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Simone Biles out of Gymnastics All-Around Final; Japan Racking Up Gold Medals; England Lifts Some International Travel Restrictions; Tunisia under Curfew Waiting for President's Next Move; Tanzania Starts Vaccine Drive; Thai Capital Converting Train Cars to Isolation Center; Earnings Reports. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired July 28, 2021 - 10:00   ET

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

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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Star gymnast Simone Biles is pulling out of the highest profile Olympic event and taking a stand for her

mental health.

Are you flying to England or do you want to, at least, in the coming weeks?

The rules for some fully vaccinated travelers are changing for the better.

And from COVID denial to vaccine ready, Tanzania charts a new course and its new president is leading by example.

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ANDERSON: A warm welcome. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD, I'm Becky Anderson.

Let's kick off this show with the mental aspect of sports. Front and center at the Tokyo Olympics after America's most decorated gymnast withdraws from

tomorrow's all-around final, as it's known.

The decision by Simone Biles coming a day after she pulled out of the team competition earlier in the event was for what was described as a medical

reason. Biles later told reporters she withdrew to focus on her mental health. USA Gymnastics says it wholeheartedly supports her decision.

There's still a chance Biles will compete in individual events, which start on Sunday. Japan's Naomi Osaka, who lost in the tennis competition, has

talked about her own mental health struggles. The International Olympic Committee acknowledging that more could be done to address athletes' mental

health concerns.

The competition goes on with Tokyo largely spared the impact of a tropical storm that veered to the north. You see the host nation there with the most

gold medals so far. Coy Wire connecting us from Tokyo.

I want to start with Simone Biles. As a former professional athlete, based on your own experience, Coy, how difficult is this struggle for Simone

Biles right now?

COY WIRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, we've heard Simone Biles talk about the weight of the world on her shoulders and not letting her teammates

down. I can understand that, the pressure cooker situation.

When I played in the NFL, one missed tackle, you could cost yourself the game or cost yourself a job. I've seen grown men cry after losses when they

thought it was their fault. The mantra was always, pick your head up, get back out there, next snap, move on.

And that's what we did. Now we're starting to see the shift from the mindset from some of the biggest sports stars on the planet -- Simone

Biles, Naomi Osaka -- even before or during those pressure cooker situations. We're seeing them remove themselves from the environment,

stepping back and saying, it's OK that I'm not feeling OK.

They're protecting their mentals, as Simone Biles called them. It's a stark contrast to any mindset I witnessed during my career. But it's one we're

seeing the biggest athletes embracing on the world's biggest stages in sports right now.

ANDERSON: This was an honest confession. And I just wanted -- I'm sure our viewers, too -- what this means for her future career. She said, I'm a

little bit more nervous when I do gymnastics. I also feel I'm not having as much fun.

I wonder is it clear at this point, clearly the significance of her mental health issues is, you know, is not in doubt. But I wonder if it's clear

what the consequences are.

WIRE: Yes, right. Becky, it's shocking because everyone thinks she's invincible, she's bigger than life. She's the biggest star at these games,

arguably. She's 24 years old. She has talked about how she feels more physical pain now than she used to.

She's posted on social media about her nickname within the team, OG, Olympic Grandma.

Is this the last time we could see Biles compete in the Olympics?

She's been asked about the best of her career by "The New York Times."

She replied, "Off time."

So the world is waiting to see if she'll be OK to go and compete in Tokyo.

ANDERSON: That was an interview ahead of her leaving for Tokyo. I wonder if we might have seen a little more into that, had we known, of course,

what might happen.

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ANDERSON: The other major health aspects of these Olympics is, of course, COVID. Tokyo has reported another record day of new cases, nearly 3,200 on

Wednesday alone. The Japanese prime minister insists the case count in the city of 37 million is not a problem for the games.

He says he doesn't think there are any concerns that they could be canceled. Let's turn to Selina Wang.

The games are under way and well into their first week. We know because we heard it said just last week by a significant official that, at any point,

of course, these games could be canceled; 3,200 cases in one day.

It doesn't, quite frankly, seem like a lot in what is a massive city of 32 million. But as we know, these cases can rise exponentially.

What is the situation at this point?

SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, this is actually the second straight day of record high COVID-19 cases, new cases. Now the prime

minister is saying this is not a concern for the games. He's blaming it because of the spread of the Delta variant. He says people are staying at

home more. There is less foot traffic. He's not worried.

But Becky, experts are countering those comments from the prime minister. They're saying this state of emergency declaration just is not as

effective. People are not staying at home as much. There is no legal enforcement requiring people to stay at home. It mostly relies on

restaurants closing down early.

I can say anecdotally, many streets are busy and crowds lined up around the triathlon route. Many are ignoring the prime minister's calls to stay at

home, watch these games at home. Take a listen to what the spokesperson for Tokyo 2020 had to say about this rise in cases.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): As a city resident myself and as an organizer, my heart hurts that case numbers are rising.

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WANG: There are now more than 170 COVID-19 cases in Japan linked to these games. Officials have said over and over again that these Olympic

participants are separate from the public. They are not worried about spillover.

But Becky, for many, many months now, medical experts in Japan have been warning about this exact scenario, that you would see a number of cases

surging in the thousands before the games. The case numbers were significantly lower. They're worried about the medical system being pushed

past its brink.

Experts are already warning the Tokyo medical system is becoming strained. When I talk to the people on the streets of Japan, I am seeing this

sentiment shift. People have mixed feelings.

They are beginning to get very excited to see Japanese athletes compete and make incredible feats. Now Japan already has a dozen gold medals. At the

same time, there are still concerns about rising COVID-19 cases and the fact that only about a quarter of the population in Japan has been fully

vaccinated -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Selina Wang, thank you.

You can follow the latest coverage of Tokyo 2020 online from the conversations on mental health to the latest medal count with Japan out

front with the number of golds. It's all at cnn.com/olympics. Check that out.

England is keen to say welcome back to fully vaccinated travelers from the U.S. and the European Union. It's ending quarantine restrictions for them

from August 2nd. That's according to the U.K. transport secretary.

The idea is to make it easier for people living abroad to come to England more freely to see loved ones and, sensibly, have a holiday. It's a move

that can't come soon enough for the travel industry. CNN's Nic Robertson traveling developments for us here in London.

I think it's really important that we detail as much as possible what we understand to be these changes to international travel, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, they are literally hot off the press.

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ROBERTSON: They're new to us and new to our audience as well. If you're coming from the United States, you'll have to have not only proof of having

have two vaccinations but also proof of residency in the United States.

You'll have to prove those vaccinations on a paper document. Now if you're coming from the E.U. -- and, at the moment, that excludes France because

it's on what's known in the U.K. as an amber plus list.

If you're coming from France, you still have to do a 10-day quarantine coming to the U.K., in your home or in a government-sponsored hotel.

So all other European Union citizens, plus Norwegians, Icelanders, people from Switzerland and Lichtenstein can show up when they travel at the

airport, show to the airline carrier that they have had these two vaccinations.

In the case of the Europeans, they can be done digitally. What we're learning from the British government is this will be a different digital

version of an app, whatever it is, depending on the country they're coming from. But the government's confident that it can manage this system.

It's pushing a lot of the involvement, if you will, the technical level checking to the carriers before you get on the plane. Then you'll be able

to get on a plane. However, not before you've also filled in a passenger locator form, where will you be in the U.K. and you've also said that you

will --

ANDERSON: Well, we've lost him. I think you got the gist of what Nick was saying. If there is anything my producers think Nic was not able to

provide, we'll be sure to get you that detail.

But it is an important story and it is important, I know, to many of you watching, who have friends and family here and to understand exactly what

it is that is needed in order to make that journey.

Across the continent, governments are scrambling to get more shots into the arms as global COVID cases do rise. Germany's health minister is applauding

what he calls another milestone, saying more than half of German citizens are fully vaccinated.

France is trying to curb the spread of the Delta variant and protect the rest of its summer vacation season. It's bringing in its travel health pass

next month, starting some time between August 7th and 10th. People will have to prove they're fully vaccinated or have a recent negative COVID test

to get one.

A surge in COVID cases among unvaccinated Americans is pushing health officials there to revise their mask guidance. That's even for the fully

vaccinated. The CDC is now urging people to wear masks, again, indoors, in public spaces, especially in areas with what it calls substantial

coronavirus transmission.

Keeping you up to date on the most relevant details as we continue to cover the story of the coronavirus.

Still ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, Tunisia is at a turning point. We'll talk to an activist to see what has to happen next to ensure democracy survives.

And a new exclusive about the night Haiti's president was assassinated and what happened afterwards.

And making waves by riding them, how one man is using his skills on the water to fight plastic pollution around the globe.

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ANDERSON: To the political turmoil in Tunisia: the country remains on edge as it waits for the president's next move. President Kais Saied is

expected to name a new prime minister after sacking the government over the weekend.

Some Tunisians celebrated; others protested, calling his actions a coup. Tunisia is being carefully scrutinized as it's the first country to seek

democracy. In the Arab Spring, that precarious democracy, some say, perhaps facing its biggest challenge yet. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz has been following

this crisis for us from London.

The president said he had the right to do this, citing Article 80 of the Tunisian Constitution, giving the head of state the power to do precisely

what he did in the even of imminent danger threatening the integrity of the country and the country's security and independence. His supporters suggest

that he made the right move.

Did he?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a difficult question to answer but I want to begin by saying that President Kais Saied is a constitutional

expert. He actually taught law at a university. So he does have some weight on this issue.

It does matter on what your interpretation is of immediate threat, immediate danger. But that part of his resume is being discussed right now.

Obviously, he has some weight when it comes to speaking about these constitutional issues. And ultimately how you interpret this is all going

to fall on President Saied, a relatively unknown actor.

Right now in Tunisia is in a fork in the road.

We have to question, who is this person?

He's kind of an enigma, a mystery. He rose to power in 2019 with very little political experience. He was an unknown actor at the time, no

military rank, no political affiliation, no party backing.

And that's exactly why so many young people went out and voted for President Saied. They saw him as an outsider, as a sort of neutral force.

He's been able, over the last few months, to use that populism, that support for him on the streets, the anger against corruption and

mismanagement, the feeling that the country has failed when it comes to its coronavirus strategy.

In a sense, among many in Tunisia, that the government is in gridlock, it's unable to make decisions and take actions to relieve economic conditions,

to bring employment, to bring all of these changes that Tunisians had hoped to see post-revolution.

Yes, oftentimes you hear Tunisia is touted as the one success story of the Arab Spring. But if you speak to many families, if you speak to people on

the ground, they'll tell you, we haven't seen the fruits of that success yet.

So all of this comes down to what does President Saied do next?

Yes, we're waiting to see if a prime minister designate is put into place.

But how big are reforms and changes this president is looking at?

Is it a matter of just changing the government and the administration?

Will new, fresh elections be called?

Or are we looking at something much wider, like a constitutional or legislative change in the country?

ANDERSON: Salma, thank you.

Our next guest says some attitudes do need to change in Tunisia. Tunisia's diplomat Aya Chebbi tweets, "The most dangerous political culture in

Tunisia, developed in the past decade, is polarization, fueled and used by politicians to ignite violence."

She says the "only way out is to refocus on accountability rather us versus them."

She is also a pan-African activist and joins us via Skype from Nairobi.

Let's expand on that tweet. What do you think has caused that polarization?

What more can be done to bring about more accountability?

AYA CHEBBI, TUNISIAN DIPLOMAT: Absolutely, I mean, we have seen polarization in the polling box during our elections, always between this

and that. We have seen now the public discourse polarized between, is this a coup or not a coup.

[10:20:00]

CHEBBI: And I think this really shows that we have a lot of gaps in our presidential system. We have a lot of gaps in our constitutions. And so I

think this polarization, the danger is it's fueling conflict and violence.

I think the conversation with Kais Saied or with another and against is not going to take us to a genuine dialogue. And I think part of what the

presidency fails to do is create this genuine national dialogue, where all actors come together.

ANDERSON: Let's talk about what is going on today in Tunisia. The president using Article 80 of the Constitution -- Salma reminding us this

is a constitutional expert, perhaps loosely termed these days but there you go -- using Article 80 of the Constitution to justify his actions.

Do the country's economic problems, along with the current COVID issues, constitute an imminent danger to the safety and security of the country?

CHEBBI: Absolutely, I mean, it's as complex as you describe it. We have an interpretation of the constitution, where we cannot interpret Article 80

without a body that does not exist, which is the constitutional accords.

On the other hand, we have a high rate of unemployment, we have the pandemic crisis now. We are one of the top countries of the highest deaths

on the continent, actually more than 80,000 deaths, more than 500,000 cases.

I think there is a discontent from all sides, the mismanagement of the vaccine rollout and of treating the pandemic response from the government's

side and that's why people called for the head of government to step down.

The discontent for the parliament, which did not really step into leadership throughout this crisis after crisis after crisis until we

arrived to a pandemic. And so people are really fed up of a parliament who sits there every day without passing progressive policies and implementing

them.

And also the expectation of the president to be this solidifying, unifying figure, to bring all actors together and get us out of the stagnant system

we live in, it is very complex. And I think the danger of that is, with these bold decisions people were waiting for, people went to the streets

happy because they were waiting for action.

There's been a lot of inaction the past few years. The danger of that is polarization. For me, polarization can be very much used by both parties.

If we see a scenario where supporters of the president will go out and mobilize, supporters of other parties will mobilize and go out, that's

where we end up with a clash and a conflict.

So I think the only way to move on is dialogue and accountability. That's why I was emphasizing on accountability.

ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. You say the next 30 days will be crucial.

In your Twitter postings, you point out that other countries in Africa have had coups, which have led to dictatorships.

So what is the prospect for -- I guess we should continue this conversation about accountability -- but ultimately, what is the prospect for the

continuation of what so many had seen as a sort of shining light of democracy, in a region that simply doesn't have an awful lot of it?

CHEBBI: I think, first of all, we're waiting for the president, as soon as possible, to appoint a new head of government. I think that decision will

actually determine, even his supporters of their reaction to that.

We've been waiting for a head of government that is competent and that is appointed because of merit and competence, not anything else. And the fact

that we have changed the head of government nine times during 10 years shows that none of them have been competent and have been appointed by

merit.

So I think the first step for the president right now, to show his genuine intentions and good intentions of this 30 days' deadline, is to appoint,

you know, a very competent and trusted and respected head of government.

I think the second thing people expect right now is a clear road map, especially civil society; a lot of organizations have published open

letters, published statements, really are requesting and asking for a clear road map of these 30 days.

It is alarming to have the three powers in one main tent -- executive, the judiciary and your head of military without a counterpower. And I think

civil society can play that role of being a watchdog.

And if really the president has good intentions, he should, from the one side, open dialogue with political parties; from the other side, create

that accountability.

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CHEBBI: -- watchdog led by civil society.

ANDERSON: And very briefly, to your mind, what are the consequences of an unstable Tunisia going forward, a Tunisia that isn't led as many would want

it to be led?

[10:25:00]

ANDERSON: That the president doesn't hand over and back to a prime minister, for example, as you have pointed out, who is competent?

What are the consequences of a lack of action or the wrong action at this point?

CHEBBI: We've been through many crises the past decade. And I think this is the biggest tax to our democracy. But I think the Tunisian civil society

is very resilient to watchdog.

And if the promises of the president has not been made, as we have been in a crisis in 2014 and '13 and before, we will probably call for early

elections and really go into a transition again for early legislative and presidential elections.

So I am -- I am, like, 50-50. If we go with a scenario of conflict and polarization and not being able to sit on the one table, it will continue

to be a conflict of this is a coup or not.

If we go into the president giving him a chance in the 30 days and he doesn't deliver, I think the same people who went on the streets to cheer

him up, they won't be the same people to go out on the streets to tell him to step down.

ANDERSON: Yes, fascinating. It's good to have you on. Thank you for your insight and analysis and we'll continue to watch what happens in Tunisia.

And the consequences of what happens in Tunisia are incredibly important, wherever you are watching in the world, that we continue to give this story

some platform.

A slightly comical name with a deadly serious purpose known as the Plastic Soup Surfer, one Dutchman is using his hobby to raise awareness about

plastic pollution. As part of CNN's Going Green Initiative, we found out how he is working to tackle the problem at its source.

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MERIJN TINGA, POLLUTION ACTIVIST (through translator): The core of the plastic pollution problem is the fact we're using a material that is not

biodegradable. That means that everything that is left in nature does not go away.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Armed with a paddle board made from plastic waste, Merijn Tinga is waging war on plastic.

TINGA (voice-over): It's amazing how much stuff you find just floating in the water. And it's all plastic. We need a systemic change.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): The Dutch biologist turned activist is known as the Plastic Soup Surfer, a nickname he earned when he surfed along

the Dutch coast and across the North Sea to England on his first board made from plastic bottles.

TINGA (voice-over): I started seeing that plastic washing up on my beaches. I felt I needed to make a statement. I felt, if people know,

things will change automatically. That's when I built that surfboard and I used that record attempt as to start to a petition for deposit schemes of

all small plastic bottles here in the Netherlands.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): And his efforts gave paid off. The Dutch government has recently introduced a tax on small plastic bottles, an

initiative that has been shown to reduce littering by up to 90 percent.

TINGA (voice-over): The deposit scheme is very simple. You pay a little extra, say 15 cents. And when you bring back your bottle, you get that 15

cents back. It's a financial incentive but that also creates a certain behavioral change and awareness.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): As well as influencing crucial legislation, Tinga is harnessing the power of the community to tackle the

plastic problem at source.

TINGA (voice-over): This problem does not start in the sea or in the rivers. It starts on land. There's billions of single use cups being

littered and even the paper ones actually contain the lining of plastic.

By highlighting how big this problem is, we can go up to these companies, go up to the policymakers and put it on their agenda and make sure that

they push forward that change we need.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): And to bring about that much needed change, Tinga hopes to inspire the younger generations, too.

TINGA (voice-over): There's so much enthusiasm when you go to a school that, you know, gives you a lot of energy. But that you need to have a

solid basis on how you treat waste. And that starts at schools.

(Speaking foreign language).

TINGA (voice-over): If we want to tackle plastic pollution, we need to tackle that throw-away society and we need to tackle our own behavior.

These are first steps in the right direction.

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ANDERSON: Plastic Soup Surfer -- back after this.

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[10:30:00]

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ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in London. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. It's just half past 3:00 here.

The U.S. making its largest COVID vaccine donation yet. This week, more than 5 million Pfizer vaccines from the United States will begin to arrive

in South Africa. The U.S. also donated over 1 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to Tanzania.

That country making a major shift in its policy, moving from a year-long period of COVID denial to finally embracing COVID vaccines. The president

got vaccinated on TV live, showing it's safe, launching the vaccine campaign. We're joined by Larry Madowo from Nairobi, in Kenya, right next

door.

Tanzania now hoping to provide some hope across the African continent. When I read the words it has its first vaccines and kicking off its vaccine

drive, we realize just how slow things have been, Larry.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, only 0.001 percent maybe of Tanzanians are vaccinated. The launch is a dramatic, long overdue reversal.

Tanzania's official policy was COVID denial. That's what the former president believed in. He was one of the most prominent deniers of COVID-19

on the entire African continent.

He officially died of heart disease but there are people who believe in the country and beyond that he died of COVID-19. His predecessor, getting

vaccinated on TV to show people these vaccines are safe.

After a long period of misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy theories and debunked lies, a lot of people believed so many these many things that

the president has to go on national television and remind them, at 61, she has 5-6 vaccines and they're completely safe. Watch.

ANDERSON: Yes--

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SAMIA SULUHU HASSAN, TANZANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): A lot of people depend on me, as a mother, wife, grandmother, president and

commander in chief. So I'm doing this to show the public that, as their president, I'm a shepherd. I wouldn't get vaccinated if it was dangerous.

I'm doing this on my own free will.

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MADOWO: So Becky, the thing they need to do is, one, convince everybody the vaccine is safe and, two, get enough shots for everyone aged -- this is

a country of about 60 million people, so 1 million shots is just beginning to scratch the surface.

ANDERSON: Larry, thank you very much, indeed.

Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories on our radar right now. Thailand reporting its highest number of new daily COVID cases, over

16,000 on Wednesday.

Bangkok plans to convert these train cars on the right of your screen into an isolation center.

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ANDERSON: On the left, you see the cargo area of the city's airport has already been turned into a field hospital.

South Korea reporting its highest number of new daily cases since the pandemic began, almost 1,900 in a single day. Two-thirds of those were in

and around Seoul. That is despite restrictions that include a ban on gatherings of more than two people after 6 o'clock in the evening.

Saudi Arabia imposing a travel ban on citizens who go to so-called red zone countries with high COVID-19 infection rates. Anyone returning from those

countries is barred from travel for three years. The interior ministry says they will also face heavy penalties.

Serving as one of Afghanistan's only female mayors has its dangers. We're going to meet the woman who embodies everything the Taliban hates. You'll

hear why she will not back down.

And technology got many of us through the last 1.5 years of lockdowns and quarantines. How the tech industry is now reaping the rewards.

That all coming up on. I'm Becky Anderson. Stay with us.

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ANDERSON: Three of the biggest tech giants have reported stunning growth in the last quarter, proving their boost during the pandemic seems to be

here to stay.

Apple's revenue jumped to 36 percent, to more than $81 billion. That smashed analysts' expectations.

Google's parent company, Alphabet, saw a 62 percent jump in revenue compared to the same quarter last year. That's nearly $62 billion in

revenue.

And Microsoft blew up Wall Street's expectations with a $46 billion quarter. That is up 21 percent from the same quarter last year. CNN's Clare

Sebastian is watching the earnings report for us from New York.

These are massive numbers for the tech sector.

What's fueling this growth?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, everything we started doing more of this time last year, when the pandemic hit, we're doing. I'm

talking about working from home, relying on our smart devices, engaging with online ads.

I think what these numbers show is those trends are not temporary. This was an acceleration of an existing trend and it's still accelerating. These

numbers from these companies are stunning if you think about how dominant they already are and becoming even more dominant.

Apple, the iPhone clocked up sales of almost 50 percent. This is a product where there are already a billion active devices worldwide. A lot of that

is upgrades but it's still a growing market.

Google, one of the dominant players in online advertising, saw that core business grow 69 percent; for YouTube, it was 84 percent.

[10:40:00]

SEBASTIAN: So this is a booming business. Some of that is because we saw a slump in spending last year. This is a favorable comparison. Really what

this shows is even with some risks out there, these are dominant players becoming even more dominant.

ANDERSON: How are investors reacting to these numbers?

SEBASTIAN: There was a little pause in the premarket and at the open with Apple. This is a company that didn't offer guidance for the next quarter.

They are worried about supply chain issues; in particular, the chip shortage. They said they managed to mitigate the effects in the previous

quarter when it comes to the iPhone and iPad.

But they expect the effects to get worse in the current quarter, during the September quarter. Same story for Microsoft. People are seeing the chip

shortage effect, laptop range and Windows as well as the Xbox gaming consoles.

They expect to continue going forward but the markets -- the sort of dips we saw in those two stocks at the open, they're coming back up. I think

overall the market is extremely optimistic that these giant tech players, high-flying stocks that make up a big proportion of the SNP 500, that they

are going to continue to grow.

ANDERSON: We know what happens on Wall Street doesn't necessarily reflect what's going on in the wider economy. The U.S. Federal Reserve wrapping up

its two-day meeting later today.

I wonder, what are we expecting to come out of that?

We know there has been some talk of inflationary pressures at present.

What's the betting at this point?

SEBASTIAN: Nothing in terms of policy changes. We expect them to maintain record low interest rates and continue the bond buying. The interesting

thing about this meeting is the Fed is finding itself at the collision of two very different forces.

One is this rising inflation that is very high. In June, consumer prices were up the most since 2008. It's the talk of the earnings calls we're

seeing at the moment. Companies from Starbucks to 3M talking about raising prices.

We have inflation on the one hand. On the other hand, the Delta variant is fueling concerns the growth may slow. That is putting the Fed in a

difficult situation. If we have a situation of slowing growth and rising inflation, whether or not they raise interest rates, they could risk making

one of those worse.

I think we'll be watching for comments both on the inflation situation -- Powell thinks it's temporary.

Does he still think that?

And on the growth situation because of Delta variant.

ANDERSON: Fascinating. Clare, always a pleasure. Thanks for your analysis.

The pandemic not the only health concern for athletes in Tokyo. There's also the scorching temperatures and humidity, which I'm afraid got the best

of the Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa, who suffered a heat stroke, was wheeled off the court and forced to retire early from her match.

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