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Miraculous Rescues in Venezuela; Polls on Proud to be an American; Two Astronauts make ISS Repairs. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired June 30, 2026 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And rescued.

And also right now NASA astronauts are venturing outside the International Space Station. What we know about this mission.

We'll be right back.

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BOLDUAN: In Venezuela this morning, the rescues of two boys are inspiring new hope. It took dozens of rescuers hours to pull this 12- year-old from the rubble. And in another story of survival, it comes six days after these earthquakes, a three-year-old little boy was trapped under giant slabs of concrete.

[09:35:05]

A Jordanian team of rescuers found the toddler and pulled him out early this morning.

Now, despite these wonderful stories, the death toll has continued to climb. The tragedy continues to more than 1,700 people killed. And the WHO says this morning that hospitals throughout Venezuela, they are just overwhelmed.

Let's get over to CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He's, you'll remember, Sanjay's treated earthquake victims from Haiti to Nepal and so many other -- in the aftermath of so many natural disasters beyond that, Sanjay.

But talk to me about -- there's been a lot of talk about the window of opportunity to find survivors.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

BOLDUAN: But we still, six days later, we're finding these little babies, you know, under the rubble. What do you know about how people or how long people can survive in these structures.

GUPTA: Yes, I mean, you know, it is interesting because I think there is still hope based on a lot of what we know about the overall impact of these earthquakes. As a general rule, a few general rules, most rescues happen within 24 hours. And when I say that I'm talking, you know, 90 percent of rescues happen within that time. You know, 27 hours, for example, was when the last victim of the World Trade Center was actually rescued. That just gives you some context.

But if you start to look beyond those first 24 hours, into that period, you know, days two and onward, what you find is that sort of, on average, it's about close to seven days. That's the average sort of time when you have a time to rescue. That's when you get beyond a couple of days.

And it's dependent on so many different things. You know, the conditions at the time, the overall health of the individual that you're talking about.

I spent a lot of time with these rescue workers, as you mentioned, Kate. One thing that they talk about very generally speaking is the rule of fours. And the rule of four is basically means someone can go about four minutes without air, they can go about four days without water. There have been people who've been rescued 100 hours, for example, after these earthquakes. And they go about four weeks without food. Again, very dependent on the individual, very dependent on the situation, how healthy they were actually going into the earthquake. But that's what these rescuers sort of keep in the back of their mind.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: And when you see kind of, one, this pancake effect of how these buildings kind of fall is so terrifying and so dangerous.

GUPTA: Yes.

BOLDUAN: But they do find, you know, when the videos that come out, you see, it almost is like these, the people who they rescue, they find these little pockets, these little areas and voids in the rubble to kind of find a place to -- I mean they don't try to find it, but, I mean, they happen and they're lucky to end up there.

GUPTA: Right.

BOLDUAN: What is known -- like, talk to me more about that.

GUPTA: Yes. I mean, so, you know, just to give some context, I mean, there was a woman in Bangladesh, for example, we reported on who was rescued 16 days after a building collapsed because of one of these voids that you're mentioning. So, if you can get a void obviously for air, but even maybe some access to water. People in Haiti, I remember when I was reporting there, there were people who were rescued because they were actually essentially trapped in a kitchen. So, they even had access to some food and water from there.

Pancake collapses, to be candid, are the worst. You're look -- when you saw some of that video there you see these -- it essentially looks like a stack of pancakes when the building collapses, as opposed to sort of tilting over. When a building tilts over, and we saw a lot of that in Haiti, you are much more likely to have these voids. When you have a pancake collapse, and maybe for obvious reasons, those voids become far, far less common. So, less likely in these situations. Doesn't mean there isn't still possibilities, because you can have a void sort of near the bottom of the structure, but that's, again, what rescuers sort of think about. They're more likely to sort of target these buildings that have sort of fallen over on their side versus the pancakes because of the likelihood of finding those pockets.

BOLDUAN: And you still hold out hope for many, many more rescues. There's so many people that are still missing.

Sanjay, thanks so much. It's great to see you.

Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, thank you, Kate.

Just ahead, this isn't just dumb. It's criminal. A traveler tries to sneak a weapon of war onto their flight in a peanut butter jar.

And Neil the Seal is making headlines again. The massive elephant seal celebrity. It's just growing and growing there in Tasmania.

Those stories and more ahead.

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[09:43:27]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Just a few days until America's 250th birthday. What do you get for the country that has everything? Or does it? Depends who you ask.

With us now, CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten. Proud to bean America.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: There's a space there.

BERMAN: Proud to bean American.

Who is proud to bean American?

ENTEN: There is such a polarization partizan split on this issue, the largest that I've ever seen.

Just take a look at this. This is where it really gets interesting and I would dare say a little bit nutty. How to -- how proud to be an American. You know, among Republicans, 93 percent are extremely or very proud. Just one, a single one, say they have little to no pride in being an American.

But look over at the Democratic side. This is where we've seen this extremely or very number. It's been taking a tumble at 27 percent, which is way different than the 93. You do the quick math with me here. What is that? That's a 66-point difference here in terms of extremely or very. But look at this, the little or no proud to be an American actually among Democrats eclipses is greater than the extremely or very proud number. So, we are just living in such a different universe if you're a Republican versus a Democrat on the basic fundamental question of being proud to be an American.

BERMAN: So, for Democrats, has it always been thus?

ENTEN: No, it hasn't. You know, I mentioned this 36 percent, the little or no, actually outrunning the extremely or very. And I will note that this is the first time ever, the first time ever among Democrats in which this little or no actually eclipses the extremely or very.

[09:45:11]

And look at this, back in 2001, look at this, the extremely or very, and this is pre-9/11, the extremely or very actually outran the little or no by 84 points, 84 points. Now the little or no outruns the extremely or very by nine points. So, what is that, 84 to nine. That is a 93-point switcheroo in 25 years among Democrats. Now more Americans, for the first time ever say -- or, excuse me, more Democrats for the first time ever say that, in fact, they have little or no pride to be an American than extremely or very. And that is just very, very different from what we're used to seeing.

BERMAN: What could a reason for that be? In other words, what has sort of changed for Democrats?

ENTEN: What has changed for Democrats? Well, how about just thinking that the U.S. is among one of the greatest countries. Say the U.S. is not one of the greatest countries. Just look at this trend over the last decade. In 2016, just seven percent. Just seven percent of Democrats said that the U.S. was not at least among one of the greatest countries. That number has skyrocketed, up to 31 percent now. And among Republicans, it has gone from four percent, it's actually dropped down to two percent. So, what we're seeing now is more Americans are -- excuse me, more Democrats are saying that the U.S. is not one of the great countries.

BERMAN: Right. A little bit of a tangent here for a final question here, which is that President Trump, there's been a suggestion of putting his -- his mug on the $250 bill.

ENTEN: Yes.

BERMAN: I imagine there are some Republicans who would say that's what's great about being American.

ENTEN: That's right.

BERMAN: Democrats would say otherwise.

ENTEN: Correct.

BERMAN: If you're looking for the tie right there.

What are the predictions markets saying the chances that will actually happen?

ENTEN: Yes, the Kalshi prediction markets saying the chance that Trump is able to put himself on the $250 bill, it's just an eight percent chance, 92 percent chance, no. So, Republicans may love this country, but they're not going to get the president that they love on a $250 bill.

BERMAN: Harold Enten, thank you very much.

ENTEN: Thank you, my friend.

BERMAN: A lot of news this morning. We'll be right back.

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[09:51:29]

SIDNER: All right, new video of horses being evacuated from a Colorado ranch because of the wildfire danger there. You can see the fire and smoke in the distance. Strong winds, dry conditions, all fueling dozens of fast-moving fires. Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes in Colorado and Utah. And it is not unusual to see these scenes of animals, thank goodness, also being evacuated.

All right, an international manhunt underway right now after a bombing at an apartment in Monaco. There are images now, new ones, of what happened there. Officials say three people, including a Ukrainian tycoon and a child, were injured when a parcel bomb went off. Police are calling it an assassination attempt. A CNN affiliate says it appears the tycoon was the target. He left Ukraine in 2019 and renounced his citizenship.

All right, a checked bag set off alarms at Indianapolis International Airport. And when TSA officers inspected it, guess what they found? Two, not one, but two live smoke grenades. One of them jammed inside a full jar of peanut butter. They spoke to the passenger, who said, well, a friend told him that the peanut butter would get the grenades through TSA undetected. Oddly, officials did not say if the passenger will face any charges. Stupid and dangerous.

All right, in Australia, a five-year-old elephant seal known as Neil has returned to land. And he's not minding his own business. Neil weighs over 2,000 pounds and is well known in Tasmania. He's kind of a star. And while Neil enjoys flopping around in the grass, he has also been known to do things like just lay across roads and completely block traffic. And as you can imagine, Neil don't move until Neil wants to move. Neil has gained a huge following on social media, and authorities are warning he's cute on your feed, but do not try to feed or approach him. He not friendly. Not friendly. I think we need those t-shirts, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Not friendly?

SIDNER: Not friendly.

BOLDUAN: Exactly.

SIDNER: At 6 a.m.

BOLDUAN: Exactly. Like at all.

SIDNER: Later, but --

BOLDUAN: Depending on when we wake up --

SIDNER: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Which is we o'dark (ph) 30 not friendly.

Let's move to this. Happening now, two very friendly -- two NASA astronauts are headed outside the International Space Station for a critical repair mission.

Are you OK? Sara -- oh was that a mishap?

SIDNER: This is why I hate the --

BOLDUAN: We're good. I know. Sara -- we are fine. We just had a Sara tripity trip.

SIDNER: A small heel incident.

BOLDUAN: A small tripity -- a small tripity trip.

Pete Muntean --

SIDNER: This wouldn't happen in space.

BOLDUAN: This will not happen in space. They don't wear heels, Sara.

SIDNER: They don't wear heels.

BOLDUAN: CNN's Pete Muntean joins us now.

Sorry, Pete. We just almost had a little off camera mishap, but we're back now.

Let's talk about space.

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: I have no idea what just happened, by the way. I can only see myself in the return. Is everyone all right?

SIDNER: I nearly fell down the stairs, Pete Muntean.

BOLDUAN: Yes, Sara just had a little tripity trip down the stairs. It scared me for a second. Normally I have better composure, but Sara is a rock star, college athlete and fine.

Back to us, Pete.

MUNTEAN: You will not be auditioning to be astronauts on a spacewalk then (ph).

BOLDUAN: Oh, man. Pete, take it away, please.

MUNTEAN: Is what I understand.

BOLDUAN: Please.

SIDNER: I'd be fine in space. There's nowhere to fall.

MUNTEAN: (INAUDIBLE) live images here.

BOLDUAN: Keep going, Pete, or we're going to loose (INAUDIBLE).

MUNTEAN: Zero-g would be helpful in this situation. You have to see the live images here of what's likely one of the most delicate repairs that these astronauts will make in their entire careers. This is essentially orthopedic surgery on what replaces a wrist on an arm, except the arm, 57 feet long, can lift the equivalent of eight school busses, and the surgery happening 250 miles above earth.

[09:55:08]

Astronauts Chris Williams and Jessica Meir are now about an hour and a half into what's expected to be a 6.5 hour spacewalk. These are the live images from their helmet cameras where they're looking at one another. Not the longest spacewalk that NASA has ever done, but certainly an intricate one because it's focused on a single repair from start to finish. The wrist joint on the Canadarm2 contains the motors, gearboxes, bearings that allow the robotic arm to rotate so it can capture cargo spacecraft, support spacewalks like this one, and move massive pieces of equipment of the ISS. It's really an essential part of this station.

But back on May 27th, that joint mysteriously drew too much electrical current and then failed. So, NASA quickly put together today's repair mission using a spare part already on the Space Station, and then NASA remains pretty confident that they'll have it fixed by about 2:30 Eastern Daylight Time today.

The spacecraft just flew over Brazil. And I want you to listen now to what NASA described it was they hope will be a successful mission by the end of today. By the way, we don't have that sound bite, but the wrist joint alone weighs about 200 pounds on earth. To get to it, the astronauts must first remove part of the arm that weighs about 900 pounds. This is in zero-g. So, those pieces are weightless, but they all still have their mass, so that makes maneuvering here really difficult.

SIDNER: I still have my mass.

BOLDUAN: I -- oh, my God, I lost it when you said orthopedic surgery. I really lost it, Pete. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

SIDNER: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Pete Muntean, MVP for making it through and actually doing serious news while we have just completely lost it.

SIDNER: Lost it.

BERMAN: Big decisions from the Supreme Court --

BOLDUAN: Exactly.

SIDNER: Yes.

BERMAN: Coming up next.

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