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David Sanger is Interviewed about the Ukraine Nuclear Plant; Consumer Confidence Up; Hotter Days Affecting Well-Being; Serena Williams Back at the U.S. Open Tonight. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired August 31, 2022 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:30:00]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Political and national security analyst David Sanger joining us now to talk about this. He's also "The New York Times'" White House and national security correspondent.

It's such an interesting and important point that you make here, David, which is, this is essentially sitting in for a de facto nuclear weapon, a strategic auxiliary to his nuclear arsenal, as you put it.

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: That's right, Brianna, because what's happening here is he's using the plant for intimidation. Now, of course, its first role for him is as a shield. He's put troops right inside the plant. They are firing out at the Ukrainians from that site and they know that the Ukrainians would be hesitant to shoot back directly for fear of hitting the reactors.

But also the very threat that this entire plant could become (INAUDIBLE) what would be (INAUDIBLE) -

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we're having a hard time hearing David right now. Let's see if we can get that signal back up.

Let me just show you where he's talking about here. The Zaporizhzhia power plant is right there. It's not actually in the city of Zaporizhzhia, but you can see, it's right on the line in red here between Russian control and very close to the area that Ukraine is trying to retake with some of these counteroffensives here and it's very much caught in the middle.

And one of the things David points out in his article, even beyond the threat of some kind of an accident, the threat of some kind of radiation being exposed there is that the Zaporizhzhia plant is still powering parts of Ukraine. It provides significant electricity to the people of Ukraine. So, while there are some of the United States who would actually like to see a shutdown of the plant to keep it more safe, the Ukrainians, right now, are resisting that because they feel as if they need the power, Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes, it's a huge power plant and they obviously do need it, right? I mean you can see how this is going to affect them, you know, when you're talking about the civilian population, but also their ability to wage this war. The other thing that was so interesting that he points out, too,

Berman, in his article is that the Ukrainians are saying - and this is as the IAEA inspectors are trying to get there -- the Ukrainians are saying that the Russians are actually shelling those routes that they would need, right, to get to the nuclear power plant. So that's this outstanding question, can they get there?

BERMAN: It's a very dangerous thing to have caught in the middle, obviously.

Our thanks to David Sanger for helping us understand his reporting.

We have a CNN exclusive investigation, how a piece of plastic can convert almost any firearm into a machine gun, and you can do it yourself.

Also, what is driving consumer confidence up? Consumer confidence is rising. The key economic indicator reaching its highest level since May.

KEILAR: Also ahead, remembering the people's princess 25 years after Diana's tragic death in a car crash.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:37:03]

BERMAN: So, a new report on consumer confidence shows that Americans are feeling a little bit better about things.

With me now, CNN chief business correspondent Christine Romans.

Americans saying raise your hand if you're sure. They're saying yes. So, how much more confident and why?

Christine ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: So, look, this is pretty interesting, I think. You have 19 percent of consumers now saying that business conditions are good. That doesn't seem, on its face, like a lot. But, look, it's up from July. And these numbers have been creeping higher from the depths of the despair of the summer when everybody felt lousy about everything.

It's 103.2. This is an index number a little wonky. So, just nerd out with me for a second. That's above 100. And that's what we want to see.

These are the kinds of numbers that normally don't get much attention, but in this economy, John, when the Fed is raising interest rates and we're wondering if there's a recession or just a stall in the U.S. economy, every single one of these numbers takes on more importance. And the consumer, of course, drives the American economy. So, if the consumer feels better, that's good for everyone.

BERMAN: And it's not that they're saying they feel great, it's just they feel better from where they were in the depths.

ROMANS: Yes.

BERMAN: And what can you see as driving this?

ROMANS: Well, I mean, it's got to be gas prices, right? I mean gas prices, look how much they're up from just a month ago. They're up more than --

BERMAN: Down, yes.

ROMANS: Or down, rather. They're - they're - they've had just more than a dollar move from that peak in June. Yesterday they fell. Another little fraction that still keeps it at - rounded out at $3.84. But this has been a remarkable move, what we've seen in gas prices. And on the way up, right, you heard people complaining bitterly about how much more it costs them to fill up their tank this year than last year. It still does cost them more, but at least near term they're getting a little bit of a tax break almost in their family budget because gas prices have been declining.

BERMAN: What about the double-edged sword situation with jobs?

ROMANS: So, here's the interesting thing. We learned yesterday that there are still 11.2 million jobs available in this country. That number actually rose. There are two open jobs for every person who is seeking a job. That means you can ask for a little bit more money, that means companies are scrambling to hire. So, you have this red hot job market. When the Federal Reserve is trying to actually cool down the American economy, that's a real trouble.

BERMAN: It's a conundrum, right, because if you're a person out of work, that's good.

ROMANS: Conundrum, yes.

BERMAN: This is good for you. It means you have a lot of opportunity. But if you're Jerome Powell, who wants things to slow down a little bit, it's tough.

ROMANS: I mean, this was last month. Remember, we broke this - this news right here on -- on this program, 528,000 jobs added last month, an unemployment rate near a 50 year low of 3.5 percent. You have to think the Federal Reserve wants to see this number higher. If this number is higher, that means people lose their job, right?

To get inflation back to the Fed's 2 percent mark, or close to that, it means you have to maybe raise the unemployment rate. So, there's pain - remember, Jerome Powell said that on Friday, there's pain no matter what.

Since Jerome Powell said the word pain twice and said households will feel pain to get inflation in control, the stock market's down 5 percent in three days.

BERMAN: Yes.

ROMANS: So, you know, it's - it was a stark warning that this is not going to be easy here.

BERMAN: Investors feeling that pain directly.

ROMANS: Yes. And here's the forecast for this week. This week we're - Friday we're going to end this week with another jobs report.

[06:40:00]

Again, a number that is critical and will likely be strong.

BERMAN: We will see you back here for that report.

Christine Romans, thank you very much.

So, tonight, Serena Williams set to play in the second round of the U.S. Open. Who and what she is up against ahead.

KEILAR: Plus, turns out the FBI had a file on The Monkees, and now the group's surviving member is suing to get it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: So, the last surviving member of the 1960s rock band The Monkees is suing the FBI. You saw him on drums there. According to the lawsuit, Micky Dolenz wants the agency to hand over any records of the band or its members. And those records do exist. That is according to the FBI's website. A portion of those records is already public.

[06:45:00]

The document describes a 1960s concert, a Monkees concert, and included references to subliminal messages on stage.

The heavily redacted file reads, these messages and pictures were flashes of riots in Berkeley, anti-U.S. messages on the war in Vietnam, racial riots in Selma, Alabama, and similar messages which had received unfavorable response from the audience. But that's as far as it goes. There was no indication that the band did anything illegal.

It is worth noting that The Monkees did sprinkle anti-war sentiments into some of their hit songs, including "Last Train to Clarksville."

Here's the band playing that song live in 1967.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THE MONKEES (Singing): 'Cause I'm leavin' in the morning. And I must see you again. We'll have one more night together 'till the morning bring my train. And I must go. .Oh, no, no, no. Oh, no, no, no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Now, CNN reached out to Dolenz's lawyer for a statement, who said in part, quote, this lawsuit seeks to expose why the FBI was monitoring The Monkees and/or its individual members. We know the mid to late 1960s saw the FBI surveil Hollywood anti-war advocates and those who represented the counterculture of the flower/hippie/drug use movement. And the Monkees were in the thick of things. He's hoping that this will help the public learn more about an important era of history. The FBI did not respond to our request for comment.

BERMAN: With me now is "Daydream Believer," Bill Weir.

Now, Bill, you were here for another - another story all together but you were watching this with us and you're a big Monkees fan. And this is pretty interesting.

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: As a latch key kid of the '70s, raised by The Monkees, I'm outraged, outraged that they were raid this way.

BERMAN: Subliminal messages from the stage. What, hey, hey, you know, we're The Monkees is going to start some communist revolution?

WEIR: Exactly. Well, it was a -- it was a very touchy time back then.

But I love The Monkees. And I just saw an amazing interview that -- with Micky Dolenz, the last surviving member, recently. Anthony Mason did a great one over on CBS. And was almost moved to tears about how they realized how much they meant to people over the years.

BERMAN: Yes.

WEIR: It wasn't this made for TV confection and they were blown off as a, you know, as a Beatles parody or whatever.

BERMAN: The music's great.

WEIR: I loved those guys.

BERMAN: Look, I think there's been something of a rehabilitation where I think a lot of people recognize now how wonderful the songs -- how compelling that the four of them were. I'll never understand why the surfboards keep falling down in the opening scene there.

You're here for another reason completely.

WEIR: Yes, I am.

BERMAN: Which is this. That - so, first on CNN, a new study found that people who experienced extreme heat also reported a decrease in their sense of well-being. According to Gallup, in 2020, the global population faced three times as many extreme heat days than it did in the last 12 years and well-being dropped by nearly 7 percent during that same time period. Gallup's research director for this project told CNN, quote, what we've observed in the last decade is that there's a clear relationship between the decline in well-being and those high temperature days and we're project that this could exacerbate in the future.

Here now, again, "Daydream Believer" and CNN chief climate correspondent Bill Weir. WEIR: Yes.

So, this is a really interesting way to look at what's happening in the world. You know, yesterday we're talking about sea level rise going up. We're always talking about temperature going up. This is the corresponding wellness as humans we have going down at the same time as a result of this.

And Gallup is just stunning. This is not some 2,000 people poll that they put together. Fifteen years, almost 2 million people in 170 countries. And they looked at their wellness scores. And that's based on five pillars, is how good you feel about yourself physically, your relationships, your career, financially, your community, and they saw about a half point drop for every day where the temperature was above pre-industrial averages.

In places like the global south, in the Gulf Coast of Mississippi or hot tropical belts of China, the scores were much higher. You can see this is, again, one of those things that the climate crisis is so unfair, it affects, at least in this case, the elderly more so.

BERMAN: Yes, talk to me about that. It seems to have a greater impact on older generations.

WEIR: Yes, and you can see why. I mean it's not, you know, an oppressively miserable day if you're just struggling to get through it on a good day. You can understand how that mounts up as well.

And then there's all the knock off effects. There's the stress and the fear. They looked at the Mekong Delta in Vietnam over a one year of drought, wellness scores fell by 11 percent. So, this is something they -- Gallup -- hopes that lawmakers and policymakers look at. It's not just measuring, you know, physical changes in rainfall patterns, it's human health, it's wellness. And studies have shown that when it gets hotter, violent crime goes up, bar fights go up, PSAT scores go down. And so all of the bad stuff about being human is exacerbated by this. And as the heat goes up, this is something to manage.

BERMAN: And we are witnessing, or experiencing, or having to live through so many more of these extreme heat days.

Bill Weir, thank you very much.

[06:50:00]

WEIR: You bet.

Are we doing the Banana Splits tomorrow or -

BERMAN: Yes, absolutely. No, I don't think you can ever explain the Banana Splits.

WEIR: OK.

BERMAN: But we'll try tomorrow.

WEIR: OK.

BERMAN: Thanks, Bill.

So, the blockbuster Justice Department filing arguing against Donald Trump's request to appoint a special master to review the seized Mar- a-Lago documents.

KEILAR: And a state of emergency in Jackson, Mississippi. How long will the city have to go without safe drinking water?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Serena Williams will be back under the lights tonight for her second round match at the U.S. Open.

Carolyn Manno is going to be there and she joins us now with more in the "Bleacher Report."

You think she has a chance to continue this kind of magical run we've seen?

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Certainly, yes, especially if she's been playing the way that we saw her play on Monday night. I spoke to her coach. She practiced from 9:00 to 10:45 yesterday morning and her coach told me that she was serious but relaxed and that she was very focused but she was happy. And those are all good signs.

I mean, this is going to be a difficult test. Her next opponent, Anett Kontaveit is the second seeded player in the tournament.

[06:55:04]

This is going to be a step up from the first round when her opponent was young and overwhelmed by the moment. But I don't think that Kontaveit is in her top form either. I mean she was probably t he best player in the world at the end of last year. But right now there's a little bit of venerability there. So if the serve is there for Serena, I think that anything is truly possible.

I mean take a listen to what they both had to say about this upcoming match.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERENA WILLIAMS, 23-TIME MAJOR WINNER: At this point, honestly everything is a bonus for me, you know, I feel, and that - I mean, I think every opponent is very difficult and I've seen that over the summer. And the next one is even more difficult. So, it's good that I was able to, you know, get this under my belt.

ANETT KONTAVEIT, RANKED WORLD NUMBER TWO: I'm really excited. I was really rooting for her to win today. I've never played against her. I mean, this is the last chance. Better late than never. But, yes, I'm really excited. I mean, I think the atmosphere is going to be amazing.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MANNO: That's exactly the right kind of mentality for Kontaveit, right? You want to relish the chance of play Serena before she leaves, as opposed to be completely overwhelmed in what has essentially become her home slam.

As for Serena, I mean the pressure cooker has been opened now a little bit with her being able to just get that big first win under her belt, feel the crowd and how intense they are, understand how much love there is there for her. So, I think she's focused on doing this on her own terms, in her own way. Mentally, physically, emotionally, she seems to be dialed in right now. So, if that's the case, I am certainly not going to count out the greatest of all time to make a deep run. And the draw is favorable for her. So, we'll see what happens later on tonight.

But win or lose, Serena is going to still be playing in the doubles draw with her sister Venus tomorrow. That's going to draw a big crowd as well. Venus knocked out of the singles draw last night. A number of notables going down last night as well. You had the two-time U.S. Open champ, Naomi Osaka also lost out. She lost in straight sets to American Danielle Collins, who is playing fantastic. Made the Australian Open final back in January. And Emma Raducanu's U.S. Open title defense is over after one match as well. She fell to Alize Cornet in straight sets. Raducanu didn't lose a set in 10 matches last year.

Brianna, back to you.

KEILAR: I cannot wait - I can't wait to see what she wears tonight, Carolyn, because she always sends such a -

MANNO: Well -

KEILAR: Like a message of voracity, you know, that she's there to play and she sends this -- she does, she just -- she says a lot with what she's wearing.

MANNO: That's an important part of her legacy that you and I can maybe touch on later on based on how this all goes. But, I mean, she is a fashion icon in tennis. And, you're right, she does send those subtle messages through what she wears. So, we'll see what, you know, what she's going to come out with tonight.

But I think that it's going to be incredible whatever it is. And, yes, I mean, she's an icon in about a thousand different ways. So, fingers crossed she can - she can pull it off. And if she plays well, she will.

KEILAR: She will. All right, we'll be watching. I know you'll be watching very carefully there at the match.

And NEW DAY continues right now.

Welcome to viewers in the U.S. and around the world. I'm Brianna Keilar, with John Berman. And we are now seeing the most detailed filing yet from the Department of Justice explaining what was seized from Mar-a-Lago and why a search warrant was needed to get it. The feds say this, that they developed evidence that government records were likely concealed and removed from the storage room at Mar-a-Lago and that efforts were likely taken to obstruct the government's investigation. This filing included a remarkable photo that you see here, documents in yellow and red cover sheets, very important here, recovered from a container spread out on the floor by the FBI. Here you see those classified markings, like top secret, secret, sensitive, compartmented information.

BERMAN: It is quite a thing to see it laid out like that.

So, this 36-page filing released overnight, 36 pages, and then there are appendices, it lays out how Trump and his team failed to return dozens of classified documents even after a lawyer claimed that they had.

The FBI seized 33 boxes containing more than 100 classified documents during a search earlier this month. That's twice as many. Twice as many as the Trump team had given them when they said they turned over everything. Three of those classified documents, they weren't in the boxes in the basement, they were actually found in Donald Trump's desk. For all of those reasons, the Justice Department says it vehemently opposes Trump's request to appoint a special master to oversee the seized document. The Trump legal team has until tonight to respond to this latest DOJ filing and a judge will hear arguments tomorrow.

Let's dig in deeper to what's in here in this filing. CNN's Kara Scannell up all night pouring through this. What do you see?

KARA SCANNELL, CNN REPORTER: Well, John, I think you hit the nail on the head when you focused on that -- the Department of Justice is saying that they found twice as many classified documents when they executed the search warrant just three weeks ago than what Trump's team had given them pursuant to a subpoena.

[07:00:04]

And that's key here because the DOJ is saying, you know, they needed to execute this search warrant. And here's why.