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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
319 Bodies Exhumed In Forest, Linked To Cult; The Future Of Next Generation Robot Technology; Wyndham Clark Wins First Career Major At U.S. Open. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired June 19, 2023 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:30:00]
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DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): -- die quickly enough.
FRANCIS WANJE, FATHER OF CULT MEMBER: They suffocated them.
MCKENZIE (on camera): They suffocated them.
WANJE: They suffocated them, yes.
MCKENZIE (on camera): And this is your own blood.
WANJE: And I wonder where my children of my child -- my daughter could change to be such an animal -- a wild animal -- to kill her own children.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): Pastor Paul Mackenzie began his cult in Malindi.
MCKENZIE (on camera): This is the church where Pastor Mackenzie had a huge following in his sermons.
PAUL NTHENGE MACKENZIE, CULT LEADER: (Speaking foreign language).
MCKENZIE (voice-over): He amplified his message online. He preached a doomsday prophecy for at least a decade, calling on the faithful to reject modern society, pull children from school, avoid hospitals. He demanded total devotion.
MACKENZIE: (Speaking foreign language).
MCKENZIE (voice-over): "You must deny yourself. You must reject yourself. You must reach a point of ending your life," he says, "for the sake of Jesus."
His anti-government stance got him arrested and detained but never prosecuted.
In 2019, the church was closed down. Later, the pastor started his forest community. We found a former cult member in Malindi. We agreed to hide her
identity for her own safety. She escaped the forest last year.
MCKENZIE (on camera): Why did you move your whole home and all your children, and move into the forest?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
MCKENZIE (voice-over): "The pastor used to call me," she says. "He was calling me, telling me, 'My daughter, you are being left behind and when the ark is closed it will be too late.' So decided to go."
When the COVID pandemic hit she says many saw it as evidence that the prophecies were real. Mackenzie charged her family $80 for a piece of land in Galilee. "There were seven other biblically-named settlements in Shakahola with more than a thousand followers," she says.
Still, cult members made regular trips to a nearby village for food and water. "In December, those trips suddenly stopped," says (INAUDIBLE). "The starvation had begun." He says they alerted authorities but they did nothing, even after hungry children started escaping to the village.
What's been called the Shakahola massacre has shocked this nation. Pastor Mackenzie and his closest followers are being held under terror laws.
MCKENZIE (on camera): What happened in the forest with your followers?
MACKENZIE: I can tell nothing about that because I've been in custody (PH) for two months. So I don't know what is going on outside there. Have you been there?
MCKENZIE (voice-over): Francis Wanje says there needs to be justice. He mounted a rescue mission to get his grandchildren out. When they found his grandson Efran (PH) he was close to salvation. His two brothers were already dead.
WANJE: They went through hell. He went through hell, I'll tell you. In fact, when he was rescued he told them that if you can come here maybe late -- a little bit -- and when you found me I'd already gone to see Jesus. Of course, that grief was there.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): The very highest levels of the Kenyan government have apologized for their inaction and the pain it has caused.
The scale of what happened in the forest is still being understood. Hundreds are still missing and many more mass graves need to be exhumed.
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MCKENZIE: Now, witnesses and investigators say that flight attendants, professionals, civil servants, government security workers -- all of them were drawn to this cult -- to this pastor and his mission to have them starve to death to attain salvation. And really, the scale of this is only now being understood with many more sections of that remote forest still to be exhumed -- Christine.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Just awful. What epic brainwashing.
All right, David. Thank you so much for that.
Quick hits around the globe right now.
Ukraine and Russia locked in fierce fighting along the eastern and southern front lines. Ukraine's military says it recaptured eight settlements in two weeks and hit a significant Russian ammunition depot.
At least 13 people have died and 3,000 left homeless in southern Brazil after a weekend cyclone. Rescues still underway as flooding swept away people and homes in that region.
A woman in Ecuador discovered alive inside the coffin at her own wake has now passed away. Her family says they found her breathing after hearing knocking sounds. An investigation is underway.
Just ahead, the rise of the robot. The latest human innovation in artificial intelligence. And a relative unknown crashing the U.S. Open with a major win.
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ROMANS: Here is today's fast-forward lookahead.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken about to hold a news conference in Beijing. He just met face-to-face with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping.
President Biden heads to California today. The three-day trip includes remarks on climate change and fundraising receptions.
Today, Americans commemorate Juneteenth. It marks the moment in June of 1865 when Union troops told enslaved African Americans in Texas that they were free by executive decree.
Right here on CNN, you can watch "JUNETEENTH: A GLOBAL CELEBRATION FOR FREEDOM." That's tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
All right. Opinions are split about robots and artificial intelligence. Some see them as technological advancements to be embraced; others think they're a phenomena to be feared.
Here is CNN's Eleni Giokos.
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ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Emotional robots, pet robots, heavy-lifting robots, and a crowd of tech enthusiasts. You're looking at the next generation of robots on display at tech fairs in Europe. Despite widespread concerns about artificial intelligence, developers say these robots were made for good.
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Ogocub (PH), for instance, was built for helping people with a difficult physical task. Picture it bringing in grocery boxes, taking out the trash, or working in warehouses to reduce physical stress and the risk of injuries to workers. Ogocub is being developed in Italy.
DANIELE PUCCI, ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECHNOLOGIA: The (INAUDIBLE) for national interests -- that is foreseeing future applications of the robot to reduce the impact of musculoskeletal diseases.
GIOKOS (voice-over): At the Paris tech fair VivaTech, developers are showcasing Buddy, an emotional robot programmed to show feelings and, they say, capable of developing new ones.
RODOLPHE HASSELVANDER, FOUNDER, BLUE FROG ROBOTICS (through translator): For example, he can help children who have been in the hospital for a long time to continue their lessons at a distance. It will also autistic children improve their ability to communicate with others.
GIOKOS (voice-over): Meet Meraki, a twin robot. It's able to grasp things, perform simple tasks, and interact with people. This one is named Meraki and is saying he is the brother of Muraka (PH).
JEROME MONCEAUX, FOUNDER AND CEO, ENCHANTED TOOLS (through translator): These two characters have escaped from a cartoon to enter our daily lives and help us manage our social spaces. Places like hospitals, hotels, restaurants, and tons of other places where there are lots of objects to move around.
GIOKOS (voice-over): But it's not just robots on display at VivaTech. Historical figures are also back to life. French startup (INAUDIBLE) used AI to generate famous Dutch painter Vincent Gogh who died over a century ago but is now back to answer your questions.
Also answering questions at VivaTech, Elon Musk.
ELON MUSK, CEO, TESLA: There's a real danger for digital superintelligence having negative consequences. And so, if we are not careful with creating artificial general intelligence we could have potentially a catastrophic outcome.
GIOKOS (voice-over): But he went on to say the most likely outcome for AI is positive, and that's something the robots might agree with.
AMECA, ROBOT: Yes. It is important to remember that these technologies can also have a positive impact on our lives if used responsibly. Yes, ask me.
GIOKOS (voice-over): Eleni Giokos, CNN. (END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right. On Father's Day, Sunday, U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark dedicated the first Major win of his career to his mom.
Coy Wire has this morning's Bleacher Report. Good morning, Coy.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine.
Wyndham Clark says mom Lise and dad Randall made him the golfer he is today, but it was mom who first put a club in his hands. She passed from breast cancer when Wyndham was in college, but he's never forgotten her message to him -- play big.
And that's exactly what he needed to do with Rory McIlroy breathing down his neck all day. McIlroy needing to sink a 41-foot putt for birdie on 18 to catch him, but it comes up just wide. That put all the pressure on the 29-year-old from Denver.
People rushing to the 18th hole to see if Wyndham Clark could maintain his one-stroke lead. He needed to two-putt to win his first Major. He got his first PGA Tour win just last month and now, Clark nails it. He has won a Major. He never finished better than 75th in the six Majors he'd played in, but he finishes at 10-under to win the U.S. Open.
Our Patrick Snell caught up with the champ moments after his win.
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WYNDHAM CLARK, 2023 U.S. OPEN CHAMPION: It was like wow, I really feel my mom's presence this week more than any other week. And then as I played the rounds and stuff started going my way, it really reminded me of her. And there was multiple times when I was out there on the golf course that I thought of my mom. And so, it's just been a really special week and a lot of this is in memory of my mom.
I've always thought of myself as a star and I always dreamt of being one. And so to finally get to the point where I feel like I'm at their level is a dream come true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: Father's Day fun at ballparks all across America yesterday.
And that's star shortstop Francisco Lindor back in the lineup yesterday after becoming a girl dad for the second time. His wife Katia giving birth on Saturday. And then, the very next day, in his first at-bat, Lindor celebrates the occasion. Mr. Smiles all smiles. A deep shot to left -- a home run. It's his 13th home run this season.
The Cardinals would win 8-7.
But Lindor says that being a girl dad is, quote, "the best. They're the future. Female is future."
[05:45:00] And more Father's Day fun in the ATL. Braves centerfielder Michael Harris II -- he's taking the first pitch from his dad before their game against the D-backs. He -- Harris grew up in the Atlanta area. Mom works in the school system. Harris attended Stockbridge High School before getting drafted by his hometown team.
And in his first Father's Day game at home, Michael Harris might have hit this one all the way back to his old stomping grounds -- 453 feet -- longest of his career. Mom and dad loving it.
The Braves extending their National League-best record with a 14-6 win.
Finally, the Red Sox hosting the Yankees. And a fan gives a foul ball to a little boy, but the young fellow throws it back to the field. Big brother loses it. Dad puts on his cape and tries his best on Father's Day to make it alright. And all parents out there can relate to moments like this -- your child writhing in anguish after a poor decision. Dad explains what just happened. He needs one of those drinks, Christine.
Thankfully, some smart team employees come to the rescue showering the boys with all sorts of swag, turning those frowns upside-down.
ROMANS: Big brother is not going to let little brother throw that ball back. That is so funny. Oh my gosh.
WIRE: Good stuff.
ROMANS: Coy Wire, nice to see you. Thank you.
WIRE: You, too.
ROMANS: All right. Coming up on "CNN THIS MORNING" Secretary of State Blinken speaks to reporters following his one-on-one with the Chinese president. We're going to go live to Beijing.
And next, right here, lots of hiring but not enough work. What's going on with America's labor market?
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ROMANS: All right. You Romans' Numeral this morning, $450,000. That's how much it will cost private astronauts to go to space aboard Virgin Galactic. Its first-ever commercial space flight is scheduled to launch later this month. Several hundred customers have already made reservations for future trips.
All right. In what has been probably the longest recession watch in memory, the job market appears to be doing just fine. A robust 339,000 jobs were added in May. More than four million jobs added since the Fed began its interest rate hikes last year. But do those numbers tell the whole story? It's the topic of a new Wall Street Journal article with the headline "Lots of Hiring, but Not So Much Working." Let's bring in one of the authors of that article, Gwynn Guilford, an economics reporter at The Wall Street Journal. Good morning. Nice to see you.
GWYNN GUILFORD, ECONOMICS REPORTER, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (via Webex by Cisco): Good morning.
ROMANS: So the headline numbers show this resilient jobs market but you're looking at the number of hours people are working. What does that tell you?
GUILFORD: Right. So, in May, the number of average hours worked each week dipped below the 2019 average. It was 34.3 hours per week. And that stemmed quite a lot from the peak in January 2021 when there was 35.
So, usually, economists worry about that when that starts to happen because employers cut hours before they cut workers, and it's a sign of slowing demand -- you know, less work to go around. And so, normally, it's a harbinger of an imminent recession.
ROMANS: You also write in this piece, "A slightly different measure offers another possible reason the job market remains tight as hours drop: People are working less simply because they want to."
So some of this could be voluntary?
GUILFORD: For sure. So there are a couple of things going on that have to do with how the pandemic threw our economy out of whack.
The first one is that there was such trauma and expense and time consumed at hiring because there was -- there were labor shortages across the economy. And for many businesses, still positions that they're only just now filling. And so, hours are coming down as we get closer to something that looks like normal. So it's not -- it might be a false signal of an imminent recession.
And then also, just workers don't -- or employers don't want to get -- let workers go that they're going to have to rehire really soon when the economy starts to bounce back if we do get a recession.
So -- but then the other factor that's kind of a little more -- could have some longer-term consequences is that the -- during the pandemic people pulled back on the hours they wanted to work voluntarily, and that trend has continued even though the pandemic is over.
And what that seems to suggest is that there was this shift in work- life balance priority that is sticking. Whatever people experienced during the pandemic, they're like oh, let's just keep doing this. This is working for me. And they're continuing to work less.
ROMANS: You also note in this piece that average overtime hours in manufacturing dropped compared to last year. What kind of insight does that give you about what's happening in manufacturing? GUILFORD: Sure. So, manufacturing has been slowing considerably as consumers have shifted their spending from goods, which they kind of binged on at the beginning of the pandemic, towards more services. So that normalization is really pulling down activity in manufacturing and that's -- as a result, there's less work to do. So that's a factor there that's kind of specific to manufacturing.
But we're also seeing this in other parts of the economy where -- in aggregate, in the private sector, hours worked are coming down.
ROMANS: All right, Gwynn Guilford, of The Wall Street Journal. There's just so much going on in the job market and you're right that really, COVID kind of broke all the charts so we're all trying to sort of figure out what's the baseline and how we're recovering here. Nice to see you. Thank you for getting up early for us this morning.
GUILFORD: Yes, thanks for having me.
ROMANS: All right.
Secretary of State Blinken about to speak in Beijing after meeting face-to-face with China's President Xi. And some 50 million Americans are waking up under a severe storm threat. More on the high heat and the powerful storms taking aim at the Southeast.
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ROMANS: All right. Our top the morning, the top movies at the box office.
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Clip from Warner Bros. Pictures "The Flash."
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ROMANS: "The Flash" debuts at number one, though it fell short in projected ticket sales in its first week out.
Here's number two.
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Clip from Pixar's "Elemental."
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ROMANS: That's Disney and Pixar's "Elemental."
And number three.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) Clip from Sony Pictures Entertainment "Spider-Man: Across the Spider- Verse."
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ROMANS: Another superhero story "Spider-Man: Across the Spider- Verse."
All right, Happy Monday, everybody. Thanks for joining me. I'm Christine Romans. "CNN THIS MORNING" starts right now.
