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New Day
NFL Threatens Teams over COVID; FBI Warns of Hackers during Olympics; Air Quality across Nation Suffers; Ed Alonzo is Interviewed about "Saved By the Bell". Aired 8:30-9a ET
Aired July 23, 2021 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:33:26]
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: There's backlash this morning in the NFL to this COVID memo from lead Commissioner Roger Goodell. He says, if a game is canceled/postponed due to a COVID spike, the club experiencing the outbreak will be responsible for all additional expenses incurred by the opposing team. If a game cannot be rescheduled within the current 18-week schedule, that club will forfeit the contest. The forfeiting team will be credited with a loss. Neither team's players will receive their weekly player salary.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins tweeting this, and then deleting it, never thought I would say this, but being put in a position to hurt my team because I don't want to partake in the vaccine is making me question my future in the NFL.
Let's talk about this now with retired NFL cornerback, Orlando Scandrick.
Orlando, thank you so much for being with us. I wonder how you're watching all of this. What's your reaction to this memo from the commissioner?
ORLANDO SCANDRICK, RETIRED NFL CORNERBACK: First of all, good morning, Brianna.
I think it's flat-out crazy. I think it's borderline unconstitutional. And I'm just -- I'm flabbergasted.
KEILAR: You're flabbergasted. Tell us -- tell us why.
SCANDRICK: It's -- for me it's just -- let's just put it in layman's terms. If Player A is vaccinated and Player B is unvaccinated, what happens if Player A gets Player B sick and brings the COVID spike or the COVID outbreak into the locker room? And why is everyone punishing in both teams?
KEILAR: They're clearly trying to encourage people to take care of this kind of amongst themselves, right?
[08:35:02] If they won't do it for themselves, then do it for other players around you.
And, you know, I wonder what you think about that. I'm -- this is not me saying this, but I know that some who agree with this memo would say, this is COVID, right? A personal choice isn't just about one person. It isn't a personal choice. It affects other people. What would you say to that?
SCANDRICK: I would say the NFL is collective bargaining. I mean it's a unique league. It's very unique. It's a league that you can be drafted into and your pay can be slotted. And I thought this would have been better served to be collectively bargained. But instead they're basically penalizing you for not being vaccinated instead of finding a way to incentivize you being vaccinated.
KEILAR: You're saying they should have sat down with representatives for the players and figured out a way other than having this, in a way, a mandate.
SCANDRICK: Absolutely. I think so. I think that would have been a better way. I think that would have went over better. There's -- for me it's just -- it's basically they're forcing it down your throat.
Me personally, I'm vaccinated. And I think that -- it was hard for me to get vaccinated. I had to do some more research. So I'm not against vaccination. But what I am against is people forcing vaccination down others.
KEILAR: And I -- look, I find your perspective on that incredibly interesting, Orlando, because you are someone who was vaccine hesitant, did research, and then decided, I am going to go ahead and get the vaccine. And clearly this wouldn't have worked well for you, you know, in the case of this memo.
But I wonder if you think that players should threaten not to play.
SCANDRICK: That's a fine line. I mean, the NFL, we always said that the lights were bright before we all entered and they'll be bright when we all leave. So I don't think that we should walk that slippery slope. But I think they should figure out a way to maybe give people some incentive to become vaccinated and maybe educate them more so they can make a better choice.
KEILAR: Orlando, thank you so much for being with us.
Orlando Scandrick.
JOHN AVLON, CNN ANCHOR: All right, the FBI is sounding the alarm that hackers could try a number of potential attacks to disrupt the Tokyo Olympics. This year the cyber security professionals are facing at least as much competition as the athletes.
CNN's Alex Marquardt joins me now.
Alex, what's the deal? ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well,
John, as one expert put it to me, normally during the Olympics we might be afraid or worried about traditional terror attacks. And now the real concern is cyberattacks.
And there are plenty of reasons why. Cyberattacks are on the rise, around the world, both from criminals backed by nation states to either spy or cause chaos. And yet again, the primary suspect here is going to be Russia, which has carried out attacks during the last two games and, because of a doping scandal, this year will not be allowed to fly their flag.
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MARQUARDT (voice over): It's a global spectacle unlike any other. For a few weeks, every two years, billions around the world tune in to watch their countries compete for medals and national glory. That's what makes it such a ripe target for hackers.
SETH JONES, SENIOR VP, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: I am very confident that there will be some kind of cyberattack against these games. It may not be publicly visible, but you can bet that it's going to happen. That's the world we live in today.
MARQUARDT: The FBI warned this week that malicious activity could disrupt multiple functions, including media broadcasting environments, hospitality, transit, ticketing or security. There's currently no known threat, but with no fans in the stands because of COVID, the most obvious target is how we watch.
BENJAMIN READ, SENIOR MANAGER FOR CYBER ESPIONAGE ANALYSIS, FIREEYE: With everything being remote and there being so few people in person, the place where a disruption would be most noticed would be in the broadcast.
MARQUARDT: And when it comes to potential attackers, right at the top of the list is the country that has been banned, Russia, after a doping scandal got them barred from flying their flag and singing their anthem for the next two Olympics.
JONES: Russian leaders, including Vladimir Putin, are still extremely angry about the way they've been treated. They've called it unfair.
MARQUARDT: Russia has taken out their anger on the games before. Three years ago, Russian military hackers carried out an attack before the opening ceremony, targeting athletes, officials and citizens in the host country, South Korea. They took down the game's website and deleted data from thousands of computers. They also tried to pretend they were North Koreans.
JOHN DEMERS, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL, NATIONAL SECURITY DIVISION: Their cyber attacked combined the emotional maturity of a petulant child with the resources of a nation state.
MARQUARDT: In 2016, after Russia was accused of a systematic doping program, Russian hackers breached the World Anti-Doping Agency. The medical records of Serena Williams and Simone Biles were hacked and released, along with those of around 250 other athletes from almost 30 countries.
After the Tokyo games were postponed last year, the U.K. accused Russia of spying on Tokyo Olympic officials and organizations. Experts say there's no reason they won't do something again.
[08:40:00]
MARQUARDT (on camera): What have you seen in the way of indications that something may happen?
READ: We've seen sort of Russian espionage groups be interested in Japan over the last few years. They definitely still have the people that work for them. And if they have made the decision that this is something they want to do, they're able to do it.
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MARQUARDT: The Tokyo organizing committee is going to be getting some help in fending off potential attacks this year. We're told that the International Olympics Committee has worked with them to prepare and the U.S. cyber agency known as CISA tells me that they have worked with Japan's cyber security center in the past and is standing by ready to help.
John, in situations like this, with the whole world watching, it is all hands on deck. And when it comes to Russia, we all know, hell hath no fury like Vladimir Putin scorned.
AVLON: That is a scientific fact.
Alex Marquardt, thank you very much. Fascinating stuff.
KEILAR: And, next, the raging wildfires in the western U.S. They're threatening to get even worse today. How they're now cause for concern even if you live nowhere near them.
AVLON: Plus, our mystery guest is here to help us celebrate the "History of the Sitcom." Can he stump, or she, stump Brianna?
KEILAR: Give me a hint.
AVLON: No.
KEILAR: No?
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[08:45:16]
AVLON: Firefighters are struggling to contain wildfires raging across the western United States. Take a look at this remarkable video from a California fire chief driving through the blazing Tamarak Fire.
And joining us now is CNN chief climate Bill Weir. He's also the host of a brand-new CNN special report, "Eating Planet Earth: The Future of Your Food," which airs tonight at 9:00 p.m.
Bill, these fires affect a lot of people personally. They've affected our families. But these aren't just a local issue. They're affecting air quality across the country. So tell us about that.
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely true, John. You know, it's been said that if you wanted to paint Montana, you'd only need two colors, blue for the sky, gold for the wheat. But these days you'd need browns and grays as the smoke travels far beyond here, though. They're seeing the results of this, the air quality, all the way on the East Coast. There's a big, huge fire complexes out west are burning and putting up so much particulate matter it's affecting air quality. And, of course, that gets into people's lungs. That's just one effect of that.
And the root of this, of course, is this relentless drought out west. Over 90 percent under severe drought conditions as well. And then they're expecting actually monsoon rains in Arizona later today or over the weekend, which could cause flash flooding because the ground is so hard and doesn't absorb any more. And it's just this knock-on effect, this domino effect.
And, yes, tonight I decided to take a look at just one sector of our lives, a very important one to us as we discovered during the pandemic, food, where it comes from, what it costs to air and water and the climate as well. And did you know, if cows were a country, they would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases behind the U.S. and China.
And so there is a boom right now of meat alternatives hoping to maybe sneak some things into your diet that are a little gentler on the planet. You know about Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger. But they are about to get one huge, new competitor, just got $350 million of funding, some of the top-line billionaires you've all heard about. And I decided to go take a look at what they say is a new form of perfect protein that doesn't come from plants or animals.
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WEIR (voice over): In the 40 years after the Civil War, around 400 million cows, hogs and sheep were butchered in the few hundred acres of Chicago's Union Stockyards. My how times change.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we were doing the construction, digging down in the dirt, we found a meat hook.
WEIR (on camera): Oh, that's a meat hook.
WEIR (voice over): But now, in 2021, just a few blocks from McDonald's headquarters, a start-up CEO named Thomas Jonas has hooked me with a most amazing story.
THOMAS JONAS, CEO (ph): I was president of a large multinational packaging company. Everything from the pumps on Chanel Number 5 to the pumps on Windex.
I started to realize that what I've been doing was pitting plastic in the ocean.
WEIR: Amid a mid-career crisis, he decided to start a company to help the planet by tricking our carnivorous taste buds in a way that has never been tried before.
WEIR (on camera): I'm really interested in this ground beef.
Wow, that's impressive.
WEIR (voice over): If you've never heard of Nature's Fynd, I bet you a fake burger you'll never guess what kind of protein is in all of these dishes. Here's a hint.
WEIR (on camera): Does it need sunlight?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It doesn't need sunlight.
WEIR: You grow it in the dark? Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can grow it in complete dark. It's not a plant. It's not an animal.
WEIR (voice over): Still stumped? I'll give you another hint. This new miracle meat was discovered out west in Yellowstone National Park, America's first best idea.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEIR: Nature's Fynd's product actually comes out of the geyser water at Yellowstone. We'll explain the technology behind that. There are so many incredible ideas out there that could completely reshape the diet of our children and our grandchildren going forward.
So I hope you'll join us tonight, if you can.
KEILAR: Fascinating stuff, Bill Weir. Thank you so much for that.
And you can check this out, "Eating Planet Earth, The Future of Your Food." That will air tonight at 9:00 Eastern only here on CNN.
AVLON: Very cool.
This week, CNN Heroes salutes Rodney Smith, Jr., who created the 50 yard challenge and made a name for himself traveling the country mowing lawns and inspiring people one yard at a time.
[08:50:10]
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RODNEY SMITH, JR., CNN HERO: Our 50-yard challenge is a challenge that we have issued to kids nationwide and worldwide to mow 50 free lawns in their community. They'll make a sign saying I accept the 50 yard challenge and, in return, we will send them a t-shirt, along with safety glasses and ear protection.
And once they mow 50 lawns, I drive to wherever they are and present them a brand-new mower, weed eater and blower.
To date, we have about 2,000 kids nationwide. Kids are responsible for finding their own lawns, so that's another way they can go out into their community and meet people they probably normally wouldn't have met.
At a young age, I used to mow lawns as a chore. And I disliked it. But I took something I disliked and turned it into something that I love to do. And every single day I get to mow free lawns and I get to encourage kids around the world to get out there and make a difference one lawn at a time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AVLON: How about that? Change begins in your neighbor's lawn.
To get the full story of Rodney's journey, go to cnnheroes.com. And while you're there, nominate someone you think should be a CNN Hero.
All right, up next, this person was a recurring character on one of Brianna's all-time favorite sitcoms. So, can Brianna guess this mystery guest?
KEILAR: Hmmm.
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AVLON: All right, CNN has been celebrating the "History of the Sitcom" with an all-new original series.
[08:55:00]
And we have another one of our special mystery guests this morning. This time for Brianna and one of her favorite shows.
KEILAR: Who's it going to be?
AVLON: She has no idea. See.
KEILAR: No idea.
AVLON: She has to guess before we reveal, all right. So I'm going to give you a bunch of clues and let's see how you do, OK.
KEILAR: OK, let's --
AVLON: And you just, you know, hit the buzzer if it comes. Classic, '90s, tigers, teens, Bayside.
KEILAR: OK, well, so it's someone from "Saved By the Bell."
AVLON: Um-hmm. Let's try to narrow this aperture here. It's an ensemble cast, right?
KEILAR: Yes.
AVLON: So -- a hang out, diner.
KEILAR: Oh, yes.
AVLON: Magic tricks.
KEILAR: Is it -- wait, what was his name, Max?
AVLON: Max.
KEILAR: Are you serious?
AVLON: Come on now.
KEILAR: We have Max? Oh, my goodness
AVLON: Otherwise known as Ed Alonzo ,who played Max, cafe owner on "Saved By the Bell."
KEILAR: Awesome.
AVLON: I am so impressed.
KEILAR: Thank you. Well, I was committed, Ed, to this show, as you know so many young people were.
ED ALONZO, ACTOR, PLAYED "MAX" ON "SAVED BY THE BELL": Yes.
KEILAR: I have to be honest, Ed, I would -- I would get home from school every day and that is what I would turn on. It's amazing to have you here.
ALONZO: That's what I'm told.
KEILAR: Yes, it's amazing to have you here.
ALONZO: Thank you so much.
KEILAR: How do you --
ALONZO: Yes, you know we --
KEILAR: How do you reflect on that show?
ALONZO: Well, it's easy to reflect on it because we're doing it again. And I was just in the studio yesterday shooting scenes for season two. And, wow, who would have thought that 32 years later we'd be back doing the show with its original flavor and a bunch of new elements.
And, wow, you know, what was a great show I think is really a really amazing show now with a brand-new cast and, of course, Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley, and Mark-Paul, and Tiffany are all coming back in and doing things. And, of course, when they hang out at The Max, I was blessed by the sitcom gods to be brought back in. It was shocking. I was actually out of the country when I heard that they were going to do a reboot. And when I got back in town and started to get calls that they were interested, I was just -- KEILAR: Oh, yes.
ALONZO: I was just shocked and amazed. What a wonderful thing to come full circle again.
KEILAR: So great. I wonder, you know, what were some of your -- so many of the fun, fun moments of the show took place in the diner, and you were kind of there facilitating it as your character.
ALONZO: Absolutely. Yes.
KEILAR: What were some of your favorite moments on "Saved By the Bell"?
ALONZO: I think my favorite has to be an episode called "Dancing to the Max," which was a dance contest.
KEILAR: I know that one.
AVLON: Look at you.
ALONZO: And it was going to be held by Casey Kasem. And growing up for me, Casey Kasem with his "American Top 40" was -- I mean it was golden. It was huge. He was probably one of the most famous people in the world. And to have Casey come over to the studio in Burbank and be on "Saved By the Bell," for me to even have contact with him and be in the scene was incredible. And so that's one of -- that's got to be one of my favorite ones. And I got to do my Casey Kasem impression on that one.
AVLON: Well, that was pretty good. That was pretty good.
ALONZO: And that made it -- made it a lot -- yes, that's not bad for 32 years later. But I am kind of surprised everyone at the table reading with that introduction because in the script it just said for Max to introduce, here is, the one and only, Casey Kasem.
KEILAR: Yes.
ALONZO: And I thought, wouldn't it be neat to go, Casey Kasem.
KEILAR: Yes.
ALONZO: And that stuck and there we go. So, yes.
KEILAR: You put your flare in it.
ALONZO: So many -- so many fun times. I did. I did.
KEILAR: But, Ed, my producers actually just reminding me in my ear -- well, of course, we know you're a magician. But what he's reminded me is that you've toured with -- among the big names you toured with Britney Spears actually.
ALONZO: Yes. Yes, boy, was that great.
KEILAR: So, obviously, I'm sure that you are watching -- amazing, right? We're actually watching a clip of it right now I see.
ALONZO: Yes, how about that.
KEILAR: What was that like, especially as you are watching all of these developments with her right now as she's challenging her conservatorship?
ALONZO: Yes. Well, even back then Britney was really on lockdown and she was always being watched closely on tour. And I think during -- you know, in 2009, when the tour was going on, that it was probably important for her to have all of that extra protection so that she didn't go out and create any havoc in her life.
But I, you know, I feel that it's a -- it's a time now, you know, I think she wants to move on with her life. She's an adult, and so she should be able to make her own decisions on a lot of things that they're shutting her down on.
[09:00:02]
But, wow, it was an amazing tour to be on. We went all over the world. And I did a number, as you saw there, just with her.
