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CNN This Morning

Governor of South Dakota Prohibits State Employees from Using TikTok; Interview with Professor of Media Studies, University of Virginia, "Trafficking Data: How China is Winning the Battle for Digital Sovereignty" Author, and University of Virginia East Asia Center Director Aynne Kokas; U.S. Coastline Could be Engulfed by Rising Sea Levels by 2050; Interview with Lead Scientist NASA/JPL Sea Level Change Team and Co-Author, Study of U.S. Coastline 2050 Rising Sea Level Change; America's Next Top Rat Czar; "This is Life" Airs tonight at 9:00 and 10:00PM ET/PT. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired December 04, 2022 - 07:00   ET

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

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We called up my friends. We just said, why don't we join forces? Calling food banks, calling farms. We called a whole bunch, like a couple hundred. We quickly put together what was a fully functioning organization with young people, mostly students, average age of 21, volunteering their time when they can to help feed people that they might never meet.

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AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Make sure to go to cnnheroes.com to vote for your favorite for CNN Hero of the Year. You can vote up to 10 times a day, every day until December 6. The next hour of CNN this morning starts now.

And good morning, everyone. Welcome to CNN This Morning. I'm Amara Walker.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Amara, I'm Boris Sanchez. We are in the final hours of the Georgia Senate race, and both Senator Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker are working to get their supporters to the polls. We'll tell you where things stand in these last crucial moments.

WALKER: And liquid hot magma is rolling toward a major highway on Hawaii's big island. The latest, really spectacular images from the Mauna Loa volcano and why visitors are still being allowed to get up close to view the eruption.

SANCHEZ: And we've come to the ends of the road. Team USA getting booted out of the World Cup. We'll take you live to Qatar with more on this team's legacy and where things may stand for the future. WALKER: And still dancing even after tragedy. A year after a man drove his car into the Waukesha Christmas parade, killing six people, including members of the Dancing Grannies, that group heading back to the parade route. We're joined by a member of that group on CNN This Morning.

SANCHEZ: It is a new week, Sunday, December 4, just three weeks from the big day. We're grateful to have you. Thanks for waking up with us. Great to see you, Amara.

WALKER: Yes. I can't wait. Great to see you too, Boris.

SANCHEZ: So we begin with the U.S. Senate race in Georgia this morning. The candidates making their final push for voters ahead of Tuesday's runoff election. And CNN polling shows that Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock has a slight edge over Republican challenger Herschel Walker. Warnock, 52 percent, compared to 48 percent for Walker.

WALKER: Both candidates are out on the campaign trail trying to rally supporters. Warnock speaking with union members yesterday, promising to stand up for workers. Walker greeted supporters outside a college football conference game.

SANCHEZ: Yes, more than 1.8 million people had cast their ballots by Friday, many standing in long lines to take part in early voting. Elections officials say there's a chance we will not know the outcome of the race on Tuesday night, though. Here's what one official told CNN's Pamela Brown.

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GABRIEL STERLING, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE: We're preparing for, you know, it being a very tight race. I anticipate we may not know on Tuesday night. It just -- it really depends because it's up to the voters and they're showing up in droves.

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SANCHEZ: For the latest on this race, let's take you live to CNN's Eva McKend, who is now at least an honorary resident of the peach state, right?

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: I am indeed. Good morning to you both. Can you believe that we are just two days out now from the votes being counted? Senator Warnock, Herschel Walker couldn't be closing out their campaigns more differently. Senator Warnock had three public events yesterday. He began rallying union workers and ended with an AAPI event.

That important because the Asian American community often described as an overlooked community, and I think focusing in on that community illustrates that you can't ignore any part of the electorate in a place like Georgia, a true battleground state. Now, Walker did show up at a tailgate party, but that was not a publicly alerted event. He did not give remarks or take questions from the media.

Take a listen to Senator Warnock this weekend on the trail.

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SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D), GEORGIA SENATE CANDIDATE: Now, I'm not mad that he doesn't know what he's talking about, I'm mad that he doesn't know what he's talking about. And he thinks he ought to be a United States senator. He's running for Senate. He's not just your uncle talking at the family reunion.

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MCKEND: So that sounded like that was former President Barack Obama. The former president has been on the trail as well, actually twice, both in the general election and then recently back again in support of Senator Warnock. Now, Walker's closing argument essentially has been that Senator Warnock, President Biden, that they are responsible for the economic woes that many Americans are facing and that a vote for Senator Warnock would be a vote -- an extension of the Biden agenda.

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Walker will return to the trail in a formal capacity today in Loganville. Senator Warnock, though, will be events in Athens, rallying college students. He'll show up in Gainesville as well. Back to you.

SANCHEZ: All hands-on deck because we get close to the finish line in this Senate runoff. Eva McKend from Atlanta., thank you so much.

WALKER: So, of course, it's the final election of a surprising midterm season. Join us for the Georgia runoff between Senator Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker. Coverage begins on Tuesday afternoon at 4.

SANCHEZ: So as we await to see the results of that race, members of Congress are facing some key deadlines before the end of the year. And their to-do list includes things like tackling the debt limit and keeping the government running.

WALKER: We've been in this situation many times before, haven't we? CNN Congressional Reporter Daniella Diaz, joining us now live from Capitol Hill. Hi there, Daniella. So walk us through some of these issues that the lawmakers will be dealing with.

DANIELLA DIAZ, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Amara, it feels like Groundhog Day sometimes here because it's all the time at the end of the year for each Congress. They can't figure out it seems funding the government. That is the major issue that Congress is trying to tackle during this lame duck session, that period of time after the midterms and the next Congress.

Right now, government funding is set to expire on December 16, but Republicans and Democrats can't seem to reach a deal on funding the government. Now, something that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told me last week is that there might be a continuing resolution or funding of the same levels for the government next year. But unless they can reach that deal, pass that bill, the government could shut down on December 16. So they're racing against the clock on that.

Another thing, the National Defense Authorization Act, which is an annual must pass bill that sets the policy agenda and authorizes funding for the Department of Defense. They need to pass that as soon as possible before the next Congress, in January as well. Also, not clear when the nation is going to run up against the debt limit.

They, of course, Democrats were hoping to address that, reach a bipartisan agreement with Republicans on the debt limit, raising that debt limit, but it doesn't seem they're going to tackle that this Congress. They might wait until there's, of course, a majority for Republicans in the House. Possible House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is going to become his issue. So we are seeing that.

And I didn't even mention, we are going to see the House take up that bill, that same sex vote that would protect same sex marriage in the United States. The Senate already passed it last week. The House is expected to pass it on Tuesday, and then it will go to President Joe Biden's desk for signature. So still a lot of agenda items that they still have not been able to complete. And there's only just a couple of weeks left in the calendar year. Amara, Boris?

WALKER: Yes, Groundhog Day again, especially when it comes down to the very last minute as well, right, like ahh. Danielle Diaz, thank you so much.

So this morning, huge amounts of lava continued to flow from Mauna Loa, which is the world's largest active volcano in Hawaii, and it's creeping closer to a key highway that connects the east and west sides of Hawaii's Big Island.

SANCHEZ: For now, that highway remains open, and it has attracted sightseers who are flocking to that area for a historic lava show. The volcano began erupting late last Sunday night, springing back to life for the first time in almost four decades.

CNN's David Culver is on the scene and brings us the very latest.

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boris and Amara, good morning. And behind me, you can hardly see what is the base of Mauna Loa. And you're looking towards the direction of where the lava flow is at its nearest to us. That's about 2.5 miles away right now, moving rather slowly, about 25 feet per hour. But the concern is that it is still moving in this direction.

And one thing you'll notice is that there are these plumes that look like smoke, but they're not. These are acidic gasses, and they're partly concerning for some of the officials and that they could potentially cause issues for folks with respiratory issues, and if it becomes too concentrated, could become an issue for the wider community as a whole. But we're not there yet.

And so, folks are still coming out, and officials are accommodating that. In fact, they've even turned this roadway here, which was a side road that had two lanes going one each direction into one way. And so people are able to come, pullover on the side, get out. Some have lawn chairs, some just standing in stillness, others taking pictures and just trying to appreciate what is a site that is incredibly rare and one that is on aspiring to take in.

And yet you also have people who have come out, who are locals, who see this in the cultural and really spiritual significance. And they're bringing their own offerings from lays to flowers to even rosemary, one woman brought out. So for them, it's something that deserves a lot more respect than most would think.

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And as we continue out here, I want to show you the direction that is really perhaps the most alarming potential here. Now we're not there yet either, but given it's a couple of miles away, the lava coming this direction could cross over the side road and on to what is a major intersection, really a major thoroughfare. And this is a highway called Saddle Road that connects one end of the Big Island to the other. And if that gets cut off, it will be a logistical nightmare.

So they're watching it closely, and for now, they feel like safe enough for folks to still come out here to enjoy it. But they say that can change, really, Boris and Amara, over the course of just a few hours. They say it's so unpredictable, and as of now, it's a beautiful sight, but they know it can be destructive.

SANCHEZ: Incredible to see the raw power of Mother Nature up close like that. David Culver, thank you so much.

Team USA's run at the World Cup is sadly over. The team falling to the Netherlands in the first round of the knockout state.

WALKER: CNN World Sport Anchor Don Riddell joining us now live from Qatar this morning. Don, of course, everyone here is disappointed, but --

DON RIDDELL, CNN HOST, WORLD SPORT: Yes.

WALKER: -- I guess when we look back, I do want to ask you how this team would be remembered. Or should I be asking will they be remembered?

RIDDELL: Well, will they be remembered implies they didn't do anything special. But I know why you phrase the question that way, Amara, is because they're not done yet. That no one's remembering a project that's still ongoing. And that is absolutely how they see it.

It was a disappointing night. I was at the game. You know, the USA started off so well. They had an early chance. But the difference between these two sides was that the Dutch were absolutely clinical. When they got their opportunities, they took them. That was Memphis. Then David Blynn (ph) made it two nil right on the stroke of half time. Americans actually had more of the ball. They had an equal amount of chances pretty much to the Netherlands, but they couldn't take them. Except for this moment when Haji Wright brought it back to 2-1 15 minutes from the end. Still don't know how he got the ball into the back of the net, by the way. But within five minutes, it was all over.

Denzel Dumfries who'd made two of the goals for the Dutch, he then got one for himself. And this was the difference between the two sides. The USA had their chances. They couldn't take them. They knew coming into this tournament that they didn't have an out and out striker. They knew they would struggle for goals and so it transpired.

But, you know, it's not done. They always regarded this tournament as kind of a stepping stone for 2026, when they're going to be co-hosting with Mexico and Canada. And, you know, this was one of the youngest teams in the tournament. 25 to 26 players had never even played in the World Cup tournament before. So the experience they got here was invaluable. And certainly, that's been reflected in some of the comments from the players afterwards.

Let's listen to the guy they call Captain America. He's not the captain of the team, but they call him Captain America, Christian Pulisic.

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CHRISTIAN PULISIC, USA TEAM: I'm really proud of this team, how far we've come. You know, I hope we showed a lot of people what we can do. And really is a shame, I thought, you know. We deserved more from this tournament. And end of the day, we couldn't get it done. But I think there's a lot of things we can be proud of.

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RIDDELL: Yes, for sure. You know, they had some really, really good games. Holding one of the favorites to win the whole thing, England to a golden straw. And then coming through the Iran game with all the drama and the surplus to that. A lot of great experience. And these guys handled themselves really well.

WALKER: They sure did. I appreciate you. Don Riddell, good to see you. Thank you.

RIDDELL: All right.

WALKER: So that Alabama man who fell off a cruise ship into the Gulf of Mexico on Thanksgiving Eve, he is now sharing his amazing story. And we're laughing because he is alive, he's doing well, and he tells CNN, of course he is, that he is blessed to be here. Look at those waters, Boris, very choppy.

SANCHEZ: Yes. Yes. He's fighting to stay above the water and waving, as you can see, to the Coast Guard. This man, James Grimes. He says he doesn't remember much, but he does remember being naked and treading water in high waves and wind for more than 15 hours before the Coast Guard finally was able to rescue him. He says the sheer will to live along with strength from God kept him alive. CNN's Leyla Santiago has more.

LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Amara, Boris, there's still a lot of questions as to how 28-year-old James Grimes of Alabama ended up in the middle of the ocean by himself, swimming for hours on end until he was rescued. He understands why folks say this is kind of unbelievable, but he calls it a miracle.

And here's how he lays out the timeline. He says Wednesday night, he was on the cruise ship with his family. They've been planning it out for about two years, a group of 18 of them. He was having some drinks, but says he was far from inebriated. But the last thing he remembers was around 10:30 that night when he was with his family.

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His family reported him missing the next day. And he wasn't rescued until 08:00, around 8:30, the very next day. So that means he was in shark infested water, just swimming, hoping someone would come to save him. And he says he was very much mindful of his surroundings, always keeping an eye, saw quite a bit of jellyfish while he was out there.

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JAMES GRIMES, SURVIVOR: I know I swim through two schools of -- big schools of jellyfish. At one point, I was swimming and I could just wrap the slime off of my arms and was just slinging it. And I had one attached to the back of my neck. Got a pretty little spot there. But, yes, I can remember going through the jellyfish.

And actually, I was opening my eyes in the water, because out there, they pretty much got adjusted to the water and I was looking around, you know, seeing what was out there with me the whole time.

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SANTIAGO: He acknowledged that a key part to his survival was staying positive. As he mentioned, he knew help would arrive. He just wasn't sure exactly when it would be. And he said he would do things to try to stay positive, like sing songs. I asked him exactly which song by the way he was singing. He said he was singing "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay," but he would switch it up a little bit. And in his lyrics, he would say, I wish I were sitting on the dock of the bay.

So he definitely, definitely was trying to keep hope alive, and that clearly worked for him. He's also very grateful. He is hoping to, next year, head down to Louisiana to meet the Coast Guard officer who rescued him and shake his hand. Amara, Boris?

SANCHEZ: Leyla Santiago, thank you so much. Some incredible work by the Coast Guard there, but there's still a big mystery here that we're trying to solve, Amara, right? He was last seen at the bar, doesn't remember what happened, winds up naked in the water for hours and hours and hours. I think we got to -- we should dig deeper on this and figure out exactly what he was doing at all. WALKER: Take it at face value, he said he was not inebriated.

SANCHEZ: Right, right, right.

WALKER: Well, look, at least he lived to tell about it and --

SANCHEZ: Glad he is.

WALKER: -- his strength and his resilience and stamina are really remarkable. 15 hours treading water in those choppy waters, wow. That's all I have to say.

All right, just over a year ago, a man ran his vehicle through a Christmas parade, killing several members of the very popular "Dancing Grannies" troupe. Coming up, we're going to talk live to a member of that group on why performing in this year's parade is so important.

SANCHEZ: Plus, it's one of the most popular apps on the planet. So why is the state of South Dakota banning TikTok on government devices? We'll explain.

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[07:21:54]

SANCHEZ: An update to an unusual story out of North Carolina that we're working to get new details on this morning, authorities in Moore County are investigating a mass power outage that's affecting nearly 400 customers, and they're investigating it as a criminal occurrence. The sheriff's office says that just after 07:00 p. m. last night, several communities across the county started experiencing power outages and that evidence discovered at different substations at multiple sites indicated intentional vandalism.

Sheriff's deputies and other law enforcement agencies within the county have responded to the different areas. They're now providing further site security.

WALKER: Today, the Waukesha, Wisconsin community will come together for the city's annual Christmas parade. And to remember, the six people who were killed and dozens more injured when now convicted Darrell Brooks drove his SUV through last year's event. Among those killed were three members of a beloved group called the "Milwaukee Dancing Grannies," which has been performing around the state of Wisconsin since 1984.

Well the organization has vowed to return to the parade today in honor of those they lost one year ago. "Keep on Dancing" is what their shirts say.

Here with me now is one of the "Dancing Grannies" Jan Kwiatkowski, who will lead the group at today's parade. Jan, good morning to you. Thank you so much for being with us on this day. Just to be clear, you were not at the parade of the time of this deadly attack, but I'm sure --

JAN KWIATKOWSKI, CO-LEADER, "MILWAUKEE DANCING GRANNIES": Right. WALKER: -- it has impacted your life in so many ways and that you probably have many mixed emotions today. How are you feeling along with the other ladies of the "Dancing Grannies" feeling?

KWIATKOWSKI: Well, I think mixed emotions is definitely the way to describe today. I actually found out about what had happened about five minutes before it hit the news because I started getting calls. But like, you know, like you said, we vowed to keep on dancing, which was Ginny's (ph) motto.

And we are ready to go. We've been performing since St. Patrick's Day in parades, and but we -- today is going to be really special. We march to honor not only our four, but all six people who were lost. And I'm sure we will be laughing. I'm sure there are parts of the parade we're going to be crying for, and it's all good. It's all part of it.

WALKER: I love your positivity and your strength and resilience. How many of the surviving "Dancing Grannies" were present during this attack that survived? And, you know, I know that, you know, you are a licensed therapist as well, so I'm sure you've offered a lot of emotional and emotional support for these women over the past several months.

KWIATKOWSKI: Well, we have four grannies that survived that are still dancing with the group. Couple have retired and one hasn't returned yet due to injuries. So they will actually be leading the parade today or are lineup today. All four of them will be in front.

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And then the three of us who were members of the "Grannies" but weren't there that day will be bringing up the rear with all of our new grannies in between. And, you know, being a therapist, you know, certainly can't do counseling for the group, but it certainly has helped with being able to support and help manage group process. As, you know, you try to rebuild while people are recovering from physical injuries, from trauma and making changes, and every change reminds you that we're making this change because of the losses that we had and that we need to do things differently and grow.

WALKER: You know, I'm sure as a performer, you find a lot of joy in making people smile or react to what you are doing. Tell us about, you know, why you do what you do and what kind of, I guess, reaction you hope to elicit from people.

KWIATKOWSKI: Personally, why I do what I do is because of the work that I do. This is something that just brings pure joy in body, mind and spirit and you really -- and for all of us, we really have totally focus on what we're doing, you know, in order to perform well and be in sync with each other and, you know, make sure our palms match, all that kind of thing.

But we also just love interacting with the crowd and watching the kids and, you know, people kind of dance on the side and signs and cheer and sing and clap. It's just really fun to be interacting with the crowd and doing it as a group makes it even better. It's just a whole body, mind experience, group experience. It's wonderful.

WALKER: Well I'm sure the quote unquote grannies that you lost last year will be looking down on you and smiling as they watch you perform today. Thank you so much, Jan Kwiatkowski. All the best for you.

KWIATKOWSKI: Absolutely.

WALKER: Thank you.

KWIATKOWSKI: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Up next, cracking down on TikTok. South Dakota, banning state employees from having the app on their work devices. We have details straight ahead.

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SANCHEZ: South Dakota is cracking down on TikTok. This week, Governor Kristi Noem, signed an executive order banning the social media platform for all state agencies, employees, and contractors using government devices. Noem says, the platform is a growing national security threat.

Joining now to discuss is Aynne Kokas. She's a professor of media studies and the director of the East Asia Center at the University of Virginia. She's also the new author of a new book, "Trafficking Data: How China is Winning the Battle for Digital Sovereignty".

Aynne, we're grateful to have you this morning. Thanks for sharing a part of your Sunday with us.

AYNNE KOKAS, PROFESSOR OF MEDIA STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, AUTHOR, "TRAFFICKING DATA: HOW CHINA IS WINNING THE BATTLE FOR DIGITAL SOVEREIGNTY", AND DIRECTOR, EAST ASIA CENTER AT UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: What was your reaction to Governor Noem blocking TikTok from these government employees' phones?

KOKAS: So, I think this is a really interesting situation where we see that other agencies, other federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, the TSA, the U.S. military, have also already blocked TikTok from employee phones. So, this is a continuation of a U.S. government efforts.

It also emphasizes the challenge of regulating tech in the U.S. because we see these different state level regulations that have national effects. So, I think it underscores the fragmentation that the U.S. tech regulatory landscape faces. And the challenges that we face in responding to popular platforms like TikTok that I -- you know, I agree with Governor Noem that have potential national security implications.

SANCHEZ: In my conversations with other experts, most of the time they describe these potential threats looming from TikTok and it doesn't seem like the demographic that most uses the app, young people, usually folks under 25, doesn't seem like they're aware or potentially that they care that there are these potential threats. What do you make of that dynamic?

KOKAS: So, I actually teach a course called the data ethics of TikTok at the University of Virginia. And in that course, the students and I talk a lot about these issues. And they're very aware of a lot of the security concerns that are associated with the app, not necessarily national security concerns related to China, but concerns about their user data.

However, because a lot of these students and kids have had their data shared by their parents, by their friends, by their colleagues since they were children. They're not necessarily as aware of the potential issues and they're not necessarily as concerned about these issues in the long-term. That being said, it is also so integral to their social landscape that we see -- that it's very difficult for them to get off of it. That's why it's particularly important for regulators to respond.

SANCHEZ: And there's obviously a substantial difference between having your data collected by a private organization like, you know, Meta or some of these other apps versus TikTok specifically because of their link to the CCP, right?

KOKAS: So, I would say that the biggest issue is that companies that have -- that depend on the Chinese market for their existence face really significant challenges as it relates to pressure from, not necessarily the CCP but the Chinese government, the cyberspace administration of China. which are all affiliated with the CCP.

[07:35:00]

But I think it's important to talk about specific government agencies because the Chinese government can actually conduct national security data audits of companies like ByteDance which has close affiliations with TikTok. And TikTok has reserved the right to share user data with their parent company, affiliates, subsidiaries and partners.

SANCHEZ: Do you think other states and municipalities are going to implement similar bans in the future?

KOKAS: So, I think this is the big challenge. TikTok is popular and it's widespread and a lot of us know about it. But to be perfectly frank, it's only one part of this picture. There are a lot of other apps and platforms and devices that we might be using in our homes that have close ties to firms that are -- have close ties to the Chinese government or that can be subject to Chinese government pressure.

So, I would argue that rather than trying to ban individual apps in individual states, it's really important to look for national data privacy or protection regulations that address these things, not just as they relate to specific companies, but as they relate to the protections of the data of Americans overall. SANCHEZ: Have you told your friends or your students to stay off of TikTok? Is this what you recommend? Do you, have it?

KOKAS: So, this is a great and I think I get this question every time I talk about this. So, I have a special phone for my TikTok and WeChat accounts that is linked to a lot of these that I don't use for my other personal information. I do actually encourage my friends and colleagues to not necessarily use it if they're concerned about their data security or privacy. But to be perfectly frank, I think this shouldn't be an issue for individuals. I think this really needs to be a government level consideration.

SANCHEZ: So, the lesson here is, get a burner phone, right?

KOKAS: I mean, especially if you're a media studies researcher, I feel like you definitely need a burner phone then, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Aynne Kokas, thank so much for the time.

KOKAS: Thank you so much.

WALKER: Still ahead this morning. An alarming climate change report. Rising sea levels expected to threaten the U.S. coastlines within decades. The co-author of a concerning new study will join us next.

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WALKER: This morning, a dire warning. A new study by NASA shows that sea levels are like lively rising faster than previously known. According to the study, U.S. coastlines could rise as much as a foot by the year 2050. That's 20-some years away only. Joining me now to discuss is one of the authors of the study, Ben Hamlington. He is the lead scientist of NASA's Sea Level Change Team.

Ben, good morning to you. I know it's quite early there in California. Thank you so much for waking up. So, first off, tell us a little bit more about the kind of data that NASA gathered to be able to predict that sea levels will rise this much.

BEN HAMLINGTON, LEAD SCIENTIST NASA/JPL SEA LEVEL CHANGE TEAM AND CO- AUTHOR, STUDY OF U.S. COASTLINE 2050 RISING SEA LEVEL CHANGE: Yes. So, we were actually able to measure the height of the ocean from space. So, we have something called satellite altimeters and we can measure the height of the ocean from space really accurately down to about a one-inch level. It's pretty impressive.

So, from this data we know that sea levels on the coastline of the U.S. have been -- has been rising. And I think, more importantly than that, it's been increasing. The speed has been increasing. So, it's kind of like we've had the foot on the accelerator.

And then what this means is that we're really tracking some of those higher end model projections in the near term and we're likely to see, as you said, a foot of additional sea level rise along the U.S. coastlines between and, say, 2050. And potentially more than that in locations along, say, the southeast and Gulf Coast.

WALKER: I mean, that's frightening, right? Because some of the places that I've been to in the southeast, having lived in Miami, having been to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. I mean, there are a lot of communities that either live at sea level or below sea level. So, are we talking about neighborhoods essentially being destroyed as a result?

HAMLINGTON: Right. So, when we're talking about a foot of sea level rise that may or may not sound like a lot to you, but it's really -- we're kind of increasing the foundations of sea level. So, think of it as you're holding a glass of water, we're filling that really close to the top. And as it starts to slosh around, that water spills over. And that means different things in different locations along the U.S. coastline.

So, if we look at the east coast to the U.S. where you have high tides that kind of change throughout the year, the high tides are going to cause flooding more frequently and that flooding is going to be more severe. Along the Gulf Coast and, say, the coast of Florida, the storms that we see are going to travel over higher sea levels. So, storm surge, those impacts are going to be that much worse in the future.

Here in California where coastal erosion is a big problem, so there's waves that sit on top of that sea level are going to go that much further into the land and cause that many more severe impacts and damage. So, it's really just a lot of these different impacts that are going to pile up along the coast. And as we continue to increase sea level, those impacts are going to get that much worse on a quarter --

WALKER: You know, we talked to so many climate scientists, you know, over the years here on CNN, and, you know what, you -- we hear often are these warnings that sea levels are rising, polar ice melting at a faster rate, our oceans are warming. Tell us about, you know -- and yes, like, what's contributing to this dramatic rise?

HAMLINGTON: Yes, so across the board, all those factors you just mentioned are associated with global warming. So, as our oceans and our climate continue to warm, sea levels are going to rise. The areas where we have on Earth that have the ice sheets, those areas are warming, that ice melts and then it goes into the ocean. So, these long-term changes that we're seeing and that are starting to ramp up are really just associated with our warming climate.

[07:45:00]

WALKER: So, obviously, the focus has to be on slowing it down, right, because we can't outright stop it at this point. I'm just curious, you know, when -- I'm sure you were paying attention to the COP27, the United Nations Climate Summit and, you know, the big landmark agreement that came out of it was financial. You know, helping poor countries, paying them for the climate disasters that they've been dealing with because of, you know, these big companies like the U.S. and China, you know, having such high emission gasses being released. Are you disappointed that there was no bigger agreement to reduce emissions from this climate change summit? And what more can we do then?

HAMLINGTON: Yes, I think we can always do more. But I think I am optimistic in some ways, too. I mean, there is starting to be energy to try to address the problem on global scales, also on local scales. I think it's important to note that it's critical to reduce the emissions, but in the near-term, sea level is going to rise. These impacts are going to happen. And there's a lot of energy into learning how to live with these impacts. So, a lot of efforts to adapt.

Planning in the United States along the coastlines is really significant and people are doing great work there. Building things like sea walls -- I'm talking about building things like sea walls, beach replenishment, trying to add sand to our beaches to maintain those coastlines. So, a lot of work is already under way. It will continue to ramp up. And there's just a lot of energy there. So, I am optimistic that we can learn to live with the sea level rise we're seeing now and then address those longer-term factors with these bigger agreements.

WALKER: Right. Got it. So, in the short term we got to adapt to these changes that are happening in real time.

HAMLINGTON: Right.

WALKER: Ben Hamlington, appreciate you. Thank you so much for getting up with us this morning. Go back to bed. I know it's still dark in California. Happy sleeping.

HAMLINGTON: Thanks a lot.

WALKER: Thanks.

SANCHEZ: Still to come, the search for America's next top rat czar. New York launching recruiting efforts for someone to lead the charge against the city's rodent population. I'll tell you what, the pay isn't bad either. That story, still ahead.

But first, a quick programming note, one unlike many you've heard before. Be sure to turn into an all-new episode of "This Is life with Lisa Ling" because Lisa is meeting one of the internet's most prolific sperm and sought after donors who has fathered more than a hundred kids. In this episode, Lisa is going to travel with him to meet some of the women that he's helped start families with and his efforts to stay connected to each of them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's such a big chubby boy. Yes, look at these teeth.

LISA LING, CNN HOST, "THIS IS LIFE WITH LISA LING": Tell me what it's like when Ari (ph) is with your son. What goes through your mind when you're watching them together?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He just seems so happy and so elated. I like that he looks at everything, is little toes, he ears. He asks questions. He seems genuinely interested like a real biological involved dad.

Oh my gosh, he looks like a big boy. Look, he's so happy, he's smiling. Look at his smile. He likes the swing.

LING: And will Emerson grow up calling you dad?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would think so. I wouldn't have a problem with that.

CROWD: One, two, three. Cheese.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: "This is Life with Lisa Ling" airs tomorrow at 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. eastern -- actually tonight at 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. eastern, right here on CNN.

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[07:50:00]

WALKER: Nearly three million people are under winter weather alerts. Some major storm is expected to dump heavy snow in the west.

SANCHEZ: Meteorologist Allison Chinchar has been tracking the storm for us.

Allison, how much snow are we talking?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A lot, actually. And not just in one place. There's going to be a lot of areas that end up picking up significant amounts of now just snow but also some rain. You can see the swirl of this system off the west coast, that's bringing rain to the coastline there, snow to the interior portions. We also have a lot of heavy rainfall across portions of Arizona and New Mexico, too. Especially between than Phoenix to Tucson area.

But farther north where you've got that cold air in place, in the higher elevations, you've got winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings in place because of the sheer amount of snow. Here's the thing, this system is not moving very fast and so it's giving a lot of time to dump a tremendous amount of moisture.

So, especially in the sierras where it's got lots of time to dump that snow, now you're talking not just being measure in inches but feet. It is not out of the question for some of those areas especially around Mammoth Mountain up towards Mount Shasta to pick up two, even three feet of snow. A little bit more interior about the intermountain west, maybe even over towards the Rockies about one to two feet is likely.

Now, here's the thing, we talked about this other system in the southwest. That system is going to be the catalyst for very heavy rainfall across the south in the coming days as it continues to make its way east. So, here's a look at Monday and Tuesday, a lot of heavy rain across the Tennessee Valley and the lower Mississippi Valley. But then there's another storm right behind it that will impact the midweek region. So, here's the main focus though, unfortunately, you will be looking at at least two to five inches of rain in this area this week.

SANCHEZ: And especially out west, they can use the moisture. Allison Chinchar, thank you so much.

Hey, if you're looking for work, check out this job listing. If you have a vendetta against vermin, if you're "Somewhat blood thirsty" and have a killer instinct, the City of New York wants to hear from you.

WALKER: Gosh. It sounds so dark and ominous. The city is looking to hire a new rat czar. Yes, it's real. The official title is director of rodent mitigation. But this is no cushy (ph) office job. The rat czar is expected to use hands only techniques to rid the city of its rat problem. Not for me. Sorry.

SANCHEZ: Yes, this isn't a remote work situation. You got to get your hands dirty.

[07:55:00]

But it does pay very well, the salary for wrangling rodents is between $120,000 and $170,000 a year. And this is a serious effort. By some estimates, there are some two million rats in the City of New York and in the mortal -- now immortal words of Mayor Eric Adams, the rats don't run this city. We do.

WALKER: I love it.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

WALKER: But I would only take that job if I can do it via Zoom, remotely.

SANCHEZ: How are you going to do that via Zoom?

WALKER: You know, use robots. Operate it remotely. But that's not for me.

SANCHEZ: Some of those lethal force robots from San Francisco, they should take them to New York and get them to work on the rats, is that what you're saying?

WALKER: There you go. Look at that.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

WALKER: Two minds together, we come up with some innovative solutions.

SANCHEZ: That's all we talk about, too.

WALKER: Yes, we'll -- it does. Thanks, for your time, everyone, and starting your morning with us.

SANCHEZ: Great to be with you. "Inside Politics Sunday with Abby Phillip" is up next.

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