♪ the barnes firm injury attorneys ♪ ♪ call one eight hundred, eight million ♪ hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the united states and all around the world. you are watching "cnn newsroom." and i'm rosemary church. just ahead, the taliban celebrate another key victory in afghanistan and issue a warning to the u.s. covid cases hit a six-month high once again pushing america's hospitals to breaking point. and ferocious flames, thousands of firefighters struggle to gain the upper hand as california's dixie fire grows to the second largest in state

history. good to have you with us. well, another city has fallen to the taliban. as the militants warn the u.s. against more intervention in afghanistan. a local journalist tells cnn it's under taliban control meaning they have taken at least five provintual capitals in just a few days. taliban video which cannot be verified purports to show a government compound in kunduz after the militants took over.

it has forced nearly 300,000 afghans to flee their homes since january. in total more than 3.5 million have been displaced. and cnn's nick paten walsh has reported from inside afghanistan for years now. he is tracking these latest moves by the taliban, and he joins us now live from london. good to see you, nick. so what is the latest on the taliban advances and how do we verify their claims? >> there's quite a lot of evidence they have since friday now taken five provincial capitals. as of friday we saw the first one fall near the iranian border and the most significant of the five as you mention is kunduz. but there does appear to be some fighting as afghan commandos try

to move back in. we've seen the taliban take it twice and it seems to be a very different situation on the ground now. and those five provincial capitals while they're deeply significant we're now looking at potentially another key city at threat here. gazni to the southwest of kabul, a key city to the route of the emperilled cities to the south now appears to be a taliban offensive as well. talk about taliban being inside its center, unclear precisely how this is moving but obviously that will be of great concern to the afghan government. kunduz falling is a significant blow to their desire to keep a hold on key population centers across afghanistan. if gazni were to fall in the days afterwards, that would be catastrophic and possibly have a knock on effect to the two key

cities to the south that they're also trying to hold at the moment, too. a lot of concern of the taliban here finding a degree of momentum. i think many are saying that they have been waiting for this moment for quite some time. and the afghan security forces who in the past have benefitted from u.s. air power to always push the insurgency back at that particular moment of crisis be it kunduz or other cities over the past years are seeing u.s. air power in evidence but less effective. the americans are not on the ground, not able to direct precisely where the strikes go. they are flying out of far reaching air bases so not quite as thorough or persistent as they have been in the past. and we're entering i fear into the next few weeks and months a very dangerous situation for afghanistan where we learn two things. firstly quite whether there is the capacity of afghan security forces to hold cities, to hold

ground. kabul doesn't appear under threat at this point, but you can foresee a situation down the line where many cities around it fall to the insurgency and it becomes increasingly hard inside the capital, too. so we'll learn exactly what level of persistence afghan security forces have. and secondly, too, we'll slowly begin to learn the nature of the taliban in ascendance here. a lot of efforts made by them over the past years suggest they've sort of learned lessons, a more moderate version may be apparent as they move forward to power. but there are also very troubling signs that is simply an illusion, and we're seeing hard line stories from the ground of punishment meted out to those who had been loyal to the government in the past years and also tales of atrocities as well. an exceptionally key moment right here, rosemary. an awful 72 hours and now turning into an awful four days in afghanistan. a lot of key questions to be

answered as to exactly how long afghan security forces and where they'll be able to hold out. rosemary? >> the big question, of course. nick paten walsh joining us live from london, many thanks. a sobering dose of reality here in the united states where covid numbers are skyrocketing erasing months of progress in containing the virus. according to john hopkins university the u.s. is averaging more than 100,000 cases per day largely driven by the delta variant and the unvaccinated. and those are the highest numbers in nearly six months. and while vaccinations have been ticking up recently, just over half the u.s. population is fully vaccinated. and top disease expert dr. anthony fauci says it's time for local officials to start requiring vaccinations. >> time has come we've got to go the extra step to get people vaccinated. you want to persuade them,

that's good. and i believe some people on their own once it gets approved as a full approval will go ahead and get vaccinated. but for those who do not want, i believe mandates at the local level need to be done. >> for more on the heated debates over mandating masks and vaccinations let's bring in dr. keith neil. he's an infectious disease physician and professor in mareitous at the university of nottingham and joins us now from derby, england. thank you for being with us. >> good morning. >> so the world is witnessing this rapid spread of the delta variant that's driving up infections, hospitalizations and deaths. and so we do rely on our leaders to make the right public health decisions to keep us safe. however, florida's governor ron desantis, is refusing to mandate masks for kids in school. instead leaving it up to parents to decide. and he won't allow covid testing or contact tracing.

what's your reaction to that as an epidemiologist? >> i think the answer is mask wearing, what's the great problem? i mean, i think the people who say i can't breathe with a mask and a lot of that is psychological, but those with genuine lung problems, they're the least wanting to get covid because it will take away lung function. and wearing a mask though you're breathing, covid will do it in space and you can be in serious problems. in enclosed areas in shops and other places it seems like a low cost strategy. wearing a mask outside probably contributes very little particularly as people are moving and even in a crowded place like a football stadium, and that could be soccer or probably wearing a mask might help but it's not really a big benefit. >> of course there is a big reason why most of us didn't get sick with anything in 2020 because we were wearing those

masks. but i did want to ask you this. are we now at the point in the u.s. and elsewhere across the globe where we need to consider mandating both masks and vaccines until we get this under control? >> i think it's actually quite easy to mandate masks in particular circumstances. my criticism of the british government is we've got too many exceptions. that's done from libertarian principles. i think mandating a vaccine when it -- it actually goes a bit further for a number of reasons. people have genuine concerns and also but i do think there is a good argument for saying if you wish to go into certain places, then you must be fully vaccinated. such as into pubs, restaurants, nightclubs. that seems very reasonable. i know that the pubs in britain have said, oh, they can't do it. but my question to that is then how do they age check people when they buy drinks?

>> very good point. and of course about 50% of americans are fully vaccinated. and about 70% have had at least one shot. but still a third of the population has not been vaccinated. and dr. anthony fauci warns if the vaccination rate does not improve then we will see more variants. some perhaps will require new vaccines. do you agree with that? and what do you see as the solution to the low vaccination rates in many parts of the world? >> i think there's different problems in different countries. in part in low income countries -- think of it i presume the figures for your uptick in the states of the adult or eligible population rather than the entire population because at the moment nobody's doing children under the age of 12. i think what we need to do is get as many people vaccinated as

possible because the vaccine stops you getting ill very effectively, but that's not 100% benefit. it also prevents you from catching the virus full stop. and also if you were, you're less likely to spread it. but none of these effects are completely total, so we haven't achieved a herd immunity. i therefore think you need to produce -- have the highest level of vaccine uptake particularly where transmission most likely to occur. and therefore to interrupt as much transmission as possible. because there is a time that we're seeing in britain that the cases are falling which is almost certainly a combination of different factors. high vaccine uptake, the schools are closed, nice, hot, sunny weather but it's not so good this week. all of which for people tend to meet outside rather than inside. >> thank you for your time and advice. we do appreciate it. >> thank you. well, there's still a lot we

don't know about covid-19 and its variants. but despite their best efforts u.s. health experts shared a lot of conflicting information this past week requiring some damage control. cnn's kristen holmes reports. >> reporter: as the delta variant rages across the country, americans are struggling to understand how to best protect themselves and others. >> he misspoke. >> reporter: the top health officials in the biden administration only adding to the confusion with a series of contradictory messages from masks to mandates. the communication about who should wear a mask causing whiplash. >> you have the opportunity to make the personal choice to add extra layers of protection if you so choose. >> reporter: just days after the head of the centers for disease control and prevention said masks for the fully vaccinated were an individual choice, a complete 180. >> in areas with substantial and high transmission, cdc recommends fully vaccinated

people wear masks in public indoor settings to help prevent the spread of the delta variant and protect others. >> reporter: walensky saying new data was the reason for the shift, data not seen by the public for days causing speculation and confusion. this week a comment by the head of the national institutes of health left parents scratching their head. >> and at home parents of unvaccinated kids should be thoughtful about this, and the recommendation is to wear masks there as well. i know that's uncomfortable. i know it seems weird, but it is the best way to protect your kids. >> reporter: dr. collins tweeting a correction but ultimately dr. fauci had to play cleanup. >> parents do not need to wear masks in their own home. that is the right answer. dr. collins said he misspoke, and i give him great credit for admitting it very, very quickly of saying he misspoke. >> reporter: messaging over a vaccine mandate no clearer. just a day after the white house

covid-19 response coordinator told cnn the administration was not considering a nationwide vaccine mandate, the cdc director contradicted him. >> are you for mandating a vaccine on a federal level? >> you know, that's something that i think the administration is looking into. >> reporter: remarks later backtracked in a tweet reading, "to clarify there will be no nationwide mandate. i was referring to mandates by private institutions and portions of of the federal government. there will be no federal mandate." and while booster shots appeared to be off the table just last week -- >> i want to be very clear. people do not need to go out and get a booster shot. >> right now they're certain americans need boosters. >> reporter: -- it's unclear for how long. >> i think it's possible we're going to require boosters and possible we're going to know that fairly soon. >> and our thanks to cnn's kristen holmes for that report. well, coming up here on "cnn newsroom," wildfires in greece have forced thousands of people

to flee their homes, and there's no guarantee they'll have homes to return to. plus scenes of devastation in northern california as the massive dixie fire explodes in size. why the state's governor says climate change is only super charging these disasters. for people who are a little intense about hydration. neutrogena® hydro boost lightweight. fragrance-free. 48 hour hydration. for that healthy skin glow. neutrogena®. for people with skin.

frank is a fan of fast. he's a fast talker. a fast walker. thanks, gary. and for unexpected heartburn... frank is a fan of pepcid. it works in minutes. nexium 24 hour and prilosec otc can take one to four days to fully work. pepcid. strong relief for fans of fast. feeling sluggish or weighed down? it could be a sign that your digestive system isn't working at it's best taking metamucil everyday can help. metamucil psyllium fiber, gels to trap and remove the waste that weighs you down. it also helps lower cholesterol and slows sugar absorption to promote healthy blood sugar levels. so you can feel lighter and more energetic metamucil. support your daily digestive health. and try metamucil fiber thins. a great tasting and easy way to start your day.

in less than an hour the u.n. is set to deliver its first full update on climate science since 2015. the warnings from the intergovernmental panel on climate change are expected to be dire with the head of the conference saying, quote, this is going to be the starkest warning yet that human behavior is alarmingly accelerating global warming. and this is why prop 26 has to be the moment we get this right. we can't afford to wait 2 years, five years, 10 years. this is the moment. and in california they are living with the impact of the climate crisis right now.

the massive dixie fire has exploded once again becoming the second largest wildfire in state history. it stocorched more than 750 sca miles so far. that's more than three times the size of chicago. and right now the fire is just 21% contained, and it is still growing. cnn's camilla banel reports from the town of paradise. >> reporter: the smoke is think and it's unhealthy. if you look here behind me you're normally supposed to see a canyon. instead you're seeing it filled with smoke. that smoke coming from the dixie fire. it's not only flooding this canyon but also communities nearby. the dixie fire has been burning for almost a month, and we're seeing it growing but we're not seeing much progress on containment. we are also seeing the number of structures destroyed by this fire increasing. it's now at about 400 structures destroyed by this fire.

governor gavin newsom using this weekend to visit the town and using the visit to talk about climate change. >> the extreme weather conditions, extreme droughts are leading to extreme conditions and wildfire challenges the likes of which wave never seen in our history. and as a consequence we need to acknowledge just straight up these are climate induced wildfires, and we have to acknowledge we have the capacity in this country not just the state to solve this. >> reporter: and governor gavin newsom did point to prevention, talked about things like managing the forests but made it very clear that more needs to be done. he also thanked the 8,500 men and women who are working to stop this fire. camilla barnel, cnn, paradise, california. wildfires in greece have been burning out of control for days. on the island of evia thousands of people have been forced to evacuate from their homes.

ferries have been on standby to take people to safety. muns of firefighters are battling the flames there, but extreme heat and dry winds are making it difficult. one woman who had to leave her home explained what it's like on the island right now. >> terrible. i cannot explain to you like a horror movie. you feel yourself -- but now this is not the movie. this is real life. and you don't know if this horror stops tonight and everywhere in greece we have this big problem. >> and earlier i spoke to a journalist who's just near the island.

>> from this port is a ferry, a short ferry ride across. and this what we're waiting to do now, to cross now. because for a long time the ferry services were not regular so we haven't been able to cross. we have been, however, talking to people on the other side waiting to cross from the mainland. they're carrying everything they have in bags. they don't know if their homes have been saved. we've seen the first maps coming out as well. they show the destruction on the island, a big part in the middle and north that seems to have been completely burned. we're going to have the first assessments coming out shortly. more fire fighting operations are under way on the island and the greek president has thanked the 22 countries and they're now operating along with the greek fire fighting forces. all the operations will concentrate on this front, and have been telling us they really hope today is the day they manage to put this fire out.

meanwhile there are more braises in other parts of greece. there are some big fronts and we expect the temperatures to rise today and the winds to remain quite strong, rosemary. >> and what of those people who have evacuated? where are they going? >> reporter: well, they say most of them are going to friends and family. the state has made provisions as well. some football stadiums and other indoor spaces have now been turned into shelters effectively for people to go and stay until they can return to their homes or different plans are made for them, rosemary. and next on "cnn newsroom," surging covid cases in the asia pacific region have led to renewed lockdowns and strict containment measures. we'll have a live report from beijing. and if you want to eat at a restaurant or take a train in france, you will need a health pass. we'll have a live report from paris about the new rules taking

effect today. heartburn happens when stomach acid refluxes into the esophagus. prilosec otc uses a unique delayed-release formula that helps it pass through the tough stomach acid. it then works to turn down acid production, blocking heartburn at the source. with just one pill a day, you get 24-hour heartburn protection. prilosec otc. one pill a day, 24 hours, zero heartburn.

when you really need to sleep you reach for the really good stuff. new zzzquil ultra helps you sleep better and longer when you need it most. it's non habit forming and powered by the makers of nyquil. new zzzquil ultra. when you really really need to sleep.

it's taken a lot to get to this moment. ♪ grew up at midnight - the maccabees ♪ dreams are on the line. you got this. refresh... it all, comes down, to this. ♪♪

across the asia pacific region the delta variant of the coronavirus is straining health care systems and putting many people back under lock down. an uptick in local cases prompted china to impose strict travel restrictions and mass testing in some cities. china reported 125 new infections monday, most of them locally transmitted. vietnam faces at least another week of strict social distancing measures in some areas. authorities posted a record number of new cases sunday.

almost 9,700 according to state run news. and the philippines posted its highest daily death toll since early april. manila is under strict lock down as new cases soar. steven jung joins us now live from beijing. steven, what is the latest now on all of this? >> reporter: well, rosemary, as you were mentioning here in china a lot of local officials are watching one particular number both very closely but also nervous sly. that is number of locally transmit cases. and that number stood at 102 recorded sunday. obviously still pales in comparison to what we're seeing in other parts of the world. but in this country this is considered unacceptable because of the government's zero-tolerance policy toward such cases. that's why increasingly we see local officials punished or even sacked whenever a new cluster of locally transmitted cases emerge in their jukz. that's also why usee local

authorities across china adopt ever more stringent containment measures, even more rounds of mass testing, more extensive contact tracing as well as increasingly draconian lock down measures and travel restrictions especially in and out of beijing which also of course as you know is the host city of the upcoming winter olympics. and that's just six months away from today. now, of course there have been some suggestions from prominent chinese experts the government here may want to rethink their approach, maybe learning from other governments to live with the virus. but that notion seems to have been thoroughly and harshly rejected after a series of state media articles with one former health minister lashing out any such suggestion at the chinese government should take a page from western governments approach because he said, they have utterly failed their people in the west. and this health minister, former minister said china's government should not only stick to its approach but even strengthen

their measures including border closures and controls. >> steven, i was going to ask you quickly about the rest of asia. what is the situation there? >> reporter: it is an increasingly alarming picture as we mentioned with many countries reporting record high number of daily cases. and this, of course, also corresponds to a very low rate of vaccination. in many countries this rate stages single digit, and of course this means in many places they're already a very stretched health care system being pushed to the brink. that's why in places like malaysia we've seen doctors and nurses take -- go on strike last week to protest over the conditions at their hospitals. this obviously is unlikely to change anytime soon as many countries continue to face shortage of vaccines. rosemary? >> steven jung, bringing the latest from beijing. want to turn now where

french cafes, restaurants and long distance trains are off-limits to those without the controversial health pass. people must be fully vaccinated, have a recent negative test or show they have recovered from covid in order to get the health pass. for more on this let's bring in cnn's jim bitterman who's joining us from a bus station in paris. good to see you, jim. so tell us more about these new rules and how much resistance there is to this. >> reporter: well, the fact is, rosemary, there's not a whole lot of resistance because are just rejected from boarding these buses. these are long distance buses. if you want to board a bus, a plane, a train, you've got to show a health pass -- this is mine. either in paper form or your smart phone, whatever to prove you've been vaccinated or that you tested negative. and so the drivers are inspecting as the people board the bus. this bus here is going just any minute now. the driver told me he had to

turn away a couple people already this morning, and of course they get reimbursed for their ticket but they can't travel. and he finds even though it's a bit bothersome to be checking everybody's pass he said it's reassuring because he's been vaccinated and he's happy to know everybody else on his bus has been vaccinated, too. so it works to reassure the people that have contact with strangers like he does and other people here. it applies as well, though, rosemary as you mentioned to cafes, bars, restaurants and they're going to have to start inspecting as well. there it's a little bit different story because a lot of restaurants are saying we're not middl policemen. >> making living spaces safer. jim bitterman joining us there from paris. many thanks. well, tokyo puts out the olympic flame after wrapping up the summer games that were truly

one of a kind. we are live in japan. that is next. age before beauty? why not both? visibly diminish wrinkled skin in... crepe corrector lotion... only from gold bond. are your hr processes weighing down your employees? on to quarterly projections! expense report! if you're using multiple systems, re-entering data over and over time sheet! using email and spreadsheets to manage information and approvals, then your hr systems are a drag on productive time. with paycom, employees enter and manage their own hr data in a single, easy-to-use software. visit paycom dot com and schedule your demo today. do they know this door is locked

you know, i'm glad that you got your credit sorted with extracredit, but isn't this a little much? too much? is getting 28 different fico scores with extracredit too much? no, it's just 100 degrees out here. i mean, aren't you hot? getting credit reports from all three bureaus does make me feel warm inside. what? right? who knew there were that many scores. turns out lenders don't care about free credit scores and neither should you. instead, see what lenders actually see with extracredit.

with an air force flyover and the colors of the french flag streaking the sky, paris celebrated its turn to host the next summer olympics in 2024. the traditional hand over of the olympic flag took place sunday as the tokyo games wrapped up. some of france's medal winners from those games joined sunday's celebration in the french capital, the paris 2024 games will mark 100 years since the last time france hosted the olympics. well, this of course coming as japan wraps up the summer games in tokyo. athletes from around the world took part in the olympics

despite challenges and a year-long delay caused by the covid-19 pandemic. the head of the international olympic committee said the event was one to remember. >> i'm only sure that nobody -- nobody who took part in these games will ever forget these olympic games. they are unique and they are a great manifestation and a great symbol of hope for the people across the globe. they're a great manifestation of solidarity which made these games happening and they're a great manifestation of peace because without solidarity there is no peace. >> so let's head straight out to tokyo now with cnn's blake esek is standing by.

you've been there from start to finish in the initial stages. the japanese people didn't even want these games. what is the sense now on the streets as people look and see it's over. what is the sense there? >> reporter: rosemary, it's been a tale of two cities. there have been a lot of people that have obviously not been supporting these games because of the health and safety concerns. as a the games began things started to change. there are hundreds of people stretched for about 30, 40 meters waiting to take a picture with the olympic rings, just to be a part of this olympic experience even though it is now officially over. as you mentioned i've been covering these games throughout this entire time and i was lucky enough to be inside the stadium and witness the closing ceremony in person like every event i attended throughout these games. it really was a surreal experience to sit inside and seemingly watch the celebration of sport, the fireworks, the parade of nations, the athletes was all incredibly strange.

it was strange to watch thousands of athletes come out onto the field essentially waving to a couple hundred journalists. personally it was an amazing experience, but it served as a reminder this was not the olympic anyone wanted and definitely not the olympic games the people of japan deserved. it's important to remember the health and safety concerns that led to unpopularity of tokyo 2020. in fact people were still protesting even as the ceremony was under way. there was a noticeable shift not necessarily in support of the games but instead the athletes. take a listen. >> translator: many people were against holding the olympics amid the pandemic, but so many athletes have been aiming to make it to the olympics their whole lives, and i really thought it was good that games went ahead for them. >> reporter: there's also been a desire by a lot of people to experience the games in any way possible for the past two weeks. we saw people constantly gathering outside of competition

venues, along race routes and as i mention right here outside the national stadium to take a picture with the olympic rings. of course winning can also help change attitudes and generate excitem. we saw a lot of wonderful moments here during these games. japan did extremely well at these games winning 27 gold medals, 11 more than japan had won at any summer olympic games than ever before. >> many magical moments. you did a great, job, too. and "world sport" is next for our cnni viewers. and for everyone else i'll be back with more news. stick around. because a quality night's sleep is scientifically proven to help increase energy and improve recovery. and it keeps you at your best all day long. the new sleep number 360 smart bed is temperature balancing. and it helps keep you asleep by sensing your movement and automatically adjusts to keep you both effortlessly comfortable. proven quality sleep is life-changing sleep. only from sleep number.

it's a simple fact: nothing kills more germs on more surfaces than lysol spray. it's a simple fact: it even kills the covid-19 virus. science supports these simple facts. there's only one true lysol. lysol. what it takes to protect.

for your best back to school smile, crest has you covered. nice smile, brad! nice! thanks!? crest, the #1 toothpaste brand in america. when you skip the rinse with finish quantum, you save up to 20 gallons of water each time. finish quantum with activblu technology has the power to remove the toughest stains without pre-rinsing for dishes so clean they shine. join finish and skip the rinse to save our water.

it's so high in florida i think if florida were another country we'd have to consider banning travel from florida to the united states. >> a strong warning on florida's raging coronavirus outbreak there. hospitalizations are now 13% higher than the previous peak last year in florida. and this is how new covid cases have shot up in the united states in just the past five weeks. hospitalizations are reaching all-time highs in parts of the

south putting some medical staff and icus again at their breaking point. children's hospitals are also getting overwhelmed. cases spiked 84% among children in one week at the end of last month with nearly 72,000 new child cases reported. as the director of the national institutes of health said sunday, the u.s. has the tools to prevent this but not enough of us are using them. >> we would not be in the place we are right now with this delta surge if we'd been more effective in getting everybody to take advantage of these immunizations. and now we're paying a terrible price as the cases go up quickly. >> and as of a few hours ago people in the u.s. who were fully vaccinated now have one more option when it comes to leaving their country. but as paula newton reports, it doesn't work both ways.

>> reporter: it's official now and despite the rising incidents of coronavirus in the united states, canada has now reopened its border to fully vaccinated americans and u.s. residents. that is the first time in more than 16 months and there are family reunions and americans who haven't seen their canadian properties in months. they can now cross at the land border. what's interesting here is the biden administration has not reciprocated. if you are canadian and you're traveling for nonessential reasons, you can't cross at the land border. although what is functioned in more like a loophole canadians have been able to go to the united states by air since the pandemic started. canada itself is now dealing with what canada's top doctor says is the beginning of a fourth wave with the level of vaccination in canada is now so high that many public health officials say it is time to safely reopen the border and that begins with fully vaccinated americans, fully

vaccinated international visitors should be able to enter canada in september. paula newton, cnn, ottawa. the u.s. senate is closer to passing the massive $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. after months of negotiations the final hurdle to passing the bill was cleared on sunday when 18 republican senators joined democrats to end debate. a final vote is expected on tuesday. the bill features $550 billion in new federal spending on roads, bridges and passenger and freight rail along with funding to expand broadband internet access. and earlier i spoke with natasha lindstat about the significance of this for the biden administration. >> well, this is definitely incredibly significant because the u.s. senators have been very much in line with trump on most things. this is an opportunity for them

to break with trump. and we think there will be about 20 senators that are willing to do so. and this is one of the key policies of the biden administration. he really wants to get this infrastructure bill passed. it is popular, and i think that is also why you have senators breaking rank with trump and deciding to vote with biden. they know it is popular. they know it is badly needed, and it's also not going to be paid for by raising taxes. so there are a few holdouts that are delaying the process, but overall this looks like something that will get through because it is overwhelmingly popular. >> and we are following too details in the sexual harassment scandal swirling around new york governor andrew cuomo. another one of his 11 accusers is now speaking publicly about her experience. an assistant to the governor says he gradually escalated his physical contact with her and he

took advantage of the power imbalance between them in the workplace. she spoke to cbs this morning and the albany times union newspaper. >> then they started to be hugs with kisses on the cheek. and then there was at one point a hug, and then when he went to go kiss me on the cheek he'd quickly turn his head and he kissed me on the lips. >> what did you say? >> i didn't say anything. i didn't say anything. i didn't say anything this whole time. people don't understand that this is the governor of the state of new york. there are troopers that are outside of the mansion, and there are some mansion staff. those troopers that are there, they are not there to protect me. they are there to protect him. >> governor cuomo denies any wrongdoing. in the meantime state lawmakers

will hear from impeachment investigation members later today. cnn's paolo sandoval picks up the story from there. >> reporter: new york governor andrew cuomo facing what will likely be another trying week. on monday legislatures on the state judiciary committee return to albany where they're expected to meet with independent investigators related to the governor's impeachment probe. with governor cuomo's sexual harassment investigation by lawmakers nearing completion, he has until this friday to offer evidence in his defense, an opportunity cuomo's personal lawyer insists was not provided by the new york state a.g. before the release of a scathing report in which several women accused the governor of unwelcome and nonconsensual touching as well as making comments of a suggestive sexual nature. atsdsing to the governor's troubles, the possibility of criminal charges. the albany county sheriff's department confirmed its investigating a complaint of behavior from governor cuomo that was sexual in nature.

>> i had a femaim victim come forward and make an allegation of criminal conduct against the governor. >> reporter: noting the report as only as executive assistant number 1, that female victim is speaking publicly for the first time, previewing their upcoming conversation with one of the governor's current staffers coming forward to defend her account without blurring to protect her image. >> the governor needs to be held accountable. >> and just so i'm clear again being held accountable to you means seeing the governor charged with a crime. >> what he did to me was a crime. he broke the law. >> reporter: rita glavin, the governor's attorney -- the a.g.'s report alleges he ran his

fingers down her back. >> one thing i will say about this particular trooper is i do know the guvhair has tremendous respect for her, believe she's been an excellent member of his detail. and to the extent she believes and felt he did anything that violated her or was inappropriate, he feels very, very badly about tat. that i do know and i know he's going to address this. >> reporter: exactly when that will be remains unclear. the governor has apologized to a handful of women. >> he does slip at times. he's not perfect, but, yeah i get it. >> when you say he does slip what do you mean by that? >> oh, he said in his video statements, which is that, you know, he does make the mistake. he will say darling. he will say sweetheart. he does ask people questions about their personal lives. he didn't think that was improper. >> reporter: paolo sanl doefbl,

cnn, albany new york. firefighters are racing to contain the massive dixie fire in northern california. it exploded over the weekend becoming the second largest wildfire in state history. the fire has scorched nearly half a million acres so far. and right now the fire is just 21% contained and still growing. this was the scene in -- after the fire tore through the area several days ago. it destroyed around three quarters of the buildings in the historic town of greenville. at least four people are up still unaccounted for. the flames are so intense and unpredictable, officials say it's like nothing they have ever seen before. >> we're seeing truly frightening fire behavior. we have a lot of veteran firefighters who have served for 20, 30 years and have never seen behavior like this. >> and the dixie fire is just one of more than 100 wildfires

burning across the united states. more now we're joined by meteorologist pedram jjavaheri. >> conditions unfortunately going to go down a bit in the next couple of days. the national weather service taking this very seriously. they've already prompted excessive heat watches across a large area of the northwestern united states and does stretch as far south as the northern sacramento valley to northern california. and temperatures there could be as hot as 110 degrees there for the next several days. going to see these temps rise maybe 5 to 8 degrees as we go tuesday into wednesday as another heat wave here builds. and notice tremendous heat wave takes over this particular region. going to make a bit more challenging for fire fighting efforts. and even places such as seattle where we had record heat in the summer, things stabilize for a

couple of weeks and we're right back at it this week with temps soaring to 100 degrees. so you'll notice not just seattle but portland goes into near record territory yet again. in medford temperatures climbing up to almost 110 degrees. and the concern across the state of california, there are currently 19 active fires. as rosy noted here, 21% containment in a fire already destroyed some 600 plus structures. but notice the fire one of the largest fires in california state history. rosemary, six of the top seven have happened since august of last year. since august 2020, an incredible run of wildfire activity and the dixie fire now pushing into second place for the largest in state history. so, unfortunately, conditions not going to get better as far as weather is concerned the next several days. rosy? >> not good news at all. bringing us the very latest, many thanks as always. and thank you for joining us. i'm rosemary church. i'll be back with more news

after the short break. do stay with us. [whispered] air wick. get more fresh fragrance with air wick scented oils. for the price of one frebreze refill, you get two air wick refills. for over 50% more of the fresh fragrance you love. choose air wick.

my plaque psoriasis... ...the itching ...the burning. the stinging. my skin was no longer mine. my psoriatic arthritis, made my joints stiff, swollen... painful. emerge tremfyant™. with tremfya®, adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis... ...can uncover clearer skin and improve symptoms at 16 weeks. tremfya® is the only medication of its kind also approved for adults with active psoriatic arthritis. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. tremfya®. emerge tremfyant™. janssen can help you explore cost support options.

♪♪ i'm chi lan, i am a mom, and a real estate agent. after having a kid, everything that you used to do for yourself goes out the window. the lines that i was seeing in my forehead were getting deeper than i was used to them being. and i realized, you know, what i can focus again on myself. so, what do you see when you look at yourself? i see someone who is growing and changing, who loves and is loved. botox® cosmetic is fda approved to temporarily make frown lines, crow's feet and forehead lines look better. the effects of botox® cosmetic may spread hours to weeks after injection, causing serious symptoms. alert your doctor right away as difficulty swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems, or muscle weakness may be a sign of a life-threatening condition. do not receive botox® cosmetic if you have a skin infection. side effects may include allergic reactions, injection site pain, headache, eyebrow,

eyelid drooping, and eyelid swelling. tell your doctor about your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions, and medications including botulinum toxins as these may increase the risk of serious side effects. see for yourself at botoxcosmetic.com hello and welcome to our viewers joining us. just ahead on "cnn news room." people are dieing in florida. it'll get worse. the hospitals are filling. >> the coronavirus pandemic is once again america's biggest nightmare with the new round of surging infections and hospitalizations straining the health system. plus, thousands of people displaced in afghanistan as the taliban claim more