[Randi Kaye, Cnn Anchor:] From CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, this is EARLY START WEEKEND. Extreme heat baking half the country. More than 300,000 still without power and at least 30 dead. But while a cold front is on the way, the relief may come at a dangerous price. We'll explain. Plus, it might be cool temperatures at Wimbledon, but it is hot on the court. For the first time in 74 years, a Brit will play in the men's finals. We'll take you there live. And later
[Ringo Starr, The Beatles:] We're still outselling most acts.
[Kaye:] My interview with Beatles great Ringo Starr. His legacy, his birthday, and, of course, his music. It is Sunday, July 8th. Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. We start with another day of record temperatures across the country. The triple-digit highs being blamed for at least 30 deaths across seven states. The extreme heat has also led to power problems. More than 300,000 people were without electricity and, more importantly, air conditioning. But some relief may be on the way. A cold front is moving down from the Great Lakes, heading south. But a warning the front could bring with it some pretty strong storms with hail, lightning, and damaging winds. Extreme heat and more possible storms, of course, seem to be on the way. Meteorologist Sarah Dillingham joins me now. So where and when is this cold front going to hit?
[Sarah Dillingham, Cnn Meteorologist:] Well, Randi, the good news is, we've seen this drop through Chicago already. Your temperatures are going to be back into the 80s today. But as we looked at that map of the heat advisories, we're already seeing a big chunk of the country with none of those advisories today. Only 12 state now under heat advisories for this afternoon, which is good news. That's about half of what we've been seeing over the past three days. Now that cold front you're talking about, take a look at those temperatures for Chicago today. Eighty-two degrees after a stretch of three days of over 10 degrees for that city earlier this week. So those guys finally getting some relief. Columbus, 93. New York, 92. So some places are still going to be a little bit warm today. And we already did see that front push through yesterday across the northeast, bringing with it some severe storm as well. Take a look, though, by Tuesday. Eighty-one, Chicago, 88 in Lexington, and 89 in Columbus. Even D.C. dropping down to 86 degrees. And that front is helping to break down that ridge. So even though that front doesn't really get all the way into the deep south, it's definitely going to be helping to bring some relief. But those folks in the west, unfortunately, they're going to start to see the heat build there and possible 90s and around 100 as far north as Montana. Randi.
[Kaye:] All right, Sarah, thank you very much for that update. To Tokyo now where Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made it clear time is running out for Syria's government. She talked about recent high-level defections from the Syrian military and the growing strength of opposition forces.
[Hillary Clinton, Secretary Of State:] The future, to me, should be abundantly clear to those who support the Assad regime. The days are numbered.
[Kaye:] Clinton was in Tokyo for a donors conference on Afghanistan, where $16 billion was pledged to help the country's transition. In Russia, flash flooding has killed at least 140 people. People climbed into trees and on to rooftops to escape the rising waters. Russian President Vladimir Putin toured the area and promised to help rebuild the homes lost in the floods. CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney has the incredible pictures of the damage.
[Fionnuala Sweeney, Cnn Correspondent:] Floodwaters rise in southern Russia, sweeping through houses as people slept, unaware and vulnerable. The rushing water submerged streets, ripped out traffic lights, and stranded vehicles. Thousands of people have been affected. Witnesses say they were shocked by the force and intensity of the deluge.
[Unidentified Female:] We lost our property. All we have invested in. First of all, it's a shock, of course. The car has drowned over there. Everything is ruined. It was frightening.
[Unidentified Male:] Yes, it happened just when I was driving. I managed to stop the car, but still the landslide was too big. The airbags worked, so neither me, nor the passenger was hurt.
[Sweeney:] Russian officials are calling it the worst disaster in the region in a decade. Several districts have been declared emergency zones.
[Alexander Kozlikin, Krasnodar Regional Emergencies Ministry Dept:] We have the most difficult situation in Kleums. One-third of the houses are in water. Twenty emergency and fire trucks have arrived there already. And the rescue squad from Kopalifka is on its way. Also, the ministry has made a decision to send two planes and three helicopters from Moscow.
[Sweeney:] The flooding is also a major blow to resort areas in the region at the very height of the tourist season. Officials say one town actually got two months of rain in 24 hours. Another town, five months' worth. The Itar TASS news agency says in one community, floodwaters rose seven meters, 23 feet, overnight. Fionnuala Sweeney, CNN, Atlanta.
[Kaye:] Back here in the U.S., police broke up a major drug trafficking operation in Tempe, Arizona. Investigators say it was being run by a Mexican drug cartel. Twenty people were arrested and authorities seized three tons of marijuana and more than $2 million in cash. Let's get to new information now on that mystery illness that is killing children in Cambodia. Doctors now think that they may have found a common link. It's called the EV71 virus. In adults, it is usually fought off by a healthy immune system. But for children, it can cause paralysis and death. Also there is no effective vaccine. Sara Sidner is live in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Sara, do they know if this EV71 is for sure the cause?
[Sara Sidner, Cnn Correspondent:] No. The answer to that just plainly is no. They've not sure whether or not this is the cause. This is not determinate. They haven't said yes, this EV71 is the culprit. What they're doing right now is they're doing more tests to try and determine exactly what the cause might be. The World Health Organization was very clear in saying that this new information does not solve the problem of this undetermined disease that has been going around what they're calling a mystery syndrome. We did, however, today, speak with a doctor who treated two children who had this mystery syndrome. Those two children, Randi, died within 48 hours of being brought to the hospital. One of them died within 24. What they noticed in these children was that they came in with very high fever. They were having much difficulty breathing. And in one case, the child's lungs deteriorated literally hour by hour. That is the child who died within 24 hours. And so there's a lot of concern not only with doctors who are trying to treat this illness, that they're not sure what it is. But, of course, parents, very worried about their children here in Cambodia because dozens of children have died after getting this mysterious syndrome.
[Kaye:] And what is the situation at the hospital, having just returned from there? Are the doctors overwhelmed or do they think that they're going to be able to deal with this?
[Sidner:] They're doing their best. What's happened is, in Phnom Penh, which is the capital, that's where the majority of the cases have been discovered. Mainly because the children's hospital that is here is well-known around the country and many people would bring their child if they're very sick to that hospital in particular. The hospital we went to was in the southwestern part of the country. Many of these cases are coming from the southern part of the country, though they're not clustered. There's not one area where they're finding lots and lots of cases, but dotted around most of the south. Doctors, right now, are always dealing with other kinds of illnesses, like dengue fever and encephalitis. Dengue fever is a big problem. About 50 children per day are admitted into the particular hospital that we were in during the rainy season, which is now. So they're dealing with that. They've got a lot of patients. But this particular disease has really got a lot of people worried and concerned. And they're really looking just for the answer. What is it that is killing these children? Randi.
[Kaye:] It's a terrible, terrible situation there. Sara Sidner, thank you for the update on that. And now here's a rundown of some of the stories that we're working on for you this morning. A virus infects millions of computers worldwide and now the FBI is going to kick some of you off the Internet on purpose starting tomorrow. Then, a wild scene at this Ohio gas station when a runaway semi crashes near one of the gas pumps. Plus, the family of Nelson Mandela offers a unique tribute to the icon ahead of his 94th birthday. His granddaughters join me live to tell us what it is. And one on one with Ringo Starr. The music legend reflects on his days as a member of the Fab Four.
[Ringo Starr, The Beatles":] They were incredibly, you know, exciting and important days for me. And the music we made is still important.