Return to Transcripts main page

New Day Sunday

Preliminary Report On Uvalde Shooting To Be Released This Morning; Uvalde School Shooting Surveillance Video Fuels Scrutiny Over Delayed Law Enforcement Response; Preliminary Report On Uvalde School Shooting Will Be Released To Victims' Families On Sunday; New York Times: Right-Wing Lawyer Pitched Trump On "Martial Law" Plan To Subvert Election; Biden Returns From Middle East To Face Long List Of Challenges; Senator Joe Manchin Deals A Blow To Democrats' Climate Agenda; Democrats Hope Roe V. Wade Decision Will Energize The Party; Democrats Smashing Fundraising Records In Senate Races. Aired 6-7a

Aired July 17, 2022 - 06:00   ET

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


[06:00:35]

KRISTIN FISHER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning and welcome to your NEW DAY. I'm Kristin Fisher.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Boris Sanchez. We're expecting a new report out of Uvalde, Texas, today detailing the failed police response to a gunman storming an elementary school killing nearly two dozen people. What we're anticipating from that report and who may be held accountable.

FISHER: President Biden is back home from the Middle East amid criticism of the trip, and he's also facing some head winds on his domestic agenda.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAREN MARTIN, TAMPA, FLORIDA SINGLE MOM: I'm not making ends meet. I'm not making it. I'm setting my savings. I get paid tomorrow, and already my whole paycheck is spoken for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Plus, adjusting for inflation. How surging prices are forcing some to make very tough choices just to make ends meet.

Welcome to your "NEW DAY." We are thrilled to have you this Sunday, July 7th -- 17th, I should say. The days just keep slipping away, Kristin.

FISHER: Boris, I am so sorry. I'm having a little bit of a tough time hearing you but good morning to you, Boris, and good morning to all of you at home. Unfortunately, we begin with a very sad story this morning, that search for answers in the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Hours from now the families of the shooting victims are going to get that preliminary finding of the Texas House committee investigation. SANCHEZ: Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the massacre. The committee is also set to present the families with surveillance video of the school shooting which was leaked to a Texas newspaper and published this week. Let's take you now to Uvalde, Texas, and CNN's Rosa Flores. Rosa, do we have any indication right now of what is going to be in the report?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Boris, according to a source close to the committee, this source tells me that this report is expected to be fact-finding in nature, is expected to have a chronological time line of events, a law enforcement manifest. It's supposed to quote directly from sworn testimony. It's supposed to clarify some of the previous accounts.

But the bigger picture overall, according to this source, this report is expected to show that the law enforcement failure on that ill-fated day was much bigger than one person. It was much bigger than the school police chief. It's going to show, according to the source, that the law enforcement failure was vast, broad, and it covered multiple law enforcement agencies.

Now this is a Texas House investigative committee. They've been interviewing witnesses for weeks, according to this source. They've interviewed about 40 witnesses. Now these witnesses included multiple law enforcement agencies, school administration officials, teachers, a P.E. coach among other staff.

Now, according to the committee the family members of the victims will be receiving this report today along with a copy of the surveillance video. Now, this source says that it's the 77 minutes that was also leaked to the "Austin American-Statesman" last week except that this video that's going to be provided to the families today will have no audio which is what the families had requested. Now when the families meet in private with this committee that's when the press will then get a copy of this report.

And, Boris, I have got to tell you, it's been almost eight weeks since this tragedy happened, and there are still so many questions unanswered, there's still so many documents, videos, angles of cameras that we have not been able to obtain. And one of the big questions that still remains especially after watching those 77 minutes of surveillance video, is why the police officers waited? Why they waited in that hallway and didn't go in to save these children? We're going to have to see if this report actually answers that question.

SANCHEZ: A critical question and we have heard conflicting statements from officials on the ground and locally there in Uvalde. Rosa Flores from Texas, thank you so much. Let's bring in Chief Charles Ramsey now to talk through the latest with us.

[06:05:03]

He's the former police commissioner in Philadelphia, also a former police chief of the nation's capital in Washington, D.C. Chief, thank you so much for being with us this morning. Let's start with this report. What questions are you most hoping are answered? CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, I think there are going to still be unanswered questions, quite frankly, because, at least from what we've seen so far, it's been very difficult to get factual information from the department. But from their individual interviews they may begin to put together exactly what took place.

This is going to be a very negative report, obviously. We've seen the video. There's nothing good coming out of the video. There's nothing good coming out of this entire incident. So it's going to be highly critical.

But I also agree if that's accurate, and I believe it is accurate, that there's -- you know, it goes beyond just Chief Arredondo. I mean, the failure was at multiple levels. When you go through active shooter training one of the first things they tell you is, you don't wait for a supervisor. You don't wait for someone to tell you what to do. You take immediate action.

The officers failed to do that. And it's not just one department it was a multijurisdictional response. And so this is going to really, I think, answer some questions in terms of, you know, some of the people who are at fault but the entire event was just one huge failure.

SANCHEZ: So if these failures are multiagency and greater than any one individual's decision making, how do you then go about ensuring that those who need to be held accountable are?

RAMSEY: Well, that's going to be on a department by department basis. But quite frankly the mayors of these cities are going to face a terrible set of choices that they're going to have to make.

Uvalde, for an example. I mean, how in the world can the people of Uvalde have any faith in that police department at all? I just don't see it.

And so how do you -- how do you change that? How do you fix that? Do you just blow it up? Do you just, you know, get rid of everyone and start over again with a brand new department?

I don't know the answer to that. That's going to be a local jurisdictional, you know, answer that's going to have to -- the mayors going to have to come up with. But these are some tough choices because this is so massive a failure that it has shaken the confidence in people not just in Uvalde but all those jurisdictions around it.

Quite frankly, I think it has shaken confidence in policing in general and people need to understand that's not how police are trained. That is not how police respond. And I think we've had enough incidents to know that police do respond in a much different fashion from what you saw in Uvalde across the country.

SANCHEZ: And, Chief, that's what's so startling because as we see in that disturbing surveillance video, the law enforcement officers got to the scene fairly quickly but then they retreat in the hallway. And if you haven't seen the video, this is mostly what it looks like. They're essentially just lingering there waiting for something. I keep going back to this question. What would lead these officers to just wait there in the hallway if, what you're suggesting is that, training has them immediately going in, not even waiting for an all clear or permission to advance from a superior?

RAMSEY: Well, I mean, training can give you a lot of things but one thing it can't give you is the courage to do what is necessary in dangerous situations, and that's what we're facing there. Now there was a lack of leadership and organization. Clearly, there was no incident command, no tactical command. None of that was taking place. So it was very chaotic.

I did see the entire video, all 77 painful minutes of the video. The first responders, the first couple of officers that got there did go toward the sound of the gunfire, which is what they're trained to do. They receive fire and they retreated, but rather than regroup and not just necessarily those officers but there are others in the hallway at the time, probably half a dozen or so, you have to regroup and you have to go back.

You have to come up with a tactical plan, distract the shooter. You have got to be able to take that shooter out. I mean, you have got to be able to neutralize that individual before they can kill more people and that did not happen.

And how many of those children and teachers were maybe killed instantly but how many of them just bled to death during that 77- minute period? I mean, it's just horrible all the way around.

SANCHEZ: That is the painful question that lingers over all of this. How many could have been saved if they hadn't waited? Chief Charles Ramsey, we have to leave the conversation there. We hope you'll come back once the report is released. We enjoy getting your expertise. Thanks so much.

RAMSEY: Thank you.

FISHER: Well, there are new revelations this morning on former President Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. A newly surfaced memo obtained by "The New York Times" shows conservative lawyer William Olson giving Trump legal advice that even he admitted would draw comparisons to martial law. CNN's Katelyn Polantz has more on this and the extreme measures that former President Trump was willing to go through in order to stay in power.

[06:10:08]

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: "The New York Times" made public a memo yesterday from a lawyer that now shows us a little bit more about the advice Donald Trump was getting after the election in 2020 in late December. So this memo that "The New York Times" made public it is from a lawyer named William Olson.

We haven't heard a lot about him in the past. He was among these fringe right-wing attorneys who were giving Trump advice, and he discloses that he and Donald Trump spoke on Christmas day and then in this memo he tells Donald Trump that the lawyers that Trump had around him in the administration, in the Justice Department, in the White House Counsel's Office, that those people were not serving his interests well enough and that Trump needed to take control and give some orders.

Some of the recommendations that Olson made at that time, this was December 28, 2020, were -- he says, this is what must be done. You should replace the White House counsel. He then tells Trump that he should order the Justice Department to file a lawsuit that would challenge the election result, what voters had decided for the presidency. And then he says if Trump doesn't -- can't get that through he should fire the DOJ leadership, get other people in place to help him.

And then he tells Trump, when we are also working on what else you can do, we can look into other powers of the presidency. And he writes, the media will call this martial law but that is fake news. And so that is the advice from William Olson to Donald Trump.

And, of course, Trump does follow up on some of these things just a few days later. We see Trump again looking into potentially replacing his attorney general with someone who is sympathetic to these ideas. Boris and Kristin.

FISHER: Thank you, Katelyn. And the last scheduled hearing of the January 6th committee is planned for this coming Thursday. The session will air in prime time and is expected to zero in on former President Trump's response or lack thereof as rioters breached the Capitol and forced lawmakers to flee their chambers. The panel has not yet said who will testify at the hearing but CNN has previously reported that former Trump White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews is expected to be a witness.

Well, President Biden, he is back home following his trip to the Middle East, and he's now facing a domestic agenda that's essentially been hamstrung by a senator from his own party. What he can do to salvage his plans ahead of the critical mid-term elections.

Plus, the Navy hands down punishments for a fire that forced it to scrap a billion dollar warship. That's coming up when NEW DAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:16:52]

SANCHEZ: President Joe Biden returned from his overseas trip to the Middle East overnight to confront a slew of challenges at home. The president is facing criticism also about his meeting with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and a controversial fist bump they shared.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you regret the fist bump, Mr. President?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Why don't you guys talk about something that matters? I'm happy to answer a question that matters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FISHER: CNN White House reporter Jasmine Wright joins us live. Jasmine, good morning. I mean, the president has a lot of problems right now, but what does the administration believe is his most pressing problem, his most immediate problem?

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. Well, the president wakes up this morning in D.C., and he has a long to do list. I think we can really put it like that.

He spent last week really outlining what he believes is the U.S.'s relationship with the Middle East and now this week back at home he is expected to really be trying to put out some of these fires that burn here in D.C. and really across the country. And that's after part of his domestic agenda was essentially torpedoed -- that climate and tax raising provisions that he has long promised were torpedoed by West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, once again really putting his foot down against this administration in a lot of different ways, and so he's going to be expected to deal with that. And that -- not only that but also, of course, trying to say what he's going to do to try to protect access to abortion care, any fallout from his trip in Saudi and, of course, those sky high inflation numbers, some of which that got worse while he was abroad.

So no shortage of problems here for the president as he wakes up in the U.S. this morning. Now on the domestic agenda front he's really pushing Congress to take up some of the provisions that is left on his agenda that Joe Manchin really hasn't said no to and that includes prescription drugs and, of course, trying to make solvent really the Affordable Care Act.

Now on climate specifically the president vowed once again to do what he could to try to continue to combat climate change, one of the things that he outlined when he was campaigning was essential for him. And so folks are going to be looking to what executive orders he can do.

But on the type of things that he wants to see, he really gave Congress a deadline of August. Specifically on that prescription drug portion really wanting to see something passed by that time. Of course, well in advance of those November midterm elections when people go to the ballot to vote. Boris, Kristin.

FISHER: Yes, so much for him to do. Jasmine Wright, thank you so much. So for more on the challenges that President Biden is facing, let's bring in CNN political analyst Margaret Talev. Margaret, good morning.

MARGARET TALEV, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning.

FISHER: So first, let's talk about how his Middle East trip is playing here at home. I mean, President Biden you heard him in the sound bite right before we went to Jasmine hitting back last night at reporters and essentially saying, you know, hey, ask me about something that matters. But it's not just reporters. Take a look at this tweet from Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff that said, "If we ever needed a visual reminder of the continuing grip oil-rich autocrats have on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, we got it today.

[06:20:08]

One fist bump is worth a thousand words." And that's coming from a Democrat. Margaret, what do you make of this criticism around the fist bump and Biden's reaction to it?

TALEV: I think this is like a classic example of how a picture is worth a thousand words. And you have seen the president tell Americans that he confronted Mohammed bin Salman about Jamal Khashoggi's death. You will hear the White House talk about the broader U.S. interest, the Saudis' impact on China, on Iran, on oil, but what people will remember is that visual.

And I've just done -- I've done so many trips where U.S. presidents meet foreign leaders and these are almost always very highly scripted moments. They're gamed out in advance by senior White House staff. They think, is there going to be a handshake? Will it happen in front of the cameras?

Since COVID, fist bumps have increased as an alternative to handshakes. But the problem is that they give a sense of familiarity and that is clearly not what the president wanted and is clearly now what he owns. And he is coming back to the U.S. without some of the really clear commitments that he hoped he would get on increased oil output on a regional security alliance around Iran that involves the Saudis and the Israelis.

So this was not the messaging that he wanted. "The Wall Street Journal" says Biden is playing the long game. I think that's true. That's the right way to think about that but it's -- it has become a real unforced error as he comes back from this trip.

FISHER: Yes, you have to imagine that he's going to think twice before he gives anybody else a fist bump again. Margaret, on the domestic front, you know, it's pretty clear the president's biggest problem is the high price of gasoline right now at least. As you mentioned he did not get explicit pledges by the Saudis to increase oil production. But the president says he does expect increases in the months ahead. Do you think that's going to be enough to ease prices and to ease people's frustration heading into the midterms?

TALEV: I think he's going to use the levers that he has and hope that it makes a difference. But you can also see the White House pressing on other fronts. And what Jasmine just mentioned, this push on using whatever deal Democrats can get with their own with Joe Manchin from West Virginia to get a deal to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, I think you'll see Democrats leaning very, very heavily into that. It's hugely popular with the public, not just with Democrats, with Republicans and with independents, the ability to at least help seniors get lower drug prices. And it's not the price at the pump but for millions of Americans who rely on regular prescriptions it could make a real difference. I think you'll see Biden using every lever he has at this point and also leaning very hard along with Democrats into the message of women's rights and abortion rights to this country between now and November.

FISHER: Yes. So how much do you think that abortion rights are going to be able to rally Democrats heading into these midterms which are now just, I mean, four months away?

TALEV: Well, you know, one early glimpse we have of it are the second quarter fundraising reporting figures. You're seeing the numbers for Democrats very strong in the most recent wave of reporting. Fetterman crushing Oz in Pennsylvania. Tim Ryan in Ohio outraising J.D. Vance. The Democratic incumbents in Georgia, in Nevada, Colorado, in Arizona doing very well.

Abortion politics is driving a lot of this from the fundraising perspective. It's people's nervousness, women's nervousness that they'll see their rights restricted under stronger Republican majorities or Republican majority in the Senate.

The question is can that money -- can those big donations translate into votes? And that's a real question right now because inflation -- concerns around the economy still are bigger drivers, at least in the polling, of what voters say will turn them out in November.

FISHER: One of the other things that happened while President Biden was overseas, you had West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin dealing that pretty devastating blow to what was left of President Biden's domestic agenda. I mean, Senator Manchin says that he is not going to support climate provisions or a tax hike on the wealthy that were in that package. What does it say that, you know, Biden is struggling to win over a member of his own party to support his agenda even if it is a senator like Senator Manchin?

TALEV: It feels like Groundhog Day, doesn't it? Because this is what has been going on since Biden first tried to roll out his Build Back Better Plan. You saw the number that he was aiming for get cut in half and then shaved down further and further.

[06:25:00]

On some level what Manchin has said is really no surprise. And as the inflation numbers got worse it was baked in the cake that he would take this position. He softened it a little bit over the last couple of days saying, you know, he's not trying to kill anything. He just wants to see what next month's numbers look like.

Democrats feel like they're running out of time. Manchin is really importantly signaling he does want to make -- to be part of a deal that give Democrats the ability to give Medicare the ability to negotiate drug prices. Again, even if that is all that is left of this, if Democrats can clear their own infighting around this issue they would have a major deliverable for voters by the end of the year.

FISHER: Yes, absolutely. Well, Margaret, thank you so much for getting up early with us on a Sunday. Really appreciate it.

TALEV: Thanks so much.

SANCHEZ: That economic outlook so important for midterm elections but it's hitting home for so many Americans. Rising prices are forcing some to make really tough financial decisions. Up next, we have the real impact of record inflation.

[06:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FISHER (on camera): Checking this morning's top stories. Officials say that six people are dead in a 21-vehicle pile-up on a Montana highway. At least two of the victims are reportedly children. And a warning, some of this video may be graphic here. Highway Patrol blames a massive dust storm for suddenly reducing visibility on the road on Friday. Witnesses say that the dust storm was fast and fierce making it just impossible to see within seconds. And you can see some cars were absolutely crushed. The road was closed for several hours but has since reopened.

SANCHEZ: The U.S. Navy has announced it is punishing more than 20 sailors in the July 2020 fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard. The most serious actions focused on the leadership of the warship and the fire response team. The ship's former commanding and executive officers both received letters of reprimand and paid forfeitures. The fire forced the Navy to scrap the billion-dollar ship.

FISHER: And there was panic on the Las Vegas Strip last night after false reports of an active shooter. According to police, someone threw a rock at a glass door at the MGM Grand Hotel and the sound of the breaking glass cause people to think that shots were being fired and flee the area. One person suffered a minor injury while trying to run away. The person who broke the glass was taken into custody and charged.

With inflation hitting a 40-year high, soaring prices are forcing some Americans to make really tough decisions.

SANCHEZ: Yes. And for some folks, that means digging into their savings just to get by. CNN's Gabe Cohen takes us inside the numbers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSITA KLEIN, RESIDENT, VIRGINIA: It's huge. It's every week.

GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Rosita Klein (PH) now searches several grocery stores for the cheapest options, an inflation adjustment as her husband battles Parkinson's making these price hikes far more painful.

KLEIN: We are using our saving.

COHEN: Are you nervous about the future?

KLEIN: Yes, of course.

COHEN: Inflation in America surged in June with some of the steepest price hikes from June of last year in places like Baltimore, Miami, Atlanta, Phoenix and Alaska. The biggest drivers, gasoline up 60 percent in a year, and groceries up 12 percent, plus, the largest monthly rise in rent since 1986. All of those price hikes are straining Karen Martin, a 911 operator near Tampa, Florida, and a single mom raising two sons while making less than 20 bucks an hour.

KAREN MARTIN, 911 OPERATOR: I'm not making ends meet. I'm not making it. I'm using my savings. I get paid tomorrow and already my whole paycheck is spoken for. And it's the first time in my life I've had to apply for food stamps because I don't know how we're going to continue eating groceries.

COHEN: Consumer sentiment hit a record low last month. As new polling shows, 42 percent of Americans are struggling to remain where they are financially, nearly double from a year ago. And 85 percent think the economy is getting worse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Especially after COVID, nobody has anything and now everything goes up higher and higher.

COHEN: It's forcing families to make brutal decisions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's like, do you want to eat or do you want to drive.

COHEN: Some for going bills or medications, many others turning to assistance programs like food banks.

AMANDA MCCARTHY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RIVER CITY FOOD BANK: We have seen skyrocketing numbers of people needing food. And unfortunately, we're not getting the same level in donations that we used to.

BONITA WESLEY, VIRGINIA RESIDENT: I try not to let it get to me. You know, I just go day by day.

COHEN: On top of brutal price hikes, Bonita Wesley expects to face a sizable rent hike in the months ahead.

Would you be able to afford to stay?

WESLEY: No. Oh, no. No, indeed. Not at all. I probably would have to move in with my kids or whatever. But no, not by myself. No.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN (on camera): By one estimate, the typical American household is now spending nearly $500 more every month on the same goods and services. So, even as gas prices dip, families are eating a lot of surging costs with so many of them telling me their salaries just aren't keeping up. Gabe Cohen, CNN Falls Church, Virginia.

SANCHEZ: Gabe, thank you so much. And as families are forced to make tough decisions, it can be hard to figure out how to budget and where to find savings. Next hour, we're going to talk to an expert about how best to manage your money to help weather the sky-high prices.

And still ahead, despite a destructive weekend in Ukraine, officials there say they are holding off the Russians from advancing in the eastern Donetsk region. We're going to take you live at the capital Kyiv with the very latest after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:35:00]

FISHER: We are following developments in Northern Greece right now where officials say at least eight people were killed when a Ukrainian cargo plane crashed. Official state was delivering Serbian military equipment to Bangladesh with a planned stop in Jordan.

SANCHEZ: They believe that engine failure likely caused the crash. There's an investigation that's underway right now where the plane went down but so far they've not yet recovered the plane's data recorder.

Meantime, this morning in Ukraine, Russian forces are continuing missile attacks, firing nearly a dozen rockets in the southern town of Mykolaiv. So far, no casualties have been reported. But Ukraine's military says it is making progress after rebuffing Russian efforts to advance in the eastern region of Donetsk.

FISHER: CNN Scott McLean is live in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Good morning, Scott -- or good afternoon where you are.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Good morning, Kristin? Yes, it seems like -- that's right. It seems like the most active frontline or one of the most active frontlines in this country right now is the southern part of Ukraine. And you mentioned those missile strikes just early on this morning and Mykolaiv, 10 of them in total. Some were shot down, but they destroyed two industrial facilities there in the industrial part of the city. Remarkably, no one was killed.

But Mykolaiv is used to these kinds of missile strikes, these kinds of attacks. In fact, the mayor has said that in almost five months of war, they've only had about 21 days that have been quiet, 21 days without any kind of bombing. And of course, the strikes come as over the past couple of weeks, the Ukrainians have been working hard to try to retake territory outside of Mykolaiv and toward the city of Kherson.

The Ukrainian say that Russian attempts to use helicopters to attack their positions have not been very effective. And so, as a result, they are slowly but surely making progress. They won't say what kind of progress they've actually made, but over the last few days, there have been some signals that suggests that they are actually are moving forward on the ground or they say they want to gain a stronger foothold before they actually announce anything.

The Ukrainians also seem to be on the offensive in the eastern part of the country as well. That is where the Russians continue to launch missile attacks. They continue to shell the towns and villages in the Donetsk region as they try to move past toward Luhansk. They also, Ukrainians, are very keen to show off their new Western-supplied artillery systems. And so, there have been strikes reported in Donetsk. The Ukrainian say that they've been going after ammunition caches and weapons caches. But the Russians say that look, the strikes are also killing civilians.

The reality though, is that any attempts that the Russians have had to actually move the frontline forward, the Ukrainian say that they have been pushing back. And so for the moment, it seems like the front lines are stuck exactly where they are. Kristin, Boris?

FISHER: Scott McLean live in Kyiv for us. Scott, thank you.

Well, President Biden is facing growing pressure to slow the surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. How the crisis is changing in ways that officials have never even seen before. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:45:00]

FISHER: President Biden is facing pressure to slow the surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. And CNN is learning that these migrants aren't just coming from Central America and Mexico, but for more than 100 different countries which is unprecedented. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez takes us to the border.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN REPORTER (voiceover): Mass migration is landing at the U.S. doorstep. With conditions getting worse in their countries of origin, migrants are arriving in droves, relieved as they cross the border.

Sometimes the situation at home eliminates any possibilities, she says.

In this part of the border, U.S. authorities arrest up to 1000 migrants daily. The influx is an alarming trend made even more difficult by the nationalities of the people crossing the border.

Here past midnight in Yuma, hundreds of migrants have already crossed into the U.S. and turn themselves over to Border Patrol. They come from a range of countries including as far as Russia. And they all, after speaking with them, have said the same thing. They are looking for a better life here in the United States.

Yuma Border Patrol's Sector Chief Chris Clem described the situation as dynamic.

CHRIS CLEM, YUMA SECTOR CHIEF PATROL OFFICER, U.S. BORDER PATROL: We were having countries from Mexico, Central America, things that we could process and you know, take biometric data and put them in removal proceedings and or return them back to Mexico. The countries we're receiving now, those nationalities, are flying in, arriving to the border. And you know, they're having to be processed and there's just so many of them that it is posing a challenge to the workforce.

ALVAREZ: Authorities can turn back migrants at the Southwest border back to Mexico or their home countries under a Trump era pandemic rule known as Title 42. But it doesn't apply to everyone. That coupled with frosty relations with countries like Venezuela and Cuba, keeps the U.S. from removing certain people, meaning they might be released while going through immigration proceedings.

CLEM: We continue to evolve with technology and resources not only for our agents, but also for the overall mission, the former surveillance systems. And then we continue to add to the processing and the humane care and of the migrants in custody, wraparound medical services, food contracts to make sure that we've got plenty of food and to be able to take care of those in custody.

ALVAREZ: The pace of people Journey North presents a steep challenge for President Biden and one he raised with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador this week.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: One of those is migration at historic lows throughout our hemisphere. Like us, Mexico has become a top destination of migrants. And here's what we're going to do to address it together.

ALVAREZ: The U.S. has looked to countries further south for help including Costa Rica where many migrants traveled through. An agreement between the two obtained by CNN outlines commitments to strengthen enforcement, exchange information on migrant flows and stabilize host communities. But Biden continues to face political pressure from Republicans who say he's not doing enough.

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed legislation to shore up funds for border security and following the example set by Texas has sent 25 buses with migrants to Washington D.C. Even so, people continue to come with hope of a new life on the horizon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALVAREZ (on camera): The Yuma Sector Chief tells me that in the coming days, he anticipates that they will reach 250,000 arrests just in the sector. And so far this fiscal year, that would surpass all of the last fiscal year. Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, Yuma, Arizona.

SANCHEZ: Priscilla, thank you.

We have a quick programming note for you. Tonight, the CNN Original Series, "PATAGONIA: LIFE ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD" continues with a look along the coast of Patagonia is deep and sheltered fjords.

FISHER: Carved out by ice, these nutrient-rich waters are in high demand from both animals and people.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VRENI HAUSSERMANN, MARINE BIOLOGIST: Patagonia is very special because there are secrets hidden there that as a marine biologist is really the dream to unravel. For me, it's the most beautiful place on Earth.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In this remote fjord, Vreni Haussermann has made an extraordinary discovery, cold-water corals. Unlike tropical corals which need sunlight, these depend solely on plankton for survival.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FISHER: And you can catch an all new episode of "PATAGONIA: LIFE ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD" tonight at 9:00 right here on CNN.

SANCHEZ: So, Tiger Woods didn't make the cut for Sunday at the 150th British Open. But the guy once considered to be the next Tiger is playing out of his mind. Rory McIlroy putting on a show for the ages. It's now looking like a two-man race at historic St. Andrews. Your sports update just minutes away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:55:00]

FISHER: It is Sunday at the British Open and it is setting up to be pretty special even without Tiger Woods, right, Boris?

SANCHEZ: Yes. Carolyn Manno joins us now. Good morning, Carolyn. A two-golfer show at St. Andrews yesterday. Likely a similar story today?

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely. Good morning to you both. You know, you could not ask for better here. This is the 150th Open Championship in the home of golf, the old course at St. Andrews in Scotland. And you have two players with similar games who are at the top of their games right now, so it should be a fantastic day.

Rory McIlroy was superb yesterday and here is the proof. Out of the bunker on 10, so difficult, and he finds a cut up for an eagle. You know, there was a time that a lot of people thought that Rory McIlroy would be the next Tiger Woods. He had four major wins by the age of 25. But that was eight years ago. And since then, he's had 16 top 10 finishes but zero wins. So, now, looking like he is prime for another chance to capture number five.

But right there with him is his third-round playing partner Viktor Hovland, the over-talented 24-year-old from Norway. He's the ninth- ranked golfer in the world. But this is the first time that he's truly been in contention at a major and he really match Rory shot for shot. Like I said, they have very similar games. This makes it so exciting. I mean both tallying a 66 on the day, both at 16 under par for the tournament, and they're going to be paired up again today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RORY MCILROY, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: I think it's appreciating the moments as well and appreciating the, you know, the fact that it's unbelievably cool to have a chance to win the open at St. Andrews. I mean it's what dreams are made of and I'm going to try to make a dream come true tomorrow.

VIKTOR HOVLAND, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: I was thinking, what the hell am I doing here? Just to be here is very special, but to have a chance to win one is, yes, I have to pinch myself but that doesn't mean I'm going to hold back tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: In the meantime, baseball's best team this season keeps pouring it on. The Yankees beat the Red Sox by 13 last night. Aaron Judge had two home runs to add to his league lead as did Matt Carpenter who continues to be a revelation for the pinstripes. The Cardinals let him go after 11 years this offseason. In May, he was cut by the Rangers without ever playing. But in 30 games in the Bronx, he has 13 home runs.

And from the best team on the diamond to the one that is on a tear right now, the Mariners pushing their win streak to 13 games. J.P. Crawford driving in a game-winning run to beat the rangers and extras last night. Seattle has won 21 of its last 24 catapulting them from a losing record into a wildcard spot entering the all-star break.

[07:00:07]

And lastly for you this morning, A.J. Dillon is ready for training camp. Nobody is safe from the Packer six-foot tall, 250-pound running back, not even the mascot at a celebrity softball game in Kenosha, Kristin and Boris. This is the Oklahoma drill, you know, and I think somebody might need to get that kingfish an ice bath.

SANCHEZ: Some bandages --

MANNO: But it's really hard to believe. Honestly, NFL team start reporting to training camp tomorrow, you guys. I mean the Hall of Fame Game less than three weeks away. The regular season is 53 days away. And if that's any indication, I think players are ready to go if they're taking mascots down.

SANCHEZ: I can't wait. Yes, clearly itching to get back on the field. Carolyn Manno, thank you so much. The next hour of your NEW DAY starts right now.