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CNN This Morning

U.S. Falls to Sweden in Penalties at Women's World Cup; Simone Biles Wins Competition After Two-Year Break; Trump Keeps Up Attacks on Special Counsel Despite Legal Setback; Almost 40 House Democrats Call for Televising Trump's January 6 Trial. Ukraine: Dozens of Drones, Missiles Shot Down; Trump's Judge Known for Strong Stance on Jan 6; How the Heat Wave is Impacting Your Wallet. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired August 06, 2023 - 08:00   ET

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

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: -- and Beyonce and Taylor Swift getting together.

[08:00:02]

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Getting the full experience now.

BLACKWELL: Thank you.

All right. The next hour of CNN THIS MORNING starts now.

(MUSIC)

BLACKWELL: It is Sunday morning. We are so thankful that you are starting it with us. This is CNN THIS MORNING. I'm Victor Blackwell.

WALKER: I'm Amara Walker. Thank you so much for waking up with us this morning.

We do have some bad news to begin with, and that is heartbreak for the U.S. at the World Cup. Team USA, now heading home after getting knocked out by Sweden. We will have the low lights on the game.

BLACKWELL: Simone Biles has some good news. The 26-year-old makes a comeback back and qualifies for the national championship after coming back from two-year break.

WALKER: As former President Donald Trump's legal troubles mount, a group of House Democrats is calling on the judge in the January 6th case to televise the trial. One of those lawmakers will join us live.

BLACKWELL: And the heat cost money. How extreme heat is costing you more as you buy gas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHEERS)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: And with that, the U.S. women's soccer team's World Cup dreams are dashed. The U.S. loses to Sweden, an absolutely heartbreaking fashion.

BLACKWELL: And no one was able to score for 120 minutes, forcing penalty kicks. And this is how it was decided. The review determined that the ball crossed the goal line by a fraction of an inch. But that's all they needed.

Carolyn Manno is live at a watch party in midtown Manhattan.

Still fresh. The disappointment, obviously, we heard a few cheers from some Sweden fans. Tell us what happened and what's going on now.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, you know, Victor, this is probably what you would expect at 8 a.m. at a bar. It's very quiet. The last couple minutes, everyone has filed out here.

But a lot of the fans that I spoke with on their way, they are still really proud of this U.S. women's national team, and how they played this game. They came down to heartbreaking penalty kicks, like you just saw. A game of inches at the end. This thing could have been completely different. Fans here, drinking, celebrating early in the morning.

But I spoke to a pair of women, a couple minutes ago, who were actually college teammates with defender Emily Sonnett, who made her first start in this game on the biggest of stages. That she played great, she played phenomenal. And the whole women's team played incredible. Even though this is heartbreaking, to see them exit the world cup, so early, something we haven't seen ever from the U.S. women's side. I think a lot of fans were still really proud of the effort they put in.

There were so many chances in front of the net for the U.S. women, and unfortunately, they just ran into an absolute brick wall in the Swedish goaltender, until the very end. And the penalty kicks are always a crapshoot, and you have them go beyond 5, into 6, and 7, and then some confusion around the very end of the game to have it in this way. I think a lot of people here were really just shocked, and then making a quick exit out the door.

So, an unfortunate end here, but still, a really fun morning. We got here around 4:00 in the morning. The bar was already a little bit full. Some people drinking their breakfast, some people eating their breakfast. And the energy was really, really up. So, it was so entertaining. And the ending, I think, will be remembered for a very long time. It was incredibly dramatic.

BLACKWELL: Yeah, that mix of sadness, but pride, as we saw with the fans as you described there.

Carolyn Manno for us in Midtown, thank you so much.

WALKER: Let's bring in Christine Brennan now. She is the CNN sports analyst and sports columnist for "USA Today".

Christine, a brutal, brutal loss for Team USA. Heartbreaking for some soccer legends. First, what's your initial reaction to what we just saw unfold there?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Amara, the U.S. played its best game by far, which was good. But to lose the way they did, with 3 missed penalty kicks, where they weren't even involving saves for the Swedish goalkeeper. She was fantastic throughout the game. That was brutal. That was really tough to watch.

Those 3 missed kicks, Megan Rapinoe, Sophia Smith, Kelly O'Hara, I mean, two of the great veterans, and of course, Sophia. They are going to remember that forever, and that is just so tough. Obviously they should be known for other things as well. But it's going to be a long time before they get over that.

The U.S. was in such a great position on these penalty kicks, to make one and go on and win the game. That said, this is the worst performance ever by the U.S. women in a World Cup or an Olympic games. And that is tough to say. This is a legendary U.S. women's team, I believe it is the most famous women sports team on the planet, any sport, any nation, in terms of not only fighting and winning on the field but equal pay, the role models that they are, the Johnny Appleseed, is sowing the seeds for the sport, going back to the 90s.

[08:05:15]

And to see them go out in the round of 16, the worst performance ever, the earliest knockout ever for the U.S., that's a tough one. And it's going to be tough, I think, for U.S. fans, for quite a while. And this team as well.

WALKER: Yeah. We saw how tough it was on Megan Rapinoe's face. I mean, it must be quite emotional for her, this is going to be her last World Cup as she's retiring. But talk more about, you know, the chemistry, or lack thereof, of this team. And why they struggled so much. Because historically, we've seen the U.S. women's national team be dominant when it came to the women's World Cup.

BRENNAN: Yes, mostly. Every now and again -- they don't win every time. So, there were lean years in 2003, 2007. They came in 2nd to 2011, and won the last 2.

So, for the last 10, 12 years, we are thinking the U.S. just wins this. And so, I'm sure a lot of Americans are waking up thinking, wait, what? They lost? They're out? That doesn't happen to this team.

There was a lack of cohesion from the beginning. Certainly in those 3 group stage matches. They then got it together. I think it really must be said, today's performance was excellent. They easily could have scored.

Even Alex Morgan, who seemed to have a tough tournament at times, she had a header that could have been in. Any other goalkeeper who was not playing as well as the Swedish goalkeeper was, would have probably not been able to get to it. So, there were other chances for the U.S.

And the U.S. fully could have won this game, 2 or 3-0. Having said, that they didn't. They didn't score. The Swedish goalkeeper was there and was playing fantastically. And the U.S. kept firing a way. So this game was reminiscent, I think, of many U.S. national women's team's games.

But the problem is, those 3 group stage games were not. And then they got themselves into the jam of playing Sweden, number 3 in the world, U.S. was number one, Germany's number 2. So now Sweden is the best team left in the tournament. As opposed to playing against South Africa, which is what they would have had if they had been able to win the group.

So, a series of mistakes that led to this.

WALKER: So the team, it's filled with World Cup newcomers, right? Do you anticipate -- where do you anticipate the team goes from here? Also, the coaches? Their future?

BRENANN: I would say the coach probably won't survive. I have no reporting on that. But survive, as in, not live. But be fired.

I think the U.S. just -- you can't have this if you are the U.S. women's team. You can't bow out like this. So, I think he's probably gone.

You're right, 14 of the 23 were new. This was their first World Cup. And that's tough. The veterans maybe didn't step up as much. Lindsay Brand certainly did. There were other moments that were great. But in general, they didn't mix well.

The really good news for U.S. soccer fans is that the Olympics are only a year away. The Olympic tournament for the women's the real deal. The man, not so much. But the women, absolutely, in terms of the age restrictions that FIFA has.

So, this will be a chance to come right back at the Olympics in Paris, less than a year from now, and prove themselves all over again. I'm sure they are just be chomping at the bit to get into that Olympic tournament, and probably with the new coach, and probably with certainly some new players. Megan Rapinoe is going to -- said this was her last tournament.

And so, they will move on, I imagine we will see a very different team, hopefully, from the U.S. A better team, at the Paris Olympics next year.

WALKER: We definitely look forward to the Paris Olympics.

Christine Brennan, stay with us for a moment, a lot more sports to talk about.

BLACKWELL: After 2 years away, 7-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles triumphantly returned to competition yesterday.

WALKER: Biles last competed at the Tokyo Olympics. She withdrew from several events after suffering from the twisties. But, last night, she was back in form, like she never left.

CNN's Isabel Rosales joins us now.

Isabel, I mean, what a remarkable performance.

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Amara, Victor, good morning to you.

I mean, she is called the GOAT, the greatest of all time for a reason, and my, oh my, what an incredible return to the world of elite gymnastics for Simone Biles. She actually hasn't competed for 2 years now, since the Tokyo Games. But yesterday, we saw as she took first place all around, that is the vault, the floor routine, the beam, and then taking their place on the uneven bars, which is to be expected. She calls that her weakest apparatus.

[08:10:00]

I want you to take a look, right here, at the floor routine, where she does a double lay out with a half turn. This is her signature move. It's been named after her, the Biles.

And then on the vault, she performed the most impressive Yurchenko double pike. This is something that no female athlete has done before. It is widely considered to be the hardest women's vault in the world. And if she debuts this on an international stage, that move, that scale, will be named after her. So it'll be the 5th skill named after her, when she's able to do that.

Now, two years ago, you guys mentioned, she's shocked the world by withdrawing from the Tokyo Games, from all of her events, after suffering from the twisties. This is a relay debilitating mental block for gymnasts.

She did come back, she earned a bronze from -- for the balance beams, and then she just disappeared from the competitive world. But now, she is back. There is no doubt about that. And she is doing things on her own terms. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMONE BILES, 7-TIME OLYMPIC MEDALIST: I always kind of knew, as soon as everything that happened in Tokyo. So this time I'm doing it for me. I worked a lot on myself, I believe in myself a little bit more. Coming back out, here starting this again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: And her fans are ready to see more of Biles. They sold out the stadium, 7,200 seats, all of them failed. We are going to see much more of Simone Biles -- guys.

WALKER: We can't wait to keep seeing more of her.

Isabel Rosales, thank you.

Let's bring back Christine Brennan. Okay, Christian. Let's talk about the Yurchenko double pike, and the fact that no other woman has attempted this in competition. Help us appreciate, I mean, the fact that Simone Biles would even pull this off in such beautiful fashion. But help us appreciate how dangerous and difficult it is to do this.

BRENNAN: Almost everything Simone Biles does is dangerous or difficult. And that's, of course, the beauty of Simone. And why she is the best in the world, and considered the greatest of all time. And she has the ability to do things in the sport that I've never been done before. That's why she has so many moves named after her.

And I think what we're seeing here, she's 26 years old, should be 27 at the Paris Olympics. And, yes, I fully believe she will make it to the Paris Olympics and, be one of those stars of the games that we -- at least, going into the pre-game and the prelude to the Olympics. It's because of her continuing to push herself, with these absolutely majestic moves that no one else on Earth can do. And again, think about that, of all the gymnasts in the world, this woman, at this stage of her life and career, is still able to push the envelope, and do things she hasn't done before, and no one's done.

It's truly remarkable what we're watching as, by the way, she's also the conscience of her sport. She, of course is a survivor of Larry Nassar and the horrors of sexual abuse, sexual assault, by the USA gymnastics team doctor. And she has spoken out for victims.

So in many ways, just like the U.S. women's national soccer team, fighting 4th off of the field of play, so too has Simone Biles and distinguish herself in that matter.

BLACKWELL: Yeah. Christine, we heard from Brittney Griner, obviously, who was in jail there in Russia, released. She talked about Simone Biles, her return, and mental health. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRITTNEY GRINER, PHOENIX MERCURY CENTER: You see players really take a moment for themselves. And the more that people do that, make it normal. Then it's okay. It's always okay to take a mental break. Life's hard. Life's tough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Yeah, I mean, and we've talked about this before, Christine, but now we have the arc here where she was the greatest of all time before she took the break, took the break, then went back into preparing for this, and came back and performed the way she did last night. I mean, the commentary of seeing the performance after the break speaks as well.

BRENNAN: Oh, it does, Victor. We are seeing here, Brittney Griner taking her break, three games, to understandably try to deal with her mental health, if you can even imagine what she's gone through after being in a Russian jail for 10 months, almost 10 months. And coming back to what she's come back to.

But we saw with Michael Phelps, talking all about it in swimming, and of course, Naomi Osaka in tennis. These athletes have really been out there with the megaphone, social media that they have, not only helping themselves, but helping untold numbers of young people, and maybe middle age and older people to, understanding that it's okay to talk about this, it's okay to take a break.

Simone Biles has lived her life, she's gotten married.

[08:15:01]

She took a break before the Tokyo Olympics. She's now taken another break. She's doing this exactly right. And, of course, most important, is doing what she needs to do for herself.

And here she is, now, on the verge of another Olympic run, which will be amazing to watch.

BLACKWELL: Christine Brennan, and we will watch it with you. Thanks so much.

Still ahead, the legal fight between former President Trump and special counsel Jack Smith. We'll take a look at the new back and forth.

Also, dozens of house dozens of House Democrats called for the Trump trial of January 6th to be televised. One of those lawmakers, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, joins us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: The legal setback has not kept Donald Trump from railing against the latest charges he's facing. Special counsel Jack Smith wants the judge to quickly set limits on what Trump's legal team could do with evidence in the case.

[08:20:03]

WALKER: The judge denied the request to extend a Monday 5:00 p.m. deadline. On the campaign trail, Trump once again took aim at the special counsel.

CNN reporter Alayna Treene has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Good morning, Victor and Amara.

The former president spoke to a group of South Carolina Republicans Saturday night, and used his speech, much of his speech to criticize the recent charges that he is facing, as well specifically go after special counsel Jack Smith. He called him, quote, deranged, as well as mentally ill. He also made an appeal to Congress, specifically Republicans on Capitol Hill to, quote, step up and do something in light of the recent indictments.

Now, one key difference about his Saturday remarks is that he continued to talk about this for less than 24 hours after Jack Smith and the court filing Friday night had asked the judge to set limits on what Donald Trump could do with the evidence shared with the election produced. The filing had pointed to on of Donald Trump's Truth Social post, where he wrote, quote, if you go after me, I'm coming after you.

Now, Victor and Amara, the judge ultimately ruled that Donald Trump's team has to respond to that proposal by Monday afternoon, despite the former president's team wanting to extend that through Thursday. One other thing I think is important to note in this, I think, Donald Trump's team wants to keep talking about the charges. They do think it benefits them politically from this, at least among his Republican primary voters.

But it was very unclear going into tonight whether the former president would be swayed by these recent court filings from the special counsel's team, and would kind of shift his rhetoric. But, clearly, he did not.

Victor, Amara?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Alayna, thank you.

Dozens of House Democrats are calling for Donald Trump's January 6th trial to be televised. Almost 40 lawmakers signed a letter asking a judge to allow cameras in the federal courtroom.

Joining me now is Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell of Michigan.

Congresswoman, good to see you again. First, simple question, why, make the case?

REP. DEBBIE DINGELL (D-MI): Good morning, Victor, it's good to be with you.

Look, I'm going to be very blunt. I think that Donald Trump is very successfully trying to turn this into something political and not the seriousness of the case it is. Nobody is above the law.

So, CNN or I even talk about it, we are viewed as being critical. I think that a transparent case, where this case is televised, and people can watch it, they see how the trial is conducted, they see the truth of the evidence, the credibility of the witnesses, the people on both sides can judge for themselves that it was a fair trial, and whatever the outcome is, they have seen the facts.

And I think it's very important for the American people to get this straight facts without any political rhetoric connected to it. No one is above the law. We need to see how the due process was carried out.

BLACKWELL: If the argument is that no one is above the law, everyone is treated the same, that this is fair, federal trials are not televised, it is very rare to have cameras in federal courtrooms. So, doesn't this feed the narrative, political narrative, that the former president is making, is that see, they are treating me differently? They would not do this, they have not done this for senators, they have not done this for mob bosses, they want cameras and my courtroom because they want to make this political.

To that argument, you say what?

DINGELL: Well, by the way, I think transparency and how we conduct businesses or quartz is something we should be looking at a lot more to begin with. But I think the precedent of this case is so critical. The importance of it, what the outcome is going to be.

We know that they are going to be people on both sides that are, because of the consequences of the outcome of this case, people need to be able to see this trial, to get the facts. Unequivocally without any media or politicians or anybody else translating that, they should see the evidence as presented. They are able to decide their own credibility of the witnesses in the case that is presented. And I think that democracies have been taken up this year.

This is a very -- this charge that the January 6th indictment has some very -- it's about democracy. And I think people need to know about that. And I think quite frankly, people don't trust the media. I think they don't trust people like me. And I'm trying to figure out -- I'm very concerned about what's going to happen in this next year.

And I think people need to make their own decisions. They need to say that this is not political. This is part of our democracy. The third -- the courts play now, how we protect people, protect society, and people.

[08:25:05]

I believe people need to see this in a very uninterrupted away.

BLACKWELL: The letter is directed specifically at televising the trial related to the charges about January 6th, but not the classified documents trial. Why? Why should the American people see one trial and not be allowed to see the other?

DINGELL: Well, quite frankly, I think we should discuss that. But I will tell you that those documents -- I will come back, you know, could be convinced -- I believe that, by the way, we need to be looking at making a lot more trials -- open and transparent to everybody. We are talking about the classified documents.

And the seriousness of this case is the documents --

(CROSSTALK)

BLACKWELL: Well, Congresswoman, that's not what the letter says. The letters focused on January 6th case, that trial --

DINGELL: Right.

BLACKWELL: -- and not the documents.

And then, it will have to be some way to deal with this in a declassified manner, because these trials --

DINGELL: Classified --

BLACKWELL: People can go in, there will be a stenographer there, the jury will have to be able to understand what's going on.

So, why one and not the other, if the argument is the precedent here?

DINGELL: Well, you are really dealing with classified -- perhaps, if we set this precedent, we will be able to open more in federal court. But beyond that, I do think that there are particular challenges when dealing with classified documents.

BLACKWELL: So --

DINGELL: Which has to deal with nuclear capability, our defense plans, and a lot of other very top secret issues.

BLACKWELL: Sure, but the expectation is that they will have to be a way in which to do this in a declassified way because there will be reporters there, there will be employees who -- court employees who do not have the --

(CROSSTALK)

DINGELL: I would be --

(CROSSTALK)

BLACKWELL: -- the classification to understand that.

DINGELL: Look, let me be really clear.

BLACKWELL: Sure.

DINGELL: I am not against making all of these processes open. And I'm not singling out Donald Trump. I think we should have more court proceedings, due process doesn't mean you don't -- I think people should be able to see the facts in federal court. I am for transparency in everything you do in government.

BLACKWELL: Yeah. So am I. Last thing here, there was, different crimes, I understand that, but the crime of -- the trial of the century, the OJ Simpson trial, became such a circus because it was televised all day, every day for months.

Do you consider -- look, what is your consideration of this becoming a circus-like environment because it is on every channel all day?

DINGELL: I mean, I think, if you want me to be very blunt, I think former president Trump may try to turn it into a circus. But I still think it's very important that the American people see the facts, they see how the evidence is presented, that they believe that witnesses are credible. Do they believe the strength of the evidence?

And Donald Trump can make it into what he wants. Others could. But I think the American people having access to this trial and knowing that it was fair, that it was transparent, it's one of the most important things we can do for the American people because I think the outcome either way is going to have people wondering if it was a fair trial. You already have Donald Trump talking about that --

BLACKWELL: There certainly will be. And anything that involves the former president now, you have people questioning whether it was rigged or not.

And at least one Trump attorney agrees with you, that there should be the degree of transparency that the American people should see what happens inside that courtroom.

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, we'll see what the judge says about making these available on camera and broadcasting them life. Thank you so much for being with me this morning.

Coming up next on STATE OF THE UNION, Trump lawyer John Lauro will sit down with Dana Bash. Plus, a pair of 2024 candidates, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Governor Chris Christie, right here on CNN at the top of the hour.

We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:33:12]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Ukraine says its air defenses fought off a Russian attack overnight, shooting down dozens of drones and cruise missiles and a key military airfield in western Ukraine was among the targets.

Now Kyiv also says a Russian guided bomb hit a blood transfusion center in the city of Kupiansk on Saturday, set it on fire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says there were casualties but we don't have those numbers yet.

CNN military analyst Lieutenant General Mark Hertling joins me now. General, we're seeing increasing strikes from Ukrainians using drones -- high-profile drone hits over the last couple of days including a naval landing ship, a fuel tanker as there are some challenges getting the counter offensive to the level at which they are hoping for. How could those drone strikes turn that momentum?

LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, the offensive first of all, Victor, I would suggest is going slower than many expected -- not slower than I expected, to be honest with you. They are conducting some very tough operations. They are through the first of three defensive belts in the southeast toward Berdyansk and Melitopol -- two critical areas.

But the drone strikes that they have been using -- the Ukrainians have been using against Russia has forced the Russian commanders to look at places they need to defend, places that they would not have expected months ago.

Places -- you know, we're talking about a country that doesn't have a navy, Ukraine conducting naval operations and sinking several Russian ships or damaging them at least. That is pretty significant.

[08:35:00]

It causes the Russians to pull off some of the areas that they've been defending to defend areas they didn't expect to defend. And that all requires resources.

BLACKWELL: Let's talk about the summit in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman held a summit and hosted the Ukrainians but not the Russians to try to get to some framework, some discussion to a peace deal eventually.

What is your degree of confidence in what we saw in Jeddah?

HERTLING: Well, I'm glad you asked that question because not many are covering this critically important conference. Close to 50 nations attended, Russia was not one of them.

In that conference, President Zelenskyy was able to present his ten- point peace plan which is fascinating in terms of looking at the future. So it is a commitment to future security within Ukraine and what President Zelenskyy expect out of the end of the war.

Things such as restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of activities, releasing all prisoners and deportees, especially the children that have been deported to Russia, the thousands of children, justice including the special tribunal and there are six others that I didn't mention.

So this is an opportunity for Ukraine to present what they're looking for in order to come even to the peace table with Russia. This isn't just a hey we're going to trade this for this. Mr. Zelenskyy has said specifically what he wants out of any kind of relationship with Russia.

And it is going to be a tough road to hoe, Victor to be honest with you, because those are some difficult challenges that Russia is not going to agree to.

BLACKWELL: One other topic here, a pending decision about the U.S. on whether to designate the U.S. army soldier Travis King, who crossed from South Korea into North Korea last month to declare him as a prisoner of war.

He faces assault charges in South Korea, was going to be sent back to Fort Bliss in Texas. This is about treatment of King while he's in North Korea. Should he be declared a POW. What do you think?

HERTLING: Well, I don't think so, Victor. But it is a tough call. And the reason I say no is because a prisoner of war gets all kinds of -- actually things like pay. They're continued to be paid while they're a prisoner.

In King's case, he willingly deserted into North Korea when he was about to undergo some legal actions. So that is a different category. We've seen this before. And it is a tough call because certainly, you know, the United States wants to take care of all of its citizens but in this case this was a willing desertion by a soldier to go into a foreign country.

There was no taking of him as a prisoner. He walked across the line. That is going to cause some interesting legal debates within the Pentagon and the State Department. But we'll see what happens. I personally don't believe he should be declared as a prisoner of war.

BLACKWELL: Retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, good to see you. Thank you, sir.

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up, it is said to be one of the most consequential trials in U.S. history and the judge overseeing it has previously held a strong stance on January 6. A closer look at district judge Tanya Chutkan when we come back.

[08:38:20]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALKER: The judge overseeing Trump's election interference trial has also presided over dozens of criminal cases against alleged January 6 rioters.

BLACKWELL: In those cases District Judge Tanya Chutkan has taken a strong stance against efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

CNN's Randi Kaye has more as Judge Chutkan prepares to oversee this historic case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She has described the events of January 6 as a violent mob seeking to overthrow the lawfully-elected government. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has a reputation as someone who hands down harsh sentences specifically in cases related to the January 6 rioters.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: She's talked about 2024 and the threat that these rioters pose before and during sentences.

KAYE: As a federal judge in D.C., Chutkan has provided over dozens of cases against alleged January 6 rioters. She has often been outspoken at their sentencing hearings. At a January '22 sentencing hearing for two friends who had gone to the Capitol, Chutkan said, this wasn't "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure."

She added, "They came to Washington knowing full well the events of January 6. Their actions were an assault on the American people." She also called it a violent attempted overthrow of the government that almost succeeded.

At the criminal sentencing of another rioter she said this.

POLANTZ: He did not go to the U.S. Capitol out of any love for our country. He went for one man. One man in that sentence would be Donald Trump.

KAYE: This won't be the first time Chutkan has dealt with a case involving the former president. In November 2021, Chutkan rejected Trump's efforts to block the House Select Committee investigating January 6 from accessing more than 700 pages of record from the White House.

In her ruling in that case, she wrote this memorable line. "Presidents are not kings and plaintiff is not president."

Chutkan has called the January 6 violence an assault on American democracy saying rioters soiled and defaced the halls of the Capitol and showed their contempt for the rule of law. She's repeatedly gone above what prosecutors have requested for convicted rioters' prison sentences.

[08:44:54]

Chutkan has also issued a warning about future political violence at a sentencing hearing in December 2021. "It has to be made clear that trying to stop the peaceful transition of power, assaulting law enforcement is going to be met with certain punishment."

Chutkan was born in Kingston, Jamaica. She was appointed by Barack Obama in 2014 and has served as a federal judge since the Senate confirmed her 95 to zero. Before that she spent more than a decade working as a public defender after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Randi Kaye, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Well we know heat could be tough on your body, it could also hurt your pockets. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:49:53]

WALKER: Oregon drivers are now allowed to pump their own gas after the state lifted a ban on self-service dating back to 1951. The new law was signed Friday by Democratic Governor Tina Kotek and went into effect immediately.

The law doesn't phase out full service completely, but stations can not charge more for the service. This leaves New Jersey as the only state where service station customers cannot pump their own fuel.

There is no end in sight for the extreme heat that has been baking parts of America this summer. Every day since June 10th, some kind of heat alert has been in place.

BLACKWELL: And while we are just roasting in this heat, there's also an impact from the sun on our wallets.

CNN's Matt Egan explains.

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Victor and Amara, here's an unexpected consequence of this summer's historic heat wave. It's making life more expensive for drivers. Extreme heat is actually increasing the price of gasoline, which has surged to nine-month highs.

Here's why. Refineries, much like humans, can't handle persistently sweltering temperatures. These are complex facilities that turn crude oil into gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel. And they start to break down in triple-digit heat.

Some refineries have had to limit how much gasoline they're churning out, just when it's needed the most. Analysts tell me that this situation has contributed to the spike in gas prices.

Another factor, Russia and Saudi Arabia, they're are holding back supply, driving up oil prices. AAA says the national average for gasoline has surged by roughly nearly 30 cents since early July.

Now all of this shows how not even big oil, an industry that scientists blame in part for global warming -- not even big oil can escape the consequences of the climate crisis. Of course, it's consumers that are paying the price here.

Even though gas prices are still well below the record highs of last year, they're clearly creeping higher, and that is threatening to undo some of the progress on the inflation front.

But I'll leave you some cautiously optimistic news here. Experts are hopeful that the worst of this gas price spike is over. Veteran oil analyst Tom Kloza, he told me that gas prices are likely either at or near the peak. And they should cool off as the summer winds down.

The one catch, if there's a major hurricane, perhaps one strengthened by record high ocean temperatures, there's a major hurricane that threatens the Gulf Coast and its hub of refineries. And that could cause even higher gas prices. It would also be yet another costly consequence of the climate crisis.

Victor and Amara.

BLACKWELL: Matt, thank you.

From "West World" to "Star Trek", go inside the evolution of black representation in sci-fi and horror. Here's a first look at this week's episode of "SEE IT LOUD: THE HISTORY OF BLACK TELEVISION".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YTASHA WOMACK, AUTHOR: It was certainly groundbreaking to have a black superhero on television. And For many people, this was one of their first examples of afro featurism in science fiction television.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've been stung by a mantis. SCOTT EVANS, ACCESS HOLLYWOOD HOST: Carl Lumbly stars as this man

who'd been shot by the police. He's paralyzed, but builds an exoskeleton that gives him the ability to walk. And with that ability, comes for him the responsibility of fighting violence.

CARL LUMBLY, ACTOR: I'm Carl Lumbly. And I was television's first black superhero. Didn't know it, assumed that there must have been another one, just, you know, one I hadn't heard about.

You can go on destroying each other, or you can learn to live together.

Mantis was a pilot that celebrated black genius.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: A new episode of the CNN original series "SEE IT LOUD: THE HISTORY OF BLACK TELEVISION" tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN. We'll be back.

[08:53:53]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALKER: It is still hot and stormy in some areas.

BLACKWELL: CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar is here. So what should we expect?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, we've already got some ongoing storms this morning. Right now, folks are waking up to some thunder around Little Rock, Arkansas, even around Chattanooga, Tennessee. More of these storms are going to develop later into the day. But it's a multi-day event.

Today the focus is for places like Cincinnati, St. Louis stretching down to Atlanta. Tomorrow that threat increases, but also shifts farther east. Now, D.C., Raleigh, a lot of other cities starting to get in on the potential for some severe thunderstorms.

They will continue to make their way east over the overnight hours, likely making it to Washington D.C. by tonight, New York by tomorrow morning. And that second round coming in by tomorrow evening.

So again, multiple days here of severe weather. The only areas not really looking at that are going to be in the extreme southern tier, but they've got extreme heat to deal with.

This stretches from California all the way through Florida. In fact, the entire state of Florida is under some type of heat alert. Same thing for Louisiana. We're just talking about those extreme temperatures there.

And again, along the Gulf Coast, it's not just the temperature itself, but also the humidity. When you factor in both, you're talking that heat index, that feels-like temperature. It will feel like 115 today in Corpus Christie, 112 in New Orleans, 111 in Shreveport.

WALKER: Alli, thank you very much.

So farmer Lee Wilson in Kansas says he was looking for a grand gesture to express his feelings for his wife of 50 years. And a bouquet of roses just wouldn't cut it.

BLACKWELL: Instead, he planted fields of gold sunflowers as far as anyone could see. He says his son helped him secretly plant more than a million flowers last May.

WALKER: That is ingenious. I love that idea.

[08:59:59]

BLACKWELL: That is beautiful.

WALKER: It's not going to die in that vase, you know, so.

BLACKWELL: Yes. You know, when someone does something like that, just showing up at the door with like two dozen roses really falls a little flat.

WALKER: I'm not a fan.

BLACKWELL: All right. Thank you so much for joining us this morning.

WALKER: "STATE OF THE UNION" is next. Have a great day.