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CNN International: Western Wildfires Force Evacuations; Primary Election Races in Virginia, Georgia and Oklahoma; Russian President Putin Visits North Korea; U.S. Bracing for More Record High Temperatures; Dangerously High Temperatures Gripping Southern Europe. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired June 19, 2024 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the craziest fire I've ever seen with my own eyes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This fire is dangerous and fast moving. The winds are strong.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The difficult conditions include high wind gusts and high heat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why haven't you resigned?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Senator, I'm sticking this through. I'm proud of having taken the job. I'm proud of our --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Proud of this record.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- safety record and I am very proud of our Boeing people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're proud of this safety record.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am proud of every action we have taken.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What has brought Vladimir Putin to North Korea is his isolation since he launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He needs help on the battlefield.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world. I'm Eleni Giokos in today for Max Foster. It is noon here in Dubai.

2 a.m. in New York -- New Mexico and in the southwestern U.S. where two devastating fast-moving wildfires are burning near communities leading to a state of emergency. Officials say at least one person has been killed and two others injured there. The fires have also forced thousands of residents to evacuate and we're hearing harrowing stories from some who have lost their homes or have done everything to try and save them.

A 66-year-old man says he spent hours attempting to put out fires near his vacation home in the community of Alto but finally evacuated when he ran out of water. The fires broke out on Monday and quickly exploded in size. They've now burned more than 18,000 acres or 7,500 hectares combined.

But crews are hopeful for more favorable conditions with rain in the forecast for the next few days. Now the state's governor says mandatory evacuation orders were necessary.

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MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM, (D) NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR: As most Mexicans are now also aware that that fire has moved and encroached in ways that required a mandatory evacuation of Ruidoso.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the craziest fire I've ever seen with my own eyes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes, I mean we get fires out there quite a bit but this one's 16,000 acre fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: Well meanwhile nearly a dozen wildfires are burning in California. Some people in northern California where the so-called Arrow Fire continues to grow say they are overwhelmed.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a sense of helplessness of a sense of a power that can overwhelm you so fast.

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GIOKOS: Well the Post Fire near Los Angeles is more than 30 percent contained. But crews say high winds and low humidity still pose a challenge and they're having trouble reaching some areas. CNN's Natasha Chen has more.

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NATASHA CHEN, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well the Post Fire has burned more than 15,000 acres. Just one of about 10 wildfires burning throughout California right now. The Post Fire on the north side is pretty well secure at this point.

But on the south side there is a lot of work to be done especially along the southeastern perimeter where there is very rough and rugged steep terrain. The Los Angeles County Fire Department says they are for the first time employing the sheriff's department boats to take fire crews across a lake to get to that southern perimeter. We watched as several hot shot crews were brought to that perimeter taking everything they can with them. They have all of that medical equipment basic life support so that if something should happen they can take care of themselves and basically do the best they can in the middle of nowhere.

Now this fire caused evacuations for more than a thousand people from a state park over the weekend. It grew very quickly. The difficult conditions include high wind gusts and high heat. There should be a little bit better wind and weather conditions as the day progresses. However there is expected to be more heat coming by the next weekend.

And so, the work that needs to be done now is really containing what they can. As fires continue to grow larger more quickly the fire -- public information officer here tells me that their strategy is really to bring in more crews to work on attacking the fire more quickly so that they can wrap this and hopefully be ready for the next fire.

[04:05:05]

Natasha Chen, CNN, Castaic, California.

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GIOKOS: Well potentially massive tropical cyclone could impact the coast of Texas. The weather system is forecast to become a tropical storm in the next 12 to 24 hours and move into northeastern Mexico and its impact will be felt in Texas. Flood watches are in place for southern Texas, including Houston where heavy rain is expected along the Texas coast. The rainfall will move into New Mexico Thursday.

Tuesday was primary election day in the three states across the U.S. in Virginia's fifth congressional district. Trump backed state senator John McGuire claimed victory against Bob Good even though the race is too early to call. CNN's Projects Democrat Eugene Vindman, a high- profile figure during Donald Trump's first impeachment, will win the Democratic primary in Virginia's seventh district.

In the Republican runoff race in Georgia's second district, former education department official Wayne Johnson is projected to defeat Chuck Hand who was convicted of a misdemeanor of illegally demonstrating in the capital during the January 6, 2021 riots.

And in Oklahoma, Republican Congressman Tom Cole has won the primary race in the fourth congressional district with about 65 percent of the votes.

U.S. President Joe Biden has announced a new executive action that will allow some undocumented immigrants to seek permanent legal status without having to go back to their country of origin. Immigrant children and spouses of U.S. citizens who have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years would be eligible for the program and the new policy would affect about 500,000 families and about 50,000 children. The application process will begin around the end of summer and the president made the announcement at the White House on Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These couples have been raising families, sending their kids to church and school, paying taxes, contributing to our country, but living in the United States all this time with fear and uncertainty. This action will allow them to file a paperwork for legal status in the United States. Allow them to work while they remain with their families in the United States. Let's be clear, this action still requires undocumented spouses to file all required legal paperwork to remain in the United States.

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GIOKOS: Biden insisted the policy is about keeping families together and rejected claims that his announcement was political.

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BIDEN: I'm not interested in playing politics with the border or immigration. I'm interested in fixing it. I said it before.

I said it before and I'll say it again today. I will work with anyone to solve these problems. That's my responsibility as president.

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GIOKOS: But during a rally in Wisconsin, former President Trump said if he's elected in November, he'll dump Biden's new immigration program.

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DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Crooked Joe is sending a message to the world that he rewards illegal entry. And that's what's happening. Our country is under invasion. We should not be talking amnesty. We should be talking about stopping the invasion instead. This is an invasion of our country.

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GIOKOS: Biden's new action comes as he tries to appeal to Latino voters in battleground states, including Arizona, Nevada and Georgia, who are crucial to Biden's chances of winning a second term.

So be sure to watch as CNN hosts the U.S. presidential debate next week. It's on Thursday, June 27th at 9 p.m. Eastern in the U.S. That is 9 a.m. Friday in Hong Kong, 2 a.m. in London and 5 a.m. here in Dubai.

The leaders of Russia and North Korea are hailing ties between the two countries, as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un sat down for talks in Pyongyang. Mr. Putin said relations between the two countries were based on, quote, equality and mutual respect. Those comments reported by the Russian state news agency TASS. Which added that Mr. Putin has invited Kim to visit Moscow. It's the Russian leader's first visit to North Korea in 24 years, building on the growing partnership between the two countries.

TASS also reports that Kim expressed his support and solidarity for Russia's military operation in Ukraine.

We've got CNN's Clare Sebastian joining us now with more from London. Clare, a show of force.

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I mean, we're seeing the enthusiasm, excitement on the ground in the ceremony with Vladimir Putin visiting Kim Jong-un. But more importantly, it's not only about the optics, but also about the underlying message, particularly to the West.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Eleni, and I think the optics are part of that. There's been absolutely no subtlety whatsoever. The adoring crowds, many of them waving Russian flags, a giant poster of Putin alongside Kim Jong-un up in the center of Pyongyang, they're riding together in an open top car.

At one point, it looks a bit like a victory parade. And there's even less subtlety when it comes to the rhetoric. Take a listen to both men.

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VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We highly appreciate your consistent and unwavering support for Russian policy, including the Ukrainian strand. I am referring to our fight against the hegemonic policy imposed for decades, the imperialist policy of the United States and its satellites against the Russian Federation.

KIM JONG-UN, NORTH KOREAN LEADER (through translator): The DPRK expresses full support and solidarity with the struggles of the Russian government, military and the people, which are conducting special military operations in Ukraine to protect its own sovereignty, safety and territorial stability.

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SEBASTIAN: So the rhetoric very much presenting this on both sides as a sort of joint struggle against the collective West. We've seen that in recent statements in Putin's letter to the North Korean people in North Korean state media ahead of this visit as well talk about jointly combating as illegal Western restrictions, read sanctions. Of course, the irony not lost there because, of course, Russia, as recently as a few years ago, was in fact backing U.N. sanctions on North Korea.

And North Korea, you heard there also calling the war in Ukraine a special military operation, parroting the Kremlin propaganda around this now nearly two and a half year old war.

So look, the optics, the rhetoric, all of that is very clear. They know the West is watching Russian state media, for example, is full of references to how the West is sort of hanging on their every word. One newspaper report said that the West is unable to hide its nerves around this. But of course, the rhetoric that we heard just there does not put paid to concerns about the fact that this may well be a burgeoning defense partnership. And of course, the quid pro quo, the worries about what North Korea may be getting in return -- Eleni.

GIOKOS: Yes, big questions there. Clare Sebastian, always good to see you. Thank you.

Russian state media reports that a court has sentenced a U.S. soldier to nearly four years in a Russian penal colony. Staff Sergeant Gordon Black was found guilty on charges of theft and threatening murder following his arrest in May in Vladivostok. TASS reports that Black's legal team plans to appeal.

The soldier has been accused of stealing about one hundred and twelve dollars from a woman believed to be his girlfriend. The two had first met in South Korea.

Countries across the globe are facing scorching temperatures this summer. We'll go live to Italy next to take a look at how the global community is dealing with the extreme heat.

Plus, the head of Boeing came face to face with the families of passengers killed in recent plane crashes as he answered to lawmakers about the company's safety failures.

And latest singer Justin Timberlake arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated. We'll tell you how police described his condition at the scene.

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GIOKOS: More than 20 daily high temperature records could be shattered across northeastern U.S. today. Several states in the northeast are under heat alerts, with temperatures running 10 to 15 degrees warmer than usual for this time of year. Cities in Ohio, West Virginia, and New Hampshire broke temperature records on Tuesday, the oldest one going back more than 50 years. Officials are warning residents across the region to be prepared.

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KATHY HOCHUL, (D) NEW YORK GOVERNOR: We don't need any fancy data to tell us this. It's going to be extremely hot and uncomfortable. In fact, it'll be dangerously hot.

MICHELLE WU, BOSTON MAYOR: We continue to encourage everyone to stay hydrated, use sunscreen, stay indoors wherever possible. Please check on your neighbors so that everyone can prevent dehydration and heatstroke and other health challenges.

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GIOKOS: Well, it's not just the communities in the U.S. Communities around the world are struggling to beat the heat as temperatures rise to record levels. CNN's Bill Weir has the story for us.

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BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is not even officially summer yet, and the heat is already taking lives by the dozens. In India, during recent elections, at least 33 poll workers died of heat stress on the same day. At least 41 Jordanians perished as they made their pilgrimage to Mecca, where yesterday they set a new all-time high at over 125 degrees.

And in Greece, at least three tourists lost their lives simply by hiking without enough water or shade.

While those places are used to stretches in the triple digits, the American Northeast is not. And on a planet overheated by fossil fuel pollution, Maine must now brace for the kind of heat and humidity found in Miami. And big cities are bracing for a strain on everything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Extreme heat is the most dangerous weather phenomenon we have in New York City.

WEIR (voice-over): In the Northern Hemisphere, new science finds that last summer was the hottest since the birth of Christ. And in the U.S., heat took the most lives since records began in the 80s. This year is on pace to be even hotter, pushing disaster management into uncharted territory as the climate crisis manifests by region and by water whiplash. Either too much or never enough.

In the parched Southwest, wildfires kicking back up from Ruidoso, New Mexico to near Los Angeles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every one of us is concerned with the wind. That's the single most driving factor of this fire.

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WEIR (voice-over): And after a wet winter brought more plant life to California, there are worries that a scorching summer could turn it all to fuel. But when you pray for rain on an overheated planet, you must specify not all at once.

From Brazil to Florida, days of rain created floods in homes and cars and lives, hitting some in Fort Lauderdale who are still cleaning up after last summer, which brought the kind of rain and flood that is only supposed to happen once every thousand years.

DANIEL SWAIN, CLIMATE SCIENTIST, UCLA: So right now, it looks like certainly this summer is going to feature a lot more extreme and in some cases record-breaking heat in different parts of the globe. But, you know, to be quite honest, what we're seeing now is a taste of what it's going to be like all the time in just a decade or so.

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GIOKOS: Well, CNN's Barbie Nadeau joins us from Rome, a city that's also dealing with extreme heat. Barbie, we've had this conversation, particularly last year when it was the hottest year on record.

It is only June. We're seeing numbers in double digits, high double digits. Is there a concern in terms of the peak season in Southern Europe based on what we're seeing right now?

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Yes, I mean, there is a concern. There's a concern for the people, for the tourists. So many of those tourists who anticipated their holidays came in June instead of July only to find the heat here.

There's also concern, of course, about the spread of wildfires. This is something that the authorities are always dealing with by late summer. And if the temperatures are so high right now, that is obviously something they've got to watch out for. People are careless. These fires start so quickly and burn so fast.

Now, we've seen these deaths of the tourists who are very unprepared to go out hiking. That's one of the things that they're really trying to get people to pay attention to. Let's listen to what the deputy mayor of this Greek island had to say.

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SPYROS ARGYROS, MATHRAKI, GREECE DEPUTY MAYOR (through translator): We have a lot of footpaths here, and we often see people come here to go walking. Often couples will come and groups. But we also see people alone on the footpaths.

Unfortunately, during some days in the summer, we have heat waves, and we see them walking on the footpaths without supplies, without water, without a towel.

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NADEAU: And, you know, Eleni, here in Rome, for example, there's free water everywhere. But the city yesterday decided to put up some trees at all the bus stops to try to offer some shade. We're expecting the temperatures here in southern Italy to get hotter and hotter as the week progresses tomorrow and especially on Friday before we see any relief.

But we know, we've talked about this before, the locals know what to do. They know to stay inside during the heat of the day. It's those tourists who are trying to take advantage of what little time they have in places as beautiful and hot as Rome -- Eleni.

GIOKOS: Yes, exactly. Be prepared. Hats, water, and perhaps an umbrella to protect from the sun. Barbie Nadeau, always good to see you. Thank you.

San Francisco Giants legend Willie Mays has died at 93. The Giants made the announcement on social media Tuesday night. The Hall of Famer played in the old Negro Leagues and was among the first generation of African-American players in Major League Baseball. CNN's Andy Scholes looks back on his amazing career and legacy.

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ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR (voice-over): From the time he set foot in the major leagues as a 20-year old rookie for the New York Giants in 1951, to his last days with the Mets 22 years later, no one played like Willie Mays.

Born in Alabama, he earned the nickname "The Say Hey Kid" for his enthusiasm towards baseball. He played in 24 all-star games was twice voted National League MVP and slam 660 home runs to rank six on the all-time list.

WILLIE MAYS, BASEBALL HALL OF FAMER: When I got to face hit up a one spawn. New York was like my family. They embrace me, like my mother and dad says, and my dad says, when you go to New York, if they slap you, you turn the other cheek. Because if you don't they going to shoot you.

SCHOLES (voice-over): Mays was as dominant in the field as he was at the plate winning 12 gold gloves. In Game one of the 1954 World Series his over the shoulder catch was considered the key point in the Giant, shocking sweep of the Indians, and has gone down in history as one of the game's most memorable catches.

MAYS: People talk about the catch, and I don't understand why, because I did many things other than just, you know, catch a ball. But when you find something like that in a World Series, they had to pick a highlight, and they picked, I guess, that one for the highlight.

SCHOLES (voice-over): In 1958, Mays made the move out West with the Giants and batted a career high 347. Seven years later, Mays had one of his best seasons clubbing 52 homeruns, winning his second MVP award.

During the 1972 season, the 41-year-old was dealt back to New York to play for the Mets.

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In what became the last at-bat of his career, Mays hit a game-winning single in the 12th inning of Game 2 of the 1973 World Series, putting an exclamation point on a one of kind career.

But perhaps even greater than his performance on the field was the legacy he left off it. Playing his first major league game just four years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier, Mays helped to carry the torch for future Black baseball players and athletes and he inspired his community for generations to come.

BARRACK OBAMA, THEN-PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A few years ago, Willie rode with me on Air Force One. I told him then what I'll tell all of you now. It's because of giants like Willie that someone like me could even think about running for president.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) GIOKOS: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Eleni Giokos. Here are some of today's top stories.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin are sitting down for talks in Pyongyang. It's Putin's first visit to North Korea in 24 years.

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