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Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" Hits Theaters This Weekend; Dangerous Air Quality From Wildfire Smoke Smothers 18 U.S. States; Lettuce Served at Taco Bell Tied to Regional Parasitic Outbreak; 7.3- magnitude Earthquake Strikes Southern Mexico. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired July 17, 2026 - 14:00   ET

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

KATEY RICH, AWARDS EDITOR, ANKLER MEDIA: It is very hard to win Best Picture with your two movies in a row. Only two directors in history have ever done it, and not in the last 60 years. So that is a high bar to climb for the film itself.

But look, you've got Matt Damon, who's been a massive movie star for such a long time. He has won an Oscar, but for writing the screenplay for "Good Bull Hunting," you might remember, alongside Ben Affleck. And he's a big leading man movie star. So if you want to start talking about awards for this and say, OK, look, Christopher Nolan, you just won with "Oppenheimer." We don't need to do that again.

Maybe this is Matt Damon's moment. I think it would be really exciting. Anne Hathaway is getting great buzz for her performance. There really are a lot of people you can choose from in this massive cast of a lot of people who awards voters like, audiences like, and it sounds like they really deserve to be rewarded.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Yeah, it's "The Odyssey." I mean, my goodness.

(LAUGH)

KEILAR: Katey Rich, what an exciting weekend to be speaking to you. Thanks for being with us.

RICH: Thank you so much for having me.

KEILAR: A new hour of "CNN News Central" starts right now.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Hazy skies threatening the air quality for millions of Americans. I mean, this is a -- these are real photos here. We're tracking the wildfire smoke sweeping through large swaths of the United States that could impact the World Cup final.

KEILAR: Plus, President Trump once again declaring America's election system is broken. We're looking at the facts and why some critics are calling his speech last night in an attempt to intimidate voters ahead of the midterms where his party is not favored.

And the parasitic outbreak causing explosive -- I'm sorry -- diarrhea in multiple states is now being linked to shredded iceberg lettuce. We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to "CNN News Central."

JIMENEZ: You said century because you were talking about "The Odyssey." I get it.

KEILAR: Is that how it was?

JIMENEZ: I think so.

KEILAR: Yeah.

JIMENEZ: I think you were going back in time.

KEILAR: I don't I think it's Friday is what it is.

JIMENEZ: Yeah, that too.

KEILAR: It's a tough Friday.

JIMENEZ: Well, welcome to "CNN News Central." And we're following a whole lot of headlines, including right now, more than 100 million people across the Northeast and Midwest are under air quality alerts. We are talking a heavy blanket of wildfire smoke from Canada is pouring into major U.S. cities. You can see what Washington, D.C. looks like through the haze.

See it a little bit less than you used to be able to see it. And conditions from Detroit to the nation's capital here. CNN's Derek Van Dam has more on where the smoke is spreading and how long it could stick around.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Unhealthy to hazardous air has been pouring into the East Coast and the Midwest, thanks to this fire hose of wildfire smoke, thanks to burning wildfires out of control near the border of the U.S. and Canada.

Look at this thick, milky white substance in the air. On the satellite, very visible. But that's what you see with that orange hue or that kind of murky horizon. Look, if you're stepping outside, perhaps in Detroit, Cleveland, Washington, D.C. or just south of New York. We've seen some great improvements in Boston. But we got to see how this is going to evolve over the next 24 hours because things will get very interesting going forward.

So the current air quality, you can actually align these dots. The magenta and the reds, they correspond with unhealthy to hazardous air quality. And this is home to some of the world's worst air quality over the past 24 hours. And it's all thanks to this thick wildfire smoke that continues to emanate from the out of control wildfires into southern Ontario.

This is what Detroit looked like early in the day on Friday. We've got 18 states, including the District of Columbia, over 100 million Americans under these air quality alerts and the entire state of Michigan, in fact. So the fires are going to continue to burn, but it is raining in that area. So that will help extinguish some of the flames. But there's a cold front associated with the system that's going to change the wind directions. And it's also going to help clear out the skies, at least along the East Coast and perhaps just in time for the World Cup final in New York and New Jersey on Sunday.

Here's that cold front. Notice this change in the wind. Yeah, the fires haven't gone completely out, but we do think this will clear out the skies and help improve the quality of the air going forward this weekend.

Back to you.

KEILAR: All right, Derek Van Dam, thank you for that. Let's talk more about the health threats from this smoke with Detroit's Chief Public Health Officer, Ali Abazeed.

Ali, thanks for being with us. I mean, we're just hearing out of Detroit that EMS calls that were respiratory related went up almost 100 percent on Thursday. That was from a Detroit air quality presser -- press conference today. You guys are really in the thick of it. Tell us what you're seeing.

ALI ABAZEED, DETROIT CHIEF PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER: Brianna, thanks for having me. And you know, we are in the thick of it and the air outside is pretty dense and hazy. We know that the wildfires from Canada are affecting us, especially because of proximity, the volume of fires that are happening over 3,000 per my last count. And we're also seeing this across the entire state of Michigan.

[14:05:00]

There's nothing intrinsic about the city of Detroit and our air quality at the moment. This is completely due to, you know, proximity, the volume, the dry conditions that we've had lately, and then obviously, the burning timber and wood from Canada. So, you know, that press conference this morning, I was a part of, and we know that typically when air quality is this hazardous, that respiratory ED visits tend to go up on average by about 20 percent.

What we're seeing across the city is a condition that's resulting from those dry conditions, the fact that we haven't had much precipitation over the last couple of weeks, and all of that is exacerbating some of the pre-existing conditions that some of our residents are facing across the city and across the state.

KEILAR: Do you have any info on hospitalizations? I mean, how bad has this been?

ABAZEED: You know, a lot of that data is tracked about 24 hours in advance, and so the latest numbers we have are as of last night, and what we saw this morning from our chief medical executive is that we are seeing an increase in EMS runs. We don't have the exact number, but again, this is consistent with what we see generally whenever the air quality gets into this terrain.

What I do want to emphasize though is that this is unprecedented. I mean, this kind of hazardous air quality, anything over 301 becomes a health risk for everyone. That's not just folks who are living with asthma or COPD or other respiratory conditions. This is something that everyone should be taking heed of.

The hopeful news is that when people tend to hear about air quality alerts, they tend to take that guidance and tend to stay indoors. And so as soon as this was precipitated earlier this week, our mayor activated all of our emergency controls, all of our emergency operations. My department, the health department, helped with the operations annex.

We replenished our mask stockpiles, provided them all across the city at every single one of our rec centers and transit centers, and so we're activated and ready and have been prepared for this in Detroit. And we also understand that residents need this protection.

KEILAR: Yeah. As you mentioned, the smoke is coming from these wildfires. We actually spoke to a meteorologist from Minnesota Pollution Control Agency yesterday, who said he's been advised by his agency's partners that these fires are likely to burn until the snow extinguishes them in the winter. And then depending on the fire behavior and the smoke production, this is actually something that could be an issue over weeks and months. How prepared are you for that possibility?

ABAZEED: Look, I always say that public health is only as strong as our prediction of human behavior is, right, and I extend that to population behavior. We know that this is a recurrent issue. We know that wildfire season is starting earlier.

We know that it's becoming more extreme. The way that I approach my work in public health is recognizing that our work is fundamentally about people. It's fundamentally about forecasts and monitoring conditions.

We understand in Detroit we have a mayor who's leading on health and all policies. Its synonym is basically how do you center people and the health conditions that they're dealing with at the forefront of every policy decision, every operational decision. We're ready, as ready as a government can be, in the city of Detroit. But we also recognize that we need to be doing a lot more in terms of forecasting these things months in advance, weeks in advance.

The reality is with air quality forecasting, it's notoriously unpredictable, and so although we've seen a bit of a dip from yesterday, we still can't make with certainty predictions about what it will look like going into this weekend. We do know that the air quality will still be an issue. How bad? We'll determine and monitor that throughout the day.

KEILAR: Ali, I also want to ask you because Michigan is at the center of this cyclospora outbreak at the same time. I mean, you're dealing with so much. It's a double whammy here.

A source familiar with the situation tells CNN that shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms and sold at some Taco Bells has been linked to the multi-state outbreak. We've also heard of people getting sick from eating at other places, and there may be multiple outbreaks regionally here, or I should say across different regions. What steps is your office taking now that you're learning a little bit more about where this may be coming from?

ABAZEED: Yeah, Brianna, as you mentioned, it's multiple ongoing issues, crises, to say nothing of the heat dome that we've been experiencing in Southeast Michigan and other parts of the country as well. All of these issues, though separate and though need their own sort of customized approach, they really do touch on an important consideration for us and my department and citywide across the city of Detroit, which is how do we best equip ourselves for the new reality?

And the new reality isn't just wildfire smoke. It's also the recognition that there are certain issues that we need to be more prepared for at the local level, and that means making our residents aware. We started weeks ago, as soon as we heard the first instance of the cyclospora across the state of Michigan.

[14:10:00]

We immediately started alerting our residents to the fact that, hey, we don't have a particular culprit yet, but these are typically the culprits when there are situations like this. Here's how to sort of make sure you wash your groceries. Here's how to cook things properly.

All of that is fundamentally an intervention, health communications. Again, you know, our mayor is very actively involved. As soon as my emergency preparedness division recognized that there was an air quality alert, whether it was a heat alert several weeks ago, we immediately took a whole of government approach in order to make sure that we're protecting our residents, make sure that we're knocking on the doors of senior citizens who are most vulnerable in conditions like this, and making sure that we are providing the supplies and resources that our residents need.

KEILAR: Ali Abazeed, thank you so much for being with us this afternoon.

ABAZEED: Thank you so much for having me.

KEILAR: Still to come, a powerful earthquake rattles Mexico and is felt as far away as San Salvador. We're tracking the latest from the epicenter.

Plus, let us be warned. We had to pun you. The CDC is now linking a parasitic outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce. What you need to know to avoid getting sick.

And a man is taken into custody and charged with hate crimes after slipping past security at NBC's 30 Rock. We have that and much more coming up on "CNN News Central."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:15:56] JIMENEZ: The CDC issuing a direct and explicit warning, do not eat shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in five states. So check whatever you might be eating right now at lunchtime. That specific ingredient is now linked to a multi-state outbreak caused by the cyclospora parasite.

KEILAR: The CDC says more than 1,600 people reported getting sick after eating at Taco Bell locations in these five states. And a source familiar with the investigation told CNN, the lettuce supplier has been identified as Taylor Farms, which has not yet responded to CNN's request for comment. The CDC says it's also investigating thousands of other cases across the country that are unrelated to this outbreak.

So let's talk about this now with Dr. Trisha Pasricha. She's the "Ask a Doctor" Columnist for The Washington Post and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

OK. I mean, what do you say to people? Because I hear this. They're confirming, right, it's five states. They know it's one type of lettuce. But we've also talked to other people calling from -- talking to us from other places. They've eaten maybe different kinds of food here and they've had cyclospora confirmed. So what are you telling people, especially if, you know, they want to eat a salad?

DR. TRISHA PASRICHA, "ASK A DOCTOR" COLUMNIST, THE WASHINGTON POST: Yeah, what I'm telling people is that this is big news. This is important news, but this is not the time to let up and let down our guard. You know, like you said, we've identified one possibly very major source in this outbreak. About 1,500 -- 1,600 people have reported that they ate Taco Bell before getting sick. But that means a large number of people did not eat Taco Bell.

And what we don't know yet is that whether this lettuce, this supplier sent that same lettuce to other restaurants, other grocery stores, or if some of the other outbreaks and cases that we're seeing, are they linked to an entirely different produce entirely? So at this point, I'm telling people, certainly don't eat the lettuce at this point from Taco Bell from the supplier, but keep on doing what you're doing and the things we were supposed to be doing anyway, which is washing that produce, cooking it to at least 158 degrees.

JIMENEZ: And you know, we've talked a lot about the most extreme gastrointestinal symptoms of this.

KEILAR: Yes, unfortunately, but we've had to do it.

JIMENEZ: We really have talked about it a lot. But again, it's important.

KEILAR: It's important.

JIMENEZ: But though, if someone suspects they may have contracted it, that's obviously not what would happen right away. Are there early symptoms that they should be looking for and how should someone prepare themselves? PASRICHA: That's usually the first sign. And actually remember, you know, when you ingest these parasites, there is this potentially long incubation period. The parasite is undergoing a large part of its reproductive cycle inside your intestinal cells, during which time you may feel a little nausea. You may not feel much. It's when it starts to shed and come out. That's when the diarrhea hits.

So there is this window where you might feel OK, maybe a little stomach upset at most or some nausea, but when the diarrhea starts, that means that the parasite is shedding and that's really the most symptomatic period.

KEILAR: OK. So with that in mind, when is it time to seek medical attention and how specific do you need to be about the kind of attention you're seeking?

PASRICHA: Yeah, my advice is to seek attention early and often. I mean, I think one of the good things that has come from all this is that increased awareness we're all having. I think doctors everywhere now know that this is on their radar. We're going to look for the test.

Again, this test or this parasite, most healthy people will clear on their own within a couple weeks, but that doesn't mean anyone needs to suffer through it. If you have had diarrhea for more than two days, that's kind of the limit of what we'd expect from food poisoning or other kind of viral illnesses.

If it's gone on for more than two days, get checked because there is a really effective treatment called Bactrim that can get rid of your symptoms within 24 to 48 hours.

JIMENEZ: And you know, just before we go here, I just want to -- I'm wondering, what are you looking for as this investigation sort of goes on from public health authorities on a state and local level, as we are trying to learn more about the source of the outbreak?

[14:20:13]

PASRICHA: Well, this has been a massive undertaking. Because of that long incubation period inside our guts, it is really hard to ask people what did you have two weeks ago that could be linked to what these 600 other people have eaten as well. So what I'm looking for is more data and more closure.

Like I said, this is big news that we have identified at least one source and could be the major source, but it's not the end of the investigation. And I don't want people to let up their guard. I am confident we're going to get there and it's going to take time.

But just remember, this is not like salmonella or bacterial illness where it has a much shorter incubation time and it's somewhat easier to trace. This is a really big endeavor.

KEILAR: Yeah, it really is. Dr. Pasricha, thank you for being with us. We appreciate it. And coming up, multiple aftershocks being reported after a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake rattles Mexico. It actually led to tsunami warnings. We'll have a seismologist joining us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:25:48]

JIMENEZ: We're continuing to follow the Breaking News out of Mexico, where a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off of Mexico's Southern Pacific Coast, triggering a tsunami warning. This is where it's centered here. The quake appears to have caused moderate to severe shaking along the coast. Multiple aftershocks are being reported as well.

So I want to bring in Lucy Jones. She's a Seismologist and the Director of the Lucy Jones Center at Caltech. It's been a few hours since this quake hit at this point. Just tell me, what are you learning at this point?

LUCY JONES, SEISMOLOGIST: Well, we can see that this is what's called a subduction zone earthquake. This is the location that has had dozens of magnitude 7s over the last several decades. The last one was in 2017.

Given the location and the quality of buildings, a lot of people received strong shaking, and it's likely that there are injuries.

JIMENEZ: And you know, let's talk about sort of the connect between the number and what we might see on the ground. Because obviously, look, 7.3 magnitude, that is a serious earthquake.

JONES: Right.

JIMENEZ: But what kind of damage are we talking about, typically, with something of that scale?

JONES: OK, so if we want to think about damage, we need to look at intensity rather than magnitude. Magnitude is the total energy released in an earthquake, and intensity is what shaking you actually receive. And that's a combination of how much energy was released and, you know, how far away you are because the shaking dies off with distance.

This location is just offshore, so it means at least nobody is directly on top of it. On the other hand, it's a heavily populated area onshore. Intensity 7 is a level where we -- you have significant damage in older buildings, but like a good engineered structure shouldn't fall apart.

Intensity 7 was experienced by about 100,000 people in this area, and especially with adobe construction, we would expect substantial problems with that. And you have another few hundred thousand people that will have received intensity 6 shaking. In California, you wouldn't expect much damage, just things thrown to the floor by intensity 6, but not damage to buildings. JIMENEZ: Sure. And you know, as we were talking, we were showing just some video from an event where it seemed like the effects of the quake were first coming in, in the Mexican state of Chiapas. It showed some minor shaking.

For those that are able to see the video, you can see the basketball hoop sort of going side to side, but no one's really panicking or moving in any significant way. To your point, in terms of the difference of magnitude versus sort of what's actually felt on the ground there. What were you going to say? I didn't want to cut you off.

JONES: Well, just that, yeah, intensity 7 isn't that high. As a comparison, the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles, that had intensity 9. And then we're bringing down more modern buildings and such things. So the problems would be with older, especially adobe construction.

JIMENEZ: And you know, you were talking sort of about where exactly this quake occurred, you know, just off the coast, the coastal region here is what we've been focusing the most on. And so people sometimes hear it's in the water. Should we be worried about tsunamis? And I know the depth of where this quake hits also matters. Just tell me about that.

JONES: OK, so a tsunami happens when you change the shape of the seafloor. Water gets displaced and it has to go somewhere, so it goes off as a wave. How much water gets displaced determines the size of the tsunami. So a magnitude 7.3 is actually very small on a tsunamigenic scale. So it does look like there was a tsunami generated, but less than a meter, and it happened at low tide.

So there's really no impact to people. There would have been strong currents going through as the water gets displaced. But the really big tsunamis that would affect a country well away from where the earthquake happens, that only happens above like magnitude 8.5. It would have to be much larger than this to cause a far-reaching tsunami.