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New Day Saturday

Satellite Images Show No Signs Of "Systemic Shelling" At Nuclear Plant Despite Putin's Claim; U.S. Announces New $775m Military Aid Package For Ukraine; Ten Million Under Flood Threat Across U.S. Southwest; Senator Lindsey Graham Ordered to Testify Before Grand Jury Investigating 2020 Election. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired August 20, 2022 - 06:00   ET

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


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[06:00:24]

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning everyone and welcome to your new day. I'm Amara Walker.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Amara. I'm Boris Sanchez. There are growing concerns of a potential nuclear disaster in Ukraine as Russia stages war from a power plant only a few 100 feet from a nuclear reactor. The pressure coming from the international community to allow inspectors in.

WALKER: And Vanessa Bryant takes the stand detailing the moment she learned LA County deputies shared graphic photos of the crash that killed her husband and daughter what her testimony could mean for the case.

SANCHEZ: Plus, it's that time of year tropical storm warnings up for parts of Texas. We're going to see some heavy rainfall in certain parts. We're going to tell you where and what that means for drought conditions.

WALKER: And a massive fire erupts out of boatyard and Massachusetts where we're learning about the fire and the damage that's been done.

SANCHEZ: Welcome to your weekend, Saturday, August 20th. We are grateful to have you. Thanks so much for waking up with us. Great to be with you, Amara.

WALKER: I can't believe it's already August 20th. But you know, I always wait for these weekends to know what the date is. And I'm realizing oh my gosh, we're close to September. That's good. Cooler (INAUDIBLE).

SANCHEZ: It's almost Halloween. Yes.

WALKER: We were just talking about that. Yes, it's almost Halloween. Well, good to be with you, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Of course. WALKER: And we have a lot of news going on. We begin with the tense situation surrounding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Now that plant lies on the front lines of Russia's war against Ukraine, and as finding around the facility has intensified so have concerns about a possible nuclear disaster.

SANCHEZ: As CNN first reported new satellite images are contradicting claims made by Russia. They argue that there is systemic shelling there. The images as you can see for yourself don't show that. Vladimir Putin is accusing the Ukrainian military of conducting repeated military strikes at the plant. A special adviser to Ukraine's armed services chief says that Moscow simply cannot be trusted. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN RICE, SPECIAL ADVISER TO UKRAINE'S COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF ARMED SERVICES: Russia always tells two truths and a lie. He can't believe anything. They say that Ukraine is not firing at their own nuclear plant it within their country. Russia is and that's basically called a false flag attack. The worry is that instead of dropping a nuclear weapon, he would actually just hit the just have a meltdown.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Over the past month, a number of rockets and shells have landed on the territory around the plant. According to satellite imagery analyzed by CNN, Ukraine and Russia and -- Russia are pointing fingers at one another over the attacks.

SANCHEZ: Let's get the latest now from Ukraine and take you out to Zaporizhzhia with CNN senior international correspondent Sam Kiley. Sam, there was a phone call with French president Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin. And the Kremlin reportedly agreed to allow this nuclear watchdog group to access the plan. What more can you tell us about that plan?

SAM KILEY, CNN Senior International Correspondent: Well, the plant which is about 15-20 miles from where I'm standing is the biggest in Europe and it has been captured by the Russians since March the fourth. And you'll recall then, Boris and Amara, that back then, in fact, I was in Zaporizhzhia pretty much around the same time, there were deep concerns because the Russians were using live ammunition. They use that there was a combat operation to capture this nuclear power station and deep concerns there that some kind of cataclysm could be unleashed.

Those concerns have resurface very significantly in the last few weeks because the Russians have now been using it, or areas very close to it as a fire base to fire rockets against Ukrainian positions, and the Russians deny this, that denial is a lie. We've been able to see with our own eyes, the effects of that rocket attacks on villages just across the Dnipro River.

On top of that, we had this phone call with Emmanuel Macron. And, again, initiated by the French president to the Russian president to try to get through to him the gravity, the international gravity with which they all see the problems that are unfolding in the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Following that, Putin repeated the allegation that the Ukrainians are selling their own power plant. We now know from our own satellite imagery and analysis that since just over a month ago, since July the 19th there has been no significant shelling of that location by anybody much less the Ukrainian.

[06:05:07]

So there is no evidence whatsoever to support this claim being made by the Russians. But they have indicated or reiterated effectively that the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Authority, which is responsible for monitoring a nuclear power stations around the world, including in places like Iran should be given access to this location.

The issue now and that is a repeat offer from the Russians. The issue has always been how do they get in? Is it safe for them to get in? This is a nuclear power station. The whole point of the concern is that it's on the front line. So the international community wants to see it demilitarized anyway, not necessarily as a condition for the IAEA inspectors to go in. But certainly it would be extremely dangerous for them to cross the Dnipro River under shell -- shells are flying over their heads into Ukrainian government territory, and then try to get into a nuclear power station that itself is surrounded and indeed inside that nuclear power station. It has a Russian military trucks. So it's a very, very fraught moment indeed, Amira, Boris.

WALKER: Sam Kiley, appreciate your reporting. Thank you. Now, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is thankful for the latest aid package from the US. He calls it another step toward defeating the aggressor.

SANCHEZ: The United States is providing another $775 million in military aid to Ukraine. CNN Pentagon correspondent Oren Liebermann has details on what this latest package includes.

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OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Boris and Amara, this is the 19th drawdown of weapons for Ukraine pulled from us inventories. It now means according to the Defense Department that the U.S. has committed more than $10 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration.

And this has some new equipment, although part of it follows much of what we've seen in the past. The U.S. providing more ammunition for the HIMARS system, that GPS guided Artillery Rocket System that a senior defense official says has proven devastatingly effective against Russian forces. Ukraine using it very well to hit logistics centers, command post as well as ammunition depots.

They don't have all that much ammo, so it's important that the U.S. keeps providing it when it's needed. But the defense official says they have used what they have very effectively. And this has been one of the key weapons.

In terms of what else is going in, there are a number of smaller 105 millimeter howitzers that are going in, more anti-tank weapons such as javelins, and for the first time TOW missiles, which are a slightly longer range anti-tank missiles.

There's also an emphasis here on a new capability and that is mind clearing. A defense official says Russia has heavily mined southern and eastern Ukraine. So we'll need that sort of equipment to be able to clear that area for civilian use or if they want to carry out their own operations there. Then there are also a number of reconnaissance drones going in as well as Humvees, night vision goggles and communication equipment.

So this is what the U.S. is providing now. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying he was very thankful for the latest equipment, given the numbers we're seeing here is a clear indication that the U.S. and Ukraine in the West for that matter don't see this as a fight that's ending anytime soon, Boris and Amara.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WALKER: All right, Oren, thank you. Let's get some perspective now on developments in Ukraine and the concerns over this nuclear power plant. Joining us now is CNN military analyst and retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton. Colonel, good to be with you this morning.

So, you know, I want to first start off with what is happening on the ground and the fact that we're seeing again, so many families, women and children who live near the Zaporizhzhia power plant, leaving afraid that an attack might be imminent. What's your assessment of the situation? how tenuous Is it

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good morning, Amara. It's pretty tenuous in, especially if you are a civilian in the Zaporizhzhia area. It is really time to get out. And know what's also interesting about this is that the Russians have told their people to stay away from the planet, at least that was the reporting yesterday, is so that may indicate that the Russians are planning to do something against that plant, which of course is at odds with what they talked about with what President Putin talked about with the French president.

But for civilians in this area, it is definitely a dangerous time because of the risk to the six reactors that are there, the possibility of an inadvertent strike on them or even a direct deliberate strike. So this is not only bad for the people in the immediate vicinity, but even in areas a little bit distant from that. It could mean some possible radiation Fallout and that is, of course something to be avoided at all costs.

WALKER: And just to follow up on that, because I know some have compared the situation to Chernobyl, but you say the Fukushima plant in Japan is a more accurate comparison. Why do you say that?

[06:10:02] LEIGHTON: Well, I believe that's the case because of the type of protections that the Zaporizhzhia plant has. And also, the fact that -- these protections includes such things as hardening of the reactor vessels, the core of the reactors, they're actually hardened against direct bomb hits, things of that nature.

Also, the type of accident that happened at Chernobyl was vastly different from the type that would probably occur at Zaporizhzhia if unfortunately, the facility were hit. Fukushima plant was the kind of disaster where I get to basically ended up with the cutting of the pipes to the cooling vessels. And that's the kind of thing that could potentially happen in Zaporizhzhia, so that's something that you really have to be very careful of. And, you know, hopefully, neither type of event will occur, but it's something we have to be prepared for.

WALKER: Yes, absolutely. And that is frightening to think about. So you also mentioned this, along with Sam Kiley, about this phone call between the French President Emmanuel Macron. And Putin who agreed, at least in theory to allowing the IAEA inspectors to visit this plant.

And of course, throughout this war, it has been illustrated that you don't take the Russians at their word or at their agreements, until they actually follow through. Why would access be important? And do you think the Russians will follow through on this?

LEIGHTON: Yes, that's the big question right now, Amara. You know, the Russians, I think it would be in their interest to follow through. The question is, how much are they going to reveal to IAEA inspectors. You know, as far as this is concerned, I think we're dealing with a more games from Putin. And the possibility is that it could frankly go either way.

I think that in this case, the Russians will probably allow IAEA inspectors to come through, they'd probably have to come through the Ukrainian side, which makes for an interesting dynamic because the plant is on the other side of the river from where the Ukrainian positions are.

But, this is something that we'll have to have to observe. And I think there'll be a lot of international pressure on Russia to do this. The question is whether or not it's going to be a valid inspection and whether or not it will actually stop something bad from happening.

WALKER: You know, just listening to Oren Liebermann's reporting there, I mean, $10 billion in aid to Ukraine, since Biden took office that is seems to be a whole lot of money. And then so now you have another $775 million being set. At what point is all this aid going to be significant enough to really turn the tide in favor of the Ukrainians?

LEIGHTON: The main thing about this kind of aid is you know, obviously, you needed to make this stuff work. But the big thing for the Ukrainians is their willingness and their ability to fight. The Ukrainians have done a magnificent job up to this point in defending their country. One of the limitations that the Ukrainians have is the fact that they are not allowed, as Sam mentioned in his reporting, to actually go into Russia with these weapons. In other words, the range of the weapons is basically capped to be a much more medium range type effect, as opposed to a strategic effect. And that will have a limitation on the Ukrainians being able to roll back Russians, of course, we're doing it for the reason of deescalation, you know, making it almost difficult for the Russians to tie in NATO to this, but the Russians will find it -- try to find an excuse to do that.

The other thing I think, Amara, is this, the Ukrainians will have to make sure that they are very careful in their expenditure of resources, whether it's ammunition, weapons themselves, or people, they cannot risk losing too many people in this effort. So far, they are doing a pretty good job recently, using the new weapons that they've gotten from the west and that is making a big difference.

So the money is well spent terms of this kind of thing. But it is not going to be enough without the Ukrainians continuing to put them to fight that they have.

WALKER: Absolutely Colonel Cedric Leighton, appreciate your time. Thank you.

LEIGHTON: You bet.

SANCHEZ: Kobe Bryant's widow Vanessa Bryant delivered emotional testimony in court yesterday, how her story and that of a man who shared photos of the devastating accident scene at a cocktail party could factor into the case.

And later, an injured Little Leaguer making an amazing recovery after a freak accident. We're going to bring you that story and much more of this morning on New Day.

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[06:19:05]

SANCHEZ: Vanessa Bryant the widow of basketball legend Kobe Bryant gave emotional testimony in court yesterday as part of her lawsuit against Los Angeles County.

WALKER: At times breaking down in tears on the witness stand. Bryant said she suffers panic attacks and anxiety after officials took and shared close up photos from the helicopter crash that killed her husband, daughter and seven others in 2020. CNN's Natasha Chen with more.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Amara and Boris, we heard from a very tearful Vanessa O'Brien who gave heartbreaking testimony about panic attacks that she had never had before but started experiencing once she found out through an LA Times article about a month after the crash that LA County Sheriff's deputies and county firefighters had taken and shared close up images of her loved ones remains from the crash site.

[06:20:02]

She talked about the moment she found out about that how she was with family but had to run out of the room, run out of the house, so that her daughters would not see her fall apart. She said it felt like she wanted to run and scream and jump into the ocean. But quote, I can't escape my body. I can't escape what I feel.

She said she's even gotten strangers a very disturbing direct messages on Instagram that were shown to us in the courtroom, someone using helicopter and flame emojis and then threatening to leak the images of Kobe's body.

Vanessa Bryant is a co-plaintiff in this case. She's sitting next to Chris Chester who lost his wife and daughter in the same crash. And both of them describe this fear and anxiety that these photos could someday surface on the internet and how that is compounded on top of the grief that they already felt losing family members.

Now the county in defense has emphasized that neither of them have ever seen a single one of these county employee photos out in public. And when they had Sheriff Alex Villanueva on the stand later in the afternoon, they explained that his highest priority was stopping those photos from getting out, not letting the horse out of the barn, so to speak. And that's why the sheriff said he asked those deputies to delete the photos in question instead of waiting for a formal investigation to go through.

When the plaintiff's attorneys pushed him on whether he knew for a fact that the photos had been deleted. He said, I believe that they are. And when further pushed, he said, Well, God knows. And that's about it. Amara and Boris, back to you.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WALKER: All right, Natasha, thank you. Let's discuss this further. Joining me now is CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney. Joey Jackson. Good morning to you, Joey. Just to be clear, Vanessa Bryant is suing LA County for emotional distress. What do you make of her testimony? And was it enough to prove that she has been through quite a lot of emotional distress?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, Amara, good morning to you. I think very compelling, very emotional, very impactful. And so it's not only her testimony, remember, although she testified at the very end, before the defense began the case, but it's about the additional testimony that we've seen in conjunction with that Amara, and what was that? It was about the notion that you can have these photos that were taken and shared on multiple devices. One deputy sharing them with a person that he did not even know who they were the title, anything else, you had instances of them being shared to others in public one specifically in a bar, another at a cocktail party.

So now you have after that, Mr. Chester, her co-plaintiff in this case, he testifies about how it affected him, his daughter, Payton 13, the twin boys that he's left to deal with. And then of course, it culminates into Vanessa, Bryant sharing her story about how it impacts her emotionally, about how she would have had greater trust in authorities really to not have this happen, and how it has just impacted her and really just devastated her and her family, not only with respect to what happened, but with regard to what could happen in moving forward if the photos will leak.

So I think all in all, just very gripping. And I just think the jury really could see that and resonate to that being really emotionally distressful, and certainly an invasion of privacy.

WALKER: And Joey, I'm curious to know what the defense strategy is then, because they did indicate that, you know, they're going to be using some of the Instagram posted -- posts, excuse me from Vanessa, Bryant, particularly one where she's dressed up in a Halloween costume as Cruella de Vil. I mean, why would that be significant and help the defense's case.

JACKSON: So what the defense is trying to establish are a couple of things. The first thing they're saying Amara is that they took all reasonable steps to contain this. The first thing they indicated was that the photos were necessary by virtue of it being a crash site, and they needed to be documented, that was very much in dispute.

The second issue was in dispute was whether they were 25 photos or 100 photos or if you know how many photos. But at the end of the day, what the county is arguing is that they took every reasonable measure and step to contain the photos that they were not, the photos did not surface online, nor do they anticipate that to occur.

With respect to Vanessa Bryant dressing u, important here, right and a Halloween costume is the extent to which you are emotionally distressed. The defense questioned her about the fact that she's managing businesses. And as a result of that she has the wherewithal to do that. The defense indicating that she in essence is having right good times in her life, as if she never would be able to, but they're trying to establish that she doesn't have the degree of emotional distress that she's indicating last point.

The defense is also saying that it's really the helicopter crash itself and not so much the distribution of photos that really is a means of stress.

[06:25:07]

And the fact that Vanessa Bryant can sift through the trial itself indicates she's not as stressed as she would appear. That's a defensive strategy. That's the county strategy as to whether it works with the jury. That's very unclear.

WALKER: Will it work with the jury? Exactly. Good question. Joey Jackson, appreciate you as always, thanks so much.

JACKSON: Thanks Amara.

SANCHEZ: A tropical storm warning has been issued for parts of Texas and Mexico. We've got your latest forecast just minutes away.

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SANCHEZ: As hurricane season is starting to ramp up, tropical storm warnings have been issued for parts of Texas through the Western Gulf of Mexico today.

WALKER: And nearly 10 million people are under flood watches in the areas of the Southwest. Let's get now to meteorologist Allison Chinchar with more. Hi, Allison.

[06:30:03]

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And good morning. Yes, it's going to be a very active next couple of days, especially for the state of Texas. We're keeping an eye on this potential tropical cyclone four. Again, it doesn't really look like all that much at this moment, but it's trying to get itself together.

We are starting to see the convection of thunderstorms around it begin to increase in activity. That is a favorable sign for development, but right now, sustained winds just at about 35 miles per hour. The forecast does call for this to become a named tropical storm in the next 24 hours.

As it continues to make its trek off to the northwest, likely making landfall somewhere along that Texas-Mexico border before slowly creeping inward. Now, if it does, and in fact, get named today, the next name on the list is Danielle. The biggest concern with this storm is going to be moisture.

There's a ton of it. All of that tropical moisture is going to surge into areas of Texas, namely eastern Texas in the short term. But Texas is also going to get two-fold because you also have this system that's currently over the southwest, that's also going to make its way towards the east, pushing all of that rain into areas of Texas.

You've got two separate systems here. Now, that other one we talked about, this has the potential to bring flooding to areas of Arizona, portions of New Mexico in the short term, mainly focused today and tomorrow. Again, notice, all of these showers and thunderstorms that are expected in the southwest today, but then they all begin to shift over towards Oklahoma and Texas by the time we get to Sunday and especially into Monday.

So, overall, when we talk about the forecast rainfall accumulations, look at this wide swath of yellow oranges and reds. The red indicating 6 to 10 inches of rain. You're talking a tremendous amount. And remember, in a short period of time, really the bulk of this, Borer(ph) and Amara -- Boris and Amara, really comes in the next three days. Now, the good news is, it's a drought-stricken area. You just don't want that much in a short period of time.

WALKER: Yes, that's always a fear, too much rain in a short period of time. Allison Chinchar, thank you.

CHINCHAR: Thanks.

WALKER: Senator Lindsey Graham may have to appear next week before a grand jury, investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia.

SANCHEZ: Yes, the Trump ally has been trying to fight a subpoena in court, but so far, a federal judge has ruled the South Carolina lawmaker must testify. CNN's Sara Murray has more.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Boris and Amara, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham is still trying to get out of having to show up on Tuesday and testify before a special grand jury in Georgia. Now, a federal judge already said she was not going to quash Lindsey Graham's subpoena.

Graham went back to that judge and said, could you put a stay on your ruling? Could you essentially push pause on this because I'm planning to appeal. On Friday, that judge said, Senator Graham raises a number of arguments as to why he is likely to succeed on the merits, but they're all unpersuasive.

Now, Graham does have one other iron in the fire. He told the appeals court, he is planning on filing an appeal, and he asked that court if they would stay the lower court's ruling, again, push pause on this, so he doesn't have to show up Tuesday, and so, they can wait and see how this appeal plays out.

The appeals court has not yet ruled on that ask from Graham. Now, the district attorney is interested in Lindsey Graham because he had a phone call with Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger. Raffensperger came away from that call feeling like Graham was asking him to throw away ballots in a way that could benefit Donald Trump.

Graham has denied that this was his intent. But this is, of course, just one of the things that the district attorney wants to get to the bottom of with Senator Graham. We will see if he manages to get out of that Tuesday appearance. Back to you, guys.

SANCHEZ: Sara Murray, thank you so much. Let's dig deeper now with CNN legal analyst and former New York prosecutor Paul Callan. Paul, appreciate you getting up bright and early for us.

PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes --

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: So Lindsey Graham says that he's protected under the speech and debate clause. He's arguing that he was acting in his capacity as a member of Congress. What do you make of that position?

CALLAN: Well, good morning, Boris. And yes, well, it is early. But it's always nice to be with you.

SANCHEZ: For sure. CALLAN: The speech and debate clause of the constitution is a very

interesting clause, and a very important one. And essentially, when the founding fathers were putting the constitution together, they decided that members of Congress, when they're engaged in regular legislative duty on the floor of the house or Senate, are immune from arrest or being compelled to testify in other places.

There was a fear that they would be yanked off the congressional floor by local authorities, and not able to do their job, their federal job. And that's what the court is looking at here. Graham is saying, hey, that phone call that I made to the Secretary of State in Georgia was a legislative purpose.

We were looking -- as he was by the way head of the Judiciary Committee in the Senate. So he's trying to say that he was kind of examining those procedures in connection with potential -- maybe legislation that could be adopted in Congress.

[06:35:00]

Georgia officials are saying that's complete nonsense, because Raffensperger had said in that call, Graham was asking about throwing away some absentee ballots in such a way that might help the Trump candidacy. And that it didn't really have a legislative purpose. It had strictly a political purpose. And so far, Georgia officials have ruled in favor of him having to testify, saying that, this looks to be a political purpose, not a legislative purpose.

SANCHEZ: So, stepping back, Paul, the Fulton County DA's office is arguing that delaying his testimony could result in quote, "material injury to the grand jury and its investigation." In the grand scheme of things, how do you see Graham fitting into their case?

CALLAN: Well, this is -- I think Graham is an important part of their case, because the entire Trump defense, which is being articulated by Giuliani and by the Trump campaign, is essentially that any calls that were made to Georgia were not calls attempting to illegally overturn the election.

But were simply examining what had gone on and asking them to be careful that the votes had been counted carefully. So, Graham here though, he's trying to go up into the appellate courts, the federal appellate courts to stall his testimony. And, of course, he's pulled the district court judge who said, no, you have no legitimate argument here, you're going to testify.

So, he's now gone to the appellate court, and he's hoping that they will issue a stay, maybe he'll leave and take a shot at the Supreme Court later on to keep him off the witness stand in Georgia.

SANCHEZ: What do you think his chances are of success on that appeal in the 11th Circuit?

CALLAN: I don't think his chances are great. The federal judge in the case believes that the state of Georgia has very strong arguments here, that this is not a legitimate use of the speech and debate clause, and that, in fact, everything indicates that Graham's purpose was political.

And there's another argument here that's a very interesting one. Is how do you determine whether it's a political purpose or a legislative purpose if you don't get to question the person? And so that's one of the arguments that's being asserted by Georgia officials. I think they'll probably get him on the witness stand.

SANCHEZ: Paul, quickly, I want to get your thoughts while we have you on the investigation at Mar-a-Lago. The Justice Department has until next week because of this federal judge to propose redactions to the affidavit that led to the search of former President Trump's home. You have argued that it is in the judge's interest to release the information. Help us understand why?

CALLAN: Well, one of the things you have to think about here is that, when the FBI went looking to get this warrant issued, a warrant to search the residence of a former president of the United States, this is a big deal.

And the same judge who is hearing these arguments now about public release of the affidavit, supporting the application of probable cause application, is the same judge who made the decision that there was enough to go in and search the residence.

So, I have to think that the judge probably is releasing or saying that we should release as much of the affidavit as possible, because there was strong probable cause supporting the warrant, otherwise, the judge will be criticizing himself if he's releasing an affidavit that couldn't support the search.

So it's kind of in the judge's interest to go a little bit more public with this affidavit to show that, the courts were acting properly in the extraordinary circumstance of searching a former president's residence.

SANCHEZ: Again, prosecutors have until next Thursday to propose those redactions. Paul Callan, we hope you'll come back and give us your legal perspective then. Thanks so much.

CALLAN: Always nice to be here. Thanks, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Appreciate it.

WALKER: All right, still ahead, new research that shows nearly half of all cancer deaths could be prevented if significant lifestyle changes are made. We'll tell you what they are, next.

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[06:40:00]

WALKER: A massive fire at a Massachusetts boat yard has injured at least four people, including three firefighters.

SANCHEZ: And more than a 100 firefighters were on the scene yesterday battling this fire as heavy, black smoke filled the sky. Flames engulfing the area, you see some of the devastation there. Dozens of boats, cars and at least five buildings were damaged.

The fire chief says that flames moved quickly partly because of the wind. Rosa Giberti who shot this aerial video says that within 15 minutes, the entire yard went up in smoke. The cause remains under investigation.

WALKER: A new study suggests that 44 percent of all cancer deaths can be attributed to preventable risk factors.

SANCHEZ: And cancer is the second leading cause of death for Americans, killing more than 600,000 people in 2020 alone. That's according to the CDC. CNN's Jacqueline Howard has more on these new reports.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Boris and Amara, this study really puts in perspective how these preventable risk factors can play a larger role in our risk of dying due to cancer than some people might think. Often, when we think of cancer risk, we think of genetic risk factors.

[06:45:00]

But for this study, researchers looked at behavior, occupational, environmental and metabolic risk factors. And they examined global cancer deaths for the year, 2019. The researchers found that 44.4 percent of cancer deaths globally were attributable to those preventable risk factors. That's more than 4 million deaths worldwide.

The leading risk factors associated with these cancer deaths were smoking, excessive alcohol use and having a high BMI or body mass index. That's one measure of obesity. And the leading cancer types in terms of these deaths varied among men and women. For men, the leading cancer types were lung, tracheal and bronchial, colorectal, esophageal and stomach.

For women, they were lung, tracheal and bronchial, cervical, colorectal and breast. And these risk-attributable cancer deaths appear to be on the rise. This study found that they increased 20 percent between 2010 and 2019. Amara, Boris, back to you.

SANCHEZ: Thanks, Jacqueline Howard for that. Up next, we have details on the three inmates charged with killing notorious gangster Whitey Bulger in a federal prison.

And a quick programming reminder for you, don't miss an all new episodes of "UNITED SHADES OF AMERICA" tomorrow night at 10:00 p.m. right here on CNN. This time, W. Kamau Bell goes beyond the crowded beaches of Hawaii to explore the tensions between visitors and locals. It airs tomorrow night at 10:00.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:50:00]

WALKER: Three men have been indicted in the prison death of convicted gangster James Whitey Bulger. SANCHEZ: Now, the 89-year-old was the leader of a south Boston gang,

and he evaded police for 16 years before his capture in 2011. CNN's Alexandra Field reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): After years of investigation, arrests are finally made. All three men charged in connection with the death of Whitey Bulger, were fellow inmates of his at Hazelton Federal Penitentiary in West Virginia. Bulger was 89 at the time he died.

Hours earlier, he had been transferred to the West Virginia facility from a prison in Florida. His death immediately raising questions about the transfer and about why the high profile inmate was in with the prison's general population. The three men charged, two of them are accused of hitting him repeatedly on the head, causing Bulger's death.

All three face a charge of conspiracy to commit first degree murder. One remains at Hazelton today, another is still in the federal prison system, and the third suspect was under supervised federal release in Florida at the time of his arrest earlier this week. Whitey Bulger, of course, was the infamous mob boss who led Boston's Winter Hill gang in the '70s and '80s.

He was on the run from authorities for nearly 16 years, appearing on the FBI's most wanted list, before he was captured in 2011 and sentenced to two life terms. In light of the federal indictment, the U.S. attorney in Boston is now speaking out on behalf of the families of Bulger's victims.

She put out a statement standing in solidarity with them in light of the recent news, and also added this to the statement, she writes, "in the truest of ironies, Bulger's family has experienced the excruciating pain and trauma their relative inflicted on far too many, and the justice system is now coming to their aid." Back to you.

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WALKER: From heartbreaking to heartwarming, Easton Oliverson didn't let his recovery get in the way of cheering on his team for their first game at the Little League World Series. That incredible story is up, next.

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[06:55:00]

SANCHEZ: Less than one week after a nearly tragic accident at the Little League World Series, a 12-year-old, Easton Oliverson is well on his way to recovery.

WALKER: And Coy Wire is with us with more. What an incredible story, Easton's doctors have now upgraded him to fair condition? COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Amara and Boris, this is

nothing short of a miracle, right, when you consider how serious Easton's fall from his bunk bed at Williamsport was Monday morning. The most encouraging sign yet, this Instagram post yesterday showing Easton standing up with some help, walking a bit and his nickname is "Tank".

And as "Tank" took those monumental steps at the hospital, team Utah stepped on to the field for the first time yesterday. Teammates writing his name on their cleats, putting his glove and hat in the outfield before the game, making sure that he knew that they're thinking of him. Even their opponents from Tennessee wearing Utah caps. And listen to this.

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WIRE: The crowd's ovation for Easton's fill-in stepping to the plate, his10-year-old brother Broegen(ph), and ultimately, Utah lost 11-2. Still, they will forever be known as the first team in their state's history to even make it to Williamsport. Nobody can take that from them. And they're going to play again for Easton tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.

Finally, some fun to start your Saturday off right. A TikTok craze taking the sports world by storm, National Women's Soccer League, Kansas City's Lo'eau Labonta leveling the game with the Angel City at 1-1. The former Stanford star though appearing to pulling up a hamstring injury, but she works it out.

(LAUGHTER)

The one and only Savannah Bananas. The college Summer ball team that's reinvented baseball taking it up a notch. Jackson Olson appearing to pull a hamstring as well, as he scores, drops to both knees, his teammates rushed in to see if he tweaked it, but no, he twerked it.

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No, friends at home, Boris may or may not have a lingering hamstring issue that may flare up at the end of the 7 O'clock hour. She might want to stick around for that.

SANCHEZ: All right --

WIRE: Although, I think he's more of a sprinkler guy.

SANCHEZ: We've got something ready. I also have a kilt like one of the guys there did. Did you notice that there was some guy wearing a yellow kilt --

WIRE: May have --

SANCHEZ: Is that in fashion now?

WIRE: As of two weeks ago, 75,000 people on their wait list for the Savannah Bananas because they are that entertaining.

WALKER: I need to get some twerking lessons --

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They're both very impressive after pulling a hamstring or pulling it --

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WIRE: Boris got you covered.

WALKER: Thanks, Coy.

SANCHEZ: Maybe, I'm a sprinkler, I don't know about the twerking. Coy Wire, thank you so much.

WIRE: All right.