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New Day Sunday

State Returns From Recess With To-Do List Before 2022 Midterms; Pace Of Major Flood Events Leaving FEMA Flood Maps Outdated; DEA Warns Of Brightly-Colored Fentanyl Targeting Young Americans. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired September 04, 2022 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:26]

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

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Amara. I'm Boris Sanchez. A bizarre scare in the sky to tell you about. A man stealing a plane, threatening to crash it over a small town in Mississippi, even posting his goodbye to Facebook. What we're learning about the pilot and how the situation was resolved.

WALKER: And NASA forced to call off the launch of the Artemis I rocket for a second time after a hydrogen leak. Now it could be weeks before they try again. What will it take for a successful mission to the moon?

SANCHEZ: Plus, blistering temperatures and dangerous wildfires. Forty million people under heat alerts, the latest on the scorching temps and when we can expect some relief.

WALKER: And an urgent warning from the DEA over rainbow-colored fentanyl being used to target young Americans by drug cartels.

It is Sunday, September 4th, thank you so much for waking up with us. Good morning to you, Boris, and happy holiday weekend. Hopefully you have some plans after the show today.

SANCHEZ: Great to be with you, Amara. A lot of naps planned for this long weekend.

WALKER: Good idea.

SANCHEZ: Hey, we got to tell you about this strange story. It was weird and we cover a lot of weird stuff. An airport contractor in Mississippi is in custody today, charged with stealing a plane and threatening to crash it into a Walmart. This bizarre incident played out as the suspect was circling the skies over Tupelo, Mississippi, and people on the ground watched the whole thing in disbelief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He right on top of our house. He literally flew over everything. So there's all the vehicles and the house. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: So the flight tracking animation shows the erratic path that the plane took. Authorities say the suspect had some flight training but they don't believe he is a licensed pilot. You can see that erratic path there at the bottom of your screen.

This all began when the suspect called police threatening to crash the plane. It ended with his arrest. CNN national correspondent Nadia Romero fills us in on the details.

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Boris, Amara, Cory Patterson is in police custody right now, facing a long list of charges including grand larceny and making terroristic threats. Now this all started early Saturday morning when Cory Patterson stole a plane from Tupelo Aviation, that coming from police. Police say that he was an employee there, he had access to planes.

He then took that plane up in the sky and began circling above Tupelo, Mississippi, threatening to crash that plane into a Walmart. Authorities then evacuated the Walmart, and put up roadblocks around the area, just in case he followed through with that plan.

Now, we know that negotiators, according to police, were able to make contact with Patterson and talk him out of that threat. He then landed the plane in a soybean field, not far from Tupelo. And witnesses tell us that he came out of the plane, with his hands up and surrendered himself to police. The mayor says this was the best case scenario. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR TODD JORDAN (R), TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI: Like I said, I think this is probably the best case scenario. You know, when I get a phone call at 6:00 in the morning from the police and fire chief, it is never a good thing. And of the thousand scenarios that I could have thought of, this is not one of them that would happen here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: And we're learning that people in the area who were nearby when the plane landed and authorities are breathing a sigh of relief. We know now that the TSA, FAA, the FBI, as well as local authorities are all investigating. Amara, Boris.

WALKER: Nadia, thank you. More now on the investigation and the suspect. Cory Wayne Patterson is charged with grand larceny and making terrorist threats. He is expected to face additional federal charges. Joining us now is CNN transportation analyst Mary Schiavo. Mary, great to see you this morning.

MARY SCHIAVO, CNN TRANSPORTATION ANALYST: Thank you.

WALKER: It is surprising and it is good news that nobody was injured or killed in this. Although, I'm not sure what condition the suspect is in. [06:05:03]

Are you surprised that he was able to land safely? I know that he was an employee of Tupelo Aviation, and apparently he had access to planes, but that was a tough landing, no?

SCHIAVO: That was a tough landing particularly with the twin engine aircraft. And as the aircraft is running out of fuel, for example, if one engine quits before the other, it can be very difficult to control a twin engine, the outcome is even with experienced pilots are not -- sometimes not good when you have a twin engine running out of fuel or you're trying to make an emergency landing.

But the FAA pilot airman registry shows that this person by the same name had flight training as early as 2013. Now, the FAA registries don't show what kind of planes the person, by the same name, in Mississippi, trained in but did have some flight training and worked around planes for the last 10 years. And this situation, you know, was kind of a repeat back in I think it was 2008, a Horizon Air employee or someone from the airport up in Alaska where Horizon Air was stole a plane, did a barrel roll and still pulled the plane out of it. In that case, he did crash the plane and did not survive. But airport workers stealing airplanes has happened before.

WALKER: So then that means airport workers have access to these planes. Are there keys to airplanes? Do they just -- are they hanging somewhere?

SCHIAVO: You know, that's such a great point, because when I worked on the September 11, 2001 cases of the four planes that were crashed on that day, and in that litigation we learned, of course, that one key opened all of the aircraft which is a real problem. And, yes, airplanes have keys.

There are lots of things that operators do to keep down the chance of theft, for example. Some people, especially private individuals that own a plane, they'll disconnect their batteries at night so people can't get into them. They won't fuel the planes until they're ready to go.

Now in this case, this plane was fueled the night before. Does that indicate premeditation? We don't know. And the person is alive, obviously, to be questioned.

And then again this airport where the plane took off from does have a tower, does have some, you know, controllers, but it wasn't open yet. It doesn't open until 7:00 a.m. and this person took off before the tower was open. So lots of things lined up to make it possible. But in the end, the fuel ran out and the flight ended.

WALKER: Obviously, you know, things ended in a better way because this could have been much more egregious, right? Especially if you had bigger plans to attack people.

SCHIAVO: That's right. But, you know, it is interesting that he did. Now there are some discrepancy on the facts here whether he called police or police found out who it was and called him. But, you know, he did alert them that he was thinking about crashing into a Walmart. One would assume, if I was defending him, I would say, well, he did alert them to get people out. You know, the authorities will figure it out. But quite a -- you know, apparently plans changed in the air, but he did alert authorities and if that had happened, they had evacuated the Walmart.

WALKER: We'll have to leave it there and as we know he does also potentially face federal charges as well. Mary Schiavo, great to see you this morning. Thank you.

SCHIAVO: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Some new developments overnight to share with you as there have been several shootings across the country, including in Norfolk, Virginia. Police investigating a shooting there that took place around midnight. It left seven people injured.

WALKER: They say two of the victims have life threatening injuries. Police have not released information on a suspect or possible motive for that shooting.

SANCHEZ: In Charleston, South Carolina, authorities say at least six people were injured as police responded to reports of gunshots in the downtown area shortly before 1:00 a.m. When they arrived they found several people wounded. The victims were taken to different hospitals and the shooting remains under investigation.

WALKER: The Minnesota State Fair was forced to shut down early after a shooting. Officers responding to the fairgrounds in Saint Paul just after 10:00 p.m. local time last night after receiving reports of shots fired. Police say the area was heavily populated with fair guests and a large police presence. A gunshot victim was later transported to a local hospital with nonlife threatening injuries.

SANCHEZ: This morning, California is burning, scorching heat and wildfires are roasting the state. Two wildfires in Siskiyou County dubbed the Mill Fire and the Mountain Fire, began Friday afternoon, growing last night to over 9,000 acres, also destroying critical infrastructure.

WALKER: The Mill Fire, which started burning shortly before the Mountain Fire, is at 25 percent containment with the Mountain Fire at only five percent.

[06:10:05]

The fires have knocked out power and prompted evacuations of over 1,000 people. The causes of both fires are currently under investigation. And a third fire, the Route Fire, is ripping through Los Angeles County, though by yesterday the fire had reached almost 90 percent containment.

SANCHEZ: All this as 40 million people in western states, including California, are under excessive heat warnings throughout the Labor Day weekend. As a result, millions of people in both Nevada and California are being urged to reduce their consumption of electricity.

We're going to take a closer look at your forecast later this morning, but we want to turn our focus overseas for a moment to Ukraine, because shelling of the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia has again forced the shutdown of a reactor, one of only two that was still operating there. The remaining reactor is still providing power to the grid through a reserve line.

WALKER: Ukrainians and Russians are blaming each other for the shelling. CNN's Melissa Bell joining us now from Kyiv with the latest. Hi there, Melissa. What's the latest?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Amara. Good morning, Boris. It is not the first time that this fifth reactor has had to shut down as a result of shelling. You'll remember on the very day on Thursday that the IAEA inspectors arrived the shelling had worsened as they tried to get through the front line and that fifth reactor had been shut down. Its protection system had been -- had kicked in as a result of the shelling again this Saturday. So much shelling that that has happened once again.

So it is just one of the six reactors the plant -- that is functioning. We have been down to two. And, again, the shelling as you say, Amara, being blamed by one side and the other. The difference this time is that the IAEA inspectors, six of them are still inside the plant and they're there to keep an eye on what's happening and no doubt to ensure that things can be repaired quite quickly.

The fact that their presence hasn't prevented the shelling from picking up again, of course, is a worry. But the fact that they are there, good news. The idea is that they're going to be producing a report by early next week, Monday or Tuesday, in which we'll find out more about exactly what damage has been done and what's been happening precisely inside the plant.

Beyond that the IAEA are going to have two permanent inspectors inside the plant able to keep an eye on its functioning and ensure that on days like this when shelling has so much damage that reactors get switched off to ensure they're able to come -- keep it up and running once again. Clearly it makes a big difference as well for the workers in the plant who have been working under extremely difficult conditions. That's what Rafael Grossi, the head of the IAEA, when he visited on Thursday. He had spoken to some of those workers, as did we on Thursday, and heard about -- when we heard about the difficult conditions in which they have been working, some of them saying that they feel like hostages and not able to do their jobs.

The fact that there is a neutral presence, of course, means that while the shelling continues, while damage continues to be done, and it is the sort of fire with which no one should be playing, those were the words of Rafael Grossi, this should not be happening. The nuclear power station should not even on a front line be imperiled in the way that it has been. So that continues but in much different circumstances to what had happened last week.

Again, they are there. They'll be able to make sure that it is up and running and to ensure that the workers are able to do their jobs. But clearly the fact that the fighting continues of extreme concern, this even as the Ukrainian counteroffensive continues. Ukraine saying that it is making progress further in the south and along the front lines around Kherson but for the time being, really not giving much access to journalists, not providing much imagery.

This is the turning point, hopes Ukraine, that will mark their comeback and their clawing back some of their territory for the time being. We have no way of knowing whether or not that's been the case, Boris and Amara.

SANCHEZ: An extremely precarious situation at that power plant. Melissa Bell reporting live from Kyiv, thank you so much.

Still ahead, the leaks forcing NASA to call off the Artemis I rocket launch for a second time. When will this historic mission actually happen?

WALKER: And the Senate comes back to Washington this week with a lengthy to do list as the midterms near. We're going to take you to Capitol Hill for the latest.

And a dangerous new trend being seen by law enforcement. How rainbow- colored fentanyl is now being used by drug cartels to target young people.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:18:44]

SANCHEZ: After a second scrubbed attempt in a week, NASA is going to delay the launch of its Artemis I moon rocket at least several more weeks. The launch was called off yesterday after engineers discovered a liquid hydrogen leak that they attempted several different ways to resolve, unsuccessfully.

WALKER: The first launch attempt on Monday was called off after several issues arose including a problem with an engine sensor and various leaks that sprung up as the rocket was being fueled. CNN's space and defense correspondent Kristin Fisher has been there and she has more.

KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Boris and Amara. Well, we've got another hydrogen leak. This one much bigger than the one that NASA encountered on Monday.

So NASA now has to fix it and they have got two options. They can either try to fix it on the launch pad or they can roll the rocket all the way back to the VAB, the vehicle assembly building, essentially the garage and try to fix it there. But to do that, that's four miles away from the launch pad, it can take up to three and a half days to get the rocket back there.

It is a very intensive process that NASA really was hoping not to do. But regardless of where they make those repairs, as of now, NASA says it is going to have to roll the rocket back to the VAB regardless because of a safety violation with the range.

[06:20:04]

The range is run by the U.S. Space Force and NASA says they're going to try to ask for an extension or a waiver to the safety violation. But as of now they just don't know if they'll get it. So what this means in terms of timing is that there is no way that NASA is going to be able to launch by the end of this launch window, which ends on Tuesday. So that means the next launch attempt of the Artemis rocket likely will not be until the end of September at the earliest, more likely mid to late October, if not later. Here is NASA's associate administrator Jim Free speaking at a press conference just moments after that second scrub was announced.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM FREE, NASA ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR: We don't go into these tests lightly, right? We don't just say, hey, we think, we hope this is going to work. The confidence to do another launch attempt today was born out of the fact that we understood the hydrogen leaks that we had on Monday. Those are different than the leak that we had today. And in terms of scale, one was in the same place, but today was a different signature. And we understood the engine issues. So we were confident coming into today but as the administrator said we're not going to launch until we're ready.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FISHER: NASA administrator Bill Nelson was also at this press conference and he pointed out that the space shuttle had to be rolled back to the VAB about 20 times, so this is not unheard of by any means. He also pointed out that the cost of two scrubs is less than the cost of one failure.

So this is not the worst case scenario, by any means for NASA. The worst case scenario is an explosion at the launch pad or shortly after liftoff. But, you know, Boris and Amara, make no mistake, a lot of disappointment at the Kennedy Space Center. This is not what they wanted.

SANCHEZ: Kristin Fisher, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, thank you. Joining us now is Hakeem Oluseyi. He's an astrophysicist and host of "Outrageous Acts of Science" on the Science Channel. Hakeem, good morning. Grateful to have your expertise as always. I bet you were disappointed yesterday along with the rest of us.

HAKEEM OLUSEYI, HOST, OUTRAGEOUS ACTS OF SCIENCE: You know, there is a little bit of disappointment, but actually I am happy that things did not go badly, right? So this is -- I see this as the system working. Doing anything new in the research world, especially something as big and complex as the biggest rocket NASA has launched, you know it does have some hiccups.

WALKER: So then talk us through what exactly happened. Because, you know, there are some risks, right, that NASA is willing to take. Like that foam crack and that faulty sensor and just ignoring it, but this hydrogen leak is not something you can just ignore, right?

OLUSEYI: That's right. You can't ignore this. And it is also -- you know, we say these things so easily, but keep in mind that everything we're talking about here is a high technology. So what we're talking about is filling up liquid hydrogen tank. That material is at a negative 423 degrees Fahrenheit, right? And so there is a line, this cryogenic line that is highly engineered and there is a coupler that couples it to fill the SLS, and that disconnect, as they call it, that quick disconnect, is itself a high technology, right, that's been engineered over more than a decade. And for some reason, it is not sealing properly and there is a hydrogen leak.

And so this isn't the first time this particular failure has occurred in terms of developing this particular mission. It hasn't occurred on the launch pad before, but, you know, it is something they have to deal with, but it's not as simple as it may sound.

SANCHEZ: So, Hakeem, engineers are trying to figure out whether they keep the rocket on the launch pad and try to resolve the issue there or roll it back to the assembly building. How do you think they should handle this? What's the best operating procedure moving forward if they still have time clearly to carry this mission through?

OLUSEYI: Well, you know, that's for the people there to decide. This is -- again, there is a lot of complexity here. There's a lot of moving parts. There's a lot of things to consider.

And you heard in the leadup to the segment, right, going back to the building and then returning to the launch pad that takes a week at least. But here's the thing, right, if you look at how NASA discusses this mission, we know that delays occur. So they don't say we're launching humans or, you know, we're on set to launch humans or land humans by this date, they say no earlier than a particular date, right? So that still remains.

WALKER: OK, good. Because I do feel a little deflated. I feel like we have been watching this, you know, with bated breath and then each time it has been a huge disappointment. But I know you're looking forward to this clearly. What is it that you're looking most forward to once Artemis is out in space?

[06:25:02]

OLUSEYI: Yes, well, we're a completely new generation, right? A lot of us that are around today never saw the moon landings that occurred in the late '60s and early '70s. So seeing boots on the ground, on the moon, humans, you know, of course throughout my career we had robotic missions, you know, going out in space, and exploring planets. Put a human on for one day, and it could be any role that we have out there, right? So once you put humans on the moon, and then we see this process develop of a space race, right, that's just -- you know, it's science fiction come to life.

SANCHEZ: And, Hakeem, as far as the delays go, do you think NASA will still be on track to send humans back to the moon by 2024? You know, a few days don't seem like much in the grand scheme of things, right? OLUSEYI: Right, right. But like I said, you know, they say no earlier than 2024. And Administrator Nelson had announced previously that they are saying no earlier than 2025. But they haven't changed it in this particular case. That happened back in 2021, right? Things readjusted.

So, you know, it is a particularly complex endeavor and undertaking to send humans from the surface of the Earth to the moon. I mean, you know, it is a tough thing to do. So they're not going to give up the mission, right, just because you have a hiccup. That's part of the design of planning and executing the mission. So things are still on track, but the exact date, they always lift, right?

WALKER: Yes. I mean, it is no earlier than is much different than saying no later than 2024, right?

OLUSEYI: Exactly. Yes. Absolutely.

WALKER: Hakeem Oluseyi, pleasure having you on. Thank you for the conversation.

OLUSEYI: Thank you very much.

SANCHEZ: Thanks.

WALKER: Well, the Senate returns to the Capitol this week. Just ahead, we're going to take a look at what is on their to-do list on top of that to-do list, next.

[06:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALKER (on camera): The Senate returns this week after a month-long recess. And with just over two months to the Midterm Elections, there are some several big ticket items on the agenda.

SANCHEZ: Let's get you out to Capitol Hill now and CNN Daniella Diaz. Daniella, Midterm Elections are only about 10 weeks away and there is a funding fight on the horizon, right?

DANIELLA DIAZ, CNN REPORTER (on camera): That's right, Boris. Look, these lawmakers have been gone. This past month, of course, this is August recess, when they go to their home states to campaign for the Midterms, to meet with constituents. But now, that is over as the Senate is expected to return on Tuesday. And the first thing they plan to address, Boris and Amara, is funding, funding the government.

The funding is expected to run out at midnight on September 30th, so Democrats and Republicans are going to have to work on possibly a short-term funding bill so that the government doesn't shut down. That is a priority. Democrats are going to need at least 10 Republicans on board for a funding package. So, that is what we will see this week play out when they return.

Another thing that they plan to work on is to confirm federal judges that were nominated by President Joe Biden to fill those seats that have not been filled yet. Democrats can pass those nominations along party lines. We will see them doing that as well when they return on Tuesday. And lastly, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer still needs to set a date for when the Senate will vote on codifying same-sex marriage into law. That of course being a priority after the Supreme Court ruled against same -- excuse me -- Roe vs. Wade. That is why they want to try to codify this, and of course, put on the record for Republicans who are facing tough midterm races such as Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, where he stands on that legislation.

Now, it's just as you said, Boris and Amara, another priority is that a lot of Republicans and Democrats are facing tough Midterm races. So, the Senate and the House is going to try to tick through these ticket items as quickly as possible so that they can go back and campaign in their home states for the Midterms. Boris, Amara?

WALKER: All right, Daniella, thank you very much for that.

SANCHEZ: There are finally some positive signs in Jackson, Mississippi. We have the latest on the city's ongoing water crisis after major flooding there next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:35:00]

SANCHEZ: After nearly a week without clean water, there is good news emerging in the Jackson water crisis. City officials say that most of the area should now have water pressure. They say the troubled water plant made "significant gains from Friday night into Saturday," but they say ongoing repairs could still cause the pressure to fluctuate especially in a few remaining portions of South Jackson. Residents are still lining up at water distribution sites like this one which will remain open.

WALKER: Across the country and around the world, climate change is causing more severe weather events.

SANCHEZ: Yes. Now, there's new data showing that flood maps from FEMA that helped determine which areas are most at risk are outdated and they could be off by as much as 70 percent. CNN's Rene Marsh has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Fast-flowing, fast rising flash floods, a common seen this summer with 1000-year rain event striking in multiple states. CNN collected data from local and federal flood agencies and found significant portions of communities that saw floods of biblical proportions this summer we're outside of what FEMA considers high risk flood zones.

MICHAEL GERRARD, DIRECTOR, SABIN CENTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AT COLUMBIA LAW: People should not rely exclusively on FEMA flood maps in this age of climate change because the flood maps only look backwards. They're looking at historical flooding.

MARSH: Property owners, local and state governments use FEMA maps to determine risk and make critical decisions about where it's safe to build. FEMA says its maps were never intended to predict risk from climate change.

DAVID MAURSTAD, DEPUTY ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR FOR RESILIENCE, FEMA: Flood insurance rate maps have a purpose. And that purpose is to identify the high risk area for regulating development. What they are not is a predictor of where it might flood in a community.

MARSH: I think the message that you're saying is it can flood even if you're not in a FEMA flood zone.

MAURSTAD: Absolutely.

[06:40:01]

MARSH: Nationally, FEMA classifies roughly 8.7 million properties as having substantial risk of flooding. But the nonprofit First Street Foundation, a research firm that considers climate change mapping risk, identifies nearly 70 percent more properties with the same level of risk. That means about six million property owners are likely underestimating or unaware of their current flood risk.

This summer, five ultra-rare 1000-year rain events happened over the past three months starting in Kentucky and St. Louis this July, southeastern Illinois and Death Valley in early August, and most recently, Dallas. Preliminary data CNN gathered from city and county agencies in and around St. Louis show roughly 78 percent of the flooded properties are outside of famous flood zone. That translates with more than 8000 property owners who likely had no idea they were at risk for this kind of catastrophe.

GERRARD: There are tens of millions of homeowners who don't realize that their homes may be vulnerable to flooding, and very few people who aren't in a mapped FEMA flood zone bother to buy FEMA flood insurance, but that can be a mistake.

MARSH: The agency says it is actively working to create maps that reflect a more realistic flood risk in the age of climate change, but it doesn't have a timeline for when that will be complete.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARSH: So, if you want to find out your true flood risk, the first place to check is riskfactor.com. It allows you to enter your home address and determine your flood risk based on climate projections. Also, consider FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program even if you're not in a FEMA flood zone. And lastly, if you're building a home, consider putting sensitive equipment like appliances and the furnace on the upper level. Renee Marsh, CNN, Washington.

WALKER: All right, great advice. Thank you, Renee.

And a quick programming note. Today, at 10:00 a.m., be sure to watch a "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS" special. He will take an in-depth look at America's mass shooting epidemic and share ideas from around the world on how it can be stopped. Global Lessons on Guns starts today at 10:00 a.m.

All right, up next, why the DEA says young people need to be aware of a new type of fentanyl flooding the market.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:45:00]

SANCHEZ: It's really important for parents especially to listen to this next story because federal officials are putting out a warning. There is a new form of the deadly drug fentanyl that's being manufactured specifically to target kids. The DEA says that law enforcement have seized brightly colored fentanyl in 18 states. Pills and powders, much like what you see on your screen, made to look like candy and chalk that you use on a sidewalk.

Joining us now to discuss is Chris Colcord. He's a treatment placement advocate at Beaches Recovery in Florida. Chris, we're grateful that you're sharing part of your labor day weekend with us to talk about this. Candy-colored fentanyl on the streets. Why do you think that people making these drugs are targeting kids?

CHRIS COLCORD, TREATMENT PLACEMENT ADVOCATE, BEACHES RECOVERY: It's marketing at its finest. I'm sure there's a litany of reasons why they're bringing it in different colors. Some of it could probably be the ways to smuggle it in, easier ways to smuggle it in. It's also definitely going to you know more target young children with the bright colors. It's the same thing with flavored vapes, vape pens, and you know all of that stuff. It's just more, more -- it's more -- it's really going to -- you know, it's just targeting the young kids with the bright colors.

SANCHEZ: What often surprises folks is just how little someone needs to take to overdose or get hooked or even worse. In fact, fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Is there any difference in the potency in this rainbow-colored kind that what we're used to seeing?

COLCORD: Well, the DEA is saying it's the same potency with the colors. I think it's more or less more of the know the colors and the way that they bring it in and really no one -- there's no really way to tell until it touches that last street dealer that gets it. The potency they're saying is just the same as the everyday fentanyl that we were seeing before this.

SANCHEZ: We're seeing young people get targeted in different ways by drug dealers, including on social media. How much harder is all of that making it for authorities and for folks like you who are trying to help the community and help folks heal?

COLCORD: It's definitely making it a lot harder. The reason why -- I think another reason why you know it's in the different colors is nowadays they're putting everything into a pill form. Street dealers have hill presses. And one of the most scariest things, and I think that's why it's you know, probably affecting our college students over here in Florida a lot now, is one of the colors it's coming in is orange, and that is one of the most used drugs with college students is Adderall.

One of the -- you know, because students needed to stay up longer, study longer, and they -- you know, think they're going to -- that's just one of the most common use drugs. Now, if you have a pill that's coming in in a color form, then it's going to be much easier to make it into a pill form. And you know, that is very scary.

SANCHEZ: The United States saw a spike in deaths during the pandemic. According to the CDC, from May 2020 through April 2021, more than 100,000 people of all ages died from drug overdoses in the United States. What's the main thing you want people to know in terms of how to keep their kids safe in this situation?

[06:50:08]

COLCORD: The solution is I would definitely say, you know, have fentanyl testing strips. I think those should be more readily available to the public. If we can get funding for that, that would definitely be a big help. In our communities, more NARCAN kits just in case something like this does happen. Because no one wants to think that, you know, it's going to be their child that does this. I mean, they're at -- this is affecting all across the board. You know, kids from good families, kids from bad families, you know, and think they're buying a certain pill off the street. And then what's happening is it's, you know, a fentanyl pill.

But also on the other side of things, there's also the -- you know, it's kind of like the branding in Breaking Bad, the show. You know, everyone and one wanted the blue methamphetamines. Right here in Jacksonville right now, you know, the addicts are looking for purple fentanyl. It's a certain kind of branding that they're using over here now.

SANCHEZ: Chris, you mentioned funding for things like testing strips, and NARCAN. There are lawmakers out there that are vehemently opposed to funding for any of that kind of stuff. What's your message to them? How would you try to persuade them?

COLCORD: Well, if they if they do not provide us with these things to save lives, then the death roll -- the death toll is going to continue to rise, you know. And that is going to -- and what I've seen here in Jacksonville in working in this field, in working at Beaches Recovery is, you know, the family members that -- one person dies from this and then there are -- there are children that are bearing their -- bearing their parents, there are parents that are bearing their kids, and then it is affected all across the board.

I mean, it's just one person that's dying from this and it's continued to just having a trickle-down effect. And it's horrible to watch, you know. I would say, you know, more state-run beds, more resources to find treatment. You know, that is what the only thing that's going to continue to do this. I don't think we're ever going to win the war on drugs. But I can tell you that we can -- you know, we're not going to continue to fight it.

SANCHEZ: Chris Colcord, we got to leave the conversation there. I appreciate you sharing your expertise with us this Sunday.

COLCORD: Thank you for having us.

WALKER: It's an important conversation.

Well, college football fans were glued to their TVs all day yesterday. All the big plays, upsets, and of course, must-see moments next in sports.

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WALKER: College football is back. I know a few people on our team are quite excited. 57 games are played in division one yesterday, including the first top 10 upset of the season.

SANCHEZ: And CNN's Carolyn Manno has this morning's "BLEACHER REPORT." Good morning, Carolyn.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Good morning, Amara and Boris. Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson had shown flashes of what he might be capable of as a backup last season. But on Saturday, he had Gator fans wondering why he wasn't starting the entire time. I mean, what a performance. He stepped up in front of the largest crowd for a season opener in school history, close to 91,000 on hand at the swamp.

And in the fourth quarter, Richardson with one of the best pump fakes that you will ever see, throwing it to Ja'Quavion Fraziars for the two point conversion so the Gators go up by three. Utes would go ahead on the TV run but Richardson would not be denied running this one in from the yard out. Gators up 29-26. And one last chance for the Utes, but Amari Burney taking it off in the endzone. Are you kidding me? Richardson had close to 300 total yards and three touchdowns in an upset over number seven Utah, a huge first win for new head coach Billy Napier.

Elsewhere, number two Ohio State and number five Notre Dame meeting for the first time in the regular season since 1996. This was the headliner. And the Irish who were 17-point underdogs led 10-7 at the half, but the Buckeyes defense took over. From there, they shut up the Irish in the second half, holding them to just 72 yards of offense.

Heisman candidate C.J. Stroud taking over. He did a 24-yard touchdown with Xavier Johnson. The Buckeyes get the win 21-10 Head Coach Ryan Day calling it an ugly win, but hey, you'll take the ugly wins especially in a matchup like that in college football.

And there was nothing ugly about the defending national champs performance yesterday. The third-ranked Georgia Bulldogs putting on a hurting on former defensive coordinator Dan Lanning and the 11th- ranked Oregon. Stetson Bennett was a man on a mission, spinning past defenders, finding a wide-open lane, but conquers a touchdown there. 368 yards and two TVs for Bennett as Georgia rolls in Atlanta 49-3/. Tats Oregon's worse opening day lost since 1975. And there's even more football to look forward to, guys. Brian Kelly

making his LSU debut tonight against Florida State. And then tomorrow night, fourth-ranked Clemson playing Georgia Tech in Atlanta. So, everybody back at their tailgates. I know everyone's excited there, Amara and Boris. I do have to say. I know I'm fair and balanced. I am a Florida Gator. I have a lot of energy this morning. It was very exciting. But I'll try to contain myself.

WALKER: There are so many of you gators around, I got to say. Carolyn Manno, thank you.

MANNO: Sure.

SANCHEZ: So, the Foo Fighters took to the stage at London's Wembley Stadium yesterday for the first of two concerts paying tribute to their late drummer, Taylor Hawkins, who died in March. Paul McCartney, Liam Gallagher, and Queen were just some of the all-star performers. But it's this version of the band's classic song My Hero that an unreal moment during the show. Watch this.

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DAVE GROHL, MUSICIAN: Kudos, my hero, leaving all the mess. You know my hero, the one that's on. Sing with me.

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SANCHEZ: For context, that's 16-year-old Shane Hawkins sitting in for his dad. Watch this solo.

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WALKER: Incredible.

SANCHEZ: It just gives you goosebumps. All the feels, what a loss, and what a way to honor his dad. A special moment from the Foo Fighters.

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