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11-Year-Old Raising Money For Classmate Who Is Unaccounted For; Delta Variant Accounts For Quarter Of U.S. Virus Cases; WNBA Touts 99 Percent Of Players Are Fully Vaccinated. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired June 30, 2021 - 07:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:32:21]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, 12 people are confirmed dead and 149 unaccounted for in the Surfside condo collapse. People who lived there are still hoping for any good news on friends and loved ones as the rescue operations continue.

Joining me now is Navah Lisman and her mother Erika. Navah is 11 years old. Two of her classmates and their families lived in the condo at the time of the collapse. And, Navah, you're raising money now for those families, which is -- which is heroic.

Just tell me how did you find out about the condo collapse?

NAVAH LISMAN, 11-YEAR-OLD RAISING MONEY FOR HER TWO CLASSMATES UNACCOUNTED FOR: Well -- so, at the time of the collapse, I was in Orlando.

And when we woke up my mom had already found out, so she told me. And I honestly didn't know how to react. I was very, very stunned and shocked. And then I -- of course, I started sobbing because I was very close friends with two of the kids that were involved in the accident. And it was very, very heartbreaking for me to know that they might not come out alive.

BERMAN: What do you know about your friends at this point?

N. LISMAN: I know that one of them is safe, which I'm so grateful for it. And the other is still unaccounted for. She has been buried under the rubble, we are thinking, and it's scary.

BERMAN: It's scary and it's sad. It's hard -- it really is.

But you're trying to help now. Tell us what you're doing.

N. LISMAN: I started a GoFundMe on Thursday to try and raise money for the people who are involved in the crashing and -- because I wanted to do what I could to help from Orlando.

BERMAN: You know, I understand the desire to help. You feel helpless in a situation like this, Erika. So, you know, talk to me about this effort and why it's important to you.

ERIKA LISMAN, LAUNCHED FUNDRAISER FOR NAVAH'S FRIENDS: Yes. I mean, like Navah said, I think that the whole community here is very tight. Everybody really wants to find a way to help in some way. Like, we wish that we could clear rubble. We wish that we could house everyone.

So, Navah told me that morning that she wanted to start a GoFundMe. I was a little hesitant but I just said I don't want to dissuade her. I want her to follow her heart. I want her to do something so she can feel powerful in this moment.

And to date, it's been relatively successful. She's raised quite a bit of money.

[07:35:01]

BERMAN: How much have you raised at this point?

N. LISMAN: Almost $9,000.

BERMAN: That's wonderful. That's wonderful.

You know, I've spoken to some people and their families who've been through this and they need help. I mean, they've lost -- if they survived, which is so lucky, to begin with, they've lost everything -- everything in their homes, and they need anything -- everything.

Talk to me about the sense of unknowing at this point and the difficulty for this community as we're now nearly a week in and there's still 149 people unaccounted for.

E. LISMAN: I think that the message that the parents -- you know, our friends, our parents, our community -- I think the message that we're trying to relay to the children is to stay hopeful because miracles happen. They have happened in the past.

But, you know, we obviously know that things are -- it's getting less likely that those miracles will come in large numbers. So we're preparing ourselves, we're preparing our children, we're preparing our families for the grief. There's been loss here. There is grief. There's no way around that.

BERMAN: Well, good things happen when people do good things and you're doing a good thing here, Navah. So thank you for what you're doing. We put the GoFundMe page up on the screen. If people want to help, that's a great place to go. I'm sure everyone's proud of what you're doing.

N. LISMAN: Thank you.

BERMAN: Thanks so much for being with us. Thank you --

N. LISMAN: Thank you.

BERMAN: -- very much. One question among many as engineers try to figure out a cause of the collapse -- what role, if any, does climate change and rising sea levels -- what role do they play in all of this?

Plus, the WNBA succeeding what other sports leagues have not when it comes to fighting coronavirus.

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[07:41:00]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: The more dangerous and more transmissible Delta variant now accounts for just over a quarter of U.S. coronavirus cases. With less than half of the U.S. population fully vaccinated, health experts worry regions with lower levels of virus protection -- basically, fewer people who are vaccinated -- that those areas could really start to see surges and those could continue into the fall and the winter.

CNN's Elizabeth Cohen joining me now. I mean, this has been a concern from the beginning, right?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It has, but I'll tell you, I don't think that anyone thought that we would be seeing such disparities -- that so many regions where there are great vaccination rates and so many regions in the U.S. that really have pretty poor vaccination rates. And this Delta variant -- well, it is taking advantage of that and it's really a problem.

This Delta variant, as Erica just said -- it's more transmissible. It spreads more quickly. And also, it could get you a whole lot sicker than previous versions of the coronavirus, according to some data that's coming out of England.

So let's take a look at what this virus is doing in -- or this variant, I should say, is doing in the United States.

If you look in late April or early May, only about three percent of all the coronavirus cases at that time were this Delta variant -- not much at all. Move forward a couple of weeks, it became three percent. Move forward a couple more weeks, it became 10 percent. Just watch it grow to the point where in mid-June it was 26 percent.

It is growing very quickly. It is widely expected that it will become the dominant variant. So this variant that appears to make people even sicker could become the dominant variant.

Now, that's a real problem for unvaccinated people. For vaccinated people, it's actually not such a problem, and here's why. Take a look at this.

For vaccinated people, it's -- the vaccine is 79 percent effective at keeping you from getting infected with that Delta variant. So, will you -- could you get infected, sure, but chances are you won't.

But this part is even better. It is 96 percent effective at keeping you out of the hospital. In other words, you might get infected with Delta variant or you might know someone -- it could happen. But chances are you're not going to get that sick. And the purpose of vaccines, as one vaccine (INAUDIBLE) told me -- the purpose of a vaccine is to keep you out of the hospital and out of the morgue.

If you get a little bit sick it's not the end of the world.

HILL: That's still -- OK. There is a lot of confusion I think brewing now when it comes to masks. I mean, I feel like we've been here before because we've been here before.

So, L.A. County health officials just recommended that fully vaccinated people continue to mask up inside.

What should we all be taking away from this? Should we start wearing masks again if we're fully vaccinated?

COHEN: I think it depends a lot on where you live. So there are places in the United States where there's really not that much coronavirus around, and so you don't need to worry as much. But there are other places where there's really quite a bit.

Our colleague Don Lemon talked to Dr. Anthony Fauci about this last night -- last night. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: If you are not vaccinated, you are at considerable risk. When you have such a low level of vaccination superimposed upon a variant that has a high degree of efficiency of spread, what you are going to see among under- vaccinated regions, be they states, cities, or counties -- you're going to see these individual types of blips. It's almost like it's going to be two Americas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: I was just speaking with Dr. Fauci about this and he said that one of the concerns here is that in these pockets of America where there aren't a lot of vaccinated people, that the variants will grow and grow. You'll get a variant that will -- as more vaccine -- I'm sorry, more virus circulating, more chance of getting new variants.

And we might get a variant where the vaccine doesn't work as well, and that would be an even bigger problem. That would pose a problem for those of us who've been vaccinated if one of those variants comes along.

HILL: And so, the effort continues to try to --

COHEN: That's right.

HILL: -- try to increase those vaccinations.

COHEN: Bottom line, get vaccinated. HILL: Get your shots, exactly.

Elizabeth, so nice to see you in -

COHEN: Good to see you.

HILL: -- person.

COHEN: Wonderful.

HILL: The WNBA says 99 percent of its players are fully vaccinated. Now, that's the highest reported percentage of vaccinated players in any major U.S. professional sports league. So how did they do it?

[07:45:06]

Joining us now, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Great to have you with us this morning.

How did you do it?

CATHY ENGELBERT, COMMISSIONER, WNBA (via Webex by Cisco): Well, Erica, as with any complex topic, especially involving medical science, it started with listening.

The Players Association led vaccine education efforts back -- starting, I think, in December, prior to our season. And that was so key in helping players learn more about the vaccine, answer questions, concerns. Our health and safety experts at the league did sessions for our teams.

And these players are so impressive. One of the pillars of their social justice council this year is health equity -- how important coming off the pandemic. And that included informing our whole ecosystem, including fans, about the health benefits.

And we debuted a player-led vaccine public service announcement during our draft in April. And it had Layshia Clarendon, and Nneka Ogwumike, Elizabeth Williams, and A'ja Wilson with a tagline "Our health is worth a shot." So, it spoke to our diverse league. It spoke for all Black women and Black Americans who have died at a disproportionate rate from COVID.

HILL: You talk about the conversations that started back in December if there were concerns. Was there much hesitancy among players?

ENGELBERT: Yes, there was. They had a lot of great questions. These are young, diverse women and they had some questions about the science. They had questions about who was in the clinical trial. So, yes, there were lots of questions. Obviously, fertility was on the list.

HILL: Yes.

ENGELBERT: And what would be their lifestyle if they got vaccinated. What protocols would we lift because we had pretty strict protocols coming off of our bubble last year?

So yes, lots of questions.

HILL: You mention -- I mean, your numbers are off the charts, right, compared to some of the other leagues, which is great. And the involvement that you had with the players -- the PSA, other outreach efforts that they've done.

I wonder, as we talk about -- as Elizabeth Cohen and I were just talking about -- the increase in more transmissible, more dangerous variants. The urgency for vaccinations.

Do you anticipate bringing the players back for maybe round two to help encourage some of the folks in other areas of the country who maybe haven't been vaccinated that now is the time?

ENGELBERT: Yes. I think -- you know, we're continuing to consult with public health and government officials and infectious disease experts. And you just had the segment on the Delta variant, so we're educating around that being much more infectious and a serious risk to unvaccinated people, as you heard Dr. Fauci said last night. But the data readout is that vaccines still work.

So yes, we're happy to lead. These players are amazing and when they lead, they're role models in their society.

HILL: WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, great to have you this morning. Thank you.

ENGELBERT: Thank you.

HILL: More now on our breaking news. A rescue leader in Surfside, Florida telling John Berman crews have discovered tunnels inside the rubble. We're going to take you there live to Florida.

Plus, a Republican congressman who called Capitol rioters peaceful patriots now cozying up to a Holocaust denier. His response when CNN asked about that.

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[07:52:25]

HILL: Some of the biggest purveyors of America's cancel culture are the same ones who claim it's a crisis.

This week, U.S. hammer thrower Gwen Berry turned away from the American flag during the National Anthem at the Olympic trials. Berry, who has a history of protesting at podiums, put on a t-shirt with "Activist Athlete" over her head. Now, Berry claims she was set up. Says she was told the anthem would be played before she walked out. U.S. Track and Field says it was played according to schedule.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GWEN BERRY, OLYMPIC TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETE, HAMMER THROW: I never said that I hated the country. I never said that. All I said was I respect my people enough to not stand or acknowledge something that disrespects them. I love my people point-blank, period.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: But whatever the reason and whatever you may think of Berry's protest, it is protected under one of the basic tenets of the democracy, free speech -- unless, of course, you disagree with her point of view.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TOM COTTON (R-AR): If Ms. Berry is so embarrassed by America, then there's no reason she needs to compete for our country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.

COTTON: She should be removed from the Olympic team.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: That is Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, the same Tom Cotton who has vehemently denounced being canceled for speaking your mind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COTTON: This is no laughing matter because the cancel culture threatens the very principles of free inquiry and open debate upon which our society is based.

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HILL: The same Tom Cotton who railed against being canceled after a "New York Times" op-ed got so much backlash from those who felt it was inaccurate and inflammatory. The one in which he called for sending in the military to deal with American protesters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COTTON: I published an op-ed there that said, simply, while we respect peaceful protesters we can have zero tolerance for looting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: So he supports peaceful protesters but he'd like to cancel Gwen Berry.

Then there's Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DAN CRENSHAW (R-TX): We don't need any more activist athletes. I -- you know, she should be removed from the team. The entire point of the Olympic team is to represent the United States of America. It's the entire point, OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: It's a pretty diverse country. He not only wants to cancel Gwen Berry but, apparently, he thinks there's a quota on activist athletes.

Keep in mind this is the same Dan Crenshaw who said it's time to cancel cancel culture over a debate on statutes. "Wake up, America," he wrote.

Here's what he said recently when Major League Baseball moved the All- Star Game out of Atlanta after Georgia's new restrictive voting laws.

[07:55:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRENSHAW: What is fascism? Well, it's the -- it's the -- it's the regimentation of the economy, of society, and it's the forced suppression of your opposition. That's what's happening right now.

The Democrats have successfully captivated the institutions -- you know, pop culture, Hollywood, our education institutions, and now our corporations into their own woke agenda. This is fascism, right, and they use cancel culture as a tool to impose their fascism on us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: So, cancel culture is bad for many Republicans only if it favors their point of view. But it is perfectly fine to cancel someone with whom they disagree.

Republican Congressman Paul Gosar says he's got no clue about a fundraiser he's supposed to attend for a white nationalist far-right group despite defending his upcoming appearance.

CNN's Laura Jarrett is here to explain. I'm still scratching my head over this one.

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR, "EARLY START": All right. So this all starts on Monday night when a fundraising flyer begins circulating on social media promoting an event with Congressman Gosar.

It got attention because the fundraiser is for America First PAC. It's a group run by Nick Fuentes. You might have heard of him. He's a white supremacist and Holocaust denier who has called the January sixth attack on the Capitol, quote, "awesome."

Now, Congressman Gosar, who has promoted the big lie himself and has called the rioters, quote, "peaceful patriots" initially appeared to defend his appearance with Fuentes, tweeting late Monday this. Quote, "Not sure why everyone's freaking out. There are millions of Gen Z, Y, and X conservatives. They believe in American First. They will not agree 100 percent on every issue."

OK. Well, then, CNN's Manu Raju asked Gosar about the event and he claimed he didn't know of any fundraiser happening Friday, saying, quote, "I have no idea what's going on." We'll see whether it goes forward, but the pair have appeared together before. And, Erica, if they do it again, you might say OK, why are we giving oxygen to crazy town, right? Why are we giving oxygen to all the conspiracy theories?

But the reality is this is a sitting member of Congress. He has important committee assignments and his constituents deserve to know exactly who he's hanging out with.

HILL: Speaking of constituents who deserve to know, there is also a Republican Party -- it's an official, I believe, in Oregon --

JARRETT: Yes.

HILL: -- who's separately under fire for his association with a white nationalist pro-Nazi group.

JARRETT: Yes.

HILL: What's happening there?

JARRETT: All right. So this one is thanks to our KFILE team. The man's name is Solomon Yue. He's a longtime official with the Republican National Committee and the Oregon GOP.

He's now backtracking over a March appearance he made on YouTube on a show hosted by someone named Greyson Arnold. Arnold has a history of anti-Semitism and in the past, he's said Hitler was misunderstood. He shared a meme calling the Nazis the, quote, "pure race."

Despite all of that, Yue promoted his appearance on Arnold's show repeatedly, before and after he went on. He goes on the show. He's asked about this same white supremacist, Nick Fuentes, and if Fuentes and his PAC should have a role in picking candidates to run for office and primaries.

Yue said this. Quote, "Yes. Actually in the ideal world, America First is a bottom-up process. It's not top-down."

Yet now, the denials. Yue told CNN in an e-mail he didn't know about the views of either Greyson Arnold or Nick Fuentes, saying quote, "I believe racist viewpoints not only have no place in our Republican Party but should also be rejected. My yes was based on Fuentes, who has a constitutional right to political assembly and to participate in political process, so he should be allowed to compete with the CPAC conference."

JARRETT: I should mention here Yue, for his part, has promoted baseless conspiracy theories that the Capitol riot was a false flag operation carried out by Black Lives Matter and Antifa -- which, of course, it wasn't -- something he reiterated in that interview with Arnold.

But again, the broader point here is that you have elected officials openly hanging out with white supremacists and then lying about it. And so, calling that out shouldn't be giving it attention that it doesn't deserve but should be exposing what is actually happening so that voters can make an informed choice about these people.

HILL: One hundred percent, I absolutely agree.

Laura, thank you, as always.

JARRETT: Sure.

HILL: And NEW DAY continues right now.

BERMAN: Good morning to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. It is Wednesday, June 30th. I'm John Berman in Surfside, Florida this morning. Erica Hill is with me in New York.

And we have critical breaking developments as the heart-wrenching search for survivors enters day seven here. An Israeli search leader told me just moments ago that more victims have been found in the debris overnight. Also found overnight -- and this is critical, too -- tunnels that they're now able to search through.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. GOLAN VACH, ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCE: In the last 24 hours, we found some more people.

BERMAN: And you found -- you found more bodies?

VACH: We found people.

BERMAN: OK.

VACH: Unfortunately, they're not alive. And we found some more tunnels. It was between the balconies.

BERMAN: Yes.