we'll take a walk across here and you can get a look at the rest of the Champs-Elysees.

[16:15:06]

And there's a lot of tourists out here. There's a few journalists hanging out but people have come to enjoy the end of an evening here. But the police sirens have been picking up. There's been more activity. Look at what happened yesterday. 171 fires across the country. The day before, 2500. The day before 3900. If last night was a pivot, the question for the security forces for the government is that number going to continue trending down.

And take a look over here. Look, there's a lot of police officers out here. They're moving around the city, not in those heavily marked police vehicles but in those small little sedan cars you see right there, and we'll spin around a little more. We'll step out of the way. And you can see down there, this is how the super-fast riot cops get around the city. They're on motor bikes. There are police riot on the bikes.

The riot cops sit on the back. They Zoom around the city and they're already doing that this evening. We've seen them moving around in numbers. They move around in packs of about 20 and they'll try to get on top of where the protesters are and stop them. And that is principally what the government is trying to do around the country. 45,000 police officers in (INAUDIBLE), as you say, deployed across the country.

They're trying to put a security blanket on all those areas where protests could take off. But we're seeing the activity pick up and it's this time of night when the protests tend to pop up. It's too soon tonight to say if the violence is going to trend down. But the voice of Nahel's grandmother will count for something in her community. And this is what the government is saying, too. The destruction doesn't help you. It destroys the buses that you use. And the government is hoping that this message on the security will calm things down -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: On that note about a message from the government, Nic, when we last saw you about two hours ago, you reported that French President Emmanuel Macron was meeting with some of his top officials. Have we heard more from Macron?

ROBERTSON: We quite literally are getting a read-out of that now and I don't have it to bring to you. It literally wrapped up a couple of minutes ago we're told. What we do know from earlier in the day is the prime minister said we're going to be tough with justice, that we're going to hold those people, those protesters, and the people who create violence to justice. We're going to be firm, and that's firm for security, firm for justice. We expect that to be the message from Macron tonight.

SANCHEZ: Nic Robertson, even as things are starting to calm down there, we hope you and your crew will stay safe. Thank you so much for the reporting.

Still to come in the CNN NEWSROOM, the U.S. Army's air defense units now facing a troubling new side effect of manning missile defense systems -- burnout. More on the conditions they face and what the army is now doing to address it when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:22:22]

SANCHEZ: We want to focus on Ukraine now, where military officials say Russia launched an air attack on the capital overnight using Iranian- made drones. City officials say Kyiv's air defenses destroyed all the drones, though you're looking at photos of some homes that were damaged by falling debris. This is the first time the capital has been targeted with drones since

the failed rebellion led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group.

We want to bring in CNN's military analyst and retired Air Force colonel, Cedric Leighton.

Colonel, great to see you on a weekend. Notable that Russia is targeting Kyiv again today as we've seen all these signs of disarray following that failed rebellion by Prigozhin.

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, that's for sure, Boris. And, you know, one of the key things to think about, though, is that while we think of the disarray that we're seeing in Russia, we're also seeing the fact that the Russian armed forces are still conducting their mission. They're still dangerous.

They're still very active in areas that can threaten the capital, and the fact that they used the Shahed drones from Iran to do this indicates the command and control is still working well enough to do something like this. They still have plenty of munitions and they still have plenty of will to take the battle to the Ukrainians and that's something that we have to keep in mind as things move forward.

SANCHEZ: Yes, certainly in the middle of this counteroffensive from the Ukrainians, too. Notable that there is new reporting in "The Washington Post" about the CIA director and a recent meeting that he had with President Zelenskyy. "The Post" reporting that Zelenskyy shared plans with him to retake territory from Russia, to put artillery at Crimea's border, and then to open cease-fire talks with the Kremlin before the end of the year.

How does that plan strike you? It's very different from what we've previously heard, at least publicly, from Zelenskyy.

LEIGHTON: Yes. Well, I think Zelenskyy was kind of keeping some things pretty close to the vest, at least until this report came out. And I do believe, though, Boris, that it's a fairly realistic plan, if it, you know, holds true according to the reporting in "The Washington Post." And the reason I say it's fairly realistic is the Ukrainian goal always seems to have been to at the very least cut the land bridge between Crimea and the Donbas region, the region that the Russians have occupied since 2014.

The fact that they held that land bridge was a significant blow to the Ukrainians once this invasion started.

[16:25:00]

So if they can roll that back and they move forward according to that plan, then what you will see is a pretty big change in the table of forces, if you will, in the eastern part of Ukraine. So if they move forward toward the Sea of Azov, the Ukrainians, that would then allow them to cut that land bridge and could potentially give them leverage for potential peace talks. SANCHEZ: There's also something notable about the CIA director meeting

directly with Zelenskyy. We've seen all sorts of top officials from the United States and Europe, and around the world meeting with the president of Ukraine, but it's especially significant in part because it also happened only a few weeks before this attempt by Prigozhin to topple the leadership of the Kremlin. What do you make of the timing of that visit?

LEIGHTON: Well, the timing is certainly very interesting. I think the one thing we have to keep in mind is that the director of the CIA has not only a major intelligence mission, but also bit of a diplomatic portfolio as well. He's one of the primary interfaces between the intelligence services of other countries and our own intelligence community. And in that role and plus given his personal experience as ambassador, Director Burns is pretty well ideally suited to being somebody who can go ahead and have these meetings with foreign leaders like President Zelenskyy.

I think in one way he was reassuring Zelenskyy that the United States is still supporting him, but he was also looking at those plans from an intelligence perspective and seeing if the intelligence that we are collecting helps the Ukrainians achieve the goals of the plan that Zelenskyy allegedly laid out to Director Burns.

SANCHEZ: And on the note about ongoing support for Ukraine from the West, President Zelenskyy spoke last night and expressed some concern. Let's listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINE (through translator): The most important thing for Ukraine is not to lose the bipartisan support because the U.S. is a real leader in the support for Ukraine. They are the most powerful in the world in terms of weapons and financial support, and that's well understood by all of us. We cannot lose that.

There are dangerous signals from some members of the Republican Party. We will have to deal with it somehow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: It's really notable that Zelenskyy doesn't just say we need bipartisan support. He specifically calls out Republicans.

LEIGHTON: Yes, it is very interesting. And, you know, of course it's fact based. There are people in the Republican Party who are opposed to providing aid to Ukraine. They, you know, basically think that this is not our fight. The problem with that attitude, though, is that if we don't support the Ukrainians, President Zelenskyy is very concerned that he will then have much greater difficulty in stemming the Russian advances and even rolling back the Russians, which of course his plan calls for.

SANCHEZ: Colonel Cedric Leighton, always great to connect with you and get your perspective. Have a great Fourth of July holiday weekend.

LEIGHTON: Thank you, Boris. You, too.

SANCHEZ: Of course.

There is new CNN reporting about the military that we want to bring you. It's about the U.S. Army's air defense units. They are among the most overworked in the military. They've been stretched thin by global threats. The critical Army Defense Units are tasked with providing around-the-clock deterrence against our country's biggest adversaries.

CNN national security producer Haley Britzky joins us now from Washington with more.

Haley, tell us what you discovered and what you're hearing from folks inside the armed services.

HALEY BRITZKY, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY PRODUCER: Yes, so, Boris, like you said, the Army Air Defense branch is one of if not the most deployed branches in the service. Senior leaders are saying that, you know, they have been deployed to the Pacific, to the Middle East and to Europe of course as we see them training up Ukrainians to provide their own air defense against Russia's invasion.

And those are critically important missions but they are having an impact on soldiers. Leaders say that they are seeing an increase in air defense soldiers seeking out behavioral health, so meaning trying to go get mental health support on posts. They are also, you know, concerned of the wear and tear that these deployments are having on families, as well as the unpredictable nature of these deployments.

So leaders are working hard to mitigate some of that pressure, to take off some of that pressure on soldiers, because really those demands around the world are only increasing and will only be increasing over the next several years.

SANCHEZ: And in some regions that threat is specifically looming large. Where are those regions where these units are feeling the hardest strain?

BRITZKY: So the Indo-Pacific and Europe are where we're seeing some major strain on these units right now. In the Indo-Pacific these soldiers are not only dealing with a lengthy list of operational requirements but also training exercises with foreign allies and partners in the region.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:29:58]

And given the vast size of the Indo-Pacific, they are, you know, taking multiple away from family just to travel, let alone do the exercises themselves.

And then, of course, we have the soldiers in Europe who are now training Ukrainians on their own air defense systems provided by the U.S. and their allies. And so, we -- you know, I spoke with a U.S. soldier who helped head up the Patriot training for the Ukrainians who said it was some of the most grueling training days he's had, just given how intense they are, knowing that what is at stake here and hoping to give these Ukrainians every possible chance and giving them every tool in their tool kit on air defense.

SANCHEZ: And how are military leaders trying to address the problem now?

BRITZKY: Yes. So, multiple lines of effort here, Boris, by the army. We have a quite big enlistment bonus the army is offering for some air defense jobs, a little over $47,000 and hoping to fill out some of these new air defense units, and they'll be standing up over the next several years.

They also are imbedding mental health specialist into the brigades in order to give these soldiers someone to talk to if they need it. Reducing commitment in the Middle East, going from five battalions deploying in that region to two battalions now, because partners are able to kind of provide their own air defense. And then, also, just encouraging leaders to increase their communication with families, mitigate some of that pressure and that unpredictability.

So, leaders are really working in the background here to try and take care of their soldiers while also meeting those mounting mission requirements.

SANCHEZ: Haley Britzky, very important reporting. Thank you so much.

Still ahead, another bus of migrants arriving in Southern California, the second in just two weeks. Ahead, what we're learning about the group, including the 11 children on board.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:35:00]

SANCHEZ: A bus carrying 41 migrants from Brownsville, Texas arrived in Los Angeles over the weekend, the second bus load of migrants sent to L.A. in just the last few weeks on a trip funded by the State of Texas. CNN's Camila Bernal joins us now live from Los Angeles.

Camilla, what more can you tell us about the journey that these migrants have gone through?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Boris. So, it was a long journey and the activists here told me that these migrants were tired, they only had one stop but they're happy to be here. There's this sense of relief to be here in Los Angeles where they're being welcomed by these nonprofits and faith-based organizations.

Of those 41 migrants, 11 were children. And in the group, you had people from Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, El Salvador, just a number of countries, and a lot of these migrants, according to the activists, had a place to stay. They have sponsors and family members here in Los Angeles. And one of the lawyers that was going through all the paperwork also telling me that a lot of them had immigration court dates here in Los Angeles. Now, officials with the city said they were not officially notified but they were able to get confirmation from the City of Brownsville in Texas, and that was helpful because they say this time around, they kind of knew what to expect. So, they said that the process this time was a little bit smoother and they continue to say that they're going to welcome these migrants and help them as much as they can.

I want you to listen to the executive director of (INAUDIBLE). Her name is Angelica Salas. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELICA SALAS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE COALITION FOR HUMAN IMMIGRANT RIGHTS: And we're trying to be as efficient as possible and also, really understanding that these are individuals who have gone through severe trauma so that we are also treating them with the most -- the deepest of respects.

The majority of the people we've talked to understood that they were coming to Los Angeles and also, they had family members and sponsors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL: Now, we already know that there's a number of Republican governors who are trying to transport migrants who are essentially in Texas to other Democratic-led cities. Greg Abbott of Texas has already said that he sent about 23,000 people on busses to cities like Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, Philly, New York. And he's essentially said that this is a way to show that the federal government is not working when it comes to the border. Of course, officials here in Los Angeles disagree and say this is all political. Boris.

SANCHEZ: Camila Bernal reporting from Los Angeles, thank you so much for that.

Still ahead in the "CNN Newsroom," President Biden heading overseas next week to Europe. He's said to meet with the newly coronated King Charles. Some important meetings for the president. We'll break them down when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

SANCHEZ: President Biden will travel to Europe next week to meet with King Charles and to attend some high stakes summits with NATO and Nordic leaders. CNN White House Reporter Priscilla Alvarez has the details now from the White House.

Priscilla, the White House making this announcement earlier today. What more are you learning about who the president is going to be sitting down with?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right, Boris. The White House announcing that he will be visiting three countries next week, United Kingdom, Lithuania and Finland, and all of those countries will have high stakes meetings, beginning with President Biden meeting King Charles III.

Since his coronation, Biden did not attend earlier this year, instead having the first lady attend. And while he's there, he's also going to meet with the British prime minister. Now, if you recall, the British prime minister had visited the White House last month. And so, this will be another opportunity for them to meet and talk about what is going to be on the mind of the president over the course of these next few days, which is the war in Ukraine. We expect them to have those conversations and sit-downs when he's in the United Kingdom, but then later, too, during the NATO summit.

Of course, President Biden has repeatedly talked about the alliance and how critical it is, especially at this juncture of the war in Ukraine when we are beginning to see that counteroffensive and tensions play out internally in Russia. Now, President Biden has said that NATO has never been more united.

But of course, there are key questions looming over this summit, principally, what happens in Ukraine moving forward, what more support they can be provided. Of course, Zelenskyy has been asking for additional support as they launch into that counteroffensive. And then, two, it's having Sweden enter. And then, later, having that debate, which has been looming over NATO about how and when Ukraine might be part of that alliance.

Now, of course, this trip will then conclude with his trip to Finland, and that is where President Biden will join in commemorating the country's entrance into 31 nation military alliance. So, key meetings throughout the course of next week as he goes and visits these three countries, but the war in Ukraine will be looming all of those meetings. Boris.

[18:45:00]

SANCHEZ: Priscilla Alvarez from the White House, thank you so much.

The Supreme Court ended its term this week with several landmark rulings. In a blockbuster finale, the six Republican appointed justices struck down President Biden's student debt forgiveness program. It limited protections for the nation's LGBTQ community and it ended race-based affirmative action in college admissions.

With us now to discuss all of this is Tim Naftali. He's a CNN presidential historian. Tim, I hope you're having a great holiday weekend. We're grateful that you could join us.

Only one of these rulings directly involved President Biden, but he spoke out against all three of them. I'm wondering how you think these controversial rulings might play out in shaping his legacy?

TIM NAFTALI, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN, FORMER DIRECTOR, NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND SENIOR RESEARCH SCHOLAR, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS: Well, presidential legacies are often affected by whether or not a president is a one- term or a two-term president. And the Dobbs decision, that's a decision that ended Roe v. Wade. The American people, I mean Democrats and independents who voted for Democrats, didn't hold Biden responsible for the Dobbs decision as we saw in the mid-term elections last year. So, the question is whether Democrats and independents will hold President Biden responsible for these three decisions that you've just mentioned. If they are energized to vote, because they recognize the consequences of conservative presidents placing conservative judges on the court, then Biden may benefit and that might help his reelection.

On the other hand, if they hold him responsible, as I hear some young people are doing, some young people are actually blaming Biden, at least initially, for the court's decision to reverse the Student Loans Forgiveness program. If young people don't come out and vote for Democrats, then Biden may not win, in which case, that will severely affect his legacy.

Now, for historians, knowing that we have three branches of government and knowing that the Roberts-Alito court is a conservative court, it's very hard to hold Biden responsible for this outcome. It was, I have to say, predictable.

SANCHEZ: Yes. It is historically significant to see a Supreme Court so diametrically opposed to the perspectives of a sitting president. While we have you, Tim, I want to pivot, because tonight the CNN original series "The 2010s" is back. It has an emotional look at 2020, really a year that changed everything. Let's watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump didn't see this as a crisis to pull the country through. He saw personal attacks on himself, and that's how a national awakening on racial injustice, that's how a pandemic becomes a personal attack on Donald Trump.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It also signaled what he was willing to do to shore up his power. It was a precursor to the things that he would be willing to do when he loses the election.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: This election will decide whether we will defend the American way of life or whether we will allow a radical movement to completely dismantle and destroy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: 2020, having covered it personally and you focusing so much of your work on history, Tim, changed everything. I mean, it did. You -- it started out with a presidential impeachment, then a 100 -- every once in a 100-year pandemic, an economic crisis that followed, the contested presidential election. I mean, put all of that in contest for us.

NAFTALI: Well, first of all, it was a terrible trifecta. And Americans will be studying 2020, I could predict, for, you know, the rest of time. But what we can't say now, what we can't say, Boris, is what -- where the -- where we went after the pivot. And that's because we don't know who is going to win in 2024. And to some extent, our country will have a referendum in 2024 on the meaning of an insurrection.

Now, I think that the mid-term election gave us a sense that independents, and they're the ones who are going determine, I would argue, the 2024 election, that they're done with 2020, that they don't want to relitigate it and that they actually see Donald Trump as a source of chaos. But we'll see in 2024.

But as regards to the pandemic, there are going to be questions about the effect on our children because they were out the school or at least they had to work remotely for so long. And with regard to the Black Lives Matter movement, well, OK, what are the changes we're going see in structural racism?

[18:50:00]

We have -- we now celebrate Juneteenth, which is a great thing, but what else is going on? So, I think a lot of the story is yet to be written. I think the current first draft says that we don't really know where we went after the pivot, but everyone agrees that there was a pivot.

SANCHEZ: No question about that. Tim Naftali, we appreciate you being here with us to write a first rough draft of history.

NAFTALI: My pleasure, Boris. And happy Independence Day to everybody.

SANCHEZ: Thank you so much, Tim.

Hey, be sure to tune in for the final episode of the CNN original series, "The 2010s." It premieres tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific only on CNN.

Look, two often the people working hardest to help improve the lives of others, they don't get the recognition or appreciation they deserve. CNN Heroes wants to share their stories with the world and help them continue doing the work that makes them special. This week, Anderson Cooper has some tips to help you help them. And maybe your hero might just become the next CNN Hero of the Year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: Since 2007, CNN Heroes has honored hundreds of everyday people making the world a better place. We shine a light on their causes and help them raise funds for their lifechanging work, all while inspiring people with their incredible stories.

But the first step in the CNN Heroes journey is a nomination, and that's where you come in. It only takes a few minutes, and you can do it right now at cnnheroes.com. Just think about what makes this person special, and tell us about them in a paragraph or two. We want to know about their impact and what make theirs work unique. You don't need to know your nominee personally. They could just be someone you admire from afar, and they could be from almost anywhere in the world. This is your opportunity to help that amazing person you know reach more people and change more lives and maybe even become the next CNN Hero of the Year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: You can find everything you need to nominate your hero right now at cnnheroes.com. Keep in mind, nominations are closing on July 31st. So, get to it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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SANCHEZ: Here is something for you adventurist eaters. A restaurant in San Francisco has added lab-grown meat to its menu. Bar Crenn is now serving chicken made from cultivated animal cells. The cultivated chicken tempura is now going to be served with a burnt chili aioli and garnished with greens and edible flowers. It was just a couple of few weeks ago that the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved lab-grown meat to be sold in the United States. Sounds like it could be tasty, maybe.

Well, we all have our must-have condiment, right? Are you willing to shell out 70 bucks for a bottle of your favorite? The rooster adorned sriracha sauce normally goes for about 5 bucks, but there is an ongoing shortage in the raw materials that make it. So, prices are now spiking to some $70 pop. One seller on Amazon even offering two bottles with a bit of a discount, $125 price tag, two for the price of one.

The company behind the fan favorite sauce has been dealing with a three-year chili shortage. So, at this point, they don't know when the shortage is going to end.

Havana, Cuba, the city that I was born in, is now repairing and relighting its iconic neon signs. The Cuban Revolution in 1959 took control over businesses, causing the city's beautiful lights and the skyline to eventually go dark. A preservation group in Cuba though is now working to restore those vintage signs that once made Havana a sea of neon. CNN's Patrick Oppmann has more.

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PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Throwing a party with 20 musicians for a neon sign may seem like overkill. But repairing and relighting this prerevolution ice cream shop storefront has been a long time coming.

Before Fidel Castro took power, Havana was a sea of neon. After his 1959 revolution, the government seized all private businesses, and as replacement parts became scarce, the signs began to go dark.

ADOLFO NODAL, HAVANA LIGHTS + SIGNS: Cuba was an early adopter of neon. It rivaled Paris and New York in terms of the amount of neon.

OPPMANN (voiceover): Enter Adolfo Nodal. He co-founded a small band of mostly U.S. and Cuban neon enthusiasts who've made it their unlikely mission to rescue as many of the signs as possible. NODAL: It helps you see the city in a new way. It brings back a lot of the memory of the city. People remember these signs from the '30s and the '40s in Havana as well.

OPPMANN (voiceover): For the artisans who search out and repair the signs, it's a labor of love that can take months.

It depends on the complexity of the metal structure, if it's in good condition, she says. If we have to make new parts, it depends on the availability of the raw materials. Unfortunately, none of the items you can find in this country and they have to be imported.

Repairing Havana's neon signs can seem like a quixotic pursuit in the city where aging buildings collapse every day, and even when they are restored, the signs often stay dark during the regular power cuts here.

OPPMANN: The sign restorationists say that fixing up the sign is just the beginning of a transformation. The people are more likely to walk down a well-lit street, less likely to throw trash on the ground. And then, what they're hoping to have --

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