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President Joe Biden Travels to Europe for NATO Summit; Legislators Back in Session Next Week; Mass Shooting on Cleveland, Ohio; U.S. Marine Under Investigation for Teenage Girl's Disappearance. Tennessee Bans Care for Transgender Minors. Biden Travels To U.K. Ahead of Critical NATO Summit; Congress Divided On U.S. Offer Of Cluster Munitions; Retired Ukrainians Refuse To Leave War-Torn Homes. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired July 10, 2023 - 02:00   ET

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


[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead on "CNN Newsroom," U.S. President Joe Biden is in Europe for a high stakes week of foreign policy challenges and Ukraine will be front and center as Kyiv pushes to join NATO.

More wild weather in the United States, a one in one-thousand-year rainfall event in New York and triple digit heat in the southwest.

Plus, music superstar Harry Styles gets pelted in the eye on stage, the latest victim in a disturbing concert trend.

It is 7:00 in the morning in London where U.S. President Joe Biden is kicking off a high-stakes, week-long overseas trip. He will be meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the hours ahead before heading to Lithuania for a critical NATO summit. That meeting will be taking place as the war in Ukraine grinds on and amid calls for Kyiv to be granted membership in the military alliance.

CNN correspondents are tracking developments for us. Clare Sebastian is in London and Nic Robertson, also in London, is standing by outside 10 Downing Street. Welcome to you both. So Nic, the war in Ukraine will of course dominate President Biden's upcoming meeting today with Britain's Prime Minister and also at the two-day NATO summit that gets underway on Tuesday. What is expected to be achieved overall this week do you think?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Ukraine will be hoping that it's given a strong and clear path to joining NATO membership. Ideally, they would like to be able to join now, but there are two huge stumbling blocks. One is Article 5, that if one nation is attacked, the others will come to support them, which means if Ukraine was to become an immediate member of NATO, then it would put all the other NATO nations at war with Russia. That's not going to happen. But there's the issue of democratization. And the question becomes,

how do you give Ukraine the assurances and the guarantees that it wants that it's going to be stable and can stand up to Russia's continued military onslaught?

So, there's more likely to be a sort of a coalescing around language that will allow for bilateral guarantees of continued military support, of continued financial aid that President Biden in an interview this weekend with CNN indicated could be like United States would consider doing another Israelite basis where there is this commitment for sophisticated weaponry, for sophisticate -- for training on sophisticated weaponry for there to be no doubt in Israel's mind and therefore Ukraine's mind that they have the full military support of the United States.

So, this is the pathway but not all NATO nations are on the same footing on this and of course the other, you know, question going into this will be, can NATO remain united over the issue of bringing Sweden that it has to join NATO into the alliance. And of course, Finland has -- Finland has joined and it was expected to be on a parallel twin track with Sweden, but it's Hungary and in particular Turkey President Erdogan there who's been holding out the process.

But we know when he flew over here, President Biden spoke on the plane on Air Force One with President Erdogan by phone and is expected to have a bilateral meeting with President Erdogan in Vilnius. Now, will that -- what will the outcome of that be even if he was to get a nod for Sweden from the Turkish president. These things don't happen immediately. It needs to be ratified by the Turkish government and Hungary has said if President Erdogan waives his objections, then they would follow suit as well. But what kind of language may emerge from Vilnius around that? That would be the other big question.

CHURCH: And Clare, President Biden has made it clear that Ukraine is not yet ready to become a NATO member not until the war has ended. So, President Zelensky is now calling for security guarantees. What is the latest on this?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Rosemary, I think notable that, you know, as quite often happens with summits on this scale, a lot of the work happens beforehand and we've seen President Zelenskyy over the past week really on something of a European tour.

[02:05:01]

He's visited Turkey, Bulgaria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic. He met on Sunday with the Polish President, Duda, in the western city of Lutsk in Ukraine, all I think to garner support for its bid to join NATO eventually, but also to make Ukraine's position on this very clear. The problem for Ukraine is it's now been 15 years since NATO came to an agreement in a summit in Bucharest in 2008 that it welcomed the aspirations of then Georgia and Ukraine to join the alliance.

Of course, four months later, Russia invaded Georgia and we now, of course, see what's happened with Ukraine. So, it's very clear that that commitment at that point was not enough. They want this, as Nic was explaining, to go further. President Zelenskyy in an interview recorded by ABC and aired on Sunday said that, you know, if there's no unity in NATO on a technical invitation, they at least need to find the proper wording for Ukraine. Take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translation): It would be an important message to say that NATO is not afraid of Russia. Ukraine should get clear security guarantees while it is not in NATO. And that is a very important point. Only under these conditions our meeting would be meaningful. Otherwise, it's just another politics. I don't want to go to Vilnius for fun if the decision has been made beforehand.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: You know, I think you can say that Zelenskyy's tone, his rhetoric on this has become more and more sort of stark, more and more strident in the lead up to this summit. He doesn't want to come away from this empty handed especially in the middle of this critical moment in the war in Ukraine.

I think weapons supplies will be a crucial part of this summit as well. Clearly the U.S. decision to supply cluster munitions, controversial, but also a really clear sign of how the defense industrial base in NATO countries is struggling to keep up with the demands of this war. President Biden actually admitting that one of the reasons they're doing this is because they're running low on other types of ammunition.

So that, and of course, the question of the F-16 fighter jets training has begun for Ukrainian pilots, but they have yet to get the go ahead to actually get those planes into the battle here.

CHURCH: All right, Clare Sebastien, Nic Robertson, many thanks to you both for those reports.

Michael O'Hanlon is a senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution and author of "Military History for the Modern Strategist." He joins me now from Bethesda in Maryland. Good to have you with us.

MICHAEL O'HANLON, SENIOR FELLOW IN FOREIGN POLICY, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: Greetings.

CHURCH: So, on his brief visit to the U.K., President Joe Biden meets with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this morning at 10 Downing Street ahead of this week's high stakes NATO summit. And of course, this comes after Mr. Biden's decision to send to Ukraine cluster munitions that are banned in 100 countries, including Britain. What impact will that decision likely have on this meeting and what other critical issues might be discussed do you think?

O'HANLON: Well, I think the decision on cluster munitions will be controversial, but is a pretty tactical decision. You know, the Russians have been laying landmines here and there, left and right. And this decision will not demonstrably change the basic situation. So, you can agree with it or not agree with it is not a strategic level change in the basic military situation.

The military situation, unfortunately, is relatively stalemated with or without the cluster munitions. And I think that's going to be one big piece of NATO's, you know, basic conceptual framework going forward. How do we think about the future of this war? Can Ukraine really liberate all of its territory? I don't yet know the answer to that question. We're going to find out more in the course of the summer.

The cluster munitions debate should be seen within that context and probably not viewed as a litmus test about the morality of the overall cause, which I think we all agree is basically on Ukraine's side, regardless.

CHURCH: And President Biden will also meet with King Charles III for the first time since his coronation to discuss climate issues before heading to Lithuania for the NATO summit starting on Tuesday. A meeting that will be dominated by the war in Ukraine, of course, and Mr. Biden's decision that Ukraine is not yet ready to join the military alliance. Would that be the sentiment of the majority of NATO members that the war needs to end before Ukraine's membership is even considered here?

O'HANLON: I think so because realistically, are we really going to give Ukraine a security guarantee and come fight in its defense while the war is ongoing? Even President Zelenskyy is not really asking for that. So, the real question here is not so much about whether we say we might want Ukraine and NATO someday.

[02:10:00]

It's what do we do about the current and near-term future with this conflict? And I think that right now we're going to have to watch and see how the battlefield plays out in the summer. I think Ukraine will make some gains. None of us know how many. And then we have to reassess in the fall and winter, how can we help Ukraine make more gains? That's going to be the question. The NATO membership issue is really, you know, it's a nice ideological debate.

It's really not that pertinent to the short-term question of how do you help them win. And so, I hope that NATO spends some time thinking about that question. How do we help Ukraine get stronger and more effective and not just have this long-term theoretical question about whether they can join NATO in two, three, four, five years?

CHURCH: And President Biden also spoke with Turkey's President Erdogan ahead of the NATO summit. Turkey's president has been blocking Sweden's effort to join the military alliance, but now it looks like President Biden could make a deal to sell F-16 fighter jets to Turkey in exchange for the country agreeing to allow Sweden to join NATO. Could such a deal like that work do you think?

O'HANLON: It might, but you know what? I also see this as a much less central question. Russia is not going to attack Sweden. Sweden is not even a frontline state. There's no particular reason to worry about whether Sweden is in or out of the Alliance. I would like to see them in. But even if this issue gets punted or protracted, it's not really going to change the basic security situation in Europe.

The real issue, of course, is about the war in Ukraine and how do we help Ukraine do better on the battlefield. How do we think about Ukraine's long-term security? Sweden, with all due respect, is sort of a sideshow to those big questions.

CHURCH: All right. Michael O'Hanlon, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

O'HANLON: Thank you.

CHURCH: Here in the United States, Congress comes back in session this week after the Independence Day holiday. The Senate gavels in later today, the House on Tuesday. Legislators have a long list of priorities and right at the top, hammering out a spending agreement ahead of the September deadline. CNN's Alayna Treene has more.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Spending is a top priority for Congress when they return this week. The House and the Senate are careening toward a major spending standoff that will likely consume Congress this fall. It also raises the threat of a potential government shutdown. Now, as of now, the two parties are far apart on what a budget deal should look like. Far-right members in the House specifically are pushing to cut spending at levels that most members in Congress are uncomfortable with.

And this will, once again, be a major task for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's ability to keep his narrow Republican majority behind him. We heard from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. He referenced this during a press conference Sunday morning. Let's listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): The good news is in the Senate, Democrats and Republicans are working together on the Appropriations Committee to fund the government. They've come to agreement on a whole bunch of the different subcommittees of the Appropriations Committee. And hopefully, we can have a bipartisan agreement that avoids a shutdown.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: So, Congress has until September 30th to pass a budget for the next year, but they're only scheduled to be in session for three weeks until they break yet again for all of August. And so, these next few weeks will be critical for these negotiations. A lot of tension will also be on the House investigations, as well as potential impeachment efforts against top Biden officials like Attorney General Merrick Garland, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and even President Biden himself.

Before Congress broke ahead of the July 4th recess, a series of Republicans began threatening to impeach Garland over allegations from IRS whistleblowers that the Justice Department improperly interfered in the criminal investigation into Hunter Biden. And even McCarthy, who has so far taken a pretty measured approach to impeachment efforts, has signaled that he is open to impeaching Garland if these allegations prove to be true. But the big picture here on these investigations is that we're closing in on a period when all of the oxygen in Washington will soon be focused on the 2024 presidential elections.

And Republicans want to use this period to thrust what they argue is widespread politicization of the government into the spotlight and damage Democrats as much as possible as we head into election season. Alayna Treene, CNN Washington.

CHURCH: Tens of millions of Americans are bracing for record-breaking high temperatures this week and there's no relief in sight. The National Weather Service has issued dangerous heat alerts for some 37 million people from the Pacific Northwest to the Southwest. And forecasts show the heat alerts will extend through the end of next weekend in the Southwest.

[02:14:58]

In Phoenix, Arizona, temperatures have reached at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit, 43 degrees Celsius for nine consecutive days. In New York State, officials say at least one person has died in floodwaters after powerful storms dumped several centimeters of rain on Sunday. Just look at the heavy flooding in Rockland County. It is one of several places to have reported stranded vehicles and swift water rescues. Forecasters are advising people not to venture out in southeastern New York. Right now, New York City is under a flood watch until around daybreak because of potential downpours.

A marine based at Camp Pendleton in California is questioned about a girl's disappearance. Officials say the girl was found in a marine barracks late last month. We'll have details for you on the other side of the break. Stay with us.

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CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. At least nine people are wounded after a mass shooting in Cleveland, Ohio early Sunday.

[02:19:59]

Police say the victims were seven men and two women all in their 20s or 30s. None of the injuries appear to be life-threatening. Police are looking for both a suspect and a motive. This now makes at least 370 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

And in New York, police say they have arrested the gunman responsible for a string of shootings in Queens and Brooklyn. This was the scene in Queens Saturday after an 86-year-old man was fatally shot. Police say 25-year-old Thomas Abreu is facing murder, attempted murder and weapons charges. And they say he may be tied to as many as six shootings that also left four people injured. Well, police in Pennsylvania have discovered small stockpiles of

campsites that they believe are linked to an escaped inmate. Michael Burham broke out of jail Thursday night. Officials say he is a self- taught survivalist. They're offering nearly $10,000 for information that leads to Burham's arrest. But authorities warn he should be considered armed and dangerous.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE BIVENS, PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE: We have no reason to believe Burham has left the general area. With that said, we have received several tips or investigative leads from outside of the area and we are thoroughly investigating each of those. None of them has caused us to change our assessment that he remains in this area.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Officials say local residents should secure their homes and cars and should not approach Burham if they see him.

A U.S. marine has been taken into custody for questioning after a missing 14-year-old girl was found in the barracks at Camp Pendleton. The girl, who was reported missing by her grandmother, was located on the base on June 28th. CNN correspondent Camila Bernal has the latest in the inquiry.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We know that a marine was taken into custody after a 14-year-old girl was found at the barracks at Camp Pendleton. And this happened on June 28th, according to a statement from the Marine Corps. I want to read part of that statement where they say, "This command takes this matter and all allegations very seriously. The incident is under investigation and we will continue to cooperate with NCIS and appropriate authorities."

Now, the NCIS is the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. They are in charge of this investigation but declined to comment on the investigation saying out of respect for the investigative process. Now, we did reach out to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and what they're saying is that the 14-year-old girl was reported missing by her grandmother on June 13th.

The grandmother told authorities that she ran away on June 9th and said this was not the first time that she ran away but usually returned home quickly. So, they entered her information into a number of missing persons databases, but she was found on June 28th by military police. And the San Diego County Sheriff's Department says that detectives interviewed her. They were offered services and she was returned to her grandmother.

Now, again, it is the NCIS who is in charge of this investigation, so we will have to wait for their findings. Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.

CHURCH: One woman is dead and more than 20 people injured after an SUV slammed into a Chicago transit bus. Police say the woman was a passenger in the SUV, which was traveling in the wrong direction when the collision occurred early Sunday. The SUV's driver and another passenger are in critical condition. The bus driver and 12 passengers were taken to the hospital with various injuries.

A U.S. federal appeals court has ruled the state of Tennessee can now legally ban gender affirming care for transgender minors. It's a painful bit of legal whiplash for families with transgender children after the court overturned an injunction that kept Tennessee from putting the law into effect. Now, health care providers in the state are prohibited from offering treatments to transgender children, treatments which major medical associations say are critical for their health and well-being. Rafael Romo explains.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In their opinion, the three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati acknowledged that their views were, quote, "initial." They also said that they may be wrong, but there is a reason why they expedited the appeal of the preliminary injunction. The judges say they have the goal of resolving the matter no later than September 30th this year in an effort to mitigate any potential harm from that possibility.

[02:24:57]

To reach their conclusion, they granted a stay of a lower court injunction, which had been blocking enforcement of the state's ban on health care providers performing gender-affirming surgeries and administering hormones or puberty blockers to transgender minors, pending the duration of the appeal. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrimetti, who is a Republican, acknowledged Saturday after the ruling was announced that this case is far from over, but this is a big win, he said, adding that the Court of Appeals lifted the injunction, meaning the law can be fully enforced and recognize that Tennessee is likely to win the constitutional argument and the case.

On the other side, the American Civil Liberties Union blasted the decision in a statement, also saying that this case is far from over and calling the ruling disappointing and heartbreaking as we and our clients consider our next steps. The ACLU said, we want all the transgender youth of Tennessee to know this fight is far from over and we will continue to challenge this law until it is permanently defeated and Tennessee is made a safer place to raise every family.

The ruling means that the ban will now take effect immediately. This is the first time a U.S. federal court rules in favor of a law banning health care providers from providing transition care to transgender minors. Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

CHURCH: Controversy is swirling over U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to give Ukraine cluster bombs. Coming up, we will hear from Republicans and Democrats about why some think it is a necessary action, while others say it threatens America's moral leadership.

Plus, who knew a Bee Gees song could have such a deep meaning in Ukraine? Why seniors living in the war zone are determined to keep staying alive in the homes they love.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [02:30:37]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: U.S. President Joe Biden is kicking off his high stakes overseas trip in the U.K. Mr. Biden arrived in London late Sunday and is set to sit down with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the coming hours. He will also be meeting with King Charles all that comes before he heads to Lithuania for a critical NATO Summit. Russia's war on Ukraine will be high on the agenda.

The summit comes just days after Mr. Biden approved giving controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine. The debate over Biden's decision to provide those weapons is extending to Capitol Hill, one top Republican told Jake Tapper on CNN State of the Union that he agrees with what the President has done.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL (R-TX): Russia is dropping with impunity, cluster bombs in Ukraine, in the country of Ukraine right now. All the Ukrainians and Zelenskyy are asking for is to give them the same weapons the Russians have to use in their own country, against Russians who are in their own country. There -- they do not want these to be used in Russia. They want these as self-defense to use against the Russians in their own country of Ukraine.

I don't see anything wrong with that because quite honestly, Jake, as you look at the counteroffensive, it's been slowed tremendously, because this administration has been so slow to get the weapons and these weapons would be a game changer. They are highly effective, and particularly hitting flanks of troops inside of Ukraine. They will be a game changer in the counteroffensive. And I'm really pleased the administration has finally agreed to do this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: But not everyone's on board, Democratic Congress member Barbara Lee said giving these bombs to Ukraine could risk the U.S. losing moral leadership.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. BARBARA LEE (D-CA): No cluster bombs should never be used. That's crossing the line. Once you see what takes place, we know what takes place in terms of cluster bombs being very dangerous to civilians. They don't always immediately explode. Children can step on them. That's the line we should not cross. I think the President's been doing a good job managing this war. This Putin aggressive war against Ukraine, but I think that this should not happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Russia's embassy in Washington says the U.S. decision to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions is essentially an admission of war crimes. But numerous reports say Russia itself has used cluster bombs throughout the war. Well, for some retired Ukrainians living on the frontlines of the war, neither blackouts nor constant shelling are enough to push them from their homes. CNN's Ben Wedeman spend time with some of them to find out why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTENATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): A small flashlight is all that illuminates the seller Olga (ph) calls her home. Her bedroom, a cramped windowless storage space. I'd like to live under normal conditions says Olga, retired school teacher, retired on 78 years old. She's been living like this since shortly after the war came to her town of Siversk. Battered to smithereens by months of Russian bombardment.

WEDEMAN: Five hundred days of war have left this town and so many others, a wasteland of wreckage and rubble. Despite that, some people refuse to leave.

WEDEMAN (voiceover): We met 70-year-old Nina (ph) last March when she told us happier day seemed a world away.

What do we feel? She asked. Pain, pain. When you see something destroyed, you tear up. We cry. We cry.

Summer has improved her mood. I show Nina and her friend Valentina pictures of the potatoes I grow back home in Italy. Prompting Nina to show off her tiny garden of herbs and onions. Still, emotions flooded back when I asked what she hoped for most of them. We're waiting for the day, she says. The minute when the war ends.

On this days Siversk was quiet. All we heard was the occasional faint thud of distance shelling.

[02:35:06]

Russian lines are six miles away. Yet the air of tranquility is deceptive.

It's not quiet insists Valentina. They were firing all night long. Those who remain are an eclectic group like Sasha (ph), an ageing rocker, a great fan of 70s classics.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bee Gees.

WEDEMAN: Bee Gees. All right. Staying Alive. Oleksander (ph) never goes anywhere without his dog Malish (ph). Does he have high hopes for Ukraine's counteroffensive? No.

Putin he tells me will keep pushing ahead even if he has to kill every last Ukrainian. Russians are like a bear. They sit and wait and then. Olga has the task of distributing loaves of bread to her neighbors brought in by volunteers. The powerful would do what they will do. Here the priority is staying.

Ben Wedeman, CNN Siversk, Eastern Ukraine. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And still to come. Historic rainfall across India is triggering deadly floods and landslides. We will have the very latest. Back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: More rain is expected in New Delhi after the city's wettest as day and 40 years. Schools have been closed for Monday and rescue efforts are underway in northern India after heavy rainfall turned into deadly floods. Dozens of people have been saved from the raging floodwaters, but at least 22 people have died.

Israel is bracing for more massive protests as its Parliament prepares to take its first vote on the Netanyahu government's hugely controversial judicial changes. If the bill passes the initial reading organizers say they will demonstrate Tuesday and what they are calling a day of resistance.

[02:40:09]

Tens of thousands of protesters rallied on Saturday against the measure in cities across Israel for the 27th consecutive week. Police clashed with demonstrators in some areas and fired water cannon to clear a major highway in Tel Aviv. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is warning protesters he won't tolerate actions he says infringe on the rights of Israelis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL (through translator): The right to demonstrate in the framework of the law is sacred for every individual and every sector and we strongly condemn any violence against demonstrators from this side or the other. This right is reserved both to the opponents of the reform and its supporters. While the government has not considered restricting this right.

It has requested to receive a report on what is the enforcement policy regarding violations of the law that infringe on the basic rights of millions of citizens and which are carried out almost on a daily basis during the demonstrations.

CHURCH: In the coming hours, Parliament is set to hold the first of three votes on a central part of the controversial judicial measures. This one would reduce the court's ability to use what's called the reasonableness standard. It enables courts to throw out edicts they say are unreasonable and violate Israelis rights, even if they don't violate any specific law.

And thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. For our international viewers, WORLD SPORT is coming up next. And for all of you watching us here in the United States and in Canada, I'll be back with more CNN NEWSROOM after a short break. Do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [02:45:39]

CHURCH: Welcome back to our viewers here in North America. I'm Rosemary Church. A landslide in Southern California has severely damaged an upscale neighborhood. It happened suddenly in Rolling Hills Estates, south of Los Angeles. Authorities evacuated at least 12 hilltop homes overlooking a canyon. Geologists say the area has been unstable for hundreds of thousands of years. But it's not clear what triggered this latest Earth movement.

Well, last week was the hottest ever recorded on our planet. There were record-breaking temperatures everywhere from China to Mexico. And scientists warned this is only the beginning as we see the growing impacts of climate change. CNN Meteorologist Britley Ritz has more.

BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Thankfully, the past two days, we didn't break our global average temperature record. But we did four times this past week. It started on Monday at 62.62 degrees. And we hit another record on Tuesday at 62.92 degrees. We tied that record on Wednesday and then brought in new numbers, a new record on Thursday at 63.01 degrees of Fahrenheit. What's going on?

Got a lot of land in the northern hemisphere. So that new record 63.01 degrees Fahrenheit, the previous record before all of this week, was set back in 2016. It's 62.46 degrees. So that just kind of puts things into perspective. So, there's all that land and the northern hemisphere and land heats up a lot faster than water does. Plus, we're also dealing with what's called an El Nino. An El Nino focuses more on our sea surface temperatures, and they're typically warmer.

And in the Pacific, we noticed the trade winds start to weaken. As that happens, all that warmer water gets pushed over toward our Pacific coasts of the Americas. And we're noticing it all over the world. El Nino is a teleconnection pattern. So, it doesn't just happen in one area. It happens all across the globe. So, in the North Atlantic, we have five degrees Celsius above where we should be, and that directly correlates to our land.

So, sea surface temperatures work with our land some temperatures as well. So, the U.K. wound up seeing the hottest June on record at 60.4 degrees Fahrenheit. And by the 2050s, that's going to be a regular occurrence. Beijing (INAUDIBLE) over the past five days 104 degrees. And then we've only reached that six other times since 1951. Notice a small cool down for a second time before we wrap it back up as we come into next week.

And this line shows you an average. So, where we should be? Around 88 degrees. We'll be well into the 90s. In the United States, also dealing with this too. We have an excessive heat warning that now it's been issued for Southern California as well as Southern Arizona in the Grand Canyon, Albuquerque all the way down into southern parts of New Mexico under heat advisories that are announced extended back into Southern Texas, El Paso under that excessive heat warning as well.

Notice temperatures over the next three days, a good five degrees above where they should be. Phoenix trying to push 115 degrees. And that'll likely be the case as we come into the middle to late of next week.

CHURCH: Joining me now from Oakland, California is Zeke Hausfather. He is the lead climate researcher for Stripe. Appreciate you joining us.

ZEKE HAUSFATHER, CLIMATE RESEARCH LEAD, STRIPE: Thank you. It's great to be here.

CHURCH: So, record setting heat and hazardous air have been a major part of the U.S. summer so far. And experts suggest the worst is yet to come. How bad could this extreme heat get do you think?

HAUSFATHER: So, the world has been experiencing a truly scorching summer so far with all-time heat records falling all over the world. And the six warmest days on record for the planet is all happening in the last week. You know, we saw the warmest June on record. This past June for the planet and we're on track to see the warmest July on record. And 2023 as a whole is on track to be the warmest year since records began in the mid-1800s.

You know, here in the U.S. we see records falling in the southern parts of the country and off the Florida Keys today ocean temperatures reached 96 degrees Fahrenheit, you know, roughly what you'd expect to experience in a hot tub, not the ocean. And this heat seems to be persisting for at least the next 10 days and really poses major health risks to people who are outdoors for long periods in most regions.

[02:50:06]

CHURCH: Yes. Absolutely. Of course, we have seen heat wave set many parts of the country. Now, of course, we're seeing this wave of hot temperatures in the southwest. What's going on with this next heat wave? Who's at greatest risk, do you think?

HAUSFATHER: So, we expect particularly high temperatures in areas like Phoenix, where we might see, you know, more than 18 days in a row over 110 degrees which would beat the record that that region saw back in 1979. We expect, you know, the southern parts of Texas to be extremely hot and have a heat index of well over 100 degrees. And parts of Florida as well.

CHURCH: And how much is a warming climate actively shaping our lives do you think? And what do we need to do to work with this new reality to be flexible with it?

HAUSFATHER: So, the type of heat we're experiencing now, globally, would be almost impossible in the preindustrial world before we admitted, you know, a trillion tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. And so, what we're seeing today with these heat waves, both on land and over the oceans with these extreme out of control wildfires and the high boreal regions of Canada is really a sign of climate change, starting to affect our day to day lives in a meaningful way.

And so, we need to get used to this as the new normal. You need to get used to summers that are going to be scorching hot. We need to get used to be extreme wildfire conditions in the western U.S. and Canada. And if we don't want it to get worse, we need to focus on policies to reduce our emissions of carbon dioxide.

CHURCH: Yes. So, what do governments then in the United States and of course, other nations need to be doing right now to prepare for a much hotter world?

HAUSFATHER: So, there's a lot we can do to help adapt to it, in addition to help reduce our emissions to keep it from getting worse. So, things like building cooling centers that are accessible, you know, passing out and making available water. Expanding the availability of air conditioning to particularly for poor people. And planting carbon trees to help cool down urban areas, painting (INAUDIBLE)

There's really a lot that we can do to help adapt to the changes that we've been experiencing so far. But at the same time, if we -- if we don't stop this from getting worse, you know, it's going to continue to become more hazardous in the future and it's become harder and harder to adapt to it.

CHURCH: All right. Appreciate you joining us. Zeke Hausfather, thank you so much.

HAUSFATHERL Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here.

CHURCH: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is calling on the Food and Drug Administration to investigate an energy drink called Prime. Citing experts Schumer said the beverages contain a dangerous amount of caffeine and the advertising targets young people. Take a look at part of a Prime ad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have created -- uh-oh. Drink company. The fastest growing sports drink in history.

CROWD: We will (INAUDIBLE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The Web site does say Prime is not recommended for anyone under 18. But the Senate majority leader says the drinks marketing is aimed at young consumers.

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SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): One of the summer's hottest status symbols for kids is not an outfit. It's not a toy. It's a beverage. But buyer and parents, beware. Because it's a serious health concern for the kids. It's so feverishly targets.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And listen to this. Prime's energy drink contains 200 milligrams of caffeine. The equivalent of roughly five cans of Coca Cola or two Red Bulls. Well, singer Harry Styles is the latest performer to be hit with an object thrown by a concert goer. While performing in Austria over the weekend, Styles was leaving the stage when someone hold an item that hit him in the eye. CNN's Chloe Melas has more on the incident.

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CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Harry Styles on stage, a concert goer throwing something and, in the video, you see him wince and he grabs his eye, he kind of puts his head in his hands, he bends down but then he -- a moment later continues the show miraculously. But this is a very concerning trend. Right? We just saw Bebe Rexha who recently performed when someone threw a cell phone at her. You heard that right, injuring her. She had to stop the show, required a couple stitches. Something recently happened like that to Drake. And this is though several celebrities have had this happen but Adele recently speaking out and said don't even think about doing this at my show. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADELE, SINGER: -- throwing (EXPLETIVE DELETED) on stage. Have you seen them? I (EXPLETIVE DELETED) dare you. Dare you to throw something at me and I'll (EXPLETIVE DELETED) kill you. Stop throwing things at the artist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:55:05]

MELAS: I mean, look, I was at the Counting Crows last night at Jones Beach here in New York. I love going to live music. I'm going to go see Sting in the fall. And the idea that someone would go and throw something on the stage of one of your artists. It's just really concerning and hopefully people will listen to Adele and stop doing this very, very dangerous. These dangerous acts of violence at the shows where people are trying to have fun.

CHURCH: Well, this may be something to add to your summer reading list. K-pop megastars BTS have released their hotly anticipated memoir in South Korea and the U.S. It's called Beyond the Story and it marks the 10th anniversary of the boy band. Preorders of the book shot it to the top of several bestseller lists in May. And when it was released on Sunday, some diehard fans braved heavy rain and soul to get a copy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAKSHI, BTS FAN FROM SRI LANKA: If I say from one to 10 scale, then it's about million time excited. I'm very excited. I waited for this release.

AUDREY, BTS FAN FROM MALAYSIA: Very excited. I'm purposely here on a holiday to get this book. The English one obviously that's what I can read. With the Korean one, I think. Also, for the freebies and also it's a collection. So, I have both versions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And since no one matched all the numbers in Saturday's Powerball drawing, and Monday's estimated jackpot is worth $650 million. That would be the ninth largest drawing in the game's history. Between the Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots, more than a billion dollars are up for grabs. Tuesday's Mega Millions jackpot is estimated at worth of $480 million.

How about that. Thanks for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back with more CNN NEWSROOM in just a moment. Just stay with us.

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