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New Day Sunday
Over 90 Million Americas Are Under Heat Warnings Or Advisories; Record Breaking Temperatures Expected This Weekend In Several Cities; One Dead From Heat Exposure Amid New York City Heat Wave; Weather- Related Deaths Spiking In U.S. As States Face Dangerous Heat; California's Oak Fire Burns Nearly 12,000 Acres, Forces Evacuations; White House: WHO Declaring Monkeypox A Public Health Emergency Is A "Call To Action For The World Community To Stop The Spread"; CDC: 2,891 Confirmed Cases Of Monkeypox Here In The U.S.; White House: U.S. Has Shipped 300,000 Doses Of Monkeypox Vaccine To States; CDC Reports First Two Monkeypox Cases In Children In U.S.; White House: Biden "Continues To Improve" After Contracting COVID-19; Tennessee Police Officer Placed On Administrative Leave After Violent Arrest; Investigation Underway After Violent Arrest Of Black Man In Tennessee; Tennessee Officers Chase, Beat Man In Home After Attempted Traffic Stop; Cell Phone Video Captures Violent Arrest After Alleged Traffic Violation; Tennessee Authorities Probe Violent Arrest Of Black Man Caught On Video; Rent Prices Rise To Record Highs As Inflation Surges; Fed Expected To Announce New Interest Rate Hike This Week. Aired 6-7a
Aired July 24, 2022 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[06:00:28]
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning and welcome to your NEW DAY. I am Alex Marquardt.
AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Alex. And I'm Amara Walker. New this morning, the Oak Fire nearly tripling in size over the past 24 hours, destroying buildings and forcing evacuations. The latest on the efforts to contain it.
MARQUARDT: And on the East Coast, stifling dangerous heat will be blanketing much of the northeast, with several cities under heat emergencies. Allison Chinchar has our forecast.
WALKER: And the World Health Organization designates monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern. How the Biden administration is responding and where we are seeing cases in the U.S.
MARQUARDT: Plus, the U.S. is condemning Russia's attack on the Ukrainian port city of Odessa just one day after a deal was struck to get vital grain shipments moving again. We are live in Ukraine. NEW DAY starts right now.
WALKER: Hello, everyone. It is Sunday, July 24th. Thanks so much for waking up with us. And it is so nice to be with you again, Alex.
MARQUARDT: It is early, Amara, but being with you makes it just that much easier. WALKER: That just put a big smile on my face. Thanks for that. Well, we have got a lot of news to get to and we start with the brutal heat wave baking many parts of the U.S., it's showing no signs of letting up today.
Right now, more than 90 million Americans are under excessive heat warning and advisories. High humidity mixed with sweltering temperatures are pushing some heat indexes into the triple digits. The National Weather Service warns it will feel extremely oppressive. Philadelphia could see its hottest day in more than a decade, and Boston is forecast to possibly break a 90-year-old record high that was set back in 1933.
MARQUARDT: And they are not the only ones in total, nearly two dozen cities in the northeastern part of the country will be seeing all -- likely see all time high temperatures. We're also getting a better sense of just how dangerous these weather conditions are.
At least one person has died in New York from heat exposure. Governor Kathy Hochul has now issued the first set of interim recommendations as part of a comprehensive extreme heat action plan. And many residents are saying that they are doing anything possible to stay cool. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Buying drinks at McDonald's and sit in the store for just a little bit of time to be in the A.C., that's really it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't like going outside in this heat so I stay inside.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Beach, Coney Island. Dance in old Boardwalk then jump in the water to cool off.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I get out here, I get a little -- you know, I need to stop. It is hot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't even look at the temperature because if I knew how hot it was I would probably wouldn't get out to do anything. I like going fast but not so fast to where I'm just going to pass out on the road.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALKER: Yes. I can never ride a bike in that heat. No way. CNN's Polo Sandoval is in New York with more on the impact of this scorching -- the impact of the scorching heat is having.
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Amara and Alex. Good morning to you. Today will bring another challenge for New Yorkers to try to find any way to keep cool. That's especially as those temperatures begin to truly peak as forecasters expecting really the hottest temperatures of this heat wave to be experienced today.
We know that city officials have already scaled back on the triathlon that is scheduled to take place today by reducing the distance of the cycling and of the running portion. And Boston, officials they are decided to just simply postpone their triathlon altogether and won't hold it until next month.
The big concern obviously as those temperatures continue to rise so does the threat. We have already seen these temperatures already turn to be -- turn out to be deadly in cities like Dallas, where last week they recorded their first heat-related death this year. Arizona officials have already recorded at least 29 heat-related deaths since March.
It's a reminder that these temperatures are extremely dangerous, but nevertheless we have seen all weekend people try to make the best of it. But officials here, though, Amara, are really recommending that people simply take care of not only themselves, but also of one another. Amara, Alex, back to you.
MARQUARDT: All right. Thanks to Polo Sandoval in New York there. Now this massive heat wave is also fueling a raging wildfire in California's Mariposa County, that's outside Yosemite National Park. The fast moving Oak Fire, as it has been named, has burned nearly 12,000 acres in under two days. And officials are still saying that the fire is zero -- zero percent contained.
[06:05:03]
WALKER: No progress. My goodness. Governor Gavin Newsom declaring a state of emergency after more than 3,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes. One couple describes the moment they knew it was time to pack up their belongings and get out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We started to get our stuff together. That's when I went up the hill and looked, and I'm like, "Oh, my God." It was coming fast.
LYNDA REYNOLDS-BROWN, EVACUATED HOME: It was scary when we left because we were getting ashes on us, but we had such a visual of this billowing that -- it just seemed like it was above our house and coming our way really quickly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: And so far the fire has destroyed at least 10 structures. And authorities say another 2,000 are in jeopardy. Now today is expected to bring the hottest temperatures to the northeast. Let's get a look at the latest forecast.
MARQUARDT: CNN's Allison Chinchar is at the CNN Weather Center. Allison, can we expect these temperatures to abate anytime soon?
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It depends on the region in which you're talking about. Yes, some areas will start to see some relief in about the next 24 to 48 hours but for others the temperatures are only going to go up from here. So let's do a breakdown. Here's a look at where we have all of the heat advisories and excessive heat warnings across the country. You have the central U.S. still reeling with heat. Some of these areas really haven't even had a break from the triple digits over the last two to three weeks. Oklahoma City still expecting a temperature around 102 with the heat index of 106. Even up around Louisville, looking at that heat index into the triple digits.
Temperatures also rising into the northeast and very close to record- breaking. Again, the high forecast today in Philadelphia 99, but the record is 98. Same thing for Boston, also likely to break a record there. Even Montpelier likely to smash their record by several degrees.
But the good news is for the northeast is temperatures do start to come down a little bit tomorrow and then definitely by the time we get into Tuesday. Part of that is we have this cold front that is going to be making its way through. Before it comes through, though, you have to contend with the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms. Damaging winds, yes, even a couple of tornadoes and some large hail all still possible as that system makes its way through.
But it is a short-lived temperature break because temperatures will get back up again above average over the next several days. They're going to stay above average for the southeast as well. And we have this next heat wave really starting to take shape over the western portion of the U.S. as temperatures are expected to rise in the coming days.
Take a look at Seattle, going from 81 today, back into the mid-90s by Tuesday and Wednesday of the upcoming week. Portland, Oregon, going from 92 today back into triple digits by the time we get to Tuesday. And, again, as you even creep down into areas of northern California, Alex and Amara, we're also going to start to see the temperatures rising, which is never a good thing for all the fires that they're battling there.
MARQUARDT: One hundred nine degrees, 15 degrees above the average.
WALKER: Insane.
MARQUARDT: Allison Chinchar, thank you very much. That's very, very dramatic.
New this morning, the White House is saying that the World Health Organization is declaring monkeypox to be a public health emergency and is saying that there is a call to action for the world community to stop the spread of this virus. Now, as of Friday, the CDC has confirmed more than 2,800 monkeypox cases here in the United States, with nearly a third of those infections coming from New York State alone.
Since the outbreak began, that was back in May, health officials have focused on prevention efforts on men who have sex with other men. But it is important to remember that anyone can catch this virus through close skin to skin contact. There is good news, however. The Biden administration has shipped 300,000 monkeypox vaccines to states and territories with more doses expected to become available in the near future thankfully.
WALKER: Yes. And while the warnings come as the CDC says it is investigating two cases of monkeypox in children. CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard with more.
JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: The U.S. has reported its first cases of monkeypox in children as part of this global outbreak. And public health officials say they are investigating these two cases in young children.
And here's what we know so far. One case is a toddler in California. The other is an infant who is not a U.S. resident. And these cases are not related.
They're both likely were infected through their households. And both children have symptoms. And since children under age eight are considered to be at higher risk from the infection, they are receiving an antiviral treatment, but we're told they're doing well.
And currently more than 2,500 confirmed or probable cases of monkeypox have been identified across the U.S. The virus spreads through close skin to skin contact. And in the case of children, the CDC says that could be through cuddling or feeding or even through contaminated objects, like towels, cups or utensils.
[06:10:11]
So health officials are continuing to investigate this. Back to you.
MARQUARDT: All right. And President Joe Biden's physician says that his COVID symptoms continue to improve after he tested positive for COVID-19, that was on Thursday. So let's go straight to CNN's Jasmine Wright. She is live at the White House this morning.
Jasmine, we did hear from Dr. Anthony Fauci yesterday who said that the president was doing well. What is his condition this morning?
JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, Alex. Well, the president enters day three of his five-day isolation here at the White House and his condition is improving. That's according to his doctor, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, who released a letter yesterday stating as much. And in this letter he really got specific about the kind of things that President Biden was experiencing while having COVID-19.
So I want to read you at least some of it. O'Connor wrote that Biden's primary symptoms, though less troublesome, now includes sore throat, rhinorrhea, which is nasal drip, loose cough and body aches. And that his pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain entirely normal. His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent. On room air, his lungs remain clear.
Now, Biden has finished his second day on Friday of the Paxlovid antiviral treatment in addition to keeping up with his other medications prescribed including Tylenol and Albuterol, which Dr. O'Connor said in his letter that the president has been using about two to three times a day. Now, interestingly here, O'Connor identified President Biden as most likely having the COVID variant BA.5. We know that that is a very transmissible variant that is afflicting at least 80 percent or 75 to 80 percent of cases in the country now today.
So, of course, we are still waiting for an official update here on Sunday, but we learned yesterday that President Biden during the day was attending virtual conferences, really keeping busy as his administration tries to continue messaging that he is working while here at the White House. Alex, Amara.
WALKER: All right. Jasmine Wright, appreciate it, thank you.
MARQUARDT: Now a Tennessee police officer is on administrative leave this morning after the violent arrest of 25-year-old Brandon Calloway that was caught on video.
WALKER: State officials are also investigating whether officers used excessive force during the incident after allegedly beating him with a baton and tasing him in his own home. Police say they followed him when he went inside after allegedly running a stop sign.
CNN's Nadia Romero spoke with Calloway about the physical and mental scars he says he still bears a week after that violent arrest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A man arrested by police in Tennessee says he's still recovering from physical and emotional wounds. And now in Oakland, Tennessee, police officer is on administrative leave as the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigates the arrest of that man.
(voice-over): This is 25-year-old Brandon Calloway. Police say he failed to stop at a stop sign and was driving 12 miles over the speed limit. A complaint affidavit obtained by the Tennessee attorney general's office alleges that Calloway refused to pull over until he turned into his driveway. It says he then ran into his home, ignoring police commands as another officer identified as officer Richardson arrived on the scene. Then, police say officers pursued and made entry by kicking in the front door.
(on camera): Now you're about to see video of law enforcement officers running into the home of Calloway, where he was tased and hit by a baton after police say he resisted arrest. The video was recorded by Calloway's girlfriend and we want to caution you this video is disturbing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Brandon, Brandon, Brandon. Stop! Stop hitting him! Stop hitting him! Stop! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop it! Stop! Why are you chasing him and hitting him? He has no weapon. He has no weapon.
Why are you chasing him? He's beating him and chasing him. He has no weapon, sir. There is no weapon. They're being aggressive. I have all of this on video. No, I need to record this. No. You will not --
UNIDENTIFIED POLICE OFFICER: Stay out of the way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't put -- don't put your hands on me. Do not put your hands on me. Bring me my phone, (INAUDIBLE). I need to call my mom. I need to call his mom.
UNIDENTIFIED POLICE OFFICER: Get down!
UNIDENTIFIED POLICE OFFICER: Get on the ground!
UNIDENTIFIED POLICE OFFICER: Get on the ground!
UNIDENTIFIED POLICE OFFICER: Get on the ground!
BRANDON CALLOWAY, SUBJECT OF VIOLENT ARREST IN TENNESSEE: Ow, ow, ow.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look what they're doing here.
CALLOWAY: I'm bleeding. I'm bleeding.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop hitting him! Stop! Brandon, stop resisting. Brandon, just stop resisting.
[06:15:00]
Just stop. Just stop. No. Just get on the ground. Get on the ground, Brandon. Get on the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED POLICE OFFICER: Get on the ground!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get off of his neck. Get off of his neck.
ROMERO (voice-over): Calloway was arrested and later bonded out of jail. He says he still has bruises, had to get stitches and is experiencing blurred vision and headaches following that police interaction. He says he never thought he would be involved in this kind of an incident.
CALLOWAY: Definitely having flashbacks and nightmares. I really feel like my life now is a nightmare. That's like a consistent thing. I've always had fear because of what has happened to other people like me. But no, I never thought anything like this would ever happen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop! Stop!
ROMERO: The cell phone video does not show the entire police interaction. Former Washington, D.C. police chief Charles Ramsey says he didn't see any efforts by police to de-escalate the situation. He says other video elements will be important in this investigation.
CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: It is going to be important to see that body cam footage because when you look at the cell phone video, there are periods of time when he's out of sight and you can't see exactly what's going on.
ROMERO: The Tennessee attorney general's office denied CNN's public records request to obtain the officer's body camera footage citing the open and ongoing investigation. Brandon Calloway's attorney Andre Wharton says they're asking for transparency and to the investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. He also says the allegation of a traffic violation should not have escalated.
ANDRE WHARTON, ATTORNEY FOR BRANDON CALLOWAY: At best you have two minor traffic violations. No prior felony alleged, no robbery, no homicide, no shooting, no active shooter allegations, nothing of that sort. Rise to a quick level of forced entry into the home, immediately use of force.
ROMERO (on camera): Oakland police officer Richardson has been placed on administrative leave according to the city manager. Now CNN has reached out to the Fayette County Sheriff's Office, the Fayette County Criminal Justice Center and the police union, we have yet to hear back.
Nadia Romero, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALKER: Nadia, thank you. Mortgage rates continue to surge amid fears of a looming recession. The steps the Fed is expected to take to tamp down inflation and what that could mean for an already sluggish housing market.
MARQUARDT: Plus, we're hearing stark warnings from climate scientists who say that Greenland has lost so much ice that is melting right now that it could fill over 7 million Olympic-sized swimming pools, 7 million in just a few days. We have a report from Greenland. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:21:57]
WALKER: Rent prices surged to a new record high in June, marking 16 straight months of record highs. The average renter is now paying just under $1,900 a month for housing. That is up 14 percent from just a year ago, according to Realtor.com's June rental report.
Joining me now to discuss is Danielle Hale, the chief economist for Realtor.com. Good morning to you, Danielle. Thanks so much for waking up early for us. So still -- renting is still cheaper than buying a home in most cities, correct?
DANIELLE HALE, CHIEF ECONOMIST, REALTOR.COM: Yes, even though as you noted rent hits a new all time high in June it is still cheaper on a month to month basis to rent in 38 of the top 50 markets compared to buying. And that's because starter home costs have gone up even more than the cost of renting over the last year.
WALKER: I do want to ask you because, you know, we know that the Fed -- the Fed has raised interest rates to tamp down inflation, home sales have slowed as a result with, you know, mortgage rates going up, slowing demand. Does that mean that we are going to see a drop in the prices of homes anytime soon?
HALE: You know, we don't expect to see a drop in the price of homes, but I do expect the price of homes to slow down. So home prices rose about 16 percent on the year over year basis, which is well above the four to five percent average that we see over the long run. As mortgage rates continue to climb, it becomes harder and harder for buyers to meet those high price gains, especially when their monthly cost of financing that home is going up as well. So I expect to see home price grow slow in a big way.
I don't know that we'll see home price declines just because we still got a significant amount of demand and a long-term housing shortage. We haven't built enough homes over the last 10 years to house all the households that have been formed. When you have a lot of demand and still relatively little supply it is hard to see the price of something fall. But I do expect a big slowdown in price growth.
WALKER: Got it, yes. So still not enough inventory but high demand. The Fed is expected, again, to raise interest rates, I think, by at least three quarters of a percentage point this week. What are your thoughts on that, and how could it impact the housing market?
HALE: So mortgage rates have already started climbing in expectation of that upcoming rate hike from the Fed. So buyers in today's market are already having to adjust to the likelihood of higher rates and are seeing them, in fact, right now as they're getting mortgage rate quotes.
We know that one of the big drivers to the slowdown in home sales that we have seen over the last few months has been higher rates. It has gotten much more expensive to finance a home now compared to one year ago. It is now about $2,000 for a monthly mortgage payment compared to just $1,300 last year. So that's more than a 50 percent increase in the cost of financing a home.
[06:25:00]
It just means that buyers today have to be choosier and some buyers have had to put their home search on pause which has helped keep the rental market very active right now and is contributing to those rent price increases that we're seeing as well.
WALKER: The advice is -- I mean, not the advice but some people have to be choosier. But can they in this kind of market where, I mean, there is not a lot out there?
HALE: It is a really challenging market right now and that's true whether you're trying to rent or trying to buy. There are a couple of things that are working in favor of people who are moving right now. One is a still really competitive jobs market. The unemployment rate continues to hit new record lows and that means that workers have a lot of bargaining power that they may not have had just a couple of years ago. If you're looking to move, one option to consider is whether you can locate further away from downtown, especially if you're in a hybrid situation right now, or maybe you can even convert to a remote situation, moving to an area with a lower cost of living is a really good way. It's almost like a -- it's a really good way to save money. It's almost like a personal inflation fighting plan, if you can lower your housing costs it really helps on your monthly budget.
WALKER: And it is doable, right? Because a lot of companies are allowing people to work from home, which means that they can live further away from the city center or from work. Interesting info there. Danielle Hale, thank you so much for your time this morning.
HALE: Absolutely.
MARQUARDT: Great conversation. Now, despite a missile strike on the port city of Odessa in Ukraine, Ukraine is saying that its food export agreement to get grain out through Black Sea ports, that was signed with Russia, that deal is still on, they say. We'll have more on that right after this quick break.
[06:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: American and European officials are condemning Russia's attack on the Ukrainian port city of Odesa yesterday. U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken said it casts serious doubt on Russia's commitment to a grain export deal brokered by the United Nations and signed on Friday.
MARQUARDT: That's right. CNN's Ivan Watson is in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia. Ivan, we first heard Russia claiming they were not behind this attack in Odesa. Now, they are saying that they were targeting a Ukrainian naval ship in the port?
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Yes. The Russian explanation for what they have done has been evolving to say, actually, we did attack the port in Odesa hours after the agreement had been signed involving the Russian defense minister, the U.N., Turkey, and a Ukrainian cabinet minister for trying to ensure the export of grain from this very port as well as to other ports.
A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson saying that they fired Kalibr cruise missiles and that they hit a Ukrainian naval ship. The Ukrainian side has basically been condemning the attack. You could sum up their responses. I told you so, you can't trust the Russians. That's effectively the Ukrainian message. They say that a pumping station was hit in the port.
I've been around there within the last week, Alex and Amara. It is highly guarded. You can't even take pictures of the port, even though there are clear views of it from all around that surrounding city. It's a -- it's a huge strategic object, very sensitive for the Ukrainians. And they are saying that they are going to be committed to the
agreement. But now they say the onus is on the Turkish Government and on the U.N. to make sure that the Russians abide by the agreement to start to allow the flow, the export of wheat. The Russian invasion has driven up the price of wheat around the world, and plunged tens of millions of people into potential starvation. Back to you.
MARQUARDT: All right, Ivan Watson, thank you for that and for all of your terrific reporting in Ukraine. Ivan Watson in Zaporizhzhia.
Now, here with us now to discuss the latest in Russia's war on Ukraine is CNN National Security Analyst Beth Sanner. Beth Sanner was a Deputy Director of National Intelligence and a presidential intelligence briefer. Beth, thank you so much for being with us this morning.
I want to start with this attack on Odesa. There's never a high level of trust when Russia says that they're going to do something. But I just want to get your take on why Russia would strike this port in Odesa so soon after they themselves had signed this deal with the United Nations to allow that grain out of that very port?
BETH SANNER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST (on camera): Well, I think it gets down to just the simple idea that Russia is trying to prove that it can do whatever it wants to do. And they were trying to thread the needle and hit something that is technically not part of the agreement by hitting a ship. But they're just not that good. And, you know, even these Kalibr strategic precision strike weapons aren't that good.
For the United States, you know, I have to say, our precision strike, you know, we're probably 90 percent effective 95 percent. But the Russians lack the ground radar to really be able to know what they're hitting as those low cruise missiles fly in. And so, they hit things that maybe they don't intend.
MARQUARDT: So you believe this deal can survive at least for now?
SANNER: I -- you know, look, I think it's kind of the Reagan -- that you have to verify and you don't trust, and you just have to keep going. You know, the intelligence analyst in me says that I'm kind of pessimistic. But the former policymaker part of me says, look, you've got to keep trying. You've got to push these things because Ukraine's economy is going down 45 percent this year. And that grain has got to get out for the 47 million people who are at risk of acute hunger according to the World Food Programme and for the Ukrainian government because they're running out of money.
[06:35:04]
MARQUARDT: We heard Ivan say there, Beth, that the general Ukrainian response has been we told you so. And one of the things that President Zelensky said was this apparent Russian barbarism brings us closer to obtaining the weapons we need for our victory.
Now, the U.S. just announced a new weapons package for Ukraine. It did not have any new systems in there and nothing that's more sophisticated than the U.S. has already given Ukraine. So, do you believe that the U.S. is going to step it up and soon offer more sophisticated weaponry as Zelenskyy is indicating?
SANNER: Well, you know, this week, John Kirby at the White House was talking about the fighter jets as a potential. I don't think that would happen anytime soon. That's probably longer down the road. I do think we continue to have this mismatch of capabilities between Ukraine and Russia which is a fundamental problem for them to turn the tide of war.
You know, for more HIMARS is a big deal and a lot more drones is also really helpful, but they need -- they do need more. So, yes, I probably think that there is more coming. But you know, we continue to lag in our speed and our delivery of these high-efficient weapon systems.
MARQUARDT: And you're right, really interesting that the White House themselves are floating the possibility of these fighter jets. The worry has been that that would provoke more from the Russian side. I want to ask you something -- about something that the head of British intelligence, M6 said. He said that the -- a few days ago to the Russians are soon going to run out of steam and we'll have to pause.
If there is an operational pause on the Russian side, do you expect that the Russians will be able to hold all the gains that they've made in the south and east which are fairly significant or do you think that Ukraine will be able to claw some of that back?
SANNER: I think our eyes now have to really focus on the south. And this major city Kherson that was the first city and the only major city that the Russians have taken over, the Ukrainians are really putting the Russians in a hard place here, especially by attacking the supply lines, and trying to take out the major bridges that cross Dnipro that supply that. And it's causing problems for the Russians. And they're also taking out a lot of command centers, including some very high-ranking Russian military officials.
So, the Ukrainians are already making some progress there. And so, I do think that there is high potential that a counter-offensive can make some progress, maybe not clawback all that land, but some progress in the south. But I also think, you know, over the long run, that it's going to be very hard for Ukraine to take back all of that territory. And I am kind of on Zelenskyy -- same page with Zelenskyy in saying that, you know, if you -- if you do a ceasefire, that the Russians will just try to regroup and attack again. And so, trying to give the Ukrainians what they need to defeat Russia is probably the only way to stop Russia.
MARQUARDT: All right, Beth Sanner, we have to leave it there. Beth, thank you so much for your expertise and for coming in this morning. I really appreciate it.
SANNER: Thank you.
WALKER: That's an important conversation. Alex, thank you.
Well, scientists wearing short sleeves at the North Pole. Next, how the heat is changing the landscape of Greenland in record time.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:40:00]
WALKER: You know the climate crisis is even easier to see in Greenland, Greenland where temperatures have gone as high as 60 degrees in recent days.
MARQUARDT: It's leading to ice melts that are so significant that they could fill more than 7.2 million Olympic-sized swimming pools after just two days of melting. Now, CNN's Rene Marsh recently traveled to Greenland and there she spoke with researchers about the worldwide impact of this climate change.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RENE MARSH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Off the coast of Northwest Greenland, the water is perfectly still, but puddling on icebergs indicate a transformation is underway. That's the sound of rapid melting, triggered by a few days of unusually warm temperatures.
During CNN's, first three days in northern Greenland, the temperature topped out nearly 10 degrees higher than normal. It's days like today warm enough to wear short sleeves near 60 degrees in Greenland. It's a high melt day when it's this unusually warm. And it's also deeply concerning for scientists.
KUTALMIS SAYLAM, RESEARCH SCIENTIST, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AUSTIN: It definitely worries me we are at 67 latitude here on top of the world in North Pole. And we could just yesterday especially -- not today, but yesterday we could wander around in our T-shirts. That was not really expected.
It's basically at the melting point today. As you can see, now to make snowballs.
MARSH: At a research site in northeast Greenland, near melt conditions at an elevation of nearly 9000 feet made what's usually a frozen landing strip inoperable.
SAYLAM: They have a problem and it's this soft as the surface surfaces now.
MARSH: Climate scientist Aslak Grinsted tweeting "Mini heat wave, negative 1.6 degrees Celsius in the middle of the Greenland ice sheet. Our planned planes are postponed because our skiway is not that good when it is this warm."
Unable to fly out, the scientists past the time playing volleyball in shorts atop the ice sheet. Pre-global warming, Grinsted says temperatures near 32 degrees Fahrenheit at this altitude were unheard of. The National Snow and Ice Data Center tell CNN from July 15 through 17th alone, a melt surge in northern Greenland caused ice sheet runoff of about 6 billion tons of water per day. That's about the volume of 2.4 million Olympic-sized pools. But another way, enough water to flood the entire state of West Virginia with one foot of water in three days.
[06:45:46]
SAYLAM: The amount of meltdown of the ice was -- to us was very surprising because it was really warm there. You could even hear the iceberg just melting in front of our eyes.
MARSH: Research scientists tell CNN this extent of melt in North Greenland this past week is quite unusual and will contribute to global sea level rise, which impacts coastal communities half a world away. Renee Marsh, CNN Greenland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARQUARDT: Volleyball in shorts in Greenland. Our thanks to Rene Marsh for that very important report.
Now, tonight, don't miss the next episode of Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World. Join CNN as it goes on what's really an epic journey through Patagonia's wild highlands. Here's a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The legendary hunter (INAUDIBLE) has a female puma in his sights. But he's not here to kill the puma. He's here to protect it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (text): I used to hunt them. Now, I track them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A year ago, Mirco (PH) changed sides. The puma hunter is now the puma guardian.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUARDT: It's beautiful. Be sure to watch Patagonia" Life on the Edge of the World. That's tonight at 9:00 p.m. right here on CNN.
Now, moments after winning, UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett made an emotional plea to end the stigma around mental health. You can hear what he said. That's coming up next.
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[06:50:00]
MARQUARDT: Team USA pulled off a stunning upset to win the gold in one event on the track but they also dealt with some heartbreak last night as well. Carolyn Manno is with us with more.
CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Hey, good morning to you both. You know, this is the first time that the world Athletics Championships have been held in the United States. And like you guys said, this has really been an incredible ride for team USA.
On, Friday we watched superstar Sydney McLaughlin break her own world record in the 400-meter hurdles for the fourth time. And then last night, it was the sprinters who turned heads in the women's 100-meter relay. Jamaica, the heavy favorite here, but the foursome of Melissa Jefferson, Abby Steiner, Jenna Prandini, and TeeTeeTerry using their speed to pull off the improbable.
Terry with an absolutely brilliant anchor leg in this race finding just enough juice to hold off a surge by Shericka Jackson who is one of the fastest women in history. The Americans stunning the defending Olympic champs by for 100th of a second. It's the first gold for the U.S. in event in five years and eight overall.
Team USA was the favorite in the men's four by one after sweeping the 100-meter dash earlier this week and even without gold medalist Fred Kerley who got hurt in the 200. The U.S. had the lead start in the final leg but it was Andre De Grasse who gets shot out of a cannon, the world's fastest man. The defending Olympic champ blowing past Marvin Bracy to the finish line, grabbing Canada's first goal in the event in 25 years. He actually just battled COVID recently. He said he had trouble climbing a flight of stairs. This is such an incredible run for him.
It was a disappointing night for Nia Ali and Alaysha Johnson. Neither of whom will be able to compete for gold. Ali is the defending U.S. champ. She ended up crashing out after clipping the second to last hurdle in (INAUDIBLE). So, devastation there. While Johnson who has the second fastest time in the world this year actually couldn't clear the opening jump in her race. But there is still hope for the U.S. Alia Armstrong and Kendra Harrison who held the world record and has had that world record since 2016 able to advance to tomorrow's semi- final. So, good news there for the U.S.
And I want to leave you this morning with something from last night. This was a really profound moment from last night's UFC event in London. Paddy The Baddy Pimblett dedicating his win last night to a friend who he lost to suicide this past Friday. The fighter using his platform here to shine a light on mental health. Take a listen.
[06:55:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PADDY PIMBLETT, UFC FIGHTER: There's a stigma in this world that men can't talk. Listen, if you're a man and you've got weight on your shoulders and you think the only way you can solve this is by killing yourself, please speak to someone. Speak to anyone. People, I'd rather -- I know I'd rather my mate cry on my shoulder than go to his funeral next week. So, please, let's get rid of this stigma. And men, start talking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MANNO: If you or somebody that you know is struggling and you don't know where to turn, you can always call or text the national suicide prevention hotline at 988. And, you know, Pimblett has received universal praise, guys, for what was really just a very unexpected message from the Octagon, a setting like that. But it rang true for so many people and it was so authentic and it truly might have saved someone watching.
You know, you don't expect things to be that profound in an environment like that. But for him to use his platform to address such an important issue and one that hits so close to him, I think, left a lot of people really touched last night.
WALKER: Yes, I hope it did. It was quite moving to hear him say all that.
MARQUARDT: Really powerful.
WALKER: Yes. Carolyn Manno, thank you so much. We'll be right back.
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[07:00:00]
