that we ve been seeing as of late here. but this is still erupting. it is still unpredict sable and drawing a lot of attention. very much a tourist trap. some people not satisfied with their view and they are taking chances to get a better one. seemingly photogenic from other angle. there is a striking beauty to ma mauna loa. this particular kind of thrill seeker. a lava junky. the kind of term out here we call ourselves lava junky. it is our it is what gives our excitement and our adrenalin for the day. reporter: this lava junky has captured fiery waves in kilauea eruption. and then going to the source. the expert lava junkies. usgs scientists in corrective greer and bringing samples here.
senate count was settled, along comes kyrsten sinema. the lead starts right now. kyrsten sinema declaring her independence. she s done with democrats. this hour, what you haven t heard in her exclusive interview with jake tapper. why she s announcing this now, why she s switching parties a second time and will she support president biden in 2024? will a judge old former president donald trump in contempt of court? the frustration building after more classified documents were found. plus, those who dare, self-proclaimed lava junkies risking the law and their lives to see volcanos up close. welcome to the lead. i m kasie hunt in today for jake tapper. we start with our politics lead and that major shake-up on capitol hill which could have major ramifications in 2024. kyrsten sinema announced she s leaving the democratic party and
up and having a pretty boring life or go see for yourself. curtis and sherry ghiked ove unstable lava rock to the edge of the flow. they recorded this video about 15 yards from the crawling lava. then there are those going to the source of the lava, the expert lava junkies, usgs scientists in protective gear, collecting samples of the lava and bringing them here. the university of highawaii is running the response lab. these samples have been collected since the lava started spewing. it was thrown up in the air and landed. they scooped it up while it was still molten and quenched it. if you look at it, you ll see it s very bubbly, soft. you can break it in your hands. reporter: researchers here
do. we need to go to mars faster than we can now in order to shorten that trip. well, whenever you have an empty seat on one of these trips to the moon or mars, i m always willing so that this is not the closest i get to space right here, right now. bill nelson, thanks for joining us. thanks, jim. i love the movie, too, i also love, my friend, that you never miss an opportunity to remind bill nelson and anyone else who is listening that you are ready and i m excited for when they finally put you in that seat. you have to keep selling and i know it s a long shot, but i will keep trying. hey, listen, if you don t raise your hand it ain t going to happen. he is smiling. he is filing. i like your fancy backdrop. mauna loa eruption continuing to creep toward one of the big island s main roads. look at these pictures. we are live in hawaii next where self-proclaimed lava junkies are doing everything they can to get the very best shot.
in our national lead, officials say the lava flow from hawaii s mauna loa volcano has filed close to the main highway. as cnn s david culver reports, that s not stopping these so-called lava junkies from trying to get as close as possible to the active volcano. reporter: seemingly photogenic from every angle, there is beauty to the eruption. the volcano is different every single day. every time you go it s always different. reporter: c.j. driving us to his picture perfect spot at 4:00 in the morning. the best view, he believes, the rising sun greeting the glowing lava. many hours of sleep sacrificed for just a few minutes of perfect lighting, weather permitting. yeah, that is super thick. reporter: we step out into the cold rain, hoping it will