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President Biden and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan Defend Decision to Send Controversial Cluster Munitions to Ukraine; President Trump Using Indictments to Rally Supporters; Special Counsel Investigating Meeting in Oval Office between Former President Trump's Attorneys and Advisers on Possibly Overturning 2020 Presidential Election. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired July 08, 2023 - 10:00   ET

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

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[10:00:42]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. It is Saturday, July 8th. I'm Erica Hill in this morning for Amara Walker.

I'm Victor Blackwell. You are in the CNN Newsroom.

And this morning the Biden administration is defending the controversial decision to include cluster munitions in the latest military package to Ukraine. This package includes armored vehicles, several types of ammunition, but it's the inclusion of those cluster munitions that sparked concerns.

HILL: Cluster munitions are smaller, right, they shower these small but lethal bombings over a wide area. And it's those bomblets that are really a cause for concern, because in many cases when that larger bomb explodes spreading them, those little bomblets don't explode on impact, meaning they could lay there in the ground causing harm in the future. These types of weapons are actually banned by more than 100 countries, including some of America's closest allies, but they are not banned by the U.S., Ukraine, or Russia. President Biden rejected Ukraine's previous requests for these munitions but told CNN Fareed Zakaria in an exclusive interview that he reconsidered because of recent changes on the battlefield.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Two things, Fareed. I know it's a very difficult decision on my part. And by the way, I discussed this with our allies, I discussed this with our friends up on the Hill, and we are in a situation where Ukraine continues to be brutally attacked across the board by munitions, by these cluster munitions that are -- have dud rates that are very, very low -- I mean very high, that are a danger to civilians, number one.

Number two, the Ukrainians are running ammunition. The ammunition, they call them 155-millimeter weapons. This is a were relating to munitions. And they are running of those, that ammunition, and we're low on it. And so what I finally did, I took the recommendation of the Defense Department to not permanently but to allow for this transition period where we have more 155 weapons, these shells, for the Ukrainians to provide them with something that has a very low rate. It's about, one, I think it's 1.50, which is the least likely to be blowing -- and it's not using the skill in areas they are not trying to get through those trenches and stop those tanks from rolling.

And so -- but it was not an easy decision, and we are not signatories of that agreement. But it took me a while to be convinced to do it. But the main thing is they have the weapons to stop the Russians now -- keep them from stopping the Ukrainian offensive through these areas, or they don't. And I think they needed them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: CNN's White House reporter Jasmine Wright joins us now. So what more is the White House saying?

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we are hearing, continue to hear a really full out defense of President Biden decision to send those cluster munitions to Ukraine, those controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine. We just heard President Biden just there talk about how reluctant he was to do so after months of internal debate not only with his own official but with allies outside of the U.S.

Now, we also heard from National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan who really framed it as a necessary step that the president needed to take as the U.S. began to be worried basically weather or not Ukraine had enough ammunition to actually successfully carry out the counteroffensive against Russia, saying that they needed these to be able to do something.

We also hear Jake Sullivan yesterday from the podium really make the moral case for sending these cluster munitions to Ukraine, basically saying that Ukraine would be using them to defend themselves inside their homeland, unlike Russia, who is currently using them to attack a sovereign nation, a key distinction for the U.S. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE SULLIVAN, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: We recognize that cluster munitions create a risk of civilian harm from unexploded ordnance. This is why deferred the decision for as long as we could. But there is also a massive risk of civilian harm if Russian troops and tanks roll over Ukrainian positions and take more Ukrainian territory and subjugate more Ukrainian civilians because Ukraine does not have enough artillery. That is intolerable to us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[10:05:03]

WRIGHT: Now, the reality here is that despite that defense we just heard from Sullivan, there could be consternation as President Biden is heading to Europe this week really amongst the allies. We know that in more than 100 countries across the globe, these cluster munitions are banned, and even in the U.S. there is a law against transferring them, so those are two things that the president is going to have to deal with both for allies abroad but also some critics and allies here in the country.

Sullivan made two points when he was defending the president's decision. First he talked about the fact the U.S. had gotten written assurances from Ukraine that they would try to minimize the impact of these cluster munitions inside their country, saying that they're motivated to do so in those civilian areas because it is their people, it is their land. But also talking about the dud rate. We heard President Biden talk about it a bit in depth earlier, saying basically the dud rate, what percentage do these cluster munitions fail to explode? Now, the cluster munitions the us would give to Ukraine would have about 2.4 percent, whereas the ones that Russia are currently using in the country have about a 30 to 40 percent dud rate, meaning that the impact for Russia's cluster munitions are possibly far greater than anything that Ukraine would be using.

But ultimately, these are just not the only things that are inside of that drawdown package that President Biden directed to be sent to Ukraine. Like you said, Victor, it's armored vehicles as well as those AIM-7 missiles, Stinger antiaircraft systems, among other issues in this $800 million package as the U.S. continues to support Ukraine in their counteroffensive and the overall war in Ukraine designed by Russia.

BLACKWELL: Jasmine Wright for us there in Washington, thanks so much.

And be sure to watch FAREED ZAKARIA GPS tomorrow at 10:00 to see more from that exclusive one-on-one interview with President Biden.

HILL: It was an Oval Office meeting that turned to shouting expletives, screaming. And now that chaotic meeting is drawing attention from the special counsel, which, of course, is investigating claims of electron fraud.

BLACKWELL: CNN has learned that some witnesses were recently questioned about the meeting, including Rudy Giuliani. Joining us to talk about the significance of all of this, CNN national security reporter Zach Cohen. Zach, this is a very crucial meeting, of course. It happened just a few hours before that tweet that came out telling people to come to the Capitol on the 6th. It will be wild. Explain more.

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Victor and Erica, this is really a unique meeting in the sense we know Donald Trump was sitting there in the Oval Office as this screaming match took place between White House lawyers and this group of outside advisers who were pitching all sorts of extreme ideas for overturning the election, ideas like using the military to seize voting machines, like declaring martial law, like instituting a special counsel to investigate baseless claims of voter fraud.

And so White House lawyers were pushing back not only on these various plans, but also on this idea that there was evidence of widespread voter fraud, enough evidence to continue challenging the election result. We know Donald Trump did continue to challenge the election results, culminating all the way up to January 6th. But prosecutors are asking specifically about that group of outside advisors that were in the Oval Office on December 18th, 2020. That includes Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn, the former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne, and Trump's former lawyer Sidney Powell.

Now, as you mentioned, we also know that prosecutors have recently talked to some participants of that meeting, including Rudy Giuliani, who was Trump's former personal attorney. Now, during this meeting, Rudy Giuliani did oppose some ideas like using military to seize voting machines, but also had some of his own proposals for trying to find, conjure up evidence of widespread voter fraud, which included recruiting local eligible officials to give them access to voting systems.

Now, we know this remains a focus both of federal prosecutors just at this moment in time, but also more broadly the events that happened between December 14th and all the way up to January 6th.

BLACKWELL: Zach Cohen for us in Washington. Zach, thanks so much.

As the special counsel appears to be winding down, Donald Trump is trying to use his legal troubles to rev up supporters.

HILL: Despite initial plans to talk about agriculture, the former president just couldn't resist focusing on the investigations. CNN chief national affairs correspondent Jeff Zeleny has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: If I weren't leading in the polls by so much, they wouldn't be indicting me.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump back on the campaign trail in Iowa, trying to use the indictment and investigation surrounding him as a weapon to rally Republicans around his quest to win back the White House.

TRUMP: They want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedom.

ZELENY: The former president making clear he is consumed by the special counsel's intensifying probe of his attempts to cling to power and overturn the results of the 2020 election.

TRUMP: Every time I get a subpoena my polls go up, I get more and more subpoenas.

(LAUGHTER)

TRUMP: Report to a grand jury. He's killing Biden. He's killing him.

[10:10:06]

ZELENY: Before his appearance today in Council Bluffs, advisers told CNN Trump would focus on confronting the leading Republican rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

TRUMP: He would be a total disaster. Every Iowan also needs to know that Ron DeSantis totally despises Iowa ethanol.

ZELENY: But Trump stepped on his own attack lines, portraying himself as a victim of prosecutors trying to derail his candidacy. Trump returned to Iowa as many of his Republican rivals bluntly question his ability to win a general election. As they seek to gain attention in a crowded field of candidates, some contenders are taking to the airwaves.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Small town boy, self-made business leader.

SEN. TIM SCOTT, (R-SC): The radical left have chosen a culture of grievance over greatness.

ZELENY: Others are shaking hands, introducing themselves to one voter at a time. Former Vice President Mike Pence implored Republicans to turn the page to avoid losing in 2024.

MIKE PENCE, (R) FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: I honestly believe that different times call for different leadership.

ZELENY: More than six months before the presidential nominating contest begins in Iowa, Republicans are a party divided between Trump excitement and Trump fatigue. Starlyn Perdue, who leads the Pottawattamie County Republican Party and is staying neutral in the primary, is uncertain how that will be settled.

STARLYN PERDUE, CHAIRPERSON, POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY: There are people that are still very much pro Trump, other ones that are exploring options. And so it will be interesting to see how it plays out. I think truly it will just be time will tell on how it will impact his election.

ZELENY: With the Iowa caucuses set to open the Republican presidential contest in early January, one thing is clear, Trump's campaign and his legal case have simply one argument behind them. The former president trying to use this indictment and investigations as a weapon to rally support among Republicans. The question is, can any other candidate breakthrough and challenge him one-on-one?

Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Council Bluffs, Iowa.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HILL: Joining me now, CNN political analyst and White House correspondent for "The New York Times," Zolan Kanno-Youngs. Good to see you, Young, good to see you this morning.

So let's pick up where Jeff left off there in terms of what we are hearing from the former president, perhaps not surprising that he is going all in on these investigations, on the indictments and what have you. In terms of his messaging, what's interesting, I think, is that it really seems to be working for him. ZOLAN KANNO-YOUNGS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Maybe not surprising, but

rather a playbook, really, that we have seen going back numerous investigations, going back to maybe the various impeachment proceedings he had as well. Trump faces accusations, Trump faces investigations. He then accuses it of being in a witch hunt, attacks democratic institutions, attacks the Justice Department, and rallies his base and frames himself as a victim here. We have seen it as well with the case of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, and it is going to be a theme in this presidential election.

One thing that I will be watching as well is how this will factor into not just his messaging, but the other Republican candidates as well. Thus far we have seen really it's basically Chris Christie that has been willing to attack the former president at this point. You have others that are maybe trying to play to the right of him. But you still see candidates hesitating on approaching the subject. And I think that is emblematic and it indicates just the tight grip he still has over the Republican base. The other candidates here also don't want to lose those voters.

HILL: No, they certainly don't. It will be interesting, too, as we proceed, right, as we start to see this really move into, kick into earnest come 2024, not only where things stand, but also when the message may start to change if and when it will become, perhaps, more direct from Democrats as well who also just seem to be sitting back at this point, saying we're going to let you fight it out amongst yourselves unto we get closer to the general.

KANNO-YOUNGS: And that is an interesting sort of predicament that I think present itself to Democrats, but also to the sitting president, to the White House as well. You can expect that Trump is going to continue to attack various investigations as a witch hunt. He's going to continue to attack the Justice Department as well. But the difficult thing here is there is almost a void here, and he's filling it.

And the White House, when I talk to White House officials, feel that they can't easily just go and rebut him every single time, because they want to maintain as well this perception that the Justice Department is independent. If they go out and defend a rebut against each of those, then you may undermine that as well. And what that results is that Trump is filling the void right now with information.

HILL: Yes, they don't want him to drive the conversation, but no matter which way it goes, he's driving the conversations when it comes to politics.

[10:15:04]

Let's take a look at some of the developments from yesterday. I noticed you pressed Jake Sullivan when he was talking about this decision by the White House and the president to, in fact, send these cluster munitions to Ukraine. You pressed him specifically about how Ukraine will be using them. I don't think you got the specific answer that you wanted. KANNO-YOUNGS: Right. So, I mean, look, the White House and Jake

Sullivan came out yesterday, and basically was saying, and you even heard President Biden say this, that this was a difficult decision for him. They frame this as basically something that Ukraine needs at this time to protect its own civilians, to protect its own citizens in the face of this Russian invasion.

But one of the reasons why I was prompted to ask those questions, and I think the president as well said it was a difficult decision, is we have seen numerous human rights groups voice criticism, numerous allies of the United States as well, western allies, voice criticism with this cluster munition. Just some stats for you, since World War II, not just Ukraine here, but various conflicts, there's been about 56,000 estimated, 56,000 to 86,000 civilians that have been harmed by these munitions as well.

What I wanted to know is, the White House and Jake Sullivan said that they have provided written assurances by Ukraine for the terms of which they would use these weapons. And I wanted to get details on that. Now, he was saying it's difficult to provide those details when the battlefield is always changing, and the president said that this was rather temporary to hold Ukraine over. But what are the details of that? And just how long will these munitions be provided? Those are answers that I think we're going to need to continue to press.

HILL: Also, and a lot of those questions stemming from what we saw and what we heard from officials, right, 500 days ago or so when this war started, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. very clearly saying there is not a place for these weapons on that battlefield. So that is why we heard from Democratic lawmakers yesterday who were saying very clearly, we can't claim to have the moral high ground if this is the path we are following.

That being said, I found it interesting both Jake Sullivan and the president yesterday in his interview with Fareed really went to great lengths to show how they believe the way that Russia and Ukraine use these weapons and the weapons themselves are actually different. Are you getting a sense from folks not only around the administration, right, but in political circles, that that argument is breaking through?

KANNO-YOUNGS: That the argument is breaking through I think remains to be seen. Whether it is breaking through with Democrats on the Hill, allies as well, I think that remains to be seen. It's definitely the argument that they believe in and that they are going for that. Jake Sullivan absolutely when I asked about this yesterday said to frame it, as you said, that the Ukrainians and Russians are using these cluster munitions in the same way would be wrong.

But let's remember, if we want to look for the reason to ask these questions and reason to have concern about the munitions, the United States only just now is providing that. And much of that was due to concern over how it would be used and just the length and to what extent they would continue to provide this type of munitions and weapons. And let's also member this comes on the heels of a NATO summit that

the president will be attending soon accompanied by allies that have expressed concern about this weaponry previously as well. So you would expect this to be a topic as well as he attempts that summit and continues to hold or try to hold that united sort of front against Russia.

HILL: Yes, absolutely. Key allies, the U.K., France, Germany, that have actually signed that ban that will not use these munitions. The U.S., Ukraine, Russia, have not signed that, as we know. Zolan Kanno- Youngs, always good to talk to you, appreciate it. Safe travels.

BLACKWELL: Right now there is a manhunt in Pennsylvania for an escaped inmate who authorities say is dangerous and has a survivalist skills. What they are asking the public to do to help track him down.

Plus, New York steps up patrols after a string of shark bites and sightings. Now officials are now using drones to try to keep people safe.

And from severe storms to sweltering heat, so many people are going to have to wait for some relief. We have your latest forecast ahead.

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[10:23:36]

HILL: A deadly fire on a New Jersey cargo ship is expected to burn for several more days. Crews have actually been working for a number of days at this point to put that blaze out. At this point it is mainly burning on the top deck of the 700-foot-long ship. Two firefighters died while trying to extinguish those flames. Several others have been injured. CNN's Polo Sandoval is joining us now from the scene of that fire. He's at the Port of Newark. So how are conditions this morning, Polo? I know there are also concerns about the air and even the water quality.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hard to believe, Erica, we're three days in and that fire still continues to burn on the top decks of this Italian cargo ship that was transporting vehicles. In terms of the impact, this is some potential good news here. The New York and New Jersey Port Authority informing us that 99.5 percent of port operations have not been impacted. But nonetheless, you may be able to see one of those ships actually still dousing the area that was affected during that fire earlier this week.

But as you mentioned, the air quality certainly a concern. There's about four stations that are set up near the impacted zone that are monitoring the air. So far, officials are saying that they have not identified any potential threats here. In fact, there is a fifth mobile air quality station that's about a mile out and also have not detected anything except for some sulfur dioxide readings yesterday. They pulled back the crews, letting things get back to normal before they move back in.

[10:25:01] Also, in terms of the vessel itself, it's stable. According to authorities, there is a slight tipping towards the right. And they say that they do have that infrastructure and those measures that they could actually step in should they have to in the event that that would get worse. But really, one of the biggest, or actually the biggest tragedy here is certainly the human toll. Yesterday, during a press conference, the Newark firefighters union president telling us more about the two firefighters that gave their lives in an effort to actually control these flames here, identifying them as Wayne Brooks Jr. and his fellow firefighter Augusto Acabou, known as "Augie" by his friends and family. His friends and family saying that he was tough as nails but also that he was sweet beyond belief.

And then in terms of firefighter Brooks, his uncle telling reporters that his nephew was, quote, a real life superman that became a firefighter to help the community. So that has really been the bulk of the focus here for Newark officials as they really focus on remembering these two firefighters that gave their lives. Meanwhile, of course, those efforts still continue. No timeline in terms of when the fire will be completely, only that it will burn for several days.

BLACKWELL: Polo Sandoval for us, thank you, Polo.

Authorities in Pennsylvania are on the hunt for an escaped inmate this morning. Police say Michael Burham climbed out through the roof of the prison yard on Friday. Burham escaped from the Warren County prison which is not far from the Allegheny National Forest. And authorities are warning the public that Burham is, one, very dangerous, but also is know to have survivalist skills.

CNN's Rafael Romo joins me now. So what more do we know about Burham and these skills?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR: Yes, we're learning more about who he is and what he has done. And Victor, we also know that Michael Charles Burham was being held in the Warren County prison on arson and burglary charges. And he is also a suspect in a homicide case. He was also associated with a prior carjacking and kidnapping of a local couple while trying to escape capture according to police in Warren. This is a rural town in northwestern Pennsylvania near the border with New York state.

Police say he escaped from the County prison Friday by elevating himself on exercise equipment and exiting the jail yard through a metal gated roof. Officials say he was able to use bedsheets that were tied together to get from the roof to the ground. Police say the suspect is a survivalist, as you mentioned, Victor, and those skills may make him more difficult to find and can also allow him to stay out of sight for longer. So officials are taking that into account as they try to find him. A Warren police captain said they are doing everything in their power to put Burham behind bars. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. JEFF DOUGHERTY, WARREN, PENNSYLVANIA POLICE: I'll tell you at this time we have been actively searching the local area. We have been checking for additional cameras. We have set up numerous interviews with people. So again, as I said it before, we don't know where he is at right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And in addition to searching for Burham on foot with canine units, law enforcement officers are also using ATVs, drones, and aircraft. Burham was last seen wearing an orange and white jumpsuit with a jail issued denim jacket and orange crocs. Authorities say there is no indication the suspect is being assisted by anybody, but he is familiar with the area of northwest Pennsylvania, and a Warren County spokeswoman emphasized that no one, absolutely no one should engage with the suspect in any way because he is very dangerous, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Rafael Romo, thank you.

Still ahead, police say a woman who was warned to stay away from Taylor Swift's Rhode Island home has been arrested outside that property. The latest, next.

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[10:33:00]

HILL: Let's get you caught up now on some of the other top headlines we are following this morning. Police say they have arrested two suspects in a Fort Worth, Texas, mass shooting that killed three people and injured eight others on July 3rd.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF NEIL NOAKES, FORT WORTH POLICE DEPARTMENT: Our homicide detectives arrested 20-year-old Christopher Redic Jr. and 19-year-old Brandon Williams. Both are in custody at this time for murder.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: The gunfire started shortly before midnight during the community's July 4th celebrations. Police say they do believe there was some sort of an altercation just before that shooting. According to the Gun Violence Archives, there have now been 361 mass shootings in the United States so far this year.

BLACKWELL: Police say a woman who was previously warned to stay away from Taylor Swift's Rhode Island home has been arrested outside the property. A court record shows the woman will be arraigned on July 14th. Overzealous fans have been a problem for Swift over the years. And just last month an Indiana man was charged with stalking, intimidation, and harassment, according to jail records. Swift is currently in the middle of a worldwide tour.

HILL: The White House confirming it is in talks with Russia about a prisoner swap for "Wall Street Journal" reporter Evan Gershkovich. Friday marked 100 days since he was wrongfully detained in Russia. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was asked about those efforts on Friday, saying the path of communications has been opened, but he also cautioned that no clear resolution had been agreed to, and did add the release of Gershkovich and other wrongfully detained Americans remains a high priority for President Biden.

Belarus says it has now put on hold plans to host Wagner mercenaries after their short-lived rebellion in Russia.

BLACKWELL: President Alexander Lukashenko told CNN that Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is not in Belarus and neither are his forces. But should they come, he says the country has set up a camp that would house them. CNN's Matthew Chance reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

[10:35:01]

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the closest we have ever come to a Wagner camp, not in Russia nor the Ukrainian front lines, but standing empty for now in Belarus.

This is where we thought that Wagner soldiers invited to Belarus could be housed, in a vast tent city at this supposedly disused military base about 100 kilometers, 70 miles or so, outside of the Belarusian camp in tents like these that have been set up to house a couple of dozen fighters at any given time. But for the most part they are empty at the moment. And that's because the plan to invite Wagner and its leader over here into Belarus after their military uprising in Russia now appears to be on hold.

Recent satellite images showed how quickly the camp at Asipovichy was transformed, ready to house large numbers of troops at short notice. And the Belarusian general who gave us access told me Wagner forces could still be deployed here if the political decision is made. There is room for up to 5,000 soldiers at this camp alone, he tells me. And we have other facilities, too.

Have you been told to prepare this camp for the possible arrival of Wagner fighters? Is that what you were told? "We have prepared it for training and for territorial defense," he says. It was the sudden announcement by the leader of Belarus that neither Wagner nor its leader was in fact in the country that seems to have thrown planning into disarray. Lukashenko insists his offer, which helped bring Wagner's armed uprising to an end last month, is still on the table. But with new questions over Wagner and its leader it seems unlikely this would-be Wagner camp will ever now be filled.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Asipovichy in Belarus.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HILL: Still ahead here, officials in New York are stepping up patrols after a string of shark bites and sightings. We'll speak with an expert about what you need to know.

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[10:41:25]

HILL: This morning, severe storms are expected across the central United States, storms that could bring damaging winds and hail.

BLACKWELL: But other parts of the country, especially in the southwest and Florida, are seeing sweltering temperatures this weekend. CNN's Zolan Britley Ritz is watching this, of course. Britley, what's the latest?

BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, we have the threat for severe weather once again across the plains, and just as you said, the southwest dealing with extreme heat. But it all ties together, that heat and humidity helping to fuel some of these storms. Nothing severe at the moment across the plains and right up into the Ohio Valley, but quite a bit of lightning. We can expect this to ramp up through the afternoon with primetime heating.

Areas highlighted in yellow most vulnerable for that risk of severe weather. However, a few stronger storms can't be ruled out as we ride up into the Ohio Valley where we're highlighted in green. Wind is going to be some of our bigger concerns, over 60 miles per hour. But hail and tornadoes can't be ruled out, especially in eastern Colorado, so we are watching that closely as we move into the overnight hours.

Let's look at the time on this -- 6:00 tonight these storms really start to ramp back up across the Ohio Valley and even parts of the great lakes stretching down into the southeast, that's round one. Round two comes into play as we get into the overnight hours, so about 11:00 at night moving into about midnight, 2:00, we get initiation. That fires up across the plains, especially across the panhandle of Texas and into Oklahoma, moving into Arkansas around 9:00, 10:00, into the morning, and then expect the southeast to deal with this tomorrow.

So it's not just the severe weather threat in terms of tornadoes as well as wind and hail, But we're also talking about heat, a number one killer in the United States beyond any other weather phenomena. Excessive heat warnings, Phoenix including the Grand Canyon, all the way down into southern Arizona, heat advisories for southern part of New Mexico back down into Texas and areas like El Paso under excessive heat warnings, 115 plus degrees in some cases all across the southwest.

Just remember, one thing you need to know is drink water, and watch your sodium levels, too. So electrolytes, not a bad idea either. Let's put a few things into perspective here -- 107 degrees on average for Phoenix, that's where we should be. We are a good five to almos six degrees above normal in some cases, 115 expected by Friday. Again, please make sure you're taking care of yourselves out and about. If you are not thirsty, you really are. Drink that water, just a little bit of water.

BLACKWELL: Good advice. Good advice. Britley Ritz, thank you so much.

So these scorching summer temperatures have many Americans are cooling off with trips to the beach, that's good. But officials are warning now that people should stay alert. New York authorities say they are stepping up patrols after five people were bitten in just two days. Here with me now to discuss the rise in shark sightings is Chris Fischer. He is a shark specialist and founder and expedition leader for OCEARCH. Chris, good morning to you. You call the increase in life that we are encountering in the oceans a triumph. I want to get to that in a moment. But first, let's just start with the sharks are not coming for us. Right?

CHRIS FISCHER, FOUNDER AND EXPEDITION LEADER, OCEARCH: That's right, yes, that's right. Typically, these issues occur when we put ourselves in the middle of what they are attempting to feed on and then we confuse them. That's 90 percent of what's occurring here.

BLACKWELL: OK, so to, I guess, lessen the likelihood of an accidental interaction or nibble, what should people do?

[10:45:00]

FISCHER: The biggest thing we can do is understand that we are all in this big movement toward abundance in the Atlantic. All our life is coming back. So when you head down to the beach with your family, look at the ocean before you go in. We can no longer just wander in like we did in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Our oceans are back, so look at the ocean. If you see a lot of bait, if you see birds diving, there will be game fish feeding there.

And really up in the New York area, the main thing that's occurring is that the sharks and the game fish are pushing the bait against the beach, they are crowding it in there, and that makes it easier for them to feed on, but it also pushes them into the area where people are enjoying the ocean. So as long as we are watching, we see these big areas of life, we slide out of the water and enjoy it, then when that moves down the beach and you have a nice quiet section of water. That's when you want to enjoy the water with your family.

BLACKWELL: Yes, we have to learn how to, again, they are not coming into our houses. We are going to their homes. So we have to learn how to approach, as you call it, a wild ocean.

Let me get to this point in which you say that this is really a triumph of abundance, a triumph of the Marine Mammal Act of 50 years ago now. Explain that, because we are seeing life that for a period we did not see.

FISCHER: We've had a sequence of management moves over the last 50 years that we are really starting to see great gains from now. It all started in the 70s and 80s when we radically overfished the ocean and really wiped out a lot of our fish stocks. We began to look after our whales and our seals back about 50 years ago, seeing tremendous success there, with a few exceptions. In the late 80s and early 90s we started looking after our game fish, and then in the early 90s we started looking after our large sharks, which balanced the whole system. And about five years ago we started looking after our forage fish or our bait, which is what's really occurring in Long Island where we have a tremendous amount of bait back. And now we see this truly abundant wild ocean that has returned because of great management. And over the last few years, people have gotten much better at looking at the ocean rather than just blindly wondering in, and that is what has led us to have increasing abundance of everything in the ocean and increasing people going to the beach. We're not seeing a big spike in interactions because people are just smarter about it.

BLACKWELL: Being smarter about it is always a good thing. And again, I will end where we started. The sharks are not coming for us. Chris Fischer, thanks so much.

(LAUGHTER)

HILL: I'm glad you cleared that up. Also, the fact we are going into their world. Thank you, Victor. I'm with you.

Still to come here, a jet taxiing in front of an airplane in New York, two jets narrowly avoiding a collision, those close calls on the runway now the focus of a government watchdog.

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[10:52:18]

HILL: More oversight in the works for the FAA after numerous safety issues at major airports across the U.S. The Department of Transportation's watchdog announced a review of the federal agency this week.

BLACKWELL: It's looking at several specific incidents like the near misses between planes on runways. CNN's Pete Muntean has more.

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Victor, Erica, this is the newest level of watchdog scrutiny after these repeat close calls involving commercial flights at major airports. Six incidents this year have triggered investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board. But this audit calls out three of the most egregious cases, like the January incident at New York's JFK where quick action of an air traffic controller, stopped a departing Delta flight from running into an American Airlines flight that was taxiing across the runway in front of it.

The Federal Aviation Administration has really been trying to tackle this problem. It held a safety summit, convened review boards, also called for new training for its air traffic controllers. But now the Department of Transportation's independent inspector general wants to know if all of that is enough. The inspector's review will also look at how the FAA tracks and analyzes data about these so-called runway incursions. The FAA tells us it welcomes this review, which is set to start this month. Victor, Erica?

BLACKWELL: Pete, thank you.

And we would be a step closer to living like the Jetsons. So the FAA has now approved the first new flying car prototype for test flights. California startup Alef Aeronautics says there's is the first vehicle that is drivable like a normal car, but it has also got vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. HILL: The company says it would be certified as what is known as a

low-speed vehicle, so it can only go about 25 miles an hour on a paved road. You should probably start putting aside your pennies. It is going to sell for about $300,000. You have some time to save. The first delivery is slated for the end of 2025.

BLACKWELL: Yes, I think, one, it is way too expensive for me.

HILL: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

BLACKWELL: But I would certainly drive or fly a car. There have been times when I'm sitting in traffic, it's like, if I could just levitate and move on.

HILL: Just get up and hover over all those cars.

BLACKWELL: I'd do it.

HILL: Yes, I know that Atlanta traffic. I don't miss it.

(LAUGHTER)

BLACKWELL: So finally, this is a great moment last night from the Red Sox game against the A's. CNN political reporter Andrew Kosinski, he threw out the first pitch on behalf of Team Beans.

HILL: He and his wife Rachel have raised more than $3 million for research to cure childhood cancer.

[10:55:00]

You likely know their story. Their daughter Francesca, affectionately known as Beans, passed away in 2020 from brain cancer. She was just nine months old. They spent a number of months there in Boston for her treatment. If you would like to donation in Francesca's honor, you can do so at TeamBeansFund.com. K-File there getting it done. He tweeted last night, I saw, I got it across the plate, I was so happy.

(LAUGHTER)

BLACKWELL: They do some great work. They really do. So it's a great organization to support.

Erica, it was good to have you this morning.

HILL: You know, always nice to hang out with you, my friend. Thanks for having me.

BLACKWELL: Certainly. There is much more ahead in the next hour of CNN Newsroom. A quick reminder, the new CNN original series "See It Loud, The History of Black Television" is coming, a five-part docuseries explores the impact of black television on all cultures. Do not miss the premiers tomorrow night at 9:00 eastern only on CNN.

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