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Eric Moro Shares Story of Escaping New Mexico Fire; L.A. school District Bans Cell Phones; Willie Mays Passes Away at 93; Sanjay Gupta on Alzheimer's Risk. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired June 19, 2024 - 08:30   ET

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

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SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: The wildfires in New Mexico, look at these pictures, incredible pictures, and has turned deadly and has taken thousands of homes and businesses.

With me now is Eric Moro, who lives in Ruidoso, New Mexico.

You experienced this and had to evacuate. Can you give us some sense of how you heard about it and what you did immediately upon hearing that the fire was too close for comfort?

ERIC MORO, FLED NEW MEXICO HOME TO ESCAPE WILDFIRE: Well, I was on my app the whole time, the watch to the app, really paying attention to, you know, how close it was getting and stuff because it started not too far from where we're at. And when I was getting home from work, I had already seen the smoke. I started panicking. I went straight to my house. And we were there. It was already smoking and stuff.

So, we kind of started getting things together. I looked at the wind direction and stuff and where the fire was at and I said, you know, it's coming straight towards us and so we should - we were a little concerned. We started kind of packing things up. And I was paying attention to the phone, the duty (ph) app, and then we didn't get a warning. You know, all of a sudden the firefighter showed up blaring their horns, sound immediated back to -- evacuated immediately. And so we just grabbed whatever we had at that moment, packed and stuff, and - and - and we left, you know.

SIDNER: It's such a terrifying thing.

MORO: The roads were already shut off and we -

SIDNER: Yes.

MORO: Yes.

SIDNER: How did you - I always - I always wonder this -

MORO: We're -

SIDNER: Having covered these fires across the west mostly in California, what - what do you pack? What do you - what are you thinking about? What are you trying to potentially save knowing that you - you are breathing in the smoke already, it's coming?

MORO: Yes. Yes. Yes, I mean, I was - I was gagging already from the smoke. And I - I -- we grabbed the most important things, like documents, passports, birth certificates, some photos, photo albums that my mother left me and stuff like that. I left - I left behind my class ring, a favorite t-shirt that I've had for over 25 years, you know, some stuff like that kind of got left behind, but we just tried to take important documents. And I got - I got this shirt donated to me by the church. So we didn't really live - leave with much clothing. It was just important documents, some - some photo albums and stuff like that. Stuff that we can't really replace, you know?

SIDNER: Yes, and I'm so sorry. Like, just to hear that knowing that you don't know what is the status of your home when this is happening. Do I understand correctly, you just moved into the home in March?

MORO: Yes, we just about the house in March.

SIDNER: This is rough. I mean we're looking at some of the pictures and seeing a ski shop that has been, you know, completely torched, seeing these huge, fiery clouds -

MORO: That's right around the - that's right around the corner.

SIDNER: OK, so that's around the corner from your home?

MORO: That's right around the corner, yes. Yes, right over that peak - right over that hill -

SIDNER: How has this been for you and your family? You have a young child.

MORO: Yes, I have a three-month-old.

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We just had a baby in March also. So, it's been really rough, yes.

My wife's a trooper, though. She's been great. You know, just kind of trying to deal with everything and the babies and stuff. So.

SIDNER: Yes. How are you guys holding up right now because you've got a three-year-old. They - they tend to be very excitable and you have to explain to her, you know, what's happening.

But you're shaken up. I can see it on your face.

MORO: Yes. Yes. It's just, we don't know what's going to happen with our home. And my daughter was crying when I was packing stuff up. She thought we were leaving the home. She thought we were never coming back. And I said, no, we're not - we're not leaving the - we're not giving up the house, it's just dangerous right now. We have to - we have to, you know, in case, you know, the fired comes, we have to be prepared. We can't stay here. But we'll come back. I kept trying to reassure her that we'll come back, we'll come back, you know, because it's just dangerous right now. But she thought we were moving, I guess. I thought she - you know, we had moved recently, so she thought we were leaving the house again, so she started crying. I had to explain to her it's not because we're leaving the house. We love the house. We just - it's dangerous right now. It's kind of a little difficult to explain to her that it was a fire, but she eventually got it.

The church here has been amazing. I mean we got here like at 10:30 at night, had the doors wide open, and they were just offering everything they possibly could to us. They've been, I mean, so welcoming. I - I'm Catholic but I'm thinking about converting. It's like, they've been so welcoming here that it's just amazing.

You know, it's quite a sight to see, the community come together.

SIDNER: You know, look, I - it is a sight to see. It is a sight to see, both the - the visuals from - you said you're just over the hill there and watching this fire burn a business that is very close to your home.

But thank you for showing your vulnerability because people hear that people are evacuating and, you know, you sort of think of the panic in all of this. But this is your home.

MORO: Yes.

SIDNER: You've just moved in. You've got a small child. This is a huge issue for the family.

What, at this point, do you know where you're going to go from here as firefighters are saying this is - this is zero percent contained. It's just - it is completely out of control still.

MORO: Yes. Yes, that's what we hear. And so - and the fire last night I saw on the map, it was about - and this was 24 hours ago, it was probably 1,200 meters from my home. And so we don't know. It could still be there. It could be completely in inflames. I mean, we just don't know.

And we don't know. We're waiting to see if we find out if, you know, our home's been destroyed or not to determine whether we're going to stay here or possibly head down to Mexico for a little bit to -- while everything's kind of, you know, sorted out with the insurance companies and what not.

So, it's a lot of uncertainty right now, definitely.

SIDNER: And I think everyone - my heart goes out to you. I mean this is really hard. The uncertainty is usually the hardest thing. Just not knowing what you are going to see and go back to when all of this is over.

Eric Moro, thank you. Blessings to you and your family. I really appreciate you coming on and being so honest.

MORO: Thanks for having me.

SIDNER: We appreciate it.

All right, we'll check back with you.

MORO: All right.

SIDNER: John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: It's got to be so hard. Thinking about him and his family this morning.

All right, new this morning, the nation's second-largest school district has banned - has moved to ban students from using cell phones during school hours. The decision by the Los Angeles Unified School District, it goes into effect in 2025. We're talking about half a million students here.

CNN's senior data reporter Harry Enten is here.

And look, I think this is obvious for a lot of people, but when we're talking about cell phones, the landscape has changed over the last 20 years.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: You know, you said it was obvious, but as I was thinking back to my teenage years, and it wasn't that long ago, I don't remember having a cell phone back then. And many - it turns out, according to the numbers, many of my fellow students didn't have a cell phone as well. Only 45 percent of students had a cell phone. Remember, those are those Nokia bricks, right, where you'd play snake on it. That would be the fun thing you would do. You could throw it down on the ground. It wouldn't break it all.

Today, look at this, 95 percent of teenagers have access to cell phones, have access, excuse me, to smartphones, not just cell phones. So, yes, it's not much of a surprise when you have all these students going around on their smartphones being able to access God knows what on it. A very different landscape from where we were just 20 years ago and certainly 30 or 40 years ago when there were no cell phones in school whatsoever.

BERMAN: Yes, no, big changes here and big changes in terms of how much time kids are spending online.

ENTEN: Yes. So, you know, it's one thing if you have your smartphone. It's another thing if you're constantly looking at it, right, not paying attention to your schoolwork. So, teenagers who are almost constantly online. This has changed just within the last decade. It's doubled. In 2014/2015 it was 24 percent of teenagers who said they were almost constantly online. Basically addicted to their smartphones. Look at where we are today in 2023.

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It's nearly half. It's 43 - 46 percent, excuse me, almost underplayed it there, 46 percent who were almost constantly online. And it's not just that they're constantly online. They're constantly on social media. A third of teenagers are almost constantly on social media, on TikTok, on YouTube, on Instagram. And I'll tell you as someone - you may feel the same way as I do - these apps are entirely addictive. So, it's not a big surprise to me that we're seeing these movements towards these bans of these smartphones because the fact of the matter is when you're on them it's very difficult to concentrate on basically anything else.

BERMAN: Look, I know a few teenagers. I'm actually surprised that number's not higher, to be completely honest right now.

And in terms of who thinks this is a problem, Harry.

ENTEN: Yes, you know, time spent on cell phones. Think teens spend too much time on their smartphones. Its 38 percent of teenagers who agree with this.

BERMAN: Yes.

ENTEN: That's - that's a tremendous number.

BERMAN: Yes.

ENTEN: Forty-seven percent of parents agree. Of course that - we'll, of course, note that a majority don't agree with that. So, it's going to be very interesting to see this back-and-forth between the school boards and the schools and parents themselves, who might not necessarily agree with a lot of these stats (ph).

BERMAN: Look, I think this is fascinating because it's basically the same here, maybe a little more for parents than teenagers. But teenagers know there's an issue here.

ENTEN: Ding. They're crying out for help, John.

BERMAN: Look, and again, I know some teenagers, I know some teenagers in high school, including one whose high school banned cell phones. The kids didn't have a problem with it. It's actually remarkably easy for them if it's handled the right way to adjust to this.

ENTEN: Exactly right.

BERMAN: So, we'll see what happens.

ENTEN: We'll see what happens.

BERMAN: Harry, thanks very much.

ENTEN: Thank you.

BERMAN: Sara.

SIDNER: I have a request. I need you to do this for adults, because I feel like we are just as guilty on our phones than teenagers are. I would like to see if adults are as addicted as teens. I feel like we are.

ENTEN: I'll look into it, Sara.

SIDNER: I've given you some work, Harry, you're welcome.

ENTEN: Thank you.

SIDNER: All right, tributes are pouring in this morning as America says goodbye to one of its most iconic athletes. Willie Mays, one of the greatest and most important baseball players in history, passed away last night. He was 93-years-old. His son Michael says he passed away peacefully and among loved ones. "The Say Hey Kid" Mays, a generational talent in every way, clobbered 660 homes runs in his storied career, making near impossible plays, like this one. You all know it, known as "the catch" in 19 - and the crowd goes wild - 1950, helping the Giants when their last series here in New York before they moved to San Francisco.

CNN's Carolyn Manno joins me now.

Carolyn, he was, you know, this incredible player, but probably even a greater human being.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: He was. He was so likable, Sara. In fact, he said of that catch, that was just one of a number of plays that I made. I did a lot of things. But "the Say Hey Kid" is a national treasurer. I mean he is just such a charismatic figure that's going to be remembered but by so many people. Is considered by so many to be the greatest baseball player who ever lived. His stats certainly back that up. You noted them there. I mean, 660 home runs, more than 3,000 hits, 24 all-star appearances, a two-time national league MVP. And, of course, that World Series ring to.

The news of his death broke while his beloved San Francisco Giants were playing the Cubs in Chicago.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is with great sadness that we announce that San Francisco Giants legend and Hall of Famer Willie Mays passed away peacefully this afternoon at the age of 93. Please join us in a moment of silence as we remember Willie Mays.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: He played there many times. The crowd at Wrigley Field delivering a standing ovation after that moment of silence. Very powerful imagery there. And just a beautiful photo there. A look at a baseball field and everyone remembering him. The Giants were actually heading to Willie's hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, to play the Cardinals tomorrow in a game that was already set to honor him and other Nego League stars. Fans paid tribute to their hometown hero during a minor league game at Rickwood Field, the stadium where he played for the Birmingham Black Barons back in 1948, before he made his MLB debut a year later. And these are images of back in 2015 when President Obama presented

him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the greatest honor that the government can bestow on a civilian. And Obama remembered the legend on social media. He posted, "he was a wonderfully warm and generous person and an inspiration to an entire generation. I'm lucky to have spent time with him over the years. And Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to his family." Just a wonderful tribute. There are a lot of people feeling that today, Sara, as they remember a legend.

SIDNER: I spent quite a bit of time at the San Francisco Giants stadium there. And there's this statue of him. And I'm sure there will be lots of flowers and things lying underneath his feet there. What an incredible person and a superstar athlete.

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Carolyn Manno, thank you so much for bringing us that story. Appreciate it.

All right, at your next annual physical, your doctor may suggest another test along with bloodwork. A check on your brain health. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains why, ahead.

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SIDNER: This morning we've got something new for you and it's good for your health. A new series, "Dr. Sanjay Gupta On Call" will be giving you the chance to ask our chief medical correspondent your questions about the latest health news. Today, we're tackling new tools to battle Alzheimer's disease. Sanjay's latest investigation includes a groundbreaking documentary five years in the making called "The Last Alzheimer's Patient." It is streaming right now on Max. Here's a look.

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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the five years of making this documentary -

GUPTA: The 20-year-old newlyweds.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

GUPTA (voice over): I've met with patients all around the country who were diagnosed or at high risk for this devastating disease.

GUPTA: Do remember this time in your life, Mike?

GUPTA (voice over): It made me really start to think about my own brain. I have a family history of Alzheimer's as well. Sometimes I feel a little rusty. Sometimes I worry that I make mistakes that maybe my friends and family here too polite to tell me about. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to look at your body composition.

GUPTA (voice over): So, that's why I decided to do something quite personal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your muscle mass, your body fat.

GUPTA (voice over): Quite revealing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That wasn't quite right.

GUPTA (voice over): I went through a battery of tests to assess my own risk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just like we get a cholesterol test every year and checked your blood pressure, we've got to do the same thing for the brain.

GUPTA (voice over): And what did I find?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll just say it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Oh, that was a good tease.

CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta joining us now.

When you hear that there is a potential test to see if you are, you know, potentially going to have Alzheimer's or headed down that road, some people get really freaked out and say, no, no, no, I don't want to know. But - so, should they get this test? What - what can they do if they get this test.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, -- so, I think we're getting to the point now where these tests are going to become more widely available and more widely recommended. We're not quite there yet. The way I'd sort of frame it, Sara, is, we're probably where we were with heart disease 60 years ago. You know, there was a time when you thought, look, you're going to get heart disease or you're not. There's not much you can do about it. And I think most people agree this point that that's not the case.

We're starting to get there with brain health. And as you heard Dr. Richard Isaacson, who - in the clip there say, well, just like you get your cholesterol or your PSA or other things checked, we may get to that point with brain disease as well, including Alzheimer's.

I think two things have changed. One is, the tests have gotten better. And two is that there is something you can do about it. So, you can actually be proactive based on the testing. And that makes a big difference.

SIDNER: How much of Alzheimer's is preventable? I mean what are the things that really tell you, hey, this actually works. GUPTA: Yes. I mean there's all sorts of different testing, including genetic testing and things like that. But if you put the numbers all together, you're probably talking about some - around 40 percent of Alzheimer's is preventable, which is a huge number.

SIDNER: Wow. It's huge.

GUPTA: I mean think that most people think it's just preordained. I'm going to get it. My family members had it and there's nothing you can do about it. We talked to patients who said, look, you're just like staring off into the abyss when you're given that diagnosis.

There was this trial that was done by Dean Ornish. It was a small trial, just around 50 patients, where they basically said, OK, let's just look at people who have been given the diagnosis and have early cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment, and let's see what happens if you put them into a certain lifestyle group versus people who don't do anything different with their lifestyle.

And we can show you what the - what the sort of plan was for these people, but it was a vegan diet. It was 30 minutes of moderate to brisk activity. Some mild strength training. You know, a support groups. Things like that. And they did this for 20 weeks. So, five months. Then they compare the two groups and they said, look, what do we find here? And what they found was that in the group that did not get the lifestyle changes, they had a very predictable decline. And in the group that did get the lifestyle changes, they either stayed the same, many of them stayed the same, which was important because you sort of stalled the decline, or, Sara, there were some people who got better.

SIDNER: Wow.

GUPTA: And I had not seen that before. The idea of actually reversing the trajectory of cognitive impairment. In addition to the lifestyle changes, people also went on a bunch of supplements that were recommended by the trial investigators. We put a list of them there on the screen as well so people can see.

But again, 20 weeks to see these changes in people. That was pretty - pretty impressive. I will say that if they stopped the lifestyle changes, they started to have a downward trajectory often as well. So, the brain and the body very biodynamic. Doing lifestyle changes not only helps prevent disease later, but can actually improve symptoms now, at least according to this trial.

[08:55:07]

SIDNER: That is truly incredible to be able to think that you can reverse some of this. The hardest thing I think for a lot of us would be the vegan diet. You know what I mean? It's like changing your diet is hard. We know this. But, you know, if it means that your brain is going to function better later in life, like, it's a path worth taking.

GUPTA: I totally agree. And look, I mean, so much of chronic disease is probably related to how we nourish ourselves. People say, why are these numbers going up? Probably has a lot to do with our environment and primarily our foods. So, it can - you can make, you know, changes, not - not easy changes, as you're alluding to, but look at the impact it can have on your body and your brain.

SIDNER: Yes, it's really incredible.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, it's always such a pleasure. And I'll be one of the people writing you asking questions. I can tell you right - that right now.

GUPTA: OK.

SIDNER: We are so excited about this new - this new endeavor. "Dr. Sanjay Gupta On Call." The latest - he's going to look at the latest in targeting Alzheimer's in this new documentary as well. You can submit your questions using the QR code on the screen. And Dr. Gupta will join us again later in the week to answer some of those questions.

We'll be right back.

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