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New Day Sunday

Explosions Rock Kyiv as War In Ukraine Looms Over G7 Summit; G7 Leaders to Focus on Ukraine, Global Economic Challenges; Protests Erupt Nationwide Following Supreme Court Overturning Roe; Judge Approves $1B Settlement a Year After Condo Collapse; West Coast Braces for More High Heat. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired June 26, 2022 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Carolyn Manno, thank you so much.

The next hour of NEW DAY starts right now.

(MUSIC)

PAUL: It is Sunday. Good morning to you. Welcome to your NW DAY. I'm Christi Paul.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Boris Sanchez. Great to be with you.

Breaking overnight, explosions rocking Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv. Officials there say that Russian military strikes hit an apartment building, setting it on fire. We're going to take you live to the scene.

PAUL: Also, anger spreading across the U.S. over the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. There are new concerns about how the decision could impact other decisions related to privacy rights.

SANCHEZ: And finally, relief for some as a heat wave grips much of the United States. We'll tell you where cooler temperatures are eagerly expected.

(MUSIC)

PAUL: June 26th. How did that happen? I guess the temperatures tell us that is true. But we are so grateful to have you spending your morning with us.

SANCHEZ: We're thrilled to have you with us. It is a bittersweet morning here at CNN. It is Christi's last day with us at NEW DAY.

We're going to have a lot to say about that. Share some good-byes later this hour.

PAUL: That felt frightening.

SANCHEZ: Yeah, stick around for that. We do want to begin with the breaking news, what is happening in Ukraine. PAUL: Yeah, because the war there is looming over a meeting of G7

leaders in Europe right now. There were explosions that rocked the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv today. The Ukrainian air force says between 4 and 6 missiles were launched at Kyiv. Police say one person died, five are wounded in a strike that hit an apartment building.

SANCHEZ: President Biden is going to try to keep U.S. allies aligned against Russia, even as he faces anger and frustration back home over inflation, the rising cost of food and gas and legitimate fears of a recession.

He and other leaders are going to look for ways to punish Russia, while also managing a global economy that has become shaky.

PAUL: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to ask for more sanctions against Russia and more military aid for Ukraine when he addresses the Senate virtually.

They are expected to discuss ways to end the war as the fighting is grinding on this morning.

SANCHEZ; We have team coverage of this developing story, CNN's chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins is tracking President Biden's meeting with G7 leaders.

But we want to start with CNN's Salma Abdelaziz in Kyiv at the scene of one of the explosions that rocked the capital this morning.

Salma, what are you seeing there?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boris and Christi, a devastating strike in the early morning hours, about 6:30 local time, multiple rockets hitting this residential area just behind me here.

You can see police moved us back from the scene, but earlier we were able to access it, I know we have the pictures to show you of that nine-story apartment block completely torn open. One of the apartments on the top story completely flattened.

For hours now, rescue workers trying to pull people out of the rubble. We saw one woman after a five-hour ordeal, rescue workers were able to finally put her in the back of an ambulance. Also, a young girl, her daughter who was injured in this attack, a 7-year-old.

We saw the mayor of Kyiv here, Vitali Klitschko, he told me he believes Russia is targeting civilians, take a listen.

(BGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR VITALI KLITSCHKO, KYIV, UKRAINE: It is a lie from Russians. They're plotting against military. It is -- we in our hometown, destroyed 220 apartment buildings, where live civilians. They attack in capital of Ukraine, attack in Ukraine, this senseless war.

And we have to do everything to stop this war, because thousands and thousands unguilty people, civilians died. (END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: As you can hear there the accusation that innocents are dying. A projectile landed in a kindergarten nearby, thankfully nobody was there. For weeks now Kyiv has had a sense of stability, a sense of calm, since Russian forces pulled out in early April.

There has been an attempt to return to normal life, but all of that shattered with these attacks this morning, Boris and Christi?

PAUL: Salma, we appreciate it.

We want to bring in Kaitlan Collins now.

So, Kaitlan, we know that President Biden did talk with the German chancellor this morning. How are the events this morning shaping what is happening there now?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is completely set the stage for this G7 meeting. I mean, that was before these strikes on the Ukrainian capital happened.

It was already going to be front and center of all of these conversations that President Biden is having with his fellow G7 leaders. It seemed that these strikes were meant to send a message as these leaders are gathering in Germany, because Russia has not hit Kyiv in weeks.

[07:05:00]

So, President Biden was asked about his response to those strikes this morning. This is what he told reporters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Mr. President, do you have a reaction from the Russian missile strike on the apartment building in Kyiv?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's more of their barbarism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The president calling it barbarism as if he was responding to that, as they are talking about what they're going to do to continue punishing Russia in addition to the sanctions that you've already seen lobbied as they have worked to isolate Russia from the global economy.

And another big step was announced as President Biden was on his way here, the United States and the other G7 leaders will ban imports of new gold from Russia.

That is significant given gold, of course, is Russia's second largest export and just to give you an idea of how much money we're talking about here, the UK imported billions of dollars in Russian gold last year alone.

So this is a significant step they are taking, just another step they're taking to try to isolate Russia.

So this comes as that is going to be a bigger discussion that they are having here, how to continue doing that, but, of course, talking about the worsening global economy and what the effect it is having on each of their individual countries and in addition to food shortages that you're seeing, all of those things are going to be on the table for discussion while these leaders are meeting.

But we should note that even as they were sitting down for a working lunch, they were poking fun at Putin, making fun of him as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson walked in, he asked the other world leaders if he should keep his suit jacket on or not because he said that they needed to show Putin, that they looked tough, and the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded referencing that famous shirtless picture of Putin on a horseback saying they should have a bare-chested horse ride.

They're having these very serious discussions about how to punish Russia and punish Putin, they're also poking fun at him -- Boris and Christi.

SANCHEZ: Yeah, good to have some levity amid so much disaster. Kaitlan Collins, Salma Abdelaziz, thank you so much.

We have other big story unfolding this weekend, outside of the Supreme Court and in cities all across America, protesters taking to the streets to rally against the court overturning the landmark Roe versus Wade decision.

PAUL: This has been a lot of anger, a lot of disbelief we have seen, more than two dozen states have indicated they could ban or restrict abortion. But many say they're ready to put up a fight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAINE PEHTA, PROTESTER: I'm extremely angry. I'm angry, I'm fired up. The fight is not over. People did this fight 50 years ago. I guess we are going to take the fight a again. It may take us 50 years, but we'll get back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Now several arrests have been made at some of the demonstrations. In Washington, D.C., for instance, according to U.S. Capitol police, two people were arrested yesterday afternoon for the destruction of property after they allegedly threw paint over the fence by the U.S. Supreme Court.

SANCHEZ: In his concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas said he thinks it is time for the Supreme Court to revisit other major decisions linked to privacy rights, including the case that guaranteed the constitutional rights to same sex marriage.

To discuss the implications, let's bring in Cathryn Oakley. She's the senior legislative counsel for the human rights campaign.

Catherine, grateful to have you this morning. Thanks for sharing part of your day with us.

Let's start with the direct impact of the Roe decision for the LGBTQ community. What is at stake here?

CATHRYN OAKLEY, SENIOR LEGAL COUNSEL, HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN: Yeah, there is a lot at stake here for LGBTQ folks, including that LGBTQ people need abortions. We need abortions, we need access to birth control, we need access to fertility services, we need access to abortions. We need access to a lot of different protections that roe was able to provide us.

And the fall of Roe is tremendously concerning. It is outrageous, it is scary, and, you know, all of the outrage that folks are showing in the streets, it is unfortunately well deserved.

SANCHEZ: There is also concern about what next the Supreme Court may undo in the way of what many feel are constitutional rights. And one of them, specifically mentioned by Justice Clarence Thomas is the Obergefell case, the same sex marriage case. Give us your thoughts, your concerns about that potentially being undone.

OAKLEY: Yeah, well, look, this is all part and parcel with Roe being overturned. It was a really important case for a whole body of case law which protects people's rights to privacy, to liberty, to things that are not the government's business to be able to regulate.

And among the cases that rely on this case law is, yes, the Obergefell decision. And so, you know, as Roe has been in the balance, this is, of course, something we all have been really concerned about. Justice Thomas in his opinion which I should say he was the only one to share, he didn't have any other justices sign on to it, but he did explain in no uncertain terms what is at risk here.

And it is important that we be ready. You know, nothing changes for marriages today.

[07:10:03]

Nothing changes in terms of the right to intimate sexual relationships. Nothing changes in relationship to marriage equality today.

But we know that the opponents of equality are going to be coming for us and we are going to be ready to fight back.

SANCHEZ: President Biden is making the case to voters that this November, Roe is on the ballot, trying to motivate the base. What's your message to voters?

OAKLEY: Roe is on the ballot. All of our freedom is on the ballot. I think unfortunately what we saw happen here with roe being overturned is that folks who have had a long game who have placed justices on the Supreme Court to achieve exactly their reaction that we're seeing here.

I think it is important to say, precedent does get overruled all the time. This is not a normal overruling of precedent. This was a political strategy, which has finally paid off, a long-term political strategy. And so, we absolutely have to make sure that we're out there voting.

We also have to vote at the state level as well. I mean, these bans are going to be happening at the state level. We have to be engaged all up and down the ballot in order to make sure the folks who are making decisions about our bodies, about our rights, are people who truly represent our wishes.

SANCHEZ: Cathryn, clinics that perform abortions also often provide gender affirming care to transgender people. How do you think the ruling is going to play into that?

OAKLEY: Yeah, the ruling will absolutely play into that. Look, LGBTQ people rely on clinics, we rely on the ability to be able to get abortion and contraception on the ability to be able to get gender affirming care at these clinics. And if these clinics are closed, if their ability to provide that care is limited, that will absolutely have an impact on LGBTQ folks.

SANCHEZ: Cathryn Oakley, thanks so much for sharing part of your day with us. We appreciate your perspective.

OAKLEY: Thank you so much for having me.

PAUL: We should point out the abortion ruling is also raising questions about the future of fertility treatments. We're talking to a healthcare provider next about what it could mean for IVF patients and the doctors who are trying to help them.

So, triple digit temperatures, and we're talking about dangerous heat advisories. What to expect as we head into a new week.

And programming note for you. Be sure to watch the new CNN film "CITIZEN ASHE". It's tonight at 9:00 p.m. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything is on a razor's edge. You forget the score. You forget where you are. I feel like my body is floating within myself.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Arthur Ashe, bright young member of the United States Davis Cup team.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some people think we're all brawn and no brains. I like to fight the myth.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He started becoming a citizen of the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Arthur Ashe, the first (INAUDIBLE) to win the men's Wimbledon singles title. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was evolved from someone who was analytical to

someone who came more about direct action.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: AIDS became another fight for Arthur, and he picked it up like he did every other cause.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He never forgot about his race, I'm talking about the human race.

ANNOUNCER: "CITIZEN ASHE" premieres tonight at 9:00 on CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:17:37]

PAUL: The overturning of Roe v. Wade has those who are thinking about in vitro fertilization or in the process of it worried about what could happen next for them. The decision won't automatically restrict access to assisted reproductive technology or ART, as it's referred, but experts say the broad language used in some state level abortion bans could potentially include those procedures.

Well, the CEO of Clinical Kindbody, Angeline Beltsos, is with us now.

Thank you so much for being with us. Talk to me, first, about your initial reaction when you heard the news.

DR. ANGELINE BELTSOS, CEO, CLINICAL KINDBODY: One of our initial reactions at Kindbody was concern on how this will affect our patients, making decisions about their embryos. It's so important to consider how this actually implicates their own decisions on their tissue.

PAUL: So, we know there are fertility companies, such as yours, Clinical Kindbody, and patients have been moving embryos to try to make some of the contingency plans. And I understand you've already started to do so moving embryos from states such as Missouri to states that may be safer for their decision-making.

At what point did you decide this is what we need to do?

BELTSOS: This is a very important question. Patients, once this leak had come out, had made their own decisions. And they contacted us in states like Missouri in order to be able to make choices about how they use their frozen embryos.

And this has become even more concerning for them. So they're asking for some of their embryos to be moved to states, where they'll be able to make decisions about their embryos because I think that will become something that is restricted with these trigger laws that have occurred in the 13, maybe 22 states.

PAUL: Not only the trigger laws, in terms of embryos from state to stat but this could make accessing IVF more expensive and it is already a very expensive process. What are your great concerns at this point, your most urgent concerns for your patients and their abilities in this case?

BELTSOS: These are very important. People are considering moving tissues and companies are considering moving patients.

[07:20:05]

So they are supporting the ability to access care of in vitro fertilization and I think what we'll see is in the world of IVF, frozen embryo transfer has become pinnacle, using technology such as pre-implantation, genetic testing. So once an embryo is frozen, it its ability to be used will become at question.

And so I think some of our concerns will be the ability of these patients to use tissue they have frozen before, and/or what will happen to the tissue or the embryos rather that are not being used in the future?

So, I think at Kindbody, and at other fertility clinics, our role will be to try to help patients use the technologies moving forward, and their ability to make an embryo transfer with frozen embryos, but the personhood laws and how that will make decision difficult, I think, will be one of the challenges we all face.

PAUL: IVF is such an emotional and hard process to go through. Can you help us understand what are you hearing from your patients? I mean, just help us understand the impact this potential alone has had on them.

BELTSOS: Well, you are right. It is such a political and volatile time for whether people believe one side of this discussion or the other. And as you said, it is expensive, it is emotional.

And they are concerned. Our patients are concerned about how we will move forward, especially in different states. And I think, like I said, at Kindbody, moving people to being able to access the care, that's an element of stress.

So, but I do think on the other hand, we do have the ability to do that, and I think this is something that we will see implicates a lot of families.

PAUL: Dr. Angeline Beltsos, thank you for taking time to talk to us and helping us understand this aspect of it. Thank you so much.

BELTSOS: Thank you so much.

PAUL: Of course.

SANCHEZ: Still ahead, remembering the lives lost in Surfside, one year later. Despite millions in settlement money and promises of change from lawmakers, the families of 98 victims are still searching for answers. You'll hear from one of them next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [07:27:02]

SANCHEZ: Some sad news to bring you out of New York City. A grandmother is dead and four others including an 8-year-old child are injured after a car that was fleeing police struck them. New York City police say that they approached a vehicle because it had mismatched plates, and they suspected that the occupants were smoking marijuana when suddenly the car took off.

Right now, one person is in custody in connection with the incident. Charges have not yet been filed. The names of the victims have not been released.

PAUL: Well, a man is in custody after a deadly shooting at a weather tech facility in Bolingbrook, Illinois. The suspect has been identified as 27-year-old Charles McKnight Jr. He was a temporary employee, we're told.

Yesterday, he allegedly robbed two workers at gunpoint. Later pulled out his handgun again and shot three of his co-workers when they confronted him about the incident. Officials say one of the victims has died. Another is in critical within and condition and a third has been released from the hospital.

The U.S. Appeals Court is temporarily delaying the government's ban on Juul e-cigarette products, while the company prepares to defend the safety of its inventory. So, the company can avoid major harm through its business.

The appeal comes a day after the FDA ordered Juul Labs Inc. to remove products from store shelves after issuing marketing denial orders for its vaping devices and amid a buildup of concerns that the products are encouraging dangerous smoking habits among underage users.

SANCHEZ: Hard to believe that it's already been one year since the tragic condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida that killed 98 people. Some victims' families are still struggling to find closure and cope with the sudden loss of their loved ones, even as officials seek accountability for the deadly disaster.

With us now is PJ Rodriguez. He lost both his mother and grandmother, Elena and Elena, in the building collapse.

PJ, we're grateful to have you this morning. I'm wondering what it feels like to look back at this tragedy, one year later.

PJ RODRIGUEZ, LOST HIS MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER IN SURFSIDE COLLAPSE: Hi, thanks for having me.

Yeah, it is incredible, it has been a year. It's a feeling I never had before. It feels as if the year has flown by and at the same time it has been an eternity.

SANCHEZ: What kind of answers have you gotten about why the condo collapsed, why this happened? RODRIGUEZ: None. We have gotten no real answers. I'm glad the federal

government is continuing to investigate the causes. But it doesn't look like there is really go to be any accountability for why this happened or who was responsible or the many people that were responsible for this.

SANCHEZ: I want to ask you about that, a judge recently signed off on a more than billion dollar settlement for victims and their families, but it keeps the condo association, the city of Surfside, the firms involved in the development and maintenance of the building from actually going to trial.

Should someone be criminally charged over this if they're found to be negligent?

RODRIGUEZ: That's correct. So the settlement sounds great in theory, and, you know, it is what our legal system has. It provides a financial I'm sorry, but the main part of the settlement for all the defendants named and unnamed is they are accepting no responsibility, no accountability whatsoever.

It's essentially they're throwing their hands up, telling the insurance company to pay and walking away saying leave us out of this. So it is very disheartening that there is going to be no accountability for it.

And as for the actual settlement that the family members are now in the process of having to file claims and go through this dehumanizing process really, for a situation that is not contemplated. It's a mass casualty event where there is no jury trial, there's no verdict, there's no damages that need to be assessed, but we're going through the process as though there is.

And then to add insult to injury, Florida's wrongful death statute capriciously limits which family members are entitled to have their pain and suffering taken into account. So, there is family members being told your pain and suffering, your emotional trauma, that you had to live with for the past year, you have to live it for the rest of your life, it doesn't factor into the equation of what is going to be allocated for the loss of your loved ones.

SANCHEZ: PJ, that's got to be incredibly frustrating. What is it like to deal with that?

RODRIGUEZ: It is extremely frustrating. It is hurtful. It feels mean to be honest. I know that's not a very sophisticated word, but that's how it feels. It is just almost as an additional gut punch to have to go through this process and then be told your pain and suffering is not relevant.

SANCHEZ: We're looking at pictures of the two Elenas as we just shared with our viewers, your mom and your grandmother. Looking back a year later what do you want the world to know about them and what you lost at surfside?

RODRIGUEZ: I lost a piece of me. Our family lost our two matriarchs. They were the life of the party. My grandmother was 87 years old. And every time I read that, I still think it is sounds as though she was a regular 87-year-old.

But she wasn't, she would go zip lining, she travelled with her friends, she would rent a car in Europe and drive all over the place. She was a very active woman, full of life, loved her family. My mother, the same. Family was everything to them.

So we were very close knit group, every weekend we were together and it is hard struggling just trying to cope with the fact that I'm not going to see them again.

SANCHEZ: The thought of your grandmother zip lining warms my heart. But I have to ask you, do you feel that local officials have done enough to make sure that this never happens again?

RODRIGUEZ: I'm glad that they ended up passing the legislation they did when the initial session ended.

They couldn't pass anything despite the fact there was support from both political parties, everybody was in agreement they needed to do something and they couldn't get it done.

So, I'm glad they did pass legislation. The concerns I have is that this is going to be the only thing they pass.

And part of the problem with that is there is an enforceability aspect of this that also needs to be addressed because having more inspections, having more regulations is great, and not only in theory, but in practice, and the immediate aftermath of surfside, you saw many buildings be evacuated, even government buildings be evacuated for lack of maintenance.

So it is very important to have the inspections, but the quality of the inspections and mechanism for enforcement is also important because you had in Surfside, the city inspector come and tell the building everything is fine, tell all the owners everything is fine.

And then you see the pictures that came out in the aftermath and at that point, building was not in good condition. It should have been huge red flags. But you had the city officials come in and tell them the building is fine.

So, I think there needs to be a mechanism for enforcement and accountability for the people that are actually carrying out the inspections to make sure they're done properly.

SANCHEZ: PJ Rodriguez, we're so sorry for your loss. We appreciate you sharing your story with us and we hope that when the investigation concludes, we get the answers that you deserve.

RODRIGUEZ: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Thank you so much.

Stay with CNN. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:39:20]

PAUL: So Turkish firefighters battled a blaze for a third straight day. Look at these pictures we're getting in. Turkish health ministers two people are hospitalized, almost 300 were evacuated as a precaution.

According to the Turkish interior minister, one person was detained after he allegedly admitted to setting the fire out of frustration over family issues. Wow.

All right, I know you have been hot. We have all been hot.

SANCHEZ: Indeed.

PAUL: It has been miserable. There might be cooler temperatures coming your way, depending where you live.

SANCHEZ: Let's take you to the CNN weather center and meteorologist Karen Maginnis.

Karen, should we expect some relief going into this new week?

[07:40:03]

KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, as a matter of fact. It has been really incredible.

SANCHEZ: All right.

MAGINNIS: Good morning to you both.

For folks joining us this morning, a lot of folks have been enduring the sweltering heat over the past several weeks in the Deep South, the Central U.S., into the Midwest.

Well, now, it's is in the Pacific Northwest. This is different. Yesterday, it was Seattle that soared to 87 degrees. That may not sound hot compared to what we have been seeing in the desert southwest, the Central Plains. But Seattle has not been above that 80- degree mark all year long.

So, now, we're finally seeing the temperatures really soar. But take a look at Portland, Oregon, 100 degrees.

Now, I know you want to cool off. You have to remember that the water temperature is still fairly cold across this region. There could be hypothermia. But on land, those temperatures, triple digits, way above normal for this time of year.

Now, also in the Pacific Northwest, it is not going to be quite as muggy. It's also not going to last for very long. So, enjoy the next couple of days where temperatures are going to be about 15 to 20 degrees above where they should be for this time of year. Memphis, Tennessee, soared to 101 degrees. Have to go back to the 1980s before you saw anything like that. Didn't really shatter a record, but still exceptionally hot.

Also, we're looking at heat advisories out for 32 million people across the United States. You may remember over the past week or so, that's when we saw 100 plus million people. So, we can see those areas really shrinking.

All right, the next several days, look at Seattle, temperatures 80s, 90s and then guess what, by Tuesday, we're expecting those temperatures only in the 60s. So, a sharp contrast coming up. Portland, you go from 101 to about 78 degrees.

And, Christi, I want to say, it has been a joy working with you and knowing you for the last 20 years. Good luck and much happiness on your new endeavors.

PAUL: Karen Maginnis, I just love you, you're awesome. Thank you so much for everything you do.

Just good people all around here.

SANCHEZ: And good people --

PAUL: I'm so blessed.

SANCHEZ: That only happens because you left such a great impression on so many people and have such a great reputation. In fact, some of your friends from HLN wanted to send you a good-bye. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH PRANN, HLN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: To the one and only Christi Paul, there are no words. I have told you in person and behind your back you are a living angel. I wish you the best of luck. I can't wait to see what is next for you. And I love so much that you are a part of my personal and professional life.

BOB VAN DILLEN, HLN METEOROLOGIST: Christi Paul, you got here about the same time I did, you started at HLN, that's where your heart is, you know. And when I were here, I was here. I had dark brown hair. You see what you did to me?

Anyway we're going to miss you. Pete, you and the girls, headed up to the north, we'll see you again sometime. We love you. We're going to miss you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:47:43]

PAUL: You know it is scary when this is what we're getting. This is his script, with words on it. This is mine. I got nothing. SANCHEZ: It doesn't say much. If you've been with us this morning,

you know that this is Christi's last day with us here at CNN. And all it says in the script is good-bye, Christi, sad face. Sad face. Sad face is how we feel regarding your exit.

Before we have some parting messages for you, we want to share with our viewers some of your highlights here, almost 20 years at CNN and HLN. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Good morning. So grateful to have you here. I'm Christi Paul.

Rise and shine, sleepy heads.

Do not hit the snooze button. You will regret it.

Welcome to Saturday. Take a nice deep breath. You made it to your weekend.

Make good memories today.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): For nearly 20 years, on CNN and our sister network HLN, you've welcomed Christi into your homes, and since January of 2014, she's been the heart of this show. Always there.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell. This is NEW DAY SATURDAY, and this is NEW DAY SATURDAY Christi Paul has been visiting from out of town, now she's come to stay.

PAUL: I have a new TV husband, I was saying, in Victor.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

PAUL: So thank you.

Look who's here this early in the morning, Boris Sanchez.

It is good to see you. It is so good to have you in the morning family. Welcome.

SANCHEZ: Bright and early, every Saturday and Sunday, sharing some of the most memorable stories of our lifetime.

PAUL: We've got some breaking news here in regards to the missing Malaysia airplane 370.

It is a very chaotic scene in Orlando. And we want to take you there live. We're grateful you're with us as we cover what has been a mass casualty shooting.

Welcome back to our live coverage of Hurricane Harvey. The powerful storm is stalling over the Texas coast right now.

We are going to begin this morning with the push to contain the coronavirus here in the U.S. We are witnessing history here, Taliban fighters have reached the

gates of the capital city of Kabul.

SANCHEZ: She's opened to up to all of us, exposing the most intimate and difficult parts of her life.

PAUL: When you are with somebody who tells you you're stupid, you can't do this, nobody else would love you, eventually, you start to believe that.

[07:50:02]

And I, in my situation, I was married. So, I didn't feel like I had the right to leave.

SANCHEZ: Using her own experience of overcoming abuse --

PAUL: How do we change that?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The way to change that is begin to educate the public.

SANCHEZ: To start the conversation about ending the cycle.

PAUL: They said, why did you keep, you know, beating your wife or doing what you're doing and said, well, no guy told me not to.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

PAUL: What is the value of the male voice, the influence of the male voice, the power in these conversations?

SANCHEZ: While serving as a hopeful voice during tough times. Always looking to the future.

PAUL: I call it the reset. Resetting our priorities here based on what we have realized about ourselves as we live through this era.

SANCHEZ: And never passing up a chance to laugh.

PAUL: How are you different from Stephen on stage 17 years ago to Stephen on stage now because of that experience?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fifty pounds is the first question.

PAUL: Okay. I'm ready. Three, two, one!

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Ask Hines Ward to show you his rings.

PAUL: He offered to let me wear one and I said no, I'm too high up. If I drop that one, I'll kill myself.

DANICA PATRICK, RACING DRIVER: Buckle up, baby. Buckle up.

PAUL: Here we go!

Oh, Lord have mercy. I am scared to death. I don't know how you --

Oh that wall is close.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: It has been such an incredible journey. I'm glad you can enjoy some of those highlights. I know you remember --

PAUL: I forgot some of them.

SANCHEZ: One of those familiar faces we saw in that montage has a special message for you. Victor, take it away.

PAUL: Oh, no.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Christi, I'm really happy for you. I'm kind of sad for the rest of us, though. We're going to miss you on weekend mornings. More than just a journalist and anchor, you brought compassion and warmth to the show.

You've been the show's conscience. And personally I want to thank you for your friendship. Fun times, not so fun times, not everybody's business, you know what I'm talking about.

Listen, we'll still have our FaceTime dates. Our breakfast meet-ups. There's a lot more I want to say, but I don't want to take up the whole show. I was told I have one minute.

I will end with what you ended every show with for eight and a half years.

PAUL: Thank you so much for being with us. We always appreciate your company. Hope you make good memories today.

Go make some good memories today.

We hope you make good memories today.

Make good memories today.

BLACKWELL: I feel pretty confident on saying on behalf of all the NEW DAY weekend alumni and the people who've watched over the years, thank you for some really good memories.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Oh, V. And Boris! And I'm so glad I got a year with you.

SANCHEZ: Yeah. It was a great year.

And just want to pull back the curtain for a second and share with our viewers private conversations that you and I have had, because it is not often you find someone as kind and generous and compassionate as you in this position. As you know this is a very competitive field, full of driven people.

PAUL: It is.

SANCHEZ: And you maintained this warmth about you that comes across to the viewer and serves us so well, because what we're covering isn't easy to cover. And what you've overcome in your personal life, it provides so much just compassion and empathy and it bleeds into our coverage and we're going to miss you so much. I'm going to miss you so much.

PAUL: I'm going to miss you.

SANCHEZ: Thank you, Christi.

PAUL: I'm going to miss you, too.

And thank you to Victor for that. People have been saying, what is happening? What are you doing?

Well, I am part of the great resignation. Back in 2020, for those of you who might know, my husband had COVID, it was really bad for about three and a half weeks and there were moments I thought I was going to be a single mom. Especially when I take him to the ER.

And, Sanjay, thank you to Sanjay Gupta, for walking me off the ledge many times during that time, but like many of you, I didn't see my parents for a year. And at some point my husband and I looked at each other and thought what are we doing? We have got to get back home.

And an opportunity came up, I'm going home to Ohio. I will be on the air. It will be announced later this week for any of you who care. I will let you know, I'll put it out on Instagram.

But I'll tell you what I told Jeff Zucker when I left, and I told him I was leaving in January, I love these people. I love this place. I am so grateful and I'm so tired. I'm so exhausted.

SANCHEZ: It's not an easy schedule. It's a grind.

PAUL: We're up between 1:00 and 2:00 every Saturday and Sunday. And I just could not be who I needed to be for my family.

[07:55:01]

It is what it really came down to.

I was tired of being tired and I told him, look, let's be honest, the work we do is important, the work you do is important, wherever you go, whatever you do, every day, it is important work, but at the end of the day, somebody's going to sit in the seat and I'm going to leave and the show will go on as it should.

But nobody else is going to be my kids' mom. And nobody else is going to be my husband's wife or my parents' children, and I need to be fully, fully present there and it has been hard because you know how it is when you're so exhausted and after nine years, that's just what it is.

But before I leave, I just want to let you know I think we all have these very unique roles, you included that only you can fill, and those are some of my roles, and I need to give them that space and that energy.

But the people, I know that things are so divisive right now, the people in these buildings, in D.C., in New York, here in Atlanta, all over the world, these are some of the smartest, kindest, most thoughtful, most talented people on the planet. And I am so grateful to learn from you and know you and I will -- this has been the ride (ph) of my life -- and I just -- I wish all of you the best because there are genuinely good, loving human beings in this building and you're making a difference.

SANCHEZ: The show will go on. But it will not be the same without you, Christi. Thank you so much.

PAUL: Thank you, guys. Go make good memories. I mean that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)