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New U.S. Military Package To Include Cluster Bombs; U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Holds Key Meetings In Beijing; Florida GOP Requiring Loyalty Pledges From 2024 Candidates; Heat Records Broken Around The World In 2023; Long Island Ramps Up Shark Patrols; Pebble Beach Hosting Women's Golf Major. Aired 5-6a ET
Aired July 08, 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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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and all around the world. I am Kim Brunhuber.
Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, President Biden tells CNN that it is essential that Ukraine get controversial cluster munitions from the U.S. This as Ukraine marks 500 days of war. What this landmark day and move by the U.S. means.
And a slew of shark bites off the coast of New York puts officials on high alert. I will speak to a biology professor about why are we encountering so many shark attacks this summer.
Plus NBA number one draft Victor Wembanyama makes his debut at the summer league, with the Spurs. Coy Wire joins me live to break down his opener.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: Today marks 500 days since Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine. It is a sobering milestone for a conflict that rages with no end in sight. The devastation over the past 1.5 years has been hard to fathom. The U.N. Is reporting that more than 9,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the war began.
And another 15,000 people have been injured. The U.N. also says that there are almost 6 million people internally displaced in the country and almost 8 million Ukrainian refugees have been reported in neighboring nations and across Europe.
So far this year about 17.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy marked the milestone by visiting a site that has become symbolic of the country's resolve.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Today we are here on Snake Island, our Snake Island, which will never be conquered by the occupier, nor will the entire Ukraine, because we are the nation of the free.
Today we have honored our Ukrainian heroes, all the soldiers that fought for this island and who liberated it. Even though it is a small piece of land in the middle of our Black Sea, it is a great proof that Ukraine will regain every part of its territory.
But from here, from this very place of victory, I want to thank each and every one of our soldiers for these 500 days.
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BRUNHUBER: The Biden administration has confirmed that highly controversial cluster munitions, which are banned by more than 100 countries, will be included in the latest U.S. military package to Ukraine.
These weapons shower small but lethal bomblets over the wider area but many do not explode, impose a deadly hazard to civilians afterward. Biden had long resisted Ukraine's request for the munitions but said he reconsidered in light of recent changes on the battlefield. Here is what he told CNN's Fareed Zakaria in an exclusive interview.
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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are in a situation where Ukraine continues to be brutally attacked across the board by munitions, by these cluster munitions that 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 out of ammunition. The ammunition -- and I think they call them 1-5-5 millimeter weapons. This is a -- this is a war relating to munitions and they're running out of those, that ammunition.
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BRUNHUBER: Ukraine's president tweeted his appreciation of the new U.S. military aid, predicting it will speed up an end to the war.
Now you just heard Biden mention dud rate, which is the percentage of bomblets that do not blow up when they hit the ground. The primary reason is that so many countries have banned cluster bombs and the U.N. denounced the decision to send them to Ukraine.
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FARHAN HAQ, U.N. SPOKESPERSON: The secretary-general supports the convention on cluster munitions, which you know was adopted 15 years ago. He wants countries to abide by the terms of that convention. As a result, of course, he does not want there to be continued use of cluster munitions on the battlefield.
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BRUNHUBER: We get more now from CNN's Natasha Bertrand at the Pentagon.
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NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The weapon is banned by over 100 countries around the world, including key U.S. allies like the U.K. and Germany. Now the U.S. defended its decision by saying that --
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BERTRAND: -- the cluster munitions are what Ukraine needs right now in order to successfully continue its counteroffensive against Russia.
The Ukrainians are running very low on artillery ammunition and are burning through it at a very high rate. And the U.S. is worried that, if they continue to use this much artillery, ammunition, the next several months they could run out. The U.S. simply can't produce it at a rate that is fast enough that Ukraine can continue its counteroffensive.
So the U.S. now saying they want to tap into these cluster munitions that will provide Ukraine with a bridge, a temporary bridge to serve until the U.S. and the West is able to produce more of that more conventional ammunition.
There are, of course, concerns by allies about this provision of U.S. cluster munitions to Ukraine because many of them have, in fact, banned the munition.
And the problem with these cluster munitions is that they can actually fail to explode on impact and they can pose a long term risk to civilians that is very similar to the danger that is posed by land mines.
But the U.S. says they have managed to convince allies behind the scenes in conversations over the last several weeks that this is what Ukraine needs right now.
And importantly, they note, according to the U.S. national security adviser, who spoke to reporters today, the Ukrainians could be using these to defend their own territory and take back their land from Russia, not to attack another country as Russia has done.
That is why the U.S. believes that Ukraine is not going the use these cluster munitions to target civilian areas inside Ukraine.
Ukraine wants to protect its own population and has given the U.S. assurances that it will do everything possible to avoid civilian areas while it is conducting its counteroffensive -- Natasha Bertrand, CNN, at the Pentagon.
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BRUNHUBER: Earlier Ukrainian President Zelenskyy visited Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who pledged to back Ukraine's future membership in the NATO alliance. Here he is.
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RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, PRESIDENT OF TURKEY (through translator): Ukraine deserves NATO membership. I would like to reemphasize a point I have always defended persistently. A fair peace creates no losers. It is our most sincere desire to return to the peace effort.
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Now during those talks, Erdogan also said Turkiye was working to extend a deal with Russia to export Ukrainian grains through the Black Sea and said the Russian leader would visit Turkiye next month.
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BRUNHUBER: Former CNN Moscow bureau chief Nathan Hodge joins me now.
Nathan, let's start there with Zelenskyy's trip to Turkiye.
Did Zelenskyy get what he came? For
NATHAN HODGE, FORMER CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Kim, first of all, he had a very important symbolic moment, is that he is standing shoulder to shoulder with the president of Turkiye, also a NATO member, and getting a pledge of support from President Erdogan, saying that he supported Ukraine joining NATO.
And this is key at a moment when Ukraine is fighting a counter offensive in the country's east and it is also seeking more ammunition for the fight. You mentioned earlier that this weekend marks 500 days since the launch of Russia's full scale invasion.
And quite famously I think at the very beginning, Zelenskyy said, in a response to an offer to be evacuated, he said, "I do not need a ride. I need ammo."
This has been a steady drumbeat because I think the war that is grinding out in Ukraine's east, in many ways, it resembles the 21st century version of World War I styled trench warfare, with enormous amounts of munitions.
It also highlights the civilian cost here, because the main concern I think about the delivery of cluster munitions is the technical discussion about the dud rate.
How many unexploded bomblets do you leave on the field?
It is a potential hazard for civilians and Ukraine will be faced with an enormous cost when it just comes to cleaning up all of the ordnance that has been scattered around the country, Kim. BRUNHUBER: Let me ask you about that and the U.S. perspective. Some Democrats said, the U.S. will lose the moral high ground by providing these munitions.
What will be the cost here, do you think?
HODGE: Well, Kim, the Ukrainians first of all have said that this is an urgent need for defensive purposes and they would abide by humanitarian and humanitarian norms when employing them.
But today we saw, again with this 500-day grim milestone, Ukraine's prosecutor general put out a statement, saying that they have confirmed, since the beginning of the full scale invasion, the deaths of 494 children. That was almost one child for every day of the full scale invasion.
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HODGE: And the Ukrainians would clearly maintain that they have, they are the ones who have the moral high ground, they are the ones defending their country and it is the Russians who have been consistently targeting civilian populations and built-up areas.
Just in recent days and weeks, we had a strike on a pizzeria in the eastern city of Kramatorsk. Just a few days ago, in the western city of Lviv, a cruise missile hitting a residential building. You know, this has become a feature, quite tragically, of the war.
BRUNHUBER: You referenced that milestone a couple of times, the 500 day mark. You know, just thinking when this started, most of us thought that it would not last this long.
Are we any closer to the end now or are we more likely to eventually be talking about the 1,000 day mark?
HODGE: Kim, no one can -- once the ball is rolling and war unleashes all of these unpredictable forces, it's hard to say. But we have seen in the past recent weeks, very unexpected turns of events in, for instance, Russia, where there was recently an armed rebellion. . Essentially, by the Wagner mercenary group that posed probably the most serious threat to Vladimir Putin's rule, even though very quickly the insurrection was quashed or halted.
But nonetheless, no one could have predicted -500 days ago that we would be where we are. But this, for the Ukrainians, is a day for them to remind the rest of the world of their resistance and the resilience, for instance, with a symbolic visit to Snake Island.
Where Ukrainian defenders, quite literally, told a Russian warship -- gave the finger to a Russian warship in the very opening hours of the war, something that was commemorated quite famously on a postage stamp in Ukraine.
This is a moment when Ukraine is seeking additional, not just ammunition for the battle but further support for its membership in NATO. These are all important symbolic movements, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: We appreciate your analysis, Nathan Hodge, thank you so much.
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BRUNHUBER: U.S. And China are holding key meetings as both countries work to repair their strained relationships. The last hour, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrapped up a public meeting with China's vice premier.
And earlier today she held a roundtable meeting with climate finance leaders and a lunch meeting with female economists. Yellen's meetings have largely been focused on trade and climate change. CNN's Anna Coren is covering the story from Hong Kong and she joins us with the latest now.
Anna, a lot of at stake for the U.S., in terms of China trying to reset that economic relationship.
ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: A lot at stake for both the U.S. and China. I should mention that that meeting is currently underway, still underway behind closed doors at the state guesthouse.
The two, the vice premier and Janet Yellen, will have dinner this evening. In Yellen's opening remarks, she said that the complicated global economic outlook means that there is a pressing need for the two largest economies to closely communicate and work together. Let's take a listen to what she had to say.
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JANET YELLEN, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: It is my belief that a wide swath of our economies can interact in ways that are uncontroversial to both governments. The fact that, despite recent tensions, we set a record for bilateral trade in 2022, suggests that there is ample room for our firms to engage in trade and investment.
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COREN: That bilateral trade, Kim, was almost $700 billion. These are two economies deeply entwined. She said the relationship is sure to have healthy competition but benefit both economies, not a winner take all approach.
Yellen's trip came as very productive. That what we are hearing from top U.S. officials and hoping to get the bilateral relationship back on track.
This morning, Janet Yellen, she took part in a roundtable with climate finance leaders, where she said that climate change was a top global challenge for both countries. As the largest emitters of greenhouse gases they must work together.
But Yellen's most important meeting was yesterday with Chinese premier Li Qiang. He described Yellen as a builder who is working to improve economic ties between U.S. and China.
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COREN: Beijing sees her as a voice of reason within the Biden administration. She has argued against tariffs, warned against decoupling, saying it would be disastrous. And Kim, I think it is fair to say that Chinese officials certainly appreciate her efforts.
BRUNHUBER: That is right.
What have they've been saying about that?
You have more comments, I understand, from the vice premier?
COREN: The vice premier, he is a Jinping loyalist and, in his opening remarks, which at the media we were allowed to film, he said that they met in Bali last year at the G20 summit and he had this message to convey from the Chinese leader. Take a listen.
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LIU HE, CHINESE VICE PREMIER: President Xi Jinping noted on multiple occasions that the world is big enough for the two countries to develop and prosper together. Last month, when meeting with Secretary Blinken in Beijing. President Xi once again stressed that the world needs a generally stable China-U.S. Relationship.
Whether the two countries can find the right way to get along bears on the future and destiny of humanity. The two countries should act with a sense of responsibility for history, the people and the world and handle the relations properly.
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COREN: Interestingly, Kim, he also said that it was very unfortunate what happened with the Chinese spy balloon and it was a pity that caused difficulty to the bilateral relations.
As we know, that balloon shot down over the United States back in March and it sent U.S.-China relations to an all-time low. I think it is fair to say that we have heard from the ministry of foreign affairs but we have never heard from a Chinese official of such high ranking.
Kim, Yellen's meetings, they wrap up this evening. Tomorrow morning, she will hold a press conference and then fly back to Washington.
BRUNHUBER: We appreciate the coverage. Anna Coren in Hong Kong, thank you so much.
Donald Trump recruited a small army of lawyers to try to overturn his 2020 election laws. Now one of the central figures could lose his license to practice law in the nation's capital. We'll have a report from Washington just ahead.
And Floridians may have fewer options on their presidential ballots next year as some bad candidates bristle the idea of signing the state's loyalty pledge to join the race. What voters are saying ahead, stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Rudy Giuliani, one of the former attorneys of Donald Trump, has now had his law license suspended in New York but now his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election could have him disbarred in Washington. CNN's Sara Murray has the latest.
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SARA MURRAY, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: More troubles for former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani. An attorney disciplinary committee recommending Giuliani be disbarred here in Washington, D.C., for his efforts on Trump's behalf to try to overturn the 2020 election results.
Quote, "He claimed massive fraud but had no evidence of it," the committee wrote.
"By prosecuting that destructive case, Mr. Giuliani, a sworn officer of the court, forfeited his right to practice law. He should be disbarred."
The three-person panel was unanimous in its recommendation. Giuliani's attorneys previously argued to the committee, he had reason to believe the claims and litigation were true, adding, he was relying on what others working with the Trump campaign had told him about the fraud allegations.
Now this recommendation from the disciplinary committee is not the final word on disbarment. D.C.'s city's board on professional responsibility will need to consider the case against him, as will the D.C. court of appeals.
A political advisor to Giuliani called the report, quote, "a great injustice," adding, "The decision-makers at the D.C. Bar Association are nothing more than an armed of the permanent regime in Washington" -- Sara Murray, CNN, Washington.
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BRUNHUBER: Florida governor Ron DeSantis says he will take part in next month's first Republican primary debate in Wisconsin, whether Donald Trump shows up or not. To participate in the debate, DeSantis and the other candidates will have to pledge to support whoever wins the GOP nomination.
Now in Florida, that same loyalty pledge will be required just to be on the Republican primary ballot. This is new and not every candidate is on board with it. More from Randi Kaye, who has been talking to Florida Republicans.
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VALENTIN HERNANDEZ, FLORIDA REPUBLICAN VOTER: It's a complete must.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Agree with it.
HERNANDEZ: One hundred percent.
KAYE (voice-over): Republican voter Valentin Hernandez is 100 percent in favor of Florida's Republican Party requiring 2024 presidential candidates to sign a loyalty pledge to support the party's eventual nominee and if they won't sign the pledge, they won't appear on the ballot.
HERNANDEZ: If you don't do that, you are a disorganized party and you're going to lose the elections. You know, you have your difference. First, you settle them and then you vote as a party. We don't want any prima donnas here.
KAYE (voice-over): Florida's GOP didn't insist on a loyalty pledge last cycle. Now that three Floridians could be on the ballot, Donald Trump, Florida governor Ron DeSantis and Miami mayor Francis Suarez, it could get interesting.
Former election lawyer Ben Ginsberg.
BEN GINSBERG, FORMER ELECTION LAWYER: This is Ron DeSantis' his own state party who is giving this huge tactical advantage to Donald Trump.
So what it means is that Ron DeSantis really has to temper and moderate his criticism of Donald Trump or he will find Donald Trump saying, oh, Ron DeSanctimonious doesn't really mean this. He has already said he's going to support me for president, so don't take his criticism serious.
KAYE (voice-over): Yaz Hernandez, who voted for Trump twice, along with her husband, likes DeSantis too, she says the party must unite behind the eventual nominee no matter who it is.
YAZ HERNANDEZ, FLORIDA REPUBLICAN VOTER: Donald Trump needs to support DeSantis if DeSantis is the one -- the front runner. That's the way I feel.
KAYE: And you wouldn't want to vote for someone who didn't sign a loyalty pledge?
Y. HERNANDEZ: No, I wouldn't.
KAYE (voice-over): Ginsberg says the loyalty pledge isn't illegal or necessarily unethical.
GINSBERG: When it comes to party politics. There are a few ethical rules.
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GINSBERG: I think this is more of a moral gut check issue for party leaders about whether you want to try and tilt a presidential primary or a front runner.
KAYE (voice-over): The loyalty pledge gives the state's Republican Party the power to decide who they'll allow on the ballot, which Ginsberg says could hurt some voters by limiting the number of options they have.
KAYE: What if your candidate who you like refused to sign the loyalty pledge? That person couldn't be on the ballot? Would that be OK with you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it wouldn't.
Christian Ziegler, the chairman of the Florida GOP told CNN via email, the loyalty pledge is an effort to ensure maximum unity heading into the 2024 general election but not every Republican voter we spoke with is in favor of it.
BICOLE BURNS, FLORIDA REPUBLICAN VOTER: I do think it takes away our individual freedom. I think it just does. I don't know if it's necessary.
KAYE: And this independent voter who voted for Trump in 2016 says Florida's Republican Party is playing with fire.
CIRO MENDOZA, FLORIDA REPUBLICAN VOTER: I think they put themselves in a position to be criticized if they didn't ask for royalty pledge. The majority of the public would not perceive that there's actually a problem.
KAYE: Former Texas rep Will Hurd says he will not sign the Florida pledge, not because he will not support a Republican nominee but because he will not support Donald Trump if he becomes the nominee.
Chris Christie has said that this Florida pledge is useless. Also as far as Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis go, neither have said if they will sign the pledge and neither have said if they will support the other if that person becomes the nominee. They have been sidestepping those questions.
It's also worth noting that the Florida GOP seems to be taking its cues from the Republican National Committee, who has also asked for a loyalty pledge for the primary debate.
In fact, the Florida GOP told "Politico" that its pledge basically mirrors language adopted by the Republican National Committee for that first debate -- Randi Kaye, CNN, Palm Beach County, Florida.
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BRUNHUBER: Still ahead, 100 days and counting. "The Wall Street Journal" reporter remains in detention in Russia on charges he denies. We will tell you what the U.S. is trying to do to secure his release. Plus, after working with the U.S. military to fight the Taliban in
Afghanistan, Nasrat Ahmad Yar brought his family to a new land with new hopes only to be a victim of American gun violence, his story and more when we come back. Stay with. Us
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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and all around the world. I am Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
We want to get back to one of our top stories this hour. Ukraine is marking 500 days since Russia launched its full scale invasion. The U.N. reports that, since the war began, more than 9,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and another 15,000 have been injured.
Nearly 6 million Ukrainians have been internally displaced and nearly 8 million have sought refuge in neighboring countries across Europe; about 17.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in 2023.
"The Wall Street Journal" reporter Evan Gershkovich has now been locked up in Russia for now than 100 days on spying charges that he strongly denies. His family and employer marked the milestone by renewing calls for his immediate release. They said they were relying on the U.S. government to bring him home.
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ELLA MILMAN, EVAN GERSHKOVICH'S MOTHER: I rely on President Biden's promise to bring Evan back. I rely on his team.
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BRUNHUBER: The White House says the U.S. and Russia have discussed a potential prisoner swap but, so far, there has been little progress.
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JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: There have been discussions. But those discussions have not produced a clear pathway to a resolution. So I cannot stand here today and tell you that we have a clear answer to how we are going to get Evan home.
All I can do is tell you we have a clear commitment and conviction that we will do everything possible to bring him home.
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BRUNHUBER: The White House also says President Biden has no higher priority than securing the release of Gershkovich and other Americans detained abroad.
A former Afghan interpreter escaped the Taliban takeover of his country, only to be shot and killed in his new country, the United States; 31-year-old Nasrat Ahmad Yar had been working an extra shift in his rideshare job in Washington, D.C., trying to provide for his family when he was shot early Monday.
Now police are asking for the public's help in solving the case. CNN's Tom Foreman has the latest.
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TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Close to midnight, gunfire, four people running. Behind them, police say, is a man left dying in his car.
Investigators have been pouring over the surveillance video all week looking for clues in the apparent murder of 31 year old Nasrat Ahmad Yar, a Lyft driver pulling and extra shift to support his wife and four kids, an immigrant searching for peace after a war torn past.
MOHAMMAD AHMADI, YAR'S COUSIN: He was a hardworking person. He was a very friendly person. He was happy to be here. He was -- he taught his -- preaching safety and security for himself and for his family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take cover, take cover.
FOREMAN: Ahmad Yar's path to America started when he served 10 years as a local interpreter for U.S. military forces in his home of Afghanistan. Anyone who took that role knew the risk if the Taliban caught them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they found me, they'd kill me and they'd kill my family.
FOREMAN: So when the U.S. military pulled out in 2021, President Joe Biden said this to those Afghans who had helped.
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our message to those women and men is clear, there is a home for you in the United States.
FOREMAN: After living under the threat of violence for so long, Ahmad Yar brought his family to a new land with new hopes and now this -- police are offering a reward but so far no news of an arrest.
Lyft says it will fully cooperate with investigators to try to solve this case and it has offered its condolences to the family.
So have several veterans, who have pointed out they could not have done their work in the name of the United States in Afghanistan without the brave work of young Afghans like this one -- Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
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BRUNHUBER: Still ahead, this week the planet saw its four hottest days on record.
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BRUNHUBER: Evidence the Earth is heating up much faster than expected and another wake up call in the climate crisis.
Plus, those hotter than normal temperatures have a lot of us thinking about the beach but something may be lurking in the water.
Should we be concerned?
We will have some answers, that was coming up. Please stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: The world is shattering climate records nearly every day and scientists warn that 2023 could be the hottest year on record. The global average daily temperature reached another record high on Thursday and this marks the fourth day in a row of record global heat.
Early data from U.S. meteorologists show Thursday's temperatures climbed above 63 degrees Fahrenheit. Now that may not sound hot. But it is the average temperatures in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, which currently in winter. Experts say that the extreme heat is another wake up call for the climate crisis.
A senior scientist at the Wood Well (ph) Climate Research Center says that this is almost certainly the warmest the planet has been in at least 100,000 years. It comes after last month that we saw the hottest June by a substantial margin above the previous record.
Now those rising temperatures are also driving more people to the beach. Officials are ramping up shark patrols in Long Island after a spike in incidents of people being bitten in the water. CNN's Polo Sandoval reports.
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GEORGE GORMAN, REGIONAL DIRECTOR, NEW YORK STATE PARKS: We have more surveillance, more lifeguards out there than we've ever had in the past.
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Five suspected shark attacks within 24 hours leading officials to ramp up shark patrols along New York's coast.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's their territory and we're invading their territory.
SANDOVAL (voice-over): The incidents happened at five different locations on Long Island beaches. On July 3 officials say a 15 year- old girl was bitten while swimming at Robert Moses State Park. [05:40:00]
SANDOVAL (voice-over): And a 15 year-old boy says he was bit at Kismet Beach.
PETER BANCULLI, SHARK ATTACK VICTIM: My first reaction to when the shark grabbed my foot was to immediately get out the water and get help.
SANDOVAL (voice-over): Then on July 4, three, four incidents this time all involving adults at three separate locations, all five swimmers had non-life threatening injuries. CNN obtained this drone footage from Robert Moses State Park beach on July 4 of what was initially described as sand sharks.
Deciding to lay the beach is opening but state park officials now say the animals were likely been other species of fish according to "The New York Times."
GORMAN: What we're hearing from the shark experts is that these baits are undoubtedly a mistake. They think the sharks think they're feeding on bait fish or bunker fish. And that's why these are bites.
SANDOVAL (voice-over): That's why park officials say having an eye in the sky is a critical asset.
LT. ALEX GOODMAN, NEW YORK STATE PARKS: The drones are much more inexpensive to fly, they can be deployed very rapidly, we are entering the natural habitat of these animals. And there's always the potential for risk. But with all the assets and manpower that we have employed here, the idea is to keep people as safe as possible.
SANDOVAL (voice-over): And it's not just the Northeast that's on heightened alert. This was the scene Monday in Pensacola Beach, Florida, where a shark was spotted swimming near the shore. It will, may seem like we're seeing more shark encounters. Experts say that isn't necessarily the case.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot more documentation occurs because everybody's got a cell phone. So we see more of these things. So they come into our living rooms really quickly.
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BRUNHUBER: And joining me now is Andrew Nosal, an associate professor of biology at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. He's speaking to us from Mexico.
Thank you so much for being here with us. It seems that every summer we seem to talk about this. There is a cluster of encounters with sharks and we are quick in the media to talk about the summer of the shark and so on.
But what we have seen recently in New York, it does seem unusual. According to the international shark attack file, over the last decade, in New York, there were just four people bitten by sharks. But over couple of days now there were five.
So what do you think is behind it?
ANDREW NOSAL, POINT LOMA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY: Well, at the root is the fact that when there are sharks together and people together, there can be accidents. Now, of course, this was a record holiday week, July 4th, a lot of people at the beach.
And obviously a lot of sharks in the water too. And aggregation behavior, sharks forming groups together, is quite common across many different species. And there is many reasons why they might do that. They could be attracted to food, they could be attracted to each other for mating purposes.
They could be gathering in a place that is good for giving birth. It is a little hard to know exactly what might have caused the recent string of incidents. But it is not that surprising that it would happen over a holiday weekend, when everybody wants to get in the water.
BRUNHUBER: You talk about a lot of sharks being in the water and food may be attracting them. Some of the experts there used the phrase "the new normal" because the water, it is cleaner, so there are more fish for the sharks to feed on.
Is that contributing, do you think?
NOSAL: It certainly could be and it is a little counterintuitive. We have sharks off our coast. Our instinct is to be afraid of them. But we should respect them. But what we should really be is happy to see them because what it means is that the marine ecosystem is healthy.
Usually when marine ecosystems are not healthy, the top predators are the first ones to go. We often call them the canaries in the coal mine. And so the fact that we are seeing lots of sharks off our coast, it means that there is plenty of food for them. And there is plenty of food for their food and so on.
And so there has been a lot of important conservation efforts that have happened over the last couple of decades and so certainly some species have recovered from very deep population declines.
BRUNHUBER: So more sharks, good for the ecosystem. Not great for swimmers.
In terms of the response here, they are deploying more drones. Drones are so effective in spotting sharks, as you will know from your research. And it is amazing. I've been out there, you send up drones and within two or three minutes you will see six, seven great whites not that far off the coast.
I have been in California doing this. It is frightening how close they can be to the shore and you never realize it.
Is this the best way to prevent encounters, is to use drones?
NOSAL: Drones are a really important tool, not just for research but public safety. But I think you bring up an important point that he sent out the drone.
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NOSAL: And you see all of these sharks, very close to all of these people and yet we only see so few bites every year and very few of those end up being fatal. That is only when we have drones in the sky.
Imagine how close sharks and people come together when we do not realize it. So what this all means is that sharks are very good at what they do. They very rarely make these kinds of mistakes and cause these accidents to happen.
And so, using drones, it's an important public safety tool and can be used to spot potentially very large or very aggressively moving sharks and potentially clear the beach if necessary.
But I think what is most important is to realize that, even though there are sharks in the water, the chance of being bit is so rare.
BRUNHUBER: You talk about these being mistakes. We know that sharks do not actually want to eat us, they are after other prey and it is usually a case of mistaken identity.
But to prevent accidentally getting bitten, what is your advice?
NOSAL: Well, the best thing you can do is to never swim alone. That's not just because sharks pose a risk; you could have a medical emergency, there are all kinds of things that could happen. You do not want to be far away from other people who could come to help you.
In addition to that, you probably want to avoid swimming at dusk, at night, dawn, these are when sharks tend to be the most active, when they tend to be hunting the most. Follow the lifeguards' instructions, follow the warnings. And that is basically what we can do.
There is inherent risk. And everything that we do, getting in our cars is probably a lot more dangerous than going swimming at the beach, even if there are sharks around.
One other thing to try to do is, if you find yourself and you are surrounded by bait fish and you can see them if you're snorkeling or, we call it bubbling at the surface, because something is pushing them up and we see them jumping at the surface, that is probably not a place you want to be because there is likely some large predatory fish, including sharks.
BRUNHUBER: That is great advice. It would be absolutely frightening. As you say, you have much more chance of getting hurt driving to the beach than you do getting bitten by a shark. Andrew Nosal, thank you for being here with us, we appreciate it.
NOSAL: Thank you. (END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: All right, still ahead, number one NBA draft pick Victor Wembanyama had quite the debut Friday night in Vegas. "CNN SPORT'S" Coy Wire joins me next to break down the NBA summer league opener right on cue.
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BRUNHUBER: The day many NBA fans have been waiting for, came Friday when number one overall NBA draft pick Victor Wembanyama played his first game during the opening night of Las Vegas summer league. With me now is "CNN SPORT'S" Coy Wire.
A mixed debut, I think it's fair to say, right?
COY WIRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very fair. But such high expectations, this teenager, 7'4" has all the gifts that any God could ever give any one athlete. Fans were lining up at 3 am to get into the arena for the sold out debut against the Hornets Friday night.
When the mania, reaching a fever pitch when he stepped on the court for the first time and the Spurs in uniform. Look at the handles. Most guys, they are just passing the ball all, getting out of there, not him. Yes, pretty sweet.
As you would expect, his defense is scary good. Watch him block a 3 pointer by the number 2 overall pick, Brandon Miller. The Spurs had a player get five blocks just once last season. Wembanyama getting a 3 pointer, a foul as well, just 9 points on the night. After the game, this guy's got a long way to go before the games really count.
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VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, NUMBER ONE OVERALL NBA DRAFT PICK: A special moment, really special to wear that jersey for the first time. And overall I'm glad we won this game. It is a good start for the year. And honestly, I didn't really know what I was doing but it's (INAUDIBLE).
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WIRE: Now off the court Vegas police say that no charges will be filed in connection with the altercation between a member of his security team and Britney Spears. On Wednesday, at a hotel and casino, detectives reviewing surveillance video say that the singer's hand was pushed away from the basketball phenom when she tried to tap him on the shoulder and it caused her to hit herself in the face.
According to the police report, the guard later apologized to Britney for the misunderstanding. She was very perturbed by this. She posted on her Instagram that she was not really feeling very happy in that moment.
BRUNHUBER: Stop hitting yourself. It's good to see that they do not have beef anyway.
WIRE: She could've been like, hit me, baby, one more time.
BRUNHUBER: Listen, let's quickly turn to the Women's World Cup. Teams already arriving in Australia and New Zealand. And you've got some news from the U.S. Women's.
WIRE: We have Lindsey Horan and Alex Morgan, they're both going to be team captain America. We are just 12 days away from the kickoff here in Australia and New Zealand. Team USA looking to become the first team to ever win three in a row.
Lindsey Horan at 29 years old, she's going to be the team's youngest captain since 1995, she's going to wear the armband if both players are on the pitch of the same time.
Alex Morgan, this is her fourth World Cup appearance but it is her first as a mom. She says she wants to represent her 3-year-old daughter Charlie (ph) and for all athletes who are moms out there.
Some of the best golfers on the planet battling it out on the iconic Pebble Beach golf links in California rugged coastline there. A second round of the U.S. Women's open --
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WIRE: -- 26-year-old American Bailey Tardy, unlikely leader at this point. The LGPA rookie has missed 5 cuts and one withdrawal this season. She barely even qualified to play in this third major of the year. But now she is at 7 under with a 2-stroke lead at the biggest event in women's golf.
Michelle Wie West announcing, before the tournament, that this would be her retirement afterwards and that, while the 2014 U.S. Women's Open champ did not make the cut, she did give us one last highlight. Look at this, a 30 foot putt, 4 par on 18. That is how you end your pro career.
BRUNHUBER: Amazing.
Stick around for this because I know you have daughters.
Pop star Taylor Swift released a new music video. Have a look.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): The Grammy winner unveiled the video for "I Can See, You" at a concert at Kansas City, Missouri, Friday night. According to "Entertainment Weekly," Swift told the crowd she directed it herself.
Actors Joey King, Taylor Lautner and Presley Cash appear in the video and were in attendance at the show as well.
Before we go, the drawing for tonight's Powerball jackpot in the U.S. will be up to $615 million . If anyone hits all of the numbers they will get the whole sum spread out over 30 years. If you take the lump sum it should be more than $310 million. That's all before taxes.
If no one hits all the numbers on Saturday, the jackpot could be $650 million on Monday. Good luck out there.
All right, I'm Kim Brunhuber, you can follow me on Twitter at Kim Brunhuber. For viewers in North America, "CNN THIS MORNING" is next. For the rest of the world it is "Call to Earth."
