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Ukraine Targets Russia Oil Tanker Near Crimean Bridge; Fourth Criminal Indictment Could Happen Soon In Georgia; Officials Identify Another Victim In Beach Slayings; FDA Approves First Postpartum Depression Pill; Mental Health Experts: Postpartum Depression Can Last For Months Or Years Without Any Treatment; Rally And Vigil Held For 28-Year-Old Killed At Gas Station; Simone Biles To Compete For First Time Since Tokyo. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired August 05, 2023 - 12:00   ET

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

[11:59:56]

JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: And so, I think this really is about what's happening right now in the Republican Party. It's about partisan incentives and perceptions. And that's why everyone is scrambling to see how can we push this in a different direction.

So, this is not acceptable, even if we have vast differences over policy and other sorts of issues.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: So, do you see this process regardless of potential trial outcome, as a possible correction, 50 years after President Ford preemptively pardoned Richard Nixon for his role in the Watergate breaking?

ZELIZER: I do. I think regardless of what happens in the trial, regardless of how this plays out politically, it was important for the department of justice to take the stand, to say there are certain guardrails we will adhere to. And if someone violates them so egregiously, even the former president will be held accountable.

And so, I think this is an important reversal of that decision that former President Ford made to choose healing, which didn't happen over accountability. This time, accountability comes first.

WHITFIELD: Julian Zelizer, we'll leave it there for now. Thank you so much.

ZELIZER: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: Hello, again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin this hour with a new salvo in the war on Ukraine. Ukrainian forces carrying out an attack in the dead of the night on one of Russia's biggest oil tankers in the Black Sea.

A source telling CNN that a sea drone, with almost 1,000 pounds of explosives hit the ship. Video shows the moments leading up to the attack. Russia says the ship was not carrying oil, but a Ukrainian source claims it was carrying fuel for the Russian military.

The attack came after Ukrainian see drones targeted a coastal naval base, striking a Russian warship.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh looks at the escalating situation in the Black Sea.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: We're now beginning, perhaps, see a new Ukrainian tactic. The Black Sea itself shipping lanes now repeatedly under attack by Ukrainian drones, and Ukraine being fairly public about its responsibility for these attacks.

We have the attack in Novorossiysk against a amphibious landing craft. And now, it appears that a SIG Russian oil tanker, which Ukrainian officials was -- says, was carrying fuel for the military campaign that again hit by a Ukrainian drone.

Also, according to Ukrainian officials carrying just shy of half a metric ton of explosives. That may suggest, perhaps, a similar model to that which carried out the Novorossiysk attack.

But this SIG oil tanker carrying 5,000 tons of fuel significantly ablaze. According to Russian official statements, the 11 crew have escaped unharmed, always difficult to work out quite where the truth lies. Given Russian officials are still suggesting that the attack in Novorossiysk against the amphibious landing craft was unsuccessful.

But at the same time, as this attack appears to have occurred, one Russian official, suggesting there was a sound of explosions around the Kerch Bridge. It may not have been an attack there, may have been anti-aircraft fire.

But and I think an increasing sense of that area so vital to Russian interests being increasingly under Ukrainian attack. And Ukraine itself now quite capable of projecting power, it seems.

These drones, an ingenious way frankly, of getting towards things that the Russian naval military would presumably imagine, were relatively invulnerable, this becoming something that we're now seeing daily, perhaps a bid by Ukraine to try and project power in a successful way away from the slow grind and comparative lack of progress they're seeing on the southern counter offensive front, but certainly a shock for the Kremlin to start seeing these incidents with this kind of frequency.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.

WHITFIELD: Thank you so much, Nick Paton Walsh.

Let's get more analysis now on these developments. With me now is Ray Mabus. He was the former, or he is the former U.S. Secretary of Navy under President Obama. So good to see you, Mr. Secretary.

So, you know --

(CROSSTALK)

RAY MABUS, FORMER SECRETARY OF THE NAVY: It's good to see you.

WHITFIELD: Wonderful. So, looking at these attacks, were you surprised that Ukraine was able to successfully hit ships with these water drones?

MABUS: I'm not surprised they were able to hit them. But one of the things that is a little surprising is how far away they were. I mean, the estimates are that these unmanned -- uncrewed sea drones had to go about 450 miles or more. And what it says is -- to the Russians, there is no place safe. Doesn't matter how far away you are, it doesn't matter how protected you are, if you are a Russian ship, either an oil tanker or military ship like the (INAUDIBLE). We can find you. We can hit you.

WHITFIELD: How crippling if indeed it was carrying fuel for the Russian military?

[12:05:06]

MABUS: Well, it's crippling. It's not a game changer, that one ship. But if they become cautious. if they can't guarantee that those chips are going to be safe, then, it could have a really big bearing. Because they're bringing a lot of the supplies, I understand, by sea, to their troops that are fighting Ukrainians.

WHITFIELD: Russia, you know, also ended the Grain Deal, and is trying to enforce its blockade on the Black Sea -- Black Sea.

Is there any amount of international leverage or even pressure from Ukraine that could cause Russia to back down?

MABUS: You know, there is been international pressure on Russia on all sorts of things, and they don't seem to be very susceptible to that. But what this does, is it changes the military calculus. It changes. It's not just Russia, in its illegal brutal attack on Ukraine.

And after the Grain Deal, you know, attacking Ukrainian ports, destroying grain meant for the rest of the world, this says to the Russians, and to the Russian people, and to the Russian military, and the Russian leadership, we can find you. We can -- we can hit you. And these things are very hard to detect. They ride low in the water. They're fast. Obviously, they've got a very long range.

And it is sort of ironic that the Russian Navy is losing to a country that basically doesn't have a Navy in, you know, traditional sense.

WHITFIELD: Yes, very elusive. And earlier in the week, one of our reporters did a report on the use of these drones. And now, we see how effective, at least, in this case, it has been.

There were a few other events of this week that I also want to ask you about. The U.S. now is considering putting troops on commercial vessels in some waterways in the Middle East to help ward off seizures from Iran. Are you on board with that kind of plan?

MABUS: Well, I don't see this as much of an escalation. I mean, we've got warships there. We've had warships there for years, we've escorted ships, we've answered distress calls very recently from commercial ships.

We, and the British, British launched a helicopter, we sent one of our destroyers, we've now -- we're now sending an amphibious ready group, an ARG with three ships for the Marines and equipment into the area.

And so, putting Marines on merchant ships doesn't seem like it raises the risk much. It does raise the probability that ships get through without getting seized. But these Marines are highly trained. And they don't go on the ships unless the owner of the ship -- unless the place that the ship is flag request.

And so, I think that this is -- if you can do something to deter these seizures, and to make clear to the Iranians that we can do more than one thing. We are -- yes, we are concerned about Ukraine. Yes, we are concerned about the rise of China. But we're not taking off the -- off the Straits of Hormuz either.

WHITFIELD: OK. And now, these alarming allegations. Two U.S. Navy sailors have been arrested for allegedly sending sensitive U.S. military information to Chinese intelligence officers.

They're accused of sending pictures of ships, sharing plans for military exercises. If true, how much damage might have been done?

MABUS: If true, hard to know how much damage, but it's not good. It -- if they had access to classified information, and it's things like capabilities of your ships. It's things like what they can do and what they can do in certain situations.

Things like this, very -- for good reason, are some of the most serious things that could happen. And that's why we treat this treason so seriously -- this possible treason so very seriously.

WHITFIELD: Secretary Ray Mabus, glad to see you. Thank you so much for being with us this weekend.

MABUS: I appreciate it. Thank you.

[12:10:02]

WHITFIELD: Western officials are increasingly worried that the race for the White House is impacting Russian President Vladimir Putin's war plans.

The thinking is that he could be dragging out fighting in Ukraine in the hopes that someone other than Joe Biden wins the U.S. presidential election.

When U.S. official telling CNN that President Putin thinks Republican front runner Donald Trump would help him. CNN's Kylie Atwood has more. KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: American and European officials are concerned that President Putin may be factoring the 2024 presidential elections into his Ukraine war approach, essentially banking on the possibility that if President Biden loses, and Trump or another Republican candidate wins, that U.S. support for Ukraine would diminish, which would then, of course, benefit Putin.

And now, this is not a steadfast hard U.S. intelligence assessment on Putin's mindset. But U.S. officials do think that he is taking this into consideration and as one expert said, it's basically a potential light at the end of the tunnel for Putin that would drive down any possibility of a near term resolution to this war.

Now, obviously, we know that the likelihood of a near term resolution is quite low now, but this could incentivize Putin -- folks who are concerned in the U.S. and Europe to drag on the war through November of next year.

Kylie Atwood, CNN, Washington.

WHITFIELD: All right. Just a day after former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to charges he conspired to overturn the 2020 election, Special Counsel Jack Smith is seeking a new protective order against him in that case.

Through a court filing last night, Smith flagged this online post from Trump, as part of the reasoning he is seeking to keep defense lawyers from sharing copies of evidence deemed sensitive with Trump.

Trump's post says, quoting now, "If you go after me, I'm coming after you."

Smith's filing said Trump could release evidence to the public that would hurt the case.

A Trump spokesperson said the comment was the definition of political speech and is not related to the case.

And moments ago, we learned the judge overseeing the case has given the Trump team until 5:00 p.m. Monday to respond. We'll hear more from the former president, possibly tonight. He has a campaign event in South Carolina.

And we may soon see former President Trump facing charges that he could not pardon if he were reelected.

CNN's Nick Valencia explains there are signs a fourth indictment is coming for Trump, not from the U.S. Justice Department, but from the State of Georgia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FANI WILLIS, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA: We're ready.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): With a half smile and a nod, Fani Willis, says she is ready. C. WILLIS: If someone broke the law in Fulton County, Georgia, that I have a duty to prosecute, and that's exactly what I plan to do.

VALENCIA (voice over): While indictments could be handed down this month, it's been more than a year since Willis launched the investigation, convening a rare special purpose Grand Jury with the power to subpoena.

Although, the special purpose grand jury cannot itself issue indictments, it handed over its recommendations in February, after interviewing more than 75 witnesses, including some of the biggest names in Trump's orbit.

VALENCIA: Mr. Giuliani, when you met with Georgia lawmakers, did you lie to them?

RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER ATTORNEY TO PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We will not talk about this until it's over. It's the grand jury and grand juries, as I recall, a secret.

VALENCIA (voice over): Trump's former attorney, Rudy Giuliani is among the list of Trump associates who receive letters from the D.A., indicating he is a target of the investigation.

GIULIANI: Late and flawed --

VALENCIA (voice over): In the months after Trump's loss in Georgia, Giuliani met with Georgia lawmakers at the state capitol three times, spreading conspiracy theories, and election interference lies.

GEORGE CHIDI, FORMER REPORTER, THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION: I thought they were trying to conceal something from me.

VALENCIA (voice over): Independent Atlanta-based journalist George Chidi, stumbled into the 2020 meeting of fake electors in the Georgia State Capitol.

This week he received a subpoena to appear before the grand jury as soon as Monday.

Once the grand jury hears the case, it will be in their hands to decide whether or not to issue indictments.

VALENCIA: Is there merit to this investigation from what you've seen firsthand?

CHIDI: I think there is enough to put things in front of a grand jury. Beyond that, I'm going to let the grand jury figure it out.

VALENCIA: It has been months of work for a sprawling investigation that could include racketeering and conspiracy charges. And there are several indications it may be nearing the end.

Of Friday outside of the Fulton County courthouse, a heavier than normal police presence in the shadows of freshly erected police barricades. Starting Monday morning, streets around the courthouse will be closed.

And now with Trump already facing three other indictments, the big question here is will Fulton County be yet another place where the former president is arrested and charged?

[12:15:07]

The Fulton County sheriff telling out front, his team is prepared.

PATRICK LABAT, FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF: We understand what courthouse security looks like, and quite simply, we are ready.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA (on camera): There are currently two grand jury seated in Fulton County. One of them is going to be tasked with having to hear the Trump case.

Each grand jury consists of 24 jurors, plus two alternates. 16 will be needed for quorum, and it will take 12 of them to be in agreement for indictments to be handed out.

Nick Valencia, CNN, Atlanta.

WHITFIELD: All right. Coming up. If you haven't checked your ticket yet, don't worry, you didn't win the big jackpot, but then no one else did either.

We'll tell you the eye-popping amount that's up for grabs now for the next drawing.

And a long-awaited return. Olympian Simone Biles is set to compete tonight after a two-year hiatus. We'll take you there straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:20:07]

WHITFIELD: All right. Right now, in Florida, a manhunt is underway after a suspect shot two Orlando Police officers during a traffic stop, leaving them both in critical condition.

In a news conference last night, Orlando's police chief said the officers were investigating a vehicle wanted in a homicide in Miami.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC D. SMITH, CHIEF, ORLANDO POLICE DEPARTMENT: During the stop, the suspect shot two of our officers. The suspect then carjacked another car, and a vehicle pursuit ensued. We are right now actively looking for suspects.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: In an e-mail sent out this morning, the department said that the officers are "currently" fighting for their lives. And after 27 years, authorities have identified a victim previously known as Fire Island Jane Doe. Officials made the announcement Friday as an update to their ongoing probe into the Gilgo Beach serial killings.

Her remains were among the 11 sets of remains found scattered along Long Island's south shore between 2010 and 2011.

CNN correspondent Jean Casarez has more.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What this shows is not only the length of time that it can take to identify someone, but truly the advent of forensic science.

It was February of 1996, and on Fire Island in New York, there was found extremities of a human being -- feet and legs. And no identity at all. But then, 15 years later, a skull was found in the Gilgo Beach area. And they were able in 2011 to look at the DNA, and they determined that it was from the same person.

Now, go from 2011 to 2022 and that is when the task force basically was born to look into these unsolved homicides in Long Island Gilgo Beach.

Listen to the elected District Attorney of Suffolk County.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAYMOND TIERNEY, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, SUFFOLK COUNTY, NEW YORK: In August of 2022, approximately six months after we formed this Gilgo Task Force, DNA profile suitable for genealogical comparison was developed from the remains of Karen Vergata.

In September of 2022, the FBI was able to -- was able via a genetic genealogy review to identify Ms. Vergata presumptively as Fire Island Jane Doe.

Thereafter in October of 2022, using a buccal swab from a relative of Karen Vergata, we were able to definitively identify her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: The district attorney does not implicate Rex Heuermann at all with the identification of this brand-new victim. He does say that they will work this part of the case just like they did with the Gilgo Four. But what's interesting is that the charges that Rex Heuermann is facing, the victims were found tied with belts, duct taped, rolled in burlap, and Karen Vergata and several other victims in the Gilgo Beach Long Island area, they were dismembered, and parts of their body were found in various locations

But one thing we do know, the investigation is far from over, and we will be continuing to see what happens.

WHITFIELD: Jean Casarez, thank you so much.

Coming up a major medical breakthrough. The FDA just approved the very first pill to treat postpartum depression. More next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:27:47]

WHITFIELD: A historic FDA approval makes major strides for new mothers. The agency signed off on the first ever postpartum depression pill in the U.S. that is specifically made for this condition.

CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard has more.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: What we know about the depression drug, zuranolone, is that it is administered as an oral pill, taken daily over the course of two weeks, and patients in clinical trials have said that it worked very quickly for them, within just a few days, and those effects were sustained for weeks.

One clinical trial included 196 women with severe postpartum depression, half of them were given zuranolone, the other half was given a placebo. But among those women taking zuranolone, 57 percent said they experienced huge improvements. Of 50 percent or more in their depressive symptoms over the course of two weeks, compared with only 39 percent of those who took a placebo.

And some of the women taking zuranolone, even said they started to experience those symptoms improve as early as within three days of taking the medication.

Now, some women taking the drug experienced side effects like drowsiness and dizziness, but the drug was overall found to be safe and effective. And it's known that about one in eight women in the United States, and about 17 percent of women globally, experience symptoms of postpartum depression after giving birth.

So, this is big news for them. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jacqueline Howard, thank you so much for that.

I want to bring in now, Dr. Leana Wen for her expertise on this.

Dr. Wen, great to see you. She is also an emergency physician, public health professor at George Washington University and a columnist at the Washington Post.

Got to get it all in there. Doctor, I wonder what your reaction is to this new medication.

DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: I think this is a really important step forward. Postpartum depression is common. As many as one in five women may, in fact, have it at some time in their lives. But it's a condition that's met with a lot of shame and stigma, which is something that I experienced myself.

[12:30:02]

When after I gave birth to my son who's now almost 6, I had postpartum depression. And even though I'm a physician, at that time, I was overseen a program, in fact, to help women and postpartum families. I still waited months before seeking therapy.

And so I think it's really important that there is now a medication, a pill, that's specifically approved to treat postpartum depression. It's also good that this is two weeks in duration. I think many women might prefer that to taking something that's longer in duration. And I think it is one more reminder that we have to take mental health as seriously as we take physical health.

And I hope that this encourages many more women to seek help. And help may not always involve medications. This medication, for example, may not be appropriate for people with mild postpartum depression. But therapy, counseling, there are many other things that may help. And I want women and all people who need psychological help to be able to obtain it.

WHITFIELD: I'm glad you knew what to do and could identify it in yourself, especially because you were helping so many other women. But that is part of the problem. So many people don't even know what it is that they are experiencing. And postpartum depression, as described on the FDA website, is a major depressive episode. That's how they are describing it. So how common is it for women after they've given birth?

WEN: It's quite common. It ranges the estimates range from one in eight women to as high as one in five women. And some studies also show that 50 percent or more of women who have postpartum depression don't know that they do. And this is something that really impacts their lives.

I mean, some women with this condition are so fatigued, are unable to participate in daily life -- in their normal daily lives. They may also have many other things happening in their lives, too. They're learning how to be moms, many for the first time, or many who are caring for other children and trying to back to work.

And so this is something that hugely impacts their lives. And I want people to think about, what if someone were diagnosed with heart problems or diabetes after giving birth? We would definitely make sure that person is diagnosed and has a treatment. We should see depression as no different.

WHITFIELD: Yes. OK, Dr. Wen, thank you for that. I want to switch gears now to the popular injectable medications known as Ozempic and Mounjaro. A woman is suing the makers of those drugs, claiming that she developed stomach paralysis after using both of those drugs, which were prescribed by her doctor. And these were developed to manage diabetes. Are they dangerous to use for weight loss?

WEN: Yes. Every medication has potential side effects, and it has benefits. And there are known gastrointestinal side effects associated with these particular medications. Those side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and delayed gastric emptying, which is actually one of the ways that these medications work. Now, thankfully, for the majority of individuals, as soon as they stop the medications, they no longer have these side effects. Although in this case, it sounds like perhaps this woman may have persistent symptoms.

I think what this says is that people should really weigh the risks and benefits in a way that's appropriate for their own medical situation. There are real significant downsides of having untreated diabetes and severe obesity as well. That has to be weighed against the potential side effects.

But I think it is a reminder that people should not be taking these medications inappropriately. We've all heard the stories of somebody taking Ozempic, for example, to try to lose 10 pounds before a wedding or a celebration, that's not the appropriate use of a medication that's supposed to be for diabetes and obesity.

WHITFIELD: All right, turning now to RSV, the CDC recommends that all infants under eight months of age get a new antibody shot to protect against severe respiratory essential, I actually only know it as RSV. I don't know how to say that word, virus.

You'll have to correct me on that one. Which can be life threatening for newborns. This one hits close to home because my twins, when they were just one month old, they had it. We almost lost one of our twins, but thankfully, everything worked out OK in his recovery. So what has been your experience with patients whose children have RSV or, you know, have battled it?

WEN: Sure, I have a lot of experience with this. We all have as physicians and also as parents, because virtually every child gets RSV before the age of two. This is an extremely common illness, and for most kids, it's very mild and it's more like a cold, but some children get severely ill. And in fact, RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization among young children for respiratory infections. And so I think it's really good that we now have this preventive antibody. Just to clarify that this is not a vaccine, because vaccines induce your body to produce antibodies.

This is injecting the antibody directly. But studies have shown that this is really effective. It's 70 percent to 75 percent effective in preventing medical visits due to RSV. And so I think especially for young infants, newborns, for example, or premature babies that were born prematurely with chronic lung conditions, or babies that have to be in daycare during RSV season, having this option really gives parents peace of mind, because even if the kid gets RSV, it could help to prevent those severe consequences.

[12:35:28]

WHITFIELD: Indeed. All right, every -- all the protections necessary. Thank you very much. All right, Dr. Leana Wen. Good to see you. Thank you.

WEN: Thank you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, coming up next, new developments in the tragic case of O'Shea Sibley, a 28-year-old professional dancer who was stabbed to death while dancing. What Mayor Eric Adams said just moments ago about this alleged hate crime, more next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. Just minutes ago, New York City Mayor Eric Adams holding a news conference calling the murder of a 28-year-old professional dancer at a Brooklyn gas station last weekend a hate crime. O'Shea Sibley was stabbed in the torso after a confrontation with a group of males who, according to one of Sibley's friends, were shouting, gay slurs. Here is Mayor Adams.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[12:40:24]

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS (D), NEW YORK CITY: Parents lost a child. A child to something clearly that was a hate crime.

Our message today to both the Muslim community and the LGBT plus community, as well as all others, this is a city where you are free to express yourself, and that expression should never end with any form of violence.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: On Friday, people gathered outside the very same gas station where Sibley was stabbed. CNN's Jason Carroll has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWD: O'Shea Sibley.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They gathered here at this gas station in Brooklyn to memorialize and to take a stand against hate.

LAURA BERTH LIMA, ATTENDED VIGIL FOR O'SHEA SIBLEY: We stand here today, tomorrow, and will continue to until black, queer, trans, non- binary lives are respected. And it's not a debate. We shouldn't have to debate our existence.

CARROLL (voice-over): This is where O'Shea Sibley, a 28-year-old professional dancer, was stabbed to death last Saturday night. Police say the trouble started when a group of young men shouted anti-gay slurs at Sibley and his friends because they were dancing, voguing to a Beyonce song. One witness at the gas station described what he saw.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guy came from inside the store. He left and he saw them dancing. He was like, why are you dancing? He's like, I'm Muslim. Stop dancing. So that's where the fight all started.

CARROLL (voice-over): Surveillance video showed at one point, Sibley appeared to walk away. The situation escalated, and police say one of the men stabbed Sibley in the chest.

CROWD: O'Shea Sibley.

CARROLL (voice-over): His death has sparked outrage across social media. Beyonce paid tribute and posted rest in power O'Shea Sibley on her website.

IQUAIL SHAHEED, DANCER AND CHOREOGRAPHER: We'll continue to love O'Shea.

CARROLL (voice-over): Iquail Shaheed has been friends and colleagues with Sibley for more than a decade.

SHAHEED: Unfortunately, someone with bigotry and hatred still took his life. And my heart broke, and it's still breaking.

CARROLL (voice-over): Sibley was a member of the modern dance company Ailey Extension. He performed at Lincoln Center and got his start dancing as a teenager in Philadelphia. He stayed in touch with his dance instructor, who he lovingly called Aunt Joan.

JOAN MYERS BROWN, FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE ARTISTIC ADVISER PHILADANCO! DANCE COMPANY: I just couldn't believe it happened for the reason that it happened, because here we are in America. I said, being black in America is being black in America. But this was for other reasons, you know, his sexuality, the fact that he was just dancing, pumping gas and dancing.

CARROLL (voice-over): Sibley's death has drawn attention to the number of hate crimes directed at gay and trans people, especially those of color. According to the latest FBI statistics available, there was a 70 percent increase in hate crimes against LGBTQ people in the U.S. from 2020 to 2021. No surprise to community leaders who helped organized Friday's demonstration.

SEAN EBONY COLEMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DESTINATION TOMORROW: When I tell my young people that they need to be safe when they leave the center or when I tell my young people they need to be safe going downtown, that's an everyday reality to us. These moments show us that there's still so much work to do.

CARROLL (voice-over): Those who knew Sibley will remember his love of dance and his loving personality.

BROWN: He was loving because he was always giving love to get love.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[12:44:02]

WHITFIELD: Thank you so much, Jason Carroll. And we've also heard reaction from the Alvin Ailey Dance family. Sibley was active with the Ailey Extension program. You see right here. Ailey Dance shared this recent video of Sibley dancing in a technique class at Ailey Extension.

Ailey Dance leaders tell CNN they mourn the tragic death of O'Shea Sibley and call him a cherished and devoted participant. Alvin Ailey Artistic Director Robert Battle saying this, I'm quoting now, we live in a world where the fact that someone wants to dance for joy can inspire hate. We dance for joy to inspire the humanity in each other.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, the Mega Millions jackpot prize is still up for grabs after no winner was declared last night. A few lucky players did, however, walk away with $1 million by matching five numbers on their lottery tickets. The new prize money has climbed to just over $1.5 billion. The next drawing will take place next Tuesday at 11:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

And Simone Biles is back. The seven-time Olympic medalist making a comeback today, two years after she shocked fans when she withdrew from five event finals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, citing mental health concerns. Well, today, Biles is scheduled to compete in four events at the Core Hydration Classics in Illinois, the final opportunity for athletes to qualify for the national championships. CNN's Isabel Rosales is live for us in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. So, Isabel, that is the hot ticket. It's sold out, right? Everyone wants to see Biles back in action.

[12:50:15]

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred. Fans and even fellow athletes, they are so incredibly excited that, yes, you're right, they sold out now, arena, that is 7,200 seats, all of them filled. They are here to witness the greatest of all time, Simone Biles, back in action. Now, this is a qualifying competition to then go to U.S. nationals and then after that in the fall to the World Championships. And Simone Biles, she is registered for all four events. People are going to be on the lookout for how fresh she looks, how sharp she looks, too.

Now, two years ago, Biles shocked the world by withdrawing from her events at the Tokyo Olympics, suffering from what's known as the twisties. This is a mental block that gymnasts have where they can't tell up from down while they're in midair. So, as you can understand there, very, very bad for competition. She ultimately did return and earned a bronze at the balance beams, and then she just disappeared from the competitive world.

During that time, she faced some backlash on social media folks saying that she had abandoned her team, that she was showing a moment of weakness while her supporters were defending her, saying that this was a testament to the mental strain that elite gymnasts go through, that even the most talented among them have to drop out. Here is what Biles said during that time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMONE BILES, U.S. GYMNAST: To bring the topic of mental health, I think it should be talked about a lot more, especially with athletes, because I know some of us are going through the same things and we're always told to push through it, but we're all a little bit older now and we could kind of speak for ourselves. But at the end of the day, we're not just entertainment, we're humans. And there are things going on behind the scenes that we're also trying to juggle with as well on top of sports.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROSALES: And Biles is 26 years old. This is important too, because we heard, CNN heard from Joan Ryan, an author and sports journalist, that this is optimism, this is proof that the gym, elite gymnastics, the culture of it is changing. That it's a shift from the idea that young, pre-pubescent teenage girls are the ideal age for gymnastics.

And once you enter adulthood, really, that's the time to start retiring and shifting away from that. Biles is proving everyone wrong with that. It's also important to note here that it's not just Biles. There are 12 Olympians who are competing here today. Fred?

WHITFIELD: It's going to be extraordinary. We'll all be watching, at least on T.V. You right there. You might be inside. Give us the intel when you get it. Isabel Rosales, thank you so much.

And this quick programming note from "Star Trek" to "Westworld." Go inside the evolution of black representation in Sci-Fi and horror in a new episode of the CNN original series See it Loud: The History of Black Television. That's tomorrow at 09:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN. We'll be right back.

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[12:57:42]

WHITFIELD: In Niger, military leaders from the coup last week are warning of retaliation if other West African countries try to intervene. The regional bloc known as ECOWAS, has already given a Sunday deadline for the reinstatement of Niger's ousted president, but concerns are growing over protests countrywide as CNN's Stephanie Busari reports, the political crisis could escalate into a wider conflict.

STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN AFRICA SENIOR EDITOR: Fred the leaders of last week's coup in Niger are digging in their heels as they face a looming deadline from regional neighbors to return to democracy. The regional bloc Economic Community of West African States, also known as ECOWAS, has given the Nigerian military a Sunday deadline to release and reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

The tough talking rhetoric has escalated with local media reporting that Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has written to his Senate urging them to back military action. Nigeria is a key player in the region, and President Tinubu is the current chairman of ECOWAS. He has convened regional defense chiefs to prepare a robust plan on what military intervention in Niger might look like.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden has also called for the immediate release of Bazoum in a written statement commemorating Niger's Independent Day. Bazoum was a key ally in a fight against regional insecurity by the United States and France with both countries maintaining military bases in the area.

Niger has faced tough sanctions, and humanitarian groups have warned about the devastating effect this could have on the world's most vulnerable people in one of the poorest countries in the world. Niger currently receives close to $2 billion of aid a year, according to the World Bank. Fred.

WHITFIELD: Stephanie Busari, thank you so much.

All right. Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. We begin this hour over the Black Sea, where Russia says it has intercepted a U.S. drone. Russia's Ministry of Defense says the drone made a U-turn and no border violation occurred. The incident comes as Ukraine launched two strikes on Russian targets in the Black Sea.

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